Marketing and Environmental Factors

Macro-marketing â€Å"Macro-marketing literally deals with big/important issues, beyond comparatively simple exchanges between buyers and sellers, or even relationships between companies and customers. In a more interconnected world of markets, marketers, and their stakeholders, macro-marketing is an important mechanism to study both opportunities and shortcomings of marketing, and both its intended positive effects and unintended deleterious effects.This suggests macro-marketing includes an optimistic perspective; that it seeks functional mechanisms to enhance marketing processes, to the benefit of the largest number of stakeholders, the world over. † Various Environmental factors Affecting Marketing process. Various factors affecting marketing process. The environmental factors that are affecting marketing process can be classified into : 1) Internal environment and 2) External environment Internal Environment of Marketing :This refers to factors existing within a marketing firm. They are also called as controllable factors, because the company has control over these factors : a) it can alter or modify factors as its personnel, physical facilities, organization and function means, such as marketing mix, to suit the environment. There are many internal factors that influence the marketing process, they are : Top Management : The organizational structure, Board of Director, professionalization of management.. etc..Factors like the amount of support the top management enjoys from different levels of employees, shareholders and Board of Directors have important infulence on the marketing decisions and their implementation. Finance and Accounting: Accounting  refers to measure of  revenue and costs to help the marketing and to know how well it is achieving its objectives. Finance refers to funding and using funds to carry out the marketing plan. Financial factors are financial polices, financial position and capital structure.Research and Development : Research and Development refers to designing the product safe and attractive. They are technological capabilities, determine a company ability to innovate and compete. Manufacturing : It is responsible for producing the desired quality and quantity of products. Factors which infulence the competitiveness of a firm are production capacity technology andefficiency of the productive apparatus, distribution logistics etc. , Purchasing : Purchasing refers to procurement of goods and services from some external agencies.It is the strategic activity of the business. Company Image and Brand Equity : The image of the company refers in raising finance, forming joint ventures or other alliancessoliciting marketing intermediaries, enteing purchase or sales contract, launching new products etc. In organization, the marketing resources like organization for marketin, quality of marketing, brand equity and dirtribution network have direct bearing on marketing efficiency. They are important for new product introduction and brand extension, etc.. External Environment of Marketing.External factors are beyond the control of a firm, its suceess depends to a large extent on its adaptability to the environment. The external marketing environment consists of : a) Macro environment, and b) Micro environment a) Micro environment: The environmental factors that are in its proximity. The factors influence the company’s non-capacity to produce and serve the market. The factors are : 1) Suppliers: The suppliers to a firm can also alter its competitive position and marketing capabilities. These are raw material suppliers, energy suppliers, suppliers of labor and capital.According to michael Porter, the relationship between suppliers and the firm epitomizes a power equation between them. This equation is based on the industry condition and the extent to which each of them is dependent on the other. The bargaining power of the supplier gets maximized in the following situations: a) Th e seller firm is a maonopoly or an oligopoly firm. b) The supplier is not obliged to contend with othe substitute products for sale to the buyer group. c) The buyer is not an important customer. d) The suppliers’s product is an important input to the buyer’s business and finished product. ) The supplier poses a real threat of forward integration. 2) Market Intermediaries : Every producer has to have a number of intermediaries for promoting, selling and distributing the goods and service to ultimate consumers. These intermediaries may be individual or business firms. These intermediaries are middleman (wholesalers, retailers, sgent’s etc. ), ditributing agency market service agencies and financial institutions. 3) Customers : The customers may be classified as : 1) Ultimate customers: These customers may be individual and householders. ) Industrial customers: These customers are organization which buy goods and services for producing other goods and services for the purpose of other earning profits or fulfilling other objectives. 3) Resellers: They are the intermediaries who purchase goods with a view to resell them at aprofit. They can be wholesalers, retailers, distributors, etc. 4) Government and other non-profit customers: These customers purchase goods and services to those for whom they are produced, for their consumption in most of the cases. ) International customers: These customers are individual and organizations of other countries who buy goods and services either for consumption or for industrial use. Such buyers may be consumers, producers, resellers, and governments. 6 )Competitors: Competitors are those who sell the goods and services of the same and similar description, in the same market. Apart from competition on price, there are like product differentiation. Therefore, it is necessary to build an efficient system of marketing. This will bring confidence and better results. ) Public: It is duty of the company to satisfy t he people at large along with its competitors and the consumers. It is necessary for future growth. The action of the company do infulence the other groups forming the general public for the company. A public is defined as ‘any group that has an actual or potential interest in or impact on a company’s ability to achieve its objective. ’ Public relations are certainly a broad marketing operation which must be fully taken care of. Macro Environment: Macro environment factors act external to the company and are quite uncontrollable.These factors do not affect the marketing ability of the concern directly but indirectly the infulence marketing decisions of the company. These are the macro environmental factors that affect the company’s marketing decisions : a) Demographic Forces: Here, the marketer monitor the population because people forms markets. Marketers are keenly interested in the size and growth rate of population in different cities, regions, and nat ions ; age distribution and ethnic mix ; educational levels; households patterns; and regional characteristics and movements. )Economic Factors: The economic environment consists of macro-level factors related to means of production and distribution that have an impact on the business of an organization. c) Physical Forces: Components of physical forces are earth’s  natural renewal and non-renewal resources. Natural renewal forces are forest, food products from agriculture or sea etc. Non- renewal natural resources are finite such as oil, coal, minerals, etc. Both of these components quite often change the level and type of resources available to a marketer for his production. ) Technological Factors: The technological environment consits of factors related to knowledge applied, and the materials and machines used in the production of goods and services that have an impact on the business of an organization. e) Political and Legal Forces: Developments in political and legal field greatly affect the marketing decisions. sound marketing decision cannot be taken without taking into account, the government agencie, political party in power and in opposition their ideologies, pressire groupss, and laws of the land. These variables create tremendous pressures on marketing management.Laws affect production capactiy, capability, product design, pricing and promotion. Government in almost all the country intervenes in marketing process irrespective of their political ideologies. f) Social and Cultural Forces: This concept has crept into marketing literature as an alternative to the marketing concept. The social forces attempt to make the marketing socially responsible. It means that the business firms should take a lead in eliminating socially harmful products and produce only what is beneficial to the soceity. These are numbers of pressure groups in the soceity who impose restrictions on the marketing process.

