Teaching pronounciation

Teaching Pronunciation Pronunciation involves far more than individual sounds. Word stress, sentence stress, intonation, and word linking all influence the sound of spoken English, not to mention the way we often slur words and phrases together in casual speech. What are you going to do? ‘ becomes Whaddaya gonna do? English pronunciation involves too many complexities for learners to strive for a complete elimination of accent, but improving pronunciation will boost self esteem, facilitate communication, and possibly lead to a better Job or a least more respect in the workplace.Effective communication is of greatest importance, so choose first to work on problems that significantly hinder communication and let the rest go. Remember that your students also need to learn strategies for dealing with misunderstandings, since native pronunciation is for most an unrealistic goal. A student's first language often interferes with English pronunciation. For example, [p/ is aspirated in English but not in Spanish, so when a Spanish speaker pronounces ‘pig' without a puff of air on the / p', an American may hear ‘big' instead.Sometimes the students will be able to dentify specific problem sounds and sometimes they won't. You can ask them for suggestions, but you will also need to observe them over time and make note of problem sounds. Another challenge resulting from differences in the first language is the inability to hear certain English sounds that the native language does not contain. Often these are vowels, as in ‘ship' and ‘sheep,' which many learners cannot distinguish. The Japanese are known for confusing [r/ and Ill, as their language contains neither of these but instead has one sound somewhere between the two.For problems such as these, listening is crucial because students cant produce a sound they can't hear. Descriptions of the sound and mouth position can help students increase their awareness of subtle sound differences. Here are some ideas for focusing on specific pronunciation features. Voicing Voiced sounds will make the throat vibrate. For example, [g/ is a voiced sound while / k/ is not, even though the mouth is in the same position for both sounds. Have your students touch their throats while pronouncing voiced and voiceless sounds. They hould feel vibration with the voiced sounds only.Aspiration Aspiration refers to a puff of air when a sound is produced. Many languages have far fewer aspirated sounds than English, and students may have trouble hearing the aspiration. The English /p/, m, /k/, and /ch/ are some of the more commonly aspirated sounds. Although these are not always aspirated, at the beginning of a word they usually are. To illustrate aspiration, have your students hold up a piece of facial tissue a few inches away from their mouths and push it with a puff of air while ronouncing a word containing the target sound.Mouth Position Draw simple diagrams of tongue and lip positions. Make s ure all students can clearly see your mouth while you model sounds. Have students use a mirror to see their mouth, lips, and tongue while they imitate you. Intonation Word or sentence intonation can be mimicked with a kazoo, or alternatively by humming. This will take the students' attention off of the meaning of a word or sentence and help them tocus on the intonation. Linking We pronounce phrases and even whole sentences as one smooth sound instead of a eries of separate words. ‘Will Amy go away,' is rendered ‘Willaymeegowaway. To help learners link words, try starting at the end of a sentence and have them repeat a phrase, adding more of the sentence as they can master it. For example, ‘gowaway,' then ‘aymeegowaway,' and finally ‘Willaymeegowaway' without any pauses between words. Vowel Length You can demonstrate varying vowel lengths within a word by stretching rubber bands on the longer vowels and letting them contract on shorter ones. Then let the students try it. For example, the word ‘fifteen' would have the rubber band stretched or the lee' vowel, but the word ‘fifty' would not have the band stretched because both of its vowels are spoken quickly.Syllables Have students count syllables in a word and hold up the correct number of fingers, or place objects on table to represent each syllable. Illustrate syllable stress by clapping softly and loudly corresponding to the syllables of a word. For example, the word ‘beautiful' would be loud-soft-soft. Practice with short lists of words with the same syllabic stress pattern (‘beautiful,' ‘telephone,' ‘Florida') and then see if your learners an list other words with that pattern.

Planning and managing Essay

I believe Life is all about planning and managing. The study of management enables aspirants to learn the management and planning techniques that evolved with the human civilization and enables a devotee to take his/her innate capabilities to a higher degree. Being a person with a dream of becoming a business-lady one day, I want take the opportunity to learn the techniques that will help my qualities improve exponentially. I have been associated with Information Technology for more than Eight years now. I completed my graduation in Information Technology. I realized my passion for Technology during the initial days of my graduation program. I am a quick learner and I am passionate about technology. Hence, during my graduation program I planned to use my private time to attend computer programming courses in order to maintain a competitive knowledge of technology. I learned many programming languages, development phases of a software, managing and scheduling resources during my college days. Being a quick learner I used to keep myself updated with all the programming techniques and at the same time I used to help my classmates as well to gain programming knowledge. Right after my graduation, I was eager to join a cutting-edge technology company and make a mark as a professional in this booming, dynamic industry. Through college placement, I have got an excellent opportunity to work with Patni Computer System. During the initial learning program at Patni computer systems, I have got exclusive opportunities to start my career and master my software development skillls. This comprehensive program helped me gain knowledge in Product Development Life Cycle, Case Study Implementation and Project Integration courses, inter-cultural effectiveness workshops, and additional technical training specific to the needs of our client partners. After completing the training program, I have got an excellent opportunities to work with clients i. e. GE Money who offer a variety of medium- or large-sized projects. Here my actual professional life started. Initially I was working as a developer in the team during this phase of my life I learn t many important things at professional level. Being a fresher I tried to gain as much as knowledge I can and always given successful deliveries to the client without a single defect. At GE Money account level I also worked in fun at work committee and organized many events. I had also taken initiative to conduct knowledge sharing sessions in my team which helped my entire team to update their knowledge at technology as well as account level. Also, received an appreciation from my project manager and my on site-co-ordinators for the same. Currently I am working with TATA consultancy services, one of the largest India-based IT Company. While working with TCS I have got an opportunities to work with major clients like Bank of America and CIBC. Being a quick learner I have gained good knowledge in banking domain with these two clients. At account level, I have suggested and implemented many ideas to automate the system which helped my team members to improve the quality of their deliverables without getting delayed in time. I have learnt the Banking system so well that i also started giving trainings and mentoring freshers as well as new joinees. I was also recognized as one of the best mentor in my Team by my Project Manager and team members. After gaining good experience at technology level i have started handling a team of around seven people individually. While performing Team Leader Role i have come across many challenges and I also learnt many leadership attributes like Relationships, Team Building, decision making, dealing with difficult people, planning, goal setting etc. I also hope to equip myself with advanced analytical tools and techniques that will foster managerial efficiency in me. Hence, MBA-EX. program becomes essential towards achieving critical goals at this juncture of my career. M. B. A program will enable understanding at greater level of business complexity. The specialization in IT will help me learn a range of techniques for managing customer relationships, product positioning and new product development,. The culture of teamwork during the MBA program will definitely help me strengthen my team skills in a cross-national environment. This will provide significant opportunities for professional and personal development – to learn from â€Å"The Best of The Best† and set new benchmarks for growth.

Classroom Observation and Reflection Paper Essay

Curriculum Constr. and Assessment: Reading and Language Arts, I had the opportunity to not only observe but teach a lesson that I created for Mrs. Watson’s Class at Little Rascals Daycare and Afterschool Program. Throughout this paper I will reflect on my lesson plan experience. First, I introduced the concept of letter blends to the students. I explained to the students that letter blends can be at the beginning, middle, or end of a word to make specific sounds. I then explained to the students that I was going to be teaching them beginning letter blends. I went n to explain to the students that since there were several beginning letter blends that I chose five to teach about In the lesson. The blends that I chose were dr, n, bl, gl, and Ch. I went over each beginning letter blend, demonstrated the sound each make and provided several examples for each letter blend for the students. Next, I gave the students an opportunity to participate In the lesson. I held up picture flashcards that had different objects on them. The students had to raise their hands and tell me what the object was and the letter blend for that object. I repeated this process until ach student in the class had a chance to participate. Once we finished, I answered any questions or concerns the student had. I noticed that the students were actively engaged in the lesson and seemed to have really enjoyed. Most of all they seemed to have understood the lesson with ease. Lastly, the students were given a cut and paste blending worksheet to complete. The worksheet had 1 5 different picture objects and letter blends on it. The students had to color (if they wanted to), cut, and paste the correct picture to its letter blend. Once the students finished the worksheet we went over it as a class. Again, I answered any last questions or concerns and wrapped up the lesson. In conclusion, this was my very first time teaching a lesson. I have done several lesson plans before but never had to actually teach them. I believe the lesson went pretty good. The teacher and the students were both very welcoming and provided positive feedback. Although the lesson went well, the one thing I would change if I had to do it all over again would be to pick two or three blends at a time to teach instead of all five. Sometimes when a lot of information is thrown at the students it makes it harder to understand.

The Twin Issues of Climate Change and Global Warming Essay

The Twin Issues of Climate Change and Global Warming - Essay Example    In effect, it is crucial to highlight the important role that an increment in fuel prices will play towards achieving these objectives to thus crucial and important population that is aware of global warming and climate change. For this reason, I addressed this open letter to the citizens of the United States. I believe that we have all heard the adage that "desperate times call for desperate measures." In our endeavor and the quest to satisfy the most basic of human needs, we face a momentous challenge on our environment and other essential components of human life. In line with this, we cannot live oblivious to the fact that some activities that we engaged in can bring untoward effects to our lives. In effect, such activities required urgent action in order to converse the world for future generations. You may be wondering about the motive behind this letter. However, I need to explain the intention behind this letter before I support my argument. First, how many times have we heard or read about the term global warming today on any form of media? In addition, what proactive measures were are taking to ensure that we maintain an environment that was safe for current and future living organisms? Besides, who amongst us today would not wish to experience new approaches that were safe and innovative and solved human kinds problems? I believe your guess is as good as mine with regard to all these questions. The underlying issue in this letter regards the divisive and emotive issue surrounding increasing of fuel prices. In this case, the issue has revolved around two opposing sides with each side putting up strong arguments for their cases.  Ã‚  On one hand, those proposing an increment in fuel prices argue about the economic, social, and environmental benefits arising from the increase.

