The #1 Quickest Way to Make Money As a Blogger

Do you spend countless hours trying to come up with the perfect topic for your blog? Do you also itch to find out if anyone left a comment or shared your latest post? If youre anything like me, writing for your blog is not a chore, but an exciting opportunity. Every month you come up with awesome blog posts and hope they reach your target audience. While most bloggers start off not thinking about making money from their blog, after a while they start to think maybe they can earn some cash by blogging. So, naturally you start to explore different ways to monetize your blog, but after six months youre finding what little money you are earning doesnt help pay the bills. Can blogging be a viable career choice? It can, but the traditional methods youre familiar with take a long time to blossom into steady income. According to Sue Dunlevie from Successful Blogging, it can take up to 6 months to make money with your own products, while affiliate products can take up to two months to see any profit. And heres what Amy Lynn Andrews has to say about this: I’d say give yourself at least 6 months before you start pulling in an income. And even then, it’ll most likely be coffee money. This isnt unusual for bloggers. For many, it can be up to a year after starting a blog to really see any profitable success. Stings, doesnt it? Heres Why You Arent Making Money Blogging There are many reasons why youre not as successful as other bloggers you know, but for today, lets talk about three core reasons why its easy to fail. 1. You Dont Think Your Blog is a Business Let me ask you this: When you first started blogging, what were your initial intentions? Was it to have a public diary of sorts? Or, was it to have a place to store all your ideas and tips? Maybe you just wanted to share your personal stories because you thought it would help someone out there. So, when you decided to start monetizing your blog, you werent in the business mindset. You viewed your blog as a hobby. A side project. If you truly want to be successful, you need to treat your blog like a business. This means you: Consistently publish content – theres no skipping a week or weeks when you want to make money with your blog Have a marketing plan – do you have a plan to generate more traffic? Do you have a plan to network with other bloggers to help grow your blog? Have multiple streams of income – do you have a product? Are you focusing on other projects in case your strategy to monetize your blog doesnt pan out? 2. You Have No Focus Sometimes bloggers lack focus and end up blogging about all their favorite topics. One day they write about WordPress plugins and the next they write about easy ways to include spinach in your diet. When you have no niche, youll struggle to have an audience. A niche – a topic or passion – is something top bloggers have and they exclusively blog about it. This is partly the reason why they can generate hundreds of shares and comments. But, dont you think readers will get sick and tired of reading about the same thing? Well no. People want to become invested in your blog and to do that they need to know what you primarily blog about. Take my blog for example. Im a freelance writer and blogger, so I tend to write about both those topics. I tend to write more freelance writing topics than anything else, but I know my audience is made up of more than just writers. I know bloggers and other WAHMs follow me. So, I do my best to include topics for all my audience. And since Ive been true to my word, my audience   knows what type of content I provide, which helps me grow my audience. 3. Blogging Takes Time Blogging is a gigantic commitment and many bloggers burn out. They either lost the passion they had to blog, or are battling bloggers block. If you truly want to make any kind of money , you have to invest in your blog like its a client. This is exactly what I do. I create a content schedule for my blog and one or two days a week I write my blog post, edit my post, find a feature image and package it up all nice and pretty before I publish it. I have to make room in my schedule for my blog. While my blog helps me land clients, I hope to leverage it in the near future once I launch my course for freelance writers. So, dont expect to have a huge following after blogging for a month. Creating great content and promoting your posts doesnt happen overnight. Now that you know the main reasons why your blog isnt making money, is there anything else you can do to earn a decent income without it taking a year? Theres definitely a quicker way to earn cash with your blog. Its the fastest way any blogger can earn big bucks. Your Ticket to Making Mounds of Cash With Your Blog The easiest and quickest way to start earning money from your blog is to offer a service. And since your talent is blogging, why not become a freelance blogger? Adam Connell from Blogging Wizard said: And its true. The average blogger will have much more success freelancing their blogging skills out than with trying to generate more traffic and promoting ads on their blog. For me, not even two months after I started freelance writing from scratch, I ended up landing a blogging gig for $100 a post. That month I earned $400. As a first time blogger, could you earn that much money from your blog in that amount of time? Okay, how can a blogger become a freelance blogger? What are the steps? My Quick Step Freelancing Guide for Bloggers You might think you need a degree or have amazing writing skills to be a freelance blogger, but you dont. Before I started freelancing, I worked as a teacher. My background is in psychology. As long as you know how to write for the web youll have no problems finding blogging gigs. Here are five things you can do in the next two months to land your first blogging client. In Your First Month One of the first things you can do is put up a Services page on your blog. You can title it Hire Me,   Let Me Help You or whatever fits your brand. Explain what type of services you can do. For freelance blogging you can offer: Editing Rewrites Copywriting Article writing Blog writing If you want to offer more than only content services, you can also promote other services like: Blog coaching ebook design Logo design Website design Social media management Blog management Try not to list a million services; I would stick to blog writing, editing and social media management as my main categories, and within each category explain what I can do for a client. Once you have a service page up, the next thing you want is to align your blog with your services page. I can quickly think of two blogs that brilliantly align their blog topics with the services they offer. They are Twelveskip and Quicksprout. If you find your blog doesnt lend well to this, you might find it a bit more difficult to leverage your blog for freelancing. This just means you have to work a little differently. For instance, you may find that your blog can lend you samples when you pitch. If your niche is parenting, use those blog posts as samples for your portfolio, rather than trying to fit your blog with your services. This is how freelance writer Lisa C. Baker used her blog about being a supermom to help her land freelance blogging clients. Finally, finish your month by landing guest posts in the niche or niches you want to write for. Target popular and niche-specific blogs. Be sure to give these bloggers your best content because their blog is seen by thousands more people than your blog. Before you submit your guest posts, work on crafting a solid author bio. Prospective clients will hopefully see your author bio and visit your services page to see what youre all about. In Your Second Month Now its time to source gigs. Places like Problogger and Blogging Pro have job boards for bloggers. Visit them daily and note any gigs that interest you. When you see a gig that really interests you, send your pitch. A pitch is an email that: Explains who you are (a freelance writer with expertise in your niche) Provides proof you are a writer (guest posts and your portfolio) Details your experience and skill set Showcases any noteworthy things (a feature on a popular blog for example) Most prospective clients want a blog writer that has written for blogs before, has a social presence online and can create awesome content. The more you pitch the better chance you have at landing your first client. If you build your brand and social media presence, you might notice prospective clients reaching out to you for content. This is only a quick step guide. To really leverage your blogging background, you would want a separate website with your services, like I have with Innovative Ink. But, that doesnt mean you cant start setting up your services page to see if you can land a couple writing gigs. Start Making Money As a Blogger Today Dont wait for an affiliate payout of only dollars. Start making money today by positioning your blog as a service-based business. If you need more help setting up your freelance blogging service, I have a free mini-course on Getting Paid to Write Online. Join the hundreds of aspiring writers and bloggers on learning how to get started with their freelancing. Now its your turn – do you find it hard to make blogging a success? Maybe consider freelance blogging! Tell me in the comments.

