Theories of the process of lateralization

Theories of the process of lateralization The apparent specialization of the left hemisphere for language is usually described in terms of lateral dominance or lateralization. Lateralization process begins in early childhood. It coincides with the period during which language acquisition takes place. During childhood, there is a period when the human brain is most ready to receive input and learn a particular language. This is known as the critical period. The general view is that the critical period for first language acquisition lasts from birth until puberty. This process of development is called Maturation. The idea of a critical period for development of particular processes is not unique to humans. Songbirds display hemispheric specialization in that only one hemisphere controls singing. There are three accounts of how lateralization emerges (Bates Roe, 2001; Tomas, 2003). The equipotentiality hypothesis states that the two hemispheres are similar at birth with respect to language, each able in principle to acquire the processes responsible for language, with the left hemisphere maturing to become specialized for language functions. The irreversible determinism hypothesis states that the left side is specialized for language at birth and the right hemisphere only takes over language functions if the left is damaged over a wide area (Rasmussen Milner, 1975; Woods Carey, 1979). Irreversible determinism says that language has an affinity for the left hemisphere because of innate anatomical organization, and will not abandon it unless an entire center is destroyed. The critical difference between the equipotentiality and irreversible determinism hypotheses is that in the former, either hemisphere can become specialized for language, but in the latter, the left hemisphere becomes specialized for language unless there is a very good reason otherwise. The emergentist account brings together these two extremes, saying that the two hemispheres of the brain are characterized at birth by innate biases in types of information processing that are not specific to language processing, such that the left hemisphere is better suited to being dominant, although both hemispheres play a role acquiring language (Lidzha Krageloh-Mann, 2005). The Critical Period Hypothesis is the best-known version of the equipotentiality hypothesis. Lenneberg (1967) argued that a birth the left and right hemispheres of the brain are equipotential. There is no cerebral asymmetry at birth; instead lateralization occurs as a result of maturation. The process of lateralization develops rapidly between the ages of 2 and 5 years, and then slows down, being complete by puberty. The completion of lateralization means the end of the critical period. There are many theories about Critical Period Hypothesis, some of them confirm the existence of a critical period in acquiring a language and others bring this existence into question or make a distiction between the presence of a critical period in FLA and SLA. The idea of a Critical Period Hypothesis comes from the nativists, lead by Lenneberg and Chomsky, whose explanation is that there is a critical period because the brain is pre-programmed to acquire language early in development. Bever (1981) argued that it is a normal property of growth, arising from a loss of plasticity as brain cells and processes become more specialized and more independent. The Critical Period Hypothesis of Lenneberg (1967) comprises two related ideas, The first idea is that certain biological events related to language development can only happen in an early critical period. In particular, hemispheric specialization takes place during the critical period, and during this time children possesses a degree of flexibility that is lost when the critical period is finished. The second component of the Critical Period Hypothesis is that certain linguistic events must happen to the child during this period for development to proceed normally. Proponents of this theory argue that language is acquired most efficiently during the critical period. The most important idea of Critical Period Hypothesis is that unless children receive linguistic input during the critical period, they will be unable to acquire language normally. One of the most famous of these cases was the Wild Boy of Aveyron, a child found in isolated woods in south of France in 1800. Despite attempts by an educationalist named Dr Itard to socialize the boy, given the name Victor, and to teach him language, he never learned more than two words. It is less easy to apply this argument to the unfortunate child known as Genie. Genie was a child who was apparently normal at birth, but suffered severe linguistic deprivation. From the age of 20 months until she was 13 years and 9 months, when she was found, she had been isolated in a small room. Not surprisingly, Genies linguistic abilities were virtually non-existent. Critical period in SLA Theories in favour of the existence of a critical period in SLA According to the nativist theory, once the critical period is over, usually postulated to be sometime during puberty, it is assumed that a person who begins to learn a L2 will be unable to achieve the native-like competence and performance in it. The basic assumption of a biologically determined critical period is that some essential capacities of younger children are not available to adult learners. One such capacity is the learners access to Universal Grammar, that is, the innate system of linguistic categories, mechanisms and constraints shared by all human languages (Chomsky, 1995). Mark Patkowski hypothesized that only those who had begun learning their second language before the age of fifteen could ever achieve full, native-like mastery of that