Ed Boehm Essay

Edward Marshall Boehm Inc. Case Study The Edward Marshall Boehm case talks about a company whose main objective is to produce the highest possible quality porcelain products while keeping a focus to nature. The following report will include the company’s vision and mission statement, their main objectives, a SWOT analysis and their specific plans in great detail. Edward Marshall Boehm’s vision for the company is â€Å"to capture that special moment and setting which conveys the character, charm and loveliness of a bird or animal in its natural habitat† with his highest possible quality porcelain products. His mission is similar to his vision statement in that he wants to make the world aware and protective of endangered wildlife by making them aware of nature’s charm. As stated in the introduction, the main objective is to make the highest objective porcelain products focused on nature. Other main objectives include trying to establish the company to stay profitable for the long run. The company is particularly focused on making their quality products with the purpose of raising awareness and raising a profit, rather than mass producing for quantity. With these objectives, they believe it will put them where they want to be in the long run. After reviewing the case we have completed a SWOT analysis to get a better idea of where they are headed. The company’s strengths are numerous and promise success. They use a very high quality porcelain clay equal to the finest in the world and have the skill to make many different beautiful figurines. Mr. Boehm is not only extremely artistically talented but also has unlimited knowledge about the art market. He also leads promotion for the company and possesses great merchandising skills. Mr. Boehm could be named as a strength himself. The porcelain figures are becoming increasingly recognized as unique, and irreplaceable as well as many becoming collector’s items; the most intricate have been priced at over $20,000. The weaknesses are less numerous than the strengths but are still existent. First, the figure making process is complex, including 52 steps. This makes it extremely hard when orders become numerous and they start to get backordered, it is hard to catch up because Mr. Boehm is the only artist. Considering at the time this case was written Boehm was 55 years old, it may be hard to view the long-term vision for the company because he may not be around to always be able to create the same quality products he once was able to produce. There is also the expense of creating the products, and the travels Mr. Boehm makes in order to bring back live models of his birds. The company may look at several opportunities in order to improve their company. First, they should consider expanding into international markets; doing this could get their name out there and attract more customers. Mr. Boehm should look into teaching other people how to make the same high quality figures so they are able to create more products efficiently and have less backorders. Finally they should look into selling their porcelain clay to other businesses in order to make more money. We feel that this company faces many threats. As mentioned before Mr. Boehm’s age could potentially be a threat for the businesses. The fact that they have backorders may start to frustrate the customers and cause them to stop ordering from the company because the wait isn’t worth it. A rise in the cost of materials to make the figures may cause him to raise the cost of selling them which will in turn cause the loss of customers. New competitors could always be a threat and they may find a more efficient way to get the figures to customers quickly without backorders. We have a few specific plans that will help this company continue to thrive in the future. The most important thing to do is for Mr. Boehm to train other people in his craft. This is crucial if the company is to plan for long term. Another plan is to hire more than one company to distribute the product. Right now they only have one distributor, Milton China. With more distributors he could reach a larger market. The final plan we came up with is to work on technological advancements to make the long tedious process of making the figures quicker. The largest problem of the company is that it has so many backorders, with technology they could possibly speed up the process and narrow down the amount of backorders. We feel with our analysis that Edward Marshall Boehm Inc. is in good position for the future but they could make vast improvements if they capitalize on their opportunities and focus on the specific plans we provided.

Nancy’s coffee case study Essay

As the busy president of the $7 million Nancy‟s Coffee Cafà © chain, Beth WoodLeidt wasn‟t able to visit each of their thirty suburban coffee shops as much as she would have liked. Whenever she did journey out like she was doing today, it was with a passion for building brand and enhancing profitability. Beth approached one of her more challenging locations—in a mall in central New York— and surveyed the space with a practiced eye. †¦that front table needs a wipe†¦ the display shelves are dusty†¦the OneCard holder is hidden behind the tip jar†¦isn’t it too early in the day to be out of plain bagels?†¦ She greeted the staff that she knew warmly, introduced herself to new faces, and ordered a cappuccino from a slightly nervous young hire at the counter. As the teenager set about to whip up the best coffee drink of her brief career, Beth took the manager aside to offer a quick rundown on areas for improvement. Beth was just finishing up with her quality assessment when her cell phone buzzed with a call from a former corporate colleague that she had often confided in about the challenges of running a retail business. Beth took a sip of her frothy brew, winked her approval to the relieved girl who had brewed it, and headed out into the mall to chat. When her friend noted that Beth sounded tired, the forty-year-old CEO closed her eyes and nodded into the phone: Gosh, I am tired! Remember about a year ago I started saying that I wanted to figure out where this business was going? Well, I’m still asking the same questions like, how can we attract the capital we would need to grow faster; what is the best exit strategy to shoot for; and what is the best way to enhance the value of what we are building? Sure, we’ll add another two more stores this year, but that’s just not doing it for me. It’s early winter, 2003—and that means I’ve now been running this thing now for over ten years. And, as you know, the story hasn’t really changed; we’re still too small to be acquired, not valuable enough to be worth selling outright, and yet the business is large enough to need someone thinking about it almost all the time; yes, that would be me. We’ve hit a bit of a long plateau here; it’s passed time to make some critical decisions. From Nuts to Beans In 1973, Nancy Wood—then a 36-year-old mother of three—founded a mall-kiosk business to sell dried fruit and nuts. When demand for that fare appeared to be softening, she began the search for a more viable product line. After connecting with master coffee roaster Irwin White at a fancy-food trade show in 1978, she decided to turn her lifelong passion for great coffee into a new business. Nancy‟s eldest daughter, Beth, recalled that the concept was a bit ahead of its time: My mother took her kiosks and slowly began to convert them over to coffee bars she had named the Coffee Collection. She started introducing Kenyan and Columbian coffees, but people responded ‘no way; there is Folgers, and there’s Maxwell House, and Dunkin’ Donuts.’ It was a very strange thing to many people who were being asked to pay a whole dollar for a single cup of coffee—or told they could grind their own fresh-roasted beans at home. They looked at my Mom like she was nuts. In those days it was very much about educating the consumer. By the late 1980s, Nancy‟s son Carter and her daughter Roxanne had joined the venture full-time. While Beth had been contributing to the effort by periodically reviewing the aggregate financials for her mother, she had never taken much interest in the enterprise. So it was, with her mother‟s blessing and encouragement, that Beth earned her BS at Babson College in Wellesley, Massachusetts, and soon began a rewarding management career in consumer product marketing. Newly married, Beth happily immersed herself in the busy corporate world of high-profile projects and after-hours brainstorming sessions—first with Pepsico, and later, with Johnson & Johnson: I loved the work. I had a good salary, a 401K, stock options, bonus check, company car, great suits; I am loving life. Then suddenly, everything changed! Into the Family Business In 1993, Beth took a leave of absence from J&J to return home and help sort through the heartache and turmoil that followed her mother‟s death from cancer at the age of 56. Sandy Wood had inherited his wife‟s business, but made it clear that if his kids were not interested in keeping the small chain going, then he would either try to sell the sites or liquidate the assets. Operating on the assumption that she would be returning to her corporate job once they had closed the doors on her mother‟s enterprise, Beth carefully examined the financials and visited each of the seven locations to estimate what they might be worth. In the course of that investigation, Beth realized that her mother had developed a solid business model within a largely untapped niche—suburban shopping malls—and she was drawn to the possibilities. Her husband Bill recalled that when Beth asked him to join her in the venture, it didn‟t take much convincing: I was running a division of Bell Atlantic in Pennsylvania at the time. Beth and I had worked together much earlier in our lives; I had really enjoyed that. I have always figured that if two married people were meant to work together, it was Beth and I. We get along very well, and we both know our own place in the sandbox. One of the issues that we discussed was that one of our egos would have to get checked at the door. I was a leader where I was working before, but I understood that this was Beth’s family’s business, and that she was now going to be the face of The Coffee Collection, now named Nancy’s Coffee. With equal amounts of sadness, trepidation and excitement, Beth informed J&J that she would not be returning. Her father was pleased, and said that he would divest his interest in the business by annually gifting equal shares to his three children. As the new CEO of Nancy‟s Coffee, Beth set a course for growth. The Specialty Coffee Industry The Green Dragon, a Boston coffeehouse founded in 1697, became the clandestine headquarters of the American Revolution. It was there, in 1773, that the Boston Tea Party was planned as a protest against the tea taxes being levied by King George on his colonies. By the time the British and the colonists had settled accounts, coffee had become the hot beverage of choice in America. Throughout the 19th century in the U.S., neighborhood coffeehouses proliferated, and home-roasting coffee became a common practice. The industrial revolution, however, fostered a demand for quicker, cheaper, and easier caffeine solutions. With the advent of vacuum packaging and modern transportation, it became possible for a roaster on one side of the country to sell to a retailer on the other side. As with many other food products, quality was compromised to accommodate mass production and efficient distribution. By the 1940s, the coffeehouses had disappeared, and Americans had been sold on the idea that fresh coffee went „woosh‟ when the can was opened. In 1950, William Rosenberg founded Dunkin‟ Donuts in Quincy, Massachusetts. While his donut shop took pride in serving what they called the â€Å"World‟s Best Coffee†, it would be twenty more years before U.S. consumers could purchase a truly high-end cup. In the early 1970s, a small cadre of coffee aficionados began to offer a unique brew made from hand-picked beans; fresh-roasted in small batches. Peets, founded on the West Coast by legendary coffee idealist Alfred Peet, quickly set the standard for superb coffee. In Seattle, Gordon Bowker, Jerry Baldwin, and Ziv Siegl, named their coffee shop business Starbucks, after the coffee-loving first mate in Moby Dick. On the East Coast, George Howell was building his chain of Coffee Connection shops in the Boston area. New Yorker Irwin White began making a name for himself supplying fresh-roasted grounds to some of the finest restaurants in Manhattan. San Franciscan coffee broker Erna Knutsen coined the term Specialty Coffee, and in 1985, helped to found the SCAA (Specialty Coffee Association of America). SCAA membership grew steadily as these coffee pioneers—Nancy Wood included— developed dynamic, profitable business models by proactively educating American consumers about fine coffee. By the time Beth took the helm of her mother‟s business in 1993—the same year that Starbucks had gone public—upscale consumers had developed a real taste for an excellent brew. Growth without Sharks Beth and her management team undertook an aggressive search for retail space. To facilitate that process, they worked almost exclusively with the regional mall management companies that had been doing business with their mother for years. Beth explained that this path was chosen in part as a way of dodging a direct confrontation with the powerhouse sweeping in from the west: Starbucks had clearly stated that as they came east they were going to do cities like Philadelphia, Boston, DC and Manhattan in a big way. We really didn’t know how to play in that kind of shark tank, so we figured that we’d let Starbucks have that, and play the suburban card. And at the time, that was low-hanging fruit. Clearly stated or not, one of Beth‟s first meetings after coming on board concerned a regional mall lease that Starbucks had been considering for awhile. During that meeting Beth suddenly realized how happy she was to be free of the inefficient, multi-layered bureaucracies that characterized much of corporate America: There were two leases on the table; a Starbucks lease, and one for Nancy’s Coffee. The woman said that the Starbucks lawyers had had the lease for six months—but she was willing to wait. I said, ‘Look, do you want Starbucks, or do you want a leased space?’ When she said, ‘A leased space’, I said, ‘Give me the pen.’ That lease is up next year, and I still haven’t gotten around to reading it. Beth noted that Starbucks wasn‟t the only coffee vendor shying away from space in enclosed malls: Establishing your brand in mall locations is not, quite frankly, a strategy for the faint of heart. Managing a mall shop is a difficult business, and it costs a lot of money. That worked for us in a way, since newcomers would get scared off by the idea of paying something like $100,000 a year in rent, when they could be paying $2,000 a month for a Main Street space in ‘Anytown, USA’. The team had learned through their mother‟s experience, however, that these pricey mall locations offered an advantage that few suburban in-town settings could match; a captive base. Mall Sales Throughout the 1990s, Nancy‟s Coffee and its suburban-model competitors like Peets and Caribou had the luxury of being able to choose locations where no other specialty coffee shops were operating. Beth explained that this monopolistic positioning was especially advantageous in a setting with high overhead and two distinct customer groups: Our bread-and-butter customer is the mall employee—the three to five hundred people who come to the mall every day to work. If you can get them to try, you can get them to repeat. Then, obviously, we have our transient customers; the shoppers. We have squarely positioned ourselves to cater to stroller moms; mothers with time on their hands, and kids to entertain. They come to the mall for something to do; they may not always buy, but they always have to eat. So we have lots of cookies, apple juice, and bagels on hand for the little ones, which helps us get the mom for her cappuccino. In a move to foster a loyal base of customers, in January 2002, Nancy‟s contracted with Paytronix—a nascent venture that had developed a swipe-card with both payment and loyalty program capabilities. Beth noted that the One Card system (See Exhibit 1) went well beyond the paper cards used by a variety of food-retailers to encourage repeat business: This is like an electronic punch card that also functions as a debit card— either by putting in a cash balance or by pre-paying for product. For example, we have this one guy—an eyeglass store manager at a mall in New Hampshire—who shells out $150 on the first of each month to buy the 85 cappuccinos he knows he’s going to drink over the next thirty days. We get his money up front, and he gets our $3 drink for less than $2. If you can get mall employees to buy a One Card membership for a dollar a year, they’re going to come to you every day, since for every nine drinks they get one free—they can even get a jumbo mocha in exchange for nine basic coffees. That’s a drink that we sell for four dollars; free to them, and my cost is about seventy-five cents. The One Card is really a nice competitive advantage. We just had a Starbucks open in Buffalo, one floor below us. Our staff was nervous, but I didn’t understand why. I told them that with the One Card, you already have all of your mall employees in your pocket. It worked; that Starbucks kiosk is struggling. By late 2003, Nancy‟s Coffee shops could be found in over thirty locations from Boston, west to Niagara Falls, and from Nashua, New Hampshire, south to New Jersey (See Exhibit 2). Three of the stores had been acquired from the owner of a four-chain enterprise who had come to the stark realization that running coffee shops was not going to be the road to riches that he had once imagined it would be. Beth recalled that they were able to make significant improvements in the stores that they took under management: When we acquired Cafà © Coffee, their gross margins were running in the low thirties. They had been managing the business from Wellesley, Massachusetts, and no one was going out to visit the stores. From a financial standpoint, we hammered down on the employee hours and on the food costs. That helped to drive their gross margins closer to 50 percent. Operationally, we kept some of their people, but not all. We put some of our own people in who had much different operational standards than the Cafà © Coffee people. At one store, we saw an increase in customer count, and in six months that store went from being in the red to being in the black. Just as Starbucks and Dunkin‟ Donuts never said „never‟ with regard to Mall locations, Beth followed through on an opportunity to develop a street-front location. She was excited about the challenge and the possibilities: There are so many locations that are still looking for high-end coffee bars. The question is; are we as a high-end coffee bar looking for that location? We just opened a store on the street in Manchester, Vermont. My rent there is $1,800 a month. I think it will work, but it will take some time to attract a customer base. If we can find some more good towns like that, I suspect that we will probably do more like that versus more Mall expansions.