Draft for Statement of Purpose

I would like to begin by discussing the core values and ethical principles of Social Work. I came across the core values, according to the National Association of Social Work (NASW), associated with the social work profession, and I discovered the basic values which were listed were also ethical and moral values that I personally would consider as among the most important to consider as a social worker. The NASW listed six core values which included service, social justice, dignity and worth of the person, integrity, and competence. I would like to discuss each in further detail beginning with service.The type of service provided by the social worker is highly important and can make a huge impact as to whether there will be a successful outcome or not. The goal in the service provided by a social worker is to do all that is possible to help the individual(s) who are in need and to concentrate on the social problems that exist. It is important to go above and beyond, putting others in front of yourself, and provide the best service. In order to help those in need, a social worker must use their expertise, veneration, and experience as well as focus on the social problems at hand.In fact, social workers are encouraged to volunteer their knowledge and expertise at times provides services with absolutely no intention of receiving anything in return. I personally feel that although there may not be any financial compensation, just the fact that you could apply your skills and knowledge to help an individual, or individuals, is an even greater reward. Another core value is social justice, which refers to the idea of helping people realize that there are ways to improve certain types of living situations. The responsibility as a social worker is to always oppose and develop ways to change social injustice.Examples of different forms of social injustice include situations such as poverty, unemployment, discrimination, etc. As a social worker, attempts to assist individ uals, families, or groups who are particularly vulnerable such forms of social injustice, providing them with the resources and information available as to what options they may have to change their situation, while allowing them to see that, no matter what cultural or ethnic diversity, you are nonjudgmental, knowledgeable, understanding, and sensitive to their situation and will be there to help every step of the way.These are the actions of a truly sincere social worker as they all should be. The dignity and worth of the person is another core value which is also extremely important being a social worker. It is essential as a social worker to always have respect for the innate virtues, significance and self-worth of every person, treating each and every individual equally. However, it is a social workers job to take into account and be familiar with the cultural and ethnic diversity of a particular individual(s) in order to provide the best plan of care.As a social worker, it is i mportant to allow the clients’ to assess their social situation and their aptitude to promote change while assisting them by devising a plan which is significant to the clients’ individual needs. Another core value expressed by the NASW is the importance of human relationships. All people rely on other individuals for acceptance and as a support system when going through difficult times, or when having to make important decisions.As humans, we look for that support from other, therefore, social workers welcome the idea of other people being important factors to the healing, or helping, process of an individual(s). Social workers have realized the importance of developing stronger relationships between people to create a positive outcome and strengthen the well-being of individuals, families, social groups, organizations, as well as communities. The next core value, which I personally have always lived by in my own life, is integrity.A social worker should always act in a trustworthy manner in all situations and to always be aware of and remember the mission of the profession, the values expected to uphold, and those ethical principles and standards associated with the social work profession as a whole. They should continue to practice honesty and be responsible of upholding those ethical practices within the organizations they are affiliated with. Competence is the final core value discussed.A social worker should have the knowledge, resourcefulness, and dexterity to perform the job correctly while always continuing to improve their area of competence as well as strengthen and improve their abilities as a social worker. There is always new knowledge available which can help improve your skills as a social worker. I believe it is the responsibility of a good social worker to always be aware of any new information, theories, and research studies because there is always room for improvement and the more skillful and knowledgeable you are, the better work you can do to really help clients and society as a whole.I would now like to take this opportunity to discuss social work on a much more personal level, as it means to me. When I first began high school, I knew without a doubt that this type of work was what I wanted to do and what I wanted to major in when I went to college. I began with psychology because I was intrigued by questions such as why we think the way we do, or what makes one person turn out this way or think a certain way while the next person can behave completely different. The human brain and how it functioned, in general, was something I was completely fascinated by.And I still love psychology and everything about it, however, throughtout the years, I discovered my passion for wanting to help people in whatever way I could. Although my work experience included many very different types of work, I noticed one commonality between them all which was interacting with people, and helping people in some form or ano ther, and it was something I really loved doing and was remarkably good at it as well. Helping someone who was upset or angry and seeing them walk away with a smile and a whole new attitude made my day.In fact, I will find myself shopping in Wal-Mart and end up helping a complete stranger locate something they were looking for or even assist them in choosing which gift to purchase for a loved one. I realized that helping people just comes naturally to me. Even in my personal life, I was always the honest, trustworthy, and caring friend that my friends would come to when they needed help. My point is that my own morals, values, and beliefs which I live by and grew up with go hand in hand with those six core values every social worker should possess.This is why I decided that returning to school to obtain my master’s in social work was a much better fit for me that simply receiving a master’s in psychology. A career in social work is exactly what I would love doing for a living. When it came time to choose a concentration, I had to make a choice between mental health and family and children services. I once again looked at my own life. I have always had an interest in all areas of mental health. I have seen family members fighting addiction.I personally fought with anxiety, panic attacks, and depression after my son passed away from SIDS the day he made three months old as well as my battle with ADD when I was a child. When I was a teenager, I became very close to this wonderful family whose youngest daughter had been diagnosed with Down syndrome. Her name was Amy and although we were the same age, her mentality was that of about a ten year old. Amy and I became very close and spent a lot of time together for many years.We would go to all sorts of things together but quite often we would attend events where there would be many other children and adults with a variety of mental disabilities. I was fortunate enough to meet many of these individuals a nd their families as well and learned a lot about the many different mental handicaps. These opportunities increased my knowledge and curiosity as well. Therefore, due to my own life experiences, I have decided to concentrate in mental health. As an undergraduate at Southeastern Louisiana University, I learned a lot as far as my academic capabilities.Throughout high school, I never had to actually study or even really try very hard at all to maintain honor roll and stay in Beta Club so it took me awhile to adjust once I started college. I had to learn the best way for me to study and manage my time. Another hard lesson which I wish I would have picked up on much sooner was just how important those â€Å"A’s† were to my GPA. Although I figured it all out, my regret was that if I would have learned just a bit sooner my final GPA of 2. 895 would have been much, much higher!My strength academically is my love of knowledge and learning new things. I just can never get enoug h of that. I am so excited about the opportunity to attend USC to obtain my master’s in social work. After speaking with a few people who told just how great of a school I would be attending made me even more confident that I made the right decision when choosing which online university to attend. I know I made the right choice for my future and am looking forward to not only beginning my classes but also knowing that this is the beginning of the career I have been wanting for some time now.

A health intervention plan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

A health intervention plan - Essay Example Such a plan is also aimed at improving the health and quality of life of the community. This is done by setting up ways of preventing and treating diseases, attending to physical and mental conditions, surveillance of these conditions and lastly through the promotion of healthy behaviors (Anderson & McFarlane, 2010). Implementing a community health intervention plans is a difficult and labor intensive process that requires dedication and resources from all the stakeholders in order to ensure success. The process is tedious and involves a variety of issues. First of all the implementers must have a clear goal or purpose why they want to undertake the exercise, and the community they want to involve in such a plan. They must identify the health problem that exists and what they want to achieve by setting up the intervention plan. The implementers need this, as it will help them to communicate to the community why such an intervention is needed and why their participation is of great im portance. The next thing in the process is to have knowledge of the community in terms of its economic conditions, political setup, norms and values, demographic information, history, and their previous reactions to such plans. For the implementation process to succeed the implementers also need understand the community’s perceptions of the people conducting the exercise. At this stage of the process it is important to establish relationships, work on trust, and engage with both the formal and the informal leaders of the community. The process also requires the participation of the community organizations in mobilizing leaders and the community to ensure the success of the process. It is known that for such a program to be successful the community must play the integral part in all spheres of the program. In the process of implementing the program, it is of great importance to let the people own the process rather than forcing ideas on them. This will make it easier for the i mplementers of the project to accomplish the task successfully (Katz, 2010). The implementers then move to another stage of identifying and mobilizing the community’s assets such as skills and experiences of individuals, developing capacities and resources such as materials and economic power. These are used for continuously to implement decisions and to initiate actions. Here training in leadership, meetings and discussions will be of great importance with experts who will deal with a variety of issues (Anderson & McFarlane, 2010). The last part of the process is to engage the people full in the intervention program by initiating actions and interventions to the community. These should be flexible and enough to help the community in solving their changing needs. As the community participates in these activities, they experience a high level of behavior change. The implementation process requires commitment from the organization and other stakeholders to ensure its success. T he commitment will come from continuous training and offering of technical assistance to emerging problems (Katz, 2010). The community nurse plays a variety of roles in such health intervention plan. He/she acts as a leader by guiding the community in coming up with ways of improving the health of the community. He/she identifies the problems that require interventions and proposes ways to address them. He/she will also act as an advocate for good health to the community by arguing on behalf of the community so that they get the best health care services available. Another role is to construct caring such that they create caring environments by assessing, controlling, correcting and

National Vocational Educational and Training Essay

National Vocational Educational and Training - Essay Example NVET seeks to reconcile the educational training needs f the individual, the employer and the economy in such a way as to increase the competitiveness f organisations and British Industry as a whole, while at the same time ensuring that individuals can develop in ways that will enable them to lead meaningful and satisfying lives. Harrison, R. (1992).cited in Walton, J. (1999) p75. Methods f training and educating employees had been in existence in some form or other since medieval times. In certain industries such as engineering and printing apprenticeships had long been established. Although the education act f 1944 required employers to release young employees to attend 'further education and liberal studies' classes in 'county colleges', it wasn't until the nineteen sixties that national training and learning initiatives came into existence. Reid et al. (2004)Up to this point many organisations were still rigid in structure and ruled by bureaucracy as fathered by Weber, (1947) and followed the principles f Taylor (from Morgan.1997) where workers were deskilled for efficiency and hierarchic managers held a position f superiority and knowledge held by them was never shared as this knowledge was power. The middle years f the twentieth century saw theories from Maslow (1943) who defined a 'hierarchy f needs' for individuals in the work place and McGregor (1960 ) who contrasted management styles and categorised them into 'X and Y' theories, X being akin to Taylor's scientific management principles and his Y theory proposing that managers understood that workers wanted to contribute to the organisations objectives. Work now involved tasks being challenging and meaningful for the worker and the term 'job enrichment ' now existed as stated by Herzber,g et al. (1959). The later part f the century was subject to relentless change. Kolb, (1974, 1984) introduced a theory that managers should be naturally learned 'by experience' and described a four stage sequential process for learning at work without a teacher or trainer. In industry new products and processes emerged, especially regarding information technology and the advent f the internet. Organisations grew in stature and now had mission statements, corporate objectives and medium term plans which would include personnel issues. This era saw organisations introduce systems which were open to their environment and socio-technical systems, Trist (1981) a theory that proposed that a key task for managers was to understand changing relationships between people, tasks, technology and structure. Consultation now existed with the workforce and participation became respectable. Government agencies such as the 'Manpower Services Commission' the 'Training Services Agency' and Youth Training Schemes all

Company E-Business Comparison Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Company E-Business Comparison - Research Paper Example E-procurement refers to the business activities that employ the internet. This process requires the utilization of electronic applications. Effective e-procurement systems link companies with their business partners. The most significant link is to suppliers and hence fosters possible negotiations on costs and takes care of any issues arising from transactions. An effective e-procurement system should be able to evaluate prices and result in an optimum output from the supplier (Chorafas, 2001). Company B will benefit from the application of this procurement process as it ensures organization of data for the company thus data required can be easily retrieved. This simplifies the process of coming up with decisions for the company. In addition, these processes occur as prepared copies that are filled in a similar way hence ensuring uniformity of data collection within the company. In addition, the uniformity plays a crucial role in monitoring and keeping track of business transactions. Effective application of this model will also help to avoid the cost of inventory for company B (Chorafas, 2001).   On the contrary, there are various challenges that Company B will experience. It requires the input of time, manpower and money to implement effectively and hence a deficiency of either of these parameters will lead to a collapse of Company B. Moreover, the results may manifest after a long time and hence patient should be observed by company B so as to realize the input of the resources utilized and this can be frustrating (Chorafas, 2001).  ... In overall, implementation of this process will make company B more competitive as it gives it a cutting edge above company A as it attracts a bigger share of the market (Chorafas, 2001). Though the implementation of this process is of benefit, there are a variety of challenges that it possesses. To begin with, this process requires the input of professionals so as to execute efficiently. Moreover, the development of complex networks may impair the proper functioning of the system since some may be neglected and render the whole system ineffective. Therefore, the functioning of an effective customer relation management system is advantageous. However, it should be operated by skilled personnel for effectiveness (Chorafas, 2001). Sell Chain Management Sell chain management refers to the processes involved in ensuring secure and timely delivery of products to the client. It promotes flexibility in the production process and leads to outsourcing of products and services. This means that there is delegation of managerial responsibilities during service delivery and, hence multiple companies are involved in the process of product delivery to the customer (Zigiaris, 2000). The implementation of effective sell chain management systems within a company is crucial so as to compete effectively with the concept of a diverse market following globalisation. Company B, which employs the sell chain management process will benefit by reaching a larger and diverse market while sharing managerial responsibilities with the other players within the network. This will foster efficiency within each player and hence the overall output from Company B will be better than company A due to the effect of specialisation employed (Zigiaris, 2000).

