Semi Structured Individual Interviews Education Essay

Based on the consequences of the three open-ended focal point group interviews every bit good as the consequences of the semi-structured single interviews in Chapter 6 that Grade R instructors are knowing about the execution of Grade R. This determination is consistent with the Baseline Study Report ( South Africa. ECDoE, ( 2008a ) which states the followers: The research shows that the practicians know what their functions and duties are ( p. 90 ) . However, this research survey has besides found that there are incompatibilities between what the instructors say, believe, and what they implement in their schoolrooms. Harmonizing to the Baseline Study Report ( South Africa. ECDoE, ( 2008a ) one of the grounds why Grade R instructors and practicians do non implement their cognition in their schoolrooms is due to the fact that the Education District Offices in the Eastern Cape, do non carry through their function of support and monitoring of these categories. The deficiency of support and monitorin from the schools ; the deficiency of cognition in the schools as to the intent of the Reception Year ; the deficiency of execution of the NCS by all parties in the school and the deficiency of regular support and monitoring by the circuit directors and territory ECD forces hampers them in performin their competency ( p. 90 ) . The Report of Task Team for the Review of the Implementation of the National Curriculum Statement ( South Africa. DoE, 2009 ) emphasises that, despite the limited cognition and accomplishments of territory personell, particularly capable advisers, the execution of the NCS ( South Africa. DoE, 2002b ) prevarications on their shoulders as they act as â€Å" mediators between course of study policy and execution in the schoolroom † ( p. 8 ) . These offices have been capable to the same grade of alteration as instructors, and in many instances, a superficial apprehension around course of study exists. Further, in several states there are a big figure of late appointed capable advisers, who have received less developing on the course of study than the instructors themselves, and have non had the experiences of really learning the course of study ( South Africa. DoE, 2009, p. 23 ) . These findings, by both the Baseline Study Report ( South Africa. ECDoE, ( 2008a ) every bit good as the Report of the Task Team for the Review ( South Africa. DoE, 2009 ) have serious deductions for the execution of numeracy in the pattern or Grade R schoolrooms. The inquiry therefore must be asked, is above-named statement by the Baseline Study Report ( South Africa. ECDoE, ( 2008a ) whereby instructors do non hold sufficient and quality effectual support and monitoring, the lone ground why instructors do non implement what they have been taught? This survey nevertheless showed that the above-named ground is non the lone ground why Grade Roentgen instructors are non implementing numeracy efficaciously. The grounds are more complex and nuanced as Chapter 6 showed. There is a clear disjunction between theory and pattern, as reflected in the information analysis of the single interviews and their audio-video tapes of classrooms activities.7.2 Deductions for Theory and PracticeChapter 2 which focussed on the historical and political context of Early Childhood Development in South Africa revealed that Grade R instructors came from different backgrounds with different preparation experiences. This impacted on their execution of numeracy. Chapter 3 has described in deepness the course of study policy development and execution instructors had to implement since 1998. Again, instructors ‘ pattern as so, had to do major paradigm displacements in implementing numeracy in their schoolrooms. With the proposed debut of, yet another c ourse of study alteration, the CAPS ( South Africa. DoBE, 2010f ) in 2011, Foundation Phase instructors, including Grade R instructors and practicians, need to do another head displacement sing the execution of numeracy in their schoolrooms. However, the Report of the Task Team for the Review of the Implementation of the National Curriculum Statement ( South Africa. DoE, 2009 ) warns that if instructors do non hold a clear apprehension of course of study policy and how curriculum execution should take topographic point, it can non so be expected of instructors to implement such a course of study. It must nevertheless, be recognised that the copiousness of alteration has left many instructors bewildered. Our recent course of study history has been characterized by extremist alteration within a comparative short period. The consequence has been a high degree of confusion amongst instructors around what they are expected to make. These past alterations have left paths in instructors ‘ current apprehensions and pattern, peculiarly paths of Curriculum 2005 ( South Africa. DoE, 2009, p. 24 ) . Chapter 4 efforts to clear up how four acquisition theories, and particularly constructivism, relate to the execution of numeracy in Grade R. The importance of larning through drama, which includes geographic expedition, experimenting, find, doing picks and problem-solving was highlighted by Piaget, Vygotsky and Bruner. However, the written texts of the audio-video tapes in Chapter 6, reveal that many instructors are non utilizing these valuable instruction schemes. This determination is echoed by the Baseline Study Report ( South Africa. ECDoE, ( 2008a ) which states as follow: The bulk of schoolrooms did non show larning happening through active geographic expedition of the environment. Children were either playing by themselves ( without structured drama stuffs ) , sitting waiting softly, or being ‘taught ‘ Grade 1 work in the traditional manner ( chanting'sa Se Si so so ‘ over and over once more ) ( p. 89 ) . Jones ( 2005 ) argues that when instructors do interact with scholars ‘ drama activities, they frequently dominate this activity in order to keep subject and control ( p. 201 ) . In Chapter 1, Sheffield and Cruikshank ( 2000 ) advise that instructors need to interact and impart the drama activities of scholars on the one manus whilst on the other manus, they must be careful non to rule and command the drama activities. Sheffield and Cruikshank ( 2000 ) make it really explicit that â€Å" aˆÂ ¦activities can non by themselves teach. Augment them with reading, composing, treatment, illustrations, and idea † ( p. 356 ) . However, unless Grade R instructors and the Senior Management Teams at primary schools, are purchasing into the rule of larning through â€Å" drama with a intent † when the CAPS for the Foundation Phase ( South Africa. DoBE, 2010f ) is implemented in 2011, it will simply be paying lip-service to this rule ( p.6 ) . In position of the concerns expressed by the findings of the systemic ratings of 2001 and 2008, as expressed in Chapters 1 and 2, the danger might originate that instructors would instead concentrate on accomplishing the three Rs ( formal reading, composing and arithmetic activities ) than exposing scholars to activities where they freely explore, experiment and detect their environment. Harmonizing to Jones ( 2005 ) it was found that instructors would instead pass their clip learning numeracy and acquisition than leting scholars to prosecute with drama activities ( p. 202 ) . Jones ( 2005 ) argues that one of the grounds why instructors instead focussed on implementing a formal and direct instruction attack is that the formal attack has mensurable consequences whilst the consequences of free-play can non easy and straight be determined ( 2005, p. 202 ) . Although the said CAPS for the Foundation Phase ( South Africa. DoBE, 2010f ) makes proviso for structured and teacher-directed numeracy slots of 30 proceedingss per twenty-four hours, there is a concern that instructors will over-emphasise the completion of worksheets and hence disregard the importance of scholars sing a construct kinesthetically, concretely and semi-concretely ( p. 6 ) . In Chapter 4, Bruner states that cognition or rational development growing starts as an enactive manner and them moves to an iconic manner and later consequences in a symbolic manner. Harmonizing to Shunk ( 2008 ) the deductions of Bruner ‘s theory of cognitive growing are that new larning constructs need to be introduced concretely and three-dimensionally in the enactive manner ( pp. 6-7 ) . The bill of exchange CAPS for the Foundation Phase ( South Africa. DoBE, 2010f ) recommends that worksheets are merely to be given to scholars after they have experienced a construct kinesthetically, con cretely and semi-concretely ( pp. 6-7 ) . In Chapter 1, research workers such as Grouws and Good ( 1989 ) , Sawyer ( 1995 ) , and Faber and Van Staden ( 1997 ) show their concern sing the usage of worksheets. Grouws and Good ( 1989 ) point out that good problem-solving activities in text books are scarce and if they do occur, the job resolution is based on a subdivision of the â€Å" text edition that deals with verbal jobs † and necessitate merely from the scholar â€Å" to choose a computational operation † ( p. 60 ) . Grouws and Good ( 1989 ) advocator that adequate clip must be granted to scholars to discourse jobs with one another and to depict their ain effort at work outing a job. Faber and Van Staden ( 1997 ) argue that commercially bought larning stuffs frequently do non take awareness of the immature scholar ‘s anterior experience of mathematical constructs, cognition, accomplishments and attitudes and â€Å" be given to cut down liberty: instructors decide on the jobs, how many are to be tackl ed and when, and whether the replies are right or incorrect † ( p. 109 ) . Sawyer ( 1995 ) adds that the over-reliance on workbooks to learning mathematics is a contemplation of instructors ‘ insecurities with the content ( Sawyer, 1995, p. 141 ) . In order to antagonize instructors ‘ deficiency of assurance in learning mathematics, Sawyer ( 1995 ) stresses the importance of rendering effectual in-service preparation and go oning support, â€Å" so that their cognition and understanding base and their assurance in learning mathematics can be approved † ( p. 203 ) . Sawyer ( 1995 ) points out that the feelings and concerns of instructors sing â€Å" unfamiliar content, new instruction and appraisal schemes, the sum of required paperwork and record maintaining, and increasing force per unit areas and attendant emphasis † can non be ignore ( p. seven ) . In the research survey, Participant 15 agrees that work sheets are non exciting † It is non stimulating, no. Yes. Every twenty-four hours, they must make different, you see today, they did n't alteration. I like to make it like that. Tomorrow they will be busy with that activity, I will merely alter them. I change them, the scholars. Yes. Participant 1 has acknowledged that the usage of worksheets can lend to barriers to acquisition: There is a batch of paperwork which can go a barrier, alternatively of learning the instructor and scholar are excessively involved with paperwork. A 3rd concern that has come from the analysis from the information written texts of the single interviews every bit good as the analysis from the information written texts of the audio-video tapes is the call by seven of the nine participants in this research survey for farther preparation on how to turn to barriers with larning in their categories. Although the findings of the Systemic Evaluations of both 2001 and 2008 suggest that there is a crisis if two tierces of Grade 3 scholars are non numerate, the proposed CAPS for the Foundation Phase ( South Africa. DoBE, 2010f ) makes no reference of how to turn to numeracy barriers to larning in Grade R schoolrooms. There is therefore a serious spread in the execution of the current mileposts as stipulated in the Foundation for Learning Assessment Framework Grade R ( South Africa. DoBE, 2010a ) every bit good as the proposed CAPS for the Foundation Phase ( South Africa. DoBE, 2010f ) in how to travel approximately in helping a immature s cholar who is experiences numeracy barriers to larning. In both the pre-service every bit good as the in-service preparation of Grade R instructors, there needs to be a greater accent on barriers to larning and remedial intercession. In Chapter 1, Kirov and Bhargava ( 2002 ) emphasise that the informality of high-quality acquisition in the preschool old ages does non intend that there is no demand to be after for attentive mathematics activities. Contrarily, mathematics larning should concentrate on chances that will excite active acquisition that will heighten the usage of rich mathematical linguistic communication like â€Å" what? † â€Å" how? † and â€Å" why? † inquiries ( Kirov & A ; Bhargava, 2002 ) . Golbeck ( 2002 ) argues that if instructors plan numeracy activities that are developmentally appropriate, such a instructor will so hold lucidity non merely on the content that needs to be taught, but besides sing her function in how to learn the content. In Chapter 4, Branscombe, et Al. ( 2002 ) express their concerns sing a pre-designed course of study which is stiffly implemented harmonizing to prescribed stairss: the premise is that the end is to internalize a organic structure of information in a peculiar order and frequently in a peculiar signifier. Teachers who use this attack are likely to believe that the acquisition is a procedure of taking something from the environment and memorising it instead than building it based on the person ‘s ain actions and interactions ( p. 15 ) . However, despite the concern raised above by Branscrombe, et Al. ( 2002 ) , the proposed CAPS for the Foundation Phase ( South Africa. DoBE, 2010f ) prescribes the Grade R instructors with a structured hebdomad by hebdomad programme of how numeracy constructs should increasingly be taught ( pp.2-118 ) . However, a 4th concern is that the proposed CAPS for the Foundation Phase ( South Africa. DoBE, 2010f ) does non take into consideration the anterior numeracy cognition and accomplishments that a Grade R scholar brings to school. The first figure symbol that is being introduced to a Grade R scholar during the 3rd hebdomad of schooling, is 0 or naught, whereafter the Numberss are increased to 10 by the terminal of the twelvemonth ( South Africa. DoBE, 2010f, pp.2-118 ) . The NCS ( South Africa. DoE, 2003b ) provinces that The Grade R or 1 scholars come to school with varied experiences of figure work and figure cognition. Some can rote count whilst others merely know a rime or two. Learners can normally demo their age by seting up the right figure of fingers, but they frequently have no existent figure sense. Some scholars will be able to work with money and even give alteration to a certain extent, but they ca n't make formal calculatins affecting money jobs. Most immature scholars can portion nutrient reasonably without holding a construct of fractions. Differentiated learning activities should hence be created to suit all the scholars in the category ( p. 60 ) . In Chapter 1, research workers such as Schwartz & A ; Riedesel ( 1994 ) , Campbell ( 1997 ) , Chambers ( 2000 ) and Sheffield and Cruikshank ( 2000 ) , urge pedagogues to construct on scholars ‘ bing numeracy cognition. You are challenged to construct on what kids bring to the schoolroom and supply activities that help kids further grow and develop their mathematical thought and their apprehension of the constructs of add-on and minus ( Sheffield and Cruikshank, 2000, p. 154 ) . Harmonizing to Clements and Battista ( 2002 ) â€Å" larning mathematics should be thought of as a procedure of accommodating to and forming one ‘s quantitative universe, non detecting preexistent thoughts imposed by others † ( p. 6 ) . Therefore, a assortment of chances must be provided to immature scholars in order for them to research their