Anatomy of a Research Paper -- essays research papers

Wodge: A Definition "I don't want a great wodge of prose, but about double what we have at present." (Ezra Pound, 1913) The word wodge, whose meaning can be surmised from its heavy, lumpish sound, is not particularly common in American usage. It is, however, a wonderful word that ought to be given more recognition. It offers a more vivid description than its synonyms, for example, blob, cluster, or clump. A highly descriptive word, wodge is developed from a combination of the words wad and wedge, the sound of which evokes images of weight and sedentariness. The word wodge has sprung from a combination of two other words, wad and wedge, but is vastly more entertaining than either. A wedge is generally two principal faces of hard material meeting at an acute angle to be used for raising, holding, or splitting an object; or also to squish or cram oneself or another object into an ill-fitting space in the manner of a wedge. A wad, on the other hand, is a small lump, mass, ball, roll, or bundle of some matter, usually soft or fibrous, i.e., cotton, wool, straw, cloth, paper, or money. Wodge embodies both of these concepts. Resting somewhere between wedge, which has a more mathematical, precise, and triangular meaning, and wad, which is crumpled, disorderly, and usually made of paper, wodge seems to be lumpy, u...

Group Dynamics and Leadership Essay

Abstract: Why are some teams successful and others unsuccessful? What criteria or attributes are needed for success? Contemporary teaching and learning practice over the past few years in higher education institutions has seen a proliferation of open-ended constructivist learning designs that incorporate collaboration. This has promoted the need for identifying essential attributes needed for successful teamwork. This study reviews the literature with a view of identifying a framework that educators can use to help promote effective teamwork in their classes. A case study is used to investigate two teams of final year multimedia students completing a project-based unit, in which teamwork was an essential ingredient and immersed in an authentic context. Attributes gleaned from the literature for successful teamwork was used to compare the two diverse teams. Keywords: Teamwork, higher education, authentic environment Introduction With the shift from a predominately instructivist to constructivist pedagogy the need for tertiary educators to use a variety of teaching strategies and methods is becoming increasingly important. Learning designs need to incorporate student-centred team based learning pedagogy such as project-based, case-based, inquiry-based and problem-based scenarios (Oliver, 2001). Students need to be immersed in learning environments that promote real learning in real contexts. Teams and teamwork help to promote deep learning that occurs through interaction, problem solving, dialogue, cooperation and collaboration (Johnson & Johnson, 1995). These learning designs promote the construction of knowledge as they are embedded in a social experience with a team environment (Vygotsky, 1978). Effective teamwork can affect the successful delivery and implementation of these learning designs. Tertiary educators cannot assume students will the knowledge, understanding and skills needed to create and contribute to a synergistic team environment. Through a review of the literature, this paper identifies a range of attributes considered necessary for successful teamwork. These are then used to compare two contrasting teams with a view of confirming their validity through a case study. Research has provided a number of attributes required for successful teamwork. Many of these attributes have been consistently identified in the literature. Table 1 provides a summary of literature on the successful attributes needed for effective teamwork as follows: †¢ Commitment to team success and shared goals – team members are committed to the success of the team and their shared goals for the project. Successful teams are motivated, engaged and aim to achieve at the highest level; †¢ Interdependence – team members need to create an environment where together they can contribute far more than as individuals. A positive interdependent team environment brings out the best in each person enabling the team to achieve their goals at a far superior level (Johnson & Johnson, 1995, 1999). Individuals promote and encourage their fellow team members to achieve, contribute, and learn; †¢ Interpersonal Skills includes the ability to discuss issues openly with team members, be honest, trustworthy, supportive and show respect and commitment to the team and to its individuals. Fostering a caring work environment is important including the ability to work effectively with other team members; †¢ Open Communication and positive feedback – actively listening to the concerns and needs of team members and valuing their contribution and expressing this helps to create an effective work environment. Team members should be willing to give and receive constructive criticism and provide authentic feedback; †¢ Appropriate team composition is essential in the creation of a successful team. Team members need to be fully aware of their specific team role and understand what is expected of them in terms of their contribution to the team and the project; and †¢ Commitment to team processes, leadership & accountability – team members need to be accountable for their contribution to the