Dss Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Dss - Case Study Example Therefore, this paper aims to study the application of Decision Support System in the UAE including the analysis of its effectiveness on the business arena. The selected application is the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), which is an application that integrated both internal and external information of different departmental sections in an organization. The application is aimed to allow the flowing of information between marketing, accounting, finance, and manufacturing, whilst managing the customer preferences and profiles. In addition, the research study also exhibits the importance of the ERP in order to determine its viability into the competitive global market. An effective DSS is the computerized application that assists the decision makers in compiling important information from a mixture of documents, raw data, business models, and personal knowledge in order to make decisions that solves the underlying or predicted problems. The business information that a DSS may assist include preparation of inventories for assets, projecting revenue costs based on the sales assumptions, and comparing sales figures, among others (Power, 2002). However, there are different areas in UAE under which DSS can be applied including in construction modeling support, in school’s learning management system, in operational management to assist employees, and automating financial records in accounts and finance departments. Other areas include human resource systems to monitor employees’ performance and attendance, for security monitoring by signing the visitors in and out or verifying their documents. In other words, DSS can be used in several areas, although it must be interactive and effective to all management staff. The organization must ensure there is satisfaction of all employee levels in adopting a new DSS in order to ensure its functionality and

Night of the Scorpion Essay Example for Free

Night of the Scorpion Essay Throughout Vultures there is also a dark mood, you are told about the ugly vultures and are given lots of gory imagery: Yesterday they picked the eyes of a swollen corpse in a water-logged trench and ate the things in its bowel. This violent imagery reinforces the sense of evil you get about the vultures. This imagery is also similar to the imagery in Night of the Scorpion mainly because this is about suffering, death and dying. In Vultures, however, the person is already dead, whereas in the other poem the mother is dying and suffering. At the end of Vultures, the perpetuity of evil is mentioned, this is quite pessimistic and shows that evil is never going to go away. At the end of Night of the Scorpion however, the mother is cured: After twenty hours it lost its sting. She survives and is now free of suffering and pain, without even any regrets that she was the one who was bitten.

Anorexia Nervosa :: Eating Disorders

Eating disorders are devastating behavioral maladies brought on by a complex interplay of factors, which may include emotional and personality disorder, family pressure, a possible genetic or biological susceptibility and a culture in which there is an over abundance of food and an obsession with thinness. Eating disorders are generally characterized as bulimia nervosa, anorexia nervosa and eating disorders not other wise specified. According to the World of Psychology anorexia is defined as " an eating disorder characterized by an overwhelming, irrational fear of being fat, compulsive dieting to the point of self starvation and excessive weight loss."(World of Psychology Page 317). There are some causes, symptoms, complications and treatment of anorexia nervosa. There is no single cause for the eating disorder anorexia but a number of factors including emotional disorders and cultural influences. Researchers have shown that emotional disorders such as depression collaborate in causing anorexia nervosa. This is because most anorexic patients have been found to have abnormal levels of certain neurotransmitters particularly serotonin, that are associated with depression and obsessive compulsive disorder. According to a research conducted by Dr. John .E. Godine of Harvard Medical School " studies are finding that low blood levels of amino acid tryptophan, a component in food that is essential to the production of serotonin, can produce depression and may also contribute to anorexia nervosa" (Psychology Today Page 17, May 97). Researches have also shown that changes in seasons affects both depression and eating disorders and also that onset of anorexia appears to peak in May, which is also a peak month for suicide. Anxiety disorders are also very common with anorexia. Phobias and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) usually precede the onset of the eating disorder, while panic disorder tends to follow. Studies have shown that people with anorexia are especially prone to obsessive-compulsive disorder. Cultural influences can also cause anorexia as can be seen in most western cultures. The social pressures of western cultures certainly play a major role in triggering eating disorders such as anorexia. On the other hand, advertisers heavily market weight reductions programs and present anorexic young models as the paradigm of sexual desirability and on the other hand again, the media floods the public with ads for junk food. According to the World of Psychology "over the past quarter century, the 'ideal' female figure as portrayed in the media and by fashion and entertainment industries, has become even thinner, often to the point of emancipation"(World of Psychology Page 317).

