Hand washing free essay sample

Examination Proposal Sample on Do nurture in radiology wash their hands sufficiently and of indicated time length? Marks: Nursing, Radiology Do nurture in radiology wash their hands sufficiently and of determined time length? 1. 0 Introduction Radiology alludes to the claim to fame of medication which manages the use of imaging innovation, for example, x-beam and radiation to diagnosing and rewarding malady. Interventional radiology is performed with the direction of imaging advances. Clinical imaging is an element of the radiographer or the radiologic technologist. Radiology nurture additionally play out the clinical system wherein they give care and backing to patients experiencing determination in radiation imaging situations. A portion of the clinical methodology that radiology medical caretakers include in are ultrasonography, attractive reverberation and radiation oncology. Then again, clinical hand cleanliness relates to the cleanliness rehearses identified with the organization of medication and clinical consideration which planned for forestalling or limiting sickness and the spread of these illnesses. We will compose a custom exposition test on Hand Washing or then again any comparable point explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page Hand cleanliness implies to purge the hands of pathogens and synthetic compounds which can additionally cause individual damage or malady, and is accomplished for at least 15 seconds to 2 to 6 minutes to 10 minutes. Nursing writing had since quite a while ago perceived the significance of good hand cleanliness as a main consideration in forestalling the spread of disease in the consideration condition. Ellwood (2002) noticed that it is impossible that medicinal services experts watch such an essential practice. For radiology medical caretakers, they have an incredible chance to control nosocomial contamination by going to hand washing. On the off chance that radiology medical caretakers perform inadequately on this, paces of contamination would be high and on the off chance that they will perform well, patients will be saved of the abundance bleakness, mortality, longer hospitalizations, psychologic and social trouble, and expanded human services costs related with preventable diseases (Delaney and Gunderman, 2008). In radiology nursing further, it is yet to find whether medical caretakers are onsistent in performing such important act. 2. 0 Problem Statement The key inquiry that will be tended to in this examination is Do radiology attendants stick to the standard method of hand cleanliness satisfactorily and viably? Other examination questions are: 1) How do radiology medical caretakers see the technique of hand cleanliness? 2) Generally, are radiology attendants mindful of the drawbacks of ill-advised hand cleanliness? 3) What are the reasons why radiology medical attendants perform inadequately or well with regards to hand cleanliness? 3. 0 Aim and Objectives The principle point of this investigation is to assess whether radiology medical attendants are very much aware and capable of the hand cleanliness technique. In particular, the exploration implies to:  · Determine the view of radiology medical attendants of hand cleanliness  · Distinguish the explanations for why radiology medical attendants perform, insufficiently perform and don't perform hand cleanliness 4. 0 Methodology The exploration technique that the examination will use is the unmistakable strategy. A graphic examination expects to introduce realities concerning the nature and status of a circumstance, as it exists at the hour of the investigation (Creswell, 1994). It is likewise worried about connections and practices that exist, convictions and procedures that are continuous, impacts that are being felt, or patterns that are growing (Best, 1970). What's more, such methodology attempts to depict current conditions, occasions or frameworks dependent on the impressions or responses of the respondents of the examination (Creswell, 1994). Elucidating contemplates utilize perception. The specialist will watch and record the procedure and the time spent by radiology nurture in washing their hands through n perception log/plan. This exploration is likewise cross-sectional due to restricted time. This exploration is an investigation of a specific wonder (or marvels) at a specific time. (Saunders et al, 2003) Accordingly, cross-sectional investigations regularly utilize the review procedure, and they might be looking to portray the rate of a marvel or to analyze factors in various associations. The investigation will review 100 radiology medical caretakers. In this examination, essential and auxiliary exploration will be both consolidated. The explanation behind this is to have the option to give sufficient conversation to the perusers that will assist them with seeing increasingly about the issue and the various factors that include with it. The essential information for the investigation will be spoken to by the review results that will be obtained from the respondents. Then again, the writing surveys to be introduced in the second section of the examination will speak to the optional information of the investigation. The auxiliary wellsprings of information will originate from distributed articles from books, diaries and theories and related examinations. References Best, J. W. (1970). Exploration in Education, second Ed. Englewood Cliffs, N. J. : Prentice Hall, Inc. Creswell, J. W. 1994. Examination structure. Subjective and quantitative methodologies. Thousand Oaks, California: Sage. Delaney, L R Gunderman, R B 2008, Hand Hygiene, Radiology Journal. Ellwood, J 2002, Hands on: a basic gander at disease control, recovered on 27 October 2009, from http://www. aromacaring. co. uk. Saunders, M. , Lewis, P. what's more, Thornhill, A. (2003). Exploration Methods for Business Students, third Ed. London: Prentice Hall Financial Times.

What Teachers Do Beyond the Classroom Is Critical

What Teachers Do Beyond the Classroom Is Critical Numerous individuals accept that educators have a simple activity to some extent since they have the summers off and various days off for a few holidays.â in all actuality instructors invest nearly as much energy working when understudies are gone as they do when understudies are in class.â Teaching is more than 8-3 occupation. Great educators remain at school late into the night, keep on working once they return home, and go through hours toward the end of the week getting ready for the up and coming week.â Teachers frequently do astounding things past the study hall when nobody is looking. Instructing is certifiably not a static occupation where you jettison everything pick it back up the following morning.â Instead, educating tails you any place you go. It is a ceaseless mentality and perspective that is once in a while killed. Instructors are continually considering their understudies. Helping them learn and develop expends us. It makes us lose rest in some cases, stresses us at others, yet gives us happiness constantly.â What instructors really do isn't totally comprehended by those outside of the calling. Here we look at twenty basic things that educators do once their understudies are gone that makes a huge impact.â This rundown just offers some understanding into what instructors do once their understudies leave and isn't far reaching. Effectively Participate on a Committee Most educators set on different dynamic boards of trustees all through the school year. For instance, there are boards in which educators help plan a financial plan, receive new reading material, make new arrangements, and recruit new instructors or principals.â Sitting on these panels can require a great deal of additional time and exertion, yet give the educators a voice in what's going on inside their school. Go to Professional Development or Faculty Meeting Proficient advancement is a fundamental segment of educator development and improvement. It furnishes educators with new aptitudes they can reclaim to their classroom.â Faculty gatherings are another necessity held a few times during the time to permit coordinated effort, present new data, or essentially to stay up with the latest. Separating Curriculum and Standards Educational plan and principles go back and forth. They are burned through each couple of years.â This regularly spinning entryway expects educators to separate the new educational plan and measures they are required to instruct continually. This is a dreary, yet essential procedure in which numerous instructors devote hours to leading. Tidy Up and Organize Our Classrooms A teacher’s study hall is their subsequent home, and most educators need to make it agreeable for themselves and their understudies. They spend innumerable hours cleaning, sorting out, and enhancing their study halls. Team up with Other Educators Building associations with different instructors are basic. Instructors invest a ton of energy trading thoughts and interfacing with one another.â They comprehend what each other are experiencing and bring an alternate point of view that can help settle even the most troublesome of circumstances. Contact Parents Instructors call email and message guardians of their understudies continuously.â They stay up with the latest on their advancement, examine concerns, and once in a while they simply call to assemble rapport.â Additionally, they meet up close and personal with guardians at planned gatherings or at whatever point a need emerges. Extrapolate, Examine, and Utilize Data to Drive Instruction Information drives current training. Instructors perceive the estimation of information. At the point when they survey their understudies, they study the information, searching for designs, alongside singular qualities and shortcomings. They tailor exercises to address the issues of their understudies dependent on this information. Evaluation Papers/Record Grades Evaluating papers is tedious and monotonous. Despite the fact that it is fundamental, it is one of the most exhausting pieces of the job.â Once everything has been reviewed, at that point they should be recorded in their gradebook.â Thankfully innovation has propelled where this part is a lot simpler than it used to be. Exercise Planning Exercise arranging is a basic piece of a teacher’s job.â Designing a week’s worth of extraordinary exercises can be challenging.â Teachers must inspect their state and region norms, study their educational plan, plan for separation, and amplify the time they have with their understudies. Search for New Ideas on Social Media or Teacher Websites The Internet has become a point of convergence for educators. It is a significant asset and instrument full with new and energizing thoughts. Internet based life destinations, for example, Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter additionally permits an alternate stage for instructor joint effort. Keep up a Mind of Improvement Educators must have a development outlook for themselves and their understudies. They should consistently be scanning for the following incredible thing. Educators must not get smug. Rather, they should keep up a brain of progress continually reading and searching for approaches to improve. Make Copies Educators can spend what appears to be an unending length of time at the duplicate machine.â Copy machines are an important underhandedness that turns out to be much all the more baffling when there is a paper jam. Educators print a wide range of things, for example, learning exercises, parent data letters, or month to month pamphlets. Sort out and Oversee School Fundraisers Numerous instructors lead pledge drives to support things, for example, gear for their study halls, another play area, field trips, or new technology.â It can be a burdening try to check and receipt the entirety of the cash, count and present the request, and afterward disperse the entirety of the product when it comes in. Plan for Differentiation Each understudy is unique. They accompany their own special characters and needs. Instructors should ceaselessly consider their understudies, and how they can support every one. It requires some investment and exertion to precisely tailor their exercises to oblige each student’s qualities and shortcomings. Survey Instructional Strategies Instructional techniques are a basic part of viable teaching.â New instructional procedures are being built up all the time.â Teachers must acquaint themselves with a wide assortment of methodologies to meet each of their student’s needs. Techniques that function admirably for one understudy or class may not really work for another. Shop for Classroom Activities and additionally Student Needs Numerous instructors contribute hundreds to thousands of dollars out of their own pocket for materials and supplies for their study hall each year.â They likewise buy materials, for example, garments, shoes, and nourishment for penniless students.â Naturally, it sets aside some effort to go to the store and get these things. Study New Educational Trends and Research Instruction is in vogue. What is well known today, likely won't be mainstream tomorrow. In like manner, there is in every case new instruction inquire about that can be applied to any study hall. Educators are continually examining, perusing, and inquiring about in light of the fact that they would prefer not to botch a chance to develop themselves or their understudies. Bolster Extra-Curricular Activities Numerous educators twofold as mentors or patrons of extra-curricular exercises. Regardless of whether they don't draw an extra-obligation task, all things considered, you will see a few instructors in the crowd at occasions. They are there to help and cheer on their understudies. Volunteer for Extra-Duty Assignments There are consistently open doors for educators to aid different regions around the school. Numerous instructors volunteer their opportunity to guide battling understudies. They keep door or concession at athletic occasions. They get rubbish on the play area. They are happy to assist in any region of need. Work Another Job As should be obvious from the rundown over, a teacher’s life is as of now occupied, yet many work a subsequent activity. This is regularly due to legitimate need. Numerous instructors basically don't bring in enough cash to help their family.â Working a subsequent activity can't resist the opportunity to affect a teacher’s generally speaking viability.

Top 10 Tips for Communicating With Us No. 7 Check out our student, alumni, faculty, staff interview page COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog

Top 10 Tips for Communicating With Us No. 7 Check out our student, alumni, faculty, staff interview page COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY - SIPA Admissions Blog Updated: March 2016 This is the seventh entry in our “Top 10? list for you to consider when communicating with our office and applying. Number 7 Check out our student, alumni, faculty, staff interview page One of the most common questions we get is from prospective students that wish to speak with alumni, students, or faculty. The top priority of our faculty is to work with current students and they often are unable to respond to the high volume of email requests. We generally reserve contact with our alumni to current students for the same reason â€" sheer volume. We do have student Admissions Ambassadors that you can talk with,  but their top priority is to focus on their studies and professional development. We do our best to put applicants in touch with current students but often this takes a bit of time and coordination. However, you can hear from students, alumni, staff, and faculty by visiting our interview page. We have text and video interviews available and we continually try to add new content. This is a great way to hear directly from those with experience in our programs without having to wait.

