The Typical Practices Employed by Chinese Companies in Africa

The Typical Practices Employed by Chinese Companies in Africa Introduction China is one of the fastest growing economies in the world. In the last three decades, China experienced a rapid growth in its gross domestic product (GDP). This growth was characterized by a rapid expansion of both domestic and foreign companies in China. The companies focused on serving all market segments in order to increase their revenues. This has led to the saturation of most industries in China.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Typical Practices Employed by Chinese Companies in Africa specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Consequently, most Chinese companies have had to look for alternative investment destinations. In this regard, Chinese firms have embarked on overseas investments through acquisitions and foreign direct investments (Mobius 2011). Africa is one of the destinations that have benefited from the Chinese companies’ growth plans. Even though the Chinese companies that are operati ng in Africa have contributed to economic growth, their operations have always been associated with malpractices such as poor pay. This paper sheds light on the practices that have been employed by the Chinese companies in Africa. The Practices of Chinese Companies in Africa Chinese companies have always been associated with labor malpractices in Africa. Such malpractices include poor pay, long shifts and physical harassment of employees. Workers in Chinese companies often complain of deplorable work environments and exposure to health hazards. These allegations are likely to be true since most of them are based on empirical research findings. However, the occurrence of these malpractices varies from country to country (Polgreen French 2007). Chinese companies can be found in nearly all African countries. However, complains about labor malpractices or unethical behavior are common in countries with weak governance systems. For example, Zimbabwe is led by a dictatorial regime that h as little regard for its citizens’ welfare. Consequently, the government has never taken any disciplinary action on the Chinese companies. On the country, Chinese companies in stable countries such as Kenya and South Africa have hardly been accused of any unethical behavior. Thus, the unethical behaviors of the Chinese companies can be attributed to poor governance in specific countries in Africa. For instance, corruption is one of the factors that prevent most African countries from taking disciplinary action against Chinese companies.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It is apparent that not all Chinese companies usually engage in malpractices in Africa. Generally, cases of unethical behavior are common among companies that are operating in labor intensive industries such as the mining sector (Polgreen French 2007). For example, in Zimbabwe the complaints w ere raised against a Chinese construction company. This can be attributed to the fact that workers in this sector lack adequate education. Thus, they often tolerate the Chinese malpractices in order to protect their jobs. Finally, the malpractices can be attributed to the business culture of the Chinese companies. Long shifts are common in China where the Confucianism philosophy encourages hard work. Africa’s Attractiveness to Chinese Companies The factors that have contributed to the increase in the number of Chinese companies in Africa include the following. First, the demand for commodities such as oil, gold and copper is very high in China due to the rapid growth of its economy (Mobius 2011). The rapid growth in the country’s population has also increased the demand for foodstuffs. Africa has adequate land for food production. Additionally, it is rich in various minerals and raw materials. Consequently, Chinese companies are moving to Africa in order to extract min erals and raw materials. Moreover, they are interested in importing agricultural produce from Africa. Nearly 80% of exports from Africa to China are raw materials and agricultural produce. The Chinese government has negotiated trade agreements with over 45 African countries in order to facilitate exportation of commodities from Africa to China. Second, most African leaders have focused on establishing close relationships with the Chinese government. African leaders believe that they can learn important lessons from China in regard to development. The Chinese government has embarked on supporting African states by financing the construction of infrastructure such as roads, ports and railway systems. These facilities are often constructed by the Chinese companies since African firms lack the capacity to construct them. This explains the sharp increase in the number of Chinese construction companies in Africa. Third, positive economic growth in Africa has presented growth opportunities to Chinese companies. Disposable income in Africa has been rising steadily in the last decade. Moreover, the expansion of the manufacturing and agricultural sectors has increased the demand for machines and equipment in Africa. China has been able to produce cheap machines and consumer goods (Etzkowitz 2011, pp. 76-90).Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on The Typical Practices Employed by Chinese Companies in Africa specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Hence, most African countries are importing machines and equipment from China. Most Chinese producers are relocating to Africa in order to improve the competitiveness of their products by eliminating exportation costs. Some companies have established retail outlets in Africa in order to maintain full control of their products and services. Fourth, China is interested in investing its foreign reserves in different economies in order to avoid the risks associated with investin g in one economy. The Chinese government has focused on giving credit to African countries at relatively low interest rates. The loans are normally processed by Chinese banks. This has led to an increase in the number of Chinese banks in Africa. Finally, tourism has attracted several Chinese companies to Africa (WTO 2010, pp. 1-51). The African continent has some of the best tourism destinations in the world. However, African firms lack the capital and the technology to serve the tourism industry. The Chinese companies have taken advantage of this situation by increasing their investments in Africa’s tourism industry. For instance, Chinese restaurants can be found in nearly all capital cities in Africa. Moreover, Chinese airlines are operating in nearly all major cities in Africa. Staffing Strategies Ethnocentric Staffing Strategy In this strategy, the holders of key positions in an overseas subsidiary of a multinational corporation are recruited from the company’s par ent country. This means that the managers of the subsidiary will be expatriates. The local citizens, on the other hand, are expected to fill the non-managerial positions. The advantages of this strategy include the following. To begin with, it enables managers to transfer the headquarters’ business culture to overseas subsidiaries in order to prevent cultural conflicts. Managers from the parent country are likely to have a better understanding of the headquarters’ organizational structure than local citizens. In this regard, employing expatriates facilitates implementation of the policies that are formulated by the company’s headquarters. The ethnocentric staffing strategy promotes effective communication between the company’s headquarters and the overseas subsidiaries (Bechet 2008, p. 123). This is because the expatriate managers are likely to have a good command of the language that is used at the headquarters.