Description Of The UK Grocery Retailers Structure Essay

Description Of The UK Grocery Retailers Structure - Essay Example The essay "Description Of The UK Grocery Retailers Structure" talks about the structure of the UK grocery retailers - Tesco Plc. Type of bureaucratic and strict business structure or features is viewed within the organization of Tesco Plc. It is mainly due to its strict organizational features implemented by the dominant leader or manager, Mr. Philip Clarke. The leadership style of him not only enhanced the activities of the human resources but also amplified their coordination that helped the organization of Tesco Plc to attain optimum results in the future age. Hence, it might be stated that bureaucratic and post-bureaucratic features or traditions helped the organization of Tesco Plc to improve its market share in the entire globe. According to classical organizational theory, an organization is described as a social system or an association of employees or individual. It develops and expands, only if the workers or labors of the organization perform their duties in an appropriate way. This might facilitate the organization to improve its productivity in current and future days. However, growth and development of the organization offer a significant impact on the progress of the employees as well. This means that, if the employees get motivated towards their assigned duties then their level of performance and rankings might get enhanced. Similarly, due to increased efforts, the image of the organization might also get amplified. Thus, it might be stated that organizational development is a two-way process.

Red Robin Restaurant Evaluation Essay Example for Free

Red Robin Restaurant Evaluation Essay The theme for all Red Robin restaurants is â€Å"Red Robin†¦. Yum! † When thinking about this statement you really have to think about all that encompasses. What makes the food so good? Does the atmosphere make the yum factor even better? What about the staff how do they contribute to the yum factor of the food? For this evaluation I would like to explore this yum factor and truly understand what makes the Red Robin chain of restaurants stick with yum as a marketing tool to entice customers to come in. Firstly we will explore the atmosphere of the Red Robin restaurants and how the atmosphere adds to the yum factor. When you first walk into a Red Robin restaurant you are greeted by a friendly hostess who joyfully takes you and your party to your table. Once you are seated your server comes over to greet you and take your drink order. This is great for the yum factor because no one like to eat food in the mist of negativity, when you are in a place where the atmosphere is negative it just makes your whole entire experience bad. The one down side to this is that at times if you have children, you are still in the process of settling in; you are not quite ready for your server to come by and take your drink order because you have not even looked at the menu. Secondly we must discuss the staff and how they add to the yum factor for Red Robin restaurants. The staff at Red Robin is for about 95% of the time the friendliest and warm restaurant staff you will encounter. The staffs at Red Robin restaurants are very accommodating for anyone who needs to place a special order. They are also good about getting food to children first, especially if it is later in the evening and they are hungry. This ability to get what I desire to eat the way that I desire it without having to be reprimanded for substituting this for that or adding this or that, makes the yum factor so much better because it is truly what I want. However, the one con that I have seen of the Red Robin staff is that, they are not prepared for last minute large parties. There have been times when a group of friends have decided to just go and have a great time eating together, the staff takes about thirty minutes to get their selves together to be able to accommodate the crew. Lastly, we must discuss what makes the food so good and how it makes the yum factor. The food at Red Robin consists of burgers, French fries, select chicken products, salads and sandwich wraps. The burgers are considered gourmet because they have more than just your typical bacon, cheese, ketchup and mustard. The food theme for Red Robin is classic comfort with a twist of class to heighten your taste buds. On the other hand when it comes to the food some may find that the classiness of some of the items is too much for them. Some people just want a simple cheeseburger with no muss or fuss, and with all the gourmet burgers this may be a turnoff to those people. The uniqueness of the food is what gives Red Robin the yum factor, the food is comforting and the flavors are bold. In conclusion you can clearly understand how the staff, atmosphere and food at Red Robin restaurants live up you their motto â€Å"Red Robin†¦Yum! † When you have a great atmosphere, great staff, and food that delivers’ on the taste, you have a great recipe for the yum factor. When you are choosing a place to eat you want to choose a place where you have the full yum factor effect. Some restaurants may just have one or two elements of the yum factor, but if you are looking for a place with all three yum factors, then Red Robin is the restaurant for you.

Human Growth Behaviour And Development Social Work Essay

Human Growth Behaviour And Development Social Work Essay Attachment theory derives from psychoanalyic psychology, however it is used in social work to attempt to understand behaviour in infancy and childhood to show the way in which children develop emotionally WALKER 2009 This theory centres on the idea that children need to form secure relationships with other people, such as parents or guardians, as it is a significant contributer to their emotional development. Social bonds and relationships that are made in early childhood are believed to influence an individuals life and can impact upon their well-being to determine their emotional and social stability later in life. Consequently, attachment is seen as an integral component within infants and young childrens lives, as these experiences can shape a persons personality and identity in future years. (WALKER, J and K, CRAWFORD 2010). If these experiences of attachment are negative, and the child does not develop adequate relationships with their caregivers, then this can have detremental consequences on their psychological and emotional development. (WALKER, J 2009). The Attachment theory originates from the ideas of John Bowlby who believes that humans are biological predispositioned to seek attachment from others. He proposes that survival is closely related to the ability to possess emotional bonds with other individuals (GREEN 2003). This is because by forming an attachment with an authority figure who is seen as the stronger of the species, this reduces the vulnerability of the individual as it provides increased security and protection from harm posed by potential predators (BOWLBY 1958, cited in LISHMAN 2007). The theory looks at the way that attachment relationships are formed, and the reasons behind their manifestation. Children are seen to form these relationships for reasons such as safety, comfort and to provide guidence. These attachment behaviours, according to learning theorists, are displayed in infancy through talking, laughing and crying. This enables them to persue their basic needs for survival, such as food for nurishment, by their attachment to their mother who is able to support them in fulfilling their needs (WALKER, J and K, CRAWFORD 2010). This initial attachment to caregivers also guides the individuals thoughts, feelings and expectations as they become aware of peoples responses towards them which help them recognise how to behave (WALKER 2009). There are four assumptions of Bowlbys attachment theory which attempt to explain his beliefs. The first, is that infants and young children develop emotional ties with individuals early in life, which acts as a biological function and plays an integral part to their survival. The