Employment Law Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Employment Law - Essay Example The contract of employment is the cornerstone of the employment relationship. In Gascol Conversions Ltd., v Mercer1 Courts found that contracts of employment, like all other contracts, consist of express and implied terms and the written statement is only evidence of the various contractual terms and, unless the employee has agreed that it accurately represents those terms, it is not binding on the employee. Here the argument is that at the time of recruiting the employee, employer can impose these restrictive clauses. Restrictive covenants are terms in a contract of employment that limit the employees activities following termination of their employment. Now it need to consider the capacity of Balmoral to change or impose new restrict covenant. In RS Components v Irwin2, a case before the National Industrial Relations Court the employer decided that it needed to introduce restrictive covenants. The NIRC held that held that there was nothing in the section to preclude the tribunal from finding. The dismissal on the grounds of the needs to impose the new restriction fells within the some other substantial reason category. If employees refused to sign, the new contract could therefore be dismissed. Here the Court noted that the employer would have to devise covenants that were not void. It is a landmark case that decided in 1973 should demonstrate best practice, rather than Windsor Recruitment v Silverwood and others3, which decided in 2006. Employment law still has the capacity to spring a surprise. In Hanover Insurance Brokers Ltd v Schapiro4 the CA Dillon LJ argued that a restriction that seeks to prohibit a defendant from poaching any employee, irrespective of expertise or juniority and including those who entered employment after the defendant left, is invalid5. In Living Design (Home Improvements) Ltd. v Davidson6 the CA has recognized the possibility of a restrictive covenant sufficient to

British & independence Essay Example for Free

British independence Essay Through this education, Douglass witnessed and later identified the hypocrisy that came from a country that fought the British for independence, yet was unwilling to extend that right to his own people as well as the hypocrisy that existed in Christianity in which the religion was used by slave owners, to justify the continuation of the institution. In this book, Douglass touches on a number of important subjects. This includes but is not confined to, Douglass’ view on friendship, power of the mind and body as well as what exactly it means to be a man as well as an individual of African descent. Can the two coexist with each other? And if so, what measures must a man go in order to secure these rights? Douglass would spend his lifetime answering that question for himself as well as for every Africana American who had been adversely affected by the crippling racism that was so much a part of America’s past. Frederick Douglass’s 1852 speech â€Å"What to the Slave is the 4th of July† is further proof that African Americans at that time, were not docile and meek. Douglass spoke in ways that had deprived the African American slave since 1624. In this speech, there lie two distinct and separate halves. The first half, Douglass speaks in glowing terms about America’s forefathers as fearless patriots. However, one of the words that continues to be used when describing the holiday and then men and women of the Revolution who helped to shape it, was the second person possessive: â€Å"you† and â€Å"yours. † â€Å"Oppression makes a wise man mad. Your fathers were wise men, and if they did not go mad, they became restive under this treatment. They felt themselves the victims of grievous wrongs, wholly incurable in their colonial capacity. † Douglass is setting up the audience and the reader for the real heart of his speech and to help show the sheer irony in asking a former slave, at a time when nearly four million African Americans were still enslaved, to speak on the 4th of July. After ending with his pleasantries and speaking in positive terms about the founding fathers as they relate to White America, Douglass sharply changes his diction and leads a verbal assault on the irony of not only America, but of Christianity, a faith that Douglass holds close to his heart. Douglass, after giving a history lesson to his audience; a lesson that had been glorified to nearly spiritual heights by that time, Douglass changes his tone and then speaks to a passion that is also close to his heart: American slavery. I will, in the name of humanity which is outraged, in the name of liberty which is fettered in the name of the constitution and the Bible, which are disregarded and trampled upon, dare to call in question and to denounce, with all the emphasis I can command, everything that serves to perpetuate slavery- the great sin and shame of America. † Douglass is speaking to the irony of both America and those who â€Å"Christians of the land† who Douglass refers to as believers who either own slaves or who support the institution of slavery and asks for his audience to witness the irony as well. Douglass, throughout the rest of his speech, attacks slavery and the fact that he is even asked to speak on such an occasion as the 4th of July as there is no other national holiday at that time that would be more ironic for Douglass to speak upon. â€Å"What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July? I answer: a day that reveals to him, more than all other days in the year, the gross injustice and cruelty to which he is the constant victim. To him, your celebration is a sham; your boasted liberty; an unholy license†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Throughout the rest of the speech, Douglass speaks to the irony at speaking on the 4th of July, of the hypocrisy that exists in both America and the church whose aspects supports slavery and points to England who in the 1830’s had already abolished slavery. In Douglass’s 1855 book My Bondage My Freedom, he speaks about his life and the various factions that he aligned himself. Even though there were aspects of the Christian church that supported and defended slavery, the abolitionist movement in the immediate decades before the start of the Civil War, was almost entirely a Christian movement. This writing of Douglass speaks at length about his relations with abolitionists; both important to American history and those whose efforts that went unnoticed by the historians but to Douglass, served as a chief motivator for himself to become an abolitionist. Douglass first heard the word abolitionist while under the possession of Mr. Auld, his master. â€Å"Every little while, I could hear Master Hugh, or