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For example, most Chinese companies in Africa employ Chinese managers because most Africans have little knowledge of the languages that are used in China. The ethnocentric staffing strategy is important in economies with inadequate supply of talented or skilled employees. In this case, employing expatriates will enable the company to save the cost of training the locals before employing them. Finally, employing expatriates enables the headquarters to maintain its control of the subsidiaries. Despite its benefits, the ethnocentric staffing strategy has the following disadvantages. To begin with, it limits the career growth opportunities of local managers because the top positions must be filled by expatriates (Bechet 2008, p. 126). This can cause dissatisfaction and a high turnover rate in the company. The strategy also interferes with the private lives of the expatriates. For example, they might be separated from their families for a very long time. Finally, expatriates from the par ent country are often insensitive to the expectations of the host country employees. This can create tensions and high dissatisfaction among employees. Polycentric Staffing Strategy In this strategy, citizens of the host country are employed to manage the overseas subsidiary of a multinational corporation. Expatriates are hardly given the responsibility of managing overseas subsidiaries. The advantages of this approach include the following. First, it helps in eliminating language barriers that normally occur when expatriates are sent to overseas subsidiaries (Bechet 2008, p. 127). Second, employing the nationals of the host country is less expensive as compared to hiring expatriates. Third, it promotes career growth among the nationals of the host country. This helps in enhancing staff commitment and loyalty. The disadvantages of this strategy include the following. First, maintaining effective communication between the headquarters and the subsidiary can be difficult due to langua ge barriers. Second, the headquarters is likely to lose control of the subsidiary if the employees from the host country have weak links with the head-office (Bechet 2008, p. 128). Finally, the polycentric strategy denies the employees the opportunity to gain international experience. Geocentric Staffing Strategy The application of this strategy involves filling key positions by promoting the best performing employees in the organization (Glasgow 2001, p. 45). The employees are promoted regardless of their nationality. The main advantage of this strategy is that it enables the company to create a pool of talented international managers. Its disadvantages include the following. To begin with, implementing the strategy can be difficult because the labor laws in the host country might require the company to hire the locals. It is also associated with high training and relocation costs. Region-centric Strategy In this strategy, employees are transferred to subsidiaries in a different co untry, but within the same region. The main advantage of this strategy is that it enables managers to compete for positions at the regional level. This promotes high productivity (Glasgow 2001, p. 46). However, it can be difficult to implement due to the high relocation costs that are associated with it. Diversity Management Approaches Diversity management initiatives facilitate cohesion in a multicultural workforce (Forbes 2012). However, most Chinese corporations that are operating in the African market do not consider diversity management as an important organizational function. Thus, most of them do not have a diversity management plan or strategy. The diversity management programs in most Chinese companies focus on conflict resolution. The companies normally establish conflict resolution committees whose members are drawn from various departments. These committees are responsible for handling any conflicts that might arise between the African employees and their Chinese counter parts. Recruiting African workers is one of the methods that the companies are using to promote diversity. They usually allocate a specific number of positions to Africans. The remaining positions are reserved for Chinese workers. Moreover, senior management positions are usually reserved for Chinese expatriates. In most cases, Chinese companies hire Africans in order to comply with labor laws rather than promoting diversity (Cooke Saini 2012, pp. 16-32). Generally, language barrier is the main factor that prevents Chinese companies from implementing diversity programs. In a nutshell, Africans and Chinese can not communicate easily since they hardly speak the same language. Hence, the Chinese companies prefer to employ their nationals. In some companies, diversity training programs are used to teach a common language that can be used by everyone in the company. Companies with effective diversity programs focus on succession planning. In this case, Africans who are expected to succe ed Chinese nationals are usually trained before they assume their positions. The trainings usually focus on the Chinese business culture and the language that is used in the company’s headquarters. Culture Shock The Chinese business culture is significantly different from that in Africa. Some of the distinctions between the two cultures and their effects on Chinese employees include the following. First, Africans focus on achieving organizational goals in the short term. The Chinese, on the other hand, focus on achieving the goals in the long term. The effect of this difference is that the Chinese employees often disagree with their African counterparts on the goals that should be achieved and the methods that must be used to achieve them. Second, Africans believe in a professional management system in which recruitments are based on qualifications (Cooke Saini 2012, pp. 16-32). The Chinese, on the other hand, believe that senior managers must be hired from the family that o wns the business. In this case, Chinese employees tend to disregard human resource policies that advocate for equal employment opportunity. Finally, most Africans are able to speak international languages such as English. However, most Chinese can not speak in English. In most African countries, English is the official language that is used to conduct business. Consequently, most Chinese workers find it difficult to give instructions or to understand feedbacks from African workers. Conclusion Chinese companies are joining the African market in order to increase their revenues. The factors that are attracting Chinese companies to Africa include availability of raw materials such as minerals and oil. Africa has a high demand for Chinese machines which are often cheap and easy to use. Additionally, the demand for consumer goods in Africa is always increasing. These factors make Africa an ideal investment destination for the Chinese companies. Even though Chinese companies have contribu ted to economic growth in Africa, they have also been accused of engaging in unethical business practices (Polgreen French 2007). Poor governance in Africa is one of the factors that encourage Chinese companies to engage in malpractices. Most Chinese companies use the ethnocentric staffing strategy. Consequently, they lack effective diversity management programs. References Bechet, T 2008, Strategic Staffing, McGraw-Hill, New York. Cooke, L Saini, D 2012, ‘Managing Diversity in Chinese and Indian Organizations’, Journal of Chinese Human Resource Management, vol. 3 no. 1, pp. 16-32. Etzkowitz, H 2012, ‘The Triple Helix: Science, Technology and the Entrepreneurial Spirit’, Journal of Knowledge-Based Innovation in China, vol. 3 no. 2, pp. 76-90. Forbes 2012, Global Diversity and Inclusion. Web. Glasgow, K 2001, A Strategic Model of Temporary Staffing, McGraw-Hill, New York. Mobius 2011, China’s Growing Presence in Africa. Web. Polgreen, L French, H 2 007, China’s Trade in Africa Carries a Price Tag. Web. WTO 2010, Study on Chinese Outbound Travel to Africa. Web.

