(pretend) Case Study reading Problem Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

(pretend) Case Study reading Problem - Essay Example Juan’s parents had a little formal education back in their home town. This made Juan’s family unable to read or speak the English language. Although Juan was able to learn the basic English grammar and vocabulary at an elementary school based in El Salvador, this was not enough to enable him to speak the English language. Since the school is very much focused in using Spanish language in teaching, Juan was able to learn and speak the Spanish language fluently but not the English language. Based on the entrance exam, Juan received a good test results in Math but not in Science and English subject. This only shows that Juan’s inability to comprehend with the English language is giving him a hard time to cope with his other subjects that are using purely English instructions. Considering that Juan is an ELL student, he is not qualified to take either a remedial program or be placed in a group of students with hearing or speech problem since these two are totally different teaching-and-learning categories. Since Mrs. Bright can speak fluently not only in English but also in Spanish, she started taking Juan’s case as a challenge. Juan is a fast-learner and a smart student who lives near Mrs. Bright’s residence. This made her not consider Juan’s case as a serious matter. Instead, she decided to give Juan a one-on-one tutorial program as a corrective teaching strategy. Since then, Mrs. Bright had to regularly meet Juan during weekends to improve the student’s ability to speak and read the English language. Upon winning Juan’s trust, Mrs. Bright will start to develop a reading program suitable for his case. Aiming to monitor Juan’s progress and development in reading, the following series of questions will be used to examine Juan’s personal interests and attitude towards in reading. 1. What type of books catches Juan’s interest in reading? Are these books the type with colourful pictures,

Education Is the Key to Changing Life Styles Essay Example for Free

Education Is the Key to Changing Life Styles Essay Narration essay by Marie Price 3 February 2009 for Engliish 1AMarie Price06 February 2009 I was once a young mother in an abusive marriage, uneducated, sacred, and wondering Is this life has in store me? I learned the hard way that no matter what mistakes I make in my life, with support of family and friends, I was able to choose a better life style through higher education and dedication. At the age of sixteen I got married and had a child. I heard the saying over, and again Just babies having babies. You could not convince me of that back then. As I look back now it was not one of my better choices. I had married a man who was a lot older than me, so therefore I just knew I was all grown up. My mother was not happy to say the least and a shouting match lasted for a few days. I told her if she did not sign the papers I would run away, do it anyway and she would never see me again. So against her better judgment she signed the papers. The first couple of years were good, but then it got abusive verbally as well as physical. Physical abuse is obvious black eyes, and bruises hidden behind sun glasses, and makeup. When there is verbal abuse you are told nobody will ever want you, and that you are to dumb to ever do any thing on your own, or you will never amount to anything. The funny thing about that is after a while for some reason you begin to believe it. After ten years of this, I finally divorced. I was scared and thought I was not going to be able to make it on my own. With a young daughter to support, I took my first step in many to come in my lifes journey, working two jobs to keep a roof over our heads, and it was not easy to make ends meet. I never went to high school; so I believed it was my destiny to struggle for the rest of my life. As a single young parent trying to be the best mother I could be, always at work I missed a lot of time with my daughter, time I wish now I had to do over again. It is 1998 I decided to take my GED test telling myself You will not be to pass this test you never went to school. Well I gathered all my will and took the test anyway; I remember waiting for t he results it was sheer touchier. Then came one of the best days of my life I passed the test. That was the first step in many to happiness that I am still working on to this day. In 1999 while at work at the warehouse I was employed at I met a man named Carlos, who to this day is a big part of my life. He is an educated man who is very well spoken, with lots of great advice. He and I became friends, and talked a lot about peoples choices in life. Carlos is a very wise man with a heart of gold. Trough our many talks I learned a person could do what ever they first, set there minds to and second, have the drive to want to better themselves. He seen something in me that I did not see in myself, the ability to go further in life, I ended up leaving that job for employment in Orange County as a credit processor. Thinking that was the job I would retire from. It did not work out that way; you hear the story over and over on the news, the company goes out of business and the employees are left out in the cold looking for work that is not there. This was at the end of 2007 like so many others could not find work. Bills going unpaid I lost my car first then my house shortly after, and became homeless, so for the first time since I moved out of my moms house so many years ago I felt that I had no where to turn and my ex was correct about not being able to make it on my own, with the feeling of complete despair I phoned my mom telling her my dilemma just wanting some one to talk to, I felt so hopeless, and alone not knowing what to do. Well my mom and brother talked, and then asked me if I wanted I could stay with them until I got back on my feet. I started some classes via mail and very well, one more step toward higher education. So I announced to my family I am going to go to college full time. It is now fall semester 2008 at Chaffey College; I have to my first semester was a challenge and the first couple of weeks I found myself calling my thirty two year old daughter Amy, a couple of times saying I do not think this was such a great idea, I dont know what made me think I could do this. Amy said to meMom dont give up I am so proud of you, and I know you can do this. With a lot of time spent at the writing center as well as the success centers I was able to shock myself once again. I received two (As) and one (B) last semester. Not bad for someone who never went to high school? I still have my struggles, this semester it is math but I am putting in the extra effort coming to campus on Fridays so I can spend all the time I need in the PS 12 math labs, because failing is not an option I have come too far, and I refuse to give up. I believe that without my familys support this wouldnt be possible to achieve my dream of making something of myself. I will be starting a new tradition in my family. I am proud to say I will be the first college graduate in my family. I have two granddaughters Anisa who is sixteen, and Angel who is thirteen. I constantly tell them how important their education is. I am adamant about the fact they will go to college as well, expressing to them how they need to be independent young women and seek higher education. I let them know what a struggle it was for me as a young mother, and how they deserve more in life. Could there be a better life for someone who quits school too young and becomes pregnant? With confidence in ones self and the ability to take it one step at a time all things are possible. When all seems lost friends and family will see in you the things we seem to over look in ourselves. It is not easy to return to school after being out for over twenty years, but I am here to say that no matter what mistakes we make in our lives, through hard work and dedication to higher education, all things are possible.

