Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Professional Ethics in Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words
Professional Ethics in Education - Essay Example To what extent should teachers use their power? Cases of teachers misusing their powers have risen. Some teachers may use their powers to exercise their personal interest. For instance, a teacher may favor a specific student for financial support or relationship favors. In an argument by Ryan (2012), many favors students do for teachers are not willingly. They do the favors in fear of consequences they might face. This is an example of misuse of power by teachers. However, in recent years, student bodies have been established which are aimed at minimizing cases of teacher - student manipulation. Another power experience in teaching is the ability to make decisions without being questioned. Sometimes teacher make decision without the consideration of the students needs. This is a breach to the rights of the students. In decision making all the concerned parties should be part of the deliberation (Higgins, 2011). With teachers taking advantage of their power and make decisions students have the right to protest the decisions. In every school there should be other bodies which help I the decision making in schools. With the neutral party, fairness and consultation is guaranteed (Robinson, 2005) The management of power among teachers should be recommended. With growing concerns on the ethics of teachers, stakeholders should ensure the code of ethics I teaching profession is followed to the letter. Management of these powers means that teachers’ responsibilities and rights should be controlled. The rights of the students should also be outlined. To oversee the adherence to the rules, there should proper consequences for any breach (Higgins, 2011. With the outline of the rights of students the power in the teachers’ hands will be well managed. It will also give students’ the voice to air their grievances without manipulation by the teachers. The management of the teachers will
Tuesday, October 15, 2019
Visual Literacy in Teaching and Learning Research Paper
Visual Literacy in Teaching and Learning - Research Paper Example It refers to a group of vision competencies which human beings develop by seeing and integrating other sensory experiences at the same time. Apparently, the development of these competences is important to normal human learning. In this regard, when these competencies are developed, they enable people who are visually literate to discriminate and interpret visible actions, symbols, objects, whether or natural or man-made, that they encounter in their environment (Elkins, 2007). Through the creative use of these competencies, people are able to communicate with others effectively. Research has proved that the use of visuals in teaching enhance learning to a larger extent. Proper utilization of visuals results in a greater degree of learning. This paper examines the application of visual literacy in the teaching and learning process as a contemporary issue in visual literacy. Description of visual literacy in teaching and learning In the recent years, there has been a tremendous increa se in the use of visual elements in teaching and learning processes.... In addition, visuals such as graphics, images and other visual strategies used today are designed to increase learners’ comprehension of literary texts. Pictures, charts, maps and diagrams are among the common visual tools which are extensively used for effective learning. Through paintings, comic strips and creating collages, learners are able to demonstrate high levels of comprehension and are able to link visuals with texts (Bull & Anstey, 2006). Tattoos are also used to represent various literary characters. Proper care should always be taken when selecting an appropriate visual tool to use. However, preference should be given to color graphics in that black and white graphics are preferred. Film is also another effective form of visual aid used in teaching and learning. Visuals help students to focus and have full attention to the pictures and the accompanying words. Genesis of visual literacy in teaching and learning It is worth noting that although there has been increa sed integration of visual enhancement in the educational process in the recent years, the idea is not a new one. In this purview, the integration of visual and verbal information is evident throughout history. For instance, renowned educators and philosophers of ancient time clearly displayed appreciation for visual enhancements. Aristotle once noted that it is impossible to think without image (Bull & Anstey, 2006). A renowned ancient painter, Leonardo da Vinci, too, recognized the importance of visuals. He translated words from various aspects into drawings (Bull & Anstey, 2006) Also, alphabetical characters began as pictures that depicted various meanings. These symbols depicted man-made language devoid of distinctions between pictures and words. It is only
Monday, October 14, 2019
Dutton Donald G. Rethinking Domestic Violence Essay Example for Free
Dutton Donald G. Rethinking Domestic Violence Essay Dutton, Donald G. Rethinking Domestic Violence Introduction            This book was written by Dutton about domestic violence. It gave us the history about assault on spouses. Dutton talks of two major social phenomena that emerged in North American and the Western countries in Europe. Rights of women were acknowledged by everyone after long and tedious struggle of women to get recognized. It goes further to state the measures and incidences of violence including theories concerning women assault.            This book is very important for it teaches about recognizing one another especially those who have the violent personalities. It is good for the society for it educates one to accept others rights and difference between marriage duties and rights. This book shows us that we can eliminate all odds in our society and try make each and every person feel that he or she belongs to the society fully without any intimidation and discrimination.            Dutton’s ideas can be used to help those who have the abusive personality by encouraging them to attend psychiatrist’s teachings. It can be used to educate spouses in marriage so that they will evade future marriage problems. Also, in the current globalized world, the ideas in this book can help us socialize and live together in peace and harmony especially in a domestic set up. This book can help people who are married in other cultures to harmonize or leave those cultures and then live with the acceptance and respect of each other’s rights.            Weiss, Elaine. Surviving Domestic Violence: Voices of Women Who Broke Free. Volcano: Volcano Press, 2004. Print.            In this book, Surviving Domestic Violence, Elaine wrote about several stories of women who had been subjected to domestic violence. She got these stories by interviewing and later writing them down. It talks of what each one of them went through and how they later managed to escape it. It gives reasons as to why such incidences were happening. After getting out, the women took a very long time to recover the psychological and wounds they got due to thisviolence but some were yet to fully recover for the ordeal they had gone through had impacted negatively on their lives. Those who managed to deal with stress after coming out said that they felt stronger than ever.            