How to Use the French Preposition Chez

How to Use the French Preposition Chez Anyone who has eaten at a French  restaurant  is familiar with the  French preposition  chez  since its often used with the name of the chef, as in  Chez Laura.  It is loosely translated as  at or in the  home or business place  of and can be used in a number of circumstances, including location or state of mind, as well as in common idiomatic expressions. This phrase has even crept into English, where its frequently used in restaurant names such as the iconic Chez Panisse in Berkeley, Calif. Uses and Examples Chez  is most commonly used to refer to a home or business, but it can also be employed to characterize someone or something or as part of an expression. For example:      chez mon oncle   at / to my uncles house  Ã‚  Ã‚  chez moi   at home, at / to my house  Ã‚  Ã‚  Carole est chez elle.   Carole is at home.      chez le mà ©decin   at / to the doctors (office)     chez lavocat   at / to the lawyers office      chez le boucher   at / to the butcher shop  Ã‚  Ã‚  chez le coiffeur   at / to the barbershop, hairdresser     une robe de chez Dior  Ã‚  Ã‚  a Dior dress,  a dress designed by Dior     (une coutume) chez les Franà §ais (a custom) among the French  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cest typique chez les politiciens.  Its typical of politicans.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ãƒâ€¡a se trouve souvent chez les vaches.  You often find that among cows.     chez les Grecs   in  ancient Greece / among the ancient Greeks     chez la femme in women / among women      Chez lui, cest une habitude   Its a habit with him.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Cest bizarre chez un enfant.   Thats strange for a child.      chez Molià ¨re   in Molià ¨res work / writing     chez Van Gogh   in Van Goghs art       chacun chez soi     everyone should look to his own affairs      cest une coutume  / un accent bien de chez nous  Ã‚  its a typical local custom/accent  Ã‚     Ã‚  chez-soi at home     Ã‚  fais comme chez toi   make yourself at home     Ã‚  In an address:  chez M. Durand  Ã‚  care of Mr.  Durand  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  elle la raccompagnà © chez lui   pied   she walked him home        elle la raccompagnà © chez lui en voiture she gave him a lift / a ride home     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     rentrer chez soi  / rester chez soi to go home / to stay at home

PSYCHOLOGY 7.27.13 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

PSYCHOLOGY 7.27.13 - Essay Example Erikson’s Developmental Model qualifies Emerson and Hardaway for â€Å"young adulthood and middle adulthood†. The age interval for young adulthood ranges is from 19 - 40 years whereas middle adulthood is from 40 - 65 (McLeod, 2013). Supported by relationships, Young adulthood is classified as â€Å"intimacy vs. isolation†. At this stage warm meaningful relationships are shaped along with the increasing possibility of failure (McLeod, 2013). However, middle adulthood is classified as â€Å"generativity vs. stagnation† supported on parenthood and work. It is the time for transferring legacies and success to the next generation supported by significant accomplishments to help others (McLeod, 2013). The study involved college level students conducted for Adult Development (Vaillant,Soldz & Cui,1938) where college level students’ average age for freshmen is 18-19 whereas some unusual cases of non-traditional students ages 30 years & above. Given that, th is declaration fits Mr. Hardaway and Mr. Emerson for the study. The main focus of study is on the elements such as mental health, adaption to stress, alcohol abuse, physical disorders and morality. Daniel Levinson focused on positive facets that give a new turn to â€Å"Adult Development† perspective. Among the others there were four central sections according to his model such as directionless change, stasis, and decline (Boundless). Applying this model, Mr. Emerson falls in â€Å"decline stage† and Mr. Hardaway in the â€Å"positive adult development stage†. The category of positive adult development is subdivided into experience, hierarchical complexity, expertise, knowledge, spirituality and wisdom. Peck’s model concerning adult development is so far the shortest among other psychologists. His model comprises of: â€Å"Ego-differentiation vs. work-role preoccupation, body-transcendence vs. body-preoccupation, and finally ego-transcendence vs. ego-pre occupation† (Quizlet, 2013). Careful analysis ranks Mr. Emerson under body-transcendence vs. body-preoccupation while Mr. Hardaway under ego-transcendence vs. ego-preoccupation. Mr. Emerson suffers from a physical disability that limits him from being hopeful for the future. On the contrary, Mr. Hardaway has upholstered to make a lasting significant contribution to society even after his death. Mr. Emerson is a physically disabled ex-engineer who got injured in supervising project. His best friend Baily saved him from being killed. Mr. Emerson spoke of his great connection with parents while he was young and also a quality relationship with his best friend Baily. They motivated him to always do the best of his efforts. However, Mr. Emerson feels loneliness as he doesn’t have any children or siblings and his parents died 10 years ago. Mr. Emerson still feels loneliness even though Baily comes to see him often. He confessed his un-fulfillment of not becoming an engineer d ue to the accident that made him physically disabled. He hesitated in answering the question of grabbing the opportunity of becoming a consultant or the like; however his answer was on the negative end. Mr. Emerson evaded and drifted away from the subject based on the last part of his life. He drank as a minimum of three beers per day to cope up with

West and the world Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

West and the world - Essay Example The occupation of the Americas was fundamental for the development of the various European countries. As such, they employed specific strategies in their attempts to carve out huge empires in the regions. Among the strategies they used was the divide and rule, a technique the European employed thereby setting the indigenous people against each other thereby making them weak thus easy to rule. Furthermore, the European enjoyed economic and military might thereby quelling any form of opposition from the indigenous people. Using the above techniques, the Europeans readily occupied the most arable lands in the various countries thereby enhancing their economic growth. Â   The Europeans encountered numerous people including the indigenous people in the areas they occupied. The red Indians in North and Central America and the Latinos were among the groups of indigenous people the Europeans encountered in the quest to colonize the Americas. The indigenous people were few and lived in scattered structured. This made them vulnerable and exposed thereby making it easy for the Europeans to occupy. The outcomes of the encounters were bloody as the European often used force in their attempt to occupy the areas. Â   Making of the three empires above remain vital in the development of the world. The structures of the early empires influence the political structures of the specific regions. Among the factors that necessitated the development of the empires was the need for the societies to have centralized leadership. This way, the people could coexist peacefully under the leadership of a single leader. The empires resulted in the fortification of the regions as each empire developed clear demarcation thereby forming diplomatic relationships with other regions. This enhanced the development of trade thus enhancing the economic development of the regions. Additionally, the regions formed appropriate

