Operational difference Essay Example for Free

Operational difference Essay Both McDonalds Corporations and Burger King Corporation operate in the highly competitive and growing fast food industry. In a fierce battle to capture market share both companies operate in an environment of tight controls and clearly defined operations strategies. While McDonalds has opted to offer a standardized product to its customers, Burger King has attempted to capture market share by offering its customers the flexibility to customize. The advertising slogans, Have It Your Way by Burger King vs We Do It All For You by McDonalds explains the difference in production methods. Therefore, the operational strategy has direct implications on the process flow, the output, the human resource management and the bottom line of each company. McDonalds uses a batch process to cook hamburgers (Exhibit A). Using a batch process means that the speed of delivery is dependent upon the speed and experience of the individual worker. Hamburgers are cooked on a large platen, in batches of up to twelve. Two or more batches may be on the platen at one time, in various stages of cooking. This means that a worker is required to manage the grill exclusively during rush hours. The hamburgers are hand-seared after 20 seconds on the grill, turned at 60 seconds, and pulled at 100 seconds. While the hamburgers are cooking, buns are toasted (55 seconds) the crown of the bun is dressed and condiments are added. When the hamburgers come off the grill, workers complete the hamburger as per the pre-defined guidelines, wrap and shelve them in the bin. If there are two batches going in different stages of cooking, speed is essential to keep the production moving For years, McDonald’s and Burger King (BK) have been the world’s two largest and most successful fast food chains. Both have battled out all these years over their operational differences which form the core of their corporate culture. The â€Å"Doing It All For You† (McDonald’s) vs. â€Å"Having It Your Way† (BK’s) stems from their respective production methods. McDonald’s â€Å"Made to Stock† vs. BK’s â€Å"Made to Order† also originate from the differences in their respective processes. Exhibits 1 and 2 show the Process Flow Diagrams (PFDs) of McDonald’s and BK respectively. Exhibit 3 provides a detailed comparative analysis of the PFDs of these two fast food chains. The main operational difference between McDonald’s and BK is that McDonald’s cooks their hamburgers on grills using a â€Å"batch process† (a batch of upto 12 patties/grill) with human intervention to turn, sear, and pull. BK uses the machine based – Continuous Chain Broiler assembly process (8 burgers/meat chain) for the production of their burgers – similar to an assembly line in a manufacturing process thus, requiring no human intervention. For a â€Å"made to stock† process, it requires burgers in bulk and hence the batch process in McDonald’s. Whereas, for a â€Å"made to order† process, it requires an assembly chain process where meat patties are placed at one end and after 80 seconds they come out the other end, cooked – one by one. Also, since BK harps on â€Å"make to order† process, it requires a semi-finished inventory – Steam Table in which mated buns and patties sit for 10 minutes and then discarded. In McDonald’s â€Å"continuous process† there is no such inventory and all the buns and patties are mated during the assembly process following the dressing. It should be noted that mating of the buns and patties before the assembly process in BK is a result of BK’s variety of menu. Whoppers and Burgers both are of different sizes and hence the mating before assembly process. McDonald’s menu† less product more often†.

What Is Performance Management?

What Is Performance Management? This chapter starts with the various definitions of performance management as described by different authors. Literature review is a process that empowers readers with a lot of information and knowledge, it can however be argued that such a process can be challenging as one has to integrate viewpoints of various authors in order to come up with a new viewpoint. (Brynard, et al 1997: 54) stated that a researcher should always try to follow the last mentioned action, as this is the path to the creation of new knowledge. 2.1 Defining Performance Maila (2006) stated that performance implies the action of doing things that is using things, attending to conditions, processing, communicating and achieving results. Performance is the actual work that is done to ensure that an organisation achieves its mission. In summary, performance encompasses inputs, conditions, processes elements, outputs, consequences and feedback. According to Maila (2006), the end product of performance should be measured against four elements that are: quantity, quality, cost or risk factors and time. The idea of measuring the end product is fully supported as it can be argued that a product can be in any form that is good or bad, hence the need to have it measured. 2.2 What is performance management? Different authors have attributed different meanings to performance management as illustrated below: In 1998 Armstrong and Baron define performance management can be defined as strategic and integrated approach to delivering sustained success to organizations by improving the performance of the people who work in them and by developing the capabilities of teams and individual contributors. Moreover Performance management is a system for integrating the management of organisational and employee performance (Williams, 2002 as cited by Maila, 2006:13). Also Performance management is defined as the systematic process by which an agency involves its employees, as individuals and members of a group, in improving organisational effectiveness in the accomplishment of agency mission and goals, this was obtained through (U.S. Office Personnel Management, (Undated) Fletcher (1992) defines performance management as an approach to creating a shared of the purpose and aims of organisation, helping each individual employee to understand and recognise their part in contributing to them, and thereby managing and enhancing the performance of both individuals and the organisation. He suggests that the approach include development of the organisation objectives and mission, enhancing communication within employer and employees so that they will be well aware of the objectives and planning of the business. This approach can also clarifies individual performance, rewarding and improving the performance of the staff and career development It has been pointed by Michael Armstrong (1994) Performance management is means of getting better results from the organisation, teams and individuals by understanding and managing performance within an agreed framework of planned goals, standards and attributes competences requirements. It is a process of for establishing shared understandings about what is to be achieved, and an approach to managing and developing people in a way which increases the probability that it will be achieved in the short and long term. The researcher has found some common words to arrive at this definition: performance management is a continuous process between staff and supervisors agreeing on the activity to be performed, how it should be measured and within what period, with an aim to accomplish a goal at employee and organisational level. Performance management may be defined as a formal and systematic process, by