The Policy Process Part Iii

The Policy Process, Part II University of Phoenix HCS 455 The Policy Process, Part II In the paper the author discussed The Policy Process, Part I on how Medicare part D became a policy. The author discussed the details on the formulation, legislative, and implementation stages of the policy. Now time to look at the final stages of the process, of Medicare Part D. Which are evaluation, analysis, revision, and methodology stages. In every policy there will be an evaluation stage to see how the policy will work and what needs to be done to evaluate the process. Evaluation StageThe evaluation stage is a process in which policymakers in the Senate and House look at a policy and evaluate the future outcomes of a policy in this case Medicare Part D. For instance once of the evaluation process would be how policymakers would evaluate the pharmaceutical companies to make sure to keep prescription costs down. Another would be to evaluate how many senior citizens are enrolling in the plan. As well as making sure senior citizens have all the information available to them to choose the correct plan that fits their prescription needs. For instance the Kaiser Foundation did a study on the technical problems of Medicare Part D.One of Kaiser’s findings seen confusion on which prescriptions would be covered from the numerous plans that an individual can choose from. As well, as medical providers not getting the new medical software to transition Medicare Part D into their computer systems. This meant that difference agencies like, doctors, insurance companies, and pharmacies run different programs and that have different policies on how to share patient’s information. Now on the other hand, if all these agencies can have the same software this would allow everyone in the patient’s medical circle to share the same codes and computer language.Thus, not having to have a great deal of public pain and confusion about the patient’s drug coverage’s. Another problem was transferring large patient’s files from one insurer to another insurer can take up to six months, from a 2004 study from the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission(Terri Emerick, 2006). One of the solutions to these problems would be to evaluate the information which is being sent to senior citizens. Medicare should send out their booklet to all senior citizens that are in the drug plan. All senior citizens should write down their medications which they are taking.Many seniors that do go to their local senior centers should go online and check out the Medicare website for information. As well calling Medicare to ask questions about which plan will work best for them. Do not forget to talk to your local pharmacist he or she might be able to tell the names of the plans which cover the prescriptions. By evaluating these areas policymakers can get information from outside agencies to do research and come up with results from polls, interviews, and surveys. In ev aluating all this information policymakers can form an analysis of Medicare Part D and see what need to be done.Analysis Stage Analyzing Medicare Part D as the author stated earlier one of the problems where the technical problems between the different agencies and sharing patients information. On February 17, 2009 President Obama signed a $787 billion dollar stimulus bill which puts $150 billion dollars on spending health information technology (Omini MD, 2009). This new plan physicians and health professionals will now receive incentives for implementing IT programs into their computer systems. Becoming paperless will maximize Medicare as well as physicians and medical professionals.By 2015 it will be mandatory that all physicians and medical professionals use IT programs. The United States Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) by December 31, 2009 under the stimulus act will develop a set of standards, implementation methods, and criteria for the new IT system to be in pl ace (Chris Silvia, 2009). Another analysis was made about the enrollment period. The enrollment period to enroll in a drug coverage plan is from November 15th through December 31st. Many elderly individuals felt they were getting rushed into signing up for a plan.Most of them were confused and explaining why they must pick a new drug coverage program every year. Many individuals fail to sign up within the six week time frame due to their medical or mental condition. This is something that would need to be analyzed and see if they can extend the enrollment period from six week to 12 weeks. Start the enrollment period on October 1st instead of November 15th. This would give many elderly individuals plenty enough time to pick, choose, and switch plans before the December 31st end date.In this entire analysis one must think there should be revisions made to the policy to make it better. Revision Stage In revising a policy starts by looking to see which policies need to be updated or cha nged to make the policy better. On September 5, 2008 one of the revisions in Medicare Part D was the use of Electronic Prescription Program (E-prescribing) Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) expects that Medicare Part D sponsors will have all the necessary contracts and systems in place should prescribers desire to use E-prescribing (Claudia Schlosberg, n. . ) As stated in the paragraph above with IT systems for physicians and health professionals using paperless system will maximize Medicare. This revision will not only help out pharmacies but help out physicians. Now this information will allows doctors to find out what prescriptions the patient has used in the past and where the patient usually goes to pick up his or her medications from. By revising this policy everyone in the medical community can deliver faster and better care for the individual.Since many senior citizens continue to do work, due to their low income, CMS has revised a section on Medicare Part D f or employers. Employers whom are offering medication drug coverage’s to Medicare individuals will now disclose to CMS if the plans the employer is offering are creditable. To make sure that the prescription drug plans are creditable, the plans must equal or exceed the actuarial value of defined standard prescription drug coverage under CMS guidelines (Kutak Rock, 2007).This revision in Medicare Part D is very important for seniors, this way seniors can know if the program that they have from work is creditable and make a decision on whether or not he or she should waive the enrollment of Medicare Part D. They employer must submit to CMS all the prescription drug plans that they offer to see if the plans follow CMS guidelines. Employers must also send out information to those individuals in the plan on or before the Medicare Part D enrollment date of November 15th of each year. Purpose and MethodologiesOne of the methodologies in Medicare Part D was to make sure senior citizen s get help with their drug prescription costs. Even thou CMS has many plans to choose from seniors need to do their part in researching some of the plans via internet, CMS hotline, and talking to their pharmacist. In turn the E-prescribing was another to help physicians and pharmacies to collect information more quickly without using any paper. By having everything computerized pharmacists can receive and gather information quickly compared to the old practice of using a fax machine.Using a computer eliminates misplaced fax paper, paper jams, or the fax did not go through. This saves time and money on both parts for the physician and pharmacists. IT software stimulus package the president Obama signed this year to help all healthcare professions to go paperless and receive patient’s information more quickly than before. This as well will save time and money for healthcare professionals in managing patient’s data to make sure all parties involved get the information the y need for billing and medical information.So these are just some of the purposes and methodologies for some changes in the Medicare Part D. Conclusion As more senior citizens coming into retirement Medicare Part D will be a major focus of discussion on the political front. Both Democrats and Republicans have different ideas on how to evaluate, analyze, and revise Medicare Part D. Of course, from the author’s perspective having IT software programs in place will help out indeed for all healthcare professionals and providers. Now with the Obama stimulus plan sign this year hopefully, all healthcare professions can be on the same track to get these IT systems in place.The benefits are enormous to getting information faster to the right people, especially in an emergency. Although CMS needs to do a better job on informing seniors about the prescription drug plans, so that way they can make better judgments on the plan they choose. Even better yet cut down on some of these plans these are way too many of them and they are confusing seniors on which plan to choose from. Either way policymakers from both sides need to work with healthcare professional to see what can be done to improve on Medicare Part D. References Chris Silvia (2009).Practices paperless before 2012 could maximize Medicare bonuses. Retrieved December 2, 2011, from http://www. ama-assn. org/amednews/2009/03/16/gvsa0316. htm Claudia Schlosberg (n. d. ). CMS Revises Medicare Prescription Drug Benefit Manuel-Chapter 7 Medication Therapy Management and Quality Improvement Program. Retrieved December 2, 2011, from http://www. ascp. com/advocacy/upload/ASCP%20Summary%20of %20CMS%20Chap%207%20Revisions. pdf Kutak Rock (2007). Medicare Part D: CMS Revises Model Notice and Disclosure Notice Requirements. Retrieved December 2, 2011, from http://www. utakrock. com/publications/employeebenefits/EBCA1107. pdf Omini MD (2011). Medicaid, health IT to see billions from stimulus package signed by Obama. Retri eved December 2, 2011, from http://www. myemrstimulus. com/tag/emr-software/ Omni MD (n. d. ). Medicaid, health IT to see billions from stimulus package signed by Obama. Retrieved December 2, 2011, from http://www. myemrstimulus. com/tag/emr-software/ Terri Emerick (2006). Part D:Rx for Disaster. Retrieved December 2, 2011, from http://www. epluribusmedia. org/archives/features/2006/0511part_d. html

