Case 8-13 Mohamed Salem El-Hadad, Internal Auditor

Case 8-13 Mohamed Salem El-Hadad, Internal Auditor 1. Identify and briefly describe the legal protections that â€Å"whistleblowers† have in the United States. Sarbanes-Oxley Act Section 806: Whistleblower Protection â€Å"SEC. 806. PROTECTION FOR EMPLOYEES OF PUBLICLY TRADED COMPANIES WHO PROVIDE EVIDENCE OF FRAUD. † â€Å"Sec. 1514A.Civil action to protect against retaliation in fraud cases (a) WHISTLEBLOWER PROTECTION FOR EMPLOYEES OF PUBLICLY TRADED COMPANIES- No company with a class of securities registered under section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U. S. C. 78l), or that is required to file reports under section 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (15 U. S. C. 8o(d)), or any officer, employee, contractor, subcontractor, or agent of such company, may discharge, demote, suspend, threaten, harass, or in any other manner discriminate against an employee in the terms and conditions of employment because of any lawful act done by the employeeà ¢â‚¬â€ (1) to provide information, cause information to be provided, or otherwise assist in an investigation regarding any conduct which the employee reasonably believes constitutes a violation of section 1341, 1343, 1344, or 1348, any rule or regulation of the Securities and Exchange Commission, or any provision of Federal law relating to fraud against shareholders, when the information or assistance is provided to or the investigation is conducted by– (A) a Federal regulatory or law enforcement agency; (B) any Member of Congress or any committee of Congress; or (C) a person with supervisory authority over the employee (or such other person working for the employer who has the authority to investigate, discover, or terminate misconduct) (sox-online. com/act). As stated above employees are protected against any retaliation from employers concerning their job position. 2. Should U. S. companies integrate legal protections for internal whistleblowers into their internal contro l systems? Defend your answer. I think that U. S companies should integrate legal protections for internal whistleblowers into their internal control systems. Doing so will give employees the confidence to expose fraudulent and illegal activity. Otherwise an individual will not step forward with information regarding illegal matters because of the penalties they will have to pay. Some employers have the power to prevent individuals from obtaining jobs in the same field by giving bad references. 3.Suppose that during your career you discover a fraud similar to that uncovered by Mohamed Salem El-Hadad. List specific measure that you could take to protect yourself from recriminations by your employer or other parties. A few steps one could take to protect themselves from recriminations by their employer or other parties are: Document any suspicions, take pictures, record phone conversations. Keep records of all items that might cause problems in the future. 4. Did El-Hadad face an ethi cal or moral dilemma when he discovered the fraud being perpetrated by his superior and friend? Before responding, define ethical dilemma and moral dilemma.An ethical dilemma is a circumstance that a person faces concerning a decision about proper behavior. It usually involves a situation in which the wellbeing of one or more other individuals is affected by the outcome of the decision. A moral dilemma is a situation that an individual faces involving a decision about whether an act is ethical. El-Hadad faced an ethical dilemma when he discovered the fraud being committed by his superior and friend. Cites http://www. sox-online. com/act_section_806. html Knapp, M. C. (2013). Madoff Securities. In M. C. Knapp, Contemporary AuditingReal Issues And Cases Mason: South-Western. Whittington, R. (2012). Principles of Auditing & Other Assurance Services. New York: McGraw- Hill/Irwin.

Checkpoint Childhood Development and Sexual Behavior

Checkpoint: Childhood Development Sexual Behavior 05/06/2012 Psy/265 Christopher Griffin The sexual behaviors found in fetuses and newborns are that male fetuses have erections. Both male and female fetuses will suck on their fingers. In infancy stimulation of the genitals may produce sensations of pleasure. Early as 8 months of age pelvic thrusting has been observed. Additionally, masturbation has been observed between 6 to 12 months of age. Sleeping with your infant does not affect sexual development. In early childhood statistics in regards to masturbation at ages 3 to 8 is based on perception.Early in childhood children show their interest in the genitals and may role play. Same sex sexual activity play is more common than in heterosexual play and does not play a role in sexual orientation. In preadolescent it has been observed that preadolescents socialize with same sex friends and become self-conscious about their bodies. Preadolescent’s primary method of obtaining orgas m is masturbation. Sex play in preadolescence involves displaying of genitals by both parties involved and can be with or without touching.Preadolescent same sex sexual behavior is short lived and mostly for exploratory purpose. In adolescence the major sexual act is masturbation. Adolescents use petting as a pathway to obtaining sexual satisfaction without the possibility of pregnancy or ending their virgin status. Premarital sex has increased mostly in females and very few adolescents report their sexual experience with individuals of the same sex. These encounters have been known to be transitory for the adolescent. Gay adolescents have a much harder time because of stigmatization of society.

