Vocabulary Essay Example For Students

Vocabulary Essay IntroductionOne of the most fascinating aspects of words is that they all have a past. Some words in English, for example, can be shown to have been in place for more than 5000 years (P. Baldi, 1999). Ordinarily we pay little attention to the words we articulate; we concentrate instead on the meaning we intend to express and we are seldom conscious of how we express that meaning. Only if we make a mistake and we have to correct it or we have difficulty remembering a word we become conscious of our word. This means that most of us do not know where the word we use come from and how they come to have the meaning they do. We will write a custom essay on Vocabulary specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now English words come from several different sources. They developed naturally over the course of centuries from ancestral languages, they are also borrowed from other languages and we create many of them by various means of word vocabulary available to us today. History and morphology of the word MotherThe idea of the mother goddess was invented in early ice age, some 25,000-30,000 years ago. She and her life giving breasts were called omma from which we have the words akin to maternal, matter, and mother. By the late ice age the Semites had shortened omma to om. The Dravidians of India are Semites who migrated to India after the ice age. They still call mother goddess omm. Om is also the present day Arabic word for female and mother. Omma became ma among the Iranians, meaning the female breast. From ma we have the Iranian maman. Also, we have the Iranian ma-Dar (earlier ma-tar) meaning breast which became mater in Latin, modor in Old English (725), madre in modern Italian, and mother in modern English (1425), (R.K.Barnhant, 2000). Collocation There are several words that fit together with the word mother. ? Mother Country? Mother Nature? Mother Figure? Mother Tongue? Mother BoardConnotation The word mother has a positive connotation as it describes maternal tenderness and affection although in American English mother could also mean motherfucker which carry a negative and vulgar meaning (Chambers, 1994). Semantic field relation The following are some semantic field relations to the word mother. ? Father? Son? DaughterSemantic usage REGISTERMotherVery Formal British EnglishMumInformal British English MummyInformal British English mainly used by childrenMomInformal American EnglishMommyInformal American English mainly used by childrenMaInformal expression American and British English working class (often used with any much older woman)MamInformal North England English and Welsh (working class)MammyInformal Scottish English and North England English (working class)MamaOld expression used by upper class childrenMommaInformal American EnglishSource: McArthur (1981)Synonyms and antonymsSynonymsAntonymsFemale ParentFatherGenetrixMater FamiliasIdioms There are several idioms related to the word mother, the following are the most used. Mothers boy may have a positive or a negative connotation. It has a negative shade if it stands for a boy or man whose character and conduct is too much marked by maternal influence. On the other hand it has a positive nuance if it connotes a boy who has been the indisputable favourite of his mother. Like mother like daughter it is used when a girl behaves like her mother. Mother tongue means the language somebody first learned to speak as a child. Mother Country stands for the country where somebody was born. Derivatives There are several words whose origin comes from the word mother:? Maternity ? Motherhood ? Maternal ? Motherless ? MotherlyPragmatic? A real mother of a carThis is a colloquial expression referring to something very large and usually very good. ? Please, do not be a mother! Colloquial expression mainly used between youngsters with a slightly negative meaning. BibliographyBaldi, P (1999) Words on Word History, BaldiBarnhant, RK (2000) Dictionary of Etymology, ChambersCowie, AP and Mackin, R (1990) Oxford Dictionary of Current Idiomatic English, Oxford University PressCrystal, D (1996) Cambridge Encyclopaedia of the English Language, CUPMcArthur, T (1981) Lexicon of Contemporary English, LongmanChambers (1994) The Chambers Dictionary, ChambersWarren, H (1997) Oxford Learners Dictionary of English Idioms, Oxford University PressWords/ Pages : 651 / 24 Vocabulary Essay Example For Students Vocabulary Essay IntroductionOne of the most fascinating aspects of words is that they all have a past. Some words in English, for example, can be shown to have been in place for more than 5000 years (P. Baldi, 1999). Ordinarily we pay little attention to the words we articulate; we concentrate instead on the meaning we intend to express and we are seldom conscious of how we express that meaning. Only if we make a mistake and we have to correct it or we have difficulty remembering a word we become conscious of our word. This means that most of us do not know where the word we use come from and how they come to have the meaning they do. We will write a custom essay on Vocabulary specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now English words come from several different sources. They developed naturally over the course of centuries from ancestral languages, they are also borrowed from other languages and we create many of them by various means of word vocabulary available to us today. History and morphology of the word MotherThe idea of the mother goddess was invented in early ice age, some 25,000-30,000 years ago. She and her life giving breasts were called omma from which we have the words akin to maternal, matter, and mother. By the late ice age the Semites had shortened omma to om. The Dravidians of India are Semites who migrated to India after the ice age. They still call mother goddess omm. Om is also the present day Arabic word for female and mother. Omma became ma among the Iranians, meaning the female breast. From ma we have the Iranian maman. Also, we have the Iranian ma-Dar (earlier ma-tar) meaning breast which became mater in Latin, modor in Old English (725), madre in modern Italian, and mother in modern English (1425), (R.K.Barnhant, 2000). Collocation There are several words that fit together with the word mother. ? Mother Country? Mother Nature? Mother Figure? Mother Tongue? Mother BoardConnotation The word mother has a positive connotation as it describes maternal tenderness and affection although in American English mother could also mean motherfucker which carry a negative and vulgar meaning (Chambers, 1994). Semantic field relation The following are some semantic field relations to the word mother. ? Father? Son? DaughterSemantic usage REGISTERMotherVery Formal British EnglishMumInformal British English MummyInformal British English mainly used by childrenMomInformal American EnglishMommyInformal American English mainly used by childrenMaInformal expression American and British English working class (often used with any much older woman)MamInformal North England English and Welsh (working class)MammyInformal Scottish English and North England English (working class)MamaOld expression used by upper class childrenMommaInformal American EnglishSource: McArthur (1981)Synonyms and antonymsSynonymsAntonymsFemale ParentFatherGenetrixMater FamiliasIdioms There are several idioms related to the word mother, the following are the most used. Mothers boy may have a positive or a negative connotation. It has a negative shade if it stands for a boy or man whose character and conduct is too much marked by maternal influence. On the other hand it has a positive nuance if it connotes a boy who has been the indisputable favourite of his mother. Like mother like daughter it is used when a girl behaves like her mother. Mother tongue means the language somebody first learned to speak as a child. Mother Country stands for the country where somebody was born. Derivatives There are several words whose origin comes from the word mother:? Maternity ? Motherhood ? Maternal ? Motherless ? MotherlyPragmatic? A real mother of a carThis is a colloquial expression referring to something very large and usually very good. ? Please, do not be a mother! Colloquial expression mainly used between youngsters with a slightly negative meaning. BibliographyBaldi, P (1999) Words on Word History, BaldiBarnhant, RK (2000) Dictionary of Etymology, ChambersCowie, AP and Mackin, R (1990) Oxford Dictionary of Current Idiomatic English, Oxford University PressCrystal, D (1996) Cambridge Encyclopaedia of the English Language, CUPMcArthur, T (1981) Lexicon of Contemporary English, LongmanChambers (1994) The Chambers Dictionary, ChambersWarren, H (1997) Oxford Learners Dictionary of English Idioms, Oxford University Press

