Tuesday, December 24, 2019

Economic Inequality Of The United States - 910 Words

The United States is a well-developed country and is considered to have the largest economy in the world. It is ranked high in GDP per capita, which indicates people enjoy a higher living standard in a nation (Mahoney, â€Å"Economic Inequality in the United States†). However, the aggregated data collected for GDP per capita could not be taken account for the middle and lower classes. According to the Pew Research Center, statistics show that the US income inequality has reached the biggest gap in 2013 (Desilver). Evidently, not all Americans possess the wealth and enjoy the benefit from the large portions of economy leading by the US. It is also shown through the fact that the US wealth distribution is generally the worst amongst the developed countries (Gongloff). It means that the top 1% of wealthy group is gaining more, but the middle and lower classes are hardly maintaining the same earnings or even making fewer profits than before, arguably the latter happens more often today. This controversial issue - the economic inequality that has been increasing significantly since the 1970s, seemingly attributed to the expansion of interest groups, which in turn negatively impacts the democracy in the United States. The interest groups in the United States started to grow rapidly since the 1960s (Mahoney, â€Å"Interest Groups and Inequality†). They are private organizations that seek to influence the public policy in favor of their objectives. There are various methods of advocacy beingShow MoreRelatedEconomic Inequality Of The United States1696 Words   |  7 PagesEconomic Inequality Paper Homelessness is one of the main problems plaguing the United States today, with low income earners at a higher risk of becoming homeless than previous years. There have been countless laws and ordinances put in place throughout the country in hopes of solving this growing problem but many of them have failed to address one of the main things causing this issue, economic inequality and the unequal distribution of wealth in the United States. Although there are many non-profitRead MoreEconomic Inequality Of The United States1435 Words   |  6 PagesIn 2013, President Obama asserted that the growing income gap in the United States is a â€Å"defining challenge of our time†. Economic inequality consistently ranks amongst the greatest concerns of voters and is the subject of growing national and international attention. As such, explorations of rising inequality are not new. Where the readings are revelatory, however, is in their efforts to expose the fallacy that economic distri bution, be it the hyper-concentration of wealth at the top or the existenceRead MoreEconomic Inequality In The United States Has Risen And1042 Words   |  5 PagesEconomic inequality in the United States has risen and absolute growth has slowed over the past half-century. This growing level of inequality sparks in a wave of support for redistribution. The U.S.’s inability to redistribute to the bottom quartile of the income distribution results a multitude of factors that explain why people would support or oppose redistribution. An explanation of economic inequality involves the argument that the wealthy have the needed resources in order to flourish in achievingRead MoreThe Economic Inequality Of Hispanic Immigrant And The United States By Using Micro / Macro Level Lenses1049 Words   |  5 PagesAnalyzing Economic Inequality in Hispanic Immigrant Population in the United States by Using Micro/Macro-Level Lenses According to the 2012 American Community Survey (ACS), the U.S. immigrant population stood at approximately 40.8 million, or 13 percent of the total U.S. population of 313.9 million (Nwosu, C., Batalova, J., Auclair, G., 2014). Along with its large number, immigration has had a very significant impact on the U.S society, and especially it has increased the diversity of the United StatesRead MorePoverty And The American Dream933 Words   |  4 PagesThe Inequality gap in America has increased for the past few decades. Resulting from Economic Inequality in America, 400 Americans share more than 50% of America’s total wealth. These 400 Americans are the Top 1%. While the Top 1% are living luxurious lives, the Bottom 99% is struggling to make ends meet. Inequality is nothing new to the United States. In fact, it is a serious problem for America’s Economy, Democracy and the Middle Class. Economic Inequality is the thing that makes the United StatesRead MoreWealth Inequality Of The United States1216 Words   |  5 PagesWealth in the United States is generally thought to be distributed fairly as the highest earners have a higher percentage of wealth. Although this common notion is technically correct, the wealth is not spread as fairly as people might believe. The United States uses a free market, capitalistic economy, which entails wealth inequality. However, the amount of wealth inequality depends on how the government limits the wealthy. Interestingly enough, the government does not have regulations to distributeRead More ¬an Inevitable Consequence of Economic Growth Is Increasing Inequality1241 Words   |  5 PagesAn inevitable consequence of economic growth is increasing inequality. Do you agree or disagree with the assertion? In the world we live in today, it is quite obvious to see that inequality is a growing consequence of economic growth. In this essay I will discuss how inequality affects states and the individuals living in the state. There are increased demands for educated workers; dependence of technology; privatization of markets; and the rise of capitalism which have led people to have drasticRead MoreThe Effects of Wealth Inequality in the U.S.1484 Words   |  6 PagesAnthony Giovenco Political Science Inequality Paper 12-18-14 The Effects of Wealth Inequality in the United States Wealth inequality in the United States has grown tremendously since 1970. The United States continuously reveals higher rates of inequality as a result of perpetual support for free market capitalism. The high rates of wealth inequality cause the growing financial crisis to persist, lower socio-economic mobility, increase national poverty, and have adverse effects on health andRead MoreImpact Of Wealth Inequality On The United States1220 Words   |  5 PagesImpacts of Wealth Inequality Wealth in the United States is generally thought to be spread fairly as the highest earners have a higher percentage of wealth. Although this common notion is technically correct, the wealth is not spread as fairly as people might believe. The United States uses a free market, capitalistic economy, which entails wealth inequality. However, the amount of wealth inequality depends on how the government limits the wealthy. Interestingly enough, the government does not haveRead MoreThe United States Of Inequality Essay1153 Words   |  5 PagesThe United States of Inequality is an article that delves into the harsh realities we face in our country today, with regards to income inequality. Income inequality in the United States is at a rise. And the sobering factor is that so little is being done to address this issue. According to a new study by researchers at the Economic Policy Institute, forces of rising inequality are operating at an all-time high throughout the United States. The study, â€Å"which measures income inequality by state, metro

