Weakness of Will Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Weakness of Will Power - Essay Example Unlike what is expected of a youth like me, I have always had a fear of trying out new things. I like staying with the concept I have and being contented with it. While contentment is sometimes beneficial to the life of an individual, mine was more than contentment; I could not try out any new thing that I did not before. In soccer for instance, my colleagues could learn new moves and develop their skills while I kept to myself. I was brought up in a lifestyle where we never used to go swimming. When we acquired a swimming pool, I was the only member of the family who, even after one year, could still not swim. This is not all, when newer and better versions of Windows Operating system was introduced, many of my friends who loved technology quickly installed it. I never even gave it a chance as I did not want anything new which would complicate my life. As I later came to realize, there were better functionalities in the newer versions of the windows that I would have enjoyed more th an my conventional version. The fear to try out new things has also affected me in class; I have always hesitated before trying out new mathematical concepts and many educational procedures. This has always affected results negatively and made me spend more doing something that I would have done quickly using a new and better concept. In the past, I did try accepting new things being ready to learn whatever it is that came my way. However, without proper assistance and guideline, I went back to becoming the same dull person who fears trying out new things. My fear of trying new things is not going to affect my life anymore. I’m committed to completely abandon this habit and changing the way I take things. No longer will I allow my misconceptions to prevent me from learning new things and enjoying new developments. I have suffered the effects of not accepting new things and trying them out. Previously, I could not embrace the new technology, learn new educational concepts and try out new methods, something which made me perform poor in my results. While people were adopting new ways of solving problems, I was stuck with my cumbersome old ones. Socially, I did not even develop as a youth since I always maintain my old style of doing things. The fear to try out new things comes with some advantages that I have always considered. The first one is that I always stay away from trouble and thus be able to keep my peace. There is no single moment that I have broken a material or destroyed a machine simply because I was trying out a new concept. The fear of losing my interests and ways of doing things have always prevented me from trying out new things. Every time I try to adopt a new style of dressing, talking, solving problems, I always fear for my normal methods, thinking that my usual likes and interests will be overtaken my new methods. It is not that I have never learnt anything new in my life. I have mastered complex mathematical concepts before and even learn a foreign language, something that I once thought I could not do completely. This has shown me the amount of potential that I have and how I can succeed in adopting new methods and learning new things if only I can try. I believe I am able to learn new things and blend in modern environments. I have learnt how readiness to learn new things has helped my classmates and improved their performances. With the right attitude and mentality, I am going to achieve this project and realize my expectations. Change is something that I have longed for and now that I have the chance, I am going to succeed and make it a reality to change my mentality. I have done a lot to venture into self-hypnosis. Being that self-hypnosis is self-induces and self-suggested

My Opinion on Different Issues of Today (From a Democratic Point of Personal Statement

My Opinion on Different Issues of Today (From a Democratic Point of View) - Personal Statement Example Their role is to serve the common citizens, and thus they must readily accept to be taxed so that ordinary citizens do not suffer from the changing economy. Politicians should not pass any law or policy that reduces the status of our country and makes the citizens dig dipper into their savings. Increased taxes make employment stressful as it makes people earn less from their jobs. But this is what the government needs so that it can be able to manipulate the electorate. One would logically think that the money realised from increased taxation would enable the government to employ more people; however, in reality, employees work less and spend less as the government legally keeps small chunks of the employees’ hard earned money. This makes the economy to decline, even though the government gets richer with each cent they get from the citizens. The government is only concerned with the big bucks it gets from large corporations, and when it increases the tax rates, small business es are driven off the markets as every penny they earn is collected by the government. The small businesses entrepreneurs opt to wind up their business instead of giving everything to the government. The super rich individuals would be left to operate the majority of the businesses as they do not have any problem with the government taking a little more of their money through tax. They can also be able to employ many professionals who would ensure that they do not feel the effects of the increased taxation. Despite the increased taxation, everything becomes more expensive, and services and consumable products no longer move from the shelves in shops and supermarkets. The citizens opt to economize their money and they adopt healthy eating lifestyles. They also reduce their standards of living, and business owners and entrepreneurs opt to fire people. This is very good for the economy as the available resources can last longer in the country. The government increasingly invests and sp ends a lot of money in job creation to enable its citizens, especially the young generation, to get jobs after graduation from college. With increased taxation, the government clearly wants people to get unspecialized jobs as it already employed enough citizens. The rest should be contented in being fed and clothed by welfare programs and getting assistance from their relatives and friends. It is funny though that everybody goes to school to get a job, but the government does not see sense in more people working and uses all the resources and machinery to make people idle. Majority of people support the government in all its functions and would readily accept to pay additional taxes as they are patriotic. The revenue collection agencies of the government would have to be abolished as nobody would try to evade paying tax. Instead of increasing tax, the government should introduce tax rebates to the poor and tax the rich people more as poor people do not get to use the country’ s resources equally with the rich people. It is ironical that the rich people get tax cuts instead of getting heavily taxed; they have the money and they mostly control the economy and they have a lot of say in its appreciation and depreciation. The low earners should only enjoy the benefits because they are the ones who do most of the work in

Customer Satisfaction in Nokia

