Three really is a crowd

â€Å"Would you like some pretzels with your wine.† The airhostess said, I never drink when I fly but in this case I need a drink to steady my nerves I have called my old friend Lauren to see if she knows where nick is living now and I am in luck she had just seen nick. â€Å"How was he?† I asked impatiently â€Å"He was kind of distant, not his usual laid back self. Why are you asking about nick you never want to talk about him what has happened?† Lauren sounded concerned. I couldn't keep secrets from Lauren she was my oldest friend and my rock when things go wrong. I had to tell her so for the next half an hour I poured my heart out I told her everything about Pierre and nick and the engagement ring. † Well he sounded really upset now I know why, what are you going to do.† She sounded genuinely sorry for me. † I am just going to turn up at his flat and try to talk him round I love him Lauren, it has always been him I was happy with Pierre sure, but he was always in the back of my mind.† I am never one to pour out my heart but I couldn't help myself. Lauren offered me her spare bedroom to stay at her house, which is less than a mile away from nicks so it would be perfect. I wake up as I look out the window and can just see the sky through all the buildings there is a deep blue sky just like the day me and nick went on a weekend away the sky was like that all weekend I can't help but smile at all the good memories of me and nick. The time at the new years the night nick and me first got together ‘ I was all alone no one to kiss at midnight 4,3,2 I am going to look like such an idiot 1 nick suddenly appears from no where and kisses me a real kiss I had never been kissed the way he kissed me.' There it is that all to familiar feeling when I think of me and nick. Later that day I was in the local cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½, all of a sudden Lauren made excuses for herself and left quickly as I watched her leave my eyes wandered to the bar where nick was sitting I nearly spilled my coke I hadn't even noticed him come in. What should I do I didn't want to talk to him here and now I wanted to be alone with him I couldn't just chicken out not after giving up my relationship with Pierre and possibly my dream job. All of a sudden with out any notice nick turns his head he sees me I don't know what to do I end up sitting their like an idiot pretending not to notice him. To my surprise nick gets up and walks out. I nearly burst into tears I knew that I hurt nick but I didn't think he could not even bare to look at me anymore. When I get back to Laurens I tell her everything she has a great idea † How about I ring nick and ask him if he wants some company tonight you turn up instead of me and explain how you love him.† She was the best friend a girl could have I agreed to the idea. In the taxi on the way to nicks house I couldn't help but feel sick with nerves the way he had just blanked me as if he didn't even know me as if I meant nothing to him as if nothing had never happened between us I know I hurt him but he is the man I love, I would give up the whole world for him. It takes me what 10 to15 minuets to knock on the door suddenly my phone rings I open my bag in such a hurry everything falls out onto the floor. I hear the latch on the door turning I look up to see nick staring down at me, I wonder is he going to slam the door in my face but to my surprise he bends down and starts picking all the contents of my handbag up as he passes it to me our eyes meet he holds my glance I can't breath thinking what I have done to this man how I lied to him how I hurt him so much. † We better go inside.† He finally says he hands my bag to me and opens the door letting me in. why is he being so cool about all this, what happened today in the cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½? His flat is so nice his shinny leather sofa and his modern art that is so cool and laid back like himself, they say people's house tells you most things about them when nick came to my flat their were dark lies in all of Pierre's stuff. â€Å"Nick I am so sorry I came here to explain everything!† I sound desperate but I can't help it. â€Å"You hurt me.† † I know I was just starting to get my life on track after I left you and then you walk back into my life and my whole world turns upside down and with one look at you I fall completely head over heels in love with you.† Nick says nothing he just stares at the floor he can't even bare to look at me. â€Å"I didn't want to tell you about Pierre I knew it would wreck all our chances together.† † So you just lied to me, as if I meant nothing to you.† He sounds hurt â€Å"You know I don't think you are nothing I think you are everything. I would never intentionally hurt you.† A tear rolls down my cheek I suddenly realise how much I have hurt nick. â€Å"I should leave.† I go to get up and leave to my surprise nick jumps up he reaches for my arm to stop me â€Å"Why are you going?