team and the project. They need to be aware of team processes, best practice and new ideas. Effective leadership is essential for team success including shared decision-making and problem solving. Case Study Final year students enrolled in the Interactive Multimedia course at Edith Cowan University are required to develop skills and expertise in managing the design and development of client web sites. The unit IMM 3228/4228 – â€Å"Project Management Methodologies†, uses teams of  four or five students to utilise their specialist skills to meet a â€Å"real need† for an industry client. Team roles include programmers, graphic designers and project managers. There were 82 students (20 teams) completing this unit. The aim was to have students experience project management issues that occur when dealing with â€Å"real† clients in â€Å"real† projects and was heavily focused on teamwork and problem solving. The environment was based on the learning principles of authenticity, self-regulation and reflection (Luca & Oliver, 2001). Features included student contracts, journals (for self/peer assessment & reflection), â€Å"Conference Centre† for problem solving, bulletin boards, time management tools, syllabus and assessment materials, lecture notes, legal/QA templates, relevant URL’s, web sites and assignments developed by previous students and a student details database. Within this setting, two teams were selected for investigation. One team was highly successful in developing a quality product, and collaborated in a highly successful manner. Another team, experienced severe team problems, which caused it to become dysfunctional and had to be split. Data was collected on both of these teams from focus groups sessions, interviews and questionnaires that were recorded and transcribed for analysis. A summary of the results is discussed below with reference to key attributes needed for successful teamwork as outlined in   participants understand their purpose and share their goals – the co mbination achieves mission (Francis & Young, 1979) members must share a strong common goal (Kets De Vries, 1999) groups provide each member of the team with prestige and recognition (Scarnati, 2001) successful teams are motivated to succeed (Bradley & Frederic, 1997) there is strong team commitment to succeed (Critchley & Casey, 1986) members have strong shared values and beliefs (Kets De Vries, 1999) engaged in and satisfied with their work (Wageman, 1997) creation of a team atmosphere that is informal, relaxed, comfortable and non-judgemental (Harris & Harris, 1996) †¢ promote group cohesion (Bradley & Frederic, 1997) †¢ people enjoy regular interaction with individuals who have similar interests and goals (Scarnati, 2001). Interdependence †¢ one cannot succeed unless the other members of the group succeed (Smith, 1996) †¢ together the group can deliver more than the individuals who compromise it could do in isolation (Francis & Young, 1979) †¢ team members must work together effectively to produce successful systems (Bradley & Frederic, 1997) †¢ team members interact to help each other accomplish the task and promote one another’s success (Smith, 1996) †¢ team members build on the capabilities of their fellows – the combinations energised through synergy (Francis & Young, 1979) †¢ team members must take an interest in both the group and each individuals achievement (Harris & Harris, 1996) †¢ team members must never be fully self-directed or completely independent (Johnson, Heimann, & O’Neill, 2000) †¢ teams are often empowered to accomplish tasks not available to individuals (Scarnati, 2001) †¢ Individuals experience a wide range of new ideas and skills when interacting with team members (Scarnati, 2001) †¢ team members learn together so that they can subsequently perform better as individuals (Smith, 1996) Successful Team This team of students was highly successful in developing a quality product, as well as being highly collaborative. Their journal entries continually reflected positive comments about other team members, and at no stage during the semester was there a request or requirement to transfer marks from one team member to another. Team meetings were always friendly, and at no stage were team issues discussed as being problematic. The team always focused on the project and how the process of development could be improved by exploring expectations of the tutor, client and end users. An analysis of the data collected from this team indicated that they showed the attributes needed for successful teamwork. In almost all of their responses in interviews, focus group meetings and questionnaires it was evident that this team was committed to: Commitment to team success and shared goals – the team was highly focused on delivering a quality product, and not pre-occupied by personal issues that might have interrupted this objective. They facilitated and nurtured positive, cooperative-working relationships based upon the focus of developing a quality final product that would impress their client tutor, peers and end users. The whole team was strongly motivated to out-perform other teams and shared a strong common goal of wanting to develop a product that would support their chances of gaining employment at the end of the course. This was evident in almost all of their responses; Interdependence – the team members felt that they had a responsibility towards the other members of the team and that the success of the project was based upon each team member’s