Oil Is The Lifeblood Of The Modern World - 878 Words

Oil is the lifeblood of the modern world. Oil is form of fossil fuel, which includes coal and natural gas. There are household items like clothing, ink, crayons, pillows, shoes, electrical tape, etc. We use oil for not only fuel, but also various types of plastics, synthetic materials, and chemical products (ConocoPhillips 2016). From the article written by Robert Lamb, it says, in 2009, oil wells around the world pumped 84 to 85 million barrel out of the Earth and countries consumed just as much. [Source EIA]. Can you think what could happen if we ran out of oil? In October 2014, the International Business Times created an article stated that according to the Institute of Mechanical Engineers, there are 1.3 trillion barrel of proven oil reserve left in the world’s major fields, which at present rates of consumption should last only 40 years (Lambo 1998-2016). There are ways we can reduce our intake on oil by using less oil than we need. We can use alternative energy that is r enewable like wind, water, solar, and other renewable energy technologies. It took nearly hundreds of millions of years to create the world oil reserves. In less than a century, before oil became the commodity on which the world is power turned. The article written by Robert Lamb, states that before the gradual downfall begins, we can reach a point known as peak oil. Imagine a carafe filled with coffee. Pour cup after cup without effort until the stream of java begins to trickle. Peak oil is that lastShow MoreRelatedOil Is The Lifeblood Of The Modern World894 Words   |  4 PagesWhen the Oil Runs Out Oil is the lifeblood of the modern world. Oil is a form of fossil fuel, which includes coal and natural gas. There are household items like clothing, ink, crayons, pillows, shoes, electrical tape, etc. We use oil for not only fuel, but also various types of plastics, synthetic materials, and chemical products (ConocoPhillips 2016). 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Therefore, it is of paramount importance that these correlated variables should be studied with a very keen eye. Since the link between currencies, commodities, stocks an bon ds runs very deep, change in any one of them seems toRead MoreOil Is The Lifeblood Of The World1401 Words   |  6 PagesOil is the lifeblood of the world. Everything that is created by human hands can be related back to it in some way. In an age where there is a dwindling supply of oil it is becoming increasingly important to use every last bit of it to its full potential. After crude oil is removed from the ground it goes through a process called fractionation which separates the hydrocarbons found in oil based on their size. When fractionation is completed the separated hydrocarbons can be manipulated to form moreRead MoreEffects Of The Oil Prices On The Economy1709 Words   |  7 Pages Evaluation of the effect of the oil prices on the economy. 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Arguments can be made that the most recent disasters to befall this oil giant could have happened to any other oil company however among the far reaching

Essay Questions On Barbaric - 917 Words

Vocabulary: 1. asphyxiating - (synonym: suffocating) (antonym: breathing) 2. barbarous - (synonym: brutal) (antonym: compassionate) 3. manifest - (synonym: observable) (antonym: concealed) 4. vainglory - (synonym: pride) (antonym: meekness) 5. connoisseur - (synonym: expert) (antonym: ignoramus) 6. platitudes - (synonym: trite comments) (antonym: genuine comments) Questions: 1. Wormwood’s mistake was that he allowed the patient to partake in â€Å"real positive Pleasures†. 2. The trait of â€Å"Pains and Pleasures† is that they are unmistakably real, and therefore, will give the patient a dose of reality. They are dangerous to the demonic cause because unreality takes us away from God. Reality will bring us to God. 3. Screwtape urges†¦show more content†¦This may mar all. Analysis: 8. What Screwtape means by the phrase â€Å"second conversion† is that the patient is recommitting to the Lord. He is now accepting God again. I have experienced a â€Å"second conversion†. 9. Screwtape implies that human beings should not follow genuine likes and dislikes because it could lead to them thinking that they will recover. All of the time and effort Wormwood has put in will go to waste. That thick layer of crust Wormwood has formed on the patient will peel off. 10. Peer pressure can definitely create distance between God and us. Your friends could have you doing stuff that you thought you would never be in. Things can go south rather quickly given an awkward enough situation. One can respond to peer pressure by having a strong biblical foundation, and/or setting up guards around oneself to prevent filth from entering into their life. Dig Deeper: 11. True humility is doing things for other people. Furthermore, humble yourself as a servant and put away your selfishness. Screwtape wants Wormwood to gratify the patient’s humbleness so that pride will form at his own humility. God wants us to push our humility towards Him and those around us. Helping out others/humility pleases the Lord. 11. (Part Two) Based on the exchange between Jesus and the scribe in Mark 12:28-34, Screwtape’s analysis about humility is reasonable. It can be difficult to achieve true humility because it is hard for us, as humans, to give up our selfish ways. Having readShow MoreRelatedThe Wolf: Homo Homini Lupus811 Words   |  3 Pages1492, they encountered countless tribes and societies that were less technologically advanced than the Western world. In 1580, Michel de Montaigne wrote an essay, On Cannibals, describing an indigenous tribe that lived along the Brazilian coastline. In the essay, Montaigne discusses whether cultures or groups of people are barbaric. His essay reflects the concept expressed in the phrase, Homo homini lupus, or â€Å"man is a wolf to man†. 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Throughout his essay, Koch offers a rebuttal for the major oppositional arguments for the use of capital punishment: the ideas that the death penalty is â€Å"barbaric†, no other major democracies useRead MoreA Case For Torture By Michael Levin1200 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"A Case For Torture† is an essay written by Michael Levin in which he tries to make a compelling case for the use of torture as a punishment during specific situations in the United States. Levin cites different hypothetical situations in order to logically prove his argument. His use of theoretical instan ces is meant to help direct the reader to an understanding of the applications of his policy on torture. The examples he uses include a hypothetical terrorist attack on Manhattan and hospital robberyRead MoreCritique for Levins Case for Torture Essay examples1010 Words   |  5 Pageswhich in fact necessitate it. This is Michael Levins core argument in The Case for Torture (Newsweek, 1982). 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Essay898 Words   |  4 PagesTwo Wrongs Dont Make a Right? David Todd Eng. 102 Arnett Essay #5 The question of whether capital punishment is right or wrong is a truly tough choice to make. Capital punishment (death penalty) is legal because the government of the United States of America says that it is all right to execute another human being if their crimes are not punishable by other means. There are many different forms of capital punishment. Some of the most popular ones have been hanging, firingRead MoreThe Theory Of Moral Behavior1615 Words   |  7 PagesThe statement claims that no question can ever be neutral. This means that all questions are leading questions, that we always have a notion of the knowledge we find. The definition of ‘neutral’ in the English dictionary is: ‘not supporting either side in a conflict, disagreement: impartial’1. It means being detached and impersonal to situations, questions or judgements. Mathematics, as an area of knowledge is said to be a subject that already exists in the natural world, only that we discover itsRead MoreLet them eat dog Essay833 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿Let Them Eat Dog Written by: JONATHAN SAFRAN FOER The analysis is based on the essay by JONATHAN SAFRAN FOER titled â€Å"Let Them Eat Dog†. This essay debates a topic that at first glance would seem to have a logical answer of no but the author provides many reasons that may make you wonder why is no the answer. What would your response be to the question should we eat dogs? First from a rational appeal, the author challenges you to remove the emotion or stigma from the act of using a dog for meat