means of which the job-relevant strengths and weaknesses of employees are identified, observed, measured, recorded and developed. Performance management provides the opportunity for the organization to evaluate and take stock of its human resources. It also provides information so that important decisions can be taken and gives feedback for further development of staff (Doris, 1994:160). It gives management the opportunity for communication with staff, to clarify expectations and to take part in the development of each staff member. For the employer, it gives the opportunity to discuss with employees their performance and career goals for the future (Doris, 1994:161). Moreover Armstrong (1994) Performance is a process for establishing shared understanding about what is to be achieved, and an approach to managing and developing people in a way in which increases the probability that it will be achieved in the short and long term. It focuses on improving performance trough better result from organisation, team and individual by understanding and managing performance within agreed framework of planned objectives. According to IRS Management Review in 1996 to Performance management is a way of translating corporate goals into achievable objectives and cascade down throughout the organization to produce optimum results. Being a continuous and evolutionary process, performance improves over time. It relies on consensus and cooperation rather than control or coercion and encourages self management of individual performance. Performance management is an ongoing communication process, undertaken in partnership, between an employee and his or her immediate supervisor that involves establishing clear expectations and understanding about: The essential job functions the employee is expected to do. How the employees job contributes to the goals of the organization. What doing the job well means in concrete terms. How employee and supervisor will work together to sustain, improve, or build on existing employee performance. How job performance will be measured. Identifying barriers to performance and removing them. (Doris, 1994:163). 2.3 Aims of performance management The overall aims of performance management is to establish a high performance culture in which individuals in which individual and teams take responsibility for the continuous improvement of the business process and to make significant contribution to individual and organisational effectiveness and growth. 2.3.1 Employee development Performance management is concerned with sustainable improvement of individuals, increasing their job satisfaction and achieving their finest potential for their personal advantage and that of the organisation as a whole. 2.3.2 Communication and Involvement One of the major aims of performance management is to promote commitment to the organization and its goals by putting together individual and organizational objectives. Performance management creates a climate where there is permanent dialogue between managers and their staff. Managers can clarify expectations, organisations strategies and also the mission, values, norms and objectives of the organisation. Conversely, employees also can speak out their objectives, opinion and expectation and how they should be handled and treated. 2.3.3 Assess Performance Performance management facilitates accuracy and objective measurement and assessment of performance in relation to the established aims and principles, so that employees receive feedback from managers and supervision about their work. 2.3.4 Identify Training Needs A  Training Needs Analysis  (TNA) is used to determine an organizations training needs. The basis of the TNA is the gap analysis. This is an assessment of the gap between the knowledge, skills and attitudes that the people in the organization currently hold and the knowledge, skills and attitudes that they need to meet the organizations objectiveshttp://www.nwlink.com/~donclark/hr/performance.jpg 2.3.5 Provide a basis for reward Performance management offers a basis for rewarding people in relation to their contribution by financial and non-financial means. It consists of performance related pay (PRP) and the Employees can feel the impact of their hard work by quickly appreciating the results. 2.4 Evolution of Performance Management As far back as World War I, WD Scott was qualified with coming up with performance appraisal. Formal Performance Appraisal systems were well recognized by the mid 1950s, with personality-based systems being commonly used. McGregor (1957) illustrated the unease surrounding the use of personality-based ratings and advocated a more participative approach and performance-based approach, including an element of self-appraisal. In the 1960s, the influence of the management by objectives movement meant that performance appraisal developed a greater importance on goal-setting and the assessment of performance-related skills. In the 1970s, appraisal practices became more open to analysis and, as a consequence, a number of legal cases were brought. One effect of this was an increase in research into rating scales and their use. Through the 1980s and 1990s, the concept of performance management came into the system, and this, according to Williams (1998), provided a more holistic approach to generating motivation, getting better performance and controlling human resources.   For example, in the UK school system, performance management is central to efforts to improve standards in education (both locally and nationally). Therefore, when understanding about appraisal it must quickly become clear that our attention is not just on perfect measurement. We are also concerned in issues such as: What persuades the quality of performance appraisal data? How do employees notice the appraisal process? How might the appraisal process be employed to motivate and develop staff? While, traditionally, job related tasks may have been perceived as the key elements in appraisal, appraisal now engage in a broader matter. Briscoe and Hall (1999) propose that employee development is underpinned by a set of meta competencies including qualities such as perfect self-awareness, feedback seeking, and openness to a range of information and perceptions etc. Other factors such as communication and teamwork skills, stress and conflict reduction, handling of emotion and care are now often observed as important concept to be considered and handle through performance appraisal and management processes. New recent improvement, include the reducing hierarchical environment of many organisations, have led to the increased use of multi-source, multi-rater feedback methods, more commonly known as 360-degree feedback. The sorts of changes that have overhauled organisations have distressed the environment of work itself, and the continuing rate of change means that the definition of what a job is, and what good performance is, are less stable concepts. It is also worth recalling that the majority of research on performance appraisal is drawn from a UK / US perspective. However, as Fletcher (2008) points out, national culture is likely to have a major impact on the way appraisals are carried out. Fletcher (2008) argues that in Western (high individualism) cultures where being assertive and determination is appreciated, appraisal is generally focused on the individual and what they do; in Asian cultures (strong collectivism) the sense of hierarchy and acceptance of authority, the focus on Western performance appraisal practices on individual performance, accountability and open confrontation are unlikely to be seen as appropriate (p. 175). Therefore, it is not always possible to believe that the findings from a piece of performance appraisal study will generalise across all national and organisational cultures. 