Layout Strategy - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 17 Words: 5094 Downloads: 5 Date added: 2017/09/14 Category Advertising Essay Did you like this example? 1. INTRODUCTION: Strategy is about deciding where you want to go and how you mean to get there. A strategy is a declaration of intent: This is what we want to do and this is how we intend to do it. Strategies define longer-term goals but they are more concerned with how those goals should be achieved. Strategy is the means to create value. A good strategy is one that works, one that guides purposeful action to deliver the required result. Moreover, companies everywhere are changing the way they manage in order to be more competitive. A key measure of management in the 1990s and beyond lies in results attained relative to the opportunities and constraints created by rapid environmental change. A primary way to gain competitive advantage is to manage people more effectively. Developing and implementing human resource strategies ensures that actions in managing human resources are aligned with competitive demand, as reflected in business strategies. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Layout Strategy" essay for you Create order To win in the global marketplace, companies are seeking to provide distinctly superior customer service, develop new capabilities and employee commitment, pursue innovation and creative initiative, and manage change through teamwork and cooperation. Most are striving to manage with fewer employees, fewer management levels, and more flexibility in management practices. 2. GENERAL BUSINESS STRATEGIES OF VISION OIL COMPANY Vision Oil Company’s strategy is more upstream, profitable downstream. Upstream is about searching and recovering more oil and gas. Downstream is about refining and delivery of products to their customers. The profitable down stream is Vision Oil Company’s mission statement. Vision Oil Company’s strategy is more upstream; however their profitable downstream remains on track. Vision Oil Company levers a strong, wide ranging energy portfolio to meet the challenge of providing energy in a secure and responsible way. In their upstream business, they are continuing to focus on developing new projects with long and productive lives. Vision Oil Company’s strategy seeks to reinforce their position as a leader in the industry and provide investors with a competitive and sustained total shareholder return. Their commitment to technology and innovation continues to be at the core of Vision Oil Company’s strategy. They use a range of technologies and skills to explore for oil and gas in a ways that reduce the risk of error. Vision Oil Company’s strategic plan is to streamline, which means reducing risks, costs, complexity of processes and increasing downstream profitability. For the customer this makes it easier to work with Vision Oil Company across the globe. For the employees of Vision Oil Company it means getting things right first time and every time, and access to accurate and meaningful management material as well as making efficient use of time and energy. The streamline strategy will improve the way Vision Oil Company does its business with its customers. The streamline strategy has two components, which include customer service relocation (CRS) and global system application (GSAP). GSAP looks at processes and technologies, which replaces existing fragmented IT systems with a single global system. Therefore things will be done more consistently, quickly and efficiently. Looking at streamline, we come to the conclusion that it will prevent errors and at the same time the processes will be the same worldwide. 3. HR STRATEGY OF VISION OIL COMPANY Before we outline the HR strategy of Vision Oil Company, we need to define strategy. The word strategy originates from the word strategia which means generalship. But we prefer to refer to Johnson et al (2008:3) that summarizes strategy as follows: â€Å"strategy is the direction and scope of an organization over the long term, which achieves the advantage in a changing environment through configuration of resources. Therefore strategy can be used at all levels within the organisation. Having already discussed the general strategy of Vision Oil Company, we would like to further discuss the HR strategies of Vision Oil Company. The HR strategies of Vision Oil Company evolve mainly around two HR functions, namely, attracting, retaining and maintaining the employees and then training and development of employees. We will firstly discuss attracting and retaining and maintaining of employees. The attraction of human resources involves the requisition of required human resource, further more it deals with: †¢ Recruitment Selection †¢ Hiring/placement †¢ Induction †¢ And socialization Meanwhile retaining and maintaining is more about the utilisation and conservation of the organisation’s Human resources such as performance and appraisal management, training and development, career and succession management, compensation and reward, collective bargaining, communication motivation and leadership, as well as maintaining sound relations. Having established that, Vision Oil Company emphasises its HR strategy around cost effectiveness while attracting. We mean that as a large Company, when it comes to attracting Vision Oil Company recruits and selects through employment agencies and use two well known agencies based in Cape Town. The placement fee that Vision Oil has negotiated with their agencies is 10% instead of the usual 17% cost. Furthermore the risk lies with the agency not with Vision; therefore Vision Oil Company does not spend time with recruitment, but consults the employment agencies. Vision Oil Company meets with their employment agencies on a frequent basis in order to discuss recruitment needs. At these meetings, they will also discuss the evolution of employees hired. The employment agencies provide temporary, permanent as well as contract placement to Vision Oil Company. The employment agencies come in handy by identifying people with talent and recruiting at graduate level. Vision believes that recruiting the best people saves money. Vision Oil Company sets specific guidelines for the agencies when it comes to recruiting potential candidates. Agencies are required to look at the level of competence, the individual’s ability to adapt to change, leadership capabilities, business acumen, and whether the potential candidate has a strong sense of the bigger picture of the business. Then once Vision has acquired the right people, they then put measures in place in order to retain these employees by offering consistency in salaries, bench market and bonuses. Vision Oil Company gives performance bonus to its employees on a monthly basis on top of the normal salary. The performance bonuses start at 20% and can be more depending of the extent of the employee’s good performance. Vision assesses the current estimated potential of employees by giving employees extra projects. A mentor is assigned to guide employees who have been targeted to be future leaders, hence exposing them to different training. For example, a future leader in his first year is assigned a mentor who helps him or her to be exposed to other roles, the second year he gets assigned to a project mentor, the third year, he gets assigned to a specific area of work to look after, and finally on the 4th year he gets appointed on a team leader or supervisor role. So the focus is on a capacity, achievement and relationship. Other aspect on which the HR strategy orients itself is globalisation of the organisation. For example, recently there has been a change HR system whereby the company has moved to an online employee management system. This system has been created in order for employees to get the best use of HR system. For example employees can now apply for leave on-line by completing a leave application form. Employees can also review available leave on-line. This focus on changing the HR system to an online system is in order to promote a paper-less environment. Another example of using an online HR system is that external job-seekers can browse available positions and complete an application on line. Using soft skills for performance is part of Vision’s HR strategy. How people accommodate themselves within a diverse cultural environment due to different languages within the organization. For example, Dutch culture, French culture versus South African culture and others. Finally, socialisation comes in through events such as the year end function where all the employees get to meet each other. This event is usually a dance with refreshments – HR is to sure keep in mind health, safety, security and environmental policies. 4. THE TWO HR FUNCTIONS WITHIN VISION OIL COMPANY Normally the HR department within the organisation possesses more than two HR functions but the two HR functions within the HR department which are most critical to the effective and efficient implementation of the organisational strategy are: Recruitment and Training and Development. 4. 1. RECRUITMENT FUNCTION The Recruitment Function â€Å"is the process of acquiring applicants who are available and qualified to fill positions in the organisation† (Grobler et al, 2006: 166). The recruitment procedure should be followed at all times as all applicants personal details are treated confidentially. The first recruitment method that will be used to acquire applicants for a job is the one of a recruitment agency. This method saves the organisation money by reducing recruitment and selection costs. Vision Oil Company will communicate to the recruitment agency well in advance giving them clear parameters of what is expected in a potential employee. The recruitment agency will then be responsible for advertising the available position, locating and screening potential, short-listing candidates and coordinating interviews. The agency will then send the final selection to Vision Oil Company. This saves Vision Oil Company the time and energy invested into doing this procedure themselves. The recruitment agencies will only send those candidates through to Vision Oil who have the best chance of being re-interviewed and perhaps being hired. On the other hand, the HR specialist proceeds to assist employer with the task of sourcing, interviewing and the accurate placement of relevant job seekers in applicable job vacancies. [ NOT SURE IF THIS FITS IN, MIGHT NEED MORE ELABORATION? ] The recruitment agency is considered to be the bridge between job seekers and employer which is the organisation and in this case Vision Oil Company. This ensures that the right candidate ends up in the right role and fulfils the staffing requirement of the employer. It also provides the core utility of human resource management, candidate sourcing and vacancy placement. Thus, the organisation as employer outsource their staffing requirements to multiple recruitment agencies so as to amplify his reach to a greater pool of job seekers and thus to improve his chances of finding the perfect fit between candidate and vacancy. Vision Oil prides itself in developing talented individuals by means of the Graduate Develop Programme. One can build a rewarding career, with one of the world’s most successful businesses, in any of our existing classes of business or functions. Vision Oil Company is often present at the Career Fairs of the different tertiary institutions around the country. In these different tertiary institutions, the students come and visit the company’s stand and they are given more information about a career at Vision Oil and what they will be offered as an employee. 4. 2. TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT 4. 2. 1 THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING DEVELOPMENT: To begin this section, I would like to highlight the importance of training and development as an HR function by listing some of the advantages that it can bring to an organisation. 1. Training and developments aids in the optimal utilisation of Human Resources within an organisation by helping employees to achieve organisational and individual goals 2. Training and development helps to provide an opportunity to development the human resources technical and behavioral skills within an organisation. This ultimately also helps the employees in attaining personal growth. 3. Training and development can help increase job knowledge and skills of employees at each level. 4. Increases can be seen in productivity of employees through training and development. This further helps the organisation in achieving its long-term goals. 5. Training and developing employees can lead to improvements in organisational effectiveness. 6. Training and development helps build positive perceptions and feelings about the organisation. 7. Training and development helps in creating healthy working environments. It can also help build good employee relationships. This aids in the alignment of individual and organisational goals. 8. Lastly training and development aids in developing leadership skills, motivation, loyalty and better attitudes. Visions Oil’s business strategy identifies key points where employees are concerned. I have listed them below; †¢ Identify people with talent and recruit at graduate level. †¢ Retain people †¢ Develop the talent pool of the business over 4 years †¢ Initiate mentoring programs A clear link can be drawn between the importance of training and developing in order for Vision Oil to reach its organisational objectives. This also highlights the importance of a successful HR strategy in reaching strategic objectives of a company. 4. 2. 2 VISION OIL COMPANY – TRAINING DEVELOPMENT The below segments have been taken from *Vision Oil’s General Business Principles manual – please refer to the underlined sections. I have chosen to highlight these specifically as I feel they clearly indicate Vision Oil’s commitment to their employees with regards to training and development. Our Values *Vision Oil Company employees share a set of core values honesty, integrity and respect for people. We also firmly believe in the fundamental importance of trust, openness, teamwork and professionalism, and pride in what we do. Responsibilities *Vision Oil Companies recognise five areas of responsibility. It is the duty of management continuously to assess the priorities and discharge these inseparable responsibilities on the basis of that assessment. c. To employees To respect the human rights of our employees and to provide them with good and safe working conditions, and competitive terms and conditions of employment. To promote the development and best use of the talents of our employees; to create an inclusive work environment where every employee has an equal opportunity to develop his or her skills and talents. To encourage the involvement of employees in the planning and direction of their work; to provide them with channels to report concerns. We recognise that commercial success depends on the full commitment of all employees. The name of the company has been changed as requested by the company HR person in order to protect company strategy 4. 2. 3 DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION DEVELOPMENT: According to Vision Oil Company’s business profile found on their website – their developed definition for Diversity and Inclusion is as follows: â€Å"Diversity and inclusion means making the most of the different skills and experience peopl e of different cultures, genders and ages bring to the work place† Diversity and inclusion development aligns with the core values and business principles of Vision Oil Company. Vision Oil Company understands the value that a diverse workforce and inclusive employment practice can add to aiding in effective teamwork enhanced decision-making, increased creativity, lower absenteeism and staff turnover, and, in the end, reduced costs. Vision Oil company also fully realises the potential in having such a diverse workforce and the positive effects it has on their business strategy. The advantage is that Vision Oil Company have the ability to use employees from different backgrounds in order to help them better understand the needs of their varied customer base as well as build stronger relationships with them and other important external stakeholder groups. In order to create and maintain a diverse and inclusive workplace, Vision Oil Company actively supports attraction, development, retention and promotion of diverse talent from different regions. They also aim to increase the amount of women in leadership positions as well as offer specialised training programs with the aim of promoting inclusion. . 2. 