Motivational Strategy and Action Plan Essay Example for Free

Motivational Strategy and Action Plan Essay Determine the motivational strategy or strategies that would likely be most appropriate for each of your three employees on basis of their individual characteristics. Indicate how you would leverage their employee evaluations to motivate each of the three employees. Describe one or more of the motivational theories and explain how the theories connect to each of your selected motivational strategies. Team Member Name Summary of Individual Characteristics Motivational Strategy and Action Plan Relevant Theory Tina Engaged Passionate Persistent Inspirational Leader Happy Emotional stable This employee would not really need much motivation, since already in engaged, passionate and is a leader at work. I would suggest that the employee uses an action plan to continue with positive attitude. Also since the employee has passed reviews, to advance in progress with promotions in the company. McClelland theory is relevant to this situation. It relates to this situation because for the most part the employee is happy at the job. Brittany Competitive Good communicator Influential Independent Emotional Quick thinker This employee shouldn’t much motivation since she is so competitive. However we could motivate her to be more engaged and happy at job since so emotional. An action plan for this strategy would be to assign her to do task she is interested and likes to do that are easy and take little thought since she is a quick thinker. This situation relates to the self-efficiency theory because employee is independent. She likes to do things on her own and feels she can. Denise Timid Considerate Neutral decision maker Eager Happy with job Encouraging This employee needs motivation in company involvement in communication since timid and shy. She can demonstrate these skills in an action plan by being more involved in conferences, presentations, and meetings. This situation could be also related to the McClelland theory because for the employee is happy with job, but there is room for opportunity.

Mind and Citadel Essay Example for Free

Mind and Citadel Essay Masculinity is the properties characteristic of the male sex. Characteristics include strength, toughness, brutality and many more. All of which are the characteristics of the boys who attended The Citadel in hopes of leaving the school as men. Susan Faludi, author of The Naked Citadel, writes about the problems within the prestigious school, the major problem, being sexism. The Citadel’s problem can be almost clearly supported by Malcom Gladwell’s Power of Context argument from his book the Tipping Point. The militaristic environment at the Citadel changes each cadet’s character into an extreme emotionally ruined version of who they once were. These changes turn into violence in the extreme. Perception is the key to many disagreements within society. This holds true in the situation that affects The Citadel. When a girl, Shannon Faulkner, applies to be the first female admitted to the Cadet Corps. She attempts to mess with the system by leaving out her gender. The perception at the Citadel is that women would not be a good fit in the school. Tradition has a major part with this. It is apparent that Shannon’s entrance to the Citadel has proven to become a threat to the Citadel community since it is an all-male institution, intended to train real men. The Citadel has always been an all boy school as â€Å"except of course, they weren’t really boys at all. These were college men† (Faludi 78). Who’s to say however that they are in fact men? What defines a man? Within the society a man is expected to think, act and live in a masculine manner. Showing emotions or sensitivity is considered taboo among the males. In the Citadel a man can act in a manner in which the threat of breaking the public norms is not eminent. The way of life in the Citadel made it almost impossible to live for a woman. Society as a whole saw the Citadel as an established all male school and they were determined to keep it that way. However, this perception is based on what is seen from an outside perspective. Gladwell defines this aspect of perception of character as the FAE, Fundamental Attribution Error. Gladwell writes, â€Å"The mistake we make in thinking of character as something unified and all-encompassing is very similar to a kind of blind spot in the way we process information† (162). If character is something unified, then everyone must be classified as one in the same. The mistake the Citadel is making is having their all boy school rule become a blind spot for the future. The future that lies ahead can never be, if the Citadel sticks to their tradition. While tradition is what made the school so prestigious, a change in time may also need a change in tradition. A women can just as easily â€Å"be one of the guys† as any other guy. While men have defining characteristics that make them appear different from women, there are many attributes, such as personality that isn’t so distinctive between certain people. The Citadel being filled with men who everyone knew would resist the idea of a women being admitted to the school, needed someone who could â€Å"fit† in. â€Å"Robert Patterson, the Citadel attorney who had previously represented V. M. I. , asked Astin, his voice full of unflattering insinuation about the kind of woman he imagined her to be. Astin: I suppose the same as the kind of men who want to go there. Patterson: Would it be a woman that would not be all that different from men? Astin: Yes. † (Faludi 95). This quick interrogation of Alexander Astin explains that men and women are not different after all. While Patterson thought he found the winning point to his case, he actually put himself and the Citadel in a hole. Women, who would apply to The Citadel, feel that they have the ability to compete with the existing me inside. Everyone knew how the Citadel was run. It was filled with aggressive men under military rules. But Shannon Faulkner still applied. Sharron Faulkner was the type of women that Patterson perceived would be able to attend the Citadel. You could cite her memory that as a small child she preferred playing outside with the boys to playing with certain girls whom she deemed â€Å"too prissy†Ã¢â‚¬  (Faludi 96). Shannon was always, â€Å"one of the boys†. Her background and general attitude is extremely similar to anyone of the â€Å"men† at the Citadel. Even with this, the Citadel is still against the idea. â€Å"The psychologist Walter Mischel argues that the human mind has a kind of â€Å"reducing valve† that â€Å"creates and maintains the perception of continuity even in the face of perpetual observed changes in actual behavior† (Gladwell 162). The way our mind works, it is hard for people to have multiple views on something. In the case of the Citadel, society perceived the school as a strict all boy school that is not suitable for any women. Society also perceived Shannon as just a woman. â€Å"Just† isn’t putting down that aspect, but that is all that society saw her as. So if the Citadel is looked at and known as an all boys militaristic school that women would never be able to step foot into as a student and Shannon was looked at as just a woman then in no way shape or form would she ever be allowed to attend that school. That’s the problem with our society. We base our judgment on what we see, not on what we know. Any women who is willing to put herself through that type of embarrassment and trouble and even death threats just to get into a school, in my mind is more of a man than any of those kids in the Citadel. Society is filled with stereotypes and that is what everyone is based off of. You, the next guy and me will always be looked at by society as part of a stereotype. This is the problem with the Citadel, and society in general. Perception is key in all events that occur at the Citadel. Perception plays a strong role in the Power of Context as wells as sexism at the Citadel. The focus on environment is the main aspect of the Power of Context. It says the people are â€Å"acutely sensitive