text:
The Top Ten Football Cake Fumbles
It's about that time of year again, guys!
You know, the time for lots of these:
Yep, sections of train track on small hills. Choo choo!!
No, wait, I'm sorry, I meant the time for spinal cords in shallow graves:
I bet this wreckerator is a real casket case.
Sometimes after a long hard day, you just want a cake that's had the ever-loving crap beaten out of it, know what I mean?
Booyah. Wish = granted.
Question: Does this look like a pair of lips painted like a basketball, or will 28 of you be too distracted wondering what "WILL 28" means to notice?
I call this next one "The Thing That Looks Like A Triangular Hamburger Bun."
It's a literal work.
Step 1: Bring to a boil
Step 2: Serve cold to enemies and/or the neighbor's kids
"The Invisible Ball"
See what I did there?
"My Ugly Crazy Lumps"
Because nothing expresses your ardent fandom quite like a hearty, "GO TEAM." (Hey bakers, if I spring for the sheet cake do you think I could get, "THE PLAYERS CURRENTLY PLAYING ARE MY FAVORITES IN ALL OF [INSERT SPORT HERE]"?)
(PS. Behold the awesomeness that is my punctuation ending that last sentence. BEHOLD IT.)
And finally, "The Pig Skin Chia Pet."
"ChaChaCha I am so not eating that."
Thanks to Jeff C., Jessica, Rachael, John L., Shellie B., Laura H., Cassidy, Seamus, Anony M., & Sandi for the home runs.


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subset: commoncrawl


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Penneys dresses
penneys dresses IN YOUR WARDROBE
penneys dresses in general are such a thing that needs to be updated. So you get rid of old things that suck your energy. Let it be 3-5 DRESSES, but you will wear them with pleasure, than you will have 10 outfits that have lost their attractiveness a long time ago and do not bring you happiness.
HOW TO WEAR penneys dresses?
1. Get to start with penneys dresses that will delight you and your loved ones.
See which style and style are best for your body shape. Check with your loved ones.
2. Track your gait, posture and manners. How much does penneys dresses give you femininity and sexuality? Maybe you should make adjustments – practice, develop.
3. For each penneys dresses make a special hairstyle and makeup.
4. For each penneys dresses pick your jewelry.
5. Make sure your shoes fit together in color and style.
Keep in mind that penneys dresses can change the gait, behavior, mood, health and all this makes a woman attractive and happy.
My experience of wearing penneys dresses
I often gave preference to penneys dresses in life, so I decided to start wearing dresses in winter too, and I liked that. The skirts are much warmer, I tell you, than in jeans or trousers, no matter how warm they are. Of course, if you do not want to freeze, you should not wear thin stockings under your skirt in the winter, I hope everyone understands this. The rest of penneys dresses keeps warm and it is much more comfortable. I am not talking about the mini. Although if the dress is made of warm fabric – then in the mini, you think, you will feel more comfortable than in jeans.


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Fly to Bodø, Norway
Bodø is known as the city of the sea eagle, so named for the white-tailed eagle commonly found in the area. More of these regal animals are found here than anywhere else in the world. The midnight sun is visible June 2-July 10, perfect for a round of evening golf. In the autumn and winter, you'll experience the Northern Lights radiating high in the evening sky.
Most hotels are located in Bodø's city center. One is located in Saltstraumen about 19 miles (33 kilometers) away. There is also a campsite about 1.8 miles (3 kilometers) from the city.
Bodø is known for fabulous fishing. Many of the area's lakes and rivers are filled with trout and salmon.
Saltstraumen is home to the world's strongest maelstrom, or whirlpool. It's roughly 19 miles (33 kilometers) east of Bodo. It is the largest tidal current in the world, with up to 14,125 cubic feet (400 million cubic meters) of seawater making its way through a strait 1.8 miles (3 kilometers) long and 492 feet (150 meters) wide.
The maelstrom takes place every six hours, with the current reaching speeds of up to 20 knots, or about 23 miles per hour. The area is extremely popular with fisherman as it attracts an abundance of fish such as cod, halibut and coalfish, Saltstraumen's most popular catch.
You'll find Kjerringøy about an hour's drive from Bodø. It is located in a quaint, coastal-alpine setting. Kjerringøy is shielded from ocean crests by a collection of small islands and rocks. The small village-like setting is a true geological treasure, featuring steep mountainsides and white sandy beaches. Kjerringøy is a vivacious farming community. Be sure to visit the Kjerringøy Trading Post.
You'll find many well preserved buildings at this historic landmark.
The Norwegian Aviation Museum
You'll know the museum the minute you see it. There's a giant propeller by the main road close to Bodø's city centre. You'll find two colossal exhibition halls, one dedicated to civilian aviation and the other to military flight. Explore the first machines of flight to the modern jets of today. Both international efforts and Norway's own aviation innovations are covered.
Nyholmen Bastion
This bastion on the isle of Nyholmen was built during the war of 1807 to protect the factory and town on Hundholmen, later renamed Bodø, against English warships. The bastion was heavily armed. Its walls housed four 12-pound and eight 8-pound cannons.
At its fullest capacity, the bastion held 150 soldiers, though it never saw a day of battle: British warships knew to stay away from Nyholmen's powerful arsenal. While restoration efforts are always ongoing, many areas of this celebrated defense post are open to the public.
What's up in Bodø
A day trip
Kjerringøy, a pearl on the coast of Nordland. Take the ferry and discover the coastal-alpine landscape.
Midnight sun golfing
Play golf in the midnight sun set on a unique location down on the shoreline.
Norwegian Trekking Association provides information on outdoor activities and links to member sites throughout Norway.
Price and availability are updated every time a search is performed.


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As lawmakers seek to use federal courts to force disgraced Attorney General Eric Holder and the Justice Department to hand over documents on the deadly Fast and Furious gun-running scandal, the Obama administration filed a motion this week claiming that the judicial branch has no power to interfere. According to the Department of Justice, a ruling in favor of Congress and its oversight authority would violate so-called "executive privilege." But lawmakers are not buying it.
While he is currently abusing his position to shield himself from prosecution, Holder famously became the first attorney general in U.S. history to be held in civil and criminal contempt of Congress in late June on a bipartisan vote. Lawmakers were upset over the administration's ongoing coverup in which it refused to provide subpoenaed documents on Fast and Furious, the now-infamous federal scheme that put thousands of high-powered American weapons into the hands of Mexican drug cartels.
"Disputes of this sort have arisen regularly since the founding," the Justice Department claimed in the legal brief filed late Monday, asking the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia to dismiss the lawsuit. "For just as long, these disputes have been resolved between the political branches through a constitutionally grounded system of negotiation, accommodation and self-help." The filing also claimed the courts lack jurisdiction in the case.
The administration has unlawfully refused to hand over thousands of documents related to the scandal, repeatedly defying congressional subpoenas and flouting the authority of Congress. When it became clear that lawmakers would not back down in the effort to uncover the details of Fast and Furious, however, President Obama stepped in and claimed "executive privilege" to justify the coverup.
Congress responded with contempt charges and over 120 members of the House and Senate demanded Holder's resignation. When that failed, lawmakers filed suit in federal court. Now the administration claims that even the judiciary does not have the authority to force the executive branch's hand. Lawmakers trying to carry out their oversight responsibilities, though, say the Justice Department's argument is absurd on its face.
"The Obama Administration's argument should trouble Americans who believe the President and the federal government are not above the law," said House Oversight and Government Reform Committee Chairman Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), who has been leading the charge for accountability. "In perpetuating a cover-up, through false and misleading statements that even the Justice Department's own Inspector General found troubling, the Obama administration argued for months that it did not have to meet its legal obligations to a lawfully issued congressional subpoena."
Incredibly, after purporting to have the authority to defy the American people's elected representatives, the Obama administration is currently claiming that it is also above the courts, too. In other words, the executive branch is above the law, above Congress, above the courts, and accountable to nobody. Rep. Issa, however, says that reasoning will not fly.
"Now, the Department is advancing arguments — already rejected by the federal judiciary — that our court system does not have jurisdiction to ensure accountability either," Issa explained. "The American people deserve to know the full truth about what happened in Operation Fast and Furious and why top justice officials stood behind false denials of reckless conduct."
The new DOJ brief does acknowledge that federal courts ruled just four years ago in Committee on Judiciary, U.S. House of Representatives v. Miers that Congress could indeed compel executive branch officials to cooperate with congressional investigations. However, the Justice Department argued that the decision in that case was allegedly leading the country down the wrong path by getting courts involved in what the administration claims is essentially a "political" dispute.
The deadly federal gun-trafficking program was exposed over a year ago when brave whistleblowers within the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) stepped forward. Since then, the scheme has become a massive international scandal. And as the Obama administration continues its half-baked efforts to conceal the truth, outrage over the blood-drenched plot has only grown louder.
Some of the Fast and Furious guns were recovered at the murder scenes of U.S. federal law enforcement officers such as Border Patrol agent Brian Terry. Others were used to massacre Mexican teenagers. The Obama administration's operation was supposedly aimed at targeting two "drug lords" who already worked for the FBI, official documents later revealed. Resulting violence, meanwhile, was exploited by the top officials to push for more restrictions on Americans' right to keep and bear arms.
Despite contempt charges and the escalating nationwide uproar over the scandal, the coverup, and the official lies told by top officials throughout the investigation, however, the Justice Department, which originally responded to the gun-trafficking accusations with lies, still refuses to cooperate. If the judicial branch were to force the administration to come clean, "countless other suits by Congress are sure to follow, given the volume of document requests issued by the dozens of congressional committees that perform oversight functions," according to the federal court filing this week.
It was not immediately clear why the potential for more transparency and oversight of the executive branch going forward was a proper reason to dismiss the suit. If anything, critics of the increasing level of government secrecy say more lawsuits from Congress demanding accountability would be a positive development — somebody has to hold the administration accountable, after all. The Justice Department, however, apparently disagrees.
"The combination of robust alternative remedies and the historical absence of involvement by the judiciary have provided incentive for both branches to work in earnest through the process of negotiation, accommodation and ultimate resolution," the DOJ filing claimed. "That process would unravel if courts were available to dictate what information may be demanded or withheld. Judicial intervention would move the branches toward litigation, not accommodation, and would dramatically alter the separation of powers."
Justice Department Inspector General Michael Horowitz recently released the results of his investigation into the scandal as well. While blasted by critics as a "joke" and a "whitewash," the final report concluded by recommending that more than a dozen senior DOJ and ATF officials be considered for disciplinary measures.
However, according to the investigation, evidence that Holder knew his top officials were sending weapons to cartels was not found, though Horowitz did acknowledge that White House officials refused to cooperate with the investigation. Experts say the truth about the deadly scheme remains concealed, but that the operation must have been known to the White House and senior officials including Holder, Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and others.
The Department of Justice, however, does not want the courts or Congress to intervene in the matter, raising even more suspicions among critics — especially considering the growing amount of evidence suggesting that Fast and Furious was part of a far more sinister plan than the administration has admitted thus far. "Judicial restraint, not judicial intervention, is warranted," the latest DOJ court brief argues.
The current case is being handled by U.S. District Court Judge Amy Berman Jackson, a recent Obama appointee. A ruling on the dispute is not expected until after the election, though even then it is likely to be appealed. Analysts say the outcome is difficult to predict, but lawmakers believe they are standing on solid ground. Activists hope the prosecutions, if warranted, can begin once all of the facts eventually emerge.
Related articles:
Congress Sues AG Holder in Fast and Furious
House Votes to Hold Holder in Contempt
Fast and Furious Massacres Spark Fresh Pressure on AG Holder to Resign
Blasted as Whitewash, Fast and Furious Report Blames ATF and DOJ
Stratfor Sources: U.S. Troops in Mexico as Feds Aid Cartels
Congress Blames Top ATF Officials for Fast and Furious
Holder Admits Lies in Fast and Furious, Refuses to Resign
"Drug Lords" Targeted in Fast & Furious Worked for FBI
Reports: CIA Working with Mexican Drug Cartels
Project Gunrunner Part of Plan to Institute Gun Control
Photo: United States Attorney General Eric Holder addresses the International Association of Chiefs of Police conference Oct. 1, 2012 in San Diego: AP Images