Customer Satisfaction in Nokia Marketing is a comprehensive term and it includes all resources and a set of activities necessary to direct and facilitate the flow of goods and services from producers to consumers in the process of distribution. Businessmen refer marketing process as distribution process. Human efforts, finance and management constitute the primary resources in Marketing. Marketing encompasses all activities of exchange conducted by producers and middlemen in commerce for the purpose of satisfying consumer demand. Marketing Management is responsible for organizing, directing and controlling all marketing activities included in the process of marketing. Marketing consist of a set of principles for choosing target markets, identifying consumer needs, developing wants. Satisfying products and services and delivering value to customers and profit to the company. More successful companies owe their success to practicing a thorough customer orientation. They make consumer needs the basis of company opportunities. Definition of Marketing P. Kotler defines marketing as the set of human activities directed at facilitating and consummating exchanges. The essence of marketing is exchange of products and the transaction is to satisfy human needs and wants. The American Marketing Association defines marketing as the performance of business activities that direct the flow of goods and services from producer to consumer ABOUT CUSTOMER SATISFACTION: Customer satisfaction, a business term, is a measure of how products and services supplied by a company meet or surpass customer expectation. Today in the customer driven economy, all firms are engaged in a rat race to attract customers build long term relationships with their customers. The key to customer loyalty is customer satisfaction. A satisfied customer will act as a spokesperson of the companys product and bring in more customers. All the efforts put in by the marketer in the end comes down to satisfying the customers. Customer satisfaction, a business term, is a measure of how products and services supplied by a company meet or surpass customer expectation. Certain ways in which customer satisfaction can be achieved: Undertaking the needs of the customer. For defter customer satisfaction a firm has to correctly determine the need of its customer. The best way to understand their needs is through collecting the opinion of the customer and finding out what they really want. Fulfilling the needs of customers. To a customer a product represents bundle of expectations. If the performance of the product falls short of expectation, the customers are dissatisfied. So a firm must try to fulfil the needs of the customers. To study the customers demand in the market. Customer demands are continuously changing. It can rise or fall. Therefore the firm should be careful and be able to satisfy the customer demand. Good quality products The firm should always be able to satisfy the customers by providing them with good quality products and be able to maintain the quality of the goods. Good service at purchase point and after sales service. Good quality services are helpful to increase the satisfaction level of the customer. Good after sales service prevents dissatisfaction, frustration and ill will among customers. It can also build up and maintain seller goodwill and better company image. STATEMENT OF PROBLEM: To find out if the customers are satisfied with services offered by NOKIA and also to find out if they have any problem with the services. Finally get the customers view on NOKIA services and also how to bring about improvements OBJECTIVES: To track customers attitude towards NOKIA To find out customer satisfaction with respect to the services offered by NOKIA To find, if the services are rendered on time to the customers and to find out if the customers would want any change in NOKIA marketing strategy SCOPE OF THE STUDY: The scope is to study the Customer Satisfaction on the Services provided By NOKIA in UK. It looks at the general satisfaction levels of the customers of NOKIA. It also tries to find out how long the customers has been associated with NOKIA, the research also seeks to provide the company with suggestions for improving the services provided by them and also provides information to the company about the rising competition faced by them. DATA COLLECTION TECHNIQUE Data collection instrument is an instrument through which data is collected as accurate as possible. It should be easy to use convenient for obtaining data and the researcher should find it easy to gather accurate data using this instruments used in research are- QUESTIONNAIRE: These contents a set of question which are all the people respond back by answering question choice answers. It is the most common method. MAIL SURVEY: This instrument is a questionnaire but it is sent by mail and response is also obtained by Mail, However, the response could be low. Apart from this there are also other mechanical or electronic devices which are also used for getting data. INDUSTRIAL PROFILE About the company Nokia Corporation (NYSE: NOK) is one of the worlds largest telecommunications equipment manufacturers. It has since established a leading brand presence in many local markets, and business has expanded considerably in all areas to support customer needs and the growth of the telecommunications industry. Nokia also produces mobile phone infrastructure and other telecommunications equipment for applications such as traditional voice telephony, ISDN, broadband access, professional mobile radio, voice over IP, wireless LAN and a line of satellite receivers. Nokia provides mobile communication equipment for every major market and protocol, including GSM, CDMA, and WCDMA. SWOT Analysis of the Company: Nokia Strengths: Nokia has largest network of distribution and selling as compared to other mobile phone company in the world. It is backed with the high quality and professional team in the HRD Dept. The financial aspect is very strong in case of Nokia as it has many profitable business. The product being user friendly and have all the accessories one want that is why is in great demand making it No-1 selling mobile phones in the world. Wide range of products for all class. The re-sell value of Nokia phones are high compared to other companys product. Weakness: Nokia has many strengths and some weakness. Some of the weakness includes the price of the product offered by the company. Some of the products are not user friendly. Not concern about the lower class of the society people. Not targeting promotion toward them. The price of the product is the main issue. The service centers in India are very few and scare. So after sales service is not good. Opportunity: Nokia has ample of opportunity to expand its business. With the wide range in products, features and different price range for different people, it has an advantage over the competitors around. With the opportunity like Telecom penetration in India being at the peak time, Nokia has an opportunity to increase its sales as well as the market share. As the standard of living in India has increased the purchasing power of the people as increased as well Threats: Nokia has many threats to tackle to maintain its position as market leader. The threats like emerging of other mobile companies in the market. The companies like Motorola, Sony Eriksson, Cingular (U.S) etc. these companies have come to the stand of tough competition with Nokia in the field of Mobile Phones. Threats can be like providing cheap phones, new features, new style and type, good after sales service etc. So, Nokia has to keep in mind the growing competition around. Nokia has to make strategies to tackle problems in the present and the near future. The growing demand of WLL network can cause drop in sales for Nokia, as Nokia provides many less CDMA phones to the customer.

