Essay the Matrix Essay

Plato believed that the world as we see it, is not real but a more illusion, a copy of the real world to be more precise. Take for example if you look at rose or at a woman and you think they are both beautiful, that’s manifesting herself in those object, so the idea in this case pure beauty. So according to plato we are not really living in the real world, when we look at a rose or at a woman we are only seeing at a copy of real beauty. So when plato wrote about the cave, he said that man is chained in such a manner that they face only the shadows of anything that is passing by outside the cave. Because the man has only seen these shadows, he will take it as the real things. So if the man sees the shadow of a tree, because that’s the only thing he has seen he will think it’s a real tree. The only way to become unchained Plato thought, was to begin to see the real nature of things through the mind’s eye. But Plato belived that no one could be taught, they had to see reality for themselves, at most they could only be directed by people who had already been there. Plato continues that when someone sees the real world for the first time, it will be to bright for the person and will be confused, but only after spending some time his mind like the eyes will adjust to the light. In the movie this is more or less what happens to Neo, he is trapped in an illusion, he thinks it’s real because that’s the only thing he has seen. He cannot be told what the matrix is he has to see it for himself, when he first sees it he cannot believe it, but eventually accepts it, and so forth. Both Plato’s Cave and the Matrix play with the question are we awake? Both contend that humanity is asleep. Both Plato and the Matrix contend that given everyday world is illusionary. Plato because for him the real world are the form beyond the senses and everyday experience are just shadows on the cave wall. The Matrix presents an substratum a real world open rationing underground. And The prisoner who lives the cave, comes into the sun and their eyes are blinded by the light. The same can be seen when neo first came out of the matrix and said my eyes. I can’t see. Another of the similitaries is that in the Cave is some Light, the fire which cast the shadows of the puppets on the walls. This Light can be seen as an small aspect of the sun, small aspect of the Truth. It can be said, that there is Truth beyond the illusion, as its source is the Light. The same in the Matrix, the source of the Matrix is in the real world, only difference is that people are the Light of the matrix since they created it. And was told that’s because you have never used them before. Another similitaries is that in the Cave the prisoners never used their eyes truly, they were always in the darkness where they could not see behind themselves to see what was the source of the shadows, in fact their eyes were only adjusted/conditioned to the dimness of the Cave to the degree that when one of the prisoners left the cave and saw the outside their eyes were blinded, having never seen it before, or in the matrix having never used their eyes before. The other diference are that Matrix is more political than mystical as in Plato vision. The philosophical view of the nature of reality as seen in the matrix and the allegory of the cave are the Artificial Intelligence machines are the puppeteers, tricking the humans into believing the Matrix is actual reality. The humans that are imprisoned in the Matrix are like the prisoners in the cave. Neo is the prisoner that is freed from the cave into the true reality of the world. The Matrix is the cave, the real world is existence outside the cave. If i compare these views Descartes poses the question of how he can know with certainty that the world he experiences is not an illusion being forced upon him by an evil demon. He reasons since he believes in what he sees and feels while dreaming, he cannot trust his senses to tell him that he is not still dreaming. His senses cannot provide him with proof that the world even exists. Descartes’ evil demon is vividly realized in the Matrix films as the artificial intelligence that forces a virtual reality on humans. Just as Descartes realized that the sensations in his dreams were vivid enough to convince him the dreams were real, the humans who are plugged into the Matrix have no idea that their sensations are false, created artificially instead of arising from actual experiences. Until Neo is yanked from the Matrix, he, too, has no idea that his life is a virtual reality. Like Descartes, Neo eventually knows to take nothing at face value, and to question the existence of even those things, such as chairs, that seem most real. I think that the scenario that is shown in The matrix Could’t happen. because there cant be transported from one world to another through the phone, and cant be alive in two equal bodies in two places are just illucions that in real life can not pass never.

NewCastle Beer

NewCastle Beer employs multiple market positioning. The strategy involves specialization of brands for particular markets which is designed to be representative of the demographic and psychographic characteristics of these respective markets. Though the strategy is not unique to the company, by customizing products to markets instead of introducing existing products as they are, the company is able to subscribe to variances in requirements or demands particularly in its international operations (Research and Markets, 2005). Thus, NewCastle Beer is positioned specifically for the variant’s target market which is accomplished by developing direct rapport and natural preference for the product for the purpose of status or identity. Target position is for NewCastle Beer to be the personal choice of the market regardless of their tastes for beer and related products. Currently the company dominates the UK and Irish markets, considered as the key beer import company in the US and one of the fastest growing brands in Central and Eastern Europe (Scottish-Newcastle, 2007). Some of the marketing strategies done for NewCastle Beer use personal appeal and a degree of bandwagon effect. Campaigns figure significantly scenarios common to the market for middle to lower end markets while emphasizing status and quality dominates the strategy for high end products. The latter include co-marketing strategies with establishments either in the form of product supply or price benefits for significant sales or exclusivity of NewCastle Beer in the establishments (Scottish-Newcastle, 2007). In consumer sales, efforts include point of purchase and media advertising. Though campaigns vary to accommodate localized cultural references, there is significant and direct allusion to the history of the product and the company (Research and Markets, 2005). This strategy is to establish the quality of the product particularly in markets where there existing brand or product leaders. There are also significant partnerships for in-house sales as well as consumer sales. References Research and Markets (2005). Breweries & the Beer Market 2005. Retrieved on July 15, 2007 from http://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/304454Â   Scottish-Newcastle (2007). Brands and Market Positions. Retrieved on July 15, 2007 from http://www.scottish-newcastle.com/snplc/brands/interactivemap/map_text/#brands

Airplan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Airplan - Research Paper Example fer packages such as the ATA Flier Program and the ATA Travel Awards which were low cost programs which afforded travelers the chance to earn travel points which they could use to get discounts. The airline was also a big employer which had more than 2,230 people by the time of its demise (Maxon, 2008). The company has had many financial troubles since its inception. The worst came in 2006 when it filed for bankruptcy and in 2008 when it failed to emerge from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection (Lawton, 2007). There are many causes of the failure of ATA Airlines. These causes had a huge impact on the operations of ATA which led to its final demise. Below is an analysis of the causes and results of the company’s failure. There is also an overview of the possible solutions that could have saved the company from going under. The company was going through some financial difficulties when it closed down its operations. It could not finance its takeovers and neither could it sustain its existing operations. The financial crisis that hit the world did not spare ATA Airlines. The global financial crisis did a lot to make matters worse for the company. It was forced to file for bankruptcy twice: in 2006 and in 2008 (Maxon, 2008). The second time that the airline filed for bankruptcy was also the last time it was operational. Mismanagement might have led to the failure of ATA Airlines. Lack of leadership might have contributed to the fate that ATA Airlines fell to. Poor leadership may have led to the poor decisions that the Airline made. These decisions included takeovers and increasing operations even when it was clear that the company was not in a financial situation safe enough to carry out those operations (Lawton, 2007). It seems that ATA operated without having a solid operational strategy. The company sought to expand many of its flight services with little regard to the financial implications that this could have on its business (ATA Airlines). This lack of

Kathrin & Becky Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Kathrin & Becky - Research Paper Example In simple terms, they were the custodians of the man’s ‘creation’ and hence the name ‘house wives’ was coined. However, it reached a point where the women in our society could take it no more. The oppressions and inferiority complex had gone overboard and they united and decided to demand for their rights. This marked a new dawn – a dawn where the inferior lot was informed of their rights. The demand for a just and fair world has been imminent with attention drawn from street debates to national discussions. They all have a similar ending; the world is never fair to the oppressed and minority groups and that the law is made for these people. Surprisingly, the legislators who push for these laws find themselves in situations and positions where they are breaking them. Feminists rely entirely on the law for existence. They believe that the law is meant to protect them. However, this is not the case. Governments have been in the limelight for failing to protect these groups of people. Women are an interesting lot. They love associating themselves with an icon with whom they follow her lifestyle and when Marilyn Monroe, a feminine figure killed herself out of an overdose in 1963, there was an outrage from the feminine society. There was no turning back and an exaggerated femininity was being held up and revered as an ideal for all women. Racism and sexual harassment were thriving and black women were mostly the victims where they were referred to as ‘chocolate bunnies’. However, in a quick rejoinder, Gloria Steinem, a freelance Journalist who was working on an undercover mission highlighted the plight of black women who were on the brink of segregation from the rest. She described that all women were treated as bunnies. This attracted the attention of all women who responded to the urgency to rescue the black woman from the racial stereotype. A look back at history reveals that women have achieved huge milestones that are

Cloud-based information services Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Cloud-based information services - Coursework Example The cloud has changed this by allowing the same employees to work without the inconvenience and cost of additional hardware. This has the effect of increasing productivity which drives revenue up while pushing the cost down. Second is that allows many users to work with many applications and softwares without having the need to purchase individual apps and softwares in each workstation because it is already in the cloud where they can readily work without the added software. This empowers the employees because they are given access to data and information which would not have been possible before again allowing greater productivity in the organization. Cloud also facilitates sharing of information which is critical among teams working in big projects. It cuts the time of sending and sharing it through the traditional methods of emails and is more secure than using file sharing

