Assessment of English Language Learners Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Assessment of English Language Learners - Essay Example This is done to improve the ability of a test to achieve the required outcomes with little or no drawbacks. Introduction Spanish speaking students in the United States have varying English language proficiency. This might limit their learning ability when undertaking educational programs administered in English. To determine the level of English proficiency on these students, English language learners assessment is crucial. The assessment is currently undertaken in schools using English language proficiency test that is a combination of both summative and formative assessments. This currently used test has both benefits and drawbacks. Hence, there is a need for review of this test to make it much better. The benefits make it unnecessary to replace the test with other tests. However, the drawbacks call for a review of the test in order to make it more effective. Review of English language proficiency test English language proficiency test currently used in most schools, including ours , is a combination of formative and summative assessments. The summative tests are undertaken at the end of an English language instruction to determine the students English proficiency developed during the learning period. Formative tests that are used to guide instructions are taken at the beginning or in the middle of instruction. In this kind of a test, an educator designs an assessment activity to detect an aspect of a student’s language proficiency that could guide him in his decisions. However, in this English language proficiency test an educator rarely involve students in the designing of the test. According to Spodek & Saracho (2006), this test is effective in promoting accountability for students’ progress as well as monitoring this progress. The formative part of this test has been effective in monitoring the progress of the students. Summative part on the other hand has been promoting the accountability for students’ learning among the educators. Mo reover, this English language proficiency test has been effective in categorizing students according to their levels of English language proficiency. However, according to Stiggins (2007), this English language proficiency test has been categorizing students into two categories, which are those on the winning streak and those on the losing streak. Those on the losing streak have become de-motivated and thus failing to succeed in education thus the requires a review in order to reverse the trend. Several reviews applicable to the test that can avoid drawbacks exist. One review is through inviting students in the creating and interpreting the results of the test. This could enable the students to monitor their learning and levels of achievements, as a result, all of them would be more motivated to learn. Another crucial review is involving students in keeping records concerned with the test. This would enable the student to know and understand his changes in performance levels. As a r esult, students would be able to monitor their improvements. The other important review is improvement in the test development. English language test could be reviewed to become purpose driven and effective in results delivery (Abedi, 2007). This could be achieved through a collaborative effort between the educators, students, and other stakeholders. Undertaking these reviews would make the test more effective, thus giving it an ability to overcome most of its drawbacks. Alternative assessment formats Five

Reflexivity, central tenet of qualitative inquiry Assignment

Reflexivity, central tenet of qualitative inquiry - Assignment Example In the quest to carry out any form of research by the individuals, the individual is bound to be inclined to one position or another in the quest to validate their form of research carried out by the individual. According to Cousin (pp.10) it is vital that the researcher comprehends that biases and assumptions that may come along with the kind of research they may be undertaking. An understanding of the biases and assumptions allows the researchers ensure that their work is valid and reliable. This essay shall undertake an initiative to highlight the assumptions that may implicate the validity of a research as well as articulate an epistemological orientation in the case of scientific research. The case of scientific inquiry entails the extent in which the researcher is able to set the research problem as their own problem then undertake measures to solve the problem. In the case of Science Education, the concept of subjectivity cannot be alienated from the fact that research has to be proven by some facts behind it. Cousin (pp.11) indicates that it is the responsibility of the researcher to find out the truth from an array of fallacies that may exist in the concerned area of study. This concept turns down to the fact that reflexivity is inescapable in the case of a researcher. After conducting research, the researcher must employ proper use of language in presenting their findings. In the context of Science Education, the ‘self’ is crucial in the research process.

The Influence Of New Media Sociology Essay

The Influence Of New Media Sociology Essay In Malaysia, human rights of homosexual issue are getting serious. Media is shaping the image of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) groups through their news. The problem statement of this research is that LGBT community is greatly discriminated in society. The research attempts to investigate the power of new media through youth`s view and gauge the level of public awareness and also to instil awareness of respecting homosexuality in todays youth. The target audience is Malaysian university students of different races and ages between 17 to 27 years old. The survey method to obtain the result is through a questionnaire and to distribute 200 sets to the respondents on the Internet. Eventually, the researchers found out that the majority of students view that negligence on the LGBT community is not a serious problem in Malaysia and do not think that the Internet influenced much of their views on LGBT community. At the same time, they view Seksualiti Merdeka as a negligible issue since the respondents do not know much about it but majority think that LGBT deserves equal human rights. In conclusion, youth are not aware of homosexual issues in Malaysia. Government or some organizations should lend a hand in educating youth about homosexuality. Homosexual identity is abstracted as a life-spanning development process. This process eventually leads a person to personal acceptance of a positive gay self-image and a clear personal identity (Minton McDonald, 2012). According to Habermas theory of ego development, it is utilized to provide a synthesis and understanding of the literature on the construction and maintenance of the homosexual identity. It is concluded that the homosexual identity generally emerges in a three-stage process, in which the person progresses from (1) an egocentric interpretation of homoerotic feelings to (2) an internalization of the normative, conventional assumptions about homosexuality to (3) a post-conventional phase in which societal norms are critically evaluated and the positive gay identity is achieved and managed. In short, homosexual develops in three stages. The first stage is the homoerotic feelings in a self-centered way. The second stage is the internalization of the normative, assuming ho mosexuality in a convention way. The final stage is a post-conventional phase where the critical evaluation of societal norms happens and the positive gay identity is achieved and managed. However, no one knows how exactly homosexuality entered into human history. According to Samhsa, the terms lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) describe distinct groups within the gay culture. The early initiatives for people who were gay focused mostly on men. So, in an attempt to draw attention to issues specific to gay women, lesbian is often listed first. People who are bisexual or transgender have been traditionally left out of, or underrepresented in, research studies and health initiatives. Other than that, a study from Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy revealed that the term homosexuality was coined in the late 19th  century by German psychologist, Karoly Maria Benkert. Although the term is new, discussions about sexuality and same-sex attraction have occasioned philosophical discussion ranging from Platos  Symposium  to contemporary queer theory (Pickett, Brent, 2011). However, the gay group is different from sissies and tomboy. According to Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United State, the dictionary itself documents the distinction between tomboy and sissy with gay, while tomboy refers to romping, boisterous, boyish young girl, sissy an effeminate boy or man, a timid or cowardly person (Siecus Report, 2003). Thus for a boy been called sissy can be devastating, as it pierces his self-image at its most vulnerable point. By contrast, tomboy is said with approving tones, and does not detract from a girls sense of worth (Green, 1979). By this definition, it could be understood that a gay individual is more likely to have same sex attraction, but a sissy person may only behave like a girl while having a normal sexuality as other heterosexual males. According to National Academic Advising Association (NACADA), LGBT refers to Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender. The term gay  refers to both men and women who are attracted to persons of the same sex. Lesbian  is the term used specifically for women who are romantically and sexually attracted to other women. Bisexual  is used to indicate that a person is attracted to both men and women. Some describe bisexuality as an attraction to the qualities a person possesses rather than the gender of the person who possesses the qualities. Bisexual persons often experience a lack of acceptance in both heterosexual and GL communities because of misconceptions and stereotypes associated with bisexuality. Finally, transgender  is an umbrella term used to describe someone who experiences his/her gender in a way that varies along a continuum from masculine to feminine (Brown Rounsley, 1996; Perez, DeBord Bieschke, 2000; Cunningham, 2003; Smith 2006). Hall (1996) coined the term of under erasure to refer to the LGBT individuals who happen to occupy outside the field. Within the gay and lesbian community, the subjective voices of transgender people are often marginalized or ignored (Minter, 2000) It indicates that the social status of the LGBT persons often insignificant and lower in rank. Social networking sites are spots where youth are easily influence by sexual text, photos and videos and also creates such materials by own (Rebecca, 2001). New media helps in addressing issues such as sexual health and their important role of youth at risk depends on media which is in use (Kaiser Family Foundation, 2010). To see the ever present queerness in the most prosaic straightness is important to be sure, as it has been for every oppressed minority. Visibility is much important to gays and lesbian because change of social acceptance. 1.1 Problem Statement This study addresses the issue of the portrayal of the marginalized group, known to be LGBT, by the new media and to what extent it influences the perceptions of the young individuals towards this group. A study performed by Free Malaysia Today stated that the Centre for Independent Journalism reprimanded the Malaysian print media for their lop-sided reporting on the Azwan Ismail video that was first made by a group called Seksualiti Merdeka. Azwan, an engineer, shot to fame after he stated his sexual preference in a video entitled, I am Gay, I am Okay. The video was first aired in an event organized by Seksualiti Merdeka. His open statement, however, did not go down well with other media. The Malay dailies newspaper and the community made their displeasure known via various cyber platforms. Some even went to the extent of issuing death threats against Azwan. One prominent Muslim blogger took the government to task for its failure in curbing the spread of gay and lesbian activities ( Free Malaysia Today, 2011). Other than that, Youth Pride Inc also stated that 36.5 % of GLB youth grades 9-12 have attempted suicide and 20.5% of those attempts resulting in medical care (Robin, 2002). In 2005, Gay, Lesbian and Straight Education Network (GLSEN) survey of LGBT youth, 90% reported experiencing verbal or physical harassment or verbal assault in the past year (Harris Interactive GLSEN, 2005). All these findings share one conclusion namely LGBT people are greatly discriminated in the society. This study thus chooses to highlight on homosexuality and Seksualiti Merdeka with aims to create awareness among todays generation about the need to respect every persons right, including the rights to be homosexuals. 1.2 Research Objectives To discover the new medias portrayal of the LGBT community in Malaysia. To examine the Malaysian youths perceptions towards the LGBT community in general and specifically towards Seksualiti Merdeka. To create awareness about the issue of homosexuality among Malaysian youths. 1.3 Research Questions How are new medias portrayals of the LGBT community in Malaysia? What are the Malaysian youths perceptions towards the LGBT community and Seksualiti Merdeka? How far Malaysian youths are aware about the issue of homosexuality? 1.4 Research Hypothesis This research has one hypothesis, which is if the new media portrays the LGBT community negatively; the perceptions of youth towards LGBT community will be negative. This means, if the new media portrays the LGBT community positively, the perceptions of youth towards LGBT community will be positive. 1.5 Research Significance This study examines the influence of new media on the youths perception towards LGBT community. The researchers highlight youth perceptions on this issue because in the modern era today, youths are expected to be more open minded apart of being daring to voice out their opinions about any arising issues. A research by Pew Internet America Life Project (2007) revealed that 94 percent of internet users are young people with age range between 18 to 29 years old. This finding indicated that youths today are the active users of new media such as social networks, forums, blogs etc. With new media, the youths can easily get information about LGBT issues that occured in the country or abroad. Therefore, the youths may have more awareness towards LGBT groups. New media is becoming a platform for the youth to express their opinions and to discuss about any issues. Therefore, the researchers think that, there is a need to study more about the influence of new media on youths perceptions towards LGBT community. This study will help to instil awareness and provide a better perspective about the issues of LGBT and Seksualiti Merdeka to upcoming generation. It can also be useful and functional as reference for future researchers who are interested to expand the discussion on similar topics and areas. LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Media Portrayal of LGBT Society has always had a general fear or disdain for homosexuality. That is why the media tended to support the already common perceptions, instead of challenging them (Montgomery, 1981). According to Kanter (2012), since the start of television programming, the forms of LGBT characters in entertainment or popular culture have both been limited. If they did exist, they were either exaggeratingly stereotypical, or associated