Analysing The Need For Arctic Oil Environmental Sciences Essay

Global demand for energy has quickly increased as populations have increased and the demands of developing states have increased. Some estimations claim that demand for energy could increase by every bit much as 50 % by 2030 ( Hunter 2007 ) . This possible addition has every state scrambling for a stable beginning of oil and natural gas. The traditional beginnings of oil and natural gas have become less dependable. Instability in the Middle East has many states looking for new beginnings of oil, but this has become harder to happen. Many states that were one time spouses to big oil companies such as Russia and Venezuela have become less dependable as beginnings for oil ( Appenzellar 2004 ) . In 1960 85 % of known reservoirs were accessible to oil companies but now merely 16 % of reservoirs are accessible ( Rowell 2007 ) . New countries need to be opened up and explored in order to happen dependable beginnings of oil. The Arctic appears to be one of the most promising countries.Histor y of Arctic oilIn the 1970 ‘s and 1980 ‘s onshore crude oil roars took topographic point in Siberia and Alaska ( Funk 2009 ) . Alaska ‘s roar began in 1967 when oil workers for Atlantic Richfield Corporation discovered the largest oil reservoir in North America on Alaska ‘s North Slope near Prudhoe Bay ( Coppock 2004 ) . Thousands of work forces moved to Alaska trusting to do their wealths boring and edifice the monolithic grapevines necessary to travel the oil to the Continental United States. Billions of dollars were pumped into a antecedently quiet country. This one time great part is in diminution. Siberia had a similar roar in the 1970 ‘s but they are get downing to see a diminution similar to Alaska ‘s. Siberia ‘s oil Fieldss, which presently make Russia the largest manufacturer of oil, are expected to run out in the following 10 old ages ( Appenzeller 2004 ) .Future of Arctic OilSurveies show that the Arctic Ocean may incorporate a bi g sum of recoverable oil and natural gas. This includes non merely the land contained by the Arctic Circle, but besides the Arctic Ocean, which is considered to be the largest prospective beginning of oil and natural gas for the hereafter ( Gautier 2004 ) .Measure of Oil and Natural gasThe United States Geological Survey has predicted that about 30 % of the universe ‘s undiscovered gas and 13 % of the universe ‘s undiscovered oil is under the surface of the Arctic Ocean ( Gautier 2004 ) . The sum of gas in merely one of the major reservoirs is estimated to be the full gas militias of the United States ( Moran 2006 ) .Location of oilGood oil and gas reservoirs are so rare for a big portion because of the alone types of stone formations that can incorporate natural gas. The stone formation must be porous plenty to keep natural gas and oil and the formation must besides be permeable plenty for oil and natural gas to flux through the formation in order for oil to be recovera ble. Porosity and permeableness are the grounds that reservoirs are found about entirely in sedimentary stones. The bulk of crude oil bearing formations are contained in the huge Continental shelves of the Arctic Ocean. These shelves take up more than half of the Arctic Ocean, as shown by the lighter shadiness of bluish in Figure 2.These shelves by and large lie in less than 160 metres of H2O, a deepness that current boring engineering can easy bring forth ( Harrison 1979 ) . Arctic map Figure 2: Depth of the Arctic Ocean ( hypertext transfer protocol: //gdr.nrcan.gc.ca ) Sedimentary stone formations have besides been found in deeper H2O. A recent coring expedition found sedimentary stone formations in 1100 metres of H2O. This coring expedition drilled into The Lomonosov ridge, which is indicated by the pointer in Figure 2 ( Moran 2006 ) .Regulating THE ARCTIC OCEANUnited Nations Convention on the Law of the SeaThe current opinion organic structure in the Arctic Ocean is the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea ( UNCLOS ) . Russia, Norway, Canada, and Denmark all border the Arctic Ocean and have all ratified this pact, go forthing the United States as the lone state that borders the Arctic Ocean that has non.Claiming LandUNCLOS regulations say that a state may exert control within 200 maritime stat mis from a state ‘s shoreline ( Holmes 2008 ) . In order to claim land beyond this 200 stat mi grade a state must turn out that the seafloor is an extens ion of the state ‘s Continental shelf ( Underhill 2005 ) . The states involved have begun passing 1000000s of dollars in order to map the ocean floor utilizing high tech echo sounder devices. Mapping is a good start but the lone existent manner to happen where a shelf ends is by happening the exact point where stone types alteration, which can merely be done by boring for samples of the seafloor ( Underhill 2005 ) . The logistics of boring for samples in the Arctic Ocean is a really hard and expensive undertaking.Major DisputesThere are several parts of major difference over the Arctic Ocean. The most of import difference is the dissension between Russia, Denmark, and Canada over who has the rights to the Lomonosov Ridge, The Barents Sea Loop Hole, and the Western Nansen Basin. The Lomosov Ridge is seen as the stepping rock for Denmark, Canada and Russia to claim the Arctic. Each has claimed that the ridge is in fact an extension of their Continental shelf. The Barents Sea is located North of Russia and Norway, and both states have submitted overlapping claims for sovereignty in this country. The two most relevant differences in The Barents Sea are over the Loop Hole and the Western Nansen Basin ( Holmes 2008 ) . Both Norway and Russia appear to be negociating a pact on their ain, so it does non look that the UNCLOS will necessitate them to do a determination. Figure 1: Diagram Lomonosov Ridge ( benmuse.typepad.com ) Russia has been the most aggressive in claiming this ridge. Russia has already submitted a claim excessively much of the ocean floor utilizing the ridge as the ground tackle of their claim s ( McKenzie 2009 ) . Canada and Denmark have been making extended seismal studies to turn out that the ridge is in fact a portion of their several Continental shelves in order to challenge Russia ‘s claim. The Lomonosov Ridge is really of import to all states involved because boring has proven that there is natural gas underneath the ridge ( Underhill 2009 ) .http: //benmuse.typepad.com/ben_muse/images/2007/08/08/lomonosov_ridge_2_2.gifDeciding Disputes Under UNCLOSThe simplest solution for deciding differences is for parties involved to settle the difference informally, but if states are unable to make so there are several other ways of settling differences ( Holmes 2008 ) . Other possibilities include the International Tribunal for the Law of the Sea, the International Court of Justice, or an arbitrary court. Whenever a state ratifies the convention, the state chooses what forum they would prefer to work out any differences, but jobs arise when the disputing states can non hold on a forum. UNCLOS does non hold compulsory forum for challenging claims when states can non hold on a forum, so sometimes it can be really hard to happen a solution to a difference ( Holmes 2008 ) .Other GovernmentsThe UNCLOS is chiefly concerned with the spliting up of the sea bed under the Arctic Ocean, instead than with regulations and ordinances to protect transportation involvements and environmental protection. To get by with this many other organisations have been trying to make full the nothingness by doing suggestions and guidelines to guarantee that states are guaranting safety for both workers and the environment ( Berkman 2009 ) .Geneva ConventionThe Geneva Convention consists of a series of pacts made after World War II to set up â€Å" regulations of war † ( Homes 2008 ) . The 1958 Geneva Convention said that in Continental shelf differences for states with next seashores should be determined by pulling a average line between the two seashores if no other understanding can be made ( Holmes 2008 ) . Although this understanding predates the UNCLOS, every state involved in the Arctic has ratified the convention, so the convention would be used if the UNCLOS could non convert the involved states to hold.International Maritime OrganizationThe International Maritime Organization may non hold any official power, yet they still adopted a set of guidelines for transporting operations in the Arctic Ocean called Guidelines for Ships Operating in Ice Covered Arctic Waters ( Berkman 2009 ) . These guidelines are followed by every major state involved in transporting in the Arctic, but an international government organic structure needs to put official ordinances for the Arctic, because deficiency of ordin ance is certain to go a job as traffic additions.Northeast Atlantic Fisheries CommissionThe Northeast Atlantic Fisheries Commission regional piscary direction organisation ‘s is a regional understanding whose range is wide plenty for their understandings to cover a big part of the Arctic Basin. It is the lone official international organisation that covers pollution criterions in any portion of the Arctic ( Berkman 2009 ) . A development of this kind is needed to protect the big and alone ecosystem of the Arctic.ENVIRONMENTAL RISKSOffshore oil and gas geographic expedition in the Arctic Ocean poses several of import environmental hazards particularly in such a sensitive environment as the Arctic. Positioned at the top of the universe, the Arctic part provides many valuable natural resources such as fresh H2O, fishing, and rare home grounds for endangered species. The Arctic Archipelago is besides place to scarce populations of Eskimos and other colonists. The hazards chiefly a ssociated with offshore boring in the part involve possible oil spills and the pollutants generated during production operations. These factors can take to rough effects on homo and wildlife wellness along with the wellness of the environment.Oil SpillsDue to the recent BP calamity in the Gulf of Mexico in early 2010 and other memorable rig calamities, apprehensiveness about the oil and gas industry ‘s impact on the planet has grown. Production companies have become a mark of environmental groups all over the universe as they drill into the land and run out the Earth ‘s non-renewable resources. A immense consideration into prospective boring in the Arctic Ocean is the possibility of an oil spill, which could be particularly unsafe to the sensitive wildlife of the part. With the tough climatic and icy conditions of the Arctic, a big oil spill in the part could be a logistical incubus. The surveies and research about possible oil clean up in the Arctic focal points on the behaviour of oil in the cold clime to happen methods of remotion and simulation trials to analyse response times.Cold Temperatures and Ice BarriersResearch shows that the cold Arctic temperatures and presence of ice can assist to cut down environmental impacts and increase response effectivity. The cold Arctic Ocean changes the physical features and behaviour of oil in H2O. The equilibrium thickness of oil is greater in cold H2O intending the oil will remain centralized in a smaller country and spread less quickly. This benefits recovery by leting longer response times and raising removal per centums. Assorted hydrocarbons ‘ vaporization rates are reduced in low temperatures, giving response squads a greater opportunity to take more oil before these constituents disappear into the ambiance. Although the huge sum of ice in the Arctic Ocean hinders human mobilisation, blocks of ice can move as barriers to halt the oil from distributing, hence doing unmoved combustion and surface skimmers more effectual. High ice concentrations may besides encapsulate the spilled oil, maintaining the oil isolated from ecosystems until the toxic hydrocarbons are removed. Each of these features helps to better the effectivity of an oil spill killing ( Velez et al. 2010 ) .Response Simulation SurveiesCompanies and industry leaders have conducted several simulation undertakings to prove response times and killing processs given different variables and conditions. In their article, G. M. Skeie et Al. outlined a simulation survey to prove 1800 possible scenarios that could happen in the field. The research workers designed the survey to turn to possible results of an oil spill and analyse the effectivity of different responses. The scenarios featured variables such as â€Å" starting clip, shortest impetus clip to shore, weave conditions, and stranded oil sums † ( Skeie et al. 2006 ) . The squad calculated the environmental hazards and sum of oil stranded after fake respon se steps and used this information to compare the different response schemes. Several research plans and simulation surveies like this have been funded by â€Å" oil companies every bit good as other organisations, either independently, through Joint Industry Projects ( JIP ) , or as portion of an industry association † ( Velez et al. 2010 ) to better response methods and fix for these exigencies.Recovery SchemesThe possible oil spill recovery schemes are mechanical recovery, chemical dispersant applications and controlled combustion. Mechanical recovery methods deploy big oil-skimming vass that skim the oil off the ocean ‘s surface and utilize containment roars to forestall oil from distributing. Mechanical recovery is the most common and practical solution used in oil spill responses in the yesteryear ; nevertheless this method will confront challenges during periods of high ice concentrations in the Arctic Ocean. On the other manus, chemical dispersants, which have b een â€Å" recognized worldwide as an environmentally acceptable and extremely efficient agencies of quickly extinguishing spilled oil offshore, † ( Velez et al. 2010 ) can be applied aerially and distribute by strong air currents and beckon action. Research and field trials have proven these dispersants to be effectual in the rough Arctic conditions, despite misconceptions. In-situ ( Latin for â€Å" in topographic point † ) combustion besides offers another valuable option to mechanical recovery that can take spilled oil rapidly and expeditiously. Burning techniques are besides really effectual for scenarios with high ice concentrations or when big sums of oil are trapped in ice. By-products of firing oil have minimal harmful aquatic effects. Research shows that although the Arctic is a extremely sensitive and ambitious environment, the idea of cleaning up an oil spill in the Arctic Ocean is non hideous despite popular public sentiment. Companies and industry leaders have devoted clip and support to fix for an exigency and to analyze the environmental hazards of an oil spill in the Arctic.Operational PollutantsLarge volumes of waste merchandises and risky air pollutants are generated during seaward production operations. This subdivision identifies the