second assumption is that the way a child is treated early in life has a major contributing factor to their future relationships and the way their personality is formed. The third assumption is that attachment behaviour can form an internal working model which guide the childs thoughts, feelings and expectations as a result of the reactions of others towards their behaviour. The final assumption of Bowlbys attachment theory is that although it is difficult to alter attachment behaviour, it is not impossible, thereofre there is the possibility of alteration at any point in life, both in a positive and negative way (GREEN 2003). Although infants and young children are able to have more than one attachment figure, they are still affected when they are exposed to seperation from their primary attachment figure. This can happen for many reasons, such as a child being removed from a family home and placed into care, or perhaps death. This can be a very distressing and confusing time for a child as they are unsure of who to turn to for security and protection. This is evident in social work practice in instances where an abused child wants to remain with its parents, even though it is not a stable or supportive attachment (LISHMAN 2006). Bowlby proposed that children who have experienced seperation from their main attachment figure will suffer in a process involving protest, dispair and detachment, in an attempt to overcome their loss (BOWLBY 1958, cited in LISHMAN 2006). However, although Bowlby provided an important contribution to the idea of attachment, his research can be criticised in many ways. This is because Bowlby tends to focus his ideas on one primary figure of attachment, often the mother, when it is possible for children to form attachments with other people within their lives such as their father. Also, developing relationships with other people alongside the attachment figure is also important, this is because having to rely on the caregiving relationship of one person can be detrimental due to the fact it often results in dependency and does not allow other relationships to be formed with others, which can the hinder the social and emotional development of the child (WALKER, J and K, CRAWFORD 2010). According to Lishman (2007), the attachment theory believes that when a child is stressed or afraid, they exhibit particular behaviour and emotions which can be perceived as attachment. This is because they seek protection from harm through the help and security of an adult who they see as stronger than themselves. This is closly linked to two types of behavioural systems: the exploratory behavioural system and the fear behavioural system. The exploratory behavioural system is based of the belief that when an infant or young child feels comfortable and safe, the attachment behaviour remains dormant and therefore the child will be willing to explore the people around them and their surroundings. However, if a child feels threatened or vulnerable, the fear behavioural system will become active, where the child will no longer seek exploration and instead they will seek protection from their attachment figure and exhibit behaviour related to that attachment. However, the behaviour that they display is not intended to provoke affection from the attachment figure, instead it is to à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“regain a state of equilibriumà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  (p59). This means that infants and young children are not dependent upon the caregiving nature of the attachment figure, instead their aim is to diminish their fears. There is a classification of attachment patterns which identifies four different types of attachment, which attempts to enanble professionals to assess young childrens behaviour and emotions (secure, ambivalent, avoident and disorganised). Secure attachment is based of the belief that children depend upon their caregiver as a base for exploration. The caregiver is available to the child and responds to the childs needs, therefore the child behaves in a positive manner. Ambivalent attachment looks at how children are unwilling to explore their surroundings as the caregiver is not consistent in their support. This can leave the child distressed, clingy and dependent. The third category is avoident patterns of attachment, and features an unresponsive caregiver, therefore the child feels rejected and they view themelves as dependent whilst actively avoiding or ignoring the caregivers presence. And finally, disorganised attachment is where children are fearful of their caregivers, and the y themselves may feel confused or depressed. This type of attachment is most often seen in children who have suffered abuse (HOWE 2001, cited in LISHMAN 2007). How a critical understanding of Attachment Theory can contribute to Social Work Practice. Social workers are seen to have three roles to play when working within an attachment perspective: assessment, planning and direct work with children, parents and carers. Assessment looks at areas within attachment such as the needs of a child, the parenting that they receive, their emotional and behavioural development and the relationships which they have formed. There are also tests created specifically for measuring attachment, such as Ainsworths stranger test which provide an indication of the pattern and quality of their attachments. The second role, planning, looks at how planning for new attachments when placing children with new families needs to be approached carefully. This is because they need finding the most suitable parenting figures where new attachments can be made. The third role is direct work with children, parents and carers. This is because direct contact and communication is necessary to achieve the best possible outcome when working with children and families. For example, when a child has been removed from their home and is being placed with new carers, direct work can provide support to the child to prepare them for change. It can also be useful with the adoptive or foster family to provide guidence and support towards what to expect and to help with any problems they face (LISHMAN 2007) Attachment theory has been used within social work practice as the basis for many child care policies. This is because the idea of a infant or child being attached to their family, which can influence their development in many ways, has been used as the basis for many legislation (LISHMAN 2007). For example, Sure Start Childrens Centres have been introduced in response to the importancy of family support to enable them to build and maintain positive family relationships (LAMING REPORT 2009, cited in BRAMMER 2010). Attachment theory had also contributed to policies such as shared parental responsibility, as it has emhasised the need for emotional and social relationships with caregivers, whilst also suggesting possible consequences to a childs development and the negative impact later in life if these needs were not met effectively. (LISHMAN 2007). Attachment theory also provides guidence to enable social workers to judge the quality of a relationship between a child and its parents. This can enable them to gain an understanding of at what point, if at any, intervention is necessary as it gives them the ability to evaluate the attachment that is present within the relationship. The attachment theory also gives a more comprehensive understanding of the loss experienced by an infant or child when they lose their main attachment figure. This means that people working within social work practice are aware of the common and typical behaviours of a child who is going through this process and can therefore support them to overcome it. A further way the attachment theory is used to benefit social work practice is that as it is known that attachment figures are necessary for children to develop adequately, individuals such as adoptive parents can be taught to exhibit behaviour which will encourage new attachmentment from the child which is needed for personal growth (WALKER, J and K, CRAWFORD 2010). However , care needs to be taken when placing a child with a new family as to prevent a repeating loss of attachment figures which can cause them to blame themeselves and produce feelings of worthlessness. This can mean ensuring that the child is appropriatly prepared and ready to form new bonds of attachment and that the new carers of the child receive sufficient support within their role. (LISHMAN 2007). Attachment theory can also be linked to the way in which a mother bonds with her new born baby. However, these early bonds are not solely restricted to mothers, it is also possible for fathers. Although, this bond is typically formed within the first few hours after birth as the mother and baby connect both physically and emotionally. The initial bond that is made is thought to have a significant effect on their future relationship as it is the beginning of their attachment. This knowledge enables social workers to support mothers who are particularly vulnerable to poor parenting, although this is only effective if the support continues throughout the first few months after the baby is born.. However, it is important to note that just because a mother fails to achieve an initial bond with her baby, this does not mean that abuse is inevitable. How are issues of diversity relevant to human growth, behaviour and development? GREEN, V. 2003. Emotional development in Psychoanalysis, Attachment Theory and Neuroscience: Creating Connections. East Sussex: Brunner-Routledge LISHMAN, J. 2007. Handbook for Practice and Learning in Social Work and Social Care: Knowledge and Theory. London: Jessica Kingsley WALKER, J and K, CRAWFORD. 2010. Social Work and Human Development. Exeter: Learning Matters WALKER, J. 2008. Studying for Your Social Work Degree. Exeter: Learning Matters BRAMMER, 2010. Social Work Law. London: Longman

Trouble With Bill Clintons Character :: essays research papers

Trouble With Bill Clinton's Character In the article, "The Trouble With Character" from Time magazine , writer Richard Stengel describes Bob Dole's attacks on President Bill Clinton's character during the second Presidential debate and explains why Dole's criticisms did not affect Clinton. Stengel begins the article by discussing how American parents do not want their children to aspire to become President as much as they used to. Most Americans feel that someone else should do the job, and this person is no moralistic model. Stengel says that the people's negative portrait of the President is demonstrated in the roles the President plays in various movies and novels. Stengel then discusses the second Presidential debate in which Dole said that Clinton "single-handedly contaminated the highest office in the land" and is the leading cause of the public's distrust of the government. The focus of Dole's campaign was not Clinton's issues, but his moral pertinence. The press were surprised by the fact that most people think that Dole has a better character than Clinton, but they still prefer Clinton as President. This notion comes from the reasoning that most Americans are only concerned with whether or not the country and its citizens are taken care of, and so disregard the President's moral imperfections which, in the people's opinion, have very little to do with the issues. So the President can cheat on his taxes or even his wife and the Americans will overlook it as long as he is getting the job done. Claims such as these lead some to believe that Americans' standards of acceptable moral behavior are going down. Stengel mentions examples of different presidents and the issues that gave them a bad reputation to demonstrate the fact that the people's expectations of the President have fallen. When it comes to politics, Americans are becoming more European – that is, they are becoming more and more tolerant of the flaws in their leaders. This is why Dole's complaints are ineffective in convincing voters. In my opinion, I think that Stengel is correct in saying that the reason why Dole's attacks are not working is voters are not concerned with the President's personal shortcomings, but rather his capability of running the country, and the two are not always closely related. I think that Bob Dole is going about the whole issue all wrong, and his tactics are not practical and may even backfire. He is trying to make Clinton look bad by insulting his character, but in doing so, Dole is revealing a lot about his own. Take for instance the issue of Clinton and his playful attitude

Impact Technology Has on Small Businesses Essay

Technology has given the world a 360 degrees turn, as well as all businesses. Technology has a great impact on our society, culture, businesses and education. This essay will not only prove why it has an impact on small businesses but also prove how it makes technology so much better and efficient. | The Impact Technology has on Businesses The impact that technology can make on a small business is huge. Technology has made the world a more efficient and more organized place to succeed, and can help a small business be a big success and accomplishment. By making a website for your business, you can help the business expand by selling products through the website, by doing this you expand the business world wide and can increase profit. You can also organize your business in all aspect, simple tasks made in a business such as book keeping and record keeping can make so much simpler by using technology. Technology is not just computers but is phones also, which is an essential for any business to have. With technology small businesses can become world-wide businesses and exceed the main purpose and achievement of the owner. To begin with, technology has made businesses grow. By using computers to achieve simple task as book keeping can make the job easier and keep all papers organized. Computers can help perform many tasks that offices have to do, like book keeping. Microsoft excel can help you perform this task in one single page without confusions and with less work than by paper. This is because excel can perform calculations for you once you adapt it, it is as simple as that. You can perform book keeping, record keeping, and perform all kind of calculations fast, understandable and visible in a single page. Now a day, you can have your meetings with business partners who are around the world in front of your computer! You can use Phones which are also a part of technology, and without them you can’t make orders for your business, or talk to others business people who can help you make your business grow while making you grow as an owner and entrepreneur also. Productivity can also improve in so many ways by using technology. Technology is exciting and can make things happen in a blink of an eye, work can be so much easier for employees. For example, now supermarkets have advance machines in order to ring the customer’s supplies, if an error occurs the employee can easily delete it instead of ringing everything up again. Without the advance technology we have today, the employees would have to put all prices by hand meaning they have to memorize all prices and if an error occurs, they will have to ring everything up again in order for the total to be correct. Also by having meetings done at that instant online you can save all the time of flying across the world to meet with a business partner, so whatever was in concern can be fixed and finish what you have to do, meaning more progress and productivity. By producing a website for your business can you can help it grow and expand your business to many other countries and produce more profit. By making a website many more people can see what your business bring to the world and have to offer. While a website is world-wide, your customers are world-wide, meaning more goods and services the business provide will be obtained and sold. If you sell your merchandize through the web you can perform a test and see how many states and countries, would like to have one of your businesses around based on the location wants and needs and construct the business in that specific location. For