The Woman Warrior- Silence (Theme) - 788 Words

Theme: Silence (finding one’s own personal voice) Kingston gives a voice to many of the voiceless women in the book, resulting in them discovering their identities as individuals. The theme of finding one’s own personal voice is a major theme in Kingston’s memoir. She makes various references to the physical and emotional struggle throughout the text by seeing the silence of the women in her family and Chinese culture. By adding her experience as a Chinese-American woman she tries to discover her voice. For Kingston, silence basically equals to a lack of voice, which she associates with the loss of identity as a woman. In No Name Woman, you can see that Kingston fears that if she stays silent and doesn’t find her own voice, she would†¦show more content†¦Kingston does this by almost making us look at her in a negative way. Moon Orchid comes across timid and almost incapable to do simple tasks. She couldn’t fit into America- and she doesn’t even try. In conclusion, Kingston’s different voices in the book culminated to show the dominance of her voice against all the others and to show her identity, which she finally gets. When Kingston gives a final look to her past, she tells the story of the poet Ts ai Yen to represent the possibilities of the two cultures that have surrounded her, her entire life coming together. Kingston sees them both as women warriors symbolically fighting to link the cultural gap between America and China. This last story helps Kingston find her true voice andShow MoreRelatedThe Woman Warrior, Maxine Hong Kingston1722 Words   |  7 PagesIn The Woman Warrior, Maxine Hong Kingston crafts a fictitious memoir of her girlhood among ghosts. The book’s classification as a memoir incited significant debate, and the authenticity of her representation of Chinese American culture was contested by Asian American scholars and authors. The Woman Warrior is ingenuitive in its manipulation of the autobiogr aphical genre. Kingston integrates the value of storytelling in her memoir and relates it to dominant themes about silence, cultural authenticityRead MoreFinding the Voice to Speak Essay955 Words   |  4 PagesFinding the voice to speak The Woman Warrior consists of five stories which focuses on five women: Kingstons long-dead aunt, No-Name Woman; a mythical female warrior, Fa Mu Lan; Kingstons mother, Brave Orchid; Kingstons aunt, Moon Orchid; and finally Kingston herself. Based on her mothers stories, which are integrated with Kingstons imagination, The Woman Warrior reveals her past childhood experiences, and explores her struggle to reconcile her Chinese heritage with her American identityRead MoreEssay on The Woman Warrior, by Maxine Hong Kingston1033 Words   |  5 PagesThe theme of â€Å"voiceless woman† throughout the book â€Å"the woman warrior† is of great importance. Maxine Kingston narrates several stories in which gives clear examples on how woman in her family are diminished and silenced by Chinese culture. The author not only provides a voice for herself but also for other women in her family and in her community that did not had the opportunity to speak out and tell their stories. The author starts the book with the story of her aunt. This story was a well-keptRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem The Echo Of Silence 1522 Words   |  7 PagesVictoria Collins Mr. Welborn Art History and Appreciation November 21, 2016 The Echo of Silence This paper is written on the artwork ‘Rebellious Silence’ from the series of Women of Allah by Shirin Neshat. Ms. Neshat â€Å"...is a contemporary Iranian artist best known for her films exploring the relationship between women and the religious and cultural value systems within Islamic communities† (Fine Art). In this paper Neshat’s biography, style for taking the picture, inspiration for the picture, andRead MoreWoman Warrior Essay1345 Words   |  6 PagesWoman Warrior Essay Maxine Hong Kingstons novel, The Woman Warrior is a semi-autobiographical collection of short stories that chronicles her childhood in California. It gives the reader a feeling of how it feels like to be a Chinese American girl growing up with traditional parents in a world that is quite different from theirs. Throughout the novel, both she and her mother refer to the outside world as ghosts. The subtitle given to the book is Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts. To figureRead MoreMaxine Hong Kingstons The Woman Warrior Essay1302 Words   |  6 PagesMaxine Hong Kingstons The Woman Warrior Maxine Hong Kingstons novel, The Woman Warrior is a semi-autobiographical collection of short stories that chronicles her childhood in California. It gives the reader a feeling of how it feels like to be a Chinese American girl growing up with traditional parents in a world that is quite different fromRead MoreThe Woman Warrior By Maxine Hong Kingston Essay1557 Words   |  7 PagesHathman 1 Rachele Hathman Professor Richard Potter ENC 1939 16 November 2016 The Woman Warrior Language is a system of communication used by humans either written or spoken to communicate our thoughts and feelings. Our thoughts and feelings we want to communicate to our loved ones, to our friends, to people we work with or go to school with and even to strangers. Maxine Hong Kingston in her memoir The Woman Warrior explores language and the use of language to express what Kingston finds as severalRead MoreRacism and Ethnicity Issues in Morrison, O ´Connor, and Kingston ´s Novels1754 Words   |  8 PagesThe central problem in Flannery O’Connor’s story, â€Å"Everything That Rises Must Converge†, Maxine Hong Kingston’s â€Å"The Woman Warrior†, and Toni Morrison’s â€Å"Recitatif†, revolve on the issue of race. Morrison and O’Connor focus on the theme of race specifically between blacks and whites in America. It could be said that Kingston’s â€Å"The Woman Warrior† concentrates on the racial differen ce between Asian and Caucasian but race is not made to be a big issue in this novel, since almost all of the charactersRead MoreUse of Imagery in Othello1555 Words   |  7 Pagesand Othellos’ true love overcoming such stereotypes and we are told this through imagery of fair warriors and that alike them. The wages of deceit is also shown through imagery of spiders and webs, uniforms and other images. Also, the power of jealousy is very well defined by imagery in the story. The green-eyed monster, handkerchief, and cuckolding imagery are very prominent in the defining this theme. The devilish character of Iago is depicted very well though different types of imagery. His sadisticRead MoreVictorian Period2321 Words   |  10 Pagesforests as ancient as the hills. Generally a very pleasant place, until he mentions a strange chasm on the side of a hill, surrounded by cedar trees. This chasm is a â€Å"savage† place, â€Å"as holy and enchanted† as any place that was ever â€Å"haunted by a woman wailing for her Demon Lover† (Coleridge 670). Within this haunted cavern, there are all kinds of turmoil– to illustrate; Coleridge compares this to if the Earth itself were heavily panting for breath. From this savage place in the hill, a geyser

Binge Drinking And The Minimum Legal Drinking Age

Karzhova Marina Erin Beaver English Composition II 5 November 2014 Binge Drinking and the Minimum Legal Drinking Age In the year 1984, President Ronald Reagan enacted a law that increased the minimum drinking Age all U.S states to 21 years. As a result, it is believed that the mortality rates due to road accidents reduced from 5,000 in the 80’s to 2, 000 in 2005 (Dean-Mooney). However, the issue of binge drinking remains unsolved with learning institutions having to deal with it every semester. In response to this, 134 college presidents formed the Amethyst Initiative, which is, a proposal allowing persons aged between 18 and 20 to consume alcoholic drinks Conversely, the Mothers against Drunk Driving (MADD), which pushed for the enactment of the law in 1984 believes that the Amethyst Initiative is misplaced. The push for a lower drinking age is a battle between the parental community and the student fraternity. For the drinking age too be lowered the Amethyst Initiative must compile concrete research and facts to support its findings. Nonetheless, historical data shows that increase in the minimum legal drinking age results in a decrease in the amount of deaths. As argued by Barry, Stellefson and Woosley, â€Å"the MLDA clearly reduces alcohol consumption and its associated harms† (8). In light of this, one can argue that the minimum drinking age should remain at 21 as lowering it may cause fatal consequences. The factors can be broadly classified as internal, such asShow MoreRelated The Drinking Age Should NOT Be Lowered Essay1006 Words   |  5 Pageslowering the minimum legal drinking age. Choose Responsibility, a group founded by John McCardell, proposes that upon completion of a 40 hour course to educate young people about alcohol, 18, 19, and 20 year old people should be licensed to drink. The Amethyst Initiative, part of Choose Responsibility, is a petition to Congress to rethink the minimum legal drinking age. Several college leaders have signed this petition in the belief that lowering the minimum legal drinking age will reduce binge drinkingRead MoreBinge Drinking vs the Drinking Age Essays829 Words   |  4 Pages2013 Binge Drinking VS the Drinking Age Presidents of college campuses around the nation face issues of underage drinking and binge drinking on a regular basis and realizes that it is a danger and a problem. â€Å"Alcohol consumption is the third leading cause of death in the U.S., a major contributing factor to unintentional injuries, the leading cause of death for youths and young adults, and accounts for an estimated 75,000 or more deaths in the United States annually† (Wechsler 2010). Binge drinkingRead More Lowering the Legal Minimum Drinking Age Essay1622 Words   |  7 Pagesunderage drinking has become a major problem, especially on college campuses. But, underage drinking is not purely the root of all accidents related to alcohol. The real problem lies within the unsafe underage drinking habits amongst youth. There are ways that these alcohol-related accidents can be avoided. Several organizations have been created that are targeting a change in the legal drinking age laws. One key way to lower the risk of unsafe drinking is to lower the minimum legal drinking age fromRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Should Be Abolished1634 Words   |  7 Pagestheir own legal drinking age. In 1984 the National Minimum Drinking Age act was passed and raised the drinking age in the United States to twenty-one. This law caused uproar in states that had declared the minimum drinking age to be eighteen. Alcohol consumption is a major factor in cultural and social matters and the National Minimum Drinking Age has affected everybody. This law is unjust because of many reasons. One of the most prominent reasons is that it is an ex-post facto law. The legal drinkingRead MoreIs it Right to Lower the Drinking Age?1070 Words   |  4 Pagesissue. My question is, â€Å"Why should we lower the legal drinking age†? Current proposals to lower the minimum legal drinking age to 18 would have some benefits like increasing revenue for bars and liquor stores. However the risks surpass the benefits. Many peop le think that if you’re 18 you’re portrayed as an adult, you’re old enough to serve your country, vote, and make your own decisions. In some cases this could be true, but lowering the drinking age would be way too risky for themselves and othersRead MoreBinge Drinking On College Campuses1459 Words   |  6 Pages Paul October 28, 2014 Binge Drinking On College Campuses Over the past few years, there has been this big debate about whether the drinking age should be lowered to 18 or if it should stay at 21. Those in favor of lowering the drinking age to 18 argue that someone who is old enough to serve their country should be allowed to have a drink. Those who are in favor of keeping the minimum legal drinking age at 21 because of consequences regarding psychological developmentRead MoreThroughout History, The United States Has Taken On Several1288 Words   |  6 Pagesregarding the minimum legal drinking age that vary in age as well as in state and federal enforcement of the limit. To this day, there is quite a bit of controversy surrounding the subject because advocates of higher, lower, and limitless age regulations all provide decent arguments towards their suggested policies. Regardless of the policy, they all have the same aim: reduce alcohol addiction, binge drinking, drunk driving, and other alcohol related public health risks. The curren t minimum legal drinkingRead MoreUnderage Drinkers And The Drinking Age1237 Words   |  5 Pagesthey actually go out. Underage adults are binge drinking and doing drugs before they leave their house, then they are out on the road, in public places, and making irrational decisions. If only these adults didn’t feel the need to pre-game, and get as belligerent as the can before they go out, because once they do that’s the end of their drinking until they get back home. There is a way to reduce dangerous drinking, it would be to lower the drinking age to 18. Once lowered to 18, adults would noRead MoreThe Minimum Drinking Age Act1700 Words   |  7 Pagesthe National Minimum Drinking Age Act made all 50 states raise the legal drinking age to 21(Dejong). The debate is on whether the age should be lowered or not. Statistically, having the age at 21 has been very helpful in keeping the nation safe. If there is not an issue with age now, would it make sense to lower the age and create unnecessary problems? In this case, the negative effects outweigh the positive. Simply because there is no good in lowering the age. The legal drinking age has been setRead MoreThe Legal Drinking Age Of The United States Essay1500 Words   |  6 PagesThe legal drinking age in the United States was ruled to be 21 in 1984, setting the country apart from almost all other western nations. These past 30 years have contained as much problems regarding the consumption of alcohol as one of the country’s biggest failures ever, the 18th amendment, otherwise known as prohibition. Also, the legal drinking age in the United States can be considered violation of states liberties, as the national government, albeit with good intentions, has intervened and only