environmental menaces associated with these pollutants.Drilling WastesAs Eia and Hernandez province in their article, â€Å" A major issue facing operators today is the big volume of greasy waste liquids produced during well operations † ( Eia and Hernandez 2006 ) . The waste watercourse excreted by production operations includes boring clay or fluids, produced Waterss, and bore film editings. Each of these merchandises contains variable composings of toxic chemicals that can infect the environment and harm aquatic life. Technology betterments in boring and production processs have greatly decreased boring waste volumes, â€Å" as today, industry adds 2 to 4 times more oil and gas to the US modesty base per good than in the 1980saˆÂ ¦with 65 per centum less waste being generated † ( Rana 2008 ) . However, the environmental impact due to each production Wellss ‘ waste watercourse, irrespective of the concentration of scarce toxic stuff, can non be ignored because on a expansive graduated table, these pollutants combine to bring forth a huge environmental footmark. Drilling claies are an indispensable portion of the boring and production procedure because the fluids lubricate and chill the drill spot and pipe, take drill film editings, and command bottom-hole force per unit areas. These fluids can either be water-based, oil-based, or man-made oil-based depending on the boring scenario, with oil-based fluids being the most toxic. The boring clay can incorporate many harmful chemical compounds and toxic stuffs, such as additives, oil, lubricating oil, and many radioactive elements. The waste fluids can respond with the environment through groundwater or surface H2O reservoirs, inadvertent release from intervention installations, soaking up into the dirt, or vaporisation of volatile constituents. The United States Environmental Protection Agency requires that boring claies transcending certain degrees of chemical concentrations are disposed of in onshore waste disposal installations or deep injection Wellss. However, boring wastes that do non run into this standard can either be taken to a landfill or released into the organic structure of H2O where the toxic stuff can respond with the environment ( Rana 2008 ) . Several companies have worked towards â€Å" boring and completion fluids that are greener and more biodegradable † ( Eia, Hernandez 2006 ) . One such company is M-I SWACO, which invents boring and environmental solutions for Schlumberger, a big boring service company. During the oil and gas production procedure, produced Waterss such as formation H2O, injection H2O, or other industrial Waterss are generated in the well-hole with changing degrees of hydrocarbon concentrations. These Waterss besides contain hints of heavy metals and other chemical solutions, such as inhibitors and biocides, which prevent micro-organisms from moving of course. On site separation methods aim to take oil and toxic chemicals from the produced Waterss, nevertheless fractional composings remain irrespective of separation effectivity. The staying dissolved hydrocarbons and other chemicals become pollutants when the produced Waterss are discharged into the organic structure of H2O, â€Å" volumes of such discharges reach 1000s of dozenss of oil a twelvemonth, † ( Rana 2008 ) on a world-wide graduated table. Companies frequently dispose of produced H2O with potentially unsafe composings in deep aquifers isolated from groundwater reservoirs, nevertheless inadvertent re lease is still a menace to be considered.Gas EmissionsNatural gas sedimentations normally contain unsafe gases such as methane, H sulphide, and other volatile organic compounds. When reservoir force per unit areas are high, which is surely possible in the deep militias of the Arctic Ocean, runawaies and detonations become unsafe environmental menaces because of gas emanations. Flaring is another procedure that can let go of unsafe compounds into the ambiance ; flaring is utilised to command force per unit area malfunctions and to divide oil and gas composings by firing off and let go ofing extra reservoir gases. The gases released during flame uping can include sulfur dioxide, benzine, nitrogen oxide and methylbenzene, which are responsible for several human wellness jobs. S. Rana predicts that â€Å" a individual offshore rig emits the same measure of pollution as 7000 autos driving 80 kilometres a twenty-four hours. † Another fright related to gas emanations is the add-on of harmful chemical compounds to the planet ‘s agony atmosphere and ozone bed. All the recent attending to planetary heating and the Arctic ‘s runing ice caps raises consciousness of gas emanations. Future production undertakings in the Arctic Ocean are traveling to be watched acutely for environmental errors and operational impacts. Before mass boring in the Arctic can take topographic point, gas emanations have to be reduced or eliminated wholly, or the liquescent ice conditions will decline. There are a few chief environmental hazards associated with Arctic boring: the impact on the environing environment ; the danger for the endangered and sensitive wildlife of the part ; and the hazard of harming human populations. Large volumes of toxic chemicals can organize in the Arctic if careful environmental protection programs are non taken to cut down toxicity degrees and to forestall oil spills. High concentrations of toxic chemicals can turn throughout the nutrient concatenation, jeopardizing wildlife and aquatic species, and finally endangering human populations. If gas emanations are non cut off wholly, the ambiance will endure from increasing nursery gases taking to human wellness jeopardies and endangering planetary heating conditions.Drilling IN THE ARCTICHistorically, boring economically executable Wellss in the Arctic was hard due to extreme conditions conditions, environmental concerns, and the deficiency of boring engineering. However, technological promotions have created several feasible chances to bore Wellss in countries of the Arctic that were ab initio seen as wasteful due to the high costs of boring and production operations.Onshore Drilling in the ArcticOne of the chief jobs with boring and finishing an onshore well in the Arctic is happening a manner for the rig and its workers to execute at a high degree while covering with the utmost conditions conditions and clip restraints. The Alaskan boring season was comprised of 130 available boring yearss, get downing in late December and normally go oning through late April, doing finishing a well from start to complete really hard. Access to the Arctic tundra is non possible until around mid – December, hence rig can non get down boring until late December and so normally finish boring about May 1st, which is the cause for the short boring season. The mean onshore good in the Arctic, get downing with the mobilisation of the rig and coating with the demobilisation of the rig, requires 90 yearss to finish which allows for about one well, per rig, per season to be drilled. The bulk of those 90 yearss were used in set uping up and set uping down on the well site and non the existent boring of the well ( Shafer 2007 ) . Besides, highly cold temperatures pose one of the largest menaces to set up in the Arctic, because the ability of a rig to execute in highly cold conditions and trade with onsite jobs is indispensable to the boring operation being successful. Low temperatures and ice can decelerate, or even halt, all boring on a well site and waste big sums of money because no work is being done ( Keener and Allan 2009 ) .Hybrid Coil Tubing Drilling RigOne proposed thought to rush up good completion clip was to utilize a intercrossed spiral tubing boring rig ( CTD rig ) that was smaller and quicker to set up up and set up down. A CTD rig has the ability to bore conventionally, bore utilizing a rotary drill, and bore utilizing coiled tubing doing a CTD rig an effectua l option in several different conditions environments ( Shafer 2007 ) . Furthermore, extinguishing the sum of truck tonss traveling back and Forth from drill sites to refineries more than 50 stat mis is indispensable because day-to-day transit costs could sometimes be the day-to-day boring costs ( Keener and Allan 2009 ) . A CTD rig significantly reduces the sum of tonss needed to finish a well because the rig has fewer parts and can be operational in less than an hr after geting onsite. There are downsides to the CTD rig nevertheless ; CTD rigs were non originally designed for the Arctic, lack some of the protection a larger rig provides to it workers and do non hold the ability to bore past 7200 pess. The CTD rig has yet to happen a solution to covering with the cold temperatures while remaining operational. If the temperature drops below -350F, so all the Cranes will be shut down because the Cranes become brickle due to the cold. This job has troubled oil and gas geographic expedition in the Arctic throughout history and still causes job today. During the 2006 Alaskan boring season, from January to February, the mean temperature was -350F and the maximal temperature was -150F, which lowered the possible productiveness of Wellss while increasing the cost. While these challenges are important, overall the CTD rig could be a utile solution to happening an efficient rig to bore in the Arctic ( Shafer 2007 ) .Offshore Drilling in the ArcticWhile boring a good onshore o n the Arctic ice is a dashing undertaking, successfully boring an offshore well in the close – stop deading cold H2O is an even harder undertaking. Ice direction, limited boring deepness ranges, ice – filled Waterss, limited boring seasons, and exposure to severe conditions are merely some of the major jobs that offshore boring units must fact to be successful.Offshore Boring Unit of measurements in the ArcticThe Arctic conditions are so rough that new boring units must be designed specifically for the rough Arctic conditions. The new designs must non merely be efficient, but besides economical for the company boring the well. Several different types of boring units were examined such as semisubmersible boring units, doodly-squat – up boring units, and drillships. The semisubmersible boring units were rapidly ousted because the riser column had jobs with ice buildup, several infrastructures were left unfastened to the harsh conditions, and the unit took to hanke r to transport. The doodly-squat – up rig was besides deemed as unacceptable because its lattice legs were unfastened to the environment and had major ice buildup jobs. In add-on, transit of the unit took excessively much clip. Evaluation of the drillship showed that its capablenesss make the drillship the most logical pick as a possible solution. The drillship has a big hull that protects the riser column from ice buildup, and is able to transport itself expeditiously. The drillship solution besides offers self sufficiency for periods up to 8 months ( Keener and Allan 2009 ) .Logisticss of DrillshipsThere were several facets that were considered in the designs for a new drill drillship. The first job that interior decorators dealt with was the structural design. The bulk of conventional drillships had antecedently had their infrastructure and topside constructions, such as the derrick, made individually from the remainder of the ship and so loaded on the ship once its buildi ng was finished. Most of the individually constructed pieces needed extra conditions coverings to protect the ship ‘s workers, but the coverings added important sums of weight to the ship and took up unneeded infinite ( Keener and Allan 2009 ) . Another issue taken into consideration is the altering ice conditions, which lead to the demand for a drillship that had a manner to cover with ice rapidly plenty to transport itself expeditiously while minimising transit costs. Additionally, there is a demand for a system that could maintain the ship accurately onsite while besides covering with the environmental conditions ( Allan et al. 2009 ) . While there are many logistical jobs that drillships brush with boring Wellss in the Arctic, we will concentrate on the stated jobs because they are the most relevant to the proposed solution.The Arctic Class MODU DrillshipAfter all the different jobs and possible boring reverses in the Arctic were taken into consideration, the Arctic Class Mobile Offshore Drilling Unit ( MODU ) Drillship was proposed as a solution ( Allan et al. 2009 ) .Structural DesignThe interior decorators constructed the MODU Drillship to include the individually constructed infrastructures and topside constructions and by incorporating these constructions into the hull off the ship and around a cardinal well building country ( Keener and Allan 2009 ) . By incorporating the infrastructures and topside constructions into the hull, interior decorators greatly increased the hull ‘s cardinal hull lading ability and structural unity. This design besides eliminated the demand for many of the dearly-won conditions protection constructions because the constructions were now protected by the hull ( Allan et al. 2009 ) .Ice Management and TransportationThe following component interior decorators dealt with was the drillships transit capablenesss and ice direction scheme. The hull of the MODU Drillship, combined with pod – pushers to impel the ship, proved to be strong plenty to interrupt through the bulk of the ice necessary to acquire to boring locations. Risk appraisal shortly showed that non utilizing an iceboat bodyguard would be an ailment advised determination. Therefore the usage of ice ledgeman bodyguards determined the drillships ability to hasten the transit clip to location in ice filled Waterss ( Allan et al. 2009 ) .Keeping the Drillship OnsiteSeveral different types of positioning systems were evaluated for the MODU Drillship. A moorage system proved to be the lone type that would work efficaciously. A big part of the Arctic Waterss are considered to be shallow H2O boring locations and a dynamic placement system, in shallow H2O, could non supply plenty truth for the drillship to be effectual. After several surveies with different types of stuffs used in the moorage system and the constellation of the system, a 12 point moorage system that is arranged in four groups with three lines of ironss per group prove d to be the best solution. Several stuffs to utilize for lines were tested and the usage of ironss proved to be the best solution for the MODU Drillship because the drillships could manage heavy tonss, and the environment had the least consequence on the drillship itself. The four groups would so be set up equally spaced around the drillship so that they could work every bit good as possible. While different variables such as H2O deepness and environmental conditions finally determine what the best placement system for the state of affairs, the 12 point moorage system seemed the most logical and effectual for the MODU Drillship ( Allan et al. 2009 ) .