Nurture Makes Euthanasia More Acceptable Essay Example for Free

Nurture Makes Euthanasia More Acceptable Essay Euthanasia is the practice of mercifully ending a persons life in order to free someone from a deadly disease. The Greek word â€Å"Euthanasia† simply means â€Å"good death†. This refers to the intentional ending of a person or animal’s life to relieve suffering and pain. It is also known as â€Å"Mercy Killing†. It is a serious ethical and political issue in today’s society because it goes against the norms of traditional medicine. It is so, because some people define euthanasia as a form of suicide. However, some people actually think that it is a choice that concerns the quality of life. In fact, people have different standards regarding the worth of life. Others believe that being clinically alive is enough to say that a person should live, but for others, it is simply inadequate. If a person’s life is lacking in self awareness or intrinsic presence as a human being, due to extreme physical or mental suffering, then that person should be able to choose a dignified death rather than an undignified existence. This is evident because of moral conscience, social bias or pressure, and financial situations. It is portrayed that nurture or environmental factors plays a role that make euthanasia more appealing. In short, some people tend to disregard the moral and ethical values of life when they see a person suffering. Indeed, despite of the moral and ethical issues that contradict the concept of euthanasia, there are certain factors it impacts society positively, which leads it to be more socially acceptable. One factor that makes euthanasia more acceptable is because of moral conscience. It is argued that euthanasia is not considered as a good practice because it weakens the society’s respect for life. It is believed that all human beings are to be valued despite of their age, gender, sex, religion, social status and their potential for achievement. However, some people who have a different perspective in regards to conscience oppose this idea. Moral conscience urges a person to do well and avoid evil. In this case, the evil that is being measured in this view is prolonging the suffering of a dying person. Also, the act of accepting to end the suffering of a person is a responsibility that is caused by conscience, which does not violate the purity of life. One of the writers from the book Euthanasia, John Shelby Spong, says that conscience really does play a role in making a decision between mercy killing and natural death. He explains that: â€Å"In the past, when medical care was rudimentary and death seemed to be entirely in the hands of God, the issue of euthanasia was simpler. Humans had little technology that could prolong life. In modern times, however, science endows doctors with previously unimagined powers to keep a body alive even when that person no longer has any quality of life. I believe that assisting in such a person’s suicide does not violate the sanctity of life. However, to prevent people from being victimized by family members who could profit from death of a relative, safeguards need to be established. These include requiring people to have living wills specifying the extent of treatment they want in the event of a serious accident or illness and requiring hospitals to have a bioethics committee to help decide on issues of euthanasia†. 1 In short, moral conscience helps out a dying person to finish his or her suffering. In contrast, they must take into consideration that they can only perform euthanasia if the person dying agrees to get it done. Through this, people are actually respecting the choice of the dying person since being human also means being respected. Being able to respect a person’s decision, it also builds a relationship between the person dying and the person who is witnessing the suffering. This now creates a social bias between the people around them since people tend to persuade what they think is right. This is another factor that makes euthanasia more acceptable. Social bias or pressure is defined to be a prejudicial attitude towards a certain race, culture, gender, color, age, group and religion. It also tends to change a person’s perspective, attitude, and values to conform norms. From the book, Euthanasia: The Debate Over the Right to Die, Seamus Cavan says that: â€Å"According to this argument, the very fact that a person is in the end stages of a terminal illness makes it unlikely, if not impossible, that his or he decision to die could meet any of the proposed criteria. They point out that being in the end stages of a terminal illness is by definition an extraordinary situation that makes it difficult or impossible to make rational decision†. It explains that, people in such a position, they argue, are already faced with all kinds of pressure that make it more likely that they will choose death. They may be extraordinary pain. They may feel humiliated or degraded by their inability to take care of themselves. They may feel as if they are a burden to their family or loved ones, in either an emotional or financial pressure to end their life so as not to incu r further medical costs. They are quite likely to be depressed, in the medical sense, by their situation and thereby unable to think clearly. Their judgment may be clouded by pain or medication. Also, social bias does really affect a person’s decision when it comes to euthanasia. It is appealing because there is an evident sense of personal responsibility and braveness made by the dying person to relieve their own pain. When they think this way, they tend to make it positive for the people around them, instead of prolonging their agony. Even though, it will be hard for the people around the dying person to accept his decision to die, it is still respected. Financial situations, like social bias, also play a role in making euthanasia more appealing. Financial situations are also considered as one of the factors why euthanasia should be more practiced by people. Financial situations are part of euthanasia because some people cannot afford to pay the medical bills of that person. This is much evident especially in 2nd and 3rd world countries because some people don’t earn enough money from their jobs to pay the prices of their hospital bills. In this case, it is considered to be in a form of a passive euthanasia. Passive euthanasia occurs when a patient dies because medical professionals either don’t do something necessary to keep a patient alive or stop doing something that can keep the patient alive. People who suffer from poverty, for example, might not be able to afford life-sustaining drugs or life-saving operation that would extend someone’s life. Passive euthanasia may also occur if doctors turn off a life-support machine or disconnect a feeding tube, which is the only means of keeping a person alive because unfortunate people can’t afford it. These actions may be carried out at the request of a dying person or their legal representative, who is often a family member. Dr. Mark from the article Alive and Kicking also says that: â€Å"As people in developing countries learns about euthanasia, they are requesting it as a way of out of the misery of poverty and hopelessness†. 3 These people believe that it is only through euthanasia that will help them save money and discontinue the suffering and pain of this person. In this concept, it is a win-win situation because both have compromised to be free from suffering physically and financially. All in all, it is important to note that the levels of these factors come into information whether it can be personal, environmental, or financial. It is shown that nurture does affect the views and perspectives of people when it comes to euthanasia. Considerations have to be made whether the position from one of these areas is even acceptable. It is so, especially with the separation of the views between the dying person and society. The three factors that were mentioned earlier must be considered thoroughly in order to see its impact to be positive. In the current world of rationed care and economic rationalism, it is not hard to imagine a situation where the availability of euthanasia becomes seen as a cheaper, easier, rational option to providing intensive support, community living and care for those who wanted and needed it. There is no doubt that euthanasia brings a positive factor that opens the options for people. Certainly, euthanasia has factors that deal with society that makes it more acceptable.