that fact, that the owner can make the business grow in difference ways, he/she can grow as an entrepreneur also. Finally with technology, you can produce more profit. By using technology in several ways you can increase the income of the business. Obviously, if you can produce and sell more not only in your location of business but in the web and around the world in which you will expand your business to, you will sell and increase profit. The entrepreneur’s income will increase and his success will exceed what was thought to be achieved. Anyone can be an entrepreneur but only the ones who force themselves to do better, can achieve excellence. I think that to install various businesses is not what makes an entrepreneur is how you keep those business stabilize and running is what makes a great entrepreneur. Technology doesn’t have to be imported into the business, business can be technology. There are many businesses in which technology is the main purpose, some businesses produce and sell technology, all kinds and types of it. From computers to printers to phones, not only phones but smart phones and templates which can be made into computers, mp3 and iPod. These are gadgets that are nothing without technology; technology is what brings all these gadgets to live. Some businesses cannot produce without technology if you think of it. For example, supermarkets, when you go pay at the registers, most supermarkets are now complete made of technology, the weigh in order to know the prices of fruits and vegetables are connected to the computer which transfer the weight and gives you a price, the screen you look at to keep in check the prices, that’s connected to the same monitor and it all combines to the register. When you are ready to pay and it’s with your credit card, you pass it through a machine which is connected to all and the internet to get an approval. This all needs technology to function. Matthew Hohn said â€Å"Together with the advancement of science and technology, technological innovations grew along with it, resulting to the emergence of new equipment and gadgets. No matter how big or small your company is, technology brings both intangible and tangible benefits to become cost efficient and to meet the growing demands and needs of customers† in the article. I agree with him in every aspect, technology has advance the way to look into our world and experiences, and by connecting businesses with technology and the way it can change the whole business completely is incredible. It’s truly amazing how technology has changed our world in many different ways and completely. In conclusion, technology has gave business the chance to expand and grow in many ways, by increasing profit, increasing chances of making a being a better one and achieving all the success it thought it will. With technology small businesses can become a world-wide business which will exceed achievement. By becoming world-wide the business will exceed the main purpose and achievement of the owner. Technology can go a really long way especially when it’s combined with business and greatness.

Origin and Development of Applied Linguistics Essay

â€Å"Applied linguistics is not a discipline which exists on its own. It is influenced by other disciplines and influences them as well. It is a two-way process. For this reason, applied linguistics examines theories from all sorts of different areas (semantics, syntax, pragmatics, sociolinguistics,†¦) and from all sorts of perspectives so that it help find out effective solutions for language -related issues such as teaching methodology (including foreign language and mother tongue teaching), translation, aphasia,†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Applied linguistics originated in close relation with foreign language teaching and has developed to cover a wide range of knowledge, but its core has always been language teaching and learning. Applied linguistics draws its sources from sociology, psychology, anthropology and information theory as well as from linguistics to solve practical problems in practical areas such as language teaching. So applied linguistics is not linguistics that is applied, though it applies, first of all, linguistics. In fact, what it applies depends on what the theories are applied to. Applied linguistics, unlike pure science, aims to solve problems. Thus between theories of linguistics and related fields and the practical areas such as language teaching, it plays the role of a mediator, which bridges theories and practice together. In this way, applied linguistics not only provides principles and methodology for language teaching, etc. , but also gives feedbacks to the theoretical study by summing up the experience from practice. As applied linguistics makes language teaching and learning its core, it provides language teacher with good language theories, principles and methodology. By learning applied linguistics, language teacher can possess an overall understanding of updated theories of language teaching & learning as well as a better perspective of the various factors affecting language teaching &learning. So it is very necessary for a language teacher to learn applied linguistics in order to teach more effectively. As for language learners, it is also very helpful to have some knowledge about applied linguistics. For one thing, by knowing the currently used teaching approaches and methods, which are covered by applied linguistics, language learners can learn to adjust themselves to the teacher’s teaching by adopting a more proper learning method because â€Å"a theory of teaching always implies a theory of learning â€Å"(Applied Linguistics, Yue Meiyun) and language learning is a two – way process, which needs efforts and adaptation from bath the teacher’s side and the learner’s side. For another, applied linguistics covers a wide scope of knowledge. It helps to enhance learner’s insights and depth of knowledge in language learning. Applied linguistics is an interdisciplinary field of study that identifies, investigates, and offers solutions to language-related real-life problems. Some of the academic fields related to applied linguistics are education, linguistics, psychology, computer science, anthropology, and sociology. The goal of this writing is to make some personal comment on the viewpoint: â€Å"Applied linguistics is not a discipline which exists on its own. It is influenced by other disciplines and influences them as well. It is a two-way process. For this reason, applied linguistics examines theories from all sorts of different areas (semantics, syntax, pragmatics, sociolinguistics,†¦) and from all sorts of perspectives so that it help find out effective solutions for language -related issues such as teaching methodology (including foreign language and mother tongue teaching), translation, aphasia,†¦Ã¢â‚¬ . Many linguistic students like me find linguistics useful because it broadens and deepens their understanding of related fields such as languages and literature (English and foreign), social sciences (especially anthropology, sociology, and psychology), education, philosophy, communication†¦ The question is whether applied linguistics and linguistics applied is the same. Needless to say, the answer is â€Å"no†. Phillip Shaw, Stockholm University Strictly looking at the model above by Philip Shaw, a professor from Stockholm University, we can see a basic coherence between applied linguistics and other sciences. According to the professor, studying linguistics means studying language’s sounds, grammar, words, meanings, uses, and connected contexts – that is phonetics, syntax, lexis, semantics, pragmatics, and discourse respectively. Of these, phonetics focuses on the physical sounds of speech. It covers speech perception (how the brain discerns sounds), acoustics (the physical qualities of sounds as movement through air), and articulation (voice production through the movements of the lungs, tongue, lips, and other articulators). This area investigates, for instance, the physical realization of speech and how individual sounds differ across languages and dialects. This research plays a large part in computer speech recognition and synthesis. Syntax is the study of how units including words and phrases combine into sentences. Syntacticians investigate what orders of words make legitimate sentences, how to succinctly account for patterns found across sentences. Semantics within linguistics refers to the study of how language conveys meaning. Pragmatics is the study of how utterances relate to the context they are spoken in. By areas studied, he distinguishes different kinds of linguistics. Sociolinguistics is the study where linguistics looks at how language functions in different social contexts. In other words, it is the study of how language varies according to cultural context, the speaker’s background, and the situation in which it is used. Meanwhile, historical linguistics studies how languages are historically related. This involves finding universal properties of language and accounting for a language’s development and origins. Psycholinguistics is the study of language to find out about how the mind works. Pr. Phillip Shaw emphasizes that we can applied all knowledge of the above-mentioned sciences. It is understandable, therefore, whereas theoretical linguistics is concerned with finding and describing generalities both within particular languages and among all languages, applied linguistics takes these results and applies them to other areas. He defines applied linguistics as an engineering of linguistics, taking what the sciences of linguistics have discovered and applied to solve real practical problems. Kamil Wisniewski, in his work ‘Applied Linguistics’ 2007, he presents the term applied linguistics as an umbrella term that covers a wide set of numerous areas of study connected by the focus on the language that is actually used. He puts the emphasis in applied linguistics on language users and the ways in which they use languages, contrary to theoretical linguistics which studies the language in the  abstract not referring it to any particular context, or language, like Chomskyan generative grammar for example. Interestingly even among applied linguists there is a difference of opinion as to the scope, the domains and limits of applied linguistics. There are many issues investigated by applied linguists such as discourse analysis, sign language, stylistics and rhetoric as well as language learning by children and adults, both as mother tongue and second or foreign language. Correlation of language and gender, as well as the transfer of information in media and interpersonal communication are analyzed by applied linguists. Also forensic linguistics, interpretation and translation, together with foreign language teaching methodology and language change are developed by applied linguistics. Shortly after the introduction of the term applied linguistics it was associated mainly with first, second and foreign language teaching, however nowadays it is seen as more interdisciplinary branch of science. Although in certain parts of the world language teaching remains the major concern of applied linguists, issues such as speech pathologies and determining the levels of literacy of societies, or language processing along with differences in communication between various cultural groups – all gain interest elsewhere. There is a consensus among linguists that is applied linguistics is an interdisciplinary field of study that identifies, investigates, and offers solutions to language-related real-life problems. Some of the academic fields related to applied linguistics are education, linguistics, psychology, computer science, anthropology, and sociology. Major branches of applied linguistics include bilingualism and multilingualism, computer-mediated communication, conversation analysis, contrastive linguistics, sign linguistics, language assessment, literacy, discourse analysis, language pedagogy, second language acquisition, lexicography, language planning and policies, stylistics, pragmatics, forensic linguistics, and translation. For all of what I have presented above, I want to restate that applied linguistics does not exist on its own, it makes a great influence on other disciplines and also is influenced by them. The findings of linguistics, like the findings of any other theoretical study, can be applied to the solution of practical problems, as well as to innovations in everyday areas involving language. This is the mandate of applied linguistics. Applied linguists draw from theories of language acquisition to develop first and second language teaching methodologies and to implement successful literacy programs. Applied linguists may also engage in language planning by developing alphabets and grammars for unwritten languages and by writing dictionaries. In short, applied linguistics applies the theories and tools of formal linguistics, sociolinguistics, and psycholinguistics in a wide variety of socially useful ways In his own work – â€Å"Issues in applied linguistics† (Cambridge University Press, 2001), Michael McCarthy presents applied linguistics as problem – solving concept. According to him, it is the belief that linguistics can offer insights and ways forward in the resolution of problems related to language in a wide variety of contexts that underlines the very existence of applied linguistics. Applied linguists try to offer solutions to real-world problems in which language is a central issue. People often think that applied linguistics refers to the use of linguistic research in language teaching, but this is just one sub-discipline. McCarthy lists out the domains of typical applied linguistic problems which, as he says, seems certainly be wide – ranging and potential endless, but might include 14 problems as following: 1- A speech therapist sets out to investigate why s four-year-old child has failed to develop normal linguistics skills for a child of that age. 2- A teacher of English as a foreign language wonders why groups of learners sharing the same first language regularly make a particular grammatical mistake that learners from other language backgrounds do not. 3- An expert witness in a criminal case tries to solve the problem of who exactly investigated a crime, working only with statements made to the police 4- A advertising copy writer searches for what would be the most effective use of language to target a particular social group in order to sell a product. 5- A mother-tongue teacher needs to know what potential employers consider important in terms of a school-leaver’s ability to write reports or other business documents. 6- A historian wishes to understand the meanings of place-names in a particular geographical area and how they have changed over time. 7- A person constructing a language test foe non-native speakers for entry into further education needs to know what the key linguistic or psycholinguistic indicators are of reading ability in a second of foreign language. 8- A literary scholar suspects that an anonymous work was in fact written by a very famous writer and looks for methods of investigating the hypothesis. 9- A dictionary writer ponders over possible alternatives to an alphabetically organized dictionary. 10- A computer programmer wrestles with the goal of trying to get a computer to process human speech or to get it to translate from one language into another. 11- A group of civil servants are tasked with standardizing language usage in their country, or deciding major aspects of language planning policy that will affect millions of people. 12- A body is set up to produce an international, agreed language for use by air-traffic controllers and pilots, or by marine pilots and ships’ captains. 13- A zoologist investigates the question whether monkeys have language similar to or quite distinct from human language and how it works. 