Environmental scanning paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Environmental scanning paper - Essay Example ch corporate culture that has facilitated a certain way of dealing with the competitive environment that the corporation operates in (Kim and Yoffie, 2011). External factors to which the corporation is exposed are depicted by the existence of a very competitive culture with many retail outlets established nearly everywhere that it ventures. Since it operates on a global level, Wal-Mart has to cope with a highly diversified culture in every country that it sets up shop. To deal with the competitive nature of the market at the international platform has necessitated a marketing strategy that consists of a research and development to unlock the competitive advantage. A strong brand name at Wal-Mart has facilitated the entry of the retail chain store to set up shop easily in new markets. McDonalds is a multinational facing a greater level of diversity than a majority of the corporate world players. The human resource is a very important internal strength at McDonalds since the top management officials are specially trained at the Hamburger University in a move that ensures strategic management on all fronts. Diversity is particularly well managed at McDonalds across the diverse global market presence created at every corner of the world. The fact that the largest number of minority workers is employed at the corporation reveals the embrace to diversity that exists at McDonalds than in many other industries. Externally, the corporation feels it more important to handle the health of the consumers and the entire market with more direct caution due to the sensitivity that that the food industry has. Due to the high competition of the food industry, McDonalds needs to deal with the market pressure for sustainable operations. Firstly, the high consumer behavior and preferences attachments to the food products that consumers search in the market force the corporation to realign its product preparation, package and appeal. Secondly, there is need to assure the consumers

Compare lancasters 'characteristics' approach to consumer demand with Essay

Compare lancasters 'characteristics' approach to consumer demand with the standard neo-classical approach. What is lancaster's c - Essay Example Take any microeconomics book and one would be able to see a lot about consumer demand and supply, pricing strategy, branding and supply chain management in detail. These theories and strategies are (Lee & Keen, 2002, p- 7) mostly framed on various concepts which evolved throughout the time for centuries. The neoclassical economic theories are the most famous among them. They are used extensively in economics till date. Neoclassical theory basically explains the output of employment. According to it, the value of the product is determined by the time spend to create it and the labor cost involved. Consumers buy the product for their pleasure(utility). Every consumer purchases a product to make their life easier or pleasurable in one way or another (Clark, n.d.). The theory emphasizes, the people who work more, earn more and hence purchase more. Every business uses neoclassical theories mentioned in these books for creating value for their products and marketing them to a certain exten t. Over the years, many strategies like the prospect theory started to evolve in the place of the neoclassical theory. Lancaster's model of consumer demand which explores the characteristics of the goods is widely applicable to the modern day businesses where no major physical entity is involved. He argues a person buys the characteristics of the product not the real product. He simply states â€Å"goods are what are thought of as goods†. According to the theory, a consumer actually pays for some characteristic of the product like the nutrient content in the milk which will be useful to them. This paper compares the Lancaster theory with the neoclassical concepts and analyzes how the former one is more suitable to the modern day businesses. Lancaster’s Concept The "New Economic Theory of Consumer Behavior" redefined the way the economists look at business. According to the theory, every product is considered as a set of characteristics that are useful to the customer ( Wierenga). This model is multidimensional and helps in maximizing the profits of modern day businesses like cloud computing and software as a service where only the characteristics of the product are utilized by the customers. The Lancaster model is not as famous as the other economic theories. Only a very few scholars have tried to prove its benefits with empirical data. Ratchford has proved the model is applicable when a customer is given a choice to choose one particular product from various alternatives. Lancaster model opposes the traditional demand theory model emphasized widely by the neoclassical theory. The main advantage of this approach is it gives us a chance to explore the technological attributes of the product in a much better way (Marcin, 1992). According to the neoclassical theory, only goods concerned with the basic needs like food, shelter and entertainment are considered as commodities of high demand. They deal with customer choice with budget constraint as the m ain factor influencing the customer behavior. The customer will choose a product that is useful to them in maximum ways and still stays affordable. The Lancaster model on the other hand insists, the goods themselves are not purchased, but only their characteristics, which are in turn shaped by observing the customer b

American Revolution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 3

American Revolution - Essay Example They served to incite the growing desire for self determination that has been growing in the colonies for years. According to Doyle and Pamplona (2006), there was an emergent movement, which was facilitated by the print media (52). Middlekauff (2005) supported this when he pointed out the points where America began to be aware of itself not as a colony but as a collective body and eventually, a nation, eventually resenting the rule of a country on the other side of the world. The other position holds that the cause of the revolution fundamentally came from the age of revolution sweeping across France, Haiti and Latin America (Burnard, 2010, 3). This is the school that cites the influence of French political philosophy, for instance: that, though American Revolution inspired the French Revolution, the intellectual and political validations that gave rise to the movement for independence were part of the French political thought, which argued for an absolute departure from all past determinations, beginning with a clean slate, one that allows total freedom and political innovation (Looby, 1998,

Nativism and Immigration Restriction Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Nativism and Immigration Restriction - Essay Example However, the year 1882 would become a turning point in our nation's history with the passage of the federal Chinese Exclusion Act that prohibited immigration based on race and ethnicity. The next four decades would continue to affect the country's perception of immigration and would culminate with the passage of the National Origins Act in 1924. Our national views and policies towards immigration continue to be shaped by the nationalism, fears, and nativism that were spawned in California over a century ago. By the middle of the 19th century the residents of California were openly expressing their resistance to Chinese immigrants and these feelings were being exhibited through worker demonstrations and violent outrages. Advocates of the open door policy clashed with anti-immigrant forces over immigration policy for one of the first times in our nation's history. The working men in California had begun to believe that the immigrant Chinese were taking jobs from them and suppressing wages. By 1876, the Chinese were working in gold mines, manufacturing, and in agriculture. A New York Times article of the era contends that, "In all these vocations, as a rule, they [the Chinese] work for lower wages than are usually paid to white men."1 The outward displays of discrimination against the Chinese workers would often force them out of the white dominated workplace and into lower paid occupations. Because there was a shortage of women in California at this time the Chinese men often turned to be coming domestic servants, cooks, housekeepers, or laundry attendants.2 This forced the Chinese workers into the lower wage positions and fulfilled the perception that they were willing to work for less money. The Chinese were also the subject of intense racism in the press and in the public debates over the employment issue. These emotions prompted the federal government to consider passing the Chinese Exclusion Act, which would ban Chinese immigration and prevent Chinese workers from attaining citizenship. A newspaper of the era argued that the white worker should "be excused if he is impatient with the competition of a laborer who lives on the cheapest food, lives in a dry goods box, has no more interest in the State than a bird of the air, and returns to his own land as soon as he accumulates a little money."3 Though these were the prevailing attitudes toward the Chinese, there was a small oppositional viewpoint. As the Chinese Exclusion Act was being debated nationally, the merchants and businessmen warned of taking such extreme action aimed at a single country and race. Their interest was in increasing trade with China that was just beginning to open up to American products. The merc hants warned, "The Chinese government would be perfectly justified in retaliating upon us, if we commit such a base act of international treachery as that contemplated by this act."4 The issue that had begun as a labor dispute in California had risen to the level of a national debate as Congress considered the Act. In the emotionally charged political debate, the voice of reason and truth was often obscured by the polarization of emotions. Professor Wells Williams of Yale College, a leading Social Scientist of the period, published a paper in 1879 after studying Chinese immigrati

Organ Donation in USA Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Organ Donation in USA - Essay Example Advanced countries have managed to create a balance between deceased and living organ donation while developing countries are accused of practices such as transplant tourism and organ commercialization leading to ineffective organ transplant practices. As such, the paper proposes tax policy implementation in order to address the issues facing the organ transplant practice in an effective manner globally. As replacement human kidneys was initialized in more than the past six decades, particularly the introduction of deceased-donation systems in the U.S. the Western model associated with organ donation is heavily linked to unpaid giving. This form of donation takes place due to altruistic reasons. This means that the donor of an organ does not do so to realize material gain. Since organ transplantation has spread to different parts of the world, the unpaid donation model has not followed the different social, medical, and legal settings. Nevertheless, in the past 25 years, professional and intergovernmental organizations have come forth to make organ donation a global ethical norm. Since this practice remains tenuous, the gains made to safeguard the interests of susceptible, desperate organ sellers from exploitation may be lost easily (Capron, 2014). Presently, organ transplantation is carried in more than 100 countries globally, although the rate at which it is carried out varies tremendously. In 2011, for instance, approximately 112,631 organ transplants were reported worldwide, an 11.6 percent from 2008, after the adoption of the Istanbul declaration targeting transplant tourism and organ transplant. Deceased organ replacement grew by more than 5.5 percent annually during this period. As such, World Health Organization (WHO) proposed that the organ transplantation practice should be implemented to its utmost therapeutic potential. Here, living donors are essential, particularly if they are legally,

