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Integration of ICT in Education: Pedagogical Issues Dr. Anjali Khirwadkar Center of Advanced Study in Education Faculty of Education The M. S. University of Baroda India. Abstract The progress of any country depends upon the quality of education offered and its practices. Indian education was well known for its Gurukul system of education in the Vedic age. Education in India has undergone various phases and stages of development starting in the Vedic age to the post-independent period.At all stages of development there was a concern for bringing in quality education reflecting on the practical aspects in education. The great Indian thinkers had emphasized on developing the inner potential of individuals by reflecting on unique potential of individuals. Getting educated is solely dependent upon the individual teacher’s role to set conditions and generate environments for learning.The recent curriculum framework 2005 as proposed by NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training), India focuses on the issues of; Connecting knowledge to life outside Shifting from rote learning to constructing knowledge Providing a wide range experiences for the overall development of a child Bringing flexibility in the examinations The recent developments in technology have changed the world outside the classroom; it is more eye-catching and interesting for a student then the classroom setting. As a result, students find classroom instructions as dull and devoid of life and do not interest them for learning.The information technology has made learner WWW-afflicted. This is because technological developments have brought developments in two ways: First, by enhancing human capabilities by helping people to participate actively in social, 85 economic, and political life in a society at large. Second, by giving advantage to technological innovation as a means for human development due to economic progress and increased productivity. The power of information is such that almost all decisions made in different sectors like science, technology, economics, and business development will be based on information that has been generated electronically.Information has become a key asset of the organization for its progress. Therefore, access to information is a key factor in the generation of wealth and there is a strong link between a nation’s level of development and its level of technological development. Educators and policymakers believe that information and communication technologies are of supreme importance to the future of education and, in turn, for the country at large. As ICT is becoming an integral element for educational reforms and innovations at secondary schools, this situation calls for an enhancement of pre-service education on ICT for prospective teachers.There is a growing importance for ICT within the school curriculum. Not only it is used to support teaching and learning within other curriculum subjects, but it is also a subject in its own right as a separate discipline. The major objective is that developing skills, knowledge, and understanding in the use of ICT prepares pupils to use such technologies in their everyday lives. ICT tools enable pupils to access, share, analyze, and present information gained from a variety of sources and in many different ways. The use of ICT provides opportunities for pupils to work both collaboratively and independently.As such, the role of ICT within the curriculum is not only to enhance the learning experiences of pupils but also to help them develop the skills essential to participate effectively in the world of affairs. It generates avenues for working in groups developing team spirit, cohesion, and social values. Here, a teacher plays a pivotal role in the process of teaching learning. Hence, knowledge of ICT and skills to use ICT in teaching/learning has gained enormous importance for today’s teachers. Teachers are expected to know to successfully int egrate ICT into his/her subject areas to make learning more meaningful.This knowledge development during pre-service training has gained much importance with the notion that exposure to ICT during this time is helpful in increasing student teachers’ willingness to integrate 86 technology with classroom teaching. This paper focuses on issues relating to ICT in education as a core component in pre-service teacher education and the different models to be adopted for its integration. Review of studies conducted in the area of attitude, anxiety, and efficacy of teachers and development of computer skills Pre-service teachers need to plan to use computers in their classrooms.Vision is needed to motivate and direct their teaching and learning with the help of technology and using related instructional methods. There are various strategies used to make teachers understand and implement the integration of ICT in various curricula. They should serve as a basis for understanding compute r operations and programming along with assisting pre- service teachers to learn computer concepts in developing a vision, value, and use of computers in learning. Many studies have been conducted on teachers’ attitude and their use of ICT skills.It has been found that teachers’ attitudes play an important role in the teaching learning process. It has generally been found that pre-service teachers have demonstrated their ability for integrating technology into their teaching, but do not have clarity about how far technology can be beneficial for students. They will probably avoid teaching with technology once the requirement for the demonstration lesson is over. Hence, a negative attitude about teaching with and about technology in a subject matter area could work against well-planned instruction in teacher preparation programs.While, on the other hand, those teacher candidates who believe in the potential and utility of technology in the classroom and continue facing many challenges become the models for student teachers to emulate. Many studies have been conducted with regard to the attitude of teachers towards use and interations of technology have revealed the importance of attitudes for learning to use technologies (Cox, Rhodes & Hall, 1988; Davidson & Ritchie, 1994; Hannaford, 1988; Kay, 1990).These findings were further supported by Bandalos & Benson, 1990; Dupagne & Krendl, 1992; Francis-Pelton & Pelton, 1996; Loyd & Gressard, 1984a; Mowrer-Popiel, Pollard, & Pollard, 1994; Office of Technology Assessment, 1995. ) Several studies have found that individuals' attitudes toward computers may improve as a result of well-planned instruction (Kluever, Lam, 87 Hoffman, Green & Swearingen, 1994; Madsen & Sebastiani, 1987; Woodrow, 1992). Like other individual characteristics that are hypothesized o play a role in the continued growth of technology proficiency, attitudes and beliefs can’t be easily taught and must be developed by an individ ual over a period of time. Another factor that is noted to have a profound effect on the student teacher's learning technology and its integration is computer anxiety. Computer anxiety, as defined by Rohmer and Simonson (1981), is â€Å"the mixture of fear, apprehension, and hope that people feel while planning to interact or while actually interacting with a computer† (p. 151).Research has shown that there is often a negative relationship between the amount of prior computing experience and the level of computer anxiety exhibited by individuals. Reed and Overbought (1993) and Hackney (1994) found significantly reduced levels of computer anxiety following instruction whereas Chu and Spires (1991) observed a significant reduction in computer anxiety for only the most anxious quartile of subjects. McKiernan et al. (1994) reported that some students experienced reduced levels of computer anxiety at the end of a computer training class while other students experienced continuing anxiety.The level of anxiety could be reduced with increased experience in using and working with computers and thereby succeeding in reaching goals. Over and above the attitude of teachers, self-efficacy is also an important aspect to consider. Researchers have indicated that although teachers may have positive attitudes toward technology (Duane & Kernel, 1992; Office of Technology Assessment, 1995), they may still not consider themselves qualified to teach with it or comfortable using it. If teachers are to integrate technology into their teaching, they must feel self-efficacious about using it (Decorum & Kingie, 1993; Remer et. l. , 1993; Office of Technology Assessment, 1995). Bandera (1986) defined perceived self-efficacy as â€Å"people's judgments of their capabilities to organize and execute courses of action required to attain designated types of performances. It is concerned not with the skills one has but with the judgments of what one can do with whatever skills one pos sesses† (p. 391). According to Bandura (1982), people acquire information about efficacy from four sources: performance attainments, vicarious experiences of observing the performances of others, 88 erbal persuasion, and physiological states from which people partly judge their capability, strength, and vulnerability (p. 126). This information would help an individual assess his/her performance and then generate self-appraisals of his/her ability. When the concept of computer-efficacy is applied to the domain of learning to use computers in teaching, hands-on computer experience becomes an important component in effective instruction at the pre-service level. Research has shown a high correlation between efficacy judgments and subsequent performance (Bandura & Adams, 1977; Bandura, Adams & Beyer, 1977; Schunk, 1981).This particular link between self-efficacy and subsequent actions is significant in developing an idea for a teacher who continues to learn to teach with technolog y apart from instruction in teacher preparation (Ashton, 1985). Self-efficacy was originally conceived as having a high domain-specific component rather than one with high generalizability (Lennings, 1994), and this has led to recent research interest in the area of computer self-efficacy (Delcourt & Kinzie, 1993; Ertmer, Evenbeck, Cennamo, & Lehman, 1994). Computer self-efficacy represents the essential elements of self-efficacy as applied to the domain of computer learning.Several studies have found the positive effects of instruction on computer self-efficacy (Ertmer, Evenbeck, Cennamo & Lehman, 1994; Gist, Schwoerer & Rosen, 1989; Russon, Josefowitz & Edmonds, 1994; Torkzdeh & Koufteros, 1994). There is little doubt that today's prospective teachers will be expected to teach with technology in the classrooms of tomorrow. However, the resources available to teachers in terms of hardware, software, networking, and professional development vary greatly at the school level. Hence, i t is imperative that teachers become directors of their own learning with regard to using information technologies in the classroom.Through learning to teach with technology, teacher preparation programs have a unique place at the beginning of this challenging process. The development of a pedagogically-based framework of constructs that are related to learning to use computers and an approach for its application in teacher preparation shows promise for meeting these challenges as discussed above. 89 Another challenge for pre-service education is finding classrooms where pre-service teachers could observe teacher educators using technology appropriately and to understand where and how to include technology in their lessons.The computer has moved from an object to be studied to a teaching and learning tool for teachers and students. Hence, teacher preparation programs could no longer rely on an introductory course. We can’t just bolt on the technology in teacher education curr iculum; we need to take proactive steps for its integration in teaching learning. Teacher education and technological competence should involve all aspects of the preparation of teachers, i. e. , introductory competencies, use of technology in methods classes, school placements, and student teaching.Pre-service teachers need to develop a vision from the very beginning of their careers for using computers in their classrooms. For this, student teachers must understand computer operations and programming–leading them to develop a vision of the value and use of computers in learning. Therefore, it is crucial that teacher preparation programs should develop the cognitive, social, and physical environments that will help teachers feel efficacious and in control of learning to teach with technology, a domain that is often overwhelming even for experienced teachers.Another challenge of preparing teachers to teach with technology is that as a result of knowledge generation, our knowl edge about computer technology is constantly changing. In addition to this factor, there are various other dimensions like attitude, motivation, computer anxiety, and computer self-efficacy which play an important role in developing skills and competencies among prospective teachers. Pedagogy is primarily associated with formal school education.There are significant differences between the two concepts of pedagogy and â€Å"webogogy†, especially in terms of independence/dependence of the learners, resources for learning, motivation, and the role of the teacher. The context of learning is significant because learning is contextually and situationally specific. The teacher’s role in web-based teaching has already been identified as being very different from the teacher’s role in formal education, with terms like facilitator referring to the person who is on-line and interacting with students in various ways. It may be the same person who produces the course materi als.Also, the on- 90 line teacher will need to arrange a range of activities in which he or she will engage students, and a range of roles that he or she will fulfill. In web-based teaching, the teacher would be engaged in preparation and organization of instructional materials based on the same kind of assumptions about learners that are held by textbook authors. The Internet provides a wide range of scope for integrating varied learning experiences and making learning holistic. All of the resources developed by an individual teacher could be shared in a web forum for further refining the lesson plans.The various skills and competencies to be developed on the part of student teachers would be: Surfing the Internet and locating useful information from the Internet for the development of lesson plans. Developing lessons plans incorporating student use of technology in the learning process. Evaluating and selecting appropriate software for a particular subject and per student needs. G enerating printed documents like student assignments, newsletters, communication, etc. utilizing a variety of applications software like word processing and desktop publishing.Managing student data ; using data management tools for efficiently managing learning. Using technology to gather, organize, and report information about student performance like Excel and Access for database management. Developing tools to evaluate technology-based student projects including multi-media, word processing, database, spreadsheet, PowerPoint, desktop publishing, and Internet/telecommunications. 91 Using the Internet to support professional development including locating professional organizations, communicating with other teachers electronically, and participating in on-line professional development workshops nd seminars. Developing assignments and project work for students; giving them broader and deeper knowledge in a field of study; developing critical thinking and infusing creativity among st udents. Computer Education at The Secondary Level Recognizing the growing importance of ICT in the education area, policy makers in the school education sector have taken proper care to integrate computer education at the school level. The Curriculum Guide and Syllabus for Information Technology in Schools developed by NCERT, India, has the following objectives for the secondary school level: 1.Selecting appropriate IT devices for a given task; making his/her own informed choice of browser and search engines; trouble-shooting for peripherals. 