Rowe and Flexible Work and Success at Best Buy

ROWE and Flexible Work and Success at Best Buy I. Point of View: Consultant II. Statement of the Problem: ROWE program has a difficulty of implementation for retail employees compared to employees in corporate offices and nonretail jobs. III. Objective/s: 1. To identify what are the factors that the ROWE program for retail employee is more difficult to implement. IV. Areas of consideration: 1. With increased productivity, as claimed by the ROWE program, employer expectations of outcome by employees may rise. 2.Retail industry is usually dependent on when the costumer wants to purchase their product, so if the person at the retail store isn’t there when the costumer is there because of â€Å"flexible time schedules† then potential sale could be lost. 3. Employees would want only certain times of the year to meet results. 4. Features of ROWE program. a. No timetables. b. No compulsory meetings. c. No impression-management hustles. d. Work no longer a place to go. Work is something to be done. e. Performance would be based on output, not hours. 5.The basic premise of ROWE was that productivity was the cornerstone of work, and work meant the achievement of results and not presence at the workplace. Accordingly, employees working under ROWE were allowed to work when they wanted and where they wanted, as long as they achieved their targets. 6. Implementing ROWE is not easy. In the first place, it requires a complete overhaul of people's attitudes towards work. Traditionally, employees were programmed to think that displaying a commitment to work by coming in early and leaving late could ensure them success. But this was eliminated as a criterion for judging performance under ROWE.Several employees who were working with ROWE admitted to having misgivings about whether they would be able to cope with the new system. Some people reportedly felt confused about what would be expected from them at the workplace. Staying longest at the office was no longer a g uarantee of success. 7. In theory, ROWE program would work for anyone whose work is project or task based, regardless of whether the employee is an individual contributor or part of a team. 8. After two years, Best Buy saw a 77 percent increase on average in involuntary turnover across three ROWE departments.Meaning, the number of people the company fired for underperformance soared 9. As to legal issue is concerned. ROWE program is complicated when it comes to issues such as nonexempt hourly workers. Law requires that hourly workers log the time they work so that they can be paid overtime if necessary. V. Conclusion & Recommendation: ROWE had several kinks that needed to be ironed out before the program could become a workplace standard. One of the biggest concerns about ROWE was that the difference between the work and personal time of the employees could become blurred. ROWE requires manager to set clear goals and objectives.It requires manager to plan ahead and clearly communica te. The new design required a system in which all employees’ schedules could be accounted for and that everyone is in communication with one another. Invest in technology so that it’s easy for employees to work remotely. This was done through the use of cell phones, since they never knew when or who was in the office and by the managers being informed of their employee’s schedules for that week. The new emphasis placed upon managers trusting their employees is the most crucial change. Trust helps not only improve morale but can also be a strong motivator.When you take the time to trust the people on your team you give them the opportunity to prove themselves. If they succeed it helps twice over, in that not only does the manager know they can do the job but also the employee now knows they can, which strengthens their self-confidence. The beauty of ROWE makes employees accountable to each other, not their managers. It is great to work remotely, but employees los e that sense of unity and teamwork due to the lack to interaction. Implementing ROWE varies on a case to case basis. Whether ROWE or onsite, both options have their pros and cons, so there is no right or wrong options.

Gibb s and Kolb s Reflective model Essay

In this report I am going to evaluate the difference between Gibbs (1988) and Kolb (1984), drawing primarily on Gibbs’s reflective model. The Kolb cycle 1984 was published before Gibbs 1988, David A. Kolb published his conception after an experimental test on a book â€Å"Experience as the Source of learning and development† while Gibbs published his theory by developing on the existing Kolb cycle (ehow[07/10/2014]). Kolb’s theory is based on 4 cycles. It starts with doing something as an individual, a group of people or even a team in Kolb’s cycle you cannot learn while watching or reading you must do something to learn, then on the second stage you need to stop for a while review what happen and experience it and start asking question and communicate with other members of the group, abstract Conceptualization is the stage of understanding what happened and why it happened in this stage we need to know what we have done and what we know, the final stage we give time to plan if next time the experience happens what are we going to do and what action will be taken . To summarize Kolb is based on learning by doing things (simplypsychology [published 2010, updated 2013]) Figure 1: Kolb’s reflective cycle The Gibbs cycle is based on six stages. It starts with describing what happened, then asking what do you feel and thinking about this experience, then the third stage is evaluation (was the experience good or bad?), next it analyses what can you make from this situation or event then last but not least drawing a conclusion-what could you done differently in this situation? Finally, you must draw up some action plans in case it happens again what will you do. (qmu [7/10/2014]). Figure 2: Gibb’s cycle My preferred reflexive model is Gibbs, whose cycle provides further detail to  reflections and also suggests following steps. Now lets demonstrate this model in relation to my first day at BCU. Description: It was my first day in the university BCU â€Å" Birmingham City University† on the induction day I get there on time to attend my first lecture. Although it was busy with lots of students and staff members it was a bit messy and it was a big university. Due to that, I was lost and I couldn’t find my lecture theatre, but luckily I asked the staff to show me where to go. I got there on time but it was badly organized and I was obliged to take the dark small stairs with lots of other student, some of them nearly fell down, as they couldn’t see the steps. When we got there it was a giant screen with lots of people waiting for the lecture to start. However, it wasn’t that interesting for the students who are originally from Birmingham. Then we were asked to leave on the back door, we where queuing for about 5 minutes to get out and go to the enrollment. In the enrollment it was also a long queue and we were asked to show our boarding passes. I saw on the boarding pass that I would need to provide my passport and my original diplomas so I asked the same lady that gave me my boarding pass as I didn’t have any of these documents since they had been taken by the university to extend my visa. She said it would be fine and just have a seat. I sat on the chairs and started moving from chair to chair for nearly two hours to get to the enrolment desk where I heard the bad news that I wouldn’t be able to enroll, as I need to bring other documents. After waiting for 2 hours all I received was ‘sorry you will need to come back tomorrow’. Feelings: I felt really disappointed and stressed on that day. These issues were beyond my control and it didn’t show off my future university in a good light. Evaluation: It was a good experience I meet new people exchanged ideas with them made new  friends. However the bad point was I waited too long to enroll and in the end I didn’t achieve my aim. Analyses: Upon further analysis, it is fair to suggest that the cause of the problem lies in a misunderstanding between BCU in Millennium point and Perry Barr. The lack of communication between both campuses meant staff did not know I didn’t have either my passport or any original documents. Although members of staff were helpful, this problem could have been resolved elsewhere. Conclusions and action plans: In this situation I suggest that they will be more organized and more welcoming, Next time I will try to be there earlier to avoid waiting in the long queue. Bibliography http://www.kcl.ac.uk/campuslife/services/disability/service/Using-Gibbs-Reflective-Cycle-in-Coursework.pdf http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/reflective-cycle.htm http://www.businessballs.com/kolblearningstyles.htm http://www.ldu.leeds.ac.uk/ldu/sddu_multimedia/kolb/static_version.php http://academic.regis.edu/ed205/Kolb.pdf http://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/reflective-cycle.htm References: http://www.ehow.co.uk/info_7874336_differences-between-gibbs-kolb-cycles.html Accessed on (07/10/2014) http://www.simplypsychology.org/learning-kolb.html Accessed on (07/10/2014) http://www2.le.ac.uk/departments/gradschool/training/eresources/teaching/theories/kolb Accessed on (07/10/2014) http://www.ulh.nhs.uk/for_staff/education_and_training/clinical_education/leadership_in_practice/documents/gibbs_reflective_cycle.pdf Accessed on (07/10/2014) http://www.qmu.ac.uk/els/docs/Reflection.PDF Accessed on (07/10/2014) Figure 1: http://tlcommunityunitec.ning.com/profiles/blogs/reflective-practice-as-part-of Accessed on (19/10/2014) Figure 2: http://safaashaaban.wordpress.com/core-module/final-reflection-2/ Accessed on (19/10/2014)

