Blowing in the Wind Essays

Blowing in the Wind Essays Blowing in the Wind Paper Blowing in the Wind Paper Is The Answer: Blowing in the Wind? With the figure of people turning daily, the usage of electricity is on the addition. The Earth will run out of the supply of fossil fuels, if this uneconomical usage continues. The modern comfortss as ovens, air conditioners, visible radiations, etc. all use electricity. We need to look for other beginnings of energy. The other beginnings could be solar, atomic, H2O, and air current power. The 1 that does nt consume itself is wind power. No affair how much air current that is used, there is ever wind left for tomorrow. The good thing about air current is that it is free. As we face the energy jobs of tomorrow, we need to retrieve the words of Bob Dylan`s vocal: Is The Answer: Blowing in the Wind? When you are outside and the air current is blowing, you can experience it. Wind will mess your hair, blow things into you, and if difficult adequate knock you down. You can`t wing a kite or sail your boat without air current. Wind can work for you by utilizing the kinetic energy it produces to pump H2O or do electrical power. Wind moves across the surface of the Earth. A hurricane can bring forth really strong air current and at other times a soft zephyr will rustle the foliages. The Sun plays an of import portion in bring forthing air current by the uneven warming of the Earth. Warm air rises and colder air replaces it. This is called circulation and the air current is the air traveling. Sometimes there are big countries of air current, and certain provinces are more blowy than others. Examples of blowy provinces are California, Texas, and Oklahoma. Peoples have been utilizing the air current to make work for centuries. Mechanical energy or electrical energy is made from the wind`s kinetic energy. Wind can force a boat when the canvass are up. Farmers have used the air current to crunch their maize and wheat by turning crunching rocks, which works like a H2O wheel. Windmills have been around for centuries and used to pump H2O from Wellss. Windmills were used in Holland to travel H2O from low lying countr ies. The air current has been used for old ages, and now more and more it is used to do electricity. Air traveling over the Earth produces air current power energy. In rural countries the windmill was replaced by electricity brought in by power lines. The air current turbines became more popular in the 1970s when used to replace the more expensive electricity. In the `80s and `90s when the environment became more of import the turbine was seen as an good energy beginning that did non damage the environment. Wind energy is converted into mechanical energy by utilizing a air current turbine. When used to pump H2O or as a crunching rock the machine is called a windmill. If the power is changed into electricity, the machine is a air current turbine or a air current generator. The â€Å"upwind† air current turbine has three blades the faces into the air current. Another common air current turbine is the two-bladed or lee turbine. Wind turbines make electricity by working antonym of a fan. A air current turbine uses air current to do power, but a fan uses electricity to do air current. The shaft of the turbine connects to a generator, and as the air current turns the blades electricity is produced. Large turbines range in size from 50 to 70 kWs, while little turbines that are used for places or H2O pumping produce below 50 kWs. Horizontal axis and perpendicular axis are the two general types of air current turbines. The differences in these turbines is: the perpendicular axis has blades that rotate perpendular to the land, and a horizontal axis blades` rotate analogue to the land. The most common air current turbine is the horizontal axis design, but the perpendicular axis turbine has been around for centuries. The perpendicular axis turbine does non roll up energy from the air current every bit good. The rotor or propellor with blades is used to acquire the energy from the air current in a air current turbine. The chief thrust shaft has a hub connected to it with the rotor attached. The generator is in the thrust shaft and that produces the electricity. Plastic, fibreglass, or epoxy covered wood are used to do the blades. Energy Quest- Drawing of Turbine Wind power because of the clean nature and environmental friendliness has ever been popular. Some people feel that air current power is better than solar power, because it keeps working after the Sun goes down. Weave power at times will be plenty and other power will non be needed, besides wind power is free. The high cost of air current turbines and holding to happen the right location are the major ailments about air current power. Wind systems are complicated and non easy to put in. They require regular care and replacing parts. Battery battalions are expensive and frequently have to be replaced. The unpredictable nature of energy production is the chief disadvantage of air current power. Reasonably strong air currents are required to hold the full usage of a air current power system. If the air current dies down the production of energy will diminish.

Foundations of Grammar in Italian

Foundations of Grammar in Italian For many Italian language speakers- even for those whom Italian is their madrelingua- the phrase parti del discorso might seem foreign. English speakers know the concept as parts of speech, but its probably a term vaguely remembered from grade school grammar. A part of speech (whether Italian or English) is a linguistic category of words generally defined by the syntactic or morphological behavior of the lexical item in question. If that definition intrigues you, then an introduction to Italian linguistics might be a jumping off point. Suffice it to say that linguists have developed a classification system that groups specific types of words according to their roles. For anyone whose primary goal is to speak like an Italian, perhaps its enough to be able to identify each of the parti del discorso to facilitate learning the language. Per tradition, grammarians recognize nine parts of speech in Italian: sostantivo, verbo, aggettivo, articolo, avverbio, preposizione, pronome, congiunzione, and interiezione. Below is a description of each category with examples. Noun / Sostantivo A (sostantivo) indicates persons, animals, things, qualities, or phenomena. Things can also be concepts, ideas, feelings, and actions. A noun can be concrete (automobile, formaggio) or abstract (libert, politica, percezione). A noun can also be common (cane, scienza, fiume, amore), proper (Regina, Napoli, Italia, Arno), or collective (famiglia, classe, grappolo). Nouns such as purosangue, copriletto, and bassopiano are called compound nouns and are formed when combining two or more words. In Italian, the gender of a noun can be male or female. Foreign nouns, when used in Italian, usually keep the same gender as the language of origin. Verb / Verbo A verb (verbo) denotes action (portare, leggere), circumstance (decomporsi, scintillare), or state of being (esistere, vivere, stare). Adjective / Aggettivo An adjective (aggettivo) describes, modifies, or qualifies a noun: la casa bianca, il ponte vecchio, la ragazza americana, il bello zio. In Italian, there are several classes of adjectives, including: demonstrative adjectives (aggettivi dimostrativi), possessive adjectives (aggettivi possessivi), (aggettivi indefiniti), numerical adjectives (aggettivi numerali), and degree of comparison adjectives (gradi dellaggettivo). Article / Articolo An article (articolo) is a word that combines with a noun to indicate the gender and number of that noun. A distinction is usually made between definite articles (articoli determinativi), indefinite articles (articoli indeterminativi), and partitive articles (articoli partitivi). Adverb / Avverbio An adverb (avverbio) is a word that modifies a verb, an adjective, or another adverb. Adverb types include manner (meravigliosamente, disastrosamente), time (ancora, sempre, ieri), (laggià ¹, fuori, intorno), quantity (molto, niente, parecchio), frequency (raramente, regolarmente), judgment (certamente, neanche, eventualmente), and (perchà ©?, dove?). Preposition / Preposizione A preposition (preposizione) connects nouns, pronouns, and phrases to other words in a sentence. Examples include di, , da, , con, su, per, and tra. Pronoun / Pronome A (pronome) is a word that refers to or substitutes for a noun. There are several types of pronouns, including personal subject pronouns (pronomi personali soggetto), direct object pronouns (pronomi diretti), indirect object pronouns (pronomi indiretti), reflexive pronouns (pronomi riflessivi), possessive pronouns (pronomi possessivi), (pronomi interrogativi), demonstrative pronouns (pronomi dimostrativi), and the particle ne (particella ne). Conjunction / Congiunzione A conjunction (congiunzione) is the part of speech that joins two words, sentences, phrases or clauses together, such as: quando, sebbene, anche se, and nonostante. Italian conjunctions can be separated into two classes: coordinating conjunctions (congiunzioni coordinative) and subordinating conjunctions (congiunzioni subordinative). Interjection / Interiezione An interjection (interiezione) is an exclamation that expresses an improvisational emotional state: ah! eh! ahimà ¨! boh! coraggio! bravo! There are many types of interjections based on their form and function.