2.5 Methods of appraising performance Performance appraisals are conducted by companies in order to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the employees; the frequency and methods of the performance appraisals are determined by the corporation. There are several performance appraisal methods that can be used to provide feedback on employee performance. Performance appraisals are used to provide feedback on an employees performance, provide the basis for a merit increase, create a development plan and provide the foundation for future promotions. Performance appraisal is conducted through different ways in various organizations. These ways are classified in two types: Traditional and development methods. Traditional methods are methods that have been in use in the organization since long. It is normally based upon their traits and is related to the self-appraisal of employees. 2.5.1 Paired Comparison In this style, there are a number of options which will be able to make full use of it. Each option can be compared with the others. Then, the results will be calculated and the one which has the highest score will be opted. 2.5.2 Graphic Rating Scales It is one of the most popular methods of performance appraisal. In this method, each employee is rated according to their performance. . The factors that need to take into consideration are the personal characteristics and characteristics related to the job performance of the employees. Figure 3 shows an example of the graphic rating scales. 2.5.3 Weighted Checklist Method In this method, the appraisal is made where the jobs are evaluated based on the performance and characteristics of the employee. It is a type of rating performance appraisal. The checklist contains a list of allegation on the basis of which the employer describes on the job performance of the employees. 2.5.4 Free Essay method A statement is prepared by the manager which will be focused on the workers strong and weak behaviour. It may also suggest certain remedy in case of problems concerning the employee. The statement may be written and edited by the appraiser alone, or it be composed in along with the appraisee. The essay can be open-ended but in most cases there are guidelines that need to be followed. 2.5.6 Critical incidence method The rater is required to record the good and bad behaviour of the employees related to a certain incidence. The recorded statement will normally consist of a brief of what happened in the incidence. There are two factors that make the use of critical incident successful, first, the manager must be given ample time to observe the subordinate during evaluation. The manager must take time to record the incident as many of the incidents may be forgotten. 2.5.7 Ranking This form of performance appraisal, the manager will compare the employee with other employees having the same kind of job. The performance is ranked from best to worst. This method is least favoured types of evaluations, yet many large employers utilize this, method of appraisal.   Development methods are methods that have been introduced during the last decades. It is also known as result method. 2.5.8 Assessment center Under this method, several evaluators come together to judge employee performance in job related simulations by making use of a variety of criteria that are considered important in the appraissees job. 2.5.9 Behavioural Anchored Rating Scale (BARS) This style is based on rating the employees behaviors in order to determine how effective the workers are. It is normally the combination of critical incidence and graphic rating scales. 2.5.10 360 Degree Feedbacks It is a style which obtains feedback from internal and external people in order to get more accurate perspective of an employees performance. Internal customers are those who work in the organization like managers, supervisors while external customers are those who are outside the organization like clients, suppliers. 360 Degree Feedback is a system which employees obtain confidential, anonymous feedback from their colleagues. The feedback process gives people an opportunity to adjust behaviours and develop skills that will help them to excel at their jobs.   2.5.11 Management by Objectives (MBO) Management by objectives is one of the most comprehensive methods of performance appraisal. It begins with when goals are set and ends with the results. It also consists of monitoring constantly the employees to improve their performance so a regular feedback is given to them.MBO is considered more than an evaluation program and process. With this technique, a manager can control, plan, organize, practice and communicate. 2.6 Performance management cycle A  performance management  cycle (PMC) is a system used by managers and executives in organisation to support employee growth and  job satisfaction. As illustrated below performance management cycle linked together. Perhaps one of the most important concepts of performance management is that it is a continuous process that reflects normal good management practices of setting direction, monitoring and measuring performance and taking action accordingly. The management cycle can be categorised as shown below: The strategic objectives for organisation as a whole as well as each line of business/ corporate function and each functional area are determined each year. The organisation goals are being broken down in line if business/corporate function goals and from there flowing down to individuals. Appropriate communication skills are being used to make employees understand the measurement of their performance and the system that will be used. The determinations of team members contribution are being identified before agreement takes place. Success hint are also specifies as per business plan and establishment objectives. Key result Area (KPAs) and key performance indicators are identified and by taking into consideration relative weights before concluding performance agreements. The planning phase must be agreed by line managers and employees. The performance agreement should contain a job profile job description delegation of authority (if any), individual development plan and statement of individual vision, mission and values. Also it has Key areas result, measurable criteria, and weight. Both employees and relevant managers should keep a copy of performance in which they should agree on the key result areas and measurement criteria, discuss barriers of performance, personal development and career planning and coaching. A formal review and assessment is being conducted and employees are being made aware so that they can be prepared for performance appraisal. Feedback is honest open fair and constructive to the level promising. It should be understandable, brief and based on facts and solid examples. The manager s and employees will bring about a conclusion about the performance. The weakness on performance will be identified and corrective measures will be taken. Them the employees is being rated accordingly and then they are being rewarded are paid. 2.7 performance management process A  performance management process  sets the stage for rewarding excellence by supporting individual employee accomplishments with the organizations mission and objectives and making the employee and the organization recognize the value of a specific job in understanding outcomes. By establishing clear performance opportunity which includes outcomes, performance and behaviours, it helps the employees in reflecting in what exactly is expected out of their jobs and setting of standards help in removing those jobs which are of no use any longer. With regular feedback and coaching, it helps to know the problems at an early phase and taking corrective actions. Different models have been developed to describe the process of performance management and how it operates. According to figure 2.2 it comprises of performance planning, performance monitoring, performance development, performance review and rewarding. 