Chapter 1 Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Chapter 1 Summary - Essay Example 2), people who argue in favor of heterosexual and homosexual cohabitate relations tend to define marriage as a mere â€Å"union between people† whether it is legally recognized or not. A family is understood as a group of people ‘related by blood, marriage or adoption†; however, most of the Americans tend to accept the broader definition of family where cohabitation also is accepted (Schwartz & Scott, 2010, p. 3). The types of families in America vary from family of orientation, family of procreation, nuclear family to extended or multigenerational family. Racially and ethnically mixed families, lesbian and gay families and foster families do exist in America. The authors argue that factors such as race, class, ethnicity and gender have caused large amount of social, political and economic inequalities among families in the nation and as a result many families feel themselves as inferior. The social functions that families serve include â€Å"regulation of sexual behaviour, reproduction, social placement, socialization, economic cooperation and the provision of care, protection and intimacy for family members† (Schwartz & Scott, 2010, p. 5). There exists contradiction between the traditional family values and those propagated by educational systems. The breakdown of families and moral decay would result in most contemporary social ills such as HIV/AIDS, divorce, drug abuse and violence and the growing number of divorces, lesbian gay relations, unmarried mothers and incest add to these contrasting views on marriage. Studies and researches have shown that the concept of family life in America is very much clouded by myths. According to the authors, these myths, though they sound to be ‘dysfunctional or dangerous’, are ‘middle-class myths’ that are propagated by the mass media (Schwartz & Scott, 2010, p. 9). The major four debunking myths are discussed below: The concept of universal nuclear family found wide acceptance in the 1950s and 1960s. The

Organ black market Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Organ black market - Essay Example People have to stay on waiting lists for years before they may ultimately get an organ that can replace their organ which does not function normally. During this period, patients even end up losing their lives as a result of organ failure. Transplantation of organs is very essential for certain individuals, selling organs on the black market is unethical as the act is against the foundations of organ donation, increases the expenditure of the donor and increases cost for the society. Body Presumed Consent Donation of organ is the act of giving a gift or voluntarily donating an organ to another person. When organ transplantation started taking place, the consent of the donor and his family was given great importance and without their consent organ donation and transplantation could not take place. Due to this, there was a shortage of organs available in the market and nations started applying presumed consent system. Presumed consent refers to one’s belief that a person or his family members have no objection regarding transplantation of organs of a dead individual. Presumed consent may not take place if the family members stop or disallow the transplantation procedure (Devettere 401). Due to presumed consent, ample numbers of patients who need organ donations have started gaining access to organs but the number is still quite low due to the existence of black markets. Because of the existence of black markets, presumed consent can not be practiced in an efficient manner as people prefer selling their organs in the black market rather donating it and this is a common practice in developing nations. Regulating Markets and Black Markets The huge amount of difference between the demand for organs and supply of organs has resulted in an increase in black markets for organs. The demand for organs is much higher than the supply throughout the world; this has made policy makers take measures to counter the difference between the demand and supply. This has led n ations such as Singapore to reimburse and provide incentives to donors in order to encourage them to donate their organs (Cooper 15). Nations such as Singapore are even investing heavily in the procedure of donation and this is a very high cost to the donor in financial terms. The government and policy makers have taken steps such as paying for the transplant procedure and expenses that are bared by donors after the procedure has taken place. A major challenge recognized for the activities conducted by nations is the challenge known as transplant commercialism. Transplant commercialism is referred to the treatment of organs as a commodity which results in the buying and selling of organs and which increases the act of organ trafficking (Danovitch 443). Transplant commercialism is recognized as an unethical act because it shakes the very foundations of organ donation. Policy makers have realized that the nations that are providing incentives for organ donation are conducting an uneth ical act of reimbursing donors in return for their organs. On the other hand, policy makers do not restrict reimbursements. This will not leave the donor with a financial reward and will neither result in a disadvantage to him. According to the utilitarian view of ethics, all activities that are considered ethical must provide the optimum level of benefit to the society. If one views organ donation black

Precautionary Measures for Genetically Modified Foods Essay Example for Free

Precautionary Measures for Genetically Modified Foods Essay Genetically modified (GM) foods, a fairly recent development that came about from research in genetic engineering, pose a potential threat to human and environmental health. The basis of genetically modifying foods is the transferal of desirable genetic traits of plants to an agricultural crop. Genetic modification creates crops that are resistant to herbicides or can repel insects. Genetic modification also makes growing crops easier and allows for higher production rates. Anytime genetically altered crops are consumed by humans, the GM crops should be subjected to rigorous testing to assure that it is safe for human consumption and safe for the environment. When it comes to the environment and human safety, one cannot be too cautious. Some say that further safety testing of GM foods is not necessary because there is no evidence of GM foods being unsafe (Cockburn 2002). The truth is that the public does not yet trust that genetically modified foods are completely safe (Harlander 2002). The only way to convince the public that GM foods are safe and to create a market for GM foods is to perform further safety tests, such as a human study or controlled experiments. I propose that you fund this necessary and fundamental testing to ensure that GM foods are safe for the environment and for human consumption in order to help create a market for this life-improving product. Genetically modified crops were first commercially introduced in the United States in 1996; and by 2001 24% of the corn, 63% of the soybeans, and 64% of the cotton being grown in the U. S. were genetically modified varieties (Harlander 2002). Through genetic engineering, scientists have created varieties of crops that are insect-resistant, virus resistant, and herbicide tolerant. These qualities allow for improved yield and reduced use of potentially dangerous pesticides, as well as improved weed control reduced crop injury, reduction in foreign matter, reduced fuel use, and significant reduction in soil erosion. All of these consequences seem to be beneficial for the human race and the environment. It is important to prove to the public that GM foods are safe so that such a beneficial technology will not be under-utilized. In the United States, three government agencies are involved in the approval of genetically modified crops. These three agencies are the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) (Harlander 2002). These agencies are responsible for ensuring that the GM crops are safe for the environment and for human consumption. More specifically, the USDA ensures that the GM crops are safe to grow, the EPA makes sure that the GM crops are safe for the environment, and the FDA ensures that the products are safe to eat (Harlander 2002). The three agencies put the genetically modified crops through rigorous environmental and food safety assessments before they can be commercialized. However, Susan Harlander reminds the scientific community an effective food safety evaluation system minimizes risk, but it is important to remember that food is not inherently safe (2002). Tampering with the genetics of a crop increases the possibility of that crop being dangerous to the environment or to human health. Bettie Sue Masters, PhD, states, All evidence to date indicates that any breeding technique that alters a plant or animal, whether by genetic engineering or other methods, has the potential to create unintended changes in the quality or amounts of food components that could harm health (qtd. in Panasevich 2004). It is highly likely that this lack of inherent safety is a reason why the public is so cautious about the acceptance of GM foods. The key to diminishing the publics fear of GM foods is to extend the safety evaluation process. Consumers have two main concerns about genetically modified foods: first, that GM foods are unsafe to eat; and second, that their cultivation will harm the environment (Gasson 2001). Currently the most widely used safety evaluation process is called substantial equivalence. Michael Gasson and Derek Burke discuss substantial equivalence: Substantial equivalence recognizes the fact that conventional foods have been eaten by many people over a long period of time and have an established and accepted level of safety. Genetic modification involves the introduction of a limited amount of change and substantial equivalence uses a comparative approach to reveal both intended and unintended differences between a genetically modified (GM) food and its conventional counterpart. (Gasson 2002) If the genetically modified food is substantially equivalent to, or similar to, its conventional counterpart, then it is generally regarded as safe. Thus far substantial equivalence has been effective, but as genetically modified foods become more and more complex there is no guarantee that this method will continue its success. More in-depth testing is required to ensure the safety of future GM foods. Genetically modified crops should be tested on living subjects in addition to applying the substantial equivalence method. Animals or human volunteers are essential in proving the safety of the genetically modified crops already approved by the FDA, EPA, and USDA, in addition to the GM crops to be introduced in the future. The risk of harm to a living being would be low as the GM food would have already passed the substantial equivalence test before being consumed. Long term testing would be able to prove that there are no mal-effects resulting from the consumption of GM foods. While long term testing may seem unappealing, it is a small price to pay for improving the quality of life for a nation. The publics concern extends beyond the effects of GM crops after human consumption all the way to GM crops effects on the environment. Many environmentalists as well as non-affiliated persons think that genetically modified crops have a negative effect on the environment. Traits meant only for agricultural crops can be transferred to other plants through pollination; traits, like being herbicide tolerant or virus-resistant, which would diminish natural and artificial checks and balances on plants (Guebert 2004). The best way to ensure that the GM crops will not harm the environment is to perform experiments and further safety assessments. Convincing the public that genetically modified crops are safe for the environment is pivotal towards creating a market for GM foods and in turn improving quality of life. The testing and assessing of the safety of GM foods that I propose will be divided into two categories: the safety of genetically modified crops for the environment; and the safety of GM foods for human consumption. The testing of the safety of GM crops for the environment must be performed under controlled conditions. Our testing will take place in a greenhouse, where any negative effects will be contained and kept away from the environment. All genetically modified crops would be tested for two factors: whether or not the trait is likely to be passed on to other plants; and what nutrients in the soil the GM crop depletes and how fast it does so. These two factors are essential in proving the safety of genetically modified crops for the environment. If a GM crop passed traits, such as herbicide tolerance or virus-resistance, on to other plant species, it could potentially change the ability of that species to survive and thrive and wreak havoc on the delicate balance of the ecosystem. This risk of upsetting the ecosystem frightens would-be GM food consumers from supporting the industry. In order to test the ability of the genetically modified crop to pass on its genes to another species of plant, it would be planted for two growing seasons in the presence of varying plant species found around the agricultural United States. The soil will be tested for nutrients before and after each growing season in order to keep track of the nutrient depletion rate. Any genetically modified crop that depleted the soil of essential nutrients at an abnormally fast rate would be rejected. A genetically modified crops failure to pass any of the tests or assessments would not be approved, thereby leaving no reason for the public to fear for the safety of the environment on account of the GM foods on the market. To test the safety of GM foods for human consumption, a comparative study must be performed. In order for the study to be effective and result in usable data, several hundred human volunteers will need to participate. The volunteers will be divided into two groups. The first group will be asked to incorporate a specific genetically modified food into their everyday diet. The second group will be asked to incorporate the conventional counterpart of the same GM food into their diet. The study will last for 2 months with the participants receiving weekly physicals to check for any changes in health. A change in negative change in health in a number participant from group one, the group consuming a GM food, would indicate that the genetically modified food is playing a role in the deterioration. The GM food in question would then either be taken off of the market or subjected to further testing, depending on the extent of the data acquired from the study. With this study in place, consumers would feel much more comfortable purchasing, and creating a market for, genetically modified foods. By proving that genetically modified foods are safe for human consumption and for the environment, we are proving to the public that there is no cause for fear. In the absence of fear, consumers will no longer object to buying GM foods resulting in a market for genetically modified foods. The increase in demand for GM foods will result in more research and development and bring advances in GM technology. Genetically modified foods have the potential to improve the quality of life of people all over the world, and it would be a shame to let this technology go to waste. If you give us this grant, there will be numerous benefits that can come from our work. Please consider the well-being of the people that will be helped by our work while you are making your decision. Thank you. Works Cited Cockburn A. Assuring the safety of genetically modified (GM) foods: the importance of an holistic, integrative approach. J Biotechnol. 2002; 98 (1): 79-106. Harlander SK. Safety assessments and public concern for genetically modified food products: the American view. Toxicol Pathol. 2002; 30 (1): 132-134. Gasson M, Burke D. Scientific perspectives on regulating the safety of genetically modified foods. Nat Rev Genet. 2001; 2 (3): 217-222. Guebert A, Cousins D. Welcome to the world of unintended consequences. Farmers Weekly 2004; 141 (9): 64. Panasevich CL. Risk assessment urged for genetically modified foods. Nations Health. 2004; 34 (7): 25.