Blogs in Language Learning Analysis Essay

Blogs in Language Learning Analysis Essay Blogs in Language Learning Analysis Essay Example Blogs in Language Learning Analysis Essay Example The present study focuses on the innovative technique of efficient and constructive language learning, namely, the use of blogs with the purpose of enhancing qualitative writing skills. The issue of concern requires not only an in-depth insight into the available secondary data and its consistent analysis, but also a fundamental, diligent and perspective primary research. The given chapter discusses the major aspects, directions and tasks of the methodology of investigation. Enhancing Students Writing through Blogs Research Paradigm The focus of the study should be actualized by the means of proper and relevant choice of the research paradigm. This choice should be justified, since otherwise, the outcomes of the investigation will be unreliable and will lack credibility. The concept of the research paradigm is defined by Taylor, Kermode and Roberts (2007) as â€Å"a broad view or perspective of something† (p. 5). Moreover, Weaver and Olson (2006) define that â€Å"paradigms are patterns of beliefs and practices that regulate inquiry within a discipline by providing lenses, frames and processes through which investigation is accomplished† (p. 460). Hence, the paradigms align both conceptual frameworks and practical guidelines which tend to direct the course of research properly and purposefully. Actually, research paradigms predetermine how the researcher envisions the world in general and the issue in question in particular (Denzin Lincoln, 2005). Therefore, the research process, its direction and stages are predetermined by the chosen research paradigm (Guba Lincoln, 2000). Patton (1990) highlights that paradigms help to break down the multidimensional structure of the world in order to comprehend it better. Denzin and Lincoln (2005) classify the main categories of the beliefs which are considered to be the core elements of the research paradigms. There are ontological, methodological and epistemological categories. The notion of ontology is aligned with the issue of reality and the comprehension of what is real and what kind of reality it is. Epistemological approach is explicated as a branch of philosophy that focuses on the essence of the acquired knowledge and aims to identify the connection between the researcher and the known data. This approach relies on the acquisition and validation of the data. Finally, the scope of methodology deals with the process of â€Å"learning†, or acquiring new knowledge. Actually, the given classification was broadened by Lincoln and Guba (2000). The scholars introduced and discussed two other categories causality and oxiology (Lincoln Guba, 2000). The field of causality is connected with the state of the nature, whereas beliefs in oxiology r efer to the scope of value. The major functions of the research paradigms in terms of investigation include the following, according to Dills and Romiszowski (1997): a) to identify of the rules and laws according to which the world is constructed; b) to learn the ways to acquire, comprehend and validate the knowledge; c) to select and justify the approaches and methods targeted to acquire the intended data; d) to construct or restructure relevant academic space for the researcher; e) to provide relevance and significance of the acquired knowledge. The research paradigm that has been selected as the most appropriate and potentially efficient one in terms of the given research is pragmatism. The pragmatic approach corresponds to my beliefs and my set of ideas about the world, knowledge and ways of acquiring it. Therefore, it has been chosen for the given study. Goldkuhl (2012) defines the concept of pragmatism in the course of the qualitative research as a phenomenon that is focused primarily on â€Å"action and change and the interplay between knowledge and action† (p. 2). Hence, it is a multidimensional and complicated approach to the constructive qualitative research. It is essential to realize that pragmatics deals with a particular activity, and not just an observation or analysis of the monitored aspects. It is important for this study, as far as it provides the investigation with credible factual data and consequent reliable outcomes. Moreover, it is crucial to align the knowledge basis with the actions and experiments in order to receive objective results, which may be, consequently, implemented in practice. Pragmatism has been chosen, the outcomes which are supported by the empirical course are to be acquired. It means that the basic drawbacks and potential perspectives of the currently studied approach will be revealed in t he course of investigation, which will give basic direction and construct the scheme of the practical implementation for the given intervention. The emergence and the initial discussion of the pragmatics as a research paradigm is connected with the names of such scholars as Peirce, James and Dewey (Goldkuhl, 2012). To be more precise, the phenomenon is referred to as the American pragmatism (Goldkuhl, 2012). Nonetheless, the overall conception of the subject of the current discussion should not be restricted to the notion of American pragmatism, but regarded as a vivid embodiment of its particularly essential notions. Therefore, the further course of pragmatic framework development involves the European and East-Asian modes of pragmatic thinking. Goldkuhl (2012) underlines the core essence of the phenomenon of society which relies on action and motion. The same approach may be applied to its structure and interrelation between its constructive elements. Hence, the actions and alterations are considered to form the basis of pragmatism. Actually, the role of the actions in terms of the currently discussed research paradigm is i ntermediary. As Goldkuhl (2012) explicates, the actions are driving forces in terms of alterations in human existence. Furthermore, the scholar emphasizes that â€Å"To perform changes in desired ways, action must be guided by purpose and knowledge. The world is thus changed through reason and action and there is an inseparable link between human knowing and human action† (Goldkuhl, 2012, p. 7). Such approach reveals the unconditional connection between the theoretical and empirical dimensions of research. More precisely, the ultimate meaning of any ides should be analyzes through the prism of practical consequences and outcomes of the given conceptual entity. The differences in theory rely on the discrepancies in terms of practice. One of the central concepts of the pragmatic research paradigm is inquiry. This notion should be regarded as the controlled experiment within which new knowledge concerning the altered conditions and terms of a particular pattern of reality is created. Cronen (2001) defines this concept as â€Å"a natural part of life aimed at improving our condition by adaptation accommodations in the world† (p. 20). Thus, the major target of inquiry is to create new knowledge â€Å"in the interest of change and improvement† (Goldkuhl, 2012, p. 8). This constructive knowledge differentiates practical interventions from simple observation. It should be appreciated that pragmatism in general and inquiry in particular provide vast space and unlimited opportunities for the construction of a set of conditions for the experimental activity. Moreover, the selected approach gives the researcher a possibility to control and augment the conditions, if necessary. It is important as far as the act ivity may result in unexpected ramifications, and, therefore, the whole study setting should be adjusted. Since the scope of pragmatics is broad, there are three main kinds of the chosen research paradigm, namely, functional, referential, and methodological approaches. Functional pragmatics centers on the constructive data, which is acquired through the course of investigation. Moreover, this approach regards knowledge as the basis of actions. Referential type of the pragmatic research positions the notion of knowledge above the significant stance of the actions, whereas methodological kind of pragmatism refers to the processes and peculiarities of knowledge acquiring. The active role of the investigator is highlighted. Such classification of the kinds of pragmatics confirms the pluralistic attitude to the research demonstrated by the adherents to the given paradigm. Hence, the given discussion supports the choice of the research paradigm, as it provides proper conditions that set a constructive experimental scenario, which is expected to result in new knowledge, both theoretical and emp irical, concerning the actual role and efficiency of blogs and language learning. Research Design Design-based research. The next stage in the methodology discussion is the identification of the research design. The notion of research design denotes the way the investigation will be conducted (Harwell, 2011). More specifically, it includes such dimensions as the way the data is collected, the choice of proper instrumental methods and techniques for this purpose, and the tools that are to be incorporated for the subsequent analysis (Harwell, 2011). The contemporary approaches to educational research reveal serious inconsistency and controversy in terms of the alignment of theory and practice (Alghamdi Li, 2013). Neuman (2007) positions the concept of theory as â€Å"a system of interconnected abstractions or ideas that condenses and organizes knowledge about the social world† (p. 24). The scholars Alghamdi and Li (2013) state that it is constructive to start a study with the theory and its profound and insightful investigation and continue the course with the implementation of the acquired outcomes. This practical activity may be either a preliminary test or an actual performance in terms of the educational process. Furthermore, one of the recent problematic issues within the educational research has been particular alienation of the focus of the study from the routine aspects of the daily teaching practice (Sari Lim, 2012). Basically, the roots of the given problem are based on the tendencies of the last decade during which the investigation course is conducted â€Å"about education†, i.e., about generalized issues, challenges and drawbacks, but not â€Å"for education†, i.e., for the actual development of new theories, interventions and innovative educational tools (Juuti Lavonen, 2006, p. 54). Therefore, more practically relevant and in-depth insights, interventions and solutions are needed at the current stage of development of the educational research. As a direct consequence of such problems the educational scope of activity faces in the recent course of time, the alternative approach is necessary. The given study incorporates design-based research, since it closely relates to the pragmatism paradigm and properly aligns practical scale with theory. The design-based approach should be comprehended as a reaction and alternative solution in terms of prevailing tendency to use inefficient traditional methods (Alghamdi Li, 2013). As a result, such research methodologies have failed to align theory with practice so that the outcomes of the studies can serve as the guidance for qualitative adjustment and improvement of the routine practices of language learning. The appropriateness and efficiency of the currently discussed research methodology is achieved due to the fact that it â€Å"combines research, design, and practice into one process, resulting in usable products that are supported by a theoretical framework† (Bowler Large, 2008, p. 39). It is crucial to highlight that the given methodology is not new, as the actual and frequent use of design-based research has started recently, namely, in 1992. Two scholars, Collins and Brown, introduced and discussed this approach in 1992 (Alghamdi Li, 2013). The key constructive elements of this methodological approach include: the investigation of complicated and miscellaneous problematic issues by positioning them in the real contexts and under typical conditions; the known is aligned with the hypothetical and united with technological peculiarities in order to construct a credible and effective solution to the identified problems; consistent and grounded reflective inquiry is expected to provide new knowledge and practical guidance in terms of the issue in concern (Alghamdi Li, 2013). Actually, the design-based methodology relies on the prior knowledge and focuses on the conception and proper comprehension of the whole situation in the context of its complexity, real learning conditions and potential circumstantial drawbacks or challenges (Barab Squire, 2004). The overall purpose of the design-based research is considered to be to â€Å"address complex problems in educational settings† (Sari Lim, 2012, p. 2). Specifically, the given methodology aims to connect the conduct of proactive educational research with the development of