Developmental Psychology and Early Childhood Education Essay

Introduction The first six years of life are critical years of human life since the rate of development in these years is more rapid than at any other stage of development. Global brain research also informs us about the significance of early years for brain development. Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) makes a positive contribution to children’s long term development and learning by facilitating an enabling and stimulating environment in these foundation stages of lifelong learning. Parents as caregivers are critical in providing a stimulating learning environment to the child and the first two and a half to three years need not be in a formal learning environment. The National Curriculum Framework acknowledges the significance of involvement of parents, family and community. The programme at the early childhood stage helps to ensure opportunities for holistic learning and growth. The ECCE programme needs to be determined by children’s developmental and contextual needs, providing for more need based inputs and an enabling environment. Given this need for an individualised approach, it was believed that a common ‘curriculum’ would not be appropriate for all. However, over the years it has been observed that the practical realities are different and most of the ECCE programmes on offer currently do not have developmentally appropriate programmes for the young child. The vacuum created by a lack of curriculum framework has resulted in its being filled with either a minimalist programme or the downward extension of the primary stage curriculum. To ensure optimal development for all children, there is a need to create a planned curriculum framework, encompassing developmentally appropriate knowledge and skills, with flexibility for contextualization. A curriculum framework is also required to ensure that important learning areas are covered, taking care of all the developmental needs of the young child. It also facilitates adoption of a common pedagogical approach to reach for a certain level of quality and address the widespread diversity in the ECCE programmes available for the young children in India. This Curriculum Framework is in line with the Government’s vision of ECCE as spelt out in the National Early Childhood Care & Education Policy and is a broad framework of basic guidelines for curricular goals, programme content, classroom practices, parent guidance 4 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012  and teacher preparation across different provisions and across all regions. The purpose of this open framework is to promote quality and excellence in early childhood education by providing guidelines for practices that would promote optimum learning and development of all young children and set out the broad arrangement of approaches and experiences rather than detailed defining of the content. A cautious approach is being adopted to not provide a detailed curriculum/syllabus which would be prescriptive and ‘delivered’ to the young children in a ‘straight jacketed manner’. The Curriculum Framework calls attention to the common principles and developmental tasks, at the same time, respecting the diversity in the child rearing practices and contextual ECCE needs. Each programme is expected to develop its own curriculum to meet the needs of its children, their families, the specific setting, the linguistic culture and the local community. However, the programmes should be based on the curriculum principles and guidelines laid down in this framework. This Framework is a dynamic document and would be continually reviewed and evolved in the light of emerging needs. Also, with the adoption of the framework, case studies of emerging best practices will follow and learnings from them would further strengthen the framework. This Framework is firmly focussed on the needs of the child and should lead to improved quality of learning and increased attainment of learning outcomes for children participating in ECCE programmes. The other components for the holistic ECCE programme such as nutrition, health and care are to be ensured by cross reference from related instruments. Objectives of Early Childhood Education The aim of Early Childhood Care and Education is to facilitate optimum development of the child’s full potential and lay the foundation for all round development and lifelong learning. This aim is to be achieved through enabling the child to: ? Develop a positive self-concept. ? Establish a sound foundation for a good physique, adequate muscular coordination and basic motor skills. 5 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 ? Imbibe good health habits and basic life skills/ self-help skills necessary for personal social adjustment. ? Enhance verbal and non- verbal communication skills which would facilitate expression of thoughts and feelings in fluent, correct, clear speech. ? Develop the five senses and cognitive skills and concepts which are foundation for higher order thinking and reasoning. ? Develop emotional maturity by guiding the child to express, understand, accept and control feelings and emotions. ? Imbibe values, social attitudes and manners important in his/her socio cultural context and to become sensitive to rights and privileges of others. ? Develop independence, aesthetic appreciation and creativity by providing child with sufficient opportunities for self-expression and active exploration, investigation and experimentation. ? Make a smooth transition from preschool to primary through development of emergent literacy and school readiness. Principles of Early Learning Learning begins from birth: From infancy children are mentally and physically active. They learn through all their senses and stimulations. Children construct knowledge: They construct their own knowledge or working models while they actively engage in their environment and through repeated interactions with people and materials. This simply means that children touch, taste, shake things etc. to find out what happens and learn about things in their environment. Children’s curiosity and desire to learn: Children are curious and eager to learn. They have an inherent need to make sense of their experiences and learn about the world around them. Children learn through play: Play is central to the child’s well-being and development Children’s spontaneous play provides opportunities for exploration, experimentation, manipulation and problem solving that are essential for constructing knowledge. Play contributes to the development of representational thought. 6 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 Child development and learning are characterized by individual variation: No two children are same. Each child has an individual pattern and timing of growth and development as well as individual styles of learning. Children’s personal, family experiences and cultural backgrounds also vary. Children’s learning reflects a recurring spiral that begins in awareness, and moves to exploration, to inquiry, and finally, to application. Any new learning by children begins with awareness, which is generated from their experiences with objects, events, or people and ends with utilization, where children are able to use what they have learnt for multiple purposes and apply their learning to new situations. At this stage children start exploring the next level of information and the spiral continues. Children need to experience success more than failure to form a positive self-concept: The experiences should be planned in accordance with the maturational level of the children, such that they are challenging yet achievable, so as to promote self-confidence. When children have confidence in themselves, they do better. They are eager to try new and harder things; they gain new skills and become more confident and capable. Children develop holistically and benefit from integrated experiences and education: Learning and development of children takes place in totality. All the domains of development i. e. physical, motor, cognitive, language, socio-personal, emotional and creative and aesthetic appreciation are interrelated and take place simultaneously. Curriculum Content The curriculum must address the following interrelated domains of holistic development through an integrated and play based approach which focuses on development of life skills. ? Physical and Motor Development: Gross motor skills; coordination of fine muscles with dexterity ; eye hand coordination; sense of balance, physical co-ordination, and awareness of space and direction; nutrition, health status and practices. ? Language Development: Listening and comprehension; oral skills/speaking and communicating; vocabulary development; pre- literacy/emergent literacy skills like phonological awareness; print awareness 7 and concepts; letter- sound Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 correspondence; recognition of letters; building words and sentences and early writing. Introduction to language of school transaction. ? Cognitive Development: Development of various concepts including pre number and number concepts and operations (knowledge and skills related to comparing, classification, seriation, conservation of space and quantity, one to one correspondence; counting); spatial sense; patterns and estimations in measurement; data handling; skills related to sequential thinking, critical thinking, observing, reasoning and problem solving; and knowledge about concepts and physical, social and biological environment. ? Socio-Personal and Emotional Development: Development of self-concept; selfcontrol; life skills/ self-help skills; habit formation; initiative and curiosity; engagement and persistence; cooperation; compassion; social relationships; group interaction; pro- social behaviour; expressing feelings, accepting others feelings. ? Sensorial Development: Development of the five senses through visual, auditory and kinaesthetic experiences. ? Development of Creative and Aesthetic Appreciation: Exploring different art forms, develop dispositions, expression and appreciation for artistic, dance/ drama and musical activities Physical & Motor Development Creative and Aesthetic Appreciation Language Development Socio-Personal Development Cognitive Development Emotional Development 8 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 ECCE is†¦.. †¢ A balanced play based programme of language, cognitive, creative and psychomotor activities A child centered programme catering to individual children’s learning &emotional needs through individual, small and large group activities and one to one communication. A school readiness programme which ‘readies’ children for learning to read, write and do arithmetic later. A programme which indirectly promotes self-control and thereby inner discipline in children through interactions. †¢ ECCE is not†¦.. A syllabus bound programme for teaching 3R’s nor ‘a song and a rhyme and go home’ approach. A teacher centred programme that follows formal classroom approach as in school A program for formally ‘teaching’ reading, writing and arithmetic, which is to be done in primary. Not a programme which demands unquestioning obedience or exercise strict classroom discipline †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ (Source: Kaul, V. (2010): Early Childhood Education Programme. National Council for Educational Research and Training) The ECCE programme should ensure ‘holistic development’ of the child and reflect the inseparable nature of care and education by comprehensively addressing the need for care, nutrition, health and well-being of young children and parent counselling along with supporting the development of all domains. The holistic development approach is vital for provision of interconnected and interrelated activities covering all domains of development. Suggestive Developmentally Appropriate/Age appropriate Activities for ECCE For Children Under 3 years ? Focus on health, nutrition and early psycho social stimulation through free play and a lot of adult child interaction. Eg. s. , (infant games, traditional songs & syllables, access to variety of play materials, individualized adult attention and interaction, opportunities to explore, early introduction to stories, infant books, drawings etc. ) in safe, spacious and clean environment. 9 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 For Children between 3 to 4 years ? Planned play based programme for all round development with more of free play. Continuous opportunities, more free but some guided, for adult –child, child to child Basic Tenets of Curriculum Development ? Based on needs and capacities of young children ? Recognition of special features of children’s thinking ? Mix of formal and informal interaction ? Familiarity and challenge in everyday rhythm ? Primacy of experience rather than expertise ? Developmentally appropriate practice and flexibility ? Use of local material, arts and knowledge which reflect the diversity and culture of the children. Source: Position Paper, National Focus Group on ECCE, 2005 interaction and interaction with play materials and environment through a variety of individual, small group and large group activities. ? Opportunities to listen to stories, learn rhymes, create, indulge in imaginative play, ask questions, do simple problem solving, experiment to promote active and interactive learning and generally have a ‘feel good’ experience for a positive self-image. For Children between 4 to 6 years Moving towards an increasing ratio of adult guided vs. free play activities, and more of large group activities for 4-5 year old and focused more on specific school readiness for 5-6 year old, with increasing complexity in all of above. ? Reading Readiness: e. g. picture –sound matching, shapes, phonetics; increasing vocabulary; verbal expression, developing bond with and interest in reading through picture books, storytelling, charts etc. 10 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 ? Writing Readiness: e. g. eye hand coordination, interest in writing, left to right directionality. ? Math: developing skills in classification, seriation, pattern making, reasoning, problem solving, forming concepts: pre number and number concepts and space concepts and vocabulary, environment concepts. ? Motor development: fine motor development through activities such as beading, pegboards and puzzles and large muscle development through running, jumping, balancing activities etc. ? Creativity and aesthetic appreciation: Creative drama, cultural activities, field trips etc. The programme should be relevant to individual and societal needs. The age demarcations are indicative and the activities have to be planned according to the developmental level of the children. Principles of Programme Planning ? ? ? The activities should be age and developmentally appropriate. Activities fostering all domains of development should be appropriately planned. The attention span of young children is 15-20 minutes; therefore the duration of activities should be 20 minutes, with additional time allotted for winding up and initiation of the next activity. However, the programme should allow space and flexibility for need based variations. ? There should be a balance between structured and unstructured; active and quiet; outdoor and indoor; self-directed and adult initiated learning opportunities and individual, small group and large group activities. ? ? ? ? The experiences should progress from simple to complex. A wide range of individual and group experiences should be planned which are related to the child’s environment, are enjoyable and challenging for children. Routine fosters a sense of security in children. Therefore some routine should be followed in the daily programme. The ECCE programme should never be rigid. 