Child Poverty

Why should we care about child poverty in the UK The term poverty Is used to describe people, Individuals or families who do not have as much money as other people in the society they live In. Poverty and child poverty go hand In hand, looking at the bigger picture If the parent's are living In poverty so will the children, with lots of different elements possibly causing this. They may have a poor diet due to the fact that fruit, vegetables, meat and fish can be expensive especially when you have very little money.They cannot afford to live in the customs society feels are normal for example sky television or the latest clothes or trainers. However it is not always just money that can affect someone living in poverty it can also be having little or no education. Often children who live in poverty will leave school, at sixteen with bad GEESE results or none at all, resulting in no Job or a low paid Job, leaving them unable to provide for their family. Child poverty is not Just famine or children dying In the developing world as television images would have us believe, It Is a big problem in the united Kingdom too (End child poverty,2013).Its time our eyes were opened to the fact that â€Å"at least one out of every six children In the united Kingdom lives In relative poverty' (BBC News, 2013). Child poverty can occur from many different elements â€Å"Is the single greatest threat to the well-being of children and families† (Bombards, 2013). A two parent family with two children needs to earn IEEE. O per week to stay above the poverty line, many families fall under this figure. Unemployment , low paid jobs, uneducated or poorly educated people contributed with high child care costs all attribute to the problem.As does inadequate benefits, the set levels of benefits can leave people below the poverty line (Save the children). Poverty can mean being cold or hungry often they are not able to enjoy a simple holiday as a family. Many miss out on clubs at sch ool or after school and activities because they simply do not have the money. There are two ways to measure poverty, relative; net income that Is below sixty per cent of median net disposable Income and absolute; which Is adjusted to Inflation (BBC News, 2013). Slung relative the governments preferred measure of poverty, figures show here is no change in child poverty.However using absolute measure it shows poverty is a big problem for one in every six children (BBC News, 201 3). Living in poverty can affect the child's goals, expectations and achievements, this also tends to repeat from generation to generation. Resulting in a cycle of poverty (End child poverty, 2013). The consciences of poverty continue through the generations, as adults the children are more likely to be unemployed because they are not qualified to gain a decent Job to earn money for themselves or their families, be homeless, buffer ill health both physically and mentally.Many struggle with social interaction of ten feeling excluded from society. It affects the child/children, the parent's, family and the society around them. It can affect every area of a child's development, social, educational and personal. Many become Involved In drug abuse, alcohol abuse and abusive relationships as they reach adulthood (Barnyards, 2013). The Issue of child poverty and the reoccurring cycle can be tackled by better education to help them achieve more skills and aim tort higher goals.Investing in nigh quality education and hillside for young children and offering support to parent's, could help break the link between being poor and not doing well. The work and pensions secretary lain Duncan smith said â€Å"the government's aim was to get children out of poverty by getting more people into wore( BBC News, 2013). Unemployed parent's should be given every possible bit of help to get a Job, a good well paid one, with flexibility offered and help with childcare costs ( Child poverty action group,2000-2013). People in work should not be paid below the poverty line, increasing the minimum wage would help.The child poverty act legislation ensures action must be taken to tackle child poverty by this and the future governments, by the devolved administrations and by local government and their partners. The act sets out four United Kingdom targets which are to be met by 2020. They are that relative low income will be less than ten per cent. That combined low income and material deprivation (living standards) will be less than five per cent. Absolute low income will be less than five per cent and that persistent poverty (the length of time) will be set in regulations by 2015.The government is required to produce child poverty strategies that run through to 2020 and are refreshed every three years. These strategies will set out what action is needed to meet the targets in the child poverty act (Department for education, 2012). Child poverty is a big issue in the I-J and should be tackled appr opriately so that less children in families with low income or no income suffer, decreasing the long term effects such as no Jobs or low paid Jobs, ill health, mentally and physically, homelessness, poor education, poor diet, being cold because there's to enough money for heating and food.Making sure there is adequate education available to children and encouraging them to achieve good GASES to enable them to gain a well-paid good Job to support their family, support should be offered along the way. More awareness of the issues could help the government in their plight to uphold the targets in the child poverty act. As many people are not aware of the seriousness of the situation partly because of the media and their constant coverage of famine and dying children in the developing world (End child poverty, 2013).

Reactions to Imperialism in Asia

Japan's attitude toward foreign domination changed drastically over the years. Since the early 1 sass, during the reign of the Outage dynasty, the shogun made every effort possible to enforce a rigid Isolation policy. He closed all ports except for one to foreigners. Anyone who left the country or allowed foreigners in were sentenced to death. However, by the mid-asses,Japan began to reconsider their seclusion from the rest of the world. In 1850, Commodore Matthew Perry arrived in Japan, accompanied by a small naval squadron of American merchants and diplomats.He wanted to work out a read agreement with the shogun. When he refused to accept Perry's terms the commodore left, only to return a year later with a much larger, highly Intimidating fleet of steamships. He gave the shogun two options: either the shogun could open up Japan to diplomatic and trade relations with the united States or Perry would attack. Knowing that they did not have the resources, technology, or military might to defend themselves against such an attack, they reluctantly agreed to accept the terms of the Treaty of Gangway. The treaty ultimately ended Japan's Isolation foreign policy.It opened up the entry to Western Influence and forced the Outage government Into accepting trade agreements that were not in their favor. The noblemen in Japan observed the shogun's inability to stand up to the West and that, combined with the unequal terms of the treaty, fueled a civil war. The noblemen believed they needed a more powerful government that would not allow Japan to be bullied by the West. In 1868, the dainty put aside their differences and came together to overthrow the Outage shogun and reestablished the Melee government. The Mel]l took an entirely different approach to Western domination.They were eager to modernize and they did so rapidly. Japanese officials traveled to the West to study their methods of industrialization, as well as their health, financial, and education systems. They set up a modern bank modeled after those in the United States and installed telegraph lines, as well as thousands of miles of railroad tracks. They also built up a military strong enough to rival those of the West. Their rapid and successful Industrialization made Japan power hungry and they began to set their sights on foreign lands that they could use for raw materials and a place to set up new markets. Thus began Japanese imperialism.As Japan's population increased, so did their need for raw materials and land. Their solution was found in Korea, who was currently under attack by China. Japan helped Korea win victory in the Sino-Japanese war, which allowed them to dominate Korea and forced China to cede Taiwan. This gave Japan access to the resources they desired and a place to sell their manufactured goods. Their success In the war fueled their appetite for more land and materials, so in 1904 they went to war with Russia. They came out victorious, gaining territory in the south of th e Sailing Island and southern Manchuria, and the Loading Peninsula.Their success in these wars only further increased their desire for Japanese domination and they began to set their sights on the rest of Southeast Asia. These events showed the rest of the world just how much Japan's response to foreign domination underwent perhaps the most drastic change than any other nation. It went from being completely cut off from the rest of the world, intolerable of foreign influence, and uninterested in Western technology to becoming a great imperialistic power in Just half a century. They would remain one of the major powers in the world until their defeat in World War II.

Chapter 31.1 1-9 Flashcards Example for Free (#31)

Chapter 31.1 1-9 Created new ideas on space, time, energy and matter. He created the theory of relativity, how motion is the key to his idea. Relative motion is the key to Einsteins theory so it was called the theory of relativity A Australian physician whos ideas were like Einsteins. He studied the human mind and said there was a â€Å"irrational† part of the mind where people did not know what was happening and they did whatever made them happy. The idea that there is no universal meaning to life German philosopher who argued that reason and democracy was destroying people’s creativity and actions. He wanted people to return to ancient heroic values and pride. A new art movement that was inspired by a world of dreams and real life A new style of music that emerged that was developed in New Orleans and Chicago. It was loose and lively. He was the first American pilot who made the first non-stop flight across the Atlantic Ocean. In your opinion, whose contribution has had the most lasting impact? I think Albert Einstein because his ideas were very revolutionary and they are still used today. They put a base idea to use for the rest of time. Why were the ideas of Einstein and Freud revolutionary? Because they showed how people and things worked and their minds and their ideas are still being used today How did literature in the 1920’s reflect the uncertainty of the period? People were uncertain of wether to keep using democracy or start using their ideas and being creative. What impact did the increased use of the automobile have of the average people? Families were able to travel more for fun, cars were more affordable, it made transportation easier and faster and more fun. Why do you think writers and artists began exploring the unconcious? I think so because they wanted to see how different parts of the human mind worked and why this one part was so different. Why did some women begin demanding more political and social freedom? Because new things were being created and women wanted the opportunity to have more political and social freedom. Why were new medical treatments and inventions developed during WWI? So new weapons could be improved or created and used as battle tactics in WWII or any upcoming fights â€Å"Buy a radio today! Listen to latest news, plays and live sporting events on the air!† Einstein QUIZ HYBRID Atomic Bomb Controversy Einstein Child Einstein Chap 26 Sec 5, Chap 28 Sec 1Questions Part VI: The Twentieth Century Chapter 7: EMR, Planck, Einstein, de Broglie, Bohr APUSH- CH. 34 & 35 Philip Glass Knee Play 1 from Einstein On The Beach company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints We use cookies to give you the best experience possible. By continuing we’ll assume you’re on board with our cookie policy We will write a custom sample essay on