2.7.1 Performance Planning Performance planning is the core business process. It involves agreement between employer and the individual on what the employee need to do for the achievement of the objectives, raise standards, improves performance and develop the required competencies. The aim is to ensure they apply these every day at work. Employee performance planning should be flexible so that they can regulate for changing program objectives and requirements. These plans contribute to the achievement of continuous development that is predicted and everyone is capable of learning and doing better jobs. It also helps in enhancing the potential of individual to acquire higher level careers. 2.7.2 Performance Monitoring Progress towards meeting the objectives agreed at the planning meeting should be monitored throughout the cycle. All arrangements relating to the monitoring programme should have been agreed at the planning meeting and where possible a timetable for action established should be made. Thus employees are able to received ongoing feedback of their progress at work. Feedback should encourage reflection and self review. Monitoring performance include the Checking of new plan that need to be followed  and at a suitable moment, return to the appraisal stage to measure the impact of the changes on the behavioural and performance processes.  Having a continuous monitoring, unacceptable performance can be identified and proper measures can be taken rather than waiting till the summary rating levels. 2.7.3 Performance development Performance  development  is held as a very important aspect in the growth and progress of individuals in their individual careers. It includes several strategic processes that are included and employed with the idea of developing individual capabilities that will benefit the employee, particularly, and the organisation as a whole. While performance development usually targets organizations as a whole, individuals can also adopt this concept as a means to improve their own personal competencies. By carrying performance management it provide opportunity for Recognition and career. Situations for improving good performance also stand out and action can be taken to accomplish the organizations overall purpose. 2.7.4 Performance Review The  performance  review  is  a  key  element  in  the  performance  management  process. It can provide accurate feedback and also the areas of strength and areas in need of improvements and development is needed. In addition, it emphasises what has been done well in order to do it in better way in the future. There is an exchange of views and both parties together come to an understanding about what should to be done to develop performance and defeat shortcomings raised during discussion. 2.7.5 Rewarding Rewarding means providing encouragement and recognition of employees, independently and as members of groups, for their performance and recognizing their contributions to the organisations mission. To motivate staff and create a climate for enhancement, organisations need to make an obligation to a plan for recognising and rewarding performance which can both financial and non-financial rewards and both positive and negative rewards. A planned, strategic path of action is necessary to ensure that employees obtain rewards adequately with their performance, be that at an individual and or a team or group level, in a reasonable manner in the organisations. Rewards can be in the form of cash, praises, time off and other non- monetary items. 2.8 Benefits of Performance Management Performance management provide an opportunity to concentrate on work activities and goals, identify and correct existing problems and motivate employees to perform better. In the same line, there is an enhancement in the performance of the company. There are several benefits when an organization performs a performance management in its organisation and they are listed below. Need for training and better understanding of job responsibilities To begin with, it helps employees understand how their job responsibilities ultimately affect the overall objectives of an organization. Through the performance management, employees use this opportunity to indicate a need for training, express a desire for additional responsibilities, ask questions about the job and in some cases provide feedback that will help them meet the goals. Besides, it can be a positive way to identify developmental opportunities and can be an essential part of a succession planning process. Increase productivity and reward the employees Additionally, with performance management, it is easier to accurately gather data regarding employee improvement and to award acknowledgement and any other rewards to those employees, ensuring everyone who makes meaningful achievements at an organization, gets their due compensation. This reward system implemented at Organization may provide an incentive to strive towards productivity and at the same time, maintaining good working habits. With this reward system, motivation and workplace morale are both improved. Improve Areas of Weakness Through performance management, we are able to search for employees weaknesses and enable them to improve for further career development. For example, if an employee inspires to become a manager, performance reports will reveal about his lack of leadership skills. Thus, we will be able to focus on his weak points where he needs coaching and other relevant skills. Employees also reveal that these appraisals assist them in deciding if they are in an organization where they feel that their values and personality are being respected. Succession and Career planning The Performance Management process provides valuable information that can be used through succession and career planning. Employee ambition can be clarified and where possible integrated into general planning of the employees goals and outputs as well as his development plan. There is also the clarification of the managers goals and direction concerning the employee and his role within the department. Compilation of formal training and development plans per employee is obtained to ensure the development of the employee based on the results of the performance evaluation phase of the process.    Opportunity for Dialogue Performance management provide an opportunity to build their relationships. Employees are given sufficient time to communicate and interact more often with work related issues. This usually allows a better flow of ideas and communication is enhanced. Besides, with adequate communication throughout the year ensure that the employees always know where they stand. 