Clash of titans: East vs. West

Europe includes an immense diversity of cultures and languages that developed side by side; Asia on the other hand had been developing on its own for centuries before Europe began to evolve. So how did the â€Å"peninsula of Asia†, become not only a strong force in the West, but a global power. Through the different articles we read, Illustrated History of Europe, Roberts' A History of Europe, Davies' Europe: A History, Diamond's Guns, Germs, and Steel, Landes' The Wealth and Poverty of Nations, and Hanson's Carnage and Culture one can understand how and why the later developing Europe became the dominate power over the already powerful Asia. The Illustrated History of Europe calls Europe a divided continent, but one civilization. Europe's wide plains, for example the Great Northern Plain, only aid to an easy invasion from the east which happened numerous times throughout Europe's history. Europe also has a high diversity of languages, 43 in total, that were originated from Sanskrit. Because of this, Europe's language, in written from, is based on a consonantal system rather than that of an ideographic system such as the Chinese use. This article broke down Europe's civilization into three different bases: democracy originating from the Greeks, law coming from the Romans, and finally, the value of individualism and liberty derived from the Christians. Roberts and Davies mainly describe Europe's geography and how it affected the development of the people within. Roberts described Europe as a â€Å"peninsula of Asia†, being surrounded on its boundaries, primarily by water. This was why Europe was able to develop on its own. The bodies of water, plus the plains and heavily forested inner regions, caused people to become very isolated from one another thus letting them make their own decisions and also forming their own languages. Western Europe's temperate climate aided by the Gulf Stream kept its environment mild year round, plus with the addition of a good amount of rain made it easy to farm without irrigation. Central and Eastern Europe were not as lucky, however, because they experienced fluctuations in temperature and rainfall. Diamond discussed how the â€Å"creation† of the farmer through the domestication of plants and animals led to the development of guns, germs, and steel. He compared the â€Å"hunter/gather† peoples with the â€Å"food producing† peoples, to demonstrate the benefit of the farmer. With a farming group, one could devote one's time to other jobs, and thus become â€Å"specialists†. These specialists could master an art or trade instead of spending time searching for food, and eventually evolved to become the kings, bureaucrats, soldiers, priests, and artisans. The domestications of plants and animals was an integral part of the development of the farming culture over that of the hunting culture. For example, the peapod when it is ripe will â€Å"explode† and drop its seeds onto the ground. The only thing left on the plant after this occurs are the pea pods that did not explode. Thus those were the ones which we were able to eat because they were the only ones we were able to gather. We would therefore only disperse the seeds of the â€Å"non-exploding† pea pods through our excrement or our garbage dumps. In the end the hunter/gatherers will eventually die out because they do not have the steel to make tools as well as the weapons that the farmers have and thus will, in time, be destroyed. Latitude played a huge role in the rise of farmers in Europe. Due to the similar latitude throughout Europe the growing season is relatively the same, along with a relatively equal climate. The easy spread of germs came about because people lived in crowded villages where a disease could simply pass from one household to another. Plus with the domestication of animals, the animals now lived in close quarters to the people and thus contributed to the spread of diseases. When the European explorers introduced germs to the Native Americans, many Native Americas were killed because they didn't have the built up resistance because of the lack of domesticated animals. Because of Europe's close proximity to animals many of the world's diseases have originated there. The Fertile Crescent was a very ecologically fragile area. It ended up being destroyed due to deforestation, and erosion, as well as other factors and now is mainly desert. The Great Man theory said that a few great men can influence the events of history. One of the main reasons Europe â€Å"outdid† China was because of Europe was fragmented, whereas China was totally united, this basically meant that competition could flourish while in China what was said was unquestioned. Landes covered some of what was in the Roberts article as well as what was in the Davies article. He discussed the Gulf Stream and the immense forests, but he also pointed out facts about riverside civilizations. People gathered around rivers because they not only provided water, but also a mode of transportation. Riverside civilizations, because of their strategic importance were, however, more likely to have a ruler. In riverside civilizations if the ruler needed money or more land then he would just take what they wanted from the people. As far as property goes in the West, where there was no need for riverside civilizations due to the temperate climate and abundant rainfall, there was a deep commitment to private property; so much so that even kings did not take their subjects property. During the period of 1000 – 1500 AD, five â€Å"great† inventions were made. These inventions were deemed the â€Å"inventions of inventions†. The inventions were the mechanical clock, gunpowder, eyeglasses, printing, and the water wheel. Gunpowder, in China was used as a defense, but in the European's hands it became an offensive weapon. Eyeglasses â€Å"created† an additional work force from the many people who had poor eyesight but were in overall good physical condition. Printing was used to spread knowledge, so ideas no longer had to be passed by word of mouth. The water wheel became an addition source of power. The mechanical clock, in my opinion the most important, kept people task oriented, and because people always want the most accurate time we kept improving upon it and it turn improved upon all inventions. This was the economic revolution, which was only comparable to when humans went from hunter/gatherers to food producers. Hanson stated that the reason the West fought so well was because Europeans fought for their own land. Peoples in the West had a voice in what happened, militarily and politically, whereas peoples in the east had none. An example of this would be the battle of Salamis, the Greek soldiers got together only hours before the battle to decide if fighting this fight was really worth it. On the Persian side, however, the soldiers had no say in it, and fought that battle not necessarily wanting to fight for the cause. Due to the West's freedom, private property, domestication of plants and animals and the movement from hunter/gatherers to food producers were all factors why the less developed Europe came to overpower the already strong Asia. If Asia had had a these â€Å"fundamentals† as did the West think how different the world would be.

Music Therapy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Music Therapy - Research Paper Example This help can be obtained in various ways that may include medication and use of music therapy. Music therapy is a common, cost effective way of dealing with such cases, and the therapists provide an excellent treatment through the use of music. Music Therapy Music is a universal language which for a long time has been present in initiating rites of passage as a way of expanding consciousness and healing. Music is a therapy used to an individual’s listening pleasure to relax the body and mind. For quite a long time, man has been using music as a form of healing and well being. A large number of people use music as a therapy to reduce stress and help them relax. Not all kinds of music can be used for healing, because certain types of music are believed to have a negative connotation. For instance, sensual music has been found to be a threat to the stability of the nation, while loud music can cause depression because of too much noise. Therefore, the choice of music during heal ing is very significant because it influences emotions, affects health, and can be used to enhance meditation and deep relaxation. Doctors and therapists have proposed music as an intervention in therapy for stress and stress related disorders. This is because some of the disorder have no clear, organic origin, and may be as a result of stressful life situations or significant events in a person’s life. In this case, music therapy can stimulate positive emotions, enhance a coping mechanism and enable recovery through the use of music. Music can also be used to restore, maintain and improve emotional and psychological wellbeing. In some other cases, music can influence physical behaviors and affect psychological response. It affects the mood of a person and the affective responses in individuals. One of the effective ways of making the most out of music therapy is by coming up with one’s own playlist. Since the playlist has songs that an individual love, they can work w ell especially when one feels the need to unwind from a stressful day. Music also works to affect the mood, and if one gets to listen to his or her favorite playlist, anger may dissolve and disappear arousing a happy mood. Music has proven effective especially in reaching people who are unreachable as some of the songs embody life experiences and may bring memories of courtship, weddings, or wartime among others. Creative music Therapy Creative music therapy is insistent on the use of little verbalization during therapy. When it was first developed, creative music therapy was aimed for children who were autistic, mentally and emotionally handicapped, emotionally and behaviorally disturbed and for those with learning disabilities (Wigram, Pederson & Bonde 126). It continues to emphasize on the improviser's skill to create potentials and possibilities within the patients by enabling them to play music and feel a sense of exploration in what they are doing. Analytical Music therapy Ana lytical music therapy involves a creative process in music making in order to draw unconscious experiences and feelings from clients in therapy, and treat them through an analytical model of work. One of the characteristics of analytical music therapy is that symbolic use of improvised music played either together by the music therapist and the patient or played by the patient alone. Mozart Effects Music of all styles is available to

Ethical Issues in Profefssional Life (Philsophy course) Essay

Ethical Issues in Profefssional Life (Philsophy course) - Essay Example There are many points in his essay, which are plausible, and worth emulating. However, there are also points, which I do not entirely agree. Therefore, in this essay, I will be discussing the different models upon I agree or disagree with him and the reason why I feel that way. Veach described the engineering model of ethical conduct as straightforward in its presentation of facts to the client and letting the client make an informed decision based on the facts presented. He talks about how this standard could not be applied in the medical profession stating that â€Å"even if the physician logically could eliminate all ethical and the value considerations from his decision making and even if he could in practice conform to the impossible value-free ideal, it would be morally outrageous for him to do so.† On this point, I completely agree with Veach. In the medical profession, we deal with sentient human beings. We do not deal with inanimate objects that do not require any explanations as to how they will be dealt with in furtherance of my profession. My patients are not pipes or drainage systems that I would simply clean, repair and flush when they become clogged with impurities and be done with it. Although medical practice requires precision like any other profession, it is not enough that we discuss statistics and procedures with our patients and expect them to understand the situation. Take the case of a cancer patient for instance. After discussing the advantages and disadvantages of the different types of treatments, it may be morally sound to let the patient choose which form of therapy he/she would prefer. However, in cases where the patient would not choose the most viable option, it would not be ethical on the part of the physician to simply let the patient go on with his/her choice without trying to persuade him/her that such option is not viable. Although I agree with the maxim espoused

Strategic Management of Quest Diagnostics Essay

Strategic Management of Quest Diagnostics - Essay Example Ideally, the diagnosis is established with beyond a reasonable doubt certainty, but substantial uncertainty or frank diagnostic error can afflict the diagnostic process for a variety of reasons. Many of these diagnostic problems are explained by failures of decision-making. Their main strategic approach, competency, and challenges are explained herewith. Quest Diagnostics is the nation’s leading provider of diagnostic testing, information, and services. They are the largest providers of global central laboratory services performed in connection with clinical research trials on new drugs and these trials assess the safety and efficiency of these new drugs. Quest Diagnostics operates 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year providing their customers with a comprehensive menu of routine and specialty laboratory tests and services. Their major services include laboratory health care services, featured lab tests, online services and medical research etc. In New York City by 1967 Dr. Paul Brown launched the clinical laboratory industry with his vision to offer the high quality, highly automated and cost-effective clinical testing. Corning Incorporated purchased Met Path in 1982 and continued to build the company. The business continued to expand and additional companies were acquired, including Damon in 1993, Maryland Medical Laboratory in 1994 and Bioran in 1994. Also in 1994, Corning acquired Nichols Institute, world-renowned for esoteric testing. On December 31, 1996, Corning Incorporated spun off the laboratory testing business to its shareholders, establishing Quest Diagnostics as an independent company trading on the New York Stock Exchange under the Symbol "DGX.†. The acquisition enabled the company to enter into a testing related business, providing services to the life insurance industry.

Shouldice Hospital case Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Shouldice Hospital case - Essay Example However, inclusion of other services may be helpful to the practice financially as well increase its market relevance. Prior to expansion, the institution requires funds that would cater for the expansion effectively. In addition, using the funds it generates from business may be disadvantageous and limit the effectiveness of the transition One major concern of considering extension in this case is the control and management of the new institution. Expansion would require a change in the management system. If not effectively managed, the change may hinder the quality of operation and services rendered to clients. The expansion to weekend has caused a rift in the institution since the issue has not been formally discussed. However, the expansion to weekends should be done only if the institution increases its human resources. The current staff has expressed concerns since they have been required to embrace an organizational culture they are not used to. In addition, the concerns revolve the decision by the facility to embrace change. A global expansion should be a viable option. The institution has been in existent for a long time thus having demand in foreign countries. The organization should consider utilizing this market (Heskett& Hallowell