Childhood memory Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Childhood memory - Essay Example The intricacies of a busy family life then was the culprit for my entering school almost two months after the official opening of classes. I gathered, they just forgot. I can still remember the fear I have inside with my heart throbbing ferociously. There I was in my crisp new uniform with a heavy bag loaded with books sheepishly creeping in the classroom accompanied by my mother. Her warm hands clasp my cold sweaty palms. There she was, the teacher – Miss Cruz, (I could never forget her name) smiling and beckoning me to her side. She briefly made a short, rather loud introduction in front of those staring, rather, glaring eyes attached to little children seated in their respective desks. I somehow wondered how in the world did I get an instant desk. And how come they all seem to know each other – whispering to each other (aloud) –when I could hardly recognize any of them? My mother started to bid me goodbye but I refused to get my sweaty hand’s grasp out of her warm palm. No, mommy! Don’t leave me here with these strangers all staring at me like I am some alien from another world – so I thought. With relentless reassurance from Miss Cruz (who started to take my hand off from my mother) and my mom who promised she would stay only outside the classroom where I can still see her and wait until classes are over – did I finally succumb. Anyway, they added, recess is almost near. What is the world does that mean? I wondered. After being seated, a girl right beside my desk, in braids and spectacles, Rebecca, started to talk to me. She asked me what my name was and offered to assist me in the topic they were discussing when my entrance rudely interrupted them. She appeared friendly and her spectacles prevented me from seeing her stare. After that tragic, drastic, nerve-wrecking day, as a naà ¯ve girl of five, I started my academic journey of which until

Developing Hybrid Vehicles at General Motors Research Proposal

Developing Hybrid Vehicles at General Motors - Research Proposal Example The new product paradigm is based on combining technologies so that vehicles use a less expensive and more environmentally friendly way to operate. These new technologies include burning fuels such as alcohol or hydrogen or combine the use of electricity and gasoline. In some new models, the vehicle will start off using its gasoline engine and, when the driver has reached cruising speed, the batteries power the car while the primary engine idles. This greatly reduces the use of gasoline and lessens the amount of pollution from the car. The objectives of this research will be to gauge the demand for hybrid and alternative fuel vehicles by conducting surveys of consumers and collecting data on the impact of providing such products to the market. Specifically, the research will focus on those individuals who are likely to purchase a vehicle in the next 12 months and are either concerned about the price of fuel or about the environmental impact of fossil fuel consumption; the research will seek to quantify the percentage of American consumers who are likely to respond positively to a new hybrid vehicle from GM and determine what features would be most attractive to them. Study Type. The research proposed in this study will be structured along the lines of standard exploratory methods, combining both primary and secondary research scopes.The overall aim of the research is to come to a general understanding of consumer demand for a proposed new vehicle that operates on alternative fuels and/or provides the consumer with superior performance in terms of fuel consumption. This inquiry will be combined with an investigation into the feasibility and cost of designing and producing such a product. The initial focus of the research will be primary; it will focus directly on consumer demand for the special features of the product. Further, there will be a secondary research component that will seek to use current independent research into the costs and benefits associated with providing this type of product to the American consumer.Target Population and Sample Size. The target population for this study will be American consumers who fall into three categorie s. First, the individuals surveyed must be likely to purchase a new vehicle within the next 12 months. This will inform the research with the opinions of actual prospective consumers and prevent the introduction of inaccurate information from those who are not within the target market. Second, the target population members will have to have more than just the intention to purchase a new vehicle. They must have a strong opinion on one of two other areas; either they are very concerned about the price of gasoline because of the increased expenses they incur OR they are concerned about the environment and the impact of fossil fuel consumption on the future of the planet. Any person who is likely to purchase a new vehicle within the next year AND is concerned about gas prices or the environment will be considered a valid member of the target population.

Children and the holocaust Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Children and the holocaust - Research Paper Example The urge of the German leader, Adolf Hitler, to control the Semites and to trim their generation underpins the great commitment of his government to reduce the population of Jewish children. As children were perceived as the propagative generations, they were a priority target at a time when the Germans felt that Jews were traitors and did not deserve to exist in the country. From this perspective, the Holocaust was a period suffering for Children, which had both immediate effects and negative consequences long after the war. Prior to the Second World War, the German government had sent a number of signs that Jews would be the next victim of terror under the autocratic leadership of Hitler. The Germany government expressed high level of dissatisfaction with the Jews, who were perceived as traitors during the period of the war. While there was an expectation that the Jews would have fallen victim of Hitler power abuse, it was not anticipated that such a negative ordeal would befall children as it dawned as soon as the war began. Statistics indicate that over 1.5 million children were killed during the holocaust, of which 1.2 million were from the Jewish community (Sterling 212). The rest comprised of the Gypsy and German children who were perceived to have mental defects. The German government targeted children as one of the ways of punishing the Jews. Besides, the government had a motive to shun the popularity of Jews that was growing as a result of their population increase. Since children represented t he continuity of the Jewish generation, they were the main target to control population increase and to discontinue the disloyal, as they put it, generation. At the eve of the war, children were separated from their parents forcefully and they no longer had the power to hold on their rights of keeping their children. The government targeted the Jewish settlement areas and killed majority of the population while transporting others to the

Mabalacat Pampanga Essay Example for Free

Mabalacat Pampanga Essay Is a former municipality, the third city in Pampanga converted because of a referendum on July 21,2012. According to the last 2010 consensus, Mabalacat has a population of 215,610 people. Economy and Livelihood -Mabalacat is a major transportation hub here in Pampanga connecting NLEX, SCTEX , and the McArthur Hi-Way. -Mabalacat is a highly urbanized city. It consists of different business establishments. A lot of this includes iron works, ceramics, car accessories and different hotels and restaurants. -Mabalacat also gets some tax contributed income from the Clark Freeport Zone. -Delicacies include tocino del cielo and pastillas. Cultural Profiles: Festivals: Caragan Festival: This is a Festival in Mabalacat which the Mabalacat people celebrates its roots and ancestry and to honor the town’s first Aeta chieftain. City Fiesta: Every February 2, the city Fiesta is celebrated in honor of the statue of a Virgin Mary with a baby Jesus on her lap that was found by Cabezang Laureanas workers, This statue was presented to Caragan as a gift by Padre Maximilian Manuguid, the priest of early Mabalacat church. Customs -Mabalacat people are religious and diligent. They put the family time and church activities as one of their priorities. -Mabalacat people follow the holy week traditions carefully and still practices Penitensya.* *as cited by residents Traditions -Mabalacat people still follows pastorella, even though all other places in Pampanga have stopped celebrating it. -Mabalacat people majority still follow the â€Å"penitensya† during the Holy Week. -People of Mabalacat always spend quality time with each other especially family. -The People of Mabalacat has a family first kind of principle.* *as cited by Residents. Prominent Local Figures: Mayor MORALES, BOKINGVice-Mayor HALILI, CHRISTIANLydia de Vega a famous runnerMelanie Marquez is a former beauty queen and model who won the 1979 Miss International beauty pageant.Joey Marquez is an actor and politician.