Mcdonald Essay

McDonald’s is comprised of more than 30,000 local restaurants and serves 52 million people in more than 100 countries each day[1]. The company is the largest food retailer in the world and is part of the American way of life. In order to remain competitive and an iconic American institution, McDonald’s has developed programs and strategies for motivating employees and teaching leadership. As a result, our group believes that McDonald’s presented an excellent opportunity to observe organizational behavior in action. In this observational study, we sought to discover what leadership techniques and group skills were actually practiced by McDonald’s employees. Our field study entailed visiting four different McDonald’s stores in the greater Rochester area during distinct shifts ranging from early morning to late night. During each visit, a group member made a purchase and sat at a table where one could observe the behavior of managers and employees and customer interactions, without interfering with normal operations. Due to the fact we were restricted to a small sample of McDonald’s restaurants, we could not capture the complete spirit of the corporation. However, we were able to relate our findings to leadership and organizational behavior theories and some of McDonald’s corporate values. Through a series of observations and corporate research we discovered that McDonald’s employees demonstrate quality leadership and that the organization as a whole puts significant effort into motivating and working for its employees. Corporate & Work Culture When analyzing an organization’s leadership and teamwork skills, it is useful to first analyze the organization’s work culture and how this culture is maintained. The work culture of McDonald’s seems highly dependent upon the particular line manager in charge at any given point in time. One would imagine that the manager would almost always use position power and would use a telling style of leadership since the typical employee is young or inexperienced. Indeed, some managers were observed as running the operations in a machine like manner, especially during peak business periods. However, in the majority of cases the managers were relatively relaxed and sometimes were indistinguishable from the other employees. One manager in particular used a selling approach, which indicates a higher readiness level of her team  (Daft, 2008, p. 73). She did not simply give orders, but accepted feedback and alternatives to her decisions. While it was obvious she was the manager, her team was obviously in the later stages of development and was comfortable outside of their predefined roles. ntroduction For our project we have decided to analyze McDonald’s. We propose to look at how McDonald’s has attempted to change their image through marketing strategies over the years. They have done this in a variety of ways, not just with their products. For example, they changed packaging on their products to become more environmentally safe. They have also created new menu items in the past 10 years in order to offer some â€Å"healthy† options to those watching their waistlines. This is an effort to appeal to customers who might have disregarded McDonald’s in the past because of traditional stereotypes. They have done this in a variety of ways using the four P’s and  are attempting to change  society’s perceptions. Many people today are unhappy with McDonald’s and their â€Å"unhealthy† food, and we were interested to see if the current marketing strategy that McDonald’s is using is creating a positive change for the company. History McDonald’s, now known world wide as one of the major powerhouse’s in the fast food industry, began in  San Bernardino  on May 15, 1940. It originated as a barbeque restaurant under the ownership of brothers  Dick and Mac McDonald, and soon evolved into a teen hangout generating 80% of its revenues from hamburgers alone. In 1948, McDonald’s switched gears and increasingly targeted the young family market, developing its operation concepts around speed, lower prices, and higher volume. They ran under the slogan of â€Å"speedy service systems,† selling their hamburgers with fries for an astonishing 25 cents. In 1954 Ray Kroc, a previous restaurant owner, saw potential for growth in the company and capitalized on it convincing the McDonald brothers to franchise the company with his financial support. In 1963 McDonald’s introduced Ronald, a fun loving clown, to promote their restaurant  as a family establishment,  and he became a huge success. In fact, Ronald is now an icon symbolizing the McDonald’s firm. As the restaurant continued on its upward spiral toward success, they decided to go public for the first time in 1965 offering one hundred shares of stock for $2,250 dollars. In today’s market, that is equivalent to 74,360 shares worth over $1. 8 million  (www. mcdonalds. com). In effort to give help to those who are in need, McDonald’s collaborated with the Philadelphia Eagles’ Fred Hill and created the Ronald McDonald House in 1974. At the house, families of critically ill children are given a home away from home while their kids are treated. Today,  McDonald’s is the leading foodservice retailer with more than 30,000 locations in over 119 countries, and  is  a symbol of American culture. Historical  Reputation McDonald’s was the first fast food restaurant on the scene. There have been many imitators over the years, but it has historically been number one. Since its first opening in 1940, the business has boomed into an international craze. Historically, McDonald’s has been viewed as the pinnacle and one of the defining features of the American lifestyle. Burger, fries, and a Coke were the traditional meal. Once it spread globally, it boomed into popularity because other countries wanted to be associated with the successful image of the â€Å"American dream†. It was not until recently, within the last 15 years, that people began to question the health and safety of the fast food industry, and have been focusing on McDonald’s because it is an easy target. When a company is that large, it is a natural target for  inner directed  consumers, and those who wish to upset the conformist lifestyle. Reputation Today Though all this talk about â€Å"poor health† and â€Å"risk† associated with McDonald’s seems bad for the business, we set out to see if it was really hindering their success today. McDonald’s is, after all, still the most prevalent and recognizable fast food establishments in the world. The health aspect  has actually spread out of the  United States  and become a global issue. According to All Headline News, McDonald’s saw a profit loss of 14 percent last quarter. It was the biggest loss the company has had since 2002. This may seem like an indication of their dropping popularity; however it was actually not related to their customers’ atisfaction (or lack thereof). According to the company, their loss reflected a large tax benefit it received over a year ago, and that sales have actually been going up over the last 35 months due to  a series of successful new products, extended hours, restaurant renovations and allowing customers to pay with credit and debit cards. As stated before,  McDonald’s is the worlds leading fast food restaurant and is globally recognized. With over tens of thousands of stores spread across 119 countries, McDonald’s serves an astounding  50 million  customers daily(www. mcdonalds. com). With such an extremely large consumer base, it is crucial  that they know and understand how their customers feel regarding the overall satisfaction of the McDonald’s experience. The type of experience McDonald’s offers to its loyal consumer is, on the majority, rated high in overall satisfaction. The  reasons McDonald’s consumers are loyal  to McDonald’s  and not to its competitors are many. First, McDonald’s has recognized the importance of diversity and its impact within company strategy. They have  done an excellent job in implementing a multidomestic strategy to ensure the loyalty of its customers and their changing wants and needs. This is shown through their diverse menu options around the globe. For example, McDonalds’ restaurants  inIndia  created a vegetarian sandwich in order to cater to  their  need of not eating beef. By increasing the number of segments they can market to, they are able to reach more people. This is only one example of many on how McDonald’s has met the needs of its customers. McDonald’s provides a positive and caring attitude towards the community of which it serves. McDonalds’vision states that â€Å"We are not a hamburger company serving people; we are a people company serving hamburgers†. With a vision so clearly committed to people, customers have responded  by continuing to keep McDonald’s  number one. Other aspects of the McDonald’s dining experience show why their customers continue to hold their reputationhigh. They use things like the dollar menu, playgrounds, endorsements, and charities all add to create the overall satisfying experience. These things overshadow the health risks that are a large issue in today’s American society. Through the information we have found, McDonald’s is still popular because it is about convenience and fast food. Until people are willing to wait longer to eat and pay more for healthier food, it will still be one of the leading chains. So,  does it seem  that they are repairing the damage done by the â€Å"health nuts†? On the contrary, they may have maintained their customer base through smart advertising and marketing but are still not popular with many people. They are such a large and conspicuous company that many people find it easy  to blame them for problems. Inside theUS, they are the target for various causes such as anti-globalization groups and environmentalists who believe their packaging is creating excess waste. It has also been accused of being heavy-handed in its retaliations to these protests, giving it a somewhat  bully image. Outside of the  US, McDonald’s is still widely pervasive in most countries, all of which have local owners. Yet, it finds itself a symbol of American domination of economic and natural resources. There are also many urban legends about its food and company, and it is a target for unusual lawsuits. Customer Base This is not to say that all people hate McDonald’s. Their website claims to serve over 50 million people per day. Who are McDonalds’ customers? Stereotypically they are overweight, lazy, and unhealthy people (men, women, and children). This could be adding to the social stigma surrounding McDonald’s and adding to their unhealthy image. One crucial group is what they call the â€Å"heavy hitters†. These are men 18 – 34 years old, who eat at the restaurant three to five times a week. These men actually only make up about 20 percent of the customer base, but account for nearly 70 percent of the visits to the chain  (Alexander, 2004)! However, McDonald’s decided to phase out the â€Å"Supersize Option† on its meals in 2004, which could be alienating this group. It is important to keep this group because they bring profits way up by increasing margins on sales. The change was implemented when McDonald’s began to focus more attention on attracting moms and health-conscious adults. Target Market Traditionally, and still today, McDonalds’  focus in advertising, marketing, and design has been children. This is obvious with their PlayPlace, Happy Meals, and character Ronald McDonald. They actually introduced Ronald as a way to draw families into the restaurant. In recent years, McDonald’s has also been increasing their marketing toward mothers. This makes sense because they have to also draw the moms into the restaurant, where the kids want to go. They are almost a  small addition to the child market. They use a variety of marketing strategies to attract children, moms, and families in general. Promotions and Current Marketing McDonald’s is actively working to change their image to a healthier one. Gone are the days where hamburgers are the key advertising attraction. People already know McDonald’s; in fact the golden arches are the single most recognized symbol around the world, even before the cross. They have completely saturated the market to the point where you can now even order a  Big Mac  while shopping at Wal-Mart. Their problem, however, is their battle with health critics and customers filing lawsuits about their unhealthy products. This negative publicity is shaping some stereotypes around the company which they want to change. As we know, perception is reality. The American public sees McDonald’s as a restaurant  that is as unhealthy. Americans don’t go to McDonald’s with visions of healthy food dancing in their heads. Some don’t even go to McDonald’s at all. So how does McDonald’s get them back? This is an immense project that may also never be a successful one. it’s what i eat and what i do†¦i’m lovin’ it The most recent way that McDonald’s has tried to create a healthy image is their new marketing campaign titled â€Å"it’s what i eat and what i do†¦i’m lovin’ it. †Ã‚  The campaign is meant to build upon their global marketing campaign, â€Å"i’m lovin’ it,† which was launched in September 2003. It is designed to â€Å"tie all our balanced, active lifestyles messages together,† said McDonald’s CEO Jim Skinner (Press Release, 3/08/05). The theme highlights the â€Å"important interplay between eating right and staying active. †   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Throughout all of the press releases and media material that we found on McDonald’s corporate website there was one common phrase: â€Å"balanced, active lifestyles. †Ã‚   It is their new platform and it consists of three pillar ideas: increasing menu choice, promoting physical activity, and providing more accessible information. In the next few paragraphs we will illustrate just exactly what McDonald’s is doing in their marketing campaign to address these three pillars. The most recent example of the first pillar,  increasing menu choice, is the introduction of the new Asian Chicken Salad. McDonald’s is both expanding their menu and increasing the availability of â€Å"healthy† foods. Advertisements for this new salad are everywhere. Signage is present outside the restaurants,  on street banners, and even  on the windows and near the registers. One food bag also featured the new Asian Chicken Salad as part of a GoActive! Happy Meal. We even saw a couple different versions of advertisements on  television  for this salad as well as an ad in â€Å"InStyle† magazine. It  is their newest healthy item. Other recent menu additions were also â€Å"healthier† choices such as Premium Chicken sandwiches and other premium salads. The second pillar of this campaign,  promoting physical activity, is also evident on bags, cups and signage in each store. The bags that hold food orders no longer have hamburger ads on the outside. They  now feature images of people leading â€Å"balanced, active† lives. On one bag, a woman is doing yoga with a caption saying â€Å"being good to myself has never been easier†¦i’m lovin’ it.    This lady is sending a message that she  thinks it is easy to maintain her healthy lifestyle by eating at McDonald’s. Physical activity is also promoted through the introduction of four different 15 minute workout DVDs that you can get when you buy the GoActive! Happy Meal that includes a salad and a Dasani bottled water. During the Winter Olympics in  Torino, many Olympic athletes were also featured on McDonald’s bags with motivational messages about their active lives. McDonald’s is doing everything they can to broadcast images of healthy active people and associating them with McDonald’s. The third and final pillar,  more accessible information, is evident in McDonald’s new packaging concept that will provide nutritional information on individual food boxes. McDonald’s has a â€Å"30 year history of providing nutrition information to customers,† but as recent lawsuits against McDonald’s and scenes from the movie â€Å"Super Size Me† suggest, they have room for improvement (Press Release, 2/0706). The lawsuits against McDonald’s claimed that the plaintiffs were obese because they were unaware of the nutritional content of the McDonald’s food that they were eating. Whether that is believable or not, McDonald’s was forced to make a move. They were lucky that these lawsuits were thrown out due to the fact that the plaintiffs could not prove that McDonald’s was at fault, but what if the next plaintiff had a better case? McDonald’s has to be on the defensive. Therefore, McDonald’s is moving nutrition facts straight to the box. Not only does each box  have the nutrition facts table,  but McDonald’s also chose to highlight the five most relevant indicators that customers can understand: calories, protein, fat, carbohydrates, and salt. These five indicators are presented in a different color, while the nutrition table is presented in plain text. The only packages that will not feature nutritional information will be those used in short-term promotions and wrappers and containers that are used for multiple products. In those cases, customers will be referred to McDonald’s websites and in-restaurant brochures. Marketing for Children Another part of McDonald’s push toward â€Å"balanced, active lifestyles† also includes their interaction with children. Kids are a huge market that McDonald’s caters to and has done so for many years. Parents often take their kids to McDonald’s because it is often the only indoor play area around, and also provides a quick, convenient, and fairly cheap meal. In a country where everyone is busy with work and shuttling kids back and forth to soccer practice, a quick meal is invaluable. The kids are fed and are able to run around and play at the same time. McDonald’s is finally aware of their hold on kids and how this hold is affecting the health of American kids. Because of this, McDonald’s is now using Ronald McDonald as an advocate for balanced, active lifestyles. The goal is to have him inform both kids and families around the world about the importance of eating healthy and staying active. In the fall McDonald’s plans to release the first two in a series of DVDs featuring Ronald McDonald, these DVDs are meant to show kids â€Å"how much fun they can have when they activate their bodies, their minds, and their imaginations†(Press Release, 2/07/06). New â€Å"Healthy† Products Over the years, McDonald’s has also introduced a variety of new products to combat the image of unhealthiness. These have worked to diversify their menu, but