milieus and environments. In this geographic expedition of the environment the scholar will utilize his/her current cognition to associate new information to that cognition ( Branscombe, et al. , 2002, p. 10 ) . In drumhead, it can be concluded that the ground why Grade Roentgen instructors are non implementing a developmentally appropriate, learner-centred and learner-based numeracy programme in their schoolrooms, can non be contributed merely to the deficiency of support and monitoring by territory functionaries. A 2nd ground why instructors do non implement their cognition and accomplishments of Grade R, is that they are overwhelmed with all the course of study alterations of the past 12 old ages as Chapters 2 and 3 of this survey described. A 3rd and possibly the most of import ground why Grade R instructors do non implement their cognition is in reply to the sub-research inquiries, viz. : What are the experiences of selected teacers in implementing numeracy in Grade R? What are the challenges that face Grade R instructors when they implement numeracy? and How make Grade R instructors ‘ experiences sing numeracy influence and impact their instruction and appraisal schemes in numeracy? Despite the fact that the selected Grade R instructors and practicians in this instance analyze believe themselves to be knowing and skilled sing numeracy in Grade R and hence, perceive themselves to implement numeracy efficaciously in their schoolrooms, the findings of the information analysis reveal that many of the selected instructors do non hold adequate cognition and accomplishments in how to implement numeracy in their schoolrooms ( See paragraph 6.4 ) . The deduction of the findings of this research survey for the pattern or execution of numeracy in the Grade R schoolroom is, that unless Grade R instructors receive extended preparation sing the undermentioned challenges and demands which were identified in this research survey, Grade R scholars will still miss the necessary cognition and accomplishments on which their numeracy and mathematical foundation in latter old ages are to be build: how to turn to barriers to acquisition ; how to implement numeracy constructs in practical, hands-on activities ; how to supply Grade R scholars with a assortment of educational playthings and equipment in and outside the schoolroom ; how to supply Gr R scholars with an copiousness of free-choice and free-play activities where numeracy constructs can be experienced, explored and discovered ; how to be after, organize and pull off schoolroom activities that will heighten numeracy development by immature scholars ; how to supply a schoolroom which includes the rules of the four acquisition theories, as identified in Chapter 4 ; how the instructor can supply a acquisition environment that is learner-centred and learner-paced ; how to travel beyond the minimal demands of the mileposts ; how to inquire open-ended inquiries which made an entreaty to scholars ‘ creative, thought, concluding and problem-solving accomplishments ; how to be after and implement developmentally appropriate patterns ; how to supply chances for larning through drama ; how to heighten scholars ‘ problem-solving and thought accomplishments.7.3 Strenghts and Restrictions of this SurveyThe strength of this survey lies in my usage of multiple informations aggregation instruments ( three open-ended focal point group interviews, nine semi-structured single interviews and nine audio-video tapes of the day-to-day programme in Grade R schoolrooms ) in order to unite different methods or â€Å" ways of looking † to obtain an in-depth apprehension of what the experiences and positions of Grade R instructors are in implementing numeracy in their schoolrooms ( Silverman, 2000, p. 177 ) . Harmonizing to Denzin and Lincoln ( 2003 ) the usage of multiple informations aggregation instruments or triangulation, which â€Å" is the show of multiple, refracted worlds at the same time † can be regarded as an option to proof ( p. 8 ) . This survey is further strengthened by its internal cogency. Internal cogency refers to the extent to which the readings and constructs have common significance between the participants and the research worker. The research worker and participants agree on the description or composing of events, particularly the significances of these events ( McMillan & A ; Schumacher, 2001, p. 407 ) . The interview model, which was compiled by the participants sing their apprehension, positions, experiences and beliefs about subjects prohibited me from interfering or pull stringsing the participants ‘ apprehension of the phenomenon. By following the interview model during the single interviews, research worker biasness was limited and objectiveness enhanced in this survey. It must be noted that entire objectiveness in a qualitative interpretative research paradigm is non possible. Stake ( 1988 ) emphasises that â€Å" Subjectivity is non seen as a neglecting needing to be eliminated but as an indispensable component of understanding † ( p. 45 ) . As the research worker, I was subjectively involved when I selected the participants for the focal point group and single interviews. My subjectiveness is besides apparent when I compared the transcripts of the day-to-day activities with the written text of the participant ‘s single interview. This research survey is besides strenghtened by its credibleness. Credibility, in penchant to the term â€Å" internal cogency † can be obtained in this research design by agencies of triangulation ( Shenton, 2004, p. 64 ) . It entailed that the same methodological informations aggregation methods of interviews ( for both focal point group and single interviews ) were used and thereby ensuing in its strength ( Shenton, 2004, p. 65 ) . Multi-method schemes such as focal point group interviews, single interviews and audio-video tape of activities assisted in obtaining different penetrations sing the phenomena. The semi-structured single interviews revealed thick descriptions to reflect a true and honorable image of the phenomenon which was under examination, whilst the audio-video tapes reflected the phenomena in a specific context chronologically. Credibility was enhanced when the transcripts of the focal point group interview in which the instructors and practicians participat ed were given to the semi-structured single interviewees to rephrased and probed to guarantee â€Å" that their words match what they really intended † ( Shelton, 2004, p. 68 ) . Dependability in the informations aggregation and analysis of this research survey, was obtained by guaranting that I captured through the audio-video tapes the â€Å" context- and situation-specificity † of each schoolroom ( Cohen, et al. , 2002, p. 120 ) . They are of the sentiment that Audio-visual informations aggregation has the capacity for completeness of analysis and fullness of stuff, cut downing both the dependance on anterior readings by the research worker and the possibility once more of merely entering events which happen often † ( Cohen, et al. , 2002, p. 313 ) . By comparing the audio-video tape written texts with the interview written texts an honest and comprehensive image was obtained in how Grade R instructors implement numeracy in their schoolrooms. In order to avoid go againsting participants ‘ privateness and cut downing them to mere research objects, I adhered to the undermentioned ethical considerations: I obtained written permission from the Eastern Cape Department of Education to carry on this research survey in the Grahamstown Education District. I met with all participants of focal point group and single interviews and explained the purpose of the research survey every bit good as the method of informations aggregation and analysis. I guaranteed confidentiality and namelessness by set abouting non to place them in transcripts of the interviews but simply to mention to them as participant 1, participant 2 etcetera. I undertook to protect their privateness by allowing entree to audio-video recordings of interviews and schoolroom activities merely to myself and my survey booster. I informed them of their right to stop their engagement at any clip if they felt uncomfortable with the research proceedings. All participants signed an Informed Consent whereby they acknowledged that they understood their function and engagement in the informations aggregation and analysis processs. They besides confirmed that aforementioned ethical issues were discussed with them. Letterss bespeaking permission to audio-video tape their kids in the day-to-day programme activities were given to parents and the signed informed consents of parents in this respect were collected ( Stake, 1988, p. 57 ) , However, the biggest strength of this research survey is the fact that Grade R instructors and practicians were given an chance to hold their voices heard sing their beliefs, perceptual experiences, cognition and accomplishments when they implement numeracy in their schoolrooms. Despite the above-named actions, restrictions of this research survey can be found in the audio-videotaping of the day-to-day programme in nine Grade R schoolrooms. Although I used the subjects of the Interview Framework to steer me when I audio-video taped the day-to-day programme activities, informations aggregation mistakes might hold materialized, as my subjectiveness and personal positions could hold clouded my function as a participant-observer and thereby inquiry the cogency and dependability of the observations. Cohen, et Al. ( 2000 ) underscore the fact that qualitative corporate instance surveies have a personal position in the reading by the research worker, as the research worker can non be divorced from the participants she is analyzing in-depth. Dependability of the observations is besides enhanced when there are a figure of observations, which point to emergent subjects or issues. ( Cohen, et al. , 2000 ) . Although I have tried to minimise the consequence of my invasi on into the natural scene of a Grade R instructor and her scholars it still had an impact ( Cohen et al. , 2000 ) . In this research survey, the visibleness of the audio-visual recording camera ( even if it was set up in such a manner that I tried non to pull attending to it ) , might hold a responsiveness impact on the scholars. I was unknown and a alien to them and hence they could hold acted otherwise from the manner they usually do in the category and school scene, when I and my audio-video recording camera are absent. External cogency limits this instance survey because the sampling was a non-probability convenience and purposeful, standard instance trying. Further, the research survey is embedded in a realistic interpretative paradigm research design, which is non intended to be representative and generalisable to the wider Grade R population. In utilizing convenience and purposeful instance trying I selected participants â€Å" in the full cognition that it does non stand for the broad population ; it merely represents itself † ( Cohen, et al. , 2001, p. 102 ) . Maykut and Morehouse ( 1994 ) agree that the focal point â€Å" is non the generalisation of consequences, but a deeper apprehension of experience from the positions of the participants selected for survey † ( p. 44 ) . External cogency refers to the extent to which consequences may be generalisable ( movable ) across either contexts or populations. It is non expected that the consequences of a survey of this nature will be generalisable across populations, but it is hoped that the consequences may bespeak certain rules that could be generalisable across contexts. In this survey, the point of generalisability is non whether the experiences of the instructors in the survey could be expected to be the same for other scenes. Rather, generalisability refers to possible wide subjects that may go possible given a certain instruction scene and context. A farther restriction refers to the fact that resources and mentions prior 1995 were non easy available. The curriculum resources from the Transvaal Department of Education, the Department of Education and Training and the Natal Department of Education are non decently referenced as I was able to roll up photostat transcripts of such resources from an ex-TED pre-primary school, a township school which hosted a Grade R category every bit good as the hand-outs from the Natal Department of Education from a antecedently capable adviser for pre-primary schools. These resources were distributed straight to the schools from the different Education Departments. Therefore, no publishing house and sometimes, no day of the months are available on these mentions and resources. Another restriction of this survey points to the position of the current NCS course of study. It is in theodolite and non clear adequate waies and publications sing the necessities of the CAPS, have come through. The course of study demands of the CAPS for the Foundation Phase ( South Africa. DoBE, 2010e ) is at this phase merely a bill of exchange papers. The possible wide subjects or findings that came to visible radiation when the information was analyzed can be used, non merely to heighten Grade R instructors ‘ apprehension, cognition and accomplishments when they implement numeracy, but besides to open up future research infinites sing numeracy.7.4 Deductions for Further ResearchDue to the fact that major course of study alterations are presently being made in order to implement the CAPS ( South Africa. DoBE, 2010e ) in 2011, it would be of import to reiterate this research survey and to look into whether the new and/or adapted course of study is implemented in such a manner that it is learner-centred, developmentally appropriate and taking the holistic development of the scholar into awareness. As stressed in above-named paragraph 7.2, the numeracy ability of Grade R scholars will onbly be enhanced if Grade R instructors receive extended preparation sing the challenges and demands which were identified in this research surv ey, Another focal point for farther research is to look into what are the Grade R instructor ‘s cognition and accomplishments to turn to numeracy barriers to larning. In this research survey, I did non include any probe sing the function linguistic communication plays in get the hanging numeracy constructs in Grade R. Although a female parent lingua or place linguistic communication attack was preferred in the NCS for Grade R, the Report of the Task Team for the Review of the Implementation of the National Curriculum Statement ( South Africa. DoBe, 2009 ) advises that both the Home Language and the First Additional Language, sooner English, are given a high precedence and therefore allocated 6 and 5 hours per hebdomad instruction clip in this respect ( p. 43 ) . Some Grade R scholars are being taught in either the First or Second Additional Languages and non their Home Language. It is hence strongly advised that farther research should be done on the function of linguistic communication dramas in geting numeracy cognition and accomplishments.7.5 Final WordI undertook this survey, non merely to happen possible replies for the underperformance of nu meracy in Grade 3, but besides to seek and understand what Grade R instructors and practicians are sing every twenty-four hours. As a topic adviser, it is of import for me to cognize the experiences of Grade R instructors and practicians before I can help and back up them. However, this research survey has non merely broadened my research cognition and accomplishments, but it has enriched me as a individual. I was inspired by the Grade R instructors and practicians, who go about with their mundane instruction with love, passion, dedication and committedness to immature learers, despite assorted challenges. This research survey was a really low experience.