with criminality or deviance. All the way through the 1980s, gay characters were seen on television as cameo roles with particular problems that hold almost non-existent lives, absent of desire or relationships. With the spread of the Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) epidemic, starting in the 1980s and into the 1990s, homosexuals were portrayed in more substantial, reoccurring roles (Netzley, 2010). Jackson Gilbertson (2009) explained that versions of the media lesbian that preceded her contemporary incarnation as hot typically cast her in stereotypical and undesirable ways, for example as masculine and unattractive (Wilton, 1995; Ciasullo, 2001). Dow (2001) notes how the lesbian on television historically occupied a fleeting space as an object of humor or as a villain. In her contemporary guise, the media lesbian can most often be seen as constituted within post-feminist discourses that produce women as sexually desiring, sexually plural, and self-pleasing (McRobbie, 1996). Gamson (1995) encouraged the homosexuals to tell their views in the talk shows. Talk show is the place where they get the attention they want and rise out their views which they cannot get in other ways. He is also the only spot in mainstream media culture where it is possible for non-heterosexuals to speak for themselves. A study shows the changes in attitudes towards homosexuality in the United State through fashion in public opinion polls.   The results were considered by  issues connected to homosexuality which integrated legal status, morality, acceptability, causes, familiarity with self-identified homosexuals, as well as views on both military and nonmilitary occupations, civil rights, marriage and adoption rights, and AIDS. This also concluded that community behavior have shifted in a free-thinking path (Yang, 1997). 2.2 LGBT Youngsters Engagement with New Media Past research had supported the idea that the Internet is frequently a lifeline in the development of sexual health among LGBT young people (Hillier Harrison, 2007). Many of them first come out online, and report learning about sexual behaviours, pursuing friendships with other LGBT young people, and exploring same-sex attraction online (Harper, Bruce, Serrano, Jamil, 2009; Hillier Harrison, 2007). Social networking tools had been widely used among youngsters in getting sexual health information. Importantly, social networking tools do not only allow researchers and practitioners to receive and provide information, but also allow the LGBT young people to exchange information and experiences with LGBT peers, engendering broader development of their sexual health (Bargh McKenna, 2004). This opportunity allows for a greater chance for LGBT young people to test out identities and gather information in a more controlled, private environment than is typical among general Internet resources or large social networking sites (Joshua, Louisa, Samantha Brian, 2011). According to Wilkerson (1994), there several types of homophobic attitudes like the treatment of people with human immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) about ways in which HIV is transmitted, media representation of AIDS and the way the medicines purpose reinforces a positive view inimical to lesbians and bisexuals. African-American news websites are growing in influence in terms of the number and loyalty of the unique visitors they attract. Homophobia and discrimination are the top storylines on the African-American news websites we analyzed, followed by culture, religion, and same-sex marriage in equal measure (Siegel, 2012). 2.3 Health Issues among LGBT Community By the 1990s, lesbian, the LGBT youth have appeared only as a separate cultural group. There are quite few youth identified themself or turn as LGBT since social sanctions and stigma contributed to severe repercussions and isolation, limiting access to supportive communities and awareness of sexual and gender identities in the earlier periods. However, only a handful addressed the needs of youths although a range of lesbian and gay service organizations developed in large cities during the 1970s and 1980s. According to Makadon (2008), elimination of health disparities among LGBT individuals, also collectively called sexual minorities, is a critical need for focus on their health. LGBT populations are disproportionately at risk for violent hate crimes, sexually transmitted infections (STIs) including HIV/ AIDS, a variety of mental health conditions, substance abuse and certain cancers. However, LGBT patients frequently encounter problems with access to quality health services, experiences disparities in screening for chronic conditions, and report a lack of counseling pertinent to actual lifestyle behaviors. Historically, homosexuality has been judged quite harshly due to cultural and religious taboos. The Pew Research Centres 2003 Global Attitudes Survey found that the majority of people in Western European and major Latin American countries (Mexico, Argentina, Bolivia and Brazil) believe that homosexuality should be accepted by society, while most Russians, Poles and Ukrainians disagreed, and people in Africa and the Middle East objected strongly. Meanwhile, majority of Americans believe that homosexuality should be accepted (Makadon, 2008). Stigma, prejudice and discrimination create a stressful social environment that can lead to a variety of health problems among LGBT group. In LGBT group, minority stress is caused by (a) an external, objective traumatic event, such as being assaulted or being fired from a job; (b) the expectation of rejection and development of vigilance in interactions with others; (c) the internalization of negative societal attitudes (also known as internalized homophobia, transphobia, or biphobia); and (d) the concealment of gender identity or sexual orientation out of shame and guilt or to protect oneself from real harm. In addition, research shows a relationship between internalized homophobia/biphobia and various forms of self-harm, including eating disorders, high-risk sexual activity, substance abuse and suicide (Makadon, 2008). According to Rosan (1978), homophobia is a shortened form of homophilephobia, which means the fear of person neither of ones own sex, clearly not the connotation giv en to these terms in common parlance nor in professional literature. Garner (2008; as cited in Mulick Wright Jr., 2003) describes biphobia as psychological construct of negative attitudes towards bisexual individuals and bisexuality in general. In Malaysia, the rising trend of sexual transmission from 5.3% in 1990 to 22.15% in 2005 (Ministry of Health AIDS/STD Section) indicates that the situation could expand into a general epidemic. Furthermore, the proportion of women infected has risen from 1.4% in 1990 to 14.5% in 2005 (Ministry of Health AIDS/STD Section). Indeed, the female to male ratio of new infections has narrowed substantially. In sharp contrast to men, 64% of HIV infections in women were sexually transmitted. The result of HIV situation has an emergency need to go for gender-sensitive national respond by Malaysia government (Zulkifli, Lee, Yun, Lin, 2007). To do better in lend a hand to LGBT group for their healthcare, people should spend more time and attention to learn about LGBT health and obtain support in making educational improvements. Explanation focus on the clinician-patient relationship and address all threes domains of learning which comprised of attitudes, knowledge and skills would help clinicians to provide better care to LGBT patients. Attitudes have a major effect on health outcomes. Attention to attitudes requires growth in the affective arena. For clinicians, this involves developing awareness of and respect for a patients differences and willingness to listen empathically to that persons experience (Makadon, 2008). 