Power Is Money; Money Is Power :: essays research papers

Power is Money; Money is Power   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Power is money and money is power. There are many more examples of this now than anytime in the past.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One of the most obvious examples is politics. Ross Perot was an unkown multimillionaire and his money is the only reason that he made it into the presidential election. If a man who earned a standard salary wanted to run for president, he would have almost no chance at all unless he was backed by people with money.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Every four years when the U.S. Presidential election is held, hundreds of millions of dollars are spent. The more money a candidate has, the farther he can get. Although the richest competitor doesn't always win, the president is usually a very wealthy man. Wealth paves the road to a good education. If the presidential candidate is rich, he either inherited it or was educated enough to make it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  OJ Simpson's trial is another example of money changing everything. If OJ Simpson had not been a retired professional football player, then the trial would have been completely different. Because OJ was rich, he was able to afford a very good team of lawyers. An average person would have had much less of a chance at being found innocent, especially considering the weight of the evidence. Supported by his money OJ's case became a media event.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When OJ had the trial, there was no way it could be completely fair. It was unlikely that there was not going to be a fan of OJ on the jury. Also, because he was rich, OJ was given better privileges. If OJ had been a poor man with a criminal record, he would have probably been found guilty because of representation by an over-worked public defender.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Power and Money also affects the average person with expenses of college. An average â€Å"B† student is going to have a much harder time getting into a good school than a wealthy kid. With money, all the rich student needs to do is maintain an average grade. When a student has money, he/she does not have to work as hard to succeed in life, usually because he/she is given a higher position to start thanks to references from his university's alumnae or from aquaintances of his wealthy relatives. Money and power do not just apply to college. A child who has a wealthy family is going to have an easier job getting good grades. One of the main reasons is that the parents probably got a good education and know how important education is in life.

Individual Report (Hrm) Essay

According to the chairman of Woolworths, James Strong, â€Å"One of the most significant factors contributing to the country’s outstanding performance is the quality of its people†. According to him involvement and development of people possessing high quality is very important for an organization to succeed (Stone, 2011). Now a day’s workforce is the main factor of organization’s competitive advantage. The workforce is intangible assets of organizations. To gain a competitive advantage, the part of human resource is the best ever, because it is taken as a wealth success as well as the main component of sustainable competitive advantage (Memon, Mangi, & Rohra, 2009). Human Capital includes the skill, attitudes and knowledge of the employees. Today, all the organization maintains sustainable value in the market, so that they mostly use intangible assets as human capital (Javadein, Estiri, & Ghorbani, 2011). When a human capital is valuable, rare and hardly capable it creates a sustainable competitive advantage. For example given below: Table 1: Human capital and Competitive advantage Performance Type of competitive advantage Hardly capable of imitation Rare Valuable Below average Competitive loss —- — No Average Competitive balance —- No yes Above average Temporary competitive advantage No yes yes Above average Sustainable competitive advantage yes yes yes Source: (Colella & Miller, 2006) All researchers are own vision but of this concept as Wright, et al, 1994 indicates that they meet the criteria for human resource Barney is a source of sustainable competitive advantage. Guest said in 1990 if management trusts employees and give difficult tasks, workers will reply high motivation, commitment and high performance (Jassim, 1987) to respond. This means that in recent years the sources of sustainable competitive advantage technological, financial but now to human. In other words, we can say that achievement now depends on employees’ skills, confidence and capacity obligations. 2Competitive Advantage Competitive advantage is achieved when a business produces extra profits which are greater than its competitors due to making exclusive product pricing or supply advantage (The VisionLink Advisory Group, 2012). And if the company is to create value over time, the policy the same as another potential competitor also done, but other companies are not able to reap the fruits of this policy to duplicate, then you can say that the organization continues to sustainable competitive advantage. For better compete in the market the capable employees of the successful companies make a product unique, use some different activities and they focus on all of energy areas which affect the organization to maintain sustainable competitive advantage. The Competitive Advantage Process   Image2: Competitive Advantage Process Source: (http://www.vladvisors.com/) According to this Michael Porter’s say that: â€Å"At the time a firm gets profits more than industrial average profit, then the firm possesses competitor advantage over its competitors† (The VisionLink Advisory Group, 2012). Employees play vital roles to achieve the targets which set by organization so instead of this organization also know that to achieve the sustainability in the market so the factor is capable employees. 3Significance of the Study â€Å"The human element has become important information that comes has an essential element to obtain a competitive advantage, especially in the new economic environment.