Macbeth- The Murderer of King Duncan Essay

Justice Wallace, I strongly believe that Macbeth and his accomplices, Lady Macbeth and the weird sisters, is to blame for the murder of King Duncan. The night of which King Duncan went to the Macbeth castle, Macbeth murdered King Duncan in his sleep. Although he isn’t to blame completely; The supernatural powers of the weird sisters made Macbeth’s ambition get the better of him, and with the manipulation of Lady Macbeth, Macbeth kills King Duncan with his own hands. Macbeth’s ambition and weakness is what caused the murder of King Duncan, In contrary to that statement, the play begins with Macbeth slicing a man from the bottom up and then displaying his head for everyone in the battlefield to see. â€Å"Till he unseamed him from the nave to th’chaps, And fixed his head upon our battlements† (1.2.22-23). This shows that Macbeth is capable of murder through his bravery and strength. King Duncan notices these traits and awards Macbeth by making him Thane of Cawdor. Here is when the weird sisters come into play. Shortly after the battle in the beginning of the play, Macbeth and Banquo meets with the witches, and they say â€Å"All hail Macbeth, that shalt be king hereafter† (1.3.48). As we know, the witches have the power to control fate, so they are partially to blame when Macbeth’s ambition gets the better of him. The witches also states that he is Thane of Glamis, and Thane of Cawdor. Macbeth already knows he is Thane of Glamis but he becomes Thane of Cawdor later that day, so then he figures he can also become king. Macbeth’s ambition overcomes his morality as he pictures all the great things that would happen to him if he becomes king, so he plans the murder of King Duncan in a letter, and sends it to Lady Macbeth. As King Duncan arrives at the Macbeth castle, his host and hostess already plan to murder him when he sleeps. Although Macbeth couldn’t initially go on with the plan because he feels guilt as he says to himself â€Å"as his host, Who should against his murderer shut the door, Not bear the knife myself†

Proposal to Write a Research Paper on Climate Change Mitigations

To Write a Paper on Climate Change Mitigations - Research Proposal Example The economy is affected due to the reduction of agricultural outputs that are caused by soil degradation and loss of other resources that are of economically important. People’s social lives are affected by climate change. For instance, when there are floods some people are usually relocated and others left homeless. Many people develop skin cancer due to global warming that is caused by climate change (Department of Ecology State of Washington, 2009). My readers will be the environmental and business students in my school. I have chosen them since they know about the impacts, causes and the mitigations of climate alteration. They also think that atmospheric change is a serious issue and solutions have to be found. In my research, I will use several sources like books and articles to find information about climate change. I will also interview people in our school and my neighborhood using questionnaires about the climate change issues. I will use the following as one of the s ources to study on my research topic. This topic meets the standards for a relevant topic in my future career. Firstly, I have sufficient interest in the topic. As a business and environmental enthusiast, I have realized that mitigating climate alteration effects will bring positive effects to the social and economic aspects in our country. I am deeply interested in the mitigation measure that other environmentalists have practiced. Secondly, the topic meets standards since it can be searched quickly. A computer search in the library has shown numerous sources accessible on this topic. Moreover, our college library has a wide array of possible sources that I believe will produce a unique project. For my project, please allow me to research the ways of mitigating climate change. If you have ideas concerning the changes on this topic, please notify me.  

