Which Media do You Trust to Give You Accurate Truthful Unbiased Current Affair

Background The term media generally refers to the different ways of communication. Written sources were the earliest forms of mass communication. Many forms of media are employed to deliver messages to the masses and the notable among them are the magazines, newspaper, radio, television, video, internet and mobile phones. The radio, T.V. and video came into being at the end of the first half of the last century.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Which Media do You Trust to Give You Accurate Truthful Unbiased Current Affair? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Over the years, major changes have been witnessed in the field of communication especially with the entrance of computers in mid 1950,s which gradually ushered in communication using the internet, blogs and podcasts. It is my view that in this 21st century, for anyone wishing to communicate a message to a large number of people, one should consider the recen t social news networks like facebook, twitter amongst others. Aims This questionnaire is trying to address the issue of media trust; ‘Which media do you trust to give your accurate truthful unbiased current affair?’ The various sources of media that we have today continue to face criticism as researchers and the general public has lost trust in most if not all of them. Most news flushes contains lies created to promote certain products. However, the level of trust among different people varies depending on several factors the most relevant being whether the source of the news is either local or international (Perez-Pena 16). In most cases, international news receives much attention and is more trusted than local news which tends to hind some facts. Locally, Many viewers of television consider whether the TV station is owned by the government or not. This questionnaire is aimed at finding the degree of truthfulness that television, radio, internet and the news paper rece ives from the general public. Hypotheses Null hypothesis Television, internet, radio and Newspaper enjoy equal trust among the users.Advertising Looking for assessment on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Alternative hypothesis Television, internet, radio and the newspaper do not enjoy equal trust among their users. Method Questionnaires organized into 10 different questions were randomly distributed and administered to 15 respondents of different ages, gender and nationality who then filled and returned it. Notes were taken on the respondents reactions on the questionnaire’s general format and to given questions. Those with difficulty in answering different questions were given assistance. The participants were informed that personal details would remain private and that they had an option to either include their name or leave it while filling the questionnaire. Information on those who refused to fill the forms and of those who were unsuitable was also presented and discussed (Boynton 1) Findings According this survey the number of females and males was equal while 37.5% were young people of between 18 and 25 years. Those between the age of 26 and 33 years contributed 27% and those above 33 years were also 37.5%. The participants interviewed were from South Africa, Australia, Sudan, France, Malaysia and Canada. The findings showed that the demand for news was very high among all these nationalities. 50% of those interviewed watch TV, 25% read Newspaper, 19% listen to the radio while only 6% get their news article from the internet. Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Which Media do You Trust to Give You Accurate Truthful Unbiased Current Affair? specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Asked what type of news they follow, majority said social news (44%), Sports news was only followed by 19% with political news having a following of 38%.Three-quarters of the respondents agreed that what was reported was true while a quarter of them didn’t trust what was reported. 68% of the respondents showed that they followed the news from their houses, 19% in the car and 13% at work. Only 75% believed that the information received was important in their lives, 25% opposed and reported that it wasn’t. Of those above 33 years, Two-thirds followed political news and the rest concentrated on social information. Half of the people of between 26-33 years were attracted to social reports with political and sport reports being followed by 25% each. Only 17% of those below 26 years cared about political reports, majority (50%) were good at tracking social news and 33% were attracted to sports news. More people below 25 years followed sports news. Slightly less than 7% of those interviewed relied on more than one source of information according to this report and more so the internet. In general, it was shown that the trust in media was increasing and that was indeed high across all ages. Young people have also been proved to be more willing to get information from online. Advertising Looking for assessment on communications media? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More This report indicated that T.V. received the highest following (50%) closely trailed by newspaper (25%), radio at (19%) and lastly the internet (6%) in that order. Online sources appeared to be gaining ground because the customary sources were losing theirs. The findings also showed that media trust was a record high in developing countries when compared to more developed ones (Perez-Pena 22). Summary In summary, research by different groups over the years has shown that faith in news media declined from the 1980s to the ’90s (Pew surveys 1) and then remained constant for a few years (BBC/Reuters/Media Center Poll 1) The pew survey of 2009 showed that 63 percent of those interviewed mentioned that news items were inaccurate and that almost 30percent believed that the news were true. It has also been shown that TV stations do the most followed news overall with over 50 percent trusting it (BBC/Reuters/Media Center Poll 1). Newspaper followed while public radio ranked third. The internet was ranked last thus showing the alternative hypothesis to be held true. Recommendation I would like to recommend a varied approach to the various news sources as proved by these surveys. Various methods of showing whether a source is telling the truth or not should be applied and these more often depends on one’s feeling. If you think that the information you are receiving is not true, it is recommends that you switch to a more trustworthy source (the BBC/Reuters/Media centre poll 1). I would also recommend international news sources e.g. international TV, satellite TV and even international radio as these give news articles that are less prone to interference to fit special interests. Because sometimes corporate news cannot be trusted as it is tailored to fit the corporate welfare, one should consider other more private sites that deliver truest news from the speaker’s mouth. Such sites report on what is true as it is posted by the person involved and t herefore truer. Some websites such as wikipedia are more trusted because it is authored by many people and therefore a lie is removed almost immediately. Thus it can be seen that whether a news article is true or not depends on where you got it and your own intuition. Works cited BBC/Reuters/Media Center Poll Trust in the Media ‘Media More Trusted than Governments’ – poll.2006. 27th October, 2010 http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/02_05_06mediatrust.pdf Boynton M. Petra. Hands-on guide to questionnaire research, Administering, analyzing, and reporting your questionnaire,2004. 28th October, 2010 https://www.bmj.com/content/328/7452/1372.full Perez-Pena Richard, Trust in News Media Falls to New Low in Pew Survey, New York Times.2009. 27th October, 2010. https://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/14/business/media/14survey.html This assessment on Which Media do You Trust to Give You Accurate Truthful Unbiased Current Affair? was written and submitted by user Matilda Flores to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. 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Exciting Chiang Mai Attractions Top 20 Things to See and Do