Gulf Coast Medical Center Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Gulf Coast Medical Center - Essay Example On the other hand, the presence of radiologists and the hospital administrators will ensure understanding of the issues with delay in scheduling procedures with the facility. Therefore, while physicians would be able to more easily identify the likely problems causing the unusually long time each procedure takes, the administrators and managed care companies might be better able to identify issues related with time it takes physicians to schedule a slot at the facility. The Shewhart Cycle proposes a four-step process of continuous quality improvement which includes: Act, Plan, Check and Do (Shewhart, 1980). Creating a work group to identify the relevant issues with the facility is obviously the first step, i.e. 'Acting'. The outcome of deliberations of the work group which will identify the relevant issues and propose steps towards resolving these issues is the Planning stage. The outcome of the work group will be critically appraised in the light of activities and practices of competitors and what is obtainable in evidence based practice, for viability; which is the 'check' process. Lastly, once the feasibility of these recommendations has been ascertained, implementation will follow. Reduction in the time and processes required for physicians to get a procedure slot in the facility by 40% after six months and keeping up with what is obtainable from competitors within th... Improving customer perception of the facility through better cleanliness, reduced charges and increased follow up screens. d: Measuring the Success of the Work Group The success of these measures would be measured by Reduction in the time per case from 1.5 hours per case to 55mins per case in the first six months and down to the national average of 50mins per case after 12months. Reduction in the time and processes required for physicians to get a procedure slot in the facility by 40% after six months and keeping up with what is obtainable from competitors within the next 18months. Better customer perception of the facility as measured by increased return rates for follow up screens and better customer satisfaction feedbacks. 2. Dealing with Physician Perforation Rates The medical profession being a human endeavor is prone to errors, miscalculations and other human errors, and the endoscopy services is not an exception. Several government documents have acknowledged the fact that medical error is a human fact (Linda, et al., 1999). Therefore, perforation after colonoscopy is no an unusual thing, however, the rates should not be too high. Thus to deal with the high physician perforation rates in the Gulf Coast Endoscopy Facility, the first step would be to get better commitment from physicians. The facility should be able to ensure that physicians get a procedure slot without having to go through so much time wasting processes and requirements. Furthermore, the facility should be placed in a better competitive position, through cleaner and tidier environment, better facilities, so that the improve customer levels will encourage the physicians to do better jobs (Wennberg, 2005, Kaiser Family Foundation, 2004). However, besides the

Journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 18

Journal - Essay Example In these studies, chemical compounds in tobacco smoke seem to hasten follicular depletion (Soares 40). Moreover, qualitative impacts on follicular maturation, steroidogenesis, embryo development and fertilization have been documented. Exposure to cigarette substances in animals negatively impacts both pre- and post-impantation competence in embryonic development. For instance, tobacco inhalation in female mouse was demonstrated to be harmful to early development of the embryo and results into reduced fetal total weight. Direct nicotine injection in rats impedes cleavage of the embryo and considerably decreases the number of cells. It has been acknowledged women who smoke tobacco has a high probability of tubal barrenness and a noticeably a high danger of ectopic pregnancy. In a study, the ectopic pregnancy’s OR among smoking women was around 15.69. Tobacco smoking has been illustrated to negatively impact both the cellular and humoral immune systems. Moreover, it has been hypothesized that such changes may make tobacco smokers more liable to tubal contagions and ensuing infertility. Regarding the effect of tobacco smoking on male, Soares (42) contend that research demonstrate that normal conception in couples having a tobacco smoking spouse has a considerable decrease in fertility, with an elevated time-to-pregnancy, in situations where cigarette intake is greater than 15 per day. Tobacco smoking does not only alter variations in standard sperm limits, but also can impact the quality of the sperms. Also, biochemical alterations that can decrease the quality of sperms have been published in seminal liquid smokers, and tobacco genotoxicity is indubitable. In various groups analyzing DNA sperm fragmentation in tobacco smoking and nonsmoking males, it was established that an increased fragmentation rate in tobacco smokers was greatest in pre- and post swim-up

Becoming Conscious Essay Example for Free

Becoming Conscious Essay One of the common applications of dream analysis in psychotherapy has been ‘dream analysis’ or ‘dream work’. Psychiatrists and psychologists are having evidence that dream analysis can help to determine if the individual has experienced a traumatic event during the early childhood period. A study was conducted by Mazzoni et al (1999) to determine if dream analysis could help in studying the mental state of the individual. They found that individuals, who have denied experiencing a traumatic event during early childhood, were more confident that such an event occurred following performance of dream analysis. From primary experimentation with dream analysis, it is suggested that this could be utilized in clinical settings (Mazzoni. 1999, Paul Brians, 1998). In the past, the clinical psychologists have tried to use dream analysis to varying extents. Sigmund Freud found that dream analysis could be an open access to the unconscious mind. Any traumatic event that is experienced in the past would be having an effect on the unconscious, and a thorough analysis of a dream could help to determine if the individual has experienced any traumatic event in the past. Psychoanalysis is one of the techniques in psychiatry in which the unconscious mind is studied in order to diagnose the mental state and to treat any disorder, which may exist. Psychoanalysis has been understood by scientists throughout the world and is frequently utilized in various clinical settings. Psychiatrists feel that any emotion that lies repressed would be expressed in various manners in dreams. A link exists during sleep with the unconscious. As this link is open, the most traumatizing memories would surface up and be expressed in the form of dreams. Some of the most common type of memories that are likely to be expressed during dreams includes those of sexual abuse, physical abuse, etc. Sigmund Freud compared dreams to the music made by an artist (the unconscious self) who awakens after another artist (the individual conscious self) sleeps. Sigmund Freud was even sure that dreams could provide an answer to several queries that existed about the individual. Dreams often meant a wish fulfillment or a fear fulfillment. It could even suggest a response, reaction, reflex or a reproduction of memory. Every dream may not mean the same thing. Many people experience what is called as ‘anxiety dreams’. This often occurs due to the very content and nature of the dream. This may be similar to the anxiety that exists during a phobia. However, it is also important to differentiate the anxiety that exists from a phobia and a dream. For example, in a phobia, an individual may fear heights and not go near the edge of a terrace. However, in a dream the individual may find himself/herself near the edge of the terrace and experience anxiety. The anxiety from both these situations are from different sources. Freud felt dream anxiety is more often related to neurotic anxiety, often arising from the urge of fulfilling sexual desires. Frequently, the sexual desires of the individuals get transformed and express itself as anxiety situations in a dream (Mazzoni. 1999, Paul Brians, 1998). Dream analysis has various clinical applications. An individual may develop some kind of mal-adaptation to a traumatic event in life. A psychiatrist may not even be able to understand the cause of the mental condition, as the individual would have developed certain mal-adaptations, false beliefs, etc, with the event. During the dream analysis, the participants provided the dream and the brief reaction following the dream. The psychologist could also work on the behaviors, feelings and the thoughts that developed following the dream. Many individuals experience dreams of what events have occurred in their lives. For example, dreams of sexual attacks may actually suggest that the individual may have been sexually attacked in the past (Mazzoni. 1999, Paul Brians, 1998). References: G. A. Mazzoni, P. Lombardo, S. Malvagia et al. â€Å"Dream Interpretation and False Beliefs. † Professional Psychology: Research and Practice 30. 1 (1999): 45-50. http://faculty. washington. edu/eloftus/Articles/mazz. htm Paul Brians. Reading About the World, Volume 2, Third edition, Harcourt Brace College Publishing, 1998.

