Engaged Buddhist response to Consumerism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Engaged Buddhist response to Consumerism - Essay Example In the twenty-first century, people live in a technologically-advanced world. Everything is done with a touch of a button. Perhaps, the saying that â€Å"an idle mind is the devil’s workshop,† is true because the more free time man has, the more time he spends on whining about how miserable life is and how only a new gadget or material possession could make him feel better. Conspicuous consumption is the name of the game. And consumerism is the rule. This paper shall discuss the concepts of consumerism from the perspective of Engaged Buddhism and their interaction in society, how Engaged Buddhism responds to tide of consumerism. More specifically, Engaged Buddhism responds to consumerism with meditation and mindful living coupled with acts of compassion and generosity. ENGAGED BUDDHISM Engaged Buddhism is a movement within the Buddhist religion. It follows all the teachings of Buddha, the Enlightened One; it practices all the traditions and rites of the Buddhist religion. But what makes it different is the fact that it puts a premium on the value of active compassion, that is, meditation coupled with action. However, when the founder himself is asked, he contends that â€Å"Engaged Buddhism is just Buddhism† (Malkin 1). This movement was established in the middle of the 20th century by Thich Nhat Hanh, a Vietnamese monk who, surrounded with pain and desperation during the Vietnam War, realized and decided that, â€Å"Buddhism has to do with your daily life, with your suffering and with the suffering of the people around you† (Malkin 1). ... Meditation is about the awareness of what is going on—not only in your body and in your feelings, but all around you,† (Malkin 1). Thus, Engaged Buddhism was born. Inspired by the deep desire to serve the community, Thich Nhat Hanh founded the School of Youth for Social Services where the students learned not only religion but most importantly compassion. They were taught to put their beliefs into actions by working to help ease the suffering of the people (Queen 38). As the group grew larger, Engaged Buddhism became not just a religious movement but also a social force – a flicker of light that beacons all those who are in the darkness of pain, despair and uncertainty. Armed with pure courage and determination to share the values of love and compassion to his fellowmen, Thich Nhat Hanh planted the seeds of Engaged Buddhism on the unforgiving and hostile bloodstained soil of his motherland. True enough, as an affirmation to his extraordinary efforts, religious and layman communities had soon adapted to the art of mindful living and mindfulness to the Buddhist principles that gives to every individual the respect and dignity he deserves as a human being (Queen 54). The Zen monk’s extraordinary courage and compassion sent ripples of hope across the country and even to the other side of the Pacific Ocean. In recognition, no less than Martin Luther King, Jr. nominated him to the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967 (Malkin 1). Consumerism In the society that we know today, there is always the need to have more and to possess the latest, best and coolest. Mass media makes sure of that. The advertising sector has mastered the art of deception – making every consumer think that he needs whatever is pushed in his mind through

Ford Pinto Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ford Pinto Ethics - Essay Example The other three survived only because special measures had been taken to prevent the rupture of the tank such as (a) plastic baffle between the axle housing and the gas tank (b) steel plate between the tank and the rear bumper and (c) a rubber lining in the gas tank. The results of the test therefore show clearly, that the fuel tank failed, yet the Company did not take any action to remedy the defect. Three of the cars fared better when some special measures were introduced, and the Company had this evidence on hand as well but this still did not factor as significant enough to merit some remedial work being carried out by the Company before getting the cars on to the market. Ford was therefore deficient in its duty of care, because when faced with such results, it should have taken greater care to ensure that the defect in the fuel tank was remedied. Secondly, there are ethical issues that need to be considered as well. The crash test results suggest that there was a danger posed to life and limb as a result of the defective fuel tanks. The question of ensuring safety of future consumers and users of the cars should have therefore been paramount in Ford’s decision as to whether to continue manufacturing the Pintos or not. However, in arriving at the decision on whether or not to market the Pintos despite the defect in the fuel tank which had been discovered, the Company had decided that in order to be competitive, the car should not cost more than $2000 and weigh more than 2000 pounds. This raises the issue of whether Ford considered its competitiveness more seriously or whether it valued the potential loss of life more seriously. Had the latter been the case, it would have taken steps to ensure that the fuel tank was replaced with a rupture proof fuel tank, which would have been somewhat more expensive. It would have als o rendered the Pinto less competitive because it would have used up

Importance of Management and Leadership for an Organization Essay Example for Free

Importance of Management and Leadership for an Organization Essay â€Å"Both management and leadership are needed to make teams and organisations successful. Trying to decide which is more important is like trying to decide whether the right or left wing is more important to an airplane’s flight. I’ll take both please!