Nationalism Essay free essay sample

Alex Cheveldave â€Å"But I find that the opportunity has most likely arrived for us to acknowledge what we share for all intents and purpose. Since living respectively and being a piece of a nation, being a piece of a country, implies having the option to extend ourselves and identify with regular qualities, to specific standards, to our organizations too. †  â â â Governor General Michaelle Jean To what degree have verifiable and contemporary instances of patriotism in Canada indicated a similar point of view as the source above? The source is a statement from Governor General, Michaelle Jean on how a nation can be connected. As we begin to discover shared belief with one another, we will develop as a country. She expresses that â€Å"living together and being a piece of a nation, being a piece of a country implies having the option to extend ourselves and identify with basic qualities, to specific standards, to our establishments moreover. †  In less complex words Michaelle Jean is stating that after some time the nation of Canada has came to be a country by anticipating ourselves as one and relating through interests and occasions both verifiably and contemporary. We will compose a custom exposition test on Patriotism Essay or then again any comparable theme explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page By the basic qualities being apparent in Canada it causes us to participate in occasions that will shape the country. Numerous acclaimed occasions can assist with supporting the interests and points of view of Michaelle Jean. The most ideal approach to find out about and help to frame any country, is to discover basic qualities to make a progressively conspicuous relationship. This is a decent method to figure out how individuals in Canada live also. Canadian history gives an investigate how the country got solid and perceived. Each general public has values, which make it exceptional and are critical to its individuals. It is difficult to give a straightforward depiction of Canadian culture and Canadian qualities. Vimy Ridge, 1917, demonstrated Canada to be a solid part in WWI. The Battle of Vimy Ridge set the Canadian Military up for life as a perceptible and amazing foundation. An establishment is any structure or instrument of social request and participation administering the conduct of a lot of people inside a given network. Canada being united through comparable qualities assisted with making an organization of Canadian Military. The Canadian Troops took Vimy Ridge April twelfth, 1917. They pushed forward as a gathering with the guideline to effectively finish their assignment. Coming into the fight Canada was viewed as a frail point. A gathering of a beneath normal. The Battle of Vimy Ridge started at day break on Easter Monday, April 9, 1917, when every one of the four divisions of the Canadian Corps assaulted Vimy Ridge over the Douai Plain in France. The Canadian Military foundation seen vimy edge as a shared objective, it was something that everybody in the country needed. It was a fight that would assist with completing WWI. As a canadian organization it was important to take Vimy Ridge. It spoke to Canada as an incredible war allie that before long prompted picking up partners. The Battle of Vimy Ridge was the greatest single Allied development on the Western front up to that point in WWI. A worth originates from inside. Qualities is utilized to figure out what sort of individual you are. The FLQ emergency was an ideal case of how the Canadian populace assembled with comparative qualities and confronted inconveniences from another gathering with various qualities. In October of 1970 there was a FLQ emergency likewise considered the October Crisis that was controlled by the FLQ. What is the FLQ and what does it rely on? The FLQ represents Front de Liberation du Quebec, is a gathering of individuals that were prepared in Cuba to be fear based oppressors on our home soil. Canada considered this to be of psychological militants as only a gathering with contradicting esteems, and objectives. Their objective was to attempt to constrain the legislature of Canada to let the region of Quebec make their very own administration. As Quebec attempted to do this the country of Canada met up making a fraternity to shutdown the endeavors of Quebec. By having across the nation normal qualities, the gathering of fear mongers prepared by Cuba were quickly driven away do to the distinction in suppositions. During the October Crisis the War Measures Act was presented for self-preservation in light of the fact that the FLQ bunch was getting so insane. The endeavor of Quebec attempting to disband as a territory of Canada, assisted with making its freedom. Canada turned into a country of basic qualities. The source that was given by Michaelle Jean, expressing her assessment on the connection between Canadians. That being stated, she isn't recommending that all Canadians get along and collaborate together. It is the intricacies of qualities and the significance of explicit convictions between the bigger gatherings inside Canada. From the earliest starting point sentence of the source Michaelle Jean accepts â€Å"that the opportunity has most likely arrived for us to acknowledge what we have in common† giving the genuinely evident viewpoint that the individuals of Canada need to additionally interface in a positive way. Patriotism!!

A Synopsis of the Movie Fight Club Essay

The film starts as Jack, the hero, is caught in a condition of a sleeping disorder by his position at ascertaining the expense of reviewing a flawed vehicle rather than paying court settlements to the family members of the individuals executed by that vehicle. He at that point suggests the one that appears to be more affordable. While he attempts to contend with a specialist about how he can begin dozing, the specialist happens to offer a wry comment about how in the event that he needs to see genuine torment he ought to go to a care group for men with testicular malignancy. Jack takes this comment actually. It is there that he meets Bob, whom I will depict in no time. Anyplace, he starts to discover the care groups addictive, and goes to increasingly more of them, and finds that they permit him to rest. Not long after in the film we discover Jack meeting Tyler Durden on a plane outing, and when his condo later detonates Jack meets Tyler Durden in a bar. Having consented to let Jack remain at his home, Tyler requests that Jack punch him. He discloses to Jack this will cause him to feel that his life was without a doubt energizing, and Jack obliges. They start to battle, and others start to remain around, needing to join also. They assemble, fighting among themselves that society was attempting to transform them into weak and uniform machines and keeping them from feeling like genuine individuals, continually revealing to them that they have to purchase a wide range of stuff that they just need in light of the fact that the commercials said they did. Truly soon there are week after week social affairs of these men, sitting tight for an opportunity to battle each other, and afterward they move into the storm cellar of a nearby bar. An ever increasing number of men start to go to Fight Club with the express understanding that they would not make reference to it, and bits of gossip start to course of Clubs in different urban areas. Continuously Durden starts to make the Club progressively included, giving out â€Å"homework assignments†, for example, to stir up some dust with an outsider and lose. In this way Jack ends up looking as Durden establishments Project Mayhem, an outward endeavor at changing society dependent on broad assaults on espresso establishments and corporate fine art. At last Durden plots to explode ten significant Mastercard organizations, with the plan that to eradicate everyone’s obligation would make turmoil, and permit society to re-sort out itself from that mayhem. Numerous pundits of the film discovered it to depict withdrawn practices as a legitimate method of communicating. (Especially if just the start and center of this film are seen.) They contend that its brutality is there simply to draw a group of people. This is bolstered by various occasions of youngsters and young men vandalizing vehicles as was done in the film or shaping clubs of their own. Along these lines many state that the film prevails with regards to approving what the completion denounces. They state that it advances brutality by causing it to appear to be so alluring in garbage of the film, paying little mind to the end. In light of this contention, we will continue with our examination of the film itself. One of the chief subjects in Fight Club is its treatment of brutality and its relationship with manliness. The men in the film are depicted as defying a general public which gives them small significance and will not give them what they feel to be an inheritance, an important, beneficial spot in the public eye. Tyler Durden, the pioneer of Fight Club and the sign of the irate, estranged, and purposeless inclination, expresses this, â€Å"We’re the center offspring of history, with no unique reason or spot. We don’t have an extraordinary war in our age, or an incredible misery. The extraordinary sorrow is our lives. The incredible war is an otherworldly war. We have been raised by TV to accept that we’ll be tycoons and film divine beings and rock starsâ€but we won’t And we’re discovering that reality. What's more, we’re incredibly, pissed off.† The men in this film, having their customary manly job of provider apparently denied by women's liberation and left with useless corporate occupations make up for this loss of manliness and control by re-avowing their manliness for themselves through the main manly conduct they despite everything can do: battling. As indicated by Jackson Katz: One way that the framework permits common laborers men (of different races) the open door for what Brod alludes to as â€Å"masculine character validation† is using their body as an instrument of intensity, predominance, and control. For common laborers guys, who have less access to progressively digest types of manliness approving force (monetary force, working environment authority), the physical body and its potential for viciousness give a solid methods for accomplishing and declaring â€Å"manhood†. Weave likewise fits this depiction of battling as remuneration for that feeling of loss of motion keeping men from being either a significant piece of society or having the option to transform it with the goal that one can be. Through a blend of the treatment for testicular malignant growth and of expanded estrogen because of his steroid use while a muscle head which Bob was left with curiously huge bosoms and left him with almost no observation or himself as manly or significant to anybody. Nonetheless, Bob later shows up in the film as an individual from Fight Club, where he finds that by and by he can act â€Å"like a man† and feel as though his manliness is approved. Jack discovers Durdenâ€℠¢s attestations that the men in their age have no other method to communicate their independence or to liberate themselves from realism than to battle one another, and to utilize their battling as a technique for filling the void left by the expulsion of commendable jobs for men in the public eye. In the start of the film Jack is utilizing mail-request lists, getting so fixated on purchasing whatever he sees promoted in them that his requests become a conclusion to themselves. I would flip and miracle, â€Å"What sort of lounge area set ‘defines’ me as a person?† He turned out to be so fixated on acquiring what he found in the lists that he topped off his loft with furniture and a wide range of other stuff he didn’t need. This appears to be additionally to address the expanding declaration by commercials that you can be characterized and given a spirit by getting items. Durden additionally talked about this kind of cycle: â€Å"Look at the folks in battle club. The most grounded and sharpest men who have ever lived †and they’re siphoning gas and tending to tables; or they’re slaves with white collars. Publicizing makes them pursue vehicles and garments. An entire age working in employments they loathe, to make sure they can purcha se crap they don’t truly need.† He was insinuating the shackles that a culture dependent on obtaining has on its individuals, and welcoming these individuals (in particular men) to lose the shackles and demonstrate that they didn’t need a superior lounge area set to characterize them. All they required, he guaranteed them, was to battle, and would show their mankind and manliness through that. During another of his objections about the male relationship with society, Durden once happened upon a creator dress bulletin highlighting a solid man in pants and no shirt, and scrutinized it much like different pundits of promotions which utilize unreasonable shows of ladylike magnificence to sell items asked, â€Å"Is this what a genuine man looks like?† After covering it with blood, he broadcasts, â€Å"Guys pressing into the rec centers, all attempting to look like what Calvin Klein says. Quarrel club isn’t over looking good.† Susan Faludi, creator of Stiffed: the Betrayal of the American Man† calls this kind of â€Å"ornamental masculinity† a main consideration in the â€Å"Angry White Male† attitude: The more I consider what men have lostâ€a helpful job in open life, a method of gaining a nice living, conscious treatment in the cultureâ€the more I can't help suspecting that men are falling into a status strangely like that of ladies at midcentury. The ’50s housewife, deprived of her associations with a more extensive world and welcome to fill the void with shopping and the elaborate presentation of her ultrafeminity, could be said to have transformed into the ’90s man, deprived of his associations and welcome to fill the void with utilization and a rec center reproduced show of his ultramasculinity. The unfilled remunerations of a â€Å"feminine mystique† and changing into the vacant pay of a manly persona. Douglas Rushkoff gives his record of the change from a straight and nonstop world to one that was non-direct and spasmodic. Prior to this switch, white collar class men were viewed as significant and altruistic position figures who were a mainstay of society and who consistently prevailing with regards to bringing home nourishment for the table since his work paid moderately well. The general public felt that there was esteem likewise in securing whatever number new and innovatively propelled assets as could be expected under the circumstances, which took into consideration the men to guarantee that their spouses would think that its agreeable to use the entirety of their vitality at home, cooking and vacuuming and purchasing better things for cooking and vacuuming. Along these lines men were given the extraordinary lion's share of political force and regard. Be that a s it may, the attention to the debasement in politicians’ lives from Watergate, the national disarray after a nation had the option to watch Kennedy killed on TV, and potentially the most enduring of all, the first occasion when that conventional residents had the option to see battle in Vietnam on the evening news, making a significantly more dubious point of view toward the legislature and military, made society become irregular. The previous male superficial point of interest was obliged progression, supplanted by sex balance which kept men from utilizing the female persona to further their potential benefit, making them less inclined to have a needy spouse and family. They came up short on that importance which they had when they were accommodating their posterity and mate, to place it in an organic idea, so their inspiration to work was to a great extent gone, with commercialization alone unfit to fill the void. Their capacity h

