Why Funding For Public Education - 994 Words

When it comes to education, it is generally agreed that money matters. What is not as apparent are questions like: In what ways does money matter? How does money impact the achievement and opportunities of the students? Are there predictable affects of increasing or decreasing spending in a school system? These questions are important for a number of reasons. Funding for public education is a limited resource and knowing how to utilize those limited funds efficiently and effectively is a goal school administrators seek to achieve. There is also the issue of equality. Since a significant portion of a school s budget is allocated through the local tax base, school districts may have more or less funding available to them depending on which community they are located in. If school spending is tied to student performance or opportunities, and different school systems have different levels of funds available to them, then it can be said that educational opportunities for students will be different depending on which school district they belong to. In an attempt to seek the connections between money and education, I will look at three research papers which investigates this matter. The first paper is The Cost Effectiveness of 22 Approaches for Raising Student Achievement, by Stuart Yeh. This meta-study looks at the various methods/interventions employed by school systems to help students raise their level of achievement, its effectiveness and the associated cost of suchShow MoreRelated Public vs Private Education in Australia Essay1030 Words   |  5 PagesPublic vs Private Education in Australia Every one in Australia wants the best education for the individual. The question is which one. Public or Private ? 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Sugar Coated Lies Essay - 1689 Words

The massive appeal for artificial sugars and sweeteners in America started out in the 1970s and 1980s and has affected American eating habits ever since by its dominance as the most used form of sugar. (Frincu-Mallos). Parallel to its introduction to the food industry, American society at that time was struggling with an onslaught of health problems and diseases. Some have wondered if there is a relationship between the introduction of artificial sweeteners and the rise in American health problems. Stemming from this inquiry, research has been conducted, purposing to find relationship to artificial sweeteners and chronic diseases and illnesses. Some research has provided proof of artificial sweeteners negative effects on health living.†¦show more content†¦Shocking evidence has been found that the use of artificial sweeteners makes one gain weight rather than help lose it (Yang). It might even factor into childhood obesity. Proof of this was illustrated by â€Å"A two-yea r prospective study involving 166 school children [which found] increased diet soda consumption was associated with higher BMI Z-scores at follow-up, indicating weight gain.†(Yang) Since most obese children have a 70% chance of becoming obese in adulthood, this research on artificial sweeteners needs to be made known to the public. The effects of artificial sweeteners on obesity in American Adults also should be more publicly pronounced. The adult percentage of obesity in America is over a third of the population – an equivalent of 71 million people. Most of these people would benefit from knowledge about the health risks of artificial sweeteners, but the food industry has not presented it. As aforementioned, there is evidence that artificial sweeteners help to gain weight rather than lose it. In adults, evidence was shown in a study of women by the Nurses’ Health Study. 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Leadership Competencies for Succesful Change Management Free Essays