† (Clemmer, 2005, as cited in McLean, 2005, p.16). The aim of this essay is to answer the age old question as to whether management or leadership is more important to an organisation. Organisations, ranging from professional to social, have been in existence for centuries and the sole purpose of any of these organisations is to grow and succeed. Thus, it is without a doubt that any organisation would accomplish much without a source of management or leadership. Even though it is evident that both management and leadership are both fundamental to a successful organisation, a distinction between the two should be made; although they are both similar in definition and function they do differ in importance in and effect on organisations. It is contended that the implementation of good management has a greater benefit, and therefore has more importance, to an organisation than leadership because: leading is considered as an element of the management function; to manage an organisation is to sustain it whereas to lead is to direct it but if there is no management, there is no entity, which leaves nothing for leaders to lead; leadership is focused on the management of people but an organisation is made up of more than just people; and also the value of leadership depends deeply on the structure and size of the organisation in question. The term ‘good’ is often used to describe something of quality and skill; thus, good management simply means management that is of the highest quality and is effective in producing the greatest results for an organisation: â€Å"Excellent results stem from a combination of skilled management, strategic thought and a good dose of general common sense† (Honig, 1999, as c ited in Samson Daft, 2009, p.14). Every workplace organisation, whether large or small, has a manager or person in charge; whether the appointed person is able to implement good management depends on their skill and capability. Management is the major task of any manager – it involves the use of authority to coordinate and supervise the activities of others and to ensure that tasks are being completed in an effective and efficient manner. More importantly, managers must implement the four key elements of management: planning, organising, leading and controlling in order to attain organisational goals (Bartol, Tein, Matthews Sharma, 2008). Organisational goals, whether they are sales targets or technological developments, are put in place by managers to set out the purpose and scope of an entity. Without such goals an organisation would cease to exist as there would be no direction to grow or move forward. The process of setting goals and deciding how to achieve them is the planning aspect of the management fu nction (Bartol et al., 2008). If effective management is employed, there is a greater likelihood of managers establishing better organisational goals and contingency plans to ensure the future and success of the organisation; because it will not only be goal directed but will also be prepared for unforeseen circumstances that may arise, enabling them to react effectively and efficiently (Samson Daft, 2009). Good management also assists in the successful implementation of action plans to achieve such organisational goals by organising, allocating, arranging and regulating activities and resources within the workplace (Bartol et al., 2008). Leading and managing are terms often used interchangeably because leading is described as a core activity of any manager (McLean, 2005). Leadership involves managers using influence to motivate employees to engage in plans that work towards achieving organisational goals (Bartol et al., 2008; Samson Daft, 2009). This suggests that leadership is intertwined within the task of management. So if good management practices are in place in an organisation, leadership is expected to follow in existence. However, the mistake should not be made to describe leadership and management as the same thing – â€Å"leadership is an element of management but is not the same thing† (Lyson cited in Robinson, 1999, p.20). To say that leading and managing is the same would be to ultimately say planning and managing is the same thing; nevertheless, planning is only a function of management, as is leading. Therefore, if an organisation were given a choice between employing either a good manager or a good leader, the good manager would be the safer bet because it would be expected that a good manager encompasses good leadership. Furthermore, the importance of and need for management in a workplace is supported by the idea that organisations are established to succeed and innovate and such is not possib le without the planning and setting of organisational goals and the attainment of these goals by organising, leading and controlling. Once good management is in practice, the four key functions, including leadership, are sure to be carried out effectively and efficiently. The profitability of an organisation is not a result of good management on its own; however, management is a major contributing factor. Every organisation is goal directed, and as ascribed earlier, management is the attainment of organisational goals with the use of planning, organising, leading and controlling (Bartol et al., 2008). The organisational goals act as an entity’s reason for existence, it strives to achieve these goals in order to grow and accomplish. Therefore it can be concluded that the focus of any organisation is to grow and move forward rather than to remain stationary and unproductive and thus there is an assumption that the life of the entity will be on going. The survival of an organisation depends on the ability of the manager to sustain it by utilizing the effective skills of good management. The manager is responsible for making informed decisions about the welfare of the organisation along with the collective resources owned. These decisions aim to not only achieve goals but to sustain and up hold the organisation to ensure its survival in today’s dynamic environment. Thus there is emphasis on an organisation to have good management in order for the entity to survive, which also acts to highlight the importance of effective management. On the other hand, leadership is implemented as the principle dynamic force to guide and motivate subordinates to attain organisational objectives (Burns, 1978, as cited in Shamas Ofori, 2008) and ultimately bring change to an organisation as more goals are satisfied. If effective leadership is exercised within an organisation, innovation, change and transformation are easily attainable (Bartol et al., 2008). Alternatively, Slap (2010) asserts that although leadership profits and adds value to an organisation by way of innovation, it is not the purpose of introducing leadership. Rather, leadership is used as a tool to share and express important values and experiences to employees in an attempt to bring about an improved change in the workplace environment and in the attitudes held by employees. Leadership in this sense allows leaders to be more easily respected upon employees because they feel more connected with the leader, which also gives the leader greater influence to motivate and encourage hard work. Nevertheless, whichever way leadership is regarded the end result remains the same: innovation of an organisation by way of providing direction to accomplish objectives (Bass, 1990, as cited in Shamas Ofori, 2008). â€Å"A leader innovates; a manager maintains† (Hollingsworth, as cited in Robinson, 1999, p.20); without effective management to keep the organisation