Module participants' are required to produce a structured reflection Essay

Module participants' are required to produce a structured reflection on their own personal group experiences. A structured ref - Essay Example And it is generalisations that allow new situations to be tackled effectively.’(Gibbs 1988) The following essay presents a reflection of my experiences in a group assignment undertook as part of a Cross Cultural Issues module. On reflection I realise that, during the project, our group went through Tuckman’s (1965) four stages of group development. namely Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing. During the formation process, several issues arose which resulted in lack of critical analysis on the research, and unsystematic decision making within the group. In this report I am going use Gibbs’ (1988) model of reflection in order to look at the issues and to find solutions to overcome the problems in future. This evaluation is the first step in ascertaining how my beliefs and assumptions as well as my background and experiences may impact on my future organisational functioning as I search for a career in management. I will use cognitive complexity (Bieri 1955) by utilising a wide variety of theories of practice to support my reflection. Figure Gibbs reflective model 1 Contents Page 1 Abstract.....................................................................................................2 2 Contents page...........................................................................................3 3 Introduction...............................................................................................4 4 Problem & context....................................................................................4 5 Self-awareness..........................................................................................5 6 Evaluation..................................................................................................6 7 Analysis......................................................................................................9 8 Conclusion............................................................................................ ....10 9 Action plan................................................................................................11 10 Appendix...................................................................................................13 11 Bibliography.............................................................................................14 12 Reference list...........................................................................................17 1 Introduction Diversity in the workplace has taken on new importance (Thomas 2004) as changing economic circumstances prompt many companies to downsize and restructure themselves into flatter, more decentralized entities. The result is that today's corporations are built around groups that must find answers to novel and complicated business issues. These teams bring together diverse groups of people who incorporate a variety of backgrounds, ideas, and personalities. A reflection on my study would provide important bearing for me in prep aration for workplace dynamics. 1 Problem & context As part of the Cross Cultural issues module, we had to prepare a group presentation based on a critical analysis of the cross cultural issues a UK based firm would encounter establishing an Indian subsidiary. My diverse group of six comprised of three females: one British (X), one Polish (Y) and one Brazilian (Z). and three males: two British (J and A) and one Zimbabwean

Essay on a current Health and Safety issue Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 1

On a current Health and Safety issue - Essay Example For example, statistics indicates that in the 2002-03 periods, 71 of the 226 workers that were fatally injured during the course of their jobs in the UK were construction workers (Akintoye et al., 2000). The figure represents an astonishing 31 percent that is the highest proportion of all the sectors of the UK economy. Other than the fatal injuries reported, a myriad of other minor injuries were reported by more than 4780, which is over three times higher than the average reported by other sectors of the economy. Even though the incidental risks are still high, all signs indicate that there are significant improvements in the industry particularly in the conditions at the site of the construction. The positive signs are backed by the report undertaken by Lord Youngs for the government that espouses the issues related to the health and safety of the construction industry. The report published on 20th of October 2010 asserts that the working conditions in the construction sites have been on a radicle improvement when the last 20 years are taken into consideration. For instance, these improved working conditions have resulted in over 5 percent reduction in the numbers of the reported injuries and deaths in the construction industry since 2001 (Hale et al., 2012). Despite the significant improvements in the conditions of the construction sites, the raging debate has always focused on who should shoulder the responsibility for the health and safety in the construction industry. The paper critically appraises and evaluates three statements that aim at establishing where such responsibility should lie. The critical appraisal of each statement is aided by the information that is cons trued from the Acts of Parliament of the UK and other health and safety regulations in the UK that are deemed appropriate for each case. The first quote to illustrate is the National Audit Office (NAO) report that is entitled Improving Health and Safety in the Construction

