Career Exploration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Career Exploration - Essay Example Changes are inevitable. Nevertheless, a career change requires a thorough and critical thinking. This paper explores the necessary credential in the success of my chosen career plan. Also, it tackles the steps in achieving my goal relative to time. Further, this paper discusses the pay ranges, career change, and support system characterized in the three positions that I have personally chosen. Credential Perhaps a Master’s Degree is essential as a strong credential prior to entering the work force in the realm of education. In the success of my career plan, an MA degree might be helpful. According to Kaplan (2008), there are over a million of people in the United States who annually enroll in the graduate programs (p. 3). One of the reasons why people take up an MA/PhD degree is because it provides them the greater advantage over others in the competitive job market. What Kaplan (2008) calls â€Å"career advancement,† persons who have a Master’s Degree possess th e advantage of gaining career position and/or promotion against those people â€Å"with only a bachelor’s degree† (p. 4). The drawback, however, is that a Master’s degree is far from the assurance that one can land a good job or be promoted to a much higher position. Plus, pursuing a graduate program is a difficult and tremendous task. In fact, Peters (1997) compares the students in the graduate school as adults who are â€Å"judged by the standards of the adult world† (p. 6). To my mind, the notion of the â€Å"adult world† as understood by Peters is far from the ideal, child-like, or Utopia-like realm. From here, I seem to perceive it as something monstrous and hideous. In time and with perseverance, nevertheless, I might be able to cope up the challenges salient in the graduate program. And I might land a good job of my liking. Pay ranges The three positions, which I have chosen as my alternative careers in the field of education, have different pay ranges. In the primary education, on the one hand, a teacher receives an annual salary ranging from $30,719 to $54,000 (Bernstein, 2003, p. 466). Meaning to say, a teacher who is teaching in the primary school, particularly in the public school, receives from the minimum monthly pay of roughly $3,000 to the maximum monthly salary of approximately $4,500. In special education, on the other hand, a teacher gets a yearly salary ranging from $33,770 to $ 78,980 (US Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2005, p. 297). Finally, a guidance counselor in the field of education receives an annual pay from $25,200 to $71,900 (Bernstein, 2003, p. 394). As a whole, the teacher’s pay greatly varies on his or her academic background (e.g., with an MA degree) and years of teaching. In spite of their differences in pay range, all these positions in the realm of education widely receive similar benefit plans such as paid vacation and sick leave (Eberts & McGowan, 2000, p. 41) Steps to follow In ord er for me to be more fruitful in my career goals, I will take several rational steps. By and large, these practical steps will be either short-term or long-term. In the short-term goal, specifically in one-year plan, I will study and learn the fundamentals associated to my chosen career path. Example of which is the appropriate method in the practice of teaching. In the special education, in particular, teaching methodology is obviously distinct to, say, 5th-grade education. In the long-term goal, specif

Feedback in learning Essay Example for Free

Feedback in learning Essay 1.0What is feedback?:â€Å"The mediocre teacher tells. The good teacher explains. The superior teacher demonstrates. The great inspires† William Arthur Ward A teacher carries a big responsibility in area of learning. Some people believe a teacher’s job is to teach and a student’s job is to learn. In today’s classroom, the role of teacher is totally different. Teacher as a facilitator of learning, mentor for learner and classroom supporter. The excellent teacher will take various actions in way to help their students to be successful in their life. So that, one of the action is teacher should provide assessment feedback in way to enhance the learning. Feedback is normally something which happens as a result of cycle teaching and learning action. It can give either before, during or after the learning had been occurs. Generally, what is feedback? Is it guidance, evaluation or praise? As mentioned by Ramaprasad (1983), feedback is information about the gap between the actual level and the reference level of a system parameter which is used to alter the gap in some way. Furthermore, the definition by Ramaprasad also supported of new research by Shute (2007) that define the feedback as represent information communicated to the learner that is intended to modify the learner’s thinking or behaviour for the purpose of improving learning. Hence, in learning, feedback should usually presented as information to a student in response to some action on the current level of performance and help them to be better. Correspondingly the educationist agree that assessment feedback is an important part of learning cycle but nowadays students frequently express disappointment and frustration in relation to the conduct of the feedback process. Students may complain that feedback on assessment is unhelpful or unclear and not provide any tips to them to improve their current performance. As a result, students will always repeat the mistake until they get to know the correct answers. Studies of the impact on student learning achievement indicate that feedback has the potential to have a significant effect on student learning achievement (Hattie Timperley, 2007). Feedback should give immediately during the learning process. That can really help student to do self-reflection on their quality of learning. They can figure out did he/she in the right track and how to improve their understanding. Types of feedback: Main focus of given assessment feedback is to describes qualities of work in relation to the learning target. Teacher should give attention to the quality of their written feedback. There are two types of feedback, evaluative feedback and descriptive feedback. Evaluative feedback refers to a summary of student current achievement or performed on the particular task. This feedback is often come out with letter of grades, numbers, check marks, symbols and generals comment such as â€Å"good†, â€Å"excellent† and â€Å"need help†. While, descriptive feedback is specific or detail information in the form of written comments or conversations that help the student understand what he/she needs to do in improve their level of understanding. There are several examples of evaluative and descriptive feedback: Evaluative Feedback Descriptive Feedback â€Å"Try harder next time† â€Å"Your topic discussion is clear and have good examples, your next step might be to check back your grammatical errors† â€Å"90%! A+! Excellent Work! Keep it up!† â€Å"You’re made some simple mistakes in your calculation, remember back the formula use. Please check back the first step until the last step in your calculation for question 10.† Table 1: Examples of Evaluative and Descriptive Feedback Based on examples given, evaluative feedback more to provide a judgement on the quality of the learning task that student did while descriptive feedback focus on helps the student understand what he or she needs to do to improve their current achievement. Besides that, evaluative feedback shown to us those teachers only tells learner or students how they compare to others and descriptive feedback will provide specific information in the form of written comments or conversations more help learner. Regardless of the types of feedback given, either evaluative or descriptive, effective feedback needs to be informative, prompt and guiding. Informative feedback highlights strengths and weaknesses, giving specific examples or explanations. Prompt feedback is returned to students within an agreed timescale for the work submitted. Guiding feedback offer suggestions about how students can improve their learning. All of that combining together to help students to do better the next time. This statement also have support  by Hattie and Timperley (2007), they mention that the most improvement in student learning takes place when students got information feedback about the task and how to do more effectively. Below are examples of evaluative and descriptive feedback given by teachersFeedback as teaching style of scaffolding: As we already know, feedback provides information and guide to students by teachers about learning. That is one criteria of scaffolding. Scaffolding is the core of traditional apprenticeship. It is refers to given support that provides by expert or teacher as steps to improve their learning. It helps to reduce the gap between the student current level of understanding or performance and a desired goal. According to Hattle and Timperley (2007), they mention that depending on the nature and delivery of the feedback, it can have powerful positive effects on student learning and engagement. Beside that in the research by Assessment Reform Group (2002) , also mention that feedback as coaching and scaffolding students. The given feedback is an essential practice of assessment for learning. The process of seeking and interpreting evidence for use by learner and their teachers to decide where the learners are in their learning, where they need to go and how best to get there by helping of teachers. That the main reason why the teacher’s feedback important, providing the support necessary for student to proceed towards the next stage or level and achieving the learning goal. Student will view the feedback as improving tips in which students receive information and construct meaning to close the gap. The students need to do something based on the guided giving in the feedback. Scaffolding instructional originated from Vygotsky’s ideas on learning. Vygotsky’s comes out with two levels of learning development. The first level is Actual Development that what learner has already reached. It is the level which the learner is capable of solving problems independently. The second level is called Potential Development which the learner not capable of doing the moment but have potential to do so. Between the actual and potential levels, Vygotsky said that there was what was called a Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD). Proximal means next. In context of feedback, it should act as scaffold by providing tips and support necessary for student to proceed the next stage or level. Without the support students may be unable to accomplish the target. As the result, students will extend their understanding and make improvement. Figure 3: ZPD (Zone of Proximal  Development) Diagram When teacher incorporate scaffolding in feedback, they become more to mentor and facilitator of knowledge rather than the dominant content expert. This teaching style that include with scaffolding will make student active role in class to achieving learning goal. Besides that, it also provides a welcoming and caring learning environment. â€Å"I take care of you and I hope you will be success in future†. Expiration in feedback on student assessment will make them realize that even they did wrong is not means he/she is stupid student. They have room to improve. As conclusion, the best assessment feedback, scaffold student to achieve the higher performance in learning target. Feedback as affective domain in learning: Since 1950’s, research have been done in cognitive theory and educationist had use the Bloom’s (1956) taxonomies of learning. Bloom has mentioned that in learning should have three learning domains. The cognitive domain, affective domain and psychomotor domain. Feedback is referring to affective domain. In affective domain includes feeling, emotion, attitudes, values and motivation. As students that receiving the feedback, they need all of the aspect that include in affective domain. Teacher should play with all of these aspects. Teacher must provide clear understanding. Feedback should be brief, concise statements, in student-friendly language that describe what students are to know and be able to do at the end of feedback. Feedback can be one of the ways to encourage positive motivational belief and self-esteem. There are some ideas for motivating students. Teachers can start the feedback with praises like good job, excellent job, great, brilliant idea, â€Å"You are starting to understand this but†, â€Å"This is quality work because†, â€Å"Two things you really did well are† and many more on what they do well. Praise the work or process that focus in achieving the learning goal. Second step, teachers proceed with intervention that tells the student what needs improving and give enough information in way to help them to do better. It can sound like â€Å"Your thinking shows.†, â€Å"One thing to improve on..†, â€Å"You need more†, and many more. Next step, teachers share the improvement strategies such as â€Å"Your next steps might be..†, and â€Å"You might try†. The ways that teachers give the  feedback have relationship with the flow of affective domain as described by Krathwohl et.al (1964). They start with receiving, responding, valuing, organizing and ended with acting. Students will receiving the feedback as their new information of mark, wrong answers and the current level that he/she mastering the knowledge. Am I really understood or I just understand little bit? Step 2, responding. Students will respond on feedback given by teacher. They being actively participating based on feedback given to achieve learning g oal. Step 3, valuing. They attaching worth to feedback given and try to do correction on the task. After they do the correction, they will organize the new concept and change their existing understanding. The last is characterization. They have the correct understanding and will apply the concept in correct way without misconception. It is the effective way that feedback can help students learn better in positive environment in implement the affective domain. Feedback will demonstrate appropriate ways of enhancing the performance on the task and offer strategies that invite more learner responsibility to improve. â€Å"Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire† William Butler Yeats Feedback as reflection on learning process: Reflection needed students to capture back on their performance in the task given. It also needs students to have clear comparison about their previous performance and current performance. There are three types of reflection that suite with the feedback: reflection on your process, comparison of your performance to that of others and comparison of your performance to a set of criteria for evaluating performance (Schon, 1983). How feedback can be as reflection on learning process? Firstly, reflect on the feedback process. By feedback, students are encourages to look back at how they react and given answer on the task. Teachers will describes the qualities of work in relation to the learning targets. That can make them see how they might have done better and what they need to improve. That is the first step as feedback starter, reflect on achievement. Second, compare of student performance with others. These types of reflection are referring to evaluative feedback. In evaluative feedba ck teachers will give grades, numbers, check marks, symbols and generals comment such as â€Å"good†,  Ã¢â‚¬Å"excellent† and â€Å"need help†. Based on the feedback, students analyze by comparing their performance with friends in hope he/she will motivate to achieve better. The final types of reflection are comparison of student performance to a set of criteria for evaluating performances. These are focus on intervention and improvement that include in feedback. Teachers will share idea on what students needs to improve and gives enough information so the students will knows what the next step to apply. That really show the function of feedback as reflection, facilitates the development of self-assessment in learning.Conclusion: Assessment feedback should play as important role in teaching and learning. Firstly, feedback is a way that teacher can use to determine and analyse how far your student gain the knowledge and what should you suggest to them in helping them success in mastery the knowledge. Secondly, assessment feedback will attract low achievement students to be active learner and more motivated to achieve the learning goal. Overall, assessment feedback should take as important aspect in learning process. Teacher need to apply and change the feedback given in way to help student to be success in future.

