Monday, December 30, 2019

James Baldwin s Sonny s Blues - 905 Words

On page 252 of the class’s anthology, there is a work by James Baldwin entitled Sonny’s Blues. What interests me about this work is the quote, â€Å"For, while the tale of how we suffer, and how we are delighted, and how we may triumph is never new, it always must be heard. There isn’t any other tale to tell, it’s the only light we’ve got in all this darkness.† In this connection, the question that I want to research is why would a man like James Baldwin represent a character like Sonny in Sonny’s Blues? James Baldwin is a man of his words through his experiences in Harlem, and this influences his writings and the person who he is. After reading Sonny’s Blues, I came to my claim, that James Baldwin would relate himself to Sonny in Sonny’s Blues because of the similarities in their experiences, growing up in Harlem. This is why I choose to do research on my topic to prove that my claim is correct. In most of James Baldwin’s stories, the themes struggling and recovery is often depicted. James Baldwin’s story, Sonny’s Blues was published in 1957. This was a strong story which we all can relate to because it focuses more on human suffering and their struggles. The character Sonny in Sonny’s Blues was a struggling artist who was trying to find himself in Harlem. He was the jazz pianist of James Baldwin’s literary work, whose image was captured at the end when he began to pour his heart out in music (McParland 2006). During that time, Harlem was a place where art and music were atShow MoreRelatedSonny s Blues By James Baldwin827 Words   |  4 PagesSonny’s Blues In James Baldwin’s â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† it is only when a brother loses his child that he realizes how easy it can be to lose his brother. The narrator’s little brother, Sonny, was left in his charge when their parents passed away. He neglects Sonny and leaves him to work through hard decisions on his own which leads to Sonny being picked up by the police for using and selling drugs. When the narrator’s daughter, Grace, passes he sees how suffering can affect people and reaches outRead MoreSonny s Blues By James Baldwin1252 Words   |  6 PagesThe story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† by James Baldwin centers on the conflicting relationship between two brothers that is explored throughout various stages of their lives. Through the structured, melodic style used by Baldwin there are reoccurring themes of suffering, family, and home that are used to further convey the idea of two brothers who love each other, but don’t understand eac h other. Ultimately, the relationship between the two brothers is greatly strained due them being polar opposites, their lackRead MoreJames Baldwin s Sonny s Blues956 Words   |  4 PagesJames Baldwin brings you on an emotional ride through Harlem in the 1950’s with his short story, â€Å"Sonny’s Blues.† From the beginning, we are in media res when the unnamed narrator is informed of bad news concerning his younger, troubled brother, Sonny. Throughout the story we witness the ocean of emotions between these two brothers battling hardships from their past, through flashbacks, and present time. The setting plays an important role in â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† to an extent where it is practically aRead MoreJames Baldwin s Sonny s Blues2994 Words   |  12 PagesINTRODUCTION Sonny, from James Baldwin’s â€Å"Sonny’s Blues,† is portrayed as a sufferer. He struggles with his stagnation in Harlem, his unfulfilled dreams and the disconnect between himself and his only family, his brother. However, not all hope is lost. He serves as a teacher for others, full of knowledge of how one can truly suffer and still triumph (Norton 47). Only when he is finally able to connect with his brother through music, are his â€Å"blues† finally heard and he affirms his individualityRead MoreSonny s Blues By James Baldwin2300 Words   |  10 PagesIn the short story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues†, by James Baldwin there is the notion or a reoccurring theme of a conflict between light and dark between the characters. The notion is carried throughout the story of two brothers finding their own lights and trying to work towards a greater life. In the late 50’s, after the Harlem Renaissance, adolescents are faced with drug sales everywhere and crime sprees around every corner, this is one example of the darkness in the story. Kids began to form bad habits thatRead MoreAnalysis Of James Baldwin s Sonny s Blues Essay1154 Words   |  5 Pagesntroduction: James Baldwin, author of Sonny s Blues, once said, I grew up with music...much more than with any other language. In a way, the music I grew up with saved my life (Session 3 Inquiry: Rudolfo Anaya and James Baldwin, 2015).   Blues becomes Sonny s drug and his addiction to it his salvation.       Even though the adults refrain from lamenting their sufferings directly to the children and telling them about the darkness, the child-narrator still intimates its marks in their facesRead MoreAnalysis Of James Baldwin s Sonny s Blues Essay2104 Words   |  9 PagesSeveral dialectics are at play in James Baldwin’s short story â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† including a dialectic between the narrator and his beloved brother Sonny involving their opposing responses to the sense of oppression and limitation that arises from living in Harlem. This dialectic and its resolution closely parallel Baldwin’s masterful use of Blues, Jazz, and Gospel music. We follow the narrator and his brother Sonny as they traverse the complexities of their individual and interconnected Harlem livesRead MoreAnalysis Of James Baldwin s Sonny s Blues 995 Words   |  4 PagesJames Baldwin presents an emotional journey through Harlem in the 1950’s with his short story, â€Å"Sonny’s Blues.† From the beginning, the story is in medias res when the unnamed narrator is informed of bad news concerning his younger, troubled brother, Sonny. Throughout the story there is an ocean of emotions witnessed between these two brothers as they battle hardships from their past and present time. The setting plays an important role in â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† to an extent where it is practically a characterRead MoreSonny s Blues By James Baldwin1028 Words   |  5 Pagesand influence the subject’s ideas. Consciously and unconsciously, the individual reflects the confluence of his or her history and culture. In â€Å"Sonny’s Blues†, a short story by James Baldwin, the dominant culture constricts the black individual. Subject to the explicit and latent biases of a racist society, the black population of â€Å"Sonny’s Blues† attempt to endure oppression and suffering and survive in an unforgiving land. However, they can thrive here with the hope and salvation provided by theRead MoreSonny s Blues By James Baldwin Essay1745 Words   |  7 Pagesâ€Å"Sonny’s Blues† is a narration about two siblings – brothers - who choose very different routes in life in order to accomplish the zenith of individualism, expressionism and recognition. In doing so, they take a glimpse into one another’s spheres and learn to assent and appreciate each other for who they are. In 1951, Baldwin wrote Sonny’s Blues, a story of the ills that Harlem provided its youth. In Baldwin’s telling of the narration, it forms a nous of liberation, an atmosphere of therapeutic acc eptance

Sunday, December 22, 2019

The Business Structure And Organizational Culture

INTRODUCTION ASDA is the second largest retailer in the UK, and it has been the biggest subsidiary of the Wal-Mart family of companies since 1999. ASDA s scale can be appreciated by the number of stores it runs as well as how many people work for it. For example, it has 321 stores across the UK and Northern Ireland, 29 depots and more than 148,000 colleagues. These all help to generate more than  £15 billion of turnover. The employees power the company in the way of decision-making that affect their path. ASDA does this through its mission, values, purpose, structure and culture. These statements are planned to assist stakeholders interpret the direction in which the company is heading. In this written report I m going to approach†¦show more content†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å" Training and development is a continuous process at Asda, because there are always new things to learn in your current role and new skills to develop for your continuing career progress. And as a world class organisation, we offer excellent training and development.† (Asda site) This programme helps new starters finding out the place, getting to know colleagues, customers and the business. In addition, they do progressive learning with role-specific skills and skills development in supply and merchandise planning. Every year Asda researches statements throughout Intranet surveys. This data helps to ensure that, in every level within the company, colleagues, teams, departments and managers see the mission purpose and values should power the decisions they take. They also do surveys for customers, they can give their feedback about the products, customer service and others. Asda use this to improve products and services to their customers. Asda have a community programme which assist the company to meet its mission, purpose and values. The community programme set as goal differentiate Asda from its rivals by appealing to customers and motivating colleagues. They use Asda foundation to donate money to improve and developing the community. This programme assist colleagues to take part in their local community, after all they live and work there too. This procedure of working closely

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Night Creature Blue Moon Chapter 14 Free Essays

