Thursday, August 27, 2020

Acclimate vs. Acclimatise

Adjust versus Adjust Adjust versus Adjust Adjust versus Adjust By Maeve Maddox In my profession, I’m used to remarks that censure American speakers for use that British speakers discover irritating. For instance: How is it feasible for Americans to make adapt from adjust? The impact on me is far more regrettable than hearing math or off of. I share the commenter’s emotions with respect to the excess and terrible â€Å"off of,† as in â€Å"He tumbled off of the wagon† yet neglect to comprehend why math should trouble him. On account of maths versus math, both are clippings of the â€Å"real† word arithmetic. Not at all like the absurd â€Å"open-mic,† which is apparently proposed to be articulated â€Å"open-mike,† both math and maths adjust to English spelling shows. With respect to adjust, the structure isn't an American creation. The most punctual reference of adapt in the Oxford English Dictionary-from a British printed source-is dated 1792. The most punctual OED reference for adjust (not adapt) is dated 1802. In spite of the fact that adjust is presently named â€Å"chiefly US usage,† the two structures have a long history in British English. The Ngram Viewer set to â€Å"American English† demonstrates that adapt and adjust were in about equivalent use until the 1970s, when adjust started its ascent. Set to â€Å"British English,† the Ngram Viewer shows the two structures in equivalent use until the time of the American Civil War (1860s), when adjust gains authority in British printed books. Set to â€Å"English,† the Viewer shows adjust as the predominant structure until the 1950s, when it starts to decay. The structure adjust overwhelms adapt and outperforms it in recurrence during the 1980s. Of the spellings adjust and adapt, the previous is progressively visit, regardless of which Ngram setting-â€Å"English,† â€Å"British English† or â€Å"American English†-is utilized. The OED passage for the word isn't dealt with like examine, for instance, with British break down set first and American investigate second. The main word in red for the passage in the OED is adjust. Oxford Dictionaries online recognizes the s spelling with the note, â€Å"also acclimatise.† The Cambridge online word reference headword is adapt, with a note in brackets: (UK usually acclimatise). A Google search raises the accompanying outcomes: â€Å"acclimate† 857,000 â€Å"acclimatize† 500,000 â€Å"acclimatise† 424,000 I am not supporting the utilization of adapt over adjust. In spite of the fact that I am an American speaker, I rather believe that adjust is the structure I would use to discuss a person or thing getting acclimated with new conditions. My aim is basically to bring up this alleged â€Å"Americanism† isn’t one. Need to improve your English in a short time a day? Get a membership and begin getting our composing tips and activities day by day! Continue learning! Peruse the Misused Words classification, check our well known posts, or pick a related post below:How to Format a US Business LetterWriting the CenturyOne L or Two?

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Essay Sample on Barrack Obama Voting for the President

Article Sample on Barrack Obama Voting for the President Can Barrack Obama be the following President of the USA? Military enclosure Obama is a Junior United States Senator from Illinois, and a running contender for the Democratic Partys selection for the 2008 Presidential races against Hilary Clinton, ex-First spouse of Ex-President Bill Clinton. Obama effectively broke limits as the fifth and current African-American serving in the US Senate. He moved on from Columbia University and Harvard Law School. Be that as it may, Obamas obscurity was placed being referred to on account of his legacy. His dad originated from Kenya and his mom is white American. This was placed into question each time discusses America being prepared for a Black president develop. Similarly as with the advantages and disadvantages, Obamas political plans are the same from Clintons stage. It’s simply that he is Black and male, and Clinton is white and female. Both are relying upon their shortcoming focuses (Black and Female) to stir vote feelings and to demonstrate that one can go past their shortcoming point to se rve the extraordinary nation of America, in the event that the person would be chosen President. Obama being dark anyway rouses more inquiries rather than feelings toward him. Late surveys indicated Clinton being 40 focuses higher than him. Be that as it may, with regards to dark surveys, Obama drives Clinton with a broad 24 focuses, yet this is operating at a profit network. In any case, an overview among Black residents whether America is prepared for a Black President demonstrated that the majority of them dont accept this is the ideal opportunity for it; or that they would live long enough to observe it. In the event that Black residents have this outlook, what more the White residents? Some portion of Obamas issue with dark voters is that he is seen by whites as the main dark applicant with a real took shots at the White House. At the point when white America has held onto an up-and-comer as they have with Barrack Obama there is a sure measure of doubt that goes with this among various African Americans, Wilson said (cnn.com). The main preferred position that can be seen once Obama wins Presidential political race is having an informed man with an informed rundown of needs and projects that whenever managed and finished altogether, United States would maybe be as yet the best country on the planet. The downside be that as it may, is the ill-equipped ness, still, of most Americans, just as abroad in managing a Black President. There may be an issue of predisposition inclining towards the kindness of Blacks and Whites may consider it to be danger (ideally not driving for Civil War II). In any case, as far as preparation, America is prepared, really, yet to practice obviously that availability through democratic may even now be inconceivable. Indeed, they are open however by one way or another theres this mystery power that shields them from making their â€Å"open-mindedness† known through democratic Obama for President. So we have seen the slow developing of an America which presently acknowledges that Blacks can accomplish more than play sports and engage them. The fact of the matter is thateven however Blacks in places of impact owe their prosperity to the Thurgood Marshalls, Martin Luther Kings, Fannie Lou Hamers and Jesse Jacksonsthis achievement isn't the option in contrast to social liberties activism. It is the aftereffect of social equality activism, at that point and now. This doesn't mean bigotry does not exist anymore, and it surely doesn't imply that all America will grasp a Black president. In any case, it means that the atmosphere is set for a functioning key minority to activate the dominant part to triumph (Sharpton, 2007).

Friday, August 21, 2020

Truth Can Be Subjective Philosophy Essay Sample

Truth Can Be Subjective Philosophy Essay Sample The concept of truth as the basic philosophical notion has been interpreted differently. There are many definitions of this concept focusing on different dimensions. Thus, for example, truth can be defined as the body of real events, things, and facts (Glanzberg, 2016). This word can also refer to a belief or fact accepted as true and unquestionable. However, one needs to point that existing definitions of this complex and elusive notion cannot accurately explain and reflect its nature. The most challenging issue is to understand what is truth, how it can be perceived by different people, and whether it can change depending on a context or a situation. The main aim of this essay is to explore these problems and determine whether truth is absolute or subjective. The concept of absolute truth suggests that truth is something permanent, eternal and applicable for all times and places. In other words, it is an unquestionable and unalterable fact that works in all contexts. For example, it is the absolute truth that squares cannot be round. Some philosophers, however, claim that there cannot be absolute truth because truth can be perceived differently depending on a situation and a person observing it (Pardey, 2012). At the same time, one needs to admit that the concept of absolute truth is a tricky one because it is difficult to argue against it. To deny its existence means using absolute statements and accepting that other point of view is absolute truth. As seen, absolute truth is associated with irreconcilable contradictions. Subjectivism, also referred to as relativism, teaches that there cannot be absolute truth because truth can only reflect what the speaker thinks about a particular issue (BBC, 2014). This philosophical framework postulates that truth can differ depending on the methods of assessment, a person, social context, culture, time, and many other factors (Baghramian Carter, 2016). For example, while the slim figure is perceived as beautiful in the contemporary society, in the Medieval times, full figures were considered an ideal. However, subjectivism is also widely criticized for failing to reflect the reality. More specifically, it is believed that this perspective is self-deafening and contradictory. For example, those supporting subjectivism believe that subjective truth is the universal truth. However, the problem is that a relative truth becomes an absolute one, thus negating itself. Moreover, subjectivism suggests that there may be different views on some issues. For example, a believer thinks that God exists whereas atheist denies his existence; thus, both individuals are right. Similarly, one person may believe that having children is wonderful while another person argues that it is too challenging and wearisome. The concept of parenthood in this situation is relative. For one individual, it indeed can be simple and fulfilling to raise children while for another individual, it is too scary and demanding. Subjectivism vividly highlights that truth is elusive and people’s perceptions of it may differ significantly. As far as I am concerned, the concept of truth cannot be put within rigid boundaries. On the one hand, I believe that there are some objective facts that possess the absolute quality. For example, people cannot fly, Earth is round, giraffes cannot speak English, etc. On the other hand, I admit that some things are interpreted differently by people and can change their nature depending on the context. Thus, for instance, postmodern literature is interesting for some people while others perceive it as boring and difficult to read. To summarize, while accepting that there is subjective truth that depends on people’s perceptions, I believe that there are also some absolute, objective facts that are true for everybody. In this way, the essay shows that the nature of truth as a philosophical concept is extremely complicated and varies depending on interpretation.

Monday, May 25, 2020

The First Ammendment and Dealing with the Separation of...