string(955) " competence areas of public managers Criterion of competence Task competence Performance Professional competence In subject area Development of the policy object In administration Development of policy execution Political competence Legitimacy Ethical competence Justification Known selection of means, implicit goals Formation f instruments out of resources Specification of the policy goal Allocation of the resources Creation and authorization of the goal Creation and detachment of resources for the goal Acceptability of the goal Acceptability of the resources and their instrumentalisation Control of the policy object â€Å"Know-how† of the policy object Contingencies of public service Given goals and means Use of instruments Competence area Value area Motivation Instrumental competence Abilities Control of the policy program Know-how† of cooperation Ideology, interests Possession of power Morality Argumentation Source: Virtanen \(2000\) 1\." Preliminary Study Report Prepared by: Milan Pagon, Emanuel Banutai, Uros Bizjak University of Maribor, Slovenia 1 INTRODUCTION 1. 1 Competencies in General A competence in general can be understood as the ability of an individual to activate, use and connect the acquired knowledge in the complex, diverse and unpredictable situations (Perrenoud, 1997, in Svetlik, 2005).Gruban (2003) defines competencies as the ability to use knowledge and other capabilities, necessary for successful and efficient accomplishment of an appointed task, transaction of work, goal realization, or performance of a certain role in the business process. We will write a custom essay sample on Leadership Competencies for Succesful Change Management or any similar topic only for you Order Now Competencies encompass knowledge, expertise, skills, personal and behavioral characteristics, beliefs, motives, values, etc. They are behavioral records of the roles, which people perform in the work processes.To avoid terminological confusion, Ellstrom (1997; cited in Virtanen, 2000) distinguishes a competence from a qualification. He considers competence as an attribute of an employee referring to â€Å"a kind of human capital or a human resource that can be transformed into productivity† while qualification is understood as â€Å"requirements of a certain class of work tasks (a job)†. 1. 2 Leadership Competencies Changes in organizations are more and more common. They appear at faster pace and employees are expected to be even more adaptable.Leaders play an important role in setting an example for all those values, behaviors and considerations expected from employees. Leaders have to achieve that changes in an organization are accepted and implemented in a way resulting not only in better job performance but also in general understanding and satisfaction of all. Therefore, it is reasonable to set the expectations of key employees – what they should achieve and how they should behave in order to implement successful changes. In other words, which are the important leadership competencies for successful change management? It is necessary to distinguish between leadership competencies in profit organizations and public (as well as not-for-profit) organizations. Nature of activity, context, orientation of work and the budget, to name only a few areas, cause certain distinctions in leadership competencies between these two groups.There is a lack of studies comparing leadership factors and skills relevant to profit, public, and not-for-profit organizations. According to Bennis (1987; cited in Thach et al. , 2007), there are a few leadership competencies that have been proven time and again as mandatory for effective leadership. These include the competency clusters of vision and goal-setting, interpersonal skills, self-knowledge and technical competence regarding the specifics of the business in which the leader works.In addition, commonly referenced competencies include: integrity/honesty, communication, tec hnical competence, diversity consciousness, developing others, results-orientation, change management, interpersonal skills, problem-solving, decision making, political savvy, strategic/visionary thinking, customer focus, business skills, team leadership, influence skills, conflict management, more recently emotional intelligence, social and environmental responsibility, depending on the culture of the organization even humor and innovation (Trinka, 2004; cited in Thach et al. 2007; Spencer and Spencer, 1993; Employer’s Organization, 2004; Guggenheimer and Szule, 1998; Breckenridge Consulting Group, 2004; OPM, 1992; Laszlo, 2003; Goleman, McKee and Boyatzis, 2002; Thompson, 1985). There appear to be minor differences in the not-for-profit and profit leadership competency models. Not-for-profit organizations tend to center around new competencies such as governance effectiveness, boardroom contribution, and service to community (Chait, Ryan and Taylor, 2004; cited in Thach et al. , 2007).On the other hand, profit organizations tend to emphasize financial responsibility and accountability more than non-profit organizations. Public administration organizations tend to emphasize political savvy more, as well as physical health/endurance and building coalitions (Horey and Fallesen, 2003, cited in Thach et al. , 2007; OPM, 1992). 2 Despite diverse definitions and different understanding, competencies can be understood as cognitive, functional and social abilities and skills, including all individual resources one can use for performing diverse tasks in various areas, gaining required knowledge and achieving good results.Every competency is based on a combination of mutually linked cognitive and practical skills, knowledge, motivation, orientation values, beliefs, emotions, and other social and behavioral components, applicable as a whole in an efficient activity (OECD, 2002; cited in Svetlik, 2005). 1. 3 Competency Model A competency model was developed for this study (Figure 1), based on a comprehensive literature review. The model starts with the antecedents of competency development. 1. 3. 1 Antecedents of Competencies DevelopmentAn antecedent is here understood as a precondition for a leader’s individual competency development. One of the purposes of this study is to find out to what extent a particular antecedent is actually associated with a particular leadership competency. Literature review identified various antecedents. However, our model includes the following antecedents: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Primary socialization, Work introduction, Consulting, Characteristic of the environment, and Work experience (Svetlik, 2005; Medves, 2006).In addition, other included antecedents are: †¢ †¢ †¢ Secondary socialization (education, friends) (Cugmas, 1991), Mentoring, coaching, and on-the-job training (Allio, 2005; Kim, 2007), Workshops, individual coaching sessions (Rappe and Zwick, 2007). 1. 3. 2 Leadership Competencies Definition, understanding, and implementation of competencies for selected employees (the leaders in this case) are known as a â€Å"competency model†. This model has to be harmonized with a core philosophy of organization (its vision, mission, values, and goals). Figure 1 – Competency Model Virtanen (2000) explored the generic features of public managers. He presented a model of five competence areas: task competence, professional competence in substantive policy filed, professional competence in administration, political competence and ethical competence (see Table 1). Furthermore, he uttered that much of previous research on managerial competence saw management as a generic profession and the differences between private and public sector were not directly addressed.Task and professional competence are in many ways the same for both sectors, but important differences exist in the areas of political and ethical competencies. In addition, the author argues that the organizational values in the public sector have been in transition, as the traditional values of public service in the Western democracies have been questioned by the imperatives of the new public management (NPM), emerging over the past twenty years. 4In our model, we adopted a view of Medves (2006), who claims that competencies are a conglomerate, consisting of three dimensions: cognitive, functional, and personal/social competencies. Table 1: The competence areas of public managers Criterion of competence Task competence Performance Professional competence In subject area Development of the policy object In administration Development of policy execution Political competence Legitimacy Ethical competence Justification Known selection of means, implicit goals Formation f instruments out of resources Specification of the policy goal Allocation of the resources Creation and authorization of the goal Creation and detachment of resources for the goal Acceptability of the goal Acceptability of the resources and their instrumentalisation Control of the policy object â€Å"Know-how† of the policy object Contingencies of public service Given goals and means Use of instruments Competence area Value area Motivation Instrumental com petence Abilities Control of the policy program Know-how† of cooperation Ideology, interests Possession of power Morality Argumentation Source: Virtanen (2000) 1. You read "Leadership Competencies for Succesful Change Management" in category "Papers" 3. 2. 1 Cognitive competencies Educational environment in an early age has tremendous impact on cognitive competencies development. Systematic knowledge generates cognitive competencies, including those concepts of spontaneous experiences at the implicit level of knowledge (Medves, 2006). This dimension of competencies includes control of general principles, laws, theories and concepts. Particularly significant cognitive competencies include: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Divergent thinking, Critical thinking, Creativity, Problem solving, Strategic thinking, Analytical skills, and Numerical abilities (Svetlik, 2005; Medves, 2006). 5 1. 3. 2. 2 Functional competencies Methodological knowledge generates functional competencies (Medves, 2006). These competencies are qualifications and skills that an individual needs for every day problem solving or to perform a concrete activity.Particularly significant functional competencies include: †¢ †¢ †¢ Language and communication skills, Technological skills (IT, media etc. ), Multicultural competencies (knowledge of a general and other cultures, foreign languages, etc. ), †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Learning abilities and personal development, Career planning skills, Managerial skills, and Decision skills (Svetlik, 2005; Medves, 2006). In addition, other functional competencies are: †¢ †¢ International environment skills, and Globalization skills (Manning, 2003; May, 1997; Jokinen, 2005; Suutari, 2002; Harris, 2001). 1. 3. 2. Personal and social competencies The third dimension consists of competencies, which enable an individual to establish and maintain relationship with others: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Self-direction, Interpersonal skills, Teamwork skills, Compassion, Integrity, Mobilizing skills, Personal and social values, and Ethical dimensions (Svetlik, 2005; Medves, 2006). Additional competencies include: †¢ Character, creativity and compassion (Allio, 2005). 6 1. 3. 3 The Outcome – Successful Change Management Successful change management is an important element of this study, as it represents a criterion for an individual competency assessment.Therefore, basic elements of change management have to be taken into consideration: †¢ How do organizations react to environmental changes and how they try to impact the environment †¢ †¢ How risky are the changes (the role of resilience and firmness) Change as a condition for basic capability planning in order to achieve success in the future †¢ Guided and unguided, planned and unplanned change of organization – a course and the extent of changes †¢ †¢ The meaning of right timing, when to start the change And last but not east, resistance to change and managing it. Change in an organization can be very different. Lorenzi and Riley (2000) identify four types of changes, with the definite possibility of overlap among them: †¢ Operational changes, affecting the way the ongoing operations of the business are conducted †¢ †¢ Strategic changes, that occur in the strategic business direction Cultural changes, which affect the basic organizational philosophies by which the business is conducted †¢ Political changes, occurring in staffing primarily for political reasons of various types. According to the OECD (2007), change management in public administration over the past three decades has been influenced by NPM ideas and techniques resulting in a cultural revolution in the public service (Table 2). 7 Table 2: Cultural transformation in government Traditional Values Instruments of Reform New Cultural Values Citizens empowerment Hierarchies of control Conformity End of lifelong career Policy dialogue Normalization of employment condition Delegation of authority Performance-oriented focus Subtle leadershipAccountability Openness Transparency Efficiency Effectiveness Authority through leadership Managerial culture Impersonality of work Authority through position Command-control paradigm Source: OECD (2007) Managing change from traditional values to new cultural values, as defined in Table 2, enables us to examine and assess successfulness of change management in a particular public administration institution. Outcome indicators, included in our model, are: †¢ â₠¬ ¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢Productivity, Relationship quality, Number of conflicts, Level of cooperation, Organizational culture and climate, Organizational learning curve, Goal attainment, Change implementation, Employee satisfaction, Motivation, Adaptability, Customer satisfaction, and Superior agency’s satisfaction. 