Persian Empire Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Persian Empire - Research Paper Example The formation of the Persian Empire began in 550 B.C., when King Stages of Media, who subjugated much of Iran and eastern Anatolia (Turkey), was crushed by his southern neighbor Cyrus II ("the Great"), king of Persia (559–530B.C.). This upset the stability of power in the Near East. The Lydians of western Anatolia under King Croesus took advantage of the fall of Media to push east, and clashed with Persian forces. The Lydian army withdrew for the winter but the Persians marched on to the Lydian capital at Sardis, which fell after a two-week siege. The Lydians had been allied with the Babylonians and Egyptians, and Cyrus now had to meet these major powers head-on. The Babylonian empire controlled Mesopotamia and the eastern Mediterranean. In 539 B.C., Persian forces defeated the Babylonian army at the site of Opis, east of the Tigris. King Cyrus entered Babylon and presented himself as a customary Mesopotamian monarch, restoring temples and releasing political prisoners. The on e western power that remained unconquered in Cyrus' brilliant campaigns was Egypt. It was left to his son Cambyses to beat the Egyptian forces in the eastern Nile Delta in 525B.C. After a ten-day siege, Egypt's ancient capital Memphis fell to the Persians.2 A crisis at the court forced Cambyses to go back to Persia but he died on the way and Darius I emerged as king. During his reign and the reign of his successors, the empire was stabilized, roads for communication were built, a system of satraps (governors) was established, major building projects, such as royal buildings at Susa and a new dynastic center of Persepolis, were begun, more lands were gained.3 And for the next two and a half centuries, the Persians enjoyed a fairly peaceful period of history, disturbed only by the occasional revolts of the Aegeans. The Organization and Governance of the Empire Though built upon the Assyrian structure, the Persian administrative system was far more competent and civilized. The empire w as divided into twenty provinces, or satrapies, each ruled by a governor called a satrap. To check the satraps, a secretary and military officials on behalf of the "Great King, King of Kings" were installed in every province. Also, special inspectors, "the Eyes and Ears of the King,"4 traveled all over the realm. Imperial post roads connected the important cities. Along the Royal Road between Sardis and Susa there was a post station every fourteen miles, where king's couriers could obtain rested horses, enabling them to cover the 1600-mile route in a week. "Nothing mortal travels so fast as these Persian messengers," wrote Herodotus. "These men will not be hindered..., either by snow, or rain, or heat, or by the darkness of night." 5   The Persian Empire was the first to endeavor to govern many different ethnic groups on the principle of equal responsibilities and rights for all peoples. So long as subjects paid their taxes and kept the peace, the king did not interfere with local religion, customs, or trade. Darius I revolutionized the world economy by placing it on a silver and gold coinage system also introducing a controlled and sustainable  tax  system that was accurately designed for each satrapy, based on their hypothetical productivity and their economic potential. Due to the vast geographical size, ethnic and cultural diversity of the subjected peoples, constant struggle for power on a regional scale, such as revolts led by the Greeks and the Egyptians, the creation of a large,

Multiple Linear Regression Analysis Research Paper

Multiple Linear Regression Analysis - Research Paper Example The multiple regression analysis methods show that the policy has contributed over 92% of the labor force, employment as per the expectation of the policy by the government. It concludes that the program is efficient, thus suggesting a continuation of such as policies for the unemployment rate reduction. The research findings show that all the coefficients are proportionally significant in the calculations and apart from inflation. This is because the statistics that are calculated are higher than the critical value identified. The results show that the model variables are accurate since they explain over 98% of the independent body. It is recognized that the policy has improved the employment of the labor force to rise above 100% as per the government policy. The research paper concludes that programs that support active employment have a great impact on the levels of employment. This is recognized through the comparison of each and every program’s impact on the employment le vel. The promotion program that deals with employment of the unemployed is identified to have the greater influence on the employment levels. The primary activity that is defined to be of much impact on the promotion program is job training. Comparison of the minor programs within the promotional program shows that capacity building programs and subsidies have a greater employment impact. The omission of observation activities in long periods is identified to be one of the demerits of the models. Â   Â  

Oldham Pond Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Oldham Pond - Essay Example An example of a response by the ecosystem would be a spurt in the population of phytoplankton in the aquatic body, due to an upsurge in the nutrient level (John & Eugene 109). This phenomenon has such negative effects on the environment as hypoxia, which is oxygen depletion in the water. On top of promoting an increase in phytoplankton levels, it also promotes plant decay, while seeming to favor natural plankton and algae as compared to more developed plants. This plant decay causes a substantial reduction in the quality of the water, as well as depletion of aquatic oxygen during decomposition of algae, which causes death of fish. Eutrophication decreases the recreational value of water bodies, hurting tourism. The premise of this paper is to study Oldham pond and its tributaries and evaluate the effects of eutrophication. Conductivity of the pond was measured using a portable conductivity metre. Conductivity is the measurement of how much material found dissolved in the pond. Polluted ponds have more dissolved solute than clean ponds. Conductivity below 250 is preferable, with upward of 600 being the cause for alarm. Measurement of temperature was done using a thermometer, while the levels of dissolved oxygen were measured using a dissolve oxygen electrode (Ansari 90). The sampling was carried out on the 4th and 25th of February, 2012. For the organisms in the pond, Ad Libitum sampling was used, where much information about the organisms was measured (John & Eugene 106). According to the results, the temperature of the water was comparable to that of the surrounding air. The slight difference is the difference in conductivity of heat by air and water. Dissolved oxygen levels were also concurrent to those that are recommendable (11 mg/l). Conductivity, however, was found to be higher than recommended. Recommended conductivity is below 250 (Boqiang et al

Environmental social responsibility Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Environmental social responsibility - Essay Example London municipality has been reviewing the performance on various functions of the socially responsible activities carried by their department. The conventional public transport was moderately utilized and there was no considerable improvement in the utility status of the system in three years together. The conventional transport systems are very useful in mass transport. The conventional transport will ease the vehicles pressure on the roads. The fuel usage will come down considerably. The mass conventional transport is cheaper than the individual transport. More importantly the conventional transport decreases the pollution to an extent. The only concern with the mass transport is that the initial investment will be high. The infrastructure support establishment will take some time. London being a city with growth prospects the facilities are to be upgraded on the same level. The Sewerage systems spending were kept untouched for a period. The quantity of the sewerage processed and the process cycle improvements should be considered. A periodical measure to monitor the waste water treatment has to made. The treatment process review need to timely checked to meet the growing need year by year.

How to set off a roadside bomb (IED) using radio, mobile phones etc Essay

How to set off a roadside bomb (IED) using radio, mobile phones etc - Essay Example Considering the attacks on the troops of U.S. in Iraq with these bombs as well as increasing reports of IED attacks in Afghanistan, have led to the rising need to find counter measures to act against IEDs (Freudenrich 2013). Previously the IEDs were like basic pipe bombs. However with advancements in the field, artillery shells in multiple numbers, explosives and rocket propellants are used for the detonation of the IEDs. The wires that are used in the roadside bombs in the present times are not easy to detect and set off. Uses of cell phones or devices like garage door opener are often used for the purpose of detonation as well. The size of the IEDs used for explosions are varying in sizes where large IEDs are capable of exploding large vehicles and areas. Reports are mostly obtained for the destruction of the U.S. troops and in Afghanistan for the use of these bombs. Since these bombs are mostly detonated in a remote manner, it has been observed that jammers are essential in the bu siness of IEDs. It has also been reported that many times the detonators are used where the wires are connected for the purpose of detonating the bombs. Remote detonation is also possible with the use of roadside bombs (Congress 2006). Setting off such roadside bombs or IEDs also makes use of different ways and devices. This is the way the bombs are triggered. Pressure-switches, trip wires, and devices like photo detectors can be used for setting off the bombs. Heavy military vehicles are generally required to set off bombs through use of pressure switches. Radios, cell phones, walkie-talkies are some of the other devices, the signal transmissions of which are used effectively in the setting off the IEDs. The control of such remote devices is generally placed under the responsibility of some man who stands at a distance to trigger the bombs at the correct time. Use of devices like the radio and mobile phones has been found to be more effective than using wired controls over the bomb s (IED Defeat n.d.). Aim and Objectives of the Study: The aim of the study is to learn about the process of detonating or setting off roadside bombs or IEDs using devices like radio and mobile phones. Considering the above mentioned aim, the following objectives have been set for the study: The study will discuss about the GSM mobile phones that are used and their technical standards. Discuss about the standards of the 3G phones that are available. Discuss about the standards of the 4G LTE phones. Learn about the UHF and VHF modes of communication including cordless phones, DECT, 2.4 GHz WiFi, 5GHz WiFi Have an overview on the commercial devices that can detect and locate these forms of communication. Discuss how roadside bombs or IEDs can be set off using mobile phones and radio like devices. GSM Mobile Phones: Technical Standards: GSM or Global System for Mobile Communications can identify the account of the user using this particular system. It is a wireless network technology ba sed on TDMA (What is â€Å"GSM†? 2013). TDMA refers to the technology Time Division Multiple Access used in mobile devices that allows increasing the amount of data that can be passed and communicated by dividing the channel of communication into different slots (Rouse 2006). The use of GSM has allowed users to easily change their mobile devices by simply taking out the SIM (or Subscriber Identification Module) card from one device and inserting it into

Improwing Service Delivery in University of Derby Research Proposal

Improwing Service Delivery in University of Derby - Research Proposal Example University collaborations at all levels are important to delivering world-class research and strengthening the overall contribution of the laboratories to the nation's research enterprise. In addition, the interaction with university researchers increases the quality and impact of the user facilities and helps to improve them. b.) Project the necessary security facilities and assistance that the university can provide to foreign and local students. Other helpful facilities can include a university cafeteria, cultural book shop, mini grocery, wi-fi zones, sport facilities, and parking spaces. Since the investment is financially feasible, the dormitory could be built in the future. (i)To evaluate the benefits or otherwise of these facilities provisions to both the university and students' communities. (ii)To critically analyse the effectiveness of these facilities in the university communities. (iii)To suggest guidelines for improving and enhancing these services. Forte (2003) stated that some US colleges have adopted SEVIS in order to monitor and access current information on nonimmigrant students which is a way of protecting the safety of the student body. Charles Fletcher Jr (2005) stated that the University of Delaware has built a comprehensive identity management infrastructure using Siemens' HiPath Security solutions. The users adopt a credit card-sized SIcurity smartcards which manages the students' access to both physical facilities and information systems. Another system, the MetaDirectory coordinates with on-campus database applications to ensure that identity information such as electronic access credentials, is always current. The system provides a single point of access that processes requests when enabling and revoking users' security privileges. The smartcards provide tamper-proof storage for passwords and account numbers. With a single sign-on process, any student with an authorized ID and password can use the card to access t he internet and applications on school computers.Coppola et.al., (2001) discussed the establishment of the department of corporate security services for John Hopkins Medical Center in 1994. This in-house security team did a thorough