The I Am Sayings Of Jesus Religion Essay

The I Am Sayings Of Jesus Religion Essay There are seven statements in the book of John in which Jesus says, I am something. In this essay I will look at the list of the seven statements and I will begin with Jesus saying I am the light of the world. Throughout this essay, I plan to cover each of these sayings of Jesus separately and I will attempt to give a brief discussion on each of them. Each proclamation reveals the different facets of Jesus and gives a different sense of understanding, but, overall, all sum up the revelation of who Jesus is. Further I will look at why these statements are significant to our salvation. These statements are as follows: I am the good shepherd, I am the resurrection and the life, I am the true vine I am the way, the truth and the life I am the bread of life and, lastly, I am the door. I am Light of the world. John 8:12. John 8:12 proclaims the words of Jesus saying, I am the light of the world; he who follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. There are many who follow false light that eventually leads to devastation; but the truth is found only in Christ. Eternal salvation should be our ultimate goal in life and Jesus is the only light that leads to a life of fulfillment. There was a strong opposition that came from the Pharisees against the claims of Jesus, they did not believe in His proclamation as the light of the world. They took him as one of those bubblers who did not know what He was saying. The word light here is used as a metaphor and it is repeatedly quoted throughout the Bible. The representation here is of Jesus being the truth. In other words if the Pharisees reject Him, then they are actually rejecting the truth, and because they reject the truth, then they walk in darkness. Therefore, they do not know who they are and were they are going as they are in darkness without Jesus. Just like the story of the adulteress woman, she lived in sin for many years and one day she was caught red handed in the very act. Then the Scribes and Pharisees came to Jesus and said to Him, Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, and according to the Law of Moses, such deserve to be stoned to death. So the Scribes and Pharisees came to Jesus and said to Him, Teacher, this woman was caught in adultery, now Moses in the Law commanded us that such should be stoned, but what do you say? Jesus stooped down then later answered them saying if there is any among you without sin, let them be the first to throw a stone at her. Realizing their own wrongs, they began to leave one by one until they were all gone and the woman was left alone. Then Jesus said to the woman, has any one condemned you? she replied by saying, no one, Lord. And Jesus said to her, neither do I condemn you; go and sin no more. In this story we see that Jesus is the light of the world and indeed He is the truth. The accusers of the woman were convicted because the light was shown in their hearts and they saw their own sinfulness. Therefore the world is lost without Jesus. Darkness controls us and unless the light of Jesus shines upon us, we can see the truth. But while we have the light, we must believe in the light, that we may become children of the light (John 12:36). The light here signifies Jesus and that without Jesus in us and leading us, we walk in darkness and are lost. I am the good shepherd. John 10:11 Jesus said I am the Good Shepherd. Those who come before me are robbers and thieves and my sheep do not hear them. The shepherd who takes care of his flock and gives his life for the sheep is the good shepherd and not a hireling. The sheep hear his voice and he calls them by name and they follow him. And Jesus claimed Himself to be the good shepherd. The Jews actually thought He has a demon and is mad. This did not stop Jesus continuing His proclamation as the good shepherd. Sheep without a shepherd will be scattered and lost. For they know the voice of the and when he calls they hear him. The voice of a stranger, they do not hear. When its night time and the sheep are in, the shepherd guards the doorway. If a hireling tries to enter, the shepherd would defend his sheep by fighting back, to the extent of willing to lay down his own life for the sake of the sheep.  The fact that there is only one door to the sheepfold, the enemy cannot enter the sheepfold except through him. This is the sacrificial duty of every good shepherd, who is willing to lay down his life for the sake of the sheep. Jesus is our great shepherd; there will never be anyone like Him, willing to lay down His life for our protection. The shepherd had the right to lay down his life to purchase His flock. Jesus is the best of shepherds, none so skillful, so faithful, and so tender, as He. I am the resurrection and the life. John 11:25 I am the resurrection and the life; he who believes in me, though he die, yet shall he live, and whoever lives and believes in me shall never die (John 11:25-26). This is a proclamation that should settle our fear of death once and for all. Jesus declared Himself as the very essence of existence. In other words He is existence Himself and that apart from Him none can exist in this age and the age to come. Simply put, everything culminates in Him and everything holds together in Him. Jesus indicates that if He would let go of His hold on us, we would be nonexistent instantly. This deeply reveals our desperate need of Him because He holds us together. This is beautifully illustrated in the death of Lazarus. When Jesus was told about Lazarus death, He did not panic as we would definitely. He was inexplicably calm such that He went about doing what He was doing even after hearing such heart breaking news. For He said to the disciples, Lazarus is sleeping but I go to wake Him up, they said if he is sleeping, then he will get well. Jesus knowing that they did not understand, He emphatically told them that Lazarus is dead. He then said that this is for the glory of God and that the Son of Man may be glorified in this. Later when Jesus met Martha, Lazarus had been in the tomb for four days. Martha cried to Jesus after he finally came, that if had come early, and his brother would not have died. In contrast, Jesus said to her, your brother will live again. But Martha did not understand what Jesus was saying. Jesus said to them that if they would believe, then they would see the glory of God. In this story, Jesus demonstrated His resurrection power, showing that there was nothing He could not do. Jesus is the power of our salvation, He brings new life to the dead spiritually. By the mercies of God, how can the world ignore a person like this? I am the true vine. John 15: 1-6 Jesus declared that He is the true vine and His Father is the gardener. That He is the vine and we are the branches, therefore when we remain in Him and Him in us, then we bear much fruit. The branch that does not produce fruit, He takes away but the branch that bears fruit, He prunes so that it can produce more fruit. Like a tree and its branches, it is virtually impossible for the branches to be cut and expect them to live. The food of the branches flows through the trunk of the tree from the roots. Therefore if the branches are cut off, then there much needed nourishment is cut off as well and the branches wither and die. In the same respect, Jesus is our vine and we are His branches, we feed from Him, our lives are healthy because of Him. If we are cut off, like the branches of a tree, we wither and die. Jesus said that when we abide in the word and the word abides in us, anything is possible when we ask. Therefore we need the word of God in us and if the word dwells in us and we embrace it wholeheartedly, then and only then are we able to be productive to the glory of God. The scriptures say, man shall not live by bread alone but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God. The scriptures also say that when the word of God is a lamp to our feet and a light to our path. The faith by which we received the word of Jesus purifies our hearts. The word refines us from the dross of the world and the flesh because it is a cleaning virtue. I am the way, the truth and the life. John 14:6. In this verse Jesus said that no one comes to the Father except through him, no one knows the Father except through him and no one lives the life of the Father except through him. In this passage of scripture, Jesus emphatically says that no one goes to the Father nor sees the Father except through me. One day Thomas said to Jesus, Lord, we do not know where you are going, and how can we know the way. And Jesus answered saying, You know me and you know my father also and from today you know Him and have seen Him. By this saying He meant if we see Him then we have seen the Father for the Father and the Son are one. What is truth? And what is a lie? Jesus called the devil a liar and the Father of lies. And that he speaks lies from his resources and that he is a liar from the beginning. Jesus is often quoted as saying, I tell you the truth He always told the truth because He is truth and He is true in every way. Grace and truth came with Jesus for it is said that, we have seen his glory, the glory of the Son of God, full of truth and grace (John 1:14) I am the Bread of Life. John 6:35 Jesus said, I am the Bread of life. He said that you go to buy bread that does not last, for after you eat it, you hunger again for more bread. Come and eat my bread and you will not hunger again and it is free. He also said to the Samaritan woman, come and drink my water and you will never thirst again. Not understanding what He meant, she said the well is deep, how can you give me water when you do not have something to draw water with. Jesus corrects her by saying, I am your well, and when you come and drink of me, you will never thirst again. The water from Jesus will become a fountain of water springing up into everlasting life. Like the Samaritan woman, Jesus was on several occasions misunderstood by people, for instance, He tells His followers that if they eat His meat, then they have eaten meat indeed and if they drink His blood, they have drunk drink indeed. His followers were so confused about what He meant such that they decided to walk away and thought amongst themselves that, He must be mad, how can we eat of His flesh and drink His blood? Most of the disciples turned and walked away from Jesus. However, how many times do we misunderstand Him today? We sometimes think we know, yet we do not. Jesus also fed the five thousand people that followed Him. He took a boys lunch, only five small loaves of bread and two small fish. He had the crowd sit down and He took the bread and fish; He gave thanks for the food, and then gave it out to the people. By a miracle hand of God, He multiplied the food such that there was more than enough for over 5000 people. During the night, Jesus walks on the water, gets into the boat and arrives at Capernaum. The next day, the people realize that Jesus is not there but do not understand how he left. They get into boats and travel to Capernaum and find Jesus there. They ask him, When did you come here? Jesus replies to them that the reason they are seeking him is because they want more food. The people asked how they can do that and Jesus tells them that they must believe in the one that God has sent. In other words, Jesus wanted them not only to follow Him for physical food that does not last but for food that is everlasting. And that is only accomplished by believing that Jesus Christ was sent from God and that He is the true bread of life and those who partake of Him will never hunger again. I am the door John 10:1-10 Jesus said, I am the door, if anyone enters by Me, he will be saved, and he will go in and out and find pasture. Jesus said this to emphasis a point about who He is. During the time of Jesus, animals were kept in sheep folds and these sheep folds had only one door for animals to go in and out. They would have a wall either built with stones or made from branches and they would be completely closed except for one entrance where the sheep went in and out. Usually the entrance would not have a gate across it but would simply be a gap. But at night when the sheep were in the pen, the shepherd himself would lie across the entrance. So this made shepherd himself to become the gate to the sheep fold. By lying across the entrance the shepherd could keep close watch on the sheep and protect them from any intruder or hireling that may threaten to attack the sheep. The Pharisees seem to prove his point when Jesus gives them this illustration and once again they just dont understand what He means. So Jesus makes it plain to them when He tells them in verse seven saying I am the door of the sheep. Jesus makes this even clearer in verse nine when He says If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved. So this is not as complicated as the Pharisees made it out to be. This is what John has been trying to let us know all the way through this gospel. The Jews had long understood that the Messiah would bring salvation. The coming of the Messiah was something they looked forward to. CONCLUSION The conclusion of the matter would therefore seem to say that, Jesus is throughout the gospel of John trying to reveal who He is. Though He is misquoted and misunderstood on several occasions, He still does not give up the sole task of trying to reveal why He is here on earth. The evidence of His arguments and statements prove this point. For He repeatedly says, I am the light of the world, I am the good shepherd, I am the bread of life and that I am the door. In all these I am sayings, Jesus is attempting to drive home the central idea that no one can be saved except through Him. He is not only our way to salvation but He is our salvation. Therefore to reject Him is as good as rejecting the very power of salvation.

Transformation to Womanhood in Two Kinds by Amy Tan :: Two Kinds, Amy Tan

Transformation to Womanhood in Two Kinds For a lot of us growing up, our mothers have been an integral part of what made us who we are. They have been the one to forgive us when no one else could. They have been the one to comfort us when the world seemed to turn to evil. They have been the one to shelter us when the rain came pouring down. And most importantly, they have been the one to love us when we needed it the most. In "Two Kinds," by Amy Tan, Jing-mei is a young daughter of a Chinese immigrant. Growing up she had to endure being raised by an overbearing mother as well as deal with psychological struggles within herself. She had to learn how to become a woman on her own terms. Throughout the story, her mother repeatedly pressures Jing-mei to be something that she is not. She wants Jing-mei to somehow become a prodigy child. She has such high hopes for her daughter that she doesn't realize the amount of distress she causes Jing-mei. Like all good mothers, she only wants the best for her child. Since immigrating to America, she believes that anything can be accomplished and she uses her daughter as her outlet to prove it. She continuously gives Jing-mei numerous tests to memorize bible passages and world capitals, and eventually coerces her into taking piano lessons, which becomes the prime focus of her 'perfect daughter' determination. Jing-mei reacts extremely negatively to this pressure. This is only exemplified when she states, "'I won't let her change me, I promised myself. I won't be what I am not." She is forced to take a stance against her mother primarily because she doesn't want to be forced into becoming something that she is not. Jing-mei feels she must become her true self, a person whom she feels her mother is not to determine for her. Jing-mei feels uncomfortable with her mother putting so much pressure on her. She is on a continuous struggle within herself to find who she really is. She is constantly distraught over torn feelings of wanting to become her true self and making her mother proud. Still, as time goes on it proves to be better to go against the tide, go against her mother's wishes. "And after seeing my mother's disappointed face once again, something inside of me began to die.