Literature Review Goal Setting - Click on Free Sample

Question: Describe about the Goal Setting? Answer: 1. Introduction Goal setting is an integral part of the organizational behavior that involves the development of strategies in order to motivate employees within the organization and help in attainment of long-term goals. Vigoda-Gadot and Angert (2007) suggested that appropriate goal setting is important in an organization because it provides focus, increases motivation, improves group cohesion and help in performance measurability. The literature review here focuses on the concepts and theoretical models related to goal setting within an organization. With the help of this document, the researcher ensures effectiveness and influence of goal setting within an organization to set the baseline of a plan and to take decisions effectively. With the help of secondary academic review the researcher will be able to obtain an in-depth knowledge on the topic. 2. Research questions How does goal setting models helps in enhancing the organizational performance? What are the major goal setting models followed by your organization? How effective do you think is the present goal-setting model in your organization? How do you think the goal setting techniques motivate employees? 3. Theories and concepts on goal setting 3.1 Locke and Lathams Goal setting theory According to Locke and Latham (2006) the concepts of Management by objectives (MBO) and goal setting theories became major fields of study within the segment of organizational behavior because goals and objectives are the key elements that creates a positive organizational climate, improves job motivation, provides social and emotional support and enhance overall performance levels. Reed (2012) suggested that goals are related with performance enhancement because they organize effort, directs attention and encourages determination and plan development. In determining the relationship between goals and performance levels two main concepts are important namely the concept of Goal difficulty and the concept of Goal specificity. Murphy (2013) suggested that ambitious goals can contribute to the motivational increase of the individuals and thus enhance the overall performance levels. Lunenburg (2011) opined that goals have an inescapable influence on the behavior of the employees and thus influence the long-term performance of the employees within an organization. The goal setting theory proposed by Locke and Latham in 1960 emphasized on the fact that clear and specific goals and effective feedback can essentially motivate employees. According to Locke and Latham (2006), there are five important principles of goal setting that can improve the success rates within an organization namely clarity, challenge, commitment, feedback and task complexity. This theory states that goal setting within an organization should be a dual process. The individual employees should set a personal goal whereas the management of the organization should also focus on setting a team goal in order to comprehensively attain both individual growth and organizational growth. Vigoda-Gadot and Angert (2007) suggested that the willingness of wok towards the attainment of the goal is the major source of motivation for the employees within an organization. However, Bazerman (2009) argued that in some circumstances there might be rise of conflict between the personal goals and organizational goals. Moreover, the theory states that the organizations should frame complex goals so that the attainment of the same may bring a sense of self-satisfaction within the employees and further motivate them to increase their productivity. However, Sinnema and Robinson (2012) commented that high complexity of goals might make the goals unattainable. Finally, it has been argued that goal setting may not necessarily improve the job satisfaction levels. Figure 1: Goal setting theory (Source: Locke and Latham , 2006, pp- 267) 3.2 Goal setting theory conditions The necessary conditions that make goals effective and enhance the performance levels by invoking motivation within the employees are namely Goal commitment, Goal specificity, Goal difficulty and feedback related to goals. The following segment discusses the conditions. 3.2.1 Goal commitment Goal commitment in simple words denotes the acceptance of the goal by the individual. The acceptance of the goal is the initial step towards the motivation of the individuals. Rug and Wallace (2012) commented that if the goal is achievable and realistic then the rate of acceptance is high and with the advent of acceptance, the individual applies the required degree of determination and self-efficacy in order to complete the goal. However, Lawlor (2012) the rate of commitment may be hampered if the individual does not find the goal to be important. Hence, in order to successful make a goal achievable the organizations must exert the importance of the goal on the employees. The major factor that the organization needs to avoid in this context is the development of a casual attitude of the employees relating to the goals. For this Rug and Wallace (2012) suggested that the organizations should effectively provide all details about the goals, should establish a relation between the goal a nd the organizations ,mission and should also show the advantage that the individual may incur from the attainment of the goal. 3.2.2 Goal specificity The specificity of the goal is ascertained by its measurability. Bazerman (2009) suggested that highly specific goals affect the performance levels. Vague and abstract goals make it difficult for the employees to decide on the type of performance and quality of performance that the individuals should generate. The goals should thus be clear in terms of the specifications thereby assigning the actual tasks that the organization requires the employees to meet. The major focus of the management of the organization should be on the removal of the ambiguity from within the goals. For instance, the sale persons are given specific monthly targets that they have to achieve and the specification of incentive structures that they might get on achieving more than the monthly targets. According to Sinnema and Robinson (2012) the numerical targets makes the targets more realistic and highly motivates the employees to achieve the same. Further depending upon the skills of the employees the managem ent can enhance the goal challenges and specifications. 3.2.3 Goal difficulty According to Vigoda-Gadot and Angert (2007) to encourage high performance levels the organizations should formulate highly difficult goals. However Simes et al., (2012) argued that the difficulty level of the goal should depend upon the human skills present within the organization so that the level is achievable otherwise the goal difficulty can de motivate the employees and reduce their productivity. Ordez et al. (2009) suggests that the individuals have a tendency to act or respond dishonestly in case the goals become unattainable or difficult compared to their skills. Thus, it is essential for the organization to set the difficulty levels correctly in order to enhance the performance levels. For instance, Fords goal to gain market share in the international market forced the company to compromise on the quality standards of the new car Pinto that resulted in accidental deaths of around 53 consumers. Thus, the example shows that high standard settings are often detrimental to the s uccess of the employees and the organization. Ordez et al. (2009) added that difficulty level of the goals should remain within the power of the employees and the organization. In order to do so the organizations can conduct a SWOT analysis that will reveal the internal strengths and threats of the company in order to help them generate the necessary goal standards. A high goal not only jeopardizes motivation and commitment but also creates a non-congenial environment where the employees engage in corruption, dishonesty and hampers the quality of the organizational performance. Bennett (2009) concluded that the performance graph sharply declines with the increase in the level of goal difficulty. Figure 2: Relationship between performance level and goal difficulty (Source: Bennett 2009, pp- 98) 3.2.4 Goal feedback Feedback is an important element for performance evaluation. Simes et al. (2012) suggested that feedback is important also in case of goals in order to judge the effectiveness of the goal and the effectiveness of the commitment related to the goal completion. In the absence of feedbacks the employees remain unaware about their progress and it becomes difficult for them to ascertain the level of commitment that is further required for the job. Moreover, feedback process helps in identifying any loopholes within the goal and enables the individual to make necessary modifications. However, Murphy (2013) pointed that feedback should be constructive. The leaders and the goal makers should try to be specific while giving feedbacks. They should clearly mention the changes they require. Positive feedback also acts as a motivational factor for the enhancement of the performance levels. In this regard, Greenberg (2011) commented that feedback could be process oriented or outcome oriented. Thus by receiving the feedbacks the individuals will be aware that their work is being evaluated and this will minimize their chances if mistakes and act as amoral support for them. 3.3 SMART Goals In order to mend the problems of the goal setting theory the advent of SMART goals were made. Lawlor (2012) stated that development of SMART goals helps the organizations and employees to make the goals quantitative in nature, which helps easy attainment of the goals. The mangers adopt the following parameters while designing SMART goals. S = Specific goals M = Measurable goals A = Attainable goals R = Relevant goals T = Time bound goals Stringer and Shantapriyan (2012) opined that the specificity within the goals helps the employees and the managers to concretely define the task that is to be undertaken. The specificity of the goals gives the employees an opportunity to undergo the training process, which increases their individual productivity as well. Further, by making the goals measurable, the organizations are able to judge the feasibility of the goals. The achievability characteristic of a goal makes the goal viable and the organizations can design the desired resources in order to make the goal achievable. The relevancy of the goal motivates the employees to try and achieve the same. Finally, a time bound goal highlights the approximate time frame within which the organization plans to achieve the goal successfully. However, Reed (2012), pointed out in article that even SMART goals are not always effective for the organization. It is easy for the organizations to set ambitious goals however; the attainment of the same may divert the organization from other functional areas. For instance, a specific goal concerning the attainment of high market share in a particular target market may make the organization easy target in that market. Reed (2012) further commented that the high attainable goals as set by the SMART goal concept required high degree of skills and training in order to make the goals attainable. However, the organizations are more focused on the setting of the SMART goals without any focus on the skills requirement of the employees thus making the goals unattainable. Figure 3: SMART goals (Source: Stringer and Shantapriyan, 2012, pp-192) 3.4 GROW model The major role of an organizational leader is to effectively coach the employees to perform to their best abilities. The GROW model of goal setting is a simple and widely used tool for simple organizational structures in order to coach the employees in order to attain the goals. The following table shows the questions farmed at every stage of the GROW model. G - Goal What does the organization hope to achieve? R - Reality What is the current position of the organization? O Options / obstacles What are the different alternatives and problems available to the organization? W - Will What are the plan concerning the goals and obstacles? Reed (2012) commented that this model takes into account the views of the SMART goals in stage one and further designs the organizational activities that will help in attainment of the SMART goals. The organizations by establishing the reality can account for the present condition of the organization as well as the employees. This helps the management leaders to effectively judge whether the essential skills and trainings are present within the employees, whether the organization has required financial and technical resource in order to successfully attain the SMART goals. Strongman (2013) further added that assessment of the obstacle and options helps the organizations to analyze the external environment before engaging in goal attainment actions. The use of SWOT, PESTLE and Porters 5 force gives the organizations the opportunity to analyze the potential threats and opportunities in the path of the desired goals. The recognition of the barriers will help the organization to make str ategies for avoidance and recognition of opportunities will give the organization to build a strong competitive advantage over the other players within the industry. However Grant (2011), argued that GROW model may be ineffective in case of one-to-one interaction between an employee and a leader. The leader in this case may focus rigidly on the principles of the model rather than paying appropriate attention to the ability, skills and mind frame of the employee. Thus excessive use of the principles of GROW within the organizational leadership context may give rise to a strict and inflexible organizational structure. Moreover Urbany and Davis (2010) added that the leaders using the GROW model for the purpose of coaching generally tends to avoid laying the foundations among the employees and try to generate fast achievement of the goals. Figure 4: GROW model (Source: Grant, 2011, pp- 120) 4. Conclusion While conducting researches by going through the case studies on setting goal, three models have been undertaken by the different organizations for performance improvement by setting appropriate and attainable organizational goals. The chapter helps the researcher to gain insight knowledge on the different positive and negative aspects of goal setting actions. Thus from the overall analysis it can be concluded that the organizations can use the elements of the different models of goal setting effectively but also not rely rigidly on the principles without paying any attention to the resource availability and human skills. Rigidity of the models may result in setting of ambitious and difficult goals, which may sound good from the organizational prospective but, may hinder the ethical considerations and reduce the performance levels of the individuals within the organization. Reference list Alblas, G. and Wijsman, E. (2011).Organisational behaviour. Groningen [etc.]: Noordhoff Publishers. Bazerman, M. (2009). When Goal Setting Goes Bad.Working Knowledge. Harvard Business School. Bennett, D. (2009). Ready, aim... fail. Why setting goals can backfire.The Boston Globe,C1 Grant, A. M. (2011). Is it time to REGROW the GROW model? Issues related to teaching coaching session structures.The Coaching Psychologist,7(2), 118-126. Greenberg, J. (2011). Behavior in organizations (10th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hal Lawlor, K. B. (2012). Smart Goals: How the Application of Smart Goals can Contribute to Achievement of Student Learning Outcomes.Developments in Business Simulation and Experiential Learning,39. Locke, E. A., and Latham, G. P. (2006). New directions in goal-setting theory.Current directions in psychological science,15(5), 265-268. Lunenburg, F. (2011). Goal-Setting Theory of Motivation.INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF MANAGEMENT, BUSINESS, AND ADMINISTRATION, 15(1), p.5. Mullins, L. (2011).Essentials of organisational behaviour. Harlow, England: Financial Times Prentice Hall/Pearson. Murphy, B. (2013). Organisational Behaviour for Social Work.Practice, 25(2), pp.143-145. Ordez,L.,Schweitzer,M.,Galinsky,A.,andBazerman,M.(2009).Goals gone wild: The systematic side effects of over-prescribing goal setting.HBS Working Paper, 09-083 Reed, A. (2012).TechWell | Are SMART Goals Smart Enough?. [online] TechWell. Available at: https://www.techwell.com/2012/09/are-smart-goals-smart-enough [Accessed 24 Mar. 2015]. Rug, H. and Wallace, M. (2012).Goal Sharing. Scottsdale: WorldatWork Press. Simes, P., Vasconcelos-Raposo, J., Silva, A. and Fernandes, H. (2012). Effects of a Process-Oriented Goal Setting Model on Swimmer's Performance.Journal of Human Kinetics, 32(-1). Sinnema, C. and Robinson, V. (2012). Goal Setting in Principal Evaluation: Goal Quality and Predictors of Achievement.Leadership and Policy in Schools, 11(2), pp.135-167. Stringer, C. and Shantapriyan, P. (2012).Setting performance targets. [New York, N.Y.] (222 East 46th Street, New York, NY 10017): Business Expert Press. Strongman, L. (2013). The Psychology of Social Undermining in Organisational Behaviour.The Australian and New Zealand Journal of Organisational Psychology, 6. Urbany, J. and Davis, J. (2010).Grow by focusing on what matters. New York, N.Y.: Business Expert Press. Vigoda-Gadot, E., and Angert, L. (2007). Goal setting theory, job feedback, and OCB: Lessons from a longitudinal study.Basic and applied social psychology,29(2), 119-128.

Individual Prejudice and Discrimination Soc/120 Essay Example

Individual Prejudice and Discrimination Soc/120 Essay The culture of South Africa is known for its ethnic and cultural diversity. The South African black majority still has a substantial number of rural populations who lead largely impoverished lives. It is among these people, however, that cultural traditions survive most strongly. African Americans are increasingly taking on urban characteristics and have been influenced with ideas; the aspects of traditional culture have declined. Urban blacks usually speak English or Afrikaans in addition to their native tongue. Indian South Africans preserve their cultural heritage, languages and religious beliefs, being either Christian, Hindu or Muslim and speaking English, with Indian languages like Hindi, Telugu, Tamil or Gujarati being spoken less frequently as second languages. There is a much smaller Chinese South African community, made up of early immigrants, apartheid-era immigrants from Taiwan, and post-apartheid immigrants from mainland China. In general, all racial and ethnic groups in South Africa have long-standing beliefs concerning gender roles, and most are based on the premise that women are less important, or less deserving of power, than men. Most African traditional social organizations are male centered and male dominated. Even in the 1990s, in some rural areas of South Africa, for example, wives walk a few paces behind their husbands in keeping with traditional practices. A minority of ultra-conservative Afrikaners’ religious beliefs, too, includes a strong emphasis on the theoretically biblically based notion that womens contributions to society should normally be approved by, or be on behalf of, men. English speaking whites tend to be the most liberal group, including on issues pertaining to gender roles. We will write a custom essay sample on Individual Prejudice and Discrimination Soc/120 specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Individual Prejudice and Discrimination Soc/120 specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Individual Prejudice and Discrimination Soc/120 specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer In the 20th century, economic and political developments presented South African women with both new obstacles and new opportunities to wield influence. For example, labor force requirements in cities and mining areas have often drawn men away from their homes for months at a time, and, as a result, women have borne many traditionally male responsibilities in the village and home. Women have had to guarantee the day-to-day survival of their families and to carry out financial and legal transactions that otherwise would have been reserved for men (material Culture of South Africa, 2013). Race and ethnicity are terms used to categorize populations on the basis of shared characteristics. The differentiation between race and ethnicity is an ethnic group is a social category of people who share a common culture, such as a common language, a common religion, or common norms, customs, practices, and history. Ethnic groups have a consciousness of their common cultural bond. An ethnic group does not exist simply because of the common national or cultural origins of the group, however. They develop because of their unique historical and social experiences, which become the basis for the group’s ethnic identity. A race is a group that is treated as distinct in society based on certain characteristics. Because of their biological or cultural characteristics, which are labeled as inferior by powerful groups in society, a race is often singled out for differential and unfair treatment. It is not the biological characteristics that define racial groups, but how groups have been treated historically and socially. Society assigns people to racial categories (White, Black, etc. ) not because of science or fact, but because of opinion and social experience. In other words, how racial groups are defined is a social process; it is socially constructed. The assumption that race reflects only biological distinctions is inaccurate. Categories based on race account for only 3–7% of total human genetic diversity, are not reliably measured, and are not always biologically meaningful. Furthermore, both race and ethnicity are constantly evolving concepts, making the task of comparing groups or following the same group over time quite challenging. For instance, the increasing proportion of the U. S. population describing their race as â€Å"mixed† or â€Å"other,† as well as changes in ethnic self-identification across generations and occasionally even within the same generation, makes it difficult to assign individuals to invariant categories of race or ethnicity. Nevertheless, the social importance given to these constructs to describe groups that have been treated in similar ways based on presumed biological characteristics, as well as the acknowledgment that such classifications themselves have contributed to inequalities in health and health care access, necessitates that we continue to use the terms race and ethnicity (material Sociology of Race and Ethnicity, 2013). The experiences of African American descendants throughout United States history have been difficult. African American descendants have been subjected to American slavery from the earliest days in the 17th century. Slave owners strove to exercise control over their slaves by making an attempt to strip them of their African culture. Regardless of their fathers status, children of enslaved mothers followed the status of their mothers and were considered slaves as well. The physical isolation and societal downgrading of African slaves facilitated the withholding of significant elements of traditional culture among Africans in the U. S. African American descendants have endured racial terrorism in many forms. One of the forms was the Ku Klux Klan, after its founding in 1867, the Ku Klux Klan, a secret vigilante organization dedicated to destroying the Republican Party in the South, especially by terrorizing Black leaders was formed. This vigilante organization hides behind masks and robes to conceal their identity while they carried out violence and property damage. The Klan used terrorism, especially murder and threats of murder, arson and intimidation. The Klans excesses led to the passage of legislation against it, and with Federal enforcement, it was destroyed by 1871 (material African-American History, 2013). African American descendants have been deprived of their civil rights and have been discriminated against as well. They have been stripped of their rights to vote and racial segregation at the workplace, in schools and by facilities that served the general public where enforced upon them. Anti-miscegenation laws prohibited marriages of European-Americans with people of African descent, even if of mixed race. African American communities have suffered from extremely high incarceration rates. They have the highest imprisonment rate of any major ethnic group in the world. The southern states, which historically had been involved in slavery and post-Reconstruction oppression, now produce the highest rates of incarceration and the death penalty (material African-American History, 2013). Residential segregation has taken various forms. Limited contracts in deeds had prohibited minorities from buying properties from any consequent owner. Some of the state constitutions, had sections giving local authorities the right to control where members of particular races could live. In the 1950s-1960s, legislation enacting racial segregation was finally overturned, because of the population being morally confronted and educated by advocates of the Civil Rights Movement. The United States Supreme Court ruled that separate but equal was essentially discriminatory and engaged integration of public schools in 1954 with Brown v. Board of Education (material Judicial Aspects of Race in the United States, 2013). One of many significant pieces of civil rights legislation ever proposed that Congress passed is referred to as the civil rights act of 1964. The civil rights act made Congress an equal partner with the Supreme Court in establishing civil rights. The act banned discrimination in all residences of public lodging, such as restaurants, hotels, gas stations, theaters etc. ,. It also permitted the department of justice to bring suit in order to accomplish desegregation in public schools. In the mid-1950s to late 1960s during the civil rights movement it was a exertion for African Americans to succeed in having civil rights equal to those of Whites, including the opportunity for equal employment, housing, and education, along with the right to vote, the right of equal access to public amenities, and the right to be free of racial discrimination. The movement of the twentieth century has had such an intense effect on the legal and political establishments of the United States that no other social or political effect has had. Assured by the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments this movement attempted to restore to African Americans the rights of residency, which had been abused by segregationist Jim Crow laws in the South (material Judicial Aspects of Race in the United States, 2013). The federal government was forced numerous times to enforce its laws and protect the rights of African American citizens which essentially altered relations between the federal government and the states. The civil rights movement also provoked the relapse of the judiciary, including the Supreme Court, in its role as defender of individual liberties against majority power. Furthermore, Martin Luther King Jr. , and other leaders of the movement anticipated, this movement to encouraged advantages not only for African Americans but also for women, individuals with disabilities, and several others. Congress passed another significant piece of legislation; the voting rights act of 1965 was passed the following year. This act excluded the voting qualifications, including literacy tests, that whites have used in the past to prevent African Americans from voting. It also enabled the federal government to oversee rules regarding changes in state voting laws. These laws together with federal actions displayed that no amount of resistance, no matter how violent, by white southerners would encumber the cause and the civil rights movement had the back-up of the powers of the federal government. The culture of South Africa is known for its ethnic and cultural diversity. Both race and ethnicity are, in fact, social constructs. Race has traditionally been used to categorize populations on the basis of shared biological characteristics such as genes, skin color, and other observable features. Ethnicity is used to categorize on the basis of cultural characteristics such as shared language, ancestry, religious traditions, dietary preferences, and history. Although ethnic groups can share a range of phenotypic characteristics due to their shared ancestry, the term is typically used to highlight cultural and social characteristics instead of biological ones. The experiences of African American descendants throughout United States history have been difficult. The federal government was forced numerous times to enforce its laws and protect the rights of African American citizens which essentially altered relations between the federal government and the states. The effects of prejudice and discrimination for South African individuals have been devastating and will continue to have a negative impact for many years to come. Reference Frenkel, R. (2008). Feminism and Contemporary Culture in South Africa. , (). Adams, B. G. , Fons J. R. , Van d. Vijvera. De Bruin, G. P. (2011). . Identity in South Africa: Examining self-descriptions across ethnic groups, (). Culture of South Africa. (2013). Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Culture_of_South_Africa African-American history. (2013). Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Black_American_History Sociology Of Race And Ethnicity. (2013). Retrieved from http://sociology. about. com/od/Disciplines/a/Sociology-Of-Race-Ethnicity. htm? p=1 Judicial aspects of race in the United States. (2013). Retrieved from http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Judicial_aspects_of_race_in_the_United_States

Abigail essays

Abigail essays In this movieJerome? as he likes to be called is probably one of the hardest workers in movie history. Day in and a day outJerome? works as hard as he can so he can reach his dream. He was born as aninvalid? and was excluded from most of societies events. If you were not perfect in every way possible from your hair to your day of death, then you would not be accepted by anyone. The only thing you could do was become a janitor for instance.Jerome? wanted to change all this so he could go up to space. He constantly tried to perfect his body and mind. He eventually realized that he could not reach that goal no matter how hard he tried. He then went to a person that could help him. There was a man who was able to switch his identity with another man's identity. That other man was know as Jerome, who was a perfect specimen for the job thatJerome? wanted to pursue. While his original identity would be lost for good.Jerome? would have to constantly brush his own dead skin off so he would not be figured out. Aside from brushing his own skin, he would have to place fake skin on his thumb that had the man that he is impersonating blood so he would be able to pass the identity checks every day of his work life. AlsoJerome? needed to dye his hair the same color as the man he is impersonating.Jerome? had to basically change every last thing of himself to become his dream identity. By doing all of this hard workJerome? was finally able to go up to space like he wanted too. The role of parent and child is very clear in this movie and that is that if a man and woman would like a to have perfect child then they could get one. The parents could choose everything about the baby to their liking. The parent's could also figure out the child's diseases that he or she will get, how violent he or she is, the day of his or her death and causes. This leaves the child to have very few choices in life. ...

pyrotechnics essays

pyrotechnics essays Pyrotechnics is defined as the art of making and using fireworks. Some consider fireworks dangerous, obnoxious bursts of noise; others consider them beautiful, artful displays of light. Either way you look at it, pyrotechnics is an interesting and dangerous hobby. Many colors and designs may be created by the placement of different compounds in distinct areas of the fireworks, either projectile or stationary ones. Some of the many different colors of the visible spectrum that can be easily recreated are; yellow, orange, red, green, and blue. The shades of yellow and orange can be easily recreated by the use of sodium or calcium chlorate. Red is easily attainable by the burning of SrCl. The burning of BaCl creates a very bright green. The burning of copper chlorate creates the blues. It would be extremely easy if we could just place these in the fireworks and have them work, however, the emitting molecules, especially SrCl and BaCl, are so reactive that they cannot be packed directly into a firework. To generate them, we need pyrotechnic compositions designed to generate the above molecules, to evaporate them into the flame and to keep them at as high temperature as possible to achieve maximum light output. To get good colors, there must be substantial amounts of emitters present in the flame. The emitters are not alone: in order to achieve the high temperature, a fuel - oxidizer system i s also needed, as well as some additional ingredients. The colors of aerial fireworks come invariably from stars, small pellets of firework composition that contain all the necessary ingredients for generating colored light or other special effects. They may be as tiny as peas or as large as strawberries. A typical red star might contain Potassium perchlorate, 67% by weight In order to launch these beautiful displays into the sky, one m ...

Answer questions related to psycholgy subject Coursework

Answer questions related to psycholgy subject - Coursework Example According to the video, a teenager needs more than nine hours of sleep for his well-being. My parents always made sure that I get enough sleep especially during my exams. Although the quantity of time they spent with me in my teenage was less as they were both working; still, the quality of time they spent communicating with me was high which compensated for their not being present 24/7. Sometimes, I wished they could talk to me more often when I would feel stressed out or emotionally disturbed. The only thing that I wish my parents would have done in my teenage is taking me out so that we could spend some time together outdoors as well. I have learned that, in order to reduce stress, it is important to drag myself to relax physically and mentally. I should do meditation or yoga function to de-stress myself. I should calm down my muscles and tell myself to relax no matter how much stress I am into. Since stress affects one’s ability to increase blood pressure and shut down pregnancy, it is something I should manage to save future inconveniences. High blood pressure cause cardiac problems which I definitely would not like to have, thus I will learn stress management techniques. How much control should parents have over their child’s genetic makeup is decided by Nature and not by the parents. No parents till date have been able to create the best baby according to their desires by manipulating with the genes, as the video says. Scientists believe that man knows very little of the complex machine that carries genes, and playing with genes is rather more complex. Man has been able to genetically modify animals and plants, but making changes to the genetic makeup of a child has not been possible as yet. Parents might want to operate with their unborn child’s genes but Nature has not given them full control over the genetic machinery. To foster healthy relationship with children, parents need to enjoy the bonding they share with them, play with them,

Living in the early colonial era Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Living in the early colonial era - Essay Example With Puritan inclinations, our minister recalls Roger Williams of New England's promotion of "soul liberty" and his rejection of Puritans' doctrine of God's elect as heresy (Foner 63). I came in, only to find Elizabeth, my wife, crying. Upon inquiry, I was told Gilbert, an African slave working in a neighboring farm had been whipped repeatedly for having sex with another female slave (Foner 52). News spread across colonies of possible French forays into colonies under British rule. Sir Edmund Andros, Governor of New York, reportedly forms an alliance, Covenant Chain, with Iroquois Indians in order to counter French threats (Foner 83). [Insert Your Last Name] 4 February 24, 1689 News spread about overthrowing James II of England and triggers riots and violence in many colonies (Foner 92). November 20, 1691 I was alarmed by reports of several girls succumbing to nightmares and fits after experimenting with magic in Salem, Massachusetts (Foner 94). [Insert Your Last Name] 5 Works Cited Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty!: An American History. Vol. 1. New York: W.W. Norton & Co., 2004. Print.

Chromosome Markers in the DNA Tests Research Paper

Chromosome Markers in the DNA Tests - Research Paper Example Forensic DNA testing is currently performed by using the complex STR multiplex systems. This testing allows the testing of several loci in a single – tube PCR system. A highly variable STR is chosen for the analysis such that they should be within the detection range of 90 – 500 base pairs. These STRs should also be present in the other chromosomes too. Highly polymorphic markers and gender identifying markers are widely used in the STR multiplex systems. All these loci are labeled with different fluorescent dyes for the automated Genotyping. The fluorescent dye is attached to the PCR primers and these dyes get incorporated into the target DNA sequence during the process of amplification.   5-FAM (blue) dye is used for the STR loci D3S1358 and NED (Yellow) dye is used for D19S433 STR loci. By using the two different fluorescent dyes, it was observed that the height and the peaks of the STR loci D3S1358 and D19S433 are similar between them. If we use the same fluoresce nt dye then it may lead to confusion whether the source of DNA is from a single person or from multiple persons because the peak areas are very important for the determination of the amount of DNA. If the sample is homozygous and have only one peak with the area equal to the two individual peaks then it will be very difficult to analyze the results. This is very frequent if we use the same fluorescent dye for D3S1358 and D19S433. Since D3S1358 and D19S433 are similar to each other, the use of two different dyes will easily differentiate them. (Thompson 2006). The specific dye is incorporated into the PCR product and the level of emission of light and the intensity of light emission gives the details about the size of the DNA. The level of emission may vary for the two STR loci but since they are of same size, the emission level will be same and it will be very difficult to identify the two STRs. The factors for choosing the Fluorescent dye are based on the dyes, optical filters, las er and matrix to which it binds. The D3S1358 is 119 bp to 147 bp in size with the average repeats of 15. These loci will accept the blue dye more readily than the yellow dye. Similarly D19S433 is 206 bp with 9 repeats. (Foster and Laurin 2012). This also will absorb yellow dye more readily than the blue dye. The variation in the base pair is thus an important factor for the choice of fluorescent dyes. The peak heights of the two STR loci D3S1358 and D19S433 vary with the annealing temperatures. Similarly the relative intensity of the loci also varies. (Foster and Laurin 2012). First generation dyes were used for the analysis of the loci initially; later the development of the second generation dyes with more specificity replaced them. The fluorescent dyes used for the multiplex were amandine dyes that emits the color when bind properly to the DNA fragments. The fluorescent dyes NED and 6 - FAM currently for the identification of the D19S433 and D3S1358 produces standard results for the different populations in many parts of the world. (Li et al. 2013). Thus it is concluded that D3S1358 and D19S433 STR loci cannot have same fluorescent dye because they have the similar base pair length and produce the same peak. (Butler 2005). If the same dye is used then they will form only one peak but with

The Concept Of Research Design Information Technology Essay

The Concept Of Research Design Information Technology Essay In this chapter we will cover the research questions concerning the impact of CRM implementation on company performance. In the first section, we will explain the concept of research design and the different research designs types. In the second section, we will define the research design that we will use in our thesis. First, we will define the problem and explain the objectives of our studies. Second we will define the research method that we are using. Third, we will explain the different concept of scaling. Fourth, the will explain the design of the questionnaire and the sampling process. Section 1: The concept of research design In this section we will explain the different concept and methodologies of the research design in order to use the correct research design type in our thesis. 1. Research design The research design is defined as a framework with specific procedures for collecting and analyzing the necessary data from different sources, allowing the identification of the research problem (Emory and Cooper, 1991). The successful research design should cover the following tasks: it should define the research problem, select the required information when it is needed, specify the measurement and scaling procedures, make a pre-test questionnaire, define the sampling process and the sample size, select the correct plan for data analysis and tabulation, define the time and financial constraints and follow up on the completed research study ( Brierty and Al,1998). The Nature of the study defines which research method should be adopted. It exist three different types of research, the exploratory, the descriptive or the causal. 1.2 The exploratory Research type The objective of exploratory research is to help the researcher to understand the problem situation. The results of using this type of research are guidelines for a better comprehension of the problem and encouragement of the personal explanation and creativity of the researcher (Sudman and Blair, 1997). Usually the exploratory research is used for the following reasons: developing hypotheses, in case we dont know much information about the research issue, to isolate the variables and relationships for advanced examination, for positioning studies, familiarization with customers, to establish precedence for auxiliary research, getting new ideas, to describe process, to defines a problem more specifically and developing an approach to the problem. The exploratory research is necessary when the information is loosely defined that leads to unstructured working format. This type of research allows high flexibility in the research, since it allows changes in the procedures and protocols (Tull and Hawkins,1993). In addition the exploratory research can be divided into four categories: expert surveys, secondary data analysis, pilot studies. First, the expert surveys are conducted by consulting persons that have experience in a specific field, which help the researcher to collect technical data about the studied subject. Second, secondary data analysis is based on another research area which is economical and ready to use. Secondary data help the researcher to identify and define the research problem, to develop clear research design approach for the problem, to allow analyzing the primary data more astutely and to answers some research questions (Malhotra, 1996). Third, pilot studies are small scale exploratory researches that are used to understand the research problem setting (Zikmund, 2000). In general the exploratory research use the focus group , which is an interview conducted with a small group of respondent in a free-flowing manner. Focus groups have many advantages, since it is much quicker to collect information compared to interviewing individuals, the level of excitement increase when the topic stimulates the respondents, the discussion is usually recorded and the researcher can refer to it later, the moderator controls the discussion and he doesnt allow respondents to deviate the topic, respondents feel more comfortable in group discussions and they will express their personal ideas more freely which produce a wide range of information and ideas. In other hand, focus groups have some disadvantages, since they are difficult to moderate and sometimes they are misjudged , results can be misused and can be considered not to be representative of the whole population (Malhotra,1996). 1.3 The descriptive research type The descriptive research is used to describe a phenomena and it studies the relationship between variables (Churchill, 1998). The descriptive research should be the most accurate as possible allowing the understanding of the research problem. The results of successful descriptive studies can answer any question with high precision. The descriptive research is used for the following reasons: for define the perceptions of problem characteristics, to explain the decision making process and its impacts, to get specific predictions, to explain the characteristics of groups such as customers and organizations, and to determine the differences in needs among subgroups. The descriptive research is characterized by the formulations of explicit hypotheses, which leads to a research design more structured and contains several statistical methodologies. In addition, the descriptive research can be applied using four different methods: panels, secondary data, observational data and surveys. First, the panels are group of people that answers to a number of telephone interviews or mail or personal interviews for a period of time. The observation includes recording the behavior of the respondents in a methodical way to obtain the needed information about a proposed problem. Second, the surveys include interviews with a number of people by using a questionnaire about the studied subject (Tull and Hawkins,1993). 1.3 The causal research type The causal research type is to recognize the cause and effect relationship between the variables in the problem model. In general, the descriptive and the exploratory research lead the way for cause and effect relationship studies. The descriptive research allows examining the associations between variables, and the causal research explain the relation between those variables, for example a change in one variable affects the other variables. The causal research can be used in the following cases: to define which variables are the cause, the independent variables, and which variables is the effect, the dependent variables, of a phenomenon, and to explain the nature of relationship between the dependent and the independent variables. The causal research has a structured design and should be carefully planned. The design explain how several independent variables are manipulated to see its effect on the dependent variables in a well-defined environment (Malhotra, 1996). The causal research has some disadvantages, since it is expensive, difficult to administer, doesnt reflect the real population opinions (Walker et al., 1999). 2. Selecting the research approach In general, the nature of research and the researcher personal discretion defines which research design should be adopted in the study (Zikmund, 2000). The previous researches can direct the researcher to the right direction for choosing the correct research design. In general, it is always recommended to start the research design using the exploratory research if the research problem is of an ambiguous nature. Researchers use the descriptive research when they are aware of the research problem but they need more understanding of the different aspects of the problem. In case of the research problem is clearly defined, the researchers use the causal research method. The exploratory research allows forming hypothesis and the causal or descriptive research are used to statistically test the hypothesis. In order to choose the correspondent research approach it is very important to compare every approach characteristics, and to choose the research method based on logical examination of the research problem aspects. The purpose of our study is to determine the impacts of changes resulting from the implementation of the CRM solution on the Lebanese firms performance. In addition, we will use the exploratory research to formulate the hypothesis and the causal research since we will evaluate the effects of the CRM on the firm. In order to achieve the required results of the study, the researcher should define the stages of activity which must be worked through to achieve a reliable study (Johnson, 1994). Those steps are : establish the purpose of the study, identify the specific objectives of the study, define the research method, develop the research instrument and access, collect the required data, ordering the data, analyzing the data, writing results and conclusion. The measurement procedure is defined by assigning numbers to the different aspects of objects based on certain pre-defined rules, to produce accurate data (Malhotra, 1996). In our thesis, we use statistical numbers to analyze and communicate the responses of the employees and the customers. In addition, scaling allows the generation of a continuum upon which measured objects are located (Malhotra, 1996). Section 2: The research design In this section we will define the research design that we will adopt in our thesis. We will explain all the aspects of the adopted research design. 3. Problem definition: The research problem is divided into different interconnected steps allowing the researcher to deeply study the proposed subject and it defines the direction of the study. The challenge that researchers face in the research problem definition is that the defined should not be defined too broadly or too narrowly. The caution should be exercised when defining the problem to avoid defining a symptom instead of the real problem (Cravens, 2000). The purpose of our study is to evaluate the impact of changes brought by the implementation of CRM on the firm performance in the Lebanese market. Firms are implementing CRM to increase their competitive advantages. This implementation has several impacts on firm performance, such as financially (Profits and ROI), customer loyalty and employees productivity. From here we will study the impact of CRM implementation on firm performance. 4. The objectives. In order to achieve the required results from the study, researchers need to have clear understanding of the research purpose (Sigmund, 2000). The main objective of our research is to evaluate the impact of CRM implementation on the firm. The success of CRM process starts with the implementation phase, by including the entire firm departments in the implementation and by focusing on the processes re-engineering. The research objectives are defined as following: the importance of change management plan before implementing a CRM system, the importance of people in the CRM, the importance of customer satisfaction, the ROI of the CRM implementation and the productivity of the employees. The managers having experience with the implementation of CRM provides the research with the necessary background information and the employees working the CRM (customer service) solution provide us with the necessary operation information. 5. The Problem definition After the implementation of CRM in the firm, the managers in the Lebanese organizations cannot evaluate the impact of the CRM Solution on their organization performance. The evaluation of the CRM starts from the implementation phase before going to the after implementation phase. The managers cannot define clear criteria for controlling the results of CRM on the firm. Furthermore, the reason is that the impacts of CRM cannot be viewed directly and it requires a long period to see tangible results. In order to clearly define the problem researchers need to view the problem from different aspects. The first issue that we need to evaluate after the implementation of CRM is the success of the implementation. This can be evaluated by studying the change management strategy adopted. Based on our literature review, most of the projects failures are due to the absence of clear change management strategy. The second to evaluate is how the CRM affected the firm performance; this can be evaluated by studying the customer retention and satisfaction in addition to the employee productivity. In order to define all the dimensions of the problem, a questionnaire should be prepared. In the questionnaire we will include all the objectives of our study. First we will focus how to manage an information technology driven change in the firm from the change management perspective (change management strategy, planning and budget). Second, we will study the impact of CRM on people in the organization (Training, evaluating their productivity and rewarding) and resistance problem. Third, the questionnaire will include the importance of customers background and satisfaction in CRM implementation (Customers trends, and customers feedback). At the end, we will the study the Return on investment of CRM. Our research will evaluate different change aspects resulting from the implementation of CRM in the Lebanese firms. 6. Research methods In this section will explain the research method that we will adopt in our thesis. We will define the work field and the different aspects of the research methods. 6.1 Surveys The research method is the base of the research project, since it defines the methods to collect the necessary information for the project. The research method defines and justifies the methods to collect the required data, and to develop a questionnaire allowing us to obtain the required information. It also specifies the sampling of the respondents. The first step in the research method is to select the respondent for the survey, to allow the collection of the primary data. In our thesis the population is employees from Lebanese firms, and the respondents are managers and employees from three Lebanese organizations that have implemented CRM. The surveys have many benefits for the researchers, since it is low-cost and efficient to get the required information about the population. The surveys are simple to administer, it allows the researcher to have control on the sample, and the use of fixed responses decrease the variability in the results (Birks, 2003). It exist several forms of surveys such as emails and personal interviews (Zikmund, 2001). In our survey, we will use two methods, the email form and the personal interviews method. The personal interview is personalized and it allows direct interaction with the respondent, but it is time consuming for the researcher. Personal interviews assure high response rates, and better observation of the respondent behavior. The personal interview is based on the direct communication with respondent and the researcher asks the questions face to face. Personal interviews have many advantages for the researcher; he can change or adapt the questions depending on the interviewee reaction. In addition, personal interviews increase the response rates and increase the number of the participants in the surveys. The disadvantage of personal interviews is that respondents sometimes find difficult to answer face to face personal questions. In other hand, the online survey provides the researcher with instant feedback and it is inexpensive to distribute especially for large samples. However the main disadvantage of online surveys is the inaccurate data in the answers of the survey. Thus, online surveys depend on people to be honest especially about their personal information such as age, gender and location. The inaccurate data may affect the results of the study. 6.2 Survey research errors: The error is necessarily a part of any survey, and it exist different type of errors. The first error is associated with the respondents that answer the survey. This type of error occurs when the sample is drawn from larger population and there are chances that the sample differs from the total population (random sampling error). Furthermore, the way the sample is designed and selected can influence how much the sample shows the real characteristics of the population. The random variation from the real characteristics of the population should also be taken in consideration in the sampling process. In our thesis, the random sampling error is reduced since the target population is specifically selected. We will select number of firms that have implemented CRM, which operates in the Lebanese market. In addition, the sample should be representative of the Lebanese market. The second type of error is the systematic error that occurs from some mistakes in implementing the research. The systematic errors are non-sampling errors which are divided into two categories: the administrative error and the respondent error. First, the administrative error is caused by confusion or by neglecting some aspects of the survey or improper administration of the survey. The administrative errors are divided into four types: the data processing error, the interviewer error and cheating, and the sample selection error. In order to reduce this type of errors we will double check the data processing. Second, the respondent error depends on the respondents answers; if the answers are not accurate the results of the surveys will not be significant. The non-respondent error occurs when a number of respondents of the sample fail to answer the survey questions. Third, the response bias occurs when the respondent like to take a pre-defined direction for the answers and this doesnt represent the correct opinion of the interviewee. The respondent may give answers that differ from the way he really thinks. In order, to avoid the response bias we will use clear and well defined questions to minimize the ability of the respondent to direct the survey in a pre-defined way. 7. The concept of scaling A scale is considered a series of arranged items and every item is placed according to its quantification. The scale is divided into four types ordinal, nominal, ratio and interval. The ordinal scale type is ranking the data according to have more or less characteristic. The ranking have logical order. Furthermore, this type of scale allows the measurement the degrees of difference but not the specific amount of difference. The nominal scale, provide the respondent with series of possibilities in the objective of categorizing events or attributes. The nominal scale does not express any relationship between the variables. Furthermore, the only statistical operation that can be done by using the nominal type is the frequency run. It is important to include all the possible answers in the nominal scale, and it is important to provide the respondent with the choice to choose other. The ratio scale demonstrates growth relationships between items and time periods. It allows comparing items in the same graph, starting at different levels. In other hand, the interval scale is an advanced notion of ranking items, since the distance between adjacent points are equal. In order to determine if a scale is interval or not it is important to underlie intent regarding the equal intervals. For example, dates can be measured on interval scale because differences are measured in years and no ratio can be given to a ratio of times (Collins, 2003). In our thesis, we will use three interval scales, the nominal, ordinal and interval scales to explain and compare the different aspects of CRM impact on the firm. First, we will use the nominal scale to collect data concerning the demographic data concerning the respondents and the Lebanese firms. Second, we will use the ordinal scale to allow respondents (employees and managers) to rank the answers. This allows us to know which answer is the most important for the respondents. Third, we will use interval scale to identify the importance of the answers by using the Likert scale. In natural science, the validity and reliability of the research is essential to assure the integrity of the research and assure the achievement of the desired objectives. The reliability is concerned with consistency. The consistency has three aspects, the first aspect is when reproducing the study again, the same results are found. This is defined as stability over time. The second aspect is equivalence; this means that the study can be done elsewhere, for example in a different country. The third aspect is internal consistency which means that the results of one section is confirmed by the others sections (Bryman, 2001). Validity is concerned with accuracy and which method provides the most accurate answers which is the integrity of conclusions (Gorman and Clayton, 1997). The internal validity is when we assure that any causal relationships found are related to the variables and the external validity is that the result can be applied outside of the current research context. Furthermore, the face validity and criterion validity are necessary elements to assure the reliability, which means that the information fit the expected pattern, and assure the accuracy of findings by using a different method. In addition, to enhance the reliability and the validity each item in the survey is clear and easily understood, each item should be analyzed in the intended way, and the relation between the items and the objective of the study is clear (Suskie ,1996). In order to assure high reliability and validity of the collected data we address the questionnaire to managers and employees that are directly related to the CRM, in Lebanese firms. 8. Designing the questionnaire Designing a questionnaire is based on setting specific questions allowing the researcher to get the required information. The well designed questionnaire minimizes the response error and pushes the respondents to complete the questionnaire (Malhotra and Birks, 2003). The benefits of the questionnaire is to ensure comparability of the data , increase the speed and accuracy , and facilitate the data processing (Kotler, 2000). It is necessary to choose the right type of questions and the optimized ordering. In order to collect data related to our pervious hypothesis we prepared two questionnaires. The first questionnaire is addressed to the employees and managers in the Lebanese firms that are directly related to the implementation of CRM. The second questionnaire is addressed to customers that are buying from these firms. The questionnaires will be divided into two parts. In the first part, we will collect information about the background of the respondent and the profile of the company. In the second part, we will collect information about each of the research objectives. The questionnaire starts by asking general simple questions such as the respondent opinion about CRM and the firm. This will increase the will of the respondent to proceed with the questionnaire. In addition, we will ask the sensitive questions at the end of the questionnaire such as costs and ROI of the CRM project. The questions will be asked with third-person approach and we will use structured and unstructured questions. In addition, we will include open ended questions and structured questions. The structured questions provide the respondent with several alternatives for answering the question. In addition, structured questions take the form of dichotomous, multiple choice and scale. The open ended questions allow the respondent to provide personalized answers. For the firm employees and managers the questionnaire will include the demographic information about the respondent, attitude about the CRM system (Five point Likert scale), dealing with the implementation of CRM system, CRM implementation information and working with CRM system. For the customers, the questionnaire will also include the demographic information, attitude toward firms that have implemented CRM, general feeling about the relations with the firms that have implemented CRM, the will customers to pay more to gain more services, likelihood to keep dealing with the same firm, and wanting to have stronger relationship with the firm. After developing the questionnaires we will run pretests, to identify the problems in questionnaires directions and design. Furthermore, pretests are run with a small group of respondents. We will provide small sample of people (ten persons) with the questionnaires to evaluate the questionnaires direction and quality. The sample will include three middle line managers and three employees and four customers. After answering to the surveys questions we asked the respondent about their opinion and about the problems they found in the surveys. This helped us to improve some aspects in the surveys and adding some new questions. 9. Sampling Sampling process has to answer some basic questions: how should we select the sample? Second, which process should be used? What is the size of the sample? How can we adjust the non-response errors? In general, the more diversified sample assures an accurate research. The random sampling error varies depending on the sample sizes (Hawkins et al., 2000); with the increase of the sample size the results reliability decreases. In order to determine the sample size several factors should be taken into consideration such as the resource constraints, the variance of the population, the previous studies, and the confidence interval (Hawkins and Tull, 1993). The first step in the sample selection process is defining the target population; the collection of objects that the researcher considers having the necessary information is considered as the target population. The target population should be chose based on the sampling units, the time and the elements (Malhotra and Birks, 2003). The elements of our research are employees and customers of Lebanese firms that have adopted CRM .The extent of the survey is Lebanon, and the period is between December 2012 and January 2013. 9.1 The sampling technique In order to create the sample, we used the sampling without replacement technique. Adopting this sampling technique means that when an element is selected, it is removed from the sampling frame and it cannot be selected again. Furthermore, we adopted the non-probability technique in order to define the correspondent sample for our study. The non- probability depends on the personal opinion of the researcher and doesnt rely on chance to choose the sample elements (Malhotra and Birks, 2003). In addition, the convenience sampling technique is also adopted; the convenience sample is used to select a sample of correspondent elements that helps to achieve the objectives of the study. In general, the interviewer selects the convenient units (Malhotra and Birks, 2003). The convenience sampling is the least expensive in comparison to other sampling techniques, it is the least time consuming and all the sampling units are cooperative and accessible. In other hand, the convenience samples may not represent any definable population. 9.2 The sample selection The sampling design includes several criteria to select the correct sample, such as size and kind of sample. In our thesis, the firms studied are employees and customers of Lebanese firms that have implemented CRM which are considered the population. The respondents are the employees and managers that work with CRM. In addition, the customers sample is selected from the CRM database in the same firms. In our research, we chose three (3) Lebanese firms that have implemented CRM from different industries, and we selected three (3) managers from each company, and five (5) employees from each firm. In addition, we selected ten (10) customers that deal with these firms. Population Employees and customers of Lebanese Firms that have implemented CRM Sample Three (3) Lebanese Firms employees and customers Managers Nine (9) Employees Fifteen (15) employees Customers Thirty (30) customers Table 2: The population and the sample of the study 10. The Data collection The data collection for our thesis started in December 2012 till January 2013. We distributed the questionnaire by two ways, by email and personally. The respondent of the questionnaire were in general cooperative and most of them completed all the questions of the survey. The selection of three Lebanese firms in different industries allowed us to have a variety in the respondents perceptions.

Compulsory Education Essay

Many may argue education is at its finest since things seem to get better with time; but is this the case when speaking of compulsory education? Compulsory education in the United States today has come a long way from original ideas concerning education. There are some satisfied with the way schools are constructed; yet there are others who are not. Much like anything else, compulsory education can be improved. According to Paul Goodman, requiring students to attain two years for maturing between high school and college can improve compulsory education (Goodman 2012). The history of compulsory education dates back to before the medieval era. As one may guess, compulsory education has been changed drastically since it was introduced. By the year 1918 all of the United States and territories had laws governing compulsory school attendance. Executing compulsory schooling allowed a more productive means of solidifying national school attendance. At this time, compulsory education is a form of progress setting the stage for more jurisdictions in state legislation regarding these attendance policies (Richardson 1994). Compulsory education has significant advantages and disadvantages. Compulsory education has great effects on enforcing children to go to school. Sadly enough, not all families want their children to go to school or be educated beyond a certain point; or for that matter, some children do not desire to continue their education. Fortunately, these attendance policies make children attend school up to a certain point, which depends on the state. The major disadvantage of compulsory education is that not everyone is â€Å"classroom material†. Some people prefer a being employed and establishing a steady income at an early age rather than going to school. A prime example of this is about a teenage boy, Charlie, was bored with school so he started skipping class for weeks at a time. Even then, Charlie proved to be successful in the landscaping business despite the substantial amount of time he lost in school (Inson 2006). Whether the effects of compulsory education are essential to one’s success or not, it plays a key role in today’s schools. Like anything else, compulsory education can and should be refined and enriched. Some of these ideas of improvement are shared by many but have not yet been enforced. The government should be more responsible for setting goals within the system and providing the infrastructure to do so. Also, the government should be responsible for analyzing the outcomes from students once these provisions are set (Yasuhiko 2005). Going further as to say, raising the age of compulsory education, which is an idea shared by many. This enforces students to continue their education for longer periods of time, which in turn, would ultimately provide more productive citizens to the American society (NASSP 2010). Certainly, compulsory education is a significant part of the history and present day schools. Education is everything in today’s society. There are immense advantages as well as disadvantages concerning this subject. Compulsory education is essential to schools in the United States and will continue to be. Continuous reform and amendments will be made along with new laws and policies governing compulsory education and attendance. Learning is a ceaseless process. Works Cited National Education at the Beginning of 2001. â€Å"Innovations and Developments in Education System†. 2002. Richardson, John G. â€Å"Compulsory School Attendance†. 1994. Inson, Peter. â€Å"The Guardian†. November 2006. Yasuhiko, Torii. â€Å"Redesigning Compulsory Education†. October 2005. < http://www. mext. go. jp/b_menu/shingi/chukyo/chukyo0/toushin/06051511. pdf>

Critical Review of Reappraising Cognitive Styles

This research is based on empirical user trial data and a sophisticated analysis. It tries to evaluate the validity of applying visual-verbal preferences to an adaptive web-based educational system (AWBES) by examining user trials of a case study. Previous researches are either focused on pragmatic applications or based on inadequate sample sizes.This research goes beyond former ones by employing user trials to collect critical data and directly raising the core question of the effectiveness of the method. However, the flaws in method setting, data analysis, ambiguity in details and the claimed result put in doubt the conclusions suggested by the study. Method/Procedure In this research, students were firstly labeled as visual, verbal and bimodal learners through a computer test, and then put into groups with learning contents either matched, or deliberately mismatched, or neutral to their learning styles.Then tudents' academic performances were compared to see the significance of di fferences between groups. Questions were raised when the researchers excluded the verbal users from the statistical analysis due to the extremely small sample size (n=11). The study is supposed to examine three cognitive styles (visual, verbal, bimodal); therefore without the data of the verbal group, the study is incomplete. The study method is further impaired by two questionable grouping methods. The first questionable method states, â€Å"Neutral students were given a mix of visual and verbal ontent, irrespective of their learning style† (p. 30). If a bimodal user is randomly placed in a neutral group and given mixed content, then he will actually receive content matching his learning style. Therefore, since he will end up in given content matching his learning style, it will be more appropriate tor the student to be placed in the matched group. Furthermore, both the matched group and neutral group have the same bimodal users given neutral contents. This leads to a doubt: the study result which shows insignificant academic differences might be from the similarity of he group members rather than from the invalidity of the utilization.The second questionable method states, â€Å"Mismatched students were given content that was contrary to their learning style† (p. 330). If bimodal users are placed in the mismatched group, what content should be provided to them? Neither visual nor verbal content would be appropriate since they are both partially matched and partially mismatched to a bimodal user; and the neutral content would be inappropriate either, since it matches the bimodal user's cognitive style and ends up eing against the definition of the mismatched group.A table which illustrates the quantities of three cognitive-styled students distributed into matched/ mismatched/ neutral could help clarify the grouping method. The computer test which distributed students into cognitive groups should employ details and examples of the test and the sc oring system to clarify the fairness of the test. As for sampling, the sample size should be adequately enlarged to include an effective verbal sample; the post-secondary students are a biased group which can't meet the variety of people.The learning module should be studied to see whether it is biased to/against any group/learning style. The quantity of excluded seldom-participating student should be mentioned to allow an exact sample size in the study. Experiment Results The insignificant mean differences in Table2 to Table6 reject hypothesises 1, 2 and 3. As for hypothesis 4, in order to reject it, the authors should clarity why one mean difference (67. 5-60. 0=7. 5) is greater than half of the related standard deviation (1 1. 56112=5. 78) in Table 7, which compares visual, neutral and verbal groups.The explanation, â€Å"upon testing these statistically, there is actually no significance between them† (p. 333) is ambiguous. Thus, the mean differences are not unanimously c onsistent with the result claimed by the authors that neither the cognitive styles of students nor contents differentiated by the styles contribute to make significant differences in students' academic performance. The p values from the statistical analysis (p=. 62, p=. 63, p=. 67) are substantially greater than the low p value (less than . 05; or better less than . 01).The high p values raise the question that the sample selection might lack diversity, and may then further affected the result of the study. Discussion The authors' conclusion that matched/ mismatched learning materials don't contribute to students' learning effect, is not consistent with the aforeclaimed conclusion which concerns the effect of visual and bimodal styles of students and contents. The authors' psychological conclusion that cognitive styles per se are not a validate means of personalising the learning experience is not completely consistent ith the result which only concerns visual and bimodal styles.

Why did Tunisia and Egypts governments fall Will they become democracies

Why did Tunisia and Egypts governments fall Will they become democracies For several weeks, between December 2010 and March 2011, the world was treated to a show of uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt. Unlike the common military coup de tars, citizens of Tunisia and Egypt successfully depose long-ruling dictators through civil demonstrations. It all started in Tunisia in December 2010 when citizens joined a nationwide mass action protesting against President Zine El Abidine Ben Ali’s oppressive rule.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Why did Tunisia and Egypt’s governments fall? Will they become democracies? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More A few weeks later, Egyptians joined the dance protesting against President Hosni Mubarak oppressive rule. The results in both countries were the same; citizens through mass action managed to oust long ruling dictators. From an outward look, these countries seemed more developed compared to most African countries. Yet, their citizens bec ame so frustrated and desperate, so much so that they decided to fight for their own course. Therefore, the question is, why did these governments fall? The answer remains the same for both; lack of democracy characterized by dictatorship and oppression. We know of successful non-democratic countries like Iran and China, but the former, their rule was too much of authoritarian. Fortunately, citizens managed to bring down governments they believed were the main obstacle to their democracy. Nevertheless, do these events mark the beginning of democracy in Tunisia and Egypt? This essay, therefore, seeks to answer these two important questions. Reasons for the fall of Tunisia and Egypt’s governments Both Egypt and Tunisia’s governments had several similarities. To begin with, they both had the longest serving presidents in their history. Whereas President Ben Ali had ruled Tunisia for 23 years, President Hosni Mubarak had ruled Egypt for 30 years until the time of the fall of their governments. Their reign was characterized by dictatorship leaving very little space for democracy. However, their reign encouraged development of their nations, no wonder they enjoyed the support of the West. Nevertheless, why did these long-lived governments fall? The fall of Tunisia and Egypt’s governments was caused by both political and economic factors. Of great importance to this essay are the political reasons as discussed below. As had been mentioned, the lack of democracy is to blame for the fall of both Egypt and Tunisia’s governments. Democracy in practice denotes a form of government in which all citizens play an active role in the decision making process (Held, p. 12).Advertising Looking for research paper on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Every democratic society must portray the following key elements: popular sovereignty, equality before the law, separation of powe rs, individual freedoms, political tolerance, transparency and accountability, and rule of law (Held, p. 20). Democracy is more than just holding elections (Pipes, par. 2). It demands protection of the minority rights, enhancement of individual and political freedoms, independence of judiciary, political party pluralism, and the development of civil society (Pipes, par. 2). Did Tunisia and Egypt’s governments reflect these principles? Although Tunisia was a constitutional republic that encouraged representation of citizens through multi-party democracy, it had strong characteristic of dictatorship that had negative impact on human rights and freedoms. On the other hand, Egypt was a semi-presidential republic that maintained one-party rule. There were several concerns relating to democracy in both countries. First, both Tunisians and Egyptians expressed their concerns about lack of free elections. In Egypt, there was a growing concern about power inheritance. Credible sources reported that Hosni Mubarak started grooming his son, Gamal Mubarak, way back in 2000 to be his successor after his retirement in 2010 (Sobelman, p. 31). This arrangement was met with sharp criticism from political groups in the country, the majority of which were illegal given the lack of political party pluralism in the country. The possibility of power inheritance triggered the demand for multi-party politics to ensure that elections were free and fair. To the contrary, President Hosni Mubarak amended the constitution to ensure that Gamal would be the only presidential candidate (Sobelman, p. 34). Tunisia, on the other hand, had political party pluralism, but its elections were never free and fair, a strategy that made President Ben Ali remain in office for as long as he wanted. Democracy dictates fair and competitive elections that grant the people a chance to elect the leaders they consider best fit for the office. Power inheritance is an insult to democracy and with the electi ons first approaching and Hosni Mubarak’s health deteriorating; Egyptians would not want to have the same experience as Syria hence they decided to use the power of the majority to change the course of their politics just as Tunisians did. Second, both governments curtailed political freedoms. In Egypt, this was archived through the extension of emergency law. Enacted in 1967 following the Six-Day War, the law suspended individual freedoms including freedom of assembly and freedom of expression (Shehata, par. 23). Under the emergency law, police force was allowed to use excessive force, media houses could be censored, and the government could imprison individuals indefinitely without any proper reason (Shehata, par. 23). This resulted into increased police brutality, and long-term detention without trial. For instance, during a parliamentary election in December 2010, an estimated number of between 5,000 and 10,000 people were detained without trial (Press release, par. 7).Ad vertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Why did Tunisia and Egypt’s governments fall? Will they become democracies? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Police brutality was also widespread during Hosni Mubarak’s reign. According to the Egyptian Organization for Human Rights, Egypt recorded 567 cases of police torture, including 167 deaths during the period between 1993 and 2007 (Staff writer, par. 7). With such breach of human rights, it was prudent that citizens would fight for their course. In Tunisia, despite being a multi-party country, Ben Ali’s government thwarted any effort by opposing political parties and civil society to check it. Anybody who criticized the government would risk being detained. President Ben Ali even enacted a ban on political parties deemed unsavory. Such measures curtailed various political freedoms and were a direct insult to democracy. Democracy demands freedom of ass ociation and expression. President Ben Ali’s government must have been too much of a dictatorship and thus oppressive to the citizens. This can explain why Bouazizi’s self-immolation spontaneously caused nationwide protests that resulted into the fall of Ben Ali’s government. Tunisia’s government was sitting on a time bomb waiting to explode and Bouazizi’s self-immolation was like a switch on the circuit. Third, both governments grossly violated freedom of speech as provided for in democracy. President Hosni Mubarak’s reign was marked by frequent media censorship and detention of anybody who expressed any critical view on the operations of the government. This over restriction of the media denied the press a chance to report on government’s wrongdoings. The situation was the same in Tunisia. President Ben Ali’s government restricted media freedom through media regulation and censorships, despite the same government preaching pr ess freedom. Limiting a press is like denying citizens a right to information; a direct insult to democracy. Such levels of oppression must have been too much for citizens of these countries hence the witnessed uprisings that led to the fall of the oppressive governments. Last, Both Tunisia and Egypt’s governments were marred with corruption. Political corruption became the order of day in President Hosni Mubarak’s government with powerful businessmen allied to the ruling party rising to power and monopolizing Egypt’s business sector. As a result, they accumulated wealth and became the core players in Egypt’s economy. This created a perception among Egyptians that the nation’s wealth only benefited businessmen allied to NDP. In Tunisia, the situation was somehow similar. President Ben Ali and his first family ran the nation’s economy for their personal gain. President Ben Ali solely made all the key decisions concerning privatization and inv estment, despite the existence of well-defined liberal economic legislation in the country.Advertising Looking for research paper on government? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More As a result, his first family accumulated wealth in the key sectors of the economy leading to a perception that connections to the first family were necessary for business survival. In 2010, Egypt recorded a Corruption Perception Index of 3.1 whereas Tunisia had a CPI of 4.3 (Corruption Perception Index 2010, results table). The high level of corruption in Hosni Mubarak’s and Ben Ali’s governments angered citizens and hence, the fall of Tunisia and Egypt’s government. Prospects for democracy in Tunisia and Egypt Having outlined the underlying political causes of the fall of Tunisia and Egypt’s governments, I now shift my discussion to the future of these countries. The citizens nonviolently fought and defeated the governments they perceived oppressive and obstacles to their democracy. However, the question remains, could this be a new dawn in Arab world? Will these countries become democracies? From the recent uprisings, everyone would be quick to conclud e that Tunisia and Egypt have started a democratic journey and will soon become democracies. The demonstrations by citizens proved that they are democratic and are aware of their democratic rights. However, understanding the prospects for democracies in these countries requires a deeper understanding of the concept of democracy. From its definition, democracy is a fusion of two important ideologies, i.e., popular sovereignty and freedom (Mandelbaum, par. 3). Freedom as contained in democracy comes in three forms: political liberty, religious liberty, and economic liberty (Mandelbaum, par. 4). Here is where the challenge lays a head for both Egypt and Tunisia. Egypt is extremely Islam with well-organized Muslim groups that pose a threat to full democracy. For instance, Muslim Brotherhood is against religious liberty and rights of women. Should such extremists have access to power, then there will be very little room for liberty in Egypt (Benhenda, p. 10). Tunisia, on the other had, h as made some progress in protecting women’s rights, but is still largely Islam hence may reject religious liberty. These countries may enjoy popular sovereignty exercised through free and fair elections, but popular sovereignty without liberty in not genuine democracy. As Pipes (2011) maintained, democracy is much more than just holding elections (par. 2). Moreover, the establishment of liberty requires such institutions as legal system with impartial courts (Mandelbaum, par. 7) that are unfortunately lacking in both Egypt and Tunisia. A true democracy would mean a complete overhaul of the countries’ judicial system, which may take years to be achieved. Whether this will be possible is still unclear and we can only wait and see. Furthermore, the development of democracy requires free-market economy as have been witnessed in successful democracies in Asia and Latin America. Unfortunately, both Egypt’s and Tunisia’s economies are based on capitalism, whereb y individual’s economic prowess is determined by his political connections contrary to free-market economy hence not fit for democracy (Mandelbaum, par. 10). Nevertheless, both Tunisia and Egypt have some prospects for democracy. The citizens of both countries have proved that they are democrats through the recent uprisings. Egypt does not have many ethnic inclinations or even natural resources that have been the major obstacle to democracy in most Arab countries hence its democratization would be easy. However, Tunisia, have more prospects for democracy than Egypt. First, Tunisian elite have been demanding for political reforms since 1970s. Second, Unlike Egypt, Tunisia has made significant progress in protection human rights especially women’s rights. Third, the country has an extensive middle class that is well aware of their democratic rights hence a good foundation for democracy. Conclusion The uprisings in Tunisia and Egypt made a significant democratic step in t he Arab world. From political point of view, the demonstrations are largely attributed to the apparent lack of democratic space in these countries. As Marxists put it, a lack of democracy encourages thrive of all political vices hence an impetus for uprisings. The success of every nation requires existence of some level of democracy. However, whether Egypt and Tunisia will become democracies is a wait-and-see scenario. From the prevailing conditions, Tunisia has more prospects for democracy compared to Egypt. Benhenda, Mostapha. â€Å"Liberal Democracy and Political Islam: The Search for Common Ground† (2009). Politics, Philosophy Economics, Vol. 10, No 1, 2011. Islamic Law and Law of the Muslim World Paper No. 09-83. Print. Corruption Perception Index 2010. Transparency International, 2010. Web. Held, David. Models of Democracy (3rd ed.). Palo Alto, CA: Stanford University Press, 2006. Print. Mandelbaum, Michel. â€Å"Can Egypt Become a True Democracy?† Project Synd icate, 2011. Web. Pipes, Daniel. â€Å"Why Egypt Will not Soon Become Democratic.† State Brief Blog, 2011. Web. Press release (2010). Egypt: Keep Promise to Free Detainees by End of June: Joint Statement. Amnesty International. Web. Shehata, Samer. Egypt After 9/11: Perceptions of the United States. Contemporary Conflicts, 2004. Web. Sobelman, Daniel Gamal Mubarak, President of Egypt? Middle East Quarterly Vol. 8. 2 (2001):  pp.  31–40. Print. Staff writer (2007). Egyptian Police Sued for Boys Death. BBC News. Web.