Project management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Project management - Assignment Example Project Management Office (PMO) A Project Management Office (PMO) can be termed as a centralised organisational unit or body which is likely involve in different phases of a project. The body is the core entity that ensures to provide basic administrative along with advisory and consulting support to the overall operations of the project. Moreover, a PMO also involves in strategic and grievance services that are required to successfully achieve the desired goals and objectives of the project (Canfield University, 2004). With regard to the case scenario, Volkswagen (VW) Mexico had founded an effective PMO which was principally established in order to monitor and control operations performed in the Jetta component assembly line. The PMO of the company played a major role for the project in terms of coordinating an effective financial plan along with appropriate schedule for each project function. Moreover, the unit also contributed by playing a crucial role in terms of procuring and ma naging adequate resources to ensure effective performance within the Mexico project assembly line (Project Management Institute, 2012). Project Control System Project control system generally incorporates various steps performed by different operational and management groups which facilitate to successfully accomplish the ultimate objectives of a project (Public procurement Guide, 2008). With regard to the project control system of Jetta assembly line, VW Mexico had highly focused on six major steps including programming or estimation, identification, budgeting, cost control, scheduling of project activities and performance measurement. In relation to scheduling of project activities, VW Mexico component’s design strategy for installing Jetta assembly line would be completed within 21 months in a budget of around USD3.3 million. The work breakdown structure of the project is segregated into separate elements such as defining project which entails stage gate review and stakeho lder development. Subsequently, the planning stage would entail design and new suppliers along with preparing the blueprint of the entire work activities. In addition, the phase of training, implementation and risk assessment would be comprehensively followed to ensure complete success of the project. Moreover, risk assessment phase would facilitate to ensure optimisation of the undertaken project along with ascertaining proper commencement of the production of Axel, Motor and Corner module (Project Management Institute, 2012). In this regard, it can be said that one of the critical components of project control system is to mitigate situations when delay occurs in the project schedule. In relation to Jetta assembly line project as well, the project manager needs to remain cautious to avoid any kind of delays. The project manager in such scenarios can take control by preparing a work breakdown structure for each and every activity of the project. Moreover, the project manager needs to carefully and continuously monitor any delay creating activity and if by

Mcl restaurant Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Mcl restaurant - Research Paper Example Top-level managers giving instruction to their immediate subordinates what is referred to as a chain of command characterizes this organization structure. In this line organization structure, the managers can also delegate part of their functions to their subordinates while remaining responsible for their actions. Decentralization is further embraced in the line structure whereby there are managers responsible for the various departments of the restaurant. MCL organization follows a function wise department in which similar tasks are brought together. This kind of departmentalization is a reflection of the functions of the organization, follows the principles of specialization, and promotes control by the top managers. Task oriented departmentalization is also simple to understand in addition to the improvement in efficiency in the business. Functional departmentalization ensures easier communication and eradicates duplication of functions. However, functional departmentalization causes the risk of overspecialization and concentration on the departmental objectives rather than the general organizations goals (Griffin & Moorehead 78). This may hamper the realization of the overall objectives of the business. It might also be characterized by communication breakdown between the organizations different functions. MCL organization structure supports its strategy by promoting efficient communication, determines the execution of roles with the aim of ensuring organizations success. The structure also makes the organization respond to the changes in the environment and pursue new ways of achieving objectives. Moreover, the structure defines how work is done and coordinated hence eradicating

The green revolution Essay Example for Free

The green revolution Essay The green revolution was the worlds introduction to modern agricultural and a time of vast improvements in the worlds fight in hunger. New technologies such as hi yield variety seeds Chemical fertilizer and agricultural machinery lid this revolution and are still a big part of the way we produce food for the world we live in today. The green revolution saved A lot of small developing countries throughout the world. Food is now a mass produced all around the world in fields and distributed to countries in need as well as countries whos people are willing to pay for foreign and exotic foods. The green revolution has one enemy, The reproductive rate of the human species is exceeding the rate and which we can make food to feed it.

Unusual People :: essays research papers

The most unusual person I know My boyfriend is a very interesting character. Caring, considerate, funny and crazy are just s few word I could use to describe my boyfriend. Each day is exciting and interesting when it is spent with him. My boyfriend Brent, is by far the most unusual person I know. Brent is very playful. He often reminds me of a little kid. I think the most attractive aspect of him is his ability to laugh and have fun. Brent does not let me tease him without getting back at me, and most of the time it is twice the payback. Sometimes If I am in the bathroom getting ready for the day and he is in the shower, he will toss handfuls of water out at me. I act like it bothers me but in actuality I think it is wonderful. He also thinks that he is a pro wrestler and I am his opponent. I never win of course, but it is fun trying. Brent also knows that I am very jumpy and I can be scared easily. Because he has this information he often hides behind the corner only to jump out and scare me when I walk by, it works every time. Although he is mostly playful, He is still quit the charmer. Brent is very sensitive and makes me feel wonderful. I never feel like I am pushed a side and he makes sure that I always feel special. He has a way of bringing out the best in me. He will clean the house while I am at class, change the channel to Animal Planet (because it is my favorite), ask if I need something when he goes to the kitchen, and makes sure I am always happy. He has a very light temper and never looses his cool with me. He likes to talk things out and he is very considerate about my feelings. Brent still does not forget about his manly side . He has the common need to lose himself for hours at a time playing football and hockey on the Nintendo. He reads sports illustrated, needs to watch ESPN and play fantasy football on the Internet. I do not understand why these things are so important. But, I think that is why there is a common saying that goes," Men are from Mars and Women are from Venus". He enjoys the outdoors and yet he can just sit and relax for a day in the house.