new paradigms and approaches for the solution to the topical and controversial educational problems (Alghamdi Li, 2013). The paradigms and theories which are expected to be the ramifications of design-based research are domain theories, design frameworks and design methodologies (Alghamdi Li, 2013). The peculiar aspect of the given approach to the educational research is its combination of some traditional, basic aspects of research with innovative and authentic methodologies. The common characteristic features between this approach and others includes the research based on the participatory actions, ethnography, and experimental activity based on the positivist philosophy (Hoadley, 2011). Nonetheless, the authentic characteristic features are more numerous and influential. Alghamdi and Li (2013) identify such fundamental aspects of the design-based research methodology as â€Å"pragmatic, grounded, contextual, interactive, integrative, and flexible† (p. 5). Due to such features, the currently discussed research approach provides constructive refinement of the data, both theoretical and empirical. Thus, the outcomes of the study are grounded and theory-driven and there is vast space for contextual alterations of the terms of experiment, while it is processing, which allow s to provide plausible and objective results (Wang Hannafin, 2005; Alghamdi Li, 2013). Moreover, the researchers are actively involved in the course of investigation and the experiment is positioned in the real-world setting (Wang Hannafin, 2005; Alghamdi Li, 2013). The design-based research is to be conducted rigorously and in strict accordance to the instructions. Every phase should be documented properly. One of the most vivid examples of how the design-based research should be conducted is enclosed in the Reeves model (2013). This model identifies four phases: the course of analysis targeted to investigate major practical problems; relevant and constructive theoretical framework is involved in order to generate a proper solution to the detected problems; the solutions are evaluated and tested in the correspondent contextual setting; â€Å"documentation and reflection to produce â€Å"design principles† is employed (Cotton, Lockyer Brickell, 2009, p. 3). The stages presented above will be considered as a background for the present study. They refer to the main steps which are needed to acquire objective and credible results. Design-based research and EFL (English as a foreign language). There are diverse constructive methodologies on the current stage of the research tools’ development, but it has been decided to incorporate the design-based approach since it has the potential to discover the most relevant, perspective and potentially efficient guidelines for the improvement of conditions of learning English as a foreign language among Omani students. Reeves and McKenney (2013) state that design-based research is appropriate for the enhancement of language learning. Moreover, it is especially preferable for computer-assisted language learning (CALL) (Reeves McKenney, 2013). Nevertheless, the scholars also highlight that aligning design-based research targets with the issues of CALL is a complicated and challenging practice. The researcher is recommended to conduct an in-depth insight into the prior knowledge and previously performed experiments as well as to construct the whole setting and research program thoroughly. Abdallah (2011) supports the stance that modern technological progress has led to the ultimate necessity to re-conceptualize and introduce innovation to the basic notions of literacy. It is especially topical in the scope of language learning. The scholar discusses â€Å"a new generation of the Web that has been enabling new functions and possibilities for learning such as social networking, easy publishing online, and collaborative construction of knowledge† (Abdallah, 2011, p. 20). As a result, blogging has become one of the most popular networking activities. Moreover, many students contribute to the blogs. Hence, this activity will not be alien or unusual for the participants. It means the course of language learning will be located in the comfortable and constructive setting. The design-based methodology is expected to improve the efficiency of the intervention due to its proactive potential that provides such excellent opportunities as: Design-based research is considered to be perfect for the â€Å"development of robust effective interventions† (Reeves McKenney, 2013, p. 4). These interventions are tested during the design-based research according to such conditions as time, specific approach, balance between theory and practice, peculiarities of presentation and tactics, etc. These aspects are crucial for the EFL learning course. The currently discussed research presents an opportunity to give an answer not only to the question â€Å"Does it work† or â€Å"Is it efficient?†, but to respond thoroughly, fundamentally and extensively to the question â€Å"How can we make this or that approach work?†. Hence, the design-based research may even result in several positive solutions for the outlined issues. EFL needs alternatives in terms of practical language learning, since different students perceive and master foreign languages in their own ways. Therefore, the teacher is expected to construct multidimensional lessons with diverse interactive activities and possibilities for every student to comprehend the learning material, acquire new knowledge and skills according to the curriculum, and become capable to incorporate them into practice. The potential of design-based methodology is also expected to result in professional growth and qualitative enhancement of competencies. Moreover, Reeves and McKenney (2013) underline that design-based research â€Å"(DBR) has the potential to provide powerful insights for educational researchers, practitioners, and all others involved in a given initiative, driven by the data that flows from the various iterative cycles of testing and modifying the intervention† (pp. 5-6). Such active and aspiring role of the researcher provides not only plausible, objective and potentially efficient outcomes, but also significant perspectives for further improvement of the EFL learning. Participants The grounded and motivated choice of participants guarantees proper and efficient outcomes of the study. It is important to outline the age, competence level and location of the participants of investigation and ensure that the necessary quantity of the students participates. In order to eliminate any potential alterations, it is recommended to form a group of 12 students who will be contacted in case current participants refuse due to the unexpected reason. Selection process The selection process will be conducted in two phases: The participants of the study consists of four classes of the 11th grade. Every class will be approached as a separate case study that will be investigated under the similar circumstances and identical targets. To be more precise, the location of investigation will be the Omani basic education schools. The four classes will belong to the 11th grade and will be chosen out of 20 schools. The participants are planned to be chosen on the random basis. Two schools of the aforementioned location will be selected randomly, and then the focus of the study will be narrowed to four classes. In the case of lack of participants for the provision of grounded and credible study, it is necessary to apply for a special permission to invite more students. Firstly, it is obligatory to apply to the Ministry of Education in Oman to receive the permission to conduct the project with such purpose, scope and scale. Secondly, it is necessary to receive a personal permission of the parents of every student. The invitations will be sent via emails and thus the list of participants will be completed. Such random selection process is relevant in the context of the investigation as far as it will contribute to the objectivity of the final outcomes. Apparently, the participants will belong to different competence levels in EFL as well as to diverse social, racial, sexual and political strata. Since the research is not narrowed to any of the aforementioned criteria, it should be objective. The 11th grade is appropriate for the given research, as it corresponds to the age group of the students who use blogs actively, have decent experience in this activity, and experience diverse thematic criteria. The above-presented research is initial and generalized. It is planned to support the final evidential data with more specific and detailed inspections. Thus, four students out of four selected classes will be chosen for the further in-depth study. Such an approach will not only provide a more thorough investigation setting, but will also will permit to align the general ramifications of the initial study of four classes with the results of profound and targeted research. The students will be required to provide a relevant study with constructive details, which is impossible when there are 60 participants. Therefore, the most significant representatives of the constituting groups will be investigated based on their capacity and overall potential. These students will be selected on the basis of representative sampling. The criterion for the representation is a particular class among four groups that the participants belong to. It means that every student will represent a separate class from the Omani basic education schools. The choice of the representatives will be made relying on two types of evaluation, namely, a questionnaire and a pre-writing test. Every class will complete them, and the results will be assessed in terms of a) written abilities of the students; b) their confidence within the technological scope; c) educational experience and English language proficiency of the participants. The chosen students should demonstrate the most significant results in terms of the aforementioned criteria. These aspects are crucial in terms of EFL learning. Since every class will be selected from a separate school and every representative student chosen for an in-depth study will belong to a particular grade, the given method of s election will be incorporated into the research course in order to ensure a representative demographic sample. As an outcome, the given approach is expected to make the way of identifying EFL in-depth learners in the 4 classes effective. Data Collection and Procedure The data collection process will last five months starting from September 2016 until January 2017. The particular classes from the Omani basic education schools will be selected on the random basis from the 11th grade. Afterwards, the conference will be conducted in order to inform the students and the teaching staff about the ultimate purpose, tasks and major expectations of the planned study. Later, four students from each class will be selected for further insightful in-depth investigation. Every student will be asked for the voluntary agreement to take part in the research which investigates the use of blogs in the enhancement of the writing skills of EFL students. This step should be documented. The consent forms will be distributed to the students and their parents will be asked to complete them. This research will be collaborative, as the teachers will help the researcher in the process of the actual project. It is a crucial step, since the teachers know their students well. They are aware of the major problems, drawbacks and challenges in terms of EFL learning. These aspects are crucial for the process of research, as the design-based research permits to unite the theoretical basis of the investigators and the contextualized practical observations of the practitioners. The data will be collected by the means of the mixed method approach. It will involve multiple sources of evidence as well as augment the strength and validity of the whole study. A considerable and versatile amount of data is planned to be used in order to respond to the research questions and fulfill the ultimate purpose of the investigation. Pre-writing test. The pre-writing test is a generalized test targeted to reveal the general writing proficiency of the participants. This test will consist of 20 questions. Each question will address crucial aspects of writing proficiency correspondent to the 11th grade. The time provided for the pre-writing test should be 45 minutes. A close-ended questionnaire. The close-ended questionnaire should be offered to every participant of the study. It will be distributed at the beginning of the first week of the writing class. The major target of the given measure is to determine the IT skills of the participants, the actual level of their ability to write on their L2, and the overall educational background. Moreover, it is important to highlight that the data that will be gathered from this initial questionnaire, along with the outcomes of the pre-writing test, will be