† The objective of this work is to define the importance of workforce in organizational performance and some models of the strategic direction of the organization to describe. These models make it for this individual report to explain the capable workforce is the main resource of competitive advantage. In these models shows that how the workforce can help to organization in stay sustained competitive in the market. To use these models finds that which are the capable employees in organizations will achieve competitive advantage in the market. (Bernardin & Russell, 1998). This effort shows that organization understand the importance of human resources in formulating planning and execution to achieve a competitive advantage. 4Capable Workforce can deliver sustainable competitive advantage Fig3: Adapting these things to develop a Sustain Competitive Advantage Source: (http://www.growourregion.ca) In today’s world if an organization needs to have a growth in present economic environment then it should have more and proper focus on its workforce. The ability to reduce costs, productivity and competitive advantage in the management depends upon the employee’s capability. Sustainable competitive advantage means that the employees of the company always focus on the maintenance and improvement in the enterprises, so the organization easily competes in the market. This competitive advantage helps every business to stand against its rivals in a long run. (Kotelnikov, N.D). Some example according to sustain competitive advantage: 4.1Example: IBM With the talent and experience of professional manpower the IBM deployed worldwide, the organization and practice of people is part of IBM Global Business Services. IBM consultants have a proven track record in creating value for customers with our proven assets, methodology, partnerships and research capabilities; we act as business advisors trust for our customers worldwide (Brousseau, N.D.). 4.2Literature Review of Workforce Workforce is supposed to be major part of the organization. In recent years organization ignored workforce strategies, but after see the importance and control organization began to understand that human resources is essential to create and maintain a competitive advantage. Most of theories show that workforce should be included at the time of formulation of any strategy in the organization. According to Stone 1998 shows that whenever organizational need to formulate new strategy that time they requires identifications of resources, analysis the whole structure and balance the externalities coming from outside or inside the organization at that time workforce plays a very important role (Memon et al., 2009). Workforce is major resource of sustainable competitive advantage. Workforce give helps to organization’s to achieve sustainable competitive advantage through cost management and differentiation. 4.2.1Example: Uk Airlines In this example tell about employees of UK airlines give efforts to utilize the image of airlines in the minds of its customers. The most excellent airline are those which always do our promises to their customers and always make significant value for them, but this thing possible when the employees of the company give better results. In this Airlines Company employee’s plays very vital role for spread image of airline in the market and responsible for deliver promises to our customers, so that airlines company easily achieve a sustainable competitive advantage in the market (Study-Aids, 2010). 5Workforce and Sustained Competitive Advantage: For achieving goals, firstly represent the review of the resource-based view of the firm. And after this concept tell about function of workforce in sustainable competitive advantage. 5.1The Resource-Based View of the Firm According to resource-based firm organization literature shows that the theories of profit and competition are related with the writing of Ricardo (1817), Schumpeter (1934). And in this they both mainly focus on the workforce of the business success as the main determinants in the competition (WRIGHT & McMcMAHAN, 1993). 5.2Workforce affects the sustainability of the organization It is clear that most of the organizations suggest that workforce is the key point of competitive advantage in the world. Workforce is the key point of sustained competitive advantage in the market because less visible role compared to others. Employees working in the organization can play a very important role in production of product and services because the employees are directly involved in it. All these things displayed by the workforce are capable of a sustainable competitive advantage. 5.3Workforce Role in the Sustained Competitive Advantage First, in a static environment, a high level of workforce must have a number of bodies ‘to have productive advantages over its competitors by developing more efficient methods to meet the requirements of the task (Hunter & Hunter, 1984). On the other hand, the dynamics environments some workers affected by the increased efficiency adapted to the individual capacity of the environment. 5.4Function of Manager to rising workforce While managers were greatest impact on business results. It plays vital function in the development of workforce as a competitive advantage continuously (WRIGHT & McMcMAHAN, 1993). According to resource-based view shows all managers are ability to control the characteristics of their business. 5.4.1Example: Honda Last 40 years the Honda had a manufacturing work plants in the United States. In U.S. economy Honda has large growth and spreading out in terms of dollars and number of employees. But the success of the Honda’s depends upon the company employees (Child, 1972). 6Employees Personal Characteristics under Workforce These are some personal Characteristics for employees by which they achieve goals in the company and other side easily achieves sustain competitive advantage in the organization. Such that including aggressiveness, Confidence, poise, decisiveness, toughness, integrity and quick thinking (Child, 1972). Skills: The most important skills for employees to sustainable competitive advantage in the organization are: 1)Communication Skills: Employees have good communication skills by this they easily do business globally which effect organization preview. 2)Organization skills: This is the vital factor for good management. These skills included in the employees having good planning, analytical and goal-setting abilities by through this they achieve good reputation of organization in the market which makes the sustainable competitive advantage. 3)Coping Skills: Employees have flexible and creative were involved in effectively coping with change, as were patience and persistence. These all good skills in employees affect the organization image in the market. 4)Technical skills: If managers have good background in their field so it achieves the objectives of the organization and done the things more efficiently which affects the sustainability of the organization. 