Saturday, August 31, 2019

Being Admired or Being Liked

Adolescence is a crucial stage in the development of an individual. It is at this period that psychological and emotional issues arise even at times to the point of creating depressive and disruptive behavior problems in adolescents. One of the many factors that affect the development of an adolescent is the social status he or she possesses. In the case of adolescents, this social status is determined primarily in the school environment.A recent study by Oldehinkel and associates, examines the relationships of the different variables of social status of adolescents with that of depressive problems. The study concluded that depressive problems are primarily affected by two domains of social status which are achievement-related and affection-related social status. With the results of the studies, it is further recommended that what information that has been obtained be used for future studies that will endeavor to solve the dilemma of social status on adolescents.In praise of the stud y, the researchers have made a novel contribution to psychology through the use of a wide scope and delimitation of the subject matter. Article Review: Being Admired or Being Liked Adolescence has been widely known as one of the most complicated as well the most interesting stage in the development of an individual. It is at this stage that one’s unique identity is discovered and developed. Thus, adolescents experience a variety of challenges usually related to their psychological and emotional health.In the research study made by Oldehinkel and associates entitled â€Å"Being Admired or Being Liked: Classroom Social Status and Depressive Problems in Early Adolescent Girls and Boys†, the relationships and connections of different aspects of social status of adolescents with that of depressive problems in the classroom environment were analyzed and discussed. Hypothesis and Purpose of the Study Oldehinkel and comrades cited many studies not only on animals but on humans as well concerning the long-known association of low social status with depressive problems (2007).Social status has been defined in two ways, that is, through achievements and affections. In terms of achievements, the element of competition is present whereas in terms of affection, acceptance into a social group is crucial (Oldehinkel, 2007). Although both are considered measurements of social status, they are completely different from each other. In the study by Oldehinkel, the importance of these two definitions of social status was studied in line with depressive problems of adolescent boys and girls (2007).The study primarily focused on the adolescence stage since this period is interestingly considered as a crucial point where depressive problems are frequently encountered. Achievement-related and affection-related social statuses were primarily analyzed in the study. These two views of social status are usually factors that affect the arousal of depressive problems in indivi duals. In previous studies, the relationships of gender difference to the two definitions of social status have been greatly examined.Such studies show that males tend to be affected more by achievement-related social status while females tend to be affected more of affection-related status (Oldehinkel, 2007). In connection to recent and previous studies, the study constructed by Oldehinkel and associates was a concoction of all the studies. Its very purpose is to examine the relationship between early adolescent’s depressive problems and social status in the classroom environment (Oldehinkel, 2007).The major hypothesis tested by the researchers is that low peer status in the achievement-related domain is most significant for depressive problems in boys, while in girls, depressive problems are more strongly associated with low peer status in the affection-related domain (Oldehinkel, 2007). A secondary hypothesis is also formulated where researchers infer that high social stat us in a particular area will compensate for the individual’s depression problems and low status in another particular area (Oldehinkel, 2007).Methodology of the Study Sample Participants Participants were recruited initially by employing the Tracking Adolescents’ Individual Lives Survey or TRAILS, which is a study on preadolescents whose aim is to track and explain the development of the participants (Oldehinkel, 2007, p. 419). The participants were selected in two stages. A request to give names and addresses of all inhabitants born in a particular year range is made to five municipalities, urban and rural alike, in the North of the Netherlands (Oldehinkel, 2007).In this step, 3483 names were listed (Oldehinkel, 2007). In addition, the researchers also approached primary schools of the same municipalities this time, to request participation in TRAILS. In order for children to be eligible, their schools should approve participation requests. A second wave of the TRAILS became the sample population of the study. All in all, the total number of the participants who were eligible and accepted to be part of the study, excluding the parents and the schools, is 1046 (Oldehinkel, 2007).In addition to these participants, schools having the TRAILS participants were requested to partake in peer information and nominations to determine the social status of the participating adolescents. Furthermore, the parents of the participating adolescents also became part of the information gathering. Measure Employed for Data Collection For the affection-related and achievement-related status, the information was obtained from the peer nominations from the participating schools. Questionnaires were formulated; six of which are affection-related such as â€Å"Which classmates do you like?†, whereas, achievement-related questions such as â€Å"Who are good at sports? † numbered three (Oldehinkel, 2007, p. 420). Proportion of nominations was used to determi ne the degree of peer status. Information for the participants’ depressive problems was obtained through the help of the adolescents’ parents. Questionnaires were again employed for this type of data gathering. The particular questionnaire used is the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL) which is a commonly utilized questionnaire for child and adolescent psychiatric research (Oldehinkel, 2007, p.420). In addition to the data collected from the parents, self-reports from participating adolescents were also gathered through the use of the questionnaire Youth Self-Report, the counterpart of CBCL (Oldehinkel, 2007, p. 420). Statistical Analysis Statistical methods to test the hypothesis and the relationships between the different groups of information were employed. These include means of and correlations of the different variables, means of t-tests and z-tests (Oldehinkel, 2007, p. 421). Furthermore, linear regression analyses were also done.To better compare the different var iables to social status, the researchers constructed a system of four combined status groups. In this system, low and high (1) refers to adolescents with a low status in an area and a high status on another area, only low (2) refers to adolescents having a low status in one area and no high status, only high (3) refers to adolescents having only high status and no low status and lastly, intermediate (4) refers to adolescents who are neither low nor high in status in all areas (Oldehinkel, 2007, p. 421). Results and DiscussionResults show that females have more nominations of being good learners as well as good-looking, whereas boys were nominated predominantly as good in sports. No significant gender differences were observed for affection-related status although results point out that girls are more veered to depressive problems while boys to disruptive behavior problems (Oldehinkel, 2007, p. 422). In girls, depressive problems were usually due to association to being disliked whil e boys’ depressive problems are correlated with being good at sports (Oldehinkel, 2007, p.422). An interesting result obtained is that much like girls, boys’ depressive problems are highly related to the affection-related social status (Oldehinkel, 2007, p. 422). This is contrary to the previous studies that have shown that boys tend to have depressive problems caused primarily by achievement-related low social status. Interestingly, the results of the study also show that through the distribution of the participants into the four status groups systems, males and females are actually equally distributed (Oldehinkel, 2007, p. 423).This is significant since it exhibits that there are no substantial gender differences when it comes to social or peer status. Going back to the hypotheses formulated by Oldehinkel and associates, both hypotheses are supported by the results in the general scope although in the individual status groups, some trends vary. Nevertheless, the resu lts show that girls’ depressive problems tend to be affected by affection-related low social status while boys’ depressive problems are more likely to be caused by achievement-related low social status.Furthermore, data shows that the adolescents’ high social status in one domain tends to counteract the effect of a low social status in another domain, thus, lessening the instances of depressive problems. Generally, there is gender difference between achievement and affection-related social status. However, no significant gender difference is evident on the sports-related domain. This illustrates that girls are also excelling in sports which is contrary to traditional belief that sports is particularly related to males (Oldehinkel, 2007, p. 425).This may be explained by the growing trend in society regarding gender equality. Comments and Recommendations What the researchers have discovered is novel. Although there have been many previous studies that tackle the t opic of their study, the scope and delimitation of the research study conducted by Oldehinkel and associates has a far wider domain. With its multiple variables and various measures of data analysis, the researchers obtained a great deal of information. Thus, such study is a great contribution to adolescent psychology. The sample size and the duration of the study are also remarkable.Its relatively large sample size is a guarantee that the sample population is appropriately represented. The three years duration of the study also adds to the assurance that the data obtained from the study is reliable. The data collection was also appropriate. However, it is recommended that researchers should have cited the participating municipalities along with other communal information of the respondents. Furthermore, the methodology and statistical analysis of the study is commendable. Although some of the described procedures are complicated, the results have been presented clearly.Lastly, and the most interesting of the research study is its open-ended conclusion wherein the researchers themselves urge the creation of future studies to further make use of the results and conclusions obtained in the study. It is quite proper that further studies be done to obtain solutions to the social status problems and depressive as well as disruptive behavior problems of adolescents. Reference Oldehinkel, J. A. , Rosmalen, J. G. M. , Veenstra, R. , Dijkstra, J. K. & Ormel, J. (2007). Being Admired or Being Liked: Classroom Social Status and Depressive Problems in Early Adolescent Girls an