2.4 LGBT involvement in international human rights Under international human rights law, all persons who including LGBT community are entitled to equal rights, including the rights to life, security of person and privacy, freedom from torture, arbitrary arrest and detention, and the right to be free from discrimination (The Road To Safety, 2012). There are more than 80 countries still maintaining the laws that make same-sex consensual relations between adults a criminal offence. In year 2008, such laws were used in Morocco to convict six men, after allegations that a private party they had attended was a gay marriage. On 19 July 2007, six men were arrested after a young man who had been arrested on theft charges was coerced by police into naming associates who were presumed to be homosexual (OFlaherty Fisher, 2008). According to journal The Road to Safety (2012), LGBT refugees in Uganda and Kenya are among the most vulnerable of refugee populations. Due to their sexual orientation or gender identity, they can be targeted for violence by other refugees and some members of the host populations, harassed and extorted by police officers, and marginalized from accessing services from government institutions, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), or the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). According to Julie (2006), LGBT advocates have engaged in two very different kinds of activities on the international human rights stage. First, they have engaged in traditional human rights activism, using the traditional human rights techniques of monitoring and reporting to apply existing human rights norms to LGBT lives. These rights included the right to privacy in the criminal law context; the right to equality; the right to family; the right to non-discrimination; the right to freedom from torture (applicable in cases of forcible cures for homosexuality and psychiatric mistreatment generally); and the right of transsexuals to recognition of their new gender. Second, they have tapped into both traditional monitoring techniques and human rights culture-building efforts to promote new international human rights that are important to LGBT lives, including the right to sexuality. Until the mid- to late-1990s, most of LGBT advocates that involved in the international work on gay rights were also working with LGBT-specific organizations, such as the International Lesbian and Gay Association (ILGA). This organization was found in 1978 in Brussels as a world federation organization, and today it is joined by more than 500 gay and lesbian organizations from ninety countries on all inhabited continents. From its inception, ILGA has focused on presenting discrimination on grounds of sexual orientation as a global issue. Another prominent group during this era was the International Gay and Lesbian Human Rights Commission (IGLHRC), founded originally in 1990 by Russian and US activists and now a US-based organization with offices in San Francisco, New York, and Buenos Aires (Julie, 2006). 2.5 Seksualiti Merdeka in Malaysia The rejection of homosexuality by Malaysian law and culture leads to the rise of human rights to the LGBT people. An increasing integration of Islamic political thinking and practice that builds on literal interpretations of Islamic textual sources is the main reason for why LGBT rights are neglected. Muslims who are under group of LGBT facing politically charged from conservative of normative Islamic discourses on sexuality and gender. To fight for their rights, LGBT community in Malaysia had formed Seksualiti Merdeka or Sexuality Independence in the year 2008, founded by Pang Khee Teik and Jerome Kugan. Seksualiti Merdeka is an annual sexuality rights festival held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and represents a coalition of Malaysian Non-Government Organizations which included Malaysian Bar Council, Suara Rakyat Malaysia (SUARAM), Empower, Pink Triangle Foundation (PT Foundation), United Nations, Amnesty International and general public. The term used to highlight the fact that even after Malaysia independence, not all Malaysians are free to be who they are. The organization believes that everyone in Malaysia deserves to be free from discrimination, harassment and violence for their sexual orientations and their gender identities. They believe it is our right to be responsible for our own body and believe everyone is entitled to the freedom to love and the freedom to be, whether gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, i ntersexes, straight, asexual, pansexual, or simply fabulous (Sexualiti Merdeka, n.d.). Being a Muslim-majority country, Malaysia would have to reiterate its strong objections to a policy that clearly contradicts the principles enshrined in the religion of Islam. On November 3, 2011, police banned Seksualiti Merdeka as the festival was deemed a threat to national security and a threat to public order. Co-founder of Seksualiti Merdeka Pang Khee Teik said that they are not trying to promote homosexuality. This festival is actually the chance for Malaysians to listen to their story, why after all these years of trying to be somebody else, some of them have found peace with themselves and to accept who they are (Chun, 2011). According to Mosbergen (2012), on September 2012, Malaysias Education Ministry has endorsed guidelines to help parents identify gay and lesbian symptoms in their children. The guidelines are as below:- Symptoms of gays: Likes having a fit body and likes to show off by wearing V-neck and sleeveless clothes; A preference for tight and bright-colored clothes; Attraction to men; and A preference for carrying big handbags, similar to those used by women. Symptoms of lesbians: Attraction to women; Besides their female companions, they tend to distance themselves from other women; A preference for going out, having meals etc. with women and a preference for sleeping in the company of women; Not attracted to men Pang Khee Teik, however disagreed with the guidelines and he advised the ministry to rely on sound research instead of endorsing pseudo-experts as this could be damaging to children. Pang said education is an important tool to address inequality but the ministry had instead sought to use it for teaching hate, promoting inequality and playing politics. Besides that, the ministry should teach all children to be confident and to respect one another, no matter who they are. Seksualiti Merdeka thus was prepared to brief the Education Ministry if its officers were willing to listen to reliable research on the LGBT community (Asia One, 2012). 2.6 Online discussion of sexuality According to Mckee (2004), in one of the  ¬Ã‚ rst published articles addressing online discussions of sexuality, the homophobic comments made by composition students using the synchronous chat program interchange to brainstorm possible topics for a research essay (as cited in Regan, 1993). When a student raised homosexuality as a possible topic, a number of students posted homophobic comments: Were taught that homosexuality is a sin; A homosexual once made a move on me. I really didnt like it. I mean I really didnt like it! and To whoever was thinking about the topics of death and homosexuality, heres a thought, why not join together and do a project on the death of homosexuals? Not by AIDS. At the time of the exchange, the researcher Regan was unsure what to do when confronted with these comments, but she did try to redirect the conversation by interjecting, Has anyone thought about writing about homophobia? but it does not seem that her efforts were successful at redirecting what she called socially sanctioned classroom terrorism (McKee, 2004). Regan was distressed that the online environment enabled students to articulate their fear and hatred of homosexuals in a way that would not have happened in the traditional classroom, and she concluded that online