alive it is likely to fail, and consequently leaders will be left taskless there will be no goals left to achieve, no employees left to motivate and ultimately no organisation left to innovate. This strongly recognises the importance of good management and the added advantage it brings to an organisation; without good management, good leadership will be ineffective and futile. On the contrary, leadership is often considered as a much more pleasant concept in comparison to that of management: â€Å"leaders are seen as charismatic and often are admired and held in high esteem, managers frequently are thought of as the organizations taskmasters with a whip in one hand and a bullhorn for screaming out orders in the other hand† (Kotterman, 2006, p. 13). Zaleznik (1977) and Burns (1978), as cited in Nienaber (2010), portray m anagement as â€Å"mundane, uninspiring and tactical by nature† and in addition, asserting that management alone cannot guarantee the success of an organisation. Consequently, it has been argued that leadership should be favoured at the expense of management in a successful organisation (Spurgeon Cragg, 2007, as cited in Nienaber, 2010). One of the most important aspects of leadership is the leaders’ followers (Bennis, 1989, as cited in Shamas Ofori, 2008). Iscoe (2005, as cited in McLean, 2005) argues that people would rather follow a leader than a manger, if given the option; this is not surprising as leaders tend to focus more on the people rather than any other aspect of the organisation because in order for a leader to effectively influence and lead others they must work to gain the trust and respect of their followers. Thus, there are various positive reasons as to why leaders are commended over managers among the people, some of which are highlighted in Maccoby (2000), as cited in Shamas Ofori (2008)., p.63: â€Å"hope of success, trust in the leader, excitement about a project or mission, or the opportunity to stretch onese lf to the limit†. Unlike management, leadership is not an assigned role or title placed on someone. The task of managing a corporation is specific to the teams of managers who are formally appointed the position whereas leaders can stem from any sector of an organisation. Therefore, managers are associated with formal authority (McLean, 2005) which means people secondary to them in the organisational hierarchy may view managers as intimidating and unapproachable which further emphasises why leaders are more favourable in an organisation. Yet in reality, success isn’t easily achievable and so in order to attain it, compromise must occur. An organisation cannot survive on leadership alone, because although a leader may possess few managerial qualities, they are unable to satisfy all the tasks of a manager. Nevertheless, as every workplace organisation involves employees, it is evident that leadership is a fundamental aspect of any entity because leaders are responsible for managing the people. However, organisations are about more than just the workers, which illustrates the prevailing importance of managers to control all the remaining aspects of an organisation such as goals, plans, assets and resources. As previously mentioned, every organisation involves employees. The McDonalds restaurant is the largest fast food chain in the world, operating over 30,000 franchises in over 100 countries worldwide. It was revealed in the 2010 McDonalds annual report that the organisation employs over 1.7 million workers from all age groups across their stores. In enormous corporations such as McDonalds, with such a vast number of employees, it is expected that both leaders and managers are equally essential in running the organisation because there is an equally enormous number of duties to be satisfied. However, in contrast, a small, family-owned, local milk bar may only have, at most, three employees. Clearly leadership is not as important in an organisation of three people in comparison to that of one with over one million people, simply because such a minute organisation does not require such a deep extent of leadership. However, it is not to say that the manager of the milk bar should not possess leadership qualities because even though there are very few employees, motivation and communication of direction must still take place (Nienaber, 2010) in order for the business to thrive. Although both management and leadership are both important functions of an organisation, a number of moderating factors determine the effectiveness and importance of leadership including size of the organisation (Fiedler, 1967; Gardner et al., 2005, as cited in Shamas and Ofori, 2008) whereas, regardless of size or type, every organisation needs a person in charge. In other words, management is important and is needed in every organisation but the extent to which leadership is needed varies among different organisations. Conclusively, although leadership and management are functions that must be applied to any successful organisation, effective management has prevailing importance. Theoretically, management is defined as the attainment of organisational goals through planning, organising, leading and controlling (Bartol et al., 2008). Thus it is clear that leadership is encompassed in the task of management so if a manager can perform their task effectively, leadership is likely to follow. However the reverse is not true, as to lead is to influence, direct and motivate others to achieve goals, not to control so management is not a facet of leadership. Management is often considered as a control mechanism in an organisation which some tend to find intimidating and off putting which is why leadership is usually the preferred, softer option (Kotterman, 2006). However, the focus of leaders is often on the people but people are obviously just one aspect of an organisation which is why managers are more important because there are so many other features of an organisation to be controlled. By influencing people to complete tasks effectively and efficiently, leaders bring about change and innovation in an organisation. However, without management acting to sustain organisations in today’s turbulent environment, there is simply no place left for a leader (Hollingsworth, as cited in Robinson, 1999). Finally, the essentiality of leadership in an organisation depends greatly on the size and type of a corporation whereas management is equally important in any and all organisations. These points clearly demonstrate that good management is more important to a successfully running organisation than good leadership. All in all, if an organisation were given an ultimatum between a good manager and a good leader, the good manager is likely to prevail.