4 TRAINING DEVELOPMENT STUDENTS Vision Oil spends much time and energy targeting and investing in students who are interested in doing internship work. They have gone as far as developing a first class student internship program whereby they are able to source many talented students who soon become future employees. One of the reasons for this is that Vision Oil hope to secure talented students before they are absorbed by the competition or fall into other industries. Internship programs can last anywhere from four weeks to 1 year and students are able to receive many benefits, for example: †¢ They are afforded the opportunity see inside the energy industry †¢ They are able to take part and be involved in real projects †¢ They get to deal with actual day to day business challenges †¢ They get to work with other Vision Oil employees and students †¢ They receive valuable feedback from senior managers Internships with Vision Oil are paid and taken very seriously. Students gain valuable work experience and are given real work responsibilities and business challenges to deal with. The aim of the Vision Oil’s intern programs are to ensure that students can get maximum benefit from their experience with the company as well as take away a positive image of the company. Vision Oil tailors internships around the abilities and interests of each student. The performance of the interns is continuously assessed. Regular feedback meetings keep the interns updated as to where they are doing well and weaker areas are highlighted and worked on. The aim of regular performance feedback is further develop skills, knowledge and business acumen of the interns. The below resource has been taken from the Vision Oil Website and details the experience of Jide an ex-intern from the Vision Oil Intern Program. Jide highlights the various opportunities, responsibilities and successes that he was exposed to through his internship. Meet Jide A work placement/internship with *Vision Oil Company Gas Power led to real responsibility and challenge and a job offer too. If you think work placements/internships involve little responsibility, youre wrong. Heres what I did during mine. I redesigned the procedures manual for a $3 billion Liquefied Natural Gas plant, which meant taking an in-depth look at issue management methods. I created a sensitivity analysis model to help the negotiating team make informed decisions on a proposed pipeline project. I researched four African countries Angola, Mozambique, Cameroon and Gabon preparing suitability reports and recommendations for the business development team. And I dentified the need for a website, created a structure and wrote a report its now gone forward to the build stage. An internship with *Vision Oil Company definitely stretches you and broadens your thinking. *The name of the company has been changed as requested by the company HR person in order to protect company strategy 4. 2. 5 TRAINING DEVELOPMENT GRADUATE Another on of the highly acclaimed training and development programs offered by Vision Oil is their Graduate Program. All graduates that join Vision Oil Company are automatically entered into the Graduate Development Program. The aim of the Graduate Development Program is to fast track high potential graduates to first line managerial roles within 3 years and to prepare them for senior leadership roles in longer-term. Vision Oil Company takes the personal and professional development of every employee very seriously. Vision Oil has been forward thinking by recognizing that people are what is largely behind their success. They have always been openly committed to providing the training needed to fully optimise the skill and potential of all their employees. Graduates are provided with a variety of training over the course of their program. Training is tailored in order to meet the individual’s personal development and business needs. During the graduate program you be exposed to many of the following training and development programs. †¢ Managerial and leadership skills †¢ Technical and functional skills †¢ Training for recognized professional qualifications †¢ And even English for those who do not have it as a first language Further training that one will receive is: On-the-job learning –enabling graduates to move both sideways and upwards through the business †¢ Training for recognised professional qualifications either through external organisations or Vision Oil Companys own extensive training services and facilities †¢ Personal development programs †¢ Direction and support – from mentorship program and regular appraisals with line managers. 4. 2. 6 TRAINING DEVELOPMENT †“ALL NEW EMPLOYEES *VISION OIL COMPANY LIFE PROGRAM. All a new employees starting out at Vision Oil Company will undergo tailored training and a series of inductions as well as the *Vision Oil Company Life program. Vision Oil Company Life is a highly experiential and interactive program designed with the aim of developing leadership potential. This program also allows employees to reflect on their personal direction, interpersonal effectiveness and business awareness qualities. The *Vision Oil Company Life Program consists of the following aspects: †¢ Five intensive days introducing *Vision Oil Company’s global businesses †¢ Development of business, interpersonal and leadership skills †¢ Networking with other employees from around the world †¢ Challenging of perceptions of yourself and the organisation †¢ Self-confidence building Business awareness *The name of the company has been changed as requested by the company HR person in order to protect co mpany strategy 4. 2. 7 VISION OIL KEY PRINCIPLES FOR EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT The key principles that form that basis of all Vision Oils development programs are as follows: 1. ASSESS DEVELOP – REASSESS After an employee’s skills are assess – feedback and insight is provided highlighting specific strengths and development areas. Each employee is encouraged to recreate an effective development plan with their supervisor based on their strengths and development areas 2. INTERTWINING OF BUSINESS AND DEVELOPMENT OBJECTIVES Vision Oil understands that business objectives cannot be separated from personal development objectives. In the development plan of each employee is is clearly indicated how their individual impact on the organisation will help it grow. This can become an enormous motivator for employees. 3. THE STRONGEST LEADERS USE THEIR STRENGTHS In order to perform at his/ her best, every employee needs to know what his/her strengths and development needs are. Vision Oil works with each employee to achieve the required functional, personal and leadership competences. . 2. 8 IN CONCLUSION – TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT Through the above mentioned examples of a few of Vision Oil Company’s training and development schemes, it is easy to see and understand that as a global company, Vision Oil, are fully behind their employees as a resource aimed at effectively achieving the companies strategic goals. Training and development as an HR func tion has been clearly build up over time and evaluated and implemented to become a complete company function running alongside the company’s strategic objectives. Vision Oil understands the importance of investing in their employees in order to maximize potential, delivery, skills, development, personal and business growth and many more key elements which aid in achievement of key business goals and the successful running of this global empire. 5. SWOT ANALYSIS 5. 1. INTERNAL STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES OF VISION OIL Vision is a global group of energy and petrochemical companies. Their aim is to meet the energy needs of society in ways that are economically, socially and environmentally viable, now and in the future. The objectives of the Vision Group are to engage efficiently, responsibly and profitably in oil, oil products, gas, chemicals and other selected businesses and to participate in the search for and development of other sources of energy to meet evolving customer needs and the world’s growing demand for energy. They believe that oil and gas will be integral to the global energy needs for economic development fro many decades to come. Their role is to ensure that thy extract and deliver them profitably and in environmentally and socially responsible ways. They seek a high standard of performance, maintaining a strong long-term and growing position in the competitive environments in which they choose to operate. They aim to work closely with tier customers, their partners and policymakers to advance more efficient and sustainable use of energy and natural resources. As a global energy company they set high standards of performance and ethical behaviours. They are judged by how they act, their reputation is upheld y how they live up to their core values, honesty, integrity and respect for people. The Vision General Business Principles, Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics help everyone at Vision acts in line with these values and comply with all relevant legislation and regulations. Vision Group companies wee one of the first global companies to state and share their beliefs when they published their General Business Principles in 1976. As part of these principles, they commit to contribute to sustainable development, balancing short and long-term interests and integrating economic, environmental and social considerations into their decision making. All Vision companies are expected to comply with the Vision General Business Principles. In joint ventures, they use their influence to persuade their partners to adopt and apply principles consistent with theirs. They also expect contractors to conform to the principles in all aspects of tier work with Vision companies. Vision is a global company operating in a challenging world. Their Code of Conduct guides employees on how to apply the VGBP in line with their core values of ‘honesty, integrity and respect. It provides practical advice on how to comply with laws and regulations and how to relate to customers, communities and colleagues. Regulatory requirements placed upon them have never been more complex or demanding. The Vision Code of Conduct clarifies the standards they expect their employees to follow and the behaviours they expect them to adopt. The Vision Code of Conduct covers topics such as: National and International Trade, Health Safety and the Environment, Personal and Business Integrity, Financial and Asset Protection, People and Information Management. The Code of Ethics is for Executive Directors and Senior Financial Officers of the Vision Group. This Code of Ethics governs how each of Vision companies groups conducts their affairs. Vision’s key strengths include development and application of technology, and the financial and project management skills that allow them to undertake large oil and gas projects across all of their businesses. They also benefit from having a diverse international business portfolio and customer-focused businesses built around the strength of the Vision brand. As such, they are well placed to be preferred partners for governments and other resource holders, now and in the future. In HR they are responsible for optimizing the success of the Vision business through the effective management and deployment of their most valuable resource – people. 5. 2. External Opportunities and Threats OPPORTUNITIES ? Re-establishment of image ? Make amends with people affected by operation ? Creating parties which will be held accountable for unethical practices ? Establish partnership with local stakeholders ? Extensive research and development Explore new fields Creating a new dependable, ethical culture is daunting for Vision Oil. The least that the company could do is to conduct an ongoing dialogue with local stakeholders who are otherwise are affected by business practices of the company. In addition, Vision Oil must venture into the development, research and promotion of renewable energy sources. The company should conduct studies and researche s about the techniques, materials and policies that would contribute in decreasing the company’s reliance on oil that is very harmful to the environment and human health. The company should also increases its demand on nuclear, solar and hydroelectric as sources of power. The exploration of potential oil fields in order to ease the dependence on Middle East oil could be another opportunity that Vision Oil could exploit. THREATS ? Continued opposition from local nationals who are affected by operations ? Continued discrediting of operations ? Continued negative images and publicity ? New oil players ? Lobby groups Biennially, new oil players emerge within the global oil industry, and they can quickly adjust to the market demands and requirements. Further, these companies are equipped with new technologies and materials in their products and are somehow less affected by state legislations and regulations which govern the use of oil and petroleum products. Lobby groups are another threat to Vision Oil wherein local and international legislations are being influenced in order to make law and statutes stricter, and in a way that it will uphold the ecological and environmental protection. Publicity and press releases are among the many avenues that lobbyists and special interest roups are using in order to convey the message while thereby damaging the reputation of the company. 6. DISCUSSION OF THE HR STRATEGY AS AN HR PROFESSIONAL In order to ensure that the two HR processes or activities effectively contribute to the overall organisational strategy, our HR strategy will be focus on the following: SKILLS DEVELOPMENT We have found a direct threat to Vision Oil Company is the skills shortage in the South African labour pool. In ord er to compensate for this threat, our strategy will involve ensuring that we implement extensive skills training for all staff. Staff skills will also be evaluated regularly in order to ensure that each employee is constantly developing the required skills to perform at his or her best. These evaluations will also aid us in identifying which areas or work tasks employees find the most difficult so that we know specifically which areas of the job to centre training around. LANGUAGE SCARCITY Vision Oil Company needs to recruit employees who are fluent in foreign languages such as French, Dutch and Flemish. The South African labour pool does not have many people with necessary skills that can speak the required languages fluently. In order to combat this threat, we would look into the option of hiring graduates from overseas. This would save time and money that is currently being spent on language training. In addition to that, in order to remain within our legal requirement, we have to hire a certain amount of South African employees. We would like therefore look at extended the current language training from six weeks to six months or even a year. This will help employees that are not French, Dutch or Flemish speaking originally to come to grip with the languages better and instilling more confidence in the employee. It will also aid the company because more South African employees will then be able to be placed in greater roles usually requiring foreign employees. RETENTION Many international competitors of Vision Oil such as Schumberger and Chevron have begun infiltrating the South African market. This means that the labour pool becomes smaller due to the Human Resources being absorbed quicker and my more companies. Our strategy in order to retain employees would be to implement various team building and incentive programs. For instance we would like to arrange a weekly lunch for all employees. We would allocate a day of the week where a cooked meal will be served with refreshments. We feel that this will contribute to good relationships amongst employees and promote a positive working environment. In addition to that, we would also like to implement departmental competitions and incentives where we would have different competitions and schemes running. Employees would be able t win prizes based on individual or departmental performance. The prizes that we would offer would be for example holiday packages nationally and internationally. We feel that this will help increase employee’s motivation, team-work and again promote a pleasant work environment. 7. CONCLUSION 8. REFERENCES 1. Financial Analysis  Ã¢â‚¬â€œ Vision Oil. Report. Research and Market Retrieved on www. researcghandmarkets. com/reports/353424/. The Top Ten Oil and Gas Companies. Industry Report. Gravitie Limited. 2. Website Reference www. shell. com

