McDonaldization Essay examples -- essays research papers

McDonaldization About seven months ago, I met an American guy who had arrived at New Zealand just a few days before. While exchanging our sentiments (I am from Japan) on New Zealand and its culture, the guy told me how he was surprised to see the country is so Americanised, mentioning McDonald’s as one of the examples. Now, in a different sense, this was surprising to me, too. I had never had the idea that having McDonald’s is being Americanised. In fact, McDonald’s is nearly everywhere in the world so that many people think it has already become part of their own cultures. But then the question arises: How did this come to be the case? Here is a brief outline of its history (based on Hebert, 1997; McDonald’s Corp., 1997; Mclennan, 1996). History In 1937, McDonald’s was founded as a small local restaurant by two brothers, Maurice and Richard McDonald in Pasadena, California. In 1948, the brothers then converted their barbecue drive-in with car hops into limited-menu, self-service drive-in, in San Bernardino, California - the first advent of quick service restaurant industry. It is in April 1955, however, that the real ‘McDonald’s Corporation’ launched, by a salesman called Ray Kroc, who gained exclusive US franchising rights from the brothers. Starting with Des Plaines, Illinois, McDonald’s rapidly extended its outlets first over the Chicago area, then the US and eventually all over the world, including two largest restaurants in Moscow (1990) and Beijing (1992), both with 700 seats. There are currently over 21,000 restaurants in more than 100 countries (and about 100 in New Zealand), and the 1996 year-end systemwide sales reached 31.812 billion dollars, 59 percent of which came from the outside of the US. McDonaldization The worldwide business of McDonald’s is not just a globalisation of its economy. In his book, ‘The McDonaldization of Society,’ the American sociologist Dr. George Ritzer (1993, cited by Allan, 1997) contends that it also represents the process of rationalisation - â€Å"... the master concept of Max Weber’s analysis of modern capitalism, referring to a variety of related processes by which every aspect of human action became subject to calculation, measurement and control† (Abercrombie, Hill & Turner, 1988, p.902, cited by Allan, 1997). According to Ritzer, McDonaldization can be understood in terms of the following aspects: (1) Eff... ...t Since I am not a sociology-major student, my understanding of McDonaldization may not be accurate, and I certainly do not have a clue on whether such phenomena are good or bad. Still, the point I want to make here is clear: Our societies are increasingly reigned by global standards, which profoundly affect the way we think, process information, and interact with others. (Yes, I know this is a kind of clichà © in psychology.) Without doubt, McDonald’s and its ideas define part of our lives, and across cultures, we definitely share certain commonalities, both materially and psychologically. The only concern that remains, however, is the fact that the standardisation is typically based on the fashion preferred by those who are socially affluent or culturally dominant. In this regard, the same is true for the ‘internet’ system. Surely, this technology is a revolutionary tool that not only removes boundaries from the realms of our social interactions, but also pushes further the potential of human cognitive development. Nonetheless, information found on the net is the product of people who have access to computers, with inevitable reflection of their own personal or social viewpoints.

Reward Management

Since the Industrial Revolution the approach of HR changed from a pure financial approach to a core function within the business1. Human Resource could be considered nowadays as the most precious resource a company holds as it constitutes the link between the people and the company’s strategy and goals. HR fulfills this role through 4 main activities: staffing, reward management, employee development and employee maintenance.This paper will focus on reward management and the challenges the company faces in finding the best way to implement a reward management strategy that suits it. Different theories and practices exist; however the company has to consider the needs and desires of its own people and environmental context in order to find the system that best suits the company. Theories and approaches One way to illustrate the link between different HRM activities is the Fombrun, Tichy and Devanna model. According to this model, HRM has 4 key activities: Selection, Performance , development and Rewards.Even though this model is said to leaves out the notion of management’s strategic choice, it shows the coherence of internal HRM policies and the importance of matching internal HRM policies and practices to the organization’s external business strategy2. Source: John Bratton, Jeffrey Gold (2000), Human resource management: theory and practice, second edition 1 See appendix I – source : Jean Moisset, Pierre Toussaint, Jean Plante(2003), La gestion des ressources humaines pour la rà ©ussite scolaire, presse de l’università © du Quà ©bec 2 John Bratton, Jeffrey Gold (2000), Human resource management: theory and practice, Second edition Thereby, it can be said that reward management is very closely linked to employee retention, training and development and strategic HRM.And without a clever practice of these activities, a reward management cannot be successful. Reward management was born because managers had to motivate their emp loyees in order to reach company’s objectives. â€Å"A great deal of the ideology of work is directed at getting men to take work seriously when they know that it is a joke†3 . Motivating the staff became a concern as soon as a positive relation between motivation and high performance was demonstrated.Motivation is not only used to achieve a certain amount of output needed to align with company’s goals, but also put in the work of the employees an humane and selfsatisfying aspect. Throughout the last centuries, many studies have been made. Some studies focused on what people value as a decent reward, thereby â€Å"how to reward† (content theories) and others focused on the effect of a certain reward system, â€Å"why† implementing this system (process theories). Among content theorist Taylor can be mentioned. For him, people were rational and only driven by financial rewards.Then, the Hawthorne studies showed social needs were as important as econo mic needs. Abraham Maslow developed a pyramid expressing a hierarchy of needs: physiological>safety>belongingness>esteem>self-actualization. Each person stands at a certain level and will need specific motivators. Some other content theories are motivation factors of Herzberg or Mc Gregors’ theory. From the simple idea of economic motivator, theories have moved towards the idea of needs. Secondly, process theories of motivation explain why a reward system has to be implemented.A first theory, the organizational justice, gives that employees need to perceive the organization as fair. Either through the fairness of the rewards which are distributed (distributive justice) or through the procedures used to allocate rewards (procedural). The equity theory relies on the idea that individual assess fairness through the comparison with others who are in similar situations. Some also say that employees’ behavior depends on what they expect to occur. This is the expectancy theor y. Employees ask themselves three questions in order to decide how to behave: What’s in for me?How hard I have to work to get it? What are the real chances of getting the reward if I do what my boss wants? And finally, the goal- 3 Thompson, A. & Ryan, A. J. (2010) â€Å"Employee reward† in: Beardwell, J. & T. Claydon, Human resource management: A Contemporary Approach, Harlow: Prentice Hall, 6th edition, pp. 490-530. 