have not made much of a difference in the perception of the restaurant. Some of the new items include the Premium Salads, Premium Chicken Selects and Chicken Sandwiches, bottled water as a substitute for soda, Low-Carb options for normal menu items, the Apple Dippers and fruit bags, and the Fruit and Yogurt Parfait. Beside  reminder ads,  McDonald’s is currently spending the majority of its advertising budget on these new products, and still sell more double cheeseburgers than all of them combined  (Warner, 2006)! In fact, though they are marketed as healthy but a Chicken Caesar Salad with dressing at McDonald’s actually has more calories from fat (270) and percentage of daily sodium (64%) than a  Big Mac (270 calories from fat, 42% daily sodium) (Nutrition, 2006). The Olympics Partnership The Olympics have a long lasting reputation for their presence and involvement with sports and collaborations with corporations for sponsorship and advertising opportunities. Because the Olympics have such a profound impact worldwide on individuals, it is not surprising that the marketing element in the Olympic  Games  is so prevalent. With the Olympics being a globally viewed event (over 2 billion) in over 200 countries, marketing throughout the duration of the games can generate mass publicity leading to greater profits  for the sponsors. Sports  also  play a role in millions ofpeople’s  lives around the world. It is one arena of life that the mass media also finds  significant;  implicating the obvious reason that marketing through the Olympics is a golden opportunity. Other than being a company who markets their product via commercial or some other media outlet, sponsors of the official Olympic  Games  contribute a great deal in understanding the entirety of how corporations are involved with the Olympics. Sponsors show their support to the Olympic  Games  by providing financial and other resources to give their image a positive boost. McDonald’s has latched onto this sponsorship idea, and began sponsoring the Olympics in 1976. It is important to understand how the Olympics affect their sponsors and vise versa, which explains the in depth explanation of the Olympics. McDonald’s was in  its  rapid growth stage  as  America  was embracing the experience that McDonalds offered; inexpensive food and quick, friendly service. As McDonald’s was becoming a familiar household name throughout the country, so were  the Olympics. When  they became an official sponsor, it was most definitely the merging of two huge forces, and became a long lasting relationship. McDonald’s today continues to show the Olympic  Gamestheir committed support, and uses their relationship to promote its new â€Å"healthy† image. McDonald’s  CEO  had this thought on their involvement with the Olympics, â€Å"Our McDonald’s restaurant teams have always shared many of the same ideals as the Olympic team. They include excellence, teamwork, and being your best. For more than 30 years, we have been a proud sponsor of the Olympic movement, a partnership that directly aligns with our ongoing commitment to help people live more balanced, active lives†. Not only is McDonald’s a devoted and veteran sponsor, they hold the position of being the top sponsor of the entire â€Å"Olympic movement†. Although McDonald’s has had a long run as being the top sponsor to the games, it will come to an end when the 2012 London games take place, for  their sponsorship will cease. We haven’t found the reason behind the decision which is surprising because it is a significant one. McDonalds’sponsorship with the Olympics has provided many positive outcomes for both parties. Having a close affiliation with the Olympics altered the way that the public perceives McDonald’s, which was what they were  hoping for, especially in the last decade. The question is, has their sponsorship changed the company or how the public perceives it? The essence of the Olympics is about fitness and bringing together the best of the best, two very important values. As McDonald’s became more and more aware of their customers increasing interests in a more healthy diet, they began to change their strategy fast. McDonald’s also realized that the affiliation with the Olympics alone could help make their transition to a more health conscious restaurant more visible. So,  McDonald’s began promoting the sponsorship by adding it to their packaging, voicing it in their commercials, and  in  other media outlets. By doing so, people started to view McDonald’s in a healthier way, through a small  halo effect. The affiliation between the two also intertwined the  values  of health  between both the Olympics and McDonald’s. In other words, some people started to think of McDonald’s as being the best in the fast food industry,  and also purchasing the â€Å"healthy† items. Although this was only the first step McDonald’s took toward changing their image, it was one that had a lasting impact. Recently, McDonald’s has become aware of the increasing health conscious public and has tried to adapt accordingly. They have incorporated many different campaigns to capture and promote the essence of healthy living. As stated before, among these include the sponsorship with the Olympics, offering a line of products which are marketed to the health conscious customers, endorsements with super-fit celebrities,  collaboration  with other health-oriented products such as bottled  water, and also the introduction and promotion of the GoActive! Campaign. This campaign is headed by a famous celebrity fitness trainer, Bob Greene, and has been named â€Å"The GoActive! American Challenge†. GoActive! Campaign The GoActive! Campaign  is McDonalds’ most recent attempt  to diversify their options on the menu, and convince its customers to become more active. This is aimed more toward  the adult  rather than the child market, which is a turn from traditional marketing strategies. McDonald’s wants parents to be able to order healthful food while still giving the kids what they really want: The Happy Meal. This change is successful because the options are given to customers, rather than automatically getting fries and a soda with the meal. Instead, customers are given the option of things like fruit salad, apple slices with caramel sauce, cut veggies, juice, and bottled water. By doing this, McDonald’s is taking a proactive,  hands-on approach which shows customers they care  about  and realize  the  significance of a healthy lifestyle. To promote this program, McDonald’s and celebrity fitness trainer Bob Greene decided to challengeAmerica. Their challenge was called â€Å"McDonald’s GoActive! American Challenge† and it encouraged others to live a more balanced life by taking steps to reach a goal. To promote the new campaign,  Bob Greene walked and biked across  America  for a total of 36 days. To include people in this journey, McDonald’s distributed 10,000  to 15,000step-o-meters along with brochures containing information about fitness and ways to start living a more active life. It is McDonalds’ hope that customers will see, from this challenge, that McDonald’s is a place where they have a choice to consume either healthy or unhealthy food. Also, the presence of Bob Greene adds advantage to McDonald’s marketing techniques because of his status in the fitness world. If he is associated with the company, then it must not be that unhealthy. It is critical to analyze what perception is and how it plays a part in McDonald’s and their marketing strategy. Interview with Bob Comisky We also wanted to get the  opinion  and viewpoint of a person inside the McDonald’s Corporation on this topic of healthy marketing. We talked to a franchise owner, Bob Comisky, to see whether or not he thought the current actions and advertisements were really working. According to Bob, customers are not coming to McDonald’s to eat healthy. He said, â€Å"Overall we have increased a little in healthy product sales but we have found that although there is a health craze right now people come to McDonald’s for the burgers, not to eat healthy. †Ã‚   This mimics our research, finding that the dollar menu sells much more than the healthy items. The marketing has had little effect on the buying patterns on the restaurant patrons. He also said that McDonald’s is hoping to increase their market share globally:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  McDonald’s as a company has vision to dominate the world-wide foodservice  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  industry. In order to do this they will set the performance standard high for customer  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  satisfaction in addition to increasing the market share and profitability by fulfilling  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  McDonald’s  mission of value execution strategies and convenience. What is the Point? The basic issue  for McDonald’s regarding perception is that the entire establishment is based upon how they are perceived by the public. Are they perceived as a family restaurant by families? If so, the family segment will more likely visit the restaurant for family dinners. Is McDonald’s perceived as a fun, inexpensive place for the high school and college segments to eat at? If so, they are also more likely to eat there. Therefore, the perception that consumers have about McDonald’s is the basis of their decision to eat at the restaurant. Now that McDonald’s has tried to saturate the market with the healthy, balanced lifestyles campaigns, they are trying to change the  public’s  perception of them in terms of the health factor. While McDonald’s is trying so hard to be the new and improved healthy dining experience, the perception of McDonalds in many  people’s  minds is already set in stone. Trying to change this will cost huge  amounts of money and there is not any guarantee that McDonald’s will achieve their goal. Overall, we believe that McDonald’s is using these â€Å"healthy† products and active lifestyle campaigns as a defense mechanism. They are trying to dispel the image they have right now, and also prevent future lawsuits. All the lawsuits that have been brought against them in regards to obesity have been thrown out, but it is still negative publicity. The company had to do some major damage control after movies like  Super Size  Me! and other negative movements. They are less concerned with changing people’s perceptions of the chain, and more with the fact they need to be seen astrying  to help the situation. They have already saturated the market in the  United States, and want to stay at the topand expand globally. It is not so much about initially changing the company’s image, though over time it may change in response to this extensive marketing strategy. Though it may not change their image, we also think that this is a good direction for McDonald’s to focus toward. They are a mature company, and the only way to bend the arrow backward on their product life cycle is to innovate and create new products. This is their attempt to return to the rapid growth stage. As stated before, McDonald’s  is widely known for its hamburgers and fries, but it has potential to grow into a new market with healthy options. It also has enough money to fund this type of project, and there is no reason they should not continue on this road. The worst that could happen is that they revert back to the same market and style they have always had, but thepositive  side could be expansion into an entirely new market and much more revenue for the company. In general, the managers did not try to put any strong vertical barriers between themselves and their employees. Managers usually seemed to display real concern and interest in the emotions and well being of their employees, which was not expected in this environment. For example, one manager was observed asking an employee cleaning the floors about her weekend and her kids. There seems to be legitimate efforts in order to motivate employees even at the line worker level. Herzberg’s two-factor theory explains that good working conditions only go so far, and that employees require higher level fulfillment such as motivation and recognition in order to be satisfied with their position  (Daft, 2008, p. 231). Even in a low- skill position, low turnover is desired. In addition, happy employees lead to happy customers. McDonald’s corporate management believes in training and leadership at all levels through Hamburger University. On Hamburger University’s website[2], they quote McDonald’s founder Ray Kroc’s training focused ideology: â€Å"If we are going to go anywhere, we’ve got to have talent. And, I’m going to put my money in talent†. This ideology demonstrates that McDonald’s does not believe its restaurants’ crew members are just gears in a machine that can be easily replaced. Because training is not just offered to executives or managers, McDonald’s is able to spread and reinforce its culture and values in all directions, not just downward. McDonald’s corporate values also have â€Å"people† as one of its pillars  (McDonald’s Corporation, 2008). Corporate policy says that employees should be paid at or above the local market rate, and should also value both their pay and their benefits. By addressing employees higher needs by providing training they make employees feel important and valuable. Training also serves to reinforce the culture at all levels through education and fostering a positive image of the employees’ importance to the company. McDonald’s Motivating Factors Of the McDonald’s restaurants we observed, the culture was generally inviting for new employees. In addition, other factors make McDonald’s an ideal employer for many individuals. A primary motivation for working in a McDonald’s restaurant is that it presents a laid back environment and the job itself is not very stressful. Even during the observed lunch and dinner rushes, the employees never appeared particularly stressed or anxious. When there was a lull in the restaurant the employees would clean their stations, chat with other employees, or get a drink from the soda fountain. They were very relaxed and for the most part did not seem to fear their managers or other bosses. As Daft explains, fear can weaken trust and communication, and is usually impedes employees rather than motivates them  (Daft, 2008, p. 52). For a high school student who is busy with school work and other extra-curricular activities, it may be ideal to work in a laid back environment like McDonald’s. A student’s life may be highly stressful, and a low-skill, low-stress job offered by McDonald’s may provide a break from an otherwise stressful life. Also, for the elderly employees, the low stress environment may also be desirable because they would not be overwhelmed with responsibilities that might be new to them. Another possible motivator is the social opportunity presented by such a job. As noted above, employees tended to have a very casual environment where they could talk and socialize while they worked. For example, many of the employees who work during the evening shifts are high school students. These employees are often the same age and often share common cultural interests. They are also presented with the opportunity to meet new people and develop friendships that can continue to develop outside of work. They will also have a bond with these employees because they share a common experience, and are likely from a similar background. Employment at McDonald’s also offers social opportunities for those employees who are young but do not attend college and for the elderly. Many of these employees do not have the opportunity to participate in clubs or other organizations, and interact with people of their own age or anyone in general. It may even be possible to develop a romantic relationship with another employee, as McDonald’s is not a work environment where this could be seen as a problem by management. A third reason for working at McDonald’s is the flexible schedule. McDonald’s offers many different shift schedules so they accommodate everyone. This can help employees find a healthy work-life balance. Some individuals require fulltime work, which is available through the standard day shift, while part time workers can pick up their hours after school ends, on weekends or around other social obligations. Since the company requires in some levels a low skill job, another employee can easily take one’s shift over, allowing the later to take on other obligations and not be completely tied to the workplace. Part time employees can rotate their hours according to who has requested to have a certain day off. This gives employees a sense of empowerment because they have same say in their schedule and are less likely to call in sick to avoid work, which would lower team morale and the respect between the managers and the employee  (Daft, 2008, p. 242). Even though the average employee is unskilled or does not require skills, empowering an employee helps him feel important and makes him feel better about his job. In addition to the flexibility offered by a position at McDonald’s, the convenient location might serve as another motivator. There is a McDonald’s store in most every town, and it may be relatively close to an employee and the only available job which does not require a skill or advanced training. As a result, employees who do not have cars can walk to work or take public transportation. In light of the recent economic downturn and the high price of gas, having a job in your own neighborhood is a huge benefit, especially for a young person or a person trying to earn their first paycheck. Finally, an additional motivator is the numerous growth opportunities available. McDonald’s offers training to employees at various levels. In addition, if any employee stays at McDonald’s for a long period he could advance into an assistant manager or manager position. While typically a McDonald’s job is seen as temporary for young people, it may be the only job available for an impoverished person, recent immigrant, or someone with no learned skill. Since there is a high rate of turnover, employees have the chance to advance within a few years of working at a restaurant. This opportunity could be very appealing for those who cannot attend college for some reason. If during his high school years an employee was a hard worker, he or she could easily move into a manager position and continue his career with the company or gain experience to move into another job without a formal education. Through our observations we were unable to determine the