language. These results gave added support to the Critical Period Hypothesis for second language acquisition. Theories against the existence of a critical period in SLA There are two reasons for rejecting a strong version of the Critical Period Hypothesis. Children can acquire some language outside of the critical period, and lateralization does not occur wholly within it. A critical period appears to be involved in early phonological development and the development of syntax. The weakened version is often called a sensitive period hypothesis. There is a sensitive period for language acquisition, but it seems confined to complex aspects of syntactic processing. (BialystokHakuta, 1994). Locke (1997), argues that a sensitive period arises because of the interplay of developing specialized neural systems, early perceptual experience, and discontinuities in linguistic development. Lack of appropriate activation during development acts like physical damage to some areas of the brain. The distinction between the Critical Period Hypothesis and the sensitive period hypothesis is whether acquisition is possible only within the definite span of age or easier within the period. Seligers proposal (1978), is that there may be multiple critical or sensitive periods for different aspects of language. The maturational explanation is that certain advantages are lost as the childs cognitive and neurological system matures. In particular, what might first appear to be a limitation of the immature cognitive system might turn out to be an advantage for the child learning language. The results of experimental studies have two important implications for adult second language learning. One is that childrens acquisition of a foreign language is different from that of adults. The other is that acquisition of pronunciation and grammar is also different because it involves a problem of physiologic aging process. Adults can learn the grammar of a new language more easily and rapidly than children but that they retain foreign accents. Theories that consider the existence of a critical period in FLA but not in SLA It is widely believed that the ability to acquire language declines with increasing age. Today it is generally agreed that a critical period does exist for first language acquisition but the hypothesis is not as uniformly accepted as applicable to SLA. When considering separately the time required for L2 learning and the ultimate success achieved in the L2, some researchers suggested a compromise conclusion that older is faster but younger is better. At initial stages of L2 acquisition, older learners were at an advantage in rate of acquisition but only in limited aspects. In a recent critical review of the Critical Period Hypothesis literature, Marinova observed that, despite general perceptions that older learners are slower L2 learners, the research has long revealed that, in fact, older learners are faster in process of L2 acquisition, especially at the initial stages. Theoretically, if the critical period for L2 acquisition exists, and older learners are strictly at a disadvantage due to age and some biological or maturation constraints, then all late L2 learners should be performing well below the younger learners. However, many studies, whether supporting of challenging the Critical Period Hypothesis, have shown that younger learners tend to perform fairly similarly to one another, while generally older learners show greater variation in their L2 performances. The effects of the L2 learning process and the type of L2 learning environment have been studied more formally on a larger scale. It has been argued that if adults are able to learn an L2 implicitly in more natural settings, similar to the way children learn language, then they may achieve similar levels of performance at a faster rate (Neufeld). The Critical Period Hypothesis has traditionally been used to explain why second language acquisition is difficult for older children and adults. Johnson and Newport (1989) examined the way in which the critical period hypothesis might account for second language acquisition. They distinguished two hypotheses, both of which assume that humans have a superior capacity for learning language early in life. According to the maturational state hypothesis, this capacity disappears or declines as maturation progresses, regardless of other factors. The exercise hypothesis further states that unless this capacity is exercised early, it is lost. Both hypotheses predict that children will be better than adults in acquiring the first language. The exercise hypothesis predicts that as long as a child has acquired a first language during childhood, the ability to acquire other languages will remain intact and can be used at any age. The maturational hypothesis predicts that children will be superi or at second language learning, because the capacity to acquire language dismisses with age. Are children in fact better than adults at learning language? The evidence is not clear-cut as is usually thought. Snow (1983) concluded that contrary to popular opinion, adults are in fact no worse than young children at learning a second language, and indeed might even be better. Children spend much more time than adults learning the language. Snow and Hoefnagel-Hohle (1978) compared English children with English adults in their first year of living in the Netherlands learning to speak Dutch. The young children 3-4 years old, performed worst of all. In addition, a great deal of the advantage for young children usually attributed to the critical period may be explicable in terms of differences in the type and amount of information available to learners. There is also a great deal of variation: some adults are capable of near-native performance on a second language, whereas