2.9 Drawbacks of performance management system Although performance management can be very beneficial to the employee, no empirical studies can show how performance management systems actually enhanced performance at an organization. In fact, when it comes to performance, these classical approaches are difficult to be adopted, as the method does not produce systematic and verifiable information. Some common drawbacks are discussed below. Time consuming and focus on paper work Performance management are also not often appreciated due to the fact that, they are considered to be time consuming and toilsome. Hence, it can be tiring for both supervisors and employees as they lose interest rapidly and haphazardly fill out the paperwork. Misdirection Performance reports may cause employees to accomplish certain duties for their individual purpose in order to receive a better evaluation rather than to contribute to the general mission of the business. Sequentially to have job security, workers may become overly concerned with improving in areas where they have achieved inadequately, even to the detriment of the areas in which they formally surpassed. Demotivation Performance appraisal ratings can lead to demotivation and low staff morale. Negative feedback like criticism where managers document only on issues that need to be corrected and not on positive things that employee does thus this fails to motivate employee concerned but also causes him/her to perform worse. This can raise mistrust, fear and insecurity in the organisation. One size fits all fantasy Organisations tend to use a standard system across the organisation. Very a single tool which means a single rating form is used for everyone. This does really make sense; as people at different levels in hierarchy cannot be assessed in the same way as the level of responsibility and authority vary. Leniency Error Leniency error is the tendency of a supervisor to rate an employee higher than what his performance deserve. Reasons that a supervisor might do this could include evading conflicts, or thinking that by giving the employee a high rating, he will work harder to live up to the rating. Halo Error The halo effect is when a supervisor forms a positive thought of an employees skill in one part and then gives her high ratings across all rating criteria. When a supervisor rates employees with the qualities that he believed more essential greater in all rating areas than employees who do not have those qualities the supervisor is making the halo effect error. Playing God Some managers are reluctant to conduct an appraisal program as they do not want to judge others. Even if a manager actually feels that a particular employee has not made well and he/she should be rated poor, not many truly rate him/her poor. To them, the clear process of judgement can be dehumanisazing and demoralising and a cause of anxiety and depression to employees. 2.10 Empirical Evidence of the Impact of Performance Management on Organisation Success Recent studies have been identified trend in the effective performance management systems on organisational success. According to the results of the World at Work/Sibson 2010 Study on The State of Performance Management 47 % of respondents specified that a performance management system has helped out the organization in realizing its strategic goals. Performance opposed to competitors is also a key result of performance management. 60% of study participants designated company performance as better than average against competitors, and 40% signified that performance was typical. Employee trust is another essential outcome on excellent performance management system. Nevertheless, only 30 % of the respondents reported their employees belief the performance management system. The study of the World at Work/Sibson in 2010 on The State of Performance Management pointed out that improvement in performance management is necessary in many businesses and that performance management is usually very essential in higher-performing companies. In most cases, this has not altered since the study was accomplished in 2007. While some organizations are successful in using performance management to distinguish high performers from low performers, many still are making great effort to progress performance management from an HR practice to something that is business significant to the organization. Predominantly in a time of economic complexity, when improving business results is essential, motivating performance management by having leadership aid and effective implementation is essential. http://www.worldatwork.org/waw/adimLink?id=44473 Impact of organizational culture on performance management An additional study on the impact of organizational culture on performance management practices in Pakistan in January 2010 where 60 emplo

Academic Integrity and Plagiarism Essay -- Plagiarism at State Univers

As students of high school and college, and even in the professional world, we are asked to research and write on subjects that are seen to be important. The research that we are asked to do, has been done many times in the past, which means people are bound to use others’ ideas and words with no recognition, sometimes without even knowing it. This leads to plagiarism, which is something many people have heard of, but never learned the true definition and the harm it can create. Schools and society need to be more proactive in explaining what plagiarism is, how to write correctly in order to prevent it, and teach the consequences plagiarism has. What is Plagiarism? According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary, to â€Å"plagiarize† means, â€Å"to steal and pass off (the ideas or words of another) as one's own, to use (another's production) without crediting the source, to commit literary theft, to present as new and original an idea or product derived from an existing source†(â€Å"Plagiarism Merriam Webster†, 2014). Not many people realize this, but plagiarism is an act of fraud since you are stealing something and claiming it as your own (â€Å"Overview-Plagiarism†, 2014). It may seem that copying a peace of writing is irrelevant to the law, and not important enough to be a crime, but the U.S. laws recognizes original ideas as intellectual property. Documented original ideas and words are protected by the copyright law(plag.org). An additional source, The Writing and Humanistic Studies of MIT, states the definition of plagiarism is, Plagiarism is the use of someone else’s ideas or language without ack nowledging that they were not created by you. This definition applies to ideas, words and unusual structures regardless of where you find ... ...egrity and Plagiarism. (n.d.). English Language and Literatures. (2014). Retrieved January 20, 2014, from https://liberal- arts.wright.edu/english-language-and-literatures/university-writing- program/academic-integrity-and-plagiarism Avoiding Plagiarism. (n.d.). Writing and Humanistic Studies. Retrieved January 20, 2014, from http://writing.mit.edu/wcc/avoidingplagiarism OFFICE OF COMMUNITY STANDARDS AND STUDENT CONDUCT. (n.d.). Code of Conduct. (2012). Retrieved January 20, 2014, from http://www.wright.edu/students/judicial/integrity.html Overview - Plagiarism.org - Best Practices for Ensuring Originality in Written Work. (n.d.). Plagiarism.org. Retrieved January 20, 2014, from http://www.plagiarism.org/plagiarism-101/overview Plagiarism. (n.d.). Merriam-Webster. Retrieved January 19, 2014, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/plagiarism