Exciting Chiang Mai Attractions Top 20 Things to See and Do SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Chiang Mai, the ancient city in northern Thailand, is lovingly referred to asthe Rose of the North. Founded in 1296, Chiang Mai has over 300 Buddhist temples shining within and around its city walls. The modern city grew up besidethese golden shrines and crumbling monasteries, creating the beautiful, laid-back city that’s a favorite among travelers and expats today. I was fortunate enough to spend a month in Chiang Mai, and I’ve never felt such a sense of cultural fascination, well-being, or quality of life for the cost of living. When friends ask me for recommendations about Thailand, I have one that trumps all the rest. Go to Chiang Mai, I tell them. You’ll love it. Top Things to Do In Chiang Mai: Table of Contents I’ve picked out the top 20 things to do when you visit Chiang Mai in the north of Thailand. Since it’s a long list, here’s a table of contents to help you jump to any particular Chiang Mai attractions that stand out. Gaze at Golden Temples Shop, Sample, and Stroll Through the Markets Make Friends With Elephants Get a Thai Massage Take a Thai Cooking Class Watch Muay Thai (Thai Boxing), or Go to Muay Thai Training Camp Experience the Unforgettable Yi Peng Festival Explore the Trendy Neighborhood of Nimmanhaemin Take a Yoga Class Chatwith a BuddhistMonk Visit the Hill Tribes of Northern Thailand Go Rock Climbing Go Whitewater Rafting Zip Line Over the Jungle Go Jungle Trekking Attend a Traditional Khantoke Dinner and Show See a Cabaret Show Rent a Motorbike Check Out Chiang Mai University Get a Bamboo Tattoo One thing that often gives me pause about traveling to a new place is exactly how to get around. Before delving into this list of what to do in Chiang Mai, read this quick note ongeography and transportation. A Note on How to Get Around Chiang Mai One important thing that you should know about Chiang Mai geography is that there’s an old town and a new town. The Old City is a square area located inside stone walls. These walls were built inthe 13th century to defend Chiang Mai from Burma and the Mongol Empire. There are lots of hotels, hostels, restaurants, and tour agencies geared toward tourists in the Old City. The newer part of the city is everything outside the walls. Most people who live in Chiang Mai live outside the city walls. You can find plenty of restaurants, cafes, markets, and shops outside the walls, too. The square section on this Chiang Mai map is the Old City. It's surrounded by the remains of a stone wall from the 13th century. My suggestions for Chiang Mai attractions are scattered within and outside thecity walls, and some take you further afield into the surrounding hills and jungle. Since the city is so friendly to travelers (in fact, it’s trying to become a UNESCO-recognized â€Å"Creative City,† and its tourism sector is part of that initiative) you’ll find that transportation is easy and cheap. You can take tuk tuks, a songthaew (a pick-up truck that may make several stops), or arrange for transportation as part of a tour activity. Songthaews are less expensive than tuk tuks - usually less than a dollar for trips inside the city - and tuk tuks shouldn’t be more than $3.00. Most prices, even for organized Chiang Mai tours, are negotiable! Now let’s delve into the top 20 things to do during yourChiang Mai trip. In case you were wondering, yes, there will be lots of recommendations for delicious Thai food to eat. 1. Gaze at Golden Temples Chiang Mai is a center of Buddhism, and you’ll see lots of temples and monks in orange robes as you walk along its streets. Since its foundation over 700 years ago, Chiang Mai has had a lot of time to build shrines to Buddha. In fact, there are hundreds of intricately carved temples throughout the city, as well as crumbling ruins dating back to the 13th century. The temples are beautiful, with elaboratecarvings, detailed murals, bright colors, large Buddhas, and statues of elephants and other animals. I always felt a pervasive sense of calm stepping inside the colorful temples, surrounded by flowers and incense wafting through the air. Walking around the streets and stepping into temples is agreat way to spend a morning before the afternoon heat sets in. Below are a few special temples that you should visit, but I bet you'll find your own favorites, too. Chiang Mai Temples You Should Visit Wat Doi Suthep: This is the most famous temple in Chiang Mai and is recognizable as a symbol ofthe city. It was built in 1383 and perches atop a mountain about 15 km outside Chiang Mai. Wat Doi Suthep is a brilliant gold temple surrounded by chedi, Buddhist mound-like structures also known as stupas. To get to this temple, you can climb 304 steps flanked by mosaic serpents or take a tram. At the top, you’ll see sweeping views over Chiang Mai and airplanes landing in the distance. Wat Chedi Luang: At 82-meters, this 14th century temple is one of the largest in Chiang Mai. You can find the colorful Wat Chedi Luang in Chiang Mai’s historic center. Wat Phra Singh: Come to Wat Phra Sing to see the impressive and large golden Phra Buddha Singh statue. This temple was built in 1345 and restored in the 1920s. Wat Buppharam: Step just outside the city walls to see this 1497 temple. It has beautifully intricate mosaics and the largest teak Buddha image in Thailand. Wat Suan Dok: This temple is unique for its Sri Lanka-style architecture. It’s surrounded by white stupas and was founded in 1370. Wat Chiang Man: Built in 1297, this temple is special for its quartz crystal Buddha statue and detailed elephant statues. Temple Etiquette: What You Need to Know Both men and women should dress modestly to enter temples. You should cover your knees and shoulders, so no tank tops or shorts allowed inside. Some of the larger temples, like Wat Doi Suthep, will have shawls, pants, or wraps for you to rent, but smaller temples won’t, so you should go prepared. Similarly, don’t wear hats or sunglasses inside, and you should always take your shoes off before entering a temple. Beyond clothing, you should also be careful about gestures. It’s considered rude to point at others or the Buddha with your hands or your feet. It’s also expected that people back away from Buddha, rather than turn their back to him, when leaving the temple. Even though Chiang Mai can get hot, it’s generally a good idea to bring some sort of covering when meandering through the old city. I regret the times I saw a beautiful temple andcouldn’t go in because of my bare shoulders! 2. Shop, Sample, and Stroll Through the Markets There are so many bustling street markets throughout Chiang Mai, it’s almost hard to understand how they all fit! Some are daytime markets selling fresh fruits and vegetables, others are night markets for dinner, drinks, and shopping, and others fill the streets once a week for vendors to sell their crafts. Discovering new foods and crafts at the markets was one of my favorite things to do in Chiang Mai. Note that the food tends to have fixed prices, but everything else is usually fair game for haggling. Below are my recommendations for must-see markets in Chiang Mai, followed by some tips for what to eat and buy! Chiang Mai Markets You ShouldVisit Night Bazaar: This market’s open every single night from 6pm until midnight. It’s mainly a shopping market with a huge number of clothes, souvenirs, shoes, watches, and other goods. Some indoor shops sell real designer brands, but most goods out on the street are knock-offs. You won’t find as many high quality crafts here as you will at other markets (but you will find lotsof pirated DVDs). There are restaurants all around the market, as well as a big outdoor food court and Muay Thai ring behind it. The Night Bazaar sprawls along Chang Klan Road. Morning Market at Chiang Mai Gate: This morning market opens at 4:30 am and goes until noon at Chiang Mai Gate. Locals come here to buy fruits, vegetables, spices, and other foods. You can especially get a taste of local life if you show up early. Stalls with cooked food open up in this same spot around 5 pm for dinner. Wua Lai Street Saturday Market: This Saturday night market stretches the length of Wu Lai Road from 4:30 PM until around 10 PM. In addition to delicious food, you can find beautiful handicrafts made of wood, paper, and silk. The area is also known for its silver-making studios. Ratchadamonoen Road Sunday Market: The Sunday night market is similar to the Saturday night one. It stretches over a kilometer down Ratchadamnoen and Pra Singh Roads and is ever-growing! You’ll find amazing food stalls, traditional handicrafts, artwork, and clothes. Come here, rather than the Night Bazaar, for authentic Thai crafts. Keep in mind that it can get packed by 6 or 7. You might end up doing a slow shuffle through big crowds. Warorot Market: This large market in the center of Chiang Mai is open all day, every day. Some stalls close down around 6 pm, while others stay open well after dark. The main attraction is the countless food stallsselling all manner of Thai snacks, cooked foods, meats, and fresh fruits and vegetables. You’ll also find handicrafts and textiles from northern hill tribes on the side streets. Warorot Market is located at the end of Chiang Moi Road, near the Ping River Muang Mai Market: Touted as a â€Å"raw fooder’s paradise,† Muang Mai Market is great for wholesale fruit at unbeatable prices. It’s smaller than some of Chiang Mai’s other markets. You can also buy vegetables, meat, and seafood here. Muang Mai Market is open from dawn until dusk and is located on the northeastern side of the old city on Muang Samut Road. What to Eat Now let’s get toa subject of utmost importance - food! Chiang Mai street food is incredible and oh so cheap. You’ll probably end up spending somewhere between $1 and $3 for some of the best dinners of your life. Make sure to try khao soi, the speciality dish of Chiang Mai. It has egg noodles in a coconut curry broth and is usually served with lime, roasted chili, mustard greens, shallots, and crispy egg noodles on top. If you’re looking for stir fry, some great options are pak boon fai deang (morning glory), pat kha pao (a stir-fry with chili and basil), and pat prik gaeng (a red curry stir fry). Kaen khanun, or jackfruit curry, is also a delicious, unique kind of curry. Khao soi is the specialty of Chiang Mai. So. delicious. For meat, you might try the khao kha moo (stewed pork shank or knuckle often served with boiled egg, raw garlic, pickled mustard greens and chilly vinegar), kai yang (barbecued chicken), or sai oua (a grilled herb sausage). You might also try larb, usually ground pork or chicken cooked with spices and sometimes the blood of the animal. Some ubiquitous dishes you might be familiar with are pad thai, pad see ew, and tom yum soup, a spicy soup with lemongrass, kaffir lime leavs, galangal (Thai ginger), lime juice, fish sauce, and chili peppers. Two of my favorite snacks I discovered in the markets of Chiang Mai were steamed quail eggs, often sweetened with coconut, and miang kham, bite sized snacks wrapped inside cha plu leaves. They usually contain peanuts, ginger, chillies, shallots, green mango, and onions and are a taste explosion of sweet and spicy. You’ll also be able to find crickets and other insects to snack on, but for some reason I never found myself in the mood... Finally, you’ll see fresh juices and smoothies everywhere with all kinds of familiar and exotic fruits. One fruit that you should try for the experience - though maybe not the taste - is durian fruit. Hailed asthe King of Fruits, this controversial fruit is loved by some and despised by others. I’m glad I tried it, but to be brutally honest, the texture and taste reminded me of warm garbage. Durian, king of the (gross) fruits. What to Buy at the Markets One of my favorite things to buy at the markets was clothing. You can find colorful patterned pants, dresses, jumpers, shirts, and scarves at super reasonable prices, though the quality can vary. You’ll also find leather sandals and handcrafted jewelry. You’ll find traditional crafts made of wood, silk, ceramics, and paper, as well as prettylacquerware, typically bowls, boxes, and bracelets. You can also find lots of soaps and lotions with natural ingredients - coconut oil is a big ingredient. You may also be interested in the singing bowls, which are used for meditation and relaxation. The typically hand-hammered brass bowls come with a handle that you move around the outside at a steady pace to produce a steady ringing sound. Again, the Saturday and Sunday night markets are the best places to find traditional handicrafts, while the Night Bazaar has a lot of clothes and knock-off goods. 3. Make Friends with Elephants One of my most memorable experiences from Chiang Mai was visiting elephants. Three things I learned: elephants have very thick, wiry skin, their eyes show a great deal of intelligence and understanding, and they will eat a huge cluster of bananas in one gulp if you leave itunattended on the ground. You might have heard the sad statistics about elephant endangerment in Asia as a result of poaching and habitat destruction, as well as the huge problem of mistreatment of elephants in the tourism industry. Elephants are not actually supposed to carry weight on their back for longer than a few hours a day, and many tour agencies force them to carry people and wooden structures for eight hours or more. They also suffer abuse at the hands of their owners who want them to be docile for visiting tourists. Fortunately, there are three great elephant sanctuaries outside of Chiang Mai that rescue abused elephants and provide them with a caring, safe environment to live. These sanctuaries invite visitors to meet the elephants and learn about ethical and sustainable eco-tourism. In general, it’s best to look for a place committed to humane practices that will let you meet, feed, and bathe elephants, but not ride them. Below are three suggestions for elephant sanctuaries outside of Chiang Mai where you can meet and make friends with these magnificent animals. Elephant Sanctuaries Outside Chiang Mai Elephant Nature Park: This center for elephant rescue and rehabilitation is probably the most established and well known among travelers. Also a rescue for dogs, cats, and buffalo, Elephant Nature Park lets you visit for a half day, full day, or overnight stay. It also has options for week-long volunteering. These are the prices for the day and overnight visits. You can find all the details on the Elephant Nature Park website. Short visit: 9 - 3:30, 2,500 baht, about $72 Full day visit: 7:40 - 5:30, 2,500 baht, about $72 Overnight visit: 7:40 am to 5:30 pm next day, 5,800 baht, about $166 Elephant Jungle Sanctuary: I stayed overnight in Elephant Jungle Sanctuary, the newest center that opened in mid-2014. You can visit for a half day in the morning or afternoon, a full day, or a full day with an overnight. These are the visiting options: Half day morning, half day afternoon: 1700 baht, about $49 Full day: 2,400 baht, about $69 Full day with overnight: 4,900 baht, about $140 I had an amazing experience staying overnight. I met fellow travelers from all over the world, learned from the sanctuary’s owners, and got a tour of their village (which, surprisingly, was a Christian village with a church). We made dinner, drank locally made rice wine, and went on a morning hike with one of the sanctuary’s elephants. The full day before also involved feeding and spending time with elephants and bathing them in the river and â€Å"mud spa.† Boon Lott’s Elephant Sanctuary: Like the others, this sanctuary cares for rescued and retired elephants. This 500-acre center was named after its first rescued elephant who broke his back legs and received the first elephant wheelchair. People typicallystay at Boon Lott for at least one night. The price to stay in their guesthouse is 5,000 baht per night, or around $140. 4. Get a Thai Massage Tara Angkor Hotel/Flickr There’s a huge spa industry in Chiang Mai, and you’ll see massages advertised everywhere throughout the old city. There are casual places where you can just walk in to higher end dayspas that offer multi-hour combined packages. While people may have an association of cheap massage places with sex work, I didn’t find that to be an issue here, at least not at places in the Old City. For the most part, I’d say use your best judgment that the place is casual, but not seedy. Thai massages range from only about $5 to $15 for an hour. Most places offer a variety of massage types, but you should definitely try the traditional Thai massage when you’re in Chiang Mai. It’s an ancient healing practice that targets pressure points. You’ll be given loose clothes to put on. In addition to rubbing, the massage therapist will compress and stretch parts of your body and put you into passive yoga positions, like supine twists. I was a little nervous trying it for the first time, but I absolutely loved it. I did have a couple Thai massages where the pressure was way too intense, but I just asked the massage therapist to use a lighter touch. Massage parlors also offer foot massages, head, neck, and back massages, coconut oil massages, and skin treatments. It’s customary to tip for good service, perhaps 50 to 100 baht (between $1.50 and $3.50). Also note that you should always take your shoes off before entering; the first part of the massage will be washing your feet. Here are a few recommendations for spas in Chiang Mai. Where toGo for a Thai Massage Kiriya Spa Vana: This higher end spa has beautiful ambiance and amazing massages. Thai massages are 500 baht (about $14) for one hour. It also has lots of other options for massages and skin treatments, like citrus massage oil massage, cappuccino body scrub, and a chocolate, cinnamon, and ginger body mask. It’s a good idea to make an appointment, but they may be able to take walks in at quieter time of days. Address:47/14 Samlan Road Nimman House: This spa also has a nice ambiance and great massages, and the prices are a bit lower. A Thai massage is only 250 baht (about $7), and some of its other offerings include hot oil massages, milk cream massages, body scrubs, facials, and steam rooms. The mattresses are on the floor, rather than raised up. You usually don’t need to make an appointment. Address: 59/8 Nimmanhaemin Road Le Lux Thai Spa: This more casual massage place gives high-quality massages in a communal room. Hour-long Thai massages are only 200 baht (about $5-$6). Address: /6 Moonmuang Road Green Bamboo Massage: This spot uses organic, homemade cosmetic products. Thai massages are 250 baht (about $7). Some other massages on the menu include coconut oil, aloe vera, warmed bamboo stalk, and Tok Sen, a deeper technique that involves a â€Å"wooden stick and hammer.