† He almost sounds desperate like I did earlier. † I don't know I don't see how I can undo what I have done and it is like a knife through my heart seeing the pain in your eyes the pain I have caused and it is in your eyes now as I try helplessly to try and explain what I have done to you.† I can hardly see nick through tears. Nick reaches up and wipes my tears away, why is he being so nice I don't understand. † I love you Sarah even if you lied and even if you left me to go to nice I will always love you.† † But can you forgive me?† Nick let's go of me he sits down on his cool leather sofa he puts his head in his hands. † Let me explain myself, you see I had left you behind it took me at least a year to get over you, then one day Pierre walked into my office he was the new guy he was so gorgeous and charming.† † Do I really have to hear about you and Pierre.† He says almost in disgust, am I digging myself a hole but I have to tell him everything. † Just listen to me no more lies, I never thought I would find love again it wasn't the love we shared but my life had to go on me and Pierre were happy the night before I saw you he proposed if I had known I was going to see you again I would have called everything off right then and there but I thought I was never going to see you again I thought you had moved on and made a new life of your own.† I was trying my best to make nick see that I didn't purposely try to hurt him. † I understood all that, I just can't understand why you lied cause I asked you if you had a boyfriend and you lied straight to my face, I actually remember seeing the ring on your finger and thinking nothing of it thinking that it was your right hand or something.† He looked so tiered and fed up. † Did you take the ring off?† he asks, I can't lie to him not now even as much as I'd like to I just can't. † Yes but again I can explain you asked me if I had a boyfriend so I took the ring off hoping you hadn't already noticed, I know you want to know why because I love you and wanted to see†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I can't get out the words and when I do they sound all wrong. † To see what?† he is starting to get annoyed â€Å"To see if we ever had a chance together.† I am nearly in tears again † Don't cry please.† He sounds concerned † How can I not cry I am trying to undo the mess I have done, I have said I am sorry I can't say anymore I have described the way I feel, but I now am asking you what you think!† I can't help but ask I know it sounds selfish but I am giving loads and getting nothing back this was it truth time when I had to know what my future with nick was going to be. † I said earlier that I still love you.† He seems kind of distance not to sure of what he is saying. † But can you forgive me nick I need to know.† I have to know I can't bare it; nick is the type of guy not to let you know what he is thinking even if I know him as well as I do. † I forgive you, but you have hurt me.† I nearly burst into tears with happiness, we both catch each others gaze and in those blue eyes my happiness is restored. Nick stands up he comes right up to me and wraps those warm and protective arms around me. ‘Ring, ring' nicks phone is ringing, I can't believe it who could it be, it is nearly half ten at night. † Who could that be?† I have to ask † I don't know.† ‘Ring, ring' † Aren't you going to answer it then.† Nick walks over and picks up his phone to see who is calling; to my surprise he switches his phone off without even answering it. † Who was it?† † Oh no-one, I have more important stuff here and now.† Nick takes me by the hand and sits me down on the sofa, I am expecting him to sit next to me, to my horror he gets down on one knee and produces this jewellery box, he opens it and in there is the most perfect ring in the world. † I know it isn't the size of Pierre's ring†¦Ã¢â‚¬  † No, no it is perfect.† † I think you know the question I am going to ask but I am going to ask it anyway, Sarah will you marry me.† I look down into those perfect blue eyes. † I think you know the answer, yes.† I shout it so loud, nick puts the ring on my finger, then jumps up and lifts me up spinning me around he starts to slow down just as he is putting me on the floor he leans in and kisses me a real kiss a nick kiss, my nick. I later discovered that nick had bought the ring in nice and had come for a job interview so he could live with me in nice. I can't wait to tell Lauren I am so excited, I walk back to Laurens it is such a clear and perfect night the stars are so bright and clear. † Lauren you will never guess what has happened!† I feel like I can't get the words out fast enough. † What?† she sounds confused and worried † Are you alright?† † I am the best, you know how I was going to nicks, well when I got there my phone rang and he opened the door and I was scrambling†¦Ã¢â‚¬  † So you and nick got back together then.† She sounds weird and not her usual self. † Not only that he asked me to marry him.† I have to scream † No way, oh my god I don't believe it!† she sounds so surprised † I think I am going to bed.† She says, what the hell I wanted to stay up most of the night planning it. † Oh what, don't you want to help me with ideas.† † No I am so tired, but we will talk in the morning.