Reviewing Classroom Management Plan Essay Example for Free

Reviewing Classroom Management Plan Essay In reviewing this classroom management plan, I will be looking at the various elements that make up the plan. Such as the visual environment, physical arrangement, class rules and procedures as well as the types of instruction, communication plan and the teacher’s personal philosophy. Classroom management involves teacher actions to create a learning environment that encourages positive social interaction, active engagement in learning, and self- motivation. (Burden 2004) The management plan discusses how the visual environment will be set up to motivate the students to learn by having a star student board. That recognizes the student’s hard work both intellectually and socially. As well as having the walls decorated with posters and student’s artwork. There will also be plants and animals in the classroom that the students will be take care of in order to develop of sense of responsibility. It is important to make your classroom an attractive, comfortable place. (Burden, 2004) Sensory stimulation is another effect of a good classroom setting. For children, it is easier to learn in a very appealing classroom, because the elements of the things that would appeal to the senses are there. Pictures, colors, sound, and so forth. (Furniture, 2008)The physical arrangement is set up in groups so that the students can use it as a work space as well as centers. By putting the desks in group it promotes group cohesiveness as well as helping with behavior management. It also helps students with different learning needs, because students get the help that they need by having their peers and teacher to help them. Having different centers in the classroom is an excellent way to incorporate many skills and concepts, but it is also a great way to target students’ different learning styles. This plan gives students a chance to express their different learning styles. By giving them a chance to work with other students in the book nook area or meet with them on the carpet at different designated times. The arrangement of furniture affects space allocation and space allocation has effects to the learning atmosphere. If the classroom looks narrow and small for students, they feel restricted and they do not interact well. On the other hand, if a classroom provides adequate space, students feel that there is space for interaction. (Furniture, 2008) The room is set up so the high traffic areas are free of congestion and there is plenty of space to be able to move around the room effectively. Some things that you could add to make the classroom more accessible for students in a wheel chair is by maybe adding a ramp outside the class room, and larger work space area for the student to be able work at instead of a traditional desk. The way the desks, tables, and other classroom materials are arranged affects instruction and has an influence on order in the classroom. (Burden, 2004) The plan does not tell how the teacher developed the rules. Ways that you could have the students become involved in the process of making the rules is by asking the students what things that they think should be a rule. Depending on the age of children, the teacher may need to reword the rules in positive way instead of a negative. When teachers collaborate with their students to identify the need for rules and procedures in the classroom it helps to establish an orderly and safe place for learning. When they are given the opportunity to help create the list of rules, students are more motivated to follow them. Students will understand that the rules are meant to keep them safe and help them figure out what to do. Rules are general behavioral standards or expectations that are to be followed in classroom. They are general rules of conduct that are intended to guide individual behavior in an attempt to promote positive interaction and avoid disruptive behavior. (Burden, 2004) For playground and cafeteria behavior the teacher has the students follow the classroom rules. Procedures are approved ways to achieve specific tasks in the classroom. (Burden, 2004) If students know the classroom procedures, the routine runs more smoothly and efficiently and less time is wasted. (Ashbaker, 2006) Establishing classroom procedures and rules helps teachers and students to stay organized. When the students have  clear expectations there are fewer behavior disruptions. Procedures tell students how to perform routine instructional and housekeeping tasks. (Sadlers, 2009) The teacher has set transitions for the students to follow for beginning of the school day, leaving the room, returning to the room and the ending of day. The transitions for starting the day is having the students put a card onto the bulletin board telling what they want for lunch, they will also find out what their job will be for the day. By doing this it teaches the student’s responsibility for making sure that their job gets done and they get to chose what they want for lunch. The students next need to go to their desks and do their morning working which gives all the students time to put their lunch card onto the bulletin board and find out their job. As well as letting the teacher get any last minute things ready for the day of instruction. The students have a set way of leaving the room in which they need to do the appropriate sign language sign for their needs. Then once the teacher acknowledges them, they also need to sign out on the sheet by the door and take the hall pass. When returning to the room the students needs to enter the room quietly and sign back in on the paper and return the hall pass and then return back to their work. By doing this it also forces the student to take responsibility for remembering the right sign language sign and also to make sure that the teacher sees the sign before they can get from their desk. As well as making sure to remember to sign out and sign in and take the hall pass and return the pass when they return back to the room. Transitions are movements from one activity to another. A smooth transition allows one activity to flow into another without any breaks in the delivery of the lesson. To reduce the potential for disorder during transitions, you should prepare students for upcoming transitions, establish efficient transition routines, and clearly define the boundaries for the lessons. (Burden, 2003) The children are taught sign language for the words drinking fountain, sink, and bathroom, which are non-verbal cues that the students can use to let the teacher know of their needs. As well the teacher also uses cues by raising her hand in the air to let children know that the classroom is getting too noisy. The students will then raise their hands as well and put their finger over their lips and immediately stop what they are doing and put their eyes on the teacher. By using sign language as well as other non verbal cues, it is a way for the student as well as the teacher to express themselves without disrupting the class. The teacher states that she will using multiple intelligences to include all learning styles, She will be using a combination of direct instruction, small groups and center to teach the students. There is no mention in the plan of how the teacher creates or delivers her lesson plan. To meet the needs of diverse students, instruction cannot be one-dimensional. By using various methods of instruction it helps each student to reach their academic potential. (Burden, 2004)There is a communication plan set up to keep the teacher, students and parents up to date on the student’s progress. The students will receive feedback on their assignments as well as assignments will be displayed on the front board. Each student will keep track of their assignments in their own personal assignment books. If a student stops completing their assignments then there will be a pink slip that will be sent home to the parent. Which will explain the assignment that was not completed the consequences as well the slip needs to be signed by a parent before sending back to school. There will also be a star bulletin board set up where the teacher will give the student positive feedback. Parent conferences will be held as well as having report cards sent home. This plan help the students receive some positive feedback from their teachers as well as letting them stay up to date on their homework assignments. Although I think this plan needs to include more ways for students as well as parents to receive frequent positive and negative feedback. Providing positive feedback helps the child to feel good about what they have accomplished. As well from negative feedback learn what skill or behavior they need to approved upon. Overall I like this class management plan; I believe Classroom Management is the key component in any educational setting. I believe that if students are in a safe environment, then learning can take place. In this plan the teacher set the tone for the class, by preventing behavior problems with interesting and engaging curriculums and effectively including all students in the classroom so that their needs are met. Having the right environment for all students to learn should be every teacher’s major goal. In order to implement an effective classroom management plan in the classroom, without it the students would not be able to learn. The changes I would make are to include more feedback for students and information on how the rules and lesson plan were developed and implemented. Also let the students have a part in developing the rules, so that will have a better understanding of rules. They also will be more inclined to follow them and the consequences. Another thing that is missing is a behavior system that includes some certain of reward system for the students as well as the classroom for positive behavior and consequences for negative behavior. I would leave everything else the same; I think that the main components of the plan would work well with the needed changes that I have suggested. I think that a paraprofessional would be able to fit nicely into this plan by helping the teacher and students when needed. . References Ashbaker, B. Morgan, J. (2006). Paraprofessionals in the Classroom. Boston, MA: Pearson Education, Inc Burden, Paul R. (2003). Classroom management: Creating a successful learning Community (2nd). JohnWiley Sons. Maine Burden, P. (2004) An Educator’s Guide to Classroom Management. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. Sadlers, Krista. (2009, November 2). How to Establish Classroom Procedures and Rules. Retrieved from http://classroom-organization. suite101. com/article. cfm/how_to_establish_classroom_procedures_and_rules Furniture Arrangement affects learning. (2008). Retrieved from http://sugearup. com/2008/09/furniture-arrangement-affects-learning.

