Thursday, October 31, 2019

CIPR Critical Reasoning Test Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

CIPR Critical Reasoning Test - Essay Example Both of these terms are often used interchangeably although they are very different in the scope and extent to which they apply. The difference between these two terms appears to be so small, such that many people have a problem making the distinction. Publicity can be equated to a single arrow existing in a quiver, which is public relations. This means that focus of public relations in its practice is very small (Adams, 1962, p, 896), it does not however underestimate the importance of the practice in the wider public relations practice. Alternatively, public relations refer to the greater level of establishment of an over-arching approach, for enhancing the marketing or communications goal of an organisation or institution. Public relation is a term that encompasses many other small concepts that aim at enhancing a particular objective. Organizations rely on public relations approaches in order to create awareness to the public about their practices as well as other important issues that are aimed at achieving set objectives in the organisation. The term public relation is sometimes associated with reputation management, which refers to practices that are done in the interest of establishing and sustaining the reputation of an organisation. It is important that an organisation creates a better picture or image of itself so that it appeals to the public (Grunig, 1992, p, 34). Organizations that have proper public images have professional personnel who are able to use public relations tools in an appropriate manner to achieve set objectives. Professionals undertaking public relation functions in organisation perform four important functions; they are involved in planning, developing implementing and evaluating different information and communication approaches which aim at enhancing an understanding and a favourable perspective about the organization. In addition, they are also important in creating a positive

Tuesday, October 29, 2019

The implementation of Occupational Health and Safety Act Essay

The implementation of Occupational Health and Safety Act - Essay Example 1990, CHAPTER O.1 PART III.1; 32.1-32.4). The plant is covered under the Industrial Establishment regulation of the OHS act (R.R.O. 1990, Reg. 851, s.3.). The Ontario act and the regulations for industrial establishment The plant has an open layout. The layout is segmented into various sections where specialized work is carried out. The circular saw is located in the carpentry and joinery section. Although the plant employs 50 workers, only about 10 employees are trained in the use of the circular saw. The circular saw used is an electrically powered saw. It uses its own electrical outlet and cannot be operated by any other means. It was first installed about 8 years ago by the manufacturers and is fully owned by the company. There are 5 circular saws in the work area; two are with radius of about 10 inches and the others about 8 inches in diameter. The circular saw has procedures of use that details maintenance time-lines, hours of operation and troubleshooting. Above all the designers and manufacturers have outlined in the operation manual that only authorized persons should operate the equipment. The manufactures have also suggested a restricted work area. (i) Pre-use: there is no operational checklist prior to use of the circular saw. ... (i) The area is not clearly marked as a restricted area. Un-authorised personnel usually occupy it. (ii) The work area is not clear of debris such as dust and wood chips. The sanitation and maintenance is performed at the discretion of the operators, usually after long periods. (b) Employee Training The manufacturers (designers) have provided training manuals for the equipment. However, (i) Newly assigned workers including temporary workers do not receive the prescribed level of training before operating the saw. (ii) Workers from other sections of the plant frequently use the saws without training or supervision. (iii) Training updates on use of the saw is not scheduled for any of the workers. (iv) The manuals of operation for the section (including for circular saw equipment) are not in full display therefore are hardly referenced by employees. (c) Maintenance of Equipment Regular and periodic maintenance is prescribed by the manufacturer of the circular saw. The assessment of the equipment maintenance is as follows: (i) Pre-use: there is no operational checklist prior to use of the circular saw. Therefore the saw is not always checked for lodged bits and chips stuck under the blades. The saw is not checked for performance before use e.g. there is no testing of emergency stops. (ii) Post-use: Debris from operating the saw is not cleared from away. Guards are not always deployed to restrict blade movement during cleaning. Electrical power is not turned off during post operation use. (iii) Manufacturers have completed a scheduled maintenance of the equipment. (d) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) The use of PPE is left to the discretion of the workers. An assessment revealed the following non-compliance: (i) The