How to Boost Your Intelligence with Intelligence Games

How to Boost Your Intelligence with Intelligence Games Intelligence, they say, is something that all humans are born with. However, there are very persuasive arguments against the claim that all humans are born equal in terms of intelligence. If that were the case, then we’d likely see everyone sharing the same IQ, or intelligence quotient, level.There are several elements or factors identified that explain the differences in people’s intelligence levels. Some point out genetics, where the offspring of two individuals with superior or above average intelligence is most likely to have the same, or even more superior, level of intelligence than that of his parents. There are schools of thought that say it is also influenced by the type of learning and development that we go through. Perhaps one of the most persuasive arguments that back up the claim about people having varying levels of intelligence has something to do with intelligence being shaped greatly by genetics and the environment. This is the concept of “nature and nurture”.NURTURING INTELLIGENCEBy definition, intelligence refers to one’s capacity for learning, reasoning, understanding, and other similar forms of mental activity. It describes your ability to learn, understand, and process information, and even how you deal with new and even unfamiliar situations.Some might say that intelligence also pertains on how you acquire knowledge but, in essence, how you apply that knowledge you have acquired is actually the part that fits the definition of intelligence.Ask psychologists what intelligence is, and they’d probably launch into a long and seemingly complex discussion about your general cognitive problem-solving skills, followed by an even lengthier discussion on the several types or component s of human intelligence. But that topic is for another day. For now, our focus is on intelligence as a human cognitive potential, and how it can be boosted or maximized.We mentioned about intelligence being based on both nature AND nurture. The “nature” aspect holds that intelligence has a hereditary angle to it. Yes, it is inherited, and it is present in the natural genetic make-up of our bodies from the time we were conceived. However, the moment we are born, we start to interact with the outside world, and the numerous external factors on it. This is where the “nurture” part comes in.Nurture takes into account how environmental influences â€" whether biological or socio-cultural â€" can shape and mold intelligence. Our intelligence levels are affected by our exposure to other people, to various circumstances, access to and availability of various resources and opportunities, and every single effort we consciously put into harnessing our intelligence.What does this mean? B asically it is telling us that, even if you were born way “behind” other people in terms of your inherent intelligence, you can definitely “catch up” and probably even surpass them through nurturing your intelligence. We may not have been born equally intelligent, but we can do something to actually make it so.Now, how can we “nurture” intelligence? You can probably come up with a long list of the things that you can do in order to maximize your cognitive potential and boost your intelligence. Go to school. Challenge yourself with new learning experiences. Constantly seeking knowledge.But did you know that playing games has also been touted as one of the ways that can help boost your intelligence?Yes, you read that right. Playing games can help you become more intelligent. But here’s the catch: to get the best results out of “playing”, you have to choose the games that you play. For your aim, which is to increase your intelligence level, we suggest you focus on pla ying intelligence games.WHAT ARE INTELLIGENCE GAMES?Brain teasers. Puzzles. Riddles. Logic quizzes and exercises.You’ve probably heard of some, or all, of these before. You’ve probably even played them at least once in your life. You may not know it, but you may even play them on a regular basis.These, my friends, are just some of the known forms or types of intelligence games. In fact, it is even safe to say that intelligence games include problem-solving exercises ‘in disguise’, meaning they are brain and mental exercises designed in the guise of entertaining you and letting you have fun in the process. Pretty smart, eh?Playing intelligence games is seen as one of the more creative ways of boosting your cognitive potential. If you play them often (and properly, too) enough, you’d be able to enhance your intelligence levels.To put it simply, intelligence games are those games that “exercise the brain” and, through that “exercise”, improve your intelligence.You’v e heard of strategy games instrumental in improving one’s strategic thinking. It is that same principle that applies when it comes to intelligence games. The big question is this: how do these intelligence games work in giving your intelligence a boost?INTELLIGENCE GAMES AND YOUR IQSo we have established that there is a connection between playing games and your intelligence. What connection is that? How, exactly, can games help boost your intelligence?Before we dive straight into that, it is important to recognize the distinction between crystallized intelligence and fluid intelligence, the two types of intelligence identified by psychologist Raymond Cattell.Fluid intelligence is the ability to solve new problems and deal with new situations through the use of logic. Your ability to identify patterns and establish trends falls under this category. Cattell calls this your street smarts, so if you are someone who can navigate well using a map, or can easily familiarize yourself with a subway or transport system after just one or two uses, then you have high fluid intelligence.Crystallized intelligence, on the other hand, is your ability to use the knowledge you have learned and the experiences you have gone through. This usually takes a length of time: you acquire knowledge, and with continuous application, you become adept or good at it, until it stabilizes or “crystallizes”. The knowledge you learned in school, and its application outside of school and later on in life, is a good example of crystallized intelligence.Playing intelligence games helps in boosting both types of intelligence. They help boost your problem-solving abilities (fluid) as well as how you learn and improve along the way (crystallized).Quizzes are undoubtedly the most straightforward form of brain games. Questions are asked, and you’d have to answer them correctly. But there are other forms or types of intelligence games that you can give a try.Puzzles and RiddlesPuzzles and riddle s are mostly logic-driven, meaning you have to draw on your logical well in order to solve them. Mazes, for example, may seem too elementary, but they can actually provide quite the exercise for the brain.Riddles and trick questions also encourage you to think deeper and also strategize. Crossword puzzles and Sudoku are good examples of puzzles.Memory GamesA huge part of your brain power has something to do with your memory, and there are a lot of intelligence games developed around this concept.For example, you must have played matching games before. You’ll look at several pairs of images arranged randomly, and you’ll have to use your memory to match the images with their correct pairs.There are also those types of games where the player will get one chance to take a look at several items, images, or shapes for a limited amount of time. When time’s up, the images are hidden, and the player will recall where they were located. Or the player will be asked to arrange the images in correct sequence based on his memory alone.In a study where University of Michigan’s Dr. Susanne Jaggi Dual N-Back to boost memory power, it was revealed that players who regularly played the game for at least 25 minutes every day saw a 4-point increase in their IQ score.Word GamesDid you notice how some people are more gifted when it comes to word knowledge and vocabulary? It’s not just because they are read a lot, because it is also possible that they get to expand their word arsenal and vocabulary through playing word games. You’ll be surprised at the number of new words you will encounter for the first time if you are playing a word game.Perhaps the most popular word game that is known to improve brain power is Scrabble. Other familiar games in this grouping include Word Search, Vocabulary games also fall under this category, and the prime example is the crossword puzzle.Video GamesSurprised to see this category among this list of types of intelligence games? Don’t be . Despite many arguments on the contrary, playing video games can actually be educational for kids and adults alike. Video games do have cognitive benefits, improving an individual’s basic mental abilities, such as concentration, perception, memory, and problem-solving.Video games are likely to be included under the intelligence games category if their gameplays are designed to solicit keen attention from the players, and require them to employ strategy and quick-thinking.HOW INTELLIGENCE GAMES CAN BOOST YOUR IQThe benefits of playing intelligence games, as enumerated and discussed below, will contribute in the development and enhancement of your cognitive abilities and skills. Let’s get into the “how” of it.1. Enhanced Visual AwarenessObservation is, arguably, one of the first ways for a person to acquire information and knowledge. Playing intelligence games â€" or games, in general â€" boosts one’s power of observation and, in the process, improves his visual awareness.V isual acuity is vastly improved, so he is likely to be able to notice even the smallest detail. This improved vision will come in handy when it comes to even the most basic thinking processes.In the research conducted by Eichenbaum, Bavelier and Green making use of action video games, the first cognitive benefit is the improvement in an individual’s basic visual processes, specifically contrast sensitivity, or the ability to distinguish even the most subtle differences in shades of the color gray.2. Enhanced Levels of AttentionIn the case of action video games that require vigilance of players and often necessitate split-second decisions to be made, one of the biggest benefits is enhanced spatial attention.Even in the midst of a chaotic scene in a video game, you will be able to locate your target and keep track of it if it is in motion. You can train yourself to be more focused by playing an intelligence game that specifically aims at improving focus.There was even a study where children with dyslexia showed vast improvement when they were made to play video games for at least 12 hours. This was credited to how the game commanded the visual attention of the subjects.3. Enhanced Control and FlexibilityBeing impulsive, especially in making decisions, is hardly what anyone would call an “intelligent” move. For example, playing video games will make you more visually adept, but you will also be more rational when deciding how to respond to the visual stimulus. Impulsiveness is reduced, and this will facilitate better decision-making.Multi-tasking is another skill trained by intelligence games. This is most clearly demonstrated in the case of video games, where your attention is divided among controlling a joystick or a console, the action happening on the screen, and the commands that must be executed. The ability to multi-task is primarily spurred by the development of long-term focus, thanks to intelligence games.If you are in control, you also become mor e flexible. Mental flexibility is enhanced, so you are able to switch between and among conflicting and demanding tasks.4. Improved MemoryMemory games are excellent for training â€" what else? â€" memory. Granted, it is mostly the short-term memory that is trained in matching games, for example, but in the long run this makes your memory sharper and definitely more receptive to further training.Thanks to memory games, you’ll be more able to retain more information in a short period of time.5. Enhanced Analytical SkillsIt’s a no-brainer, really. If you have enhanced focus and concentration, and your memory is sharp so you can be more efficient when you multi-task, then you’re in the best position to perform analysis and other thinking processes.Decision-making also becomes faster, since you are able to process information faster, and you can use logic and reasoning more effectively.6. Enhanced General KnowledgePuzzles, quizzes and riddles can be founts of new and general inform ation, which you can tuck away for future reference. Aside from that, puzzles are excellent ways to boost your vocabulary as well as improving your spelling and logic skills.Take crossword puzzles and codewords, for example. These intelligence games are a source of various bits of information, and can add to what you already know.TIPS ON MAXIMIZING THE BENEFITS OF INTELLIGENCE GAMESNow you might be thinking along these lines: “I just spent the past several days playing every intelligence game I could find. That should be enough to give me a higher IQ on my next IQ test”. Or “I should just forget about reading my lessons or going to the library to the study, since I can raise my intelligence just be playing intelligence games”.Well, there’s playing, and there is playing. Yes, it is also highly possible to play all intelligence games known to man and still find yourself dissatisfied with your level of cognitive potential the next time you tried to measure your intelligence. There is no 100% guarantee that solely playing intelligence games will boost your IQ or, even if it did raise it, there is no absolute certainty that that high level will be sustained.It still needs a lot of work and effort. Here, let’s go over some tips that will allow you to maximize the intelligence-boosting of these types of games.Train your brain often.Or, at least, as regularly as you can, or as the circumstances allow. Practice, after all, makes perfect. Even the most skilled person can be rusty at something if he does not get to train or apply it on a regular basis.What does this mean? It simply means that you should play intelligence games as often as you can. Make it a point to exercise your brain with these games as a way of giving your intelligence a regular training or workout.If you have a busy schedule every day at work or at school, allotting several minutes during your break time, or after dinner, or before going to bed, will be a good start. Some may even choose to start their day with it. Sit down with a cup of coffee and the day’s paper, and try to answer the daily crossword.A game of Sudoku after lunch is also a good way to avoid the effects of post-lunch food coma and ward off sleepiness during siesta hours, as some Latin countries call it. Challenge yourself.Sometimes, complacency can be your downfall. You become too comfortable that you no longer feel inclined to put effort into something. So you scored really high on the latest IQ test you took; does that mean you’re going to be contented with that result? You already scored high, so there is no longer a point to learning or trying to boost your intelligence.Well, keep in mind that intelligence levels are not constant. Just as it can be improved, it can also deteriorate, especially if you leave your brain in a stagnant state. If you’re smart, you’d find ways to further challenge yourself. You won’t stop looking for tougher hurdles to cross. As a simple example, let us say t hat you have a big book of crossword puzzles. You went through all the EASY ones.The next logical step would be to work through all the puzzles rated with MEDIUM difficulty. Once you’re done, challenge yourself further by going for the HARD or DIFFICULT crossword puzzles.Go to the next level when you could. There will come a point where you’d master crossword puzzles. What should you do next? Find another game more challenging than crossword.Choose the games that you play.Sometimes, it’s not just about how you play; it’s also about what you play. There are intelligence games that are worth your while, while there are some that… well, aren’t.Depending on your level of intelligence, you might find some games to be boring or not challenging enough. That’s fine; it simply means you should look for more challenging ones.That’s why there is a need to be picky with how you choose the intelligence games that you will play.Seek novelty. There are games that have so many simil arities that they start to feel the same. This results to monotony, and you’ll be stuck with the same strategies and gameplay responses for every intelligence game you play. The great thing about the internet being there as a source of intelligence games is the wide variety on offer. Game developers seem to be creating new games every day, using various platforms, and this is definitely to the advantage of game lovers everywhere.Pay attention to the level of difficulty. Trust me, you will be bored if you are used to solving HARD crossword puzzles then you move on to solving the EASY level ones. Choose the intelligence games that will pose a challenge for you. The more challenging it is, the more motivated you will be in playing.Take advantage of technology. Again, this is related to the role the internet played with respect to how people now play games. Brain exercises and games can now be found on different platforms and compatible with various devices, allowing you more flexibil ity. You can even play these logic and intelligence games for free. That means you can play anywhere at any time, as long as you have the proper device and you also have connectivity.Socialize through the intelligence games.A huge contributing factor to one’s intelligence is interaction. Networking through intelligence games has its merits.Socializing through intelligence games offer the advantage of exposing you to interactive situations, where you are likely to be faced with the unfamiliar and the unexpected. It is during these situations where you will be able to acquire new knowledge, or apply the knowledge you already have.Again, the present generation ought to be really grateful, considering how social network platforms such as Facebook and Twitter now incorporate some of these games.Intelligence games are generally favored by parents who are looking for effective ways to teach their young children. However, intelligence can still be molded even if you’re already well into adulthood. Aren’t you glad that there are intelligence games for all ages?