some children are less successful. They proposed that there is a change in maturational state, from plasticity to a steady state, at about age 16. The younger a person is, the better they seem to acquire a second language. There is evidence for a critical period for some aspects of syntactic development and, even more strongly, for phonological development. However, rather than any dramatic discontinuity, decline seems to be gradual. Second language acquisition is not a perfect test of the hypothesis, however, because the speakers have usually acquired at least some of a first language. Lenneberg supplied some evidence to support the CPH and he found that injuries to the right side caused more language problems in children than in adults. He also provided evidence to show that whereas children rapidly recovered total language control after such operations, and adults did not so, but instead continued to display permanent linguistic impairment. However, this evidence doesnt demonstrate that is easier to acquire a language before puberty. In fact he assumed that LA was easy for children. The CPH is an inadequate account of the role played in SLA, because this assumption was only partially correct. Only where pronunciation is concerned is an early start an advantage, and even then only in terms of success, not rate of acquisition. Developmental changes in the brain, it is argued, affect the nature of language acquisition, and language learning that occurs after the end of the critical period may not be based on the innate biological structures believed to contribute to first language acquisition or second language acquisition in early childhood. Rather, older learners may depend on more general learning abilities. In educational settings, learners who begin learning a second language at primary school level do not always achieve greater proficiency in the long run than those who begin in adolescence. The Critical Period Hypothesis is a particularly relevant case in point. This is the claim that there is, indeed, an optimal period for language acquisition, ending at puberty. However, in its original formulation (Lenneberg 1967), evidence for its existence was based on the relearning of impaired L1 skills, rather than the learning of a second language under normal circumstances. Conclusion As well as there is an agreement that corroborates the Critical Period Hypothesis set up by the nativists during the L1 acquisition, there is not such agreement when considering L2 acquisition. Contrary to what was thought about the impossibility to acquire an L2 after the end of the critical period, there is some evidence that show learning an L2 after puberty is also achievable. The theories that support this idea say that an adult or an adolescent learner will be able to acquire a native-like mastery in the L2 as a younger learner will do. Since the study of human brain is still very limited, some theorists contradict the non-presence of a critical period in SLA. For this reason, although it seems to be a prevalent theory about this aspect, it will be difficult to arrive to a general consensus.

SBS Leaving the ABC Unaccountable Essay -- Media

Introduction Whether the ABC broadcasts content sufficiently diverse to meet their original intent is widely debated among modern media scholars (Alexander 173). The creation of the SBS allowed the ABC to remain unaccountable in terms of their original purpose to provide high quality, impartial and educational broadcasting for a culturally and linguistically diverse audience. It is critical to understand the original purpose of the ABC’s creation, where and how the ABC failed to fulfill this purpose and how the SBS filled the niche left by the ABC’s downfalls. An evaluation of the ABC’s broadcast schedule for the first week of May 2012 will be included to provide current evidence for whether the ABC is fulfilling their purpose. Before we can evaluate ABC’s downfalls and why are in fact downfalls we must first understand what the original intent of establishing the ABC was. The ABC’S Purpose The ABC is an independent statutory authority whose role and function is established in legislation (Australian Broadcasting Corporation, 1998). The legislation under which the ABC was establish is the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act of 1983 also know as the ABC charter, it outlines broadcasting, programming and service requirements that as a whole aim to provide a sense of national identity through high standards of diversified content (Austrain Broadcasting Corporation, 1983). Section 6 of the ABC Charter outlines that the ABC amongst other things must: 1. â€Å"provide within Australia innovative and comprehensive broadcasting services of a high standard, 2. provide programs that contribute to a sense of national identity and inform and entertain, and reflect the cultural diversity of, the Australian community, 3. prov... ...issues-bias-funding-sponsorship/is-the-abc-biased/abc-bias-verdict-from-the-government-appointed Minchin, N. (2012, April 29). Climate Change - What the ABC edited out. No Carbon Tax Climat Sceptics Blog . Munsie, J. (2012). ACMA’s Ruling on Kyle Sandilands – Toothless Tiger or the Kitten Who Roared? Addisons Commercial Lawyers, Addisons Focus Papers. Addisons Commercial Lawyers. Nova, J. (2012, April 27). ABC Biased. Scientist Matthew England, outrageous error or dishonest? Nick Minchin owed an apology. Jo Nova . Reynolds, H. (2012, Feb 14). A very British summer on your ABC. Retrieved May 20, 2012, from Inside Story : http://inside.org.au/a-very-british-summer-on-your-abc/ SBS. (2009). Annual Report 2008-2009. Annual Report, SBS, Sydney. SECRC. (2011). Inquiry into recent ABC programming decisions. Senate Environment and Communications References Committee .