â€Å"Cadotte,† she said. â€Å"William Cadotte.† One thing I did not need today was a face-to-face encounter with the man who’d had his tongue in my mouth last night. We will write a custom essay sample on Night Creature: Blue Moon Chapter 14 or any similar topic only for you Order Now â€Å"I’ll take the domestic,† I offered, which only proved how desperate I was. Domestic disturbances were the most dangerous calls. You never knew what you were going to run into when love turned to hate. Besides, I’d never been very good at dealing with family squabbles, never having had one of my own. The dispatcher shook her head, destroying my hopes. â€Å"One Adam Three is already there. One Adam One and Two are en route to the accident. Which leaves you.† I gave up. Sometimes fate was a malicious bitch. Surrendering any delusion that I might get to sleep soon, I grabbed coffee at the Gas n’ Go, then snagged a doughnut, too. The route to the university was becoming familiar, as was the route to Cadotte’s cubbyhole of an office. Students, teachers, security milled aimlessly in the hall. There was no sign of the man himself. The crowd parted for me like the proverbial Red Sea. However, I wasn’t feeling much like Moses. The land of milk and honey was my apartment, and it felt farther away right now than Egypt. I likened myself to Pharaoh’s soldiers. If I went through these people and into the belly of the sea, I was going to drown, but I had to go. Orders were orders and duty just that, as much now as they had been countless centuries before. I paused on the threshold of the office. Cadotte sat at his desk, his forehead in his hands. Several colleagues hovered around, trying not to disturb the mess. Cadotte glanced up, almost as if he’d sensed me there. Our gazes met. The air between us sizzled. I was in way over my head with William Cadotte. â€Å"Jessie,† he whispered, and stood. If I hadn’t come here before, I might have thought he was just a pig or a spacey egghead who had better things to do than clean. But I had come, and while the place had been full of stuff, the stuff had been in neat piles. Now it was spread to hell and gone in every corner and all across the floor. â€Å"Everyone out,† I ordered. I couldn’t stop staring at Cadotte. Though he appeared as exhausted as I was, he was still something to see. His hair stood on end, as if he’d run agitated fingers through the strands over and over again. His glasses were hooked in the pocket of his shirt, so I could see his dark eyes flare hot in an unusually pale face. He was pissed, and I couldn’t say that I blamed him. I’d been burglarized once. I still remembered how it had felt to know some stranger had invaded my place, touched my things, perhaps seen something private. I’d lost money, my CD player, but more important, I’d lost my sense of security for a long, long time. The door closed and we were alone. â€Å"What happened?† 1 asked. â€Å"I already went over this with Security.† â€Å"And I’ll get that information. I want you to tell me.† He sat on the edge of the desk and I was reminded of how easily he moved – at home in his skin, confident with his body – he’d be attractive for the way he held himself alone. The handsome face, rippling muscles, and great big†¦ brain were all gravy. â€Å"I came in to work early this morning,† he began. I wanted to ask why, but I knew better. When taking a statement it was best to let the person tell you everything without interruptions first. You didn’t want them to forget something important because they were distracted. The second time through was the time for questions. â€Å"My door was ajar. I figured the cleaning crew was running late. I walked right in.† He gave an annoyed grunt. â€Å"Sorry, I touched the doorknob.† I shrugged and made a circular motion with my finger indicating he should keep rolling. People would be amazed to know – despite countless hours of NYPD Blue – how many times evidence was fucked long before we got there. â€Å"The place was like this.† He spread his hands to indicate the mess. â€Å"I called nine-one-one, then Security. Someone was searching for something.† Since he appeared to be done with his story, I asked, â€Å"What?† â€Å"Do you still have the totem?† I started, frowned, forced my hand to stay at my side and not creep to my pocket to check. I could feel the talisman there, sharp against my upper thigh. If Cadotte had been looking, he’d have been able to see it, too, although the small piece of stone could easily be mis-taken for a key or any other paraphernalia of the pocket. â€Å"Not on me,† I lied. Then, â€Å"You think someone was after the totem, so they trashed your office?† â€Å"Nothing was taken. I checked.† â€Å"Perhaps you gave a student one too many zeros.† â€Å"I don’t give zeros.† â€Å"Too many Fs then.† â€Å"I don’t give those, either.† â€Å"Well, sign me up, Professor. Sounds like my kind of class.† His lips twitched. I was glad to see him coming out of that frozen, zombielike state. â€Å"Who else knows I had the totem?† Myself. Cadotte. Clyde. I frowned. The only one of us who didn’t know I had the totem now was Clyde. But what possible reason would he have for trashing Cadotte’s office? Clyde might not like him but wouldn’t risk his job just to be pissy. Then I remembered the paper Cadotte had signed for the totem and that it was missing. Hell, anyone with access to the evidence room, or the stolen evidence, could have done this. But why? â€Å"Jessie?† I raised my gaze. â€Å"Maybe the person who lost it was searching for it?† â€Å"And they would come to me instead of you, why?† Hmm, good point. â€Å"Who knows that I had the thing besides you and me?† he repeated. â€Å"Clyde.† I shrugged. â€Å"And anyone with access to the evidence room.† Quickly I explained about the receipt, the evidence log, and the missing evidence. Cadotte gave a long, slow blink. â€Å"That makes no sense.† I had to agree. â€Å"This was probably an unrelated incident.† â€Å"Why my office and no one else’s? Why take nothing but look at everything?† My gaze swept the room. There was an awful lot of paper. Books, notes. â€Å"Axe you working on something?† Cadotte had been staring at the ground, fingering his glasses, and scowling. â€Å"Huh?† He glanced up and I started. For a second there his dark, angry eyes had reminded me of the wolf I had seen in the clearing last night. I rubbed my own eyes, and when I tried again, all I saw in his was curiosity. Why on earth would I remember a rabid wolf when I looked into Cadotte’s eyes? Because I was way too tired to be working, way too deprived to be anywhere near him. 1 had a hard time thinking beyond how he tasted, how he smelled, how he had appeared naked in the moonlight and fully clothed on my porch with his tongue between my breasts. Yet ever since I’d walked into this room, he had given no indication that we were any more than acquaintances. Perhaps in his mind we were. He probably brought women to orgasm with his kiss alone all the time. Since the idea of him touching anyone else as he had touched me made me angry – how crazy was that? I couldn’t even bring myself to call him by his first name – I forced myself back to the matter at hand. Despite all evidence to the contrary, I was a cop, not a silly, hormonal teenager. â€Å"Are you working on a paper? A book? A theory? Something a colleague might want to take a peek at? Steal? Screw up?† He shook his head. â€Å"I just finished a book.† â€Å"You wrote a book?† Although I had asked, that he’d actually written an entire book made me gape. Cadotte laughed. â€Å"I’ve written several. That’s what professors do when they aren’t teaching. Publish or perish. Ever hear of it?† No. I’d never been much of a student – although I liked to read. What else was a girl supposed to do alone, Friday night after Friday night? â€Å"What are all these notes for?† I waved my hand at the fire hazard living in his office. â€Å"Mostly for you.† â€Å"Me?† I might not be the flowers and chocolate type, but crumpled paper and dusty books didn’t do a thing for me. â€Å"The totem, Jessie.† Poof went my ideas of romance. Everything came back to that damn piece of rock. â€Å"You never told me what you found out.† â€Å"1 wanted to.† He lifted one inky brow. â€Å"But I was distracted.† My face heated at the memory of that distraction. Suddenly he was staring at me with an expression I could only describe as hungry. He pushed away from the desk and crossed the space between us in one stride. I should have done something to stop him, but I caught the scent of his skin and my body responded, going tight and wet without him touching me at all. He stopped less than an inch away. I had to tilt my head back to see his eyes. I wasn’t used to being so much smaller than a man – one of the reasons there’d been so few men. Not only did they not like me being as tall as them or as strong; I didn’t like it, either. Call me sexist, but I wanted a guy to tower over me. Right now I wanted this one to do a lot more than tower – I wanted him to touch me, teach me, take me. As if he had heard what I wanted, his eyes narrowed; his nostrils flared. He grabbed my hips and pulled me against him, then crushed his mouth to mine. He was rough. 1 didn’t mind. Our teeth clicked together; his scraped my lip; then he licked the tiny hurt. I shuddered. I wanted to take his flesh into my mouth and suckle. I wanted to feel him skin to skin. He spread his hands over my ass and ground us together. He was hard. It felt so good. I was going to come again, right there in his office. While on duty. Shit. I shoved at his chest. He wouldn’t let me go. I wasn’t afraid. I was the one with the gun, but how could I explain shooting him? It wouldn’t be easy. His mouth was doing amazing things, and I had a difficult time remembering why I wanted him to stop. While I hesitated, he backed me up against the door, then laid his body flush with mine. My hands were still pressed to his chest, but instead of shoving, as I should be, my treacherous fingers had found their way into the collar of his shirt and stroked the smooth skin of his throat. One thumb slid into the hollow beneath his Adam’s apple. I ran my fingernail lightly across his skin. He growled and the sound vibrated from the tip of my thumb to far more interesting places. Goose bumps erupted, enhancing my sensitivity. I already felt as if the air ifself sizzled. Now my skin was on fire. The door at my back moved – opened an inch, then slammed shut beneath the weight of both my body and his. Someone knocked, the sound right next to my ear. â€Å"Professor?† I jumped and Cadotte pulled his tongue out of my mouth. His eyes were so close I could see his pupils dilated almost to the rim of the iris. If I’d been any farther away, I wouldn’t have been able to distinguish one from the other, so similar were they in color. His mouth was swollen and wet. His breath puffed along my face, chilling my own damp lips. â€Å"Yes?† he called, in a cool, distant, nearly normal voice. How could he do that when he was still plastered all over me? He flexed his hips, riding his erection against the zipper in my pants. My eyes crossed and he chuckled, then kissed my forehead. â€Å"Will you be teaching your first class, Professor, or should I dismiss them?† â€Å"I’ll be right there.† I must be losing my mind, but having him talk to the department secretary about mundane daily tasks while his body was doing a vertical tango with mine on the other side of the door was the most erotic moment of my life. Pathetic, but true. Heels clicked in the other direction, sounding sharp and somewhat annoyed. Why hadn’t I heard them approach? Stupid question. Cadotte brushed his knuckles against the underside of my breast. A moan escaped my lips before I could stop myself. â€Å"Though I’d like to stay here and kiss you until you beg, I’ve gotta go.† Beg? Me? Where was my quick and cutting comeback? I couldn’t think of a thing to say. â€Å"I need to go, too.† I shifted against him. He stayed right where he was. I stared at a place on the far wall and refused to look at him. â€Å"Jessie,† he murmured. Crap. He wasn’t going to let me go until we talked about this. Why did everyone always want to talk about sex, even when they hadn’t really had it yet? Yet? I was going to have sex with William Cadotte? My eyes met his. He smiled. I sighed. Yeah. I was. How to cite Night Creature: Blue Moon Chapter 14, Essay examples