2. Identifying specific strengths and weaknesses of technology resources; demonstrating legal and ethical behavior regarding the use of technology and information. 3. Communicating to a variety of audiences using IT tools; using a variety of technology tools for data collection and analysis; using tools to present and publish information with interactive multi media features; using tools to make models and simulations; manipulating images. . Us ing on-line information resources for collaboration and communication; collaborating with others to build content-related knowledge bases. 5. Developing strategies to find relevant and appropriate electronic information sources. 6. Investigating technology-based options for lifelong learning; using productivity tools, communication tools and research skills. 92 IT competency standards at the end of Class X to be developed in students are: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Ability in and understanding of fundamental computer operations and concepts. Using a variety of programs to accomplish learning tasks.Exhibiting skills in the use of communication networks. Exhibiting skills in the selection and use of technology to gather, process, and analyze data and preparation of reports. The expectations from the school sector in terms of established student objectives and expected skills to be developed demonstrate the need to develop necessary knowledge and skills among teachers with positiv e attitudes and the right inclination. Techno-Pedagogy a Skill The aim of teacher education is to develop skills and appropriate knowledge among teacher trainees for using and integrating the correct technology in an appropriate manner.Every teacher should know how to use technology, pedagogy and subject area content effectively in their daily classroom teaching. It is clear that merely introducing technology to the educational process is not enough. One must ensure technological integration since technology by itself will not lead to change. Rather, it is the way in which teachers integrate technology that has the potential to bring change in the education process. Hence, attitude and self-efficacy towards technology play an important role.For teachers to become fluent in the usage of educational technology means going beyond mere competence with the latest tools to developing an understanding of the complex web of relationships among users, technologies, practices, and tools. Teac hers must understand their role in technologically-oriented classrooms. Thus, knowledge about technology is important in itself, but not as a separate and unrelated body of knowledge divorced from the context of teaching–it is not only about what technology can do, but perhaps what technology can do for them as teachers. 3 In techno-pedagogy, there are three areas of knowledge, namely: content, pedagogy, and technology. Content (C) is the subject matter that is to be taught. Technology (T) encompasses modern technologies such as computer, Internet, digital video and commonplace technologies including overhead projectors, blackboards, and books. Pedagogy (P) describes the collected practices, processes, strategies, procedures, and methods of teaching and learning. It also includes knowledge about the aims of instruction, assessment, and student learning.Speaking truthfully, technology integration entails the understanding and negotiating of the relationships among the aforemen tioned three components. Good teaching is not simply adding technology to the existing teaching and content domain. Rather, the introduction of technology causes the representation of new concepts and requires developing sensitivity to the dynamic, transactional relationship between all three components suggested by the TPCK framework. (Koehler, M. J. and Mishap, P. 2005) Technological Content Knowledge C P Pedagogical Content Technological, Pedagogical knowledge (TPCK)T Technological Pedagogical Knowledge Depending upon the nature of content, scope of content, and level of students, appropriate technology integration must be sought. Technology as an aid enhances the process of learning and helps in achieving higher level objectives. 94 Approaches to ICT integration in Teacher Education Use of ICT within teacher training programs around the world is being approached in a number of different ways with varying degrees of success. These approaches were subsequently described, refined a nd merged into following approaches: 1.ICT skills development approach: Here importance is given to providing training in use of ICT in general. Student teachers are expected to be skilled users of ICT for their daily activities. Knowledge about various software, hardware and their use in educational process is provided. 2. ICT pedagogy approach: Emphasis is on integrating ICT skills in a respective subject. Drawing on the principles of constructivism, pre-service teachers design lessons and activities that center on the use of ICT tools that will foster the attainment of learning outcomes.This approach is useful to the extent that the skills enhance ICT literacy skills and the underlying pedagogy allows students to further develop and maintain these skills in the context of designing classroombased resources. 3. Subject-specific approach: Here ICT is embedded into one’s own subject area. By this method, teachers/subject experts are not only exposing students to new and innov ative ways of learning but are providing them with a practical understanding of what learning and teaching with ICT looks and feels like.In this way, ICT is not an ‘add on' but an integral tool that is accessed by teachers and students across a wide range of the curricula. 4. Practice driven approach: Here emphasis is on providing exposure to the use of ICT in practical aspects of teacher training. Focus is on developing lessons and assignments. Using ICT and implementing it in their work experience at various levels provides students an opportunity to assess the facilities available at their school and effectively use their own skills. Thus, ICT in teacher training can take many forms. Teachers can be trained to learn how to use ICT tools.ICT can be used as a core or a complementary means to the teacher 95 training process (Collis & Jung, 2003). The various ways in which ICT teacher training efforts could be classified into four categories are shown below in Figure 1. ICT AS PART OF CONTENT ICT AS A CORE COMPONENT IN TEACHER EDUCATION AND ITS APPLICATION ICT AS CORE CONTENT ICT AS FACILITATOR ICT AS CORE DELIVERY From the above suggested approaches, regarding ICT as a core component at the preservice level, integration of all approaches would help in developing proper attributes among prospective teachers.There should be joint efforts of educators and prospective teachers in implementing and sharpening ICT skills. Whatever approach is followed in educational institutions to develop knowledge about ICT, it has inherent limitations. Coupled with other reasons, we are not making student teachers fully confident in using ICT in their daily classroom activities. As reported by Larose F. in their study, the level of computer literacy of the teaching staff is satisfactory but there is little transfer of these competencies to teaching practices (Larose F. et al. 1999). Efforts are required on the part of teachers to make use of the available facilities for the best use in teaching /learning. ICT in Education Course Scenario at the Pre-Service Level The syllabi for ICT in education courses offered by some of the universities in India were analyzed in terms of the objective of the course, weight given to theory and practice, and other syllabus components. The Curriculum Guide and Syllabus for Information Technology in Schools developed by NCERT, India, has the following expectations 96 bout basic competencies of teachers to achieve the objectives of ICT education at the secondary level: †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ †¢ Understanding the role of technology in change and the implications of technology-mediated changes for education. Creating interest in learning among students through unique utilities like animation, simulation, the Internet, etc. Demonstrating a sound understanding of basic IT concepts and operations. Planning and designing effective learning environments with necessary technology support. Making the best use of technology-enhanced lessons to enrich student learning.Adopting assessment strategies to evaluate (a) student competencies in IT skills and (b) student learning in the new environment. Using technology to enhance our own creativity and professional practices. Demonstrating understanding of social, ethical, legal, and human issues surrounding the use of technology in schools. Fashioning a climate of values that encourage questioning, exploration, problemsolving, decision-making, and group co-operation. Striving for education to emerge from its disciplinary narrowness. Identifying useful learning material from various sources.The teacher has to take an active part in developing his own checklist for evaluation of learning materials and use it in the context of (a) the learner profile, (b) the learning environment, and (c) the technical strength of the computer laboratory of the school. Moreover, the tasks of the teacher are: 1. Design oneâ₠¬â„¢s own checklist. 2. Review software to be procured or on the World Wide Web 3. Report his/her assessment of courseware to the principal so a purchase decision can be made. 97 ICT is introduced in secondary teacher training courses at various levels as a compulsory subject or a special field subject.Sometimes, it is also introduced as one of the subjects to be studied under a course titled ‘Educational Technology’. Various objectives/rationales for introducing the course are as follows: 1. Understanding the scope and importance of ICT in contemporary society. 2. Developing effective perspectives and attitude towards emerging technologies. 3. Developing skills in handling, maintaining and protecting different types of hardware and equipment in the institutions of learning. 4. Acquiring a theoretical basis of ICT and to develop an awareness about recent developments in the area of ICT. 5. Acquiring adequate knowledge bout the fundamentals of computers and operating sys tems. 6. Acquiring the necessary skills of handling software packages for the purpose of education in the institutions of learning. 7. Acquiring knowledge about new Internet technologies and their place in the field of education. Regarding the weight given to the subject, different approaches are followed. Overall the weight given to theory and practice is 60/40 (60% for theory and 40% for practice). Broadly the content areas regarding theory/practice include: a. Introduction to Computers b. Introduction to Operating Systems c. Application of Computers in Teaching d.Functions of Computers – Knowledge of M. S. Office and other related packages and Computer languages e. Application of computers in Education f. New Trends and Techniques in Computer education (EDUSAT etc. ) g. Knowledge of Internet, World Wide Web, etc. 98 In the majority of teacher education institutions, the syllabi exhibit less weight to practical than theoretical aspects. Since the nature of ICT subjects is m ore practical and application-oriented, there needs to be more practical than theoretical input. This aspect seems to be neglected in designing and framing curricular objectives.The present approach for ICT integration is dismal as an â€Å"add on† approach for ICT course is adopted : ICT basics are taught to teacher trainers focusing on technical issues, but little emphasis is given to the pedagogical aspects Educational technology courses are taught in a rather traditional way and show little evidence of using new technology to support instructional innovations Students don’t know how to use new technology in their classroom instruction when they go to schools Technology input is not integrated in the curriculum courses, especially method courses.These are certain basic problems associated with the integration aspects of technology. These are major hurdles in the integration of ICT in the teaching/learning process. This scenario shows that the objectives of introduci ng ICT at the pre-service level are developing technological know-how and awareness regarding various other technologies and software packages. Further, the time spent for practical sessions is less, as more time is spent for theory sessions. The total approach of introducing ICT at the pre-service level is not very serious.It is very clear that student teachers will not get much scope in order to integrate ICT in curriculum or the teaching/learning process. In teacher training programs at the secondary level, the ICT education scenario is struggling with the following problems: †¢ †¢ Only at the awareness development level are objectives being achieved, but higher order thinking skills regarding the use of ICT tend not to be occurring. Technology, pedagogy and content area integration is a rare feature. components are dealt with separately which creates confusion for students. All 99 †¢There is a serious discrepancy among syllabi of teacher training institutions and secondary schools. Syllabi at various institutions are not on a par with school level curriculum. †¢ Time duration of the courses related to ICT education is too short to develop knowledge and necessary skills among students to achieve higher order thinking skills. †¢ †¢ †¢ There is a lack of availability of proper infrastructural facilities at most of the institutions. There is a mismatch between available hardware and software to develop required learning resources. Support from technical taff for maintenance is dismal. The objective at the pre-service level is not to prepare technocrats, but to develop technopedagogues. Teachers should be in a position to integrate technology into teaching / learning as well as develop the art and skill of â€Å"webogogy† (i. e. , to make use of Internet technology, exploring it, accessing information from it to use in teaching learning, etc. ). So, objectives must be set at the attainment of application and skill level s rather than just at the knowledge and understanding levels. The professional development of teachers needs to be given importance.There must be congruence between the school curriculum and teacher training curriculum at the secondary level. Otherwise, teachers are not ready to utilize their knowledge to effectively design teaching/learning processes, project work, and assignments. In addition to offering ICT as a compulsory and special course, integrated approaches need to be studied along with methods courses. This will help student teachers to develop the concept of ‘techno pedagogy’ to a greater extent. Thus, management of change in teacher education is a complex and demanding task involving comprehension, concern, caution, and contemplation.Planners and administrators of teacher education have to provide academic leadership to prepare reflective teachers who can manage the educational system efficiently at various stages of education at the pre-primary, primary, e lementary, secondary, and higher secondary levels. Effective change in schools is possible only when there are corresponding changes in the management of teacher education programs. 100 References: Ashton, P. (1985). Motivation and the teacher's sense of efficacy. In C. Ames, & R. Ames (Eds. ), Research on motivation in education, 2 ,141-171.Orlando, FL: Academic Press Inc. Bandalos, D. and Benson, J. (1990). â€Å"Testing the factor structure invariance of a computer attitude scale over two grouping conditions†, Educational Psychology Measurement, 50,49-60. Bandura, A. (1982). â€Å"Self-efficacy mechanisms in human agency. 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(1981).Modeling and attributional effects on children's achievement: A self-efficacy analysis. Journal of Educational Psychology, 73, 93-105. Torkzadeh, G. and Koufteros, X. (1994). Factor validity of a computer self-eficacy scale and the impact of computer training. Educational and Psychological Measurement, 54(3),813-821. Woodrow, J. (1990) Locus of Control and student teacher computer attitudes. Computers Education, 14, 4, 421-432 Woodrow, J. E. J. (1992). The influence of programming training on the computer literacy and attitudes of preservice teachers. Journal of Research on Computing in Education, 25(2), 200-219. 104