Ingvar Kamprad Leadership Essay

Business Leader Profile Ingvar Kamprad Founder of Ikea Retail Stores Why Ingvar Kamprad? Does the name Ingvar Kamprad mean anything to you? To most people it doesn’t and it's a testament to the fact that he built up a brand that is so powerful people recognize it immediately, while not tying it into, or even knowing, the genius behind it. The brand? IKEA! The reason why we chose this business leader is simple, Ingvar Kamprad is a businessman and the founder of IKEA with an estimated worth of $22. 5 billion dollars.Kamprad was born in the south of Sweden in 1926 and raised on a farm called Elmtaryd, near the small village of Agunnaryd. He is a great leader and one amazing thing about him is that he went into business early in life, selling matches as a schoolboy and also, very wisely for his age (or any age for that matter) Kamprad took his profits and used them to expand his operations, adding to his small line of goods with decorations of Christmas trees, fish, and seeds. He was learning the operational side of retailing, and he was learning it quickly and profitably.When Kamprad did well in school, his dad rewarded his with some money, and that was the seed to launch a company he named IKEA. He got the name from his initials I. K. , and then added the EA from the name of the farm and the town he was raised in – Elmtaryd and Agunnaryd. Don't think the idea of a furniture company was brewing in the mind of Kamprad with his new company, he still focused on smaller items, and for the most part look to the business of securing contracts of supplying pencils. Like in his younger years, Kamprad soon began to expand into all sorts of other areas, including everything from jewelry to male and female ccessories. He soon outgrew individual visits to customers and went into the mail order business on the local level, having the milk trucks deliver his products to his customers. When Kamprad first included furniture as part of the product line of IKEA, his i dea was to use local manufacturers to keep costs low and under control. That was in 1947. By 1951, furniture sales were so successful, he decided to drop all other products and focus on the furniture line alone. The first furniture showroom opened in 1953, and the rest is history.Almost immediately a price war started between IKEA and its chief competitor, and the inclusion of the showroom helped sway potential customers who were able to see and touch the quality before making their purchases. Like many great retailers, Kamprad was obsessed with controlling costs, and dedicated to finding new ways to do things at a less expensive level. That has been one of the major reasons behind the ongoing success of IKEA furniture sales and profits. Some people attempt to point out the fact that Kamprad has several properties he owns and so the frugal image is contrived.I have to disagree with that, because the reason he can afford some of these things is because he remained frugal within the c onstruct of his company, and so because he was able to put of instantaneous gratification, could then do whatever he wanted once he became wealthy. While there is some truth to the image part, it was also very much practiced by Kamprad. Many people think being frugal is being cheap in a negative way, and yet those best at it are the ones that serve their customers and employees at the highest level by giving customers the best deals possible, while at the same time offering longevity to employees.The best definition that reflects the idea of leadership for Kamprad is â€Å"Leadership is a kind of activity meant to influence behavior, beliefs and feelings of the group members in a certain direction. † (Wright, Peter L. and Taylor, David S. Improving Leadership Performance. Great Britain: Prentice-Hall International Ltd; 1984. p. 2). As Peter F. Drucker said â€Å"The leaders who work most effectively, it seems to me, never say â€Å"I. † And that’s not because t hey have trained themselves not to say â€Å"I. † They don’t think â€Å"I. They think â€Å"we†; they think â€Å"team. † This idea is mostly based on a simple word, and that word is â€Å"team†. Every leader who has this trait is surely to have great success simply because they don’t work and take decisions just on their own, they seek and welcome the help of employees, one of those leaders being Kampard of course. If we go back to Niccolo Machiavelli, we can see that he once said that â€Å"The first method for estimating the intelligence of a ruler is to look at the men he has around him. and it a really smart and correct thesis, because in order for a leader to successfully empower his organization he needs employees, but not just any employee, they have to be creative, loyal and intelligent in order to really be useful to their organisation. So while cost control is a major part of the IKEA success story, the empowerment of its custo mers is as well, which is brought about from a highly committed and talented design team. Leader’s position in organizational structure „In an hierarchical system, participants take for granted what the participants with the higher position defines† (Becker, 1998).In other words, social actors in the labor market believe what the professionals (leaders, professors, mass-media) define as leadership, considering that the privilege formal position brings privilege information and ethics. This is not a valid statement if we look into the organizational structure at IKEA. Anecdotes about Kamprad abound. When his father complained that Ingvar slept late in the morning, Ingvar got himself an alarm clock, set it for six o’clock, and yanked away the off button. According to Kamprad, we should all divide our lives â€Å"into 10-minute units, and sacrifice as few of them as possible in meaningless activity. Though past 80, Kamprad still travels the world to visit new IKEA stores. He flies economy class, calls his employees â€Å"co-workers,† encourages everyone to dress informally, stays in cheap hotels and even replaces bottles from the hotel room mini-bar with cheap bottles bought in local supermarkets. He gives no interviews. As far as setting an example through his actions, Kamprad flies only economy class, drives a 15-year-old vehicle, and focuses on little things for his workers like writing on both sides of the paper, and other frugal practices. That has helped IKEA remain on the top of a highly competitive market.Critics of these stories say they seem intended to reinforce the company’s no-nonsense brand and encourage cost-awareness among company staff. They point out that Kamprad may be the world’s richest man, that owns several lavish houses around the world, and that it would be ludicrous to assume a man of such wealth would not use any of it for private purposes. If you've ever read IKEA literature, catalogs or advertising, they reinforce their and Ingvar Kamprad's motto of not only existing to make improvements in the lives of people, but to improve people themselves.With that in mind, the way the stores themselves are set up and the design of the furniture built with the idea of being very simple to assemble, it generates the healthy idea of self-sufficiency, which helps empower people and make them feel good about themselves. Leader or non-leader; manager or leader If we would be to make a list with leader and non-leader and manager traits we would easily see that Ingvar Kampard is a leader, not only that, he is a good example for hundreds of people out there who thrive to become leaders themselves. If we look closely at Kampard we can see that he is a proactive an, he believes in people following examples, he motivates and inspires top results and has great strategic orientation. If a leader is not like this, then as Abraham Maslow said †If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail. †. Based on interviews with employees at IKEA, Ingvar Kamprad is a good example of leadership because he strongly expresses the organisational value of IKEA through his behaviours. Thereby, all the IKEA employees (from top management to co-workers) follow this organisational value as a framework.In addition, the leadership style of management position also was influenced through strong organisational value. Employees have used descriptives such as „role model† and „father† when speaking about Ingvar Kamprad thereby denoting the familial nature of IKEA corporate culture. If we apply the model of leader vs. Manager described by Abraham Zaleznik – Ingvar Kamprad is the epitome of business leader. All of this is based on his empathic relationship with his co-workers and employees. By setting examples and inspiring, he also sets the company’s overall direction by altering the direction of its employees.One of his subordinates characterises his leadership style as a „teacher†. Senge (1990) and Max de Pree(1990)’s theory states that a leader should be a teacher in the organization „ †¦ much of the leverage leaders can actually exert lies in helping people achieve more accurate , more insightful and more empowering views of reality, when the leaders carrying out stewardship (Senge, 1990: 353)†, according to Senge (1990). The roles that leaders should play is exactly how Kamprad has been doing for so long. Creativity As Teresa M. Amabile once said „Keep doing what you are doing†.Or if you want to spark innovation, rethink how you motivate, reward, and assign work to people. † What is business creativity? We tend to associate creativity with the arts and to think of it as the expression of higly original ideas. Think of Pablo Picasso reinvented the conventions of painting or how William Faulkner redefined fiction. In business, originali ty isn’t enough. To be creative, an idea must also be appropriate, useful and actionable. Within every individual, creativity is a function of three components : expertise, creative-thinking skills and motivation.Expertise is, in a word knowledge – technical, procedual and intellectual. Creative-thinking skills determine how flexibly and imaginatively people approach problems. Do their solutions apend the status quo? Do they persevere through dry spells? Not all motivation is created equal. An inner passion to solve the problem at hand leads to solutions far more creative than do external rewards, such as money. This compenent – called intrinsic motivation is the one that can be most immediately influenced by the work environment.Senior manager at IKEA strongly believes that IKEA is a creative organisation based upon home-furnishing company; IKEA has to be creative within value â€Å"efficiency and cost conscious†. This reason makes IKEA differ from other companies because it is not easy to produce a good product at low price. Furthermore, IKEA has a strong organisational value that every employee should concern as follows: †¢ Togetherness †¢ Cost consciousness †¢ Respect †¢ Simplicity IKEA follows a model of „family business† because at its inception, Ingvar Kamprad was developing it as a family business which eventually grew to outstanding proportions.Due to this, most of his own ideeas like the simplicity and togetherness have actually become some of the company’s most important organizational aspects. IKEA is an extremely creative organisation