spaces are not egalitarian, as was frequently claimed at the time. 2.7 Discrimination towards LGBT group in Malaysian Context Malaysia is one of the countries that illegalized homosexuality. Among the reasons for the country`s disapproval of homosexuality is its status as an Islamic nation, where everything that goes against the Islamic law and teaching is strictly prohibited and thus, condemned. According to Goh (2012), the rejection of same-sex behavior is not one that has emerged from a socio-political vacuum. Sexuality is considered taboo (Goh, 2012; as cited in Jerome, 2008) and appears to have a prominent place in the psyche of many Malaysians, notably institutional quadrants of Islam. Islamic civil and religious authorities closely observed on Muslims in Malaysia, ravaging the sexual lives of Muslims that are as private as khalwat (illicit close proximity) and zina (illicit sex or adultery) (Lee, 2010:31). In the Malaysian legal context, male homosexuality or gayness as a globally-recognized cultural trope has no direct equivalence to sexual identitiesà £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â‚¬Å¡ Section 377A, 377B and 377C of the Malaysian Penal Code make provisions against acts of sodomy or liwat without being gender-specific, although it is in section 2 of the Syariah Criminal Offences (Federal Territory) Act 1997 that one discovers a clearly-defined morphology of liwat as sexual relations be tween male persons (Goh, 2012). Uproars over male homosexuality in the twentieth and twenty-first centuries came into prominence with two major events. First is the sodomy charges of the former Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and second is the festival celebrating the human rights of sexually-diverse persons, Seksualiti Merdeka. Raging debates on homosexuality in relation to Anwar (Kanaraju, 2007) and the banning of Seksualiti Merdeka in 2011 (Shazwan, 2011) caused innumerable forums on men`s masculinities population to mushroom among the Malaysian. Back in the year 1992, the Prime Minister, Dr. Mahathir Mohamad made the statement that democracy would lead to homosexuality (Offord, 1999). Dr Mahathir used the conflation of homosexuality with democracy to consolidate Malaysias cultural borders (and its postcolonial status), so that Malaysian people can maintain the pureness and uniqueness. Dr Mahathir is drawn on cultural specificity in this context to explain the indigenous from the foreign, and homosexuality is conceived of as alien and other. It is in this sense that Anwar Ibrahim is bothered by the use of the accusation that he is homosexual. Anwar has been notable for his liberal views about democracy and transparent government (The Asian Renaissance, 1996). To simply do away with opposition and perceived threats to his authoritarian rule, Dr. Mahathir can inscribe upon his enemy the descriptor of homosexual (Offord, 1999). Prior to the Asia-Pacific Economic Co-operation (APEC) leaders summit in Kuala Lumpur in late 1998, amid the controversial jailing of Anwar and civil unrest and demonstrations, the role of homosexuality as a political and cultural tool of difference was propounded strongly by the Malaysian Foreign Minister, Dr Abdullah Badawi. It was his contention that sodomy was a serious offence in Malaysia; it was against the countrys religious and social values (The Weekend Australian, 1998). Dr Badawi maintained that in certain places in Europe, and perhaps Australia and America, they do not treat it as something big but to Malaysia, it is bad consider as a scandal. Following Dr Mahathirs accusations against Anwar, a Peoples Anti-Homosexual Voluntary Movement was formed to combat the dangers of homosexuality. In one blow Dr Mahathir succeeded in undermining Anwars credibility and deployed homosexuality as the number one impossibility. Anwar, also a Muslim, entrenched the perceived, corrupting value of homosexuality by asserting in the Time interview that his character was assassinated by this descriptor (Offord, 1999). Therefore in Southeast Asia today, this is one sense of where homosexuality is located, something that is demonized, and deeply disturbed. It is conflated at once with democracy, corruption, and foreignness. It does seem clear that when the nation state perceives a threat to its existence, that danger is frequently translated into sexualized terms. Same sex sexuality is deployed as the alien other, linked to conspiracy, recruitment, opposition to the nation, and ultimately a threat to civilization (Offord, 1999). 2.8 Theory applies between relationship of Media and LGBT Community Media plays a very important role in human life, where people get more of information they need from it. Therefore, to be more understand the influence of media on youths perceptions and opinions about homosexuality, the study chooses to employ framing theory. The concept of framing has been variously attributed to sociologist Erving Goffman and anthropologist Gregory Bateson. Frames allow journalists or media in general cover and package issue. The choice of journalists who shelter a story can influence the way issues are framed. The theory describe that the message framer has the choice of what is to be emphasized in the message, as the view through a window is emphasized by where the carpenter frames, or places, the window. If the window had been placed, or framed, on a different wall, the view would be different (Botan Hazleton, 2006). Acco

Evening of Bluegrass :: essays research papers

An Evening with the Dickel Brothers It was 9:30 on a chilly Thursday night when our little trio finally found a parking space in the Richmond District. Already drunk, we wove quickly through the neighborhoods by foot. Finally we arrived at the Last Day Saloon, uneasy that we had not purchased tickets in advance for what was sure to be one of the highlights of this years San Francisco Blue Grass and Old Time Festival – the fabulous Dickel Brothers. Our fears of a sellout were quickly allayed, as was the sense of unease that having four quarts of Irish whiskey strapped to ones person tends to instill. We were home free, for now, anyway. After purchasing our tickets, we proceeded upstairs to catch the opening act, which, to our delight, turned out to be five perfectly agreeable old geezers calling themselves the Roadoilers. Their sound was pure old-school bluegrass, heavy on melody, light on lyrics. Their artful rendering of the Bill Monroe standard Uncle Penn, made for a memorable encore. Next up, we were subjecte d to the shrill vocal styling of The Stairwell Sisters. Don’t get the wrong idea, I am certain that the particular brand of old-time mountain music that the sisters are peddling is faithfully rendered. The problem for me was simply that the clog-happy cutsieness of their presentation was enough to make even the most dyed in the wool harmony junkie run gasping for the nearest fire exit. And that is exactly what we did.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  We figured the most sensible course of action was to hole up in the alleyway outside the club and wait for the fervent toe tapping to subside. I had barely finished my first cigarette when a lanky figure dressed something akin to Tom Joad on his way to church approached our little assemblage. I recognized him at once as Stephen Dickel, banjo player of the headlining band. â€Å"Anyone know where a fellah can get a bottle of whiskey in this neighborhood?†, he asked plaintively. Jill shrugged, explaining that we were from the East Bay, and thus, had little idea where he might try. Jill, apparently sensing the desperation in his face, thrust a small flask of Bushmills into his hand. After a great deep swallow, he proceeded to explain his sad situation. â€Å"This goddamn hippy club issued only two drink tickets to each of us. How, for the love of Mary, do they expect us to play in this condition?