8 2 THE EMPIRICAL PART OF THE STUDY This part of the report describes the research conducted to test the competency model described above. 2. 1 Sample 284 public administration managers completed an on-line survey.Those 284 participants were from the following countries (including the European Commission): Country European Commission Austria Belgium Bulgaria Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Estonia Finland France Germany Greece Hungary Ireland No. 2 9 4 32 17 3 2 2 3 6 8 7 23 14 % 0. 70 3. 17 1. 41 11. 27 5. 99 1. 06 0. 70 0. 70 1. 06 2. 11 2. 82 2. 46 8. 10 4. 93 Country Italy Latvia Lithuania Luxembourg Malta Netherlands Poland Portugal Romania Slovakia Slovenia Spain Sweden United Kingdom No. 3 20 6 6 14 2 16 16 0 15 12 3 36 3 1. 06 7. 04 2. 11 2. 11 4. 93 0. 70 5. 63 5. 63 0 5. 28 4. 23 1. 06 12. 68 1. 06 Among the participants, there were 153 (54%) males and 130 (46%) females and one person did not provide an answer to that question. 9 The mean age of the participants was 46. 2 years. Sample included 41 (14. 5%) people with a doctoral degree, 138 (49%) had a master’s degree, 95 (33. 7%) had a university degree, 8 (2. 8%) participants had a high school degree or less, and 2 participants did not answer this question. 172 (61. %) participants reported being in the rank of middle management, while 109 (38. 8%) indicated the rank of top management, and 3 people did not indicate their rank. The mean amount of work experience of the participants was 21. 4 years, while the mean amount of work experience in PA was 16. 5 years, and the mean amount of work experience at the current PA institution was 10 years. The mean amount of work experience in the current position was 3. 6 years. 10 2. 2 Questionnaire Based on the model described in the introduction, we developed a questionnaire.We used several existing scales (The Big Five Factors of personality, Locus of Control, Terminal Values). In addition, based on the reviewed literature, we created scales for measuring the factors of training and environment, individual traits, competencies and successful change management. There were the following sections and scales included in the questionnaire: †¢ Demographics: o Gender o Age o Country o Education o Job Title o Rank o Work Experience o Work Experience in Public Administration (PA) o Work Experience t the Current PA Institution o Work Experience in the Current Position †¢ Questions regarding: o Training o Mentoring o Coaching o Consulting o On-the-Job Training o Characteristics of the Environment †¢ Locus of Control: o Internality, Powerful Others, and Chance Scales (Levenson, 1981) †¢ Values: o Terminal Values from The Value Survey (R okeach, 1967) †¢ Personal Characteristics / Traits: o Sample items – Ambitious, Broadminded, Courageous, Responsible, Ethical.. . 11 †¢Personality: o The Big Five Factors of Personality (the Mini IPIP Scales – Donnellan, Oswald, Baird, ; Lucas, 2006); Factors – Extraversion, Agreeableness, Conscientiousness, Neuroticism, and Intellect / Imagination (or Openness to Experience) †¢ Questions regarding: o Cognitive Competencies o Functional Competencies o Personal / Social Competencies †¢ Questions regarding the Indicators of Successful Change Management in a PA Institution, based on the OECD’s framework, described earlier. We performed factor analyses for the scales measuring competencies, successful change management, and individual characteristics.Seven factors emerged when we performed factor analysis for the competency scale. We named them (shown with sample items): – People skills (I am very sensitive to others’ needs and assumptions; I am very good in bringing out the best in people, etc. ) – Understanding, innovating and changing the organization co nstituents and clients, etc. ) (I have a talent for changing our PA institution’s vision into reality; I thoroughly understand the need, goals, demands, and problems of our PA institution’s -Emotional intelligence and self-control (I have great ability to understand and manage my emotions; I am able to integrate my emotions in my decision making, etc. ) – Planning and decision making (I always verify my assumptions before making a decision; When I face a problem, I take enough time to think before I attempt to solve it, etc. ) – Numbers and logic numbers, etc. ) (I am very good at making complex decisions; I have a good sense for and understanding of – Multicultural skills multicultural teams, etc. ) I feel confident conducting a meeting in a foreign language; I participate effectively in – Learning and using new technologies (I am a quick learner; I am well versed in using a personal computer, etc. ). We grouped them according to our model: Cognitive Competencies o Understanding, innovating and changing the organization 12 o Numbers and logic Functional Competencies o Planning and decision making o Multicultural skills o Learning and using new technologies Personal / Social Competencies o People skills o Emotional intelligence and self-controlWhen we factor analyzed the successful change management it ems, we got three factors, which we named: – Traditional values (Our PA institution relies heavily upon a strict hierarchy of control; In our PA institution, we value uniformity; personality should be kept out, etc. ) – Fear and resistance to change (Change led by our PA institution produces uncertainty and distrust due to lack of information; There is a high level of conflict within our PA institution, etc. ) – New cultural values (All important issues in our PA institution are openly discussed and shared with the public;Leadership of our PA institution is successful in transforming organizational culture, etc. ). Only two factors emerged from the scale for the individual characteristics items. We named them: Personal traits (Ambitious; Broadminded, Capable, etc. ) Gregarious traits (Forgiving, Loving, Cheerful, Obedient, etc. ) 2. 3 Results Table 3 shows the means and standard deviations for the variables included in our study. TABLE 3 Descriptive statisticsa Items Training Internality Powerful others Mean (scale 1-7) Std. dev. 0. 90 0. 64 0. 84 4. 14 5. 26 3. 41 13Chance Personal traits Gregarious traits Extraversion Agreeableness Conscientiousness Neuroticism Openness Planning and decision making People skills Understanding, innovating, and changing the organization Emotional intelligence and self-control Multicultural skills Numbers and logic Learning and using new technologies Traditional values Fear and resistance to change New values a 3. 33 5. 82 5. 31 4. 01 5. 19 5. 00 3. 86 5. 00 5. 15 5. 16 5. 31 5. 38 4. 71 4. 90 5. 49 4. 30 3. 44 4. 54 0. 82 0. 59 0. 76 1. 05 0. 89 0. 91 1. 01 0. 95 0. 74 0. 72 0. 71 0. 70 0. 95 0. 94 0. 1 1. 02 1. 10 0. 95 n = 284 Gender, education, and rank comparisons Analysis of variance revealed statistically significant gender differences, where females on average reported more extraversion and agreeableness, and males on average reported higher values for the numbers and logic items. There were no other statistically significant differences between females and males (Table 4). TABLE 4 Results of ANOVA Analysisa Dependent variable: Gender Total Variables: Extraversion Agreeableness Numbers and logic a n = 284 Mean 4. 01 5. 19 4. 90 * Males SD 1. 05 0. 89 0. 94 **Mean 3. 85 5. 08 5. 02 SD 0. 96 0. 89 0. 87 Females Mean 4. 19 5. 34 4. 73 SD 1. 11 0. 88 1. 01 F 7. 05** 5. 76* 6. 27* p ;lt; . 05 p ;lt; . 01 Statistically significant differences also appeared for the education, where those with doctoral degree valued an exciting life higher than did those with university degree. Participants with master’s degree valued happiness higher than did those with doctoral degree. Significant 14 differences occurred also with pleasure, which people with doctoral degree assessed as less important than did people with master’s and university degrees.People with doctoral degree reported higher values for personal traits than did those with high school degree or less. Significant differences also appeared for multicultural skills, where people with doctoral degree reported having more of them than did those with university and high school degree. We also found that people with master’s degree reported having more multicultural skills than did people with high school degree (Table 5). Results of ANOVA Analysisa Dependent variable: Education TABLE 5 Total Doctoral Degree (1) Mean 10. 36 9. 00 5. 03 5. 99 5. 17 ** Master’s Degree (2) Mean 8. 43 11. 21 7. 16 5. 4 4. 76 SD 5. 37 4. 51 4. 89 0. 68 0. 93 University Degree (3) Mean 7. 24 10. 43 7. 74 5. 77 4. 55 SD 4. 99 4. 65 3. 85 0. 46 0. 93 Variables An exciting life Happiness Pleasure Personal traits Multicultural skills a n = 284 Mean 8. 32 10. 65 7. 03 5. 82 4. 71 * SD 5. 31 4. 58 4. 40 0. 59 0. 95 SD 4. 84 4. 40 3. 41 0. 42 0. 86 p ;lt; . 001 High School Degree or less (4) Mean SD 8. 13 7. 12 11. 88 7. 25 5. 34 3. 77 4. 45 3. 28 0. 81 0. 83 Stat. signif. diff. F 3. 27* 2. 66* 3. 62* 2. 85* 7. 10* * 1-3 1-2 1-3, 1-2 1-4 1-3, 1-4, 2-4 p ;lt; . 05 We also performed analysis of variance for differences between the ranks.Statistically significant differences were found for training, where top managers reported higher values than did middle managers. Top managers valued a sense of accomplishment more, while middle managers valued a world of peace more. Top managers on average reported higher values for people skills, understanding, innovating, and changing the organization, emotional intelligence and selfcontrol, numbers and logic, and new cultural values, but also reported lower values for fear and resistance than did their middle management counterparts (Table 6). TABLE 6 Results of ANOVA AnalysisaDependent variable: Rank Total Variables: Training A sense of accomplishment A world of peace People skills Understanding, innovating, and changing the organization Emotional intelligence and self Mean 4. 14 9. 52 10. 35 5. 16 5. 31 5. 38 SD 0. 90 4. 87 5. 41 0. 72 0. 71 0. 70 Middle management Mean SD 4. 06 0. 88 8. 96 4. 80 10. 87 5. 29 5. 06 0. 79 5. 21 0. 77 5. 33 0. 73 Top management Mean SD 4. 29 0. 92 10. 30 4. 88 9. 69 5. 51 5. 32 0. 57 5. 49 0. 57 5. 48 0. 63 F 3. 90* 4. 95* 3. 14* 7. 56** 9. 46** 2. 85* 15 control Numbers and logic Fear and resistance to change New values a . 90 3. 44 4. 54 ** 0. 94 1. 10 0. 95 *** 4. 78 3. 59 4. 34 p ;lt; . 001 0. 96 1. 14 1. 01 5. 09 3. 19 4. 86 0. 88 0. 98 0. 75 6. 76** 8. 49** 17. 52*** n = 284 * p ;lt; . 05 p ;lt; . 01 Correlations between competencies Even though the factor analysis revealed seven distinct factors within the competency scale, a further correlation analysis revealed that all of those competencies were statistically significantly correlated, meaning that if a person has one set of competencies more developed, he or she has other competencies more developed, as well (Table 7). TABLE 7 CorrelationsaVariables 1. Planning and decision making 2. People skills 3. Understanding, innovating, and changing the organization 4. Emotional intelligence and self-control 5. Multicultural skills 6. Numbers and logic 7. Learning and using new technologies a 1 2 3 4 5 6 .49* . 54* . 53* . 39* . 53* . 30* .78* . 78* . 55* . 48* . 47* . 71* . 46* . 51* . 43* .53* . 50* . 41* .33* . 48* .40* n = 284 * p ;lt; . 001 Stepwise regression analyses First, we performed a stepwise regression analysis for those characteristics of the PA institutions associated with the traditional values.The analysis revealed that among all independent variables, planning and decision making had the greatest influence on the presence of traditional values, followed by chance, gregarious traits, multicultural skills (negative influence), inner harmony, work experience in PA (negative influence), powerful others, and gender (Table 8). 16 TABLE 8 Results of Stepwise Regression Analysisa (Dependent variable ‘Traditional values’) Step 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 a Variable entered Planning and decision making Chance Gregarious traits Multicultural skills (-) Inner harmony Total amount of work experience in PA (-) Powerful others Gender (-) R2 . 2123 . 0843 . 0366 . 0306 . 0228 . 0188 . 0177 . 0100 R2 . 2123 . 2965 . 3331 . 3637 . 3865 . 4053 . 4230 . 4330 F 39. 88 17. 60 8. 01 6. 97 5. 35 4. 52 4. 35 2. 49 p ;lt; . 0001 ;lt; . 0001 . 0053 . 0092 . 0222 . 0351 . 0387 . 1168 n = 284 In other words, people with higher competencies for planning and decision making, who believe in chance and powerful others, who have more gregarious traits and value inner harmony more, who are of male gender and poses less multicultural skills, and who have less work experience in PA, are more likely to be found in PA institutions which were judged to be more traditional.We then performed a stepwise regression analysis for characteristics of PA institutions associated with the new cultural values. The analysis revealed that training had the greatest influence on presence of the new cultural values, followed by emotional intelligence and self control, rank in the PA, sense of accomplishment, world of peace, highly regulated legal environment (negative influence), gregarious traits, planning and decision-making (negative influence), and numbers and logic (Table 9). TABLE 9 Results of Stepwise Regression Analysisa (Dependent variable ‘New value s’) Step 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Variable entered Training Emotional intelligence and self-control Rank in PA A sense of accomplishment A world of peace Highly regulated legal environment (-) Gregarious traits Planning and decision making (-) Numbers and logic ? R2 . 