Vampire Academy Chapter 23 Free Essays

string(95) " fangs that lurked behind her pretty smile bit into my neck, and a small moan escaped my lips\." TWENTY-THREE I’D NEVER HAD SO MUCH trouble staying out of Lissa’s head before, but then, we’d never been through anything like this together either. The strength of her thoughts and feelings kept trying to pull me in as I hurried through the forest. Running through the brush and woods, Christian and I moved farther and farther from the cabin. We will write a custom essay sample on Vampire Academy Chapter 23 or any similar topic only for you Order Now Man, how I wished Lissa had stayed back there. I would have loved to see the raid through her eyes. But that was behind us now, and as I ran, Dimitri’s push on laps and stamina paid off. She wasn’t moving very quickly, and I could feel the distance closing between us, giving me a more precise idea of her location. Likewise, Christian couldn’t keep up with me. I started to slow for him but soon realized the foolishness of that. So did he. â€Å"Go,† he gasped out, waving me on. When I reached a point close enough to her that I thought she could hear me, I called out her name, hoping to get her to turn around. Instead, what answered me was a set of howls – a soft canine baying. Psi-hounds. Of course. Victor had said he hunted with them; he could control those beasts. I suddenly understood why no one at school recalled sending psi-hounds after Lissa and me in Chicago. The Academy hadn’t arranged that; Victor had. A minute later, I reached a clearing where Lissa cringed, back against a tree. From her looks and bond feelings, she should have fainted long ago. Only the barest scraps of willpower kept her hanging on. Wide-eyed and pale, she stared in horror at the four psi-hounds cornering her. Noticing the full sunlight, it occurred to me that she and Christian had another obstacle to contend with out here. â€Å"Hey,† I yelled at the hounds, trying to draw them toward me. Victor must have sent them to trap her, but I hoped they’d sense and respond to another threat – especially a dhampir. Psi-hounds didn’t like us any better than other animals did. Sure enough, they turned on me, teeth bared and drool coming out of their mouths. They resembled wolves, only with brown fur and eyes that glowed like orange fire. He’d probably ordered them not to harm her, but they had no such instructions regarding me. Wolves. Just like in science class. What had Ms. Meissner said? A lot of confrontations were all about willpower? Bearing this mind, I tried to project an alpha attitude, but I don’t think they fell for it. Any one of them outweighed me. Oh yeah – they also outnumbered me. No, they didn’t have anything to be scared of. Trying to pretend this was just a free-for-all match with Dimitri, I picked up a branch from the ground that had about the same heft and weight as a baseball bat. I’d just positioned it in my hands when two of the hounds jumped me. Claws and teeth bit into me, but I held my own surprisingly well as I tried to remember everything I’d learned in the last two months about fighting bigger and stronger opponents. I didn’t like hurting them. They reminded me too much of dogs. But it was me or them, and survival instincts won out. One of them I managed to beat to the ground, dead or unconscious I didn’t know. The other was still on me, still coming on fast and furious. His companions looked ready to join him, but then a new competitor burst on the scene – sort of. Christian. â€Å"Get out of here,† I yelled at him, shaking off my hound as its claws ripped into the bare skin of my leg, nearly toppling me over. I was still wearing the dress, though I’d shed the heels a while ago. But Christian, like any lovesick guy, didn’t listen. He picked up a branch as well and swung it at one of the hounds. Flames burst from the wood. The hound backed up, still compelled to follow Victor’s orders, though also clearly afraid of the fire. Its companion, the fourth hound, circled away from the torch and came up behind Christian. Smart little bastard. It sprang at Christian, hitting him back first. The branch flew from his hands, the fire immediately going out. Both hounds then leapt onto his fallen form. I finished my hound – again feeling sick over what I had to do to subdue it – and moved toward the other two, wondering if I had the strength to take on these last ones. But I didn’t have to. Rescue appeared in the form of Alberta, emerging through some trees. With a gun in hand, she shot the hounds without hesitation. Boring as hell perhaps – and completely useless against Strigoi – but against other things? Guns were tried and true. The hounds stopped moving and slumped next to Christian’s body. And Christian’s body†¦ All three of us made our way over to it – Lissa and I practically crawling. When I saw it, I had to look away. My stomach lurched, and it took a lot of effort not to throw up. He wasn’t dead yet, but I didn’t think he had much longer. Lissa’s eyes, wide and distraught, drank him in. Tentatively, she reached out toward him and then dropped her hand. â€Å"I can’t,† she managed in a small voice. â€Å"I don’t have the strength left.† Alberta, leathery face both hard and compassionate, gently tugged her arm. â€Å"Come on, Princess. We need to get out of here. We’ll send help.† Turning back to Christian, I forced myself to look at him and let myself feel how much Lissa cared about him. â€Å"Liss,† I said hesitantly. She looked over at me, like she’d forgotten I was even there. Wordlessly, I brushed my hair away from my neck and tilted it toward her. She stared for a moment, blank-faced; then understanding shone in her eyes. Those fangs that lurked behind her pretty smile bit into my neck, and a small moan escaped my lips. You read "Vampire Academy Chapter 23" in category "Essay examples" I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed it, that sweet, wonderful pain followed by glorious wonder. Bliss settled over me. Dizzying. Joyful. Like being in a dream. I don’t entirely remember how long Lissa drank from me. Probably not that long. She would never even consider drinking the quantities that would kill a person and make her a Strigoi. She finished, and Alberta caught me as I started to sway. Dizzily, I watched as Lissa leaned over Christian and rested her hands on him. In the distance, I heard the other guardians crashing through the forest. No glowing or fireworks surrounded the healing. It all took place invisibly, occurring between Lissa and Christian. Even though the bite’s endorphins had numbed my connection to her, I remembered Victor’s healing and the wonderful colors and music she must be bringing forth. A miracle unfolded before my eyes, and Alberta gasped. Christian’s wounds closed. The blood dried up. Color – as much as a Moroi ever had, at least – returned to his cheeks. His eyelids fluttered, and his eyes regained their life again. Focusing on Lissa, he smiled. It was like watching a Disney movie. I must have keeled over after that, because I don’t remember anything else. Eventually, I woke up in the Academy’s clinic, where they forced fluids and sugar into me for two days. Lissa stayed by my side almost the entire time, and slowly, the events of the kidnapping unfolded. We had to tell Kirova and a few choice others about Lissa’s powers, how she’d healed Victor and Christian and, well, me. The news was shocking, but the administrators agreed to keep it secret from the rest of the school. No one even considered taking Lissa away like they had Ms. Karp. Mostly all the other students knew was that Victor Dashkov had kidnapped Lissa Dragomir. They didn’t know why. Some of his guardians had died when Dimitri’s band attacked – a damned shame, when guardian numbers were so low already. Victor was now being held under 24/7 guard at the school, waiting for a royal regiment of guardians to carry him away. The Moroi rulers might be a mostly symbolic government within another country’s larger government, but they had systems of justice, and I’d heard about Moroi prisons. Not any place I’d want to be. As for Natalie†¦that was trickier. She was still a minor, but she’d conspired with her father. She’d brought in the dead animals and kept an eye on Lissa’s behavior – even before we left. Being an earth user like Victor, she’d also been the one to rot the bench that broke my ankle. After she’d seen me hold Lissa back from the dove, she and Victor realized that they needed to injure me to get to her – it was their only chance to get her to heal again. Natalie had simply waited for a good opportunity. She wasn’t locked up or anything yet, and the Academy didn’t know what to do with her until a royal command came. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for her. She was so awkward and self-conscious. Anyone could have manipulated her, let alone her father, whom she loved and from whom she so desperately wanted attention. She would have done anything. Rumor said she’d stood screaming outside the detention center, begging them to let her see him. They’d refused and hauled her away. Meanwhile, Lissa and I slipped back into our friendship like nothing had happened. In the rest of her world, a lot had happened. After all that excitement and drama, she seemed to gain a new sense of what mattered to her. She broke up with Aaron. I’m sure she did it very nicely, but it still had to be hard on him. She’d dropped him twice now. The fact that his last girlfriend had cheated on him probably wasn’t helping his confidence any. And without any more hesitation, Lissa started dating Christian, not caring about the consequences to her reputation. Seeing them out in public, holding hands, made me do a double take. He didn’t seem able to believe it himself. The rest of our classmates were almost too stunned to even comprehend it yet. They could barely process acknowledging his existence, let alone him being with someone like her. My own romantic state was less rosy than hers – if you could even call it a romantic state. Dimitri hadn’t visited me during my recovery, and our practices were indefinitely suspended. It wasn’t until the fourth day after Lissa’s kidnapping that I ran into him in the gym. We were alone. I had come back for my gym bag and froze when I saw him, unable to speak. He started to walk past and then stopped. â€Å"Rose†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he began after several uncomfortable moments. â€Å"You need to report what happened. With us.† I’d been waiting a long time to talk to him, but this wasn’t the conversation I’d imagined. â€Å"I can’t do that. They’ll fire you. Or worse.† â€Å"They should fire me. What I did was wrong.† â€Å"You couldn’t help it. It was the spell†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"It doesn’t matter. It was wrong. And stupid.† Wrong? Stupid? I bit my lip, and tears threatened to fill my eyes. I quickly tried to regain my composure. â€Å"Look, it’s not a big deal.† â€Å"It is a big deal! I took advantage of you.† â€Å"No,† I said evenly. â€Å"You didn’t.† There must have been something telling in my voice because he met my eyes with a deep and serious intensity. â€Å"Rose, I’m seven years older than you. In ten years, that won’t mean so much, but for now, it’s huge. I’m an adult. You’re a child.† Ouch. I flinched. Easier if he’d just punched me. â€Å"You didn’t seem to think I was a child when you were all over me.† Now he flinched. â€Å"Just because your body†¦well, that doesn’t make you an adult. We’re in two very different places. I’ve been out in the world. I’ve been on my own. I’ve killed, Rose – people, not animals. And you†¦you’re just starting out. Your life is about homework and clothes and dances.† â€Å"That’s all you think I care about?† â€Å"No, of course not. Not entirely. But it’s all part of your world. You’re still growing up and figuring out who you are and what’s important. You need to keep doing that. You need to be with boys your own age.† I didn’t want boys my own age. But I didn’t say that. I didn’t say anything. â€Å"Even if you choose not to tell, you need to understand that it was a mistake. And it isn’t ever going to happen again,† he added. â€Å"Because you’re too old for me? Because it isn’t responsible?† His face was perfectly blank. â€Å"No. Because I’m just not interested in you in that way.† I stared. The message – the rejection – came through loud and clear. Everything from that night, everything I’d believed so beautiful and full of meaning, turned to dust before my eyes. â€Å"It only happened because of the spell. Do you understand?† Humiliated and angry, I refused to make a fool of myself by arguing or begging. I just shrugged. â€Å"Yeah. Understood.† I spent the rest of the day sulking, ignoring both Lissa and Mason’s attempts to draw me out of my room. It was ironic that I should want to stay inside. Kirova had been impressed enough by my performance with the rescue to end my house arrest. Before school the next day, I made my way to where Victor was being held. The Academy had honest-to-goodness cells, complete with bars, and two guardians stood watch in the hallway nearby. It took a little bit of finagling on my part to get them to let me inside to talk to him. Even Natalie wasn’t allowed in. But one of the guardians had ridden with me in the SUV and watched me undergo Lissa’s torture. I told him I needed to ask Victor about what he’d done to Lissa. It was a lie, but the guardians bought it and felt sorry for me. They allowed me five minutes to speak, backing up a discrete distance down the hall where they could see but not hear. Standing outside Victor’s cell, I couldn’t believe I’d once felt sorry for him. Seeing his new and healthy body enraged me. He sat cross-legged on a narrow bed, reading. When he heard me approach, he looked up. â€Å"Why Rose, what a nice surprise. Your ingenuity never fails to impress me. I didn’t think they’d allow me any visitors.† I crossed my arms, trying to put on a look of total guardian fierceness. â€Å"I want you to break the spell. Finish it off.† â€Å"What do you mean?† â€Å"The spell you did on me and Dimitri.† â€Å"That spell is done. It burned itself out.† I shook my head. â€Å"No. I keep thinking about him. I keep wanting to†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He smiled knowingly when I didn’t finish. â€Å"My dear, that was already there, long before I set that up.† â€Å"It wasn’t like this. Not this bad.† â€Å"Maybe not consciously. But everything else†¦the attraction – physical and mental – was already in you. And in him. It wouldn’t have worked otherwise. The spell didn’t really add anything new – it just removed inhibitions and strengthened the feelings you already had for each other.† â€Å"You’re lying. He said he didn’t feel that way about me.† â€Å"He’s lying. I tell you, the spell wouldn’t have worked otherwise, and honestly, he should have known better. He had no right to let himself feel that way. You can be forgiven for a schoolgirl’s crush. But him? He should have demonstrated more control in hiding his feelings. Natalie saw it and told me. After just a few observations of my own, it was obvious to me too. It gave me the perfect chance to distract you both. I keyed the necklace’s charm for each of you, and you two did the rest.† â€Å"You’re a sick bastard, doing that to me and him. And to Lissa.† â€Å"I have no regrets about what I did with her,† he declared, leaning against the wall. â€Å"I’d do it again if I could. Believe what you want, I love my people. What I wanted to do was in their best interest. Now? Hard to say. They have no leader, no real leader. There’s no one worthy, really.† He cocked his head toward me, considering. â€Å"Vasilisa actually might have been such a one – if she could ever have found it within herself to believe in something and overcome the influence of spirit. It’s ironic, really. Spirit can shape someone into a leader and also crush her ability to remain one. The fear, depression, and uncertainty take over, and keep her true strength buried deep within her. Still, she has the blood of the Dragomirs, which is no small thing. And of course, she has you, her shadow-kissed guardian. Who knows? She may surprise us yet.† † ? ®Shadow-kissed’?† There it was again, the same thing Ms. Karp had called me. â€Å"You’ve been kissed by shadows. You’ve crossed into Death, into the other side, and returned. Do you think something like that doesn’t leave a mark on the soul? You have a greater sense of life and the world – far greater than even I have – even if you don’t realize it. You should have stayed dead. Vasilisa brushed Death to bring you back and bound you to her forever. You were actually in its embrace, and some part of you will always remember that, always fight to cling to life and experience all it has. That’s why you’re so reckless in the things you do. You don’t hold back your feelings, your passion, your anger. It makes you remarkable. It makes you dangerous.† I didn’t know what to say to that. I was speechless, which he seemed to like. â€Å"It’s what created your bond, too. Her feelings always press out of her, onto others. Most people can’t pick up on them unless she’s actually directing her thoughts toward them with compulsion. You, however, have a mind sensitive to extrasensory forces – hers in particular.† He sighed, almost happily, and I remembered reading that Vladimir had saved Anna from death. That must have made their bond, too. â€Å"Yes, this ridiculous Academy has no idea what they have in either you or her. If not for the fact that I needed to kill you, I would have made you part of my royal guard when you were older.† â€Å"You never would’ve had a royal guard. Don’t you think people would have been weirded out by you suddenly recovering like that? Even if no one found out about Lissa, Tatiana never would have made you king.† â€Å"You may be right, but it doesn’t matter. There are other ways of taking power. Sometimes it’s necessary to go outside the established channels. Do you think Kenneth is the only Moroi who follows me? The greatest and most powerful revolutions often start very quietly, hidden in the shadows.† He eyed me. â€Å"Remember that.† Odd sounds came from the detention center’s entrance, and I glanced toward where I’d come in. The guardians who had let me in were gone. From around the corner, I heard a few grunts and thumps. I frowned and craned my head to get a better look. Victor stood up. â€Å"Finally.† Fear spiked down my spine – at least until I saw Natalie round the corner. Mixed sympathy and anger flitted through me, but I forced a kind smile. She probably wouldn’t see her father again once they took him. Villain or no, they should be allowed to say goodbye. â€Å"Hey,† I said, watching her stride toward me. There was an unusual purpose in her movements that some part of me whispered wasn’t right. â€Å"I didn’t think they’d let you in.† Of course, they weren’t supposed to have let me in either. She walked right up to me and – no exaggeration – launched me against the far wall. My body hit it hard, and black star-bursts danced across my vision. â€Å"What?†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I put a hand to my forehead and tried to get up. Unconcerned about me now, Natalie unlocked Victor’s cell with a set of keys I’d seen on one of the guardian’s belts. Staggering to my feet, I approached her. â€Å"What are you doing?† She glanced up at me, and that’s when I saw it. The faint ring of red around her pupils. Skin too pale, even for a Moroi. Blood smudged around her mouth. And most telling of all, the look in her eyes. A look so cold and so evil, my heart nearly came to a standstill. It was a look that said she no longer walked among the living – a look that said she was now one of the Strigoi. How to cite Vampire Academy Chapter 23, Essay examples