Adult learning and motivation Essay

An exploration in to the multi-dimensionality of participatory behaviour; and what motivates adults to return to education. The research question that was initially formulated aimed to inductively generate a theory (Rothchild 2006; Cohen et al., 2000). Unfortunately, the initial question became subject to ethical challenges; and within a framework that would demonstrate rigour, validity and reliability, unsurprisingly; it was far better too approach/explore the multi-dimensionality of participatory behaviour; and what motivates adults to return to education. An enquiry designed around this approach has a better fit to a pragmatic framework (Armitage and Keeble-Allen, 2007; Bryman, 2007) and the BERA ethical directives. Furthermore, this should help bolster the totality of coherence; or as Moss et al., (2009) would suggest as; ‘a chain of reasoning and logic’. Similarly, individual agency and how the experiences of adult learners’ are co/re-constructed (Clark 2011; Flowers 2009; p. 3) needed a greater relationship to an interpretivist epistemology (E891 Part 2: Action 2.9; Gage 1989). As the researcher primarily overlooked these factors that, in turn, determine what is seen as valid and invalid knowledge; then [those] factors would have been overlooked when inferences were made during the research process reducing the quality and internal – and possibly external – validity. Obviously, this incommensurability will be addressed before the researcher analyses any data generated (Bryman, 2007; p. 19). With these approaches better placed the researcher could demonstrate that – generally – social and cognitive phenomena are simultaneously quantitative and qualitative (Ercikan and Roth, 2006; p.16) and participatory behaviour is an outcome of the ‘meaning-made’ (Clark 2011) i.e. social-cognitive collocation. This would then show that cognition is co-constructed (Clark 2011) and re-constructed by experience resulting in the multiple interpretations that create the social realities in which people act (Flowers 2009; p. 3). It could be suggested that the initial ‘meaning-made’ is a primary motivator which persists until the time the learner feels satisfied (Park and Choi 2009), or, has achieved ‘what they set out to achieve’ (Gustafsson & Mouwitz, 2008). This also implies that ‘meaning-made’ is mutable (Gibbons Bylsma 1984) and subject to further co/re-construction; adjustment; or complete abandonment. Research philosophy After extensive ‘Adult learner’ research and talking with tutors that instruct adult learners’ highlighted a distinct difference in the approaches from which children (Pedagogy – teaching method) and adults (Andragogy – teach how to learn) are taught. The implementation of informal learning methods, however, appears to have dominance in the adult education field (Gibbons Bylsma 1984). Therefore, in order to shape and advance the theory, research design and instrument/s required conducting a focussed literature review of several learning theories (see fig 1); namely, Knowles’s Andragogy Theory (Houde 2006), Cross’s Characteristics of Adult Learners (CAL) (Kohl-Frey and Schmid-Ruhe 2007; Crittenton Women’s Union 2012), Margin (Gibbons Bylsma, 1984) and Proficiency Theory (Gustafsson & Mouwitz, 2008). Fig. 1 is showing the associated theories that characterize adult learners’ What becomes problematic is; adult learning has not been researched as vigorously as others areas of education, so the real challenge will be – as Hodkinson and Macleod (2010) encountered – to anchor the line of enquiry in a combined paradigmatic harbor. In contrast to Hodkinson and Macleod (2010), the upcoming report will be combining the aforementioned theories with the following paradigms’ as they display a distinct homogeneity. Specifically, social (E891 Part 2: Action 2.5), and cognitive constructionism (De Abreu 2000), Interpretivism (E891 Part 2: Action 2.4; Gage 1989) with quantitative and qualitative data collection i.e. mixed methodology. A critical review of the initial report by Street (2013) and Holmes (2013) exemplified the scarcity of knowledge and understanding some had on the associated theories. Both commented on differing aspects of the line of enquiry, but these were conceptual in nature. Street (2013) illustrated that the researcher must remain aware of the macro/micro societal effect that the learning environment has on the adult’s lived/shared experience and Holmes (2013) suggested that there needed to be a better fit to the realities of the adult learner. With this in mind I re-conceptualized the report and reflected more specifically on the feedback and guidance. Therefore, in order to steer the paradigms so that they pull in the same direction, the aforementioned theories naturally occurring and overlapping dimensions will be grouped (i.e. constant comparison method; Cohen et al., 2000; p. 151) by their substantive statements (i.e. content analysis; Gillham, 2000; p. 137) and used to engender questions. This process generated four themes that naturally expanded upon their shared features. Social contact and Relationships Goal and relevancy orientated External expectations Internal expectations In order to check for consistencies/inconsistencies (Denscombe, 1999; p. 217-8) between the questionnaires i.e. Phase 1 and Phase 2 and interview responses both datasets will be triangulated to assess the overall motivation/s toward participatory behaviour i.e. cross-sectional design (Bryman, 2006; p. 104). This ‘Mutual’ approach (Armitage and Keeble-Allen, 2007) will be implemented during the adult learners’ regular session/s, which should (1) reduce bias (Nederhof, 1985) and attrition (Torgerson 2009), (2) be more pragmatic than experimental research (Torgerson 2009), (3) increase internal validity, reliability and research quality, (4) support external validity and (5) decrease demand characteristics due to any researcher effects. Research enquiries can be polarized into qualitative and quantitative classifications based on how phenomena are represented (Ercikan and Roth, 2006). But, the researcher firmly believes; if representative qualitative and quantitative data have shared aspects that are dependent on their counterpart for completeness (Ercikan and Roth, 2006; p.16; Bryman, 2006; Bryman, 2007), then the incorporation of cross-validation is warranted to best serve this enquiry. This strategy should ensure internal validity; especially when considering using complementary methods (Armitage and Keeble-Allen, 2007). Moreover, as these quantitative and qualitative counterparts contain a fundamental element of the interactive dependency that is shared, and required, for individual understanding i.e. the connectivity of interactivity and the influence on representative individuality then the research must be aware to consider that both methods have shared and conflicting elements. Consequently, when considering multidisciplinary approaches, mixed methods i.e. quantitative and qualitative and triangulation one must be aware that incommensurability can exist between them. Brannen (2005) suggests that some methods become more feasible than others and deemed a better ‘fit’ as [they] provide more sensitivity when investigating complex social phenomena. Hence, certain methods, used in conjunction can become less than complimentary with the other. Additionally, Yin (2006) suggests that the ability to tighten the use of mixed methods so that they do in fact occur as part of a single study requires integration. The claim is that, the more that a single study integrates mixed methods, the more that mixed methods research, as opposed to multiple studies, is taking place (Yin, 2006). Furthermore, Houghton et al., (2010) highlight one of the ethical challenges, which have important implications for qualitative research, practical examples and solutions. The unpredictability of qualitative research means that an a priori prescription for ethical conduct is not always possible. Therefore, the researcher must be constantly mindful of the on-going impact that the research might have on those involved, while simultaneously being ethically sensitive and morally competent Although, mixing methods does provide an inferential narrative to the statistical outputs from quantitative analysis, it might not sufficiently negate the qualitative and quantitative dichotomy (Yin, 2006), or, necessarily produce the expected scholarly standard for presenting credible evidence (Maclure, 2005). These qualitative and quantitative complements are noticeably – even arguably – intrinsic facets of social/cognitive interaction/functioning; hence, the methods used to collect data in this enquiry will be trying to procure what happens when the internal interact/s with an external influence/s (Yin, 2006). This illustration provides a start for thinking about yet other types of mixed method research. The point is, if a relationship is completely absent— particularly where two or more methods address wholly different dependent, independent, or descriptive variables—the mixed methods are likely to form separate studies, not a single study (Yin, 2006). All these influences are important and relevant, but they are only some of the processes that, together, comprise a complex social world and unfortunately; understanding that the relevance and value assigned to learning by adults’ highlights the importance induced, does not necessarily liberate them (Hacking 1999; p. 2) from any disenfranchisement they could feel. Likewise, the researcher understands that the aforementioned factors are not the only variables that are existent; however, the researcher is of the opinion that those factors (see fig. 3 + 4) are the most prominent from the observations made and literature review conducted. Research Design Fig. 2 is illustrating the design and flow of data analysis that establishes the internal validity, reliability and quality of the research enquiry. Historical background Considering participation in adult learning since 1996 we see it has remained around 40% for those of working age (16 – 69) for seventeen years. These were either currently participating, or had recently participated in the last three years. Of those that did participate, there is an equivalent amount that has not participated since leaving full time education. Although, 80% of students’ currently participating intend on continuing in further education after they have completed the present course (see Tab.1). Whilst participating in Further Education and Lifelong Learning I observed a possible explanation for the existence of these variances (that being relevance and value). A possible explanation for the disordinal interaction (percentages decrease in the ‘Likely to learn in the future’ group whilst percentages for ‘Unlikely to learn in the future’ group increase) demonstrated in table 1 could be; the further in years an adult moves away from education the less relevance and value they attribute to returning to it. Or, is it as Siraj-Blatchford (2010) may suggest; that the adults are overscheduled and more committed to sustaining the home environment and maintaining a career with ‘on the job’ training. Multimodal Heuristics Informal learning is seemingly multimodal i.e. being valuable and relevant to the matter at hand and socially constructed through long/short term interactions (GTC 2006). The informal learning mechanisms that mediate influence shapes learning environments’ (Evans, et al., 2010; p. 6), cognitive processes and our social interactions (Evans, et al., 2010; p. 6). ‘Meaning’ then, is co/re-constructed by experience resulting in the multiple interpretations that create the social reality in which people act (Flowers 2009; p. 3). And as Vygotsky would state; context affects cognitive – and by way of – behavioural activities (De Abreu, 2000; p. 3) Bruner’s suppositional framework suggests that learners form new ideas or theories based upon what they already know (GTC 2006). His theory of learning, not only, related to the way children’s thinking developed, but it could also be applied to adults learning new and unfamiliar material (GTC 2006). Learners, as Bruner proposes, are creators and thinkers through the use of inquiry (GTC 2006). The process of which how learners dynamically construct knowledge is heavily in focus: implying the transformation of information, which suggests that Bruner’s theory of Constructivism falls into a cognitive domain (GTC 2006). Learners are provided with opportunities to construct new knowledge and new meaning from authentic experiences (Brockmann 2011). As a result, this exposes the pivotal role Multimodal Heuristics start to have when adults’ decide to return to education. For instance, a parent can reassure a frightened child that ‘shadow monsters do not exist!’ Although, a sibling can suggest leaving the light on to scare the monsters’ away. This indicates that informal learning can alter our worldview (e.g. ‘When did you stop believing in Santa?’) if it is seen to offer a plausible solution. This supports the concept of how informal learning can contribute to our understanding, cognitive processes (De Abreu 2000), social interactions, and the associated behaviours (Schwartz 1995; p. 5). These multimodal components; not only determine the level of commitment and motivation (Park & Choi 2009) that is ascribed to the retention of relevant and valuable information (Gibbons Bylsma, 1984; p. 23), but also contributes to the ease of transfer and retrieval of that information (Ekey 2012). The characteristically pragmatic nature of adult learners’ (Abdullah, et al., 2008; Kohl-Frey and Schmid-Ruhe 2007; Crittenton Women’s Union 2012) also demonstrates this need/requirement for information to have applicability to their life. This is determined by the perceived applicability it has to their future experiences and interaction. The internal dimensions of meaning-making are also multimodal (Clark 2011) and seemingly derived from the combination of the value and relevance (or Multimodal Heuristics – adults’ decide, through cognitive appraisal, their own level of involvement) assigned by the adult to measure applicability. Consequently, we could suggest that this is an ad hoc contribution to our social cognition (Aronson et al., 2005; p.57 – 64; De Abreu 2000; p. 4), our availability heuristics (Rules of thumb; Aronson et al., 2005; p. 74 – 75) and the associated behavior and schemas (Aronson et al., 2005; p. 59 – 61), which then assist navigation of social environments’. Unfortunately, understanding that the relevance and value assigned to learning by adults’ highlights the importance induced, does not necessarily liberate adults’ (Hacking 1999; p. 2) from the disenfranchisement they could feel in institutions where learning is delivered primarily from a traditionally pedagogical approach. Similarly, these interactions are situational and experienced directly by participation, so it will be difficult to generalize the results further than adult learning. Theory development Essentially, humans tend to seek out information that confirms what they think/believe to be most relevant or true to their experiences and/or future interactions; a relative cost-benefit/means-end (Evans, et al., 2010; p. 6) cognitive appraisal that enables Multimodal Heuristic co/re-construction (Clark 2011). This process begins to filter out information that is considered worthless. The cost-benefit (Primary appraisal) and means-end analyses (Secondary appraisal), along with the personal value and relevance adults’ assign to learning (‘rule of thumb’ Gustafsson, L., & Mouwitz, L. (2008); p. 5) appear to be hierarchical and Maslowian in nature. Additionally, an adult must consider, through means-end analysis, the benefit of actively participating and building upon their knowledge and experience, throughout their participation in learning. Ultimately mediating their need for satisfaction i.e. Socio-emotional negotiation and selectivity (Houde 2006). As a result, for the adult to consider participation Multimodal Heuristics must negotiate support for expectation and assess the benefit knowledge, learning and education have in recompense for reorganizing multiple obligations, and competing priorities (Evans, et al., 2010; p. 12). Therefore, is socio-emotional negotiation and selectivity a process of fragmenting information so that it creates a heuristic commensurability with an individual’s normative social and cognitive functioning, which therefore, influences behaviour i.e. influential connectivity of socio-cognitive interactivity affecting the potentials for action? Fig. 3 is showing the internal framework of the decision making, and meaning-making, mechanisms that help generate mental constructs of multimodal heuristics. To some degree, we can compare the assessment of value and relevance to Gustafsson & Mouwitz (2008) description of Proficiency Theory, and, means-end and cost-benefit analyses to McClusky’s Margin Theory (1974, as quoted in Gibbons Bylsma 1984). These theories emphasize a need to be competent at tasks’ whilst being realistic about certain physical, mental and social capabilities. If there is conflict between primary and secondary appraisals this could be seen as a violation of expectation (Deffenbacher 1993), which may account for drop-out rates, serial signers’, absenteeism, non-participation in task relevant activities, specific course popularity, the cost-benefit/means-end analysis (Evans, et al., 2010; p. 6; Geertz 1993; p. 4 – 5) for staying the course and societal perception of lifelong learning (Tab. 1). For instance, after asking my students’ (12 in total) if they had any questions about what had been learnt, they responded with â€Å"what would I do if†¦?