Waiting for Godot and Dumbwaiter Comparison

Waiting for Godot and Dumbwaiter Comparison Among the best plays which can be compared to one another in different ways are Waiting for Godot written by Samuel Beckett and The Dumb Waiter written by Harold Pinter. One of the common elements the two plays share is the waiting factor which leads the few characters of both plays to do many absurd activities to fill the passing of time. Pinter has used many of the characteristics of Waiting for Godot in his own play showing the absurdity of the world through an absurd waiting for someone or something that never arrives. In this short essay these two plays are compared focusing on the waiting factor shared by the two. Examples are also provided from both plays in a comparison table on page 8 to 11, on the factors that result to the absurdity. Plots The plot in Waiting for Godot is a desert with a tree in the middle and the characters come to the scene at the beginning and leave at the end of each day. The scene is one location and it doesnt change throughout the play. This resembles the small world we are living at and it means we are all trapped in a cage like prisoners that we either cannot leave or are afraid to do so as a result the only thing we do is to wait for someone dominant and powerful to help us who never arrives so the waiting goes on. Plot in The Dumbwaiter is a basement room with two beds, flat against the back wall, a serving hatch, closed, between the beds. Also a door to the kitchen and lavatory, left and a door to a passage, right. Many of Pinters plays, as in Samuel Becketts Waiting for Godot, take place in one location. The single location again takes on the form of a prison for the characters, a space from which they either cannot leave or are afraid to do so. Rather than bore the audience with lack of variation, the repetitive actions that come along with the single space generally constitute one of Pinters (and Becketts) main themes. The environment also assumes attributes beyond its scope. The serving hatch, for instance, becomes a symbolic channel to a higher power, or God, whom Ben fears, while the bathroom develops into a place of mundane repetition for Gus. The basement also functions as part of the mystery and betrayal of the Dumb Waiter. It makes us to think who owns the building? Is it still a ca fà ©? Is Wilson inside? (4) American Heritage Britannica concise Encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harold_Pinter http://www.eng.fju.edu.tw/iacd_2003S/c_pm_lit/dumbwaiter.htm Characters Waiting for Godot has five characters as Estragon, Vladimir, Pozzo, Lucky and a messenger boy. The Dumbwaiter has two characters named Gus and Ben. As with Godot, in The Dumbwaiter the two characters are one dominant, one submissive, who share the amount of letters and syllables in their names (although Pinters Gus and Ben are simpler names-and simpler characters-than Becketts Vladimir and Estragon). Guss difficulty in putting on his shoe corresponds to a similar problem with a boot in Becketts play. In both plays, moreover, the characters have been stranded in one place with an unclear purpose, at least from the audiences perspective (1). In both plays, characters have not got any good communication. In Waiting for Godot plot is static. There is a lot of repetition, stability and progress. In The Dumb Waiter dialogues are non-sense of conversation. We see the scene as a room is his view of world. It is identical with Becketts view of the world. The world is going down, the drain. We see the toilet which smells very bad, dirty. And the feet of Vladimir and the breath of Estragon are stinky (2). In Waiting for Godot, the two characters are not satisfied and they both are waiting but in The Dumbwaiter, Ben is hopeful and satisfied with the world which is the room, while Gus is questioning everything and is not satisfied. Figure of Power (the Godlike) Pinters opinion of god is the man upstairs. He is the boss. He is the ruler, master. He is the figure of power. He comes with them and leaves. He doesnt get in touch. It could be anytime. This is direct influence of Beckett on Pinter with the idea of Godot who lives somewhere else nearby. In both plays the Godlike character is away and uses messengers to contact the characters on the scene. In Waiting for Godot, Beckett uses a boy as the messenger with the difference that in The Dumbwaiter Pinter uses the dumbwaiter as the messenger for Wilson (the figure of power). Central Action (Theme) Like a lot of theaters of the absurd, both plays are tragic and comic in nature. The plays are therefore referred to as a tragicomedy, or black comedy. As the very titles of the plays reveals their central action, in both of them people are waiting. And the major theme is the act of waiting for someone or something that never arrives. Because they have nothing to do in the meantime, time is a dreaded barrier, a test of their ability to endure (3). Because they repeat the same actions every day, time is cyclical. And time loses meaning when the actions of one day have no relevance or certainty on the next. http://www.archive.org/stream/pinteracriticale007278mbp/pinteracriticale007278mbp_djvu.txt http://www.soundofevil.com/ingilizce-hikaye-roman-kitap/14138-waiting-godot-amp-dumb-waiter-amp-end-game-samuel-beckett-harold-ingilizce-kitap-ozeti.html http://www.shmoop.com/waiting-for-godot/time-theme.html The Waiting In both plays the people are waiting for off-stage characters who exercise a powerful, god-like influence over the on-stage characters. No acceptable path existed for them to end their waiting and, therefore, they were forced to wait. Through this, the play showed that there are things for which one must wait and that no amount of initiative will end this waiting (1). Their situation, then, is that of people waiting for nothing much, in a universe that has nothing much to offer. As they wait, and we watch, we learn something about how man behaves under such circumstances. We see them devising, with diminishing success, games to play to pass the time; we see them try again and again to understand the unintelligible; we see them discuss committing suicide, but never without finding an excuse to put it off; we see them cling to each other for company while continually bickering and talking about how much better off they would be apart (specially in Becketts). Time Time in both plays is a dreaded barrier, a test for their abilities to endure. It is also cyclical and loses meaning when actions of one day have no relevance or certainty on the next. We see in Waiting for Godot that the characters even cannot tell the time of the year or the day. And also in The Dumbwaiter the room does not have a window so they guess the time and there are no words of a watch or looking at a clock in the play. Ben intentionally does not remember the emotional subjects and the times they spend together before or a fun they had and when Gus brings them up Ben tells him not to talk or asks him to do something or changes the subject so nothing stop him from what Wilson has asked him to do which is murdering Gus which happens at the end of the play. The time factor has relation to the next part which is Repetition as it is well explained as follows. And as Velissariou indicates: When reality is not measured by time and is not limited by spatial boundaries but lies in a n infinite time and an abstract space, then words can never be definite about a meaning which must perpetually elude them. (2) Repetition The repetition in the plays provides further evidence of the unimportance of time for Vladimir and Estragon and also for Ben and Gus. Both acts are identical excluding a few small deviations. With one day after another being basically the same during their wait, it is no wonder that Vladimir and Estragon had trouble telling one day from the next and that they had trouble remembering what happened during each day. Because of this lack of significant change, time had no meaning for them, and therein lays the larger theme that these scenes help to convey. If the day before was meaningless and if most of the periods before this were meaningless, time itself was meaningless for them as well. As Estragon said at the beginning of the second day in reference to that day, For me its over and done with, no matter what happens, which suggested his own realization of the meaninglessness of that day and of time itself. An example of a clearly cyclical pattern in Waiting for Godot that well introduces the repetition is when Estragon sings a song as follows: A dog came in the kitchen And stole a crust of bread, Then cook up with a ladle And beat him till he was dead. Then all the dogs came running And dug the dog a tomb And wrote upon the tombstone For the eyes of dogs to come: A dog came in the kitchen . . . . Questions while Waiting Estragon: (anxious). And we? Where do we come in? Estragons question is left unanswered by Vladimir. Note that these questions seem to bring pain or anxiety to Estragon. Beckett conveys a universal message that pondering the impossible questions that arise from waiting, cause pain, anxiety, inactivity and destroy people from within. Note that both Vladimir and Estragon ponder suicide, by hanging themselves from the tree, but are unable to act through to anxiety, as Estragon states, Dont lets do anything. Its safer (1). And also in the case of The Dumbwaiter whenever Gus tries to bring up something emotional, and to ask questions, Ben refuses to speak with him. This disconnection is the essence of their relationship. They do not speak with, but to each other. Silences and Pauses Both plays are filled with silences and pauses during the waiting. In theater of the absurd silences and pauses have three different applications. Either the characters are in a state of shock, or they are making time pass or they are hiding information from one another. Silences and pauses do carry meaning in these kinds of plays as if they are the same as using words to convey meaning. In Waiting for Godot, the silences are as a result of not having much to do trying to pass time until Godot comes and also lack of good communication. In the Dumbwaiter, silences and pauses are as a result of hiding information from Gus who will be the victim of the day at the end of the play when Ben shots him and the secrets are revealed. It is worth to mention Velissarious point of silences in Waiting for Godot here as: The silences in the play effectively Becket the terms an audience might adopt in order to understand them; the meaning is communicated by the intervals between words. In Didi and Gogos dialogue about the dead voices the silences are evenly distributed, atomizing the exchange into fragments of cross-talk. The empty stage is filled for a moment with the presence of dead people, worn out voices, fragmented whispers, murmurs and rustlings, and this sudden proliferation of the thoughts, speech, and noises of dead people suffocates Didi and Gogo because they themselves are emblematic of that dead humanity. Beckett stages the sounds of silence, the other side of language, and Didi and Gogo, in their yearning for authenticity, aspire to the point of overlap, to the zero, to the point where all difference is obliterated. It is a form of death-wish. The dead voices are heard inside their silences talking of the past, of dreams and hopes; presence is once again commensurate with absence. (1) Universality of the Waiting As human beings were all clinging to the hope of some kind of salvation, some kind of Godot to come and save us from our intolerable suffering, our poverty, our disease, our boredom, our quiet desperation (2) or a kind of Wilson to instruct us through our life. This hoping, this waiting, removes us from the potentially liberating awareness that the moment were actually suspended in, this moment between birth and death that glows so briefly, is ultimately more important than any vague better future we might desire. Life is a lengthy period of waiting, during which the passage of time has little importance. Each day the characters wait for the savior, and, if he doesnt come that day they will continue to wait. The amount of time that they had already spent doing this and the amount of time that would do so in the future is unknown, but neither is important because time is meaningless for them. Each day they would continue to wait for the unknown savior until he either came or time ended through their death. Sum up The plays confront the absurdity of existence and challenge us to figure out who we are and what were doing here. In this random universe, where everything who lives and who dies, whos up and whos down, is a matter of pure chance, and the odds arent necessarily in our favor, what do we do? Whats our purpose? The Dumbwaiter shows the same waiting as in Waiting for Godot with the difference that there is a more violent atmosphere which gives the sense of deceiving and murder. So Waiting for Godot and the Dumbwaiter are plays about waiting, about the repetition, the meaninglessness, the absurdity of waiting, of feeling (and being) suspended in time instead of moving forward in a meaningful direction and for the possibility of a better future that we are not quite fully convinced will ever arrive. You can find the comparison table with examples provided based on the factors mentioned above from the two plays as follows: EXAMPLES Factors Waiting for Godot Repeating actions VLADIMIR: Theres man all over for you, blaming on his boots the faults of his feet. ( He takes off his hat again, peers inside it, feels about inside it, knocks on the crown, blows into it, puts it on again.) POZZO: (He puts the pipe in his pocket, takes out a little vaporiser and sprays his throat, puts back the vaporiser in his pocket, clears his throat, spits, takes out the vaporiser again, sprays his throat again, puts back the vaporiser in his pocket.) Repeating words Nothing to be done ESTRAGON: Why doesnt he put down his bags? POZZO: I too would be happy to meet him. The more people I meet the happier I become. From the meanest creature one departs wiser, richer, more conscious of ones blessings. Even you . . . (he looks at them ostentatiously in turn to make it clear they are both meant) . . . even you, who knows, will have added to my store. ESTRAGON: Why doesnt he put down  his bags? Killing Time VLADIMIR: That passed the time. ESTRAGON: It would have passed in  any case. VLADIMIR: Yes, but not so rapidly. VLADIMIR: Shall I tell it to you? ESTRAGON: No. VLADIMIR: Itll pass the time. (Pause.) Two thieves, crucified at the same time as our Saviour. Silence POZZO: (Silence.) Its the nicotine, one absorbs it in spite of ones precautions. (Sighs.) You know how it is. (Silence.) But perhaps you dont smoke? Yes? No? Its of no importance. (Silence.) But how am I to sit down now, without affectation, now that I have risen? Without appearing to -how shall I say- without appearing to falter. (To Vladimir.) I beg your pardon? (Silence.) Perhaps you didnt speak? (Silence.) Its of no importance. Giving irrelevant answers to the other person POZZO: True. (He sits down. To Estragon.) What is your name? ESTRAGON: Adam. POZZO: (who hasnt listened). Ah yes! The night. (He raises his head.) But be a little more attentive, for pitys sake, otherwise well never get anywhere. Not knowing the time the Godlike comes or sends message He said Saturday. (Pause.) I think. ESTRAGON: You think. VLADIMIR: I must have made a note of it. (He fumbles in his pockets, bursting with miscellaneous rubbish.) ESTRAGON: (very insidious). But what Saturday? And is it Saturday? Is it not rather Sunday? (Pause.) Or Monday? (Pause.) Or Friday? VLADIMIR: (looking wildly about him, as though the date was inscribed in the landscape). Its not possible! ESTRAGON: Or Thursday? Got used to waiting VLADIMIR: No further need to worry. ESTRAGON: Simply wait. VLADIMIR: Were used to it. Not doing what they say they would ESTRAGON: Well, shall we go? VLADIMIR: Yes, lets go. (They do not move). ESTRAGON: Then adieu. POZZO: Adieu. VLADIMIR: Adieu. POZZO: Adieu. (Silence. No one moves). VLADIMIR: (to Estragon). Give him his hat. ESTRAGON: Me! After what he did to me! Neve! VLADIMIR: Ill give it to him. (He does not move). Being promised that the master will come BOY: (in a rush). Mr. Godot told me to tell you he wont come this evening but surely tomorrow. Not remembering (or not wanting to Remember) the past Vladimir mentioned the time that he and Estragon had spent in Macon country picking grapes. Estragon did not remember this period, and even Vladimir has trouble remembering details of their time there, such as the name of the man for whom they worked. They couldnt remember the day before or even if it was the same place they were waiting for Godot Not knowing the time POZZO: What time is it? VLADIMIR: (inspecting the sky). Seven oclock . . . eight oclock . . . ESTRAGON: That depends what time of year it is. POZZO: Is it evening?