What I Didn’t Learn in Business School by Jay Barney Paper

MG 69016 MG 69016 What I Didn’t Learn in Business School: How Strategy Works in the Real World A Book Report By: Kaitlin Bauer What I Didn’t Learn in Business School: How Strategy Works in the Real World A Book Report By: Kaitlin Bauer 08 Fall 08 Fall 1.What lessons do you learn from Justin’s experience in terms of the limits of some of the core strategy frameworks you learned in theory (examine for example, Michael Porter’s Five Forces and the challenges Justice faced in applying it, value chain analysis, the Resource Based View) Some of the concepts/models that are applied to strategic problems vary in meaning depending on the setting one is in whether it be in the actual real world or in the classroom.These concepts applied like the five forces framework or present value analysis are just â€Å"tools† and its up to the individual to determine how it should be used. As senior director, Ken McCombs states, â€Å"You can use a hammer exactly the wa y it’s designed to be used, but instead of building something beautiful or durable, you can build a pile of junk. It’s not the tool, it’s how the tool is used; it’s the skills, interests, and motives of the person using the tool that determine whether the outcome of an analysis is reasonable. † (Barney 53).Basically, these â€Å"tools† have to be applied appropriately in order to identify and develop an effective final strategy/overall result. An example of this would be in regards to the concept of core competency. In business strategy courses, this term is used in so many different ways, its actual meaning gets lost. Justin has a difficult time throughout the book adapting his understanding of business concepts to their real-world application. In a way, he looks more into situations as if he were â€Å"cracking the case† opposed to figuring out real world situations.This seemed to be a theme of the book that Justin uncovers as he con tinues on his journey with HBS. According to Justin, the more valuable, rare, and difficult to imitate the activities your involved in are, the more likely those activities would contribute to a firms core competencies as seen within the VRIO framework (81). By being able to do this shows a huge breakthrough point for Justin because towards the beginning of the book, he was struggling to determine whether core competencies allow firms to expand and navigate through new potential markets.As the book progresses, it starts to show how Justin is now able to determine what the real definition of core competency is as well as other concepts he had learned in school. To Justin, understanding the true meanings behind concepts was a breakthrough in thinking. â€Å"Core competence wasn’t just a buzz word for Justin now. VRIO or the other concepts was no longer just a lecture he has heard but are now tools that can be used to examine real-world strategies† (81).As many say, he is now applying the knowledge he acquired from business school and is now applying those concepts to everyday business situations. An example of this situation is closely embodied in Justin and Vivek’s conversation in regards to how technologies alone are not considered core competency but it's the actions taken to exploit these technologies that make them considered a core competency. If these technologies are considered rare and hard to imitate, they can sometimes be a source of sustained advantage (146).As you can see through this example, Justin has learned the true meaning behind the word of core competency and how it is used within the real world. Throughout the business school, we have learned the importance of utilizing strategy frameworks, which have been drilled into our heads in order to evaluate potential business decisions. The frameworks like Michael Porters Five Forces Analysis, NPV analysis, and VRIO among many others have deemed to be extremely useful and benef icial in organizing and arranging information provided for situations that can eventually lead to a recommendation in the end.This book is a prime example of how certain situations like we’ve read in the many case studies; don’t really depict the true nature of the situation in the real world. Justin’s situation expresses to the reader that the real world isn’t easy and how case studies don’t really prepare you, as they should in the end. Justin has learned that in order to evaluate new markets, putting to use these frameworks is necessary but he has also learned that there is more to it then just applying these methods. First, Porter’s Five Forces analysis method is used as an â€Å"initial step† in evaluating new markets.This method is first introduced in the book during Justin and Scott Beckett’s, VP and General Manager of Oil and Gas division at HGS, meeting in which they discussed their analysis of the men’s white d ress shirt industry. Beckett goes as far as using the Five Forces model to describe how all kinds of threats are high (Rivalry, Buyer Power, Substitutes, Entry, and supplier Power). Justin quickly buys into Beckett’s argument and how the men’s white dress shirt industry is not a viable option for Plastiwear to enter.This is an example of Justin deterring from his original views and altering them to agree with the other party, which cannot be necessarily correct in the situation regarding Beckett’s view. As senior director, Ken McCombs states, the most attractive industries according to the five forces approach would have no rivalry, no close substitutes, no threats, and no powerful buyers or suppliers. This type of industry makes us go with lower risk markets, which are considered a monopoly, and is not likely to be a viable option for a firm.As the book progresses, Justin learns that this framework is only an â€Å"initial step† due to the limitations it offers. Despite these limitations, both managers and consultants often use it in strategy development. Justin realized that HGS wouldn’t have many opportunities in any of its businesses given the highly competitive nature of the industries in which they compete. Although this is used in evaluating the competitive threats in an industry, it should be noted that it is not to be used to estimate the overall attractiveness of an industry which therefore doesn’t tell you very much about strategic choice.This put Justin in an â€Å"uncomfortable position† in regards to HGS’s situation because he was still thinking there was one clear solution waiting at the end; he just had to â€Å"crack the case†. Second, Net Present Value analysis (NPV) is a popular calculation to find what the expected returns on a project in question would be using information on things like past product extensions or market entries. From that calculation, its gives an individual a feel for the riskiness of a new project which are then incorporated into casework which we have done repetitively throughout the MBA program.However, Justin experienced the limits of the NPV framework that we have learned in theory through his meeting with Shirley Rickert, CFO at HGS. Through this meeting, he learned that NPV calculations in the real world aren’t as cut and dry as they are when used in the classroom. Since these calculations are based on past activities especially in the area of innovative products like Plastiwear, it didn't really offer much guidance for future activities in these areas. Most of the time, the data is either not sufficient or overly sufficient in which you don’t need the analysis.Rickert also states that even though NPV is a powerful tool for objective strategic analysis, there is often managerial biases baked into the analysis that could either be intentionally but it is often done unintentionally. An example of this would be through Beckett’s negative NPV calculations, which would therefore depict an overly risky project. Again, this framework can be used as one of the â€Å"initial steps† in the overall strategy formulation process. As Rickert states, â€Å"present value techniques-even when you are evaluating relatively straightforward investments-are just a way of keeping track of the financial implications of a strategy.NPV is one way to keep score in the game but it’s not the game. NPV is no substitute for having a strategy† (32). Third, the VRIO framework is finally used by Justin, which helps him be able to determine the viability of the Plastiwear business. The VRIO framework is used to determine whether or not a certain strategy was likely to be a source of a sustained competitive advantage, which depends on the answer to four questions. First, Justin needs to discover ways that the Plastiwear strategy is valuable. Without value, it’s noted that a strategy canâ€℠¢t be a source of competitive advantage for the firm.Second, HGS would need to posses unusual skills or other assets that this Plastiwear strategy must utilize. In other words, the strategy must contain â€Å"rarity† in order to have a point of difference for the firm. So â€Å"if many firms all have the ability to execute the same strategy, then that strategy will probably not be a source of advantage† (76). hence, the need for a firms strategy to be rare and different. Third, Justin looks into the possibility of whether or not a strategy can be imitated and if so, how long before other firms are likely to begin imitating pieces of the strategy?Justin has â€Å"learned that firms strategies can be difficult to imitate for several reasons. Some strategies can rely on assets that may be protected by patents, some required skills are needed that took firms years to develop, trusting relationships among a firm’s managers or between firm and supplier/customer which can end up being difficult and time consuming and lastly, it is often difficult for competing firms to describe why a particular firm has an advantage. Therefore, that is why firms implement valuable, rare and costly to imitate strategies because this is what makes it possible for firms to gain more sustainable advantages† (77).The last question Justin raises within this framework focuses on the organization and whether it has the ability to execute and protect its sources of advantage. Justin reflects that within the classroom, he learned that certain structure and controls enabled a firm to realize the full potential of its strategies. However, by answering the first three questions enabled him to â€Å"crack the case† so this last question didn’t require an answer. However, this framework led to the same conclusions that Livia had come to.For example even if there was demand for HGS’s shirt concept, there was no reason to believe that HGS embodied any special shirt-manufacturing skills. In other words, there was nothing rare in this area for HGS. Overall, Justin created his own matrix using the VRIO framework and through that he discovered the amount of information he didn’t know about Plastiwear as well as the types of opportunities that might exist within the different stages of the Plastiwear value chain. Overall, these strategy frameworks finally gave Justin the clarity to organize his thoughts into a more comprehensive structure for analysis.Especially in regards to the VRIO framework, Justin was finally able to see that the decision to implement Plastiwear was not dependent on the retail shirt market at all. He was finally able to see that the decision about Plastiwear was more about HGS’s ability to exploit its competencies throughout the value chain where they could gain and sustain an advantage. One of the most important points made throughout the entire book, â€Å"If you ask the wrong question, about the wrong industry, it doesn't really matter what the answer is† (80).Justin discovers that in order to â€Å"crack the real world business case†, you need to be asking the correct questions about the correct industry. He learns that since real life situations are not cut and dry like traditional business case studies done within the classroom, there tends not to be case questions at the end. However, it is Justin’s responsibility to figure it out. This can be tied back to Justin’s first client meeting as well as interviews. Justin learned that by knowing what questions to ask is key, which will help, lead you to the answer you need.Lastly, to touch on some of the struggles that Justin had experienced throughout the book was that of teamwork. As we have learned in the classroom, teamwork is a crucial and valuable method used within the real world, especially in business. It seemed to me that since Justin was a recent MBA graduate, he was still stuck in  "school mode† in which he treated his new job as if it were a case analysis he was doing within the classroom. He quickly learned that in the real world, it is vital that a team works together to ensure that the analysis is completed in the correct way, all the way through.As a new member of a team, working with and learning from the other members is extremely important to personal development and growth. It is also important to note that it was probably extremely difficult in this scenario because all these members of the team have never worked together before. Having the ability to understand that it really takes time to be able to learn each member’s personal strategies in completing the task at hand is critical. It difficult though in certain scenarios, like this one when there is a short time span to reach a final conclusion.Being able to really learn the traits and personal strategies of your team can be hindered due to certain set time spans. 