† and â€Å"When would I use†¦?† As there were only subtle variations in discourse, in regards to relevance and value, I feel this highlights (1) what comprises Multimodal Heuristic co-construction, and (2) what is required from information when it is presented outside of their interpretation of it. Moreover, adults maintain autonomy (Gibbons Bylsma 1984) by performing a cost-benefit analysis to justify their participation; being that peripheral or full (Swan 2005; p. 5). Firstly this, amongst others mentioned, will form the basis of ‘what counts as value and relevance evidence’, and, from which, quantitative data will be collected (questionnaire). Lastly, the quantitative data will be qualitatively complemented with a semi-structured interview to produce a rich narrative and attain thick descriptions (Geertz 1993). The semi-structured interview will be conducted with a subset of the surveyed group and will represent a cross-section of the adult learners’ in that group i.e. single parent, co-parent and a single male/female with no dependants. And as Denscombe (1999) and Brockmann (2011) found; interaction is situational and experienced directly by participation, making it essential to respect [their] views, with, further recognition given to the possibility that [their] priorities may not reflect the general consensus view or official theory. For example, Gustafsson & Mouwitz (2008) have reported; what is valued and encouraged in formal learning environments lacks to varying degrees explicit relevance in the workplace. Therefore, adults must demand a greater degree of relevance, value and satisfaction when deciding to return to, and participating in, education (Abdullah, et. al. 2008; Houde 2006). Fig. 4 is showing the internal framework of secondary appraisal that aims to justify the decision made and validate the perception of learning by paralleling meaning-made with the realities of the study. Illustrating, not only that the individual agency of these interpretations of relevance and value are co/re-constructed (Clark 2011) cognitively (GTC 2006) and socially (Hacking 1999), but also that adults’ apply this form of Heuristic Multimodality when seeking satisfaction from having their expectations fulfilled. Park & Choi (2009) have reported that relevance and satisfaction, being sub-dimensions of motivation, are known to be interrelated with various course-related issues. Even though the societal influences mentioned in this report can modify (1) the assessment of relevance and (2) affect the personal satisfaction adults cultivate (Park & Choi, 2009) they can also mediate and reinforce participatory behavior (Park & Choi, 2009) by enhancing the importance adults’ induce when deciding an academic and/or social level of involvement (Gibbons Bylsma 1984). Furthermore, students’ have asserted that relevance is a significant mediator in their assignment of value. Many students’ have commented that relevance paralleled the value assigned to learning and their specific choice of subject(s). These statements were observed over time and place using a relative constant comparison method (Cohen et al., 2000; p. 151). Their comments demonstrated the application of a cost-benefit and means-end analysis e.g. â€Å"How relevant is†¦in the big scheme of things?†, â€Å"When would I use†¦?† and â€Å"I don’t see the relevance? Evidently, the use of Multimodal Heuristics acts as a mechanism that could also increase commitment, dedication and motivation (Park & Choi 2009). In constant comparison data are compared across a range of situations, times, groups of people, and through a range of methods (Cohen et al., 2000; p. 151 – 2). The process resonates with the methodological notion of triangulation. The constant comparison method involves four stages: Comparing incidents and data that are applicable to each category, comparing them with previous incidents in the same category and with other data that are in the same category Integrating these categories and their properties Bounding the theory Setting out the theory The subjective ontological/epistemological view, research design and methodology exhibited in this report is sufficient and necessary to explore this direction of enquiry, if it were absent, it would prove problematic supporting a theory with an accompanying objective approach that advocates detachment (Flowers 2009; E891 Part 2: Action 2.2; Gage 1989; E891 Part 2: Action 2.5), when, in this case, it is more advantageous to explore the subjectivity of individual agency, participatory behaviour and situational experiences, motivation, and, the personal value and relevance assigned to learning, as these are closer to the truth. Instrument Design There will be two distinct phases to data generation; firstly, questions will be formulated from each of the four themes that CAL, Andragogy and Margin and Proficiency theories appear to create and then randomly assigned (Nederhof, 1985) to a questionnaire. A descriptive analysis of each question will be conducted to address whether the aforementioned multi-dimensionalities of adult learners’ are being considered. The strength of the trend in the agreement/disagreement should build a picture of the shared experiences. These questions will then be relocated back to the themes that created them, scored (Likert Scale; the higher the score the more relevance and value is attributed) and compared with the descriptive analysis to, not only generate a semi-structured small group interview schedule (Gillham, 2000), but also to get a sense of what is personally valuable and relevant about learning. This is an attempt to demonstrate; how meeting these multi-dimensionalities may be instrumental in maintaining learner participation (Park and Choi 2009). Furthermore, by mapping these realities, establish whether they support the general consensus view of these adult learning theories. An opportunity sampled group (16 – 35+) will be surveyed using this questionnaire (13 in total) with a small group interview being administered to a subset of the surveyed group (5 in total). Ideally, this subset should be representative of the adult learners’ in that educational facility. Even though the whole group will be opportunistically surveyed; in phase 2 every effort will be made to be more purposive. In order to support internal validity and ensure the reduction of any bias the incorporation of a ‘social desirability’ measure (Nederhof, 1985; SDR) will be added to the questionnaire. Certain questions will be cross referenced with one another to assess whether the adult learners’ are responding in a socially desirable way. This local blocking technique should increase the internal validity of the questionnaire, enhance the internal consistency of the small group interview questions, reduce bias and maintain rigour when all the data is analysed. This should also allow individual agency (E891 Part 2: Action 2.4; Gage 1989; Denscombe 1999), shared experience and the personal value and relevance attributed to learning to be highlighted. Due to the amount of data that could have been reported the evaluation will be specifically limited to the triangulation narratives of the ‘Theme Summaries’, interview data i.e. content and descriptive analysis (Clark, 2011). The researcher firstly formulated questions from these naturally occurring themes and searched for consistencies and inconsistencies (Denscombe, 1999) between the summary narratives (Gillham, 2000) and statistical outputs from the descriptive analyses (Bryman, 2007). Phase 1 As there were 30 questions generated from the four themes the in-depth analysis of each question will be triangulated and presented in the theme summaries. In an attempt to expose any consistencies/inconsistencies (Denscombe, 1999; p. 217-8) in the responses the data will be compared against the learning theories that created them: ensuring validity. Consequently, due to the amount of quantitative data generated from the in-depth analysis of the individual questions, this report will only include the second stage of Phase 1 i.e. descriptive analysis and theme summary triangulation. The interview responses from Phase 2 will be further triangulated with these summaries and content analysed to highlight the adult learners’ realities and ascertain what influences their decisions and motivates them to return too education i.e. by constant comparison method. Theme Summaries Social contact and Relationships – Q1, Q2, Q6, Q7, Q17 Q19 and Q30 The adult learners’ appear to value social interaction and feelings of reciprocal respect whilst participating in learning, which demonstrates that the adult learners’ value a sense of ‘belonging’ (16/21). However, there is a small percentage that does not see ‘belonging’ as being of value. Therefore, the feelings of reciprocal respect and support cannot be generalised as influencing their decision to continue in learning. Internal expectations – Q10, Q13, Q14, Q15, Q18, Q22, Q26, Q28 and Q29 This theme relates to the adult learners satisfaction. Satisfaction, being a sub-dimension of motivation, is something that must be regarded as paramount in the adult learning experience. The consistent attendance of the adult learners’ at the session/s is testament to their satisfaction with the course and the delivery thereof (18/27). In essence, if the adult learner considers that the potential learning opportunity is not transferable to the workplace, is not satisfied, or perceives it as inadequate at providing improvement to their problem solving capabilities could ultimately diminish their motivation to participate. Goal and relevancy orientation – Q3, Q4, Q5, Q9, Q11, Q16, Q20, Q23, Q25 and Q27 External expectations – Q8, Q12, Q21 and Q24 As these last two dimensions, respectively and comparatively, share a greater degree of similarity they will be interpretatively combined and presented together. Looking at these from a political perspective; the demand for lifelong learning to have greater prevalence in society sets an industry standard that demands conformity to it. Subsequently, this appears to facilitate the re/co-construction of self-directedness and the personal interests of adult learners’ so that they begin to mirror ‘what is required of them’; which is indicative of a cost-benefit/mean-ends analysis. Therefore, some adult learners’ might be so focussed or motivated on getting the qualification that they adjust their sense of self-direction in order to reorganise their lives and satisfy what is required of them i.e. Mutability for the betterment of self. It could also be suggested that the pressure too have certain qualifications encourages participatory behaviour in some adult learners’ and determines the relative conformity to industry demands and learning the required skills i.e. something they adapt to rather than adapted for them (Q8, Q9 and Q10). Conformity, in this sense, would then act as a pre-determinant to achievement; the perception of economic sustainability and upward mobility and what value, and relevance, learning has. Not surprisingly, this could be one reason why thousands of people leave their jobs: they only took the job because it is what was demanded of them, which is in direct conflict with their personal interests, self-directedness and life goals. Which also illustrates that cognition can be influenced by social interaction and be co/re-constructed by experience and meaning-made. The questionnaire included items that let the participant assess the value and relevance they attribute to learning as an adult. The overall strength of this agreement was guided by their experiences as an adult learner. However, some of the diagnostic questions seemed to be complex and ask two things of the participant. As this is a major source of error (Hammersley et al., 2003) the validity of those questions will be scrutinised as the participants may have weighted one aspects of the complex question more important than the other aspect, hence, an adumbrated response i.e. a decrease in validity. However, all of the responses were reduced to one mean average for that individual question, and as these were pooled from the four themes that characterise adult learners’ it reduced sampling error and bias. Furthermore, as there was a two stage analysis in phase one the validity of the research instrument is strengthened; especially when we factor in the use of the SDR measure to control for bias (Nederhof, 1985) and the encouragement of omission (Hammersley et al., 2003) when the participant had no opinion. What we cannot suggest at this stage of the analysis, however, is that the shared experience led to a shared meaning. As Denscombe (1999) ascertained; the perceptions of the individual are not always consistent with the general consensus view (Brockmann, 2011) of the group as a whole. This extends to the meaning-made and the individual nature of the meaning-making process. The surveyed group cultivated differing levels of relevance and value from their shared experiences. But, this was seemingly determined by the level of relevance and value that was extrapolated from their continued participation. Hence, the individual agency of meaning-making is an outcome of the level of value and relevance attributed to the shared experiences of learning as an adult, the level of satisfaction and a sense of mutability for the betterment of self. Phase 2: Narrative of Qualitative data Before the triangulation, constant comparison and content analysis the researcher must point out that (1) this was a small scale study, (2) the interviews was held in a small group so full disclosure by each participant was not always possible and (3) the results should not be over generalised to other adult learning situations. All that is being sought is an insight in to the connectivity of socio-cognitive interactivity and the subsequent influence on representative individuality; the multidimensionality of participatory behaviour and what the adults felt their motivations for returning to education were and still are. This should (1) map the external/internal influences on the adult learner; (2) expose the dimensions behind this seeming connectivity of socio-cognitive interactivity that create the potential/s for designated types of action i.e. Multimodal Heuristics and (3) if the analysis supports the researcher’s theory and the adult learning theories that feature in this enquiry. Some of the interviewee’s shared a meaning to one degree, but had a different meaning-making process before reaching that decision; the salient feature was a shared-meaning in a shared-goal in reaching university or attending a higher level course from the successful completion of the current course of study. This gave them a common ground on which to build upon ‘what learning means’ to them on an individual basis whilst allowing the shared-meaning element distinguish and define their individual social relationships in the class; whom they sought clarification from; what level of involvement they chose and what comparative judgements they begin to make on others in the session/s. Walter: â€Å"Well I think if you do†¦ I think if you do†¦like, we are social people, things†¦we are social and that’s that, that’s what we are†¦we are designed to be social people, if we exclude ourselves we do not, you know, we lose all basic human function, it’s like the guy at the front, you know he doesn’t †¦ he can exclude himself, he doesn’t do anything, he doesn’t enjoy being here, doesn’t have any excitement about coming and learning†¦if you exclude yourself from everyone else you’ll probably not learn!