3 setting theory stipulates employees want to work towards challenging, yet not impossible, goals. Process theories underline that behavior is affected by individual differences, experiences and features of the organization.Employees evaluate the rewards obtainable for behaving in a certain manner and act consequently. However, people do not always behave consciously and when they behave in a certain way, they may not be aware of the behavioral options. Practically, there are two steps in the development of a reward management strategy. First, there is eva luation of capacities, position and potentiality of the individual. Then, focus is set on the remuneration. This can be monetary or not. Employee’s surveys are used to develop HR policies and practices.Through those surveys, it has been found that â€Å"pay is only one of a number of factors that motivates staff, and may not always be the most important one†. 4 The monetary reward system is simply defined as the salary increase which can be calculated by different available systems (payment by result, performance related pay, financial participation) whereas the non-monetary type refers to the motivation and gratification of the employee. This is done through a psychological contract based on the concept of mutual understanding of obligations and promises made between worker and employer.There are two different types of psychological contracts: transactional, based on the monetary aspect and relational, rather based on people. This shows the importance of the environme nt in which people work. A good reward management system is able â€Å"to attract, maintain and motivate people to work for the company†5. 4 Armstrong M. , Thompson P. , Brown D. and Cotton C. (2006), Reward Management, Symposium Report, ereward and Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development, February 5 Henry L. Tosi and Massimo Pilati (2008),†People management† in Compertamento organizzativo, Egea†¢ basepay †¢ contingency pay (for performnace, competences or contribution) †¢ variable pay (cashbonus) †¢ share ownership †¢ benefits non finanlcial rewards financial reward †¢ arising form the wprk itself and environment †¢ recognition and responsability †¢ meaningfull work †¢ autonomy †¢ opportunity to use and develop skills †¢ carreer opportinities †¢ quality of working life †¢ work life balance †¢ COMPONENTS OF TOTAL REWARD Source: Michael Amstrong, Helen Murlis, Reward management: a handbo ok of remuneration strategy and practice, Hay Group, 5th editionThe main problem of reward management is that both the evaluation and remuneration process are dependent from market forces (comparisons, competition, unions, types of regime) and from internal management forces. The variation of the pay system can therefore cause a state of compression or dispersion of the employees which is translated in homogeneous or diversified payments within the company. These systems have both benefits and costs. As we have seen, reward management systems can be characterized by different approaches and theories.However, there is a trend towards transparency and homogenization and some key factors are repeated: balance between pay and benefits, work life balance, individual growth and development, and positive workplace. These can now be observed in some important companies such as Yorshire Water, Severen Trent Water and Das Legal Expases. Nevertheless, the theories and approaches are not always used in practice. This was due to a gap between evidence and practice, known as the â€Å"knowing-doing gap†. It has been shown that although theoretical reward strategies exist, business do not have enough time to implement them6 .Reward case In our specific case we can observe how Yorkshire Water, Severn Trent Water, Yahoo Europe, DAS Legal Expenses, Carlson Wagonlit and Isotron, who were not using the 6 Jean Moisset, Pierre Toussaint, Jean Plante(2003), La gestion des ressources humaines pour la rà ©ussite scolaire, presse de l’università © du Quà ©bec 5 appropriate reward system, changed their systems. They tried to adapt to their employees and give them the right motivational factor to work for the company. In each company there are some elements that were not taken into consideration.So, for an effective strategy the enterprises should analyze their environment and take into consideration all the players that can influence or that can be an obstacle to implem ent the right payment. Some of these can be unions, external factors, employee conditions, health and security, motivation, competences and retiring. Only after a broad vision of needs and conditions, companies can set up the right payment system. Ideally, it should also be flexible so that it can be modified according to the business development and environmental changes7.Wal-Mart Wal-Mart is listed as one of the worse companies to work for. As we can see from different sources8, it has a very poor view of its employees and they have several problems when it comes to rewarding them. Their reward system doesn’t take into consideration the motives and needs of its people. There is no link between performance and compensation. The company doesn’t apply the â€Å"attract, maintain and motivate people to work for the company†9 policy. We also note discrimination, favoritism, no respect for the individuals and their private life in Wal-Mart’s work conditions.T he key factors of reward management â€Å"balance between pay and benefits, work life balance, individual growth and development, and positive workplace† are absent in Wal-Mart. All of these observations have a direct impact on the company. Previous employees organized a protest against the expansion of the company in New York, and attest of the bad work conditions in shops. Due also to a high turnover; people don’t want to work under these conditions and the lack of communication leads to short term relationship between the shop managers and employees.Wal-Mart employees’ are not integrated in the company, they don’t feel like they belong to it and it hinders goal achievement. From a theoretical perspective, Wal-Mart’s reward system doesn’t match neither Taylor theory (the pay is not high enough), nor Hawthorne’s, (it doesn’t take into consideration the 7 Gilman, M. W. (2009) â€Å"Reward management†, in: Redman, T. ; Wi lkinson, A. , Contemporary Human Resource Management. London: Prentice Hall, 3rd edition, pp. 170-172 8 See Appendix II: Glassdoor , Wal-Mart salaries, , (30 November 2011) and Aling, channel of NYJWJ, Walmart workers speak out about busive th working conditions, , (19 February 2011) 9 Henry L. Tosi and Massimo Pilati (2008),†People management† in Compertamento organizzativo, Egea 6 social needs of the employees), nor Maslow’s pyramid, (basic needs, safety, belongingness, esteem and self-actualization are missing), nor Herzberg’s, (there is no the motivational aspect). To redesign this reward system, we propose one that is based on payment by result, where employees are rewarded according to worked hours.Workers