2. Which key organiz ational and human level factors can you identify as obstacles to implementing the strategy formation process the way it appears in theory? [Hint: Consider individual motives, personal interests, stakeholder interests and political behavior]. Having the ability to implement the strategy formation process the way is appears in theory is deemed to be a very rare occurrence.The real world is filled with individual motives, personal interests, stakeholder interests as well as political behavior. In regards to individual motives and personal interests, different individuals of an organization might have different motives about the future of the companies given their role and this difference leads to different outcomes. In regards to stakeholder interests, Justin learned this through first-hand experience at HGS. Understanding and learning whom the key stakeholders are is both critical to Justin and the rest of the team hence a â€Å"team interest†.Supporting stakeholders and strate gy makers is an essential component of strategy implementation. According to Livia, she realizes that in order to successfully move ahead with whatever recommendation they think is best, they will have to make sure to address the interests of the key players in the company. To do that, knowing the difference between interest and influence is critical (6). Also, by knowing who the key players are in the company gave the team â€Å"the ability to figure out who could either help implement HGS’s recommendation or who could stop them from being implemented† (6).This was huge for the team. Having a good sense of the political landscape is critical because the â€Å"goal here is to use both the overall analysis and change management skills to transform those parties that are likely to resist recommendations into becoming supporters†(6). Some of these factors can intertwine in a way in which political behavior and personal interests have the possibility in clashing. An example of this is seen in Justin’s meeting with Shirley in which she describes how some of the strategy frameworks used can be manipulated to enhance someone’s already existing point of view.In organizations, personal benefits might come ahead of organizational benefits depending on the situation. In looking at both ends of the spectrum, optimists might be seeing a strategy as an extension of their current businesses whereas pessimists might not since their view is based on the department’s benefits and not the organization’s. An example is discussed during Justin and Shirley’s meeting on defining the importance of NPV in the real world.She stated that the most optimistic calculations view for NPV were done by the scientists involved with the invention of Plastiwear in comparison to the most pessimistic calculations view for NPV which were determined by the department heads who would be losing funding if the project went through. An example of th is view is discovered during the meeting between Justin and Scott Beckett. As you can see, really â€Å"cracking the case† and coming to a conclusion is a bit more difficult then what we have learned in the classroom.Real life scenarios have an infinite number of figures that can be found, and therefore, the personal interests of the people doing the research influences what numbers are used within the calculations. Lastly, both the optimistic and pessimistic views seemed to put into question an individuals motivation in regards to decision making. This was just distasteful to Justin which made him both confused and a little naive that the motivation of personal interests could overpower organizational interests in the decision making process. Later on when Justin meets withJerry Tucker, scientist credited for the invention of Plastiwear, he discusses how pleased he is that Plastiwear could be a huge success. However, he points out that â€Å"problems with modern companies i s that we really aren’t managed for owners but we’re managed to make the lives of the managers comfortable† (102). I found this point pretty interesting because this would mean the managers are in a way contradicting the importance of why knowing who the key stockholders are and why that is such a critical factor to know within your team if in the end. the managers are looking out for their self-interest and self-motives.Also, I think it is important to note in regards to the end all goal in regards to both organizational and human level factors, Jerry states that â€Å"truly innovative leaders must take the gamble of whether or not their product is a success or failure and if you aren’t willing to be risk loving, you can never know true excellence† (102). 3. How would you have navigated some of the minefields that Justin and his team faced? I thought this was very beneficial to read because as soon to be MBA graduates, we too will be navigating thr ough similar minefields that Justin faced personally as well as the minefields his team faced.I can closely relate to Justin’s drive and commitment to succeed throughout the course of this book because I to want to apply everything that I have learned in the classroom and make it happen out in the real world. However, it very interesting to read that the frameworks we have learned don’t lead you to the final conclusion which is what we learned while in school. They are more of â€Å"stepping stones† in the process. I can especially relate to Justin’s experience in trying to understand the difference between what is learned in the classroom and what is learned out in the real world.Going into the workforce with an open mind I believe will help the transition phase go smoother than Justin’s. He was focused on â€Å"cracking the case† and when he couldn't, he got frustrated. It is also important to be able to separate passion without the need o f emotion. Someone once told me that this concept is like a double edge sword. You must be able to show the passion for your work without letting emotion come into play. Justin was viewed as a â€Å"total rookie† because since he put a lot of effort and work into the presentation, Ken and Livia did not let him present his findings because it was evident of his emotional attachment (193).A more specific example of this concept would be when Justin showed his passion in trying to â€Å"crack the case† to figure out a solution but he let his emotion come into play when he allowed himself to get frustrated. Another example that new graduates can relate to is when you are going for a job interview for your dream job. During the interview, you want to show your passion and why you want this job by giving off confidence and desire for that role. However, even if you want this job so bad, you let your emotion get involved hence you get emotional during the interview.This doesn ’t project the professionalism you need to have within the business environment. By knowing the difference between the two and being able to keep those two factors separate is a key takeaway before going out into the real world. 4. What key lessons do you learn about strategy from the novel? How â€Å"neat† is the process in real life? In What I Didn’t Learn in Business School: How Strategy Works in the Real World, it clearly explains that strategy is not neat in the real world, it actually is more complex.As an MBA student, we complete numerous amounts of case studies on a daily basis and are usually supplied with questions to consider toward the end of each case. Its not that simple in the real world although many wish it were. In order to develop the questions that need to be analyzed further in order to â€Å"crack the case† or to even develop some solution that could be a possibly good strategy, an extreme amount of work and analysis goes into determ ining and creating this.From those questions, as MBA students we usually then determine what the recommendation is and how we are going to implement that into the existing business environment. In the real world, its more complicated in that it goes beyond answering the questions, which will lead to making a final recommendation, which then leads to how you are going to do it. In the real world, you need to embrace a complete strategy, not just a small segment focus. I also learned that strategy is about the large scope of things.It not just about evaluating one or two potential decisions and deciding which one is best in regards to the situation. Strategy formulation needs to consider all interests of both the players and the firm’s core competencies in order to be successful. When Justin realized that â€Å"he wasn’t just trying to crack the case but how he was actually helping to shape the future of a corporation-and all those who depended, or who might depend†(150) is a prime example of how during strategy formulation, interests of both the players and the firms core ompetencies were considered and recognized by members of the team which would in the end deem them to be successful. 5. Should organizations engage in the sort of formal strategy formation processes we study in Business School? With a complete and focused formal strategy formation processes, organizations won’t be successful. They will be deemed not successful because they lack the vision and direction needed in order for future growth.Real world strategy implementation might not be as simple as what we do in business school, but the concept is basically the same. In the classroom, the curriculum is designed in a way that with the frameworks learned can also be applied out in the real world. As discussed in one of the previous questions, being able to understand the difference between what is learned in the classroom to what is learned out in the real world is criti cal because when in the real world, things are not as cut and dry like they are in a traditional case study analysis.To answer the overall question whether an organization should engage in this process, I think it is extremely beneficial for businesses to have because not only does it provide a clear vision and direction but it also helps to create a clear understanding of the core competencies a company has. Even though the process that us MBA students have studied in school doesn’t directly apply to that of the operating business environment in the real world, I think of it as a good â€Å"stepping stone† that is helping prepare the young incoming workforce prior to them even entering into the real world.By giving business students years of practice in this semi formation process will help them when they eventually enter into the real world. It will minimize the amount of overall shock and even possibly some change as well. Overall, it provides a framework and outlin e for things to consider in strategy building. Work Cited Barney, Jay B. , and Trish Gorman. Clifford. What I Didn't Learn in Business School: How Strategy Works in the Real World. Boston: Harvard Business Review, 2010. Print.