Monday, December 16, 2019

Effective Advisory Committee Free Essays

Establishing an advisory committee: In the early stages of development, the organization tends to engage more or less organically with stakeholder groups. It’s not uncommon for representatives from such groups to occupy voting seats on the governing board of early-stage businesses. At the growth stage, investors often call for changes to the composition of boards, and In some cases, this may mean stakeholders lose their board positions to be replaced with â€Å"independent† directors approved by the investors. We will write a custom essay sample on Effective Advisory Committee or any similar topic only for you Order Now This process can contribute to a loss of what was once a natural connection between the organization and its stakeholders, and it can contribute to an erosion of mission focus at the board level of an organization (Ramani, 2015). Social entrepreneurships can counteract the harmful effects of this change by establishing an advisory committee or advisory board that includes stakeholders. Non-profit organizations frequently use this approach to involve beneficiary groups, clients and other stakeholders in strategy formation without giving them voting positions on the governing board (Achleitner et al., 2012). An advisory committee can help the organization gather information, keep in touch with impacts, and test stakeholder views while avoiding the trap of creating a board that’s too big or one whose members lack strategic skills.Advisory boards can also offer a way to tap into specialist expertise that may be missing from the main board group. Advisory bodies convened temporarily around a specific project or issue can feed findings back to the larger board and help shape strategic decisions (Ferrari, 2014). Angel investors who don’t insist on a voting seat on the board may contribute insight and strategic expertise through participation an advisory committee (Achleitner et al. 2012). To work effectively, advisory bodies need to form part of the overall governance strategy established at the highest board level. This means that they must be formally set, provided with a chair and a written brief, as well as criteria and processes for recruiting appropriate stakeholders. Safeguards need to be put in place to ensure the independence and accountability of the advisory board with clear systems for accountably feeding advisory board views back into the strategic deliberations of the main board group. How to cite Effective Advisory Committee, Papers