Effects of Media on Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Effects of Media on Communication - Essay Example For example, Americans can find virtual friends online from other countries who eventually become their real friends. As communication with the virtual friends become more frequent, communication with real friends and family take an opposite direction. This is true not only in social networking sites but with the effects of other media as well such as the television. While one family member spends his time on the computer, another is in front of the television while still another is speaking on the phone. This causes families to be there but not ‘really being there’ for each other. It could also be similar to a family who may all be in front of the television whose communications become problematic as well because each one is concentrating on what is being shown on TV. Members could speak with each other but their communication is not too involved compared to when they have nothing else to do but communicate. This is because their attention is divided. In conclusion, media affects communication in so many ways, positively and negatively. However, people should bear in mind that the things we use to improve our communication do not simply improve or destroy communication on their own but it will take people to do those. Therefore, it is the decision of a person if media will destroy his communication or improve it. After all, everything that is good always have something bad it brings along but it will always depend on the people how they will let these things affect them.

Hamburger and Target Market Essay Example for Free

Hamburger and Target Market Essay This chapter represents the introduction, statement of the problem, objectives and scope and limitations of the study. Introduction A burger is usually defined as a sandwich consisting of a bun, a ground meat patty and often other ingredients such as cheese, onion slices, lettuce and other condiments. The ingredients are often used in combination and are usually called a cheeseburger. Although the origin of the modern beef hamburger came from the Germans, many culinary historians consider the burgers to be primarily from an American concoction. The first burgers were made from various cuts of beef ground into a manageable paste but eventually there emerge different ground meats and vegetable mixtures that have earned the right to be called â€Å"burgers† even in their own distinctive taste. Today, there are dozens of variations on the basic meat patty served between two slices of bread. Indeed through the years, the simple American meal called â€Å"burger† has transformed itself to an array of variations combining different ingredients to suite the taste of millions of people worldwide. Tony Tan Choking, who is the CEO of Jollibee which is considered as the one of the most popular fast-food chain in the Philippines, told in his interview for Business Week Asia that, â€Å"hamburgers, they appeal to any culture†. Taking to account that through this sumptuous dish, Jollibee was able to gain current status in the Philippine business. At present the hamburger toppings may not vary much. Some toppings ramp up taste and may love variants of toppings like the bacon cheeseburger or the replacement of standard condiments (mayo, mustard, ketchup) with things like barbecue sauce. Arguments exist as to what condiments should exist on hamburgers, and also what other things a hamburger needs such as lettuce, tomatoes, onions and pickles. There is no hard and fast rule that requires ingredients to be combined to the more familiar and staple hamburger toppings. In fact, the present times emphasizes creativity and innovation on almost anything even in the traditional hamburgers, which offers usually the same fairly blank palate. Currently an innovation on the burger recipe is viewed as means of culinary expression and way to create exciting and new taste combinations by varying toppings. Ultimately, innovation on the traditional burger combining different ingredients together in different proportions boils down as a means to satisfy one’s palate and finally one’s individuality. Thus with these concept, a new business establishment that deviates from the traditional way on how burger is served has emerged. The business establishment is called Jumbleger and this paper aims to evaluate the business’s feasibility in terms of target market acceptance, profit gain and overall future performance. Statement of the Problem. This paper aims to evaluate the feasibility of an innovative new business establishment to be called Jumbleger in terms of target market acceptance, profit gain and overall future performance. Specifically it aims to answer the following sub-problems: 1. Which among the following groups compose majority of the population surveyed? a. Which of the following age groups compose majority of the population surveyed? b. Which gender compose majority of the population surveyed? c. Which among the different educational attainment compose majority of the population surveyed? d. Among the samples who are students, what schools are they from? f. Which among the different civil status compose majority of the population surveyed? g. Which among the different income bracket is the most common income classification of the population surveyed? 2. Is an innovative new concept of a burger business significantly acceptable to the target market? a. Does majority of the population surveyed eat burgers? b. How often does the majority of the population prefer to eat burgers? c. Does majority of the population surveyed willing to try burgers in new varieties of flavors? d. Among the business establishments who offer burgers in their menu, which is the most preferred by the population surveyed? 3. What are the ingredients most preferred by the population surveyed? a. Among the different kinds of patty which is most preferred by the population surveyed? b. Which among the different kinds of sauces are most preferred by the population surveyed? c. Which among the different toppings are most preferred by the population surveyed? 4. Is the new concept burger be considered affordable to the target population and yet still be a profitable business? a. Among the different price groups for a burger, which will be most preferably spent by majority of the population surveyed? b. How many servings is the majority of the population surveyed able to consume per meal? Objectives of the Study The general objective of this paper is to evaluate the feasibility of an innovative new business establishment to be called Jumbleger in terms of target market acceptance, profit gain and overall future performance. The following are its specific objectives: 1. To determine which among the following groups compose majority of the population surveyed. 2. To evaluate if an innovative new concept of a burger business significantly acceptable to the target market. 3. To identify the ingredients most preferred by the population surveyed. 4. To determine if the new concept burger be considered affordable to the target population and yet still be a profitable business. 5. To derive recommendations for further improvement of the business. Scope and Limitation of the Study The demographic profile as well as the needs and wants of the proposed target market shall be further identified and discussed in the study, in order to asses whether the proposed business would gain impact in the proposed market location. Also, such study shall determine the preferences and level of satisfaction of the proposed market with regard to their food consumption particularly with burgers. The target markets of the proposed business are customers who are frequent in St. Thomas Square, Morayta, more particularly the students from different universities, colleges, review centers and business establishments situated in that vicinity.