Alzheimers Disease, The Third Leading Cause of Death

Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been ranked the third leading cause of death after heart disease and cancer. New research suggests the ways of identifying the causes of death had previously underestimated the impact of AD, a disease that robs memory and physical abilities in seniors (3). The Alzheimer’s Association says the disease cost the US $203 billion in 2013, and by 2025, an estimated 7.1 million people will suffer from the disease (12). Recent decades have focused on ï ¬ nding genetic causes. But now, researchers are looking at how environmental factors may interact with genetics. One genetic factor associated with late-onset AD is called apolipoprotein E (APOE), a gene on chromosome 19 that makes a protein that carries cholesterol and other types of fat in the blood stream. The APOE gene has 3 alleles. APOE2 appears to reduce the risk of AD while APOE3 doesn’t seem to affect the risk at all. But APOE4 is recognized to increase it. 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It is the most common form of dementia, and it is found in around sixty to eighty percent of all cases of dementia. Alzheimer’s is a progressive disorder (physical ailment whose course in most cases is the worsening, growth, or spread of the disease), and it isRead MoreAlzheimer s Disease Is The Most Significant Risk Factor1074 Words   |  5 PagesAlzheimer s Disease Abstract Alzheimer’s disease currently represents the second leading cause of death in people older than 65 years residing in the modern world. (1) Census records attest to this assertion, which has prompted medical researchers to further investigate the etiology and course of development of the disease in order to better treat the debilitating condition. This paper investigates how Alzheimer’s entered the medical lexicon and how its definition has shifted over the past century

The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 24 Free Essays

Ella â€Å"Are you sure you want to do this?† I ask Lila for the thousandth time. She piles the last box into her trunk and slides her glasses over her eyes. â€Å"Hmmm†¦ let me think. We will write a custom essay sample on The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 24 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Go back to a home where I’m nothing but a burden? Or go back to the campus with you and have some fun?† I pick some dirt out from underneath my fingernail. â€Å"I’m just making sure, before you get too committed.† She takes my hands and gives them a swing. â€Å"I want to go with you, okay, so go say good-bye to your dad so we can hit the road.† â€Å"Okay, I’ll be right back.† I head across the front lawn for the door when Ethan’s truck pulls up in my driveway. I walk up to his window and rest my arms on it. â€Å"So you got my message I take it?† He looks like he just came from work, grease on his face and clothes, and his dark hair has some shavings of rust in it. â€Å"Yeah, I figured I’d come and say good-bye to both of you.† I slant my head to the side and pierce him with an accusing gaze. â€Å"Don’t try and pretend that you’re here for me.† He places his hand over his heart, faking hurt. â€Å"My heart is breaking and you’re making jokes. Wow, you really are evil.† â€Å"Yeah, yeah,† I back up so he can open the door and climb out. â€Å"I’ll give you two a minute.† â€Å"I think you’ve overestimating what’s going on between the two of us.† â€Å"Well, I wouldn’t have to if one of you would tell me what’s going on.† He shrugs and then rounds the back of the truck. Rolling my eyes, I walk into the house to tell my dad I’m leaving and that I plan on coming back in a couple weeks to meet up with Dean. After a long talk on the phone with him – and I’m sure a lot of persuading from Caroline – we decided to meet up here, when Dean can take off work, and give my dad an ultimatum. It’s probably one of the hardest things I’ll have to do, because I know there will be things said during the conversation that will hurt me. I’m going to push through it, though, because now I understand what I can handle. I find him on the couch, eating a microwave dinner, with a six-pack on the table in front of him. He’s watching the television, with a cigarette in his hand, and he barely notices me enter the room. â€Å"Hey Dad,† I say from the doorway. â€Å"I’m getting ready to leave.† He rips his eyes from the television, startled, and I wonder if he was even watching it or if he was dwelling in his thoughts. â€Å"Oh, okay, well drive safely.† I rub my sweaty palms together and walk into the room. â€Å"Dean and I are going to be coming back in a few weeks.† He sets his tray down and grabs a beer. â€Å"What for?† I pat my hands on the sides of my legs uneasily. â€Å"We want to talk to you about something.† He sets the beer down. â€Å"I thought Dean was still here.† I shake my head, feeling guiltier about leaving. â€Å"He went home a week or two ago†¦ but Dad, can you try and take care of yourself a little bit better?† I take a deep breath and throw a hint out into the open. â€Å"And maybe stop drinking so much?† He glances at the row of beers in front of him like he just realized they were there. â€Å"Oh, I don’t drink that much, do I?† I sigh and sit down on the couch beside him. â€Å"You didn’t used to, but now it’s kinda all you do.† He bobs his head up and down. â€Å"Alright, I’ll try to cut back.† I know he won’t, but hopefully Dean and I will be able to convince him to go to rehab where he can get the help and counseling that he needs. I give him a hug, even though he winces. Then I walk away, hoping he’ll be okay, but knowing that until he makes the decision to change all I can do is try to help him. How to cite The Secret of Ella and Micha Chapter 24, Essay examples