7Conclusions Today, intangible assets play an important role in the competitiveness of enterprises, more durable and less active that can be replicated. Workforce can be considered as one of the most important intangible assets, including the knowledge and skills. As a result, management has the capital necessary to achieve competitiveness. The reason of this analysis is verify the capable labor market is the important factor for the organization. By preparing this individual report using some theoretical concepts, which shows that capable workforce is the source of sustainable competitive advantage. 8Reference Bernardin, H., & Russell. (1998). Human Resource Management. A Experimental Approach. 2 Edition. Singapore: McGraw-Hill. Brousseau, D. (n.d.). Organization & Workforce Transformation. Retrieved from http://www-935.ibm.com/services/us/gbs/strategy/talent-and-workforce-management.html Colella, A., & Miller, C. C. (2006). Organizational Behavior: A Strategic Approach. John Wiley, New York. Memon, D. M. A., Mangi, R. A., & Rohra, D. C. L. (2009). Human Capital a Source of Competitive Advantage â€Å"Ideas for Strategic Leadership.† Australian Journal of Basic and Applied Sciences. Retrieved from http://www.ajbasweb.com/ajbas/2009/4182-4189.pdf Javadein, S., Estiri, M., & Ghorbani, H. (2011). The Role of Internal Marketing in Creation of Sustainable Competitive Advantages. Retrieved from http://scialert.net/fulltext/?doi=tasr.2011.364.374&org=10 Jassim, R. K. (1987). Competitive Advantage Through the Employees. Retrieved from http://www.my-world-guide.com/upload/File/Reports/e/egipt/Competitive%20Advantage%20Through%20the%20Employees.pdf The VisionLink Advisory Group. (2012). Creating and Sustaining a Competitive Advantage – The Role and Impact of Effective Compensation and Rewards Strategies. Retrieved from http://www.vladvisors.com/compensation-information/Role-of-Effective-Compensation-Competitve-Advantage-article.aspx The VisionLink Advisory Group. (2012). How Do I Create a Competitive Advantage with My Compensation Programs? Retrieved from http://www.vladvisors.com/compensation-information/Competitive-Advantage-with-Compensation-article.aspx Kotelnikov, V. (N.E). Sustainable Competitive Advantage (SCA). Retrieved from http://www.1000ventures.com/business_guide/crosscuttings/sca_main.html WRIGHT, P. M., & McMcMAHAN, G. C. (1993). Human Resources And Sustained Competitive Advantage: A Resource-Based Perspective. Retrieved from http://ceo.usc.edu/pdf/T9319239.pdf Child, J. (1972). Human Resource Management (Competitive advantage). Retrieved from http://www.slideshare.net/fathima_sy/human-resource-management-competitive-advantage-1928241 Study-Aids. (2010). Employee Branding as a Source of Sustainable Competitive Advantage A Study of Two UK Airlines. Retrieved from http://www.study-aids.co.uk/marketing/market0057.html Hunter, J., & Hunter, R. (1984). Validity and utility of alternative

Technology and education

Introduction: Disability and TechnologyAccording to the U. S. Department of Commerce, more than half of all Americans use the Internet in some way, but â€Å"persons with a disability are only half as likely to have access to the Internet as those without a disability†¦ [a]nd while just under 25% of those without a disability have never used a personal computer, close to 60% of those with a disability fall into that category.† In addition â€Å"[a]mong those with a disability, people who have impaired vision†¦ have even lower rates of Internet access and are less likely to use a computer regularly than people with hearing and mobility problems† (National Telecommunications and Information Administration, 2000, p. xv).Cyndi Rowland, director of the Web Accessibility in Mind (WebAIM) project at Utah State University's Center for Persons with Disabilities, calls for a â€Å"national solution† to the problem of inaccessibility, especially â€Å"if we are t o abide by civil rights legislation, federal rulings, and common ethics† (Rowland, 2000, p. 10). Understanding the specific needs and concerns of students with disabilities may aid educators, information technology designers, and educational institutions to ensure that students with disabilities, particularly those who are blind or visually impaired, are not left behind in this technological â€Å"revolution.†The Internet and the web have become an integral part of higher education, transforming the educational experiences of all   students. In 1997, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), the international body that oversees the protocols and operations of the Internet, created the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). WAI is responsible for promoting web functionality for people with disabilities and establishing accessibility guidelines. In this age of computer technology, many of the tools needed to enable students with disabilities to obtain equity in education and be yond already exist. For those involved in educational institutions, these tools can provide opportunities and independence, eliminating the obstacles and barriers that many of the current systems still enable.A review of the literature related to attitudes and other barriers that people with disabilities must contend with every day at school and at work, the integration of computer technology in postsecondary education, and the needs and concerns of students with disabilities, in particular those who are blind or visually impaired, may provide some insights for future policies and guidelines regarding access and use of computer technologies for students who are blind or visually impaired.Technology: Enhancing Modern EducationExperiences of people with visual impairments in the workplace and their use of computer technology and the Internet was the focus of a qualitative study conducted in Australia by Williamson, Albrecht, Schauder, and Bow (2001). Primarily through focus group rese arch, the researchers presented the perceived benefits and concerns of the study's participants. Most agreed that the Internet enabled them to participate in an information and communication format that is becoming a primary source for many people. Many also saw the Internet as enabling them to be less reliant on others and, therefore, facilitating an increase in their own privacy.However, some were concerned about a reduction in social contact and an increase in isolationism. An additional concern was that there would be a decline in the quality of services from such entities as the government and banks because more is being done online. Training was viewed as critical to successfully using the Internet and computer technology. This, it was believed by many, was the key to achieving equality in the workplace, yet many felt it was a low priority by agencies and workplaces. Cost was also viewed as a barrier to accessing computers and the Internet.With various Internet advances, more individuals in all sectors of the community are working from home.   