Lassen Peak Volcano essays

Lassen Peak Volcano essays For about three million years, the earth has been erupting and creating new land forms. Lassen Peak Volcano was formed about twenty-seven thousand years ago, by eruptions of magma. It was not until the 1830s, a Danish Blacksmith named Peter Lassen led the first immigrant past Lassen Peak into the Sacramento Valley. Geologists would name this mountain after him, and little did they know it would be one of the most destructive volcanoes on earth. As the largest volcano in a group of thirty domes that have erupted in the past three-hundred thousand years, throughout California, it is also the most recent to have erupted (with exception to Mt. St. Helens in 1980). Following the official exploration of Lassen Peak, in 1864 a woman named Helen Tanner Brodt made the endeavor to be the first woman to ever reach the summit of Lassen Peak. Because of her courageous effort, the geological society named a basin (tarn) in her honor. On the morning of May 30, 1914, a small phreatic eruption happened and created a new crater that is forty feet wide and one-hundred and fifty feet long. Throughout the following year, about one-hundred and fifty small and large explosions happened. By May 1915, lava flowed about one-hundred meters over the crater walls, which resulted in an avalanche of hot rock onto a snow field. This lava was a Potassium- Argon, that turned more silicic. On May 15, 1915, a dacite flow oozed down the west side of Lassen Peak and boiled for two hours. It destroyed a deep crater by filling it with lava and also created a lahar that filled Hat Creek. On May 22, 1915, an explosive eruption created pyroclastic flow and the fall of fine ash got as far as Elko, Nevada. They call this The Great Explosion because a mushroom cloud led to the pyroclastic flow that burned and shattered trees. The explosion destroyed the city of St. Pierre on the island of Martinique a ...

Fashion and style Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fashion and style - Essay Example The essay "Fashion and style" talks about fashion and different styles. Women began to use dresses to express their identity. â€Å"Fashion and style may be regarded as expressive or oppressive, but nobody could argue that fashion reflects expression of woman’s identity, creativity and sensuality, and is connected to a sense of personality on the levels of class and gender†. (The Fashion Plate and the Rise of Consumer Culture) This fashion had features of modern urban culture, which percolated into the contemporary fashion magazines. They focused on brightness, sophistication, metropolitan culture and commerce. There were some famous UK magazines that represented a French world of haute couture - The London and Paris Ladies’ Magazine of Fashion, Le Follet and The World of Fashion. The women’s clothing in the early nineteenth century is the reflection of their persistent watch over their own public identities, and that of other women. Because clothing and a dornment has always been a means of identifying tribe, status and awareness, it is not surprising to discover fashion emerged as a dominant force within the city. â€Å"A whole range of exciting yarns, new fashion fabrics, protective materials and engineered fabrics became widely available after 1960. New materials and fabric finishing techniques are at first exclusive and expensive. Initially, they are offered to the world of haute couture. A couple of years later they filter to the mass market†. In addition, women had more need to present themselves.... se the areas in which women can take up public residence, but, while this led to increased interaction and increased pressure for women's rights, this does not necessarily mean women were quick to accept each other or other classes.With the addition of more women to the workforce who had some degree of control over the money they earned, retailers began to recognize a tremendous new market. During the last part of the nineteenth century women were targeted for successful development of consumerism. Accordingly, pictures in fashion magazines either for advertising purposes or images were as the prototype of a show window. The models on these pictures never looked into the eyes of the reader, representing a feeling of superiority, and expressed sexuality, modesty and self-consciousness at the same time. (Brewer) Development of department stores in the 70s and 80s provided women an escape from their dull living of housewives, and in the 90s the process of shopping was "sexualized". All this was complemented throughout with various genres of advertising. These tendencies in marketing and advertising flourished in the modern world. Myra Macdonald notes in her book "Representing Women: Myths of Femininity in the Popular Media": "As evidence grew in the early decades of the twentieth century that the developing arts of retailing and advertising were attracting a predominantly female clientele, marketers and advertisers became significant definers of twentieth century women's desires and aspirations. " (p. 180) Women as potential consumers are studied now with the help of numerous market researches and surveys. The power of consumer decision-making is changing, and advertising now describes a woman as the person who decides how to spend her money on herself and her family.

Apology Letter Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Apology Letter - Essay Example Nothing was wrong until I encountered an unexpected expense that I had not planned for. That unexpected expense put me into great trouble and I was perplexed. I did not know how to accommodate that in my budget. Circumstances had become unbearable for me, and I had to come out of them any way. Lack of money had sabotaged my ability to think rationally, and I ended up charging back almost $1000 on my credit card in five different transactions without taking the items back to the store. I was able to do that since I knew how to operate the computers accordingly. However, I must tell you that till this point, I had full intension of paying the price of those items. I had planned to simply charge my credit card back again upon receipt of my tax return money. It was just before I could get my tax return money back so that I could charge my credit card back that the store manager somehow got to know about my act, but not my intentions! I had no intention of stealing anything from the store ever, though apparently I do sound like that. Through the explanation that I have put forth in the text above, I have tried to convey that all I did was as a result of immense tension and confusion that I was going through few days back, though my conscience is clear for I never intended to steal.