14- A medical sociologist sets out to understand better the changes that occur in people’s use of language as they move into old age. (Michael McCarthy, â€Å"Issues in Applied Linguistics†, Cambridge University Press 2001, page 1-2) In a work called â€Å"Understanding applied linguistics† by Professor V. B Owhotu (2007), the author emphasizes the importance and growing diversity of applied linguistics. In his view applied linguistics is driven first by real world problems rather than theoretical explorations. In other words, the applied linguists should be preoccupied by the following problems: language learning problem (emergence, awareness, rules, use, context, automaticity, attitudes and expertise); language teaching problems (resources, training, practice, interaction, understanding, use, context, inequalities, motivation, outcomes); literacy problems (language and culture); language inequality problems such as ethnicity, class, gender and age; language policy and planning problems (status planning, corpus planning, and ecology of language); Language assessment problems (validity, reliability, usability, responsibility); language use problems (dialects, register, discourse communities, gate-keeping situations, limited access to services); language and technology problems (learning, assessment, access and use); translation and interpretation problem (on-line, off-line, technology assisted); and language pathology problems (aphasia, dyslexia, physical disabilities). Needless to say, it is far beyond my capacity to present an insight to all of these above-mentioned problems. However, in this part of the writing, I would like to take problems of language learning and teaching, translation  and interpretation, and speech-language pathology as examples to demonstrate the point that applied linguistics helps us to find out effective solutions to our practical problems. Researches in language teaching today show that applied linguistics is sometimes used to refer to â€Å"second language acquisitions†, but these are distinct fields, in that second language acquisition involves more theoretical study of the system of language, whereas applied linguistics concerns itself more with teaching and learning. In their approach to the study of learning, applied linguists have increasingly devised their own theories and methodologies, such as the shift towards studying the learner rather than the system of language itself, in contrast to the emphasis within second language acquisition. I shall continue by considering what avenues within linguists suggest themselves for approaching two of the problems relevant to languages teaching. Let us consider problem of teacher trying to understand why learners from the same language background are having difficulty with a particular grammatical structure in English. Potential linguistic questions for the solution of a grammatical problem, as McCarthy shows in â€Å"Issues in applied linguistics†, are: â€Å"What is known about the learner’s first language or any other language they know which might be interfering with their learning of the foreign language? What do grammarians say about this structure? What psychological barriers might be preventing the learning of the structure? Are some structure difficult to learn if they are tackled too early on? Is there an order in which structures are best presented? † (Michael McCarthy, â€Å"Issues in applied linguistics†, page 8). Can linguistics offer an approach or solution to the problem? If so, which branch(es) of linguistic study and by what methods? The answer lies in such linguistics’ components as pragmatics, semantics, syntax. In terms of pragmatics, students sometimes make mistakes in the use of unsuitable sentences in certain contexts that makes listeners misunderstand. Therefore, when teaching English, teachers need not only teach grammar and vocabulary but also teach how to use sentences in suitable contexts; e. g.  teaching students how and when to say thank you or apologize. In terms of syntax, the most popular mistakes students make are: when making sentences students often translate word by word as the result of their habit of mother tongue (e. g. I have a cat black); combining words incorrectly to produce phrases (e. g. â€Å"a high man† instead of â€Å"a tall man†); the agreement between words in a sentence (e. g. S and V, tenses). In these cases, possibly effective solutions for teachers are: teachers need to teach students how to combine words correctly according to English grammatical rules; they should teach words in contexts. Teachers might also apply semantic knowledge to deal with learners’ mistakes. That is when teaching students a word which has many different meanings, they should teach the meanings related to the context, situation; wishing to talk about a meaning of the word, we may use different synonyms or antonyms; when teaching students how to translate the sentences or the texts into learners’ mother tongue, we should teach students to combine the meaning of English words and the meaning of their mother tongue to have a good translation. It could be confirmed that any problems in language learning and teaching might be solved with application of linguistics, and knowledge about language plays or could play a major role in language teaching and learning. In translation and interpretation area, applied linguistics can also be shown with effective applications in solving problems. In an article titled â€Å"Linguistics and Applied Linguistics† posted in the website of University of Melbourne, Australia, the author emphasizes an important role of linguistics and applied linguistics in different areas of our life, specially in translation and interpretation area. The article provides clear reasons why linguistic and applied linguistics should be studied by those specializing in translation and interpretation. One of the given reasons is that the skills in need for solving problems are central to the study of linguistics. An evidence for this assumption is clearly shown in the article. That is, â€Å"In a period when Australian culture is coming to term with the need to relate the worldwide mosaic of non-English speaking cultures, and when information and communication are moving to technological centre stage, there is a growing demand for people equipped to analyze language. In fact, an increasing number of employers, ranging from language teachers to engineers of knowledge systems and speech synthesis, from translators to managers to designers of natural-language interfaces for computers, from lexicographers to lawyers to bilingual schools in Aboriginal communities, realize the value of a sound training in Linguistics†. As cited in the article, knowledge in Applied Linguistics will provide us a head start in understanding and orienting us to the area and will give us relevant knowledge and analytical skills. People with a background in Applied linguistics also gain an enhanced understanding of how people learn first, second and foreign languages and of how language is used in the community. These skills will be relevant to those interested in preparing for careers as language teachers, language education and assessment experts, speech pathologists, interpreters and translators, and a variety of jobs in industry where language and communication are issues are of concern. Linguistics and Applied Linguistics provide unique skills in cross-linguistic and cross-cultural communication that are helpful in solving problems in translation and interpretation. Speaking of applied computational linguistic, people often mention machine translation, computer – assisted translation, and natural language processing as fruitful areas which have also come to the forefront in recent years. I am going to pick up machine translation as a typical example of applying linguistic knowledge. Machine translation is a form of translation where a computer program analyses the text in one language – the â€Å"source text† – and then attempts to produce another, equivalent text in another language – the target text – without human intervention. Currently the state of machine translation is such that it involves some human intervention, as it requires a pre-editing and a post-editing phase. Note that in machine translation, the translator supports the machine and not the other way around. Nowadays most machine translation