Friday, August 30, 2019

High School and Goals Essay

Hello my name is Rick Brooks and this is my student story. What the on course book has helped me with the most is getting me to commit to my goals and dreams. I was once a bright eyed young high school student with the dreams of going to college and making something out of myself. My graduation year from High School was 1992, yes 20 years ago, and yes that makes me 38 years old. I grew up with a family of 5 having four siblings and just my father to raise us. Money was tight and going to a four year university was out of the question. Information about scholarships at my school was minimal. I began working full time and decided to go to college anyways. So in 1992 I enrolled at AB Tech Technical college. Working full time and not having a very good commitment to my goals and dreams, I did not do so well. I eventually dropped out after my third quarter. At this time I did not even know to drop my classes, I just stopped going, what a big mistake. I now have several F’s on my transcript from 1992. 20 years and one fifteen year old daughter later, I have began to achieve my goals and dreams again. This is where On Course Strategies for Creating Success in College and in Life came into my life. Upon starting the ACA 115 01 class I was very reluctant. I had already taken some college courses and had done well, at least until I dropped out. I figured that I did not need this class and I was pissed that the college was making me take it. When the class started on chapter 3, things began to make sense. I needed to design a compelling life plan. I had no idea how to do this. As I went on in the course, I starting figuring things out, things that I already knew I wanted, but thinks to On Course it started to all make sense. I needed to set goals. But how does one set goals, I thought that I knew how, but I did not. The book showed me how to use the DAPPS rule, which is dated, achievable, personal, positive and specific. I have since then set some goals and dreams for myself. I plan on graduation with my business degree from AB Tech college, that’s goal number one. Then I will pursue my dream. I want to open a bar and grill beachside in Key West FL. Before the On Course book I would have never thought these goals to be possible, but when I starting asking myself are these goals dated. Yes they are. I will graduate college in 2013. Are they achievable? Yes graduation is just around the corner and I have already taken a couple of trips to Key West to scope out the location for my restaurant. The book says that a goal should be at least 50 percent believable to me. It is now more like 75 percent believable to me now! Are my goals personal? Yes, nothing would satisfy me more the when I walk the stage and get my degree. I will be the first out of my four siblings (which are all grown now and not enrolled in college) to get a degree from college. I am motivated because these goals are mine and no one else’s. Are my goals positive? Yes, going through this course I realized that I should focus on what I want and not to focus on what I don’t want. Are my goals specific? Yes, my goals are specific. I will be able to measure my success when I get my degree next year. I only have six classes left, it’s been a long road, but a rewarding one. Whenever I start to stray from my course, I remember my goals and dreams. I have worked way too hard and have came way too far to give up now. My dreams are my motivation into the future, they will guide me from here on out. I am thankful for my dreams, and I am thankful for On Course for putting me on course to my life plan by showing me how to commit to my goals and dreams. Thank you On Course!

Scarce resource article

Nursing Shortage:   An Issue of Scarce ResourceThe present nursing shortage is a serious issue which poses a real threat to the future of the healthcare system especially on patients.   Research published last year by ANA predicts that the US will have a shortage of 1 million nurses by 2020 (http://bhpr.hrsa.gov/healthworkforce  /reports/behindrnprojections/4.htm), a bottleneck at US nursing schools caused more than 42 000 qualified applicants to be turned away in 2006-2007 (p.1623).Nursing experts attributed this shortage to five influencing factors.   First, it is mainly due to the simultaneous graying of the nurse workforce or the age or retirement of older nurses. Second, many are leaving the profession due to overworked and some even migrated to other countries in search for high paying ones.   Third, the number (especially the younger generations) entering the nursing profession continues to decline as they see the lack of stability and thus tend to choose other caree rs (American Nurses Association, 2003).Fourth, US nursing schools face a growing faculty shortage, schools lack the physical facilities, too few clinical training placements, and limited fund; all of these have not been able to keep pace with the demand. Fifth, while it is easy to blame the government for this shortage due to lack of funding for nursing programs, however, equally important is career burn out.   It can’t be denied that nursing is one among the many jobs that has a stressful work environment.   So, the job itself is responsible for this shortage.Further, CareerJournal.com has surveyed several students who mentioned that the best careers do not include nursing.   Some of the respondents mentioned that the lack of funding and facilities to train new nurses, poor working conditions in hospitals and poor salary scale make the nursing profession not a compensatory career.What makes this issue even worse is that research studies have found the shortage is alrea dy having a proven, adverse effect on the ability to deliver quality healthcare in the US.   One important negative effect on patient healthcare is the increased risk of patient deaths as simply there are not enough nurses to safely care for patients.   Another is the increased medical errors arising from many complications because of this shortage.   All of this equates to the inadequacy to meet the future health care needs of Americans.Because of all these, patient’s safety is threatened and health care quality is deteriorating.   This is because nurses are greatly responsible for the majority of patient care, as they perform the vital functions in a patient’s confinement in the hospital and thus providing more face to face services than doctors. But we need to ensure that there are enough registered nurses to meet future demands. What makes this issue even worse is that research studies have found the shortage is already having a proven, adverse effect on th e ability to deliver quality healthcare in the US.One important negative effect on patient healthcare is the increased risk of patient deaths as simply there are not enough nurses to safely care for patients.   Another is the increased medical errors arising from many complications because of this shortage.   All of this equates to the inadequacy to meet the future health care needs of Americans.To address this shortage, solutions must be developed in several areas, such as in education, healthcare deliver systems, policy and regulations, and image. This shortage is not solely nursings` issue and requires a collaborative effort among nursing leaders in practice and education, health care executives, government, and the media. Thus, the American government, nursing agencies, and other concerned groups have taken some steps to alleviate the nursing shortage such as to increase the number of admissions to theAmerican nursing education and improving working environment to retain nur ses.   On the other hand, they are pushing for budget changes which they hope to address the lack of funding issue of the nursing program.   Research has shown that quality of workplace environment and job satisfaction is correlated, which impacts on quality of care and patient outcomes.   ANA (2003) urge governments to act swiftly to develop a national health human resource strategy.But there are many barriers to the resolutions as addressing the shortage is really a difficult task.   For one, the government itself lack a substantive commitment to the health of Americans and that these barriers has increased due to the different views between policy making and health human resource planning.   But if this issue has to be resolved, all concerned groups; nurses, hospitals, clinics, and the government should work hand in hand.   Many concerned groups believed that an integrated health human resource strategy that includes the expeditious licensure and acceptance of those w ho wish to immigrate or who already reside in the different states of the US is needed to resolve the nursing shortage.Nurses are vital in the health care system, thus the government, nursing associations, employers, educators, and others have collaborated to address the nursing shortage issue. Nursing has been burdened with societal expectations of selflessness and devotion.   Thus, a high ethical and legal standard should be met by all American nurses.The nursing shortage carries with it a lot of implications.   Foremost, this has affected the quality and safety of the entire American health care system as nothing is more critical to the health and well being of Americans than safe, sound, and available health care.   Thus, the governments, professional associations, educators, administrators and employers have accelerated their efforts to reduce the potential threat of this shortage and thus minimize the potential public risk.   Hence, nursing education would flourish and nursing graduates would increase in number. With this, nursing graduates will have a positive job outlook as their demand is high. With these efforts, the nursing shortage would come to an end and nurses could provide the Americans with a safe and high quality health care.ReferencesAmerican Medical Association (2007).   No End in Sight to Nursing Shortage:   Bottleneck atNursing Schools a Key Factor.   Vol 298, No. 14. Available:American Nurses Association. (2003). Planning for the Future: Nursing Human ResourceProjections.   Available:   http://www.nursingworld.org/ojin/topic14/tpc14_4.htmNevidjon, B., Erickson, J. (January 31, 2001) The Nursing Shortage: Solutions for the Shortand Long Term Online Journal of Issues in Nursing. Vol. #6, No. #1, Manuscript 4.Available: http://www.nursingworld.org/ojin/topic14/tpc14_4.htm

Thursday, August 29, 2019

Debate Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Debate - Assignment Example According to Nelson et al (2011), all children, irrespective of their learning or physical abilities require training on how to become resilient people. Resilience is a crucial part of life that all children need to acquire to enable them deal positively with any form of adversity and hardships in life. Positive discipline is an essential aspect that parents can use to teach children to develop positive qualities in life. If parents deny children with disabilities rates of discipline that can help them develop these qualities, they will be denying them something valuable. It will be rational for parents and teachers to discipline children with special needs in the same they do typically developing children (Bowers, & Pickhardt, 2011). According to martin (2004), it is a wise thing for parents and teachers to maintain the same levels of discipline to all children. This author argues that keeping a consistency in discipline for all children will promote a healthy environment, for them to grow up. It is reasonable for parents and teachers to have inclusive systems for typically growing children and those with special needs. Such inclusion will ensure a balanced attitude among children. Disciplining them differently will promote the development of attitudes that are likely to lead to discrimination. Excluding children with special needs from punishment has the potential to prompt the typically developing children to portray a negative attitude to those excluded. As the Virginia department of education (2010) noted, discipline is a very crucial aspect for children with special needs. The article highlights the fact that even children with special needs are subject to the development of codes of behavior that have negative effects to society just like their typically developing counter parts. Therefore, it is essential for parents and teachers to have this awareness and take preventive measures. Excluding children with special needs from

Wednesday, August 28, 2019

Unit 2 Individual Project Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Unit 2 Individual Project - Essay Example chieved while keeping in view the element of value addition in mind since sea food being a generic commodity; we believe our unique selling proposition will be value addition. Since the main market for our product is UAE which has very strict requirements for quality, therefore, our most important feature of the product will be the value addition. Our solo motto is producing quality seafood stuff which not only taking into account all the health related issues. We understand that for our customers it is very necessary that they receive nutrition which is on one hand is healthy and harmless to consume but it must also contain an element of taste and quality in it. Since Product quality, as a variable relating marketer’s action to consumer’s response largely depends upon the competitive positioning (Yoon & Kijewski, 1997)of the company therefore our product through its USP of freshness, quality and health consciousness will provide us the competitive positioning in the market. However, how a consumer makes a purchase decision depends upon how he or she is going to make a decision and whether the consumer either go through all the step or skip some and adopt other steps to make a purchase. The element of post purchase however can not be made before the purchase is actually done since after purchasing the product or service, consumer may either come up with positive or negative feedback about it. If we analyses the first stage of the process, we come to know that it is the stage where the actual need for the product and service arise. If at this stage, consumer is motivated enough, he will then proceed on to buy the product. In order to successfully launch our product, we believe there is a need for our product. Our industry analysis suggest that Being the coastal area, UAE always relied on the production and consumption of fish before the oil wealth started to flow into the UAE. Also due to more tourists being attracted to UAE, the demand for fish is also