Sir Francis Drake :: Essays Papers

Sir Francis Drake â€Å"El Draque† or â€Å"The Dragon† the Spanish called this English admiral out of fear. Sir Francis Drake was born at Crownsdale, near Tavistock, Devon around the 1540’s. He served, as an apprentice in the Thames Coastal Trade after his father became a preacher at Chatham. He led several expeditions against the Spanish Main as well as an attack against the Spanish city of Cadiz. Drake was the first Englishman to circumnavigate the globe and he helped defeat the Spanish Armada in 1588. He was a successful privateer, a talented navigator and one of the most famous seamen in history. Drake made several voyages to the Caribbean with English seaman John Hawkins in the 1560’s, which were the early years of Drake’s career. They were not privateering voyages, but attempts to smuggle Spanish goods into the colonies. On the third voyage Hawkins’ fleet of six ships, one commanded by Sir Francis Drake, were driven into the Gulf of Mexico by a hurricane. The ships were led into the Vera Cruz port and demanded supplies. The Spanish however had a different plan of assaulting and killing many men and destroying four ships. Drake and Hawkins returned to England safely but, this incident led to Drake’s desire for revenge on the Spaniards. In 1572 Drake sailed from England with two ships and 73 men. They landed at a small island called the Isle of Pines and began preparations for his attack on the Spanish. His plan was to sack the city of Nombre de Dios. On their first attempt they did not succeed but they made another soon after. They then took the town of Nombre de Dios on the Isthmus of Panama, they captured a ship in the harbor of Cartagena, they burned Portobello, they crossed and re-crossed the isthmus, and they captured three mule trains bearing 30 tons of silver. Drake’s real opportunity came in 1577 when Queen Elizabeth gave him a grant to make the first circumnavigation of the world by an Englishman. On December 13th Drake sailed from Plymouth in the Golden Hind with four other small ships and about 160 men. They were set out to raid the Spanish property on the Pacific coast of the New World. He abandoned two ships in the Rio de Plata in South America, and, with the remaining three, navigated the Straights of Magellan.