The different stories taught in this book are the true causes and effects of domestic related violence. They bring about what one goes through and how one feels while undergoing the violence. Also, it helps to understand what to do when such incidences happen. It also shows its effects and how they change one’s life therefore targeting those who abuse their partners. This book is a very ideal example as it shows us that those who have already freed themselves from the marital abuses can educate others like the youth and couples about domestic violence so that they refrain from it            The stories are very encouraging for they give the people motivation to solve their problems and also how one can escape this. They can be used by those specialists in parental guidance and counselling to help them shape their marriage when such incidences are reported to them and even before couples get married. The ideas in this book can enable those undergoing abuses to get out and look for a better marriage partner. One only needs to accept that he or she is undergoing domestic violence and therefore if it cannot be solved, one can boldly walk away and start life afresh. Marriage is not slavery but it’s a path towards achieving your goals in life as one needs a partner who is willing to assist where possible so that they make all their dreams in life to happen.            Abused Men: The Hidden Side of Domestic Violence Cook, Philip W. Abused Men: The Hidden Side of Domestic Violence. Westport: Praeger, 2009. Print.            Phillip exposes how men goes through domestic violence silently. He talks of how real it is that men are going through domestic violence without the society suspecting. He brings several stories of men who have been undergoing through such violence from their wives for a long time. Then he goes further to give tips that can help one to find freedom from any form of abuse. Then he addresses resistance and acceptance for those who are abusing their spouses and how they come to realize that each and every person deserves to be respected. He also talks of new great approaches that can be used to reduce domestic violence. He then gives survey statistics of domestic violence in Canada. It also talks about how the relationship changes between the offenders to their victims.            The story is helpful in realizing what some men go through. It gives statistics of domestic violence that people are not ready to talk about. The society is helped to recognize men who are undergoing domestic abuses from their spouses. It is helpful because statistics help people to know how long they have been living with their friends undergoing abuses without even realizing it. It talks of acceptance which can help those who are yet to accept their spouse the way he or she is. It is helpful for it shows how much men can be subjected to torture with use of dangerous tools such as knives, machetes and any other type of a life-threatening tool or machine so that one can force their partner to follow one’s commands.            Philip’s ideas can be used to know the men who are undergoing abuses experienced from their wives and enable us to help them come out of the problem. Also, it encourages courage especially those who are not courageous enough to come out and tell their ordeal to the society. This book can help men to free themselves away from any form of abuse and intimidation from their partners. This book is very important as it can be used to tell the extent in which men undergo violence in real life situations. Men can also use this book to help them evade any other form of domestic violence against them and therefore reducing the number of men who die as a result of domestic violence.            Howard, Louise, Louise Howard, Gene Feder, and Roxane Agnew-Davies. Domestic Violence and Mental Health. London: RCPsych Publications, 2013. Print.            This book has been written collectively by different authors who specialize in domestic violence ideas. It talks about prevalence and physical health impacts of domestic violence. It talks about types of abuses in marriage such as physical abuse, sexual abuse, psychological abuse and coercive control and also it questions them and gives clues on how they are brought about and their solution. It also talks of effects of the person’s psychology which is deeply affected even in the future that may not get them out of his mind. It stresses on survival strategies to evade such abuses and also how one can control one’s mind to avoid damaging his or her psychology. This book also gives the kinds of interventions and responses people can take after or when you suspect any form of violence. Advices from professionals on domestic violence are also written down.            This book has directives on what causes mental problems after abuse. It also gives us ways on how to control ourselves and maintain a state of calmness so as not disturb our stressed mind. It educates us on different forms of domestic violence. It is an important text for it has pieces of advice on domestic violence from professionals’ point of view.            The story in this book can help us to evade mental problems due to domestic abuses and can be used by psychiatrists to know what causes a certain mental disorder and they can use the ideas here to enable their clients who are undergoing this problem to get out of it. It can also be used to educate couples so that when they are not in good terms to try to their best solve the problem before it gets out of hand. The advices written in this book can also be used in the same way to advice people especially those undergoing domestic violence depending on the root cause and the kind of violence.            Kubany, Edward S, Mari A. McCaig, and Janet R. Laconsay. Healing the Trauma of Domestic Violence: A Workbook for Women. Oakland: New Harbinger            This book is directed to those who have been freed from domestic violence and especially women. Due to violent domestic situations, one may develop post-traumatic stress disorders which are not easy to get out of one’s mind and can negatively affect that person. It is aimed at giving programs known as cognitive trauma therapy which one undergoes to help him or her come back to normal. It gives the techniques one can use them to help himself or herself by identifying any form of trauma and distress one has that can enable one to deal with it to help control and change his or her life .            This book is targeting those who have been affected by domestic violence so that they come back to normal. It is an educational tool for the society to understand the devastating effects of wife battering. Therefore it makes us to even identify those who are going through post-traumatic stress. It contains technics and procedures one can follow so that they make him deal any results brought by domestic violence. It is also helpful as it helps chase out any fears one has due to what they went through during that horrifying period of domestic violence.            Psychiatrists can use this book to help traumatized people come back to normal. The ideas here can help us to even identify those going through stress in their marriage so that they are helped before it’s too late. This book can be used also by the parents who are not in good terms to read and understand what one may go through if such incidences happen. The techniques in this book about dealing with trauma after violence can be used by psychiatrists to help clients who underwent this so that they identify what they are in trauma of and this can help them to accordingly better their lives. It can also be used individually as one can remember well what went wrong in that marriage and help better their lives. References Cook, Philip W. Abused Men: The Hidden Side of Domestic Violence. Westport: Praeger, 2009. Print. Dutton, Donald G. Rethinking Domestic Violence. Vancouver: UBC Press, 2006. Print. Howard, Louise, Louise Howard, Gene Feder, and Roxane Agnew-Davies. Domestic Violence and Mental Health. London: RCPsych Publications, 2013. Print. Kubany, Edward S, Mari A. McCaig, and Janet R. Laconsay. Healing the Trauma of Domestic Violence: A Workbook for Women. Oakland: New Harbinger Weiss, Elaine. Surviving Domestic Violence: Voices of Women Who Broke Free. Volcano: Volcano Press, 2004. Print. Source document
