The True Relation of Job Satisfaction and Job Performance Essay

The True Relation of Job Satisfaction and Job Performance - Essay Example The common sense view that a happy worker is a productive worker is taken to be true, but several studies by Iaffaldano and Munchinsky point out that there is no strong relationship between the two (as cited in Selladurai 1991). According to Fisher (2003), no matter how pervasive is this belief in people, it is largely incorrect. But if there is any relationship whatsoever between job satisfaction and job performance, it remains to be the "Holy Grail" of researchers in Organizational Behavior. Instead of a simple relationship, Selladurai inferred that the relationship of the two is complex. We cannot simply say that there is a direct or inverse relationship between the two (Selladurai 1991). Therefore, the solution to the problem of improving job performance is not really that straightforward. In reality, job performance drives job satisfaction. An employee will feel good if he or she has performed well, not the other way around. This is the consequence of a study testing three variables: job effort, job performance, and job satisfaction. Christen, Iyler, and Soberman predict that, generally speaking, while employee effort will have a positive relationship with job performance, it will have a negative relationship with job satisfaction. Taken together, Christen, Iyler, and Soberman's results highlight the need to consider effort, compensation, and job characteristics to better understand the connections between job performance, job satisfaction, and firm performance. Moreover, their study serves to challenge the view that job performance and job satisfaction are directly related in that increasing one will improve the other. At best, they are only weakly connected. The study also suggests that if firms want to motivate and keep their best employees, taking steps to improve their job performance might help improve their job satisfaction (as cited by McFarlin 2006). On the other hand, there exist a research finding as to why there appears to be a lack of relation between job satisfaction and job performance. People think that a productive, "happy" worker has job satisfaction. This is not necessarily correct. Wright and Cropanzano (1997) opine that instead of using job satisfaction as a variable (which is a measure of attitude) that has a direct relationship with job performance; researchers should use psychological well-being or the extent that "one feels good." Well-being is a measure of affect. Accordingly, consider two workers who are dissatisfied with their work. Eventually, one performed better than the other. What's the cause One felt that he will be promoted, while the other felt that nothing will change. A similar view is expressed by Providence College researcher Michelle Jones. After reviewing the literature on the Happy Worker/Productive Worker Hypothesis, she concluded that life satisfaction must be added to the equation and this is a better indicator of job performance (Jones 2006). Her life satisfaction variable corresponds to the well-being variable of Wright & Cropanzano. From the findings of several researchers, we find that the factors affecting job performance or the factors that job performance affects include those outside the work place. An employer may help improve an employee's well-being in the work place, but it cannot do so in other contexts. Therefore, an employer no matter how unkind has no

Finance D 1-4 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Finance D 1-4 - Essay Example In situations where a company is highly dependent on international sales the firm must utilize advanced financial tools such as hedging in order to diminish the exchange rate risk. Hedging is protecting a long position in one asset while being short in another in order to reduce overall risk (Teweles & Bradley & Teweles, 1992, p.537). A country such as Afghanistan is a third world country / developing economy with major problems for potential investors from United States or any other G8 developed nation. In the case of the United States the current War on Terror declared by George Bush Jr. created a cultural barrier for American companies to penetrate this market due to resentment from the population against anything that is American. In general terms the civil warfare that continues in this nation due to the Holy War makes it a security risk for any company due to suicidal bombers and other Para-military activity. The economic state of this country is weak, thus its citizen have a lack of purchasing power. Three countries that should be targeted by United States corporation as foreign direct investment opportunities are India, United Kingdom and Japan. India has the second largest population in the world after China with over one billion inhabitants. The size of the market is huge which is a good characteristic. Another thing that makes India attractive is the educational level among the population which is good and the fact that the country has an establish infrastructure to export professional services via a telecommuting system. A second country that is good target for international expansion of American firms is the United Kingdom. The monetary unit of the UK, the pound, is one of the strongest units in the world. The culture of the UK is very assimilated with the US culture which is a very good factor. The United Kingdom has a population of 60,776,238

Malansang Isda by Rosalinda Olsen Essay Example for Free

Malansang Isda by Rosalinda Olsen Essay †Ang hindi nagmamahal sa sariling wika ay masahol pa sa malansang isda† is one of the most often quoted of Rizal’s writings. Why, then, did he write his two novels, Noli me tangere and El Filibusterismo in Spanish? In his dedication of theNoli me Tangere, Rizal wrote, â€Å"I will strive to reproduce thy condition faithfully, without discriminations. † Surely, the national hero of the Philippines was not somebody who said one thing and did the opposite. Both novels portrayed the social and political conditions of the time through characters that represented a cross section of Philippine society—the natives who were called the Indios, the Peninsuslares or the Spanish who were born in Spain, and the Filipino or the Spanish who were born in the Philippine Islands—immortalized in the characters of Crisostomo Ibarra and his beloved Maria Clara, Elizas, Padre Damaso, Dona Victorina, and the sinister Padre Salvi. These characters represented the ideal and the despicable, the funny and the tragic, the truly comic and the merely ridiculous. There was enough in the novel to satisfy the Filipinos’ appetite for a good laugh and a love storythe more sentimental, the better—serving as a thin layer to hide the bitter satire. It can be said that Rizal’s two novels awoke the slumbering political passion of his countrymen so successfully that it quickened the birth of the Philippine Revolution. If this were Rizal’s aim, which most decidedly was not, he would have written the novels in Tagalog. Not only would this have been understandable to most people in Luzon, it would have hidden the revolutionary intent from the Spanish. As it was, the novels had to be distributed in secret among the Indios because the Spanish authorities banned those books. Which leads to the question of whom his target audience was in, order to answer the first question of why he wrote the Noli me tangere and theEl Filibusterismo in the language of the Spanish colonizers. So much has been written about Rizal’s extreme reluctance for revolution as the solution to the social cancer that was destroying his country, in contrast to his passionate advocacy of education and political reform. Evidently, the Spanish colonizers were Rizal’s primary target audience, hence, he wrote in their language. The Indio could have been a secondary target audience, perhaps in the hope that the ilustrados would fight for the socio-political