Journalism, Mass Media and Communication Term Paper

Journalism, Mass Media and Communication - Term Paper Example This paper talks about the historical development of both the internet and the cell phones and notes some crucial aspects and notable landmarks in the history of telecommunication. In addition, the paper discusses in detail how phones and the internet could be used on security surveillance. There are also various discussions on the usage and adoption of mobile phones in the market. This paper also seeks to explore the various forms of surveillance facilitated by mobile phones and the Internet and discusses the issues of control over personal information and privacy in these contexts (Zhu & Zhou 2002).The issue of security surveillance is very critical. One may generally assume that we are not being monitored in our daily activities but with the current technological advancements, one could be traced by the use of mobile phones and the internet. Information and communication technology has numerous benefits in its application within various sectors of the economy. It is in this regard that the contemporary business environments have embraced the application of technology to tool to facilitate realization of their aims and objectives. Billions of people around the globe presently use internet and mobile phones, which has become a significant component of their everyday lives. Cell phones use is ubiquitous with roughly 6.8 billion subscriptions around the globe (Anderson &Rainie, 2008). In fact, mobile phones play a significant role in the modern telecommunications. The original aspect of the internet can be traced to the first launch of the first artificial earth satellite. In 1957, the USSR launched a successful Sputnik whereas the USA launched the Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). ARPA was launched by the US Department of Defense so as to establish US supremacy in technology and science which was applied in the military.

George Lucas THX 1138 and Aldous Huxleys Brave New World Essay

George Lucas THX 1138 and Aldous Huxleys Brave New World - Essay Example Huxley's opening passage immediately draws attention to this illusion of dystopian literature as follows: A squat grey building of only thirty-four stories. Over the main entrance the words, CENTRAL LONDON HATCHERY AND CONDITIONING CENTRE, and, in a shield, the World State's motto, COMMUNITY, IDENTITY, STABILITY (Huxley 3). The "squat grey building" is symbolic of happiness and stands in sharp contrast to the World State's motto of community, identity and stability. Each component of the World State's motto can therefore be taken as subtle indicators of intense control, although initially the motto can lead to an early impression of a utopian society. Early warnings of this false impression of utopia are also found in the prominently displayed sign over the grey building: CENTRAL LONDON HATCHERY AND CONDITIONING CENTRE. This signs draw immediate attention of state control. THX 1138 however gets directly to the measure of control in society and makes no illusions about the nature of repressed freedom in its opening scene. The film introduces THX-1138 who is seen requesting "something stronger" from his medicine cabinet (THX-1138). Population and mind control is prominently unveiled in this opening scene by the request for something stronger. This is a less subtle approach than the opening in Brave New World where the population and mind control is inferred from the sign displayed on the grey building. In both works the opening scenes introduces two different types of control designed to bring about vastly similar results: control of the population. In Brave New World the Director takes a group of students on a tour of the London Hatchery and the reader learns through this tour that the State controls reproduction by extracting and genetically fertilizing ovaries to control the numbers of human beings produced. In THX 1138, population control is commandeered by controlling sexual desire through the use of sedative drugs. The sedatives are mandatory and cannot be altered as they control sexual desire. Sexual intercourse is an offence in THX 1138 whereas sexual intercourse is encouraged in Brave New World and is of no consequence to reproduction since the State controls reproduction. Ultimately, the underlying themes in THX 1138 and Brave New World is control through mind conditioning and manipulation. Both works create communities where one on one ties are entirely discouraged and people exist in a world characterized by community relations. Individuality is entirely discouraged. Both works are heavily themed by the concept that individuality provides division and division leads to instability. In furtherance of this ideology, Brave New World focuses on a world where infants are produced in caste systems where they are conditioned to comport with their designated class and status. For instance Delta babies are conditioned to dislike books and nature through associative therapy (Astrachan 35). In this therapeutic exercise, the babies at the Hatchery are naturally inclined to craws toward picture books and flowers. However, they are quickly men by a series of terrifying sounds which instinctively lead to an intense dislike for books and nature. In THX