Sunday, October 13, 2019
Types of Communication and the Barriers
Types of Communication and the Barriers Definition, Types of communication Communication is known as a medium of communicating, is a simple act of transferring information from point A to point B. Although this definition can sound as simple as it is, but when it differentiate the different type of communication it become more complex. Spoken, Verbal/ Non Verbal Communication Communication can be known as spoken, and it is called as verbal communication, an effective verbal or spoken communication depends on the clarity of speech, the listening skill of the listener. Verbal communication can either be face to face, through radio and also television. On the other hand, non verbal communication would be depending on the body language of someone, the gestures when they’re talking. Interpersonal communication does not only contain of words but also movement of the speaker, non verbal communication are most likely to contain messages that are conveyed by the speaker. Non verbal communication can consist of face expression, the tone of speaking, and the body language displayed on the speaker while he/she is speaking. The non verbal communication gives a lot more of clues and information about someone compared to verbal communication. Writing Skills Writing skills is also another important part of communication; good writing skills can allow you to send your message to the audience through face to face or even through writing. Correct grammar, spelling and punctuation is crucial in writing skills, for example, when you’re writing a CV to apply for a job in a hotel, the better the writing skills the higher the chances you will get the job. Visualizations We could also communicate by visual graphs such as charts or graph, logos, and other form of visualisation figure. This is mainly used during a conference or a meeting to send information of the company or the data, for example the annual sales of the hotel or the marketing plan of the hotel. Social Media Social media is also a form of communication to interact, using the network and applications that are commonly used examples, emails, Whatsapp, Wechat, Facebook. We can easily interact with anyone at anytime. The network have created a zero distance for us, for example, having video conferencing meeting with the head quarters of the company that are in United Kingdom when the office is in Singapore. The network has been the greatest creation ever to break almost every communication barriers that we have. Communication barriers Communication between two individuals can be simple if there’s not much barriers between them, but there are huge differences between talking and communicating. When we communicate, we can successfully in getting the points that the other person is trying to say on the other hand, when we talk, we would just ignore the barriers that might hinder the ability to communicate between each other. There are seven different types of communication barriers to more effective communicating, this includes Physical barriers Emotional barriers Cultural barriers Genders barriers Interpersonal barriers Perceptual barriers Language barriers There are a few reason that might have been the main barriers among human communication, for example the main reason why we can easily encounter communication barriers is due to the language differences that we might speak, even if we could speak the same language, the differences of the accent might come unfamiliar to us and it might be quite hard to understand. On the other hand, another reason why communication will fail it may be lack of interest of the person which is talking or the listener might have distractions from the other people nearby or even the noises of the crowds. Another misjudgement of common error is that people tend to expect what they hear rather than what is actually being spoken and jumping straight into inaccurate conclusions. Physical barriers The environment has been one of the main reason that causes physical barriers among employees and employers, for example, if the environment in the hotel isn’t quiet, the speaker isn’t talking in a loud voice, the listener wouldn’t be able to hear what messages is being delivered. Distance also plays an important role. For example, if the organisation in the company is made to sit in different floors or departments in the hotel, they likely would have difficulties on communicating face to face and due to long term relying on technology such as phone calls and emails; it distances the relationship of the employees and employers. Emotional barriers In a workplace, facing staffs and bosses might be a stressful task. Maintaining a good relationship in the workplace is crucial. According to Bud Craig,(2008) the classical emotions such as anger and fear, will always leads an individual to fight or fail to cooperate, therefore this is why working in an environment that does not make us happy and make us felt mistreated will lead the employees to lost interest and brings out negative impact. Cultural barriers Working in the hotel, there might be employees of different group age; every different age group would have different ways and perception of working. The age group of people would always have conflicts of describing older workers as â€Å"out of touch’ and those who just went into the organisation would be criticised by the older workers as ‘slackers’ during work time and not constantly focussing on work. Another reason of cause of cultural barriers is that the staffs would always believe in status and resistance in any sort of work place, staffs who assumed themselves as seniority status may find it hard to adapt into environments where the job tittles might be de-emphasized. Gender barriers According to Heather R,(2005), being well aware of the following generalizations will always help the organisation to have more effectively in the work place, for examples, women staffs would likely talk about people, and on the other hand, male staffs like to talk about tangible things such as sports, food and drinks. Women staffs ask many questions to gain an understanding on an issue that they are not clear about while men staffs always gives information more than asking questions Women staffs focus on feelings and senses, while man staffs always focus on the facts and the logic of problems. Interpersonal barriers The lack of desire on participating organisation events might be another reason of interpersonal barriers, Some staffs of the older age would be more frustrated on work and do not really like to socialise among the community in the company. Some other staffs who might be an introvert might also have unwillingness to explore, giving out new ideas during staffs meetings, or even speaking out the own views of the organisation, in the long run, this may lead to more unwillingness on working and even extremely frustrating among themselves. Perceptual barriers As human, we always have our own preferences, self values, different attitudes and we see it as a own kind of â€Å"flitters†in