contribution. Team members were always happy to help peers when they were experiencing difficulties. The team would proactively brainstorm problems individuals team members were having and offer assistance if needed; Interpersonal skills – the team recognised that team members had different personalities and experienced problems at different stages. They showed consideration for each other, respected and supported others in difficult times. Open communication and positive feedback – the team recognised that it was a â€Å"healthy thing† to discuss problems or difficult issues and try to offer constructive help/criticism in trying to resolve these. They strongly valued open dialogue that enabled team members to express their concerns in a non-defensive manner. They were open and truthful about all aspects of the project; Appropriate team composition – this team was proactive in selecting their team members well in advance for this unit. They had carefully considered the skills needed for each team member, and also the type of personality for each team member. These were carefully discussed and considered by two team members four months before the unit commenced; Commitment to team processes, leadership & accountability – team members were all aware of the importance of everyone’s role within the team and the process used by the team to plan and track the timing and quality of required tasks. The project manager was well respected by the team, and always consulted the team before making any major decisions. Also, the team had a number of quality assurance procedures which helped monitor activities as well as individual team members’ accountabilities; Unsuccessful Team Another team of students experienced severe team problems, which caused it to become dysfunctional and had to be split. At the first peer assessment session, marks were transferred between team members, as it was perceived that some team members weren’t contributing. Even though agreement was made at this meeting that marks should be transferred, and suggestions were made about how to improve the situation, resentment amongst team members escalated. This was clearly evident from the comments being made through the confidential on-line journal entries each week. The tutor had several meetings with the project manager and individuals to help try to resolve issues, but to no avail. At one of the team meetings a serious disagreement occurred, in which one of the team members verbally berated another, from which point there was no reconciliation. After this altercation, team members felt they could no longer work together, so even though they would experience a heavier workload, they unanimously agreed to split and form two separate teams. An analysis of the responses given by the successful team indicated that this team had a strong awareness of the attributes needed for successful teamwork. Comparing responses from this team against the key attributes needed for successful teams shown in Table 1, it was evident that this team was not congruent with these criteria: Commitment to team success and shared goals – one team member was highly motivated to achieve a high quality product, though two others were content with merely just gaining a pass i.e. they were happy to put in minimal effort. This mismatch of expectations caused many problems and frustration for team members early in the semester; Interdependence – two team members were highly competitive in this team that negated the development of a synergistic team environment. They were highly focused on our own tasks, and were not interested in helping others who may have been having problems. If others weren’t performing, then the attitude was that peer assessment should be applied, rather than trying to support and help the individual. This caused a lack of team cohesion and cooperation, a feeling of disempowerment, and resulting in the eventual split of the team; Interpersonal skills – the team showed little consideration for each other and gave almost no support for others in difficult times. Team members seemed unaware and very surprised that they had upset other team members by their comments. They seemed to have not detected they were hurting others feelings by their comments and the approaches taken to solve team problems; Open communication and positive feedback – comments made by team members indicated that peers were inconsiderate of their situation and problems, and were not inclined to discuss problems, as they would only attract criticism and negative feedback. This resulted in team members not communicating freely or discussing their problems that had potentially damaging effect on the team; Appropriate team composition– this team was formed haphazardly. Three of the original team members had a quick discussion in the class and decided to make a team, and another team member arrived a week later, so the team agreed to accept them in their team, as they needed to make a team of four. Expectations and skill were not carefully considered; Commitment to team processes, leadership & accountability – the project manager happened to be the youngest in the team, and didn’t command the respect needed. Team members often complained about team meetings being a waste of time, and also of team members being late or contributing effectively. One team member felt that he was not included in decision-making and did not receive all communication regarding the progress and development of the project from the project manager. The overall