2938 . 0926 . 0512 . 0304 . 0322 . 0118 . 0095 . 0139 . 0109 R2 . 2938 . 3865 . 4377 . 4681 . 5003 . 5121 . 5216 . 5355 . 5464 F 56. 59 20. 38 12. 21 7. 59 8. 51 3. 17 2. 58 3. 86 3. 08 p ;lt; . 0001 ;lt; . 0001 . 0006 . 0067 . 0042 . 0773 . 1105 . 0515 . 0815 n = 284 17This means that the participants, who have more training, who are more emotionally intelligent and have a higher rank in PA, who value a sense of accomplishment and the world of peace more, who work in a less regulated legal environment and have more gregarious traits, who have less competencies for planning and decision making, but more for numbers and logic, are more likely to be found in organizations with the new cultural values. Finally, we conducted a stepwise regression analysis for characteristics of PA institutions associated with fear and resistance to change.Analysis revealed that among all independent variables, chance had the greatest influence on the estimated presence of fear and resistance. Chance was followed by sense of accomplishment (negative influence), rank in PA (negative influence), highly regulated legal environment, salvation, extraversion, social recognition (negative influence), emotional intelligence and self-control (negative influence), planning and decision-making, self-respect, training (negative influence), and increasing competition from the private sector (Table 10).TABLE 10 Results of Stepwise Regression Analysisa (Dependent variable ‘Fear and resistance to change) Step 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 a Variable entered Chance A sense of accomplishment (-) Rank in PA (-) Highly regulated legal environment Salvation Extraversion Social recognition (-) Emotional intelligence and self-control (-) Planning and decision making Self-respect Training (-) Competition from the private sector ? R2 . 1041 . 0737 . 0265 . 0217 . 0157 . 0160 . 0168 . 0151 . 0253 . 0121 . 0114 . 0153 R2 . 1041 . 778 . 2043 . 2260 . 2603 . 2763 . 2931 . 3082 . 3278 . 3399 . 3513 . 3666 F 17. 31 13. 27 4. 89 4. 10 3. 06 3. 16 3. 38 3. 08 5. 31 2. 58 2. 44 3. 32 p ;lt; . 0001 . 0004 . 0285 . 0447 . 0823 . 0777 . 0679 . 0812 . 0227 . 1107 . 1203 . 0705 n = 284 This tells us that the participants who believe that events depend on chance, who do not value a sense of accomplishment and social recognition, who have lower rank in PA, who work in a highly regulated legal environment, who value salvation and self-respect more, who are more 8 extraverted, who have lower emotional intelligence and more competencies for planning and decision making, who have less training, and who experience greater competition from the private sector, are more likely to work in PA institutions with higher levels of fear and resistance to change. While the findings of the stepwise regression analyses are interesting, they are less clear, as they represent an unstructured mixture of different variables.To introduce some more conceptual clarity, we performed several hierarchical regression analyses, where the researcher determines the order in which groups of variables are entered in a model. Hierarchical regression analyses Table 11 shows the results of hierarchical regression analysis for dependent variable â€Å"Traditional values. TABLE 11 Results of Hierarchical Regression Analysisa Dependent variable: Traditional values Functional competencies Planning and decision making Multicultural skills Learning and using new technologies Personal / Social competencies Cognitive competencies Understanding, innovating, and changing the organization Numbers and logic Training Training Terminal values (only significant shown) A sense of accomplishment A world of beauty Equality Individual traits Personal traits Gregarious traits Locus of control Internality Powerful others Chance The Big 5 Factors of Personality (only sig. hown) Agreeableness Demographics Environment a * ** n = 284 p ;lt; . 15 p ;lt; . 05 R2 =. 25 ? = . 55**** ? = -. 24** ? = . 07 R2 = . 26 R2 = . 27 ? = -. 22* ? = . 01 R2 = . 27 ? = -. 04 R2 = . 36 ? =-. 25** ? = -. 17* ? = -. 17* R2 = .40 ? = -. 11 ? = . 34** R2 = . 47 ? = . 06 ? = . 20** ? = . 14* R2 = . 49 ? = . 19* R2 = . 51 R2 = . 52 *** p ;lt; . 01 ? R2 = . 25 F = 16. 20**** ?R2 = . 01 ? R2 = . 01 ? R2 = . 001 ? R2 = . 09 F = 0. 68 F = 1. 41 F = 0. 23 F = 1. 06 ?R2 = . 04 F = 3. 44** ?R2 = . 07 F = 5. 54*** ?R2 = . 02 ? R2 = . 02 ? R2 = . 01 **** p ;lt; . 001 F = 0. 89 F = 0. 60 F = 1. 4 19 As can be seen from Table 11, personal / social competencies, training, demographics, and characteristics of the environment did not significantly explain any variance in the dependent variable ‘traditional values. ’ On the other hand, this variance was significantly explained by planning and decision making skills, multicultural skills (negative influence), understanding, innovating, and changing the organization (negative influence), as well as the importance of the following values: a sense of accomplishment, a world of beauty, and equality (all these values had a negative influence).Furthermore, the variance was also significantly explained by gregarious traits, a belief that life is determined by chance and powerful others, as well as agreeableness. Taken together, these variables explain more than half (52%) of variance in ‘traditional values. ’ Table 12 shows the results of hierarchical regression analysis for dependent variable  "Fear and resistance to change. TABLE 12 Results of Hierarchical Regression Analysisa Dependent variable: Fear and resistance to change Functional competencies Planning and decision making Multicultural skills Learning and using new technologies Personal / Social competencies People skills Emotional intelligence and self control Cognitive competencies Understanding, innovating, and changing the organization Numbers and logic Training Training Terminal values (only significant shown) A sense of accomplishment Individual traits Locus of control Internality Powerful others Chance The Big 5 Factors of Personality (only sign. hown) Extraversion Demographics Environment Highly regulated legal environment Increasing competition from the private sector a * ** n = 284 p ;lt; . 15 p ;lt; . 05 R2 =. 05 ? = . 23** ? = -. 19* ? = . 02 R2 = . 08 ? = . 08 ? = -. 26* R2 = . 11 ? = -. 29** ? = -. 04 R2 = . 12 ? = -. 14** R2 = . 27 ? = -. 32*** R2 = . 27 R2 = . 33 ? = -. 00 ? = . 08 ? = . 21** R2 = . 36 ? = . 19** R2 = . 38 R2 = . 42 ? = . 23** ? = . 1 *** p ;lt; . 01 ? R2 = . 05 F = 2. 58* ?R2 = . 03 ? R2 = . 03 ? R2 = . 01 ? R2 = . 15 ? R2 = . 001 ? R2 = . 06 F = 2. 26* F = 2. 24* F = 2. 96* F = 1. 47* F = 0. 40 F = 3. 39** ?R2 = . 03 ? R2 = . 02 ? R2 = . 04 F = 1. 10 F = 0. 50 F = 3. 12** **** p ;lt; . 001 20 As can be seen from Table 12, individual traits and demographics did not significantly explain any variance in the dependent variable ‘fear and resistance to change. On the other hand, this variance was significantly explained by planning and decision making skills, multicultural skills (negative influence), emotional intelligence and self-control (negative influence), understanding, innovating, and changing the organization (negative influence), training (negative influence), a sense of accomplishment (negative influence), a belief in the importance of chance, extraversion, and highly regulated legal environment.Taken together, these variables were able to explain 42 percent of variance in ‘fear and resistance to change. ’ Table 13 shows the results of hierarchical regression analysis for dependent variable â€Å"New cultural values. TABLE 13 Results of Hierarchical Regression Analysisa Dependent variable: New cultural values Functional competencies Plann ing and decision making Multicultural skills Learning and using new technologies Personal / Social competencies People skills Emotional intelligence and self control Cognitive competencies Understanding, innovating, and changing the organization Numbers and logic Training Training Terminal values (only significant shown) A sense of accomplishment A world of peace Individual traits Locus of control The Big 5 Factors of Personality Demographics (only significant shown) Rank in PA Environment a * ** n = 284 p ;lt; . 5 p ;lt; . 05 R2 =. 10 ? R2 = . 10 ? = . 09 ? = . 23** ? = . 06 R2 = . 22 ? R2 = . 12 ? = . 35** ? = . 17 R2 = . 25 ? R2 = . 03 ? = . 22* ? = . 16* R2 = . 42 ? R2 = . 17 ? = . 44**** ? R2 = . 12 R2 = . 54 ? = . 26** ? = . 17* R2 = . 55 ? R2 = . 01 2 R = . 55 ? R2 = . 001 2 R = . 56 ? R2 = . 007 2 R = . 61 ? R2 = . 05 ? = . 18** R2 = . 61 ? R = . 002 *** **** p ;lt; . 01 p ;lt; . 001 F = 5. 11*** F = 10. 04**** F = 2. 71* F = 37. 24**** F = 1. 74** F = 0. 89 F = 0. 38 F = 0. 31 F = 1. 42 F = 0. 82As can be seen from Table 13, individual traits, locus of control, personality, and characteristics of the environment did not significantly explain any variance in the dependent variable ‘new cultural values. ’ At the same time, this variance was significantly explained by multicultural skills, people skills, understanding, innovating, and changing the organization, numbers and logic, training, the importance of a sense of accomplishment and a world of peace, as well as the 21 rank in PA. Taken together, these variables explained 61 percent of variance in ‘new cultural values. Correlation analysis for the outcome variables Finally, we investigated the correlations among the outcome variables, namely ‘traditional values,’ ‘fear and resistance to change,’ and ‘new cultural values’ (Table 14). TABLE 14 Correlations among the Outcome Variablesa Variables 1. Traditional values 2. Fear and resistance to change 3. New values a 1 2 .32** -. 16* ** -. 60** n = 284 * p ;lt; . 05 p ;lt; . 001 As expected, there is a significant negative correlation between traditional and new cultural values.The more the traditional values are present, the less the new cultural values exist in a certain PA institution, and vice versa. A significant positive correlation exists between traditional values and fear and resistance to change. The more the traditional values exist in a certain PA institution, the more fear and resistance to change exist in this institution, and vice versa. And finally, a significant negative correlation exists between new cultural values and fear and resistance to change.The more the new cultural values exist in a PA institution, the less fear and resistance to change exist in this institution, and vice versa. This correlation is the strongest among all three. 2. 4 Conclusion The results indicate the following: †¢ Traditional values and new cultural values coexist in PA institutions; they are negatively correlated. 22 †¢ Traditional values are positively correlated with fear and resistance to change; new cultural values are negatively correlated with fear and resistance to change. †¢Traditional values are positively associated with planning and decision-making skills, beliefs in powerful others and chance, agreeableness and gregarious traits. They are negatively associated with multicultural skills, understanding, innovating and changing the organization, as well as with appreciation of a sense of accomplishment, world of beauty, and equality. †¢ Fear and resistance to change are positively associated with planning and decision-making skills, beliefs in chance, as well as with extraversion and highly regulated environment.They are negatively associated with multicultural skills, emotional intelligence and self-control, understanding, innovating and changing the organization, training, as well with appreciation of a sense of accomplishment. †¢ New cultural values are positiv ely associated with multicultural and people skills, understanding, innovating and changing the organization, numbers and logic skills, rank in PA, as well as with appreciation of a sense of accomplishment and world of peace, but— above all—with training.The results stress the importance of the following competencies: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Multicultural skills Understanding, innovating and changing the organization Emotional intelligence and self-control People skills. Planning and decision-making skills were associated with traditional values and with fear and resistance to change. The results also stress the importance of the locus of control, especially the beliefs in powerful others and chance (and their association with traditional values and fear and resistance to change).One of the very important findings was that training has positive effects above and beyond its impact upon the competencies. 23 These results emphasize the significance of implementing new cultural values into the PA institutions. They indicate that replacing the old values with the new values in PA institutions can be achieved by proper training, mentoring and on-the-job training, emotional intelligence and self-control, a proper mind-set of managers (especially the internal locus of control and appreciation of a sense of accomplishment), multicultural skills, and competencies for numbers and logic. R How to cite Leadership Competencies for Succesful Change Management, Papers