making decisions and perception of thinking. Thinking in our own â€Å"filters†and ignoring other’s opinion may lend to all sort of assumptions and misunderstanding. Language barriers Working in the front office in the hotel industry, one must be fluent in different types of languages, while people in Malaysia can usually speak more than 3 different languages and dialects, the dialectal differences will make communicating with different individuals harder. Language disabilities are the physical impediments to languages, we could not talk person which have dysphonia or how have hearing loss. According to the Rwanda Development Board, (2008) indicates that around 85,730 of the staffs in the hospitality sector are not fluent in foreign languages and therefore have less efficacy on customer service. It is also identified that language deficiency is the major problem of the hindering growth in the hospitality industry. I went to a hotel nearby my house to interview the front desk manager about the barriers that might occur working in the hotel line. Questionnaire and Answers How long have you been working in this profession? According to Ms.Cheng, (2015) she have been working in the hotel industry for more than 20 years. How did you first get into this profession? According to Ms. Cheng, (2015) she stated that her mother used to be a hotelier for her whole life, her mother inspired her to become a person like her mom, being a hotelier that cares for the people, a dedicated staff and one who try her best to serve and satisfy the need of the people who lives in the hotel. Do you like your job? Ms Cheng is a really responsible worker and she never shown up late before for the past years of working. What is the toughest problem that you have encountered so far? Stated by Ms. Cheng, (2015), working to serve the community isn’t an easy job, people all throughout the world have different cultures and beliefs, but the hardest problem to cope with is the attitude of rude or bad mannered guests. What kind of communication barrier that will affect the job working in the front line of the hotel industry? Ms Cheng stated that the language barriers is the main problem to communicate among guests, because when we do not understand the language that is being spoke, we can’t communicate and this will lead the guest to lose their temper leaving a bad impression to the company. When problems occurred, what does the organisation do to help solve the problems? The company would do their best to settle the situation of satisfaction or misunderstanding between the guest and the staffs. (Cheng, Interview) What are the ways to avoid having these circumstances working in the hotel line? When interviewed on 4th May 2015, Ms Cheng confirmed that hiring only experienced staffs with higher education level is as important as hiring staffs that have good ethics, personality, and the company should be really serious on picking people to join the company and even conduct an evaluating between the people that are in-charged in the organisation before hiring new staffs to the company. What is the main reason that communication breakdown often happens in working front line? Cheng (2015) made the claim those companies not only in the hotel industry nowadays often hires foreigner workers that are from Bangladesh, Nepal to work, and as for foreigners they do not speak our national language well or even any other language such as Chinese, English and the main reason why organisation still hire them is because the wages that is needed to hire a foreigner worker is lower than hiring the people from our own country, it helps to cut down the cost and budgets for the company and hence leads to more and more barriers to be faced during working period. Conclusion and Recommendations In this task, I have learnt that how a company communicates among the employee and how an organization work together. Besides, I learned that communication barriers come in different ways such as language carriers, cultural barriers, and emotional barriers and so on. Throughout the questionnaire and listening upon the interviewer’s answers based on the questions I have asked, I realised that effective communication is the key of managing a good company to success because a company that is poor in communication will always lead to ultimately misunderstandings. According to Forbes, (2009) problem solving is the greatest enabler for growth and opportunity. This is why they say failure serves as the greatest lesson in business and in life. In my own opinion, realising the problem is the first step to success, knowing the problems of the company, analyzing why problems occur and performing appropriate action to fix the problem as soon as possible. In my own opinion, realising the p roblem is the first step to success, knowing the problems of the company, analyzing why problems occur and performing appropriate action to fix the problem as soon as possible.
Saturday, October 12, 2019
Integral Philosophy of Education Essay -- Educating Educate Education
Integral Philosophy of Education ABSTRACT: Education, an action, is a process, a development of the imperfect human being intentionally directed at achieving the ideal of human plenitude in the best possible manner. This is a description of the educational process based on the human being who travels toward plenitude, a point of arrival; the human being who achieves his or her own perfection in the best possible manner; and a method: intentional guidance towards plenitude in the harmonious formation of humanity. It is not enough to say what education is or what it is like. It is necessary to clarify what education is for. The harmonious development of essential, integral and vocational abilities makes the student more perfect and causes his or her cosmic and social circumstance to be more perfect. In this integral philosophy of education, I offer a new "Paideia." It is necessary to seek the student's point of balance between the sciences of empirical verification and humanistic duties. Otherwise, we will march towar d the disintegration of the human being, to the anti-knowledge of a very powerful technocracy. Integral personal and community education is education which promotes the person in a changing society susceptible to progress. That student perfectibility which is anxious to satisfy demands can only be fulfilled with love. The contemporary world has not rehearsed on a large scale an education for love. If we do not found education on love, the world will not be inhabited by humans. Education is not just an idea, it is a fact. We start with the fact: there are educational centers, teachers, learners, seminars on educational sciences and magazines on pedagogy. But education in action, is the process of developing an i... ... we do not begin to educate for love, the world will not be inhabitable by man. We must search for more wise men and fewer scholars. Let us attempt to lift a small child from his unhappiness and frustration, he is an admirable being who lives and dies among asphalt and smoke, always tormented by the clock, bothered by diseases which civilization produces, saturated with problems, always searching for, but generally frustrated before finding love. Love is a living affection which is benevolent and which professes itself to God and to human beings. We are able to conquer adversity and death with love. Speaking in an Augustinian manner, we can say that man is love. All impulses, all passion, all senses have their roots in love's strength; even understanding a goal (value) which provokes desire in us (love to know about something). Our destiny is illuminated by love.
