Achievement goal theory: ‘An athlete’s motivation should always be to aim to be the best’ Essay

â€Å"Success and failure are not concrete events. They are psychological states consequent on the perception of reaching or not reaching goals† (Maehr & Nicholls, 1980. p. 228). The quality of an athlete’s sporting experience is shaped by the way in which success is defined, and by how capabilities are judged (Duda, 1993). Achievement Goal Theory (AGT) (Nicholls, 1984; 1989) outlines that people are motivated by the desire to fell competent. People can define competence and success in different ways, the main ones being ego and task orientations. Research is consistent in showing the motivational benefits of a task-orientation, either singly or in combination with an ego-orientation. In order to keep athletes involved in sport, success must mean being the best as well as task mastery and personal improvement (Duda, 1993). Drawing from past research, I will construct an essay to support the statement: ‘An athlete’s motivation should always be to aim to be the best’. I will firstly outline important tenants of AGT, in particular ego and task orientations, approach and avoidance goals, motivational climates, and TARGET guidelines. Secondly, I will use this information to provide a brief analysis of the motivational style that a coach of the Varsity rugby league team; Brent, performs, and the effects this style has on a particular 18-year-old athlete; Justin. Finally, I will describe specific theoretically based strategies that can be used by Brent, to adapt a more correct motivational atmosphere for Justin and his team. Coaches play an important role in determining the types of motivational orientations athletes perceive (Ames, 1992). Part 1: Theoretical Understanding. According to AGT (Nicholls, 1984, 1989), in achievement situations the goal of participants is to demonstrate competence or avoid demonstrating incompetence. AGT recognises at least two approaches athletes may adopt to judge their ability within a sporting context. A focus on comparing oneself to others (ego-orientated) or a focus on one’s own effort and improvement (task-orientated) Athletes, who are ego-orientated, perceive ability as limiting the effects of effort on performance (Nicholls, 1989). Here athletes show their high capacity of ability often at the expense of effort. Nicholls (1989) states that ego-orientated individuals judge their ability  relative to others, and try to demonstrate superior ability or outperform others to be satisfied. Those who are highly task-orientated use cues such as levels of effort and task completion to assess their competence, in a self-reflective manner. Here the athlete is satisfied if they perform to a level that reflects how they have mastered a task or made personal improvements (Ames, 1992). Much research points to the advantage of being task-involved when participating in sport and other achievement-related activities (Ames, 1992; Duda, 1993, 2001). Positive outcomes include health, well-being, and social and performance-related factors. When athletes report being task-oriented, they persist longer at sporting tasks, they are more engaged with their trainings, and they use more effective cognitive processing strategies (tennis). In comparison, ego-oriented goals may lead to negative outcomes, such as the tendency to drop out of sport (Duda & Balaguer, 2007). Adaptive cognitive, affective, and behavioral patterns are characteristics of task-orientated athletes as well as for those who are ego-oriented but who have high perceived competence or ability. Maladaptive patters are predicted for ego-oriented individuals who have low perceived ability (Nicholls, 1989). Athletes become predisposed to task and ego orientations because of social factors in their sport (i.e. the coach), and these orientations will subsequently influence what goal preference an athlete will adopt in a specific situation (Duda & Balaguer, 2007). Elliot (1999) & Pintrich (2000) state that task and ego goals are each divided into approach and avoidance goals. In terms of task goals, task-approach oriented athletes are interested in achieving mastery of a task; in contrast, task-avoidance oriented athletes are interested in avoiding misunderstanding the task. In terms of ego goals, ego-approach oriented athletes are interested in demonstrating that they are more competent than other athletes (i.e., have more ability than others); in contrast, performance-avoidance oriented students are interested in avoiding appearing incompetent or stupid. It is important to note that athletes can hold multiple goals simultaneously; thus, it is possible for an athlete to be both task-approach oriented and ego-approach oriented; here, this athlete  truly wants to learn and master the material but is also concerned with appearing more competent than others. The nature of the goal state (levels of task and ego-orientation) that is activated in a specific sport situation will be determined by individual preference (goal orientation) as well as situational cues (motivational climate). According to Roberts (2001) conceptions of competence are determined by both dispositional and situational factors. Research acknowledges that both students’ individual characteristics and contextual influences affect the types of goals that students adopt in various learning environments. Studies indicate that the environments in which athletes learn influence their goal orientations in important ways (Dweck, 1986; Cury, Biddle, Famose, Goudas, & Sarrazin, 1996; Spray, 2000). Whether an athlete is more task- or ego-orientated in sport depends partly on the motivational climate created by coaches. This can also be of two types: a mastery or task-oriented motivational climate, and a competitive or ego-oriented motivational climate (Ames, 1992). In this regard, athletes who have stronger ego-goal orientations are more likely to perceive an ego-oriented sport climate, whereas those with a dominant task-orientation are more likely to perceive a task-oriented motivational climate. The instructional practices that are used in trainings have an impact on the types of goal orientations that athletes adopt (Ntoumanis & Biddle, 1999) In a task-oriented motivational climate, the coach emphasises cooperation, rewards players’ effort, and ensures that everyone feels that they have clear and important roles to play on the team. When mistakes are made, the coach responds with information on how to correct the error. Here, coaches are more likely to produce athletes who are confident, coachable, willing to work hard for commonly agreed upon goals, and who enjoy their sport. In an Ego-orietated motivational climate, the coach emphasises rivalry between players, has a low tolerance for mistakes, and has favourites amongst the players. This environment has been related to athletes having greater performance anxiety and self-doubt and other behaviors which are counterproductive (Duda, & Balaguer, 2007; Ntoumanis & Biddle, 1999). In a task-orientated climate athletes experience greater enjoyment and  self-esteem, and reported less anxiety than in ego-involving climates. Athletes also report greater intrinsic motivation to play their sport when their coaches promote task involvement (Duda, & Balaguer, 2007; Ntoumanis & Biddle, 1999). Another critical area that defines the predominant motivational climate is the type of feedback given to athletes. The task-orientated climate will have responses that emphasize effort, improvement and skill mastery. The ego-involving climate will focus on the win-loss record and the athlete’s ability. In a given context, if a coach talks about and truly focuses on mastery, improvement, and self-comparisons, then athletes are likely to adopt mastery goals, and to perceive a task goal structure during training. In contrast, if a coach constantly talks about skill levels, game scores, and who is doing the best (or the worst), then athletes are likely to adopt performance goals, and perceive a performance goal structure at training. An athlete’s motivation should be to strive to be the best, but it is the perception of what is meant by ‘being the best’ that the athlete must be concerned with. Coaches can play an important role in determining what athletes perceive as being the best It is therefore important to provide the right types of goals, in the right type of motivation climate. Epstein (1989) identified that the task, authority, recognition, grouping, evaluation, and time (TARGET) structures as influential factors that can determine the motivation climate. Epstein (1989) developed a taxonomy as a way of summarising and providing order to the various dimensions. Later, Ames (1992) adopted the TARGET acronym to summarise the structures that foster a mastery motivational climate in achievement situations, and consequently, display positive patterns of behaviours in athletes. The Task (T) dimension outlines the design of the learning activities. The Authority (A) dimension refers to the type and frequency of participation in the decision-making process. The dimension of Recognition (R) concerns the use of rewards to recognise progress and achievement. The Grouping (G) dimension regards the way in which athletes are divided into groups. The  Evaluation (E) dimension involves the methods, standards, and criteria used to assess learning. The Time (T) dimension concerns the appropriateness of the time demands, the pace of instruction, and the time designated to complete tasks. This model can be used to identify and design a learning environment to help develop athletes perceived competence, enjoyment and intentions to participate. Conversely, Ego-orientated climates are created when athletes are not given varied tasks, the coach maintains authority, athletes are recoginised for their ability relative to others, homogeneous ability groups are used, evaluation is based on normative practices, and time for task’s completion is inflexible (Duda & Balaguer, 2007). The mastery TARGET structures of task, grouping, and time have shown to have the greatest positive effect on peoples activity levels (Bowler, 2009). I will now use the discussed theoretical assumptions to provide a brief analysis of the motivational style that a coach Brent employs, and the effects this style has on an athlete; Justin. Part 2: Case Study; a Brief Analysis. Justin, an athlete in Brent’s team, is not enjoying league as much as he has in the past. Justin believes it is the coaching style and team environment, which has caused this change in motivation. Brent, a rookie coach, feels that his experience he has had as a player and from having been coached himself by a number of different coaches, will lead him to be a successful coach. It is evident from the case study and from the literature that Brent’s motivational style is negatively affecting Justin’s motivation, to the point that he seems certain to drop out of the sport completely. It would advantage Brent to be more task-orientated during his coaching; he currently employs an ego-orientated motivational style. His ego-orientated motivational climate can be categorised into the six dimensions of the TARGET taxonomy (Epstein, 1989). As a dimension of (T) Task: Brent does not emphasise individual challenge or active involvement during his fitness training and he dominates conversations by explaining what he thought went wrong. As a dimension of (A) Authority: Brent does not ask for input from the team regarding training drills and he does not give the players much of a chance to give their opinions. As a dimension of (R) Recognition: Athletes are recognised for their ability relative to others during fitness sessions rather than on effort as a perceived indicator of achievement. As a dimension of Grouping (G): homogeneous groups are evident when comparing new and existing team members; there is a sense of an ‘us and them’ atmosphere. As a dimension of Evaluation (E): the coach bases evaluation on fitness levels rather than effort, with no tools to develop the progression towards individual goals. and finally as a dimension of Time (T): the time the team has for task completion is inflexible, he expects quick progression of skills and fitness, as well as this, his sessions are all planned out in advance not allowing appropriate time demands. These ego-orientated practices that Brent employs, has created a motivational climate that is of a highly ego-orientated nature. This will influence the types of goal orientations that Justin adopts. The nature of the goal state will be determined by individual preference as well as the motivational climate. Justin’s motivational preference seems also to be highly ego-orientated. There is a high chance that this is a function of Brent’s ego-orientated instructional practices (motivational climate). Justin believes that in order to be successful he has to focus comparing himself with others either during fitness training or in higher recognition situations (i.e. aiming to make national representative squads). Justin displays performance anxiety and self-doubt. He does not feel like he has been given the opportunity to improve his league skills, and is worried about losing his place on the NZ rep team. Rather than striving for task-orientated goals, he is displaying an ego-goal orientation. Another effect of having an ego-goal orientation in sport is that Justin may perceive his ability by limiting the effects of effort during trainings. This lack of effort may be the reason for his lack of game time. Justin also displays an ego-avoidance orientation; here Justin is interested in avoiding appearing incompetent. He feels the only reason he is still playing is that he would feel guilty if he did not see the season through to the end. It is still early on in the season and although things do not seem to be going well for Justin, there is still hope yet. I will know describe specific strategies that i would encourage Brent to use to structure a more  adaptive ‘motivational’ sport environment for Justin Part 2: Case Study; Strategies for a more adaptive ‘motivational’ sport environment. I believe Brent needs to reflect of the current coaching style and make changes to certain aspects, and if possible up-skill (i.e. a coaching course). In order to structure a more adaptive ‘motivational’ sport environment for Justin and his team I would encourage Brent to design strategies to enhance task-involvement. Brent could employ the TARGET (Epstein, 1989) conceptualization, which represents the six structures of the achievement context to influence his athlete’s motivation. These situational structures are assumed to be interdependent; one dimension can have direct implications on another dimension within the structure. I will now explain how Brent can structure a more adaptive motivational climate using the principals of the TARGET guidelines. As a dimension of task, Brent could provide the athletes with tools to help set self-referenced process and performance goals. For example, Brent may want to record the athletes initial and post fitness tests scores (i.e. Time it takes to run 3km) to provide athletes with individual times. Here the demand of the task is to emphasise individual challenge. This also recognises that individual ability can be a perceived indicator of achievement. As a dimension of authority, Brent could encourage input from his team by directing questions to athletes during review sessions (e.g. â€Å"how do you think we could improve on our performance from Saturday’s game†) or getting individual athletes to call out the tackle count for a set of six tackles during defensive drills. This would be a great opportunity to nominate athletes like Justin, because it provides active involvement, while also building confidence and leadership skills. As a dimension of recognition, Brent could approach each player during the training session to talk through individual strategies, progress, and evaluation. This gives individual feedback that can advantage athletes like Justin. As a dimension of grouping, Brent could use differing grouping arrangements. For example arranging groups by which state of origin team they support, what province they are from, or which position they play (i.e. a forward). By sub-dividing groups under similar characteristics can support cooperative grouping  arrangements. As a dimension of evaluation, Brent could encourage athletes to bring a notebook to training as a way of recording their own personal improvements. Brent should also acknowledge mastery of tasks and congratulate good effort rather than comparing athletes’ skill levels against each other. As a dimension of timing, Brent needs to recognise that athlete’s progress through skills and fitness at different levels, a good coach must cater for all athletes by providing optimal timing constraints. This may involve being open to training drills progressing longer or shorter than what he had planned for. By employing Epstein (1989) conceptualization of the TARGET guidelines to foster a task-involving motivational climate, athletes will experience greater confidence, enjoyment and self-esteem. Athletes will also be more intrinsically motivation to play league. An athlete’s motivation should always be to aim to be the best. It important that Brent can change his own perception of what he defines as the best from his current ego-involved definition to a more task-orientated definition. Creating this type of climate will hopefully help develop his own athletes’ perceptions of competence and enhance their sporting experience. In conclusion, this essay has outlined some specific theoretical assumptions of the achievement goal theory, and how these can be used to understand athletes’ behavioral patterns in sport. The coach-created motivational climate can play an important role in influencing athletes’ interpretation of their involvement in sport. Whether this influence is more positive or negative appears to depend on the degree to which the motivational atmosphere the coach establishes is more or less task-involving and ego-involving. I was able to assess Brent’s current motivational style using the TARGET taxonomy and its effects this style has on a athlete; Justin. Finally, I was also able to point out specific strategies of the TARGET taxonomy to help Brent create a more task-orientated motivational coaching climate. In doing so I have been able to support the statement that ‘an athlete’s motivation should always be to aim to be the best’, by acknowledging that ‘best’ can be defined from task-orientated goals. References Ames, C. (1992). Achievement goals and the classroom motivational climate. In J. L. Meece & D. H. Schunck (Eds.). Student perceptions in the classroom (pp. 327-348). Hillsdale, NJ: Erlbaum. Bowler, M. 2009. The influence of the TARGET motivational climate structures on pupil physical activity levels during year 9 athletics lessons. Paper presented at the British Educational Research Association Annual Conference, University of Manchester, 2-5 September, 2009. Cury, F., Biddle, S., Famose, J., Goudas, M., Sarrazin, P. & Durand, M. (1996). Personal and situational factors influencing intrinsic motivatiuon of adolescent girls in school physical education: A structural modeling analysis, Educational Psychology, 16: 305-315. Duda, J. L. (1993) Goals: A social cognitive approach to the study of achievement motivation in sport. In R. N. Singer,M.Murphey and L. K. Tennant (eds.), Handbook of Research on Sport Psychology, pp. 421–436, New York: Macmillan. Duda, J. L. (2001). Achievement goal research in sport: Pushing the boundaries and clarifying some misunderstandings. In G. C. Roberts (Ed.), Advances in motivation in sport and exercise (pp. 129-182). Leeds: Human Kinetics. Duda, J. L., & Balaguer, I. (2007). The coach-created motivational climate. In S. Jowett & D. Lavalee (Eds.), Social psychology of sport. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Dweck, C.M. (2000). Predicting participation in non-compulsory physical education: Do goal perspectives matter?. Perceptual and Motor Skills, 90: 1201-1215. Elliot, A. J. (1999). Approach and avoidance motivation and achievement goals. Educational Psychologist, 34, 169-189. Epstein, J. (1989). Family structures and student motivation: A developmental perspective. In C. Ames & R. Ames (Eds.). Research on motivation in Education, Vol. 3. New York, Academic Press. Maehr, M. L. and Nicholls, J. G. (1980) ‘Culture and achievement motivation: A second look’. In N.Warren (ed.), Studies in Cross-cultural Psychology, Vol. II, pp. 221–267, New York: Academic Press. Nicholls, J. G. (1989). The competitive ethos and democratic education. London: Harvard University Press. Nicholls, J. G. (1984). Achievement motivation: Conceptions of ability, subjective experience, task choice, and performance. Psychological Review, 97, 328-346. Ntoumanis, N., & Biddle, S. J. H. (1999). A review of motivational climate in physical activity. Journal of Sports Sciences, 17(8), 643-665. Pintrich, P. R. (2000). The role of goal orientation in self-regulated learning. In M.  Boekaerts, P. R. Pintrich, and Zeidner, M. (Eds.), Handbook of self-regulation (pp. 451–502). San Diego, CA: Academic Press. Roberts, G. C. (2001). Understanding the dynamics of motivation in physical activity: the influence of achievement goals on motivational process. In G. C. Roberts (Ed.), Advances in motivation in sport and exercise (pp. 1-50). Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Spray, C.M. (2000). Predicting participation in non-compulsory physical education: Do goal perspectives matter? Perceptual and Motor Skills, 90: 1207-1215.