some other of his company, speaking with much warmth and excitement about â€Å"abolitionists. † Of who or what these were, I was totally ignorant. I found, however, that whatever they might be, they were most cordially hated and soundly abused by slaveholders. † Douglass, as it is seen in every book within his biography, that he was not a timid man and that the pursuit of freedom through the collection of action, spurned on my action, was his life goal. It would only be a matter of time before Douglass would become closely aligned with the abolitionist movement. Frederick Douglass was able to first make a name for himself by his aligned with the most famous abolitionist of his day: William Lloyd Garrison; the editor of The Liberator. Douglass commented about this friendship, which although possessing its share of internal conflict, was one of the most advantageous for Douglass as well as for Garrison. â€Å"Mr. Garrison followed me, talking me at his text; and now, whether I had made an eloquent speech in behalf of freedom or not, his was one never to be forgotten by those who heard it. † From this, Douglass was able to write an account of him and of the experiences that he had taken part in. This is the most important aspect of the life and times of Douglass. Had he not written down his experiences, he never would have been able to gain a foothold into the public arena concerning this most important issue. It is through the words and writings of Douglass that he is still remembered today. This would not have been possible, had Douglass never been able to align himself with the various connections that were offered to him through his association with the abolitionist movement. â€Å"In a little less than four years, therefore, after becoming a public lecturer, I was introduced to write out the leading facts connected with my experience in slavery, giving names of persons, places, and dates- thus putting it in the power of any who doubted, to ascertain the truth of falsehood of my story of being a fugitive slave. † Even though it is a fact that many people, even some within the abolitionist movement, did not believe Douglass’ account of his life in slavery, Douglass’ first book, Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, printed in 1845, was so popular, five additional printings followed in the next calendar year. His experience, coupled with the way in which he was able to speak and write about his experiences, made for a very effective combination. If any of the above mentioned were missing, the name of Frederick Douglass would not be remembered today. It is through the life experiences as skill that such a good man, was made great, both by time and circumstance. In both of the abovementioned works, Douglass speaks unapologetically, about the immoral, unfair and unconstitutional aspects of slavery in America. England has freed its slaves and America even officially abolished the slave trade, out of the belief that there is something which speaks against the liberty of people, an issue which all Americans have come to believe to be sacred. Why then are such rights not extended to the slave? The abolitionist movement was unrelenting in its appeal to free the slaves. There is debate concerning exactly what other rights even the most outspoken white abolitionists, were willing to extend to the slave. What is not in doubt, is that the when famous and connected abolitionists, blended their abilities with the abilities and unflinching convictions of Douglass, contemporary audiences, as well as those who would follow, are left with one of the most important American orators and authors because Douglass, unlike other famous fiction writers, spoke about what was true and all too apparent in American society; American slavery which sprouted forth from the soil of racism, prejudice and ignorance. Douglass sought to kill that weed and perhaps second only to Martin Luther King Jr. can the husbandry of a single person, be given the credit of putting to an end, those weeds which would serve as impediments to the flowering opportunity that America gives to its citizens.

Self Efficacy In Writing Performance Psychology Essay

Self Efficacy In Writing Performance Psychology Essay Writing, is a complex process and competent writing is frequently accepted as being the last language skill to be acquired. Al-Mekhlafi, 2011 Due to its complex process, writing is regarded as a challenging task not only for native speakers of a language but also for second language learners. As it is the case for any other acquired skill, writing skill also evolves continuously until the product, a piece of writing, meets the expectations of both the writer and reader. However, when it comes to learning how to apply certain conventions of writing in a formal learning environment, the role and responsibility of the learner becomes even more important. As cited in Sheila Matoti and Almon Shumba (2011), writing problems identified by previous studies are grammar, spelling, punctuation, expression, and the ability to explain, structure and interpret facts as well as vocabulary and referencing. Although it can be claimed that the problems listed above can be fixed, to a certain extent, through formal instruction and learners effort, it is a fact that having some sort of knowledge about ones capabilities and skills can indeed play an important role in motivating human behaviours. (Bandura,1986) According to Banduras Social Cognitive Theory, individuals possess a system of self-beliefs that enables them to exercise control over their thoughts, feelings, and actions. (as cited in Garcia Fidalgo,2008, Rahimpour Jahan, 2010, Al-Mekhlafi, 2011, Shah et al. 2011, Galligan ,2011, Alexander Schmidt, 2012). Broaddus (2012) explained that social cognitive theory forms the roots of both writing self-efficacy and motivation both of which change from course to course, depending on students interest, efficacy for performing tasks in the course, and other social and environmental factors. In other words, learners may create their own path of learning through engaging themselves in tasks. Therefore, students set their goals for learning a specific subject. Self-efficacy is a construct proposed by Bandura (1977) and has been tested in a variety of fields, focusing on a variety of topics. Broaddus (2012) and Bong (1999) define self-efficacy as peoples convictions about their own capability for successfully executing a course of action that leads to a desired outcome. Schmidt and Alexander (2012) argued that self efficacy is not only a current but also future disposition requiring learners or participants in a research to evaluate their beliefs in their future abilities. Therefore, self-efficacy requires self-evaluation, about what one can do and what can be improved. As well as self-evaluation, there are two more factors affecting self-efficacy: modeling (coaching) such as coding the information for retention, being capable of producing the presented patterns, and maintaining a certain level of motivation; goal setting, such as acquiring skills and knowledge or making good grades. (Schunk, 2003). When considered specifically for the writing ability, writing self-efficacy translates into a strong sense of confidence for the task of writing.