Ikea’s Organizational Behavior

INTRO: IKEA is known for its strong organizational values, which are based on Swedish norms and in particular the opinions and values of the founder himself. It is not unusual to see IKEA employees following the norms and values even outside the working hours, but how important is OB really for IKEA? IKEA’S BRIEF HISTORY 1940-1950 A Swedish 17-year-old man named Ingvar Kampard founded Ikea in 1943. It all began with the Ikea catalogue that was sent from house to house, which is still known today as Ikeas signature. In 1948 the range of IKEA products extended to furniture and by 1958 the first store is opened. 960-1970 By the end of the seventies, Ikea manages to not only open stores all over Europe, but in Canada and Australia as well. 1980s The large cash flow start coming in once Ikea enters the US in1985. By this time IKEA has 10,000 co-workers and 60 stores. Ingvar Kampard retires from Group Management and becomes an advisor to the parent company INGKA Holding B. V. 1990s In 90s IKEA expands in Eastern Europe as well as China. In 1990 the first environmental policy and social responsibility policy is introduced in IKEA.In 1997 IKEA launches Children`s furniture and becomes a retailer with offers to the entire family. By 1999 IKEA group grows to 50,000 co-workers and has 158 stores in 29 countries. 2000s In the year 2000 IKEA arrives to Moscow, Russia and same year Code of Conduct is introduced, called IKEA WAY. Following years IKEA is actively participates in world donating events and promotion of social responsibility. IKEA AT A GLANCE 287 IKEA GROUP STORES WORLDWITE In 2011 IKEA Group opened 7 new stores in 7 countries. As of 31. 08. 2011 it had 287 stores in 26 countries 13 0888 3 144 49 Top 5 purchasing countries: 1. China 22% 2. Poland 18% 3. Italy 8% 4. Sweden 5% 5. Germany 4% Top 5 Selling Countries: 1. Germany 15% 2. USA 11% 3. France 10% 4. Italy 7% 5. Sweden 6% CO -WORKERS PER FUNCTION * Purchasing, distribution, wholesale, range & other: 1 4,300 * Retail: 100,000 * Swedwood: 16,000 * Swedspan: 700 * Total co-workers in FY11 131. 000 TOTAL SALES: Sales increased by 6. 9% compared to 2010. Total sales amounted to EUR 24. 7 billion. SUPPLIERS IN 2011: 1,018 suppliers in 53 countriesPRODUCTS: The IKEA range consists of approximately 9,500 products. PRINTED CATALOGUES, LANGUAGES & EDITIONS: The IKEA catalogue was printed in more than 208 million copies in 30 languages and 59 editions. STORE VISITS: In 2011, the IKEA Group stores had 655 million visits. IKEA . COM: IKEA websites had 870 million visits in 2011 As for Ikeas competitors, there is Wal-Mart, Howden and Ashley Furniture. Company Employees According to Emil Svallingsson who is an employee at IKEA for 10 years, about 50% of the employees are proud of their jobs.The other half refers the individuals who do not share the exact same vision about the company, and need to be told how to do things and have a stereotypical â€Å"boss†, rather than be all a part of one team. Culture Center – Together In the hometown of IKEA, Almhult, there is a Culture Center called â€Å"Together†. It is a place for employees all over the world to attend education, meetings and to learn about the company culture. There is a lecture hall, access to product archives and documents, as well as exhibitions and interactive installations.Employees are stating that the center is a great help to keep their foundational values alive and that it makes them more motivated in the everyday work life. â€Å"Together† works as a meeting place for people working at IKEA as well as a place for developing employment skills. The main idea is to gather the IKEA culture in to one building. Since there are more and more warehouses build over the world, it is not always easy to keep the same values for everyone, and therefore the center is the beginning to keep the company culture as Ingvar first created it to be. Our heart is in Almhult and it's amazing to be a ble to have a cultural center here. † -Ingvar Kamprad â€Å"Together† is also a great example of their flat organizational structure. Hopes are that employees, by themselves, will get a deeper understanding for the culture and by that develop IKEAs future together. † Ikeas center provides different exercises to the employees that show the entire IKEA concept and how it works at its best; how all the employees’ jobs together create one big job structure, and how products are being made and the importance of raw materials.At IKEA, training is crucial to keep the social work environment functional. From the training sessions, the hope is to develop awareness, knowledge and responsibility. All employees receive this training in order to take charge of their own development. In general, IKEA wants to give the opportunities for co-workers to grow, both at an individual level, but also in their professional roles. In return, IKEA expects their co-workers to do the ir job as well as possible depending on their ability and experience, take responsibility, and be willing to develop and grow continually and to act in an open and straightforward manner.Workforce Diversity Gender The gender diversity at IKEA is probably among the best one's over the world. They have applied special workforce diversity programs in all departments, and are working for a continuing development. The program is based on â€Å"stomach feeling† and employee’s opinions in order to fill the positions in a fair way. In the warehouses, there is quite an equal diversity between genders. Right now, globally it is about 54% are women and 46% men. Even among the higher positioned jobs such as warehouse responsible, it's equally divided, 52. % measured to be women and 47. 5% men. However, when you are getting really high up in the working positions, such as the top board, there are no women. According to Hakan Sandman, the Marketing Director of IKEA France, the gende r diversity is very equal overall; but that it also depends on what department one is looking at. Human Resources department tend to be mostly women, as well as the Marketing department where Mr. Sandman is the only man. THE AGE DISTRIBUTION OF CO-WORKERS IN IKEAThis pie chart represents employees’ gender distribution at IKEA globally, but for example in Sweden it looks different: The age distribution in IKEA Globally: Workforce Diversity: Ethnicity Ikeas main philosophy is â€Å"The People Philosophy†: though in the past their strategy was â€Å"Swedes†, they have abandoned it in 1998 with the rise of globalization. Currently they have a lot of long-time workers from different cultures and backgrounds. IKEA sees the diversity matter as a subject for creating more challenging business atmosphere.France’s new store in Avignon has staff from 21 different nationalities. Since 1998 they have changed their recruitment base to: including everyone and not just S wedish people. Recruited staff are immediately made aware of IKEA`s cultural diversity philosophy; first day at work new staff get exercise to tell their group members something unique or different about themselves. â€Å"As a global player it is very important for IKEA to be aware of what the world looks like today, and how it will change in the future. The only common thing for all of us is that we are different.If we accept and understand this fact we can start to use this Diversity for the best of ourselves and for IKEA† (Fajtova, 2007) The corporate language of IKEA is English and in their TV commercials they feature a wide variety of different ethnicities, ages, genders and race. Holistic Responsibility: â€Å"IKEA is a leader in setting high environmental standards for its product. That means employing strict manufacturing methods and supply processes so that materials, technologies and transportation have the least amaging effects on the environment. â€Å"1  œ Rene Hausler, Partner, IKEA-San Diego Franchisee. â€Å"We consider IKEA to be setting an excellent example for other corporations to follow. IKEA is prepared to go further than just saying ‘no' to a supplier who exploits children. The company is showing a genuine interest in bringing about improvement for children by assuming a responsibility for child labour issues. â€Å"2 – Ingvar Hjartso, UNICEF Representative. It seems as if today everyone is praising Ikea, and it is not without a reason.Ikea is a remarkably socially responsible company, it sets example to so many other companies that simply are profit driven, and do nothing but destroy the eco system, or poison the environment with chemicals such as â€Å"the monstrato†. Therefore, Ikea is rewarded and recognized highly for its CSR, it has received numerous awards, including the one on April 2005, the Outstanding Sustainable Style Achievement (OSSA)3 Award for eliminating the usage of Polybrominated Di phenyl Ether (PBDE),4 a toxic fire suppressor used in manufacturing furniture.In addition, earlier in 2004, IKEA had received the BUPA Healthy Communities award for Excellence,5 an award funded by the Ministry of Health, UK. The company pays a great deal of attention to different problems in the society and the environment; this did not begin recently, for more than twenty years Ikea has been environmentally conscientious. It began in 1989 when the then president of Ikea said that the â€Å"Environment is not just a new fashion, it will not fade away, it is the new reality and we have to adapt to it. And so, in 1990 in association with Karl-Henrik Robert, was initiated The Natural Step (TNS) environmental program in IKEA. And so throughout the years, one by one it began tackling different environmental issues; waste management were the first thing that Ikea took seriously, and so each IKEA store started having an â€Å"environmental coordinator† who worked towards waste recy cling and energy conservation, and also trained employees on environmental aspects. Since 1999, IKEA has works actively to reduce waste in manufacturing. Where possible, waste from one manufacturing process was to be used in the production of other items.And it did not end there; most IKEA stores provided collection points for customers to return waste. In the recent years, Ikea has been trying hard to be environmentally friendly, and it began rewarding the same behavior in its employees. It varies throughout the Ikea’s in different countries; IKEA Poland stores provide facilities for bikes, maps of bike paths and tools to repair customer bikes, IKEA Denmark lends out bicycles equipped with trailers at its stores, IKEA UK stores offer interest free loans and a 15 percent rebate to co-workers travelling to work by public transport.And in May 2007, IKEA Canada launched a Hybrid Parking Program, rewarding customers driving a hybrid or fuel-efficient car, with a premium parking s pot. Throughout the years, Ikea’s interest rose in a better future for our children through a better environment rose; when it came to energy consumption, the company’s data showed that IKEA it consumed a huge amount of energy for electricity, but, Ikea did not simply decide to switch off the lights on earth day. The company went a step further; it tried to consciously reduce its energy consumption. Therefore, in 2003 IKEA launched a ‘Kill-a-Watt-Energy Saving Competition. The competition was open to all IKEA stores across the world and it aimed to achieve reduction in energy consumption and also to create awareness among employees regarding electricity costs. By the end of the competition, IKEA had saved energy equivalent to providing electricity to 2,000 households, or two IKEA stores for a year. From waste to energy, Ikea then focused on forestry; around 75% of the raw materials used for Ikea’s furniture, catalogs and packaging came from timber. Hence, conservation of forests was an important environmental issue. IKEA worked with groups such as Greenpeace to formulate policies for sustainable forestry.IKEA was also a member of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). As a result of consultations with these organizations, IKEA banned the usage of timber from intact natural forests. Many companies in industries, such as the diamond industry, choose to be ignorant; companies ignore or lack interest in where their diamonds come from, but often the blood diamonds that they purchase give life to more slavery. And even though there are a lot of different forms of slavery throughout the world, Ikea is one of the companies that does not tolerate it and even though child labor oes exist in countries where IKEA products are manufactured, IKEA does not accept child labor at its suppliers or their sub-contractors, and works actively to prevent it. The company has a special code of conduct called The IKEA Way on Preventing Child Labor, and monitor ing of compliance with The IKEA Way on Preventing Child Labor is done by IKEA trading service offices and with unannounced visits by KPMG to suppliers and sub-contractors in South Asia. As listen above, we can see that throughout the years Ikea has demonstrated over and over again that its responsibility goes beyond home furnishing.It undertook several projects for community