11 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 ? The duration of the pre-school programmes should be 3 to 4 hours. The programme should provide for some rest period during the day and if it is of longer duration, as a full day programme, then a nap time is to be ensured. ? Learning opportunities should be interconnected, linking learning experiences across developmental domains in a meaningful context, reflecting the real life context of the children. ? The language used should be the mother tongue of the child. Efforts should be made to extend their language sensitively and introduce the school language gradually to facilitate school readiness. ? Curriculum goal and objectives should guide classroom process and assessment of the children. The curriculum should be implemented in a manner that reflects responsiveness to family/ home values, beliefs and experiences. ? The programme should provide opportunities for exploration and experiential learning, promoting active engagement with people and objects in the environment. Outcomes of Early Childhood Education Curriculum Children who ? ? ? Communicate effectively Display emergent literacy skills, mathematical skills and scientific temperament Express emotions in socially acceptable manner, are socially adaptive and cooperative ? Have physical control, strength and healthy habits Pedagogical Approaches The curriculum adopts a play and activity based approach. Children are visualised as active beings who construct their own knowledge and the process of teaching –learning is one of co-construction of knowledge, with adults as facilitators. 12 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 Various approaches are practised for transacting the Early Childhood Education programme. Some commonly adopted approaches are: Montessori Method: This method is characterized by an emphasis on independence, freedom within limits, and respect for a child’s natural psychological development and is transacted through specialised sensorial material. Regio Emillia: Based on the work of Loris Mallaguzi, this is a constructivist approach which focuses on creation of a learning environment that enhances and facilitates children’s construction of their own thinking through the combination of communicative, expressive and cognitive languages as they engage actively with people, material and environment. Progressive Method: This is an eclectic approach which draws from the major child development theories. Recognizing the many paths of learning, latest researches and contemporary work lay the foundation of this framework. Thematic Approach: Integrated themes and projects form the core content of the curriculum. These themes should enable the children to make meaningful connections among the different concepts and develop holistic understanding of the world around them. The curriculum should be flexible and responsive to the needs of the children in the class. It is to be constructed to suit the diverse social, cultural, linguistic contexts in the country, and initiate integrated learning. A programme can adopt any of the above mentioned approaches to transact the curriculum. An integrated daily/ weekly/ monthly programme should be prepared with a well-rounded selection of learning experiences that strengthen all domains of development and are age and developmentally appropriate. The activities for different domains and concepts should be planned purposefully to enable a child to actively engage with and experience the concepts. These will help to consolidate the learning and lay the foundations for future. Caution should be observed to not equate the curriculum to just an exercise of organising activities, rather it should be viewed as a planned and purposeful intervention and adult child and child to child interaction to facilitate the process of knowing, understanding and construction of knowledge by the children. The aim of the curriculum should be to foster 13 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 development through integrated activities rather than mere completion of worksheets or repetitive exercises and activities. To address the needs of the large group of children in one class and multi-age setting, the strategy would be to conduct the activities in large group, small group and individual level. Essential Play and Learning Material In early childhood stage, a child learns through interacting with immediate environment hence environment should be stimulating and should have a variety of materials to arouse and sustain the child’s curiosity, interest and promote his learning. ? Adequate supply of developmentally appropriate play materials to foster all round development should be available at the ECCE centre ? The materials should be safe, clean and in good conditions. Sufficient quantity should be available to work in small groups and it should be easily accessible to the child. ? The materials should promote gross and fine motor development and help the child to discover and explore including constructing and reconstructing. It should promote sensory exploration and social interaction along with creative expressions through arts, painting, etc. Some essential play materials are Indoor Material o Blocks for constructive play o Manipulative toys 14 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 o Material for imaginative play /Dramatic play – dolls, puppets, masks, kitchen sets, mirrors, old spectacle frames, purses, old shoes, weighting scales, clock etc. o Material to develop Language skills – books and picture books, storytelling aid, puppets, story cards, sound board, conversation cards, flash cards, picture dominoes, collection of rhymes and stories, visual discrimination and auditory and visual association materials, slates, chalks, crayons, blackboard, drawing paper, etc. o Material to develop cognitive skills – sound boxes, visual discrimination cards, touch cards, feel bag, food items of varying kind to develop sensory skills, number domino cards, picture jigsaw and self-correcting puzzles for matching, sorting, arranging, classifying, problem solving, memory and sequential thinking to develop cognitive skills and materials in the environment o Musical instruments o Art material for creative expression such as paints, crayons, pencil, paint brushes, cotton, threads, clay, knife, papers, scissors, cloth, gum and fevicol, bead, etc. In addition to locally available material, teachers/caregivers can develop play and learning material for specific activities planned in the programme. Outdoor Materials o Play equipment to build balancing, jumping, climbing, swinging, swaying, cycling, etc. o Materials like large or small balls, old tyres, rings, etc. for throwing, catching, kicking, rolling, etc. 15 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 o Sand and water play arrangement with sand pit, mugs, spoons, cups, bucket, sieves, strainer, etc. Assessment Assessment is an essential and integral component of any ECCE programme to ensure that the programme remains child centric and the experiences and activities are planned according to the level of the child. It gives an insight into children’s interests, achievements and possible difficulties in their learning from which next steps in learning and teaching can be planned and thereby provides a platform to support the planning of a coherent curriculum for progression in learning. In order to ensure that the programme is responsive to the developmental needs of the child, it is essential to maintain their developmental and learning profile. The purpose of assessment is to give useful information about children’s learning and development to the adults providing the programme as also to children and their families. It also helps ensure early identification of developmental delays, special educational needs and particular abilities. Assessment contributes to evaluation, revision, and development of programmes. The areas of assessment ? ? ? The child’s interest and participation Skills and abilities Social interactions The assessment of the children should be formative, continuous and flow from the experiences planned in the curriculum. Formative continuous assessment implies documenting the development of the child, by interpreting the evidence from the day to day experiences of the child with the purpose of recognising and encouraging strengths and addresses learning/developmental gaps. Teachers need to evaluate each child’s progress on an ongoing basis, through observations of their behaviour; their artwork and other products. Home-based observations may also be 16 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 conducted. The current level of performance should be rewarded to reinforce small steps of accomplishments towards the long term goals. Portfolio should be maintained for individual child. It should contain anecdotal records, developmental checklists, samples of drawing, writing and other activities, observation notes and parent teacher meeting notes. Role of Caregiver/Teacher The caregivers/ teachers in an ECCE programme are facilitators who engage children in multiple experiences to foster their all-round development. They play the following roles: ? Observe children to identify their needs and capabilities and move with the pace of the child’s development ? Plan appropriate, ? ? ? developmentally holistic and challenging activities Focus not only on planning and conducting activities but also on continuous processes for interaction and relating learning to child’s environment. Create nurturing and positive relationships with children and among children Organise supportive learning environment by taking care of aspects such as the arrangement of the physical environment and equipment; the scheduling of activities and events and groupings ? ? ? Work in partnership with parents Facilitate learning to meet the objectives of the curriculum Help in early identification and intervention for children with special needs 17 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 To accomplish the above the teachers need to enjoy being with young children, be knowledgeable about children’s development and early childhood curriculum and should be skilled at implementing the curriculum. Role of Parent The young child spends most of the time at home and much of the early learning occurs through the child’s day to day interactions with the family. The parents have a major role to play in the child’s development, much beyond merely being around the child and providing food and other basic needs. Parents need to: ? Provide a conducive environment at home for optimal development and learning and spend quality time with the child ? ? ? ? ? Encourage exploration and experimentation at home and optimally utilise the ample opportunities for incidental and lifelong learning arising from the daily activities Play a cooperative role and establish a relationship of trust and mutual respect with the teacher/caregiver at the ECCE centre Share and plan the development of their child along with the teacher/caregiver Participate in the open days and other events for parents and community Not to force formal learning and competition at this early age and respect children’s abilities and personalities. Supportive Essentials The open framework approach to curriculum adopted herein requires certain preconditions as essentials. These are: ? An enabling and stimulating learning environment which has been carefully designed and is child friendly 18 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 ? ? ? ? ? Contextually and culturally appropriate curriculum content Developmentally appropriate learning and play material Activity; rhyme and story bank Children’s Activity Book Trainer’s Manual and Teacher’s Guidebook addressing adult-child interaction, arrangement of the physical environment and equipment, planning of the daily routine etc.to help teachers implement the curriculum effectively ? ? Supportive supervision Professional development opportunity for ECCE caregivers 19 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 Annexure 1 Some Significant Themes to be covered in the Curriculum Myself, my family and community Food, health, hygiene and cleanliness Natural world and environment: plants; animals and birds; fruits and vegetables Physical environment: air, water, universe, seasons Social environment: My country; festivals and celebrations; neighbourhood; means of transport 20. Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 Annexure 2 Sample Weekly Plan Theme: Animals Time 9. 00-9. 30 9. 30-10. 00 Monday Circle Time Free Conversation (Animal Names) Tuesday Assembly Guided Conversation (Homes of Animals) Sorting Cards (Animals and their young ones) Block Play Lunch Tearing and pasting on animal drawings Wednesday Circle Time Free Conversation (Food of Animals) Soft and Hard Surface Thursday Assembly Guided Conversation (Animals and their young ones) Shape: Circle Friday Circle Time Guided Conversation (Uses of Animals) Pattern Writing. 10. 00-10. 30 Seriation Activity (Small to large animal) 10. 30-11. 00 11. 00-11. 30 11. 30-12. 00 Animal Race Lunch Free hand drawing of pet animals Swings and slides Lunch Models of animal homes Walking on Zigzag line Lunch Making Clay Animals Sand Pit Lunch Mask Making 12. 00-12. 30 Animal Rhyme (Pet Animals) Music and Movement Activity (How animals move) Rhyme Dramatization (Farm Animals) Animal Story (Wild Animals) Song and Dance (Birds) 12. 30-1. 00 Winding up & Departure Winding up & Departure Winding up & Departure Winding up & Departure Winding up & Departure. Note: The time allotted for each activity is 15-20 minutes; the time slots of 30 minutes allotted in the plan include setting up, distribution of material and winding up for each activity. 21 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 Annexure 3 Sample Thematic Web Numeracy: Sorting pictures of animals and their young ones Creative Art : Models of Animal Homes Language: Rhymes and stories on Animals Cognitive : Animal names Types: Pet/ Wild/ Aquatic Animal food, sound , home Animals Physical & Motor: Animal Race Tearing and Pasting on Animal Drawings. Socio-Emotional : Free Conversation Music & Movement : Song and Dramatization 22 Early Childhood Education Curriculum Framework 2012 Important Resources 1. Bhatnagar, R (2005): Little Steps. A Manual for Preschool Teachers. National Council for Educational Research and Training. New Delhi 2. Kaul, V. (2010): Early Childhood Education Programme. National Council for Educational Research and Training. New Delhi 3. Mother and Child Protection Card, Ministry of Women and Child Development, Government of India. 4. Muralidharan, R. , Asthana, S. (1991): Stimulation Activities for Young Children. National Council for Educational Research and Training. New Delhi 5. Position Paper on Early Childhood Care and Education, National Focus Group (2006). National Council for Educational Research and Training. New Delhi 6. Soni, R, Kapoor R, Vashishtha, K. K. (2008): Early Childhood Education. An Introduction. National Council for Educational Research and Training. New Delhi 7. Swaminathan, M. and Daniel, P. (2004): Play Activities for Child Development: A Guide to Preschool Teachers. National Book Trust, New Delhi. 8. WHO Child Growth Standards- Methods and Development, World Health Organisation 23.