exact theories of motivation mangers used, but it was clear that the theories were of a needs-based nature. In general, the average employee does not commit to McDonald’s for a long term, and high turnover is expected. Thus, for the majority of the employees the goal is to satisfy their lower needs. Using Maslow’s hierarchy, the main goal is to provide the basic needs such as a safe environment where they can earn the money they needed to provide for their physiological needs  (Daft, 2008, p. 228). However, there are typically no real fringe benefits (besides free food) associated with the job, and there is no contract or other guarantee of continued employment. In some cases though, there was observed belongingness through friendships and team unity. In addition, the two-factor theory of motivation seems to be employed  (Daft, 2008, p. 231). McDonald’s seeks to reduce dissatisfaction by having good hygiene factors – adequate pay and organizational policies. In many cases, there does not appear to be a high focus on implementing motivators; employees did not seem unhappy, but there seem to be very few opportunities for recognition and growth except for those who plan to be long term employees. The Best Employee In continuation to what was observed in the visited McDonald’s stores, one cannot neglect to address the leadership style displayed by the line managers in these restaurants. Conforming to the informal and relaxed atmosphere emphasized by the manager’s calm attitude and the McDonald’s â€Å"100% customer satisfaction† goal; one could expect a â€Å"middle-of-the-road† type of management in which the leaders behave as compromisers  (Northouse, 2007, p. 75), exhibiting both people and task oriented behavior. Indeed, during this field study the line managers seemed to be very expedient, approaching a station whenever there was a problem and giving directions to the subordinates. The managers appeared to be moderately concerned with the people who did the tasks, yet they were focused on production and ultimately product quality. There were no noticeable conflicts between leaders and followers and an equilibrium state was achieved between them. The line managers’ leadership behavior reflects a task-oriented style for the crew members. The commitment and positive attitude towards a given task are derived from the employees’ motivations and leader behavior. According to the Path-Goal Theory, for tasks which are characterized as repetitive, unchallenging, mundane and mechanical, the group members tend to be unsatisfied and in need of affiliation and human touch  (Northouse, 2007, p. 34). Therefore, the most suitable leader behavior for this type of environment is the supportive leadership that provides nurturance and makes the work pleasant for subordinates. McDonald’s Corporate believes its success is attributed in part to the talented restaurant crew. Also, Corporate claims to be engaged in talent management: attracting, developing and retaining talented people from all levels[3]. The le ader behavior observed in the McDonald’s stores corresponds to the employment experience values promoted on their website. From the field study experience, one can surmise the McDonald’s leader-follower relationship as the following:†The task is simple. We provide all necessary tools for you to accomplish your job. Show commitment and perform your duties properly. I am here to help if necessary. I will not trouble you†. For the McDonald’s case, a comfortable and friendly environment reinforced by the line manager is paramount for the employee’s satisfaction. Good customer service is one the most important aspects in the fast food industry. It is crucial for the employees in this sector to display courtesy, genuine concern and diligent service towards the clients. Unsurprisingly, this trend was commonly found in the visited McDonald’s stores. Most of the cashiers there would greet the customer with a smile and a â€Å"how are you today, sir†, followed by a â€Å"thank you† once the transaction was done. Behind the scenes, the workers cooking fries and flipping burgers made sure their products were been delivered in a steady pace and in accordance to the company’s quality standards. Finally, the line manager’s role was to make sure things were running smoothly, fill gaps whenever necessary, assist crew members and perform other managerial duties such as inventory control, managing budget and human resources. As in any assembly line, the employee’s performance is heavily measured by his or her efficiency level. It amounts to how many items the worker delivered in a given period, following a certain quality standard. Of course, there are others important points to be considered in order to determine who the best employees are. Initiative could be a means of distinguishing the workers in this sort of environment. This could be exhibited by a cashier who cleans the counter if idle, a cook who starts cleaning the kitchen earlier, or even a manager who presents to the company a new product or service concept. Also, cooperation plays a big role, because McDonald’s relies on groups and teams. Each employee relies on another line worker in the assembling process. In the end, any worker who demonstrates these qualities could have his/her picture hung on the wall as the â€Å"employee of the month† – this is a classic example of how McDonald’s stores motivate and reward their employees. The best McDonald’s manager/leader is the one that promotes a pleasant atmosphere for his/her subordinates to counter the limited job’s motivating factors. However, the manager should also focus on maximizing production and delivering a good service to the customers. The ideal McDonald’s leader must apply a coaching leadership style, showing both high directive and supportive behaviors. From what was observed in some stores, the managers of the restaurants seemed to be in control of every aspect of the entire food service process. At some instances when things went completely out of control; the same managers exhibited a coaching style of leadership, directing the subordinate on how to achieve a specific goal. Whenever they overheard or saw someone  doing something wrong or partially correct, they would step in  giving directions to their subordinates and would never disrespect them. Team Work at McDonald’s While not all employees can be superstars, McDonald’s owes is success to its team functionality rather than the efforts of one individual. McDonald’s does not have very highly integrated teamwork, but they would be unable to deliver their products and service without sufficient team unity and cooperation. The team on the floor of a McDonald’s restaurant is best described as a functional team(Daft, 2008, p. 297). Team members have one area that they focus on during their shift. If they leave their post or are not productive, other line members will not be able to accomplish their jobs and the production line will suffer. For example, when a customer enters the restaurant places an order with the cashier, the later inputs the order into the computer and the information is displayed in the kitchen at the sandwich and grill stations. The grill worker prepares the meat and then places the burger on a bun. The sandwich maker then assembles the sandwich according to the type of sandwich and any additional requests the customer has. If the sandwich maker leaves his post, another worker has to cover for him or the entire product delivery process shuts down. As a result, a McDonald’s restaurant team is sequentially interdependent  (Daft, 2008, p. 301). Without everyone working together and having sufficient motivation to provide good and quick quality service, all members of the team fail. As a result of one person losing motivation or failing to adequately perform his duties, customers may complain and business can be lost. Even though most employees are trained to perform multiple tasks at various stations, they are not usually able to perform all of these tasks simultaneously. The typical team was not self-reliant and required constant, direct input from the manager. We observed that often times when morale began to wane, the manager was able to reinvigorate the team and increase efficiency. However, we also noticed that if the manager grew tired and lost motivation the rest of the team quickly followed suit. Managers were also instrumental in helping out struggling team members by motivating them. This attitude kept the production line moving adequately. The team effectiveness is directly related to the manager’s leadership efforts  (Daft, 2008, p. 303). In order to ensure both efficiency and quality in the team’s work, the managers had to make some efforts to satisfying employees’ needs. This manifested as direct help, words of encouragement, not punishing undesired behavior every time, or awarding a break and taking over a worker’s responsibilities temporarily. Nevertheless, employee seemed well trained and autonomous as long as morale was at a sufficient level. The team operated mostly without speaking. Sometimes team members would yell an order to another member, but generally everyone knew what they had to do without much discussion. Because the team did not need constant retraining or correction, it is a sign that the employees are well trained and have been iven the tools to adequately perform their roles. The Overall Leader ; Corporate Values Reflected While McDonald’s is a large multinational organization, the CEO is often seen as a leader and symbolic driver of the corporate initiatives and ideals. McDonald’s current Chief Executive Office is Jim Skinner. Mr. Skinner has been with McDonald’s for over thirty-five years, and has hel d many positions from â€Å"restaurant manager trainee† to many corporate positions throughout his tenure, before being elected as CEO  (McDonald’s Corporation, 2008). Truly a charismatic and transformational leader, many attribute McDonald’s turn-around in the past few years to the efforts of Skinner; not only did he revitalize the organization, but he â€Å"reinvented the fast food business† with a new vision and direction(Hume, 2007). Early in the turn-around, he was one of the architects of the â€Å"Plan to Win† initiative which renewed McDonald’s core focus of store operations. His election to the CEO post provided some stability and faith for the organization. Hume notes that one of the key elements to his success was his vast experience with overseas markets that gave him great diversity exposure which was crucial for the global corporation. This diversity has definitely helped giving McDonald’s a competitive advantage, and was paramount in the global communication between employees and customers  (Daft, 2008, p. 334). One of his noted achievements during his tenure in regards to leadership was fighting the â€Å"McJob† stigma; he made employees feel important and began to promote the various positions in a brighter light through advertising campaigns  (Hume, 2007). In terms of Mr. Skinner’s philosophy, he is primarily focused on customer satisfaction. He believes that is necessary to first meet customer expectations and then focus on the restaurants themselves. The philosophy also includes keeping things simple and manageable for each store while making sure that â€Å"everyone is aligned around that one idea†. The idea is directed towards making a good appearance, caring about how the restaurant looks and how you present yourself. Another important aspect of his philosophy is the fear of complacency. Therefore, he encourages creativity, but also wants to make sure that people do not lose track of the chain’s primary objectives  (Hume, 2007). Thus, there is a strong focus on coming up with good, creative strategies, and then putting the full effort into successful execution. For Mr. Skinner, a companywide initiative is always a must, and never a maybe. Skinner is also a man of values and ethics: When McDonald’s was blamed for the obesity problem, he helped direct the company to take responsibility and help create a solution rather than pass the blame. Thus, Skinner can be seen as a moral leader and symbol of doing the right thing for McDonald’s  (Daft, 2008, p. 169). Finally, one of Skinner’s continuing main goals is â€Å"talent management and leadership development†Ã‚  (Hume, 2007). This involves critical tasks such as reorganizing individuals into different roles and identifying potential leaders to be awarded additional responsibility. While many of the Mr. Skinners values are not easily discernable on surface, his leadership was seen at the restaurants observed. The care regarding customer satisfaction was most obvious, employees were always polite and the restaurant was very clean. During some observations, employees were seen talking with regular customers beyond the normal service interactions, demonstrating some level of intimacy between them. In addition, almost all employees seemed well mannered and presented themselves well. There seemed to be a high level of morale, even with the more menial and custodial positions, which was unexpected in a fast food restaurant. In many of the locations visited, there were employee recruitment signs on the door that listed benefits; however, the application process was online. While more efficient, perhaps a stronger focus on in-person recruitment would help improving morale and result in more applications. Improving Employee Effectiveness One may initially believe that there is not really much that can or even needs to be done in order to improve efficiency in McDonald’s restaurants; however, good leadership involves constantly reinforcing a brighter vision of the future and increasing value for both customers and employees. An employee should not think that just because they cook fries or flip burgers, that they cannot make a difference. Rather, by encouraging creativity and eadership even at this lowest level, the next great executive may emerge. It is important to turn each restaurant’s employee into a productive team member. In order to increase productivity and employee commitment, we propose several measures. The first measure would be to create a program to encourage creativity among restaurant managers, owners, and operators. In fact , the iconic Ronald McDonald was not developed by Ray Kroc or anyone at corporate, but by the owner of a local franchise  (Walker & Scott). Rewards should be available for coming up with new ideas at the restaurant level. As owners and managers are the ones who are actively involved with the day-to-day operations, they have a greater vantage point for implementing successful changes. In order for such a program to be successful, there must first be some educational programs like workshops. At the regional level, managers and owners can be brought together and taught about creative ideas. This will encourage thinking â€Å"outside of the box†, and furthermore can introduce individuals to the practice of â€Å"creative swiping†, which is a process of copying the best ideas whether they be from within your industry or from completely unrelated fields  (Peters, 1987). After properly motivating the owners and managers, there should be a trickledown effect to the restaurant’s employees. In addition to the trickledown effect of targeting the managers, we would take steps to directly motivate individual employees as well. On this front, one of the first steps is to truly understand each and every employee. Some employees may only be working at McDonald’s temporarily, but for others this may be the only available job opportunity. For such individuals, they want to maximize their job satisfaction. We would implement a program similar to those in large corporations where employees are able to set specific goals and explain their rationale for working at McDonald’s and what they expect from their employment. This process would show employees that they can do more than flip burgers, for example develop leadership and management skills which can be invaluable regardless of future career plans. Managers and/or owners would apply Vroom’s Expectancy Theory in this case; the attention and treatment of each employee should be personalized  (Daft, 2008, p. 35). Managers would therefore develop a plan with each employee to increase his intrinsic satisfaction, while at the same time increasing that employee’s productivity. Building on our focus on individuals, we would also implement a scholarship and education program. We want our employees to represent us well within our restaurants and throughout the world. We would offer high school and college aged employees a greater number of college scholarship opportunities in return for quality work and demonstration of leadership potential. Younger workers are often harder to motivate directly, but the opportunity to have someone else paying for your education is always a great motivator. The program would reward quality work such as customer service and punctuality, as well as creativity and the ability to dream like a leader. Employees must be sponsored by a manager or owner and would have to write an essay answering a question that instigates them to think creatively about how we as a corporation could improve. This would motivate even the youngest and most inexperienced ones. In fact, this could create an upstream effect on the whole restaurant or corporation, increase team cohesiveness and help encouraging those who are older or in higher positions to also think about making the entire organization better  (Daft, 2008, p. 239). The winners would make a positive impact on the organization and earn the extrinsic reward of a scholarship. In subsequent years, this would encourage other young employees to also pursue this opportunity, be a first-class worker and think creatively about the organization. Conclusion McDonald’s is a multinational corporation, which is perceived as many different things to different people. Some people see McDonald’s as a decent, fast and inexpensive meal. Others may view the company chain as a low quality restaurant that employs uneducated and unskilled people. Nevertheless, McDonald’s has a cheery corporate image that prides itself on quality and cleanliness, as well as good food and good service. The company employs state-of-art technology to help its workers in their tasks and makes the production process faster, attending to the customers in a prompt manner. In terms of leadership, McDonald’s makes a strong corporate effort to develop leaders. There are growth opportunities within the corporation or those who are willing to work hard and develop their leadership skills.