Dalai Lama

In the excerpt â€Å"Ethics and the New Genetics† The Dalai Lama, also known as Tenzin Gyatso, presents to use the new arising discovery that scientists made in genetic technologies and how advanced they are becoming. He discusses how scientists are talking about being able to change the genetic make-up in produce to help those who cannot or have the advantage of having food. Another thing he brings up is how the scientists also discovered two different types of cloning. One type of cloning is therapeutic and the other is reproductive. In the Dalai Lama’s excerpt he stated that there is right time and place for when we should use these technological and genetic advances. But at the same time if we use these technological and genetic advances in the wrong way or at the wrong time it can end up being a long term consequence for our present and future society. As the Dalai Lama stated we should these technological and genetics advances only when it is to benefit people as human beings. An example he discussed was for when the talk of changing the gene factor in produce should only be used to help feed the world, not for solely making the discovery of changing the shelf life of apples or having wheat and other grains immune to pests when growing in the field. These types of genetic changes should only be used to benefit the human race. By actively manipulating the gene, we are on the cusp of forcing as unnaturally quick rate of change in animals and plants as well as our own species† ( Dalai Lama, 77) Only realizing that there are a morally right reasons to do that, at the same time it could be endangering the future as Dalai Lama stated and in a way that is what is not be considered. The Dalai Lama did say however though that cloning is okay if we are using it to save lives, but not for the purpose of trying to have the perfect child for you or anyone else. Therapeutic cloning is the type of cloning that is meant to make a perfect child, which is wrong in almost every way. Though it is a tragedy for those families that cannot have let’s say a normal child or even have a child it is still not morally right to go and technology work on another child to give that family a child of their own. Reproductive cloning is simply creating an identical copy of an already born child and that is normal in today’s society because a lot of people have twins. But it is not normal for a family that cannot have a child to go and make a copy of another child, though as the Dalai Lama stated it may be an identical body, but there will be two different consciousnesses and they will still die. Overall, technological and genetic advances should only be solely used for the benefit for the human beings and the human benefit, not for as Dalai Lama mentioned commercial benefits.