† She gives me a faded smile and goes off to bed. I can't possibly sleep now so I deicide to go back to nicks. I don't bother to buzz because someone is coming out of the building, as I reach out to knock on nicks door it opens and out walks Lauren in tears. † What the hell are you doing here and why are you crying.† I say confused. † Lauren wait I can explain†¦Ã¢â‚¬  nick walks out after Lauren but stops dead when he see's me. † Lauren what is the matter.† I look at nick for an answer but he is staring at the ground, what is going on? I want to know I thought she said she was going to bed. † Why don't you let nick explain, let nick explain everything.† Lauren runs off in tears. I have no idea what is going on † Nick what the hell is going on, why is Lauren crying, why was she even here?† I don't understand any of this. † We need to talk, lets go inside.† Nick walks into the flat I follow behind him, when I get into his flat there is a smashed glass on the floor. † What has happened let me clear it up.† I walk over to clear it up † Just leave it, I need to tell you something.† He sounds guilty and worried. † Nick what is going on, first Lauren comes out of your flat crying then there is a smashed glass on the floor and now you are looking guilty and asking to talk to Me.† am I being paranoid? † You might want to sit down I have to tell you something.† † What nick tell me now don't give me all this crap about sitting down tell me.† † Lauren was crying because she didn't want you and me to get married.† † What, why?† I don't understand. † Because she loves me.† I don't believe it he doesn't look like he is lying I look into his eyes he is telling the truth nick never lies not to me. Suddenly it all makes sense when nick walked into the cafà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ this morning how Lauren walked out and why she didn't want to talk about my wedding plans. † Why would she be in love with you?† I can't believe I am asking this and I try to not to sound like I want to know but the question has to be asked. † Because, we had a thing!† † What do you mean a thing?† he better not be saying what I think he is saying. † Me and Lauren together.† † You're not giving me enough information, what the hell are you trying to say here?† I can't believe what he is trying to tell me. † Me and Lauren we had a thing together, right after you left.† † I don't believe what you are saying, how long for?† I feel like I want to scream. Nick whispers something but I can't quite here him. † Don't whisper I need to hear this.† † Two years the same time as you and Pierre were together.† † Pierre you didn't even know, whereas my best friend.† † You slept with my best friend, don't even try to get out of it and you leave me standing on the prom in nice crying my eyes out because I got engaged while you are sleeping with my best friend who I have known and trusted for over ten years.† I am nearly in tears and I feel pathetic but I am angry, angry at being so stupid not to see it and angry at nick for making me feel bad and guilty when he has been doing exactly the same but worse. † I'm sorry, I can explain give me a chance like I gave you a chance earlier.† He sounds desperate and upset. I look over to him he has tears in those big blue eyes he stands up and walks over to me. † You had gone and Lauren understood what I was going through so we became friends and one night we got really really drunk and one thing led to another†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"So you slept together at least me and Pierre were in a stable relationship.† I am so mad I am crying in anger. Nick reaches out to wipe my tears away but I push his hand away. † Don't touch me, how could you and you blamed me for getting engaged and you, you were†¦Ã¢â‚¬  I can't even say the words; suddenly a thought comes into my head. † Wait a minute when I spoke to Lauren on the phone last night on the plane she said that she had seen you in the last twenty four hours that means you slept with Lauren after you had seen me didn't you.† I am really crying now. † Didn't you!!!† I scream at him he looks up with tears in his eyes and nods his head. † You bastard.† I run over to him and hit him again and again I am like those sad and depressed woman in the movies but I can't help it nick is holding me down and trying to hug me. † Get off me.† I am crying so so much, I can smell nick his gorgeous smell, nick is still trying to hug me I give up we just stand there holding each other for what seems like hours after a while nick speaks. â€Å"Let me explain just give me that much of a chance.† He sounds like he is crying I look up to see that he is, I nod and sit down on the sofa to listen I don't want to hear this but I want to know I have to know. † You had just gone and Lauren was there the first time we slept together we were drunk, then it became a regular thing.