Personal Development Plan for Leadership Skills

Personal Development Plan for Leadership Skills PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT PLAN AND REFLECTIVE RATIONALE WITH REGARD TO LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT. BRIEF: 101871 INTRODUCTION In order to understand the reasoning behind the personal development plan and reflective rationale in relation to leadership development in the Nursing field, one will have to define what these two terminologies are. According to the British Medical Association, the personal development plan (PDP), is a tool that can identify areas for further development and encourage life long learning. It acts as a process of planning, monitoring, assessment, and support to help staff develop their capabilities and potential to fulfil their job role and purpose. It is an approach to increase the effectiveness of the organisation’s performance through ongoing, constructive dialogue to ensure that everyone knows what is expected of them; gets feedback on performance; is able to identify and satisfy their development needs. A PDP can identify goals for the forthcoming year and methods for achieving these goals. PDP’s were advocated by the medical royal colleges as a basis for continuing professional development. While the reflective rationale, is stated as one where a practitioner seeks to apply learning and insights of other people in their work, and develop their own insights and share these with colleagues, Gorman (1998). Essentially reflection involves three key stages, awareness of an issue, analysis of knowledge and feelings, and identification and integration of new learning, Atkins and Murphy (1993). Sharing and discussing these insights with their multi-disciplinary team will promote honest open communication and mutual trust. Reflection may be recorded in a diary, journal, or learning log. Now, that we have understand the meaning of these two concepts, we will talk about the personal development plan with regard to nursing from the following the three issues, namely transformational leadership, managing conflict, and motivation. PART 1 TRANSFORMATIONAL LEADERSHIP Due to the emerging importance of clinical leadership, the issue of transformational leadership in the nursing field has become a very important issue. This is partly due to the fact that existing literature covering leadership has found it difficult in characterizing effective clinical leaders. Using five attributes identified by Cook (2004) and other relevant published material, one would explain the issue of transformational leadership. The attributes are Creativity, highlighting, influencing, respecting, and supporting. Creativity This is required to generate new ways of working. As Sadler (1997), puts it, the essence of nursing, can be said to be ‘an individually and socially defined creative process, to meet a recognised need’. Creativity results from engaging actively with the surroundings to seek new possibilities. Using an experience from a mental health nurse, it was explained that the organisation (nursing) was not forward looking, but strictly structured. However, from an experience from a nurse who had just come back from a nursing course, the nurse applied for the course and enrolled, and that over the years they both used their creative experience to develop nursing to what it is now. Highlighting This attribute gives one the ability to point out new ways of care delivery, based on engaging actively with the care environment. According to Cook (2004), the effective clinical nurse leaders were willing to look for new ways of doing things. On a regular basis questions were asked to clarify and enhance understanding. The status quo, were persistent and shared their new knowledge with others. As stated by an experienced sexual health nurse, one of the important issues was the ability to highlight her case her case through others. Influencing Influencing others through provision of meaningful information is the key to this attribute. According to Cook (2004), effective clinical leaders were able to help others to see and understand situations from various perspectives. For example, a community adult nurse explained how she had agreed to take on the care of a person, within her team, in which there was already a burgeoning caseload. She used accurate case notes to keep a log of the happenings, whereby she shared it with her line managers and team. This helped in improving the team’s performance as to how to deal and tackle with situations. Respecting This involves having a regard for the signals that emanate from individuals and the wider organisational area. Respecting these signals enables people to position themselves appropriately to respond to both individual and organisational needs Sergiovanni (1992), West-Burnham (1997), and Jarrold (1998). Hall (1974) uses the term proxemics[1] to explain this phenomenon. In this case effective clinical leaders have well-developed perceptual ability, and therefore, respect signals from individuals with whom they work with. Supporting This attribute refers to the ability to support others through change, whether at an individual level, including changes to self, or involving groups or wider organisational levels. According to Cook (2004), effective clinical nurse leaders in this context recognise that by supporting staff through various situations they enhanced ownership of the problem and promoted effective learning. It is also likely that effective clinical nurse leaders have experienced similar challenges previously, and have acquired the skills to relate their learning to others. With the explanation of an experienced specialist sexual health nurse, Cook (2004) explains that by supporting a person through a problem, the effective clinical leader helped them to see different options and choices. Bennis and Manus (1985), also explains that a transformatic leader has the ability to commit people to action-that is, to covert followers into leaders and to assist new leaders to become viable agents of social or institutional change. This type of leader has vestiges of what the German sociologist Max Weber called pure charisma. Such leaders employ power wisely, and they manage resistance, not autocratically or high-handedly, but by ‘creating visions of the future that evoke confidence in and mastery of new organizational practices’, Bennis and Manus (1985). They also add that ‘leadership is like the Invisible snowman: he or she is never seen but his or her foot prints turn up everywhere’. Riba and Reches (2002), also add that there is a direct correlation between the charge nurse’s charisma and authority and her nurses’ level of commitment, self confidence, sense of belonging and desire to contribute. It is of utmost importance that the char ge nurse be a source of direction and strength, offer answers to professional questions, and provide on-the-spot solutions to on-the-spot problems. They also added that a charge nurse exercises a great influence on the professional development of her subordinates. Her critical role in times of emergency only reinforces that finding and demands a response at the policy-making level. Candidates with leadership potential should be looked for at early stages of professional assessment and given the appropriate leadership training. According to Goldberg (2001), the leadership role of ER charge nurses needs nurturing. MANAGING CONFLICT From the attributes identified by Cook (2004), the issue of influencing others through provision of meaningful information is a way of managing conflict. As described by the community adult nurse; she had to respond to a request to add a person with complex health needs to an already burgeoning caseload. The nurse agreeing to take on this extra person is a method of managing conflict. Also, notes were taken to monitor the impact of this situation, which is a very useful tool to keep a log of the difficulties and problems that arised as a result of this situation. The notes taken would act as a guideline for future recommendations or mishaps that might occur that is similar to what had previously happened. Another attribute mentioned by Cook (2004) which can be deemed as a useful technique to managing conflict is the one of respecting. This attribute which involves having a regard for the signals that emanate from individuals and wider organisational arena. Being able to respect colle agues, and fellow team mates opinions can be regarded as the most important tool for managing conflict. As explained by the surgical nurse, when a previous patient had returned from a theatre that morning, the needs of the patient had made it difficult for care. So, at the time of handover the nurse made sure that a detailed explanation of the patient was made known to the new staff, in which the patient’s partner insisted on participating and helping out with the care. The last attribute which can be described as another good technique to combat conflict is supporting. As Cook (2004), puts it the ability to support others through change, whether at an individual level, including changes to self or involving groups or wider organisational levels. Clinical nurse leaders who are effective recognize that by supporting staff through various situations they enhanced ownership of a problem and promoted effective learning. As the example of the specialist sexual health nurse is expl ained, by supporting a person through a problem, the effective clinical leader helped them to see different options and choices, in order words rather than querying or arguing with a colleague, it is best to support them in their approach thereby avoiding and managing conflict. Harrington-Mackin (1996), also explains that one of the major problems presented in the team work approach is that people are not accustomed to ‘group problem-solving’ in order words working together as a team to avoid conflict and resolve a particular problem. It is a practice that not only hasn’t been learned, but is a difficult one to institute. For example, in school children are taught to rely on their own resources; to develop their individual capabilities. Harrington-Mackin (1996), cites the example of a fourth grader, who wouldn’t be allowed to say, ‘‘Hey, Joe you’re good at word problems and I’m good at multiplication tables, so let’s get to gether for this test’’, yet the adult equivalent of this is seen in the workplace when teams are expected to come up with a group solution to a problem. This is an odd practice for most people, as well as the fact that trying to reach a consensus in a group of adults can frequently result in heated arguments, and no solution. Team decision-making can be frustrating. The team members have to take the time to listen to everyone’s opinions; a time-consuming process where the inclination is frequently to jump on the first answer given rather than go through the lengthy and frequently tedious process of hearing from everyone, Harrington-Mackin (1996). MOTIVATION This is an issue that tends to crop up at every stage of one’s work life. In this context, task variety and participation allows each member in a group or team to perform a number of tasks, motivating members to use different skills, as well as rotating less desirable tasks. According to Hackman and Oldman (1980), interdependence within a team or group also acts as a crucial element in motivation. One form of this is task interdependence, which involves members of the team depending on one another to accomplish goals. Goal interdependence refers not only to a group having a goal, but also to the fact that group member’s goals should be linked. Interdependent feedback and rewards are necessary, as all of the interdependency characteristics, to promote motivation in the team. Another task which helps keep motivation up is workload sharing. Another method to ensure motivation is the use of rewards. It is stressed that rewards should be given in a manner that promotes team cohesiveness. If given in the correct manner, they will likely increase potency, or the belief that the team will perform effectively in the future. Bowen and Lawler (1992), Wall and Martin (1994), also argue that empowering practices such as provision of organisational information to employees, reduction of bureaucratic controls and increased task autonomy helps in increasing employee motivation. French and Raven (1958) also add that motivation is an attribute that makes one want to do or carry-out a task willingly without being instructed. This is related to the latter previously mentioned. Bass and Avolio (1990), also argue that a generally accepted approach that motivates followers to perform their full potential overtime is by influencing a change in perceptions and providing a sense of direction. The kind of knowledge required to motivate others is transformational knowledge. This is soft knowledge that is difficult to define and involves intuition, wisdom and mystery in contr ast to technical control. PART 2 REFLECTIVE RATIONALE According to Plato ‘the un-reflected life is not worth living’, Taylor (2000). These are very meaningful words that imply that individuals need to reflect on every aspect of their lives. This is more so whilst leading a professional life as practice in a profession has implications for more than just an individual. Taylor (2000) insists that the ability to reflect is a valuable part of human life. It is this ability that separates humans from other species. As Taylor (2000) argues, it is the throwing back of oneself to thoughts and memories using thinking, contemplation, meditation and any other forms of cognitive strategies to make changes if they are required. It requires a rational and intuitive process which allows change to occur. These aspects of thinking are integral to reflection, and for making sense of personal and work events and can depend on the demands of the situation and the enormity of the task, Taylor (2000). Schon (1983) thought similarly but was able to categorise reflective practice into reflection on action which can be viewed as a retrospective activity, looking back and evaluating ones professional practice. According to Schon (1983), reflection in action is a more dynamic process of thinking about and coming to an internal knowledge of current professional practice at the time. In practice these distinctions may seem quite blurred at times and the NHS Trust encourages nurses to focus on the process of reflective activity other than individual reflective strategies NHS Trust (2003). Literature suggests that professionals can use strategies that will minimise the shortcomings of reflection and make it relevant to the present. The attribute of influencing others through provision of meaningful information, is one that correlates with the previous mentioned. Gray (1998) asserts that to be able to reflect, one needs to step outside the experience to make the observation comprehensive. With the use of creativity, one would be abl e to be as spontaneous as