Essay --

Foods can supply carbohydrates in three different forms such as starch, sugar and cellulose (fiber). Starch as well as sugar are a big part and essential sources of energy for humans. Little amounts of carbohydrates in your daily eating habits would probably result in a lower number of calories in your diet. Although the tissues from the body need glucose all the time, your habits must contain some sort carbohydrates or substances which will pursuit glucose by digestion or also by metabolism. All things living require protein since it’s the major tissue builder and is a part of every cell in the body. Among other routinely habits, proteins helps to make hemoglobin in blood that carries oxygen to its cells also form anti-bodies that fight off infections and supply nitrogen and energy for DNA and RNA genetic material. Different kinds of Proteins are necessary for nutrition because they all contain amino acids. In between the 20 or more amino acids, the human body is unable to synthesize 8, these amino acids are called essential amino acids. Food containing protein can be have little biological value if it’s deficient in one or greater of the 8 essential amino acids they are lysine, tryptophan, leucine, methionine, isoleucine, valine, phenylalanine and threonine. Proteins that are of animal origin have the most biological value because they contain a higher amount of the normal amino acids. Fats are concentrated sources of energy because they give twice as much energy as either carbohydrates or protein. The functions of fats are to: make up part of the structure of cells, form a protective cushion and heat insulation around vital organs, carry fat soluble vitamins, and provide a reserve storage for energy. During periods of low foo... ...intestine wall, along with mucus and the digestive juices. Absorption takes place by simple diffusion, facilitated diffusion and active transport. Monosaccharides, amino acids, dipeptides and tripeptides are actively transported into the epithelial cells lining the wall. The fatty acids, glycerol and monoglycerides form complexes with bile salts called micelles. The micelles come into contact with epithelium cells and the fat-soluble fat components diffuse into the epithelium cell, leaving behind the fat insoluble bile salts. In the epithelium, the fatty acids and glycerol are reformed by the endoplasmic reticulum to make triglycerides. They are packaged into globules with cholesterol and phospholipids and then coated with protein to be passed out from the epithelial cell into the lacteal. Eventually these packages, called chylomicrons, are emptied into the blood.

Post wAR DEFINING moMENTS ESSAY mEDICARE :: essays research papers fc

Post War Defining Moments Essay -Medicare At the beginning of the 20th century healthcare was a necessity in Canada, but it was not easy to afford. When Medicare was introduced, Canadians were thrilled to know that their tax dollars were going to benefit them in the future. The introduction of Medicare made it easier for Canadians to afford healthcare. Medicare helped define Canada as an equal country, with equal rights, services and respect for every Canadian citizen. Medicare helped less wealthy Canadians afford proper healthcare. Canadian citizens who had suffered from illness because they could not afford healthcare, were able to get proper treatment. The hospitals of Canada were no longer compared by their patients’ wealth, but by their amount of service and commitment. Many doctors tried to stop the Medicare act, but the government and citizens outvoted them and the act was passed. The doctors were then forced to treat patients in order of illness and not by the amount of money they had. Medicare’s powerf ul impact on Canadian society was recognized globally and put into effect in other nations all around the world. Equality then became a definition which every Canadian citizen understood.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  After the Second World War, illness was amongst many Canadians, and many of them did not have any chances of recovering because they could not afford healthcare. Medicare made it possible for those who did not have much money, to receive treatment for their illnesses. Tuberculosis was the most crucial disease which was spreading after the war. This bacterial infection was sometimes called the â€Å"white plague† and many Canadians were haunted by it. Residents of Saskatchewan formed together the Saskatchewan Anti-Tuberculosis Commission to try and stop the spread of it, and make plans for controlling it in the future. When Tommy Douglas, a Baptist Minister who turned into a politician, was elected to the leadership of the recently formed national Democratic Party of Saskatchewan, many other governments had began to see the brilliance in his ideas and they began to embrace them. He began to uncover many different health plans which had boundaries to the amou nt of healthcare patients were going to receive. â€Å"Most of these plans, in order to stay solvent have to eliminate great many groups of people. Because of age, because of chronic conditions, because of genital illness, past medical history and so on. And these precisely are the people who need some kind of protection.

Provide displays in schools Essay

1.4 Describe the requirements and procedures for carrying out a risk assessment for displays. Health and safety regulations must be observed whilst putting up any displays for the safety of both staff and children in the setting. Display boards must be securely attached to the wall by using screws to ensure safety and stability and must not be obstructing exits, light switches or sockets, fire exit signs or exposed wires of any sort. If a ladder is needed to reach the top of the board, it must be flat on the floor with no wobble and another member of staff to hold it in position. It would be advantageous to display work during lunch time or before or after school if the display board is in a high traffic area i.e. a corridor where children walk frequently and in high numbers. This will minimise the risk of the person using the ladder being involved in an accident. Desks and chairs should never be used to climb on. A wall stapler is the best way to attach work to the wall. Pins and clips can and will fall or be knocked off on to the floor where they could be stood on or picked up by children. Similarly, any kind of tape would be unfit for use as they do not hold any objects of weight securely or practically. All work to be displayed should be put somewhere safe and out of the way of people walking past whilst it is being put up. It would be preferable to have another member of staff to assist in handing things to you and to check that things are safe and finally, that they look presentable and neat. Ladders, staple guns, scissors, rolls of paper, blu tac, pens and any other equipment used must be put away promptly and securely. Ladders must be stowed away somewhere safe where they cannot be tripped over or children climb on them. All other equipment should be returned to class or the correct place that it is usually stored.

Using the Question Mark

Using the Question Mark Using the Question Mark Using the Question Mark By Guest Author This is a guest post by Steven Pittsley. If you want to write for Daily Writing Tips check the guidelines here. Although often taken for granted, the question mark can be used for more than ending a direct question. Really? Yes. The question mark was first seen in the eighth century when it was called the punctus interrogativus. There are many theories about the origin of the symbol, which has changed several times before settling on its current form in the eighteenth century. For example, the Latin word for question is quaestio, which was abbreviated to ‘Qo’ in the Middle Ages. It’s thought that the modern symbol represents the ‘Q’ placed over the ‘O’. Regardless of its origin, the question mark can be used in a variety of ways. One such use is to end a verb-less sentence. Although verb-less sentences may not be considered proper sentences in some circles, they are used quite frequently. Some examples include: What? When? Where? Really? Ending a tag question is another use for the question mark. A tag question is a statement that is followed by a question, such as: He left early, didn’t he? The recipe calls for one cup sugar, right? In a sentence containing a series of questions, you may include a question mark after each. Be careful with this type of writing. Although the use of a question mark is accepted, readers may find a long string of questions confusing. Who saw the victim last? Her husband? Her son? Her daughter? Which way are we supposed to turn at the corner? Right? Left? Two places where the question mark should not be used are at the end of indirect questions or courteous requests. Although these types of sentences may seem to be questions, they do not require the use of the question mark. I asked my son if there were any messages. Will you please reply as soon as possible. Although the choice to use the question mark us usually a fairly easy decision, some situations like these can make you think twice. You can follow Steven on Twitter @drumming4you. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Punctuation category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:"Based in" and "based out of"Top 11 Writing Apps for iOS (iPhone and iPad)How to Style Titles of Print and Online Publications