will thereby perceive the company as fair, and Wal-Mart will keep its policy of â€Å"as low wages as possible†, both sides will be satisfied. As monetary reward is not really the most important kind, non-monetary compensations should also be used. There should be an emphasis workforce’s needs by implementing a decent health care plan. Paying attention to their physiological needs, social esteem, self-fulfillment, possibility of growth, will answer their expectation and make them do their best and work at their highest potential (the expectancy theory).Thus, the strategic goals of the company would be more easily reached. Instating a corporate culture would be another recommendation; it will create a togetherness spirit and will ensure that the employees work in line with the company’s vision. The firm is also encouraged to ask for feedback from its staff, so it will identify the most important problems and try solving them. Moreover, applying the goal-setting theory could increase employees’ motivation. Wal-Mart can determine some challenging goals with reward given on achievement, employee of the month or special prizes for instance.As far as the equal treatment of the employees in terms of reward is concerned, there has to be a difference of pay between different types of employees according to differences in terms of work and responsibilities. Those with more responsibilities could be given extra perks for example. By doing so, Wal-Mart will have a better workplace environment, reduce the negative impacts that we stated above, and enhance the commitment of its employees to the firm. Conclusion In the fast-moving and changing globalized context nowadays, companies face fierce competition and pressures.Reaching strategic goals becomes increasingly challenging. In order to do so, a company needs its people, from top managers to employees to be â€Å"engaged 7 and productive†10. Reward management motivates staff with financial compensations and benefits but in certain contexts, these reveal to be insufficient to retain talent. Workforce also takes into account the learning and development opportunities and the work environment. Although a good reward management enhances business performance, the Wal-Mart case illustrates that, some companies present a complete lack of reward management and have to cope with negative consequences. Reward Management Management and OrganizationAbstract As an organization it is very important for the human resources to control employees, motivate them and ensure productivity. Business owners are searching ways to reduce the costs and maximize quality so it is very important to get the most out of every employee. One way to do this is reward systems. In this paper we are going to analyze the reward system parameters and discuss about evaluation criteria.Introduction According to Burack an incentive or reward may be used to motivate an individual or group. A reward can be anything that attracts the employee and make them work in joy. Ä °ncentive programs are mostly monetary but it may also include non-monetary rewards such as recognition, training, development and increased job responsibility. The French says that paying can be two ways:1. Fixed Salary2. Reward linked to performance. Payment is happening one period to another depending on quantity or quality of work. The worker are paid according t o work completed or items produced. The most important thing about rewarding system is to seperate the †salary† from †reward†. So rewarding system is needed to †pay off† employees their performance, and also they will enchance employee motivation in order to make the firm reach its goals. Also rewards improve consistency of services and reduces absences of the employee. Rewards make the firm a great and attractive place to work, making employees happier and well-trained. Having such employees will also attract customers, can you think of a better advertisement?The Key Features Reward plans include monetary and non monetary elements. This will be better  to match the needs of the organization and employees. The goals that the reward system is serving to has to be identified. Planning the incentive to be accurate and on time will be the basis of very succesful rewarding in order to make better workplace and organization. As a manager the plans hav e to setted by communicating the employees and deciding what is the most appropiate reward. Providing monitoring systems such as feedback will lead to succesful and accurate incentive. Rather than the quantity, the quality of the work should be more important for the manager.Designing Reward and Recognition A very good example for recognition may be †the employee of the month† frame at businesses. It is a psychological reward that seperates the employee from its peers by the work he/she has done. Also as we have said before rewards can be tangible. It is very important for the firm to do effective rewarding system so that none of the employees will feel bad or useless for the organization. There are some essential factors for the rewarding system: The rewards must be observable for all of the employees. So that everyone will be sure that the rewarding system is made fairly.The reward system needs to have realistic standarts that make the employees satisfied. The rewardin g plan has to be clear and standartized to make sure that all the members can calculate the reward they will get for a certain effort. The standards of the reward plan has to be set high but realistic, specific, satisfying and effective. Standard is a plan that should not be changed is no necessary situations because it is a contract between firm and the employee. The rewards should be given oftenly to encourage high performance.Types of Rewards:1. Monetary Rewards: Monetary reward is the large raise or bonus payment that company is willing to give to the employee in order to motivate the job performance and meeting certain objectives. These bonus payments may be quick-motivators for the company. Good payments, incentives will make employees challange themselves but setting too much requirements will make the reward ignored. Also profit sharing will lead the employees to contribute more to achieve the profit goals of the company. Stock options  become popular in these recent years , this gives employees the right to buy limited number for a fixed price. This option is a long-term motivator for the organization. Some benefit package may be given to employee such as insurance, good retirement, company gifts, meals, entertainment, flexible working hours, housing etc.2. Non-Monetary Rewards: Reputation and recognition is very important for a person to feel important and valued. The company should make it clear for the employees that good performance will be recognized. Some examples may be: writing employee thank note, bigger desk, gift cards, personalized coffee mugs, games room, gym, child care, impressive job title, own visiting cards, own secretary etc. Also some informal incentives may be leaving early or coming late etc. Individuals are interested in getting others attention and increasing reputation.Conclusion As Herzberg and Maslow states: The physiological and psychological needs and desires of employees must be met and maintained to keep them motivated. So it is important to satisfy the employees in order to keep getting tasks done and achieving goals. Both internal and external motivators need to be used to keep the employee happy and good performing.