The success of Apple with the application of Porter's strategy theory Essay

The success of Apple with the application of Porter's strategy theory - Essay Example In 1996, Jobs arrived on Apple's campus for the first time in nearly 11 years, becoming interim and then permanent CEO† (Kanter, 2010). Many commentators therefore separate Apple’s history under Jobs as â€Å"Jobs I† and â€Å"Jobs II,† with the latter being his re-introduction to the company. Apple, during its early years, was quick to establish a core competence. As one group of authors states, â€Å"A company’s core competence can relate to any of several aspects of its business: expertise in building networks and systems that enable e-commerce; speeding new or next generation products to market; good after-sale service; skills in manufacturing a high-quality product; (and) innovativeness in developing popular product features;† these authors also stress the importance of â€Å"speed and agility in responding to new market trends and changing competitive conditions; know-how in creating and operating a system for filling customer orders ac curately and swiftly; and expertise in integrating multiple technologies to create families of new products.†(Thompson and Strickland, 1997). ... â€Å"We are living through extraordinary times for the music business. One of the great success stories of the 20th century is turning unpleasantly sour in the 21st† (Cook, 2003). From this perspective, it is fairly impressive that Apple has been able to capitalize in a market where it is essentially competing with a free product by putting its own 99 cent downloads up against it, successfully. â€Å"Apple has sold more than 500 million songs in 19 countries since it introduced iTunes in the United States over two years ago. While iTunes by itself is not viewed as a big money maker for Apple, it has helped drive sales of its wildly popular iPod portable music player† (Apple, 2005). From this perspective, the service is selling the hardware. Another major issue facing Apple is that if consumers do not see what they want aligned with their needs in a retailer, they are likely going to go someplace else to hire the product they are seeking. â€Å"The record companies hav e never had it so bad. The world is still saturated with popular music, but somehow its very omnipotence has taken the shine off its profitability: as popular as pop stars are, many of us have had enough of them† (Cook, 2003). Porter’s framework applied Porter’s Five Force analysis has achieved wide credibility as a form of industry analysis. Also, some of Porter’s key concepts can be applied to Apple. â€Å"The intensity of industry competition and an industry’s profit potential are a function of five forces of competition: the threats posed by new entrants, the power of suppliers, the power of buyers, product substitutes, and the intensity of rivalry among competitors† (Schmalnese, 1985). Porter’s Five Forces model of industry analysis is, stemming rationally from the

Classicism in The Titanic Movie Review Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Classicism in The Titanic - Movie Review Example On its first voyage however, it crushed into the ice of the Atlantic Ocean, causing it to sink. The film however evolved around the story of Jack (DiCaprio), a commoner and Rose (Winslet) a woman engaged to be married to a wealthy and powerful Duke. The film was heavy on the meeting and the love story that transpired between Jack and Rose but it also showed the class struggle between the rich and the poor and how power can be one-sided. The film ended with only one of the two surviving, thus ending a beautiful love story. The Titanic however, will forever be remembered. Classicism is an "aesthetic attitudes and principles based on culture, art and literature of ancient Greece and Rome, and characterized by emphasis on form, simplicity, proportion, and restrained emotion" (Baigent, 2003). Classicism can be seen as specific philosophical genre expressed in literature, architecture, art and music which has ancient Greek and Roman sources (Wikimedia Foundations, Inc, 2009). "Classical art encompasses antiquity and later works inspired by it, the latter normally referred to as Neoclassical. Adherence to traditional aesthetic formalities was favored over expressionism and individuality. Classic art is distinguished by clarity, order, balance, unity, symmetry and dignity" (World Wide Arts Resources, 2009). Classicism is made up of many concepts: proportion, symmetry, humanism, realism, idealism and Aristotle's theory of the "unities," among others. In this paper, we take a particular look at the concepts of symmetry, humanism and realism in our analysis of the movie Titanic. A Proportion in the Depiction of Characters "Proportion is the relationship of one part of a whole to other parts. In art it has usually meant a preoccupation of artists with finding a mathematical formula for the perfect human body" (Mimi.hu). My own understanding of proportion is the attempt to create a balance in an art so that it is necessary that the correct weight of each part is employed. In the whole of the film, The Titanic, proportion was observed when two classes were featured- the elite and the poor. There was a considerable portion allotted to describe these two classes where the leading characters came from. There was a description of the life of the commoner Jack as he was featured gambling just before the ship left so as to have something for fare. On the other hand, the elite were given especial seats in the ship plus especial treatment during the rescue. There was a proper proportion between the two male characters. Most of Jack was shown un the movie as he was the leading man, but the character of the Duke was also revealed such as heartless, dangerous but seemingly refined. The latter is in contrast with Jack's carelessness and roughness. The Reality of Class Struggle and sinfulness Realism as expressed in visual arts and literature is a depiction of subjects as they live and appear in their ordinary lives, "without embellishment or interpretation", thus in revealing the reality, may actually be ugly or sordid (Wikimedia Foundations, Inc, 2009). "The achievement of realism in theatre was to direct attention to the physical and philosophic problems of ordinary existence, both socially and psychologically. In plays of this mode people emerge as victims of forces larger than themselves, as individuals

Calculus for Business Economics Math Problem Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Calculus for Business Economics - Math Problem Example Thus . Or . 12. Same procedure as in the question no. 10. 20. (a) Given. So . Thus multiplying the two derivatives we get. (b) Similar as part (a). 24. (a) Given. Differentiating on both sides with respect to x, we get, which implies. So at given point (1, 2), the slope of the tangent to the curve is given by. (b) Given. Differentiating on both sides with respect to x, we get, which implies. So at given point (0, 3), the slope of tangent to the curve is given by. 50. Take the road towards east as x-axis and that towards north as y-axis. So their intersection is the origin. Set the clock at 0 at noon. After t hours the truck will be at point A (0, 70t) and the car will be at B (105(t-1), 0). So the distance S = AB is given by, which is equal to or simply. Thus . So required rate of change of distance at t = 2 is. 52. The quantity produced by the worker is given by. (a) So R(t) = Q'(t) = (b) Setting clock at 0 at 8:00 am., the time at 9:00 am is represented by t = 1. So R(1) =. (c) The time 9:06 am is represented by t = 1.1. So Q(1.1) - Q(1)R(1).(1.1 - 1) = (27)(0.1) = 2.7. (d) Q(1.1) - Q(1) = Q(1.1)- 27 can be calculated by actually substituting t = 1.1 in the expression for Q(t). 56. Given no. of units manufactured by the relation. The cost is given by. Now . So at t = 2, it is equal to 1663.2. 58. Letbe the error in the measurement of radius r. And be the error in the measurement of surface area. Here. So . That is, % error in S = 2(% error in r). As % error in S is no greater than 8%. So the largest % error in r is 4%. Chapter 3 18. Given. For critical values we solve or. This gives. Also, which is +ve for and is -ve for . So at there is a relative minimum and at there is a relative maximum. 22. Given. So . This gives the critical...Equating 6t and 90 + 0.5t, we can get t. Set the clock at 0 at noon. After t hours the truck will be at point A (0, 70t) and the car will be at B (105(t-1), 0). So the distance S = AB is given by, which is equal to or simply. Thus . So required rate of change of distance at t = 2 is. 58. Letbe the error in the measurement of radius r. And be the error in the measurement of surface area. Here. So . That is, % error in S = 2(% error in r). As % error in S is no greater than 8%. So the largest % error in r is 4%. (a) The fence is on all the four sides of the pasture. So 2(x + y)= 320. Thus y = 160 - x. Therefore the area A = xy = x(160 - x) =. . On equating it with 0, we get x = 80. So y = 80. These dimensions give maximum area. 28. The traffic speed is given by. Where t represents the time in hours measured 0 at noon. So . The critical values are given by. Or . Thus t = 1 and t = 5. Also . It is -ve for t = 1 and is +ve for t = 5. Therefore, the traffic speed is fastest at 1 hour past noon that is at 1:00 pm. It is slowest at 5 hours past noon that is at 5:00 pm. 30. Let the breadth = x in. So the length = 2x in. If height = y in, then the . Thus . Now the area of the four walls and the bottom equals. The area of the top is. Therefore cost of the material used is. Its derivative can be equated with zero to get the value of x. 40. Let the coffee break occurs after x hours.