Tuesday, August 27, 2019

Final Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 2

Final - Essay Example US commission on Civil rights serves as an overall advisor as well as a watchdog and the country’s civil rights division within the department of justice bears the responsibility of enforcing non-discrimination statutes. Nevertheless, the dispersion of responsibilities in agencies with different agendas affected the process of affirmative action implementation. However, all the agencies were concerned with application of non-discriminating policies to the various segments of the US economy despite the rise of various jurisprudence disputes even within their spheres of action; besides administrative actions were related and affected other spheres. By the turn of the twenty-first century, a small number expressed support for racial discrimination after the civil rights movement progressed from obscurity during the civil war to mid-twentieth century activism to the current accepted wisdom. The non-controversial part is the reactive policy that ensures non-discrimination based on race, religion, color, sex and national origin in social, economic and educational affairs. The non-discrimination laws are designed to make sure that individuals are never judged by color of skin, but rather by the content of their character and incase a violation occurs, such individuals are entitled to remedies (Lee, 1999). Positive and Negative Results of Affirmative Action Legislation Affirmative action seems to have a short history though it is a hands-on policy that makes special efforts about employment decisions, entry into college and other public behavior as a means of compensating for past discrimination. Affirmative action bases on the thought that various groups of people even without being discriminated against currently, any individual belonging to such groups are disadvantaged in the workplace and in campuses as a result of the past discrimination aimed at the group. Therefore, affirmative action attempts to level the playing ground for all categories of citizens th ought it emphasizes on disadvantaged groups as opposed to injured individuals. Affirmative action can refer to a court-ordered, remedial programs designed to correct effects of discrimination documented in court. Proponents of affirmative action hold that affirmative action provides long-term cure for discrimination by offering victims chances to show their skills and worth, which eventually changes prejudicial attitudes. Nevertheless, opponents of this controversial program argue that affirmative action never addresses the cause of inequality and the program can create labor market inefficiencies and result in reverse discrimination. Therefore, both sides suggest that effective affirmative action would cause minority employment to increase however; the sides disagree on whether this raise is efficient and on whether it would be sustainable if affirmative action ended (Lee, 1999). Currently there is small opportunity to measure the impact of eradicating affirmative action programs. As Federal, support for enforcement faded and flowed, the Supreme Court ruling in the past decade chipped away at affirmative action making it difficult to confirm whether concurrent changes in minority outcomes are due to affirmative actio

Monday, August 26, 2019

Disciplinary Rhetoric Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Disciplinary Rhetoric - Essay Example which outlines the differences between the treatment of lepers in Medieval Christian and Medieval Islamic society. Based on these three articles, several features of the writing of Medieval history stand out. These features are: knowledge tends to be fairly specialized, with all authors having a general idea of the overall history of the middle ages but a much more intensive focus on a small part of that history, reliance on written primary sources, heavy use of conjecture to compensate for the paucity of written primary sources, and an odd mixture of clear and simple writing with little assumption of former knowledge and use of specialized writing, making this writing both accessible and inaccessible to a layman simultaneously. One of the first things that becomes apparent in studies of medieval history is that an incredibly accessible writing style, which assumes very little previous knowledge in the field, seems to be very highly regarded. For instance, even though one would assum e that a basic overview of the process of the Norman Conquest of England, one of the defining features of Medieval History, would be known by anyone who would bother reading an academic article on the subject, James MacGregor opens his article by explaining that â€Å"after the Norman Conquest, William the Conqueror consolidated his authority over England by rewarding his companions with lands in his newly won kingdom† (MacGregor, 219). This structure is paralleled in Chevedden’s article, which explains the beginning of the First Crusade, a subject that most medievalists would probably not need explained (Chevedden, 183). These authors go even further than to explain the basic underpinnings of the history they are discussing, by for instance always ensuring that the identity of every person discussed is explained. When referring to â€Å"Ali, ibn Tahir al-Sulami,† Chevedden does not simply assume that anyone who would be reading his article would know that perso n because they were important in the field of medieval history, but explains that he was â€Å"a legal scholar and preacher at the great Mosque of Damascus [†¦] six years after the conquest of Jerusalem in 1099† (Chevedden, 184). Likewise, Dols in his article on Leprosy in Islam explains details about individuals who suffered from the disease, where they were placed in their society, and what their role was in history (Dols, 892). Medievalists seem to go to great lengths to avoid assuming prior knowledge on the part of their readers about specifics of the history they discuss. They outline major events, names and places before going on to deeper analysis, which makes their writing incredibly accessible. This is probably done because Medieval History is such a wide-spread and diverse field, covering many different nations and time periods, so even experts might not have details on another expert’

Sunday, August 25, 2019

Organizational Diagnosis in MBA Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Organizational Diagnosis in MBA - Assignment Example The survey also found that â€Å"RIMs BlackBerry smartphone was the leading choice in Canada, outpacing the Apple iPhone.† (News 7). Market research firm Comscore Canada gave following important figures from the results of the survey of 5,000 people. The Comscore found that the â€Å"top smartphone platform in Canada was RIM (42 percent), followed by Apple (31 percent) and Android (12.2 percent).† (Paul Sakuma 7) The Associated Press reported in USA TODAY that the â€Å"Palm sales figures showed it's having a difficult time getting consumers to pay attention to its phones in a market dominated by iPhones and BlackBerrys. The company shipped 960,000 smartphones to stores and distributors in the quarter that ended Feb. 26, 23% more than in the previous quarter. However, the number of phones that were actually bought by consumers was 408,000, down 29% from the previous quarter. By comparison, Apple sold 8.7 million iPhones in its most recent quarter.†(Svenson 8) The product and services of Palm Inc. were revised last year by introducing a new phone operating system, webOS. Its the basis for a new line of phones, led by the Pre, that have won critical praise but haven't turned the company's fortunes around. A reinforcing loop is â€Å"one in which an action produces a result which influences more of the same action thus resulting in growth or decline. The reinforcing loop is one of the two foundational structures of systems thinking, the other being the Balancing Loop.† (Bellinger 7) The reinforcing loop of Palm Inc. illustrated in figure 1 show that uncompetitive products are returned back with the diminishing sale. The major line of products of Palm Inc. is smartphones which have a tough competition with Apple iPhone and RIM’s Blackberry and now Google’s Android. â€Å"Some analysts have said the window of opportunity for Palm may be closing."

Saturday, August 24, 2019

Who are the typical winners and losers in an inflation and how does Essay

Who are the typical winners and losers in an inflation and how does inflation make them winners or losers - Essay Example Stockholders will benefit from a higher inflation as the factors that increase the price of goods also increases the values of companies (Money Expert 7). Also, as prices of products increase, owners of small businesses will be in a position to manage fixed-rate debt from investments in different business requirements. Citizens who earn low incomes may find it tough during the times of inflation. Low-income earners tend to have their wealth in cash unlike the wealthy who invest in real and financial assets. Low-income earners face challenges because inflation affects the value of their primary asset, which is cash (Money Expert 9). When a country faces inflation, the value of money goes down, and people tend to spend often since they have to spend all the money in their possession. The people on fixed incomes will find it challenging when inflation is high; unanticipated inflation on fixed income earners will make their income go down. High inflation also affects the economy of a country since the consuming power of citizens goes down while the standard of living reduces (Miller

Friday, August 23, 2019

Strategic Analysis of Sainsbury Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Strategic Analysis of Sainsbury - Essay Example In spite of the prevailing issues, the UK market has been able to acquire a stable and reasonable growth rate (Li, 2008, p.1). There are about 92,796 grocery stores in UK which is further divided into four sections, Convenience store; super markets, hypermarkets and superstores; Traditional retails and online channels (IGD, 2011). The biggest retail grocery chain in UK comprises of Tesco, Sainsbury, Morrison and ASDA, accounts for 67.9% of the total grocery market of UK (Li, 2008, p.2). Strategic Analysis Strategy is defined as the scope and direction of an organisation for long term, which is set to achieve advantage for the organisation by way of configuring its resources within a changing environment and to fulfil the demands of the stakeholders (Paul, et.al, 2010, p.36). SWOT Analysis Strength: Sainsbury ranks third in the supermarket chain of UK with about 14.30% of market share. This company has a strong market position in UK and was a pioneered in self service relating and in the development of private label goods. Sainsbury initiatives have kept the company at the number 3 position. Sainsbury strength lies on its strap line which states to try something new each day (Li, 2008, p. 4). The Business Model of Sainsbury, which comprises of five headings, great food offered at fair price, accelerating the growth of non food items, reaching customers by way of traditional means of channels, expanding supermarket space and property management is one of the important strengths of Sainsbury. Major strength of Sainsbury, is that the brand believes in providing the customers with sage, healthy, tasty and fresh food. The company emphasise more on fresh food and continues to innovate products according to the requirements of its customers. The company currently transact 21 million customers per week and have captured a market share of 16% which further adds to the strength of the company. The company offers about 30,000 products and also offers a wide range of non fo od products and services. The internet based home delivery service also adds to the advantage of the company (J Sainsbury Plc, 2011, p.3). Weakness: A major weakness of Sainsbury is that the company deals only in two types of store formats, the traditional supermarket and the convenience stores. As compared to other grocery retail outlet, Sainsbury has the least number of types of stores. Tesco has six different store formats which have greatly contributed to the success of Tesco. Another weakness for Sainsbury would be recession. It has been reported that the company has shown signs of poor sales figure with the warnings of recession. Sainsbury has recorded the slowest sales growth ever since 2005 and its share price dip to 327.7p which was analysed that the company was lagging behind its competitors. The company has the weakest operating margin in the food retail sector as compared to its competitors such as Tesco (Finch, 2010).Thus the company must overcome the weakness by using its strength. Opportunities: A huge opportunity lies with Sainsbury to grow as the UK retail market is growing at a steady rate, it provides ample opportunity for the company to utilise its resources and capabilities and grow and achieve a decent market share. With its five main areas of growth, this includes great food at great price, increasing the number of complimentary food, reaching customers by home deliver, and by active property manageme