Cost Accounting Essay

Questions arise as to why ABC implementation is successful in certain companies and fails in others. Based on the contingency theory, researchers have argued that the reasons for different degrees of ABC success could be due to the different contextual factors faced by each firm. These have led researchers to recognize assessing factors that influence ABC success implementation as an important research area. The following are among the research that have been carried out to examine factors that influence ABC success: Anderson [18]; Shield [3]; McGowan and Klammer [19]; Krumwiede [20]; and Anderson and Young [21] This article has two main objectives; the first objective is to identify research gaps based on the revision of previous research and the second objective is to propose theoretical research framework for current research. This article is organized as follows: Section II presents a discussion of selected articles related to factors influencing ABC implementation and gaps or limitations of previous studies and suggestions for current research are stated in the section III and IV. The framework for current research is provided in section V, Section VI defines each research variable and the final section presents the conclusion. II. PREVIOUS RESEARCH In this section, selected ABC implementation empirical 144 Abstract—In today’s advanced manufacturing and competitive environment, accurate costing information is crucial for all the kinds of businesses, such as manufacturing firms, merchandizing firms, and service firms. Argued to be superior to the traditional volume-based costing system, Activity-Based Costing system (ABC) has increasingly attracted the attention of practitioners and researchers alike as one of the strategic tools to aid managers for better decision making. The benefits of ABC system and its impacts on companies’ performance have motivated numerous empirical studies on ABC system and it is considered as one of the most-researched management accounting areas in developed countries. Previous research on ABC have examined pertinent issues related to ABC implementation such as the levels of ABC adoption in various countries, the reasons for implementing ABC, the problems related to ABC and the critical success factors influencing ABC. This paper reviews the research on ABC carried out within the last decade, from 1995-2008, and from the review research gaps are identified. Specifically, this paper examines the selection of factors influencing successful ABC implementation, variables used by previous research and the definitions and operationalization of the variables. The review reveals that past research concentrated mainly on behavioral, organizational, and technical variables as the main determinants of ABC success but very little research have been done to examine the roles of organizational culture and structure. Based on the research gaps identified, a research framework for future research is provided. Index Terms—Advanced Manufacturing Activity-Based Costing, ABC Success Environment, I. INTRODUCTION In today’s competitive and continually changing business environment, firms need to be vigilant of the impacts of the changes in the business environment and devise appropriate strategies to survive and prosper. Advancements in manufacturing and communication technologies have drastically changed the ways businesses conduct their activities. Adoption of advanced manufacturing technologies such as robotics and computerized manufacturing have resulted in significant changes in the manufacturing cost structure which have led academics and practitioners to argue that the traditional costing methods are no longer sufficient within this new manufacturing environment [1] (Johnson and Kaplan, 1987). This had resulted in the change from the traditional volume-based cost model to new costing methods such as Activity Based Costing (ABC) [2]. Due to its ability in providing more accurate costing information and enhancing firms’ performance, ABC is International Journal of Trade, Economics and Finance, Vol. 1, No. 2, August, 2010 2010-023X studies, which spanned 1995-2008 periods, were collected from four prominent refereed accounting research journals, in management accounting field: Journal of Management Accounting Research, Accounting, Organizations and Society, Management Accounting Research and British Accounting Review. Factors used by previous research to investigate the effect on ABC success implementation are summarized, and stage of ABC implementation also is outlined. A. Technical Variables Early studies of ABC adoption and implementation undertaken by previous researchers concentrated on technical factors, such as identification of main activities, selection of cost drivers, problem in accumulating cost data. Example of these research are Cooper [9], Morrow and Connelly [22]. However, technical factors alone may not be adequate to explain the factors influencing ABC success implementation. Cooper et al. [23] argued that the key problem during ABC implementation stage is that companies only focus on technical factors. They suggested that to make ABC implementation more effective, non-technical factors such as involvement of non-accounting in ABC implementation process, top management championship, adequate training program to employees about the objectives and benefits of ABC should be emphasized as well. Similar opinions were expressed by Shield [3] and Shields and McEwen [14]. Shield (1995) found no significant relationship between technical factors and ABC success. Shields and McEwen [14] also highlighted that sole emphasis on the architectural and software design of ABC systems leads to the failure of ABC implementation. Therefore many researchers have suggested that new variables should be considered to investigate factors influencing ABC success. B. Contextual, Behavioral and Organizational Variables Recognizing the research gaps in identifying factors that may affect ABC success, academicians shifted their focuses from technical factors to other variables, such as contextual, behavioral and organizational, culture, as well as organizational structure. Anderson [18] conducted a longitudinal investigation of ABC process in General Motor (GM) from a period of 1986 to 1993. In his research, he examined the effects of organizational variables and contextual variables, and segmented ABC implementation into four major stages, initiation, adoption, adaptation and acceptance. He found that organizational factors, such as top management support and training for the ABC system affected various stages of ABC significantly, while contextual variables, such as competition, relevance to managers’ decisions and compatibility with existing systems produced different degree of impact on different stages of ABC. Shield [3] examined the relationships between diversity of behavioral, organizational and technical factors and the success of ABC implementation. She employed Shield and Young’s [24] framework and summarized behavioral and organizational variables as top management support, adequate resources, training, link ABC system to performance evaluation and compensation, non-accounting ownership, link ABC to competitive strategies as well as clarity of ABC objectives. She found that top management support, linkage to quality initiatives and to personal performance measure (pay/appraisal), implementation of training and resource adequacy were the significant predictors in explaining ABC success. She also found that technical variables were not associated with ABC success. Shield’s findings are supported by other researchers, such as Shield and McEwen [14], who argued that a significant cause for unsuccessful implementations of ABC of several companies could be due to the emphasis of architectural and software design of the ABC system and less attention given to behavioral and organizational issues, which were identified by Shield [3]. Krumwiede and Roth [25] also stated that barriers of ABC implementation can be overcome if firms could give importance to behavioral and rganizational variables identified by Shield [3]. Similarly, Norris [26] agreed with Shield’s [3] findings that the association between ABC success and behavioral and organizational variables is stronger than with technical variables. She further highlighted that the impact of behavioral, organizational and technical should be focused at individual level. McGowan and Klammer [19] conducted a survey of 53 employees from 4 targeted sites in the U. S. o examine whether employees’ satisfaction levels are associated with ABC implementation by They also measured their perceptions of the factors associated with the degree of satisfaction, such as top management support; the degree of involvement in the implementation process; objectives clearly stated; objectives shared; training; linkage to performance evaluation system; adequate resources; information quality and preparer over user. Their results indicated that employees’ satisfaction with ABC implementation was positively related with clarity of objectives and quality of ABC information. Gosselin [15] carried out a survey of 161 Canadian manufacturing companies to examine the effects of strategic posture and organizational structure on adoption and implementation of general forms of Activity-based costing. He segmented the ABC implementation stage into adoption and implementation. The research findings showed that a prospector strategy was associated with manager decision to adopt ABC, while centralization and formalization were significantly associated with ABC success implementation. Krumwiede [20] surveyed U. S manufacturing firms to study how contextual factors, such as the potential for cost distortion or size of firms; organizational factors, such as top management support, training or non-accounting ownership, affect each stage of ABC implementation process. His findings showed that the different factors affected the various stages of implementation of ABC and the degree of importance of each factor varies according to the stage of implementation. Contextual factors, such as usefulness of cost information, IT existence, less task uncertainty and large organizations were related to ABC adoption. Moreover, organizational factors, such as top management support, non-accounting ownership, and implementation training affect ABC success implementation. 