Self Leadership and Goal Setting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Self Leadership and Goal Setting - Essay Example Therefore, leadership is not only about leading people but should also motivate others to become leaders themselves. The latter process, which is referred to as self-leadership, can also be defined as an internal process that influences and controls behaviour, using behavioural and cognitive strategies (Neck & Houghton, 2006, p. 270). One strategy, which is widely adopted, is goal setting and hence the main purpose of this paper is to discuss the goal setting theory and to ascertain that it is an important strategy, which needs to be adhered to, in order to attain self-leadership. This paper provides an overview of the goal-setting theory and a summary of the ideas behind the theory, various arguments, their strengths and weaknesses. Goal setting is considered to be the most influential and widely represented framework within the self-management literature. Several self-management studies, which have been carried out with different purposes and contexts, have consistently favoured th e notion that individuals can improve their performance and develop an ideal behaviour when they set specific and challenging goals for themselves. (Ordonez, Schweitzer, Galinsky, & Bazerman, 2009, p. 6; Clarke, Crowe, Oades, & Deane 2009; Fu, Richards, & Jones, 2009). A number of studies and research has documented this topic, each providing a different definition for goal setting. According to the Goal-setting theory, setting goals will have positive effect on the performance level of an individual and when the set goals are more specific, challenging and taken seriously by the individual their performance will only be enhanced further. In addition, the goal-setting theory also hypothesizes that aim of goal-setting is not simply limited to enhancing immediate performance levels of an individual. (Marsh et al., 1995, p. 5). Locke and Latham (2006, p. 265) also provide similar arguments in their article about how goal-setting drives an individual’s performance and also emphas ize that when the goals set are vague or abstract such as those which rely on delivering one’s best effort, the result of the performance often turns out be inadequate or ineffective. The goal-setting theory also argues that a positive relationship between goal difficulty and task performance can be expected only when an individual possesses the capacity to complete a task without the interference of conflicting goals and thoughts. (Locke & Latham, 2006, p. 265). In relation to issues concerned with professional development such as time-management (Fitsimmons, 2008, p. 61), improvement of employee behaviour (Houghton & Neck, 2002, p. 673) and performance and career management (Greenhaus, Callanan, & Kaplan, 1995 p. 3; Orpen, 1995) goal-setting has always had a positive impact on an individual and the skills gained through these issues constitute important aspects of self-leadership. This has also been reinstated by Topper (2009, p. 561) who believes that time and career manag ement, and improving behaviour and performance of an individual are all vital aspects of self-development. Topper (2009, p. 561) defines self-leadership as a strategic approach undertaken by an individual to attain self-development and which provides tools that could be

Contract Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Contract Law - Essay Example In the early 1848, reform that introduced the New York Code of procedures took place1. This reform led to the abolishment of the reforms of action that was based on writ system. Initially, the introduction of the classical law with the introduction of New York Code of procedures seemed to be a significant step in law reforms (Frank, 1975: 182)2. The law spread to the parts of the world including the United Kingdom where it was mainly used to understand and determine trade matters. There emergence of the classical law has been contributed to by different schools of though with certain schools of though held that classical law or classical legal thoughts, as they referred to it, shape and transformed the united states economic and social lives. 1. [Holmes] "The Theory of Torts," 7 Am. L. Rev. 652 (1873) 2. Frank, W.F., (1975) the General Principles of English Law, London: George G. Harrap & Co. Ltd, pp. 182-183 Moreover, the law or the legal though organized the legal elite along the u tilitarianism and natural right. The classical law had nationalist or instrumentalist mode of the formative era. During the formative era, leaders of the bar, treatise writers, and the Supreme Court justices among other legal players had the same conception of the law that was viewed to transform old conflicting schools of thought3. These legal players wanted legal thoughts and professions to match with science along the philosophical speculation as well as in the crudities of democratic politics. This alliance of legal player influenced the legal outcome between the year 1865 and 1940 that was defined by the older conservatism. The older conservatism was only realized among the professionals that constituted politicians and despoiling entrepreneurs who piled pressure on the framers, working class, and the â€Å"public interest†. Therefore, classical law was introduced as an article of faith within the liberal historiography of this time (Frank, 1975: 183)2. From these two sc hools of thoughts, it is apparent that the classical law emerged to introduce reforms in both social and economic lives of people during the industrialization period. According to Milsom (1981: 364)4, the law was introduced as a legal measure for autonomy. It aimed at narrowing the gap between different social and economic classes since it seemed to offset the distinguishable result from economic interest and political power. However, both schools of thought have not addressed the autonomy of legal consciousness that led to the introduction of the law. The first contribution notes that the law was introduced to deal with specific concepts within the industrial era. However, on the other side, the second school of thought states that classical law emerged to deal with all the social, economic, and political discrepancies or inequality that emerged during the nineteenth century industrialization in Britain just like other parts of the world that was experiencing industrialization revo lution. 3. Blackstone, W. (1973) Commentaries on the Laws of England. London: Macmillan 4. Milsom, S.F.C., (1981) Historical Foundations of the Common Law, London: Butterworths, pp. 361-400 Some contributors of the emergence of the classical law note that before the civil war in the United States, there was a set of legal relationships among the legal elites within and outside America. This relationship comprised of legal system including private citizen of states,

Nokia Emerges as India's Most Trusted Brands Article - 2

Nokia Emerges as India's Most Trusted Brands - Article Example The logo, which reflects the company’s mission â€Å"Nokia- Connecting people†, explains the reason for being the leading brand in itself. Nokia has not only understood its consumers’ needs but has also tried and reached its consumer’s utmost requirements. These include providing them with better connectivity, navigation, music optimized functionality, addictive games, business/email services, video and much more. Nokia has always made sure to give its consumers the best voice quality, better battery times and user-friendly GUIs - Graphical User Interfaces. Furthermore, from developing these creative designs/features to growing its offer of Internet usage and its enterprise solutions and software, Nokia has always focused in to give best deals to its consumers. Not only that, Nokia’s new merger with Siemens has provided its customers with equipment, solutions, and services for communications networks through Nokia-Siemens networks. (Nokia emerges as Indias most trusted brands., 2010). With qualities like such, Nokia owes to have the highest brand equity among its consumers. The reason that these brands are still in my memory is that of the strong and lasting image that they have built in the consumer market. The brand’s position in the PLC does affect consumers’ choices to a great extent. Consider as an example the computer manufacturer: Sony. Sony is also one of the leading electronic brands in the world and was established in 1958. Since then, Sony has tracked a long history of innovation and inventions from its first transistor radios to the first Trinitron color television in 1968, the color video-cassette in 1971, the popular Walkman in 1979, the worlds first CD player in 1982, the 3.5-inch floppy disk in 1989 and many others.  

Technology and Organizational Structure Paper Assignment

Technology and Organizational Structure Paper - Assignment Example A compare and contrast strategy reveals the exact advantages and disadvantages and how it affects the use of technology and technology decisions in the company. General Motors is among the oldest companies of the US. It is the pioneer in the automotive industry and has been primarily associated with the decentralized organizational structure. Most of the companies do not stick with only one organizational structure throughout their lifetimes. According to marketing trends they shift and adapt to the model that serves their interests the best. Sometimes the model that later comes to identify them emerges over time as a business faces different challenges (Cameron and Quinn, 2011). General Motors is believed to have a decentralized organizational structure, but it is not strictly true. They have gone through many transitional phases. But for the sake of argument, this paper will holistically consider General Motors to be a decentralized company. The organizational structure of General Motors is a common topic of discussion for businesses. It has been copied by most large corporations. When the company started its operations, it was a novelty. In very few words, the structure was a complete breakdown of cost per unit (Bell, 1999). The goal was to exercise control of operating divisions through strict budgets. The decentralized structure of General Motors is centered in the marketing system. Because revolutionizing the centralized structure was due to a lack of production efficiency, it forced them to reconsider their structural choice. A centralized approach promises the scale and scope, and the economies for a company. When a business needs to become more efficient centralization might not be the suitable approach. The centralized organizational structure makes the company slower in its response to diverse global markets. The structure also demands better coordination and information sharing, and if these tasks are not done well, these can significantly

Describe the most important events during the period, 1940 to present Essay

Describe the most important events during the period, 1940 to present - Essay Example World War II, which took place from 1939-1945, was the most widespread war in history.It involved the world’s most important nations, who had eventually divided into two alliances: the Allies and the Axis. The Allies consisted of countries such as United States, Great Britain and the Soviet Union, while the Axis mainly included Germany, Italy and Japan. It started off by Germany invading Poland, which lead to declaration of war on Germany by France, and Great Britain. Germany responded by invading Norway and Denmark, and then advanced towards France. One of the crucial points in the war was when Germany launched a series if airstrikes against Britain, which came to be known as the Battle of Britain. However, Germany was unable to achieve its objective of gaining control over Britain and was forced to retreat. The acts which took this war to the next level were those of Japan attacking Pearl Harbor, and Germany invading the Soviet Union. Germany had launched a full assault agai nst the Soviet Union, and had managed to capture almost the half of the country. While Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor, brought United States into the war, which previously had been following a policy of isolation. The entrance of the United States completely titled the war into the Allies favor. The Germans were defeated in the Soviet Union, and a nuclear attack on Japan on 6th August 1945, brought the war to an end and resulted in the victory of the allies (BBC History). World War II holds immense historical importance. Firstly, it showed that the League of Nations, which was international body required to maintain peace, had failed. This lead to the development of the United Nations, which is an international organization aiming to maintain world peace. Since then United Nations has played its part trying to stop further wars from taking place, and promoting negotiation between opposing countries. Furthermore, the Second World War stopped the spreading of dictatorships in m any areas. Hitler, leader of Germany, was adamant to spread his ideology worldwide and to destroy all democratic institutions. Thus, the war stopped him and his allies from becoming victorious. Moreover, this war showed the whole world, the massive damage that can be done with a nuclear attack, and such attacks should be prevented in future, at all costs. Cold War was another critical event, which took place between the two great powers: United States and the Soviet Union. There was not any direct conflict between the two powers, and was more as a war of ideologies. Several clashes took place between the capitalist and communist forces in different areas of the world, which were backed by United States and the Soviet Union respectively. The origins of the Cold War can be traced back to the Second World War, when United States dropped the atomic bomb on Japan, sending an indirect signal to the Soviet Union, showing their strength and potential. The Soviet Union wanted to expand its e mpire and the communist ideology, while U.S.A felt threatened by these expansionary aims of Stalin, the leader of the Soviet Union. The Cold War was a period of tension between the two super powers, and it reached its peak during the events of the Berlin Blockade, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. Both the powers almost reached the verge of nuclear war and then pulled back. It ended with the