The Moral Instinct by Pinker Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

The Moral Instinct by Pinker - Essay Example Moral judgments of certain actions and things have created conflict of views from different people across the world (Pinker 1-2). When it comes to decision-making, some people make judgments by rationalizing but they have no concrete explanation about the decision made. Other people use reasoning to explain why they have come up come up with certain decisions. According to Pinker (3-5), a group of neuroscientists has explained how different parts of a human brain assist them in reasoning and rationalization when making some decisions. By analogy, people possess universal moral senses that guide them to differentiate between right and wrong things. People show morality through the universal moral grammar they display when analyzing human actions even if the structure is different. However, the research conducted globally showed that moral judgments cannot be universal and the language used to express the opinions is not universal. People usually demonstrate varieties of molar experiences, these experiences revolve around five themes, and it depends on the environment they live. Additionally, the five spheres of morality can make the moral sense to be a global factor but it can be different at the same in different communities depending on their culture. Reassignment of activities to different spheres can attract different opinions from different people depending on their cultural backgrounds. Pinker states (5-7) that when the research considers fairness in the moral sense, it emerges that most people do good things to other in return for a repayment but few people are naturally generous. Several people are selfish and that why the go to extents of amoralizing so things for their selfish gains and if such a norm continues it will demote morality to a figment. To avoid degrading morality, people should be able to differentiate right things from the

Pedagogy and Curriculum Primary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Pedagogy and Curriculum Primary - Essay Example The study of mathematics is also of particular importance in the education curriculum as a whole. Mathematics offers learners with a chance to excel in other areas of interest in the curriculum. Since mathematics is wide and exciting, students of all ages, interests and capabilities. The study of mathematics enables the learner to develop skills of critical thought, analysis, problem solution, ingenuity and the capacity to think about theoretical concepts. Mathematics employs a system of numbers and symbols that permit for universal communication of ideas in a precise, explicit and accurate way. In order to be able to confront the challenges of a fast developing world, every person requires a thorough knowledge of mathematics (Donaldson, 2008). Mathematics provides learners with a myriad of skills which are necessary for work, living and education. A comprehension of the significance of mathematics in life is of utmost importance. This calls for the acknowledgement that Mathematics i s elemental throughout a person’s life and as such it should be treated as such. ... It is prerequisite for all teachers who are charged with the development of mathematical skills to familiarise themselves with the function of numeracy in mathematics and the methods that are used to develop numerical capacities in the wide variety of experiences for learners (The Scottish Government 2007). The experiences and outcomes in mathematics are segmented into three major sections; measure, number and money; movement, shape and position; and the analysis of information. The framework stresses the significance of mathematics at present and in future in the societal development and in its applicability in daily living. An elemental aspect of the mathematics framework involves developing algebraic thinking in young learners. This is informed by studies which conclude that an early introduction to algebraic thinking makes learners be more attuned to mathematical understanding and also results to learner confidence in tackling mathematical problems (The Scottish Government 2007). Experiences and outcomes will be invaluable in the practical aspects of teaching since they show how mathematics is used in real life situations such as gambling and probability. These experiences and outcomes will enable learners see the practicality of attaining mathematical skills for life decisions. Aspects of Effectual Teaching and Learning in the Mathematics Framework From the start of young people starting to learn, it is important that teachers make learners have success in mathematics. This should be done through developing their self-confidence so that they are able to accept risks, query, and be creative enough to investigate different methods devoid of the apprehension of being incorrect. Learners who are not afraid of being wrong will be able to explore and will enjoy the

Partnership Working Between Service Users And Mental Health Workers Essay

Partnership Working Between Service Users And Mental Health Workers - Essay Example The term users, not only applies to the people with mental disorders but also survivors, family members as well as providers of related services. According to Tait and Lester (2005), the conceptualization of users as providers, as reflected in the current trend of user-led services in UK provides a great opportunity for advancing the partnership working between service providers and the mental service users. The user- led services involve mental services carried out and managed by users through voluntary arrangements in conjunction with health care professionals. The concept of users-led services and the shift from institutionalized mental health care to the community-based care provide another great opportunity for partnership between the practitioners and the users. However, the partnership requires significant training of volunteers, promotion of personal support and user-led advocacy (Sherpherd, Boardman & Slade 2008). The practitioner-patient approach is based on the assumption that users have practical experience with the problems faced by people with mental disorders and therefore can provide the much needed understanding in delivering such services. The Need for a Shift in Attitudes among Practitioners and a Move away from the 'Us and Them' Approach The need for a shift in attitude among practitioners and moving from the ‘us and them’ approach can be attributed to the role of the user and practitioner partnership in the recovery of people with mental disorders. The relationship between the patients and clinicians requires a move from the expert/patient to a partnership in order to facilitate the process of recovery (Tait & Lester 2007). The concept of isolating people with mental disorders has been found to impart limited recovery achievements, with the social inclusion approach emerging as the most effective approach in caring for people with mental disorders. The move from the ‘us and them’ approach requires the recognition o f family members and other supporters crucial in the recovery of a patient as partners in the process of delivering mental health services. Effectiveness of the treatment and recovery process requires a collaborative effort between the practitioners and service users. The recovery approve has been proposed as one of the effective approaches in delivering mental health care services in different countries including United States, New Zealand, Australia and UK (Shepherd, Boardman & Slade 2008). This approach is founded on the basis of partnership between the service providers and service users in enhancing effectiveness of the health care services. The approach provides service users to participate actively in the delivery of the services rather emphasizing on expert/patient boundaries. The process of delivering effective health care interventions requires that health care practitioners shift their attitude from the expertise or authority status to personal coaches ready to offer thei r skills and learn from the patients or service users as well (Sherpherd, Boardman & Slade 2008). Practitioner-patient partnership requires significant trust, openness, honesty and support from both parties. Barriers to the Working Partnership and ways of overcoming them One of the greatest challenges in fostering working partnership between practitioners and mental health patients revolves around the lack of user empowerment. Families, patients

A Christmas Carol by Chales Dickens Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