An Introduction to Gambling

The United States Constitution And The Rights Of The...

The United States Constitution is a document that embodies the fundamental laws and principles by which the United States is governed, sets limits on what the government can and cannot do, as well as defines the natural rights, liberties, and freedoms of American citizens. It is arguably, the most important document ever crafted in American history and the one document that affects every single citizen within the United States every single day. It is thanks to this document that the United States citizens can enjoy the freedoms that they hold today, which are outlined in the bill of rights, as well as ensuring the citizens a fair form of government through a system of checks and balances, which guarantees that the government cannot bare qualities of tyranny, corruption, and ineptitude. For example, natural rights such as the freedom of speech, which is the first amendment in the bill of rights of the constitution, ensures that the citizens of a government have a voice in government p olicy and procedures by allowing them to participate in political discussion, to voice their opinions through debate, and to express their content or discontent with a government official or policy, as well as laying the foundation for all other freedoms and rights. The Constitution also prevents the government from becoming too powerful or tyrannical through the separation of powers, as well as places limitations on the powers of the government through provisions such as the EstablishmentShow MoreRelatedThe Rights Of The United States Constitution1481 Words   |  6 PagesCourt jurisprudence, the right to petition, along with the right to peaceable assembly have been almost completely collapsed into Freedom of Speech.† (www.heritage.com). The U.S. Constitution was written as a new set of rules for the nation in place of the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution consists of three parts known as the Preamble, the 7 articles, and the 27 amendments. Of these amendments, th e first ten are referred to as the Bill of Rights. â€Å"The Bill of Rights sets limitations on theRead MoreThe Rights Of The United States Constitution1288 Words   |  6 PagesThe United States Constitution was designed to enfranchise the white men who, in 1787, were the only citizens included in John Locke’s conception of the social contract (outlined in his Second Treatise of Government). At this time in history, women were not invited to be free and equal, in relation to their husbands and fathers or as citizens in the founding fathers’ new republic. Therefore, the Constitution never addresses abortion, contraception, or marriage. Arguments made in laws and court casesRead MoreThe Bill Of Rights Of The United States Constitution914 Words   |  4 Pagesis a bill of rights? What is an amendment? How are the different? A bill of rights is a formality such as the Declaration of Independence and it is the outline of what the citizens feel their born rights are as p eople of a union. An amendment is the changing or altering of a legal or civil document. Specifically amendments in the United States Constitution include the changing or detailing of what the people need. These two phrases differ in what their purposes are. The bill of rights was set as aRead MorePrivacy Rights And The United States Constitution3179 Words   |  13 Pages Privacy Rights and The United States Constitution POL303: The American Constitution Instructor: Samra Nasser April 12, 2015 The founding fathers of the United States of America fought hard to achieve an independent nation. An independent nation containing freedoms and rights for citizens that only the constitution can guarantee. One of the crucial rights guaranteed to U.S citizens today is the right to privacy, or the right to be left alone according to Brandeis and Warren. TheRead MoreThe Bill Of Rights Of The United States Constitution Essay1866 Words   |  8 PagesThe bill of rights is the ten amendments to the United States Constitution, approved on December 15, 1791, and written by James Madison as a response to calls from several States for greater constitutional protection for Individual freedoms, such as freedom of Speech. It creates many legal principles that have had a crucial effect on law and society. The bill of right was added to the Constitution of the United States to assurance the protection of the people from the government. It was served toRead MoreThe Bill Of Rights Of The Unite d States Constitution Essay1359 Words   |  6 PagesThe Bill of Rights contains the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. These first ten amendments were ratified on December 15, 1791. The Bill of Rights define and interpret constitutional rights and protections that are guaranteed under the US Constitution. The following text is a transcription of the first ten amendments to the Constitution in their original form. â€Å"Amendment I Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exerciseRead MoreThe Bill Of Rights Of The United States Constitution1501 Words   |  7 Pages Introduction. The Bill of Rights is a historical documents that has the first 10 amendments to the United States Constitution. The purpose of the Bill of Rights is for greater constitutional protection for our own individual liberties. It has a list of specific prohibitions on government power. There were only 12 amendments originally for the state legislatures and only picked 10 for all the states and those are known as the Bill of Rights, but there are 27 amendments in total. AmendmentsRead MoreThe Bill of Rights in the United States Constitution Essay753 Words   |  4 PagesThe Bill of Rights in the United States Constitution has ten amendments in the first part. The 2nd amendment in the Bill of Rights is The Right to Keep and Bear Arms. The 2nd amendment The Right to Keep and Bear Arms states that 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† (USConstitution). The 2nd second a mendment allows any United States citizen to own any type of arm. It allows you to be armedRead MoreMaking American Samoans Citizens : A Constitutional Right That Is Protected By The United States Constitution1572 Words   |  7 Pages Make American Samoans Citizens American citizenship is a constitutional right that is protected by the United States Constitution. Citizenship applies to people in all of the 50 states, along with the inhabited territories of the U.S., except for one. American Samoa, a small group of islands located in the Southern Hemisphere about 7,000 miles from Washington, does not allow locals to have U.S. citizenship automatically. This issue, which affects the 55,000 people who live on these islands, hasRead MoreU.S. Constitution vs. Jamaican Constitution1444 Words   |  6 Pagesconsideration, one would presume that the United States Constitution and the Constitution of Jamaica would not be similar at all. After all, the United States Constitution was ratified in 1787, whereas the Jamaican Constitution was not ratified until 1962, the year Jamaica gained its independence. At first glance, Jamaicas constitution appears to be most similar to that of England, because they both establish a parliament and share the same chi ef of state (Queen Elizabeth II). These similarities

Organisational Learning Free Essays

If there are images in this attachment, they will not be displayed. Download the original attachment 1. Introduction In order to survive in the rapid changing business environment the organisations need to acquire knowledge and innovate fast enough. We will write a custom essay sample on Organisational Learning or any similar topic only for you Order Now This dynamic, complex and globally competitive nature of the business requires learning organisations. CEO of British Petroleum Company John Browne (1995) says â€Å"Learning is at the heart of a company’s ability to adapt to rapidly changing environment. †(p. 148)   Many approaches are being articulated to build learning organisations. In this work, three articles which portray suggestions to build a learning organisation are being reviewed, critically analysed, and compared and contract. 2. The Literature Search Key words: Organisational learning, organisational developments, management learning, continuous learning. Sources: Harvard Business School Review, Emerald journals 3. Review of the articles Article 1: â€Å"Building A Learning Organisation† by David A Garvin In the article Garvin has mentioned about the three dilemmas which are essential for flourishing the execution of the transforming the organisations into learning organisation: Meaning, Management and Measuring. A new approach to learning organisation is being bought into the study. †A learning organisation is an organisation skilled at creating, acquiring, and transferring knowledge, and at modifying its behaviour to reflect new knowledge and insights† (p. 3) To build an organisation into a learning organisation Garvin recommends five building blocks: Solving problems systematically, Experimenting with new approaches to work, and Learning from past experience,  Learning from other companies and from customers, Transferring knowledge throughout organisation. Implementing these activities assists the organisations guarantee continues improvements. In the later part of the article the steps for    measuring the learning are described. The article advice   Half life curves, questionnaires and surveys on behavioural changes comprehensive learning audit to measure the learning instead of using traditional methods like learning and experience curves which focus only on , cost or price. The article put forward a slight shift in focus, away from continuous improvement and toward a commitment to learning. Article 2: â€Å"The Fifth Discipline† By Peter M Senge This article demonstrates how to create a background, where the employees are supported to learn collectively and individually. Senge says in order to withstand the competitors and to excel in the field or market, the organisations have to ensure two conditions: The capability to design the organisation to match with the desired result or outcome, ability to recognise any deviation from the desired outcome and to bring it back to the right track by undertaking the necessary initiatives and steps. He describes five disciplines which creates learning organisations The System thinking, Personal mastery, Mental models, Shared vision and Team learning. The System thinking is considered as the fifth discipline, Senge describes it as the ‘cornerstone’ which underlies other disciplines. The five disciplines have to be learned by the individuals in the organisation and put into the business activities. According to Senge organisations that are capable of learning from their experiences do better than those organisations that simply adopt to their environments. They take advantage of rapidly changing conditions. Their strategies are sufficiently open ended to allow for the unexpected so that their capabilities of organisational learning can deal with external rapidly changing situations Article3: â€Å"Building and sustaining a learning organisation† By Richard Teare and Richard Dealtry   This editorial document discuses how to build a learning background and the implication for Learning organisations. It depicts on the experience and observations of members the organisations which run learning programmes at their work places. It debates on four themes: Modelling the learning process in organisations, organisational readiness, Team working and learning and networked learning . These themes are related to the plan for organisational learning and organisational learning renewal. It claims that effective learning is depends on the environment for learning and the efforts of organisational leaders and managers in creating, nourishing and encouraging the suitable circumstances for learning to occur. 4. Critical Appraisal Article 1: The flow of text is easy to read and it is free from technical terminology. The examples quoted in this article come from both larger and smaller organisations. The examples are, interesting, and generously interspersed throughout the article. The article includes examples of both successful and failed attempts, gives an idea about how corrections can be made when an initial attempt does not work. Garvin has take on a structural approach. His hypothesis gives the guidelines for real time applications and it is loaded with operational advice rather than high objectives. However, structural improvements are only as good as the enthusiasm for learning, so there are limitations to this theory as well. Article2: It is very important that an ensemble could be developed from the five disciplines proposed by Senge . However it is a challenge because it is much difficult to incorporate new tools than simply apply them separately. However the payoffs are gigantic. Senge fails to claim any theoretical or empirical evidence to support his claims. This article is better at perceptions than at the provision of realistic steps for managers. The organisations which consider profit as the bottom line, an essential concern with the culture and development of employees and associates is too unrealistic. There is a question of about the applications of the systems theory. Though he establishes variety of broader appreciations and focus to his hypothesis, it is not fully set in a political or moral framework. Article3: It illustrates a systematic approach to learning organisations, starting from the organisational objectives, diagnosing the need and opportunities, learning organisations support and progress review. It takes the advantage views and experiences of the two real time organisations to portray the real time situations in building the organisation. It gives a brief review on the different concept and the realities about building a learning environment. It is well known that the concept of building learning organisation is been articulated by different scholars and has a disagreement. This article seeks support from various sources and scholars which is likely to have some contradicting arguments in the article. 5. Comparison of articles Article1 is the theoretical approach to build learning organisations and in article2 Garvin renovate this into reality. In article1 Garvin looks at managing behaviour and performance which is an external view while in article2 Senge looks at the mental models that determine behaviour which is an internal view. Article 1, 2 3 disagree about what conditions promote the creation of learning organisations. Each list different factors that represent or promote learning. However, they approach the learning organisations with a normative or prescriptive orientation. Providing an enhanced understanding is a key issue in learning organisations. Article1 claims mental model and system thinking will facilitate this enhanced understanding. In the case of article2, it is systematic problem solving, experimentation and learning from past experiences. Mental models, Team learning and system thinking disciplines are suggested by Senge(article2) in order to acquire knowledge . In view of Garvin(article1)   knowledge acquisition is   done through learning   from the others and learning from   the past experiences. In order to filter the acquired knowledge Garvin implements systematic problem solving and experiments, and Senge recommends inquiry and dialogue which are discussed in the discipline team learning. Neither article1 nor article2 explicitly mentioned the need to unfreeze organisation before substantial improvements can be achieved. Whereas article3 discuss unfreezing organisational way of thinking and avoiding decision making that is skewed to either extreme. Under some circumstance the Organisational standards have become as a predicament for the organisations which prefer innovation. Article3 uses the same concept to overcome this problem. Article2 says the leaders of a learning organisation â€Å"are designers, stewards, and teachers. They are responsible for building organisations where people continually expand their abilities to understand complexity, clarify vision, and improve shared mental models – that is, they are responsible for learning. † Article3 has the similar approach to leadership. It seen that article3 has followed some influences of Senge’s (article2) recommendations in the process of building a learning organisation. 6. Conclusion Learning organisations create a culture which sustain and encourage continuous learning by its employees. Vital thinking and acceptable risk taking new ideas. The concept of the learning organization has gained increasing attention in the management literature. For a quite long time the organisational theorists have studied about the subject under the discussion and their diversity views imply there is a considerable disagreement. In this work, such of three articles which portray suggestions to build a learning organisation are being reviewed, critically analysed, and compared and contract. To conclude, even though there are disagreement regarding the subject basic foundations such as knowledge acquisition, deeper understanding and improved performance are widely accepted by most of the scholars. . REFERENCE (1) Dealtry,R and Teare,R(1998) Building and sustaining a learning organisation, The Learning organisation 5(1) p 47-60 (2) Garvin,D. (1993). Building a learning organisation. Harvard Business Review (3) Senge,P. (1990) The Fifth Discipline :The art and practice of learning organisation United states,Currency. (4) Steven P. (1995) Unl eashing the power of learning: An interview with British Petroleum’s John Browne. Harvard Business Review, 75(5) p. 148 How to cite Organisational Learning, Papers