Sunday, December 8, 2019

Recruitment Process Of Woolworths Supermarket †MyAssignmenthelp.com

Question: Discuss about the Recruitment Process Of Woolworths Supermarket. Answer: Introduction To achieve and possess the employees that are talented, competent and effective, the companies are in a need to improve their recruitment strategies and processes. Recruitment is the major element of the human resource management function of the organisations as the selection and recruitment of the individuals is completely dependent upon the recruitment process. The better the process and strategies will be, the more potential candidates would be able to employ in the organisations. In modern and globalised business environment, it is necessary to retain the potential candidates for gaining increased number of competitive benefits. But due to several issues in the recruitment of the employees, the organisations lack behind in attaining these benefits and had to suffer with dropped down sales, profits and decreased brand recognition. To understand the challenges faced by the HRM department of Woolworths in the recruitment of the employees, the report will present some of the most dom inating challenges including the adverse organisational image, high level of competition in the business environment, rapidly up surging cultural diversity, low supply of the workforce and the rising number of ageing workforce (Price, 2016). These are the aspects that are hindering the successful recruitment of the employees and posing challenges for the organisation. The paper will help in understanding the issues of Woolworths which is one the top most supermarkets of Australia. The organisation had its grounding in the year 1924 and presently it is giving employment to approximately 111,000. There are few issues which have been identified in the recruitment of the workforce at Woolworths and being a renowned employer, it is still required to have better recruitment practices to attract competent talent (Woolworths, 2017). Challenges faced by Woolworths in the recruitment of the workforce Woolworths is one if the top most supermarket chains of Australia which has extended global reach with almost 111,000 employees in several countries. Due to increasing business competition, industrialisation and setting up of several other companies the recruitment challenges for Woolworths are increasing rapidly which threatens the fast development of the company. Challenge due to Organisational Image Organisational image is among one of the key issues in the recruitment of the workforce at Woolworths. There are both positive as well as negative aspects of the organisational image for Woolworths as the company poses a strong brand image from the perspective of sales, revenues and operations. But on the other hand, there is also an adverse image associated with the organisation because of the industry it operates. The individuals consider the retail sector as one of the highest pressurized sector which is not good for the people who are less communicative and cannot meet the monthly targets (Mokhlis, 2014). Thus, the individuals escape from getting employed in this industry rather they work in other industries in lower wages. And this occurred as one of the biggest recruitment challenges for the company to cope up with as because of such established image of the organisation as well as the sector, there has been experienced a sudden decline in the number of job applicants in Woolwo rths. Because of the growing pressures upon the employees in respect with solving the issues and queries of the customers, meeting targets and increasing sales have resulted in decreased recruitments I the last few years as well as the employees recruited are also of les competence and skills with limited qualifications. For managing such kind of challenges taking place in the recruitment of the workforce can be coped up by taking steps that can support the restricting of the image of the organisation as well as the retail sector. It is advisable that the organisation must take use of various kinds of advertisements so that there can be a changed image in the minds of the individuals who are in a need of job. The various advertisements can help in enhancing the visibility of the reorganisation it is also essential that the advertisements must explain the enormous career growth opportunities present in the company as well as chance for attaining personal development sessions as well as better employment opportunities (Atkinson and Storey, 2016). Challenges due to: Cultural Diversity Another major issue in the recruitment of the workforce at Woolworths is high level of cultural diversity. Because of the presence of several diverse cultures in the nation, there are both job applicants who possess high level of cultural diversity. And thus, it is difficult for Woolworths to perform workforce management of diverse cultural groups (Peltoniemi, 2015). Many a times the recruitment challenge is related to diversity in cultures and thus the recruitment managers are not able to understand the competence of the potential candidates as well as the candidates also unable to found themselves comfortable in getting adjusted in a group where there are more of culturally diverse individuals. For effectively managing the challenge of cultural diversity, it is recommended that Woolworths must start offering it employees with effective cross-cultural trainings. In the culturally-diverse society, it is essential to have a good understanding of the culture of other people. Thus, these trainings, discussions among each other as well as giving adequate feedbacks on a daily basis is must fir overcoming the issues of cultural diversity in the recruitment of the workforce (Saxena, 2014). Challenge due to Shortage of labour Supply Another challenge faced by Woolworths in its recruitment of workforce is the extreme shortage of the supply of workforce in the Australian markets. Because of presence of enormous n umber of companies and organisations, the demand for the talented workers are rising and there had been analysed issues of shortage of lab our in the retail sector and primarily in big organisations like Woolworths. There are vast business operations that hold because of the absence of supply of adequate amount of labour (Atkinson and Storey, 2016). For managing such issue in the recruitment of the workforce, it is recommended that Woolworths must have potential policies and practices to fetch the attention of the workforce. The better the employment opportunities, incentive programs and recognition and rewards are offered to the employees, the greater are the chances that the labour would have an association with the company. Thu, by reviewing the policies and taking initiatives to attract the labours, there can be managed the demand of the workers with adequate supply of labour (Ruhs and Anderson, 2010). Challenge due to operating in an intense market competition Another major challenge in the recruitment of the workforce at Woolworths is the intense market competition. Because of the continuously increasing number of business organisations and development of industries, the individuals i.e. the potential recruitment candidates are attracting towards the job opportunities offered by these organisations. Thus, it becomes an extreme challenge for recruiting talented and component employees for the organisation. The retail sector has a tendency to recruit the people who have just completed their graduation as well as recruit people who are even under-graduated for the part time shifts. This has resulted in decreased interest of the competent employees to associate themselves with the retail sector organisations. Thus, the recruitment face challenge of not getting recruited the qualified and talent candidates. The lack of qualified pool of employees also results in less productivity and declined business efficiency (Choudaha, Chang and Kono, 2014 ). For managing the recruitment issue, it is recommended that to attract and acquire the best talent, Woolworths must have an efficient use of the various strategies such as the employer branding tactic. It is one of the most recognized ways of fascinating the competent workforce to be a part of the organisation without much direct efforts for recruiting them. It is a way there are initiatives taken by the organisation for developing itself as the employer of choice so that the competent individual themselves want to have a long term association with the organisation (Lievens and Slaughter, 2016). Through employer branding, the organisations or the companies tend to have an improved brand visibility and recognition from the perspectives of offerings employment opportunities with utmost comfort to the employees. When Woolworths will develop employer branding then the recruitment of the competent and talent applicants can be increased. Therefore, there will be improvement in the recruitme nt of the employees. Challenges due to ageing workforce and generation gaps Woolworths is also facings some of the key challenges in respect with the issues such as higher generation gaps as well as ageing workforce. The presence of elderly age people is high on number in the Australian organisations and industries which is hampering the rapid success and growth of the companies. In present time, the organisations need employees that can actively participate in the operations that are based on innovative technologies and know-how. The ageing workforces are resistant to change as well as cannot work in a much efficient manner on such pioneering technologies (Beck, 2014). Thus, the productivity and the overall efficient declines and this weakens the recruitment process too as most of the applicants are of elderly age group only. When there are recruited young employees in the company, there are vast chances of conflicts due to higher generation gaps (Connell, Nankervis and Burgess, 2015). And thus, this also impacts the accomplishment of tasks and workplace en vironment. Thus due to dominance of the old employees who are higher in age, the youth do not want themselves to get employment in such organisations (Armstrong and Taylor, 2014). To save the organisation from such challenges and issues, it is recommended to Woolworths that it must take efficient use of the advertisements for attracting the new and fresh talent. The advertisements can be of various types such as on the social platforms to have a social visibility and connection with the potential candidates. Another advertisement strategy could by the posters and emails (Schrder, Muller?Camen and Flyn, 2014). The posters must be there are various institutes to attract the individual who have completed their education qualification. The company can also send emails to the individual explaining the job role, its significance and the various other things highlighting the career opportunity in Woolworths. To manage the challenge of generation gap, there just be initiate discussions, feedback sessions and informal channels of communication at the workplace (Boussebaa and Morgan, 2008). Conclusion and recommendations Having a good and effective recruitment of the workforce is must for the organisations. Woolworths is also required to work on few of the challenges identified so that it can have a better work for e to carry on the operations and give improved results. Thus, it is concluded and recommended that the company is required to improve its organisational mage through employer branding and must also offer good wages to them for retaining them as well as for having recruitment of potential candidates. By following the recommendations mentioned above, Woolworths can manage its challenges and can possess good recruitment process with effective recruitment of competent candidates. References Armstrong, M., Taylor, S. (2014).Armstrong's handbook of human resource management practice. Kogan Page Publishers. Atkinson, J., Storey, D. J. (Eds.). (2016).Employment, the small firm and the labour market. Routledge. Beck, V. (2014). Employers views of learning and training for an ageing workforce.Management Learning,45(2), 200-215. Choudaha, R., Chang, L., Kono, Y. (2014). International student mobility trends 2013: Towards responsive recruitment strategies. Connell, J., Nankervis, A., Burgess, J. (2015). The challenges of an ageing workforce: an introduction to the workforce management issues.Labour Industry: a journal of the social and economic relations of work,25(4), 257-264. Lievens, F., Slaughter, J. E. (2016). Employer image and employer branding: What we know and what we need to know.Annual Review of Organizational Psychology and Organizational Behavior,3, 407-440. Mokhlis, S. (2014). The image of retailing as a graduate career: Evidence from Malaysia.International Business Management,8(2), 146-152. Peltoniemi, M. (2015). Cultural industries: Productmarket characteristics, management challenges and industry dynamics.International journal of management reviews,17(1), 41-68. Price, R. (2016). Controlling routine front line service workers: an Australian retail supermarket case.Work, employment and society,30(6), 915-931. Ruhs, M., Anderson, B. (Eds.). (2010).Who needs migrant workers?: labour shortages, immigration, and public policy. Oxford University Press. Saxena, A. (2014). Workforce diversity: A key to improve productivity.Procedia Economics and Finance,11, 76-85. Schrder, H., Muller?Camen, M., Flynn, M. (2014). The management of an ageing workforce: organisational policies in Germany and Britain.Human Resource Management Journal,24(4), 394-409. Woolworths, (2017). About Woolworths, Retrieved on: 30th September, 2017, Retrieved from: https://www.woolworths.com.au/