Reflection on a business education course

Reflection on a business education course Reflection according to Walker E. S (2006) p 216 has been defined as a process regarding thinking about and exploring an issue of concern, which is triggered by an experience. This simply means that for there to be a reflection, there has to be an experience, irrespective of it being positive or negative. Leaver- Dunn et al were also noted in Walker E. S (2006) p 216 that reflection has the ability to distinguish between the expert practitioners and their peers. To start with and looking way back to the beginning of this particular course it is interesting to note that being an international student from Nigeria and studying Marketing Communications in the University of Bedfordshire was an experience never to be forgotten, i have been through various forms of transformation, since the session started in September 21st,2009. Transformation theory, that was initially developed by Jack Mezirow, identifies a process of change that begins with an experience one cannot incorporate into the mental matrix built from prior life experience, and which usually includes the following components: a disorientating dilemma, self examination, a critical assessment of assumptions, the recognition that others have gone through similar processes, the exploration of options for forming new roles, relationships or actions, the formulation of a plan of action and reintegration into the experience with new, transformed perspectives. Fuguan Tan (2009) Talking about transformation, i personally come from a country that the educational system is totally different from that of Europe, particularly the United Kingdom. I was able to come to terms with the fact that there existed a school calendar that will be strictly followed and i saw myself in an organised setting. At first i had problems coming to terms with being the only Nigerian girl in my class until later when i was joined by another fellow from my home country, this gave me a bit of confidence as to facing the challenging course. In the words of Aileen C. and Elaine E, (2004) they wrote that thoroughly reflecting on practice is actually a central feature of effective learning, they went on to define reflection as focusing on the immediate, thereby presenting the details of a problem or task. As an individual i agree with the need to reflect or rather focus on the immediate, this will definitely help to make corrections for the future and not make the same mistakes already made if at all there was any. Further in the words of Horton-Deutsch. S and Sherwood Gwen (2008, p 947) reflection involves thinking about experience, which leads learners to a fuller understanding of what they know and increases their potential for leadership. Also true in my perspective is the argument of Horton-Deutsch, who wrote that it is important to reflect or think back on the experience, which will in turn improve the individuals knowledge about a particular situation or increase the potential for greater heights. In most cases it is believed that the experience for studying abroad has great potential for transforming international student. I must say i went through some stages of transformation such as encountering change, engaging in reflection, reconfiguring perceptions and re-acclimating to the situation. Fuguan Tan (2009) Worthy of note is the point that throughout my study in my home country , there has never been an opportunity for me to reflect, this made it rather impossible for me to have a re-think on my mistakes, and there was also no opportunity to make corrections. 5.2 WHAT DOES REFLECTION MEAN? Cunliffe, (2004, p. 414) defines reflection as the means or process through which an experience in the form of thought, feeling, or action, is examined to analyze its meaning while it is happening or subsequently. Kember et al., (2000), wrote that reflection does represent a point on a learning continuum which is then characterised by habit at one end and critical reflection at the other. To Schon (1983) reflection is referred to as the ability to rethink ones prior thoughts and action in context, both to surface assumptions as well as to make meaning. Reflection, as written in Klenowski V and Lunt I (2008) is mostly defining with regards to conceptual components and theoretical perspectives. Horton-Deutsch S and Sherwood Gwen (2008) explained that Reflection is about learning from experience, a critical aspect of knowledge development and a skill essential to leadership development. They both went on to argue on the basis that reflection goes far beyond ordinary empirical knowing, but it also combines personal and ethical ways of knowing. Korthagen F and Vasalos A (2005) wrote that the essential importance of reflection is to learn from experiences. Woerkom M (2010) referred to reflection in Deweyans perspective as instrumental learning; he went further to note that it is the assessment of assumptions implicit in beliefs about how to solve problems. In this particular definition, reflection thus also includes an element of criticism but refers more to instrumental thinking, which is concerned with how to solve a problem. In contrast, Mezirow defines critical reflection as addressing the question of the justification for the very premises on which problems are posed or defined in the first place and examination of their sources and consequences. Critical reflection cannot become an integral element in the immediate action process but requires a hiatus in which to reassess ones meaning perspectives and, if necessary, to transform them. Critical self-reflection refers to the most important learning experience. It means reassessing the way we have posed problems, our own meaning perspectives, as well as reassessing our own orientation to perceiving, knowing, believing, feeling, and acting. Some of the scholars perceived reflection, as critical reflection or critical thinking. It is therefore often not clear what the difference is, or even if there exist a difference, between these terms. Dewey, who is perceived as the founder of the concept of reflection, sometimes uses the terms reflective thinking and critical thinking interchangeably. Scott. G.S (2010) 5.3 RECOLLECTIONAND PROCESS OF REFLECTION OF REFLECTION The theoretical framework for reflection according to Korthagen F and Vasalos A (2005, p48) is referred to as ALACT model. This model is said to rely on the assumption that by nature people reflect on their experiences. The model also describes a structured reflective process, but on the other hand, the model did not take note about the content of reflection. On