A Clinical Trails Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

A Clinical Trails - Research Paper Example Research specialists enroll volunteers or patients into pilot studies to conduct specified tests depending on the product type and development stage (Yang, 2010). Clinical trials vary in intensity. They can be performed in a single country or multiple countries. They are expensive to carry out. The burden of payment gets usually bestowed on the sponsor of the research. Sponsors may include government agency or health organizations (Yang, 2010). The objectives of clinical trial are to test how well medicine will work on patients. For every clinical trial, there exists a guideline of how to carry out the trial (Yang, 2010). The plan discusses what is to be done, how it will be done, and the importance of all aspect in the study. This includes the importance the general study. There are rules guiding on how to choose the participants in the study. The main factor in choosing the participants is volunteering when a person has sufficient knowledge (Pocock, 2004). They volunteer’s health status will be determined by the study since some may need healthy individuals and others may need individuals with certain diseases (Pocock, 2004). In other instances, gender is used to determine a viable volunteer. There are independent committees set to determine the procedures and monitor the whole exercise. These committees are made up of physicians, statisticians, and members of the community. The committee emphasizes the need to educate all the subjects liable to tests so that they can know the effects of every aspect of the trials (Pocock, 2004). In so doing, the subjects will be well aware of the risks involved such that volunteering shall be out of free will. Since the tests are conducted to human subjects, they are eligible to many legal aspects (Pocock, 2004). They are carried out in four phases. Because the life of an individual may be at risk during the trials, the law provides strict guidelines that facilitate a safe environment

Knowledge and reality Essay Example for Free

Knowledge and reality Essay The quest for knowledge remains a perplexing problem in the field of philosophy. Even nowadays mankind continue to seek to understand himself and the world around him he is thirst to know were exactly our knowledge comes from. The question of knowledge appears to be a battle between the empirisists who believed that knowledge is acquired through sense experience and the rationalists who believed that knowledge can only be required through reasoning. Although there are a lot of people who abides with these groups in my essay in my essay I will only deal with John locke who in this case argues that knowledge is acquired throughsense experience thereby representing the empirisists group and Rene Descartes who argues that knowledge comes fronm reasoning thereby representing the rationalists. Diffrent scholars have also shown their appreciation to the work which was done by the two groups. Rene Descartes who is the rationalist have claimed that the ultimate starting point for knowledge is is not the senses but reason. According to Cottingham,Descartes argues that knowledge of a particular subject matter is underwritten by intuition or rational insight and deductive reasoning rather than experience of that subject matter(1984). Descartes in this case is of the opinion that the only way one can acquire knowledge is through deductive reasoning ,reasoning that aims at exactitude. In one way or other that exactitude is the one which we can now call knowledge Descartes maintain that without prior categories and principles supplied by reason wen could not organise and interrupt one’s sense experience in any way (Kenny:1986). In this case one would be faced with just one huge ,undifferentiated,kaleidospic whirl of sensation ,signifying nothing(Kenny:1986). Rationalism in its purest form goes so far as to hold that al our rational beliefs and the entirety of human knowledge consists in human principles and innate concepts. According to Russel Descartes believes that men are born with innate ideas or ideas that we are born with (1946:548). He argues that those innate ideas are generated and certified by reason along with anything logically deducable these first principles. Furthermore on innate ideas ,a number of mankind still how can reason supply ay mental category or first principle at all? The question is a bit easy for such people like Descartes who claimed that we are born with several fundamental concepts or categories in our minds ready for use(Stitch:1975). Descartes went own to argue that this gives us innate knowledge . This might be through certain categories of space ,time,cause and effect. In one way or other Descartes argues that people thinks in terms of cause and effect and this helps one’s experience of the world(Stitch:1975). A ccording to Stitch Descartes argues that people think of themselves as seing some things causing other things to happen,but in terms of our raw sense experience ,one sees certain things happen before other thing happen and remember having seen such before and after the sequences at earlier times (1975). One can come up with an example like ,a rock hits the window and then the window breaks. We don’t see the third thing called causation but we believe it has happened. The rock hitting the window caused it to break but this is not experienced like the fight of the rock or the shattering of the glass. Descartes argues that experience does not seem to force the concept of causation on us. On this case Descartes bis denying the fact that knowledge comes fron sense experience but reasoning. Descartes also claimed that the foundations of our knowledge are propositions that are self-evidently true. A self-evident proposition has the strange property of being such that ,on merely understanding what it says and without any further checking or special evidence of any kind. One can just intellectually see that it is true(Caruthers:1992). If A is greater than B the B is greater than C and therefore A is greater than C. In this example the claim is that once these statements are understood ,it takes no further sense experience whatsoever to see that they are true . Descartes was athinker who used sceptical doubt as a prelude to constructing a retionalist philosophy. He was convinced that all our beliefs that are founded on the experience of the external senses could be called into doubt ,but that with certain beliefs like ‘I am thinking’,there is n o room for creating and sustaining a reasonable doubt(Pojman:1991:72). Descartes then tried to find enough other first principles with immune to rational doubt that he could provide an indubitable ,rational basis for all other legitimate beliefs. According to Pojman Descartes thought that mathematics gave a paradigm or model of certain knowledge or of attaining such knowledge (1991:73). He argued that mathematical knowledge is based on self evident axioms ,or first principles. In this case those principles are clear and distinctly persued as self-evident and in other words they are indubitable that is to say it is hard to doubt them. They are intrinsically valid on self-certifying . Dscartes argues that once we have such self-evident truths ,then with the rules of reasoning or logic ,theories can be validly deduced from them (Spinoza:1905). Descartes wanted to apply the method of philosophy as he argued that in mathematics ther is no appeal to sense experience . Human reasoning is the sole source of mathematical knowledge (Spinoza:1905). In this case Descartes claimed that by poor reasoning one can achieve knowledge. It was this method of doubt that Descartes used to get at the indubitable starting point which will be unshakable foundation of the edifice of knowledge hence to doubt means to think and think means to be(Pojman:1991). On the other hand we have the empirialists who in this case are being represented by John Locke. Locke is of the view that knowledge is acquired through sense experience. Locke was actually influenced by Descartes writings in which Descartes was arguing that knowledge comes from reasoning and the issue of innate ideas. According to Pojman Locke believes that the senses we maintain ,gives us all our raw data about the world and without this raw material their would be no knowledge at all(Pojman:1991:83). To Locke perception starts a process and from this process come all our beliefs . In its purest form ,Locke and his collegues believes that sense experience alone gave birth to all our knowledge. Locke was influenced by Descartes writings because what Descartes believes was the opposite of what Locke and his collegues believed mostly on the issue of innate ideas hence he decided to put on his suggestion on were exactly our knowledge comes from. Locke argues that innate ideas are suppose to be inborn ideas and they are their in the human mind since birth (Locke:1894). He argues that these ideas are neither created by us nor derived from our experiences. Locke argues that the human mind is a ‘tabula rasa’ meaning to say it is blank and it looks like a white sheet of paper without any content or ideas. According to Pojman there are no inborn ideas in the human mind(Pojman:1991). Ideas denote the content of human mind and consciousness. This then supports the idea that all ideas spring from experiences. According to Spinoza ,Locke argues that all knowledge is formed as and ultimately derived from sensational or inner reflection(1905) To add more the empirisists argue thatideas acquired through sensation and reflection are simple ideas. According Russel Locke argues that the mind has the power to reject ,compare and combine them to then form complex ideas(1946:551) . The simple ideas are the materials of the mind or consciousness. The mind elaborates them in defferent ways and this knowledge is developed(Russel:1946:551)Simple ideaas in this case are thus produced in the mind by the outer things through external experiences and simple ideas posseses valididty. The two theories presents different ideas on were exactly we get knowledge but I think I am convinced with the theory of Descartes which says knowledge is acquired through reason. Although the theory was mainly meant for the mathmaticians I think it is good for me because a men ought to reason so as to find knowledge. To me reasoning shows that someone really is thinking deeper so as to find whatever he wants . The method of doubt which he uses convince me also because I think through doubting you will be able to find knowledge. The Christians might want to say Thomas was wrong but in one way or other Thomas made Christians to know that realy the man they saw was Jesus and Christians were made to believe that really there is resurrection and this was through doubting Thomas. I cant just believe what I have not see without doubting because nowadays people tend to lie so as to get whatever they want in their lives . Therefore the theory of Descartes to me is good one on how we aquire knowledge . ? BIBLIOGRAPHY Carruthers. P.(1992)Human knowledge and human nature,Oxford: Oxford University Press’ Cottingham. J. (1984)Rationalism,London:Palada books. Fieser. P. (1991) Introduction to Philosophy. Oxford:Oxiford University Press Kenny. A. (ed). (1986)Rationalism,Empiricism and Idealism ,Oxiford:Oxiford University Press Locke. J. (1690)An essay on human understanding. (ed)R. Woolhouse. (1997). London:Panguin Books Louis. P. (2007)The theory of knowledge ,classical and temporary readings. Belment CA:Wadsworth Stitch. S. (ed)(1975)Innate ideas ,Berkely CA:Carlifonia University Press Russell. B. (1912)History of Western Philosophy . Oxiford:Oxiford University Press.