( Pajares Valiante,1997). In other words, once learners have sufficient self-belief in their ability to write in their second language, their interest in writing may increase, they may display constant efforts, and great eagerness and resiliency when they are working on a writing task. In his study conducted in 2012, Broaddus concluded that journalism course students who hold high self-efficacy for grammar have put more effort into their time management and environmental resources while studying and it was found that these high efficacy attitude towards grammar resulted in better grammar skills. This was interpreted as these students determine where the challenge or obstacle related to the task lies and they develop strategies so as to succeed in their writing assignments. Garcia and Fidalgo stated in their 2008 study that in difficult tasks such as writing which includes many recursively employed cognitive processes, self-efficacy plays a the key role. While acquiring writing skills, students need to use their cognitive, behavioral and motivational engagement and learning. Recently, an enormous amount of research has been done on the writing composition proceses that student writers undertake(Erkan Saban, 2011). Although writing instruction has gone through numerous changes, according to an action research carried out by Yavuz and Genà § ( 1998), students tend to display negative attitudes towards writing. Yavuz and Genà § (1998) concluded their research findings as, for students writing is an obligation in order to pass final exam. Erkan and Saban (2004) suggest that this attitude can be interpreted as students apprehension and lack of self-efficacy in writing. The reason for students apprehension and lack of self efficacy may be due to limited time allocated for writing practice in classes. As cited in Leki and Carson (1994), according to the results of structured interviews of a study, university students who completed language courses in intensive English program at five different university reported that they only spent 10 % of their time on writing assignments across the curriculum. However, it should be noted that in order to succeed in their academic studies, second language learners, especially the students at universities are required to gain a certain ability to write well since writing is integral to academic success.Although the time spared for writing practice may not always be possible, the use of a variety of writing assignments, with clear, concise evalution criteria, could help student writers in the development of their self-efficacy while dealing with a writing task. (Broaddus, 2012) When examined specifically, Turkish students practising the conventions of writing in English, even students who are proficient at other language skills share the same problems with writing: they are afraid to make writing errors; they lack self-efficacy in writing.(Erkan Saban, 2011)In her study, Erkan concluded , similar to previous research findings, it was confirmed that the degree of students negative attitude, writing apprehension, does affect Turkish Tertiary level students writing performance. In other words, the higher the apprehension, the weaker the writing skills / performance. This aspect of Erkans study, one that specifically looks at relationships between writing apprehension and writing performance, is an expansion in the research area since the number of studies conducted to investigate second language learners wiriting apprehension is very few. However, as cited in Garcia and Fidalgo (2008), Bandura maintained that misjudgement in ones beliefs about potential performance may be detrimental, which is proved by some research that it can be prevalent in writing classes. Although there is a great number of research examining the relationship between self-efficacy,to the best knowledge of the researchers Rahimpour and Jahan, there is no research on relationship between general self-efficacy and writing (Rahimpour and Jahan, 2010). Rahimpour and Jahan claimed that all the previous research mainly focused on the investigation of self-efficacy among groups with a very limited range of proficiency. Therefore, Rahimpour and Jahan determined their research area as the impact of self-efficacy and proficiency on EFL learners written task performance regarding load, fluency, complexity, and accuracy. The participants chosen were low-proficiency and high-proficiency learners of English aged between 18-25. In addition to completing three separate tasks, the participants were asked to fill out the General Perceived Self-Efficacy questionnaire, through which the participants level of confidence was aimed to rate. The results indicated that there was a significant relationship between self-efficacy and personal tasks in terms of concept load in high proficieny participants; however, there was not a significant relationship when it came to fluency, complexity, and accuracy only for low but also high proficieny participants performance. Another area of research on self-efficacy is related to help seeking which is recognized as a component of self-efficacy. Help seeking is comprised of two types of behaviour: adaptive and nonadaptive behaviours. (as cited in Williams Takaku, 2011) Various studies yielded significant correlations between self-efficacy and help seeking. Williams and Takaku cited that while high self-efficacy students tend to express high help seeking behaviour, low self-efficacy students, despite being under similar circumstances, less willing to seek help. It is commonly accepted by researchers in the field that just as help seeking, self-efficacy belief has been found to be a predictor of academic success. In addition to their teachers, most students may seek help at writing centers remedial courses in the institutions they attend. Writing centers have been proved to be helpful when it comes to improving students writing performance. Williams and Takaku (2011) hypothesized that writing self-efficacy would influence writing performance. The participants of the study were both native and nonnative university students who attended a one semester intensive writing course for all content areas. In contrast to the researchers anticipation, the analysis showed that the frequent visitors