Thursday, December 5, 2019

Strategic Audit on Tesco plc free essay sample

Introduction: Tesco Plc is a United Kingdom based international supermarket chain. This report examines Tesco strategies, the reasons behind each component and how vision, aims and cultural value interrelate to make the strategies successful. Tesco was founded in 1919 by Jack Cohen from a market stall in London’s East End. Today it is one of the largest retailers in the world. There are currently a team of over 530,000 people, in 12 markets dedicated to bringing the best value, choice and service to their millions of customers each week. This level of success does not happen by chance. Tesco’s leaders have always set high standards and clear goals, never settling for anything less than the best. Today, they focus on doing the right thing for their customers, colleagues and the communities they serve. Tesco have always been committed to providing the best shopping experience. Jack Cohen (1919) Tesco Ireland: The Tesco businesses in Ireland have grown enormously since they entered in 1997; they are now the leading grocery retailer in the country with 142 stores. Revenue for 2012/2013 was â‚ ¬2,317. 5 million. Tesco are a major contributor to the Irish economy with an annual contribution of â‚ ¬2. 7billion. This includes â‚ ¬705. 8million a year exports to the Tesco Group, including shops in the UK, Central Europe and Asia. Irish exports to the worldwide Tesco Group represented 9% of the total value of Irish food and drink exported in 2010. . According to Nielsen market research, Irish customers have switched to cheaper grocery brands to save money, and are offsetting inflation by shopping â€Å"little and often†. In November 2011, Tesco Ireland opened the zero carbon Cabra store, which is the first zero-carbon supermarket in Ireland. Tesco Ireland is committed to supporting good causes across the country and since 2001 has raised more than â‚ ¬10million for its charity of the year. Tesco have also invested â‚ ¬15million in schools and clubs across Ireland through the Tesco for Schools and Clubs scheme (previously Computers for Schools and Sports for Schools and Clubs Schemes). Over half of all schools in Ireland have benefited from free equipment from Tesco since their entry into the market in 1997. Tesco’s ‘Every Little Helps’ philosophy puts customers, communities and employees at the heart of everything it does. It prides itself on providing a great shopping experience for every customer it serves, whether in stores, online or in its many other service provisions. Tesco Ireland is committed to buying local and supporting Irish suppliers. Over 11,000 Irish farm families supply their produce to Tesco, and every drop of our fresh, non-organic milk is sourced from Irish farms. And 100% of our fresh beef, lamb and pork comes from Irish farmers. We also encourage small community farmers via our Local Supplier Programme, which allows local suppliers to provide high-quality product to Tesco stores near them. Mission Statement, Values and Visions: The company’s mission statement reads, â€Å"Our core purpose is, ‘To create value for customers to earn their lifetime loyalty’. We deliver this through our values, ‘No-one tries harder for customers’, and ‘Treat people how we like to be treated’ †. Tesco is recognised throughout the world as the world leader in retailing. From Tesco’s main values, vision and strategy it is clear that the company will be market leaders in their selected markets but this will be done in a sustainable manner â€Å" in the creation of long-term value for all stakeholders on a socially and environmentally basis†. Tesco’s core purpose (mission) is simple: ‘We make what matters better, together. ’ Companies, like Tesco, that enjoy long-term success, are focused businesses. They have a core vision that remains constant while the business strategies and practices continuously adapt to a changing world. In an increasingly competitive global environment, without a clear vision a business will lack direction and may not survive. A vision is an aspirational view of where the business wants to be. It provides a benchmark for what the business hopes to achieve. Tesco is a company built around customers and colleagues. Its vision guides the direction of the organisation and the strategic decisions it makes. Tesco’s vision is: ‘To be the most highly valued business by: the customers we serve, the communities in which we operate our loyal and committed colleagues and of course, our shareholders. ’ Tesco is viewed as a modern, innovative and an inventive company. They are masters of company data, clubcard inventors, no other company has the analysis that Tesco has evolved. In any business, clear direction is vital. Our Vision guides the direction and the decisions we take as an organisation. Tesco is a company built around customers and colleagues, high-quality assets around the world and multiple opportunities for growth – and these characteristics are central to our Vision for the business. Tesco want to be the most highly valued business by: the customers they serve, the communities in which they operate, their loyal and committed colleagues and of course, their shareholders. Tesco’s vision has five elements which describes the sort of company it aspires to be. These are to be: wanted and needed around the world a growing business, full of opportunities modern, innovative and full of ideas winners locally whilst applying our skills globally inspiring, earning trust and loyalty from customers, our colleagues and communities. Tesco’s values are vital to its success, as shown in the quote below from Group Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Philip Clarke: ‘The Tesco values are embedded in the way we do business at every level. Our values let our people know what kind of business they are working for and let our customers know what they can expect from us. ’ Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Tesco is a community-focused global business. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) is at the heart of its operations. This commitment is referred to as ‘Tesco in Society’. In the competitive retailing world Tesco’s success relies on its values. They are not just a list of ‘good attitudes’ but the means to on-going success. Tesco’s approach to working with communities helps it stand out from its rivals. Its commitment to using its scale for good is demonstrated by Tesco’s ‘Three Big Ambitions’: To create new opportunities for millions of young people around the world. To improve health and through this help tackle the global obesity crisis. To lead in reducing food waste globally. These are underpinned by what Tesco calls ‘The Essentials’: We trade responsibly. We are reducing our impact on the environment. We are a great employer. We support our local communities. Philip Clarke summarises Tesco’s commitment to ‘living’ these values in the following statement: Tesco is an environment based on trust and respect If customers like what we offer, they are more likely to come back and shop with us again. If the Tesco team find what we do rewarding, they are more likely to go that extra mile to help our customers. By living the values we create a good place to work where great service is delivered. ’ These values drive everything Tesco does at every level and help make it different from its competitors. Market Share: An article published in the Irish Times on Tuesday the 1st of October 2013, stated the following interesting figures of the market shares of all retail competitors in Ireland. Tesco saw its dominance of the Irish grocery market slip in the 12 weeks to September 15th 2013, with its market share now standing at 26. 8 per cent, compared to a 28. 7 per cent share this time last year, according to research company Kantar Worldpanel. This is the twelfth successive quarter of decline for Tesco, which has lost significant market share to the discounters over the course of the year, he said. Its Tesco Price Promise campaign is clearly aimed at challenging the view that Aldi and Lidl are cheaper and it will be interesting to see the response from shoppers. (Independent. ie) Dunnes Stores and SuperValu meanwhile bolstered their share of the multi-billion euro Irish grocery market and now hold a 22. 1 per cent share and 19. 7 per cent share respectively. German discount retailer Aldi and Lidl saw respective growth rates of 24. 3 per cent and 13. 1 per cent during the 12 weeks to September 15th. David Berry, commercial director at Kantar and Worldpanel, said the build up to the Christmas period will show if the rival discounters can sustain their strong growth or if a ceiling is starting to be reached. â€Å"Their ongoing growth, combined with the improved performance from Dunnes, has placed pressure on Tesco. Its sales have declined by 5. 6 per cent, leading to a 1. 9 percentage point drop in market share,† he added. These above figures all illustrate a tough trading environment in the grocery market. David Berry, said that retailers own brands continued to appeal shoppers in face of depressed household incomes, growing at 2. 3% year on year, as shoppers focus on saving rather than spending, further demonstrating the importance of price to consumers. Competitors: Tesco is recognised throughout the world for been the world leader in retailing. The Tesco Group has one of the largest market shares in the world with an annual turnover in excess of 72 billion and excess to 14 countries. From these massive figures it is clear that the Tesco Group are in a powerful position in their area of business. The fact that Tesco Group is involved in sale of so many products and services means that the company may not have one main competitor but in fact would have a distinctive set of competitors across different product ranges and service areas in the different countries. Here in Ireland, Dunnes Stores and The Musgrave group, along with Aldi and Lidl would be Tesco’s main competitors in the retail market. On a world scale, Walmark and Carrefour would be Tesco’s main competitors and in the U. K, Sainsburys, Ms and Morrisons. One major strength that the Tesco Group has over its competitors is that they have procurement; they have the ability to source the highest standard of raw materials. Also in comparison to other food firms they have the capital to invest large sums of capital into RD and they have the capabilities to obtain the newest and best technology on the market. Example: In Ireland they have advanced technology in Self Service equipment compare to their competitors. Strategic Decision: Tesco came up with a â€Å"Price Promise Plan† to beat the leading competitors Aldi and Lidl. When you shop at Tesco, they’ll check your basket against the prices at Aldi and Lidl. If the cost of the comparable groceries within your shopping is cheaper at Asda, Sainsburys, Aldi or Lidl, they’ll give you a voucher for the difference (up to â‚ ¬10). This incentive tries to prove the lack of differences between Tesco and its competitors. Tesco also continues to expand its range of non-food items as it moves into higher-margin goods and services. Tesco are trying to stay market leader against Sainsburys in the UK. (Anthony Henry) Tesco mobile was launched in 2007, they were the first Irish supermarket to introduce this new incentive, and it has proved to be very successful. Tesco started creating good rivalry against the other networks, such as o2, Vodafone, Meteor within Ireland. Vouchers: Tesco expects to dish out around 13 million vouchers over the next year to customers, which will be worth between â‚ ¬10m and â‚ ¬13m. (Independent. ie) Core Values: Tesco’s core values include a commitment to using its scale for good by being a responsible retailer. Tesco’s continuing success depends on it reassessing and formulating clear business strategies. Tesco aims to improve customer loyalty and its core UK business in order to help it develop the shopping experience for its customers. It committed ? 