The death penalty debate

The death penalty debate Death penalty has been an issue of controversy and debate for ages and one comes across a large number of arguments for and against capital punishment system. Capital punishments were prevalent at one stage or other in the developmental history of many nations and many of them have constitutionally abolished death penalty from their criminal justice systems. Advocates of death penalty in the United States argue that death penalty is the need of the time as homicides and serious offences are at an increasing rate and that the provision for capital punishment can act as the strongest corrective measure in a crime prone condition. Besides, there are many who believe that many innocent lives can be saved by providing death penalty to dreaded criminals. The retributive belief that death penalty is essential to preserve retributive justice whereby murderers get the full punishment they deserve and the utilitarian argument that death penalty deters or is necessary to incapacitate prospectiv e criminals have immensely supported capital punishments in the nation. On the other hand, the major argument against death penalty is that it is against human rights, ethics, and morality. Whatever may be the arguments for and against the practice, when it comes to implementation of a law such as capital punishment on state level, it is essential to consider the pros and cons of death penalty in the nation, the underlying reasons behind the creation of the capital punishment, the moral and ethical issues related to it, how much the implementation of it is efficient in fulfilling its purpose, and whether there are any other alternatives to achieving the same purposes as that of death penalty. The higher cost of using the capital punishment and the liabilities it causes on the states governance are also to be unearthed. In doing so the paper tries to compare and contrast capital punishment with its closest possible alternative-life imprisonment without any possibility for parole. The paper seeks to make a probe into the various aspects of capital punishment and it emphasises that capital punishment should be abolished in the United States as it does not deter other criminals, as there is the increased risk of innocents being executed and as the cost of execution is higher than that of life imprisonment. 2 Discussion There have been a number of debates over the future of capital punishment in the United States. However, it is a fact that the opponents as well as the supporters of death penalty system are not entirely satisfied with the current system of capital punishments and the way death penalty is administered in the nation. Even a number of national opinion polls have brought about conflicting results with regard to the elimination capital punishments. This has prompted most of the politicians to take a neutral stand in this controversial issue. On the other hand, there are many who favour life time imprisonment without any chance of parole to death sentencing. In fact, the abolitionists have played a pivotal role in educating the public of the laws regarding life in prison without parole whereby they seek to convince people that such murderers will never be released or allowed to commit further deadly crimes (Marzilli 2008, p. 94). They also argue that United States should follow the exampl e set by other Western industrialized nations in abolishing capital punishment. There are also many who hold that gun control, drug treatment, better schools, and other social programs are much more effective than the death penalty in reducing crime (Marzilli 2008, p. 96). Similarly, one should also bear in mind that there are several nations that have brought down crime rates even after abolishing death sentence. Abolition of Capital Punishments: Pros and Cons: It is essential to consider the advantages and disadvantages of capital punishments in the United States. Stephen B. Bright argues that death penalty is an outdated form of punishment which belonged to the primitive ages when prisons and jail systems were limited. He cites the examples of South Africa and Russia, two nations that have abolished death sentencing in the 1990s. According to him, in USA, there are many other factors like racism, poverty, improper police and prosecution practices that decide death penalty for the perpetrator, rather than the seriousness of the crime committed (Bright, 2000, p. 2). To substantiate his argument, Stephen provides a number of instances where the convicts who were sentenced for death penalty were later proved to be innocents and thus points out how the judicial system of the nation come to hasty conclusions and sentence people for capital punishments. In the same way, in most of the cases the ac cused were not given proper legal assistance and even the mentally retarded people were convicted for capital punishment. Thus, he concludes that there exists fallibility of the court system of the nation and he exhorts that the government should pay heed to the public demand to abolish death penalty from the nation. On the other hand, the supporters of the capital punishment system consider death penalty as the strongest form of deterrence and preserver of judicial retribution. Ernest van den Haag, a Professor of Jurisprudence at Fordham University, repudiates the arguments of Simon by stating that it would be a failure of the judicial system of the nation if dreaded criminals are not punished for the retribution of their crimes. According to him, the capital punishment acts as the powerful deterrent for the criminal minded people to abstain from crimes as he believes in the common sense evidence that fear of the death penalty is likely to deter many would-be criminals from committing murder (Haag 2000, p.1). Besides, he holds that sparing criminals from death penalty would pose further threat to many more innocent lives. Thus, the abolitionists argue that the change should take place not in the sentencing of death penalty but the way it is pronounced. The accused are to be provided sufficient o pportunity to prove his/her innocence irrespective of his/ her colour or financial status. No hasty decisions are to be taken during trials and only the deserving convicts are to be sentenced for death penalty. While many purport that capital punishments are aimed at deterring prospective criminals from indulging in serious criminal activities, it is quite paradoxical that death sentence in the United States are inflicted in private, leaving no scope for such deterrence. Similarly, one can also find that crime rates have not come down in those states where capital punishment prevails offering no evidence that support this deterrence perspective. Bryant (2003, p. 376) makes this clear when the author purports that even though the states are spending millions of dollars into the death penalty, one can notice no resultant reduction in crime rates in these states. In this respect, Sarat argues that capital punishments has become commonplace in America. For him, capital punishments in the states take place in the face of increasing doubts about the reliability and fairness of the capital punishment system, strong criticising from international communities (mainly from democratic nations) and in many cases the issues of the victims innocence are remaining unresolved (Sarat, 2002, p. 13). The author also argues that capital punishments only help to weaken democratic political institutions and promote revenge rather than reconciliation or social reconstruction. One can also notice that death penalty in America is disproportionately directed towards racial minorities (who murder white victims) and in many jurisdictions blacks and African Americans are subjected to capital punishments at a rate of 38 percent higher than all others (Sarat, 2002, p. 18). Innocence, Morality and death penalty: The growing support for the abolition of death penalty and subsequent priority for life imprisonment is the likelihood of innocent people being put to death. One can never undermine the possibility of wrongful conviction and execution of the innocents due to human error the fallibility and frailty of human judgement), perjured testimony and mistaken honest testimony (Hodgkinson Schabas, 2004, p. 11). A significant research conducted by Bedau, Radelet and Putnam showed that there were almost 416 cases in the United States where the wrong person had been convicted and sentenced to death; the underlying reasons for these wrongful convictions varied from perjury by prosecution witnesses, mistaken eyewitness testimony, community passion against the defendants, failure in police work to overzealous prosecution (Hodgkinson Schabas, 2004, p. 13). All this have culminated in the public demand towards the introduction of a moratorium on executions where by a commission would decide whether it is fair to administer death penalty on the convicted. The Death penalty Information Centre (2002) observes that even though the Federal Government has undertaken great radical measures to minimise the chances of innocent people being executed, it has been identified that almost 102 persons have been released from death rows in various states based on evidence of their innocence since 1973 (Bryant 2003, p. 376) and all these evidences call for the need to abolish capital punishment in the nation. Thus, it can be seen that even though the most significant argument against administering death penalty is the possibility of innocent people being executed, the ethical and human rights issues related to capital system also need to be addressed. Many social scientists, theologians and legal experts explain that capital punishment is morally wrong, and thus should be abolished and replaced with more humane but adequate criminal penalties. Simultaneously, social activists and right protection organizations called for a moratorium on death penalty until the American judicial system achieves an acceptable degree of accuracy and ensures highest levels of fairness in capital punishment processes. The ethical concerns with regard to capital punishment system consider it as a way of taking revenge on the perpetrators whereas morality stresses on mercy, compassion and forgiveness. Similarly, the proponents of human rights theories argue that the government does not have the right to take the life of anyone and that the value of life is to be acknowledged. Similarly, there are many who hold that the methods of execution used by the judicial system are cruel and inhumane. History of Capital Punishment in America: Ever since the end of the Second World War one can notice a considerable decline in the rate of capital punishments in the United States. Hood (2002) offers a clear cut statistics of the number of capital punishments in the United States in various decades. During the 1930s the number of people executed in the nation was 1,670; in the 1940s it was brought down to 1,288 and in the 1950s to 717. The number of people executed in the nation was only 21 in 1963, 15 in 1964 and just 2 in 1967. The Supreme Courts verdict in 1972 that ruled all death penalty as unconstitutional as it was being applied in an arbitrary, capricious and discriminatory manner against the Eighth and Fourteenth Amendments of the constitution in Furman v. Georgia case proved to be a landmark in the history of the criminal judicial system of the nation (Hood, 2002, p. 63). This prompted many of the states to redraft their statutes and frame new capital statutes which were rul ed as constitutional by the Supreme Court in Gregg v. Georgia and many other cases towards 1976. Since then, there have been debates over whether capital punishments are to be abolished or not. While those states that uphold capital punishments for their deterrence effect on prospective criminals, there are 13 jurisdictions in the United States that have abolished capital punishments. In the 1970s there was an increasing public demand to reinstate capital punishments and this paved the way for new mandatory statutes regarding death penalty. Killing a police officer, murder-for-hire, multiple murder, and murder by a life-sentenced inmate became more likely to be followed by death penalties under these new mandatory statutes (Petrezselyem, 2008, p. 15). However, factors such as mental impairment, emotional disturbance and juvenile delinquency were also taken into account in such mandatory capital punishment cases. Even though the abolitionists argued that capital punishment in its ver y nature is cruel and unusual as per the Eighth Amendment of the constitution, the US Supreme court announced its decision on July 2, 1976 in favour of the supporters. However, the mandatory death penalty sentencing was rejected by the Supreme Court as it fails to take into such factors as individual circumstances that led to the crime. In 1971, the Supreme Court ruled in the Coker v. Georgia case that it was unconstitutional to provide death