helpful for the selection of the four representatives of each class for a further in-depth study. It is recommended that the chosen participants contribute different levels of writing skills, technology confidence, overall educational experience, and actual competence of the English language. Such diversity in the selection process will guarantee a multidimensional focus of the study, since the research that will be consequently conducted may afterward s be applied to different categories of students. It is constructive as far as every class has diversity in terms of L2 proficiency, and this discrepancy often causes problems for the teaching staff. Interviews. The four participants chosen for an in-depth study should be subsequently interviewed. The interviews are planned to be conducted three times in the course of actual research, namely, at the beginning, in the middle and at the end of the investigation. The ultimate aim of the first interview is the establishment of the general context of the study. There will be ten guiding questions (Seidman, 1998). The second interview will permit the chosen participants to provide comments, detailed responses, description and reflection upon the whole experience of blogging in the writing class. Finally, the third interview is constructed to unite practice and theory in order to acquire objective outcomes. To be more precise, the participants will be given an opportunity to read texts. The readings will be chosen according to the results of the previous interviews and an approximately accessed level of every participant. Nonetheless, every level will be elaborate according to its poten tial. Furthermore, the readings will be followed by the open-ended questions aimed to provide more insight in terms of the overall experience and the meaning of this experience (Seiddman, 1999). The questions will be molded in a semi-structured form. They will include many topics, issues and prompts in order to encourage the interviewees to develop their responses well. Wallace (1998) suggests a constructive vision for such interview: it is necessary to unite â€Å"a certain degree of control with a certain amount of freedom† (p. 147). The responses of the participants will be recorded. Undoubtedly, such documentation is possible only after the parents’ permission. The cyclical nature of design-based research due to the availability of significant reflection provides an excellent opportunity to inform an action at each stage of the research. Such approach will ensure that data collection and analysis are constructive and ongoing processes. The aforementioned interviews are planned to be instructive, which means that every aspect will be discussed. The outcomes are expected to improve the use of blogs, since appropriate changes may be consequently applied. Introducing the students’ blog. Campbell (2003) identifies and discusses three different types of blogs which are used in the classrooms. More specifically, they include a tutor blog, a learner blog and a class blog (Campbell, 2003). Every type of blog has its proper purpose, function and expected impact on the learners’ efficiency in the course of learning. The currently presented research will use class blogs. Campbell (2003) defines this type of blogging activity as â€Å"the result of the collaborative effort of an entire class†. The students will be asked to set up their own pages in the class blog. Every page should be linked to the particular name. In such a way, it is easy for the researchers as well as other students to identify the author of every post. Furthermore, the students will be encouraged to use blogs for writing activities during classes. Thus, both class and home-based activities should be properly aligned. The study will incorporate the model for student interaction with the help of blogs developed by Campbell (2003), as shown in Figure 1. The participants of the investigation will be asked to use their blogs for several writing tasks simultaneously in order to contribute to the objectivity of the study. Thus, the tasks will include such activities as a) peer response; b) editing; c) revision; d) publishing; e) and writing as the core assignment. All the assignments will reveal peculiar aspects of the currently discussed online learning activity and will specify its core elements. Such multidimensional and interactive nature of the design-based research will help the teaching staff introduce the students to intervention, which is blogging experience targeted to enhance their writing skills. Moreover, it will motivate the students to participate, since they adore such online activities. As a result, this approach is expected to help the researchers keep the course of necessary and relevant alterations during the study. Furthermore, the investigators will become capable of providing continuous and constructive improvements to the research process as well as making necessary changes to the teaching practices and goals in case particular needs arise. Finally, the selected intervention guarantees excellent opportunities for proper critical reflections concerning the final outcomes of the researchers’ actions. Blogging Interaction Model Blog entries In order to maximize the overall usefulness of the blogs, which will eventually lead to the final results and newly acquired data concerning the research question, it is necessary to evaluate the complex and multidimensional tasks the students will be asked to perform. It is especially essential to assess the students’ responses to the use of weblog in their writing classes. For instance, every participant will be asked to post an article on a weekly basis. This article should cover the topics which have been discussed in class. Similar topics may be used by several students, but authenticity is strictly demanded. No group projects should be allowed at this stage of the study. Moreover, the participants will be asked to read their colleagues’ posts and comment on them. Furthermore, it is relevant to underline that the rhetorical functions of the students will positively contribute to the crucial aspects of particular learning strategies and EFL writing strategies in particular. Moreover, other documents should be collected from the students, except for their blog entries, such as writing assignments, critiques which will be acquired during the face-to-face conversations, peer interview sessions, drafts, and writing portfolios. Blogging will be used as illustrated in Figure 2 by Jones, 2006, for the following writing interventions: peer responding, editing, revising and publishing. Teacher’s journal This document is needed to keep a record of the actual teaching experience that will be acquired during the active learning intervention. It is crucial for the teaching staff to record the progress between the levels and identify students’ potential. The teacher’s journal should include ideas and thoughts, pedagogical experiences, feelings and emotional states, changes, mistakes, successful completion of tasks, fear or hesitation accompanying the conducted work, surprises and confusions (Merrian, 1998). Moreover, it will contribute to the overall pedagogical proficiency. The teacher’s journal will reflect on the process of applying blogs to the EFL writing classes and their effects, both short-term and long-term. These interventions should match the needs, interests and the development levels of the students. Furthermore, this methodology will help instructors of other disciplines to adapt and follow the general scheme of incorporating blogs into the curriculum. As a result, this journal will reveal a sequence of difficulties and drawbacks that the participants may face. Students’ reflective journals. Students should also maintain their reflective journals during semester. Every period will be reflected by the means of responses to the guiding questions. The preliminary list of the main questions was developed: Describe your thoughts/feeling and mood when you start your writing class? Describe your writing class today. You may talk about any difficulties/challenges/feelings (negative or positive) or any other thoughts you have struggled with during your writing tasks? Describe the class atmosphere today, the relationship between you and your teacher, and the relationship between you and your colleagues in the class. Post-test The final step of the course will be a writing test. This test will include the major topics and grammar aspects covered during the whole course. The purpose of the given test is to compare the four chosen classes in terms of their writing performance and the progress they have made due to the course. Especially, the effect of the chosen intervention of blogging practice will be addressed. Data Analysis A mixed method approach will be used for data collection in order to guarantee proper and relevant data subdivision into the following types: Qualitative data; Quantitative data. It is crucial to analyze each type of data properly. The quantitative type of data should be analyzed in terms of final results and their reflection of the progress made, whereas qualitative data requires a more profound analysis, comparison and further monitoring. Assuring Credibility of the Study The credibility of the study will be provided by the following aspects: Using a debriefed group of doctoral candidates. Such an approach guarantees academic excellence and reliability; Verification of the contents of the data that has been collected; Surveying the back-up group concerning the major aspects of the study and comparing the results. The aforementioned steps provide solid basis for assuring credibility as far as competent human resources are involved in this process, and the approach to the assuring of credibility is constructive. Ethical Considerations Ethical considerations are the major milestones of the formal side of the study. One of the most important points in terms of ethics is responsibility of the researchers. To be more precise, the consideration of responsibility should be regarded on the multiple levels such as relations with colleagues, students and professionally relevant establishments. â€Å"Ethics education can enable scientists to place their positions into a logical framework from which they can look for consistent approaches to related problems.† (Stern Elliott, 1997). Moreover, the study guarantees confidentiality of the participants’ personal data. It is important to make an emphasis on this particular aspect during the conference in order to highlight the serious scientific approach the researchers follow during their investigation. Along with such, the whole research will be conducted on the voluntary basis, and thus permissions and consents will be provided and documented. Every stage of the study should be discussed beforehand and orient on the parents of the students. Therefore, the study will not interfere with personal and human rights of the participants. Respect for these freedom and rights demonstrate the level of proficiency of the work done. Limitations of the Study It is also essential to form the supportive list of 12 potential participants who will be involved in the case of unpredictable changes. The list will be formed either relying on the personal data of the attendants of the conference, or via the emails provided by the schools’ authorities, as described above. Moreover, it is appropriate to underline the limitation caused by time constraints and potential participant deviation. Furthermore, the possibility of generalization is also a crucial limitation when the outcomes of the study are transferred to another similar context (Lincoln Guba, 1985). Time constraint does not provide a possibility to investigate a big quantity of the participants during a long time period in order to verify the preliminary research outcomes. Furthermore, generalization may become a direct reason of lack of meaningful details and supportive aspects of the whole experience of using blogs at the classroom. The Strengths of the Study According to Shenton, â€Å"the qualitative investigator’s equivalent concept, i.e. credibility, deals with the question, â€Å"How congruent are the findings with reality?† Lincoln and Guba argue that ensuring credibility is one of most important factors in establishing trustworthiness† (Shenton, 2004). The study contributes to the fields of linguistics, methodology and the contextual development of IT. Moreover, the sample approach to learning that has been developed and tested in terms of this study may be successfully adjusted and used in other disciplines. Hence, the congruence of the study is high, especially in terms of the EFL learning, is significant. The reason is the course of linguistic study and perspectives for the given context. Therefore, the reliability and credibility of the results is considered to be the most significant strength of the study. Moreover, it is a multidimensional academic experience that unites innovation and profound knowledge.