Aspect of Contract & Negligence in Business Essay

The aim of this brief article is to set out some key aspects of contract and the tort of negligence using the following headings: †¢The relationship between the parties †¢The nature of the obligation †¢Causation and remoteness of damage †¢The measure of damages. Using the same headings should remind you of the key aspects of each of the two areas in such a way that you are less likely to confuse them. (The words ‘contract’ and ‘negligence’ are deliberately repeated in each heading so that you get into the habit of distinguishing between the rules for each area, rather than having a general set of notes on, say, remoteness of damage, which confuses material from both areas.) KEY ASPECTS OF THE LAW OF CONTRACT Contract – the relationship between the parties A contract is a legally binding agreement formed by the mutual consent of the parties. The parties may be known to each other, as with a client and an accountant, or they may be strangers, as with a software company and a person who downloads and installs the software. In either case, there is a clear relationship between the parties and this relationship is both formed and governed by the contract. (The rules governing the formation and content of contracts are set out in syllabus areas B1 and B2 of Paper F4 (ENG) syllabus.) Contract – the nature of the obligation In a contractual relationship, the nature of the obligation is determined by the terms of the contract. By entering into the contract, the parties agree to accept the resulting obligations. That is not to say that there is complete freedom of contract, since certain contractual terms may be restricted by statute – for example, under the Unfair Contract Terms Act 1977. Nevertheless, in order for a contract to be binding, the parties must intend to create legal relations and their contractual obligations are based on mutual consent. Contract – causation and remoteness of damage This issue concerns the extent of the defendant’s liability for the chain of events set in motion by the breach of contract. The leading case is Hadley v Baxendale (1854) in which the defendant was contracted to transport a broken mill shaft from the claimant’s mill to the repairers. The defendant was late in delivering the shaft and the mill was idle for a longer period as a result. The claimant sought damages for loss of profits during the delay. The court found for the defendant, setting out a two-stage test for remoteness of damage. In order to be recoverable, the loss must be: †¢either a normal result of the breach, or †¢one which, at the time of the contract, both parties would have contemplated as a probable result. Here, given how important a drive shaft was to a mill, neither test was satisfied, since it was reasonable to expect that the mill would have a spare shaft. Another useful case here is Victoria Laundry v Newham Industries (1949). Here, the defendant’s delay caused the defendant loss of profit, including the loss of an unusually lucrative contract. The defendant was liable for normal loss of profit under the first limb of the Hadley test, but not for the loss from that particular contract. He would only have been liable for that had he known about it when the contract was formed. Contract – the measure of damages The remedies available for breach of contract include the common law remedies of damages, action for the price and quantum meruit, as well as the equitable remedies of injunction and specific performance. Remember that a breach of contract is a breach of a legal obligation, so the aim of the remedies is to put the claimant in the position that they would have been had the defendant fulfilled the obligation. This means putting the claimant in the position that they would have been in had the contract been performed. In relation to damages, this may be divided into expectation loss  (benefits that might have been gained from the performance of the contract) and reliance loss (expenses incurred by the claimant in his side of the contract). The conduct of the claimant may also affect the amount of damages payable, since the claimant is under an obligation to take reasonable measures to mitigate the loss, as in Payzu v Saunders (1919). For example, if the buyer refuses to accept or pay for the goods, the seller must recover what they can by selling the goods to a third party. The damages will be the difference between the contract price and the amount that the seller receives. If the seller receives the contract price or higher from a third party, only nominal damages will be claimable. A claimant who does not attempt to mitigate their loss may have their damages reduced by the amount by which they could have done so. It is for the defendant to prove that the claimant failed to mitigate the loss. We will now use the same headings in relation to the tort of negligence. KEY ASPECTS OF THE TORT OF NEGLIGENCE Negligence – the relationship between the parties Negligence cases are based on a non-contractual relationship between the parties. The parties may be known to each other, as with a surgeon and a patient, or they may be strangers, as with two drivers involved in a road traffic accident. Due to the lack of any agreed relationship between the parties, the first question that arises in the case of negligence is that of whether any relationship exists between them at all. If one party is to be held liable to another in negligence, the relationship that must first be established is that of a duty of care. Exam answers often state as a learned fact that liability in negligence is non-contractual, but it is worth spending a little longer thinking about what it actually means. As a future accountant, you may find it helpful to relate this point to professional negligence cases since these illustrate the extent to which an accountant may be held liable in relationships where there may be no contractual obligation. A useful case in this respect is Caparo Industries plc v Dickman (1990). Here, the claimants were shareholders in a company and the defendants were the company’s auditors. The claimants relied on the audited accounts and purchased more shares with a view to making a takeover bid. Having taken over the company, the claimants discovered that the company had in fact made a  £400,000 loss rather than the  £1.2m profit shown by the financial statements. The House of Lords held that the requirements for a duty of care to exist were as follows: †¢the harm must be reasonably foreseeable †¢there must be proximity between the claimant and the defendant †¢it must be just, fair and reasonable to impose a duty of care on the defendant. Note that foreseeability at this stage in the context of negligence is used to establish whether there is any relationship between the parties; this is not necessary at this stage in contract since the contract itself establishes that there is a relationship. (We will consider foreseeability again in relation to remoteness of damage, which is discussed below.) In Caparo, the contract was between the company and the auditors. The individual shareholders did not have a contract with the auditors. The question was whether the auditors owed a duty of care to the shareholders. The House of Lords held that the auditors owed a duty to the shareholders as a body, but that they did not owe a duty to potential investors or to existing shareholders who planned to increase their shareholding. The defendants were therefore not liable. Caparo is one of a number of cases considering professional negligence. (This is covered by syllabus area B5 of Paper F4 (ENG).) A key theme running through these cases is the existence of the so-called ‘special relationship’. This was first established in Hedley Byrne & Co Ltd v Heller and Partners (1963). Bear in mind that the question of a special relationship is likely to be relevant where the claimant does not have a contractual relationship with the professional providing the advice. In Hedley Byrne itself, the claimant provided services on credit to a client. It did so on the basis of a credit reference given by the defendant, the client’s bank. Note that there was a contract between the claimant and the client and a contract between the client and the bank, but no contract between the claimant and the bank. The defendant was able to avoid liability by relying on an exclusion clause contained in the credit reference. However, had the clause not been present, the defendant would have been liable because it had used its special skill to provide a statement to the claimant in the knowledge that the claimant would rely on this. Other cases that you may find helpful to consider in this context are as follows: †¢JEB Fasteners Ltd v Marks, Bloom & Co (1982) †¢Morgan Crucible v Hill Samuel Bank Ltd (1991) †¢James McNaghten Paper Group Ltd v Hicks Anderson & Co (1991) †¢ADT v BDO Binder Hamlyn (1995) †¢NRG v Bacon & Woodrow and