because IKEA allows employees to work in freedom and are open for trying new ideas. To demonstrate clearly, when employees have concepts, it is important to express their concepts to the manager in order to consider whether it is possible to develop and make this concept concrete. The respondent emphasises that â€Å"It does not take a long time, if you have a really good idea.This creative idea will be developed and spread out to use at every store of IKEA in the world Moreover, the organisation also encourages employees to continually learn from their own experience and also other’s experiences such as co-workers. As a result, employees are able to complete their own tasks as well as generate new ideas that make IKEA different from other companies. Leadership styles Leadership style is the manner and approach of providing direction, implementing plans, and motivating people. Kurt Lewin (1939) led a group of researchers to identify different styles of leadership.After a complete analisys of all three styles(autocratic, democratic and delegative) we have reached the conclusion that Ingvar Kampard is most of the times a Participative(democratic) leader. This style involves the leader including one or more employees in the decision making process (determining what to do and how to do it). However, the leader maintains the final decision making authority. Using this style is not a sign of weakness, rather it is a sign of strength that your employees will respect. But of course, he is not always using this style, since every problem requires a different style.Besides the fact that Kamprad is one of the wealthiest living people, he is also an impressive leader. The leadership style he embodies is one of personal example. Though he has billions of dollars, Ingvar is reluctant to a life in luxury. People confess seeing him haggling in the market and dining together with his wife in cheap, dirty places. His image makes up for billion words. Black worn out shoes, cheap glasses and a grey faded coat dress up the billionaire in most of his rendezvous. Taxis are substituted with public transportation like busses and subways and, luxurious jets with low-cost airlines.By his daily routine and his habits of living in an artificial poverty, Ingvar Kamprad embodies the average IKEA customer. â€Å"I look at the mo ney I'm about to spend on myself and ask if IKEA customers could afford it. † â€Å"If I start to acquire luxurious things then this will only incite others to follow suit†¦ †. Ingvar considers himself to be an example for all others and tries to appear as a normal individual. In â€Å"A Furniture Dealer’s Testament,† Kamprad suggests that â€Å"IKEA people do not drive flashy cars or stay at luxury hotels. †, â€Å"How the hell can I ask people who work for me to travel cheaply if I am traveling in luxury? he asks. â€Å"It’s a question of good leadership. † From a young age, Ingvar learned what working hard meant and what a strong bound truly is. He is a preacher of the religion of simplicity and during over half a century, along the constant growth of his company, numerous others joined in. According to Plato, the mob is a â€Å"big and dangerous animal† which must not be underestimated. What kind of strategy could work with masses rather than a leader of their status? Governments have fallen and people died along time only to protect the need of having a representative leader which could alike them.Ingvar Kamprad succeeded in building up a truly simple and productive leadership style only by regarding himself as equal as and never more important than the commoner. Nicolo Machiavelli stated: â€Å"Religion is not important because of the truth it holds but because of its efficiency in maintaining control over masses†. In our case we have little to do with angry mobs but with the angry way in which money are wasted by a company or individual in matter of costs. Kamprad understood this fact and built a distinctive corporate culture which comprehended his true nature.In contrast, the famous RJR enjoyed the expense of private planes and luxury and unlike our billionaire, success was only passing by. Warren Buffet’s mentality resembles the one IKEA’s Founder and together with the m indset, the income is comparable. Coming again to Plato, the philosopher once said „Those who rule must provetheir leadership abilities. A person can be trained to be a good ruler, but we have to distinguish between superficial competencies (oratory) and profound competencies (developed with the help of philosophy). The ruler has to guard not only the peaceon the ship but also to know which wayto sail and ow. † Ingvar’s thinking is flexible and innovative. Mistakes are praised and considered as the most important link to success. He is without regard a transformational leader. His style motivates people and defines a new way of thinking. Ingvar also connects with his followers and is a source of inspiration for younger generations. Bernard M. Bass, after decades of research and experimentation, regards transformational leaders as the leaders who recognize the needs of the followers and in addition tends to go further and satisfy higher needs of the follower.All of these actions are aimed to propel the follower on a higher tier in Maslow’s hierarchy of needs. Whereas common leadership or transactional leadership seeks only to maintain the satisfaction of the individual, transformational leadership looks into enchanting the well-being of the followers in order to achieve a higher outcome alongside with their happiness and devotion. This gap between the leadership styles is what I believe to be the main reason for the existence of excellent, world-changing people, in contrast with the unsuccessful ones.Their view of the world is their most precious asset and how they regard to others is the main secret of conquering unreached heights. Due to the fact that Ingvar Kamprad has a unique way to behave with the employees of IKEA and tries to enrich them with traits so important for the success of both the corporation and the employee’s leadership skills, I believe that Kamprad is a brilliant representative of Bass’s beliefs. Kamp rad could also be considered to be a Level 5 leader according to Jim Collins’s â€Å"Good to Great†. Ingvar greets the uncommon and is on a constant quest for taking apart obstacles which lie between failure and success.His constant struggle for reaching excellence in everything he does could be clearly seen in the process which I would like to call â€Å"building the empire of self†. His focus on the main purpose, the one of bringing innovative furniture in each and every household and changing the lives of many by simplifying their existence, assured his success and the status of one of the greatest business managers and leaders to have ever existed. A Napoleon of the furniture industry, Kamprad was. Close to followers, talented and emotionally involved were some principles he used during his reign.Thus many would say he received divine help, he started as a common man. Only his devotion and hard work made the difference. Garry Gemmill and Judith Oakley refer to a leader as a Messiah or a savior and hardly agree with the concept of a leader as a creator. Moreover, they state that â€Å"Leadership is nothing else but a myth propagated in order to keep everybody else quiet and nice. † . They might be right but in my consideration, this words do not apply to the hero we analyze in this project. Ingvar strongly encourages creative discussions within the company and his actual position is one of a leant and a symbol of excellence.David Goleman on the other hand expresses, in his work â€Å"What makes a Leader? † some traits which could help us identify other traits of the IKEA Giant. Goleman places a great emphasis on emotional intelligence and connects the status of a leader according to it. The main skills David puts behind a glorious leader are Self-awareness, Self-regulation, Motivation and the abilities to relate to others – Empathy, and Social Skill. Ingvar seems gifted with emotional intelligence when managing peop le and events. Happiness is in his opinion the greatest asset an IKEA worker should possess.An excellent business man and an excellent time manager he proved to be during many occasions and time only knows when the world could inherit another great leader such as Ingvar Kamprad, the Swedish Scotsman. Conflict management style â€Å"The Ikean culture, which was directly linked to Scandinavian culture, valued simplicity and informality, frugality, humbleness, responsibility, and the constant will to renew. † The company initially sold furniture provided by numerous suppliers. As time passed, competition started to corrupt the suppliers and as a result, Ingvar decided never to trust others than himself.It was a turning point in the history of IKEA which now started to produce its own furniture. A moment of conflict and lack of trust turned into a brilliant idea and started to place the organization on the path to success. Another turning point in Ikean history was by the time an employee decided to disassemble the furniture in order to transport it by car. Kamprad saw this particularly insignificant moment of conflict as a possibly gorgeous opportunity for the future. From that point onward, the furniture company started to differentiate and build up not just furniture but a light, innovative, easy to use and cheap type of furniture.The most significant property Ingvar’s furniture has is its ability to be assembled by the customer and offer him the joy of putting the puzzle pieces together. Price was amazing. IKEA furniture was 50% cheaper than the competition and besides this important factor; it was more than friendly and practical. Ingvar once was accused of being a Nazi supporter due to the fact that he attended to their meetings on numerous occasions. The conflict took a serious impact on Ingvar’s personality and started to shift its public perception in a truly negative way.However, the conflict was in some manner consumed when Kamprad composed letters of apology to all his employees and people whom he disappointed. He recognized that he made a mistake and that it was a dark chapter in his existence which shouldn’t have happened. Questioning the status quo is Ingvar’s best way in dealing with everyday problems and through his successful career they were many. To begin with, the more IKEA grew, the more Ingvar’s problems developed. Alcohol, Nazi support and deaths at the opening of a store were only the biggest of them.Despite the severity of the problem, the modesty, humanity and determination always brought Ingvar on the right track. For the IKEA founder, conflict never ceased to be functional. It helped both him and the employees remain focused and constructive. It generated growth, activated learning, maintained excellent interpersonal skills and gave a different perspective over issues. The main conflict management style of his was collaborating. In almost every occasion he and the employe es formed a team and everyone is expected to contribute with anything they can.Departments are structured on the philosophy of sharing ideas and support. Also, there is a win-win situation between IKEA and its customers. On