Henry Vii Essay Example For Students

Henry Vii Essay Henry VIIIName: My name is Henry Tudor, Duke of York, or as I am better known, Henry VIII. Parents Names: My father was none other than the great King Henry VII, who was sovereign of England from 1485 to 1509, My mother was Elizabeth of York. Brothers amp; Sisters: My eldest brother was Arthur, born in 1486, who married Catherine of Aragon. Margaret, my eldest sister was born in 1489 and married James IV of Scotland, and Mary, my younger sister was born in 1498 and married Louis XII in 1514. When amp; Where I Was Born: I was born on June 28th 1491 at the Royal Manor of Greenwich (England), where ships sailed down the Thames to the sea. How Old I Am Now: I am 17 years old presently, nine weeks and four days off my eighteenth birthday. Today my father has died, it is the 22nd April 1509. Occupation Of Parents: My mother was Lady Elizabeth of York, Henry VIIs wife. My father was Henry VII, King of England until his death in 1509. What I Look Like: They say I was a precious child, alert and observant. At 17 I inherited the throne that had been destined for my brother Arthur, I also inherited his widow Catherine. I am almost 200 centimetres tall with pink and white cheeks. My hair is auburn and I have the beginnings of a red beard. I tower over others, which helps with authority. I am clean-shaven, and my hair is combed short and straight in the French fashion. I have a round face. I keep myself trim at the moment with exercise. I enjoy shooting, singing, dancing, wrestling, casting of the bar, playing the recorder, flute and virginals, setting of songs, making ballads, hunting and hawking. I also like to live life to the full, enjoying gambling, eating and drinking with little restraint. ;nbsp;.DiaryDATE: June 11th, 1509King Henry VIIs death bed wish was for me to marry Catherine of Aragon the princess who had been brought from Spain as the bride of my elder brother, Arthur, who had died earlier. Catherine had been betrothed to me after my brothers death, on my twelfth birthday. It is six weeks now since my fathers death and Catherine and I married today very quickly in the Chapel of the Franciscan Observants at Greenwich. This will now enable my coronation, which is to take place on Midsummers Day, to be a double crowning of King and Queen. DATE: June 7th, 1520Oh! It was so meticulously organised at the Field of Cloth of Gold. Today, 7th June, after a number of days spent with Francis I, in some low-level diplomatic exchanges, our processions arrived on the field at precisely appointed hour. The trumpets sounded so very loudly. Francis I and myself spurred our horses forward to meet each other. Three times we embraced on horseback, we then dismounted, embraced again and vanished into the great golden pavilion where the summit meeting took place. Ostensibly the meeting was to dispel the old enmity between England and France, but the declared purpose was to give laws to Christendom. Two weeks of jousting and feasting will now take place, both of which I enjoy immensely. ;nbsp;DATE: April 21st, 1521I am passionately interested in theology and have only recently completed a book in staunch defense of the Universal Church and totally against the heresies of Martin Luther. Pope Leo was very pleased with the book and has today awarded me Defendsor Fidei that is Defender of the Faith. I am pleased with the award. nbsp;DATE: May 5th, 1527The negotiations of Eternal Peace have been difficult but finally successful. Today I have sworn to the treaties and to celebrate I have laid on one of the greatest court festivities even known. .u302a949f4ff0e65ff705ca04433ef9f6 , .u302a949f4ff0e65ff705ca04433ef9f6 .postImageUrl , .u302a949f4ff0e65ff705ca04433ef9f6 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u302a949f4ff0e65ff705ca04433ef9f6 , .u302a949f4ff0e65ff705ca04433ef9f6:hover , .u302a949f4ff0e65ff705ca04433ef9f6:visited , .u302a949f4ff0e65ff705ca04433ef9f6:active { border:0!important; } .u302a949f4ff0e65ff705ca04433ef9f6 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u302a949f4ff0e65ff705ca04433ef9f6 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u302a949f4ff0e65ff705ca04433ef9f6:active , .u302a949f4ff0e65ff705ca04433ef9f6:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u302a949f4ff0e65ff705ca04433ef9f6 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u302a949f4ff0e65ff705ca04433ef9f6 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u302a949f4ff0e65ff705ca04433ef9f6 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u302a949f4ff0e65ff705ca04433ef9f6 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u302a949f4ff0e65ff705ca04433ef9f6:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u302a949f4ff0e65ff705ca04433ef9f6 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u302a949f4ff0e65ff705ca04433ef9f6 .u302a949f4ff0e65ff705ca04433ef9f6-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u302a949f4ff0e65ff705ca04433ef9f6:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Because i said so EssayToday, Sunday 5th May 1527, after I have attended mass in the chapel at Greenwich I signed the treaties with France. On Monday 6th May there will be great public rejoicing. All day jousts will take place in the Greenwich tiltyard, then in the evening there will be a great banquet, followed by a masquerade and dancing until dawn. I am looking forward to these celebrations with great anticipation. nbsp;DATE: July 6th, 1535Sir Thomas More was an old friend of mine

5 Ways How to Make Money on Your Website (Without Ads, Products, or Affiliate Marketing)

For most people, the first things that come to mind when they think of making money from a website are advertising and online stores. However, these techniques dont work for every site. This is why its good to know how to make money on your website without ads or products.Fortunately, there are many more strategies you can use to make a living online. No matter what type of site you have, you can find a method that fits your brand best in order to maximize your revenue potential.In this post, well talk about why ads or products might not be the best revenue source for your site.Then well get into how you can make money on your website without them. Lets dive in! using ads and products. Many successful online stores, blogs, and other sites have proven this. However, theyre not the best revenue sources for every website.For starters, ads are an inefficient way of monetizing your site. In order to make anything close to a substantial amount of money, you need a huge following for your s ite. Ironically, ads can prevent you from gaining followers.Ads can distract from your content and lead users off your site, potentially hurting your own conversion rate. They also lower your sites design quality, and make you seem less reputable. Without trust, youll have a hard time maintaining an audience.Products pose a different set of challenges. The biggest issue is that you need a fair chunk of change to start with. Youll need to invest in creating your product before you can actually make any money from it.Whats more, you may not have the cash to get started, particularly if your site is very new. This assumes you already have a unique idea for a product your users will actually want to buy. The process of selling products is a long and potentially costly one.Five ways to make money on your website (without ads or products)If you dont have the money to start a product line and dont want to risk the negative impacts on your conversion rate ads could bring, there are still wa ys you can make money online. The key is finding the one best suited to your site and users.1. Hold in-person events and charge for admissionOnline communities are no doubt valuable. However, theres something about gathering in person that appeals to many people. Holding in-person events related to your site and charging people for admission can help bring in some revenue.How extensive your event should be will depend on how many people you think will attend. It may be a large conference or as small as a local meetup. Either way, its important to consider how much you think people will be willing to pay to get in.Youll also need to account for the cost of a venue, food, and any other necessities. If you dont think youll be able to cover the events costs and make a profit, this method may not be for you.Typically, hosting an in-person event will work best if you already have a large online community. People who are really dedicated to your site and its other users are more likely to make an effort to attend, and more likely to be willing to pay for it.Take WordCamps, for example. Though these events are not-for-profit, the number of people involved shows how engaged the WordPress community is, and their desire to interact face-to-face and not just through a screen:For some, hosting a large event may seem difficult. However, if youre able to pull it off, youll hopefully take home profit while having also provided an opportunity for your sites users to engage with one another and become more committed to your community.2. Buy, flip, and sell websitesIf you have the design and development skills for it, you can get into the business of flipping websites. The process involves buying sites, making improvements to them, then selling them again for a profit.While it might seem strange to sell something youve put so much effort into, a site with a fairly large following can sell for thousands of dollars. If your site has a decent number of regular users and you no long er want to maintain it, selling isnt a bad option.However, if youre not ready to part with your own site, you can always buy and flip sites on the site. Online marketplaces such as Website Broker and Flippa are popular places to find cheap sites to buy and improve, then to sell again later:This method is easiest if you have some design and development skills already. If youre a professional developer looking to expand your portfolio and your income, flipping sites could be an efficient way to do it.3. Accept donations from usersAccepting donations from users can be a simple way to bring in the money needed to run your site. If youre putting out quality content, you may be surprised by the number of people willing to chip in and help you keep your site online.This method works best for sites related to charities or other good causes. While there are blogs that do run on donations, its easiest to convince users to provide funds when your site aligns with their values.Take the Humane S ociety of the United States, for example. They have multiple call to action (CTA) buttons on their site inviting users to donate, and pair them with high-quality images of animals to get users attention:If you run a nonprofit, adding donation opportunities on your site is a must. You can also give it a go if you provide free content, such as blog posts. While it likely wont be regular or substantial, you may still bring in some money from appreciative readers.4. Create exclusive content for paying membersCreating paid content can be one of the simplest ways to make money on your website. Often, you dont have to put in much extra work. You simply keep creating blog posts, online classes, or whatever content you specialize in, and charge to access some of it.The only tricky part is creating the right balance between free and paid content. Offering too much content for free might make users feel they dont need the content you charge for. On the other hand, charging for too much content can turn visitors away.For this reason, paid content or memberships work best for sites that already have an established following. If your users already know your content is worth paying for, theyre more likely to be willing to do so.Additionally, educational sites offering online courses or webinars can often use this method effectively. You can provide introductory courses for free, then charge for intermediate and advanced courses. Codecademy is a successful example:They offer many free courses, knowing that students who want to learn more will pay for memberships and advanced courses later. Codecademy is now a go-to platform for many people looking to start learning code for the first time.5. Vary and cross-promote your contentHaving multiple revenue streams is a smart move. If theres ever a slow period for your blog, for example, your influencer deals on Instagram may be able to cover you until things pick up again. Cross-promoting your content can help you earn more on all y our platforms.No matter what kind of site you have or what your area of expertise is, you can create more and a wider variety of content by exploring multiple mediums. For example, if you run a fitness blog, you could also make workout videos on YouTube and host a podcast where you interview athletes.While self-promotion may feel a little awkward at first, cross-promoting is an excellent way to build your brand and authority in your industry. For example, consider BobWP:Bob Dunn runs an informative WooCommerce blog, as well as a podcast. He receives sponsorships for both, and uses each platform to promote the other. By driving traffic from his podcast to his blog and vice versa, he makes the most of both revenue sources.ConclusionAds and products are usually the go-to methods for making money with a website. However, these strategies arent always the best. Ads can cause your users to lose trust in your site, and products require upfront investments you may not have.The good news is, there are several other ways you can make money on your website, including:Hold in-person events and charge for admission.Buy, flip, and sell websites.Accept donations from users.Create exclusive content for paying members.Vary and cross-promote your content. Learn how to make #money on your #website without using ads or selling products 💠° Click To Tweet Do you have any questions about how to make money on your website without ads or products? Let us know in the comments section below!Free guide5 Essential Tips to Speed Up Your WordPress SiteReduce your loading time by even 50-80% just by following simple tips.