Maritime Law Essay

On January 6th, 2007 the vessel collided with â€Å"M. V Container† while approaching to pilot station. The cause of the collision was due to wrong plotting position of 3rd officer from â€Å"Never Struck† and wrongful act on COLREG 72 from â€Å"M. V Container†. Owners of the â€Å"M. V Container† claimed her damage cargo hold No 1. Cargo owner of fertilizer claimed to owner against delays. 4. general average vs. particular average (a) General average is incurred for the benefit of all interests but the particular average is in connection with just one of the many interests. b) General average is always voluntary and intentional but the particular average is an accidental or unexpected calamities. (c) General average is shared by all those who have benefited by the general average act. Particular average is paid by the insurer. (d) General average may include expenditure and sacrifice along with loss, whereas the particular average results from a loss or damage. 5. Conditions implying General Average In order for an act of sacrifice or expenditure to be considered an act of general average, six conditions must prevail. a) Common Maritime Adventure – More than one party must be involved in the adventure so as to be ‘common’ (shipowner, cargo owner). (b) Real and Common Danger – all parties must have been actually benefited by the sacrifice due to a peril that endangers the adventure. (c) Extraordinary – loss must be distinguished from ordinary loss because ordinary loss is not allowed for general average contributions. (d) Intentional – decisions must be made and the loss must be voluntary. (e) Reasonableness – unreasonable and unnecessary sacrifice or expenditure is not valid. f) Success – the sacrificial actions must be able to save the property involved in a common maritime adventure from a particular danger. Where the ship and cargo is totally destroyed altogether, there will be no quest ion of general average. 6. CASE ANALYSIS In the case of â€Å"Never Struck† and â€Å"M. V Container†, it was due to the negligence of 3rd officer in â€Å"M. V Container† who did not condone to Prevention of Collision Regulations 1972 which is a breach of international law, causing the two vessels to collide. Although â€Å"Never Struck† did have a fault of its own, it did not however breach the international law of sea navigations. In applying the rules of Prevention of Collision Regulations 1972, Part A, section 2(a) and section 2(b), referred to as the â€Å"General Prudential† rule and provides for non-conformance with stated rules in order to prevent a collision, because what is paramount is to avoid or minimize the damaging effects of a collision, as opposed to blindly following the rules to the letter. The overall intent is to minimize actual collision taking place rather than rule compliance in itself. Due to negligence on the part of â€Å"M. V Container† she will not be able to claim against â€Å"Never Struck† for the repairs of the cargo hold No 1. The cargo loss in the cargo hold No 1 which was lost due to the accident may however bring about an action in tort. If there was any further loss of cargo which was jettisoned in order to save the ship or expenses incurred after the collision in order to save the adventure may be liable for general average. As for â€Å"Never Struck†, the cargo owner may claim either â€Å"Never Struck† or â€Å"M. V Container† against delays. However it should and would not be considered in general average claims. Same as for the case of â€Å"M. V Container†, the cargo loss which was lost due to the accident may however bring about an action in tort. If there was any further loss of cargo which was jettisoned in order to save the ship or expenses incurred after the collision in order to save the adventure may be liable for general average. 7. CONCLUSION As a conclusion, collisions may lead to a series of claims and actions. These series of events may bring about the application a number of acts. It is important though to understand that General Average only exist if the act of sacrifice or expenditure is voluntary in order to save a common adventure from total loss at sea.