Two Novels about War free essay sample

This paper introduces and discusses the themes, characters, and moral dilemmas of two novels, Corellis Mandolin, by Louis de Bernieres, and If Not Now, When? by Primo Levi. This paper compares these two novels and how the main characters are fighting wars they do not truly believe in. The paper shows how the authors present two narratives in which the protagonists are engaged in warfare, but are basically opposed to war. In exploring how these two men reconcile their beliefs with their activities, as well as how they maintain their connection to life, these authors each makes a profound statement concerning how humanity can exist within the framework of war. Corellis Mandolin is a high-spirited roman that takes place on the Greek island of Cephallonia, with the majority of the action of the book occurring World War II. Captain Antonio Corelli commands an Italian garrison posted to the island. We will write a custom essay sample on Two Novels about War or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Corelli is a man of imagination, sensitivity, and above all, he loves to play his mandolin. Corelli is an unlikely soldier, as he cares more for appreciating lifes pleasures then about the Italian Fascist cult of death and hardness. For example, to one Nazi soldier greeting of Heil Hitler, Corelli responds Heil Puccini.

buy custom Factors that Influence Military Innovation essay

buy custom Factors that Influence Military Innovation essay Just within the scope of this particular research, the paper analyses factors other than technology that tend to impact on military innovation. The particular argument highlights various factors that are actually very important when it is a question of application of some given strategies to ensure innovation within the military force. Just to mention a few, there are the changes in a given military structure, competition among different nations and also consequences due to a war in a particular society, and this is with regard to the periods of 1st and 2nd world wars. The modern social scientists have ensured a number of that examine the exact origin of the so called disruptive innovations. However, when considering the literature as pertains to military innovations is quite vast, each and every models that is put into operation is normally taken from some two larger theoretical perspectives, the theory about balance of power and then the organizational theory. In an attempt to explore more about the military innovations, various schools may be discussed. The first that was represented by Barry Posen tries to comprehend innovation just as it is related to the key changes in the international balance of power and the existing competition between the nations. When considering this particular structural realistic perspective, Posen makes an attempt to pinpoint the most notorious external threat and civilian intervention as the most effective determinants that lead to innovation. In trying to shape up the argument that the existing competition between given nations normally has a greater explanatory power as compared to the organizational theory, Posen alleges that a states ability to innovate may be termed as its security information function. Considering that states behave rationally, in order to counter the ill-effects due to insecurity, they tend to either acquire allies or even the internal balance-by ensuring strengthened militaries. The times when the security threats go low, civilian leaders tend to be satisfied with the incremental improvement. However when the threats go high, so are the tied up incentives in way for achievement of disruptive innovation. Posen gives the Germanys Blitzkrieg developmnt during the 1930s as a good example. He suggested that civilian intervention leads to military innovation either directly or indirectly. This is through officers Posen refers to as mavericks. The mavericks normally produce civilians having the military expertise they do not have and at the same time having an insider who has the ability to steer the organization up to the given required innovation trajectory. Generally, predictions by the Posens model are that in order to ensure that there is motivation of the civilian leaders to get included either directly or indirectly using the military mavericks as the major proxies and hence force the military department to instantly change; nations must get subjected to competition between one another. Apparently when the security threats are relatively low, the civilian leaders tend to be satisfied with the incremental improvements. There was another school by Steve Rosen, which makes an attempt to comprehend innovation through the examination of variations within the military structure. Considering the organizational theory, Rosen alleges that military organizations are in a position to innovate on their own. He views the impetus for reformation as originating from within, owing to the variations within the military structure, besides positing that besides civilian intervention that is not required, also that is generally also counts. According to him, military organizations are normally stimulated by the particular variations noticeable within the environment. He however believes that the origin associated with innovation is when branches belonging to the same service vie to become their given services main security guarantor. Overlapping of their capabilities results to increased competition, and the most senior military leaders both tend to encourage cum moderating these evident internecine squabbles. It is worth noting that innovation takes its due course the moment emerging war fighting parties acquire moral and any other relevant form of support among the senior military leaders after which it is endorsed by the civilian leaders. Assertions by Rosen had it that innovations greatly require product champions-those of the senior officers who advocate constant innovative approaches to open promotion paths and welfare for other reformers. After a scrutiny of the US Navy and also the Marine Corps, Rosen asserts that mainstream senior officers in the military department mostly adopt a two-part strategy in order to ensure fostering innovation. The most prerequisite attempt is challenging of the old and crude methods of waging war and at least some other newer ways and concepts for their replacement, through the means of changing the structure with regard to the military. The other section focuses on political struggle management which is inherent in any step in the course of new concepts implementation. An implementation that can be termed as successful, Rosen posits, is prerequisite and it can be maintained through the creation of stable career paths and hence flag rank for the younger officers who prefer experimenting with the new concepts and development of not only innovative tactics but also techniques. Another proposition is that intervention from civilians can prove quite working when it is a question of promotion of innovation it at all it offers support to military leaders in their strategies to ensure new war fighting methods. Rosen differentiates this particular intervention from the civilian intervention model and the argument is that the newer concepts tend to come from within the military. Rosen also strongly disagrees with the allegations that the military mavericks are more suitable as advocates of transformation. Still it is quite important to note that special training; not just mere training of the officers could quite be effective in creating room for military innovation. Officers ought to acquire training that makes them able to deal with any given situation without specifications. It is evident of how some officers were unable to handle some situations in the course of their operation, finally exposing lack of the standard prowess in handling varied issues. This is do saddening as they ultimately lose trust even in the eyes of the public. Special training enables officers even to handle issues out of their line of operation but still they manage to work perfectly. Innovation will hence be evident in such cases(Adamsky, 2010). Buy custom Factors that Influence Military Innovation essay

Cultural Evolution Theory Definition

Cultural Evolution Theory Definition Cultural evolution as a theory in anthropology was developed in the 19th century, and it was an outgrowth of Darwinian evolution. Cultural evolution presumes that over time, cultural change such as the rise of social inequalities or emergence of agriculture occurs as a result of humans adapting to some noncultural stimulus, such as climate change or population growth. However, unlike Darwinian evolution, cultural evolution was considered directional, that is, as human populations transform themselves, their culture becomes progressively complex. The theory of cultural evolution was applied to archaeological studies by British archaeologists A.H.L. Fox Pitt-Rivers and V.G. Childe in the early 20th century. Americans were slow to follow until Leslie Whites study of cultural ecology in the 1950s and 1960s. Today, the theory of cultural evolution is an (often unstated) underpinning for other, more complex explanations for cultural change, and for the most part archaeologists believe that social changes are not only driven by biology or a strict adaptation to change, but by a complex web of social, environmental, and biological factors. Sources Bentley, R. Alexander, Carl Lipo, Herbert D.G. Maschner, and Ben Marler. 2008. Darwinian Archaeologies. Pp. 109-132 in , R.A. Bentley, H.D.G. Maschner, and C. Chippendale, eds. Altamira Press, Lanham, Maryland.Feinman, Gary. 2000. Cultural Evolutionary Approaches and Archaeology: Past, Present and Future. Pp. 1-12 in Cultural Evolution: Contemporary Viewpoints, G. Feinman and L. Manzanilla, eds. Kluwer/Academic Press, London.

Environmental Scanning Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 4

Environmental Scanning Assignment - Essay Example The problem affects the consumer since the consumer is no longer aware whether the apple products are original or copied from Samsung. Apple needs to have good expertise and prominent lawyers to defend this court case (Gershman, 2014 April 30). The ongoing case has had a bad image to the clients of the business. In order to maintain the customer loyalty there should be proper measures put in place. These measures may include a campaign to convince the customers that they have the unique products and that Samsung is guilty of coping their product. Samsung has sued apple for coping two of its rights and is seeking seven million dollars as compensation. Apple is seeking compensation of 2.2 million dollars compensation from Samsung for coping six of their rights (Gershman, 2014 April 30). In conclusion, this case does not have any benefits to the Apple Company. It has negative effects as the customers begin to doubt the credibility of the Apple products if by any chance they lose the case. The fall in profits is an indication of the negative impacts of the problem at hand. There is also the problem of embarrassment to the Apple Company when Samsung accuses them that they are not the

Novel Report on the game V Archery Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Novel Report on the game V Archery - Coursework Example To find the answer to this hypothetical question, the research has been done in a systematic process to find all the necessary data required to accept or reject the hypothesis. To do this, the research comes up with a points based location of the game target in which the various colors used in the target represent different accuracy levels of the game player, the archer. Highest scores are achieved when the archer aims at the middle of the target. The scores decrease as targets hit further from the middle of the target. The different colors used in the target represent different scores and an archer would want to aim the colors closest to the middle of the target possible to earn the highest points possible. The scores used include 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, and 10. The target is aimed using a track arrow, whose tip and direction is controlled by the player. Precision of the arrow is controlled by both TUI and effects of vibration (Hansard 1841). A player chooses the game using specified crit eria. The precision is influenced by a number of factors that include vibration, which increases precision according to the research results. Design Concept The design concept includes the research question, which brings out the hypothesis being proved or disapproved. The design concept also structures the tested idea of the game as well as the purpose of the experiment done on the game. The experiment was done to point out whether vibration effects increased the user precision through enhanced experience. Research question The research question extracts a general picture of the research including the objectives and hypothesis. The research question is used to guide the research through all steps in the experiment and report writing. The research question in this case is: Does the use of vibration improve the user experience and lead to better targeting? Research Objective The research objective is structured from the research question. The research objective provides guidance for w hatever has to be done. This includes the methodologies used, the data collected, and the techniques used in data analysis in order to obtain effective results. The objective of the research is: To find out whether the use of vibration improves the user experience and lead to better targeting Prototype The research uses a fixed process in order to obtain effective results about the relationship between vibration and improvement of vibration and the resulting effect on user experience and improved targeting. The prototype in this case is the V-archery game, which include the bows, the tracked arrows, the player (archers), the target, and location. The combination of all these components forms the v-archery game. The bows are used to exact pressure from where the track arrows are released to hit the game target (Klopsteg 1963). The player or archer achieves better target depending on his or her use of the bow and track arrows. The track arrow has a sharp tip used to hit the target but it is controlled by its tail. The precision of the arrow is mainly controlled by TUI and the vibration effect as the research finds out. The Prototyping Process The prototyping process includes the use of vibration within the game and the criteria used to choose the game. In the use of vibration in this game, a uniform vibration is first felt when the archer is aiming the game target. This