† Serena: â€Å"I like learning with a group but then it’s dependent on what I do with that information†¦but when it’s writing things down or posters and stuff I can’t have other people touching.† This illustrates that the need to feel self-directed and sometimes being free from outside interference is just one of the commonalities we start to see in the participants responses. Although, some of the interviewee’s do highlight that; Sally: â€Å"I came because I needed to do it, but now I quite, I’ve more motivation to do it because I enjoy it.† Therefore, the individual agency of meaning-making is, not only an outcome of the level of value and relevance attributed to the shared experiences of learning as an adult, the level of satisfaction and a sense of mutability for the betterment of self, but also the means/ends-cost/benefit interconnectivity seen in their decision-making process i.e. motivated to do it and their continued participation in the session/s that seemingly contributes further to the mutability for the betterment of self in these adult learners. The individual meaning-made is a product of these connective interactivities varying – and individually decided – high/low levels of cost/benefit the course has and what perceived means/end reward the course provides for successful completion i.e. the multimodal heuristic factors that led to participatory behaviour and satisfaction. The shared-meaning is an accidental affinity that becomes synchronous with other people that are pursuing a similar goal as them. This suggests that they share similar educational values and relevancies due to their common or shared goals. The shared-meaning dimensions presumably start to mediate the differing high/low connective interactivity level in the cost/benefit and means/end analyses. Furthermore, this also starts to define and distinguish individual social relationships; who we seek advice and clarification from; what level of involvement we chose and what comparative judgements we make on others i.e. asynchronous affinity with others. The comments from these interviewee’s also highlights the need to feel proficient and competent about the material in the course and where they culture this confidence. It seems the more confident the adult learner gets about understanding the material and being able to discuss, question and seek clarification on their understanding the more proficient and competent they feel. This bolsters their feelings of satisfaction and adds to their motivation to continue through reducing the physical and mental sense of effort i.e. cost and/or means and increasing the perception of benefit cultured from continuation in the session/s. e.g. internal expectations and social relationships. This could be defined as a beneficial compromise for the betterment of self being the mediation of the perceived value social contact offers in raising confidence, increasing feelings of proficiency and reducing our fear of incompetency. The commentaries also point toward Margin theory (Gibbons Bylsma, 1984) in the manner of how ‘power’ and ‘load’ i.e. the amount we can manage is balanced with the effort we can assign to it and ‘expansive’ and ‘restrictive’ perceptions of future time i.e. the older you are the more urgent something becomes also contributes to the motivations of the adult learner (Gibbons Bylsma, 1984). So, is motivation the product of a restrictive ‘future time’ perspective creating a behaviourally urgent response to the realisation of your current educational inequities; therefore, adding to the perception of the reduction in opportunities for sustaining economic upward mobility? For example the following conversation illustrates the reasoning behind this question; Researcher: ‘so does anyone find, you know, that helps them decide to do a course, or, was it a combination of both things were like valuable and relevant to you as well?’ Walter: ‘Yeah, yeah†¦that’s the reason I’m here, you know you can’t get a well-paid job without English and Maths!’ Leroy: †¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢and without those I can’t precede on to university’ Researcher: ‘So you can see the as an industry standard kind of then?’ Walter: ‘Yeah, this is the industry standard’ Researcher: ‘So to actually progress you need these things to progress?’ Walter: ‘Yeah†¦yeah†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Leroy: ‘Like to myself, like to have this qualification would make me feel better about it†¦but,’ Researcher: ‘Yeah†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ Leroy: ‘†¦it’s a requirement’ Researcher: ‘yeah like a stepping stone’ Leroy: ‘yeah.’ Therefore, these adult learners’ may just see the benefit of having the qualification to progress beyond where they are now. This could also suggest that these adults’ are fully aware that the ‘real world’ applicability of certain subjects are determined by the industry demand for that subject, making a qualification economically more relevant and valuable to these adult learners’. We could theorise that society has a shared understanding about what industry requires of the workforce and how this requirement places a demand on the learner to rearrange their lives in order to participate in learning. Therefore, shared meaning in society could be facilitated by a shared understanding of what it demands of society, which supports the theory that adult learners’ must assign more personal relevance, value and expectations of satisfaction to learning before there is the motivation to return to education i.e. is there a beneficial compromise between what I want and what they require. And as can be seen in the descriptive analysis of Q20, Q21 and Q22.These questions relate to social influence and societies perception of value and relevance assigned to learning. The adult learner agrees that the decision to attend a course of study was suggested to them (Q20) and that this social influence/encouragement essentially provides the persuasive reinforcement to their implicit understanding that; learning increases an adult’s chances of employment (Q21). The adult learners’ also feel that the support they receive from the different sources of this social influence/encouragement is at a level which permits their participation on the course of study. We could again theorise that an individual knows what is demanded of them in the employment market, but they seek confirmation on what they already know. This suggests that ‘meaning’ is socially co/re-constructed by the individual seeking confirmation on their present understanding in order to reinforce their decision, and by way of, increase motivation to return to learning. Furthermore, the adult learners’ do not feel they have to make allowances to attend a course, as long as the scheduled session/s is at a convenient time for them to attend i.e. the conscious effort to avoid the conflicts between personal obligations and scheduled session/s. Moreover, showing that, for these adult learners’, the course of study has value and is personally and economically relevant to them. And as it was outlined in the ‘Theory Development’ section of this report; we can compare the assessment of value and relevance to Gustafsson & Mouwitz (2008) description of Proficiency Theory, and, means-end and cost-benefit analyses to McClusky’s Margin Theory (1974, as quoted in Gibbons Bylsma 1984). These theories emphasize a need to be competent at tasks’ whilst being realistic about certain physical, mental and social capabilities. Moreover, because the theories that were used in this study have overlapping dimensions (e.g. Q3, Q4 and Q12 overlap Social contact and Relationships; Goal and Relevancy orientation and External Expectations) with each dimension seemingly providing a piece to the decisional mà ©lange that affects the internal expectations i.e. individual agency of the adult learner. We could therefore suggest that Multimodal Heuristics and co/re-constructive social influence, not only becomes more evident when motivation towards participation is being established and/or maintained, but may also be one of the key components in the processes that assist the transformation of identity. Hence, as a sense of belonging, competency, proficiency and satisfaction are valued and relevant to the adult learner and evolve as they evolve; as do their identities. Equally, in a sociocultural ontology progress in learning is viewed along trajectories of participation and growth of identity, so both competency and belonging matter in understanding learning. It is for these reasons that a sociocultural ontology describes learning as a transformation of identity. And as the report is looking at the macro and micro-structural influences on the adult learner and how that comes to mediate and motivate them toward participation we can suggest quite firmly that identity transformation is closely tied to multimodal heuristics which is apparently mediated by a co/re-construction between the connectivity of social/cognitive interactivity thus having an impact on the identity formation of the adult learner. So the relevancy and value that is selected from external sources is fragmentally factored from differing micro and macro-structural influences and negotiated in to cognitive constructs i.e. internally mediated hence facilitating the decisional components that create the motivation for, and support continued participation towards, designated types of action. Discussion, implications and conclusions So, are social contact and relationships the result of synchronous affinities? Is the use of multimodal heuristics an actual contributor to identity transformation? All that can be suggested is that the results support the theory of multimodal heuristics and the connectivity of interactivity and imply that motivation is established through the individual deliberately, and sometimes vicariously, extracting information from these proximal and distal influences. Hence, social/cognitive collocation comes to, not only reinforce their decision to participate in designated types of action, but also – to a greater or lesser extent – impacts upon the transformation of identity. But, we must keep in mind that this is paralleled with a balance between the beneficial compromises for the betterment of self and the perceived value social contact i.e. belonging offers in raising confidence, increasing feelings of proficiency and reducing the fear of incompetency. The real implication of these results is the noticeable benefit of informal conversations being used to reinforce learnt knowledge. The participants suggest that more time for reflection and confirmation would go some way to aiding the retention of new information, how the information actually relates to their personal circumstances and how this also contributes to feelings of belonging, proficiency, competency and feelings of increased confidence. For example; Walter : â€Å"†¦if you have a conversation with someone, say after this class, you’ll remember that conversation better than you would, you know than someone standing at the front of the class going ‘this guy wrote this poem about this† And like the small child that is afraid of ‘shadow monsters’ and leaves the light on; the sessions could benefit from the incorporation of small group/whole class learning reinforcement dyads of informal conversations. This would then start to determine the level of commitment and motivation (Park & Choi 2009) that is ascribed to the retention of relevant and valuable information (Gibbons Bylsma, 1984; p. 23), and further contribute to the ease of transfer/retrieval of the current learning material/s and any new information (Ekey 2012). In conclusion, if adults are autonomous, self-directed and pursue their personal interests and goals then; when an adult decides to return to education the course of study must display a greater degree of relevance to the adults. If the course of study is perceived as having relevance, it (1) fulfils their need for feeling autonomous, (2) allows the adult to make an informed decision as to the value it has, (3) contributes to the continuation of feelings of self-directedness and (4) also contributes to their perceptions of being closer to achieving their goals’; thus adding value. Especially when we factor in that adult learners’ are complying with requirements’ laid down by someone else and may need to reorganise multiple obligations and competing priorities in order to participate. Another reason that these adult learners’ generally value the social interaction, support and reciprocal respect they receive whilst attending a course of study. Hence, the sense of belonging would be enhanced if there were more opportunities for interaction. Therefore, creating more opportunities for reflection between learners’ could, not only, reinforce learning, but also support the feelings of belonging through increasing the opportunities for discussion on how the material covered in that session/s contextually relates to them. Moreover, focussing on enhancing feelings of proficiency by allowing the adult learner to co/re-construct their current understanding through reflecting upon it with learners’ that share the same learning experience and synchronous and asynchronous affinities. References Abdullah, M, Parasuraman, B, Muniapan, B, Koren, S & Jones, ML. (2008) ‘Motivating factors associated with adult participation in distance learning program’ International Education Studies, 1 (4), pp. 104-109. [online] http://ro.uow.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1569&context=commpapers&sei-redir=1&referer=http%3A%2 ‘Mutual Research Designs: Redefining Mixed Methods Research Design’, pp. 29 – 35, Taken from ERCM (2007) ‘6th European Conference on Research Methodology for Business and Management Studies’ Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Lisbon [online] http://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=VtYcSTUV0nQC&oi=fnd&pg=PA29&dq=bryman+pragmatism+%22multi+methods%22&ots=bC6CHJujM9&sig=sWf3Hfxlkrz-79fe5K0eGeqLI3M#v=onepage&q&f=false (accessed on 18/06/2013) Aronson, E., Wilson. T. D. and Akert, R. M. (2005) ‘Social Psychology’, 5th Edition, New Jersey, Pearson Education Inc, Cpt. 3, pp. 59 – 61, Cpt. 3 pp. 57 – 64, Cpt. 3, pp. 74 – 75 Brannen, J. (2005) ‘Mixed methods research: a discussion paper’, ESRC National Centre for Research Methods, Review Paper 5. [online] http://eprints.ncrm.ac.uk/89/1/MethodsReviewPaperNCRM-005.pdf (accessed on 01/08/2013) Brockmann, M. (2011) ‘Problematizing short-term participant observation and multi-method ethnographic studies’, Ethnography and Education, vol. 6, no. 2, pp. 229–43. [online] http://www.tandfonline.com.libezproxy.open.ac.uk/doi/pdf/10.1080/17457823.2011.587361 (accessed 18/04/2013) taken from The Open University (2013) ‘E891 Action 3.10: Short term Ethnography; Part 3: Research design and data production, Milton Keynes, The Open University Bryman, A. (2006) ‘integrating quantitative and qualitative research: how it is done?’ Sage Publications, London, vol. 6(1) 97–113. [online]