possible in recording thoughts and feelings for the best outcome of reflection. This tallies with Imel (1992), whereby reiterating that important insights will come from a frank and honest self, a view that is supported by Wilkinson (1996). Taylor (2002), states that ‘if you try to sanitise these valuable parts of yourself, you will not be able to get to the ‘heart’ of the matter as effectively’. This means that in addition to the courage you need to face other people, one will need the courage to face oneself. Highlighting a particular issue as an attribute from a transformatic leadership point of view enables one to share issues they have identified while on the job, promotes and enhances a reflective rationale which team members or management would all gain from, because it becomes knowledge or reflective rationale shared rather than tacit knowledge (knowledge that is not shared but held by one person). According to Cox, Hickson , and Taylor (1998), comments from nurses include not being able to be honest in case they are not able to handle what they find, and the fear of wrecking the illusion that keeps them sane. They argue that writing honestly ensures that the dialogue with ourselves is authentic, not softened by any other thing. They also argue that this is not an easy task, because it is almost impossible to scrutinise our own writing without justifying and rationalising our actions, and resorting to feelings of guilt, blame or victimisation. As a result, scrutiny with regard to reflective rationale, from a personal development plan perspective, one might find inconsistencies between what the PDP is required for and what has actually happened in reality. For example, the issue of team work from a transformatic leadership view is one that is very objective. I.e. although one might reflect back on issues or conflicts that were encountered and resolved, there is no readily made solution to this. The dyna mics of being part of a team makes it difficult to identify the best way to resolve possible conflicts of interests and opinions, which is the responsibility of the leader. According to Boud et al (1985), a mere description of events does not do justice to the practitioner. They suggest that reflection has two aspects of utilising positive feelings and removing obstructive bias feelings. Critical thinking can be described as an attitude and a reasoning process involving many intellectual skills and places rationality at the head of the list of characteristics. Wilkinson (1996) states that, reflection is made up of a strong emotional subjective side whilst acknowledging that rationality is central to reflection. The attitudes suggested for critical thinking include independent thought, intellectual humility, courage, empathy, integrity and perseverance. He adds that other attitudes required are fair mindedness and the need to explore thoughts and feelings. This correlates with the at tribute of respecting other people’s thoughts with regard to transformational leadership. It acts as a means to develop a certain type of character which is enhanced by using a personal development plan. Although, the purpose of reflection is action if needed, it is done with a view to action. Practically speaking, the time consuming nature of reflective activities has often been cited as significant inhibitor to the consistent implementation of reflective practice. This assertion is that the rhetoric surrounding reflective practice has been strong, but implementing reflective strategies in a sustained, focused manner is increasingly becoming a common norm. For practising nurses, reflection can be viewed as a link between theory and practice Emden (1998). Leadership is facilitative, aiming to mobilize all the skills, good will and know-how at the disposal of the practice. These qualities of the leader are inextricably linked with the empowerment of practice staff. If all part icipants (all staff, clinical and non-clinical, practice employed and attached) are involved in the planning stage, where the team decides if it wants to take part, then success is much more likely later on Jowett and Wellens (2000). Staff members find it easier to buy-into the ideas if they can see the relevancy and benefits of the changes to their practice. Three points are important here: An approach that begins by consulting all practice staff, listens to their ideas and respects their differing professional perspectives is an important indicator to those staff that things will be made better by these moves. A learning practice which is primarily the reason for writing a reflective rationale or practice is unlikely to work unless it is owned by those involved in it; they want it to happen, shape the outcomes Cohen and Austin (1997) and feel they have some control over the inputs and process. Therefore, clearly learning practice strategies for change and development must emanate from within the practice and not be imposed. In Primary care, this might mean taking sometime and care to allow staff to learn about the ideas, discuss them and warm to them, before the whole practice signs up to the changes. Time-out or time taken to examine the effectiveness of a particular approach or response to a situation can lead to more effective performance next time. Becoming a reflective practitioner can be the first step towards recognizing the hidden skills that exist within primary care or rather nursing. This type of experience routinely goes unnoticed. However, skills, gained through experience, can be passed on to new learners to enhance and speed their learning, or assist job-shadowing and critical questioning. Reflective practice is likely to be useful both in administrative roles in health care settings and in clinical leadership. Now when writing out a reflective rationale it should include three sections: An introductory section On going journal writing for a period of at least 10 weeks A closing synthesis section INTRODUCTORY SECTION The most difficult part of journaling is finding a place to begin. Literature relating to journal writing, suggests that one of the best ways to get started is to begin with yourself. One can do this by writing a short autobiographical section. This will help to locate yourself in the context of growth, to get a sense of where you have come from. Some of the following questions may help provide useful guidelines: Why did I decide to become involved in Nursing? When and how did I decide? What and who influenced me? In what ways? As I look back to this time what feelings and images remain? If I could make the decision again to become involved in this profession, would I? Why or why not? What do I see as my greatest professional strengths? What would I like to change or work on to improve my practice as a nurse? What are a few of the frustrations I experience in my work place? What are a few of the hopes I have for health and safety practice in the organisation I work in or work for? Why did I decide to pursue a management course to become a charge nurse? When and how did I decide? If one has not been involved in reflective practice writing before it may seem like a daunting task at first. It does become much easier with practice. ON-GOING JOURNAL WRITING FOR A PERIOD OF AT LEAST 10 WEEKS Allocating time to writing a reflective professional preference and work situations vary but as guidelines writing your reflective journal may require three writing sessions of 10 – 15 minutes spread throughout the week, and one slightly longer session to facilitate greater reflection and theorising. Writing journal entries it is helpful to think of it as an activity which can take place at three different but overlapping levels: Describing Reflecting Theorising Writing at each of these levels can be facilitated by asking a series of questions about aspects of what you do. Describing is about questions such as: What happened? What did I do? Where was I? Who was I interacting with? Who else was in the range of interaction Reflecting is about looking beyond the surface and asking questions such as: Why did I do that? What was I thinking and feeling at the time? Where did these thoughts and feelings come from? What assumptions was I making at the time? What values and beliefs underline my decisions to act in this particular way? How did relationships with other people influence what happened? Theorising goes beyond reflection in that it takes the writer beyond the context of their personal experience and links them with the broader theoretical underpinnings of their profession. Theorising builds on reflection as described above but is also itself the subject of reflection. It is about questions such as: How well does my experience fit in with contemporary approaches to nursing practices? Are there ways in which my experiences suggest ways of revising or developing these approaches and the theoretical perspectives which underpin them? What do my experiences suggest about ways in which the health and safety management needs to develop as a profession? CLOSING SYNTHESIS SECTION If reflective writing is to realise its full potential with regard to transformational leadership as a means of learning professional development, it is important to bring together and synthesise in some way what your journal has revealed to you ‘reworking, rethinking and re-interpreting the diary entries, further powerful insights can be gained. To bring what your journal reveals to you to consciousness it is necessary to re-read it. Sometimes it is appropriate to return to your writing shortly after you have written it. Sometimes a longer time lapse will be more appropriate. In either case it is important not to be judgemental about what you have written and put yourself down, rather experience and appreciate the story you have written so far. SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION This paper looks at the use of personal development plan in the field of nursing, from the perspective of transformational leadership, using five attributes mentioned by Cook (2004) namely, Creativity, Highlighting, Influencing, Respecting, and Supporting; managing conflict; and motivation. It also talks about the use of a reflective rationale incorporating the above mentioned. Additionally, a critical analysis as to the above mentioned is used with regard to the validity of the use of a reflective rationale to improve ones personal development for leadership in the field of nursing. It will be conclusive to state that the issue of leadership within the nursing field is one that has come about in the past decade. However, due to a lack of preparation and hindsight over the years and decades with regard to the growing importance of care nursing, there has not been a formal leadership programme in the field of nursing. The use of the personal development plan and a reflective rationale are tools that are useful to addressing this issue. With constant refinement and identifying particular individuals who are suited for this role, with time, real leaders in the field of nursing will come to be a thing of the past. REFERENCES AND BIBLIOGRAPHY Atkins, S., and Murphy, K., (1993), ‘Reflection; a review of the literature’. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 18: 118 – 119. Bass, B., and Avolio, B., (1990), Transformational leading ability development: Manual for the multifactor leading ability questionnaire. Consulting California Press, CA, USA. Bennis, W.G., and Nanus, B., (1985), Strategies for taking charge. Harper Collins, New York. Bowen, D., and Lawler, E., (1992), The empowerment of service workers: What, Why, how, and when. Sloan Management Review, Spring: 31 – 39. Boud, D., Keogh, R., and Walker, D., (1985), Reflection: Turning experiences into learning. London: Kogan page. Cook, M.J., (2004), Learning for Clinical Leadership, Journal of Nursing Management, 12, 436 – 444. Cox, H., Hickson, P., and Taylor, B., (1998), Exploring reflection: Knowing and constructing practice. In G. Gray and R. Pratt (Eds.), Towards a discipline of nursing (pp. 373 – 389). NSW: Churchill Livingston. Cohen, B.J., and Austin, M.J., (1997), Transforming human services organisations through empowerment of staff. Journal of community practice 4 (2), 35 – 50. Emden, C., (1998), Becoming a reflective practitioner. In G. Gray and R. Pratt (Eds.), Towards a discipline of nursing (pp. 335 – 354), NSW: Churchill Livingston. French, J. and Raven, B., (1958), The bases of social power. In studies in social power (ed. D. Cartwright), pp. 150 – 167. Institute for social Research, Ann Arbor, MI. Gray, C., (1998), Reflection and reflective practice: The reflective technique. In G. Gray and R. Pratt (eds.), towards a discipline of nursing, pp. 355 – 372. NSW: Churchill Livingstone. Goldberg, S., (2001), Nursing leadership in an era of reform in the health care system: Evaluation of the head nurse leadership style in relation to the effectiveness of the department. Ben-Gurion University of the Negev, Israel. Gorman, P., (1998), Managing multidisciplinary teams in the NHS, Kogan page Ltd, London. Hall, E.T., (1974), Handbook for Proxemic Research, AAA Publications, CA, USA. Hackman, J., and Oldman, G., (1980), Work Redesign, Reading MA: Addison – Wesley. Harrington – Mackin, D., (1996), Keeping the Team going. Imel, S., (1992), Reflective practice in adult education. ERIC Digest No. 122, www.ericdigests.org/1992-3/adult.html. Jarrold, K., (1998), A view from here ‘servants and leaders’. In the York symposium on health, 30th July (S. Martin ed.), Dept. of Health Studies, University of York, York. Jowett, R., and Wellens, B., (2000), Developing Occupational Standards, a learning disabilities project. Journal of clinical nursing, 9 (3), 436 – 444. NHS Trust (2003), Portfolio management and reflective practice: Introductory guidelines. www.northbristol.nhs.uk/nursing/reflective.asp. Riba, S., and Reches, H., (2002), When terror is routine: How Israeli nurses cope with multi – casualty terror. Journal of Issues in Nursing. Sadler, J., (1997), Defining professional nurse caring; a triangulation study. International Journal for human caring 1 (3), 12 – 21. Sergiovanni, T.J., (1992), Moral leading ability; getting to the heart of school improvement. Jossey – Bass, San Francisco. Schon, D., (1983), The reflective practitioner: How professions think in action. London: Basic Books. Taylor, B., (2000), Reflective practice: A guide for nurses and midwives. St. Leonard’s: Allen and unwin. Wall, T., and Martin, R., (1994), Job and work design. In C. Cooper and I. Robertson (Eds.), Key reviews in managerial psychology. Chichester: Wiley and Sons: 158 – 988. Chichester: Wiley and Sons. West – Burnham, J., (1997), Leadership for learning re-engineering ‘mind sets’. School leading ability and management 17 (2), 231 – 244. Wilkinson, J., (1996), Nursing process: A critical thinking approach. Menlo park, California: Addison-Wesley. 1 Footnotes [1] Social anthropologists explain this as the closeness of relationships between people and spaces