Explorers Vacation Essay

It is bordered on the north by the South China Sea, all of the east, the west and the south by Karakas, Malaysia which divides Brunet into n. O parts that are not connected. Brine's total area is 5, 770 square kilometers, includes 33 islands. The topography of Brunet is that low-lying east high west, coastal plains in west and mountains on the mainland of east. The main rivers are Brunet River, Koala Beloit River (the longest river in Brunet, 32 kilometers), East River and Light Bloom River. The country' s biggest bay-?Brunet Bay is most important foreign traffic crossroads.Brunet is close to equator, the weather of it is tropical rainforest's climate, hot and rainy around all year. Brunet is a rich country; its economical situation is quite developed. The lattice system of Brunet is absolute monarchy. The leaders at present are Hajji Hosannas Bolivia succeeded to the throne and AH-Muhammad Bilabial conferring the crown prince. Sultan Bolivia was crowned in 1 967 at the age of 22, su cceeding his father, Sir Omar Ala Subduing, who had abdicated. During his reign, exploitation of the rich Serial oilfield had made the sultanate wealthy.Brunet has one of the highest per capita incomes in Asia, and the sultan is believed to be one of the richest men in the world. In Gag. 1 998, Oxford-educated Prince AH-Muhammad Bilabial was inaugurated as heir to the monarchy (reference: www. Neoplasm. Com/country'/ brunet. HTML). Next, I think you should know something about Brunet culture. According to the relative research, the population of Brunet is more than 400,000 in 2012, of which the Malay (67 percent), Chinese (15 percent), and others RACES accounted for 18 percent.The official language is Malay and the main religions are Islam, Buddhism and Taoism. In Brunet, the main holidays are Independent Day on January 1, 1984 and National Day on February 23, 1984 The flag of Brunet uses yellow as the background, combined with two parallelograms in black and white which are a natio nal emblem on it. The national emblem is made up of things in red-?a small flag, a canopy, two hands, a palm tree, a pair of wings, a first quarter moon and an Arabic slogan writing â€Å"Always to serve in god ;s guidance†.The flag shows deeply that Brunet regards Islam as the main religion. Brunet is also a traditional country with strong culture and custom. Once people have their faith, the custom of their own must have been fashioned out for a long time. The people in Brunet have some special custom and habits, such as, the local Malay people shake hands when back his hand to touch the chest usually in order to show insincerity; Pass before the identity of the people or the elders, sagging and stick on the body to handle, side light steps through, etc.Therefore, people come to Brunet should pay attentions to the things following: when you want to visit the mosque, you should show your respect and cleaning by taking off your shoes; you should not become your legs or foot w arped cross when you come on formal occasions; you also can not use your left hand but use your right hand when you stretch out your hand to take some things because left hand is considered unclean in Brunet; many Malay people do not want others specially the opposite sex to shake hands with them, so if they have held out their hands actively then you can shake hands as a token of friendship, you also can not touch their head by hand because this behavior means bringing disaster in Brunet.Talking about the important cities in Brunet, I have to introduce you the capital city of Brunet-?Bands Series Began at first. Bands Series Began is located in northern Borneo, southwestern coastal plain of Brunet Bay, near by the Brunet River. A population of capital city is about 60000, preponderantly Malay and Chinese. So far there is the world s largest eatery' village, so Bands Series Began has the laudatory title of â€Å"Oriental Venice†. Bands Series Began is formerly known as Brunet , renamed Current name in 1970. It is the cultural and educational center in Brunet now. With the rapid development of Brunet s oil economy, the capital city has become a modern economically developed city.It is generally known that Brunet is famous for its natural beauty and magnificent buildings. The political system of Brunet is absolute monarchy, in other words that the leaders of Brunet mean being the king and queen of Brunet. The king and queen must live in palace. So the leaders of Brunet live in the world's largest palace-?Assistant Unruly Inman- There are more than 1 700 rooms in Assistant Unruly Inman which is a place for holding the state dinners. If you want to visit the palace, you should come here on Brine's National Day (February 23) or at the end of the Ramadan before the Did. You can also catch this opportunity to line up going into the palace to shake hands with Sudan.

Online Social Network

Online Social Network: Advantages & Disadvantages Social network is a place for people to interact with each other from around the world, it’s also gave benefits for us to make a new friend. It’s also gave us bad effect. From this assignment we can created a few objective. The objective is †¢We can make a difference between good and bad effect of social network. †¢We can gain more knowledge about social network. †¢Improve communication and productivity by disseminating information among different people. †¢Gain higher GPA, intelligence and general knowledge. IntroductionSince their introduction, social network sites (SNSs) such as MySpace, Facebook, Cyworld, and Bebo have attracted millions of users, many of whom have integrated these sites into their daily practices. As of this writing, there are hundreds of SNSs, with various technological affordances, supporting a wide range of interests and practices. While their key technological features are fa irly consistent, the cultures that emerge around SNSs are varied. Most sites support the maintenance of pre-existing social networks, but others help strangers connect based on shared interests, political views, or activities.Some sites cater to diverse audiences, while others attract people based on common language or shared racial, sexual, religious, or nationality-based identities. Sites also vary in the extent to which they incorporate new information and communication tools, such as mobile connectivity, blogging, and photo/video-sharing. Scholars from disparate fields have examined SNSs in order to understand the practices, implications, culture, and meaning of the sites, as well as users' engagement with them.This special theme section of the Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication brings together a unique collection of articles that analyze a wide spectrum of social network sites using various methodological techniques, theoretical traditions, and analytic approaches. By c ollecting these articles in this issue, our goal is to showcase some of the interdisciplinary scholarship around these sites. The purpose of this introduction is to provide a conceptual, historical, and scholarly context or the articles in this collection. We begin by defining what constitutes a social network site and then present one perspective on the historical development of SNSs, drawing from personal interviews and public accounts of sites and their changes over time. Following this, we review recent scholarship on SNSs and attempt to contextualize and highlight key works. We conclude with a description of the articles included in this special section and suggestions for future research. Social Network Sites: A DefinitionWe define social network sites as web-based services that allow individuals to (1) construct a public or semi-public profile within a bounded system, (2) articulate a list of other users with whom they share a connection, and (3) view and traverse their list of connections and those made by others within the system. The nature and nomenclature of these connections may vary from site to site. While we use the term â€Å"social network site† to describe this phenomenon, the term â€Å"social networking sites† also appears in public discourse, and the two terms are often used interchangeably.We chose not to employ the term â€Å"networking† for two reasons: emphasis and scope. â€Å"Networking† emphasizes relationship initiation, often between strangers. While networking is possible on these sites, it is not the primary practice on many of them, nor is it what differentiates them from other forms of computer-mediated communication (CMC). What makes social network sites unique is not that they allow individuals to meet strangers, but rather that they enable users to articulate and make visible their social networks.This can result in connections between individuals that would not otherwise be made, but that is of ten not the goal, and these meetings are frequently between â€Å"latent ties† (Haythornthwaite, 2005) who share some offline connection. On many of the large SNSs, participants are not necessarily â€Å"networking† or looking to meet new people; instead, they are primarily communicating with people who are already a part of their extended social network. To emphasize this articulated social network as a critical organizing feature of these sites, we label them â€Å"social network sites. While SNSs have implemented a wide variety of technical features, their backbone consists of visible profiles that display an articulated list of Friends1 who are also users of the system. Profiles are unique pages where one can â€Å"type oneself into being† (Sunden, 2003, p. 3). After joining an SNS, an individual is asked to fill out forms containing a series of questions. The profile is generated using the answers to these questions, which typically include descriptors suc h as age, location, interests, and an â€Å"about me† section. Most sites also encourage users to upload a profile photo.Some sites allow users to enhance their profiles by adding multimedia content or modifying their profile's look and feel. Others, such as Facebook, allow users to add modules (â€Å"Applications†) that enhance their profile. The visibility of a profile varies by site and according to user discretion. By default, profiles on Friendster and Tribe. net are crawled by search engines, making them visible to anyone, regardless of whether or not the viewer has an account. Alternatively, LinkedIn controls what a viewer may see based on whether she or he has a paid account.Sites like MySpace allow users to choose whether they want their profile to be public or â€Å"Friends only. † Facebook takes a different approach—by default, users who are part of the same â€Å"network† can view each other's profiles, unless a profile owner has decide d to deny permission to those in their network. Structural variations around visibility and access are one of the primary ways that SNSs differentiate themselves from each other. After joining a social network site, users are prompted to identify others in the system with whom they have a relationship.The label for these relationships differs depending on the site—popular terms include â€Å"Friends,† â€Å"Contacts,† and â€Å"Fans. † Most SNSs require bi-directional confirmation for Friendship, but some do not. These one-directional ties are sometimes labeled as â€Å"Fans† or â€Å"Followers,† but many sites call these Friends as well. The term â€Å"Friends† can be misleading, because the connection does not necessarily mean friendship in the everyday vernacular sense, and the reasons people connect are varied (boyd, 2006a). The public display of connections is a crucial component of SNSs.The Friends list contains links to each Fr iend's profile, enabling viewers to traverse the network graph by clicking through the Friends lists. On most sites, the list of Friends is visible to anyone who is permitted to view the profile, although there are exceptions. For instance, some MySpace users have hacked their profiles to hide the Friends display, and LinkedIn allows users to opt out of displaying their network. Most SNSs also provide a mechanism for users to leave messages on their Friends' profiles. This feature typically involves leaving â€Å"comments,† although sites employ various labels for this feature.In addition, SNSs often have a private messaging feature similar to webmail. While both private messages and comments are popular on most of the major SNSs, they are not universally available. Not all social network sites began as such. QQ started as a Chinese instant messaging service, LunarStorm as a community site, Cyworld as a Korean discussion forum tool, and Skyrock (formerly Skyblog) was a French blogging service before adding SNS features. Classmates. com, a directory of school affiliates launched in 1995, began supporting articulated lists of Friends after SNSs became popular.AsianAvenue, MiGente, and BlackPlanet were early popular ethnic community sites with limited Friends functionality before re-launching in 2005-2006 with SNS features and structure. Beyond profiles, Friends, comments, and private messaging, SNSs vary greatly in their features and user base. Some have photo-sharing or video-sharing capabilities; others have built-in blogging and instant messaging technology. There are mobile-specific SNSs (e. g. , Dodgeball), but some web-based SNSs also support limited mobile interactions (e. g. , Facebook, MySpace, and Cyworld).Many SNSs target people from specific geographical regions or linguistic groups, although this does not always determine the site's constituency. Orkut, for example, was launched in the United States with an English-only interface, but Portugu ese-speaking Brazilians quickly became the dominant user group (Kopytoff, 2004). Some sites are designed with specific ethnic, religious, sexual orientation, political, or other identity-driven categories in mind. There are even SNSs for dogs (Dogster) and cats (Catster), although their owners must manage their profiles.While SNSs are often designed to be widely accessible, many attract homogeneous populations initially, so it is not uncommon to find groups using sites to segregate themselves by nationality, age, educational level, or other factors that typically segment society (Hargittai, this issue), even if that was not the intention of the designers. A History of Social Network Sites The Early Years According to the definition above, the first recognizable social network site launched in 1997. SixDegrees. com allowed users to create profiles, list their Friends and, beginning in 1998, surf the Friends lists.Each of these features existed in some form before SixDegrees, of cours e. Profiles existed on most major dating sites and many community sites. AIM and ICQ buddy lists supported lists of Friends, although those Friends were not visible to others. Classmates. com allowed people to affiliate with their high school or college and surf the network for others who were also affiliated, but users could not create profiles or list Friends until years later. SixDegrees was the first to combine these features. SixDegrees promoted itself as a tool to help people connect with and send messages to others.While SixDegrees attracted millions of users, it failed to become a sustainable business and, in 2000, the service closed. Looking back, its founder believes that SixDegrees was simply ahead of its time (A. Weinreich, personal communication, July 11, 2007). While people were already flocking to the Internet, most did not have extended networks of friends who were online. Early adopters complained that there was little to do after accepting Friend requests, and most users were not interested in meeting strangers.From 1997 to 2001, a number of community tools began supporting various combinations of profiles and publicly articulated Friends. AsianAvenue, BlackPlanet, and MiGente allowed users to create personal, professional, and dating profiles—users could identify Friends on their personal profiles without seeking approval for those connections (O. Wasow, personal communication, August 16, 2007). Likewise, shortly after its launch in 1999, LiveJournal listed one-directional connections on user pages. LiveJournal's creator suspects that he fashioned these Friends after instant messaging buddy lists (B.Fitzpatrick, personal communication, June 15, 2007)—on LiveJournal, people mark others as Friends to follow their journals and manage privacy settings. The Korean virtual worlds site Cyworld was started in 1999 and added SNS features in 2001, independent of these other sites (see Kim & Yun, this issue). Likewise, when the Swedish we b community LunarStorm refashioned itself as an SNS in 2000, it contained Friends lists, guestbooks, and diary pages (D. Skog, personal communication, September 24, 2007). The next wave of SNSs began when Ryze. com was launched in 2001 to elp people leverage their business networks. Ryze's founder reports that he first introduced the site to his friends—primarily members of the San Francisco business and technology community, including the entrepreneurs and investors behind many future SNSs (A. Scott, personal communication, June 14, 2007). In particular, the people behind Ryze, Tribe. net, LinkedIn, and Friendster were tightly entwined personally and professionally. They believed that they could support each other without competing (Festa, 2003). In the end, Ryze never acquired mass popularity, Tribe. et grew to attract a passionate niche user base, LinkedIn became a powerful business service, and Friendster became the most significant, if only as â€Å"one of the biggest d isappointments in Internet history† (Chafkin, 2007, p. 1). Figure 1. Timeline of the launch dates of many major SNSs and dates when community sites re-launched with SNS features Like any brief history of a major phenomenon, ours is necessarily incomplete. In the following section we discuss Friendster, MySpace, and Facebook, three key SNSs that shaped the business, cultural, and research landscape. ttp://jcmc. indiana. edu/vol13/issue1/boyd. ellison. html Content Pros Of The Social Networking Sites †¢The best advantage of social networking sites is that these sites allow you to keep in touch with your friends, classmates, and relatives. It is also the most cost effective way to keep in touch with your people. Here geographical locations are no barrier to stay in touch. †¢These sites allow you to send and receive messages, upload photos, and videos. As such, they are very interactive as you can get to see what your friends and relatives are up to. With social networki ng sites, you are not bound by any geographical and cultural differences. You get to meet and know a variety of people whose interests are similar to your own. These sites are a window to different cultures and places. †¢You can build a network of contacts and interact with a lot of people at the same time. As such, you can spread your thoughts and interests to a large number of people. †¢The social networking sites also facilitate you to procure information on any subjects from anywhere. These sites also make it easier and faster to collect the information. Social networking sites can also be a tool to promote your business, services, products, or websites. Due to the huge number of people who regularly use networking sites it has found huge favors among advertisers. http://wiki. answers. com/Q/What_are_the_advantages_and_disadvantages_of_social_networking The Cons Of Social Networking Sites †¢The most glaring disadvantage of social networking sites is the risk of id entity theft and fraud. The personal information of users can be used by dubious people for illegal activities. Information like the e-mail address, name, location, and age can be used to commit online crimes. Also, many people pretend to be someone else and prepare their online profiles with false information, so as to dupe unsuspecting users. So, if you do not know the person face to face then it will be very hard for you to find the real identity. †¢Another cause of concern is cases of online harassment and stalking. Since the social networking sites, are very poorly regulated so it can be a very fertile ground for people trying to get even with you. They can spread malicious humor among your friends and also download and morph your photos. http://wiki. answers. com/Q/What_are_the_advantages_and_disadvantages_of_social_networking