Implementing Strategic Decisions and Analysing Effects

Implementing Strategic Decisions and Analysing Effects Although formulating a consistent strategy is a difficult task for any management team, making that strategy work implementing it throughout the organization is even more difficult (Hrebiniak, 2006). A myriad of factors can potentially affect the process by which strategic plans are turned into organizational action. Unlike strategy formulation, strategy implementation is often seen as something of a craft, rather than a science, and its research history has previously been described as fragmented and eclectic (Noble, 1999b). It is thus not surprising that, after a comprehensive strategy or single strategic decision has been formulated, significant difficulties usually arise during the subsequent implementation process. The best-formulated strategies may fail to produce superior performance for the firm if they are not successfully implemented, as Noble (1999b) notes. Results from several surveys have confirmed this view: An Economist survey found that a discouraging 57 percent of firms were unsuccessful at executing strategic initiatives over the past three years, according to a survey of 276 senior operating executives in 2004 (Allio, 2005). According to the White Paper of Strategy Implementation of Chinese Corporations in 2006, strategy implementation has become the most significant management challenge which all kinds of corporations face at the moment. The survey reported in that white paper indicates that 83 percent of the surveyed companies failed to implement their strategy smoothly, and only 17 percent felt that they had a consistent strategy implementation process. Modern organizations operate in an increasingly complex environment and the magnitude of the consequences of decisions at the strategic level demands high quality responses from the management. The ever-changing and turbulent internal and external environments of the organization demands extreme sensitivity from the management in their reactions towards change. This often requires rapid response and the consequence of one course of action could be dramatically different from an alternative course of action. Strategic decisions are a reflection of the a ttitude, values and expectations of the decision-makers at the top level. They have a long term effect on the direction and future activity of the organization, and have resource implications, affecting decisions at the lower levels and initiating a wave of other, often lesser decisions (Hickson et al. 1986). The uncertainties and complexities of strategic decisions direct the decision makers to reduce the infinitely large problem into a manageable one. This conversion to a manageable model of reality inherently involves a great number of assumptions, many of which rely on the judgement of the decision maker. But the scale of the complexity and variety of variables surrounding the decision is such that some of the assumptions are ill-defined and possibly wrong. To combat these problems the managers categorize the uncertain decisions into a number of criteria: Laplace, insufficient reason to believe otherwise; Minimax, making the best out of worst possible conditions; Maximax, the best out of the best alternatives; Savage, the best of the regrets for not taking the right actions; and Hurwicz, giving a range of attitudes from optimistic to most pessimistic (Turban 1993). The choice of the approach is linked to decision-makers conservatism. This question is crucial since decisions, especially those of a strategic nature, tend to have widespread effects on organizational members, processes, and structure. This paper is concerned with one foundation of strategic decision making: More specifically, we aim to empirically address the why, what, how and where of this process. Thus, we conceive a firms external environment to be a source of information (Aldrich and Mindlin, 1978) but also its internal environment, sometimes referred to as invironment. To scan the environment in order to make better-informed decisions (Choo, 1996) is an important task on the corporate agenda. Environmental scanning, whether or not it is referred to as such (Frishammar, 2002), may be defined as the activity of acquiring information (Aguilar, 1967, p. 1) and is the method by which managers perceive events and trends (Hambrick, 1982). Acquiring information is imperative in ascertaining environmental change and has implications for strategic decision making (Lozada and Calantone, 1997). In this study, strategic decisions are concerned with long-term direction and are normally about trying to achieve some advanta ge for an organization (Johnson and Scholes, 1999). A decision is, in accordance with Mintzberg et al. (1976), defined as a set of actions and dynamic factors beginning with the identification of a stimulus for action and ending with a specific commitment to action. Strategic simply means important, in terms of the actions taken, the resources committed, or the precedents set (Mintzberg et al., 1976). Formulating strategy is difficult. Making strategy work executing or implementing it throughout the organization is even more difficult. Thompson Strickland (2003) have stressed that the strategy-implementing/strategy-executing task is the most complicated and time-consuming part of strategic management (cited in Schaap, 2006). CHAPTER TWO: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Strategic Decision Making By definition, decision making is the process through which managers identify organizational problems and attempt to resolve them (Bartol Martin, 1994). Crook, Ketchen, and Snow (2003) stated that the purpose of strategic management research is to help find ways to improve their performance. Further, strategic decision makings are those that determine the overall direction of an enterprise and its ultimate viability in light of the predictable, the unpredictable, and the unknowable changes that may occur in its most important surrounding environments. They ultimately shape the true goals of the enterprise (Mintzberg Quian, 1991). Pearce and Robinson (1997) underlined the characteristics of strategic decision making as corporate level decisions (greater risk, cost, profit potential; greater need for flexibility and longer time horizons), functional level decisions (implement the overall strategy formulated at the corporate and business levels), action oriented operational issues; sh ort range and low risk. Modest cost; dependent on available resources, and business level decision (bridge decisions at the corporate and functional levels; which is less risky, costly, and potential profitable than corporate level decisions, but more risky, costly, and potentially profitable then functional level decisions). Tatum et al. (2003) stated that managers make day-to-day decisions, or resolve immediate problems. They also elaborated that managers have different decision styles due to the amount of information, number of alternatives, and attempt to integrate and coordinate multiple sources of input. Vroom (2003) in his study quoted Nutt (2002) on a study of 400 decisions that had been made by managers in medium to large organizations in the USA, Canada and Europe. Surprisingly, half of the decisions failed; either never implemented or subsequently unraveled during the two-year observation period. Nutt (2002, in Vroom, 2003) stated that effective decision making is not merely a matter of decision quality but also of ensuring that the decision will have the necessary support and commitment for its effective implementation. Nevertheless, all strategic decision making must go through the decision making process in order for managers to come up with a good decision. 2.2 Decision Making Process Decision makers and managers need to allow themselves to be in the process of decision making. This decision making process will give the opportunity to decision makers and managers to come up with the alternatives, evaluate each alternatives, and select the best alternative or solution to the problem. Decision making process comprise of the steps the decision maker has to arrive at his choice. The process a manager uses to make decisions has a significant impact on the quality of those decisions (Certo, 2003). Moreover, Provan (1989) stated that people who participate in the strategic decision making process are at a high level in their organization, are competent, and are reasonably intelligent and articulate. Strategic decision making process can be and is influenced by those major groups in the organization that are most powerful and that a rational consideration of external environmental factors may have little direct impact on how strategies are actually formulated and implemen ted (Provan, 1989). Basi (1988) stated that type of decision is a function of administrative level, and the style is a function of organizational culture. Administrative level is classified as institutional or executive or upper level, organizational or managerial or middle level, and technical or lower level. Meanwhile organizational culture is known as paternalistic, bureaucratic, and synergistic. Meanwhile, Nutt (1976) indicated in his study on the decision making models. He discussed 6 models of decision making of which bureaucratic model, normative decision theory, behavioral decision theory, group decision making, equilibrium-conflict resolution, and open system decision making. Nutt (1976) also discussed on the limits and ways to select the appropriate model for decision making for organization. As such organizations perform unique functions; the levels identified were technological or primary level, managerial level, and institutional level. Thus, factors which characterize the decision making e nvironment will stipulate the appropriate model that can be optimally used (Nutt, 1976). 2.3 Approaches to Strategy Implementation There are different factors that affect strategy implementation. These factors can be divided into soft, hard, and mixed factors. Soft factors (or people-oriented factors) include the people or executors of the strategy, the communication activities (content and style issues) as well as the closely related implementation tactics, the consensus about and commitment to the strategy, while the hard (or institutional) factors include the organizational structure, the administrative systems. The way in which the strategy was developed and articulated (strategy formulation) contains hard and soft factors alike and is thus considered a mixed factor. Relationships among different units/departments and different strategy levels also is treated as a mixed factor. In the following paragraphs we discuss these factors and how they affect strategic implementation of decisions. 2.3.1 Strategy Formulation It is clear that a poor or vague strategy can limit implementation efforts dramatically. Good execution cannot overcome the shortcomings of a bad strategy or a poor strategic planning effort (Hrebiniak, 2006). Several studies mention the fact that the kind of strategy that is developed (Alexander, 1985; Allio, 2005) and the actual process of strategy formulation, namely, how a strategy is developed (Kim Mauborgne, 1991, 1993; Singh, 1998) will influence the effect of implementation. Alexander (1985) believes that the need to start with a formulated strategy that involves a good idea or concept is mentioned most often in helping promote successful implementation. As Allio (2005) notes, good implementation naturally starts with good strategic input: the soup is only as good as the ingredients (Allio, 2005). Whether a strategy itself is consistent and fitting or not is a key question for successful strategy implementation, but even a consistent strategy cannot be all things to all peop le. Bantel (1997) suggests that particular product/market strategies are effective at achieving particular performance goals to the exclusion of others. One of his conclusions is that synergies between strategy types and implementation. 2.3.2 Relationships among Different Units/Departments and Different Strategy Levels Several studies treat institutional relationships among different units/ departments and different strategy levels as a significant factor that affects the outcome of strategy implementation (Walker Ruekert, 1987; Gupta, 1987; Slater Olson, 2001; Chimhanzi, 2004; Chimhanzi Morgan, 2005). Walker Ruekert (1987) divide business strategy behaviors into three types: prospectors, differentiated defenders and low cost defenders. These distinctions are based on the strategy categories introduced by Miles Snow (1978; prospectors, defenders, analyzers, reactors) and by Porter (1980; overall cost leadership, differentiation and focus). Walker Ruekert stipulate that corporate-business unit relationships, inter-functional structures and processes, marketing policies and processes may all significantly influence business strategy implementation. Three aspects of the corporate-business unit relationship are especially likely to affect a units success in implementing a particular strategy: bus iness unit autonomy, sharing programs and synergies across SBUs, as well as control and reward systems. In addition, functional competencies, allocation of resources, decision-making participation and influence, inter-functional conflict and coordination may have vastly different effects on the implementation of different kinds of strategies. Walker and Ruekert also assume that decision-making and coordination structures in the marketing department, and marketing policies and programs within the business unit, affect the performance of different business strategies in different ways. Chimhanzi (2004) suggests that cross-unit working relationships have a key role to play in the successful implementation of marketing decisions. Implementation effectiveness is affected negatively by conflict and positively by communication and specifically, interpersonal, not written. In turn, these interdepartmental dynamics are affected by senior management support, joint reward systems, and informal integration. Chimhanzi (2004) also points out that the marketing and RD interface remains the most extensively researched dyad within the specific context of the new product development (NPD) process. Chimhanzi provides a multitude of references to such studies in his 2004 article. Other relationships that have received empirical attention, albeit to a lesser extent, include marketing, and accounting, finance, manufacturing, engineering, quality, and sales. There are also those studies, according to Chimhanzi, that have not focused on dyadic and multiple relations, but rather on marke ting as the only one of many departments within a network of relationships. Chimhanzi Morgans (2005) findings indicate that firms devoting attention to the alignment of marketing and human resources are able to realize significantly greater successes in their strategy implementation. Specifically, these findings imply that marketing managers should seek to improve the relationship with their HR colleagues by emphasizing two of the process-based dimensions: joint reward systems and written communication. 2.3.3 Executors Executors are comprised of top management, middle management, lower management and non-management. Effectiveness of strategy implementation is, at least in part, affected by the quality of people involved in the process (Govindarajan, 1989). Here, quality refers to skills, attitudes, capabilities, experiences and other characteristics of people required by a specific task or position (Peng Litteljohn, 2001). Viseras, Baines, and Sweeney (2005) group 36 key success factors into three research categories: people, organization, systems in the manufacturing environment. Their intriguing findings indicate that strategy implementation success depends crucially on the human or people side of project management, and less on organization and systems related factors. Similarly, Harrington (2006) finds that a higher level in total organizational involvement during strategy implementation had positive effects on the level of implementation success, firm profits and overall firm success. Next to these overall findings regarding the who of strategy implementation, we will now review the individual groups of strategy executors at different hierarchical levels. 