Retail Loading Inventory System free essay sample

Introduction Along the rapidly advancing technology, there also arises a need to adopt the easy way to earn money. In every corner you will find an E-Load station. At the rate that people use their mobile phones and prepaid broadband connections, loading is now a basic need. It is needed for services ranging from communication, internet, bill payments and sales. A reloading business seems to be an easy way to earn money. It is because mobile phone now a day is necessity. Everyone asks for loads meaning everybody are customer. Dealers and retailers don’t need to ask people to buy their product because customer will automatically go for it when they need a mobile phone loads. This business is the most feasible business today it is because there about 35 million mobile phone subscriber and sending 1 million messages daily in the Philippine. Now a day, Entrepreneurs and consumers are investing and spending their money in easiest way to earn profit with the help of advancing technology. They can manage easily and manipulate their business without monitoring their sales per hour sales to compute the expected target income. With this, the researcher saw the opportunity to improve their business skills by creating an inventory system that will enhance their knowledge in manipulating and managing reloading business. Background of the study In a prepaid mobile phone, topping-up or reloading is needed to further enjoy the service offered by the proprietorship. There are a lot of options on how to reload a prepaid mobile phone. The most popular process is through purchasing prepaid card but due to security precautions, electronic reloading was developed. The technology of Electronic Reloading was first introduced in the Philippine by Smart Communication branding the service as SmartLoad and considered to be the world’s first electronic reloading service. The service offered micro-top ups meaning prepaid subscriber can top-up prepaid credits with small denomination. The service gained popularity and soon after other service provider also used technology in offering prepaid top-ups to its subscribers. In the Philippines, service provider uses different branding for electronic reload service. Smart Communication, Globe Telecoms and Sun Cellular use SmartLoad, AUTOLOADMax and XpressLoad respectively in branding the service. Entrepreneur and retailer of reloading businesses encountered problem in monitoring their targeted income. They also need to have an easy way to manage their returning customer by offering fast and good services. Purpose and Description The purpose of this study entitled â€Å"Retail loading inventory system of major network: GLOBE, SMART, and SUN† is to provide entrepreneur, proprietor, manager, and retailer an easy way to monitoring and updating their targeted income for the week, month and year. Aside from this, the researcher saw the need to minimize the hard work for the returning customer and need to establish inventory system to help both retailer and consumer to gain income and provide good services. Retail Loading Inventory System of major network: GLOBE, SMART, and SUN can encourage entrepreneur and retailer to have a retail loading business because this project has already formulated system to compute the targeted income of the business owner. The development of the system can help retailer to have technology advancement. Conceptual Framework This study entitled â€Å"Retail loading inventory system of major network: GLOBE, SMART, and SUN† help entrepreneur and retailer to easily manage and monitor the financial aspect of the retail loading system. By keeping the track of how much and how many times the retailer has reloaded so that the system can compute the expected target income. The target income should be enough to recover the expenses acquire and capital investment. Input Process Output The Figure above shows that the system requires the user to input the username and password for them to access the system. There was a manual process where retailer does the manual typing the list of customer reloaded to automatically compute the financial statement needed. It is resulted to Financial Statement and Files record of customer where the retailers can easily monitor and manage the targeted income and minimize hard work for multiple works. Statement of the Problem This study aimed to develop a Retail loading inventory system of major network: GLOBE, SMART and SUN. Specially, this sought answer to the following questions: 1. Do you earn more than your investment in Retail loading? a. Yes b. No c. Maybe 2. Is Retail loading profitable? a. Yes b. No c. Maybe 3. It is difficult to avail this kind of business? a. Yes b. No c. Maybe 4. Is it your retail business in demand in your place? a. Yes b. No c. Maybe Hypothesis It is hard to manage retail loading business in terms of computing targeted income you need to earn? a. Yes b. No c. Maybe Scope and Limitation The system require advance technology such as computer to the purpose of monitoring and managing financial stability of the retail loading business, minimize work of reloading the returning costumer and creating strategies to make business more in demand to the people. With the inventory system, the retailer can track and monitor the income and expenses acquired by the business and help them to know whether their income can be enough to recover the expenses acquired. It is also help them to minimize work of reloading returning customer because every number of customer is already recorded, their unique number use to track the transaction and know how many times their transact. This can be used to make promos for the returning customer. In the development of the system, software is use Microsoft Access 2010 and SQL database. The system requires atleast 300 RAM, colored monitor, keyboard and mouse. It can be used without internet connection. With regards to limitation, the system is restricted only with the retailer because he is the owner and right to making changes in the system. The system is track and monitor by each network provider which is Globe, Smart and Sun including their sub network such as TM and TalkNtext for the Globe and Smart respectively. Significance of the Project Study entitled â€Å"Retail loading inventory system of major network: GLOBE, SMART and SUN† can help to the following: To the Entrepreneurs. The developed system provides business that the investors put their money and have a business that can help economic stability. To the Retailers. The developed system helps to minimize the hard work about the multiple returning customers and formulated financial statement needed for the business. To the Manager. The developed system provides and efficient way to manage and monitoring whereabouts they can easily access the system and making strategies for the business. To the Researcher. The developed system plays a big role in helping their to discover, learn and enhance their knowledge in enhancing the business and doing the entire system. Definition of terms Technical terms The following terms are defined technically: Software. A general term used to describe a collection of computer programs. Microsoft Access. Is a database management system that combines relational Microsoft Jet Database Engine with graphical user interface and software-development tools. ( office. microsoft. com/en-001/access) SQL. Short for Structured Query Language providing data manipulation (store, retrieve, update, delete) and database creation. Inventory System. A process of tracking and monitoring different network provider to maintain target income. E-Loading. Short for Electronic reloading prepaid subscriber can top-up prepaid credits in small denomination. Operational Terms The following terms are defined operationally. Retailer. A business or a person that sells load to the consumer and has thr right to access all program in the system. Username. An identification used by retailer to access the system. Password. An secret word or phrase that can identify the username to access the system. Financial statement. Include the incomes statement, and expenses acquired and real income earned. CHAPTER 2 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE AND STUDIES This chapter discussed the literature and studies on Retail loading inventory system which has evident relation to the study. Related Literature Foreign Literature According to Mr. Eugene F. Brigman, Fundamentals of Financial Management, 5TH edition, it cited the importance and effectiveness of using computer database inventory system. According to him a computer start with an inventory counts in memory. Withdrawals are recorded by the computer as they are made, and the inventory balance is constantly revised. When the recorded point is reached, the computer automatically places an order, when this new transaction is received, the recorded balance is increased. It used the latest technology in supporting this project to secure and to maintain the earn profits of this financial inventory system. Results were automatically produced by the system therefore saving valuable time and resources. According to Dollar Days the Basics of Retail Math, Retailing is all about change, because consumers change and so do their tastes. If you don’t change, you don’t grow. Financial Freedom, Setting your own schedule, being your own boss. Take your pick no matter what your collateral reasons for opening a retail store, the numbers are obviously what drive your decision about whether or not to invest the large and intense amount of time and effort it takes to build a business you can call your own. By Marvin Traub, former Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Bloomingdale’s. Bloomingdale’s is an upscale chain of department stores currently owned by Macy’s Inc. Founded in 1861, its primary competitors are Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bergdorf Goodman, Barneys New York, Lord Taylor and Nordstrom. According to a website (http://www. studymode. com/essays/Chapter-Ii-Related-Literature-And-Studies-767850. html), It cited that it is nearly impossible to overemphasize the importance of keeping inventory levels under control, â€Å"Ronals Pachura wrote in an article for IIE solutions ( IIE reserves the right to manage its system and network resources utilized by each web site, and to make whatever changes necessary to ensure optimum performance for all of our customers. ), â€Å"Whether the problems incurred are cause by carrying too little or too much inventory, manufacturers need to become aware that inventory control is not just a materials management or warehouse department issue. The purchasing, receiving, and accounting departments all contribute to the accuracy of the inventory methods and records. â€Å"It is little wonder that business experts commonly cite inventory management as a vital element that can spell the difference between success and failure in today’s keenly competitive business world. Writing in Production and Inventory Management Journal, Godwin Udo described telecommunications technology as a critical organizational asset that can help a company realize important competitive gains in the area of inventory management. According to Technology Advances in Retail In the general enterprise market, wireless LAN’s are being adopted primarily as part of the networking infrastructure, to support standard desktop applications such as email, web browsing, file server access, and other conventional enterprises applications. In the retail industry, wireless LAN’s are deployed to support much more specific and Innovative applications, with a focus on either improving existing processes or adding new ones. According to a PDF file document (ARUBA NETWORKS), Improving Margins using Wireless Networks. The retail industry is one that lives and dies on margins, with managers on a never-ending quest to increase revenue and decrease costs. Technology has been an area of intense focus in retail industries as a way to accomplish both goals. Improvements have been made in areas such as supply chain management, Inventory management, customer experience, and loss prevention. Wireless technology, permitting communication between people and devices anywhere and without cables, has enabled the dramatic transformation of business processes in the past, and continues to do so. However, wireless deployment, inadequate management solutions, lack of standards, and availability of innovative solutions. Rapid advances in wireless local area network (WLAN), technology in recent years along with widespread adoption of the technology. This white paper discusses the applications for this technology, the security requirements in a retail environment, and considerations when selecting the right architecture for mobile network deployments.