Globalization of the Local

Globalization of the Local Globalization of the local is a concept developed by Thomas Friedman in his book â€Å"The World is Flat†. The author claims that globalization does not entail one entirely new civilization that is coming to neutralize all existing cultures. He argues that with globalization, all local cultures are getting the opportunity to become global; that is to extend their influences.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Globalization of the Local specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Of course, not all of the existing cultures are getting the same opportunity. Those which are more developed, and perceived by the majority of the world’s population as superior, are more likely to have greater influence in this new global culture. In addition, new forms of media are providing a chance for people to cherish their cultural origins in distant parts of the world. This is very important because globalization is causing many people to migrate to other countries in order to pursue their careers. This way, these new technologies are contributing to the quicker flow of ideas and customs. Undoubtedly, in the near future, this will result in a complete integration of different cultures into one global culture which will be quite different from all the existing ones. Many people oppose this idea of a transformed global culture for fear of losing their national heritage and other components of their identity. However, this view is problematic in various aspects. Frist off, cultural transformation is not anything new. It is known that under the influence of social and economic forces, cultures have been changing tremendously throughout history. Secondly, experience has taught us that external intervention cannot stop the changes in the society that are occurring organically. A good example of this is the emancipation of Afro-Americans and women. These two processes faced serious opposition, but they were, nonetheless, completed. Finally, globalization offers an opportunity to build up a culture which is superior to all others that we have witnessed in our past. In this effort, education is definitely going to play the crucial role, and thanks to the advent of new technologies, we now have the opportunity to make education available to everyone. In conclusion, globalization is an unstoppable process, which if carried out in the right way, can be a great step in the development of human race.Advertising Looking for critical writing on american literature? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Dell Theory In his book â€Å"The World is Flat†, Thomas Friedman suggests an interesting theory about international relations and conflicts, which he calls â€Å"Dell Theory†. The name comes from the famous company that produces electronic equipment – Dell. Dell is widely known for its supply-demand chain, which en compasses several companies around the globe. These companies supply Dell’s assembly lines with all the necessary parts so that the assembly line is never interrupted. Friedman argues that once countries are connected through supply chains such as this one, they develop codependency relationship in which every side has some benefits. For that reason, Friedman argues that those countries would never declare war on each other because doing so would disrupt the supply chain from which both of them benefit (Friedman, 2005, pp. 420-422). This is a very interesting theory which has been proven right on several occasions in recent history. However, I would argue that Friedman was not the first person to notice that connecting two nations through economic bonds reduces the possibility of a major conflict. It takes only one look at the history of Europe in past centuries to see that politics of economic isolationism always culminated in wars with devastating consequences, WWI and WWII are the most obvious examples. The politics of open borders and cooperation, which was introduced after WWII, finally brought peace to Europe. In conclusion, the cases of Dell’s supply chain and European Union are only two of many examples where it is evident that Friedman’s theory has firm empirical grounding. Since globalization faces many challenges mirrored in ideological, religious and cultural differences, this principle of establishing economic ties is perhaps the best tool for overcoming those difficulties. Friedman, Thomas L.. The world is flat: a brief history of the twenty-first century. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2005. Print.

The Crucible4 essays

The Crucible4 essays There are several similarities and differences between the 1996 movie The Crucible and the truth about what happened in the Salem Witch Trials. Even though there were differences between the movie The Crucible and the actual Salem Witch Trials, the movie summarized the trials very well. Ever since Increase Mather and thirteen or fourteen other pastors signed what was called the Cases of Conscience document, the village of Salem was in major controversy. The farms around there hadnt been farmed in months and the village wasnt looking good. Some of the Puritans blamed this on the witches (A Village Possessed). It was late one night when two girls by the names of Elizabeth Parris and Abigail Williams went out into the woods to a camp fire where they found a dozen other girls their age in a circle led by a person named Tituba (The Crucible). Every girl was acting a little strange, but Elizabeth and Abigail were acting a little stranger. Right when things got out of hand, the girls were discovered by Rev. Samuel Parris, pastor of Salem Village and father of Elizabeth Parris. All of the girls scattered and so did Tituba. The true side of the story is that the two girls had made a homemade crystal ball and dropped the white of an egg over it trying to see if they had any visions. Like a lot of the other girls in the village, Abigail and Elizabeth were trying to see into the future to learn who their husbands would be and to see what their husbands would do for a living. The girls went ahead and did this even though they knew that playing with the occult practice of fortune telling was f orbidden. The girls knew that tampering with the business of God could open the door to Satan (Rice Jr.). It was just a coincidence that something went very wrong that day. The two girls went to bed that night, but didnt awake the next morning. They just lied motionless in bed like they were in a coma. The girl...

Chnage Management and Communication Plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Chnage Management and Communication Plan - Essay Example Customers demand increased demand for larger production of plastics as Fortune 1000 enterprise recognized (Robbins & Judge, 2011). Riordan manufacturing functions in bureaucratic and a system based on formal power structures. According to Riordan manufacturing (Organisations charts Executive), a narrow span of control displays the information. Product base and manufacturing decision are only based on a central view. The formal power structures in Riordan are mechanically based in nature thereby a managerial hierarchy chain of command works .the structures that have a narrow span of control affects negatively the company. Power structures currently at Riordan manufacturing are employee development without any job satisfaction and internal growth. With a company staff over a thousand then, company needs to create and effective and efficient computer utilization system to speed processing among departments, employees and customers (Robbins & Judge, 2011). Riordan Manufacturing needs to keep a competitive edge in order to stay competitive by implementing a formal system to manage customer information that has been traditionally been completed by employees. The power and political structures do affect employee behavior. The channels of communication are efficient and cost effective to the organization. Riordan manufacturing based on formal power structures can work efficiently if communication levels and management develops a plan diversified to increased job satisfaction by improving channels of communication. The formal power structures should not exist. Riordan manufacturing company should create a local area network, and connection of an intranet system to enhance efficient communication among departments and suppliers. The network would have a department specific access code and information based on the functionality of the site. Improving the communication is a way suppliers can see

Pressure Ulcer Prevention Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Pressure Ulcer Prevention - Research Paper Example For this coordination to be achieved, high-quality prevention requires operational practices and organizational culture that promote communication and teamwork, as well as personal expertise. Consequently, enhancement in pressure ulcer prevention requires a system that is aimed at making the required changes Therefore, the purpose of this paper is to identify some of the changes that are needed in the Pressure Ulcer Prevention Practices in Nursing (Sullivan, 2013). Since pressure ulcer care is difficult, efforts to develop prevention strategies for pressure ulcer needs a system approach that will encompass organizational change (Kuhn, 2013). It becomes very difficult bring a change of any type within an organization especially when it involves several, simultaneous changes in communication, workflow, and decision-making as are required in preventing pressure ulcer. Inability to evaluate the readiness of the organization for the change at various levels may lead to unanticipated problems during the implementation. Change in Pressure Ulcer Prevention Practice assists the nurses and their organization to discover the readiness and come up with action steps to develop it if necessary. Making changes to practice requires one first to understand the existing practices. With the view that pressure ulcer prevention has completely taken new dimension is a clear indication that there are more than one apparent performance teething troubles in this place. There are gaps of various forms, between present best practices and real work practices due to lack of proper coordination among various clinical units, unequal access to existing source of information and disparity in staff knowledge. In addition, there are gaps between identified practices and real. There have never been prior efforts to advance pressure ulcer prevention or care within the organization. The organization does not have a certified wound care nurse and does not involve physicians in wound care.

Margaret Fuller Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Margaret Fuller - Essay Example However, a reflective analysis of the works and writings of this journalist, critic and women's rights activist of the American transcendental movement confirms that she is not a feminist in the true sense. Labeling Margaret Fuller as a feminist will be a mistake and, therefore, she should not be labeled as a feminist, but as a strong American woman, a spokesperson for education, proponent for not only women's rights but rights for all mankind. One of the most significant explanations of this idea can be found in Annette Kolodny's "Inventing a Feminist Discourse: Rhetoric and Resistance in Margaret Fuller's Woman in the Ninteenth Century", where the author indicates how Margaret Fuller deviated from the general category of feminists, through her writings. "By rejecting persuasion as a tactic for feminist discourse, in effect, Fuller dispensed with those organizing principles that had come to be associated with most public advocacy in her day. As a result, despite the chronological ar rangement of her 'signs of the times,' and despite Fuller's demonstrated command of formal logic and her employment of both inductive and deductive modes of reasoning, she opened herself to the charge that she was aimlessly amassing miscellaneous evidence In other words, because Fuller did not order her treatise in the conventional manner, critics dismissed the whole as the by-product of stereotypically uncontrolled female talkativeness transferred to the printed page." (Kolodny, 159-60) These criticisms, however, assume importance in the wider perspective of her writings as feminist writings and there is no real intension from the author, especially in her Woman in the Ninteenth Century, to come up with a strong voice of an ardent feminist. She is more interested in reflecting her ideas as a strong American woman, a spokesperson for education, proponent for the rights for all mankind, along with women's rights. Therefore, a profound analysis of the works and writings of Margaret Fu ller confirms that she cannot be called a feminist in true essence, though she was an inspiration for women, as well as any group that has been oppressed or repressed. One of the regular mistakes among the scholars who study the works of Margaret Fuller, especially the contemporary feminist writers, is that they often tend to associate her with feminism and consider her as one of the earliest feminists. Although she was an important figure of the New England Transcendentalist movement, along with Ralph Waldo Emerson and others, it is not completely justifiable to consider Margaret Fuller as a feminist who has contributed to the earliest movements of the feminists in American literature. Her uniquely important place in 19th century history of American literature can be realized in the background of her works and writings at a time when the role of women in her society was severely limited. Thus, she was an important champion of the rights of women in her period and upheld the importance of education for women. Through her contributions to the development of the New England Transcendentalist movement, she proved her major concerns which are for the g ood of the society as a whole. Fuller was the editor of The Dial, the magazine of the transcendentalists, for two years in the early 1840s and she established her ideologies concerning the plight of women as well as the society in general. The enduring eminence of this great human being should be realized in her works as a

Develop a Summary on the State of the US Economy Essay

Develop a Summary on the State of the US Economy - Essay Example Additionally, access of low-interest loans and other credits has been easy. This is a chance to property owners to refinances their mortgages. Car sales have also increased significantly due to sufficient liquidity; consumers can take advantage of cheap financial incentives and price discounts by to buy vehicles. However, car manufacturers do not make profit due to the inexistence of price power. The strength of the United States economy is also increasing due to development of GDP brought by defense spending. According to Kubarych, (2002), defense spending especially on military hardware is contributing close to half of the U.S. GDP. The rate of unemployment is still high despite the decrease in the number of job layoffs. Statistics shows that unemployment rate of in the U.S. currently stands at 6% with no hopes of falling. A study by Kubarych, (2002) explains that unemployment rate is likely to increase even further in the future. In addition, most businesses and industries in the U.S. are still making losses despite the economic recovery. Finally, borrowers especially those going for less credit are under tight restriction from lending institutions. The development of the United States economy is likely to slow down in the next 12 months due to factors such as harsh weather conditions, reduction of spending on both the U.S. and countries Europe. Compared to recovery of previous U.S. economy, the recovery of the current economy is slower. However, increase in government spending will likely to foster the U.S. economic growth. A change of fiscal policy is needed to increase economic recovery of the United States. Application of expansionary fiscal policy will improve economic recovery. The fact is that expansionary fiscal policy will lead to increase in aggregate demand. The government does this by increasing spending and reducing taxes. The result is that consumer spending will rise significantly due to availability of extra disposable income (Boyes &