The Freedom of Information Essay -- Technology Computers Essays

The Freedom of Information There are different kinds of freedoms: freedom of expression, of opinion, of speech, of information, to copy, to own and to read, and freedom from interference and observation. This research is an ethical analysis of the freedom of information in the new Internet era and how the new technology should be implemented globally as a universal human right. Not so many years ago, I still remember in High School my research with books, magazines, and newspapers as the only resources to get information. When I did my undergraduate thesis in Direct Reduced Iron, I could get information thanks to my brother in law directly from the company that owns the technology. It is not possible to get all the information that you want from the Internet, because some are confidential documents or data with personal information, but there are people that find ways to access information illegally that is not open to the general public. These people called Hackers are not acting morally, because they are not respecting the people’s rights of privacy. This case is not included in the freedom of information mentioned in this research, but the issue itself is affecting in some way the freedom of information. Global Information Infrastructure Something that brought my attention to this subject was the speech of the Vice President Al Gore in 1994 at the International Telecommunications Union Conference about his determination for the creation of a network of networks to all members of our societies and his ethical analysis in Global Information Infrastructure (GII). The plan was based on five principles: Encourage private investment Promote competition Create a flexible regulatory framework Provide open access to the network Ensure universal service Now in 2003 we can see the tremend us benefits of GII in all the countries where it has been implemented. When I started to do this research I didn’t realize all the advances in communications this commitment made. Most of these advances were in the telecommunications industry with private investments and free competition in an industry that was in the past a monopoly. Each country has their own laws in telecommunications, and it is a universal right from an ethical point of view that each individual around the world has to have some kind of access to get information. Let’s say a li... ...f the person is literate or illiterate. Endnotes [1] Deborah G. Johnson and Helen Nissenbaum, Computers, Ethics & Social Values (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1995), 621. [2] John Weckert and Douglas Adeney, Computer and Information Ethics (Westport: Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc., 1997), 32. [3] Johnson and Nissenbaum, 622. [4] â€Å"Motivating a Human Rights Perspective on Access to Cyberspace: The Human Right to Communicate†. CPSR Newsletter Vol. 18, Number 3.6 June2003 http://www.cpsr.org/publications/newsletter/issues/2000/Summer2000/mciver.html [5] Richard A. Spinello, Case Studies in Information and Computer Ethics (New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1997), 249. Bibliography Hester, D. Micah, and Paul J. Ford. Computers and Ethics in the Cyberage. Prentice-Hall, Inc., 2001. Johnson, Deborah G. Computer Ethics. Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1985. Johnson, Deborah G. and Helen Nissenbaum. Computers, Ethics & Social Values. Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1995. Spinello, Richard A. Case Studies in Information and Computer Ethics. Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1997. Weckert, John and Douglas Adeney. Computer and Information Ethics. Greenwood Publishing Group, Inc., 1997.