Alcuin and Charlemagne

Charlemagne was the king of the Franks from 768 to 814. He was known to be the most powerful Christian ruler and brought success to his country. Charlemagne was well educated and good looking. His strong voice allowed him to express what he had to say in a very eloquent manner. He was most famous for doubling the territory that his father had previously conquered. With his determination and persistence, Charlemagne became one of the most dignified rulers of the early middle ages. Charlemagnes determination allowed him to expand his empire.He undertook 54 military campaigns during his rule. He also lead his armies into Italy to conquer the Lombard State. His army also invaded the land of the Bavarians and took them under control. During his rule, Charlemagne insisted the Saxons convert to Christianity and soon took them over. In turn, adding more land to the growing Carolingian empire. (Speilvogel p. 138) An interesting characteristic of Charlemagne was his strong desire to learn. He studied foreign languages such as Latin and Greek. He learned from excellent scholars such as Peter of Pisa and Alcuin of York.Charlemagne established a palace school and encouraged other scholars from across Europe to come to the Carolingian court. He focused learning about liberal arts also took lessons in grammar. Charlemagnes love of learning inspired others to obtain educations and maintained the intellectual life of the Catholic church. (Speilvogel p140-141) (Einhard: Life of Charlemagne) Not only was Charlemagne good at conquering land but he also did very well at governing the land he conquered. He was a clever ruler and knew he had to keep the nobles in his service.To do this he granted part of the royal lands as lifetime holdings to nobles who assisted him. Charlemagne also knew that he could not let the counts gain more power then him. To hold more control over his kingdom, Charlemagne required counts to serve outside their own family lands. He also sent out â€Å"messen gers of the lord king† to check on the counts and make sure they were following the kings demands. One last thing that Charlemagne realized was the valuable assistance that the Catholic church could provide for him. He decided to create new bishoprics and archbishoprics while restoring old ones. Speilvogel p. 138-139) Charlemagne made many accomplishments during his rule. His first and biggest accomplishment was increasing the Frank Kingdom. His territory stretched over the majority of Europe. Charlemagne was able to subdue the barbarous tribes in Germany which was something other Kings could not accomplish. He also made good relationships with emperors of Constantinople. Being a devote Christian, Charlemagne built the beautiful church at Aix-la-Chapelle. Finally, Charlemagne took care of the poor in his country and sent money to the poor in other countries. (Speilvogel p. 139)As you can see, Charlemagne had many characteristics of a successful ruler. He was determine expand h is empire and he did. He also was good at governing his people. Charlemagne was very well educated and it showed through when whenever he spoke with eloquence. Also, Charlemagne was able to make constant accomplishments such as working on the Church reform, taking care of the poor, and building good relationships with other countries. Charlemagne was so respected that even the Pope called upon him to help during the Roman rebellion. All of these things are what made Charlemagne one of the greatest Kings of all time.