management of this team was perceived to be ineffective by most of the team members; Summary and Conclusions This study compared how well two teams performed by comparing attributes identified for successful teamwork, as shown in Table 1. From the results it is evident that these attributes played an important role in determining the success of these teams. The results show a compelling relationship between how the teams embraced these six attributes, and how successful the team was in collaborating and developing a quality product. The results from this study indicate that these key attributes need to be carefully considered by both tutors and students when teamwork activities are proposed. Further research needs to be considered on how best to implement these strategies in a methodological fashion to ensure tutors and students acknowledge and understand the importance of how to implement each attribute i.e. a template outlining implications for best practice when designing and implementing constructivist learning designs which incorporate teamwork activities. References Bradley, J. H., & Frederic, J. H. (1997). The effect of personality type on team performance. Journal of Management Development, 16(5), p. 337-353. Critchley, B., & Case, D. (1986). Teambuilding – At what price and at whose cost? In A.Mumford (Ed.) Handbook of Management Development. Gower Publishing Company Limited, University Press Cambridge Fisher, S. G., Hunter, T. A., & Macrosson, W. D. K. (1997). Team or group? Managers’ perceptions of the differences. Journal of Managerial Psychology, 12(4), 232-242. Flynn, G. (1997). How do you know if your work teams work? Workforce, 76 (5), May p. 7 Francis, D., & Young, D. (1979). Improving Work Groups. San Diego, California: University Associates. Harris, P. R., & Harris, K. G. (1996). Managing effectively through teams. Team Performance Management: An International Journal, 2(3), 23-36. Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (1995). Social Interdependence – Cooperative Learning in Education. In B. Bunker & J. Z. Rubin (Eds.), Conflict, Cooperation, and Justice (pp. 205-251). San Francisco: JosseyBass Publishers. Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (1999). Learning Together and Alone: Cooperative, competitive, and individualistic learning ( 5th ed.). Needham Heights: Massachusetts: Allyn and Bacon. Johnson, P. R., Heimann, V. L., & O’Neill, K. (2000). The wolf pack: team dynamics for the 21st century. Journal of Workplace Learning: Employee Counselling Today, 12(4), 159-164. Kets De Vries, M.F.R. (1999) High-performance teams: Lessons from the Pygmies. Organisational Dynamics, Winter, p. 66-77. Luca, J., & Tarricone, P. (2001). Does emotional intelligence affect successful teamwork? Proceedings of the th 18 Annual Conference of the Australasian Society for Computers in Learning in Tertiary Education at the ASCILITE, p. 367 – 376, Melbourne: University of Melbourne. Luca, J., & Oliver, R. (2001). Developing Generic Skills through On-line Courses. Paper presented at the EdMedia 2001, Tampere, Finland. Oliver, R. (2001). Developing e-learning environments that support knowledge construction in higher education. Presented at the 2nd International We-B Conference, p. 407 – 416. Perth, Western Australia. Parker, G. M. (1990). Team Players and Teamwork. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Scarnati, J. T. (2001). On becoming a team player. Team Performance Management: An International Journal, 7(1/2), 5-10. Smith, K. (1996). Cooperative Learning: make groupwork work. New Directions for Teaching and Learning, 67, Fall, pp. 71-82. Vygotsky, L. S. (1978). Mind in Society. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. Wageman, R. (1997). Critical success factors for creating superb self-managing teams. Organsiational Dynamics, 26 (1), Summer, 49-62.

New Century Financial Corporation Essay

Summary: the mortgage mess happened in 2008 when there was a decreased homing price. However, their mortgage payment by homeowners were soon greater than the price of house. As a result, they forced the repurchase policy of many mortgage agreements, and let the subprime lenders to take over their houses. Subprime lender like New Century became the bankrupt because of the high lost associate with the mortgage cancelation. To maintain earning, the management modify the estimate of its reserve. However, KPGM, the auditor of the New Century is question of their work. KPMG lost its independence due to its afraid of lost business. 1.The advantages include better understanding of the industry, lower cost because of the reduced amount of work on evaluate the industry, gain great profit when the industry is going up, and early recognition of the industry trend because of the shared information from different companies. The disadvantages include risk of loss profit when the industry go down, create a mind set of doing audit that can be bias, 2.They need to ensure the information gathered by the prior team is properly communicated and understand by the take over team. As a result, it results in the saving of the time and effort of the take over team to spend. It also gave the new team a different point of view as well as better understanding of the company. on the other hand, they also need to ensure the work quality of the taker over team will not be reduced. 