For visually impaired members of community the Internet has the potential to free them from the restrictions they have experienced in the past while seeking to obtain employment. â€Å"Once the challenges of access have been surmounted, [visually impaired] users can take their places in the digitalized workforce† (Williamson et al., 2001, pp. 693-4).With computer technology becoming a part of all college students' educational experiences, how are postsecondary schools preparing students for a computer-integrated future? To determine how the use of various technologies affect student learning, Shuell and Farber (2001) conducted a study of 728 sighted undergraduate and graduate students at a large northeastern university, where they found that, in general, students perceived the use of computer technology in their courses to be very beneficial. Students also believed that the use of communication technology brought an increase in their sense of involvement in a course.Eighty-eight percent of the sample indicated that their use of computer technology helped them learn materials and skills, and 75 percent indicated that using computer technology improved the quality of interaction with their instructor. Students also viewed the use of dynamic computer presentations and the Internet in lectures very favorably; it kept their interest, and the students believed that it improved their learning.  Ã‚  Ã‚   Students also favored electronic forums as a way to interact with their peers (e.g., email, listservs, and newsgroups) and believed that the use of these forms of computer technology increased the quality of these interactions.Another interesting finding in this study was that students who considered themselves to be more independent tended to respond more favorably to these technologies and the learning benefits associated with them. One theme of this study was the appreciation that stude nts had of the ability for computer technologies to enable independent learning. When serving the needs of students with disabilities, independence is a key factor to consider.Lewis, Coursol, and Khan (2001) examined the use and effect of computer technology on student development and education. They surveyed 124 sighted undergraduate students who attended a regional public institution in the Midwest. Technology choices, which included use of email, the Internet, and multimedia, were based on technology trends in higher education.Results indicated that the majority of students were comfortable with computer technology, using such tools as email and the Internet for both academic and social purposes. Both men and women spent about the same amount of time on email, class assignments on the computer, playing computer games, and shopping on the Internet. However, women spent significantly fewer hours surfing the Internet than men did.Consistent with Shuell and Farber (2001), Lewis et al . (2001) also confirmed that students believe the use of email increases their frequency of communication with faculty, which, in turn, enhances the faculty-student relationship and enables faculty to be more accessible. The issue of accessibility was discussed in this report and how there is a need for higher educational institutions to address this issue, which the authors indicate to be a social problem that has significant economic and social implications. They point to the need to recognize that there are some students, including those with disabilities, who may be at a disadvantage when a course requires the retrieval of materials from the web.The use of computer technology has become an accepted and expected component of every student's postsecondary educational experience. To better understand the use and effectiveness of these technologies, all of the studies used in this paper that focused on computer technology in higher education examined one or more aspects of the integ ration of these technologies into the educational system. The Arant (1996) study focused on the use of the Internet and the World Wide Web in higher education.Employing both qualitative and quantitative methods (phone interviews and a survey), it concluded that, while using online components to traditional courses did not support the apparent belief that online education saved time and money, it did change the way in which courses were taught, with additional online portions being incorporated into courses. For students who are visually impaired or blind, this could result in additional barriers.Computer Technology and Visually Impaired StudentsIn an extensive two-year study in Canada, Fichten, Barile, and Asuncion (1999) investigated the computer, information, learning, and adaptive technology needs and concerns of Canadian postsecondary students with disabilities. Of the findings from this study, computers were found to be critical to the success of students with disabilities, and the vast majority of students, regardless of gender, age, program of study, or type of disability, could and did use computer technologies to help them succeed. An important development that emerged from this study was that students often â€Å"cross-used† technologies. For example, while students with visual impairments are expected to use screen reader software, students with learning disabilities also used this software.The students in this study considered computers as â€Å"electronic curb cuts,† enabling technologies that allow students with disabilities to better prepare for and participate in the information-based economy of tomorrow. Fichten, et al. (1999) urged postsecondary education institutions to design for accessibility and to consider the needs of students with disabilities before making purchases.   What the authors describe as â€Å"troubling† is â€Å"the absence, in many cases, of planning for access† for students with disabilities by postsecondary institutions (Fichten et al., p. 179).  