Effect of Exercise on Squeezing a Clothespin

IntroductionDoes exercise make your muscles tired? In my controlled experiment I investigated this problem. My hypothesis was â€Å"If I rest first then I can squeeze the clothespin more times† My reason behind this is because during exercise I think you tire yourself out more, so resting before squeezing could increase number of squeezes. Methods and Materials The materials I used in this experiment were 8 people (subjects) and 8 clothespins of the same type.First I recognized my dependent variable, how many times you can squeeze clothespin, and my independent, exercise. I took a group of 8 classmates, excluding myself and instead including my younger brother. I decided to let the control group also serve as the experimental group. The steps I took were to let the control group rest before starting, and then they squeezed the clothespin for one minute and counted how many times they could squeeze it. After that they rested for another minute, then exercised by jogging in plac e for one minute and after they immediately squeezed the clothespin.Results SubjectExperimental GroupControl Group:Megan 205 226Dane 277 307Nick B 209 235My younger brother 152 136Nick C 194 214Vinny 195 234Dan Average 192 280More subjects squeezed the pin more times resting first. The average of all the data shows this also. Looking at the graph it’s easier to see the results and compare them than the table. The table does not show a visual comparison but shows the data and numerical information. The table takes longer to read and is harder to understand. The bar graph is easy to point out trends and patterns. The bars, exercising and resting give an easy understanding and show relationships in the data. They compare the different amounts of how many times the clothespin was squeezed with each subject.Discussion and ConclusionsExercise does make your muscles fatigued according to my data results. It also supports my hypothesis. If you rest first you can squeeze the clothespi n more times. From the data I collected the average of the eight people concluded exercise makes your muscles more fatigued and less able to squeeze the clothespin compared to resting before squeezing. Majority of the subjects used in my experiment concluded with this result too. Muscle fatigue occurs when the muscles have an increase in activity so certain  waste products of muscle cell activity build up in the cells. This is could be true with the results I have concluded.Suggestions for Improvement and Further ResearchTo improve my experiment I could have changed the amount of time you rest squeeze the pin, how long you rest before exercising, how long you exercise, and what type of exercise is done. Changing some of these things could change my results, and result in some further research to be done. To improve my experiment’s accuracy I could have used more people and have everyone be the same age. A big error made was using my younger brother because being much younge r he had results lower than many other subjects. Making some of these improvements could make my experiment more reliable. For further research I could research how age affects the hypothesis, or see how things like gender or weight effects the results. Further investigation could help answer these questions.

Superfund Program

Superfund Program Peggy Toler E. Hansen/EVS1001-31 March 31, 2011 Peggy Toler 2 Superfund Program I did not know what a Superfund program was until I looked it up and then I found out that it is an act that is the cornerstone legislation that provides the mechanism and funding for the cleanup of potentially dangerous hazardous-waste sites and the protection of ground water and human health. When you live near a superfund site, you and your family are at risk of developing a disease from the exposure of the different pollutants in these sites and may experience a loss of value of your property.The EPA says that there are steps that we can take to fight back. They have also said that they have set up a â€Å"Post Construction† strategy to ensure that Superfund response actions provide for the long-term protection of human health and the environment. The Construction Completion activities also involve optimizing remedies to increase effectiveness and /or to reduce cost without sa crificing long-term protection. There is still a health hazard for those who live close to a Superfund site.The site that I have found in my state was the Chemtronic, Inc. in Swannanoa, NC. It is about 1,027 acres and only about 20 acres in total are contaminated with these pollutants. This property has had several owners and operators and it was first developed as an industrial site in 1952. After first opening the first products that were manufactured on this site were explosives, incapacitating agents, and chemical intermediates. There are about 23 individual on-site disposal areas that were identified during the investigation activities on this site.During 1971, the disposal practices were not well defined. Solid waste