Destiny Washington Essays (1531 words) - Poetic Form, Stanza

Destiny Washington Professor Hart Eng 380 2 April 2017 Forbidden Fruit: Gwendolyn Brooks's "A song in the front yard" I've stayed in the front yard all my life. I want a peek at the back Where it's rough and untended and hungry weed grow's . A girl gets sick of a rose. I want to go in the back yard now And maybe down the alley, To where the charity children play. I want a good time today. They do some wonderful things. They have some wonderful fun. My mother sneers, but I say it's fine How they don't have to go in at quarter to nine. My mother, she tells me that Johnnie Mae Will grow up to be a bad woman. That George'll be taken to Jail soon or late (On account of last winter he sold our back gate.) But I say it's fine. Honest, I do. And I'd like to be a bad woman, too, And wear the brave stockings of night-black lace And strut down the streets with paint on my face When restricted from something, one naturally becomes fascinated with the very thing, they are restricted from. "A song in the front yard," by Gwendolyn Brooks, creates an analogy of the difference between the poor and wealthy. She ope ns the poem with intensity, making the reader eager to read the next line. The format of the poem is broken into four stanzas. Brooks opens the poem with the metaphor of a luminous life in the backyard and a boring life in the front. There are couplets present at the end of each stanza. Brook's incorporates alliteration, hyperbole and personification and repetition to develop a deeper meaning and purpose of the poem .. In regard to poetic feet, Brook's presents a combination of iambic and anapestic feel. The poem was written in the 1940's at a time when segregation was still legal in specific parts of the United States. This texts connects with social issues that occurred during the time in which it was written. With the black commu nity already having gone through the New negro movement in the 1920's, leading up to new issues with social class, and even the Great depression. Some African Americans were able to relocate and better the lives for themselves and their families, while others weren't able to. Even in the midst of the African American community being less than; inside their own community there was division. The intended audience of the poem is for both the youth and parents. It emphasized in youth nothing is ever enough. Young people always yearn for what they do not have. Brook's comes from an educated background, and displays this with her choice of diction throughout the poem. The words she chooses to vividly describe each action, person, place and thing was carefully crafted. She encourages her readers to dig deep to fully grasp the message. She isn't speaking to the community. She is speaking for and with the community with this poem. She is the voice of the young girls who steadily rema in hungry for more in life, and not allow themselves to be caged off or segregated by social class. Brook's writes the poem for a first person point of view. The narrator appears to be a naive child, who is unaware of the inappropriate actions she eagerly wants to engage in. "Stayed" , implies that she has not been given the opportunity to go elsewhere besides where her feet are already planted. In the first stanza Brook's uses the word "Peek" When a person wants to peek at something, it's something of interest. The female narrator is in desperate need of a small glimpse of the life she's been kept from. This particular word "Peek" hints to the readers, that she has seen the backyard against the better judgment of her mother. Because she has peeked, she is very aware of the forbidden life in the backyard. The stanza does shift to the usage of strong adjectives such as "rough" and "untended". The phraseology of these words is used to describe the backyard. They also suggest that the life in the backyard, that's yearned for, is also not a

Up and Down Phrasal English Verbs

Up and Down Phrasal English Verbs Phrasal verbs formed with up and down are used to indicate increases and decreases in a number of qualities. Each use is indicated by a specific general quality followed by a synonymous verb or short definition. There are two example sentences for each phrasal verb with up or down. Heres an example: Up Increase in ValueDown Decrease in Value to put up (S) to raiseThe supermarket put coffee prices up in January. to bring down (S) to reduceThe recession brought profits down sharply. Remember that phrasal verbs can be either separable or inseparable (review separable inseparable phrasal verbs). Each phrasal verb is also marked as separable (S) or inseparable (I). In the case that verbs are separable, examples will use the separable form of the phrasal verb. For inseparable phrasal verbs, examples keep the phrasal verbs together. Phrasal Verbs With Up Up Increase in Value to put up (S) to raise Well have to put our prices up to compete.Have they put the price of corn up recently? to go up (I) to increase The price of gas went up in March.Our rent went up in January. Up Increase in Size to bring up (S) to raise (usually children) They brought their children up to be responsible adults.Were bringing up two children. to grow up (I) to become older Youve grown up since I last saw you.The children grew up so fast. Up Increase in Speed to speed up (I) to go faster in a vehicle He quickly sped up to sixty miles an hour.His motorcycle can speed up to 100 quickly. to hurry up (I) to do something faster, to get ready faster Could you please hurry up?!Ill hurry up and finish this report. Up Increase in Heat to heat up (S) to make hotter Ill heat the soup up for lunch.What should I heat up for dinner? to warm up (S) to make hotter Ill warm this soup up for lunch.Would you like me to warm your tea up? Up Increase in Happiness, Excitement to cheer up (S) to make someone happier Can you cheer Tim up?I think we need to cheer them up with a song or two. to liven up (S) to make something more fun Lets liven this party up with a game.We need to liven this meeting up. Up Increase Sound to turn up (S) to raise the volume Please turn the radio up.I like to turn the stereo up when nobody is home. to speak up (I) to speak with a stronger voice You need to speak up for people to understand you.Please speak up in this room. Up Increase in Strength to build up (S) to increase over time Its important to build your muscle strength up over time.Theyve built up an impressive stock portfolio. to pick up (I) to improve over time My health has picked up over the past few days.The stock market has picked up recently. Phrasal Verbs With Down Down Decrease in Value to bring down (S) to reduce They bring down prices after Christmas.The summer brought heating oil prices down. to go down (I) to decrease The value of the house went down during the recession.Gas prices have gone down dramatically over the past few months. to cut down (S) to reduce the value of Weve cut our research and development budget down significantly.Theyve cut their investments down to half. Down Decrease in Speed to slow down (I) to reduce your speed Slow down when you drive into town.My car slowed down and stopped at the intersection. Down Decrease in Temperature to cool down (S) to a lower temperature Youll cool down after you stop exercising.This cool towel will cool you down. Down Decrease in Excitement to cool down (S) to relax I need to take a moment to cool down.Tom should cool his friend down so we can continue the meeting. to calm down (S) to make less excited I calmed the children down with a movie.It took him a while to calm down after the meeting. Down Decrease in Volume to turn down (S) to reduce the volume Could you please turn that music down?I think you should turn the volume down on the radio. to keep down (S) to remain soft Please keep your voices down in the library.Id like you to keep it down in this room. to quieten down (S) to encourage someone to become quieter Could you please quieten your children down?Id like you to quieten the class down. Down Reduce Strength to water down (S) to reduce the strength of something (often alcohol) Could you water this martini down?You need to water down your argument.

Course work business law environment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Course work business law environment - Essay Example The above legal forms of doing business offer different benefits, rights as well as obligations to the owners of such businesses and as such as one moves from one form of business to another, the extent and nature of the rights and obligations also change. For example, a sole proprietor is personally liable for all the liability of the business running by him and as such the personal property of the sole proprietor is therefore also subject to liquidation if business fails and files for bankruptcy. Similar, in partnership, the partners are subject to personal liability also however as one move up towards formation of a company either a private or a public, the nature and extent of liability start to change. The shareholders of the private and public limited companies are only liable to the extent of their individual shareholding within the business. It is also important to note that in public limited companies, the function of management and ownership are two separate functions i.e. owners and the managers of the business are separate from each other. This paper will prepare a written analysis of a problem which identifies relevant legal principles; identify remedies and obligations appropriate to the circumstances of a legal situation presented in the given question. From the facts provided in the question, it is clear that the apparent form of the business is a sole proprietorship with Ivor being the legal owner of the business and Andrew as the employee of the new business. Sole proprietorship is considered as the oldest and common form of business formation where an individual can form a business without going into too much detail about the legal consequences of the business formation. Typically a Sole Proprietorship is owned and managed by single person and unlike limited company; there is no separation between the ownership as well as the management of the business. This is also the most distinguished character of the