Saturday, November 30, 2019

Loreal Strategic Analysis free essay sample

L’Oreal then regains this investment through the sales of its new globally launched products. This core competency is cstly for competitors to imitate and adds a lot of value. This focus on innovation ensures growth and helps L’oreal to have a huge competitive edge over its domestic rivals. Another part of Loreal’s core competencies can be seen in L’oreal’s marketing campaign. By using high profile celebrities in it’s ad campaigns, L’oreal is able to greatly enhance its global image and is able to differentiate it’s products and brand name through the use of a celebrity face. This marketing technique gives L’oreal high brand esteem and gives L’oreal a valuable advantage over it;s competitors. Exclusive contracts with these celebrities gives L’oreal a non-substitutable competitive advantage. In addition, L’oreal uses web-enabled information and customization sites which further adds to it’s portfolio. We will write a custom essay sample on Loreal Strategic Analysis or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page At the heart of L’Oreal’s core competencies is the level of diversification of it’s products. By offering several product lines including makeup, perfume, hair and skin products, L’oreal has created a big global brand name, which in turn, helps L’oreal to have superior brand recognition and esteem over competitors. L’Oreal’s strategy is to create unique products that catered to the beauty needs of different ethnic groups and to each gender. This allows L’oreal to diversify it’s product selection and reduced the risk to the company in that it did not have to rely on a small group of products for success. These core competencies allowed the L’Oreal group the capacity to offer over 500 brands, consisting of over 2,000 products, permitting them to market to more potential customers over a larger range of income levels and cultures than any other competitor in the world. Competitive Advantage †¢They cater to the beauty needs of many different ethnic groups all over the world. Different cultures have different beauty needs. Their products differ from county to country, catering to the specific needs of the people in the geographic location they are sell in. â€Å"L’Oreal sees the world as a mosaic of different cultures† (L’Oreal Bus. Strat. Case). This strategy is why their products are very popular and sell well all over the world. Many other cosmetic companies focus on a much smaller market segment, such as just the United States. They currently have the highest market share in the cosmetic industry. This allows them to spend more money on research and development than its competitors. L’Oreal tries to introduce 1 to 2 new products to each one of its worldwide markets every year. Other companies cannot afford to spend the high amounts of money that L’Oreal does on RD to do things like this. †¢L’Ore al has 4 different product categories: 1) Consumer 2) Luxury 3) Professional 4) Active. These four categories allow L’Oreal to sell to any market it chooses. Most other companies focus on just one of these categories. Since L’Oreal is able to make quality products in all four, they have the best selling potential. Recommended Future Mission Statement â€Å"To promote an approach to beauty that is fun, affordable, and fulfilling for the global marketplace. To further the cause of beauty through the progress and discoveries of our research laboratories and to expand and diversify our brand portfolio to satisfy all consumer needs, with additional efforts to cut costs and re-direct our innovation efforts on consumer products, where most of our growth is presently occurring. We aim to give our customers the right to be beautiful day after day: because they’re worth it. † Recommendations for the Future Business Strategy Diversification is one of the great successes in Loreals business strategy, but it must shift its focus on improving its current companies. The focus on innovation should be the critical success factor. L’Oreal should rid itself of the trickle down technology and develop a more direct approach. The direct approach will make innovations more available to lower income consumers and will broaden their segmentation of the population. Presently, consumer products make up 54. 8%, which seems to under-represent this sector of the population. The direct approach will increase the percentage of consumer products sold, which better represents the consumer products sector and demonstrates an increase in growth. L’Oreal should also develop a new business strategy that will give them more of a competitive advantage against companies such as Estee Lauder, Proctor Gamble and Nivea’s face cream. One way that they can do this is by catering to a further range of ethnic groups. In addition to specific product lines for African-American and Asian-Americans, Loreal should look into product lines and marketing for the huge Hispanic population in the U. S, which is virtually untapped. L’Oreal may be able to apply some of the differentiation strategy they used for the African American market, considering that they have similarities in skin care with the Hispanic market. They could create a testing facility in Los Angeles where there is a large population of Hispanic people as they did with the African-American Research Laboratory in Chicago. There are many stores in Los Angeles such as La Curacao, a Hispanic pharmacy, which could help test some of the new Hispanic products to be integrated into the national market at some point in the future. L’Oreal could improve its marketing strategy and improve products for males as well. Research shows men are becoming increasingly concerned with their appearance and mens skin care product sales are growing. Loreal should capitalize on this growing interest by creating a new line of mens skin care products. They could differentiate themselves further by conducting research in order to develop male skin care products that tailor to certain ethnic groups. This would fit into the company’s culture of seeing the world as a mosaic of cultures and gender. Organizational Strategy Loreal’s organizational strategy has been the key to its international growth and success. With operations in over 130 countries and different products offered in each country, the structure and strategy of the Loreal group is what will determine their future. Carrying forward, the Loreal group should set up their organizational structure so that there is a good deal of control over the different product brands in different countries. Each brand name should have its own organizational head and strategy. For example, Maybelline and Garnier should continue to operate as separate business units. In addition, large regions and/or countries should be analyzed as separate business units. The purpose for such divisions is not to put these groups in competition with one another, but rather to monitor and control performance of the company as a whole. Communication channels and regular meetings should be implemented to foster communication and the sharing of resources and ideas. Centralized research and development sites in key cities will be responsible for new products and the marketing departments will decide which mix of products to carry in each market. The most important part of Loreal’s organizational strategy into the future will be to continue the growth that Loreal has experienced in previous years. This is done by setting up organizational strategies and structures that foster innovation, learn consumer trends, successfully market products and earn substantial profits. This growth can be fueled by setting up separate business units that can be monitored and controlled by upper management and the board of directors. The monitoring and effective controls implemented by top management will bring Loreal’s previous and present successes into the future. Information Strategy L’Oreal’s Business Strategy is built on innovation and diversifying strategies. This stance allows L’oreal to be successful throughout the world. The objective of Information Strategy is to develop a plan for implementing business systems to support business needs. For this company to tay successful in the future, they have to take specific actions that will improve and benefit the company. First, we believe L’Oreal needs to increase the awareness of management about new upcoming technology and developments. Consistent meetings between management, research laboratories and marketing could foster product ideas and lead to greater innovation. Such mee tings should occur at regional, national, and international levels several times throughout the year. Also, it is important to constantly survey competitors in the cosmetic market in order to be aware of upcoming trends and fads. This will give the company the upper hand on what new innovations or products can be developed next in order to gain an advantage over competition. Secondly, the company will have to improve communications within the organization about the effective use of information technology. Implementing some sort of customer relationship management program will help to consolidate and efficiently use customer data. This will allow the organization to collect useful data and ultimately, it will help L’oreal to become more efficient in order to satisfy customer needs and expectations. In addition, improving communication from within should improve work flow among employees. Lastly, we believe L’Oreal needs to continue to evaluate and monitor the effectiveness of its existing systems along with it’s competitors. L’Oreal should make changes and improvements, but also needs to continue assessing it’s past while observing its competitors in order to stay on top of the cosmetic market. We believe that if L’Oreal successfully implements these three strategies in the future they will continue to be the finest and most well known company in the cosmetic world.