Sunday, October 27, 2019

Development of Magnesium-Hydrogen Peroxide Fuel Cell

Development of Magnesium-Hydrogen Peroxide Fuel Cell Performance of Carbon felt cathode for Magnesium–Hydrogen peroxide fuel cells K. Naga Mahesh, Balaji Rengarajan, K.S. Dhathathreyan* Centre for Fuel Cell Technology, International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), 2nd Floor, IITM Research Park, Taramani, Chennai–600113. Abstract Carbon felt and carbon cloth are used as a cathode in Magnesium-Hydrogen peroxide fuel cell. The performance of the cathode are tested in a 30 cm2 area single cell assembly along with 0.68M NaCl as anolyte and 0.5M to 2M H2O2 + H2SO4 solution as catholyte. The cell was tested in different concentration of the reactants and at temperatures 35 to 70 °C. Carbon felt cathode was shown better performance than carbon cloth. The maximum current density achieved at cell voltage 1.11V was 80 mA cm-2. Keywords: Mg-H2O2 fuel cell, Carbon felt, Carbon cloth, hydrogen peroxide, Corresponding author* Dr. K.S. Dhathathreyan, Head and Associate Director, Centre for Fuel Cell Technology, International Advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI), 2nd Floor, IITM Research Park, Taramani, Chennai–600113. Ph: +91–44–6663 2723 Email: [emailprotected] Introduction Electrochemical systems based on Magnesium–hydrogen peroxide fuel cells (Mg–H2O2) have high specific energy and are capable of converting chemical energy stored in magnesium and hydrogen peroxide to electrical energy [7]. Recently, much attention was focused due to its high theoretical voltage compared to existing semi fuel cells like Aluminum–silver oxide (Al–AgO) [1] or Aluminum–hydrogen peroxide (Al– H2O2) [2,3]. The Mg–H2O2 fuel cell has a theoretical voltage of 4.14V which is higher than the resources mentioned above [4]. The theoretical half cell and overall voltages for the Magnesium–hydrogen peroxide fuel cell system are as follows [5]: Anode: Mg à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Mg+2 + 2e E0 = 2.37 V (vs SHE) Cathode : H2O2 + 2H2 + 2e à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   2H2O E0 = 1.78 V (vs. SHE) Overall reaction : Mg + H2O2 + 2H+à ¯Ã†â€™Ã‚   Mg+2 + 2H2O Ecell = 4.15 V (vs. SHE) The Mg–H2O2 fuel cells possess advantages of environmentally benign and low costs, prior to commercialization further improvement is necessary. The cathode materials used in Mg–H2O2 fuel cell are the key components, which determine the performance and stability of the cell [7]. Extensive studies were carried out and explored the substrates suitable for cathodic materials and hydrogen peroxide reduction reactions [6, 8]. Benette et al [9] has used fabricated Microfibre carbon electrode (MCE) as cathode in Al–H2O2 fuel cells, the fabricated MCE was covered by Pd/Ir clusters using a textile flocking technique. The MCE has shown a maximum power density of 90 mW cm-2 with increased loading of Pd/Ir on cathode to 10 mg cm-2. Carbon and Nickel foil substrates have been studied comparatively with Pd/Ir catalyst in Mg–H2O2 fuel cell. The cell voltages of 1.3V and 1.5V were obtained with nickel foil and carbon substrate catalyzed by Pd/Ir catalyst at 25 mA cm-2 [10] . To achieve a better performance and stability, besides a high catalytic activity of the catalyst toward the hydrogen peroxide reaction, the properties of the material for cathodic catalysts should be considered. Considering above aspects, carbon can be a good choice for its excellent corrosive resistance in different media. However, it is of challenge to prepare a carbon based substrate with both high electronic conductivity and good mechanical property [11]. In the present study, carbon felt and carbon cloth has been used as cathode. The fuel cell was operated in various concentrations of 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2M hydrogen peroxide and sulfuric acid as catholyte and 0.68M NaCl as anolyte. The performance of the fuel cell in comparison with carbon cloth and Carbon felt was investigated at temperatures 35 to 70 °C and at flow rates 20, 50, 100 ml min-1. 2. Experimental 2.1 Materials All materials used in this study are reagent grade quality and used as received from SRL chemicals, without further purification. All solutions are prepared in deionised water. The anode used in AZ61 magnesium alloy supplied by Omega Enterprises. The cathode used in carbon cloth and Carbon felt supplied by Nickunj Eximp Ltd. Mg-H2O2 fuel cell tests The performance studies for carbon cloth and Carbon felt as cathode were performed in homemade Mg-H2O2 fuel cell of area 30 cm2 area single cell assembly. The active area of the electrode was 5.5 cm Ãâ€" 5.5 cm. Nafion 117 membrane was used as a PEM membrane. The distance between the membrane and electrodes is 1 mm for Mg–AZ61 anode as well as cathode (Carbon felt and carbon cloth). The testing of the cell was carried out by feeding different concentrations hydrogen peroxide and sulfuric acid at cathode and 0.6M sodium chloride solution at anode. The flow rates of the mixture of hydrogen peroxide and sulfuric acid and sodium chloride solution are supplied at 20, 50 and 100 ml min-1 by calibrated peristaltic pumps. The cell was tested at temperatures of 35, 40, 50, 60 and 70 °C and at 1 bar pressure. The cell temperature was controlled by plate heaters fixed to the cell. 3.0 Results and Discussion 3.1 Carbon felt as cathode The current in the cell has been increased in step wise of 0.5A and the corresponding voltages were recorded. Initially the OCV of the cell with carbon cloth as cathode is ~2.04V and with Carbon felt is ~2.14V. This is ~2.0V lower than the theoretical voltage this may be due to the resistance of the cell materials, and mixed potential at the anode and cathode from simultaneous oxidation of H2O2 to H2O and O2 [12]. 3.2 Effect of temperature Mg-H2O2 fuel cell is operated at temperatures 35, 40, 50, 60 and 70 °C. Fig. 1 represents the electrode polarization curve at different temperatures. It can be seen that the performance of the cell improved with the increase in temperatures from 35–70 °C. At current density of 60 mA cm-2 the voltage was increased from 0.86V to 1.41V with increase in temperatures from 35–70 °C. This behavior of the cell is due to reduction of hydrogen peroxide in high temperatures [6]. Even though the cell performance increased, the instability in the mass transport region at higher current densities may be attributed to formation of gas bubbles due to the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide during discharge process [7]. 3.2 Effect of hydrogen peroxide concentration The activity of the Mg-H2O2 fuel cell increases with increasing in concentration of hydrogen peroxide. However, at high concentrations the decomposition reaction of hydrogen peroxide also occurs [6]. The effect of hydrogen peroxide concentration has been investigated in concentrations of 0.5M H2O2+1.5M H2SO4 and 2M H2O2+2M H2SO4 for carbon cloth and Carbon felt. The concentrations of the catholyte have been optimized by running the fuel cell at concentrations 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5, 2M hydrogen peroxide and sulfuric acid. 0.5M H2O2+1.5M H2SO4 and 2M H2O2+2M H2SO4 have been chosen for the present study as they demonstrated good performance in comparison with others. Fig. 2 shows the performance of carbon cloth and Carbon felt at 70 °C with concentrations of 0.5M H2O2+1.5M H2SO4 and 2M H2O2+2M H2SO4. The increase in concentration of hydrogen peroxide and sulfuric acid improved the cell performance [7]. The cathode with carbon cloth has shown maximum power density of 9.1 mW cm-2 and 6.01 mW cm-2 at 0.72V and 0.78 V and current density of 10 mA cm-2 at voltages of 0.88V and 0.55V for 2M H2O2+2M H2SO4 and 0.5M H2O2+1.5M H2SO4 concentrations, while the cathode with carbon fibre felt shown maximum power density of 91 mW cm-2 and 89 mW cm-2 at 1.3V and 1.16V and current density of 70 mA cm-2 at voltages 1.3V and 1.16 for 2M H2O2+2M H2SO4 and 0.5M H2O2+1.5M H2SO4 concentrations. The results imply that Carbon felt has performed 10 times better than carbon cloth. The reason for this effect can be due to less contact area for cathode to perform electrochemical reduction of hydrogen peroxide on carbon cloth. In case of Carbon felt the fibrous structure provides more surface area for cathode to electrochemically reduce hydrogen peroxide [12]. It can also be observed that the cathode with Carbon felt has shown better performance in the ohmic region with increase in concentration of hydrogen peroxide, later on same performance can be seen with 0.5M H2O2+1.5M H2SO4 in mass transf er region. This can be due to the 1.5 and 2M concentration of sulfuric acid. This is reasonable because electrochemical reaction of hydrogen peroxide involves H+ as reactant, the formation of H+ is rate determining step for electrochemical reaction of hydrogen peroxide, with concentrations of 1.5 and 2M H2SO4 there is very little difference in concentrations so there is a possibility of same performance in mass transfer region. It is evident that with the increase in concentration of hydrogen peroxide the cell performance increased. However, the decomposition of hydrogen peroxide is also more significant as the concentration increases and can be observed during discharge of the cell. The same can be represented in Figure 2, the fluctuant curves in mass transport region indicate the possible decomposition of hydrogen peroxide and production of gas bubbles that hindered mass transfer for the reactants [7]. 3.3 Effect of flow rate Fig.3 shows the operation of Mg-H2O2 fuel cell in flow rates of 20, 50 and 100 ml min-1. For both anode and cathode electrodes flow rates are kept constant. 0.6M NaCl was fed at anode and 0.5M H2O2 + 1.5M H2SO4 and 2M H2O2 + 2M H2SO4 was fed at cathode during operation of the cell. The curves have been recorded at temperature 70 °C. The performance of the cell shows that as the flow rate increase from 20 to 50 ml min-1 there is an improvement in performance of the cell. The flow rate was increased further 50 to 100 ml min-1 but no significance improvement can be seen in the performance. 3.4 Constant current mode The stability test for Mg-H2O2 fuel cell with carbon felt as cathode was conducted and represented in Figure 4. The measured OCV was 2.2V and the fuel cell was operated at constant current density of 50 mA cm-2 for 300 minutes. During the constant current mode operation the voltage was 1.15V and constantly decreased to 0.8V for a period of 50 minutes, during the first cycle. This is due to the consumption of Mg AZ61 anode, and was replaced with a fresh Mg AZ61 sheet for every cycle. The humps observed in the figure 4 represents cycles. Conclusion Carbon felt cathode has shown better performance in comparison with carbon cloth. Carbon felt shown a better performance with maximum power density of 91 mW cm-2 at 1.3V for 2M H2O2+2M H2SO4 which is higher than all the cathodes used and high current density of 70 mA cm-2 at voltages 1.3V and 1.16 for 2M H2O2+2M H2SO4 and 0.5M H2O2+1.5M H2SO4 concentrations which is very high in comparison with carbon cloth. References G. Anderson, Aluminum–Silver Oxide Primary Battery, US Patent #3,953,239 (1976). E.G. Dow, R.R. Bessette, M.G. Medeiros, H. Meunier, G.L. Seebach, J. Van Zee, C. Marsh-Orndorff, Enhanced electrochemical performance in the development of the aluminum–hydrogen peroxide semi-fuel cell, J. Power Sources 65 (1997) 207–212. C. Marsh, H. Munier, R. Bessette, M.G. Medeiros, J. Van Zee, G. Seebach, US Patent #5,296,429, An Effective Method for the Reduction of H2O2. M.G. Medeiros, R. Bessette, D. Dischert, J. Cichon, US Navy Patent #6,228,527, Magnesium-Solution Phase Catholyte Seawater Electrochemical System. Maria G. Medeiros, Russell R. Bessette, Craig M. Deschenes, Charles J. Patrissi, Louis G. Carreiro, Steven P. Tucker, Delmas W. Atwater, â€Å"Magnesium-solution phase catholyte semi-fuel cell for undersea vehicles†, Journal of Power Sources 136 (2004) 226–231. Weiqian Yang, Shaohua Yang, Wei Sun, Gongquan Sun, Qin Xin, â€Å"Nanostructured silver catalyzed nickel foam cathode for an aluminum–hydrogen peroxide fuel cell†, Journal of Power Sources 160 (2006) 1420–1424. Chaozhu Shu, Erdong Wang, Luhua Jiang, Qiwen Tang, Gongquan Sun, â€Å"Studies on palladium coated titanium foams cathode for Mg–H2O2 fuel cells†, Journal of Power Sources 208 (2012) 159–164. L.M. Sun, D.X. Cao, G.L. Wang, â€Å"Pd–Ru/C as the electrocatalyst for hydrogen peroxide reduction†, Journal of Applied Electrochemistry 38 (2008) 1415–1419. C.J. Patrissi, R.R. Bessette, Y.K. Kim, C.R. Schumacher, Fabrication and Rate Performance of a Microfiber Cathode in a Mgà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã¢â‚¬â€œÃƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬ °H2O2Flowing Electrolyte Semi-Fuel Cell†, Journal of the Electrochemical Society 155 (2008) B558–B562. M.G. Medeiros, E.G. Dow, Magnesium-solution phase catholyte seawater electrochemical system, Journal of Power Sources 80 (1999) 78–82. J. Zhang, G.P. Yin, Z.B. Wang, Y.Y. Shao, â€Å"Effects of MEA preparation on the performance of a direct methanol fuel cell†, Journal of Power Sources 160 (2006) 1035–1040. C. Ponce de Le ´on, F.C. Walsh, A. Rose, J.B. Lakeman, D.J. Browning, R.W. Reeve, â€Å"A direct borohydride—Acid peroxide fuel cell†, Journal of Power Sources 164 (2007) 441–448.

Friday, October 25, 2019

Clusters In Business :: essays research papers

Competitive advantage is not created within a single firm alone. Efficiency in internal operations is essential but not necessarily sufficient to compete globally. Factors external to the business are increasingly important. Each firm is inherently part of a "cluster" of activities made up of firms along the value chain as well as related and supporting organizations e.g. research and development, finance, worker skills, infrastructure. In general, clusters are geographic concentrations of interconnected companies, specialized suppliers, service providers, firms in related industries, and associated institutions in particular fields that compete but also cooperate. A cluster may include industries that share similar workforce, input, or infrastructure needs. In addition, a cluster may have more to do with the output of the â€Å"cluster† industries. Clusters may also be defined by complementary or interdependent industries: one may produce what another needs. It has been demonstrated throughout the world that strong clusters ensure sustainable competitive advantage and that this strength has managed to help countries improve drastically on their global competitiveness. One region that is currently developing a very attractive multimedia cluster is San Francisco, California. The cluster is constantly evolving as telecommunications and computer technologies combine in a rapid fashion. Defined broadly, the multimedia cluster is the creators, producers, and distributors of software and hardware that integrate video, sound, text, and graphics. This integration is all done in a digital medium to produce a multimedia product or service. Currently there is an estimated 2000 multimedia or multimedia-related industry firms concentrated in the San Francisco area. The major components of the multimedia industry’s potential cluster in San Francisco are categorized as follows: Supplier Sector Technology providers - These are the producers of the enabling technology and include firms in computer hardware and software, consumer electronics, and digital communications. Examples include: Apple, Creative Labs Multimedia developers - These are the integrators and developers of the "media" itself and include artists, writers, programmers, animators, interface designers, and others. Examples include: Broderbund, Crystal Dynamics Content providers - These are the providers of information presented through multimedia and include film, TV and video entertainment companies, print publishers, news organizations, and information systems service providers. Examples include: LucasArts Entertainment, HBO Community Infrastructure These are the shared resources that contribute to and benefit from the multimedia potential cluster. This infrastructure is comprised of research labs, universities, training organizations, investors, associations, accountants, and other professional services providers that either contribute to the development of the product or engage in using the product.