Ernst & Young (1996) In each case, identify any contractual relationships between the various parties involved and the nature of the relationship between the claimant and the defendant. Negligence – the nature of the obligation In relation to negligence, the nature of the obligation is not agreed between the parties but rather is imposed by operation of law. For example, a road user will owe a duty of care to other road users and a manufacturer will owe a duty of care to the final consumers of its products. Once a duty of care has been held to exist, the defendant’s actions are judged by the standard of the reasonable man in the defendant’s position:Blyth v Birmingham Water Works (1856). The standard of care for professionals is of the reasonable professional having or holding himself out as having the skill or ability in question. Learners and the inexperienced will also be judged against the standards of the fully-qualified. Negligence – causation and remoteness of damage In relation to negligence, issues of causation and remoteness tend to be  considered separately. The key test for causation is known as the ‘but for’ test, which basically asks whether the loss would have been sustained ‘but for’ the defendant’s negligence. The leading case here is Barnett v Chelsea and Kensington HMC (1969). The claimant arrived at the hospital emergency department complaining of stomach pains. He was sent home without being examined and subsequently died. Even though the doctor owed the patient a duty of care and had breached the duty, the breach of duty had not caused the patient’s death, since the poisoning was so advanced by the time the patient arrived at the hospital that he could not have been saved even with prompt treatment. The defendant was therefore not liable. The key test for remoteness in negligence is one of foreseeability. In The Wagon Mound (1961), the defendants negligently allowed oil to spill into Sydney Harbour. The claimants were welding, but ceased doing so on seeing the oil. Having been advised that the sparks would not ignite oil lying on the surface of the water, they resumed work. Sparks ignited debris lying on the surface of the oil, which in turn ignited and damaged the claimants’ wharf. It was held that the defendants were not liable since the only foreseeable damage was pollution rather than fire. By contrast, in Jolley v London Borough of Sutton (2000), a local authority failed to remove an abandoned boat for two years. A 14 year-old was seriously injured when he tried to jack up the boat in order to repair it. The authority was found liable since it knew that children regularly played on the boat, so it was foreseeable that a child would be injured. It did not matter that the precise nature of the injury could n ot be foreseen. The cases may appear to conflict, since The Wagon Mound focuses on foreseeability of the type of damage whereas Jolley v Sutton focuses on foreseeability of some harm. There are a number of cases in this area and they are not always easy to reconcile. For the purposes of Paper F4, the key point to remember is that the test for remoteness in the tort of negligence is based on foreseeability of harm. You should be prepared to illustrate this point with examples. Note that the law of negligence considers foreseeability twice: once in relation to duty of care and again in relation to remoteness. Remember that, if there is no duty of care, the question of remoteness does not arise. Caparo v Dickman is a useful illustration of this: it might be foreseeable that existing shareholders would rely on an audit report in deciding whether to increase their shareholding. Nevertheless, the auditor did not owe a duty of care to potential investors. This was based on other aspects of the duty test: proximity and the question of whether it was fair, just and reasonable to impose a duty. Negligence – the measure of damages As with contract, once liability in negligence has been established, the next point to consider is that of remedies and the aim of the remedies is to put the claimant in the position that he would have been in had the breach of obligations not taken place. For negligence, the aim is therefore to put the claimant in the position that they would have been had the tort not been committed. Again, as with contract, the damages payable may also be reduced because of the claimant’s conduct. In negligence, this may be due to the partial defence of contributory negligence. This happens in cases where, even though the defendant was at fault, the claimant contributed to their own loss. Where this happens, the claimant’s damages are reduced by the percentage to which the claimant is held to be at fault. The leading case here is Sayers v Harlow UDC (1958) where the claimant was trapped in a public toilet due to a defective lock. She was injured when trying to climb out and it was held that she had contributed to her own injuries. It is for the defendant to prove that the claimant was contributorily negligent. CONCLUSION Contract and the tort of negligence arise in separate questions on Paper F4, so you will not be asked to compare and contrast them. The aim of this article is to identify some key similarities and differences so that you are less likely to confuse these two areas. Your aim for the exam should be to be able to explain these key aspects of contract and negligence without confusing them. You may find that the following table acts as a useful revision aid: Contractual LiabilityLiability in negligence Relationship between the partiesThe relationship is created and governed by the contract. The parties enter the relationship by mutual consent.The relationship is non-contractual and is imposed by law. The defendant must owe the claimant a duty of care. Nature of obligationThe parties must comply with the terms of the contract.The defendant must act according to the standard of care expected of the reasonable man or the reasonable professional. Causation and remotenessIf the loss is a normal result of the breach, the defendant will be liable; if the loss is not a normal result of the breach, the defendant will only be liable if they knew of the unusual circumstances.The defendant’s negligence must cause the claimant’s loss and the loss must have been a foreseeable consequence of the breach of duty. Measure of damagesThe aim is to compensate the claimant by putting them in the position that they would have been had the contract been performed.The aim is to compensate the claimant by putting them in the position that they would have been had the negligence not taken place. Possible reduction of damagesDamages may be reduced by the amount that could have been mitigated if the claimant fails to take reasonable action to mitigate the loss.Damages may be reduced by the relevant percentage if the claimant’s conduct contributed to the loss.

Biomed Case Essay

(Biomed), the family business in Thailand. On the other hand, as the new general manager of Biomed, he had some concerns about the first major decisions he was about to make and implement upon his return. Biomeds parent company, Thai Drugs Co., Ltd. (Thai Drugs), had just revised Biomeds market strategy, and the follow-on to this was the need to realign the sales compensation system to fit with the new strategy. Chiemchanya was charged with this task, and he saw high company risk and high personal risk in this situation. Teaching objectives The overarching objective behind this case is to get students to recognize the path to designing an appropriate sales compensation plan (market strategy ( sales roles and goals ( compensation plan both level and mix). The second objective is to have students work through what is required to successfully implement such a change since, whenever management tinkers with someones wallet, there is the potential for trouble.  The third objective is to h ave students realize that compensation cannot do everything in terms of aligning a new sales program with a new strategy. Sales managers have to realize that the compensation plan is not the quick fix. Other changes may be required to training, hiring, etc. to have complete alignment between the sales program and the go-to-market strategy. The case can be successfully used in undergraduate and MBA sales management courses and can also be used on executive development programs.  