The Importance of Early Childhood Cognitive Development Essay -- Biolo

The Importance of Early Childhood Cognitive Development America has many programs for graduating students that are involved with education and children. While any college student can appreciate education, I suspect that few understand the importance of early childhood development. Having committed to apply for a position in Teach for America, I want to better understand why it is so important to "get 'em while they're young." In 2001, the US Department of Education, Academy of the Sciences, and the Foundation for Child Development conducted a study on early childhood development. Several interesting, scientific ideas and trends on childhood development emerged from the study. The questions surrounding this research were: how important is the early life of a child? What early years are most important? Why are later years not more important? In order to better plan education policy, discussing these questions is necessary. The portion of the study I find most convincing is that regarding neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity, or brain plasticity, is the brain's ability to reorganize neural pathways based on new experiences. (1) Simply put, every day we experience and learn new things. In order to incorporate this new information into our brains, the brain must reorganize the way it processes that information. Thus, as we learn things, the brain changes. Neuroplasticity is important because, while it continues throughout the life of every individual, it is closely linked to the rate of brain development/growth. During rapid periods of brain growth, synaptic pruning occurs. Synaptic pruning is the elimination of synapses in the brain that are weaker facilitating growth of a stronger, more efficient brain. (2)As the brain grow... ...ost beneficial not only for their education, but also for the physical development of their brains. This information is useful in many fields of study- the sciences, sociology, political science, law, etc. Neurosciences still have much to develop on early childhood cognitive development. However, presently, the information seems to facilitate the creation of a proper education for young children. References 1)Neuroscience Consultant, Prepared by Erin Hoiland http://faculty.washington.edu/chudler/plast.html 2)Synaptic Pruning in Development, Online Version of a Text http://citeseer.nj.nec.com/cachedpage/116010/2 3)Eager To Learn , Study, Online Version of Text http://books.nap.edu/books/0309068363/html/37.html#pagetop 4)US Department of Education , President Bush's Initiatives http://www.ed.gov/admins/lead/read/ereadingsbr03/edlite-slide9.html

Analysing Kant Essay -- essays research papers

Kant Sewction 1 Kant starts off making two distinctions regarding kinds of knowledge, empirical/rational and formal/material. Empirical or experience-based knowledge is contrasted with rational knowledge, which is independent of experience. This distinction between empirical and rational knowledge rests on a difference in sources of evidence used to support the two different kinds of knowledge. Formal is contrasted with material knowledge. Formal knowledge has no specific subject matter; it is about the general structure of thinking about any subject matter whatsoever. Material knowledge is of a specific subject matter, either nature or freedom. Rational knowledge is metaphysics, of which there are two branches, the metaphysics of nature and of morals. The metaphysics of nature is supposed to provide rational knowledge of the laws of nature. These are not empirical laws; they are more like universal principles of nature that any empirical physical would presuppose, such as that no event in nature oc curs without a natural cause. The metaphysics of freedom is supposed to provide knowledge of the laws of freedom. These are the universal rules which free agents devise to govern them. Thus, Kant's grounding, his initial attempt at a critique of rational reason, is an investigation of the possibility of purely rational knowledge of morals. Take, for example, the Moral Rule: Thou shalt not lie. If the moral law is valid as the basis of moral obligation or duty, then it must b...

Business Correspondence

Report: Preposition (Manila Paper, 1nch font) Portfolio in BCTRW(Old Magazine) 1st Page:A Prayer from my Heart (5 sentences) 2nd Page:Importance of Correspondence in my Everyday Life †¢Introduction †¢Importance †¢Conclusion(must be connected to introduction) Correspondence a : the agreement of things with one another b : a particular similarity c : a relation between sets in which each member of one set is associated with one or more members of the other — compare function 5a 2 a : communication by letters; also : the letters exchanged : the news, information, or opinion contributed by a correspondent to a newspaper or periodical Examples of CORRESPONDENCE 1. They communicated by telephone and correspondence. 2. E-mail correspondence has become extremely important for modern businesses. 3. The two men began a correspondence that would continue throughout their lives. 4. A book of the author's personal correspondence was published early last year. 5. A formal ton e is always used in business correspondence. . Note the correspondence of each number to a location on the map. 7. Sometimes there is little correspondence between the way a word is spelled and the way it is pronounced in English. 8. Sometimes there are few correspondences between spelling and pronunciation. Is business correspondence still essential in this age of computerization? Yes, it is. Business correspondence is still the principal means used by a business firm to keep in touch with its customers. Is business correspondence still essential in this age of computerization ? Yes, it is.Business correspondence is still the principal means used by a business firm to keep in touch with its customers. What are the principles of good business letter ? A good business letter should have five qualities : (a) conciseness; (b) clarity; (c) completeness; (d) correctness; and (e) courtesy. What about the language of a business letter ? Well, just write simply, in an easy and natural way j ust like you talk with your friends. So, I have to make my business letters sound like a good conversation ? That’s right. To write a business letter is just â€Å"to hold a conversation† by post.By the way, what are the rules of good writing ? In fact, there are a lot of rules to be followed if you want to write good letters. But we may summarize them as follows : 1. Think first of the reader and address yourself to his interests. Tell him or her all he or she wants to know and don’t leave him to guess between the lines. 2. Adopt a tone suited to the occasion and the purpose of the letter 3. Write naturally, as you would talk, using plain and familiar words. 4. Write clearly and to the point. Don’t beat about the bush.Please keep in mind that the most essential point in all business writing is exactness expressed in language that is absolutely clear. 5. Write courteously and make your letter sound friendly and sincere. 6. Avoid wordiness. 7. Avoid commer cial jargon. 8. Write effectively. 9. Avoid monotony by introducing variety. 10. Write to a plan if your letter is long or specially important. 11. Pay special attention to the opening and closing paragraphs first and last impressions leave a special mark on the reader. 12. Check your letters before you send them.