The First Ammendment and Dealing with the Separation of Church and State Is it unconstitutional for local, state or federal governments to favor one religion over another? Government can show favoritism toward religion by displaying religious symbols in public places at taxpayer expense, by sponsoring events like Christmas concerts, caroling, by supporting the teaching of religious ideas, or even by supporting the teaching of creationism in public schools. It appears the United States government has had a history of favoring Christianity. The United States governments favoritism of Christianity is a clear violation of the First Amendment. This amendment states that Congress shall make no law respecting an†¦show more content†¦Even in the early stages of American history there was an urge to put legally protected freedoms into written government documents. The result was the drafting of the first ten amendments to the Constitution, the Bill of Rights, by James Madison (Klinker: 110-111). The applications of the personal freedoms described in the Bill of Rights, particularly the freedom of speech, have been challenged repeatedly in American courts of law and elsewhere. These incidents and challenges of authority reflect the defensive American attitude toward the ever important freedom of expression and the growing significance of personal rights throughout American history. The church became intermingled with politics and became a strong entity. The policies delivered from the church had more authority than the local rulers and magistrates of the developing feudal system. For example, St. Augustine wrote about war and what justified its enactment against fellow men (Witt, 1998: 99). This policy was followed and adhered to for hundreds of years after St. Augustine wrote it. Another example, is the use of the Bible as a guideline for establishing governing systems. Scripture portrayed God as choosing the king of the people. The Pope, being Gods representative was then given the authority to crown the king. This crowning process gave the Pope large influence in the political arena. This ritual continued for a number of centuries (Witt: 100). One could recognize theShow MoreRelatedEssay on Is America Really the Home of the Free?2251 Words   |  10 Pages What about Freedom for All? The most common phrase in America today is â€Å"Home of the Free†. When America first started out in the Colonies the above quote was probably very true. As time has passed through the centuries, America has felt the need to regulate and reduce the freedom that our founding fathers had intentionally planned for us. Such things as religion, reproductive rights, Native Americans and their rights, and marriage rights are being marginalized. These rights could be considered

Thursday, May 14, 2020

My Leadership Style Of Leadership - 1377 Words

When this class started I had really never given much thought to my leadership style. What I have discovered is that I have the ability to be a good leader. As I completed the questionnaires and first review the results, I was somewhat surprised by what my strengths and weaknesses were and how I would be as a leader. Being at the end of this course, I can visualize myself as a leader now that I know I have good leader qualities. Upon analyzing the answers of the three people I interviewed, two reoccurring themes that kept coming up were: 1) Once I set a goal, I keep with it until the job is done completed; 2) I am a good at bringing people together for a common good cause. In analyzing the questionnaires, I definitely need to learn to deal more professionally in a conflict situation with someone I do not like. My leadership style is democratic. According to Den Hartog and Koopman (2011) the democratic style of leadership if the most effective. This type of leadership allows subordina tes to feel motivated and engaged in decision-making processes. Although I have never been the leader of an organization, I agree that the democratic style is my style of leadership. The leadership style demonstrated by the leader can have a negative or positive effect on the organization, depending on the leaders attitude. Subordinates often perceive the democratic leader in a positive light (Pavlovic, Oljaca, Kostovic). In the 1960’s American Psychologist Douglas McGregor wrote a book aboutShow MoreRelatedMy Leadership Style3690 Words   |  15 Pagespositive attitude. ( http://www.writingservicescompany.com/free-term-papers/leadership-term-paper.html). Leadership is about inspiring, influencing and motivating people to achieve change (Class notes).A leader is a person who guides others toward a common goal, by example and showing that you are a good listener, focused, organized, decisive, and a confident person (http://www.essayforum.com/scholarship-essays-22/leadership-f ootball-college-family-14721/). Introduction:- This case study is aboutRead MoreMy Personal Leadership Style Of Leadership1758 Words   |  8 PagesLeadership is the ability to guide others in a way that all learn and grow in a responsible manner. It is the ability to place another before self in order to empower them. Leadership is the ability to see an issue, assess it, and work alongside others in order to move forward. It is the ability to take an educated risk or guess and guide others in the same direction. My personal leadership style is to be a delegate. Democratic leaders allow group members to make decisions. The leader cannot be anRead MoreMy Leadership Style Of The Workplace1541 Words   |  7 PagesMy Leadership Style in the Workplace What is leadership? There are endless variations of the definition of the term, however, the one that I agree most with as defined by Ledlow and Coppola. Leadership is the ability to assess, develop, maintain, and change the organizational culture to meet the needs and the expectations of the external environment. There are many great leaders today that anyone can name off in an instant. We all try to be leaders in some part of our lives whether it be at homeRead MoreMy Personality, Leadership Style951 Words   |  4 Pages In this reflection paper I will be reflecting on my personality, leadership style, how everything in my life has defined who I am and also the types of management or leadership that has influenced me. For the first part of this paper I was able to take a personality test. This test is known as a Keirsey Temperament Sorter. I was intrigued to see what this test would say about me. The questions were interesting. On occasion they were hard to answer. You have to really look into yourself andRead MoreMy Leadership Style Aligns Closely With Servant Leadership940 Words   |  4 PagesMy leadership style aligns closely to servant leadership. I lead with others in mind. I value everyone’s contributions and regularly seek out opinions. Cultivating a culture of trust is incredibly important to me. A culture of trust creates a harmonious environment where each person can be appreciated for their contribution and can feel a sense of personal accomplishment. I do not mind people making mistakes but I prefer them to learn from their mistakes. I seek to unite all parties in a controversyRead MorePersonal Leadership Style Of My Career Essay896 Words   |  4 Pages1. Throughout m y career, I have had the opportunity to work for several leaders who in one way or another influenced and molded my personal leadership style. Although not all of them are revered as positive influences, each one of them provided me with the building blocks to develop myself as a leader and find my place within the organization. 2. Remembering a Boatswains Mate Master Chief at my first unit. He taught me to be fair but firm. I can practically hear him right now saying â€Å"Don’t takeRead MoreLearning And Recognizing My Leadership Style1117 Words   |  5 PagesRecognizing My Leadership Style Nurses play vital roles in health care organizations. How they are managed by their leaders can drastically affect their performance and influence patient outcomes. It is very important to understand the different leadership styles that are often found in the workplace, as well as their effects on the staff and those under their care. I will be discussing three very common leadership styles practiced and identified by most leaders today. Leadership is a processRead MoreThe Leadership Styles That Ball My Attention823 Words   |  4 Pagesthus far, the two resonant leadership styles that caught my attention were from the book Primal Leadership: realizing the power of emotional intelligence. The first is the visionary leadership style, which is strongly reminiscent of the charismatic style discussed in my leadership article review. This style of leader focuses on future possibilities and considered to be exceptionally positive and transformative in nature. The second leadership style is the democratic style which embodies collaborationRead MoreMy Strengths And Weaknesses Of My Leadership Style1029 Words   |  5 Pagesweaknesses in my leadership style. I plan on improving my weaknesses and sharing my strengths with others. I have noticed a trend in all of the modules that I do not stop and try to process information. I try to innovate and insist on solutions for a quick fix. This can make me unapproachable for my subordinates because I am ready to implement a solution as soon as I hear of a problem. My peers can also feel as if I am being pushy when I hear of a problem and try to implement a solution. My supervisorsRead MoreSummary of My Leadership Style Essay1151 Words   |  5 PagesSummary of my leadership style Reflective practice is the best way for educators to search for ever-improved ways to facilitate student learning. Reflective practice also incorporates the belief that much resistance to change is rooted in the unexamined assumptions that shape habit. To create change, then, we must examine current practice carefully and develop a conscious awareness of these basic assumptions (Karen, 1991, Oesterman Kottkamp, 1993; Schà ¶n).Thus you must use reflective practices

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

The Impact of Domestic Violence on Children - 1778 Words

From as long as our history can remember, America has been littered with the disease of domestic violence. Domestic violence is the act of abusing or being abused (physically, verbally, or mentally) by someone you live with. Consequently, the rate of children witnessing domestic violence has soared through the roofs to about 3 billion each year. Because domestic violence usually takes place at home, it psychologically alternates the state of children and creates huge impacts on them, their lives, and their futures. Several types of domestic violence we usually hear describing domestic violence include physical abuse, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, and extortion. Physical abuse is the most common type of violence. This involves punching,†¦show more content†¦With no self-control and not being able to express their emotions healthily, most usually exploding because of all that they have kept inside of them, children end up having poor relationships with their peers, which quickly weakens their sense of worth. Domestic violence is unfortunately capable of taking away from a kid’s learning ability and memory. The more traumatic an experience a child has been through, the more likely they are to forget things that they once were able to. This tragic fact has a huge effect on a childs performance throughout school, with common speech setbacks and a large insufficient amount of problem solving skills and conflict resolutions. When grades begin to fall, children are then in classes that are not sufficient in preparing them for success. Long-term problems are inescapable for young placed children who constantly and repeatedly, helplessly watch domestic violence inside their homes, a place supposed to be a safe and warm place. The sad truth is that most people who witness domestic violence as children also see it as adults; males are likely to engage in domestic violence, while females are likely to become victims and the other way around. With this kind of regularity of violence, it is l ikely that the cycle will continue in their families and so on. There are several more problems that children experience that started off from domestic violence. Most children who grow up in a violent home developShow MoreRelatedThe Impact of Domestic Violence on Children661 Words   |  3 PagesQuestion 1 There are many consequences of not taking a strong stance against domestic abuse and the later impact on the children in the situation. Even if the children are not involved in the actual abuse, they are still negatively impacted by the presence of domestic violence in their households (Osofsky 1990). When abuse is condoned or ignored in a domestic relationship, children can begin to assume that is a normal occurrence, which can be a concept they carry with them for the rest of theirRead MoreEssay on The Impact of Domestic Violence on Children2365 Words   |  10 Pagesascertain the effects of living with domestic violence on children conducted psychological test to measure children’s competency and development. Development psychologists experimented on children in laboratory settings, if the level of competency demonstrated by a child was below average for their age and stage of development, witnessing domestic violence was deemed to be the cause. To know whether a child ha s been harmed by their experiences we need to how ‘normal’ children function and develop (ArchardRead MoreDomestic Violence Has A Negative Impact On Children1568 Words   |  7 PagesOpen your eyes: Domestic violence has a negative impact on children. Being 8 years old and growing up witnessing domestic violence in my household was hard. â€Å"About 70% of domestic violence between couples goes unreported (S.N)† The reason the rate is so high is because fear overcomes the victim. The lack of someone being able to sit down and talk without being scared of getting home and getting beaten by their partner is bad, the reason of not being able to just sit down and talk to someone justRead More Case Study: Impact on Children of Substance Abuse, Domestic Violence, and Mental Illness2706 Words   |  11 PagesStudies have shown that children who grow up in families where there is substance misuse, mental illness or domestic violence are more vulnerable to significant harm (Kendall-Taylor and Mikulak 2009).Children’s vulnerability usually stems from the effects of substance misuse, domestic violence or mental illness on parenting ability. Substance misuse, domestic violence and mental illness can result in parent’s fi nding it difficult to organize their lives to meet both their personal needs and theirRead MoreEffects of Domestic Violence on Children1124 Words   |  5 PagesThe biggest victims of domestic violence are the littlest. The home is a suppose to be a safe and secure environment for children with loving parents and free from violence. Children need a secure environment where they can come home to when the outside world is unsafe. However, every year there are millions of children who’s homes are not a safe haven. Millions of children are exposed to a parent being violently assaulted. Domestic violence is a prevalent social issue in America today. First, whoRead MoreEssay on The Gravity of Domestic Violence in America1423 Words   |  6 Pages the gravity of domestic violence in America has been disregarded and glossed over; perhaps it is because 60 percent of all domestic violence takes place at home. Domestic violence is defined as, the situation in which an intimate partner or someone you live with attacks you and tries to hurt you, often including physical assault, sexual assault, and bullying. â€Å"Every year, more than 3 million children witness domestic violence in their homes.† (safehorizon.org) Domestic violence at home is alteringRead MoreDomestic Violence And Its Effects On Victims And Varies1700 Words   |  7 PagesDefinition, strengths and limitations, and occurrence Domestic violence as a form of trauma can have an impact on victims and varies in the form in which it occurs. Domestic violence can occur directly to an individual or family or indirectly as exposure to domestic violence. The Department of Justice defines domestic violence as â€Å"a pattern of abusive behavior in a relationship that is used by one partner to gain or maintain power and control over another intimate partner†. According to CrossRead MoreDevelopmental Trajectory And Impact On Hispanic Women851 Words   |  4 PagesDevelopmental trajectory and impact Hispanic women who are able to escape their perpetrator may be faced with barriers that impact their ability to rise above a lower socioeconomic status. Community resources may provide some aid but are not suffice to sustain a family with a single parent. Hispanic women who are entrapped in an abusive relationship may feel financially obligated to remain with their perpetrator. Some barriers identified by Shah and Shah (2010) include low educational attainmentRead MoreThe Effects of Domestic Violence on Children Essay examples1577 Words   |  7 PagesExposure to domestic violence can impact the behavioral, social-emotional, and cognitive development of children. Children who are exposed to domestic violence tend to exhibit more aggressive behaviors with their peers, show signs of depression, and have a difficult time forming relationships (Brown Bzostek, 2003). Cognitively, studies have shown that children exposed to domestic violence may have difficulties learning and concent rating in school, have difficulties with conflict resolution skillsRead MoreThe Effects Of Domestic Violence On Children915 Words   |  4 Pagessignificant impacts not only on the victims, but also on the society. Though, some abuses have minor impacts, but most of the abuses have long-term affect and some of them of the affects of abuse stay for decades. In an article, â€Å"The Hidden Consequence Of Domestic Violence Linger For Decades†, from Think Progress, the author Tara Culp-Ressler wrote, â€Å"You’re at a higher risk for some of the largest health problems that our country is facing today† which informs that the victims of domestic violence are at