Intercultural management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Intercultural management - Essay Example Then different types of corruption and its effects on the MNCs will be evaluated. Finally, probable solutions or measures will be analyzed which the government, regulatory bodies, or organizations are adopting to curb corruption and deal with such situations (Wei, 2000, p. 5). There are various forms of corruption: bribery, fraud, embezzlement, etc. In this work we will only include the issue of corruption which affects operational investment costs. According to Macrae (1982), corruption is an arrangement involving a private exchange between two or more parties. It also influences the resource allocation and makes people neglect their responsibilities. In case of FDI, the foreign investors have to pay extra cost in form of bribes for getting licenses or the permit from the government. Therefore, corruption in the countries has also raised the cost of investment there. These unnecessary costs have also reduced the margin of profitability of the investment being done. It has also been noticed that corruption adversely affects the economic performance of a country. Since the 1980s, debts have fuelled the consumption of the US and drove the global economy and its growth. However, in 2008 this economic paradigm collapsed and resulted in an economic breakdown. The government shortage expenditure, backed with paper money formation, has been replaced by debt-funded confidential expenditure as a major source of global development. The US came out of depression of $4 trillion because of Federal Reserves’ support of $2 trillion. These issues will be discussed in detail later in this study. Types of Corruption In this section we will discuss various types or forms of corruption that prevail in the global market: a) petty corruption, b) gifts, c) big corruption. It can be said that quantitative distinction can be drawn between big and small corruption and a qualitative distinction can be made between the illicit and legal aspects of these kinds of corruption. Petty c orruption means small corruption such as taking small bribes, etc. In poor countries, petty corruption prevails in every level of society. Gifts given as signs of gratitude for some official favor can be considered as petty corruption. Giving gifts is offering goods or services of some value to a person or organization with a view to some benefit from this person or organization. Various organizations have clearly specified guidelines regarding acceptance of gifts from clients. When those guidelines are overlooked, it is considered a case of corruption. Lastly, money laundering cases can be the examples of big corruption, as well as taking bribes from MNCs who wanted to invest in the country, tax evasion, etc. Corruption was also responsible for the global economic crisis of 2008. Even unnecessarily inflating the prices of products and services for earning supernormal profits is also a form of huge corruption. Effects of Corruption on MNCs The types of corruption have been mentioned in the section above. In this section the effects of such corruption on the MNCs will be discussed. The kinds of corruptions are being explained in the sequence of their entry modes. In case of forming joint ventures vs. wholly owned subsidiaries, most of the firms face the corruption of bribes from the state officials. In cases of franchising or master franchising,

Develop a Summary on the State of the US Economy Essay

Develop a Summary on the State of the US Economy - Essay Example Additionally, access of low-interest loans and other credits has been easy. This is a chance to property owners to refinances their mortgages. Car sales have also increased significantly due to sufficient liquidity; consumers can take advantage of cheap financial incentives and price discounts by to buy vehicles. However, car manufacturers do not make profit due to the inexistence of price power. The strength of the United States economy is also increasing due to development of GDP brought by defense spending. According to Kubarych, (2002), defense spending especially on military hardware is contributing close to half of the U.S. GDP. The rate of unemployment is still high despite the decrease in the number of job layoffs. Statistics shows that unemployment rate of in the U.S. currently stands at 6% with no hopes of falling. A study by Kubarych, (2002) explains that unemployment rate is likely to increase even further in the future. In addition, most businesses and industries in the U.S. are still making losses despite the economic recovery. Finally, borrowers especially those going for less credit are under tight restriction from lending institutions. The development of the United States economy is likely to slow down in the next 12 months due to factors such as harsh weather conditions, reduction of spending on both the U.S. and countries Europe. Compared to recovery of previous U.S. economy, the recovery of the current economy is slower. However, increase in government spending will likely to foster the U.S. economic growth. A change of fiscal policy is needed to increase economic recovery of the United States. Application of expansionary fiscal policy will improve economic recovery. The fact is that expansionary fiscal policy will lead to increase in aggregate demand. The government does this by increasing spending and reducing taxes. The result is that consumer spending will rise significantly due to availability of extra disposable income (Boyes &

Themes of community, family, and mental illness in the book In Cold Research Paper

Themes of community, family, and mental illness in the book In Cold Blood by Truman Capote - Research Paper Example The clutter is portrayed as a well to do family of six who started from a humble background. At the time of the murder, Clutter was said to have graduated into a successful farmer and a generous employee who is admired by many people in his community. Capote in writing his book brings out certain pertinent ideas on the American living that are artistically captured in creatively organized themes. This paper examines the themes of community, family, and mental illness as portrayed in Capote’s In Cold Blood and how they are intertwined in describing a true American Countryside life. Community The role of the community in a Native American countryside life is pleasingly analyzed in Capote’s book by examining the organization of the community and the role played by the community members to each other in their bid to co-exist. Holcomb village is pictured as a middle class American village characterized by people of different caliber. According to Gibson, the Clutter is said to be one among the other members who can be graded as successful members of the Holcomb community and his status earns him a lot of respect from the whole community and in the whole state as a generous employer. The family is highly regarded as having started off from a humble background to their then state. ... e community members respect the Clutters because of his kindness despite his status despite the material wealth he owns as compared to the surrounding neighborhood and this is evidenced in the shock and sympathy with which the whole village receives the news about their murder. Capote describes a friendly community as one where the members live in harmony with each other regardless of one’s social status and the Clutter’s death is a revelation to the security threat in the region that a long time has co-existed in a peaceful environment. (Capote) This is contrasted with the Smith’s community, which is rather brutal, and each one is not concerned about the welfare of the other. Smith’s father is an example in this case who continuously batters his wife to an extent that they divorce. Moreover, the situation in the Smith’s village is expended when the Smith’s family is torn apart due to constant quarrels, he runs away from home and finding no f riends to confide in, he engages himself in crimes influenced by the bitter experiences and neglect he had been subjected. No one cares about him despite the ordeal he undergoes, Guest further asserts that his beating and humiliation by cottage mistress result from his maturity malfunction. Out of loneliness, Smith is most likely lured into criminal offenses, in order to avenge his bitter experiences, that lands him in and out of detention several times. Smith’s coincidental meeting with Dick who takes advantage of his situation is probably augmented by lack of care and intervention by the surrounding people and family friends. Even after he has landed into bad company the community members are still silent about this and no one intervenes to offer comfort or counseling to their troubled fellow. This only accelerates

Empirical Literature Article Review of Leadership Ethics Essay Example for Free

Empirical Literature Article Review of Leadership Ethics Essay The opportunity to evaluate original research serves as one of the many foundations to both scholarly writing and research (Grand Canyon University, 2013). Therefore, to enhance this process I will critique empirical research articles for the purpose of demonstrating the effectiveness in understanding leadership ethics. So, using the literature presented within in the works of â€Å"Predictors of Ethical Code Use and Ethical Tolerance in the Public Sector† by Neal Ashkanasy, Sarah Falkus, and Victor Callan along with â€Å"Advancing Ethics in Public Organizations: The Impact of an Ethics Program on Employees’ Perceptions and Behaviors in a Regional Council† by Itai Beeri, Rachel Dayan, Eran Vigoda-Gadot, and Simcha Werner, and finally, â€Å" An Empirical Study of Leader Ethical Values, Transformational and Transactional Leadership, and Follower Attitudes Toward Corporate Social Responsibility† by Kevin Groves and Michael LaRocca comparisons will be made on the relevance and need for research purposes. In comparison, the authors of each study utilize ethical behaviors for the purpose of comparing relationships, perceptions, and beliefs associated with measures of ethical practice. Furthermore, reasonable justification for conducting the research presented in each study is outlined as evidence from the posed research questions and is validated within the results of each piece of literature reviewed. Posed Research Questions Relating the Authors in the Comparison Similarly, the literature within each study focused on ethical practice and how it used to enhance behavior of individuals within organizations. However, assertions within the scope of the posed research questions present relevant generalizations for each study. For example, Ashkanasy, Falkus, and Callan (2000) focused on variables that formulated predictive roles of organizational, individual, group, and contextual levels for utilizing formal codes of conduct. These variables were developed to serve as predictors of ethical tolerance as a result of formal code use. Whereas, organizational commitment (OC), organizational citizenship behavior (OCB), and quality of work life (QWL) are the basis in which Beeri, Dayan, Vigoda-Gadot, and Werner (2013) perceive positive relationships are built as ethical resources are generated. Hence, these three areas promote awareness of ethical leadership and decision making in addition to the ethics code. Further, Groves and LaRocca (2011) incorporate the notion of corporate social responsibility by modeling both transformational and transactional leadership styles. Here, the idea is leaders with deontological values of ethics will be perceived as modeling transformational leadership, while leaders with teleological values of ethics are perceived as modeling transactional leadership (Groves et al. , 2011). Although each study assessed various ethical practices, each displays similarities in presenting study results as a means of validating posed questions of research. Sample Populations The results recorded from evaluations used in the sample populations’ highlighted evidence relevant to that of measures needed to verify theory associated with ethical practice. Hence, each study presented the results through a form of statistical analysis in which various test groups within the field of research were used. Moreover, similar methods were incorporated to assess the results of the respondents within all three studies. Ashkanasy, Falkus, and Callan’s Approach This evaluation involved mailed questionnaires to public sector employees in one State of Australia. The principal method of conducting this study was based on hierarchical regression, and addressed several factors such as: demographic measures, personal ethical values and attitudes, context and group-level variables, and organizational practices (pg. 245, 2000). Given the basis of evidence Ashkanasy, Falkus, and Callan (2000) used this method of analysis to assert that ethical decisions are more likely to be influenced by employees, versus the effect of group and individual variables. Beeri, Dayan, Vigoda-Gadot, and Werner’s Approach In lieu of the goal to test the relationships between ethics and performance within governments locally, Beeri et al. , (2013) used questionnaires to evaluate the long term effects of an ethics program on employees’ perceptions, and the behavior in one council of an Israeli region. This as a result, stems from awareness of ethical codes, and inclusion of employees in the ethical decision making process. Groves and LaRocca’s Approach Groves and LaRocca (2011) utilized voluntary community-based leadership programs that targeted educational values on ethics. The leaders of these community based programs were emailed a link with instructions for participation with an online questionnaire. The assumption here was that training on both transformational and transactional leadership, in addition to ethical decision making and CSR would now be implemented. Results Analysis All in all, the results displayed by the analysis of each study correspond to the overall effort of the posed research. For example, supported results aligned with study hypotheses, but signified that certain mechanisms underlie the criterion for each of the tested variables on different levels according to Ashkanasy, Falkus, and Callan (2000). Whereas, Beeri et al. , (2013) report a greater awareness in ethical codes and decision making along with increased organizational commitment is achieved as a result of positive ethical leadership. And finally, Groves and LaRocca (2011) correlated their findings with the original prediction that transformational leadership alone was aligned with the beliefs of followers in view of the corporate social responsibility of stakeholders. Conclusion Study Limitations of Articles To fully appreciate the level of understanding needed to evaluate literature of empirical research, a description of the methodology, research questions and an analysis of results must be presented to determine the validity of the overall analysis. And as such, each study discussed within the contents of this paper has been successful in delivering on all areas to support research efforts. However, there were areas that pose limitations to future research efforts for all three studies. For example, the use of questionnaires may not represent a true assessment of the respondent’s beliefs (Ashkanasy et al. , 2000). Also, issues surrounding anonymity can urface when responding to questions concerning ethical climate (Beeri et al. , 2013). And further, influences set by both common source and common method can stimulate bias in lieu of follower values of CSR (Groves LaRocca, 2011). For future development of the practice The results yield an overall influence within organizations that build on variables to increase ethical standards. However, there are yet underlying issues for democratic organizations that stress the importance of ethics, integrity, and fairness (Beeri et al. , 2013). And recommendations for further study are necessary to promote the continuous effort of influencing follower perceptions toward ethical commitments.