to their environment† (Gladwell 159). People are therefore prompted to do certain things based on their perception of their environment. This is exactly what was occurring at the Citadel. The cadets were prompted to react physically towards each other based on what their perception of a man was. Knobs told me that they were forced to run through the showers while the upperclassman â€Å"gaurds† knocked the soap out of their hands and, when the knobs leaned over to retrieve it the upperclassman would unzip their pants and yell, â€Å"Don’t pick it up, don’t pick it up! We’ll use you like we used those girls! † (Faludi 105). The Citadel continually expresses the idea of being a man. However, the upperclassman takes advantage of this and confuses strength of a man with violence. These knobs that come into the university as boys, are turning into emotionally stunted individuals. They lack the understanding of a real man. As well as what it means to be in a relationship a part from other men. Women, whether they believe so or not, are a great importance to the future of the Citadel. The reality of the Citadel, however, is that it’s producing less â€Å"men† and more homosexuals. This may in fact be a direct result of no women in the vicinity. â€Å"When a Citadel attorney asked Doucet why female cadets would pose a problem on the campus, the only issue he raised was the humiliation that cadets feel if women observe the cadets’ on-campus interactions† (Faludi 104). Humiliation may be one of the strongest emotions that can alter ones character forever. However, if women were allowed in the school than humiliation would not be an issue because the men would change their ways to please women. Women posed no actual threat to the school, except the embarrassment of the cadets. Is that even a legitimate reason to prevent a girl of getting an education? Shannon was faced with more humiliation and threats than the boys in the school could ever imagine. Then, as they turned back to the house, they saw that across the white porch columns and along the siding of the house, the words, â€Å"Bitch,† â€Å"Dyke,† â€Å"Whore,† and â€Å"Lesbo† (Faludi 94). The Citadel Cadets were criticizing Shannon Faulkner because she wanted to be accepted. It just so happens that all the terms they used all categorized her as a man. Shannon could speak, act and dress like a man but no matter what she will never be able to be fully accepted beca use in their minds only a man a true man is suited for the school. The controversy at the Citadel is a sad but eye opening example of how our society is. Society puts them in a mindset where only one way is the right way. If society can open up their brains to more opportunities than a lot of problems would be alleviated. Malcom Gladwell poses the reasoning of the Citadels problems with the idea of the Power of Context. There is so much that goes on in a situation that it should never be that easy to give an answer. The situation at the Citadel is un-fair and wrong. Women are just as smart and important as men and should have the same rules. But in that argument, if you want to be treated the same, you can’t complain.

Understanding culturally responsive teaching and multicultural educ

Understanding culturally responsive teaching and multicultural educ Multicultural education is all about students learning in different modes and about teachers responding effectively to recognize and detect the differences in learning. Culturally responsive teaching always focuses on perceived strengths of students and liaising between mismatch between cultures followed at home and the school. Culturally responsive teaching is a systematic approach to modern day teaching by taking into consideration many aspects of culture and its values. In a classical study, a professor at the University of Wisconsin, Gloria Ladson-Billings demonstrated the examples of a culturally relevant teaching module. The main goal of this study was to find out why some teachers were successful with teaching African American children what other teachers could not. The researcher also wanted to pinpoint those specific behaviors that made these teachers successful in teaching. For this study, she chose all parents and principals from four schools that exclusively taught African American children, to pick those teachers, who they considered excellent in terms of teaching. As one could guess, the choices made by principals and parents were entirely different. Principals They chose teachers, who possessed very low numbers of discipline referrals, who had very high attendance rates and top test scores. Parents Parents chose teachers who were helping, enthusiastic, interested in teaching students and those who actually understood that students want to mix with a community that had both white and colored students. The result In all, nine teachers, both white and black, were selected for the experiment. Out of them, eight agreed to participate in the study. The researcher conducted this study for several years; after many years of dedicated research, the researcher could observe many conflicting scenarios. Teachers who participated in the program were all different, each with their own teaching styles, strategies and personalities. The results that were pooled from the exercise were too confusing and the researcher just wanted to abandon the program because of these conflicting results. However, the researcher could suddenly find some remarkable, striking and subtle features that were associated with the experimental module. 1) All the eight teachers, who participated in the exercise voluntarily chose challenging schools, those were complex and difficult to teach. 2) All of them felt that they were responsible for the success of their students 3) Teachers were very sensitive and receptive towards race and class discrimination in society. 4) In fact, they wanted to fight bias and prejudice that were so common in schools 5) Lastly, teachers considered both students home and classroom as inter-related and connected. This perception helped them to learn from different neighborhoods. The methods used by the teacher were very interesting and refreshing. All of them respected other cultures, classes and religions. They also honored the crafts, customs and traditions followed in the community. Teachers also invited parents to share traditional experiences and customs of each community. Teachers cajoled students to learn and master both home and Standard English (home English is the one that students speak in their homes). One of the most striking and interesting aspect of the exercise was that even teachers were willing to learn from students and parents experiences and opinions. Eventually, the researcher, Gloria Ladson-Billings, could summarize the research findings and arrive at a package of principles for meaningful and community teaching. These culturally responsive principles are as follows: 1. Stronger self-esteem and self-image is possible, only when the students experience academic success and satisfaction. Students who do not believe in themselves or in their abilities may have very poor academic achievements. Students always like lessons that are in consonance with their learning styles. Students also like to learn the basic knowledge and skills those are necessary for achieving success in their classrooms. 2. To succeed in classrooms and elsewhere, students must develop and retain core competence. A home is where one can find opportunity for learning. Not many teachers teach about educational experiences that students could gain in a community setting. Many teachers teach just the classroom skills and techniques. The researcher made it a point to include community as a foundation for meaningful teaching. She believed that teaching should look beyond the traditional classroom. She wanted to avoid a perceived conflict or friction between the classroom and home. Teachers can create and set up and meaningful and positive academic environment by teaching beyond traditional classrooms and by integrating learning with the concepts, customs and traditions of local community. 