reforms that were clearly indicated in the novels. There was no need to reproduce the social conditions of the time to the Indio who knew it only too well and constantly suffered from it. Rizal wrote the novels in Spanish because that was the appropriate language for his intent. Language is basically a tool, a means to express ideas and to communicate these, but before being a tool, language is first a reflection of one’s objective reality. Language is a symbol that represents the material objects in one’s environment. If an object does not exist in one’s material universe, one would have no word for it. For example, a person in search of gold in a certain area might show the natives a gold piece and ask what the natives call that metal and where he could find it. If there is no word for gold among the natives, it either means there is no gold in the area or the natives have not seen or heard of that metal before. When Rizal wrote the famous lines â€Å"Ang hindi nagmamahal sa sariling wika ay masahol pa sa malansang isda†, he was not referring to language merely as a communication tool but as an expression of one’s identity, of one’s individual and social consciousness. In the novels, Dona Victorina represents the type of Filipino who rejects her identity as Indio and who would do everything to deny it in every form, particularly in mannerism and language. More than a hundred years have passed since Rizal wrote his two novels but the social and eco-political structures remain basically the same. Only the ruling class has been changed, Filipinos have replaced the colonial masters. At the tip of an inverted pyramid is the very small minority of the power class that consists of the affluent and the Catholic hierarchy. At the top of this pyramid is about 80% of the population that have been assessed by the World Bank-IMF as living below poverty level. Between these two main groups is the middle class that shows no sign of increasing in number. Only a miracle would keep this unnatural pyramid from toppling over, but that belongs to another article. Undoubtedly, Pilipino (supposedly the expanded and enriched form of Tagalog) is not the language of the power class. Most of them speak English and some prefer to speak Spanish. The masses can read and speak Pilipino, as it is a required subject in school, but chances are, they speak their cradle tongue among themselves and most of the time, which would be any of the major languages and the numerous dialects. The language of the middle class is an odd mix of English, Pilipino, and their radle tongue. Since language is a reflection of one’s identity, could we then say that the Filipinos have one national identity? Without a common identity, there could be no real sense of nationhood. This is what Rizal meant by that famous quotation that is often quoted but only the surface level. Pilipino is the national language but the preferred working language of government, business, and education as well as the mass media remains English. There would be nothing amiss with this if it were not for the great majority of the population whose knowledge of English is not functional. It is not surprising that government can get away shamelessly with graft and corruption because the masses have little understanding of what is going on. Clearly, language in Philippine contemporary society is the one big wall that divides the powerful from the masses of poor people, notwithstanding all the calls for people empowerment. One would think that the entertainment industry, specifically the movies and the television, might be a vehicle for uniting the people because the movies are still affordable and one could always go to the neighbor’s to watch television. Just take a quick look at the commercials; most of them are in English. Noontime and evening variety shows are probably the worst because the language used by the hosts and participants reflects the jargon of the â€Å"lost tribe† aka Manila people, which is a horrible porridge of English and Pilipino with an even more horrendous lack of grammar or logical syntax. So much for the local role models, let’s take a look at the school system. According to a DECS ruling, Pilipino should be the mode of classroom instruction. So far, this has worked, in some fashion, in the elementary grades and to a lesser extent, in the secondary and the tertiary levels. Textbooks in Pilipino have been published and used in the schools, but all the references remain English. In fact, teachers find it impossible to use Pilipino in teaching mathematics, algebra, chemistry, or physics, philosophy, etc. Not surprisingly, the pupil is subjected to a kind of mental lobotomy and eventually their soul is truncated, amputated, or dichotomised. Brave souls who perhaps wanted to â€Å"make a difference â€Å" in the academe, have attempted to write their undergraduate or graduate thesis in Pilipino. Some succeeded, but one can’t help wondering if their theses would ever be taken down from the library shelves to be read and enjoyed. Few would have the courage to admit that they would rather read Rizal’s novels in English, not just because it would be easier for them but because the Pilipino translations are so antiquated that one would read it only under duress, which is to say, only because the school requires it. The Philippines, Indonesia, and Malaysia got their independence from their colonial masters at about the same time. All three countries created a national language that would be the expression of the national soul and, thus, be a unifying element. Sadly, Pilipino has not succeeded in being the language of the government and the governed, in contrast to how Indonesia and Malaysia has used their respective national languages. Indonesia does not use Dutch as the language of government, education and commerce. Neither do the Malaysians use English as their working language. An anecdote would illustrate this. A friend was on holiday in Kuala Lumpur. One day, she took a cab and, naturally, spoke to the taxi driver in English. In polite but cold tones, the driver asked her, â€Å"Madam, why do you talk in English? We are all Malaysians. † Nonplussed, she said she was Filipino and the taxi driver apologized and explained that she looked Malaysian. It might be an excellent thing for Philippine politicians to have experienced this, but then again, they would be more likely to hire a limousine (at Filipino taxpayer’s expense, of course) and lose the chance of being told to speak the national language by a lowly taxi driver. Is the Filipino then a â€Å"malansang isda†? Using the â€Å"isda† analogy, the Filipino might well be like a fish out of water, in the sense that Filipinos are supposed to be living in one country—the big sea—that has become an alien territory to citizens whose ties have remained regional or tribal rather than national. A fish out of its natural habitat would quickly die and stink. Rizal did not have all the answers to Philippine problems, but he has practically said it all. For the young, he collected folk stories and legends. For the more mature, he wrote the novels, Noli me tangereand El Filibusterismo, the two long essays â€Å"The Indolence of the Filipino† and â€Å"The Philippines a Century Hence† as well as poetry and countless articles. Jose Rizal is the national hero and his portrait is in the lowest denomination of Philippine paper money. Every Filipino knows Rizal, but do they understand him? Those who have read his novels remember only the love story of Ibarra and Maria Clara, the antics of Dona Victorina, and the pathetic Sisa. High School and college graduates are obliged to take the Rizal course as a requirement for graduation, but how many of them understand the two long essays relative to what is happening in the Philippines today, if they read it at all? Rizal has been iconized and even idolized by a sect that calls themselves â€Å"Rizalistas†, but the Filipino has yet to realize and actualise his relevance.

Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis

Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis The chapter is a theoretical examination of the discipline of contrastive analysis. Its main aim is to provide a literature review of contrastive analysis. In pursuit of this aim, the chapter first sheds the light on the history of the discipline of contrastive analysis by providing a definition and a sketch of its origin. Then, an account of the stages involved in the comparison and contrastive process is provided. After that a classification of the contrastive studies is introduced. Additionally, a brief review of the contrastive analysis hypothesis is presented as well as CAs applications and contributions to other fields like language teaching, language universals, etc. Finally, the criticism directed towards CA is identified along with the recent developments originating from the discipline itself. Definition and Origin There are three types of comparative studies. They are comparative historical linguistics, comparative typological linguistics, and contrastive linguistics. Comparative historical linguistics developed in the 19th century, it aims to find the common genetic relatedness between groups of languages. Comparative typological linguistics classify languages according to the characteristics and features they share. Note that languages which belong to a given typological group do not need to be genetically related, i.e., two languages can be closely related in their typological classification regardless their genetic distance. Contrastive linguistics/analysis is a sub discipline in linguistics which is concerned with another kind of comparison. It is concerned neither with historical development nor with the problems of describing genetic relationships. Contrastive analysis is purely synchronic in its orientation. It differs in its scope from comparative historical linguistics, since it is t ypically concerned with a comparison of corresponding subsystems in only two languages. To put it differently, Contrastive analysis studies the language items used in the same period, not those items which exist in different periods. It involves comparing and contrasting languages or subsystems of languages in order to identify their similarities and differences. Accordingly, contrastive analysis is based on theoretical linguistics as well as descriptive linguistics. It is based on the former since the success or failure of these comparisons depends on the theory applied; and it is based on the latter since no comparison is to take place without a prior description of the languages under study. Contrastive analysis had a long history. As early as 1000 A.D, the English abbot Aelfric of Eynsham (c. 955 c. 1010) wrote his Grammatica: a grammar of Latin and English, based on the assumption that the knowledge of grammar of one language facilitates the learning of the other. Additionally, in the 17th century, the grammarian John Hewes expresses the view that the knowledge of the native grammar cannot only facilitate learning a foreign language but also interface (the idea of interference) with it. Hewes in his (1624) A Perfect Survey of the English Tongue taken according to the USA and analogie of the Latine, presented the fundamentals of English in order to provide the learner with a Right knowledge censure of their owne mother tongue, in regard it holden a great difference in it selfe from the dialect of the Latine (as cited in Krzeszowski, Tomasz, 1990, p. 02). Other grammarians like Howel (1662), Coles (1675), and Lewis (1670?) applied the idea of facilitation (positive transfer) through adapting the grammars of English or of Latin to the needs of speakers of various native languages. Note that those early contrastive studies were motivated in almost the same way as modern contraceptive studies in the USA. As early as 1670, Mark Lewis stated the following: The most facil (sic!) way of introducing any in a Tongue unknown is to show what Grammar it hath beyond, or short of his Mother tongue; following that Maxime, to proceed a noto ad ignotum, making what we know, a step to what we are to lean (sic!) (as cited in Krzeszowski, Tomasz, 1990, p. 02). Nearly three centuries later, Charles Fries wrote the following: The most efficient materials are those that are based upon a scientific description of the languages to be learned, carefully compared with a parallel description of the native language of the learner (Fries, 1945, p. 9) Although the word contrast did not appear until the end of the 18th century, the idea of comparing languages for pedagogical reasons is not a new one, as it goes back to the beginning of the foreign language teaching tradition. Nevertheless, written records of such kind of procedures went back to the 15th century. It should be mentioned that earlier contrastivists were not concerned with methodological problems, though they did develop a method of comparison know as The Sign Theory, the first method in contrastive studies. The sign theory is an approach introduced by Krzeszowski (1985) and was designed for teaching Latin in England; it involved adjusting the grammatical descriptions of both English and Latin. For many years, contrastive studies were practiced in the classroom intuitively. However, modern linguistic theories which flourished in the 20th century did affect the state of contrastive studies and hence, interests in methodology and theory of contrastive analysis began to grow. Contrastive analysis usually involves two languages and it is based on the assumption that languages have enough in common to be compared, as stated by James (1980, p. 3): CA is a linguistic enterprise aimed at producing inverted (i.e. contrastive, not comparative) two-valued typologies (a CA is always concerned with a pair of languages), and founded on the assumption that languages can be compared. Among the prominent objectives of contrastive analysis are: supplying insights into the convergences and divergences existing among languages, predicting problematic areas in L2 learning and contributing to the development of language teaching materials. A quick glance at the history of the discipline of CA will manifest that it has been assigned different labels by different European and American scholars. It was referred to as parallel description (Fries 1945), analytical comparison (Mathesius, 1964), comparative descriptive linguistics (Halliday-McIntosh-Stevens 1964), differential description (Mackey 1965), descriptive comparison (Catford 1968), dialinguistic analysis (Nemser 1971), analytical description (Ibid), differential studies (Lee 1974), interlingual comparison (Fillipovic 1975c). However, the widely used term contrastive linguistics has been coined by the American linguist and anthropologist Benjamin Lee Whorf (1897-1941) in his 1941 article Languages and logic. In the aforementioned article, Whorf distinguished between comparative and contrastive linguistics. He claimed that contrastive linguistics is of even greater importance for the future technology of thought (1967, p. 240); and he defines it as a discipline which plots the outstanding differences among tongues in grammar, logic, and general analysis of experience. Contrastive analysis first appeared in Central Europe before the Second World War and spread afterwards in North America. It was Lados Linguistics Across Cultures (1957) which sets the corner stone of contrastive analysis, specifically the idea that the degree of differences between the two languages correlates with that of difficulty. In its early days in the forties (1940s) and fifties (1950s), CA was seen as a pedagogical tool, through which problematic areas in language teaching and learning can be predicted. Accordingly, CA relies very much on psychology as it is concerned with the prediction of learning difficulties which crop up from learners NL and TL; hence it needs a psychological component. It should be mentioned that CA is more powerful in the prediction of pronunciation difficulties, however, when it comes to grammar, it is not so powerful since most of grammatical errors in second language learning occur in areas where CA cannot predict. It is important to realize that there are three phases of Contrastive Analysis; each having its own characteristics: the (1) traditional, (2) classical and (3) modern phase. Traditional contrastive studies which marked the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century were horizontal in dimension in the sense that an element(s) in language A is compared with an equivalent element(s) in language B. They proceed from the description of the same features in the two languages to their juxtaposition on the basis of translation equivalence as assessed by a bilingual informant. Normally, a point of reference, often called tertium comparationis, is required outside the languages to be contrasted. The period between the end of the Second World War and 1965 was recognized as the classical period of contrastive studies. In this period, CA has been credited its status as a scientific, pragmatic as well as academic discipline. The most prominent figures of that period are Charles Fries, Robert Lado, Kenneth Pike, Ureil Weinreich among many others. The