MODELS OF HRM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

MODELS OF HRM - Essay Example Mike Noon (1992) believes that much confusion arises because HRM is of an 'ambiguous pedigree' which can be traced back to organisational development and human capital theory. HRM appears to be an enigma, of which John Storey (1992) states is: " A basic management function or activity permeating all levels of management in any organisation. Personnel administration is organising and treating individuals at work so that they will get the greatest possible realisation of their intrinsic abilities, thus attaining maximum efficiency for themselves and their group, and thereby giving the enterprise of which they are a part its determining competitive advantage and its optimum results." (Pigors and Myers: 1969) (cited by Legg:1989) 2. A term that identifies a new and distinct approach to the management of people in the work environment. One which, although may incorporate the established personnel activities, is truly much more wide in its scope, and thus can be clearly distinguished as being such, is HRM a new phenomenon The models of HRM all lead us back to this underlying question, what is HRM, how can we define it, is it something new or simply the old re-branded, old wine in a new bottle (Torrington, 1989; Poole, 1990; Storey, 1995). Examination and analysis of the various theories... The models of HRM all lead us back to this underlying question, what is HRM, how can we define it, is it something new or simply the old re-branded, old wine in a new bottle (Torrington, 1989; Poole, 1990; Storey, 1995). Examination and analysis of the various theories and models allows us to consider whether there is one true model in existence or a combination, or, fragments of various models / ideologies. Also, we must consider how relevant in reality are the various theoretical academic frameworks, do they in fact reflect reality, or does each industry sector or business need to simply adapt their own type of model, appropriate to the nature of their enterprise One of the first models of HRM developed was in 1984 by Fombrum, Tichy and Devanna with their "matching model." The model was used to depict their proposed framework of HRM which identifies its position in relation to organisational strategy and demonstrates how HRM activities can be designed to support the strategy of an organisation. The model is manipulated to achieve strategy objectives and goals such as overall increased company performance. If HRM is to be viewed as a new management approach, then distinction from personnel management is required. Distinction may be by integration. This is proposed by Devanna et al (1984) with their model: "They suggest that Human Resource Managers perform four 'generic functions' of selection, appraisal, reward and development. Performance is the dependent variable; it is influenced by a 'cycle' of human resource interventions which represents, sequential managerial tasks." (Storey: 1992, 24) This type of integration in the form of

Article Review and Critique Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Review and Critique - Article Example Prior to the presentation of the different skills of Franklin, Uldrich presented the different accomplishments in different fields and disciplines (Uldrich, 2005, p.31). According to the article, Benjamin Franklin is a businessman, a scientist, a politician, a diplomat and Founding Father of the American Society. As a businessman, he was able to build and establish the first printing and newspaper chain of businesses in the different American colonies at a young age. He was also the author of the first best seller Poor Richard’s Almanac (p.31). He was also a great civil servant and politician who improved a number of public services and policies. One of the unparalleled achievements that he has was being a politician who participated in the creation and implementation of the founding policies of the American society specifically during the time of the Revolution. ... The first leadership skill presented is the ‘importance of continuous education’ in the success of a person as exhibited in the life of Benjamin Franklin. Through the course of his life, he is continuously learning and exploring different fields. This is a characteristic of a good leader since a leader must be very aware of the different issues and knowledge which can affect the group and can help him in the decisions he needs to undertake in every step of the way towards achievement of his perceived goals. He is self thought leader who was able to explore the different fields important to thrive in the society which includes the political, diplomatic, social and economic aspects of the American and international society. Franklin was an ultimate example of a human being hungry for knowledge (p.32). The author made an important decision of highlighting the said characteristic of Franklin since education is an essential tool in a person’s success but it is not limi ted to formal education. The entrepreneurial skill of Benjamin Franklin was the next leadership skill discussed by Uldrich. Although the business is one of the most important fields where Franklin excelled in, it cannot be considered as the second most essential in all his skills. One explanation that can be perceived in the authors chronology in discussion is the time he undertook each quest. Education started since Franklin’s childhood and continued on through his different careers and his life. His prowess in business occurred as a young man. The author presented and proven Franklin’s leadership skills through the presentation of his achievements as a business man. In addition, entrepreneurial risk taking

Sociology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 7

Sociology - Essay Example Different nations of people live in one city, like in New York representing unity in diversity with so many cultures and traditional values. Different languages are spoken. Municipalities also register an inevitable growth and they have to provide transportable roads lighting the roads, similarly and should be committed to provide amenities of international standard to being globalization. The technology is no more permitted, limited to a particular part of the world. It is exchanged in order to serve the public with the latest technology. The globe is no bigger. Globalization and sociology represents a single economy. Single technology, efficiency and quality of the products should be of high standard. Because of globalization and sociology there is conspicuous change with the social life industries. One shall meat and come across different rest of different nationals represent at one place. Different sets of different nationals represent diversified cultures, different languages are spoken at one and the same place, and at one and the same time. They come to know each other from a closer proximity. The intimacies develop; relationships pave way for greater understanding. The social pavilion of life is set to rolling. Broader outlook develop into more knowledgeable and understanding environment. There will be a great impact on the urban sociology patterns of life. The world becomes a small place respectively inevitable economical growth, a pleasant knowledge based environment. The world is no bigger, thoughts of seeing the world; the globe on a huge unknown has become so small so much can be felt immensely. T third world, joyous frivolous, sensible, knowledgeable, cultured by urban socialites will cherish. The development may fold big colonies. A lot of departmental stores will enter into the market to cater to the needs of the conglomeration. The branded cloth stores, all varieties clothes grocers, food

International Students Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

International Students - Research Paper Example From this study it is clear that  the main reason for many universities and governments to attracts a higher percentage and/or ratio of international students to their universities might have to do with the fact that they are attempting to promote diversity and understanding between peoples, the fact the matter is that the economics surrounding international exchange students tells quite a different story.This paper highlights that  whereas the local students might receive stipends, scholarships, and a variety of different aid to pursue higher education, the international student is almost always without any of these benefits; and left to rely fully upon their own ability to fund such an endeavor. Moreover, the amount of money at the local student discharged, not even counting the scholarship aid or other funds which might be applied to assist them, is invariably much cheaper than the amount of money that the international student pays per semester/per year.  Oftentimes the dif ferential intuition is nearly double. The many schools would like to promote themselves as liberal centers of learning that pride themselves upon a diverse and ethnically varied student body, the fact the matter is that the economics ultimately drive the push towards more and more international students within the system.  The reason for this is the fact that growing a university based upon the local resources of students does not provide a rapid degree of growth.

Diamond Mining Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Diamond Mining - Essay Example Botswana gained it's independence in 1966. It previously had been the British protectorate of Bechuanaland. It has moved to being one of the richest and most stable African countries on the continent. It is often called the Switzerland of Africa (afdiamonds, 2009). This economy is fueled by diamond mining. Botswana came from being one of the poorest countries in Africa to this. There are still hopes for this country and there are many issues to solve for their poor but they have accomplished much. Botswana is classified as an upper middle class country and the World Bank classifies it as the most affluent country in Africa. The World Bank, (2002) states that it has the fastest growing economy in the world. This growth rate has had to do with their diamond industry and how it has been managed. It must also be noted here that Botswana has been one of the favorites for aide donation over this time of growth. The physical and social infrastructures of this country are highly developed because of the government's ability to increase the ability of its country to use the national resources of diamonds and also manage with aide from other countries as it developed these resources (Wikan, 2004). Diamonds were discovered in Botswana in 1967 after a full search that lasted 12 years. They presently run 4 large diamond mines. Juaning is in Southern Kalahari, Damsha and Lethlahana in the central Kalahari are the largest. These mines exports maintain 80% of export earnings for the country and 45% of their GOP. These mines are jointly owned by DeBeers and Botswana. The government of Botswana has a history of managing this resource well. From early on, mineral rights were vested in the State. The government then would use this on the discovering of good deposits to assure that they had equity interest in the site. They then collected royalties from the other minerals involved such as gold. They designed the 1999 Mines and Minerals Act to allow for foreign investment to occur. This also diversified interests so that the diamond mining was not the only interest of the company to support their economy. The government has kept their ability to apply interests to new discoveries. The political atmosphere and leadership in Botswana has been one of formulating economic reason for the country. When DeBeers became greatly involved in these countries mining processes and the amount of diamonds produced, the government of Botswana remained in the negotiations of all processes and procedures. Politically there were astute throughout the process with excellent leadership and little political conflict. It has to be noted, also, that major mines were situated in area where prior to that there was little or no work available These diamonds lie under Botswana in the Rocks of Kaapaal. There are more kimberlites here than any other place in the world. There are rich deposits of gold, platinum, based metals and minerals in those same places. They have produced more diamonds since 1867 than any other part of the world. The Orapa mine alone is expected to produce at the present rate of production for at least the next 40 years. The expectation is that there will be an operating margin of $130 per ton using the pit mining technique that they presently use. The climate conditions and the available electric power there improve the situation that much more. The country

Econ of Arts and Entertainment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Econ of Arts and Entertainment - Essay Example An example of such issues is the labor market issue. Using the sports industry as an example of an art related industry, this paper aims at discussing the labor market issues in the sports industry. One of the main things that attract spectators to sports is the fact that they will be able to experience some aspects of struggles that are common in human lives in a dramatic and stark way. However, economists can be attracted to sports for reasons that are different from those of the spectators. To economists they see sports as an industry with the ability to illustrate the economic principles in an attractive and interesting way. Over the years the labor aspect of the sports industry has gradually grown to become more and more complex (Burk 173). It has gotten to a place when been involved in professional sports without commercializing it is no longer attractive. This trend can be illustrated by the way soccer teams globally have to spend more on their players in order to make sure that they attract more fans which will result to more income. If a team chooses not to spend more in order to hire the best players in the market, they will be competitively disadvantaged making them less attractive. Supply and demand of labor are aspects that should be keenly observed in any industry, especially during these days of economic hardships and uncertainty. This applies to the sports industry. It is important to note that the demand for labor in the sports industry can influence that rate of payment for human labor. The payment can also vary in terms of individual mobility, racial discrimination, personal productivity, and availability of substitutes. Property rights can affect the supply of sports talent. Collective agreements like payroll caps, reverse order drafts, and revenue sharing can be used to control such forces (Rosner and Shropshire 137). Under normal