Tuesday, May 5, 2020

Interpersonal Communication Diagnosis and Reflection †Free Samples

Question: Discuss about the Interpersonal Communication. Answer: Diagnostic Tools related to Communication The communication is one of the important aspects of an organization for sustaining and development of communication across the workplace. For analyzing my communication style, I will be suing communication tools like Johari Window, Assertiveness Questionnaires, Communication Style Questionnaire, Social Intranet and Discussion Forums. As mentioned by Bloom et al. (2014), Johari Window is one of the effective diagnostic tools that helps in understanding the relationship with the people and with others. I prefer using Johari Window diagnostic tool for analyzing the communication style of the people in case of active listening. The goal of the Johari Window is disclosing the information and making the people more interactive, cooperative and effective in their communication. I prefer using Assertiveness Questionnaires, for verbal communication. In this aspect, it helps the students in seeking assistance to the people and looks for the opportunities along with resisting the peer pressure (Cummings Worley, 2014). It helps the individuals in expressing themselves in a direct and self-assured manner. I have learned that it helps in engaging interpersonal behaviors of the individuals, which helps in contributing to the academic success and social development. I prefer using the Communication Style Questionnaire in a written or non-verbal communication style that encourages individuals in the development of their potentiality. As mentioned by Goetsch Davis (2014), it helps in the development of personal plans that helps in achieving potentiality in communication. Moreover, through this communication pattern, it helps in gaining the better understanding of the methods of interaction and the level of accuracy depends on the honesty reflected by the individuals. It is an effective method of communication that helps in understanding the tendency and outlook of the individuals towards a certain topic. I prefer using Social Intranet communication as it helps in easy and effective means of communication among the individuals engaged under the same institution. According to Harlow Guo (2014), the Social Intranet helps in written communication among the individuals working in the same organization or educational premises. It helps in engaging the individuals and making them integrated with the information. It helps to make the individuals efficient in their jobs and also improves the customer services along with progress the internal operations. I prefer using Discussion Forums communication tool as it facilitates free and open discussion of the topics among the individuals. Heldman, Schindelar Weaver (2017) opined that online discussion forums are an effective means of written communication that facilitates open discussion among the people. It creates the discussion of certain topics among the people having the interest in the same topic. It also facilitates bringing up of ideas, solving problems and get solutions to it. Findings of the Tools and Identification of Key Communication Issues The Johari Window tool is a tool that helps in training and understanding self-awareness, improving communications, interpersonal relationships and personal development of the organization (Oliveira Welch, 2013). It helps in the prevailing positive working environment as this tool had facilitated communication between the co-workers and trust is prevalent within them. The assertive questionnaires help in formulating and communicating an individuals thoughts and opinions in a precise and clear way. The Communication Style Questionnaire facilitates encouraging their development of the potentiality for promoting communication culture at the workplace. It helps in identification of the learning and strengths that can be used for the betterment of their potentiality. The Social Intranet plays an important role in combining and contributing communication across the workplace. It helps in connecting people in a meaningful way where the people finds the ability in creating content. The Disc ussion Forums facilitates the organization in holding conversations among the individuals through posted messages (Razmerita, Kirchner Nabeth, 2014). One of the communication issues that have been identified in this context is the inability to keep all the employees informed (Rosenberg Chopra, 2015). I have identified that this is an important aspect as through communication, the employees are informed about the happenings in the organization. The failure of which, may cause the problem to the employees and may also lead to miscommunication and chaos at the workplace. The organization needs to communicate with its employees through emails and discussions on a regular basis. The other communication issue that has been identified is the lack of receiving feedback from the co-workers, managers, and supervisors. I have identified that it is a major problem in communication, as the employees failing in receiving feedback from the organizational heads tends to repeat the mistakes continuously. Their improvement in the work will be stagnant due to lack of feedback and will create a huge miscommunication and communication gap at the work place (Singh, 2015). Reflection on Two Professional Interactions One of the professional interactions I had in the past 12 months was an employee of an organization regarding feedback communication aspect. Due to lack of feedback, the employees are unable to understand the right and wrong sides of their performance. It, therefore, cause repetition of the mistakes and the employees continue providing same quality work without any improvement (Taylor Kent, 2014). Due to loss of feedback, the employees lose out interests in their work and the quality of workplace in the organization slags down gradually. Moreover, due to lack of feedback, the relationship between the co-employees and managers gets hampered and trust and mutual respect towards each other remain lacking. The other professional interaction I had in the past 12 months was with an employee regarding non-informing the employees at the workplace. Due to this, the employees remain uninformed about the happenings in the organization. It makes them feel left out and lack of motivation to work with commitment and dedication to the workplace. Moreover, it also impacts negatively on the employees as they are unable to discuss the problems either with the co-employees or with the managers (Harlow Guo, 2014). I have seen that it have negatively impacted on the employees ability to cope up with the information that is not shared with them and leads to high employee turnover rate. Literature Review The two issues that will be discussed in this context are "lack of feedback" and "communication gap with the employees." In this perspective, the concepts, key models, and behaviors that demonstrate efficient practice and competence in the communication area are discussed. Lack of Feedback One of the major issues in the communication that arises at the workplace is due to the lack of feedback to the employees. As stated by Bergman, Dellve Skagert (2016), to establish and propagate strong business relationship at the workplace, efficient and effective communication practices are to be established. There are certain opportunities that take place within the organization through effective communication. A small or big gap in the communication may hamper the productivity and workflow of the organization. The employees, managers and higher officials should be aware of the problems that may arise due to communication gap and needs to take effective steps for solving the problems. The problems that may arise due to lack of feedback in communicational aspect are lower efficiency, decreased innovation and low employee morale. According to Bhosale Pant (2015), due to the communication gap, the feedback from the co-workers and superiors will be reduced, which will lead to the ab ridging of the efficiency of the employees at the workplace. The efficiencies of the employees are questioned, and vague messages sent for clarification of their activities not only dissatisfy the employees but also make them lose interest in their work. Due to the inability of getting feedback, the employees fail to understand their flaws in their work and their skills and expertise become stable and constant without any improvement (Derrick et al. 2016). Dozier, Grunig Grunig (2013) opined that due to lack of feedback, the moral values and self-esteem of the employees are compromised. The poor communication at the workplace demoralizes the workplace environment and impact negatively on the employees. With the poor communication, the enthusiasms of the employees are lost and are forced to conduct boring presentations with unclear instructions. As a result, it leads to confusion among the employees and the monotonous work also hampers their moral values. Enuoh Inyang (2016) had stated that the lack of feedback in the workplace also hampers the innovation tendency in the organization. It also results in inadequate handling of the projects due to having no feedback regarding the right way of handling it. It is because; the communication is directly proportional to the rise of existing and innovative ideas and improvements at the workplace. But the absence of the communication at the workplace leads to decreased innovation at the workpl ace. To acquire competence at the workplace for improving feedback, the top officials, managers, and employees need to have sound communication with one another. As stated by Fire Puzis (2016), communication helps in improving the relationship among the co-workers and managers and the feedback regarding the work is also communicated. It improves the competency of the employees and makes the organization more productive in nature. The workflow is not disrupted, and the employees learn from their faults. The mistakes are never repeated, and the employees confidently handle the organizations projects without flaws. Moreover, with the flow of feedback, the motivation and commitment level of the employees are increased that reduces monotony and confusion at the workplace (Laukkanen