As some technological barriers fall, others are slowly erected as new technologies continue to become part of a student's educational experiences. One suggestion the authors had for government funding bodies to help raise awareness of these issues was to take accessibility issues into consideration when reviewing grant applications and to create incentives for businesses to develop and market technologies that are accessible to all students. The authors wrote: The enormous potential of computers to remove barriers to students with disabilities and concerns over barriers posed by limitations in access were central issues noted by respondents in all categories in all phases of the research (p. 180).Shaw and Giacquinta (2000) used a questionnaire that was very carefully developed, field tested, and revised several times before being used for this study. The sample consisted of 412 sighted graduate students. This study was very well thought out and documented.  Ã‚   The authors suggested that faculty integrate more computer technology into their curricula (e.g., with the use of such tools as Blackboard, WebCT, and course web pages). They did not, however, take into consideration the ramifications of that suggestion as it applies to students who are blind or visually impaired.  Ã‚   Unfortunately, unless having been asked to consider it, most faculty do not think about students who are blind or visually impaired (or who have any other disability) when they begin to integrate technology into their curriculum.Shuell and Farber (2001) piloted a questionnaire and discussed it within two focus groups before using it for the study. Their sample was composed of 728 sighted undergraduate and graduate students.  Ã‚   Both qualitative and quantitative data showed a link between active, participatory learning and the positive perception of students regarding technology as a learning tool; they also confirmed tha t the use of technology made the classes seem more personal to the students.However, the authors caution that the apparent relationship found in their study between a positive perception of computer technology by students and students' actual learning is still unclear. Lewis et al. (2001) used an author-constructed survey, which they described as â€Å"a self-report, forced-choice survey.† One of the problems with this study is that a self-report is subject to response bias, although the results of this study were consistent with the others regarding a positive perception and use of computer technology by students in postsecondary institutions. Both Shuell et al. and Lewis et al. recommended that future research focus on the impact of technology on student learning. Lewis et al. also recommended the need to examine the use of technology among specific groups, such as students who are Hispanic, African American, and commuters.ConclusionGiven the state of existing literature in the area of postsecondary students who are blind or visually impaired, combined with the overwhelming integration of computer technology into the academic environment, there is still a need for a more substantive exploration into how postsecondary institutions are supporting and serving the best interests of these students. Disability scholars Susan R. Jones and Julie Smart point out the relationship between individuals who have a disability and how society views people with disabilities. They assert that disability is a universal issue, and yet there is no single disability experience.With a focus on the prejudices, discrimination and stigma experienced by people with disabilities and their responses to their disabilities, Jones (1996) and Smart (2001) define disability as a socially constructed phenomenon that combines the experiences of those living with a disability together with their environments. Goggin and Newell (2003) further state that â€Å"in the name of inclusionâ₠¬  society builds disability into digital technologies, arguing that disability has been constructed in the technological world of computing and computer networks and that there is a need to critically analyze the ways in which it is constructed within contemporary society.ReferencesArant, Jr., M. D. (1996, August). Going online to teach journalism and mass communication.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   (ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED399596)Fichten, C, Barile, M., & Asuncion, J. V. (1999). Learning technologies:Students with   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   disabilities inpostsecondary education [Montreal: Final Report to the Office of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Learning Technologies]. Adaptech Project,Dawson College. (ERIC Document   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Reproduction Service No. ED433625)Goggin, G. & Newell, C. (2003). Digital disability: The social construction of disability in   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   new media. Lanham, MD: Rowman & Littlefield.Jones, S. R. (1996). Toward inclusive theory: Disability as social construction. NASPA   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Journal, 33(4), 347-354.Lewis, J., Coursol, D., & Khan, L. (2001). College students @ tech.edu: A study of comfort and the use of technology. Journal of College Student Development, 42(6), 625-631.National Telecommunications and Information Administration. (2000). Falling through the   Ã‚   net: Toward digital inclusion. A report of American's access to technology tools. Retrieved March 18, 2009, from   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.ntia.doc.gOv/ntiahome/fttn00/Falling.htm#6Rowland, C. (2000, October). Accessibility of the internet in postsecondary education:   Ã‚   Meeting the challenge. Paper presented at the Universal Web Accessibility   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Symposium 2000, San Antonio, Texas. Retrieved March 18, 2009, from   Ã‚  Ã‚   http://www.webaim.org/articles/meetchallenge/Shuell, T. J., & Farber, S. L. (2001). Students' perceptions of technology use in college      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   courses. Journal of Educational Computing Research, 24(2), 119-138.Shaw, F. S., & Giacquinta, J. B. (2000). A survey of graduate students as end users of   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   computer technology: New roles for faculty. Information Technology, Learning, and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Performance Journal, 18(1), 21-40.Smart, Julie (2001). Disability, Society, and the Individual. Gaithersburg, Maryland: Aspen Publishers.Williamson, K., Albrecht, A., Schauder, D., & Bow, A. (2001). Australian perspectives on the   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   use of the internet by people who are visually impaired and professionals who work   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   with them. Journal of Visual Impairment & Blindness, 95(11), 690 – 701.