the other hand Scott. G S (2010) p 434 argued that the benefit of reflection has got extensive theoretical support in literature, though Scotts definition of reflection is not without its own argument. He went on to write that the critical theorists reflection is considered to require the surfacing of assumptions relative to situations and surrounded firmly power relations, control and the transformation of belief and values. Reflection was interchangeably used by management theorists as personal, psychological change rather than social change Scott. G.S (2010) p 434 The role of student reflection is an integrated learning process, and reflection has three stages: a review of experience, analysis, and re-evaluation (Peltier, Drago, 2004; Peltier et al., 2005). The initial stage of this process is the review of experience and presupposes awareness. That is, it presupposes that the experience in question has been brought into consciousness. The term reflection is frequently used very loosely and this can easily obscure the disciplined and challenging nature of such learning. Reynolds (1999) distinguishes between critical reflection an approach in which both experience and its social and political contexts are examined, reflection which focuses on the individual and gives little attention to social or political processes, and critical thinking, a term which he argues is usually used to signify a disciplined approach to problem solving (Reynolds, 1999, p. 173). He went on to claim that in the management literature critical reflection is being used in the weaker sense to describe thoughtful analysis or problem solving (Reynolds, 1999, p. 177). With regard to reflection and learning, Argyris and Schon distinguish between single loop and double loop learning. For the exercise of single loop learning it is possible by observing and reflecting on our own actions, to make a description of the tacit knowing implicit in them (Schon, 1987, p. 25).This enables us to analyse and evaluate such knowledge. However, double loop learning involves not only reflecting on ones actions, but also exploring the assumptions and theories-in use which are embedded in those actions. Walsh (2009) 5.4 PERSONAL FEELINGS AND LEARNING FROM THE EXPERIENCE The discomfort that was felt at the beginning of the dissertation was overwhelming. It all started the first day that we were told to prepare for the first dissertation presentation, as i faced the fear i still was able to gather knowledge. I wondered in the beginning if i could cope with the work ahead of me, but with the encouragement of mentors i was able to face it and carry on. Reflective thinking is to be used to enhance decision skills, cultural sensitivity, and teamwork, not simply express feelings or record in a diary what occurred, McInnis-Bowers et al. (2010) In the words of Scott S G (2010) reflection, is referred to as the process of rethinking ones prior thoughts and actions in context to surface assumptions and make meaning. Reflection represents one point on a learning continuum that is characterized by habit at one pole and critical reflection at the other. During the course of my study particularly during the period i was writing up my dissertation, the experience i had has thought me to believe in myself and stop thinking i cannot do it. It has thought me to always face my tasks with whatever challenges that come with it. From this experience i have realised that there is no two ways about succeeding except through hard work and there is a saying that goes thus Proper, Preparation, Prevents, Poor, Performance 5Ps. The first feedback i had with my group members for the progress in the Trident campaign which marked the kick off for the final dissertation. It did not seem a good start to me, because my group had a lot of things to work on and it was obvious not every group member was willing to work. Although the feeling did not serve as a drawback it only meant i had to work harder. On that day we were advised on the three vital aspects of the dissertation which included the campaign plan and report, literature review and finally the reflection. Before we attended the second feedback, myself and the other three group members met on three occasions where we delegated work to each member on the task ahead, most of the time it was two of the four members that was active, and on several instances i personally encouraged them to put in more effort so we all can achieve success at the end of the piece of work. The second feedback which was on the tenth of March, was attended by two supervisors and again i was not happy with myself as no thorough research was done, my input was not good enough and when we were asked what our campaign strategy meant, none of my group members could respond, this became a bit depressing. Looking forward to a sixty unit module i felt really down, but then it became a challenge. The problem that was posed was the inability to put literature together to back our arguments up but at the latter stage things got better. Again in the beginning it looked like we had difficulty interpreting the brief, as we came up with several propositions, objectives and strategy which seemed not to make sense, for this reason the task became more competitive as the other two groups had the same topic and it seemed my group was not making a head way. 5.5 GROUP DYNAMICS AND LEARNING FROM THE EXPERIENCE Within my group i happened to be the only female amongst three guys and i thought this reason will make them more active than i am but the reverse was the case, this was the reason why in the beginning i had mixed feelings about working within a group, as it seemed everyone had a level of understanding and this means it takes a brilliant one to be able to achieve success. I had no choice at that point as we had a little group of twelve in the entire marketing communications, masters degree class, which made it really obvious to be able to distinguish between the brilliant and dull students. Several times i was not happy with the groups i fall into, but with determination to excel i usually face it, and i never regretted my decisions as i never failed a group work. According to Moon (2004, p. 136) when considering the university perspective on experiential learning and reflection, it becomes apparent, that the fact that all education comes about through experience does not mean that all experiences are genuinely or equally educative he also argued that a distinction needs to be made between what she terms informal reflection and academic reflection the latter being a formal process. Walsh (2009) At a point during the