3. It is possible to encounter and challenge social injustice by developing highly critical consciousness and awareness. An intelligent and culturally inclined teacher needs to connect and gel with the needs and of the students as well as the local community. He or he may also need to work hard to enhance and improve the quality of life experienced in the school and community. Stop and Think Just, ask this following simple questions to yourself Can you recall an incidence in your school when you felt a disconnection? Did you see an apparent difference between the life portrayed in the textbooks and the real world where you actually lived? Do you feel that the method used in the case study were effective? If effective, why do you think so? Can you relate students skills and experiences with the skills and experiences of the community from where they come from? Do you feel that culturally responsive principles work in your class? How do you enhance or develop your students core competencies? Schools are just like a sanitized bubble that is entirely insulated from the problems that are faced in the real world. As a culturally enabled teacher, you should try to break open this bubble, so that students can experience the problems of the exterior world. Culturally relevant classroom will try to confront and eliminate real social problems. You should know and learn what it means to be an effective and culturally responsive teacher, so that you can enhance and broaden your feeling of what it needs to become a successful teacher. Collate and accumulate the following viewpoints that help you to be a good teacher. To be a good teacher, you may need to consider Ladson- Billings three points and later imbibe certain skills, attitudes and knowledge. 1. The type of teaching methods and skills that you need to acquire to become a culturally responsive teacher. 2. An ability to diagnose and detect different needs of students and action plans for different learning styles. 3. Developing and harnessing critical thinking and cognitive skills to help students excel in their studies. 4. Acquire a skill known as wait time, where you will remain silent and listen to the answers given by all students. Note: Previous studies have demonstrated that teachers with the noblest intentions often fail to use effective teaching skills. Chapter 11 of this book, Becoming an Effective Teacher, will provide you additional equitable teaching skills that can help you fine-tune your teaching career. Developing Attitudes to become a culturally responsive teacher Attitudes are very important for every teacher. What type of attitudes do you want acquire, so that you can become a culturally responsive teacher? Do you have any meaningful methods that help you teach students, whose cultural background is entirely different from yours? Most of your students may come from similar race, ethnicity and classes. Most of us may share a common set of values and opinions, while the way in which we socialized in the past may also be quite similar. As you get ready to teach, you may work hard to go away from your familiar territory and search for different viewpoints. The more different you become, the more likely you will be capable to welcome diverse life experiences and attitudes that are meaningful and agreeable. To become a culturally responsive teacher of very high caliber, you may need to acquire skills and knowledge about various groups and their experiences. The amount of skills and knowledge sets that you possess may be insufficient enough to teach your students. The skills and methods that you use may be inaccurate as well. To become a successful teacher, you may need to educate about yourself, your students and their requirements. Try to know and understand the educational implications of your students cultural backgrounds. This chapter will assist you traverse this unique path. Just consider this example. A number of African American community members often prefer aural and participatory learning to writing. If you are adamant and bent on using writing activities only, then your students performance may come down. Research findings also suggest us that girls and women have the habit of personalizing knowledge, skills and prefer learning by the way of experiences and first hand observation. Make sure that you create personal connections and events that will definitely enhance the success rates of female students. The big challenge that all teachers face is the ability to acquire beneficial and accurate cultural insights that eventually assist them to connect their classroom with the underlying culture. This needs to be done while preventing the likelihood of falling into the trap of stereotypic thinking. Do you know that difference between a useful cultural insight and a destructive stereotype? If you do not know, the next section will assist you learn the essential difference between them. Knowing Stereotypes The second chapter demonstrated the essential differences between different stereotypes and generalizations. Here, we will attempt to evaluate and analyze them very closely. What are stereotypes? Stereotypes are the firm and absolute beliefs that all members of a particular group possess; stereotypes will have a fixed set of parameters and characteristics. The word stereotype took its birth in a print shop. It is almost like a type. It is also like a one-piece plate that repeats a particular pattern without any individualism. Today, stereotypic thinking relates to cultures that neglect individuality and is applied consistently to every member of a group. Stereotypic thinking is rigid and non-flexible. It is set on a particular form of thinking that is unfair and unjust. Stereotypic people always try to save their time bypassing their normal thinking process. Stereotypes are a set of special characteristics those are attached to a group of individuals, based on their allegiance to a certain group with no qualification of thinking process. People who are stereotypes always use highly simplistic words that border on a sense of rigidity. For example, they may use words like à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. All Blacks are or à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..All Hispanics are or à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ All Asians are. In fact, these preconceived expressions are applied to certain groups without making any distinction; most of them are pre-conceived ideas and expressions. In fact, stereotypes are the way of thinking in a sloppy and unfair manner that undermines the basic values of a culturally different school. Consider the following examples: A typical stereotypic line of thinking may be: 1) All Hispanics are very poor in studies 2) All Asians are academically very smart and intelligent 3) Jews are very rich 4) African Americans are very good in sports Note: Stereotypes are impermeable to contradictory information. Examples: 1) Go and find a very poor Jew 2) Find me a Hispanic person with a doctorate degree 3) Give me an example of an Asian student who fails in math test 4) Find an African American, who is not an athletic. 