Individual Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Individual Report - Essay Example Being the largest employer in the world and one of the biggest companies in the world, Wal-Mart faces a number of business risks as well as human resource challenges. The human resource challenges faced by the company are factors of internal threat to the business and Wal-Mart has been trying its best to alter its strategies and adopt the best possible human resource practices to negate the effect of the negative publicity caused by the internal human resource challenges faced by the organization. Discussion The employees of Wal-Mart have been dissatisfied with the discrimination and low pay policies which is resulting in negative image of the company. The employee engagement issue has been chosen for this purpose. Employee engagement In an attempt to enhance employee engagement, Wal-Mart has started the employee advancement program. The company takes care to ensure that the employees are presented with enough opportunities to rise through the ranks. Wal-Mart has a reputation of not treating their employee’s right and not being as up to date with technology as they could be. Wal-Mart is showing improvement with using the technology of e-training to enhance the knowledge and skills of their employees. The company along with trying to be customer centric is also trying to touch the base with their consumers (Laris, 2013). In the company the employees are referred to as Associates to promote equality and advices the managers to think themselves as servant leaders. This policy is used to encourage the mangers to serve others while staying focused on reaching the objectives in keeping with the values and integrity of the organization (Wall Street Journal, 2006).Many issues have arisen inside the organization due to the large and diverse workforce in the company. Maintaining the work culture while balancing the diversity level has been a challenge for the human resources team. Due to the existence of numerous stores and a huge number of employees, a vast range of requirements for pay and benefit is necessary (Dessler, 2005, p.97). Wal-Mart recognizes the need for a comprehensive list of options for its employees. Wal-Mart maintains a wide range of choices in the benefits packages offered by them under the career benefits offered by the organization. In terms of employee engagement issue Wal-Mart had faced a number of wage discrimination and class action gender lawsuits resulting in tarnishing the image of the company. It hired more specialized human resource managers and created a team of five legal professionals to handle the workplace issues and the concern of the supervisors on employment matters. A class action lawsuit against Wal-Mart encompassing more than one million female employees, making it one of the largest workplace discrimination cases in the history of the United States. In response to the charges of discrimination, the organization has hired a director of diversity, implemented a companywide computer posting of managemen t opening and also implemented a system in which the bonuses of the executive managers are based on the diversity of the workforce (Ungar, 2013). In order to judge the engagement of the workers in the workplace the company follows the performance measurement system. It was implemented in an organization need to be aligned with both the organization's competitive strategy and the internal HR practices (Bratton, 2007, p. 374). The performance management system of

A fundamental concept of modern architecture Essay

A fundamental concept of modern architecture - Essay Example e architecture in the modern period not only created house and public buildings that combine beauty and technical aspect of social efficiency, they also ensured the buildings were economical in all ways the architecture operating in the modern period were successfully blending technology with expressive style, history with science, beauty with practicality. These are elements that completely changed the building environment in ways that are still discernible today. This is an historical argument paper about the modern architecture. It is based on the definition architecture according to Siegfried Giedion and the development of the space, time and architecture concepts. The definition of modernist architecture is still an issue of debate between the art historians and other critiques. In Space, Time and architecture, Giedion argues that there is an apparent chaos in the state of culture that has been brought about by contradictory tendencies between the enormous technological and industrial development and peoples values. There is a need to feel the gap between the advances in the humanity in the realm of thought and realm of feelings. The emergence of the modern architecture in the early 20th century has been a matter of debates and arguments among different architecture historians and other critics. It is believed that the modern architecture and movement emerged in the late nineteenth century and was completely formed in the 1920s, just before the World War one began. Modernism has been understood differently by different authors and critics in architecture history.2modern architecture has been reflected by such publications as The international style by Hitchcock and Johnsons that was published in 1932 and 1995.Pevners works titles Pioneers of modern design of 1936 and Space time and Architecture that was published in the 1941 and 1982. The contemporary accounts of the modern movement provide a contrasting view. These more architectural historians

Road Movies Analysis Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Road Movies Analysis - Research Paper Example The south-west was the protagonist’s home place responsible for discrimination, violence and racism. It was the place where the two drivers did not receive the best of treatments, experiencing attack and insults due to their long hair. The depictions of the African American poverty with the touch of modernity with the gas stations were later to indicate more to the story. The first terrain discussed above showed the nationalism that was being experienced already and the fight for those against it (Laderman, 179). Vagabond was the distinguishing film between the European and American road movie. It was the first depicting a woman on the road, the film does not put much emphasis on the drive but on the isolation, and lack of interest in being part of a home. Mona does not cross over borders or territories but rather circulates in the same place south of France. The camera shifts from Mona to other scenes such as the branches of trees alongside the road to creating a feeling of w hat will happen in future. The non-narrative escape from the road drifts induces coldness in the film. More attention is given to Mona’s body rather than the car she is travelling in. This is a major distinction between the European and American road movie. The sound techniques in the film are modern classic tracking the camera and only changes to focus on significant objects or sceneries (Laderman, 268). Stranger than paradise was an American Road movie was produced by Win Wenders when the activities of this genre were inactive. He established a film producing company named as Road movies. This particular film adopted a journey structure where the film characters taking a journey that stopped frequently by having long pauses in between the drive. The journey takes a therapeutic remedy. The first driving scene is staged with the camera being at the back of the seat of the car where Eddie and Willie are going to escape from the town. They are driving the windscreen is being us ed as a shield in which we can see them.

Memory and Attention and Intelligence Research Paper

Memory and Attention and Intelligence - Research Paper Example A breakdown of the assembly process of memory and lack of attention power are found as people get older. When people begin to age, their memory power becomes weaker and this condition can be directly attributed to the faltering of synapses. In addition, some parts of the brain like hippocampus which are very crucial to effective memory are highly vulnerable to aging. Moreover, as people get older, their brain shrinks itself and becomes less efficient. Similarly, cultural differences can influence the power of memory and attention to a great extent. For instance, individuals from western cultures concentrate more on object based and self relevant events whereas individuals from eastern cultures focuses more on contextual details and similarities. Culture and attention also maintains a similar connection. To be specific, culture influences attention which in turn impacts other cognitive and social processes. Studies have proven that gender differences may also influence human memory an d power of attention. Scholars opine that males have a better short term memory than females while females have a better long term memory than males. Researchers opine that males stand one step ahead of females in the case of power of attention.