Strategic marketing plan Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4500 words

Strategic marketing plan - Research Paper Example The National Taiwan Craft Research Institute (NTCRI) is a renowned organization in Taiwan and its marketing division has been chosen to handle this project and promote the new product. This paper presents the detailed marketing plan for the promotion and launch of the new product, the analysis of the target market and the competitors of the NTCRI. It also mentions the indicators by which the organization would be able to measure the performance of the product after it has been marketed. Table of Contents International designers are increasingly showing inclination towards utilising the concepts of traditional arts. Therefore the perspective of the local culture of Taiwan is gradually moving towards occupying the position of an essential cultural element among the future designs of various modern day applications. This paper presents a plan for the development of a drinking cup based on the design of the traditional ‘Linnak’ used by the Paiwan tribe. The ideas of the Linn ak and the cultural connotations associated with the product evoke innovative sense of marketing among the modern marketers. The National Taiwan Craft Research Institute (NTCRI) is a renowned organization in Taiwan and its marketing division has been chosen to handle this project and promote the new product. ... ts 3 Rationale of the artistic product 4 Company overview 4 Overview of the new product 5 Product design 5 Relationship between the product and the NTCRI 6 Internal situation 6 Strengths 6 Weaknesses 7 External situation 8 Pest analysis 8 Opportunities 10 Threats 10 Analysis of target market 11 Competitor analysis 12 Marketing strategy 13 Marketing objectives, strategies and actions 16 Performance indicators 17 Conclusion 17 References 18 Rationale of the artistic product Taiwan is rich in cultural heritage and a new product has been chosen which would be introduced to the market for handicrafts in the country. This product would be marketed through the NTCRI. The product is a drinking cup designed with ideas borrowed from the rich cultural heritage of the country. The original product is a special traditional wine-drinking cup made of wood and consisting of one or more cups. The Linnak is very closely associated with the wine drinking culture of the tribe as a part of their sacred r itual. The number of cups in this drinking container (carved out of one single log of wood) signifies the speciality of the event in which the cup is used. If there is only one cup in the Linnak, it implies that the cup is meant for use by the chief of tribe in the special event. Two-cup or three-cup versions of the Linnak are also used in certain social events in the tribal society, such as, marriages and festive ceremonies, in which the people that share the cups of the Linnak to drink rice wine share a deep bonding. In marriages, the husband and the wife sharing the drink from the two-cup Linnak are bound by a loving relationship; in other social events, people that drink form the same Linnak share warm feelings among one another (Lin, 2007). The design of the Linnak has been found to be

706 week 13 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

706 week 13 - Assignment Example Some factors, however, cannot be measured or observed and this means inability to use evidence and data. Consequently, tuning in to the edge and intuition that offers a better understanding of factors for informed decisions is necessary. Tuning to the edge and intuition also offer a deeper understanding of the factors and integrating them with evidence and data that often identify relationships and their significance offers strong base for decision-making (Kerfoot, 2005). Turning to the edge and intuition, unlike sole reliance on evidence and data, also allows for generation of the ‘dissenters’ that are necessary for effective decisions (Pittman, 2013). Intuition played a role in my professional life when I identified unusual behavior in a colleague. His attitude had suddenly changed and he appeared stressed up. I imagined possible effects of his condition on his practice realized that he a risk to his patients through mistakes in care delivery. I decided to talk to him about his condition and convinced him into attending a counseling session. He later confessed the possibility of administering wrong medication during that period in which he was depressed. A possible dissenting voice to my project is that a free environment, in which practitioners enjoy autonomy over their approaches to care instead of such regulations as JNC guidelines, promotes creativity and can lead to better health outcomes. Need for tuning to the edge and intuition as well as dissenter concept could trigger opposition. Pittman, B. (2013). Bob Pittman of clear channel, on the value of dissent. The New York Times. retrieved from:

Sensationalism Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Sensationalism - Essay Example Sensationalism in its practice is not a new concept as such. The practice has been around going back to early humans. The act of storytelling and narrations were often related and focused on sex and conflict. According to Gaudreault et al. (2012) sensationalism per se is not a new phenomenon but has been there for long only that the term is new. Denotation and connotation are terms that are used to convey and also differentiate between two separate kinds of meanings of a particular word. In media reporting, denotation is regarded as first level of analysis; this is primarily what the target audience can visually view on the page. Often, it refers to literal meaning, and avoids any elements of metaphor. Denotations are occasionally coupled with connotation, which forms part of the second level of analysis. Connotation is symbolic nature of a word, things or attributes that are triggered by a word, ideas and notions suggested or even associated a particular word. Connotations are associated with emotions and feelings. According to Durham & Kellner (2005), connotations vary depending on the context and the individual understanding of the word. A single word can bring different emotions, ideas and feelings to different people depending on their personal experiences. Sensationalism in itself is largely controlled by denotations and connotations but often in the wrong way. The application of connotations particularly is largely depended on the context and the target audience. If one decides to intentionally ignore this consideration, then they are likely to send out the wrong information. While sensationalism is not completely a negative tool to be used in the media and journalism, it matters when it is applied in crucial situations. In an online article on The New York Post by Fears (2014) the writer gives a headline concerning construction of a "mosque† at the centre of the ground zero. In real sense,