FDE 1000 part a Essay

I am currently working in a small privately run day nursery on a housing estate and have been there now for nearly six years. Within my setting I have two job roles both of which I am very clear as to what my roles and responsibilities are. Common core (2010,2ek) First of which is Deputy officer in charge which has been my role now for nearly two years and holds many responsibilities and challenges on a daily basis, my main responsibilities relate to assisting my manger in the day to day running of the setting and working very closely with all the staff, assisting in interviews working with current and new parents and also working very closely with other agencies involved in the nursery including speech therapist, child physiologists, ofsted and the local authority. My other job role is lead practitioner in the preschool room looking after children aged between two years to four years old. Here my role consists of working closely with my senior nursery practitioner in planning and observing the children in the preschool, helping to prepare them for their transition into primary school. CC (2010,4bs) implementing the daily routine, making sure health and safety towards the children and staff is maintained at all times and mentoring the other staff who work in the preschool room including nursery assistants and trainees. I have many strengths within my job roles but also many weaknesses which I work every day towards improving through observing what others do, listening to what others say and also through teaching myself new things. Completing my training needs analysis made me more aware of strengths and weakness I was unaware of which I had which has brought to light different things in which I need to work on improving to help maintain my knowledge and to help improve my practice. I have worked closely with my work-based mentor and the settings manager to put an action plan into place to improve my practice to the best it can be over the next twelve months, this action plan is based on what areas I have found I need to improve on using my training needs analysis. By completing my Training needs analysis and recently returning to working within a room in my setting which has only been for two months now, I have realised according to the early years teachers standards I do not have such a secure knowledge of early childhood development and I do need to work on how this leads to the children learning successfully when they get to school Early years teachers standards(2013, S3:1) I am not as fully aware of all the new EYFS changes as I thought I was which if I do not change this will effect the learning and development of the children within my care. I have found that when I am now completing the children’s learning journals I need a lot of support from the other staff members in my room to make sure I am observing each child correctly and that I am linking each observation to the correct area of the eyfs and not giving a false indication of where the children may be up to developmentally, before all the changes took place I was always very confident in this area. I do realise I know enough on the new eyfs to be able to plan and track the next steps of development for the children as I am aware of how to observe and find I am very confident in this particular area, but I also know that If I took part in some more research related to the this through reading books provided by my work setting and researching the many options available to me online that I will be able to give the children a better chance of being ready and prepared for their transition to primary school. I am also willing to search for possible training opportunities on the new EYFS through the national day nurseries association as we have took part in training through them in the past. I have put this on my action plan to complete by February of next year as I feel there is a lot of research that can be done to help me in this area and feel that I have given myself enough time to do this research. Also through reflection I have realised I need to update my safeguarding training. In my setting we have a lead safeguarding officer who is the nursery manager, recently my manger has had some prolonged time off and therefore it has become my duty to step into this role as lead safeguarding officer. I am aware of safeguarding and have some knowledge in this area although through looking at my training needs analysis and stepping up into this role it has made me realise I lack confidence in this area and need support. I am able to recognise when a child is at risk but need to build a lot of confidence around acting upon this through my own judgement rather than consistently needed advice and support EYTS (2013, S7:3) although I do understand when it comes to safeguarding issues advice and support from others is essential providing it is within reason and kept confidential. During my time at my setting I have dealt with some safeguarding instances as a support for my manager and parents. I am aware that my safeguarding training certificate Is now out of date and it is f great importance that I take part in a new training course to refresh my knowledge so I am able to act upon legal requirements regarding safeguarding and am more aware and confident in promoting the welfare of the children in my care EYTS (2013, S7:1). Also as I am now deputy officer in charge and lead practitioner within my setting I am aware that I will need to take part in a higher level safeguarding course as I have only took part in level one, I am now looking into doing my safeguarding level two for room leaders and management. By taking part in this training I will be more confident in employing practices which will help to promote the children’s health and safety within my setting EYTS (2013,S7:2). I have put this on my action plan to complete by April of next year which I feel gives me time to find the correct course suited to my needs and the needs of the children that I look after. When it comes to observing the children and writing the observations next steps I am quite confident in doing this where I start to lack the confidence is using these next steps to support the planning for each individual Childs needs, I always state a next step in my observation but don’t always add this to my planning to show progression and development in particular areas for the children EYTS (2013,S4:1). I am currently planning to take part in a staff-planning meeting CC(2010,1cs) this meeting will be regarding our settings planning to air my concerns about my knowledge and confidence and hope this will help by hearing other staff member’s views and advise as well as any concerns that they may have. I a hoping by doing this it will bring to light changes I need to make and possibly the whole setting need to make to be more able to plan balanced activities for the children based on the age and developmental stage and help myself be more confident in recognising other circumstances that may effect the children learning and development EYTS (2013,S4:2). I have added this as part of my action plan and hope to have this completed by December as I feel it is an important part of the day to day running of the setting to be able to have full understanding of the planning we do as if we do not understand it properly it can effect the children’s learning in the future and effect their transition into primary school. My job role as deputy officer in charge comes with a lot of responsibility I have never undergone any management training and have taught myself how to be efficient as deputy manager along the way over the past twenty two months. In many situations as part of my job role I am very confident and do believe I am a good positive leader, I listen to and take in everything that is said to me by other staff members and am very understanding towards all situations CC(2010,1as). I have took part in interviews, meetings with other professionals and staff meetings during my time as deputy but I have not taken lead role in any of these situations and believe I lack confidence in this area EYTS (2013, S8:3) I am aiming to take lead in my first staff meeting and have targeted this for January of next year so that I have sufficient amount of points to discuss during this meeting. I am hoping by doing this it will help to build my confidence as a deputy officer I charge in group situations where the focus is solely on myself EYTS (2013,S8:5). I am more confident in my job role as lead practitioner in preschool as I have more experience within this area although through recent reflection I have noticed I need to be more assertive to other staff around me and to delegate more tasks to the staff in my room to help them to develop their abilities in all areas, I need to be more aware that as lead practitioner other staff member will be looking up to me and what I do in my role as support for themselves EYTS(2013,S8:4) therefore if I teach my knowledge and understanding towards everything work related to the other staff members they will hopefully see me as a good role model for themselves as they work towards furthering their own careers in childcare CC(2010,4as) I will look at holding room meetings in the near future to help to build on this confidence I have in myself and my team will have in me we can use these meetings as a learning experience for all team members to work more efficiently together and help myself within my lead practitioner role. I will plan to place this alongside leading the whole settings staff meeting. I n my setting or any setting previous to this one I have not completed a personal development profile before, I have recently started to gather information to start creating my personal development profile since starting my course. I have set myself a target to have this completed as much as it can be up to now to help me with my development EYTS (2013,S8:6) By starting this file I have realised more of my strengths, weaknesses and achievements during my career so far. Over the next few months I am going to work with my work based mentor and nursery manager to organise my personal development profile efficiently and through the duration of this course and my future job roles and prospects I am going to work hard towards contributing to and improving my file to help benefit myself in anything I do in the future. The target I have set myself for having my file started is October as I feel it is an important part of the progress I have made so far in my career. I have realised since completing my training needs analysis that I have strengths and weakness in many areas of my job roles. I have not previously reflected upon my practices as a nursery nurse lead practitioner or deputy officer in charge and have realised how important self reflection is to help with gaining a more efficient knowledge of my own work and how I need to improve, in my main job role as deputy officer in charge not only is it important for myself to gain higher knowledge and keep up to date with changes that take place but it is also important to all other staff members as they look to me as their leader and my achievements and knowledge can have an effect on others and what they do in the future of their own careers. Self reflection has made me realise how much work I actually need to under go to make myself become the best I can possibly be for myself and for my whole team now and in the furute. EYTS (2013,S8:6,S8:7) Bibliography Children’s workforce development council (2010) common core of skills and knowledge for the children’s workforce National college for teaching and le adership (2013) teachers standards (early years)