Mutterings over the Crib of a Deaf Child Essay Example for Free

Mutterings over the Crib of a Deaf Child Essay The poem is a work of classic poetic prowess. It paints a vivid picture of a world where there is no sound, yet that world is just as fluent in operation as the one with. The poem undertakes the difficulties a deaf child would face in the real world, in contemplation of which he would have to make do with the other 4 senses, and in explaining how he would utilize those, Wright manages to paint pictures in the reader’s head that take him through the deaf child’s way of life were he to experience the same things a normal child would. The images that are conjured up will thus be considered in order to understand what emotions the two speakers are going through as they relay what a deaf child undergoes in his quest to live through the ordeals of a normal life with one sense less. Analysis The poem is depicted as a question and answer session where one speaker addresses the problem the deaf child might have to face in the world and the other portrays the effect of a heightened visual aura as well as more prominent ancillary senses that may make up for his deafness. To communicate this ideology, Wright utilizes the tool of articulating imagery, which forces the reader to visualize what the speaker is relaying and the passion which he relates to it. The first speaker, for example, discusses how important the sense of sound is and how impairment to the same would render a person seriously disabled to the basic sounds one undergoes, such as the bell at school and the cry of the starlings. In reply, the second speaker puts a lot of weight on cherishing life with the remaining senses, which a deaf person has the ability to put into perspective. Thus, every single argument is rebutted, with the second speaker taking careful note of the visual elements that contribute to a person’s knowledge, such as the measure of the clock and the shade crawling upon the rock as the day ends. The questions continue and sleep factors in when the first speaker reinvigorates the need to sleep and wake up on time, which as a child is the responsibility of the parent. Of course, this is a clear indication of how strongly he feels about the use of sound in early childhood as the young one is still learning to get accustomed to the ways of the world. The second speaker is adamant on the use of visual perception to counter all the missing elements of sound, as when the child’s finger bleeds he will learn to get accustomed to pain where as a whistling bobwhite would simply indicate the emergence of night. Conclusion The two speakers were thus planted by Wright to demonstrate the emotional attachments humans attribute to the five senses. The first speaker very obviously arguing the importance of the sense of hearing coupled with an underlying passion for the audible rigors of childhood, during school and as a part of growing up, without which he believes that life may just be incomplete. The second speaker, however, is there to counter that very argument to its roots, indicating the importance of the remaining senses and how they more than make up for the deafness. This, as it were, has a larger than life element, as the second speaker so fervently argues the presence of a higher power, which negates any handicap that the child might face with other qualities naturally gifted to him, such as that of sight and touch. Thus, he is more emotional about his belief in God more than anything else.