Developing a Sense of Place in Geography Education

Developing a Sense of Place in Geography Education Developing a sense of place through Key Stage 1 2 Geography Teaching Introduction This paper looks at a particular aspect of teaching and learning geography that is particularly significant: developing a sense of place, as defined under the programme of study Knowledge and Understanding of Places of Key Stage 1 2 of the Primary School National Curriculum. The idea of developing ‘sense of place’ is first discussed in detail and then children’s learning is considered, in terms of what children will actually learn from undertaking this activity, and why this is a valuable part of the curriculum. In terms of what children will actually learn, the paper will consider such things as developing a ‘sense of place’ using an enquiring approach, enhancing children’s perceptions of their locality and their concept of nested hierarchies, developing a vocabulary for geography, enhancing their observation skills and recording skills, during fieldwork, for example. Under the National Curriculum for the UK – Geography, the stated aims and purposes of teaching geography are to stimulate children’s interest in their surroundings and in the variety of human and physical conditions on Earth, to foster a sense of wonder at the beauty of the world, to help children develop a sense of concern about the protection of the Earth’s natural resources and to enhance children’s sense of responsibility for the care of the Earth and it’s peoples (The Standards Site, 2007). The aim of key stage 1 is to develop knowledge, skills and understanding relating to the children’s own immediate environment, in terms of the physical environment and the people who live there, with the focus on developing thinking in a geographical way i.e., utilising questions such as ‘What/where is it?’ (aimed at developing observational skills), ‘What is it like?’ (aimed at developing reporting skills), and ‘How di d it get like this?’ (aimed at developing analytical skills) (The Standards Site, 2007). Key stage 2 geography teaching aims to further develop knowledge of place and peoples, but further afield from the immediate locality, so that children begin to learn about different scales and how they relate to each other and to other places on Earth (The Standards Site, 2007). In terms of the current paper, implicit within these stated aims of Key Stage 1 2 geography teaching, is the development of a child’s perception of ‘a sense of place’, in terms of children being able to firstly recognise where they are, then to be able to describe the features of their immediate environment, and to undertake investigations which would allow them to further explore and understand their immediate environment (The Standards Site, 2007). With these aims in mind, in terms of developing a ‘sense of place’, one of the first recommended units within Key Stage 1 curriculum is entitled ‘Around our school – the local area’ which uses investigative methods to encourage children to look at their immediate, i.e., local, area. The investigative methods include funding out where other children in their class live, in comparison to where they themselves live, for example, locating the school in comparison to other local landmarks they know about, identifying what else can be seen in the streets immediately surrounding the school (for example, traffic lights, car parks etc), describing what the immediate environment is like, investigating what jobs people do in the local area, for example by asking other children what jobs their parents undertake, looking at how people spend their leisure time, for example by asking if other children’s parents have hobbies, or what the other children do in the evenings and at weekends, looking at the local area to see if any building work is taking place, and then discussing how this might change the local area, for better or for worse (The Standards Site, 2007). All of these points can be amplified upon by the teacher, and can be discussed in much greater detail with the individual children, and between groups of children, so that the children really begin to develop some sense of their own ‘sense of place’, in terms of understanding and analysing their own local environments (i.e., their school, their home, their routes between school and home etc.). As can be seen, therefore, the National Curriculum gives a very clear set of guidelines as to how geography should be taught to Key Stage 1 2 aged children, with these guidelines broken down in to easy to manage modules, with each module incorporating new skills (such as investigative skills, reporting skills or analytical skills), beginning with investigations and discussions of the children’s local environment and with each subsequent module designed to take the children a little further afield than their local environment. This, it is aimed, will clearly develop a child’s ‘sense of place’ in terms of first orientating them with regards to their local environment, and then, slowly, introducing them to environments that are further afield, for example, through a progression of scales, of nested hierarchies, i.e., studies of, first, the local town, and then subsequently of the local city, the county, the country, Europe, the world and it’s people. I t is aimed that through this sequential and progressive approach to teaching about geography, aside from the skills that the children will acquire, the children will also, as we have seen, develop a strong ‘sense of place’. We have seen that the National Curriculum provides quite explicit guidelines as to how to teach geography to primary school children, but what, on the ground, as it were, can teachers do to ensure that the lessons that need to be taught to children are taught in the best way possible, and are taught in an entertaining and effective manner? To this end, there are all sorts of study aids that teachers can use to teach geography to primary school children. Some of these teacher aids will be discussed in the following sections. One set of teacher aids, designed specifically for teaching Key Stage 1 2 geography curriculum to primary school children is the Super Schemes series, developed by the Geographical Association, in particular Unit 1, which is entitled Around our School: The Seagulls Busy Day and Unit 2, which is entitled Making Our Area Safer: The Twins Holiday. These books use an almost story book-like approach to teach children about geography through the eyes of characters that the children can relate to. It is intended that the children read of the characters, and what they do within the books, and that, through this, the children learn about the aims of the geography curriculum. The explicit aim of this series of books is to enhance and improve the vocabulary of children, in terms of the vocabulary that is necessary for an understanding of geography, to enable their own understanding of a ‘sense of place’. The Around our School: The Seagulls Busy Day title, for example, aims to help children realise that maps can be useful in the location, recording and visualizing of information. The Making Our Area Safer: The Twins Holiday title has similar aims, but also aims to encourage understanding of issues of sustainability of community, through looking at safety issues within the community, in particular the issue of how young children deal with traffic and how young children (i.e., the twins in the story) can manage to overcome the problems that traffic poses to them. These two books in the Super Schemes series are interesting in that they present a particular, traditional, way of teaching a particular idea to children, using a different ‘take’ on a tried and tested formula, which many teachers may find useful, and easy to implement. For teachers, however, who prefer a more ‘hands-on’ approach in their attempt to develop a child’s ‘sense of place’, there are other, more ‘hands-on’ teacher aids that can be incorporated in to Key Stage 1 2 geography teaching, for example, the Earthwalks kit, designed by Hekkle and Van Matre (1980), which is designed to educate users about nature, by making the users ‘get in touch’ with nature, through reawakening the senses of the user, and sharpening their perceptions of their sense of place, for example, and of the beauty of their immediate environment. The idea of the Earthwalks kit is to provide activities, based around hour-long walks, including relevant activities, which can be used to heighten the users perception of their environment. The activities are written in a child-friendly manner, and the kit is presented in a card/binder format, so that, for example, children can add in their own paper to make notes, or to draw something they have seen along the walk that they found particularly interesting. The approach presented in the Earthwalks kit is entirely ‘hands-on’ and attempts to encourage the development of a sense of wonder about the child’s environment, in terms of encouraging heightened observations and, as such, to encourage heightened appreciation of their environment, developing, very practically, a heightened ‘sense of place’ in the users. The idea of developing ‘sense of place’ is therefore crucial in teaching geography to primary school children, in terms of encouraging a connection with their environment, encouraging responsibility to the local environment, and laying a foundation on which children can build, in terms of taking this understanding, appreciation and responsibility for their local environment further, when children begin to learn about areas that are further afield, or other cultures, for example. A child that has a well developed ‘sense of place’ from an early age will be much more tolerant, responsible, appreciative and responsive to the ‘other’ than a child that has not developed a coherent ‘sense of place’ from an early age. As we have seen, children’s learning about geography at Key Stages 1 2 is very well structured, and the aims of these Key Stages are very well defined, in terms of leading children gently through the progression of understanding their local environment, and from this later understanding environments that are further afield, or other cultures, for example. In terms of what children will actually learn from undertaking the activities suggested throughout the Key Stages 1 2 Geography Curriculum, as we have seen, it is aimed that children will first learn about, and learn to understand their local environment, and then, through Key Stage 2 that they will begin to take these learning tools and move on to learning about environments that are further afield, and about other peoples and cultures. This is a valuable part of the curriculum, obviously, as children need to, as we have seen, first develop a strong understanding of their immediate environment, through developing a ‘ sense of place’ and then, from this, take this appreciation, understanding and responsibility to environments that are further afield. This approach to learning about their surroundings encourages thinking in a responsible and sustainable manner, such that children are encouraged to appreciate, and thus to care for, their surroundings, whether these be their immediate surroundings, or whether they be further afield. In terms of what children will actually learn, as we have seen, the aim of Key Stages 1 2 Geography teaching is, essentially, to develop a ‘sense of place’ using an enquiring approach, enhancing children’s perceptions of their locality and their concept of nested hierarchies, developing a vocabulary for geography, enhancing their observation skills and recording skills, during fieldwork, for example. As we have seen, the various teaching aids that are available can help in these aims, especially if the two types of teaching aids, ‘traditional’ versus ‘hands-on’ are used in conjunction with each other in the classroom, in order to encourage children’s learning and acquisition of knowledge. In conclusion, I feel that developing a child’s ‘sense of place’ is an implicit aim of the Key Stages 1 2 Geography Curriculum, and that, as such, encouraging a child to develop a strong ‘sense of place’ is a fundamental part of teaching geography to children at this stage of their development. As we have seen, at the beginning of this paper, teachers have been given a very strong conceptual framework for developing their geography teaching, in the form of the National Curriculum specifications, which provides them a basis on which to teach children about geography. Within this, however, as we have seen, teachers are free to decide how they teach their pupils about geography. We have looked at two ‘types’ of teaching aids, one traditional, using the characters in books to develop children’s vocabulary and sense of responsibility, the other more ‘hands-on’ using walks to encourage a sense of wonder about ‘placeâ €™ and to encourage an appreciation of the natural beauty of ‘places’. It is, of course, the decision of the individual teacher as to which type of study aids are chosen in order for the teacher to encourage thinking about ‘sense of place’ within their pupils. In some sense, the way in which geography is taught is not important: what is important is that this ‘sense of place’, this appreciation of a child’s environment is fostered, so that children act responsibly towards their immediate environment, and further afield, in terms of caring for the natural environment as a whole. If this ‘sense of place’ is fostered in the classroom environment by the teacher, the teacher can be said to have done their job, and done their job well. Sources Bridge C., 2005. Super Schemes Unit 1, Around our School: The Seagulls busy day, Sheffield, Geographical Association. Bridge C., 2005. Super Schemes Unit 2, Making our area safer: The twins holiday, Sheffield, Geographical Association. Hekkle, K. Van Matre, S., 1980. Earthwalks, Greenville, USA, IEEMills, D. (1992) Scoffham, S., 2004. Primary Geography Handbook. Sheffield, Geographical Association. The National Curriculum of the UK – Geography The Standards Site (2007). Geography at key stages 1 and 2: teaching geography at key stages 1 and 2. Available from http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/schemes2/geography/teaching?view=get. Accessed on 17th April 2007. The following websites were also useful: http://www.standards.dfes.gov.uk/schemes2/geography/?view=get www.nc.uk.net/webdav/harmonise?Page/@id=6004Subject/@id=3449