American Civil War in the West - 1863-1865

American Civil War in the West - 1863-1865 The Tullahoma Campaign As Grant was conducting operations against Vicksburg, the American Civil War in the West continued in Tennessee. In June, after pausing in Murfreesboro for nearly six months, Maj. Gen. William Rosecrans began moving against Gen. Braxton Braggs Army of Tennessee at Tullahoma, TN. Conducting a brilliant campaign of maneuver, Rosecrans was able to turn Bragg out of several defensive positions, forcing him to abandon Chattanooga and driving him from the state. Battle of Chickamauga Reinforced by Lt. Gen. James Longstreets corps from the Army of Northern Virginia and a division from Mississippi, Bragg laid a trap for Rosecrans in the hills of northwestern Georgia. Advancing south, the Union general encountered Braggs army at Chickamauga on September 18, 1863. Fighting began in earnest the following day when Union Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas attacked Confederate troops on his front. For most of the day, fighting surged up and down the lines with each side attacking and counterattacking. On the morning of the 20th, Bragg attempted to flank Thomas position at Kelly Field, with little success. In response to the failed attacks, he ordered a general assault on the Union lines. Around 11:00 AM, confusion led to a gap opening in the Union line as units were shifted to support Thomas. As Maj. Gen. Alexander McCook was attempting to plug the gap, Longstreets corps attacked, exploiting the hole and routing the right wing of Rosecrans army. Retreating with his men, Rosecrans departed the field leaving Thomas in command. Too heavily engaged to withdrawal, Thomas consolidated his corps around Snodgrass Hill and Horseshoe Ridge. From these positions his troops beat off numerous Confederate assaults before falling back under the cover of darkness. This heroic defense earned Thomas the moniker The Rock of Chickamauga. In the fighting, Rosecrans suffered 16,170 casualties, while Braggs army incurred 18,454. Siege of Chattanooga Stunned by the defeat at Chickamauga, Rosecrans retreated all the way back to Chattanooga. Bragg followed and occupied the high ground around the city effectively putting the Army of the Cumberland under siege. To the west, Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant was resting with his army near Vicksburg. On October 17, he was given command of the Military Division of the Mississippi and control of all Union armies in the West. Moving quickly, Grant replaced Rosecrans with Thomas and worked to reopen supply lines to Chattanooga. This done, he shifted 40,000 men under Maj. Gens. William T. Sherman and Joseph Hooker east to reinforce the city. As Grant was pouring troops into the area, Bragg numbers were reduced when Longstreets corps was ordered away for a campaign around Knoxville, TN. Battle of Chattanooga On November 24, 1863, Grant began operations to drive Braggs army away from Chattanooga. Attacking at dawn, Hookers men drove Confederate forces from Lookout Mountain south of the city. Fighting in this area ended around 3:00 PM when ammunition ran low and a heavy fog enveloped the mountain, earning the fight the nickname Battle Above the Clouds. At the other end of the line, Sherman advanced taking Billy Goat Hill at the north end of the Confederate position. The following day, Grant planned for Hooker and Sherman to flank Braggs line, allowing Thomas to advance up the face of Missionary Ridge in the center. As the day progressed, the flank attacks became bogged down. Feeling that Bragg was weakening his center to reinforce his flanks, Grant ordered Thomas men to move forward to assault the three lines of Confederate trenches on the ridge. After securing the first line, they were pinned down by fire from the remaining two. Rising up, Thomas men, without orders, pressed on up the slope, chanting Chickamauga! Chickamauga! and broke the center of Braggs lines. With no choice, Bragg ordered the army to retreat back to Dalton, GA. As a result of his defeat, President Jefferson Davis relieved Bragg and replaced him with Gen. Joseph E. Johnston. Changes in Command In March 1964, President Abraham Lincoln promoted Grant to lieutenant general and placed him in supreme command of all Union armies. Departing Chattanooga, Grant turned over command to Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman. A long-time and trusted subordinate of Grants, Sherman immediately made plans for driving on Atlanta. His command consisted of three armies which were to operate in concert: the Army of the Tennessee, under Maj. Gen. James B. McPherson, the Army of the Cumberland, under Maj. Gen. George H. Thomas, and the Army of the Ohio, under Maj. Gen. John M. Schofield. The Campaign for Atlanta Moving southeast with 98,000 men, Sherman first encountered Johnstons 65,000-man army near Rocky Face Gap in northwest Georgia. Maneuvering around Johnstons position, Sherman next met the Confederates at Resaca on May 13, 1864. After failing to break Johnstons defenses outside the town, Sherman again marched around his flank and forced the Confederates to fall back. Through the remainder of May, the Sherman steadily maneuvered Johnston back towards Atlanta with battles occurring at Adairsville, New Hope Church, Dallas, and Marietta. On June 27, with the roads too muddy to steal a march on the Confederates, Sherman attempted to attack their positions near Kennesaw Mountain. Repeated assaults failed to take the Confederate entrenchments and Shermans men fell back. By July 1, the roads had improved allowing Sherman to again move around Johnstons flank, dislodging him from his entrenchments. The Battles for Atlanta On July 17, 1864, tired of Johnstons constant retreats, President Jefferson Davis gave command of the Army of Tennessee to the aggressive  Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood. The new commanders first move was to  attack Thomas army near Peachtree Creek, northeast of Atlanta. Several determined assaults struck the Union lines, but were ultimately all repulsed. Hood next withdrew his forces to the inner defenses of the city hoping Sherman would follow and open himself up to attack. On July 22, Hood  assaulted McPhersons Army of the Tennessee  on the Union left. After the attack achieved initial success, rolling up the Union line, it was stopped by massed artillery and counterattacks. McPherson was killed in the fighting and replaced with  Maj. Gen. Oliver O. Howard. Unable to penetrate the Atlanta defenses from the north and east, Sherman moved to the west of the city but was blocked by the Confederates at  Ezra Church  on July 28. Sherman next decided to force Hood from Atlanta by cutting the railroads and supply lines into the city. Pulling almost of his forces from around the city, Sherman marched on Jonesborough to the south. On August 31, Confederate troops  attacked the Union position  but were easily driven away. The next day Union troops counterattacked and broke through the Confederate lines. As his men fell back, Hood realized that the cause was lost and began evacuating Atlanta on the night of September 1. His army retreated west towards Alabama. In the campaign, Shermans armies suffered 31,687 casualties, while the Confederates under Johnston and Hood had 34,979. Battle of Mobile Bay As Sherman was closing in on Atlanta, the US Navy was conducting operations against Mobile, AL. Led by  Rear Admiral David G. Farragut, fourteen wooden warships and four monitors ran past Forts Morgan and Gaines at the mouth of Mobile Bay and attacked the ironclad  CSS  Tennessee  and three gunboats. In doing so, they passed near a torpedo (mine) field, which claimed the monitor USS  Tecumseh. Seeing the monitor sink, the ships in front of Farraguts flagship paused, causing him to famously exclaim Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead! Pressing on into the bay, his fleet captured CSS  Tennessee  and closed the port to Confederate shipping. The victory, coupled with the fall of Atlanta, greatly aided Lincoln in his reelection campaign that November. Franklin Nashville Campaign While Sherman rested his army at Atlanta, Hood planned a new campaign designed to cut the Union supply lines back to Chattanooga. He moved west into Alabama hoping to draw Sherman into following, before turning north towards Tennessee. To counter Hoods movements, Sherman dispatched Thomas and Schofield back north to protect Nashville. Marching separately, Thomas arrived first. Hood seeing that the Union forces were divided, moved to defeat them before they could concentrate. Battle of Franklin On November 29, Hood nearly trapped Schofields force near Spring Hill, TN, but the Union general was able to extricate his men from the trap and reach Franklin. Upon arriving they occupied fortifications on the outskirts of town. Hood arrived the following day and launched a massive frontal assault on the Union lines. Sometimes referred to as the Picketts Charge of the West, the attack was repulsed with heavy casualties and six Confederate generals dead. Battle of Nashville The victory at Franklin allowed Schofield to reach Nashville and rejoin Thomas. Hood, despite the wounded condition of his army, pursued and arrived outside the city on December 2. Safe in the citys defenses, Thomas slowly prepared for the upcoming battle. Under tremendous pressure from Washington to finish off Hood, Thomas finally attacked on December 15. Following two days of assaults, Hoods army crumbled and dissolved, effectively destroyed as a fighting force. Shermans March to the Sea With Hood occupied in Tennessee, Sherman planned his campaign to take Savannah. Believing the Confederacy would only surrender if its capacity for making war was destroyed, Sherman ordered his troops to conduct a total scorched earth campaign, destroying everything in their path. Departing Atlanta on November 15, the army advanced in two columns under  Maj. Gens. Henry Slocum  and Oliver O. Howard. After cutting a swath across Georgia, Sherman arrived outside of Savannah on December 10. Making contact with the US Navy, he demanded the citys surrender. Rather than capitulate,  Lt. Gen. William J. Hardee  evacuated the city and fled north with the garrison. After occupying the city, Sherman telegraphed Lincoln, I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the City of Savannah... The Carolinas Campaign and the Final Surrender With Savannah captured, Grant issued orders for Sherman to bring his army north to aid in the  siege of Petersburg. Rather than travel by sea, Sherman proposed marching overland, laying waste to the Carolinas along the way. Grant approved and Shermans 60,000-man army moved out in January 1865, with the goal of capturing Columbia, SC. As Union troops entered South Carolina, the first state to secede, no mercy was given. Facing Sherman was a reconstituted army under his old adversary, Joseph E. Johnston, who seldom had more than 15,000 men. On February 10, Federal troops entered Columbia and burned everything of military value. Pushing north, Shermans forces encountered Johnstons small army at  Bentonville, NC on March 19. The Confederates launched five attacks against the Union line to no avail. On the 21st, Johnston broke off contact and retreated towards Raleigh. Pursuing the Confederates, Sherman finally compelled Johnston to agree to an armistice at Bennett Place near Durham Station, NC on April 17. After negotiating surrender terms, Johnston capitulated on the 26th. Coupled with  Gen. Robert E. Lees  surrender on the 9th, the surrender effectively ended the Civil War.

Implementing a Successful Tutoring Business Plan

Implementing a Successful Tutoring Business Plan So youve decided to start a tutoring business and youve already envisioned what you business will look like, who your potential clients will be, how much to charge, and where and when to schedule your tutoring sessions. Now Im ready to discuss how to handle the time in between your initial conversation with the client and the first tutoring session with your new student. Again, think Big Picture and think RESULTS. - What are your short- and long-term goals for this particular student? Why is his/her parent hiring you at this time? What results will the parent expect to see from their child? When parents send their children to public schools, they sometimes have lowered expectations because the education is free and the teachers have so many other students to work with. With tutoring, parents are shelling out hard-earned cash on a minute-by-minute basis and they want to see results. If they feel that you arent working productively with their child, you wont last long as their tutor and your reputation will suffer. Always keep that goal in mind before every session. Aim to make specific progress during each and every hour of tutoring. Facilitate an Initial Meeting. - If at all possible, Id recommend using your first session as a getting-to-know-you and goal-setting meeting with yourself, the student, and at least one of the parents.Take copious notes during this conversation. Here are some of the things you should discuss at this initial meeting:Clarify the parents expectations. Tell them a little about your lesson ideas and long-term strategies. Outline your invoicing and payment plans. Solicit tips for how best to work with the students strengths and weaknesses. Inquire about what strategies have worked in the past and also which ones havent worked. Ask if its OK to contact the students teacher for additional insight and progress reports. If it is, secure the contact information and follow-through at a later time. Ask for any materials that might be helpful for your sessions. Ensure that the session location will be quiet and conducive to studying. Let the parents know what you will require of them in order to maximize the effectiveness of your work. Clarify whether you should assign homework in addition to the homework the student will already have from regular school. Set Up the Ground Rules. - Just like in the regular classroom, students want to know where they stand with you and whats expected of them. Similar to the first day of school, discuss your rules and expectations, while letting the student know a little bit about you. Tell them how to handle their needs during the sessions, such as if they need a drink of water or to use the restroom. This is particularly important if you are tutoring in your own home, rather than the students, because the student is your guest and will likely be uncomfortable at first. Encourage the student to ask as many questions as he or she needs to. This is one of the main benefits of one-on-one tutoring, of course. Stay Focused and On Task Every Minute. - Time is money with tutoring. As you get rolling with the student, set the tone for productive meetings where every minute counts. Keep the conversation focused on the work at hand and hold the student tightly accountable for the quality of his/her work. Consider Implementing a Form of Parent-Tutor Communication. - The parents want to know what youre doing with the student each session and how it relates to the goals you set. Consider communicating with the parents on a weekly basis, perhaps through email. Alternatively, you can type up a little half-sheet form where you can write some informative notes and have the student bring it home to his/her parents after each session. The more you communicate, the more your clients will see you as on-the-ball and worth their financial investment. Set Up a Tracking and Invoicing System. - Carefully track each hour for each client. I keep a paper calendar where I daily write down my tutoring hours. I de cided to invoice on the 10th of each month. I acquired an invoice template through Microsoft Word and I send out my invoices over email. I request payment by check within 7 days of the invoice. Stay Organized and Youll Stay Productive. - Make a folder for each student where you will keep their contact information, as well as any notes about what youve already done with them, what you observe during your session, and what you plan to do in future sessions. That way, when your next session with that student approaches, youll have a shorthand for knowing where you left off and what comes next. Consider your cancellation policy. - Children are so busy today and so many families are mixed and extended and not living all under the same roof. This makes for complicated situations. Emphasize to the parents how important it is to attend each session on time and without too many cancellations or changes. I instituted a 24-hour cancellation policy where I reserve the right to charge the full hourly rate if a session is canceled on short notice. For reliable clients who rarely cancel, I might not exercise this right. For troublesome clients who always seem to have an excuse, I have th is policy in my back pocket. Use your best judgment, allow some leeway, and protect yourself and your schedule. Put Your Clients Contact Information in Your Cell Phone. - You never know when something will come up and you will need to contact a client. When youre working for yourself, you need to maintain control over your situation, your schedule, and any extenuating factors. Its your name and reputation that are on the line. Treat your tutoring business with seriousness and diligence and youll go far. If you decide that tutoring is for you, I wish you lots of luck and I hope all of these tips have been helpful to you!

Flower Shop Chemistry Magic Trick - Violets

Flower Shop Chemistry Magic Trick - Violets In this chemistry magic trick, youll produce the odor of violets by mixing two common chemicals. This demonstration is also known as the flower shop magic trick. Odor of Violets - Materials Sodium carbonate and castor oil are sold at many stores. Sodium carbonate is used in cooking and as a water softener. Castor oil usually is sold in the pharmacy section. sodium carbonate [buy online]castor oil [buy online] Perform the Trick This is a terrific chemistry demonstration because the materials are common and inexpensive and its extremely quick and easy to perform: In a dry test tube or small beaker, add a scoop of sodium carbonate and 3 drops of castor oil.Heat the container in a burner flame or on a hot plate until a cloud of white vapor rises from the chemicals.Walk around the room with the glassware to allow the fragrance to dissipate. The odor of violets is evident. How It Works When sodium carbonate and castor oil are heated together, one of the products is ionone. Although it is a simple demonstration, this is a fairly complicated reaction, in which citral and acetone with calcium oxide catalyze an aldol condensation followed by a rearrangement reaction. A mixture of alpha and beta ionone is responsible for the characteristic odor of violets. Beta ionone is a component of the fragrance responsible for the scent of roses, too. Natural or synthetic ionone is used in many perfumes and flavorings. In flowers, ionones derive from the degradation of carotenoids, which are pigment molecules. An interesting property of violets is that they are responsible for another type of chemical magic. Violets temporarily steal your sense of smell! Initially, ionone binds to scent receptors and stimulates them, so you smell the odor of violets. Then, for a few moments, the receptors are unable to receive further stimulus. You lose awareness of the fragrance, only to regain it when it registers as a new smell. Whether you like the scent of violets or not, its a scent that cant become overpowering or fade with time. Learn More More Science Magic TricksMake Rose WaterDesign Your Own Perfume

Public health Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 1

Public health - Essay Example It is important for the public to continuously be sensitized on the impact that some of the common lifestyle choices such as physical activity, smoking, nutrition and diet can have on their health resulting in a higher risk of developing medical conditions such as cancer and obesity (Sattar and Lean, 2007). This paper will present a report analysis on the prevalence and impact Smoking, Obesity, Cancer and Physical activity across the United Kingdom. The immense benefits of a physically active lifestyle have been relatively well document and there currently exists a large amount of evidence that suggests that regular activity is closely related to significantly reduced risk of an individual developing a number of chronic conditions. Physical activity has repeatedly been shown to contribute to a wide range of health benefits and engaging in regular physical activity can have the effect of improving the health outcomes of an individual regardless of whether the individual is able to achieve weight loss (Dugdill, Crone and Murphy, 2009). According to statistics released by the UK Health and Social Care Information Centre (HSCIC, 2014), a study conducted in the UK in 2012 found that an estimated 55% of women and 67% of men aged 16 years and over were able to meet the prescribed recommendations of aerobic activity while 26% of women and 19% of men were classified as being largely inactive. These figures are seen to be similar to those presented by in a 2013 press release by the UK Public Health Minister Anna Soubry. In the press release, pointed out that a quarter of the population are not doing even 30 min of physical activity a week and as such, these individuals are putting their health at risk (Department of Health, 2013). The survey by the HSCIC (2014) also showed that for both sexes the actual proportion of individuals that are able to meet the aerobic activity guidelines tends to generally decrease with age. The