Rotational Viscometer Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Rotational Viscometer - Essay Example On the other side, the importance of fluids having different properties will be looked at from the angle of engineering by relating the viscosity of different fluids to the ability to work. The project covers in detail the properties of selected fluids, how their viscosity is affected by the properties and any other effect of viscosity on other factors. At last, after knowing the importance of fluid properties in relation to engineering, various equipment different in design and workability are discussed, followed by the positive thought on the engineering and the properties of fluids (Partington, 1952). A fluid can be either a liquid or a gas and understanding its properties enables the understanding of their expected behavior under different environmental conditions. A fluid flows or deforms under a given shear force and in most cases tend to occupy and take the shape of the container in which they are put. In every field of engineering, aspects of deep thinking and calculations are evident aimed at ascertaining the real conditions under which the different fluids can work to determine the right fluid to be used in a given section of equipment. Fluid mechanics study how fluids react to a different force. For example, the environmental engineers use it to study forest fires, pollution dispersion, weather patterns that aid in weather forecasting, oceanography and volcano behavior. By understanding the properties of fluids, they are able to draw conclusions on the expected damage or amount of effect to be caused, and the relative appropriate method to be used in combating natural cal amities with the efficiency of the fluids to be used as shields (Reid & Sherwood, 1958). Engineers design equipment that use fluids, transport or operate in fluid environments such as pacemakers and engines. Understanding the behavior and properties of fluids enables them to selectively use a fluid that is suited to the machine, harmless and with high working

Why is child obesity on the rise Research Paper

Why is child obesity on the rise - Research Paper Example BMI is a measurement that compares a person’s weight and height. Children suffering from obesity experience medical and psychological effects. Children suffering from obesity are more likely to suffer from type II diabetes, heart diseases, sleep apnea, pancreatic complications, asthma and liver problems. Obese children may suffer from depression, low self esteem and emotional eating. Medical and psychological problems may interfere with academic progress as well as successful transition of children from childhood to adulthood. Furthermore, parents or guardians of obese children spent a lot of money to treat illness associated with obesity. It is because of the above reasons that World Health Organization has declared obesity as a public health global epidemic that must be contained. The number of children suffering from obesity in Central Valley of California is increasing. According to the research conducted by The Central Valley Health Policy Institute at California State Un iversity, obesity in the valley is higher than average obesity rates in the whole of California. The prevalence rate of children suffering from obesity in Central valley has more than tripled in the recent times. According to Rivera (2005), Central Valley has the highest percentage of overweight children at 42 percent. Increased rates of obesity in the Central Valley is attributed to higher levels of poverty, limited access to healthy food and reduced opportunities for physical activities. There are various interventions that have been made by schools, department of health and community based organization to reduce the incidence of obesity in children. The interventions include increased provision of vegetables and fruits as well as increased physical activities in children among others. These interventions must be increased in scope and intensity to be more effective to reduce psychological, medical and economic challenges that will interfere with children, parents and community at large. 2.0 Historical Context World Health Organization claimed that obesity is leading cause of preventable death as well as disability globally. Obesity is also linked with increasing number of chronic diseases. Obesity was rare before twentieth century. World Health organization recognized obesity as a global epidemic in 1997. In 2005, World Health Organization estimated that about four hundred million adults were obese. This is about 9.8 percent of the global adult population. Obesity rates increases as people get older. Obesity rates are severe with people above fifty years in the United States, Canada and Australia. However, more children are diagnosed with obesity each passing day. Obesity is a medical condition where a child accumulates excess fats in the body. Obese children are overweight with body mass index above 30. According to WHO (2004), Body Mass Index (BMI) indicate weather a person is underweight, normal weight, overweight or obese. A child is underweight if BMI is less than 18.50, normal weight BMI is between 18.50 - 24.99, overweight BMI is 25.00 - 29.99 and obese children have BMI of 30.00 and above (refer to table 1). Obesity is a serious health issue because it causes untold suffering to the children and increases the cost of treatment. Ogden et al (20101) revealed that preschool children between two and five years suffering from obesity increased from 5 percent to 10.4 percent from 1980 to 2008.

Case study Rosenfeld and the Chocolate Factory Essay

Case study Rosenfeld and the Chocolate Factory - Essay Example The deal was realized immediately after Lord Mandelson had a meeting with the chief executive of Kraft, Irene Rosenfeld, to discuss job losses in the UK. The job loss discussion resulted due to the protest by Cadbury staffs, outside Parliament. Cadbury employment values favored job security. The company had permanent and pensionable employment terms for their employees. Cadbury had a pension scheme that adequately remunerated employee on reaching retirement period or during voluntary retirement. The company invested a lot of resources towards a long term employment relationship with the employees. The human resource investment areas includes; succession planning, training, staff development, and staff motivation programs. Cadbury had adequate training programs to improve the competency of the employees, so as to effectively achieve both short term and long term goals. Training was provided in various areas of company operations. Marketing training entailed giving the marketing staffs adequate skills to determine the needs of customers. The production team was trained on innovation of more superior and efficient production processes. The management of the company favored employee motivation. This is through adopting process es that ensure competitive staff remuneration, and enhance employee retention. The management of Cadbury valued succession planning, so as to ensure competent replacement of management staffs. This ensured effective future management of the company (Sennette 2006). Kraft on the contrary does not take employment security, and employee motivation, seriously. During the takeover negotiations, Kraft illustrated the desire to declare redundant 200 jobs. In 2010, the company implemented the redundancy plans, immediately after the controversial bailout of Cadbury. The redundancy plans by Kraft shows that the management of the company does not favor employment security of the staffs. The concession

Anti Drinking Campaign Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Anti Drinking Campaign - Essay Example The purpose of the college is to develop all round persons through following the college’s core values such as excellence and efficiency, responsiveness, positive collaborations, hard work, teamwork, diversity as well as honesty and adherence to ethical practices. This paper presents an anti-drinking campaign proposal for Kings College board of directors regarding the college’s reputation for being a party college notorious for underage drinking for so long. Underage drinking remains a leading problem in Kings College as well as a public health problem in America. About five thousand young people under twenty one years of age die each year as a result of underage drinking from alcohol related poisoning, car crushes, suicides, injuries and homicides. Besides being illegal, underage drinking remains widespread with youths within age 12-20 reported to undertake binge drinking in a 2009 underage drinking statistics representing 10.4 million youths in the United States. It c ould be attributed to, but not limited to, peer pressure, stress and the desire for or increased independence. The observed signs of underage drinking in Kings College encompass behavioral and academic problems in school, less care in physical appearance and/or interest in college activities, coordination problems and varying groups of friends. In addition, college students have problems relating to slurred speech, memory and concentration, mood swipes, little energy levels as well as getting a scent of alcohol on their breath and finding alcohol in their belongings. The dangers of underage drinking include impaired judgment, serious injuries, increased risks of sexual and physical assault, interference with brain development, increased risks of future alcohol related problems, the use of other drugs and trouble with the law and in school (NIAAA, 2012; Hanes, 2012). This ant-drinking campaign hailed as ‘Underage Drinking!!! Think Again’ remains an impactful advertisemen t which intends to stimulate personal review of drinking conduct and resilient condemnation of public drunkenness that could cause both emotional and physical harm, especially of innocent persons. The ‘Underage Drinking!!! Think Again’ campaign became well-versed by extensive consultation and research about how underage students feel about the deep-rooted cultural insights existing in America regarding alcohol consumption, public drunkenness and excessive drinking. The campaign builds on the positive comebacks to the successful drinking awareness campaigns. It would establish an innovative thought and meaning in relation to a certain aspects of alcohol consumption among underage college students, that is, to emphasize the disadvantage of losing control of one’s sense of self, a widely held drinking myth in contemporary American society. The advertisement campaign features taped laughter, reflecting the point that lots of underage college students do regard certai n drunken tricks as being rather funny. Then it progresses to a dramatic end where the laughter discontinues, and the viewer becomes challenged through a question: â€Å"Are you honest with yourself?†. The ‘Underage Drinking!!! Think Again’ campaign would go on for the next one year. The CCTV based advertisement would run on the college’

Historiography of Historains of a historical event Essay

Historiography of Historains of a historical event - Essay Example The more powerful amongst them built their own pyramids, some of them eliciting praises for the structures made with scientific and mathematical precision that defies human capabilities today. Egypt is based on five thousand years of history. This is where civilization began. The histories of Babylonia, Assyria, the Greeks and the Romans will be incomplete without Egypt. The Jewish, Christians and Islamic religions have their bases in Egypt. For over two thousand years, the mention of the name Egypt evoked strong feelings of recognition and respect. But the kingdom did fall into difficult times. Changes were occurring elsewhere and the monarchs who ruled in between could not face the onslaught of the marauding Hyksos. Also, internal strife led to civil wars. The obsession with the construction and maintenance of the pyramids was depleting the once-grand resources of Egypt. Gradually, the society that ventured out from its territories and established its power beyond its borders began to feel the effects of want. These factors combined to leave the majestic empire tottering and to its ultimate demise. The glory and tragedy is not limited to the political and militaristic prowess and its decline in Egypt. It is the overall scenario of disharmony and lethargy in the country that did it in. Strong external pressures and inner turmoil finally put paid to their vaunted positions on a number of occasions. However, Egypt kept rising after every fall. Nonetheless it was finally conquered by the Greeks and thereafter never rose again to their former glory. The story begins in 3200 B.C. with the unification of the Upper and Lower Egypt. This was the time when the 1st and 2nd dynasties consolidated the kingdom for the 3rd dynasty. The construction of the pyramids in Giza began with the 3rd dynasty. The history of Egypt is incomplete without the pyramids. The pyramids provide the fascination and weave the chain of events in the history of Egypt.