et al. 2016). Communication Gap with all the Employees The communication gap at the workplace makes the employees uninformed about the happenings at the workplace. As mentioned by Parraguez, Eppinger Maier (2016), due to lack of communication in informing the employees about the decisions of the organization makes the employees feel left out. They tend to lose out focus and vision of the organizational goals and also mismanage the business resources. Moreover, as the employees are not informed about the organizational decisions, they tend to enter into corporate politics where they make up stories about the decisions taken up by the management. It creates confusion, chaos, and disorder at the workplace, which destroys the workflow of the organization. Shimoni (2017) stated that due to lack of communication at the workplace, conflict among the employees and higher management occurs. It, therefore, leads to the breakdown of the productivity at the workplace. Moreover, due to poor communication, the employees cannot relate to the business goals and understand their respective duties and responsibilities, which lead to non-performance of the employees. According to Shin et al. (2017), the communication gap at the workplace reduces the productivity, inspiration, creation and innovation of the employees. It makes the employees lack enthusiasm and also fear the unknown happenings at the workplace. Moreover, due to lack of communication, themanagement of the organization becomes ineffective and also leads to conflict the workplace. The employees tend to leave the organization in fear of losing out their jobs and for facing unknown organizational change, which they find difficult to cope up with. As stated by Bergman, Dellve Skagert (2016), due to poor flow of communication, the information regarding any project change or alternation in the workplace is not informed to the employees. It, therefore, leads to misunderstanding and misinterpretation at the workplace, which leads to arguments and tensions. The overall environment at the workplace becomes disrupted, and the relationship between co-workers and managers are also at stakes. As mentioned by Fire Puzis (2016), the communication gap needs to be reduced at the workplace to improve the competitiveness of the organization. It makes the employees competitive, enthusiastic and creative in their approach, which helps in smooth operation and workflow within the organization. Moreover, it also helps in making good decisions in the workplace, which helps in fulfilling long-term and short-term goals and objectives of the organization. It reduces the occurrence of conflicts at the workplace and the employees knowing their responsibilities become mentally set to handle their assigned tasks. It also reduces the tension among the employees and also improves the relationship between the employees and managers that lead to organizational development and growth (Rosenberg Chopra, 2015). Action Plan In this context, an action plan will be developed that helps in discussing the key activities and events, which will be undertaken by the researcher in the next 6 months for acquiring the knowledge. The Gantt chart given below includes the actionable items in a timeline, and the indication of its completion helps in measuring its success. Courses Undertaken 1st Month 2nd Month 3rd Month 4th Month 5th Month 6th Month Media and Society Media Writing News Reporting Writing and Editing Professional Writing English Language 1- Post Foundation Essay Writing The mentors identified are the professors from the CQU institute. The Academic Advisor or the Counselor advices the students to get enroll in the courses as per their requirement. After completion of the ELC Program, they are advised to follow AS (Associate in Science), AAS (Associate in Applied Science) or AA (Associate in Arts) Educational Degree Plan that has been filed by their respective Academic Advisor or Counselor. The students have acquired conceptual knowledge regarding the communication interactions. It is seen that the communication is an important aspect for the students to make them prepared for their future. The different courses those are taught in the institution helps in developing the interaction and communication skills of the students. Both written and oral communication skills are taught to the students, which will facilitate them in conveying their feelings and opinions to the other people without any problem. It helps them in their future when they will join o rganizations or learning institutions for either higher studies or the purpose of jobs. At the point of time, academically the communication skills will help the students in getting good grades and degrees that are required for their future career. The personal journals that are taught in the courses facilitate the students in easy communication with one another. The three important aspects of communication are reading, writing and listening, which are to be developed among the students that will help them in promoting their communication skills. The listening skills should not be limited to the classroom as it helps in easy conversation with one another regarding the problems faced by the students and or getting appropriate solutions to it. Moreover, the oral skills help in continuing conversation among the students for both professional and personal discussion. The writing skills help in communicating the learned aspects and feelings of the students and for jotting down the expressions and thoughts. The self-esteem of the students gets elevated with effective communication among the students. The good communication courses help in increasing learning among the entire class and also improve the class participation. It facilita tes the students in improving the class performance as they can understand the teaching of the teacher. It also helps them in understanding the feedback received from the teachers, which they can work on for improving their learning and communication References Bergman, C., Dellve, L., Skagert, K. (2016). Exploring communication processes in workplace meetings: A mixed methods study in a Swedish healthcare organization.Work,54(3), 533-541. Bhosale, A., Pant, S. (2015). Role of Communication in Organization.AADYA-National Journal ofManagement and Technology (NJMT),3(2), 37-39. Bloom, N., Garicano, L., Sadun, R. Van Reenen, J., (2014). The distinct effects of information technology and communication technology on firm organization.Management Science,60(12), pp.2859-2885. Cummings, T.G. Worley, C.G., (2014).Organization development and change. Cengage learning. Derrick, G. E., Samuel, G. N., Pansters, W. G., Rinsum, H. J., Luukkonen, T., Thomas, D. A. (2016). Structure and organization seems to be at the root of many of the questions raised about institutional behaviour; however, with respect to research on university capacity building, few studies have examined research organizational problems, particularly in developing countries. This study investigates academic reactions to the structure and organization of research at four leading Vietnamese universities...Minerva,54(1), 99-127. Dozier, D. M., Grunig, L. A., Grunig, J. E. (2013). Manager's guide to excellence in public relations and communication management. Routledge. Enuoh, R. O., Inyang, B. J. (2016). APPROPRIATING THE GRAPEVINE COMMUNICATION CHANNEL IN THE ORGANIZATION.Sustainable Human Development Review,2(2). Fire, M., Puzis, R. (2016). Organization mining using online social networks.Networks and Spatial Economics,16(2), 545-578. Goetsch, D.L. Davis, S.B., (2014).Quality management for organizational excellence. Upper Saddle River, NJ: pearson. Harlow, S. Guo, L., (2014). Will the revolution be tweeted or facebooked? Using digital communication tools in immigrant activism.Journal of Computer?Mediated Communication,19(3), pp.463-478. Heldman, A.B., Schindelar, J. Weaver, J.B., (2017). Social media engagement and public health communication: implications for public health organizations being truly social.Public Health Reviews,35(1), p.13. Laukkanen, E., Lehtinen, T. O., Itkonen, J., Paasivaara, M., Lassenius, C. (2016, September). Bottom-up adoption of continuous delivery in a stage-gate managed software organization. InProceedings of the 10th ACM/IEEE International Symposium on Empirical Software Engineering and Measurement(p. 45). ACM. Oliveira, G.H.M. Welch, E.W., (2013). Social media use in local government: Linkage of technology, task, and organizational context. Government Information Quarterly, 30(4), pp.397-405. Parraguez, P., Eppinger, S., Maier, A. (2016). Characterizing Design Process Interfaces as Organization Networks: Insights for Engineering Systems Management.Systems Engineering,19(2), 158-173. Razmerita, L., Kirchner, K. Nabeth, T., (2014). Social media in organizations: leveraging personal and collective knowledge processes.Journal of Organizational Computing and Electronic Commerce,24(1), pp.74-93. Rosenberg, M. Chopra, D., (2015).Nonviolent Communication: A Language of Life: Life-Changing Tools for Healthy Relationships. PuddleDancer Press. Shimoni, B. (2017). A sociological perspective to organization development Habitus Oriented Consulting.Organizational Dynamics. Shin, K., Phalak, K., Hamame, A., Whitman, G. J. (2017). The Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) was first initiated in the late 1980s in order to standardize reporting, improve report organization, and to monitor outcomes for more clear, concise, and uniform communication of breast imaging findings. In the BI-RADS 5th edition, several changes and new additions have been made to the magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) lexicon, reflecting increased...Current Problems in Diagnostic Radiology,46(1), 26-34. Singh, R., 2015.Study on Emergence of Dynamic Organization Structures Based on Social, Asynchronous and Synchronous Communication and Collaboration Patterns in IT and Educational Organizations: with Specific Reference to Organizations in Redmond, USA, and Bangalore, India(Doctoral dissertation, ICFAI UNIVERSITY JHARKHAND). Taylor, M. Kent, M.L., (2014). The value of social media for pushing activist organizations social agendas: Implications for PR theory and practice.Quarterly Journal of Business Disciplines,1(1), pp.76-87.