Bernard Lawrence

  Describe the three types of illegal behavior alleged allegations against Mr. Madoff and for each of the behavior explain why it is illegal or unethical in the conduct of business? Ans) Bernard Lawrence Madoff was a stock broker, investment advisor and the non executive chairman of the NASDAQ. Bernard has been found guilty for 11 federal crimes for which he has been sentenced to imprisonment for 150 years and had to pay $170. 179 billion as a penalty. He was convicted for 11 federal crimes which included security fraud, money laundering, perjury, theft from an employee benefit plan, wire fraud and mail fraud.In order to further clarify three of the crime would be explained in details which are as follows: Money Laundering: Bernard Lawrence had been convicted for 2 International money laundering crimes. He had been using the money of his investors for his own purposes and was showing false accounts. His company was convicted of tax evasions and taking advantage and showing false ac counting in his books. This is a serious crime in the whole world as this is a way of misinterpreting and misleading the investors and the government officials.This is an unethical business practice because it refers to concealing important details of the business from the various stakeholders and thus taking undue advantage from that. The companies seem to misguide the public and the government and save million dollars by evading taxes and buying assets from the money that they have actually stolen from the investors. Securities fraud: The victim was convicted of securities fraud where he was guilty of doing illegal sale and purchase on the trading floors. He had broken various securities laws and embezzled millions of dollars.This is an illegal practice because the investors by doing so start manipulating the stock exchange and the stock prices. This is considered a crime because by this the stock prices can be over stated or understated which would harm the small investors. Theft from Employee benefit plan: He was alleged of stealing $10 million from the pension fund assets. This is a plain act of stealing where he took the money that was the right of 35 labor unions. Due to this the labor union would not have been able to get the money that was basically their right by law. (Voreacos, 2009)Question 2: Name three types of parties who were impacted by the practices of Mr. Madoff and describe how they were impacted? Ans) The scandal had impacted the lives of various people which included people from all walks of life. From various celebrities to huge investment companies and banks have had an impact on their balance sheets due to the scandal. Some of the parties involved were: Universities: Various universities and schools which include the New York University and Maimonides school had invested their idle funds with the company which they lost due to the scandal.Investment Funds: Various investment funds had their assets managed by the company. The investment companies lost the money that they had invested with the investment fund of Lawrence Bernard. Various investment companies had even bought the shares which brought them loss of billions of dollars. Charity organization: A lot of Non profit organizations and charity organization of celebrities and other people had invested the charity’s money. The charities had to lose billions of dollars due to the fraud as they did not get their invested money back. (Madoff's Victims, 2009)Question 3: Describe three business safeguards that may have prevented the harm caused by Mr. Madoff? Ans) The ponzi scheme was a major negligence from the respective authorities. The SEC authorities did not have complete check over various factors due to which people had to face losses of millions of dollars. Some of the ways the debacle could have been prevented are: Strict policies from Securities Exchange Commission (SEC): This scandal had been in practice for almost over a decade but was not detected by the SEC. Thus the SEC was not too active in its practices.The organization was giving a high return which was an unusual activity. Thus in such an abnormal situation SEC should have been more diligent and transparent in fulfilling its duties. If there had been cross checking of the accounts and financial transactions this loss could have been prevented. Transparent practices by the external auditors: It is something very pungent that such a massive scandal had hit the financial world despite of the strict financial standards and the constant audits by the licensed auditors. The external auditors would have to be more ethical and transparent in their activities.If they would have identified small symptoms of unethical practices to the state earlier, millions of dollar could have been saved. Forensic Accountants reactive attitude: The forensic accountants have been silent over the issue until it was the news all around the world. The forensic accountants are trained to identify an y sorts of fraud symptoms in the economy. There was a reactive approach by these accountants which caused this fraud to go on for too many years. The forensic accountants could have prevented the loss by actively reporting them on time. (Herrerra, n. d. )Question4: Describe three ways the private investors could have prevented themselves from risk? Ans) The investors could have been prevented from the debacle by knowing the investment practices and the basic rules of investment. Generally the investors are not aware of the practices due to which they are not able to identify if the investment is done in the right manner. Second, the loss could have been prevented if the investors have been careful in selecting the investment company. The investors would have been saved if they would have not selected the company for investment.The investors could have managed their funds properly by not investing huge amount in just one avenue. The risk could have been mitigated if they had invested at various avenues due to which they would not have to bear such a huge loss. (Herrerra, n. d. ) Question5: Describe three legal actions that possibly may be brought against Mr. Madoff under criminal or civil law? Ans: Mr. Madoff had been convicted of 11 serious federal crimes to which he was sentenced to imprisonment for 150 years. The three legal actions against him are as follows: Securities fraud: 20 years of imprisonment with 3 years supervised release.Along with this there would also be a fine of $5 million or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Money Laundering: 10 years of imprisonment with 3 years of supervised release. These would also be a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. Perjury: 5 years of imprisonment with 3 years of supervised release. These would also be a fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss from the offense. (Department of Justice Press Release, 2009) References Department of Justice Press Release. (2009, Ma rch 12). Retrieved June 7, 2010, from Federal Bureau of Investigation New York: http://newyork.fbi. gov/dojpressrel/pressrel09/nyfo031209. htm Herrerra, C. (n. d. ). Ponzi Schemes and Forensic Accountants. Retrieved June 7, 2010, from Accounting Sites: http://www. bellaonline. com/articles/art49196. asp Madoff's Victims. (2009, March 6). Retrieved June 7, 2010, from The Wall Street Journal: http://s. wsj. net/public/resources/documents/st_madoff_victims_20081215. html Voreacos, D. (2009, March 11). Madoff Criminal Charges: Summary of the 11 Counts Against Him. Retrieved June 7, 2010, from Bloomberg: http://www. bloomberg. com/apps/news? pid=20601087&sid=a6Osnj. SoYdM&refer=home Bernard Lawrence Bernie Madoff was born on 29th April, 1938 in New York. His parents were Jewish, namely Ralph and Sylvia Madoff. In 1956, he had graduated from the Hofstra University where he had studied political science. He then became a plumber, and later on founded the Madoff charitable Foundation. His career in the investment field began after he married Ruth Alpern, his high school sweet heart, who worked at a stock exchange market in Manhattan. In 1960, he founded the Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities LLC, (now NASDAQ) and has ever since acted as its chairman until he was arrested.Before the discovery of the fraud, Bernard L. Madoff Investment Securities seemed like the kind of firm that every stock broker would want to work with. The investors and the employees all believed in Bernie. It was for this reason that he was appointed as the chairman of NASDAQ, and was also appointed to industry channels by the SEC. Madoff is said to have