Energy Conversion Is The Conversion Engineering Essay

Energy Conversion Is The Conversion Engineering Essay Energy conversion is the conversion of one type of energy into another. This principle is used every day in our lives. For instance, a battery uses chemical energy to create electrical energy to power an electric starter motor. Steam engines change heat energy into mechanical energy and an electric bulb uses electrical energy into heat and light energy (Freeman, Ph.D., M. Ira, 1957, p. 20). According to Tega Jessa (2012), fossil fuels are a finite, non-renewable resource. Fossil fuel is any carbon-based substance that is used by humans as a source of energy. Coal, petroleum, and natural gas are considered as fossil fuel. Fossil fuel is a primary source for the production of electricity. In the Distributed Generation Education Modules, it states that chemical energy is released because of the combustion of these fuels. This produces heat to power steam turbines. The steam turbines rotating electric generators produce power, and this kinetic energy turns into electricity. Another attraction is that natural gas and petroleum is big business. According to Natural Gas.org, natural gas is a valued resource and the natural gas industry generates a lot of commerce in the United States and worldwide. Wind power and solar power are two alternatives to using fossil fuels. Wind power is a great source of energy. Wind power has great potential as an energy source. The environmental impact is small and it is renewable. According to John C. Ayers, at higher altitudes and areas without obstructions, wind is stronger. Hilltops are good sites for wind turbines. Ground-based turbines in cities are not as efficient. Wind strength also plays a big part. Wind varies by region and season. This means that it is not a great source of energy in all areas. A disadvantage of this energy source is if the wind is low; you have to supplement it with another source of energy. Energy is produced by using wind turbines. Wind turbines are usually horizontal with blades are mounted on a rotating axis. The electricity produced can be immediately used. In addition, it can be stored in batteries for use when the wind is low. The advantage of using wind power is that it has less of any impact on our environment. It is a clean alternative energy source. According to John C. Ayers, new wind farms produce electricity at costs competitive with oil- and coal-powered plants, and more cheaply than nuclear reactors. Another advantage is that they release no greenhouse gases. David Frum (2013) states that à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“wind energy continues to flunk the market test. Ontario buys wind energy at a price 50% higher than it would have to pay for electricity from natural gas. (A new natural gas facility can make money selling electricity at 7-8 cents a kilowatt-hour. Ontario buys newly installed windpower at prices of about 11 cents per kilowatt-hour.)à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  A disadvantage of wind power is the cost. Acquiring ground underneath the turbines is a big cost, as well as the cost of wiring turbines to the grid. Another cost is maintaining the wires. According to Windustry.org, commercial turbines installed are $3-$4 million installed. Wind turbines under 100 kilowatts run approximately $3,000 to $8,000 per kilowatt of capacity. A 10 kilowatt wind turbine (used to power a large home) approximately cost $50,000-$80,000. The cost could be more depending on the tower type. Even though this may be a disadvantage to some, the advantage is the tax incentive that can help reduce the cost. Solar power is another alternative to fossil fuels. Passive solar and active solar are the two types of solar energy. According to Jennifer Claerr, a building on the east-west axis uses passive solar. Silicon solar cells capture sunlight and convert it into electricity. Direct current is generated and is converted into alternating current before it can be used to power household devices. Passive solar is used to keep a home warm in winter and cool in summer. An advantage of solar power is the cost savings. Many people are installing solar systems to protect the environment and to conserve fossil fuels. Another advantage of using solar energy is to become self-sufficient by providing for all of the own energy needs. A home can be built using passive solar for about the same price as a conventional home. For an existing home, active solar is a good alternative. Both passive and active solar are beneficial to the environment. Passive and active solar can prevent carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere. The disadvantages of using solar power is that it doesnt work at night without a storage device such as a battery, and cloudy weather can make the technology unreliable during the day. They can be expensive and require a lot of land area to collect the sunà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s energy.

Computational Linguistics :: Essays Papers

Computational Linguistics Computational linguistics is a discipline between linguistics and computer science which is concerned with the computational aspects of the human language. This area of computer science overlaps with the field of Artificial Intelligence. Basically, computational linguistics is a series of programs that interprets human speech into words and actions. There are a couple of different areas of computational linguistics and those areas are theoretical computational linguistics and applied computational linguistics. Each one of those areas are divided up into more areas. Theoretical computational linguistics is composed of theoretical linguistics and cognitive science. This particular area deals with formal theories about the linguistic knowledge that a human needs for generating and understanding language. This area has advanced so much, and has become so complex that it can only be managed by using computers. With these computers computational linguists develop formal models simulating aspects of the human language and then incorporates that into programs. These programs that they write constitute the basis for the evaluation and further development of their theories. Along with these theories there is another part that plays a big role in theoretical computational linguistics and that part is cognitive sciences. What I mean by that is that part of these programs interprets what is being said and then it matches it up to what is in its programming. The other part of computational linguistics is called applied computational linguistics which focuses on the practical outcome of modeling human language use. The methods, techniques, tools, and applications in this area are often subsumed under the term language engineering or (human language technology. The current computational linguistic systems are far from achieving human ability of communicating they have numerous applications. The goal for this is to eventually have a computer program that will have the same communication skills as a human being. Once this is achieved it will open doors never thought possible in computing. After all the major problem today with computing is communication with the computer. Today’s computers don’t really understand our language and it is very difficult to learn computer language, plus computer language doesn’t correspond to the structure of human thought.