Causes of the French Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Causes of the French Revolution - Essay Example Under the shadow of this dilemmatic political concern, French feudal lords proved to be a focus of attention by limiting the power and freedom of a common man. Although, the Lords were a principal target of rural insurrection; they remained on centre stage in the National Assembly's dramatic renunciation of privilege of 1789 thereby forming a continual bone of contention between rural communities who found the early enactments of the legislators to be thoroughly inadequate along with legislators facing continuing rural turbulence; therefore they were an essential element in the revolutionaries' notions of the "feudal regime" being dismantled; they were the concrete subject matter addressed in the first legislation that tested the tensions inherent in the thorny constitutional issue of a royal veto (and they thereby contributed to the difficulty of embodying the Revolution in some monarchical form); they were invoked in the rhetoric with which those in high places addressed the growin g international tension surrounding the revolutionary state, a rhetoric which imbued the revolutionaries with a self-righteous sense of a national mission to liberate the victims of feudalism outside of France, altering the character of European warfare. (Markoff, 1996, p. 3) The best example is the involvement of British and German governments in this concern of revolution. One of the main reasons for the revolution is the authority practiced by Lords which let arrears accumulate on periodic dues for years, then demand that peasants pay up, and accept a land-for-debt swap; under retrait, a lord had the optional right to substitute himself for the purchaser of peasant land; and lords might hold or fabricate a claim on a portion of common land. Many seigniorial rights could thus be put at the service of landholders oriented to a growing agricultural market, to such an extent that some historians have wondered whether peasant contestation might not be better described as a losing, rear-guard struggle against a growing capitalism than a vanguard battle against a dying feudalism in conjunction' with the victorious bourgeoisie. (Markoff, 1996, p. 77) Another factor that leads one to think as the cause of revolution was the corruption of the Lords and noble people, who were not liable to any of the (heavy or normal) taxation system implemented by the government, for being an authoritative privileged class. The dilemma lied within their perception according to which they were not answerable to any official in case of denial of any rule. Financial Downfall Right from Louis XIV to Louis XVI, all the noble personnel enjoyed undue privileges and advantages particularly in the financial matters. These include: 1. Lack of financial accountability in response to government questions, and they never use to bother about it. 2. They had access to government loans with the right to acquire

Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 5

Story - Essay Example But the plagiarism was just too much to be ignored. There were entire passages and paragraphs that had been copy-pasted from the web. Jason Blair was a rising journalist in 2003 (Bailey). He was rendering his services to the New York Times as a reporter. Everything was going fine until one day, an editor at the San Antonio Express-News found out certain common things between a column written by Blair and a previous report authored by Macarena Hernandez. This led to the starting of an investigation by the Times into Blair. As a result of the investigation, 36 out of the total of 73 articles written by Blair were found to contain fabrication, plagiarism, or some other kind of unethical behavior (Bailey). Blair was left with no option but to resign from his job as a reporter and a journalist from the New York Times. Bailey, Jonathan. â€Å"5 Famous Plagiarists: Where Are They Now?† Plagiarism Today. 21 Aug. 2012. Web. 16 Apr. 2015. . Grimes, A. C. â€Å"5 Insanely Blatant Acts of Plagiarism by Famous People.† 18 Feb. 2014. Web. 16 Apr. 2015.

The Most Effective Ways of Writing an Essay in English

The Most Effective Ways of Writing an in English - Essay Example The essay introduction of any paper has to get control of the reader's thoughts. For one to achieve these, stylistic conventions such as proverbs, real or fake interesting incident, surprising information, and curiosity questions are used (page 202). Cottrell (2008) explains that the introduction has three main purposes. A statement describing the idea of the essay is made to establish the scope of the essay from a general to a more specific subtopic. Questions such as why, when, where, why and how to focus on the overall question that is the thesis statement (page 204). Addressing these major question calls for a clear and specific statement made near the end of the introductory paragraph (Greetham, 2008). With this, the introduction will give a picture of the major points yet to be discussed that will possess the reader’s attention. In addition to a good introduction, the body forms the content address to the title (Cottrell, 2008). The discussion is organized and presented in at least three body paragraphs according to the number of topics chosen. â€Å"Each body paragraph forms its main idea† (page192). The body paragraphs have three main sections; the main point, the supporting statements, and the last statement relating to the next paragraph. The main point connects with the central purpose of the essay. For an effective essay, the body paragraph will often start with a topic sentence. The topic sentence forms the summary of the paragraph which reflects on the main statement summarizing the whole essay. Though the topic sentence comes after the body paragraph introduction, the topic sentence may come first (Greetham, 2008). Providing supporting explanations, evidence, and examples make the most interesting part of the body paragraph (page 142).  

Mock Variable Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Mock Variable - Assignment Example Sales volume defines cumulative sales that a retail consultant realizes in a two-week period. Every product has a sales price and the prices of all products that a consultant sells will be aggregated to determine each consultant’s sales volume. Leadership potential defines perceived ability to influence others towards desired objectives. In the study, the ability will be with respect to supervisors’ influence on the consultants and the consultants’ influence on buyers. Leadership style defines a person’s dominant leadership behavior. Even though an individual may have traits that define more than one leadership style, there will always be a dominant style at a time. Three leadership styles that the Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire measures will be considered and these are transformational leadership, transactional leadership, and passive-avoidant leadership styles (Anderson, Nilson, and Rhodes, 2009). Sales volume will be measured from observed value of products that a consultant sells based on sales price. The variable will be measured on a ratio scale that is suitable for both descriptive and inferential statistics. Leadership potential will be measured through a pre-developed questionnaire, Leadership Practices Inventory, and using ratio scale (Kouzes, Posner, and Biech, 2010). The quantitative scope of the data means possible use of descriptive and inferential statistics for analysis. The Multifactor Leadership Questionnaire will be used to measure leadership style on an ordinal scale. This is because of an assumption of relative effectiveness of the leadership styles on the consultants’ effectiveness. Analysis of variance for difference in levels of effectiveness is therefore the suitable inferential statistic. Like age, level of education will be measured through a questionnaire to which participants will respond. It will be measured on an

To what extent do you agree with free market economies being more Essay - 4

To what extent do you agree with free market economies being more effective than a mixed economy - Essay Example This is because governments will always want to intervene in a market, by imposing taxes for purposes of raising revenue and protecting their markets (Clarke, 2009). There is also another form of a market system referred to as the mixed market economy. A mixed economy has some elements whereby the forces of demand and supply play a role in regulating the prices of commodities, at the same time; the government has some interference with the affairs of the market (Clarke, 2009). This is through taxes and subsidies. In as much as the mixed economy was developed to solve the problems of a free market economy, it is important to denote that a free market economy is still a good form of market structure as compared to a mixed economy. The reason as to why a free market economy is better than a mixed economy is based on the fact that the market is very competitive. Companies, in their bid to attract customers and make sales, will resort to the production of high quality products and services. These companies are concerned with satisfaction of the various needs of their customers, and on this basis, the opinions of customers will be used to produce services and products for purposes of satisfying the needs of customers (Romero, 2003). On the other hand, companies operating in a mixed economy cannot effectively achieve efficiency in providing services and products without increasing their costs. This is because their prices and financial activities are regulated by the various taxes that governments charge. The costs of improving these services will in turn pass over to the customers of the organization. On the other hand, companies in a free market economy would not need to increase their prices, for purposes of adding value to their products. This is because they know that other companies will take advantage of these increases in price, and take over some of their customers (Romero, 2003). It is also cheaper to