T ENWR100 .17 Introduction to Writing Essays - Writing, Education

t ENWR100 .17 : Introduction to Writing Fall 2014 T/F 4:00-5:15 Instructor : Dr. Tatum Petrich Office : Dickson 135 Email : [emailprotected] Office Hours : Tues: 12:30-2:30, Classroom : UN3002 Wed: 10:45-11:15, Fri 10: 4 5-11:15 Required Texts: Hacker, Diana, and Nancy Sommers. A Writer's Reference . 7 th ed. Montclair State University custom edition. New York: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2014. Print. Isaacs, Emily, et al. Made with Words. 2 nd ed. New York: Bedford/St. Martins, 2010. Print. Mullainathan, Sendhil, and Eldar Shafir. Scarcity: Why Having Too Little Means So Much. New York: Times Books, 2013. Print. Notes on the Required Texts: An earlier edition of A Writer's Reference will do, but you will need to access from our Canvas site the updated "Writing at Montclair" prefatory chapter as well as any assigned sections that have been updated for the new edition (available to read and print from Canvas). Bring our current text, either Scarcity or Made with Words , PLUS A Writer's Reference to class every day (unless otherwise noted). You are expected to have all course texts at the start of the semester; if for any reason you don't, you are required to photocopy the assigned readings from another student or the instructor and to bring the photocopied text with you to class until you get your own book(s). The library should also have our course texts available on reserve. Useful Websites : MSU First Year Writing: http://www.montclair.edu/chss/english/first year writing Bedford/St. Martin's writing aids: http://bedfordstmartins.com/rewriting C enter for Writing Excellence: http://www.montclair.edu/cwe Writing Exercises from Diana Hacker: http://www.hackerhandbooks.com/writersref Course Purpose: The aim of this course is to provide students with the instruction, opportunities for writing practice, and feedback that will enable them to become capable college writers. Good writers are not good simply because they have "natural writing talent." Rather, writers become good through practicing, learning how to assess their own writing, and using the feedback of others to effectively revise. You will have opportunities to use these and other methods this semester. This course is designed to be a rigorous, thoughtful, and engaging course in intellectual ideas of the contemporary world. For more specifics about the course and its work, see the course description in the prefatory "Writing at Montclair" chapter of A Writer's Reference (also available on Canvas). Expected Outcomes: At the conclusion of the course, students should be able to demonstrate basic competence in: Generating writing through activities such as brainstorming, freewriting, and prompt writing Generating an arguable central claim Organizing ideas around a central claim with logic and clarity Integrating the ideas of others within one's own prose through summary, paraphrase, and quotation Understanding and correcting surface-level writing problems such as sentence boundaries, punctuation, and word choice. Course Expectations: Course expectations are more fully articulated in the prefatory "Writing at Montclair" chapter in the Montclair State University edition of A Writer's Reference. Please read this chapter carefully as it is an essential supplement to your syllabus . If for any reason you are unable to meet course requirements, please come talk to me in my office hours (or by appointment) before this begins to affect your progress in class. Course Requirements : Participation: 20% Three Essays (including required CWE visits): 55% Essay 1 (3-4 pages): 15% Essay 2 (3-4 pages): 20% Essay 3 (4-5 pages): 20% Writing Portfolio (including Essay 4 [2-3 pages]): 25% Completion of Course Evaluation (see below) Explanation of Course Requirements: Attendance: As a member of this class, your input is valued, and your regular attendance is expected. In-class writing, discussion, and occasional lectures provide information and processes essential to understanding the texts and writing strong essays. In order to cover any emergenciesillness, family issues, for example, or academic obligations for other classes such as field tripsstudents are allowed three absences in this class: excuses are neither needed nor accepted. Every absence after the allowed three results in a one-third letter reduction of the final grade. For example, if you achieve a B as your final grade but have an additional absence over the allowed limit, your final grade becomes a B-. Any student who enters the classroom after class has begun will be marked as late. Coming in to class late three

The Debate on Immigration Amnesty essays

The Debate on Immigration Amnesty essays According to William Dudley, the presence of illegal immigrants in todays America is the product of the gap between the number of people allowed to legally immigrate to the U.S. and the global demand for U.S. residency (12) which has created a huge influx of illegal aliens, especially from Mexico, into the United States within the last decade or so. This situation is supported by the findings of the Immigration and Naturalization Service (INS) which shows that between 1992 and 1998, 825,000 people on average annually immigrated and became legal permanent residents in the U.S.; however, INS figures indicate that millions of illegal immigrants without green cards or visas choose to ignore the law and melded into American society without official permission from the INS (13). Those who oppose illegal immigration maintain that these numbers are nothing short of an invasion that threatens the economic and social future of the United States; conversely, those who support illegal immigration are strongly against all efforts to deport or otherwise punish or deter illegal immigration, due to viewing such efforts as too harsh and inhumane (Dudley, 14). This raises a very important question-are these illegal immigrants victims or criminals? If they are victims, then it is clear that something is amiss in their countries of origin related to economics and politics, but if they are criminals, then they are no different from those who commit other crimes against American society. Within the last several years, a huge debate has raged concerning whether or not to grant amnesty to these victims and/or criminals, meaning that if granted amnesty, these immigrants would be allowed to remain in the U.S. and to seek out legal citizenship and permanent residence. Amnesty for illegal immigrants, also known as legal f...

How to Make Metamucil Flubber (Recipe)

How to Make Metamucil Flubber (Recipe) This recipe makes the non-sticky sort of rubber or gelatinous slime that is known as flubber. The difficulty is average, but only takes about 15 minutes! Flubber Slime Ingredients 1 teaspoon Metamucil or similar soluble fiber8 ounces watermicrowave-safe bowlmicrowave ovenfood coloring (optional) How To Make Metamucil Flubber Mix 1 teaspoon of Metamucil with 1 cup (8 ounces) of water in a microwaveable bowl. You can add a drop or two of food coloring if you wish. Alternatively, you could add a little powdered drink mix or flavored gelatin to get color/flavor.Place bowl in the microwave and nuke on high for 4-5 minutes (actual time depends on microwave power) or until the goo is about to bubble out of the bowl. Turn off the microwave.Let the mixture cool slightly, then repeat step 3 (microwave until about to overflow). The more times this step is repeated the more rubbery the substance will become. The purpose of the cooling step is to check the consistency of the slime and prevent it from overflowing the container.After 5-6 microwave runs, (carefully - hot hot HOT) pour the flubber onto a plate or cookie sheet. A spoon can be used to spread it out.Allow to cool. There you have it! Non-stick flubber. A knife or cookie cutters may be used to cut the flubber into interesting shapes. The shapes will slowly me lt as the slime flows. Flubber can be stored at room temperature in a sealed baggie for several months. It will last indefinitely in a sealed bag in the refrigerator. Useful Tips If the flubber is sticky then the amount of water needs to be reduced. It should be clammy, but not sticky. Use less water next time.Please use adult supervision. Molten fluids and microwaves are involved!

Econometrics 'A' project for MSc Economics degree course Essay

Econometrics 'A' project for MSc Economics degree course - Essay Example However, in this research we are only interested in examining the effect of total experience and attainment of a specific level of education on the wage differential between the sexes. Total experience was obtained by adding ‘months since hire’ and ‘previous Experience’ This study utilized secondary sources for data collection. The use of secondary data is useful because it is cost efficient and saves time for the independent researcher (Glaser, 1963; Hyman, 1978; Hayashi, 2000). The independent researcher has limited financial resources because he or she works alone. Such researchers are usually professionals who attempt to research some significant social problem on a part-time basis. Description of the Research Design A two-step attempt was made to discover if the income of professional females increases at the same rate as that of males with comparable education as the experience increase. During the first step the existence and strength of a relationshi p between salary and experience for male and female professionals with a given university degree in a specific job were researched using correlational methodology. During the second step a comparison was made between the incomes of males and females with the same experience. Attainment of an educational degree was held constant for each given professional position. The correlational research method was selected as the primary methodology because of its ability to discover relationships among logical variables (Wooldridge, 2008). Research Hypothesis It appears that there is a lack of congruence in the literature in establishing an association between level of income, experience and gender, and also a lack of significant research efforts towards establishing a link between income and experience by gender identification, therefore, the hypothesis was stated as a null hypothesis (Albrect et al., 2003; Atkinson et al., 2003; Blau et al., 2006). Locke, Spirduso, and Silverman (1987) recom mend that if one researches a question where no well-established theory exists one should use the format of the null-hypothesis. There will be no difference in the salary of males and females at given experience when other factors, such as academic degree (bachelor's, master's, or associate degree), and professional position are held constant. Variables The variables in this study's regression analysis are as follows: Male/female relationship (the numerical value of 0 was assigned to the male and 1 to the female variable), education and experience were considered indepen ­dent variables; annual salary depends on the aforementioned variables and therefore is considered the dependent vari ­able. A dummy variable was introduced by multiplying experience by the value of the male/female relationship for the reason mentioned below. The first independent variable, that is, male/female, was selected for its possible effect on the difference in earnings between the sexes. The second inde pendent variable, experience (in months), was chosen for its possible effect on the earning of any individual. The third indepen ­dent variable, education, allows the individual to enter a given professional position. And finally the fourth independent variable, the dummy variable, was supposed to trigger possible changes over time, that is, the closing of the male/female

Choose ONE of the topics below Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Choose ONE of the topics below - Essay Example Of the two, perhaps it was Voltaire who did not mince any words when it came to criticizing the work of Rousseau. For example, when he received Rousseau’s The Social Contract, Voltaire wrote a letter to Rousseau in which he notes, â€Å"Never was such a cleverness used in the design of making us all stupid. One longs, in reading your book, to walk on all fours. But as I have lost that habit for more than sixty years, I feel unhappily the impossibility of resuming it (Nosotro, 2007, Pg. 1)†. These words also form the basis of their disagreement since Voltaire had very different ideas about society and government as compared to the very democratic ideals of Rousseau. The high society and the aristocratic manners of Voltaire would certainly put him at odds with Rousseau who had a lower class beginning and could only find patrons to help him in paying for his living expenses as he continued to write and give the world philosophical ideas. However, they were both forced into exile largely through the force of their own ideas. Voltaire frank criticism, as exemplified by what he told Rousseau about his book, angered many French aristocrats and he was eventually forced into exile to England. On the other hand, Rousseau’s ideas were widely rejected by the French and he too had to spend some time in Switzerland and then England. In terms of ideas, Voltaire emphasized individual tolerance and a person’s right to be able to express him/herself freely. The religious and personal freedoms given by the English government were much respected by him and he wanted to change French society to bring them closer to the freedoms enjoyed by the English. Voltaire was also against the church since he believed the message of the church was one of intolerance. Duffy (2008) notes this as an interesting dichotomy since Voltaire was disdainful of religion itself but supported religious tolerance. It seems that blind faith was unacceptable to Voltaire since he