Friday, October 11, 2019
Impact of M-Commerce in Job Market
The advent of wireless and mobile technology has created both new opportunities and new challenges for the business community. In its present state, M-Commerce can be viewed as an extension of conventional, Internet-based E-Commerce, which adds a different mode of network and accommodates different end users’ characteristics. However, if the predictions stating that mobile and wireless computing will dominate the Internet industry in the future materialize, the E-Commerce and M-Commerce could become a singular blended entity. M-Commerce, as defined by Muller and Veerse, stands for conducting commercial transactions via a â€Å"mobile†telecommunications network using a communication, information, and payment (CIP) device such as a mobile phone or a palmtop unit. In a broader sense, M-Commerce can simply be defined as exchanging products, ideas and services between mobile users and providers. This paper will also give an overview of the characteristics of M-Commerce. We discuss the basic characteristics of M-Commerce that have the potential to influence the basic marketing orientation of both sellers and buyers, and, above all, alter the general dynamics of the market. There are many definitions of m-commerce with differing emphases. Keen and Mackintosh define m-commerce as the extension of electronic commerce from wired to wireless computers and telecommunications, and from fixed locations to anytime, anywhere, and anyone. when something is mobile it means that its primary usage environment is a mobile one. On the other hand, mobility in itself and mobile technology is not necessarily a value; the freedom created and supported with the technology is the key issue. Durlacher define m-commerce as â€Å"any transaction with a monetary value that is conducted via a mobile telecommunication network†. The focus in this definition lies on the exchange of products and services that is associated with a monetary value. They specifically list any kind of service that can be provided by the mobile device, thus expanding the mere commercial character through communicative and informative services. A mobile device is a small smart device. It can be a mobile phone, a communicator or a PDA. It communicates and transfers data (convenience). It is used only by its owner (personalization). It can provide information anytime, anywhere (ubiquity). Capturing the concept of mobility, a user can be contacted anywhere (reachability). A mobile device can provide users? locations (localization). Knowledge of users? precise geographical location allows customized, relevant content to be delivered to them when and where they need it. It can also be used to connect to the Internet (instant connectivity). Ubiquitous interactivity (figure 1) is what makes mobile devices unique. Wireless devices enable users to send, receive, and act on information in real-time, independent of their location. The western mobile and remote workforce is growing, driven by both business necessity and technological innovation. One explanation for increased work mobility is the emergence of service industry as a dominating occupation in the post-industrial society. Service work is often performed, where the customer is, and thus making many services mobile. It is not like manufacturing work; which takes place where the machinery is located. Another factor is the increased cooperation in and between organizations. Some forms of cooperation can take place remotely, but people still need to meet physically. A third important factor for increased mobility is the extensive adoption of mobile technologies. Mobile technologies enable people to be mobile and yet accessible. As people have become accessible independent of place, new ways of working have emerged in many organizations. To describe the mobile worker, new concepts have been coined. Mobile commerce may impact both mobile workers and their enterprises in the following dimensions. Location: The post-industrial workers work at various locations: in their office, at clients? office, at colleagues? office, in the train, hotel rooms, etc. We can thus imagine that during this extensive geographical movement, mobile workers are often away form the â€Å"benevolent dictator†, their desktop computers, which contain most of the information they need and impose rigid constraints on how and where they can be used. With m-commerce the user is put in the centre of information and communication. Information comes to the user instead of the user looking for it. This makes mobile workers able to receive actionable and useful information on demand at the moment of relevance and regardless of their location and extensive movement. Sales reps are examples of workers who are constantly on the road while their effectiveness depends to a large extent on their ability to have immediate access to account information, current prices, order status and market conditions. The importance of immediate access to information by salespeople is well recognized in the personnel selling literature. Salespeople? effectiveness can be enhanced by providing them with market research information and encouraging them to unitize information. With vast amount of relevant information about client’s orders, roduct’s profitability, promotions at their fingertips regardless of their locations, sales reps can adjust their call schedule to adequately target those customers with the highest potential at the right time. Additionally, receiving time-sensitive alerts about customers? latest orders, industry indicators and competitors? actions, may enable sales reps to tailor their sales messages to a specific customer, adapt to opportunities that arise during the sale call and overcome objections. Indeed, many empirical studies find a strong effect of adaptive selling on salesperson performance. Furthermore, M-commerce can enable mobile workers to use more efficiently their dead time. This time generally occurs between tasks and between meetings, in which workers usually have little control over the resources available to them. For instance, pharmaceutical sales reps often visit doctors to provide them with information on what is available as order brochures on products in which the doctor is interested. Frequently the doctor is not available and the representative wants to find a nearby alternative contact. If there is no alternative contact to visit, then the time for waiting for the doctor to become available may turn to be dead time for the sales representative. With m-commerce, the sales reps can turn this dead time into a productive one by performing non-selling tasks such as completing and sending expense reports to their company, preparing invoices or writing and sending thanks letters to customers. These reduce the time that sales reps have to spend in the