been a philanthropist who worked with many nonprofit institutions. He was a man of great influence, and many people had entrusted him with their wealth.Madoff is known to have committed the biggest fraud through a Ponzi plan which he had carried out for at least 20 years. He confessed his crime to his sons, Andrew and Mark last year. This is an essay covering Madoff’s, big Ponzi plan that led to his incarceration. (Lenzner) The Ponzi plan Even as Madoff was still in studying law at Brooklyn Law School, he was in involved in the securities business. On of his first investments was with a company, called the Electronics Capital, where he had invested $200. According to what the SEC disclosed, his stocks had grown from the original $200 to $16,140.At that time, this was a lot of money, and this must have captured his interest in the securities market. His scheme to get involved in illegal operations to make more money must have been in his mind for some time. This is because in the 1990s, Madoff would boast to some of his investor s that he was using a different strategy from the split-strike conversion method. This must have been what led to the fraud. An investigation revealed that there were clues in his office, but it was very hard to catch him.For example, there was an IBM server, and an AS/400 which dated from as early as the 1980s; reports said that it was so old, that some information was keyed in by hand, but Madoff was reluctant to have it replaced. This machine is said to have been the centre around which the fraud was schemed. Thousands of statements that were printed from it revealed trades that had never been made. (Bandler etal) According to those who played roles in the early electronic trading and the company, Madoff’s company was successful only in the 1970s and the 1980s.They further said that the success could only be attributed to the fact that his security business was the first to have used the electronic software to trade stocks. He was also able to attract many consumers becaus e the software was not only cheap, but also fast. Instead of taking a fee for trading stocks like the NYSE did, Bernie paid some firms like Charles Schwab a few dollars a share for every order they made. Though the software used by Madoff, his company had the expertise to hedge the risk that resulted form the imbalance in the buy and sell orders and hence were able to preserve its profit.This means that even if he paid the client, he still remained with enough money to make a huge profit. During the early 1990s, his firm had succeeded, in that it was responsible for executing at least 9% of all the stocks traded every day at the NYSE. His firm specialized in trading other shares from big companies outside the exchange. In the history of trading stocks, no other company could outdo NASDAQ, which got its advantage from the use of electronic means. He was respected among his peers, except those of the NYSE, who likened his orders to kick backs.They viewed Madoff’s trades as shab by, but they had no way to prove any illegal activities. The payments that he paid for the orders were all legal, and Madoff ensured that they remained so. NASD and SEC insisted that the securities industry’s self regulated body bring together a panel to investigate NASDAQ. Being the chairman NASDAQ, Madoff challenged his investigators by suggesting that they go ahead to include witnesses in the panel. He was able to talk himself out of the problems that could have possibly befallen him. (Bandler etal) He successfully talked the investigators into his line of thinking.In fact, some of the members in the panel said that he was not pushy during the interrogations. Although his main aim was to protect his business, he never suggested that in any direct way. He was just determined to make the panel â€Å"understand† the way his business operated. At the end of it all, Madoff prevailed. He had managed to convince the panel that his practice of offering payments was all the same as that applied by the Wall Street. Things however changed in 1997, when the rules that governed the trading spreads changed. That year, they were slashed from 12. 5? a share to 6.25? , and later on in 2001, dropped to just a penny. NASDAQ’s profits started decreasing. Madoff was able to continue committing his fraudulent acts because he now started marketing his investment business by convincing people through word of mouth. Those who learnt of it spread it to their friends. It became a private club, and Madoff’s plan not wanting to admit new members, attracted even more attention from those who knew of it. His private investors were urged to keep quiet, and not to mention the matter to an outsider; if they did, they risked losing their investments.In spite of his efforts to keep his investments secret, they somehow surfaced, but he was determined to keep covering up any act that would arouse suspicion. Two publications that were directed at arousing suspicion on Madoff’s operations went ignored. Even the employees who worked within the organization ignored them; after all, they had no clue of what was going on. It later turned out that Madoff’s illegal investments were interfering with the legal ones. In fact, during the trial, Madoff admitted hat he transferred millions of dollars from his fraud businesses in London to his legal firm in New York.His fraudulent schemes were so complicated; it is said that it would not be easy to understand his operations in details. He also lied to defend or cover up his acts. For example, in May 2006, he was interviewed by the SEC, and asked whether the equities were traded in Europe, he admitted that they were. The truth was that he always said that he had several trades in Europe, whenever he could not explain the nature of the businesses. There were also no equities being traded in Europe. In many occasions, Madoff’s lies paid him off. Madoff’s accompliceAlthough Madoff was the mastermind schemer, he obviously had an accomplice. Employees confessed that Frank DiPascali, acted as Madoff’s deputy and was responsible for running the business on the 17th floor, the floor where Madoff’s office was. A former trader said that the he was aged 33, but people neither knew what his work really was, nor his title. One employee said that, â€Å"Everyone knew he was a big deal, but he was like a shadow. † (Bandler etal) DiPascali, when arrested, showed his involvement in Madoff’s plan when he started to negotiate a plea deal with federal prosecutors.He offered to uncover the whole scheme and to name names, in exchange for a reduced sentence. However, he had no evidence that there were other family members involved in the Madoff scheme. DiPascali was the facilitator of Madoff’s schemes. He admitted to have manipulated phony returns on behalf of several major investors in Madoff’s business. Some of them include Frank Avellino, is said to have been running the â€Å"feeder fund† and Jeffry Picower, who had to shut down his foundation as it was affected by the losses associated with Madoff.For example, if one of such important clients earned more money on other investments, Madoff would tell DiPascali, who then fabricated a loss with the motive of reducing the tax bill. In my opinion, I would ay that the United States was able to produce such a person as Madoff because besides the fact that he had strong connections, his firm was performing well enough; in fact it offered job opportunities to Americans, while in many ways contributed to the economic development of the United States.Madoff was also able to cover up his shoddy operations effectively, protecting himself from the authorities. An example of such an instance is when he was able to defend himself from the panel in 1991 during the investigations. (Paltrow) He had a clever way to get himself out o trouble. The fact that most people knew him as a philanthropist was enough defense, at least to the mercies. His generous acts like giving donations were just for show, including his donations to the 2008 presidential campaigns, where he funded both candidates.The Madoff case was one of the hardest to be completely uncovered, given that it had been schemed for at least 20 years. It could also be enough reason that Madoff was a clever man since he was able to commit the fraud on his own. If Madoff could have had more funds to pay off his investors in December, then he would have been able to carry on with his Ponzi scheme. His scheme has led to the collapse and closure of several organizations that had invested in his operations. Works cited 1) Bandler J. Varchever N. (April 30, 2009) Ho