An Evaluation of the European Computer Driving Licence Essay Example for Free

An Evaluation of the European Computer Driving Licence Essay 1. Introduction The research project includes the complete lifespan of the work from the rationale to the conclusion. I examine the reasons for conducting the research, how the Company might benefit from the experience and how trainers may reflect and add to their toolbox of skills and knowledge. The project also considers the background to the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) and how this came to AEGON UK Services, what role Workplace Training Services had to play and what part of strategy ECDL was designed to meet. The main body of the project, the research itself, sets out to consider a range of questions related to the evaluation of ECDL within a financial services setting which I believe is a valuable piece of research that is not presently widely available. The research considers the practical implications of the work and the justifications for following the particular actions undertaken. The conclusion draws the project together and provides answers to the questions considered above. Does ECDL add value within the business, have learners acquired new skills, what of the present learning methods and how might these be designed to suit the needs of future learners? I support my research findings with the results of my data collection exercises together with statistics relating to ECDL including its recent use outside of Europe. Finally, I present the detail of material used whilst working on the project as Reference and Bibliography. 2 Rationale AEGON UK Services (UKS) is the closed book arm or Third Party Administration (TPA) operation for AEGON UK one of the worlds top ten financial services companies. As a TPA no new business comes into the organisation and particularly in the present economic climate control of costs and expenses becomes paramount. It is not an overstatement to consider that the continuing well being of the UKS site in Lytham rests with its highly competitive nature. When one considers that the average cost of one staff member in Lytham is à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½40,00 pa whilst the equivalent outlay at the AEGON UK Head Office in Edinburgh is almost double at à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½65,000 pa, financial evidence becomes clear particularly with close to 900 staff at the Lytham site. There are many reasons for this divergence in costs, not all of which may be directly influenced by the Company but it is this difference which remains key to the health of the AEGON UK Services operation. It is against this background that the research into the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) is set, one of the organisation obtaining maximum value for each pound of spend. As Managing Director, David Barker, said at the 2002 Business Plan launch to staff, Through the professionalism, skill and commitment of its staff AEGON UK Services has a key part to play in the growth and development of the UK operation. It is my responsibility, as Training Manager for UKS, to provide learning opportunities, develop staff and upgrade their knowledge and skills to meet the challenges set by the Managing Director and the Board of AEGON UK. After all, a shortage of skills could threaten the livelihood of the operation. Fingold and Soskice (1989:22) who created the notion of a low skills/low quality equilibrium argued that the majority of enterprises staffed by poorly trained managers and workers produce low quality goods and services. Their view was that Britain would not be able to keep pace with changing economic conditions. A decade on and still the need for the training and development of our staff in relation to the growth of our business remains. As David Blunkett, Secretary of State for Education Employment, sets out the challenge ahead for us all when speaking at the National Training Awards ceremony in December 2000. The key message today is that there is a real economic need for people to upgrade skills throughout life. We need to help everyone fulfil their potential and respond to the changing world economy. (People Management, Vol 6, No 25). The task facing us in the UKS Training team is to meet the Secretary of States challenge and drive the business forward at the same time whilst maintaining a tight rein on expenditure. In the summer of 2001 our Union Representative introduced me to Workplace Training Services and this partnership with a local education provider soon bore fruit. A key strategic challenge for AEGON UK in 2002 was the introduction of a Common Operating Environment (COE) between its various UK operations; the most visible aspect of the COE would be the launch of Microsoft Office 2000 in the various sites. Significantly, as AEGON UK Services previously used Microsoft there were no plans to create a formal training plan for the business, rather than relying our awareness of existing applications. The Manager, Dedicated Delivery, of Workplace Training Services (an arm of Preston College), Cyril Wheat, offered the use of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) as part of our solution to the need for staff learning and development in Office 2000. The seven-module ECDL programme is based upon the Microsoft Office 2000 applications and included learning on our key workplace needs, Word, PowerPoint and Excel. Over 50 staff started the ECDL qualification in September 2001 and to-date over 150 have either achieved the award or are working towards it. Further developments of our work with the College have been the provision of additional learning and development for staff, in particular the provision of Learndirect facilities and the healthy learning partnership that has grown between an employer, union and education institution. To support the development of this significant partnership Workplace Training Services offered AEGON UK Services 100 free places on the ECDL programme in 2002. Although we have seen a large number of staff following the ECDL programme, myself included, AEGON UK Services has never conducted any formal evaluation of the learning programme. Whilst I have learned new skills and am able to access more difficult applications, has the Company benefited from the ECDL partnership, have the staff developed new skills and how might the programme best be carried forward? This is the rationale for the following research which is designed for the benefit, primarily, of the Company but also for the staff, College and as a valid piece of research. 3. Background Congratulations Sara Lundstedt! But why is this the Swedish environmental co-ordinator so significant to the history of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL). Well, Sara became the one millionth student to complete the programme, as reported in the June 2001 edition of IT Training (P7). What is ECDL and where did it come from? In 1994 the concept originated in Finland where the Finnish Information Process Association introduced the Computer Driving Licence. Shortly after, the Council of European Professional Informatics Societies (CEPIS) established the User Skills Task Force in 1995. The Task Force, supported by funding from the European Commission, was to examine how to raise IT skill levels in European industry. The Task Force identified the potential of the Finnish Licence and investigated the feasibility of adopting it and making it into a qualification for the whole of Europe. CEPIS actively encourages IT literacy and promotes acceptance of professional standards for ICT professionals throughout Europe. Pilot tests were carried out during 1995 and early 1996 resulting in the launch of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) in August 1996, initially in Sweden and then throughout Europe. The ECDL Foundation was formed in 1997 to administer the ECDL programme on a not-for-profit basis and to promote, develop and certify computer skills and IT knowledge. According to its official website, the business of the ECDL Foundation is To disseminate, promote and evolve ECDL as a globally accepted IT skills certification programme that prepares all people for participation in the Information Society. On the surface, this has been successful; in 1999 the International Computer Driving Licence (ICDL) was created as the standard qualification for non-European countries. The syllabus is identical to that of ECDL and was initially taken up by Australia, Canada, South Africa and Zimbabwe. Since then, more countries have joined the ICDL programme, ranging from Greece in 2000 to most recently, Malaysia. According to The Electric Paper Company Limited (http://www.electricpaper.ie/products/ecdl.asp) to-date, over 1.75 million people are registered on an ECDL/ICDL programme. This number is growing daily. There are tens of thousands of accredited test centres worldwide enabling people to take their tests an attain certificates. So, seven module appears to be working as students are assessed against the following competencies: basic concepts of IT, using a computer and managing files, word processing, spreadsheets, databases, presentation and information and communication. The ECDL Foundation points out that the programme is now used in over 60 countries and IT Training announced in its October 2002 edition that the number of students enrolled topped the half-million mark. The British Computer Society (BCS) also reports that it is issuing 1,000 ECDL certificates every day. One of the first organisations in the public sector to move towards qualifying the computer skills of its staff is the NHS which recognised the increasing role that computer skills had to play in the public health sector. The significance of the ECDL decision is reflected in the fact that it was announced by Health Secretary, Lord Hunt. He said, New technology investments to support staff to plan, deliver and review health care will not be successful unless more priority is given to ensuring that all staff have a basic level of IT skills. There is a great deal of published support for the ECDL programme and I have included highlights from two successful ventures. The House of Commons became the first Parliament in the world to offer staff training in IT skills, aimed at MPs assistants and constituency workers. Dr. Matthew Donaghy, Industry and Parliament Trust ADAPT Project Manager, said, Our objective, and indeed an important part of securing funding for the project, was to increase the employability of staff outside the Parliamentary sector. ECDL gives staff an extra qualification showing their competence with IT in the office, but also allows flexibility in training for the qualification so that it does not interfere with major projects they may be working on. Donaghy continued, An extra benefit of the course has been the increased level of teamwork between MPs assistants. Staff are increasingly sharing tips on office practices, which will mean a more professional MPs service all round. The Bank of England is also enabling its staff to take the ECDL programme via personal or on-line training. Bank Deputy Governor, Mervyn King, who has successfully completed the qualification said, Across the Bank, the ECDL will enable people to achieve a wide range of essential skills in IT, on which they can build in the future. I am convinced that it is an ideal way for my colleagues to improve and consolidate their knowledge, to build confidence and to improve both productivity and decision making. ECDL appears therefore to have positive support, endorsed by Peter Bayley, Director of ECDL at the British Computer Society, who confirms that, Since the UK launch there has been a growing demand for information about ECDL users from both the Further Education and Corporate sectors in order to measure profiles, motivation, satisfaction and likely interest in our newly launched ECDL Advanced qualification. Apart from a gratifying 95 per cent satisfaction rating, almost two thirds of those polled chose ECDL because of its broad recognition as a computer skills qualification. In addition, 97% said they would recommend ECDL to family, friends and colleagues and 87% were interested in an ECDL Advanced qualification. Despite the fact that there is a great deal of published evidential support for ECDL, there remains little evidence within AEGON UK Services that the programme has been and remains successful. To date, we have tended to take the view that people pass, therefore it works! But does it? As Reay (1994:23) points out, evaluation can enable you to do better in the future. This is not to say that youve been failing in the past; but good trainers realize there is always room for improvement. It is against this background, of a developing IT culture within Europe and latterly the rest of the world, that the research with AEGON UK Services is set. Will the experiences outlined above be matched within the Company? 4. Research Most people associate the word research with activities which are substantially removed from day-to-day life and which are pursued by outstandingly gifted persons with an unusual level of commitment, suggested Howard and Sharp (1983:6). However, Denscombe (1998:1) takes an alternative approach when opening his piece of work some 15 years later, Social research is no longer the concern of the small elite of professionals and full-time researchers. It has become the concern of a far greater number of people who are faced with the prospect of undertaking small-scale research projects as part of an academic course or their professional development. In my case, the piece of research was to be carried out over a 3 month period by the Training Manager of a large organisation with very ordinary skills and an extremely heavy workload! Payton (1979:4) identified research as the process of looking for a specific answer in an organised objective reliable way and it is this search for answers that has driven me to tackle the challenge of evaluating the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) in AEGON UK Services. Considering what questions to ask, Black suggests (1993:24/25), may prove a significant challenge in itself, The most difficult part of starting a research project is often that of identifying the best question to ask, one that is meaningful, whose answer contributes to the discipline, and whose resulting research can be carried out within the resources available. When considering the questions to answer from the piece of research I was conscious of two things set down by Managing Director, David Barker: a) what would add value to the business supporting AEGON UK Services as a key part of the AEGON UK operation and b) provide learning opportunities to develop staff and upgrade their knowledge and skills? The se factors contributed directly to my questions: How has ECDL added value in AEGON UK Services? How have the learners acquired new skills to help them do their jobs? Has the method of learning for ECDL proved effective? What is the most effective way for any further learners to acquire the knowledge and skills necessary to achieve ECDL? Blaxter et al (1997:58) identified 2 different methods for designing and doing a research project, their research families of qualitative and quantitative methods. To Burns (2000:3), the quantitative approach is viewed as scientific and in his opinion, has been the conventional approach to research in all areas of investigation. The methods and purposes of scientific inquiry have been moulded by countless generations of scientists Burns (2000:9) outlines the strength of the quantitative approach as being its precision and control, together with a deductive approach and the use of quantitative data (which) permits statistical analysis. Denscombe (1998:177) supports Burns standpoint by adding that, The use of quantitative data in social research has its attractions. For one thing, it carries with it an aura of scientific respectability. Because it uses numbers and can present findings in the form of graphs and tables, it conveys a sense of solid, objective research. However, an alternative view also exists and caution is stressed by Silverman (2000:6) when pointing out that the hard data on social structures which quantitative researchers claim to provide can turn out to be a mirage. Caution was necessary for me when considering the effect of ECDL upon an individuals ability to do their job more effectively, as Cicourel (1964) points to defects with quantitative research, it may be useful but it also may conceal as well as reveal social