Importance of Employer Branding Concepts

Importance of Employer Branding Concepts Terms of references This report highlights the rising awareness for the development of Employer Branding concept and its benefits for the organisations in present competitive labour market. The conflict between effective employer branding and employees rights and satisfaction toward organization has been examined in this report with specific focus on the unethical and controlling effect. Introduction Employer branding is the perception of employees about an organization as a place to work. Its designed for motivating and securing employees alignment with the vision and values of the organizations. From the HR perspective the concept was subsumed the older term INTERNAL BRANDING that was essentially the process of communicating an organizations brand value to its employee. Employer branding The concept of EMPLOYER BRANDING was created in the 1990s by Simon Barrow, who founded People in Business (now part of TMP Worldwide) and was the co-author of The Employer Brand. 1 In the past, Barrow had been a consumer goods brand manager and headed up an advertising agency in London, but later became the chief executive of a recruitment agency. He was immediately struck by the similarities between the challenges faced in promoting consumer goods and in publicising the strengths of an organisations employee proposition. Both, he recognised, required a strong brand, and so the concept of employer branding was conceived. Barrow defined the employer brand as the package of functional, economic and psychological benefits provided by employment and identified with the employing company. Sullivan (2004) defines employer branding as a targeted, long-term strategy to manage the awareness and perceptions of employees, potential employees, and related stakeholders with regards to a particular firm. Ambler and Barrow (1996) define employer brand in terms of the benefits it conveys on employees. In other words, the employer brand represents the array of economic, functional and psychological benefits that an employee might receive because of joining an organization. Just as product brands convey an image to customers, an employer brand conveys an organizational image to potential and current employees. In that regard, the employer brand presents a value proposition about what people might receive as a result of working for a particular employer (Backhaus and Tikoo, 2004). These definitions indicate that emp loyer branding means promoting and building an identity and a clear view of what makes an organization different and desirable as an employer. It has similarities with product and corporate branding but the key difference is its more employment specific. Recruitment and employer branding Developing an employer brand is a combination of adopting vision, values, and behaviours, and delivering a service that shows commitment to best practice and service excellence. It begins with the recruitment process that offers number of tools that can be used to create perceptions of an employing organization, these tools are: 1. Job advertisement and description 2. Interview process 3. Offer letters 4. Information pack for new recruiters 5. Employee handbooks 6. Induction and training. The recruitment process is an important way to build a positive relationship between the organization and employee. Throughout the procedure, the organization can create a strong and positive view about them; even it can be extended to unsuccessful candidates as well. When employees have accepted the sincerity and accuracy of the employer brand, they will carry it forward, actively promoting the brand to colleagues and customers. However, employer branding which is basically untruthful will not work and is likely to be counter-productive. Benefits of Employer Branding Long-term impact: Successful employer brand can have positive impacts on recruiting for at least five years baring any major PR issues surrounding the company. Increased volume of spontaneous candidates: The number of applicants will increase each year. In some cases, applications will increase by 500%. Higher quality candidates: Not only the quantity but the quality of candidates will improve dramatically, individuals who never would have considered in the past will start applying. Higher offer-acceptance rates: As employment image becomes better known and more powerful, firms offer acceptance rates will improve dramatically. Increased employee motivation: Employee motivation will be easier to maintain because of employees increased pride in the firm and the better management practices that are required to maintain an employer-of-choice status. A stronger corporate culture: Because one of the goals of employment branding is to develop a consistent message about what its like to work and what it feel to be a part of the organization, employment branding can help strengthen firms corporate culture. Decreased corporate negatives: Effective branding programs identify and counter negative comments about the organisation. Increased manager satisfaction: The resulting higher quality of candidates and higher offer-acceptance rate means that hiring managers will have to devote less time to interviews, and they will be more satisfied with the recruiting function. A competitive advantage: Because employment branding efforts include extensive metrics and side-by-side comparisons with talent competitors, firms can ensure that their talent-management approaches are differentiated and continually superior. Increased shareholder value: The effective and improved employer image can positively impact a firms stock price. Support for the product brand: An employment brand can support the corporate brand and related product brands because many consumers mentally make the link between attracting quality employees and producing a quality product. The brand essence should summarize what the brand stands for, becoming the nucleus for product development, all communications and even HR initiatives for employees. Its definition should also be consistent with the corporate vision/mission and values. For example, Volvo is a good example of a brand description is Volvo Style, driving pleasure and superior ownership experience while celebrating human values and respecting the environment. Volvos values and associations reflecting this brand identity are what are considered to be typically Scandinavian e.g. nature, security and health, human values, elegant simplicity, creative engineering and the spirit of stylish/innovative functionality. For Volvo, this description not only mirrors the psycho-graphic profile of the ideal customer for their cars, but also summarizes what Volvo as a company means to all its workers its employer brand. These are intrinsic values that Volvo workers can relate to, what they believe in and why they feel comfortable making a commitment to their jobs. One can easily visualize the types of HR programs that would inspire a sense of pride and re-enforce these intangibles e.g. nature, health, security and other meaningful human values. Living the brand LIVING THE BRAND is identifying with an organizations brand value to such an extent that employees behaviours fit exactly to the image that the business is trying to portray to its customers (Alan Price 2007). The alignment between employees behaviour and value of organizations brand image is very important. It is suggested that organisations need to ensure that there is no gap between what the organisation is saying in the outside world and what people believe inside the business. The employees should be perceived as Brand ambassador and brand marketing would only be successful if they LIVE THE BRAND. From this perspective: 1. Organizations have encouraged employees to buy in to the business vision and values. 2. They have to ensure that everyone in the organization clearly understand the purpose of the common set of values. According to Ind (2004), the themes discussed are likely to be of interest to HR and marketing practitioners as well as those involved in internal communications within organisations. Employees themselves are expected to internalise features and aspects of the organisations brand to ensure that they become brand champions, thus helping to represent to organisations brand to the outside customers. Such an approach immediately raises some interesting problems relating to equality and diversity as it expects each employee to share a particular set of values and act in accordance with these values. The employee branding approach being recommended by Ind raises a number of challenges for those interested in an equality and diversity agenda. An organisation that aims to ensure that empl oyees are living the brand will specifically aim to attract and recruit employees who already share the values of the corporate brand. Furthermore, those already employed within the organisation will be encouraged to internalise the values of the organisation. Clearly, there are problems for encouraging diversity here, with one of the principles of diversity management being an acceptance and recognition that people are different and individual differences (especially of values) should be welcomed. Inherently, a living the brand focus is likely to go against such a principle. Ind makes the point that encouraging employee identification and commitment to the organisations brand values might deny an expression of individuality. However, Ind suggests that internal branding combined with allowing employees to be empowered will enable freedom with order. Denial of individuality (dress code policy) When it comes to professional image, many employers are realising that Standards of dress and personal presentation are essential thus having a policy on dress code can be important. Where the employees meet customers, they act as the shop window for the company and the benefits of presentable appearance are obvious. However, even where the employees work is internal, there are less tangible benefits such as: Creating a team atmosphere, Engendering standards of professionalism, and Creating a corporate image. As employers are realising this, they are paying more attention to the appearance of their employees and the image and perception of the business dress, grooming and personal hygiene are all part and parcel of this. However, the issue of work place dress codes can be highly controversial. It is vital that employers are aware of the discrimination issues that dress codes can create. Issues with work place dress codes In organisations with uniforms, the issues can be more wide ranging. For instance, at the Greater Manchester Police Force, bureaucracy and unwillingness to accept change has hampered the introduction of hijabs for Muslim women. At Inchcape Fleet Solutions where all 140 non-senior staffs are provided with polo shirts or blouses branded with the company logo the style of the uniform does not suit all staff and most do not like wearing it. This would affect their moods at work and consequently affect their performance. Complaints of discrimination Furthermore, a complaint was raised informally by the staff forum of child trust fund provider Family Investments and relates to the fact that women can wear trousers that are not full length, while men cannot. Employees have requested that the company allows shorts to be worn, as long as they are below the knee Also, in September 2006, a British Airways worker has been suspended and attended an appeal over wearing a cross at work at Heathrow Airport. She claims the suspension is discriminatory, especially since the airline allows Sikh employees to wear traditional iron bangles and Muslim workers to wear headscarves.BA has said it will review its uniform policy in light of the media storm the story has provoked. Employer branding and discrimination law There are three areas of discrimination relevant to dress code policy: 1. Sex Discrimination Act 1975 2. Religious or Belief Regulations 2003 3. Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Sex discrimination and dress codes There is the obvious potential for sex discrimination in any dress code, which sets different requirements for men and women. Past claims have challenged policies that: women must wear skirts men should not have long hair Men must wear a collar and tie. The case of Matthew Thompson who objected to the dress code imposed by the Department for Work Pensions at his place of work, a job centre in Stockport, can also be a good example. Mr Thompson claimed that the dress code discriminated against male employees as they were forced to wear a collar and tie whereas female employees could wear T-shirts to work. The Employment Tribunal found in favour of Mr Thompson stating that the dress code was discriminatory as the requirement to wear a collar and tie was gender based and there were no items of clothing that were imposed on women in the same office. From the Thompson case, it became clear that employers should be careful in the way that they draft their dress codes. Employers are not prevented from imposing dress codes that require employees to wear specified items of clothing as long as the code is drafted in such a way as to be even-handed between men and women. For example, jobs in the City, the current convention is for both men and women to wear suits. The convention is that a man should wear a tie with a suit but the same does not apply to a woman. A dress code requiring a smart suit could apply to both sexes but be enforced in a non-discriminatory manner appropriate for each sex. Religion/belief discrimination and dress codes A dress code that requires employees to act in a way contrary to their religious beliefs, risks being indirectly discriminatory. Thus, a dress code forbidding headgear will be discriminatory to male Sikhs, who must wear a turban. The best way to avoid these problems is to be as non-specific as possible. A widely worded dress code requiring smart appearance, with non-binding examples of suitable dress, cannot fall foul of specific clothing-related beliefs. To cross-check your dress code against the main religions clothing beliefs, refer to Acas Guide on Religion and Belief which has a useful chart at Appendix 2 (pages 40-50). It may be possible for employers to objectively justify a dress code contrary to any of these beliefs, if it can be done so objectively. For example, employees at a chocolate factory were successfully prohibited from having beards for health and safety reasons. However, employers should be very wary of relying on objective justification as the courts are reluc tant to accept it. There may be a question mark in some cases whether a persons views are beliefs. According to Acas, Rastafarianism (which requires the wearing of a hat) is a belief system. Certain political beliefs or powerful sentiments such as patriotism (the wearing of an American flag badge) may or may not be regarded as beliefs. Employers should respect beliefs that are strongly held whether or not they are religious in nature. Disability discrimination and dress codes Disabled employees may not be able to comply with a dress code, for example, an employee with a neck injury unable to wear a tie. However, by and large, this need not affect the way the code is drafted; instead, employers should be sensitive in the enforcement of the dress code. In summary, employers should be quite a bit flexible when writing a policy on employee dress or appearance. Reasonable flexibility and sensitivity to the employees racial differences should be allowed in the dress code to make employees comfortable and any conflict and law suits, while meeting the Trust standard of Dress code. This view is echoed by organisations such as Broker Network, which believes that employees should be able to make their own judgments on what is best to wear. Many companies are now turning their backs on the concept of dress-down Fridays, opting instead to ditch smart business-wear every day of the week. A survey of 560 organisations has found that four out of five employers believe a more relaxed dress code leads to greater productivity. Nine out of 10 organisations that replied to the poll by the Peninsula employment law consultancy had declared ties an unnecessary part of their dress code. Conclusion The issues discussed above create a challenge for HR professionals involved in employee focused branding projects, especially those where employees are expected to share a specific set of values. That is that such initiatives will undoubtedly create a tension and potentially conflict with principles underlying an equality and diversity agenda. Inds suggestion that inside-out branding allows freedom and order remains unconvincing even when the employees are involved in constructing the brand values. An organisation that dictates a set of values for employees to internalise is still a homogenising force. Organisations that genuinely take diversity programmes seriously will have to tackle this tension. One possible way out of this conundrum is to include equality and diversity awareness as a key value included in the internal brand proposition. Recommendations Any guidelines should be carefully drafted, and employers are advised to treat any requests to dress contrary to the company code for religious or racial reasons with respect. Employers should consult the employee in question and discuss how to accommodate reasonable requests, and try to find a favourable solution. A tribunal will be more likely to be sympathetic to the employer where a policy is required for health and safety purposes, rather than simply to maintain a corporate image. Decide what restrictions on employees appearance are necessary and why. For example, teachers are expected to wear sensible footwear, suitable for the activities their job involves. Restrictions should not be excessive or unreasonable, for instance insisting on suits or ties in the office when employees are not customer-facing. Set out the guidelines clearly, and include the rationale behind any restrictions. Explain why restrictions may be placed on some employees but not others (for example, no body piercing for those operating heavy machinery for health and safety purposes, and those working within a cafà © of a supermarket may have stricter codes enforced on them than those who work in the same store, but dont come into direct contact with food). Give employees notice of when the policy will come into force. Allow employees a grace period before disciplining for non-compliance. Explain what will happen if employees are found to be in persistent breach of the policy (disciplinary action and, potentially, dismissal). Give the name of an individual that employees can talk to if they feel they cannot comply with the policy. Current legislation on issues that could lead to discrimination should be reviewed from time to time, and staff handbook should be read by employment lawyers to ensure compliance. Guidelines should also be updated to accommodate the legislation. Base the policy on business-related reasons. Explain your reasons in the policy so employees understand the rationale behind the restrictions. Common business-related reasons include maintaining the organizations public image, promoting a productive work environment, or complying with health and safety standards. Require employees to have an appropriate, well-gro omed appearance. Even casual dress policies should specify what clothing is inappropriate (such as sweat suits, shorts, and jeans) and any special requirements for employees who deal with the public. Communicate the policy. Use employee handbooks or memos to alert employees to the new policy, any revisions, and the penalties for noncompliance. In addition, explain the policy to job candidates. Apply the dress code policy uniformly to all employees. This can prevent claims that the policy adversely affects women or minorities. However, you may have to make exceptions if required by law. (See next suggestion.) Make reasonable accommodation when the situation requires an exception. Be prepared to accommodate requests for religious practices and disabilities, such as head coverings and facial hair. Apply consistent discipline for dress code violations. When disciplining violators, point out why their attire does not comply with the code and what they can do to comply REFERENCES: Edwards, M. R. (2008) Employees as a Focus of Branding Activities: A Review of Recent Contributions to the Literature and the Implications for Workplace Diversity, Equal opportunities international. Vol 27(5) pp. 447-481 [online] Available from: www.emerald.com [Accessed 1 April 2009] Carrington, L (2007) EMPLOYER BRANDING [Online] Available from: http://globaltalentmetrics.com/articles/EB_2007_Brandempl.pdf [Accessed 26 March 2009] Wolff, C. (2007) EMPLOYERS USE DRESS CODES TO ENHANCE CORPORATE IMAGE, IRS. Issue 878. Available from: http://www.xperthr.co.uk [Accessed 26 March 2009] Downes, J. (2007) POLICY CLINIC: DRESS CODES, [online] Available from: http://0-www.xperthr.co.uk.lispac.lsbu.ac.uk/article/81919/policy-clinicdress-codes.aspx?searchwords=Policy+clinic%3a+Dress+codes [Accessed 26 March 2009] Millar, M (2006) EMPLOYERS RELAXING WORK DRESS CODE CAN HELP IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY, [online] Available from: http://www.personneltoday.com/articles/2006/07/26/36558/employers-relaxing-work-dress-code-can-help-improve.html [Accessed 26 March 2009] Dr. Sullivan, J (2008) EMPLOYMENT BRANDING: THE ONLY LONG-TERM RECRUITING STRATEGY, [online] Available from: http://www.drjohnsullivan.com/content/view/183/27/ [Accessed 26 March 2009] Stephen Morrall, S Urquhart, C (2003) SEX DISCRIMINATION ARE DRESS CODES DISCRIMINATORY? [online] Available from: http://www.drjohnsullivan.com/content/view/183/27/ [Accessed 26 March 2009] Gronlund, J K (2008) HOW EMPLOYER BRANDINGCAN FOSTER TRUSTS AND LOYALTY? [Online] Available from: http://www.employerbrand.com/Points_pathf.html [Accessed 26 March 2009]