2 Analysis of Renaissance Painting essays

2 Analysis of Renaissance Painting essays Looking In the mid to late 15th century in Europe, a period known as the Renaissance flowered during times of great political and social turmoil and various cities, such as Florence and Venice in Italy became the centers of humanistic philosophy which was highly influenced by classical forms and motifs dating back to the ancient Greeks and Romans. Artistically, the Renaissance created an entirely new way to express human emotions and ideals via architecture, sculpture and especially painting. Historically, the painters of the Renaissance, such as Leonardo Da Vinci, Michelangelo, Brunelleschi and many others, were forced to fully evaluate not only the achievements of their numerous predecessors but also the new scientific theories of the time related to perspective construction, meaning that these painters "created paintings that reflected realistic yet often idealized figures and scenes based on humanistic tents and principles, whereby man was separate from God and viewed his environment as naturally occurring and not the product of a higher power" (Freedburg, 167). During the Renaissance period, many different styles of painting arose, some of which reflected the political and social events of the time and incorporated various techniques used to express humanistic ideals. According to Arthur Blunt, "a new vocabulary of styles and techniques affected every aspect of Renaissance painting. . . figures were placed more carefully within the frame with relation to one another and all architectural effects within the painting were more carefully sized to the figures" (245). Thus, many Renaissance paintings contained a considerable array of different human types supported by well-controlled emotional content, yet the largest majority of these paintings as compared to earlier styles such as during the Gothic period, contained true realism via facial and figural expressions that reflected the real world. During the early years of t...