† Address:1 Moon Muang Road Cheeva Spa: Cheeva is one of the top-rated spas in Chiang Mai. It also has the most expensive Thai massage at 1,200 baht (about $34). It also has all kinds of spa packages that are two to four and a half hours long. Address: 4/2 Hussadhisewee Road Beyond these recommendations, you can also walk around the Old City and find numerous Thai massage places with hour-long massages between 200 and 250 baht. I went to a few random spots, and the only negative experience I had was that the pressure was too intense. The massage therapists lightened up when I asked. 5. Take a Thai Cooking Class If you’re a fan of Thai food, then you might be interested in learning how to make it! Several Thai cooking schools around Chiang Mai offer half day and full day classes, where you’ll learn to make a variety of dishes. Most classes first take you to a market, where you buy and learn about fruits, vegetables, and spices. I made tom yum soup, green curry with chicken and vegetables, pad thai in an omelette, and sticky rice with mango. It was delicious; my only regret was not being able to eat it all. The prices are typically only about $30 per person. Thai Cooking Schools in Chiang Mai Here are a few of the top cooking schools in Chiang Mai. In choosing, you should think about whether you want to do a full-day or half-day course and whether you want to drive out to a farm or go to a school in the city. All of the classes include transportation, and most share similar options on the menu - usually a type of curry, stir fry, appetizer, noodle dish, and dessert. As far as I know, all of them can be vegan or vegetarian. Thai Farming School: This class takes you out to the owner’s organic farm for cooking. First, you’ll get picked up from your hotel around 8:30 AM and head to a market to pick out ingredients. You’ll be back at your hotel around 4:30 or 5:00. The price, which is all inclusive, is 1,300 baht (about $37). Before your cooking class, you’ll get a guided tour of a market and pick out fruits, vegetables, and spices. Basil Cookery School: You can take a morning (9-3) or afternoon (4-8:30) class at this school in the city. You’ll learn seven dishes, and the classes are limited to one to seven people. The price 1,000 per person, or about $29. Thai Orchid Cookery School: This school in the Old City also keeps its classes small at between two and ten people. The full day course from 9:30 to 3 costs 1,200 baht (about $34) and the half day course from 10 to 1:30 costs 1,200 baht (about $26). 6. Watch Muay Thai (or Go to a Muay Thai Camp) Muay Thai is a combat sport similar to boxing, but fighters also use their elbows, knees, and feet. When they practice this â€Å"Art of Eight Limbs,† Muay Thai fighters use parts of their body to mimic weapons. Their hands are the sword and daggers, shins and forearms are armor, elbows are hammers, and legs and knees are the axe and staff. You can find Muay Thai matches on a nightly basis throughout Chiang Mai, though the more authentic fights that locals attend happenonce a week. If you’re interested in learning Muay Thai, you could also take classes or attend a longertraining camp. Muay Thai Matches in Chiang Mai Thapae Boxing Stadium: This stadium hosts 6 to 8 Muay Thai matches every night from Monday to Saturday. Tickets are 400 baht ($) for regular admission and 600 baht ($17) for ringside â€Å"VIP† seats. You can just show up. The entrance is on Moon Muang road, opposite Thaphae gate. Kawila Boxing Stadium: This less touristy stadium hosts fighters who are competing to become nationally known. It holds ten fights every Friday at 8. The prices are also 400 baht for regular admission and 600 for VIP seats. Kawila is one block south of Thapae Road. Loi Kroh: Fights are held here three to four nights a week on Loi Kroh Road behind the Night Bazaar. You’ll see both Thai and foreign Muay Thai fighters. The prices are the same as the other stadiums. You probably don’t need VIP seats - all the chairs are plastic and you can pretty much sit wherever you want. Several gyms offer Muay Thai camps and accommodations so you can learn this ancient form of combat. Muay Thai Training Centers in Chiang Mai All these gyms offer classes for both experienced Muay Thai fighters and complete beginners. Lanna Muay Thai Boxing Camp: Here, you can sign up for a single class or stay for a month or more on site. It’s 300 baht ($8 to $9) for a class and 8000 baht (about $230) for a full month of training. Lanna Muay Thai Boxing Camp:This spot also has single classes or accommodations for a month+ of training. A week costs 2,500 to 3,000 baht ($70 to $85) and a month costs 8,000 to 9,000 baht. High season is November to March and low season is April to October. Lanna Muay Thai Boxing Camp:Santai Gym is another good spot for classes or long-term training. A single day of training is 600 baht ($16 to $18) and one month is 10,000 baht (about $286). Other reputable Muay Thai gyms in Chiang Mai are Gym Bangarang Muay Thai MMA Training Camp and Hongtong Muay Thai Gym. 7. Explore the Trendy Neighborhood of Nimmanhaemin Jill Chen/Flickr Nimmanhaemin is a trendy area northwest of the Old City. While the Old City is more hotels and hostels, Nimmanhaemin is an area where people live. You can find lots of cafes, restaurants, shops, live music, art galleries, spas, salons, clothing stores, and boutiques. There are some really goodcoffee spots with fast, free wifi, thanks for the student population from the nearby Chiang Mai university and Chiang Mai’s group of â€Å"digital nomads,† people who work remotely. Some great Chiang Mai cafes in Nimmanhaemin are Librarista, Marble Arch, Wawee Coffee, Ristr8to, and Coffee Bar. You should also seek out the Nimman Promenade for boutiques and specialty shops, as well as the Ji-Qoo Art Gallery to see works by local artists. If you’re in the mood for a haircut, check out New York New York Hair Studio. It caters to locals and westerners, and I got one of the best and least expensive haircuts of my life there. 8. Experience the Unforgettable Yi Peng Festival Flip Nomad/Flickr Chiang Mai has one of the largest celebrations of the Yi Peng festival of lights every November during the full moon. This celebration of spiritual cleansing and renewal and good luck coincides with Loi Krathong, where people arrange flowers and candles on baskets and float them down the river (these floats are called krathongs). Chiang Mai holds the most elaborate celebrations with three days of parades, fairs, float and lantern contests, fireworks, beautiful decorations on the temples, and beauty contests called Nopphamat Queen contests. You can see and participate in everything for free - just head toward the Ping River - or you can buy tickets for the event at MaeJo University. Tickets for the MaeJo event are about $100. 8. Take a Yoga Class Health and wellness area big focus in Chiang Mai, which you can see with the ubiquitous spas, vegetarian restaurants, and yoga studios. There are great studios throughout the seat with classes suitable for people of all levels. Many classes are geared toward tourists and English-speaking expats, so all of the suggestions below offer classes in English. They typically cost just about $5 to $6 for an hour to an hour and half. Some also offer yoga teaching training, multi-day yoga retreats, and massage therapy classes. Yoga Studios in Chiang Mai Wild Rose Yoga:This studio has classes everyday at 10 am and 6 pm. You can find it on Soi 4/1, a very narrow road (too narrow for cars) off of Phrapokklao Soi 4. Blue Garden Yoga: This studio has daily yoga classes, plus yoga teacher and massage therapist training.Classes are usually at 9 AM and 7 PM. It has a beautiful semi-open space with plants and flowers. Word to the wise: wear bug spray! The Yoga Tree: offers classes in yoga, pilates, dance, and meditation, as well as training courses. It has several classes throughout the day. Other yoga schools in Chiang Mai are Mahasiddha Tantra Yoga School, Om Ganesha Yoga, Wise Living Yoga Academy, Freedom Yoga. 9. Chat With a BuddhistMonk Would you like to learn more about Buddhism, Chiang Mai, northern Thai culture, Thai language, or where to find the best pad thai? You can talk about anything you wantduring these exchanges with Thai monks offered at various temples throughout the week. These â€Å"monk chats† are a really cool opportunity to exchange language, culture, and conversation and gain insight into Thai culture. A lot of young monks participate to practice their English. They’re casual conversations, and you can talk for as long or as short a time as you like. If you’re looking to learn more about Chiang Mai and chat with locals, then you should take advantage of one of these unique opportunities. Times and Locations of Monk Chats in Chiang Mai Here are some of the temples that offer monk chats, along with the times. Wat Chedi Luang: daily from 9 AM to 6 PM. Up to 50 young monks sit outside at large tables to chat with visitors. Wat Suan Dok: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 5 to 7PM Wat Umong: Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 5:30 to 7:30 PM MCU Buddhist University, Chiang Mai Campus: Monday, Wednesday, Friday, 5 pm to 730 pm Doi Suthep Temple: daily from 1 to 3 pm. 10. Visit the Hill Tribe Villages in Northern Thailand \ Donna Cymek/Flickr The main hill tribe peoples that live outside Chiang Mai are the Akha, the Palong, the Lahu, the Lisu, and the Karen, also referred to as the Long Necks because of the brass rings that women traditionally wear around their necks. Several groups give you the opportunity to visit and learn about the villages in northern Thailand. Ideally, the group you journey with should employ local villagers as guides andliaisonsbetween visitors and the communities. A couple reputable touring groups are Thailand Hilltribe Holidays and All Thailand Experiences. You’ll have the opportunity to go to markets, try new foods, lend a hand on farms, and possibly stay overnight in a village. You can also check out the Baan Tong Luang Village, an exhibition village featuring five hill tribe cultures. You can take a taxi to this exhibition village; no need for a guided tour. . Go Rock Climbing There’s some epic rock climbing outside of Chiang Mai according to a friend of mine. As a non-rock climber myself, I’ll have to take his word for it. The epicness is due to the limestone cliffs surrounding Chiang Mai. One especially famous crag is called Crazy Horse Buttress. You can climb with a group or private guide and rent equipment or bring your own. The best group is Chiang Mai Rock Climbing Adventures. It’s about $57 for a full day of climbing with a private guide, transportation, lunch, and climbing gear. If you have your own gear and don't need a guide, they'll drive you to the crag and back for just $10 or so. They also have multi-day climbing courses and an indoor climbing wall in their gym. 12.Brave the Rapids on the Mae Teng River People of all ages and experiences levels can go out whitewater rafting on the nearby Mae Teng River. Some good rafting tour groups are Siam River Adventures, Chiang Mai Adventure, Active Thailand, and All Chiang Mai Tours. All inclusive day tours are about $52. Some tours combine whitewater rafting with other activities, like jungle trekking or visiting elephants. When you’re not keeping your eye on the rapids, you may see animals,maybe even elephants, in the jungle along the river’s shore. 13. Zipline Over the Jungle Keeping in the theme of outdoor adventure, ziplining is another fun activity in the jungle outside Chiang Mai! You can fly over the jungle and maybe even see gibbons up there with you in the trees. Ziplining is one of the more expensive of the Chiang Mai attractions at about $100 per person. The best groups to take you out for the day are Chiang Mai Zipline (Flight of the Gibbon), Zipline Chiang Mai, Eagle Track Chiang Mai, Jungle Flight, and Flying Squirrels. 14. Trek Through theJungle If you want to get outside but perhaps stay at a normal height and away from any white water rapids, then consider singing upfor a jungle trekking tour. There are literally hundreds of options and tour groups. When trying to decide, look to see if a group is certified the Tourism Authority of Thailand, as that means itmaintainscertain safety standards. Some highly rated trekking groups are Pooh Eco Trek, All Chiang Mai Tours, Trekking Collective Co, and Next Step Thailand. You can go out for a day or stay overnight for one or more days. The cost isaround 1000 baht, or $29, for a full day. Prices tend to go downif you sign up with a larger group of people. 15. Attend a Khantoke Dinner and Show Khantoke dinners are a centuries-old Lanna tradition. You sit on the floor around a bamboo tray laden with a variety of northern Thai dishes. Some of these foods include fried pumpkin, tomato and minced pork dip, red chili, fried chicken, pork curry, and sticky rice. As you eat, you watch traditional Thai dances and cultural performances. Two famous ones are the candle dance and sword dance. You may also step outside to see more costumed dances and (spoiler) surprise fireworks at the end. The dinner is a rather touristy outing, but the dances are really lovely. The dinner, show, and transportation cost about $25; only drinks aren’t included in the price. Two major Khantoke dinner restaurants are Old Chiangmai Cultural Center and Khum Khantoke. 16. See a Cabaret Show John Shedrick/Flickr Cabaret shows, usually with transgender dancers or performers in drag, are popular in Chiang Mai and throughout Thailand. Commonly known as ladyboy shows, they involve choreographed dances and extravagant costumes. The shows can be interactive, so don’t be surprised by some touchy-feely exchanges if you’re in the front row. To see a cabaret show, check out the nightly performance in Chinag Mai in Ansuan Market. It’s every night at 9:30, but you should probably buy your ticket 8 or 9. The ticket includes a drink and a snack. 18.Rent a Motorbike Are you eager to try out your motorbiking skills? There are lots of rental places throughout the city where you can rent a motorbike for a day or more. Rentals can be as cheap as $5 a day, while more powerful bikes for off-roading may cost between $20 and $30 a day. You can drive around the city, or go off the beaten track to explore northern Thailand. One popular motorbike trip takes you to the golden temple on the mountain, Wat Doi Suthep, and on to dirt roads that pass reservoirs. If you're feeling confident with your driving skills, you could also make the mountainous drive to the small town of Pai, which sits north of Chiang Mai. I say you have to be confident because the road to Pai is famous for its 762 curves, as well as its "sick stations" along the way for travelers who chose to take the bus. As someone prone to motion sickness, I didn't make the trip. If I did have the choice, though, I would take a motorbike rather than brave the topsy-turvy bus! If you are renting a motorbike, remember one key piece of information: Thai people drive on the left side of the road! 19. Check Out Chiang Mai University Chiang Mai University sits on over 700 acres west of the Old City. If you’re looking to get into greener spaces, you’ll enjoy walking or biking along its beautiful grounds. Beside the gardens, there are several great cafes, vegetarian and vegan restaurants, a small art gallery, and a geology museum. Due to a recent problem of Chinese tourists sneaking into classes, the university started charging an entry fee of $1 to $2 for visitors. It’s a great place to walk, have a picnic, see how local and visiting students live and study, and step away from the city. 20. Get a Bamboo Tattoo Amanda Roberts/Flickr Want to make sure your trip to Thailand is an experience you’ll never forget? You might commemorate your travels with a traditional Thai bamboo tattoo. Tattooing with bamboo is a technique that’s over 3,000 years old. It involves one or more needles attached to a bamboo stick. One advantage of this technique is that the tattoo has a faster healing time. Buddhist monks would get tattoos for protection and to show faith. Thai soldiers got them as well. According to legend, Thailand has never been occupied because of the power of the soldiers' bambootattoos. There are some traditional sacred tattoo designs called Sak Yant tattoos that are usually performed by monks. Not all monks will tattoo women, as custom prohibits touching between the sexes. While it’s still possible to get a Sak Yant tattoo at various temples, you should be careful about the standards of hygiene. A few highly rated bamboo tattoo parlors in Chiang Mai are Naga Tattoo, Deja Vu Tattoo, and Sam Tattoo. Visiting Chiang Mai: FinalThoughts Chiang Mai is a city that lingers with you. I can still clearly recall the incense-filled halls and clanging bells of beautiful ancient temples, as well as the bustle of night markets filled with unbelievably delicious street food. Not only is Chiang Mai very affordable, but it’s also very easy to navigate. Because tourism is a large part of the local economy, you’ll have no trouble arranging tours and transportation or finding things to do. In fact, you may find that you have too much on your agenda, between your own plans and the people whoapproach with flyers for Muay Thai fights and cabaret shows. Beyond the temples, streetfood, markets, and surrounding natural beauty, I also lovedChiang Mai'sfocus on health and wellness. Traveling can wear you down, but in Chiang Mai you can easily take care of your physical and spiritual health with yoga, Thai massages, steam rooms, fresh vegetables, and an endless array of smoothies. While Chiang Mai has a nightlife scene, it’s not a huge party city like some of the southern Thai islands. You’ll find that fellow Chiang Mai backpackers, travelers, and expats are more interested in culture, outdoor activities, conservation, and amazing food, all of which northern Thailand has in abundance. If you’re traveling to Thailand, then Chiang Mai, the lovely Rose of the North, should definitely be in your plans. After a few days in this happy, laid back city, you might find, like I did, that you don’t want to leave!

The Purpose and Function of Foil Characters

The Purpose and Function of Foil Characters Have you ever been reading a novel and find yourself wondering, â€Å"What’s eating this guy?† or, â€Å"Why doesn’t she just dump him?† More often than not, a â€Å"foil† character is the answer.      A foil character is any character in literature that, through his or her actions and words, highlights and directly contrasts the personal traits, qualities, values, and motivations of another character. The term comes from the old jewelers’ practice of displaying gemstones on sheets of foil to make them shine more brightly. Thus, in literature, a foil character literally â€Å"illuminates† another character. Uses of Foil Characters Authors use foils to help their readers recognize and understand the important qualities, characteristics, and motivations of the various characters: In other words, to explain why characters do what they do. Foils are sometimes used to explain the relationships between a plot’s â€Å"antagonist† and â€Å"protagonist† characters. A â€Å"protagonist† is the story’s main character, while an â€Å"antagonist† is the protagonist’s enemy or opponent. The antagonist â€Å"antagonizes† the protagonist.   For example, in the classic Lost Generation novel â€Å"The Great Gatsby,† F. Scott Fitzgerald uses narrator Nick Carraway as a foil to both protagonist Jay Gatsby, and Jay’s antagonist Tom Buchanan. In describing Jay and Tom’s contentious shared love for Tom’s trophy wife Daisy, Nick depicts Tom as an Ivy League-educated athlete who feels entitled by his inherited wealth. Nick is more at ease around Jay, who he describes as a man who â€Å"had one of those rare smiles with a quality of eternal reassurance in it†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Sometimes, authors will use two characters as foils to each other. These characters are called â€Å"foil pairs.† For example, in William Shakespeare’s â€Å"Julius Caesar,† Brutus  plays foil to Cassius, while Antony’s foil is Brutus.   Foil pairs are sometimes the story’s protagonist and antagonist, but not always. Again from the quill of Shakespeare, in â€Å"The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet,† while Romeo and Mercutio are best friends, Shakespeare writes Mercutio as Romeo’s foil. By poking fun at lovers in general, Mercutio helps the reader understand the depth of Romeo’s often illogically desperate love for Juliet. Why Foils Are Important Authors use foils to help readers recognize and understand the traits, attributes, and motivations of the other characters. Thus, readers who ask, â€Å"What makes him or her tick?† should be on the lookout for foil characters to get the answers. Non-Human Foils Foils are not always people. They may be animals, a structure, or  a subplot, a â€Å"story within a story,† that serves as a foil to the main plot.   In her classic novel â€Å"Wuthering Heights,† Emily Bronte uses the two neighboring houses: Wuthering Heights and Thrushcross Grange as foils to each other to explain the events of the story. In chapter 12, the narrator describes Wuthering Heights as a house where : â€Å"There was no moon, and everything beneath lay in misty darkness: not a light gleamed from any house, far or near all had been extinguished long ago: and those at Wuthering Heights were never visible†¦Ã¢â‚¬  The description of Thrushcross Grange, in contrast to the Wuthering Heights, creates a calm and peaceful atmosphere. â€Å"Gimmerton chapel bells were still ringing; and the full, mellow flow of the beck in the valley came soothingly on the ear. It was a sweet substitute for the yet absent murmur of the summer foliage, which drowned that music about the Grange when the trees were in leaf.† The foils in these settings also help in the development of the foils in the characters, as the people from Wuthering Heights are unsophisticated, and are foils to those from Thrushcross Grange, who display a refined disposition. Classic Examples of Foil Characters In â€Å"Paradise Lost,† author John Milton creates perhaps the ultimate protagonist-antagonist foil pair: God and Satan. As the foil to God, Satan exposes both his own negative traits and God’s good traits. Through the comparisons exposed by the foil relationship, the reader comes to understand why Satan’s stubborn resistance to the â€Å"will of God† justifies his eventual expulsion from paradise. In the Harry Potter series, author J.K. Rowling uses Draco Malfoy as a foil to Harry Potter. Though both protagonist Harry and his antagonist Draco have been empowered by Professor Snape to â€Å"experience the essential adventures of self-determination,† their inherent qualities cause them to make different choices:  Harry chooses to oppose Lord Voldemort and the Death Eaters, whereas Draco eventually joins them. In summary, foil characters help readers to: Understand the traits and motivations - â€Å"axes to grind† - of other charactersTell good intentions from evil, strength from weakness,   or true ability from empty braggadocioUnderstand â€Å"who† protagonists and their antagonists are, and why they are enemies Perhaps most importantly, foils help readers decide how they â€Å"feel† about the characters.

Bamboozled and Jungle Fever Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Bamboozled and Jungle Fever - Movie Review Example It features Mantan, the tap dancer, and the rest of black people with odd activities that are being aired on TV. To Delacroix horror, the show became hugely successful, and his boss even praises the show and grants him a prominent status. The movie shows the disadvantages of being black in the media industry. They are challenged by their superiors, mostly white people, to bring out their best in their profession. They have to produce something that deserves their profession otherwise they much pressured. The theme of this movie is about the status of black people in the media, among other industries. Black people can only have two places according to the movie, either on the top position, or the one as a figure of ridicule as sort of entertainment. Professionalism issue was also tackled in this movie. True to the circumstances of the blacks, the upcoming minority struggling to better his circumstances, is shown as not knowing very well what to do when opportunities come to better oneself. Perhaps society has to answer for this one, for the many years of discriminating colored people. Racism is a myth of believing that a certain race is superior to the others and that the development of personality is based on the geographical root and shaped by its culture (Anti-Defamation League, 2001). Just to prove that stereotyping is wrong, black people today have to prove to be very talented in many aspects. They can even excel and surpass the skills of the white Caucasians, if not making it equal to them. Bamboozled seems to want to teach the world about the shameful history of the minstrel shows and begs for educated eyes to look at things differently now. It is a seeming response to race films that have as target audience the primarily poor southern blacks and southerners who had migrated northward. These race films, especially those produced by white studios, attempted to impart middle-class urban values, especially education and industriousness. Common themes in race films included the "improvement" of the black race, the supposed tension between educated and uneducated blacks, and the tragic consequences in store for blacks who resisted white-man values. All in all, they attempt to say that the black race is inferior to the white race and therefore has to improve. The author wants to convey the message that media is wrong for depicting that blacks are always to be subjects of laughter and scorn, or that they are permanently to be inferior in the pecking order of importance. These race films do not do good to society, except re-enforce stereotyping beliefs and make the black-white demarcations all the more stronger. In the United States, race and color discrimination is supposedly unlawful as defined by The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (USEEOC). The commission says that Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 protects individuals against employment discrimination on the basis of race and color as well as national origin, sex, or religion. In practice, however, race and color discrimination still exists in many forms in the United States just like in the limited ways people of color have been portrayed and depicted in American media. Segregation and classification of employees is also prohibited. And yet, in media as in other industries in society, inferior positions as in the ugly, the

The Role of Suspense and Foreshadowing in the Novel Frankenstein Essay

The Role of Suspense and Foreshadowing in the Novel Frankenstein - Essay Example The typical gothic plot tends to delay narrative development through digressions, interruptions, infolded tales, interpolated poems, etc. which move the narrative backwards as well as forwards and Frankenstein is no exception to this. The novel's structure of framed and embedded narratives (for example, Walton narrative and that of the De Lacey family) act as diversions from the main narrative told by Frankenstein, a delay that serves to increase suspense and tension. Marry Shelly's use of Foreshadowing in Frankenstein creates a literary taste in the novel. "But I forget I am moralizing in the most interesting part of my tale; and your looks remind me to proceed" (Baldick, 1997, pp. 45-59). Foreshadowing is an important part of Frankenstein. It is used to increase suspense because as a readers go through novel the foreshadowing is revealing them that something bad is about to happen and it is their job to go after the clues and try to guess what it is. Throughout the novel, as we observe that the three main narrators (Victor, the Monster, and Walter) use foreshadowing. Each of the narrators uses foreshadowing in a diverse and different way. Some of the narrators like victor are more obvious in their hints as to what is going to happen than others. "If the Study to which you apply yourself had a tendency to weaken your affections , and to destroy your taste for those simple pleasures in which no alloy can possibly mix, then that study is certainly unlawful," (Baldick, 1997, pp. 45-59). In this quote Victor is speaking about how if something you are doing takes up all your free time and makes you neglect the other aspects of your life it certainly cannot be good. In this quote Victor is also foreshadowing the completion of his monster and the effect it will have on his life. This is an example of the most blatant foreshadowing in the novel; this book was written as if Victor was relating it out loud to William. As a result of this most of the foreshadowing victor does is extremely blatant because when a person is telling a story it is hard for them to keep from foreshadowing the ending through there body language, tone, or the way they tell the story. Because Shelly could not convey tone or body language through written words sh e had to make the foreshadowing victor does much more blatant to keep the suspense of the story. "One day, when I was oppressed by cold, I found a fire which had been left by some wandering beggars, and was overcome with delight at the warmth I experienced from it. In my joy I thrust my hand into the live embers, but quickly drew it out again with a cry of pain. How strange, I thought, that the same cause could produce such opposite effects!" (Literary Cavalcade, 2002, pp. 34-37). In this quote by the monster, shows the style in which he foreshadows in this story. This was one of the monster's earliest experiences where he finds that some things can cause both pleasure and pain. This is

Case Study - Motivation Essay Example for Free

Case Study Motivation Essay Introduction In this brief introduction, advice for James on how to motivate his Year 5 teachers will be framed by explaining the nature of goal, the dimension of the goal and how it should be set. Secondly, suggestions of the selection of Year 5 teacher will be given. Furthermore, various ways of rewarding the goal achievement will be mentioned while evaluating the role of James during the academic year and the application of goal setting. In addition, unintended consequences of the goal setting methods will be discussed and follow by a conclusion. Nature of goal, Dimension of the goal and how it should be set Refers to Locke (1990 and 1996), goal is an object or aim for an action is the definition of goal and it is something consciously want. Goal can be explained by internal and external factors , goals are thoughts with desired end internally and object or conditions sought externally while a job to be completed is as known as task (Locke 1990 and 1996). In this case, the goal of James is to boost his school average result in NAPLAN test (i.e. the 5 reporting sector ) therefore it is above the national average while the task is to select an appropriate teacher that is able to improve the results of the 5 reporting factors. Dimension of goals can be divided content and intensity and they are not easily separated (Locke 1990). Goal content means the actual object sought and psychological goal that an individual have (Locke 1990 and 1996). Content differs in qualitatively and quantitatively and degree of specificity (Locke 199 0). A positive relationship between goal difficulties and performance is founded, the harder the goal is, the better the achievement (Locke 1996). The second factor is intensity. Intensity refers to the depth of the goal, such as scope and integration of the goal setting process and the importance of the goal, etc (Locke1990). Goals can be set according to S.M.A.R.T. which means that goals must be specific, measurable, assignable, realistic and time-related (Rouillard 2003). A specific goal should be details enough to mention what is to be achieved and accomplished, too general statement is insufficient to motive workers (Rouillard 2003).A goal should be measurable which is quantifiable and provide a standard for comparison while indicate whether the goal is reached (Rouillard 2003). Thirdly, an attainable goal should be able to achievable while challenging, a goal with extreme low and  high expectation is insufficient to motivate (Rouillard 2003). Realistic goal means it is practical, possible and achievable (Rouillard 2003). Time-related means to frame the goal with a given period, an out-dated goal has no effect on motivat ion (Rouillard 2003). In this case, James can set a goal like ‘improve 75% of year 5 students results with a grade improvement in the factors of reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation and numeracy within one semester (6 months)’. Access of candidates In this case, the aim is to improve the students’ results therefore teacher effectiveness is the main consideration. Teacher effectiveness is a measure of teacher’s ability to produce an academic growth in a given context and situation (Stronge and Hindman 2006 and Bailey 2006). Various sectors are needed for evaluation. (i) Knowledge/ Teaching certification Richard has the highest degree compare to others and Richard is passionate about upgrading himself to a higher level. Moreover, Richard is familiar with the updated education syllabus as he has completed his bachelor degree few years ago. No specific information about Janice’s educational background is mentioned; it is assumed she has the lowest degree among candidates. Although Janice had attended some teacher training, she is not familiar and active about the updated educational changes and practices which makes her less competitive. Ivar has deep knowledge about psychology and enjoy high degree of reputation and he is a high achieving student which shows Ivar has adequate intelligence level. Refers to Mandeville and Liu cited in Campbell et al (2012), students who are taught by higher levels of teacher certification have better thinking skills and performance than the lower level of knowledge. From the above evaluation, Richard and Ivar are more knowledgeable. (ii) Personal ity Richard is young, enthusiastic, active, ambitious and competitive; Janice is mature, sociable with good personal skills, passionate but less active than Richard and Ivar is logical and rational but not good at communication. Personality is not suggested as a standard for selection as there is no direct relationship between personality and achievement of pupils (Borich cited in Campbell et al 2012 ). More factors should be considered. (iii)  Experience Richard has few years of teaching year 2 and 3 but lack of experience on teaching year 5 and 6; Janice has the most experience among 3 of them and she has 5 years experience on Year 5. Comparing to others, Ivar has the least experience in teaching. Teaching experience is a valuable access however there is no direct relationship between experience and student achievement and teaching experience is only a predictor of student outcomes occasionally (Anderson and Doresett cited in Campbell et al 2012). More factors should be concern. (iv) Self –efficacy ‘A belief in one’s capabilities to organize and execute the course of action required to produce given attainment ‘is called self efficacy (Bandura cited in Campbell et al 2012). Richard and Ivar are very confident about teaching year 5 while Janice is less confident about her skills. It is suggested that students that taught by higher self –efficacy perform better on standardized test and teachers with low self-efficacy have lower expectation of students (Moore and Esselman cited in Campbell et al 2012) . To improve the grade of NAPLAN, advancement of languages and maths are necessary and a teacher with higher self-efficacy is critical as there is positive relationship between self efficacy and the performance of languages and maths of the students (Anderson et al cited in Campbell et al 2012). From the perspective of goal setting theory, an individual with high self efficacy is more willing to set and accept a harder goal while commit to the goals with eff ort (Locke 1996). Richard and Ivar are the better choice. After accessing the above criteria, Richard and Ivar are the better choice since both of them are highly educated and with high self efficacy but Richard is the best choice. Ivar is not specialist in education which shows concern of insufficient knowledge of educational practices while Richard has a better educational knowledge. Refers to Darling-Hammond cited in Campbell et al (2012) , the strongest forecaster of relative achievement compared to others is teacher’s certification therefore Richard will be a better choice based on the element of knowledge. Methods to reward goal achievement The goal cannot be reached by one party’s effort therefore Richard and students should be rewarded. Financial rewards and non-financial rewards are suggested and James should integrate them as a complete reward process in order to work more effectively (Armstrong and Murlis 2007). (i) Financial rewards Merit pay program can be used once Richard reaches the goal. Merit pay is a system that increases the base salary of the employee who achieves the objectives of the business (Snell and Bohlander 2012). James should raise Richard‘s salary with a range of 7 to 9% in order to be motivate (Snell and Bohlander 2012). Financial rewards have no significant in students’ achievement thus financial reward is more appropriate for teachers (Robin 2012). From individual aspect, the increased salary allows Richard to satisfy various needs, such as; help his school fee for his master degree. Richard is competitive, while the financial reward is a tangible form of achievement recognition that satisfies his needs of ego and self- actualization (Armstrong and Murlis 2007). For school, the financial rewards enhance motivation, Richard is more willing to stay in the school and this benefits the school from retaining talents to teach Year 5 students (Armstrong and Murlis 2007). (ii) Non fina ncial rewards Non financial rewards are more effective in motivating (Armstrong and Murlis 2007). James can reward Richard by providing recognition, such as verbally reward with positive feedback, promotion and training and development. James can reward the students by praising the classes and providing extra-circular activities for students to relax and learn. Richard has his own mind in career progression, rewards such as promotion, allows him to reach his individual goal (to have a better career).If Richard is rewarded with training, more knowledge will be received and allow him to have a well preparation for his master degree. Non financial rewards shows recognition which reinforce Richard’s self esteem and self actualization. For the school, non financial rewards bring lasting motivation which maintains Richard’s motivation to work in the school and dedicate more effort for his teaching of Year 5 students. (Armstrong and Murlis 2007) The rewards  motivate the Year 5 students t o study hard in order to get a better result in NAPLAN. James’s role According to managerial competency framework by Quinn, several roles from the framework are selected for James in the application of this case. James is a director, he has to develop a vision and set a clear goal and objectives for his teachers moreover he has to organize and design the whole plan to achieve the goal (Quinn et al 2003). Secondly, James is a mentor, he has to communicate effectively and share his knowledge of NAPLAN with Richard to develop his ability in teaching Year 5 students (Quinn et al 2003). James has to think creatively as he may have to draft new teaching strategies with Richard therefore he has to live and mange the change and his role in this process is innovator (Quinn et al 2003). James is also a co-coordinator, new ideas may suggested by Richard and James has to manage the projects and across the functions to ensure the Richard’s works can run smoothly (Quinn et al 2003).Finally, James is a monitor, performances of students should be reviewed regu larly to keep the process on track while teaching styles should be monitored, for example, James can be a guest teacher in Richard’s class to see how the class runs and provides feedback to Richard (Quinn et al 2003, Mitchell, Ortiz, and Mitchell 1987). Feedback drives performance and motivation therefore feedback should be given frequently, James is able to check the progress of the goal while Richard is able to improve his limitations or retain his advantages (Latham 2007). Unintended consequences  Harder goals drive performance therefore James may set a harder goal for Richard and his year 5 students to achieve (Latham 2007). A harder goal is associated higher risk which may lead to worse performance compare to lower goals, for instance, a harsher teaching style is adopted by Richard but students may face extra pressure and lost their motivation in learning (Latham 2007). Secondly, goal conflicts may happen, such as, the school’s goal is vary from Richard’s individual goal which reduce the motivation and worsen the performance (Latham 2007). In order to reach the goal, James has to co-ordinate with other teachers with the class arrangement, this may lead to disagreement about the decision and conflicts between colleagues may result. With the new class arrangement, other classes need to adopt a new  teacher or teaching style; it influences the academic results and motivation. Others teachers also need to cope with the new goal and assi st Richard and principal in some points yet they do not get any reward, it leads to the problem of unfairness and inequality. Conclusion To conclude, goal and task are strongly linked and dimension of goal is divided into content and intensity. A successful goal should be set according to S.M.A.R.T. After evaluation, Richard is chosen as the teacher. James could motive Richard and students by financial and non financial rewards. Within the process, James has multiple roles as mention before to ensure the goal is achieved. However, unexpected results may happen therefore James should consider more theories application solve the problem and achieve synergy. Reference list Armstrong, M. and Murlis, H. 2007, Reward Management: A Handbook of Remuneration Strategy and Practice, 5th ed., Kogan Page Publishers, U.K. Bailey, K. 2006, Language Teacher Supervision: A case Based Approach, Cambridge University Press, U.K. Campbell, J., Kyriakides, L., Nuijis, D. and Robinson, W. 2012, Assessing Teacher Effectiveness: Different Models, Routledge, Canada. Latham, G. 2007, Work Motivation. History.Theory.Research and Practice, Thousand Oaks, U.K. Locke, E. 1996, ‘Motivation through conscious goal setting’, Applied and Preventative Psychology, vol.5, pp. 117-124. Locke, E. and Latham, G. 1990, A theory of Goal setting and Task Performance, Prentice Hall, New Jersey. Mitchell, D., Ortiz, F. and Mitchell, T. 1987, Work Orientation and Job Performance: The Cultural Basis of Teaching Rewards and Incentives, Suny Press, U.S.A. Robin, G. 2012, Praise, Motivation, and the Child, Routledge, U.S.A. Rouillard,L. 2003, Goals and Goal Setting: Achieving Measured Ob jectives, 3rd ed., Cengage Learning, U.S.A. Snell, S. and Bohlander,G. 2012, Managing Human Resources, Cengage Learning, U.S.A. Stronge, J. and Hindman, J. 2006, The Teacher Quality Index: A Protocol for Teacher Selection, ASCD, U.S.A. Quinn, R.E., Faerman,S.R., Thompson,M.P. and McGrath,M. 2003, Becoming a master manager: A competency framework, 3rd ed., Wiley, New York.

Essay --

Joey Kuhlmann Mrs. Aeschilman Creative Writing 12 December 2013 A Faithful Draft The arrival of winter was well on its way. The colorful leaves had turned to brown and fallen from the branches of the trees. The sky seamed bigger with the disappearance of the leaves. As Robert drove down the long country road he was much more aware of all his surroundings. He grew up in this small town and always thought he would never leave. He knew every inch of the area. This place is where he grew up and had some of the best times of his life. The new chapter of his life was exciting, but then he also had a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach of something not right. Three weeks ago Robert, twenty four years old, finished his second year of college. He enjoyed college life, fraternity friends, parties, and everything that goes along with college. Because of some family problems a couple years ago, he did not start college on time like most of his friends, but he was working his way through. Earlier in the year Robert had a little trouble in a couple classes. Then the cursed letter arrived in the mail. Robert was being drafted; he was going to war. Colleges notify the draft board when students fail classes. Which is exactly what happened to Robert. Robert would have to travel to an army base for his basic training, and then he would later find out that he was to be assigned directly to Pakistan to fight in the war. Robert was in shock. Although he felt like he must serve his country, the little boy in him kicked in and he didn’t want to leave. If he had only tried a little harder, or gone to a professor for extra help, he would probably still be only worried about school. But these were the choices he made and the consequences he would ha... ...though it was war, he had still taken lives; and this thought bothered Robert greatly. Today Robert realized he was doing his country a great deal of duty as he drifted off for a short sleep. The next day, Robert awoke to yet another sequence of loud noises. Only this time they were a lot worse and all he could see was fire. The next thing Robert knew he was rolling on the ground with an unbearable pain. The next week Robert’s closes friend and family broke down as he walked off the plane with permanent scars all across his face. Robert immediately hugged his parent’s and pulled out a little book. This book was his pocket Bible that he carried with him always in Pakistan. He went over to Father Miller and handed him the burnt book and broke down and thank Father Miller. Father Miller was in awe and he explained that he had done nothing and God was what saved him.