2.3.3.1 Top management Top management refers to senior-level leaders including presidents, owners, and other high ranking executives (CEO, CFO, COO etc.) and senior-level managers. Several researchers have emphasized the effect of top management on strategic decision implementation (Hrebiniak Snow, 1982; Smith Kofron, 1996; Schmidt Brauer, 2006; Schaap, 2006). Most of them point out the important figurehead role of top management in the process of strategy implementation. Schmidt and Brauer (2006), for example, take the board as one of the key subjects of strategy implementation and discuss how to assess board effectiveness in guiding strategy execution and decision making. Hrebiniak and Snow (1982) find that the process of interaction and participation among the top management team typically leads to greater commitment to the firmà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s goals and strategies. This, in turn, serves to ensure the successful implementation of the firmà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s chosen strategy (cited in Dess Priem, 1995). Smith and Kofron (1996) believe that top managers play a critical role in the implementation not just the formulation of strategy. 2.3.3.2 Middle management We can divide the viewpoints and approaches regarding middle managements effect on strategy implementation into three categories: The first one emphasizes the match of strategy and middle managers leadership style (Gupta Govindarajan, 1984; Guth MacMillan, 1986; Govindarajan, 1989; Judge Stahl, 1995; Heracleous, 2000). This viewpoint assumes that personality is the primary determinant of strategy implementation actions. The second perspective considers the effect of context on behavior (Waldersee Sheather, 1996). The third one analyzes the impact of relationships between top management and middle management on strategy implementation (Wooldridge Floyd, 1990, 1992b, 1997; Qi, 2005). There are also studies that have examined the ambiguous relationships between top management and middle management in the context of strategy implementation: On the one hand, middle managers expect direction and support from their top management. If they receive this guidance, then they will provide s upport for the strategy in return. One of the key factors determining their level of support is their demographic situation (such as age, gender, educational background, and business experience) (Qi, 2005). On the other hand, top management should expect middle-level managers to question strategic decisions (Wooldridge Floyd, 1990). Middle managers expect top management direction, but frequently feel that they are in a better position to start and evaluate alternative courses of action. Wooldridge Floyd (1992b) consequently classify middle management involvement in strategy into four types: championing alternatives, synthesizing information, facilitating adaptability and implementing deliberate strategy. The first two represent upward forms of involvement, while the last two are downward forms. Floyd Wooldridge (1997) investigate the relationships between middle managersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ formal position, their strategic influence and organizational performance. 2.3.3.3 Lower management and non-management Unfortunately, few authors study the impact of lower management and non-management on strategy implementation. Gronroos (1985) believes that an organization must first persuade its employees about the importance of the strategy before turning to customers (cited in: Rapert Lynch Suter, 1996). Alexander (1985) suggests that there are many problems which over half of the corporations experienced frequently, such as the involved employees have insufficient capabilities to perform their jobs, lower-level employees are inadequately trained, and departmental managers provide inadequate leadership and direction. These three are the most frequent strategy implementation problems in relation to human resource. Line-level employees may use delay or prevent attempts toward change that they find particularly threatening or disagreeable. Nutt (1986) suggests that managerial tactics and leadership style can play a crucial role in overcoming the lower-level obstructionism that is prevalent (to so me degree) in many implementation efforts. Strategic decisions are nevertheless formulated by senior-level managers of the firm and then administratively imposed on lower-level management and non-management employees with little consideration of the resulting functional-level perceptions (Nutt, 1987). If lower-level management and non- management personnel are not aware of the same information, or if information must pass through several (management) layers in the organization, consensus regarding that information may never come about. Thus, the lack of shared knowledge with lower-level management and non-management employees creates a barrier to successful strategy implementation (Noble, 1999b). 2.3.4 Communication Forman and Argenti (2005) rightly note that, although an entire discipline is devoted to the study of organizational strategy, including strategy implementation; little attention has been given to the links between communication and strategy. But Forman and Argenti also note that business communication researchers have become increasingly interested in the contribution of corporate communication to a companys ability to create and disseminate its strategy in the last decade. However, very few authors have investigated the link between corporate communication and strategy, and when they have their focus has primarily been on how corporate communication affects the firms relationship with its various stakeholders. At least, numerous researchers have already emphasized the importance of communication for the process of strategy implementation (Alexander, 1985; Rapert Wren, 1998; Peng Litteljohn, 2001; Heide Grà ¸nhaug Johannessen, 2002; Rapert Velliquette Garretson, 2002; Forma n Argenti, 2005; Schaap, 2006). Rapert and Wren (1998) find that organizations where employees have easy access to management through open and supportive communication climates tend to outperform those with more restrictive communication environments. 2.3.5 Implementation tactics Bourgeois à Ã‚ ¨ and Brodwin (1984) examine five process approaches used to advance strategy implementation: Commander model, Change model, Collaborative model, Cultural model, Crescive model. The first approach addresses strategic position only, and should guide the CEO in charting a firmà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s future. The CEO can use economic and competitive analyses to plan resource allocations to achieve his goals. The change model emphasizes how the organizational structure, incentive compensation, control systems and so forth can be used to facilitate the implementation of a strategy. The collaborative model concentrates on group decision-making at a senior level and involves top management in the formulation process to ensure commitment. The fourth approach tries to implement strategy through the use of a corporate culture. The final approach draws on managersà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸ inclinations to want to develop new opportunities as see them in the course of their day-to-day management. The first three models assume implementation as after-the-fact. This implies that the number of strategy developers is few and that the rest of the organization is somehow manipulated or cajoled into implementation. For the latter two models, most of the energy is used for strategy formulation and the strategy requires relatively little effort in its implementation. Lehner (2004) takes implementation tactics as genuine organizational behavior based on the assumption that implementation in general is dependent on the environment, and various strategic and organizational variables. 2.3.6 Consensus Many authors focus on the role of consensus for strategy implementation (Nielsen, 1983; Floyd Wooldridge, 1992a; Dess Priem, 1995; Rapert Lynch Suter, 1996; Noble, 1999b; Dooley Fryxell Judge, 2000). Nielsen (1983) contends that firms must achieve consensus both within and outside their organization in order to successfully implement business strategies (Noble, 1999b). The consensus about a companys strategy may differ across levels: If members of the organization are not aware of the same information, or if information passes through different layers in an organization, a lower level of consensus may result. This lack of shared understanding may create obstacles to successful strategy implementation (Noble, 1999b). Floyd and Wooldridge (1992a) label the gulf between strategies conceived by top management and awareness at lower levels as implementation gap. They define strategic consensus as the agreement among top, middle-, and operating-level managers on the fundamental priorities of the organization. Consensus, in their approach, has four levels: strong consensus, blind devotion, informed skepticism and weak consensus. Floyd and Wooldridge argue that strong consensus exists when managers have both, a common understanding of, and a common commitment to their strategy. If, however, managers are committed to something, but do not share an understanding what that something is (they are well-intentioned but ill-informed) blind devotion is the likely result. If, by contrast, managers share an understanding of their strategy, but are not really committed to it, they are well informed yet unwilling to act. Floyd and Wooldridge call this realistic condition à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¾informed skepticismà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸. Of course when neither shared understanding nor commitment is high, weak consensus is the likely result. Improving understanding and commitment can close this dangerous implementation gap. 2.3.7 Commitment Shared understanding without commitment may result in counter effort and negatively affect performance (Wooldridge Floyd, 1989, cited in Rapert, Lynch and Suter, 1996). Some authors take shared understanding as a commitment. MacMillan Guth (1985) and McDermott Boyer (1999) all think that the shared understanding of middle management and those at the operational level to the top management teams strategic goals is of critical importance to effective implementation (Rapert Velliquette Garretson, 2002). Strategy implementation efforts may fail if the strategy does not enjoy support and commitment by the majority of employees and middle management. This may be the case if they were not consulted during the development phase (Heracleous, 2000). Alexander (1985) thinks obtaining employee commitment and involvement can promote successful strategy implementation Some CEOs believe that one way to accomplish this is to involve employees and managers right from the start in the strategy fo rmulation process. Involvement and commitment should also be developed and maintained throughout the implementation process. If middle and lower level managers and key subordinates are permitted to be involved with the detailed implementation planning, their commitment will be likely to increase. 2.3.8 Organizational Structure Factors relating to the organizational structure are the second most important implementation barrier according to Heide Gronhaug Johannessenà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã… ¸s (2002) study. Drazin and Howard (1984) see a proper strategy-structure alignment as a necessary precursor to the successful implementation of new business strategies (Noble, 1999b). They point out that changes in the competitive environment require adjustments to the organizational structure. If a firm lags in making this realignment, is may exhibit poor performance and be at a serious competitive disadvantage. Gupta (1987) examines the relationships between SBUs strategies, aspects of the corporate-SBU relationship, and implementation and finds that structures that are more decentralized produce higher levels of SBU effectiveness, regardless of the strategic context. Schaap (2006) also suggests that adjusting organizational structure according to perfect strategy can ensure successful strategy implementation. 2.4 Decision Support Systems So and Smith (2003) stated that a major component of any information system is the individuals that supply, manipulate, access and rely on the system. Individuals information needs and requirements for decision making are the reasons information systems exist. Bounds, Dobbins, and Fowler (1995) defined decision support systems (DSS) as information systems that use decision rules, decision models, a comprehensive database, and the decision makers own insights in an interactive computer-based process to assist in making specific decisions. Pourvakhshouri and Mansor (2003) stated DSS is a well established area of information system applications, which assists the decision makers to derive an in-time, efficient solution. A DSS may also be defined as an integrated, interactive and flexible computer system that supports all phases of decision making with a user-friendly interface, data and expert knowledge (Fabbri, 1998 in Pourvakhshouri Mansor, 2003). Majchrzak and Gasser (2000) indicate d that TOP-MODELER can help managers in overcoming the burden of strategic decision making in their daily business operations. The system also assists the managers to understand their organization structure in gaining closest relationship possible. Ulvila and Brown (1991) stated that decision tree analysis is the oldest and most widely used form of decision analysis. Managers have used it in making business decisions. On the other hand, Heenan and Addleman (1991) proposed that mangers to use multivariate analysis (MVA), the quantitative methods can help to evaluate the complex and intangible factors that influence consumers. Moreover, MVA had been used for application to business problems in consumer packaged goods and services sector. 2.5 Decision Approach Decision making style of managers can be classified based on their approach towards the problem that they tried to solve. Barton and Martin (1994) stated that various models of decision style being adopted such as rational model, non-rational model, satisficing model, incremental model, and garbage-can model. Basically, these models are based on the individual managers perspective toward decision making. First, rational model suggested that managers engage in completely rational decision processes, ultimately make optimal decision, and possess and understand all information relevant to their decisions at the time they make them. Second, non-rational model suggests that information-gathering and -processing limitations make it difficult for managers to make optimal decisions. Third, satisficing model suggests that managers seek alternatives only until they find one that looks satisfactory, rather than seeking the optimal decision. Fourth, incremental model stated that managers make th e smallest response possible that will reduce the problem to at least a tolerable level. Finally, garbage-can model stated that managers behave in virtually a random pattern in making non programmed decisions. Basi (1988) identified that decision style is influenced by organizational culture; which will lead to decision making. So and Smith (2003) indicated that differences in decision makers cognitive styles, cognitive abilities and personality are important factors in decision making and performance. Further, the Myers-Briggs type indicator (MBTI) (Myers and McCaulley, 1985 in So and Smith, 2003) is used to determine cognitive styles along two basic dimensions, perception (information acquisition), and judgment (data processing and evaluation). MBTI categorizes individuals as sensors or intuitors in the perception dimension; and MBTI classifies individuals as thinking or feeling types in judgment dimension. Rausch (2003) indicated that managers leadership roles need to consider 8 suggested questions as they develop a plan, solve a problem, meet a cha