Protecting Your Clients: Financial Case Study

Protecting Your Clients: Financial Case Study A recent survey found 40% of adults in the UK, have less than  £500 in savings, and are reliant month to month from their employment.   (MAS).   With savings alone, a family may quickly face issues. In the event of death, severe illness or injury, the inability to meet basic household bills and liabilities such a mortgage, adds worry, anxiety and uncertainty into an already stressful time. There are products available which mitigate these risks, and they fall into three broad categories; Life Assurance, Critical Illness Cover, and Income Protection. This is not an exhaustive list; a wide range of specialist products are available depending on client needs. Whatever a familys financial aspirations, the loss of an income, may cause plans to fail, increasing costs at an inconvenient time, with childcare costs etc. The pyramid below demonstrates the importance of underpinning any financial plan with adequate protection, clearly this is a priority. Throughout this manual, we will explore the needs of a family (in blue); Andrew (27) Amy (24) have their dream home with their daughter, Celeste (4). They have no plans to move, and do not plan on having more children. Andrew is a self-employed sole-trader, an Electrician, with average net profits;  £34,000. During the week Andrew works long hours, but takes weekends off to look after Celeste. Andrews drawings are  £2,800. Amy is an assistant manager in a fashion retailer, she has recently returned to full time hours now that Celeste has started private school. Her salary is  £21,000 per annum. As she has been employed by the company for a number of years, she qualifies for 26 weeks full sick-pay and is enrolled in the group income protection policy which would pay 50% of her salary each month, after a 26-week deferral period. Amys net income is around  £1300. Celestes school fees  £4000 each term, this is likely to remain until 18. Amys store is in a shopping centre, with long opening hours shes able to work flexibly in order to look after Celeste in the evenings. Andrew drops Celeste off in the mornings to a breakfast club at school. They hope Celeste will go to university, where they expect to help with living costs, in line with their existing costs. Their  £130,000 mortgage has 14 years remaining, and costs them  £1100 monthly. They have been able to put some money aside each month and have built up some small savings for emergencies. They have no other debts, and have no existing protection barring Amys employment benefits. They save around  £200 each month, and the remainder of the budget is enjoyed through socialising, entertainment, eating out and treating Celeste. However, recently, Andrews stepfather, in his 50s, who also is an electrician had a heart attack, fortunately he survived, but struggles to do the work he was doing previously. Andrew is concerned at the difficulty his parents have faced in maintaining their lifestyle, and has come to us to discuss protecting his family. He is unsure of what might be right for him, but is happy to spend around  £100 each month, protecting his family. Savings:  £4,200Income:  £4,100 Outgoings:  £3300Disposable budget:  £800 Factors to Discuss and Consider There are a wide range of factors that will impact the necessity, level and term of cover, these include; Dependents This not only applies to the clients own children, but could apply to a spouse, elderly relative or grandchild. The number of dependents, and how long will their need last, i.e. until 18. And whether any expenses, beyond normal upkeep, such as school or university fees would increase needs. Remaining Income In a family where both halves work, the loss of a partner, or their income is likely impact the family income. Often one partner earns a higher salary, losing the breadwinners, income, strains finances. This is equally true if the other partners income was lost. In ensuring a family can maintain their lifestyle, after the loss of a partner or their income, it is important to consider what income is likely to remain, or be available to them afterwards. Benefits A number of state benefits are available to boost the remaining income, or help towards replacing a lost income- i.e. a critical illness prompting payment of personal independence payments or statutory sick pay. These wont replace an income, and critically, the payments, criteria and timescales are set by the government, and arent certain. Employer Benefits Many employers offer employees some protection as part of their employment. Some are dependent on the length of service, or seniority. Including; sick pay, paying full salary for a time, or death in service; usually paying a lump sum- usually a multiple of their salary. Much like government benefits, employer benefits are discretionary. It is also a consideration, that an employee changes employer, with differing benefits. Savings Savings, beyond an emergency fund, are likely to be towards a future need, such as retirement, care, or a large purchase. Currently, savings are unlikely to have any significant growth (Thisismoney.co.uk), if relied upon as income, the funds will exhaust eventually. It would be unwise to rely on savings beyond the short term. Savings can however, reduce the need for an income if they can reduce or eliminate liabilities i.e. credit-cards. Liabilities After considering the needs of the family and dependents, ensuring these are adequately protected, it is important to also consider any liabilities that could then impact the family. These often take the form of debts, but also commitments like school fees. Included here are secured liabilities, such as the home. Often, with the loss of one income, there will be difficulties in sustaining the familys lifestyle, potentially, meeting mortgage costs. Repaying the mortgage is a priority for those seeking life assurance, as it guarantees security of the family home. Life Assurance Life assurance, pays the sum assured, when the insured dies- assuming the policy remains in force. Policies usually take the form; Whole-of-Life, or Term Assurance. Whole-of-Life Covering an individuals entire life, the sum assured is paid, when the policyholder dies. As death is inevitable, the cost is the most expensive. Premiums The premiums are either payable until death, or can be set to last until a certain age or for a limited term. The latter options allow for premiums to be paid up until retirement, yet allow cover to continue. When a limited term of payments is chosen, theyre naturally higher than the alternative. Investment Policies can be arranged with investment elements. This can be Unit-linked, with-profit, non-profit, or universal, potentially combining all three. A non-profit policy provides a fixed sum. With-profit policies allow the insurers underlying investments to generate growth, with bonuses that may increase the sum assured, although inflation beating growth in the long-term, is unlikely. Unit linked policies allow greater growth potential, above inflation, but the underlying capital is risked, jeopardising the sum assured, less risky funds should be a priority. As whole-of-life policies can contain investment elements, some providers offer surrender values, although its unlikely to be suitable as an investment vehicle. Whole-of-Life policies will not be suitable for every client. Care must be taken that there is an ongoing and permanent need, and the sum assured fits this. It may be suitable for a client wishing to protect their family from funeral costs or legal expenses. And can mitigate inheritance tax liability, providing a lump sum to cover the liability due on their assets. Couples can make use of this through a joint life second death policy, since ordinarily, the estate will pass between the couple, and tax only falls due on the second death. Although more appropriate on larger estates where a significant inheritance tax liability arises, compared to those estates that slightly exceed the nil rate bracket, as the ongoing costs of the life assurance may exceed the eventual liability. A whole-of-life policy can also be used to provide an income for dependents. While in later life it is unusual to have child dependents, an income may be required for dependents with life-long care needs. Term Assurance Unlike a whole-of-life policy, term assurance provides cover for a set period, often against a specific protection need, with an expected maturity. Its useful against mortgages, or child dependents, because the time the protection is required for can be estimated. Compared to whole-of-life policies, term assurance is cheaper. As the risk of death is lower over a given timescale, compared to a whole-of-life policy.   Once the policy expires the cover ends, unlike whole-of-life policies, there is no surrender value.   Term assurance can take a number of forms; decreasing, level or increasing term assurance. Decreasing (Family Benefit, Mortgage Protection) Here, the sum assured decreases over time. Its useful against protecting a repayment mortgage. As the term of the mortgage reduces the balance falls, consequently the level of protection needed reduces. This is also useful for dependents, as provision needs decrease over time.   Reductions in the sum assured can be fixed each period, or in line with the interest charged on a mortgage. Decreasing term insurance is also cheaper than other term assurance, as the risk to the provider reduces over time. With a family benefits policy, the benefits are paid as a monthly figure, protecting against the loss of an income until the end of the policy, meaning that the shorter the term remaining, the lower the overall benefit. Gift inter vivos policy This is a special case of decreasing term assurance, protecting against inheritance tax liability from a potentially exempt transfer (PET). In line with the tax liability, the sum assured falls over seven years. Level The sum assured remains constant. It can be useful in order to repay a set liability, i.e. an interest only mortgage, with a constant balance.   They also provide peace of mind to the policyholders family, through the certainty of a lump-sum. It can leave people over protected, paying higher premiums for a need that reduces over time. Increasing- The most expensive form of term assurance. Once arranged, the sum assured, increases over time. At the policies end, the sum assured can be considerably higher than originally. This provides a lump-sum protected against inflation, which over a time, erodes buying. Convertible Renewable- special forms of term assurance, allowing the above policies to be converted into whole-of-life policies, or simply renewed without further underwriting, sometimes allowing the sum assured to increase, in what would be a renewable, increasable term assurance policy. Allowing more flexibility for the insured. Rider Benefits- these are applicable to any of the above policies, they are additional benefits which can be added, or included already. These include; Waiver of Premium, prevents the policy lapsing when the insured is unable to pay premiums through sickness or injury. Terminal illness or total permanent disability cover, providing an accelerated payment when the insured has a very short life expectancy, or is totally disabled, although the criteria for this varies. Accidental death benefit can also be included.   Guaranteed insurability options allow for flexibility within the policy for the sum assured to be increased at key events in the insureds life, without the requirement for additional medical underwriting. All options and additional benefits will increase premiums. Summary Life assurance, ensures that financial needs can be met, often at an affordable cost, regardless of the need, as there are many forms. It does however have restrictions, medical underwriting means that lifestyles increasing the risk of death can impact the cost of the cover, i.e. smoking. While most claims are paid, there are often significant exclusions, including death from; alcohol, drugs, self harm, terrorism, war, or recklessness. If the policyholder is the insured, on their death, the pay-out from these funds will be added back into their estate, where there is potential for an inheritance tax liability. Neither have life assurance, in the event of a death, the remaining family would not be able to maintain their lifestyle. Protecting the mortgage on the family home is a priority. A joint policy allows the home to be protected in the event of either death. As the balance on the mortgage is naturally decreasing as repayments are made, a mortgage protection policy, with an initial sum assured of  £130,000, and term of 14 years would provide the most cost-effective cover. Approximately  £15 monthly. In the event of a death now, the mortgage would be repaid, and the monthly outgoings would fall by around  £1100. However, other costs could increase, childcare may be required, and Celestes education costs would also continue. The approximate cost of her education over the next 17 years will be; 3 Terms x  £4000 x 17=  £204,000. Due to Amys employment, she would need childcare for the weekends and mornings. Andrew would require childcare for weekday evenings. Approximately this is 20 hours a week, and expect she would be mature enough to look after herself for a few hours once in secondary school, aged 12. In addition to term-time childcare there would be around around 16 weeks annually, where fulltime care is needed, 40 hours weekly. Average childcare costs in their area are  £7 hourly. 20 hours x 36 (term-time) x 8 years, 40 hours x 16 (holidays) x 8 years A Total of 10880 hours of childcare would be needed till age 12, at  £7, would cost  £76,160. With a total cost in the region of  £280,160, Its clear itd be difficult for either parent to cover these costs. However, each month, the requirements would reduce. Again, a decreasing term assurance policy would fit their needs, as these are ongoing costs, it would make sense for this policy to be written as a family income benefit policy, providing the average of Celestes care and education costs each month.  £1000 for her education, and  £793 (based on 1360 hours of care each year, divided by 12 months, at  £7 an hour), written on a joint basis over a 17-year term. The approximate cost is  £23 monthly. Income Protection Insurance This provides the insured with an income when, due to; illness, disability or injury, they are unable to work. A provider cannot cancel this policy due to repeated claims, and as long as premiums are maintained, the cover continues. The benefits are paid monthly, and are used to cover normal expenditure. To incentivise the insureds return to work, ensuring claims only last as long as necessary, the level of cover is generally between 50-75% of the insureds salary. Should a condition make it impossible for the insured to return to their work, and instead they return on a lower salary, a proportionate benefit clause found in many policies, allows a portion of the benefit to be paid, to top-up their income. While the cover is permanent, to a normal retirement age, many insurers have a reviewable premium, similar to critical illness cover. To lower premiums, a deferral period, between 4 104 weeks, effectively eliminates short illness, reducing the risk for the insurer. Aligning the deferral period against existing provisions such as an accident, sickness unemployment cover, or employee sick pay further helps reduce premiums. Income protection is important for the self-employed, injury or illness will impact their income earlier. Their deferral period tends to be shorter, as they need the income sooner than someone who receives sick-pay. Amy is fortunate to have employer provided sick-pay and income protection. If she were ill or unable to work, the impact of this would not be felt for 6 months, and then the reduction in her wage by  £650 would allow the family to meet their outgoings, albeit with little left. Andrew, has no protection. If Andrew were unable to work, his income would stop immediately, savings would then be relied upon, the loss of his income means a shortfall of  £2,000 each month (Outgoings;  £3,300, less Amys income of  £1,300). Savings could sustain them for around 2 months (Savings/Shortfall,  £4200/ £2000= 2.1 Months.) Protecting his income with an income protection policy, until his state retirement age of 68, as regardless of his dependents, there will always be household bills (gov.uk), an 8-week deferral, with benefits of  £2100, cost around  £49 monthly, extending the deferral to 52 weeks, reduces costs to around  £33 monthly. (Drewberry Insurance) Intermediate months could be covered by an accident sickness policy, by excluding short illness, Andrew may save money on future premiums on review. Other Protection available There are a wide range of more specialised protection insurance policies available, while they may not offer financial security, they can provide peace of mind. Accident Sickness Unemployment Insurance Offering similar benefits to income protection, with important differences. Its impermanent; the insurer can decline to renew the policy. Benefits are generally provided up to 24-months. Unemployment covers redundancy, and only when the insurer believes that the insured had no foreknowledge, naturally excluding the self-employed. Covering Andrews income using an accident sickness policy here, with a deferral period of 2 months, allowing for their savings would cost them in the region of  £14 monthly (gocompare.com), a small saving compared to the single product. Payment Protection Insurance If the insured is unable to work, through sickness, injury or redundancy, this cover will maintain payments for the liability (credit card, mortgage or loan, etc.) for a period of generally up to 24 months. Health Insurance Dental Plans Private health insurance may provide high quality care, fast diagnosis and short wait times or flexibility for treatment and surgery etc., without the high costs involved in paying for this treatment in a standalone manner. Dental plans are offered in a similar way. There are often exclusions for elective or cosmetic surgeries. Critical Illness Cover Providing a lump sum to the insured on the diagnosis of a critical illness, including but not limited to; most Cancers, Heart Attack, and Stroke. Unlike term assurance, the insured need not die, should they recover, funds wont need to be repaid, as the policy ends on a successful claim. Beyond major conditions, cover can be provided for other conditions; major organ transplant, paralysis, coma, blindness or loss of limbs. Each provider may apply a different definition to a condition. The Association of British Insurers provides definitions as a guide to best practice, which is the minimum definition an ABI insurer can use. For instance; The ABIs blindness definition reads; Permanent and irreversible loss of sight to the extent that even when tested with the use of visual aids, vision is measured at 3/60 or worse in the better eye using a Snellen eye chart. (ABI,2016) LGs definition follows; à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the use of visual aids, vision is measured at 6/60 or worse in the better. (LG, 2016) Two similar definitions, with LGs definition benefiting the insured, with a less restrictive definition. The cost of more generous cover may be higher than stricter insurers. Compared to term assurance, the cost is much higher, the risk of dying, is far lower than being diagnosed with a critical illness or condition, this extra risk increases costs. Furthermore, a wide range of underwriting factors are used to tailor premiums to the insureds risk. Adverse family history increase costs, and previous diagnosis makes securing cover difficult, or impossible, at best, an exclusion is imposed (LG, 2016). It is expected that all material facts are disclosed, so a full and informed decision is made, withholding a condition can void cover. (Guardian,2013) With any critical condition, family life becomes pandemonium. The insured may be unable to work, travel to and from medical appointments may be necessary, if provided by a partner, they too may be unable to work. Child care may increase, care may be required, alterations may be required, and of course the usual household expenses will still occur. Critical Illness Cover, when considering these requirements can provide peace of mind, by funding medical or care costs, covering liabilities, and providing funds to cover the cost of equipment, adaptations or general improvements to the insureds quality of life with their new condition. Policies can be arranged in numerous ways, a standalone plan, which works similarly to term assurance, paying out on diagnosis on an insured condition. However, it is commonplace that the insured must survive at least 28 days in order for a valid claim. Alternatively, it can be arranged in addition to a term assurance policy with death benefits. In addition to being covered against death, the policy would cover critical illness. This additional cover can either be arranged so that following a critical illness, or death, the cover will cease, so a single payment is only possible, or, a payment can be made against both illness and death. It can be incorporated into an endowment or into a whole-of-life plan as an option in a similar fashion. Like life assurance, the proceeds can be written into trust, this is not usually needed though, if the protection is to cover existing liabilities. However, if the cover is combined with life assurance, potential exists for an inheritance tax liability; if a critical illness is claimed for, the proceeds will go tax free to the insured, if however, a death claim is required, this becomes part of their estate, creating the liability. It is possible to use a split-benefit trust, which will pay the proceeds of the critical illness payment to the policyholder, and the death benefit to the beneficiaries in the trust deed. Critical illness cover premiums are organised similarly to term assurance, with historically fixed payments. Due to advances in medicine and technology, claims have risen with early diagnosis, more providers are now switching to reviewable premiums, which offer stability of fixed payments for a period, before being reviewed, at which point they may rise or fall. Just like term assurance, a similar set of exclusions apply, and medical underwriting may result in additional restrictions or exclusions, and potentially higher costs overall. Cancelling a policy to take out a new policy is generally not recommended, as comparing cover, benefits and restrictions can be difficult or time consuming. Although Andrew Amy are healthy, after recent events they are keen to have some protection that would allow them to deal with an unforeseen critical illness. As you have seen, Amy is well protected through her employment against her income, Andrew would be well covered by the Accident Sickness Policy, and through an income protection policy. However, they are worried about potential adaptations to their home or care costs being needed. The Money Advice Service suggests that 2 hours each day of care would cost in the region of  £11,000 annually. As the mortgage costs a little more than this, a lump sum to cover this, and provide a buffer to allow for some adaptations if necessary, around  £150,000 of cover over 17 years, each. Written as stand-alone policies, means each is protected in the event of a critical illness. Together, the cost of these policies is in the region of  £65 monthly. Andrew Amys monthly protections costs exceed the budget they wanted to spend. Coming to a total of around  £150 monthly. Although the protection would ensure that whatever happens to either of them, they would have financial security until retirement. Full protection is expensive, and unless they are willing to spend the money to cover themselves adequately, they will need to adjust the level of cover they can afford, or prioritise the policies available to them. Business Protection The death or illness of a partner, key person or sole trader can have significant consequences to a business. While these issues can be as wide and varied as the business that have them, the type of cover detailed in this manual can be tailored to provide effective protection. In Conclusion As can be seen, it is important to take a view of the bigger picture, and use a holistic approach in shaping protection around a clients needs. While the hope is that these policies are not used before their time, they provide the firm foundation for clients to achieve their financial aspirations. A Adviser. References ABI Policy Definitions- https://www.abi.org.uk/~/media/Files/Documents/Publications/Public/Migrated/Medical%20underwriting/2011%20Critical%20Illness_SoBP.ashx (2016) Drewberry Insurance, Income Protection https://www.drewberryinsurance.co.uk/income-protection-insurance (2016) Gocompare.com Accident Sickness cover quote system https://income.gocompare.com/income-protection/ (2017) Gov.uk, State Retirement Age https://www.gov.uk/state-pension-age, (2017) The Guardian, Critical illness insurance: The neglected cover that could be crucial https://www.theguardian.com/money/2013/dec/07/critical-illness-insurance-bad-reputation (2013) Legal General Policy Booklet- http://www.legalandgeneral.com/_resources/pdfs/life-cover/mylife/LifeInsurance-with-Critical-illness-Cover-Policy-Booklet.pdf (2016) LG Underwriting Quick Reference Guide, http://www.legalandgeneral.com/library/protection/underwriting-literature/GuidetoUnderwriting.pdf (2010) Money Advice Service, Care Costs https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/articles/care-home-or-home-care (2017) Money Advice Service, Press Release. https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en/corporate/four-out-of-10-adults-are-not-in-control-of-their-finances-new-strategy-launched-to-improve-uks-financial-capability (2015) This is Money.co.uk, What next for savers. http://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/saving/article-4070642/What-savings-rates-2017-savers-set-misery.html (2017) Introduction to Simple Linear Regression: Article Review Introduction to Simple Linear Regression: Article Review Simple Linear Regression Introduction to simple linear regression: Article review Abstract The use of linear regression is to predict a trend in data, or predict the value of a variable (dependent) from the value of another variable (independent), by fitting a straight line through the data. Dallal (2000), examined how significant the linear regression equation is, how to use it to draw the best fitting line of the scatter plot and how important the best fitting line is. Introduction to simple linear regression: Article review The use of linear regression is to predict a trend in data, or predict the value of a variable (dependent) from the value of another variable (independent), by fitting a straight line through the data. Linear regression represents a connecting link between the independent (carrier) variable and dependent (response) variable, which if graphed on X and Y-coordinates, results in a straight line. Linear regression shows the straight line which thoroughly represents, or predicts, the value of the response variable, given the noted value of the carrier variable (Frey, 2006). This essay aims at reviewing the article introduction to simple linear regression by Dallal (2000). Problem statement Dallal (2000) assumed a relationship between body mass (independent or carrier variable) and muscle strength (dependent or response variable), the more body mass the more muscle strength. However, this relationship is not without exceptions, which is reflected on the scatter plot of a regression model. Therefore, the author posed the question of how to illustrate the straight line, which accurately portrays the data, or predicts the value of the response variable. Research purpose statement In the given example, most cases would show a perfect regression. However, standardization of the procedure of putting in a straight line is necessary to provide better communication and common grounds for analysts working on the same data. Further, in the example regression equation given (Strength = -13.971 + 3.016 LBM [Lean Body mass]), one can draw two conclusions; first, a predicted muscle strength equals LBM multiplied by 3.016 minus 13.971. Second, the difference between muscle strength of two individuals is presumably 3.016 multiplied by the difference in their LBM. Research questions Research question 1: Why we need to fit a regression equation into a set of data? It is clear from the previous example there are reasons for fitting a regression equation into a set of data. These are 1) to describe the data, and 2) to predict an independent (response) variable from a dependent (carrier) one. Research question 2: What is the underlying principle of calculating a straight line? If the points signaling data in a scatter plot are close to a line, it means the line represents, matches or gives a good fit of data. If not, then the line with most of the points closer to it that any other is the one that gives good fit of data. Further, If the is used to predict values, these values should close enough to the noted ones, in other words, residuals (observed values – predicted values) should small values. Research question 3: How linear regression (least squares) equation is used to illustrate the best fitting line? The standard used, as the name implies, is the sum of squared residuals (observed – predicted values) is minimal for the best fitting line. This applies to a line fitted to a set of sample data to promote generalization to a population from which this sample was taken. Yet for a population, there is a slightly different linear regression equation. The equation illustrates that an output (dependent) variable on the Y-axis can be predicted from an input (independent) variableson the X-axis after adding a random error (si). Research question 4: Is the sample regression equation an accurate estimate of the population regression equation? There is a reservation for accreditation of this statement, which is directed at the confidence bands in relation to the regression line. They are understood as the standard error of the mean (the standard deviation of the mean of the sampling distribution). Yet with one exception that is the sampling mean of the dependent variables amplifies as it adds distance from the mean. Sources of data Dallal (2000), stated in the second part of his article (linked to the main article) are cross- sectional data. This type of data has the advantages of being used if sampling method are not weighted and-or un-stratified. This method can also be used if the researcher is concerned only with minor or small probabilities. The longitudinal data results in more statistical power, however, in repeated cross-sectional analysis, new subjects added per analysis compensates for the inherent decreased statistical power (Yee and Niemeier, 1996). Data collection strategies and methods A good data collection strategy should have two objectives, namely, having motivated respondents (affected by time consuming, trust in statistics, difficulty of questionnaire, and benefit included). The second objective should be having high quality data, which tailored to sample individuals, sampling method and good instruments of data collection (Statistics Norway, 2007). Methods of data collection are many and selection of a particular method depends on the available resources, reliability, resources of analysis and reporting, besides the skills and knowledge of the analyst. Some of these methods are case studies, behavior observation check lists, attitude, and opinion surveys, questionnaires distributed by mail, e-mail, or phone calls. Other methods of data collection include time series (evaluating one variable over a period of time as a week), and individual or group interviews (The Ohio State University Bulletin Extension, 2005). Conclusions Dallal (2000), inferred that simple linear regression means that we can predict a dependent variable from an independent one, so whenever we need to know from the beginning each time we add information. The regression line is important as it makes the estimation of a dependent variable more accurate and it allows the estimation of a response variable for individuals with values of the carrier variable not included in the data. The author also inferred there are two methods of predicting a variable either from within the range of values of independent variable of the sample given (interpolation) or outside this range (extrapolation). The author recommended the first method as it has the advantage of being safe, yet with concerns as regards the way to demonstrate the linearity of relationship between the two variables. References Dallal, G. (2000). Introduction to simple linear regression. Retrieved January 14, 2008, from http://www.tufts.edu/~gdallal/slr.htm. Frey, B. (2006). Statistics Hacks. Sebastopol, CA: OReilly Media Inc. Statistics Norway (2007). Strategy for data collection. Retrieved 04/07/2008, from http://www.ssb.no/vis/english/about_ssb/strategy/strategy_data_collection.pdf The Ohio State University (2005). Bulletin Extension Step Four: Methods of Data Collection. Retrieved 04/07/2008, from http://www.ohioline.ag.ohio-state.edu Yee J L. and Niemeier D (1996). Advantages and Disadvantages: Longitudinal vs. Repeated Cross-Section Survey-A Discussion Paper. Project Battelle, 94, 16-22. Weberian Model Of Bureaucracy: Criticism Weberian Model Of Bureaucracy: Criticism Bush (2006) defined Educational management as a field of study and practice concerned with the operation of educational organizations. He has also claimed several times that educational management needs to be essentially concerned with the purpose or goals of education since they give the fundamental sense of direction needed for effective management of educational organizations. He concluded that a singular all-inclusive theory of educational management does not simply exist as educational institutions are so diverse and even similar schools and colleges have to deal with completely different problems, which necessitate diverse approaches and solutions (Bush 2006). 