Thursday, August 22, 2019

Strategic marketing management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Strategic marketing management - Essay Example This has been of great help in improving the reputation that the company has had in the market especially after the major recall of vehicles in 2010. The second principle that the company has put in place in the United Kingdom market is a functional business structure whereby the company has put in place different measures that will help in meeting the needs of the consumers (Chaston 2009). Some of the needs that Toyota has put in place in the United Kingdom include a corporate website for the consumers in the United Kingdom only, where they can ask questions and deliver any queries with regard to the products offered by the company. This has helped the company managers to understand the consumer behaviour in the United Kingdom, which they say is the most important factor in determining the competitive advantage of the company in the current market (Hulbert 2007). The company has also organized meetings where consumers are allowed to pass on any complaints or queries, which are to be dealt with within the company (Chaston 2009). On the other hand, this has helped the company in increasing the efficiency to delivering quality products and services to the consumers, which has in turn translated to an increase in the satisfaction levels of the consumers thereby improving the reputation of the company in this market (Slate 2009). The company has also employed this principle by offering free test drives to consumers to help them ascertain the quality of automotives that are being delivered to them by the company. The third and very essential principle that Toyota has employed in the United Kingdom market is market solutions whereby the company has been able to understand that primary target of the consumers in the United Kingdom is acquiring motor vehicles that are of the best quality, which will be able to endure any type of environment (Chaston 2009). On the other hand, the consumer is focused in having his spoken and unspoken needs met by the company, thus the co mpany has been on the forefront in conducting market research studies to understand what the consumers need so as to improve their corporate image (Slate 2009). Through these studies that the company has conducted over the years, it is clear it has segmented the consumers into different markets. This makes it easy to deliver quality and effective products to them (Viardot 2004). The company has also exploited the use of technological advancements in promoting the products in the United Kingdom, such as advertisements over the internet and on television stations to make its consumers aware of the quality of vehicles that the company is offering (Viardot 2004). The company should also focus on Segmentation, Targeting, and Positioning of products sold in the United Kingdom. The first stage will involve the segmentation of the consumers into different groups making it easier to deliver on their needs. Toyota has been using a philosophy known as ‘right car in the right placeâ€℠¢ to segment and target its consumers in other countries around the world (McDonald 2012). Hence, using this philosophy, the company will be able to segment the

Improved and reliable car technology Essay Example for Free

Improved and reliable car technology Essay This means it is much more appealing to travel, maybe to further places on the motorway network as it is so easy. This has an impact on travel and tourism as more people are willing to travel. Air Travel.   Dr. Hans von Ohain and Sir Frank Whittle are both recognized as being the co-inventors of the jet engine. Each worked separately and knew nothing of the others work. Hans von Ohain is considered the designer of the first operational turbojet engine. Frank Whittle was the first to register a patent for the turbojet engine in 1930. Hans von Ohain was granted a patent for his turbojet engine in 1936. However, Hans von Ohains jet was the first to fly in 1939. Frank Whittles jet first flew in 1941.   The development of pressurised cabins meant that there was a supply of air which then they could fly higher and get out of the troposphere where all the weather conditions affected the flight. As without the pressurised cabin, flights couldnt go above in to the stratosphere, into the thin air as there would be no air supply. This meant flights are more enjoyable and quicker, therefore more appealing to the public. Aircrafts can now reach heights of 30,000- 40,000 ft, whereas they could only reach heights of 15,000 ft. The Boeing 747, also popularly known as the jumbo jet, is the second largest passenger airliner after Airbus A380, but it remains the largest aircraft in commercial service. The 747 was born out of the explosion of the popularity of air travel in the 1960s. The enormous popularity of the Boeing 707 had revolutionised long distance travel in the world, and had began the concept of the global travel made possible by the jet revolution. The original design was a full length double decker. However, following issues with proposed evacuation routes, this idea was scrapped in favour of a wide-body design. Concorde 001 took off for the first test flight from Toulouse on March 2nd 1969 and the first supersonic flight followed on October 1st. As the flight program of the first development aircraft progressed as planned, 001 started off on a sales and demonstration tour beginning on September 4th 1971. Not until June 2nd 1972 did Concorde 002 follow suit with a sales tour of the Middle and Far East. Concorde 002 made the first visit to the United States in 1973, landing at the new Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport to commemorate its opening. Technological features. Many technological features common in the early 21st century airliners were first used in Concorde For speed optimization, Concorde featured:   Double-delta shaped wings   Thrust-by-wire engines, ancestor of todays FADEC controlled engines.   Droop nose section for good landing visibility For weight-saving and enhanced performance, Concorde featured:   Fully electrically controlled analogue fly-by-wire flight controls systems. I got this picture from: http://www. nationmaster. com/encyclopedia/Concorde * Computerised checking-in and baggage handling also makes going on holiday so much easier and more appealing for people to go on holiday. This therefore has an impact on travel and tourism as people are more willing and confident to go on holiday as everything is so much quicker and easier.   Sophisticated air traffic control makes going on a plane even safer as technological developments have vastly improved. This therefore gives people more confidence in flying and therefore more people do. I got this table from: http://www. air-quality-management. co. uk   This table shows how the quantity of people using air travel has increased since 1970. It has predicted the amount of passengers from 2010 to 2030. It also shows an increase. This is because it is becoming more popular to fly and as it is more comfortable, entertainment on the flight and its much quicker which makes it so much more appealing to fly. * The growth of regional airports has also increased due to the amount of people wanting to travel abroad. Airports have many facilities which make it easier for the public. There are monorails and coaches to the airport from the car parks that make it so much more accessible to get the airport. This is why the travel and tourism industry is increasing as everything including the facilities and ability to travel is much more efficient and easier. Conclusion. The impact air travel has had on the travel and tourism industry is significant. This is because since the 2nd world war planes have become bigger as so they can hold more people making flights cheaper. This means more people can afford to go on holiday to far destinations and also have the better quality journey. Therefore air travel has affected travel and tourism greatly. Sea Travel. * Sea travel has changed since the 2nd world war from the main form of global passenger transport to shorter-journey car ferries and cruises. This is because people use to go on a ferry to America because flying was very uncomfortable as technology was only developing. But when the jet engine and pressurised cabin were developed the need to go on the ferry was decreased as people could fly over instead, taking less time. This meant the ferry was not needed and so it became a cruise instead of like a `bus service`. * Ferries have become more popular due to the capacity of people they can get on them. This means that prices are reduced so it is more affordable for more people. Also as car ownership has increased the need for ferries which can hold cars