development and a lot of its projects were centered on children, such as the one in August 2000, IKEA initiated the Child Rights Program in India in association with UNICEF. The project started in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) and the aim of the project was to prevent child labor in ‘the carpet belt' of UP, by addressing root causes such as poverty, illiteracy and ill health. The company’s CSR extended from the community and environment, to the suppliers. Ikea did not choose to be ignorant about where their suppliers got their goods.So it launched ‘The IKEA Way on Purchasing Home Furn ishing Products (IWAY)' in September 2000, this way all of Ikea’s 2,000 suppliers spread across 55 countries, had the ‘code of conduct' to adhere to. Student Support Programs: Ikea helps students of all ages throughout the world; it has aligned with is Save the Children’s Early Steps to School Success (ESSS is designed to assist children with language, social and emotional development); an early reading readiness program that IKEA supports through financial and in-kind product donations.In addition, since early 2001, the IKEA Group supports one-year scholarships for students from Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Ukraine and Russia to study forestry at the Swedish University of Agricultural Science in Alnarp, Sweden. The purpose of the scholarships is to support competence building in sustainable forestry in countries that are important wood sources for IKEA, and to help future forestry professionals in those countries develop relationships with each other.And it doesn’t stop there; due to the fact that many IKEA products are made with cotton, they partnered with the WWF to run Farmer Field Schools in Pakistan and India. Ikea over and over again displays its care for the society and the environment, it is because the company is not simply profit driven, it has a vision; and the vision is â€Å"to create a better everyday life for the many people. This includes doing what we can to help create a world where we take better care of the environment, the earth’s resources, and each other†. Internal Communication: Communication & EqualityThe CEO of the company has a specific culture that has been passed on since Ikea was founded, and this culture is communicated to all of the employees. She states that when she hires a â€Å"co-worker,† as IKEA terms employees, her plan is to help the person through his or her slumps. One of her greatest rewards is to see a worker she has worked with excel, and she believes all super visors and managers should serve as mentors. Every manager is also a team member, â€Å"I’m responsible but not the center of the universe. There is always someone who knows more than you do.And there are always new things that you can learn, which I think is the essence of why I work with IKEA. † Par Sundqvist Store distribution manager Sweden In Ikea a manager is not â€Å"the boss† or the one who commands and rules his department. Due to the low power distance in Sweden, Ikea was founded on the basis that everyone is equal. And based on the chart below of Geert Hofstede’s cultural dimensions theory, one can see that because of the relatively low power distance in the U. S. , it was quite easy to communicate this approach to all the â€Å"co-workers† in Ikea North America. Exhibit 1.A Cultural Dimensions Theory Exhibit 2. A Cultural Dimensions Theory In Exhibit 1. A, one can see the power distance in both Sweden and the United States, though ther e may seem like there is a difference, once it is compared with Exhibit 2. A one can see that compared to countries such as China who have a high power distance, on average, the power distance is relatively the same in both the U. S and Sweden. Therefore, it can be concluded that Ikea’s Scandinavian way of doing business with the absence of the traditional â€Å"boss† was understood and quickly absorbed by Ikea North America.Equality within the company is emphasized and communicated to all of Ikea’s stakeholders; and though according to â€Å"glassdoor† Ikea employees give the company’s ability to communicate an average 3. 5 rating, they give serious leadership a poor rating of 3. 1 because according to the employees â€Å"there is a little too much equality†, employees want to be guided and told what to do a little more. It seems that not all employees are ready to be treated equality with their bosses and be all a part of one team. Based o n the latest updates on glassdoor, the company rating is a 3. ; the employees say it is â€Å"ok†. This company rating is based on eight components; career opportunities, communication, compensation & benefits, employee morale, recognition and feedback, senior leadership, work/life balance, fairness & respect. The lowest scores of 3. 1 were in career opportunities and in senior leadership. Two of the â€Å"Top Ten Reasons Why Good Employees Quit† are listed in the components that make up glassdoor’s company rating; employees have given to â€Å"Recognition and feedback† a score of 3. , and when it came to rating the â€Å"work/life balance†, IKEA employees gave the highest rating to it. Employees believe that better than anything else the company takes good care of their employee’s need of the work/life balance. Even though the rating seems to be solely satisfactory, it doesn’t truly represent the reality. Based on the rating one will assume that the company’s job demand is at a mediocre level, however, IKEA jobs are actually highly demanded; in Florida USA, IKEA had over 10 000 applicants for only 450 job.And in Sweden, Ikea ranks on the top 5 companies that university graduates want to work for. In addition, Ikea was on the â€Å"Top 200 World's Most Reputable Companies† (#2), Forbes, in 2009 and on the same year it was on the list of â€Å"Best Places to Work in Orange County† (Large companies), Best Companies Group, 2009. Pay and Benefits According to glassdoor. com Ikea employee’s rating of Compensation ; benefits is a mediocre 3. 4, however it does not portray the full picture. Where some believe that Ikea does a mediocre job, others are enjoying the vast benefits that Ikea provides them.Last fall Working Mother magazine named IKEA North America one of the 100 best companies for working mothers and singled out Spiers-Lopez for its Family Champion Award. The award was given for I kea great paid maternity leave and flexible work schedules. In addition, Ikea provides a number of benefits that are not usually offered to retail workers in the U. S. such as â€Å"full medical and dental insurance for those who work as little as 20 hours a week, including coverage for domestic partners and children; tuition assistance; and a 401(k) matching plan†.In addition, they receive long breaks, free uniform and the company has a food plan, it is known as the â€Å"$3 meals†. As for the facilities, there are lounges, relaxation rooms and showers. Ikea has all sorts of benefits from end of the year gift, to long service awards to sick pay and first day of school leave. Lastly, Ikea unlike most companies provides even part time workers with benefit packages. Bonuses in the company may vary, but on average the bonus of a sales associate is $785, and the team leader receives $1,002.However no all positions receive such high bonuses, when it comes to Ikea cashiers, they receive $50, and customer service associates receive $100. And all full time employees receive a 10% discount; it increases to 15% after 7 years of work. The employee discount comes hand in hand with home delivery and assembly of the furniture, always free of charge. All employees in Ikea receive above the minimum wage rate; most are paid by hour except a few who receive a fixed salary; the team leaders receives $39,908 and the department supervisor $34,712.Sales associates hourly pay is $10. 39, Ikea cashier’s is $9. 65/hour, customer serve associates receive $9. 38/hour, floor associates receive $10. 00/hour, Safety ; Loss prevention agent’s pay is $12. 69/hour and the pay of a co-worker is $13. 15/hr. On average the pay is around $12 per hour, with exception the interior designer who receives $16. 56 per hour. As for pension, at the moment, IKEA is building a new global pension package where they want to construct a global second-pillar retirement benefit struc ture. It is planned to be a fixed interest rate of 3. % on contributions. In 2000, IKEA introduced a multi-fund pension arrangement for their employees, which also can be used as a private retirement fund if they leave. The arrangement also offers workers who moves between countries a choice of asset mixes in which they can invest contributions. Co-workers at IKEA are able to transfer money between funds or split contributions between different plans, depending on their age and risk taking profile. It can also be mentioned that even if you choose to leave your job at IKEA, you may remain in the pension agreement. Everyone should have the same amount† – Ingvar Kamprad Ingvar also wishes to start a bonus program for employees over the world, but it is not yet defines how much money we are talking about. IKEA has 131 000 employees so the amount will easily reach very high numbers. So far, there are only 3 principles decided around the future wish; Everyone gets same amount , everyone can take part and its related to Inka holdings financial results. (Inka holdings is IKEA’s Dutch holding company) Improvements and Changes in 2011:The workforce turnover has decreased to 22% in 2011, and 81% of employees now come back from maternity leave: 100% at management level and 78% of hourly-paid workers. Thirdly, 2011 employee satisfaction survey came up with results that employees` favorability to rewards and benefits boosted by 5% in IKEA. Fourthly, IKEA launched family-friendly benefits such as a staff support program and childcare vouchers, as well as an loan with no interest in order to cover costs a month after birth. IKEA: TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT IKEA uses mostly 3 different types of training: * Induction training (35%) Mentoring (40%) * Coaching (25%) 85% of training is on-the-job training and only 15% off-the-job training. Differences between IKEA houses per region in relation to Educational background of co-workers IKEA`s workforce has reached al ready 131,000 employees and these people are an epicenter of IKEA values. Value is a core word for company`s strategy and co-workers` involvement in it. IKEA is doubling their sales every five years; however it does not doubling their staff. One of its keys to such a success lies in training and development programs constantly offered to the employees.Each employee is offered 40-hour training every year in average. Since the very beginning employees` development was perceived as a non-stop process in IKEA. The first period for all newcomers is training in IKEA’s culture. It usually implicates learning about the company’s history by watching the educational videos. Many co-workers start they way in IKEA as part-time co-workers and shift progressively to full-time, seniors, deputies etc. Along their career path they are getting cultural training and regularly acquire IKEA’s values.The major part of training is acquiring the core aptitudes and skills such as teamwo rk, efficiency, mobility, leadership, that were considered necessary for a successful career at IKEA. Networking in IKEA takes important role in training and development. When new employee joins the â€Å"family† he/she gets immediate access to a local network. Curt Temin, who works globally with learning and development within IKEA Group, regards â€Å"networking as the ultimate tool for professional development†. One of the very first things new employee learns is an ancient Swedish word â€Å"fika† (coffee break).In IKEA they understand that even informal meetings and communication between people lead to knowledge transfer and this is where development starts. â€Å"People’s careers are only as limited as they want them to be at IKEA,† concludes Jeff Wilson, learning and development manager for IKEA US. 90% of all positions inside IKEA globally are filled inside, and 35% of those jobs are managing positions. To keep such a high data company has launched a personal development program called â€Å"PADDLE YOUR OWN CANOE†, which has 3 components and takes place ones a year.This program is open to employees who already became aware with companies values, understand their position within the company and ready for self-development. At the first step staff is invited to investigate strengths, weaknesses, self-awareness and career pathways. The second step includes meeting with manager to discuss previous conclusions, perform a skills gap examination and choose position to develop toward desired path. There are online career centers available at this stage to provide all necessary reference materials to complete this stage. Last third step in the program leads to setting goals by employee and making an action plan.IKEA has created environment for growth founded on belief that good people can be even better. In the year 2002 