Tuesday, November 26, 2019

Easy Methods to Arrange a Classroom

Easy Methods to Arrange a Classroom Classroom arrangement is one of the key decisions that teachers need to make when they begin a new teaching year. A few of the items that need to be decided include where to place the teacher desk, how to place the student desks, and whether or not to use seating charts. Where to Place the Teacher Desk Teachers typically place their desk to the front of the classroom. However, there is nothing that says that this is the way it has to be. While being in the front of the class affords the teacher a good view of the students faces, there are advantages to placing the desk in the back of the classroom. For one thing, by being in the back of the classroom, the teacher has less of a chance of blocking the students view of the board. Additionally, less motivated students will choose to sit in the back of the class even though the teachers desk is placed in the back. Finally, if a student needs help from the teacher, they might feel less intimated by not being on show in front of the classroom. Classroom Arrangement of Student Desks After placing the teachers desk, the next step is to decide how you will arrange student desks. There are four main arrangements that you can choose from. You can set up desks into straight lines. This is the normal way in which student desks are set up. In a typical class, you might have five rows of six students. The benefit of this is that it affords the teacher the ability to walk between the rows. The negative is that it doesnt really allow for collaborative work. If you are going to have students often work in pairs or teams you will be moving the desks a lot.A second way to arrange desks is in a large circle. This has the benefit of providing ample opportunity for interaction but hinders the ability to utilize the board. It can also be challenging when having the students take quizzes and tests in that it is easier for students to cheat.Another method of classroom arrangement is to have students sit in pairs, with two desks touching each other. The teacher can still walk down the rows helping students, and there is a greater chance for collaboration to occur. The board is still available for use. However, a couple of issues can arise including interpersonal problems and cheating concerns. The fourth method to arrange student desks is in groups of four. Students face each other, providing them ample opportunity for teamwork and collaboration. However, some students might find they are not facing the board. Further, there can be interpersonal issues and cheating concerns. Most teachers opt to use rows for their students but have them move into the other arrangements if a specific lesson plan calls for it. Just be aware that this can take time and can be loud for adjoining classrooms. Seating Charts The final step in classroom arrangement is to decide how you are going to deal with where students sit. When you dont know the students coming in, you typically do not know which students should not be seated next to each other. Therefore, there are a couple of ways to set up your initial seating chart. One way that you can arrange students is alphabetical. This is a simple way that makes sense and can help you learn student names.Another method for seating charts is to alternate girls and boys. This is another simple way to divide out a class.One way that many teachers choose is to allow students to choose their seats. Then you as a teacher mark this down and it becomes the seating chart.The final option is to have no seating chart at all. Realize, however, that without a seating chart you lose a bit of control and you also lose a powerful way to help you learn student names. No matter which seating chart option you choose, make sure that you reserve the right to change the seating chart at any time in order to keep order in your classroom. Also, realize that you start the year without a seating chart and then decide partway through the year to implement one, this can cause some issues with students.

Friday, November 22, 2019

Proofreading vs Editing When Is One or the Other Needed

Proofreading vs Editing When Is One or the Other Needed Proofreading vs Editing: When Is One or the Other Needed? The terms â€Å"proofreading† and â€Å"editing† are sometimes used interchangeably, but there are significant differences between the two. Knowing which approach to utilize depends on what you need for a writing assignment. Are you looking for your content to improve in style and/or flow? Or do you need someone to purely remove spelling and grammatical errors? Refer to this chart to determine whether your writing needs editing or proofreading (or both): While editing and proofreading can be done with computer software (for example, spelling and grammar checks though Microsoft Word or Google Docs), there is still nothing like an editor or proofreader’s eye to give your work an organic flow and style. is dedicated to assisting with the creation of superb work for students and writers. We employ writers, editors, and proofreaders who work according to your topic of choice and specifications.

Wednesday, November 20, 2019

Human Resource Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Human Resource Management - Assignment Example Leadership Development Challenges – an Analysis Among many challenges that HR faces, leadership development is one of the most crucial for developing organization’s capability to accomplish leadership tasks at different levels and meet company objectives. It will be most appropriate, at this juncture, to quote Peter Drucker before describing how HRM can play a pivotal role in solving the leadership development issue. â€Å"It (leadership) is not ‘making friends and influencing people’ – that is flattery. Leadership is lifting a person’s vision to higher sights, the raising of a person’s performance to a higher standard, the building of a personality beyond its normal limitations" (Drucker, 1986 p.159). Drucker has succinctly described leadership requirements in the above sentences; however, it is crucial to explore why leadership development has become so important in the current times. In wake of globalization, the business environmen t has changed drastically. In the last decade or so, changes have happened so rapidly that future has become unpredictable. Challenges are so complicated that there are no straight solutions to the problems involved. The world has become increasingly seamless and resources move quickly across the globe. Even small changes lead to large effects in any organization. Solutions need to emerge from within as they cannot come from outside. That is where leadership development challenges of HRM are significant in the years to come.

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Discussion Post 2 - Comparative Advantage Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Discussion Post 2 - Comparative Advantage - Essay Example However, if the research is based on structural advantages and trends in data, then, Los Angeles will emerge as the next Silicon Valley (Redmond, 2012). According to various sources, Los Angeles has built momentum over the last three years. In fact, Los Angeles has established a tough foundation for emerging as the next hub for technology entrepreneurship. On the other hand, states like New England and Southern California, also pose a powerful probability of becoming the next Silicon Valley. In 1995, Southern California attracted up to $1.3 million while Silicon Valley and New England attracted $1.8 million and $0.8 million of business enterprise capital investment (Redmond, 2012). Later on, in 1999, the internet had attracted other entrepreneurs in the regions hence, increasing the investments. In this period, New England also managed to grow rapidly as compared to South California. In the past five years, New York and Southern California have substantially increased their investments. These locations have boosted three crucial structural merits. These structural advantages include significant technical talent, capital availability and entrepreneurship culture. Los Angeles has developed in terms of technical talent that is attributed by the heritage of engineering and technical innovation. Most of the tertiary institutions in Los Angeles are producing more graduates in the technical field. Furthermore, the country is also attracting more learners across the world to join the technical studies (Redmond, 2012). In fact, most of the government funds are directed to invest in entertainment and media facilities. The most exemplary example in this case is the presence of Google in the country, which has a substantial focus on the technical sector. Los Angeles has also been influenced by strong investors who are partnering with the entrepreneurs in the country in order to build technology companies. The entrepreneurs in Los Angeles have a