145 International Journal of Trade, Economics and Finance, Vol. 1, No. 2, August, 2010 2010-023X In another study by Anderson and Young [21], the relationship between organizational and contextual variables, such as organizational structures, task characteristics, management support, information technology and ABC success was examined. The result confirmed the importance of organizational factors (top management support and adequacy resources) during the ABC implementation stage. In South Africa, Sartorius et al. [27] carried out a mail survey to investigate the effect of organizational factors such as top management, adequate resources, coherence with organizational goals and strategy on ABC success. They found top management support and resources were the crucial factors in explaining ABC success. In the UK, Innes and Mitchell [4] and [12] surveyed the extent of ABC adoption among largest firms. The study aimed to find out factors influencing ABC success by using behavioral and organizational variables, and it was found that top management influenced ABC success significantly. In another study conducted by Khalid [28] using a questionnaire survey among the largest 100 firms in Saudi Arabia, ABC adoption was found to be positively related to diversity of products. In Malaysia, Ruhanita et al. [29] conducted a mail survey and a case study to examine that factors influencing ABC success, especially at adoption stage. They found the significant factors were cost distortion, decision usefulness, information technology and organizational factors. In addition, the findings showed that decision usefulness, top management support, link ABC to performance measure and compensation influenced the ABC success adoption significantly. A case study of one Chinese manufacturing firm was carried by Lana and Fei [30] in China. Their research aimed to examine some key success factors pertinent to ABC implementation within Chinese organizational and cultural setting. The research findings showed that top management support, hierarchical and communication structure and high proportion of dedicated professionals were the significant factors in determining ABC success implementation. Majid et al. [7] used a case study approach to describe the process of ABC implementation in a Malaysian service company and a Malaysian manufacturing company. In this research, they categorized ABC implementation into initiation and adoption, design, implementation and use of information. The purpose of the research was to find out the problems faced during ABC implementation, He found that the factors determining ABC success were top management support, suitable ABC software, and finally, ensuring that all affected employees understand and participate in the ABC implementation stage. And they also found that at different stages of ABC, the dominant factors influencing ABC success were also different. Colin et al. [31] adopted behavioral and organizational factors summarized by Shield (1995) to examine factors influencing the adoption and degree of success of ABC systems and determinants of that success. In their research, the targeted research population was manufacturing and service firms in the UK. They found that top management support, non-accounting ownership, adequate training provided to ABC determined the ABC success. Besides behavioral, organizational and technical variable, some researchers also indicated that the dimensions of national cultures could affect the level of ABC success [32, 33]. Brewer [32] used Hofstede’s taxonomy of work-related cultural values to examine the relationship between national culture and Activity-Based Costing system. In the study, Hofstede [34]’s work was applied to the case of Harris Semiconductor (HS), which has implemented ABC at plants in Malaysia and the USA. The results showed that the level of ABC success in Malaysia was higher than that of U. S due to high-power-distance and collectivist cultures in Malaysia. In addition, Supitcha and Frederick [33] also included national culture’s dimension into framework in a case study of one Thai state-owned enterprise’s budgeting system. They found that due to cultural differences, modifications were required when the organizations in Thailand tried to implement ABC system in Thai environment. Apart from national culture, corporate culture factors were also tested by prior research. Baird, Harrison and Reeve [17] conducted a study to investigate the relationship between the extent of ABC adoption and the organizational variables of size and decision usefulness of cost information and business unit culture. In their research, data were collected by a mail survey questionnaire and samples were randomly selected from business units in Australia. The research finding showed significant relationships between ABC adoption and decision usefulness, cultural dimensions of outcome orientation and tight verse loose control. Baird, Harrison and Reeve [16] examined the relationship between success of activity management practices and organizational factors (top management support, training, link to performance evaluation and compensation, and link to quality initiatives), and organizational culture (outcome orientation, team orientation, attention to detail, as well as innovation). They adopted a survey questionnaire method on randomly chosen business units in Australia. The findings showed that two organizational factors (top management support, link to quality initiatives) explained the variations in success of activity management practices, such as ABC, and outcome orientation and attention to detail of organizational culture were associated with ABC success. They also stressed that compared with organizational culture, organizational factors had stronger associations with the ABC.

The Vietnam Economic Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

The Vietnam Economic Development - Essay Example In this paper, I am to delineate this similarities and how it can be used to forecast the economic growth of Vietnam. To do this, I examine not only the economic but also the social and political similarity between the two countries. I then proceed in discussing the implications of this similarity in the future developments in Vietnam's economy. Vietnam, with the official name of Socialist Republic of Vietnam, is located in the South East Asia and constitutes a land rich in history and culture. It is bordered by China to the north, Laos to the northwest, and Cambodia to the southwest. On the country's east coast lies the South China Sea. With a population of over 87 million, Vietnam is the 13th most populous country in the world. Vietnam was formerly a Chinese territory but as with most Asian nations, the country fell under the yoke of colonial powers particularly that of France. The clamor for independence soon became powerful so as to initiate armed resistance. After years of guerrilla warfare leading to the 1953-1954 take over of the French fortified a base at Dien Bien Phu, the French government agreed to negotiations to end the war. However, the country was divided at t the 17th parallel, with the Vietminh in the North and the French and their Vietnamese supporters in the South. In 1963, the deteriorating political situation and the fear of the spread of Communism by the Americans resulted to the Vietnam War which pitted South Vietnam supported by the United States of America against North Vietnam which ultimately saw the victory for Communist North Vietnam and the unification of the Vietnam people. Upon taking control, the Vietnamese communists banned all other political parties, arrested public servants and military personnel of the Republic of Vietnam and sent them to reeducation camps. The government also embarked on a mass campaign of collectivization of farms and factories. Reconstruction of the war-ravaged country was slow, and serious humanitarian and economic problems confronted the communist regime. In a historic shift in 1986, the Communist Party of Vietnam implemented free-market reforms known as Doi Moi. With the authority of the state remaining unchallenged, private ownership of farms and companies, deregulation and foreign investment were encouraged. The economy of Vietnam has achieved rapid growth in agricultural and industrial production, construction and housing, exports, and foreign investment. It is now one of the fastest growing economies in the world. (Sullivan, 2006) 3.0 Social Similarity between Vietnam and South Korea In the Asia Pacific Region, one can find another country besides from Vietnam having experienced rapid economic development in the world since the 1960s. South Korea, which has the 3rd largest economy in Asia and the 11th largest economy in the world, has been defined as a High Income Nation by the World Bank and is listed by the United Nations as a prosperous nation. In terms of social beliefs and culture, the Vietnamese and the South Koreans are heavily influenced by Confucianism. At the heart of Confucianism are two fundamental principles, the necessity of correct behaviour and the importance of loyalty and obedience. Confucianism was firmly implanted in Vietnam during the thousand years of its occupation by China