the â€Å"SKILLS ESCALATOR† program was born from this idea. The Skills Escalator is compound of 4 main steps. When employee starts job as a trainee comes the first step. The second comes when employee actually step into planned responsibility. The third step is called â€Å"senior† because at this stage staff becomes leading with tasks of coaching others in their specific work. When the employee has become a mentor and expert it means the last fourth step of program has been reached.This program was created due to willingness of the company to employ people not solely for one role but to take a leading position in long-term. The core idea lies in progress, in order to learn and then train others. In IKEA nobody is a trainee longer than one year. The â€Å"SKILLS ESCALATOR† always gives opportunity for staff to get higher skills level. Employees are progressing while working, they perform work and see which skill are necessary and how attain them during the working process and receiving feedback Employees are confronted with a coach, who is not telling exactly what to do, but help to ind an answer by giving few leading questions. Therefore employees receive help and support, but in such a way they describe what they need to know rather told in advanced. It gives employees control over own development. This relates to on-the-job training, which is most used training process in IKEA. In fall 2011 IKEA launched mentoring initiative â€Å"PARTNERS FOR GROWTH† which was directed by famous mentoring consultant Dr. Lois Zachary of Leadership Development Services. This program was set up to help co-workers establish vital relationships to maintain them in piloting IKEA and in pursuing their own personal development.This program targets only to the IKEA`s key management. Jeff Wilson, Leaning & Development Manager in US explains that â€Å"Partners for Growth† will have a crucial influence on IKEA, he believes, that among many other programs this one is one of the most important. As IKEA has big expansion plans for next 10 years this program will lie in the very heart of the process. A lot of efforts will be given to co-workers` development programs such this one, due to the need of greater capability for people to take superior responsibilities in US and Canada.Pernille Lopez, President of IKEA NA admits that Zachary`s knowledge helped to line up a triumphant monitoring strategy with his own. Lopez confirms, that IKEA`s main goal is to help co-workers to do their job better by developing and empowering staff. In IKEA they take extra steps in mentoring program. IKEA base mentoring program on growth of both mentee and mentor holding expectation of creating better employees by making them a partners. Innate result of this program turns IKEA`s mentees to future mentors. Major mentor to IKEA`s mentoring support groups, Dr.Zachary praises company`s commitment to development processes and finds those innovative and hopes to see mentoring process as a natural aspect of the IKEA`s culture in the next few years. â€Å"P ARTNERS FOR GROWTH† soothes the progress of individual learning, encourages professional and personal development, and has 4 strategic goals: * Develop Leaders from top to bottom – Support career development across the board – Develop and support diversity through IKEA organization – Strengthen IKEA culture Interest of employees in IKEA for more internal training | Percentage| Yes| 79%| No| 4%| Don`t know| 16%| Totals| 100%|PASSIONATE CAREER IN IKEA In IKEA at entry level all employees are hired externally, then those employees are making their way up through promotions. Only 10% of employees on higher levels are hired externally mostly because of lack of eligible candidates. Career planning in any organization is based on how the organization may help and helps its employees in planning their careers. IKEA behave as a supportive partner, in managing its employees careers, for example, by lowering the work load while employee is taking any educational prog ram, by giving time off to study, or by paying a part of the tuition fee.Therefore, career planning may include anything from policies on hiring and promotions and collecting data about personal preferences to Educational Assistance Programs and flexible working hours. Educational Assistance Program gives employees monetary benefits for taking certain training or courses. To be eligible for those benefits the employee must pass the course with the mark of 75% or higher. Those benefits depend on the course taken and on the level at which the employee is. Nonetheless, IKEA offers also its own training and development program.Whereas the company and the level of employment require certain training programs, others are optional. IKEA says that career planning mostly depends on their employees if they want to be pro-active rather than reactive, if they are willing to take more responsibility and to learn more, positions are always posted in the store and every employee may apply upon mee ting certain requirements and having good performance appraisals. IKEA as being in retail industry hires many people on a part time basis, therefore it may offer what is called flexible working hours.This primarily means that employees have a choice what day to work and what hours to work, since they are not required to work 40 hours a week. Flex work enables co-workers to balance home and work careers as well as to spend more time on personal development. Nonetheless, flex work program depends on where the co-worker is working, for instance, in some departments, such as IKEA Trading, co-workers are required to work 8 hours a day but it does not have to be in straight time as long as they have eight hours a day worked.Whereas, in other departments it means that co-worker may choose which days to take off and which days to work. Promotions within IKEA may be vertical or lateral. The policy states that in order to be eligible for promotion for a position lower than management position , the candidate must work with the company at least six months, and to be eligible for promotion for management position the candidate must work at least three years. IKEA provides good program for those employees that would like to, and are eligible for, relocation to different country.Interested co-worker needs to meet certain requirements and be the best candidate for that position. In case of not having the language knowledge IKEA provides language training therefore upon arriving in the new workplace the promoted candidate can communicate with others. This tactic ensures that all employees meeting the requirements may be chosen and the language is not a barrier. IKEA, as a part of career planning of its employees, also does succession planning in conjunction with management. It means that IKEA has charts with listed higher positions, employees on that positions, and relationships between those positions.In case of any vacancies the chart lists prospective successors that may st ep up into that position. IKEA in developing such charts takes into consideration performance appraisals, experience, personal characteristics, and personal preferences of the candidate. As mentioned earlier IKEA does it in conjunction with managers, it means each candidate's qualifications are confirmed by the manager and that manager decides whether the candidate is ready to be promoted or not. Feelings of employees in relation to competences utilized in the right way within the company TAKING CARE OF PEOPLE: EMPLOYEESIKEA always tends to give greater value to its people by calling them co-workers, in such a way highlighting the importance of workforce in this company. The most important values for communication strategy in IKEA are respect, cost consciousness, togetherness and simplicity. During the hiring process IKEA is willing to take people who are willing to growth both professionally and individually, it is always stressed and emphasized during the recruitment. IKEA wishes to create sort of a partnership with its co-workers, it is ready to listen to their ambitions and particularly interested in hiring people who share IKEA`s values.In IKEA responsibility is given to co-workers and strategy of empowerment is applied. Therefore co-workers in IKEA are not afraid of making mistakes and are encouraged to innovative way of thinking. Worst enemy or evolution in IKEA is fear of mistakes. One of the factors IKEA using to make their employees feel better at the work place is absolute avoidance of status symbols. This system allows people to feel equal. The inspiration comes from the top management, and particularly from Ingvar Kampard who brings a great encouragement through his own life.For instance, he always uses public transport instead of taxis or car whenever it is possible. This again sets a good example for cost-consciousness from the highest level on, shows that managers do not expect things from their co-workers that they aren’t willing to do themselves. For Christmas 2006 IKEA has given 9000 bicycles to its employees with a purpose of cutting down the pollution and stick to idea of togetherness and cost-consciousness, which comes from top management. The staff is getting 15% off travel tickets on public transport to sustain same goals.Another example of how IKEA takes care of its employees is training and learning which not necessarily be important for the jobs performed. In 2002 Scottish IKEA introduced IT training for co-workers even thou most of those employees were not using computers in their jobs. IKEA tries to support co-workers, increase self-awareness and encourage them through continuous motivation and incentives. As mentioned before, preference during the recruitment process is given to people who are ready to grow both professionally and personally in IKEA.Regarding the motivating theories, when we begin using McGregor’s theory of X and Y, it can be safely stated that IKEA recognizes its employees as theory Y. IKEA consequently supplies the employees with benefits and incentives in order to give the opportunity for the workforce to grow themselves and their careers. Success of IKEA does not lie in cheap prices, but particularly in treatment of so-called co-workers and direct outcome of it. IKEA has two programs directed towards older employees: The duration of notice of termination of employment is increased by one month per year of employment for employees who are 40 years of age or older.The maximum raise is six months and is in addition to the length of notice according to the law. After ten years of work in IKEA, employees going on pension are allowed to a period of six months of reduced working time with full payment before the retirement. This helps to ease the transition from work to retirement by letting leisure to gradually take the place of work. Differences between IKEA per region in relation to Perceived Stress on the workplace Differences between IKEA per region in relation to how loyal employees feel towards the companyDifferences between IKEA per region in relation if they see themselves working in the company in the next 5 years TAKING CARE OF PEOPLE: CUSTOMERS * 1 million customers visit IKEA every day * The average customer makes 3. 