Saturday, November 16, 2019

Hofstede analysis Essay Example for Free

Hofstede analysis Essay 1. Power distance: the extent to which the less powerful members of institutions and organisations within a country expect and accept that power is distributed unequally. 2. Individualism- the degree of interdependence a society maintains among its members. 3. Masculinity / Femininity-The fundamental issue here is what motivates people, wanting to be the best (masculine) or liking what you do (feminine).†¨ 4. Uncertainty avoidance The extent to which the members of a culture feel threatened by ambiguous or unknown situations and have created beliefs and institutions that try to avoid these †¨ 5. Long term orientation- the extent to which a society shows a pragmatic future-oriented perspective rather than a conventional historical short-term point of view. Power distance Thailand scores 64 on PDI index, slightly lower than the average Asian countries (71). It is a society in which inequalities are accepted; a strict chain of command and protocol are observed. Each rank has its privileges and employees show loyalty, respect and deference for their superiors in return for protection and guidance. This may lead to paternalistic management.†¨Thus, the attitude towards managers are more formal, the information flow is hierarchical and controlled. †¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Individualism With a score of 20 Thailand is a highly collectivist country. This is manifest in a close long-term commitment to the member group (a family, extended family, or extended relationships). Loyalty to the in-group in a collectivist culture is paramount, and over-rides most other societal rules and regulations. The society fosters strong relationships where everyone takes responsibility for fellow members of their group.†¨In order to preserve the in-group, Thai are not confrontational and in there communication a â€Å"Yes† may not mean an acceptance or agreement. An offence leads to loss of face and Thai are very sensitive not to feel shamed in front of their group. Personal relationship is key to conducting business and it takes time to build such relations thus patience is necessary as well as not openly discuss business on first occasions. †¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Masculinity / Femininity Thailand scores 34 on this dimension and is thus considered a feminine society. Thailand has the lowest Masculinity ranking among the average Asian countries of 53 and the World average of 50. This lower level is indicative of a society with less assertiveness and competitiveness, as compared to one where these values are considered more important and significant. This situation also reinforces more traditional male and female roles within the population.†¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨ Uncertainty avoidance Thailand scores 64 on this dimension indicating a preference for avoiding uncertainty. †¨In order to minimize or reduce this level of uncertainty, strict rules, laws, policies, and regulations are adopted and implemented. The ultimate goal of this population is to control everything in order to eliminate or avoid the unexpected. As a result of this high Uncertainty Avoidance characteristic, the society does not readily accept change and is very risk adverse. Change has to be seen for the greater good of the in-group. †¨Ã¢â‚¬ ¨Long term orientation With a score of 56 Thailand is a Long Term Oriented culture though not as much as for most Asian countries. †¨LTO is manifest on their respect for tradition and inequality between people. †¨Amongst the values that are praised, working hard and having a sense of moderation are dominant. The investment in personal relationships and network is paramount. Protecting one’s face is key and a protocol in their non confrontational behavior.†¨Their concern is not to look for one truth which helps them be flexible and pragmatic in negotiations.†¨Thai favor long term oriented perspective and thus Thailand deadlines and timescales are fluid.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

The American Dream in Franklin’s Autobiography and Hawthorne’s My Kinsman, Major Molineux :: My Kinsman, Major Molineux

Benjamin Franklin and Nathaniel Hawthorne were both very important to America’s early literature. Franklin’s â€Å"Autobiography† and Hawthorne’s â€Å"My Kinsman, Major Molineux† represents the extremes of leaving home. Franklin makes accomplishing the American dream of the self-made man look easy. Hawthorne, however, revises and critiques that dream, showing the harsh realities of the real world. Franklin reveals his life story as a way to show the people of America that determination, hard work, and intelligence lead to success, while Hawthorne describes the harsh world waiting once youth and innocence are gone.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Benjamin Franklin and Robin, Hawthorne’s main character, leave home for different reasons. Franklin, in his autobiography, explains how he journeys to Philadelphia in search of a job and to start life on his own. Franklin wants independence and he knows he will find what he seeks. Franklin states, â€Å"I took it upon me to assert my Freedom† (194). Robin leaves his home with the idea of depending on his second cousin, dependence not independence. Robin journeys from his family’s country farm to the city in search of his kinsman, Major Molineux, with hopes that his kinsman will help him get started in life. Hawthorne writes, â€Å"The Major†¦ had thrown out hints respecting the future establishment of one of them in life. It was therefore determined that Robin should profit by his kinsman’s generous intentions† (801). Franklin and Robin’s arrival to the new towns embody the two author’s feelings toward the idea of the self made man.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Franklin and Robin arrival to their new destinations are drastically different. Franklin arrives in Philadelphia during the day, hungry, and dirty. Franklin’s determination keeps him going. He buys bread to eat, cleans himself up, and sets out straight away to find himself a job. He finds one within short time, â€Å"I return’d to Bradford’s who gave me a little job to do for the present, and there I lodged and dieted† (198). Franklin represents his arrival in Philadelphia as brightly and easy as it could possibly be, the people are nice, it is beautiful day, and he finds exactly what he wants, when he wants it. Hawthorne sees Franklin’s story as an abomination of the real world. Hawthorne stages Robin’s arrival to town at night, symbolizing the darkness of the harsh world. Robin also encounters nothing but paltry inhabitants of the town as he searches for his kinsman. Robin feels no joy as he journeys through the town, an d he even experiences fear at all of the strange things that he encounters.