Jacksons Building Centres Essay

Introduction: A large to medium sized business such as Jacksons need quite a big Human Resources department. They perform a key role in the company’s day to day operations. This department cover many areas such as, recruitment and training, organisation at department levels and looking at competition, these are just a few aspects of the department but are all needed so make the business run efficiently. This Human Resource based project I am going to base on Jacksons Building Centres. The main aim of this study is to investigate the five main areas of Human Resources which are: * Human resource planning * Recruitment and selection * Training and development * Performance management * Motivational theory Human resource planning: In an ideal world businesses should plan ahead when it comes to human resources. A well-organized business will have forecasts and projections of its future staffing needs. These will then be matched to forecasts and projections about the local labour market, which means that the business can develop appropriate strategies for the recruitment, training and development of its staff. Projected Levels of Employment in Lincolnshire: Work Force Lincolnshire Total Number in Employment 219,085 % of all working age in employment 75.2 % of Male Full-Time 42.7 % of Female Full-Time 6.6 % of Male Part-Time 23.4 % of Female Part-Time 27.2 The types of jobs that are in decline in Lincolnshire: The two main types of jobs that are in decline in Lincolnshire are: * Farming – this is due to more to increased mechanisation so the ratio of work complete by machines to human is decreasing, thus less man power is needed. * Heavy Engineering – the majority of heavy engineering companies have left the area only leaving the largest which is Alstom. Due to Jacksons not being involved in these sectors the decline in certain areas of employment does not have an effect on the business. Technological advances, changes in social behavior, demographic shifts and economic conditions are driving fundamental changes in the structure of the labour market and the playing field on which competition is laid for labour. The competitiveness with other employers is affected by general labour market forces. Recruitment and Selection: Recruitment and Selection is a well-worn topic, whish is traded fully in all major texts. There is always a tension between getting the right person for a job and how much resource in terms of time and money is devoted to recruitment. The main ways in which Jacksons recruit is via Job Centres and Local News papers. This encourages people who live in the local area to apply for the job. The Selection Process for the management scheme: Requirements: – Between the ages of 18 and 24. – 4 GCSEs – 2 A Levels Application: * Approximately one hundred people apply for four positional available, * They then look for suitability for the position in Jacksons case Energetic and hard working, * They then select the definite no’s: * not complete application forms, * poor handwriting * poor literacy * They then look for the applicants that they like: * Sociability quality * Good Motivational qualities * A Spark! They then invite the selected applicants to an assessment centre where they undergo a series of tasks. They are first split up into groups of around twelve for around half a day where the do exercises based on: – Motivation – Sociability – Team Work During this time they look for the Contribution of the applicant or domineering and no contribution, within this they look for a balance between them. They then have a half an hour paper base study where they have to figure an appropriate solution to a given problem. From the assessment centre they narrow the candidates down to 2 or 3 which will be interviewed. The interview will be based and assessed on: – A Balanced approach – Halo Effect – Avoiding bias – Describe personalities – Numeracy Questions – Case study during interview (customer service problem) – Move away from Psychometric tests – Looking at objectives An interview report is then compiled. If the applicant is successful then they will be asked back to another interview with Branch managers and other high status employees. They will then offer 4 to 6 placements within a month to 6 weeks. Included in the next few pages are examples of the Application Form and the Employment Interview Report. Training and Development: Jacksons run a management trainee program which has been running for around twenty years. Jacksons say it has been a strong contributory factor in their continued success, providing their branches with a steady stream of capable Merchant Managers. The programme consists of two stages. The first lasts for two years, in which time trainees will gain a valuable insight into the running of a busy Builders Merchant. The programme will be agreed at the beginning of the course and is designed to acquaint the trainee with a merchant’s environment, as well as learning and developing valuable personal competencies, such as time-management, assertiveness and communication skills. Knowledge will be developed from grass roots level where the trainee will work in a number of departments, building up an understanding of both the products we sell and customers we deal with. Progress is assessed regularly, both verbally and by written appraisal. Upon successful completion of the first phase the trainee will move onto the second stage of the programme, where