processes. On the other hand, qualitative research is an umbrella term that covers a variety of styles of social research, drawing on a variety of disciplines. Tesch (1990) identified 26 distinct kinds of social research which can fall under the term qualitative and no doubt, in time, that list will grow. However, Denscombe (1998:207) does see some common elements which begin to give some sense, as he sees it, to qualitative research, a concern with meanings and the way people understand things and a concern with patterns of behaviour. Cohen and Mannion (1998:8) go a stage further and view qualitative research as a search for understanding in which the principal concern is with the way in which the individual creates, modifies and interprets the world in which he or she finds himself or herself. Researchers who adopted this qualitative approach, responsive to individual perceptions, were felt by Bell (1999:7) to seek insights rather than statistical analysis. A positive aspect of qualitative research, according to Miles and Huberman (1984:10), is that they focus on naturally occurring, ordinary events in natural settings, so that we have a strong handle on what real life is like. The approach to this research project was on a qualitative basis and whilst there is a range of disadvantages to this method, including, as identified by Anderson (1990) the ability to collect a large number of replies, allow for easy collation and cheap and readily available, Anderson did identify advantages with a qualitative approach. Significantly, when gathering data and information Anderson held that a qualitative approach enables the researcher to really understand another person, and qualitative research tends to focus on learners, central to the research project, and their views of the world. My own research project mirrors a number of Andersons findings; focusing on the learners and managers and their views, attitudes and feelings is key to my work and as such does not lend itself naturally to a quantitative or scientific basis. However, in Denscombes opinion (1998: 173), the two approaches are not mutually exclusive, the distinction between the two is over-simplified and relates to the treatment of the data. As Strauss (1987: 2) argues, the genuinely useful distinction is in how data are treated analytically. Denscombes (1998:173) view then is that a distinction between qualitative and quantitative research is far from watertight. To some extent, the research design depends on what Barnes (1992:114) highlights as either a deductive or inductive approach to the project, with action research a key method of the latter. Barnes takes the view that when using action research, the outcomesare generally increased knowledge, understanding and improved practice. The implication from this is that action research has a relevance for what I will be undertaking and indeed Blaxter et al (1997:64) confirm this by pointing out that it is well suited to the needs of people conducting research in their own workplaces, and who have a focus on improving aspects of their own and their colleagues practices. Cohen and Mannion (1998:186) also focus their thoughts on this work-related aspect of action research by suggesting that it is situational it is concerned with diagnosing a problem in a specific context and attempting to solve it in that context. Although action research as a basis suits the needs of my project as shown above, there are a number of criticisms about the method, often reflecting Cohen and Mannions (1998:193) comments that it is not scientific, its sample is restricted and unrepresentativeits findings are restricted to the environment in which the research is carried out. I accept the above but am satisfied that although my findings may be restricted to the environment, they are after all intended for use solely within AEGON UK Services, any wider usage will be a bonus. Research data was accumulated by the use of questionnaires completed by learners, interviews with senior managers and Preston College staff, and focus groups conducted with groups of learners. This common multi-method approach is referred to as triangulation, as originally identified by the works of Elliott and Adelman (1976), and has been defined in Open University course 811 Study Guide (1988:54) as cross-checking the existence of certain phenomena and the veracity of individual accounts by gathering data from a number of informants and a number of sources and subsequently comparing and contrasting one account with another in order to produce as full and balanced a study as possible. The use of triangulation goes some way to meeting the need for this piece of research to be both reliable and valid. Bryman (1989:55) outlines reliability as something which refers to the consistency of a measure. Blaxter et al (1997:200) summarise the issue of reliability in simple terms as considering whether you have carried it out in such a way that, if another researcher were to look into the same questions in the same setting, they would come up with essentially the same results . Validity is identified in a similar tone by the same authors, to do with whether your methods, approaches and techniques actually relate to, or measure, the issues you have been exploring. Triangulation is particularly important to me because it increases the strength and validity of my work. The use of questionnaires is outlined by Denscombe (1998:88) who suggests that they are at their most productive when: used with large numbers, straightforward information required, the social climate is open, standardised, time allows for delays, resources allow for the costs and when the respondents can be expected to be able to read and understand the questions. However, my own piece of research is much smaller with fewer in the sample, straightforward questions on information that is current, all of which adds to the simplicity of this process. However, there is a range of issues when using questionnaires with Bell (1999:75) suggesting that It is harder to produce a really good questionnaire than might be imagined. McKernan (2000:125) endorses that view and warns that amongst the disadvantages are the amount of time taken compiling successful questions and low response rates. Nevertheless, the use of questionnaires provides direct access to the learners and adds balance to the interviews with my colleagues and members of Workplace Training Services. Given that my questionnaire is straightforward with simple questions I am satisfied that this is a particularly useful method of gathering my research data. Further weight is given to this argument by Burns (2000:581) who supports me by adding such strengths as cost, each respondent receives same set of questions, errors in collation of responses reduced, respondents free to reply at own pace/time, fear and embarrassment avoided, may guarantee confidentiality. Burns also highlights a number of potential concerns with the use of questionnaires including a poor response rate when compared to interviews, the potential for bias due to poor returns and badly prepared questionnaires. I acknowledge Burns concerns and test my questionnaire on a small pilot group of learners, drawn at random, to assess its ease of use; 2 questions are reworded to reflect the comments of this group. Given the small number of staff to have completed the ECDL programme I issue the questionnaire to all 45 which also supports the validity of my research and reduces the potential for any bias due to the choice of my sample. I am conscious that, as Cohen et al (2000:245) put it, the questionnaire will always be an intrusion into the life of the respondent, be it in terms of time taken to complete the questionnaireor the possible invasion of privacy. As a result of this, great care is taken over the questions posed, the amount of content and the manner in which this is issued to learners. To keep the questionnaire simple I want to largely use closed questions and this method is supported by Wilson and McLean (1994:21) who confirm that these are simple to completeand do not discriminate unduly on the basis of how articulate the respondents are. However, to ensure that peoples views are gathered I aim to allow respondents a small degree of space for their own thoughts to be considered which mirrors the views of Oppenheim (1992:115) when considering the use of closed questions: they do not enable respondents to add any remarks, qualifications and explanations to the categories, and there is a risk that the categories might not be exhaustive and that there might be bias in them. A blank questionnaire is included as Appendix B. It is the need to gather personal views and opinions that prompts me to include interviews with senior managers, and focus groups amongst learners. As Denscombe (1998) points out, questionnaires are at their best with large numbers; I am dealing with 6 senior managers and am mindful that the culture of my own organisation is such that as Training Manager it is politic for me to see the senior managers rather than issue them with a questionnaire. As McKernan (2000:128) claims, Interviewing is a social survey skill which can be taught. I am satisfied that my role in designing and delivering Interviewing Skills training courses for 5 years to the same group of managers enables me to carry out this process! There are a number of identified advantages in using interview techniques for gathering my research data and these include, Burns (2000:582/3) who is an exponent of its flexibility, the interviewer has the opportunity to observe the subject and the total situation in which they are responding which according to Burns should produce higher response rates and if properly conducted should yield response rates of at least 80-85%. Cohen et al (2000:268) provides further thoughts and considerations on interviews, when outlining the need for trust to exist, suggesting that there should be a relationship between the interviewer and interviewee that transcended the research, that promoted a bond of friendship, a feeling of togetherness and joint pursuit of a common mission rising above personal egos. Once again, my relationship with the senior managers is such that I am confident that I have this level of trust in place already to enable a smooth process to occur. In addition, greater credibility is given to me conducting these interviews, as Kane (1997:68) asserts, the closer the interviewer is to the respondent in class, sex, age and interests, the greater chance the interviewer has of being successful. When considering the strengths and weaknesses of different types of interviews I endorse the comments of Patton (1980:206) who sets out the interview guide approach, which mirrors my requirements. The topic and issues to be covered are specified in advance, thus the outline increases the comprehensiveness of the data and makes data collection somewhat systematic for each respondent. I recognise that there is a risk of omitting important or salient points and that I must pay particular attention to maintaining focus on the key issues, in this case whether the managers consider that the ECDL programme has benefited the business. Consideration however must be given to the school of thought that exists regarding problems with the interview as a method for gathering my research data. Mason (1997:42) suggests that good qualitative interviewing is hard, creative work. It is a much more complex and exhausting task to plan and carry out than, for example, to develop and use a structured questionnaire for asking a set of predetermined questions. Tuckman (1972) set out a number of problems with the interview as a technique for gathering data, including the fact that a competent interviewer is required (which may involve payment), a limited number of respondents can be reached and the reliability is quite limited. Whilst acknowledging these concerns, as I have set out my competency earlier, I require interviews with a controlled group of 6 individuals only and have a great degree of confidence in the reliability of my data. Not to mention that this interviewer requires no additional payment for the work. My final information gathering technique is the focus group which Kreuger (1988:27) highlights as typically having 5 characteristics, a) people who, b) posses certain characteristics, c) provide data, d) of a qualitative nature, e) in a focussed discussion. Cohen et al (2000:288) support my use of the focus group by suggesting that they might be useful to triangulate with more traditional forms of interviewing, questionnaires, observation etc. Although observation is not necessary or appropriate for my research, Cohen et al do concur with my use of the interview and questionnaire. According to the December 2002 issue of Croners A-Z Briefing (12/02:2), the main advantage of a focus group lies in its ability to collect subjective judgments where several, individual, judgments are better than just one. By using a focus group the researcher can see how and why individual judgments are supported . This aspect of the focus group is particularly useful to me as it enables a group of learners to come together and share their experiences of the ECDL programme including highs and lows. It allows me the opportunity to facilitate discussion on the optimum way forward for AEGON UK Services and for future learners. Croner goes on to add that, they perform a useful function when evaluating various aspects of training and development, particularly when qualitative measurements are required and where it is deemed necessary to ascertain any unexpected outcomes or applications which have arisen as a result of such provision. Morgan (1988:43) cautions on the size of focus groups, suggesting between four and twelve whilst Croner takes a similar stance, between 6 and 12 Both of the above agree on the need for careful consideration with sampling, in this case with the focus group, as Croner puts it (P3), all those involved do need to be representative of the total population under consideration. I have already decided to use all of my Award-holders as I have 3 months in which to carry out the research and have a small group, as Bell (1999:83) suggests, The number of subjects in your investigation will necessarily depend on the amount of time you have. However, the question of the size of the sample and how it is selected is an issue. Cohen and Mannion (1998:87) put forward a range of sampling tools including probability and non-probability, random and stratified samples whilst Bryman (1989:107) argues the case for a representative sample using a type of probability sample. To ensure that each of my ECDL Award-holders has an equal probability of inclusion in the sample used for the focus groups, names are drawn at random from an Excel spreadsheet. Kerlinger (1986:45), identifies randomness thus, it means that there is no known law, capable of being expressed in language, that correctly explains or describes events and their outcomes. Kerlinger (1986:44) goes on to provide further evidence that my sampling approach is correct, random sampling is that method of drawing a portion (sample) of a population so that each member of the population has an equal chance of being selected. Taking into account the thoughts of both Morgan and Croner above, I facilitate 2 focus groups of 8 members each. There are some difficulties in using focus groups and some of these are identified by Krueger (1988:46/7) who outlines the following: less control of the group as opposed to individuals, difficulties in analysing data, lack of interview skills, varying group dynamics, assembling groups and creating a supportive environment. I acknowledge Kruegers observations and take extra care when running the focus groups although I must stress that my background is as a skilled interviewer and I am able to create a stable, supportive environment for the attendees who have attended similar workshops and courses in the past, often facilitated by me. Any research project is likely to raise ethical issues. This is particularly so if it involves people directly, but may also be the case even if you conduct your research entirely on documentary evidence, Blaxter et al (1997:146). Clearly, it is wrong for me to assume that, given my position as Training Manager, there is no issue with ethics, people know me and are happy to open up and provide me with valuable and valid information. Bell (1999:52) warns, People will be doing you a favour if they agree to help, and they will need to know exactly what they will be asked to do, how much