materials and possibly solvents were reportedly incinerated in pits dug in the burning ground these pits are known as the Acid Pit Peggy Toler 3 area. There are the chemical wastes that were also disposed of in the trenches located in the Acid Pit Area. All of the activities at this site ended in 1994, and no new activities are occurring on this site. There is no on-site ground water and surface water being used in any way for anything.This site is bordered up on the North and West sides by woodlands and primarily national forests. There are several industrial facilities to the immediate South of this site. In the contaminants contained in these on-site disposal areas there are volatile organic compounds which include (1,2-dichloroethane, trans-1,2-dichloroethane, trichloroethane, and tetrachloroethane), semi-volatile organic compounds which include benzophenone, benzylic acid, and explosives, and then there are the metals like chromium, copper, lead, nickel and zinc.The contaminants that are detected in the ground water include benzene, chloroform, 1,2-dichloroethane, trans-1,2-dichloroethane, trichloroethane, benzophenone, benzylic acid, picric acid, explosives, chromium, copper, lead, nickel, and zinc. The site cleanup plans were issued i n 1988. The major cleanup elements for this site include the installation of a ground water extraction and treatment system down gradient of the disposal areas in both the front valley and the back valley which is known as the Gregg Valley, capping and fixation/stabilization for contaminated soil in the disposal areas.These capped areas are fence with a chain-link fence and marked. Then they have a monitoring program to be established for the surface water. The ROD has issued an amend for this site in 1989, that specified the deletion of the requirement to solidify soil in Disposal Area (DA-23) as a result of an error in the remedial investigation data which was carried over into the initial ROD. Peggy Toler 4 With the cleanup progress with the capping and stabilization/solidification or the contaminated soil in the disposal area began in 1991, and was completed in 1993. They have placed multi-layer caps in the following areas DA-6, DA-7/8, DA-9, DA-10/11, DA-23 and in the Acid Pit Area. They have also installed a gas venting system at the Acid Pit Area. The Rod of 1988, addressed only those disposal areas that were deemed CERCLA related. The other disposal areas on the property were considered Resource Conservation and Recovery Act also known as (RCRA) areas as prior to 1994.The potentially responsible parties (PRPs) for the site undertook corrective actions to improve the operation of both the extraction systems and treatment systems in both valleys. The corrections that have taken place have significantly reduced the down time to these systems experienced in the past. There have been two reviews that have been developed for the site in 2002 and 2007. The review that was done in 2007, they found that the site was protective of the human health and the environment in the short-term.The NC Department of Environment and Natural Resources requested that the EPA consolidate oversight of all site environmental remediation activities under the EPA’s superfun d authority and relinquished the state’s RCRA oversight responsibilities for the site to the EPA’s Superfund program in March 2007. Recently the PRPs submitted the draft RI/FS Work Plan based on the Administrative Order on Consent (AOC) and accompanying statement of work. These cleanup activities have been undertaken by the PRPs with EPA’s oversight. Peggy Toler 5 There are three viable PRPs for the site that has been identified by EPA and they are Chemtronic, Inc. Northrop Grumman System Corporation, and CAN Holding, Inc. In 2008 the AOC signed by the PRPs and the EPA will address the cleanup for the former RCRA areas at the site that will now be addressed under CERCLA. The EPA has conducted a range of activities for the community to get involved at the Chemtronic site to solicit the community input and to ensure that the public remains informed about any of the site activities throughout the site cleanup process. These outreach activities include public notice s, interviews and public meeting on these cleanup activities and updates.In the future they are monitoring the ground water at the site, they say that the field work for the revised RI/FS should begin in the summer of 2009, and the next FYR for these sites is expected in 2012. As you will find out the more we try to cleanup areas like this, we have other pollutants in the world. There are things that we can do to help with these pollutants like cleaning everything that we can and stop putting things into the ground.References * Boorse, D. F. & Wright, R. T. (2011) Environmental Science (11 Edition) * www. epa. gov/region4/waste/nplnc/chemtrnc. htm

Critical review of Crafting Strategy