Meaning of supervision and my professional life Essay

Instructional Supervision Instructional supervision is a very important concept which must be understood by all educators for the sake of achieving their teaching objectives. For this case, the process of instructional supervision must be applied for the sake of delivering effective instructions to the students. Supervision of instruction for example in England began as an external inspection where some people were appointed to go around the school to observe what the students were learning and what the teachers were teaching the students. The main aim of these supervisors was to ensure that the set curriculum was being followed and the students were actually being taught. On the other hand, in United States, supervision began in 1830’s after the formation of common schools. Initially, supervision in schools was undertaken by superintendents after the formation of city school system due to increased population in major cities. Later on, the role of supervision by superintendents became impossible as the number of schools increased. The role of supervision had to be delegated to the principal to oversee that the teachers we following the curriculum in their teaching. In order to promote growth of teachers and recognizing practice of supervisors time restrain, Sergiovanni and Starratt (1998), suggested that a supervisory system be created that would contain a number of processes of supervision even summative evaluation. The system was not to involve direct formal supervision every year for every teacher. This system was to evaluate the teachers within a period of three to five years. In this kind of evaluation, the teachers were to receive a variety of evaluation during the three or five years and finally be evaluated formally only once. Professional growth evidence is required during once-a-cycle formal evaluation. The work of supervision was also attempted to be opened at international involvement by Sergiovanni and Starratt. In a school setting, the principal has the overall responsibility of supervision of the whole school. For this case, he supervises, teachers, students and all the other staff working in the school that include: librarian, gardeners, drivers, cleaners etc. The supervision role is not an easy task especially of teachers and for this case, the principal has to carry out the exercise with intelligent and diplomacy. The teachers of course knows their role and they would feel not motivate if they see they are being supervised like factory workers. This would in turn kill their morale at work and finally they would not deliver the required knowledge to the students and the end result would mean that the teaching objectives will not be achieved. The principal on the other hand has a responsibility of supervising the work of the students and together with their behaviors. Students tend to acquire deviant behaviors from other students like smoking and unless this behavior is corrected at an early stage, the student will not concentrate in his learning. In some situation, the supervision of students gets out of hand as they tend to have acquired more serious behaviors such as carrying of weapons and may be killing of their fellow students. For this case, this becomes criminal offence and is not likely to be handled the principal. Principal should be very strict when it comes to discipline for the sake of ensuring that education objectives are achieved. Since the students are in a crucial stage of adolescent stage where influence of behavior is at high level hence their behaviors should supervised keenly. According to Glickman (1990), there are a number of supervisory approaches within clinical supervision structure. He developed a supervision model that provides theoretical framework that with four supervision approaches that would be found in supervision concept. These approaches are similar in the intended end goal but they differ differs slightly in the power and control that is accorded to the teacher. The four approaches are a follow: The first supervision approach is the nondirective supervision whereby the teacher has the freedom of formulating his own plan on the future development. In such a situation, the supervisor is there to give advice to the teacher when he comes up with his own ideas on the way forward. This kind of approach indeed motivates the teaching staff members as they feel they are in control with their undertakings. For this case it should be encourage at situations where the teachers are experienced in their work and they can work with little or no supervision. (Glickman, 1990) The other supervision approach is collaborative supervision. In this approach, the teacher and the supervisor do share idea before the supervisor makes decision on whatever decision he wants to make. This approach too is a good one also as the teachers feels motivated as they are consulted before any decision can be arrived at. For this case, the teachers contribute their ideas and the supervisor weighs various options before settling on the best idea that has been contributed by the teachers. By merely brainstorming of ideas, the approach is of much help for the sake of choosing the best approach to be used. For this case, this kind of approach should be encouraged at situation where teachers involved are experienced in their work. The third supervision approach is the directive informational approach. In this situation, the supervisor formulates the supervisor plan and it is the responsibility of the teacher to decide if he is going to follow the plan. In this kind of an approach, the teachers are not motivated with it as they feel they are not consulted before a decision is being made in their work. Although some of the approach since it consumes less time before it is formulated, majority of them especially the experienced ones feels that some ideas which are better are overlooked. In this kind of approach, the teachers are given an opportunity to follow or not to follow the approach directives. However, the approach is appropriate mostly to teacher who are not experienced or the novice teachers. Lastly is the directive control approach in which the teacher formulates the supervisory plan and expects are the teacher to follow it. For this case, the teachers have no alternative on whether to have another idea. They have to follow the supervisory plan that has been formulated by their supervisor. This approach however does not motivate the teachers as they are not given an opportunity to contribute their ideas toward formulation of a supervisory plan. For this case, they have to follow the directives as formulated by their supervisor. This approach is popular where the teachers being supervised are less experiences of novice. It is also very appropriate in situations whereby there is not time to gather in a meeting and brainstorm on the way forward as far as supervisory plan is concerned. Before the supervisor can know on which approach he should use, he should consider knowledge and experience of the teachers concerned before settling on the supervisory approach plan to use. The issue of responsibility and accountability should also be looked into in order to decide on the approach to use for the sake of at least motivate the teacher in their work. Motivation is the inner drive to do something, and unless the teachers have that inner drive to deliver knowledge to their students, teaching objectives might never be achieved Glickman (1990) asserts that collaborative approach is very popular among the teachers and they really enjoy their work if used. For this case, school principal should at least ensure they use this kind of an approach when they are formulating their supervisory plan to be applied in their school. There are three supervisor responsibilities that should be considered in the supervision process. They include: ? The Supervisor to carry our observations to both the teachers and students. ? The supervisor to give guidance and support to teachers and students. ? Lastly is for the supervisor to give feedback to the teachers. According to Knoll (1987), the information that a supervisor gather after carrying out a classroom observation is very important. He is able to have an access to a wide range of skills necessary for teaching which he can in turn share it with other teachers. The main aim of carrying out a classroom observation is to collect data that is necessary for carrying out an evaluative rating which is accurate. As far as supervision is concerned, guidance and support should be the main idea of supervision in the first place. Supervision is not done just to see whether teachers are following the curriculum or not and then note that one down, no. One should continuously offer guidance and support as he supervises. For this case, the supervisors are urged to make correction on the spot while carrying out their supervision roles in order for them to achieve their objectives. In order for teachers to improve on their areas of teaching, the supervisor must ensure that he gives feedback to them on the areas he has observed that would like to be improved. There would be no need of supervision if the teachers are not given the feedback as it is this feedback that they will know what areas they need to improve in while carrying out their duties. There is very big difference between evaluation and supervision though the two terms interrelates. Evaluation is the art of making judgment about the performance of a teacher. On the other hand, supervision is mere the art of ensuring that the teachers are following the laid down rules and regulation in their work. Evaluation comes after one has carried out an observation on the teachers. Appendix Literature Review Instructional supervision improves teaching performance if it is carried out in the manner that is desired by teacher. If the collaborative supervision approach is used according to Knoll (1987) is used, the teachers will be motivated in their work and the overall performance of the school will be felt. In his book – Supervision for better instruction: Practical techniques for improving staff performance, Knoll (1987) asserts that teachers are motivated in their work of teaching when collaborative supervisory plan approach is applied in their supervision. Pfeiffer and Dunlap (1982) in their book – Supervision of teachers: A guide to improving instruction asserts that teachers need to be motivated in their work for the sake of achieving their teaching objectives. Motivation can only be achieved if the supervisors uses collaborative supervisory plan in their work. On the other hand, Rettig (2000) in his journal – Leslie’s lament: How can I make teachers’ supervision meaningful? – asserts that unless guidance and support is given to teacher, there is no need of supervision in the first place. He further states that teachers should be given a feedback after they have been successfully evaluated by their supervisor in order for them to improve in their teaching. He concludes that teachers’ supervision will be meaningful after the guidance, support and feedback is given to teachers by their supervisors. References Bourisaw, D. M. (1988): Anticipatory set bias: Effects on teacher observation in Evaluation: Unpublished Doctoral Dissertation, Iowa State University, Ames Glickman, C. D. (1990): Supervision of instruction: A developmental approach, 2nd Edn: Boston, MA: Allyn & Bacon. Knoll, M. K. (1987): Supervision for better instruction: Practical techniques for Improving staff performance: Englewood Clif, NJ: Prentice Hall. Odell, S. J. (1986): Induction support of new teachers: A functional approach. Journal of Teacher Education, 37(1), 26-29 Pfeiffer, I. L. , & Dunlap, J. B. (1982): Supervision of teachers: A guide to improving instruction: Phoenix, AZ: Oryx Press. Rettig, P. R. (2000): Leslie’s lament: How can I make teachers’ supervision meaningful? Educational Horizons, 79(1), 33-37. Sergiovanni, T. J. (1982): â€Å"Toward a Theory of Supervisory Practice: Integrating the Scientific, Clinical, and Artistic Views. † In Supervision of Teaching, ed. Thomas J. Sergiovanni. Alexandria, VA: Association of Supervision and Curriculum Development Sergiovanni, T. J. and Starratt, R. J. (1998): Supervision: A Redefinition, 6th edition. New York: McGraw-Hill. Shantz, D. , & Ward, T. (2000): Feedback, conservation and power in the field experience of preservice teachers. Journal of Instructional Psychology, 27 (4), 288-294.