Same Year, Same Author How to Reference Sources Correctly

Same Year, Same Author How to Reference Sources Correctly Same Year, Same Author? How to Reference Sources Correctly Many referencing systems use the author’s surname and year of publication in citations, with full source information given in a reference list. However, if you are citing multiple sources by the same author from the same year, the name and year alone won’t be enough to cite a text clearly. What do you do if you need to cite two sources from one author that were published in the same year in a paper, then? In this post, we look at how this works with author–date citations. Two Sources from the Same Year in Author–Date Citations To show how this works with author–date citations, we’ll use the APA referencing system. However, the same rules described here apply to other similar systems (e.g., Chicago and Harvard). The basic rule when citing two sources from the same year is to add a letter after the year: Pellow (1994b) originally claimed that love is all around. However, later the same year he claimed to have located it specifically in a wishing well (Pellow, 1994a). Here, for example, we have two sources by â€Å"Pellow† from 1994. Without adding â€Å"a† and â€Å"b† after the year of publication in these citations, we would not be able to tell the sources apart. Pellow is perhaps better known for his pop career than his time in academia.(Photo: Andwhatsnext, aka Nancy J Price) You may be wondering why we used â€Å"b† instead of â€Å"a† for the first citation above. This is because the correct letter to use for each source depends on its position in the reference list. With APA referencing, you would usually list multiple sources by the same author chronologically. However, when multiple sources are published in the same year, you organize them by title: Pellow, M. (1994a). Goodnight Girl: Finding Love in a Wet Place. Glasgow: WWW Inc. Pellow, M. (1994b). Love Is All Around: A Geolocational Study. London: Troggs Publishing. In this case, then, Goodnight Girl is assigned the letter â€Å"a† because â€Å"Goodnight† comes before â€Å"Love† alphabetically. It is vital that the same letters are used in the reference list as in citations, as otherwise your reader will have no way of knowing which source you are citing in each case.

Theories Regarding the Nature of Organizational Culture Research Paper - 1

Theories Regarding the Nature of Organizational Culture - Research Paper Example Schein (2010) tries to understand the dimensions of organizational culture and how the organizational culture can direct innovation while the scholar also tried to highlight the role of leaders in shaping the organizational culture. These gaps in the literature have influenced the researcher to conduct research on the topic and write this research paper.   Schein (2010) found it difficult to derive a definition of culture due to conceptual and semantic confusions while the scholar also argued that it is not possible to define different social groups under the roof of the universally accepted definition of culture. In such context, Alvesson and Sveningsson (2008) suggested that the focus should be on defining culture within the organization rather than understanding the culture of social groups sharing similar kind of traditions, rituals, history, and customs. Brooks (2009) also tried to define the organizational culture in terms of norms, the behavior of members and knowledge sharing, yet, such definition is far from capturing full dimensions of culture. To clear out confusions regarding the definition and characteristics of organizational culture, the research paper will use Schein’s (2010) idea for organizational culture. According to Schein (2010), organizational culture has dimensions like behavioral regularities, group dyna mics, espoused values, ideological  principles, unwritten rules of the organization, communication between members, special competencies displayed by group members, shared cognitive frames between members, the way team members celebrate within organization, emotional and aesthetic response etc.  Now, the fact is that it is very difficult to integrate all the mentioned elements within same organizational context but there is no doubt that these factors play the vital role in shaping the organizational culture. Schein (2010) also identified three levels of culture such as Artifacts, Espoused Beliefs & Value, and Underlying Assumptions.

Why should businesses today act ethically and socially responsible Term Paper

Why should businesses today act ethically and socially responsible - Term Paper Example Businesses that act in an unethical manner have a low chance of being successful. A concept that has gained a lot of popularity in the business world is corporate social responsibility. Corporate social responsibility can be defined as the obligation of companies of behaving in ethical and moral ways (Schermerhorn, Hunt, Osborn, 2003). The purpose of this paper is to describe the reasons why companies should act in ethical and socially responsible manners. The use of ethics should be applied in all aspects of a business. Ethics involves decisions between right and wrong. For ethics to manifest itself in a company the top managers of the company must encourage its employees to act in an ethical manner. The actions of the employees determine the ethical actions of a business. It takes one rotten apple among the staff for unethical behavior to manifest itself. A way to encourage ethics in a company is to establish an ethical code of conduct. The employees must know what is expected of t hem. They must also realize that there are consequences for unethical behavior such as fines, suspension, or termination of employment. Managers have great influence over the ethical behavior of an enterprise. There have been numerous cases of companies that went through ethical scandals that destroyed their reputation and in some cases led to the demise of the firm. Three of those cases are Nike, Enron, and Chiquita. Nike Corporation in the late 1990’s was involved in a sweatshop scandal. A sweatshop is a work environment in which the employees are exploited due to sub-human working conditions and extremely low wages. In the aftermath of the scandal Nike lost half its revenues the following year. Chiquita Brands International is a food producer that specializes in the banana marketplace. Between 1997 and 2004 the company’s subsidiary in Columbia, Banadex, made payments for protection to the terrorist organization UAC. The firm was convicted in a U.S. court for its une thical actions and fined $25 million. The reputation of the firm was destroyed. The Enron Corporation was one of the most successful and respected U.S. firms in the energy industry. Unfortunately its executive management team was corrupt, delinquent, and unethical. The company cooked up the accounting books reporting billions of dollars of fake income. The accounting scandal led to at the time the biggest bankruptcy in U.S. history. Corporate social responsibility has gained a lot of popularity in the 21st century. The general population worldwide has increased its expectation of what businesses should do for society. People have realized that the private industry has a lot more wealth that all governmental institutions combined. There are millions of corporations in the world. These companies have been getting rich off the efforts and sacrifice of people for years. Society has reached a crossroad in which there are so many social problems to attend that the need has come for others to step in and become a part of the solution. The business world has become that significant other that people looked up to become an active partner. Some of the problems that need the immediate and recurrent assistance of the corporate world are world hunger, the aids epidemic, environmental damage, and extreme poverty. Nearly 1/8th of the global population is suffering from chronic undernourishment (Worldhunger, 2013). It is in the best interest for corporations to act in socially responsible ways. Customers today have become more conscious of the actions of the company they buy products from. A firm that has a strong corporate social responsibility program can benefit greatly from the support of its customers and shareholders. The stock prices of companies that act in socially r

Management of Selling Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Management of Selling - Case Study Example These measures would be particularly helpful because it would gain the co-operation of the sales force during the investigation process, which would provide more satisfactory results. Oldroyd would require the following information: An insight of the highly dissatisfied A and B accounts who are about to move out from the customer list. This would help Oldroyd to know the problems of the company in detail and its product acceptance in the market. By accompanying the sales force to gather this information will not only ensure their co-operation but they would also feel that their boss is by their side in difficult times. Oldroyd will gain confidence of his sales force in this way. The salesmen are sure that the salary would keep on increasing even if they make minimal effort in getting fresh orders as they have spent a number of years with the company which is well above the average duration of stay for sales people in the industry. Hence there is no pressure on the sales force as job security is high. There is no scheme of incentive for those who get the highest number of orders or for those who over perform. There is also no system of cutting some amount of money from the salary due to underperformance. So each month the salary of the sales force is guaranteed even if they under perform. ... The inner feelings of each salesman and their complaints if any. 2. There are many disadvantages in the way the sales force is currently organised. They are as follows: It is difficult to properly monitor the sales force The salesmen are sure that the salary would keep on increasing even if they make minimal effort in getting fresh orders as they have spent a number of years with the company which is well above the average duration of stay for sales people in the industry. Hence there is no pressure on the sales force as job security is high. Sale in the company is due to 10 years of brand reputation in the market and not due to any effort by the sales force. There is no scheme of incentive for those who get the highest number of orders or for those who over perform. There is also no system of cutting some amount of money from the salary due to underperformance. So each month the salary of the sales force is guaranteed even if they under perform. Hence each of them is assured of his own personal income and do not bother about the company's overall growth. Since there is no incentive scheme, in the words of Dive (2005, p. 13) there is "slow reaction to customers and competitions" which results in "quality work not being done.." There is rather unclear or total lack of vision for the sales force. They themselves are not sure where they are heading. 3. In the next six months Stephen Oldroyd can improve the sales performance of his company in the following ways: He should set up a future course of action and communicate it effectively to the sales force. He should demonstrate his best planning skills because the sales department of Supplies-4-Gardens seriously