Story Of The Dead Poets Society English Literature Essay

Story Of The Dead Poets Society English Literature Essay Charlie reveals the ideas of carpe diem in various ways. He feels that he can speak for other people, and he doesnt care if they like him or not. First, he invites girls to come to the Dead Poets Society club meeting. Then he tells them they can go in because its his cave. He also publishes an article in the school paper about how they should have girls at Welton in the name of the Dead Poet Society without the approval of any other members. He also pulls the phone call from God to gain attention, pretending to himself as a god when he says that the phone call is from God. In the end, he is expelled for punching Cameron. Charlie punches him because Cameron had just come from telling the administrators about the Dead Poets Society club and blamed Keating for everything. Charlie feels it doesnt matter if hes expelled or not. In addition, Neil seizes the day. Neil loves to do new stuffs, and come up with unique ideas. He is the one to call Keating O Captain! My Captain! and is the first able to ask him what the Dead Poets Society was. He is also the one to organize the first meeting of the club in the cave and hes also a leader. Neil also tells Todd that he must participate in the Dead Poets Society club no matter what. Each of the choices is Neils attempts to gain control over his own life. Neil lives by his fathers rules. Carpe diem motivating Neil to go after his dream of acting, but his father wouldnt let him. Going against his father, he decides to follow his heart by audition for A Midsummer Nights Dream Neil receives the part as Puck. He claims that this is the first time in his life that he knows what he wants. However, after the show his father takes him home and yells at him. He ends up committing suicide, by using his fathers gun. Knox also embraces living for the moment. Knox visits his parents friends, and soon falls in love with their daughter Chris. He broke his own rules to see her, and competed for her attention with her boyfriend Chet. At that party and after a few drinks, he makes a move on Chris and Chet was there, who then punches Knox. After that meeting, Knox does everything in his power to win her love over. Using his love of poetry, he presents one of his love poems in his English class, and is applauded by Keating. Then Knox travels to Chriss school and read his poem to her in class, later convincing her to go to a show with him. Chris does like the attention Knox gives her, and in the end, holds his hand at the play. Also, Todd finally can stand up by himself. Todd is a very quiet boy. He is the youngest of his family member and has many expectations laid upon him due to the success of his brother. Todds worst fear is that his life has no meaning. After the first day of class, Todd writes Carpe Diem on his paper, dreaming of what it would be like. But, he throws out the paper believing he has nothing to do with it Later, in class, after being asked to write a poem, Todd tells Keating he never completed the assignment after he spent many hours writing and revising his poem only to have thrown it away before class. Keating sees through Todds fear and later makes him say whatever comes to mind. This is the beginning of the change in Todd. He proves his loyalty to Keating by stand up to Camerons accusations of Keating. Todd is able to express his opinion that Cameron and the school are wrong. Students at Welton could not have any other choice for what they want to do or what type of person they want to be. But Mr. Keating teaching the boys learns to think on their own, and they all do their own stuffs with their own ideas. By doing that there were some good things happen such as Todds is a very quiet boy and shy who does not enjoy speaking himself in front of a lot of people but Mr. Keating helps him get over this fear, Todd finally finds a voice for himself that he never knew he had before, and Knox found his true love shows free thinking is an important thing in life because it lets everyone think and behave in different ways and situations. But there were some bad things such as Neils commits suicide and Charlies got expelled from his behavior shows we should learn to think before we do something.