group meetings i became so unhappy and i told other group members i was no longer interested in the work though this was not a true statement from my heart, i was probably too upset, but with time i was able to calm myself down and cope even though things did not work out as planned On several occasions there existed misunderstanding and i personally found out that there was need for these misunderstanding as it helps in moving forward most of the time. Again many at times a member within the group was used to saying he works better under pressure and this did not go well with me as i do not work well under pressure, instead i do the opposite meaning i plan my time and i appreciate time management and not fire brigade approach in carrying out my task. Many times after a misunderstanding there exist dialogue and apologies will be made by the necessary group members and then the task continues, interestingly we tend to achieve more at this time. Another point worthy to note at this time is that working within a group gives a knowledge about the office environment, where one will be working with other members of staff and if a task is to be carried out, there will be no opportunity to choose who to and who not to work with. Each time i think of this i am encouraged to cope within any group i find myself and try to corporate and have a good team spirit. Reflection then, in the words of Scott G S (2010) p 432 is the process or means by which an experience, in the form of thought, feeling, or action, is examined to distil its meaning while it is happening or subsequently. Reflection is fodder for self-regulation in an environment where what we define as useful and effective behaviour changes continuously. With reference to the words of Scott (2010) i had different reactions to every situation that i was faced with, always thinking back that i had a degree in a different educational setting and now a masters in Europe. At that point it was obvious something was not right as the first and second feedback did not yield a positive result, but something i held on to was the words given by the supervisors, which i pondered on, i went on to sent my piece of work to the tutors over the internet, again little improvement was made, it all became worrying but i never give up. What happened next? I suggested we needed to meet a tutor and start afresh, interesting, we approached him and he was happy to lead us aright, every group member attended this meeting and things began to change. From the proposition, target audience, strategy and very many useful advices was given. Most importantly we were told to include some theories of learning and reflection to buttress some points, this period was a well cherished one as it marked the beginning of a turn around. My role within the group was a very vital one as the other members do contact me to know what the next step was, i was always be called upon to divide the task and explain what we did so far including the future plan. I enjoyed doing this as i have always seen myself as a charismatic leader, of course a leader by example. 5.6 LESSONS FOR THE FUTURE PROJECTS When one talks of success story, that does not literarily mean the results for the dissertation is out already but the fulfilment and the joy that comes to mind knowing basically that the group work and the individual part was done and submitted in due time is worthy of note. Soon after the summer holiday started two of the four group members did travel to their home country leaving just two people to deal with the work. Sincerely things went slow but at each time a meeting was arranged and there was progress at every meeting coupled with misunderstandings. On the eighth of June, we had a final group presentation with feedback, which marked the final day of the course, to our greatest surprise the proposition we have changed time and time again, target audience segmentation and the tag line began to communicate, it became obvious that the group was on track even though the actual presentation got lost in a missing flash drive. The group was advised to do more research and understand the target audience and what needs to be done to communicate the brand (Trident chewing gum) is the strategy and implementation. Throughout this same month and July communication continued online as it became a bit difficult to meet in the university since the library closed earlier than usual. Each part of the campaign was dealt with rigorously and the power point slides were put together then the report followed afterwards. Scott G. S (2010) p 433 was earlier quoted in the report where he noted that John Dewey is considered a key originator of thinking about reflection. Dewey argued in his own words that reflective individuals have certain characteristics, which includes open-mindedness, which illustrates the will power within an individual to accept intellectual responsibility for ones own views, wholeheartedness this simply means, a willingness to face fears and uncertainties, and finally enthusiasm. Reflection is concerned with practices and actions, especially professional practice in fields such as school teaching (Allen, 1992; Beyer, 1989; Collier, 1999), nursing (Burns Bulman, 2000), social work (Fook, 1996), and management communities of practice (Welsh Dehler, 2004). Reflection also generates inquiry and a search for meaning; it provides the potential to see things in a way they have not been understood before. More simply, reflective practice contributes to learning. What i have learnt that will be forever useful to me is the ability to dialogue, this a very important instrument particularly in a group work scenario. Again it is good to listen to the leader as two wrongs can never make a right, it is totally unfair when team members refuse to listen to the leader, and obviously things will not go well. I have also learnt that in the future i understand clearly the basis of my task before i kick off with work on it, as this delayed my group from moving forward during the presentation, as though we were moving around within the same circle, before we got our priorities right. The means of reflection is most often dialogue through which subjective and objective experience is processed, questioned, and meaning is made of it. Reflection through dialogue demonstrates students learning through their ability to conceptualize what they have learned, the meaning it has for their present and future, and the recognition that they are neither the same person as they were a few years previously nor should they expect to be a few years hence. Baker, Jensen, and Kolb (2002) labelled this approach