A Semiotic Approach on How Meaning Can Be Created in an Audience

A Semiotic Approach on How Meaning can Be Created In An Audience â€Å"Human intellectual and social life is based on the production, use, and exchange of signs† (Danesi, 2002) As Danesi (2002) states, signs are an integral part of society; from watching television, listening to music, reading, writing or talking, we are engaged in sign based behaviour. This engagement with signs is known as the study of semiotics.Dating back to 460-377BC, with the founder of Western medical science, Hippocrates, coining the term, then known as semeiotics, he described signs consisting of three dimensions; the physical dimension, known as the signifier, the referent, or signified, and the signification (Danesi, 2002). These dimensions only have meaning when â€Å"it has someone to mean to† (Williamson, 1978). In the 20th century, semiotic theory was developed by a group of semioticians, linguists, psychologists and cultural theorists, based on the saussurean-Piercean paradigm (Danesi, 2 002).First introduced to the public in the 1950’s by Roland Barthes, to describe our mediated culture, semiotics is essential when creating an advertisement. Among other things, semiotics plays a significant role in engaging the intended audience- the buyer. Whether it is the elderly, teens, children, men or women, the placement of colours, text, images and other signs, play a key role in the success of the advertisement (Scott, 1994).By taking a semiotic approach, this essay will demonstrate how meaning can be created in an audience, by the analysis of two advertisements, and discussing how codes and context are central in the ‘anchoring’ of meaning. First introduced by Roland Barthes (1977), the notion of anchorage, discusses the linguistic essentials that can help anchor, or constrain, how a reader interprets an image: â€Å"to fix the floating chain of signifieds† (Barthes, 1977). The advertisements chosen are from differing and contrasting magazines; the first from iconic fashion magazine Vogue and the other from a men’s magazine, Men’s Health.These differing genres have been chosen to illustrate how contexts and codes within specific social relations, groups, classes, institutions, structures and things (Thwaites, Davis and Mules, 2002) play an integral role in creating meaning (Scribd, 2012). Much of what we have come to understand about society, is learnt from the texts that are presented around us; through Hollywood blockbusters, to novels and magazines. Chandler concludes that â€Å"life is thus lived through texts and framed by texts to a greater extent than we are normally aware of† (Chandler, 2001).This means that advertisements not only refer to ‘real world’ concepts that we deal with day to day, but they also make reference to other texts. The level of this ‘intertextuality’ (Fiske, 1987) is what influences social beliefs and ideals in the world we live in. The advertiseme nt from Vogue (See ad 1) features a sepia- colour scheme, with an alluring female to the right, and a bottle of ‘j’adore Dior’ perfume, to the left. Many signifiers are present in this advertisement; the female (Charlize Theron), is dressed in an elegant gold beaded dress, with a high beaded neckline, drawing the viewers eye to her strong jaw-line and bronzed face.Her pose is that of elegance and power, the background light shining around her slim figure. The colour of the clothing, and overall image, compliment the golden-sepia tone of the bottle of perfume on the left. Chandeliers are placed around the perfume bottle, and out of focus behind the woman. The signifieds present are; the gold dress giving an impression of the woman being a high profile member of society of, chandeliers are present in homes of the wealthy and the sepia tones represent warmth. By using a female of celebrity status, the advertisements appeal rises with the wider female audience, due t o her known status.The key connotations featured in this advertisement are; the gold coloured dress connotes wealth, elegance and popularity. The powerful and elegant stance of the woman connotes power a female will gain when wearing this fragrance. Due to her celebrity status, the audience can also feel empowered, with a ‘celebrity’ status. The sepia tones connote warmth, and invite the viewer to become involved with the advertisement. Along with the bronzed body of the woman, the French writing j’adore (meaning I love) adds an essence of romance, and connotes desire, and sex appeal.As the ad connotes power, it is open for both upper and lower/middle class woman to interpret. Upper class woman could strive to maintain power, whilst lower class desire to gain power, by using the product. The way the creators of the ad have placed the female in this position, in these surroundings, to represent the product, has been done deliberately to target the desired audience ; woman have a desire to feel beautiful, powerful, and sexy, therefore the creator has appropriately placed the advertisement in a women’s very well known and popular fashion magazine, to gain maximum results from the targeted audience.Leiss (1990) states that â€Å"at the core of advertising’s purposes now is not the message itself as a communicator of meaning, but rather its relationship to the audience† (Leiss et al. , 1990). With the development of the theory of marketing segmentation, it is logical to therefore conclude that creators of advertisements don’t focus on the product, but the signs and codes that connate particular meanings of positivity that are related to a certain lifestyle, culture, or social group (Scribd, 2012).The connotations pervade media representations, and symbolise psychological or social themes and situations that are familiar and understandable to the audience (Danesi, 2002), in order to successfully sell the product. The ad vertisement from the Men’s Health (see ad 2), is selling ‘Tom Ford Perfume’. This somewhat controversial ad has many key signifiers. The male figure lying on a bed is the predominant focus, followed by a female hand with red nail polish touching the male’s chest. The object that is being advertised is only shown as a half.The basic colour scheme is black and white, with the exception of the red nail polish and orange cologne bottle. The signifieds present are; the male is an essential selling point of the advertisement, therefore he takes up the majority of the page. Sex appeal is what the advertiser is trying to convey, and the glimpse of a female hand can be seen as elegant and flirty. The key connotations are; the male figure as desirable and powerful- every woman would want an intimate connection with him. The red fingernails connote passion, desire, lust, and a thirst for action (Danesi, 2002).By using this cologne, the advertisement connotes that the user will become the ultimate object of desire, playing in