to writing center in order to receive professional assistance from the writng center staff, managed to get higher grades than the ones who did not. What makes the results of the study more noteworthy is the fact that these results apply for both ESL learners and native-English- speakers. When the results are generalized, it can be argued that when appropriate assistance is provided, every student practising the conventions of writing can improve himself or herself. A study carried out ,by Shah,Wan Mahmoud, Din,Yusof, Pardi in 2011 with Malaysian secondary school learners in order to determine the students self-efficacy in writing. The results indicated that there is ,indeed, a large, significant positive correlation between self-efficacy and writing performance. That is, it was,again, confirmed that learners with high self-efficacy tend to pursue opportunities to write, put more effort into writing, and be more persistent in seeking writing competence. Another research conducted by Early and De Costa-Smith, in 2011, confirmed Banduras social cognitive theory. To put it differently, self-efficacy beliefs can be developed by mastery experience, social models and lived experiences, and social persuasion. The impact of multiple opportunities to practice any genre, along with peer and teacher feedback and interaction during the intervention may play a key role on the increase in students self-efficacy beliefs related to the genre. All in all, while strong efficacy leads to success, overly high or low efficacy can undermine the proper development of cognitive, social, emotional, and behavioral skills. (Broaddus, 2012) On the other hand, Igo (2002) asserted that the students overestimated their self-efficacy because of several reasons, namely, high school teachers failure to provide appropiate and correctional feedback, the teachers negligence of promoting the importance of producing good work, and teachers overappraisal of mere student participation in the writing process. Conversely, when individuals see that another person, in our context a classmate, performing a desired task, self efficacy believes are positively affected. To pplace this into the context of university English preparatory school classrooms, when a student witnesses that a friend of his or her succeeds in writing a well-organized essay, he or she may be more willing to try writing an essay on his own. As Broaddus (2012) cited observers self-efficacy beliefs would be reduced if they see their peers repeatedly fail to accomplish a required task. Whether high or low, self-efficacy in writing has a crucial role in students writing performance. Broaddus (2012) cites from Bandura (1997) and draws our attention to environmental context and says that it often affects efficacy. In a formal language learning environment where there is only limited time can be allocated to writing, it is an undeniable fact that determining students with low self-efficacy and assisting these students while they are developing their writing skills is highly important. Instructors should not only provide the standard techniques of writing and provide corrective feedback on vocabulary and grammar but also provide one-to-one assistance whenever their students seek help. The amount of assistance provided by teachers should also have limits. As cited in Broaddus (2012), Bandura (1997) says Successes achieved with external assistance carry little efficacy value because they are likely to be credited to external aids rather than to personal capabilities METHOD Participants Participants were 20 Turkish learners of English at a preparatory school of an English medium university, Turkey. The participants initially took a standard language proficiency test prepared by the preparatory school testing office. The proficiency test consisted of 80 four-option multiple choice questions before the semester started. The multiple choice items aimed to test the students level of grammar, vocabulary, and reading comprehension abilities, The passing grade for the proficiency test was determined as 60.The students who got lower than 60 took the placement test consisting of 80 questions. The students were also required to write an essay on a topic provided by the testing office after completing the multiple choice section. According to the placement test scores, the students were placed in three different levels-A, B, and C levels. The intermediate level students were placed in A level classes. In other words, the participants can understand and speak English with some confidence and they have the grammar and the vocabulary to talk and read about a wide number of subjects. Moreover, they can assess and consciously improve their own pronunciation. They have studied all the main tenses and can confidently make sentences, question forms and clauses in all of them. However, intermediate students are only in the beginning phase of improving their use of phrasal verbs and modal verbs. On the other hand, intermediate level is equivalent to IELTS score 4.5 5.5, TOEFL IBT score 55, TOEIC score 450 650, Cambridge PET. Out of 20 participants, there were only 3 students who were private high school graduates. In Turkey, private high schools English curriculum is more intense when compared to state schools English curriculum. Both males and females were involved in the study. They ranged in age from 18 to 20. Instrument The questionnaire administered in the study was developed for the purpose of assessing international students in Marquette University, U.S.A. Marquette University is a private university in Milwaukee, U.S.A. The development of the questionnaire was one of the four assessment areas that Marquette university aimed to assess the four advanced ESL academic bridge courses, one of which focused on international students efficacy in their writing performance. The original questionnaire is a 36-item self-assessment scale to grade the strength of participants belief, or self-efficacy, in their writing performance. However, the questionnaire used to investigate the relationship between students self-report on their writing efficacy and their writing performance is a 20-item questionnaire. The reason why the original questionnaire was not used in the current study was the fact that some of the items did not serve the purpose of the study. The adopted writing efficacy questionnaire features 20 i tems with positive polarity (I canà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦).The instrument of 20 item questionnaire was used to assess students self- efficacy beliefs related to the skills needed in different essay organizations and other factors that determine students writing performance as successful or unsuccessful. Some of the investigated factors through the questionnaire are