Oishi: Strategic Marketing Plan

Oishi: Strategic Marketing Plan Part 1 Oishis Strategic Marketing Plan 1 Introduction Oishi is the leading snack food manufacturer in China. Since its establishment in 1993, Liwayway Holdings Company Limited, owner of the Oishi brand, has been in the cutting edge of innovation and aggressive marketing activities. The company rapidly expanded across the country and established a large distribution network. The Oishi brand has also become one of the most recognized snack food brands in China. Children have been the main consumer group of the Oishi products. However, market changes in the perception of snack food have occurred. Childrens parents become wary of the growing obesity problem among the children. The obesity dilemma has been attributed largely to salty snack foods being consumed by children. Numerous studies were conducted showing the direct relationship between â€Å"junk foods† and obesity. Parents are now shifting to healthier food for their children. The market for the traditional salty snack food and other similar food will be affected significantly by this change in consumer behavior. Hence, Oishi should develop a new marketing strategy to maintain its leadership and overcome the threat of its consumers changing or shifting to other food. In this marketing plan are proposed steps to improve its current marketing activities and provide new and additional alternatives. The development of a marketing mix geared toward manufacture of new food products that satisfy customer needs and wants is the major proposition in this marketing plan. A shift in target market segment is also recommended, identifying the young adults (ages 18-34) as the new primary consumer base for the Oishi brand and products. 2 Background Oishi is a leading snack brand in China manufactured in more than 100 variants of snack foods. The brand is manufactured under various product lines of salty snacks such as potato chips, prawn crackers, peanut crackers as well as other snack food including cookies, popcorn and corn curls, cereals, and marshmallows. Among Chinas vast market, Oishis principal consumers are children. The Oishi brand is owned by Liwayway Holdings Company Limited (LHCL), which traces its roots to the Liwayway Marketing Corporation (LMC) established in the Philippines in 1946. Carlos Chan, owner of the LMC, embarked on an ambitious expansion plan in China in 1984 and set his attention to Shanghai. Nine years later, Chan established the LHCL to manufacture, distribute and sell Oishi products in the country. The company aggressively marketed the Oishi brand targeting the children segment of the market as its primary consumers. LHCL grew rapidly in the following years by expanding outside Shanghai and building manufacturing and distributing facilities in other parts of China. The company established sales and distributions across the country, which included urban cities and smaller inner towns. LHCL was able to establish a network of more than 400 dealers nationwide. Due to the aggressive marketing strategies and strong management capabilities of LHCL, the Oishi brand became a famous snack brand in the country. Oishi was eventually recognized as a Shanghai Famous Brand in 2001 and was awarded as a China Famous Brand in 2006. The company took bolder steps and entered the market of Vietnam in 1997 and Myanmar in 2006. At present, expansion in Thailand and Indonesia is under development (Oishi.com.cn). 3 Strategic Objectives The creation of strategic objectives of the marketing plan is necessary, as it will serve as the companys guide and measurement in achieving its goals. The firms strategic objectives will aid it in gaining competitive edge in the industry and maintain its leadership. The primary objectives for this marketing plan are the following: To be the industrys leading manufacturer and seller of healthy and quality snack foods Deliver customer satisfaction and establish long-term relationships with customers Improve production and distribution process by establishing long-term relationship with both suppliers and distributors Increase profitability by providing quality snack food with added value but at lower costs In order to achieve these strategic objectives, the following specific marketing objectives and strategies will be employed: Raise market share to 20% for the next five years Increase advertising and promotional activities by utilizing all forms of media communications broadcast, print and electronic (primarily the Internet) to increase greater awareness of the Oishi brand and its products Augment and amplify nationwide presence by establishing more distribution points and getting more sellers and distributors Increase production and offer more product variants that use health-enhancing ingredients to capture other segments of the market Improve worker productivity The above strategic marketing objectives will serve as a guide in the creation and employment of a marketing plan. 4 Environmental Scan of Factors that Affect China Snack Industry Competition China is an attractive market due to its large population and strong economic potential. In almost any industry, numerous firms are vying position to become a leading player. The snack market is not an exception to this competition. Chinas snack food industry is highly competitive with various companies seeking competitive advantage. The Chinese snack market is a $3-billion-a-year industry (Terhune, 2005), hence foreign and domestic companies are competing to gain a sizeable percentage of the market share from this profitable industry. 5 Five Forces Model Harvard Business School professor Michael Porter (1998) said that the state of competition in an industry is dependent on five basic forces, which ultimately will determine the profit potential in the industry. These five forces are intensity of industry rivalry, threat of new entrants, and threat of substitute products, bargaining power of buyers, and bargaining power of suppliers. Combined, these forces dictate the profit potential of the industry and its competitiveness. In table 1, a summary of the five forces affecting the industry competition is shown. 5.1 Industry Rivalry The Chinese snack market is composed of domestic and international players competing for a share of the market. Among the major competitors of the Oishi brand are foreign companies like Pepsi as well numerous local firms such as Wangwang, Master Kong and Dali. These competitors offer almost similar products but of different brands or trade marks, making the industry highly competitive. Due to the highly competitive characteristics of the industry, the there are many companies competing. It will be too costly as well to leave the industry and change products. However, despite the number of companies competing, Chinas large population with an increasing number of people capable of purchasing the snack food, the China market remains competitive and is far from maturity or being exhausted. 5.2 Threat of New Entrants The threat of new entrants is high as barriers to companies entering the competition are relatively low. Government regulations on the formation of companies entering the snack market are not too strict. Even community-owned companies can enter into the competition. Capital requirements for entering into the snack food industry do not need to be large. However, if a new company wishes to compete with the largest companies, this will serve as a barrier to them. As stated earlier, product differentiation is not present. Although brand identification is an important barrier to new competition, smaller Chinese companies can easily set up business although at a local level. As such, many smaller firms manufacturing and selling snack food are being set up across the country. 5.3 Threat of Substitute Products Substitute products for salty snack foods are foods manufactured with health-enhancing ingredients. Consumers, most especially the health conscious parents, can easily shift to these products for their children. The prices of the substitute products are also almost the same with the traditional snack foods being sold. Thus, consumers will not hesitate to buy substitute foods that are enriched with healthy ingredients. The USDA Food and Agricultural Service stated in a report that youth perception in food consumption is changing toward a healthier diet, especially those living in Shanghai (Global Agriculture Information Network [GAIN] Report 3). 5.4 Bargaining Power of Suppliers Suppliers can possess significant bargaining power with regard to the pricing of their products if they act as a group dominated by a few companies and they more concentrated than the industry they sell to (Porter, 1998). However, in the case of China, suppliers are scattered around the country and are not acting in a group. They also do not offer unique or differentiated materials to sell to the industry players. Suppliers also do not possess that capability to integrate forward into the industry. Thus, suppliers do not have sufficient bargaining power in the Chinese snack food industry. 5.5 Buyers Bargaining Power Porter (1998) said that buyers can exert influence in the industry if the following characteristics are met: They act as a group, Purchase in large volumes, The products are undifferentiated, forms component form of the product and represents a significant portion of the cost, The quality of the product is unimportant to the consumer, The product does not save the buyer a money, The buyers pose a credible threat of integrating backward to make the companys product. Except for the products being undifferentiated, buyers do not possess the capacity to exert influence in the industry since most of the characteristics mentioned above are not present. Hence, Chinese consumers are not significant in influencing the industry players. However, with the recent trend of the changing consumer perception and demands on higher quality products, the consumers are now looking for healthier snack foods. Thus, they are beginning to acquire power to influence the manufacturers of snack food to create health-enhancing processed food. In sum, the Chinese snack food industry is highly competitive but is far from maturity. Profitability is still achievable at a high rate due to the large market of China. However, with the numerous companies jockeying for position in the industry and the changing consumer needs and value perception on snack food, LCHL needs to adopt a new strategic marketing plan in order to sustain its current leadership. 6 SWOT Analysis After identifying the factors affecting the competitiveness of the industry, an analysis of the organizational strength and weaknesses is also necessary in order to determine the aspects it needs to improve and alter. The identification of opportunities and threats is also important to aid the organization in drafting a marketing plan and identify the areas it needs to put focus on. A summary of the SWOT analysis is shown in table 2. Table 2 SWOT Analysis on LHCL Organization Strengths * Strong brand recognition * Good reputation in the industry * Adequate access to raw materials * Numerous varieties of products to choose from * Good networking and distribution system Weaknesses * Lesser appeal to the other segments of the market, especially the young adults * High cost structure * Insufficient patent protection Opportunities * Large portion of domestic market still not saturated * Shift or diversification to health-enriched food ingredients * Potential of expansion in the international market * Advancement in technology * Loosening up of international trade barriers Threats * Shift in consumer choice from traditional snacks to health-enhancing snack food * Emergence of new products * Flood of substitute products * Growing number of smaller firms entering the industry 6.1 Strengths The companys primary strength is its strong brand recognition across the nation. Oishi is a nationally recognized brand being awarded numerous titles. LHCL also has built a good reputation in the industry through its organizational management and innovativeness. The company has adequate access to raw materials and developed a good relationship with its distributors and sellers. Another strong point of the Oishi brand is the wide selection of product variants. Customers can choose from a range of products that suit their needs. 6.2 Weaknesses A weakness of the Oishi brand is its lesser appeal to the other segment of the market, most especially young adults in the range of 15-25 years old. This segment comprises a significant portion of the population and can increase the revenue substantially. LHCl also has a high cost structure, by having numerous facilities and employees. Although this characteristic can be considered as strength that the company possesses over its smaller rivals and in order to achieve a greater market share, this could be a potential weakness in terms of reacting rapidly to strategic market changes. The company also has insufficient patent protection. Protecting the companys formulas and ingredients in creating products is an advantage over competitors. This provides differentiation for the Oishi brand over other brands in the market. 6.3 Opportunities A large portion of the domestic market in China is not yet fully saturated, thus providing core opportunities for LHCL to grow. The company can still expand its operations inside the country to reach more consumers, especially in the inner towns. The advancement in technology such as the increasing utilization and importance of the Internet also provides opportunity for the company to have greater access to consumers. Technological advancements also offer improvements in the manufacturing processes of the company and in research and development area to improve its products. There is also a potential to expand in the international market as developing countries become more responsive to globalization. The relaxing of trade barriers in many countries such as tariffs due to globalization provides an opportunity for Oishi to penetrate overseas markets. 6.4 Threats The biggest challenge that company faces is the changing consumer taste in snack food. Consumers are now more conscious about their health, most especially parents of children that eat or consume the products. Numerous studies show that â€Å"junk foods† such as salty snacks are a cause of obesity. Marshall et al (2007: 175) suggested that parents overindulgence to their childrens whims such as requesting so much junk foods cause obesity, thus they recommended that parents should not give in to their childrens requests. With this changing consumer perception is the emergence of new snack food products that are enriched with healthier ingredients. Substitute products are now also flooding the market due to the growing awareness on obesity among children. These serve as threat to Oishis traditional snack food products. Also, the increasing number of smaller firms poses a threat to the company as they can eat up a significant portion of market. Although they operate on a smaller scale, they are numerous and present in every market where LHCL operates. 