5) Find a European American, who is not clean and hygienic Each of these strings of thought process is a perceived anomaly and every one of them is an exception to the set rule. As a result, the stereotypes always endure and persist. A typical stereotype is very dangerous and it can hurt and damage peoples egos. Stereotypic thinking in a school can even more be dangerous, as it can impede learning process. It also inhibits the ability to search for new information, not just ordinary and contradictory ones. Threat posed by Stereotypes Just consider the following example of stereotype and try to assess its damaging nature. Opinion polls published in the recent past inform us that about 50% of white Americans agree and endorse typical stereotypes relating to blacks and Hispanics, like most of them are not intelligent and skilled. Such stereotypic thinking acts like a double-edged sword; they can influence whites, blacks and Hispanics in equal measures. They can adversely influence the expectations, behaviors of whites, while blacks and Hispanics should live in a society that professes such beliefs. Consider the following case study published sometime back: In a study, the researchers asked both the whites and African American students to take somewhat difficult verbal examinations. Two groups took the verbal skill test a control group and an experimental group. In the control group, students took tests in a typically normal manner to measure the intelligence. On the other hand, the experimental groups consisted of students and they did not know that they were taking tests. Here, the psychology of their verbal problems was put to test. The researcher made sure that the two groups were matched to keep variable parameters like abilities of the students, time to test and the quality of tests almost similar. Results In the experimental groups, black test participants were successful in solving twice as many unique problems, as the ones those among the control group. On the other hand, the white test participants could solve almost the same number in both the groups. In another similar experiment, researchers found out that performance level of black test takers was very bad, when the examiners asked them to enter their race and ethnicity type on the test form. The outcome that you see here in this study is very simple. The outcome relates to the stereotypic threat. A number of factors like can influence academic performance: Self image Trust on others A Sense of belonging towards others When you learn that there is stereotype, you are more likely to act like a stereotype than when it does not exist. When you care most about your academic performance, you are more likely to be vulnerable to stereotypic threat. Many research studies demonstrate that why African American and other ethnic students tend to perform very well in college tests than their SAT scores predict. In many cases, the standardized test scores cannot be taken as an indicator and they are more often misleading. Likewise, many other people often fail as victims of stereotype threats especially Latinos in English tests, females in math tests and elderly people on short-term memory tests. Sometimes, even a bright student with very strong test scores may fall a victim to stereotype mentality. In fact, even a bright white student is not immune to stereotype; white students failed to perform to their expected levels, when they heard about their comparison with the Asian students. In fact, no one is immune from stereotype threat. Stereotype can limit a students ability to perform well in academics. Stereotype can convince a student that intellect is a fixed trait, that some ethnic groups are more intelligent than others are, and that his or her future is determined at the birth itself. Mind you, your intellect is just like your brain and it can change and transform over time. Your potential is truly amazing. If you believe that you can teach your brain to become smarter and intelligent, to grow like what you can do to your muscles through exercises, you can easily eradicate stereotypic thinking from your mind. Similarly, you can even enhance your test score, as well as the academic excellence. As a teacher, you are also dealing with ethics, values and characters of your students. When stereotypes exist among your students, they can damage your students and their learning potential beyond repair. When you give proper instruction, your students can overcome any type of stereotype. A good anti-stereotype course curriculum is the one that represents unique diversity across all races, ethnicity, genders, religions and socio-economic status. If you have the ability, you can even confront stereotype directly, head on with full conviction. You may just need to explain what stereotype is and how students can neutralize it. Never ever, ignore the perils of stereotype and its ability to damage your students mind and academic career. Dealing with generalization Generalizations recognize that there are special trends within a wide swath of people. Al members of religious, racial and ethnic groups have something that is common to them. They also share many things together. Generalization has many special characteristics: 1) They can give you some insights 2) They do not signify hard and fast conclusions like stereotypes 3) They do not consider that everyone in a group possess a fixed set of characters. You can never apply this axiom to everyone. You can modify it, as and when you collect fresh and new information. There will be many exceptions to generalizations. It is so common to see people using most common words like many, commonly, often or tend to, as different forms of generalizations. They also recognize that people may belong to different groups almost simultaneously. Example You can find Israeli Jews, Asian Jews, Arab Jews and even Polish Jews. Yet, they are all Jews altogether. Similarly, you can find African Indians, Caribbean Indians, Fiji Indians or even East African Indians. Yet, they are all Indians altogether. You can get a hunch or clue about a group through generalizations. These clues could form very important links, when you are planning to teach your class. When you do not know anything about your students or when you know very little about them, generalizations could be very useful tools to feel the pulse of the classroom. Generalizations provide you an educated guess to learn more about your students. As time passes and when you learn more about your class, you can then reject those generalizations that are vague and false. Using generalizations to create a culturally responsive teaching module Is it possible to develop a culturally responsive classroom by using generalizations in the teaching modules? Assume that you have a number of Native American students in your classroom. Now, let is also assume that you conduct some research on the learning preferences of these students. After conducting that research, you will discover that these students prefer to learn their lessons in a highly cooperative group that cherishes community and family values to individual competition. With available results, you will decide to modify your teaching methods that actually cater to the demands of students. Rather than using the same old model of teacher centric approach, you may start working on several academic topics at the same time. You will design a teaching module that specifically asks open-ended questions that demand answers related to student experiences of life. You may also wish to wait for some time for your students to answer your questions. Usually, Native Americans tend to wait for some time to give their answers. Native American students also tend to respect natural and supernatural forces very much. They also like to see native Indian expressions, words and syllables apart from legends and signs in their course curriculum. When you give them a chance to learn, by the way of sharing rather than competition, your students can learn well and perform better. Generalizations are always flexible. With experiences of teaching a diverse group of students, you can easily acquire better skills and techniques that help you in confronting any type of stereotypes. With valued experiences, you can also become the most productive teacher, who can be culturally responsive and sensitive as well. Let us kick start that process right now in the next section. Journal Activity Why generalizations and stereotypic thinking is dangerous for the society? List some important reasons and find solutions to overcome them. Is it possible to create culturally responsible teaching module by overcoming stereotypes and generalizations? Think of some teaching modules that you feel are good for you and study them in detail. Pause and Reflect Have you come across instances of stereotypes and generalizations, when you were studying in your school? If yes, write them down and analyze them. Do you feel that your present attitude towards a culturally diverse classroom is conducive enough to teach without any inhibitions or limitations? Give reasons why you are capable enough to teach a diverse classroom.

Neurobiology of Harmony :: Biology Essays Research Papers

Neurobiology of Harmony How sound waves produced by instruments become sensible representations in the brain, and how the perceptions become meaningful are interesting questions for neurobiology to ask, as well as necessary ones if knowledge of the brain is to account for all behavior. The brain is able to discern harmony because the inner ear is capable of differentiating between different frequencies. The brain's differentiation between pitches and chords corresponds to the physical, "real," differences between notes and chords, although our sense of music built from perception of harmonies through time, is more subjective and variable. Our faculty of hearing derives from the anatomy of the inner ear and the brain, as well as from the existence of external stimuli in the outside world. Sound is both the mechanical energy of waves and the sensation produced by receptors in the brain (1). Each wave has an amplitude and a frequency. The amplitude of a vibration corresponds to its volume and is measured by decibels on a logarithmic scale. Frequency is logarithmic, as well, but corresponds to differences in pitch. Greater frequency results in a higher pitch. Mathematically, pitch is represented as the number of vibrations per second (1) (2) . Vertebrates hear sound through their neurobiological makeup. The ear's tympanic membrane, or eardrum, vibrates as a result of being subjected to sound waves. The waves then travel to the inner ear or cochlea which is the site of sound's transduction into chemical energy. Within the cochlea, sound waves travel through fluid which stimulates the stereocilia, small hair-like projections of hair cells along the basilar membrane. The actions of the stereocilia cause the release of K+, potentially depolarizing the cell (1). The flexibility of the basilar membrane allows stereocilia to move back and forth in response to the waves in the Cochlear fluid. Each stereocilium is linked to another through structures called "tip links" (1) , (3) As the stereocilia move towards the tallest ones, the tip links cause ion channels to open, depolarizing the cell and allowing free K+ to move into the cell (1). Importantly, the stereocilia move in direct response to the sound waves and are cumulative rath er than spiking. Neurotransmitter release corresponds to the frequency and amplitude (pitch and volume) of a sound input. Sounds must be sufficiently loud and within a given range in order to cause action potentials. Different sounds will produce different outputs, allowing for discrimination of harmony on a neural level (1).

Diana Ross :: essays research papers

Diana Ross Diana Ross was born in 1944. Emerging from the housing projects in Detroit to become an international superstar, she gained prominence first as a member of the supremes, then as a solo artist. The mention of her name evokes the indelible image of the broadly smiling diva, the long hair, sequined gowns, etc. Ross first recorded on the small lupine label in 1959, as a member of the Primettes. The group signed to Motown in1961, and later changed their names to the supremes. In 1963, all the singles released by the supremes featured Diana Ross as the lead singer. That year they first hit the top 40 with â€Å"when the love light starts shining through his eyes†. In 1964 the supremes single â€Å" where did our love go† began a run of five consecutive #1 singles. Thereafter where a series of #1 hits such as, â€Å"the happenings†, â€Å"baby love†, â€Å" stop! in the name of love†, â€Å" you can’t hurry love†, and you keep me hanging on†. Someday well be together was Ross’ last hit with the supremes before going solo. Ross moved to California to launch her solo career. Her reworking of the Ashford and Simpson standard â€Å"ain’t no mountain high enough† became their first #1 hit as a solo artist. In 1971, Her first child Rhonda was born later announced as berry Gordy child (the founder of Motown). Ros married her first husband, Robert Ellis Siberstein, a union that produced two children, Tracee (from girlfriends) and Chudney Ellis. In 1972 Diana Ross made her first debut portraying the late jazz singer Billie holiday in â€Å" lady sings the blues†. The film was successful, and Ross was received an Oscar nomination for her performance.

Awakening Essay -- essays research papers

When Kate Chopin's "The Awakening" was published at the end of the 19th Century, many reviewers took issue with what they perceived to be the author's defiance of Victorian proprieties, but it is this very defiance with which has been responsible for the revival in the interest of the novel today. This factor is borne out by Chopin's own words throughout her Preface -- where she indicates that women were not recipients of equal treatment. (Chopin, Preface ) Edna takes her own life at the book's end, not because of remorse over having committed adultery but because she can no longer struggle against the social conventions which deny her fulfillment as a person and as a woman. Like Kate Chopin herself, Edna is an artist and a woman of sensitivity who believes that her identity as a woman involves more than being a wife and mother. It is this very type of independent thinking which was viewed as heretical in a society which sought to deny women any meaningful participation. The fact that Edna is an artist is significant, insofar as it allows her to have a sensibility as developed as the author's. Furthermore, Edna is able to find in Mlle. Reisz, who has established herself as a musician, a role model who inspires her in her efforts at independence. Mlle. Reisz, in confiding to Edna that "You are the only one worth playing for," gives evidence of the common bond which the two of them feel as women whose sensibilities are significantly different from those of the common herd. The French heritage which Edna absorbed through her Creole upbringing allowed her, like Kate Chopin herself, to have knowledge or a way of life that represented a challenge to dominant Victorian conventions. In Creole society, women are dominated by men, but at least the freer attitude toward sexuality allows a woman opportunities for romance which are lacking in Anglo-Saxon culture. But sexual freedom is of little interest to Edna unless it can be used as a means of asserting her overall freedom as a human being. Learning to swim is thus important to her, because it allows her to have more control over the circumstances of her own life through the overcoming of the dread of water and the fear of death which it symbolizes. Again, the process through which Edna attains liberation and, in the author's words, begins to "do as she likes and to feel as she likes," is a gradual one. From stat... ...otagonist, or the heroine. She dares to rebel against prevailing society, and even the very title of the book, as named by Kate Chopin, "The Awakening" is analogous to danger. Is the truth then so dangerous and horrific that one risks suicide? And if so, is this applicable to everyone? Similarly I would ask the question, if this were to be the case, or if even not, why is that most of the population is not committing suicide? Surely they are living lives which they would not prefer, for example, most people according to polls would not report their job unless they had to and were paid for it. Most marriages end in divorce. Indeed, the degree and level of suffering and pain throughout the populace is almost unfathomable. Perhaps, Ms. Chopin was living out a vicarious reality through Edna in committing suicide...and perhaps, this may be the underlying reason for the great reception which this novel has enjoyed...as well as staying power. Similarly, it has also been appointed a kind of jewel of the vanguard of women's rights. Indeed, "The Awakening" is one novel which exemplifies the attempt -- even realization -- of American womanhood's escape from personal and domestic bondage.