Gun Control Persuasive Essay

I. It’s late at night and you’re in bed. You hear a loud crashing noise coming from another room and it jolts you awake. You hear things being rustled and quiet whispers. You begin to panic and look around for something to protect yourself with. Nothing. Because you live in Ferguson and tried to purchase a gun to protect you from the coming storm of the Grand Jury decision that was to be released but found that the government banned the sale of guns a couple days before. II. [Ferguson Gun Shop video] III. OpinionGun Control is stripping away your right to protect yourself via the 2nd Amendment which states â€Å"a well-regulated militia being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.† I believe todays gun control laws are preventing us from doing so in a fashion that adequately protects us from today’s threats. There is a huge need for the public voice in this issue instead of it being left to our ineffective, corporation bought politicians. Read more: How does federalism protect against tyranny essay Body I. To better understand why the language of the 2nd amendment was used in such a way at to regarding arming individuals and maintaining militias, it’s necessary to understand the history of the people who wrote it. A foundation of political thought during the Revolutionary period was the well justified concern about political corruption and governmental tyranny. The right to bear arms was a potential check against tyranny. According to Sandra Alters in her book Gun Control: Restricting Rights or Protecting People, â€Å"without guns in the hands of the early patriots, the fledgling republic might have quickly turned tyrannical, disarmed the people at will.† II. [Ron Paul video] III. The argument made that gun control prevents violence is not a strong one. Guns don’t kill people: people kill people. Regulations controlling the sale of guns to a person do little to stop a criminal whose intent is to commit a crime. A gun doesn’t make a person kill someone committing a  robbery, their intent does. They could easily substitute the gun for a knife and have the same outcome. Mark Tushnet, a professor at Harvard Law School, is quoted in Sanford Levinson’s article noting, â€Å"that event like the recent mass murder at Virginia Tech would have immediately generated responses that 1. Effective gun control laws would have prevented the tragedy and 2. That if students or administrators been armed, instead of afflicted with a ‘gun free’ campus (save, of course, criminals), they could have effectively limited the carnage.† (Truth is whether gun control laws were effective here or not, a violent criminal act here was committed. Seems like gun control laws did not prevent it but rather impeded the possibility of the violence being stopped sooner. IV. We are given the right to bear arms so we should be able to adequately arm ourselves in a fashion that best protects us from today’s modern-day threats. There has already been an attack on U.S. soil lest we forget 9/11. The Boston Marathon bombing, the terrorists running through neighborhoods hiding in perhaps your backyard. The government officials who do not listen to the public voice, militarizing the police force, decides what we can or cannot own. We have seen a lot lately of police brutality, Ferguson MO, and here at home in Cleveland OH, L.A. riots over Rodney King. These examples of civil unrest and governmental backlash are unnerving to me and should be to you. With Uncle Sam flexing its political muscle in Ferguson to disarm the people, is that not a sign of governmental tyranny? De Facto Martial law? How do you protect yourself if in fact one day, and perhaps sooner than you think, there is a new Revolution we face. The government is failing to listen to the people, America is not popular in the world, and there is an underground movement already started against the government. Gun Control is the government’s way to hide the dissarment of the American people and cloak it in the name of violence prevention. Don’t believe that your government would ever turn on you? Neither did Japanese Americans the night after Pearl Harbor when they were rounded up and forced into governmental camps. Conclusion. I. I implore you to exercise your 2nd Amendment right and to support organizations like the NRA. Research the politicians you elect and see where they stand on this very important issue. Don’t be blinded by the rhetoric propaganda the government and media spews to the public sheep. One day your  life, liberties and freedom may very well rely on it, just like it did 300+ years ago. II. [Gun Control shortvid] Works Cited Alters, Sandra M. Gun Control: Restricting Rights or Protecting People? Detroit: Gale, 2007. Kentlink. Web. 15.Oct.2014. Wright, Stephen E. â€Å"Gun Control Laws Will Not Save Lives† Guns and Crime. Ed. Chrisitine Watkins. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2012. At Issue .Rpt. â€Å"Anti-Gun Group Common Sense Gun Laws and Real Common Sense.† StephenEWright.com. 2010. Opposing Viewpoints in Context. Web. 31.Oct.2014. Levinson, Sanford.†Guns and the Constitution: A Complex Relationship.†Reviews in American History. Volume 36.1(2008) Electronic Journal Center.Web.15.Oct.2014 Doeden, Matt. Gun Control: Preventing Violence or Crushing Constitutional Rights? Minneapolis, MN.: Twenty-First Century Books, 2012. OhioLinks. 15.Oct.2014

The Value of Academic Debate

The Value of Academic Debate Decision-making (i.e parliamentary, presidential, etc.) and competitive debate (i.e. academic) are two major types of debate. In the United States, the major forms of competitive debate in high school include Policy Debate, Lincoln-Douglas Debate, and Public Forum Debate. The outcome of Policy Debate according to literature is either a resolution of fact (ex. â€Å"Resolved: O.J. Simpson murdered his wife Nicole†), value (ex. â€Å"Resolved: Civil disobedience is justified in a democracy†), or policy (â€Å"Resolved: The United States should change its foreign policy toward China†) while the Lincoln-Douglas Debate yield resolution of value. The outcome of the Public Forum Debate, on the other hand, is mostly resolution of policy. High school competitive debates appear addressing social issues, reuniting its division, and establishing a moral order within the particular academic level. This type of debate is exclusive to high school and college and mainly participated by gifted adolescents engaging in brutal arguments, making claims, and depending conflicting ideas for social good. Moreover, competitive debate in this academic level is a reflection of American values, politics, and law. The long tradition of Academic Debate started in about 481 to 411 B.C. and persisted in American schools as an educational method in college and characterized by the debate tournament. A form of informal debate, academic debate merely allows students to systematically express their opinion and support their arguments with facts or evidence. They are designed to facilitate the development of advanced  speaking skills, improve critical thinking, and increase students’ confidence about participating in academic community discussions and dialogue. Get more information here: Unacceptable Words in Academic World The Importance of the Transitional Words and Phrases Service-Profit Value Chain Learning Moral Values in College Movies Human Dignity: How Is It Valued? The Value of Academic Debate Academic debate is simply defined as a debate conducted under the auspices of an educational institution aimed at providing educational opportunities for its students. The purpose of an academic debate is to allow evenly matched opponents to present balanced arguments and evidence about critical issues. Some of the benefits students gained from their debate experience include awareness and knowledge of social issues,  development of critical thinking and communication ability, appreciation of change, and respect for academic research. The philosophy of college debate, for example, is â€Å" to learn not to win† because the most important thing is to be able to present both sides of the issue and make a critical decision on matters concerning public interest. The debate in a college environment provides students opportunities to apply their knowledge of debate principles, develop proper attitudes and skills, and experience almost real-life debates. More importantly, debating is to keep political and public issues alive in the hearts and minds of the academic community. The value of academic debate for some critics is limited to discussing social issues and developing students’ attitudes and abilities. Others see it as a structured academic game with self-actualization and enjoyment as goals. In practice, however, academic debate influenced some of the most critical issues in society. For example, the goals and rationales of criminal punishment according to literature were not the only outcome of evolving criminal procedures and customs but painstaking academic debate. Another is a  strong influence of academic debate on public attitude and government policy towards the harmful effect of some media content such portrayal of sex and violence, food consumption and eating disorders, and direct behavioral effect of television advertising on children.