2.0 Management, Administration and Leadership. The concept of management often intersects with two parallel terminologies, namely leadership and administration. The difference is mainly regional according to Bush (2006).The term Management is commonly used in Europe, and Africa, where as administration is favored in the United States, Canada, and Australia. On the other hand the term Leadership is much more contemporary and it is of great interest in most developed countries (Bush 2006). However other authors have differentiated these three concepts by claiming that they have opposing definitions. Cuban (1988) has provided a distinction between leadership and management namely leadership is influencing others actions in achieving desirable ends and Managing is maintaining efficiently and effectively current organizational arrangements. He also added that both managing and leading are equally important and he confer no special value to either as they are both needed in different situations and at different times in order for schools to function effectively and meet their goals (Bush 2006). Bolman Deal (1997) also talk about the importance of both leadership and management. He maintained that leading and managing are distinct. The objective perspective of the manager as well as the flashes of vision and commitment-wise leadership provides are what is needed by modern organizations (Bush 2006). Furthermore Dimmock (1999) claimed that school leaders [experience] tensions between competing elements of leadership, management and administration. According to him leadership is the higher order tasks designed to improve staff, student and school performance, where as management is the routine maintenance of present operations and administration is the overarching term, which incorporates both leadership and management. 2.1 Leadership Leadership has been defined by Chemers (1997) as a process of social influence in which one person is able to enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task (Chemers 1997). From this definition we can understand that leadership involves a social influence process in which one individual exerts intentional influence over others to structure activities and relationships in a group or organization. Bass and Stogdill (1990) added that leadership is the process of in ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡uencing others to attain common aims. Spillane, Harvelson and Diamond (2004) defined Leadership through another angle. They claimed leadership is not simply a function of what a school principal, or indeed any other individual or group of leaders, knows and does. Rather, it is the activities engaged in by leaders, in interaction with others in particular contexts around specific tasks. Education researchers agreed that effective leadership is a key element to achieve school improvement. According to Harris (2002), research findings from diverse countries and different school contexts have revealed the powerful impact of leadership in securing school development and change. A further important aspect while practicing leadership is the level of power and control which schools and other educational institutions assert/maintain on their in-house management and operations (Bush 2003). However, effective leadership styles in education can be as varied as the large number of schools. Therein lays the difficulty in providing accurate definitions of leadership. Accordingly, Fiddler (1997) pinpoints two main characteristics of leadership: a sense of purpose and confidence is engendered in followers and followers are influenced towards goal achievement. He continued explaining that there are various factors determining the appropriate leadership approach that need to be adopted at any particular point in time, namely : the context and its pre-history; the nature of the followers; the particular issues involved; in addition to the predispositions of the leader (Fiddler 1997). Accordingly different leadership styles may need to be adopted to deal with specific circumstances. Leithwood, Day, Sammons, Harris and Hopkins (2006), as cited by Crum, Sherman and Myran (2010), have summarized four core practices for successful school leadership as follows: (1) Setting directions. (2) Developing people. (3) Redesigning the organization. (4) Managing the instructional (teaching and learning) program. 2.1.1 Leadership theories Scholars have come up with different leadership theories throughout history. It all started with the Great Man theory which implies that leaders are born and is not made (Hoy and Miskel 2004). The idea that leadership is inherited further resulted in the trait approach of leadership. In 1927, Bowden carried out a significant study which associated leadership with personality. Hoy and Miskel (2004) cited the explanation of Bass and Stogdill (1990) concerning this leadership style: Leaders were generally regarded as superior individuals who, because of fortunate inheritance or social circumstance, possessed qualities and abilities that differentiated them from people in general. After a thorough research, Stogdill (1948) concluded that leadership is not gained solely by some inherited traits or characteristics since different situations have great influence on the impact of traits. So he came up with the theory of situational leadership (Hoy and Miskel 2004; Turner, 2005). Hunt and Larson (1977) came up with the behavioral model of leadership which implies that leadership can be taught and learned by way of teaching and observing leadership behaviors (Northhouse 2010). Behavioural theories are centered on the belief that great leaders are made, not born. The focus of this theory is the actions of the leaders, and it is not the qualities or states of the leaders (Hoy and Miskel 2004). Spillane, Harvelson and Diamond (2004), Hemphill and Coons (1950), Kunz and Hoy (1976) and Mouton and Blake (1984) among others investigated on the concept of leadership as a series of behaviors. Their studies resulted in defining various taxonomies of behaviors, including monitoring, consulting, and delegating as Hallinger and Hausman (1993) pointed out. Others like Lewin, White and Lippitt (1939) have identified other styles of behavior, such as autocratic, democratic, and laissez-faire. Mouton and Blake (1964) named their findings on behavioral styles as employee-oriented and directive where as Likert called his as task-oriented and relationship-oriented and he has discussed about the relationship between these behaviors (Spillane et al. 2004). More recently Yukl (2002) developed three fundamental classes of leader behavior and he described them as Task-oriented behaviors, Relations-oriented behaviors and Change-oriented behaviors (Hoy Miskel 2004). In 1964 the contingency theory of leadership was developed by Fiedler (1967). According to him, leaders must complement the situation to his leadership behaviors for greater effectiveness (Spillane et al. 2004). The evolution of leadership theories continued with the transactional and transformational theories in the early eighties and Burns (1978) is often accredited to be the father of these concepts. Transactional theories, concentrate on the role of supervision, organization and group performance. These theories establish leadership on a scheme of rewards and punishments (Hoy and Miskel 2004). Transformational theories of leadership are considered as recent leadership theories and according to Bass (1990), this theory is an expansion of the transactional theory of leadership. Transformational leaders motivate and inspire others by helping the followers to see the importance and good side of the task. These leaders focus on the performance of group members, but they also encourage each individual to meet his or her full potential. Leaders having this style are often highly ethical and have moral standards (Hoy and Miskel, 2004; Turner, 2005) 2.2 Management As Dimmock (1999) has stated, managing means being in charge of the day to day running of the school and it is the maintenance of the system. Dash and Dash (2008) define management as the primary force within any organization which coordinates the activities of its various systems in relation to its objectives. According to them, management can be considered not only as a theory but also as a process. The theory part comprises of the philosophy, Knowledge, art, concept, objectives, functions, principles and practices, models. The process part comprises of human relations, managing physical and financial resources, planning, organizing, decision-making, executing, directing and controlling people in order to meet the objectives set. 3.0 School and Structure The School is a complex open social system. In this system the structure is a key element in transforming inputs into outputs. The structure, also called the bureaucratic expectations, defines our role and responsibilities (Hoy and Miskel 2004). Hoy and Miskel (2004) explained the transformational process of a school using the diagram below: Inputs Outputs Cultural System (Shared Orientations) Transformation Process Political System (Power Relations) Individual System (Cognition and Motivation) Learning Learning Teaching Teaching Environment Structural System (Bureaucratic Expectations) Figure 1Social-systems model for schools They explained the five key elements within the transformational process. Structure is the bureaucratic expectations designed and organised to fulfill organisations goals. The Individual provides energy and capacity to achieve organisations goals and he is viewed in terms of needs, goals, beliefs, understanding of work roles (Hoy and Miskel 2004). Mintzberg (1994) defines the structure of an organization as the sum total of ways in which it divides its labor into distinct tasks and then achieves coordination among them. Hoy and Miskel (2004) have focused on structure since it is considered as the backbone of any organization, which is the framework under which we are all doing the necessary operations. The structure monitors operations at operational level of any organization. Within a structure, we are expected to make the whole machinery work. Structure provides order, cohesion and coherence. All schools do not follow the same structure; some have an enabling or productive structure whereas others have a coercive or hindering structure (Hoy and Miskel 2004). 3.1 Enabling and Coercive bureaucracy Lawsons made a distinction between an enabling and a coercive bureaucracy. According to him, an enabling bureaucracy promotes creative, informal relations among all the employees irrespective of the levels of hierarchy. The more an organization has an enabling bureaucracy, the larger the benefits to workers and clients. In this type of bureaucracy, the workforce is considered to be an asset or a resource on which the leaders capitalize. To this end, the latter encourage and endorse professional norms and standards as they know that the workers want and need their work to be pleasant and significant. Leaders also provide training and supports to the workers to foster expertise and mastery, thus they could be trusted to make good and solid decisions. This kind of proficient and cooperative supervision is regarded as a supportive one for the workers. Moreover, workers participation is also solicited as they are aware that working conditions will determine the workers efficacy, effective ness, and their loyalty. In a coercive bureaucracy, norms and rules are not variable or open to alteration. Such a bureaucracy is considered as mechanistic since the whole organization functions, generally, on automatic pilot where there is a small number of people at the controls. All emphasis is on the respecting the norms and regulations and on the dutiful implementation of the appropriate procedures .Only the people at higher levels of the bureaucracy have a clear picture of the work needing to be performed and its relation to societal expectations and needs. Indeed the main function of the leadership hierarchy such as commissioners, managers, and supervisors is to secure submission from the workers via a strategic system of supervision and sanctions. The workers are expected to perform so as to secure their salaries and benefits which are their only incentives to be effective. Furthermore, in a coercive bureaucracy the workers are not trusted enough to participate in decision making and they are not pro vided with the appropriate expertise to give their superiors, thus the latter conduct close supervision on a daily basis. If the workers are suspected to not following the rules, the supervisory and managerial grip tightens. Consequently coercive bureaucracies become more and more hindering as in a vicious circle, bringing together a deterioration of the organizations climate (Lawson). 