† I look away as tears spill out my eyes I can't take it but I've got to know, nick lifts my head up and looks me right in the eyes, he is nearly crying as well. † I knew I couldn't have you, so Lauren was the closest thing to you, what me and Lauren had was like a drop in the ocean compared to us, Lauren was growing more and more attached but all I wanted was you, before I knew it me and Lauren had been doing it for two years and she just wasn't you so I decided to come and get you when I got there you were with Pierre.† He gets up and walks into the kitchen, I follow him when I get into the kitchen he has his back to me I swear he just wiped a tear away from his eye he turns to me and looks into my eyes. † Sarah I love you.† † But can I forgive you?† † That is up to you, what me and Lauren did is horrible and I will never forgive myself.† † I don't know I have to think this through until then I think you should have this.† I slide off mine and nicks engagement ring I reach out to give it to him but he refuses to take it so I put it on the granite worktop and leave. Where should I go I can't go to Laurens I defiantly can't go to nicks. ‘Knock knock' it is taking ages for them to answer after what seems like hours later the door opens. † Mum!† I burst into tears † Sarah what has happened come in what has happened.† So I tell her everything right from the start the two engagement rings, Pierre, nice, Lauren and nick. By the time my story has finished it is beginning to get light. † What should I do mum I don't know what to do.† † First you should get some sleep then we will talk about it.† She smiles at me. It is weird sleeping in my old room so many times I cried myself to sleep in this bed, when dad left, when granddad died, when I failed my GCSE's, the night before I left for nice and left nick behind. I get up to the smell of home when I go downstairs mum is sitting in her usual spot I remember as I child whenever she had to think something through she would sit their and no one was allowed to disturb her for hours. † Hey how did you sleep?† She pats the spot next to her I go and sit with her. † Not well, I kept thinking about nick and how he is, I did try to stop thinking about him but he just kept coming back into my mind.† â€Å"I know sweetie it is horrible.† † What should I do mum?† † My advice is, Lauren is the main one to blame I am not saying nick is innocent in all this but he was looking for a replacement of you, whereas Lauren knew full well what she was doing and lied to you every time she spoke to you.† † Still I don't know what to do.† † Go and talk to nick and if you love him give it one last try I am not saying it will be easy.† So I took mums advice. I press the buzzer outside nicks flat, so many things are running through my head I don't know what is going to happen I don't even know weather to forgive him or weather I can forgive him. † Hello† † It's me, can I talk to you.† He buzzes me in without saying another word, when the lift doors open he is standing by his door wearing boxers and a t-shirt. † I was asleep I wasn't expecting you to come back.† He looks really tiered and upset I can't look him straight in the eyes just yet. † You better come in.† he walks in leaving the door open behind him when I come into the flat I find him in his bedroom sitting on the end of the bed, he looks up at me † I didn't get much sleep after you left I obviously feel asleep, how have you been?† he looks concerned † I didn't sleep much every time I tried to sleep I just kept thinking about you.† I look at nick and ask myself how can I still love him after what he is done to me and if I was being honest with myself I don't actually know the answer. † Can I ask you one thing?† I say curiously † Anything but are you sure you want to hear it?† † It isn't about you and Lauren.† I say † Ok then what is it?† he looked surprised did he want me to ask about him and Lauren or was their more he hadn't told me, that he had left out hoping I wouldn't know maybe I was just being paranoid it was hard to tell this whole lie was so unexpected. † If you were sleeping with Lauren†¦Ã¢â‚¬  nick looks away ashamed † When you came to nice and found out about me and Pierre how come you were so mean to me when you were doing the same with Lauren?† it is a harsh question but it has to be asked. † Because you obviously had strong feelings for Pierre, I don't know maybe the thought of you even liking someone else also maybe the fact that you lied to me.† He sounds annoyed at that. How can he be annoyed at me I didn't sleep his best friend did I? † Why are you getting annoyed at me for lying.† I sound like a spoilt child â€Å"I don't know?† † Well I suggest you find out, you're the one who told me after I agreed to marry you.† † You're the one who let me find out when your fiancà ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½ turned up when I was topless just about to kiss you.† Nick stands up, I can't believe him. † Oh that is low even for someone that sleeps with my best friend when he says he was madly in love with me.† I say spitefully † Don't you dare for a second say I wasn't in love with you.† † So why didn't you come and get me?† † I did.† † What three years later, three years to late.† I am shouting now thank god it is the middle of the day and not the night. † What did you expect me to come after you?† † Yes.