Monday, April 6, 2020

Recording Spoken Data

Introduction Data collection is one of the most important aspects of research that requires a lot of effort and accuracy. There are a number of ways through which data can be collected and recorded from the field. For a long time, questionnaires have been very popular.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Recording Spoken Data specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More They have been used as a way of gathering and recording data from the field. However, technology has brought in better tools that can perform this task better. Blaxter (91) says that that emerging technologies have redefined the way data is recorded. New gadgets have been invented that have the capacity to record and store very large amounts of data. Recording spoken data has therefore become very popular in the current research, especially in linguistics. Many researchers have found that recording spoken data is the most convenient way of maintaining originality in the primary data collected. In linguistics, it is possible that at times the respondent will not be in a position to respond to the questions in the desired language. When such spoken data is to be recorded in a written form, it would force a researcher to translate the information into the desired language. The danger of this translation is that the data may lose its original meaning. There is a possibility that in the process of translating this data, a word or a phrase may be distorted hence rendering the whole data inaccurate. When such data is recorded in its spoken form, it would maintain its coherence and this would help validate the final report. Moreover, when data is recorded in a spoken form, the researcher is able to draw more information by analyzing the tone of the respondent. The researcher would be in a position to discern such features as sarcasm in the voice hence control bias in the research. Cohen (126) says that unlike the written form, recording spoken data provides a rich source for the analysis process, because besides the message it carries, the researcher is able to analyze the respondents and determine the suitability of the response given. Increasing Relevance of Recording Spoken Data Research has proven to be the key to solving most of the issue that bedevil our society. Many scholars have set forth to research on various issues with a view to coming up with solution to various issues. In this path, researchers have raised many concerns that hinder the process of gathering data.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More One of the main concerns that have been raised is that some of the researchers are blind. These are individuals with the ability to conduct a meaningful research, but because they lack the sight, which is very vital in every single activity of human being, they find that it is practically impossible to conduct a research. E mergence of tools like audio recorders has proven to be the solution to this problem. With this device, a researcher who lacks sight can easily use it to record information for later analysis. The researcher can later analyze this recorded data at his own pace, allowing him to replay the record to clarify an issue that he did not get properly. Moreover, it allows the researcher to conduct the research at a faster pace. Because of this, recording spoken data has gained popularity among the blind. Greenfield (78) asserts that linguistics is a very rich field. For a researcher in this field, it is of importance to realize that there are numerous languages. In a small region, numerous languages that are so different in structure can exist. When data collection is done on a different language from the language used in data analysis, care should be taken to ensure that the process of translation do not change the meaning. This scholar gives an example of a possible distortion of a word or a phrase in the process of translation. Among the Kelnjin of the Eastern Europe, the word tong’ means an egg. However, the word also means a spear. This scholar gives an example of the following sentences. Alex ong’ieo tong’ nikech enkech (Alex bought an egg since he was hungry). (Rasinger 8) Alex ong’ieo tong’ mar lueny (Alex bought a spear for war). (Rasinger, 8) The two sentences are very different. The main issue is the purchase of this item referred to as tong’. In the first clauses of the sentences, the two words are very similar (Alex ong’ieo tong). It is therefore impossible to deduce which of the two items (spear or an egg) was bought. The meaning would only come in the second clauses. The second clause of the first sentence says nikech enkech (since he was hungry). We therefore overrule the possibility of spear because it cannot solve the problem of hunger. However, another twist comes in this sentence. Just like in Engli sh language where anger and hunger have similar pronunciations, the words enkech and ankech, which means he is hungry, and he is enraged in Kelnjin language, have similar pronunciations. In a spoken form therefore, the word tong in the first sentence could as well mean spear, for an enraged man would need a spear for war, not an egg. Recording this data would call for a prolonged explanation by the respondent in order to make the meaning of the word clear. Such complexities in language has made recording of spoken data more popular in linguistics. As Wilsen (87) observes, even a researcher who understands a language may risk misinterpretation in case an elaboration of a sentence with a word that is ambiguous is not done. A researcher recording data in a written form in the above-mentioned language risks making dangerous mistakes, say in the first sentence.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Recording Spoken Data specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/ page Learn More He may erroneously record that Alex bought a spear because he was enraged, while what the respondent meant was that Alex bought an egg because he was hungry. When analysis is done on such a data, the result would be completely irrelevant and the effect of this can be adverse. If action is to be taken on the findings and recommendation of such a report, Alex may be put to task over an issue he completely do not understand. Having realized this shortcoming of the written data, many researchers have fallen in love with recording spoken data the way it is. Many researchers currently prefer recording such spoken data the way it is for a later analysis. Because of the large storage capacity of the audio recorders, the scope of the research is always broadened. The researcher would be in a position to probe the respondent more and get to the gist of the information. As Milroy (23) observes, recording spoken data is the modern way of recording data that resear chers have come to embrace because it is not only a faster method of data collection, but also an efficient way of ensuring reliability and validity of the research. Problems Associated with Recording Spoken Data Although recording of spoken data has been lauded by many researchers as one of the best ways of data collection and storage, it comes with a number of challenges. Dornyei (46) says that the strongest points of this technique of data collection are its source of weakness. This scholar points out one such advantage of this approach of data collection as the freedom it offers the researcher. This advantage comes with numerous challenges that can make a given process of research collect very irrelevant data. According to this scholar, linguistics as a discipline is very interesting. Once an individual sets forth to conduct a given research in linguistics, chances are high that he would meet information that are very interesting but irrelevant to the topic at hand. If caution i s not taken, such a researcher may get so involved in an irrelevant research that would not be of use. When analysis is to be done, such a researcher would come to the realization that the information he or she has is junk.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More It would now demand that the researcher picks substance from the junk information, or even conduct another research. Wray (19) shares this opinion. He says that recording spoken data would demand a lot of discipline on the side of the researcher. The researcher would avoid being carried away by interesting but irrelevant information that is available in the field; otherwise, he or she would risk having data that is of no use. Another challenge of recording spoken data is lack of specificity. When a respondent is not restricted in the answers he or she provides, there is danger of having data that is full of speculation, but limited in substance. Such a data would be difficult to analyze because it would be lacking the important explanation needed and instead provide unnecessary information. Mason (110) says that unlike written research that uses pen and paper, recording spoken data uses electronic gadgets. The propensity of such electronic gadgets experiencing failure is much higher than experiencing a failure with a pen and a paper. Such failures may be due to power failures, complexity of the gadget or lack of expertise by the researcher. Unlike a pen that can easily be replaced in case of a failure, some of these tools used in recording spoken data cannot be easily replaced and in case of a failure, the researcher would have no otherwise but to call off the interview. This is very dangerous because at times a researcher may fail to get another appointment with the respondents who were to be interviewed at that particular time. Some of the recently invented audio recorders are so sophisticated that it would require a lot of time taken to understand its usage properly. This may take unnecessarily long time, which would have been used in the analysis process. How to Minimize the Problems Every research has its own challenges. Milroy (25) says that the most important aspect of a research is that the researcher should know how to handle his own ‘ratsâ€⠄¢. By this, this scholar means that in every research, there would be challenges. A researcher should be in a position to identify such challenges that are unique to his or her research and formulate custom-made solution on how to address such challenges. Recording spoken data comes with a number of challenges as stated above. It is important that a researcher understands these challenges and define the best ways of mitigating them. This paper would discuss some of the general ways that the above-mentioned problems can be minimized if success were to be achieved in any given research that involves recording spoken data. One of the main concerns raised about recording spoken data is the possibility of the researcher deviating from the main topic of the research. This problem can be minimized by setting question to be responded to and allocating time to each question. It would also require discipline on the side of the researcher. Discipline in the essence that no question would be a sked outside the field of study however interesting a researcher may find it. The researcher should also be keen enough to detect if the respondent has deviated from the topic of concern, in which case, the researcher should kindly direct him or her back to the focus of the research. During the process of data analysis, the researcher should further scrutinize the response of given by the respondents by analyzing their tone and other audio features of the data to eliminate possibilities of bias in the research. Another concern that may arise when using this method of data collection is the possibility of failure of the gadgets themselves. To minimize this challenge, it is required that a researcher should test and confirm that the gadget is in a good shape and can perform expected duty within the desirable duration. If possible, alternatives should be carried so that in case of failure, the research would continue using the alternative means that are available. The issue of technica lity of the gadgets can be addressed well before the research begins. When complex gadgets are used to collect data, it is important to ensure that the researcher develops a deep understanding of the gadget. The researcher should be aware of possible mechanical and electrical problems that can arise while using this gadget and the possible means of rectifying such errors. Before a researcher sets forth to conduct a study, care should be taken about the tools to be used in the field. A researcher should avoid complex gadgets that may bring difficulty in data collection. As Dornyei (51) simply puts it, a researcher should avoid carrying any tools whose usage is still a dream to him or her. Appropriateness of Recording Spoken Data as a Method of Data Collection According to Rasinger (20), data collection process is a very important stage of a research. This scholar holds that data collection process must be handled with appropriate care to eliminate any possible error. An error that oc curs at the analysis stage can easily be detected and rectified. However, if this error occurred at the field during data collection process, it might not be possible to detect it unless the researcher revisits the field again. Appropriateness of a method of data collection is therefore of great importance. According to Milroy (42), recording spoken data is one of the most appropriate methods of collecting data in the modern research. The need for accountability in the researches has increased in the recent past. Every researcher has the responsibility of publishing report that he or she can substantiate. Such may call for certain actions to be taken on the item under the study. If these recommendations are taken, it is expected that the result would bear positive fruits as suggested in the report. Recording spoken data has one main advantage of maintaining originality. The response is not changed and a researcher can reply such recorded tapes for clarity purposes. As Dornyei (56) n otes, a research that involves linguistics may find this approach very effective. As this scholar asserts, language is learnt by listening and speaking, and not be writing. At Chinese may take a lifetime learning to write French. However, he or she would never be in a position to speak the language unless he or she listens to a person speak the language and he or she makes an effort to speak it. When data collection is done using recording of the speech, this data can be very valuable in a class that learns that language. Other than the results gotten from the analysis of this data, a researcher would find this data useful in making others understand the language. Listeners would be able to understand the dialect, emphasis on the words, phrases and clauses, and the entire sentence. Mason (115) further says that with the invention of data recording tools like video recorders with the ability to record audiovisuals, a researcher’s work is made easier. During the process of data presentation, a researcher may use slides to show both the audio and the visual aspects of data to enhance clarity. In linguistics, users of such reports (especially students) would find the audiovisual data very important. With audio is accompanied by visuals, it becomes easier to understand a language for those who are beginners of the language. This method is also appropriate because the modern data analysis tools support it. Spoken data can easily be stored in the computers and the responses assigned specific values. Computers have in-built formulas that can be generated to analyze this data as per the assigned values. It eliminates the need for papers, which can be bulky and cumbersome to carry around. The ability to transfer this data directly into the computer from the device used in recording data (like video or audio recorders) saves the time that a researcher would have used to transfer this data manually into a computer. For a long time, questionnaires were very popular in data collection. This was because it could be delivered to the respondents and be picked later, say after a week. However, the effectiveness of this method has significantly reduced due to the increasing commitments of people. Greenfield (82) reports that an emerging crop of individuals, who have the allure to work for over 110 hours a week, can utilize the tool well. Such a person is left with approximately six hours in a day to sleep, eat, socialize and do all that is not related to his or her job. Such a person may not have time to go through a questionnaire. Recording of spoken data would be the most appropriate as it would take the least time of such heavily scheduled individuals. Conclusion Recording of spoken data is a relatively new method of collecting data from the field. The emergence of gadgets that are able to record sound has enabled modern day researcher collect data using this method. As is seen from the above discussion, recording spoken data has gained relevance , as many current researchers prefer it to the use of questionnaires. This is because of some obvious advantages it has over other methods. One such advantage is that it maintains originality of the data. The respondents’ answers are taken the way they are without any paraphrasing or translation. This further enhances reliability and validity of the research. This method is also time saving hence allows the researcher more time to conduct the analysis of the data. It is very appropriate among the linguistic researchers for the recorded data can be used directly to teach beginners of a particular language. Although this method is very advantageous, it comes with a number of challenges. One such challenge is the high propensity of deviation from the topic in focus. A researcher can easily be carried away and deviate from the focus because the respondent is allowed to narrate the scenario. The gadgets used in data collection may also fail, drawing the research into a halt. This can jeopardize the success of the research. Having realized this, researchers have come up with ways through which the above-mentioned shortfalls can be addressed. One such remedy is that the researcher should be disciplined enough to maintain focus on the issue at hand. Works Cited Blaxter, Lorraine. How to Research, Buckingham: Open University Press, 2001. Print. Cohen, Louis. Research Methods in Education, London: Routledge, 2000. Print Dornyei, Zoltan. Research Methods in Applied Linguistics, Oxford: OUP, 2007. Print. Greenfield, Tony. Research Methods for Postgraduates, London: Arnold, 2002. Print. Mason, Jennifer. Qualitative Researching, London: Sage Publications, 2000. Print. Milroy, Lesley. Sociolinguistics: Method and Interpretation, Oxford: Blackwell, 2003. Print. Milroy, Lesley. Observing and Analyzing Natural Language, Oxford: Blackwell, 1983. Print Rasinger, Sabastian. Quantitative Research in Linguistics: An Introduction, London: Continuum, 2008. Print. Wilsen, John. â€Å"The sociolinguistic paradox: data as a methodological product.† Language and Communication, 7.1 (1987): 161-77. Print. Wray, Alison. Projects in Linguistics: A Practical Guide to Researching Language, London: Arnold, 1998. Print This essay on Recording Spoken Data was written and submitted by user Omari Diaz to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Monday, March 9, 2020