The Responsibility to Protect (R2P) principle is ill suited for the Essay

The Responsibility to Protect (R2P) principle is ill suited for the international legal system and must be abolished - Essay Example The R2P principle required the states to have the first priority in the protection of its citizens but failure to the concerned state to meet to the needs of its citizens, the international community will have the obligation to intervene. The international community would not wait and watch as it had the responsibility to preserve international peace, but not to enforce the laws of the concerned countries.2 However, the mandate of the principle has been exploited through interpretation of its tenets and through the application by humanitarian countries who intrude on the sovereignty of affected states leading to abuse. As such, it is imperative to note that the R2P principle is ill suited for the international legal system and must be abolished. The R2P principle gives consent to the international community to undertake humanitarian intervention with the aim of maintaining peace. However, narrowing down the concept of intervention implies that the international community can get involved in the internal affairs of a country without the consent of the affected country. That is clearly a violation of state sovereignty, which is in most times accompanied by military force.3 Furthermore, such form of intervention results in violations of fundamental human rights. When military forces from outside the boundaries of the country are involved in peace keeping mission without an obligation to enforce the law, the state of lawlessness is likely to result in a huge number of casualties and fatalities in case of combat.4 The UN Charter 2(4) holds ‘protection of human rights’ as its core purpose but then goes ahead to claim that any state can use force â€Å"in any other manner inconsistent with the Purposes of the United Nations†.5 This shows a problem in the interpretation of the mandate of R2P principle given the application of â€Å"force for good† theory. This interpretation is against territorial

Exploring the politics of the Texas Railroad commissions regulation of Research Paper - 1

Exploring the politics of the Texas Railroad commissions regulation of texas oil and gas from 1917-1941 - Research Paper Example In the 1920s, there was a sporadic pattern of cooperation between the state and federal governments. Tensions were high in the coordination of the state activities and those of the federal government over the control of resources. The head quarters of the railroad commission are in the state of Texas in the United States and act as among the most powerful state agencies in the country. The paramount duties and responsibilities of the Texas Railroad Commission were to regulate the entire business of oil and gas exploration and mining in the United States. Most of the oil and gas deposits of the country are in the state of Texas hence the strategic location of the commission’s headquarters in order to ensure proper administration and control of oil and gas exploration activities in the country. In addition to the regulation of gas and oil production in the United States, the Texas railroad commission also monitors and controls major shares of the pipeline safety, uranium mining, gas utilities, liquid petroleum gas safety, and surface coal. All these responsibilities lie under the docket of the commission ever since its inception. The name of the commission is a little confusing to the common citizens who are not aware of the true duties and responsibilities of the company. ... The commission does not have any links or deals with the regulation of railroads in any way at all. The name simply developed out of common utterances. Issues surrounding the commission politics The Texas Railroad Commission had a number of politics surrounding its operations as well as dealing with other factors concerned with their duties and responsibilities. The company had both internal as well as external politics facing its operations and execution of its duties and jurisdictions, especially considering it primary control of the entire industry of oil and gas exploration within the United States of America from the year 1917 to the year 1941. The commission expanded its initial mandate of overseeing petroleum exploration and the regulations of oil pipelines from 1917, to the control of oil and gas production within the entire country in 1919, and finally elevated to the regulation of delivery systems of natural gas in the year 1920. Technically, the Texas Railroad commission g ained control of all the exploration and production activities of oil and gas within the United States, a task that made the commission elevate to become the single most powerful commission in the country, while others argued it had too much power for a single commission. The politics of this commission rose from time to time due to many occurrences in the country. One particular occasion whereby there was high political tension surrounding the activities and duties of the Texas rail road commission was in the 1930s whereby there was an oil boom in the state of Texas. This oil boom led to the escalation of oil prices to 25 cents per barrel. The commission was unable to negotiate a compromise price for the sale of the oil