Tibet Essay -- Country Government Essays

Tibet Abstract The purpose of this paper is to give a descriptive account of the current atrocities being implemented by the Communist Chinese in the unlawfully occupied state of Tibet and the events, political and militant, that gave rise to these events since Communist Invasion and occupation in 1959. I plan to give a brief description of the political, legal, and military issues as well as the human rights violations that have occurred since 1959. This paper will convey my deep resentment towards human suffering, especially genocide and the apathetic response to it, the highest atrocity of man in my opinion. Facts about Tibet. 14,000 feet above sea level, high in the Himalayan Mountains lies Tibet, an occupied colony of the Peoples Republic of China. This small state consists of 6,000,000 Tibetans, 99% of whom illegally practice Tibetan Buddhism, called Mahatlayan, and an undetermined number of Chinese "colonists". The national language is Tibetan, though the new official language is Chinese. The economy is maintained by agricultural and animal husbandry, practiced by the Tibetans, and governmental commerce and service, practiced by the Chinese, who are now estimated to outnumber the native Tibetans. There are, in a sense, two governments of Tibet. The first is the Communist regime, headed by Party officials. The second is the government-in-exile being held in Dharamsala, in northern India, a stateless republic led by the Dalai Lama. Overview of Chinese Invasion and Destruction of Tibet: 1949-1959. During the establishment of a new Communist government in 1959, China sent an expeditionary force to Tibet in 1959. Tibet was forced to sign a treaty that acknowledged Chinese sovereignty over Tibet, though Ti... ...cMillian. 1960. Goldstein, Melvyn. History of Modern Tibet, 1913-1951. London, University of California Press: 1989. United States House Committee on International Relations: Current status on negotiations between the Tibetan government in exile and the Peoples Republic of China: Hearing before the C.I.R., House of Representatives, 105th Congress, November 6th, 1997, Released by Washington: U.S.G.P.O., 1998. China's Public Relations Strategy on Tibet www.afn.org/~afn20372/pol/bp.html (5-4-09) Tibetan Studies WWW Virtual Library www.ciolek.com/WWWVL-TibetanStudies.html (5-4-09) Home Page of Tibet www.omni.cc.purdue.edu/~wtu/tibet/Welcome.html (5-4-09) Tibet www.asnic.utexas.edu/asnic/countries/tibet/ (5-4-09) In the Court of His Holiness The Dalai Lama www.tibet.com/ (5-4-09)

History Of The Jet Engine :: Aviation Engines

Evolution of the Jet Engine Thought the course of time man has constantly sought to better both himself and mankind through creation and invention. From the first time a caveman rubbed two sticks together and discovered fire to the design and development of the Saturn 5 rocket which propelled by that same fire carried man from the earth to the moon. One can argue over whether on not this invention or that was the greatest. I intend to focus my attention on evolution of just one of those technologies the jet engine, and show the importance of its impact in our world. In the early 1920’s, new technology was being developed to enable aircraft to fly higher and faster. This early development of aircraft technology was hindered by the depression until World War II pulled the United States out of economic hardship. Jet engine design has been critical in keeping aircraft in line with other countries’ developing technology. All over the world, countries were racing to be the first with a jet engine powered aircraft. During World War II the quest for air superiority resulted in the need for better, faster aircraft. As a result, the jet engine was created. A simple jet engine can be described as a device that compresses large amounts of high velocity air which mixes with fuel, ignites, and then is propelled out the aft end of the aircraft. Able to keep itself going once started, the jet engine is truly a marvel of the twentieth century. Two people are credited with this wonderful invention: Dr. Hans von Ohain (German) and Sir Frank Whittle (British). Ohain actually created the first engine while Whittle was the first to acquire a patent in 1930. However, Ohain’s jet was the first to fly in 1939, while Whittle was able to get his in the air in 1941. Ohain’s jet engine was tested in a lab in Sep. 1937 and first tested on a plane developed by Ernst Heinkel the Heinkel He178 on Aug. 27th, 1939. The Firm, Power Jets Ltd., got a contract for Whittle’s engine, the W1, July 7th, 1939. The Maiden flight was on May 15th, 1941 with pilot Lieutenant P. E. G. Sayer flying the craft, the Gloster E28/39. The craft flew at roughly 400 mph and the engine produced 1000lbs.

Trends And Issues In Curriculum And Instructions Education Essay

The Jamaican Early Childhood Curriculum was late crafted. The course of study is built on the rule that kids learn best when content from assorted subjects along with accomplishments from the developmental spheres are in line with the kids ‘s holistic position and experience of the universe. The course of study therefore considers larning through drama, sequenced acquisition, single acquisition, the practicians ‘ multiple functions, and inclusion of all scholars and the spheres of development, the acquisition environment, proper appraisal, the function of parents and the function of community ( Davies, 2008 ) . While the course of study addresses assorted aims that need to be met in furthering Early Childhood acquisition and outlines the needed instructions, there are challenges to the execution of the course of study. Broadly talking, these factors are normally internal and external. These factors cut down the effectivity of the course of study and weaken the opportunity of effectual acquisition at the Early Childhood Level. The factors drive a mismatch between the state of affairs that the course of study was designed to aim and the world. This difference causes the existent acquisition result to divert from the intended acquisition result. The course of study is based on an premise that the pupil is runing at a peculiar degree, the pupil ‘s parent and environmental background offer a certain degree of support, and the instructor operates at a certain degree. It is just to believe that this is usually the instance. However, curriculum execution interruptions down whenever these prem ises do non keep. In my position, the internal factors may be best represented by instructors, pupils, school substructure and resources. Teachers are given the primary duty to implement the course of study. A instructor ‘s creativeness, capablenesss and making enables him/her to reassign the content of the course of study in a meaningful manner that will link with the diverse groups of scholars. Harmonizing to Jalongo and Isenberg ( 2012 ) a instructor ‘s cognition of the kids and the content of the course of study will enable him/her to possess the ability to supply for the kids ‘s strengths and failing. The capable instructor will be able to ease the kid ‘s involvement and to develop the cognition, accomplishments, values, and temperaments they will necessitate to go productive members of the society. Jalongo and Isenberg ( 2012 ) postulate that the instructor schemes and program for acquisition is the yarn that weaves the course of study. They refer to this as the â€Å" w hat of learning † , and the â€Å" how of learning † . It ‘s hence, imperative that instructors plan for the pupils ‘ acquisition in order to provide for the diverse acquisition manners in their schoolroom. The methodological analysiss that the instructor employs should suit the pupil ‘s ability to derive cognition and develop the necessary accomplishments. Besides, the instructor should be competent and get acute penetrations on the capablenesss that kids possess in order to provide for holistic development. If this is non achieved, so the execution of the course of study would hold failed. A cardinal ingredient for the successful execution of any course of study is a acute apprehension of the scholar. Jalongo and Isenberg ( 2012 ) postulate that a course of study should concentrate on what a kid knows and can make and what a kid should cognize and can make. Hence the content of the course of study should take into history the demands, involvement, age and phase of development and the societal and cultural context of the kid. The kid as the scholar possesses the ultimate success of the course of study. This takes into history the abilities, accomplishments, background cognition and exposure /experience that the kid acquires before come ining the acquisition environment. Harmonizing to Puckett and Diffily ( 2004 ) being cognizant of the differences in kids ‘s development, strengths and challenges will let course of study contrivers and instructors to be after efficaciously in order to run into each kid ‘s developmental demands. Jalongo and Isenberg ( 2012 ) s tated that a course of study should see the followers ; Child development and acquisition, Child needs, abilities and involvement every bit good as their socio cultural context in which they live. I strongly believe that these factors will enable the instructors to execute efficaciously within the instruction and acquisition environment. The school substructure and resources play a critical function in the bringing of the school ‘s course of study. It is my observation that the size of the pupil population relation to the size and quality of the physical adjustment of a school impacts the quality of course of study execution. Harmonizing to Krogh and Morehouse ( 2008 ) the environment outside the schoolroom should be rich with possible and becomes a valuable multiuse sphere. They besides indicate that the physical environment plays an built-in and critical portion in back uping patterns that encourage high degrees of kid initiated battle and geographic expedition. It is my position that the environment plays a cardinal function in exciting the cognitive procedures required for effectual course of study execution. I believe that the substructure of a school attracts a peculiar socio economic category from within the community. As a consequence, this will find the quality of pupils and instructors who are enrolled in and employed to the school. It besides establishes the quality of course of study execution that will happen. This will drive the resources that these schools are provided with. Greater resources mean that the school is able to properly finance the needed staffing and substructure betterments that facilitate the acquisition procedure. My school is located in the rural country of St. Andrew and its serves kids from low socio economic backgrounds. Therefore, the execution of the course of study faces barriers as the pupils are unable to associate to the information, the instructors have limited educational preparation and the resources are limited to run into the demands of the pupils. This poses a challenge for the course of study to be to the full implemented and for the needed acquisition results to be obtained. In my position, external factors normally include parents, place and community. I believe that these factors are important to the execution of the course of study. Parental engagement is a cardinal determiner to successful academic accomplishment. This sets the foundation of the learning attitude that kids carry to the acquisition environment. Support from parents increases the academic accomplishment in ulterior old ages. Burke ( 2010 ) postulates that a kid whose parents are passionately active and involved in their instruction at an early has a distinguishable advantage when compared to his/her equals. I believe that the engagement of parents facilitates the kid ‘s willingness to appreciate the importance of a solid instruction. This engagement can interrupt or construct the execution of any course of study. In my sentiment, parents are by and large incognizant of the powerful consequence that they have on what and how the content of a course of study is designed and impleme nted. I believe that parents are an indispensable portion of resource edifice. Strong parent instructor associations ( PTAs ) and effectual parental engagement in school disposal goes a far manner in beef uping fund elevation activities and in geting external support in constructing the school substructure. I strongly believe that parents are the first line of support for all kids. They are the primary beginning of socialisation and set the foundation for formal acquisition to take topographic point. The place is the initial environment for optimum nurturing and it ideally creates a sense of belonging. In incorporating parental function in curriculum execution, a â€Å" one-size fits all † attack can non be taken. We have to take into consideration the socio economic position of these parents every bit good as their educational background. The background of these parents, particularly in rural environments, allows for restriction on the input they can offer to the execution of the course of study. Hence, small or no engagement occurs and the inability to keep instructors accountable for hapless course of study execution becomes a major issue. Burke ( 2010 ) provinces that when parents are involved in the educational procedure of their kids, they will be able to include or add ext ra information and penetration from their ain personal experiences to instructors in order to back up their kid ‘s acquisition and development. Community is seen as the secondary beginning of socialisation. When we examine a community, we need to take into history the construction, civilization and socio economic factors that shape the community. Couchenour and Chrisman ( 2011 ) stated that when the cultural background of the community does non fit the cultural and educational context of a school so the academic accomplishment will be affected. This, I believe, is important in the execution of the course of study. In my sentiment, the cultural background of the pupils and the parents may forestall a school from achieving a targeted civilization. The interrelation of the school and the community greatly impacts the accomplishment of the aims of the course of study. Rural communities are mostly comprised of husbandmans and unemployed persons who meagerly get secondary instruction. Urie Brofenbrenner ‘s bioecological theory explains that understanding a kid ‘s development requires us to see the kid in his socio civi lization context that includes household scene, community and the wider society ( as cited in Couchenour and Chrisman, 2011 ) . It is my position that the community plays a critical function in determining the civilization of the school. Depending on the socio economic, civilization, construction and educational factors the execution of the course of study will be extensively affected. In decision, many factors affectA curriculumA execution. It is my position that internal factors such as instructors, pupils, school substructure and resources and external factors such as parents, place and community are critical factors that may present positive and negative effects on the execution of the course of study. At the early childhood degree, the content and aims of the course of study should be centred on the kid ‘s demands and involvement. How we address their demands and involvement is dependent on the instructional aims carried out by the instructor, the handiness of resources and the learning environment of the school. It is my position, hence, that a course of study customization is needed at the Early Childhood degree in order to provide for the different internal and external factors indicated above. A customized design will bring forth effectual, critical and holistic minds within our community and wider society.