the one side, IKEA has tremendous profit margins (about 16% – almost two times higher than other furniture retailers) and sells for tens of billions annually and on the other side, the customer benefits from exceptional quality and practicability for the given money. Ingvar’s mentality (comprehended by the Business Harvard Review: How Management Teams Can Have a Good Fight) is one of creating common goals. The company and he was an impeccably motivated and determined group of people.Creative and interpersonal relations are also highly praised within a company and IKEA makes no exception. In his work, Kenneth W. Thomas, refers more and more to the importance of conflict in an organization. Throughout a sustained study of the great players in the corp orate world, the mesmerizing power of a poorly managed conflict is revealed. Too many companies suffer great reductions in income and performance due to this mostly overlooked default. Using a bi-dimensional representation, Thomas expressed the whole conflict issue using 5 elements – Avoiding, Accommodating, Compromising, Competitive and Collaborative.The IKEA model works entirely based on the Collaborative model due to the fact that it is mostly a win-win situation in which both the company and the employee reach a high level of fulfillment. Conflict can also be managed using a system of rewards resembling the one parents use for their children. It might be unexpected but I believe this is an awesome way to educate outsiders and to make them behave according to a reward. Despite the fact that it might be a bit manipulative, the rewards system is a good way to achieve a prosperous work environment.However, if good is not enough for a company, this system could be substituted by one composed of amazing people, highly talented and qualified personnel which requires little training and can propel the company to new heights. The ideal way in which I believe conflict could be turned into a powerful creative force is through the use of Virtuoso Teams. Despite the fact these kinds of teams require a constant action and an important continuous goal. Jeff Weiss and Jonathan Hughes express in their â€Å"Accept-And Actively Manage Conflict† the necessity of conflict in a prosperous working environment.After and during the Industrial Revolution, people and mostly employees were kept under and oppressive working regime which limited their creativity and power to change their condition. Riots were common and worker unions started to prosper. However, the work was dull and no sane man could cope with it more than a few years. Now, a century later, conflict is comprehended as a powerful tool. Just thinking about the Olympiads or a race between two close friends is more than enough in order to have an insight into the invisible motivation a challenge releases.The same principle applies in the development of Ikean furniture. People have a â€Å"Vojna Idej† (War of the Ideas) and as a result breakthroughs occur. However, due to the fact this war of ideas is hardly sustainable in time, there must be a boundary composed of the corporate vision and goal. I believe that none of the amazing commercials and ways of presenting the company could have emerged without a nearly balanced conflict management system. Weather we think of the cleverly designed buss stations or the exquisite TV commercials, IKEA is a sign of greatness. EthicsBusiness ethics (also corporate ethics) is a form of applied ethics or professional ethics that examines ethical principles and moral or ethical problems that arise in a business environment. It applies to all aspects of business conduct and is relevant to the conduct of individuals and entire organizations. Busin ess ethics reflects the philosophy of business, one of whose aims is to determine the fundamental purposes of a company. If a company's purpose is to maximize shareholder returns, then sacrificing profits to other concerns is a violation of its fiduciary responsibility.Kamprad began to develop a business as a young boy, selling matches to neighbors from his bicycle. He found that he could buy matches in bulk very cheaply from Stockholm, sell them individually at a low price, and still make a good profit. From matches, he expanded to selling fish, Christmas tree decorations, seeds, and later ballpoint pens and pencils. When Kamprad was 17, his father gave him a cash reward for succeeding in his studies. IKEA was founded in 1943 at his uncle Ernst's kitchen table. In 1948, Kamprad diversified his portfolio, adding furniture.His business was mostly-mail order. The acronym IKEA is made up of the initials of his name (Ingvar Kamprad) plus those of Elmtaryd, the family farm where he was b orn, and the nearby village Agunnaryd. Kamprad has lived in Epalinges, Switzerland since 1976. According to an interview with TSR, the French language Swiss TV broadcaster, Kamprad drives a 15-year-old Volvo 240, flies only economy class, and encourages IKEA employees always to write on both sides of a paper. He reportedly recycles tea bags and is known to pocket the salt and pepper packets at restaurants. In addition, Kamprad has been known to visit IKEA for a â€Å"cheap meal. † He is also known to buy Christmas paper and presents in post-Christmas sales. The firm he created is still known for the attention it gives to cost control, operational details and continuous product development, allowing it to lower its prices by an of average 2-3% over the decade to 2010, while continuing its global expansion. Kamprad explains his social philosophy thusly in his â€Å"A Furniture Dealer's Testament,† â€Å"It is not only for cost reasons that we avoid the luxury hotels.We don't need flashy cars, impressive titles, uniforms or other status symbols. We rely on our strength and our will! † Despite this, Kamprad allows himself some luxuries; he owns a villa in an upmarket part of Switzerland, a large country estate in Sweden, and a vineyard in Provence, France; he also drove a Porsche for several years. Ingvar Kamprad had made two „big mistakes†. From 16 to 25, Kamprad was a friend and follower of Per Engdahl, the leader of the quasi-fascist, pro-Nazi Neo-Swedish movement. Engdahl attended Kamprad's first wedding in 1950.Kamprad only terminated his involvement in 1951. When the scandal broke in the early 1990s, Kamprad wrote to his employees: â€Å"You have been young yourself. And perhaps you find something in your youth you now, so long afterwards, think was ridiculous and stupid. In that case, you will understand me better. † He also apologized in a television interview and said he had not fully understood what the Neo-Swedish movement was about. And the second happened while working with furniture manufacturers in Poland earlier in his career, Kamprad became an alcoholic.He has, however, stated that his drinking is now under control. In 1947, Kamprad introduced furniture into the IKEA product line. The use of local manufacturers allowed him to keep his costs down. The furniture was a hit, and in 1951, Kamprad decided to discontinue all other product lines and focus on furniture. In 1953, the first IKEA showroom opened. It came about because of competitive pressures. IKEA was in a price war with its main competitor. The showroom allowed people to see it, touch it, feel it, and be sure of the quality before buying.Kamprad's vision has been the driving force behind IKEA's succcess. IKEA hires its own designers, who have received numerous awards over the years. Kamprad believes that the company exists not just to improve people's lives, but to improve the people themselves. The self-service store design and ease of assembly of their furniture are not merely cost controls, but an opportunity for self-sufficiency. This vision is reinforced in their advertising and catalog, as well. Kamprad has been extremely shrewd in creating IKEA's organizational structure.It is owned ultimately by a Dutch trust controlled by the Kamprad family, with various holding companies handling different aspects of IKEA's operations, such as franchising, manufacturing, and distribution. IKEA even has an investment banking arm. Kamprad has repeatedly resisted pressure to take the company public, feeling that it would slow their decision-making processes that have allowed their phenomenal growth. On a final note This leader and founder of IKEA is an Old – School Business man that made mistakes in his teens. His mistakes were that of an average teen that dreamed at glory and power or of that of an overworked man.He weakes up at 5am in the morning, every day and sometimes arrives at the IKEA store before the first truck. Ingvar Kamprad treats all his employees with respect and calls them co-workers, he recycles and he tries to persuade his employees not to buy expensive cars and big villas in countries that are reprezented as dots on the World map. Ingvar Kamprad built IKEA from scratch and he worked very hard so that the comapany became what it is today. Finally, he is a man that was interested in being a business man since he was a child.He is a much respected man and a wonderful example for future leaders and it was a pleasure for our team to work out together in order to realize this portfolio about Ingvar Kampard. I hope you enjoyed reading our essay as much as we enjoyed writing it. ( Questions Are there strong parallels between theory and organizational environment, reflecting your understanding of reality? -Based on our understandings the reason for that is most experiences in organizations have autonomous processes which are self-replicating and form themselves randomly by gro up decision.Theory is embedded only when it is actually considered firsthand Did you use various perspectives to analyze the leader? -We have extended our search into various perspectives about Ingvar Kampard, such as private life, workplace and even his â€Å"fun† time. How many problems or â€Å"bugs† did you identify in the theory or practice of leadership? -As far as we’ve gone into research, we were not able to find many bugs in the practice or the theory of our leader, only minor mistakes that are now â€Å"buried† underneath the ground. Do you have a critical approach to leadership? Our approach towards leadership is pretty much critical but not to a higher extent Did you use tables, logical schemes or graphics to illustrate your ideas? -At our meetings we needed to put up our ideas somewhere so we used logical schemes that we followed and established by ourselves and after that we transferred the info onto paper. Are your ideas backed-up by eviden ce? – The evidence is provided in the form of surveys and results conducted by people with authority to perform such research. Some evidence may be anecdotal, lacking any form of statistical analysis.However most of the data is falsifiable (both in theory and practice) hence observable in different ways, so that reality can speak for itself instead of giving evidence or proving points. Did you use relevant and important papers/authors? -We have used relevant and also important papers/authors/articles. Did you use both academic and professional sources? -Yes we did. One of our most important sources were the Harvard Business Reviews Reference: fondatorul-ikea/ ———————– [pic]