Nature And Structure Of Mathematics

Nature And Structure Of Mathematics Chapter 2 Literature review In this chapter, literature related to mathematics confidence, reflection and problem- solving are reviewed. The chapter begins with an introduction to mathematics and the occurrence of educational changes and concerns in South Africa. It examines the metacognitive activity reflection and its various facets along with affective issues in mathematics. Then, differentiating between past and current research, the focus will be on how mathematics confidence and reflective thinking relates to the level of achievement and performance in mathematics problem-solving processes. Concluding description will follow, illustrating the relationship between reflection and mathematics confidence during problem-solving processes. 2.1 Mathematics, its nature and structure Mathematics can be seen as a combination of calculation skill and reasoning (Hannula, Maijala Pehkonen, 2004:17) and can further be classified as an individuals mathematical understanding. Mathematics is a process, fixed to a certain person, a topic, an environment or an idea (Hiebert Carpenter, 1992). Mathematics originated as a necessity for societal, technological and cultural growth or leisure (Ebrahim, 2010:1). This desire led to the advancement of concepts and theories in order to meet the needs of various cultures throughout time. With its imprint in nature, architecture, medicine, telecommunications and information technology, the use of mathematics has overcome centuries of problems and continues to fulfil the needs of problem-solvers to solve everyday problems. Although mathematics has changed throughout time, in its progress and influences there are interwoven connections between the cognitive, connotative and affective psychological domains. The increasing demand to process and apply information in a South African society, a society characterised by increasing unemployment and immense demands on schools, still awaits recovery and substance from these cognitive and metacognitive challenges (Maree Crafford, 2010: 84). From a socio-constructivists perspective, developing, adapting and evolving more complex systems should be the aim and goal of mathematics education (Lesh Sriraman, 2005). According to Thijsse (2002:34) mathematics is an emotionally charged subject, evoking feelings of dislike, fear and failure. Mathematics involves cognitive and affective factors that form part of the epistemological assumptions, regarding mathematical learning (Thijsse, 2002:7 that will be discussed in the following section. 2.1.2 Epistemological assumptions regarding mathematics learning English (2007:123-125) lays down powerful ideas for developing mathematics towards the 21st century. Some of these ideas include: 2.1.2.1 A social constructivist view of problem-solving, planning, monitoring and communication; 2.1.2.2 Effective and creative reasoning skills; 2.1.2.3 Analysing and transforming complex data sets; 2.1.2.4 Applying and understanding school Mathematics; and 2.1.2.5 Explaining, manipulating and forecasting complex systems through critical thinking and decision making. With emphasis on the learner, from a constructivist perspective, learning can be viewed as the active process within and influenced by the learner (Yager, 1991:53). Mathematical learning is therefore an interactive consequence of the encountered information and how the learner processes it, based on perceivednotions and existing personal knowledge (Yager, 1991:53). According to DoE (2003:3) competence in mathematics education is aimed at integrating practical, foundational and reflective skills. While altering the paradigms in learning, mathematics education was turned upside down with the shift being towards instructing, administering and applying metacognitive-activity-based learning in schools as claimed by Yager (1991:53) and Leaf (2005:12-18). This change and reform in education and education paradigms is illustrated in Figure 2.1. Early 1900s Early 1900s 1960s 1980s 1980s- 2000s 1980s 2000s The overarching approach with impact on education and therapy focussing on metacognition In Figure 2.1 Leaf (2005:4) states that the intelligence quotient (IQ) is one of the greatest paradigm dilemmas. This approach is designed in the early twentieth century by F. Galton and labelled too many learners as either slow or clever. The IQ-tests did assess logical, mathematical and language preference and dominance in learners but left little or no room for other ways of thinking in mental aptitude (Leaf, 2005:5). In contrast to the IQ-approach is Piagets approach, named after its founder, Jean Piaget, who apposed the IQ-approach. Focussing on cognitive development, he suggests timed stages or learning phases in a childs cognitive development as a prerequisite to the learning process. Piaget exclaims that if a stage is overseen, learning will not take place. A third paradigm, the Information processing age, divided problem-solving into three phases: input, coded storing and output. Designed in an era where technological advances and computers entered schools and the school cur riculum, information processing was seen as comparing the learner with a microchip. Thus, retrieving and storing data and information was seen as a method to practise and learn as being the focus of learning. This learning took place in a hierarchical order, and one phase must be mastered before continuing to a more difficult task. Outcomes Based Education (OBE) was implemented after the 1994 national democratic elections in South Africa. Since 1997 school systems underwent drastic changes from the so called apartheid era. According to the Revised National Curriculum Statement (2003) the curriculum is based on development of the learners full potential in a democratic South Africa. Creating lifelong learners are the focus of this paradigm. After unsuccessfully transforming education in South Africa, a need still exists to challenge some of the shortcomings of the above mentioned paradigms. An Overarching approach is an aided paradigm proposed by Leaf (2005:12). The Overarching approach focuses on learning dynamics or in other words, what makes learning possible. This paradigm utilizes emotions, experiences, backgrounds and cultural aspects in order to facilitate learning and problem-solving (Leaf, 2005:12-15). Above mentioned aspects are also known to associate with performance in mathematics problem-solving (Maree, Prinsloo Claasen, 1997a; Leaf, 2005:12-15). 2.1.3 Some factors associated with performance in mathematics Large scale international studies, focussing on school mathematics, compare countries in terms of learners cognitive performance over time (TIMSS, 2003 PISA, 2003). A clear distinction must be made between mathematics performance factors in these developed and developing countries (Howie, 2005:125). Howie (2005:123) explored data from the TIMSS-R South African study which revealed a relationship between contextual factors and performance in mathematics. School level factors seem to be far less influential (Howie, 2005: 124, Reynolds, 1998:79). According to Maree et al. (2005:85), South African learners perform inadequately due to a number of traditional approaches towards mathematics teaching and learning. Maree (1997b:95) also classifies problems in study orientation as cognitive factors, external factors, internal and intra-psychological factors, and facilitating subject content. One psychological factor in the Study Orientation in Mathematics questionnaire (SOM) by Maree, Prinsloo and Claasen (1997b) is measured as the level of mathematics confidence of grade 7 to 12 learners in a South African context. Sherman and Wither (2003:138) documented a case where a psychological factor, anxiety, causes an impairment of mathematics achievement. A distillation of a study done by Wither (1998) concluded that low mathematics confidence causes underachievement in mathematics. Due to insufficient evidence it could not prove that underachievement results in low mathematics confidence. The study did indicate that a possible third factor (metacognition) could cause both low mathematics confidence and underachievement in mathematics (Sherman Wither, 2003:149). Thereupon, factors manifested by the learner are discussed below. Academic underachievement and performance in mathematics is determined by a number of variables as identified by Lombard (1999:51); Maree, Prinsloo and Claasen (1997); and Lesh and Zawojewski (2007). These variables include factors manifested by the learner, environmental factors and factors during the process of instruction. 2.1.3.1 Some associated factors manifested by the learner Affective issues revolve around an individuals environment within different systems and how that individual matures and interact within the systems (Lombard, 1999:51 Beilock, 2008:339). In these systems it appears that learners have a positive or negative attitude towards mathematics (Maree, Prinsloo Claasen, 1997a). Beliefs about ones own capabilities and that success cannot be linked to effort and hard work is seen as affective factors in problem-solving (Dossel, 1993:6; Thijsse, 2002:18). Distrust in ones own intuition, not knowing how to correct mistakes and the lack of personal effort is regarded as factors that facilitate mathematics anxiety, manifested by the learner (Thijsse, 2002:36; Russel, 1999:15). 2.1.3.2 Some associated environmental factors Timed testing environments such as oral exam/testing situations, where answers must be given quickly and verbally are seen as environmental factors that facilitates underachievement in mathematics. Public contexts where the learner has to express mathematical thought in front of an audience or peers may also be seen as an environmental factor limiting performance. 2.1.3.3 Some associated factors during the process of instruction Knowledge about study methods, implementing different strategies and domain specific knowledge is seen as factors that influence performance in mathematics. It seems as though performance is measured according to the learners ability to apply algorithms dictated by a higher authority figure such as parents or teachers (Russell, 1995:15; Thijsse, 2002:35). Thijsse (2002:19) agrees with Dossel (1993:6) and Maree (1997) that the teachers attention to the right or wrong dichotomy, stresses the fact that mathematics education can also be associate with performance. A brief discussion on mathematics problem-solving will now follow. 2.2 Mathematics problem-solving A mathematics problem can be defined as a mathematical based task indicating realistic contexts in which the learner creates a model for solving the problem in various circumstances (Chalmers, 2009:3). Making decisions within these contexts is only one of the elementary concepts of human behaviour. In a technology based information age, computation; conceptualisation and communication are basic challenges South Africans have to face (Maree, Prinsloo Claasen, 1997; Lesh Zawojewski, 2007). Problem-solving abilities are needed and should be developed for academic success, even beyond school level. According to Kleitman and Stankov (2003:2) managing uncertainty in ones understanding is essential in mathematical problem-solving. Lester and Kehle (2003:510) fear that mathematical problem-solving is currently getting more complex then in previous years. Therefore problem-solving continues to gain consideration in the policy documents of various organisations, internationally (TIMSS, 2003; SACMEQ, 2009; PIRLS, 2009; Moloi Strauss, 2005 NCTM, 1989) and nationally (DoE, 2010; DoE, 2010: 3). As Lesh and Zawojewski (2007:764) states The pendulum of curriculum change again swings back towards an emphasis on problem-solving. Problem-solving is emphasised as a method involving inquiry and decision making (Fortunato, Hecht, Tittle Alvarez, 1991:38). Generally two types of mathematical problems exist: routine problems and non-routine problems. The use and application of non-routine problems, unseen mathematical processes and principles are part of the scope of mathematics education in South Africa (DoE, 2003:10). Keeping track of and on the process of information seeking and decision making, mathematics problem-solving is linked to the content and context of the problem situation (Lesh Zawojewski, 2007:764). It seems as though concept development and development of problem-solving abilities should be part of mathematics education and beliefs, feelings or other affective factors should be taken into account. In the next section a discussion will follow regarding past research done on mathematics problem-solving. 2.2.1 Some research done on mathematics problem-solving in the past Studies on learners performance in mathematics and how their behaviours vary in approaches to perform, was the conduct of research on mathematics problem-solving since the 1930s (Dewey, 1933; Piaget, 1970; Flavell; 1976; Schoenfeld, 1992; Lester Kehle, 2003; Lesh Zawojewski , 2007:764). Good problem solvers were generally compared to poor problem-solvers (Lester Kehle, 2003:507) while Schoenfeld (1992) suggested that the former not only knows more mathematics, but also knows mathematics differently (Lesh and Zawojewski, 2007:767). The nature and development of mathematics problems are also widely researched (Lesh Zawojewski, 2007:768), especially with the focus on how learners seeand approach mathematics and mathematical problems. Polya-style problems involve strategies such as picture drawing, working backwards, looking for a similar problem or identifying necessary information (Lesh Zawojewski, 2007:768). Confirming the use of these strategies Zimmerman (1999:8-10) describe dimensions for academic self-regulation by involving conceptual based questioning using a technique called prompting. Examples of these prompts are questions starting with why; how; what; when and where, in order to provide scaffolding for information processing and decision making. 2.2.2 Working memory, information processing and mathematics problem-solving of the individual learner In the 1970s problems were seen an approach from an initial state towards a goal state (Newell Simon, 1972 in Goldstein, 2008:404) involving search and adapt strategies. 2.2.2.1 Working memory as an aspect of problem-solving The working memory is essential for storing information regarding mathematics problems and problem-solving processes (Sheffield Hunt, 2006:2). Cognitive effects, such as anxiety, disrupt processing in the working memory system and underachievement will follow (Ashcraft; Hopko Gute, 1998:343; Ashcraft, 2002:1). These intrusive thoughts, like worrying, overburden the system. The working memory system consists of three components: the psychological articulatory loop, visual-spatial sketch pad and a central executive (Ashcraft; Hopko Gute, 1998:344; Richardson et al, 1996). 