there will be more specific management development lasting up to one year. Transport/Warehouse Building Materials Plumbing and Heating Sales Plumbing Office Heating Office Ironmongery Bathroom Showroom Kitchen Showroom Jackson Hire Timber one month three months three months two months two months three months three months one month three months three months In addition to the above, you will also spend time in the following areas: a. Accompanying a Company Representative b. Accompanying a Lorry Driver c. A period in the Accounts Office As a trainee manager you will also take part in special projects such as trade shows, corporate promotions and careers conventions. You will also spend time working at one other branch. This gives you the opportunity to work with people from around the group. Motivational Theory: Training in motivation is important in helping learners develop self-regulatory skills to set their own goals and manage their own learning and performance. Evaluating motivational levels in a learning situation also allows the instructor to determine the clarity of their units’ directions, and measure the effectiveness of varying consequences to either success or failure of individual students (Driscoll, 2000). Keller adds curiosity and its measure and promotion are a key to promoting knowledge seeking behaviour (Keller, 1987). A prevalent model in motivational theory is credited to John M. Keller. The ARCS theory of motivation corresponds to each of the four letters of the acronym (Keller, 1984): A- Attention R- Relevance C- Confidence S- Satisfaction Attention Keller’s Attitude of Inquiry (1987) is a phrase used to describe the attention level desired to promote learning. He recommends varying presentation styles in order to maintain student attention (Keller,1983). Driscoll suggests presenting some materials through varying media, alternating lecture with demonstration, small group discussions, or class debates (2000). Relevance Instructors should relate lessons to their learners’ experiences by providing concrete examples and analogies. The more familiar something is, the more likely a student is to see it as relevant to their learning and use (Driscoll, 2000). Keller states that people enjoy learning more about things they already believe in or are more interested in (1987). Elementary teachers who used all four categories of ARCS found that relevance bore the strongest positive relationship to on-task behavior (Newby, 1991). Confidence Students gain confidence in their own abilities when experiencing success at challenging tasks (Driscoll, 2000). Students can be shown that seemingly unreachable goals can be attained through a series of organized, manageable sub goals and attainable small steps. Even failure can build confidence if the learner attributes failure to the poor use of strategies inherent to learning (Clifford, 1984). Satisfaction Students base satisfaction on the comparison of their achievements on balance with the achievements of those involved with them in the same learning environment (Keller, 1987). Elements increasing satisfaction can be verbal praise, incentives, and awards (Driscoll, 2000). The above four are the main sections that are obtained under the title ‘Motivational Theory’. Different Theories: Many theories have been established within the last one hundred years and it is not possible to consider each one of these. What is important in the study of motivation are the key names that have influenced today’s approach. Four major theories have remained at the forefront of motivational techniques and each one is linked to a different style of management they are: * Frederick Winslow Taylor * Douglas McGregor * Abraham Maslow * Frederick Herzberg. Performance management Performance Management refers to different strategies designed to get the best of a businesses work force. Different techniques are employed which attempt to relate performance with pay, or promotion or training. Such schemes are not always popular with workers. A method of creating fair individual and team will be used by the Human Resources department and this could be done by the SMART model: Specific use a clear language to describe exactly what is required Measurable identify numerical targets and outputs which can be counted and assessed Agreed agree these with the employee so that they take responsibility for their own output Realistic set targets that are attainable for each individual, according to their skills and competencies Time-related state specific dates when targets must be achieved and will be measured External Labour Market The external Labour market is important to the running of the Human Resources department of Jacksons. To attract people to the company they need to compete with other companies. This means that Jacksons have to be able to offer the best package for them to attract new workforces. One of the main things that Jacksons offer is the Management training course. This is a very sort after employment opportunity due to incorporating management and other valuable skills fitting for later employment opportunities. Another aspect of importance to the external labour market to the Human Resources department is the way jobs and such are advertised. This in many cases is what a potential employee is looking at. So the Human Resources department look at other companies methods and take the good points from them to increase efficiency of attracting potential employees.