Custom Snowboards Inc. Analysis Essay

European Expansion Historical Analysis To make a decision about expansion to Europe, we must first analyze past performance as an indicator about future performance. A historical analysis was completed on the company’s past balance sheets. Custom Snowboards Inc. has had increased net sales in the past three years. Net sales went up .23% in year 13 and .93% in year 14. Cost of goods sold (consisting of direct material, labor, and overhead) and in relation Gross Profit, also increased by the same percentages. Using the historical data, we use the trend analysis to determine what sales will be like in future years. The company’s trend analysis shows this increase in net sales and gross profit will continue well into year 17. Using base year 12, historical data shows an increase to 100.2% in year 13 and another .7% increase to 100.9% in year 14. Then to further review the upcoming year’s predictions, Custom Snowboards uses year 14 as the base year at $6,955,200. Year 15 increases to $7,163,856, a 3% increase. Year 16 slows slightly to $7,094,304, down a percent from year 15 but still an increase of 2% from the base year. Year 17 shows net sales at 103.7% of the base year 14 earnings. This indicates the compan y has worthy cost control in revenue. When reviewing European sales forecast for years 15-19, we see the same trend as with Custom Snowboards Inc. trend analysis. European net sales will increase from $1,391,040 to $2,423,748, or 74% during the 4 years. Using year 15 as the base year, in year 16, net sales are predicted to be 120%,  144% in year 17, 158% in year 18, and 174% in year 19. Operating Expenses. The selling expenses that include transportation out, sales commissions, and advertising increased at the same rate as revenue. The related increase fluctuates with units sold as it should. This is another indication the company can manage its cost control. The future operating expenses in the European Sales forecast indicate that advertising expenses will decrease and sales commissions, transportation out, factory manager/ staff expenses will increase as expected with an expansion. The overall selling and admin expenses move from $215,048 in year 15 to $251,480 in year 19. Using year 15 as the base, there is expected 7% increase by year 16, 15% increase by year 17, 11% in year 18 and ending with a 17% increase by year 19. Coupled with the increasing net sales, this continues to show positive cost control. General and admin expenses increased disproportionately. In year 13, the expenses increased an overall 7.24% and another 6.50% in year 14. The hardest hit areas in this area are the other general and admin expenses in year 13 and compensation in year 14 bringing the total operating expenses to an increase just over four percent each year. Since compensation increased, this could mean additional employees. More workers would explain why an increase in utilities. Since sales went up, it would be justified in the employee increase however, the percentages should be more similar. Expenses should have gone up a smaller percentage, one closer to the .23% and .93% numbers shown in net sales. Expenses growing at a faster rate than sales is poor cost control. Net earnings shows a trend of declining over the past few years by 25-30%. This decrease – and another unfortunate cost control – is mostly due to the decline in interest income. Interest went down 28% in year 13 and 90.63% in year 14. The interest income could be influenced by the fact that short term investments also declined in year 14 by 83.3%. Interest expenses decreased as well indicating that Custom Snowboards Inc. is paying the minimum payment on the amortization schedule instead of paying on the principle. Assets. Cash and cash equivalents increased for Custom Snowboards Inc. 114.2% in year 13 and another 30.6% in year 14. Consistent increase shows well for the company but since sales went up 23% in year 13 and .93% in year 14, the cash should have increased more in year 14 however, furniture, fixtures, and equipment went up 200,000 which means the company purchased more assets for the company. Custom Snowboards is putting the money back into the company without taking on more debt which indicates a decent cost control. Custom Snowboards most likely took money from their short term investments to pay for the furniture. The short term investments dropped significantly in year 14 by more than 80%. This caused a decrease in total current assets but the overall total assets remained healthily increasing, partly due to increase in finished goods and raw materials inventory. Overall, Custom Snowboards uses respectable cost control in assets. Liabilities. Accounts and notes payable increased proportionately to the net sales increasing total current liabilities by the same proportions. Mortgage payable decreased consistently over the three years as did other long term liabilities. Overall, liabilities continued to decrease over the three year period. Stockholders Equity increased over the three year period. Common stock remained steady at $200,000 ($1 par) and so did paid in capital. Retained earnings increased every year, a plus for the bank. Return on total assets, return on common equity, and price/ earnings ratio are significantly higher than the competition, Winter Sports. Overall the company remains stead and the bank can deduct from reviewing the financial statements that the company will continue to make strong decisions and increase net worth over the next few years. Cost Control Improvements Custom Snowboards has good cost controls in place however some improvements can be made. The company currently uses Traditional Cost Base (TBC) method by using a predetermined overhead rate and then costs are divided evenly  among the products regardless of what is actually used. This does not give a true picture of costs. For the most part this is working well but the company could use better cost control by implementing the Activity Based Costing method. In this method, overhead manufacturing costs are divided in a more rational and deliberate manner. Costs are allocated by how much it actually costs to make a specific product group. Each product would be placed in a group with other items with the same costs, regular vs personalized snowboards for example. This includes labor hours, machine costs, etc. Although the ABC method is more complex and time consuming, it will be worth it to Custom Snowboards. The company will be able to better assess how and where money is spent and drive down expenses and increase net earnings. In the specific case of Custom Snowboards two types of boards, regular and personalized, the ABC method helps the company manage its money. In traditional costing, the regular bikes are $119 per unit. The personalized snowboards are $162. However, using activity based costing, the regular bikes are only $105 per unit and the personalized units are $218 each. In total production costs, the company is spending $522119 more on regular bikes than it would using ABC, and [$522119] less than it should on personalized bikes. This shows that in TBC, too much money is allocated for the regular snowboards, and not enough for the personalized units. The company needs to improve its cost controls with the ABC method to decrease expenses and increase profits. Another way the company can control more of its costs are to itemize and budget ore specifically. Line items like other general and admin expenses should be much smaller and contain items that are tracked. Having a more specific budget can also allow the company the opportunity to seasonalize its budget as well. Utilities may go up in the winter because of heat, or up in the summer due to air conditioning. Snowboard sales are more likely to be higher in the months leading into winter than the summer months. Identifying seasonal funding requirements could save Custom Snowboards a lot of money and increase net profits. Custom Snowboards can control costs by using aggressive funding strategies versus conservative ones. The cost of long term financing is more expensive  than the cost of short term financing. Being aggressive in its borrowing, the company can lower interest expenses and raise net earnings. Short term investments are riskier because of the fluctuation in interest rates, but coupled with the tighter budget, the