Sejanus

SejanusLucius Aelius Sejanus (20 BC – October 18, AD 31), commonly known as Sejanus, was an ambitious soldier, friend and confidant of the Roman Emperor Tiberius. An equestrian by birth, Sejanus rose to power as prefect of the Roman imperial bodyguard, known as the Praetorian Guard, of which he was commander from AD 14 until his death in AD 31.While the Praetorian Guard was formally established under Emperor Augustus, Sejanus introduced a number of reforms which saw the unit evolve beyond a mere bodyguard into a powerful and influential branch of the government involved in public security, civil administration, and ultimately political intercession; changes which would have a lasting impact on the course of the Principate. During the 20s, Sejanus gradually accumulated power by consolidating his influence over Tiberius and eliminating potential political opponents, including the emperor's son, Drusus Julius Caesar.When Tiberius withdrew to Capri in 26, Sejanus was left in contr ol of the entire state mechanism as de facto ruler of the empire. For a time the most influential and feared citizen of Rome, Sejanus suddenly fell from power in 31, the year his career culminated with the consulship. Amidst suspicions of conspiracy against Tiberius, Sejanus was arrested and executed, along with his followers. | Marcus Vipsanius AgrippaMarcus Vipsanius Agrippa (23 October or November 64/63 BC – 12 BC) was a Roman statesman and general.He was a close friend, son-in-law, lieutenant and defence minister to Octavian, the future Emperor Caesar Augustus and father-in-law of the Emperor Tiberius, maternal grandfather of the Emperor Caligula, and maternal great-grandfather of the Emperor Nero. He was responsible for most of Octavian’s military victories, most notably winning the naval Battle of Actium against the forces of Mark Antony and Cleopatra VII of Egypt. | Seneca the YoungerLucius Annaeus Seneca (often known simply as Seneca; ca. BC – AD 65) was a Roman Stoic philosopher, statesman, dramatist, and in one work humorist, of the Silver Age of Latin literature. He was tutor and later advisor to Emperor Nero. While he was later forced to commit suicide for alleged complicity in the Pisonian conspiracy to assassinate Nero, the last of the Julio-Claudian emperors, he may have been innocent. His father was Seneca the Elder and | Vipsania Agrippina Vipsania Agrippina (36 BC-20 AD) was the daughter of Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa from his first wife Pomponia Caecilia Attica, granddaughter of Cicero's friend and knight Titus Pomponius Atticus.Her maternal grandmother was a descendant of Marcus Licinius Crassus. By marriage, she was a great-niece to Quintus Tullius Cicero. Octavian and her father betrothed her to Tiberius before her first birthday. In 20 BC or 16 BC she married Tiberius. Their son Drusus the Younger was born in 13 BC. Agrippa died in March, 12 BC. He was married to Julia the Elder, daughter of Augustus. Augustus forced Ti berius to divorce Vipsania and marry Julia. Tiberius reportedly loved Vipsania and disapproved of Julia.Vipsania was at the time pregnant, and from the shock lost the baby. | Livia (30 January 58 BC– 28 September AD 29), after her formal adoption into the Julian family in AD 14 also known as Julia Augusta, was an empress of Rome as the third wife of the emperor Augustus Caesar, as well as his adviser. She was the mother of the emperor Tiberius, paternal grandmother of the emperor Claudius, paternal great-grandmother of the emperor Caligula, and maternal great-great grandmother of the emperor Nero.She was deified by Claudius who acknowledged her title of Augusta. After Mark Antony's suicide following the Battle of Actium in 31 BC, Octavian had removed all obstacles to his power and henceforth ruled as Emperor, from 27 BC on, under the honorary title Augustus. He and Livia formed the role model for Roman households. Despite their wealth and power, Augustus's family continued to live modestly in their house on the Palatine Hill. Livia would set the pattern for the noble Roman matrona.She wore neither excessive jewelry nor pretentious costumes, she took care of the household and her husband (often making his clothes herself), always faithful and dedicated. In 35 BC Octavian gave Livia the unprecedented honour of ruling her own finances and dedicated a public statue to her. She had her own circle of clients and pushed many proteges into political offices, including the grandfathers of the later emperors Galba and Otho. |