What are the problems of Porters Diamond when applied to an Essay

What are the problems of Porters Diamond when applied to an International Business - Essay Example Several problems arise while applying this theory to international businesses. But, before analyzing the problems that are being faced in case of applying Porter Diamond theory, it is necessary provide a brief but clear about this theory. Porter proposed the well-known Diamond Model to assess the level of competitiveness of a nation in the sphere of international business. The thing worth noting in this model is that, the diamond model actually represented quite a different paradigm than what were found in the earlier theories. Smith’s theory of â€Å"Absolute advantage† (Smith, 1776, p. 11) or the â€Å"comparative advantage† theory of Ricardo (Ricardo, 1817, p. 75) put their focus on factors of production of each of the nations – land, labor, capital and natural resources. According to Smith, it’s the total output that determines a nation’s total wealth. Ricardo, on the other hand, argued that instead of productivity of the factors of production, the opportunity cost of the factors determines the advantage that a country enjoys over the other in international business. In 1990, Porter pointed towards a problem regarding the applicability of these two theories in later twent ieth century. When the theories of Adam Smith and Ricardo were proposed in eighteenth and nineteenth century, respectively, only low level of skills were necessary to stand in international competition. During those periods, the principal sources of competitive advantage were natural resources and factors of production. The problem with these theories, as detected by Porter, was that the application of these theories in the modern technologically advanced age of late twentieth century seems to give rise to a number of complicacies. Over the years, technological innovations have taken place in an increasing amount and along with it globalization has also taken place in the markets. As a result, the

Water Quality in the State of Iowa Research Paper

Water Quality in the State of Iowa - Research Paper Example The quality of water that we use for domestic purposes and the one that is on the subsurface, that is, the water found on ponds, streams and other small bodies and is used for activities such as swimming or fishing has to be of proper quality. This is to ensure that it is not hazardous. Various state water departments in the United States strive to ensure that the quality of water being used within their states is high. The Iowa Water Department is an example of this. This paper will be a discussion of water quality in the state of Iowa, focusing on the advantages and disadvantages involved in this topic, together with areas where it can be utilized. The aspect of water quality focuses on household, commercial and the environmental aspect of water. In the state of Iowa, there is the Iowa Water Quality Association whose goal is to help its members provide better water treatment and protect the environment in which they are associated with (Iowa Water Quality Association, p. 1). This i s in a bid to ensure that the quality of water that people use is good and that the environment is protected. To ensure that this is done, various industries that provide water treatment services have to focus on the health needs of the people that may come into contact with the water that they have treated (Iowa Water Quality Association, p. 1). ... Variety is provided due to different consumers’ needs (Iowa Water Quality Association, p. 1). Septic systems are also regulated. There may be occasions where the piping system for water meant for domestic use lies hand in hand with the one for the septic system. Therefore, there are strict guidelines to ensure that contamination does not occur to water that is meant for domestic use in case of any leakages in the septic systems (Iowa Water Quality Association, p. 1). This is to ensure that the water being used for domestic purposes is pure and of good quality. To ensure that all aspects of water quality are enhanced, the department of natural bodies is in place. This looks after the wellbeing of the natural occurring water bodies. These include streams that are sometimes used for boat riding by individuals and ponds that are used for fishing. Since this area are widely visited by families enjoying their free time, it is necessary that the quality of water that is there is good (Iowa Department of Natural Resources, p. 1). Therefore, this department visits such bodies often to ensure that there are no any harmful pathogens. There is the possibility that some industrial waste is released to streams, this could be harmful to the animals that stay in water as well as to the various plants that form the water body biodiversity. These wetlands are inspected regularly to ensure that they are safe. Despite the fact that the quality of water within the state of Iowa is generally good, there is still some form of threat. Small portions of water in the state of Iowa have serious pollution problems (Dillard, p. 1). This mostly emanates from industrial wastes. However, the state tries to ensure that such cases are

Policies of Arab Socialist Regimes and their Successors Essay

Policies of Arab Socialist Regimes and their Successors - Essay Example The Arab socialism was led by President Gammel Abel Nasser while the success regime was led by Anwar Sadat and later the president Hosni Mubarak. Nasser ruled from his time of election in 1956 to his death in 1970. President Hosni Mubarak was elected after the death of his mentor Anwar Sadat. Comparison of the two regimes Mubarak was likened to Abel Nasser is some ways and was different in other factors that that made them different. For instance, Nasser used to make speeches that were scraping more thorns as Hosni did when he assumed the seat. Again, during the tutelage of Arab Socialism under Nasser, the cost of basic commodities was relatively low compared to the transitory regime of Hosni Mubarak. The Nasser and Mubarak regime were characterized by periods when the two leaders were not accepting bribes in the military army. The two leaders never showed any form of favoritism to anyone. At the time of President Nasser the nation was more secure one could walk along the streets without any fear, but at the time of Hosni the country was more insecure (Nordenman, 2012). President Nasser was much loved by the people of Egypt because of his friendly governance to the citizens. Nasser regime enjoyed the greater peace that was prevailing among the Arab nations, and people were much satisfied by political atmosphere of the time. During the time of Mubarak, the country was much insecure because it was a time when Muslim extremists from the army had assassinated the predecessor of President Hosni Mubarak.

Cyberharassment Laws Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cyberharassment Laws - Thesis Example the most imperative issues with the manner these laws have been implemented is the fact that each state has a certain level of uniqueness in relation to the manner these laws have been implemented or applied for instance: In the United States, the penal code in relation to cyber-harassment in Alabama is quite different with cyber-harassment penal code in Alaska. This simply means that these laws differ on their efficacy as well as challenges (Sternberg, 2014). Apart from the United States, other countries that have also implemented cyber-harassment laws, identifying it as a criminal offense is the Republic of Philippines, Canada as well as Australia. It is quite an important issue to investigate in the contemporary society with a purpose of eliminating possible flaws that may be associated with these laws, taking into consideration that communication technologies are replacing traditional modes of communication at an increasing rate (Sternberg, 2014). The concept of cyber-harassment has been described has an act of repeated electronic contacts, driven by the purposes of creating distress on the targeted recipient (Easttom & Taylor, 2011). However, in order to clarify such acts as harassments, most law-makers claim that a reasonable person, possessing similar information, must consider it sufficient to create distress on their targeted recipients. There are certain considerations that have been given a high sense of priority in relation to cyber-harassment. To begin with, targeted victims of cyber-harassment may not even be in a position to determine that they are being subjected under harassment. Additionally, cyber-harassment is usually accomplished through the use of communication technology, mostly through social-communication technologies; this may be undertaken by a group of individuals or in some cases just an individual (Easttom & Taylor, 2011). Sociologists have claimed that actions considered cyber-harassment are inclusi ve of; destruction of data,

Policies of Arab Socialist Regimes and their Successors Essay

Policies of Arab Socialist Regimes and their Successors - Essay Example The Arab socialism was led by President Gammel Abel Nasser while the success regime was led by Anwar Sadat and later the president Hosni Mubarak. Nasser ruled from his time of election in 1956 to his death in 1970. President Hosni Mubarak was elected after the death of his mentor Anwar Sadat. Comparison of the two regimes Mubarak was likened to Abel Nasser is some ways and was different in other factors that that made them different. For instance, Nasser used to make speeches that were scraping more thorns as Hosni did when he assumed the seat. Again, during the tutelage of Arab Socialism under Nasser, the cost of basic commodities was relatively low compared to the transitory regime of Hosni Mubarak. The Nasser and Mubarak regime were characterized by periods when the two leaders were not accepting bribes in the military army. The two leaders never showed any form of favoritism to anyone. At the time of President Nasser the nation was more secure one could walk along the streets without any fear, but at the time of Hosni the country was more insecure (Nordenman, 2012). President Nasser was much loved by the people of Egypt because of his friendly governance to the citizens. Nasser regime enjoyed the greater peace that was prevailing among the Arab nations, and people were much satisfied by political atmosphere of the time. During the time of Mubarak, the country was much insecure because it was a time when Muslim extremists from the army had assassinated the predecessor of President Hosni Mubarak.

American Marriage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

American Marriage - Essay Example American families are just changing as the society around them changes. Initially, marriage was believed to be challenging commitments for both the man and the woman. The man had to work hard in providing for his family, as the woman remained behind to care for both residence and the kids. However, due to apparent global economic crisis that has filtered into American marriage, women no longer remain at home due to the economic demands for their families. Women also strive to provide for their families by going to work just as their husbands. Children too are taken to baby care centers at tender age to keep them busy and away from their parents who are ever busy to make end meet especially during the day. Indeed, this can be seen as an adjustment to the changes in the modern society. It has been argued that marriages are experiencing stress in regard to socialization and communication between spouses and the children as well (Popenoe and Whitehead 146-148). However, there is an emerg ing divergence from traditional face-to-face communication to technologically supported social platforms. Most couples maintain distant relationship where, for instance, a man works in one state and the wife works in another state. The presence of various communication methods such as the social media and mobile phones has, however, improved communication between the two. Therefore, this shift in socialization is just a way of family adaptation and not as a result of stressed marriages (Schwartz and Scott 156-159). Although financial soundness was not valued in the past, it greatly influences marriage in the current society. For instance, the economic status of an individual would greatly affect the quality of the relationship. Financially stable individuals are likely to succeed in a marriage relationship. Arguably, according to Popenoe and Whitehead (146-148), families need to make extra coins today than earlier days. Although this can be viewed as a marriage stressor, it can be a rgued that input of both partners towards the economic prowess is actually an adaptation to the modern challenges. Therefore, marriages are much more likely to survive the test of the financial stressor. Marriage is no longer based on community but solely depend on individuality. However, the modern society has certainly set high standards especially in social, economic, and educational aspects. This causes American families to go an extra mile in meeting these apparent standards. Whereas this could be seen as an overwhelming challenge to the family, societal standards also act as a motivation towards a better family. Therefore, American marriages, in their endeavor to meet these standards, will come out stronger than weak (Graham 9-10). Another important factor affecting modern marriages is the issue of religion. Whereas traditional marriages were largely based on traditional religion, modernity has changed the religious aspect of marriage (Schwartz and Scott 156-159; Graham 8-11). With the uprising of many religious denominations, families experience apparent conflict of religious belief in regard to marriage and family values. However, the fact that modern religion appreciates and upholds the role of the marriage institution is actually a bonus to American marriages. Teachings and trainings on marriages boosts marriages hence making them last longer. Therefore, despite the conflicts acting as a stressing

The Ways Football Has Affected Society Essay Example for Free

The Ways Football Has Affected Society Essay You should answer ALL parts of ALL questions in this booklet. If you need more space for any answer, use the page(s) provided at the back of this booklet and clearly number the question. Check that this booklet has pages 2–11 in the correct order and that none of these pages is blank. YOU MUST HAND THIS BOOKLET TO YOUR TEACHER AT THE END OF THE ALLOTTED TIME. You are advised to spend 60 minutes answering the questions in this booklet. In the box below, name the large natural environment you have studied. Large natural environment: Question One: patterns A large natural environment is a distinctive part of the earth’s surface and is defined by its common characteristics or elements. Each of these characteristics creates patterns on the earth’s surface. Natural characteristics (elements) of an environment include: climate landforms soils vegetation. Circle the TWO natural characteristics from the list above whose patterns you wish to explain in this question. (a) In the box below, draw an annotated sketch map or diagram of your chosen large natural environment to show the patterns created by TWO natural characteristics of your chosen environment. Title: Key: (b) Fully explain the pattern created by EACH natural characteristic from (a) on your large natural environment. Support your answer with detailed evidence. Characteristic 1: Characteristic 2: Question Two: INTERACTIONs The natural environment is constantly evolving as the elements (characteristics) and processes interact with each other. The level of interaction varies in size (scale) over time and from place to place. Natural characteristics (elements) of an environment include: climate landforms soils vegetation. Circle the TWO natural characteristics from the list above whose patterns you wish to explain in this question. Discuss how the interaction between TWO characteristics varies from place to place in your large natural environment. In your answer, you should: explain how the characteristics interact fully explain how the interaction varies in different parts of the large natural environment use specific detailed evidence to support your answer. You may draw diagrams / maps in the box on page 7 to support your answer. Question Three: PerCEPTIONS Different groups of people and individuals perceive the natural environment in different ways. This perception can change over time. People’s perceptions are shaped by their background, their experiences, and their involvement with the particular natural environment. Name TWO different groups OR individuals linked to the large natural environment you have studied. Group / individual 1: Group / individual 2: (a) Complete the table below to show the perception each group / individual held about this large natural environment at TWO different points in time. In your answer, clearly state each point in time you are referring to, and include supporting evidence from your large natural environment. Group / individual Perception Perception 1 Point in time: Point in time: 2 Point in time: Point in time: (b) Fully explain why each group / individual’s perception has changed over time. Use detailed evidence to support your answer. (i) Group / individual 1: (ii) Group / individual 2: Extra paper for continuing your answers, if required. Clearly number the question. Question number Extra paper for continuing your answers, if required. Clearly number the question. Question number