Exhibition Essay

Introduction â€Å"A good exhibition programme will sell itself. The money spent on marketing would be better spent on the exhibition themselves† In the business environment, there is a lot of competition that every business faces in its day to day operations. This means that if a business cannot keep up with the competition or beat its competitors then there is a high likelihood of it collapsing, something that will highly cost the investors. Therefore, every business must ensure that it is able to meet its main objective which in many cases is to make and maximize profits through high sales. To achieve higher or increased sales, business investors can apply various strategies of winning customers and overcoming the stiff competition in the business environment. For a business to be able to accomplish higher or increase in sales and obtain more customers who will in turn result into higher profits for the business, the investors can apply marketing strategy as a form of making their products known to customers which is may be a bit costly t the business since it will have to incur various expenses. On the other hand, a business can opt for exhibition as a form of selling its products to its customers. Exhibition can simply be defined as a presentation and a display of various items that have been selected to attract customers and induce sales. Exhibition Programme as a Marketing tool An exhibition program is the strategy put in place by a business of presenting and displaying a selection of various products of a business for customers to purchase and to attract new customers. Having a good exhibition programme in a business will sell itself to customers and will help increase the sales of the business. This means that the money used by investors in areas such as marketing strategies can be spent on exhibition so that the business can achieve more sales and hence more profits for the business. Exhibitions also know as trade fairs, expos or even trade shows can help achieve various results for a business as will be discussed here. In many occasions, the exhibitions are in most cases organized by various interested parties so that various organizations in a certain specific industry or who have a specific interest can showcase and give a demonstration of the various latest products, study activities, and even services of competitors and also to have a look at the current trends in the business industry and the opportunities that may be available for the business to venture in. There are some exhibitions which are always open to the public while there are others which can only be attended by various company representatives who are members of that trade and also the members of the press for coverage of the exhibition (Siskind, 2005). Through the years exhibitions have been identified as one of the most effective and efficient tool that is powerful and effective for doing business. An exhibition involves the business investors being able to meet the customers face-to-face and hence create a great target opportunity for the business to achieve the various trade objectives that it has. Exhibitions are known to be one of the most cost effective for of reaching out to the customers since the business investor is able to reach the customers at one time and in one place that does not involve moving the location. Therefore, it is notable that exhibitions have various advantages for a business if a good exhibition programme is created and implemented by the business investor (TileagÄÆ', & Cosmescu, 2012). Advantages of Exhibition Exhibition as a means of trade for a business has various advantages to any form of business if created and implemented in a good way as compared to marketing strategies. Discussed below are the advantages that a business will derive from a good exhibition programme implemented by an investor: Customer contact In exhibitions, the business investors have the opportunity of meeting the customers face-to-face in one time and in one place. This means that the trade shows or exhibition provides a very excellent and conducive environment for the business investors to initiate contacts with customers who are new to the business. This helps the business investor to be able to develop new trade leads for the products of the business since the investor is able to answer any questions that the new customers may have concerning the products that the business is offering (Ausstellungs- und Messe-Ausschuss der Deutschen Wirtschaft, 2010). The business has the first hand opportunity of giving detailed information to the new customers about their products that are under exhibition and in turn this will help in creating a new customer base for the business. In addition to the new customers whom the business investor has the opportunity to win over for the business and creating new customer base, the business investor is also able to renew its old contacts with the valued clients of the company or business firm. There are times when businesses lose their old clients due to various reasons. Through a good exhibition programme, the business investor is bale to renew the lost contacts with its previous customers and also to inform the old customers of the new products that the company may be offering in addition to the improvements that the business has made on the previous products that it was offering (Frain, 1999). Opportunity to create an Image for the Business Through exhibitions, the business investor is able to meet new and old customers some of who may not e familiar with the business. The contact that the business investor has with the customers offers an opportunity for the investor to create and improve the image of the business towards the customers. Customers who had a bad perception about the business will be able to have firsthand experience of knowing more about the business and the products of the investors and get clear understanding of how the business operates and what products the company is offering to its clients (Johnston, & Beaton, 1998). This means that, not only will the company be able to win ore customers but it will be able to give firsthand information to the customers which will help in improving the image of the business. A good image for the business means that customers will want to associate with the business; hence those customers who visit the exhibition will also inform other people about the business. This will act as a way of advertising the business through word of mouth from those customers who had the firsthand experience with the business at the exhibition. Therefore, it is quite notable that exhibitions not only bring new business contacts but also helps to strengthen and maybe restore the image of the business which is important for every business to succeed. Product and service launch platforms Many businesses always face the challenge of launching their products and services to the market. Launching of a new product or service by a company can be very challenging to any business and can also be costly in terms of advertisements as a form of marketing for the new products and services. Many platforms that business investors can use to launch their new products or services are always costly and at times may not be effective in reaching out to as many customers as possible. To overcome this challenge that is involved in the launching of new products or services to the market by business investors, exhibitions offer a much better platform for the business investor to launch their products or services. Exhibitions in many cases involve live presentations and various demonstrations of the products or services of the company to the customers. This means that the products or the services are able to â€Å"speak† for themselves and influence the customers to make purchases or even obtain the services even if they were not prepared to do so in the first place. When customers are able to see for themselves the use of a product or the importance of a product at first hand, they tend to have the urge to try out the product or service so that they can find out if whatever they saw during the live presentations and demonstrations are actually the results that they can obtain from using the particular product or service which has been launched into the market. This means that the process of selling the new products or services is accelerated (Frain, 1999). When the customers are influenced to purchase the new products or services that have been launched at the exhibition trough live presentations and demonstrations, the sales of the products or services are likely to increase, and this will mean that new sales will be generated for the company at a quicker rate than through marketing. Launching of a new product or service through live presentations or demonstrations at the exhibitions means that the company will not incur a lot of costs that are always involved in the launching of new products or services (Johnston, & Beaton, 1998). Marketing communications In the exhibitions or trade fairs, there is always a lot of focus that is always put on the company and the products r services that the company is offering. Many exhibitions involve the media and hence the attention of the media is always on the company and the products or services of the company. This means that the business investor has an opportunity of focusing his/her public relations efforts on raising the profile of the company and that of the products or services of the company. This will also help in improving the image of the company. Since the focus of the media attention is on the company and the products or the services that the company s offering, there is an opportunity for the company to advertise itself without incurring any extra cost on advertisement of the company’s products or services.   The exhibition offers a platform for improvement of the company’s public relations since the company comes into closer contact with the public than it could do through areas such as advertisements. This will also help in improving the image of the company and the image of the products of the company by building trust and good relations with the customers who have visited the exhibition. Therefore, exhibitions will not only help in developing great public relations, building company’s image but also will help in opening new markets for the company (Frain, 1999). A high return/expense ratio Every business investor has one aim in business which they strive to accomplish through every operation that the business undertakes. The main objective for any business investor in a business environment is to make and maximize profits. For the business to obtain profits it must incur costs that are involved in the running of the business. Costs in business may be in form of advertisements, production and any other operational costs for the company. Higher profits and maximization of profits can only be achieved by a business if the business ensures that the costs that it incurs are less and do not exceed their sales. To achieve this, a company must ensure that it employs strategies that will help in minimizing costs involved in its operation while at the same time maximizing its sales for higher profits. The returns must always be higher while the expenses must always be lower in any successful business. This means that a business must always be able to obtain high returns from its sales when compared to the expense that the business has incurred in its operations. Exhibitions help businesses in achieving this objective of higher returns compared to the expenses incurred. The expenses that a business will incur in its operations when conducting exhibitions is less when compared to other forms of marketing such as advertisements. Exhibitions also create an opportunity for higher sales for the business since the company is able to attract more customers through close customer contact, live presentations and demonstrations. Since exhibitions are conducted in one time and in one place, any costs involved such as transportation costs are minimised, customers are able to find the products of the company in one place without having to move from one place to another (Johnston, & Beaton, 1998). This means that exhibitions have a higher return/expense ratio, something which every business always strive to achieve. The higher return/expense ratio is as a result of the following reasons: Many customers or attendees who come to the exhibitions always arrive with a particular agenda or a need which they seek to accomplish at the exhibition. This means that the customers who arrive at the exhibition will not cause the business to incur more expenses in attracting the customers except for what has already been incurred to prepare for the exhibition. In the exhibitions, the business investors do not require to make any sales calls to close the deals with the customers since most of the people who attend have their agenda already set. This means that the business will not incur any extra cost involved n making sales calls since the live presentations and the demonstrations of the company’s products or service are enough to lead the customers to purchase the products or services of the company. Compared to product or services sales calls which are quite costly, the exhibition leads do not require a lot of expense to accomplish or close a deal. Field sales require sales calls to be made by the company but in the exhibitions on the demonstrations and live presentations are enough. This means that exhibitions are much cheaper in helping the business to achieve its main objective of maximizing profits and minimizing expense hence higher returns/expense ratio which is good for the business. Exhibition provides an avenue for the exchange of information between the exhibition attendees and the companies that are displaying their products or services at the exhibition. At the exhibition, the business investor has the opportunity to pass information to the customers about the products or services that the company is offering since the investor comes into face-to-face contact with the new and