Polyhydroxyalkanoate Market Global Industry Analysis, Market Size, Share, Trends, Analysis, Growth And Forecast, 2013 2019 Essay Example

Polyhydroxyalkanoate Market Global Industry Analysis, Market Size, Share, Trends, Analysis, Growth And Forecast, 2013 2019 Essay Example Polyhydroxyalkanoate Market Global Industry Analysis, Market Size, Share, Trends, Analysis, Growth And Forecast, 2013 2019 Essay Polyhydroxyalkanoate Market Global Industry Analysis, Market Size, Share, Trends, Analysis, Growth And Forecast, 2013 2019 Essay Polyhydroxyalkanoate Market Global Industry Analysis, Market Size, Share, Trends, Analysis, Growth And Forecast, 2013 2019 Polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) is biodegradable linear polyesters produced naturally by the chemical reaction of bacterial fermentation on lipids or sugar. PHAs can be combined with a wide array of monomers which results in the formation of different types of materials exhibiting a variety of properties. PHAs are used in several applications including packaging of food beverages and cosmetics, bio-medical applications and agricultural films among others. Visit Complete Report Here: marketresearchreports.biz/analysis-details/polyhydroxyalkanoate-market-global-industry-analysis-market-size-share-trends-analysis-growth-and-forecast-2013-2019 Rising demand for biodegradable materials owing to the rising awareness among consumers regarding environment protection is expected to be one of the primary factors driving the growth of the market. In addition, supporting initi atives such as subsidiaries and tax grants which are being offered by several national governments is expected to boost the market for PHAs over the forecast period. Furthermore, growth of the packaging and healthcare industries are expected to augment the demand for PHAs, as more and more consumers are looking at bio-friendly solutions. However, higher costs of PHAs as compared to conventional polymers are expected to hamper the growth of the market. Focus on reducing the production costs of PHAs is expected to be a new opportunity for the growth of the market in the near future.Europe was the largest market for PHA over the past few years. However, Asia Pacific is expected to witness the fastest growth over the forecast period. Presence of a large manufacturing industry is expected to drive the growth of the PHA market in this region. Moreover, increase in disposable income of consumers coupled with rising awareness regarding eco-friendly materials is

Edgar Allan Poe Biography essays

Edgar Allan Poe Biography essays Through Edgar Allan Poe's magnificent style of writing, he provided the world with some of the most mystifying poems and short stories. Although not appreciated during his time, Poe has gained considerable recognition after his death. James Russel Lowell stated, in a book by Louis Broussard, "He combines in a very remarkable manner two faculties which are seldom found united: a power of influencing the mind of the reader by the impalpable shadows of mystery, and a minuteness of detail which does not leave a pin or button unnoticed" (7). Poe's controversial writing style, which has been given praise and criticism by others, cannot be compared to that of any other author. Poe was born on January 19, 1809, in Baltimore, Mass., to David and Elizabeth Poe. Poe's father David married an English woman, Elizabeth, who was in the same traveling company. Poe had a brother, Henry, and a sister, Rosaline. Poe's grandfather was referred to as "General Poe of Revolutionary fame," and his great-gra ndfather was an immigrant laborer who supplied the Revolutionary Army with clothing (Krutch 20). On December 8, 1811, Elizabeth Poe died of tuberculosis at the young age of twenty-four. "The image of his mother's young, still, white face was to haunt Edgar for the rest of his life" (Wright 30). When Edgar's father was plagued with tuberculosis, he was taken into the home of John, a prosperous Richmond merchant, and Francis Allan. This is how Edgar received the middle name Allan. Mrs. Allan loved Edgar, but the story seemed different with John. Although the relationship between John and Edgar appeared bitter, John Allan provided Poe with some support during Poe's adulthood. In 1826 Poe was engaged to Sarah Elmira Royster; however, her parents broke off the engagement. Apparently, she married and her husband passed away around 1848. In 1849 Poe proposed to Sarah Elmira Royster Shelton, but she was having difficulty saying "yes"; probably because her late hus...

ACT in 8th Grade

Should You Start Prepping for the SAT/ACT in 8th Grade SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Are you an 8th grader curious about the SAT and ACT? You might be surprised that you already have a lot of the skills you'll need to do well on these tests, and you're capable of picking up many more. Whether you're prepping to get a headstart for high school or taking the SAT/ACT to qualify for talent competitions, read on for some compelling reasons why you would benefit from prepping in 8th grade. First, why would you take these tests in the first place? Why Would You Take the SAT/ACT? There are a number of reasons why students take the SAT or ACT. The most obvious one would be to get into colleges and universities. Perhaps more immediate for many middle schoolers are the talent competitions and special programs that require the SAT/ACT as part of theirapplication processes. But what if the SAT/ACT is not required for you yet? Is there any reason to start preparing if you don't really have to? Absolutely. Below I'll discuss a bunch of other strong reasons to start prepping for these important tests. First,when are these tests required? For College Most 4-year colleges require the SAT or ACT as part of a student's application, along with a personal essay, teacher recommendations, high school transcript, and other records. Since admissions are so competitive, a strong SAT/ACT score can go a long way to making your application stand out. Prepping for these tests is key to performing well and achieving your target scores. The SAT and ACT are different from most tests you'll take in school, and they require you to be strategic, work efficiently, and demonstrate a variety of skills in a limited, often stressful, amount of time. Because prep is such a significant part of the SAT/ACT experience, many students take the tests several times to gauge their level, identify and overcome their weaknesses, and improve their scores the next time. Some students even build up their overall scores section by section, by focusing intensively on math on one test date and reading on another (to give just one example). Plus gaining familiarity with the test helps students breathe easier and feel less stressed out on test day. So once you understand the power of prep for the SAT/ACT, imagine if you started prepping even before you got to high school. If you devoted just an hour or two weekly or biweekly to learning concepts and applying them to sample test questions in the 8th grade, you'd be well-versed, maybe even an expert, by the time you take the tests. You might even finish taking the tests before junior or senior year, when your friends are scrambling to balance the SAT/ACT, finals, clubs, sports, and college applications. Getting