7 Marketing Plan Strategy involves the creation of a plan that integrates the organizations objectives, principles, policies and decisions and sequences of action into a cohesive whole (Proctor, 2000). A marketing plan is a strategic plan of action that an organization develops and employs to achieve its strategic goals as well as deliver customer satisfaction. Strategic marketing is therefore a challenge upon organizations to manage marketing complexities, satisfy customer and stakeholders expectations and reconcile market changes with the organizations resource capabilities (Bradley, 2003). Hence, the creation of a strategic marketing plan will provide definite and measurable steps that an organization can take to achieve its objectives, gain competitive advantage and deliver customer satisfaction and meet stakeholders expectations. Various forms of marketing methods can be applied in the development of a marketing plan. One form of marketing technique is the marketing mix. The 4Ps (product, price, place and promotion) of marketing mix is designed to develop a mix or package of products that meet the customers needs and wants. 7.1 Products As stated earlier, consumers are now changing their perceptions on snacks. The consumers, particularly the mothers of young children, are more conscious about the health benefits they or their children could get from the products they buy. A very important question here is, â€Å"Does the company produce the products that the consumers want?† It is not the company who will dictate what products it would sell but the consumers should dictate what products they should buy. Hence, it is necessary for LHCL to manufacture snack food products that satisfy the desires of their consumers. The firm should start using health-enhancing ingredients while minimizing the changes it could make to the products. It is also necessary to create product differentiation. The Oishi brand should be differentiated with other brands by the adding more characteristics to the products, such as lowering its costs or providing incentives to consumers and customers. 7.2 Price The prices of Oishi products should be competitive in order to attract more customers and consumers. At present, the prices of the Oishi snack food are competitive. However, the firm can add more value to the products by giving freebies or additional benefits to loyal customers. This will ensure that loyal customers will not shift to other brands. It will also entice new customers, particularly those in the areas not yet covered by the company. 7.3 Place LHCL should expand its presence all over the country to include more inner townships and communities. The current distribution network of the company, which comprises large distribution enterprises and small family businesses, can be enlarged to include community-owned enterprises as well as direct sellers. In places where there are no available distributors, the company can put up its own distributing centers. The Internet is also another place for distribution or can be used to enhance the current distribution system of the company. Orders can be placed online and a tracking system can track the progress of the orders. Retailers can and wholesale distributors can use this facility with regard to their purchase orders. 7.4 Promotion Promotional or advertising programs are necessary to increase consumer awareness on the Oishi brand and its products. In increasing consumer-awareness, the company should increase its advertising and promotional activities. The company should put significant investment in advertising so that revenue-generation can be increased even more. It can enhance increase sales by 20-50% and entice more customers thereby increasing market share. All forms of media must be utilized such as the traditional advertising facilities in the print and broadcast media. The Internet is another major tool for promoting the product. Presently, the companys website provides basic information on the products. The website can be enhanced by adding more information such as the health benefits that the products can offer to the consumers. The US FAS said that young adults or the 80ers (those belonging to the 18-34 year-old range) are increasingly using the Internet in buying snack food. Thus, LHCL can use the I nternet to increase its sales and attract these â€Å"high-tech† consumers. 7.5 People In order to implement the marketing mix program, a creative marketing department or team must be established. The creative team will be responsible for the development of creative advertising materials and promotional tools. They will do further market research to identify which segment of the market is most receptive of the products and to identify more specifically the consumers needs, desires and buying behaviors. 8 Market Segmentation Market segmentation is necessary to identify the specific consumer base of the company. As stated by Proctor (2000: 189), segmentation is a powerful component of marketing strategy. The Chinese snack food market is composed mostly of young adults and children as the main consumer groups. Traditional consumers of the snack food belong to these generations. With the inclusion of parents as guiding their children in selecting snack foods, the Chinese snack food market is a $3-billion industry. Previously, Oishi is targeted towards children. Children below 15 years old were the previous main consumer group for the Oishi products. However, numerous studies (Mrshall et al.; Curtis McCluskey; French et al.) show that children are becoming obese due to eating â€Å"junk foods† such as salty snacks, potato chips, and other similar products. Parents are already concerned about this rising obesity trend on their children. Further, the US FAS also reports that young adults, particularly in Shanghai, are changing their perception on food consumption. The report states that the Shanghai youth are more likely to purchase high-quality food products such as fresh milk and organic produce (GAIN Report 3). LHCL should therefore target these consumers to be its main consumer base in the near future. The marketing mix design provided earlier specifically addresses this issue. The marketing mix is focused on attracting the young adults and health-conscious consumers. They will be the primary consumer base of the Oishi brand. Part 2 Report Marketing concerns satisfying customer needs and wants and in doing so paves the way for achieving the organizations objectives (Proctor, 2000). This is a general principle applicable to all organizations in the business community. Since the opening up of China in the global market, numerous companies have put their investments in the country in the hope of establishing a leading position or at least take a substantial portion of the large Chinese market. Due to the unprecedented increase of foreign firms, domestic competition in every industry has intensified. However, local or domestic brands are still preferred by Chinese consumers at the expense of foreign multinational brands (Ewing et al, 2003: 84). Nevertheless, the presence of global corporations in China provides competition against domestic companies. Developing an appropriate marketing strategy that will satisfy customer demands should be the goal of every organization in order to achieve competitive advantage and attain the organizations objectives. As Proctor (2000) stated, marketing is about the competitive positioning of products and services in the minds of the customers. It is also about the communication of messages and images (reflecting product and service positioning) and the means which are used to convey these messages and images to the customers. Although there is a preference for local brands by the Chinese, the presence of foreign companies are to be considered a major threat as they are capable of creating products and services that meet the needs and wants of the consumers. It is important that every organization should analyze the market conditions and the relationships that exist within the market in order to identify which segment of the market to target. Market segmentation is therefore another crucial factor in the creation of a marketing strategy. Proctor (2000) points out that market segmentation amounts to partitioning a market into a number of distinct sections, using criteria, which reflect different and distinctive purchasing motives and behavior of customers. Separating the market into various segments or groups helps companies determine their specific market and establish a loyal customer base. This is particularly important for entering new markets as well as maintaining current position in market. Another significant concept in marketing is the product life-cycle. This concept is a sequence of stages to determine the life-cycle of a product or service. There are four stages, namely introduction, growth, maturity and decline, in the product life-cycle. In the introduction stage, the new products are introduced into the market. An organization will seek to build market awareness on the product and establish a market for it. Once introduced and a market has been established, the product will be marketed and sold and new features may be added to expand its market this is the growth stage. The product will then reach its maturity, and at this stage improvements will be needed to maintain its peak such as lowering its price or new distribution channels are created. When the product saturated its maturity stage, a decline in sales will occur. This is the declining stage. At this point, the company may choose to maintain the product and sell it to a loyal segment of the market or stop its production. The product life-cycle concept is necessary so that LCHL can manage its products and plan for future products or services when the current offerings have reached their declining stages. An important marketing principle as well is the Boston Consultancy Group (BCG) growth-share matrix. This concept is relevant to companies with several portfolios. Under the BCG matrix, a companys different portfolios or divisions growth and market share will be analyzed and categorized into four elements; cash cows, stars, question marks and dogs. Cash cows represent portfolios that generate more profit than the expenses it incurs. Stars generate large amounts of cash, but also consume a large amount of money due to its relatively large market share. Question marks, on the other hand, are portfolios that grow rapidly but generate less income due their low market shares. Dogs, meanwhile, are those portfolios that have low market share and low growth rate, and therefore generate low income. (NetMBA.com). This matrix is particularly important for Oishi brand so that the company can identify which of its product variants are cash cows, stars, question marks or dogs and which portfolio ne eds to be improved. All of the above concepts can contribute to achieving competitive advantage for a company. It is common that every business organizations ultimate and strategic goal is to gain competitive advantage over its rivals. Carpenter et al (2001) said, â€Å"Competitive advantage can arise from satisfying customers better, faster or more cheaply than competitors†. Porter (1998) said that the competitive strategy takes offensive or defensive actions to create defendable position in an industry, in order to cope successfully with competitive forces and generate superior return on investment. He added that the basis of above-average industry performance is sustainable competitive advantage (qtd in 12Manage.com). In the Porter model, competitive advantage has two basic types; cost leadership and differentiation. Cost leadership occurs when a company offers the same product or service at a lower price than its rivals. Differentiation advantage occurs when a company delivers higher quality products or services at the same price as its competitors. A third type, focus, appears as an advantage when a company focused its strategy on a particular or narrow segment of the market to create a loyal base of customer and become the company of choice in the same market segment. In sum, the above marketing concepts help in gaining competitive advantage and profitability for the company. Hence, LCHL should adopt all the concepts stated above and incorporate those in its corporate strategy and strategic marketing plan. It is necessary that LCHL should maintain its current leadership by creating a competitive marketing strategy. Reference About Oishi. Liwayway Holdings Company Limited, n.d, from http://www.oishi.com.cn/en/about.htm. Bradley, F (2003) Strategic marketing: in the customer driven organization. Chichester: Wiley Print. Carpenter, G., Glazer, R and Nakamoto, K. (2001) â€Å"Market-driving strategies: toward a new concept of competitive advantage†, Kellogg on Marketing. New York: Wiley Press, pp. 103-130. â€Å"Competitive Advantage†, 12Manage.com. 12 Manage, n.d. Web. Ewing, M., Napoli, J and Pitt, L. (2003) â€Å"The development of domestic brands in China†, Chinese Economic Transition and International Marketing Strategy, pp. 84-95. French, S., Jeffrey, R., Story, M., Breitlow, K., Baxter, J., Hannan, P and Snyder, P. (2001) â€Å"Pricing and promotion effects on low-fat vending snack purchases: the CHIPS study†, American Journal of Public Health, pp. 112-117. â€Å"Global agriculture information network. Shanghais youth market: changing perceptions in food consumption†, USDA Food and Agriculture Service, People Republic of China Market Development Reports, Retrieved November, 2008. Marshall, D., ODonohoe, S and Kline, S. (2007) â€Å"Families, food and pester power: beyond the blame game?†, Journal of Consumer Behavior, pp. 164-181. Porter, M (1998) On competition, Boston: Harvard Business School Publishing. Proctor, T (2000) Strategic marketing: an introduction, London: Routledge Press. Terhune, C (2005) â€Å"To bag Chinas snack market, Pepsi takes up potato framing†, The Wall Street Journal Online. â€Å"The BCG growth-share matrix.† NetMBA.com. NetMBA, n.d. 360 Degree Feedback: Analysis 360 Degree Feedback: Analysis 1. Introduction The researcher has highlighted the research question, aim and objectives, before the specific introduction to give a clear picture of the dissertation. 1.1 Research Question To ascertain whether 360 degree feedback could prove to be a promising appraisal mechanism for the staff motivation and development in the current economic crisis and funding cuts? 1.2 Aims and Objectives The research sets out to explore the relevance of 360 degree feedback appraisal system in contrast to the traditional appraisal process currently functional in the library and technical services department of the University. What is 360 degree feedback and in what ways it could prove to be an efficient tool for continuous improvement, development? What is the current functional appraisal technique in the universities library/technical services department and the benefits of introducing 360 degree feedback as an appraisal tool? To analyse the functions/pitfalls of introducing 360 degree feedback within the library/technical services department of the University, with an emphasis on its use for the continuous improvement, development and motivation of the staff. 