Argue one side of free will from a philosophical view Essay

Argue one side of free will from a philosophical view - Essay Example The concept of determinism has three main positions; Indeterminism, Determinism and lastly soft determinism. In the modern world, determinism can be seen in an event such as the powering off of a personal computer automatically due to power outage or an electrical fault. Looking at hard determinism, it can be explained by the belief that each and every event taking place must have its own sufficient natural cause for that. That being said, an action or thought cannot be viewed as free if it has a cause behind it. On the other hand, Indeterminists have the view that the term universal is not applicable to our mental life in the same way as in the outside natural and physical world. Lastly, free will and determinism are deemed to be compatible in both the natural physical world and the mental state. On the issue of freewill, we can look at a scenario like transporting ourselves to very many feet below the ocean or sea. This begs the question, does anyone have the freedom to move themselves physically from their own home to an area deep under the sea? The most obvious answer to this question is that it is possible if one can be able to get himself to a submarine and go down to the ocean floor aboard it. Looking at this answer it means that the concept of our freedom and freewill is to the most part limited by the laws of nature and the prevailing physical reality. We need third party solutions in order to exercise our own ‘Free Will’ e.g. usage of lights at lights, driving vehicles to work or talking to a relative on the phone who is hundreds of miles away. The important thing to note is that even though we may claim to have free will it is limited in its actuality in most cases. The same can be seen in terms of determinism, we as humans can estimate some form of th e future in certain instances. We are capable of determining the future behavior of the sun, earth and the climate