5 store visits per year * The average age of a customer is 42 * 60 per cent of them are female * 150 million meatballs a year are served in IKEA restaurants * 145 million catalogues are printed in 48 editions and 25 languages * IKEA staff conduct 50000 yearly â€Å"home visits† where they visit customers' homes (in exchange for an IKEA credit voucher) to find out what frustrates customers about IKEA products.All business organizations need to make sure that their customers are satisfied with the service they receive because customers are the most important part of any successful organization. IKEA is acting according to the A. R. T. of great service, to carry out a good customer service: Approachable- a n organization must create an open and friendly environment that will influence customers to come in with self-assurance so that their matter can be dealt with. Responsive -all staff should take responsibility of their action. Customer service should be flexible and provide precise and honest information, at all times.Timely – done accurately and efficiently at all time. Many businesses record customer complaints so that, they can review the matter, and to improve its customer service. THE WORK WELL PROGRAM HEALTHY PEOPLE= HEALTHY ORGANIZATION Retention of senior co-workers in IKEA in ways of: * twice a month offered body massage; * specialized course in healthy lifestyle containing a personal diet program, and guidance on losing (or gaining) weight; * help to stop smoking, handle stress or manage situations of conflict; * providing discount on fees to fitness centers; providing comprehensive health insurance coverage providing medical treatment and rehabilitation therapy in private clinics to encourage quick recovery and return to the workplace after illness; * a local project promoting good working attitude through colleague-to-colleague guidance in standing, sitting and lifting correctly Discrimination in IKEA USA Ikea has their way of conduct called the IWAY standing for ‘The IKEA Way on Purchasing Home Furnishing Products’. It defines what suppliers can expect from IKEA and specifies what IKEA requires from its suppliers. Moreover the IWAY guides the work of employees.It covers working conditions, the prevention of child labor, the environment, responsible forestry management and more. Suppliers are responsible for communicating the content of the IKEA code of conduct to co-workers and sub-contractors and ensuring that all required measures are implemented at their own operations. For example, talking about discrimination the IWAY mentions: ‘The IKEA supplier shall not discriminate with regards to workers based on race, religion, beliefs, gender, marital or maternal status, age, political affiliation, national origin, disability, sexual orientation or any other basis. Discrimination is therefore forbidden not only concerning the race but also the gender, religion, beliefs, marital or maternal status etc. However in April 2011, complaints of racial discrimination were present in Virginia, more precisely in the city of Danville. Six African American employees have filed discrimination complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, claiming that black workers at Swedwood's (an industrial group within the IKEA Group of companies) U. S. actory are assigned to the lowest-paying departments and to the least desirable third shift which means from 11 p. m. to 7 a. m. One of the women, Jackie Maubin, mentioned that white people were more likely to receive more money than black people. Swedwood found solutions to face those issues by showing those complaints through mediation and Ikea had offered Maubin 1000 dollars. The company Ikea is trying to eliminate discrimination by hiring based on workers individual skills and ability to do the job.CONCLUSION: As shown thoroughly throughout this report, in both theory and practice, OB is IKEA’s top priority; the company pays a great deal of attention and energy to the company’s organizational behavior. It is part of Ikeas foundation, which results in great success. Though of course, whether OB is IKEA’s number one, or number two priority, it varies depending on factors such as the country in which that particular IKEA is located, as well as the culture in which it operates in.Though the origin of the Swedish IKEA has OB as a number one priority, it slightly varies depending on the location of each IKEA store or warehouse, that is due to the fact that cultures and norm and ways of doing business vary all over the world, and even though IKEA does its best to keep OB its number one priority, it is not the number one prior ity in every single IKEA all over the world. There is still room for improvement though in comparison to other companies, IKEA certainly never neglects the important of OB, but whether it is the number one or number three priority, that varies all over the world.Appendix: Interview With Emil Svallingsson, Warehouse Employee at IKEA Sweden for 10 Years According to you, how are employees being treated at the IKEA warehouse? In an equal way? In general, all employees are treated well, even though some bad things has shown during my 10 years at IKEA. If you are complaining, you are risking to not get a promotion. People were always quitting and new were starting, mostly because of annoying costumers and due to a too small number of employees. IKEA is constantly trying to cut down on their staff in order to have the consumers doing as much as possible.During a very long time, no new people were hired at my department. Additionally, I have to say that there always have been a good diver sity between men/women, religion and age. It's a good mix! Are employees proud about their jobs? †No, it's about 50/50 I would say. 50% thinks IKEA is amazing and a wonderful place to work. We call those certain people the â€Å"IKEAns†, like Indiens. The other 50% are mostly working there because of a lack of other things to do. †Is IKEA a good environment for new initiatives? You always have to push yourself forward and be initiative if you want something to happen with your carrier. It is almost expected from the employees to do more than it says in their contract if they want to achieve higher positions. †Are employees actively involved to develop IKEA, or are they according to you, in need of being â€Å"pushed† forward in order to develop? †Again, that's 50/50. The ones who believes in the IKEA concept (the IKEA`ns) loves to be a part of the IKEA family and they do not have to be pushed. The rest of us might need a clear goal to be motivat ed.I would have liked to just have a small percentage of the extra money I earned if my selling went extra well for example. They don't have systems like that. Time to time, they did have a small competition or party for the employees though. That was fun. Interview with the French marketing director Hakan Sandman How are decisions in general being taken at IKEA? Ikea is very democratic in general, even though it's different between different countries. It differs depending on a country's general values and how the people are looking at the word Trust. It is easy to say, Yes†- we trust our employees! but not as easy to live. I would say that IKEA Sweden trust their employees most of all countries, but in comparison to other companies in France, we are very good at trusting and giving away responsibilities. How are the people at IKEA helping each other in order to move forward as a group? At IKEA, it is important that it's easy for our employees to understand and live our value s and beliefs. In the retail department, there are so many people who comes and goes, so it is important that the new ones are able to learn quickly and that the old ones are willing to teach.One of our most important slogans is: â€Å"Lead by Example† which basically means that you have to live as you learn. When the founder, Ingvar Kamprad, where in his forties, he was driving around in a Porsche, drinking champagne with beautiful women and he was living a very different life from today. He later on realized the importance of guiding people by being the example himself, and started to behave in a more appropriate way for IKEA. So what is â€Å"appropriate† for IKEA? It is important for anyone who works at IKEA to be a good example when it comes to money. You have to live as you learn and you are not opposed to waist them.An example of this is when a person at IKEA Russia once where spending a bit too much, which lead to that the company lost 50 million euro. Ingvar h imself then went to the person who was responsible for the act, but instead of yelling at him for what he did, he started to lecture about good behavior and the norms of IKEA. In this case, Ingvar saw that it wasn’t the money that were important in the situation, but the symbolic act to waist 50 millions. It was just not good for IKEAs reputation. At the same time he managed to â€Å"Lead by Example† by being a really good and understanding leader. Is it really that equal at IKEA?IKEA is a flat organization, which means it is not hierarchic. Our decisions may take longer time, but when letting everyone decide, people all over the organization will truly believe in the decision and work more efficient to get through with the new idea. At IKEA, it is important to feel the â€Å"We- Spirit†. Since we are doing things together, that leads to more personal energy and everyone will be more effective. Do you prefer it like that or the other way around? Sometimes, it ma y be hard to take a decision within the overall budget for example, cause we don’t really have anyone who Really decides.Everyone might want different things and that can require more time and energy than it would have done in a hierarchical organization. But in the end, I really prefer the flat type of organization. How to you get a flat organization to be effective? It's all about a balance between time efficiency and democracy. In the warehouses, there is somewhat a hierarchy, but as flat as possible. It wouldn't work otherwise. Ingvar himself is very concerned about his employees though and likes to spend time in warehouses in order to take in the opinions of people working there. He wants them to also have power.But is it really that equal between men and women? Every department sets its own goals every year. The goals are based on feeling form the employees but also on measured facts. In the very top, there are more men than women. A lot of women are working in HR depar tment and marketing. I'm the only man at the marketing department! It is really well divided between warehouse bosses though, I would say very close to 50/50 for men and women. References: http://geert-hofstede. com/sweden. html http://www. glassdoor. com/Salary/IKEA-Salaries-E3957. htm http://www. glassdoor. com/Bonuses/IKEA-Bonuses-E3957. tm http://www. ikea. com/ms/en_US/about_ikea/our_responsibility/national_community_involvment/index. html http://www. gulftalent. com/home/Training-and-Development-Manager-IKEA-jobs http://www. treehugger. com/bikes/ikea-thanks-usa-staff-with-12400-free-bicycles. html http://www. icmrindia. org/casestudies/catalogue/Human%20Resource%20and%20Organ ization%20Behavior/HROB066. htm http://www. ajc. com/hotjobs/content/hotjobs/careercenter/articles/2007/12/04/1202_divikea. html http://goliath. ecnext. com/coms2/gi_0199-15937449/Ikea-sales-rise-brings-new. html http://theroast. com. au/story/262 ttp://www. workforce. com/article/20040730/NEWS02/3073099 82# http://www. ikea. com/ms/sv_SE/about_ikea/facts_and_figures/index. html https://home. workforce. com/clickshare/authenticateUserSubscription. do? http://www. glassdoor. com/Reviews/IKEA-Reviews-E3957. htm#Awards http://www. ikea. com/ms/en_US/the_ikea_story/working_at_ikea/co_worker_stories_par. html http://www. morten-rask. dk/2007c. pdf http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/IKEA http://publicculture. org/articles/view/19/3/on-the-ikeaization-of-france/ http://consumerist. com/2007/07/8-ikea-shopping-tips-from-a-former-employee. tml http://www. vault. com/survey/employee/IKEA3_2146. html http://www. ehmac. ca/everything-else-eh/51467-ikea-employee-discount. html http://forums. moneysavingexpert. com/showthread. php? t=145248 http://forums. redflagdeals. com/ikea-employee-discount-735501/ http://curbed. com/archives/2011/05/19/ikea-responds-to-charges-of-discrimination-and-poor-labor-conditions. php http://mangans. blogspot. com/2011/04/ikea-workers-complain-of-discrimination. html htt p://www. ituc-csi. org/ituc-condemns-ikea-anti-union. html? lang=en http://reocities. com/TimesSquare/1848/ikea. html http://www. uthorstream. com/Presentation/aSGuest9557-133416-ikea-business-finance-ppt-powerpoint/ http://www. ikea. com/ms/en_US/about_ikea/our_responsibility/working_conditions/preventing_child_labour. html http://www. ikea. com/ms/en_US/the_ikea_story/people_and_the_environment/index. html http://www. icmrindia. org/casestudies/catalogue/Business%20Ethics/IKEA%20-%20Social%20and%20Environmental%20Responsibility%20Initiatives. htm http://www. ikea. com/ms/en_US/the_ikea_story/working_at_ikea/co_worker_stories_par. html http://knowledge. wharton. upenn. edu/article. cfm? articleid=959 http://www. expology. o/expose/sites/expology_se/default. asp? s=387&id=642 http://www. smp. se/nyheter/almhult/ingvar-kamprad-oppnade-nytt-center-for-ikea-kultur(2076302). gm http://www. ikea. com/ms/sv_SE/about_ikea/pdf/sustainability_05. pdf http://www. efinancialnews. com/story/200 5-01-24/ikea-builds-global-pensions-package http://www. paraplyprojektet. se/news. php? id=1655&categoryID=4 http://www. ifmab. se/Vetaom/Pdf/Tiotaggare. pdf http://www. ikea. com/ms/en_US/about_ikea/our_responsibility/iway/index. html http://www. ikea. com/ms/en_US/about_ikea/pdf/SCGlobal_IWAYSTDVers4. pdf http://www. swedwood. com/ http://www. outube. com/watch? v=Z1pfI0xI6FQ http://www. ikea. com/gb/en/catalog/categories/series/21132/ http://www. ikea. com/gb/en/catalog/products/20196303/ http://www. personneltoday. com/awards/shortlist/award-for-reward-and-benefits/ http://gupea. ub. gu. se/bitstream/2077/2370/1/gbs_thesis_2002_22. pdf http://gupea. ub. gu. se/bitstream/2077/23217/1/gupea_2077_23217_1. pdf http://lup. lub. lu. se/luur/download? func=downloadFile&recordOId=598845&fileOId=598846 http://www. scribd. com/doc/44925799/IKEA-Corporate-Culture http://www. bitc. org. uk/resources/case_studies/ikea_diversity. html http://www. cmrindia. org/casestudies/catalogue/Human%20Re source%20and%20Organization%20Behavior/IKEA%20Innovative%20Human%20Resource%20Management%20Practices%20and%20Work%20Culture. htm Academy of Management Executive Magazine 2003, Vol17, No1 , Interview written by Katarina Kling and Ingela Goteman: â€Å"IKEA CEO Anders Dahlvig on international growth and IKEA`s unique corporate culture and brand identity† http://www. morten-rask. dk/2007c. pdf ——————————————– [ 1 ]. 1 Barret, Richard M. , â€Å"IKEA San Diego Supports ‘Green' Movement by Developing Stricter Manufacturing and Supply Standards,†