1 billion to an investment programme to achieve this. Strategies to improve competitiveness were then developed. The driving forces behind these strategies are price, quality, range and innovation as well as delivering great multichannel customer service, for example, through its ‘Click Collect’ service. Tesco’s continuing success depends on it reassessing and formulating clear business strategies. Tesco aims to improve customer loyalty and its core UK business in order to help it develop the shopping experience for its customers. Strategy: A strategy is a plan which sets out how a business deploys its resources to achieve its goals. The company’s values set the tone for the decision-making process. In May 2011, Tesco committed ? 1 billion capital and revenue investment to improve the shopping trip for customers. It set out a seven part strategy designed to achieve its goals of being highly valued by customers and enjoying strong long-term growth. The table shows the main elements of this strategy. Monitoring and evaluating performance: Strategy, vision, values, aims and objectives are meaningless if their impact is not monitored and evaluated. Tesco uses a range of methods to collect data and evaluate progress against targets. It uses its Clubcard scheme, along with telephone based research and an online panel of customers, to determine what customers want and how satisfied they are with Tesco’s performance. Its Executive Committee assesses the progress of large-scale strategies. All of its business units have ‘stretching targets’ which are aspirational targets for certain KPIs. The performance of all business units is monitored continually and reported monthly to the board of directors. The following table shows how Tesco monitored its performance against targets using KPIs for the 2012/13 period. These KPIs are used to assess current performance, make comparisons with previous performance and help managers respond when targets are not being met. For instance, following investigation, an explanation for narrowly missing the staff training target was given: ‘Although narrowly missing this target, Tesco have also heavily invested in our colleagues in the UK this year through our ‘Building a Better Tesco’ plan. More than 250,000 colleague’s in-store have received customer service training, with additional technical training for 36,000 colleagues. ’ Monitoring healthy options for customers and colleagues supports Tesco’s commitment to helping employees and customers make healthy choices and lead healthier lives. In a revolutionary scheme, using data from its Tesco Clubcard, it has developed a healthy little differences tracker. This measures the health profile of a typical shop by measuring the nutritional value of what customers buy. This will be used to set targets to improve customers health by comparing how the profiles vary across different groups in society and how healthy initiatives impact on customers shopping over time. Macro environment: A SWOT analysis of Tesco shows the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats facing the company. Strengths: Tesco’s strengths in grocery retail allow it to compete easily with companies like SuperValu, Aldi, Lidl and Dunnes Stores. This has led to its brand name and financial power becoming strengths in themselves. The introduction of Tesco Express and Tesco Metro show led to strength in flexibility. Profits for Tesco’s operations in Europe, Asia and Ireland increased by 78% during the last fiscal year. The company has a strong brand image, and is associated with good quality, trustworthy goods that represent excellent value. Tesco’s innovative ways of improving the customer shopping experience, as well as its efforts to branch out into finance and insurance have also capitalized on this. Tesco Personal Finance reached the milestone of one million motor insurance policies, making it the fastest growing motor insurance provider ever in the UK. Long Established history in grocery market. Staff with long number of year’s service with vast experiences. Tesco online: Tesco. com is the world’s biggest online supermarket. With millions of households globally using the company’s online services, the company has a strong platform to further develop this revenue stream. Weaknesses: Some of the products are priced high, compare to competitors, such as Aldi and Lidl. Large amount of fossil fuel used in its transport networks. With increasing oil prices, Tesco need to keep a close eye on transport costs. Opportunities: The main opportunity for Tesco, as for all companies, is in the online arena. Tesco has already had many online successes, having turned the Amazon threat into an opportunity by selling books at lower prices. Tesco biggest problem in pursuing possible opportunities is deciding exactly which ones to pursue. A nice position to be in! Health and beauty: Tesco’s health and beauty ranges continue to grow, and it is currently the fastest growing skincare retailer in the market. The company has a volume market-leading position in both toiletries and healthcare and is number one retailer in the baby goods markets. Across all health and beauty ranges Tesco continues to invest in price to deliver the value customers have come to expect. Threats: Possible threats to Tesco include fluctuations in the stock market and tax increases. Huge competition in the grocery market place – customers looking for savings instead of expense. International expansion: International growth is expensive. Entering new markets with a new brand requires heavy investment and marketing, as well as land prices and extra distribution and operation expense. Tesco’s debt may increase before it begins to decline. Human Resource Management: HRM is regarded as up and downstream activity, covering everything from recruitment to management development. The company aims to increase the number of training schemes and further develop its recruitment programmes so to pass on to the customer the benefits of a well recruited, well trained staff, not the costs. Tesco continues to invest in customer service, where training is also linked directly to pay, so the staff are motivated to learn, and are encouraged to improve their approach to customers and service provision quality. A career at Tesco means working for a company that puts people first –â€Å"be they our customers or our colleagues†. (Tesco. ie) Rachael Jones is the store manager in Coventry Arena, UK. She states how she thinks â€Å"Tesco will never let themselves stand still and will never get to the point when they think its good enough. Tesco will keep continuing to listen to its people. They will keep asking the customers what they want, no matter whom they are or what part of the world they come from. They are constantly trying to raise the bar for themselves†. Marketing and Sales: Marketing and sales are placed under downstream elements of the value chain within Tesco. Clubcard gives further discounts and loyalty for the customers. However, Tesco may also decide to attract more customers by advertising via radio, local newspaper and national T. V. e. g. the â€Å"lower prices† advertising campaign or more discounts offers. With a more customer sophistication and their awareness of ethical business practices, it may give the company some constraints in terms of selling environmentally friendly products. In return, Tesco can take it as an advantage and provide customers with more of the recycling points and include information in their advertisements, adding value for customers who will believe that by choosing to shop at Tesco, people are helping the environment. The Management of Tesco stores: Without the management and their stewardship, Tesco group would not be where it is today. Tesco’s management recognise the key role that its mission, vision and strategies play in its success and use a range of key performance indicators (KPIs) to monitor and evaluate its performance. A company can have all the money in the world but without the right expertise in charge of it, it would all go it waste. On the weekend of the 12th of October, I met Enda Shortt; he is a grocery manger in Tesco Carrick On Shannon, Co Leitrim. He explained to me that the management teams within the Carrick on Shannon store are the most determined bunch of people he had ever met. He continued to say that you can see all their ambition to see Tesco achieve further market success. They are all dedicated and motivated about their jobs. They ensure that the adequate resources are in place to enable the store can meet the needs of their stakeholders (shareholders, employees, customers, etc). They are committed to the company becoming more successful and face the further with confidence. They let their employees have their opinion and reward them for good work. Enda discussed with me that management are spending more time monitoring the financial aspect of the store and cutting down on expenditure where possible. They are getting advice on new technology available and are investigating in new projects which they feel will make the store more competitive and more efficient in terms of saving money and energy. They are budgeting constantly, and carry out stock takes on a weekly basis. Enda finished by stating that, â€Å"the management are doing a brilliant job and are committed to achieving their objectives and getting results. Tesco need strong leadership to continue to develop and successfully face the challenges with competitors and take the right opportunities in the future†. The Board and Executive Committee: The Tesco board currently comprises the Chairman, Sir Richard Broadbent, two Executive Directors and seven independent Non-executive Directors. (See Appendix: Figure 5) Key Facts: Financial Facts: ? 72. 4 billion group sales and ? 3. 5billion trading profit before tax. Global Facts: 530,000 employees worldwide and 6,784 stores. UK Facts: 310,000 colleagues in the UK and 3,146 stores in the UK. Tesco Bank: ? 1. 0 billion revenue and ? 191million trading profit. Europe: ? 9. 3billion revenue and ? 329million trading profit. Asia: ? 11. 5billion revenue and ? 661million trading profit. UK: ? 43. 6billion revenue and ? 2,272 million trading profit. Problems they face in the future: I believe that Tesco will face a massive downturn in profits within the next 3 to5 years. Competitors such as Aldi and Lidl seem to be increasing their market share at a rapid speed. Tesco have introduced the â€Å"Price Promise† to help them match their differences compare to their competitor’s brands but I feel this is not a good, strong strategic plan. To remain the number 1 retailer throughout the globe, Tesco will have to implement expensive marketing tactics and plans. Conclusion: The setting of a clear vision is central to Tesco’s success, supported by a commitment to establishing and monitoring specific objectives and devising strategies to ensure these are achieved. All aspects of the business are regularly monitored and, when necessary, plans are adapted to ensure targets are ultimately met. At the heart of all Tesco does is a commitment to being a responsible retailer.