Thursday, October 24, 2019

Reflection Writing of The Drover’s Wife by Henry Lawson Essay

I’ve never been reading a tremendous story such â€Å"The Drover’s Wife† before. â€Å"The Drover’s wife† was written by Henry Lawson is a short story about a woman who live in a bush with her four children and a dog, Aligance, while her husband didn’t at home because of driving. The story wants to mention on the woman who was a good mother and also a strong lady. In a dangerous event, there was a snake in her house. In order to protect her children she kept reminding herself all night to guard her children who were sleeping on the table in the kitchen; finally, the drover’s wife and her dog killed the snake and burnt it. Actually, I do love two characters among all characters represented in the story. The first is drover’s wife; throughout the short story I get a very good characterization of the woman. As a girl-wife she had hated the lonely life in the outback, but as time pass by, she used to it. Her struggle has been many. When the drought forced her husband to go droving, she had been left alone with her children and the problems in a pity bush. However, she was a strong and brave lady; in fact, she had solved the entire difficult situation without her husband’s assistance. She plays an important role in the family which she had to stay and take care of the children alone. Another she was defended mother and a good wife. In a long night, she kept her eye opening to ensure that the snake wouldn’t bit any of her children. Staying and taking care of the children alone; she neither complained about her living condition nor her husband absence. She didn’t care about herself when she fought the flood that devastated the dam; she still thought of her husband’s feeling after realizing this disaster. Specially, this character has given me an idea that women should not always rely on men; women are not as weak as what other people said. Women have strength to protect themselves as well as their beloved persons. Not only drover’s wife but also her biggest son Tommy was bravery. He helped his mom a lot; even he was a small one, his behavior is such an adult. Maybe he think that beside his father , he was the only one man to protect the member from any danger. This smart boy also remind his mother to wake him up if the snake came back again. Moreover, â€Å"The Drover’s Wife† has remarkably little action such as â€Å"Near midnight, the children are all asleep and the drover’s wife sit there still, sewing and reading by turns. From time to time she glances round the floor and well-plate, and, whenever she hears a noise, she reached for the stick. The thunderstorm comes on, and the wind, rushing through the cracks in the slab wall, threatens to blow out her candle. She places it on a sheltered part of the dresser and fixes up a newspaper to protect it. At every flash of lightning, the cracks between the slabs gleam like polished silver. The thunder rolls, and the rain comes down in torrents.† in this plot the author want to express the activities of being a mother who always care and worried about her children. Not all people do such that thing beside mother. In case she ensures that her children are safely, she can do anything without caring much own self. Another action â€Å"She lays her ha nd on the dog’s head, and all the fierce, angry light dies out of his yellow eyes. The younger children are quieted, and presently go to sleep. The dirty-legged boy stands for a moment in his shirt, watching the fire. Presently he looks up at her, sees the tears in her eyes, and, throwing his arms around her neck exclaims: â€Å"Mother, I won’t never go drovin’ blarst me if I do!† And she hugs him to her worn-out breast and kisses him; and they sit thus together while the sickly daylight breaks over the bush.†. This plot shows that if Tommy were a husband ,or when he grow up, he would not be away from home do such his father . He’s recognized what was the difficulty which a wife and children forced to bed situation. About drover’s wife, she loves her children above all, but she has no time to show it. The children have a very harsh impression of her. Still, in the last sentence we see proof of her love for them. What I have learnt from this story has been many. First, I understudied that on be haft of a good mother it is not easy. Sometime they act as ignorant but their mind obsessed all the time on children; however, they did not complained any words. Beside this, I caught a lot on the behaviour of the drover’s wife; we will not always get what we want, but we should learn to satisfy what we have. There are many problems and obstacles that we have to face, and all those make us become stronger and stronger, and give as such an important experience for our future steps. After reading this story, I strongly recommend it to other people who want to learn and experience more about life. Also lecturer should have risen this story to discuss much more and deeply on it, because student may benefit a lot from this story.

Wednesday, October 23, 2019

Payroll Accounting Essay

I visited Cabela’s on friends and family night, so I observed their internal controls. I also asked my inside source of their internal controls that are not seen on the sales floor. My source provided me with Cabela’s Business Code and Ethics which clearly states: â€Å"All Outfitters are required to; appropriately manage and safeguard Cabela’s assets, ensure their efficient use, and ensure they are used for legitimate business purposes; maintain complete, accurate, and timely financial records related to their area of responsibility; assure the integrity of all Cabela’s books, records, and accounting practices.† Each new employee must read this booklet, and then sign their name stating that they read and are in compliance with what it outlines. Outfitters are required to cooperate with reason to any legal and governmental requests, inspections, and investigations. Some of the internal controls that I observed were computerized inventory, all Outfit ters with headsets, authorized personnel only in stockrooms, authorized personnel to check gun sells and gun buy backs, and high end merchandise not being handed over until paid for. When I was there I noticed some of the larger products were starting to run low, so I asked my source how they know if there were any more in stock without having to go to the stockroom. She said they have computerized inventory, so all she would have to do is put the UPC in the database. Then she would know right then if they were anymore or if they would have to place an order for the product. This leads to why every Outfitter having their own headset, once she finds out if there are more she just has to call over the headset to a recovery team member. The reason she has to call to the recovery team is because they are the only ones allowed in the stockroom. This cuts down on internal theft, helps with inventory, and audits. With this type of control when something is out of place whether that is merchandise or finance recordings it is easier to pin point the misstep. Another internal control that I was able to observe was high end merchandise is never released to a customer until the final transaction is complete. While there I overheard a customer asking for an expensive pair of  sunglasses in the gift shop section, the Outfitter got the sunglasses, took the gentleman’s name and told him they would be at register two when he was ready to check out. This helps with two things, theft being the biggest factor but also with the front registers being the only places non-specialized merchandise is purchased it cuts down on multiple closing records. I say non-specialized merchandise because guns of any type must be purchased at the register in the gun library. Which brings in the last internal control that I was able to observe; when a gun of any kind whether it be a small hand gun to a hunting rifle, not only is it purchased at the gun library but an authorized personnel called a gun runner carries the gun and escorts the customer to the exit door. Cabela’s also has an authorized person standing at the exit doors that has been told via headset that a gun runner with x-amount of guns is heading his way. He is also authorized to check and lock guns being brought into Cabela’s for buy back. After he puts a lock on it he then calls for a gun runner to come get the gun, carry it, and escort the customer to the gun library. With everything I observed and was told by my source, Cabela’s leaves no holes in their internal workings, from merchandise to keeping with their finance records. I would say they are doing something right because this is one of the few companies that have not had their name ran through â€Å"media mud† due to fraud.

Tuesday, October 22, 2019

Famous writers on writers block - Emphasis

Famous writers on writers block Famous writers on writers block Writing is easy: all you do is sit staring at a blank sheet of paper until drops of blood form on your forehead. So said Gene Fowler, the American journalist and author. If you and your forehead have ever felt the pain of writers block, its worth taking some advice from some distinguished fellow sufferers. Although many of these come from creative writers, the same rules often apply. Accept a degree of imperfection I think writers block is when you say to yourself, I could write something, but it wouldnt be good enough. Theres no such thing as a complete inability to write a sentence. Scott Adams, creator of Dilbert If I waited for perfection, I would never write a word. Margaret Atwood, Canadian author Call it fear, call it perfectionism, call it Al. Whatever you call it, one thing is certain: an imperfect report or proposal will be much more effective than no report or proposal. Tough love Writers block a lot of howling nonsense would be avoided if, in every sentence containing the word WRITER, that word was taken out and the word PLUMBER substituted. Do plumbers get plumbers block? What would you think of a plumber who used that as an excuse not to do any work that day? The fact is that writing is hard work. Philip Pullman, British author The art of writing is the art of applying the seat of the pants to the seat of the chair. Mary Heaton Vorse, American journalist, novelist and activist Telling yourself you cant do it wont get it done. Telling yourself its a job, and one youve done before, might help to. And youre definitely not going to finish while youre gardening/taking up DIY/repainting the shed/learning to salsa etc. Get going You would think that after so many years I might have mastered the art not of writing but of putting myself in a position to write. Stephen Fry, British author, actor and comedian The scariest moment is always just before you start [writing]. After that, things can only get better. Stephen King, American author The secret of getting ahead is getting started. The secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one. Mark Twain, American author Have a routine and stick to it. And dont panic if you dont have one yet. Just set yourself a time to start. Work for a short period, and then take a five-minute break. Repeat as required. And if the ghost of the unwritten document is haunting you, break it down with planning exercises such as a mind map and a reader profile questionnaire. Keep going I have to get into a sort of zone. It has something to do with an inability to concentrate, which is the absolute bottom line of writing. Stephen Fry You could be distracted by fear or by the latest email to land in your inbox, but either way its possible to train yourself to concentrate. If this involves turning off your phone, listening to music or sticking in earplugs, so be it. Learn what works for you, and practise. By gradually increasing the length of each short burst of work, interspersed with breaks, you will soon get into the zone. Last resort And if none of these quotes have struck a chord with you, consider this one: Writers block is a fancy term made up by whiners so they can have an excuse to drink alcohol. Steve Martin, American actor Cheers. And for more block-busting tips, see the article Tips for breaking through the barrier.