Identify Leadership Style Essay Example for Free

Identify Leadership Style Essay As a leader, it sometimes takes a step back to look at oneself to realize what type of leader you are to understand your strengths and weaknesses, so you can lead an effective team to success. After lots of leadership quizs and readings, my leadership style is participative (Democratic) with an emphasis on the consensus view. â€Å"A participative leader seeks to involve other people in the process, possibly including subordinates, peers, superiors and other stakeholders. Often, however, as it is within the managers whim to give or deny control to his or her subordinates, most participative activity is within the immediate team (Tannenbaum and Schmitt, 1958). † Some of the characteristics of the participative leader and that of myself are: creating an atmosphere were creativity is wanted and rewarded, engaging in the group decision making process and while keeping the final say over decisions, allowing members to share ideas and thoughts. A1a: Two Strengths Using the participative leadership style gives me the most advantages when working and making decisions in a group. The main two strengths of my leadership style (participative) is: Empowerment and Better Team Decisions.  Empowerment: as defined by Dictionary.com, â€Å"v.to give power or authority; to authorize, especially by official means. To enable or permit (Dictionary.com, 2014).† How does it feel when you feel like you have a say in a group or team? You feel valued. I enjoy allowing my team to feel valued and employ their decisions to make for the best decision possible. The feeling that group members get from participating makes the final decision accepted much more. Personally, when team members have input in the final goal, they feel responsible and take it much more seriously. Better Team Decisions: Since I dont know all the answers, isnt it better crucial to have lots of people helping find the answers. In my leadership style, since we have lots of people brain-storming on ideas, it makes for better team decisions. When a tough decision is ahead, its critical to have others helping make decisions. Employees input is invaluable in a group participating setting. When I allow others to help make decisions, the quality of those decisions will only increase. A1b: Two Weaknesses With this effective leadership style brings some cons. One of the cons of this style of leadership is time restrictions. When the team is liberated into making decisions, it takes awhile to come to great group decision. This type of leadership allows lots of discussions and hearing everyones opinions, which in-turn slows down the whole process. This style is a slower process, but the pro of making the best decision outweighs the con. The second con for this leadership style is that there can usually only be one decision and we as a team/group can not use everyones opinion or decision. This can cause some team members to become upset or heated, but can be avoided with a good leader leading the discussions. When allowing this style to be in a group, the group must come to a consensus in agreeing on the best decision and all parties must agree with whatever outcome is chosen. A2: Compare against two other styles Lets look at two other leadership styles and compare them to the participative leadership style. Authoritative (autocratic) which is a style that has clear expectations and usually makes decisions with little input from the team/group. In this style, the group makes fast decisions and the leader is usually the most knowledgeable team-member in the group Some similarities are that when the  team is in a bind or time is no longer of essence, the team leader must make an autocratic decision for the betterment of the group. The contributions of the team will be much lower than that of my participative style. Delegative (Laissez-Faire) is the opposite of the autocratic style in that there is little or no team guidance and the team is left to make all the decisions. This style is the least productive style because it offers no structure. The group is more likely to demand a lot from the leader and usually will not work independently. This style is used when all team members are over-qualified in the area of expertise, but also leads to lack of motivation for the group. The participating leadership style that I am apart of uses both the autocratic and the delegative style aspects to achieve maximum group potential. Participative leadership is concerned about the group and that the group has input. A3: Understanding to be more effective To be a leader you must have a mix of skills, behaviors, value sets and knowledge. To be a more effective leader one must understand their abilities and understand others and their strengths/weaknesses. This understanding includes an apprehension for other leadership styles. An impelling leader, understanding certain situations and leadership styles, can carry out different styles to lead different groups and teams of people. A great leader will supply assistance and encouragement to a group based on its needs and maintain the group by using its knowledge of different leadership styles. An effective leader can not accomplish success exclusive of a team. Those teams will consist of lots of team members and different leaders. An effective leader will be able to understand other leadership styles to support and assist those leaders. â€Å"The advantage to understanding your leadership style is that you understand your strengths and weaknesses. You can be proactive and more effective as a leader by strategically using your strengths and counteracting your weaker areas. Your style defines your values and perspective, and being aware of it will aid your communication those you work with. As the saying goes, knowledge is power. You can empower yourself and move forward in your career or interest by exercising this knowledge (Raines, 2011).† When knowing yourself and your leadership style it helps you in the workplace. Knowing your work environment and workplace challenges helps to address appropriate solutions using your leadership style. By knowing your style and the areas around you, it helps you make sound strategies for solutions to the problems and you can succeed by steering the strengths of the leadership way. Being a leader means that you must be able to know your strengths and weaknesses and the situations of the group and when to incorporate your style into the situation. Leadership is not a thing that fits all situations. The more leadership styles you are accustomed to, the more negotiable you will be able to be in the group. A4: Two problems in workplace due to different leadership Problem 1: An employee is always late for workplace. The schedule that the employee is on is one of rotating shifts (day and night). This involves different managers with different leadership styles. These different leadership styles has allowed this employee to continue its bad behaviors and continue to be late. Problem 2: Personality Clash. Your style is to talk out problems and solutions (democratic leadership style) while a manager you work with is direct and to the point (autocratic style), and doesnt want to hear about the solutions but just wants the problems fixed. â€Å"Spray gun in tablet bed has stopped working, most of the team wants to find root cause, but one of the managers wants a solution now and doesnt want to understand what caused  the problem.† A4a: Two ways to overcome each problem Problem 1: Late employee. The employee that is late knows that if LF (Laissez-Faire) manager is working that he allows an unstructured work environment. In other words, see nothing, hear nothing, speak nothing and all is correct in the work place. He has unclear expectations for this late employee and is more of people pleas-er that tackling the problem. This manager is fine if the employee is late as long as it does not effect production. This leadership style also allows him to play favorites. He has different rules for different people. As long as production is not affected, whats to bother? If AA (Autocratic) is manager, this employee knows that she can not be late to work, as is not for fear of consequences of her actions. They know that action will be taken against them if they are late. This causes a trickle down effect for employees, and their team morale. Since not all leadership team-members are on the same plane, things like this are always happening. We must fix this problem, before it gets out of hand. Fix. LF manager should first follow the rules and make the employee accountable for her actions. If that employee is late, they should have consequences like everyone else. If that does not work, then managers of this team should be aware of all times that employees are arriving and leaving work. During a monthly meeting, management could review all badge in/outs to make sure times are consistent with when employees are arriving and leaving. At these meetings, employees are questioned and held accountable for their tardiness. If this is not a viable option, management should have one manager that is responsible for all tardies/lates to work. This would be a dedicated job for the manager and take the responsibility off of the other managers and  help alleviate the leadership style differences between managers. Another quick fixer, would be to discuss this problem with LF manager and hold him accountable for allowing the employee to get away with tardies/lates. This one on one meeting would help to show him that there are consequences to his actions and that all employees need to be accountable for their actions. Problem 2: Spray gun. One way to fix this problem is to invite and have the said manager attend and hold discussions within the group to help him see that not all problems have immediate solutions. Allowing him on the team, helps him develop his leadership style and see there is not one leadership style that encompasses all problems. The leader must find it valuable for them to be on the team and to give input. Showing them that they are valued goes a long way to helping them develop as great leaders. Have a one on one with the manager to discuss reasons for and against having this meeting. If both parties that are having trouble understanding meet, then they are more apt to understand where each other is coming from. If this doesnt work, we can always call an upper level management manager to help diffuse the situation. Another solution would be coaching. Maybe this manager/leader is insecure/uncertain about work environment or doesnt want to make decisions because its not my job. Maybe this manager lacks creativity or innovation. Whatever the issue that they are dealing with, a great effective synergistic leader would see this as an opportunistic time to coach the manager in these areas to help alleviate stress, uncertainty and encourage teamwork, trust, expectations and cohesion amongst teams. A5a: Three advantages that increase productivity on these advantages â€Å"Taking a team from ordinary to extraordinary means understanding and  embracing the differences (Bennicasa, 2012).† The joint vision enables all groups to have meaningful communications—business synergy. Lets take a company that is going through a major brand transformation. The reasons not to change are abundant. The company was reaching goals and employee satisfaction was high. The company would lose brand identification through the proposed changes from upper management. The company would be dysfunctional because the whole team was not on board for the transformation. The change was a challenge from all parties involved. The bottom line came when management and the team members realized that those concerns did not compare to the importance of providing the best product and customer service to the customers. The shared vision had to be recognized from all that was serving through the transformation. The important factor was understanding that it was not about us anymore, but about the companys greater good and we had to embrace it. Meetings were held, discussions were had about working together, being a better team, how to better serve our customers, and enabling team diversity. We had to see the team synergy to be able to grow and become a better productive team. New logos and mottos and so forth did not create team synergy, but leadership had to add value to the team and show all the team members that they were required to make a better team—that is business leadership synergy. Once team synergy was found, this allowed the team members to be accountable for their actions and this included the quality of the new products. In return, this created a better product for the customer. A second advantage of having a synergy leadership style could be used when different team members are not included in a process that affects them. When a team of engineers and managers are designing a new stream line approach to the production floor to help move along the packaging process of â€Å"MMs†. A synergy leadership approach to the stream line approach would be  to include the actual workers from the packaging floor. These employees would be able to discuss best practices for help in designing the new approach. This would speed up the meeting process and would speed up implementation of new processes because the packaging team members would be included in the process. Including these team members would allow for less trial and error and more time being productive in having the new packaging approach in a workable state. Having a synergistic team is just as important than the actual packaging process because it stream lines the meeting, allows team-members to have certain expectations, keeps the meetings focused on the problems and develops and enhances rich collaborative discussions that are now easy to have—business success. The third advantage of leadership synergy would be having all upper management in a participative meeting discussing the new vision for the company. After long discussions the team has selected the vision for the company. The team then selects an authoritative figure to disburse the new vision information to the whole company group—because its not up for debate anymore. Knowing when to use different leadership roles is very important. In this model, a decision that has the absolute consensus of all upper management, will appear when all team-members is seeing the discussion directly through the same glasses – which includes the mission, the vision and the teams goals. Without these glasses, cooperative judgments can be challenging to accomplish. The hard part of making decisions and agreeing upon them in a multi-leadership style team –is that there is no common goal – changes in leadership styles will strangle the discussions, as more thoughts will only add to the difficulty in making a decision. Looking through the same lenses of the glasses permits a variety diversity into the debate and allows the group to succeed. Once we see everything through the same lens, then the upper management group  can be more productive in delivering a vision in a timely manner. This synergy of upper management leaders then starts trickling down to management teams throughout the plant and then onto regular teams and committees in the plant. This trickle down affect makes teams more productive, more efficient by allowing the meetings to flow better and to free up people to not be in meetings (to be on the floor being productive making the products). References Bennicasa, Robyn. (2012) 6 Leadership Styles, and When You Should Use Them. Retrieved from http://www.fastcompany.com/1838481/6-leadership-styles-and when-youshould-use-them. Dictionary.com. 2014. Empowerment Definition. Retrieved from http://dictionary. reference.com/browse_empowerment Raines, Stephanie. 2011. The Advantages of Knowing Your Leadership Style. Retrieved from http://smallbusiness.chron.com/advantages-knowing leadership-style18924.html. Tannenbaum, A.S. and Schmitt, W.H. (1958). How to choose a leadership pattern. Harvard Business Review, 36, March-April, 95-101.