Funeral Oration of Pericles Essay

In the reading of the Funeral Oration of Pericles, I do not believe what Pericles says about Athens. I believe he made his speech to boost morale for his people and for the soldiers, and to keep the war going. In the Funeral Oration of Pericles, they were there to honor the fallen soldiers and to have a burial for them, but Pericles made it about the war. He used it to boost morale for the soldiers, to get them excited and to give them a reason to keep fighting, he also used it to give a reason behind the war to the citizens. It was a political move on its own. These tactics are still used in the world today, such as the war in Iraq and Afghanistan and as far back as the Gettysburg Address. Pericles believed that personal glory was one of the rare things you could have, and fighting in the war and giving your life for your city was one of the highest glories you could bestow, so therefore he glorified the war not the people that lost their lives fighting in it. Pericles was trying to persuade the people that the war was worth people losing their lives over and that there was a meaning and cause for it. The funeral oration can be seen in the world today with the war in Iraq, where the President gives the speeches about why we are fighting in a war, the reasons and the cause, which is really not known today, such as weapons of mass destruction, it was said that Iraq possessed these and come to find out they had none, so many people lost their lives for what reason? There was hype, and glorification given to the men and women that fought, to boost their morale and for them to know they were doing something that helped the country. The President tried to persuade the citizens with his speeches that it was just and there was a reason for the war. In conclusion, the question asked was do I believe everything Pericles says about Athens in the Funeral Oration. The answer to that would be no. I do not believe that Pericles was there to honor the fallen soldiers. I belie ve he was there to persuade the citizens and the soldiers that what they were doing was right and was just and if they continued then they would be glorified.

The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

The Cold War and U.S. Diplomacy - Essay Example Cuban Missile Crisis was the most precarious event which took place in the history of cold war, where U.S discovered that USSR had placed anti-ballistic missiles in the vicinity of the U.S territory. This pushed President Kennedy to take action in order to reverse the effect, and Kennedy acted very cautiously and via his diplomatic skills he was able to convince Khrushchev to roll back the missiles. Another such instance was the conclusion of Nuclear Test Ban Treaty between U.S and USSR, where Khrushchev first agreed over to the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty, while later began testing nuclear weapons, as a result of which U.S tested five such weapons to retreat the situation. Analyzing the Kennedy Doctrine in this context makes perfect sense, as it implies that U.S will take all necessary steps to contain the effect of communism, i.e. expansion of the policy of containment (Thompson 1992). Though he was an advocate of diplomacy, whenever required he took all crucial steps to contain the co mmunism threat and to secure his homeland and also his allies. In his inaugural address of 1961, President Kennedy said; â€Å"Let us never negotiate out of fear. And let us never fear to negotiate†. ... However on October 14, the U2 plane took pictures of these ballistic missiles placed in Cuba by the USSR, which definitely called for an action (Kempe 2011). Now, President Kennedy had a few options on the table out of which some were quite aggressive, while others were neutral in nature. After considering various options, Kennedy considered the option of naval blockade which was indeed a very diplomatic move as he named it quarantine to make it sound legal. Also, chances of aggression on the part of USSR were also limited and at the same time USSR was pressurized to roll back the weapons. It was quite wise on the part of President Kennedy to use the option of quarantine i.e. to block the way where missiles were being transferred; however, the diplomatic skills were tested after the option was utilized, i.e. while he was negotiating with Khrushchev (Cull 1998). He communicated his concerns to Khrushchev via his brother Lyndon Johnson after which a deal was reached when Khrushchev put forth his concerns about the missiles in Turkey, and thus USSR rolled backed the weapons while a secret deal was reached via the backdoor implying the rollback of weapons from Turkey as well. Also, the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty was also an attempt on the part of President Kennedy to follow his policy of containment i.e. to contain the Russian threat of nuclear war. Firstly, USSR and even UK signed the treaty which was a huge triumph for the diplomatic skills of Kennedy as he pursued his goal through peaceful means (Maga 1994). However, another challenge arose when USSR started preparing for another nuclear weapon test when they had already given their word on the Nuclear Test Ban. President

Intercultural Communication Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 1

Intercultural Communication - Essay Example Cultural Patterns includes the common beliefs, norms, values, and social practices of a particular community of persons (Lustig & Koester, 2013). The cultural pattern of the Egyptian Muslim group is different from the cultural patterns of Emily’s Roman Catholic group. Mediated communication brings people of diverse cultures, like me and Emily, together (Durant, 2009). In terms of culture, the value of my Muslim and Egyptian group is clearly different from the values of the Roman Catholic Portuguese group. Muslims pray differently from the Roman Catholic devotees. Values, including religious and cultural values, can be described as what one group believes as right or wrong. For example, the Muslims espouse Mohammad is Allah’s messenger and Jesus is a Prophet. However, the Roman Catholics insist that Jesus Christ is a God. Muslims do not celebrate Christmas whereas Roman Catholics celebrate Christmas, the day Mother Mary gave birth to the Christian’s savior, Jesus Christ. Likewise, the Muslims visit Mecca once in their lifetime, when finances allow. On the other hand, the Roman Catholics can visit Jerusalem, the Holiest place of the Roman Catholics, Protestants, Jews, and other Christian groups to celebrate how the God Jesus Christ took the form of a man to save mankind from Satan’s evil embrace and bring the Christians to Paradise (Durant, 2009). Further, it is basically similar to clarity of language communication messages within my culture group and within the other person’s culture. Both Muslim and Roman Catholic groups use similar body language to show how one feels. Both groups comfortably communicate information within their own group. Muslims use the Koran during their religious discussions. On the other hand, the Roman Catholics use the Holy Bible as the center of their Christian beliefs (Durant, 2009). Furthermore, the member of one group can increase knowledge on the other group’s culture (Lustig & Koester, 201 3). Understanding the other group’s culture is a big step towards ensuring cooperation and camaraderie between the two different groups. Next, the members of the two different groups shall have the motivation to enhance understanding and cooperation between the two groups. Communication includes understanding (Tanova, 2010). Also, culture influences how communication is understood (Tanova, 2010). Members of both religious groups must accept the different culture of the other religious group. Instead of forcing one’s religion on the other group, one group must learn to accept the other group’s religious preferences. Forcing one’s beliefs on others equates to discrimination. Part II. Communication can be described as the transfer of messages from one person to another (Lustig & Koester, 2013). The Egyptian person uses English language to communicate with the Portuguese correspondent. The Egyptians inherit the Egyptian culture and language from their parents and grandparents. Likewise, the Portuguese person inherits the Portuguese culture from one’s own parents and grandparents. Further, language communication includes two types (Lustig & Koester, 2013). The first type is spoken communication. Most Egyptian immigrants to the United States, like me, use the English spoken language to discuss topics to the Portuguese friend. The Portuguese frien

Case study for surgical technologist student Essay

Case study for surgical technologist student - Essay Example A recommended test will be either a CT scan or an MRI of the brain preferably together with an echocardiogram. The possible diagnosis is a transient ischemic attack or TIA due to smoking. If there is blockage, then a balloon angioplasty or coronary artery bypass surgery is needed. Diabetes causes hyperglycemia which is elevated blood sugar in which an excessive amount of glucose circulates in the blood plasma. Hyperglycemia can cause neuropathy which also includes collateral damage from microvascular injuries as well as macrovascular injuries due to repeated trauma or insults (either vascular or biochemical in nature) and an increased capillary hydrostatic pressure (Joslin & Khan, 2005, p. 1135). Hugos prognosis is five years without claudication when his own vein is used but the fem-pop bypass will remain open in about 50% of the cases five years after surgery if an artificial graft is used. Considering Hugo is now 65 years old, possible complications include leg swelling, bleeding and heart attack or stroke as he is a high-risk case. The risk of death is estimated at 1% to 3% of all surgery cases. 1. Collateral flow – refers to the alternative blood supply flow to the myocardium that has been jeopardized by ischemia (sometimes spelled as ischaemia). This is the process in which small and normally closed blood vessels (arteries) open up to serve as alternate routes if there is coronary heart disease, myocardial ischemia or a stroke (www.americanheart.org). 2. The difference – an ischemia is just a temporary stoppage in the supply of the needed oxygen to the heart for a very brief period of time while an infarction occurs when the heart muscles are deprived of the oxygen for too long that the muscles eventually die. There are other cases of ischemia and infarction occurring other than the heart such as what happens in the intestines due to a hernia, adhesions, arterial