to the male want of intimate connections with females. As the male figure has ‘sex appeal’ the advertisement encourages the partner of a male to purchase the fragrance, so she could have a ‘sexy’ male partner. The orange tone of the cologne bottle connotes warmth, stimulating the senses. When producers try to convey certain meanings, audiences may or may not assign the same meanings (Littlejohn, 1996).As mentioned in the first analysis, the advertisement is open to other audiences, whilst the male cologne ad is more closed, but it is up to the reader to decide whether or not they belong to the context or not. Signs are combined in to texts, but a text has no meaning on its own (Smagorinsky, 2001). It draws value from surrounding elements and from reader association, but also from what it is not (Littlejohn, 1998). The amalgamation of these creates the context in which the text functions; if you are n’t a wearer of perfume or cologne, you will have no interest in what it is trying to sell you, hence the importance of context.Thwaites and colleagues (2002) mention that â€Å"the social situations in which a sign is used may determine the appropriate content, type of sign and coding; signs contextual functions indicate the context in which it operates (Thwaites, Davis and Mules, 2002). Chandler explains that Stuart Hall pointed to the role of social positioning in the interpretation of mass media texts by different social groups (Chandler, 2001). Hall also suggested three hypothetical models of interpretive codes or positions for the reader of a text (Hall, 1980). But what Hall and also Chandler miss, is what happens when you don’t understand an advertisement at all?Because, as Griffin says; â€Å"like chameleons that take on the colouration of their environment, words take on their meaning of the context in which they are used† (Griffin, 2000). The opinion that the usefulness of semiotics decreases and is above all dependant on the skill of the interpreter is not new. Leiss (1990) argues that a key drawback for semiotics is that â€Å"it is heavily dependent upon the skill of the individual analyst† (Leiss, 1990). Less skilful analysts â€Å"can do little more than state the obvious in a complex and often pretentious manner† (Leiss, 1990).As Littlejohn (1996) states â€Å"meanings of a message are affected by events outside the message itself†, therefore the most successful advertisements focus on making sure the audience understands the content being conveyed (codes) and the content lays emphasis on certain meanings over others (context). In this perspective, the kind of magazine reflects how meanings are emphasised. Bignell (1997) even argues that â€Å"as well as being a collection of signs, the magazine is a sign in itself† (Bignell, 1997), the magazine is therefore a â€Å"powerful ideological forceâ €  (McRobbie, 2000) in society.Even though some postmodernists believe that texts are endlessly polysemic (Barthes 1977, Fiske 1987), meanings are still able to be communicated. Leiss (1990) argues that â€Å"for advertising to create meaning, the reader or viewer must do some ‘work’, because the meaning is not lying there on the page, one has to make an effort to grasp it† (Leiss et al, 1990). When analysing both of these advertisements, this statement is correct- the creators of the ad have given the reader ‘A and C’ but the reader must fill in the blank, or as it is known in this example, B.The application of semiotics in advertising varies significantly depending on the product being sold. Common themes almost always stay the same- the sense of freedom or excitement you get from purchasing a specific car or the feeling of popularity when you drink a certain type of alcohol (Messaris, 1997). This is done by using specific images, which resonate with the intended audience. For example, if there is an advertisement for a new Jeep, images of it going through all types of terrain will be shown, or alcoholic beverages are advertised at a party scene, all to make the audience want to buy the product (Messaris, 1997).As Chandler and Bignell suggest, signs and codes can be a medium itself, and described by Leiss (1990) â€Å"an ad is a mediator between creator and reader, standing at the confluence of the double symbolic process in the marketplace, where producers of goods try to attempt to construct one set of meanings, and where consumers use these meanings (along with meanings drawn from other sources) in the construction of their own lifestyles† (Leiss et al. , 1990).This is why semiotics is significant, even on a basic level, as it can show us how meanings have the ability to both construct and maintain particular social attitudes and ideals of a specific society. On a multifaceted level, the notion of intertextuality is intriguing and should be studied more widely as it exposes the many intricate ways in which contexts transfer from each other, showing how the contexts migrate from one another and portray the uncertainty of meaning. Appendix Ad 1. Ad 2. Bibliography Barthes, R. 1977, Image-Music-Text, London. Bignell, J. 1997, Media Semiotics: An Introduction, Manchester: Manchester University Press.Chandler, D (2001), â€Å"Semiotics, the basics†, Routledge. Culler, J. 1985, Saussure, London. Danesi, M. 2002, ‘An Outline of Semiotic Theory’, In Understanding Media Semiotics, London, pp 28-53. Dior, 2012, (‘Dior Advertisement’), Vogue Magazine, June 2012, pp. 1-2. Fiske, J. 1987, â€Å"Intertextuality† in Fiske, J, Television culture, Methuen Griffin, E. 2000, Communication; a first look at communication theory, McGraw-Hill. Hall, S, 1980, Encoding/decoding, In Centre for Contemporary Cultural Studies (Ed. ): Culture, Media, Language: Working Papers in Cu ltural Studies, London. Leiss, W. Kline, S. & Jhally S. , 1990, Social Communication in Advertising: Persons, Products and Images of Well-Being, 2nd Edn, London. Littlejohn, S. 1996, Theories of Human Communication, 5th Edn, Wadsworth. McRobbie, A. 1995, Feminism and Youth Culture, 2nd edition, Macmillan Press, London. Messaris, P. 1997, Visual Persuasion: The Role of Images in Advertising, Sage. Scott, M. 1994, ‘Images in Advertising: The need for a Theory of Visual Rhetoric, Journal of Consumer Research, vol. 21 No. 2, pp. 252-273. Scribd 2012, Scribd, Date Accessed 25 May 2012, http://www. scribd. om/doc/22099314/Semiotic-analysis-of-two-ads? &lang=en_us&output=json&session-id=74ea6fd65172766fface3eec2d5bfb14. Smagorinsky, P. 2001,’ If meaning is constructed, what is it made from? Toward a cultural theory of reading’, Review of Educational Research, vol. 71, pp. 133-169. Tom Ford, 2010, (‘Tome Ford Advertisement’), Men’s Hea lth Magazine, March 2010, pp. 2. Thwaites, T. , Davis, L. & Mules, W. 2002, Introducing Cultural and Media Studies; a semiotic approach, New York. Williamson, J. 1978, Decoding Advertisements; Ideology and Meaning in Advertising, London.