systems produce what is called a â€Å"gisting translation† – a rough translation that gives the â€Å"gist† of the source text, but is not otherwise usable. However, in fields with highly limited ranges of vocabulary and simple sentence structure, for example weather reports, machine translation can deliver useful results. It is often argued that the success of machine translation requires the problem of natural language understanding to be solved first. However, a number of heuristic methods of machine translation are also used, including: lexical lookup methods, grammar based methods, semantics based methods (knowledge-based machine translation), statistical methods, example based methods, dictionary-entry based methods, linguistic rule based methods. Generally, rule-based methods parse a text, usually creating an intermediary, symbolic representation, from which the text in the target language is generated. These methods require extensive lexicons with morphologic, syntactic, and semantic information, and large sets of rules. Statistical-based and example-based methods avoid manual lexicon building and rule-writing and instead try to generate translations based on bilingual text corpora, such as the Canadian Hansard corpus, the English-French record of the Canadian parliament. Where such corpora are available, impressive results can be achieved translating texts of a similar kind, but such corpora are still very rare. Given enough data, most machine translation programs work well enough for a native speaker of one language to get the approximate meaning of what is written by the other native speaker. The difficulty is getting enough data of the right kind to support the particular method. The large multilingual corpus of data needed for statistical methods to work is not necessary for the grammar based methods, for example. But then, the grammar methods need a skilled linguist to carefully design the grammar that they use. Generally speaking, application of knowledge from linguistics and applied linguistics benefits the practice of language teaching and learning, translation and interpretation. Linguistic theory has also provided a rich knowledge base for application in speech language pathology. First of all, linguistic approaches to aphasia are aimed at providing well-motivated descriptions for patterns of dissociation in aphasia; unifying diverse phenomena in normal and abnormal language under a single account; constraining competing accounts within linguistic theory. As cited by Roman Jakobson on the role of linguistics in research on aphasia (1971, p.39-40), â€Å"the application of purely linguistic criteria to the interpretation and classification of aphasia facts can contribute substantially to the science of language and language disturbances, provided that linguists remain as careful and cautious when dealing with psychological and neurological data as they have been in their traditional field†. He provides some linguistic approaches to aphasia such as: first of all, pathologists or clinicians should be familiar with the technical terms and devices of the medical disciplines dealing with aphasia; then, they must submit the clinical case reports to thorough linguistic analysis; and further, they should themselves work with aphasic patients in order to approach the cases directly and not only through prepared records which are quite differently conceived and elaborated. As we know, phonological theories have also provided frameworks for the description of the speech of unintelligible children in terms of coherent phonological systems, thus facilitating logical goal-setting for intervention. In this part, I might give an example of clinical application. Clinical linguistics entails the application of linguistics to speech-language pathology. This involves treating individuals whose linguistic development is atypical or impaired. This branch of applied linguistics may also involve treatment of specific language impairment, where one aspect of language develops exceptionally. Phonological disorder is a typical problem of people with speech-language pathology. Some children learning a language have difficulties at the phonological level of language acquisition, including problems with knowledge of phonetic segments and phonological constraint, and how that knowledge is implemented in speech production. These problems result in impaired intelligibility and most often difficulty in other language domains such as lexical and syntactic development. In addition, they may lead to later problems in developing literacy. Research in speech production disorders had little concern with the nature of phonology. Rather, children who used few speech sounds or used them incorrectly were studied to determine if they had problems with sensory, cognitive, motor, or perceptual tasks. A speech sound production problem was presumed to be a peripheral motor problem. After all, speech pathology and linguistics have, as sciences, experienced a parallel development over the past years. Although these disciplines have traditionally been separated, they have common areas of concern, and there are indications of a growing interest on the part of speech pathologists in such linguistic subfields as sociolinguistics, psycholinguistics, and neurolinguistics. Speech and hearing publications are paying attention to theoretical and methodological linguistic models, and descriptions of communication disorders are using linguistic paradigms as a basis. Given the interest of speech pathology in linguistics, there is both an obligation and an opportunity for linguists to define new roles for themselves within speech pathology. This requires the identification of common areas and methods by which the linguist can adapt linguistic concerns so that they are meaningful to the speech pathologist. Areas of common interest include communication disorders, phonetics, language acquisition, and language variation. Linguists may have to expand their data base to include the particular interests of speech pathology; they may need background information in areas not traditionally stressed in linguistics; and they must understand the goals of speech pathology as a professional field. Needless to say, what have been mentioned above may not enough to get an insight in application of linguistic and applied linguistic knowledge in solving practical problems. The writing, as being said in the very beginning part, just provides my personal comment on the given statement; therefore, in order to get insight in the statement, there should be further studies on it. There should be other different approaches in analyzing or understanding it, too. I myself believe that possible findings of potential studies on this viewpoint will be very meaningful and surely benefit the practice of applied linguistics in solving practical problems. REFERENCE 1) Alan Davies (2007), An Introduction to Applied Linguistics: From Practice to Theory, Edinburgh University Press. 2) Alan Davies and Catherine Elder (2004), The Handbook of Applied Linguistics, Oxford: Blackwell Publishing 3) Roman Jakobson (1968), Child Language, Aphasia and Phonological Universals, Mouton Publishers. 4) Roman Jakobson (1959), On Linguistic Aspects of Translation, essay retrieved from http://www. scribd. com/doc/23687802/Linguistic-Aspects-of-Translation-Jakobson 5) Michael McCarthy (2001), Issues in Applied Linguistics, Cambridge University Press. 6) V. B. Owhotu (2007), Understanding Applied Linguistics, University of Lagos Press. 7) Phillip Shaw, An Overview of Applied Linguistics, video retrieved from www. sportballa. com/video-gallery/Applied-linguistics 8) Kamil Wisniewski (2007), Applied linguistics, article retrieved from http://www. tlumaczenia-angielski. info/linguistics/applied-linguistics. htm. ———————– Linguistics By components of language Phonetics (sounds) Syn j C tax (grammar) Lexis (words) Semantics (meanings) Pragmatics (uses) Discourse (connected texts) By areas studied Comparative linguistics Psycholinguistics Sociolinguistics Historical linguistics Theoretical linguistics Applied Linguistics.