A Christmas Carol by Chales Dickens - Essay Example The problems included poverty, overwork and insanitary housing which were faced by the middle class, affecting their bodily and spiritual health. In A Christmas Carol, the family was however happy and contented with one another, looking happier in the partying mood. Scrooge on his part kept a close eye on the last of the children, Tiny Tim (Charles 2012). The rise of masses in this period benefited the actual masses as a result of working together and uniting in fighting their problems. Their moral and religious union was maintained. For instance, in the story A Christmas Carol, Cratchit’s family is portrayed as one buried in poverty. They were poorly dressed in scanty clothes and leaking shoes. Like in the Cratchit’s family, Mr. Scrooge, the Founder of the Feast, is predicted as a character liked by the others. They tend to celebrate him, and continue feasting on this Christmas day despite their problems. However, Mr. Scrooge is portrayed as the Ogre of the family, who se name threatens everyone in the party. Leisure and sport were other phenomena that characterized this period. The two represented cultural products of a changed and hierarchical society. Leisure was appreciated as an activity which allowed people to enjoy their lifestyles, giving them the freedom from the politics of the time. For instance, the situation of poverty and sufferings did not deter Cratchit family from loving each other and embracing the happy moments, such as that of Christmas. In conclusion, it can be seen that problems and suffering should not be a limit to people’s joy and merry-making. The Cratchit family is such a family beating all odds to make a happy moment for all. They have forgotten all their sufferings and engaged in leisure and feasting. The citizens as represented by the Cratchit family were full of love, affection and social warmth for each other. The values formed the basis for demand for greater human selflessness. Their

HR250 Individual Written Assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

HR250 Individual Written Assignment - Essay Example Chalon had a track record of motivating personnel and he was reported to have a very firm focus from his previous work experience in Europe. The employees complained about the leadership of Oliver Chalon as a person and the manner in which he interacted with the employees. It could be also that Chalon was also stereotypical about the Americans, it is said that the French view Americans as arrogant and dominating. This made him to be forceful and fierce in implementing his strategies. The difficulties that Chalon is facing can be due to the root of intercultural differences that exist between American and French value systems. Some of the differences exist in the intercultural management scenario. In regard to context French are regarded as high context while the Americans are viewed as low context; high context is characterized by the fact that a place must be left for adoption and interpretation and that everything is in the relationship. The low context is characterized by situations whereby everything must be clear and everything is in contract. This can be the reason as to why Chalon was facing difficulties as the employees were working in the terms that are expressed in their contract as this is in American culture. Context thus makes Americans to view French as disorganized, insincere and not disciplined. Another factor that is under the intercultural management is time. The French are regarded as polychromic while Americans are monochromic. Polychromic is described by schedule independence while monochromic is described by the fact that precision is essential. This can be reflected by the problem that Chalon is facing as the employees who are the Americans and he was French will view him as not focused and dispersed. The root of Chalon’s problem could also be due to the existence of the stereotypes that exist between the French and the American. The

Human relationship Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Human relationship - Essay Example Collaboration should be viewed as an opportunity to build bridges rather than working against one another. Trust and respect are vital to positive collaboration because these values remove any doubts or fears one side may have about the other. While collaboration works well between differing parties, it can also be highly successful within a single team. Instead of discussing individual needs, a greater focus needs to be on the team as a whole. Flexibility is absolutely necessary to make this happen because it is usually not possible for everyone to get what they want, but that does not mean that they have to feel disappointed. One example of collaboration is when two departments need to work together on a construction plan for a new property. All of the wants and needs should be included in the plans, but if there are any conflicts then they should be resolved through collaboration. It may be that one department has to give something up but can also be accommodated in another area to make up for it. Teamwork occurs when a group of individuals are committed to achieving a goal or objective for the betterment of the team as a whole. Unlike collaboration, which often involves two conflicting parties, teamwork is much more suitable to a group environment where everyone is hopefully on the same page. One thing that makes teamwork distinctive is that each group member has a role and responsibility to carry out. One advantage of teamwork over individual work is that with groupthink it is possible to come up with more robust and complex solutions to problems. Teamwork requires each group member to buy-in to the ideals of the team and develop a common understanding. Rules and regulations do not need to be defined in a formal manner because each member should know the boundaries. All successful teams have at least one person in a leadership role, whether that is well-defined or loose. Above all, the team leader is expected to

Creating Effective Information Systems Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Creating Effective Information Systems - Essay Example This project was aimed at implementing a number of IT processes such as medical information transformation, electronic prescriptions services, and a web based booking system. Initially, it was estimated that this project will take no more than cost  £2.4 billion, however after almost a decade as well as with small to show considerable development and progress, the budget had risen to  £12.7 billion. It was a long-term project and a massive investment was done to make this project a success. However, the ultimate result of all the efforts appeared in the form of a huge failure. This project became one of the biggest IT project failures. There were a number of reasons and factors that played a major role in making this project a failure (Smolaks, 2012; Shuhab-u-Tariq, 2010; Hendy et al., 2005). This report outlines some of the major reasons that have led this project towards failure. This report also outlines the ways to deal with project risks. In the end this report also suggests the ways that could be adopted in an attempt to make this project a success. Up till now, a large number of reports and researchers have discussed the major reasons of this project failure. Without a doubt, it is the part of nature of a large project that it will go through a number of serious challenges throughout its development. In view of the fact that NPFIT project also involved the integration of other systems in order to allow them work collectively so this kind of projects experience serious challenges which ultimately led a project toward failure. In place of integrating several IT systems, an organization must develop and implement an individual system for the reason that a high intensity of complexity in within a project in consequence of huge scope could raise the risk of failure. However, this kind of project had not been implemented ever before so it was no possible to take protective measures by keeping in mind the scenario of other

Health and Wellness for Children Essay Example for Free

Health and Wellness for Children Essay The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) states that the financial cost of childhood obesity tips the scale at 3 billion dollars annually. Children of all ages need to engage in at least 60 minutes of physical activity on a daily basis and become informed about proper nutrition benefits with the support of their parents. Physical education, provided from school, is an ideal way to encourage activity and develop fitness among children and, for many children, will be their only preparation for an active lifestyle. For this reason, the CDC, the National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), and the American Heart Association all recommend comprehensive daily physical education for children K-12. Obesity itself is a problem, but it also contributes to many other health issues. The obese children of this country are now at risk for many other diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, high cholesterol, cardiovascular problems, and may become obese adults if the problem is not managed. According to the Surgeon General Report (2010) over weight adolescents have a 70% chance of becoming overweight or obese adults; which then puts them at risk for a number of health problems including heart disease, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and some forms of cancer. The Surgeon General Report (2010) also states that children perceived as overweight suffer from social discrimination, meaning they have poor self-esteem and depression. A solution to keep children from becoming overweight, obese, or to reduce obesity is to generate a before or after school exercise program including nutrition information. Parents need to become involved as well. Children should be assigned 60 minutes of physical activity and a nutrition information sheet for homework every day. A binder must be developed so the parents and children can log their activity and keep track of their nutrition information. To help keep the children and parents interested and knowledgeable about exercise and nutrition the schools can hold a before or after school sessions for parents and children to attend if the they would feel more comfortable being instructed versus on their own. Families can either plan at home activities to meet the  requirements, or attend the school’s program where they will have a safe environment to exercise. The CDC (2010) recommends giving a child a safe environment in which they can play actively and be encouraged to swim, bike, skate, and play sports. Physical activity before or after school should provide opportunities for all students, including those with disabilities, to practice what theyve learned in physical education, work towards the nationally recommended 60+ minutes of daily moderate-vigorous physical activity, and prepare the brain for learning. Additional benefits include social interaction and engagement of students in safe, supervised activities. The Department of Health and Human Services (2008) recommend that children’s activity time include moderate to vigorous aerobic activity, muscle strengthening, and bone-strengthening exercises, and that young people should be encouraged to participate in age-appropriate, enjoyable, and diverse activities. There are many examples of physical activity, including not only team sports but also walking, biking, swimming, hiking, dancing, gardening, and many other group or individual activities. Recreational activities enjoyable to youth help ensure that they continue to engage in those activities. Outdoor activities can be enjoyed in a variety of locations and are often less expensive, more accessible, and can foster life-long activity. To accommodate all children’s needs and desires for physical activity the school can link their activities with the other local programs at various locations such as the YMCA, girls/boys scouts, boys and girls clubs, etc†¦ The children will gain a self-motivation to become a healthy life-long active individual. This program can reduce the rates of overweight and obese children around the world. Much of the world has become sedentary due to new technologies and the busyness of the world. The program will help children learn the importance of physical activity and help them feel and act more energetic. They will start to learn and implement a healthy lifestyle that they will be able to carry on to adulthood. The persons who implement and agree upon this program will help to keep children safe and will benefit from assisting them to improve their lifestyles and help prevent and reduce obesity. The program will be successful because it will allow the overweight and obese children to be more active which can help aide in weight loss. By teaching them these behaviors all through their school age they will learn the behaviors and hopefully prevent obesity as an adult and all the other associated health problems. The Surgeon General Report (2010) says that it is recommended for Americans to accumulate at least 60 minutes of moderate physical activity most days of the week for children, and even greater amounts may be necessary for the prevention of weight gain, for weight loss, or sustaining weight loss. Many schools do not have the funds to support a physical education program. There are numerous grants that provide funds to schools in need of these programs. Many of the organizations are non-profit groups while others are run by the state or federal government. Some of the grants are: Carol M. White Physical Education Program, PTA Healthy Lifestyles, Funds for Fuel Up to Play 60, and ING Run For Something Better School Awards Program. Aside from grants schools can also advertise for professional volunteers to help assist with exercise and nutrition classes held before or after school to educate the children and parents. As childhood obesity rates climb, attention is being directed towards school lunches as a possible solution to the problem. Even if children are provided vegetables and fruits, many children won’t eat them unless they’ve been over-steamed, which drains nutrients, and many fruits are in sugary syrups. The healthy options given at lunch time can’t simply be forced onto the children’s plates because it will just end up in the garbage. But that’s where the nutrition education portion comes in. Teaching children about the dangers of being overweight and being afflicted with childhood obesity, and letting them come to terms with it if they are, is an essential step in the right direction. Changing the school lunches and the vending machines to healthier foods will help in reducing obesity, but these overweight and obese children need more than just a healthy option for lunch and a snack. They need lifestyle changes that carry on to adulthood which includes education on how to choose the right foods for breakfast, lunch, snack, and dinner as well as participating in physical activity on a daily basis. Children should have several opportunities to be active throughout the week and year round. Activity should be a normal part of a child’s day, from walking or biking to and from school, where appropriate, to participating in a physical education class, to engaging in active games during recess, after school, or in the summer at home, in a park, or on a playground. All children benefit and gain enjoyment from physical activity, regardless of ability or disability status, gender, or athletic inclinations and talents. The benefits of physical activity extend beyond childhood too young people who grow up physically active more likely to be active adults. Likewise, young people who feel supported by friends and families or are surrounded by others interested in physical activity are more likely to participate in both structured and non-structured activities. These social areas are powerful in determining children’s actions.