penalty for rape cases. However, The Violent Control Act of 1994 made capital punishment a discretionary penalty for offences other than murder cases. However, towards the last decade of the 20th century there was an increased difference of opinion on the legitimacy of capital punishment among the juries in the Supreme Court as well as the common public which led to controversies and debates over the abolition of capital punishment in the nation. Similarly, public opinion also has varied from time to time in public polls with regard to the abol ition of capital punishments. The methods of execution in the United States vary from lethal injection, electrocution, gas chamber, hanging to firing squad; the statistics on execution in the United States since 1976 show that there were 654 executions through lethal injection whereas there were only 10 executions by electrocution, 11 by gas chamber, 3 by hanging and two via firing squad (Bryant 2003, p. 370). Abolitionists argue the death penalty is cruel and inhumane primarily because of the methods used. The pictures of the old and newly renovated San Quentin Prison Death Chambers are given below: Capital Punishment and its Cost: One needs to consider the huge amount of money spent on capital punishments and studies have shown that the cost of death penalty is much higher compared to other forms of punishment. In this respect Mandery (2005) observes that the increasing costs of capital punishment are actually making America less safe and that it has put the nation at the danger of economic and financial liabilities. The author observes that the state of California which had little money for innovations like community policing is spending an extra $90 million per year on capital punishment whereas Texas, which spends on capital punishment an estimated $2.3 million per case has the highest murder rate in the nation (Mandery, 2005, p. 116). These statistics clearly demonstrate that there exists no cost-benefit analysis for the huge sums of money spend on administering death penalty. It is also imperative to compare the cost of capital punishment with that of life imprisonment without parole and researches have shown that death penalty is much more expensive than its closest alternative-life imprisonment with no parole. As Mandery observes, Capital trials are longer and more expensive at every step than other murder trials. Pre-trial motions, expert witness investigations, jury selection, and the necessity for two trials-one on guilt and one on sentencing-make capital cases extremely costly, even before the appeals process begins (Mandery, 2005, p. 116). One can also see that many of the capital punishments end up in life imprisonment even though the government needs to spend huge amount of money for the prosecution and trials. A comparative and contrastive analysis of the cost of death penalty and life imprisonment without parole shows that the death penalty is actually two or three times more expensive than that of life imprisonment. Barkan Bryjak put it, capi tal cases are extremely time-consuming costly than life imprisonment procedures as they involve various procedures at the pre-trial and trial stages unlike non-capital cases; similarly, appeals following conviction also become mandatory, time-consuming and costly in capital cases (Barkan Bryjak 2010, p. 447). All these prove that the federal and state governments can benefit a lot from the abolition of capital punishment and the huge amount of money spend on death capital cases can be used for the effective prevention of crimes such as the employment of community policing. Capital punishments are also causing financial burden to the local governments and various counties. Very often, the county governments become responsible for the costs of prosecution, appeals for defending the poor convicts, and in their criminal trials. The far reaching effects of this increasing cost for capital punishment for the nation are many and varied. The large sum of money spend on death penalty not only is reflected in the shrinking budget for crime prevention but also in other developmental and health care projects. Similarly, these costs of capital punishment pose great financial trouble to the tax payers also. Mandery, in this respect, observes that in Texas taxpayers need to pay an average of $ 2.3 million towards death penalty case costs which is about three times the cost of imprisoning one at the highest security level for 40 years and in Florida the cost for each execution is $3.2 million (2005, p. 117). Thus, one can easily come to the conclusion that the high co sts of capital prosecution in the nation has adverse and long lasting effects on its local, State and Federal government budgets. All these call for the need to substitute death penalties with life-without-parole sentences whereby the nation can utilize the high cost of death penalty system for better crime prevention measures and other purposes. (Baumgartner, Boef Boydstun 2008, p. 229). Life imprisonment over death penalty: Moral, religious and legal issues have always been an issue with regard to punishment of criminal activities of citizens of a country or a region. Some legal systems consider both life imprisonment and death penalty while others take a stand that taking a life of a human being is morally and ethically wrong (Gildenhuys 2004, p. 17). Given the various factors mentioned above, this section views awarding life imprisonment without parole as an effective alternative to capital punishments for any crimes. The factors that will be taken into consideration are the effectiveness in prevention of crime in awarding death sentences versus life imprisonment. The legal factors followed in the US are not considered here because statutes regarding the two factors differ between different states. Proponents of death penalty state that executions will help to deter crime and will also remove the criminal from committing further crimes (Baumgartner, Boef Boydstun 2008, p. 246). Execution in a verdict of death penalty is irreversible and does not offer a chance to the concerned individual to a life of redemption and regret apart from the fact that judicial errors may creep in such sentencing and subsequent executions (Hood 2004, p. 95). Once a person is executed it is not possible that he or she will redeem or change their attitudes and make an attempt to come back into the mainstream society. The above observation also indicates that judicial errors can result in wrongful conviction of innocent persons which could be proved as wrong in the course of time which is possible in life imprisonment. One compelling argument against death penalty is that it promotes official homicide or murder or in other words, endorses unofficial criminal acts (Robertson 2002, p. 2). In other words, it could be said that official execution will only contribute to develop an attitude that will endorse unofficial or civilian criminal acts. Another factor that favours a lighter sentence like life imprisonment over capital punishment is provided by Hodgkinson and Schabas. The reason is that there is an increase of unfairness in awarding of capital punishment for the same type of crimes in the United States (Hodgkinson Schabas 2004, p. 208). The authors state the following factors that contribute to this development over the years. Courts in the US find it increasingly difficult to appoint counsels to represent death-row inmates in the country. In other words, competent people who can argue for a lesser punishment are often seen as difficult and hence can be considered to be unfair to such convicted people. Those counsels appointed are not only incompetent, but also are often accused of unethical behaviour themselves. This is an indication that competent counsels are reluctant to represent such cases and also that those who come forward will go any lengths to defend their clients. According to the authors, another aspect of this lack of fairness is that economically backward sections of the community are affected more under such circumstances. In other words, a proper investigation which could provide persuasive evidence against providing capital punishment to such sections through proper investigations and arguments is not available. The inherent problem is that a jury comprised of common citizens may award a preliminary death penalty and such people do not have the power to counter it. The lack of understanding of the acts of psychologically disturbed persons is also an issue in this instance (Fleiner Fleiner-Gerster 1999, p. 64). Statistics over the years show that sentencing to death and actual executions have shown a disturbing trend in recent years. Figures ranging from the 1950s to 1970s show that the actual number of sentencing was quite low in the 1950s, but the subsequent carrying out of executions were high during this period (Barkan Bryjak 2010, p. 443). Both sentencing and actual executions came down during the 1970s. But as mentioned earlier, both sentencing and executions have actually increased after the 1970s in the United States. This could be due to the increasing number of crimes in the modern society and a change in judicial outlook on the concept of implementing (and executing) death penalty. The fact is that awarding of capital punishment does not seem to have an effect on criminal activities in a particular society. For example, studies on crime over the past century in New York does not provide any real evidence that death sentence providesany real deterrence to crime when compared to life imprisonment (Owens, Carlson, Elshtain, 2004, p. 241). Thus, it can be concluded that capital punishment and subsequent execution is not a deterrent and a solution for criminal activities in the United States. Whatever may be the reasons that the perpetuators of crimes act in a particular fashion harmful to the society, it is felt that they should be given a chance to change their outlook and attitudes. This is not possible in the case of capital punishments and executions. But a life imprisonment may provide them with a chance to transform through effective counselling and support and above all the government can save a large sum of capital invested in death penalties which can be utilized in other sectors. 3 Conclusions Having critically analysed the various pros and cons of the capital punishment system in the United States one can come to the conclusion that death penalty should be abolished in the nation. First of all, the large sum of money spent on capital punishments not only adversely affects the budget systems of the local, State and Federal governments but it also does not have any positive impact on reducing the crime rates in such states that have not yet abolished the system. Similarly, studies have clearly demonstrated that the capital punishment system does not help to deter further similar crimes in the United States. The study also has shown that life imprisonment without any possibility for parole could be an ideal alternative to death penalties as it is comparatively less costly and provides an opportunity for innocent victims to prove their innocence. Life time imprisonment is also desirable as the dreaded criminals will never be allowed to indulge in similar dreaded crimes as the y will not be offered any sorts of parole and it can also have a deterring effect on the society. The moral and ethical considerations also favour life imprisonment without parole as the method of punishment value both human life, human rights and ethical codes. Similarly, life time imprisonment without parole also helps the judicial system to make sure that no innocents are being executed. The innocent victims get opportunity to prove their innocence even though justice can be delayed to them. Death penalty, in its implementation level is subject to a number of drawbacks and therefore it is recommended that the nation abolish the system and substitute it with its closest possible alternative-life imprisonment without any possibility for parole. It can also be seen that life imprisonment is capable of providing sufficient retribution for ones crimes and that it has also got the potential to deter further crimes. It is high time that the United States makes meaningful constitutional amendments so as to implement the abolition of capital punishments. For this, the abolitionists need to go a long way towards creating awareness among the public, the jury and the political leaders. They also need to build public opinion in favour of the abolition of death penalty in the nation and the present trends in the nation show positive signs towards such a land mark in the judicial and constitutional history of the United States. Thus, it can be concluded that that capital punishment should be abolished in the United States as it does not deter other criminals, as there is the increased risk of innocents being executed and as the cost of execution is higher than that of life imprisonment.