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Programs \ Public Policy \ MOFGA Position Statements \ Food Safety
"Small Changes Make Big Differences on the Ground"
Testimony of Russell Libby, Executive Director, Maine Organic Farmers & Gardeners Association, before the Subcommittee on Nutrition and Horticulture, Agriculture Committee, U.S. House of Representatives, May 8, 2012
Good morning Chairwoman Schmidt and Honorable Members of the House Agriculture Committee. I am Russell Libby, Executive Director of the Maine Organic Farmers and Gardeners Association, or MOFGA. MOFGA is the largest state level organic organization in the country, with about 6500 member farms, businesses, and households. Formed in 1971, we started the country's first state organic certification program in 1972 and an apprenticeship program to match new farmers with experienced teachers in 1975, and hired the first organic 'extension agent' in 1986. We now have 26 employees who work on services to farmers, education, and outreach to the general public.
MOFGA's annual harvest celebration, the Common Ground Country Fair, draws 60,000 people each September to Unity, Maine, a town of 2400, making it the country's largest organic food event. We also run a highly successful new farmer training program. Of the 140 program participants over the past 12 years, 87% are currently farming. Our USDA-accredited organic certification program includes about 5% of the farms in Maine, and about 20% of the dairy farmers.
MOFGA has been in business for 40 years, and in that time, we have witnessed tremendous growth in organic agriculture and in the opportunity for farmers to rebuild local economies through food production. Our farmers have built a robust direct-to-consumer marketing movement in Maine, with close to 150 farmers' markets and several hundred farmers offering Community-Supported Agriculture programs that supply about 2% of the families in Maine with produce, summer and sometimes winter, and an increasing array of products. With a number of small investments and no-cost policy changes, the 2012 Farm Bill can facilitate this growth and opportunity.
We are a member of the National Organic Coalition, and work closely with the National Sustainable Agriculture Coalition, so our Farm Bill priorities reflect theirs in many ways.
Horticulture Title:
The Horticulture title of the Farm Bill is critically important for organic farmers. The National Organic Program does an increasingly good job of working through issues that confront organic food producers and processors around the country. The Specialty Crop Grants program is a long-overdue recognition of the needs of fruit and vegetable farmers from around the country.
Our suggestions:
Nutrition Title:
When things work right, the full range of USDA programs make a significant difference to farmers and the general public. Linking nutrition programs to access at farmers' markets, expanding EBT programs, developing more opportunities for farmers to supply the school lunch program – all of these things make farmers more profitable.
The largest programs within the Farm Bill are embedded in the Nutrition Title. If farmers are not able to provide food through programs in the Nutrition Title for the people who need it the most, they are shut out of a major income stream. If the people who are eligible for nutrition assistance do not have access to fresh, local produce, they may not get the full nutritional benefits from the assistance they receive. Connecting farmers with consumers who participate in nutrition assistance can benefit producers and consumers.
How can you help this to happen?
Other programs important to the whole.
Farmers' Market and Local Food Promotion Program. As interest in direct markets grows, farmers innovate to supply more. The expanded Farmers' Market Promotion Program continues to serve direct marketers, but also includes those farm businesses that are trying to develop farm to institution and food hub opportunities across the country. It deserves more funding: the $30 million proposed in the Local Foods, Farms and Jobs Act will only scratch the surface of the current interest. Every new market opened or expanded through the program provides more jobs and keeps money circulating in the many participating communities.
Seeds and breeds. I understand that the prevailing worldview is that the solutions for the future revolve around biotechnology, but I want to say a few words in favor of all-purpose, traditional breeding. In the late 1800's, farmers in my part of western Kennebec County, Maine, were deeply engaged in the refinement of the Hereford as a cattle breed suitable for the U.S. The dry bean varieties that work in our humid Northeast climate were selected over long stretches of time by farmers, and then further refined by plant breeders at public universities. Even now farmers in New England benefit from plant breeding done at the University of New Hampshire by Brent Loy, who has developed melons and pumpkins that thrive in the Northeast. In our rush to the cellular approach, I hope we don't lose sight of the value of traditional plant breeding. The Seeds and Breeds provisions of the last Farm Bill were a good starting point, but we need the public plant breeders and the long-term commitment to make those varieties available.
Expanding Economic Opportunities
In conclusion, markets for farmers are changing rapidly. There are thousands of new farmers' markets around the country and Community Supported Agriculture programs (CSAs) are also rising in number. In Maine, the number of farmers' markets has grown tenfold in the past 30 years, and CSAs now supply about two percent of Maine families. While this growth in direct producer-to-consumer marketing it exciting, there is a nearly untapped marketing opportunity at the wholesale, retail, and institutional level of sales. Through your actions with the Farm Bill as I have outlined above, you can give this stage of marketing the jumpstart it needs. This larger scale represents the bulk volume of food sales, and it is in this area that the next generation of farmers is working to make inroads. With your help, small changes can truly make big differences on the ground.
Thank you. I would be happy to answer questions.