office to perform routine tasks and thus allow them to spend more time selling. Indeed, McGraw Hill’s study of 239 salespeople across 198 different companies reveals that salespeople spend on the average about 25% of their time waiting for interviews with clients and travelling. Using dead time more efficiently may occur in a variety of locations (i. e. trains, airports, airplanes, hotels rooms, office buildings, etc). Additionally, mobile workers spend considerable portion of their time on the road, Awareness of their geographical position by the network can allow relevant support and alerts be sent to theme. Examples of such alerts are â€Å"there is a traffic jam two kilometers ahead, use the alternative highway†, â€Å"there is a restaurant offering 10% discount in avenue X â€Å", I have a breakdown, in nowhere, send me a tow truck†, †your client X is in the avenue ahead to you †. Interaction: Asynchronous communications enabled by emails has made co-workers interactions with others more flexible. However, asynchronous communication inevitably creates time lag. Until a receiver of an email actually goes to his computer and read the email, the communication does not come into effect in practice. Moreover, email communication requires a computer and software, which are mostly fixed to a certain location such as an office and home. M-commerce may enhance interaction among distributed workers and others by enabling them to have access to corporate resources, send and receive emails regardless of their location. For instance journalists on the move are often faced with situations in which they have to report events on topics on which they are not fully profound with. Also reporting is often conducted away from editorial staff and radio TV / station’s resources. In such a case M-commerce can provide support to journalists by enabling them, irrespective of their locations, to connect to their TV/Radio station’s intranet. The system can then provide them with the list of resources available on the topic they want to cover together with contact details of colleague who have expertise in such topics. The journalists can then either use the available resources to get an understanding of the topic or elect to contact their colleagues for more interaction. Additionally, ubiquitous access to e-mails and corporate data by mobile workers may enable them to make themselves readily available to address customer problems and questions. Reducing the time it takes to deal with a client’s concern or difficulty may have a positive impact on customer orientation, the degree to which the seller is perceived by the buyer to put customer’s need first. Indeed, customer orientation is a key enabler of buyer-seller relationship developments. Operations: we are witnessing the emergence of new forms of organization, in particular virtual Corporations. Virtual corporations could not exist without an effective information exchange and efficient coordination of the members. This applies also to other management initiatives such as project team or task force. But it is sometimes challenging for corporations to ensure fast coordination among co-workers while they are on the move even if they introduced Internet technologies such as email in their work practices. M-commerce can act as the â€Å"glue†among distributed members, by connecting them more tightly regardless of their locations. This may for instance make it possible for marketing managers to use real time data flowing from the field to evaluate the results of promotions and new product introductions more rapidly and communicate their reactions (i. e. promotions) to the field force. Manufacturing may also use real time field information to reduce overproduction and the incidence of stale products. Additionally, Top executives often need information on market and competitors issues before they make big decisions. Real time information flowing from the field would enable executives to make decisions based on accurate information, which may enhance the quality of their decisions. Indeed the best source for top executives with regard to both market and competition watch is the field force. Conclusion Thus we have discussed about M-Commerce and the challenges that they impose on workers while on the move. We have also explored how m-commerce with its unique attributes can provide mobile workers with more freedom and support through minimizing non-productive time, enhancing interaction with other members and improving the quality of decisions. It is worth mentioning that m-commerce may result in some consequences that workers may not welcome. Perhaps the most immediate drawback of extensive use of mobile technologies by workers is the problem of â€Å"interaction overload†. Anytime and anywhere connectivity may becomes everywhere/all-the-time connectivity; which may result in the danger of users becoming â€Å"too connected†. But in the other hand, access to information at the point of relevance may make it possible for mobile worker to work smarter and to minimize their unproductive time, which may enhance their life / work balance.
Thursday, October 10, 2019
Medieval and early modern Essay
The medieval and early modern periods were eras with distinctive issues and ideals. Some of their key themes were very similar, such as the importance of religion and the role it played in everyday life, while other matters were unique to their time, such as the medieval selling of indulgences, or the early modern Reformation of the Church. These examples illustrate clearly the mixture of change and stasis in the two ages, as a subject shared by both periods yielded so great a diversity of issues. The distinction of the eras makes it evident that some change did occur, but as the period of time between them was not very great, the change must be limited. Everyman and Dr Faustus are respectively medieval and early modern drama texts that share common issues. However, the way in which they handle them varies, and allows an exploration of whether the people and culture of the medieval and early modern period differed by slight degree or strict demarcation. The medieval age of English history is epitomised as a strongly religious time, where Christianity provided a strict identity and purpose in life. Belief in Heaven, Hell and Judgement was very real, as was the constant fear of sin and damnation. The Church was able to manipulate the devout faith of its followers by selling fake holy relics and religious indulgences. The laymen believed it was necessary for them to obtain such items in order to purify themselves of sin, and enter Heaven without suffering through Purgatory. Medieval drama did much to reinforce these beliefs, being completely liturgical. Morality plays were first performed at religious holidays, and warned audiences about sin and salvation, with personification