Thomas Moran :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the most well known parks in the United State is Yellowstone. One of the most well-known landscape artists is Thomas Moran. What does this place and person have in common? Well, if it weren't for Thomas Moran Yellowstone would not be a National Park. Thomas Moran's art was greatly influenced by the nature of the west in the early romantic era.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Born in Bolton, Lancashire, England in 1837, Thomas was taken to the United States at the age of 7. (Ency. Bio. Vol. 11). He was educated in Philadelphia public schools for his elementary years and then indentured to a wood engraving firm in 1853-1856. (Am.Nat.Bio.Vol 15). He had three brothers who were artist, but he learned to paint from his brother Edward Moran. He did do some watercolors during his apprentictionship and in 1856, he painted his first oil painting titled, Among the Ruins There He Lingered. (Vol.11). Moran still working closely with his brother became an informer student of Philadelphia marine artist James Hamilton. Hamilton may have introduced him to the work of J.M.W, turner and a belief in close study of nature in his foundation of panting. (Vol.15) Moran exhibited landscapes at the Pennsylvania Academy of the fine arts for the first time in 1856 and then later elected academician in 1861. He continued to exhibit there through 1905. (Vol.15). 1862 Thomas married Mary Nimmo who had always thought to be her husbands student. (Vol.15). The beginning of his life had just started and didn't know that he would accomplish so many feats with his artwork of nature.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Thomas would be in the category of romantic art for the theme of his artwork. He has based it on the beauty of nature and the fact that most of his major works were done in the period that romanticism took place, most of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century. Thomas Moran had attended the Hudson Valley River School, where many landscape artists had attended, too. He painted the Hudson Valley with the attraction, beauty, and scenery of the valley.(www.ency). He also was attracted to the awesomely romantic images of American wilderness and the open west, where he did most of his paintings. (www.art) Thomas was fascinated with Yellowstone and wanting to be associated with it painted the wilderness and scenery of it. (Vol.15) With the paintings he had done of Yellowstone Congress was fascinated with them, that they bought The Chasm and The Grand Canon of the Yellowstone Thomas had painted.

Compare and Contrast From the Motorway and The Pylons :: English Literature

Compare and Contrast From the Motorway and The Pylons The poems From the Motorway and The Pylons both share the same similarities between their subject matter, themes and tone, however the writes use different literary techniques to convey their message. The two poems warn the reader about the spreading of modern urban life. From the Motorway states how man has made Britain uniformly dull and removed her beauty. 'asleep in the promise of being nowhere anyone would like to get to' This quote shows places that have not been touched by the growth of the motorways and how quaint and tranquil they are. 'this dwarfs our emerald country by its trek' This quote fromThe Pylons tells the reader how the pylons are travelling across the country, not realising the damage they cause. However From the Motorway has amore jovial tone and uses a lot of irony to include humour: 'Britain is mending her desert' This is ironic because Britain is actually making herself into a desert and destroying rather than mending. The Pylons has a more serious tone 'Now over these hills they have built the concrete That trails black wire; Pylons' This quote explains how the hills were peaceful until the pylons had taken over and that the land had been desecrated by concrete, which was not of the natural ground. The structure of The Pylons is of five stanzas, each of four lines, each stanza with a change in mood. 'That turned on sudden hidden villages. Now over these small hills, they have built the concrete' The last line of the first stanza is describing a peaceful village , part of the countryside and the first line of the second stanza tells the reader of the desecration of the stone, the tone completely shifting. From the Motorway has a structure that is all in one sentence so that it sounds like the ongoing motorway 'among rich and ragged, sprinter and staggerer' This quote simulates traffic using unpronounceable alliteration. In the beginning of The Pylons, the fist stanza is an almost dream location in the middle of the country, before they were destroyed 'The secret of these hills was stone, and cottages Of that stone made' These first two lines sound biblical. The hills are as if they had been in this way forever and the cottages had been made in equilibrium with them, of the local natural stone. 'And crumbling roads That turned on sudden hidden villages' The villages and roads had been made without changing the landscape in any way; the villages so in tune with nature that they were part of the landscape, and could suddenly appear round a corner on a windy country road. The beginning of From the Motorway is more upbeat.

What Is the Importance of Leonard’s Body Tattoos in Memento?

Memento (2000) is a movie directed by Christopher Nolan that follows the life of Leonard, a man who, after an accident, suffers from short-term memory loss. When Lenny tries to save his wife from a possible rape, he hits his head on the floor damaging the way his brain functions, losing his capacity to create new memories. Every action of the film is set around a single objective; the relentless pursuit of the alleged murderer of Leonard’s wife.In order to be able to follow up the mystery, Lenny has developed a system where he writes up notes to himself, takes pictures of important people and events, and, most importantly, tattoos his body with important â€Å"facts† to remember clues as he tracks his wife’s murderer. Lenny’s tattoos are extremely important in Memento (2000) once they provide a memory trigger for the protagonist, building up his feelings of anger and revenge; they are key in character development and essential for the framework story.Lenny ’s tattoos are a memory source for the protagonist, allowing him to remember the murder and building up mixed emotions regarding the case. The character has different tattoos in the front part of his body representing what he believes are facts and key pieces on the murder of his wife. One of them in particular, located on his chest and written backwards says: â€Å"John G. raped and murdered my wife†. Lenny’s tattoos not only helps the protagonist remember his goal, to catch and kill whoever it was who hurt his wife, but also feeds his feelings of revenge and anger towards the killer.When Lenny believes he has uncovered Teddy as being the killer of his wife, for example, he quickly catches sight of his tattoo establishing a casual connection that motivates him to go after Teddy and kill him. Lenny has a visual memory, even though he must relearn daily who he has met and what he has learned since the incident, he still finds strength and is encouraged by the pow er of his tattoos to keep looking for John G. In the movie, tattoos have hidden meanings and help reveal and develop the character.One in particular, the â€Å"Remember Sammy Jankins† on Leonard’s hand, provides a miniature of the movie as a whole, as it has multiple meanings. Leonard believes that the tattoo is there to remind him that unlike Sammy, who has the same condition as him, he has a system and can therefore, control his ‘disease’. However, further in the movie we discover yet another hidden meaning in the tattoo. Sammy has never existed the way Leonard believes, in fact, the tattoo is a reminder that Lenny lies to himself, â€Å"not only the fiction of the cautionary tale of Sammy Jankins, but also of his inability to tell when people are lying† (Heuser, 2011).The tattoo represents Lenny’s lies and struggle to believe on what he wants to see as the truth, it unwinds a closer understanding of the protagonist giving meaning to the mo vie. Tattoos are essential for the flow and understanding of the story. They are introduced without many explanations, throughout the movie; however, different events and flashbacks allow the viewer to have a closer understanding of them. The viewer first discovers the various tattoos that cover Lenny’s body as he undresses in front of a mirror.In the same scene, â€Å"medium, close-up and point of view shots fragment Leonard’s body into readable tattooed statements which align the spectator’s knowledge with Leonard’s sense of being in the world† (Molloy, 2010). The viewer starts to slowly become familiar with the â€Å"facts† tattooed on the protagonist’s body and connect each tattoo to each other, making sense and framing the story. Leonard’s tattoos are essential in the progress of the framework story in Memento (2000), it is key in character development and it is a source of memory trigger for the protagonist.Leonard lies to himself, and his tattoos are simple excuses for him to believe on what he wants to be the truth, embracing his feelings of anger and revenge. Because he is covered in tattoos, â€Å"his subjectivity is made obvious, whereas culture and memories are literally inscribed onto him† (Blake, 2004); additionally, the lastingness of tattooing is what helps trap Leonard in his limitless search for his wife’s murderer.No matter what happens, Lenny wakes up every day, facing the â€Å"facts† and goes off on his search. Therefore, tattooing his body helps Leonard accept the murder and enhances his feelings of anger influencing his unstoppable search for revenge. Leonard is a locus of signs and his tattoos are important in the development of the story, making the final connection to what is believed to be the truth and the actual truth, reinforcing character development as well as the spectator’s identification with Lenny.Reference: Blake, L. (2004). Snapshots of M emento: Angles of Interpretation. George Washinton University. Heuser, D. (2011). Memento – What was this movie about again? Retrieved from: http://www. davidheuser. com/Memento. html (Feb 22, 2012). Todd, Jennifer (producer) & Nolan, Christopher (director). (2000). Memento. [Motion Picture]. (Available from Helkon, USA). Molloy, C. (2010). Memento. Adinburgh: Edinburgh University Press. ?