Teachers’ Practices for Written Feedback in Nursing

Teachers’ Practices for Written Feedback in Nursing LITERATURE REVIEW AND ANALYSIS PAPER1 Factors Influencing Teachers’ practices to provide written feedback to nursing students Introduction/Background The process of evaluation is significant to acquire information to judge students’ learning, to define proficiency in practice and to derive a judgment about students. Evaluation fulfills two major roles: it is formative and summative (Oermann Gaberson, 2013, p. 9). With formative evaluation, teacher evaluates students’ learning and performance, and provides them definite feedback about the knowledge and expertise which still needs to be modified and enhanced. It is usually considered as diagnostic and many researchers (Bienstock et al., 2007; Corcoran, Halverson, Schindler, 2014) found it helpful in students’ learning and improvement in their career. On the other hand, summative evaluation is end-of-instruction evaluation designed to determine what the student has learnt. It was usually occurred at the end of the learning process. There are a number of strategies which has used to evaluate students’ learning and skills. The most common tool used to enha nce students’ learning is feedback system. Feedback is â€Å"an interface between teachers’ pedagogical goals; students’ learning needs; and institutional and governmental education policies, which structure and regulate practices and procedures† (Bailey Garner, 2010). Numerous ways are used to give feedback for example; written, verbal, peer, audio, online, student to faculty, faculty to student, structured feedback, unstructured feedback, face to face feedback, and so on. In fact, feedback is given to students from faculty for their improvements and making them aware about their progress and informing them about their strength and areas for improvements. In my teaching and academic career, I have observed that, there is a great diversity in teachers’ practices of providing feedback to their students. Some teachers follow the strict principles of feedback while others do not. I want to explore â€Å"what are the factors which influence on teache rs’ practices to provide feedback to their students† and â€Å"what are the perceptions of students about their feedback which they receive from their faculty or teachers†. Purpose/Aim of the paper This paper aims to; Analyze existing literature on teachers’ practices for written feedback as well as challenges for teachers to provide written feedback to their students. Appraise students’ perceptions/expectations from written feedback on their assignments. Identify the gaps between what is known and what is not known through literature. Significance of the topic It is well recognized that feedback is an essential constituent of academic discipline which offers consideration and improvement in learning as well as in teaching in any discipline (Corcoran, Halverson, Schindler., 2014; Giles, Gilbert, McNeill, 2014; Horeman et al., 2013; Matzie et al., 2009; Rogers et al., 2012). Eminence feedback plays an important role in learning and teaching part whether it is provided or received. There are a few studies conducted on feedback in nursing academia to explore different aspects of feedback in order to improve learning and teaching in nursing education. Literature search strategy In order to explore the studies conducted on â€Å"teachers’ practices about feedback on written assignments†, an ample search was conducted through a number of Databases, including PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), Google scholar, and Science direct. Different key terms were used to search the existing data on the selected topic. The terms used in searching databases were â€Å"written assignment†, teacher’s practices† teacher’s feedback†. â€Å"Written feedback† was the inclusion criteria in searching literature but the studies conducted other than â€Å"nursing discipline† were also included. Most of the studies conducted in developed countries e.g. Canada, USA, U.K, England, Norway, and Australia. There are some studies conducted in Asian countries, China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and in Pakistan but unpublished. The detailed flow diagram for search strategy is following; (Flow diagram for literature selection) In addition, substantial assistance was also taken from librarian in order to access some online articles, which were quite relevant to the topic. Furthermore, reference lists in all including studies were explored and secondary sources which were quite relevant to the chosen topic were searched manually for reading and including literature as a primary source. Moreover, two unpublished theses of Iqbal (2013) â€Å"Teachers’ accounts of their perceptions and practices of providing written feedback to nursing students on their assignments† and Khowaja’s (2011) â€Å"students’ perceptions and their responses to written feedback in nursing degree program in Karachi† have been issued from library in order to review and include necessary and important information in this paper. I have also attended seminar which was conducted by one of senior student on a relatively similar topic (feedback to improve learning) to get additional information in order to au gment my paper. Literature review Literature review has organized according to four different themes. Importance/Usefulness of written feedback Characteristics of effective feedback Challenges for teachers and students in feedback Discrepancy in teachers and students’ perception about feedback 1. Importance/Usefulness of written feedback Feedback is given to students from faculty for their improvements and making them aware about their progress and informing them about their strength and areas for improvement (Bourgualt, Mundy Joshua, 2013; Corcoran et al., 2014; Giles, Gilbert, McNeill, 2014; Horeman et al., 2013; Khowaja, 2011; Rogers et al., 2012). On the contrary, MacLellan (2001) argued that the most common purpose of the students and the staff for feedback is to grade or rank the achievement. Braend et al. (2010) directed a study on Fifth year medical students at the University of Oslo and recommended that most of the students considered triangulation feedback from teachers and patients valuable but time-consuming. Rogers, et al. (2012) had conducted an interventional study to focus student-centred approach for improving feedback in medical education in the clinical settings. The satisfaction rate was significantly higher in the group receiving feedback with instructions rather than the group receiving compli ments without any instructions (p. 23). No doubt, feedback plays an important role in students’ learning and improvements, but it is also a fact, that feedback in the form of evaluation is also used for the purpose of ranking the students’ achievements. Although one author argued with other researchers’ findings but according to second author feedback was considered useful in another context (to grade achievement). Furthermore, some of the studies had conducted in comparison of different feedback channels to the students. Besides that, instructions for the students are very useful in clinical settings. 2. Characteristics of effective feedback Quality feedback should be within time limit, explicit, productive and should be based upon non-judgmental attitude (Bienstock et al., 2007, p. 508). Newton, Wallace, and McKimm (2012) conducted interventional study changing from a free-text feedback form to a simple structured feedback proforma focusing the areas of improvement in students’ performance which has increased in both the quantity and quality of feedback. In addition, Maclellan (2001) also inquired about student’s understanding of feedback and concluded that learning occurs when students really perceive feedback as an enabling and helping tool for improvement rather than being judgemental about their achievements. Moreover, it was concluded that teachers should openly discuss with the students how they can integrate this feedback in their upcoming papers (Hyland, 2003, p. 228). In addition, There should be a balance between strength and areas for improvements while providing feedback to students to make it useful for them (Hyland, F., Hyland, K., 2001). There is a great importance of technology in enhancing feedback for the students in their practical tasks as feedback is recorded for students so they can reflect upon themselves and can review their weakness and strengthening areas (Corrigan Hardham, 2011). Bourgualt, Mundy and Joshua (2013) conducted a pilot study by using audio feedback on student nurses’ written assignments and concluded that instructors’ focus was on the provision of positive/constructive feedback as the instructors were high alert before giving feedback and they had also highlighted the important areas to share with the students for their improvement (p.44). The excellence of feedback depends upon many components which should be kept in consideration to make it effective. Except these features, effective feedback depends upon the form in which it is used whether in a simple form or some kind of structured form. Different studies concluded different aspects of quality feedback but the focus of most of the studies was to keep balance between students’ strength and areas for improvements and feedback should be simple and easy for the students to interpret so that they could incorporate the feedback into their next assignments. Moreover, teachers should incorporate advanced technology to make feedback effective and keep in consideration of students’ belief or understanding about feedback while providing feed back to them. 3. Challenges for teachers and students Language and vocabulary is a big challenge for the teachers in providing feedback to students and for the students in understanding and interpreting the meaning of feedback (Bailey Garner, 2010; Weaver, 2006). Schartel (2012) determined that numerous medical educators have limited knowledge about theoretical models of feedback and also dearth of skills in providing feedback (p.77). Harvey, Radomski and OConnor (2013) conducted a study on medical students for clinical supervision and concluded that only 16% written feedback statements focused on the forward learning objectives for the students. From the above mentioned studies’ findings, it can be analyzed that the focus of the studies was on the language, knowledge and vocabulary of the teachers which they used in providing feedback to the students. In this context, students often valued feedback but tutors comments would be more useful for them. Furthermore, sometime tutors do not provide detailed feedback to the students because of some contributing factors, sometime, personal, or institutional. Teachers should get proper training for feedback and should be trained in giving feedback. 4. Discrepancy in teachers own practices and students’ perception about feedback I have experienced in my academic career being a student and being a teacher that teachers have different perceptions and different opinions on the purpose for providing feedback to the students and teachers do not know how their students would take their feedback and how it would be helpful for them. There is also ample evidence from literature to support that there is a great controversy between teacher’s perception about providing feedback and student’s expectation and interpretations of those written comments (Carless, 2006; Garner Bailey 2010; Goldstein, 2004; Jensen et al, (2012). Moreover, Weaver 2006) concluded that students need support from faculty to understand feedback what they mean to it. He also determined a number of themes about feedback which are solely awkward for the students like comments too broad or unclear, lack of direction, intensive negative comments Moreover, these findings also supported by Bailey and Garner (2010) by suggesting that teache rs are not very sure about the purpose of providing feedback to their students. (p. 187). Another similar kind of study has been done in order to explore the gap between faculty and the residents for receiving and giving feedback. Jensen, et al. (2012) concluded that residents/students satisfaction for the feedback was significantly lower than the satisfaction level of the faculty for giving feedback (p.248). In addition, Parboteeah and Anwar (2009) suggested that teachers considered feedback more useful rather than students in many contexts. On the contrary, Montgomery and Baker (2007) conducted research by triangulation design between students and faculty and they recommended that there is a well synchronization between students’ perception about feedback and teacher’s self-assessment in giving feedback to their students (p. 82). All the studies conducted on the above mentioned theme, concluded that there is a great diversity among teachers and students in the process of feedback, but there is only one study (Montgomery Baker, 2007) revealed synchronization among students and faculty about feedback. Gap in literature: There is enough evidence from existing literature about students’ perceptions regarding feedback and teacher’s expectation from students. Literature also available on a discrepancy in teachers’ actual practices in providing feedback to students and what they believe to provide. There is a need to explore the factors influence teachers’ practices to provide feedback which they really want to provide and what is the extent of those factors in Pakistani Nursing context. Restatement of problem and its significance/implication for nursing: Despite of importance of feedback in educational system, only one study has conducted in Pakistani context on â€Å"teachers’ practices about feedback†, which is unpublished yet. But none of the study conducted on â€Å"what factors influence on teachers’ practices for written feedback† and â€Å"what is the extent of pre-determined factors affecting teachers’ practices in providing written feedback to students†. This study probably would add new knowledge to the existing phenomena of written feedback and new interventions could be designed based on the study findings to improve or enhance the teachers’ practices for providing written feedback to their students ultimately to boost learning and teaching practices in nursing education. Conclusion: To conclude, Feedback is not only important from student’s perspective but it is also significant from faculty and educational objectives. There are many studies conducted on the given phenomena but all the studies conducted in developed countries and some of them in Asian countries. Almost all the studies are designed qualitatively, some mixed methods, but none of the study designed quantitative. There is a need to explore the extent of predetermined factors influencing teachers’ practices in providing feedback which they really want to give to their students, so that according to study findings, interventions could be designed to improve teachers’ practices in nursing education.