Literacies for Learning Essay Example for Free

Literacies for Learning Essay The necessity for educational institutions to equip students with the skills to cope in a rapidly changing, culturally diverse and globalised 21st century society, has led academics, such as the New London Group, to encourage educators to acknowledge the various literacy forms utilised in the new millennium (The New London Group, 1996) and to adopt a pedagogy of multiliteracies. This essay will explore the components of a pedagogy of multiliteracies and identify the transformations needed for the successful implementation of multiliteracies into educational practice. Likewise, the notion of language as a social practice which influences teaching content and assessment practices in secondary education will be examined, as will the use of multiliteracies in the teaching of the Mathematics curriculum. To understand the role of multiliteracies in pedagogy theory development, it is important to define the term literacy. Literacy is an evolving term that refers to an individual’s ability to construct and comprehend meaning via the accepted symbol systems of one’s country or language group (Winch, Johnston, March, Ljungdahl, Holliday, 2010). These symbol systems include written and spoken language and visual information such as icons and other graphical information. While literacy was traditionally viewed as a cognitive process with a focus on reading, writing and numeracy identification, in recent years its definition has become broadened to encompass the burgeoning text types being generated via multimedia and information technology (Winch et al., 2010). These electronic text types have quickly established themselves as integral components of a diverse range of 21st century vocations and social interactions (Tan, 2006).  A pedagogy of multiliteracies encompasses multimedia and digital text forms as well as traditional written and spoken texts. Likewise, the central role of literacy in a diverse range of knowledge domains and vocations has resulted in educators being encouraged to view literacy as a vital skill underpinning successful teaching and learning in all curriculum areas. The New London Group (1996) viewed the role of design as an ever changing paradigm of three stage teaching and learning processes. The first step, ‘Available Designs’ is determining what resources are available. These resources include texts, symbols, audio and visual resources. The second step is ‘Designing’ which takes these ‘Available Designs’ and places them within a social context, such as the classroom or learning environment, and is facilitated by an individual such as a teacher. This step creates an output with new meaning for both the learning environment and facilitator. This knowledge or new meaning is known as ‘Redesign’ (The New London Group, 1996). Literacy is a social practice that is not just taught in secondary schools, it is something which is part of each individual’s everyday life. According to Anstey Bull (2000), the way in which an individual may read the world will be strongly linked to the contexts of their own life. The NSW Department of Education and Training (2006) maintains that literacy is a skill that continues to grow and develop and is fundamental to students’ success at school as well as for the rest of their life. For literacy to be successful in schools, it is planned in collaboration with parents and teachers. This collaborative approach reinforces that literacy is inherently a social practice. This approach must include a range of social influences and practices, in order to increase student’s knowledge and skill in the real world for real purposes (NSW Department of Education and Training, 2006). As literacy development is undoubtedly a whole school and community approach, it is essential that a multiliteracies pedagogy, be utilised in the teaching of all curriculum areas. The impact of societal and cultural change is clearly reflected in the mathematics curriculum through the use of digital technologies such as graphical programs and spreadsheets. This use of technology provides numerous opportunities for the teaching of multiliteracies. Through explicit teaching and learning  experiences of digital texts, students are provided with the skills to successfully navigate and comprehend information communicated digitally. These skills can be acquired through students being provided with opportunities to access information via Internet websites. Likewise, students can use information technology to construct their own texts, thus allowing them to communicate their understanding of concepts to others. This may be achieved by encouraging students to construct texts through the use of software programs such as Microsoft Excel and Microsoft Visio, both of which allow students to communicate information graphically. These digital mediums allow students to acquire skills which will assist them in acquiring real world skills which they can utilise to gain and construct meaning, both in and out of the classroom. (Winch et al., 2010). Technology is an essential part of the transformations taking place in the social, political, cultural and economic spheres of contemporary society (Groundwater- Smith, Brennan, McFadden, Mitchell and Munns, 2009). Secondary school teachers need to prepare students with the skills necessary for life in a rapidly changing, technological world. In order to equip students with these skills, teachers must possess deep knowledge of relevant technologies (Treadwell, 2008). The Mathematics curriculum includes teaching of: statistics, probability, algebra, financial concepts, economics, technology, measurement and trigonometry. These strands include skills applicable to an individual’s school/work life, social life and personal life. Mathematics content areas, focus on aspects of society, reform, technology and life skills. It is important for teachers to link the social practice of literacy with the factors of a pedagogy of multiliteracies to create the best teaching environment they can (The New London Group, 1996). Walsh (2006) cites an example of successfully teaching his students literacy practices, through social relationships. Students worked in groups and were able to demonstrate specific social language structures. They were able to â€Å"enact, recognise and negotiate† in a social environment (The New London Group, 1996, p. 3) by design and re-design of Internet web pages. The created web pages were diverse, with each student using their own discourse to create what they believed the web page should contain. Prior to using multi-modal and digital literacy mediums in their teaching, it is essential that teachers be aware of cognitive and language factors in learning. The  ability to use multimodal learning, digital literacies and genres specific to each curriculum area must be carefully planned by the teacher. According to Winch et al., (2010) a multiliteracy pedagogy involves developing the ability to use language purposefully and skillfully in a range of social settings, rather than learning isolated segments of knowledge such as grammar conventions and spelling. Multiliteracy includes the use and creation of multimodal and multimedia texts (Winch et al., 2010). Multiliteracy seeks to address the rapid changes in literacy brought about by globalisation, cultural and social diversity and information technology (Winch et al., 2010). In response to these societal changes, The New London Group (1996), questioned the role of schools and outlined a need for change in literacy teaching due to key changes in three areas of life: working life, public life and personal life (life worlds). Central to these changes, was the need for schools to integrate learning with life experiences that students have both in and out of the classroom. â€Å"As these three major realms of social activity have shifted, so the roles and responsibilities of schools must shift† (The New London Group, 1996, p.18). The New London Group advocated for a change in the way, education was delivered, by enhancing the existing structures and overlaying with a new â€Å"what† and â€Å"how† of literacy teaching (The New London Group, 1996). The ‘how’ of pedagogy comes from a view of how learning is acquired, embedded and utilised. The New London Group (1996) proposed that a pedagogy of multiliteracies is a complex blend of four methods of design. The first is Situated Practice which involves learning by creating meaningful learning experiences that allow students be in an environment where the learning replicates the social use of what is being learnt. It is an environment where risks can be taken and ‘trial and error’ is used to gain mastery of skills or knowledge. It should be used â€Å"developmentally, to guide learners to the experiences and the assistance they need to develop further as members of the community, capable of drawing on, and ultimately contributing to, the full range of it’s resources.† (The New London Group, 1996, p. 33). Situated Practice should be designed to motivate students to want to know, and engage students in their learning in a safe environment . Assessment or evaluation is not considered part of Situated Practice. Overt Instruction is the second method of how a pedagogy of mulitliteracies is  implemented.  This involves teachers guiding and using effective teaching techniques such as scaffolding or explicit instruction to build student’s knowledge and confidence. Examination of the current secondary school’s Mathematics curriculum, (NSW department of Education and Training, 2010) reveals many opportunities for teachers and students to collaborate and engage in dialogue related to mathematical concepts which will guide and provide a scaffold for student learning. For example, the teacher makes links with prior learning, through asking open questions to the group, and uses multi-modal methods such as mathematical symbols, diagrams, charts and pictures to add to the learning. With each progression of new learning in the lesson, the teacher labels a new part of the diagram. Overt Instruction â€Å".includes centrally the sorts of collaborative efforts between teacher and student wherein the student is both allowed to accomplish a task more complex than they can accompli sh on their own and they are conscious of the teacher’s representation and interpretation of that task.† (The New London Group (1996, p. 20). Thirdly, Critical Framing focuses on the â€Å"how† of a pedagogy of multiliteracies, through the use and application of real world knowledge. This method is where assessment and evaluation of one’s self understanding can begin in relation to cultural, social, political and historical influences on what has been learned (New London Group, 1996). Teachers are able to encourage students to apply their learning in a practical sense and assess the transfer of student’s knowledge or skill. This knowledge is based on what they have previously learned, and requires students to â€Å"constructively critique it, account for its cultural location; creatively extend and apply it and eventually innovate own† and strengthen their ability to demonstrate what they have learned (The New London Group, 1996, p. 37). A mathematical example of this process is the conversion of degrees to radians. Its real life use is the calculation of the speed of a piece of machin ery. This calculation includes the formula in terms of radians rather than degrees. Finally, Transformed Practice is â€Å"where we try and re-enact a discourse by engaging in it for our real purposes† (The New London Group, 1996, p. 36).  Students need to think and learn outside their own discourse and think about how they can re-create their meaning, linking their own discourses to understand what they have learned. An example of this practice was where students were asked to plan and present a lesson including a Wiki activity and a Prezi (presentation tool) that teaches the concepts from a previous mathematics lesson. In groups, students collaboratively utilised the Internet to research topics, and create: work sheets for others to complete, interactive wiki activities, team tasks, and their own YouTube clips. The lesson included the use and creation of multimodal texts and scaffolding of existing knowledge. Students developed new knowledge through authentic multimodal texts such as image, sound, video and written text (Tan, 2006). Gunning (2002) explores the impact of reading and writing difficulties in a social stance, and highlights that poor instructions given by teachers can contribute to a student’s difficulties. Gunning’s (2002) observations and research serve as a reminder that teachers must be sure to provide the ‘what’ and ‘how’ of multiliteracies, to ensure each student has the opportunity to progress. Teachers need to evaluate their current practice and identify the text types typically used in the Mathematics content areas and consider the social needs and teaching strategies that will develop student’s literacy skills (Goos, Stillman., Vale, 2007). In a mathematics lesson, students were introduced to the ‘Simpson’s rule’ formula. The lesson’s aim was for students to measure the area beneath a real life object, gain an understanding of what is needed to complete the formula and how the variables are calculated. Students were required to work collaboratively in pairs, discussing various ways in which measurements were taken in order to obtain an accurate result in working out the area of the object. Likewise, students were required to engage in higher order thinking, in order to formulate possible solutions to the dilemma. These experiences provided students with the opportunity to be inclusive in their learning, and consolidate their understanding of key concepts that are relevant to the lesson goals (Prain Hand, 1999). Teacher observations and questioning during group work, guided the student’s discussions, with the teacher embracing a teaching style where multiliteracies were used. The New London Group (1996) have profoundly impacted on teaching practices, literacy research, policy curriculum and pedagogy (Mills, 2006). Gee (1991) explores  social literacy and the impact of a student’s discourse that are established outside the classroom, from their social group, fa mily and cultural ties. Their view of literacy as social practice and their emphasis on incorporating the rapidly increasing number of electronic and multimodal text types in 21st century society into teaching practice represents a clear break away from the single dimensional teaching of literacy. However, for multiliteracies such as digital literacies, multimodal resources and ICT to provide best learning for students, teachers must be prepared to embrace the view that literacy is a social practice and and an essential skill underpinning all curriculum areas. Teachers also need to recognise that each lesson they teach to students provides the opportunity to develop the student’s literacy skills. In order to facilitate this change in pedagogical ideology, teachers must be prepared to evaluate their current teaching practice and adopt a more holistic approach to developing literacy skills in their students. As a consequence, students should be exposed to participative learning experiences with re al life learning outcomes. References Anstey, M., Bull, G. (2000). Developing multiple and critical readings of text. Reading the visual: Written and illustrated children’s literature (pp. 201-214). Sydney: Harcourt. Gee, J. (1991) What is literacy? In C.Mitchell K. Weiler (Eds.), Rewriting literacy. New York: Bergin Garvey Goos, M. Stillman, G. Vale,C. (2007). Teaching secondary mathematics. Crows Nest, NSW: Allen Unwin. Gunning, T. (2002). Factors involved in reading and writing difficulties. Assessing and correcting reading and writing difficulties (2nd ed., pp. 26-62). Sydney: Allyn Bacon. Mills, K. (2006). Discovering design possibilities through a pedagogy of multiliteracies. Journal of Leading Design, 1(3), 61-72 NSW Department of Education and Training. (2010). NSW Department of Education and Training. (2007). Literacy K-12 Policy Retrieved from https://www.det.nsw.edu.au/policies/curriculum/schools/literacy/PD20050288.shtml?query=literacy+policy New South Wales Department of Education and Training. (2006). State literacy plan 2006-2008: Equitable literacy achievements for all students. Retrieved from http://www.curriculumsupprt.education.nsw.gov.au/policies/literacy/guidelinies/plan/index.htm Prain Hand (1999) Tan, L. (2006). Literacy for the 21st Century. Retrieved from http://iresearch.osprey.url3.net/iresearch/slot/u110/litreviews/literacy4_21st_century.pdf The New London Group. (1996). A pedagogy of multiliteracies: Designing social futures. In B.Cope M. Klantzis (Eds.), Multiliteracies, literacy learning and the design of social futures (pp. 9-37). London: Macmillan. Walsh, C. (2006). Beyond the workshop. Doing multiliteracies with adolescents. English in Australia, 41(3), 49-58 Winch, G., Johnston, R., March, P., Ljungdahl, L., Holliday, M. (2010). Literacy: Reading, writing and childrens literature (4th ed.). Melbourne: Oxford University Press Cope, Bill and Mary Kalantzis (eds), Multiliteracies: Literacy Learning and the Design of Social Futures, Routledge, London, 2000, 350pp. | link