Becoming A Reflective Supervisor And Counsellor Nursing Essay

Becoming A Reflective Supervisor And Counsellor Nursing Essay This essay is a reflective journey into the process of supervision. What supervision actually entails and how to use the process to begin the life mission of becoming a professional counsellor. What it means to become a truly self-reflective practitioner who is mindful and open to learning about ones self in addition to continuing the process of deepening the theoretical knowledge of which supervision can be ones most useful tool. First and foremost being a student counsellor in the mode of Peron-Centred counselling, the key component would have to relate to first taking a personal journey of discovery through reflection to become aware of self in the process of actualisation. Corey (2009) cites Rogers who believed that people where essentially an expert on their own lives and that if the therapist was to become a conduit for empathy, respect, and authenticity, then they too would benefit from experiencing self through the process of reflection and exploration. Only then could the therapist model the behaviour for which the client could perceive possible for themselves. Corey (2009) also cites Broadley as describing actualizing tendency as a directional process of striving towards realisation, fulfilment, autonomy, self-determination, and perfection (p169). For me self-reflection and exploration is the only way to realise self actualisation, for without having an internal conversation how would one expect to g row as an individual let alone as a counsellor. In addition, as a student a vital tool in self-reflection is the process of supervision, through which the sharing of experiences gained through placement can be an opening to not only improving the use of skills, but additionally a tool to develop mindfulness, and self-awareness. Since starting my volunteering I have applied these concepts to the best of my abilities, and through daily reflection I have been able to recognise the learning goals that I would like to focus on during my first placement. When asked to summarise my learning goals I then had to consider theoretically how learning goals can aid the student to not only reflect on their needs and experiences, but also to refine what a professional counsellor requires to develop and progress. Cleak and Wilson (2004) who cite Rogers and Langevin as suggesting that a learning agreement contain elements of being, knowing, doing and thinking in order to make the most of the placement and the supervisory experience. Cleak and Wilson (2004) also suggest that there are seven core learning areas which can be incorporated into the learning contract. Such as, values and ethics, processes combined with skills and relationships, how to use knowledge, self-learning and professional development, understanding the organisational context, awareness of the necessity for research, and finally acknowledging social policy within the placement experience. Learning goals are also important from the supervisors perspective as Brockbank and McGil l (2007) discuss awareness of the supervision relationship can benefit both the supervisee and the supervisor when learning goals are clearly defined and aid supervision to function as a supportive and productive process. This also includes the supervisee being aware of their learning styles for example whether learning has a preference towards perhaps cognitive rather than experiential. I therefore summarise the key learning goals I have identified for my first placement experience as follows. My learning goals begin with honing my use of the core counselling skills of active listening, accurate empathic reflection, authenticity, and presence, through the process of feedback and reflection. Secondly I have identified that I need to work on the appropriate use of rapport and the use of disclosure, through understanding how to establish boundaries and use deflecting techniques when the issue of inappropriate disclosure is exhibited. Third I feel that understanding how the organisatio nal procedures such as keeping confidential client notes functions around my responsibility to upkeep the records to meet my ethical requirements. This is also a process of learning to work within the organisational teams that work in a paradox of isolation and conjunction, to bring together the experience and knowledge of administration, support staff, nurses, other professionals including my department of pastoral care and counselling. Fourth is the learning involved with bringing art and music into the person-centred style of counselling I have been taught to use. This includes bringing in the theoretical knowledge of my supervisors to help facilitate a deeper understanding of combining skills and theories. Finally to bring it all together is the practice and development of self-reflection and self-awareness including being mindful. This final task is probably the most important of all since it requires me to open myself to self-reflection in addition to positive and negative fee dback from my clients, my colleagues, and both of my supervisors. Here is where keeping a personal journal of my inner journey through placement is of vital importance if I am serious about being in the process of self actualising and developing as a professional counsellor. Self reflection is possibly the most important process of awaking awareness and aiding the development of a counsellor who is confident, centred, ethical, and professional. Developing self awareness and mindfulness through self reflection should not be underestimated due to the fact that an open relationship with ones self is conceivably the preeminent way to grow not only as an individual, but also as a counsellor. During my placement as well as for the entirety of my professional life the reflective practices I intend to use include daily self-reflection daily and consciously practicing mindfulness. Germer (2005) suggests being mindful is usually not a common reality in our thinking processes, as being mindful takes practice to comfortably stay present and focused on the mome nt. Mindfulness as Germer reminds us is a Buddhist concept dating back some two thousand years, which Buddhists term sati that translates as awareness, attention and remembering. Germer (2005) also cites Hanh as describing mindfulness as an in the moment awareness of our consciousness processing everything that is happening around us, to us and between us, a being focused on the here and now and totally present. Germer (2005) also suggests that one can learn and develop mindfulness through meditation, relaxation and practice of focusing and clearing ones mind. Through mindfulness the process of self-reflection can truly begin especially with the aid of meditation allowing one to focus on the difference between emotion, thoughts and feelings, as well as perceptions in order to replay experiences and perceive self in action. Fook and Gardner (2007) suggest reflection is a process whereby the student identifies how their sense of self plays out through the window of personal perception s, with particular emphasis on how emotions influence decisions. Realising the difference in how relationships play out against theoretical knowledge, and recognising how self can get in the way, begins the process of being able to differentiate between the needs of the student and the needs of the client. These realisations also contain an understanding that becoming a professional means accepting that often what happens in real life counselling is unpredictable, and that that is okay. In addition to journaling I intend to religiously maintain my daily debriefing with my organisational supervisor to constantly balance my perceptions of client interactions both emotional and intellectual. Furthermore feedback from my clinical supervisor will be essential in determining how to interpret my reflective journal in a process that can focus self actualising. Orchowski, Evangelista, Probst (2010) discuss how supervision can be a process of understanding how reflection can impart an unders tanding to enable a safe client student relationship. In addition self reflection enhances ones ability to activate mindfulness when in session with a client, as well as in the process of supervision. Self awareness, reflection and being mindful are all fundamental thought processes that help guard against unethical decision making, and establish a way of ensuring safety for both the therapist and the client. Orchowski, Evangelista, Probst further discuss how reflection can be part of the contract between supervisor and supervisee bring about an openness to the process of revisiting the client experience for the supervisee, and exploring what came up emotionally for the supervisee. Which brings up the importance of supervision in the reflection process as I have discovered already, without a supervisor to clarify perceptions lack of confidence and inexperience could easily lead to an unproductive negative interpretation. After spending the last eleven weeks as a volunteer and really having begun the process of placement, I can truly see the importance of supervision in the process of reflection. During the time spent within the organisation I have begun the process of building a relationship with my placement supervisor, with whom I confer about my use of skills, how my clients are reacting, in addition to drawing on her wealth of professional knowledge, and her years of client contact and their histories. Each day contains a component where we debrief and self-care around how to maintain boundaries and identify where emotions can blur person perception, particularly considering that when working in aged care where clients often die or experience the process of illness or severe loss. Jochen (2008) talks about how supervisees often begin the learning process of supervision by being wrapped up in the clients story, and emotions. However, as time and self awareness of the process begin a process of understanding and acknowledging that even though the clients story may be as confronting as severe illness which may bring imminent death, the counsellors role is to support and empathise not attach personal meaning to the emotional content being presented. Hawkins and Shohet (2007) discuss that the use of supervision become a fundamental tool that any counsellor or health professional makes use of regularly, to aid in the understanding ones emotional configuration regarding professional progress and maintenance. Hawkins and Shohet also suggest that supervision is a necessity in the helping professions, to ensure client safety is always upheld, through the constant self-reflection that supervision aims to provide the practicing counsellor. Considering that supervision is going to play an important role not only during placement but feasibly for the entirety of my counselling career, it would be prudent to consider what challenges supervision may bring. First and foremost is overcoming the fear of being vulnerable and exposed to criticism, in addition to having personal values and beliefs put under scrutiny, not to mention experiencing another professional judge your ability to effectively master the basic counselling skills, all on top of exposing your self-reflective thoughts and emotions to for all purposes an external voice of conscious. Tjeltveit and Gottlieb (2010) discuss the ethical role vulnerability and resilience play in keeping the therapist safe, in particular the student. Our vulnerabilities can expose themselves in our unconscious reactions through our values, beliefs, cultural identities, even habits and emotions that even with awareness impart unethical decisions or actions. Tjeltveit and Gottlieb go on to argue that resilience is strengthened by the student becoming aware of their vulnerabilities, addressing emotional issues, and becoming open to parts of their personality which could influence unethical decisions. These issues of interpersonal and intrapersonal interactions are so important we can often overlook procedural problems and challenges that can also occur that could in fact hinder completion of the placement in academic terms. For example I discovered that my placement supervisor would not meet the clinical requirements that ACAP (2010) base their requirements upon. Acap (2010) have recommended that if a student wishes to be able to join The Counselling and Psychotherapists Association of NSW Inc [CAPA] (2009) one must have clinical supervision that complies with CAPAs training standards, which state that the clinical supervisor must have completed at least seven hundred and fifty hours of personal supervision post training. In addition they must also meet the Psychot herapy Counselling Federation of Australia [PACFA] (2009) requirements stated in article 4.3.1, that a supervisors credentials are to be of a level beyond basic counselling and include eligibility to be a clinical member of a counselling association for at least three years (p7). Therefore after having succeeded in acquiring a clinical supervisor I now have to apply the above mentioned challenges in two different scenarios, with two different people, in two different organisations. To conclude I believe the importance of self-reflection cannot be expressed too often, to widely, or too deeply. The concept of supervision