2.2.2.2 Problem-solving persona of the mathematics learner The learner, either an expert or novice-problem-solver is researched on his/her ideas, strategies, representations or habits in mathematical contexts (Ertmer Newby, 1996). Expert learners are found to be organised individuals who have integrated networks of knowledge in order to succeed in mathematics problem-situations (Lesh Zawojewski, 2007:767; Zimmerman, 1994). Clearly learners problem-solving personality affects their achievement. According to Thijsse (2002:33) learners who trust their intuition and perceive that intuition as insight into a rational mind, rather than emotional and irrational feelings, are more confident. The variety of attributes, such as anxiety and confidence, is included in reflective processes either cogitatively or metacognitatively which will be discussed in the next section. 2.3 Cognitive and metacognitive factors Although cognitive and metacognitive processes are compared in literature, Lesh and Zawojewksi (2007:778) argues that mathematics concepts and higher order thinking should be studied correspondingly and interactively. Identifying individual trends and behaviour patterns or feelings, could relate to mathematics problem-solving success (Lesh Zawojewksi, 2007:778). 2.4.1 Cognition processes during mathematics problem-solving Newstead (1999:25) describes the cognitive levels of an individual as being either convergent (knowledge of information) or divergent (explaining, justification and reasoning). 2.3.2 Metacognition 2.3.2.1 Components of metacognition 2.3.2.2 Past research done on metacognition The Polya-style heuristics on problem-solving strategies, mentioned previously, is noted by Lesh and Zawojewski (2007:368) as an after-the-fact of past activities process. This review process between interpreting the problem, and the selection of appropriate strategies, that may or may not have worked in the past, is linked with experiences (negative or positive) which provide a framework for reflective thinking. Reflection is therefore a facet of metacognition. 2.3.3 Reflection as a facet of metacognition Reflection, as defined by Glahn, Specht and Koper (2009:95), is an active reasoning process that confirms experiences in problem-solving and related social interaction. Reflecting can be seen as a transformational process from our experiences and is effected by our way of thinking (Garcia, Sanchez Escudero, 2009:1). 2.3.3.1 Development of reflective thinking Thinking about mathematics problems and reflecting on them is essential for interpreting the given problems provided details about what is needed in order to solve the problem (Lesh Zawojewski, 2007:368). Schoenfeld (1992) mentions an examining of special cases for selecting appropriate strategies from a hierarchical description, but Lesh and Zawojewski (2007:369) argue that this will involve a too long (prescriptive process) or too short conventional list of prescribed strategies. Lesh and Zawojewski (2007:770) rather suggest a descriptive process to reflect on and develop sample experiences. The focus should be on various facets of individual persona and differences, such as prior knowledge and experiences, which differs between individuals. 2.3.3.2 Expansion models for reflectivepractice According to Pletzer et al (1997) applying reflective practice is a powerful and effective way of learning. Three models for reflective practice exist: the reflective cycle of Gibbs (1988), Ertmer and Newby (1996), Johns-model (2000) for structural reflection and Rolfe et als (2001) framework for reflective practice. The first model is that of Gibbs (1988). i Gibbss (1988) model for reflection Gibbs model is mostly applied during reflective writing (Pugalee, 2001). This model for reflection is exercised during problem-solving situations by assessing first and second cognitive levels. A particular situation, such as in Figure 2.2, when the learner has to solve a mathematical problem is described by accompanying feelings and emotions that will be remembered and reflected upon. A conscience cognitive decision will then be made determining whether the experience was a positive (good) otherwise negative (bad) emotion, or feeling. By analysing the sense of the experience a conclusion can be made where other options are considered to reflect upon. (Gibbs, 1988; Ertmer Newby, 1996) iiJohns (2000) model for structural and guided reflection This model provides a framework for analysing and critically reflecting on a general problem or experience. The Johns-model (2000) provides scaffolding or guidance for more complex problems found on cognitive levels three and four. Reflect on and identify factors that influence your actions Figure 2.3Johns model for reflective practice Source:Adapted from John (2000) The model in Figure 2.3 is divided into two phases. Phase 1 refers to the recall of past memories and skills from previous experiences, where the learner identifies goals and achievements by reflecting into their past. This could be easily done using a video recording of a situation where the learner solves a problem. It is in this phase where they take note of their emotions and what strategies were used or not. On the other hand, phase 2 describes the feelings, emotions and surrounding thoughts accompanying their memories. A deeper clarification is given when the learner has to motivate why certain steps were left out or why some strategies were used and others not. They have to explain how they felt and the reason for the identified emotions. At the end the learner should reflect between the in and out components to identify any factor(s) that could have effected their emotions or thoughts in any way. A third model is proposed by Rolfe et al (2001), known as a framework for reflex ive practice. iiiRolfe et als model for reflexive practice. According to Rolfe et al (2001) the questions ‘what? and ‘so what? or ‘now what?, can stimulate reflective thinking. The use of this model is simply descriptive of the cognitive levels and can be seen as a combination of Gibbs (1988) and Johns (2000) model. The learner reflects on a mathematics problem in order to describe it. Then in the second phase, the learner constructs a personal theory and knowledge about the problem in order to learn from it. Finally, the learner reflects on the problem and considers different approaches or strategies in order to understand or make sense of the problem situation. Table 2.1 demonstrates this model of Rolfe et al (2001) in accordance with the models of Gibbs (1988) and Johns (2000) as adapted by the researcher. It shows the movement of thought actions and emotions between different stages of reflection (before, during and after) in problem-solving. Table 2.1Integration of reflective stages and the models for reflective practice Stage 1 Reflection before action Stage 2 Reflection during action Stage 3 Reflection after action Descriptive level of reflection (planning and describing phase) Theory and knowledge building of reflection (decision making phase) Action orientated level (reflecting on implemented strategy-action) Identify the level of difficulty of the problem and possible reasons for feeling, or not feeling, â€Å"stuck†, â€Å"bad† or unable to go to the next step. Pay attention to thought and emotions and identify them. Describe negative attitude towards mathematics problems, if any Observe and notice expectations of self and others: like parents, teachers or peers Evaluate the positive and negative experiences Analyse and understand the problem and plan the next step, approach or strategy Perform the planned action Awareness of ethics, beliefs, personal traits or motivations Recall strategies that worked in the past. Reflect on the solution, reactions and attitudes Source:Adapted from Johns (2000), Gibbs (1988) and Rolfe et al (2001) 2.3.3.3 The reflection process While some research claims, seeing and doing mathematics as useful in the interpretation and decision making of problem-solving processes (Lesh Zawojewski, 2007), a more affective approach would involve feelings or the feelings about mathematics(Sheffield Hunt, 2006), in other words, affective factors. 2.4 Affective factors in mathematics Rapidly changing states of feelings, moderately stable tendencies, internal representations and deeply valued preferences are all categories of affect in mathematics (Schlogmann, 2003:1).Reactions to mathematics are influenced by emotional components of affect. Some of these components include negative reactions to mathematics, such as: stress, nervousness, negative attitude, unconstructive study-orientation, worry, and a lack of confidence (Wigfield Meece, 1988; Maree, Prinsloo Claasen, 1997). Learners self-concept is strongly connected to their self-belief and their success in solving mathematics problems is conceptualised as important (Hannula, Maijala Pehkonen, 2004:17). A study done by Ma and Kishor (1997) confirmed belief, as an affect on mathematics achievement, being weakly correlated with achievement among children from grade 2 to 8. However, Hannula, Maijala and Pehkonen (2004) conducted a study on learners in grade 7 to 12 and concluded that there is a strong correlatio n between their belief and achievement in mathematics. Beliefs and are related to non-cognitive factors and involve feelings. According to Lesh and Zawojewski (2007:775) the self-regulatory process is critically affected by beliefs, attitudes, confidence and other affective factors. 2.4.1Beliefs as an affective factor in mathematics Belief, in a mathematics learner, form part of constructivism and can be defined as an individuals understanding of his/her own feelings and personal concepts formed when the learner engages in mathematical problem-solving (Hannula, Maijala Pehkonen, 2004:3). It plays an important role in attitudes and emotions due to its cognitive nature and, according to Goldin (2001:5), learners attribute a kind of truth to their beliefs as it is formed by a series of background experiences involving perception, thinking and actions (Furinghetti Pehkonen, 2000:8) developed over a long period of time (Mcleod,1992:578-579). Beliefs about mathematics can be seen as a mathematics world view (Schlogmann, 2003:2) and can be divided into four major categories (Hannula, Maijala Pehkonen, 2004:17): beliefs on mathematics (e.g. there can only be one correct answer), beliefs about oneself as a mathematics learner or problem solver (e.g. mathematics is not for everyone), beliefs on teaching mathematics (e. g. mathematics taught in schools has little or nothing to do with the real world) and beliefs on learning mathematics (e.g. mathematics is solitary and must be done in isolation) (Hannula, Maijala Pehkonen, 2004:17). Faulty beliefs about problem-solving allow fewer and fewer learners to take mathematics courses or to pass grade 12 with the necessary requirements for university entrance. Beliefs are known to work against change or act as a consequence of change and also have a predicting nature (Furinghetti Pehkonen, 2000:8). Affective issues, such as beliefs, generally form part of the cognitive domain, anxiety (Wigfield Meece, 1988), which will be dealt with in the next section. 2.4.2 Anxiety Anxiety, an aspect of neuroticism, is often linked with personality traits such as conscientiousness and agreeableness (Morony, 2010:2). This negative emotion manifests in faulty beliefs that causes anxious thoughts and feelings about mathematics problem-solving (Ashcraft; Hopko Gute, 1998:344; Thijsse, 2002:17). Distinction can be made between the different types of anxieties as experienced by learners across all age groups. Some of these anxieties include general anxiety, test or evaluation anxiety, problem-solving anxiety and mathematics anxiety. The widespread phenomenon, mathematics anxiety, threatens performance of learners in mathematics and interferes with conceptual thinking, memory processing and reasoning (Newstead, 1999:2). 2.4.2.1 Mathematics anxiety The pioneers of mathematics anxiety research, Richardson and Suinn (1972), defined mathematics anxiety in terms of the affect on performance in mathematics problem-solving as: Feelings of tension and anxiety that interfere with the manipulation of numbers and the solving of mathematical problems in a wide variety of ordinary life and academic situations This anxious and avoidance-behaviour towards mathematics has far reaching consequences as stressed by a number of researchers (Maree, Prinsloo Claasen, 1997; Newstead, 1999; Sheffield Hunt, 2006 Morony, 2009). Described as a chain reaction, mathematics anxiety consists of stressors, perceptions of threat, emotional responses, cognitive assessments and dealing with these reactions. A number of researchers expand the concept of mathematics anxiety to include facilitative and debilitative anxiety (Newstead, 1998:2). It appears that Ashcraft; Hopko; Gute (1998:343) and Richardson et al (1996) see mathematics anxiety in the same locale as the working memory system. Both areas consist of psychological, cognitive and behavioural components. Although they agree on the same components, Eysenck and Calvo (1999) states that it is not the experience of worry that diverts attention or interrupts the working memory process, but rather ineffective efforts to divert attention away from worrying a nd instead focus on the task at hand. 2.4.2.2 Symptoms for identifying mathematics anxiety Mathematics anxiety is symptomatically described as low (feelings of loss, failure and nervousness) or high (positive and motivated attitude) confidence in Mathematics (Maree, Prinsloo Claasen, 1997a:7). Dossel (1993:6) and Thijsse (2002:18) states that these negative feelings are associated with a lack of control when uncertainty and helplessness is experienced when facing danger. Unable to think rationally, avoidance and the inability to perform adequately causes anxiety and negative self-beliefs Mitchell, 1987:33; Thijsse, 2002:17). Anxious children show signs of nervousness when a teacher comes near. They will stop; cover their work with their arm, hand or book, in an approach to hide their work (May, 1977:205; Maree, Prinsloo Claasen, 1997; Newstead, 1998 Thijsse, 2002:16). Panicking, anxious behaviour and worry manifests in the form of nail biting, crossing out correct answers, habitual excuse from the classroom and difficulty of verbally expressing oneself (Maree, Prinsloo Claasen, 1997a). Mar