Global Environmental Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Global Environmental Change - Essay Example Serious threat from oil exploration on the eastern slopes of the Andes and the adjacent Amazonian lowlands of Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, and Bolivia have led to a conflict between hydrocarbon hotspot and biodiversity hotspot. Loss of biodiversity and associated ecosystem services is one of the most challenging problems ecologist face. Advances in information technology, featuring computer simulation models built on digital databases and satellite imagery incorporating GPS and GIS can go a long way to identify problems, evaluate risks and design counter measures. Accurate maps are created using remote sensing technology that can play an important role to monitor the environmental effects of human activities on land and water resources. We are passing through the defining moments of human development challenges of the 21st century. Failure to respond will not only stall but also reverse international efforts to reduce poverty. The earth's ecosystems and the biosphere's life-supporting sy stems need to be understood for survival of mankind. The poorest countries are most vulnerable and will be the first to suffer from global environmental change, though they have contributed least to the problem. Large-scale global environmental hazards to human existence include climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, biodiversity loss, changes in hydrological systems and the supply of freshwater, land degradation and stresses on food-producing systems (WHO, 2008) 1. Their influence on the earth's ecosystems and the biosphere's life-supporting systems needs to be understood for survival of mankind. It also brings the complexity of the systems upon which we depend. Though there are many factors affecting global environmental changes, in this paper we shall discuss the impact of "desertification" and "dwindling biodiversity" on the earth. Desertification Approximately one-third of the earth's land surface is arid desert land with scanty rainfall, sparse vegetation and limited population (Walker, 1997) 2. Deserts are formed by a combination of factors that change over a period of time and will vary with locations. Unscientific land use practices leads to deterioration in vegetation, soil erosion and salinity directly affecting soil fertility and leads to soil compaction and crusting. Population pressure, socioeconomic factors, globalization, unbridled urbanization and merciless mining indirectly induce desertification. The inability to logically and technologically respond to such demands sets off a downward spiral of land degradation. It is very difficult to distinguish whether desertification was caused by reckless land management practices or from climatic turbulence. Due to its vastness, discussing desertification on a global scale require copious deliberations. This discussion is, therefore, being confined to China, which is big enough and favorably positioned in the northern mid latitudes for such a study. China also suffers from a very patchy distribution of water resources 3. China's Environmental Protection Agency has reported that Gobi Deserts expanded by 52,400 km2 during 1994-99 and is now within striking distance from Beijing. Scientists fear if this rate continues complete desertification will arrive within 15 years. Satellite pictures forewarns how two deserts in North central China are

Moore's Law Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Moore's Law - Research Paper Example This is basically the same definition as the initial one, but using the phrase ‘more transistors’ is being more specific in the definition (Sami 23-29). As a self-fulfilling foresight and a target for industry Even though this rule was primarily created in the form of prophesy and observation, it became popular more widely, as it served as more as an objective for the whole industry. This forced both the departments of engineering and marketing of the manufacturers of semiconductors to put their attention on massive energy that aim for the specific rise in the power of processing that it was considered one or even more of their rivals would soon achieve. In this regard, we find that it can be perceived as a self-fulfilling foresight. The second law of Moore As the costs of the power of computer drops on the side of the consumers, the costs on the side of the manufacturers in fulfilling the rule of Moore goes in an opposite trend; production and costs of tests have gone u p considerably with each new invention of chips. The increasing costs of manufacturing are a critical consideration for the sustenance of the Moore’s rule. This had resulted in the establishment of the second law or Moore, known as the Rock’s law (Myslewski 2013). The law states that the semiconductor’s cost also rises significantly with time. ... Main facilitating factors and the future trends Several innovations by numerous engineers together with scientists have been considerable factors in the law of Moore’s sustenance since the start of the period of integrated circuit. While assembling a comprehensive list of such imperative contributions would be as interesting and attractive as it would be tough. The roadmaps of the industry of computer technology projects that the rule will continue being there for many chip generations to come. After the time of doubling that is used in the calculations, we find that this could imply that there will be up to about hundredfold rise in the count of transistor per chip in a decade. Nonetheless, the technology roadman of the industry of semiconductor uses a time of doubling of about three years for the microprocessors, resulting to a tenfold rise during the following decade. For instance, Intel, in 2005, was reported as claiming that the silicon chips’ downsizing with prope r economics would continue being there in the following decade, and also in the year 2008 as projecting the pattern all through to the year 2029. The law’s ultimate limit Gordon Moore, In April 2005, asserted that the rule cannot continue existing forever. He argued that the exponentials’ nature is that they are pushed out and a disaster eventually occurs. Moreover, he claimed that the transistors would ultimately attain the heights of minimization at the levels of atoms. When we look at the size of the transistors, we find that they are reaching that of which is a serious blockade, even though it will be two or even three generation chips before it reaches that far (Crothers 2013). However, that is as far as it has been able to be seen. Moore further stated that there are still

UCR and NCIC Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

UCR and NCIC - Essay Example The NCIC started out its operation by helping law enforcement in the apprehension of fugitives and helping to locate property that was stolen (â€Å"Public Safety†). Since the NCIC database consists of information about humans and property, the database includes 18 files, which contain this information. Records for articles and other properties such as vehicles, guns, boats, among others, are found in seven files, while the remaining 11 files consist of person records, including fugitives, sexual offenders, gang members, wanted persons, terrorist groups, among others. To back up the files, this database also includes images to assist law enforcement agencies in the identification of people and property (â€Å"Public Safety†). The NCIC can be used in a variety of ways. For instance, during a traffic stop, a law enforcement officer can instantly check the NCIC records to verify if a particular vehicle in the traffic stop was stolen, or if it is being driven by a criminal. The NCIC therefore, serves an important purpose of availing an electronic database, which can be accessed by various criminal justice agencies for inquiries, and information on crime and criminals from other agencies. The information in the NCIC therefore, helps law enforcement and authorized agencies to locate missing persons and stolen property, identify criminals, and protect the law enforcement personnel (â€Å"Public Safety†). The Uniform Crime Report (UCR) was established in the United States out of the need for tracking changes in the rate of crime at the state and national level. This program mainly collects data about crime instances reported by various law enforcement agencies in different states. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is responsible for the collection and publishing of this crime data annually. These publications however, vary depending on the state, type of crime, and nature of criminals. The most popular and biggest annual

Strategic Analysis of BP Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Strategic Analysis of BP - Research Paper Example An extensive literature review based on the firm’s strategic capabilities has been devoted in this study. Dynamic capability of a firm refers to the capabilities of strategic management in a competitive environment particularly in a perfect competition market where strategic insight is highly essential. This paper has described that theories are not sufficient to analyze the competitive performance of BP in the oil and gas industry. But a combination of study from both the field of strategic management and organization studies can show how a firm can develop symbolic capital by the social reputation and commitment. Theoretically it is called license to act which is critical activity of a firm. BP was involved in the incident of Deepwater Horizon spill in Gulf of Mexico. For this instance BP has to pay a huge amount of interest as the affected country was US and thereafter BP lost billions of its market shares. BP’s turnaround has been based on its performance and it was a symbolical event to this industry since 2005. BP managers followed a strategic activity which is theoretically called license to act which represented through the company’s acquisition of symbolic act. Discussion of theories & models from literature Three theories from the literature have been synthesized for effective discussion and analysis of the BP case. These are dynamic capability, discursive environment and symbolic capital. ... Resource based competitive advantage represents the efficient selection and optimum allocation of resources in the form of asset creation to gain capabilities that are rare and valuable for the firm itself. Organizations are aware of their internal capabilities which is analyzed by the performance and evaluated by the outcomes of the adequate level of performance. People in the organization learn new things with their work which summarized and termed as experience but when they gain experience through codification and articulation then it is termed as dynamic capability not only the general experience (Makhija, 2003, p.435). Organizations are typically constituted by past routines and patterns of different activities which the organization has followed earlier. Dynamic capabilities help the organization to realize the essential strategic objectives which can be imnp0limented through value addition in different activities. Apart from this strategic benefit, the firm can gain some othe r qualitative advantages. Differentiation of brand recognition is enhanced through effective strategic framework i.e. how fast and in what extend the developed strategies is implemented. The firm faces different obstacles in the way of implementation of different activities and for this reason it need to create an alternative framework for maintaining sustainable performance of the firm. The firm essentially needs dynamic capabilities for this type of effective performance strategy. It is reflected through the ability to gain new competitive advantage in the market dynamics. It is possible only through changes in the operational capabilities regarding implementation of activities. So the main aim of a production firm

Contextualised analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Contextualised analysis - Essay Example The paper concentrates on two pages (page 45 and 204) extract from the book that deals with relationship (sexuality). This double existence was in concurrence with the Victorian era in which the author lived, and also with a viewpoint that pleasures are most enjoyable when they are confidential. No evil is as allusive as the surreptitious sin. There is basis to suppose that Wilde would have retreated at the tendency to put on one’s sexuality within one’s sleeve; instead of making such internal desires the matter of subtle, secretive gratifications. Illusion, as he eminently quoted, is the initial of entire pleasures. Wilde was capable to rationalize his enticements while taking pleasure in the thrill of prohibited fruit but in his spirit, in his innermost conscience, the guilt prowled. Just as homosexuality in Wilde’s merely book, The Picture of Dorian Gray, is noticeable without being unconcealed, many desire their sins could be uncontrolled without being observed. The Picture of Dorian Gray discovers the fantasy of unconquerable vice only to realize that, while law can be avo ided, there is no flee from conscience. Homosexuality is revealed in book in many section, however, this analysis provide an extract of page 204 revealing confession of Hallward for loving Dorian. ‘It is quite true I have worshipped you with far more romance of feeling than a man should ever give to a friend. Somehow I have never loved a woman†¦. From the moment I met you, your personality had the most extraordinary influence over me†¦. I adored you madly, extravagantly, absurdly. I was jealous of everyone to whom you spoke. I wanted to have you all to myself. I was only happy when I was with you’ (204). This was a time of historical transformation in Victorian or modernist period. In the preamble, Wilde also warned readers against seeking connotations â€Å"beneath the surface† of literature or any art. The extract provides a