Monday, October 21, 2019

Free Essays on Slouching Towards Bethlehem

Joan Didion’s Slouching Towards Bethlehem is a collection of essays that can be compared to many of the authors our class has covered this semester. The one author that this reader leans to is Lillian Ross’ Picture. Didion wrote many of her essays from a fly on the wall perspective as did Ross. Didion seemed to have the inside look at her subjects in the first half of her book and in the second half she leans more towards her own experiences. Lillian Ross never included herself in her book, Picture, other than brief, non-descript mentions about being in the room. Both Joan Didion and Lillian Ross are fluent in the topics at hand for which they write about. Both authors take an inside look at the subject and give it their all. Joan Didion’s Slouching Towards Bethlehem delves into many different topics. Didion discusses everything from John Wayne, Hollywood, Joan Baez and then to herself and moving to New York. Didion is very descriptive in her writings of the surroundings where her essays take place but she keeps this stuff short and to the point. When she discusses other people she almost has a fly on the wall perspective. She discusses conversations and events that she could only get that great a detail by being there. Didion also has some essays that could only be written by conducting an interview with people involved like the first chapter â€Å"Life Styles In The Golden Landâ€Å". She writes of her own experiences and fears which helps to immortalizes her in her work with the reader. She does a great job at short stories with her attention to remaining focused on the subject. Lillian Ross’ Picture is a great view into the world of movie making. Ross has said that being an observer is impossiblea reporter has to be involved in the story. Ross is very much a fly on the wall listening and reporting conversations, describing scenery and clothing. She never really discusses her outlook on this movie making ad... Free Essays on Slouching Towards Bethlehem Free Essays on Slouching Towards Bethlehem Joan Didion’s Slouching Towards Bethlehem is a collection of essays that can be compared to many of the authors our class has covered this semester. The one author that this reader leans to is Lillian Ross’ Picture. Didion wrote many of her essays from a fly on the wall perspective as did Ross. Didion seemed to have the inside look at her subjects in the first half of her book and in the second half she leans more towards her own experiences. Lillian Ross never included herself in her book, Picture, other than brief, non-descript mentions about being in the room. Both Joan Didion and Lillian Ross are fluent in the topics at hand for which they write about. Both authors take an inside look at the subject and give it their all. Joan Didion’s Slouching Towards Bethlehem delves into many different topics. Didion discusses everything from John Wayne, Hollywood, Joan Baez and then to herself and moving to New York. Didion is very descriptive in her writings of the surroundings where her essays take place but she keeps this stuff short and to the point. When she discusses other people she almost has a fly on the wall perspective. She discusses conversations and events that she could only get that great a detail by being there. Didion also has some essays that could only be written by conducting an interview with people involved like the first chapter â€Å"Life Styles In The Golden Landâ€Å". She writes of her own experiences and fears which helps to immortalizes her in her work with the reader. She does a great job at short stories with her attention to remaining focused on the subject. Lillian Ross’ Picture is a great view into the world of movie making. Ross has said that being an observer is impossiblea reporter has to be involved in the story. Ross is very much a fly on the wall listening and reporting conversations, describing scenery and clothing. She never really discusses her outlook on this movie making ad...

Sunday, October 20, 2019

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Prefabrication As Construction Method Construction Essay

Advantages And Disadvantages Of Prefabrication As Construction Method Construction Essay The aim of this research is to establish whether an increased use of off-site manufacture will produce a more energy efficient housing stock, as the UK gets closer to its carbon reduction deadline. The objectives of this study are; To identify the key advantages and disadvantages of prefabrication as a construction method, and to establish how these are achievable compared to traditional methods. To identify the current requirements for energy efficiency in new build houses. To identify the requirements of the Climate Change Act 2008 and how this will affect the construction industry. To establish the current use and opinion of prefabrication/off-site manufacture in the construction industry The UK is legally bound to cut its green house gas emissions under the Climate Change Act 2008. These cuts are a 34% reduction by 2022 and an overall 80% reduction by 2050, compared to the baseline emission value from 1990. This is not a scientific quantitative study of the actually energy effic iencies of the construction method, but more of an in-depth qualitative study of the features of prefabrication. This will be done by reviewing existing literature on the topic and comparing this to actual opinions and use in the construction industry. These opinions and the level of implementation of prefabrication within the construction industry will be established using questionnaires. From this analysis it is hoped that there are environmental benefits to using off-site manufacture/prefabrication. This should then be shown in the construction industry by it’s increasingly use. With the UK’s housing stock producing approximately 30% of the UK’s total carbon emissions, it is a sector where huge environmental gains can be made (House of Commons 2005). Although the Climate Change Act 2008 is not specifically aimed at the construction industry, the Chief Executive of the Committee on Climate Change, David Kennedy has called for action in â€Å"four key areasâ⠂¬ ; the method by which electricity is produced, increasing the use of electric transport, reducing the carbon footprint of farms in the UK and an increase in the construction of energy efficient homes (Adam 2010). Many reports, especially from prefabrication manufacturers themselves state the benefits of off-site construction over traditional methods. These include an increased speed of construction, better health and safety conditions on-site, better quality of final product and a lesser total cost when economies of scale apply. However when observing construction sites; off-site construction seems to not be included and traditional methods of construction seem to dominate. This study aims to find out the actual use of prefabricated, off-site components within the industry, and the reasons professionals have for either using, or not using this construction method. The hypothesis for this study states that the current use of off-site manufactured components will have a positive c orrelation to the perceived benefits from using them. For example if the perceived benefits of the using off-site manufactured components are great, then it is predicted that their use will be common within construction. Conversely if the features of prefabrication are not greatly beneficial compared to traditional methods, it is predicted that the use of off-site manufacture in the construction industry will be low. These assumptions have been made due to common reasoning, being that; if something is more beneficial than another, it will be chosen more often.

Friday, October 18, 2019

Space Age Furniture Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Space Age Furniture - Essay Example Space Age Furniture manufactures tables and cabinets to hold portable televisions and microwave ovens. It has the part no. 3079 which is used in two subassemblies, no. 435 used in Gemini TV stand and no.257 used in the Saturn Microwave. Using a lot size of 1,000; Using the master schedule, in week 1, 600 Gemini and 300 Saturn were made. Here, parts no. 435 and 257 were use in the subassemblies and part 3079 were also each used in each sub assemblies to make the final products. Therefore, to make the final product in week one; To improve the over sub-assemblies in lot sizes of 1,000, the management can increase the demand for the final product so that, all the sub-assemblies produced can be used in the production of the final product (Gray, 2000). For this mater, any week when sub-assemblies of lot sizes 1,000 are produced and the number is higher than the minimum required, the rest can be used for production in the next or the following week following the week in question. For this problem, if the sub-assemblies of lot sizes 1,000 have produced a lumpy demand for part no. 3079, it therefore means that, the demand for the different subassemblies such as part no. 257 and part no. 435 must also increase, hence increasing the demand for the subassemblies used to produce the final product. To make good use of this, the over demanded quantity of part no. 3079 can be used to produce more final products to boost profits (Magee, 2010). Any overtime work, the machinist is paid a 50% premium. If he is paid $22 on normal working hours, it means, during overtime, he is paid $11. On the other hand, inventory costs include $0.25 to hold any part per week and it also costs $0.75 to hold the sub-assemblies in inventory per week. This means that it costs $1 to hold all these components in the inventory per week. It means therefore that, for every hour, overtime is paid at $11, for a whole week, there are 40-hours worked. It therefore shows that, the on each unit produced,

Police Roles and Functions Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Police Roles and Functions - Essay Example ils to truly encompass all of the roles that police officers should be serving: in fact, many of the roles that police officers fill have very little to do with law enforcement at all, and are not necessarily related to crimes. Law enforcement may be the central role common to all police forces, but they have many different roles on top of that. The primary function of any police force is law enforcement. Each police force has a set of laws that they are expected to enforce by catching and aiding in the prosecution of people who break those laws. The laws that a particular force are expected to enforce varies. Federal officers, for instance, can be of assistance in local matters, but only when invited by local police forces. The primary purpose of federal law enforcement agencies, such as the FBI, is the coordination of larger resources to solve interstate or international crime: things like organized crime, trafficking across state lines and so forth (Villa and Morris 1999). Local police tend to be on-the-ground officers who may see crimes being committed, who respond immediately to crime calls, who secure crime scenes and so forth. State police are usually responsible for administering zones between local police offices – this can be anything from traffic enforcement to a wide variety of other tasks. Law enforcement may be the primary mission of any police agency, but it is not what takes up the vast majority of an officer’s time. There are many other roles that a police officer fills, and that are of immense benefit to his community. Police officers, for instance, can be first responders to any emergency situation. This could mean giving first aid to someone who has had a heart attack to responding to a traffic collision or treating victims at the scene of a shooting (Villa and Morris 1999). Furthermore, police officers are often called on to adjudicate quasi-legal situations in which someone might be or feel threatened, even when no charges

Reporting Results Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Reporting Results - Essay Example They represent loans received. The security holder is entitled to repayment of principal and receiving of interest payments. Equity securities reflect ownership of interest and trading securities get a fair value report (Finkler, 2010). For the available for sale securities, they are reported at fair value. Their income excludes the unrealized losses and gains. They are reported as separate equity part that has no effect on the year’s net income. On the hand, not-for-profit health care organizations have all debts and equity reported at fair value (Finkler, 2010). A change in the net assets includes losses and gains. These gains and losses are reflected in the unrestricted net assets unless a donor or law prohibits it. An important feature is that all debt securities are depicted at fair value inclusive of those considered held to maturity by the former group. In this category, focus is not on net income; however, importance is vested on the total available resources. This makes the inclusion of gains or losses in the net income to be

Thursday, October 17, 2019

E-Commerce - Case Study Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4250 words