A Timeline of the European Union

A Timeline of the European Union Follow this timeline to learn about the series of steps over decades that led to the creation of the European Union. Pre-1950 1923: Pan European Union society formed; supporters include Konrad Adenauer and Georges Pompidou, later leaders of Germany and France.1942: Charles de Gaulle calls for a union.1945: World War II ends; Europe is left divided and damaged.1946: European Union of Federalists forms to campaign for a United States of Europe.September 1946: Churchill calls for a United States of Europe based around France and Germany to increase the chance of peace.January 1948: Benelux Customs Union formed by Belgium, Luxembourg, and Netherlands.1948: Organisation for European Economic Co-operation (OEEC) created to organize the Marshall Plan; some argue this is not unified enough.April 1949: NATO forms.May 1949: Council of Europe formed to discuss closer co-operation. 1950s May 1950: Schuman Declaration (named after the French Foreign Minister) proposes French and German coal and steel communities.April 19, 1951: European Coal and Steel Community Treaty signed by Germany, France, Ireland, Luxembourg, Belgium, and Netherlands.May 1952: European Defence Community (EDC) Treaty.August 1954: France rejects the EDC treaty.March 25, 1957: Treaties of Rome signed: creates Common Market / European Economic Community (EEC) and European Atomic Energy Community.January 1, 1958: Treaties of Rome come into effect. 1960s 1961: Britain tries to join the EEC but is rejected.January 1963: Franco-German Treaty of Friendship; they agree to work together on many policy issues.January 1966: Luxembourg Compromise gives majority vote on some issues, but leaves national veto on key areas.July 1, 1968: Full customs union created in the EEC, ahead of schedule.1967: British application again rejected.December 1969: Hague summit to â€Å"relaunch† the Community, attended by heads of state. 1970s 1970: Werner Report argues economic and monetary union possible by 1980.April 1970: Agreement for EEC to raise own funds through levies and customs duties.October 1972: Paris Summit agrees on plans for the future, including economic and monetary union and ERDF fund to support depressed regions.January 1973: UK, Ireland, and Denmark join.March 1975: First meeting of the European Council, where heads of state gather to discuss events.1979: First direct elections to European Parliament.March 1979: Agreement to create the European Monetary System. 1980s 1981: Greece joins.February 1984: Draft Treaty on European Union produced.December 1985: Single European Act agreed; takes two years to ratify.1986: Portugal and Spain join.July 1, 1987: Single European Act comes into effect. 1990s February 1992: Maastricht Treaty / Treaty on European Union signed.1993: Single Market begins.November 1, 1993: Maastricht Treaty comes into effect.January 1, 1995: Austria, Finland, and Sweden join.1995: Decision taken to introduce the single currency, the Euro.October 2, 1997: Treaty of Amsterdam makes minor changes.January 1, 1999: Euro introduced in eleven counties.May 1, 1999: Treaty of Amsterdam comes into effect. 2000s 2001: Treaty of Nice signed; extends majority voting.2002: Old currencies were withdrawn, ‘Euro’ becomes the sole currency in the majority of EU; Convention on the Future of Europe created to draw up a constitution for larger EU.February 1, 2003: Treaty of Nice comes into effect.2004: Draft constitution signed.May 1, 2004: Cyprus, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Slovak Republic, Czech Republic, Slovenia join.2005: Draft constitution rejected by voters in France and the Netherlands.2007: Lisbon Treaty signed, this modified the constitution until it was deemed a sufficient compromise; Bulgaria and Romania join.June 2008: Irish voters reject the Lisbon Treaty.October 2009: Irish voters accept the Lisbon Treaty.December 1, 2009: Lisbon Treaty comes into effect.2013: Croatia joins.2016: United Kingdom votes to leave.

Early Years Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Early Years Education - Essay Example Indeed, the environment plays an important role in the way by which students inculcate and integrate data into their daily lives. The environment has also been cited by numerous researches and studies as a vital part of education, affecting the manner by which information is delivered to the recipient, and how the recipient actually receives the data (Tiller and Huston 2002: 337). In relation, this paper will then look into the role played by the environment in education. More specifically, this paper will explore the effect of different environments on the education of individuals during the early formative years. This will be done by analysing an article published in the European Early Childhood Education Research Journal. The said article provides a detailed report of the study by Canning, entitled â€Å"The influence of the outdoor environment: den-making in three different contexts† (2010: 555). The said study explored den-making in three different environments or setting s in the United Kingdom. In the process of looking into the role played by the environment in education, this paper will first present a brief discussion on the search strategy used to find the chosen article for review. Afterwards, a more detailed overview of the aforementioned article will be conducted, followed by a critical analysis of the research contained in the article. This paper will then present this author’s different reflections on the learnings derived from the article. Finally, this paper will provide recommendations or suggested changes for the setting of education during the Early Years Foundation Stage. Range of Search Strategies This assignment called for the conduction of a research that explores different articles and resources detailing concepts involving equal opportunities in teaching and learning, or those involving play. Various search strategies were employed during the search for the appropriate article for review. First of all, a visit to the scho ol library was conducted, so as to help me have a â€Å"feel† for the topic being discussed. Numerous books and journals were available for reading, and as a result, I initially had a large number of resources from which to choose. However, choosing then became the tricky task so I reverted to ICT strategies, believing that the computer’s natural filtering abilities can help me narrow down the search. Thankfully, the said filtering capacities of search engines helped me to find articles in various databases for scholarly journals. Some databases employed during the search include Education Research Complete, ERIC database, and ProQuest Education Research Journals. The search for journals involving the provided topic yielded around thousand results, but filtering led to only around eight suitable articles. From these, the article detailed in the introduction of this paper was then chosen for review. Overview of the Research The study by Canning (2010) involves a small-s cale research that looked into den-making practices of three different settings in UK, as well as the effectiveness of the formed dens in educating students in their early years of development. The study involved a narrative and non-participant observation of the subjects in the said dens. The subjects of the study involved children aged three to five years, as well as their educators practicing early years education, and who were