Things Every Geologist Should Do :: essays research papers

As an experienced geologist, there are many things one could teach a new geologist. There are some basics recommended that every geologist be aware of. There are a variety of general geologic websites that a person could go to for information. One of them is called â€Å"Geysers and the Earth’s Plumbing Systems.† This website explains everything about geysers. Geysers are not often found on the surface of the earth and are considered very unstable hot springs. In order for a geyser to erupt there must be a water supply, a heat source, and a reservoir and associated plumbing system. There are only about fifty locations where geysers occur. In order for a geyser to erupt, boiling hot water and cool water must mix in the underground reservoir. When this happens the hot water rises and the cool water stays at the bottom. The water continues to rise until it comes out the top hole of the geyser. Sometimes the eruption is catastrophic while other times it is minor. Some characteristics that have an effect on geysers are the amount of rainfall, temperature of the water, and the barometric pressure. Even the smallest change in one of those can cause an eruption. Another interesting geological structure is slot canyons. This is something I have never heard about before, and I am assuming that not many other people have either. Slot canyons are hundreds of feet deep but only a couple of feet wide. They are mostly located in the southwest parts of the United States. They are very colorful due to the reflection of the sun off the walls of the canyon. It is said that they are hard to find but once located they are very beautiful. Lake Baikal is located in parts of Russia and southern Siberia. It is the deepest lake in the world, with an average depth of 730 meters, and the deepest part at 1620 meters. The lake covers over 31.5 square kilometers. That is one fifth of the world’s water in reserve. The Great Barrier Reef is a place that every geologist should visit at some point. It is located off the coast of Australia and extremely educational and beautiful. It is home to more than four hundred different types of coral, 1500 kinds of fish, and 4000 mollusks. The whole reef is over thirty-five hectares. After research in 1997 the reef was said to be in good condition and being well maintained.