Introduction Strategic management contains various subjects and topics, most of which do not have the consistent identity (Ketchen, Boyd and Bergh, 2008). It is no doubt that there are still many debates towards strategy concept. In this essay, the article â€Å"crafting strategy† will be reviewed. This is analysed by putting the article in to a wider debate about strategy, then discussing its main strengths and weaknesses. Placing of the article in the wider strategy debate This article’s view fits the debate of prescriptive and emergent strategy.According to Whittington, prescriptive strategy is a rational approach in which planning plays a vital role, and it is more appropriate for large and mature industries (2002). However, Mintzberg challenged this perspective, saying that the process of strategy is distorted by the planning that misguides the organisations (1987). The differences between prescriptive and emergent strategy can be identified in two points. Prescrip tive strategy means formal planning, which involves an analytic process by top executives to set up a long-term mission and later undertaking by staff (Ansoff, 1965).However, in the view of emergent strategy, â€Å"It is not possible to develop a perspective of the future and formulate explicit objective in an unpredictable environment; instead, it is necessary to react in a flexible, opportunistic and accidental manner to new, unpredictable developments† (Idenburg, 1993: 136). In addition, due to the volatility and variability in market conditions, management decisions depend on information that is imprecise and fluctuated.As a result, an emergent strategic approach is more suitable for forms to conduct and business strategy should be adjustable instead of developing a prescriptive strategy with a foreseen result (Marlo, 2000). Moreover, the difference can also be shown by the attitude towards learning. â€Å"Purely deliberate strategy precludes learning once the strategy i s formulated; emergent strategy fosters it† (Mintzberg, 1987:69). Emergent strategy refers to the strategy formulation process which focuses on understanding of strategic learning and let the firm to experiment in a dynamic environment.Though agreement and compromise are part of the formulation process, there is an evident lack of knowledge in the performance system, which leads to a process featured with the emergency of meaning (Lowe and Jone, 2004). In terms of how learning applies to make the strategy, Mason (2007) states that emergent strategy making means all the employees utilise the flexible and strong adaptability to equalise structure and rapid change rather than responding to external change.The basic problem in strategy making is to achieve innovation and remain consistent and reliable strategy implementation. This may include adapt faster than other companies and responding and learning quickly from flaws. In another word, emerging organisation is able to improve employee 3 effectiveness, resulting in a positive influence to greater creativity and motivation in the organisational processes, and it, in turn, leads to better organisational performance (Huselid, 1995).In this article, it discusses emergent strategy, strategic reorientations and how to manage strategy. This is explained by compare and contrast with the deliberate strategy. Mintzberg’s article clearly belongs to prescriptive and emergent strategy debate and it gives strong support towards emergent strategy. Discussion of Strengths and Weaknesses This article involves some main strengths and weaknesses in terms of the strategy debate. In reality, there is no entirely prescriptive strategy or entirely emergent one, many approaches fall between these two extreme points.Most efficient strategy blends organisational learning with flexibility and deliberation and control, such as umbrella strategy and process strategy (Mintzberg, 1987). This idea fully reflects the complexity fo r the business world, even though Mintzberg has an ardent preference towards emergent strategy, there is no guaranty that this is the most suitable or perfect method for all business. Besides, other analyses also illustrate the importance of strategy-making blends autonomy and planning in emergent strategy mode.To be more specific, by combining those two modes, organisation is able to gain productive adaptive capability and optimal alignment in firm through adapting to unpredictable environment in emergent strategy mode and coordinating business activities to complete company’s efficiency in strategy planning (Andersen and Nielsen. 