High Throughput Screening (HTS) Assays: Uses and Formats

High Throughput Screening (HTS) Assays: Uses and Formats The increasing demands placed upon the pharmaceutical industry to produce a rapid turnaround of new drugs is a driving factor in the automation of the processes at the initial screening stage of drug discovery. This has lead to the development of numerous high throughput screening (HTS) assays, with the increasing miniaturization of the whole process (1). An explosion in genomic and proteomic studies in recent decades has lead to the generation of large numbers of functional protein molecules. The physiological function of these proteins has yet to be elucidated, but many could be important future drug targets, such as receptors or enzymes involved in disease pathogenesis (2). These ‘orphan receptors’ can be studied by high throughput screens of small molecules, which may be potential ligands. These chemicals can be sourced from existing drugs, pharmaceutical company chemical compound libraries or from natural products, such as plants or animals (figure 1; 3). Chemical l ibraries are now vast, since the advent of combinatorial chemistry, which produces novel compounds by high throughput methods. These mixtures can then be assessed for biological activity against a specific target molecule (most commonly a protein), either as a mixed chemical pool, or in parallel. A positive/active interaction, or ‘hit’, can then be further explored. Numerous assay detection formats that are suitable for automation have been developed to detect such receptor – ligand and enzyme – substrate interactions, to allow the potential drug molecule to be further explored. Each assay has advantages and problems and the most commonly applied techniques are discussed in this review. As research progresses these processes become modified to overcome problems created by the progressive automation and miniaturization of the assays. Use of computation to analyse the interactions and extract more information from them is also increasing (4). Recent advances in the literature suggest that future development of HTS is likely to result in ultra-HTS assay formats, which may be within closed systems such as glass capillaries, or on silicon wafer chips. References Fonseca MH List B (2004) Curr Opin Chem Biol, 8, 319-326. Gilchrist A (2004) Expert Opin Ther Targets, 8, 495-8. Bleicher KH, Bohm HJ, Muller K, Alanine AI (2003) Nat Rev Drug Disc 2, 369-378. Kato R, Nakano H, Konishi H, Kato K, Koga Y et al. (2005) J Mol Biol, 351, 683-92. Techniques in molecular biology, chemistry and their associated branches are advancing at a rapid rate. This has enabled the mechanisms underlying many diseases to be explored at the molecular level. The ever-increasing sophistication of proteomic and genomic research procedures are producing an explosion in the number of possible drug targets. Until the development of high throughput screening (HTS) assays, the time taken to evaluate the potential bioactivity and usefulness of compounds to act on target molecules and become drugs to act to ameliorate symptoms or even cure or prevent a disease from occurring, was a rate-limiting factor. Since the automation of a number of suitable assays for HTS the trend has led to the number of compounds available for testing against targets becoming the limiting factor. This has spurned the growth of combinatorial chemistry, to such an extent that many consider it to be a branch of chemistry in itself. HTS can be defined as an automated method of conducting a large number of in vitro assays on a small scale (Patrick 2005). Most commonly, 96-well plates of 0.1ml are used for a number of bioassays to detect the biological activity of compounds which have the potential to be developed as drugs. These may interact with the target, as a ligand-receptor interaction, or may involve inhibition of an enzyme or interaction with a nucleic acid macromolecule. The reaction produces a detectable output change, which can be detected and/or measured. Thousands of chemicals can easily and quickly be screened this way, and only active compounds taken to the next stage of testing to find out if it has the potential to become marketed as a drug. There is increasing pressure on drug companies to produce new drugs to keep pace with developments in medical research, as well as an increasingly demanding public and share holders. HTS technology is a crucial to meeting these demands, and continues to be dev eloped to produce faster, cheaper and more efficient ways of screening compounds during the initial stages of the drug discovery process. ROLE OF HIGH THROUGHPUT SCREENING IN DRUG SCREENING Molecular biology techniques are allowing us to understand more about the mechanisms of disease, thus providing biomacromolecular targets for potential drugs to interact with. Such targets include receptors, enzymes and nucleic acids and may require inhibition (enzymes) or agonistic/antagonist receptor ligand binding to produce the desired pharmaceutical effect. In addition, studies using proteomic and genomic techniques are revealing more and more ‘orphan receptors’; these are proteins (predominately), lipids and nucleic acids (and to some extent carbohydrates) that are now known to be produced by the body, but their messenger and function is unknown. Using these as targets against which to screen compounds will help to elucidate their function, and more importantly, may turn out to be drug target interaction sites which will be beneficial in disease. As the function of these targets is unknown, there are no lead compounds that could be used as a starting point for exploration, so HTS is particularly beneficial for screening vast numbers of compounds in the hope that at least one will interact with the mystery target. The number of potential drugs to be screened is vast; pharmaceutical companies have libraries of 0.5-2 million synthetic compounds (King 2002) that have not made it through screening to become marketed drugs. There are also commercially available libraries of compounds, such as the Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) registry file, which contains 39 million compound (Abraham 2003). Intermediates in synthetic processes to make another drug should also be screened, as they may have the desired pharmaceutical properties. Isoniazid is an intermediate and has now been developed into an effective anti-tuberculosis drug. Existing drugs are also worth screening, as their biological activity may stretch beyond that for which they are intended. For example, cyclosporin A was isolated from soil and had been intended for use as an antibiotic, until its immune-suppressive properties were observed and for which it is now sold. The body’s own endogenous chemical messengers, such as morphine, whi ch has similar activity to released endorphins, could also be screened as they may provide a lead compound that can be modified to enhance activity. Combinatorial synthetic processes can also be used to generate vast numbers of novel compounds, which is crucial to prevent the availability of new compounds being a limiting factor in drug development, as HTS is able to screen them so quickly (Carell et al. 1995). It is common for combinatorial synthesis to produce mixtures of compounds, which can be tested as a chemical pool or batch by HTS for biological activity against a specific target macromolecule. This means that thousands of compounds can be screened in a very short time and only pools containing biologically active constituents screened further. This usually involves deconvolution processes (such as micromanipulation, recursive deconvolution or sequential release from resin beads used for the synthetic process) to identify exactly which component(s) of the pool is/are active, so that they can be isolated and screened further for drug potential (Wilson-Lingardo et al. 1996). It is now being superseded by production of new c ompounds in parallel, with a single component in each well. Potential drug molecules can also be derived from natural sources, such as plant extracts, but these are less abundant as isolation and purification take time. They are often novel, complex molecules and can produce unexpected interactions. An example is artemisinin, an effective antimalarial drug developed from extracts from a Chinese plant; it has a highly unstable trioxane ring (Ploypradith 2004). There are so many compounds to be tested against a large range of potential drug targets that high throughput methods are essential to test the numerable combinations of drug and target interaction to find those that are biologically compatible. HIGH THROUGHPUT SCREENING ASSAYS In theory any assay that can be performed on the laboratory bench could be automated and scaled up to be used for HTS. In practice, however, some assays are intrinsically more suitable than others. High throughput screens require the automation of the entire process. This is best achieved if there are as few steps as possible in the assay; ideally the test should be able to be performed in a single well, with addition of the test sample the last key step. Obviously, it is important that the reaction between a target and biologically active compound must be readily detectable. It should ideally be detectable with high sensitivity while the products are still mixed together in the well, rather than needing further steps to separate or purify components of the reaction mixture. This can be difficult to achieve with automation and will increase the time taken per test, so becoming less efficient and cost effective. Assays used for chemical screening can be cell-free or cell-based (Silverman et al. 1998). Cell-free assays use solutions of relatively pure protein targets, such as receptors or enzyme substrates, which minimizes the number of steps required. It also allows for easy detection of biological activity in the wells of reaction mixture. Cell-based assays have the advantage that they are a closer representation of the normal physiology of the chemical environment inside a cell. Receptor-ligand interactions and enzyme inhibition reactions are more likely to be indicative of what will happen in vivo (Silverman et al. 1998), especially if ligand-gated ion channels are involved. Cell assays also allow specific processes to be studied and the output can be measured. Indirect effects of small molecule/protein binding which trigger secondary messenger systems, such as calcium ions or cAMP, can also be observed in their biological context. Cells can be manipulated to express target molecules on t he surface, so that they are available to bind to novel ligands, which may be tagged for detection. Cell assays can also provide additional information about cytotoxicity and bioavailability of a potential drug. Mammalian cells are expensive and can be difficult to culture in automated HT systems, but yeasts can provide a suitable alternative. Microorganisms such as yeasts are easy to propagate and have been demonstrated to have some homologous chemical processes, or can be easily genetically modified to express human processes accurately (Klein Geary 1997). HTS ASSAYS AND DETECTION FORMATS Fluorescence Fluorescence occurs when a fluorophore molecule absorbs a high-energy photon (often in the ultraviolet range) and emits a lower energy photon, which is typically in the visible range of the spectrum. There are many naturally occurring substances which have this intrinsic property, such as luciferin in fire-flies. There are a number of fluorescence – based assays available for use in HTS, to detect whether an interaction has occurred between target and potential drug molecule during random screening. Fluorescence assays are generally sensitive, versatile, stable, safe and easy to perform, which gives them a great advantage in automated systems for HTS. They have the disadvantage that quenchers can be present in the sample which dampen the light emission. There may also be background autofluorescence from free reagents in the reaction mixture (Grepin Pernelle 2000). Many of the assays have developed protocols that take these problems into account. Energy transfer formats: Homogeneous time resolved fluorescence (HTRF) uses the ion of the rare earth metal lanthamide (Eu3+ ), bound to crypate as a donor molecule. Following laser excitation (at a wavelength of 337nm), energy is transferred from this complex to an allophyocyanin (APC) acceptor molecule. This results in emission of light of 665nm, over a long period (milliseconds), which is recorded in a time resolved fashion so that any background fluorescence from free APC or media is not recorded. Peak emission of light occurs at 620nm for unbound Eu-cryptate, so the ratio of 620:665nm emissions can be used to quantify biological complexes in solution (see Figure 1). This technique can be widely applied to screening programs and has already been developed into a 1,536 well plate HTS, with plans to expand this to become ultra HTS (uHTS) and for use in cell-based assays. Figure 1: HRTF schematic explanation (from: Grepin Pernelle 2000) Fluorescence resonance energy transfer (FRET) is a slightly different form of detection, using the principle that excitation energy can be transferred between two fluorophore molecules. These can be different types of green fluorescent protein (GFP) or other bioluminescent molecules, such as luciferase (Hu et al. 2005). from: Becker et al. 2004 Fluorescence polarization (FP) FP can be used as the basis for homogeneous HTS assays for enzymatic and ligand-receptor binding interactions. The principle behind this detection assay is that when polarized light hits a small molecule that is binding to a larger (target) molecule, there will be rotational diffusion of the light beam. This change induced by binding can be detected by measuring the light emitted in orthogonal and normal planes of the polarized light. There is no interference from absorptive compounds in complex mixtures, as can occur with other fluorescence based techniques, and FP is quick and easy. Because of this it is used widely in high-throughput screening systems. Kim and colleagues (2004) developed a FP assay for the molecular chaperone Hsp90 (heat-shock protein), which is believed to have a role in cancer. They validated the assay for a high throughput format using molecules known to bind Hsp90, such as geldanamycin. The assay can now be used to screen for novel inhibitors of Hsp90, which m ay lead to a cancer drug being developed. Stricher and others (2005) have developed a high throughput FP assay for the CD4 binding site of HIV-1 glcoproteins, such as gp120, which are crucial targets to protect against HIV infection. Their assay used a 384-well plate and CD4M33, a mimic of host cell receptor antigen CD4, found on T helper lymphocytes. Some studies indicate that FP assay technology can also be developed as part of a HT structure-activity (SAR) study. Newman Josiah (2004) showed that FP is sufficiently sensitive to differentiate between high-affinity small molecule inhibitors interacting with the target and low-affinity ones, with Src kinase activity as a model. FP can also be used in cell-based assays, in conjunction with confocal microscopy (Heilker et al. 2005), as it shows high sensitivity even at minute volumes of reaction mixture, down to femtolitres. This type of assay can be described as fluorescence intensity distribution anaylsis (FIDA) and measures the absolute concentration of both bound and unbound ligand, thus providing the data with its own internal control. FIDA has been used to explore ligands which bind to G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR), which are widespread throughout the body and involved