Mountains Beyond Mountains Essay Example for Free

Mountains Beyond Mountains Essay The title is a haitian proverb that translates â€Å"beyond the mountains, more mountains.† As it relates to the book, I believe mountains beyond mountains means the never ending struggle to control disease involving the poor. In this case, the poor are the haitian people who are in a struggle to improve their health and the institution in place allow this to perpetuate. Farmer sees health in a way that differs from most. Farmer believes improvement of health is not only the actual treatment of the disease. Instead, it is the complete assimilation of institutions where the poor are given power to succeed politically as well as the access to health care. This is evident in what resources Farmer’s clinic has available to his patients that go beyond access to equipment and medications that are not easily attainable in Haiti. In order to provide the necessary resources for a healthy community today and into the future they provide a school, housing, kitchen that feeds people daily, sanitation, as well as filtered water systems. These different resources combined make up what a community needs to have an improvement of health today and into the future. This philosophy rings true for me. How can you expect to have a healthy community when these basic needs are not available. In a country like the United States these resources are at at your disposal in the most rural locations and their benefits forgotten because of it. Farmer’s Story shows how a small group of practitioners can make a positive and lasting impact in a world with poverty and a lack of health care provisions to those without insurance. One major component to this ability is the level of sacrifice these practitioners were able to endure. For many, the dreams of being a doctor include the big bucks that come along with it. In order to provide the level of care Farmer believed was necessary he sacrificed an extraordinary amount of his personal wealth. Another major sacrifice was his time with family. He split his year in Boston and Haiti so the geographic aspect was limiting. Then, the enormous amount of work that seemed never ending (mountains beyond mountains) kept  him busy way beyond an average 9 to 5, leaving no time for vacation to visit. These sacrifices are not to be taken lightly. I don’t know if I would be willing to live for others like Farmer has. It takes a certain character that one is born with to do this. Farmer used every tool he had to help. He sweet talked workers at hospitals and walked away with tuberculosis medicine for the poor and even paid for it himself. When caught he paid back the 96 thousand dollars in medicine he had take. When he was with others he would lecture all he came into contact with on the plight of the poor. He felt as though the poor were all too often forgotten. Tuberculosis control was the perfect example of this. Pharmaceutical companies had controlled TB in wealthy countries and made no effort in poor nations like haiti because it did not make sense financially. Once Farmer came into contact with a resistant form of TB in haiti he was on a mission to make MDR available for all not just the wealthy. The biggest block was cost. His goal of MDR for all was not shared by pharmaceutical companies that wanted to keep the prices high. That didn’t sway him one bit. Ultimately, Farmer was able to acheive his goal and make MDR affordable for all. This motivation with no regard to a personal financial benefit is an attribute I have seldom seen in my lifetime. I imagine Farmer had been approached or had the opportunity to make huge profits from his position and public image. This ethical character seems mythical in today’s world of business and bottom lines. His ethical standard is something to aspire to. The most intriguing quality I see in Farmer is his ability to understand the position of the poor in all its complexity. Wether the person is from Haiti or the United States he treats the patient with a respect that puts the patient at ease. His overall goal is to help the patient in a manner where it improves their overall health. One example that stuck out was Farmer’s experience with Joe a drug addict who doesn’t take his medication or eat properly. He sits with him and asks what his needs are in order to have a successful change in health. The response was definitely unique. His needs were a warm place to stay, 6 pack of beer, person to make sure he takes his medication, and someone to make sure he eats. Instead of listening and  completely dismissing his needs as out of the question he promises to try his best. On a board he writes what Joe’s current situation and the situation he wants to place him in and begins his mission. Ultimately he finds Joe a homeless shelter but they do not allow alcohol, but that doesn’t stop Farmer from pleading Joe’s case. This unorthodox method for providing the care Farmer felt would make a real change in Joe’s health was impressive. Farmer’s story is impressive. After reading this book I understand that a medical career is more than the good life. The abilities we are about to have can help so many and we need to know that is the goal of a good practitioner.