these tests done early could be a welcome relief once you reach junior or senior year. If you're applying to a 4-year college, you're very likely to be taking the SAT or ACT at least once in high school, if not several times to build up your score. The other type of program that might require the SAT/ACT in 8th grade is a talent competition or special academic program. For Talent Competitions The other circumstance where the SAT/ACT is required is when applying for talent competitions. Some special programs for academically gifted and motivated students have application processes similar to those you'd undertake for college. And just like with college applications, you'll want to achieve a strong score to be a competitive candidate for these programs. Some of the programs for middle schoolers are Belin-Blank Exceptional Student Talent Search (BESTS) at the University of Iowa Center for Talented Youth (CTY) at Johns Hopkins University Joseph Baldwin Academy (JBA) at Truman State University Midwest Academic Talent Search (MATS) at Northwestern University Talent Identification Program (TIP) at Duke University If you're interested in any of these programs, then you'll want to prep and take the SAT or ACT toqualify. If you choose the SAT and want to preserve your scores, you'll have to contact College Board so they don't delete your score reports. With both the SAT and ACT, students applying to these programs can choosea one-step registrationoption. So applying to college and talent competitions are the main reasons why the SAT or ACT are absolutely necessary tests to realize your goals. But what about all the other advantages andbenefits that come from prepping for the SAT or ACT? Slow and steady wins the race! Also, I would love to watch this race. Reasons to Prep for the SAT/ACT in 8th Grade Prepping for the SAT or ACT in 8th grade will not just help you become an expert on the tests, it may also help you prep for other tests like ACT Aspire and thePSAT, as well as develop other academic and organization skills. First, what do I mean about becoming an SAT/ACT "expert"? Boost Your SAT/ACT Scores As I talked about above, prep is extremely important for doing well on the SAT or ACT. Doing well in math class does not necessarily equate to a high SAT/ACT math score, nor does being a lifelong reader guarantee you a high score on the reading sections. That's because these tests are unique in the way theyrequire strategy and time management skills. They also ask strangely worded questions designed to distract you from the correctanswers. Luckily, the way they do this stays the same year after year. This means that with careful studying, you can avoid the pitfalls and arm yourself against these tricky maneuvers. Does this sound like a tall order? It may require effort and focus, but every student is capable of improving their scores on these tests. And because all of this careful studying takes time, starting early, like in 8th grade, may be the best way to reach your goals. If you devote just a few hours every one or two weeks over the school year to SAT or ACT prep, then this studying will really accumulate over time. You'll see a great deal of improvement without having to stress about running out of time or having to study a ton of material all at the same time. As the tortoise and the hare taught us, slow and steady wins the race. Prepping will also help you on tests like the ACT Aspire and the PSAT, which you may choose to take earlier than junior year, when it counts for National Merit distinctions and scholarships. Get Ready for the ACT Aspire and PSAT The ACT Aspire, formerly the ACT Explore, is a computer-based ACT test that, like taking an official practice test, can help gauge your progress and give you a sense of where you need to improve. Since it's so similar to the ACT, prepping for the ACT can help you perform well on this test, as well. Since it's still a relatively new test, keep in mind that there are several variables that might not make it the most accurate predictor of how you'll score on the ACT. All th grade students in high school also take the PSAT, which is used to determine National Merit distinctions and scholarships. If you're looking to improve your scores on the PSAT and qualify for National Merit, then you might want to consider taking the PSAT even earlier, like in 9th or 10 grade. Since the new PSAT is so closely aligned to the new SAT, your prep will help you a great deal on both tests. This is another consideration if you're still deciding between the SAT and ACT and want to determine which one will better reflect your abilities and help you get a high score for your college applications. Apart from applying to college, enhancing your study skills and academic knowledge will help you in general in your 8th grade classes and as you make the transition into high school. Prepping for the SAT or ACT in 8th grade can be hugely beneficial for your academic understanding and performance in school. Get a Headstart on High School By studying SAT/ACT math, reading, and vocabulary, for instance, you can reinforce what you've learned in school. Timing yourself might have the added benefit of allowing you get more homework done in a shorter amount of time. Since the SAT and ACT are meant for high schoolers, you probably haven't learned all of the concepts that appear on these tests yet, like geometry or certain high-level reading. That doesn't necessarily mean that these concepts are out of reach, though. By prepping now, you can get a headstart on material you'll learn in high school. Not only will the SAT and ACT lose some of their mystique and become totally within your reach, but your high school classes won't seem so unknown, either. Instead, you can learn and become more confident in your knowledge by studying independently of your classes in school. Prepping for the SAT or ACT in 8th grade can have beneficial effects on your test scores, learning, time management, and study skills.If you agree that these are all worthy goals, then you're probably now wondering, how can I go about prepping for the SAT/ACT? Give yourself a headstart on high school. How Can You Prep for the SAT/ACT in 8th Grade? While there are lots of resources to help you prep for the SAT and ACT, the ones that you should never leave out are the official practice tests from the testmakers themselves. Official practice questions are the gold standard when it comes to studying, since they are the truest representation of the types of questions and format you will encounter when you take the test yourself. PrepScholar's online test prep can also be exceptionallyhelpful for 8th grade students. Unlike other test prep programs and books, PrepScholar doesn't assume you're already a high school student. Instead, it meets you at your level, determineswhat you know and what you need to learn, and helps you keep track of your progress with a planned out schedule and progress reports. Plus since it's an online program, it can further help you develop the skills you'll need for computer-based tests like the ACT Aspire. Test prep books are also good resources that cover a lot of material, but you've got to be discerning about their quality. They also require a lot of independence and discipline from you to make the time to study, score your own practice