brainstorming, outlining, as well as their self- efficacy in terms of grammar, vocabulary, and spelling. Level of efficacy in writing ability was measured on a five point- likert scale included the responses (usually not true of me, somewhat true of me, usually true of me, always or almost always true of me). The questionnaire will be used as the independent variable when the relationship between self-efficacy and writing scores is investigated. Procedure Questionnaire is distributed to participants at the beginning of the semester as a self-completing questioonnaire. Since they were not received any writing instructions before the semester, it is assumed that this questionnaire served to measure their self-efficacy without any intervention of teacher. During the semester, they learned basics of essay writing such as paragraph organization, thesis statement and some grammar backup. Quiz scores which will be used as the dependent variable in my essay are based on the Second Quiz, took after XXXXXXX which constitutes 20% percent of the midterm grade. Findings Self-Efficacy of Participants Table 1. Mean Standard Deviation Coefficient of Variation item3 topic sentence 3,75 0,64 0,17 item11 clear thesis statement 3,75 0,79 0,21 item20 using my independent thinking 3,70 0,66 0,18 item14 effectively brainstorm 3,65 0,81 0,22 item9 support /develop main point 3,60 0,60 0,17 item1 summary 3,50 0,61 0,17 item8 spell, capital, punctuation 3,45 0,83 0,24 item13 a good conclusion 3,45 0,76 0,22 item17 wording, gram., pun,spelling 3,40 0,88 0,26 item15 outline to logically organize 3,40 0,75 0,22 item10 a good introduction 3,40 0,82 0,24 item7 various sent.structures 3,35 0,59 0,18 item6 vocab/ word forms 3,25 0,55 0,17 item4 paragraph organization 3,15 0,67 0,21 item18 effectively write under time constraints 3,13 0,56 0,18 item16 revise to improve dev. org. 3,05 0,69 0,23 item19 write quickly in English 2,95 1,03 0,35 item2 paragraph 2,95 0,51 0,17 item12 different types of organization 2,85 0,93 0,33 item5 academic style tone 2,58 0,67 0,26 Above table shows descriptive statistics of items used in the questionnaire. Since the questionnaire is composed of Likert scale questions, 1 stands for the lowest score and 5 is the highest possible score. According to this table, participants self-efficacy is relatively high in items like topic sentence, clear thesis statement, using my independent thinking, effectively brainstorm and support/develop main point where average scores are above 3,50 over 5. Their weakest points are stated as academic styletone, different types of organization, paragraph and write quickly in English, where averages are below 3 over 5. Generally speaking, participants seem to be confident in idea development and they feel themselves relatively weaker in the structural aspects such as academic style and tone. Coefficient of variations, calculated by dividing standard deviation to mean for each items show how responses are dispersed in each item. Highest dispersion is observed on item19, write quickly in English and on item12, which measures self-perception about the ability to use different types of organization, both coefficient of variations are above 0,34. Lowest scores are observed on these items topic sentence, support/develop main point, summary, vocab/word forms and paragraph, all of them are 0,17. Descriptive statistics give some hints about overall level of self-efficacy of participants, and it is almost sure that this is not something uni-dimensional. However a multivariate analysis is beyond the limits of this essay and number of cases is very small to conduct further analyses. Consequently remaining parts of this essay will be based on the assumption that self-efficacy is uni-dimensional, something possible to measure in a single dimension. Efficacy scores of respondents are calculated on their raw scores obtained by using above described self-efficacy questionnaire. Total efficacy score is calculated by using a simple summation of responses. Theoretical maximum score is 100 showing the highest self-efficacy score, and minimum theoretical score is 20, indicating that respondent stated him/herself on the lowest end in each question. Table . Descriptives of Self Efficacy Scores Average Std. Dev. Min. Max. Efficacy 66,15 7,34 53 86 Descriptive statistics are presented above. Mean self-efficacy score is 66,15 with a standard deviation of 7,34. Coefficient of variation (V) is 0,11, indicating a low level of variation. Minimum score is 53, which is above theoretical minimum and observed maximum 86 is below theoretical maximum. These findings show that scores are located between 60 and 90. In order to facilitate interpretation of analyses, all raw scores are transformed to standardized (Z) scores. Newly created self-efficacy scores have a mean of 0 and standard deviation of 1. Distribution of this new scores are presented in the below histogram. Although number of participants is limited (we have only 20 cases), this distribution is very close to be normally distributed. Figure . Histogram of Standardized Self Efficacy Scores Measurement of Academic Performance: Quiz Scores It is so far argued that quiz scores are used to measure academic performance of participants. Quiz scores are graded over 100. Table . Descriptives of Quiz Scores Average Std. Dev. Min. Max. Cause and Effect Quiz Scores 60,05 7,78 52 83 Above table shows that average quiz score is 60, and standard deviation is 7,78. If we consider that range between minimum and maximum scores is only 31, it is possible to conclude that quiz scores are relatively less dispersed. Correlation Analysis Our expectation is that academic performance of students is correlated with their self efficacy. As one students is more confident about his/her efficacy, it is expected that he/she performs better in courses; and as he/she performas better academically; his/her self efficacy increases. Since direction of causality is not clear; correlation analysis is the best tool to present the nature of the relationship between self-efficacy and academic performance. In our cases, self-efficacy of participants are measured by using a self completed questionnaire and their self efficacy scores are calculated based on their answers; meanwhile their quiz scores are accepted as indicators of their academic performance. Table . Correlation Analysis Compare and Contrast Quiz Self Efficacy 0,60 Above table shows that correlation coefficient between self efficacy and compare and contrast quiz scores is 0.60. Correlation coefficient is a score located between -1 and 1, where -1 stands for perfect negative correlation and 1 stands for perfect positive correlation. As this coefficient comes closer to 0, it shows that power of relationship is relatively