E-Commerce - Case Study - Essay Example Since each party has their own case against each other discussing the cases between parties separately for a better understanding of the issues shall be the norm of this paper. At the end of each case an advice will be given from my contemplation of the merits of each of the case. This case study involves A (Alfred), B (Bert), C (CDE Corporation), Freegames, and Freepcgames portal. Freepcgames is a portal that is involved in providing free computer game programs to its subscribers who pays a monthly subscription fee. Freegames is the local company that represents Freepcgames. It should be noted that Freepcgames.com is a portal registered in the United States. From the facts of the case it is not apparent if the use of Freegames or Freepcgames is a registered trademark or company brand name. Several parties each with their own interest and culpabilities have brought legal actions against one another to protect their rights and legal interests. I shall evaluate the merits of each case between the protagonists and the legal anchors if possible shall be used to provide a solid base for the critical analysis. In some cases I shall provide advice on what charge and the basis of the charges to bring the other party to court. There will be instances wherein I will be providing legal advice or defence for Freegames, since for all intents and purposes Freegames, is my client in this simulated legal situation. The legal advice provided herein remains a theoretical exercise and shall be a hyperbolic representation of an actual legal advice that may be provided to resolve legal issues for Freegames in the future that relates to the instant issues. A (Alfred) vs. Freepcgames.com From the facts of the case it is evident that the whole problem started with Alfred’s use of his company’s resources for personal gain. His case against Freepcgames,com for the recovery of his money shall not prosper because the case arose from his own negligence. A, agreed to the terms and condition of Freegames at the onset and therefore any problem arising from the use of his username and password combination is his responsibility. It should be noted that â€Å"Duty of Care†1 in order for Tort to settle against Freegames the claimant should have his hands dry and clean. Washing his hands of his own culpability and assigning blame to Freepcgames contrary to the tenets of the law and it is against the ambit of human morality. Lord Atkin has set down the test when ‘duties of care’ arises in the following details of Donohue v Stevenson. â€Å"You must take reasonable care to avoid acts or omissions which you can reasonably foresee would be likely to injure your neighbour. Who then, in law is my neighbour? The answers seems to be – persons who are closely and directly affected by my act that I ought reasonably to have them in my contemplation as being so affected when I am directing my mind to the acts or omissions which are called into q uestions†(per Lord Atkin [1932] AC 562 at p 580) It should be noted, that the username, password combination is the established means in which the identity of a person transacting business in the internet is established. With the express understanding of the user or customer of any internet based commercial entity that his username password combination is in fact his identity as far as this internet based commercial entity is concerned. A, therefore is not only expected to be more prudent in

Compare the worldview of two societies with contrasting cultures Essay

Compare the worldview of two societies with contrasting cultures - Essay Example (Hollander, P. 1988 p 130) In addition, it will help visitors on Africa to recognize conflicts, which may arise, to accept, and work through difficulties in a positive manner, to identify positive areas of conflict, to accept difficulties they face as natural occurrences, to change to adapt to the African situation and work within the terms and conditions that exist. Finally, is to develop positive appreciation on the reasons of African culture as per the differences. On the other hand, this comparison will help Africans to understand how they can cope with the European cultures. It will also help Africans who want to understand European background. The Africans will also understand why it is hard for the Europeans to fit in to the society in a foreign country and why they act in strange ways. It will also smoothen the tensions which a rise between the Christians of Europeans and African background working together in African setting. In many occasions both sides are not aware why th e difficulties are arising. Differences between African and European Cultures Telephone: Two people communicate by a process. They can be communicating through English, Kiswahili or any other language. For example in USA, children are given basic telephone skills when they are young. Children learn the correct way of answering and calling when they are young before even going to school. Therefore, the Europeans who are in Kenya or the Kenyans who are in European countries should not assume such a background. Cultural assumptions concerning greeting and encounter are complicated by lack of training and experience. Every European must introduce them on the phone even if they are close. This is because of the formal procedure required in their background. However, as per Africans they call or answer and go direct to the point without introduction, which will make communication between Africans and Europeans hard. Permission to leave This is whereby one asks for permission before leavin g to another place or destination from where he/she was before. According to African culture and background, the owner of the house, office, or even compound as whole can leave in his own pleasure without even informing the workers as he/she is the head or is over everyone (Gannon, 2004 p.230). However, in the side of the Europeans one must seek for permission to leave even the father must seek permission from his children before leaving. Therefore, when the Europeans and African are working together they might not understand each other the Europeans will be asking for permission to leave even he /she is the employer. This will leave the Africans wondering. This will be opposite in the side of Africans as they can leave whenever they wish. Missionaries and Modesty In Europe, it was in fashion for women to wear floor length dresses, which had high collars. While in Africa, it was a fashion for women to wear nothing above the waist. This was quite inappropriate as according to the Afr icans they were adhering to their culture while the Europeans were also doing the same. This brought a lot of troubles and misunderstanding as according to Africans especially Zaire they knew that any woman who was covering his body above the waist was prostitute. It was ironical as missionaries were trying to turn good, morally upright, and modest women of the community into prostitutes. Contrasting African and European Cultures

Wednesday, October 16, 2019

The Ethical Aspects Of The Engineering Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Ethical Aspects Of The Engineering - Essay Example This will mean that I need to keep abreast of the technicalities that keep on changing with the passage of time, and the trivial issues that even though are not very useful to know but finding information about them is not a bad thing after all. This is one of the significant elements of my understanding as far as the engineering discipline is concerned, and how I need to move ahead with the changing time dimensions (Kettunen, 2000). Similarly, I must also be well-equipped of the diverse fields of health and safety, because they play a dire role in educating the people regarding the engineering aspects. The environment-related premise is also fundamental towards knowing where and how changes need to be brought in and how these could be resolved to achieve an amicable result all the same. In the same vein, I must also be well-informed of the various legalities that bring a form of genuineness to the whole dynamics of engineering and how electrical engineering is covered from a number of different angles. I believe knowing all these aspects is of immense importance for me because these will help me to grow and develop my means beyond a certain level. What is even more significant is my understanding of the attached links that come in close association with the field of engineering and how engineers at large are provided benefits by the different rules and policies. Since the field of electrical engineering is closely related to risk, identifying the same will only help the engineer to grow beyond a certain level (Johnson, 2004). This will be the basis of his eventual development within the field of electrical engineering. I am sure that if I commit myself wholeheartedly towards this task, much success will come about in the coming times. If I am aware of the looming dangers that haunt my understanding of the engineering field, I will be at par with the very best in this business. This will make me feel at ease with the dangers that haunt the electrical engineers on a consistent basis. Also, it will allow me to inculcate similar measures to the people who are around me or who work along with me. This will make me feel content with what I am doing professionally and how I am growing up and advancing beyond certain means. The professional world of engineering is indeed a very exciting one as has been proven with due research and evidence of study basis. The ethical documentation of an engineer is all the more pertinent to understand since he has to go through the human interaction basis within his work tasks that make him stay one step ahead of his processes at all times. This is indicative of how well he comprehends the nuances of work and what kind of challenges he has to face on a proactively consistent basis. What is even more interesting to note is the fact that engineering in itself is such a platform from where many success areas can be tapped, and more so when the discussion centers on the premise of bringing about development within t he human interactions with gadgets, electrical appliances and so on. What this suggests is an understanding of many different things, and not just which focus on electrical engineering realms alone.

Compare the worldview of two societies with contrasting cultures Essay

Compare the worldview of two societies with contrasting cultures - Essay Example (Hollander, P. 1988 p 130) In addition, it will help visitors on Africa to recognize conflicts, which may arise, to accept, and work through difficulties in a positive manner, to identify positive areas of conflict, to accept difficulties they face as natural occurrences, to change to adapt to the African situation and work within the terms and conditions that exist. Finally, is to develop positive appreciation on the reasons of African culture as per the differences. On the other hand, this comparison will help Africans to understand how they can cope with the European cultures. It will also help Africans who want to understand European background. The Africans will also understand why it is hard for the Europeans to fit in to the society in a foreign country and why they act in strange ways. It will also smoothen the tensions which a rise between the Christians of Europeans and African background working together in African setting. In many occasions both sides are not aware why th e difficulties are arising. Differences between African and European Cultures Telephone: Two people communicate by a process. They can be communicating through English, Kiswahili or any other language. For example in USA, children are given basic telephone skills when they are young. Children learn the correct way of answering and calling when they are young before even going to school. Therefore, the Europeans who are in Kenya or the Kenyans who are in European countries should not assume such a background. Cultural assumptions concerning greeting and encounter are complicated by lack of training and experience. Every European must introduce them on the phone even if they are close. This is because of the formal procedure required in their background. However, as per Africans they call or answer and go direct to the point without introduction, which will make communication between Africans and Europeans hard. Permission to leave This is whereby one asks for permission before leavin g to another place or destination from where he/she was before. According to African culture and background, the owner of the house, office, or even compound as whole can leave in his own pleasure without even informing the workers as he/she is the head or is over everyone (Gannon, 2004 p.230). However, in the side of the Europeans one must seek for permission to leave even the father must seek permission from his children before leaving. Therefore, when the Europeans and African are working together they might not understand each other the Europeans will be asking for permission to leave even he /she is the employer. This will leave the Africans wondering. This will be opposite in the side of Africans as they can leave whenever they wish. Missionaries and Modesty In Europe, it was in fashion for women to wear floor length dresses, which had high collars. While in Africa, it was a fashion for women to wear nothing above the waist. This was quite inappropriate as according to the Afr icans they were adhering to their culture while the Europeans were also doing the same. This brought a lot of troubles and misunderstanding as according to Africans especially Zaire they knew that any woman who was covering his body above the waist was prostitute. It was ironical as missionaries were trying to turn good, morally upright, and modest women of the community into prostitutes. Contrasting African and European Cultures