† I say almost in a whisper, Nicks face instantly changes † What?† † Yes, I wanted you to come and get me but you never showed up.† Nick comes closer to me † I never knew.† † You didn't have to know were weren't supposed to know.† I turn away from nick, I have come here to try and sort things out and end up saying things that were just stupid thoughts ages ago and they don't even help now. I can't think of anything to say and nick is just looking at me, I seriously have no idea what to do I want to tell him so much I love him but I just can't not now. I look at nick hard to see what he is thinking looking into his eyes I just can't work it out. Suddenly I thought crosses my mind. † I need to go.† † What, why I thought we need to talk.† Does he think this is it. † I have to speak to Lauren see what she has to say and pick up my stuff.† † Why are you going, are you coming back.† † I don't know, I just have to talk to her to see what she has to say about all of this.† I leave the flat as I am pressing the bottom for the lift door to close nick suddenly comes out of his flat and holds the lift door open. † Promise you will come back and talk to me.† He says I don't know what to say I have to hear Laurens side of the story before I make any decisions. † Even if you can't forgive me at least come and say goodbye.† I nod and nick lets go of the lift door I look at him as the door closes I look at his light brown ruffled hair, his perfectly tanned skin, his strong hands, and those perfect sea blue eyes. I really don't want to see or hear Laurens side of the story but it has to be done; I suppose I owe it to our friendship or something like that. I don't bother to knock or buzz because being one of her oldest friends I have a key it is, seeing as it is a Sunday she is sure to be in. when I walk in she turns around and smiles † Sarah where have you been did you stop over at nicks.† She winks at me, Why is she acting normal when she knows what is going on. † Isn't that more your style!† I know I sound like a fifteen year old but before I can stop myself I have said it. Lauren sighs † So he told you† † Well what did you expect him to do not tell me?† † Oh I don't know, I didn't expect you to even come after him.† † What you knew.† † Of course, all of a sudden I was dumped for you.† now she sounds like a fifthteen year old † Lauren you can try to match you and nick to me and nick but as nick said your relationship was like a drop in the ocean compared to ours. So don't you dare compare, I am here for one thing only and that is to hear your pathetic excuse of a side of the story.† I have to stay strong and not cry I try to remember revenge is a dish best served cold, cold like Laurens heart has to be. † Sarah don't be like this.† She sounds desperate † So come on then I want to get this over with lets here it from start to finish the whole feeble excuse for an affair.† â€Å"Sarah don't be like this.† † Why not.† I shout at her I hate being like this but I am so mad at her. â€Å"Ok, I'll tell you just after you left nick was really upset so I went round to cheer him up and we got really really drunk and ended up in bed together and from then it become a regular thing.† She looks away ashamed of herself exactly like Nick. † So what is your excuse then nick had a reasonable one.† I ask impatiently † What I just told you about me and nick.† † No you told me what happened I want an excuse for sleeping with my ex boyfriend when you knew I still liked him.† I know I am being really unfair on her but she deserves it. † You knew I always liked nick I knew he was just using me because he couldn't have you.† † Is that it.† I say in disgust † Is that your excuse cause if it was I wasn't buying it.† I shake my head at her and walk into my room get my stuff and go to leave as I am getting to the door Lauren runs after me. † You left nick it was over can't you let someone else have him I shouldn't be ashamed of what we had or still have.† † What do you mean still have?† † He told me he loved me.† She says looking pleased with herself, I look at her with tears in my eyes. † How could you Lauren I thought you were my best friend and your just a desperate †¦Ã¢â‚¬  I stop myself † Go on Sarah it's not like you to not finish saying what you like.† Lauren says sneering at me. † I wouldn't want to waste my breath.† I walk out leaving her standing there. When I am outside Laurens I am trying to get a taxi as I begin to give up and start walking a taxi slows down inside it is nick he opens the window and tells me to get in. † Where to then?† The taxi driver asks, I look at nick for an answer † Just drive us around for a while we need to have a talk without one of us running away.† The taxi driver grunts a bit before agreeing and we start to drive nick leans over and closes the hatch. † Nick what are you doing here?† I ask † I never trusted Lauren, I had to come and get you so she doesn't feed you a pack of lies.† I say nothing and just stay silent † Well come on then tell me what she said I know she has said something.† How can he tell that by just looking at me. I can't stand this I need more time to think so I reach over and open the hatch and tell the taxi driver to stop. † She said you loved her.