Mozart :: essays research papers

Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart was born in Salzburg, Austria on January 27th, 1756. He was born to Leopold and Anna Maria Pertl. Leopol was a very successful composer, voilinist, and the assistant concertmaster at the Salzburg court. Mozart showed musical talent at a very young age. By age five he was composing minuets.And at age six he played before the Bavarian Elector and the Austrian Empress.His father taught him, but said teahcing Wolfgang was hard because he knew so much already. His father was also his largest influence. In 1763 Wolfgang’s father, Leopold, took him and his sister, Maria Anna, on a concert tour of Europe. The children performed in many courts and large cities including Paris, London, and Germany. They astonished their audiences wherever they performed. In London Wolfgang wrote his first symphonies and met Johann Christian Brahm, who had a very large influence on him. In Paris Wolfgang published his first works, four sonatas for clavier with accompanying voilin. In 1768 he composed his first opera, La Finta Semplice, which was presented for the first time a year later in his home town of Salzburg. In 1769 Wolfgang and his father set out on another tour of Italy. Here Wolfgang wrote a new opera, Mitridate ri de Ponto. He also wrote two more operas for Milan, Ascanio in Alba and Lucio Silla. Three years later in 1772 Wolfgang was appointed concertmaster to the archbishop of Salzburg, his home town. He composed many works while he was concertmaster. But this job was not good for him and he did not get anolg with most of the people around him. So, he soon quit this job to travel to Paris with his mother and look for a new job. In 1777 Wolfgana and his mother, Maria Anna, went to Paris, France. While here Wolfgang composed many works including The Paris Symphony (1778). But, he could not find a permanent job there. His mother died in Paris this year and this upset Wolfgang very much. He returned to Salzburg in 1779 and was made the court organist. He wrote many church works then, including the famous Coronation Mass. He was supposed to write a new opera for Munich, Idomeneo. In 1781 he was called to Vienna by von Colloredo. His career in Vienna started out wonderfully. He was soon assigned to write The Abduction from the Seralio (1782). The emporer loved his music, and later got him the job of court composer. Mozart was now very popular in Vienna. That year he married Constenze Weber, from Germany. His father was not happy with this

Time Compression :: essays research papers

Thousands of years ago, Man created (discovered?) gunpowder. Sixty years ago, he discovered the power of the atom. Twenty-five years ago, computers were primarily tools of universities, large corporations and government agencies. Now a Personal Computer is commonplace in homes; suburban kids have computers with capabilities 100 fold of their corporate ancestors. The Internet was in a similar state not 10 years ago. It has grown so fast that now the original framework is bursting at the seams, no longer able to handle the needs of the burgeoning â€Å"Internet Community†. Technology and the world around us is moving at a breakneck speed, and it’s getting faster every second. These are examples of a theory known as Time Compression. Time compression is a simple theory, and it is one that I am in love with, as it effects us all on a day-to-day basis. Think of time as a physical presence that is constantly moving. As a physical thing, it has mass, weight, volume, etc. The longer it’s been moving, the more momentum it gains, the faster it goes. Be it technology, moral philosophies or social situations, we are affected by time compression in all facets of our lives. As we speed through our post-modern lifestyles, the increasing speed is becoming more apparent. Every day of our lives, something is being created, improved upon and appraised as no longer being relevant, and scrapped for something newer, faster and better to replace it. Whether this is good or bad is not terribly relevant. Change is one of the few constants. Progress has been occurring before man had a word for it. It’s been moving along at an ever-increasing velocity before man was, by today’s evolutionary standards, classifiable as Man. Even with this apparent truth, some try to grind their heels into the dirt, slow it down just a bit. Sometimes it works out. Thoreau. Sometimes it doesn’t. Unabomber. But regardless of the outcome, both suffer from the same symptom, a sort of desperate escapism. If you disregard all the nobler qualities that have been stacked upon Thoreau, he was a simple man living in a complex world, desperately afraid and unable to cop to his bewildering environment.

Foreign Aid :: essays research papers

Foreign Aid The United States of America is a wealthy nation. We are also a nation that reaches out to the poverty-stricken world, lending financial aid in ridiculous amounts to these shambled countries. The burning question of the moment is: how effect is our foreign aid, and what can we do to improve its efficiency? The answer is quite a difficult one, if it even exists at all. Foreign aid has been lent to these broken countries for over half of a century. Billions of dollars has been poured into this defunct outlet, with nothing really to show for it. The thing one must understand about foreign aid and where and how it is spent is that all of these subsidies are given directly to the government. The thing is, this government might not have the purest intentions. More than once, the recipients of this aid have been accused of wasting foreign aid on palaces and their decadent lifestyle, in general. We know foreign aid doesn’t work the way it should, yet we make no strides towards improving it at the expense of our own taxpayers. Another reason why foreign aid is ineffective is that it leads the inhabitants of the poor, ran-down country to believe that they simply cannot do it on their own. They have to rely on our money to get anything going, which is a dangerous game. We’re not letting these countries stand on their own feet, and that isn’t good for them, and it damn sure isn’t good for us. What if one of these countries that we’re pouring money into becomes powerful and acquires nuclear weaponry? If we cut funding, they might become belligerent towards the United States, and then what? We give them more money, like some kind of hostage with a knife to our throat? As Bauer wrote in his book, The Development Frontier in 1991: â€Å"Economic achievement depends on personal, cultural, social, and political factors†¦ and the policies of rulers. It diminishes the people of the Third World to suggest that unlike the people of the West, they cannot achieve it without subsidies.â⠂¬  Imagine pouring millions upon millions of dollars into an interventionist state with counterproductive economic policies such as high taxes, spending and borrowing, excessive regulation, protectionism, inflation, price controls, land collectivization, and outright corruption. They’re going to be able to avoid a civil rebellion through quelling the hunger of the masses with our

Slave Trade Simulation

Slave Trade Simulation Paper 26 February 2013 Modern World ONL Trading slaves, a practice that has been described as inhumane, evil, or even blasphemous, left little room for sensitivity for those making the decisions of the trade. Often people wonder how such evil could continue in the world for as long as it did. â€Å"The rewards of the slave trade overwhelmed any religious inhibitions that some of the traders and other beneficiaries might have had. 1 [Islam’s Black Slaves, p. 159] I will explain the delicacies of the trade agreements of the Yao, Kilwa-based Swahili Trade Lineage, and of the Zanzibari Indian Trading Lineage. After taking control of Kilwa in the mid-1780s, Oman transferred the bulk of the slave and ivory trade there. 2 [Islam’s Black Slaves, p. 146] The Swahili Trading Lineage of Kilwa were pleased, as it leveled the playing field and enabled trade to be profitable for everyone of the area.If you are wondering how these slaves could have put up with such harsh conditions, keep in mind that, though the traders poorly treated slaves, the slave-owners often treated them more humanely. The ones who were not killed in the travel of the trade were lucky to be alive and thus weakened at the thought of revolt. As for the traders, many of their negotiations were so binding that they could not go back on an agreement at any cost. Trading elite were normally more concerned with upholding status as businessmen and thus, carried out any horror in the name of honor.The politics of the slave trade were very much like those of the 21st century, in the sense that some were at the tip of the pyramid, with those who were the middle and finally its base. Yao elite kept their honor and held their position on the ground level by providing for their people through trade. Their mercantile success also determined their power locally, as they were a matrilineal society. The Swahili Trading Lineage (A. K. A. the next level of the pyramid), who acquired t heir slaves from the Yao, were facing pressures from the Zanzibari Indian Traders, who were controlling more and more of their territory.These Zanzibari, who were actually Bhattians based in Oman, were looking to prove their worth with the Omani by influencing more trade in the Kilwa region, thus moving up a notch on the pyramid. The Omani (the eye of the pyramid) had recently forced the Portuguese out of power over their area, allowing for more even trade for the Swahili Trading Lineage. All were trying to hold their ground against the exerting power of the Omani while remaining in good relations with those who benefited them.The Yao headmen, who were having trouble keeping their slaves alive prior to the trade, had to make a decision as to where 50 additional slaves to be given to the Swahili Lineage would come from. They could have chosen to attack a neighboring village, which might have had devastating consequences. Second, they could have offered up criminals of local villages. This would run them the risk of upsetting powerful families and causing half of the headmen’s lives if expected profits were not realized.Third, they had the option of sending Yao traders to the Portuguese for the extra slaves. This would have caused prices to increase by 50%, which would have affected their probability of providing the right amount of slaves. For the Kilwa-based Swahili Trading Lineage, their main concern was conducting an effective and honorable business transaction in order to promote a marriage alliance with the Zanzibari Indian Trading Lineage. This would counter the growing authority the Zanzibari had over the Kilwas and protect their status as elites.In order to do so, they had to fairly treat the Yao traders while ensuring a profit of at least 10 slaves and a gift for the Zanzibari of at least 10 slaves as well. Possibly the most influential of the transaction were the Zanzibari Indian traders. They set the market prices and held the fate of the Kilw a-based lineage in their hands. For the trade, wealth was just as important as power for the few who conducted the human trade. Profits were estimated to be over 60 percent, substantially higher for anyone who simultaneously traded ivory. Traders were not inclined to let go of their influence at any cost. Those who stood in the way of a successful trade were eradicated or assimilated. Bibliography Ronald Segal,  Ã‚  Islam's Black Slaves: The Other Black Diaspora  ( New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002) Robert E. Strayer,  Ã‚  Ways of the World: A Brief Global History,  Volume II,  Since 1500  (New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2012) ——————————————– [ 1 ]. Ronald Segal,  Ã‚  Islam's Black Slaves: The Other Black Diaspora  ( New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2002)