3.Significant deficiency: A significant deficiency is â€Å"a control deficiency, or combination of control deficiencies, that adversely affects the entity’s ability to initiate, authorize, record, process, or report financial data reliably in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles such that there is more than a remote likelihood that a misstatement of the entity’s financial statements that is more than inconsequential will not be prevented or detected.† Material weakness: A material weakness is â€Å"a significant deficiency, or combination of significant deficiencies, that results in more than a remote likelihood that a material misstatement of the financial statements will not be prevented or detected.† SAS 112 requires the auditor to communicate control deficiencies that are significant deficiencies or material weaknesses in internal control. Significant deficiencies or material weaknesses must be communicated in writing to management and those in charge of governance–for example, to the audit committee of the board–no later than 60 days following the report release date. Unqualified Opinion can be issued when internal control over financial reporting is effective: no material weaknesses in internal control over financial reporting exist as of the fiscal year-end assessment date. 4.The procedures to audit important â€Å"accounting estimates† include :considering the relevance, reliability, and sufficiency of the data and factors used by management, evaluating the reasonableness and consistency of the assumptions, and re-performing the calculations made by management. 5.The GAAS require an auditor to exercise due professional care, to adequately plan its audit, to sufficiently understand a business’s internal structure, and to obtain sufficient evidence to reach reasonable conclusions. KPMG allegedly failed to adhere to the GAAS by having an inexperienced audit team,; failed to challenge New Century management for unreasonable estimates; failed to test the repurchase reserve despite evidence of internal control weaknesses and apparently inaccurate estimates of outstanding repurchase requests; and failed to raise deficiencies and inaccuracies in New Century’s accounting practices or internal controls. 6. Although the investors are complaining that they should be liable for the lost because they did not actively participate in the mortgage market. It is true that they did nothing wrong, but they need to identify this risk when they invest. Investor does not have enough information about the market trend that should be provided. As a result, they invest the money base on the outdated information. There is no way for them to identify the threat of their investment. 7.1) auditor need to maintain independence from their work, lose of independence can lead to a bias conclusion, which cannot be trusted upon. KPMG’s afraid to lost New Century as a client lead them to issue a report in favor of the management. 2) do not employ inexperience auditor, especially when the company is in its hard time. Inexperience auditor will cause mistake of their work. Company in hard time have a incentive to make fraudulent statement, and inexperience auditor are not able to detect them. 3) be aware when the company going down. The management may try to management the earning in order to meet estimates.

Research on Dribbling and Passing

Research on Dribbling and Passing Submitted By: Andro Joseph Dela Cruz Basketball dribbling skills Basketball dribbling skills are something that you have to work at to obtain, maintain and improve. Most everyone knows how to dribble a basketball, but not everyone can dribble like a pro. When you first begin to learn dribbling techniques you will learn that you don’t dribble with the palm of your hand, dribbling a basketball is done with the tips of your fingers. You will use your forearm and wrist to balance the ball as you learn to dribble with using the tips of your fingers.Your coach will usually put together a different basketball practice plan for the team each practice. This will assist each player individually and as a unit to improve both their individual and team skills. Don’t just stop with scheduled practices if you truly want to improve your skills and control on the court. On your own you can start by running dribbling drills. Remember to keep your weight on the balls of your feet and in the ready position. As you continue to learn and improve your foot and dribbling control on the court as an individual player, you will begin to show your improved skills as a team player.Your team members may also want to run drills with you after practice, or just play for fun. These are other ways for you to learn potential opposing team types of moves and learn different offensive techniques. A team works together toward the goal of winning, but they also work together offensively to help prepare each other for what the opposing team may be bringing to the court. Protect the Ball When dribbling against a defender, ALWAYS protect the ball with your body. You can do this by dribbling with your left hand when you are going left and your right hand when you are going right.This will force the defender to reach across your body to attempt a steal. Developing your â€Å"off† hand It is important to work right from the start at developing both ha nd equally well. When practicing your ball handling, make sure that you practice at least as much with your weak hand as you do your strong hand, eventually increasing to twice as much with your weak hand. Coaches like†¦ Coaches like a person who: 1) can dribble with both hands 2) doesn? t try to show off for no reason 3) isn? t