The survival of LEGO in changing environment

The survival of LEGO in changing environment This essay aims to provide an insight into LEGOs performance in the UK market and the strategies adopted by LEGO to be acclaimed today as UKs 3rd largest toy seller. Accordingly, a better understanding will be attained from a consumers perspective in the Toys industry. LEGO a brand which was in shambles in late 2006 stepped up to perform tremendously well during recession How did LEGO manage to reach where they are today? In the following chapters, a detailed description will be provided on how LEGO set an example for many global brands to follow in a touch economic situation. 2.0 Company Overview It all started with one mans vision. A man who believed that good play enriches a childs development Ole Kirk Christiansen, a carpenter from Billund. He shifted his production from making wooden furniture for local farmers to childrens toys, owing to the great depression in the 1930s. LEGO originated from the Danish words leg and godt, which means play well. (Tidd and Bessant, 2009). defines LEGO as The core product is a rectangular plastic brick, hollow on the inside except for one or more tubes, with rows of studs on the top emblazoned with the tiny LEGO LEGO. (Wiencekk, 1987) LEGO has a very powerful vision statement of Inventing the future of play. This vision indicates that LEGO is finding new ways of developing games and moving from being just a simple block of brick. They are aware of the changing requirements and attitudes of consumers in a globalised sense. As it claims It is not just about products, it is about realising the human possibility. (LEGO Group, 2010) Over the years, the LEGO Group has developed several products under its umbrella extending its products to the digital world as well. LEGO has always known that the Toys and Childrens entertainment industry is a difficult business to sustain oneself in as it is constantly faced with new innovations, technological advancements and market entrants. To face this constantly evolving industry, LEGO has invested much of its understanding their consumers needs and desires. They have studied playing habits, family patters and housing conditions to gain a deeper knowledge of this market. Another differentiating factor is the belief that has been passed on by generations that have embraced LEGO. The belief that LEGO will remain relevant to children of all ages and all generations. The belief to create a world where children have the freedom to build anything that can never be replaced with cyber experiences. (LEGO Group, 2009) By the late 90s, LEGOs sales began decreasing. They were challenged by low cost good enough competitors like Megablok, a Canadian Company. Other reason was their prime target audience were shifting to computer games. LEGO was also operating in a high cost economic environment Denmark- where the supply chains were expensive. Another problem LEGO faced was increasing complex product development with so many product ranges and different permutations and combinations; manufacturing economically became nearly impossible. All these reasons, led to LEGO running into a $ 240 million loss. In order to revive LEGO from this situation, the LEGO family invested $ 178 million and appointed of a new CEO, Jorgen Vig Knudstorp. Under Knudstorps leadership, LEGO saw a successful transition. In order to correct the situation, LEGO improved their supply chain, factory locations and enhanced their overall product development strategy. (Tidd and Bessant, 2009) 2.1 LEGO Financial Overview Since its foundation in 1932, The Danish Company has great achievements added to its name. However, in 2006, rumours had it that toy industry giant Mattel were going to buy LEGO since it had faced huge losses. But restructuring in management and change in strategy helped LEGO pick up their sales in spite of the recession. In August 2008, LEGOs international sales were reportedly up by 20% in comparison to the year before. In the UK alone, 2007 witnessed at 24% rise in sales as compared to 2006. (MINTEL. 2008) The latest report that appeared on November 2010 in The Times London edition states that LEGOs sales have picked up by 50 per cent this Christmas season keeping both parents and children happy.(Vine, 2010) According to the Guardian, in 2009 the total sales at the UK division based primarily in Slough, Berkshire, leapt 35% a performance that took LEGO to a record UK market share of 4.1%, up from 3.2% a year ago. (Wood, 2009) The pre-tax profits rose 68%, which is approximately up by  £171.97 million in the first half of 2010. LEGO posts strong sales (The Times, 2010) LEGOs financial performance during recession was commendable while other Toy industry competitors like Mattel, that reportedly faced a 19% fall in second-quarter sales in spite of housing big brand names like Barbie. (Wood, 2009) 3.0 Consumer Behaviour theories applied to LEGO From the above, it is clear that LEGO has had a successful track record during recession. In this section, a deeper understanding will be attained on how LEGO was immune to the recession by placing their consumers in the heart of their business and understanding their requirements. To achieve this, three theories have been shortlisted they are namely Buying Decision Making Process Attitude Formation and Change Consumer Identity and Reference Groups 3.1 Buying Decision Making Process In order to understand, how LEGO survived through the economic downturn, it is important to interpret the buying behaviour of consumers in the Toys industry. By understanding the dynamics of buying behaviour, successful insights can be drawn to help identify the gap between the consumer and company. In complex decision making process where one is faced with other competitors, there are 6 stages to the decision making process. The 6 stages are namely: 3.1.1 Problem Recognition (awareness of need) Problem Recognition is the difference between the actual state of mind and the desired state of mind (Solomon, 2009). In other words, it is the process of recognising the need or desire to own a particular product. Given below are some reasons why consumers felt the need for LEGO over other products. Need for learning though play Parents being one of the prime target audiences in this industry also play a major role in the buying behavior process. LEGO appeals to this market as it has the element of creative play and parents are assured that it is not a waste of time as compared to watching television or spending time on Facebook. Parents therefore would choose to buy LEGO as they want their children to learn while they play. Something that most other toys or video games have failed to achieve (MINTEL, 2008). Need for retro products during recession Another interesting point to note is how consumers chose retro products during times of crisis due to its established legacy. During recession, parents actually found the need to invest in products that are of high quality and are long lasting in nature as opposed to just purchasing a cheap toy. Gerrick Johnson, toy-industry analyst at BMO Capital Markets made a comment stating that In tough economic times, youll often see retro products come back. Parents spend money on stuff they know works. Rather than going to Disney World or on a trip, you get a $30 LEGO set. (Faris, 2010) Need for up-to date toys and gadgets During a time when their prime target audience were more inclined towards computer games, LEGO constantly kept innovating and updating their offerings to suit the needs of this market that is faced by such rapid growth and evolution. The company steadily launched new products which resulted in three-quarters of its yearly sales. In 2000, the British Association of Toy Retailers along with Fortune magazine voted LEGO as the toy of the century. (Oliver et al., 2007) Recognizing the need to enter the video game market, LEGO created its own software group providing children the opportunity to create their own animation for PC and gaming consoles (R. Duane Ireland, 2009). Therefore people chose LEGO as it had extended its offerings to a medium where most of its consumers lived the virtual world. 3.1.2 Information search When it comes to seeking information on which toys you would prefer your children to play with, there are several factors that play a role. From an internal search perspective, memory and nostalgia could be key determinants whereas word of mouth, friends, relatives etc. could be external search factors that dominate your purchase decision (Soloman, 2009) The market for childrens toys and games is a substantial one -A  £2.1 billion market for childrens toys and games, this is a lucrative industry with several competitors. In such a case, information search becomes even more complex (MINTEL, 2008). What adds on to the complexity is the ranging age groups and diversity in toys from simple board games to more sophisticated toys for older kids up to adulthood. LEGO belongs to the range of Activity Toys which incorporates certain level of creativity and makes playing an enriching experience. Other toys in this range are Meccano and magnetic building kits as well as arts and crafts products (MINTEL, 2008). 3.1.3. Evaluation of Alternatives At this stage, consumers evaluate the alternatives that have been shortlisted after their information search. Rankings, personal preferences, listings, word of mouth to name a few, are determinants while evaluating alternatives. Today LEGO is the fourth-largest toy manufacturer after Mattel, Bandai-Namco, Hasbro and the fifth position held by TOMY-Takara (LEGO Group, 2009). In the case of activity toys like LEGO, consumers would potentially ask these questions. Does the product benefit my child learning ability? Is the product safe and of supreme quality? Mc Donaldss once used LEGO in the USA as a part of one their sales promotion campaign. 37 billion bricks were distributed over four weeks out of which only a dozen complaints were received (Harris and McDonald, 2004). These sorts of cases help a consumer who is looking for top quality decide that he/she wants to purchase LEGO over other toys. 3.1.4 Purchase decision In order to achieve competitive advantage and take the final purchase decision, LEGO pays a lot of attention to their product, packaging, online store etc. In a Danish newspaper Jyllands- Posten, an article was published on the safety of LEGO. Each individual block has a hole to ensure that if a child swallows a brick, the child would not choke as air could still pass though (Harris and McDonald, 2004). Therefore a consumer, who has safety as criteria, would decide to buy LEGO as the makers have taken care of this aspect. 3.1.5 Purchase This decision is based upon the time lapse and product availability. In 2004, LEGO sales began dropping massively. Poor customer service and unavailability of products were additions to their dilemma. During this time, customers were faced with many other alternatives. LEGO could not afford to lose out on customers in the big-box world. LEGO then improved on their supply-chain management and aimed to align its innovation capability. It also started online sales where customised products could be designed and purchased too (Oliver et al., 2007). 3.1.6 Post-Purchase Evaluation: When LEGO was voted as Marketer of the Year in 2009, one of the comments by a user from Dallas commented I have to vote LEGO-for continuing to provide a top-quality product in line with their brand, staying relevant and using new technologies to create new customer experiences in a kids toy market thats moving away from brands with a low-tech heritage. This is a company that inspires others to a higher standard. Who can vote for a company that continues to drive quality down to get to a cheaper price? (Creamer, 2009). These testimonials prove that consumers overall have been happy after purchasing the product. 3.2 Attitude formation and change One of the aspects involved in the psychological factor of the decision making process, is attitudes. These attitudes are either formed on experience or interaction with other people. An attitude of a consumer towards a firm and its products tends to have a great influence in the firms marketing strategy (Soloman, 2009). 3.2.1 Efforts made my LEGO to track attitudes For strategic decision making that is driven by insights, it is essential to track attitudes. It could be tracking changes in different age groups, scenarios about future, identify emerging trends etc (Soloman, 2009). LEGO has realised the importance of tracking changing attitudes and the following findings can be drawn in this regard: Scenarios about future One of the most significant changes that LEGO has taken up this decade is that it has begun listening to its consumers and their changing attitudes. In todays social networking era, it is highly essential to monitor behaviour and attitudes. It was through the efforts made by LEGO on social media, that they realised their fan base was not just limited to children but adults too. Courtesy the AFOLcommunity Adult Fans of LEGO LEGO now has some specialist ambassadors who communicate with them and provide feedback. LEGO also involves these ambassadors in their product development. They began monitoring blogs and got a deeper understanding on culture, desires of both potential and existing consumers and changed their strategy accordingly. It was through this initiative that LEGO decided to make sets based on movies like Star Wars or Indiana Jones and now these deals make up more than half of their sales (Advertising Age, 2009). By doing so LEGO gets inputs from probably the most loyal customer base and thus adress unhappy customers or fill any gaps in the market place. These insights drove their strategy and helped them survive in an atmosphere where the only words heard off were lay-offs and losses. LEGO is one such example of a brand that has benefitted by working in partnership with their consumers and predicting the future (Garfield, 2007). Changes in different age groups LEGO has a very ambitious mission statement of each and every child in the world to own one cubic metre of LEGO bricks. (Harris and McDonald, 2004) Children globally are treated the same by marketers no matter which culture they belong to. However, even if they are treated the same their attitudes may differ due to their upbringing and external environment. Though most of the concept and product development occurs in the Billund headquarters, LEGO has trends watching department in their offices in Munich, Los Angeles and Tokyo. Infact, to ensure that LEGO is an international product that suits ever child needs, the creative team is composed of 120 designers 15 different nationalities (LEGO Group, 2009). 3.2.3 Star Power: Celebrities as Communications Sources The source of the message the celebrity in this case can have a huge impact on the image of a brand and its sales. Messages tend to have a greater effect when there is a relation between the celebrity and product. Human beings tend to pay more attention when they see familiar faces as opposed to ordinary faces, thereby interpreting and processing the information more effectively (Soloman, 2009). People tend to associate characteristics of a persons personality, social status, and gender, to that of the brand. When David Beckham confessed in an interview that if he wasnt a footballer his dream pastime would be building with LEGO blocks, it set the LEGO sales roaring. In just one day of business, the father of three inspired the sales of 5,922- Taj Mahal set (The Sun, 2010). Parents formulate the core buyers of this segment six in ten have bought from five or more of the listed categories of toys or games in the past 12 months (MINTEL, 2008). After all, if a star figure like Beckham has spoken, why wouldnt parents try mantling Taj Mahal together. 3. 3 Consumer Identity and Reference Groups Any individual or group that acts a point of comparison of values, opinions, attitude or behaviour towards a product is a reference group (Soloman, 2009). In case of LEGO, there are several reference groups. LEGO has a combination of logic and creativity that enhances a childs learning and ability to solve problems. Owing to this factor, LEGO has been popularly used as creative play tool in institutions and schools i.e; formal reference groups (LEGO Group, 2009). 3.3.1 Effect of Gender on Consumer Behaviour Gender is a crucial element in consumer behaviour. A boy may perceive different things from a girl. This can be proven with an example of how LEGO researched playing habits amongst boys and. The findings were that girls were more likely to build living areas while boys built cars. LEGO introduced a new version of its product for girls called Paradise which emphasized around socially oriented structures such as homes, pools etc (Soloman, 2009). 3.3.2 Baby Boomers and the role of nostalgia in buying decision making process Baby Boomers are those who are above the age of 29 and have a significant influence on demands for housing, child care etc (Soloman, 2010). LEGO has evolved from a box of bricks that baby boomers grew up to a more diverse product. However, the positive feeling attached with having played with LEGO has passed on through at least three generations. (Oliver et al., 2007) Therefore, one may ask how much role does nostalgia play in triggering what baby boomers and generation X buy as toys for their children? Retro favourites are gaining popularity owing to the fact that they have provided real quality and value over time, and one of the reasons all these new fans have emerged is through nostalgia. According to the (Telegraph, 2010), LEGO has performed well in recession as parents due to nostalgia have shifted to trusted brands. Parents dont intend to buy toys that their children would throw aside in months, instead they would rather invest in toys that children of all generations would go back to. 3.3.3 Children Pester power v/s parent power Pester Power is a term used to define a childs influence over the parent in the buying process (Turner et al, 2006). According to Turner, children can be easily influenced by advertising and marketers use this as a medium to entice children to nag and purchase the product of their desire. The key factors that influences a childs pestering behaviour is the family type, family communication pattern, the person accompanying the child to shopping, intent of going for shopping and advertising. (Venkatesh and Ghai, 2010). According to the report by Mintel, 2008, Although adults are the primary purchasers, kids are the ultimate arbiters of success and failure across much of the market nearly four in ten parents cannot say no to their kids. LEGO partnered with Kelloggs in 2007 to create LEGO brick shaped candy called Fun Snacks. This created hype amongst parents as they had spent valuable amount of their time telling their children not to swallow LEGO bricks. LEGO went on to the extent of advertising in between childrens TV shows, placing the product at the bottom of the shelf spaces in order to make it accessible for children; thereby making children nag for Fun Snacks (Franziska_NDT, 2010) 4.0 Conclusion On the whole, LEGO has adopted the right measures to immune itself to the market, no matter how the economic situation is. Given below are few recommendations and discussions with regards to LEGO. Discussion/ Recommendations: 1. With LEGO factory LEGOs online design portal- is a gateway to 300,000 designers worldwide. By doing so, LEGO can get critical reviews on their products and help improve their offerings (Tidd and Bessant, 2009). LEGO could conduct an annual conference or workshop, whereby all these designers meet up and brain storm with key designers and managers on how to improve LEGO and keep up with changing trends. 2. Christmas accounts for around half of the years sales for LEGO. Keeping this in mind, LEGO should launch their new products or special Christmas edition toys as nearly seven in ten consumers buy toys and games for Christmas. (MINTEL. 2008) And after all, who would refuse the latest Christmas edition of LEGO? 3. An emerging trend is gifting new born toys up from 13% in 2003 to 26% now. Considering this trend, LEGO could launch its own collection of teether toys meant for new born. This could range from a simple brick soft chewy toy to its very own Harry potter collection for newborns. 4. Phone applications seem to be the next big trend that is picking up. LEGO already has its own Star Wars LEGO I phone game version. LEGO must continue entering markets where gaming is a hype. 5. LEGO should push the product more using the scientific connection. According to (Turkle and Smith, 2009) playing with LEGO helps children enhance their problem solving and discovery skills. This makes a child think in a scientific, problem recognition and solving approach that most engineers, scientist and designers use. Turkle claims that the toys that children play with have a great impact on their future careers. Some children may try and create unrealistic structures, while some may follow instructions, some keep their constructed sets as awards while some just break them; different children behave differently with LEGO. However, each role play is good to identify traits about your children and which direction they are progressing towards. 6 Most of LEGO consumers are not price sensitive. They buy LEGO because of the brand and the quality. As a consumer, you can either buy the simple bricks or a special version of LEGO to add it to your collection. Therefore, LEGO can afford to release a premium end version of the toys that are suitable to kids that belong to rich households. 8. LEGO for grey market- Research has shown that playing with LEGO for an hour or two can help old people fight memory loss and problems that occur due to degeneration like dementia and Alzheimers disease. It makes your mind active, while your fingers are still moving. 9. The idea of having Brand Ambassadors who use their network pool to get insights and inputs from consumers is one of LEGOs strongest strategies. LEGO fans discuss, review and suggest new ideas for LEGO on the AFOL community which helps LEGO look into the future and improve their capabilities. LEGO has managed to create a consumer experience that combines technology, mass customization and community to enhance and build relevance for its classic toy offering. (Tidd and Bessant, 2009). Indeed, LEGO has managed to keep up its legacy and set a great example for many international and global companies.