tests, and analyze your incorrect answers. One great place to start small and gradually build your test prep is with SAT Questions of the Day and ACT Questions of the Day. You can also find a limited number of practice questions on the College Board and ACT websites. Whiie these resources will offer you direct practice for the SAT or ACT, you can also integrate prep with your studies in school to ensure that you're covering the concepts you'll need. Let's briefly break down what's on the SAT and ACT so you can see how each sectionconnects to your classes. These sections are Math, Critical Reading, and Writing on the SAT, or Math, Reading, English, and Science on the ACT. Math The math section of the SAT covers numbers and operations, statistics and probability, algebra, and geometry. The ACT goes one step further and covers some trigonometry. The major emphasis on both tests is on algebra, with a substantial emphasis on geometry, as well. If you're in 8th grade, you probably haven't studied too much geometry yet, and may have only just started studying algebra. To get more practice, you could introduce yourself to a new concept every couple of weeks and practice it. You could also take the math you're learning in school, whether it's probability or algebra, for example, and seek out related SAT/ACT practice problems. While some of the math section on the SAT/ACT may be new, you likely have a lot of the foundational skills you'll need to do well on the SAT Critical Reading and ACT Reading. Critical Reading / Reading Both the Critical Reading section of the SAT and Reading section of the ACT ask you to read passages and answer questions that demonstrate your understanding and interpretation. Unlike your English classes (probably), these questions are not subjective or open to debate. Instead, there is only one 100% correct answer - the rest have some error or logical flaw in them. Your reading comprehension skills may be less easy to quantify than your understanding of specific math concepts. However, reading widely and practicing with SAT or ACT passages can help you become a more advanced reader over time. Plus you can study vocabulary and get a sense of how the same words may be used differently in various contexts, an important skill for both the SAT and ACT. If you like reading, then practicing these questions may not seem like so much of a chore. The random excerpts can actually have really interesting, unique information, and being a critical reader is a great skill to have for the tests, school, and life in general. The other sectionsthat overlap between the SAT and ACT are the Writing and English section. Writing / English The Writing section of the SAT and English section of the ACT also relate to the skills you develop in your English classes. They test your understanding of grammar and word choice. You may also write the essay, which is meant to be a persuasive essay with a 5 paragraph structure. Paying attention to these skills in your English classes will be beneficial for your SAT/ACT prep. Conversely, practicing with sample questions can help you improve your writing skills, which will help you in 8th grade and all four years of high school. Plus you might get a whole lot speedier at producing essays for class. Finally, the last section that you need to prep for only applies to the ACT: the Science section. Science You might be relieved to hear that the Science section of the ACT doesn't actually test very advanced scientific concepts or require too much specific recall of facts and figures. Instead, the science section is similar to Reading, in that you need to have the skills to comprehend excerpts, data, and graphs. All of this is in the context of biology, chemistry, and earth sciences. As an 8th grader, you can not only develop your science and lab skills with prep, but you can also take an SAT and ACT practice test and determine which one is better for you. That way you can focus all your prep on the test that will allow you to get the highest scores for your college applications. We should all be asprepared as this guy. To Sum Up... If you're starting to think about the SAT or ACT, prepping in the 8th grade can be very valuable. Not only can it help you get prepared for the SAT/ACT and PSAT, but it can also benefit your learning in school. Getting a headstart can also be a great challenge, ease the pressure once you get to high school, and put ahead of the curve in math, English, and maybe even science, if you're taking the ACT. Since you'll have years to prepare, you can start slowly and gradually become an expert on the tests. When you finally sit for the official tests, you'll now exactly what to expect and how to achieve your scores. Plus all your dedication and studying will pay off in a huge way once you get to high school and eventually, to college. What's Next? Are you planning to take the official SAT or ACT in 8th grade? Read about what makes a good score on the SAT and ACT for 8th graders and how you can boost your scores even higher the next time you take the test. Are you prepping for the PSAT, too? These are some good reasons you might consider taking it as a freshman. As you know by now, the best way to prep for the SAT and ACT are with official practice questions from the testmakers themselves. Download free pdfs of SAT practice tests and ACT practice tests here. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

INTERNATIONAL RELATIONS - Research Paper Example In Turkey, the dominant religion is Muslim; others are Christian and Jewish religions. Any problem in Peoplehood, in Turkey, maybe created by the fact that people believing in Christian and Jewish religions, maybe seen as inferior by people believing in the greater Muslim religion (Ibrahim & GÃ ¼rbey 78). Nation-states in their lifetime experience problems pertaining to territory and sovereignty. The conflicts usually arise because of other nation-states scrambling for resources owned by a different nation-state. Various problems regarding Turkey’s territory and sovereignty have been witnessed. In particular, there have been territorial disputes between Turkey and Iraq. To defend its territory and sovereignty, Turkey has retaliated against Kurdish insurgents from Iraq a number of times (Ibrahim & GÃ ¼rbey 98). Nationalism is a political concept that entails citizens of a defined nation or state deeply identifying themselves with their nation or state. The citizens, through self-determination usually strive to sustain and achieve some national goal. Nationalism originates from the idea of having a common origin, traditions, cultural ties and ethnicity. Through nationalism, an individual becomes a citizen of a nation or state voluntarily (Smith 37). Nationalism relates to nation building through the act of individuals in a nation or state voluntarily identifying themselves, their goals and determination with the state or nation. Individuals usually direct their self-determination towards the state, which results in nation building. An example of a demonstration of nationalism has been the act of citizens coming out to fight for the freedom of their state when insurgents or terrorists attack their state (Smith 36). Nationalism relates with international relations through the fact that it identifies simple nations or states, which