Leadership As Construction Of Meaning Philosophy Essay

Leadership As Construction Of Meaning Philosophy Essay As human beings it seems necessary for us to try to put meaning on things to have a better understanding of our world. This process of making sense fulfills our fear (conscious or not) of not controlling our life. Sensemaking is a natural, ongoing and endless process. It implies trying to structure the unknown (Waterman, 1990, p.41) or making something sensible (Weick, 1995, p.16). Sensemaking requires three basics elements: frame, a cue and a relation between these two. Frame of references represents the past moments of the socialization whereas cues are the present moments of experience. The relation between these two must be plausible to extract meaning. Because sensemaking is not just a process as understanding, interpretation or attribution, it requires grasping the seven properties of sensemaking. Indeed, Weick sees sensemaking as a process that is grounded in identity construction, retrospective, enactive of sensible environments, social, ongoing, focused on and by extracted cues, and driven by plausibility rather than accuracy (Weick, 1995, p.17). Identity is a dynamic concept in continual redefinition. In fact, depending on the situation, we adapt our identity. For instance, my identity with my teachers is not the same than the one that I adopt with my friends. As a result, my identity is different according to the different sensemaking of the situation. However, all of those adjustments develop my frame of references. We extract meaning from cues by regarding our frame of references. In this way, sensemaking is a retrospective process: how can I know what I think until I see what I say? (Weick, 1995, p.18). If I take for example the situation where I hear the ambulance siren on the street, I will suppose that there is an accident in the neighborhood. Thus, I understand this stimuli (the siren) by isolating the cue and put off meaning from it. Nevertheless, it is only because I have already experienced it (and so it is on my frame of references) that I can make sense of it. Despite of it, we have to be also conscious that our attention of past events is influenced by what is occurring now, by the new situation and what I am now. This process is reinforced by social interactions. Human being is social so we need a common understanding to interact with each other. Those interactions influence our frame of references because we need a shared meaning to understand each other. One other interesting fact on Weicks theory is the role of interruptions. Since sensemaking is an ongoing process, we always find ourselves in the middle of complex situations which we try to disentangle by making, then revising, provisional assumptions (Weick, 1995, p.43). Consequently, we need interruptions on our projects to understand. Interruption is a signal that important changes have occurred in the environment (Weick, 1995, p.46). So, it forces and facilitates a time of reflection. A focus on environment is also necessary. In fact, we often forget that we are a part of our environment. Of course our environment influences our sensemaking but there is no single fixed environment. In other words, we also influence our environment by our actions. More than that, we create environment when we try to adapt ourselves to it. It is a mutual influence. To conclude, what is extracted as cues is not pre-given, but is contingent on context, frames of reference and actions. However, sensemaking is not about truth; sensemaking is about the embellishment and elaboration of a single point of reference or extracted cue (Weick, 1995, p.57). We just need something plausible, that makes sense for us. What is necessary in sensemaking is a good story (Weick, 1995, p.61). question 2: Management of meaning Leaders are entrepreneurs of meanings (Popper, 2011). This expression illustrates the main leaders role in the organization; leader must be a sensegiver. Also called the management of meaning, this activity consists in trying to influence followers understandings. Leader must convince his or her followers to embrace a new vision. In order to fulfill this mission, the leader should first provide directions, which could disconfirm the existing understanding. Consequently, the leader has to create a picture, as inspiring as possible, to motivate them. It is necessary that the followers integrate that the current position is wrong or not enough, and that they need to move in another direction. The leader would personify the guide to this desirable future. In spite of it, the leader could also use the bracketing process in order to enhance the followers perception of the organization. This could take the shape of labeling which convey the meaning of competition with other organizations. This strategy will improve the team spirit within the followers. The other solution for the leader could be using symbolic actions. In other words, by the management of meaning the leader legitimate his or her position. However, the main purpose remains to communicate a message to the followers. Those who succeed are the one who frame and define the reality of followers. As a result, those who fail are the one who did not communicate effectively. Several raisons could be mentioned. First of all, the leader and the vision are interrelated. That implies that if something goes wrong, that is the leaders responsibility. Nevertheless, in this particular case, the leader did not fail in sensemaking, just in business decision. So the real failure in management of meaning occurs when followers do not accept to be led by the leader or when they abandon him or her. The main mistake in this situation comes from the communication of the message. Indeed, the leader did not embody correctly the story that she or he relate to his or her followers. Moreover, it could also stem from that the new vision is too much in opposition with the collective frame of references. Consequently, there is no more shared meaning, necessary for a shared action. Indeed, all organizations depend on the existence of shared meanings and interpretations of reality, which facilitate coordi nated action. The actions and symbols of leadership frame and mobilize meaning (Bennis and Nanus, 2004, p.37). In those circumstances, it is quite impossible for the followers to extract the meaning of this new vision. As Bennis and Nanus express: the management of meaning, mastery of communication, is inseparable from effective leadership (2004, p.31). More than that, you lead by voice (Bennis and Nanus, 2004, p.137). If nobody could hear you, nobody will follow you; that is why management of meaning is necessary to lead effectively. question 3: Role of the followers in leadership The relationship between the leader and followers is dynamic. This relation illustrates an implicit contract between these two; the leader assumes all responsibilities if followers accept to be led and the other way round. This contract cannot exist without the mutual consent of both parts. Each of them needs the other to exist; and consequently each of them influences the other. Both are active sensemaker and sensegiver. As a result, leadership comes out as the product constructed by the leader and the followers. Though followers are often underestimated in the leadership, according to this dynamic relationship, they seem to have a role to play. Followership appears as an active role of followers play in shaping the interdependency of leader/followers interactions (Crossman Crossman, 2011). Any leader could exist without followers and no action is possible without followers. The role of leader is, in this way, to influence followers to move into action; but to reach this goal, lead ers need to make sense. This process is called the management of meaning. An essential factor in leadership is the capacity to influence and organize meaning for the members of the organization (Bennis and Nanus, 2004, p.37). As consequence, leaders are responsible to manage meanings into the organization, express it. Since followers have their own frame of references, they will not follow any type of vision. They require finding meaning in the leader vision. In other words, followers influence the way of the leader makes sense and so the leadership. Consequently, the leader has to adapt himself or herself to the collective frame of references; and so fit to followers expectations. To be in harmony with followers expectation, the leader should reflect about the main motivations of the followers to be led. Three principal explanations are formulated: the search for safety, someone responsible of the consequences, and/or someone as a prototypical of the group. As a result, the leader must shape structure to comfort followers, enunciate goals to motivate them and finally take all the responsibility (and so the risk) to fulfill the requirement of safety. In other words, leader has to act as a guide. The only way to embrace this role is to create a picture as inspiring as possible. Leader has to provide a plausible meaning in a complex environment and so he must make sense of an uncertain situation that initially makes no sense (Weick, 2009, p.9). To reach this goal, leader owns several supports as symbols, using cues and bracketing them or fit with the collective frame of references. Those will help him or her to get going the collective action. Indeed, since sense making is social, shared understanding is required to a shared action. To conclude, followers practice an important influence on the leadership. In fact, leader has to convince followers to be led. Consequently, followers appear as the judge of the leadership and allocate the legitimacy of the leader. As a result, leader has to remain in harmony with the collective frame of references in order to provide a common meaning and so to enhance the collective action. Leadership involves just three things a leader, followers and a common goal (Bennis and Thomas, 2007 p.137). qUESTION 4: Leadership as a multi-communicative activity We are living in a complex world where any situations could support a multiplicity of meanings and counter stories. The circumstances are the same in an organizational level. (FACE A) Face to this condition, leaders create meaning out of events and relationships that devastate nonleaders (Bennis and Thomas, 2007, p.17). Leaders are expected to give sense in those situations; we see them as sensegivers. To reach this purpose, leaders have to bracket the experience. In other words, they isolate small piece of experience (called cues) and put off meaning from them. After that, leaders can suggest a meaning. Leaders articulate and define what has previously remained implicit or unsaid; then they focus for new attention (Bennis and Nanus, 2004, p.37). To reach this purpose, leaders own a toolbox to convey effectively this new meaning. The most common tool remains speaking. Most of the great leaders that we know were famous for their ability to speak. In fact, leader and orator are often confused. Linguistic intelligence (Gardner, 1996) appears as a necessary skill. However, master rhetorical speech allows leaders to convince people with words but also with the way of delivering the speech. In fact, in this type of speech, the ton of the voice fit the state of mind of the leader and so attention of the message. The aim is to convey emotions and feeling in order to give life to the leaders vision and so motivate followers in their way. To be as convincing as possible, leaders have to embody the story. That implies relating personal stories, full of example and illustrations. Because they truly believe in what they say, leaders are authentic and so more convincing. They are a prototypical of the group and an exemplification of the message which suppose a strong identification to them. This would increase leaders legitimacy. Leaders could be seen as an actor who embodies perfectly the story. In fact, a lot of comparisons are made between performing leadership and theatre. This tool of performing is often assimilated to drama. In this way, metaphors are required to create stronger meaning. Indeed, metaphors highlight certain interpretations and in the same way hide others. Consequently, theories, building on unspoken metaphors, guide our perception and understanding. Performing also suggests enactment of leaders. Moving, use gestures, screaming but also use the silence is required to create emotions to the audience. Performing is a co-production between leaders and followers; each of them has a special role to play. So, highlight the main points of the message makes the audience react to it. Consequently it will improve the audiences involvement. Finally, using symbols adds power to the message. In fact, the message must be clear and easily understandable in order to touch everyone. Pictures, illustrations and symbols make it more shareable; and collective action is only possible with a shared meaning. All things considered, leadership is a multi-communicative activity. Leaders have choice concerning the way they want to convey their message. However, one important thing needs to be kept in mind: communication leads to community, that is, to understanding, intimacy (Rollo May). question 5: Frames of references both enables our sensemaking but in the same time restricts our sensemaking Frames enables people to locate, perceive, identify and label occurrences in their lives and world. Frames of references are shaped by experiences, values, education, knowledge and interaction with others. Sensemaking is an endless process because of the continuous flow of experiences. Thus, our frame of reference is modified and developed all the time. More you see, more you know express that frames of references enable our sensemaking. In fact, as I have said before, sensemaking is a retrospective cognitive process. More you experience, more developed is your frame of references and so more you put meaning off different situations. In the organizational life, frame of references has several functions. It could act as unwritten rules. It is a way of control because it implies all the shared assumptions about expected norms of organizational behaviour. But it could also be a cognitive structure which shapes theories of action, the appropriate way of doing business. Moreover, frame of reference in the organization could reflect the tradition and consequently bring the vision of the society and its values. All of these aspects of organizational frame of references enable our sensemaking because of a shared meaning. It allows order and to work efficiently within the organization. But, on the other side, frames of references could also restrict our sensemaking. In fact, it directs our attention. The way we percept stimuli appears biased. So, frames of references influence how we bracket cues and how we extract meanings from it. In short, frames of references limit our search for alternatives which constraint our expectation; and so restrict our sensemaking. Plus, our frames of references are more often reinforced than reformed. Indeed, more your frame of references is developed, harder is to question your behaviour and so think differently. Unfortunately, it works exactly the same on an organizational level. That explains why a lot of companies are afraid of taking risks. Risks imply change in the frame of references and so could decrease the legitimacy of the leader if it goes wrong. However, in our complex world, companies have to think different. Nowadays, the aim is not just profit anymore, but more stay competitive. In fact, the competition is harder than ever and crushes the ones who did not adapt themselves quickly. As Porter said: the firms must take out a distinct position from its rivals. Imitation almost ensures a lack of competitive advantage and hence mediocre performances. But, in so many cases, leaders forgot that they could also influence their environment. In short, by thinking different (and so make the difference) companies influence their environment and so their competitors behaviours. As a conclusion, frames of references are essential and necessary for order and clarity in any type of organizations. They represent shared, relatively coherently interrelated set of emotionally charged beliefs, values, and norms that bind some people together and help them to make sense of their worlds. Frames of references enable our sensemaking but, on the same time, can restrict it. To avoid it, we have to learn thinking outside the boundaries. We have to keep in mind the Albert Einsteins quote: Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results. question 6: Clintons Human Rights Day Speech Rhetoric in the most general sense, is the energy inherent in emotion and thought, transmitted through a system of signs, including language, to others to influence their decisions or actions (Kennedy, 1991, p.7). Based on this concept, I will proceed to a rhetorical analysis of Hilary Clintons Human Rights Day Speech. Nevertheless, I want draw attention in the fact that it is a personal analysis. In fact, because of my own frame of references, I have particular expectations and interpretation of this speech and its subject; and it must bias the meaning that I could extract from it. I have also to take into account that is a celebrative speech. The point of it is to celebrate a special event, so it will influence the style of arrangement. However, Hilary Clinton has decided that is a good occasion to go over a simple celebration and argue also for the LGBT rights. In fact, just the first part of her speech is about celebration. Generally speaking, this speech is well written and arranged. In fact, it follows the fundamental aspects of rhetoric with differentiate parts as the exordium, the narratio, the probation, the refutation and the peroratio. Moreover, she decides to appeal to the audience by using pathos which awakening the emotions of the audience by employing the violence vocabulary and the protection and progress vocabulary. Hence, her speech is based on opposition. First of all, I could observe the introduction (or exordium) at the beginning of the speech. This part must be shortly and create sympathy to the audience. Here Hilary Clinton expresses it by some salutations as good evening and with humbleness deep honor and pleasure. She also explains the reason of her speech: the anniversary of one of the great accomplishment of the last century. It is a direct introduction since it is not a sensitive subject to talk about, just a celebrative speech. Consequently she has no need to present the subject in a more subtle way, nor introduce herself because she is already known by the audience. Secondly, her statement of facts (or narratio), remains the background of the speech as a story chronologically ordered and strongly based on the WWII. She also employs some metaphors as step by step or barriers and some illustrations full of details to make it spirited. This war is the collective symbol of a real trauma concerning the Human Rights, so she uses it to arouse the interest of the audience and emphasize the importance of the subject. Furthermore, everybody recognizes how terrible some people were treated during this period and sees it as a violation of Human Rights. Thirdly, there is the opinion and proof (probatio). I find it interesting how she changes her way of speaking. Indeed, I can see that she speaks more directly because she now uses I and no more speaks about the past (the word now is often used). She is no more subtle and she expresses clearly her point. From now on, the vocabulary used is stronger and the ton more convincing. She also uses a lot of comparison which is a good way to bring out arguments. She adopts an inclusionary vision, in other words she wants to demonstrate that everyone should join the movement: this challenge applies to all of us. I have noticed some particularities in her probatio. First, she divides it with five strong arguments, clearly identifiable thanks to catchphrases as the first issue, the third or a fifth. But the most surprising point is that she mixes the probatio and the refutatio (refutation). Though it does not disturb the general comprehension, some extracts of the refutatio are too much accusing according to me and can reverse the expected effect of it because it goes against her request of tolerance, in some extent. Another important aspect of this part is situated at the end of this part. The last three paragraphs of the probatio are addressed to a certain part of the audience: to the leaders, to people of all nations and to LGBT men and women. In each paragraph, Hilary Clinton acts as a real leader and gives special directions. The point of that is to show that everyone has a particular role to play in this fight. None the less, I find it regrettable that she seems to reduce the implication of the LGBT population. In the last paragraph of her probatio, Hilary Clinton tries to comfort them with people around the globe are working hard to support you and to bring an end to the injustices and dangers you face. However it is unfortunate that she does not motivate them as she motivated the other parts of the population. Because of that, the LGBT must feel considered as powerless although it is mainly their fight, even if they need help from the others. Finally the conclusion (or peroratio) is one of the most important parts of a rhetorical speech. It is the occasion to sum up the arguments and request the audience to do something. As it is the crescendo of the speech, the way of speaking must be more dramatic. Hilary Clinton does not respect totally this aspect of the peroratio. One the one hand, she asks the audience for acting in favor of Human Rights and do not stay immobile. Plus, the fact that she employs us during the latest sentences highlights that it is a collective fight, and that team spirit is required. But on the other hand, the explanation of the implementation of current policies disturbs the rest of her speech. She requests for fight but also explains that a lot of policies adopted, as the situation is almost fixed now. To my personal point of view, this part of the speech would be more effective on the narratio, just after the background history. She could express after it that a lot of progress should be necessary to a full achievement. Moreover, her way of speaking appears a little confusing. In fact, she is now using an exclusionary vision by repeating several time right side as if there existed a wrong side on this fight. This change of vision obscures her message and what she expects from the audience. Essay: Based on the description of the two leaders as persons and their leadership, what I have learned myself that I would like to bring with me in my following career as a potential leader?