week, if it is 0, it means that there is no relationship between examined variables. A correlation coefficient of 0.60 means that there is a positive correlation between self efficacy of participants and their academic performance, a finding not falsifying our expectations. If we emphasize on the strength of this relationship, 0.60 shows a more than moderate relationship between our two variables. This finding shows that there is a positive relationship between self-efficacy of participants and their academic performance. As ones self efficacy increases, his/her academic performance also increases; and since correlation coefficient is a symmetrical measure; this finding also shows that as ones academic performance increases; his/her self-efficacy also increases. Although the measurement of self-efficacy precedes the measurement of academic performance; it is not sufficient to talk about a causal relationship between self-efficacy and academic performance; because self-efficacy of participants most probably affected by their previous academic performance, such as their performance in the high school or other exams they attended. Consequently accepting self-efficacy scores as an indicator of academic performance is a less risky choice compared to using them to forecast future academic success. In order to make such a forecasting, we need much more detailed measurement of academic performance and self-efficacy and higher number of respondents. Anova Test A further analysis is conducted to see whether there is a significant difference between students, based on their self-efficacy scores. Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) is preferred because it allows us to test statistical significance of an intervening factor on a dependent variable. We expect that students having high level of self-efficacy are more successful in academic terms. Above discussed measurement of self-efficacy is accepted as the independent variable and Quiz Scores are dependent. Since self-efficacy is an interval level variable, recoding these scores to a nominal level variable is needed. It is preferred to use standardized self-efficacy scores to facilitate interpretation. Standardized self-efficacy scores are recoded as follows: Those having a score less than 0 are recoded as low efficacy and those having a score less than or equal to 0 are accepted as high efficacy. 12 students are categorized as low-efficacy students and 8 are grouped as high efficacy students. Table . Descriptives of Quiz Scores according to the Level of Self Efficacy Average Std. Dev. Std. Error N Low Self Efficacy 57.33 3.45 0.995 12 High Self Efficacy 64.13 10.7 3.772 8 Total 60.05 7.78 1.739 20 Descriptive statistics of both groups are presented above. It is known that overall average of quiz scores is 60.05 with a standard deviation of 7.78. Students with low self-efficacy scores have an average of 57.33 and standard deviation of this group is 3.45. Meanwhile, students having high self-efficacy scores are also more successful in quizzes, their average is 64.13. At this point, we need to consider that standard deviation of these students is very high, 10.7; compared to other students. Table . ANOVA Results Sum of Squares Df. Mean Square F. Sig. Low Self Efficacy 221.41 1 221.41 4.30 0.05 High Self Efficacy 927.54 18 51.53 Total 1148.95 19 Above presented results of ANOVA shows that difference between average quiz scores of low self-efficacy and high self-efficacy students is statistically significant. F score is 4.3 and this score is statistically significant at 0.05 level. Thus, we can falsify our hypothesis that group means are equal, meaning that students with high self-efficacy scores have higher scores in the Quiz, than students with low self-efficacy scores. Similar to correlation analysis, ANOVA analysis does not allow us to make generalizations about the causal relationship between self-efficacy of students and their academic performance. However, it is clear that there is a statistically significant difference between these two groups of students. I believe that causal relationship has to elaborated by using more sophisticated data analysis tools and using these instruments with higher number of participants. DISCUSSION This essay targeted to discover whether there is a relationship between students perceptions about their efficacy in the English language and their academic performance. Literature review led us to think that there is a positive relationship between self-efficacy scores of students and their academic performance. There are a lot of reasons of this relationship discussed in details in literature review section of the essay. Our hypothetical expectation is that as self-efficacy scores of students increase, their academic performance in writing also increases. Since this relationship is recursive, meaning that self- efficacy leads to better performance in exams and better performance may also lead to higher self-efficacy, causal relationship wont be tested in this essay. In order to measure self-efficacy of students, an adopted version of the questionnaire developed by the Marquette University has been used with 20 students at the beginning of semester. Original questionnaire was shortened to limit it with writing related items. By using these questionnaires, an index of self-efficacy is calculated and standardized. Meanwhile academic performance of students are measured with their grades in a Quiz held on XXXth week of the semester. Correlation analysis showed that there is a positive correlation between self-efficacy of students and their academic performance. With a coefficient of 0.60, this relationship seems to be moderately powerful. As a result of restrictions of correlation analysis, it is not possible to understand direction of causality between these two variables. My second analysis also showed that difference between mean quiz scores of students with high and low level of self-efficacy is statistically significant. Standardized self-efficacy scores are transformed to a binary variable. ANOVA showed that these two groups have different mean quiz scores and this difference is statistically significant. While correlation analysis showed that there is a positive relationship between self-efficacy scores and academic performance; ANOVA results presented that students having high and low level self-efficacy scores have different quiz scores. Both findings indicate that self-efficacy scores matter. It is so far argued that these findings cannot give any idea about direction of causality, since relationship between self-efficacy and academic performance is recursive. However, my analyses presented the existence of a relationship and it deserves further discussion. It is possible to repeat this exercise with a larger sample and to prevent a possible falsification of hypotheses as a result of small sample size. Questionnaire revised to measure self-efficacy may be refined and developed to make a better measurement of this concept. Fu