Understanding the Risks and Benefits of Importing Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Essay Example for Free

Understanding the Risks and Benefits of Importing Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Essay In April, 2009, the national headlines were dominated with the story of a small, rogue group of modern day pirates who somehow managed to hijack highly armed American ships off of the coast of Somalia; these pirates were motivated by the huge financial gains to be had by stealing from the ships that are used to import liquefied natural gas (LNG), petroleum, and other energy resources from around the world, but primarily the middle east, a highly volatile region of the world for decades (Cordesman, 2004). While in itself the magnitude of what a small group of determined individuals were able to achieve is horrifying in its impact, there is a larger issue which came to light in the midst of the incident. That issue is a fair examination of the relative risks and benefits, specifically, of importing LNG to the United States. With this issue in mind, this research will explore several key facets of the question. Upon completion of the research, a better understanding of the overall topic will have been gained. This topic is especially interesting, as it encompasses the sub-topics of the energy crisis of the 21st century, international political complications, and much more. Risks of Importing Liquefied Natural Gas To begin, it is important to truly understand the risks of importing LNG; as with so many other facets of this topic, there are a wide variety of aspects to consider when tackling this pivotal question. While the threat of terrorism aimed at the United States has been a factor for decades, in the aftermath of the horrors of the 9/11 attacks, a renewed level of concern emerged for the protection of domestic chemical storage and transportation facilities against possible acts of sabotage. LNG facilities were identified as potentially attractive targets for terrorists, as the destruction of LNG supplies could dramatically affect the productivity of the nation, and the general perception is that LNG is highly explosive, which in fact will be dispelled later in this research. At any rate, ships bringing LNG to the US, especially in a post-9/11 world, are ripe targets for terrorist attack, representing a tremendous risk to those who are involved in the actual transportation of imported LNG (Johnson, et al, 2005). While LNG may not pose a huge threat once it is brought onto land, there is evidence to indicate that in the transportation of LNG via the tanker ships which are used to transport it, in the event of an LNG spill at sea, the effects could be huge. Without the means to contain the spill if it were to occur hundreds of miles from any given nation’s shore, LNG, when expelled into the water, poses a huge risk to the plant and wildlife that lives at sea. Eventually, if the spilled LNG were to reach the shores of any land mass, there could likewise be a large amount of soil pollution and the like, effectively undermining the environmental effectiveness of LNG when it is properly used in its intended applications (Downs, 2000). Financially, engaging in the importing of LNG can also be a risky proposition; in the previously presented scenario, if LNG shipments are hijacked for example, a huge loss of money for many stakeholders. Although all businesses carry their own relative level of risk, the importing of something like LNG, which is a prime target for theft or destruction, is especially risky. Lastly, the effort on the part of modern day pirates to try to steal as much LNG as possible from shipments meant for American importing represents a huge risk to both the financial and safety aspects of the shipments themselves; while one would probably say that the US should simply take military action against any nation from which these pirates hail, the diplomatic implications are far more complicated than that. The specifics of these implications will be discussed in more detail later in this research. Benefits of Importing Liquefied Natural Gas As one would expect, there are benefits to importing LNG that make the risks worth the effort of taking them. First, it is critical to understand the value of imported LNG for the United States and Canada alike, as well as countless other nations across the globe. For the purposes of this research, however, the focus is on the United States and LNG. The fact of the matter is that the United States’ production of LNG has been declining for at least the past decade, the only exception being the state of Alaska which still represents a vital source of LNG. However, even taking into account the access to LNG from Alaska, the United States still must import almost 98% of its needed supply of LNG, by some estimates. Further, additional estimates project that this trend will continue until at least 2025, and after that point, it is very likely that 100% of the LNG needed by the US will have to be imported from elsewhere, as even the expansion of available LNG from Alaska will be woefully inadequate to meet American demand (Kelly, 2005). Not only has the American supply of LNG diminished in recent years, but the demand has also skyrocketed for a variety of reasons. One of the reasons for this increased demand is an increase in the population of the US, which naturally increases the need for LNG in many applications, including residential, commercial, industrial and military. Additionally, the desirability of LNG as an energy source has increased given the growing effort to utilize energy sources which have very little impact on the environment, and the earth-friendliness of LNG makes it highly desirable for a way to provide energy without causing pollution, global warming and the like (Melamid, 1994). This research would be seriously lacking if at least some consideration was not given to the economic benefits of importing LNG for those whose product itself is LNG. As many people have realized in recent decades given the increase of political volatility in the middle east, this mostly desert, barren and hot part of the world is lacking in many of the natural resources that other nations use to support agriculture and other industries, this part of the world is highly dependent on the revenues derived from the export of LNG and other gas/oil products. Because of the reliance on this stream of income, the nations of the Middle East have in fact collaborated on the controlling of supplies and prices of LNG (Cordesman, 1997). While the details of the Middle Eastern situation will be discussed elsewhere in this research, suffice it to say at this point that there is tremendous benefit for the Middle East to continue to deal in LNG. Conversely, those who are involved domestically with the importing of LNG, there is a multi-billion dollar industry of opportunity to be reaped. The equipment alone to transport, store and dispense LNG represents a tremendous industry, employing hundreds of thousands of Americans. This is in addition to the endless number of end-users who use LNG as one of the factors of the production of other goods; as was mentioned earlier, this phenomenon will only increase with time, as the increased awareness of environmental responsibility will increase the desirability of LNG as a source of energy. While the environmental benefits of LNG have been mentioned several times already, this point deserves additional discussion as one of the many benefits that LNG provides. Not only is LNG a low impact element in terms of causing potential harm to the environment, relatively speaking, it is also quite safe in terms of its volatility. Unlike gasoline, for example, LNG is not highly explosive, and in fact, if LNG were to be ignited by an open flame, it would actually only generate a small, localized fire which in fact could be easily fought and contained. In the event of an LNG spillage, its nature as a dense gas makes it something that would only spread if it were hit by a hard, driving wind. Moreover, LNG is visible when released into the air, making it easy to avoid if it were to be spilled in large quantity. With the safety factor of storing LNG in mind, as a matter of fact, American storage facilities for LNG are required to have a sizeable safety zone of vacant land around them so should a leakage take place, the risk to the general population would in fact be nominal (Melamid, 1994). Environmentally, financially, and industrially, LNG importation has been seen to have many benefits which are substantial. However, in fairness, it is also important to discuss the effects that the importation of LNG has on other facets of everyday life, as well as international relations, homeland security, and much more.