Management Communication Essay Example

Management Communication Essay Example Management Communication Essay Management Communication Essay Communication Is the work of managers, day In and day out. The dally work of managers. A. Managers are in constant action. 1. Switch frequently from task to task. 2. Change their focus of attention to respond to issues as they arise. 3. Engage in a large volume of tasks of short duration. B. Managers spend most of their time Interacting with others. 1. Engage In Interactions both Inside and outside the organization. 2. Talk and listen when in action. II. The majority of managers cluster around three core management roles. Interpersonal roles are the richest source of information for managers because of A. Their immediate and personal nature. 1. The figurehead role Is exhibited when performing ceremonial duties of their position. 2. The leader role is exhibited when demonstrating their responsibility for the work of the people in their unit and their actions. This is where the influence of managers is most clearly seen. 3. The liaison role is exhibited when establishing and maintaining contacts outside the vertical chain of command. B. Informational roles of managers are required because not even the most expensive management Information system can match the speed and intuitive power of a well-trained managers brain for Information processing. 1. The monitor role allows managers to scan the environment for Information. Subordinates. 3. The spokesperson role allows managers to send information to people outside of their organizations. C. Decisional roles are used by managers to make decisions on behalf of the organization and the stakeholders with an interest in the organization. 1. Interpersonal and informational roles often aid the decision making process. 2. The entrepreneur role is shown when managers seek to improve their genuineness, to adapt to changing market conditions, and to react to opportunities as they present themselves. 3. The disturbance or crisis handler role depicts managers who must involuntarily react to conditions. 4. The resource locator role involves managers making decisions about who gets what, how much, when, and why. 5. The negotiator role is used to resolve disputes with people inside and outside the organization. Ill. Although the specificity of managers work may differ, there are a few major characteristics relating to every Job. A. The time of managers is fragmented. This often drives managers to overwork ND can force them to complete tasks superficially. B. Values compete and the various roles are in tension placing managers in the middle when making many decisions. Managers cannot satisfy all parties involved, thus decisions are often based on the urgency of the need and the proximity of the problem. C. The Job of managers is overloaded due to significant reorganization efforts to make businesses more efficient, nimble, and competitive. Downsizing, coupled with high-speed data processing and remarkably efficient telecommunication systems has greatly increased the number of people directly reporting to managers. D. Efficiency becomes a core skill for successful managers. A. The role of the entrepreneur is gaining importance as managers become increasingly aware of threats and opportunities in their environment. Managers who are carefully attuned to the marketplace and competitive environment will look for opportunities to gain an advantage. B. The leader role is gaining importance as managers must become more sophisticated as strategists and mentors. Managers need to become more active mentors to attract and retain skilled employees. C. Managers must create a local vision as they help people within their organization to grow. V. The 21st Century workplace will require three types of skills, each of which will be useful at different points in your career. A. Technical skills are most valuable at the entry level, but less valuable at the senior levels. These skills constantly change and become outdated. B. Relating skills are valuable across the managerial career span and are more likely to help you progress and be promoted to higher levels of responsibility. These skills help you form relationships with people both inside and outside of the organization. C. Conceptual skills are the least valuable at the entry level, but more valuable at Enron levels in the organization. These skills permit you to look past the details of everyday work assignments and see the bigger picture. VI. Talking is the work of managers. A. One-on-one conversations allow an enormous exchange of information. B. Managers spend an astounding amount of time on the telephone. The amount of time per telephone call is decreasing, but the number of calls per day is increasing. C. Video teleconferencing makes direct conversations to people around the world a simple matter. These exchanges can be informal, conversational, and not much different than if the parties were in the same room. D. Managers give many presentations to small groups of three-to-eight people in both a formal and informal manner. Or perhaps, even several hundred. These presentations are often more formal but still involve one manager talking to others, framing, shaping, and passing information to an audience. VI. The major channels of management communication are talking and listening. VIII. The role of writing plays an important role in the life of any organization. A. Managers use writing as a career sifter; if you do not demonstrate your ability to put ideas on paper in a clear, unambiguous fashion, you will most likely not last. B. Managers at all levels of most organizations draft, review, edit, and dispatch their own correspondence, reports, and proposals. C. When a document leaves your desk, it takes on a life of its own. Documents become the property of the organization they are sent to and therefore they are free to do as they see fit with your writing. D. Managers create meaning through communication, thus communication is invention. X. Information is socially constructed. A. Information is created, shared and interpreted by people. B. Information never speaks for itself; it almost always requires some sort of interpretation, explanation or context. C. The context of a message is always of paramount importance to the listener, viewer, or reader in reaching a reasonable conclusion about what she sees or hears. D. If the messages you send as a manager are to have the impact you hope they will, they must come from a source the receiver knows, respects, and understands. X. A managers greatest challenge is to admit flaws in their skill set and constantly work to improve. A. Understand your strengths and weaknesses. Improve existing skills by acquiring a knowledge base through speaking and B. Listening and, by your reading, being alert to changing trends in the industry.