Monday, November 11, 2019

Learning is a process Essay

Learning is a process, which requires mental capability for it to happen. There are various means by which learning takes place for example there is observational learning, intuition, or through experience. Learning is a continuous process, which happens throughout the life of a person. In education, learning takes place from the time one starts attending a classroom. This paper reflects on the experience that I have had on teaching student to learn. At the first instance, this is not an easy process because it involves making a student open up his or her mind so that grasping of the instruction can take place well in the mind. Most students find it difficult to learn out of many reasons. One of the reason I have realized make students fail to learn how to read fast is fear. Most of them have fear to make a mistake as they start reading. This fear hinders them from attaining degree of learning that they are supposed. Another factor that affects the rate of how children learn to read is the rate of mental development (Arends & Kilcher, 2009). This is because children have different rates of mental development. Those children who learn to read faster than the others are the ones who have faster rate of mental development. I have learned that it is difficult to teach children in the same classroom due to the different rates by which the children learn. Therefore, what I do is to attend to individual students. This allows those children with low rate of learning to feel embarrassed by other who are able to learn first. This also helps the students who are quick learners not to feel dragged by their counterparts who are slow learners. Another thing that I have noticed about students as they learn to read is that they do not like so much supervision. When the students are given freedom to learn more by themselves they tend to learn faster than when as a teacher I try to push them and giving them direction on how to learn. Freedom helps them to be more open to the learning process as they feel they are not intimidated. They also find time to challenge each other as they try to memorize the words they have learned to read. I have found that the best way to enhance learning to students is to allow them do much of the learning by themselves. The work of the teacher would be to give directions, guide them, and then allow them to take charge. The students also learn faster when they are allowed to learn in groups. This allows the students to assist each other to learn some of the difficult things when they are free. Children always feel embarrassed when you show them, for example, to read some words but the following day they have forgotten. I have realized that this can make a student even take longer time to learn because of this embarrassment. So I realized that the best thing a teacher can do to prevent this is to start with the most simple concepts of learning, then move slowly to the more difficult ones. By this, the student mind develops, as the concepts become more difficult (Burns & Sandra, 2004). Slowly by slowly the student is able to grasp even difficult concepts without much difficulty. A student also needs a lot of encouragement and praise even if he or she fails to understand what is being taught. This acts as a motivating factor to a student to work harder. References Arends, R. & Kilcher, A. (2009) Teaching for Student Learning, Taylor and Francis. Burns, T. & Sandra, S. (2004). Teaching, learning and study skills: a guide for tutors, New York, SAGE, 2004

Saturday, November 9, 2019

Analysis of Act 1 Essay

A form of love expressed within ‘Romeo and Juliet’ is the â€Å"love at first sight† that Romeo feels upon seeing Juliet for the first time. In Shakespearean times, platonic love was prominent and this is clear in Romeo’s soliloquy. â€Å"Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear† implies Juliet is angelic, demonstrating Romeo’s instant affection for her. Angel is within the semantic field of religion, a very important factor in the time with which the play is set and therefore illustrates not only Romeo’s apparent need to shower her with praise and affection, but also how serious his feelings actually are. Religious imagery is used again in stating â€Å"and touching hers, make blessed my rude hand† yet again suggesting that Juliet is a saint and that by touching her Romeo would become â€Å"blessed†. This, however, portrays Romeo’s beliefs within love. As mentioned, platonic love was the general way in which relationships at the time were, so by Romeo stating that he should touch her shows his forwardness and his almost childlike, selfish tendencies proving his obsession with love. Later within Act 1, Scene 5, however, Romeo and Juliet share a sonnet upon first meeting. The sonnet is the ultimate display of love and by speaking it together, Shakespeare allows the audience to understand that the two are not only seriously in love, but also share a very pure and unadulterated love- one that is beyond all other love. Shakespeare also displays how, now after seeing Juliet, Romeo has completely dismissed Rosaline, who he was irrevocably in love with not long before hand. â€Å"Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight. For I ne’er saw true beauty till this night† emphasises this by stating both the beauty of Juliet to be above all others and states that the beauty he believed Rosaline to have was not indeed so, quite ironically as four scenes previously he stated that she was â€Å"fair† and â€Å"exquisite†, yet again exposes Romeo’s fickle behaviour in terms of love. Romeo also declares â€Å"so shows a snowy dove trooping with crows† showing his dismissal of what he felt for Rosaline. The sentence is antithesis, demonstrating Romeo’s opinion that Juliet is exemplary again, â€Å"crows† being opposed to doves but also connoting death, expressing the extremity of Romeo’s statement. Romeo’s love for Juliet does appear as though genuine. The first few lines of the soliloquy mostly contain monosyllabic words and are very simple in both style of speech and and the intelligence of the vocabulary. This shows the sincerity of his love as it is completely opposed to when he was speaking of Rosaline. Where his speech then was organised and intentionally melancholy and philosophical, this is his first and genuine opinion of Juliet and her beauty. The soliloquy also consists of five rhyming couplets conveying the speech as romantic, as rhyming couplets are a poetic technique which in turn is considered romantic.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

Funk Essay pdf Essays

Funk Essay pdf Essays Funk Essay pdf Paper Funk Essay pdf Paper Funk Music is musical genre that originated in the mid 1 sass when African American musicians mixed elements of Soul, Blues, Piccadilly Rock and Jazz o create a new sound. Funk doesnt focus on melody or harmony like genres before them, instead its intent is the rhythmic quality within syncopated value on various instruments. Funk traditionally has no harmonic pace, this divides it from Ran and Soul. It instead uses an improvisational technique, to vamp, which is to remain on a chord for an intro for a number of bars before proceeding to the tune. This draws in elements of improvisational jazz, to which where the chords where usually taken from the Bebop Genre belonging to Jazz. Funk musicians where trained in these genres and often deed these jazz extensions to their chords and solos. Like much African-influenced gene rest, funks main specialist is complex groove played on both new technology and older/traditional instruments. These included the organ, drums, horn section, electric bass and electric guitar with new modulating effects. Rhythm The Rhythm for funk dates back to Sahara African music tradition, where they played with on and off beat structure to which we call syncopation. This style had a revival in new Orleans in sass before James Browns and his rhythm section introduced it country-wide with great effect Funk Creates intense Groove by using Strong Guitar riffs and Bass Lines. A big Funk characteristic is to have the bass line as the centerpiece for the entirety of the song. It may sequence, may remain using the same notation or change the interval relation entirely but keep the same rhythm. : Guitarist typically played heavily rhythmic and percussive accompaniment using electrically modified effects like Way-way or Phases. Harmony As mentioned earlier, Funk uses the same extended chords found in bebop jazz, such as chords with added sevenths and elevenths, or dominant seventh chords with altered ninths. However, unlike bebop jazz, with challenging harmonic pace modulation, funk virtually abandoned chord changes, creating static single chord accompaniment over a complex, driving rhythmic feel. More skillful funk players adapt these influences effectively to demonstrate spacious advance solo techniques to add to the experimental essence of Funk The chords used in funk songs typically belong to a Dorian or myocardial mode, as opposed to the major or natural minor tonalities of most popular music. Melodic content was derived by mixing these modes with the blues scale. In the sass, jazz music drew upon funk to create a new submerge of jazz-funk, which can be heard in recordings by huge artists like Miles Davis and Herb Hancock. Funk truly was a groundbreaking wave of new music, by taking out elements of past popular and traditional forms of music and reinventing an addicting sound that lead a counter-culture of youth across America. Funk was a new way for musicians to express themselves easily, as well as gathering large amounts of popularity from the use of catchy danceable rhythms. The importance of rhythm and simplistic melody has influenced music to this date, realizing that music can be popular and remarkable just as its free and expressive.