Thursday, November 28, 2019

Five Minds of a Manager free essay sample

In today’s ever changing global economy, managers need to be able to deal with the changes that are taking place such as technology business processes, job descriptions and skill sets. Companies are developing programs in order to keep up with the constant change. Managers are often the first to deal with the changes so they can produce programs to help employees deal with the transitions. Companies who have a plan in place regarding systems approach of organization can adjust easy to the changes and remain a viable business. In today’s changing times, managers are more in need than ever. Managers need to have many different traits in order to be a good manager. This paper will discuss what it is to be a good manager in today’s global economy. In order to be a good manager one needs to understand what a systems approach is and how it interacts with our economy. We will write a custom essay sample on Five Minds of a Manager or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page The systems approach to management is a concept which views a company as an interconnected purposive system that consist of several business sections. (www. buzzle. com. The system can be broken down by three parts, the first part is input; which all the raw materials of an organization. The second part is called the process which refers to the actives related to management and the third is output which is the end result of the products. These systems need to intertwine with one another in order for a company to change their business processes and in order to stay competitive with our current times. Not only does the organization need to change; so do the people, jobs descriptions, and skill sets. Management needs to have a holistic approach when implementing the change. Organizations that implement a system approach correctly will be able to remain effective during the changing times. Employees’ moral will remain positive and work production will increase. In order for this to 3 happen, managers must be able to manage employees in an effective way along with overcoming obstacles that might come along the way. In the last few years the management role has been an important role in many organizations, but in the past, leadership was always the main focus. Leaders have realized they need the help of managers in order to run a successful organization. A management job may be seen as impossible job to do because of the constant changes that are being asked of the manager. For example maintain the order of the organization, meeting the quotas while keeping employees happy. Successful managers need to think their way through their daily tasks. Most managers use five different minds sets in order to be a good manager. Managers need to use the five different models in order for them to adapt with the changing global times. Each mind set has specific functions that will help managers maintain a healthy workplace for employees. It also allow managers to focus on the many tasks at hand and gives the manager time to think on how to get the job done correctly. In summary managing effectively encompasses five basic tasks each with its own mind-set. A reflective mind-set allows a manager to stop and think; step back and reflect on what is going on around the organization. Manager must have reflection because without it management would be mindless. Reflection often puts events into a perspective, allowing managers to see what worked and want didn’t work. When managers reflect back on the event, a manger can foresee changes needed in order to make the organization stronger. A manger that uses the reflective mind set gains an understanding of their personal leadership philosophy and style and 4 how they present themselves to others, their strengths and weaknesses, and their current leadership skills. Managers will also need to be able to have a strong analytical mind set which will enable mangers to make decisions and solve problems under difficult circumstances. When managers use good analysis, it will allow people to share an understanding of what is driving their efforts and it can also be used as a measurement for performance. An organization may test the manager to see if he has analytical skills. The manager may be asked to look for issue in an advertisement or put a series of events in the proper order. Senior managers look to managers to be able to have analytical skills because senior managers usually have less contact and need feedback that is provided to them by the managers. A downside in using an analytical mindset is that one either puts too much trust into the data or not enough trust because one has not had direct experience with the situation. Managers of a worldly mindset use practical real world experience to see the world in a detailed view of cause and effect. Worldliness is the key to effective management. Managers who use the worldly view will be able to manage the action that takes place on the edges. It also gives clear views between the sides with letting managers know why and how things are different. Mangers need to know that using this mindset is important in regards to systems thinking. Knowing what parts of system are essential and which are not, allows the management of an organization to focus on the important parts that need to be change with an organization. 5 The collaborative mindset engages managers to listen more than they talk and get out of their offices to interact with their employees. Collaborative mindset does not allow managers to manage people; it helps managers have relationships with people. Managers need to have the ability to work in partnership and collaborate with others. Doing something kind for employees with no expectation of anything in return helps managers focus on what you can do to benefit the other person, not vice versa. Your positive, genuine efforts will have a lasting impact. By doing all of the above it will raise overall performance in the organization. Finally the action mind set is used by managers in order for people to work and learn together by tackling real issues and reflecting on their actions. Managers acquire knowledge through actual actions and practice rather than through traditional instruction. Action learning is done in conjunction with others, in small groups. It enables each person to reflect on and review the action they have taken and the learning points arising. This should then guide future action and improve performance. An action learning approach has been recognized as a valuable tool for managers and has increased production in organizations. In summary it was hard for me to choose two points to talk about in the article â€Å"Five minds of a manager†. I believe in order to have effective performance; each mind-set needs to be used. When using the five mindsets, a manger will reflect, act, and reflect some more. Managers must realize that collaboration is necessary in order to have a successful organization and pleased workers. Sometimes mangers are not willing to change their current techniques when it comes to running their organization because they are committed to their own ways, but I believe a good manager needs to remain calm and lead by example. By using the five-mind 6 approaches, it will only benefit the manger. Managers will see the positive growth of their business and the motivation of their employees to succeed. Managers have one of the toughest jobs because they have to deal with employee’s ego and expectations. Managers need to be able to motivate their employees and stop them from going to other organizations. Managers must also make employees feel needed. This can all become exhausting for managers to do on a daily basis; this is why managers need to use the five mind-sets. It will help guide them during difficult times so they don’t become overwhelmed themselves.

Monday, November 25, 2019

Mother Teresa essays

Mother Teresa essays Mother Teresa was a wonderful woman and a great influence on the world today. She was born in 1910 in Macedonia with the name Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu. She was born into a family of deeply religious Catholics. Agnes felt she got the calling to work for God at the young age of fourteen. She joined the Loreto order and went to Bengal, India, to start her studies. In 1937, Agnes took her final vows to become a nun and has done much great work in the world since. Agnes Gonxha Bojaxhiu was born on August 27, 1910 to Nikola and Drana Bojaxhiu in Skopje, Macedonia. Drana and Nikola were Albanian and both were very deeply religious Roman Catholics. Nikola was a popular merchant and a partner to an Italian merchant. He owned several houses and was a member of the Skopje town council. Whenever Agnes father would return from a trip, he would always bring his children presents. Also, he promoted his daughters education, which was uncommon in that time period. Nikola also was involved in an underground organization that worked to gain independence for the Albanians from the Ottoman Turks, who ruled Macedonia around the time Agnes was born. Agnes grew up around much fighting. When she was born, there were Albanian protests against the Turkish government. When she was two, she witnessed the First Balkan War. In that war, the Ottomans were defeated, but Macedonia was divided among the conquerors: Bulgaria, Greece, Montenegero, and Serbia. The city of Skopje was distributed to Serbia. Albania received its independence in 1912, but Nikola continued his nationalist work. He joined a movement determined to incorporate Serbia into the Albanian nation. In 1914, when Agnes was only four years old, World War I began. In 1918, her father was killed. Some people believe that he was poisoned by enemies. Many people mourned his death because of his kindness and generosity. Drana Bojaxhiu and the family were left with little money and no means of...

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Leadership and Management Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Leadership and Management Development - Essay Example It is done in order to amplify the inner skills and confidence of the employees towards the assigned tasks that may improve their level of performance. By doing so, the level of productivity and profitability of the organization might get enhanced to a significant extent that may augment its position and ranking in the market among others. However, in order to maintain the operation of the organization in an efficient way, the leader needs to maintain good interpersonal relationship with its employees. By communicating with them, in terms of various issues, the level of participation might get enhanced that may improve the performance of the organization as a whole. Thus, it might be clearly the better the qualities of a leader the better might be the performance of an organization (Ulrich, 1997, pp. 223-234). According to Northouse (2010), leadership is an art or skill that is attained by the individual through vigorous communication and interactions with a wide range of individual or employees. By doing so, varied types of ideas and suggestions are presented in front of wide range of individual, who might also participate in the decision-making process. As a result, the level of confidence and thinking power of the individual also gets enhanced to a significant extent as compared to others. Moreover, due to strategic thinking process, the creativity and innovativeness of the leader to present varied types of ideas related to improvement of the organizational performance and position in the market might get amplified (Northhouse, 2010, pp. 110-123). In addition to this, through coaching and development learning programs, the self assessment and team-building skills of the individual might get enhanced. Such type of skills might also amplify the problem solving nature of the individual that may reduce the conflicts and clashes among the employees. By doing so, the level

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 12

Assignment - Essay Example Indians appreciate punctuality but most of them are not very strict about time. Office hours are from 10am-5pm. Tie and suit for men is preferred whereas more casual wears are acceptable in the fields of IT. Shalwar suit or long skirts or pants for women are considered agreeable. Politics, cricket, economic reforms and movies are the welcoming topics for conversation. Topics such as Religion, Political ties with Pakistan and economic disparity within India should be avoided. The Power distribution ranking of India is 77 compared to the world average 55. This indicates that the lower class citizens are satisfied with the unequal distribution of wealth. It is a male dominated society and the country is more prone to unexpected situations. The United States of America is an individualistic society with a greater will to work and be competitive. It is the strongest economy of the world and has an extremely high GDP of 20%. The U.S. economy also maintains a very high level of output per capita. It is also the largest trading nation in the world with major trades from Canada, China and Mexico. Power distance is of 40. People in the United States usually work a lot in the industrial and services sector. Not much importance is given to traditional jobs like agriculture or forestry. Americans work on the principle that by working hard one can become more financially strong. The work culture is employee centric. There are many laws governing the rights of employees. Work hours are from 9am-5pm. Many employees work overtime. While setting up appointments, time is considered to be of great value and Punctuality is given due importance. Dressing is usually casual. Generally English is spoken. Topics such as religion or racism should be avoided. Whereas, Sports, travel, food and music are the welcoming topics. China has the second largest economy in the world after the United States. It has a very high growth rate and is the largest exporter of goods,

Monday, November 18, 2019

Description of what is Typical grief noting all manifestations Essay

Description of what is Typical grief noting all manifestations - Essay Example Grief is a process of healing oneself to become a part of life after losing someone close. Bereaved comes out of it after a specific time period but it manifests in his behaviors and reactions. This paper discusses some of these manifestations. â€Å"Depersonalization is a term used to describe the experience when oneself or one’s body feels somehow strange or unreal .Derealization is the term used to describe the experience when external reality seems strange or unreal† (Davies, 2004,p.42). Lindemann (1944, as cited in Worden, 2009) explained physical sensation of a bereaved as a reaction of the loss. A sense of depersonalization is one of them. For example, a bereaved told that he walked down the street and felt everything is unreal including himself. Such reactions are taken for granted but hold an important place in grieving process (p.23). Disbelief or denial is a common manifestation of grief. It happens when bereaved is shocked by sudden or unexpected news of death or loss. According to Worden (2009), people tend to deny the fact and show mistrust by saying, it can’t happen or informer is mistaken. A widow told him that after the death of her husband, she kept waiting for someone to wake her up and tell her that she was dreaming. Another explained, despite of her husband’s long sickness, she was not quite ready for his death (p.34). Idealization is very common behavior; people idealize their lost or separated partners. Bereaved forgets about the negative characteristics or faults of deceased. Only good and loveable things are remembered without any reservation (HBM, n.d). Demonization refers to blaming enemies or evil powers for the loss. According to Worden (2009) anger, if handled in ineffective way can lead to the situation in which bereaved direct the loss towards some other person and blame him for death. They believe that the person