International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

International Business - Essay Example United Kingdom is a country with rich traditions and culture along with the influence of modernization. The business environment of UK is unique with respect to several aspects. There are certain established norms which are supposed to be followed in the British culture such as dress code, conversation mannerisms, dining etiquettes along with conduct related to titles and gift giving. In the field of business, you are required to exhibit judicious and ethical traits in order to win the confidence of the ever observant British businessmen. With globalization affecting the entire world, business strategies in UK have also transformed to yield innovation in markets as the key success indicator. As a result, you need to be very vigilant of the commercial atmosphere to facilitate growth in our subsidiary. I would advice you to understand the British culture scrupulously as well as develop the valuable tool of Cultural Intelligence. I am convinced that awareness of these dynamics will help you in having a prosperous three year contract in UK. INTRODUCTION As the regional manager for United Kingdom, I cordially welcome you to the local subsidiary of our Multinational Organisation. I am conscious of the fact that you are coming to United Kingdom for the first time; hence, I have made an attempt to facilitate your 3 year stay in this country by briefing you about the cultural nuances which you would come across in United Kingdom. Along with that, this paper would also enhance your understanding about the business environment of UK in addition to government policies with regard to subsidiaries and Multinational Corporations. You must be aware that this subsidiary of our company has been active in London, the capital of UK for quite sometime now. London has always been a business nucleus in this region. Recently, London was surveyed as the best city in Europe in terms of establishing a business, employing qualified people, and accessibility to market (UK Trade & Investmen t, 2011). Over the years, our company has earned its reputation in UK through exceptional services to customers and caring attitude towards employees and other stakeholders. However, the multidimensional dynamics of this country have often had a role to play in the functions of our subsidiary. RESEARCH It is necessary to provide you first with the fundamental research I conducted regarding United Kingdom so that you could get a feel of the country. It is a country which provides a perfect mix of traditions and modernism. Situated in Western Europe, its capital is London. The population of the country is estimated to be over 60 million (Directgov, 2012). The ethnic structure consists of a majority of whites including English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Irish whereas smaller percentages of Blacks, Indians and Pakistanis are also found. With people migrating in huge numbers to the United Kingdom, the society has become rather a multicultural one. Though there is no declared official language, but since English is spoken by more than 70% of the population, hence it is considered to be the national language (Godfrey-Faussett et al. 2004). The United Kingdom is made up by four countries: England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland (William, 2010). Foreigners often err in making use of the word ‘British’. It is imperative to know that British stands for a person who comes from any of the four countries while English, Scottish, Northern Irish and Welsh are used when referring to the particular countries of the person. Though over the last few years, people from diverse races, castes and creeds have

To provide an insight to the critical issue that the UK mobile phone Thesis - 1

To provide an insight to the critical issue that the UK mobile phone service providers suffer from high attrition rate - Thesis Example r may not hold the customer loyalty thus the only formula left for Vodafone is through the employment of surveys to determine the correct strategy to prevent attrition to another phone company. What have been determined is that there is another market that is coexisting alongside the cellular phone market. Cellular or mobile phone service subscriber attrition or the migration of subscribers to another mobile phone service provider is a normal trend that occurs if the expectation of the subscribers en masse were not met. This could be the failure of the mobile service provider to meet the very basic demand which is the provisioning of mobile service. Or the failure of the mobile service company to resolve long standing issues. Or the failure of the mobile service company to grow alongside their subscriber to provide the necessary technology or functionality and be the constant companion in whatever endeavor they would be engaged in. For whatever reason behind the decision to migrate t o another mobile service provider it is the failure of the mobile service company. The question this thesis is trying to answer is what strategy can be employed to ensure customer loyalty to prevent customer attrition. The last fifteen years has seen the mobile phone industry experiencing phenomenal growth in usage as well as in technological advances. From TDMA to CDMA from simple GSM to 3G or even 4G technology, the mobile phone industry has created a lifestyle and a social norm that permeate in every sinew of society’s collective consciousness. Not only would the demand for the technology increase the level of sophistication of mobile phone user’s need and taste, it will similarly increase along with what technology can offer. With roughly seven billion potential users worldwide the mobile phone’s market insertion only managed nearly fifty percentile. Mobile phone patronage is clearly dependent on what technology can offer as proven by the shift from CDMA to full GSM format at

Human Resources Managment Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human Resources Managment - Assignment Example It can be noted in this case that the employer discriminated Michael Roberts on the basis of race by virtue of being an African American since other white guys with less experience were hired for the same job. The McDonnell-Douglas test is applicable to this particular case, according to the US Legal (2013), â€Å"Mcdonnell Douglas test refers to a legal principle requiring a plaintiff (employee) to prove with evidence of employment- discrimination. The test also requires a defendant (employer) to prove with evidence showing that the employment action complained was taken for non discriminatory reasons.† Being the judge in the above mentioned case, I will rule in favour of the plaintiff given that a case of racial discrimination against Michael Roberts exists since he did not get the job as a result of being an African American while other whites with less experience were hired for the same position. 2. The African Americans in this case can sue for disparate impact under Titl e vii of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. According to the Freedictionary (2013), disparate impact is a theory that prohibits the employer from using facially neutral employment practices that have an unjustified effect on protected classes. As aptly shown in the case study, African Americans were unfavourably treated when it comes to securing technical employment. Only 60 % of those who wrote the test were selected while 80 percent of the whites who wrote the same test were selected. However, the employer can use â€Å"business necessity† clause to refute the allegations levelled against him. If this practice is really necessary to the operations of the organization, then the employer would not have any case to answer. It is also important for the plaintiffs to prove that they are a protected class under this legal provision. Failure to do so may render their case invalid. 1. Sue Pappas applied for a position of an attendant for a psychiatric institution. However, she does not succeed in getting the job as a result of her obesity. Before she sues under Title I of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), she has to prove that she has a disability. â€Å"The ADA defines disabil ­ity as a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits a major life activ ­ity; a record of such an impairment; or being regarded as having such an impair ­ment,† (Reiter, 1). Under ADA, obesity is excluded hence Sue cannot win this particular case. However, ADA Amendments Act of 2008 (ADAAA) has broadened the definition of disability to encompass a lot of other biological functions of the body. Since she cannot perform all of the major life activities because of her obesity, she can sue the employer under the ADAA since it can be seen that she has been unfairly discriminated. Her past experience shows that she can perform this job well so there is no reason for this employer to deny her the opportunity to get this job. Assignment 2 Job Title: Marketing comm unications officer Position Purpose: The purpose of this position is to maintain a clear communication strategy for the marketing department as well as the organization as a whole. The candidate will communicate vital information to

Country Profile of France Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Country Profile of France - Article Example In 1999, France made the euro its official currency, and this has allowed France to further integrate itself into the core of the European economy. France is also playing a central role in the development of the European Union’s military (cia.gov). The seat of the French Revolution, which is the source of much of the thoughts and writing on democracy, France is now currently a republic, and it has had a mixture of a presidential and parliamentary administration since legislation was passed in 1958. The current president is Nikolas Sarkozy, and he won the election with 51% of the vote. Sarkozy is serving a five-year term as president of France. In 2000 the French constitution was amended in order to change the term of the presidency from seven years to five years (cia.gov) In size, France is slightly smaller in area than the state of Texas with 260,558 square mileage. This figure includes all of its territories overseas and including its claim in Antarctica. This makes it the largest European nation, just slightly ahead of Spain in total size (cia.gov) France has always been central to scientific development. For example, France was home to Marie and Pierre Curie who are famous for their theories and work on radioactivity. In more recent scientific efforts, France is among the leaders in various fields, including mathematics, astrophysics, biology, medicine, genetics, and physics. To put this in perspective, it should be mentioned that French scientists have been awarded a total of twenty-six Nobel prizes over the past ninety years (francethisway.com) There are many research institutions throughout France. Some of these include the National Centre for Scientific Research, the National Institute for Health and Medical Research, and the National Institute for Agronomical Research. The institutions are public research institutions.  

Business Research proposal and Questionnaire Essay

Business Research proposal and Questionnaire - Essay Example Companies usually use talent – movie actors, models, athletes or famous people for endorsement (Bergestrà ¶m & Skà ¤rfstad, 2004). Not just the large firms, even smaller companies with limited budget use sports and athletes to promote their products. I will look into the benefits that companies derive from such endorsement. A celebrity is defined as "an individual who is known to the public (i.e., actor, sports figure, entertainer, etc.) for his or her achievements in areas other than that of the product class endorsed" (cf., Friedman and Friedman 1979 cited by Kamins, Brand, Hoeke & Moe, 1989). Celebrities exert their influence on the consumers through perceived attributes such as expertise, trustworthiness, attractiveness, familiarity, and likeability and hence celebrity endorsement becomes more attractive when images or the characteristics of the celebrity match the endorsed product (Choi, Lee & Kim 2005). The use of celebrities for product endorsement was on the rise in the late 1970s. While it was estimated that 15 percent of prime time television commercials featured celebrities in 1975, by 1978 it was reported to be over 20 percent (Kamins, Brand, Hoeke & Moe, 1989). On the other hand, according to a report published in Campaign (2007) a survey revealed that only 16 percent of the people would buy products that had celebrity endorsement. Since 2001 the number of television ads featuring celebrities has been steadily increasing as the budgets have tightened and researchers not sure to what extent celebrities make a difference to the sales. Marketing Week (2006) suggests that when celebrities are used to endorse a product, people quickly forget the product that has been endorsed and the celebrity becomes the focus of attention while ECM (2007) suggests celebrity trend is already weakening in the US. Cross-cultural studies also suggest that celebrities with worldwide recognition in advertising is an effective means of