Overcome Barriers That Prevent Parents Involvement In Childrens Education

Overcome Barriers That Prevent Parents Involvement In Childrens Education Parental Involvement is critically important in a childs education. Research has shown that parents positive involvement with their childrens schooling is associated with many encouraging outcomes. There are many parents who want to be involved in their childs day to day activities, but many circumstances enable this opportunity. Despite their best intentions to support their children, there are many barriers that prohibit the support. John Wherry (2009) discusses ways to overcome barriers that effectively prevent so many parents from getting involved. In addition, Gregory Flynn (2007) explains in order for schools to increase parental involvement, they need to promote critical behaviors and provide teacher training. Whereas, Cecily Mitchell (2008) believes by figuring out what parent involvement actually entails and how to effectively achieve it, remain challenges for schools and districts across the nation even as they work to build strong partnerships between schools and families. This paper identifies barriers that are prohibiting parents from becoming more involved in their childs education and strategies to overcome these barriers that are preventing parental involvement. Literature Review There is an abundance of literature which introduces many to the importance of parent involvement and a vast variety of reasons are present to support the view of how parents and teachers can make the involvement work. Parental involvement involves a partnership between the teachers and parents. This partnership bridges a gap between parents and teachers to enhance a childs education. In this partnership between parents and teachers, they encounter barriers that prevent the partnership from working together; which lead them to find strategies that will help them overcome the barriers. Parental involvement is an issue that has been around for centuries and is one of the key components of the No Child Left Behind (NCLB) Act (Mitchell, 2008). This literature review explains that parental involvement plays an important part in a childs education and in order for parental involvement to be a success; teachers and parents have to overcome barriers that prevent this partnership from being s uccessful. Wherry (2009) provided a candid description on ways schools can prevent barriers of parental involvement. He developed strategies that will make the up and coming school year be the best ever for parental involvement for some teachers and parents. He goes on to state, there is a way for parent support to boost student learning available to any school, that makes the modest effort to overcome barriers that distinctively prevent parents from being involved in their childs education. Parental involvement has generally been defined as diverse activities in the home or at the school that permit parents to share in the education process (Wright). It is reasonable to assume with such attention given to the importance of parental involvement both in the literature and by the government, that there has been a significant increase in parent participation in our schools (Flynn, 2007); however, according to the National PTA, there are 50 million children enrolled in schools and one i n four parents is actively involved in their childs education (Griffiths-Prince, 2008). Parental involvement is when parents and teachers participate in a regular, two-way conversation involving student educational learning. This includes parents being involved in their childrens education in various ways, both at home and at school. When parents feel good about their school involvement and the schools instructional efforts, they tend to hold high expectations for their childrens interests, aspirations, and learningà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Risko, Dalhouse, 2009); consequently, parents who are in touch with the childrens education can better observe classroom activities and improve their communication with the teacher. Many parents seek out the opportunity to share in their childrens experiences, as well as communicate with their children. Although parent involvement is revealed to have a big impact on the student achievement and success, it could be led to be seen as a vital ingredient to education form, for example, findings from the National Longitudinal Survey of Youth 1979 suggest that parental involvement does not independently improve childrens learning, but some involvement activities do prevent behavioral problems (Domina, 2005). Because of unfortunate circumstances, there are some parents who are not able to be involved with their child education. While parental involvement is important to public education, there are barriers that prevent parents from being involved with their childs education. Identifying Barriers of Parental Involvement Education is the key to many children having a good future. In order for a child to reach this milestone in their lives, they need not only their parents, but also the teachers. Even though parents know their children better than anyone else and can be virtually important school partners if allowed to be (Wherry, 2009); however, there are some parents who tend to be less involved in their childs education (LaBahn, 1995). Could this be on purpose or do they have legitimate reasons? When educators learn what barriers exist in their schools, it could be an important step to increasing parent involvement (PSEA, 2007) because; schools play a strong role in determining the level and nature of parent involvement (B W, 2008). Parents may be doing the best they can (LaBahn, 1995) and it is still not enough, because parental involvement is a challenge to some parents. Many of them have to deal with various barriers, such as lack of communication, lack of time, and language differences. Lack of Communication Lack of communication is one barrier that prevents parental involvement. Differences in expectations and misunderstandings about each other goals can lead to uncertain and tenuous, and contentious relationships (Risko Walker-Dalhouse, 2009). Parents who receive negative communication or no communication from schools tend to have trust issues. The trust issue leads parents to believe the school has an unfriendly climate. Also, if a parent had a bad experience as a young child with teachers, that experience could leave a parent fearful of speaking to their own children teachers. These negative perceptions of schools held by many parents should be replaced with some positive perceptions of the school. Many parents are not aware that help is needed because the school has not advertised the opportunities. Although some schools send out information pertaining to parental involvement with different types of activities, this does not happen at every school. Many parents would feel eager to come to the school to volunteer their services, if they were invited into the schools. Parents are most likely to agree to partake in a classroom activity if they are asked directly by the teacher to do a specific task. Schools should work to build and maintain a welcoming and responsive school atmosphere (Wherry, 2009). Lack of Time Lack of time is also a barrier that prevents parental involvement. Parents often cite time as the single greatest barrier to volunteering, attending meetings, and joining decision making committees at their childrens school (PTA, 2009). Parents, who work in low-paying jobs that do not offer time off for illness or family emergencies, do not have a lot of time for parental involvement and they cannot risk their jobs to take time out to visit their childs school. There just simply are not enough hours in the day to accomplish everything (LaBahn, 1995).In todays society there are more single family households that require the parent to work long hours. With the increase in single-parent households and the dramatic change in the work force, with mothers of school-aged children entering in great numbers, time has become a valuable commodity for parents who struggle to make ends meet (Patrikakou, 2008). For example, many mothers do not have equipment or the skill to plan science fair experiments or construct woodworking projects, and fathers may not be able to help design and sew costumes for the school play (LaBahn, 1995). Parents also feel that when the children are not in school, time should be spent with the family and not attending meetings at the school. Some parents feel that too much involvement in their childs education could have a harmful effect, either by making their child uncomfortable or making the child dependent upon them. Teachers and parents know that time is often one of the greatest challenges and that is why it should be spent on building up the child education. Principals of K-8 Title I schools report that time is a barrier to parent involvement more often than any other factor. 