Assessment for Learning Essay Example for Free

Assessment for Learning Essay The results of the personal survey of assessment literacy showed that general considerations scored 87/90, prior to test design scored 53/55, writing the test scored 28/30, during test administration scored 15/15, and after testing reflected 25/25. Our school is a small private school with small classroom sizes. As a result, most of our students receive specialized one on one attention and strong supervision for their academic success. Teachers believe every student can and will succeed. It is not an option to do otherwise. â€Å"Teachers must believe that all students can achieve a certain level of academic success, must bring all of their students to believe this of themselves, must accommodate the fact that students learn at different rates by making use of differentiated instruction, and must guide all students toward the attainment of standards† (Stiggins, 2005, pg. 326). How we test students need to take into consideration the impact of the learner (Stiggins, 2008). Stiggins (2008) informed teachers to utilize assessments for students by looking at the classroom level of use, the program level of use, and the institutional accountability and policy level of use. Looking at the school survey of assessment literacy will take into account these three types of assessment uses and their importance in generating an accountability system for our school to develop a system that fosters learning for all students. My greatest area of strength in regard to assessment literacy can be found in during test administration (15/15) and after testing (25/25). These were perfect scores and illustrated that student’s needs were met when considering the testing environment as conducive to maximize student performance and monitoring the students as they take ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING 3 the test. Directions are always clear and questions are rarely asked. Tests are accurately scored because they are reviewed twice. Assessment data is gathered for what questions students answered incorrectly and notes are made for improvement of material taught the following year. It is reviewed again after the results of the test are completed to ensure mastery before moving on to the next chapter. The main goal is always on student achievement and mastery of the material. The data adjusts instruction to improve student performance. Any students who do poorly are given the opportunity to retest for 92% of the grade for improvement and mastery. Parents are notified of any student receiving below an 86%. This is our school policy. Retests are given within a week of the original test. Tests are graded the same day and given back the next day. This enables students to observe what they got wrong and assess ways to improve for the retest or master the material. Assessments are not always tests. Projects, reports, computer uses, etc. are vital ways to assess student learning through a plethora of ways. Gardner (1999) believed that students learn through spatial, linguistic, naturalist, interpersonal, intrapersonal, bodily kinesthetic, logical/mathematical, musical, and existential. Educators should recognize that diversity needs an on-going presence, availability, and active participation in the classroom teaching process (Spasovski, 2010). â€Å"If society wants all students to meet standards, then all students must believe they can meet those standards; they all must be confident enough to be willing to take the risk of trying† (Stiggins, 2008, p. 8). My greatest limitation in regard to assessment literacy is working with colleagues to design common assessments. Since we are a small private school, teachers are left ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING 4 with the task of compiling their own assessments. Our principal will supply the assessments created by the publisher in book form or cd rom or teachers can compile their own. None of us work with colleagues to create assessments. We have team meetings that cross teach certain areas that are being studied to enhance learning across disciplines of teaching. However, assessments are each teacher’s responsibility. The Stanford test scores analyze our teaching productivity. Data is analyzed for the incorrect answer. The results address the weakest area of student learning. Teachers are to find solutions to fix them through data and research of proven strategies that work within successful classrooms. According to Creighton (2001), collecting data without purpose is meaningless. Data driven decision making and instructional leadership support one another. By analyzing the data that exist in our schools, student achievement and quality in teaching and learning can improve to assist students to become avid learners. Part 2: Analyzing the Survey Results The survey results of the criteria for the school survey of assessment literacy scored 84/90. Assessment, curriculum, and instruction are balanced in our school. Assessments are aligned to benchmarks, standards, and scaffolding of material over time to foster students’ learning. To promote student achievement, assessments are varied and reliable. Communication is accomplished with parents about performance through emails, assessments sent home requiring signatures, progress reports, report cards, and Stanford test scores. Since our students score in the 79-99% ranking of Stanford test scores as a class average, teachers seek solutions through data to ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING 5 improve class average test scores. If any student did poorly, teachers seek ways that will improve student learning. Principals and teachers can learn to maneuver through the statistical data to help create goals and strategies for change and improvement (Creighton, 2001). The school’s greatest area of strength in regard to assessment literacy was that data-based decisions about student mastery of standards are made collaboratively by administrators and teachers. By looking at our strengths, opportunities, weaknesses, and threats, teachers can gain insightful information into how they may best serve their diverse students’ needs and administrators can find solutions to helping these students achieve an optimal learning experience at school. This creates an opportunity for teachers and administrators to work together to improve student achievement. By understanding our diverse students’ needs, teachers and administrators can see the big picture and find viable solutions to problems that arise at their school. This year we have added a resource room to help struggling students with special needs get help from an ESE teacher. Curriculums are modified to accommodate student’s needs based on any language or learning barriers. The dominant culture of the nation-state should incorporate aspects of their experiences, cultures, and languages, which will enrich the mainstream culture as well as help marginalized groups to experience civic equality and recognition (Gutmann, 2004). Teachers have professional development sessions and team meetings to assess proven methodologies and research to help students learn. â€Å"When teachers support students by treating them with respect and caring about their futures, and encourage students by helping them to succeed, students are more likely ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING 6 to respect and get along with one another; when taught how to be more tolerant of others, students exhibit greater tolerance† (Gollnick Chinn, 2006). Our school climate is multicultural and is reflected in every aspect of the education at our school. This is imperative if we want our students to compete in a global economy and to ensure learning and equity for all students. The school’s greatest limitation in regard to assessment literacy is that not all teachers recognize students’ emotional connection to assessment and its results. Also, the formative assessments are not used regularly to tell members precisely where to focus their improvement efforts and how to do it in a timely manner. My students complain that some teachers take a month to grade papers. Parents complain to me that other teachers do not understand their child’s special needs. For instance, I have a student with dysgraphia, dyslexia, and ADHD. For spelling tests, I have found it beneficial to call him up after tests and have him spell the word to me verbally that he got wrong in writing and he often gets it correct. He has transformed from a failing student to an â€Å"A† student. I grade his paper immediately after he turns it in and I ask him to spell the words he got wrong to me verbally. When students are failing, teachers need to find viable solutions to increase student learning. No single assessment is capable of answering all these questions to aid a student’s learning capabilities. A productive, multi-level assessment system is needed to ensure accuracy of all instructional decisions (Stiggins, 2008). Relying heavily on Stanford test scores impedes a student’s emotional connection to assessment and its results. Instead a wide arrangement of student work should become part of a portfolio to determine the overall ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING 7 success rate of a student. â€Å"If all students are to succeed, they must have continuous access to credible evidence of their own academic success at mastering prescribed achievement standards† (Stiggins, 2008, p. 8). Data shows teachers areas that need improvement in teaching, student’s weaknesses, and how to do better next time. This will enable students to build self-efficacy when teachers help students to see what success looks like through assessment analysis to improve test taking the next time (Stiggins, 2008). This is the reason our school offers a retest at 92% of the grade. This is what Stiggins refers to as replacing the intimidation of accountability as the primary motivator through tests with the promise of academic success for all learners. This type of assessment promotes hope for all students to become successful. We are reminded by Tashik (2010), that an effective performance assessment system requires the complete interplay of several components: 1. Teaching and learning must remain the constant focus of the school. 2. Teams of teachers collaborate on all aspects of instruction and assessment. 3. Staff, department, and grade meetings are regular features of the school week. 4. Scheduling includes blocks of time for teachers to mentor and supervise student progress on the performance assessment tasks. 5. Continual development of new courses and units of study to better engage students in their learning and meet their academic needs. When these key components are intertwined, effective assessments can benefit our students through diversity and it can take the shape of molding into our students’ needs. When we look at the classroom level of use, the program level of use, and the ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING 8 institutional accountability and policy level of use, assessments can work together to scaffold student learning for optimal success. In a perfect assessment system, the foundation would comprise of an array of assessments that enable students to learn more through scaffolding and take ownership of his or her learning success (Stiggins, 2004). ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING 9 References Creighton, T. (2001). Data analysis and the principalship. Principal Leadership, 1(9), 52. Gardner, H. (1999). Intelligence reframed: Multiple intelligences for the 21st century. New York: Basic Books. Gollnick, D. and Chinn, P. (2006) Multicultural education in a pluralistic society. New Jersey: Pearson Education. Gutmann, A. (2004). Unity and diversity in democratic multicultural education: Creative and destructive tensions. In J. A. Banks (Ed. ), Diversity and citizenship education: Global perspectives (pp. 77-96). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Spasovski, Ognen. (2010). Principles of the inclusive education and the role of teachers and in-school professional staff. The Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation,111(1-2), 67-86. Tashik, P. (2010). Changing the national conversation on assessment. Phi Delta Kappan, 91(6), 55-59. Stiggins, R. (2004). Classroom assessment for student learning: Doing it right – Using it well. Portland, OR: Assessment Training Institute. Stiggins, R. (2005, Dec. ). From formative assessment to assessment FOR learning: A path to success in standards-based school. Phi Delta Kappan, 87(4), 324-328. Stiggins, R. (2008). Assessment manifesto: A call for the development of balanced assessment systems. Portland, OR: ETS Training Institute.