company should be able to predict when the best time to finance is. Day to day activities can help control costs for Custom Snowboards. Collecting account receivable as quickly as possible but not losing customers from high-pressure collections, better customer service, faster and more efficient mail, processing, and clearing time reduction when collecting from customers (collection and disbursement floats), and controlled disbursing, paying accounts payable slowly (but still on time to avoid credit damage) are all ways to accomplish better cost control. Inventories should be classified into three categories: raw materials, work in progress, and finished goods. Proper management should be strictly enforced to ensure funds are used wisely by keeping inventory low, but having enough inventory on hand to quickly fill orders and prevent production delays. This is in direct relation to knowing the seasonal demands of the products and predicted sales. If the company uses the ABC method, it can use the calculation Total Cost=(OxS/Q) + (Cx Q/2) where O = order cost per order, S = usage in units per period, and Q = order quantity in units. A re-order point (including lead time) should be set by management to determine when more materials should be purchased so as to not upset the balance. The just in time (JIT) management system is ordering materials so they arrive at exactly the moment they are needed for production. This minimizes inventory investment but also takes extensive coordination with near perfect quality and consistency to be successful. The company must work with suppliers and shipping companies to ensure correct arrival times in addition to internal controls to make sure the correct items are ordered on time. Both Custom Snowboards’ raw materials inventory and finished goods inventory increased over the past three years. The JIT method will help the company keep these numbers under control. Risks Custom Snowboards is considering expansion into Europe either through merging with or acquiring European SnowFun, or by simply building a new facility. Mergers happen to improve a company’s share value, expand externally, diversify produce lines, reduce taxes, and increase owner liquidity. With the benefits of a merger, there are risks. The CEO of Custom Snowboards is concerned about internal operations risks associated with an expansion to Europe. She is also concerned about Custom Snowboards reaction to external risks encountered by the expansion as well. Internal risks Custom Snowboards faces could have a negative impact on the daily operations of the company. These are the risks from circumstances the company has control over. For this merger, Custom Snowboards will need to consider internal loss of focus on current operations, cultural differences including the language barrier, different financial reporting systems, different customers, new monetary system, and new management. Although the culture is an external factor, the way the company handles the risk is internal. The culture of the new market is vastly different and will need new strategies to continue sales regardless if the expansion is a merger or not. If Custom Snowboards does not understand its new customer base, it could lose sales quickly plummeting the company into bankruptcy. To mitigate this risk, research and development will need to do some work to help management communicate with a new market; associates, suppliers, shipping companies, etc. Some gestures and nuances we use in the United States may not be used in Europe or vice versa. Something we think rude, may be acceptable there. They could be offended by something innocent to us resulting in sales loss. The marketing department will also need to adjust the way it relates to customers. What sells in American, may not see in Europe. The use of multiple new languages will also need to be addressed. Bilingual employees, particularly the customer service representatives would be beneficial and help mitigate the risk of losing customers to a language barrier. It will also help the employees communicate with each other as  many current employees will have to go to setup the expanded portion of the company. A look into the competition will assist the company quite a bit as well. Increased costs in everyday business. Translators, new paperwork in different languages etc. must be mitigated with pre-planning and research. The company will need to complete new reports using International Financial Reporting Standards (IFSR) which could also be a costly change for the company. Even worse, the change in accounting standards could prove to be more costly if reported incorrectly. Proper training and understanding of the new system will mitigate this risk. All monies will need to be converted to the current system in that country as well. All costs should be pre-budgeted to ensure the company has enough cash flow for start-up costs as well as an operating budget. Realistic business plans should be in place. Hiring an outside local agency to assist in the accounting the first few years may be a smart way to invest into the company and mitigate the cost risk associated with an international expansion. With all the focus on getting the new part of the company up and running smoothly, there is a tendency to let the current operations fall behind. Oftentimes companies will send their best people to assist with the expansion leaving behind employees who can barely keep the current operations afloat. This leads to missed deadlines, mismanagement of operations, and quality control issues. To mitigate this risk, the company should find a balance of more experienced employees as well as less seasoned ones for the project team. The new management team can also be a risk to the company as foreign markets have different business practices. Business mistakes could cost the company money or its reputation. Inexperienced in how the company works, the new team will need lots of training. Custom Snowboards can mitigate this risk by ensuring an extensive training program is available as well as hiring qualified individuals in European business practices as well as those of the US. Offering some current employees benefits to work in Europe until the expansion portion of the company is up and running will also benefit the  company. Keeping in mind of course, the balance of current operations and those of the expansion. The new management team may also have different management styles. This could be good for the company as it tries to adopt the European market business culture. In addition to cultural barriers, another external risk is the local laws and regulations of the expansion country. In addition to the IFSR, there are specific laws that must be followed. This includes local labor, wage laws. Without knowing these laws, the company could inadvertently break them, leading to large fines, legal action against them, or being disallowed from doing business there. The best way to mitigate these risks are to educate, educate, educate. Custom Snowboards must learn the new laws and ensure everyone is trained on following them. A quality team should be in place to follow up on compliance as well as a consultant to get things going. External market plays a role in the success of the expansion. GDP growth rate, interest rates, consumer growth rate, the unemployment rate, etc. can all effect business for the company whether it is in the form of shipping costs or sales. To mitigate this risk, the company should do a thorough analysis of the market and benchmarks set prior to making the commitment to expand. The company should also take into consideration any political issues in the new country as this could cause instability and effect the market. So do government regulations and tariffs so Custom Snowboards should research, analyze, and be prepared. Potential Returns To make the most informed decision about expanding to Europe, we must look at the potential returns for the investment. The company will fund the expansion through increasing capital structure. To analyze potential returns, we look at net present value (NPV) and internal rate of returns (IRR). The NPV measures profitability which is the main goal of any business. It identifies the dollar amount the company will make from the project, using the current rate. An in depth look at Custom Snowboards capital budget reveals