Justifications For Improvement In Social Services for the Aged in the Republic of Ireland Essay Example for Free

Justifications For Improvement In Social Services for the Aged in the Republic of Ireland Essay Access to health and social services remains a fundamental human right to a civilized society like that of republic of Ireland. Every person, regardless of age, religion or political affiliation should be able to access health and services if and when they need it. In the case of people with special needs, access to these services becomes even more important. This is because they are the ones that are likely to need these services more frequently. They are also the ones who are likely to be unable to access these services, despite the fact that they need them more. These people with special needs include the aged, the children and the disabled amongst others. For example, those people with mental illnesses are entitled to visits from social workers. These visits are made by the social worker to the homes of the mentally ill to make sure that the family is treating them with respect and care and to make sure that they take their medicine in time and when the need arises. The aged in the republic of Ireland are entitled to certain fundamental social and health services. These include treatment for the diseases that are likely to afflict them and counselling from the social workers. However, it is with deep concern that the writer has noted that the social services that are availed to this group of people are not enough. Some of them are forced to go to homes for the aged where it is said that they will be receiving social and medical services round the clock. However, it is not the wish of these people to spend the rest of their lives enclosed in an institution that they did not want in the first place. This writer noted that the home based care of these people needs to be improved. They should be allowed to stay at their homes. But the number of social workers should be increased such that every old person has a personal social worker who will be accessible at all times. Thus, this paper is advocating for the improvement of home based social care for the aged. Status of the Social Services for the Aged in the Republic of Ireland Social service in Ireland falls under the docket of public health care system for the country (Cahill: 2008). It is enshrined in the health act that was enacted in the year 2004. This act provided for the development of institutions that are tasked with providing social services to every citizen of this country. The social services as such ended up been a part and mandate of the Health Service Executive (Chandran: 2008). Within the HSE, as this body is popularly known, social service is under the department of primary, community and continuing care (Gunnar: 2007). The services that are provided for the older people include rehabilitation and community services. They are also provided by home based services. The latter includes the visitations made by the nurses and other community health officials to the homes of the aged. This paper is going to petition the HSE to improve the social services that the aged gets at their homes, rather than at the institutions for the aged. Improved Social Services for the Irish Aged In 2006, a census was conducted in the republic of Ireland by the Central Statistics Office of Ireland. According to this census, the aged in Ireland were estimated at 207,000 for the male and 260,000 for the females (Schnepper: 2008). These were the ones who are aged sixty five years and above. This is the group that is considered and defined as the aged. They are the ones that need social services more than the others in the society. This number seems big if it is compared with the total number of social service providers that are employed by NSE. NSE employs around 100,000 service care providers. These are the ones that provide care for the aged, the children, the mentally ill and the disabled amongst others (Higgins: 2009). As such, the service provision for the old is neglected, since these care providers are overworked and their resources overstretched. As such, NSE needs to recruit more service providers to cater for the old. The old people have problems accessing not only the social services entitled to them, but also other services like the home care scheme, which provides for a package to cover for their treatment. The national economic and social forum came up with a report on May 2009 highlighting the difficulties that these people experience as they try to access this service (Hughes: 2009). This package has helped at least ten thousand Irish aged in 2008 (Hughes: 2009). But this number is very small compared to the earlier stated estimates of the aged. This means that some of these people are unable to access this service. Something must be done to enable these people to access the service. It is not enough to provide for the service in society, the authorities must make sure that the services are accessed by those people who need it. As John Rawls says, â€Å"institutions in the society†¦. ut regulation in place to ensure that support services are availed to those who experience the targeted problem† (Hughes: 2009). This means that HSE should ensure that the old people get the services that are available for them. There is only one way to ensure this. If these people had access to a social worker, he will be able to sensitise them on how to access such services when the need for it arises. The social worker will not only help the aged access the service, he will also ensure identify situations when the service is called for. It is fact that Irish aged have little or no access to the care services that they need. Many old people, since they lack constant care and other services, ends up developing complications that leads to their incapacitation. These complications could have been avoided if they had accessed the appropriate care at the appropriate time (Chandran: 2008). For example, they develop diseases like cardiac and diabetes. These diseases can be prevented by healthy diet and exercise. However, these people have no one to advise them on the best diet to take in order to avoid such illnesses. They have no one to advise them on the lifestyle they should adopt in order to live healthy. As such, these complications lead to their admissions to nursing homes. This is too little too late, since the condition is likely to have deteriorated. However, if they had the constant care of a home based social service provider, they would have been advised appropriately on the lifestyle to adopt and diet to take to avoid such incidences (Higgins: 2009). According to John Rawl â€Å"equality cannot be achieved by worsening the least advantaged† (Hughes: 2009). This means that there will be no equality in the society if the status of the less advantaged (in this case the old) is made worse. This will be a contradiction to the human rights of justice and equality to all. Less than three percent of Irish aged enjoys home based care, like the one provided for by the social workers (Schnepper: 2008). This is as compared to other countries in this continent, like the United Kingdom. This number is very small, considering the number of aged people that are in this country. The reasons for this measly access are varied. Some include ignorance on the part of the aged, as they do not know that such services do exist. The other reason, and may be the most important, is that there is a shortage of social care providers. This means that there is no one to deliver these services to the aged. The services are there, but there is no one to deliver them. Conclusion There is disproportionately large number of aged people in Ireland as compared to the social service providers. As such, the aged remain to have their health and well being deteriorate. Majority of the aged suffer from depression. This can be mitigated if they have access to the services of social care providers, who will help by counselling them. It is not only their mental health that is at risk, but also their physical health. There is need then for NSE to increase the number of home based social service providers to cater for the well being of this segment of the society.

Skill and Training Background Essay Example for Free

Skill and Training Background Essay 1. Experience with the company personnel involved in the training The employee and staff in BIR are very approachable and they are cheerful person. I feel the trainee are part of their family we are treat them family as well and I experience the treatment as if I’m also their co-employee. They are let me learn and experience the day by day. The Company gave the best training for students that would give them a good training ground and would enhance their knowledge and skill. The school must have the job training their company. The school should visit the OJT to have the best monitoring of the training the students are taking. 4. Strong points We all know BIR is the collect taxes from the tax payer. As an intern’s I gained so much ideas especially in the tax field because I’m taking up financial management and accounting this is very relevant on my program. The company has a great training background and learning background as well because I learned slightly how to compute the taxes. This is a great opportunity for me to be one of their OJT’s. 2. Weak points and suggested solutions As an intern my concerned is, they won’t allow their OJT’s to handle some confidential documents like financial matter. And I don’t think that this is there weak point, for me, this is not an issue this is my own observation the office have lack of tables for the trainees they don’t know when we sited I suggest that we request them to give for the trainee extra table to be more comfortable especially when they recording the dockets.. V. RECOMMENDATION A. Potential of the company as a training ground BIR has a good training background especially to the finance and accounting students. The company offers great opportunity that would let me be more knowledgeable, confident and to develop my skills in so many thing. B. Duration of training (too long too short) The duration of my training is too short because I only lasted for more or less 2months. The first week of being an intern was really uncomfortable and nerve because I didn’t know how to communicate my boss in a nice way when I feel nervous. And I’m always nervous in what could happen to me every day. But the good side of the employee of BIR they are willing to share their knowledge and they will help you how to deal with other people in terms of the taxpayer pay their taxes. C. Suggestions for the improvement of the training program As far as the performance of BIR it was doing well. They should always hire at least two interns because They have good learning background and training background that the interns should absorb it and it will helpful for them to become a better employee in the future. D. Advice to future On- the-Job trainees Some of the students have taken their OJT for granted. They are not realizing how importance the future carrer. To all future On-the-Job Trainees student, here are some advices that I would like to share to you: * Learn to accept your mistakes * Take your OJT seriously, but don’t be too serious all the time always keep smiling everytime your getting tired * Listen carefully to the trainer and ask a question for a better understanding. * You should love your co-ojt and co-owners * Most importantly, hard work is actually enough. If you do well on your OJT you will definitely have a great evaluation, like me. So work hard and love your job.