The effects of human population growth on animals

The effects of human population growth on animals The world population is growing rapidly from 750 million in 1750 to 6,500 million in 2005. Respond to this evidence, people naturally enlarge their land for housing, food, and the need of resources such as oil, wood, and metal. Day by day, people damage the environment which contains a lot of living life, especially, wild animals. This caused many groups of animals to decline and even extinct. Perhaps to redeem this hideous mistake, people built more places, which are called zoos, to keep and protect wild animals. Zoos are probably the most complex forms of animal keeping in the world. Many animals from many areas over the world are kept together in a small region. People may think that zoos are good place for keeping wild animal, but in fact, it is not, and it also is unethical to capture wild animals and put them into the zoo. Most wild animals are living in dense forest, mountains, or woods, where people do not easy access. Their lives are very isolated with the modern humans life. They scared of people, guns, and the noise of metal of our developed industry. The more people open their land, the additional wild animal lose their territories, and so must move away. There is no such wild animal who dare to live near people. It seems very rare when people see a wild animal coming near their land. As Ursula K. Le Guin shows in Mays Lion, there were plenty of deer in the Valley in the forties, but no mountain lion had been seen for decades anywhere near where people lived. And if any, it should have the reason. In fact, Mays lion is too old and sick. Most animals are very social by nature such as monkeys, wolves, elephants, tigers, etc. It has been shown that animals used to live in the same places in which they could easy share the food. They love their life as well as their freedom. They just want to live in peace among their family and friends. It is cruel to remove them away from their family, friends. In The Antlers, Suzie indicates that cattle are like city people, cattle expect even deserve, what theyve got coming. But wild animals are different. Wild animals enjoy life. They live in the woods on purpose. Clearly, wild animals are different from cattle. They need to be free and live in the woods where considered as their country. Animals are not willing to leave their place to come to a new place such as a zoo. Zoos are the place where living animals are exhibited in captivity. The most traditional form of maintaining wild animals in captivity is keeping them in cages constructed of concrete or metal, in aviaries, or fenced paddocks. Living in those places, animals do not behave like their wild counterparts. For example, a lion is given food in the mean time whereas they have to lie still and wait for prey and hunt for hours in their Africa home. Similarly, the Wolves, Leopards, Tigers, Elephants, etc are often confined in cages where they lack exercise and stimulation. Those animals will lose their hunting skills and soon become pets such as dogs or cats. In Rainer Maria Rilke poem, The Panther, he feels for the wild animal in this situation: As he paces in cramped circle, over and over/ the movement of his powerful soft strides is/ like a ritual dance around a center/ in which a mighty will stands paralyzed. Zoos are just another word of animal prison. It provides plenty of cages which are constructed by concrete and steel. It limits the movement as well as the freedom of wild animals. When an animal is sent to the zoo, more likely, it will spend the rest of its life in cage. The animal has no choice but to be in the zoo and it held there. Zoos steal the freedom and provide unusual life to wild animals. Many animals develop unnatural habits such as pacing back and forth or swaying from side to side in their cages. Polar bears, for example, are given about 30 feet of walking space, whereas in their Arctic home they could roam freely for hundreds of miles. The zoo is an unnatural environment that exposes animals to numerous dangers. Animals which would naturally live in very different parts of the world are brought together in the natural habitat of humans. Diseases often spread between species that would never live together naturally. Furthermore, zoo animals are often exposed to chemicals, solvents and other toxic substances. That is not natural for wild animals. Most zoos have commercial and entertainment purpose in mind as well as financial profit. Animal from many areas of the world are brought together and put on display for the benefit of humans enjoyment. It is very common for visitors to tease and provoke caged animals. Supporters of zoos argue that they help to conserve endangered species, but in fact they are not very good at this. Breeding programmers provide zoos with good publicity, but in fact most of them are failures. The world famous panda breeding program was a big example for this. This program is very costly but it is unsuccessful. Also zoo life does not prepare animals for the challenges of life in the wild. Many animals were died after they came back to the wild. For example, two rare lynxes released into the wild in Colorado died from starvation even though the area was full of hares, which are a lynxs natural prey. The best zoos argue that education is one of their most important features. That is using the zoo to teach people to respect the natural world, to show them what can be learned from the lives of the animals in captivity and to appreciate what conservation means. One of the major problems they face, however, is that the animals on display are both individuals and representatives of their species. So is not true to say that zoos are educational or that they help to protect endangered species. In reality, they only teach us how wild animals behave when they confined in small spaces. Today, many modern zoos do not enclose animals in small cages but they are provided with habitats, modeled after their nature habitats. The aim for many zoos is to exhibit their animals in enclosures in which the setting is as natural as possible or at least looks as natural as possible. But it seems that they cannot easily move away from the image of being places of entertainment which is more closely to the circus and amusement park than to museums and education. Wild animals are not like cattle, they dont want to live near people, and especially, in zoos. It is cruel to remove wild animals away from their place. Furthermore, zoos are unsuitable environment for wild animals. It keeps animal in small area compare to the vast natural habitat, and also, zoo exposed too many diseases and dangers to wild animal. In the wild, animals live their lives for their own benefit; but in the zoo, they have to live their lives for the benefit of human. And since zoos are less successful in breeding programs and far from education purpose, zoos must be abolished. People should stop capture wild animals and put them into zoos.

Jonathan Edwards the Great Preacher Essay examples -- Theologians

He was a man whose very words struck fear into the hearts of his listeners. Acknowledged as one of the most powerful religious speakers of the era, he spearheaded the Great Awakening. â€Å"This was a time when the intense fervor of the first Puritans had subsided somewhat† (Heyrmen 1) due to a resurgence of religious zeal (Stein 1) in colonists through faith rather than predestination. Jonathan Edwards however sought to arouse the religious intensity of the colonists (Edwards 1) through his preaching. But how and why was Edwards so successful? What influenced him? How did he use diction and symbolism to persuade his listener, and what was the reaction to his teachings? In order to understand these questions one must look at his life and works to understand how he was successful. In his most influential sermon, â€Å"Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God†, Jonathan Edwards’ persuasive language awakened the religious fervor that lay dormant in colonial Americans a nd made him the most famous puritan minister of the Great Awakening in North America. In order to understand Edwards use of language however, one must look at his early life and formative influences. His family undoubtedly shaped his religious career because â€Å"[H]e was the only son among the eleven children of Rev. Timothy Edwards and Esther Edwards, the daughter of influential puritan clergymen Solomon Stoddard† (Wachal 1). Growing up in a religious family must have influenced his career path. Then â€Å"Edwards attended Yale School of theology at 13 years of age† (Paposian 1). This is important because at Yale, Edwards would create his own â€Å"unique style of preaching† (â€Å"Jonathan Edwards† Dictionary 1). Here â€Å"his theology which soon came to be known as Edwardseanism had developed in hi... ...l, 1989. 68-69. Print. Paposian, Edward M. â€Å"Jonathan Edwards America’s Theologian- Preacher.† In Faith of our Fathers: Scenes from American Church History. Ed. Mark Sidwell. 33-39. Greenville: BJU Press, 1991. Print. â€Å"Revival and Renewal.† American Eras. Vol. 3. The Revolutionary Era, 1754-1783. Detroit: Gale, 1997. 315-321. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 17 May 2012. Stein, Stephen J. â€Å"Edwards, Jonathan.† Encyclopedia of Religion. Ed. Lindsay Jones. Vol. 4. Detroit: Macmillan, 2005. 2698-2701. Gale Virtual Reference Library. Web. 17 May 2012. Tulley, Stephen Richard. â€Å"Awakened to the Holy.† Sinners in the Hands of an Angry God! In Ritualized Context. â€Å"Christianity and Literature.† 57.4(2008): 507+. Literature Resource Center. Web. 17 May 2012. Wachal, Barbara Schwarz. â€Å"Edwards, Jonathan (1703-1758).† Colonial America. Sharpe. Web. 16 May 2012.