Organization and Behaviour Essay

Contents 1. Compare and contrast different organisational structures and culture 2. Explain how the relationship between an organisation’s structure and culture can impact on the performance of the business 3. Discuss the factors that influence the individual’s behaviour at work 4. Compare the effectiveness of different leadership styles in different organisations 5. Explain how organisational theory underpins the practice of management 6. Evaluate the different approaches to management used by different organisations 7. Discuss the impact that different leadership styles may have on motivation in organisations in periods of change 8. Compare the application of different motivational theories within the workplace 9. Evaluate the usefulness of a motivation theory for managers 10. Explain the nature of groups and group behaviour within organisations 11. Discuss factors that may promote or inhibit the development of effective teamwork in organisations 12. Evaluate the impact of technology on team functioning within a given organisation P1: Compare and contrast different organisational structures and culture. Organisational structure: There are different types of organisational structures. There is the Functional structure which is based on the activities that people do in the organisation then the Product based structure, when the product determines the structure, the Geographically based structure when the location determines the structure and the last one is the Matrix structure (segregation) which is the combination of functions (activities) and product. Organisational culture: Is the values and behaviours that contribute to the unique social and psychological, Organisational culture is the sum of an organisation past and current experiences, philosophy and values that hold it together and is expressed in its self-image. The organisational structure focuses on the mentality, work ethic and the values of the company’s management and employees. The main factors that influence the structure of an organisation are products, environment, staff, task, culture and management style, size number and type of dept. A culture of innovation, teamwork and partnership means that the company has a firm foundation of relationships and open communication channels on which to build its growth. A major determinant of an organisations structure is its culture. The general nature of culture in terms of both external influences and how things are done as well as common values, belief and attitude will have a significant effect on organisational processes including the design of structure. P2: Based on the scenario given explain how the relationship between an organisation’s structure and culture can impact on the performance of the business. The way the Coca cola company works reflects the many countries and cultures in which it does business. An essential part of the organisation’s structure therefore focuses on ensuring that individual products are given the best possible support in regional markets. Within the company different teams concentrate on particular products and use their specialist knowledge of the brands and consumer needs to support the sales and promotional effort. In some cases a product is developed solely for local consumption and an example of this is the product Lilt, which is only available in Great Britain and Ireland. A structure depends on the organization’s objectives and strategy. In a centralized structure, the top layer of the management has most of the decision making power and has tight control of departments and divisions. In a decentralized structure, the decisions making power is distributed and the departments and divisions have different degrees of independence. A company such Coca-Cola Great Britain is a more centralized structure that has a corporate (Head office) that is responsible for giving the company an overall direction and providing support to the regional structure. P3: Discuss the factors which influence individual behaviour at work. Organisations are made up of their individual members. The individual in a central feature of organisational behaviour whether acting in isolation or as part of a group in response to expectations of the organisation or as a result of the influences of the external environment. Where the needs of the individual and the demands of the organisation as incompatible this can result in frustration and conflict. It is the role of management to integrate the individual and the organisation and to provide a working environment that permits the satisfaction of individual needs as well as the attainment of organisational goals. The first factor to consider is the location. The organisation has to think about how they can improve the environment so that the staff will remain motivated at work. A good location and environment helps to create a positive attitude to staff and customers. Another factor is the amount of working hours. Hours of work are extremely different throughout the industry- some people are happy to work unsocial hours because it fits with their lifestyle or they wish to have time off when everyone is working. On the other hand, the overall amount of hours per week should not go over 40 hours. If staff are working overtime consistently it will not influence them to come into work so it is important that all hours of work is balanced. Safety and security factors must be considered in the workplace, and legislation such as Health and Safety at Work Act 1974 must be adhered to. These regulations particular apply where food is served or where there are chemical hazards, for example in a swimming pool. All these requirements are important. For some organisations a little error in the safety procedures can mean the end of the business including a trial. Companies that organise activity holidays for children, for example Disney Land, Thorpe Park or London Dungeon, must make health and safety a priority. Health and safety is important for both customers and employees. When employees know that they can go about their work in safe environment and work together to ensure their customers are safe then this could also influence them because they will know that they are working in a safe environment. Most Companies organise Christmas parties or social events and outings for staff. These are useful to create a friendship amongst staff and help influence staff to build solid teams within the organisation. Good pay may is also another factor as staff like to see that their hard work has paid off. P4: Compare the effectiveness of the different leadership styles in two or more organisations of your choice. Management in an organisation is about influencing people to behave in positive ways so that the team can achieve its general goal. A good manager must inform, motivate and develop the team as a whole. An autocratic manager makes all the decisions and announces them to the team. This person is the boss and has full control. The main advantage of this kind of leadership is that decisions are made quickly, as no meeting will be held about the decisions made by the leader. The advantages that could motivate staff include: * Where there is a need for urgent action the autocrat will take control * Some team members gain security from being told what to do. The disadvantages are: * Team members may become frustrated at their lack of control * There may not be room for the team to express creativity * There may be over-dependence on the leader. Autocratic management belongs in a traditional hierarchical structure. Democratic management: With democratic management, the decision-making is shared among the team. The advantages include: * Ideas are encouraged from everyone * There is greater involvement and commitment from team members * The team is likely to be supportive of leader * The team is fully informed. The disadvantages include: * Some team members may not be able to cope with being involved in decision-making * The democratic process can take too long * The leader may not agree with the decision of the team * Powerful team member may take over. P5: Explain how organisational theory underpins the practice of management. Organisational theory: Organisational theory represents a young and complex field of study related to the behaviour of organisations and companies. Through particular methods like analysis, generalisations and observation, organisation theory specialists try to determine how companies and organisations will behave in certain situations. (http://www.publicorgtheory.org/organization-theory.html) The way the organisational theory underpins the practice of management is by bringing change to actual behaviour. It can influence the manager’s behaviour which can be observed in the ideas portrayed or conclusions. It is important as it helps give insight to interrelationships between the development of theory, behaviour in organisations and management practice. It also gives an understanding of the development of management thinking. The knowledge of the history helps in the understanding of the nature of management and organisational behaviour. Many of the earlier ideas are of continuing importance to the manager and later ideas in management tend to incorporate early ideas of conclusions. P6 & P7: Using an organisation of your choice evaluate the different approaches to management. Discuss the impact that different leadership styles may have on motivation in organisation in periods of change. The organisation that I will be evaluating is Tesco which is a PLC (Public Limited Company). I will be talking about the different approaches to management. There is a difference between management and leadership. Management is about getting things done. Managers organise human and physical resources to achieve business aims and objectives. Leadership is about influencing, motivating and inspiring people. It is about coaching and developing people, treating them with respect but challenging them. Leaders seek to create strong teams, with people committed to the organisation’s overall goals. The process of managing starts with the target or objective to be achieved. A manager must decide on the appropriate approach for reaching that target. The manager then needs to communicate this approach clearly to his or her team and to allocate tasks to each team member. Task allocation and delegation of responsibility is part of the management function. However, other factors will also have an influence on whether the target is achieved, including the task in hand, the skills of the team and the style of leadership. The style of leadership can vary depending on the task. Some managers allow teams to take charge of their own decision-making for many tasks. Team leaders will set the objectives but empower team members to decide how these objectives are achieved. This has several advantages. It helps to motivate individuals in the team and it draws on the expertise of the members of the team. The leadership style that Tesco store managers sit between autocratic and democratic both th ese styles allow staff to participate to an extent. However the manager has the right to reserve the final decision. Managers who lead using the autocratic leadership style often tend to give clear direction to staff and are good in terms of managing a crisis but this method does not allow team member to be heard and creative. On the other hand a democratic manager will consult with staff before making his final decision this style of leadership helps encourage staff to put forward ideas and increases motivation. Some manager will adopt leadership styles in which are appropriate to the situation. Most managers prefer to take a democratic approach as they feel that staff respond better to this approach. For example when planning a major stock reduction programme at Tesco the store manager may encourage other management within the store to put forward ideas and develop plans as said before this increases team motivation and encourages creativity. Although some mistakes may be made this can be put forward as a learning experience. However as a store manager they may deal with many different situations. Some may be business critical and it is important that the manager is able to respond to these situations in the most appropriate manner. In some situations the manager may need to adapt the leadership approach and exert more authority. Laissez-faire is at the other end of the field from autocratic. A laissez-faire manager takes a ‘hands-off’ approach and trusts teams to take appropriate decisions or actions with broad agreed boundaries. For example, a store manager might leave an experienced departmental manager to develop a budget. This could be because he trusts that the manager has a good knowledge of the needs of the department and of the business. Although each manager will have their own preferred leadership style, the most effective leaders take on a style that is appropriate depending on the situation. They will consider several factors such as: * The task – Is it business critical? Must a decision be made immediately? What will be the potential impact on the business? * The team – Does it have the right skills and resources? Is it used to making decisions? * Tradition – What has been the norm in the past? For example, a manager that uses a more authoritarian style if something needs achieving in a particular way or in a very quick timeframe. Sometimes budgets need to be reduced quickly in order to make cost savings. The store manager will tell departmental managers what needs to be done and by when so that they can then resubmit their budgets in line with expectations. Managers have to be aware of the possible consequences of using the wrong style in a particular situation. For example, a manager will not use a laissez-faire approach with a new member of the team. If the employee is not given proper instruction this could jeopardise the business. In some cases employees could be injured if they don’t use the equipment correctly. In this situation, it is essential to adopt an autocratic style. P8: Compare the application of different motivational theories within the workplace. Theories of motivation Maslow America 1940, Abraham Maslow developed a theory of motivation. The theory is suitable for trying to understand how people are motivated in the workplace. Employers can use it to provide conditions that fulfil people’s needs at the different levels. Maslow’s theory is displayed as a pyramid because employees can only move up the levels once the lower levels are fulfilled. So for example an employee cannot achieve at work (level 4) if they having problems in their personal life or with work colleagues like in (level 3). Similarly, if they have just been made homeless (level) their concern will be finding shelter not performing work, meaning people have to be satisfied with their own needs and their life before even being motivated to do work. Herzberg Herzberg’s theory is also known as the ‘Hygiene’ theory. Herzberg recognized features which make people happy and satisfied with their jobs and those which make them dissatisfied and unhappy he called the ‘satisfiers’ and ‘dissatisfies’. The ‘satisfiers’ are factors which give people continuing motivation and allow them to enjoy their work: * The type of work * Promotion prospects * Having responsibility * Sense of achievement * Personal development * Gaining recognition. The ‘dissatisfies’ or hygiene factors need to be operating well in an organisation but according to Herzberg do not ultimately motivate people. However, if they are unsatisfactory then they do de-motivate people. These are: * Salary * Working conditions * Relationships with others – colleagues and managers * Company policy P9: Evaluate the usefulness of a motivation theory for managers. The motivational theory is useful for managers because of the practical implications it has on individuals lacking in motivation, which in most cases do not have clear goals. Specific performance should systematically be identified and set in order to direct behaviour and maintain motivation. Goals should be set at a challenging but realistic level. Difficult goals lead to higher performances however if goals are set too high a level or regarded as impossible to achieve this can lead to stress and performance will suffer especially over a longer period. It is assumed that complete accurate and timely feedback and knowledge of results is usually associated with high performance. Feedback provides a means of checking progress of goal attainment and forms the basis of any revision of goals. Although goals can be determined either by a superior or by individuals themselves goals set by other people are more likely to be accepted when there is participation. Employee participation in the setting of goals may lead to higher performance P10: Explain the nature of groups and group behaviour within organisations Group work: Good groups achieve synergy; that is, together they can achieve more than the members could individually. More ideas, energy and resources are made as a group because: * The group solves problems and make decisions together * The group focuses on priorities, with everyone working towards the same aim * The group provides a sense of belonging and sense of status * The group provides a support network Not everyone in a group is the same – each person has their own strengths and weaknesses. If each person had the same weaknesses, the group could not work; there needs to be a balance of skills. A method of recognising individuals’ strengths and weaknesses is needed in order to build and effective team. The management expert R. Meredith Belbin has outlined nine team roles necessary for successful team. Belbin’s roles: C hairperson/co-ordinator – the group leader, likely to be relaxed and outgoing person, also likely to be a good communicator. They will build on the strengths of team members and give them encouragement. Plant – the ideas person in the team, a person who is creative in looking for solutions to problems, but not always good at details, and so may make careless mistakes. Shaper – the task leader, who unites ideas and effort. Needs to be dominant and outgoing person in order to make things happen. Monitor/evaluator – the team analyst, who is not so good at ideas but pays attention to detail, therefore keeping the team directed towards its target. Implementer – the organiser of the team, who is able to take the ideas of the plant and shaper and turn them into manageable and realistic tasks, a practical, stable and disciplined person.   Resource investigator – the person who is outgoing and will explore and report on ideas and developments outside the group; this person always has a solution to problems, is sociable and enthusiastic, and good under pressure. Team worker – a very people-oriented person, sensitive to others’ needs. The team worker has good communication skills and will be good at motivating others. A natural mediator, who will deal with any conflict within the team, this person is very good to have around in a crisis. Finisher – a person who sticks to deadlines and likes to get on with things. Will probably be irritated by the more relaxed members of the team. Specialist – this person is single-minded and a self-starter, and provides knowledge and skills in specialist areas. Each of Belbin’s roles acquires a different level of importance according to the objectives of the team and the stage in the team’s life. P11: Discuss factors that may promote or inhibit the development of effective teamwork in organisations. Team development: Formal teams are part of the structure of an organisation and are planned in order to meet that organisation’s objectives. The official team will follow rules and rules and may meet on a fixed schedule and complete administrative procedures. Examples of good practice in travel and tourism include sales teams and marketing teams. Informal teams work within or outside formal teams. They are sometimes based on personal relationships between members rather than on work roles. When you complete group work for assignments, you often choose the colleagues you wish to work with. You choose to work with people you like and ones you know will be as committed as you are to the work. This as an informal team. There are several theories of team structure and development, which will help you to understand the effectiveness of teams. Bruce Tuckman (1965) identified four main stages of team development: Forming – at this stage, team members from their first impressions of each other establish identities. They are sounding each other out and finding out what is expected of them.   Storming – the team members have, by now, become more used to each other. Members are prepared to put forward their ideas forcibly and openly; they are also prepared to disagree and so there may be some conflict and hostility. Norming – the team now begins to establish co-operation. Conflict is controlled, views are exchanged and new standards introduced.   Performing – the team is now working together; it begins to arrive at solutions and achieve objectives. There can also be fifth stage, called ‘adjourning’ or ‘mourning’, where the team has disbanded and the members miss being part of the team. Benefits of team work to colleagues and customers and organisation. The benefit of team work to colleagues is that they get to be confident and have a great self-esteem. Working together makes them communicate well with each other it also makes them makes the right decisions. British Airways staffs respects and trust their teams they all have their clear roles and responsibilities, they support each other in their job, when their team member does not know what they are doing they help one and other out. Their customers are always happy with their service and this gives their company a positive image. British Airways spend a lot of money training their staffs to help their team works together at the end of the day they make a lot of profits. Job roles and lines of responsibility: An organisation chart shows the structure of the company and how the work is divided into different areas. It also shows the lines of responsibility between staff, so that it is apparent who is responsible to whom. An employee studying a chart will find the possible promotion routes. The chart may show a hierarchical structure or line relationship. This is a very traditional structure and shows a chain of command with each person responsible to the person above them. It is sometimes referred to as a pyramid structure. Many organisations today would be depicted in a chart with a flatter structure. There are fewer layers of management, and each manager has a broader span of control. Restructuring of organisations often involves getting rid of middle managers, hence the flattened structure. P12: Evaluate the impact of technology in team functioning within a given organisation.   In this modern day and age the use of IT is very important because of modern technology, and this is also part of some peoples working lives. Same thing is applicable to travel and tourism sector. for most jobs or roles you would IT skills like the uses of databases, spreadsheets and email system and be able to use the word processor as well as skills explicit to a role. For example people working in an airline reservation team will get trained on how to make bookings and reservation systems such as Galileo or Amadeus. In a tourist information centre you would need to be able to access the sites and use the software that provides timetables and local information. Thomas Cook Thomas Cook has an intranet ‘Get in Touch’ facility, to which all staff have access. There is also a dedicated e-mail address for staff to send feedback direct to UK chief executive Manny Fontenla-Novoa. A spokeswoman added: â€Å"we issue an annual staff questionnaire to gain a temperature check on morale and motivation within the company’. Thomas Cook also runs panel sessions – made up of a cross-selection of the business – which are held regularly to provide feedback on new ideas and marketing initiatives. Other internal forms of communication include a quarterly magazine and monthly videos for stores. Electric: Electric communications for internal use include e-mail, which is a popular way for staff to communicate with one other, and intranets. An intranet is a website that has restricted access, usually for employees only. It may hold information that a company wishes to share internally but not externally. Working in a team will also motivate staff to interact and also learn skills off their peers because one person can represent more than one role, as most people have strengths in more than one area. References/Bibliography http://www.publicorgtheory.org/organization-theory.html http://businesscasestudies.co.uk/tesco/developing-appropriate-leadership-styles/management-and-leadership.html#ixzz2HxoCDjYE Management & Organisational behaviour by Laurie J. Mullins (Ninth edition)