afraid to make the extra pass to get a teammate more open than you are.And if coaches like you, then they tell other coaches. Word spreads very quickly and just by doing the little things you can have a name for yourself in no time. Keep Your Head Up When doing all drills involving dribbling, it is extremely important that you keep your head up. You must be able to see where you are going and where your teammates are so you can pass them the ball when they are open. Speed Dribble The speed dribble is used to advance the ball quickly up the floor, against little or no defensive pressure.The dribblers hand should be behind the ball pushing it in front, th en running to catch up. This prevents a â€Å"palming† or â€Å"carrying over† violation. The speed dribble in the open floor can be a little higher than other dribbles. Control dribble moves should be around the knee, but a speed dribble can be waist high. Power dribbling-Dirt dribbling This drill actually requires you to leave the basketball court and find a patch of dirt. Do a Power dribble on the dirt for 1 or 2 minutes. You will need to power dribble the ball even harder than usual in order to get the ball to bounce on the dirt.This drill is an extremely good arm workout with power dribbling. Dribbling to avoid pressure By dribbling the ball over half court on the sideline, you are giving the defense an advantage. They can set up their help side defense or trap you. Change directions and it helps relieve some pressure. As often as possible, bring the ball up the middle of the court and NEVER pick up your dribble in the corners. Passing 1)  Two-Handed Chest Pass Overview This is the most effective and efficient pass you can use. It can be used successfully from anywhere on the court.Use this pass whenever possible because it's the fastest way to advance the ball to teammates. Fundamentals Place each hand on either side of the ball and spread the fingers evenly. Fully extend your arms as you push the ball out from your chest and snap your wrists outward so that the back of your hands are now facing each other. You'll get a good rotation on the ball when you snap your wrists. This makes the ball easier to handle for the receiver. Be sure the pass is thrown crisply with the ball remaining parallel with the floor.You want the pass to arrive at your receiver above the waist and below the shoulders. 2)  Two-Handed Bounce Pass Overview This type of pass is good on the fast break, to a teammate in the post, under a defender, to a teammate making a back-door cut, on out-of-bounds plays, etc. A lot of times, players will make a shot or high-pass fa ke before making the bounce pass. The bounce pass is the slowest pass available. Fundamentals Use the same grip and motion with this basketball pass as you did with the chest pass. The ball should hit the floor about two-thirds of the way to the receiver.To be more accurate, step toward that spot. You want to hit your teammate between the knees and waist. A backspin is good to use to give the receiver a longer lead. Push the thumbs throught the ball to achieve the backspin. A forward spin can be used to get the ball through a narrow opening and to produce a quicker pass. You'll need to be more accurate when using a forward spin but if you can perfect it, it will add more to your game. 3)  Two-Handed Overhead Pass Overview This is an effective basketball passing option for every player on the court.Players often use it to start a fast break, forwards will use it to hit post players or guards cutting off the post, guards use it to hit the post, centers and players receiving high pas ses use it to make a quick return pass or pass off. This type of pass is easy to control and helps you keep the ball away from your defender. Fundamentals Position your hands on the sides of the ball with your fingers pointed up. Your thumbs should be on the back of the ball and pointing in toward one another. Bring the ball up above your head (be sure your hands go straight up, not up and back over your head).Release the ball with a quick snap of your wrists and fingers like on a chest pass. It's usually good to make a slight step forward with the foot of your strong arm side. 4)  Push Pass Overview This pass is used most often to advance the ball down the floor in order to set up the offense or to get the ball through or past a close-guarding defender (usually to a cutter). The bounce pass version is good for passes to a cutter on fast breaks or reverses, many out-of-bounds plays, to a post player or to pass under a defender. Fundamentals Hold ball chest high.Spread your fingers on each side with thumbs directly behind, but a bit toward the top of the ball and pointing toward one another. Keep elbows close in. The force of the ball is provided with a quick snap of your wrist, fingers and elbows. You should move forward with your body crouched a bit. Step forward with your passing-hand-side foot and push off with your non-passing-hand-side foot. You can use a direct or bounce pass. Direct pass should reach receiver between the waist and shoulders and bounce pass should hit the floor about two thirds of the way to receiver and arrive between the knees and waist. )  Off-the-Dribble Pass One of the quickest basketball passing options because there's really no set-up with it. As you're dribbling, instead of bouncing the ball back to the floor for another dribble, move your hand behind the ball and push it towards a teammate as a pass. It's hard for defenders to steal this one