time they will be expected to give and what use will be made of the information they provide. The view is endorsed by McKernan (2000:241), who adds that, It is crucial for all participants to know what their rights are in research of any kind. As such, I take great care when contacting my ECDL learners to alert them to my research and the need for their valuable input to further the learning partnership within AEGON UK Services. Particular attention is paid to the senior managers who give me some of their valuable time for 1:1 interviews and each of them is contacted personally by telephone to discuss the needs and requirements of the research and agree suitable times for the interviews. Hopkins (2000:221/2) identifies a range of principles that I must observe in the commitment to my research including, observing protocol, involving participants, reporting on progress, maintaining confidentiality and obtaining authority before using quotations. Particular care was observed when considering the use of quotations from our external partner, Workplace Training Services, and I arranged a special meeting with Cyril Wheat to discuss the learning partnership and seek his agreement to the use of specific quotations, included in the Conclusions to this research. As Burns (2000:22/3) summarises, All in all it looks fairly difficult to conduct much research without running into ethical arguments. Burns comments alert me to the need to take nothing for granted in view of my special position with the learners, Ethical problems are likely to occur in social science research since human subjects are involved. Researchers must be aware of ethical considerations involved in voluntary and non-voluntary participation, deception, informed consent, privacy and confidentiality, the right to discontinue, and obligations of the experimenter. It is this special position, that of someone who has worked very closely with most of the ECDL learners, that Sellitz et al (1962:583) might have been thinking of then they attested, interviewers are human beings and not machines and their manner may have an effect on respondents. Many factors can influence responses one way or another, for instance Borg (1981:87) highlights a few of the problems that can occur, eagerness of the respondents to please the interviewer, a vague antagonism or the tendency of the interviewer to seek out the answers that his preconceived notions .These factors are called response effect by survey researchers. ECDL learners know me well and are aware of my enthusiasm for the learning partnership and our work with the ECDL programme. Might this naturally influence their responses to questionnaires, focus group or, even senior managers, interview questions? However, Bell (1999:139) offers words of wisdom, just as the aspiring researcher wilts under the strains of potential bias, by pointing out that it is easier to acknowledge the fact that bias can creep in than to eliminate it altogether. This is a key consideration for my research as I am very keen for it to succeed being the instigator of the learning partnership with Workplace Training Services and the person responsible for the ECDL programme. A further area for my research to draw upon is the Training teams entry for the 2002 National Training Awards. The entry was based upon the teams work with the ECDL programme in AEGON UK Services and I refer to the comments of the judges in the Data Analysis and Conclusions. 5. Analysis of Data My research amongst European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) award-holders in particular highlights the very positive aspects of the programme and it is encouraging to learn that all questioned feel that the programme has benefited them, personally and professionally. Significantly, the great majority of learners also felt able to now support colleagues with IT-related enquiries, a factor that reflects our status as an Investor In People; staff are keen to share knowledge with each other in a positive manner. Being able to solve problems, increasing ones confidence, developing trouble-shooting skills and appropriately staff trained in new technology are benefits to the company, as viewed by the learners. Although it is not the intention in my research to provide statistical analysis, rather to draw conclusions from learners responses, the feedback from learners does represent universal support for developing skills to enhance the business. Learners feel more competent to do their work, have a more confident approach and have developed skills to enable new work to be handled also converting manual tasks to a PC-based system. I am able to speak from personal experience and, as a result of taking the ECDL programme, I can now use Excel with some success. Whilst it is very difficult to make any claims with the research I am confident that the programme has made a significant difference. Prior to starting the ECDL programme I was unable to use Excel despite having access to the program, after completing the Excel module I am now able to design spreadsheets for use in the Training team. There is evidence of other organisations introducing a successful ECDL programme and the following case study extracts are from the ECDLs own website, www.ecdl.co.uk/employer/case. Mike Sampson, Human Resources Director at Royal Liver Assurance, commented: We are delighted that the ECDL pilot scheme has proved to be so successful and now intend to run ECDL again with further members of staff. It is important that our employees are given the opportunity to refresh and improve upon their IT skills, which ultimately reflects a great benefit to Royal Liver and ensures the companys values and good standing are continually maintained. (www.ecdl.co.uk/employer/case/royal) Even in the world of IT itself, ECDL is viewed as a positive addition to the learning curriculum, Les Williamson, Resources Servicing Manager, IBM, added, We realised fairly quickly that this certification would be beneficial across the site. Not many people can claim proficiency in all the IT productivity tools that we could be using everyday. This is a qualification that demonstrates just that. (www.ecdl.co.uk/employer/case/ibm) 90% of learners feel that they are now more confident when using a PC (66% of the remaining 10% already did so) which is an endorsement of our decision to offer the programme and a statistic from a similar exercise conducted amongst award-holders at Manchester NHS Health Authority in 2002 found that ECDL qualified staff are proven to save an average of 38 minutes per day. Staff within AEGON UK Services also highlighted the speed at which they are now able to process IT-related work as a benefit to the Company. Feedback from the learners in the questionnaires suggested that, whilst staff were achieving success using the CD ROM made available by Workplace Training Services, there was less than total satisfaction. Accordingly, amongst the questions I posed at the focus groups was What method of learning would you recommend for future ECDL students? Although only a small percentage of respondents to the questionnaire felt that the quality of learning materials was less than good during the focus groups, the mood was very different and people had the opportunity to express their views in more detail. It became apparent that the majority of the attendees of twelve felt that the CD ROM was difficult to work with, either because of their own IT situation out of the office, some did not have a PC at home, or more commonly because of the great amount of detail included. Their preferred learning method was to use paper-based material although some members of the focus groups felt that the CD ROM was ideal. Comments were also made that it was often difficult to obtain 1:1 support as members of the Training team were often involved in other projects and, in truth, were never seen as providing close support for learners. Learners comments were referred to Cyril Wheat who visited the site and spoke with groups of the learners; as a result, directly, of the feedback provided to Cyril his Workplace Training Services team started to provide future learning support material in two forms, paper-based for the majority, CD ROM where preferred. In addition, another change in policy as a result of feedback, with the introduction of a dedicated resource from the College, someone who would be guaranteed to be on the Lytham site once a week for personal tutorials. Most surprising amongst the findings was the feedback from the senior managers. Whilst the Managing Director has given the partnership with Workplace Training Services his blessing and has in fact recently enrolled on the ECDL programme, the same positive views are not held by the management team. I conducted the interviews and was surprised by the little knowledge that the managers had of the programme, one actually admitted that he had no awareness that any of his staff are taking an award. Whilst the general view amongst the managers was that any learning which develops the staff to enhance the business, must be a good thing, only one member of the team was more positive. One manager had experienced the ECDL programme personally, achieved the award, and spoke highly of the benefits to AEGON UK Services in supporting the implementation of COE. More work remains to be done with the management team for the future of the programme. 6. Conclusions The comments of learners who have achieved their European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) are extremely encouraging from a purely personal point of view, the initial thoughts are that my efforts in bringing the ECDL programme to AEGON UK Services staff has paid off. But that cursory observation is not sufficient to merit the programme a success. When we set off on the ECDL programme there was a clear business need to be met, successfully implementing the Common Operating Environment (COE) and the transfer to Microsoft Office 2000. What must not be overlooked was that the business was not using any formal training strategy to meet the requirements generated by the COE and I was confident that ECDL could provide many of the training needs. Although I am not able to provide any hard quantitative data I have feedback from learners and managers which supports the use of the programme. As one manager put it, Having achieved the ECDL I can vouch for the skills and knowledge acquired. Members of my team have demonstrated the benefits of the learning through the enhanced use of different programs. The data provides evidence of ECDL supporting the implementation of COE in the business. New skills have been acquired by learners, many of whom are now looking for further opportunities, whilst at the same time encouraging colleagues to enrol on the programme. There are numerous examples quoted of staff who are now able to access different programs, use PowerPoint, Access or in my case, get to grips with Excel for the first time. Our relationship with Workplace Training Services has developed, from the first tentative enquiries regarding the use of ECDL, the Colleges first learning partnership in the North West to one of collaboration on other projects; as I close this research we are discussing certificated learning to meet behavioural competencies. Cyril Wheat, Manager Dedicated Delivery, is proud of his organisations role with the business and speaks highly of our work, with the commitment of an employer who is providing resources is very important. The need for such support is echoed by Tim Rush of Islington Council who adds, We have been lucky here in Islington, Members of the Council and senior management have been fully supportive. Gaining support at that level is essential to any successful implementation. (www.ecdl.co.uk/employer/case/islington). Cyrils teams commitment to us now includes the use of 10 PCs, available for any form of learning, and a dedicated resource on-site for work with the ECDL programme. Significantly, the learning has largely taken place at no cost to the business and during 2002 over 100 learners were enrolled with Workplace Training Services for free and we have ascertained that open learning with the ECDL programme may yet prove to be extremely cost effective to the business. We have 150 staff achieved or working towards the award with 100 more to follow during the course of this year an costs incurred to-date are a little over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½3,000 which is approximately à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½12 per learner. Given that this learning ultimately accredits staff members with a universally accepted IT qualification and attendance on external learning is in my experience over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½100 per day then I believe that this equates to value for money learning. Our work with the fledgling ECDL programme in employer-related learning has highlighted new areas for study. As demonstrated earlier, learners had difficulties with the Computer Based Training and the CD ROM was not viewed as user-friendly; as a result, their feedback has been taken into account and staff enrolling more recently have had access to paper-based support material with CR ROMs available where required. The judges at the 2002 National Training Awards were impressed by your decision to encourage your employees to undertake the ECDL qualification and drew upon a number of other positive aspects although they highlighted a number of important issues for the team to consider. As I point out above, there are limitations with my research and issues to consider for the coming months, as the judges point out in their feedback, it is still quite early in the process of introducing the Common Operating Environment and they have suggested that we re-enter at a later date. I am also conscious that the research has been carried out by someone with a clearly vested interest in its success, the training of staff in the business is after all my responsibility, and that this may have clouded the findings. I acknowledge this limitation and make efforts to minimise the effects of this bias. My ultimate findings are also effected by yet more bias; the results are based upon my work with learners at AEGON UK Services in a supportive environment where facilities are made available to them and they do not have to pay any fees. I make no claims about applying my results to a wider audience whether in another industry or with the public at large. However, the final thought lies with Andrew Mayo, writing in the January 2003 edition of Training Journal, who holds out, So here is the challenge for 2003. Will you be able to say, at the end of the year, where and how learning interventions made a difference to the achievements of the organisation(s) you work with . From the feedback received from learners and indeed Workplace Training Services staff I am confident that the ECDL programme has already made an impact on AEGON UK Services although greater communication is required with senior managers based upon their own feedback. Furthermore, as the judges of the National Training Awards indicate, there is yet more to come as our learning partnership matures and more staff set out on the road to success through the challenge of ECDL. Project Proposal DHL0730 Empirical Study AEGON UK Services in partnership with Workplace Training Services, an arm of Preston College, started to offer the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) to staff in September 2001. The ECDL programme based it is upon Microsoft Office 2000 applications was seen as an ideal complement to the Common Operating Environment (COE) to be launched in 2002. At the same time the launch of ECDL provided further evidence of the Company facilitating learning and development opportunities for its staff. Under COE the whole of AEGON UK would operate with Microsoft Office 2000 whilst over 90% of staff were familiar with the 1997 version or earlier. To-date over 150 staff have started or finished the ECDL programme yet no evaluation of the success or otherwise of ECDL within AEGON UK Services has ever been carried out. Title of Research An evaluation of the European Computer Driving Licence (ECDL) as used by AEGON UK Services. Brief Description The ECDL was launched to develop the skills of European citizens and to enable them to become proficient in PC skills. The use of ECDL within AEGON UK Services was designed to provide staff with the skills necessary to deal effectively with the Common Operating Environment (COE), in effect Microsoft Office 2000.