old customers. These customers will in turn act as a tool of advertising the products and services of the company to those other potential customers who never went to the exhibition. The customers help in advertising the company’s products and services through word of mouth. This helps the company to reach more potential customers without incurring extra costs of advertisement. Therefore, exhibitions help the company to achieve higher return/expense ratio which will in turn mean the company will be able to maximize profits (Frain, 1999). Business-to-Business trading Exhibitions also play an important role in a business if a good exhibition programme is created and implemented by a business. Through exhibition, a company is able to meet with other business investors. This will enable the business to exchange business ideas and information which might be helpful to the running of the business. Exhibitions help the investor to identify and establish new joint ventures and projects by other business investors which may result in partnership hence helping to expand the business. This is because, at the exhibitions, the business investor may meet other business investors who share the same business ideas and beliefs which then could translate into new ventures for the business (Ellis, 2010). New Recruitment There are some many people who attend exhibitions some of who are potential business agents, distributors or even employees for the business. Through the opportunity of face-to-face interaction between the business investor and the exhibition attendees, the business investor has the opportunity of identifying and recruiting new business agents, distributors and even staffs for the business. The business investor does not incur any extra cost in this activity since they are able to meet the potential agents, distributors and even staffs face-to-face without having to locate them. This also helps in saving time in terms of searching for new agents, distributors or even employees (Ellis, 2010). Easy Market Research and Information Gathering When a business investor involves in exhibitions, they have the opportunity of meeting the customers face-to-face. The business investor through live presentations and demonstrations of the products or services of the company is able to obtain an immediate feedback from the new customers or the old customers on the various products or services that the company offers. This can be done through free samples and the live presentations and demonstrations. Since there is face-to-face contact, the customers are able to provide an immediate feedback about the product or the service (Morley, & Lees, 2009). The company can use these feedbacks to improve on its products or services or simply to maintain the quality depending on the feedback they obtain. The company does not have to wait for too long to obtain customer feedback. The feedback obtained by the company at an exhibition can be used immediately by the company to help it achieve more results for its products or services. In addition, through the feedback the company is able to obtain at an exhibition, the company is able to understand the needs of the customers and in turn react immediately to those needs than the competitors in the same market (Huang, & Lund, 2009). Focusing on the needs of the customers is crucial to a business and also helps the business to overcome competition and hence immediate feedback through the interaction at the exhibition, helps the business to keep its focus on the actual needs of the customers. The exhibitions also helps in understanding the strengths and weakness of the competitors since the research results and feedback obtained during the exhibition, can help the business in knowing what areas of business it can improve on to fight off competition. Exhibition helps the business to understand how competitors react to the needs of customers and also to learn the various changes that are taking place within the industry of the business. Research and immediate customer feedback obtained by the company during the exhibition helps the company to stay ahead of the competitors through product or services advancement and the use of new technology. The graph below illustrates the effectiveness of various channels of marketing in the exchange and gathering of information in any business environment: From the Figure 1 above, it can be noted that exhibitions and Personal sales share the same percentage in terms of exchange and gathering of information for the business when engaging customers and other potential business partners. This is due to the reason that, under exhibitions and personal sales, there is close contact with the customer hence the higher chances of getting information in an easy and quicker way. Convenience Marketing requires large sums of money to conduct in a business. This means that the business will not be able to achieve higher profits. On the other hand, in an exhibition, the business needs only to hire a stand where it will display its products and services. This is quite a convenience for the company since the company will not have to spend a lot of money while at the same time the impact of the exhibition will be greater than that experienced with marketing such as advertisement. For those business investors who are not sure of the amount of return on investment they will achieve when first attending an exhibition, this is a very convenient way o introduce products or services to the public at a cheaper cost (Solberg, 2013). Flexibility Every business seeks a way of undertaking its operations while at the same time having the opportunity to change whenever necessary and still achieve its main objective of higher profits. Exhibitions offer an opportunity to be flexible since the business investor has the ability and freedom to customize his/her exhibits for each exhibition that they have to attend. This means that the business investor has the opportunity to experiment on matters such as size and also has the opportunity to configure their exhibits to see and find out what works best for the schedule of exhibitions that the company has to attend in its quest to make profits and expand its markets. Cost effectiveness Exhibitions are quite cost effective to any business especially through the hiring of the exhibition stand. It is also cost effective since exhibitions provide extra options whereby, the business investor is able to stretch the budget for the exhibition to include many other new options that the business investor may not have been able to afford. These may include issues such as dramatic lighting, brochure racks, furniture and even extra large formatted graphics among others which can be added to create a greater impact for the business exhibition at no extra cost hence making exhibitions a lot cheaper than marketing strategies such as advertisement (Raluca, & Cristina, 2008). The graph below helps to demonstrate the effectiveness of exhibition as a method of promoting the products or services of a company when compared to the other channels or strategies such as direct marketing, Print advertising, Public relations, and the internet: From the Figure 2 above, Series 1 represents the Benefits of Products and Services when the various strategies are applied by a business in selling of its products and services. The above Figure 2 demonstrates that a good exhibition programme is quite effective in helping the business to benefit from its products and services since it is able to realize more sales when compared to the other channels of product or service marketing. Series 2 in Figure 1 above represents the impact of the various channels on the building of public relationships with the customers and other potential customers or business partners. From the graph, it can be noted that exhibitions gives a higher percentage when it comes to issue of building public relationship with the customers and potential business partners. This is due to the reason that, under exhibition, the business investor is in close contact with the customers and the potential business partners hence a greater advantage in building public relationship that is stronger (Solberg, 2013). The internet is the poor performer in terms of benefits of the products and services of the company since some aspects such as customer contact is not available. Therefore, it can be said that exhibition, as a mode of product and services marketing has a greater impact in terms of achieving the main objective of every business of maximizing profits and also creating and maintaining great public relationship with customers and the potential investors. The other advantage that is derived from exhibitions is that the business investor has the opportunity to observe and evaluate the products of the competitors of the business. This will enable the business investor to know the strengths and weaknesses of the competitors in terms of the products that they are offering to the customers. Knowing the products or services that the competitors of the business are offering gives the business an added advantage since the investor is able to know what changes to make on their product or services so that they are superior to the products of the competitors (Mei-Chin, & Sui-Ming, 2013). Having superior products or services to those of the competitors will mean that the business is capable of overcoming the competition in the market. Problems Associated with Exhibitions Even though exhibitions may be the best form of business promotion for products and services, there are various challenges or problems that business investors will be faced with in the process of participating in exhibitions or trade shows. Some of those problems are such as increase in costs of construction and exhibits, personnel travelling, boarding and lodging fees which add to the cost of conducting the exhibitions (Honess, 1997). In addition, the choice of which exhibitions to participate in, how much to be spent on every exhibition, and ways of building exhibits that will be attractive to customers are some of the other challenges that are faced by business investors who engage in business exhibitions to sell and promote their products and services. Ways of overcoming challenges involved in Exhibitions There are some considerations and issues that a business investor will need to put in mind so that they can engage in a successful exhibition. In addition, to achieve the above advantages for the business through exhibitions, business investors need to plan and create an exhibition programme that is good and capable of achieving the above advantages and bring high returns for the business (White, 2013). The following are some of the considerations and objectives that a business investor will need to set when engaging in exhibition as a form of promoting the products or services of the company to achieve maximum results: Overall purpose of participation Every business encounter such as involvement and participation in exhibitions requires that a business investor must have an objective they want to achieve through the exhibition. There must be a goal to be accomplished at the end of the exhibition and without setting out the objective or purpose of participation, then success in an exhibition will not be achieved ( Thomas, 1995). Creating actual Sales Business investors who participate in exhibitions must ensure that there are actual sales made during the exhibition. This should be the main objective of participating in an exhibition since more sales translates into more profits for the business. There is no business that wants to incur costs and realize no sales. Therefore, the exhibition must help to realize actual sales for the business for it to be considered successful and beneficial. Identifying potential customers For a successful exhibition, a business investor must have an objective of identifying and obtaining potential new customers for the business and improving on the relations with the older customers. This ensures the business of an added market and creating a new market for the products and services of the company. In addition, the business investor must be able to obtain sales leads for the business. This will enable the business to make sales without making sales calls which are costly. Gathering Competitive Intelligence For a successful exhibition, the business investor must ensure that they are able to obtain competitive intelligence that will give them an added advantage over the competitors. Every business investor who attends an exhibition must be able to information that is relevant for the business and which can help the business to better its performance and achieve higher profits (Havaldar, 2005). Target audience to be reached There are different types of people who attend the exhibitions. For success of the business in an exhibition and to be able o achieve maximum results from the exhibition, the business investor must be able the audience that they want to reach out to with their products and services. Identifying the suitable and targeted audience makes it easy for the business investor to sell their products and services to the targeted market since the products and services will have been made to suit that particular targeted audience. Therefore, based on the various specific objectives that a business investor has laid down for the business, he/she is able to make a decision on which exhibitions to attend that will bring maximum results for the business and at a cheaper cost (Thomas, 1995). Conclusion There are many forms of business promotion that an investor or companies can apply to promote their products or service and achieve results. Businesses have a main aim and objective of maximizing profits at the lowest costs possible. Some of the methods of product or service promotion are costly and the results achieved may not be impressive. Therefore, compared to the other forms of business product or service promotion, exhibition comes out as one of the most effective tool of marketing products or services of a company. 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