in signal transduction for numerous cell processes. They are therefore important therapeutic pharmaceutical targets, and can be studied in association with membrane fragments from cells over-expressing GPCR or associated with virus-like particles. Fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) FCS uses a two-photon excitation to measure the relative fluorescence of different molecules within a homogeneous mixture, from which the amount of each can be calculated. The technique can be applied to measure the relative amounts of ligand bound versus unbound receptor molecules, or cleaved versus intact enzyme substrates. FCS can be conducted using minute reaction volumes, less than 1 femtolitre (fl) is adequate for this sensitive, fast assay, which can study interactions of single molecules (Sterrer Henco 1997). FCS can also be used to study ligand-receptor interactions in live cells (Pramanik 2004), which allows reactions to be assessed, and to some extent the properties of the interaction quantified, in their biological context. The use of such live cell assays in a high throughput format will provide a wealth of information not observable in chemical solutions alone. Many applications of FCS are conducted in conjunction with confocal microscopy, which allows interaction kinetics to be examined on a molecular level, by the changes in diffusion patterns of the excitation. Confocal microscopy uses a high numerical aperture lens to focus the laser, to provide excitation and produces minimal background excitation, which allows such minute quantities to be studied. It can be used to detect spatial and temporal interactions in live cells, increasing the amount of information that can be obtained and used for drug development (such as interactions with other cell components or pH effects within the cell; Zemanova et al. 2003) The dual-colour cross- correlation spectroscopy method of FCS uses two different, spectrally separated, fluorophore molecules, which are attached to each of, for example, a receptor and possible ligand, or potential substrate to be cleaved. The two colours will be observed to fluoresce together if an interaction occurs, or separately if a substrate has been cleaved and the kinetics of this can then be assessed (Kettling et al. 1998). This can be demonstrated using, a DNA strand that has a red fluorophore molecule attached to one and and a green one to the opposing end. The strand is cleaved by restriction endonuclease enzyme ecoRI, which is detected by spectroscopy as a decrease in the quantity of DNA molecules with fluorescence at both ends. The method was shown to be suitable for this type of enzyme kinetics study, by accurate detection of catalytic activity down to an enzyme concentration of 1 pM (pico molar) and proper description of the reaction by the Michaelis-Menten equation. This method, dual-colour FCCS, therefore has great potential for HTS of enzyme and ligand binding reactions. Biomolecular fluorescence/reporters There are numerous molecules produced by plants and animals naturally that produce fluorescence, or what is sometimes called bioluminescence. Some of these have been adopted as research tools, such as green fluorescent protein (GFP), which produces green light at 509nm following excitation by blue light (Arun et al. 2005). The gene that encodes for this fluorescent protein has been elucidated and is now commonly inserted into the genomes of genetically modified microrganisms and cell lines. It is then expressed under the control of desired promoters, often as a fusion protein. In this way patterns of gene expression can be observed and changes in transcription detected. HTS for new drugs use this technology to detect changes in transcription that occur via secondary messenger systems following receptor-ligand binding in a live cell. For example, Changsen and others have validated a GPF microplate assay, using an acetamidase promoter associated with the gfp gene, to screen for antitub erculosis drugs (2003), and found it to be suitable for HTS for novel drugs. GFP reporter technology requires a detection system and most of those described for detecting fluorescence from synthetic fluorophores can also be applied, such as FRET (Zhang 2004), FCS and confocal microscopy. FITC (fluorescein – 5- isothiocyanate) FITC can be bound to other molecules as a marker and the fluorescence measured robotically in HTS systems. For example, FITC bound to heparin sulphate (HS) has been used to screen for heparanase inhibitors in a HT assay: 384-well microtitre plates are used, which are coated with fibroblast growth factor (FGF). This captures the FITC-HS, and labelled fragments are only released into the media when cleavage by heparanase has occurred. This is quantitatively measured by robotic detection of the amount of fluorescence in solution. Heparanase is believed to have roles in inflammation, tumour angiogenesis and metastasis, so is an important drug target in the treatment of cancer (Huang et al. 2004). Chemiluminescence Some assays using chemiluminescence have been adapted to use HT formats. These rely on chemical reactions to produce light emission as a side-product, which can be detected. One such HTS uses coupled reactions involving the enzymes acetylcholinesterase, choline oxidase and horse-radish peroxidase, in 96 and 384-well plate formats, to screen for novel acetylcholinesterase inhibitors to become new drugs to treat Alzheimer’s Disease (Andreani et al. 2005). Scintillation proximity assay (SPA) Scintillation proximity assays are used for quantitatively studying binding reactions. The receptor/target is bound to a surface such as a plastic bead. The ligand is labelled with radioactive isotype (typically H3 or I125 ) and emit electrons with a short range of about 10um. A scintillation counter under the surface to which the target is bound detects the ligand only when it is bound. When it is free in solution the media absorbs the electrons and they are not counted. This allows binding interactions to be quantified whilst at equilibrium. Zheng and others (2004) have used SPA as part of a HTS and have identified several novel inositol monophosphatase inhibitors, which may be developed as drugs fro bipolar disorder. Mass spectrometry Mass spectrometry is currently a popular option for HTS, as it is sensitive, selective and easily automated. It allows the activity, molecular weight (most drug-like molecules are 150-400 Da), elemental composition and structural features of a test compound to be analysed. This wealth of information is of great use for exploring the molecular interactions between target and potential drug compounds. A very high throughput can be achieved using flow injection analysis, which does not require any sample preparation. Solutions of the samples are sprayed, using electrospray or APCI (atmospheric pressure chemical ionization), which ionises the molecules in the sample, prior to analysis by the mass spectrometer. Sometimes tandem mass spectrometers are employed, to glean more structural information and elemental composition. The advantage of these techniques are that as well as being very high precision they can be conducted on the original sample, without the need the separate the compound out from a mixture. For LC-MS (liquid chromatography mass spectrometry), semipreparative HPLC (High Peformance Liquid Chromatography) is often used before the HTS to verify the structure and purity of each compound to be tested, especially those from a combinatorial library. Improving purity in this way facilitates more accurate observation of any biological interactions that occur between the target and the test compound, as well as easing interpretation of structural information about the test molecule or changes induced by the interaction (Abraham 2003). HPLC is easily automated and involves detection of a UV signal above a threshold level, which triggers collection of the fraction. Several fractions may be obtained from one sample, or the computers controlling sample collection can be programmed to detect only at peaks of desired molecular ions, following ionisation by a suitable technique, such as electrospray or MALDI (matrix-associated laser desorption/ionisation), which can be used as a gentle way of ionising more fragile molecules (Hillenkamp et al. 1991). LC-MS can be slower than other approaches but is sometimes necessary. Further developments to speed up the automated process include parallel LC-MS, in which multiple HPLC columns are interfaced to a single mass spectrometer (Kenseth Coldiron 2004), and fast HPLC. NMR NMR is a useful technique for exploring the 3-dimensional structure of biomacromolecules, in a concentrated solution. It is limited by the small size of molecule amenable to this technique; typically below 30kDa, so is more useful for small drug-like molecules than the molecular target they interact with. Structure-activity relationships (SAR) can be studied by observing alterations in a protein’s NMR spectrum. This not only indicates that ligand binding has occurred, but can give an indication of the location of the binding site (Shuker et al. 1996). X-ray crystallography X-ray crystallography enables the 3-dimensional structure of protein molecules to be studied, with resolution to the atomic level. The technique requires the molecule to be studied in its crystalline form, which is not a problem for the majority of biomacromolecules that are drug targets. Protein crystallization technology has also had to adapt to high throughput methods, so as not to become a bottleneck. Some fully automated systems can now produce as many as 2,500 to 140,000 crystallization experiments a day (Kuhn et al. 2002). Studying the 3-D structure of the target often produces clues to the type of ligand that will bind, which speeds up the time taken to find lead compounds in drug discovery. An example of this is the development of antiretroviral drugs used to treat AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome), such as amprenavir (‘Agenerase’), which followed from the study of the structure of the drug target, HIV (human immunodeficiency virus) viral protease. Another drug developed from such structure based studies is zanamivir (‘Relenza’); a flu treatment based on the crystal structure of the surface glycoprotein, neuraminidase, which is crucial for viral infectivity (Varghese 1998). This is likely to be an important weapon in the fight against an influenza pandemic. In X-ray crystallography, the macromolecular 3-D crystal is bombarded with X-rays, by a rotating-anode X-ray generator or a synchrotron, and the diffraction pattern produced is detected. Multiple measurements of diffracted waves generate much data, which can be analysed using calculations, such as Fourier synthesis and a structure revealed (Blundell et al. 2002). Advances in the structure determination process have aided the resolution of structures, for example, multiple-wavelength anomalous dispersion (MAD), in which selenomethionine is incorporated into proteins that are overexpressed by genetically modified micro-organisms, which simulates isomorphous replacement and allows the phases to be calculated (Hendrickson et al. 1990). Low-affinity binding reactions between ligand and target may have important properties and provide leads that would be missed by other HTS methods. Development of high throughput X-ray crystallography, by increased automation at all stages of the procedure, has lead to its growing use in lead discovery as well as its more traditional role in lead optimisation (Abola et al. 2000). This enables the technique to screen compound libraries, including those from combinatorial synthesis. Crystallographic screening for novel ligands in this way has already had some success; for example, a new class of urokinase inhibitors have been discovered, for treating cancer (Nienaber et al. 2000). Co-crystallization of receptor-ligand complexes allows the interaction between the molecules to be studied and conformational changes in the target, upon binding, to be discovered. This approach is known to be used by several industrial laboratories and has the capacity to compare the interactions of ‘hit’ ligands in the generation of a lead series. It also decreases the time taken to explore hits, which is a crucial factor for the pharmaceutical industry (Abraham 2003). Another way of achieving crystallized receptor-ligand interactions is to soak the ligand, often as molecular fragments dissolved in DMSO (dimethyl sulphoxide), into the receptor protein crystal (Nienaber et al. 2000), and observe changes in electron densities indicative of interaction. Structure based drug design in silico Three-dimensional structures can also be used in computer modelling programs to predict which ligands might bond/interact with targets or receptors, as an initial stage of drug design. This is truly a high throughput method as computing power allows the rate at which ligand-receptor interactions can be virtually screened to be incomparable to even the fastest high throughput methods involving physical experimentation. This is often termed virtual ligand screening (VLS), or in silico screening (Klebe 2000). Perrakis and his colleagues (1999) combined automated protein model building with iterative structure refinement, using ARP (automatic pattern recognition), which has been crucial for structure based drug design (SBDD). Diffraction data is fed directly into the computer program and a protein crystallization model produced automatically. Various programs have been developed to assess docking of virtual ligands into known target receptor sites and scoring of their suitability and fit, determined by energy. Some algorithms seem to have some bias towards certain chemical families; this can be reduced by using multiple docking algorithms simultaneously (Charifson et al. 1999). Software programmers and chemical modellers must remember to take into account the natural properties of protein molecules, as they are more flexible and accommodating of small changes than the rigidity suggested by traditional computer programs, although some programs now attempt to recreate this (Schapira et al 2000). Optimal results for structure based drug design are likely to be achieved by combining virtual and experimental methods, such as ‘SAR-NMR’ technology advocated by Shuker, Fesik and colleagues (1996). Microarrays DNA microarrays have been constructed following the sequencing of the human genome, using cDNA to study thousands of genes. From this has stemmed the growth of proteomics and protein biochips, as these are the functional molecules encoded by the genome. Protein arrays/biochips consist of immobilized proteins, which can be used, in the drug development context, to study ligand-receptor interactions (Lueking et al. 2005). Interactions of known pharmaceutical chemicals with proteins can also be explored. For example, Leflunomide (an isoxazole derivative) has been shown to have anti-inflammatory properties in vivo. Analysis of protein interactions using an array revealed that it was not only interacting with the suspected mitochondrial enzyme, but a number of other proteins in the cell, such as pyruvate kinase (Mangold et al. 1999). As the majority of drug targets are proteins, and many of the drugs themselves proteins too, protein arrays are likely to become more popular, as well as hig her throughput. CONCLUSION CHOOSING THE BEST HTS ASSAY: The literature reveals numerous modifications and validated systems of all the possible assays that are suitable for adaptation to high throughput screening in drug discovery. Many of the traditional weak points of each assay have therefore been addressed in this way, making critici