Friday, November 15, 2019

Implementing Curriculum Changes in the Classroom

Implementing Curriculum Changes in the Classroom Introduction Much research on curriculum development has been done in different fields of education. It has uncovered both successes and failures. Research on educational innovations reveals many problems which result in non-implementation of planned innovations. These include the problems of inadequate knowledge of implementation, and lack of awareness of the limitations of teachers and school administration, etc. (Pink 1989; Fullan 1992; Fullan and Hargreaves 1991). Recently, the literature in the field of ELT has reported innovations in the implementation of new teacher roles, new practices, new materials, etc. Most principles for innovation are derived from English-speaking countries and transferred throughout the world. For instance, the learner-centred, communicative approach which originated in British ELT has been recommended almost everywhere. Although some reports mention the success of such innovations, others have concluded that many problematic implementation issues emerge from a dir ect transfer, after it has been put into use worldwide, such as in China (Burnaby and Son 1989; Anderson 1993; Hui 1997), Indonesia (Tomlinson 1990), Greece (Karavas-Doukas 1995), Hong-Kong (Carless 1998), and Libya (Orafi 2008), etc. However, the knowledge and understanding of what is involved in effecting innovation in many projects has been investigated mostly by their change agents. Many ELT innovation projects reported in the professional literature are designed and examined by their authors as leading change agents, not by end users, i.e. teachers (e.g. Gray 1990; Jarvis 1992; Tomlinson 1990; Barmada 1994; Guariento 1997; Markee 1997, etc.). In those projects, the authors/reporters design, introduce, and monitor the process of implementation. To finding out how best to teach the four skills of listening, speaking, reading, and writing as well as grammar and vocabulary. The development of so many methods has been a response, according to Richards and Rodgers (2001:7-9), to the changes in the kind of proficiency (e.g. oral vs. written) that learners are thought to need. In the 1970s, in particular, there was a major shift to learners need for communicating in a second language away from a focus on grammar and translation. This shift was crucial, especially for foreign language learners who leave school unable to use their foreign language in actual communication. So, FL countries adopted this shift to communication to satisfy their students needs for fluency. As English became a lingua franca by the 1990s it was seen as necessary to teach it for communication as it became the mostly taught foreign language worldwide (Gebhard, 2006; Carrick, 2007). The teaching of English as a second (ESL) or as a foreign language (EFL) started to become important after World War II. A great demand for English courses by immigrants, refugees, and foreign students took place in the United Kingdom, Canada, the United States, and Australia (Richards, 2001:23). When English was introduced in schools, it was first introduced at the secondary level in 1950s. But, since the application of the Communicative Approach/Communicative Language Teaching (CLT) in national curricula after the publication of Wilkinss book Notional Syllabuses (1976) educationalists/researchers in many countries have observed that students can not communicate as well as expected after leaving secondary school, with eight years of English, as they start their university study (e.g. Al-Mutawa, 1994; Tang, 2002). According to Al-Mutawa and Kailani (1998:I) English language has enjoyed a considerable role in the fields of business, industry, technology, politics, education, medicine and many other professional fields. According to Saleh, more attention is required from EFL teachers to students EFL teachers on teaching them how to communicate in the target language effectively. This requires that the traditional methods, the classroom learning activities and the learning environment have to be changed to correspond with the latest developments and changes in views on ELT represented by the communicative approach (2002:1). Because of the above reasons, English language syllabus of Libyan secondary schools has been changed lately as a response to these developments. The new English programme in Libyan secondary education aims to enable students to: i) achieve a reasonable proficiency in listening and speaking English at a sensible speed, reading simple texts with comprehension and writing about a simple subject or incident; ii) develop their interest in learning English so that they can learn effectively by themselves; and iii) improve their knowledge and have access to foreign culture (UNESCO 2002 reported in Al-Buseifi 2003:4). It has been investigated that some classroom teachers who teach EFL at secondary schools in Libya are traditional and not in harmony with the principles and objectives of the communicative approach upon which the new curriculum has been based. Teachers are faced with some difficulties in implementing the new curriculum. Therefore, some problems have been appeared, for example; teachers use their native language extensively and use only very little English during the lesson. Teachers talk a lot whereas students talk very little. Teachers need to be well trained. Class-time and size are not suitable. Appropriate materials and group-work activities are needed. This study aims to investigate some EFL teachers in Libyan secondary schools to determine the extent of their effectiveness in achieving the desirable objectives of the new curriculum. It specifically investigates and describes the following: How far does the new curriculum filter down into EFL classrooms in Libyan secondary schools? What are the methods that Libyan secondary school teachers use in teaching English as a foreign language? How do Libyan teachers implement the new curriculum (CLT) in teaching EFL? What difficulties may face Libyan teachers in implementing the CLT approach? To what extent are Libyan teachers qualified in communicative language teaching? Since the language curriculum of Libyan secondary schools has been changed lately and has been based on the communicative approach. The EFL teachers who teach this new curriculum should be based on the principles and objectives of the communicative approach. In fact, most Libyan EFL teachers got used to apply the Grammar Translation Method (GTM) with its traditional views and objectives, so they may encounter some difficulties when changing their method especially if they have not been previously trained. This topic is important to investigate because I have noted that it is still a controversial issue between researchers and teachers. The main emphasis is to know whether teachers are using the new curriculum in order to enhance the students basic knowledge of English and competence to use English for communication. In other words, it is to investigate EFL teachers at Libyan secondary schools to find out whether they have changed their method in parallel with the change in the curric ulum and how it is implemented. In order to achieve more understanding about these issues, this study attempts to discuss the curriculum innovation in Libya with reference to communicative language teaching which is implemented in the new curriculum. More attention is given to teachers, they are regarded as having the main role in any innovation. This study is divided into five chapters. In the first chapter, there will be the introduction, the research hypothesis, the research question, the purpose and the significance of the research. Chapter two will be focused on the literature review which include; definition of innovation, its theory and its aim. Background of the context, EFL in Libya, CLT, its development, and its principles. Some factors related to the adoption of the new curriculum (CLT), e g; teachers role, teacher student interaction, student-student interaction, teacher training, methods of teaching, materials and testing criteria. Third chapter will be the methodology. The methods of collecting data will be discussed, there will be a review of how data will be collected, who are the participants, how many, where, how, when, all these questions will be answered in this chapter. Chapter four will be about the results. The results will be discussed in chapter five. Conclusion and recommendations will be discussed i n chapter six. This study will provide an opportunity to enrich theory and practice of CLT in a non-native English speaking setting. It deals with an important issue in the field of teaching as a foreign language which is related to the teaching methods that is used by teachers. To achieve this purpose this research has been carried out. Literature Review Curriculum Innovation It has been widely noted over many years that the low degree of success of educational innovations is mainly caused by the failure of the innovators who were unable to make use of the extensive theoretical literature on innovation (Havelock and Huberman 1977; Barmada 1994). They also did not adopt the appropriate innovation strategies (ibid.). Both White (1987) and Barmada (1994) identify two areas of expertise in which all innovators should be equipped: an understanding of innovation issues and expertise in the management of innovation. The Meaning Of Curricular Innovation It has been defined by Markee as following: â€Å"Curricular innovation is a managed process of development whose principal products are teaching and/or testing materials, methodological skills, and pedagogical values that are perceived as new by potential adopters† (1997: 46). According to Hall and Hewings, teachers roles are seen as implementers, and sometimes regarded as adopters, students are clients, and materials designers are suppliers (2001: 119). Curriculum Innovation Versus Theory: Vrooms expectancy theory (1964 in Morrison 1998) from business explains the instant effectiveness of the use of rewards and sanctions. Expectancy theory is based on the assumption that people will involve themselves in change if they expect it to bring about personal benefits (Morrison 1998:132). It is argued that the more benefits people perceive, the greater willingness they will have to be involved in the projects of change (ibid.). These perceived benefits, such as financial benefits, job security, and promotion opportunities, etc. are assumed to be an effective motivator to improve job performance. However, any change often requires additional time, energy, and finance, etc. If the adopters do not think the advantages of an innovation will outweigh its costs, it may not be easy to persuade them to accept it. From management theory point of view, and according to (Everard and Morris 1990), by addressing the â€Å"interrelated sensing systems†, we can understand how educati onal managers effect change. They are; policy making, development, controlling, liaising and doing (Markee 1997:49-51). Teachers do not see themselves having part in curriculum innovation, although the definition given above indicates that teachers have a primary role in innovation. This phenomena has been indicated by many researchers that â€Å"curricular innovation entails a mix of professional, academic, and administrative change† (e. g; Bowers 1983, 1987; Crocker 1984; Lee and VanPatten 1990; Straker-Cooke 1987; White 1988). â€Å"Managers must therefore enhance an organizations capacity to innovate through organization development† (Markee 1997: 51). It seems that teachers have many tasks particularly that related to their classrooms. Thus, all participants in language teaching should given part in innovation to be managed (ibid.). The New Curriculum (Clt) In Efl Countries: Attempts to introduce communicative language teaching (CLT) into EFL contexts on EFL countries own initiatives and through international aid projects have encouraged many innovations in L2 education. In general, such innovations have had a low degree of success (Brindley Hood, 1990), and implementing CLT worldwide has often faced difficulty (Anderson, 1993; Chick, 1996; Ellis, 1994, 1996; Gonzalez, 1985; Kirkpatrick, 1984; Sano, Takahashi, Yoneyama, 1984; Shamin, 1996; Ting, 1987; Valdes Jhones, 1991). Difficult as many EFL countries are still striving to introduce CLT hoping that it will improve their English teaching. Some researchers have strongly advocated the adoption of CLT in EFL countries and recognized the difficulties these countries face in adopting CLT (Li, 1984; Prabhu, 1987). Burnaby and Sun (1989) report that teachers in China found it difficult to use CLT. These difficulties include the context of the wider curriculum, traditional methods, class sizes and schedules, resources and equipment, the low status of teachers who teach communicative rather than analytical skills, and English teachers deficiencies in oral English and sociolinguistic and strategic competence. Andersons (1993) study of CLT in China reported such hurdles as a lack of properly trained teachers, a lack of appropriate texts and materials, students not being acclimatized to CLT, and difficulties in evaluating students taught by way of CLT. Sano et al. (1994) point out that the Japanese students they studied generally did not feel a pushing need to use English, so that the goal of communicative competence seemed too distant for them. All these difficulties seem to apply to Libyan context too. Karavas-Doukas (1995) gives a report in which the curriculum developers in Greece tried to implement the communicative approach to English teaching/learning using textbooks containing communicative components. However, Karavas-Doukas indicated that teachers lack of understanding of the methodological principles underlying the new materials was one of the impeding factors that finally let to the non-implementation of this innovation. The Greek teachers had changed to new materials, but they tended to implement the intended communicative activities as controlled grammar practice exercises and did not create the opportunities of real communication in their classroom. They did not realize the new role of teachers and students associated with the CLT approach, so they still acted as knowledge-transmitters, rather than facilitators (ibid.). Much research has been conducted discussing the communication problems encountered by Arab learners in most of the Arab countries; particularly in Libya. This fact has been clearly explained by many researchers, e. g. Abdul Haq (1982), Harrison, Prator and Tucker (1975), Abbad (1988), Wahba (1998), Saleh (2002) and Orafi (2008). The students in Jordan, for example, learn English in their home country where the native language is Arabic. The only way to learn English in Jordan is through formal instruction, i.e. in the classroom where language teachers are native speakers of Arabic. There are general screams about the extended degeneration of the standards of English proficiency of students among school teachers, university instructors and all who are involved with English language teaching. The results of the studies conducted in Jordan lead to the conclusion that the goals set by the Ministry of Education are desirous and have not yet been reached (Rababah, 2005:181). In Yamen, the situation is almost the same as in the other Arab countries. Abbad (1988) acknowledges the weakness of Yameni learners of English, and adds that â€Å"in spite of the low proficiency level in English of most applicants, they are accepted into the department.