A Protest from a Bushman

201005894| ENG 373 ASSIGNMENT| BOIKANYO MAKAUSU| 1. A PROTEST FROM A BUSHMAN POEM THEME: SADNESS The theme of the poet A Protest From a Bushman is SADNESS. The poet is expressing disapproval or objection to something, thus how his fellowman treats them and undermine the tribe, culture & tradition. TONE MORAL INDIGNATION The tone of the poem is typically a reactive emotion to anger over perceived mistreatment, insult or malice. It is somehow a sense of injustice. The bushman is more concerned with how his fellow countryman treats their tribe.He now feels that his native land not good/ not enjoyable to them as they are now treated as slaves and are now seen filthy. They are seen as a nobody hence this is their native land rather they are not refugees. The tone is the same through the poem. STRUCTURE The poem has 11 stanzas with 111 lines in total. The first stanza has 10 lines followed with the second stanza with 13 lines. The third stanza has 5 lines, seven on the fourth stanza while 19 lines on the fifth. The sixth stanza with also seven lines 15 lines with the seventh stanza and followed by3 lines on the eighth stanza.Then four lines on the ninety stanza. The second last stanza has sixteen lines while the last one has 12 lines. POETIC DEVICES REPITITION From stanza four the poet use repetition of the words, â€Å"life is tremulous like a drop of water on a mophane leaf. † to emphasize that life is shaking or shivering with the bad talks about the bushman by the fellow countryman. The bushman uses repetition to truly show that these talks makes them nervous, that is they don’t feel free in their native land. PERSONIFICATIONLife is personified to a person as it is said to be shivering/shaking hence it is something that’s not human like. It cannot shiver nor shake. He shows his anger by showing the unfairness of life. 2. THE ORATION OF CHIEF JOHN MADAWO NSWAZWI VII THEME SADNESS The theme of the poem The oration of Chief John Madawo Nswazwi i s sadness. The poet is being sad and not happy about how people are being treated. He is using Chief John Madawo Nswazwi giving out a speech to his tribe or nation addressing them about the suffering they were treated with and promising them that it is now over.He shows his sadness by saying, â€Å"We have become slaves Worse than dogs and pigs† By this he clarified how cruel they were being treated as animals. He also explained how heartless they were treated in front of God’s presence thus being weeped showing the immoral signs they discovered. TONE PROTEST The tone of the poem is a formal and solemn declaration of objection. Chief Nswazwi VIII is objecting or protesting against mistreatments of human rights to his fellow beloved countryman and women. The slave suffering of the countryman had put anger on him they now do not enjoy fruits of the country.He uses the African slave trade where missionaries mistreated the blacks as animals to explain their suffering which he feels is against the will of the almighty. The chief is angry to chief Tshekedi’s law where villages are being destroyed and reduced to ashes by his tyrannical rule. By saying â€Å" I shall come back fiercer than the burning sun† The chief promises the fellow countryman & women that if it happens he dies and the slave trade continues he would come back from the dead and display an intensive aggression to help his tribe. STRUCTURE The poem has 10 stanzas with 99 lines in total.In stanza I the poet expresses the feelings of anger that they have been mistreated but that shall stop and that the war brought shall kill the enemies themselves by using the chief. He continues in stanza 2 & 3 that upon his rule suffering would be changed to freedom and stop war with all his strength. He continues from stanza stating the impropriety of other chiefs, how they overexcite power up until stanza 7. In the last stanza the chief promises people that although they have lived throug h obstacles they would live a happy, freely and not disturbed life. 3. GABORONEThe aim of the poem is to briefly describe how the city Gaborone appears to be. In other words what Gaborone is and what happens around the city. However he does this by mainly focusing on the negative aspects in describing the city. It is a clear and short description of the picture behind the city Gaborone. The theme is perfectly reviewed throughout the poem, and to begin with the poet describe the climatic conditions of Gaborone in the first two lines to mention that Gaborone characterizes of high temperature or sunny conditions (Irritating Heat) as well as polluted air or not fresh air (Stale Air).He then continues to describe what happens around Gaborone from the third line to mention the fast moving and growing cockroaches, then large number of poor people (Hungry Smiles). The Poet continues with his description by mentioning foreign investors without identity found in Gaborone and also misleaders w ho feel overly self important (Pompous Misleaders). And halfway of the poem the poet says that Gaborone characterizes of misleading politicians (Visionless Politicians), violated house-wives in this case women abuse and also very poor artists.And towards the end he mentions that in Gaborone one may find rude and strict landlords and relatively increasing number of dealers. In concluding the poem he says Gaborone with its belly about to explode as to say that now population is increasing rapidly, the city is now expanding and hence growing into a huge city. STRUCTURE The poem comprises of only one stanza containing 20 lines, and each line starts by the word Gaborone. TONE The tone of the poem is quite a tone of disappoint or rather I will say the poet if fed up with what the city has turned into.So he writes this with a depressive mood. POETIC DEVICDES However the poet used some poetic devices during his writing such as rhyme, repetition and Hyperbole. He uses rhyming schemes such as the double rhymes like Hawkers and Workers, Mongers and Lovers. And also the triple rhymes like Churchgoers, Investors and Misleaders. Throughout the poem, the poet use repetition device in which he begins each line by the word Gaborone and there is also a hyperbole where by an outrageous exaggeration is used for effect, for example Turbo-Charged Cockroaches. 4.Outside A Hotel in Gaborone THEME The Poem put its focus on the desire or chase for money that people have and on the other hand it shows the power, strength and control that money can posses. This theme is being illustrated throughout the poem, and to start with the poet is trying to show us the picture behind a person who has money. He writes ‘Splash of Strident Colours, Splash of Covetous Smiles' as to show craving for possession or desire for wealth. So this is how a rich person would appear. He then continues to the second stanza to mention â€Å"eyes that lust money† s to say Minds that have a desire for m oney. And then he continues to the third stanza until the last one to illustrate what money does or what one would achieve with his/her wealthy being. and by doing so he write ‘ Purr of sleek cars' as to say Slow, continuous murmuring sound produced by attractive shinny cars driven in a group or a flock in chase for quick money. So this is basically what the poet is illustrating towards the end of the poem TONE So during the in analyzing the poem, it has appeared that the poet wrote this poem in a sad tone or mood as to show how disappointed he is.He is being let down by the impact that money has toward people around his city, Gaborone. STRUCTURE The Structure of poem comprises of 4 stanzas, the first stanza until the third one having a tercent each and the fourth stanza with quintet. POETIC DEVICES The Poem also comprises of some poetic devises such as rhyme, imagery, metaphor, simileys and. Firstly the rhyme, the poet uses sight rhyme that is word that are quite similar in s pelling but rather differ in pronunciations. For examples words like Cars and Curs, Flesh and Flash.He then applies Imagery, which is a sentence that uses the human senses to describe a vivid mental picture. For example he wrote â€Å"eyes that lust money† as to illustrate the picture of someone who has desire for money. He then applied the metaphor and simileys as to compare objects that are not alike, for example ‘Purr of Sleek Cars' and ‘Like Curs on Heat†. Here he is comparing the sound made by cars to the sound made by cats and again he compares an Undesirable dog on heat to Cars, as they are being driven by their owners in search for money. 5. SEROWE REFLECTONS STRUCTUREIt is made up of seven stanzas. The title is relevant in the sense that Serowe that the Poet talks about is different from the one he knew, the one he grew up in therefore it creates or forms on image of the then Serowe. POETIC DEVICES Metaphor ‘There is a permanent roar of your g reat warriors’. TONE The tone is sad because the Poet seems not to appreciate the changes in Serowe. There is so much change that he cannot accommodate. Serowe has become some that he is not proud of. SUMMARY From the poem we can tell that at first Serowe was a place that the Poet liked and enjoyed as his village.It was rich in culture but now Serowe has turned into something else, people use dongas to relief themselves; it is no longer safe for people to walk as night as people are being killed for sacrifices which is believed to bring wealth. Even the Kgotla [main] of Serowe makes people to think deeply about it whether it still potray the meaning of the Kgotla. Serowe has heavily fallen, one may say on the broken back just like the Poet and he continues by asking what could have went wrong with Serowe, the question is posed in such a way that the Poet want to find a solution in restoring the old Serowe.