The treaty of Versailles Essay Example for Free

The treaty of Versailles Essay The first dispute occurred in January 1919. A meeting was held at Versailles in France by the leaders of each country as to decide how to punish the Germans. The leaders who attended the meeting were Lloyd George, prime minister of England, Georges Clemenceau, prime minister of France, and Woodrow Wilson, president of America. They were also known as The Big Three However they disagreed with each others ideas. They each wanted something, which benefits themselves. Firstly, as the French were probably one of the worst victims of WWI. The prime minister of France wanted the German to be deeply punished. A request to have Germany demilitarized from the border of Germany to France and a restriction which Germans could only have 100000 men on their army. Also they wanted the Germany to pay all the reparations coursed during WWI. As well, he believed that Germany should be blamed for everything of what happened in WWI. Secondly, the British Prime Minister Lloyd George had different opinions to Clemenceaus points. The main reason was because England got everything they wanted from the war. First the German military got destabilized. Second, the German naval threat was gone and the British colonies arent threatened anymore. Englands punishments for Britain arent as harsh as the French. A restriction on Germans army and pay a large amount for reparation was all they wanted. This was mainly due to the fact that Germany was one of their big trading partners. If Germany was bankrupt, England wont benefit at all. Lloyd George declared if the treaty listened to Clemenceau, Germans would revenge in 25 years. Thirdly, the Americans had a total different idea. Woodrow Wilson believed that the factors, which caused WWI, werent all because of Germany. France and England should also be blamed for the cause of the war. Wilson considered that the Europeans diplomatic was too self-determined, they ignores the publics wishes or opinions. He also believed that the problems could only be solved if there is the relations between the countries were improved and a new self determined diplomatic government was being could be created through all the European countries. In conclusions, the main courses of the conflict during the The Big Three meeting were: firstly, the diplomatic relationships between the three countries, where the Americans hated the British, England and France also hated each other, they were only uniting before cause had to face a tough enemy. Secondly, the French wanted Germans to pay for more than what they caused, where England just wanted Germany to pay for a certain amount since they got exactly what wanted. Thirdly America had a totally different opinion to both of the other countries in the treaty, which was probably the major cause of the conflict.