of the psychomachia. They all shared a highly similar narrative structure as good and evil battled for the soul of an initially virtuous man who had become caught in vice. This person represented the whole of humanity, and the play would show how, despite temptat ion and with the help of Christian values, he realised his error and won salvation. By the early modern era, neither the faith in Christ nor in Judgement had diminished, but the understanding of them had altered. People became frustrated with the â€Å"ecclesiastical despotism†that was rife in the established Church, and there was widespread dissatisfaction with the papal organisation which, according to Erasmus, was felt to be dominated by ignorant monks. The subsequent Reformation changed the form and understanding of religion, making it more accessible to the average person by removing the intercessory functions of priests and bishops, and giving ordinary people more control over their spiritual state. This religious change also had political implications. The disestablishment of the Church created a degree of civil unrest among Catholic and Protestant groups, as factions sprang up with each viewing the other as traitorous, either to England or to God. However, this was not the only face of the early modern era. As the beginning of the Renaissance, it was also â€Å"a time of heady intoxication with†¦learning and†¦discovery.†The exploits of the European sailors and the excitement over new civilisations are allegorised by Faustus’ discovery of magic and the power it wields. As a liturgical morality play, Everyman submits itself fully to the pre-Reformation teachings, and absorbs the conventional attitudes. It was written to encourage medieval audiences to avoid material pursuits, and to ensure they involved themselves in good deeds and were prepared for Judgement. Death was a constant escort in medieval England, and could be expected at any time. As such, Everyman does not convey fear of death itself, but rather of how God will judge man after it, as the protagonist proclaims â€Å"Full unready I am such reckoning to give†and begs for more time in which to make his â€Å"counting-book†¦so clear That my reckoning I should not need to fear.†To achieve this salvation, Everyman is advised to turn to the Catholic rites of confession and penance, and to scourge himself to remove his sins. As Cawley highlights in his introduction, morality plays were â€Å"less interested in man’s earthly life than in his spiritual welfare in the l ife to come.†Religion is as prominent in Doctor Faustus, but Marlowe presents a contrasting attitude to that of Everyman. His play provides a mocking critique of religious customs, and particularly ridicules Catholic rituals. Marlowe dresses Mephostophilis in the habit of an old Franciscan friar, as Faustus comments â€Å"That holy shape becomes a devil best,†illustrating an air of contempt for the Catholic clergy. He further associates Catholicism with evil and devilry as he conjures Mephostophilis by chanting in Latin, the language of the Catholic Church. This mockery of Catholicism may be testament to contemporary social attitudes rather than the personal view of Marlowe himself. In the medieval era, it was highly uncommon for anybody to speak out against the Church, either through fear or because it was all they knew, but the Reformation encouraged writers to criticise the papacy and the earlier Church, often as a form of public entertainment. Writers often allied Catholic characters with themes of idiocy or ineptitude, as Marlowe does in his portrayal of Pope Adrian as â€Å"a humourless megalomaniac, void†¦of commonsense†. Marlowe manipulated the public disdain of Catholicism to criticise established religion in general, challenging many commonly held views, especially regarding forgiveness and salvation. Everyman’s central theme suggests that God’s mercy always allows sinners to repent, regardless of how much wrong they have done. This belief is illustrated when, despite Death telling Everyman to â€Å"Come hence, and not tarry,†Everyman is able to go to Confession and purify himself from sin. Knowledge, Beauty, Strength, Discretion and the Five Wits are sent to accompany him to the grave, helping Everyman to realise God’s compassion. Good Deeds guide Everyman into the grave and beyond, providing protection and support when he needs it. In comparison, Faustus also finds that he is sent good forces to protect him from eternal damnation. Unfortunately, these forces are not strong enough to withstand Mephostophilis. The latter’s evil and cunning defeat nature itself, as he dissolves Faustus’ congealed blood with a chafer of unearthly fire to ensure Faustus bequeaths his soul to Lucifer. A Good Angel and a pious Old Man are also sent to rescue Faustus’ soul, but their efforts are overcome just as quickly, as the devils entice Faustus with hellish delights and overpower his weak soul. The Good Angel urges Faustus to â€Å"leave that execrable art†and turn to repentance, but each time Faustus considers prayer the Bad Angel dispirits him, dramatising the internal battles raging within the protagonist’s soul. Marlowe does not conclude that everyone can find redemption in God, as despite striving to turn to Him in his final moments, Faustus is torn apart by devils and condemned eternally. The playwright provides a cynical view of salvation, as the Good Angel and the Old Man fail to save Faustus, despite seemingly plotting as much as Mephostophilis to win the protagonist’s soul. Marlowe provides further dubious similarity between the two sides, as in their last scene the angels appear to work almost as one, completing each other’s speeches and reinforcing the same message that it is too late for Faustus to repent. The play appears to be concerned with punishment rather than deliverance and salvation, as Faustus is warned that â€Å"He who loves pleasure must for pleasure fall.†In contrast, Everyman is forgiven for a lifetime of sin in his last few moments. Although both plays treat the same ideas of religion and redemption, they portray divergent views. This may be explained by the contemporary change in religious understanding. Some scholars argued that people’s destinies were predetermined, regardless of their actions, while others claimed there was hope for everybody. As Lester notes in his introduction, medieval writers believed that because of mankind’s fallen state, man relied on the grace and salvation earned by Christ and ministered by the Church. In this respect, the distinction between medieval and early modern seems to be vast. However, the fact that both plays have handled the same issues, albeit in different ways, suggests that the difference is of degree rather than demarcation. As well as the religious elements, Doctor Faustus incorporates Renaissance themes of discovery and knowledge, as Faustus finds a â€Å"world of profit and delight, of power, of honour, of omnipotence†has opened to him. Fundamentally, it is a craving for ultimate knowledge that drives Faustus to necromancy, as he proclaims, â€Å"A sound magician is a demi-god: here tire my brains to gain a deity!