Activist Reflector Theorist And Pragmatist Education Essay

Activist Reflector Theorist And Pragmatist Education Essay First of all, activists learning style engage oneself totally without unfairness in fresh ideals. It makes them passionate concerning everything new. They like to have a go, plenty of variety and try things out and participate. Theorists always like concepts and models. They choose to be perfectionists who will not take it easy until things are well organised. They like to see the overall picture and structure. Moreover, pragmatists are eager on experimenting ideas, skills and theories to see if that will work in practice. They completely look out for new ideas and acquire the first chance toward testing applications. Lastly, reflectors are fond of reserved to deliberate on experiences and examine them from numerous perspectives. They gather information first hand and like to reflect about it carefully prior to conclusion (Honey and Mumford 2006). Furthermore, majority of people have a preference in relating to participating in, taking in and processing report to permit individuals to learn. People take on diverse learning styles where best allows them to learn more excellent way. So far, there has been a huge test with the aim to change a persons learning style. Conversely, students and a lot of professionals note down that, learning achieved from practical experience are far better than in lectures. Making certain that, any student that has a good learning outcome, it is imperative that the learning setting is sensibly and competently helpful to everyone learning within it. Nursing training adds high price on knowledge in the clinical environment; the quality of these clinical setting has a considerable influence on learning process for student nurses (Fritz 2002). Honey and Mumford (2006) added that, though lots of individual had two or more learning styles, they may also have a one preference style. To guarantee myself a good learning experience on placement, it is essential for me as student nurse to be conscious about all preferred learning style, as this is crucial element for nursing program. When I was in placement, I observe my mentor, like to work as an activist and as student nurse, I adept her learning style. Seeing that in placement, the mentor acts as a teacher. It is then required for a student nurse to mature into the progress of their learning needs (Morton-Cooper and Palmer 2000). Having said that, the Honey and Mumford questionnaire scoreà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s me as someone with a high reflector mindset. I consent with the greater part of the report of a reflector, which totally confirms me. For Reflectors, before action is taking, they think about things very cautiously. Due to the style of my learning, I like to listen and observe my colleagues in groups but would not get myself involve with any kind of groupà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢s sessions. For me to learn effectively and successfully on this programme, I have some assurance that, if I change some of my ways and practice a style likes an activist, it will help me approach things differently and overcome some of my weakness. Hence, encourage me to get involved in any forms group sessions (Honey and Mumford, 2006). In spite of my weakness, I am a very attentive person, as this is one of the potentials of a reflector. I totally consent along this because I constantly akin to pay attention to each person in the group attentively. The opportunity of gaining from diverse viewpoint and different angles has help with my findings. Nonetheless, a likely weakness that I have found within me as a reflector is that, I take too long in doing certain duties. For instance, all through my previous assignment, I spent lengthy time to finish it, because my preparation stage took me a long time to get ready. I used up a long time in searching for ideas prior to starting my assignment, this may be due to me, being extra careful on how am going to write this assignment. Even though, this brings out my careful mindset, I do not have the same opinion with the report that someone who is reflector does not take risks. I sometimes like to tread out of my ease to experience new things I have never done before to expand my knowledge. For instance, I chose to leave my home and common environment in London to study in Hertfordshire. The more relaxed and secure a student feels inside the surroundings, there is expectation that the learning outcome, become successful (Kenworthy and Nicklin 2000). On the other hand, as a student nurse, it is essential to know that, at present we have diverse learning theories and styles to think about. There has been writing down concerning the means in which people learn and many theories on the ways of effectively learning. The talk was that, Behaviorism, Cognitive and Humanism are the key theories. In terms of Humanistic theory, it is build on faith that individual possess two essential desires, a call for development and a call for good view through others. It also shows as the most holistic approach because it is interested in the way in which it compels and inspires a person to learn. These theories too relay on largely on the pressure of the surroundings that might hold back or assist the learning path. Behaviorism theory, the learning surroundings is essential to knowledge, and if these surroundings are perfect, learning comes, as links are made with encouragement, feedback and support. The Cognitive theory indicate learning like an in ternal procedure that include high order rational actions like remembrance, thoughts, analytic, insight and way of thinking (Reece and Walker 2003). However, as it is vital for me to enhance my learning skill as a reflector. I have planned a number of ways to help me succeed on this programme. As my weaker style is activist, the initial part of my plan is to create opportunities to initiate and to participate and have fun in group discussion in class. These will give me a head up, as to situation that will possibly require action without planning in lectures. It has been noted that discovery of learning strategies in union with person learner preferences is key action in keeping and developing the value of learning programme. The improved potential learning opportunity and result gain from such discovery might have a supportive impact on me as a student nurse (Bastable 2003). Besides, when I become conscious of my preferred learning style and the teaching style of my mentor in practice is different. I work out an action plan to support myself and to go on to succeed in this practice, I have to support my weaker style to get used to classroom environment by accepting my preferred learning style, though I am Reflector learner. Nevertheless, research establishes that, growing variety of tuition means used, have not been connected with an enhancement knowledge result. However, the truth is that, throughout developing studentsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€ž ¢ understanding of their individual learning style, student are enhanced to take charge for their own learning, which improved their learning results (Fritz 2002). Upon reflection, I think learning styles assist me to recognise myself and allow me to identify how to develop myself. With the assessment outcome, I discern and know myself better and have learned from different learning styles. This has thought me why understanding of learning styles is useful to me as a student nurse. Reflection can be use to evaluate, realisation and study through our live experience. Reflective practice is another means you can gain knowledge from experience. In terms of training for healthcare professions, it is identified as a fundamental instrument intended for students to build the relations connecting theory and practice. As a student nurse, it is important for me to realise the worth of reflecting upon my experiences in learning to enhance my prospect studies (Jasper 2003). In conclusion, all the way through this module, I boast of higher comprehension and important consciousness of different learning styles. I have been confident towards my own prefer learning style; hence enable me toward completely support myself in my weaker style. Understanding learning styles has undoubtedly revealed the force that it can have on me as student nurse. I currently believe that, I am more prepared to incorporate my preferred learning styles into practice.

Interracial Figures of the American Renaissance Essay -- Literature Es

Interracial Figures of the American Renaissance      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   This essay examines Cora from The Last of the Mohicans, Frederick Douglass, and Harriet Ann Jacobs.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The American Renaissance marks a period of social injustice and the fight of the minority to bring about social change. Women and African-Americans (who were freed or escaped from slavery) begin to gain a voice through literacy, and use that voice to start the movement to abolish slavery and gain women rights. The development of literacy makes it impossible to ignore women and African-Americans because their writing provides a permanent record of the horrors of slavery and injustice of oppressing the minority groups. Furthermore, the gain in literacy by these groups makes Anglo-Saxons face the realities of their world and challenges the American dream. Perhaps the most fascinating result of the destruction to the American dream is the introduction of the interracial character. During this period of history (and long after it) the myth existed th at the races were pure. Judith R. Berzon in her book Neither White Nor Black: The Mulatto Character in American Fiction, attributes the emergence of interracial characters in the nineteenth and twentieth century to "(1) a widespread fear of miscegenation; (2) the tenacious view that mulattoes are a ÃŽdegenerate, sterile and short-lived breedà ¢ ; (3) the unresolved dilemma of the social and economic roles of the emancipated African-American; and (4) the unease with which Caucasians generally regarded those who carry traits of both racial groups" (19). The interracial characters exposed the reality in America, that the children of slaves on the plantation were a result of white slave owners having intercourse with their slaves. Co... ...s, an American Slave." Paul Laufer, ed. The Heath Anthology of American Literature, vol 1, 3rd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998. Douglass, Frederick. "What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July." Paul Laufer, ed. The Heath Anthology of American Literature, vol 1, 3rd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998. Jacobs, Harriet Ann. "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl." Paul Laufer, ed. The Heath Anthology of American Literature, vol 1, 3rd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1998. Kinney, James. Amalgamation! Race, Sex, and Rhetoric in the Nineteenth-Century American Novel. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press, 1985. Mills, Charles W. "Whose Fourth of July? Frederick Douglass and ÃŽOriginal Intent.à ¢" Bill E. Lawson and Frank M. Kirkland, eds. Frederick Douglass: A Critical Reader. Massachusetts: Blackwell Publishers, 1999.   

Operations Of Congress :: essays research papers

The operations of congress have been influenced by a number of factors. These including a committee system, political parties, public opinion and the media, and interest groups and lobbying. Each section takes a part in congress. By getting them in involved with each part or even running them. A committee is one or more people appointed or elected to consider or, report on, or take action on a particular matter. Because of the advantages of a division of labor, legislative committees of various kinds have assumed much of the work of legislatures in many nations. Standing committees are appointed in both houses of the U.S. Congress at the beginning of every session to deal with bills in the different specific classes. Important congressional committees include those on ways and means; appropriations; interstate commerce; and military, naval, and foreign affairs. As in the U.S. government, these committees are quite powerful because of their ability to delay legislation. A party political is an organization which aim is to gain control of the government usually through the election of its candidates to public office. Political parties take many forms, but their main functions are similar: to supply personnel for government positions; to organize these personnel around the formation; and to serve in a mediating role between individuals and their government. Political parties are as old as organized political systems. Political parties have been organized for various reasons: to support a particular political figure, to advance a particular policy or a general ideological stand, to aid politically certain groups or sections of society, or merely to combine for short-term political advantage. The public opinion and the media have activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations, is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most favorable light. Thus, the goal of the public relations consultant is to create, through the organization of news and advertising. An advantageous image for his/her client, be it a business corporation, cultural institution, or private or public individual; towards this end the making of favorable public opinion many researchers show techniques and communications media are used. Although many of the same methods are employed, public relations differs from propaganda, which is generally government supported, international in scope, and political in nature. The earliest form of public relations and still the most widely practiced is publicity. Lobbying is the practice and profession of influencing governmental decisions, carried out by agents who present the concerns of special interests to legislators and administrators. Operations Of Congress :: essays research papers The operations of congress have been influenced by a number of factors. These including a committee system, political parties, public opinion and the media, and interest groups and lobbying. Each section takes a part in congress. By getting them in involved with each part or even running them. A committee is one or more people appointed or elected to consider or, report on, or take action on a particular matter. Because of the advantages of a division of labor, legislative committees of various kinds have assumed much of the work of legislatures in many nations. Standing committees are appointed in both houses of the U.S. Congress at the beginning of every session to deal with bills in the different specific classes. Important congressional committees include those on ways and means; appropriations; interstate commerce; and military, naval, and foreign affairs. As in the U.S. government, these committees are quite powerful because of their ability to delay legislation. A party political is an organization which aim is to gain control of the government usually through the election of its candidates to public office. Political parties take many forms, but their main functions are similar: to supply personnel for government positions; to organize these personnel around the formation; and to serve in a mediating role between individuals and their government. Political parties are as old as organized political systems. Political parties have been organized for various reasons: to support a particular political figure, to advance a particular policy or a general ideological stand, to aid politically certain groups or sections of society, or merely to combine for short-term political advantage. The public opinion and the media have activities and policies used to create public interest in a person, idea, product, institution, or business establishment. By its nature, public relations, is devoted to serving particular interests by presenting them to the public in the most favorable light. Thus, the goal of the public relations consultant is to create, through the organization of news and advertising. An advantageous image for his/her client, be it a business corporation, cultural institution, or private or public individual; towards this end the making of favorable public opinion many researchers show techniques and communications media are used. Although many of the same methods are employed, public relations differs from propaganda, which is generally government supported, international in scope, and political in nature. The earliest form of public relations and still the most widely practiced is publicity. Lobbying is the practice and profession of influencing governmental decisions, carried out by agents who present the concerns of special interests to legislators and administrators.