Great Literature - What Makes it so Great? Essay -- Expository Definit

Great Literature - What Makes it so Great? What is "great" literature? What makes it so great? Who decides it is great? And, most importantly, why should people read it? The answers to these four questions tell their own story, the story of the grandest works ever written. Great literature is what has stood the test of time. This time frame can be as long as many thousands of years, and as short as twenty. What is important is that the piece of literature has been thoroughly analyzed and scrutinized, studied and talked about, criticized and scoffed at--and still survives. From the essay "What is a Classic?" from Aerie Books Ltd. an excerpt reads, "They've set aside that word [classic] solely for books that have passed the test of time, that really are among the best works of their kind ever written" (Aerie Books Ltd. 295). Time is the most important factor contributing to a book's greatness. What makes great literature "great" is the feelings, emotions, and philosophical reflection that the reader experiences, long after having read the piece....

Essay on The Holy Bible - Role of God in the Book of Job

The Changing Role of God in the Book of Job The Book of Job shows a change in God's attitude from the beginning to the end.  At the beginning of the book, He is presented as Job's protector and defender. At the end He appears as the supreme being lecturing and preaching to Job with hostility, despite the fact that Job never cursed his name, and never did anything wrong.   Job's only question was why God had beseeched this terrible disease on him. I intend to analyze and discuss the different roles God played in the Book of Job.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   As the book opens, Job is God's "pride and joy", so to speak. Job was free of sin, he "feared God and shunned evil"(1:1). God apparently thinks higher of Job than any other mortal.   This is evidenced when he tells Satan that "There is no one on Earth like him; he is blameless and upright . . ."(1:8).   When Satan questions Job's faith God allows him to test Job, as if to show off his favorite servant.   This is an almost human quality in God--pride.   Satan's test involves the total destruction of everything Job owns and lived for:  Ã‚   his children his animals, and his estate.   Everything was destroyed but his wife, and of course the Four Messengers of Misfortune.   "In all this, Job did not sin by charging God with wrongdoing"(1:22).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   God shows more of the human characteristic of pride when He meets with Satan again.   God is almost gloating in this brief scene.   He praises Job further and maintains that Job is loyal:   Ã‚  Have you considered my servant Job?   There is no one on   Ã‚  Earth like him; he is blameless and upright, a man who fears   Ã‚  God and shuns evil.   And he still maintains his integrity, though   Ã‚  you incited me against him to ruin him without any rea... ...tried to make sense out of something they could not possibly understand.   God's anger could have also been instigated by the assumption that Job was getting closer and closer to cursing Him.   With each step of questioning, Job's faith might have been starting to be questioned.   This would embarrass God to Satan.   The former seems to be the more obvious reason however, the later, my own observation can not be ignored.   God exhibited human qualities in the beginning, like pride, and integrity, why would this God be immune to embarrassment?   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In any case, acknowledging that Job did not curse him in all of his misfortune, God once again returned to the status of Job's protector, and Job once again became God's favorite servant.   God blessed the later part of Job's life with double the fortune he had before and another ten children.   Job lived a full life.

Construction Industry in the UK †Research Report Essay

Synopsis This report provides detailed market analysis, information and insights into the UK construction industry, including: The UK construction industry’s growth prospects by market, project type and type of construction activity Analysis of equipment, material and service costs across each project type within the UK Critical insight into the impact of industry trends and issues, and the risks and opportunities they present to participants in the UK construction industry Analyzing the profiles of the leading operators in the UK construction industry Data highlights of the largest construction projects in the UK For more details on the content of each report and ordering information please contact: Phone:+91 22 4098 7600 E-Mail: customerservice@researchonglobalmarkets.com Related Link: http://www.researchonunitedkingdom.com/construction-in-the-uk-a-key-trends-and-opportunities-to-2018.html Summary The UK construction industry showed signs of recovery towards the end of 2013. The industry underwent a difficult period during much of 2012, revealing how fragile the recovery actually was. However, in 2013, production increased by 1.3%, and was up by 4.3% annually in the fourth quarter of the year. This growth was supported by government investments in infrastructure and affordable housing schemes. The industry is expected to record a forecast-period (2014-2018) compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.20%. Scope This report provides a comprehensive analysis of the construction industry in the UK. It provides: Historical (2009-2013) and forecast (2014-2018) valuations of the construction industry in the UK using construction output and value-add methods Segmentation by market (commercial, industrial, infrastructure, institutional and residential) and by project type Breakdown of values within each project type, by type of activity (new construction, repair and maintenance, refurbishment and demolition) and by type of cost  (materials, equipment and services) Analysis of key construction industry issues, including regulation, cost management, funding and pricing Detailed profiles of the leading construction companies in the UK Reasons To Buy Identify and evaluate market opportunities using our standardized valuation and forecasting methodologies Assess market growth potential at a micro-level with over 600 time-series data forecasts Understand the latest industry and market trends Formulate and validate business strategies using Timetric’s critical and actionable insight Assess business risks, including cost, regulatory and competitive pressures Evaluate competitive risk and success factors Key Highlights Infrastructure investment remains a key strategy to supporting economic growth. In the 2014 budget, the government announced plans for a new garden city, with 15,000 homes for Ebbsfleet in Kent. In the 2013 budget, the government announced various measures to support infrastructure construction. Economic improvements and a declining unemployment rate are expected to support demand in the residential construction market. To increase the affordability of housing and support residential construction, the government announced the creation of a Help to Buy Scheme (HTBS) in its 2013 budget. The first component of this scheme, which launched in April 2013, was the Help to Buy: equity loan, where the purchasers of newly-built homes would be granted interest-free government loans of up to 20%.