Casino operations :: essays research papers

Pricing The Lakeside Casino Resort deals a lot with selling items as well as experiences. Every aspect of running the casino as well as all the other operations that keep the casino running has to be priced right and reasonable, from playing the casino games to ordering the food for the Wheelhouse Buffet. Casino Floor:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Every game on the casino floor has to be purchased from a dealer. A blackjack table alone costs between $1,500 to $4,000 dollars, and on the floor there are 8 tables. Other games such as Three Card Poker and Let it Ride cost around $2,000 and the big tables such as roulette and craps cost $5,000 with the casino having 2 of each. All in total, the casino floor tables cost the casino $24,000. An investment that we think would help in our pricing for the casino floor would be reversible table covers, where a game can be changed to fit the popularity of the gamblers. This would cut the costs of the casino tables by a significant margin. Another big item on the casino floor is the slot machines. These are a huge revenue maker; each slot machine will bring in hundreds of dollars. A slot machine cost ranges from $1,000 to $3,000 and the casino floor has hundreds or slot machines spread around the casino in strategic locations. The slots machines vary in price from$10, $5 , $2, $1, 25 cents 5 cents to 1 cent. Bar:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Located in the casino is a bar. This bar can generate good revenue for the whole operation if the pricing is right. Drinks range from beer and wine to whiskey and vodka. Drink prices vary from $1.50 to $5 depending on the amount of alcohol content. How to Make the Money:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The pricing of the casino has to be elevated in different levels for the costumers. Each gaming table has different prices to play and to have payback. The object is to get more people on the high price tables to if they lose you get more money. The demand for the high price tables is less then the lower priced gaming options, but more money is generated from the higher gaming options because more money is played with.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Pricing for other operations are obtained accordingly to the demand for each product or service. The Wheelhouse Buffet is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Each meal is set at a different price

Dennis Banks Essay -- essays research papers

Describe the overall purpose of their organizational effort   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dennis Banks , an American Indian of the Ojibwa Tribe, was born in 1937 on the Leach Lake reservation in Minnesota and was raised by his grandparents. Dennis Banks grew up learning the traditional ways of the Ojibwa lifestyle. As a young child he was taken away from practicing his traditional ways and was put into a government boarding school that was designed for Indian children to learn the white culture. After years of attending the boarding school, Banks enlisted in the U.S. Air Force, shipping out to Japan when he was only seventeen years old.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  When Banks returned to Minnesota he was living in poverty and was later arrested for stealing groceries to help feed his growing family. His accomplice, who was white, was freed and given probation, but Banks was sent to prison. While in prison, Banks was determined to educate himself. He heard about the civil rights struggle that African Americans were dealing with at the time. He realized that the same thing was happening with American Indians and they must fight for their rights too. He wanted Americans to realize that native people are still here, that they have the same rights as every other U.S. citizen and have morals of their own.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dennis Banks dealt with racism most of his life and was robbed of his culture. He did not want Native people to live in poverty anymore or not have a voice in the government. He was tired of putting up with the battery, unfairness, and racism against Indians. He felt it was time for him to step up and take control of the situation. Dennis Banks 3 Accomplishment in assisting disadvantaged groups and how they were achieved   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  In 1968 Banks co-founded the American Indian Movement (AIM). AIM is to help and protect the traditional ways of Indian people and also to engage in legal cases that protected treaty rights of Indian people, such as hunting and fishing, trapping, wild riceing. Through AIM, Dennis Banks wanted to confront racism with activism that deeply affected the Native religion and culture. Banks had inspired many Indians from many different tribes to join and fight for American Indian rights. In 1972 AIM organized a march called â€Å"Trail of Broken Treaties† across the U.S. to Washington... ...ian rights. He is a true activist and refuses to let anyone degrade or abuse Indians. He has stud up to government policies and laws and still will not be destroyed to fight for what he believes in.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Dennis Banks 7 List any publications written by this individual Books by Dennis Banks Include: Banks, D., Erodes, R. (2004). Dennis Banks and the Rise of the American Indian Movement. Ojibwa Warrior. Reference Wilcox, B. (1996). Dennis Banks runs for justice on behalf or American Indian Rights. Metro, 14-20.Retrieved January 20, 2005, from http://siouxme.com/lodge/banks.html Banks, D. (2001). Biography of Dennis Banks .Retrieved January 20, 2005, from http://members.aol.com/Nowacumig/main.html Banks, D., Erodes, R. (2004). Dennis Banks and the Rise of the American Indian Movement. Ojibwa Warrior. Retrieved January 20, 2005, from http://www.oupress.com/bookdetail.asp?isbn=0-8061-3580-8 Corbett, B. (1999). Last call in Pine Ridge For the Lakota’s in White Clay, Nebraska, death is on the house. Retrieved February 6, 2005, from http://ishgooda.org/oglala/whitcla1.htm   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  

Distance Learning Essay -- Essays Papers