As Good As It Gets essays

As Good As It Gets essays In this essay review of As Good As It Gets I will discuss the genre of the film, the form of the film (narrative), and narrative elements within the film. One way to categorize a film is to determine what genre it is. Genres, by definition are various types of films that audiences and filmmakers recognize by their familiar narrative conventions (Bordwell et al. 503). The genre of the film As Good As It Gets would be classified as a romantic comedy. Genre conventions are common characteristics that reappear in a certain type of genre of a film again and again. In a romantic comedy one would anticipate a funny film with a romantic storyline between a man and a woman in a traditional sense. Genres can also be defined through conventional iconography, which are reoccurring symbols or images that carry meaning from film to film. Even certain actors can serve as iconography for a film. In this case, As Good As It Gets has many actors that are typically cast in comedies. Helen Hunt, who has been on a sit-com on television with Paul Riser, a real-life comedian, took her shot at the silver screen cast along side Jack Nicholson in the romantic comedy. Cuba Gooding Jr. who plays a small role in the film is best known for his comic roles. Nicholson who has an extensive resume in film has starred in many different roles from comedies, to drama, and horror. Therefore, one may associate certain actors with a specific type of genre of film. In addition to the genre of the film we can also consider the films form. As Good As It Gets is a narrative, or story where a chain of events takes place that are derived from a cause and effect relationship. The narrative will start with a certain situation and through a cause and effect relationship a series of events will take place in the film that brings about a new situation for the outcome of the film. In the film As Good As It Gets, the narrative begins with an obsessive-compuls...

Friday, February 21, 2020

Database in arcGIS Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Database in arcGIS - Essay Example As we have seen throughout this course, GIS is literally the picture that’s worth a thousand (or more) words. It’s little wonder that the use of GIS technology has expanded so exponentially since its initial development. In the case of the ACHS, the requirements required by the client are in keeping with their needs—and more. The truth is, ArcGIS can provide not only a more robust system for their currently applications, but considering the potential for growth, the proposed system would be unmatched. The growth of the GIS industry has resulted in a trend from an esoterically inclined group of computer geeks working on mainframes, to the common user on desktop computers. This trend will benefit the ACHS a great deal, not only allowing them to collect, store, and visualize their own information in a better format, but will give visitors to the ACHS a portal that will allow the most inexperienced user to benefit from the data available. It is also fortunate that the tool being suggested for use is Arc GIS, which is a full complement of GIS tools in one package. The net result of using ArcGIS for this application is the ability it will give a wide variety of users to work with the available data on their level of need as well as being within their ability to use the tool. Land use change studies. Land use data layers will allow city planners and others to see changes in the use of land through time. Assuming that the data available is accurate, those responsible for creating and maintaining datasets should find their tasks considerably easier. the historical datasets. These records will make keeping track of these persons/businesses easier and of greater value. This benefit is not only good for those who want to find long-lost relatives, but queries for a more general nature that can trace period history. City visualization. GIS

Wednesday, February 5, 2020

INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAMWORK Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

INTERDISCIPLINARY TEAMWORK - Essay Example The team also exhibits features of positive interdependence and promote of interaction when applying my emotional intelligence. This interdependence points to the imperative role of my emotional intelligence in ascertaining the effectiveness and functionality of the team, as well as the quality of the project outcome underway (Luca and Tarricone, n.d.). Members of the team get better advice on ways to enact approaches that help with collaboration when working under the influence of my emotional intelligence (McCallin and Bamford, 2007). Lastly, members of the team undergo processes more comprehensive for learning through project collaboration and experience when working under the influence of my emotional intelligence (Druskat et al., 2013). As a result, it would be beneficial for the team when I use my emotional intelligence to assign duties or set up a cooperative setting for completing a given project. Nathaniel Faatoafe is right about the importance of considering personality differences within a team. Personalities determine emotions, which in turn influence the input offered by each team member, and the project’s future. Marvin Lopez reply about the realizing a team’s strong points and weaknesses bent on individuality differences amongst its members is convincing. I think Lopez offers a compelling view of informing tea member’s about one’s potential to assist in the advancement of the team through emotional intelligence. Braquel Jackson is so categorical about the role of emotional intelligence in teamwork that he outlines its relationships with trust and personality differences. I think such a response offers an objective point of communication in a team. Cassandra Burton’s response is unique in the sense that she offers a personal account of the important role of emotional intelligence in a team. Burton sheds