2009). Another strength of this article is the statement about strategic thinking. Fiona (2002) points out that the central to sustain competitive advantage is to have a creative and divergent strategic thinking.This fresh perspective represents a new way for managers to consider and evaluate the operation of organisation. Just as Mintzberg mention s, strategic thinking is captured by informal learning from diverse sources included experiences, leading to an integrated view towards the firm, and then synthesizing the learning into an image of the business direction (1994). In contrast, many administrators merely analyse the figures and graphs, but those are the analysis of past information and predictions, which hold a substantial risk for business.Moreover, strategic thinking displays a whole perspective of mutual influences between each part of the company and its related environment. It also considers the interlinked relationship of past, present and future in order to think in time and utilise newly emerging chances (Liedtka, 1998). However, there still exists criticism about this article as well. One drawback is Mintzberg failed to study the problems of emergent strategy in the business environment. To begin with, sometimes this strategy may consume too much time. As this process includes various 4 experiments, it keeps t rying to identify new method until it successes.No doubt that this involves a long period since no one can find a suitable compromise every time. Apart from that, each time firm tries a new strategy, it costs an enormous amount of resources such as labours or machines use, which is a waste of capital. As Ansoff point out, Mintzberg does not consider the consequence of using a trial and error approach in various programs. In fact, this approach costs hugely, and research presents that acquisitions can achieve better financial results by conducting a planned approach to diversification instead of trial and error one (1991). ConclusionIn summary, this article presents the crafting strategy that is a metaphor towards strategymaking, and it considers the process of strategy making as craftsmen make their clay, which gives readers a vivid image of how the strategy formulates and implements. This practice is valuable at both beginning of strategy development and strategy review processes ( Heracleous and Jacobs, 2008). However, as this article was written in 1987 and many revolutions have happened in these decades, more researches need to carry out to review whether this strategy still fits well in modern business.

Beethoven Essays - Age Of Enlightenment, Ludwig Van Beethoven

Beethoven Essays - Age Of Enlightenment, Ludwig Van Beethoven Beethoven Ludwig van Beethoven was a German composer who is considered to be one of the greatest musicians of all time. He was born in Bonn. Beethovens fathers harsh discipline and alcoholism made his childhood and adolescence difficult. After his mothers death, at the age of 18, he placed himself at the head of the family, taking responsibility for his two younger brothers, both of whom followed him when he later moved to Vienna, Austria. In Bonn, Beethovens most important composition teacher was German composer Christian Gottlob Neefe, with whom he studied during the 1780s. Neefe mostly used the music of German composer Johann Sebastian Bach in his instruction. He later encouraged his student to study with Austrian composer Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, whom Beethoven met briefly in Vienna in 1787. In 1792 Beethoven made another journey to Vienna to study with Austrian composer Joseph Haydn, and he stayed there the rest of his life. Having begun his career as an outstanding improviser at the piano and composer of piano music. Beethoven went on to compose string quartets and other kinds of chamber music, songs, two masses, an opera, and nine symphonies. Perhaps the most famous work of classical music in existence is Beethovens Symphony No.9 in D minor op. 125. Like his opera Fidelio and many other works, the Ninth Symphony depicts an initial struggle with adversity and concludes with an uplifting vision of freedom and social harmony. Yet just as his success seemed assured, he was confronted with the loss of that sense which he depended on, his hearing. This impairment gradually put an end to his performing career. However, Beethovens achievements did not suffer from his hearing loss but instead gained in richness and power over the years. His artistic growth was reflected in a series of masterpieces, including the Symphony No.3, Fidelio, and the Symphony No.5. These works were from his second period, which is called his heroic style. Beethovens fame during his lifetime reached its peak in 1814. The enthusiastic response from the public to his music at this time was focused on showy works, such as Wellingtons Victory. During the last decade of his life Beethoven had almost completely lost his hearing, and he was increasingly socially isolated. Plagued at times by serious illness, Beethoven nevertheless maintained his sense of humor and he often amused himself with jokes and puns. He continued to work at a high level of creativity until he contracted pneumonia in December 1826. He died in Vienna in March 1827. Beethovens music is generally divided into three main creative periods. The first, or early. Period extends to about 1802, when the composer made reference to a new manner or new way in connection with his art. The second, or middle, period extends to about 1812, after the completion of his seventh and Eighth symphonies. The third, or late, period emerged gradually; Beethoven composed its pivotal work, the Hammerklavier Sonata.