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Glenn Robinson III and Mitch McGary are coming back to Michigan, hoping to form the nucleus of the Wolverines' next national title contender.
Robinson and McGary announced their decisions Thursday, putting off the NBA draft to return for their sophomore seasons. Michigan has lost national player of the year Trey Burke and guard Tim Hardaway Jr. to the draft, but now the Wolverines can expect to return three starters from a team that reached the NCAA title game this season.
Robinson, the son of the former Purdue star with the same name, started all 39 games for Michigan this season and averaged 11 points. McGary's stock took off during the NCAA tournament, when he emerged as a force inside to help the Wolverines to their first Final Four since 1993.
'These two are very interested in being leaders,' coach John Beilein said. 'I sense right now they're growing more and more comfortable in a leadership role.'
Michigan lost to Louisville in the national title game, and Burke's departure was no surprise. He is leaving after his sophomore season, and Hardaway - a junior - announced his decision to turn pro Wednesday. That left Robinson and McGary - two standout freshmen - as the last two Wolverines weighing an early jump to the NBA.
The 6-foot-6 Robinson was probably Michigan's most athletic player, always a target when Burke would look to throw lobs in transition.
'We want to get back to that championship game and hopefully win it,' Robinson said.
Robinson spent a lot of time this season as an undersized power forward, but he could play more at small forward next season - with McGary playing in the post alongside Jordan Morgan or Jon Horford. Morgan struggled to return to form after a midseason injury this year, and McGary become Michigan's top inside presence during the NCAA tournament.
The 6-foot-10 McGary averaged only 7.5 points per game this season, but in the NCAA tournament he averaged 14.3 points and 10.7 rebounds.
That gave McGary a decision to make.
'There's still plenty for me to work on and get better,' McGary said. 'I'm just excited for what lies ahead.'
The biggest question facing the Wolverines, of course, is how they'll replace Burke. Incoming recruit Derrick Walton Jr. may have a chance to step in right away at point guard, and Spike Albrecht - who scored 17 points against Louisville - is also expected back after backing up Burke.
Nik Stauskas, another returning starter, provides terrific outside shooting and may play a bigger role in Hardaway's absence. A lot is also expected from incoming freshman Zak Irvin, who was named Indiana's Mr. Basketball earlier this month.
'I think we have to continue to realize that we have to have a wonderful mix of young men,' Beilein said. 'From the guys that we know will be four-year players to the guys that we know will be ones that will have these (early entry) opportunities.'


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MILPITAS, Calif., August 27, 2007- SanDisk®Corporation (NASDAQ:SNDK), the second largest seller of MP3 players in the United States, today introduced the colorful Sansa® Clip, a tiny MP3 player that boasts an array of cool features, as well as distinctively big sound for its small size. Perfect for the fitness buff or traveler, the compact Sansa Clip comes with a fashionable clip for wearing, FM radio with recorder*, microphone*, long-lasting rechargeable battery and a bright screen for exceptionally easy navigation of tunes. The Sansa Clip is expected to be available this fall at manufacturer's suggested retail prices of $39.99 for a 1 gigabyte (GB)** player and $59.99 for the 2GB unit.
"Don't let the Sansa Clip's size fool you," said Keith Washo, SanDisk retail product marketing manager for the Sansa Clip. "This tiny player packs a powerful, feature-rich punch. We're excited to bring music lovers a new, cool-looking player with great sound and audio offerings in a body that's smaller than a match box."
Consumers can also show off their style by choosing from an array of colors. The Sansa Clip comes in sleek black, candy apple red, hot pink and ice blue. (Colors are only available in the 2GB capacity.)
The Sansa Clip is loaded with exceptional features:
|Expected Suggested Retail Price
|# of songs1
|Playback time2
|# of songs
|Playback time
|Sansa Clip (1GB)
|16 hours, MP3
|32 hours, WMA
|Sansa Clip (2GB)
|32 hours, MP3
|64 hours, WMA
The Sansa Clip supports many music download and subscription services, including Rhapsody To Go®, Napster, eMusic and others. It's designed to work seamlessly with a wide range of popular music formats such as MP3, WAV, Audible (for audio books) and Windows Media Audio (WMA) in both unprotected and protected files (such as those WMA files purchased from music stores). The Sansa Clip can also play "DRM-free" MP3 downloads.
The player is expected to be available from retailers in the U.S. and Europe in September 2007, with other regions to follow shortly thereafter.
SanDisk is the original inventor of flash storage cards and is the world's largest supplier of flash data storage card products, using its patented, high-density flash memory and controller technology. SanDisk is headquartered in Milpitas, CA and has operations worldwide, with more than half its sales outside the U.S.
* Available as an option in some countries
* *1 megabyte (MB) = 1 million bytes; 1 gigabyte (GB) = 1 billion bytes.
1 Approximation based on 4 minute songs at 128 kbps MP3.
2 Based on continuous playback at 128kbps MP3, 64kbps WMA; rechargeable batteries may eventually need to be replaced as they have limited charge cycles (which vary with use and settings).
SanDisk's product and executive images can be downloaded from
SanDisk's web site/home page address: http://www.sandisk.com
SanDisk, the SanDisk logo and Sansa are trademarks of SanDisk Corporation, registered in the United States and other countries. microSD is a trademark. Other brand names mentioned herein are for identification purposes only and may be the trademarks of their respective holder (s).
This press release contains certain forward-looking statements, including expectations for new product introductions, applications, markets, and customers that are based on our current expectations and involve numerous risks and uncertainties that may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate. Risks that may cause these forward-looking statements to be inaccurate include among others: market demand for our products may grow more slowly than our expectations or there may be a slower adoption rate for these products in new markets that we are targeting, these products may not perform as expected, these products may not be available when expected or at the prices expected, and the other risks detailed from time-to-time in our Securities and Exchange Commission filings and reports, including, but not limited to, our Form 10-K and our quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. We do not intend to update the information contained in this press release.
|SanDisk Corporation
|Carm Lyman
|(707) 256-3834


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Teacher News
Parent Communication Center/Student Progress Center
Internal Parent Communication Center/Student Progress Center
(For use within the LPSB School System)
LPB Digital Media Library
Teachers and Parents:
Register for LPB LearningMedia, a new digital resource library that is free to all teachers and parents statewide. More than 18,000 research-based digital videos, interactives, images, audio files, lesson plans, worksheets, and more are available to use in your teaching or homework assignments. LPB LearningMedia is a robust library aligned to Common Core Standards and available to all PreK-16 classrooms. Click here to register and see a collection of tens of thousands of resources by subject area.


text:
Jet Ski Parts & Accessories For Yamaha Kawasaki JetSki Sea Doo Honda Polaris and Jet Boat SeaDoo Yamaha Scarab ATV.
Hot Rods Sea Doo Counter Balancer fits 1998 - 2002 Sea-Doo 951 CARBURETED PWC. CBS-051
Since 1994 we have been a leader in the powersports industry specializing in personal watercraft Jet Ski ATV UTV Snowmobile and Boats. We are a manufacturer and distributor of some of the top parts and accessories in the industry.


text:
Serviços Personalizados
Links relacionados
- Citado por Google
- Similares em Google
SA Journal of Industrial Psychology
versão On-line ISSN 2071-0763
versão impressa ISSN 0258-5200
SA j. ind. Psychol. vol.35 no.1 Johannesburg Jan. 2009
Towards a workplace conducive to the career advancement of women
Karen Lewis-Enright; Anne Crafford; Freddie Crous
Department of Industrial Psychology and People Management, University of Johannesburg, South Africa
The aim of this study was to start designing a workplace conducive to women's career advancement. Appreciative inquiry was selected as an appropriate methodology, given the slow progress that has been made in addressing gender equality at work. Seventeen men and women working in the finance division of a large organisation were invited to participate in an appreciative inquiry workshop. This was followed by interviews with four leadership team members. While no original ideas or solutions emerged from the interventions, participants of the appreciative inquiry process demonstrated a shift in thinking, more positive emotional responses, a shared vision for the future and improved willingness to assume accountability for change.
Keywords: career advancement; women and work; workplace design; leadership; inquiry workshop
A recent article in the Pretoria News entitled Women still lag far behind men in the workplace (Bolowana, 2005) highlights that, despite progressive legislation and aggressive organisational policies aimed at integrating women into senior management structures, little progress has been made.
In South Africa, statistics show that although women make up 52% of the adult population, and have a 41% representation in the workforce, they hold a relatively small percentage of influential positions. Only 7% of South African directors are female, 3% of chairs of boards are female, and 2% of CEOs are female. In response to these statistics, influential business woman and CEO of Transnet, Maria Ramos, stated that 'SA cannot reach its full economic potential if not all avenues of talent are explored' (Women in Business Census 2004, 2004).
This situation is not unique to South Africa, however, as a global historical overview of women in management shows that, despite almost 30 years of equality legislation in western society, women managers are still under-represented in the workplace. The majority of women still tend to fulfil typically 'female' jobs (clerical, personal services and sales) and women are still paid less than their male counterparts (MacDonald, 2004).
Even though gender equality issues have formed part of legislative and social discourse in South Africa for at least the past 10 years, and even longer internationally, it is clear that society has yet to achieve parity in terms of adequate female representation in organisational management structures. Former South African president, Thabo Mbeki, while commending the work of the Commission on Gender Equality, commented that 'society still lags far behind in terms of actual implementation, particularly in mainstreaming gender issues' (Freeman, 2003).
Researchers and theorists have hypothesised on the reasons why women are under-represented in top positions despite factors such as legislation and a societal drive for the promotion of equal opportunity and the acceptance of difference. Although they are no longer required to resign from work on account of marriage and pregnancy, women are generally expected to fulfil homemaker roles; a situation which makes it difficult to maintain a career (MacDonald, 2004). This idea is verified by the findings of Rowe and Crafford (2003), who use the technique of imaginisation to compare women in their gender study to the story of Cinderella. In the fairy tale, Cinderella was not invited to the ball because of her status as 'maid'. Similarly, women in South African society are still expected to maintain their domestic roles, often incongruent with the goals of management. In addition, the fact that women's bodies enable them to be childbearers places them in a position where they often have to choose between a career and motherhood.
In many dual-income families, social workers have found evidence of female overload, male intransigence, child neglect and relationship problems. This is because many women who work also take on traditional roles, including the full burden of domestic responsibilities. This unpaid work, including reproductive, domestic, care-giving and emotional roles, often goes unnoticed by their husbands and society in general (Kornbluh, 1991).
Women's own beliefs about what is expected of them may constitute a barrier. In her study of Korean women in the banking sector, Kim (2004) showed that female aspirations tend to focus on balance and security rather than on getting ahead. Granlese (2004) showed that, compared to men, female managers in the UK banking sector experience greater occupational pressures. Women in top management positions tend to have fewer children and are less likely to be married than men; a decision that is often later regretted. Those women who are married have concerns about earning more than their partners. These findings indicate that women feel pressurised by the gender role society expects them to fulfil and the conflicting responsibilities of work and home.
There are often psychological barriers at play for women in management (Commission on Gender Equity Gaps Conference, 2000). Poor self-esteem, personal inadequacy, reticence, the 'imposter' syndrome and fear of rejection are all factors that contribute to women not advancing to their full career potential (Garrun, 2004). In addition, younger women expecting to be stay-at-home mothers tend not to plan their careers as well as men do. A study by Shaw and Shapiro (1987) shows that a lack of career planning has resulted in many capable women taking on lower paid jobs, leading to job dissatisfaction and mismatched expectations. In addition, organisations have generally been unable to offer adequately flexible working conditions. Even organisations that support part-time work are unable to provide developmental opportunities or challenging career paths (Tomlinson, 2004).
It would appear as though the male model of career progression is most certainly still intact. This model emphasises that to show commitment to the organisation and prove one's worthiness of a senior role, a manager needs to work long hours. This excludes many working mothers and married women with domestic responsibilities from the race to the top. Some men are also engaging in a subtle form of behaviour known as presenteeism, which reinforces this model of career progression and further excludes certain women. Presenteeism involves staying at the office for longer than necessary to complete the job so as to impress those in power (Doherty, 2004).
In addition, organisations may support a particular gender culture which men often accept as the norm, but which may make it difficult for women to achieve their potential in the workplace. Maddock and Parkin (1994) have identified seven gender cultures that may be found in organisations. In the gentlemen's club, women are seen as mothers and homemakers, while men are the breadwinners. Women in this type of organisation are generally low-paid, unskilled workers and will never advance to senior ranks. The barrack yard culture is operant when the boss bullies staff and subordinates all marginalised groups, including women. When men build relationships on the basis of common interests such as sport and sexual innuendo forms part of everyday conversation, a locker room culture is operant. In a gender-blind culture, women are treated in the same way as men and a level playing field is assumed despite the different needs and experiences of individuals. The smart macho culture creates enormous pressure to reach performance targets and budgets. The environment is extremely competitive and those who work at different paces, irrespective of their gender, are discriminated against. A new breed of politically correct men has emerged in the paying lip-service culture. These bosses are well-versed in feminism and proclaim a belief in equal opportunity. However, they do little to develop previously disadvantaged groups and do not allow these individuals to find their own voices, but rather speak on their behalf. In a culture where women are gatekeepers, women, both inside and outside the organisation, exclude other women from entering the ranks of power. These women benefit from the status quo and their self-esteem may be linked to enforcing tradition.
In Rowe and Crafford's (2003) imaginisation exercise, the relationship between Cinderella's stepsisters and mother was used as a metaphor for the poor support structures women have in business. Initially the women appear to support one another. However, as soon as a competitive element is introduced, their relationship deteriorates to one of petty fighting. Similarly, in business, women often have only surface level connections, which break down easily in the face of adversity. There is not a critical mass of women to form strong, supportive bonds. This is exacerbated by inadequate networking. Female managers tend to profile themselves poorly, underplaying their achievements and avoiding workplace politics. In order to get promoted or to be recognised in business, networking is critical. Cinderella won the prince over and got what she wanted by utilising the short time she had with him to profile herself adequately.
Despite these numerous societal, organisational and personal barriers, women in management still aspire to top jobs almost as much as their male counterparts do. Research appears to support the notion that it is in an organisation's interest to open up career paths for women and to help them achieve their aspirations. This is demonstrated in a recent study by the USA-based organisation Catalyst, where a link between gender diversity on management teams and financial performance was found. Those companies with a higher representation of women on their management teams showed better financial performance in terms of Return on Equity (ROE) and Total Return to Shareholders (TRS) than companies with lower representation. These results are partly explained by group diversity theory, which states that diverse groups tend to make more innovative decisions than homogenous groups if properly managed. In addition, organisations with female representation on their management teams will be better able to tap into the market of women who are making and influencing purchasing decisions. This is because they are more likely to produce products and services that appeal to all customers (Catalyst, 2004). HIRS, a South African organisation focused on empowering women in the workplace, believes that female managers take a different approach to management than men. Their approach can result in collegial workplaces, more consultative decision making, collaboration and a greater emphasis on personal values in the workplace (Garrun, 2004).
It is clear that organisations need to change their cultures and retention strategies so that they are able to overcome some of the barriers that women face and are better able to tap into the pool of available female talent. Gender equality is not simply about social justice, but is a critical source of competitive advantage for companies.
Several tentative solutions have been proffered, and implemented to some extent, to address the issues. At a societal level, a critical mass of female representation is important. Equal employment legislation (for example, South Africa's Basic Conditions of Employment Act and Employment Equity Act) is required to ensure that women have recourse to assistance when they are discriminated against and that organisations are required to meet specific targets (Commission on Gender Equity Gaps Conference, 2000). However, legislation in itself is not enough. Doherty (2004) highlights that there are typically two approaches to implementing gender equity in the workplace. The first approach, employment equity, promotes gender-blindness, which assumes that men and women are the same and have similar needs. This model ignores the specific challenges that face women in the workplace. The second approach, diversity management, focuses on the very different needs of women and ensures that these are protected. This model can backfire if men feel resentful of the preferential treatment received by their female colleagues. While neither of these approaches is adequate as a stand-alone solution, both are required if women are to feel equal, accommodated and valued (Doherty, 2004).
At an organisational level, several strategies have been proposed, including promoting women to positions of leadership, thus making them more visible (Rao & Stuart, 1999), creating cultures in mainstream organisations that are more acceptable to women, offering flexible working conditions and acknowledging domestic responsibilities (Pile, 20054), and ensuring that men are part of the gender debate by providing gender sensitisation training to them (Rao & Stuart, 1999; Sweetman, 2001).
On an individual level, women are encouraged to network with other women (Sweetman, 2001), plan their careers in advance (Shaw & Shapiro, 1987) and ensure that, in their role as mothers, they sensitise their children to gender issues (Commission on Gender Equity Gaps Conference, 2000).
Despite numerous studies that have clarified the issues women face in the workplace, as well as extensive research into potential solutions for addressing these issues, the pace of change has been slow. It is my contention that this may be the result of the choice of methodology utilised to effect change. In my experience, organisational development interventions usually include experts spending time with management structures in order to understand the business problem, design an appropriate intervention, and then implement the solution. In some cases the degree of change is measured ('as-is' vs. 'to-be' states). Academic research about gender issues is also problem- or solution-oriented and focuses on gathering information, understanding it and providing new perspectives that may facilitate change. Both approaches adhere to a typical problem-solving framework:
There is a felt need and identification of a problem;
Causes are analysed;
Possible solutions are proposed; and
Actions are planned.
The underlying assumption is that organising is a problem to be solved and can be classified as deficit thinking (Hammond & Royal, 1998).
However, seeing the issues faced by women in the workplace as a problem to be solved may have reduced the possibility of generating new theory or promoting positive action. This has brought research efforts and business interventions to a stalemate, where the topic is greeted with cynicism, few new ideas emerge and little positive action takes place. Evidently, there is a need to explore fresh techniques for addressing the topic of women advancing in the workplace.
Appreciative Inquiry, an organisational development approach introduced by Cooperrider and associates in the 1980s, offers an alternative methodology. The approach focuses on what the group ultimately wants (possibility thinking), rather than what stands in the way of what they want (deficit thinking). Appreciative Inquiry is defined as the search for knowledge and the theory of intentional collective action to help evolve the vision and will of a group (Busche, 1995). It is based on the hypothesis that social forms will always progress towards images that are affirming and life-giving. Appreciative Inquiry incorporates the following (Hammond & Royal, 1998):
Appreciating the best of what is;
Envisioning what might be; and
Dialoguing what should be.
For this reason, Appreciative Inquiry was selected as an appropriate methodology for designing a workplace in which women can win.
Appreciative Inquiry, as a contemporary action research methodology, focuses on changing how people think rather than what they do. It is based on the socio-rationalist paradigm, which holds that reality is a product of the present, open to continuous reconstruction. The contention of this worldview is that social order is fundamentally unstable, and is capable of infinite variations through the connection of ideas and action (Ludema, 2001).
Appreciative Inquiry is founded on eight principles (Whitney & Trosten-Bloom, 2003):
Constructionist principle : what we know and what we do are closely interwoven. There are no empirical truths out there to discover.
Simultaneity principle : the act of observing a phenomenon changes it. By focusing on women's issues and possibilities for women, the participants are automatically conscientised.
Poetic principle: the language that women use to describe themselves and their stories has an impact on how they think and behave.
Anticipatory principle: the future is made, not predicted. What we do today is guided by an image of the future and influences that future.
Positive principle: momentum and sustainable change requires social bonding. Positive participation is critical in bringing about social change.
Wholeness principle: the experience of wholeness brings out the best in people, relationships, communities and organisations. Wholeness is never a singular story but a compilation of multiple stories, shared and woven together by the many people involved.
Enactment principle: the observation that acting 'as if' is self-fulfilling. Transformation occurs by acting out in the present what we most desire in the future.
Free choice principle: people and organisations thrive when people are free to choose the nature and extent of their contribution. Allowing people to self-select their engagement and focus on their own interests as they get involved liberates both personal and organisational power.
In a typical Appreciative Inquiry intervention, specific phases are followed (Cooperrider & Whitney, 2001). These include:
Discovery: the process of uncovering the positive and understanding what is good about the current system;
Dreaming is the process of stating an ideal and imagining what could be;
Design is the process of coming up with provocative propositions of what should be, based on what is and what could be; and
The Destiny stage gives participants an opportunity to codevelop action plans.
A recent meta-analysis of 20 Appreciative Inquiry case studies showed that this technique is most successful as a transformational tool when transformation is associated with changing how people think rather than what they do. According to this research, the most important step is the Design stage, where participants create provocative propositions. In addition, when the Destiny stage is characterised by open-endedness, rather than detailed project plans, the participants are more likely to nurture improvised action. The momentum for change and long-term sustainability increases when action planning and progress monitoring are abandoned. People should be compelled to find ways of transforming their situations themselves, rather than relying on a central project management function (Busche & Khamisa, 2004). This was noted in the design of the intervention, and practically meant that the bulk of the time in the Appreciative Inquiry intervention was spent on creating provocative propositions and driving towards a self-reflective approach to change.
The present study was conducted in the finance division of a large financial institution. There are approximately 260 employees in the business unit and there is female representation at all levels. The head of the business unit encouraged the study, since he believes there is a need to investigate how a more female-friendly workplace could be designed. It seems that many talented women leave the business unit after they have had children.
A purposive sampling technique was used for this study to ensure that all participants were selected to participate because they possessed characteristics of interest to the study (Silverman, 2000). Members of the transformation committee, who represent all departments within the business unit, were asked to participate in a half-day Appreciative Inquiry workshop and to recommend individuals from their business units who would be able to add value in the design of a workplace where women could win. It was suggested that both males and females be included in the workshop, in line with the literature findings that male participation in the process is critical (Rao & Stuart, 1999; Sweetman, 2001). An attempt was made to include individuals with and without families. The workshop was positioned as academic research, but was also contextualised as a way for the business unit to address gender-related issues using a different, participative and positively focused technique to gather data and propose solutions.
Altogether, 17 participants attended the workshop and there was representation from all departments. Six males and 11 females participated from all levels of the organisation, including five non-managers, eight junior managers and four senior managers/directors. After the workshop, findings were collated and circulated to the participants for commentary.
Because of the length of time that the workshop took, there was concern that directors with decision-making power would not be in a position to attend the full session. To accommodate the views of these individuals, semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted with four directors. Interviews are defined as two individuals meeting for the purpose of sharing information through questions and responses in order to construct a joint understanding of a particular topic (Esterberg, 2002). The interviews included a presentation of the findings of the Appreciative Inquiry workshop, open-ended questions to gather the leaders' personal views regarding the design of a workplace more conducive to women's career success, and a discussion where decision-makers were asked to outline a potential way forward for the business unit. During the interviews, reflection and probing were used to ensure a common understanding of the conversation content. Interview data was then transcribed.
All sets of data derived from the workshop and the content of the interviews were then analysed using the general qualitative phases identified by Baptiste (2001): (1) defining the analysis; (2) classifying the data; and (3) making connections between data. This approach was chosen because it provides phases common to most qualitative data analysis techniques, thus accommodating inexperienced researchers. The focus of the approach is to identify the key questions that a responsible analyst would pose during the various phases of data analysis.
Appreciative Inquiry workshop1
Prior to the workshop an invitation was sent to participants positioning the concept of 'women winning in the workplace', outlining the purpose of the session and requesting their time for the event. A participant guide containing a summary of the literature review, an overview of the Appreciative Inquiry process, interview questions and space for participants to take notes was prepared.
On the day of the workshop, the facilitator, who is an expert in the use of the Appreciative Inquiry technique, was introduced. My intentions for the study and role as an observer in the workshop were also explained. Thereafter an overview of the study was presented and the Appreciative Inquiry technique was briefly summarised for participants. Each participant then received a participant guide.
The first stage of the Appreciative Inquiry process, Discovery, took the form of interviews, where participants were split into pairs and coached on the use of semi-structured interviews to gather data from their partners. The goal of this appreciative interview was to explore the participant's peak experiences (Cooperrider & Whitney, 2001). The interview questions, adapted from the Encyclopedia of Positive Questions (Cooperrider, Whitney & Trosten-Bloom, 2001), are outlined in the table below.
As a larger group, participants reflected briefly on the paired interviews. Their comments made mention of a range of emotions and experiences, such as feeling that the process was scary, informative, energising, a good opportunity to reflect and that it was difficult not to be negative. Participants were placed in three smaller groups and asked to summarise the key themes emerging from the interviews. The broader group then voted to determine the most important themes. These are outlined in Table 2 below.
In the Dreaming stage, participants were asked to work in three groups to identify an ideal state for the organisation, by answering a question related to the future: 'It is 10 years from now and the organisation is voted the best company for women to work for. Why? What does it look like?' The results of this exercise are summarised in Table 3.
The Design process involved the three groups creating metaphors to explain their future ideal and verbalising a provocative proposition which could move the organisation from its 'as-is' state to the future ideal. Table 4 below outlines the metaphors and the provocative propositions.
To complete the Design stage, participants defined the social architecture required to achieve the desired future state. These included principles, people and practices required to move towards the ideal and these are outlined below.
The Destiny stage enabled individuals to look at what they would personally do differently to ensure women could win in the workplace as well as what the organisation should do differently in the future. Refer to Table 6 below for details.
Following the Appreciative Inquiry workshop, findings were collated and circulated to all participants for additional comment and input. While none of the candidates changed any of the content, some interesting remarks emerged spontaneously. These are documented in the table below.
The interviews with directors were semi-structured. Directors were asked to describe a working environment in which women could win. Reflection and probing were used to elicit further input. Once this avenue of questioning was exhausted, the Appreciative Inquiry workshop process and results were presented. The directors were asked to comment on both the process and the findings as well as to provide input on what should be done to practically address the issue of women winning in the workplace. The detailed interview schedule can be found in Table 8.
Interview questions were positively framed and appreciative in nature. However, the way in which the questions were structured, as well the expectations of the participants due to their research exposure and their seniority in the organisation, did not lend itself to a story-telling approach or the co-creation of meaning. As a result, the interview approach and process was significantly different to the paired interviews that took place in the Appreciative Inquiry workshop.
Without prompting, and despite the appreciative nature of the interview question regarding women winning, all interview candidates immediately focused on the issues that women face in the workplace. Key highlights are presented in the table below.
Interviewees also focused on utilising the advantages of having women in the organisation. These advantages were identified as characteristics unique to women, which men were seen not to possess. These included women being more in touch with people ('women have a higher EQ' (ref. IP1); 'women are intuitive' (ref. IP2)); and women being able to handle some situations more effectively than men ('women are better able to understand grey areas and not be black and white about everything' (ref. IP1); 'women are better negotiators' (ref IP2)).
Practical solutions proposed as a way forward by interview candidates are summarised in Table 10.
Comparing Appreciative Inquiry and interviews
While it was initially disappointing to have to use separate data-gathering techniques as a result of the lack of availability of senior decision-makers, this proved to be extremely valuable in hindsight as it provided an opportunity for the comparison of techniques. The data gathered in the Appreciative Inquiry workshop and the interviews were aligned with the findings in the literature, with no original ideas emerging from either technique. The key difference was found in the participants' emotional response to the data.
In the Appreciative Inquiry workshop participants dealt with various contentious issues in a positive, action-oriented manner, without spending time debating points of disagreement. The role of men was recognised as important in changing the status quo, especially with regards to the support men should be providing at home and the balance of life issues that affect family men. Gender-related bias in the workplace was addressed and owned ('no degradation [of women]' (ref. AP11; 'treat women in senior roles with respect' (ref. AP4)). Some participants held the view that women are already receiving equal treatment ('I believe the playing field is already equal. Women can be whoever and do whatever they want to' (ref. AP13); 'there do not appear to be any barriers for women' (ref. AP6)), but this did not stop them from actively participating in the workshop. Without consciously designing this into the Appreciative Inquiry workshop, different viewpoints were explored and participants were able to discuss others' perspectives without inhibiting the group's actionorientation or each individual's personal responsibility in changing the status quo.
In contrast, the interviews were fraught with clichés about the topic, as reflected in the literature: 'we must break [the boy's club]' (ref. IP1); 'women are their own worst enemies' (ref. IP1); 'women have two jobs' (ref. IP3); 'women must network' (ref. IP2); 'exploit our differences' (ref. IP1); 'assertive women are seen as aggressive' (ref. IP1). Contentious ideas were either avoided or handled in a defensive manner. Even when the topic was tackled directly, the idea of men playing a role at home was downplayed ('while a father's role at home is important, it is impractical for our organisation to address this unless other companies do the same. This is not in our immediate interest' (ref. IP1)). In addition, the negative roles that men could play in the workplace were emphasised (excluding women by participating in the 'boy's club'; indulging in sexually inappropriate behaviour). None of the interview candidates expressed an opinion about women already receiving equal treatment, even if they felt that this was the case. What came to the fore, without being questioned, was the underlying belief that women will always play the role of primary care-giver in a family: 'other than the mother/child situation I don't see a need for different treatment between men and women' (ref. IP1). The problems of overt gender bias in the workplace elicited an angry response from some participants: 'the worldviews of white male executives have to be changed; they need to see that women can be breadwinners and are not always just housewives' (ref. IP3). When pressed for solutions, interviewees were defensive and sometimes even cynical: 'I have never felt personally prejudiced as a woman at work' (ref. IP2); '[there is no point in analysing] why a boy's club exists' (ref. IP1). Interviewee comments on the results of the Appreciative Inquiry process showed that the organisation's leaders were non-committal about the technique: 'I can't really disagree with anything that's been said, but some of the data is a bit vague and unhelpful' (ref. IP1).
Reflections on the process
During the course of this study I was pregnant with and gave birth to my first child. Questions about the roles that men and women play in the running of a household, childcare and how these impact on one's career therefore became of personal interest. Having conducted a study of this nature, I felt more able to tackle some of the issues in advance, engage my partner in making difficult choices and to question the typical gender roles that are generally taken for granted. Being conscientised to the roles both genders need to play made a material difference to the types of solutions that were considered regarding the roles of raising a family and earning a living.
Another important note is that I have always been involved in large-scale organisational change management interventions. I was trained as a consultant in the problem-solving paradigm and usually approach workplace initiatives by gathering information about the 'as-is' situation, defining the 'to-be', performing a gap analysis, recommending an approach and then implementing the recommendations. The topic of women's advancement in the workplace had always plagued me as one of the notable failures of change management practitioners. Exposure to the Appreciative Inquiry technique highlighted involving stakeholders in designing solutions to achieve that vision. Although this terminology is used in traditional change management interventions, its practical application is quite different in Appreciative Inquiry, where the process is all about the participants, and management's agenda or view of a problem become secondary.
One of the strengths of this study was the opportunity for me to reflect on the contrasting responses that emerged from the different methodologies. Even though the interview questions were posed in an appreciative manner, they could not be compared to the Appreciative Inquiry workshop paired interviews in terms of structure and process. As a result, the content of the discussions was significantly different. While the Appreciative Inquiry interviews resulted in stories that created a deeper understanding of the other and a shared positive meaning, the data from the interviews with leaders was more negative and sometimes clichéd. It is possible that the interviews could have been designed on a more appreciative basis by focusing on shared storytelling, rather than on semi-structured questions. However, the process would need to be positioned differently, since the participants would have attached a specific meaning to an interview for academic research purposes and would have had definite expectations of how the process would unfold.
It is interesting to note that interviewees who did not participate in the Appreciative Inquiry workshop did not understand the process and shift in thinking that had taken place in the workshop participants. The data emerging from the intervention was regarded by the leadership who reviewed it as benign and not specifically value-adding. Yet the workshop participants had a completely different experience. The value of the workshop was not found in the generation of creative solutions, as no new ideas that had not already been presented in the literature emerged. The 'magic' of Appreciative Inquiry lay in the shift in thinking, the joint envisioning for the future, the participation of all stakeholders and the prioritisation process. The impact of the change was to some extent immediate. This is demonstrated in one of the participant's responses after the session, which constitutes a powerful self-reflection and an example of a change in thinking - the trademark of Appreciative Inquiry: 'I didn't realise before that the jokes we [men] make about women were having any impact' (ref. AP11). It was difficult to generate a common vision of the future in the interviews because a series of dichotomous views were presented and participants were not empowered to see the perspectives of others. The Appreciative Inquiry workshop created an opportunity for participants to make a mindset shift and view the world from another's perspective.
The Discovery stage of the Appreciative Inquiry workshop gave participants an opportunity to reflect on the positive aspects of the current situation at work and to use these ideas as a base for building the future. The content of these discussions became solution-focused immediately, with participants bearing testament to options that had worked for them in the past. Ideas that emerged are all reflected in the literature: mentorship (if she can do it, so can I; leadership); challenging the male model of career progression (quality not quantity); instilling a woman-friendly culture (respect; leadership); giving people a choice about the roles they take on (freedom of expression); instilling self-confidence in women (ownership). Even though no new solutions emerged, participants were able to acknowledge that, in their current context, there were positive factors that could be used to build towards a future ideal.
Without prompting, interviewees immediately reverted to a problem-oriented mindset. All the barriers to women's success in the workplace, as identified in the literature, emerged in some form. One reason for this could be that those interviewed are all well-versed on gender-related topics and were merely repeating what they had read or heard. Another hypothesis is that these are genuine problems that women face in the workplace. Either way, nothing new emerged from the interviews to assist in designing an ideal workplace for women. This corroborates my contention that a problem-solving approach merely results in reiterating the existing findings without addressing practical solutions.
The Dreaming stage of the Appreciative Inquiry workshop allowed participants to present a future ideal. Rather than seeing the gap between the 'as-is' and 'to-be' states, the process allowed people to visualise a future ideal, unfettered by current problems. The ideas that emerged were simple, and, in summary, amount to a requirement for gender equality at home and at work, as well as work-life balance for all. This is a succinct way of summarising the findings of years of research and clarifying what it is we are aiming towards in this field.
Candidates were not given a direct opportunity to express their future ideal in the interviews. This could have been construed as a very confrontational and personal question, especially in the context of such a sensitive topic. In a typical problemsolving approach, the future ideal is assumed and the focus is on removing the barriers to achieving what everyone wants.
During the Design stage of the Appreciative Inquiry workshop, participants were given an opportunity to create metaphors and provocative propositions to highlight their view of what the organisation should be aiming for. Beautiful imagery emerged. One of the groups compared the organisation to a honeycomb, highlighting the need for teamwork, support and strong delivery. The image of a honeycomb is female-friendly, since a swarm of bees is headed by a queen, a female leader. Another group saw the organisation becoming like Florence Nightingale, a female saviour of the disenfranchised. This image captures the idea that everyone belongs and that family is important. The third group used the joint image of a dove and a jet engine, thereby recognising the different approaches and strengths each of the genders employs to achieve the same goal (in this case, flying).
The final aspect of the Design stage is defining a new social architecture. The ideas that emerged here, in my view, were less captivating, as they were aligned to the stock-standard practices already proposed in the literature. This is congruent with the findings in the literature that provocative propositions are the most powerful and important component of successful Appreciative Inquiry workshops. What was important in this aspect of the Design process, however, was that participants designed and owned the solutions.
The Destiny stage of the Appreciative Inquiry workshop was of great interest because all the solutions proposed in the literature were mentioned. However, when candidates were asked to look at what they could personally change, the ideas presented were specific and action-oriented: 'get an education'; 'be a role model'; 'educate men'; and 'treat people with respect'. Throughout the process there was an implicit acknowledgement that individual action can change the status quo. In the interviews it became evident that candidates did not design the future together, but merely commented on solutions from their own perspectives. Almost all of the solutions mentioned in the literature emerged, phrased as actions for the organisation (formulating policy to attract women, creating opportunities for women, creating a supportive infrastructure for women, creating a female-friendly culture). Two ideas from the literature that are not reflected in the interview data are that women should be encouraged to do more aggressive career planning from an early age and that men need to play an active role in gender issues. This emphasises the lack of individual accountability in addressing issues and a poor understanding that the broader social system maintains the status quo.
It is noteworthy that the emotional reaction of the interview candidates was completely different to that expressed by the workshop participants. Anger, defensiveness and avoidance, the exact emotions that can prevent us from becoming unstuck, were all expressed in the interviews. On the other hand, the Appreciative Inquiry workshop candidates were reflective, thankful and positive about the future, even though there were some fundamentally different views expressed in the session. The power of possibility thinking in Appreciative Inquiry, as compared to the deficit thinking in a typical problem-solving approach, is evident.
All of the problems and solutions presented in the literature review emerged during the course of the study. It is therefore clear that in the sphere of gender equity in the workplace, the slow pace of change is not the result of inaccurate information or a lack of ideas. The difficulty lies in the implementation of the ideas in a systemic fashion. This study shows that Appreciative Inquiry may be an effective technique for facilitating change in gender dynamics in this organisation. However, in order for the momentum created in the workshop to be maintained, additional workshops would be required, particularly with the leadership team. As a research technique in the field of women's careers and gender issues in the workplace, Appreciative Inquiry shows great potential for exposing issues in a nonconfrontational manner, encouraging a participative approach to solution-seeking, appreciating the current context and setting bold objectives for the future.
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Freeman, C. (2003, February 14). Gender equity: Struggle not over. BuaNews. [ Links ]
Garrun, T. (2004, July 19). Glass ceiling still intact. The Star, Workplace. [ Links ]
Granlese, J. (2004). Occupational pressures in banking: Gender differences. Women in Management Review, 19(4), 219-226. [ Links ]
Hammond, S.A., & Royal, C. (1998). Lessons from the field: Applying appreciative inquiry. San Francisco: Thin Book Publishing Co. [ Links ]
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MacDonald, I. (2004). Women in management: An historical perspective. Employee Relations, 26(3), 307-319. [ Links ]
Maddock, S., & Parkin, D. (1994). Gender cultures: How they affect men and women at work. In M.J. Davidson & J. Burke (Eds.), Women in Management: Current Research Issues (pp. 30-40). London: Paul Chapman Publishing. [ Links ]
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Correspondence to:
Freddie Crous
Postal address: Department of Human Resource Management, University of Johannesburg
PO Box 524, Auckland Park, Gauteng, 2000
South Africa
e-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com
Received: 03 Feb. 2009
Accepted: 08 May 2009
Published: 13 Aug. 2009
This article is available at: http://www.sajip.co.za
© 2009. The Authors. Licensee: OpenJournals Publishing. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution License.
1. Quotes from participants have been catalogued as follows: ref. AP1 to 17 refers to Appreciative Inquiry Participants; ref. IP1 to 4 refers to Interview Participants. Information documented by Appreciative Inquiry workshop groups has been presented collectively rather than attributed to a particular individual.


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MINGORA, Pakistan — Pakistani police say they have arrested a number of suspects in the case of a 14-year-old girl shot and wounded by the Taliban after promoting girls' education and speaking out about Taliban atrocities.
A senior police official in Mingora, Afzal Khan Afridi, said Friday that police made arrests in the shooting of Malala Yousufzai.
He declined to give any details about their number, what role they're suspected in having in the shooting on Tuesday or how police apprehended them.
Yousufzai and two other girls were shot Tuesday in a school bus on their way home from school. The young activist is being treated at a hospital in Rawalpindi.
The shooting sparked outrage around the country and world and an outpouring of support for a girl who took on the Taliban.


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Each time data is inserted/updated/deleted into/in/from a table, multiple unrelated items of business logic need to be executed.
Given that the solution is to use database triggers, which option is better?:
1) A single trigger per operation (insert/update/delete):
I_Table- executed on an insert
U_Table- executed on an update
D_Table- executed on a delete
Each trigger would handle multiple unrelated items of business logic.
2) Multiple triggers per operation that were segregated by concern:
I_Table_Logging- for logging on an insert
I_Table_RI- for enforcing referential integrity on an insert
I_Table_BL- for executing business logic on an insert
U_Table_Logging- for logging on an update
U_Table_RI- for enforcing referential integrity on an update
U_Table_BL- for executing business logic on an update
D_Table_Logging- for logging on an delete
D_Table_RI- for enforcing referential integrity on an delete
D_Table_BL- for executing business logic on an delete
I prefer option 2 because a single unit of code has a single concern. I am not a DBA, and know enough about SQL Server to make me dangerous.
The architecture and schema of the database must not be changed. There are several places in the schema that should be enforced with explicit relationships, but unfortunately cannot be changed yet. That is the reason I need to manually enforce referential integrity instead of relying on an explicit relationship.
Are there any compelling reasons to handle all of the concerns in a single trigger? I'm specifically concerned about performance, order of execution, and rollback.


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Hurricane Factory Tatralandia is the first aerodynamic tunnel constructed in Slovakia. The tunnel is designed to experience jumping from an airplane. The glass flight chamber is 14 m high and 4.3 m wide. Massive motors are able to generate air flow of up to 270 km per hour inside the tunnel what is the speed of the real hurricane. But you are flying at a safe altitude and under constant supervision of an experienced instructor. Flying in the wind tunnel is for every physically healthy person older than 4 years.Shop now Watch live stream
If not actually flying in the tunnel, he is for sure riding a bike somewhere. He likes to learn new things and loves skydiving. But important is that he goes right to the point and saves your time. His friendly approach and modesty will break each barrier of fear of skydiving.
Always has a smile on his face and a cap on their head. A professional easily recognisable in the tunnel, patient, pleasant, and helpful. You'll have lots of flying fun with Peter. He teaches with humour and patience.
Funny, nice, and communicative. Overcomes all obstacles and always tries new adrenaline-related activities. Chosen skydiving because you want to be cool? Great! Peter will show you how to combine this sport with your lifestyle. His number of tattoos sets him apart from other instructors.
This instructor, who literally landed at our doorstep from the skiing world wearing our overall is not only a piloting enthusiast but also loves each and every sport that makes your blood pressure go higher and heart rate faster. Patrik, nicknamed Húštis is a positive fellow who loves to share his energy with everyone around him.
Hokejka (hockey stick) as everyone calls him is nice and friendly. He likes to have fun and learn new things. He is patient and responsible when flying with kids.
"Kečub" (not that he is particularly into ketchup, it is just his family name spelled backwards) is another super nice instructor. Apart from tunnel flying, he is also a passionate hiker, rock music lover, and adventurer. He came to us via Bratislava, Nepal, Thailand, and Vietnam, until he finally found happiness here in Liptovský Mikuláš. And we're happy too.
Robin has been an avid skydiver since his age of 15, who loves to meet new people. He has an eye for detail, most importantly in regards to safety. Always relaxed, friendly and with a healthy appetite to have fun and get his adrenaline going. If you ever feel down, come visit us and fly with Robin. He'll show you what it means to live life to the fullest.
Young, kind and friendly, these are the qualities that would describe Marek. If he's not currently flying in the tunnel, he's playing with a parachute high in the sky or riding a bicycle in the mountains. He has been charmed by flying at a very early age. He was already an active skydiver during his time at high school and he isn't planning to give up on it any time soon.
Ivan, always having a smile on his face, is an instructor by heart, he loves skiing, snowboarding, indoor surfing and most importantly, indoor flying. He's serious about his job responsibilities but never forgets to have fun while at it. That's why one of his life goals is to earn his living with his hobbies, which is currently working out for him.
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Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
In 19th-century China, seven year old girls Snow Flower and Lily are matched as laotong - or "old sames" - bound together for eternity. Isolated by their families, they furtively communicate by taking turns writing in a secret language, nu shu, between the folds of a white silk fan. In a parallel story in present day Shanghai, the laotong's descendants, Nina and Sophia, struggle to maintain the intimacy of their own childhood friendship in the face of demanding careers, complicated love lives, and a relentlessly evolving Shanghai. Drawing on the lessons of the past, the two modern women must understand the story of their ancestral connection, hidden from them in the folds of the antique white silk fan, or risk losing one another forever.
Actor: Russell Wong , Bingbing Li , Archie Kao , Jihyun Jun
Director: Wayne Wang
Writer: Angela Workman screenplay , Ronald Bass screenplay , Michael Ray screenplay , Lisa See novel
Release: 2011-06-24
Duration: 120 min
Quality: HD
Rating: 0


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Teaching Tools
John tells me our readership took a hit this past month, and he couldn't figure out what had changed until someone mentioned everyone's back in school now. A-ha! Of course.
So just to show that Cake Wrecks is nothing if not educational, I've whipped up a handy lesson guide for all you teachers out there. Now you can take the night off and catch up on the wreckage! Then tomorrow just fire up the overhead projector, and allow me to educate our future leaders. (No, no, don't cry; I do this because I care.)
An Educational Overview from Cake Wrecks
Grammar time! (Can't wreck this! Whoah-OH!)
Students, today we're going to look at how your lessons apply in the real world. Pay attention, because the pop quiz starts...now.
It's quite common for people to confuse "you're" and "your." Here's a simple way to remember which is witch:
This is correct:
Although it should be noted that owning an old Kurt in this day and age will never be "right."
Next, this rhyme can really come in handy for your spelling skills:
Quotation marks are vital for indicating when you're quoting someone verbatim or just being really, really sarcastic:
*Asterisks often denote footnotes, albeit sometimes invisible ones. Invisible footnotes are the work of the Knights Templar, and should be reported to Dan Brown "immediately."
A homonym (n) is each of two different words having the same pronunciation but different meanings, spellings, or both.
For example, "here" is where we are now:
While "hear" is what we do with our ears:
Next time we'll also discuss properly distinguishing your cursive "w"s from your "m"s.
Luckily, putting the proper endings on number contractions like first, second and third is as easy as 1th, 2th, 3th!
Well, I'm sure this lesson has been super helpful, students, so for your homework I want you all to show your teacher what you've just learned with an informative drawing. Bonus points if you use sprinkles. Or bring cake to class. Or write a sonnet entitled, "Why Jen from Cake Wrecks Deserves an Honorary PhD and also a Working Proton Pack, If Possible."
Now, chop chop!
Oh, and next week: biology!
Thanks to Ruth, Shane S., Gal N., Beth N., Brandi H., Amy S., Carla D., Margaret J., Maria R., Sarah R., Christina M., Nicole S., Michele T., & Jess for believing the children are our future. And for teaching them "well" and letting them lead the weigh.
PS - Believe it or not, I actually DO hear from a lot of teachers who use CW in the classroom. Here's a fun example. Now, don't you have a sonnet to write?