modern period of contrastive studies has been marked by the numerous contrastive projects carried out all over the world. However, it should be emphasized that theoretical issues of previous periods came under severe criticism. We will return to this presently, for the time being, it is sufficient to see that a problem exists. Despite the criticism of the previous periods, this phase marked the establishment of CA as an academic discipline throughout the world. It should be emphasized that modern linguistic approaches and technology have opened new horizons for CA. Notably, cognitive linguistics, pragmatics and corpus linguistics have all offered new theoretical frameworks and methodology. Stages of Contrastive Analysis Contrastive Analysis involves three stages, description, juxtaposition, and comparison. Lets consider each stage separately. The descriptive stage In this stage, the contrastive analyst provides an exhaustive description of the languages under study. Note that each language should be described individually apart from the other. Furthermore, the two languages should be described using the same model or framework, because if it happens that the two languages were described using different models, certain features may be described successfully than others. The juxtaposition stage In this stage, the contrastive analyst should respond to the following question: what is to be compared with what? In classical contrastive studies, the decision was based on intuitive judgments of competent bilingual informants. It was thought that competent bilinguals are able to decide about whether an element X in language A is equivalent to element Y in language B or is not. However, these intuitive judgments proved to be very weak as there are no clear principles underlying these decisions and as they were based on formal resemblances only which are not enough. As a consequence, the contrastive analyst faced the problem of establishing the criteria of comparison, also referred to as the tertium comparationis. It should be mentioned that the tertium comparationis is a kind of constant against which differences are measured, as stated by James (1980): The first thing we do is make sure that we are comparing like with like: this means that the two (or more) entities to be compared, while differing in some respect, must share certain attributes. This requirement is especially strong when we are contrasting, i.e., looking for differences-since it is only against a background of sameness that differences are significant. We shall call this sameness the constant and the differences variables. (p. 169) The notions of the equivalence and the tertium comparationis were presented graphically in Djordjevi (1987). In traditional contrastive studies, the TC was defined as the common platform of reference (Krzeszowski, 1990, p. 15). During the classical period, however, the TC was either formally or semantically based (James, 1980). Note that in phonological CA, the tertium comparationis is the IPA chart and the vowel diagram; in Lexis, it is the set of semantic components. However, contrastivists failed to establish a clear TC for grammatical CA. Because of this failure, three candidates have been proposed: surface structure TC, deep structure TC, and translation equivalence TC. The comparative stage In this stage, the contrastive analyst identifies the similarities and differences existing among the two languages. Note that the comparison involves types and not tokens (i.e. the contrastive analyst compares structures rather than strings of sound or graphic substance). Another issue related to the comparison stage is the fact that one does not compare languages in toto, instead a specifying process is usually under way, like for example the area of grammar, phonology or lexicology; which result in a variety of contrastive studies such as grammatical CA, phonological CA, and lexical CA. According to Krzeszowski (1990), there are three distinguished areas in this stage: Comparisons of various equivalent systems across languages, such as pronouns, articles, verbs, and in phonology consonants, vowels, as well as sub-systems, such as nasals, laterals, etc., depending on the degree of delicacy of the grammar. Comparisons of equivalent constructions, for example, interrogative, relative, negative, nominal phrase, etc., And in phonology clusters, syllables, diphthongs, and various distributions of sounds. Comparisons of equivalent rules (in those models where the concept of the rule appears), for example, subject raising from the embedded sentence, adjective placement, interrogative inversion, passivization, etc., and in phonology assimilation, dissimilation, metathesis, etc. In each area of comparison, one of three possible situations may arise: XLi = XLj When item X in Li may be identical in some respects with an equivalent item in Lj. XLi à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã‚   XLj When item X in Li may be different in some respects from an equivalent item in Lj. XLi = ØLj When item X in Li has no equivalent in Lj. (Krzeszowski, 1976, p. 90) (as cited in Krzeszowski, Tomasz, 1990, p. 39). Levels of Analysis Contrastive analysis can be conducted at different levels of language, for example it can be carried out at the phonological level, grammatical level, as well as the lexical level. Phonological CA When comparing the sound system of two languages, the contrastive analyst has to go through four basic steps. Firstly, he should draw up the phonemic inventory (describe and compare vowels and consonants) of the two languages under study. Secondly, the contrastive analyst should compare the phonemes in the two languages interlingually. At this stage, the contrastive analyst should apply the minimal pair test. Here is an example of the minimal pair test between the phonemes /k/ and /g/ in English and Arabic: English: came /Keim/ vs. game /geim/ Arabic: /kelb/ dog vs. /gelb/ heart In Algerian Arabic /q/ and /g/ are phonemes and allophones: /gern/ horn vs. /qern/ century à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ phonemes /gma::r/ moon vs. /qma:r/ moon à ¢Ã¢â‚¬  Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ allophones Thirdly, the contrastive analyst should state the allophones of each phoneme of the two languages being compared. And fourthly, he should state the distribution restrictions of the phonemes and allophones of both languages. Grammatical CA In a grammatical contrastive analysis, the contrastive analyst compares and contrasts between the grammatical systems of two languages. The comparison may take different forms, for example, in English; word order is used to differentiate between an affirmative sentence and an interrogative one: you are a teacher/are you a teacher? In Spanish, however, the same distinction is indicated via the use of intonation; while in Arabic, the same distinction is expressed through the addition of functional words like Ù†¡Ãƒâ„¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾ at the beginning of sentences. Another kind of grammatical contrastive analysis may investigate how a given linguistic category functions in two different languages, such as the case of adjectives in English and French. In English, adjectives tend to be pronominal, however, in French; they tend to be post nominal, for example: The narrow door La porte etroite. Lexical CA Contrastive lexicology is carried out between the vocabulary system(s) of two languages. It is concerned with the way lexical items in one language are expressed in another language. This can be done through identifying both the semantic fields and the semantic properties in order to specify the divisions and sub-divisions of the lexicon. Lexical CA may result in complete, partial, or nil equivalence between languages. Towards the Classification of Contrastive Studies Contrastive studies can be divided into various subdivisions according to many criteria. Jacek Fisiak distinguished between theoretical contrastive studies and applied contrastive studies as stated in the following quote: Theoretical CS give an exhaustive account of the differences and similarities between two or more languages provide an adequate model for their comparison, determine how and which elements are comparable, thus defining such notions as congruence, equivalence, correspondence, etc. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Applied CS is part of applied linguistics. Drawing on the findings of theoretical contrastive studies they provide a framework for the comparison of languages, selecting whatever information is necessary for a specific purpose, e.g. teaching, bilingual analysis, translating, etc. (Fisiak, 1981, p. 9) He claims that theoretical contrastive studies do not investigate how a given category present in language A is represented in language B. Instead they look for the realization of a universal category X in both A and B (Fisiak et al. 1978: 10). Whereas, applied contrastive studies are preoccupied with the problem of how a universal category X, realized in language A as y, is rendered in language B. (Fisiak et al., 1978, p. 10), as illustrated below: X X A B A(y) B(?) Figure 2. a) Theoretical CAs b) Applied CAs Hence, a theoretical contrastive study provides us with exhaustive descriptions of the languages being compared and contrasted. Also, it highlights the main points of convergences and divergences between the languages in question. A worth emphasizing point is that there are no claims to be made as to whether the results are applicable for other purposes or not. An advantage of theoretical contrastive analyses is that they make reference to the universal tertium comparationis X; whereas applied contrastive analyses do not make such a reference. Additionally, theoretical contrastive studies contribute to the establishment of language universals. Also, they are language independent and non-directional. It should be mentioned that theoretical contrastive studies insist on the descriptive neutrality between the two languages under study, which is why attention should be drawn to some problems of terminology. In contrastive studies, terms like SL vs. TL, L1 vs. L2, and NL vs. FL occur and re-occur. However, the avoidance of these terms is highly required in theoretical contrastive studies, simply because the languages under study have an equal status. Applied contrastive studies draw on the findings of theoretical contrastive studies. Their aim is not merely linguistic but also applicable to other domains like: language teaching, translation, bilingual education, etc. Traditionally speaking, applied contrastive studies have been concerned with setting out the possible problematic areas in the learners target language, i.e., providing reliable prediction of the learners difficulties (James, 1980, p. 181-7). It should be mentioned that Applied contrastive studies devote more attention to surface representations since these are what the learners/translators have a more immediate access to and what language teaching has always been concerned with. Despite the fact that applied contrastive studies draw on the findings of theoretical contrastive studies, still they do not deal only with differences but also they give importance to the similarities. Hence, the teacher should point out the similar forms, so that learners will not guess them, because very often, an element of a foreign language is similar to what one has in his own language. Notice that the first contrastive studies were predominantly theoretical (Grandgent, 1982; Vietor, 1894; Passy, 1912; J Baudouin de Courtenay, 1912; Bogorodickij, 1915). Still, the applied part of CA was not completely neglected (e.g. Vietor, 1903), but it was of little importance. Also, the aim of developing pedagogical materials was more visible in the US, while Europe was more interested in the theoretical dimension. The other classification of contrastive studies is based on the linguistic model applied when describing the languages involved. Since contrastive analysis can be carried out in different linguistic frameworks, there are the structural, transformational, stratificational, or systemic contrastive studies. A third taxonomy is the one provided by Di Pietro (1971). He divided contrastive studies into Autonomous vs. Generalized and into Taxonomic vs. Operational. In autonomous contrastive studies, no reference is made to any universal which may be shared between the languages compared. Each language is described independently from the other. However, in generalized contrastive studies, reference is made to the shared features/structures which exist between the compared languages, not only because of their typological or genetic similarities but because of the universal grammar which underlie all human languages. Concerning the Taxonomic vs. Operational contrastive studies, the former states the similarities and differences across languages, the latter seeks to formulate a series of conversions performed on the source language in order to produce the forms of the goal language (Di Pietro 1971, as cited in Krzeszowski, Tomasz, 1990, p. 24). Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis (CAH) Definition and origin Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis states that the structure of the learners L1 affects the acquisition (the two terms acquisition/learning interchangeably) of their L2, in the sense that whenever there are similarities the L2 learning is facilitated, and whenever there are differences the learning process is difficult. The term Contrastive Hypothesis implies the theory itself, while the term Contrastive Analysis implies the methodology. Hence, the term Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis implies both theory and methodology. CAH came into existence in the 1960s. It originated from Lados Linguistics across Cultures: The plan of the book rests on the assumption that we can predict and describe the patterns that will cause difficulty in learning, and those that will not cause difficulty, by comparing systematically the language and the culture to be learned with the native language and culture of the student (1957, p. VII). CAH is based on the assumption that second language learners tend to transfer L1 features to L2 utterances as stated by Lado (1957): Individuals tend to transfer the forms and meanings, and the distribution of forms and meanings of their native language and culture to the foreign language and culture (p. 2). Accordingly, Ellis (1965) suggested that the psychological foundation of CAH is transfer theory. In fact, CAs assumption that L1 interferes with the learners L2 acquisition/Learning leads us to the notion of transfer; be it positive or negative. Transfer refers to the application of native language knowledge when trying to speak the target language. Positive Transfer (facilitation) occurs when the structure of the two languages is the same; hence no errors will crop up. However, negative transfer (interference) occurs when the structure of the languages is different, and here errors will crop up and so the difficulties in tackling the target language. All in all, the more the similarities the more the learning process is facilitated, and the more the differences the more the learning process will be difficult. The aforementioned statement reflects linguists belief that a comparison of learners L1 and L2 will reveal problematic areas for L2 students, as stated by Lado (1957): In the comparison between native and foreign language lies the key to ease or difficulty in foreing language learningà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Those elements that are similar to (the learners) native language will be simple for him, and those elements that are different will be difficult. (p. 1-2) The linguistic framework of the CAH is structuralism which assumes that language is a finite structure which can be compared with structures of other languages. Additionally, Skinners behavioural psychology is the basis of the CAH, specifically, the idea that learning is a habit formation process that takes place by reinforcement. Language acquisition consists of the acquisition of a set of habits; errors in second language were seen as the result of the first language habits interfering with the acquisition of the habits of the second. Procedures of the contrastive analysis hypothesis CAH applies the following procedure when attempting to predict areas of difficulty, as illustrated or stated by Whitman (1970): A contrastive analysis must proceed through four steps; description, selection, contrast, and prediction. Unfortunately, most analyses are weakened by insufficient care or attention at one or more of these steps, each of which is beset with a host of problems. (p. 191) In the Description stage, the contrastive analyst provides a formal description of the learners L1 and L2. In the selection stage, he selects specific forms (linguistic items, or rules, or structures, etc.) for contrast, as it is impossible to contrast every single facet of two languages. In the contrast stage, he carries out the contrastive process which will result in highlighting the similarities and differences existing among the two languages. Finally, come the stage of prediction in which the contrastive analyst predicts the problematic issues and difficulties, which the learner may or may not face while learning the target language. In order to describe the stage of prediction, Stockwell et al. (1965) proposed a hierarchy of difficulty based on the notion of transfer, be it positive transfer, negative transfer or zero transfer. When the forms of the two languages are similar, positive transfer will occur and hence the facilitation of the learning process; however, when the forms of the two languages are different, negative transfer will occur and hence difficulty in learning; when there is no relation at all between the forms of the two languages, here no transfer is to take place, i.e., zero transfer. Versions of the CAH It is important to realize that there are different versions of the CAH. These are the strong and weak versions of Wardhaugh (1970) and the moderate version of Oller and Ziahosseiny (1970). Wardhaugh (1970) suggested that the strong version predicts areas of difficulty via providing a systematic and scientific analysis of the learners L1 and L2. However, the weak version requires of the linguist only that he uses the best linguistic knowledge available to account for observed difficulties