Civil Disobedience Essay -- History Luther Kind Thoreau Gandhi

All throughout world history, human beings have participated in acts of civil disobedience. However, in the last two centuries the belief and practice of it has been in full swing and has even brought on major historical events, especially concerning equal rights and just laws. Three major firm believers and activists in civil disobedience were Henry David Thoreau, Martin Luther King Jr., and Gandhi. All three of these men participated in acts of civil disobedience but each in his own way and for different reasons. Henry David Thoreau believed that a certain war tax was unjust during the Mexican War and he refused to pay it. This then lead to his arrest and one day in jail where he wrote the essay "Civil Disobedience." Martin Luther King Jr. on the other hand participated in an act of civil disobedience for a much larger and important reason. He was fighting against segregation in America and for equal rights for all American citizens, including black that had been oppressed i n America for over 300 years. Loved and followed by thousands, King sought equal rights for both himself and for others through non-violent marches and demonstrations, which in turn led to equal rights for all American citizens including blacks. Gandhi's participation in civil disobedience was by far the most effective and led to one of the most eventful periods in time; the independence of India from British rule. However, even though these men all believed in civil disobedience and equal rights for all, they all achieved their goals through different means and methods, as seen in the three quotes involving different forms of civil disobedience. The three quotes will then be discussed and compared to the works of King, Gandhi, and Thoreau. ... ...r them. This situation was also explained when King said, " We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed." Therefore, all three quotes represent acts of civil disobedience and relate in some way, shape, or form to the philosophies of Henry David Thoreau, Martin Luther King Jr., and Gandhi. The philosophies of these three men show that there is no one way to participate in an act of civil disobedience and that there are certain rules and regulations that a disobeyer must follow in order to achieve their goal. And in addition, that goal could range from anywhere from the elimination of an unfair tax, independence from the rule of another country, or equal rights and opportunities for all.

Bizet, Georges :: essays research papers

Georges Bizet   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Georges Bizet was born in Paris on October 25th, 1838. He was trained by his parents, who were musical, and admitted to the Paris Conservatoire just before his tenth birthday. There he studied counterpoint with Zimmerman and Gounod and composition with Halà ©vy, and under Marmontel's tuition he became a brilliant pianist. Bizet's exceptional powers as a composer are already apparent in the products of his Conservatoire years, notably the Symphony in C, a work of precocious genius dating from 1855 (but not performed until 1935). In 1857 Bizet shared with Lecocq a prize offered by Offenbach for a setting of the one-act operetta Le Docteur Miracle; later that year he set out for Italy as holder of the coveted Prix de Rome.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  During his three years in Rome Bizet began or projected many compositions; only four survive, including the opera buffa, Don Procopio (not performed until 1906). Shortly after his return to Paris, in September 1861, his mother died; the composer consoled himself with his parents' maid, by whom he had a son in June 1862. He rejected teaching at the Conservatoire and the temptation to become a concert pianist, and completed his obligations under the terms of the Prix de Rome. The last of these, a one-act opà ©ra comique, La guzla de l'emir, was rehearsed at the Opà ©ra-Comique in 1863 but withdrawn when the Thà ©Ãƒ ¢tre-Lyrique director, who had been offered 100 000 francs to produce annually an opera by a Prix de Rome winner who had not had a work staged, invited Bizet to compose Les pà ªcheurs de perles.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Bizet completed it in four months. It was produced in September 1863, but met with a generally cool reception: an uneven work, with stiff characterization, it is notable for the skilful scoring of its exotic numbers. In the ensuing years Bizet earned a living arranging other composers' music and giving piano lessons. Not until December 1867 was another opera staged - La jolie fille de Perth, which shows a surer dramatic mastery than Les pà ªcheurs despite an inept libretto. It received a good press but had only 18 performances.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  1868 was a year of crisis for Bizet, with more abortive works, attacks of quinsy and a reexamination of his religious stance; and his attitude to music grew deeper. In June 1869 he married Genevià ¨ve, daughter of his former teacher, Halà ©vy, and the next year they suffered the privations caused by the Franco-Prussian war (Bizet enlisted in the National Guard).