1.3 Specific Introduction â€Å"University staffs tend to report high levels of stress at the best of times, and academic staffs usually rate their experience of stress as higher than other staff groups in the higher education setting,† (Easton and Laar, 2010). The current funding cuts by the government and the global financial crisis demands a major change in the way various processes function across universities in United Kingdom (UK). The current study is an endeavour to address the numerous limitations in between the traditional appraisal system and the 360 degree tool. The researcher aims to expand the literature that previously exists on the 360 degree appraisal system and to analyse why the gap exists in between both the processes. The researchers primary focus is on the staff motivation and personal development as the key factors that need consideration within the University of Huddersfield. The researcher has given a thorough critical analysis of the 360 degree feedback appraisal system through the review of the academic literature and has focussed on identifying whether or not there are any benefits of using 360 degree feedback over the traditional appraisal systems. As stated by Mason, et.al, (2009), multi-rater feedback is by fa r the best tool for staff development and monitoring effective continuous development in any organisation. Borman, (1997); Javitch and Burke, (1995); Yammarino and Atwater, (1997) state that one of the elementary assumptions of the 360 degree feedback approach is about the employees specific workplace behaviour and when compared to an individuals perception, can act like a catalyst and prove extremely beneficial for enhancing the employees self awareness, self development, motivation and subsequent behavioural change (Church, 2000). Concurrently, Cardy, et.al., (2011), critic that although the evaluation from 360 degree feedback includes feedback from all directions managers, colleagues, customers and the responses from all the point of views propose immense probability for improvement, insight and learning, the feedback from these multiple source seldom agree. On the rating scale, colleagues may rate some characteristics higher while managers may rate those very characteristics lo wer and likewise. The whole prototype of 360 degree feedback interpretation and evaluations can draw a perplexing image of the feedback which will hardly be of any significance to the individual in improving their performance. The underlying rationale of this study has been to evaluate the pros and cons of the traditional appraisal system currently functional in the university, and to analyse by what extent the human resource department, can benefit by introducing 360 degree feedback as their employee appraisal mechanism, especially in relation to the motivation and development of staff. 1.4 Research Plan The below figure (Figure.1) gives a diagrammatic representation of the research plan. The researcher has used the mind mapping technique to construct the research plan (Buzan and Buzan, 2007), which gives a clear picture of how the research task is carried forward as per the time line set by the researcher. The research plan has helped the researcher to carefully pre-plan the actions that needed to be taken during the research. In the following chapters the researcher has critically analysed the 360 degree feedback tool. The literature review covers the latest developments in the 360 degree feedback mechanism along with a thorough comparison with the traditional appraisal system currently functional in the library and technical services department of the University of Huddersfield. The research methodology chapter gives a thorough account of the research design chosen by the researcher, the various techniques used for the research, discussions about the semi structured interviews and questionnaires, followed by the analysis of data, research findings and conclusion. Chapter 2 2 General Literature Review 12-21 2.1 Specific Literature Review 21-27 2.2 Summary of the Literature Review 27 2. General Literature Review â€Å"The way 360 degree feedback is done seems to be critical to successfeedback interventions depend for their effectiveness on the extent to which they augment task motivation and encourage learning, although there are moderating variables such as the nature of the task,† (Kluger and De Nisi, 1996; Tyson and Ward, 2004). 360 degree feedback is an appraisal system used in strategic Human Resource management (HRM) as an intervention and an evaluation technique for personal development of the employees (Cardy, et.al, 2011; Fleenor, 2008; Tyson and Ward, 2004). It has also been referred as the ‘‘vital sign of the modern organization (Fortunato and Smith, 2008; Church and Waclawski, 1998). In this process the employees receive confidential, anonymous response from colleagues, managers, customers, family members etc (Figure 2). About three to five people fill out an anonymous online feedback form that asks questions covering a broad range of workplace competencies. The feedback forms include questions that are measured on a rating scale and also ask raters to provide written comments. The person receiving feedback also fills out a self-rating survey that includes the same survey questions that others receive in their forms. Various authors have outlined that 360 degree feedback is quite effective as it is a non bias process which makes performance management a more objective and fair process (CIPD, 2009), in contrast to the traditional appraisal processes where in a lot depends upon how the appraiser perceives the individual, which can be bias and less transparent. The 360 degree feedback has been used in many organisations for the development of staff members, and the gap in the two appraisal systems is due to the bias nature of the traditional appraisal mechanisms over the transparency of the 360 degree f eedback process. While traditional measures of appraisal systems date back to decades, current literature highlights the multiple developments in the field of appraisal techniques (Dalton, 1996). One among the later developments in the field is the 360 degree feedback appraisal mechanism. This research has explored the relevance of 360 degree feedback appraisal system in contrast to the traditional appraisal process currently functional in the University. Specifically, the author has examined how employee motivation and personal development are affected by 360 degree feedback. The aim throughout the research has been on comparing the traditional appraisal system functional in the University of Huddersfield (UOH) with the 360 degree feedback methodology by exploring how it could contribute in the personal development and motivation of the staff members within the University of Huddersfield. Meyer, (1991); and Folger and Cropanzano, (1998), disagree that evaluations of traditional appraisals are often positively inflated as usually the appraisers are not trained to give negative feedback, and if this is the manner in which the appraisals are conducted then the effectiveness of the performance management process will significantly be undermined (Guangrong, 2010; McCarthy and Garavan, 2001). Therefore one could state that if the tool if used accurately it can provide a non bias and more transparent appraisal system, which may decrease the possibilities of employee dissatisfaction in contrast to the traditional appraisal mechanism, and can emerge as an excellent motivational factor for the employees. As a matter of fact ‘360 degree feedback can significantly enhance the performance management process (Staff360, 2011; CIPD, 2009). However Fleenor, (2008) and Vinson, M.N. (1996) disregards the facts about the effectiveness of 360 degree feedback as people may use their role as a feedback provider as an opportunity to criticize others behaviour at work. According to Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, (2009) if the 360 degree tool is perceived to be in any way threatening, it can seriously damage both commitment and performance. â€Å"It is important that people receive regular honest feedback on their performance. They should understand how their role contributes to overall organisational aims and objectives and how they are performing against agreed criteria. 360 degree feedback can enhance this process by widening the scope for information from the line manager relationship to embrace a wider range of opinion. However, it is important that this is carried out sensitively and fairly,† (Staff360, 2011). Lepsinger and Lucia, (2009); Fleenor, (2008); Tyson and Ward, (2004) comprehend that there are direct evidences of employees performance improvements from 360 degree feedback appraisal mechanism. Various authors research prove that 360 degree feedback also results in improved customer satisfaction, improved management skills and these improvements motivate the employees to work on their identified strengths and use them for advancement in their carrier (Edwards and Ewens, 1996; Hazucha et al. 1993). Hence, the current study is an attempt to deal with the several limitations, and develop the literature that previously exists on the 360 degree appraisal system and to analyse why does the gap exist in between the traditional appraisal system and the 360 degree tool. â€Å"The University of Huddersfield has charitable status as an exempt charity under Schedule 2 to the Charities Act 1993 (amended by the Charities Act 2006). It is therefore subject to charity legislation but is not required to register with the Charity Commission and is not regulated by it. As an exempt charity, the University does not have a registered charity number. In 2010, the Higher Education Funding Council for England took over as the ‘Principal Regulator for the institutions it funds and now has a general duty to promote compliance with charity legislation. This does not affect the Universitys status as an exempt charity,† (hud.ac.uk, 2011). The UK governments educational funding slice and the recession hit economy demands a drastic alteration in the way various processes function across the Universities in UK. However, since the 360 degree feedback is a tool primarily developed and used mainly in the private sector organisations, there is a challenge in its implementation in a public sector or a third sector organisation and as in this case, the University of Huddersfield which is a registered for charity organisation. Brutus et al., (1998) support that the reactions to performance measurements may vary between public and private sector organizations—public sector managers underestimate their achievements compared with private sector managers, for example. Hence, based on these findings one could ascertain that there is a greater need for motivation and development of employees in the public/third sector organisations, and the 360 degree performance appraisal system is an HRs ideal response to combat such issues. As suggested and supported by Lepsinger and Lucia, (2009); Borman, W.C. (1997); Javitch, M.J. and Burke, W.W., (1995); Yammarino, F.J. and Atwater, L.E. (1997), one of the elementary assumptions of the 360 degree feedback approach is about the employees specific workplace behaviour and when compared to an individuals perceptions, can act like a catalyst and prove extremely beneficial for enhancing the employees self awareness, self development, motivation and subsequent behavioural change (Church, 1995, 2000). The researcher has explored the 360 degree appraisals methodology that has become popular in human resource circles over the last few years, wherein the employees performance is assessed by their colleagues, managers and others and has analysed its benefits over the traditional appraisal processes. Brown, (2006) criticizes that while the 360 degree process seems like an interesting idea; it involves more meetings and many forms to be filled out in comparison to the traditional appraisal systems. However Maylett, (2009) and Wiley, (1993) supports that 360 degree feedback can prove to be a good instrument for the staff development as this process gives an individual in-depth performance feedback and hence based on the findings the employee can work on their personal development, by getting trained in the area where there weakness lies and the time lost in filling the extra forms are worth the effort. Arguments from different authors suggest that the feedback systems have always been in to existence in the organisations in some form or the other, but of-late has been developed and given a name ‘360 degree feedback and according to Garavan, et al., (1997) 360 degree feedback process is like an ‘old wine in new a bottle. It is also known as multi-rater feedback and is an appraisal process in which the individual is assessed by themselves, colleagues, managers, stakeholders, customers, etc. The 360 degree instrument can be used to achieve various goals and one aspect of it is the need of continuous measurement of improvement efforts, development of staff and their motivation. Ward, (1997) defined 360 degree feedback as ‘the systematic collection and feedback of performance data on an individual or group derived from a number of the stakeholders in their performance. †Because of their shorter expected tenure, women are less likely to be as motivated by the deferred rewards of career ladders. As a consequence, she argues that employers with large shares of women have historically used shorter-term rewards and undertaken more routine and extensive monitoring,† (Brown and Heywood, 2005; Goldin, 1986). Various authors criticize that traditional appraisal techniques are not that effective in case of female employees and there are many incidences of gender bias in appraisals. Renowned authors, Brown and Heywood, (2005) support that ‘a major and recurrent criticism of the traditional appraisal process is its openness to subjective and discriminatory outcome. The primary goal of this research has been to expand beyond the current literature by analysing the data and results to create suggested policies for the University of Huddersfield, to implement pertaining to the improvement of staff morale and productivity. Furthermore, on reviewing the growing body of literature and the research on 360 degree feedback, the researcher was able to identify the usefulness of having 360 degree feedback over the traditional appraisal processes in the University of Huddersfield; the study has also given ample scope to the researcher in developing more insightful questions. The author has identif ied the various factors on which the success of 360 degree feedback mechanism depends; the literature supports that more effectively the 360 degree instrument is implemented the better are the results. Newbold, (2008) highlights that that if the tool is implemented accurately, with the proper training and the correct resources, a 360-degree appraisal could prove to be a powerful and positive addition to any performance-management system. The 360 degree feedback has been used in many organisations for the development of staff members, and the gap in the two appraisal systems is due to the bias nature of the traditional appraisal mechanisms over the transparency of the 360 degree feedback process. Various authors have outlined that 360 degree