History of the Domestication of Sunflowers

History of the Domestication of Sunflowers Sunflowers (Helianthus spp.) are plants native to the American continents, and one of four seed-bearing species known to have been domesticated in eastern North America. The others are squash [Cucurbita pepo var oviferia], marshelder [Iva annua], and chenopod [Chenopodium berlandieri]). Prehistorically, people used sunflower seeds for ornamental and ceremonial use, as well as for food and flavoring. Prior to domestication, wild sunflowers were spread throughout the North and Central American continents. Wild sunflower seeds have been found in numerous locations in eastern North America; the earliest so far is within the American Archaic levels of the Koster site, as early as 8500 calendar years BP (cal BP); when it was precisely domesticated, is difficult to establish, but at least 3,000 cal BP. Identifying Domesticated Versions Archaeological evidence accepted for recognizing the domesticated form of sunflowers (Helianthus annuus L.) is the increase in the average mean length and width of achenethe pod that contains the sunflower seed; and since Charles Heisers comprehensive studies in the 1950s, the established reasonable minimum length for determining whether a particular achene is domesticated has been 7.0 millimeters (about a third of an inch). Unfortunately, that is problematic: because many sunflower seeds and achenes were recovered in the charred (carbonized) state, and carbonization can, and in fact often does, shrink the achene. In addition, the accidental hybridization of wild and domestic formsalso results in smaller sized domestic achenes. Standards to correct for carbonized seeds developed from experimental archaeology on sunflowers from DeSoto National Wildlife Refuge found that carbonized achenes exhibited an average of 12.1% reduction in size after being carbonized. Based on that, Smith (2014) proposed scholars use multipliers of about 1.35-1.61 to estimate the original size. In other words, measurements of carbonized sunflower achenes should be multiplied by 1.35-1.61, and if the majority of the achenes falls over 7 mm, you can reasonably surmise that the seeds are from a domesticated plant. Alternatively, Heiser suggested that a better measure might be the heads (disks) of sunflowers. Domesticated sunflower disks are significantly larger than wild ones, but,  unfortunately, only about two dozen partial or complete heads have been identified archaeologically. Earliest Domestication of Sunflowers The main site of domestication for sunflower appears to have been located in the eastern North American woodlands, from several dry caves and rock shelters of the central and eastern United States. The firmest evidence is from a large assemblage from the Marble Bluff site in the Arkansas Ozarks, securely dated to 3000 cal BP. Other early sites with smaller assemblages but potentially domesticated seeds include Newt Kash Hollow rock shelter in eastern Kentucky (3300 cal BP); Riverton, Eastern Illinois (3600-3800 cal BP); Napoleon Hollow, central Illinois (4400 cal BP); the Hayes site in central Tennessee (4840 cal BP); and Koster in Illinois (ca 6000 cal BP). In sites more recent than 3000 cal BP, domesticate sunflowers are frequent occurrences. Early domesticated sunflower seed and achene was reported from the San Andrà ©s site in Tabasco, Mexico, direct dated by AMS to between 4500-4800 cal BP. However, recent genetic research has shown that all modern domestic sunflowers developed from the wild eastern North American species. Some scholars have argued that the San Andres specimens may not be sunflower  but if they are, they represent a second, later domestication event that failed. Sources Crites, Gary D. 1993 Domesticated sunflower in Fifth Millennium B.P temporal context: New evidence from middle Tennessee. American Antiquity 58(1):146-148. Damiano, Fabrizio, Luigi R. Ceci, Luisa Siculella, and Raffaele Gallerani 2002 Transcription of two sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) mitochondrial tRNA genes having different genetic origins. Gene  286(1):25-32. Heiser Jr. CB. 1955. The origin and development of the cultivated sunflower. The American Biology Teacher 17(5):161-167. Lentz, David L., et al. 2008 Sunflower (Helianthus annuus L.) as a pre-Columbian domesticate in Mexico. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 105(17):6232-6237. Lentz D, Pohl M, Pope K, and Wyatt A. 2001. Prehistoric sunflower (Helianthus Annuus L.) domestication in Mexico. Economic Botany  55(3):370-376. Piperno, Dolores R. 2001 On Maize and the Sunflower. Science  292(5525):2260-2261. Pope, Kevin O., et al. 2001 Origin and Environmental Setting of Ancient Agriculture in the Lowlands of Mesoamerica. Science 292(5520):1370-1373. Smith BD. 2014. The domestication of Helianthus annuus L. (sunflower). Vegetation History and Archaeobotany 23(1):57-74. doi: 10.1007/s00334-013-0393-3 Smith, Bruce D. 2006 Eastern North America as an independent center of plant domestication. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 103(33):12223-12228.