Chastity essays

Chastity essays The video watched in class touched on some of my personal concerns as a human. I agree with almost everything discussed in the video. It was entertaining to listen to the perspectives of this couple. Fortunately, they succeeded and did change some of my opinions. Some points sounded very off the wall. Many things the man brought up sounded like a lie. Like when he talked about STDs all of the statistics sounded much too exaggerated. I have heard many statistics in this area and this one just sounded out of proportion. Also, they made going out on the weekends with friends sound wrong to do. I feel that that is a huge part of teenage life and without experimenting with your boundaries it would be hard to know who you are. It is necessary to know your boundaries as an individual whether it is sexual because this sets an establishment in your brain. It is up to the individual to do what they want sexually. But for me personally, my boundaries are set at a very reasonable place because I am a Catholic. Other points sounded reasonable. Although this video was a little overdone, it still influenced my opinions in a positive way. I used to not think so much about how far I go with girls, but now I have more respect for the girls I encounter. I feel I have put more value on the worth of my virginity. I also believe that many kids in our society today have no value on how far they go. This video is good for them because it scares the audience into doing anything sexual. I feel there are many problems in todays society, one of which is pornography. I am ashamed of the women who use their body for others entertainment. This just probably kills their self worth. Another problem is with girls these days that are so innocent and yet so susceptible to guys to give up their body. It is these girls that I feel this video is important for. They just place no worth on themselves and this just creates problems to all mayhem fro...

Doctor Assisted Suicide essays

Doctor Assisted Suicide essays Throughout recent years, debate in the U.S. about doctor-assisted suicide has gradually increased. The question of whether or not a physician should be able to assist in the planned death of a fatally sick person has been argued by many different sides. Assisted suicide advocates, such as Right to Die organizations, argue that human beings that are terminally ill should have the right to end their suffering and die with dignity. Opponents of the subject, such as the AMA, claim that the idea is morally wrong and will lead the medical profession to value death, instead of preserving life. The issue of assisted death is widely acknowledged throughout the world. In fact, doctor assisted suicide is legal in the Netherlands as well as the state of Oregon, and the act also takes place illegally in the U.S. and around the rest of the world. Assisted suicide is either prohibited by law or has been prohibited by court rulings in just about every state. Attempts to legalize assisted suicide through voter initiative were defeated in California in 1992 and Washington State in 1991(issues).. Over 20 state legislatures have considered and overpowered similar laws(issues). Oregon's policy on doctor-assisted suicide differs from all other U.S. policies in that it declares the operation legal. The policy is called the Death with Dignity Act. The Death with Dignity Act allows physicians to prescribe qualified patients a fatal dosage of medicine. The patient is qualified when two doctors must judge independently that the patient has six months or less to live, patients must have explored all treatment options, witnesses must affirm that the patient seeks to die willingly and, if a person's mental competence is in question, a psychologist must confirm that the patient is neither mentally incompetent nor depressed (Oregon). When assisted-suicide is made legal many risks and unwanted conditions may become evident. People fear that if the...

Essay on The art educationEssay Writing Service

Essay on The art educationEssay Writing Service Essay on The art education Essay on The art educationThe art education began in the late 19th century and, since then, has become really important in our society. A lot of parents suggest their children to start learning art at preschool because art education becomes an inseparable part of education.   People learn art at school, also outside school, no matter in which country they   are. I, for example, have been at art since preschool: my parents used to send me to Art Education School every week because they thought art would train child’s attention and focus. Also, since preschool I have never given up art till the present moment. I have had lots of experience connected with art because I attended art school and I’m really interesting in art.Due to the course of Art Education I have been acquainted with an artist called Stuart Werle, who teaches Design class in Ontario College of Art and Design. He’s a great designer of packaging design and also a good teacher to share his experien ce on his subject. One of his first lectures Stuart began with some funny jokes to â€Å"break the ice† between him and students. As a result, the students got relaxed and got ready for the class. Then, he started from the schedule of the day, introduction of the plan for that period. It was the following: 1) checking the attendance, 2) discussion of the assignment, 3) lecture, and, at the end, 4) one-to-one discussion.Good organization of the timetable for the art education is important, and art educator must   prepare well for the lectures before the class. Art educator, Stuart usually passes away the attendant sheet to let student sign in their names. In my opinion, passing around the attendants’ sheet allows the students to have more freedom to attend this course or not, and it is a good way to start the class. One of Stuart’s techniques in teaching is his introduction of the assignment: he discusses the assignment using a projector. He reads the assignmen t thoroughly by himself and explains the text of the assignment in detail, then hands out the assignment sheet making sure each student understands the content of the assignment. After discussion of the assignment, the educator has a lecture on packaging design and its correlation to business. He describes how important the interaction between packaging design and business is. He does not stand up while holding the class, he sits at the computer behind the projector. I think this position is good, as he is able to control the PowerPoint presentation, however, when he wants to share his own experience and opinion, he would stand up and use gesticulation to make the lecture more interesting and impressive. â€Å"Teaching is a performance art. Teachers do many things whose only purpose is to enable other people to learn, whether those people are physically present or otherwise. â€Å" (Introduction, Theory, Practice, the element of teaching   23), Using body language while sharing some experience or opinion represents the art of performance. It works because the body gesture catches every student’s attention.During his lecture time, Stuart likes to give an example to let the students think on it.   He usually prepares a real study case of the brand for the packaging design. For example, he lists the brief model of the pop tart to teenagers, analyzes business peculiarities of the brand and asks students the questions related to the brand. Of course, Stuart will answer the question at the end of the discussion. At the end of the lecture, Stuart asks students to sign their names on the blackboard for the one-to-one discussion. The benefits of the one-to-one discussion are the following for the students: they have face to face contact with the teacher, express their own opinion and share   their ideas with the instructor. Moreover, the instructor is able to know how much each student has learned or what has inspired this student during his lecture. Stu dent, in his/her turn, can ask him questions during the one-to-one discussion.The second class from the schedule which I attended that day was the Assignment Critique. The format of the Critique is very similar to my courses: the Critique is an exhibition of students’ artworks. All of the art products are displayed on the table: students stand up and look at the pieces. The format of the class was the following: he randomly chose one piece and let students talk about their impressions, and the artist of the piece had to speak out at the end of other students’ discussion. Most of the pieces were awesome; Stuart would share his opinion during the Critique because he wants his students to improve themselves. Ability to share and communication skills are the most important qualities for an art educator, because they allow the art educator and the students grow and develop together. The students feel good for their artworks because the Critique is not the place for people t o criticize any artwork, but the place to share and learn from each other.Art Education differs from other courses such as Business or Mathematic. At the class of Art Education there is no right or wrong answer, all art pieces should get people’s respect because all artworks made by the students are full of love and meaning.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In conclusion, to become a great art educator, it is necessary to learn from other educators to get more experience. Looking at Stuart Werle’s methods of work, I have learned how to prepare for the class and organize the schedule before the class, create interesting activities or prepare some jokes to â€Å"break the ice†, and teach using bright examples to inspire the learners to learn thoroughly and understand the material more deeply. A good educator should take care of each student, speak louder to make sure that students at the back of the class can hear well. Each art educator should find out his or her own way to teach his subject. Perhaps, it is necessary to spend more time in order to find out a good way, but observing other art educators I have learned a lot and have been greatly inspired by them