87% of Title I principals report that lack of time on the part of parents is a significant barrier to parent involvement, and 56% report that lack of time on the part of school staff is a barrier (find reference). Since many parents think there is not enough time for work, cleaning, cooking, and parent meetings, they do not bother attending school meetings. Language Differences Another barrier that prevents parental involvement is language differences. Approximately 20% of U.S. students are learning English as a second or other language, of these students over 40% are immigrants (Wright). Non-English speaking parents may find that it is difficult communicating with their childs teachers. Nancy Hyslop (2000) stated many Non-English parents experience low self-esteem, culture shock, and misconceptions. Many of these parents are confused about their roles in education and how to help their children. They lack knowledge on how local systems operate and very often they do not know where to go for information pertaining to their childs education. In recent years with the increasing cultural and linguistic diversity of families, the home and school environments may hold different and sometimes diverging beliefs about the appropriate degree and nature of parent involvement (Patrikakaou, 2008). Hispanics sometimes encounter discrimination by the larger society which discourages them from getting involved in events at their childs school. Parents who do not speak English may not understand newsletters, fliers, or speakers at meetings (PTA, 2009). Even if one has not experienced discrimination, there is a fear that discrimination could happen. Non-English speaking parents want the same end result as many English speaking parents, which is for their child to receive an education that will allow them have a better future. Even when language differences occur, a teachers willingness or attempt to speak the home language can convey care about the students and parents, and this willingness can encourage parents to feel comfortable enough to speak in English and can enhance possibilities for communication and rapport. (Risko Walker-Dalhouse, 2009). In order for the schools to reach beyond these barriers, there needs to be parental involvement implemented into the education program . Strategies to Overcome Barriers If barriers are preventing parents and teachers from sharing ideas or exchanging information pertaining to the child, then everyone involved needs to find strategies to overcome these barriers. They can reach the partnership needed if they figure out strategies to deal with barriers such as, lack of communication, lack of time, and language differences. Mitchell (2008) examines parent involvement in public education. She explains in her article that parent involvement has to happen on all levels. Even though the parents and teachers tend to have barriers that prevent parent involvement, Mitchell state everyone involved in the childs education, including teachers, parents, principals, communities and even the school district have to find strategies to overcome these barriers. There are many ways that a school can improve communication (LaBahn, 2007) such as, informing families about routines and providing them with specific ways they can help at home provides parents with structured opportunities to participate in their childs education (Patrikakou, 2008). The most important thing a parent can do for their child education is stay in contact with the teacher. The teacher can keep parents regularly informed about student progress, school requirements, and school events (Wherry, 2009). The teacher is the bridge between the parent and the child education; therefore, parents look to the school for answers about learning issues (Wherry, 2009). That bridge will help parents stay connected with the childs teacher, enable them access to monitor classroom activities, and correspond with the efforts of the teachers. A study conducted by Berthelsen Walker (2008) explained that five items were used to assess parents contact with their childs school program. A number of activities in which parents may have participated at their childs school were identified to which parents could give a yes/no response: During this school term, have you à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦-contacted childs teacher; visited childs class; talked to parents of other children at the school; attended a school event in which your child participated; and volunteered in the classroom or helped with a class excursion. Engagement in three or more activities was indicated by 76% of parents. Parents were most likely to have talked with other parents at the school (92%) or visited the childs classroom (87%), and least likely to have volunteered in the classroom or helped with a class excursion (48%). A parent-teacher conference is one way for parents to keep in contact with the teachers. The parent is able to sit and have a two-way conversation with the teacher and tell the teacher what they expect from the child and the teacher. The teacher can also speak to the parent and find out what are their expectations of them as educators. When parents and teachers learn how to communicate with each other, they can become stronger and knowledgeable by working together. Unfortunately many parents are not able to attend parent-teacher conference, because they do not have the time: however, many schools are working around parents schedule for that one on one. Teachers are encouraging parents to drop by the schools when classes are dismissed or call their homes after work hours. Schools can set aside time during the school day for teachers to meet with parents at school or at home or free teachers from routine chores, such as lunchroom supervision, so that they can work with parents (Moles). Students need more than their parents, they also need the people who want to see all children make it in this world. Parents who are have language barriers need strategies to help them feel better about being a part of their childs education. By creating culturally aware school-family partnerships, school systems can reduce cultural, discontinues, create diverse learning opportunities, improve racial perceptions and attitudes, and foster interethnic friendships (Patrikakou, 2008). For example, when parents enroll their children in the Early Head Start program, the program managers makes sure a translator is there to help ease the Hispanic family discomfort and make their first experience with the program a rewarding experience. There are comprehensive program that can provide a model for empowering immigrant parents and changing teacher perceptions of immigrant parents school interest and involvement. The program titled the Immigrant Parent Partnership Program supported parent engagement through leadership classes, multiple-language programs, teacher action research to increase teacher understandin g of immigrant parents, and the creation of a parent resource center (Risko Walker-Dalhouse, 2009). The often heard statement, It takes a village to raise a child, is very true. Parental involvement plays a key role in the Early Head Start work setting. Our program is based solely on parent involvement. We have to find ways to encourage parents to become better involved in their childs education. Something as simple as coming in and helping the child take their shoes off and placing them in the correct cubby, helps the teachers in achieving some of the goals for the students. We also include parents in the decision making at the center. Parents are asked to complete an application to be a member of the policy council; in which, the parents names are placed on a ballot to be voted on. The policy council consists of community leaders and parents. The community leaders assist the parents in making vital decisions regarding the children at the centers. Politically we are a non-profit program financed by the government with certain stipulation. We are expected to work with the community by building up the parents with children who attend the centers. In order for the program to qualify for federal and state grants, we have to incorporate In-kind that involves the parents and community members. Arkansas Better Chance and Arkansas Better Chance for school success require the program to receive a 40% in-kind match of the grant amount. We achieve this goal by encouraging parents and community workers donating goods, providing services, and performing jobs at the centers. Parent involvement also plays a key role in the education process. It has been shown that children whose parents are involved in early childhood programs, such as, Head Start, have higher cognitive and language skills than do children whose families are not involved or part of such programs (Patrikakou, 2008). Children at a young age, needs that extra help and encouragement. We are expected to allow the children to play and socialize with each other, but they still need to learn what is expected of them when they enter into the public school system. We encourage our parents by providing them people to speak to with concerns regarding their children developmental skills. We share educational information to the parents that will provide their children learning environments which will help them grow into well adjusted students. As an Early Head Start teacher, the job involves working closely with the parents concerning their childrens education and needs. When a parent comes into the ce nter and volunteers to wash clothes, dishes, or help feed the children, this take a big load off the teachers. We encourage parents to come in and rock, not only their children, but the other children in the center. When we work with the parents, we develop a bond that helps make all transitions easier. Working with the parents allow us to learn more about the children and about the parent, in return, they learn who we are as people and not teachers. Parental involvement is a necessity in the school systems. When parents are involved, children are more acceptable to learn and behave, because they learn, their parents are only a phone call away. Conclusion After viewing the literature on parent involvement, brings the research to the conclusion that parental involvement matters in the school systems. Bringing teachers and parents together as one, sometimes means going around, over, and under barriers for solutions to a parent involvement program that works for everyone. To get to this point in a childs life, many parents and teachers have to discover strategies that will work for them. Although factors such as lack of communication, lack of time, and language barriers can prevent parent involvement, there are many ways to triumph over the barriers. Encouraging and involving parents in decisions pertaining to their child can make a big difference. Children will have better attendance, higher grades, test scores and graduation rates. Parents will have a better understanding of how the school operates. Teachers can increase community support with parents and students. Parents are the key to their children future. When parents and teachers come together as one, a child is able to leap over bounds and conquer the world. Barriers are just stepping stones to great outcomes.