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

Argumentative Essay On Abortion Thesis Example For Students

Argumentative Essay On Abortion Thesis Abortion has always been (and I reckon it will continue to be for quite some time) a very controversial issue not only due to the difficult comparison of rights (does the mothers rights outweigh the childs or vice-versa?) but also because of the many different instances in which the issue of abortion might come up. For instance, one couple who simply wants to plan their family, and be ready for it, is obviously different and less shocking a case as a raped fifteen-year old. Regarding abortion, pro-life and pro-choice are the two sides trying to impose their own points of view, but while one is extremely strict and makes a completely solid statement without taking each case in particular (pro-life), the other (pro-choice) acknowledges the implications of abortion and while not encouraging it in any way, it implies a certain flexibility depending on each case. I, personally, am a pro-choice person, but not taking it to the extreme. I believe a woman should have the right to choose when to have a baby but I agree with creating limitations to this right. The reasons are simple and numerous, health being the most important one, for if abortion would be deemed illegal and immoral, not only would women turn to unsanitary secretive abortions (or even desperate self-induced ones) but the psychological pain and scars would also be considerably more unbearable (I say more because they are already quite unbearable and extremely stressful). Another reason is a biological one it is the woman who carries the baby for nine months, and until the baby is out in the open, being a separate person, until the moment of birth, the baby is simply a part of the womans body. I choose to view childbirth as the moment when the child becomes the human, because it is the most valid turning point in its life -when it starts to live on its own. I consider the pro-choice point of view as being the most rational. However, I also agree that the time period of six months after conception is more than enough for the making of a decision. I support fully the six-month time condition, again mainly because of the health issues involved (abortion after six months is a risk to the mother). I also acknowledge the gruesome methods abortion implies, but I dont consider them a reason strong enough to ban abortion. I would wish there could be some sort of application process involved with abortion, but given the fact each and every case is different and also that such laws would have to be extremely detailed and confusing in order to relate to all cases on an individual plane. So I support abortion for all women as long as it is done within the first six months. And I state this because I dont believe the child is a person by the end of the six months, nor a human life. Until that point, it is a life, but it is a combination of cells insi de a body as well. Its size of only several inches adds to my inability of considering it human strictly because it lacks all the functions a human life form has, from consciousness to breathing and from feelings to personality. My point of view has a personal history behind it and even though I am not in the position of claiming a strict perspective of the subject, I realize I may be subjective. My mother described to me how she had to go through around three abortions because of my fathers drinking problems. Most of the fetuses had vital physical problems such as a deformed (contorted) body or a missing organ. My mother chose to abort them and it was a physically as well as psychologically painful process. The worse thing is that she blamed herself for it, while all the time it was my fathers irresponsible drinking that caused the malformations. I dont even want to imagine what would have happened had she been forced to carry those fetuses to term, and I am also extremely glad she didnt (I wouldnt be around if she had). READ: St. Alphonsus Rodriguez EssayAll in all, I dont consider pro-life a valid, modern, twenty-first century attitude because it

Saturday, November 2, 2019

The 'colored revolutions' of Eastern Europe and their success factors Essay

The 'colored revolutions' of Eastern Europe and their success factors - Essay Example The egalitarian revolutions of 1989 in Central and Eastern Europe have been labeled as the conclusion of the "third wave" of worldwide democratization that instigated in Spain and Portugal in the mid-1970s. It is certainly alluring to see the breakdown of the Soviet territory as segment of a universal disintegration of autocracies. This opinion surely prejudiced how the democratic changeover in Eastern and Central Europe has been observed in the West (as the "end of history") as well as by some of its characters. Ten years after, nonetheless, even with widespread Western exertions at democracy advancement, the democratic current has rather withdrawn, leaving a depiction of accomplishments in Central Europe (along with in Latin America and fragments of Asia) counterbalance by hindrances in the earlier Soviet Union and the Balkans (but similarly in China and most of Africa) (Jacques, 2000). Body The examination of the consequences of domestic changes for the local system of international dealings should take place from the implication of the main factors and procedures, which formed the post-soviet space design in the last decade. The first amongst these is the procedure of state and nation-structuring in the Afresh Independent States. Fresh political leaders in the previous Soviet states had a particular image of their state-projects which, as a law, protected Euro-Atlantic ambitions and, in reality, detached relations with Russia as well collaboration in the post-Soviet region from the list of primacies in their foreign policy schedules. Secondly, these objectives, along with the fluctuations in Europe and its boundary, stemmed in the participation of outside troupes in the post-soviet district - US, EU, NATO, and the Western European countries, and, some local actors, i.e. Poland, Turkey, China, , etc. The third actor in the post-Soviet district was Russia, which was sign ificantly annoyed by the appearance by the above-mentioned influences in its Immediate Abroad, as Moscow had its own fairly dissimilar vision for the expansion of this region (Samokhvalov, 2005). Examination of the second upsurge of democratic evolution in Eastern and Central Europe’s â€Å"color revolutions† has inclined to emphasize on fundamental variables such as district dispersion, leadership policy, and popular demonstration. However it may be imprecise to label the post-communist dictatorial throughputs the area has seen as part of a â€Å"surge†; elongated-term variables such as state and event capability and the power of a country’s association to the West may apprehended shed light on why certain nations have observed such revolutions whereas others have not (Way, 2008). The discussion on the color revolutions is mainly about the comparative significance credited to dispersion versus certain main operational factors. Amongst these features is t he amount and influence of Western force, which fluctuates subject to the degree of connection to Western Europe as well as the United States. In the stumpy-association previous Soviet states, domestic powers—particularly, the strong suit of the mandatory state and political party—