Concept of coping Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Concept of coping - Essay Example This paper aims at providing an exploration of the concept of coping and the way it impacts the lives of persons with chronic illness. The attributes of this concept and nursing intervention are discussed with relevance to the book, At the Will of the Body written by Arthur Frank (2002). Furthermore, the paper discusses how the connotations in the book influence nursing practices, in particular to the concept of coping. Frank (2002) details the health challenges he faced, reflecting on his journey of pain, endurance and illness experiences that transformed him to cope with the traumatic situation. One of the concepts of coping strategies that he stresses is the process of coping with grief as it is essential for patients with chronic illness to move to the stage of renewal and recovery from their emotional burdens. Frank clearly expresses how patients are disturbed and affected, when their mourning is limited, and what this restriction does to their emotions when disregarded by the external factors. His distinction between disease and illness sheds light on the fact that treatment of the disease of the body is not the same as the care for the illness experience of the patients living in the collapsed state. â€Å"Illness is the experience of living through the disease† (Frank, 2002, p. 13). Frank’s illness expresses the importance of sharing and emotional support, and what happens whe n it is delivered efficiently for the patients by their caregivers and medical professionals. Coping can be defined as the â€Å"constantly changing cognitive and behavioral efforts to manage specific external and internal demands that are appraised as taxing or exceeding the resources of the person† (Contrada & Baum, 2010, p. 197). Coping is a holistic phenomenon which involves physical, psychological, emotional and social perspectives that possibly impacts individual behaviors. Moreover, coping

Between the Birksian theory and the traditional approach in the Dissertation

Between the Birksian theory and the traditional approach in the English law of Unjust Enrichment - Dissertation Example It is necessary to create delineation between the possible remedies that the law offers in case of financial loss, or the enrichment of one-party beyond a reasonable measure of proportionality. The development of this principle throughout the centuries will be touched upon in this analysis, as well as the simplification of the legal landscape regarding unjust enrichment based on the principle of "absence of basis". Unjust enrichment is connected with the principle of restitution, which stands opposed to the principle of compensation. It is a matter of a remedy based upon the gain of one-party, or a remedy based upon loss to another party. RESTITUTION A court-ordered attempt to make restitution requires the offending party to surrender gains into the hands of the plaintiff/claimant. (The defendant must grant reparations to an aggrieved party in response to a loss which has occurred in a manner for which the defendant is found to be liable. The benefits or financial advantages accrued by the defendant are restored to the plaintiff based on an understanding of a legitimate claim to said benefits. In the case of contractual obligations the value of funds or properties included in the contract that will be included in the restitution judgment. Another situation in which restitution is appropriate would be the vindication of property rights which have been abrogated by some action – or failure to take action on part of the defendant. (Graham, 2006). Issues of restitution pertaining to unjust enrichment often hinge upon whether a contract exists in reality, or whether it is simply implied in assumpsit as an outgrowth of other legal processes. Situations or countries where implied contractual obligations are nonbinding challenge the premise of restitution or unjust enrichment. Here the principal issue becomes one of misrepresentation of the legal obligations and subsequent remedies mandated under principles of restitution. (Indian Contract Law, 1872) COMPENSATIO N Compensation represents payment for damages as deemed appropriate by the court. Damages can take the form of injuries or violations of duties based upon pre-existing legal obligations, or as a result of tort law. A principal difference between the gain in based restitution and loss-based compensation is that restitution would require reparation for gains that should otherwise have been shared by the defendant. Where compensation is required, and expectation of gain need not exist – all that is acquired is the ability to demonstrate that actions (or negligence) on part of the defendant was directly attributable to injury, loss, or harm suffered by the plaintiff/claimant. Compensation is also appropriate in cases of breach of contract. If the defendant enters into a binding agreement to utilize the products or services of another party, and that secondary party is required to expend funds or resources in response to work that does not occur as ordered, or a purchase that is n ot perceived as agreed, then damages are appropriate. The claimant could have undertaken agreement with other parties, and the expenditure of resources without agreed-upon compensation involves the loss of those resources without the promised revenue. Where compensation is appropriate, the defendant need not necessarily have profited themselves, as would be the

ITEM 7 (Elaborated response to issued raised) Essay

ITEM 7 (Elaborated response to issued raised) - Essay Example g been vitiating the social atmosphere without ever being identified as a problem that is essentially different both in nature and potential than the interpersonal problem that racism is generally viewed as by intelligentsia across the world. The author has painstakingly described how United Kingdom has long viewed racism to be essentially an interpersonal problem or at the most a problem between two or more groups that perceive the each other as adversaries and the primary reason for some long standing social malaise that happens to adversely affect the agitated group. Since this problem is entrenched between individuals, a possible solution to this problem has always been thought of in terms of influencing interpersonal behaviors through changing perceptions in the minds of ethnic majority about minority stereotypes. (Tajfel & Turner, 1986) However, the leaders of the society and successive governments in Great Britain acknowledged the fact that these misconceptions had become deeply entrenched in the minds of adversarial ethnic groups. Thus, the best way to rid the society of such pernicious prejudices, the governments thought, would be to introduce a school curriculum that would educate school going children in the age group of 5 – 11 about their duties and responsibilities as citizens of a multi-ethnic country. (Ryan, 2003) There have been a series of education policies that attempted to educate, or rather, enlighten the future citizens about their responsibilities and duties both towards the country and towards fellow citizens. (Banks, Multicultural education: Historical development, dimensions, and practice, 2004) The first concerted attempts to educate school going children about duties and responsibilities of a contributing citizen began in early 1990s when ‘cross cultural themes’ were introduced in the school curriculum specifically to make young would be citizens aware of what their responsibilities shall be as they grow up to be adults. These

Biology Lesson 6 Exam Essay Example for Free

Biology Lesson 6 Exam Essay Question 1 2 points Save Epithelial, muscle, connective, and nervous are types of what? bones cells tissues (pages 846-847) organs Question 2 2 points Save Which of the following is NOT a structural characteristic of bone? Haversian canals periosteum connective bone (pages 851-852) bone marrow Question 3 2 points Save Freely movable, slightly movable, and immovable are types of what? bones subcutaneous tissues muscles joints (page 854) Question 4 2 points Save Which is NOT a characteristic or function of the epidermis? repair of damaged cells (page 861) flattened cells protection from outside forces  contain waterproofing protein Question 5 2 points Save Which type of blood vessel is both strong and elastic? capillary artery (page 873). Vein venule Question 6 2 points Save Which of the following are the smallest and most numerous blood vessels in the body? venules veins arteries Capillaries (page 874) Question 7 2 points Save Air moves through the bronchi to the alveoli by a network of tiny tubes called arterioles. venules. capillaries. bronchioles. (page 886) Question 8 2 points Save Which of the following lists the correct order of structures through which air passes as it enters the body and proceeds to the lungs? Nose, larynx, trachea, pharynx pharynx, nose, larynx, trachea nose, pharynx, larynx, trachea (page 886) pharynx, nose, trachea, larynx Question 9 2 points Save Most of the end products of digestion are absorbed into the circulatory system from which organ? liver (page 911) pancreas large intestine small intestine Question 10 2 points Save The mouth, small intestine, and kidneys have functions that involve the digestion of food, synthesis of vitamins, and filtering of the blood. intake, digestion, absorption, and elimination of food and its wastes. secretion of bile, digestion of food, and reabsorption of water. All of the above. Question 11 2 points Save Pancreas is to small intestine enzymes as stomach is to saliva. stomach is to proteins from amino acids. liver is to bile. (page 910) liver is to hydrochloric acid. Question 12 2 points Save Ureter is to urinary bladder as urinary bladder is to ureter. urethra is to urinary bladder. urethra is to ureter. urinary bladder is to urethra. (page 914) Question 13 2 points Save As urine passes through the nephrons in the kidneys, urine from the renal tubule empties into a larger tube called a(n) ureter. (page 914) collecting tube. Bowmans capsule. renal vein. Question 14 2 points Save Which of the following is the blood vessel with the largest diameter? capillary artery vein (page 874) venule Question 15 2 points Save The skin repels pathogens by functioning as a barrier. by producing antibodies. with sweat, which contains lysozyme. both a and c. (page 924) Question 16 2 points Save As a defense against pathogens, mucous membranes cover all of the bodys surfaces to act as an impenetrable barrier. line internal body surfaces that contact the environment. (page 924) produce antibodies to combat infection. secrete sweat, which has antibacterial enzymes. Question 17 2 points Save An allergic response is NOT typically caused by harmless antigens. pollen. histamine. both a and c. Question 18 2 points Save The function of neurons is to maintain a difference in electrical charge across the cell membrane. have specific ions cross the membrane through ion channels. maintain a membrane potential with charged ions on either side of the cell membrane. all of the above. (page 945) Question 19 2 points Save When an impulse moves down the axon, sodium ions first rush out of the cell. a small part of the axon momentarily reverses its polarity (page 946). The resting potential of the cell does not change. potassium ions are pumped into the axon. Question 20 2 points Save When a neuron is at rest, sodium ions are most concentrated inside the cell. potassium ions are most concentrated inside the cell. the outside of the cell is negatively charged. b and c. (page 946) Question 21 2 points Save After an action potential, the voltage-gated sodium channels close and then sodium ions diffuse into the axon. potassium ions flow out of the axon. (page 947) the membrane potential becomes positive. neurotransmitters cross the cell membrane. Question 22 2 points Save. Refer to the illustration below to answer this question. Which structure regulates movement and posture? A B (Cerebellum) C D Question 23 2 points Save Refer to the illustration in question 22 to answer this question. Which structure regulates intellectual function? A (Cerebrum) B C D Question 24 2 points Save The brain stem is responsible for directing information in the brain and secreting hormones. regulating vital functions and memory. (pages 951-952) motor processing and regulating homeostatic functions. sensory processing and regulating balance. Question 25 2 points Save. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of the spinal cord? It runs through the vertebral column. It extends just below the rib cage. It uses spinal nerves to connect to the PNS. It has a dorsal and ventral root at each end. (pages 952-953) Question 26 2 points Save Which of the following is NOT a function of hormones? initiate behavior and reproduction (page 974) coordinate the production and use of energy maintain nutrition and metabolism react to stimuli from outside the body Question 27 2 points Save The gland that is stimulated during emergency situations (causing the fight-or-flight response) is the  hypothalamus. thyroid. adrenal. (page 985) pituitary. Question 28 2 points Save Development and maintenance of female sexual characteristics are mainly stimulated by secretions of the pituitary. hypothalamus. pancreas. ovaries. Question 29 2 points Save Thyroid hormones stimulate cell metabolism and growth. (page 984) slow growth of their target cells. stimulate synthesis of DNA. bind to receptor molecules on the target cells surface. Question 30 2 points Save Which of the following is NOT a major structure of the male reproductive system? testes corpus luteum epididymis urethra Question 31 2 points Save. A sperm cell consists of a tail used for locomotion and a head that contains ____, which help(s) the sperm cell penetrate an egg cell. semen RNA enzymes (page 997) mucous Question 32 2 points Save After the ovum leaves the ovary, what is the first structure it passes through? corpus luteum cervix uterus fallopian tubes (page 1000) Question 33 2 points Save Which of the following is NOT a major structure of the female reproductive system? bulbourethral glands uterus ovary fallopian tube Question 34 10 points Save Match the terms in Column I with the definitions in Column II. Skeletal system F endocrine system H immune system C reproductive system I muscular system F circulatory system D digestive system G respiratory system A excretory system J nervous system E A. regulates supply of gases from ATP production B. provides negative feedback signals C. protects body against foreign dangers D. rapid transit for liquids and gases E. primary regulator of sensory functions F. provides support and means of motion G. processes materials for growth and maintenance H. makes cells used in circulatory system I. only system in which meiosis occurs J. takes out whats not wanted in the blood.

Estimating Environmental Impacts Of New Roads Environmental Sciences Essay

Estimating Environmental Impacts Of New Roads Environmental Sciences Essay Main Roads Western Australia Public Environment Report 2008 New Transportation projects nowadays is noticeably increasing across nations all around the world, especially the aspect of constructing new roadway and highway networks, due to the tremendously unstoppable increase in the population of people on earth, thus, the demand of life resources, the need of moving from one place to another (from location A to location B) is also increasing, in response to that governments of different countries are spending billions of dollars each year just to enhance and develop the transportation networks, focusing on the local roadway and highway networks, this movement of development was noticeable after the war world II. C:UsersEmadDocumentsUniversity ProjectsYear 4 ((2012 2013))Highway DesignAssignmentsAssignment 1ReferencesRoad and The environment.jpg According to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) 2008, the United Arab Emirates has paved roads of 4,080 km (including 253 km of expressways), while the United States of America has paved roads of 6,506,204 km, this shows the huge increasing demand on paved roads. Road projects can be taken as an indication of how urban the country is, the more developed the roadway network the better the economy, because it provides more access to different locations with little travel time, thus it provides more jobs, health services and education. But as they say everything has its own price, developing new roads can have some bad impacts on the environment and the ecosystem surrounding the roads. In this report, both the positive and the negative impacts of new roads and highway on the environment and ecosystem will be discussed, nevertheless the different types of physical environmental impacts. Impact of Roads on the Environment Fragile Nature by Joel Sartore Impact of new roads on the environment is becoming a more serious issue that governments should take care and be aware of, because of the increasing demand on constructing new roadways nowadays, what comes after constructing a new road most of the times is a permanent change with the environment surrounding the road and may develop with time and lead to a serious damage with the ecosystem that canà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t be reversed, so reckless planning and constructing of new roads could have a huge impact on the surrounding environment and the ecosystem. On the other hand, well designed and operated new roads could have positive impacts on the environment and the ecosystem, yet sometimes it cost more money to avoid affecting the environment, so engineers and environmental scientists are still trying to develop some new alternatives by using the new modern technology techniques to avoid any interruption that the human kind is causing by dom inating the environmental resources without looking at the consequences of the actions. http://images.joelsartore.com/gallery/B/BEA014-00001.jpg Recently many environmental engineers and scientists are conducting Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports to monitor and observe any physical impact on the environment and the ecosystem that may be result because of constructing new roads, the process of the environmental impact assessment may take some time, depending on the size of the project and where ità ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s located. Types of Environmental Impacts Resulting from New Roads There a lot of environmental impacts of constructing new roads and highways that can be observed, they all can be categorised in three points: Direct Impacts this impact will take effect in the near future. Indirect Impacts this impact will take effect in the far future. Cumulative Impacts this impact will take effect in the far future after accumulation. *All these different impacts could have either a positive or a negative effect on the environment and the ecosystem. Direct Impacts: Direct impacts on the environment can directly occur during the process of the new road construction, for example the 1st step of constructing a new road between two cities separated by a green area or farm is removing the greens (trees, plants,,etc.) to place the roadà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢s gravel and asphalt (pavement), in general direct impacts are easier for the environmental assessment, because they are more predictable than the other two types (the indirect and the cumulative impacts), thus the impacts can be easily controlled to prevent any serious damage on the environment in case of the negative impacts. Direct Positive Impacts: Although that the direct impacts may have a lot of negative impacts, they have some positive impacts, for example, rechanneling a river or a water stream might improve the water retention of a village near by the road. Some developed countries are trying to merge the green and urban together, for example constructing new roads with rain retention or drainage systems by including some plants. C:UsersEmadDesktopLawrence Village Road Project 026.jpg Lawrence Village Road Project (Image by Iron Age) Direct Negative Impacts: There are a lot of direct negative impacts that may damage the environment, for example some major roads need to be constructed between major cities, so sometimes the process of construction requires removing or redirecting some obstacles like the flow of a river or water stream which will lead to a huge impact on the ecosystem, the removal of farms and private properties. Air pollution could have the greatest impact on the environment (CO2 vehicles emissions) and noise pollution which all have negative effect on the ecosystem surrounding the road. Indirect Impacts: Indirect impacts can be also known as chain impacts, from the name we can tell that chain impacts require time to develop which will be hard to observe and measure during the construction of the new road. Indirect Positive Impacts: some new modern roads that are being constructed have some facilities for pedestrians and bicyclists, thus this might help to reduce the impact of air pollution by reducing the number of vehicle users (CO2 emissions), likewise some new roads has a special lane for buses which will encourage people to use the bus more often and this might also decrease the air pollution. Indirect Negative Impacts: When it comes to negative indirect impacts, the 1st thing comes is deforestation and the decline in forest animals and bird species, in 1994 Rich et al. drew attention with his report that the reduction and extinction of some bird species is primary because of new roads (noise and light). In 1982 Burke Sherburne examined the population of wildlife of mammals and birds during and after construction of new roads, they found there is a little movement of both mammals and birds densities to different places. Cumulative Impacts: These types of environmental impacts could be called as silent impacts, because the results of these impacts will need time to accumulate. Cumulative Negative Impacts: Global warming could be one of the cumulative impacts, many scientists are referring to the incremental percentages of CO2 for the last 5 decades, where they come from the emissions of factories, nevertheless, the vehicles emissions, thus, constructing new roads means more vehicles and more CO2 emissions. Environmental Impact Assessment is the Solution Environmental Impact Assessment also known as EIA, it should take place whenever there is a project that wanted to be constructed, the purpose of this environmental assessment is to check and consider every predictable impact (positive or negative) that may occur or affect the environment, it can be performed by taking study corridors, for example for green field roads a corridor of 10 à ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬ 100 km should be considered along the road that is being constructed, in order to assess and predict any changes that may occur surrounding that new road. Conclusion As what we have seen in this report there are a lot of impacts may occur because of constructing new roads, some are positive impacts and some are negative impacts, some will occur in the long-term and some will occur in the short-term, so in order to control and to predict them environmental impact assessments (EIA) need to be done before constructing any new roads for a better environmentally friendly future.

Psychological Contract Of Generation Y Management Essay

Psychological Contract Of Generation Y Management Essay The mutual expectations people have from one another in a relationship of employer employees are commonly referred to as a psychological contract. The content of these contracts can be changed over time and can affect the behavior of the two. The origins of these psychological contracts go beyond thousands of years back. Amidah (1998) was one of the initial writers who used the term psychological contract as the mutual understanding between employees and their employers. The psychological contract between employers and employees related to job security has been facing changes due to the economic down grading. The increasing rate of short term and contractual employment has forced employees to seek self actualization sort of psychological contracts. The changing nature of psychological contracts of generation Y has certain implications on organizations which have always been interesting to a workforce committed to the organizational goals and objectives. According to recent literature, psychological contract is an individuals beliefs necessary to perform commitment that may exist between employee and the organization (Lester, Turnley et.al. 2002). Individuals perception and expectations from the organization in terms of receiving benefits, wages and opportunities against the services provided to the organization by the employee used to form the foundation of any psychological contract (Lester, Turnley et.al. 2002). The inherent perceptual nature of the psychological contract between employers and employees may have contrasting implication about obligations of the contract (Lester and Kickul, 2001). Nowadays companies are more focused on the achievement of corporate goals and profit margins while noticing stock market prices because of the competitive business environment all around the world (De Meuse, Bergmann et. Al., 2001). This is because of the fact that world has seen the problem of corporate downsizing, restructuring and mergers since 1980s and 1990s (De Meuse, Bergmann et. al 2001). This current scenario of doing business has absolutely changed the nature of employee and employer contract and the demand of this relationship. In past, these psychological contracts were of long term where employees were committed with an organization where they continued to learn as well as they got high job ranking but now the psychology of the contract has seen changing nature because of the availability of short term employment with upscale designation for professionals and technical workers (Smithson and Lewis, 2000, Lester and Kickul, 2001). Hiring of high skilled professional(s) for specific task completion is one of the emerging trends in business community (Lester and Kickul, 2001) and consequent termination of the staff with the attainment of work objectives. This phenomena has made the modern workplace a source of stress and extra work load and job insecurity and decreased commitment to organizational goals and objectives in return (De Meuse, Bergmann et. al). The need of personal growth, development of transferable skills, networking opportunities and career management for immediate job has been gaining potential among professionals due to the current scenarios of job insecurity (De Meuse, Bergmann et.al., 2001, Lester and Kickul, 2001). The changing environment of employment has considered another driver of the change in nature of psychological contracts of generation Y. The previous employees to employer psychological contracts were relational in nature and their specific features were trust, respect and loyalty between the employee and the employer. But this new insecure job environment has randomly changed the nature of psychological contract from relational to transactional nature. This transactional exchange has been defined by De Meuse and Begmann et.al (2001) as an explicit or an implicit promise having capacity of maintaining information about monetary remuneration available to employee against his services to the organization. This periodical change in nature of psychological contract was predicted by Rousseau and Parks in a research conducted during 1993 with explanation of change in the nature of contract from relational to transactional in case of occurrence of any violation of the contract. However, it is important to maintain the equilibrium of trust between the employee and the employer either in relational psychological contract or in transactional psychological contract. But in present situation of job insecurity it is hard to have any trust on employer or employee. Therefore, the lack of job security has brought the concentration of employee to acquire transferable skills and techniques and contracts of transactional type (De Meuse, Bergmann et al). Impacts of the changing nature of psychological contract of generation Y on organizations With the emergence of new markets, competitors and technologies have been increasingly changing the behavior of organizations towards the hiring of skilled employees at every level of the organization (Lester and Kickul, 2001). Businesses of today are only selecting skillful employees for short term periods to make their projects accomplished by utilizing the skills and expertise of professionals (Lester and Kickul, 2001). It is because of the use of new technologies in business processes and to get competitive edge in the market. To achieve this desired level, organizations have to keep track of professionals and motivated and committed workforce to efficiently achieve their goals. It has been studied that changing nature of psychological contracts is because of the reducing commitment of employees due to job insecurity and enhanced competition faced by todays employers (Bunderson 2001, Lester and Kickul, 2001). However, high level of commitment and satisfaction is enjoyed by the employees who have long term psychological contract as per studies conducted during 1998. There are measures to be taken by the organization to retain and motivate their employees even on presence of economic pressure and new organizational structure (Lester and Kickul, 2001). The level can be achieved by just understanding the elements of psychological contracts as well as the fact that it is a continually changing and evolving contract and organizations have the right of making a choice regarding an employee to get committed and motivated workforce and employment. According to Maslows hierarchy theory, the highest need for humans is self-actualization. Lester and Kickul (2001) states that today  employees are  becoming increasingly aware of the non-monetary rewards that companies are willing to provide  in exchange for their skills. This suggests that employees are now at a point in time where they are able to seek out the self-actualization. Self-esteem or self actualization is the highest need of humans as stated by Maslows hierarchy theory. Employees are increasingly getting awareness of the behavior of organizations of giving non-monetary rewards to employees against the skills of professionals and technical persons (Lester, Kickul, 2001). This is the time when it can be suggested that employees are gradually heeding towards the state of self actualization. Stalker (2000) stated that successful companies of the day are keeping balance between the needs of the employee and the needs of the organization. To achieve this, companies are needed to maintain a balance between their efforts and time investment. Managers are responsible to achieve this balance while keeping the workforce committed and motivated (Lester, Turnley et, al., 2002). It is a fact that nowadays job insecurity has made psychological contracts a dynamic and evolving one and can be handled by the organization by just understanding the causes of changes and timely changes in the contract according to the needs and demand of the sources (Lester and Kickul, 2001). Lester and Kickul (2001) shows that a  proactive approach to the psychological contract is likely to reduce an employees intention to leave since their needs are more likely to be met by the organization. The other step that can be an effective support to minimize the gap of psychological contract is communication. Better and timely communication between the contracting bodies can reduce the conflict and can reduce the gap of psychological contracts (Lester and Kickul, 2001). Open book management techniques are an effective communication tool between the organization and employees and help in the formation of an effective communication framework for the organizations. Successful organizations are required to start working on the psychological contract before the hiring of the employee. The organizations publications, interview processes, contract negotiation and orientation processes are some of the ways that can help the organizations to make better changes in the psychological contract and keep it up to date (Niehoff and Paul 2001). An organizations publications and literature creates the first impression of the values espoused by the employer.  The interview process then establishes an image of the organization for potential employees (Niehoff, Paul, 2001), while promoting expectations  ranging from the tangibles  such as pay and benefits,  to the intangibles such as  treatment of employees or degree of empowerment etc (Niehoff, Paul, 2001). As suggested by Niehoff and Paul (2001), by  providing Realistic Job Previews such as that done by Cisco Systems  (Lester and Kickul, 2001), candidates can be given a  clear and realistic view of the actual expectations of the duties, work hours and performance levels  (Niehoff and Paul, 2001).  The negotiation process after an offer is made to a candidate  provides a further  opportunity to clarify the specific details of the expectations of both parties  (Niehoff, Paul, 2001). Finally the orientation program (either formal or informal) gives an o pportunity to re-enforce the psychological contract that has been formed. By having all of these in line with each other and in line with the companys expectations allows the company to form a contract that is more likely to be clearly understood by both parties and has a less chance of being breached. Conclusion Changed psychological contract is the demand of the modern economic environment. It is the demand of both the organization and employees. The psychological contract of generation Y are more transactional and related to self actualization. This change in the nature of the contract has been considered by the management of an organization and employees with the increasing demand of giving more time and effort in the formation of psychological contract acceptable to the organization and employees. As it has been seen that psychological contracts are formed on the basis of trust but it can be strengthened by the two following factors: Internal factors External factors Internal factors can be the individuals perception that can be the outcome of his or her cultural behavior. But external factors include situations that how the organizations are shaping their policies in the interest of employees and how much they are acknowledging the perceived obligations according to the formal contract of employment with those professionals or skilled technicians. These measures can be used to determine the commitment of employees to the organizational goals and objectives and any violations can lead to job satisfaction depletions actions. However, the choice to be in employment contract can be up to individual employee. The long lasting employer to employee relationship can only be possible if there is a strong build up credibility between employer and employee. This credibility can give the contract more and more reliance and can be effective to build up a long lasting relationship. Psychological contract will remain strong till the time they remain in favor of the employees orientation towards the life and can be the source of strong commitment of the individuals to be or not to be the part of an organization. But with the change and any amendments in organizational structure, strategy, and the job role, the individual can shift to new works and job roles and this new work role can be the source of better return on relationship (ROR) than on return on investment (ROI). Strong and reliable psychological contract can provide the organization with a healthy and fruitful relationship between employee and employer that would be helpful in the sustainability of the organization. Whatsoever it can be better concluded in a way that changing nature of psychological contract of generation Y is only the result of changing nature of job environment and increasing insecurity to jobs. Therefore employees have transformed their interest from signing relational contract to transactional contract. This transformation of contract nature has caused the o rganization to bear the loss of committed and loyal workforce for long period of time on one hand while getting benefit of having highly skilled professionals for the completion of their project within short period of time.

Social Injustice for African Americans in Toni Morrisons Novel, Jazz E

Social Injustice for African Americans in Toni Morrison's Novel, Jazz Jazz, a novel by Toni Morrison, explores many different aspects of African American life in the early part of the twentieth century. This novel tells a story of the difficulties faced by black families living in the United States. Toni Morrison describes in detail a few of the upsetting situations they had to face. She also subtly throughout the book places one or two lines that tell a tale of injustice. Jazz is a novel filled with many stories of inequality affecting the black community. One significant theme that is present throughout the story is the one of unequal rights for African Americans. One instance of social injustice is described in the very beginning of the novel when the reader first learns about Dorcas’ murder. The book explains that Alice knew she would get nowhere even if she chose to prosecute Joe, because lawyers could not help and cops would not help or even take a black on black crime seriously. Had Dorcas been a murdered white girl I am sure that Joe would have been thrown in jail t...