Service Marketing Management Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Service Marketing Management - Term Paper Example According to the Consumer Credit Act 1974, a lender is also held responsible along with the supplier of the goods for any type of breach of contract or the misrepresentation made. This also, therefore, means that the banks have probably failed to correctly anticipate the needs of their customers and then form strategic alliances with the firms offering the goods that consumers want to purchase through credit extended by the banks. According to the Consumer Credit Act 1974, a lender is also held responsible along with the supplier of the goods for any type of breach of contract or the misrepresentation made. This also, therefore, means that the banks have probably failed to correctly anticipate the needs of their customers and then form strategic alliances with the firms offering the goods that consumers want to purchase through credit extended by the banks. Most of the banks are willing to offer what they promise to their customers, however, due to other dimensions, they may not be a ctually delivering what they promise to do. Large Banks, however, seems to be too occupied with offering the services that are more profit-oriented and do not take into consideration what is actually required by the customers Smaller Banks and larger retailers fill that gap?   The above discussion indicates that there are two major gaps in the services offered by the large banks. These include reliability as well as the assurance and as such consumers seem to be most dissatisfied in these two areas. Reliability is often an issue in retail consumer credit wherein banks often tend to levy charges which are not either explicitly explained to the customers or presented in ambiguous and technical language. Since this is often done in order to make more out of unsecured relationships, many banks often engage themselves in such type of activities and result into the significant perceptions issues for the customers. Assurance is another critical gap because many consumers believe that the banks fail to deliver the required services with a given level of services. The issues related with the administration of the services clearly indicate towards the lack of required skills to basically administer the service and may indicate that the large banks are lacking behind in training and development of their employees.  

Radical Behaviorist Critique Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Radical Behaviorist Critique - Essay Example For the purpose of ensuring that the learner meets the learning outcome described above, it is of essence to use the constructivism radical approach during instruction. Constructivist approach Constructivism involves allowing the learner to solve problems on their own based on the experience they have gained over time. A constructivist classroom does not consider the learner as a passive recipient of information. Rather, the learner is actively involved in discovering knowledge by themselves and not necessarily depending on the instructor. In constructivist learning, the role of the teacher is simply to facilitate learning activities, then leaving the learner to acquire knowledge on their own. According to Seel (2011) constructivist theorists believe that the acquisition of knowledge is determinant on prior knowledge. Therefore, a learner only builds up upon previous knowledge while learning. Accordingly, in my mathematics class, the learners will be required to use the knowledge the y have acquired over time coupled with new ideas to find solutions to the algebraic problems. More importantly, the learners will use the mathematical knowledge they have acquired previously to achieve the set learning outcomes. ... This means that as a learner continues to perceive external information, they continually blend it with what they already know about the topic and make a meaning out of it. The process of acquiring external information may be through reading a book or viewing images. In the process of doing either, the learner stores the information in the short-term memory then later on, after they are through reading or viewing, the information is transferred into the long-term memory (Seel, 2011). From the long-term memory, the information can now be retrieved as knowledge. Using this information processing theory, I would change the view of constructivists that the teacher does not have a very important role to play in learner-centered learning. It is obvious that the learner needs the teacher to simplify some of the concepts for easier encoding and decoding. Therefore, in as much as the learner should be left to solve the problem on their own, the teacher needs to guide the learner in perceiving the instructions and solving the problem. Some algebraic equations may be too complex for the learner and they may need the teacher’s intervention. Schema theory of meaningful learning According to the schema theory, meaningful learning can only occur if the learner is able to use their schema to interpret their experiences. Schema in this case refers to a learner’s existing knowledge. This theory is somehow similar to the constructivist theory, in that it emphasizes on the role played by prior experiences in determining how a learner acquires knowledge. The constructivist and schema theories belong to a group of learning approaches that emphasize on discovery learning. Here, the learner is left to discover concepts on their own,

Country Comparisons Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Country Comparisons - Assignment Example The GDP (purchasing power parity) of U.S.A in Billion $ is 14660 while that of Japan is 4310 in the same currency. These statistics are for the year 2008. Both countries are industrialized; however, Japan’s government seems to have a smaller population to plan for as compared to the U.S.A. The GDP growth rate of Japan is 3.9% and that of U.S.A is 2.8%. This may be due to the smaller population that Japan has to plan for (Indexmundi, 2011). India is one of the most densely populated countries; however, with a population of 1,189,172,864, this is slightly lower than the population of China which stands at 1,336,717,952. India’s population grows at a higher rate 1.34 percent, as compared to China’s 0.49 percent. Still considering the two countries on the aspect of economy, India posts a GDP of 4,060 in Billion $, on the other hand, China has a GDP of 10, 090. However, both countries GDP grows at an almost similar rate with India having a GDP growth rate of 10.4% and China 10.3%. This is probably due to the two countries differences in GDP (Indexmundi, 2011). Another country that is in focus is Saudi Arabia which has a population of 26,131,704 people. This population grows at the rate of 1.54 percent which is the highest compared to that of the United States, Japan, China and India. The GDP of Saudi Arabia in the year 2008 was 622 Billion $, signifying a growth rate of 3.7 percent (Indexmundi, 2011). Mexico, a country neighboring the United States has a population of 113,724,224 which grows at the rate of 1.1 percent. Looking at the economy of the country, it has a Gross Domestic Product of 1,567 in Billion Dollars; the countries’ economy grows at the rate of 5.5 percent, which is the highest of all the countries discussed (Indexmundi, 2011). Despite the fact that Japan has a lower GDP compared to the United States, its economy is growing at a faster rate than the United States, with 3.9

Foucault Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Foucault - Essay Example This evolution of his theory can be traced from 1960's to 1980's and reveal a pattern of study of how power influences decision-making. In 1960's he uses terms like 'contestation' and 'transgression' and uses them interchangeably. In 1970's Foucault moved to 'struggle' and 'resistance' which are again synonymous. And finally in 1980's he used the term 'agonism'. All these terms used through a period of time defining his core focus on the play of resistance, and Foucault's conceptualization of power rather than strict references made to limits. (AMOUDI) Foucault's power-resistance relation is a dynamic analysis of the modern day world. The groundwork of the role of power being laid in the previous theories which evolved between 1960's and 1970's, the economics of power has been more rigorously presented in these theories. Michel Foucault goes further to give a definition of power relations in an essay published in 1982: 'The exercise of power is not simply a relationship between partners, individual or collective; it is a way in which certain actions modify others' Although the exercise of power may need violence or consent, these are not inherent to a power relation. Moreover, one of the consequences of this limit to power is that resistance is the sine qua non condition for power. Indeed, a power relation, is not an action which determines another action, but an action which influences an other action by determining a field of possibility for it. In this field of possibility, ways of resisting are by definition present. The second limit set to power relations, therefore, is fight. According to Foucault, the goal of a fight is either to force the opponent to abandon the game (hence a victory which dissolves the power relation) or to set up a new relation of power. In other words, there is circularity between power relations open to fight and a fight aiming at power relations. Therefore there is a constant instability in a power relationship which excludes by definition any form of determinism. By stressing the ontological link between power and resistance, Foucault invites us to understand his reading of the mechanisms of power h e highlights. Power is to be understood then as a form of power, which is perpetually confronted with potential (and some time actual) resistance. (AMOUDI) In his book Order of Things and Foucault Reader, he addresses the power of observation and the impact of it on the observed. He emphasizes that observing people and judging them requires a degree of conformity, which is less obvious and subsequently, according to Foucault more powerful because of its restrained state. This same impact is seen in Panopticism where Foucault shows a transition in prison systems from physical manipulation to implicit manipulation. This new form of control is implemented through a physical construction that creates the illusion of continual surveillance. This surveillance creates the impetus for self-control. It is the power of being observed which places the role of control on the subjects. People control themselves out of a desire not to be looked down upon - to control their own public reputations. Panopticism works in a similar way - by continual observation or the illusion of continual observation, people are expected to continually discipline thems elves so as to avoid being disciplined by an external source (Foucault & Rabinow) The power which is

Personal finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Personal finance - Essay Example My concerns over the job market, the economy, and my student loan debt have led me to consider going to school for an additional year and earning a B.Ed. with teaching certificate so that I have a backup employment plan for the future. 1. Financial goals for the next 2 years (or until graduation with the 4 year degree). Monthly budget (show typical month to include a monthly pro-rate as needed (for each year). To some extent you have already done this. You can use spreadsheet following the basic outline of the budgets from worksheet #1 in the workbook. In a footnote add an explanation of any extraordinary items not contained in a monthly budget. After graduating, I have a two year grace period on my student loans to get settled, find a job, and begin building my career. It would make sense to start saving to build a cushion for emergencies and a base of savings to help cover bill payments. I will owe around $20,000 in student loans upon graduation, which I expect to pay off in 8 to 10 years. I have around $4000 in credit card debt from books, clothes, and other living expenses in school that I will need to manage. After graduation, I would like to travel for three months to Mexico and Latin America, and will budget around $4,000 to $5,000 in travel expenses for the trip. I expect to fund half of that through my own work and half through family gifts at graduation. In my first 2 years after college, I hope to receive a job paying in the $40,000 to $50,000 per year working for the company with which I did my internship last year. To date, I have applied but not heard back on my resume. With a budget of $40,000, I will receive around $2800 per mnoth after taxes for my budget: 2. Financial Goals for the next 8-10 years. Specific strategies to achieve them like income, major expenditures, saving amounts, and investment rate of return of targeted investments. Complete from information in worksheets and display on a spreadsheet for each year.

Children appear capable of using lexical information to resolve Essay

Children appear capable of using lexical information to resolve syntactic ambiguities, but their ability to use referential information is questionable. Discuss - Essay Example gely thought to have acquired the linguistic facts of their language, the focus of adult psycholinguistic research has been on how they process language as they hear or use it. On the other hand, the focus of child language research has been on the documentation of children’s knowledge states at various points in development; with very little emphasis on how they process their language. This appears to be an area needing further investigation as, logically, children need also apply a meaningful analysis to their inputs in order to learn language. That is, acquisition necessarily implies that parser. This paper examines the aspect of difficulties and limitations encountered by children in using referential information while they deploy with ease lexical information to resolve syntactic ambiguities. 5 The main emphasis of the Psycholinguistic research has been on comprehending as to how adults interpret language in real time. Several authors (Trueswell & Tanenhaus, 1991; Tanenhaus, Spivey-Knowlton, Eberhard & Sedivy, 1995;Altmann & Steedman, 1988; Britt, 1994) have uncovered ,within this domain of examination a complex and interactive language 6 processing system capable of swift and almost instantaneous coordination of linguistic characteristics of the message with contextual or scene specific information. Trueswell et al (1999) investigated the moment by moment language learning process in children using a technique that involved recording eye movements, done deploying a head-mounted eye-tracking system to monitor eye movements, as participants responded to spoken instructions. This research found that,† systematic differences in how children and adults process spoken language: Five Year Olds did not take into account relevant discourse/pragmatic principles when resolving temporary syntactic ambiguities, and showed little or no ability to revise initial parsing commitments. Adults showed sensitivity to these discourse constraints at the earliest

The relationship between narrator and a couple Essay

The relationship between narrator and a couple - Essay Example The woman turns her whole life to writing numerous letters in which she analyzes her present and past experience. Beside her terrible and irreplaceable loss she has to deal with one more problem – her personal betrayal. On the day of the incident she was with another man called Jasper, a famous journalist. The woman cannot forgive herself this and cannot understand herself as well. It is Jasper and his girlfriend Petra who are described in the novel from rather unexpected perspective. The very situation itself in which the main heroine finds herself is bizarre- she is in the center of love triangle however, love affairs seem not to bother her anymore. So speaking about topics such popular as terrorism Chris Cleave manages to show it witty yet seriously. He reflects on the themes of loss, sin, betrayal, loneliness, atonement, and hope. He tells the story not from his point of view but from the perspective of the principal heroine: he looks with her eyes and speaks with her word s. That is why the language of the novel is far from sophisticated however it is sad and ironical at the same time. So the principal heroine is the narrator herself while the listener (which is really strange and unpredictable) is Osama Ben Laden. Obviously the relationship between the couple of Jasper and Petra and the narrator are very tense, strange and specific. First and the most noteworthy thing is the psychological state of the narrator itself. Her grief is literally felt through the words, her loss squeezes from every little sentence. It is not only that she carries this toy rabbit of her dead son with her wherever she goes, it is her eyes, her irony, and her constant and unstable self- analysis. She tries very hard not to fall apart and the only weapon she has is her natural sense of humor and her simplicity. She feels real from the very beginning of the novel and even Jasper seems to be attracted with her

Literary Analysis of American Literature Essay Example for Free

Literary Analysis of American Literature Essay As Elinor Ostrom explains, To a great degree, his stories speak for those who are disenfranchised, cheated, abused, or ignored because of race or class. Hughess stories speak of the downtrodden African-Americans neglected and overlooked by a prejudiced society. The recurring theme of powerlessness is exemplified in his narration â€Å"Let America Be America again†, â€Å"Harlem† and â€Å"The Negro Speaks of Rivers†. Hughes uses rhyme to draw attention to the poetic element of his narration â€Å"Let America Be America Again†. Words such as â€Å"be† and â€Å"free†, â€Å"dreamed and â€Å"schemed†, â€Å"wreathe† and â€Å"breathe† etc. all demonstrate rhyming. The central theme is that the author feels left out of the American Dream. Hughes is writing a poem of someone who feels that America is a land that lives up to begin to add up to that. The tone is angry and resentful. In this poem he is not representing the point of view of one particular group. Hughes conveys that there are many people who’ve come here with hopes and dreams and they’re being let down. He’s also saying that there is an economic disparity between people. In essence the rich get richer, and the poor get poorer, because there is no equal opportunity. That idea is something that is not real for many people because of their race, economic situation, and come up. The reader is immediately introduced to the fact that the author does not believe that America is all it can be due to the fact that the word again is used. He wants America to be â€Å"the dream it used to be. † But the powerful line is #5 which reads â€Å"America was never America. † This enhances what many people feel, that Americas ideals of equality, liberty, and land of the free don’t seem real. In a sense there is a positive tone because there is a hope that America can be a â€Å"great strong land of love,† O, let my land be a land where liberty Is crowned with no false patriotic wreath, But opportunity is real, and life is free, Equality is in the air we breathe. Liberty, which is another word for freedom is important in the dream America holds so preciously. The central message here is one of greed. Money is at the center of what America has become. Hughes feels that â€Å"power, gain† and owning property is the focus. It’s all about money. He says in line #32 to what America has become in his views. â€Å"Of owning everything for one’s own greed! † At the later stage of the poem, Hughes is coming back and saying sarcastically that he wouldn’t say there is freedom. He is speaking for the â€Å"millions† of people who have been struggling, hoping, working, flying flags, â€Å"who have nothing† except for dreams that are â€Å"almost dead. † â€Å"Harlem† by Langston Hughes is a poem that talks about what happens when we postpone our dreams. The poem is made up of a series of similes and it ends with a metaphor. The objective of the poem is to get us to think about what happens to a dream that is put off, postponed; what happens when we create our very own shelve of dreams? The â€Å"dream† refers to a goal in life, not the dreams we have while sleeping, but our deepest desires. There are many ways to understand this poem; it varies from person to person. Someone like me may see this poem as talking about just dreams in general. Others may see it as African-American’s dreams. Although the meter of Harlem varies, the poem has a rhythmic, lyrical quality achieved through alliteration, rhyme, repetition of certain words, and carefully placed stressed syllables. People need to think twice before deferring their dreams. Langston Hughes says it best in his poem Harlem asking the question. What happens to a dream deferred Langston Hughes describes the outcome of the question as an altogether bad idea, saying that deferring your dream is â€Å"fester like a sore† or â€Å"it stinks like rotten meat†. By using imagery, he wants the reader to know what it is like to defer a dream and how bad it is. The first image in the poem proposes that the dream dries up like a raisin. This simile likens the original dream to a grape, which is round, juicy, green and fresh. Once the dream has lain neglected for too long, it dries up. Where the raisin image invokes the senses of taste and sight, the simile of the sore conveys a sense of touch and bodily impact. By comparing the dream to a sore on the body, Hughes suggests that unfulfilled dreams become part of us, like scars. In Langston Hughes poem The Negro Speaks of Rivers, Hughes makes use of some interesting poetic techniques. This poem is written in free verse, at first glance, seems to be unstructured. Hughes repeats words and lines, but does not make use of repeated sounds. Finally, some of his word choices near the end of the poem help to bring the message of the poem across more strongly. These poetic techniques contribute greatly to the quality of the poem. The textual details of the poem invoke strong imagery related to veins, rivers, and the roots of trees and give the reader a sense of the timelessness of these objects. In the short first stanza, the speaker in the poem by Langston Hughes states that he has â€Å"known rivers ancient as the world and older than the flow of human blood in human veins. † From this early point in the point in the poem, images of the canals of veins that run throughout the human body as well as similar images of rivers that wind around and are shaped like veins form our understanding that this poem is about more than blood or water, it is about roots and circuits. He has a very deep meaning about how people feel by debating that his soul is so much stubborn now at this point that no external source could change it. Hughes poems illustrate many of the problems that African Americans faced during the depression era, ranging from prejudice and discrete racism to a general air of hopelessness and despair. His poetry basically develops the idea of celebrating and idealizing the Negro life in America. He is not much like the other poets who just uses a single voice/entity, instead has a tendency to express the visualizations through a number of voices making it more realistic. His expression consists of renunciation and feelings of personal cruelty.

Registered Nurse Essay Example for Free

Registered Nurse Essay Every teenager normally decides what they plan to do with the rest of their life in the last years of high school. A statistic shows that 57% of high school teenagers want to become a registered nurse after they graduate. A registered nurse or RN is someone who treats patients, monitors and records their condition, helps establish a plan of care, educates patients or the public about a medical condition, and provides advice and emotional support to patients’ family members. A registered nurse has to contain special traits such as being caring, compassionate, highly observant, quick to catch things, calm in an emergency, detail-oriented, observant, enjoy interacting with people, emotionally and physically strong, and have outstanding communication skills. RNs work in hospitals, physicians offices, home healthcare services, nursing care facilities, correctional facilities, schools, summer camps, and with the military. The starting salary for an RN is $65,950 a year and will increase if you decide to specialize in one or more than one types of medicine, but before making all that money you first have to complete the process of becoming an RN. A high school diploma is required along with the associates degree in nursing, a a bachelors degree in nursing, or diploma from an approved nursing program. Most RNs have said that they took Biology, chemistry, physics, geometry, algebra II, pre-calculus, English, computer science, physiology, biomedical science, and foreign languages in their high school years. These subjects help the RN in their everyday jobs. Most registered nurses were a nurses assistant before going to college to get their degree. By doing that, you get to see hands on what they do everyday, but it is not required. The need for RNs will increase 21% between now and 2020. Several RNs in Dothan have said they loved their job, but wish the pay was higher. The pay depends on the state you work in, but is on average $65,950 a year or less. They have also said that mathematics plays an important role in their everyday work. From working with prescriptions to adding or subtracting a persons weight gain or loss. Technology is also another very important key factor in an RNs everyday routine. They clock in and out on a machine. They use computers to keep up with patients files and to diagnose patients. If you are working with a patient in a rehab facility, you will use different types of technological machines depending on the persons illness or injury.

CSR IN KENYA: FACTORS THAT DRIVE and AFFECT THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY

CSR IN KENYA: FACTORS THAT DRIVE and AFFECT THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY This paper seeks to address the concept of CSR within the Kenyan context and in particular the factors that affect its effective practice and the benefits to the local stakeholder community. The growth and implementation of CSR-related activities throughout the years in developing countries and in particular Kenya will also be dealt with. The research questions posed will be tackled using the mixed methods cross-sectional design as focus will be on all the sectors of the economy so as to have a better understanding of the different contributions by these businesses and organisations. Through this research, I hope to identify the precise ways in which CSR is practised in Kenya while establishing the various businesses that are committed to this cause. This paper will also highlight the major characteristics of the practice of CSR in Kenya and thus, give businesses insight into which areas need improvement and how they can do so while still turning a profit. 4. INTRODUCTION a) Area Topic Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is an ever evolving concept that comprises of any strategic tool that creates new opportunities for businesses while mitigating and managing the risks to the businesses. The focus of this study is on the area of CSR and in particular its practice in Kenya. The topic of choice is whether there have been any factors that have driven and affected the local businesses contributions to the stakeholder community. b) Statement of purpose The purpose of the study is to examine what key CSR drivers are present in Kenya whether there have been any factors that have prevented the business organisations in Kenya from substantially contributing to the local community through the practice of CSR. Additionally, the study will also look into spheres of possible improvement by the government and the business community. 5. LITERATURE REVIEW CSR means many things to different people institutions and as Frankenthal (2001) clearly states, CSR is a vague and intangible term which can mean anything to anybody, and therefore is effectively without meaning. These CSR interpretations have evolved over the last 30 years from being relatively focused on compliance with environmental regulations a search for eco-efficiency to a broader concept that combines and balances economic, social and environmental commitments as part of the drive towards sustainable development. Therefore, different companies have adopted slightly different interpretations as to what CSR means to them but the underlying message is always the same. Welford (2004 and 2005) has noted that CSR has been adopted in different ways in the different parts of the world. CSR concerns how organisations interact with their stakeholders, and is linked to improving sustainable development, health and wellbeing for people, as well as enhancing organisational profits (Price, 2009). This is because over the years, business organisations have come under immense pressure from their stakeholders to act in a responsible manner. Scandals such as Enron and Parmalat (Ruggie 2003: OHiggins 2005), Nikes employment practices and the very recent BP/Shell oil spill have provoked increased scrutiny into business policies and practices. Mullerat and Brennan (2005) deduced from a study carried out by the Italian Union of Chambers of Commerce, Industry, Craft and Agriculture in cooperation with Instituto per i Valore dImpresa that the adoption of CSR-related activities by companies depends on 2 factors: The size of the business enterprise/ organisation there is a difference on CSR performance between the smaller companies and the large ones due to financial personnel differences; and The particular sector of the economy in which the business operates for example, businesses within the agro-industrial, building construction, manufacturing ICT sectors are more concerned with environmental issues arising from their production processes and product lifespan. Globally, companies that have engaged in CSR have come to the realization that their environmental and social impacts need to be managed in line with their economic or commercial performance (Little, 2003). In Africa, CSR is still in its infancy stage due to socioeconomic realities such as poverty, HIV/AIDS and ineffective public administration service delivery which have had a significant impact on the drivers, role and function of CSR for companies operating in Africa (Klins, Niekerk Smit, 2010). Thus, CSR activities and projects aspire to resolve challenges faced by communities, which governments cannot fully address. Therefore, issues such as the environment, workplace, product quality and health safety get much lower priority. CSR in Africa is most often associated with multinationals or large foreign investors e.g. Coca Cola. Visser, Matten, Pohl Tolhurst (2010) have identified some of the drivers for CSR in developing countries as: Cultural tradition where CSR draws deeply from indigenous beliefs of philanthropy, business ethics and community togetherness; Reforms in politics; Socio-economic priorities e.g. alleviation of poverty, eradication of HIV/AIDS; Governance gaps; Response to crisis such as accidents, catastrophes; Market access; International standardisation through the adoption of global CSR codes; Investment incentives; Stakeholder activism; and Business supply chains. CSR is therefore seldom related to the companies core business but rather tends to be positive payback philanthropy, with public relations benefits (Klins et al, 2010). Some priority issues covered by CSR activities in Africa are poverty reduction, health HIV/AIDS, skills development education, youth development and socioeconomic development. In Kenya, the cultural context is an important factor in defining CSR and this communal culture is captured in the indigenous concept of Harambee which embodies and reflects the strong ancient value of mutual assistance, joint effort, social responsibility and community self-reliance (Winston and Ryan, 2008). This concept simply means that collective good outweighs individual gain. According to Gathii (2008), the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has been involved in drafting guidelines on CSR. These guidelines, in addition to those voluntarily adopted by companies and the current ISO standards, form a backdrop against which to measure CSR in Kenya. In Kenya, CSR is often seen as an add-on, peripheral to the core business (Imani Development, 2009). CSR departments are rare and many operate from within marketing, communications, corporate affairs, training or human resources departments (Klins et al, 2010). Furthermore, where CSR policies are established, more often than not, they refer to philanthropic approaches. CSR policy adherence is not typically evaluated in Kenya and corporate leadership involvement tends to be focused on launching community projects, supporting CSR policies and ensuring resources for these projects, rather than embedding CSR in business processes. Regulations that have an impact on CSR are often based on the ratification and subsequent domestication of international conventions which mainly focus on workplace issues and the physical environment. Examples of specific national CSR-related legislation in Kenya are: Vision 2030; Kenya National Environment Action Plan; and Draft guidelines (recently developed) by Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) Ponnu and Okoth (2009) in a study done on CSR disclosure in Kenya found that Kenyan companies are relatively small if compared in the international standards. These companies participation in social activities may not be pegged on their financial capability rather, their willingness and desire for strategic positioning within the society for future economic advantages. Some organisations business committed to practising CSR in Kenya are: The Federation of Kenya Employers (FKE) which fights against HIV/AIDS is a signatory of the Global Compact and is also involved in Kenyas Vision 2030; The Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM) has established the Centre for Energy Efficiency Conservation (CEEC) and has been the focal point of the Global Compact Local Network in Kenya since September 2009; The Kenya Private Sector Alliance (KEPSA) is promoting the UN Global Compact and is active in the field of anti-corruption; East African Breweries Ltd (EABL) founded the EABL Foundation in 2005 which deals with the supply of water, environment, health, education training and other special projects, aimed at improving the lives of the people in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania; Safaricom Ltd a leading mobile service provider that has greatly contributed to the Kenya community since 2007 through its sponsorship of various projects under the spheres of community, environment, health, sports and education; Intex Construction Ltd. a Kenyan company that deals in construction, civil engineering and real estate development and is committed to CSR, environmental impact management and Corporate Social Investment (CSI); Unilever Tea Kenya Ltd. as part of its CSR agenda is involved in health care, employee welfare (housing), community participation (educational scholarships, training of farmers) and environmental care (is a corporate member of WWF and encourages sustainable agriculture); and Equity Bank the Equity Group Foundation focuses on eradication of poverty, hunger and the provision of humanitarian aid, education, gender equality and women empowerment, health, environment sustainability and voluntary service to society by the banks leadership. Kivuitu, Yambayamba Fox (2005), argue that the CSR agenda needs to be locally owned if its to make a significant contribution to the local development priorities and it must be relevant to local enterprises, whether large or small. Many scholars agree that in order for CSR and its policies to produce substantial gains within the Kenyan local community, it needs to be tailored to suit the business practices of the organisations that operate in Kenya. 6. RESEARCH QUESTIONS i) General Questions Has the practice of CSR in Kenya been successful overall? What are issues that have benefited from the practice of CSR? How much more can be done by the relevant authorities and businesses? ii) Specific Questions What are main drivers of CSR in Kenya? How many companies in Kenya practice CSR? How many of these companies are listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange (NSE)? Does the Kenyan Government participate in CSR-related activities? Are there any state policies or laws that regulate or steer CSR in Kenya? What are the various ways in which CSR is practised in Kenya? What are the critical success factors that have led to implementation of successful CSR projects in Kenya? How have local issues benefited from CSR-related activities? Are the gains substantial and/or should more be done? 7. RESEARCH METHODS i) Design (Strategy Framework) The research questions will be answered using the mixed methods cross-sectional design with a pragmatic worldview which consists of collection of both quantitative and qualitative data sequentially. This approach is based on the assumption that the collection of diverse types of data best provides a deeper understanding of the research problem posed. The study will commence with a broad survey in order to generalize the results from a sample of the businesses to the population. Then qualitative open-ended interviews will be used to collect detailed views from the participants. The strengths of both quantitative and qualitative research will provide the best understanding of this particular study. ii) Sample Sampling is an important part of the research study and this is because its cheaper, faster, practical, and more confidential in nature and lastly it has more in-depth analysis of the research problem. The research will be located in Kenya as this is the topic of the area under study. The population from which the samples will be selected will be the companies operating in Kenya (both national and foreign internationals). This is because these companies CSR practices are the major focus point of the research study. Sampling will be done through the sequential mixed methods sampling procedure, whereby the results from the QUAN strand will influence the methodology subsequently employed in the QUAL strand. The first sample will be generated through stratified random sampling where businesses will be surveyed and from these results then simple random sampling will be applied so as to investigate the issues that have benefited from CSR-related activities in Kenya. The first sample will consist of 30 companies randomly selected from: The Nairobi Stock Exchange; Foreign internationals companies operating in Kenya; and Medium-sized companies not listed on the NSE. The second sample will comprise of 20 issues that have benefited from CSR-related activities and the size of this sample will be inclusive of institutions, individuals or group of individuals, the environment and other local causes. iii) Data Collection This will be done in 2 stages as the quantitative data collection will build on the qualitative one. Quantitative data on the factors that drive and affect CSR performance by businesses will be through a cross-sectional survey using: Close-ended Online Questionnaires Advantages are: There is greater flexibility when displaying the questions in mind e.g. through check boxes, pull down menus; It allows a quicker response from the participants; Its cheaper to administer due to the absence of costs of purchasing paper, printing and postage; There is no prior arrangement to be done; They avoid any embarrassment to the respondents; There is no bias from the researcher; Reduction in the time needed for analysis as the data is collected in a central database; and Its easier to correct any errors made on the questionnaire thus no need for reprinting. Disadvantages are: There is a limited response rate because some people may not have access to the internet; They assume that the respondents are literate; There are people who are not receptive to completing questionnaires online; and There is a bias as the demographic that generally responds to online questionnaire invitations are usually younger people. Structured Telephone Interviews Advantages include: Relatively cheaper and speedier than personal interviews; There is a high response rate which is also spontaneous ; Interviews can be aided where necessary; The researcher can tape the interviews; Has accessibility to a wide geographical area; and Has more anonymity than personal interviews. Disadvantages include: The participants can terminate the interview at any time they want; Questionnaire will be required so as to guide the researcher on what to ask; There is the inevitability of repeat calls; Respondents have very little time to think; The researcher must have phone etiquette; The questions presented must be straightforward; Non-verbal cues cannot be read (visual aids cannot be used); The interviews have to be short so as to avoid irritation; and There is the danger of contacting obsolete telephone numbers while omitting unlisted ones. While qualitative data on the contributions to the local issues will be collected through: Document Review The advantages include: The information contained the documents can be verified independently; The review process can be done independently without relying on other sources extensively; and Its cheaper than other data collection methods. The disadvantages include: The information uncovered may not be in line with the requirements of the research study; The documents may be difficult to locate obtain; The information may not be available for public viewing; The documents may be located in a distant archive thus requiring the researcher to travel; It can be a time-sensitive process; and The researcher does not have control over the quality of data unearthed and thus relies on the information provided in the documents so as to assess the reliability of the sources. Open-ended/in-depth interviews Advantages are: They provide more detailed information than the other methods; and Information is collected in a more relaxed atmosphere thus interviewees are more open. Disadvantages of this method are: The respondents may be biased in order to prove a point; These interviews are time-sensitive due to transcription and analysis of this data; and They produce results that are not easily generalized due to the small samples chosen. Audiovisual materials Some advantages of this type of data collection are: Its easier for people to relate to images; They provide a gateway for participants to share their perceptions; and They provide extensive data on real-life situations. Disadvantages include: Due to the amount of extensive data collected, they are difficult to analyse; and Data collected could be easily influenced by the researched thus theres bias. iv) Data Analysis Research Question Data Source Analysis Plan What are the main drivers of CSR in Kenya? Books, dissertations, periodicals, journals research reports Content/ document analysis of the identified paper-based sources. How many companies in Kenya practice CSR? Company websites, annual reports, periodicals journals Web content analysis of the relevant company websites. Document analysis of the relevant company-related documents. How many of these companies are listed on the Nairobi Stock Exchange? Nairobi Stock Exchange website Web content analysis of the NSE website. Does the Kenyan government participate in CSR-related activities? Government reports publications Content/ document analysis the accessible and relevant government sources. Are there any state policies or laws that regulate or steer CSR in Kenya? Government statutes Document analysis of government statutes dealing with CSR in Kenya. What are the various ways in CSR is practised in Kenya? Questionnaires, books, journals, research reports conference reports. Use of constant comparison (grounded theory) to analyse questions. Document analysis of the obtained documents. Use of SPSS to collate responses to the questionnaires issued. What are the critical success factors that have led to implementation of successful CSR projects in Kenya? Periodicals, dissertations, journals, books, research papers Document analysis of the books, journals, periodicals, dissertations and research papers unearthed during the research. How have local issues benefited from CSR-related activities? Interviews, company websites, questionnaires, journals, periodicals Document analysis of journals, periodicals. SPSS analysis of the interviews questionnaires issued. Web content analysis of the various companies identified. Are the gains substantial and/or should more be done? Interviews, questionnaires, research papers conference reports. Document analysis SPSS analysis Therefore, due to the mixed methods research design formulated, the research will undergo the following 5 stages in order to fully answer the research questions posed: Data Reduction It will involve the use of memoing, descriptive statistics and cluster analysis. Data Display This will be done through charts, graphs and tables. Data Consolidation Both sets of data will be combined to create new ones. Data Comparison Comparison of data from the quantitative the qualitative data sources will then be done. Data Integration Lastly, integration of both types of data into one whole will reveal the final picture. v) Assumptions The following will be made in relation to this study: That respondents will answer the questionnaires truthfully; That the samples represent the population; and The instruments used have validity and are measuring the desired constructs. 8. SIGNIFICANCE This research study is important as it will examine deeper an area that has not been fully explored by previous scholars while paying homage to them. This is due to the fact that CSR is an ever-growing phenomenon that Kenya as a developing country needs to improve on so as to catch up to its developed counterparts. This study is important to the businesses operating in Kenya as it will enable them to gauge themselves and identify areas of improvement at the same time. 9. LIMITATIONS DELIMITATIONS Limitations The study will be limited by time constraints because of the length of time provided for completing the research. It will also be limited by the number of businesses, institutions willing to participate in the study. Delimitations This study will be delimited to companies, institutions operating in Kenya that have participated in CSR-related activities in the last 10 years. 10. ETHICAL ISSUES The following ethical issues will be taken into consideration during this study: Informed consent and the participants understanding of their rights. These consents will be both written and oral in nature; Confidentiality of any information collected from the participants; and Anonymity of the interviewees before, during and after the interviews. 11. REFERENCES BIBLIOGRAPHY ALKathiri, N.S. (2010) Collecting Qualitative Data [Online] http://www.slideshare.net/highness85/collecting-qualitative-data [Accessed on 22nd November 2010] Amaratunga, D.; Baldry, D.; Sarshar, M.; and Newton, R. (2002) Quantitative and Qualitative research in the built environment, Work Study, Vol. 51(1), pp.17-31 Baker, M. (2010) The Business in Society, Corporate Social Responsibility What Does It Mean? [Online] http://www.businessrespect.net/definition.php [Accessed on 21st November 2010] Boyce, C.; and Neale, P. (2006) Conducting In-depth Interviews: A Guide for Designing and Conducting In-depth Interviews for Evaluation Input in Monitoring and Evaluation 2, Watertown, MA: Pathfinder International, pp. 1-12 Business in the Community (2010) The CR Academy [Online] http://www.bitc.org.uk/cr_academy/index.html [Accessed on 22nd November] Chanimal (2004) Quantitative Research Considerations [Online] http://www.chanimal.com/html/quantitative_research.html [Accessed on 19th November 2010] Clarke, R.J. (2005) Research Models and Methodologies, HDR Seminar Series, Faculty of Commerce (Spring Session) Crane, A. (2008) Corporate Social Responsibility in developing countries in The Oxford handbook of Corporate Social Responsibility, Oxford University Press, pp.480-484 Creswell, J. (2009) The Selection of a Research Design in Research Design: qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches (ed.), Newbury Park, Cal.: Sage Publications, pp. 3-21 Creswell, J. (2009) Research Questions and Hypotheses in Research Design: qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches (ed.), Newbury Park, Cal.: Sage Publications, pp. 129-143 Creswell, J. (2009) Collecting Data in Mixed Methods Research in Research Design: qualitative, quantitative and mixed methods approaches (ed.), Newbury Park, Cal.: Sage Publications, pp. 110-127 Dobers, P.; and Halme, M. (2009) Editorial Corporate Social Responsibility and developing countries, Corporate Social Responsibility and Environmental Management, Vol. 16, Wiley InterScience, pp. 237-249 Driscoll, D.; Yeboah, A.A; Salib, P.; and Rupert, D. (2007) Merging Qualitative and Quantitative Data in Mixed Methods Research: How to and Why not, Journal of Ecological and Environmental Anthropology, Vol. 3 (1), pp. 19-28 East African Breweries Ltd. [Online] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/East_African_Breweries [Accessed on 20th November 2010] Equity Bank [Online] http://www.equitybank.co.ke/about.php?subcat=9 [Accessed on 20th November 2010] Fairbrass, J.; ORiordan, L. and Mirza, H (2005) Corporate Social Responsibility: Differing Definitions and Practices?'[Online] http://www.crrconference.org/downloads/fairbrass.pdf [accessed 25th November 2010] Family Health International (nd.), Qualitative Research Methods: A Data Collectors Field Guide Federation of Kenya Employers [Online] http://fke-kenya.org/download/hivaidsworkplace.pdf [Accessed on 20th November 2010] Frankenthal, P. (2001) Corporate Social Responsibility- a PR invention? in Corporate Communication, An International Journal, Vol. 6(1) PP.18-23 Gathii, J.T. (2008) Kenya: What does CSR really mean?, Business Daily Nairobi, 6 May 2008; http://allafrica.com/stories/200805061150.html [Accessed 25th November 2010] Imani Development (2009) Corporate Social Responsibility in Sub-Saharan Africa Built In or Bolted On? A Survey on Promoting and Hindering Factors (Eschborn, Germany: Deutsche Gesellschaft fà ¼r Technische Zusammenarbeit [GTZ] GmbH/BMZ/British High Commission SouthAfrica) Intex Construction Ltd. [Online] http://www.intexafrica.com/howwedobusiness.htm [Accessed on 20th November 2010] Kenya Association of Manufacturers [Online] http://www.kam.co.ke/?itemId=17newsId=265 [Accessed on 20th November 2010] Kenya Private Sector Alliance [Online] http://aquaya.org/wp-content/uploads/Kevit_Desai.pdf [Accessed on 20th November 2010] Kivuitu, M.; Yambayamba, K.; and Fox, T. (2005)How can Corporate Responsibility Deliver in Africa? Insights from Kenya and Zambia, Perspectives on Corporate Responsibility for Environment and Development, Issue 3, pp.1-5 Klins, U,; Niekerk, J. and Smit, A. (2010) Africa in The World Guide to CSR: A Country-by- Country Analysis of Corporate Sustainability and Responsibility, Sheffield, Greenleaf Publishing Limited Little, A. (2003) The Business Case for Corporate Responsibility [Online] http://www.bitc.org.uk/resources/publications/cr_business_case.html [Accessed on 20th November 2010] Mullerat, R. And Brennan, D. (2005) Corporate Social Responsibility and Public Policy in Corporate Social Responsibility: the Corporate Governance of the 21st century, Kluwer Law International pp.79-80 Muthuri, J.; and Gilbert, V. (2010) An Institutional Analysis of Corporate Social Responsibility in Kenya, Journal of Business Ethics, Springer (August) Neill, J. (2007) Qualitative versus Quantitative Research: Key Points in a Classic Debate [Online] http://wilderdom.com/research/QualitativeVersusQuantitativeResearch.html [Accessed on 19th November 2010] OHiggin, E. (2005) Ireland: Bridging the Atlantic in Habisch, A and Jonker,J. (ed.) Corporate Social Responsibility, Berlin, Germany: Springer Verlag Onwuegbuzie, A.; and Leech, N. (2006) Linking Research Questions to Mixed Methods Data Analysis Procedures, The Qualitative Report, Vol. 11 (3), pp. 474-498 Ponnu, C.H.; and Okoth, M.O.A. (2009) Corporate Social Responsibility disclosure in Kenya: The Nairobi Stock Exchange, African Journal of Business Management, Vol.3 (10), pp.601-608 Price, T. (2009) Corporate Social Responsibility and Stakeholders in Sustainable Risk Management, Faculty of Advanced Technology, University of Glamorgan Ruggie, J. (2003) The New World of Corporate Social Responsibility [Online] http://www.hks.harvard.edu/m-rcbg/CSRI/publications/workingpaper_10_kytle_ruggie.pdf [Accessed on 20th November 2010] Safaricom Ltd. [Online] http://www.safaricom.co.ke/index.php?id=388 [Accessed on 20th November 2010] Teddlie, C.; and Yu, F. (2007) Mixed Methods Sampling: A Typology with Examples, Journal of Mixed Methods Research, Vol. 1(1), Newbury Park, Cal.: Sage Publications, pp.77-100 Ufadhili Trust (2004) Corporate Social Responsibility and Development in Kenya, Ufadhili; Nairobi Unilever Tea Kenya Ltd. [Online] http://www.eastafricancsrawards.com/downloads/shortlisted/SC_Unilever%20Kenya%20HIVAid.pdf [Accessed on 20th November 2010] Visser, W.; Matten, D.; Pohl, M.; and Tolhurst, N. (2010) Corporate Social Responsibility in developing countries in The A to Z of Corporate Social Responsibility Visser, W.; McIntosh, M,; and Middleton, C. (2006) Lessons from the past: Paths to the future in Corporate Citizenship in Africa, Sheffield, Greenleaf Publishing Limited Welford, R. (2004) Corporate Social Responsibility in Europe and Asia: Critical Elements and Best Practice, Journal of Corporate Citizenship, Issue 13 Welford, R. (2005) Corporate Social Responsibility in Europe, North America and Asia, Journal of Corporate Citizenship, Issue 17 Winston, B., and Ryan, B. (2008) Servant Leadership as a Humane Orientation: Using the GLOBE Study Construct of Humane Orientation to Show that Servant Leadership is More Global than Western, International Journal of Leadership Studies 3.2: 212-222. World Bank Institute Education Group (2007) Document Review in Needs Assessment Knowledge Base, World Bank Organisation [Online] http://siteresources.worldbank.org/WBI/Resources/213798-1194538727144/11Final-Document_Review.pdf [Accessed on 21st November 2010] World Bank Institute (2003) CSR Launch in Kenya in CSR Update, Vol.1 (2), pp.1-8 12. APPENDICES C:UsersLynResearch Methodsbusiness in society diag..gif Appendix 1 CORPORATE SOCIAL RESPONSIBILITY QUESTIONNAIRE QUESTION YES NO N/A COMMENTS Does your organisation have a CSR structure? Have targets been set? Who has overall responsibility for CSR in your organisation? Does your organisation report on CSR? Has your organisation undertaken any type of activity that has aided the community or protected the environment? Has management received training on CSR issues? Has your organisation tried to reduce its environmental impact in terms of: a) Pollution Prevention? b) Waste minimisation recycling? c) Protection of the natural environment? Does your organisation supply clear accurate environmental information on its activities to the local community? Does your organisation have open dialogue with

robert e. lee Essay -- essays research papers

Robert E. Lee, who was considered to be the greatest soldier fighting for the Confederate States of America, descended from a long line of famous heroes. Many of Lee's ancestors played important roles in America's history. His father was a Revolutionary War hero and a friend of George Washington. He was often referred to as Light Horse Harry Lee. Lee was born on January 19, 1807 in Stratford, Virginia. Lee always admired Washington, and was his hero as a youngster. Young Lee decided to become a soldier, partly because of the military tradition of his family. Lee enrolled in West Point Military Academy and graduated 2nd in his class in 1829. Lee majored in military engineering and supervised several army projects, he was named Second Lieutenant in the Corp engineers. His devotion and hard work in supervising harbor improvements in Saint Louis got him promoted to Captain in 1838. As a captain, his first experience in actual battle was in the Mexican War. He served under General Winfield Scott, and was the best engineer in General Scott's campaign. Lee's actions at the battles of Cerro Gordo, Churubusco, and Chapultepec received many high praises and earned him a reputation. General Scott claimed that the success of the war was due to Lee's bravery and skills, Lee was appointed the rank of Colonel. In 1582 he was appointed superintendent of West Point Military Academy. Under his service, James B. McPherson, Phillip Sheridan, and John Bell Hood would graduate from the academy, soon to be famous. Lee finished his duty as the superintendent in 1855, and served as a Lieutenant Colonel in the Second Cavalry, stationed in Texas. In 1859, while serving in Texas, Lee was sent to command a group of Marines to suppress John Brown's uprising. John Brown was a northern abolitionist would believed a rebellion in the south would lead to abolition. He was taken down by Lee's forces. After suppressing the uprising, Lee was called to Washington is 1861. The succession movement had begun. Some southern states had left, but Lee's own Virginia was still uncertain. As much as Lee had supported the Union, he couldn't bear the sight of union soldiers invading and destroying his hometown. Lee had thought over this matter for days, and finally decided to resign from the union forces and offer his help to the confederacy. When Lee reached Richmond, Virginia had succeeded and they had a... ...hrew strong attacks at the union forces, but was repulsed with heavy losses. The battle of Gettysburg was the largest battle ever fought in North America. He was criticized for attempting an impossible battle, the union forces had and advantageous position and more men. After Gettysburg, Lee retreated back to Virginia for the rest of the war. With the loss of more and more soldiers, Lee had no choice but to start taking a defensive position. In the spring of 1864, General Ulysses Grant got control of the union forces and decided to bring Lee into northern Virginia and crush the confederate forces there. Grant rushed to Petersburg, hoping to seize the railroad the was supplying Lee with supplies. Lee had arrived first and Grant started a siege. In 1865, Grant finally seized control of the railroads and lee retreated to the west. Lee, realizing his loss of men, met Grant at Appomattox and surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia. After the war, Lee was considered a hero of the south, with dignity he accepted his defeat and preached to his people the necessity of peace and national unity. He later became the principal of Washington college at Lexington. He died on October 12, 1870.

Writing Technology :: Writing Technology Technological Papers

Writing Technology How many times in an average day does one think about how their shoes were made, and how the invention has evolved over the years? A person could never know the full extent of it until they tried to make a pair with only the simplest of materials to use. It is so easy to say that society does not know what they have until it is gone. For this project every tool that I have ever used for writing was taken away, and it left me more than a little frustrated. It is so hard to think about going through a day without a pen, pencil, or marker to use at will. These things have become as standard as the shoes we wear on our feet. Society knows why it has them, but they do not know to what extent until they are taken away or simplified beyond recognition. There is so much thought that has to go into making something to write with. Ideas can become so complex and intricate. Most of the ideas that I came up with were just too much in the sense that I was making it harder than it needed to be. Being that I am an impatient person, I was looking for something that I could do pretty quickly. I started to look at what was available to me, and I realized that hey I live in Michigan; there are a lot of rocks around. I did not want to lug a bunch of huge, heavy things around, and so I focused on the smaller pebbles and stones instead. I found a sandy area close to where I found the rocks, and shaped small piles of them into letters. This idea was a decent one by my standards, and it was legible when it was completed. I formed the word ‘rock’ with the stones. Toward the end I did get lazy though and used twigs I found for the last letter. Upon finishing, I realized the final outcome would last for a while, but it is not transportable. This could be a problem in a more realistic setting. I can not imagine taking notes in class with stones and having to leave it there. This would make studying nearly impossible. After contemplating this for a while I came up with a plan of attack. Many ideas that have come about in the technology of writing have built on other ideas (Baron, Dennis, 36).

Malaria Essay -- Biology Medical Biomedical Disease

Abstract: Malaria, which has killed more people than those killed by all the war and all the plagues combined, is caused by a small protozoan parasite of the genus Plasmodium that resides within cells in the bloodstream to mature and avoid detection. There are four main species of Plasmodium that cause malaria. These species of the parasite infect humans and female anopheline mosquitoes at different stages in their life cycle. When an infected female anopheline mosquito feeds upon the blood of the vertebrate, the parasite is transferred through the saliva, into the body of the vertebrate host. Once in the bloodstream the parasite makes its way to the liver and then infects the cells in the liver and in the bloodstream. Malaria is a vector-borne disease caused by the protozoan parasite, Plasmodium. It infects approximately 300 million people a year and is responsible for 1 – 1.5 million deaths each year. Though cases of this disease rarely occur in the US, they are still prevalent in developing areas of the world such as Africa, Asia, and Latin America. There are 156 species of Plasmodium that are known to infect vertebrates. From that group, there are 4 main species that cause various forms of this deadly, yet preventable and curable disease in humans: Plasmodium falciparum; Plasmodium vivax; Plasmodium ovale; and Plasmodium malaria, which can also cause malaria in certain species of apes that are closely related to humans. The main differences between the species of Plasmodium are the appearance (shape and size), the developmental stages of the parasite, the manner is which they infect their host, and the appearance of the blood cells that they infect. Despite the difference between these species, they still target the sa... ...cells in the liver and bloodstream. Using the protection of the cell and making proteins that cause the cells to stick the walls of the blood vessels to avoid being destroyed by the spleen, the parasite is able to stay one step ahead of the immune system of the host. In the blood stream the parasite uses the glucose need for cell process, lysis infected and uninfected blood cells, and release toxins to the blood streams that can lead to serious complications. 4 Bibliography: Mali, Sonja. "Traveler's Health: Yellow Book." Malaria. CDC. 26 Jul 2006 . "Microbiology @ Leicester." Malaria. November 11, 2005. Leicester. 26 Jul 2006 . "Malaria." Malaria. 29 July 2006. Wikipedia. 26 Jul 2006 .

Characters in Chinua Achebe’s Books Essay

Chinua Achebe shows the custom, especially, African values and attitudes through his characters in his novel, Things Fall Apart. Okonkwo is an ideal Ibo man who achieves wealth and fame out of nothing, but this causes him to be conceited and disdainful of less successful. Pride is a noble quality that man should have, but sometimes, when the source of that pride is fear and insecurity instead of true faith in oneself, pride could be destructive. In the book, Chinua Achebe uses the direct characterization, character dialogue and foil to reveal how Okonkwos incorrigible pride led him to his own destruction. First of all, Achebe uses direct comments from the narrator to describe Okonkwos thoughts and action so that the author would effectively show his characters proud nature. When Okonkwo returns from the exile, the narrator tells the readers about his plan in detail that he says Even in his first year in exile he had begun to plan for his return. The first thing he would do would be to rebuild his compound on a more magnificent scale. Then he would show his wealth by initiating his sons into the Ozo society. Only the really great men in the clan were able to do this. Okonkwo saw clearly the high esteem in which he would be held, and saw himself taking the highest title in the land (Achebe 172). When Okonkwo was exiled, he had a hard time because he had to start a new life while he already became old and not as strong as before. The narrator shows that even though Okonkwo had hard time to adapt himself in Mbanta, he still wanted to show people that he is a successful man. This shows his proud nature that the narrator illustrates Okonkwo not only desires to reveal his achievement to impress other people but also tries to regain his power in the society. By using the method of direct characterization, the readers can exactly see the traits of a character and what is going on in his mind without interpreting. In this case, the narrators direct comments of Okonkwos thoughts and action effectively show his inveterate pride that he always wants to show off his success. Secondly, Achebe uses Unoka as the foil to strengthen Okonkwos character; his meekness is contradictory to Okonkwos brash and arrogant pride. Unlike Okonkwo, his father, Unoka, is a peaceful, friendly but lazy man who was  considered to be a failure by the Ibo society. Okonkwo is very ashamed of and disgusted at him; I have done my best to make Nwoye grow into a man, but there is too much of his mother in him. too much of his grandfather, Obierika thought, but he did not say it. The same thought also came to Okonkwos mind. But he had long learned how to lay that ghost. Whenever the thought of his fathers weakness and failure troubled him he expelled it by thinking about his own strength and success. And so he did now. His mind went to his latest show of manliness. (Achebe 66). Okonkwos abhorrence of his father strengthens his intractable pride because this reflects that Okonkwo sees himself as a successful man but his father as a failure. Furthermore, his fear of resembling his father caused him to stand against his fathers trait including gentleness and humility. Thus, by comparing two opposite characters, Achebe not only exaggerates Okonkwos brash and arrogant pride but also explains the reason behind as well. Lastly, through emphatic dialogue, Achebe further strengthens his description of Okonkwos hard, sometimes distorted, and often destructive, pride. After the death of Ikemefuna, Okonkwo is still bothered by it that he says When did you become a shivering old woman, Okonkwo asked himself, you, who are known in all the nine villages for your valor in war? How can a man who has killed five men in battle fall to pieces because he has added a boy to their number? Okonkwo, you have become a woman indeed. (Achebe 65). Okonkwo is telling himself that he has turned into a â€Å"woman†- meaning soft-hearted and emotional, and he feels ashamed. Through this monologue, Achebe lets the reader understand more of Okonkwo’s way of thinking. He obviously thinks that a man should only be strong and unemotional, and he measures a man’s sense of pride by his ability in battle and toughness of his heart. Since his pride is not from the true confidence of himself, but from the fear of not being what he thinks about an ideal man, it is twisted- wrong, destructive. Achebes excellent use of dialogue shows Okonkwos distorted pride that the readers can connect that it would eventually lead to his downfall. Ultimately, Okonkwos inveterate pride led him to death that at the end of the novel he commits suicide. He finds himself unable to see his falling and weakness and adapt to changing society that he could not play an important role anymore due to the arrival of the white men. Okonkwo is a memorable character as he shows true-to-life strengths and true-to-life flaws. Through Achebes excellent use of direct method of characterization, effective use of foil and his robust dialogues, the reader not only sees Okonkwos character, but understands it as well. Achebe, Chinua. Things Fall Apart : A Novel. New York: Broadway Books, 1994.