† I say as I scramble out of the taxi with my bags I begin to walk off all I can hear is Nick shouting my name. â€Å"Sarah wait.† He shouts from somewhere behind me † Just leave me alone!† I shout back people are stating to stare but I don't care. Nick is right behind me when he catches up with me he stops me and spins me round so I am facing him I didn't realise he was so close to me he is right behind me. † I don't love Lauren I never have I like her but I would never love her.† † So why did you tell her that you did?† I look up at nick he is not going to reply so I carry on talking. † I can take the fact that you have been sleeping with her for the past two years but telling her you love her when you say you love me, I am sick of this Nick all the lies and dirty little secrets.† I look across the street at all the people walking in and out of the shops. † Did you tell Pierre you love him?† nick asks † Of course I did.† I reply, this is it right here me and nick standing in the middle of a busy London street this is when I realise the future. † It looks like we are both in love.† I say to nick, he begins to smile I raise my hand for a taxi † But it looks like we are in love with the wrong people.† I say as tears spill out of my eyes I reach up and kiss nick on the head † Goodbye nick.† I get in the taxi † Heathrow airport please.† I can hardly see nick through tears † Sarah don't do this I love you.† Nick shouts from the pavement I can't bear to look at nick † Just drive please,† I say my voice wobbling cause I am crying so much. This has to be the hardest thing to do; all I can see is nicks face when I got in the taxi the way he looked at me. I am sitting at gate waiting to be called wondering if I am doing the right thing. † Could people sitting in business class please come to the desk with your boarding cards and passports ready.† The airhostess was saying into the microphone this was it all over again leaving nick but this time it felt a hundred times worse. I have to do this I am strong enough to do this I know I am. So why am I still sitting here? I get up and walk over to the airhostess giving her my boarding pass and passport, she smiles brightly at me all I can manage is a brief smile I feel so rude but I am not in the mood to be polite. She hands my passport back and lets me through to go down to plane my stilettos are killing me and all I want to do is kick them off and run, run into nicks arms and forget all my troubles but I just can't not now not ever again. As I reach the aeroplane I am almost in tears again luckily no one has noticed, I get on to the plane and into my seat all I can think about is nick nothing else everything around me seems to remind me of nick like the guy sitting next to me got out his briefcase and I happened to notice his card that clearly explained that he was a lawyer like nick and the lady in front of me asking for a martin without the olive just like nick would ask, I keep telling myself I am being paranoid. After what feels like days I am home. I open all the windows in my flat to let out all the heat it is nearly midnight and still boiling, I try to get some sleep but just can't I keep thinking about nick and wondering what he is doing. I decide that I am not going to sleep at all and end up watching dirty dancing the best romantic film if only love could really be that simple even though her dad doesn't like them together he accepts it in the end and they dirty dance dance together. I wouldn't normally cry at the end but after everything that has happened I can't help but cry. I end up falling asleep in front of the TV all I can see in my dreams is nick screaming my name but none one can hear him I wake up to the my phone ringing no wait not the phone the door bell I look up at the clock it is 3.30 who on earth could it be. I stagger to the door still half asleep yawning I open the door and standing in a white checked shirt and jeans is nick. I can't speak I don't know what to say I look around for a conversation starter and end up catching sight of myself in a mirror I look terrible I am wearing and oversized t-shirt and bed socks my hair is all messed up. I look up at nick and he is just looking into my eyes. † I have been shouting your name for ages haven't you heard me?† he says in a gentle voice. † I was asleep, sorry.† Why am I apologising he shouldn't be here. † Nick why are you here?† I ask † Because I am not going to let it end like this.† Nick walks into my apartment and sits down on the sofa, I close the door behind him and end up sitting on my dinning room table cause my apartment is open plan you don't have to sit on one particular chair I can sit anywhere. † Do you want anything to drink?† I ask politely † No, I want you.† I have no idea how to reply to that so I just end up sitting their not being able to think of anything to say luckily I don't have to say anything. † I know you don't want it to end like this, and I am not going to let it end like this.† † How do you know what I want?