is more important. The ferries such as the sea France Rodin and the Brittany ferries are good examples in which can take vehicles and loads to destinations. Each route has been specifically designed to save drivers large amounts of time and mileage, making us the logical choice of the professional. I got this picture and map from: http://www. brittanyferriesfreight. co. uk/ These are the offers Brittany Ferries include: Direct and cost-effective routes   More mileage-saving departure ports and destinations   A personal service offering individually tailored solutions. From abnormal loads to small vans Top quality food and on-board facilities This map shows where the ferry travels to. The wide choice of sailings enables people to choose the port most convenient for them, keeping driving to a minimum. The arrival ports also offer easy access to the major road networks in France and Spain, making driving on the continent easier. Ro-Ro ferries are the idea in which you take your vehicle onto the ferry and then when you get to the destination you can just `roll off`. This made it much easier and convenient as its a simple concept to use. Sir Christopher Cockerell was the inventor of the hovercraft in 1956. The hovercraft could carry twice as many passengers and vehicles, but this meant it was slower. The hover craft was replaced by the invention of the sea-cats. The sea cat would as it gets faster lift making the journey quicker. Compared to conventional ferries, the sea cat fleet of smaller, faster vessels results in fast loading and unloading coupled with the fact that all of the cross-Channel services are run from dedicated ports, makes travelling on the sea cat fast and hassle free experience. I got this picture from Google search on images under `sea cats`.   An issue which meant Health and Safety issues were considered was the landmark disaster of the Herald of free Enterprise. It capsized in the approaches to the Belgian port of Zeebrugge en route to Dover in England at 7. 05pm local time on March 6, 1987. At least 150 passengers and 38 members of the crew lost their lives, most inside the ship, from hypothermia, in the frigid water. The bow doors had been left open after departure and water flooded the car decks. The tragedy led to new safety regulations in the British ferry Industry. Conclusion. Sea travel has dramatically improved over the years since the 2nd world war where both the journey and safety wasnt good enough. Now ferries are very much more appealing to the public and offer a wide range of services. This means the public can Computerised Booking Systems. Before there was a computerised booking system, travel agents used to work with wall charts. On these charts they had lists of available different resorts and airlines. People had to write out tickets which werent very efficient. Today travel agents have a 1/4 of a million pounds worth of computer systems which they can use the website to gather useful information, quickly and efficiently. The technology also means travel agents such as Sunvil can make databases of their customers history in holidays. Another recent technology that has helped to increase the efficiency of booking a holiday is a global distribution system. This consists of a speedy dedicated-line access, a huge database of details including accommodation, travel, hotels and car hire. It is also global. This means the sales process is easier and more efficient. Global distribution Systems include: Worldspan. Worldspan provides worldwide electronic distribution of travel information, Internet products and connectivity, and e-commerce capabilities for travel agencies, travel service providers, and corporations.   Worldspan system provides approximately 16,000 travel agencies with travel data and booking capabilities for hundreds of the worlds leading travel service suppliers. Worldspan employ 2,500 people which show that the market is massive. It proves how big travel and tourism has become and how it is increasing. Amadeus. Amadeus offers a service in which the public can suit their holidays to themselves. This means information comes from all over the world to give the costumers the best chance of getting the holiday they want. The electronic information on Amadeus contains flight details, accommodation and dates in which are available. There are many online travel agents, these include: Expedia. Expedia is a virtual online travel agent which means you can book everything from you flight to hotel. Their aim is to replace high street travel agents.   Expedia also works with a GDS to get the results they want for their costumers. This has a booming impact on travel and tourism as it is so much easier to book a holiday as everything can be catered for, for your own personal needs. Sunvil Holidays.   Sunvil online offers a different service to Expedia as you cant book online whereas they offer a variety of holidays around the world. You can either book by phone or request to order a brochure. Sunvil have been operating holidays since 1970. They also offer unique tailor made travel options. This is what makes it ideal and appealing to potential costumers. Another technological development is e-ticketing. Here is the booth in which you enter your details into when you come to the airport. This means you dont need a paper ticket which gives you less things to worry about and loose. Once you have booked with the airline, you can check yourself in. this saves on time and is much more efficient. This relates to the ever growing industry of travel and tourism as everything is becoming easier and quicker to do. Making going away much more appealing to the public. (I got this picture form Google search on images. ) Conclusion. Computerised booking systems make it much easier for tourists going on holiday as it creates less hassle. This makes it much more engaging for the public. The technological development therefore relates to the increase of travel and tourism as going on holiday is so much more efficient to the technology. 3. Product Development and Innovation. Holiday camps. In the 1950`s Butlins was very popular and was the main idea for a family holiday. I got this leaflet from:http://www. butlinsmemories. com/6/id77. htm This is the leaflet from the 1950`s which states that this was the `real ` holiday that everyone wanted. This was the case then, when the concept of holidays was restricted to only the UK. Nine UK camps were built. They can be divided into three distinct eras: The pre-war camps of Skegness (1936) Clacton (1938), the wartime camps of Filey, Pwllheli and Ayr and the post-war camps of Mosney (1948), Bognor (1960), Minehead (1962) and Barry (1966). There were already quite a few holiday camps in existence but Billy Butiln took the concept to a whole new level by making them far bigger and by offering a previously unheard of range of entertainment and activities. The Butlin camps were really in a league of their own and were far larger than anything seen before or since. In the drab post-war years of mainland Britain the camps promised and delivered a world far removed from anything most people had experienced before. The brightly coloured buildings with exotic names, the seemingly endless list of entertainment and activities, the wonderful flower gardens, and all available for the equivalent of a weeks pay. Now Butlins has now become less popular as more people want to go abroad on long haul holidays as flights and accommodation is so cheap. Although, Butlins is trying to re-launch itself. It offers a range of cheap holiday with savings that will hopefully bring people back to enjoy the Butlin experience. As you can see from the screen print, the prices are low and are appealing to families to single adults looking for a good night entertainment also. I got this screen picture from: http://www. butlinsonline. co. uk/   Whereas Butlins was aimed at the working class, the new genre of holiday camps are aimed at the middle class. These camps include Centre Parcs and Oasis.   These camps offers accommodation suitable to the size of your family. The chalets are set into woodland making it very private. The main centre building offers everything from restaurants and bars to swimming pools all under one roof. Everything is very much more sophisticated than Butlins and is suited to families rather than single people. The family is a main target for travel and tourism and so centre parcs is making the most of the money that families have by accommodating for them. I got this screen print from: http://www. centerparcs. co. uk/   This screen print gives information on the resort and sells their concept well. Package holidays. * Package holidays developed in the 1960`s when jet travel was in force and people had more holiday time due to the holiday pay act by the government.