Les Misérables Essay

Victor Hugo – Les Miserables BACKGROUND : Victor Marie Hugo was the son of a general in Napoleon’s army, and much of his childhood was therefore spent amid the backdrop of Napoleon’s campaigns in Spain and in Italy. The first three years of his life were spent in Elba, where he learnt to speak the Italian dialect spoken in the island in addition to his mother tongue. Victor got a little education in a small school. At the age of eleven, Hugo returned to live with his mother in Paris, where he got a little education in a small and where he also became infatuated with books and literature. By the time he was fifteen, he had already submitted one poem to a contest sponsored by the prestigious French Academy. There he learnt much from an old soldier, General Lahorie, who, obnoxious to Napoleon for the share he had taken in Moreau’s plot, lived secretly in the house, and from an old priest named Lariviere, who came every day to teach Victor and his two brothers. In 1815, at the age of thirteen, he was sent to a boarding school to prepare for the Ecole Polytechnique. But he devoted himself, even at school, to verse-writing with greater ardour than to study. He wrote in early youth more than one poem for a prize competition, composed a romance which some years later he elaborated into the story Bug Jargal, and in 1820, when only eighteen, joined his two brothers, Abel and Eugene, in publishing a literary journal called Le Conservateur Litteraire. Hugo published his first novel the year following his marriage (Han d’Islande, 1823) and his second three years later (Bug-Jargal, 1826). By the end of 1822 Victor Hugo was fully launched on a literary career, and for twenty years or more the story of his life is mainly the story of his literary output. Because of his successful drama Cormwell, the preface to which, with its note of defiance to literary convention, caused him to be definitely accepted as the head of the Romantic School of poetry. The revolution of 1830 disturbed for a moment his literary activity, but as soon as things were quiet again he shut himself in his study with a bottle of ink, a pen, and an immense pile of paper. For six weeks he was never seen, except at dinner-time, and the result was : The Hunchback of Notre-Dame (1831). During the next ten years four volumes of poetry and four dramas were published in 1841 came his election to the Academy, and in 1843 he published Les Burgraves, a drama which was less successful than his former plays, and which marks the close of his career as a dramatist. In the same year there came to him the greatest sorrow of his life. His most famous poem was ‘Demain, des l’aube’ in which he describes the crucial moment where he visits his daughters grave. As Hugo grew older, his politics became increasingly leftist, and he was forced to flee France in 1851 because of his opposition to the monarch Louis Napoleon. Hugo remained in exile until 1870, when he returned to his home country as a national hero. He continued to write until his death in 1885. He was buried with every conceivable honor in one of the grandest funerals in modern French history. The Book – Les Miserable : Hugo began writing Les Miserables twenty years before its eventual publication in 1862. His goals in writing the novel were as lofty as the reputation it has subsequently acquired; Les Miserables is primarily a great humanitarian work that encourages compassion and hope in the face of adversity and injustice. It is also, however, a historical novel of great scope and analysis, and it provides a detailed vision of nineteenth-century French politics and society. By coupling his story of redemption with a meticulous documentation of the injustices of France’s recent past, Hugo hoped Les Miserables would encourage a more progressive and democratic future. Driven by his commitment to reform and progress, Hugo wrote Les Miserables with nothing less than a literary and political revolution in mind. Les Miserables employs Hugo’s style of imaginative realism and is set in an artificially created human hell that emphasizes the three major predicaments of the nineteenth century. Each of the three major characters in the novel symbolizes one of these predicaments: Jean Valjean represents the degradation of man in the proletariat, Fantine represents the subjection of women through hunger, and Cosette represents the atrophy of the child by darkness. In part, the novel’s fame has endured because Hugo successfully created characters that serve as symbols of larger problems without being flat devices.

Is Odysseus a superman Essay

Odysseus; the strong and brave god-like warrior in the Trojan War, who also possesses characteristics such as compassion, loyalty and talent as an orator, which makes him such a influential character within Homer’s novel: The Odyssey. The book, depicting the Adventures of Odysseus’s misfortune, and the journey through which he must get home to reclaim his life, land and his dear wife, portrays Odysseus as the central character with the unmatchable strength and abilities. But do Odysseus’s remarkable qualities classify him as a Superman, and by what means do we exactly class as a Superman? In my mind, a characteristic of Superhuman qualities is one which is that or beyond a normal humans. Therefore, we may classify Odysseus’s characteristics as either of superhuman quality, or that like of a normal human beings. Odysseus’s physical strength is one of his most remarkable and powerful qualities, which we come to learn of. It is because of this great strength, which allows him to throw the biggest discuss as the Phaeacian Games, hurtling it through the air where it landed far beyond the others. Book VIII ‘The Phaeacian Games’ ‘With this he leapt to his feet and, not even troubling to remove his cloak, picked up the biggest disk of all, a huge weight, more massive by far that those used in their regular matches. With one swing he launched it from his mighty hand, and the stone hummed on its course. The Phaeacians, lords of the sea and champions of the long oar, cowered down as it hurtled through the air; and so lightly did it fly from his hand that it overshot the marks of all the other throws. ‘ His strength is also what allows him to string and draw the great bow with little effort, before the great battle in the hall. Book XXI ‘The Great Bow’ ‘†¦ , he strung the Great Bow without effort or haste and with his right hand proved the string, which gave a lovely sound in answer like a swallow’s note. ‘ This great strength, which Odysseus possessed, was certainly beyond that of normal humans, as demonstrated in these examples and when the suitors failed to string and draw the bow as Odysseus displayed. Therefore, we may conclude that this quality is that in the nature of a ‘Superman’s’ as it is far greater than would normally be so. Odysseus also possessed other qualities, which were demonstrated within the novel. Apart from being the strong and powerful character, which he certainly was, he also had a softer, more timid side. Take for example the chapter in which Odysseus must talk with the ghosts of the dead in Hades. Here, Odysseus experiences panic and fright with what he must endure, as the underworld is that of a dismal and gloomy place. Book XI ‘The Book Of The Dead’ ‘From this multitude of souls, as they flustered to and fro by the trench, there came a moaning that was horrible to hear. Panic drained the blood from my cheeks. ‘ This panic and fright is certainly not of superhuman qualities, as they are stereotyped to be brave and valiant in all situations, which they might have to endure. Odysseus also experiences feelings of compassion and desire during his ventures: Book XI ‘The Book Of The Dead’ ‘Next came the souls of my dead mother, Anticleia, the daughter of the great Autoclycu, who had still been alive when Isaid farewell and sailed for sacred Ilium. My eyes filled with tears when I saw her there, and I was stirred to compassion. ‘ ‘As my mother spoke, there came to me out of the confusion in my heart the one desire†¦ Thrice, in my eagerness to clasp her to me, I started forward with my hands outstretched. Thrice, like a shadow or a dream, she slipped through my arms and left me harrowed by an even sharper pain. ‘ As I have already mentioned, I have defined a quality that is not of superhuman nature, to be one, which is just as any normal human beings. It goes unsaid saying that normal human beings experience emotions of desire and compassion, and also that of panic and fear, from which we can infer that Odysseus also has qualities which are not like that of a Superman. From these observations and presumptions of the novel ‘The Odyssey’, I have found that Odysseus, the brave warrior who fought at Troy, and endured the callous ventures of his misfortunate voyage home, may be one of a diverse character. There is the side of him, which is the superiorly strong and brave fighter; capable of facing and conquering some of the most horrific and atrocious situations one must endure. This may be classified as a quality like that of a superhuman, one of which is that or greater than a normal humans. Then there is the softer and more emotional side, to which Odysseus demonstrates his feeling of compassion and desire, which may be noted as characteristics which are not like that of a superhuman, which I have established as like that of a normal human beings. From this we can conclude, that Odysseus, not only had qualities like that of a superman, but also possessed emotions and desires like that of a normal person.