One idea would be to team teach this case with an organizational behavior faculty member who could focus on the change issues. This could unfold over two classes. Suggested Assignment Questions Its not necessary to revisit Biomeds go-to-market strategy, but it is necessary to become completely familiar with its premise and goals. Given this market strategy, what would you propose for a sales compensation plan What steps did you go through to get to this recommendation How will you successfully implement this change Remember you are tinkering with someones wallet. As a sales executive, is changing the compensation plan all that Chiemchanya has to do in order to tie the sales program to the new strategy TEAC HING STRATEGY This case almost teaches itself, as students should be able to develop a logical path from the new market strategy to the new compensation plan. They should also recognize the implementation challenges. It may be slightly more difficult for students to understand that compensation may not be the only component that needs to be revisited within the sales management program. Getting Started The key to getting started is to have students realize that the new go-to-market strategy is a given. The senior executive team has made the decisions and has passed these on to Chiemchanya. No time should be spent revisiting the strategy, but a bit of time needs to be spent making sure that the key components of the strategy are understood. An optional way to get started is to ask students who have worked in sales exactly how they were paid and why they think the compensation plans that emerge in the discussion are different. Then the instructor can move into the issue above. The Sales Compensation Plan At least 60 per cent to 70 per cent of the class time should be spent here. This is a case where you can have students lay out their proposed compensation plan and then have them justify the plan by helping them create the logic path of market strategy and goals ( role of the sales force ( tasks and goals for the sales person ( a compensation plan that supports the achievement of these goals. The way that the case is written should encourage this thinking, but if such a process does not emerge from the discussion, then it becomes the instructors task to introduce it. The concepts are all explored in the case (the old plan to give a basic structure and to allow students to calculate the level of compensation for a typical sales rep the market strategy the sales role the sales tasks and goals). It might have been more challenging for  students to devise some of these, however, this cannot be done in one class and the key learning is around the process/steps to a successful plan. Implementation We cannot let students stop with the design of the plan. The next section of the class has to focus on how to successfully implement the plan. This involves figuring out what the reaction of various salespeople might be as there will be a variety of reactions. For example, reps who are already focusing on drugstores, and selling the identified subset of products at good prices will see this as a no-brainer. The opposite is also true. This is also an opportunity to reinforce the difficulty of implementing changes that can potentially alter someones take-home pay. It also raises the issue of the role of the first-level sales manager as part of the change process. Chiemchanya has to get this person on board or he is going nowhere. Other Sales Management Program Changes Even if there are only a few minutes left in class, the question needs to be raised as to whether anything else needs to be addressed within the sales management program. The more obvious ones include some training to get salespeople comfortable with the new role perhaps an assessment of sales people, in terms of their suitability for the new role the increased need for coaching, at least in the short run, to get reps focused and behaving differently and the potential role that recognition could play in bringing about behavioral change. An option here is to have the case extend over two classes, with the sales compensation plan addressed in the first class and the implementation and other changes addressed in the second class. This could then be topped off by a brief lecture on sales compensation. CASE ANALYSIS The Sales Compensation Plan Whats a bit different with this teachin g note is that we have the actual process that the company followed to redesign the compensation plan. In general, this provides the analysis for core of the case. The authors of the teaching note have added some comments in italics, which reflect on some of the process. Of course the instructor can challenge any of the ideas presented and put things forward differently in class. 1. Target Total Cash Compensation (TTCC) The first step was to define the TTCC. This is the amount that a sales representative would earn if he (all sales reps were male) achieved expected performance. TTCC should be comparable to industry norms, attractive enough to recruit new candidates, and it should meet management goals. TTCC included both cash  and non-cash components. Base salary Sales commission and bonuses Benefits Contests/special rewards Recognition events Expense reimbursement The instructor can start a discussion as to which of these components should fall under the rubric of compensation. The focus of most of the discussion should be on a) and b). In this case, it was assumed that the current TTCC was appropriate. The current compensation plan generates a TTCC as shown below. ComponentBase Salary with Commission and BonusBase SalaryBase Salary/YearTHB60,000Commission RatePerformance To GoalCommission rate1st Commission RateUp to 1001.52nd Commission RateSales beyond 1003Quarterly BonusPerformanceBonusQ1Achieve 100 of Q1 YTD GoalTHB3,000Q2Achieve 100 of Q1-2 YTD GoalTHB4,000Q3Achieve 100 of Q1-3 YTD GoalTHB5,000Q4Achieve 100 of Q1-4 YTD GoalTHB6,000Bonus for previous quarters are retro-backed when YTD goal is achieved  Sales Volume YTD (THB)Expense THB /day0 500,000380500,000 1,000,0004201,000,000 2,000,0004602,000,000 and above500 This is an unusual plan since expenses are not flat, based on territory variables such as size, nor simply reimbursed. They increase with performance. This could be viewed in two ways. First, the argument could be that reps who are selling more are spending more to get these sales. Second, it could be argued that the increased expenses were some form of bonus that could end up in the sales reps pocket if it wasnt spent. Current TTCC Expected performance is annual sales of THB2,000,000 per sales representative, therefore a) Base salary THB60,000/year b) Sales commission and bonus A sales representative who achieves 100 per cent target (assume THB2 million) will receive 1.5 per cent of sales. 1.5 2,000,000 THB30,000 A sales representative who achieves 100 per cent target will receive all quarterly bonuses. 3,000 4,000 5,000 6,000 THB18,000 Total Sales Compensation THB48,000 c) Benefits The sales force receives the same benefits as other Thai Drugs employees. d) Contests/special rewards Currently there are no contests or special rewards. e) Recognition events Currently there are no recognition events. Change in TTCC components a)Base salary and b) Sales commission and bonus The company believed that a base salary component was necessary for Biomeds sales representatives, especially if the reps were to buy into the new plan. Also, since Biomeds strategy was to focus on building good customer relationshi ps, a salary component would encourage sales reps to think about the long term. The sales commission and bonus component was also viewed as necessary. The base salary and commission/bonus component, when combined, was to increase when compared to the current plan. Since the TTCC was to remain the same, this increase would come from expense reimbursement discussed later. Regarding the weight of salary/commission/bonus, this issue will be discussed in the next step (Compensation Mix). c)Benefits The benefits would remain the same.  d)Contests/special rewards In the past, Biomed never rewarded sales representatives by offering, e.g., a holiday trip. However, holiday trips can be a very effective motivating tool both before the trip and after. Moreover, it was felt that the motivational effect of holiday trips could last longer than cash of the same value. Biomed proposed that a holiday trip should be included into the new plan. It would be rewarded only for exceptional performance of the whole team. Thus it should not be included to the TTCC figure since TTCC is the target for sales representatives reaching expected performance. e)Recognition events Since Biomed is a small company with 11 sales representatives, it was suggested that large recognition events might not be appropriate. Small team meetings could be used to recognize excellent performers. f)Expense reimbursement The company decided to change the expense allowance to be a true expense. The change was to adjust the allowance to a flat THB400 per day. This results in an annual expense allowance of THB96,000. Since the original expense figure is THB98,400, the 2,400 was to be added into the base salary/commission/bonus component of TTCC. Biomed thought that this change had two benefits. First, since the expense and sales compensation would be separated, the compensation plan would be easier for the sales reps to understand. Secondly, it was viewed as promoting equity since all reps would receive equal expenses.