Wednesday, August 21, 2019

Health And Safety In A Mechanics And Office Construction Essay

Health And Safety In A Mechanics And Office Construction Essay Occupational Safety and Health is one of the main concerns of employers not only because of the human dimension involved but also because of their legal responsibilities. The objective of the Mauritius Employers Federation in this key area is to create greater awareness among both employers and employees about the need for a safe and healthy work environment. This is essential for the enterprises to be able to play their economic and social role. It cannot be denied that, besides the legal requirements, there is a cost-benefit relationship between OSH, on the one hand, and productivity as well as profitability, on the other. We believe that human and financial losses maybe avoided through professional safety management for the benefit of employees as well as enterprises. Health and Safety in a workshop is very important. If an employee uses equipment, tools and machinery, he should receive safety training. This should ensure that he feels confident in the use of machines and can operate them without having an accident or causing an accident to other people. Before an employee can use equipment and machines or attempt practical work in the workshop the employee must understand basic safety rules. These rules will help keep the employee and others safe in the workshop. In order to assure a safe system of work in the motor vehicle mechanical repair workshop, results from a systematic examination of a task in order to identify all the hazards and assess the risks, and which identifies safe methods of work to ensure that the hazards are eliminated or the remaining risks are minimized. A motor vehicle mechanical repair workshop constitute of several employees and several types of machineries that are being used. In order to recognize the hazards that are present, there are several steps that can be taken into consideration: Check the manufacturers instruction or data sheets for chemicals ( grease, benzene, engine oil, etc ) and equipment ( electrical trolley, towing machines, overhead lifting crane, etc ). Walk around the garage and take notes of things that an employee may thought to pose a risk. Talk to staff/employees to find out what work methods are currently in use, what training they had been given, and any particular requirements. Listen to the employees own concerns about health and safety Go through the accident book In a mechanical workshop, health and safety will deal with biological hazards, chemical hazards, physical hazards and ergonomics. Most accidents in mechanical repair involve trips and falls or poor methods of lifting and handling often resulting in serious injury. Accidents involving vehicles are  frequent and cause serious injuries and deaths . Work on petrol tanks in particular causes serious burns, hundreds of fires and some deaths. Fire and explosion Fires and explosions are the cause of most deaths and property damage in motor vehicle repair workshops. Mostly, they involve the mishandling of petrol when draining fuel tanks and lines but incidents have also occurred during hot work (any process which generates flames, sparks or heat) repairs on diesel tank or the inappropriate use of paints/thinners e.g. to light rubbish fires. Make sure that safe methods of work with flammable materials and high temperatures. Some dos and donts Use a proprietary fuel retriever/adaptor when draining petrol from tanks and lines Store containers of flammable liquids in a safe place Before carrying out any hot work on drums or other containers that may contain vapours such as petrol, diesel, paints, solvents etc carefully consider the risks. Safer options include using cold cutting/repair techniques and replacing rather than repairing. Where hot work on a tank or drum is necessary, reduce the risks by emptying, cleaning, gas-freeing or inerting. Dont drain petrol over or close to pit or drain Dont smoke, weld or carry out other hot work while handling petrol or flammable paints/thinners Dont use petrol/thinners to burn rubbish or unwanted materials Hand-arm vibration Power tools transmit vibration into the operators hands and arms. Hand-arm vibration (HAV) can cause vibration white finger, a permanent and painful numbness and tingling in the hands and arms, also painful joints and muscle weakening. Hand-held portable power tools are used extensively in motor vehicle repair workshop. Purchase tools that have been designed and constructed to reduce the risk of vibration, and are suitable for their intended use. Train workers to use them safely and keep them properly maintained. Plant and equipment Plant and equipment can cause accidents if they are used unsafely or poorly maintained. Vehicles falling/rolling off incorrectly positioned jacks or stands, particularly where they are not chocked, are one of the main causes of fatal accidents in motor vehicle repair. In particular: lifting plant and equipment, including bottle/trolley jacks, axle stands ensure they are regularly serviced, maintained and, where necessary, thoroughly examined use correct pins in axle stands correctly position jacks and axle stands, and use chocks ensure that vehicles are always properly supported Guards and other safety devices must be maintained in good condition and properly maintained. Struck by Accidents are the cause of about 20% of injuries in motor vehicle repair. This category includes being struck by vehicles falling off inspection lifts, materials falling from elevated storage areas or the raised forks on fork lift trucks, by tools and materials ejected from plant and equipment and by movement of vehicles under repair. Tyre removal, replacement and inflation Tyre removal, replacement and inflation should only be tackled by competent staff. The main hazards which can arise include: manual handling injuries, which account for nearly a half of all tyre-related incidents reported; tool-related injuries (which make up a quarter of incidents), particularly from handtools such as tyre levers; and compressed-air accidents e.g. from a ruptured or burst tyre or violent separation of the component parts of the wheel. These accidents tend to result in serious injuries, including fatalities. Safety during tyre inflation Inflated tyres contain a large amount of stored energy, which varies according to the inflation pressure and the surface area of the tyre. If the tyre fails, an explosive force can be released at an angle of up to 45 degrees from the rupture. This has resulted in numerous fatalities. It is crucial that the airline hose between the clip-on chuck and the pressure gauge/control is long enough to allow the operator to stand outside the likely trajectory of any explosion during inflation. This will vary depending on the size of the tyre and its positioning. Car tyres generally contain less energy than truck tyres and their size and profile make them less likely to fail catastrophically. Sensible precautions are still required, but a restraining device such as a safety cage is not normally necessary. Welding fumes Fume from welding, flame cutting and other hot work varies greatly and may cause dryness of the throat, tickling, coughing, tightness of the chest and difficulty in breathing. Long- term changes in the lung are possible. Harmful fumes and gases during welding in motor vehicle repair include those from primer and paint layers, other surface coatings such as underseal, and from lead in car bodies. Use local exhaust ventilation e.g. mobile extraction unit with flexible exhaust hood and trunking, wherever possible and always in confined spaces. Roadside repair and recovery: Road traffic incidents (RTIs) and roadside safety People at work on the roadside either recovering or repairing motor vehicles, including tyre and windscreen replacement, are at risk from other road users. Protection of workers and members of the public from traffic risks on public roads is mostly a matter for road traffic law, which is enforced by the Police and other Agencies. However, existing health and safety legislation requires employers and self-employed persons to protect workers and safeguard others put at risk by their work activities. For example safe systems of work should be devised to ensure the safety of workers and the occupants of vehicles being recovered/repaired vehicles and/or attachments e.g. winches, cranes etc may be subject to health and safety legislation. Conclusion Working in the motor vehicle repais industry exposes people to  potential dangers  and it is the task of the employer (or self-employed person) to identify and minimize those risks. Health and safety in the woodworking industry The woodworking industry has one of the highest accident rates in manufacturing, most of which are caused by contact with moving machinery. Around two-thirds of all accidents occur on just three types of machine: circular saws vertical spindle moulders surface planers Risk management To reduce the chances of an accident occurring, its best to look at what might cause one and then decide what you need to do to stop it happening. The best way to do this is by a risk assessment. Assessment of the workshop Conditions will vary from clean to workshops where machines are buried under dust and off-cuts. The general tidiness is often a good barometer of how well other issues are being managed. Machinery should all be well maintained and have the correct safeguards. It should also only be used by those competent to do so and there should be evidence available to prove this. There should also be good control of health risks from wood dust (asthma, dermatitis), manual handling and noise, etc. Safety topics Working with machinery: Woodworking is the only industry where machinery accidents cause more injuries than slips and trips. Around 25% of these are classed as major injuries. Accidents can be caused by either contact with the moving parts, including tools, or kickbacks of timber and ejected cutters. This happens because of inadequate guarding and poor systems of work, often resulting from insufficient training. Slips, trips and falls account for 19% of accidents in this industry. Vehicles: major injuries to workers and members of the public were caused by vehicles at work. So it is vital to put sensible precautions in place to reduce the risks that vehicles can cause. Fire and explosion: Wood dust is highly flammable and you need to take care to extract it safely and keep it away from sources of ignition. Health topics Health risks in woodworking are not as well known as the safety risks but it is important that they are also included in the risk assessment. Key health concerns in the woodworking industry are: Manual handling Wood dust Noise Hazardous substances Manual handling Most injuries in the woodworking and furniture industry are caused during manual handling activities. There is potential for injury present during: handling of timber and board material machining and assembly handling and storage of the finished product Lifting and handling aids can significantly reduce the risk of injury. Wood dust Wood dust can cause serious health problems. It can cause asthma, which carpenters and joiners   are more like to get. Hardwood dust can cause cancer, particularly of the nose. Settled dust contains the fine particles that are most likely to damage the lungs. Noise Woodworking has some of the noisiest work places in industry. Short exposure to high noise levels can cause temporary hearing loss, but longer exposures can result in permanent damage. Sufferers often do not realise their hearing is being damaged, as hearing loss tends to be gradual. However, some effects such as tinnitus can develop more quickly. Tinnitus can be a permanent ringing or whooshing sound in the ears which can be very distressing, particularly when its quiet, such as when you are trying to go to sleep. Hazardous substances As well as causing asthma, wood dust, sap and the lichens associated with wood can have adverse health effects on the skin, respiratory tract (nose and lungs), eyes as well as the whole body. Some chemicals used in the woodworking industries can have adverse health effects. Particular care should be taken when using dichloromethane (DCM), also known as methylene chloride. This solvent is used to strip paint from wood. As well as being classed as a carcinogen, the vapour can cause drowsiness and headaches. In high concentrations this can lead to unconsciousness and death. Conclusion Key elements to managing woodworking safely include: Risk management: To reduce the chances of an accident occurring, it is best to look at what might cause one and then decide what you need to do to stop it happening. Training and supervision: By law, all workers must receive training and supervision that is appropriate to the equipment they will be using. Workplace management: Paying attention to layout, worker movement and keeping workshops and storage areas tidy can help reduce the risks. Workers themselves should also be encouraged to become involved in health and safety as they are often the best people to understand the risks and help find solutions. Through worker involvement, employees and employers, can act together to reduce accidents and ill health within the workplace. Health and Safety in the office Introduction The modern office environment presents an array of potential hazards that can be avoided by taking simple precautions. Although working in an office has always been considered relatively safe, office workers face occupational hazards that include eye strain, overuse syndrome, headaches, discomfort, trips and falls and manual handling injuries. The ACT Occupational Health and Safety Act 2005, aims to protect the health, safety and welfare of all people in every place of work. Under the Act employers, employees and the self-employed are required to meet certain standards of health, safety and welfare. Employers must ensure the health safety and welfare of their employees. To comply employers must: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Provide or maintain equipment and systems of work that are safe and without risks to health. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Ensure that equipment and substances are used, stored and transported safely and without risks to health. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Provide information, instruction, training and supervision that ensures the health and safety of employees à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Maintain their workplace in a safe condition including entrances and exits. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Provide adequate information about any research and tests of substances used at work. Employers must also ensure the health and safety of visitors to the workplace. Employees must: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Cooperate with their employers in their efforts to maintain the required level of health and safety. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Take reasonable care of the health and safety of others. The self-employed must ensure the health and safety of visitors to the workplace who are not their employees. Manufacturers and suppliers of equipment and substances must: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Ensure that their products are safe and not a risk to health when properly used. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Provide clear information about the safe use of their products. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Make available information about research and testing. People in control of workplaces (e.g. building owners who are not the employer) must ensure that the workplace including entrances and exits is safe without risks to health and safety. Reporting and recording workplace injury and dangerous occurrences Employers and persons in control of workplaces must report serious workplace injuries, illness and dangerous occurrences to the ACT Occupational Health and Safety Office on a Injury and Dangerous Occurrence Report Form. Employers are also required to maintain workplace records of employee injuries or illness that result in absences from work of one day or more. Office environment The office environment is a combination of lighting, temperature, humidity and air quality. The office can be a healthy and comfortable place to work if the correct combination of these elements is maintained. Temperature and air conditioning Office temperatures can be localized. A desk situated in direct sunlight will be much warmer than the average temperature in the office and a desk situated directly under an air conditioning vent can be cooler than average. Some older personal computers can generate as much heat as small electric bar heaters raising local temperatures above the room average. This problem can be compounded by the clustering of computers in one particular section of the office. Many of the complaints of discomfort in air-conditioned offices occur in the winter time. The cause of the complaints can be because if the air temperature is about 24 degree Celsius this feels hot to the worker coming into the building from the outside air. The problem can be made worse if the air movement is less. Humidity Humidity refers to the amount of water vapour in the air. The optimum comfort range for relative humidity is 40-60 per cent. Low humidity can cause dryness of the eyes, nose and throat and may also increase the frequency of static electricity shocks. Relative humidity above 80 per cent can be associated with fatigue and reports of stuffiness. If relative humidity is consistently high or low call in an air conditioning expert to conduct a review. Ventilation Ventilation refers to the movement of air and rate of fresh air input. Air movement of less than 0.1 metres per second can lead to stuffy rooms whereas above 0.2 metres per second draughts can be felt. Contaminated air Air contaminants in the office can include bacteria, viruses, mould spores and dusts, solvent vapours or chemicals generated or used in the building. Air conditioning units that do not provide adequate amounts of fresh air can cause high levels of CO2. Stale air due to poor ventilation and excessive heat build-up or humidity can also contribute to air contamination. Appropriate control measures for the reduction of air contamination include: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Effective air filtration. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Ensuring that adequate amounts of fresh air enter the building. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Maintenance of air conditioning units, including regular cleaning. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Preventing the obstruction of vents. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Locating equipment using solvents in areas with substantial air movement and/or installing local exhaust ventilation. Smoking Environmental tobacco smoke is an indoor contaminant and there is growing recognition that non-smokers may suffer adverse health effects through inhaling tobacco smoke. Organisations are increasingly expected to limit passive smoking risks in offices in the interest of their employees and clients. A number of employers have fulfilled their legal obligations to provide a safe and healthy work environment by implementing no-smoking policies in their workplaces. Procedures such as consultation, education programs and the allocation of designated smoking areas are recommended for the development of an effective no-smoking policy. Plants in the office United States NASA studies have shown that plants reduce the levels of toxic substances such as formaldehyde, benzol and carbon monoxide in the air. Lighting The basic requirements for adequate lighting are that the work must be easy to see and the light comfortable to the eyes. Illumination is measured in units of LUX lumens per square metre. Sharp differences in illumination between adjacent areas should be avoided. Ideally the surrounding area should be slightly lower in luminance than the task area itself, except in special cases such as viewing outlines against a luminous background. Light should fall from the side rather than from the front to avoid reflections on the work surface. Glare causes visual discomfort and is usually caused by light sources which are too bright or inadequately shielded. Safety in the office Most office accidents result from slips, trips and falls, lifting objects, punctures or cuts and being caught in or between things. Slips are caused by slippery floors, uncleaned spillages or gripless shoes. Trips occur over objects lying on the ground or jutting out into aisles or poorly maintained floor surfaces. Falls can be from ladders or from standing on chairs to reach an object. Many of these accidents can be avoided by simple planning and good housekeeping: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Traffic ways and aisles should be well lit, and be kept clear of materials, equipment, rubbish and electric leads. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Floors should be level and the use of mats discouraged. Spilled liquids and anything else dropped on the floor should be immediately picked up or cleaned away. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Free standing fittings should be completely stable or secured to the wall or floor. Filing cabinets should be placed so that they do not open into aisles and should never be left with cabinet drawers open. For stability load cabinets starting from the bottom and do not open more than one drawer at a time. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Office machines and equipment should be kept in good working order. Equipment using hand-fed processes such as electric staplers and paper guillotines should be guarded and staff trained in their proper use. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Many pieces of equipment using electricity can mean trailing cables, overloaded circuits, broken plugs and sockets. Ensure that these dangers are seen to by qualified personnel. Escalators and moving walkways Escalators and moving walkways should function safely, be equipped with any necessary safety devices, and be fitted with one or more emergency stop controls which are easily identifiable and readily accessible. Manual handling Manual handling is a term used to describe everyday type activities such as carrying, stacking, pushing, pulling, rolling, sliding, lifting or lowering loads. For office workers this can include tasks such as moving boxes of stores, filing, getting equipment from cupboards and filling the photocopying machine with paper. Injuries that are a result of a manual handling incident include twisted ankles, sprains and strains, torn ligaments or broken bones. Many risks arising from manual handling can be controlled by quite simple solutions. Reducing manual handling injuries Stage 1: Risk identification Where are the manual handling injuries happening in the office? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Look at injury records. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Talk to employees and the workplace OHS committee. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Watch the work in progress. Stage 2: Risk assessment What is causing these manual handling injuries? Look at: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Force applied à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Actions and movements à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Range of weights à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ How often, and for how long the job is done à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Where the load is positioned and how far it has to be moved à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Availability of mechanical aids à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Layout and condition of the work environment à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Work organization à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Position of the body while working à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Analysis of injury statistics à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Age of the workers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Skill and experience of the workers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Nature of the object handled à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Any other factor considered relevant. Stage 3: Risk control What changes can be made to prevent these manual handlinginjuries? à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Redesign the job à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Provide mechanical handling equipment à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Provide training in manual handling skills Once this process has occurred it is important to evaluate the effectiveness of the changes that have been made. Any evaluation must assess whether the changes are used correctly, help reduce manual handling injuries and have not created new problems. Chairs and posture checklist for keyboard workers Well adjusted chairs improve body position and blood circulation, reduce muscular effort and decrease pressure on the workers back. Chairs should swivel, have five wheels for stability, breathable fabric on the seat, a rounded front edge and have adjustable seat height and backrest for lumbar support. Lighting for VDUs Place VDUs to the side of the light source(s), not directly underneath. Try to site desks between rows of lights. If the lighting is fluorescent strip lighting, the sides of the desks should be parallel with the lights. Try not to put the screen near a window. If it is unavoidable ensure that neither the screen nor the operator faces the window. If the VDU is well away from windows, there are no other sources of bright light and prolonged desk-work is the norm, use a low level of service. Using a mouse A well designed mouse should not cause undue pressure on the wrist and forearm muscles. A large bulky mouse may keep the wrist continuously bent at an uncomfortable angle. Pressure can be reduced by releasing the mouse at frequent intervals, by selecting a slim-line, low-profile mouse and by using the mouse at a comfortable distance from the body. Rest breaks and keyboard work Frequent short breaks are most effective in relieving the strain associated with keyboard work. For reasonably sustained keying activity a break should be taken for a few minutes every half hour. During this break operators should walk around and perform whatever movement relieves the feeling of muscle fatigue. Movements that are a natural response to fatigued muscles such as shrugging the shoulders are generally the most effective in dealing with the fatigue. A particularly useful method of relieving muscle fatigue is to occasionally alter posture. That is, to change from the recommended posture for short duration. Some chairs have a forward tilt control that allows the worker to sit forward which can sometimes help to reduce fatigue to the muscles of the forearm, neck and shoulders. Eye strain Working with VDUs can produce tired and sore eyes and eye strain. To reduce strain take short rests and look into the middle distance or if necessary close the eyes and cover them with the hands without pressing and breathe deeply eight or nine times. Muscle care and preparation The following exercise should be done before commencing work and after lunch breaks. However it is important to: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Never stretch to the point where pain is experienced. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Refrain from doing these exercises if you have a medical condition that could be made worse by stretching. Welfare Sanitary conveniences and washing facilities Suitable and sufficient sanitary conveniences and washing facilities should be provided at readily accessible places. They and the rooms containing them should be kept clean and be adequately ventilated and lit. Washing facilities should have running hot and cold or warm water, soap and clean towels or other means of cleaning or drying. If required by the type of work, showers should also be provided. Men and women should have separate facilities unless each facility is in a separate room with a lockable door and is for use by only one person at a time. Drinking water An adequate supply of high-quality drinking water, with an upward drinking jet or suitable cups, should be provided. Water should only be provided in refillable enclosed containers where it cannot be obtained directly from a mains supply. The containers should be refilled at least daily (unless they are chilled water dispensers where the containers are returned to the supplier for refilling). Bottled water/water dispensing systems may still be provided as a secondary source of drinking water. Drinking water does not have to be marked unless there is a significant risk of people drinking non-drinking water. Accommodation for clothing and facilities for changing Adequate, suitable and secure space should be provided to store workers own clothing and special clothing. As far as is reasonably practicable the facilities should allow for drying clothing. Changing facilities should also be provided for workers who change into special work clothing. The facilities should be readily accessible from workrooms and washing and eating facilities, and should ensure the privacy of the user, be of sufficient capacity, and be provided with seating. Facilities for rest and to eat meals Suitable and sufficient, readily accessible rest facilities should be provided. Seats should be provided for workers to use during breaks. These should be in a place where personal protective equipment need not be worn. Rest areas or rooms should be large enough and have sufficient seats with backrests and tables for the number of workers likely to use them at any one time, including suitable access and seating which is adequate for the number of disabled people at work. Where workers regularly eat meals at work, suitable and sufficient facilities should be provided for the purpose. Such facilities should also be provided where food would otherwise be likely to be contaminated. Work areas can be counted as rest areas and as eating facilities, provided they are adequately clean and there is a suitable surface on which to place food. Where provided, eating facilities should include a facility for preparing or obtaining a hot drink. Where hot food cannot be obtained in or reasonably near to the workplace, workers may need to be provided with a means for heating their own food (eg microwave oven). Canteens or restaurants may be used as rest facilities provided there is no obligation to purchase food. Suitable rest facilities should be provided for pregnant women and nursing mothers. They should be near to sanitary facilities and, where necessary, include the facility to lie down.