Last year I did my placement in Cork Simon Communities Outreach project

Last year I did my placement in Cork Simon Communities Outreach project. I really enjoyed this placement and as I had a lot of knowledge on this project I decided to do my Community Development project on the Outreach project. I realised while working on the Outreach team how important the service was because when young people first become involved in street life they do so because they see no other option. Many leave situations of acute family breakdown or violent situations. They may have been exposed to alcoholism, drug addiction, abuse and have lived under the strain of poverty and unemployment. Street life seems to me like an insecure, lonely, frightening and dangerous situation for any person to find himself or herself in. Unfortunately people living on the streets are quickly exposed to alcohol, drugs, crime and prostitution. Many people do not know how to get help and many have lost contact with services. For the most part people who are out of home are not easily identified. They â€Å"hang around† and dress similarly to other people. They have however, no consistent support or care and nowhere they call home. For the most part they are invisible. This is where the Outreach Street Service's importance comes in; The Outreach team has a good understanding of the situation among people on the streets. Outreach contacts people out of home at risk. Outreach befriends people and builds trusting relationships with people. The Outreach team provide information about services provided and the location of these services. Oliver Hoegener created ‘The Yellow Leaflet' which Simon published and the Outreach team always carry these leaflets to give to new people on the streets of Cork. Outreach also puts people in contact with services and all street work is documented. History The Simon Community was established in Ireland in 1969, there are now 4 Simon Communities in the Republic of Ireland; Dublin, Dundalk, Galway and of course Cork which was set up in 1971. The philosophy of the Simon Community is the framework, which guides the community's policies, practice and day-to-day running of its projects. The guiding principles set the parameters within which the staff work and residents live while in the community. The community's philosophy is based on Acceptance, Community, Long-Term Care and Campaigning. The philosophy also embraces and includes, A commitment to justice, sharing, creating space for people, being as democratic as possible, being part of the wider community, providing care, support and solidarity, valuing relationships, encouraging participation, inclusiveness. The community also has a strong voluntary ethos. The community's policy is to: Empower people, to encourage independence, to encourage people to take responsibility, to be inclusive and to facilitate those who wish to tackle any difficulties they may face such as alcohol and drug addictions etc. Change is not a primary focus, though it is facilitated where possible. There is a strong emphasis on Confidentiality in Simon, all matters relating to residents remains confidential and all people involved in Cork Simon Community must bear in mind that all clients have a right to privacy. This enables trusting relationships to be built within and between various members of the community. All workers must respect clients as individuals with the ability to make decisions and changes in their lives, in light of their beliefs and values. The Outreach project is a new project of the Cork Simon Community. Since January 2002, the two Outreach workers (Carmel Moore & Oliver Hoegener) have been doing intensive street work in Cork. The project is targeting ‘rough sleepers' and offers easy access to support and advise on a wide range of issues. One of the main aims of the project is harm reduction and prevention as well as making and maintaining contact with service users on the street. The Outreach team liaise's with other agencies such as Drug and Alcohol Services, the Homeless Adolescent Unit and the other Drug Task Force Projects. Outreach links in with a wide number of other groups in the city e.g. YMCA, Gardai, Southern Health Board, local community groups, youth workers etc. Outreach works in collaboration with the existing Youth Homeless Drug Prevention Project as well as with other Simon projects, such as (1) The shelter; where the Outreach worker and shelter staff can establish times that the outreach team can bring people into the building to gain access to the shelters services. (2) Day centre; again the outreach team works from the day centre in befriending people and building new relationships with ‘rough sleepers'. (3) The Soup run; The nightly soup run meets between 60-80 people each week some are sleeping rough while others are living in the private rented sector or in corporation flats. The Soup Run provides hot meals, blankets, advice and companionship for the homeless. In March 2002 the Outreach team set up a Lunch run, they were aware of the need for a weekend service because places like the Upper Rooms only provide a Monday to Friday service and a lot of Cork's homeless people were dependant solely on the soup run at weekends as their only source of food, similar to the soup run, the lunch run gives out tea, soup, sandwiches and fruit in the evening around the streets of Cork city, I think this was an excellent service to set up because while on placement I did the lunch run and it proved to get very popular after a few weeks of being established, it is only the Outreach workers which do the lunch run. The two Outreach workers work more closely with the Youth Drugs worker and liase with the volunteer co-workers on the nightly soup run. Managed The Crisis Services Manager who is accountable to the director of cork Simon manages outreach. Financed A substantial amount of money required to run the Simon Community on a day-to-day basis is raised by the community itself through voluntary fund-raising such as flag days, church gate collections, Simon shops and sponsored events. The State also contributes to the Simon Communities running costs in the form of rent. While each Simon Community is autonomous and is responsible for financing and running its own projects, all Communities work closely together and collectively form a national federation with the national office in Dublin acting as a resource, servicing and co-ordinating agency. Working together as a national body has many practical advantages and gives expression to that founding principle which states that no one community alone can ever be Simon. Evaluation From working in the Simon Community I do believe that the organisation is a very successful one. From attending weekly meetings where issues like barrings, a residents physical/mental health, issues that occurred in all areas of Cork Simon etc, were being discussed, I realised how complex it was just to run the whole project and how some decisions that were made had such a huge impact on other people e.g. a rough sleeper being barred from the use of all Simons services, these decisions really annoyed the Outreach team because then as the Outreach worker it is your duty to go out on the streets, find this rough sleeper and try to get them into other services. Even though the whole organisation is so complex and controversial you just have to look back at Simon's vision of society where: there is no homelessness, and compassion, respect and empathy are the core of the community's relationships, and justice, equality and social inclusion are central to state policy. Also the mission of the Simon Community to develop preventative strategies that will divert people becoming homeless, to campaign for the right for appropriate accommodation and responsive services for the homeless, to provide quality care, accommodation and services which support and empower people who are homeless, marginalized, vulnerable or socially excluded. I believe that the policy of Simon and the Core Values are very realistic, Simon does not discriminate and in theory the organisation is getting stronger and providing an essential service for the homeless of Cork.

The Evolution of Philippine Literature

Though relatively young compared to other world literatures, Philippine literature has come a long way in evolving from the early forms of folklore literature to the contemporary literature we know today. The changing times and the cultural influences brought about by both the foreign and local people have shaped the fate of Philippine literature. On the earliest times before the Spanish colonization, myths, legends, and tales were the forms of literature at hand. These reflected the indigenous culture and tradition of pre-Spanish Philippines.Stories were orally shared and passed down room one generation to the next. A bit before Spaniards came, the early natives had also developed their own writing system called the Alabama and the earliest writings in Philippine literature were written in that manner on bamboo, leaves, stones, and other indigenous materials. These myths usually impart of the origin of man and the world, and mostly had a transcending spiritual purpose. Balkans or th e priestesses were in charge of remembering and preserving the folklore which they preached to the people, especially to the future generations.An example of well preserved myth is the lawful ale of Began and Gauguin that talks about the marriage of a goddess with a man and the death of their son which resulted in the creation of the world's many things. Tales were in local vernacular forms and showed the diversity ad richness of culture by each region. On the advent of Spanish colonization, the earlier forms of literature were trashed and abandoned for the Spaniards wanted to convert the natives to Christianity and the only way to do this was to convince the natives into believing that these were evil and wicked.That explains why the term â€Å"yaw† meaner devil, but in fact, Yaw was a airier Babylon from Bolo. Folklore was forgotten and natives were slowly but surely became Hispanicize throughout the 300 years of colonization. Prayers, chants, and other religious acts were taught to the natives. Religion was a major topic in the Spanish era. Elite scholars were taught to read and write in Spanish and religion was the main subject matter. Since only the high class or the selected few had the privilege of education, this resulted in a few bright minds to explore the literature given by the Spaniards, the rest were only taught prayers.These fortunate people were taught to read and write n Spanish and were sent overseas. This paved way for them to discover the diverse literature of the world. This gave them an utterly different perspective of literature and other matters. These scholars were inspired by the foreign revolutionary ideas and sooner than later, sparked the will to also change the system of their native land. These foreign ideas were adopted by Filipino writers like Jose Racial, Grecian Lopez Jean, Marcelo H. Del Pillar and Pedro Pattern who contributed to important Spanish literary work in the Philippines by the way of various historical docu ments.Studying in Europe, Jose Racial was the most prominent advocate for reform in the Philippines. He wrote two books: the Nil Me Tanager and the El Filibusterer's, writings and formed the ASK for revolution. It is evident in Benefaction's poem Nag Hulling Habit Eng Filipinos (The final Cry of Filipinos) that he was on the verge of creating a revolution and that shows that on the dwindling years of Spanish rule, literature revolved around the idea of revolution and nationalism. It is true that the style and way of writing is very much affected by the need to write down the events that are unfolding.A nationalistic era results in a nationalistic literary works. At the dawn of American colonialism?or as they called it â€Å"benevolent assimilation†, the American tactic was to not enslave us but to â€Å"befriend† us. They willingly taught the Filipinos to read and write in English, targeting the youth. Through these efforts, Philippine English literature bloomed. At th e start, many Filipino writers still wrote in Spanish but gradually, as the years went by, more and more wrote in English. Since you have to learn to stand before you learn to walk, it took them a little while before Filipino writers could write literary works in English.When the Second World War exploded and the Japanese occupied the country, writers were forced to either go underground or write in Toga. Writers were enthused to write in English again when the war was over. This period produced some famous writers like like Carols Bulbous, Alexandra Roses, Francisco Recall, Nick Joaquin. Filipino writers excelled in the short stories in English. It was at this time that Filipinos felt at more ease with using English as their medium of language. They took the writing in English language and transformed it into an artistic expression.