Tuesday, October 15, 2019

Organisational Transformation in Practice Essay Example for Free

Organisational Transformation in Practice Essay Every module has a Module Definition Form (MDF) which is the officially validated record of the module. You can access the MDF for this module in three ways: †¢the Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) †¢the My. Anglia Module Catalogue at www. anglia. ac. uk/modulecatalogue †¢Anglia Ruskin’s module search engine facility at www. anglia. ac. uk/modules All modules delivered by Anglia Ruskin University at its main campuses in the UK and at partner institutions throughout the UK and overseas are governed by the Academic Regulations. You can view these at www. anglia. ac. uk/academicregs. A printed extract of the Academic Regulations, known as the Assessment Regulations, is available for every student from your Faculty Office MAB301 (all new students will have received a copy as part of their welcome pack). In the unlikely event of any discrepancy between the Academic Regulations and any other publication, including this module guide, the Academic Regulations, as the definitive document, take precedence over all other publications and will be applied in all cases. 2. Introduction to the Module This module provides the opportunity for students to personally explore the relationship between personal change and organisational change/ transformation (de Vries and Balazs, 1999). And personally relate to the leadership and organisational challenges of transformational change in organisations. The module uses different activities to explore the nature of personal change issues required for successful employee engagement in an organisations change agenda. In the management and leadership field much is written and discussed about the following seven elements: (1) behaviour, (2) knowledge (3) skills / capability (4) belief systems, (5) values, (6) identity, (7) vision/ purpose. Using various methods, students will be encouraged to make sense of each of these ideas, and the interrelationship between them. This will be set against a real/simulated strategic learning context. Module participants are actively encouraged to reflect upon their own  existential experience and development through dynamic relations with others and performing roles. It is hoped the module will lead to students developing profound personal insights and also achieve personal growth. The module uses different activities to enquire into, reflect upon and diagnose personal, group and organizational leadership and transformation. Students will be able to diagnose where a/ their team or organisation is weak and design interventions that can help to guide significant change or transformation. The student will be equipped with a clear methodology for guiding his or her own development as an achiever or leader of the future. Assessment is by way of portfolio. 3. Intended Learning Outcomes Learning Outcomes (threshold standards) On successful completion of this module the student will be expected to be able to: 1 Knowledge and understanding Understand the values and leadership behaviours that create the modern enterprise and equip individuals to manage / lead in globally transformational contexts 2 Knowledge and understanding. Develop a robust understanding of leadership and change management within the context of organisational transformation 3 Intellectual, practical, affective and transferable skills Utilise a 7 element framework as a diagnostic tool to evaluate leadership capability in a team or organisation 4 Intellectual, practical, affective and transferable skills Demonstrate an ability to reflect upon ones own management development journey against the context of employability in global and transformational settings of the future 4. Outline Delivery. WkLectureSeminar/WorkshopReading 1 Organisational changeAction Learning SetsKets de Vries 2 Personal change Patchwork textKets de Vries Jung 3 Personal change organisational changePatchwork textKets de Vries James and Arroba http://triadllc. com/publications. html 4 Manager as personPatchwork textKets de Vries Tony Watson 5 Management leadershipPatchwork textKets de Vries Keith Grint 6 Managing leading changePatchwork textKets de Vries http://triadllc. com/publications. html 7 Managing Leading changePatchwork textKets de Vries. James and Arroba 8 Change agencyPatchwork textKets de Vries James and Arroba 9 Change processesPatchwork textKets de Vries 10 Organisational rolePatchwork textKrantz and Maltz 11 Wheel of changePatchwork textKets de Vries Jung 12 Wheel of changePatchwork textKets de Vries etc 4. 1 Attendance Requirements Attending all your classes is very important and one of the best ways to help you succeed in this module. In accordance with the Student Charter, you are expected to arrive on time and take an active part in all your timetabled classes. If you are unable to attend a class for a valid reason (eg: illness), please contact your Module Tutor Anglia Ruskin will closely monitor the attendance of all students and will contact you by e-mail if you have been absent without notice for two weeks. Continued absence can result in the termination of your registration as you will be considered to have withdrawn from your studies. International students who are non-EEA nationals and in possession of entry clearance/leave to remain as a student (student visa) are required to be in regular attendance at Anglia Ruskin. Failure to do so is considered to be a breach of national immigration regulations. Anglia Ruskin, like all British Universities, is statutorily obliged to inform the Border and Immigration Agency of the Home Office of significant unauthorised absences by any student visa holders. 5. Assessment Students are required to assemble a â€Å"patchwork text† (Illes, 2003; Winter, 2003) which relates your current or future workplace role. The patchwork text may be developed or based upon the following: †¢Kets de Vries (2004) suggests that people are prisoners of their past. Evaluate and reflect upon how your past might influence your future workplace role and development. †¢Evaluate and reflect upon a personal experience of change in your workplace †¢Apply Krantz and Maltz’s (1997) role analysis to your current workplace experience. †¢Using the â€Å"triangle of conflict† (de Vries, 2007), evaluate and reflect upon a major incident of conflict in your life. Consider your learning/ experiences in relation to your future workplace role. †¢Apply James and Arroba’s (2005) â€Å"reading and carrying framework† to critically evaluate and reflect upon how you interact with others. Consider the implications in relation to your future workplace role. †¢Conduct and develop a critical self-analysis using Jung’s notion of individuation (Carr, 2002), and relate this to your leadership archetype. †¢Critically evaluate, and reflect upon your own resilience and relate this your existing and future leadership competencies Guidance Notes for Students (see Smith and Winter, 2003) Your assignment will be assembled gradually during the progress of the module through a series of written tasks, which you will share with each other in small groups. There are several reasons for this:- †¢to avoid the last minute rush of having to write the whole assignment at the end of the teaching, when time is short; †¢to enable you to use a variety of different ways of writing, and thus to increase your opportunity to demonstrate your own particular abilities; †¢to enable you to give each other early constructive feedback as to how clearly you have presented your ideas and how they might perhaps be developed; †¢to enable you to write about all aspects of the module content (instead of having to select just a few aspects for a specific essay topic). Before you submit your assignment, you will be asked to write a final piece, to be added to what you have written already. This is designed to give you the opportunity to revisit (edit and revise) the ideas you have presented in your earlier pieces and to discuss what you have gained from the work as a whole. (This is the only task that will need to be completed after the end of the teaching. ) You MUST use academic theories and concepts to develop your personal reflection and portfolio. Your patchwork text SHOULD meet all the learning outcomes (see below; see mdf) Learning Outcomes (threshold standards): On successful completion of this module the student will be expected to be able to: Knowledge and understanding Understand the values and leadership behaviours that create the modern enterprise and equip individuals to manage / lead in globally transformational contexts Knowledge and understandingDevelop a robust understanding of leadership and change management within the context of organisational transformation Intellectual, practical, affective and transferable skillsUtilise the 7 Element framework as a diagnostic tool to evaluate leadership capability in a team or organisation. Intellectual, practical, affective and transferable skillsDemonstrate an ability to reflect upon ones own management development journey against the context of employability in global and transformational settings of the future The sequence of writing tasks which will make up the final assignment is as follows: Weeks 1- 4 (approx. ) 1Explore how your personal experience impacts upon, and has implications for how you interact with others, adapt and respond to change (Learning outcomes 1 – 4). Weeks 5- 7 (approx. ) 2. Using your chosen personal experience critically reflect upon and evaluate your own assumptions, values and leadership behaviours. (Learning outcomes 1 and 3). Weeks 8 – 12 (approx. ) 3 Write about an example of your own group experiences from the point of view of one of your fellow group members imagining their experience of your work with her / him (Learning Outcomes 1- 4) Weeks 1 – 12. 4. Use the learning from your personal experience, and group reflection, in relation to your future workplace role (Learning outcomes 1 – 4) 5. (Final synthesis) A retrospective summary of and commentary on your previous writing, indicating what you have learned which seems to you to be important for your own professional understanding and development (Learning outcomes 1 – 4) Time will be available within the teaching sessions for you to discuss in small groups the writing you have done in response to each of the writing tasks. So you will therefore need to make four or five copies to bring along to the session. The word-limit for the whole assignment is 3,000 words. There are no specific word-limits for the individual pieces of writing, but you should aim to make sure that there is a balance between them. And you will need to leave at least 500 words for the final task (no. 5 above). Patchwork text references Akister, J. (2005). Using a Patchwork Text to assess family therapy students. Journal of Family Therapy, 27(3), 276-279 Illes K. (2003). The Patchwork Text and Business Education: rethinking the importance of personal reflection and co-operative cultures. Innovations in Education Teaching International, 40(2), 209-215. McKenzie J. (2003). The student as an active agent in a disciplinary structure: introducing the Patchwork Text in teaching sociology. Innovations in Education Teaching International, 40(2), 152-160. Ovens P. (2003). Using the Patchwork Text to develop a critical understanding of science. Innovations in Education Teaching International, 40(2), 133-143. Parker J. (2003). The Patchwork Text in teaching Greek Tragedy. Innovations in Education Teaching International, 40(2), 180-193. Quinn J. (2003). Patchwork Text example one: becoming a science specialist teacher. Innovations in Education Teaching International, 40(2), 144-151. Ramsden, P. (1992). Learning to Teach in Higher Education, Routledge: London. Smith L. Winter R. (2003). Applied epistemology for community nurses: evaluating the impact of the Patchwork Text. Innovations in Education Teaching International, Volume 40(2), 161-173. Winter, R. (2003). Contextualizing the Patchwork Text: Addressing Problems of Coursework Assessment in Higher Education, Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 40(2), 112-122. All coursework assignments and other forms of assessment must be submitted by the published deadline which is detailed above. It is your responsibility to know when work is due to be submitted – ignorance of the deadline date will not be accepted as a reason for late or non-submission. All student work which contributes to the eventual outcome of the module (ie: if it determines whether you will pass or fail the module and counts towards the mark you achieve for the module) is submitted via the iCentre using the formal submission sheet Academic staff CANNOT accept work directly from you. If you decide to submit your work to the iCentre by post, it must arrive by midday on the due date. If you elect to post your work, you do so at your own risk and you must ensure that sufficient time is provided for your work to arrive at the iCentre. Posting your work the day before a deadline, albeit by first class post, is extremely risky and not advised. Any late work (submitted in person or by post) will NOT be accepted and a mark of zero will be awarded for the assessment task in question. You are requested to keep a copy of your work. Feedback You are entitled to written feedback on your performance for all your assessed work. For all assessment tasks which are not examinations, this is provided by a member of academic staff completing the assignment coversheet on which your mark and feedback will relate to the achievement of the module’s intended learning outcomes and the assessment criteria you were given for the task when it was first issued. Examination scripts are retained by Anglia Ruskin and are not returned to students. However, you are entitled to feedback on your performance in an examination and may request a meeting with the Module Leader or Tutor to see your examination script and to discuss your performance. Anglia Ruskin is committed to providing you with feedback on all assessed work within 20 working days of the submission deadline or the date of an examination. This is extended to 30 days for feedback for a Major Project module (please note that working days excludes those days when Anglia Ruskin University is officially closed; eg: between Christmas and New Year). Personal tutors will offer to read feedback from several modules and help you to address any common themes that may be emerging. At the main Anglia Ruskin University campuses, each Faculty will publish details of the arrangement for the return of your assessed work (eg: a marked essay or case study etc. ). Any work which is not collected by you from the Faculty within this timeframe is returned to the iCentres from where you can subsequently collect it. The iCentres retain student work for a specified period prior to its disposal. To assure ourselves that our marking processes are comparable with other universities in the UK, Anglia Ruskin provides samples of student assessed work to external examiners as a routine part of our marking processes. External examiners are experienced academic staff from other universities who scrutinise your work and provide Anglia Ruskin academic staff with feedback and advice. Many of Anglia Ruskin’s staff act as external examiners at other universities. On occasion, you will receive feedback and marks for pieces of work that you completed in the earlier stages of the module. We provide you with this feedback as part of the learning experience and to help you prepare for other assessment tasks that you have still to complete. It is important to note that, in these cases, the marks for these pieces of work are unconfirmed as the processes described above for the use of external examiners will not have been completed. This means that, potentially, marks can change, in either direction! Marks for modules and individual pieces of work become confirmed on the Dates for the Official Publication of Results which can be checked at www. anglia. ac. uk/results. Assessment Criteria and Marking Standards Patchwork text assignment guidelines (Jenkins, 2008) †¢Careful, detailed observation and recollection of events and situations †¢evidence the interrelationship between leadership behaviours, skills, belief systems, values, identity, vision and purpose (7 elements framework) †¢Noticing the various emotional dimensions of events and situations †¢Independent, critical and evaluative thinking †¢Recognising and responding to the complexities of events and situations †¢Effective communication and application of complex concepts and theories (e.g psychoanalytic, psychodynamic, psychotherapeutic) to personal/ inter-personal experiences of events and situations †¢Demonstrating learning in relation to personal development, effective relations with others and future workplace role. †¢Demonstrating the learner outcomes in relation to future workplace effectiveness †¢Coherent structuring, interlinking and presentation of patchwork text (including grammar, typography and referencing). ANGLIA RUSKIN UNIVERSITY GENERIC ASSESSMENT CRITERIA AND MARKING STANDARDS LEVEL 3 Generic Learning Outcomes. (Academic Regulations, Section 2)Assessment criteria by levelMarking standards (by mark band) 70%+60-69%50-59%40-49%30-39%1-29% Characteristics of student achievement per mark band Achieves module outcome/s related to this GLO at this Level of StudyAchieves module outcome/s related to this GLO at this Level of StudyAchieves module outcome/s related to this GLO at this Level of Study Achieves a marginal pass in the module outcome/s related to this GLO at this Level of StudyFails marginally to achieve module outcome/s related to this GLO. MDF may permit compensation Fails to achieve module outcome/s related to this GLO and is not eligible for compensation Knowledge and UnderstandingLevel 3 (FHEQ level 6) is characterised by an expectation of students’ increasing autonomy in relation to their study and developing skill sets. Students are expected to demonstrate problem solving skills, both theoretical and practical. This is supported by an understanding of appropriate theory; creativity of expression and thought based in individual judgement; and the ability to seek out, invoke, analyse and evaluate competing theories or methods of working in a critically constructive and open manner. Output includes is articulate, coherent and skilled in the appropriate medium, with some students producing original or innovative work in their specialism. Excellent knowledge base that supports analysis, evaluation and problem-solving in theory/practice/ ethics of discipline with considerable originality. Good knowledge base that supports analysis, evaluation and problem-solving in theory/ practice/ ethics of discipline with some originality. Satisfactory knowledge base that supports some analysis, evaluation and problem-solving in theory/practice/ ethics of discipline. Basic knowledge base with some omissions at the level of theoretical/ethical issues.. Restricted ability to discuss theory and/or or solve problems in disciplineLimited knowledge base; limited understanding of discipline/ethical issues.. Difficulty with theory and problem solving in disciplineInadequate knowledge base; lack of understanding of discipline/ethical issues. Unable to discuss theory or solve problems in discipline. Intellectual (thinking), Practical, Affective and Transferable SkillsLevel 3 (FHEQ level 6) is characterised by an expectation of students’ increasing autonomy in relation to their study and developing skill sets. Students are expected to demonstrate problem solving skills, both theoretical and practical. This is supported by an understanding of appropriate theory; creativity of expression and thought based in individual judgement; and the ability to seek out, invoke, analyse and evaluate competing theories or methods of working in a critically constructive and open manner. Output is articulate, coherent and skilled in the appropriate medium, with some students producing original or innovative work in their specialism. Excellent management of learning, with degree of autonomy/ research that may exceed the assessment brief. Structured and creative expression. Very good academic/ intellectual skills and practical/ team/professional/ problem-solving skills Good management of learning, with consistent self-directed research. Structured and accurate expression. Good academic/ intellectual skills and team/ practical/ prof-essional/problem solving skills Satisfactory management of learning. Some autonomy in research but inconsistent. Structured and mainly accurate expression. Acceptable level of academic/ intellectual skills going beyond description at times Satisfactory team/practical/professional/ problem-solving skillsBasic use of learning resources with little autonomy. Some difficulties with academic/ intellectual skills Some difficulty with structure/ accuracy in expression, but evidence of developing team/ practical/ professional/ problem-solving skillsLimited use of learning resour-ces. Unable to work autonom-ously. Little input to teams. Weak academic/intel-ectual skills. Still mainly descrip-tive General difficulty with structure/ accur-acy in express-ion. Practical/ professional/ problem-solving skills that are not yet secureInadequate use of learning resources. Failure to contribute to team work. Major problems with structure/ accuracy in expression. Very weak academic/ intellectual skills. and weak practical/professional skills. No ability to direct own learning A mark of 0% may be awarded for non-submission, poor or dangerous practice, incoherent and insufficient work, and in situations where the student fails to address the assignment brief and related learning outcomes 7. Assessment Offences. You are reminded that any work that you submit must be your own. All suspected assessment offences will be investigated and can result in severe penalties. Please note that it is your responsibility to consult the relevant sections of the Academic Regulations (section 10 – see www. anglia. ac. uk/academicregs) and the Student Handbook. When you are preparing your work for submission, it is important that you understand the various academic conventions that you are expected to follow in order to make sure that you do not leave yourself open to accusations of plagiarism (eg: the correct use of referencing, citations, footnotes etc.) and that your work maintains its academic integrity. Plagiarism is theft and constitutes the presentation of another’s work as your own in order to gain an unfair advantage. You will receive advice and guidance on how to avoid plagiarism and other elements of poor academic practice during the early stages of your studies at Anglia Ruskin. Introduction Being honest in your work is at the heart of studying and working at university. To be honest in your work you must acknowledge the ideas and work of others you use, and you must not try to get an advantage over others by being dishonest. It is important that you understand what it means to be honest in your work. Although there is general agreement within the UK academic community about the types of activity that are unacceptable, this does vary slightly between institutions, and may be different from where you studied before. We have developed this guidance to help you understand what it means to be honest in your work, and what you should do to make sure that you are handing in work that meets our expectations. This means we can make sure that we can maintain reliable standards for our academic awards, and  students continue to enjoy studying for academic qualifications that have a good reputation. In this guidance we will: †¢clearly define what being honest in your work and good practice mean, and how you can achieve this; †¢define ‘assessment offences’, including plagiarism, cheating and collusion; †¢identify the resources, help and advice available to help you learn the academic skills you need to avoid committing assessment offences; †¢explain how we expect you to behave; and †¢describe what happens if we think you have committed an assessment offence. Being honest in your work and good practice You can show good practice when you do your work independently, honestly and in a proper academic style, using good referencing and acknowledging all of your sources. To show good academic practice you must: †¢show you understand the literature; †¢use research from academics and others in your area of study; †¢discuss and evaluate ideas and theories; †¢develop your own independent evaluation of academic issues; and †¢develop your own arguments. To support your own good practice you will need to develop your: †¢skills at studying and getting information (for example, reading, taking notes, research and so on); †¢skills in looking at an argument and making your own evaluation (for example, having a balanced opinion, using reasoning and argument); †¢writing skills for essays, reports, dissertations and so on; †¢referencing skills (how you include your sources of information in your work); and †¢exam techniques (for example, revising and timing). Achieving good practice is not as complicated as it may appear. You need to do the following. †¢Know the rules. †¢Make sure you reference all of your information sources. Poor practice or dishonesty in your work (such as plagiarism, cheating, fraud and so on) can be a result of you not knowing what you are allowed to do. †¢Develop your own style. Sometimes students include too much original text from the work of others, as they believe that they cannot ‘put it any better’. Although you should try to express ideas in your own words, quoting or summing up ideas from academic sources is fine, as long as you say where you have taken this from. You must also reference other people’s performances or art in your own work. It fine to use other people’s performances and art, but you must be completely clear about why you are using that work, and make sure it is obvious that it isn’t your own. Definitions of assessment offences Plagiarism Plagiarism is when you present someone else’s work, words, images, ideas, opinions or discoveries, whether published or not, as your own. It is also when you take the artwork, images or computer-generated work of others, without properly acknowledging where this is from or you do this without their permission. You can commit plagiarism in examinations, but is most likely to happen in coursework, assignments, portfolios, essays, dissertations and so on. Examples of plagiarism include: †¢directly copying from written work, physical work, performances, recorded work or images, without saying where this is from; †¢using information from the internet or electronic media (such as DVDs and CDs) which belongs to someone else, and presenting it as your own; †¢rewording someone else’s work, without referencing them; and †¢handing in something for assessment which has been produced by another student or person. It is important that you do not plagiarise – intentionally or unintentionally – because the work of others and their ideas are their own. There are benefits to producing original ideas in terms of awards, prizes, qualifications, reputation and so on. To use someone else’s work, words, images, ideas or discoveries is a form of theft. Collusion Collusion is similar to plagiarism as it is an attempt to present another’s work as your own. In plagiarism the original owner of the work is not aware you are using it, in collusion two or more people may be involved in trying to produce one piece of work to benefit one individual, or plagiarising another person’s work. Examples of collusion include: †¢agreeing with others to cheat; †¢getting someone else to produce part or all of your work; †¢copying the work of another person (with their permission); †¢submitting work from essay banks; †¢paying someone to produce work for you; and †¢allowing another student to copy your own work. Many parts of university life need students to work together. Working as a team, as directed by your tutor, and producing group work is not collusion. Collusion only happens if you produce joint work to benefit of one or more person and try to deceive another (for example the assessor). Cheating Cheating is when someone aims to get unfair advantage over others. Examples of cheating include: †¢taking unauthorised material into the examination room; †¢inventing results (including experiments, research, interviews and observations); †¢handing your own previously graded work back in; †¢getting an examination paper before it is released; †¢behaving in a way that means other students perform poorly; †¢pretending to be another student; and †¢trying to bribe members of staff or examiners. Help to avoid assessment offences Most of our students are honest and want to avoid making assessment offences. We have a variety of resources, advice and guidance available to help make sure you can develop good academic skills. We will make sure that we make available consistent statements about what we expect in this document, and in student handbooks and module guides. You will be able to do tutorials on being honest in your work from the library and other central support services and faculties, and you will be able to test your written work for plagiarism using ‘Turnitin ®UK’ (a software package that detects plagiarism). You can get advice on how to honestly use the work of others in your own work from the library website (www. libweb. anglia. ac. uk/referencing/referencing. htm) and your lecturer and personal tutor. You will have an opportunity to do a ‘formative’ assignment before you finish and hand in your first ‘summative’ assignment. A ‘formative’ assignment is one in which you can talk about your work thoroughly with your tutor to make sure that you are working at the correct level for your award, and that you understand what is meant by good practice (a ‘summative’ assignment counts towards the assessment for your course). You will be able to use ‘Turnitin ®UK’, a special software package which is used to detect plagiarism. Turnitin ®UK will produce a report which clearly shows if passages in your work have been taken from somewhere else. You may talk about this with your personal tutor to see where you may need to improve your academic practice. We will not see these formative Turnitin ®UK reports as assessment offences. If you are not sure whether the way you are working meets our requirements, you should talk to your personal tutor. They will be able to help you and tell you about other resources which will help you develop your academic skills. What we expect from you  We will make sure you have the chance to practice your academic skills and avoid accidentally breaking our Academic Regulations. On page nine of the Student Charter (see http://web. anglia. ac. uk/anet/students/pdfs/09_student_charter. pdf), it says you have to ‘be aware of the academic rules relating to your studies’. To make sure that you are aware of the rules, we expect you to agree to: †¢read this guidance and make sure you thoroughly understand it; †¢work through ‘PILOT’, the online tutorial available on our library website (http://libweb. anglia. ac.uk/pilot/), which aims to help you learn good practice and has a useful section on plagiarism; †¢make sure that you are familiar with how to reference (acknowledge other people’s work); †¢correctly reference all the sources for the information you have included in your work; †¢identify information you have downloaded from the internet; †¢never use someone else’s ideas for a performance, film or TV programme, their artwork, graphics (including graphs, spreadsheets and so on and information from the internet) as if they are yours; †¢only hand in your own original work; †¢never use another person’s work as if it were your own; and †¢never let other students use or copy your work. What we will do for you To help you avoid making assessment offences, our staff will: †¢make sure they are familiar with the guidance on being honest in your work and the Academic Regulations; †¢tell you clearly about the guidance on being honest in your work and any guidelines on misconduct, and record the dates for future reference; †¢arrange library information sessions for you;