3.2 Weberian Model of Bureaucracy and Its Criticism Throughout the ages, many scholars have developed different organizational structures. But among them, the Weberian model of Bureaucracy is the most popular and is the theoretical basis of most contemporary study on structure. This model of bureaucracy was developed in late 1940s by Max Weber and all formal modern organizations, as well as schools, enclose aspects of the Weberian model of bureaucracy. This organizational structure comprises of five characteristics namely the Division of labour and specialization, the impersonal orientation, the hierarchy of authority, the rules and regulations and the career orientation (Hoy and Miskel 2004). Despite being largely utilized, the Weberian model has quite some limitations. Weber describes organisation as a non-living thing which can be easily moulded, but open-social system involves people and cannot be viewed as non-living. Moreover people are not all rational and well structured. Weber is describing an ideal situation, not made up of reality and on the other hand organisation is made up of people and people change, not everybody wants to attain the highest level of efficiency. Hence, there are bound to be major dysfunctions in Weberian model since this bureaucracy is made up of people and not everybody is rational, abiding and cooperative, complient, disciplined. His theory does not deal with internal contradictions of elements in the model (Hoy and Miskel 2004). Concerning the Hierarchy of authority its dysfunctions is about the distortion and blockage in communication. Every level in hierarchy is a potential communication block if subordinates are reluctant to communicate anything that will make look bad in the eye of their superior. The main dysfunctions of rules and regulations is the goal displacement, rules become ends in themselves and administrators focus too much on rules and consequently ignore certain important goals. Moreover rules and regulations can engender legalist attitude. Another critics of rules is that they are either punishment centred or representative (Hoy and Miskel 2004). Career orientation has also dysfunctions. Rapid promotion of high-achievers might produce discontent of loyal, hard working senior employees who are not as productive or creative. The Weberian model of bureaucracy also suffered from Feminist critique such as qualified women do not receive equal treatment or compensation. The feminine side is often suppressed and devalued by bureaucracies. Last, the Weberian model is criticized for having not taken into consideration the informal organization. Informal social exchanges produce differences in social relations and new networks of communication emerge. Informal organisation is not an enemy to be suppressed but rather a useful vehicle for improving efficiency (Hoy and Miskel 2004). 4.0 School Management As stated above, schools are social organizations with set objectives and their human, financial, material and physical resources (Dash and Dash 2008). The one responsible for managing all these resources is the principal or the head-master. Here is a list of his expected duties: find the best and cheapest way to achieve the objectives, careful planning, organization of human resources and materials, using the physical resources in the best way, controlling and monitoring all the different school activities, decision-making and the evaluation of the progress and achievements. In short, school management means the use of people and other resources to accomplish the objectives of the school. Such was the definition of Kutz and Boone (1984), quoted by Dash and Dash (2008). School management is divided into two parts: internal management and external management. Internal management comprises of managing the administrative works and the human, financial and material and physical resources. On the other hand, the external management is the relationship with the community, department and other external stakeholders of the school (Dash and Dash 2008). Decision-making in many schools is also split into different lines of work and the four main domains are the personnel management, the financial resources, the student policies and the curriculum and instruction. School decision-making also consists of other domains such as the development of Infrastructure, maintenance and security (Economic note 2007). 5.0 School Leadership School leadership is to identify, to acquire, to allocate, to co-ordinate, and to make use of the social, material, and cultural assets which are essential for establishing the appropriate environment in which teaching and learning will be possible. Leadership also implies the mobilization of the human resources such as the school personnel and clients so as to spot, handle, and assume the duty of changing instruction. Adding to that, they should harness and mobilize the resources required to sustain the transformation in the teaching and learning process (Spillane 2005). 6.0 Reforms in School Management From the time that schools have been recognized as formal institution, it has known numerous changes in different spheres and it is continuously being subject to change and transformation. Recently both teachers and schools have experienced an unprecedented rate of change having both positive and negative outcomes (Aspinwall 1996). Pedler, Burgoyne and Boydell (1991) define the learning organisation as: an organisation that facilitates the learning of all its members and continuously transforms itself in order to meet its strategic objectives. (Coldwell, Williamson and Cameron 2007). Caldwell (2005) defined Transformation as significant, systematic, sustainable change, securing high level achievements in all settings. 6.1 How to become A Great School? Hopkins (2005) explains how a school can become great and he suggest various strategies, known as the key drivers in order to meet this end. These key drivers are personalised learning, professionalised teaching, networking and innovation and intelligent accountability. He argues that every school a great school is not just a slogan, but an aspiration for the next stage of educational reform, in which each student has the opportunity to reach their potential. Hargreaves (2003) affirmed that school as a learning organization has to motivate teachers and create new professional knowledge. School has got the responsibility to ensure that teachers have got high morale, they are given continuous development, they are provided with the appropriate platform to engage actively in innovation so as things can be done differently. To be a great school requires strategies such as capacity building of and by the key actors, providing access and opportunities and transformation. Capacity development is important and great school will need to have further resources and see how these are being developed (Hopkins 2005). Hopkins (2005) in his explanation on the key drivers, mentioned that the activities should be decentralized and the school should provide greater freedom and authority from the centre to the periphery for the school to work effectively. The re-tooling of school structures will certainly help to keep the strength of the school system (Hopkins 2005). Access to best practice and quality professional development will help to improve performance and achievement. Transfer of best practice is not the easiest; sharing of experience is an important barrier. Alliance is important- should borrow the best practice, modify it and implement it in our own way. The element of flexibility in utilization of best practice is important. Schools as a learning organization have to motivate teachers and create new professional knowledge at the level of the school. This is important in order to help to motivate the teachers keeping a high morale and not to become disgruntled. Professional development should go side by side with leadership development (Hopkins 2005). Senge (1990) defined a learning organization as one à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦where people continually expand their capacity to create the results they truly desire, where new and expansive patterns of thinking are nurtured, where collective aspiration is set free and where people are continually learning how to learn together (Johnston and Caldwell 2001). To make optimum use of its human resources, an organization must make sure that everyone should be prepared to learn at every opportunity. Organizations will only succeed when learning will be seen as a continuous need for each individual. However, the learning organization will not become one by a sudden and remarkable transformation, rather it should proceed by developing gradually each of the five disciplines, namely, systems thinking, personal mastery, mental models, shared vision and team learning (Johnston and Caldwell 2001). Intelligent accountability will only be possible if there is close monitoring of every aspect of school life. Monitoring of performance data is crucial and eventually it leads to the development of a framework for effective, ongoing self-evaluation of the level of the school (Hopkins 2005). 7.0 Decentralization of School Management In the 1980s and 1990s, a new international trend emerged in many developed countries throughout the world, that of decentralization of their education system. It was obvious that large, centralized bureaucracies didnt possessed the necessary qualities to keep pace with the rapidly changing economic realities. According to Levacic (1998) and Raab (2000), the step was to decentralize the decision-making from the central government to the local school level and to share the decision-making among the principal, teachers, parents, community members and students at the school level (Ng and Chan 2008). Accordingly, many schools adopted the school-based reforms, with a goal to upgrade the quality of education, which is expected to sustain the state competitiveness internationally. Ng and Chan (2008) further enumerated various examples of such school-based reforms. These are In the UK, the Educational Reform Acts of 1988 and 1993 introduced the reforms of Local Management of Schools and Grant-maintained Schools. In the USA, there were similar reforms of Site-based Management and School-based Leadership. In Australia, the Schools of the Future and Better Schools were also based on a school-based reform approach. According to School-based Management published by the United Nations Educational, Scienti ¬Ã‚ c and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) (Abu-Duhou 1999), many other examples could be found in Europe, Asian and Latin America countries (Ng and Chan 2008). They further interpreted such a collective shift as a means to enhance the education quality, responding to globalization and to develop the knowledge-based economy. This decentralization archetype is expected to provide greater freedom and responsibility to principals, teachers, students and parents, in domains like the school decision making about budgets, personnel and the curriculum. Such a freedom will enable them to establish more effective learning environments for the students (Ng and Chan 2008). The Economic Note (2007) also examined this particular form of market-based education reform known as decentralization of school management which has become more and more popular during the recent years. Also known as school-based management, the decentralization of school management can be in various modes and has emerged in many forms in different countries. The main argument brought to support decentralization is that principals, teachers and parents are best placed to make decisions about how a schools resources should be organized to meet the needs of students and the wider community (Economic note 2007). 7.1 Criticism of Decentralisation Many advantages have been observed such as an improvement in educational outcomes due to the enhanced management and accountability of schools and examples of that are: an increase in the test scores and a decrease in drop-out rates. Another advantage is a more effective organization as an autonomous school had the strongly influences the overall quality of the school organization (Economic Note 2007). Other prospective benefits from decentralization are an increase in efficiency and innovation in the teaching and learning process of education, a reduction in the educational bureaucracy, schools become more receptive to the needs of the local communities, the accountability is reinforced and an increased commitment with the schools, thus increasing the financial support. Increased self-management for schools is a key element in whichever strategy to provide greater choice in education (Economic note 2007). In World Bank (2007b), the authors provide a comprehensive analysis of case studies in some countries where the process of decentralization of authority to the local-level is in force from the past decades. Among the various strategies brought by Governments around the world for the improvement of financing and delivering of education services and more recently to improve the quality and to increase quantity of enrollment rates, is the decentralization of educational decision-making. Defenders of this strategy argue that such type of decentralization encourages demand and it guarantees that schools now echo priorities and values of the local communities (World Bank 2007b). In conferring the freedom to voice out and the decision-making power to local stakeholders, who is more knowledgeable about the local education systems than the chief policymakers, decentralization can bring greater progress to educational outcomes thus increasing the clients satisfaction (World Bank 2007b). The decentralization of decision-making in education has various definitions and names but it is most commonly known as School-based Management (SBM). However they are all relevant in decentralizing authority from the central government down to school level (World Bank 2007b). 8.0 School-based Management or Self Managing School Caldwell (2005) has observed that the governments of every country aim at transforming their schools. Transformation is only attained when significant, systematic, and sustained change has occurred, thus improving outcomes for every students in whichever settings and contributing socially and economically to a country. One of the strategies invariably proposed to meet this goal is the School-based management. The management of a school is in no way a simple task, the head of school alone will not be able to attend to all these duties. As Dash and Dash (2008) have rightly said School management is a cooperative human endeavour. They further continued by explaining that for an effective school management, teachers, parents, students and even the community members have to cooperate with the head of school even if he is the manager of this human enterprise. Through the literature, we have come across several definitions of school-based management where one complements the other. Some of them are worth noting: The Economic Note (2007) defined School-based management as the systematic decentralization to the school level of authority and responsibility to make decisions on significant matters related to school operations within a centrally determined framework of goals, policies, curriculum, standards, and accountability. In the World Bank (2007b), two main definitions were quoted. First, Caldwell (2005) definition SBM is the decentralization of authority from the central government to the school level. Secondly the definition of Malen, Ogawa and Kranz (1990): School-based management can be viewed conceptually as a formal alteration of governance structures, as a form of decentralization that identi ¬Ã‚ es the individual school as the primary unit of improvement and relies on the redistribution of decision-making authority as the primary means through which improvement might be stimulated and sustained(World Bank 2007b). Bush and Gamage (2001) quoted a definition of school-based management given by Caldwell and Spinks (1988) as a self-managing school as one for which there has been major and steady decentralisation to the school level of authority to make decisions related to the distribution of resources. Decentralization of school management is another way of calling the above mentioned cooperation. Decentralization or school-based management varies from country to country and it can take different shapes (Economic Note 2007). School-based management has many shades of meaning. It has been implemented in different ways and for different reasons and at different rates in different settings, as Caldwell (2005) pointed out. A large number of countries in the world have adopted the school-based management in different forms of self-governance according to their specific context. However each of them revolves around the same central idea that greater autonomy will lead to improved educational outcomes (Bush and Gamage 2001) and that there has been an increase in authority and responsibility at the school level, but within a centrally-determined framework that ensures that a sense of system is sustained (Caldwell 2005). The authority is typically delegated to the governing bodies at school level which consist of representatives of significant stakeholders, at the same time as the delegation of the operational management to the principal. The concept of self-governance is centered on the idea that decision-making concerning groups of individual within the educational system should be in the hand of those within the schools in