Infant observation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Infant observation - Essay Example As I watched the child, after he had taken the yogurt, I could observe that he was able to wave at me and this is a sign of trust as explained by Erik Erikson in the first stage of development where there is either trust or mistrust. Trust occurs when the child is able to have faith in people around him and relate with well without fear that they could be harmful to him, while mistrust occurs when the child is unable to relate with people around him feeling that they have ill will on him. In addition, under Maslow hierarchy of needs where one seeks security and love after his basic needs such as food, clothes and shelter have been satisfied, i was able to observe that he only waved at me after taking yogurt, a sign to show hat he was satisfied with food and now needed love and protection. In this case, yogurt served as food. He moved his head up and down when music played as a way of dancing; this could be as result of classical conditioning in the theory of behaviorism. Classical co nditioning in behaviorism occurs when one is able to associate certain object or incidents that frequently happen with something familiar to ones immediate environment. This child learnt to associate music with dancing. He grabbed his friends’ hair and pulled it, stood by himself and walked across the room by holding the cribs. Additionally, he was able to make the ball roll round, shake the rattle, stretch out in the floor, and act like as if he was talking on the phone. The child is able to do this during infant development stage according to cognitive theory (Douglas 35). In his sensory development, I could observe that he was able to touch his friend’s hair and pull it, see me, and wave towards my direction when we first met. According to attachment theory, the child at infant stage is able to relate well with people close to him especially his caregiver. Therefore, from the above observation, it appears that he is already attached to his

Information Security in Supply Chain Security Research Proposal

Information Security in Supply Chain Security - Research Proposal Example However, this ‘information security’ aspect in the supply chain security is not as greatly investigated as the other areas are. Given the fact that supply chains involve crucial information about organizations, nations as well as about individuals, it is a necessity to ensure the security of all the information. Large supply chains that include borders of different countries involve number of agencies that share information among themselves. Such a process requires a strong system that would ensure the security of information. This research proposal is an attempt to provide a guideline regarding the research that will be conducted on the information security systems that are used by the agencies like customs in various countries. The proposal includes details of research objectives, possible structure of literature review as well as the research methodology. Research Objectives The main purpose behind conducting this research is to identify and analyze the present inform ation security systems that are used by various key players in the supply chains. Furthermore, the research is also aimed at finding out the alternative security system models that may be used. There may be several aspects or parameters based on which a particular security system model can be analyzed. ... It is found that ASYCUDA (Automated System for Customs Data Acquisition) is one of those systems that are widely used by important agencies that are involved in the global supply chains. Hence, this research will aim at gathering sufficient information about this system, its usage, advantages and disadvantages. This will certainly be another main objective of the research. In addition to all these objectives, the research will also focus on identifying the requirements of changing the existing systems and having a new one that will be more efficient and effective. Hence, the following research question arise form these objectives. Is there any need of developing a new standard information security system that will be used across the world? Literature Review A preliminary study of literature reveals that supply chains have evolved in several respects over the past few decades. They have become more global than they were ever before. Today, major stakeholders in a supply chain’s security are the industry, governments and terminal operators. According to the findings of a research paper which is published by IT major IBM, key elements of the security of a supply chain include physical security, risk analysis, personnel security, information security and procedural security (Knight, 2003). As far as information security is considered it is certainly one of the most significant elements as the supply chain processes are managed by the information systems. Acknowledgement of the importance of information security must come with the acceptance of the fact that there are several problems that challenge the safety and security of information that are exchanged across the supply chains. Andrew R. Thomas has opined that one of the major problems

Pratical Marketing Communications Re-sis Assignment . (I orderd the Essay

Pratical Marketing Communications Re-sis Assignment . (I orderd the same assigment and the writter did it incorrectly therefor - Essay Example The target market for the M-PESA mobile money service ranges from business owners who can be paid their bills using the service to the Safaricom network users who spend a lot of time and money to send money to their friends and families or to pay their bills, and in Kenya, some of the closest rivals of the service are Airtel money, Yu cash and Orange money. Safaricom Kenya limited uses successful business and media personalities to endorse their product such as Jaguar and Size 8 who are some of the most celebrated media personalities in the country. The use of Jaguar, a celebrated musician in the country whose story of rags to riches identifies with most of Safaricom mobile services subscribers was well informed as the musician is seen by many young people as their role model in their quest to pull themselves out of poverty. The â€Å"Niko na Safaricom† advert that was performed by the Safaricom choir was hailed as one of the best musical adverts ever shot in the country and i t became a household song soon after its release. Point of sale promotion also encouraged many people to register for the service as the registration was free and SIM cards were sold at subsidised rates. The introduction rates for the service, although they were perceived to be fair, they were relatively expensive to most of the M-PESA service users The company also uses the social media to encourage its subscribers and the subscribers of their rival companies to subscribe to the service by asking quizzes about the benefits and the products within the M-PESA service on its facebook fan page. Introduction The purpose of this report is to analyse the various communication elements that Safaricom Kenya limited has included in its communication mix to sell its M-PESA mobile money service to its subscribers. This report has highlighted the main communication techniques that the company has adopted that ranges from celebrity endorsements by popular media and business personalities in the country to advertisements. Point of sale promotions, the way the product is packaged within other services offered by the company, its advertisement strategies and how it has used the social media and especially facebook to market the M-PESA mobile money service (Kloeppinger-Todd & Sharma, 2010, p239). The report will compare the brand with other similar services that are offered by its rival companies; however, due to the large number of services that the company offers, the report will not look at the communication mix that the company has used to market its other products and services (Pike, 2008, p56). Product history Safaricom M-PESA service has been in existence in Kenya since the year 2007 when it was launched, it was launched as a mobile money transfer service that would enable its users to transfer money to other subscribers of the network. However, it was advanced to incorporate sending of money to other mobile subscriber networks such as Celtel, which is currently Bharti Airtel Kenya and Telkom Kenya. The M-PESA mobile money service entails services such as depositing and withdrawing of money, transferring of money to other users and non-users, purchasing of airtime, pay bills and transferring of money between the service and a bank account of the user in some

Natural hazard and disasters - floods Assignment

Natural hazard and disasters - floods - Assignment Example Floods are very devastating natural phenomenon. It is a temporary condition wherein dry lands are swamped with waters coming from the outflow of rivers, tidal waters, or from the unusual rapid accumulation of water from any source. Types of floods are riverine floods, flash flooding, storm surge, and dam failure. Riverine floods are caused by heavy rainfall when catch basins are no longer able to hold excess water. Storm surge in coastal areas due to a tidal wave, high tide, tsunami or hurricane. Dam failures are explosion of dams due to earthquake that cause great floods in down streams. Another kind of flood and most common is the â€Å"flash floods† that can occur almost anywhere when there is a sudden burst of intense rainfall wherein drainage is either clogged or it has not enough capacity to absorb. Usually, flash floods stay only for short hours. It is unlike river flooding that occurs in low-lying areas adjacent to river and streams that stays flooded for several days. (Geoscience Australia, August 2013.) 2. Explain the system used to classify floods. Several systems of floods classifications have been suggested by engineers and scientists, but I have not found a universal application that is appropriate for a region. For instance, Luke Howard Classification System (n.d.), depends on clouds classification. Accordingly, his system has been used for many years. For Luke, the appearance of clouds formation dictates the amount of rainfall. But to me, this is not the systematic way of classifying floods. Experts today have arrived at a more methodological manner of classifying floods. The National Geographic (2013) said hydrologists used past flood patterns to predict when and where floods could happen, but since these are only estimates, climate , weather, and land can change. Soil scientists study how much water the soil can absorb. The type of soil and the amount of groundwater tells the hydrologist how much more water the earth can absorb. They als o determine the amount of water a runoff can absorb. Runoff water comes from natural processes such as excess irrigation, industrial wastes and sewage. Hydrologists also evaluate snowfall and snowpack. Snowfalls are also said to be contributory to flooding, and when snow melts, the grounds may not be able to absorb too much water (National Geographic 2013). Today, our weather stations use modern technology such as Doppler radar. This system helps meteorologist predict floods, it also shows them how severe a storm would be. Doppler system allows scientists to detect weather pattern and to create computerized images of rainfall. There are also automated gauges placed in rivers that measure the height and speed of river currents, and the amount of rainfall received. Scientists also designed a geographic information system that helps them to warn people if the river will overrun its banks and floods are expected. 2. Discuss the 1913 flood which occurred in Dayton, Ohio with regards to: a. The nature of the event. The Great flood in Miami in 1913 has been described as the worst flood ever experienced in the region. A large amount of rainfall that fell continuously in three days, coupled by snow melting winter produced a run-off of streams in the Miami River and other rivers to overflow. These run-offs caused every city along the river to be inundated with floodwaters . b. Issues directly related to the impact of the event . According to the report of Miami Conservancy District, â€Å"more than 360 people lost their lives and property damage exceeded $100 million (that’s more than $2 billion in today’s economy).  The amount of water that passed through the river channel in Dayton equaled the amount of water that flows over Niagara Falls in a four-day period† (MCD, 2009)   . c. Lessons learned and actions taken as a result of the event. People were really unprepared for this tragedy so that the citizens of Miami, came together to make plans t o prevent