Cultural Influences on Rite of Passage B

Cultural Influences on Rite of Passage Beliefs and Rituals Cultures throughout the world honor the passing from childhood into adulthood with special celebrations and rituals that coincide with religious or social traditions. World civilizations pay homage to this rite of passage differently, ranging from jovial and lighthearted galas to the barbaric rituals frequently associated with remote African tribes. There are also other sects of the population where their youth enter a transitional phase that lasts from months or years, such as the Amish and the Aborigines.Their youth use this time as a period of learning to think and act as adults and for decision making about their future. Amish or plain people as they are also known migrated from Europe in search of religious freedom. They were originally part of the Mennonite religion and follow many of the same practices today. They are governed by the unwritten rules known as the Ordnung. They live by principles of simplicity, reject ar rogance, embrace humility and socialize only within their community and avoid other parts of society as much as possible.Amish children only attend school until they complete 8th grade and higher education is discouraged or forbidden. At the age of sixteen, Amish teens are given the choice of participating in Rumspringa, a German term that translates into run around in English. During this time Amish adolescents are free to explore life among modern American society. It is believed that at this age that they have reached a maturity level where they can act responsibly as well as having the skills for making rational informed decisions.This time of reflection is for the youths to decide if they want to remain in modern society or return to the Amish community where they are baptized as adults and are expected to follow the church for the rest of their lives without question. Wargny 2 Rumspringa is also a catalyst for Amish teens to socialize and meet prospective marriage partners. Th ey congregate with other young men and women of Amish faith, experiment with alcohol, drugs, premarital sex, automobiles, cell phones, and video games. (Welcome to Lancaster County)Studies of rumspringa have concluded that approximately 85% of teens willingly return to Amish life and forfeit all conveniences of technology and English ways of life. The small percentage of those choosing to remain in modern society, do so with the understanding that they are shunned by all Amish people including their immediate family. There is no further contact or connection to their past and must live the rest of their lives as though they were strangers or non-existent to everyone they ever knew.The Australian Aborigine tribes are believed to have migrated from Asia more than 20,000 years ago and are native to the barren outback land of Australia. In ancient aboriginal culture, the rite of passage into manhood started at age 12 with a series of ceremonies and rituals held over a course of a few ye ars. The Alkira Kiumi as it is called, started at age 12, and involved the boy being repeatedly tossed into the air and caught by their male relatives of the tribe. Next was the circumcision procedure, which took place by a fire ring.The chief of the tribe sat on the boy’s chest and cut the foreskin of the penis off with a sharp stone or knife. The boy was given a boomerang to bite on for the pain. After the circumcision, the boy was made to kneel close to the fire so that the smoke would rise up and purify the wound and then the elders of the tribe fed the young man his severed foreskin to symbolize the devouring of boyhood. Wargny 3 Months after the initial circumcision, a fireside sub incision ceremony was held. A stick was inserted into the urethra to brace the knife as it cut from the urethra to the scrotum.The boy then rose and allowed his blood to drip into the flames of the fire. The second circumcision made it necessary for the boy to thereafter assume a squatting po sition in order to urinate. Anthropologists theorize that this ritual was performed so that young males would better understand and sympathize with a females’ menstrual cycle. After the circumcisions came a ceremony in which a chisel was used to knock out the front tooth of the young man as it was believed it made him more physically attractive. The next step toward manhood was to serve as a test of his courage by having him walk barefoot across a bed of fire.The final phase of the rite of passage into manhood was known as a walkabout and is also noted as a time for dreaming hence the name Dreamtime. â€Å" According to Aboriginal belief, all life as it is today is part of one vast unchanging network of relationships which can be traced to the Great Ancestors of the Dreamtime† (Rose Marina) It involved young men leaving the safety of their childhood homes to roam about in the barren desert to live on their own for a period of up to 6 months. During the walkabout; the t een boys were only permitted to rely only on nature and the spiritual guidance of their ancestors for their survival.As they roamed through the uncivilized land it was believed that if they followed the guidance of the spirits they would return to their tribes safely and would from then on be considered men. And if they succumbed to the deserts elements, then it was believed that they failed the test of manhood and died shamefully as a boy. Wargny 4 Due to contact with the modern world, the ancient rituals of the aborigine tribes have disappeared or have been replaced by more civil ceremonies that merely symbolize the original rite of passage practices for becoming a man.As validation for becoming an adult, Rumspringa and Alkira Kiumi differ vastly. Rumspringa offers the opportunity to live carefree and seductively in what the Amish refer to as The â€Å"devil’s playground† without reprisal upon their return. Alkira Kiumi was a painful and grueling experience that serv ed to prove a boy’s loyalty and faith in his heritage. Despite the overwhelming differences in these rites of passage, the completion of either of these ritualistic practices indicates a true allegiance to their respective religions and as paying homage to their ancestry.