because they're expecting a dribble instead of the pass. 6)  Baseball Pass Effecti ve for long passes to a cutter or to inbound the ball quickly after allowing a score. Place the ball high above the side of your head with the passing hand behind the ball while the other hand is in front of and slightly under the ball.Be sure the fingers of each hand are pointed upward and your thumbs are pointing inward over your head. Plant your rear foot and step toward the receiver with your front foot. Try to keep both hands on the ball as long as possible and throw the ball with a quick wrist snap and arm thrust. As you follow through, snap your wrist straight down so the ball doesn't curve on you. 7)  Behind-the-Back Pass A basketball passing technique that can work wonders when done well or end up terrible if done wrong or carelessly.So make sure you practice this one to perfection and only use it when the situation warrants it. This pass can be used off the dribble, standing still or while moving toward the basket and is used often with two-on-one fast breaks. If you can deliver this pass correctly, it will be very difficult for your opponent to defend. Cup the ball in your hand. Swing your arm behind your back with the elbow bent, fingers pointed down and your thumb pointed toward your back. Release the ball with a whip of your arm and a quick wrist and finger snap

Review and evaluate solutions for SMEs.for UK And also Saudi Arabia Dissertation

Review and evaluate solutions for SMEs.for UK And also Saudi Arabia - Dissertation Example To further underpin and analyse these research objectives, the researcher used the anti-positivism research philosophy and inductive research approach based on personal observations and analysis of the situation. Primary data were collected in the form of interviews conducted on the SMEs owners based in the UK and Saudi Arabia while surveys were conducted on the consumers of the above mentioned countries. A total of 18 survey question were asked along with six interview questions and six more questions on ascertaining solutions for SMEs. The primary data revealed that the acceptance rate of e-commerce is quite high in the UK compared to Saudi Arabia mainly because of the acceptance of the technology by the owners and consumers. Furthermore, the risk factor, investment cost, security concerns, and perceived perceptions deterred the overall acceptance of e-commerce in Saudi Arabia. Based on the findings of the primary and secondary research, it was concluded that e-commerce has great d egree of benefits but requires great skill and expertise to implement it. Solutions in the context of Saudi Arabia were identified in the form of implementing small technological tools like websites through WordPress and enhancing the business presence. TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1.Introduction 4 1.1Introduction 4 1.2 Research Aim 5 1.3 Research Objectives 5 1.4 Research Questions 5 1.5: Background of the Research 6 1.6 Rationale for the Research Topic 7 1.7 Scope of the Research 7 1.8: Proposed Methodology 7 1.9: Outline of the Dissertation 8 1.10: Summary 09 Chapter 2.0 Literature Review 10 2.1: Introduction 10 2.2: E-commerce and its Emergence 10 2.3: Significance of E-Commerce 12 2.4: E-Commerce in the UK 14 2.5: Less Adoption of E-commerce by SMEs in the UK 20 2.6: E-commerce in Saudi Arabia 21 2.7: Less Adoption of E-commerce by the SMEs in Saudi Arabia 23 2.8: SMEs and E-commerce Barriers in the UK and Saudi Arabia 26 2.9: SMEs and Technological Challenges 28 2.10: SMEs Soluti ons in the UK and Saudi Arabia 30 2.10.1: Reasons for the Difference in E-commerce Solutions 35 2.11: Summary 37 Chapter 3.0 Research Methodology 38 3.1: Introduction 38 3.2: Research Philosophy 38 3.3: Research Approach 39 3.4: Data Collection Methods 39 3.5: Research Design 39 3.6: Sampling 40 3.7: Questionnaire Formulation 40 3.8: Data Analysis 42 3.9: Ethical Considerations 42 3.10: Pilot Study 42 3.11: Strengths and Limitations of the Methodology 43 3.10: Summary 43 Chapter 4.0 Analysis 44 4.1: Introduction 44 4.2: Survey Analysis 44 4.3: Solutions for SMEs Pertaining to E-commerce 57 4.4: Interview Analysis (Saudi SMEs Owners) 61 4.5: Interview Analysis (UK SMEs Owners) 62 4.6: Association between Surveys and Interviews 64 4.7: Association between Primary Research and Literature Review 65 4.8: Summary 66 Chapter 5 Evaluation of Findings 67 5.1: Introduction 67 5.2: Possible Conclusion 67 5.3: Relationship between Primary data and Literature Review 68 5.4: Accomplishment of Res earch Objectives 69 5.4: Overall Expectations 69 5.5: Opportunity for Re-writing 70 5.6: Summary 70 Chapter-6: Conclusion and Recommendations 71 6.1: introduction 71 6.2: Conclusion 71 6.3: Suggestion for Future Work 74 6.4: Recommendations for SMEs and Future Research 75 6.5:

The Bird Flu in the United Kingdom Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Bird Flu in the United Kingdom - Essay Example Sturcke and Batty (2006) report stated that as many as 46 countries have recorded bird flu cases in Asia, Africa, Europe and the Americas. Aside from being a health risk, the bird flu is also a massive economic threat. Freeman (2005) stated that "the UK has about 120 million poultry, including chickens, turkeys, ducks and geese, worth 1.3 billion a year. About 25 per cent of the egg-laying flock are kept outdoors and about 10 per cent of chickens raised for meat are free-range." (Sturcke, J. & Batty, D., 2006. Q&A: Bird flu [online], The Guardian, 27 April, viewed 14 May, 2006, http://www.guardian.co.uk/birdflu/story/0,,1591620,00.html) Boseley and Watt (2005) reported that after a meeting of EU veterinarians on the problem of bird flu, the British Veterinary Association's President stated that bird flu is inevitably going to arrive in the UK[and] there is a small but real danger that migrating wild birds could bring us a highly dangerous strain of the virus. (Boseley, S. & Watt, N., 2005. Vets say arrival of bird flu in UK is inevitable [online], The Guardian, 26 August, viewed 14 May, 2006, http://www.guardian.co.uk/birdflu/story/0,14207,1556846,00.html) In a 2006 report, Sturcke and Batty stated incidents of the bird flu virus in the United Kingdom. A dead swan was found in Cellardyke and a parrot died in an Essex quarantine zone. Both incidents occurred in 2005, and both birds were found to have died from the H5N1 virus. In a farm west of Norwich, a number of chickens were found to have tested positive of the less deadly H7 strain of bird flu, which also infects humans. (Sturcke, J. & Batty, D., 2006. Q&A: Bird flu [online], The Guardian, 27 April, viewed 14 May, 2006, http://www.guardian.co.uk/birdflu/story/0,,1591620,00.html ) Needless to say, the alarm and threat of a widespread bird flu infection has prompted the UK government to take various measures in an attempt to prevent such a pandemic. BBC News (2006) reported that one such step was the UK's ban on imports of live chickens from Croatia, Turkey, Romania, Russia, Kazakhstan, Thailand, Cambodia, China, Hong Kong, Laos, Indonesia, Vietnam, Pakistan, Malaysia, South Africa, and North Korea, where bird flu outbreaks have occurred. (BBC News, 2006. Britain's bird flu preparations [online]. viewed 14 May, 2006, .) The finding of dead swans in Fife and in Scotland prompted government to create a huge exclusion zone to prevent any further spread of the bird flu virus. Henderson, Macleod and English (2006) reported that a 1,000 square mile exclusion zone was set up, stretching from the Forth Road Bridge, north of Edinburgh, to Stonehaven in the north east and Perth in the north west. It greatly expands the 3km (1.8 mile) radius protection zone and 10km (6.2 mile) surveillance zone established around Cellardyke. (Henderson, M., Macleod, A., & English, S., 2006. 1,000 sq mile exclusion zone set up to combat risk of virus spreading [online], The Times, 07 April, viewed 14 May, 2006, http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,25149-2122749,00.html) Within that exclusion zone, there are found around 3.1 million domestic birds kept on about 175 poultry farms and would require that owners of 48 free-range farms will have to bring their

Sex Education in Schools Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Sex Education in Schools - Essay Example There are some critics who argue that sex education in schools does not achieve the intended purposes. It is however important to realize the importance of offering sex education in schools which is where the young people spend most of their time, and the many benefits that sex education has. This means that policies should be put in place to ensure that sex education is part of the curriculum in the different schools. The role of parents and caregivers should however not be ignored when it comes to giving sex education to the youth. It is important to have the realization that there are many benefits to having sex education as part of the school curriculum. This is because while most young people assume that they have the required knowledge when it comes to sex matters, most of them are very misinformed. This is because they get their information from unreliable sources such as friends who may also lack the proper information. This makes it necessary for teachers to provide the corr ect information to avoid negative consequences. Sex education therefore is the process of ensuring that the relevant and correct information and attitudes about sexuality and sexual identity, intimacy and relationships, sex, and sexually transmitted infections is passed on to the relevant parties. When the information is obtained from the teacher in a regulated setting such as the classroom, the youth will gain a better understanding and therefore avoid the negative consequences of engaging in risky sexual behavior. There are many aspects of sex education, and the content is diverse. The content in sex education includes teaching the students about their sexuality and what makes them male or female and how to deal with developments in their sexuality. In most cases, it is accepted that the goal of sex education should be to ensure that the young people are informed on their sexual health, and when they have received the necessary information, then they will be able to enjoy satisfyi ng relationships while avoiding the risks of reckless sexual behavior which includes diseases and teenage pregnancies. There are two main types of sex education. One type is the abstinence only type of sex education. This is the type of sex education that teaches the youth to avoid engaging themselves in sexual intercourse until such a time that they are married (Denyse and Coles 1). The other type of sex education is referred to as abstinence-plus sex education or the comprehensive sex education. This type of sex education urges the youth to postpone their first sexual encounter and also gives them information on condom use, birth control, teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections.