Monday, January 27, 2020

Independent Electoral Commission in South Africa

Independent Electoral Commission in South Africa Introduction The Independent Electoral Commission is a permanent body established by the country’s constitution to promote and organize a well democracy election in a Country. This particular essay will be based on South Africa Independent Electoral Commission and how the management of the organization will perform, Will focus on the challenges that the management of Independent Electoral commission might come across to manage during this forthcoming election. The Independent Electoral Commission was temporary established in 1993 and has five administrators appointed by the president. The president is brief to deliver a free and fair election at all the spheres of government both provincial and local. In 17 of October 1996 the permanent Electoral Commission was established with objectives to maintain and compile the voters’ roll. The Independent Electoral Commission is responsible for counting the vote, verifying, and declaring the results of an election. Functions of the Independent Electoral Commission: Maintaining and compiling a register of parties Promote conditions for free and fair elections. undertaking and promoting research into electoral matters The Independent Electoral Commission ensure that elections run smoothly To manage elections at all spheres of government The Independent Electoral Commission ensure elections are free and fair To promote voter education To maintain quality database of the electorate To be a reputable effective organization Now let take a look at some values that Independent Electoral Commission has. Some VALUES that the IEC possess: Accountability: The Independent Electoral Commission is responsible for the efficient use of resources, production of true election related documents like voter’s rolls and reports. Publish accurate election results. Now in terms of productivity, The Independent Electoral Commission must all provide quality services Productivity: Timeously Satisfactorily Cost effectively Independence: The Independent Electoral Commission takes decisions without fear and liking of a particular party. Impartiality: The Independent Electoral Commission must always be neutral when serving the country during election. Professionalism: The Independent Electoral Commission organizes its business within the confines of the legal. Commitment: The Independent Electoral Commission is committed to fulfill the needs of the election to the best of its abilities. Transparency: The Independent Electoral Commission believes that the must be a free and fair competition between political parties and transparent electoral processes. The Independent Electoral Commission only gets active after every 5 years of the election cycle whereby the have to start organizing and prepare for another election year. The forthcoming election will be held in 7 of May 2014 and the question to ask will be if the Independent Electoral Commission management is ready to run the election smoothly and ready to face all the challenges that come along. All organizations need time to plan and manage the event and the election is one of the biggest events and it draws the attention of many. Management will face many challenges that the organization will come across, therefore the Independent Electoral Commission must be ready beforehand. The following are some of the management sectors of the Independent Electoral Commission and some challenges this sectors might come across to during election period. The financial function The Human Resource function The Information Technology function Financial Function The Independent Electoral Commission receives financial support from parliamentary appropriations according to the Electoral Act 51. The Independent Electoral Commission Chief is the accounting officer and is responsible for keeping all the accounting and financial record. The Independent Electoral Commission Chief makes sure that both accounting and financial records are audited by the Auditor General. The Independent Electoral Commission finance department is one of the biggest, but one of most challenging departments to manage during this period and with the country being financially challenged this makes it even more daunting task. With Independent Electoral Commission only getting active during election time, that might affect the finance department not being more prepared due to lack of well preparation time, not everything will run smoothly financially but with good planning the Independent Electoral Commission can face these issues. Let have look on some financial points: Financial Planning The Independent Electoral Commission management needs to ensure that enough funding is available at the right time to meet the entire requirement needed during the election time. The funding may be needed to invest in equipment that will be needed during election, pay employees, but with the Independent Electoral Commission being significantly active only during the election time this will lead to some issues on how to plan financially without considering how much will be needed to spend on all the assets. On the financial planning side the Independent Electoral Commission will face some issues like on registration of new voters which cannot be planned by focusing on the previous election. New voters have to get registered so that the Independent Electoral Commission can financially plan well in advance about the number of voting stations and where they should be situated. Financial Control The Financial Control for the Independent Electoral Commission as an organization is very important to help the organization to ensure that the Election preparation meet its objectives. Financial Decision-making The Independent Electoral Commission can plan to a certain extent on how much funds the organization would need for the forthcoming election, the amount of fund needed cannot be well decided as there are always financing alternatives that can be consider as we approach the election day. Human Resource functions The Human resource management in the Independent Electoral Commission organization is primarily concerned with the way people are managed within the organization policies system. The Human resources are responsible for some activities in the organization, activities such as recruitment, training and development etc†¦ The functions that Independent Electoral Commission human resources carries: Manpower Planning This particular point include the future planning and finding out the numbers of employees will be needed during the Election Day and what types of skills should the employee have. The Independent Electoral Commission Human resources management having to start getting active only during the election period this will have some challenges by recruiting the correct staff prior to the Election Day. Recruitment The Independent Electoral Commission Human resources must make sure to recruit the best people for the organization during the election. This will be of great significance as the success of the organization will be based on the quality of employees recruited. The Independent Electoral Commission human resources still busy recruiting employee two weeks before the Election Day. This will prove how the recruitment and selection in this department, they will definitely face some few challenges to manage the employees and to do a well prepared selection of candidates needed to assist the voters on the election day. Training The Independent Electoral Commission Human resource department must provide the required training to the employees of the organization, in order to improve on the materials being used during the election days and to be well prepared to assist voters regards to any queries that comes along on the day. The Independent Electoral Commission Human resource has less time to recruit the well skilled employees. This will have influences on the Election Day when it comes to assisting the voters with any queries. Employees that are being placed two days or a week before the election without being well trained, this can cause some problems on that day of the election. Implementing policies in The Organization The Independent Electoral Commission Human resource department must make sure that the organization policies are being implemented in a good manner. The Independent Electoral Commission having to recruit some of the employees at the latest stage of the Election period, and these employees will have some difficulties on how to implement the organizations policies and some of the rules that’s needed during the election. The Information Technology function The IEC Information technology department has the responsibility of dealing with all the issues regarding the technological side during the election. The objective of Information Technology department in the Independent Electoral Commission is to provide all the technical support to the whole organization. The department is responsible for all the materials running on the election that includes the setting up of voting stations in all the areas needed, installing telecommunication facilities and setting up all the hardware needed to link each and every voting station. The Independent Electoral Commission however will face some issues during the Election Day due to lack of preparation on the Information Technology department, having to install and do all the setup needed on that day. Some function of the Independent Electoral Commission Information Technology management during the election and some issue that the organization might face due to lack of time. Helpdesk The helpdesk side of the organization will be responsible to respond to request for technical assistance in person, and via the phone or remotely. Employees have to be computer literate with the devices they are going to use, but with the recruitment still in progress few days before election, employees might struggle with some programs that Independent Electoral Commission uses because of lack of well training time on the materials. Desktop and LAN To perform analysis, diagnosis, and resolution of desktop and LAN problems for end users. The Independent Electoral Commission Information Technology management will collaborate with network and systems administrator to ensure efficient operation of desktop computing environment during the election. The Independent Electoral Commission only getting active during the election, the organization will face some issues on how the department will install, configure, test, maintain, and monitor workstations, LAN assets, related hardware and software in order to deliver required services on the Election Day. Information Technology Site Management The Independent Electoral Commission Information Technology management is responsible for providing support to ensure that voters are all satisfy on the Election Day. The department is also responsible for all desktop support and maintenance related to local area hardware and LAN software. Within fewer weeks to go to the Election Day, the Independent Electoral Commission Information Technology management will have to work under pressure to make sure that all the materials run and work smoothly. The Independent Electoral Commission Information Technology management will face some challenges on how to handle more than 100 voting station plus the employee that will need some training on the materials being used so that everything can run smoothly regards to the Technical materials, hardware and software side that’s needed before the election day. Systems Security Administration The Independent Electoral Commission Information Technology management are responsible for the processes during election by providing appropriate access to and ensuring the availability, confidentiality and integrity of the organization. The Information Technology management is responsible for managing and supervising the execution and use of security measures to protect the Information Technology resources and data during the Election Day. The Independent Electoral Commission recruitment for employees still on the process within few weeks to go to the Election Day and this can have some issues on the security side of the organization. Employing staff two days or week before the Election Day without being well trained on how to respect the integrity of the organization as well as the election itself. Conclusion Over the past 20 years the Independent Electoral Commission has had various challenges to deal with from taking South Africa into a democracy and now in to its bright future. In the past the Independent Electoral Commission dealt with many violent incidences during election times, now we are moving towards out 5th Election and judging from the past it seems like South African citizen’s or voters are not fighting but rather working at making South Africa a better place. Many people are becoming more and more proactive at their in respective political parties. The Independent Electoral Commission can be thanked for this, as it is today there are so many political parties running in the election. This is very interesting to see how the country develops and how the Independent Electoral Commission deals with a new kind of challenge by dealing with all the new parties and the more people interested in voting. In conclusion, to produce a successful Election it demand more preparation based on the various department in the Independent Electoral Commission organization. The Independent Electoral Commission in order to produce a well organize Election, they will need to be more prepare in all departments in advanced, so that they can face less issues as we closer to the Election Day, on the Election Day and during the counting of the votes.

Sunday, January 19, 2020

Health Risk Assessment Bnt’s Story Essay

To die with dignity should be a given. Death will present itself to everyone eventually and presumably no one in their right mind would choose not to die with dignity. That being said why is it that so many people who would choose to die a good death are no allowed to. For some people no death is a good death, but that is silly because as everyone knows death is inevitable. No one can escape this fact. The controversy herein lies within the circumstances people who are suffering or lingering with a terminal illness that debilitates them such that they have no quality of life are not afforded the comfort of dying with dignity. It seems that this high merit is available to our beloved pets, but not our beloved family members. Aunt Bessie is forced to endure unrelenting pain from here incurable pancreatic cancer. No amount of pain medication is available to treat her pain and allow her to maintain consciousness. She knows her time is limited and she does not feel she should have to wait out the inevitable in such a terrible state. At the same time the family pet Bassett hound is found to have a mass in her intestines. She cannot eat and barely moves as she is in so much pain. The veterinarian has given the option of putting her to sleep or euthanizing her to put her out of her misery as she is suffering so. This sits well with most people. Aunt Bessie requesting euthanization though is out of the question. Why is the question that this paper will attempt to answer and why this is wrong will also be addressed? Euthanasia Defined Euthanasia can bring about different feelings to people depending on the context in which it is used. Mention that good old dog and it is good as they no longer suffering. Change the identity to a person and it is not so easily swallowed. No matter how it is interpreted the true meaning of the act is the same in either circumstance. â€Å"Originating from the Greek terms â€Å"eu† (happy or good) and â€Å"thanatos† (death), euthanasia means literally â€Å"happy death† or â€Å"good death. † (Le Baron Jr. , 1999). Breaking that definition down even further is subdivisions in the definition are voluntary/involuntary and active/passive: â€Å"Voluntary euthanasia is a death performed by another with the consent of the person being killed. Non-voluntary euthanasia is the provision of euthanasia to an incompetent person according to a surrogate’s decision. Involuntary euthanasia is euthanasia performed without a competent person’s consent. Passive euthanasia involves allowing a patient to die by removing her from artificial life support systems such as respirators and feeding tubes or simply discontinuing medical treatments necessary to sustain life. Active euthanasia, by contrast, involves positive steps to end the life of a patient, typically by lethal injection† [ (Le Baron Jr. 1999) ] Euthanasia brings tranquility to death. In euthanasia the suffering prior to death is limited and death is entered more peacefully as opposed to lingering with pain and suffering. Presumably most people would want to end their journey in life without pain and suffering. A more compassionate death is a more desirable death. However to know what euthanasia actually means requires more exploration into the depth of this term. Practical Problems Euthanasia can bring about bad feeling to some people. After all when the term is used it is in relationship to death. In our culture and to numerous people death or speaking about death is taboo. This is an unfortunate fact. What is most unfortunate is that death is inevitable and therefore discussion regarding it should be more open. Essentially the problem with euthanasia is this taboo associated with it. Ethically euthanasia is an appropriate and well warranted act of kindness and consideration. Support of euthanasia will be provided within the context of this paper, and the potential negative issues will also be brought up. Ethics Argument For The ethical principles that can justify euthanasia are many. This is because the premise of euthanasia is based upon the idea of caring. This idea of caring is inherent to most care givers and is the key principle in euthanasia. Such acts of caring resonates through theses ethical principles and frameworks: Respect of persons, Virtue ethics, Utilitarian, Rights based ethics and ethics of caring. These frameworks or principles although many will all show supportive qualities for euthanasia. Respect of Persons In respect of persons the support of euthanasia is found in that the principle here is that individuals are afforded autonomy and able to make their own decisions. When a person chooses not to suffer at the end of their life this is an autonomous decision. â€Å"Respect for persons generally means respecting a client’s autonomy† (Ethical Principles, 2011). That person in the eyes of this principle is just in making that call. The respect of person principle sustains this in its foundation. â€Å"The principle of respect for persons affirms the primary importance of allowing individuals to exercise their moral right of self determination. To violate their ability to be self-determining is to treat them as less than persons. (Bennette-Woods, 2001). Therefore, this principle is then supportive of euthanasia when decided upon by an individual. Virtue Ethics With the act of euthanasia people are seeking the good by allowing a good death. Suffering is not permitted to go on until death. Rather death is allowed to happen prior to a lengthy battle with pain and suffering. Virtue ethics is doing good and for the right reason. Forcing peop le to live with pain and suffering would not be characterized as good. So presumably then allowing for euthanization is good. Because it is done in response to alleviate further pain or suffering it satisfies the right reason aspect. In another view the dying patient is taking a virtuous stance. â€Å"Some dying patients consider it virtuous to spare friends and family the ordeal of witnessing a slow process of degeneration† (van Zyl, 2002, p. 19). This again satisfies the criteria for virtue ethics. Utilitarian In encompassing the utilitarian ethical frame work consideration must be made for the balance of the greatest good. Allowing a person to die a â€Å"good death† will promote the greatest happiness for both the person and for those remaining behind. Sure there will be unhappiness in that there is a loss with the person dying, but the greatest happiness will be in knowing that the person is no longer suffering and that the pain of their disease is not torturing them any longer. This satisfies part of the balance. The other part is on behalf of the individual who is suffering. There is much good in ending a life from pain and suffering. A â€Å"good death† is much more desirable then a death of unrelenting pain and suffering. Therefore the balance of the greater good is established here and the utilitarian frame work is established. Right Based Ethics The right to die is an inevitable right. â€Å"Advocates of euthanasia argue that people have a right to make their own decisions regarding death, and that euthanasia is intended to alleviate pain and suffering†. (Nargus, 2012) It is of the belief of many that all people hold this one true right. Dying is ultimate natural right. â€Å"The patient has the right to make the decision about when and how they should die, based on the principles of autonomy and self-determination† (Nargus, 2012). This alone substantiates the use of rights based ethics and upholds this as an ethical point for euthanasia. Ethics of Caring This is the final ethical stance that will be used to persuade the positive perspective of euthanasia. To care is the essence of this ethical principle. To care would be to not allow suffering with pain at the end of life. Compassion is a must in the ethics of caring and allowing pain and suffering to continue cannot be construed as compassionate. â€Å"The ethic of care demands that we maintain conditions under which caring can flourish†. (Bennette-Woods, 2001) How better to show a sense of caring then by stopping suffering, stopping pain and allowing for a good death. Ethics of caring is the basis for most nursing philosophies and can be equated to most nursing principles. Care is not just in the physical sense, but the emotional sense as well. Care is delivered when euthanasia is allowed. Ethics Argument Against The arguments proposing that euthanasia be allowed were provided and supported. Now a few counterarguments will be analyzed and provided. Kant’s original ethical framework intent was clearly against the use of euthanasia, but a newer vision of Kantian ethics could also be supportive of the act. However, the argument against it in this framework will be what is focused on. Nonmaleficence framework can also be argued against euthanasia. This theory bases itself on doing no harm and depending what is perceived as harm is how this argument can be made. Kantian Ethics â€Å"A moral action is one that is performed solely for the purpose of meeting a moral obligation, and the action itself can only be judged moral in light of the intention behind it†. If the intention produces death it cannot be a good intention. Death although now relieved of suffering is the outcome. With Kantian ethics the end result is not at question. The person no longer suffering perspective is not of any value. The point is euthanizing a person is morally wrong and the outcome (alleviating pain and suffering) has no bearing in the matter. This is why this argument was not used in the pros. The outcome has to matter. Nonmaleficence Ethics â€Å"The principle of Nonmaleficence states that we should act in ways that do not inflict evil or cause harm to others. In particular, we should not cause avoidable or intentional harm. (Bennette-Woods, 2001) While some people feel that causing an earlier death as with euthanasia is harmful not everyone shares this view. â€Å"Professional organizations have invoked professional obligations as an argument against support and participation in assisted suicide and euthanasia†. [ (Ersek, 2004) ]. For those that do this could certainly be understood as argument against euthanasia. However, for others the harm is noted in the continuance of a life of suffering. Catholic Moral Tradition Each human life is considered sacred and deserving of a right to life. This is the position that the Catholic moral tradition stands behind. According to the Roman Catholic perspective, we are not obliged to ward off death at all costs, but we should not deliberately intervene to bring death about (Euthanasia a Catholic Perspective, 1987)†. The church goes on to say that† the end of human life is not subject to a person’s free judgment† (Euthanasia a Catholic Perspective, 1987). This theory protests that as in birth; death can only be implemented by God. However, even the church has come to make exceptions or loop holes that allows for euthanasia to happen. In the double effect principle medication can be given in large doses to relieve pain. The patient will succumb to death as a result of this medication, and that is ok. As long as the intention is to relieve pain, not cause death the Catholic moral traditions is receptive to this. It seems as if the church has struggle d with this issue in the past and the best that they can deliver is this double effect doctrine. (This was actually developed in the 15th century). . Final Justification â€Å"A slow, painful, undignified death is a fate that most of us would not wish on our worst enemies† (Dyer, 1999) yet this fate are often offered to people, loved ones and family members. This categorically should not be. Euthanasia theories have been presented and supported both for and against the act. What it comes down to is how individuals understand things. Some religious factions are adamant that this act is strictly forbidden. This author does not share these views. There is no argument that it is wrong to kill someone. However, there has to be availabilities for exceptions. When an act is done for all the right reason it then becomes a just act. When a person is deemed terminal and is some way suffering then this would create such an â€Å"except†. This is only one of an infinite number of â€Å"except† possibilities. Each case presenting itself must be evaluated for its ethical morality. Evaluation can be accomplished by using the previous theories presented in favor of euthanasia. Should the case lend itself to these proposed theories then it is indeed a just act. Pets are not made to suffer a miserable final existence (associated with the love of them) neither should people. Loved ones, family, friend or foe no one deserves to die suffering when a good death is an option.

Saturday, January 11, 2020

A Five Year Marketing Plan For Tulip Clothing Essay

This five-year marketing plan for Tulip Clothing has been created to secure additional funding for growth and to inform employees of the company’s current status and direction. Although Tulip was launched in the UAE only three years ago, the firm has experienced greater-than-anticipated demand for its products, and research has shown that the target market of sport-minded consumers and sports retailers would like to buy more casual clothing than Tulip currently offers. In addition, Tulip plans to explore opportunities for online sales. The marketing environment has been very receptive to the firm’s high-quality goods – casual clothing in trendy colours with logos and slogans that reflect the interests of outdoor enthusiasts around the country. Over the next five year, Tulip can increase its distribution, offer new products, and win new customers. 2. Company Description Tulip Clothing was founded three years ago by entrepreneurs Damian Thomas and Geoff Compton. Tulip Clothing reflects Damian’s and Geoff’s passion for the outdoors. The company’s original cotton T-shirts, caps and denim jackets bear logos of different sports such as kayaking, mountain climbing, bicycling, skating, surfing, and horseback or camel riding. But every item shows off the company’s slogan â€Å"Let’s Rock!†. Tulip sells clothing for both men and women, in the hottest colours with the coolest names – such as sunrise pink, sunset red, twilight purple, desert rose, cactus green, ocean blue, mountaintop white, and river rock grey (Thomas 2011). Tulip attire is currently carried by small retail stores that specialize in outdoor clothing and gear. Most of these stores are concentrated in Abu Dhabi and malls in the northern Emirates. The high quality, trendy colours, and unique message of the clothing have gained Tulip a following among consumers between the ages of 25 and 45. Sales have tripled in the last year alone, and Tulip is currently working to expand its manufacturing capabilities. Tulip is also committed to giving back to the community by contributing to local conservation programs. Ultimately, the company would like to develop and fund its own environmental programs. This plan will outline how Tulip intends to introduce new products, expand its distribution, enter new markets, and give back to the community. 3. Tulip’s Mission and Objectives Tulip’s mission is to be the leading producer and marketer of personalized, casual clothing for consumers who love the outdoors. Tulip wants to inspire people to get outdoors more often and enjoy family and friends while doing so. In addition, Tulip strives to design programs for preserving the natural environment. During the next five years, Tulip seeks to achieve the following financial and nonfinancial goals: Financial Objectives: Obtain financing to expand manufacturing capabilities, increase distribution, and introduce two new product lines. Increase revenues by at least 50% each year. Donate at least AED 25,000 a year to conservation organizations. Nonfinancial Objectives: Introduce two new product lines—customized logo clothing and lightweight luggage. Enter new geographic markets in neighbouring GCC countries. Develop a successful Internet site, while maintaining strong relationships with retailers. Develop its own conservation program aimed at promoting environmental awareness in local communities. 4. Core Competencies Tulip seeks to use its core competencies to achieve a sustainable competitive advantage, in which competitors cannot provide the same value to consumers that Tulip does. Already, Tulip has developed core competencies in (1) offering a high-quality, branded product whose image is recognizable among consumers; (2) creating a sense of community among consumers who purchase the products; and (3) developing a reputation among retailers as a reliable manufacturer, delivering the requested number of products on schedule. The firm intends to build on these competencies through marketing efforts that increase the number of products offered as well as distribution outlets. By forming strong relationships with consumers, retailers, and suppliers of fabric and other goods and services, Tulip believes it can create a sustainable competitive advantage over its rivals. No other clothing company can say to its customers with as much conviction â€Å"Let’s Rock!†. 5. Situation Analysis The marketing environment for Tulip represents overwhelming opportunities. It also contains some challenges that the firm believes it can meet successfully. A SWOT analysis of the company highlights Tulip’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Drawing the right conclusions from a SWOT analysis is the most important purpose of performing the analysis (Kotler 2009). Strengths: Tulip’s dedicated founders understand the target market and product. Tulip has achieved distribution in several markets with quick acceptance. Tulip has very little debts with great potential for growth. Tulip works with a single manufacturer, allowing high quality control levels. Weaknesses: Tulip’s founders may lose sight of the potential scope of the business. A limited number of consumers around UAE are aware of the Tulip brand. The firm has limited cash flow. Tulip relies on a single manufacturer which limits the production capacity if the firm wants to expand. Opportunities: Tulip’s loyal customers are likely to buy more products. Gaps exist in the UAE market that can be filled with new products such as customized clothing items and luggage. The key challenge in filling these gaps is in the shaping process that allows ideas to move forward; to be processed and refined in a way so that management can â€Å"pick the winners† (Florà ©n & Frishammar 2012). Tulip has a chance to expand across the GCC into new markets. The firm can reach more consumers via a website. Threats: Consumers may tire of the concept and the firm needs to keep it fresh. Larger competitors such as Marks & Spencer or Timberland may establish a similar product line. Clothing sales have generally been flat over the past few years, even though UAE has the highest fashion spending in the developed world (Sambidge 2011). Relationships with retailers may deteriorate if they feel internal competition from the internet site. The SWOT analysis presents a thumbnail sketch of the company’s position in the marketplace. In just three years, Tulip has built some impressive strengths while looking forward to new opportunities. Its dedicated founders, the growing number of brand-loyal customers, and sound financial management place the company in a good position to grow.

Friday, January 3, 2020

Text Organization Guide for English Learners

Text organization refers to how a text is organized to help readers follow and understand the information presented. There are a number of standard forms that help text organization when writing. This text organization guide will help you logically guide your readers through your text. Text Organization: Referring to Ideas Already Presented Pronouns and determiners are used to refer to ideas, points or opinions that you have previously introduced, or will immediately introduce. Here is a quick review of pronouns and determiners with examples. Pronouns Remember that ideas, opinions, and arguments are considered objects in English which take object pronouns. it / it / its - singularthey / them / their - plural Examples: Its importance can not be underestimated.It now becomes clear that their role in production is vital.The government has given it ample consideration but rejected its validity. Determiners this / that - singularthese / those - plural This is key: Children need to be encouraged in order to succeed.Jefferson referred to those as unnecessary complications. Make sure that pronouns and determiners are clearly defined either before, or immediately after their introduction in order to avoid confusion. Examples: The need for economic growth is vital to any society. Without it, societies become defensive and ... (it refers to need for economic growth)These are vital for any job: interest, skills, manners... (these refers to interest, skills, manners) Text Organization: Providing Additional Information A number of forms are used to provide additional information in text organization. These forms are used at the beginning of a sentence to link text to the previous sentence: In addition to X, ...As well as X, ... Examples: In addition to these resources, we will require a further investment of ...As well as his difficulties in childhood, his continuing poverty as a young adult caused many problems. These phrases can be used in the middle of a sentence or a phrase to provide additional information in your text organization: alsoas well as Examples: Our commitment to the cause, as well as our financial resources, will make this possible.There