†By integrating such humanist ideals into the play, Marlowe creates a dimensional personality for Faustus, which the audience can appreciate and respond to. They witness the development of the character, forcing them to become emotionally involved in the mental turmoil he endures, and keeping them engrossed until the very last line of the play. Professor Bradbrook suggests that Doctor Faustus is primarily an examination of the protagonist’s â€Å"mental development, rather than simply†¦the form of Faustus’ fortunes.†The rationale behind Faustusâ€⠄¢ detailed growth is that it makes him a real person, with whose experiences the audience can sympathise. Everyman’s character is not developed in the way his counterpart’s is. He is generic and seen as part of the wider universe rather than as an individual. The dramatist has been careful to portray Everyman as representative of mankind rather than as a character in his own right. He is not given a personal history nor is any indication provided that might differentiate him from anybody, with the effect of making Everyman relevant to all audience members. He personifies every man and the trials of every person. His example can be applied to anybody, and everybody can see that the salvation he reaches is available to them as well. In this manner, Everyman is as accessible to the audience as Faustus is, although in different ways and with variant purposes fulfilled. There are further similarities between the medieval and early modern plays, some of which have been adopted directly from the former. The use of allegorical and highly functional characters is prevalent in both plays, although it is not as common among other Renaissance texts. In Everyman, each character serves a distinct purpose, showing Everyman how he has misplaced his trust in worldly matters and must turn to Christian teachings for salvation. Fellowship and Kinship tempt Everyman astray by offering to distract him with feasting, drinking and women. Even material Beauty and Knowledge cannot help him, leaving Everyman to seek out Confession, Contrition and Good Deeds. Doctor Faustus is very much in keeping with this medieval attribute. Mephostophilis is the embodiment of temptation, as he distracts Faustus from repentance whenever he feels the protagonist waver, and later admits â€Å"‘Twas I that, when thou wert I’ the way to heaven†¦led thine eye.†The Good Angel and Old Man are personifications of good, devout Christians who try to save Faustus. They too can be seen as tempters, as they try to win his soul. The two plays also share personification of the Seven Deadly Sins. Mephostophilis conjures them as a distraction for Faustus, allowing him to delight in the sins, while in Everyman the sins are allegorised in the behaviour of the protagonist’s dearest people and possessions, suggesting that Everyman has allowed the sins to master him. As well as thematic similarities, there are several production parallels between the medieval and early modern drama. However, these are veiled by the immense changes that occurred on the stage in the intervening years. Before the Renaissance, plays were performed on and around large wagons, which were carted from one designated area to another. The set was very simple for transportation purposes, but this helped make it apprehendable for the common peasants. The staging was very different for Doctor Faustus, but some of the same ideas regarding spacing and costumes were used. The pageant-wagons had to make use of limited space, and used an upper room to serve as a balcony, heaven, or a distant location. In later theatre the same concept was utilised, with a single spot serving a multitude of functions. Costumes were also sparse, but symbolic props indicated particular roles and characters, another theatrical convention that early modern dramatists relied upon before professional actors were hired in the permanent theatres, and elaborate costumes and sets were made. The new theatres allowed more believable storylines to develop as settings and characters became more realistic, allowing the fiery devils of Doctor Faustus to achieve their optimum effect. However, there is one dramatic convention that is key to Doctor Faustus, which was not common in medieval works. Faustus’ soliloquies provide an insight to his character that cannot be gained in morality plays, and are actually symbolic of tragedies. While Everyman’s genre is made clear by its fully functional characters and its reliance on the protagonist’s generic nature, Marlowe’s play balances medieval aspects with contemporary humanist elements and manages to create a new genre that combines elements of morality and tragedy, creating an increasingly real persona. Faustus is distinguished from his medieval counterpart by his illustration of the psychology and passions that drive him. He concedes to his hubris and allows his ambition and lust for power to destroy him, something Everyman cannot do. The tragedy element is vital to Doctor Faustus as that is what gives it the memorable depth and allows the drama to move away from being a simple morality pla y. In conclusion, it is evident that despite their classification as two separate periods, the medieval and the early modern eras share many themes and issues. Their similarities are not limited to literal points, and incorporate social and customary ones. The eras do have their differences, as is illustrated by their distinction and by their changing contemporary outlooks. Marlowe’s handling of the plays’ shared subjects differs from that of Everyman’s, as the former had a variant combination of social factors to draw his conclusions from. However, the time lapse between the two periods was not great enough to warrant a complete overhaul of thinking and customs. As Cookson realises, â€Å"the traditions of the Middle Ages still weighed heavily†over the early modern writers. At the point at which Doctor Faustus was composed, the difference between medieval and early modern was still of degree rather than strict demarcation. Bibliography  §Bradbrook,MC Themes and Conventions of Elizabethan Tragedy 2nd Edition (Newcastle: Cambridge University Press, 1990)  §Cawley,AC (ed.) Everyman and Medieval Miracle Plays (London: Everyman’s Library, 1967)  §Cookson,L Doctor Faustus (Hong Kong: Longman Group UK, 1987)  §Davies,T Humanism (New York: Routledge, 1997)  §Henderson,P Christopher Marlowe (London: Longmans, Green & Co, 1966)  §Lester,GA (ed.) Three Late Medieval Morality Plays (London: Ernest Benn, 1981)
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