Case study: Mental Retardation

Case study: Mental Retardation Introduction When you go out from your house today, try to observe the people around our environment, and we will found that not everyone cans physically function like us or at normal level. For instance, there are individual who blind, deaf are, and also who are not able to speak or move around. Generally, people refer them as physically disabled, so we will see this group of people having the special privilege such as in the shopping complexs parking space, special parking was prepared with the label disable. On another hand, there are people who cant mentally function at normal level like most of us. They might have not able to control their body movement, their intelligence, social interaction as well as language since the birth or early childhood. In this case, we are referring them as mental retardation. The American Association on Mental Retardation (2002) defined mental retardation as a particular state of functioning that begins in childhood and characterized by limitation in both intelligence and adaptive skills. According to National Information center for children and youth with disabilities (2002), we label a person with mental retardation when he or she has specific limitation in mental functioning and also in skills such as communicating, taking care of him or herself as well as social skills. All of this limitation will cost the children in their learning, such as slow in learning and development comparing to others typical child (National Information center for children and youth with disabilities, 2002). Mental retardation also reflects the fix between the capabilities of individuals and the structure and expectation of their environment (The American Association on Mental Retardation, 2002). In specific example, children with mental retardation may need longer time in le arning to speak, walk, and take care of their personal needs such as eating or dressing (National Information center for children and youth with disabilities, 2002). They are more likely to have problem learning in normal school (National Information center for children and youth with disabilities, 2002). They can learn, but probably needed a longer time or else there are something that they just cant learn (National Information center for children and youth with disabilities, 2002). Mental retardation is sub-average general intellectual functioning that related with concurrent impairments in adaptive behaviour and manifested during the developmental period (Southern association of institutional dentists, 2010). Mental retardation is an effectual theoretical intelligence, which is congenital or acquired early in life (Stefanovska, Nakova, Radojkova-nikolovska, Ristoska, 2010). Children with mental retardation have the low rate of understanding and limited domain of attention (Rezai yan, Mohammadi Fallah, 2007). The 34 Code of Federal Regulations 300.7(c)(6) of The United States Department of education defined mental retardation as significantly sub-average general intellectual functioning, existing concurrently with deficits in adaptive behaviour and manifested during the developmental period, that adversely affects a childs educational performance (Federal registration, 1999). The statistic showed that averagely, 3% of the general population will be suffered from mental retardation (Southern association of institutional dentists, 2010). Most people with mental retardation are diagnosed before or during first years of school (Southern association of institutional dentists, 2010). The prevalence provided by statistical manual of mental disorders fourth edition text revision [DSM-IV-TR] (2000) mentioned that mental retardation has been predictable at roughly 1%. In term of gender, the ration for male to female is 1.5 to 1 (American Psychiatric Association [DSM-IV-TR], 2000). This shown that mental retardation affect more male. The misconception about how people perceive what is mental retardation also being pointing out. According to a case study from World Health Organisation (2006), a special education teacher who teaches the disable children is advised by the family and also neighbours to resign from her work when she is pregnant after 12 years of marriage. The reason given is that they want her to avoid contact with these types of children (means disable), concerning her unborn child will be like them. Acknowledged that this is superstitions, and with the support from her husband, she continues to help the children at the centre, and now her new born daughters intelligence is above average. Mental retardation is not something such as you having green eyes, bad heart, or you are born short or thin, it is also not medical disorder, nor a mental disorder (The American Association on Mental Retardation, 2002). Criteria Definition Referring to the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders fourth edition text revision (DSM-IV-TR), published by American Psychiatric Association, there are three components of feature of mental retardation, which all of the component must be present to diagnose a patient with mental retardation (American Psychiatric Association [DSM-IV-TR], 2000). The three diagnostic criteria for Mental Retardation are as below: Criterion A. Significantly sub-average intellectual functioning: an IQ of approximately 70 or below on an individually administered IQ test (for infants, a clinical judgment of significantly sub-average intellectual functioning). Criterion B. Concurrent deficits or impairments in present adaptive functioning (i .e., the persons effectiveness in meeting the standards expected for his or her age by his or her cultural group) in at least two of the following areas: communication, self-care, home living, social / interpersonal skills, use of community resources, self-direction, functional academic skills, work, leisure, health, and safety. Criterion C. The onset is before age 18 years. In Criterion A, IQ or Intelligence quotient test had used to administer the general intellectual functioning of an individual. Intelligence is the general mental capability. It included the ability in reasoning, problem solving, abstract thinking, understanding complex ideas, quickly in learning, and also experience learning (American Association on Mental Retardation, 2002). The commonly IQ test such as the 3rd edition Wechsler Intelligence Scales for Children; 4th Edition Stanford-Binet; and also Kaufman Assessment battery for children. All of this is an individually administered intelligence test. The cut-off score is IQ test scored 70 or sub-average intellectual functioning is IQ score of about 70 or below, which are two standards deviation below the mean. However, in some cases, although the individuals IQ score is below 70, he or she should not be diagnosed as mental retardation if there is no obvious disturbance in adaptive functioning. Adaptive functioning will be explained i n Criterion B. The diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders fourth edition text revision (DSM-IV-TR) (2000), some others factor that may result an individual score poorly should be taken into consideration. For example, some of the factors include the socio-cultural background of an individual; the problem with native language; as well as related communicative, motor and sensory handicaps (American Psychiatric Association [DSM-IV-TR], 2000). There is four degree of severity of mental retardation. The degree of severity is determined by the IQ scores. The summary of the retardation and IQ level are as below: Mild mental retardation IQ level 50-55 to approximately 70 Moderate retardation IQ level 35-40 to 50-55 Several mental retardation IQ level 20-25 to 35-40 Profound mental retardation IQ level below 20 or 25 (American Psychiatric Association [DSM-IV-TR], 2000) About 85% of the mental retardation patient is fall under Mild Mental Retardation, which their IQ level through IQ test is about 50-55 to approximately 70 (American Psychiatric Association [DSM-IV-TR], 2000). Normally, they cant be differentiating with normal children at the age of 0-5 years old. This is because; the social and communication skills are developing at the age of pre-school (American Psychiatric Association [DSM-IV-TR], 2000). At this stage, they have minimal disturbance in sensor motors areas (American Psychiatric Association [DSM-IV-TR], 2000). The characteristic representing this category is the role of Forest in the movie Forest Gump. In the movie, Forest ever said that I been an idiot since I was born. My IQ is near 70, which qualifies me, so they say. (Smith, 2006). With the appropriate support, patient with mild mental retardation can live successfully. Forest, who always being classified as retarded used chocolate to contrasting portrait of his struggle until he become a football star in the college, Vietnam war hero, and a successful business man (Smith, 2006). . On patients with moderate mental retardation, we usually refer them as trainable (American Psychiatric Association [DSM-IV-TR], 2000). About 10% of the mental retarded patients fall under this category (American Psychiatric Association [DSM-IV-TR], 2000). They learn communication skills at the early childhood, so that they can benefit from vocational training. With moderate supervision, patient with moderate mental retardation can actually fulfill personal care. They are able to travel by them self in a familiar setting; however they cant progress beyond the 2nd grade level in the academic subject (American Psychiatric Association [DSM-IV-TR], 2000). In a supervised condition, patient can function well with the community around them. For patient with severe mental retardation, they are actually 3-4% of the mental retardation population (American Psychiatric Association [DSM-IV-TR], 2000). During pre-school period, they might learn a little or no communication skills. During the school period, they learn talking at secondary level, they can be teaches in self-care. In a closely supervise condition, they can function well in life if they do not involve in any handicap. Patient of mental retardation who falls under the profound mental retardation is 1-2% (American Psychiatric Association [DSM-IV-TR], 2000). Most of the patient has a neurological condition that result their mental retardation. Their motor development, self-care, and communication skills can be improve if there is a proper education being given to them. If a mentally retarded patient who cant be categories within this four degree of severity, they will be put under the category mental retardation, severity unspecified. In Criterion B, impairment in adaptive functioning is the focus. Impairment functioning is the effectiveness of a person coping with daily life events and also how well a person achieve the standard of self independence expected by their age group in a particular socio cultural back ground as well as community setting (American Psychiatric Association [DSM-IV-TR], 2000). Yet, there are various factors that might influence the adaptive functioning of a person with mental retardation. Some of the factors are education, motivation, a persons characteristic, social and vocational opportunities and the mental disorder and general medical conditions (American Psychiatric Association [DSM-IV-TR], 2000). The areas of adaptive functioning concerning is communication, self-care, home living, social social / interpersonal skills, use of community resources, self-direction, functional academic skills, work, leisure, health, and safety. A person can only be diagnose with mental retardation if he meet any 2 of the area concerning in criterion B. For example, at the age of 16 years old, a person could not speak and poorly performance in academic. In criterion C, age is the focus. The onset must be before 18 years old. Intervention Programme Intervention programme are to believe will help the children with mental retardation to cope better in their daily life as well as future life. Intervention program for the mentally retarded children usually take part by the government, non-governmental organisation, school and also psychologist or expert in the field. Although it was take part by many organisations, but we have to aware that the intervention program cost a large sum of money. Medical news today (2006) reported as in years 2000, money spend for patients with mental disorder is about 51 billion dollars. However, the intervention program is still necessary to provide the patient another part of life. One of the intervention programs for children with mental retarded is occupational therapy. In occupational therapy, thought about daily life functioning being discuss and share with the children (Kottorp, Hallgren, Bernspang, Fisher, 2003). This therapy leads the children to perform the daily life task that the child would like to, or the task which is expected by the society or cultural back ground (Kottorp, Hallgren, Bernspang, Fisher, 2003). The most important aims of occupational therapy are to lead the children to have meaningful and purposeful occupations through the intervention (Kottorp, Hallgren, Bernspang, Fisher, 2003). Occupational therapy also focuses to help the child with mental retardation to develop fine motor control (Reynolds Dombeck, 2006).This fine motor skills is needed by the children with mental retardation to perform concentrated tasks (Reynolds Dombeck, 2006). Some of the concentrated tasks are like writing or drawing. All of this basic concentrated ta sk is important for self-help and academic skills in the later life of the children (Reynolds Dombeck, 2006). Researcher found that occupational intervention program had a positive feedback (Kottorp, Hallgren, Bernspang, Fisher, 2003). Patient can carry out activities of daily living in a safe and efficient manner. (Kottorp, Hallgren, Bernspang, Fisher, 2003). In summary, Occupational therapy intervention program for children with mental retardation, aims to help the children to meaningful and purposeful activity. The activity include self-care, care for others, appreciate life and socially active in various situation. Mental retarded children who went through this therapy will able to use the skills learned in future. Another intervention program for children suggested by researcher is tooth-brushing intervention program. In a study done by Stefanovska, Nakova, Radojkova-nikolovska, Ristoska (2010), they designed a 6 month intervention program that focus on the encouragement of independent manual skills looking after personal oral hygiene.100 school children at the age of 9-16 with low and moderate mental retardation in Skopje. Althought tooth brushing seems to be very easy for us, but it actually is a voluntary activity that requires motivation and physical ability. In term of motivation, the children with mental retardation are require to understand what is needed and also the reason or benefits of tooth brushing; and also the desire to achieve the benefit (reducing the plaque). Yet, they found that children with mentally retarded are not capable in understanding the oral hygiene procedures but they accept the change (Stefanovska, Nakova, Radojkova-nikolovska, Ristoska 2010). According to the researcher, patient of mental retardation normally suffered from periodontal disease. The result of their study showed that this six month program was effective in reducing the plaque and gingivitis scores and the long term success of the program is to maintain the childrens motivation to brush their own teeth and make this part of their daily routine (Stefanovska, Nakova, Radojkova-nikolovska, Ristoska 2010). Calculated the long term benefit, tooth brushing is actually cost effective ways of reducing plaque, reducing the needs to see dental doctor and others. The mentally retarded children are able to brush their own tooth with proper encouragement and motivation. Besides that, Rezaiyan, Mohammadi Fallah (2007) proposed that computer game as an intervention instrument focusing on the attention capacity of the mentally retarded children. In their experiment, 60 male mentally retarded children were recruited from two 24 hours care centers in Tehra. All of them had an IQ level between 50 and 70 with no physical disability. The result of their study indicated that intervention of computer games increased the attention span of the mentally retarded children (Rezaiyan, Mohammadi Fallah, 2007). Not only that, intervention of computer game also help in increasing the internal motivation and activity if the children (Rezaiyan, Mohammadi Fallah, 2007). The mentally retarded children was attracted by feature of the computer games such as competition, laugh, curiosity and others, and all of this helped in improving the ability to pay attention (Rezaiyan, Mohammadi Fallah, 2007). The children also learned problem solving skills through the games Rezaiy an, Mohammadi Fallah, 2007). In order to complete the game, the children need to practice and keep repeating the same process, this had help the children in self understanding skills, while paying attention to an object or location will improve the nervous system process (Rezaiyan, Mohammadi Fallah, 2007). In summary, as we can see, the main function of the computer games is to help the children in understand and paying attention. The two benefits are actually interrelated to each others, to pay attention you need to understand, understanding help you in paying attention. The mentally retarded children need both of this skill. However, we should also consider the side effect of using computer. Special education is another intervention program for the children with mental retardation. In Malaysia, a Non-governmental organisation, Lions Club of Kota Bharu operates a Down syndrome centre to give pre-school education to the Down syndrome children ages there to six years (Dahari, 2009). Down syndrome cause by the non-disjunction of chromosome 21and is the leading genetic cause of mental retardation (Ghosh, Sinha, Chatterjee Nandagopal, 2009). After graduated from the canter, the Down syndrome children will be sending to the special classes in the government school. They adopt the Macquire Small step curriculum as teaching guide or you may called it as early intervention program. The term intervention is used to cover physiotherapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and special education help. There are several type of intervention provided such as home based, centre based, and nursery based. Parents with Down syndrome children might send their children to this centre for ea rly education. Mentally retarded children are educable (Demirel, 2010). Another intervention in term of education being done in Turkey, the curriculum for children with mental retardation was designed at primary school level, attending private class, focusing on improving the skills of understanding, showing positive social relations, adjusting to the social, technological and physical environment and surviving independently (Demirel, 2010). From two of this example, we can see that education actually help the mentally children to make their life better. As a psychologist, we should support all kind of effort in coming out with special education for the mentally retarded children. Education is one of the best intervention programs for the children. In conclusion, no one is this world choose to be born mentally retarded; mentally retarded is a give but not a choice. As a normal human, we should not discriminate them yet give them the best of what we can do. Intervention program had being proven able to help the children with mental retardation to have a batter life. Every one of us should play our roles in supporting all kind of intervention program. As a psychologist, we actually can do many things for them as there are within our area of study, we can contribute idea regarding their well fare, education and in others issues. They had born unlucky, why not we shown them another part of life?