Accounting Standard-Setters

Accounting standard-setters have an expectation that the readers of general purpose financial reports have a ‘reasonable knowledge’ of accounting. Specifically, the IASB Framework states that ‘users are expected to have a reasonable knowledge of business and economic activities and accounting and a willingness to study the information with reasonable diligence’. Hence, there is an expectation that financial statements are not tailored to meet the needs of people who have not, in some way, studied financial accounting. Students should be encouraged to consider whether this expectation is in itself ‘reasonable’. As Chapter 2 states, there is an expectation held by accounting standard-setters that users of financial statements have a reasonably sound knowledge of financial accounting. For example, within the IASB Framework (which is also the Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB) Framework) reference is made to users who ‘are expected to have a reasonable knowledge of business and economic activities and accounting and a willingness to study the information with reasonable diligence’. Within the United States Conceptual Framework Project, reference is made to the ‘informed reader’. Hence, a view has been adopted by the regulators that users of financial statements should have a certain level of knowledge, and when accounting standards are being developed, this level of knowledge is assumed. In defence of this position, we could probably argue that if such an assumption was not made then the development of accounting standards would be much more difficult and time consuming given that the standard-setters would need to consider how uninformed users might react to the particular standards. The position adopted is also consistent with other professions which also typically assume a certain level of expertise when developing guidance for their professions’ members (however, we need to be careful with justifications like this—just because others do a certain thing does not mean it is the ‘right’ thing). If users find it necessary, there are many experts who would be available to provide advice on how particular numbers were derived. Of course, such advice will generally be at a cost which does raise the issue that it can be costly for some individuals to gain an understanding about the operations of organisations that perhaps have an impact on their ongoing existence. Hence, while there is arguably a ‘right-to-know’, for people without an accounting knowledge this right can only be exercised at some cost. In making this judgement, students should consider the various articles that frequently appear in newspapers, and various discussions that occur on television and radio in relation to an organisation’s profits. Rarely is any mention made of the accounting methods used, even though the profits ultimately reported are directly a product of the many decisions that would have been made regarding how particular items should be accounted for (if possible, direct reference should be made to a number of articles which discuss organisations’ reported profits). Hence, it does appear as if profits are often held out as some form of ‘hard’, objective measure of organisational performance. In considering why the media might behave in this manner, one possibility is that those responsible for writing the stories are ignorant that financial accounting relies upon a great deal of professional judgement and they might believe that every decision made by accountants is clearly mapped out by a comprehensive system of rules. Alternatively, the writers might consider that people simply do not want to be ‘bogged down’ in the fine detail. As another possibility the accounting profession, through such vehicles as conceptual frameworks, may have successfully cultivated an impression (with the people in the media, and others) that the practice of accounting is objective, and the output of the accounting system is highly comparable between different entities—meaning that one organisation’s profits can appropriately be compared to another. The implications of this approach to reporting profits in the media is that one entity’s performance as represented by its profit might simply be compared to another, and that the entity with the higher reported profit might be considered to be more successful, and therefore to represent a better investment. Its management might also be considered in a more favourable light than the management of the entity with the lower reported profits. Implications such as this, however, assume that readers and media listeners do not appreciate that profits are directly related to the various accounting choices made. Advocates of an efficient market perspective, however, might argue that as long as the information about accounting method selection is made public somewhere, such as in the annual report, then the market (for example, the capital market), on average, will be able to understand how the adoption of particular accounting methods affected reported profits, and hence the market will not simply fixate on the final numbers reported. There are differences in opinion about the efficiency of markets, such as the capital market. A further point that could be raised in relation to this question is that accounting ‘profits’ are not a comprehensive measure of organisational performance given that accounting profits typically disregard many of the social and environmental implications of a reporting entity.

Uses of Hris in Recruitment Process

INFORMATION SYTEMS AND RECRUITMENT Among the many definitions of Human Resource Management (HRM), this paper will approach it from a sistemic perspective. That is to say, HRM comprises the whole range of activities from the need to fill a free post to the time when an employee leaves the firm. The first one is the recruitment process, which is divided into three stages: Application, selection and socialization. This paper will leave out the latter, focusing in the use of HRIS (Human Resources Information Systems) for the recruitment process until the final appointment decision.Specifically, the first decision to be made by the firm is whether the recruitment will be internal or external. Table 1 shows a comparative between the pros and cons of each type of recruitment. As it can be seen, the internal recruitment has, initially, more advantages than the external. This is why several academics (e. g. Deguy, 1989; Pena Baztan, 1990 and Diez de Castro et al. , 2002) recommend this option whenever it is feasible and suitable. Only in those cases that this is not valid or sufficient, the firm must resort to external recruitment. Nevertheless, it is necessary to keep in mind that this statement is to be taken cautiously.There is no perfect recruitment method; the choice will have to be made considering the particular circumstances of the firm and its objectives. European and Mediterranean Conference on Information Systems (EMCIS) 2006, July 6-7 2006, Costa Blanca, Alicante, Spain J. A. Fernandez-Sanchez et al. Use of HRIS in recruitment process. The Spanish case. 2 Internal recruitment External recruitment advantages disadvantages Advantages disadvantages Low cost Limited offer Higher number of candidates High cost Faster results Interest conflicts Slower Better knowledge of candidates Lack of authority due to excess of trustNo prior knowledge of candidates Shorter socialization period Lack of innovation and new ideas Encourage change and innovation Longer socializati on period Business culture is fortified Business culture may stagnate Encourage modifications in culture Likely cultural shock Increases motivation between employees Likely discontent among non-selected May de-motivate Increases the build up of knowledge Factor for attraction and upkeep of staff Table 1. Internal vs. external recruitment The optimal use of internal recruitment processes requires possessing an updated and accurate knowledge of the personnel of the firm (Leal Millan et al. 1999), for which a HRIS can be used. The simplest and cheapest of them all, most likely, is a human resource inventory (also known as Internal IS): a database or registrar in which the largest amount of information possible is kept. Basic data to be included in this database are the personal details, the recruitment dates, the positions held, promotions, and other observations regarding their performance and potential (Pena Baztan, 1990). Following this, it must be reminded that the internal recruit ment sources are to be employed wisely, because, on occasion, they may lead to deception instead of motivation.Likewise, in order to ensure that all internal and external (if any) applications are considered equally, the former should be complemented with the most complete information available (Besseyre des Horts, 1988). Considering this frame of work, this paper intends to test two main hypotheses on the topic of the use of these recruitment sources from an empirical point of view. On the one hand, regarding the relationship between HRIS and internal recruitment processes: Hypothesis 1: â€Å"The firms that deploy HRIS in their internal recruitment processes will perform better than those who do not do it†.On the other hand, following those authors that recommend internal over external recruitment decisions, the research inquires whether: Hypothesis 2: â€Å"The firms that prefer internal recruitment decisions over external recruitment will perform better than those who do not do it†. Nevertheless, the implications that the assertion or rejection of these statements will not be fully understood unless a descriptive analysis of the presence and usage of business HRIS is carried out. This will be done prior to the actual test of the hypotheses alleged above.European and Mediterranean Conference on Information Systems (EMCIS) 2006, July 6-7 2006, Costa Blanca, Alicante, Spain J. A. Fernandez-Sanchez et al. Use of HRIS in recruitment process. The Spanish case. 3 2 DATA ANALYSIS To study the two hypotheses, along with some descriptive data, a nation-wide empirical research was performed. It was founded on the results of a prior research limited to the province of Alicante (Spain), in which the questionnaire was tested and the model was validated. SCOPE Spain POPULATION 3000 Firms with more than 200 employees SAMPLE 334 valid answers (11,1%)STANDARD ERROR 5,2%1 Table 2. Technical data of the empirical research The T test, used to determine the infere nce of the observations, concluded that there were no significant differences between the group of firms that did answer and that who did not. Consequently, the data here shown can be considered as valid indicators of the behaviour of the Spanish firms with more than 200 employees. 2. 1 Use of HRIS in the firm: a descriptive analysis Before the two main hypotheses are tested, a complimentary analysis of the findings may lead to a better understanding of the implications of this research.This part of the study will deal with the descriptive analysis of the use of HRIS in the firm. The first dimension to be concerned about is the type of information system implemented by these firms (see Table 3). Traditional (manual) Files Computerised HRIS Management of C. V. online F % V% C% F % V% C% F % V% C% YES 259 77,5 77,5 77,5 165 49,4 49,7 49,7 207 62,0 62,3 62,3 NO 75 22,5 22,5 100,0 167 50,0 50,3 100,0 125 37,4 37,7 100,0 Total 334 100,0 100,0 332 99,4 100,0 332 99,4 100,0 F=Frequency %=P ercentage V%= Valid percentage C%= Cumulative percentage Table 3.Most common applications of HRIS A few facts stand out in table 3. For starters, over two thirds of the firms (77,5%) use manual HRIS, i. e. traditional files. This is likely due to their lower cost and easier handling. As for the most sophisticated systems, this is, the computerised HRIS, barely half of the firms employ them, although this has shown an increasing tendency when compared to the results of the previous experimental research (in early 2004, only a 38,6% of the firms gave an affirmative answer).The motivations underneath this evolution include the sheer necessity to adapt to the requirements of a more complex organization, the desire to imitate those successful firms that had implemented them, or the uprising of more knowledgeable managers in present time businesses, among others. Regarding the deployment of applications for managing C. V. s online (retrieving them and storing the information adequately), it seems easy and useful enough to be accepted by 62% of the organizations. Regarding the use of HRIS in the recruitment policy, table 4 shows that every stage may benefit from them.Even though, their degree of application is inversely related to the timing and the complexity of 1 This error has been calculated for N=3000, assuming p=q and a confidence interval of 95%. European and Mediterranean Conference on Information Systems (EMCIS) 2006, July 6-7 2006, Costa Blanca, Alicante, Spain J. A. Fernandez-Sanchez et al. Use of HRIS in recruitment process. The Spanish case. 4 the task. As it was observed before, more sophisticated HRIS (and, therefore, able to assist in more complex tasks such as decision making processes) are implemented by a smaller number of firms. Reception of pplications Data storage Data retrieval Decision making processes F % V% C% F % V% C% F % V% A% F % V% C% YES 294 88. 0 91. 0 91. 0 285 85. 3 88. 2 88. 2 216 64. 7 66. 9 66. 9 151 42. 2 46. 7 46. 7 NO 29 8. 7 9. 0 100 38 11. 4 11. 8 100 107 32. 0 33. 1 100 172 51. 5 53. 3 100 Total 323 96. 7 100 323 96. 7 100 323 96. 7 100 323 96. 7 100 F=Frequency %=Percentage V%= Valid percentage C%= Cumulative percentage Table 4. Use of HRIS in different recruitment stages In sum, table 5 shows that 36,5% of the firms do use some HRIS application for all four recruitmentrelated tasks, which indicate two conclusions: ) HRIS are not an exclusive tool, but they are seldom used in combination with other methods; and b) These applications are good enough as assistants and support devices, but they will never be able to substitute human criterion. Frequency Cumulative frequency % Valid % Cumulative % 0 14 14 4,2 4,2 4,2 1 28 42 8,4 8,4 12,6 2 80 122 24,0 24,0 36,5 3 90 212 26,9 26,9 63,5 4 122 334 36,5 36,5 100,0 Total* 334 100,0 100,0 *0= no HRIS; 1= HRIS for only one task; 2= HRIS for two tasks; and so on. Table 5. Number of tasks performed through HRISFinally, there was an interest in seeing whether seve ral structural characteristics of these firms were significantly related to the use of HRIS. It can be seen in table 6 that only two classifications are affected by the use of HRIS: parent firms over subsidiaries, and the larger firms. These results respond to the logic that both types of organizations require a more complex structure, which may influence in their decision of relying on HRIS for leaner and more efficient recruitment tasks. VARIABLES CHI-SQUARED DEGREES OF FREEDOM SIGN. Family Business 4,241 4 ,374Parent /subsidiary 19,832 6 ,003 Public/private 1,295 4 ,862 Industry 36,434 28 ,132 % Permanent staff 13,960 12 ,303 Number of employees 28,320 8 ,000 Table 6. Use of HRIS concerning other classification treats European and Mediterranean Conference on Information Systems (EMCIS) 2006, July 6-7 2006, Costa Blanca, Alicante, Spain J. A. Fernandez-Sanchez et al. Use of HRIS in recruitment process. The Spanish case. 5 2. 2 Hypothesis 1: The firms that deploy HRIS in their inte rnal recruitment processes will perform better than those who do not do itThe first hypothesis is tested with the aid of a new variable created for the purpose of measuring whether the firms use internal recruitment methods based on HRIS applications. A Chi-squared test, carried out on the actual results against the null hypothesis, assesses that the actual results are different enough to overcome a certain probability that they are due to sampling error with a statistical significance of 0,045, thus confirming the assertion of hypothesis 1.Hence, it is found that those firms that rely on internal recruitment processes based on HRIS applications have better outcomes in the performance of the appointed person than those who do not. Table 7 shows the observed frequencies and how this fact may affect the overall performance of the recruitment process. Regarding the firms’ impression on the effects of using HRIS to recruit good candidates, the majority of those that implement the m (89,3%) agree in considering this fact â€Å"quite† or â€Å"plenty† beneficial. It is outstanding as well the fact that only one of them has marked this item as â€Å"No beneficial at all†.Perceived outcomes recruitment/ selection No beneficial at all A little Quite Plenty Yes Internal recruitment and HRIS 1 (0. 3%) 31 (10. 3%) 209 (69. 4%) 60 (19. 9%) No 0 (0. 0%) 7 (21. 2%) 25 (75. 8%) 1 (3. 0%) Table 7. Concurrence of HRIS usage and internal recruitment. Effects on recruitment results. In addition, in order to find if the use of HRIS has a positive influence on the outcomes of the recruiting process, another Chi-squared test shows that a relationship is established between the independent variable (Use of HRIS) and the dependent one (Perceived outcomes of the process), with a 0,000 statistical significance.Therefore, it is statically confirmed that a greater application of HRIS contribute in a positive manner to the outcomes of the recruitment process, and , in consequence, to the overall performance of the firm. This evidence agrees, once more, with hypothesis 1. 2. 3 Hypothesis 2: The firms that prefer internal recruitment decisions over external recruitment will perform better than those who do not do itBefore carrying out this test, it seemed necessary to see whether firms prefer internal recruitment techniques over external ones. To do so, a frequency analysis was carried out, as illustrated in table 8. Frequency % Valid % Cumulative % Never 5 1,5 1,6 1,6 Very rarely 11 3,3 3,5 5,1 Rarely 19 5,7 6,1 11,2 Occasionally 62 18,6 19,8 31,0 Frequently 72 21,6 23,0 54,0 Very frequently 77 23,1 24,6 78,6 Always 67 20,1 21,4 100,0 Preference of internal recruitment over external recruitment Total 313 93,7 100,0 Table 8.Preference of internal recruitment over external recruitment The low values of the â€Å"very rarely† and â€Å"never† categories, and the fact that 69% of the firms prefer internal over external recruitment o n a â€Å"frequently† to â€Å"always† basis, demonstrate that it is internal European and Mediterranean Conference on Information Systems (EMCIS) 2006, July 6-7 2006, Costa Blanca, Alicante, Spain J. A. Fernandez-Sanchez et al. Use of HRIS in recruitment process. The Spanish case. 6 recruitment what organizations favour. The reasons under this tendency can be found in the advantages of internal recruitment methods, as seen in the literature review.As for the consequences of this choice, table 9 provides the results of the relationship between the use of internal recruitment by the firms and the perceived degree of satisfaction with the outcomes of such a decision. None Of little satisfaction Moderately satisfactory Satisfactory Very satisfactory Addition of the last two Seldom 0 (0. 0%) 0 (0. 0%) 3 (30. 0%) 6 (60. 0%) 1 (10. 0%) 7 (70. 0%) Occasionally 0 (0,0%) 0 (0,0%) 12 (15,0%) 58 (72,5%) 10 (12,5%) 68 (85,0%) Sometimes 1 (0,8%) 0 (0,0%) 11 (8,7%) 97 (76,4%) 18 (14 ,2%) 115 (90,6%) Often 0 (0,0%) 0 (0,0%) 5 (6,9%) 44 (61,1%) 23 (31,9%) 67 (93,0%) Use of nternal recruitment Always 0 (0,0%) 0 (0,0%) 1 (5,0%) 11 (55,0%) 8 (40,0%) 19 (95,0%) Table 9. Degree of satisfaction with the outcomes of the recruitment process This contingency table indicates that those firms that use primarily internal recruitment processes seem more satisfied with their decision. Moreover, another Chi-squared test carried on these two variables rejects the null hypothesis of independence with a statistical significance of 0,013.Therefore, hypothesis 2 is confirmed, as has been argued by the work of other authors (namely Pfeffer, 1994 and 1998; Huselid, 1995; Delaney and Huselid, 1996; Delery and Doty, 1996) who show a positive relationship between the internal recruitment strategy and the performance of the firm. 3 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS The main conclusion of this paper is the realization that the use of business HRIS is in a developing and retrieval. In spite of thi s, it is recognized the positive influence that these systems have in the recruiting process, which make us think that HRIS will gain a place in many organizations in the short and medium term.Regarding the commonest applications of HRIS, our findings indicate that a fairly large percentage of firms rely on these systems for at least one the stages of the recruitment process. Nevertheless, the presence of these applications is scarcer for the most complex and delayed in time tasks, such as decision making processes, because they require, in return, more complex HRIS. This conclusion is therefore reinforced by the findings expressed above, since it is the developing stage of HRIS what leads to this decompensate situation. It was also observed that two groups of organizations lead the HRIS mplementation trend: the parent companies, with regard to their subsidiaries, and the largest firms in terms of number of employees. This seems a logical finding because their more complex structure s may benefit more of the advantages of HRIS to increase the efficiency of their recruiting processes. Besides, HRIS are found to be preferred in combination with other HRM practices, instead of on their own. This reveals that human judgement is still the main criterion for making decisions in this area, albeit assessed or supported by the information provided by the HRIS.As for the main hypotheses tested in this research, internal recruitment is the favourite method for filling in vacant positions within the firms, which confirms the theoretical assumptions that asserted that, even though both internal and recruitment strategies are to be considered, the former is less costly and provides more advantages to the firms. Indeed, the evidence supports that a better performance is expected from the people internally recruited, which in turn will improve the overall business performance.European and Mediterranean Conference on Information Systems (EMCIS) 2006, July 6-7 2006, Costa Blanca , Alicante, Spain J. A. Fernandez-Sanchez et al. Use of HRIS in recruitment process. The Spanish case. 7 The same can be stated about the synergies caused by the interaction between HRIS and internal recruitment. The business managers, overwhelming, agree in the positive effects that the advantages of the latter, and the better quality information provided by the former, have in the outcomes of the recruitment decisions. Finally, we would like to express our own impression on this topic.It is our belief that HRIS add competitive value to the firm as a whole and to the HRM department specifically. Despite this conviction, shared with many other academics of the field, we have reservations supporting that information systems may endow businesses with a sustainable competitive advantage on their own. Classic strategic information systems benefited from their being the first to arrive, but they soon became a commodity, even a compulsory asset in order to remain in the industry. Their pe rvasive condition may inhibit other firms from developing the strategic changes needed for succeeding in the foreseeable future.