Humorous Wedding Roast of the Groom :: Wedding Toasts Roasts Speeches

Humorous Wedding Speech about the Groom Good afternoon, ladies and gentlemen. Before starting the one speech that I know you’ve all been waiting for, I’d like to thank both Steve and Marcus – my two support acts. And I’d also like to thank Marcus in particular, for hosting what so far has been an absolutely fantastic wedding. It can’t have been easy watching your only daughter marry someone like Steve. In fact, I can only imagine what it might have been like - perhaps a similar feeling to realizing that you’ve just trodden in some fresh dog mess, only 100 times worse? But Marcus, if I may call you that, you’ve conducted yourself with great dignity and composure today, and I think we should all take inspiration from you – particularly when we next have a mishap on the pavement. And talking of mishaps on pavements, it was 17 years ago this very year that I trod on Steve – sorry, I mean that I met Steve - one September morning, both of us walking to our first day at St Joseph’s Secondary. And I feel the things I’ve witnessed over the last 17 years give me a certain authority today to remind Marcus, and to tell those of you who don’t know Steve, quite what Aimee’s got herself into. Now, I can see Steve beginning to look uncomfortable and, behind that sweet smile, Aimee is clearly furious. And it’s fair enough, because they did make it very plain to me that today was a family occasion. But it’s also tough, because this is too good an opportunity to miss. That said, they shouldn’t really worry because Steve’s never been much of a rebel. In fact, at school he was quite a goody-two-shoe – if you ignored the fact that through the fourth and fifth year he used his changing room locker to run a profitable lending library of pornographic magazines. Let me tell you, when word got round that the Porn Prince had some new stock in, there would be a queue half way round the block. Or so I heard. But he did ask me not to go into that today, because it’s something he’s never told Aimee, so I won’t. And in fairness to Steve, he was actually a keen student who always wanted to put forward his opinions – and he would have done well if the examination board had only agreed with just a few more of them.

My Town :: essays papers

My Town To give you a better view of "My Town," I will perch him atop the highest point of the some-kind-of-wonderful city of Hillside: The Giza pyramid-shaped pile of garbage majestically sitting in the town dump. The movie theater is to the west; a neon-pink fluorescent sign frames this week's shows: Th' Bach, Scram 3, and y' of Th' Bholdr. Teenage employees relinquish all responsibility for the missing "E"s. A makeshift lemonade stand is set up a block away. Sometimes, its determined entrepreneurs, the set of five-year-old twins, Brooke and Blake Simone like to mix their drink of choice with "extra flavoring," such as leaves, rocks, and the occasionally, yet classic family of ants. Needless to say, the single dime in their yellow Teletubbie cash box has not multiplied since their first day of business. The strip mall to the north has been replaced by Car Max, the automobile superstore. Unfortunately, the abundance of cars has not, in fact, improved anyone's driving skills, or lack of them. Further west is Proviso West High School; the peeling, forest-green painted fence that protects the school grounds failed to prevent kleptomaniacs from stealing seven car stereos from the parking lot last December. The football field behind the school patiently waits with its freshly mowed green splendor for the team of big, burly boys (and one girl) to actually win a game. At 5:30 AM, a shivering Student Council vice-president with the intent to do extra work trudges the perimeter of the edifice, praying for an open door to a building that doesn't like to be occupied outside of the normal school hours. Psychologically, two opposing beliefs surface for why I dream of dancing sugarplums and college diplomas rather than a pin on my Dairy Queen hat that reads "Employee of the Month." A child is either influenced by his surroundings and peers or repelled into the opposite direction. As a magnet gone a rye, I am thankful that Hillside has not influenced me to blend in with the crowd; neither the cemetery across the street from school nor the various monument and flower shops entice me to- pardon my morbidity- just drop dead. The strategically located bowling alley down the block does not tempt me to ditch school. Certainly, the smell of the garbage dump has turned me off to the wide-eyed world of garbage disposal and handicapped my nose, thus threatening me into giving a hoot.