Abolishing Abortion essays

Abolishing Abortion essays I choose to write my bill about abortion. Because first I believe that the killing of an unborn baby is murder. And second I believe that the constitution protects all living things even unborn babies. Abortion is wrong and killing an unborn child is murder. This is not an issue of an object or a thing it is about human life. Who has the right to say what a human is. No one has the right to take the life of an innocent person. A baby is a separate human being, different from his or her mother. Each child has its own special genetic identity, gender, heartbeat, brain waves, eyes, hands, and feet. An unborn babys heart begins to beat only eighteen to twenty-five days after it is conceived, and brain activity starts after only forty. Most abortions occur after the fetus exhibits measurable brain waves. Isnt stopping a humans heart from beating murder? Society is moving backward when it lets a baby to be killed. That child could grow up to be a doctor or an astronaut or a president. Murder is the worst of crime of all, because it deprives a person of their potential life. A fetus is capable of life. So it is murder to deprive a fetus of all of its potential life. By not giving them a chance how do we know what they could become? Women have certain rights over their bodies just as men do, but they shouldnt when it affect the rights of others. Abortion directly involves the rights of at least two people, the mother and the unborn child. There is no reason to kill a child none what so ever. Some people might say the world population is one reason that babies should be aborted. But this is not true, every 8 seconds a child is born and someone dies every 11 seconds so the US population only grows at 1% a year. Some mother claims they abort their baby because they can afford or take care of it. This problem can be solved by adoption. What would a mother like to remember more: I gave my baby ...

Ponce De Leon essays

Ponce De Leon essays Ponce de Leon was a sailor and explorer for Spain. He had been given governorship of Hispaniola where he soon discovered that on Puerto Rico gold was found. He soon conquered the island and was given governorship of it. From the gold he became very wealthy. He soon learned of an Indian tale of an island called Bimini. On the Island There were supposedly lots if gold and pearls and a mystical fountain that could restore ones youth. Ponce de Leon asked for and received permission to conquer and settle in the island of Bimini. On March 3, 1513 he sailed from Puerto Rico with three ships. Sailing around the northwest corner of Cuba, he then looked for Bimini among the Bahaman Islands. Finally, on Easter Sunday, March 13, he landed on the coast near present day St. Augustine. He called the land Pascua Florida. After searching a few days for gold, pearls, and that elusive fountain, and finding none of them, he turned south. Along the southeast coast of Florida near the Indian River, they met the Ais Indians. The Ais called out to Ponce de Leon, so he went ashore. They then tried to take the boat from the Spanish. In the ensuing fight, an Indian clubbed a Spaniard on the head, resulting in an all day battle between the two. From a captured Indian, they learned that the land was called Cautio by the Ais. Incidentally, the Bahaman Indians called the land, Canico or Cancio. From there, the expedition sailed south around the Florida keys, and up the west coast of Florida to an area near the present-day Sanibel Island. There they battle with the Calusa Indians, led by their chief, Cacique Carlos. Again, there was an all day fight, which led to the Spaniards retreat. Turning southward across the Gulf of Mexico, the explorers came across a group of islands where they replenished their food supply with the turtles on the islands. They named them Tortugas, after the turtles. From there, they returned to C...

Reflecting journal Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Reflecting journal - Essay Example This particular health services promotion and education philosophy is likely doomed to failure as it relates to achieving its intended outcomes, due to human behavioural characteristics inherent in some who are addicted to drugs, such as genetic factors in some addicted groups and psycho-social mechanisms related to those with addictive personalities. The informational portion of the study indicates potential effectiveness associated with informing the IDU population about the risks of heroin overdose and how to curb its cravings through halving methods. The campaign is, in many ways, modelled after a respected model in psychological reprogramming referred to as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT). In this treatment philosophy, the addicted patient receives knowledge and interventions between patient and counsellor as a means of altering maladjusted ways of thinking and acting. CBT focuses on retraining the patient to develop better thought processes, remove self-defeating behaviours and better cognition through rational adjustment (Rachman, 1997). The promotional literature developed for use in this campaign provides similar rationalization and cognition changes, but does not address psychosomatic responses that lead to drug use (i.e. past trauma, relationship histories leading to stress, etc.). There are too many variables involved with why an individual seeks heroin use to discount complex emotionally-based catalysts to expect this particular campaign to be successful. Furthermore, this study does not identify a particular target audience, thus does not appeal to individualized program opportunities. Up until the age of 24, the frontal cortex of the brain used for judgment has not fully matured for more rationalized decision-making (National Institutes of Health, n.d.). What this potentially leaves is a vast segment of the population under age 24 that may not respond to these risk

Gradcom Ltd Organization Behavior Research Paper

Gradcom Ltd Organization Behavior - Research Paper Example This paper highlights that  some of the external influences resulting from the management can be manipulated to be benefit the company. It is however the duty of the management to find out how. The better the managers understand their employees, the better the relationship and the better the performance per employee. This analysis is going to be based on the factor stated above in relation to my current company-Gradcom. It is renowned for its mobile phones and computer consultancy services in Kenya and the whole of East Africa. It has been in this business for more than ten years now.  This study outlines that communication is the key to success of every organization. It is through communication that information is passed from the floor managers to the apex C.E.Os for decision making in bureaucratic organizations. A failure at any level guarantees total failure since decisions will be made based on a distorted information or insufficient data. Communication at Gradcom can be desc ribed as a mix of formal and informal with the former being strictly for communications that requires keeping records. Grapevine define the communication among the employees with majority of the information passed on informally from person to person. This culture by the prevailing environment that discourages authoritarian ruling of the juniors and less hierarchical ranks within the organization.  Most of the formal communications involve written memos, outgoing and incoming letters as well as any other official documentations where records are a necessity.