Sales and Distribution

GMSI 409| Sales and Distribution | World Wide Equipment | Kunjalik Balwani 3/4/2013 | Introduction – World Wide Equipment is UK based multinational in the heating air conditioning and ventilation industry, it has been rated as one of the most innovative companies in the particular sector, and the company majorly deals in B2B, like hospitals shopping malls, hotels. As mentioned above World Wide Equipment is a multinational company so it has one of its branches situated in China and the firm has had an enormous growth in the span of 20 years going from an ordinary US$6 million to a staggering US$ 70 million.World Wide Equipment relished a premium brand image in China and had priced its chillers on a higher note , not only were they selling higher than the local manufactures and the joint venture companies ,but 10% higher than their international counterpart. The unique selling point of the products are they are the most energy efficient products amongst all its major competitors both locally and internationally and to its advantage company had a much larger customer base as compared and the reason being that they were early entrant.World Wide Equipment China was part of the Asia –Pacific area office located in Hong Kong and within China they had three sales offices in mainland china namely Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou. Frank Wang the regional sales manager of the Beijing office had received a fax of the half yearly sales performance for the three offices and it was seen that Beijing office ranked third in the list and it was a reason to worry as the Beijing office had always been rated as one of the most consistent out of the three.The Decision Dilemma – Frank Wang the regional sales manager has a task in front of him, and those are the decisions that he has to come up with in order to put his sales team right on track. Wang has a few immediate and long term issues that have to be addressed. The immediate issue that he has to address is th e low sales performance of his employees, the drop in the sales performance was due to loosing large tenders on trot and it was just not about losing, it was about coming very close to the deal and losing it out at the last moment, this was somehow tampering the morale of the whole sales team.Generally there are two options for any team which loose the close calls, either they are motivated to do better or their morale go down like in the case of sales team in World Wide Equipment. If the reports are to be believed, the major cause of failure has been courtesy Li Weimin. Li Weimen was suggested by Frank Wang’s boss Frank Yu and was recommended because of his experience in the textile industry since textile was the genre that the company wanted to venture into.However the inclusion of Weimen was less on his merits and more because of recommendation, Weimen had more of contacts rather than skills and his inclusion was not much of help as it was witnessed later on, that the incl usion had taken a toll on the overall performance of the sales team, though it would be unfair to blame him all alone, because one individual does not create a sales team, but one individual is enough to spoil a going on deal, which was the case with World Wide Equipment.Weimen was one of the, major reasons for the failure of two of the most important deals. One of the major decisions that Wang has to make here is that what he does with Weimen, who was a recommendation from his boss, what Wang needs to decide here whether he would want Weimen to shift to Guangzhou where actually all recourses can be put to work because of his influence in that region, where as he had no influence in Beijing what so ever.Since Wang had never got the need of firing any of his sales persons, so he would want to shift Weimen out of the Beijing office, as it had been bothering the rest of the staff as well. So his first major decision is to get Weimen not fired but shift him to the office where he would have been of some use, because losing him could cost the firm potential resources and business in other part of mainland China because the bonus system of the company depended on the overall performance, so that would mean if the influential side of Weimen worked that would also benefit the employees of Beijing.After solving out the problem above the next issue that has to be addressed is the long term issue, that is of how to get into the Textile industry market and according to Yu, World Wide Equipment does not really have any hold or influence in the market situation, the reason why Textile industry was being target was because it was the new industry that was coming up and that too with a good potential, whereas on the contrary the electronic industry did not have any room for growth. So the task here is to develop a strategy a long term strategy which would actually help them capture the market as soon as possible.Another Decision that Wang needs to address that too an immediat e is related to the Textile industry, whether to train his sales team in the textile industry or hire someone who had knowledge about the industry. Core Competencies for Textile Industry – The textile industry was considered to be the next big thing in the Chinese market and was a potential market. Wang had estimated that out of the 2000 odd textile firms at least one third were looking out for an up gradation and in order to achieve that certain skills are very important to possess.It is important for the sales team to build up their Core Competencies which would eventually help them achieve their targets in the new growing textile industry. Since it was noticed that the textile companies were not looking out for expensive chillers, they rather focused on creating better products, so chillers from joint venture companies were preferred over the imported ones, even though knowing the fact that World Wide Equipment chillers were more efficient, people hesitated on paying a 30% premium one time price.So in order to overcome this situation the sales force team has to develop some skills in order to tackle these circumstances. Knowledge In Textile Industry – the employees need to develop and grasp knowledge about the textile industry, since the industry is growing and the company is targeting a major chunk of it, so a good idea is very important because eventually it is the knowledge about the industry which would help them crack the deals.Presentation – A good presentation is backed by the fact that first impression is the last impression, so the employees should develop the skill of putting up a good presentation in front of the client. As mentioned in the case study Weimen wore a suit and with that sport shoes, so this kind of impression spoils the firm’s image resulting into losing potential clients.So very important it is to make a good Presentation Negotiation Skills – all the employees were technically very good and did ha ve the knowledge of what they had to with their product and they were the best in their jobs, but one thing that they lacked as the sales people was on their negotiation front, they rarely know how to negotiate a price or even try to put a price according to the orders, so it was important to learn how to negotiate with the client, because a good negotiator can always get a good business to the firm.Decision Making – Another important skill that the employees need to render to is that of decision making, it is very important for any employee to learn how to be decisive about the deal, as we know the quicker the decision the quicker it is for the deal to go through and as there is more delay in the decisions, there are higher chances of the client to move away. So it is important to know the decision making process.Quoting Tenders – As we know that in the textile industry there was an important element of quoting tenders , so to develop the skills of quoting tenders , t he better the quoting then the competitors the better are the chances of getting the deal through. The above are few of the skills or the Core Competencies that the sales force team has to develop in order to capture the textile industry.The sales team of World Wide Equipment is not one of the easiest to join, the recruitment procedure of the company has been a very rigorous one and it s task to get into the job, the sales team of the company has to cover a lot of ground and do a lot of various things in order to continue the selling.Overall the sales force has been an effective and an efficient one for the company, before entering the textile industry the employees have been efficient with their work, getting continues sales effectively putting them in a consistent second position, but however they were not the most effective sales team as compared to the three offices as, Shanghai as been in top all the years , though one added advantage that it had was of being the first office i n Mainland China, but if we notice the sales , year on year Beijing has tried to come close to Shanghai , that means that year on year the performance of the sales team in Beijing has been very consistent, but something more needs to be added in order to beat the leading sales team in Shanghai. So if we overall look at the performance of the sales team, we an say that they are not the most effective out of the three, but they are on their way on becoming the most effective team, a few alterations in their approach or a little amount of prior learning about their future ventures could account for a considerable change in their future performances. Frank Wang was a regional sales manager; joined World Wide Equipment in the year 1995, Wang had been a very impressive sales person and has been a very fast growing employee for the company, after 18 months he was promoted to the senior sales manager and in further 16 months he was promoted to the post of regional sales manager making which made him the first Chinese national to hold a managerial position. Wang was accountable for 1) Creating the region’s sales forecast and budget fulfilling that budget 2) Sales engineer recruiting ,training and organizational development 3) Sales performance evaluation and coaching ) Daily sales /sales leads management and job assignment 5) Contract negotiation and management of contract execution Looking at the responsibilities of Wang, it can be said that he did have a lot of task and had to cater to all the different departments in the organization in order to keep the firm fit and fine. Commenting if Wang has been a good sales manager , what we can see in the case study is that he has both pros and cons in his approach to run the Beijing sales team. Wang had created a very effective sales team under him, educating his sales team how to go about their business, It was under his supervision that sales team of Beijing started inching closer to the shanghai sales team. He had helped create two of the promising employees under him Liu Hongyuan and Jiang Li. Wang had another impressive characteristic of being the person who saves the company’s money and he was successful in installing this behaviour in his other employees.When all the other offices would spend money lavishly and bill it on to the company where as Beijing office was a complete contrast of the situation, they would look out for the minimum way possible this feature was instilled by Wang into his employees. Wang what it seemed was a very honest person when it came to recruiting, he would recruit the best out of the lot, his eye for the talent has always been an accurate one. Wang somehow felt that owed his success to Yu that is what made him go against his policy of not recruiting people on the basis of recommendation, but he had to take Weimen in the firm. This somehow showed that he could not stick to his hiring policy and even after repeated failure from Weimen; he could not report his senior to take him off the Beijing office, so yes Wang did have some cons.Overall Wang was a valuable asset to the firm and he was some or the other way a good regional sales manager and he did create some good business for the firm, one bad half yearly result does not prove that he was bad manager, he had the rest of the other years of sales to prove that he has been a success in the Beijing office and had cultivated a great sales team a good environment for them and has made them perform consistently. If put under such circumstances what I would have done is that, taken a few measures in order to shake things a little bit and take it uphill from the recent downfall it has gone through, I would have to make some stern decisions in order to put things back to action. Weimen Situation – Instating Weimen had caused somewhat of a headache to the World Wide Equipment Beijing branch and some or the decision had to be made.If the onus was on me I would go for Weimen’s ba ckground check and with the contacts and influence that his uncle was a very resourceful individual in the city of Guangzhou, so loosing Weimen would mean that losing good business in the city that has always been number three in the list and would be over all bad for the business, so what I would do is shift Weimen to Guangzhou, a city where he would have some influence in the market causing and could bring in a lot of business to the firm and eventually making an overall profit, though still a little bit of training would be required too and a little bit counselling on how to go about the whole situation, but losing him would actually mean that losing somewhat of a potential chance of losing out a chance of enhancing the business in laggard place in like Guangzhou. Textile Industry Entry – The next issue would be of entering the upcoming textile industry and entering the industry in a convincing manner, so what I would do is train the staff in the textile industry or even r ecruits a few people who would have expertise. The chunk of the textile industry is quite big to let go off.Look Into Sales – As the sales have been dipping down, I was a regional sales manager I would actually get into the sales myself and handle the big clients myself and by the senior sales managers who are the cream of the company, because it is the 80 – 20 in every business, which means that 80% of the business comes from the 20% of your clients. Boosting Morale of the Employees – If the onus would be on me I would try and increase the morale of the sales team, because that is a very integral element, without a good morale or state of mind it would not be possible to conduct sales in the best possible manner. In a company it’s always the sales team which brings in the money and it is important to have them maintain a healthy morale.