† This is what happens in most of the Arab university. English language departments accept high school graduates without understanding their proficiency level and whether or not they will be able to administrate a program of English studies. Therefore, Arab learners of English find it difficult to communicate freely in the target language. This may be due to the learning environment which some umpire to be inappropriate for learning a foreign language. This is obvious in Jordan where the formal language of communication is Arabic (Rababah, 2005:182). What happen with other countries can be applied on Libyan context, because the situation is almost the same. According to Saleh (2002) and Orafi (2008), although the new curriculum is introduced in Libya since 2000, the students in Libya still cannot communicate in English or express themselves. They cannot speak English freely inside and outside schools as well. Therefore, they cannot use English in real life situation. ELT In Libya: In the 1980s the focus of English language teaching in Libya was on grammar and reading comprehension. Lessons were characterized by oral drills, memorization of vocabulary, and reading aloud. Arabic was widely used in English lessons by teachers and students. During the late 1980s, as a result of political tensions between Libya and the West, the teaching of English was banned from schools and universities across the country. In the 1990s, this status changed to the positive and new curriculum was introduced in 2000 (Orafi, 2008: 244). The new curriculum recommends that †³English be used as much as possible by the teacher and students in the classroom, as the aim is for the students to communicate effectively and fluently with each other and to make talking in English a regular activity†³ (ibid:245). It was argued that learners learn a language through the process of communicating in it, and that communication that is meaningful to the learner provides a better opportunity for learning. New classroom techniques and activities were needed, new roles for teachers and learners in the classroom. Instead of making use of activities that demanded accurate repetition and memorization of sentences and grammatical patterns, activities that required learners to negotiate meaning and to interact meaningfully were required. The purpose of education is seen as based on careers, examination passing and recall. Understanding, applying ideas, creativity, questioning is all devalued. The idea of school education as a way to unlock potential seems missing and the students appear to appreciate that (Orafi 2008). The teachers role is largely that of transmitting information in an efficient and effective manner to their students. The teachers have little insight in the role of their subjects in the development of students. They are ruled by the demands of society, with its dependence on examination success for gaining access to over crowed and want more time for students to be able to think. However, they have little clear idea of the nature and role of understanding and the idea of seeing their subject in terms of wider life is largely absent (Al-Buseifi, 2003). Although improving the educational system is a priority for the education authorities in Libya, the educational programmes still suffer from shortages in facilities such as computers, laboratories, and information networks, a lack of qualified teachers, and the use of traditional methods of teaching (Khalifa, 2002). This could be due to the fact that the central focus is on increasing the quantity of schools and institutes rather than improving the quality of teaching and learning outcomes. The Situation In Libyan Secondary Schools According to Orafi (2008), ‘the main problem at present of education in Libya is the quality of education. The need to build so much in order to educate so many in a short time creates the classical dilemma of quality of education versus quantity education. In fact, this problem is not the problem of Libyan education only but is a problem common to many developing countries. Classrooms in Libyan secondary schools are regarded crowed. Most of classes are consisted of at least thirty students. Every student has his own seat from the beginning of the year to the end of it. It is difficult for teachers to go freely through the class. Also it is not easy to work in groups, and to deal with all the students. This problem has been discussed by Richards (1996:146) who states that; †¦the majority of large class teachers created, within their large class, a smaller class of students in the front only. They seemed happy to teach this ‘smaller class of students in the front and ignored the students at the back†¦ There is frequently not enough equipment and facilities at some schools (e.g. computers and laboratories). Classes are often large with an inadequate supply of teachers. ‘The examination system emphasises the rote recall of information and holds great power over the learners at key times of the year (Orafi 2008:243). English Textbooks In Libyan Secondary Schools (3rd Year) The textbook comprises of; subject book, skills book and work book. The materials are organized into two semesters; 12 units per semester, with 22 lessons in each unit. The lessons are divided between the three student books as follows: subject book; 10 lessons per unit, skills book; 9 lessons per unit, and work book; 3 lessons per unit. Subject Book; the main purpose of this book is presenting information and related vocabulary. The main purpose of the reading and listening texts in the Subject Book is to impart knowledge about the subject concerned and present associated vocabulary. The final two lessons in the Subject Book present one or more pieces of writing. Skills Book; the main purpose of the Skills Book is presentation and practice in the four skills. Workbook; its purpose is written consolidation of grammar points from the Skills Book. Students are often referred back to the Skills Book to find examples or to check their answers. Occasionally, vocabulary items are also practiced in the Workbook, and there are sometimes pair work and role-play activities (Phillips et al 2002). Implementing innovation as organizational development: The concept of innovation as organizational development is well described in Markees two-in-one innovation: primary innovation and secondary innovation (1997). Markee relates the dimension of organizational development to ‘secondary innovations in contrast to ‘primary innovations, i.e. changes in teaching (and/or testing materials), methodological skills, and pedagogical vales (ibid: 53). In the dimension of primary innovations, innovation intending to introduce new materials, new teaching procedure, new teaching roles or technology, etc. will also involve changes in skills and values. Markee argues that primary innovations cannot be achieved without the implementation of secondary innovations. Markee exemplifies the notion of two-in-one innovations in a project conducted in an American university. This project not only introduced the task-based syllabus into classroom, but also implemented administrative and academic innovations for organizational development. For instan ce, by means of the development of communication channels (e.g. staff meetings, seminars, and orientations, etc.), participants at all levels obtained a complete understanding of the innovation. By means of the development of the teaching programs, teachers were well trained and became better informed. The outcomes showed that the administrative and academic development not only facilitated the implementation of the new syllabus, but also brought about organizational development. Development of the institutional change capacity is largely neglected due to ‘lack of awareness of the limitations of teacher and school administration or knowledge about how to implement the project (Pink 1989 in Fullan 1992). Through the process of organizational development, the implementers, including the management and teachers, focus on the processes and contents of change, learning to develop the capacity to implement change as organizational development. Only when the management and teachers a re assisted to build up their change capacity, is there an opportunity for ‘change as organizational development (Morrison 1998). 5. The curriculum innovation and the role of the teacher Rodgers in Richards (2001:104-105) discussing implementation of a communicative syllabus in Malaysia points out that: While the curriculum innovation has been failed in some places, it has been succeeded in others (i.e. Malaysia). In Malaysia the situation is different and the new curriculum has been managed to achieve its goal, because in Malaysia all the concern parts are shared in innovation (Richards 2001: 104-105). It is clear that these parts should be included in any decision for innovation. In Libya no one of these has taken part in the innovation, except the decision makers (Orafi 2008 :245). In England according to Woods and Jeffrey (2002:25) teachers have seen their role reduced to a list of â€Å"competencies and performativities†. This has produced teacher uncertainly as their role as professional has been reduced to that of a technician. In Libya, the teacher is often seen in similar terms, teachers in Libya do not usually influence curriculum change; it is the responsibility of the government to do so. Teachers must merely understand the requirement of students, know the syllab us, and be able to use appropriate teaching methods. Another important responsibility of the teacher is to help students to process new material in meaningful ways in order to encourage its storage in long-term memory in such a way that it is understood and is related to previous knowledge. However, the aim is that the learner makes sense of life and can use and apply knowledge in meaningful ways (Hussein, 2006). Orafi (2008) investigated teachers practices and beliefs in relation to curriculum innovations in English language teaching in Libya. The study was conducted with five Libyan secondary school teachers using classroom observation and interviews. He concluded that there was a mismatch between the teachers practice in the classroom and the principles of the curriculum because of the influence of their beliefs. 6. Methods of teaching EFL in Libyan secondary schools English is taught with the sole aim of passing exams and moving to the next stage. The learning process is largely viewed as mechanical habit formation. That is, the teaching process is dominated by teacher questions, the selection of students to respond, and the demonstration of examples on the board for students to imitate and repeat chorally. Some Libyan teachers still doubt the value of communicative activities because they believe that vocabulary and grammar rules must be the starting point in learning any foreign language, unlike when acquiring a first language. They think that students should be provided with large amounts of vocabulary and grammar rules to be memorized, and then they can start thinking of introducing various activities to practice the language (Al-Buseifi, 2003). These beliefs reflect their practice in class, where traditional methods of teaching such as the grammar translation method and the audio-lingual method are dominant (Orafi, 2008). Because the new cu rriculum is based on the CLT, I should turn to give sight on the CLT approach: 7. Communicative Language Teaching Communicative Language Teaching has had a major influence on language curriculum development. First, curriculum development has become much more complex. Whereas twenty or thirty years ago, the point of departure for curriculum development tended to be restricted to the identification of the learners current level of proficiency, with the development of communicative language teaching and the insight that curricula should reflect learners communicative needs and learning preferences. (Nunan 1996:20) Communication between student and student influences many ways. It can enhance or hinder learning. Students learn from communication through discussion or by talking about tasks. Communication can take place between a teacher and students. Therefore, appropriate communication skills are required, by keeping in mind the sensitivity to students, their level of understanding and judgement (Dillon and Maguire in Sussan 2005:105). What Is Communicative Language Teaching? CLT has been defined by Canale and Swain (1980:33) who point that: With respect to teaching methodology, it is crucial that classroom activities reflect, in the most optimally direct manner, those communication activities that the learner is most likely to engage in†¦ Furthermore, communication activities must be as meaningful as possible and be characterized (at increasing levels of difficulty) by aspects of genuine communication such as its basis in social interaction, the relative creativity and unpredictability of utterances, its purposefulness and goal-orientation, and its authenticity. Communicative language teaching (CLT) is typically seen as an approach to language teaching (Richards and Rodgers2001). It is based on the theory that the main purpose of language use is communication. With the aim of developing learners communicative competence (Hymes 1971). In other words, its goal is to make use of real-life situations that requires communication. What Is Communicative Competence? Communicative competence is defined as the capability to discuss and command apposite social behaviours, and it needs the active commitment of the learner in the construction of the target language (Canale and Swain 1980; Celce-Murcia et al 1995; Hymes 1972). Four dimensions of communicative competence are recognized; the knowledge of grammar and vocabulary (Linguistic competence); the capability to say the apposite thing in a confident social situation (sociolinguistic competence); the capability to begin, insert, add to, and extent a conversation, and the capability to do this in a regular and logical manner (discourse competence); the capability to communicate effectively and recover difficulties caused by communication collapse (strategic competence) (Richards and Rodgers 2001:160). Terms usually used to point to aspects of CLT contain ‘process oriented, ‘task-based, ‘group work and discussion and ‘learner-centred teaching. Communicative Language Teaching points to both processes and goals in classroom learning (Savignon, 2002:162). Berns (1990:104) states that in CLT; Language teaching is based on a view of language as communication, that is, language is seen as a social tool which speakers use to make meaning; speakers communicate about something to someone for some purpose, either orally or in writing. Obviously we can notice that CLT can be seen as a way of teaching in which the application of communicative activities and the foreign language attempts to advance students competence of knowing and sharing different knowledge. It centres on the aspect that learning is assisted in a purposeful, real situation where activities are achieved with the teachers directions. The definitions also hint that in order to carry out CLT successfully particularly in the EFL context; we are as EFL teachers need to improve our communicative competence, and need to have knowledge about the culture of the foreign language in order to teach the students. Our English proficiency, beliefs, attitudes will affect the implementation of CLT. Background Of CLT Communicative language teaching came into existence in the 1970s as a result of Hymes (1972), the work of the Council of Europe (Halliday 1975, the writings of Wilkins 1972, 1976, and Van EK Alexander (1980). Wilkinss document (1975) where he defined notions i.e. concepts such as time and place, and communicative functions such as requesting or apologizing, which was developed into the book National Syllabuses (Wilkins, 1976), influenced the development of CLT (see Mitchell, 1994; Richards and Rodgers, 2001; Howatt and Widdowson, 2004). CLTs roots can ultimately be traced back to Chomskys criticism of structural linguistic theory (1966). Chomskys ideas about linguistic competence, the innate knowledge of the linguistic system of the language, called Audio Lingual Method (ALM) into question based on the idea that lea