Monday, October 14, 2019

Developing and Interesting Interview

Developing and Interesting Interview Journalism and Society (9303) Discussion questions for the week two tutorials For Peter Clarke’s chapter on interviewing from Australian Journalism Today, the questions are: What is it, according to Clarke, that makes the set piece interview of a public figure (often a politician) so dull and arid today? Clarke (2012) relays the manner in which O’Brien asks a question and states that it is difficult to perceive exactly what is being asked due to the wording, also known as ‘the hollow dance’. It has all the surface attributes of an authentic process of inquiry and revelation but, upon analysis, it’s clear that very little information flows from the verbal content of the interview to the waiting minds of the viewing citizens. They have slim pickings in the form of generalised platitudes. The political interview between Gillard and O’Brien seems so ‘frozen’ on both sides that it is almost useless. By asking such embellished questions with a lot of room for interpretation (use of metaphors, etc.) it has allowed Gillard, who is already media trained, to give a carefully crafted response which she can use to her a dvantage. In other words, the journalist has put the interviewee in a position of power which is not advised (Clarke, 2012, pp. 57-76). What are the main ways that interviewers can overcome this problem? Describe at least two of them as discussed in the chapter. Clarke (2012) explains that Carleton’s question is kicked off with a metaphor, but the image it conjured went swiftly to the nub of the event that had recently occurred and by implication, the intense emotions and fracturing of Labor traditions surrounding that event (Clarke, 2012, p. 59). Interviewers can consider the ratio of words they are using to question their subjects versus the amount of words being used to answer their questions. To achieve a more balanced interview transaction the interviewer could alter their technique, if necessary, to improve the outcomes of an interview. Additionally, interviewers can ask short, carefully crafted questions with a stronger interrogative thrust and fewer ‘distractions’ for the wary interviewee to seize upon if avoidance is their main intention – in the style of Leigh Sales (Clarke, 2012, p. 59). By keeping it simple and not asking double or triple barrelled questions, you are making it more difficult for the interviewee to stray from the answer you seek. Can you think of an interview you have seen or read or heard recently that you thought was effective and interesting? Describe what it was that made it effective and interesting for you. Recently I watched an interview between Andrew Denton and Hugh Jackman on Enough Rope. It was interesting because Jackman is notoriously difficult to interview, since he has been interviewed many times throughout his career. Understandably, it would become a bit monotonous. However, Denton managed to seduce the actor with his charm and casual interview technique. The interview escalated from conversational to confessional and Jackman recounted the moment he wet his pants on stage. Denton’s technique was clearly effective, as he extracted personal and somewhat embarrassing details from his interviewee (Denton, 2004). Discussion questions for the week six tutorials For the chapter from Australian Journalism Today about covering traumatic events, the questions are: The chapter discusses the damage that can be caused by careless or indifferent coverage of traumatic events. What specifically is Kimina Lyall talking about? Lyall speaks of common practices that can aggravate powerlessness, such as camping outside a survivor’s home despite being asked to leave, or even filming a potential interview subject declining a request for an interview (Lyall, 2012, p. 35). Teichroeb (2009) states that he thinks it’s insulting to a victim to go in and take their story and leave and put it in the newspaper without having that relationship – without them being able to say this is OK and this is not (as cited in Lyall, 2012, p. 36). The author also says to avoid the temptation to slot storylines into a series of pre-constructed narratives, such as the hero story or the constructed villain. This type of unthinking, formulaic reporting only serves to frustrate and compound survivor’s grief as well as reinforce the community perception ( as cited in Lyall, 2012, p. 36). Lyall (2012) mentions that journalists can be tempted into taking short cuts that dispense with basic techniques, including checking facts and verifying events with other people present (Lyall, 2012, p. 37). What is post-traumatic stress disorder and to what extent does it affect journalists? Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a psychiatric disorder that can affect someone who has witnessed a traumatic event, for example, through military service, surviving a natural disaster, or covering a school shooting. Some individuals will have stress reactions that do not pass with time and their symptoms can worsen. Individuals who suffer from PTSD often recall the experience through nightmares and flashbacks, have trouble sleeping, and feel isolated or estranged, and these symptoms can be extreme enough to significantly impact the person’s daily life. It can affect journalists by making them ‘psychologically homeless’ along with preventing them from returning to work because it is so severe (Lyall, 2012, p. 30). What are the main components of self-care for journalists? Lyall (2012) suggests creating a ‘buffer’ between the work experience and the home experience by taking time out alone at the end of the assignment, through to exercise or immersion in family life outside of the working day (Lyall, 2012, p. 38). The first step is recognising the risks. Journalists should expect the possibility of experiencing strong feelings themselves, and recognise this is not a sign of professional weakness but a normal human reaction. Essential resilience advice includes getting enough food, water, sleep and exercise – and reducing the reliance on alcohol – during a distressing assignment. During the assignment, intense emotions should be expected, acknowledged and, if possible, shared honestly with colleagues either at the scene or in the newsroom. Journalists should not be afraid to seek professional help if symptoms persist (Lyall, 2012, p. 38). Reference List Clarke, P. (2012). The interview: a hollow dance looking for new moves? In M. Ricketson (Eds.), Australian Journalism Today (pp. 57-77). South Yarra, Australia: Palgrave Macmillan. Denton, A. (Presenter). (2004, May 10). Interview with Hugh Jackman [Television broadcast]. In Enough Rope with Andrew Denton. Sydney, Australia: ABC. Lyall, K. (2012). Covering traumatic events without traumatising yourself or others. In M. Ricketson (Eds.), Australian Journalism Today (pp. 28-44). South Yarra, Australia: Palgrave Macmillan. Name: Leanne DuckStudent ID: u3065597