Tuesday, January 28, 2020

Analysis of Economies of Scale

Analysis of Economies of Scale GONZALO PARENTE QUESTION 1: ECONOMIES OF SCALE: Shipping is an immense industry requiring huge financial investments and continuous development. Therefore, it has become an ideal game field to find and implement economies of scale. Any minor achievement on this will mean an impressive extra benefit in terms of cost reduction and efficiency gains. However, when economies of scale are managed under wrong market perspectives it can generate catastrophic results affecting for example ports flexibility and their commercial feasibility (e.g. congestion at terminal, hinterland) (P. Rodrigue, 2014). It is important to highlight that different shipping segments require different strategies due to variations on operations and infrastructure. Therefore, it can be found different shipping niches where economies of scale can be applied: Bigger capacity leads to lower costs per unit: Benefits, in terms of costs per unit, increase with ships capacity. If a comparison, in terms of operating costs, is made between a TTT class and a New Panamax vessel, it can be seen that megaships would be 30% cheaper than medium size vessels ($100/TEU) (P. Rodrigue, 2014). Bigger ships carry less fuel consumption: It is known that fuel consumption counts around 45%-50% of operating costs. Modern ships have led to a reduction on fuel consumption turning the shipping industry into a more profitable business. Under normal conditions, megaships consume 164 tons of fuel per day, being 35% lower than a medium size vessel (P. Rodrigue, 2015). Low speed (Slow steaming) also reduces fuel consumption: During the crisis of 2008-9 a new sailing approach came up, Slow steaming, reducing the speed to 18-20 Knots aiming to lower the fuel consumption. It enabled the market to absorb the over-fleet capacity during periods of slack demand, without impact in port congestion thanks to keep the fleet port call frequency. While a Post Panamax consumes 230 tons per day sailing at 24 Knots/hour, at 21 Knots/hour it would burn 150 tons per day (33% less) (P. Rodrigue, 2015). New shipbuilding techniques mean vessels being built rapidly: It has let ship-owners increase their fleets in a much reduced time at very low prices, taking advantage of the market conditions at all times. It is economy of scale applied to ship design. For example the new ships price fall between 2008 and 2009 was due to the appearance of revolutionary techniques offering new ships at very low prices (Stopford, 2009). Vessel ´s specialization leads to market flexibility: Not only economies of scale but also economies of scope are encompassed by ship specialization. Case: In order to fight against the inefficiency generated by bulk carriers sailing in ballast, a new specialized vessel came up called Multi-purpose. In terms of economies of scale, a multi-purposes vessel was an innovated idea due to the wide range of goods that it can accommodate at the same time, adapting it to the market conditions at all the moments without concerning about the port features, season, trends etc (Stopford, 2009). New technology and handling equipment speed up port operations: Operating mega vessels under high levels of productivity/efficiency requires sophisticated handling equipment. TTT vessels can be operated by 7 cranes at once (251 TEU/hour); while NewPanamax vessels need 6 cranes to handle 140 TEU/hour (Stopford, 2009). As a conclusion, the application of economies of scale to the shipping industry has led to a positive impact on the global economy. QUESTION 2: COST ELEMENTS OF SHIPPING: When talking about shipping costs, two main types of costs must be always taken into account: voyage related costs and no-voyage related costs. However, a better way to understand how different costs work in the shipping industry is by classifying them into capital, operating and voyage costs (ICS 2012, 2103; Plymouth university -Mr Adkins, 2014). The capital costs are fixed costs directly related to the vessel ´s purchase. These costs are part of the owner ´s responsibility. Some of these costs are Pre-delivery costs: the cost of transporting the vessel from the shipyard (e.g. japan) to the delivery point (e.g. Rotterdam). Loan repayment: it involves all the money that the shipowner must pay back to the bank. Leasing charges refer to the cost that shipowners must pay to the lessor e.g. TC for capesize, 5 years = $10500 per day. Depreciation: it refers to the decline in value of the vessel or any other infrastructure. Depreciation depends on the cost of the asset, the expected salvage value of the asset, the estimated life of the asset. Vessels life aprox. 25 years. Operating costs can be divided into four groups: crew costs, repair and maintainace, insurance and administration. Crew costs include the seafarer`s wages (Not the same for Philippines, American or Greeks), the travel costs (Not the same from UK to Rotterdam than UK to Italy), crew training (Depends on flag state/ship registries), medical inspections, recruitment process, insurances for crew accidents. Repair and maintenance costs include the maintenance of engines and other equipment, replacement of vessel ´s parts. For old vessels, it counts even 14% of operating costs. Insurance costs: The two compulsory insurances that every vessel must have are the 2/3 hull and machinery and the 1/3 third party liability. Administration costs consists of communication costs agents in port, or shore based administration and management charges. The voyage costs are one of the most important costs that shipowners must take into account when planning voyages. It is usually known as voyage estimation. Fuel charges: include the fuel price, the engine power and efficiency, the design and state of hull and the ship ´s speed. Port charges include the port dues which is the general use of port facilities (depends on volume of cargo, weight of cargo, gross tonnage and net tonnage). Service charges which include the pilotage, towage and cargo handling. Canal charges refer to the price vessels have to pay to ship across these short cuts. Please see below a good example of voyage estimation: (Private data from Shipbroking firm) Vessel: 8.000 TEU Route: Shanghai-Rotterdam (12.000 miles and 100% load factor). Bunker price = $650 Ship cost = $100m Containers = $20m Operating costs = $8.500 Value of cargo = $60.000 per TEU Annual interest rate = 3% Emission cost = $30 per tonne of fuel consumed Freight rate = $800 per TEU A ship is considered profitable when after taking into account capital, operating and voyage costs, still generate profits for the shipowner. This profit directly depends in the market level and freight rates. It is not the same to fix a vessel for WS50 than for WS80.Sometimes, it happens that freight rates vary for the same vessel size. One of the main factors is the geography. Depending on the demand for vessels in those specific markets, some shipowners will be willing to accept higher or lower freight rates. . For example: A vessel operating in Cross-MED for WS50 and a vessel operating UKC-ARA for WS80. In order to make your vessel more profitable, some strategies can be applied to seek economies of scale. Nowadays, one of the most popular seems to be slow steaming. QUESTION 3. WORLD MERCHANT FLEET, STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION: As seen, shipping is a global industry formed by a sum of different sub-markets. This question is focused on the bulk market and the main differences between three of the biggest segments: tanker, dry bulk and containers. When looking at different shipping segments, it is important to analyze not only the routes of each segment but also the type and vessel size used in each of the markets. For liquid bulk cargoes, the type of vessel used is known as tanker vessels. Tankers are divided in two main groups: crude oil tankers and product tankers (ICS, 2015). Crude oil tankers range from 80.000-120.000 dwt (Aframax), 120.000-200.000 (Suezmax), to 200.000-500.000 dwt (VLCCs-ULCCs). The main routes are AG-USG, AG-China, AG-Japan and AG-ARA-UKC (ICS, 2014). Product tankers range from 10.00-42.000 dwt (Handy), 42.000-60.000 dwt (MR), 60.000-120.000 dwt (LR1-LR2). The main routes are USA-UKC for Diesel, NE to USG-N. America for gasoline and AG-China/Japan/ARA for Naphtha. For the product industry it is important to take into account the refineries location (ICS, 2015). The main features of crude oil and chemical products are that must be stored into tanks, handled by pumping and in some cases can be corrosive and toxic. For dry bulk cargoes, the type of vessel used is known as dry bulk ships. Some of the main features of this cargoes are that are shipped in large quantities and handled with automated equipment like belts and conveyors. The size of the vessel usually varies with the commodity transported. These are the most important commodities in the dry bulk industry (ICS, 2013; E. Branch, 2012). Iron ore: Main routes: Brazil to China-W. Europe (Panamax)- Australia to Japan/China (Panamax). Raw material of steelmaking. Major importers, it changes with countries development. China, Japan and USA are considered the three bigger consumers. Major exporters, Australian, Brazil, India or South Africa. Key players: Vale, BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto, ArcelorMittal, Metalloinvest, Anglo American. Ports/Terminals: Itaqui, Tubarao, Sepetiba, Ponta do Uba, Dampier, Port Walcott. Coal: Main routes: Australia to Japan/W.EU S.Africa to EU (Handymax), Columbia to W.EU (Panamax). Raw material of steelmaking as well as fuel for generating power. There are two main types: Cocking coal and steam coal. Coking coal: Australia is the worlds largest exporter. Steam coal: Australia Indonesia larger exporters. Major coal importers are Europe and Japan (43% of the world ´s coal imports). Grain: Main routes: US to S.America/Japan/Asian countries (Panamax), Argentina to Brazil (Handysize). Wheat, maize, rice, barley, soya etc. They all seasonal and irregular in volume and route. Major importer: Japan, China, Russia, EU, N. Africa, Brazil, Middle East countries. Main exporters: Canada, N.S. America, Australia. The last group are the containerships. Containerships have been positively affected by technologic improvements such as containerization or automization. Vessels range from: -1000 TEU (Small feeder), 1.000-2.000 TEU (Feeder), 2.000-3.000 (Feedermax), 3.000-5.000 Panamax, 5.000-10.000 TEU (Post Panamax), 10.000-15.000 TEU (New Panamax), +14.000 (ULCV) (ICS, 2015). The main routes for containerships are from F.EAST to EU and US (Panamax, Post Panamax), USA to China (Panamax and Post Panamax) and from USA to EU (Post Panamax and smaller) (ICS, 2015). It is interesting to highlight that companies are struggling on the return voyage from West to East. It makes operators to find different ways to optimize the empty containers in order to avoid the loss of marginal profit. QUESTION 4. SUPPLY AND DEMAND AND ITS IMPACT ON FREIGHT RATES: (Based on my dissertation) The shipping industry is a global-scale industry ruled by a combination of factors in charge of determining market trends, market levels and cycles. The supply and demand for vessels will establish the shipping market balance. The mechanism used to link the supply and demand in this industry is known as freight rates. Freight rates reflects the balance of ships and cargoes available in the market at a certain time (Stopford, 2009). Too many ships usually mean low freight rates, and too few ships usually mean high freight rates. Once freight rates are established, charterers and shipowners adjust to them, bringing the supply and demand into balance (Stopford, 2009). The Baltic Exchange is the organization in charge of providing, in co-operation with top shipping companies, daily reports for different markets and vessels sizes (BDTI TD1, TD6à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦). In terms of the shipping market model, 5 supply and 5 demand factors strongly influence the freight rates. On the demand side, one of the most important variables is the world economy and, especially, the global business cycles and local development trends (emerging economies-Nigeria). World economy plays an important role when determining the price of commodities and also when setting the freight rates that buyers and sellers are able to pay to transport them. Another two key factors to achieve economies of scale are the average haul distance and the amount of cargo shipped per voyage. Random economic shocks (2008 crisis) have also a great weight in shipping demand. As these shocks affect demand and people economic power, freight prices are reduced as the demand for these commodities is considerably reduced. And, last but not least, transport costs encompassing capital, voyage and operational costs (ICS, 2015; Stopford, 2009; Lectures given by Jonathan Challecombe: International Shipping and Maritime Management and Markets). On the supply side, the new buildings and scrapping activities are essential to adjust the market balance. New buildings increase the fleet supply, lowering freight rates. Scrapping reduces the fleet supply, increasing freight rates. Fleet productivity is another factor which is focused in vessel ´s efficiency. In a fast pace market, speed and waiting times are crucial for business profitability. The last variable is the freight revenue. For example in markets with strong trends, shipowners may extend their vessel ´s life or purchase second-hand vessels to take advantage of the market; while in markets ruled by weak trends, old ships are scrapped 10 or 15 years before their commercial life ends (ICS, 2015; Stopford, 2009; Lectures given by Jonathan Challecombe: International Shipping and Maritime Management and Markets). For example it is good to understand what is going with the current dry bulk and container markets. The very low freight rates experienced during the last few months are caused by the extreme difference in terms of fleet growth (+) and the fleet demand (-). This situation has led to overcapacity. As a conclusion and in order to become again a balanced industry, shipping companies should follow a new tool developed by BIMCO known as Zero supply growth. It mainly require shipowners to neutralize the delivery of new vessels every year by scrapping an equal amount of capacity from the existing fleet (BIMCO, 2016). Mergers and acquisitions are also great strategies although will lead to a more