Criminal Justice System :: essays research papers

I do feel that they will be effecitve and in the next few pages I will explain why I feel this way and why I have taken this stand. First of all I read through the whole charter and as boring as it was I made it through unscaved. Just like anything in order to have something you need a purpose. A reason for doing something. The reason why this charter was brought forward was because that they realized that during that century millions of children, mean and women have been victims of unimaginable atrocities that deeply shock the conscience of humanity. That sounds like enough for me. When I read that, I was think â€Å"Oh my God†, I mean come on unimaginable atrocities. It is obvious that something that to be done and even the littlest change would make a difference. The first thing they did was establish a â€Å"Court†. This court was permanent and had the power to exercise its jurisdiction over people for the most serious crimes. What I like about this and a reason why I feel it will work also is that in the beginning of the charter is that they have a relationship with the United Nations. This relationship only makes this court stronger. Part III of the charter looks a lot like a military code of justice. It set’s principles to be followed by the court or in the military a Commander if you will. It appears to me that this charters strength is in Part III, because here is where all the rules or articles are that explain what can be done by the court and what can not be done. It breaks it down to the core, including what to do with someone under 18 years of age. I feel that this is where the strength of the court lies. It defines who is a criminal and who is not, it tells us when the court can pursue a criminal or when a crime is not comitted. The further I got into the parts, the more I strongly I feel about saying they will be effective. It seems as if this court is no different then another court we have in the USA. Part four set’s up the membership. It states who is in charge of what and what their responsibilites should be. When you have people who know what they are supposed to do and that they are held accountable to their jobs then failure is not an option.

hate speech :: essays research papers

Filtered Freedom Hate speech is often misunderstood because it can be classified as either careless or intentionally hurtful. Many people interpret careless statements as acts of aggression, but with good reason. It would be false to say that the freedom of speech has never been manipulated to inflict damage upon others. Questions have been risen of what hate speech is and if it should be allowed to be viewed by public access. Alan M. Dershowitz delivers an enumerative definition of the term by asserting all speech that criticizes another’s race, religion, gender, ethnicity, appearance, class, physical or mental capabilities, or sexual preference. However simply defining hate speech by listing out its various forms only amplifies its definition, but it fails to clarify. Vicki Chiang manages to provide a more analytical understanding of the term by listing the various forms of the act and addressing the effects upon all involved. Dershowitz’s list of hurtful instances of hate speech conv eys a definition of the term as a whole, but does not cover all forms hate speech. Hate speech is any action that conveys a critical perception of an opinion which criticizes a group in a harmful manner. By addressing all forms of hate speech and considering all involved it can be concluded that though such media is often viewed as offensive, it should not be censored by a legislative body that advocates freedom of speech. In a library, one should be allowed access to the records of the past in order to prepare for the future, despite the severity of the content. As a public place designed to encourage mental stimulation, obstruction of knowledge in a library is a sociological setback. Hindering a nation’s source of intellectual growth and the entire potential of the country, will inevitably do more harm than it can good. Though one may argue that the preservation of information regarding such events could inspire new acts of hate, the past will shed light on what to do in such situations. People need to understand why the statements made in the past did not always justify their actions. It is our cultural history that provides us with insight of what is just and what is prejudiced. Cultural values feed off freedom of expression, whether it is through censorship or the proclamation of beliefs and feelings. Such a liberty is the foundation of our country, and should not be obstructed in a place of common ground such as a library.

Cross Cultural Communication- Royal Dutch Shell’s Approach Essay

Shell has over 100 different nationalities in its employee population. In a global organization like Shell, people need to constantly work with people from other nationalities as part of expatriate assignments. We had a candid interaction with company’s global learning head Manojit Sen. We are elucidating few interesting points from the discussion. Global organisations like Royal Dutch Shell face the constant challenge of cross cultural communication both when dealing with external customer as well as in dealing with colleagues internally. Some of these are: Failure to Bond: Experience over years shows that customers like doing business who are like them. Equally Sales staff unconsciously look to do business with people they like and stay away from those they don’t like and bond with. The more pronounced the differences between two people, the slower the bonding process may be, especially if nothing is done to bridge the gap such as teaching people to communicate like à ¢â‚¬Ëœone of them’. Hence the fate of multi billion dollar deals in oil majors such as Shell may often be tested on the strength of the ‘liking’ factor. Stereotyping: Even with the best education, almost everyone consciously or unconsciously holds onto some unfair generalizations about a given group. Recognizing and overcoming negative beliefs that we may have had since childhood can be challenging. These generalizations come in the way of truly listening to views and building on the best of ideas which have the potential to take the organization forward. Assuming the same values: We all assume everyone shares the same values we do. This leads to judgments of what is right and wrong, acceptable and unacceptable. When the values are not actually the same, actions one party takes does not meet the expectations of the other leading to frustration, attribution of intent and breakdown of trust. â€Å"Token† syndrome: In big multinationals where consciously the numbers of different minority groups have been increased over the years, people from underrepresented groups may sometimes feel that they are in the spotlight due to their low numbers. Since their difference tends to make them stand out, they may believe that they receive unfair scrutiny. As a result, they may fear making mistakes or being perceived as receiving special treatment. â€Å"Protective Hesitation†: The cultural differences between a staff and his customer or colleagues from another  culture may lead both parties to view their relationship as less solid than other relationships with people from the same culture. To overcome this, people may tend to overcompensate and then fear that the response may appear to be ‘too cosy’ and subject to criticism. Making mistakes: Whether or not staff have had a lot of experience working with people from the customer’s or colleague demographic if it from a different culture, he may inadvertently say or do something that the customer or colleague finds offensive. It’s a lot easier to get past mistakes if both parties believe that the two have the same values and mindset. Cases where these type of issues have resulted in problems and ways in which these were handled include: 1. A Dutch project manager used to straight talking posted in UK’s North Sea Joint Venture upstream project upset the staff by telling them off on a few occasions to the point that the JV agreement was getting close to being called off. The Dutch manager had to be replaced despite his strong technical credentials and subsequent appointees were put through cultural awareness training before being sent off to this and similar JVs. 2. An Australian posted in India’s new retail operations to set up the Health, Safety, Security and Environment department was so frustrated by vendors promising to do everything and not meeting quality and timeline issues that he started to call them ‘liars’ on the face, alienating himself from the few vendors who were able to meet the quality specs of Shell. This disrespectful behavior and loss of face resulted in vendors refusing to work for Shell and consequent delays in commissioning of retail stations by over a couple of months, a stalemate that had to be broken by skillful negotiations by local managers. 3. In a virtual cross country project team working on implementation of a Retail network project months in China that had to deliver its implementation plan within 3 months, would have its team meeting every week. From the start the Chinese staff on the team were quiet. The Americans spoke the most. They believed they were contributing and the Chinese were not. It emerged after 8 weeks when a milestone was missed that the Chinese could not understand a lot of what the Americans were saying, let alone their jokes. The team lead was prompt to realize this  was a sign of impending disaster and promptly made official rules on talking time at each meeting so that everyone had his time, including time to ask clarifications and to recap what each understood. 4. A Danish IT staff was on a global SAP implementation project. Since she was reporting to a Singaporean manager, she would have to take calls early her morning. Sometimes she would have to join calls with US colleagues working on implementation issues. With work life balance being a very important aspect of the Nordic culture, she was direct about how she felt on a number of occasions. The manager had given her the flexibility to take time off during the day to make up for this but somehow this did not help and the Danish lady started missing calls and issues did not get addressed in time. She also did not check emails or even phone messages during the weekends. Issues started to get escalated and reached the point where the vendors implementing the ERP charged Shell for delayed decisions leading to having to rework project plans and consequent costs and delays. This became a performance issue that required the staff to be replaced by someone who was much more flexible – something that was needed during this critical stretch period. 5. The Shell team negotiating a significant gas deal in Middle East included only Europeans. The local Middle East team felt more comfortable with the American- Saudi Aramco team as it had more Middle Easteners. This was recognized in time and Shell’s team was revamped to include a few ‘local’ faces who could help break the ice and guage the local sentiments. With issues such as these multinational organisations need to work on many cross cultural issues which impact communication internally and externally. The are typically managed via the Diversity and Inclusion agenda. In Shell, the D&I agenda includes:   D&I education offerings.   Communication processes in the profiling of success stories and the sharing of good practices. Recruitment and retention efforts that focus on tapping into the top talent across diverse constituency groups. Development and mentoring of diverse staff from across the world. Building supportive/inclusive work environments. D&I  education: Shell has over 100 different nationalities in its employee population. In a global organization like Shell, people need to constantly work with people from other nationalities as part of expatriate assignments, or as part of x-country projects or as part of one’s role which may be global or regional in scope. Hence educating staff on nationality related cross cultural issues is an ongoing activity in Shell. Staff who get posted as expatriates to a foreign country are taken through cultural awareness sessions on the new country culture. They are also sponsored to learn the local language to help assimilate better. Staff put on x-country assignments are also helped with cultural awareness sessions so that they can understand what colleagues from other countries mean by what they say and by what they don’t. Supervisors who have from different countries are also encouraged to understand the cultural differences of countries of these staff. The Crossing Cultures course in Shell is designed to help people value differences and improve team working skills. The course aims to enable business and function staff to develop their cross cultural skills and to work more effectively, with virtual and multi cultural teams. Participants are expected to: Improve their sensitivity to others’ different needs and behaviours and adjusts own behaviours and communication style accordingly. Invites, respects and incorporates others’ different perspectives. Demonstrates a non-judgemental acceptance of different perspectives, behaviours and ways of working. Utilises cultural differences to improve outcomes. Actively supports efforts to build a more diverse and inclusive organisation. This course consists of a structured program of face-to-face and virtual learning, combined with workplace assignments and activities, knowledge sharing and networking. The course totals 16 hours; 8 hours virtual over 4 weeks and with a 1 day face to face in week 6 of the program.