in second language learning. (Wardhaugh, 1970, p. 129) So, there is a shift in focus from the predictive power of areas of difficulty to the explanatory power of observable errors. In addition, Oller and Ziahosseiny (1970) find the strong version too strong and the weak version too weak, and so they proposed a moderate version of the hypothesis which they summarized as follows: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦the categorization of abstract and concrete patterns according to their perceived similarities and differences is the basis for learning; therefore, wherever patterns are minimally distinct in form or meaning in one or more systems, confusion may result (p. 186). To explain their view, they conducted a study based on English spelling errors on the UCLA placement test. In this test, they compared the spelling errors of foreign students whose native language employed/uses a Roman alphabet with foreign students spelling errors whose native language has little or no relation to the Roman alphabet. They arrive to the conclusion that knowledge of one Roman writing system makes it more difficult to learn/acquire another Roman spelling system. Implementations of Contrastive Analysis Be it a very useful tool, CA is applied in many fields of inquiry. It contributes to different areas of study as stated in the Encyclopedic Dictionary of Applied Linguistics: CA has been used as a tool in historical linguistics to establish language genealogies, in comparative linguistics to create language taxonomies and in translation theory to investigate problems of equivalence. In language teaching it has been influential through the contrastive analysis hypothesis CAHà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Johnson Johnson, 1998, p. 85) Contrastive analysis and language teaching In the field of language teaching, CA has been influential through the Contrastive Analysis Hypothesis, as Fries point out: The most efficient materials are those that are based upon a scientific description of the languages to be learned, carefully compared with a parallel description of the native language of the learner (1945, p. 9) As a matter of fact, the contributions of contrastive analysis to the field of language teaching are numerous and remarkable. First, a contrastive analysis of the learners L1 and L2 helps syllabus designers to prepare effective teaching materials taking into consideration students difficulties. As stated by Lado in his (1957) Linguistics across Cultures: The results of such comparisons have proven of fundamental value for the preparation of teaching materials, test and language teaching experiments. Foreign language teachers who understand this field will acquire insights and tools for evaluating the language and culture content of the textbooks and tests, supplementing the materials in use, preparing new materials and tests, and diagnosing students difficulties accurately. ( p. I) Secondly, contrastive analysis provides useful insights to the teacher who has performed a contrastive analysis between the students L1 and L2, and makes him/her aware of the real learning problems and the best way(s) to teach them, as stated by Lado (1957): The teacher who has made a comparison of a foreign language with the native language of the student will know better what the real learning problems are and can better provide for teaching them. (p. 2) In addition to Lado, Mackey (1965) illustrates the significance of CA to language teaching in the following quotation: CA is of particular interest to language teaching because many of the difficulties in learning a second language are due to the fact that it differs from the first. So that if we subtract the characteristics of the first language from those of the second; what presumably remains is a list of the learners difficulties. I DID NOT FIND THE PAGE It seems likely then, that the most useful contribution that Contrastive Analysis can make to language teaching lies in predicting learning difficulties and helping syllabus designers to produce the most effective materials. Contrastive analysis and language typology

Feudalism :: Economy, History, Medieval Europe

Feudalism was created in the 9th century to eliminate social chaos and put social classes into order. Kings would also use it to expand their land. In return they would get protection, money, crops, and court duties. It also used in war times so that the Knights were obligated to fight. They centralized government to organize power and land. Feudalism was used to give out land by the king, organize social standing and in return get military services and protection. Feudalism was a set of political and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries (â€Å"Feudalism†). â€Å"The feudal system was not planned but, rather grew and developed in response to the social chaos that followed the fall of the Western Roman Empire. It provided order where there no longer was any, and it created new chains of command to replace those that were gone† ( James 58). Feudalism was introduced by King William I to England; this system organized power, land, and divided people into classes. The king, who owned all the land, gave some land to the church and to the barons in return for large blocks of land, the barons promised to fight for the king. Lent land to the knights and also common people (Susie 5). Feudalism test was also to defend against invaders (John 32). In the absence of centralized government authority, people look to personal relationships to bind society together. An individual with military pow er to offer gave his services to a feudal lord (Hay 170). Feudalism was created to put society, land, and power into order. In the economic system, landlords would force laborers to work on the lord’s manor to the lord’s profit (Medieval 65). Feudalism cultured many aspects of Europe that remained in place (Hay 39). â€Å"The feudal system was invented by 16th and 17th century lawyers and legal historians who were investigating the origins of the most common form of noble landholding in their own time (The Brown Reference Group 64). The feudal system was used in many aspects to making society and country simpler. Before the king would give out his land to the Barons, the barons would have to take an Oath of Fidelity. Nobel property was subdivided among a multitude of co sharers. The feudal system was founded upon a more and less complicated hierarchy of barons and vassals, united by ties of homage and fidelity by a sworn oath and by certain obligations which were defined in the contract.

Essay on Setting in Kate Chopins The Story of an Hour -- Story Hour E

Elements of Setting in Kate Chopin's Short Story, "The Story of an Hour" Setting exists in every form of fiction, representing elements of time, place, and social context throughout the work. These elements can create particular moods, character qualities, or features of theme. Throughout Kate Chopin's short story "The Story of an Hour," differing amounts and types of the setting are revealed as the plot develops. This story deals with a young woman's emotional state as she discovers her own independence in her husband's death, then her "tragic" discovery that he is actually alive. The constituents of setting reveal certain characteristics about the main character, Louise Mallard, and are functionally important to the story structure. The entire action takes place in the springtime of a year in the 1890s, in the timeframe of about an hour, in a house belonging to the Mallards. All of these aspects of setting become extremely relevant and significant as the meaning of the story unfolds. When Louise Mallard first hears that her husband was killed in a railroad accident, "she wept at once," and "went away to her room alone" (12). As she mourns, looking out of her window on the second floor of her home, a sudden change of heart begins to come over her. She notices "the delicious breath of rain," " a peddler . . . crying his wares," "notes of a distant song," "countless sparrows . . . twittering," and "patches of blue sky," "all aquiver with the new spring life" (13). As she stares at the sky, she begins to think about her newfound independence from her husband, uttering the words "free, free, free!" (13). What makes her develop such a sudden change in attitude? Could it be that she sees rebirth in the world through her wind... ...giving it boundaries and distinctive characteristics about the situation. Setting preys upon reader stereotypes and preconceptions about the certain time frame or location in which the story takes place in order to bring out more meaning. In this work, Chopin develops the story based on the reader's knowledge and understanding of a woman's place in late nineteenth-century America. But the specific setting--the time of year and the structure of the Mallard house--also gives clues to help readers understand Louise and attempt to determine the cause of her death. Louise may die of heart disease, as the doctors say at the end of the story, but setting indicates that the disease was not "joy that kills" (14). Work Cited Chopin, Kate. "The Story of an Hour." The Compact Bedford Introduction to Literature. 4th ed. Ed. Michael Meyer. Boston: St. Martins, 1997. 12-15.