was also time considerations to take into account. Sentence Structure: Not only...but also The sentence structure Not only clause, but also clause is also used to provide additional information and emphasize the later point in your argument: Examples: Not only does he bring experience and expertise to the company, but he also has an outstanding reputation.Not only are the students improving scores, but they are also having more fun. NOTE: Remember that sentences beginning with Not only ... use inverted structure (Not only do they do...) Text Organization: Introducing a Number of Points Its common to use phrases to signify the fact that you will be making different points in your text. The simplest way to indicate that you will be touching on a number of different points is to use sequencers. The appearance of sequencers indicates that there are points to follow or that precede your sentence. For more information on sequencers, continue on to the section on sequencing your ideas for text organization. There are also some set phrases that point to the fact that there are a number of points to follow. Here are the most common: There are a number of ways / means / manners ...The first point to make is ...Lets begin with the assumption that / the idea that / the fact that ... Examples: There are a number of ways we can approach this problem. First, ...Lets begin with the assumption that all of our courses are necessary for our students. Other phrases are used to indicate that one phrase is related to another in an additional sense. These phrases are common in text organization: For one thing ...and another thing / and for another ...besides that ...and besides Examples: For one thing he doesnt even believe what hes saying...., and another thing is that our resources cant begin to meet the demand. Text Organization: Contrasting Information There are a number of ways to contrast information in text organization. In most cases, two clauses are used: one with the most important information, as well as a clause introduced with a word or phrase showing contrast. The most common of these are although, though, even though, but, yet and despite, in spite of. Although, Even Though, Though Notice how though, even though or although show a situation which is contrary to the main clause to express conflicting information. Even though, though and although are synonymous. Use a comma after beginning a sentence with although, even though, though. No comma is required if you finish the sentence with although, even though, though. Examples: Even though it was expensive, he bought the car.Though he loves doughnuts, he has given them up for his diet.Although his course was difficult, he passed with the highest marks. Whereas, While Whereas and while show clauses in direct opposition to each other. Notice that you should always use a comma with whereas and while. Examples: Whereas you have lots of time to do your homework, I have very little time indeed.Mary is rich, while I am poor. Whereas, While But and yet provide contrary information that is often unexpected. Notice that you should always use a comma with but and yet. Examples: He spends a lot of time on his computer, yet his grades are very high.The research pointed to a specific cause, but the results painted a very different picture. Text Organization: Showing Logical Connections and Relations Logical consequences and results are shown by beginning sentences with linking language indicating a connection to the previous sentence (or sentences). The most common of these include as a result, accordingly, thus, hence, consequently. Examples: As a result, all funding will be suspended until further review.Consequently, the most important elements combine to provide a rich tapestry effect. Text Organization: Sequencing Your Ideas In order to help your audience understand, you need to link ideas together in your text organization. One of the most important ways to link ideas is to sequence them. Sequencing refers to the order in which events happened. These are some of the most common ways to sequence in writing: Beginning: Firstly,First of all,To start off with,Initially, Examples: Firstly, I began my education in London.First of all, I opened the cupboard.To start off with, we decided our destination was New York.Initially, I thought it was a bad idea, ... Continuing: Then,After that,Next,As soon as / When full clause,... but thenImmediately, Examples: Then, I started to get worried.After that, we knew that there would be no problem!Next, we decided on our strategy.As soon as we arrived, we unpacked our bags.We were sure everything was ready, but then we discovered some unexpected problems.Immediately, I telephoned my friend Tom. Interruptions / New Elements to the Story: Suddenly,Unexpectedly, Examples: Suddenly, a child burst into the room with a note for Ms. Smith.Unexpectedly, the people in the room didnt agree with the mayor. Events Occurring at the Same Time While / As full clauseDuring noun (noun clause) Examples: While we were getting ready for the trip, Jennifer was making the reservations at the travel agents.During the meeting, Jack came over and asked me a few questions. Ending: Finally,In the end,Eventually,Lastly, Examples: Finally, I flew to London for my meeting with Jack.In the end, he decided to postpone the project.Eventually, we became tired and returned home.Lastly, we felt we had had enough and went home.