Wednesday, November 13, 2019

The Morally Good and Bad in Othello Essays -- Othello essays

The Morally Good and Bad in Othello  Ã‚        Ã‚   William Shakespeare’s drama Othello is one concentrated contest between the forces of the morally good and the morally bad. Let us analyze this contest in detail in this essay.    Standing out like a dark silhouette on a white background is the sinister character and master of deception in the drama – the general’s ancient. Morton W. Bloomfield and Robert C. Elliott   in Great Plays: Sophocles to Brecht highlight the dominant evil force in the play, Iago:    For critics, the chief problem in the play is the character of Iago. The debate usually centers around whether he had sufficient motives for his cruel actions or whether, on the other hand, he is an example of â€Å"motiveless malignity.† The question cannot be resolved here, nor is it necessary to try to resolve it. Iago, whether because of his disappointment at not having been given Cassio’s position, or because of his belief that Othello had cuckolded him, or because of his love of evil for its own sake, is nevertheless a man who has rejected all ties of morality and idealism. (39)    Totaling the lies which the ancient tells to everyone about him would require considerable effort and time. In Shakespeare’s Four Giants Blanche Coles comments on the lack of veracity in Iago’s speech:    The story that Iago tells Roderigo about the promotion of Cassio over him is not true, although it has been accepted by many discriminating scholars. Careless reading alone can account for this misapprehension, careless reading which for the moment dulls their alertness to one of the most essential requirements of Shakespearean character analysis. That requirement is that the reader must never accept, or must always be re... ...is final passion. From the stern general who had, as his first line, the cold â€Å"’Tis better as it is† (1.2.6), he has traversed a pilgrimage of known and feeling sorrow. And, it must be repeated, it will depend upon the beholder whether one judges or rejoices in the transfiguration of loving not wisely but too well. (66)       WORKS CITED    Bloomfield, Morton W. and Robert C. Elliott, ed. Great Plays: Sophocles to Brecht. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, Inc., 1965.    Coles, Blanche. Shakespeare’s Four Giants. Rindge, New Hampshire: Richard Smith Publisher, 1957.    Jorgensen, Paul A. William Shakespeare: The Tragedies. Boston: Twayne Publishers, 1985.    Shakespeare, William. Othello. In The Electric Shakespeare. Princeton University. 1996. http://www.eiu.edu/~multilit/studyabroad/othello/othello_all.html No line nos.   

Monday, November 11, 2019

Mun Ga Resolution

RESOLUTION 1-1 Topic: Approaches to Prevent the Acquisition of Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMDs) by Terrorist and Extremist Organizations Sponsor: Angola Bearing in mind that a Weapon of Mass Destruction is any nuclear, chemical, or biological weapon that can cause indiscriminate death or injury on a large scale, Taking note of the terrorist group AL-Qaeda along with some North Caucasus terrorist groups that have consistently stated that they seek nuclear weapons and have tried to acquire themFurther reminds that Osama bin Laden has stated that the acquisition of nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction is a â€Å"religious duty†, Noting with deep concern the secrecy of the possession of a nuclear weapon and the effects that follow due to the difficulty to locate the weapon, Viewing with appreciation the Treaty of Pelindaba (signed in 1996 and came to effect in 2009) which establishes a nuclear-weapon-free zone in Africa,Deeply Disturbed by the attack of Hiroshima and Nagasaki conducted by the United States in WWII and the effects of the nuclear bombings that caused large amounts of destruction and injury, Applauds the Weapons of Mass Destruction Directorate's (WMDD) measures to prevent threats from becoming an attack, Taking into account the access of nuclear weapons in the U. S. , UK, France, Russia, China, Pakistan, India, and North Korea, The Republic of Angola, 1. Calls upon the creation of a committee that focuses on terrorist groups and their use and retention of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) and the ame of the committee as, The Research Committee of the Abolishment of Terrorism/Extremist Groups and Their Use of WMDs (RCAT); 2. Requests the RCAT conduct the following research of: a) the availability of WMDs to terrorist and extremist groups; b) what WMD certain terrorist groups are holding or trying to gain possession of, such as stated in preambulatory clause #2 and on line 3 & 4; c) Focusing on where these groups are learning h ow to make and/or getting these weapons from as well as where they store them; 3.Requests funds from countries who oppose and whom are affected by terrorist and extremist groups; 4. Further requests that troops, from the countries who are providing funds, be brought into countries who have agreed to such aid, with large amounts of terrorist/extremist threats for a period of 6 months while the committee is in research, in hope for protection and security for those who are affected and giving information to the RCAT to further gain participation from witnesses who know of these groups to suppress the groups' progress; . Calls for all countries to properly maintain their WMDs and the supplies to create them, in order to keep these supplies from exposure, in fear of the creation and possession of WMDs by terrorist/extremist groups also in fear of a potential attack; 6.Suggests that WMDs and supplies are maintained in a facility that is guarded by trained government officials and take re commendations from other nations, who are experienced in storing them, and use their recommendations to determine the site, building, and measures to keep them safely secured and from getting into the hands of terrorists and extremists groups; 7. Asks for full support from countries being affected by terrorism and