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Types of Automotive Lifts News
Listed here are the different sorts, offered by garage equipment supply dealers:
This kind of vehicle lift is put together underneath the garage floor. It includes a number of pistons, with respect to the maximum weight capacity. Lifts with a couple of pistons can be used for compact, mid-sized and full-sized cars. Lifts with 3 or more pistons can be used for bigger vehicles, for example buses and RV's.
Two Publish Surface Mounted
The most typical vehicle lift utilized today is known as a 2 Publish Surface Mounted lift. On every column, you will find lift arms. They are controlled robotically, digitally or hydraulically.
Multi-Publish Runway Automotive Lift
The most typical type may be the four-publish mounted lift, that is extensively utilized by oil change, transmission, and muffler service shops. You will find this kind of auto lift in wheel alignment service stations too. The vehicle is driven to the two runways and elevated, exposing its bottom.
Low/Mid Rise Frame Engaging Lift
This kind of vehicle lift engages the vehicle's frame in lifting. There's two ways this kind may operate. One of the ways is scissors-style, moving upright. These guys parallelogram-style, continuing to move forward or backward, while raising or lowering. This kind is generally employed for brake, tire, and wheel services in addition to auto body repair.
Drive-On Parallelogram
The Drive-On Parallelogram is really a surface-mounted vehicle lift. It's two runways in which the wheels from the vehicle ought to be placed. It features a lifting mechanism that moves the automobile ten or twenty yards forward or backward while raising or lowering. The direction depends in route the lift is mounted.
Scissor Lifts
The Scissor Lift may either constitute a set pad type or perhaps a roll-on frame/underbody engaging type. It features a lifting mechanism that's like the parallelogram lift. Their primary difference would be that the scissors lift rises and lower on the straight vertical path.
Movable-Type Wheel Engaging Lift
This kind of vehicle lift can be used for vehicles which are more than conventional cars, for example buses and trucks. It includes several lifting posts in teams of two, four, six, or even more. The posts could be moved and associated with another posts to ensure that their movements are synchronized.
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Although Windows Phone 8 was announced last week, we're still waiting on Verizon to announce some dates for their release (luckily pricing was mentioned).
Windows Phone Central just received some internal training documents that share some points for reps to sell the phones to customers. What's more, we have the first written confirmation of wireless charging for the HTC 8X. From the training document, Verizon notes the following: "Wireless charger is built in so you can charge your phone wirelessly with a wireless charging pad (sold separately)"
Wireless charging for the HTC 8X was first reported by the Verge a few days ago and although we had little reason to doubt them, it's still nice to see that feature officially listed in these documents. Indeed, that really is a huge selling feature for what is already an excellent device. Although the 8X doesn't match the AT&T-exclusive Lumia 920 in some features, HTC can check that off as not being one.
Other bits of info from the documents—one for the HTC 8X and one for the Lumia 822—show selling points for the devices e.g. "Seek a robust music and audio experience" or "Get turn-by-turn voice-guided navigation with offline access from Nokia Drive+. US maps come preloaded with many more available for download".
Rumor had it that Verizon will be launching these phones on November 8th, which last we checked is just a few days away. Unfortunately we're hearing that these phones won't launch until "Thanksgiving week" with the Samsung Odyssey not due until just before Christmas. Reportedly Verizon/Samsung don't want the Odyssey to "interfere" with the November launch of the Galaxy Note 2. Take that, as you will.
Hopefully that date won't be pushed back and you can pick up your HTC 8X ($199) or Lumia 822 ($99) this week. But for now, you may want to not plan too much.
Thanks, BigRed, for the info!


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Seattle Seahawks deliver early knockout, coast to Super Bowl victory
If Super Bowls are about legacies, how's this one fit?
Defense still in fact wins championships — even against arguably the best quarterback of all time in inarguably the best season ever by a quarterback.
Peyton Manning owns the regular season. But he was no match for Malcolm Smith and the Seahawks' unrelenting defense when it mattered most.
Smith, Seattle's anonymous linebacker, returned an interception for a touchdown and also recovered a fumble to spur the swaggering Seahawks' 43-8 beatdown of the Broncos in Super Bowl 48.
His reward: the Super Bowl MVP award, becoming just the third linebacker to win that honor.
"No way," Smith said, when asked if he thought that this was possible. "I'm just here to represent the defense. … [Sunday night] was my turn, and I'm here, but it's definitely on behalf of them."
And because of them, the Seahawks are champions for the first time after 37 years of futility. As for the Broncos, it was the latest chapter in a largely fruitless history:
They've now lost in the Super Bowl five times — more than any other franchise.
And like two of those previous setbacks, this one was in humiliating fashion.
Their 35-point drubbing will join 42-10 and 55-10 in the annals of all-time title-game skunk jobs.
As for Manning, he had hoped to cement his legacy and become the first quarterback to win a Super Bowl with two teams. Instead, his more malicious critics who believe his Super Bowl 41 title was the exception, and not the rule, will have fresh fodder.
manning struggles
Manning, to put it kindly, stunk. His 34 completions were a Super Bowl record — and yet completely irrelevant.
Far more important: the two interceptions he offered up, the fumble he lost and the ugly 5.7 yards-per-attempt he managed.
"This is disappointing for our entire team," said Manning, who is now 1-2 in Super Bowls. "We worked hard to get to this part, overcame a lot of hurdles to get here. But certainly, to finish this way is very disappointing. It's not an easy pill to swallow, but eventually we have to."
Said Broncos coach John Fox, when asked about Manning's doubters: "I can't really say it out loud. Ludicrous would probably be the proper English."
Still, no one could argue that something was amiss on this night.
Most everything Denver had in the passing game was underneath. Seattle's famed Legion of Boom ensured that. Kam Chancellor set the tone early when he rattled Demaryius Thomas' fillings on a crossing route. Chancellor later corralled an interception on a plain awful overthrow by Manning.
wire-to-wire rout
It was clear from literally the opening snap that Denver, which prides itself on preparation, was out to lunch. While going through his presnap protection calls, Manning fooled his center, Manny Ramirez.
The shotgun exchange came before Manning was ready, went over his head, rolled backward some 15 yards and resulted in a safety. The play came just 12 seconds into the game, making it the quickest score in the Super Bowl's nearly five decades.
And, ironically, it was only the eighth- or ninth-worst thing to go wrong for the Broncos on the night.
Smith, the 24-year-old linebacker who played for Seahawks coach Pete Carroll at USC, was a major reason why.
With the MVP award, Smith now is one up on his brother Steve Smith, the receiver who won a title with the Giants six years ago.
But he was just one of many unexpected heroes for Seattle.
Another one: Percy Harvin, the former Florida Gator who has a gimpy hip and a recent history of concussions.
As for his will? Never stronger.
After a season spent mostly on the shelf, Harvin looked out-of-the-box fresh on the game's grandest stage Sunday.
Harvin's second-half-opening, afterburner-firing, 87-yard kickoff return turned a Seattle rout into a laugher.
Then there's Russell Wilson, who becomes just the second black quarterback to win the Super Bowl. (The other: Doug Williams with the Redskins 26 years ago.)
Wilson completed 18 of 25 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns, becoming the first quarterback of the heralded class of 2012 to raise the Lombardi Trophy.
"The thing you want to do at the end of the season is play your best football," Wilson said. "We did that [Sunday night]."
Then there's arguably the longest shot of them all: Carroll, who many believed could never win at this level after failing with the Jets and the Patriots.
Now he's just the third coach to ever win both a college football national title and a Super Bowl title.
"This is an amazing team," Carroll said. "These guys started a long time ago. It took four years to get to this point. We never took a step sideways or backwards. These guys would not take anything but winning this ball game."