Distance Learning In recent years, there has been a trend in the way that many major institutions of higher learning have been teaching their students. This change of pace in the education world is what is known as distance learning. Distance learning is the form of schooling that can be done over the Internet, and never actually being forced to be present in a classroom or even on the campus. According to Joel Snell, correspondence courses were the predecessors to what we now know as distance learning (258). Many people say that distance education is the future of our nations’ education, however there are many arguments against the wide spread establishment of distance learning programs. Although distance learning may seem like a bright future for education, nevertheless, it will never be as successful as campus learning, because every student must be self-driven and also highly motivated, the lack of access to libraries and other sources of information, and also face-to-face inter action is necessary for a good education. Many people think that distance learning is a perfect fit for men and women working on their master’s while still maintaining a job. When a person enters the real world and gets a job, they will not always have a lot of time on their hands that would allow them to go to classes. The ability to take their classes at anytime possible is one of the most appealing factors for distance learners (Flanagan). Another reason as to why distance learning is a perfect match for men and women taking classes while working is the motivation factor. Both Snell and Mariani agree that in order for a person to succeed in distance education, they must be highly motivated, which does not describe the ... ...he newest equipment today will just give you out-dated equipment a few months after the initial implementation (Porter 41-42). Based entirely upon the facts that are presented in so many academic sources, distance education programs are hard to implement as well as to maintain, so that it why that many fail, and they are not widely accepted in today’s day. Works Cited Flanagan, Robert. Personal Interview. 27 Oct. 2001. Mariani, Matthew. â€Å"Distance Learning in Post-Secondary Education: Learning Whenever, Wherever.† Occupational Outlook. 45. 2 (2001): 2-10. Minoli, Daniel. Distance Learning Technology and Applications. Boston: Artech House, 1996. Porter, Lynette. Creating the Virtual Classroom: Distance Learning with the Internet. New York: Wiley, 1997. Snell, Joel. â€Å"Distance Learning: Observations.† College Student Journal. 35. 2 (2001): 258- 259.

Ben and Jerry’s Case Study

The world outside the US, Europe and ANZ relates US business today with Microsoft, Citibank and Google. Not much is known about Ben and Jerry, nor is the company taken up for discussion in management schools in the emerging nations of the world. This is a pity as the history of this company is the stuff of corporate legend and provides a very different perspective of the image of US companiesBen Cohen and Jerry Greenfield, school companions at Calhoun High School in Merrick, Long Island teamed up in 1978 to open an ice cream shop in Burlington, Vermont. Both were twenty-seven years old and unlikely entrepreneurs. They had never been to business school and had tinkered around with academics and disparate work opportunities before deciding to make ice cream. Ben had attended three different colleges before dropping out and had supported himself with low-end jobs while he freewheeled through life.He learned craft and worked as a craft teacher for three years teaching pottery, stained gl ass, and film making to disturbed adolescents before he started his small ice cream shop in a converted gas station. Jerry graduated from high school with a merit scholarship but could not get admission to medical school despite trying more than once. In 1977, he along with Ben took a correspondence course in ice cream making from Penn State before opening their parlor.Both Ben and Jerry, products of the counter culture of the sixties were never interested in creating large businesses and looked upon the venture more as a means of livelihood, which would enable them to live lives of dignity and allow them to work on social causes.They carried with them beliefs and ideologies that were in many ways opposed to the thinking of profit oriented business corporations. This ideology with its’ stress on human values guided the strategy and mission of Ben and Jerry’s. Among other things, it also led to the formulation of the 5:1 remuneration practice, wherein the company decree d that the highest individual employee payout would not be more than 5 times the entry-level salary at base level.The very thought of such an idea in a business environment where similar ratios moved in the region of 90:1 was revolutionary. It was indicative of Ben’s desire to place social commitment above business expediency and was to be a forerunner of the strategy the company would follow in all areas.The ice cream company did well. The business grew to become a manufacturer of distinctive ice cream products with a geographic reach far beyond Vermont. In barely ten years, it became one of the largest ice cream producers in the US; respected for its unusual business practices and social commitment. The company adopted a number of practices, which were distanced from those of a profit and cost conscious business organization. Most decisions were judgmental and stemmed from ideology and conviction.The ice cream had large chunks or tidbits of flavoring which broke up the smoo thness but provided a chewy and delightful sensation. The products were natural and had no artificial ingredients though some of the chunks did. It was made only in Vermont with local milk. Marketing efforts eschewed traditional methods and market research and media spend did not figure in the scheme of things. Promotions were through sponsoring of educational events, summer music festivals and the like.The company, in its’ initial days was targeted by market leaders Haagen Dazs. It took the leader on both in the courts and on the streets with their â€Å"What is the Doughboy afraid of?† campaign and sales soared after Haagen Dazs came up with an out of court settlement. The continuous social commitment of Ben and Jerry’s, its unstructured and informal working atmosphere and its’ quality and consumer focus remained unaltered as the company grew in size and reputation.In 1988, barely ten years after formation, ben and Jerry were named small business person s of the year. Ben Cohen went to the White House in a borrowed suit to pick up the trophy. By then the company had identified twelve core markets covering   two thirds of US superpremium sales and had achieved distribution in each supermarket chain inthese areas.The social commitment of the company was evinced in a number of areas and was exemplified by its 5:1 employee remuneration policy. It was this commitment which finally led to a rift between Ben Cohen, the major shareholder and the President, Chico Lager. This is the primary focus of this case study.