Intensity Of Competitive Rivalry Marketing Essay

Intensity Of Competitive Rivalry Marketing Essay Fraser Neave Holding Bhd has 3 business portfolios which are soft drink, dairies product and property. The soft drink division has developed its own brands such as 100Plus and Seasons. Dairies product division is producing sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, pasteurised milk, UHT milk, juice and ice cream. FN properties is to unlock the value of land acquired and held by the company. There are external environmental factors will affect the company to achieve their mission which catogorized under PEST section. An economic factor affected the company growth which subsidy of sugar is being removed by government. Porters 5 forces used to evaluate the industry competitive environment. There are threat of new entrants, threat of substitute products, bargaining power of buyers, bargaining power of suppliers and Rivalry among existing firm. 100Plus has developed strong brand and gain 88% of market share which posted entry barrier to new entrant. Soft drink and Dairies products are very less degree of differentiation with competitors. Therefore, buyers are allowed to compare product especially price is factor buyers considered the most. Those suppliers who still getting sugar subsidy have greater power because many companies are looking for lower sugar cost. In addition, there are few big players in beverage and dairy product in the industry, the intensity of competition is very strong. GE model was applied to evaluate attractiveness of different business portfolios. Economic was used as industry attractiveness factor and brand strength as business strength. FN properties doesnt have strong brand among the property industry. But the company has strong brand such as 100Plus, Season and also sweetened condensed milk in Malaysia. However, the economic factor wasnt always favourable to all division. Efficiency and Effectiveness in utilizing liabilities in funding related assets of business portfolio is evaluated by ratio analysis. The company portfolios have high current ratio because the liabilities have reduced. And 100Plus has gain over 88% of market share in the isotonic drink segment. Introduction Fraser Neave holding Bhd. (FN) was incorporated at year 1883 when founders John Fraser and David Chalmers Neave formed a company named Singapore Straits Aerated Water Company in Singapore. Few years later, FN was consolidated and enter the food beverage industry. FN has its own vision to become the leading total beverage company in Malaysia and the region and their mission is to be a world-class multinational enterprise providing superior returns to their shareholders, excellent value for their customers and a rewarding career for their employees. FN Company is one of the Malaysia well known beverage company which the famous product is the isotonic drinks 100plus launched at year 1984. FN produce wide range of beverage that can be classified as soft drinks, dairies, non-carbonated beverages as well as separate business property. They were launching the sweetened condensed filled milk in year 1973, and the acquisition of Nestlà ©s canned milk business in Thailand and Malaysia in year 2007. Other than that FN high quality canned milk was also gain excellent reputation in Malaysia. This product is largely use as beverage mixers in coffee, tea and chocolate drinks and now canned milk has successfully to export this product to more than 20 countries around the world. In addition, the halal certification offers strong reassurance to Muslim customers in the growing Halal markets in the Middle East and Africa. FN Company was awarded The Readers Digest Trusted Brand from year 2005 to 2008, Media Magazine Top 1000 Asian Brands 2007 and so on. It proves that their customer was confident when using their products since they are concern about their health and safety quality. FN Company was continuously improve their quality and brands to challenges the marketplace and to become the leader. FN Company is also well-known company that caring about the social environment and working environment. They implemented and executed various environmental stewardship and launched numerous recycling campaigns in schools to inculcate good environmental habits among young people and thus, create awareness on the importance of recycling. FN Company also set-up a RM1.2 million funds named Chairmans Award to encourage educational excellence and to identify high-achievers among children of FN Groups employees. FN Company has accomplished a safety record of zero accident (no loss time accident) accumulated from 1 February 2007 to 21 September 2009 with a total 962 days or 2.3 million working hours. Zero environmental compliance status has achieved. FN Company has three main businesses which are soft drinks, dairy products and property. (Fn.com.my, About us) Soft Drink FN Beverages Marketing Sdn Bhd represent Malaysias largest soft drinks manufacturer and distributor. There are four manufacturing plants nationwide, including its state of the art facility at its headquarters in Shah Alam, Selangor. Their products are 100PLUS, FN Fun Flavours, FN Originals, SEASONS, Ice Mountain and Fruit Tree. The company operated in 1936 when FN Ltd obtained the franchise of Coca-Cola in Singapore and Malaysia. Later that FN Coca-Cola (M) Sdn Bhd (FNCC) was born and license agreement would end in September 2011, the company renamed as FNBM. In Malaysia, 100PLUS is a outstanding local success story, cover 90 percent share of the isotonic drinks market and also the No.1 ready to drink (RTD) brand in Malaysia. For non-carbonated portfolio, SEASONS is currently No.2 in Asian drinks category while Fruit Tree continue to grow within the juice segment. The soft drinks division perform well during the festive periods and continue to pursue world class excellence in distribution so that the products are readily available with focus on market execution. Over the years, FNBM has used few strategic measures that emphasize on its brand presence by invested in advertising and promotions, product availability and operational efficiency. In April 2010, FNBM was selected to become distributor of Red Bull energy drinks in Malaysia and has improved FNBMs beverage portfolio. (Fn.com.my, Soft drink) Dairies Products FN Dairies (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd has produced variety of products such as sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, pasteurised milk, UHT milk, juice and ice cream.In 1959, FNs dairy business had constructed Southeast Asias first sweetened condensed milk plant in Petaling Jaya while joint venture with Beautrice Foods of Chicago, USA. The Carnation Company from US joined the partnership in 1965 to form Premier Milk as the manufacturing arm. The Group continually pursues product innovation and invention, more products adding into portfolio and after that the Group had a successful journey into ice cream business. In 1989, the Group purchased the interests of Beatrice Foods and restructured its dairy operations under FN Dairies (Malaysia) Sdn Bhd. It was expanded further with the acquisition of Magnolia in 1995. In 1998, the Group started its pasteurised business. Today, FNs dairies division has a vision of being Malaysias leading dairy and food marketer with world class products, standards and capabilities forming part and parcel of its offerings. In 2011, FN Dairies (Malaysia) disposed off its entire ice cream business to FN Creameries (M) Sdn Bhd. (Fn.com.my, Dairies Product) Property FN Properties is one of business unit of Fraser Neave Holdings Berhad, the purpose is to further add in value of land acquired and held by the company by developing into real estate property. The very first property developed at Jalan Foss by FN is the former FN factory land that has been developed into for commercial use which called Fraser Business Park. The development is leaded by FNs underlying philosophy which is being socially responsible corporate citizen. The key value of the business unit lies within the emphasizing of creating innovative design with high class application towards the development, leaving its occupant a feel of the modern and future alike features. FN Properties is expected to launch more properties in the future as its properties units are being recognized to be fill with innovative design and product development that particularly focus on FN brand name feature. In the far future, the division will focus on redeveloping of existing Premier Milk plant into a landmark in Petaling Jaya.(Fn.com.my, Property) PEST Mission: To be a world-class multinational enterprise providing superior returns to our shareholders, excellent value for our customers and a rewarding career for our employees. Vision: To become the leading total beverage company in Malaysia and the region. Every company has their mission and vision statement served as overall purpose of business. The mission and vision statement above are set by FN. There are external environmental issues have or will affect FN to achieve their mission. These external environmental issues are being categorized according to PEST(EL) model. PEST(EL) model is to analyze the external environment issues of company. It categorized environment issues into political, economic, social, technological, ecological and legal influences. Economic Improving growth prospect of Malaysia, Thailand and the region brings more income to FN as is signals economy are in good condition and peoples are willing to spend hence will increase sales in that particular region. The growth prospects include rising of Malaysia GDP in year 2010 that is approximately 10% compare to 4.5% in 2009 that rise from some major factor of manufacturing industry production with a double digit growth of 16.9% in year 2010. ASEAN countries are growing quick in their economy thus putting FN a favourable factor in growing of profits.(Annual Report 2009 pg 013) FN has built up positive consumer sentiment to their product. For example 100PLUS, isotonic drink that is specialized for sportsmen to retain the metabolism. It is a concept well-built that it is voted number 1 isotonic drinks in Malaysia since its introduction in 1983. That well-built positive sentiment brings others drinks of FN to be well marketable. It is the consumer sentiment to the products enhance d the profitability factor of FN towards other competitor thus is at an advantage in the market. (Annual Report 2010 pg 043 044) Political Government had put initiative to boost spending of consumer with new economic model (NEM), with this model being pursue, Malaysia economic boost as consumer purchasing power increases and are advised to spend. FN will get benefit by provide goods to be sold to the market hence boosting sales. FN products are all Halal hence are entitled for Halal Hub Tax Incentive. The incentive offered had decreased FN some percentage of tax liability to the government. It made FN more profitable compare to those companies which does not qualified for the incentive. (Annual Report 2011 pg 028) Government has removed subsidy of fuel and sugar has put an impact to FN as most of the FN core businesses needed large amount of sugar which is dairies and soft drink business. The withdrawal of sugar subsidy lower the overall profit of the FN although there is a large improve a sales but the profit doesnt show much improvement as the sugar cost increases. Withdrawals of fuel subsidy did also impact on FN as the cost of their internal and external distribution cost increases thus reduces profit. (Annual Report 2011 pg 037) Technological In the beginning of 2011, FN introduced new product, Ice Mountain and it has faster share gain among bottler waters player which established 5% market share in Malaysia. (Annual Report 2011 pg 035) FN launched new beverage Zesta across Malaysia in October 2011.Zesta has remarkably great tasting berry soda flavored soda. It contents the Guarana tropical berries that originate from Amazon, South America. In addition, Guarana tropical berries invigorate the body and mind. Zesta is an extension of our already large array of FN beverages, a beverage that was initiated to complement our existing range of FN brands, creating a transition vehicle for our growing band of consumers, said Dato Ng Jui Sia, CEO of Fraser Neave Holdings Bhd. FN believes that Zesta is the illustration of growing trends for beverage enhanced soda. (Zesta 2011) Environmental Sichuan Earthquake of May 2008 has caused the raw material cost increase and companys profit is affected. Natural disaster is beyond expectation and control of the company. Profit before interest and tax in 2008 grew only 5%. This environmental factor has affected company to achieve their mission. Natural disaster would serve as obstacle that FN provide superior returns to shareholders. (Annual Report 2008 pg 052) Porters 5 forces Today, Fraser Neave Holdings Bhd (FN) has extended business at more than 20 countries worldwide and established itself as a regional player. So that, FN need use Porters five forces model to analysis and understanding the nature of the competitive environment. FN has a lot of benefits from using Porters five forces model. They can ensure that management considers a wide range of potential impacts when devising strategy. They allow the division of the work in environmental analysis and make decision in time. In addition, Porters five forces also help to develop effective strategies to raise FN profitability, power, and competitive position in an industry. Porters five forces is divided into threat of entry, intensity of competitive rivalry, threat of substitute product, bargaining power of buyer and bargaining power of suppliers. Threat of entry Threat of entry is new entrants into market will bring extra capacity and intensify competition. The strength of the threat from new entrants will depend upon the strength of the barriers to entry and the likely response of existing competition to a new entrant. FN produce two new soft drink FN Clearly Citrus and Zesta were launched in soft drink market at year 2011. Zesta and FN Clearly Citrus was getting customer support and the new produces also have a higher demand from the buyer. Zesta sales would attract other competitors enter into tsoda market, it will be posted a threat on FN market sales. (Zesta 2011) Bargaining power of supplier Bargaining power of suppliers definition with the stronger power of suppliers in an industry the more difficult it is for firms within that sector to make a profit. It is because suppliers can determine the terms and conditions on which business is conducted. Most of the products are contented sugar, sugar is essential for production. Malaysian Government has removed sugar subsidies on selective basis and subsidy for Dairies Malaysia was removed. Increased of sugar cost and global commodity cost forced price of Sweetened Condensed Milk increased by 25%. However, sugar subsidy was removed on selective basis which means FN can look for suppliers whose sugar subsidies werent removed. In addition, competitors will also search for new suppliers and it may not easy to reduce cost as low as before. Apart from that, FN may have to concern about any switching cost for current suppliers. Bargaining power of buyer Bargaining power of buyer sense of the powerful buyer can force price cuts and quality improvement. The government removed sugar subsidy, FN material cost increased and affected the product selling price increased. In 2011, Sweetened Condensed Milk has increased 25% of the price which cause the demand reduced. Revenue and profit was decline during the year. Buyers also have full information about the soft drink and dairy product market. They should know which company product cheaper, more health and best quality. FN need to retain the customer by improving product quality and introduce new product. Buyers always have different choice for their beverage and dairy product. Apart from that, same type of competitors product will be display nearby companys products. For example, Jusco will be placing same type of products together which allowed buyers to search easily. There is low switching cost for buyers. Beside, degree of product differentiation is low which customer may feel all bran ds are similar. This threat is more difficult to control, because FN management need to concentrate on changing buyers preference and also maximize the shareholders wealth. Threat of substitute product Porters 5 forces have indicated that the threat of substitute product is the other firms within the industry has offers similar product with similar benefits for the customer. This threat may affects the competitive environment of the company and influence our ability to achieve profitability. On FN Magnolia have offers Pasteurised Milk and Sterilised Milk. The range of the customers is children and adults. The Pasteurised Fresh Milk can be enjoyed chilled or warm, plain or mixed with other foods or beverages and they innovate into Lo-Fat Hi-Cal Milk provide less fat and more healthier of the Fresh Milk for our body. However, Marigold has offers HL Milk is low-fat milk No.1 in Malaysia. HL Milk has perfect balance of nutrients for everyone in the family and it consists high in calcium and protein, low in fat and lactose and fortified with 9 essential vitamins to supplement healthier lifestyle. Marigold HL Milk is first choice for the customers who are caring health conscious. FN should innovation their milk product provide more healthy to attract or retain consumer choices. Another competitor is Dutch Lady has provided a Dutch Lady Milk powder for satisfy customer needs who want mix it with other coffee or tea favour and it has a rich and creamy taste and allowed to dilute in hot or cold water easily. Furthermore, Dutch Lady also has provided different formulations to cater to children of different ages to promote their brain development and healthy growth. Therefore, most of the mother would choose Dutch Lady Milk products of their children rather than choose FN milk products. FN SEASONS offers soft drink products are leaders in countrys most comprehensive range of consumer, catering to every occasion. The Soya range provides protein nourishment while the Chrysanthemum and Grass Jelly provides healthier refreshment with less sugar let FN SEASONS become best quality and healthy drinks. However, they are having lesser favors for the customer choose. YEOS have more favors, such as Lychee drink, Sugarcane drink, Bandung Rose drink, coconut juice, soursop drink and guava drink for the customer to choice. Hence, consumers who are Sugarcane drink lover may change its option to YEOS products. Although there are many competitors for isotonic drink, 100Plus still able to gain over 88% of the market share. Company has done a lot promotion for 100Plus which the reason 100Plus is successfully gain more than half of the market share. (Annual Report 2010 pg 036) Intensity of competitive rivalry Intensity of competitive rivalry among competitors in the industry strives to companies to gain competitive advantage over the rivals and drives the profit of the rivals firm to zero. The company can gains the competitive advantage by several ways, such as pricing policy, improving the products differentiation with other and exploiting relationships with suppliers. If can gain more competitive advantage over competitors can increase the profitability of the company. FN only provided soft drink products and dairy products, appears less competitive advantage compare with others. Nowadays, people more have health conscious when they buying products may choice to buy the products which consists more nutrition. In food and beverage industry also have many company has provide more diet product to satisfied the requirements of the different customers. Dutch Lady Low Fat Yoghurt is a healthy snack and it will enhance the absorption of nutrients, ensuring digestive system stays healthy. It contains Vitamin A, C and E, calcium and Active Live Cultures. In Addition, the Marigold have offer the Yogurt and cultured milk Vitagen which have consists nutrition products for the body. The Vitagen has billions of live probiotic cultures to helps maintain a healthy digestive system. Probiotic cultures in VITAGEN can withstand bile and acidic stomach juices and reach the intestines alive to fight harmful bacteria in the intestines. Furthermore, the Yoghurt contains live and active cultures help digestion and promote a healthy digestive system and calcium for the development of strong bones and teeth. Marigold also has offers Jelly is a great-tasting double-layered jelly that is filled with fresh fruits. Its cool and refreshing taste makes it great for everyone in the family and contains no preservatives and is a healthy alternative to fruits after a hearty meal. This makes Marigold become Malaysias first and only pasteurised Jelly. Beside, sugar subsidy was removed on selective basis which posted unfair competitive environment to FN. And it also created very intense pricing war for soft drink and dairy product. In order to protect the revenue while still retain consumer loyalty, the price of sweetened condensed milk increase 25%. This all is key reasons that the consumer may change favors to this type of products. To gain competitive advantage, FN should provide more nutrition products for the customers have more choose. Porters national competitive advantage diamond Porters diamond model suggests that there are inherent reasons why some nations and industries within nations are more competitive than others on a global scale. The argument is that the national home base of an organisation provides organisations with specific factors which will potentially create competitive advantages on a global scale. (Michael Porter 1990) Porters diamond model consist of four conditions of national advantage which are factor conditions, demand conditions, related and supporting industries and firm strategy, structure and rivalry. Factor conditions Factor condition is about important elements that exist in a company which lead to national competitive advantage. It can be country specific or industry specific. FN Dairies had constructed plant in Pulau Indah costs RM350 million and will be completed within the second half of 2011. The new plant promotes cutting edge green technology which would have huge gains in water, energy and environmental conservation. With existence of this plant, FN Dairies could be on the top list of worlds largest producers of canned milk. (Annual Report 2011 pg 41) An increase in production line is an advantage of the company. FN had launched a new RM45 million polyethylene terephthalate (PET) monoblock production line which is the first in Asia Pacific. This able to done all the things in only one production line, for example blow bottles, fill and pack all carbonate soft drinks products. (Annual Report 2010 pg 32) FN has the latest innovation and technology that bring advantages to them. With this latest technology, FN can enhance its operations by continuing improve production lines. FN can produce more products in effective and efficient way. In addition, the new machineries increase as the production lines increases. The warehouse management system has implemented to make operation work run smoothly. Besides, the introduction of new sales forecasting tools helps in manufacturing, if sales forecast is low, the manufacturer will produce less stock. (Annual Report 2010 pg 36) Supply chain act as an important role in a business. Without supply, production would not be carried out. Improvement in supply chain lead to high efficiency of production and logistic by upgrade the systems. FN introduce higher level of operational automation and inventory management to ensure the manufacturing process has no error. Besides, the product quality management has to make sure that the products are in acceptable quality and safety measures are enhanced in order the product would not harm people. (Annual Report 2010 pg 36) Demand conditions Secondly, the demand conditions state that if the local market for a product is larger and more demanding at home than in foreign markets, local firms potentially put more emphasis on improvements than foreign companies. This will potentially increase the global competitiveness of local exporting companies. FN non-carbonated portfolio has slightly increased from 25.4 per cent to 28 per cent in soft drinks business. This represent there is a growing demand for drinks. During the year, FN included fruit teas and juices to its range of soft drinks, and launch new drink called Zesta recently catering consumers of this segment. The ability to innovate, differentiate and manufacture new product lines will bring advantages such as gain more market share. (Zesta 2011) FN Fruit Tree released five new flavours in bottle form which are orange, apple, lychee, blackcurrant and mango. As the demand increases, Fruit Tree has becoming one of the fastest growing categories in Malaysia. The new flavours are the extension to the Fruit Tree cans range and the research shows that consumer preference toward these flavours compared to other brand in the market. (Annual Report 2010 pg 36) FN Holding Berhad has built a new warehouse in Kuching which triple larger than previous warehouse capacity to improve the quality of service and make sure delivery to customers is on time. Furthermore, it utilised advanced warehousing technology such as high selective racking, super flat flooring and Very Narrow Aisleway (VNA) trucks. (Annual Report 2009 pg 38) Related and supporting industries Thirdly, the related and supporting industries mean that when local supporting industries and suppliers are competitive, home country companies will potentially get more cost efficient and receive more innovative products. In February 2010, 100PLUS signed a partnership agreement with AirAsia Berhad, officially sell 100PLUS on AirAsia flights which depart from Malaysia. AirAsia Berhad is a Malaysia top airlines company, being a partner of AirAsia Berhad has a real competitive advantage for FN. This agreement is a big step for division to extend business offshore. Passenger dehydration happened frequently in air travel, with 100PLUS the passenger can get over the dehydration. Support from AirAsia is like an advertisement effect, whenever there is a flight, there is an appearance of 100PLUS. (Annual Report 2010 pg 038) Firm strategy, structure and rivalry Structure and management system can affect competitiveness. FN is running beverage and dairies business in addition to food business too. FN buy 23.08 per cent share in Cocoaland Holdings Berhad. Cocoaland is a major snack food manufacturer in Malaysia. FN is diversifying the business risk to various subsidiaries. FN develop the food business to supplement beverage and dairies business. As the Malaysia grow into high income economy country, the consumption of middle income will increase and food business will be benefited. (Annual Report 2010 pg 9) GE model 3 portfolio business Property Dairy product Soft drink GE business matrix Industry Attractiveness- Economic Factor Business Strength- Brand Strength High Medium Low High Investment/ Growth Soft drinkSelective Growth Selectivity Medium Dairy productSelective Growth Selectivity Harvest/Divest Low Selectivity Property businessHarvest/Divest Harvest/Divest FNs business has divided into 3 portfolio and that are Soft Drinks, Dairy Products and Properties. First of all, we will use the environmental factor and brand strength as the industry attractiveness factors and business factors benchmark. Soft Drinks FNs core soft drinks business portfolio will be classified at the classes of selective growth. The company soft drinks 100plus and Zesta are popular in Malaysia and have helped the company in bringing certain level of stable income.100plus as the companys core product have promoting an active lifestyle and healthy living to consumer. Many events have been run to promote 100plus as it is isotonic drink of choice at major sporting events. 100plus is present at top sports events such as Piala Malaysia Final 2011 100plus Tunku Abdul Razak Cup, KL Marathon 2011 and so on to continue building prestigious images of 100plus to consumers. Profit of division has been growing from year 2007 to 2011. However, sugar subsidy withdrawn by Malaysian Government has major impact on price of sugar. The division has lesser growth rate for year 2011. In addition, global commodity cost has increased which is unfavorable economic factor. Soft Drink division has very high brand strength but economic factors are not really favourable to the division. Dairy Products FNs dairy products will be classified at the classes of selectivity. Companys dairy products have included sweetened condensed milk, evaporated milk, pasteurised milk, UHT milk, juices and ice cream. Dairy Products also suffered from withdrawal of sugar subsidy and global commodity price increased in 2011. FNs dairy products business has classified at selectivity, with medium level of attractiveness and medium business strength on the dairy products. Although the product Milo is popular in Malaysia, Milo is not owned by FN, it was franchised. This product reduces business strength as it is not the only major player in the market. The dairy products will seem less attractive to the investors to consider investing because the deliberate of the milk market is very costly. In addition, the cost for hire workers and the cost to obtain technology for producing the dairy products are costly for subsequent production of dairy products. Moreover, the dairy products license also difficult to be approved by the government. New entrant will find difficult to entry, because the market has been controlled and played by a few major competitors. New entrant will find difficulty to enter to the market as these factors created entry barriers. Properties FNs property business is unlocking the value of land holding by the company. The economic factor of the company placed at medium level because volatile commodity and financial market. The company is more concentrated in the soft drink products and has no initiative to promote companys property to the public, not many people knows that FN has already entered into properties. FNs property business is non-comparable with beverage business that seems to be so successful and FNs property business strength is low in this industry. The property business that has high profitability in the industry will attract more investors to invest. The government encourage removing of old building and build more new business park in order to bring in more prosperity to our country. Moreover, our property business is at growth stage because it is newly introduced into the industry, hence it does not have strong business strength on the property business. Ratio analysis and Key performance Indicators Revenue of continuing operation continues to grow from 2009 to 2010 by 11.2% and 2010 to 2011 7.6%. In 2010, the revenue is able to grow better than 2011 due to improved economic conditions. Malaysia Government has