monopolized market. QUESTION 6. RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN GLOBAL ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND SEABORNE TRADE: As a derived demand, maritime shipping is shaped by worldwide macroeconomic conditions. Although shipping market is very complex we can say that there are five major factors which rule the demand for shipping: transport costs, seaborne commodity trades, average haul, random shocks and world economy, which is the most important one (Stopford, 2009). World economy impacts on the demand for shipping mainly through the business cycle and the trade development cycle. Business cycle lays the foundation for shipping cycle, so that fluctuations in the rate of world economic growth cause a cyclical pattern of demand for shipping. There is a close relationship between the growth rate of shipping and the world GDP, what becomes clear if you see how both parameters have closely changed over the recent history. It is not surprising given that world economy generates the most of demand for shipping by importing raw materials for manufacturing or exporting manufactured products. Another side of the relationship between macroeconomics and shipping is the seaborne commodity trades, which can be divided into short-term and long term. Seasonality of some trades is an important cause of short-term volatility. For instance, many agricultural commodities are linked to seasonal reasons, caused by harvest. But in the oil business there also is a cycle that reflects the seasonal fluctuation in energy consumption in western countries. Seasonality has a great impact on spot market (Dry and wet bulk) (ICS, 2015). The flows of raw materials (mainly ores and crude oil) follow a shipping pattern from developing countries towards developed countries. Transports terminals in developing countries are specialized in loading raw materials while developed countries unload are focused on unloading. On the other hand, the flows of manufactured goods mainly concerned developed countries, but it is changing due to the effects of globalized manufacturing processes. We have a new geography of global trade, which can be depicted quite accurately by maritime shipping routes. Developing countries are no longer just the suppliers of high volume-low value raw materials, but instead now also import large volumes of oil, iron ore, and participate in global value chains and the globalized production of manufactured goods (Stopford, 2009). As a result, developing countries are emerging as major world exporters and importers. They have also become main players in globalized manufacturing processes. As an instance we can mention that the growing energy needs of developing countries and the expansion of South-South trade are contributing to recharging tanker shipping and trade maps, supported by the US strategy to get its energy independence. QUESTION 7. ESTIMATING AND FORECASTING It is said that information is the most important variable that make shipping companies win or lose. Currently, technology has enhanced companies to get information from the market, global economy and many other factors in order to make an accurate market estimation and take advantage of it (Stopford, 2009). However, it is said that not all information is reliable, creating uncertainty among shipping players. It is why not only shipowners but also charterers, traders, operators and even brokers must have a clear network to get daily outlooks of what is going on in the market at every stage. Some of the most common information sources are: Shipping institutions: BIMCO, IMO, ICS, BALTIC EXCHANGEà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Broking companies: PLATEAU DAILY REPORTSà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Newspapers, magazinesà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ QUESTION 9. RISK MANAGEMENT: A popular strategy used in the shipping industry to reduce the effects of volatile markets is known as bunker hedging. It consists in a fuel price analysis and it is used with the purpose of reducing the company ´s exposure to volatile bunker costs and eliminating the risk of companies ´ bunker budgets getting out of control (Mercatus, 2016). Swap is one of the most popular uses when bunker hedging (Mercatus, 2016). It allows the buyer to hedge his bunker exposure by fixing the price he pays for fuel at a predefined level, over a predefined period of time. Two different scenarios can be found: Scenario 1: It is when fuel prices move from below the swap execution price. As a financial compensation, the shipping company has to pay back the difference between the market price and the swap price to his trading counterparty in order to offset low prices in the market (C, Cheetham, 2013). Scenario 2: It is when fuel prices move above the swap execution price. As a financial compensation, the shipping line has to receive the difference between the market price and the swap price from his trading counterparty in order to offset high prices in the market (C, Cheetham, 2013). A great forecasting job must be done before entering into a bunker hedging agreement. Shipping companies need to be sure in terms of future bunker prices trends. Related factors such as new oil fields, global trade and international regulations must be always taken into account. When properly managed, bunker hedging can lead companies to generate bigger profits as the exposure to fuel prices fluctuations is removed. A freight derivate contract is defined as a financial contract between two different parties, where future prices for transporting goods by sea are agreed. Freight derivate contracts are usually divided into two main groups: Forward Freight Agreement (FFA) and Freight Swap Agreement (FSA) (Baltic Exchange, 2016). These derivate contracts are used by charterers and shipowners in order to hedge against fluctuations in freight rates. The main difference between the FFAs and FSAs is the assumption of risk. With FSA risk for both parties, with FFA risk assumed by the counterparty. FFAs cover the route, settlement date, contract size and contract rate. Lastly, the main difference between hedging and speculation is that speculation involves an activity to make profit and hedging only attempts to reduce economic business risk. QUESTION 10. OTHER SEGMENTS AND SPECIALIZED CARGOES: LNG stands for Liquefied Natural Gas and it is considered the third major energy source carried by sea, after oil and coal. It is one of the most environmentally friendly energy source which is mainly used for power generation and for the domestic use. LNG is considered a hazardous cargo which requires coated tanks and isolated facilities at port in order to safely handle its extremely low temperature (ICS, 2015; Stopford, 2009; Energy Annual Reports, 2016). LNG is usually transported by Very Large Gas Carriers for very long voyages. LNG can be also transported via pipelines, although for that liquefaction is needed. The transport of LNG includes four different activities: Transportation of LNG from gas fields to plants, via pipeline. Methane gas is separated from other substances and stored for sea transportation. LNG loaded into ships. Receive and store LNG at delivery terminals. The LNG costs are divided in the following proportions: 15% production, 40% liquefaction, 25% sea transport, 20% regasification. It is important to highlight that LNG trade is conducted with long-term contracts (Bareboat or Time Charters) with fixed prices. Main exporters: Iran, Qatar and Russia in less scale: Africa, Asia, North and South America and the EU. Main importers: USA, EU, Japan, S. Korea and China. QUESTION 11. PORT DEVELOPMENT: In order to better understand how ports and terminals develop, it is fundamental to focus in a specific port. In my case, the Port of Rotterdam has been chosen as it was one of my research topics at university. As shipowning companies, ports and terminals are in continuous development process where technology and efficiency improvement are always sought. Time reduction when loading and unloading, port accessibility, hinterland connections and the ability of create economies of scale in terms of cargo handling and cargo storage are some of the main reasons why ports have evolve from individual specialized terminals to huge multipurpose shipping hubs where not only shipping but also logistics activities are carried out(Notteboom and Rodrigue, 2004). It has led to improve the supply chain and the instalment of strategies such as JIT (Just in time). Spatial relationships between terminals are key points in port competition. In order to explore how terminals should interact with each other, two main concepts are highlighted: centrality intermediacy (Notteboom and Rodrigue, 2005). Centrality places terminals as a point of origin and destination traffic. It involves intermodal activities and gene rates economic activities in its vicinity. Intermediacy sees terminals as an intermediate point in the flow of freight. It could also be a good point to exploit transshipment (Notteboom and Rodrigue, 2005). The main reasons why some ports stop developing when they reach a certain stage are: lack of green fields to build new terminals (Eg, Southampton Port or the ICTT Terminal, Vallarpadam-India) and the strong competition from terminal global terminal operators such as Dubai Ports World and APM (Venugopal, 2014). For example, the Port of Rotterdam has been working for a long time in two main expansion projects. Firstly, Maasvlakte I which was completed few years ago, and Maasvlakte II which is still on-process. In terms of space, the Port of Rotterdam will gain a total of 20%-22% extra space to allocate the forecasted rising number of containers and enhance a more viable multimodal system. Economies of scale are achieved by the great number of containers that it is able to handle. Thanks to its dimensions, total costs are divided over more than 11.5 million TEU they handle every year. The provision of customer focused services as well as 24/7 cargo handling and storing activities enhance the port to provide a reduction on vessel ´s turnaround times what leads to better productivity. Last but not least, the proximity of the dry bulk and tanker terminals to key production and storing points give the port an important comparative advantage. It minimizes costs and increases safety and effi ciency in terms of time. The great connections with the hinterland and foreland makes this port a global shipping choke point (Notteboom and Rodrigue, 2004). In order to remain globally competitive, attract foreign trade and increase the total volume of exports and imports, countries have to encourage private operators to invest in national ports infrastructure including port configuration, handling equipment and port connectivity. QUESTION 12: THE CONTAINER SHIPPING MARKET: Over the years, container shipping lines have placed increasing amounts of hope in the notion that the trading growth being experienced in emerging markets would improve the demand of containerships. However, as a large number of Super-Post Panamax containerships (ULCV) of size between 13,000 19,000 TEUs being introduced to the market, increasing the current total capacity of world containership in service to 18.2 million TEUs; the overcapacity issue looks set to continue in 2015, although less severe than year 2009. Currently, the largest containership recorded in the industry are the sister vessel MSC Oscar and MSC Oliver with the size of 19,224 TEU (Lloyds List, 2016). The market is expecting to see more of such vessels magnitude being built and deliver in the near future. In terms of global trends ruling the container`s supply and demand, some facts can be highlighted: 1. Container ´s overcapacity: Timing is one of the main factors when referring to the shipping supply and demand. As great expectations were placed into the current market, many shipowners purchased bigger and more sophisticated vessels, which nowadays can ´t be employed. 2. Emerging economies power demand for shipments: Containerships owners can still find a glimpse of light for this market in emerging economies. For example, Nigeria will see its population grow by 275 million by 2050. It gives an idea of the shipping potential of this emerging economies/countries. 3.Cargo adaptation to the container shipping method: containerization. Cargo can be directly shipped from the mill to the consignee, or even to the customer, making the shipping industry more efficient and safer. 4.Sustainability and environmentally friend: New trends have come up concerning about environment issues. It has radically affected the cost for carriers and consequently the vessel ´s supply and demand (CSR). 5.Customer focus and new technology: Development in technology mainly seeks compliance with new regulations and cost-efficiencies. The current lack of transparency along the supply chain can affect either supply as demand due to wrong market forecast or unforeseen constraints. The East-West trade is mainly driven by the import demand of products from China and India to Europe. However, companies are struggling on the return voyage from West to East. It makes operators to find different ways to optimize the empty containers in order to avoid the loss of marginal profit. In order to remain competitive, operators will have to follow some tendencies which will shape the container industry (ICS, 2015) Cost reduction and vessel optimization can be achieved through forming shipping alliances between containership operators. The alliance agreements generally cover areas such as the type and size of vessel to be employed on each route; itineraries; port rotations, chartering of ships; feeder services and the coordination of inland services. 2M, O3, G6 alliance and the CKYHE. Slow steaming can be also applied (Lloyds List, 2016) Another way is the slot chartering: By leasing out part of the vessel ´s slot during the return voyage from Europe to Far-East, operators can obtain optimum efficiency of fleet operation and to maximize slot utilization (Lloyds List, 2016). And last but not least, cost-savings measure adopted by operators is through the use of longer routes in the East-West trade. For instance, instead of using the Suez Canal, ship operators may choose to travel by a longer sea route through the Cape of Good Hope enabling operators to accommodate additional ships with a similar frequency of port calls and reducing the overcapacity issue. 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