feedback is quite effective as it is a non bias process which makes performance management a more objective and fair process (CIPD, 2009), in contrast to the traditional appraisal processes where in a lot depends upon how the appraiser perceives the individual, which can be bias and less transparent. Maylett, (2009); Meyer, (1991); Folger and Cropanzano, (1998), argue that evaluations of traditional appraisals are often positively inflated as usually the appraisers are not trained to give negative feedback, and if this is the manner in which the appraisals are conducted then the effectiveness of the performance management process will significantly be undermined (McCarthy and Garavan, 2001). Therefore one could state that if the tool if used accurately it can provide a non-bias and more transparent appraisal system, which may decrease the possibilities of employee dissatisfaction in contrast with the traditional appraisal mechanism, and can emerge as an excellent motivational factor for the employees. However Vinson, (1996) disregards the facts about the effectiveness of 360 degree feedback as people may use their role as a feedback provider as an opportunity to criticize others behaviour at work. â€Å"Multirater feedback has several significant advantages over single-rater assessment. Rather than relying on the perceptions of one individual, multirater feedback takes into account multiple perspectives. Those working with the employee, along with the supervisor, are generally able to provide a more comprehensive picture of an employees behaviour or performance. This is especially critical when the supervisor does not have the opportunity to observe all areas of an employees performance,† (Maylett, 2009). Maylett, (2009); DeNisi and Kluger, (2000) support that ‘360-degree feedback for decision making affects the actual ratings given to the individual being appraised and these systems should be primarily, if not exclusively for developmental purposes (Figure 3). Furthermore, the conditions in which 360 degree feedback work in an organisation largely depends upon the perception of 360 degree feedbacks potential to enhance human resource management system of the organisation. As suggested by Lepsinger and Lucia, (2009) factors like culture (that supports openness and honest feedback) and systems (that minimise irrational responses and have built in ways to identify people whose ratings are untrustworthy) assess if the organisation is ready to implement the 360 degree feedback process, and the researcher has explored the possibilities of its implication in the University of Huddersfield, based on these grounds. 2.1 Specific Literature Review This section of the dissertation takes a specific critical standpoint on whether 360 ° feedback as strategic Human Resource tool have a profound strategic justification in the University of Huddersfield (UOH) which is a registered for charity organisation (hud.ac.uk, 2011) . The researcher has given a critical account of the 360-degree feedback tool, as an option for performance development appraisals and for motivating the staff in performing better, in the registered for charity organisations. Currently, the 360 degree tool is not very common in the third sector, registered for charity organisations and the investigation could be a scope for a research elsewhere. According to Berk, (2009); and Fortunato and Smith, (2008) 360 degree feedback is an appraisal tool used by approximately 90% of the Fortune 1000 organisations (Fortunato and Smith, 2008; Bracken et al., 2001; Tornow and Tornow, 2001; Edwards and Ewen, 1996, 2001). Cardy, Leonard and Newman, (2011) believe that the incre ased popularity of the 360 degree feedback is unquestionable and that organisations have spent innumerable amount of funds in implementing the feedback system. However, Cardy et.al, (2011) argue that many Fortune 1000 companies have implemented the 360 degree feedback without having considered the purpose, which is not very advisable, as 360 degree feedback is at its best for staff development, motivation, and for administrative use such as in determining performance related salary. The utility of 360 degree feedback, mainly upward feedback, may be constricted when appraisers provide erroneous ratings (Bernardin and Tyler, 2001; Bracken and Timmreck, 2001). Kuvas, (2006) highlighted that the relationship between the performance appraisal and work is interrelated to the employees inherent motivation at work. For an employee to perform in an organisation, job satisfaction and motivation to execute an activity for itself, in order to experience the pleasure and satisfaction inherent in the activity (Kuvas, 2006; Deci et al., 1989; Vallerand, 1997). Cardy et.al. (2011) highlight that when feedback received from too many sources are used for the estimation of an employees performance the diverse sources of feedback seldom agree in their evaluation, although a broader understanding can be attained. Analysis and criticism of traditional appraisal system in contrast with 360 degree feedback The primary principle of appraisals is to put forward an opinion or feedback on how the employee performs in their current job role and to discuss further what could be done to facilitate the employee to perform the expected job, if they are not performing as per the objectives. Prowse and Prowse, (2009); and Randell, (1994) argue that appraisals are the systematic evaluation of an individuals performance linked to the organisations culture and behaviour. The various departments in the University of Huddersfield (UOH) use different appraisal mechanisms. The computing and library services, technical services and other administration departments of the University use a competencies framework for the staff appraisals. The appraisals are conducted half yearly (every 6 months) to follow up on the employees personal development plan. There are three documents that are usually taken in a one on one appraisal, the filled employee preparation form, the filled up competencies framework and the competency framework Role Profiling document which provides a brief idea of which level each role is at (Figure. 4). After the discussion the appraising line manager fills up the appraisal record which both the appraiser and the ‘appraisee sign and get a copy. This process is followed up every 6 months (Please refer to appendix 1 for appraisal documents). The purpose of the process is to facilitate the employees to develop in a systematic way so that university as an organisation functions in the best possible way utilising the optimum talent identified. Various authors support that the appraisal system also offers an opportunity to put across and discuss the employees achievements over the past year with th eir managers to confer their performance in general and make plans for the year ahead. The performance appraisals are potentially a solution for the organisations to get the most out of their employees (Prowse and Prowse, 2009; Armstrong and Baron, 2005). The scheme currently functional in the university is highly participative, with a huge emphasis on appraisal ‘self and making sure that the staffs have a key responsibility in determining their own improvement and personal development (UOH, 2011). â€Å"In order for an appraisal system to be absolutely flawless and effective a number of elements have to be in place, as in the understanding and agreement on performance goals, a process for collecting ongoing performance data and a framework of productive periodic review and formal appraisal discussions,† (Lepsinger and Lucia, 2009). Although the current appraisals seemed to have worked fine till date, the literature provides evidence of the flaws in the traditional appraisal processes. Lepsinger and Lucia, (2009); and Lee, (2006) highlight that disagreement on set performance criterion, the line managers inability as an appraiser to process the bulk of information received and the employees need, while being appraised to defend their self image, are the key factors which act as a barrier in the smooth functioning of the traditional appraisals. It could be argued that the two parties involved in a traditional appraisal usually do not agree with the performance criteria set and it is highly likely that a difference of opinion may crop up between the appraisers and appraisee on what it takes to perform the job effectively. Prowse and Prowse, (2009); and Lee, (2006) argue that that the appraisal practice cannot be executed successfully unless the appraiser has the right interpersonal skills to provide the feedback t o the appraisee. If the appraiser and appraisee do not come to a conclusion on what can mutually be agreed as a requirement for excellent performance, then it is quite evident that both may end up with diverse conclusions about the staffs effectiveness in meeting the set performance criteria. Furthermore, rather than reassessing the actions necessary for a thriving performance at work, if the traditional appraisal attempts to achieve a specific target or result, it hardly does anything to seize the gap in perception or help the appraisee in comprehending what amendments are vital for their advancement and development in performing the job (Lepsinger and Lucia, 2009). â€Å"Traditional performance appraisal systems are flawed in their design, implementation and use. Supervisors seldom are effective in using such systems because the assumptions that guide how we use performance appraisals are unsubstantiated,† (Lee, 2006). Lepsinger and Lucia, (2009); and Lee, (2006) solicit to discontinue the use of the traditional performance appraisal methods and state that the traditional appraisal processes that rely upon ratings should be discontinued and advanced performance management mechanisms should be adopted which are designed to produce ample quantitative and qualitative information. The line managers inability as an appraiser to process the mass information received is another major issue in the traditional appraisal processes. The though process behind an effective appraisal is very complex. Experts break down the intricate process for collecting and processing information used in the appraisal process (Lepsinger and Lucia, 2009). Merits of introducing 360 degree feedback as an appraisal tool in the University of Huddersfield â€Å"Critiques of appraisal have continued as appraisals have increased in use and scope across sectors and occupations. The dominant critique is the management framework using appraisal as an â€Å"orthodox† technique that seeks to remedy the weakness and propose of appraisals as a system to develop performance,† (Bach, 2005). As discussed previously The University of Huddersfield uses competencies framework for the staff appraisals. The competencies framework is a description of the relevant behaviours needed to be competent in the job roles and support the organisation in remaining an exceptional University. The competencies appraisal framework boasts to benefit the employees by providing precision of performance expectations, uniformity and fairness throughout the appraisal, allowing superior identification of individual development requirements and giving a clearer picture of required skills to progress in the career path. In turn the university benefits by a lucid method of continuous development and performance management, enabling the identification and prioritisation of improvement needs to facilitate the improved stipulation of the learning and development courses or other areas of development (Source: HR, 2011). â€Å"360 degree feedback can make a positive contribution to the appraisal system. It can help to gain agreement on expectations, by using a broader range of information, and by facilitating open discussion,† (Lepsinger and Lucia, 2009). There are numerous benefits of introducing 360 degree feedback in the University of Huddersfield. As per the discussions with the human resource staff and the appraising managers it can be argued that the current appraisal system functional in the university is not flawless. The bias nature of the one on one performance appraisals is prone to disputes among the appraising manager and the employees, and although the university has a procedure in place to resolve such conflicts it could still benefit by introducing 360 degree feedback along with the traditional appraisal mechanism to rule out any such possibilities of conflicts. 2.2 Summary of the Literature Review To sum it could be concluded that the 360 degree feedback has a proven record as an excellent tool for staff development and motivation. The researcher has observed that the tool has become increasingly accepted in the organisations worldwide ever since the masses have discovered its value. Since the academic literature supports the research question proposed by the researchers. Chapter 3 3 Introduction to the Research Methodology 29 3.1 Research Design 29-33 3.2 Research Strategy 33-35 3.3 Review of Research Data Collection Methods 35-36 3.3.1 Semi-Structured Interviews Qualitative Data 36 3.3.2. Questionnaires Quantitative Data 37-39 3.4 Pilot Test 39 3.4.1 Questionnaire Pilot Test 1 40 3.4.2 Questionnaire Pilot Test 2 40-41 3.5 Alternate Research Methods considered but 41-42 3.6 Ethical Considerations 42-43 3.7 Methods of Data Analysis 43-44 3.8 Summary of the methodology 44 3. An Introduction of the Research Methodology In this section of the research paper the researcher has explained the various types of research methods and techniques available, and used by the researcher, followed by a justification of why these methods have been considered appropriate for this dissertation and why the other methods have not been considered. The process of data collection and data analysis has also been described in this chapter. 3.1 Research Design The researcher throws light on the research design and gives a general idea of how the researcher has gone about addressing the research question and description of its approach with rationality, followed by an account of the objectives derived from this research, gives an account of the sources which has been used in this research to collect data, and a description of the ethical considerations (Creswell, et.al. 2011; Saunders, Lewis and Thornhill, 2009). To quote Saunders, et.al, (2009): â€Å"Combining both quantitative and qualitative analysis ‘the researcher may possibly use the quantitative data and ‘qualitize it that is converting it into narrative that can be analysed qualitatively. Alternately, the researcher may ‘quantitise the qualitative data, converting it into numerical codes so that it could be analysed statistically,† (Saunders et.al, 2009). The author has carried out the research by conducting semi-structured interviews followed by a brief experimental introduction of 360 degree feedback process, and the analysis of the results were done by the careful examination of combination of the mixed methods. Various authors justify that there are diverse rationales for research; however practitioner researchers are faced with queries that demand versatile responses (Creswell, 2003) Hence, a mixed methods approach that uses qualitative and quantitative research can be considered as appropriate for several p