to learning the inside-out approach. Scott G. S (2010) p 433 5.7 CONCLUSION In concluding this reflection report it is interesting to note that learning can be considered as a process of argumentation in which thinking, reflecting, experiencing and action are different aspects of the same process. It is also a practical argumentation with oneself and in collaboration with others that actually forms the basis of learning. (Pavlica et al. 1998: 145) in Corley A and Eades E (2004, P 138) During the review of literature it was noted according to Jeffrey D et al. (2000) that reflection is not an entirely new process and some writers trace it to the work of Socrates, they went on to describe reflection as a process of disengaging from or stepping back from an experience and taking time to deliberately and carefully review it, think about it and construct meaning from it, however reflection is said to have a past, present and future element. In this report the writer has been able to reflect generally about the past experience, looking through the beginning of the marketing communications masters degree first impression, through to the present time which has to do with the experience while writing up the dissertation, it is also interesting to note that the writer also discussed briefly of future expectations and learning from the past experience that can positively affect the future work. Having reflected on my experience from first day of university up until the days of my final dissertation, i will say i have actually enjoyed the entire process. Meeting friends from other parts of the world was a good thing to remember, with no exceptions of my tutors who were always there, and willing to help with whatever need we might have during the course of study. However i quit e agree with the idea of personal reflections as it gives the opportunity to think back and make amends as required. This in turn will have a positive effect on an individual. REFERENCES Miriam Catterall, Pauline Maclaran, and Lorna Stevens (2010) Critical Reflection in the Marketing Curriculum Journal of Marketing Education, Vol. 24 No. 3, December 2002 184-192 Scott. G Susanne (2010) Enhancing Reflection Skills through Learning Portfolios: An Empirical Test. Journal of Management Education 34(3) 430-457. The Author(s) , http://www. sagepub.com/journalsPermissions.nav Fuguan Tan (2009) Tri-fold Transformation: An International Adult Students Reflections on Online Learning. Walker E. S (2006). Journal Writing as a Teaching Technique to Promote Reflection Journal of Athletic Training Vol. 41, No 2 p216-221 Klenowski Val and Lunt Ingrid (2008) Enhancing learning at doctoral level through the use of reflection. Taylor Francis Walsh Anita (2009) Modes of Reflection: Is it possible to use both individual and collective reflection to reconcile the three-party knowledge interests in workplace learning? European Journal of Education, Vol. 44, No. 3, 2009, Part I _1389 385 Aileen Corley and Elaine Eades (2004) Becoming critically reflective practitioners: academics and students reflections on the issues involved. Pp. 137-144. Human Resource Development International, Taylor and Francis Limited Horton-Deutsch Sarah and Sherwood Gwen (2008) Reflection: an educational strategy to develop emotionally- competent nurse leaders. Journal of Nursing Management, 16, 946-954 Doyle, Wendy; Young, Jeffrey D (2000).Managing Development: Making the most Experience and Reflection. Fall2000, Vol. 25 Issue 3, p18 Marianne van Woerkom, (2010) Advances in Developing Human Resouces. The Concept of Critical Reflection and Its Implications for Human Resource Development Advances in Developing Human Resources Vol. 6, No. 2 p 178-192

Comparing Beloved and Night Essay -- comparison compare contrast essay

Comparing Beloved and Night  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The two novels I am writing about are "Night" by Elie Wiesel and "Beloved," by Toni Morrison.   Beloved tells about slavery and an ex-slave mother's struggle with a past which is projected as the haunting of her people.   It tells the story of Sethe, a mother compelled to kill her child, rather than let the child live a life of slavery.   Toni Morrison uses ghosts and the supernatural to create an enhanced acceptance of the human condition and the struggled survival of the Black American.  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The novel is set in Ohio in the 1880's.   The Civil War had been won, slavery had been abolished, however, the memories of slavery still remain.   Although the story itself is fictional, the novel is based on   real events.  Ã‚   The events are based on the trial in Cincinnati of Margaret Garner, who with her husband, and seventeen other slaves (Kentuckian) crossed the Ohio where they supposedly found safe shelter.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   When it was discovered that they had been pursued and surrounded, and her husband overpowered, Margaret knew that any hope of freedom was   in vain.   She refused to see her children taken back into slavery.   Without delay, Margaret quickly took hold of a butcher's knife which was laid on a table and cut the throat of her young daughter.   She then attempted to kill her other children as well, then herself, but she was overpowered and held back before she could follow through.   She was arrested and put on trial on the grounds that the child she killed was the legal property of the owner.  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Beloved, when a new proprietor takes over Sweet Home (the slave farm), Sethe, escapes the brutal beatings she now endures in an attempt to go from Kentucky to Ohio.   When the pr... ...took   part in the holocaust had no other choice.   They had families to take care of and home lives just like the rest of   us.   For example, I believe that many of the soldiers who took part in the Holocaust were forced through military responsibility or face   treason or death.   These soldiers have   to live with themselves knowing they killed millions of innocent people.   When an order is given, an order must be carried out.   Many soldiers had no choice, but to kill, or be killed.     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   We are all human beings.   We all have feelings, and families whom we love.   Sometimes the force behind the brutality is too powerful to disobey, and people (soldiers, the white man, the Americans and Hiroshima, etc., etc.) have no choice but to obey,   or face the consequences.   In the military you don't question an order; you just do it (as in Othello and Billy Budd).        