Free Essays on Higgins Boats

Andrew Jackson Higgins’ and the Boats that Won World War II President Dwight D. Eisenhower said Andrew Jackson Higgins was â€Å"the man that won the war for us.† Although Higgins’ design for a shallow draft water craft was unintended for use during World War II, he became responsible for producing the majority of the amphibious assault landing craft, primarily the Landing Craft Vehicle Person (LCVP), which led to an allied victory in World War II. The â€Å"Higgins Boats† rapid and efficient mass production, effective design, and diversity led them to be the most prominent vessels during World War II. Andrew Jackson Higgins started out as the owner of a small company called A.J. Higgins Lumber and Exports. As he began to purchase land for logging, he found a need for a boat that could handle the difficult task of carrying heavy loads of logs through extremely shallow waters. Present day boats of the time with drafts shallow enough to manage the depth lacked the power necessary to haul such weight. Higgins solution to this problem was to design and build a boat with a â€Å"recessed propeller† into a tunnel in the hull to protect it. Although Higgins ingenuity solved the problem, he was not satisfied. Higgins recognized that because the propeller was elevated so much, it was churning in aerated water instead of a solid flow which greatly reduced its power. Higgins was so perplexed and dedicated to finding a solution; he decided to turn away from the depleting business of timber supplies to concentrate on small boat construction and design. Andrew Jackson Higgins opened Higgins Industries on September 26, 1930 to begin selling his new designs of shallow draft watercraft. Higgins’ new company concentrated on accommodating the needs of oilmen, local trappers, and lumbermen who needed boats capable of running aground, retracting itself, managing floating logs, sandbars, and debris without damage to the hull. ... Free Essays on Higgins Boats Free Essays on Higgins Boats Andrew Jackson Higgins’ and the Boats that Won World War II President Dwight D. Eisenhower said Andrew Jackson Higgins was â€Å"the man that won the war for us.† Although Higgins’ design for a shallow draft water craft was unintended for use during World War II, he became responsible for producing the majority of the amphibious assault landing craft, primarily the Landing Craft Vehicle Person (LCVP), which led to an allied victory in World War II. The â€Å"Higgins Boats† rapid and efficient mass production, effective design, and diversity led them to be the most prominent vessels during World War II. Andrew Jackson Higgins started out as the owner of a small company called A.J. Higgins Lumber and Exports. As he began to purchase land for logging, he found a need for a boat that could handle the difficult task of carrying heavy loads of logs through extremely shallow waters. Present day boats of the time with drafts shallow enough to manage the depth lacked the power necessary to haul such weight. Higgins solution to this problem was to design and build a boat with a â€Å"recessed propeller† into a tunnel in the hull to protect it. Although Higgins ingenuity solved the problem, he was not satisfied. Higgins recognized that because the propeller was elevated so much, it was churning in aerated water instead of a solid flow which greatly reduced its power. Higgins was so perplexed and dedicated to finding a solution; he decided to turn away from the depleting business of timber supplies to concentrate on small boat construction and design. Andrew Jackson Higgins opened Higgins Industries on September 26, 1930 to begin selling his new designs of shallow draft watercraft. Higgins’ new company concentrated on accommodating the needs of oilmen, local trappers, and lumbermen who needed boats capable of running aground, retracting itself, managing floating logs, sandbars, and debris without damage to the hull. ...