How to Reduce Road Accident Essay Example

How to Reduce Road Accident Essay Example How to Reduce Road Accident Essay How to Reduce Road Accident Essay Steps to be taken for Preventing Road Accidents Most important method to bring down accidents is strict enforcement ofspeed limits. 90 % of accidents can be avoided by strict enforcement ofspeed limits. Heavy Penalty should be imposed on ALL those who cross speed limits. Ifthis is strictly implemented, nobody will dare to go at high speed. Existing speed limits should be brought down further. Heavy penalty should be imposed for those who cause accidents. Tamper proof speed controllers should be made mandatory for all heavyvehicles. New heavy vehicles should have built in tamper proof speedcontrollers. Two wheeler manufacturers should be asked to design two wheelers with adesigned maximum possible speed of (say) 50/60 kmph. This limit may bedecided based on the conditions of each country. New gadgets are to be developed for collision prevention and should befitted on all vehicle. Research organizations should be asked to developsuch gadgets on a war footing. For example, gadgets can be developed toautomatically slow down the vehicle, if safe distance commensurate with thespeed of the vehicle in front is not maintained. Gadgets can be developedfor warning the driver, if the driver sleeps. Diving tests for issue of Driving license is to be made more stringent andfoolproof. Lower age limit for two wheeler and Heavy Vehicle license should be raisedto 21. Helmet should be made compulsory by law in all countries, OR impose alower speed limit for those who do not use helmet. Issue of Helmet shouldbe made mandatory with the sale of each two wheeler. Helmet should be made compulsory for back seat riders also. Ensure that all Helmet users are fixing the Chinswill not help during an accident. Ensure that ONLY good quality Helmets that meet standard specificationsare available in the market. Existing traffic rules should be strictly enforced. Law should be modified such that the person who makes the accident has tobear (say) 0 to 10 % of the insurance claims, depending on severity ofnegligence. Also the compensations should be made very huge, makingaccidents unaffordable so that everyone will be very vi gilant. All those who do not maintain the safe distance for the speed should bepunished Safety awareness should begin from childhood, as it is difficult to mpartawareness to a grown up a human. If safety awareness is imparted atchildhood, safety will be a habit. Video and Computer games that simulate Motor Racing should be bannedby Government OR discouraged by parents as it will develop racing habit inchildren. All sorts of Motor sports, especially racing should be banned by government. Telecast of Motor Sports and Racing also should be banned. Racing, over speed / highly risky riding, driving by Heroes should not befilmed in cinemas and TV serials. Children are likely to imitate the same. Statutory warning will no help. Government should censor such scenes. Advertisements by automobile companies which include scenes ofdangerous and risky riding or driving should be banned. Youngsters arelikely to imitate the same. Statutory warnings will not help. Such ads willresult in irreparable character formation regarding riding and driving in kidsand children. Such children may make accidents in future. Children below a certain age should not be permitted to do cycling in busyroads and in roads where heavy vehicles are plying. Refreshment parlors should be made available at every 50 / 100 k. . on all highways and important roads. Truck, Heavy vehicle drivers should beforced to refresh by having a face wash or by having a cup of tea or coffee. The practice of keeping the traffic signals in standby mode during nights andon holidays is to be reviewed and discontinued. Advertisement boards and other items that may obstruct visibility at junctions, curvatures and other parts of the roads should be removed imm ediately. Ensure that the money recovered as Road Tax is fully utilised for the construction and maintenance of roads. Time Punching of Private buses practiced in some regions should bed is continued as it is forcing the drivers to go at high speed, after traffic blocks. Newspaper, Television and other media should be effectively used for Public Safety Awareness. Major accidents and accident prone areas should be analysed scientifically. Speed should be restricted at accident prone areas. More stringent traffic rules should be enacted. License of those who are involved in accidents should be suspended immediately, at least until they prove that they are not guilty. License of those who make serious accidents should be cancelled immediately.