Tuesday, August 20, 2019

Language Creativity in Everyday Conversation

Language Creativity in Everyday Conversation Transcribe the extract from CD-ROM1, Band 6: Kitchen Floor. Using this data and relevant concepts and theories from E301, discuss the extent to which language creativity can be identified in everyday conversation in English. Undid the paper ((laughter)) and (like) (.) put a little bit of salt on and I handed them to him you know and he looked at me and he didnt DARE say anything so he had to SIT and eat it with his fingers ((laughter)) which he HATES (.) But I was going to make a point of the fact that I was not going to put it on a plate and do the whole BIT and make a (his tea) [and that [like Charles when I was doing the kitchen floor you seeà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ [he totally // was the one who started it // said that I was mad to take on the job (.) I wouldnt do it (.) (Yeah) and he wasnt gonna help (.) LEANING on the door while he said that ((laughter)) (speech inaudible) (.) He said (1.0) Im not gonna help you with this (.) If youre gonna do it youre doing it on your own // yeah // (.) I said yeah okay (.) Theres nothing I like more than a challenge (.) [did he actually SAY it like that (.) And he actually DID do that (.) He actually stood and LEANED // yeah // against the door (.) (*inaudible*) on the other side of the kitchen telling me (.) he was depressed (.) ((laughter)) Im sweating away ((laughter)) he was off his sleeping tablets he was going to take ((laughter)) (speech inaudible) he was gonna do it on the floor ((laughter)) and meanwhile ((xxxxxxxxxxx)) ((laughter)) Its awful isnt it (.) Im laughing too much ((xxxxxxxxxxx)) Transcription conventions: (( )) = background noises (.) = brief pause [ = interruption // = speech overlap (1.0) = pause longer than half a second CAPS = emphasis Xxxxxxxxxxx = inaudible speech In this assignment, I will try to discuss relevant ideas that have come up in the course materials so far, particularly in Carters book, analyse features of this language data and in conclusion summarise my own views on creativity that are found in everyday language with reference to the data sample. First I shall attempt to analyse the transcript from the E301 audio material and later explain how this fits in with the ideas of Carter. From what I can tell, the transcript is basically a chit-chat between three women, who seem to be more than colleagues, so actually three friends. What they are talking about was rather hard to understand because firstly, they all sound the same and secondly as it is informal talk the facilitating of turn-taking is not put very clearly and instances of interruption and laughter add to the confusion. Spoken creativity may be more prevalent in certain types of social context and within certain types of interpersonal relationship. (Carter p. 147) I will also research Carters idea on the CANCODE corpus that he has linked to creativity in verbal repetition and a wide range of figures of speech like idiom, proverbs and hyperbole. According to Carter, it is not possible to define creativity an a wholly formalist way because in spoken interaction, what counts as creative use can vary according to the dynamic established as part of the dialogue. But Sacks argues that ordinary talk has to be achieved and is a human, social and creative accomplishment which is far from being ordinary. Some speech figures pass unnoticed as normal, routine and even pre-formulated units and in some cases, the same figures are drawn to the attention of the speakers. The purpose of creative language in everyday common speech is highly varied and may include: offering a new way of seeing the content of a message; making humorous remarks; underlining what is communicated; expressing a particular attitude; including negative and adversarial attitudes; making the speakers identity more manifest; playing with language form to entertain others; ending one bit of talk and starting another or simply oiling the wheels of the conversation. (Carter, p.148) Creativity almost always depends on interpretation of intentions and inferences of the participants. It is perhaps best to start by explaining how Carters model of literariness is used for the analysis because the results reveal that speech is dependant on itself and includes examples of stylistic and lexical features, words of contrast at text and sound level, parallelism, evocative descriptive language and cross-sentential repetition. The Greece Tourist Guide for example is dependant on medium and carries examples of archaic and syntactic features, emotive action words, evocative descriptive language, polysemy and displaced interaction. To put it bluntly, it is very hard, not to say difficult to measure which text is more literary except if the two texts have an identical genre. At this point I am now going to give a definition of literary language or literariness. Literary language refers to a particular language or language variety used in literature and also refers to a type of language a style or mode of expression associated with literary genres such as poetry, narrative fiction or drama, whilst literariness refers to the quality of literature or literary language. If used to refer to language in more everyday context, these terms will tend to focus on continuity with literature, such as Carters argument about a cline of literariness. (Carter, 2004) There is something in literariness known as clines. This term has a similar meaning to continuum and refers to relations along a particular dimension that are a matter of degree rather than having discrete cut-off points. Therefore this would suggest then that literariness is a matter of degree. However there is a problem suggesting that these are gradations or degrees of literariness in texts and how to measure it. As far as linguistic forms, it would seem unreasonable just to total the number of creative features used in a particular text. Whether the text is considered to be literary will not derive from the presence of more or fewer literary features and the concept of a cline or sets of clines may suggest a level of precision in the identification of literariness that is not able to be attained in practice. I now turn to Carters models of literariness. Discussing the relationship between everyday linguistic creativity and literary language brings forward the question what literary language actually is. Carter (1999) has identified three models: two established models to which he refers to as an inherency model and a socio-cultural model and more recently, a cognitive model. The inherency model sees literariness as embedding in certain properties of language: so literary language is distinct from more practical uses of language where language itself is highlighted. Jakobson (1960:356) has perceived this as the poetic function of language which focuses on the message for its own sake. This will be termed self-referential language and is language that will be referring partly to itself and not simply to entities in the external world that are the object of discussion. Even though the poetic function is quite evident in many of the examples, the researcher from whom I got this information from is of the opinion that it is the dominant, determining function of verbal art. A socio-cultural model sees literariness as socially and culturally determined; meaning it would be drawing attention to the fact that conceptions of literature vary historically and culturally. According to Eagelton, (1996) there is nothing distinctive about literary language and any text can be seen as literature if it declared by institutions or if people read it as such. Anthropological studies of literary performances in various cultural contexts also tend to take a socio-cultural view on literariness. Many studies focus on the performance in its traditional literary or theatrical sense in order to include public displays to artistic activity that are responded to aesthetically by an audience, like story-telling, song, dance or drama. However the notion is not uncommonly extended to more everyday activity in recognition of the fact that there are certain parallels between everyday and literary performance: that this notion of performance can also describe what often is found in the most ordinary of encounters, like when social actors exhibit particular attention in the delivery of a message. Cognitive models relate literary language to mental processes and according to Tannens suggestion (1989) that linguistic repetition derives from a basic human drive to repeat as a kind of cognitive argument. Cook (1994) claims that literary texts have an effect on the mind and help us to think in new ways and refresh and change our mental representations of the world: But such benefits are not confined to established literature and Cook has similar thing to say about everyday creativity or language play. In addition, Gibbs (1994) claims that human language and human understanding often are metaphorical, concluding that literary metaphor carries on and extends everyday metaphorical notions. For Carter (1999) there was some value in both inherency and socio-cultural models, and in the case of his own examples is identifies formally and in this sense is close to an inherency model. However, there is one way to find examples of verbal art in his corpus, and that is to search for instances of laughter. What people respond to as artful is consistent with a socio-cultural model and in Carters view; a cognitive model is beneficial by helping explain the prevalence of creativity in everyday language. The argument is that literariness should be seen as a cline or a series of clines and is appropriate to see texts as more or less literary rather than in terms of an opposition between literary and non-literary language. There are two main levels of creative interactions. The first is the pattern re-forming feature which is more overt, has presentational uses of figures of speech, open displays of metaphoric invention, punning, uses of idioms and departures from expected idiomatic formulations. The second pattern-forming feature is less overt, may have subconscious and subliminal repetition; parallelisms, echoes and related matchings which often result in expressions of affective convergence in implicit signals of intimacy and symmetries of feelings. Linguistic creativity is less likely to occur in contexts which involve a one-way process of information provision or professional interaction in which the main purpose is transactional and where relations between participants in a particular context might be more asymmetrical. Mapping out probabilistic in creativity onto social context is not easy to capture diagrammatically and it does not seem to allow exceptions. So it is likely that creativity will occur in informal situations. Like when colleagues working together in a department store while decorating a window together or when one discovers that the intimacy of the relationship lighten the task until the discourse becomes more populated with wordplay and creative uses of language. So, what does this tell us about creative language? It tells us four main points. Firstly, creative language use cant be captured or described or evaluated wholly by formalistic definitions. Creative functions will vary according to speakers evolving relationships, the nature of the external task demands and the changing character of social context and speech genres. Secondly, creativity is probabilistic. Creative language is more likely to occur in some contexts and in some kinds of interpersonal contact rather than in others. It would be defined with reference to an account of forms and functions but its purposes and uptake depend on a dynamic of locally negotiated processes and specific instances. These can be seen as from the outside but their meaning can only be speculated upon. This means that paradoxically, creativity is a definitely emergent, instantial category of language. Thirdly, we recognize that creativity in context is valuable but there are also many factors which constitute a context and different contextual frames which are able to work within a single context. For example humour can be a significant strategic figure which crosses over into other categorial boundaries. And fourthly, this would mean that creativity is best captured and discussed with the mind fixed on clines and continua with many points of overlap. Like in the example of the CANCODE corpus: generally speaking it is lacking in examples of language used in a working environment and in the context of business organisations. Humour is used to challenge particular practices and the role of people who have a higher position in a company. The way it works is by allowing a potentially literal statement to be made by non-literal means. But in a preliminary observation, CANCODE and pattern forming is a more female characteristic. Compared to men, women are more spontaneously creative in talk but this need to be researched more as women are not seen as to be openly contestive, adversarial or pattern-reforming in language use or to strategically use humour. As we can see, there are many ways we can identify creativity in spoken language, whether it is chit-chat between friends or in literature or even in literary contexts, creativity had many faces. Creativity can also be seen as a method on how we learn something new, for example in order to remember a progression of numbers you simply recall it by turning it into a song like Mary Had A Little Lamb. That way for example, a child from primary school would be able to remember the number progression of the number 4 by singing the tune of Mary Had A Little Lamb in his head. This method of creativity was made up for me by my mom who tried to help me in my math studies in primary school as it was my worst subject in my entire school career. Needless to say, I passed the math test with that method in primary school and even find myself using similar methods for my Open University study even today, even though it has changed a bit, but the effect has remained the same.