A critical assessment of 2 pieces of drama around the theme of ‘Space’ Essay

In this essay I will be writing about how I performed to pieces of improvised drama based around the subject of ‘space’. One of the pieces had to be done in a realistic style and the other an abstract. Initial Reaction to Stimulus When we were first told that are stimulus would be ‘space’, we all sat down I and had what could be called a ‘brain storming’ session. This was to consider how such a broad subject could be perceived in two pieces of drama. First of all we had to consider how ‘space’ could be identified. There are many kinds of ‘space’, which can be made into forms of drama, and we would need to select one that could produce the most gripping. For this we identified just how space could be used, and came up with the following ideas for realistic or abstract piece (we could the ideas into abstract drama later): Space, as in ‘the final frontier’, could be used to great effect. Space and the entire notion of the ‘great beyond’ could be used. Maybe having characters interacting with character not of this planet, maybe contrasting views or morals. Maybe having the outsider coming to earth from space. Using space in this way opens the door to all sorts of personification of space using a science fiction spin. This could be done in some sort of ‘Star Trek’, thought provoking scene involving space. Personal space, or the lack of it. For a realistic piece, maybe something to do with the prison system or freedom infringements. If we set it in a cell (an area where there is little space), not only would there be a direct physical relation to space but also the characters will be able to show space in there speech and movements. Taking this idea further, we could show how the lack of space mentally. Instead of the characters talking about space directly, it could be implied indirectly by their psychological flaws. These ‘psychological flaws’ would have been caused by space, either too much of it or not enough. These are all ideas in their early stages and all need developing. But even at the early stage, the idea of psychological flaws caused by space was very appealing. For the abstract piece of drama, these initial ideas will have to be developed in an entirely different way. It will need other dramatic techniques to fit the criteria A surreal piece would allow us to incorporate more style and personalization in to piece. When thinking about abstract and surrealism in drama, the first thing that comes into my head is to have ‘situation’ of drama instead of a continuous story. This would allow us to show the subject matter, space, in a number of different ways. Freeze-frames could be used while each character explains information about them and their situation (character monologues). This would show to the audience character depth that could not be seen in just a one short scene. As for the content of this abstract piece, I had some ideas of separate pieces revolving around the subject space. This would allow us to put a lot of imagination in each piece without needing to worry about what would follow it. Groups For the first piece I worked with the following people: Alain Branson Stuart Mulrany Chris Jones Hussian Kerian For the second piece, we decided to split up and work with different. The main reason for this was to keep all the drama fresh with fresh ideas. Although we thought that we were capable of producing another piece drama, tensions were building in the group and we agreed to spilt. For the second piece I worked with: Alain Branson Plot The first piece we worked on had a plot that I think was well structured. It allowed character depth and development. The first two lessons after we formed are group were spent on structuring a plot which could show off are acting talents and incorporate the idea of space. First we decided that it should be based around a main character. An idea that has always interested me was personifying a character subconscious. This might sound a little far fetched but it would give the character more substance and the audience something to relate to. This would not be his conscious or a ‘good’ or ‘bad’ angel but a version of himself that is not usually seen. With that starting point we went ahead and considered how the space theme would fit into this idea. We thought a family clash about space would put this character in the right frame to create good drama around him. This could be mirrored with a character that is in a way opposite him. We all thought that it would be a good idea to have a ‘visual conscious’ for him like with the other character. This would allows us to show the differences in these characters and it would fit in with the number of people in are group. How these ‘conscious’ would look actually on stage would be greatly influenced by Stuart, who put in a lot to the actual ‘conscious’ theme. Taking all this we constructed a story which we split up into scenes. This is the first draft of the scenes and what they would contain: Scene 1: This scene would contain an argument between the main character and his Dad. It has to be his Dad because I do not believe any of us could pull of a convincing woman. This argument would be about space, and the child’s lack of it. This will end in the character storming out to see his friend. This will show the trouble space has already caused. This will be set in the house. Scene 2: This would be an interlude where the audience gets some in sight into the relationship between him and his conscience. It will be the main character complaining to himself with the conscience talking around him. This will show how the character relates to something, which in essence, him cannot see or hear. This will be set in the walk between his house and the park. Scene 3: This will be conversation between the main character and what appears to be his opposite. This conversation will uncover some back round information about each character and will explain their personality faults. It will also set up the events for the next scene that involves criminal activity brought on by conversation. This will show the parallels between two characters who see and treat space in different ways and how it has effected them. This will be set in a peaceful place, a park Scene 4: In this scene the two main characters will get involved in major arson. This will result in an explosion off stage and the two running off. This shows what space problems can result in. This will be set in the other end of the park. Scene 5: This will be like the first scene, with an argument between the Dad and the main character. This will be a lot fiercer than the first and will increase in tension as it progresses. This is the finale of the drama and will bring out all the aspects of space we have been trying to portray. This will be set back in the house. In terms of evaluating the plot, I am proud of it. I played a big part in crafting it and personally I feel happy with it. Problems with it may be finding enough for the consciences to say and do since they are simply other version of the characters that already present. Casting We found casting very difficult, particularly a part for Hussian. First of all, we thought it would be best if he had the role of the Dad. But we found a stern sort of character wasn’t suited for him. We then had the idea of changing the Dad to a Mum. But Hussian playing a woman in my opinion, and on previous acting experience, seems to be type cast and contrary to some people opinion he was cast in a role that would highlight his acting talent. The other characters were relatively easy to cast. Here was the final cast list: Leigh Turner The Dad Alain Branson Gary (the main character) Stuart Mulrany Gary conscience Chris Jones Damien (the character opposite to Gary) Hussian Kerian Damien conscience Set Above is the set we choose to use. It is fairly basic with the stage being split into three sections, one representing the house, one the park and the other the journey in between. The props were also very simple, with a table and chairs representing the house interior and a bench representing the park. Lighting Area of lighting for scenes 1 and 5 Area of lighting for scenes 2, 3, and 4 Costumes The costumes we used were authentic of the parts we played. I played the Dad, so I wore clothes that represented a Dad. I just wore a black T-shirt and jeans, which is what my Dad would wear. Gary wore typical teenage clothes, a bit ‘scurfy’ to help show the difference between him and Damien. Damien will also were typical teenage clothes, but nothing like Gary’s. The consciences wore suits. This would show how they different from the other characters and yet still an important part of the drama. We would also be able to visual show aspects of there personality. This means Gary’s conscious is good, so he wore a white suit and Damien’s conscious a black suit. Rehearsals Rehearsal started well with Alain and myself going though the first argument many times. The first argument we thought needed to build in aggression as it went on. We found this hard at the beginning because we found that we got very angry very quickly and needed to take it slower. This was a small problem and was easily overcome. After we had the basic of this scene, we moved on to the bench scene. This scene was hard to rehearse, and certain members of the cast did not help. Small arguments in the group made rehearsing slow and grinding. Out of all scenes, this one was the one that never really was rehearsed to maximum affect. Chris and Stuart, to major parts in this scene, had moments of inspiration that helped give a fuller picture of are story. About half way though the rehearsal time the group came to a discussion that the story needed a more conclusive ending. We needed to change the story and keep the scenes the same so it would not interrupt rehearsals too much. We decided that in scene 4 that Gary would die in the explosion and the final argument would be between Damien and the Dad about the blame. This would show the consequences of space and add to the drama. The explosion would be a red strobe light operated of stage and Damien and Gary would be blown on stage, with only Damien getting up and running any. This means we would have to put in new spin on the final argument so Damien would fit into the ending. We decided that if Damien were to come to see the Dad so it would be Damien trying to explain himself. This would allow Chris to show of his talent (which may not get shown in previous scenes) and allow me to say something different to a different person. The more rehearsal went on, the more we touched up the scene. Stuart’s contribution to the way consciences move and talk was a big help. Hussian, Alain and Chris’s determination helped finish the scenes kept it all going. Still, I don’t think we really got the park scene nailed. Piece 2 After we changed groups, the first thing we did was to decide how to make this piece abstract and surreal. Most of these ideas were covered in the ‘Initial Reaction to the Stimulus’. Sam and Alain played a major part in deciding how the play would actually work. We wanted to consider all the ways we could show space in a surreal way so this took quite a bit of time. Instead of just repeating what I said at the beginning the essay, basically we decided to have pieces of drama (with monologue’s and freeze frames) linked by a tableaux. Admittedly, I would have liked to try something a bit more, well adventurous but this seemed to fit the bill and with the right characterization would create gripping drama. The pieces of drama would involve to 2 conflicting character. The third person in the group would give a monologue while the others are in a freeze frame. After this the characters would return to a platform at the back of the stage and do a tableau reflecting what has just happened. There were 4 pieces if drama and to save confusion, we named the characters with one name, no matter what scene there in. Alain Branson Tony (Gangster, Brother, Teacher) Sam Jordan Harry (Gangster, Dad, Pupil) Leigh Turner Jack (Barman, Brother, Son) Scene 1: Jack is arguing with his Dad (Harry) about space. Jack is child that has had his own way most of his and it is only recently that his Dad had not been allowing him to go out. This sparked the argument. His dad is not over protective, but wants the best for his son. Jack is a typical teenager that is over emotional and arrogant. Sam played the Dad with depth and sternness, just like a real Dad and dominated the scene. I think I played the teenager well, remembering my constant arguing with my folks. The problems with playing a teenager is that in and argument they have limited vocabulary and generally say the same thing over and over. Anyway, I think this was a strong scene that set the standard for the rest of the play. Scene 2: Harry (a schoolboy) is arguing with his teacher (Mr. Tony) about a detention. Harry has been having a few family problems at home and this has crossed over into his schoolwork. This has lead to Mr. Tony having to give him a detention. The argument consisted of Harry trying to explain the situation to the teacher. Sam once again pulled of a very good portrayal of character, but due to the nature of the role was not the dominant character. Alain played an excellent teacher character, really showing talent a presence on stage. Once again, teachers are stubborn so not repeating yourself would have been hard, but Alain was very believable. Scene 3: Tony starts an argument with this brother, Jack. This is over how Jack gets more space and time off of their dad. This is the first time they have had an argument like this one and Tony is unsure how his brother will react. This leads to an argument, which neither of them gain the upper hand until the end, where Jack hits Tony. Alain was very convincing as the somewhat confused Tony, adjusting to the tone of the argument accordingly. I was not so good. I had trouble adapting to the level of aggression I should use in the argument. Scene 4: Two rival gangster have an argument over, wait for it, space and end up shooting each other. The two have a violent history and this is the final straw. The initial meeting takes place in a bar where Tony is enjoy a drink with barman. Harry walks in and the argument between the two eventually leads then to a shot out. Once again Sam and Gary where very convincing drawing on there past experience of gangster roles. I really took a minor part in this scene, letting the gangster create the drama. I did show a friendship with Tony, but this was short lived and explored. This I think was the weakest of the 4 scene and was performed for the wrong reasons (i.e. they were both involved in gangster related drama during the writing stage). Set As you can see, we used a very ‘Brecht’ set, with very few props to speak of. This minimalist stage meant we had more space for acting and movement. ‘Brecht’ played a part in designing the stage because we all felt that a performance like this one needed a strong style so it separates it from other abstract pieces. Special lighting was not needed, so full house lights were used. Costumes We all decided to wear suits in all the pieces. This would make it more abstract and they a very versatile to the parts we played (teacher, gangster etc.) Rehearsals We had many rehearsals, which we managed to fit into a very short time space. We went through every scene in order constantly with very little variation. I would like to put a lot more detail into this but there was little else we did. We looked at the tableaux and changed them a few times till they represented each scene perfectly. The monologues were rehearsals a lot till everybody knew what everybody what going to say. Evaluation (of both) Both the performances went very well and very few mistakes. In comparison the two piece are different but with one on going theme. This is that they all show a single character’s problem with space. This allowed us to show how different people can react to space. This, however, lead to some of are character sounding the same. I terms of actual work, I think the last group I worked was dedicated than the first and wanted to get the work done more. As is said earlier, some scenes in the first performance I would have liked to go over a few more times. This I think can be related to the size of groups. Think you can get more work done if there is a smaller number in your group. You can concentrate more and work more in a complete group. In terms of plot, I think are first piece was better. This is not that the second piece had no plot, but I think the first performance was more gripping and kept attention better.