How Miller Presents Joe Keller as a Tragic Hero in All My Sons Essay

How Miller Presents Joe Keller as a Tragic Hero in All My Sons Joe Keller is a man who loves and values his family very much. Like most Americans he has given everything so he can have the big house, the fancy car and the bulging wallet. He has given everything so he can have the American Dream. Unfortunately for Keller, everything isn't as perfect as it seems. "All My Sons" is a very tragic play. It shows how a man can sacrifice everything including the honour of his name to make his family prosperous. This struggle for wealth and material goods involves Keller doing an awful crime because he wants his family to be wealthy. This is the cause of Keller's downfall. In "All My Sons" Miller examines the morality of a man who places his narrow responsibility to his immediate family above his wider responsibility to the men who rely on the integrity of his work. "All My Sons" shows Keller placing his family in front of society. At the end of "All My Sons" Keller disappears offstage and shoots himself. This is a very tragic thing to happen because all Keller wanted was a happy family. When Chris finds out that Keller, his father, had allowed faulty cylinder heads to be sent out of his factory, Keller proves to the audience that he wanted good to come from it by saying "what the hell did I work for? That's only for you, Chris, the whole shootin' match is for you" on page 102 and "For you, a business for you!" on page 158. This tells the audience that Keller was a very hard worker and that all the hard work he did was for his family. After hearing this Keller doesn't sound like a murderer or a killer at all. He sounds like a very loving and devoted father and husband who may have done something wrong but ... ...admires him for being able to wriggle his way out of a prison sentence. They admire him for how clever he was to lie and pin the blame on someone else. I think this is a very corrupt society and I think that is what Miller was trying to portray to the audience in "All My Sons". Miller wanted to get across to the audiences his views on American society. I think Miller writes about another broader tragedy in the play besides Keller's tragedy. This tragedy is the society we live in today and how nobody looks out for each other. It is all about the survival of the fittest nowadays. This is what Chris tries to stand up against throughout the play. Keller's tragedy in "All My Sons" is that he works so hard for the American Dream and at the end of the play he shoots himself. By doing this he is giving up everything he has worked so hard for over his life.

Euthanasia: Suffering and Powerful Pain Relief

One of the reasons that some people believe that euthanasia is morally okay is that if people with a terminal illness want to die, you should let them. Others will argue that life is a gift from God and that another human shouldn’t interfere with God’s will even if they are begged to help. An example of this is in the Bible. Thou shalt not kill is one of the Ten Commandments so it is therefore a fundamental tenet of the Christian and Jewish religions, but is it really murder?Euthanasia can help family members, relatives and carers to end the dreadful pain and suffering that their loved ones have to endure. It sometimes seems the kindest thing to do. However one could argue that with more powerful pain relief and dedicated hospices, pain should be controlled. Another reason against euthanasia is that in hospitals it could destroy the relationship and trust between the patient and the doctor. Also is it really fair to put the Doctor in the position of having to make such a key decision?Surely if God gave life then only he can decide when to take it back. The major argument against euthanasia in my opinion is that if it is legal it could be subject to a great deal of abuse, such as relatives not wanting to bother anymore or getting their hands on someone’s will. Even Doctors could be tempted to hurry along a patient’s death in order to harvest their organs for a younger patient. It is a bit like the argument for Capital punishment, what if you hang the wrong man, similarly what if the man who has been in a coma for years suddenly awakes?Life is precious and it should not be devalued and if taken to it’s extreme in the hands of a person such as Hitler, euthanasia could stop being a choice but something that is enforced. In conclusion I think euthanasia should be allowed as if people want to die and they cannot do it for themselves they should be given help to die with dignity, surrounded by their loved ones, in their own home, not in some impersonal clinic in Switzerland. At the end of the day I believe in freedom of choice.