Ancient Greek Doctors Essay -- essays research papers

Hippocrates and Galen Comparative study between the best Greek Medical doctors of ancient Times. Introduction As The Greek empire declined, Rome inherited its medical traditions and knowledge. During the 1st and 2nd centuries A.D health standards dropped considerably and outbreaks occurred of life threatening diseases. Galen of Pergamon, a follower of Hippocrates, gathered much of the medical knowledge of the time and added to it his studies of anatomy and physiology (mostly of animals). In Spite of his errors in describing certain anatomical and physiology phenomena, his writing created the foundation for medicine over 1500 years later in Europe. Though Galen created a historical event, he indeed followed and admired one of the greatest doctors of ancient Greece ‘Hippocrates’. A physician and a surgeon he became a leader of a medical school on the ‘Aegean island of Cos’ his works are contained in the ‘Hippocrates corpus’, over 70 volumes of case histories and thoughts on the practice of medicine, role of environmental health and sa cred diseases. Although other non-Hippocrates doctors made diagnosis, the Cos physicians would try and predict the outcome of their patients. Hippocrates adopted a view that Breath is the most necessary component of our bodies and if it flowed freely produces heath if impeded produces disease. Hippocrates says that diseases are caused by the differences in the elemental components of the human organism. Before Hippocrates and Galen Medical practice in Greece centered around religion (Cult), the cult of Askelepios, the Greek god of medicine and the son of Apollo. Mythology tells us that Askelepios was saving so many lives that Pluto, the god of the underworld, asked Zeus to slay him which Zeus did with a thunderbolt. Whether Askelepios was a real man or not ,many temples around Greece have been placed up in his honor. Patients go to theses temples where they spend the night and patients have said that Askelepios has appeared in their dreams. In an age where disease was looked upon as a punishment from the gods, sacrifice was a way of pleasing the gods to prevent them from punishing. This was not the only medicine practice in Greece, there where also men who where more truly doctors they practice the unknown medicine and where still well regarded. Hippocrates What... ... his work nearly all medical thought and shaped not only the theory but practice as well. Galen’s training was not only in biology and medicine, but known as a philosopher and philologist. Philosophy in Galens word is " an essential part of training a doctor". Galens first professional job was a surgeon to the gladiators in Pergamon, here he gained much experience and practical knowledge from the wounds he had to treat. After four years he immigrated to Rome where he attained a brilliant reputation as a practitioner and a public demonstrated of anatomy. Galen for all his mistakes, remained the unchallenged authority for over a thousand years. Main mistakes consisted of the internal organs e.g.: he incorrectly assumed that the rete mirablile, a plexus of blood vessels as the base of the brain of ungulate animals, was also present in humans. He had 20 scribes to write down all his words and dictums, he was not Christian yet his writings reflected only one God an d declared the body to be an instrument of the soul. Galen experimented on animals for physiological purposes. The work On the use of the parts of the human body consisted of seventeen books of this topic.

A Closer Look At Cryptography Essay -- Writing Cryptography History Pa

A Closer Look At Cryptography Ever since the earliest days of writing, people have had reasons to limit their information to a restricted group of people. Because of this, these people have had to develop ideas of making their information unable to be read by unwanted people. The general techniques used to hide the meaning of messages constitute the study known as cryptography. "Ciphers, in general fall into three major classifications: 1. Concealment Cipher, 2. Transposition Cipher, and 3. Substitution Cipher" (4). Cryptography protects information by altering its form, making it unreadable to unwanted people or groups of people. Cryptography, from the Greek kryptos, meaning hidden, and graphei, meaning to write. The origins of secret writing can be traced back nearly four millennia to the hieroglyphic writing system of the Egyptians. References to cryptography are also made in the bible. "One of the oldest known examples is the Spartan scytale: Plutarch tells how Lacedaemonian generals exchanged messages by winding narrow ribbons of parchment spirally around a cylindrical staff. The message was then inscribed on the parchment. When the ribbon was unwound, the writing could be read only by the person who had a cylinder of exactly the same size, upon which to rewind it, so that the letters would reappear in their normal order" (5). During the sixteenth, seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, interest in cryptography was very high. It was the custom in those days for important people, such as Mary of Stuart, the Charles I and II, and the Georges, to have private ciphers. During the eighteenth, nineteenth and twentieth centuries, cryptology played a major role in the military, especially in WWI and WWII, because the sec... ...rom the National Energy Supply to Fort Knox. This is a fairly similar situation to that of WWI and WWII, in that whoever has control of the other side’s information, is in control of the war. I also think the challenge of trying to break someone else’s codes, a game of sorts, is very interesting. Works Cited: 1. "History of the Enigma." Russell Schwager. 18 Nov. 1998. <www.ugrad.cs.jhu.edu/~russell/classes/enigma/history.html> (12/8/99). 2. "The History of the German Enigma." Lech Maziakowski. 4 Dec. 1997. <www.members.aol.com/nbrass/enigma.htm> (12/8/99). 3. "RSA (Rivest-Shamir-Adelman)." Fred Hazan and Frank Rundatz. 4 Dec. 1999. < http://www.whatis.com/rsa.htm> (12/ 10/99). 4. Gaines, Helen Fouche. Crytanalysis. New York: Dover, 1956. 5. Smith, Laurence Dwight. Cryptography. New York: Dover, 1955. 6. Peer Reviewer: Adam Fackler

Colonists and Indians Fight for Mutual Interests on the American Fronti

Colonists and Indians Fight for Mutual Interests on the American Frontier Since the settling of the English colonies in the early 17th century, pioneers have been destined to expand into the North American frontier and to domesticate it with their Christian faith and progressive nature. In their exploration of the frontier, however, the Puritan colonists often encountered Indians whose savagery challenged their discipline and morals. Just as the colonists expanded, Indians also saw their native lands of many years vanish. The situation naturally compelled the Puritans and the Indians to fight each other for their mutual interests. Thus, while most accounts of Western history focus on the heathen threat, both Indians and colonists experienced the harshness of the captivity myth and its evolution into other mythology that defined American history. Any discussion of the American culture and its development has to include mythology, because that is where most of the information about early America is found. Mythology is a unique source in that it gives a shared understanding that people have with regard to some aspect of their world. The most important experience for American frontiersmen is the challenge to the â€Å"myth of the frontier† that they believed in – â€Å"the conception of America as a wide-open land of unlimited opportunity for the strong, ambitious, self-reliant individual to thrust his way to the top.† (Slotkin, 5) In particular, the challenge came from Indians and from the wilderness that they inhabited. The colonists who first arrived in America came to this land because they saw an opportunity to regenerate their religion and to live according to it without subjugation. The immense size of the land sugge... ...ard expansion, a person finds information about the essence of American culture. Though the English colonists came to America expecting to renew their lives through the Puritan faith, they instead found their faith and, indeed, their very society in danger from the heathen Indian presence in the surrounding wilderness. But while the Indians threatened the core of the colonials’ lives, the presence of the colonists and their westerly expansion threatened the lives and land that the Indians had held for many years. American history thus began in violence that has no single source, but rather is derived from the Puritans and Indians both fighting for and protecting their mutual interests and desires. Works Cited Slotkin, R. Regeneration Through Violence: The Mythology of the American Frontier 1600-1860. Norman, OK: University of Oklahoma Press, 1973.