Essay --

1. Definition of Acid and Bases: 1.1 Arrhenius definition of acid and base: Arrhenius Acid: The substance or a compound which gives H+ ions in aqueous solution Arrhenius base: Base is a substance or compound that produces OH- ions in aqueous solutions. Chemists have known for some time that the H+ ion doesn’t exist in aqueous solutions as an independent species. The modernized Arrhenius definition of acid is that they are substances that produce H3O+ ions in aqueous solutions. It did not take longer for chemist to find other problems with the Arrhenius definition. In practical terms, the OH- ion is far from being the only base. 1.2 Bronsted-Lowry definition: Bronsted-Lowery definitions acid and a base, consider the net ionic equation for any Arrhenius acid-base reaction in water: H3O+ + OH- 2H2O When it reacts, the H3O+ ion gives up a proton, passing it to the OH- ion. This means that H3O+ is a Bronsted-Lowry acid in this reaction. The OH- in turn accepts the proton, making it a Bronsted-Lowry base. The advantages of the Bronsted-Lowry definitions are that they cover acids and bases other than H3O+ and OH- .Consider: HSO4- + PO43- SO4- + HPO42- During this reaction the HSO4- ion donates a proton and is therefore an acid. The reaction ion turns the HSO4- ion into the SO4- ion. The PO43- ion becomes the HPO4- ion during the same reaction. That is, the PO43- ion accepts a proton, which means that it is acting as a base. 1.2.1 Bronsted-Lowery Acid-Base Reactions: Conjugate Acids and Bases: Conjugate Acid: When a proton (not a hydrogen atom or â€Å"hydrogen† but a proton, H+) is added to a molecule or ion, its conjugate acid forms. Exampl... ...near to neutral if not that particular drug or medicine may cause irritation in body tissues. †¢ Fermentation process requires a specific pH for the best results. The pH during a fermentation process changes by itself due to fermentation process so buffer play important role in controlling this pH change. †¢ Buffers are also used in foods to maintain the acidity of the food in order to preserve the flavour and appearance of food. †¢ Dyes in textile industries play an important role in giving colour to different fabrics. Colour strength of dyes is closely associated to narrow pH range which is maintained by using different buffer systems. pH above or below this narrow range will affect the colour imparting ability of different dyes. †¢ In Leather industries narrow range of pH control of tanning and dyeing baths determine the texture and colour of the finished product.

From Poland to USA Essay

Life, for me, has always been about taking risks in order to fulfill our dreams. Sometimes, we are required to face the difficult challenges in order to succeed in life. Originally, I am from Poland, and five years ago, I decided to move to the United States to fulfill my dreams. Moving to the United States was a very big leap from my end. My determination to succeed in life has been my driving force for survival in a country away from mine. My dream of acquiring a degree from an American college was now within reach. All I needed was a little bit of luck, and a handful of determination. The first few years I spent in the United States was a struggle. I had to learn a new language and adapt a new culture. I found myself adjusting to a new environment, where I was able to appreciate the new things that surrounded me. Living a life in New York was something out of the extraordinary. To fend for myself, I took on odd jobs, from being a waitress, to a cashier, and a paralegal for different employers. Although I was living a comfortable life, I was not contented with what I had. I wanted to enhance myself by continuing my education. I wanted so much to be a successful career woman. Although I had acquired a Masters degree in Sociology, I still wanted to pursue a Master’s degree in Public Administration. I have always been ambitious and determined to achieve my goals. A new degree will help me enhance my knowledge about things, and eventually help me to be of service to the United States. New York City faces many issues that require the implementation of new policies. With the education provided to me, I may be able to face such and do the necessary changes for the betterment of society. The knowledge I have acquired from studying Sociology has given me a well rounded education in liberal arts, that may be used to my advantage in my future careers. Having a fulfilling career definitely means a lot to me. The education that this university will give me will help me become a more diverse individual. In addition to this, I may be able to integrate my Polish culture with that of the Americans, that may be used to my advantage in further job opportunities.