the NPV for the expansion via a new facility is $167,479. A positive NPV is an indication the company should move forward with the expansion. Had the NPV been zero, or less, the venture should have been rejected. An analysis of NPV for the merger has not been conducted. The IRR, also known as the expected rate of return, is the point in which the project’s cash flow equals cost. This too will tell Custom Snowboards if the venture will be profitable. The hurdle rate set by Custom Snowboards is 10%. Which means if the IRR falls below that, the company does not feel the investment is worthwhile. If the IRR is above 10%, the company should move forward. The IRR for Custom Snowboards was analyzed for years 15 through 19 with $1,000,000 investment, the IRR is 14.4%. This indicates the company should move forward with the expansion. Both potential returns indicators demonstrate Custom Snowboards the expansion is a viable option and should be moved on. The company should accept the project as the expected return on investment would prove a significant asset. Merger vs Acquisition Since the company knows now that an expansion is the way to go, it must then decide if a merger is appropriate. The growing percentage of total sales is expected to continue rising. The company can opt to expand to Europe by way of building a new manufacturing facility with a lease option or by merging with SnowFun, a European company. Custom Snowboards can also acquire SnowFun. SnowFun’s product is less durable but offers a personalized paintjob that increases sales. Custom Snowboards Inc. uses 10% hurdle rate for capital budgeting and expansion decisions. Merge. The IRR discussed earlier indicates the merger will be a profitable decision for the company at 14.4%. The NPV for the merger was established at $167,479, both indicating the merger will be profitable. Merging with SnowFun means  shareholders of SnowFun would stock swap three of their existing shares for one share of the combined company. The stock purchase price for the company after merger would be $2.40 per share. SnowFun has 300,000 currently outstanding. Which would mean 100,000 shares of Custom Snowboards would now be owned by former SnowFun shareholders, diluting the shares owned by Custom Snowboards stockholders. Expected earnings per share (EPS) after a merger would decrease .06 to .92. The EPS for European SnowFun is currently at a low .27 but will increase dramatically to .92. The company would have to decide if the value decline in EPS for Custom Snowboards is worth the increase from European SnowFun stocks. Positively, the merge would provide the company with pre-established workforce, facilities, and customers. As discussed, this can also be a risk to the company. Build. Building a new facility means spending $800,000 on building and equipment and, $200,000 working capital is required for startup. The build option will increase assets for the company while simultaneously return profits. The build option will cause the company to incur debt. Custom Snowboards has decided that if this option is chosen, the company will fund the expansion through increasing capital structure. The company would raise capital by issuing long term debt, sale of common stock, or a combination of both. All of these options effect the company’s financial leverage. It is recommended that both be done to maximize the value of the company for shareholders. Custom Snowboards could enter into a sale-leaseback at 6%, or purchase a preexisting facility over time, also at 6%. The shorter term lease would be the most beneficial to the company. The annual loan payment would be $189,917.12 versus the annual lease payment would be $195,000. The $5,082.88 yearly difference is an acceptable risk in this venture as the lease option preserves more working capital. The lease option requires cash outflows of $653,355 while the purchasing option requires outflows of $809,409, a $156,054 difference. Custom Snowboards Inc. can reinvest that money back into the company. This option provides tax advantages rather than paying property taxes. The purchasing option will have the company pay property taxes but will also provide advantages by way of depreciation. Acquire. The total present value for an acquisition is $732,522. After a $720,000 purchase price, this would put the NPV for acquisition as $12,522. This makes an acquisition a profitable measure as well. This option is less expensive up front and still increases the company’s assets. Acquiring SnowFun would also mean a stock purchase price of $2.40 per share. With 300,000 outstanding shares, that means $720,000. This option also provides the benefits of an established workforce, facilities, and customers, and the risk that comes with that. Recommendation Based on the analysis above, it is my recommendation that Custom Snowboards expand to Europe using the build with leasing option building the most working capital than the other options. The NPV indicates the investment will have a positive return on investment as does the IRR. A merger or acquisition would eliminate SnowFun as a threat however their inferior product and outstanding stocks would decline business for Custom Snowboards. The risk of the preexisting structures and products is greater than the company should accept. The tax advantages would contribute to the working capital of the company. The excess working capital the company gains from the expansion, can be placed back into the company, covering the startup costs. As the company builds its own reputation in Europe, a future acquisition may be more feasible. Custom Snowboards product is higher quality therefore, it may force SnowFun into a position of being acquired at a lower rate in the future. In selecting this option, the company must lastly choose how to fund the decision. There are a few ways to finance the build. The capital structures are: 100% long term debt, 30% long term debt and 70% common stock, 80% long term debt and 20% common stock, and 100% common stock with no long term debt. The long term debt will yield an average .47 earnings per common stock (EPCSS). The least beneficial to the stakeholders. In year 15, the earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) is $81,912, the income available for common stock is $10,809, bringing the EPCSS to .054. In year 16, the EBIT is $134,544, the income available for common stock is $50,283, and the EPCSS is .251. In year 16, this option  yields the best results. In year 17 with an EBIT of $198,116, the income available for common stock is $97,962, and the EPCSS is .490, .703 in year 18 with EBIT $254,959 and $140,594 income available for common stock, and with an EBIT of $295,639 and $171,104 income available for common stock in year 19, a yield of .856. Using the long term debt option will look the least beneficial to the stakeholders in the first year, but then maintains the best return for all subsequent years. The 30/70 option will yield in year 15, an EPCSS of .084, .156 in year 16, .243 in year 17, .320 in year 18, and .376 in year 19. This is the second best option in year 15 but in the middle for the other years. On average, this option will yield .236 EPCSS, making this the second worst option. The 80/20 option will yield an EPCSS of .070 in year 15, .201 in year 16, .360 in year 17, .502 in year 18, and .604 in year 19. This option isn’t bad in year 18 but not the best for the other years. This option will yield .347 on average. The no debt option will yield an EPCSS of .088, the most beneficial in year 15. In year 16, the EPCSS is .144, .212 in year 17, .273 in year 18, and .317 in year 19 making this the least beneficial of all the options the rest of the years. Over the course of the 5 years, this option will yield .207 EPCSS, the least return of all options. Although the benefits start slow with a lower EPCSS in year 15, my recommendation is to fund the build with the long term debt option. Although the 100% common stock option produces more income available for common stock, the long term debt option will yield the highest returns at an average EPCSS of .477. Longevity will prove to work best in this scenario. Over time, this option will yield the most benefits to the stakeholders. Securing capital in this way will ensure the highest earnings, producing more income for common stock money for future investment into the company.