Air Asia Essay

INTRODUCTION : Marketing Mix : Air Asia as a brand concept be similar to or is associated with service stipulation, the 8Ps method adopted for service marketing may be competently espoused for its advertising. The 8Ps are: Product – This refers to the stuff or services to be offered by the company. In the case of Air Asia, their services is about low-priced airline services, thus the need for constant review should be bear in mind in order to meet the changing customer expectations. Place –Air Asia are considering the issue regarding availability of services needed by the target market, i.e., current and prospective clients. As seen, Air Asia are now doing the online booking and online ticketing in which clients can avail the services of Air Asia. Aside from this, the company was also committed in extending their services all over Asia. Price – In terms of price, Air Asia fees were priced competitively and guaranteed at low price. Promotion – Air Asia’s most effec tive ways to communicate to the various target groups to stimulate greater awareness, interest and patronage are somewhat good but not exceptional. Air Asia are also using TV advertisement, Internet marketing, and billboard advertising. Physical Evidence – In terms of presentation, Air Asia’s services are exceptional. As seen in their offices and aircraft board, Air Asia are known with their well-dressed staff, logos on office doors/ business centers, letter heads, brochures, complimentary cards, consultancy reports, etc. Process – With regards to the process, the business of Air Asia are well management in which makes their business system flawless and customer complaints are easily handled. People – When it comes to people, Air Asia chooses the best suitable person needed by the company. This means that Air Asia expertly identify the capabilities of a person that will reflect the value of Air Asia services. Public Relations – Air Asia stakeholders carefully identify the various publics that can impact on Air Asia to which PR communications can be directed. Such publics  include individual c onsultants, clients, big practices, small practices, other related professional associations, relevant agencies of the United Nations, financial institutions, etc. AirAsia Key Strategies :Safety First : Partnering with the world’s most renowned maintenance providers and complying with the world airline operations. High Aircraft Utilization : Implementing the regions fastest turnaround time at only 25 minutes, assuring lower costs and higher productivity. Low Fare, No Frills : Providing guests with the choice of customizing services without compromising on quality and Services.Streamline Operations : Making sure that processes are as simple as possible. 5.Lean Distribution System : Offering a wide and innovative range of distribution channels to make booking and travelling easier. 6.Point to Point Network : Applying the point-to-point network keeps operation simple and lower costs. Gaps Model : PerceivedServiceExpected Service CUSTOMERCOMPANY CustomerGapGap 1Gap 2Gap 3External Communications to CustomersGap 4ServiceDeliveryCustomer-Driven Service Designs and StandardsCompany Perceptions of Consumer Expectations The main aim of any organisation is to reduce the gap between the expected service and the perceived service i.e. the customer gap,which can be reduced by minimising the four providers gap from the company side. Customer Gap :ExpectedservicePerceivedserviceCustomer Gap AirAsia manages the customer expectation by using the following strategies: Customer Satisfaction Towards service quality in AirAsia :Five dimension through which the service quality is measured are the following ways: 1.Reliability2.Assurance3.Empathy4.Tangibility5.Responsiveness. In order to fulfill the customers’ needs, the ultimate concern for Airlines Corporation is the service offered. The contributing factor for the latter is due to the fact that only satisfied customers will have the intention of repeat purchase (coming back again to avail the service). Additionally, they will tend to share their great experiences and benefits with their network of friends. Many people would argue that price is the most crucial element of concern among the customers. However, the service provided is closely  related as the most significant concern in the airlines industry. Continuous improvement in the service provided to the customers should be planned and executed to maximize the b usiness performance. The improvement in CS for airlines industry can be linked with the measurements of service quality such as tangible features (TF), schedule, services provided by ground staff (GS) and flight attendants (FA), online services (OS), food services (FS) and level of passenger satisfaction. According to Brown (1991), SQ is difficult to define because of the intangible nature of the service offering. The definition of quality may differ from situation to situation and from person to person. In this study, CS towards SQ was focused on AirAsia Malaysia. By applying the measurements of SQ like TF, schedule, services provided by GS and FS, OS, FS and level of passenger satisfaction, the researchers have identified the dimension of SQ that affects the CS. This dimension serves as the most critical dimension for AirAsia. By conducting this study, the information and results have practical implications for AirAsia’ managers as they can manage company resources to make improvement for CS. Business Model :LOW COST CARRIER (LCC) BUSINESS MODEL The low cost airlines like AirAsia have changed the definition of airlines that air travel is a luxury and it is only for the upper segment of the population. The key objective of low cost carriers is to increase their reach and provide the services to a large segment. However, the low cost carriers are now facing some challenges in the market. AirAsia follows the Low-Cost-Carrier (LCC) business model in the airline industry, which can be characterized as below: Low Cost Carrier (LCC) Business Model Simple Product Catering on demand for extra payment Planes with narrow seating and only a single class No seat assignment No frequent flyer programmes Positioning Non-business passengers, especially leisure traffic and price-conscious business passengers Short-haul point to point traffic with high frequencies Aggressive marketing Secondary airports Competition with all transport carriers Low Operating Costs Low wages Low airport fees Low costs for maintenance, cockpit training and standby crews due to homogeneous fleet High resource productivity Short ground waits due to simple boarding processes No air freight, no hub services, short cleaning times, and high percentage of online sales MAJOR CHALLENGES Increasing competition because of increasing number of low cost airline competitors, and aggressive competition against the large or traditional airline companies Customer decrease because of poor economy Rising of the fuel prices Higher labor cost Inadequate infrastructure Route and flight utilization Safety and security issues of aircraft crash or being attacked WAYS TAKING TO IDENTIFY THEIR TARGET MARKET: For AirAsia, the following are some of element identified that AirAsia used to identify their target market and formed a niche market Branding: AirAsia went into intensive General advertisements and other high profile activities, which contributed, to the high offering of their company’s image. They came with a brand â€Å" Now every one can fly† These points of contact with their target customer help them to mold their image, which in turn created loyalty from their customers. Philanthropy: Donating money, services, and/or time can build trust and a positive image for your business. Philanthropy contributes both toward your branding efforts and toward your company’s internal well-being. AirAsia embark on this to build and attract more customers. In early 2005, AirAsia Sdn Berhad flights to select Southeast Asian destinations. The airline said that was its way of celebrating the completion of three years of successful flying and of saying thank you to the people for their support. â€Å"AirAsia’s accomplishments and success today is a reflection of the public’s trust and faith in the  company,† said Tony Fernandes (Fernandes), CEO of AirAsia. (Refer Exhibit I for AirAsia’s Free Seats Offer)5. With this incentive and philanthropy, more and more customers are attracted to their business New Product/services Pipeline: New products in development represent your future sales. AirAsia has extended its services to different part of the world. AirAsia was initially a local company but it has become international with its extension of its services to different part of the world to meet up with their market. AirAsia get feedback from their customers or potential target market, and they designed new services to meet their needs, this practice is ensuring a demand for their products in the future. Reduced Price Sales: This was one of the basics of securing a target market for AirAsia. They reduced their price to suit their class of customers. AirAsia saw a need for a lot of low pay salary citizens who could not afford the money to travel home. With the introduction of their services of low fares, most people can travel home and most people that can only afford to travel once could travel up to three times with their cheaper fares. This Limited time sales encourage customers to act. You likely have customers intending to buy but have not â€Å"gotten around to it†. Holding a reduced price sale will give them incentive to purchase. Group Discounts and Offers. Discounts or other offers to a specific group can help exposure your business to new customers, resulting in a sales surge. AirAsia is a ticketless Airline that allows customers to purchase their ticket online with at a discounted rate. They also have a scheme of group discount and this help to get more target market, especially internet based customers. Foreign workers and Contractors strategy AirAsia also target most foreign workers from Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, China, Macau who may not afford the expensive flight home and offer them the cheap fare which attracted most of them as would go home very often without paying much. PROMOTION : In the context of the marketing mix, promotion represents the various aspects of marketing communication, that is, the communication of information about the product with the goal of generating a positive customer response. Marketing Communication decisions More recently, AirAsia struck an advertising deal with Time, which will have the local mobile phone operator’s logo painted on one of AirAsia’s planes. Moreover, there will be more of these, as well as advertisements on pull-down trays. Again it is obvious that AirAsia started offering fares that were unheard of in Malaysia, people were lining up for hours Provider Gap-1 :Listening Gap :  CUSTOMERCOMPANYCustomerGapGAP 1Company Perceptions of Consumer ExpectationsPerceived ServicesExpected Services Customer Relationship Management (CRM) :In long term, customer relationships should be fostered for AirAsia to maintain competitive advantage and profitability. When planning and implementing CRM application, management is recommended the following approaches: 1. Customer segmentation – mileage-based segmentation is inadequate, rather should focused on value-based and needs-based approaches can guide investment decisions and drive greater insight into the needs of highvalue customers. 2. CRM initiative development – to differentiate from other competitors, AirAsia should not adopt the â€Å"fast follower† approach to CRM initiative development, i.e. learning from other competitors’ approach (e.g.installing kiosks for fast check-in). AirAsia should implement CRM program in favor of investing in initiatives with a high return, which respond to the needs and desires of their own customers 3. Organizational design and management – AirAsia needs to train the employees, empowering them with a complete view of the customer and clearly articulating the employee’s role in the CRM strategy. Customer Relationship Program (key Functions) :Traveling planning Site personalization for on-line customer to create travel plan, bundled services information, flight notification systems, and gate information displays etc. Reservations and ticketing ITA search engines, roving agent check-in, kiosks, internet check-in, and phone check-in etc. Frequently flyer program membership-based or point-based rewarding scheme offering to the applicable customers.Campaign management Email campaigns and promotion. Customer care Web-based self service such as e-ticket booking and reservation, online baggage tracing, RFID baggage tags, internet in lounge, and in air Internet services. Business intelligence Dynamic, updated, multi-dimensional reports that helps management to do analytics in various areas such as customer profiles.AirAsia Brand value Pyramid : Employees And Customer Role In Service Encounter : 1.Customer Role : The Consumer Role of Dependence One experiential role for some consumers is being dependent while receiving service. The theme of dependence arose during informants’ discussions of consuming a service in which they have limited knowledge or expertise. The dependent consumer feels vulnerable and uncomfortable in the service setting and needs the service employee to provide guidance and assistance during consumption as illustrated in the following interview excerpts: â€Å"I felt more secure because I’m getting a service done that I have no idea about. He made me feel at ease like he was in control, like he knew what was going on. When you don’t know anything about something you want to feel that way. You know like a doctor should make you feel that way. It’s the same kind of thing.† â€Å"When you buy a tennis racket there’s a lot of stuff you want to know. At  first I was nervous to ask this guy. He’s a pro. What if I ask him a stupid question. Will he think I’m an idiot or something. I didn’t want to ask him any questions. Then he started talking to me, explaining about the tension of the racket, stuff like that. He made me feel more comfortable right away. It makes you feel more comfortable to ask questions.† The Consumer Role of Autonomy In contrast to the dependent consumer stands the autonomous consumer. The theme of autonomy was revealed most frequently in informants’ descriptions of shopping in retail stores, where they indicated a desire to be on their own while shopping for clothing. Self service is an essential and desired part of their consumption experience. 2.Employee Role : The Consumer Role of Mutuality – The Employee Role of Cooperation The emergent themes of mutuality and cooperation are discussed together to emphasize their close interrelationship. It is difficult to tease apart differences in the meaning of mutuality and cooperation since the two themes flow together within the interview dialogue. Mutuality represents the consumer’s role in the service encounter, while cooperation describes the service employee’s role. The themes of mutuality and cooperation emerged for the most part while informants were describing satisfying service experiences. Consumers received their desired service with the mutual cooperation of the service employee. The service encounter takes on an air of synergy and coordination as exhibited in the following two passages: â€Å"It’s satisfying because of the interaction by the waiters. They make the fondue at the table. They explain all the different ingredients that they are putting in there. It makes you feel important since they’re taking the time to talk to you. It’s the interaction rather than at a place where they just come and take your order and then come back with your food.† (wf, mid 20s) â€Å"I went to a car stereo place. The person there like totally helped me. I could tell he wasn’t just trying to get me to buy the most expensive one. He was looking for what I wanted. He didn’t immediately start showing me top of the line things. He said, what was it about your old car stereo that you liked? What features were the most important to you? That made me feel comfortable that he was not just trying to make a buck. He was really  looking to get what I wanted and needed.† These passages reveal a sense of care and concern for the consumer by the service employee. The consumer is given a sense of status and importance that results from the service employee’s treatment. The relationship moves beyond the mere interaction of consumer and service employee to a mutual process of human cooperation and coordination. The roles of mutuality and cooperation may come closest to representing the ideal of service quality. Consumers and service employees understand their roles and work together in giving and receiving service. Informants’ satisfying experience arose from interacting with employees who were responsive, assuring, and empathetic while providing service.