The Likert Scale and Manipulation Checks in Research

The Likert Scale and Manipulation Checks in Research The independent variable is the status and the dependent variables are rule compliance and hierarchy-enhancing beliefs. The study collects the data through an online survey, uses a likert scale, and incorporated manipulation checks into its experimental design. It is a between subject design. Its weakness lies with its lowered external validity. Firstly, the survey was conducted online. Hence, the computerized system would be able to manage the order in which question were shown, controlling the questions in which it was being answered (Wan, 2014). This also eliminates the need for researchers to code their answer into a format that can be analysed by statistical program which could sometimes results in mistakes when transferring the data from paper to software. It is also impersonal and can help decrease the effect of social desirability as compared to a scenario in which the survey was administered by the experimenter (Wan, 2014). Secondly, the study uses a likert scale. Dependent variables are measured with the use of a likert scale instead of a simple dichotomous categorical answer. This allows the researcher to measure the degree in which a particular construct is felt rather than it just being felt or not. This is important as the hypothesis wants to measure not just the presence of rule compliance and hierarchy-enhancing beliefs, but the level (â€Å"lower† vs â€Å"stronger†) of it. Items on the measurement scale were being reverse coded and can help to counter acquiescent bias (Wan, 2014). The effect of acquiescent bias can be measure on a bipolar scale such as what was used for measuring the hierarchy-enhancing beliefs, from a â€Å"strongly disagree† to a â€Å"strongly agree† (Hinz, Michalski, Schwarz, Herzberg, 2007). However, the scale testing the rule compliance construct is unipolar. It also uses multiple item scale. This helps to average out participant random error within a scale, making it more reliable (Wan, 2014). The scale that was used to measure the hierarchy enhancing beliefs was used in past research to measure the same construct, increasing the confidence we have that they are more valid than other measurements of hierarchy enhancing beliefs (White McBurney, 2013). While the odd point likert scale has its advantages, it also has drawbacks. By doing using an odd-point scale, researchers did not force participants to take a side. Participants could clearly state that they feel neutral about an item rather than choosing one mild directional response over the other when they do not really feel that way. This will enable the scale to reflect what the participants really feel. However, the interpretation of mid-point is entirely up to the participants as there are only two anchors on the extreme end of the 5-point scale. One participant’s interpretation of the mid-point might not be the same as another participant. For example, one participant might choose the mid-point if they do not have an opinion about it, but another participant could also choose the mid-point if they do not want to think about it or just want to finish the survey faster. This could affect the reliability and validity of the instrument and result. The researchers could ha ve put an anchor for the mid-point as well so that all participants can see the mid-point in the same way. The participants could also use the mid-point as a way of avoiding decision. This is especially so since the scale measures hierarchy-enhancing beliefs and rule compliance, both of which could inflict a certain extent of social desirability on the participants. Furthermore, the scale was put on a survey which essentially is a self-reported measure and they can choose whichever choice they feel like (Wan, 2014). This will make the effect of social desirability even stronger. The scores measured might not be a representation of what they actually feel, but a reflection of what they feel is morally right. Thirdly, a manipulation check was done as they asked participants to â€Å"describe what happened and how they felt in the situation†. This can help provide evidence for construct validity of manipulation and help make sure that status have indeed been manipulated (White McBurney, 2013). This will help ensure that the status manipulation has been properly executed, and the results had been obtained in the presence of successful manipulation and not due to chance. This is especially important for participant manipulation as the manipulation might not have the intended effect on the participant as it is subjected to the participant’s interpretation (Gravetter Forzano, 2011). Fourthly, as participants are only being manipulated to experience one condition (either a high status or low status condition), the study uses a between subject design. Researchers can be sure that the scores will not be influenced by factors like sensitization of knowing what is being measured and as a result, the possibility of having a good-subject tendency (Wan, 2014). Participants will also not experience the effects of order effect such as carryover of perceived status as compared to a study that uses a within subject design. However, as the individuals cannot act as their own control as they can in a within subject design, the study is subjected to individual differences such as family upbringing, emotions and personality, all of which can influence the result (Wan, 2014). Individual differences can produce high variability in the scores (Gravetter Forzano, 2011). They can also become confounding variables (University of Arizona, 2006). The study limited the confounding thro ugh randomization (University of Arizona, 2006). The participants were randomly assigned to either of the two conditions. This helps to reduce or eliminate the systematic differences between the two groups, achieving group equivalence. Hence, the internal validity of the study, which is important for the study as it is trying to establish relationships between two variables, is increased (White McBurney, 2013). Furthermore, two dependent variables are being measured in one study. The effect of manipulation might have worn off or be diminished by the time participants answered the second survey on hierarchy enhancing beliefs. The order in which the surveys were given and filled up might have been important in the degree to which participants agree or disagree with the items in the survey. However, the external validity might have been lowered as the study might have a biased sampling frame and the method of selection of participants was not mentioned. Firstly, the study could have a biased sampling frame. Unless the market research firm has a wide reach of participants that spread across the country, they had only sampled from a small set of cities and towns in the whole of America. By systematically excluding all US working adults who lives in other parts of United States of America (USA), valid generalizations about the entire American population could not be drawn from this data and results (Wan, 2014). This is assuming that the population that the study is investigating is the whole of USA. The assumption was made as the hypothesis did not specify the population it will be investigating. By stating â€Å"people†, it could mean people around the world, people in America, or people in a specific state. Secondly, random selection of the sample was not mentioned. Hence, it might not be representative of the population, lowering the external validity of the study (Wan, 2014). However, this might not be that important as the goal of the study was to establish a relationship between the two variables and not to generate a result that could be generalized across the population. Since, there might be limited resources, it is wise to only choose one validity; internal validity was more important than external validity in this study that investigates the relationship of variables (Wan, 2014). This weakness will not affect the conclusion that much. In conclusion, the use of online survey, likert scale, and manipulation checks had made the study better. However, the reduced external validity might make it difficult for the results of this study to be generalized. Tan Jun Xuan References: Gravetter, F., Forzano, L.-A. (2011). Research Methods for the Behavioural Sciences. United States of America: Cengage Learning. Hinz, A., Michalski, D., Schwarz, R., Herzberg, P. Y. (2007). The acquiescence effect in responding to a questionnaire. Psychosocial Med. University of Arizona (2006). Ch8 Between-subjects design [Powerpoint slides]. Retrieved from: www.u.arizona.edu/~dusana/psych290Bpresession06/notes/Ch8%20Between-subjects%20desing.ppt Wan, C. (2014). HP1100 Sem1 1415 Week 2 Slides [Powerpoint slides]. Retrieved from: ntulearn.ntu.edu.sg Wan, C. (2014). HP1100 Sem1 1415 Week 3 Slides [Powerpoint slides]. Retrieved from: ntulearn.ntu.edu.sg Wan, C. (2014). HP1100 Sem1 1415 Week 4 Slides [Powerpoint slides]. Retrieved from: ntulearn.ntu.edu.sg White, T. L., McBurney, D. H. (2013). Research Methods. United States of America: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning.

Copper Essay -- essays research papers

Copper   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Copper is a mineral. it is not a plant or a animal. Copper is a metallic metal. It can never be broken down into differnet substances by normal chemical means. Copper was one of the first metals known to humans. People liked it because in it’s native condition, it could easily be beaten into weapons or tools. Copper has been one of the most useful metals for over 5000 years. Copper was probably used around 8000 B.C by people living along the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. In 6000 B.C, Egyptians learned how to hammer copper into things they wanted. Around 3500 B.C, People first learned how to melt copper with tin to make bronze. So the period between 3000 B.C and 1100 B.C became known as the bronze age.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Today, some of the leading states of the copper industry are Arizona with 747,000 short tons, Utah with 187,000 short tons, New Mexico with 161,000 short tons. Some other leading countries are Chile with 1,422,000 short tons, United States with 1,203,000 short tons, Soviet Union with 650,000 short tons, and Zambia with 596,000 short tons.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When copper is being mined, both Native copper and copper ore are usually found. The highest grade of copper ore is pale silvery gray. Miners used to be always in danger in copper mines. Today, we have redu...

Understanding Kissinger’s Actions Toward Chile Essay -- Foreign Policy

Understanding Kissinger’s Actions Toward Chile Can an individual influence foreign policy? Based upon the eight years that Henry Kissinger was the Secretary of State it is clear that an individual can (Starr 466). It has become apparent through recently released classified documents that Kissinger played a large role in allowing the brutal Pinochet dictatorship over Chile to take place and allowed massive human rights violations to continually occur during the Pinochet regime. What is continually being attempted to understand is why Kissinger acted as he did towards Chile. The goal of stopping the spread of communism to Latin America is obvious in Kissinger’s actions, but why allow Pinochet to continue to receive United States support while he breaks International Human Rights Laws (Kornbluh 5)? To understand Kissinger’s actions toward Chile it is necessary to analyze his background. Considering that he was born in Germany and fled to the United States to escape the Nazi’s, there most certainly was previous life experiences that contributed to his foreign policy beliefs (Crapol 260). As a politician, Kissinger gained an extraordinarily high level of popularity for a man of his position. Thus, his dealings with Chile may have been more of an effort to uphold his reputation than an eagerness to do what is best for Chile and the United States. Therefore, it can be considered that Kissinger’s strict realist view and constant attempt to create stability and order was derived from his past experiences as a Jewish Refugee and his actions as a Secretary of State may have been skewed by his desire to keep his popular status in the United States media and public (Starr 467 and 477; Crapol 260-265). Kissinger’s past experi... ...ton: Houghton Mifflin, 1957. Kornbluh, Peter. â€Å"Kissinger and Pinochet.† The Nation. 268. 12 (1999) p. 5. 1 March 2005. . Starr, Harvey. â€Å"The Kissinger Years: Studying Individuals and Foreign Policy.† International Studies Quarterly. Vol. 24, No. 4. (Dec., 1980), p. 465-496. 10 April 2005. . Walker, Stephen G. â€Å"The Interface between Beliefs and Behavior: Henry Kissinger's Operational Code and the Vietnam War.† The Journal of Conflict Resolution. Vol. 21, No. 1. (Mar., 1977), p. 129-168. 10 April 2005. .

Nothingness :: Creative Writing Short Stories

Nothingness The wall appears to be chiseled from one large block of marble. As if the Gods themselves found a piece of black marble large enough to cover an area apparently the size of Kansas. In fact the Gods themselves did, for this is the wall of Asgaard, realm of the Gods. Seated amidst mountains of mist and covering fully half of existence, the city of the Norse dead is surrounded by this towering wall of rough black marble. From the mountains, a stone paved path winds down to the foot of the wall. On the path a group of figures are descending its flagstones, working their way to the foot of an immense silver gate, that stands ajar, opening the way for any travelers. The gate is a delicate appearing mesh of shining sliver; if closed, even Thor could not force it open. He has tried. It must be that strong, it guards the only path between the land of the living and the land of the dead. Approximately forty souls are approaching the gate; one leads. She is a large woman, with long blonde hair braided down her back. Her white robes flow around her, giving the appearance of reality and solidity, an odd sight in the spirit world. Turning to those who follow her she focuses her gaze on each in turn,  ³No matter what happens, do not go through the gate. Only the Seekers may go through. You are not prepared for what will be on the other side. ² Her followers do not react, those whose eyes are open are more interested in the terrain. The majority of the people appear to be sleeping, their faces are relaxed and their eyes are closed. Of those whose eyes are open, only a few are awake and alert. Two are especially noteworthy. One is a tall youth with shoulder length blonde hair, the other is sightly shorter, with long curly dark brown hair. He is wearing a kilt and a short, ceremonial sword at his belt. The blonde lad is standing still, absorbing his surroundings with a passion. He seems to be looking for something.