Experiment to Investigate Osmosis in Potatoes Essay

The aim of this experiment is to investigate the movement of water in and out of plant cells. The cells chosen for study will be taken from potato tubers. Firstly I will explain what osmosis is. Osmosis is the passage of water from a region of high water concentration through a semi permeable membrane to a region of low water concentration. This definition contains three important statements: a) It is the passage of water through a semi permeable membrane b) It is the passage of water from a region of high water concentration c) It is the passage of water to a region of low water concentration. All the above statements are included in the definition, but define certain aspects of it. Semi-permeable membranes are very thin layers of material which allow some things to pass through, but prevent others. A cell membrane is semi permeable. They allow small molecules like oxygen, water, amino acids etc. to pass through but will not allow larger molecules like sucrose, starch, protein etc. through. A region of high concentration of water is either a very dilute solution of something like sucrose or pure water. In each case there is a lot of water: a high concentration of water. A region of low water concentration is the opposite of the above, i.e. a very high concentration of sucrose solution: a low water concentration. The water content of plants varies depending on environmental conditions. In Land plants this water plays a vital role in the support of tissues and the transport of materials around the organism. Lack of water leads to wilting and eventually death. Water is mainly absorbed through the roots, which are covered in specially adapted root hair cells, with large surface areas and thin cell walls to aid absorption. It is drawn up the plant through xylem vessels by a pull resulting from the evaporation of water through the  stomata on the leaves. This evaporation is called transpiration and the xylem flow resulting is called the transpiration stream. Soluble food substances formed during photosynthesis are transported around the plant in the phloem tubes. This movement of water through the plant in the xylem vessels or phloem tubes is similar to the flow of blood in humans as it transports soluble mineral salts, nutrients and auxins, (plant hormones), from place to place. The evaporation of water from the leaves also removes heat energy from the plant and helps to prevent overheating. Transpiration pulls water up the plant stem but osmosis is the process whereby water is drawn into or out of cells and tissues. Osmosis is the flow of water by diffusion through a differentially permeable membrane from areas of high water concentration to regions of low water concentration. The diagram below illustrates this: Water can freely penetrate all membrane. The cellulose cell wall does not act as a semi permeable membrane and will allow most substances that are dissolved in water to freely pass through it. Whether water enters the cell by osmosis or not will depend on the balance between external and internal solute concentrations and the state of the cell. If the solutions on each side of the differentially permeable membrane are equally concentrated then there will be no net movement of water across the membrane. This is called an equilibrium state and the solutions are referred to as being isotonic. A solution that contains more solute particles than another, and is hence more concentrated, is referred to as being hypertonic. The less concentrated solution is hypotonic. This concentration of solute particles is usually described as a molarity. Even if the solute concentration external to the cell is hypotonic to the vacuole contents the cell will not continue to take in water by osmosis for ever. The cellulose cell wall provides a rigid barrier to uncontrolled expansion. A cell that is full of water is called turgid and cannot expand further as the outward pressure on the cell wall is balanced by the inward force of the stretched wall. This wall pressure is called turgor pressure  and the internal outward force on the wall is called osmotic pressure. At the other extreme, a cell placed in a solution that is hypertonic to its contents will lose water by osmosis. The cytoplasm will cease to exert a pressure on the cellulose cell wall and the cell, described as flaccid, will lack support. Water loss can continue to such an extent that the cytoplasm, and attached cell membrane, contracts and detaches from the cell wall. A cell in this condition is said to have undergone plasmolysis. This very rarely, if ever happens in nature. As osmosis is the diffusion of water molecules and as diffusion is the random movement of particles from areas of high concentration to low concentration it might be expected that any factors that speed up or slow down the movement of these particles would affect the rate of osmosis. Using knowledge of the process of osmosis and with a good understanding of molarity I should be able to determine the solute concentration of the vacuoles in potato tuber cells. As it would be impossible to measure with any degree of accuracy the expansion or contraction of cells on an individual basis I have decided to look at gain or loss of water in terms of increase or decrease in mass. Mass, I feel, will be a more accurate way of recording the change of the potatoes as when measuring length, it does not take into account the change in diameter of the chip. I will also look at the increase or decrease in length to verify the accuracy of my results and compare the two readings. A cell placed in an isotonic solution should show no change whereas one placed in a hypertonic solution will lose mass. For this experiment, I will have to choose a factor to vary. These factors are: Æ’Ã ¡ Molarity of the sucrose solution Æ’Ã ¡ Surface area of the potato Æ’Ã ¡ Type of potato used Æ’Ã ¡ Age of the potato Æ’Ã ¡ pH of the sucrose solution Æ’Ã ¡ Temperature The factor I have chosen to vary is the molarity of sugar solution as I believe this will be easy to regulate as the concentration can be easily altered using distilled water. I will use 1 molar solution and alter the concentrations as shown below: Molarity of sugar solutionAmount of waterAmount of sucrose solution 0.050 0.241 0.432 0.623 0.814 1.005 For this experiment I will need: Æ’Ã ¡ 1 large potato to produce 18 potato tubers Æ’Ã ¡ cork borer Æ’Ã ¡ distilled water Æ’Ã ¡ 1 molar sugar solution Æ’Ã ¡ pipettes Æ’Ã ¡ 18 test tubes Æ’Ã ¡ ruler to measure length of potato tubers Æ’Ã ¡ electric balance to measure the mass I have selected the above equipment because I feel it will help me to ensure accurate results. To ensure a fair test I will take all my potato samples from the same potato using the same cork borer and keep all of my apparatus the same. I will try and treat each potato tube the same. I will measure each potato tube separately to ensure accurate measurements and carry out the procedure 3 times for each molarity tested. This will mean that I will need to measure 18 potato tubers. Three results will enable me to take an average result, making the results, hopefully, more precise and reliable. If one of the results seems very different to the others, I shall identify it as an anomalous result and retake the reading. When I carry out this experiment, I will get a potato and take some tubes from it using a cork borer I will then cut these tubes into shorter lengths and measure the length and mass of each of the 18 lengths. All the lengths will be cut to 25mm. The solutions will be altered according to the molarity required and cm3 of each solution placed in each test tube. Each molarity will occupy three test tubes. The chips will then be put into each test tube and left over night. They will then be taken out of their test tubes, dried lightly with a paper towel and the new mass and lengths recorded. Once the results have been collected, they will be tabulated and analysed. A graph will be drawn and any trends noticed explained. Prior to the experiment we carried out a short pilot test, using potato chips and solutions of strength 0.0, 1.0 and 2.0 molar solutions. The chips were  25mm in length each, and each chip was placed in 5 cm3 of either distilled water/1.0 molar / 2.0 molar sugar solutions and left for 30 minutes. The potato chips were then measured and the results recorded. They are shown below: ChipSolution 1Water 21.0 molar 32.0 molar Chip numberOriginal lengthResultant length 125mm29mm 225mm24mm 325mm20mm These results show that a potato chip placed in water will gain in length, a weak sugar solution will lose length and a strong sugar solution will lose length also. The results from this test will allow me to choose an appropriate range of moralities in order to find out what the concentration is inside the cell vacuole. I am going to investigate 0.0, 0.2, 0.4, 0.6, 0.8 and 1.0 molar sugar solutions. I have chosen these concentrations to try and accurately find when there is no net movement of water, hence the concentration of the cell vacuole. From previous work done on osmosis, I predict that molarity and average change in mass/ length will be indirectly proportional. I think there will be a negative correlation between the two. I think that there will be both loss and gain in mass discovered. I think the graph will look like this but there will be no plasmolysed on my graph, as I do no expect my measurements  to go that far. I hope to be able to identify the point when there is no net movement of water. Analysis of Results The Consequences of Osmosis in plant cells: Plant cells always have a strong cell wall surrounding them. When the take up water by osmosis they start to swell, but the cell wall prevents them from bursting. Plant cells become â€Å"turgid† when they are put in dilute solutions. Turgid means swollen and hard. The pressure inside the cell rises, eventually the internal pressure of the cell is so high that no more water can enter the cell. This liquid or hydrostatic pressure works against osmosis. Turgidity is very important to plants because this is what makes the green parts of the plant â€Å"stand up† into the sunlight. When plant cells are placed in concentrated sugar solutions they lose water by osmosis and they become â€Å"flaccid†; this is the exact opposite of â€Å"turgid†. If you put plant cells into concentrated sugar solutions and look at them under a microscope you would see that the contents of the cells have shrunk and pulled away from the cell wall: they are said to be plasmolysed. When plant cells are placed in a solution which has exactly the same osmotic strength as the cells they are in a state between turgidity and flaccidity. We call this incipient plasmolysis. â€Å"Incipient† means â€Å"about to be†. When I forget to water the potted plants in my study you will see their leaves droop. Although their cells are not plasmolysed, they are not turgid and so they do not hold the leaves up into the sunlight. Graph [1] shows the average percentage change in length of the potato tubers. It shows that as molarity increases the average change in length decreases. The graph drawn looks accurate as the curve did not have to be one of best fit, but went through all of the points plotted showing that all the readings were accurate. The potato tubers gained/ loss length, the molarity increases the sugar solution becomes more concentrated, and more  concentrated than inside the cell. At 0.2M solution there is no net movement of water. As the strength of the concentration increases the cells shrink and become flaccid. Graph [2] shows the average percentage change in mass of the potato tubers. It shows that as molarity increases the average change in length decreases. This graph is very similar to the graph showing the length loss or gain, but appears less accurate as there is an anomalous result. This is at 0.4 molar, it lies off the best-fit curve drawn by 9.2%. The curve is one of best fit and follows the same trends as graph [1]. My results seem fairly accurate and although the graph showing length seems to be more accurate as it is a curve that goes through all of the points, it only shows the change in length, and not in mass. The graph showing mass change [2] gives a more accurate view of what happened as it takes into account the expansion of the potato both ways and has a broader percentage change range. This means that instead of just spanning 30% in total (as does graph [1]) it spans 80% (as does graph [2]). This gives a broader field of results and is therefore more accurate, as the mass is a more accurate result than length as the potato chip will get wider as well as longer. My results do seem to be reliable, as the graphs drawn support my prediction and seem accurate as they all lie on a smooth curve. Conclusion: From the results obtained, I can conclude that the average gain or loss in mass of the potato chip is indirectly proportional to molarity. I can also say that average gain or loss in length of the potato chip is indirectly proportional to molarity. Both of the results show a negative correlation. I can now say that the more concentrated the solution, the more mass/length is lost. This is because the water inside the cell moves out, causing the cell to shrink. When the cells are in a less concentrated solution they gain in length and mass as water is taken into the cell and the cell swells. The results gave enough information to support my original prediction. Both of the graphs cut the x-axis at 0.2, showing that the molarity of the internal  solute of a cell is 0.2m. This also shows that my results were very alike and reliable. Evaluation: My results seem to be very accurate. I can tell this because when the points were plotted they all lay on the curve, apart from one anomalous result, 0.4Mon the graph showing mass. There was however only one anomalous result and the others were all very reliable. This may have been because the results had an average taken so it may not have been accurate. I could increase the accuracy by taking more repetitions which should make the average more accurate. As the potatoes were left over night, the temperature changed which may have affected the results, but it should not have made a drastic difference to the graphs as all of the potatoes were subjected to exactly the same temperature changes. This could be improved by placing the test tubes into a water bath so they were kept at a constant temperature. The same potato was used in each of the experiments, which may also have contributed to the reliability of my results. The mass was more accurate to measure for many different reasons. Length does not take into account the change in diameter of the chips, and you can not measure fractions of millimetres on a ruler, but the electric balance will record change from 2 decimal places, e.g. mass: 1?43 â€Å"† 1?34length: 25 â€Å"† 23 whilst length can only be measured to the nearest millimetre. For the mass, we had to be careful that all the potato chips were dried in the same way as this may have altered the reading. This may have been what caused the anomalous results, as it was lighter that the best fit line i.e. some water may have been lost through harder drying, or squeezing during the drying process. If some of the water evaporated overnight, it would have incresed the molarity of the solutions, thus making the results innaccurate. This could be combatted by putting a bung in the top of the test tubes to stop the evaporation and keeping the sugar slution concentrations the same. To improve the accuracy of the results I would include more concentrations to  find the point of plasmolysis as in my experiment, I did not get to the point of plasmolysis in my experiment, so if I was to extend this experiment, I would investigte a wider rage of concentrations to investigate furthur and increase accuracy. I would also increase the repetitions to 5 per molarity and increase the molarity to try and find the point of plasmolysis. I could also decrease the range between each molarity (every 0.05 for example) to try and find the exact concentration of the potato cells where there is not net gain. This investigation was succesful but could still be made more accurate by some of the above ways.