Landscape Procurement Plan

Landscape Project Procurement Plan 1. Overview: Following a major renovation and addition to the house, a redesign of the front yard is required. This redesign will encompass the front yard that is approximately 65 ft wide by 70 ft deep. The area is bounded on the south side by the house and a wooden fence, on the west side by a continuation of the wooden fence for approximately 40 feet. The north side is to the property line, and the east side is bound by the driveway. There is a sidewalk that comes away from the house to about 25 feet and turns to the driveway. The area enclosed by the driveway and sidewalk is approximately 350 ft2.The major components of this redesign consist of grading and removing excess soil remaining from remodel, install electric wiring for exterior lighting, install hardscape, landscape design and installation of the plants and trees. What is not included in the scope of this project is the seeding of the lawn area, lawn maintenance, removal of existing plan ts and painting/staining of existing fence. 2. Make or Buy Analysis: While my husband and I have the ability to perform the majority of the tasks associated with the landscape redesign, the constraints of time and manpower limit the amount of work that we will perform.Below is the Make or Buy Analysis. Task| Make/Buy| Reason| Excavate/Grade yard| Buy| Limited experience on a Bobcat. More cost effective to hire the work out. Landscape companies routinely perform this type of work| Install electric wiring| Make| Husband is an electrician and is qualified to perform the work| Landscape design| Buy| Not skilled in landscape design| Installation of plants| Make & buy| This task will be a combination. The larger trees and plants will be installed by the nursery. We will install the smaller plants. Install hardscape| Make| These items will be purchased and installed following the plants as time and budget allow. | 3. Procurement needs: a. Excavation/grading b. Electrical materials c. Lands cape design d. Installation of plants e. Installation of hardscape 4. Statement of work: Task| Statement of Work| Excavation /grading| Soil remains from the excavation of the foundation and new basement sections of the addition. The majority of the soil will be removed to another location on the property to fill in low spots.This soil will be spread in a manner that will result in a reasonably level location relative to the surrounding area. Following removal of the excess soil, the front yard will be re-contoured according to the specifications outlined in the landscape design. | Electrical| The electric will consist of exterior grade wiring/conduit running from the main electric panel located in the northeast corner of the basement. The exterior lighting will be on its own circuit with dedicated breakers. The conduit will be placed below grade and extend beyond the sidewalk, to the edge of the driveway.An exterior rated junction box will be installed with additional connections to allow expansion of the exterior lighting as needed in the future. An exterior light pole and fixture will be installed that includes, at a minimum, one exterior outlet. Additional conduit will be placed below grade to the northwest corner of the house. An LB will be installed to bring the electric wiring aboveground to provide power to two exterior outlets for general use. | Landscape design| Evaluation of soil type and condition, elevation and directionality of front yard to be completed.Based on this evaluation, any modification or supplementation of the soil will be performed as needed. A selection of trees, shrubs, and perennial plants will be chosen, collectively identified as â€Å"plants† throughout the remainder of the plan. The design of the landscape shall include the overview diagram, the planting schematic and all care instructions for selected plants. A minimum of three alternate plants will be provided in addition to the plant identified in the design. The majo rity of the plants should be considered native to the Midwest. Trees and tall shrubs must be located away from overhead power and phone lines.The design must include what is collectively known as 3 season plants, which have blooms, seed heads, etc. visible during spring, summer and fall. All ornamental grasses must be less than 4 foot tall. A minimum of 2 flowering trees must be included in the design. One large tree, defined as 10 – 12 foot tall, with trunk diameter of at least 6 inches, must be included as well. The design will include evergreen as well as deciduous plants and shrubs. The overall design should be identified as low maintenance, consisting of sufficient plantings to minimize weeds, identification of various covers, such as hardwood mulch and decorative rock/gravel. Installation of plants| The plants will be installed according to the agreed upon design and plant selection. If, for any reason, a plant is not available, a substitute will be chosen and installed in its place. Plants will be installed with appropriate care to minimize any shock or trauma sustained by the plants. Following installation, return visits to evaluate the health of the plants will occur at agreed upon intervals as appropriate. Should any plant not be thriving, or performing as expected, the plant may be replaced with a substitute identified in the design plan. Installation of hardscape| Hardscape is generally defined as permanent fixtures, such as statuary, fountains, etc. in a garden or landscape setting. All locations will be prepared according to the design and the hardscape features identified in the landscape design will be purchased OTS or built as time and budget allow. | 5. Procurement Documentation: The documentation required to obtain services for each activity is listed below. Task| Documentation Type| Appendix| Excavation/grading| Request for Quote| A| Electrical materials| Request for Quote| B| Landscape design| Request for Proposal| C|Installation of plants| Request for Proposal| D| Installation of hardscape| Request for Quote| E| 6. Contract Types: The type of contract that will be offered with each task. Task| Contract Type| Excavation/grading| Firm Fixed Price| Electrical materials| Purchase Order| Landscape design| Firm Fixed Price| Installation of plants| Time and Material| Installation of hardscape| Purchase Order| 7. Evaluation criteria and selection process f. Available alternatives per activity g. Evaluation criteria h. Recommendation Pre-Qualified Sellers per Activity Task| Supplier| Location| Phone number|Excavation/grading| Waldbart & Sons LandscapingEarthtones LandscapingThe Garden Kingdom| Bunker Hill, IlLebanon, IlGlen Carbon, Il| | Electrical materials| Frost ElectricHome DepotLowes| Collinsville, IlEdwardsville, ILEdwardsville, IL| | Landscape design| Waldbart & Sons LandscapingEarthtones LandscapingThe Garden Kingdom| Bunker Hill, IlLebanon, IlGlen Carbon, Il| | Installation of plants| Waldbart & Sons Landscap ingEarthtones LandscapingThe Garden Kingdom| Bunker Hill, IlLebanon, IlGlen Carbon, Il| | Installation of hardscape| Waldbart & Sons LandscapingEarthtones LandscapingThe Garden Kingdom| Bunker Hill, IlLebanon, IlGlen Carbon, Il| | Evaluation Criteria & Selection Process Task| Evaluation Criteria| Weight|Excavation/grading| CostQualityReferences| 50%25%25%| Electrical materials| CostService| 50%50%| Landscape design| CostQualityReferences| 40%30%30%| Installation of plants| CostQualityReferences| 40%30%30%| Installation of hardscape| CostQualityReferences| 50%30%20%| Criteria Analysis Excavation/Grading| | | Waldbart & Sons| Earthtones| Garden Kingdom| Criteria| Weight (%)| Score| Weighted Score| Score| Weighted Score| Score| Weighted Score| Cost| 50| 75| 37. 5| 88| 44| 92| 46| Quality| 25| 92| 23| 97| 24. 25| 89| 22. 25| References| 25| 97| 24. 25| 95| 23. 75| 83| 20. 75| Total| 100| | 84. 75| | 92| | 89| Electrical Materials| | | Frost Electric| Home Depot| Lowes|Criteria| Weight ( %)| Score| Weighted Score| Score| Weighted Score| Score| Weighted Score| Cost| 50| 85| 42. 5| 93| 46. 5| 93| 46. 5| Service| 50| 98| 49| 80| 40| 98| 49| Total| 100| | 91. 5| | 86. 5| | 95. 5| Landscape Design| | | Waldbart & Sons| Earthtones| Garden Kingdom| Criteria| Weight (%)| Score| Weighted Score| Score| Weighted Score| Score| Weighted Score| Cost| 40| 86| 34| 91| 36. 4| 88| 35. 2| Quality| 30| 92| 27. 6| 89| 26. 7| 97| 29. 1| References| 30| 96| 28. 8| 89| 26. 7| 98| 29. 4| Total| 100| | 90. 4| | 89. 8| | 93. 7| Installation of Plants| | | Waldbart & Sons| Earthtones| Garden Kingdom| Criteria| Weight (%)| Score| Weighted Score| Score| Weighted Score| Score| Weighted Score| Cost| 40| 90| 36| 96| 38. 