How to Make Copper Sulfate

How to Make Copper Sulfate Copper sulfate crystals are among the most beautiful crystals you can grow, but you might not have access to a chemistry lab or want to order the copper sulfate from a chemical supply company. Thats okay because you can make copper sulfate yourself using readily-available materials. Materials for Making Copper Sulfate There are a few different ways you can make copper sulfate yourself. This method relies on a little electrochemistry to get the job done. You will need: copper wire- which is high purity coppersulfuric acid- H2SO4- battery acidwater6-volt battery Make Copper Sulfate Fill a jar or beaker with 5 ml concentrated sulfuric acid and 30 ml of water. If your sulfuric acid solution is already diluted, add less water.Set two copper wires into the solution so that they are not touching each other.Connect the wires to a 6-volt battery.The solution will turn blue as copper sulfate is produced. When you run electricity through copper electrodes which are separated from each other in a dilute sulfuric acid bath the negative electrode will evolve bubbles of hydrogen gas while the positive electrode will be dissolved into the sulfuric acid and oxidized by the current. Some of the copper from the positive electrode will make its way to the anode where it will be reduced. This cuts into your copper sulfate yield, but you can minimize the loss by taking some care with your set-up. Coil the wire for the positive electrode and set it at the bottom of your beaker or jar. Slip a piece of plastic tubing (e.g., a small length of aquarium hose) over the wire where it extends up from the coil to keep it from reacting with the solution near the anode. (If you had to strip your wire, leave the insulating coating on the part that runs down into the liquid). Suspend the negative copper electrode (anode) over the cathode coil, leaving a good amount of space. When you connect the battery, you should get bubbles from the anode, but not the cathode. If you get bubbling at both electrodes, try increasing the distance between the electrodes. Most of the copper sulfate will be at the bottom of the container, separated from the anode. Collect Your Copper Sulfate You can boil the copper sulfate solution to recover your copper sulfate. Because the solution contains sulfuric acid, you wont be able to boil the liquid off completely (and you need to take care not to touch the liquid, which will become concentrated acid). The copper sulfate will precipitate out as a blue powder. Pour off the sulfuric acid and reuse it to make more copper sulfate! If you would prefer to have copper sulfate crystals, you can grow them directly from the blue solution that you prepared. Just allow the solution to evaporate. Again, use care in recovering your crystals because the solution is very acidic.

AquaBlu - The premier online swimwear company Dissertation

AquaBlu - The premier online swimwear company - Dissertation Example ....................... 1.4 Consumers most likely to utilise AquaBlu.................................................. 1.5 Structure of AquaBlu................................................................................... 1.6 Location of AquaBlu.................................................................................... 2.0 Business environment analysis................................................................................. 2.1 Analysis of the macro environment.............................................................. 2.2 Analysis of the micro environment............................................................... 2.2.1 Size of industry and market size..................................................... 2.2.2 Important industry trends............................................................... 2.2.3 Competitive environment................................................................ 2.3 Competitor analysis........................................... ............................................. 2.3.1 Perry Ellis International................................................................... 2.3.2 Seafolly............................................................................................ 2.3.3 Jantzen Inc....................................................................................... 2.3.4 Quiksilver......................................................................................... ... ........................................................ 4.0 Strategic analysis of the internal environment............................................................. 5.0 Evaluation of the strategic fit....................................................................................... 6.0 Marketing plan.............................................................................................................. 6.1 Marketing objectives......................................................................................... 6.2 Segmentation..................................................................................................... 6.3 Targeting............................................................................................................ 6.4 Positioning.......................................................................................................... 6.5 Brand Identity................................................................................... .................. 6.6 Brand DNA Pyramid.......................................................................................... 6.7 Marketing mix..................................................................................................... 6.7.1 Product................................................................................................. 6.7.2 Price...................................................................................................... 6.7.3 Place...................................................................................................... 6.7.4 Promotion.............................................................................................. 7.0 Operational

Buying gold during a rescission its a good idea Research Paper

Buying gold during a rescission its a good idea - Research Paper Example At the same time gold prices are raising sharply and many of the current investors believe that investments on gold may bring better returns to them in future. This paper argues in favor of buying gold as the safe investment option during a recession period â€Å"When you see the Fed start buying their own treasuries from China and Japan, hyperinflation and default will be just around the corner. Gold and Silver provide the peace of mind one will need whenever that day arrives† (Eberhardt, p.26). Even though the prices of gold and silver experienced certain ups and downs in the past, no major collapse of gold prices has been reported yet. Most of the emerging countries like China and India are purchasing more gold and keeping a good gold stock. When we compare the current stock market conditions and the conditions of the banking industry against the current gold industry trends, investments in gold seems to be the right option. â€Å"When it came to the extreme stock market c onditions, people ran to the safe haven of gold† (Eberhardt, p.146). In order to learn more about the potentials of gold as a safe investment option, it is necessary to identify the differences between money and currency. Many people are of the view that both money and currency are the same things. This is an illusion. â€Å"A currency does not store value in and of itself.