The Cholera Epidemic of 1832

The Cholera Epidemic of 1832 The cholera epidemic of 1832 killed thousands of people in Europe and North America and created mass panic across two continents. Astoundingly, when the epidemic struck New York City it prompted as many as 100,000 people, nearly half the citys population, to flee to the countryside. The arrival of the disease prompted widespread anti-immigrant feeling, as it seemed to flourish in poor neighborhoods populated by new arrivals to America. The movement of the disease across continents and countries was tracked closely, yet how it was transmitted was barely understood. And people were understandably terrified by horrific symptoms which seemed to  afflict  victims instantly. Someone who woke up healthy could suddenly become violently ill, have their skin turn a ghastly bluish tint, become severely dehydrated, and die within hours. It would not be until the late 19th century that scientists knew for certain that cholera was caused by a bacillus carried in water  and that proper sanitation could prevent the spread of the deadly disease. Cholera Moved From India to Europe Cholera had made its first 19th-century appearance in India, in 1817. A medical text published in 1858, A Treatise On the Practice of Medicine by George B. Wood, M.D., described how it spread through most of Asia and the Middle East throughout the 1820s. By 1830 it was reported in Moscow, and the following year the epidemic had reached Warsaw, Berlin, Hamburg, and the northern reaches of England. In early 1832 the disease struck London, and then Paris. By April 1832, more than 13,000 people in Paris had died as a result. And by early June 1832 news of the epidemic had crossed the Atlantic, with Canadian cases reported on June 8, 1832, in Quebec and June 10, 1832, in Montreal. The disease spread along two distinct pathways into the United States, with reports in the Mississippi Valley in the summer of 1832, and the first case documented in New York City on June 24, 1832. Other cases were reported in Albany, New York, and in Philadelphia and Baltimore. The cholera epidemic, at least in the United States, passed fairly quickly, and within two years it was over. But during its visit to America, there was widespread panic and considerable suffering and death. Choleras Puzzling Spread Though the cholera epidemic could be followed on a map, there was little understanding of how it spread. And that caused considerable fear. When Dr. George B. Wood wrote two decades after the 1832 epidemic he eloquently described the way cholera seemed unstoppable: No barriers are sufficient to obstruct its progress. It crosses mountains, deserts, and oceans. Opposing winds do not check it. All classes of persons, male and female, young and old, the robust and the feeble, are exposed to its assault; and even those whom it has once visited are not always subsequently exempt; yet as a general rule it selects its victims preferably from among those already pressed down by the various miseries of life and leaves the rich and prosperous to their sunshine and their fears. The comment about how the rich and prosperous were relatively protected from cholera sounds like antiquated snobbery. However, since the disease was carried in the water supply, people living in cleaner quarters and more affluent neighborhoods were definitely less likely to become infected. Cholera Panic in New York City In early 1832, citizens of New York City had known the disease might strike, as they were reading reports about deaths in London, Paris, and elsewhere. But as the disease was so poorly understood, little was done to prepare. By the end of June, when cases were being reported in the poorer districts of the city, a prominent citizen and former mayor of New York,  Philip Hone, wrote about the crisis in his diary: This dreadful disease increases fearfully; there are eighty-eight new cases today, and twenty-six deaths. Our visitation is severe but thus far it falls much short of other places. St. Louis on the Mississippi is likely to be depopulated, and Cincinnati on the Ohio is awfully scourged. These two flourishing cities are the resort of emigrants from Europe; Irish and Germans coming by Canada, New York, and New Orleans, filthy, intemperate, unused to the comforts of life and regardless of its proprieties. They flock to the populous towns of the great West, with disease contracted on shipboard, and increased by bad habits on shore. They inoculate the inhabitants of those beautiful cities, and every paper we open is only a record of premature mortality. The air seems to be corrupted, and indulgence in things heretofore innocent is frequently fatal now in these cholera times. Hone was not alone in assigning blame for the disease. The cholera epidemic was often blamed on immigrants, and nativist groups like the Know-Nothing Party would occasionally revive fear of disease as a reason to restrict immigration. In New York City the fear of disease became so prevalent that many thousands of people actually fled the city. Out of a population of about 250,000 people, it is believed that at least 100,000 left the city during the summer of 1832. The steamboat line owned by Cornelius Vanderbilt made handsome profits carrying New Yorkers up the Hudson River, where they rented any available rooms in local villages. By the end of the summer, the epidemic seemed to be over. But more than 3,000 New Yorkers had died. Legacy of the 1832 Cholera Epidemic While the exact cause of cholera would not be determined for decades, it was clear that cities needed to have clean sources of water. In New York City, a push was made to construct what would become a reservoir system which, by the mid-1800s, would be supplying the city with safe water. Two years after the initial outbreak, cholera was reported again, but it did not reach the level of the 1832 epidemic. And other outbreaks of cholera would emerge in various locations, but the epidemic of 1832 was always remembered as, to quote Philip Hone, the cholera times.

Affirmative Action Essays (300 words) - Social Inequality

Affirmative Action Essays (300 words) - Social Inequality Affirmative Action Affirmative action works. There are thousands of examples of situations where people of color, white women, and working class women and men of all races who were previously excluded from jobs or educational opportunities, or were denied opportunities once admitted, have gained access through affirmative action. When these policies received executive branch and judicial support, vast numbers of people of color, white women and men have gained access they would not otherwise have had. These gains have led to very real changes. Affirmative action programs have not eliminated racism, nor have they always been implemented without problems. However, there would be no struggle to roll back the gains achieved if affirmative action policies were ineffective. The implementation of affirmative action was America's first honest attempt at solving a problem, it had previously chosen to ignore. In a variety of areas, from the quality of health care to the rate of employment, blacks still remain far behind whites. Their representation in the more prestigious professions is still almost insignificant. Comparable imbalances exist for other racial and ethnic minorities as well as for women. Yet, to truly understand the importance of affirmative action, one must look at America's past discrimination to see why, at this point in history, we must become more color conscious. History Of Discrimination In America: Events Leading To Affirmative Action. The Declaration of Independence asserts that all men are created equal. Yet America is scarred by a long history of legally imposed inequality. Snatched from their native land, transported thousands of miles-in a nightmare of disease and death-and sold into slavery, blacks in America were reduced to the legal status of farm animals. A Supreme Court opinion, Dred Scott v. Sandford (1857), made this official by classifying slaves as a species of private property. Bibliography etywetyety

Employee Voice Mechanisms and Their Outcome Essay

Employee Voice Mechanisms and Their Outcome - Essay Example The paper tells that employee participation is the extent to which the employees are involved in the decisions of the company. This might include joint meetings, bargaining as a group and representation of workers on the board, but all the power lies with the management only. Therefore Rose comments that Employee voice covers, "a wide range of processes and structures which allow and even empower employees, directly or indirectly, to contribute to decision making within the organization". Further, into it, the discussion will cover aspects of voice mechanism in detail and how the current methods of voice have changed. Also, the various outcomes of such voice mechanisms for the workers will be dealt with. Finally, Legal changes and methods of improvement will also be discussed. In the early part of the twentieth century, the management of the working class by F.W. Taylor took a very controlled approach, particularly in the field where the workers had to be divided into their specializ ations. To keep a check on the functioning’s of these employees the management engaged a number of hierarchical roles of authority so as to maintain discipline, order, efficiency and to inculcate within them a sense of duty and not to oppose the management in its decisions. Increased competition and technological complicacies require higher skills and a commitment strategy. So accordingly nowadays, the workforce jobs are designed to include the functions of the firm and include severe of planning. The focus shifted from self to the performance of the team, that is, shared goals and technical know how. Standards need to be improved by and by and the company considers the efficiency of the group. Also very important is the matter of giving the employees an assurance or a security that they would be heard on various issues.

Ancient Greek Philosophy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Ancient Greek Philosophy - Essay Example Thales was the person who grouped the similar weather conditions into seasons and he classified an year into 365 days. He had a good knowledge of geometry and worked with the lengths of the shadows. According to him " Place is the greatest thing, as it contains all things". His ethical sense about god is that god is transcendental, who has neither beginning nor an end. Further he defines a happy man as the one " who is healthy in body, resourceful in soul and of readily teachable in nature". He is one of the seven intelligent people of Greece who were called as the seven sages of Greece. The stories told by the Aristotle of any Tales assert that the reputation of any philosopher is same when tested for practical results. According to a story by Aristotle, as a philosopher he was considered poor and could not rely upon philosophy to earn a living. Then Thales with the knowledge of Astronomy predicted his future and got a solution to harvest olives in a large quantity. And when it was off season that it was winter, he couldn't get much of the crop and so stored them in Miletus and Chios. As there was no demand he gave small sum to hire the stores. Then when the right season came, there was full demand for his stored olive presses of money and thus he proved that with his intelligence he could become rich without struggling like others. And by being a philosopher he does not give importance to earn money. Cosmology doctrine of Thales, which was most famous belief, had declared that water is the source from which the world originated. Aristotle has equaled this belief to that of the idea of a Anaximenes a disciple of Thales, that "everything in the world was compared of air". Aristolte Metaphyphics explains in the bets form of Thales view. Every thing that exists emanated principally principle from a matter and it is compared of that matter and comes out from that and finally it ends up in forming the same matter last but the matter exists with some new transitional qualities which is called as element and it is the principle of everything. Also there must be some nature, at least one even two, from which the rest of the things come out and then they are preserved, and Thales say that the thing is water. But Aristotle's statements where not expected by the people and it raised some doubts that when an object changes, still contains it qualities or different qualities and how the change occurs from one thing to another, and the Thales affirmed that earth rests on water. He found out that every thing that is nourished, has moisture in it and the heat in a form of energy is obtained from this water and moisture. He considered as such by seeing the moisture in all the seeds, and water is the reason because of which to the world not as philosophy but as a scientific conclusion that " Water constituted the principle of all things " Thales of Miletus supposed that earth is in a rested state because it could float like wood and substances, which are similar to those whose nature is to be able to be to rest on water as against his doctrine that none of the things, can rest on air. He argued that the basis stuff the Universe is the one