Analysis Of Corporate Culture Management Essay

Analysis Of Corporate Culture Management Essay Daimler-Chrysler was a merger formed by joining German industrial giant Daimler-Benz AG and American auto mobile manufacturer Chrysler Corporation, in 1998. Brands they produce include Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler, Mercedes, and Plymouth. DaimlerChrysler upholds headquarters in Stuttgart, Germany, the original home of Daimler-Benz, and in Auburn Hills, Michigan, the original headquarters of Chrysler. According to (Mopardaddy, 2013), Daimler-Benz acquired Chrysler Corporation for $38 billion, and it became one of the largest industrial mergers in history. The merger also placed DaimlerChrysler for contractions into Asian and Latin American markets, where analysts foresee significant future growth in the automobile industry. (Miliou, 2011) mentioned the reason for this merger in her study. By this merger Daimler will be able to enter U.S market and produce more low-end cars in their production. On the other hand Chrysler will be able to access Europe market. Daimler-Chrysler also has benefit of lowering the cost, increasing the productivity and exchanges the technology. The main goal of this merger is to form a larger global enterprise to compete in the larger markets of the world. The result of this merger was unexpected. DCs sales and share price started falling, started making huge losses and synergies were not working as expected. This failure resulted to selling Chrysler to Cerberus Capital Management. After all the main reasons behind the failure of merger of Daimler-Chrysler can be answer by several factors, which is cultural clash, mismanagement, lack of due diligence and Asian challenge. Analysis of Corporate Culture Edgar Schein of MITs Sloan School of Management define organizational culture as follows: a pattern of shared basic assumptions that the group learned as it solved its problems of external adaptation and internal integration, that has worked well enough to be considered valid and, therefore, to be taught to new members as the correct way to perceive, think, and feel in relation to those problems. The main reason for the failure of Daimler-Chrysler is cultural mismatch. The two companies failed in managing and reducing the difference between both companies. The diversity of culture from each region will take effect in work manner, quality, system of authority, and create the business culture itself. In this merger Daimler-Benz and Chrysler come from two different cultures. Daimler-Benz is from east culture of Germany and Chrysler Corp is from America. Two cultures is different in terms of organization, working style and compensation. The cultural incompatibility is the single largest cause of lack of projected performance, departure of key executives, and time consuming conflicts in the consolidation of business (Bijilsma-Frankema, 2001) The Culture of Human Resource Management of Daimler: According to Daimler, the companys sustainable human resources policy focuses on safeguarding the future, ensuring effective health management and occupational safety, and promoting diversity throughout the Group. We seek to achieve top performance in these areas and thus present Daimler as an attractive employer (Daimler.com) With this, it shows that the company mainly focus on its HR in order to achieve and maintain competitive advantage. According to the report of the company, for December 31, 2008, the Group had already a 273,216 employees in the world. All of them are considered as very important to the overall operations and performance of the organization. Thus, the company mainly focus on the altered strategies and efforts that will aid them to retain their talented people, which will help them in order to save cost of hiring and training new employees, at the same time, maintain efficiency and effectiveness of the entire HR. According to (Habsjah, 2011), Daimler-Benz perceived itself as a leading innovator of the automotive industry with a rich engineering and quality heritage building the upscale cars. According to Daimler, the companys sustainable human resources policy focuses on safeguarding the future, ensuring effective health management and occupational safety, and promoting diversity throughout the Group. We seek to achieve top performance in these areas and thus present Daimler as an attractive employer (Daimler.com). Daimlers main focus is on quality rather than providing low priced products. Looking at the strengths and weakness of the Daimler-Benz, Daimler-Benz offers luxurious products to the market and they are the leader in the quality. However, high production cost is the main weakness of Daimler-Benz and they also have face lacking of global models offer to the market. Corporate Structure and Corporate Culture: Daimler-Benz has a hierarchical structure in their organization where Chryslers is team-oriented. Daimler-Benzs corporate cultures depend on management processes of planning, organizing and controlling. By this they are more conservative, efficient and safe. In Chrysler corporate culture depends on setting goals, directing and monitoring implementation. (Lu Sampsel). From this we can conclude that Daimler-Benz have based their work more on individualism with higher power distance with less uncertainty avoidance and Chrysler possess the quality of low power distance with more team oriented works. Daimler-Benz considers the quality regardless of the cost occurred. According to (THE HOFSTEDE CENTRE), American scores low on power distance whereas German is highly decentralized and are among low power distant countries. Chrysler used the strategy of being innovative to develop business ideas and venture into new markets. Daimler was a complete opposite of this and encouraged formality and hierarchy. At Daimler, decision making is formalized and the employees wear formal clothes at work (Luo, Jackson Schuler, 2003). Corporate Proposition and value chain: Daimler-Benzs main focus is image and experience connected with the highest quality obtainable in the market. Where Chrysler aim at satisfying customers by providing eye-catching, attractive design at comparatively low prices. Daimler-Benz alleged itself as a leading innovator of the automotive industry with a rich engineering and quality inheritance building the upscale cars( (Habsjah, 2011)). Chrysler, in the other hand, was a trendsetter for new design, short development time referring to its organizational flexibility and a sense of market opportunities ( (Habsjah, 2011)). Daimler has quality engineering service with superb designs and provides after sales services, whereas Chrysler produces in high volume and sells in low cost. In other words they emphasis on cost strategies. The summary of Daimler-Benz is they culture is formal, traditional, mannerly and bureaucratic. Daimler-Benz has structure of high authority, strong hierarchy and little payment disparity. They offer products of high quality, high price, luxurious and small sized cars. Chrysler can be summarized as they have culture of relaxed, informal, flexible, risk taking and free form. Their structure designed from top to down management, have lean staffs, highly centralized and encourages team work. Their products are attractive, offer a competitive price, comfortable and moderate speed. Issues faced in the context of organizational culture analysis. Cultural familiarity theory argues that firms are less likely to invest in organizations in culturally distant countries, and subsequently have poorer performance post integration (Lee, Shenkar, Li, 2008; Li Guisinger, 1991; Shenkar, 2001) The research on this issue, however, has been inconclusive. Datta and Puia (1995) found that cultural distance had a negative effect on subsequent shareholder wealth of the acquiring firm, whereas Chakrabarti and colleagues (2009) found a positive effect of cultural distance on firm performance 36 months after integration. Germans and Americans have often ignored cultural differences during initial merger negotiations; however, those differences typically resurface when the actual integration efforts begin and, in essence, signal a major crisis situation (Nees, 1998, p. M6). Misunderstandings between Germans and Americans have often occurred because of differences in communication styles, planning and decision-making processes, negotiation strategies, and leadership practices (Shelton, Hall and Darling, 2003, p. 315). Language and communication barriers: A potential matter that should not have been ignored was the strong cultures and language barriers between the U.S. and Germany. There are lot of language barriers between Daimler-Benz and Chrysler. These barriers should be solved through communication between both the parties. Fitzgibbon and Seeger (2002) found that cultural differences were one of the primary factors in the failed merger of the Chrysler Corporation and Daimler-Benz. Among other things, pre-merger communication and public relations created unrealistic expectations that simply could not be met. Cultural difference is a factor that affects individual communication style and the communication process. Leaderships Role: Academic scholars and most business analysts tend to view these business ventures only from financial and operational perspectives, says Ghosn. They are often surprised when mergers struggle or even fail, when on paper they seemed sure to succeed. The leaders of both companies are from two different culture. The leader of Daimler, Jà ¼rgen Schrempp, is with independent personality and south African overlay and leader of Chrysler Robert Eaton, broke the Chrysler tradition of commanders. Leadership team alignment is also vital to guarantee that common messages and significances are communicated, and that relationship building activities and role lucidity efforts are applied. This case is a strong reminder of the complexity of cross-border integration and the importance of having a leadership team capable of dealing with cultural complexity. James Holden, Chrysler president from 1999 to 2000, share his vew about marrying up and marrying phenomenon. Mercedes was universally perceived as the fancy, special brand, while Chrysler, dodge, Plymouth and jeep were the poorer, blue collar relations(Grasslin, 2000, p.162). Although Daimler-Benz and Chrysler are from same industry both are using different techniques in production. Their target customers are also different. As a result they face difficulties in bringing both the product lines into same order under the newly formed merger. The only product Daimler-Benz relied on was Mercedes Benz. They require extending their product range. This was the main aim of Daimler-Chrysler merger. (Turnock Cobbs, 2003). Management style: Style of management of the Germans encouraged for long meetings with long negotiations and reports. The Americans think that creativity is the central idea in management and they acknowledged short meetings with few reports. Chrysler Group was initiated on the trust that invention and innovation was the best approach to success. This was the opposite of Daimler which accepted formal set up of activities with all the strategies being directed in a formal manner to retain a good image about the company (Luo, Jackson Schuler, 2003). Chrysler had a reputation for having a more freewheeling, open culture, in contrast to the more traditional, top-down management style practiced at Daimler-Benz (Akre, 1998, p. C3). Daimler-Benz was synonymous with words like conservative, ef ¬Ã‚ cient and safe; whereas, Chrysler was known as daring, diverse and creative. In fact, these cultural differences in many ways were the foundation for the mutual attraction between the two companies, but belied the crisis situation that was imminent. Employees interest: American workers tend to have more informal way of working while Germans like to be very formal in the working style. More of the German workers are following instructions from their top managers where American managers welcome feedbacks from lower level employees. German managers frequently prefer a more autocratic style than their American counterparts, and their employees typically expect to be treated accordingly. Research also indicates that a higher percentage of Germans are obedient to their managers than are Americans (Luthans, 1998, p. 591). For example, American employees often feel comfortable challenging their managers, perhaps even giving them advice. German employees, on the other hand, expect their managers to give them speci ¬Ã‚ c instructions and they typically follow them unquestioningly. In addition, many Germans view American hiring and  ¬Ã‚ ring practices as unnaturally brutal (Daft and Noe, 2001, p. 62). The companies were not well-matched with each other in terms of corporate culture. For example, Daimler AG had a corporate culture of permitting the employees to have beer breaks. This culture was not tolerable by Chrysler since them apparent that it could cause fortunes and other unlawful impacts. Later the DaimlerChrysler merger was proven, this matter carried struggles leading to poor support between the managers of the two companies. This resulted to the failure of the merger (OSullivan, 2001). Recommendation on how merger can be managed to achieve strategic objectives. Quickly eradicating inconsistent and non-common functions  causes  cultural integration conflict to side track post-merger activities. The post-merger issues with DaimlerChrysler were a result of not clearly identifying non-common or unneeded functions from a company culture standpoint.  Ã‚  If the employee base is not clear on strategies of the new company, this causes a separation into two companies vs. a new merged environment. (Jaybrownonline, 2013). The Chrysler worker base could have n realize that Daimler wasnt going to throw the baby out with the bath water. Likewise, Daimler through this team effort described above would have realize American culture and processes enough to decide upon the most effective approach globally for the new company ensuring that cultural integration was not forgotten. This would have made a smoother transaction and to provide spot check of how it will be handled and communicated early in post-merger negotiations. Culture clash could have been reduced with the approach described above. (Jaybrownonline, 2013) The severity of communication style differences should have been identified very early on in the pre-merger planning. A plan should have been developed and implemented to ensure cross communication training and awareness were promoted throughout the merger (Jaybrownonline, 2013). Factually the communications style of the Chrysler Corporation was non-hierarchical and far less organized than the bequest Daimler Corporation. Contracts were generally by consensus and employees were given more authorization and self-determination. When this was known to be different from Daimler, they should have taken the necessary steps to transfer and train people on the new communication styles that were to be used going forward. Top management should have better communicated the reasons for the intensely different return packages between the two legacies companies (i.e. cost of living, etc.) and set the expectations of both companies. Chryslers leadership should have not taken the back seat in the newly merged company. The combined leadership should have lessened the impact of bowing out to let the German counter-part lead. A concerted approach could be to have the leaders spouse to ensure adequate span of management control between the two companies to avoid the incorrect message sent out to the employee base. Jà ¼rgen Schrempp, CEO of DaimlerChrysler, July, 2000 stated Implementation is a harder act than the doing of a deal. This was portrayed in the post timeline after the merger. A clear leadership implementation plan was attempted but not effective to fire up the company as a whole. Pre-merger activities should have identified a discovery period between companies and post-merger should have created a clear plan of action, identified key management and communicated quickly throughout the new organization (Jaybrownonline, 2013). Changing of the German employees compensation to be more bonus driven should have been better evaluated, as this went against the European culture and was bound to have negative consequences. Daimler could have also alleviated the preservation issues by taking better steps to ratify a retention plan which could have included elements such as stay pay and a new bonus strategy, based on indicators of the merger. Reward systems of each legacy company should be examined pre-merger to determine areas where significant gaps or potential areas of conflict may occur. The HR organization should create reward systems for each of the disparate cultures but are consistent to the company as a whole. They also need to keep the people that are currently there happy and renew the new companys commitment to them (Jaybrownonline, 2013). DaimlerChrysler should have built their platforms around taking advantage of the synergies that could be achieved instead of the cannibalizing markets for their own brands. (An instance of this would be not letting the K-car to be exported/built in emerging markets for fear that it would eat into the non-existent profits of the Mercedes in the same region.) DaimlerChrysler should have followed ABB merger to the letter or choose a more suitable merger to model their addition (Jaybrownonline, 2013). Conclusion Culture plays an important role when it comes to merge two companies across the border. If the two companies fails in taking cultural differences into account, there would be disasters happening inside the newly formed company. The case of merger of two auto mobile company, Daimler-Benz and Chrysler has shown this clearly. The main cultural differences of Daimler-Benz and Chrysler is started from regional difference, communication and language difference, management style difference and difference of leadership style. Most of the difference is found among the working employees. They are differentiated by the organization before merger. The merger named of equal merger was led by the Daimler-Benz. This was the root of cultural problems. Issues faced by the two organizations include communication barriers, leadership and management barriers and conflict of interest among the employees of the new corporation. To overcome these barriers some actions should be taken by which I have included as recommendations. The culture of the organization should be considered as an iceberg, most of it is water under awareness.