4| 85| 34|Quality| 30| 93| 27. 9| 90| 27| 92| 27. 6| References| 30| 95| 28. 5| 88| 26. 4| 93| 27. 9| Total| 100| | 92. 4| | 91. 8| | 89. 5| Installation of Hardscape| | | Waldbart & Sons| Earthtones| Garden Kingdom| Criteria| Weight (%)| Score| Weighted Score| Score| Weighted Score | Score| Weighted Score| Cost| 50| 75| 37. 5| 80| 40| 85| 42. 5| Quality| 30| 75| 22. 5| 85| 25. 5| 90| 27| References| 20| 88| 17. 6| 70| 14| 92| 18. 4| Total| 100| | 77. 6| | 79. 5| | 87. 9| Final Selection Each of the identified vendors have the ability to perform all required tasks outlined in the statement of work and generally perform these tasks as a single contracted job.The final selection of vendor is based on the highest average weighted score. My husband will perform the electrical work, purchasing materials from the selected vendor below. Task| Company| Excavation/grading| The Garden Kingdom| Electrical materials| Lowe’s| Landscape design| The Garden Kingdom| Installation of plants| The Garden Kingdom| Installation of hardscape| The Garden Kingdom| 8. Schedule Dates: At least 10 days lead time will be given to the initiation of the project to ensure electrical work will be completed. The lead times will also be dependent on weather conditions. If rain postpones w ork, the schedule will be adjusted accordingly. Task| Lead time| Start Date| End Date|Landscape design| 2 weeks| April 2, 2012| April 13, 2012| Electrical materials| 2 weeks| April 16, 2012| April 20, 2012| Excavation/grading| 2 weeks| April 23, 2012| May 4, 2012| Installation of plants| 2 week| May 14, 2012| May 25, 2012| Installation of hardscape| 3 weeks| May 7, 2012| May 14, 2012| 9. Contract Administration: We will act as general contractors for this project. We will be responsible for all phases of the project. We will also be responsible for having underground utility location performed in advance of any excavation. Since there will be one vendor performing the work, the contract administration is as follows: Activity| Constrains/Assumptions| Payment Schedule|Excavation/grading| * Underground utilities have been located and appropriately marked before work starts * There will be no delays due to weather * Within budget| Deposit plus invoice upon completion| Electrical materia ls| * There will be no delays due to weather * Availability of materials * Within budget| Invoice at purchase, payable 30 days net| Landscape design| * There will be no delays due to weather * Availability of selected plants * Within budget| Deposit plus invoice upon completion| Installation of plants| * There will be no delays due to weather * Within budget| Deposit plus invoice upon completion| Installation of hardscape| * There will be no delays due to weather * Within budget| Invoice upon completion| 10. Procurement Metrics: The success of each activity will be evaluated by the below criteria: Activity| Metric| Specific Metric|Excavation/grading| * Cost * Speed * Satisfaction| Actual vs planned costWork completed on scheduleIssues resolved satisfactorily | Electrical materials| * Cost * Speed| Actual vs planned costWork completed on schedule| Landscape design| * Cost * Aesthetic design * Satisfaction| Actual vs planned costDesign meets criteria in SOWI’m happy with the de sign| Installation of plants| * Cost * Speed * Quality| Actual vs planned costWork completed on scheduleMinimal plant death/replacement| Installation of hardscape| * Cost * Speed * Quality| Actual vs planned costWork completed on scheduleIssues resolved satisfactorily| Appendix A: Request for Quote: Excavation/Grading Request for Quote Landscape Installation May 2012Specifications: * Must be bonded and insured * The front yard area needs to be graded and leveled in preparation of landscaping * Grading will consist of leveling and smoothing according to landscape design plan * Features such as berms, dry creek beds will be created as defined in the landscape plan * Excess soil will be moved to another location on the property as fill and leveled * Underground utilities will be located and marked prior to work starting * Provide a minimum of 3 references Please respond no later than March 30, 2012 Contract will be awarded on April 13, 2012 Appendix B: Request for Quote: Electric Reque st for QuoteLandscape Installation May 2012 Specification: * Must be bonded and insured * The electric will consist of exterior grade wiring/conduit running from the main electric panel located in the northeast corner of the basement. * The exterior lighting will be on its own circuit with dedicated breakers. * The conduit will be placed below grade and extend beyond the sidewalk, to the edge of the driveway. * An exterior rated junction box will be installed with additional connections to allow expansion of the exterior lighting as needed in the future. * An exterior light pole and fixture will be installed that includes, at a minimum, one exterior GFCI outlet. Switches for exterior lighting will be installed in the front entryway * Additional conduit will be placed below grade to the northwest corner of the house. An LB will be installed to bring the electric wiring aboveground to provide power to two exterior GFCI outlets for general use. * Provide cost breakdown of materials to be used Please respond no later than March 30, 2012 Contract will be awarded on April 13, 2012 Appendix C: Request for Proposal: Landscape Design Plan Request for Proposal Landscape Design Plan May 2012 Specifications: * Must be bonded and insured * Evaluation of soil type and condition, elevation and directionality of front yard will be completed. * Based on this evaluation, any modification or supplementation of the soil will be performed as needed. A selection of trees, shrubs, and perennial plants will be chosen, collectively identified as â€Å"plants† throughout the remainder of the plan. * The design of the landscape shall include the overview diagram, the planting schematic and all care instructions for selected plants. * The design will also include any hardscape items such as fountains, trellis’, etc. * A minimum of three alternate plants will be provided in addition to the plant identified in the design. The majority of the plants should be considered native to the Midwest. * Trees and tall shrubs must be located away from overhead power and phone lines. * The design must include what is collectively known as 3 season plants, which have blooms, seed heads, etc. visible during spring, summer and fall. All ornamental grasses must be less than 4 foot tall. * A minimum of 2 flowering trees must be included in the design. * One large tree, defined as 10 – 12 foot tall, with trunk diameter of at least 6 inches, must be included as well. * The design will include evergreen as well as deciduous plants and shrubs. * The overall design should be identified as low maintenance, consisting of sufficient plantings to minimize weeds, identification of various covers, such as hardwood mulch and decorative rock/gravel. * The proposal shall have 2 prices; 1. ) Complete design and installation, and 2. ) just the overview diagram, the planting schematic and all care instructions for selected plantsPlease respond no later than March 30, 2012 Contrac t will be awarded on April 18, 2012 Appendix D: Request for Proposal: Landscape Installation Request for proposal Landscape Installation May 2012 Specification: * Must be bonded and insured * The plants will be installed according to the agreed upon design and plant selection. If, for any reason, a plant is not available, a substitute will be chosen and installed in its place. * Plants will be installed with appropriate care to minimize any shock or trauma sustained by the plants. * Following installation, return visits to evaluate the health of the plants will occur at agreed upon intervals as appropriate. Should any plant not be thriving, or performing as expected, the plant may be replaced with a substitute identified in the design plan. * Responsible for removal of all waste Please respond no later than March 30, 2012 Contract will be awarded on April 18, 2012 Appendix E: Request for Quote: Installation of Hardscape Request for Quote Hardscape Installation May 2012 Specification s: * Must be bonded and insured * All locations will be prepared according to the design and the hardscape features identified in the landscape design will be purchased OTS or built as time and budget allow. * Any permanent placements requiring electrical or plumbing connections should be identified and specified before completion of the electrical work found in the SOW.