† I ask getting angry â€Å"Because I love you and if you love someone you know every little thing about them.† † Like what?† I ask â€Å"Like the way they take their coffee, their shoe size, what their favourite movie is or when they are lying or unsure about something.† † So do you know all of that?† I challenge him † You don't like coffee or tea, your shoe size is 6 which you hate cause you think it is to big, your favourite movie is dirty dancing probably cause of Patrick Swayze and I do know when you are lying cause I knew the minuet after you left that you were lying.† I get out and walk on to the balcony I don't know what to say? By this time nick has followed me. † I love this view.† Nicks say looking out on to the sea and the moon. † You have seen it before.† † True but I didn't pay much attention to it last time all of my attention was you, it looks like you have done really well for yourself.† † Well running a billion euro cosmetic company does have its upsides.† I laugh nicks says nothing and just smiles

Film Analysis: “Braveheart”

Over the past decade, Hollywood has begun to turn to history as the source of inspiration for some of its award-winning movies. Most, if not all, of these films would be promoted by the producers, directors and even actors of the film as those that are as close to historical accounts and documentations about these events and individuals. Although this may be the case, a portion of the scenes shown in movies based on events and prominent individuals in history have been included in order to add to the drama and action to the film even if the scene does not have any historical documentation to support the scene to be included.In some cases, certain parts of an otherwise historical event may also be changed in order to make it more striking and memorable to the audience. The paper will provide an analysis on the accuracy of the events presented in the Academy Award-winning movie â€Å"Braveheart† starring Mel Gibson. The paper would provide a summary of important key points prese nted in the movie. Specifically, the paper would look into the accuracy of the battles portrayed in the movie to research conducted by historians with regards to Sir William Wallace, the hero depicted in this epic movie.The paper would also look into the viability of the romantic affair between Sir William Wallace and the Princess of France and the surrounding circumstances as depicted in the movie. Summary of â€Å"Braveheart† In order to analyze the accuracy of the situations and events of the movie â€Å"Braveheart†, a summary of the movie must first be provided. The film begins in Scotland in the year 1280 AD. The death of the king of Scotland left the country without a ruler of its own as the king did not have a son to leave the kingdom to.As a result, the rulers from neighboring countries began to compete with each other for the crown and ownership of the kingdom of Scotland. The most formidable of these competitors was Edward the Longshanks, king of England. His claim over Scotland was met with hostility from the commoners of the land. In order to extinguish any retaliation on the part of the common people of Scotland, Edward the Longshanks arranged a meeting whereby each leader of the different shires of Scotland were invited to attend, allowing them to bring along only one page as their companion.Among those who have been invited was a commoner named Malcolm Wallace who decided to take his eldest son, John, with him to the meeting. They were delayed to arrive to the meeting as Malcolm had to convince his youngest son, William, that he was still too young to go to the journey with them. Upon their arrival, Malcolm Wallace had realized that his son’s persistence had saved him from walking into a trap that had been orchestrated by Edward the Longshanks. All the attendees in the supposed meetings were hung inside the cottage where the meeting was supposed to have taken place, including the women and children.William, who had tried to follow his father and brother to the meeting, saw the brutality of the scenario – a vision that had left a lasting mark to the young boy (â€Å"Braveheart†). The brutality of the scene prompted Malcolm Wallace to stir some of the leaders in the shire to attempt a violent response for what Edward the Longshanks had committed to their fellow men. Unfortunately, the effort was a failed attempt, and Malcolm and his son were killed in the battle. On the day that his father and brother were buried, his uncle, Argyle, took him into his care (â€Å"Braveheart†).The film then fast forwards to a few years later. Edward the Longshanks, in his quest to rule over all of Europe, formed an allegiance with his rival, the King of France, through the marriage of the latter’s daughter to Edward the Longshank’s son and heir to the throne. Meanwhile, in Edinburgh, the Scottish nobles had formed a council. Included in the council was the 17th Earl of Bruce named Robert, who has been considered to be the leading contender to the crown of Scotland. Among the topics that begun to concern the council was the issuance of the decree of prima nocte by Edward the Longshanks.This gave nobles who have sworn their allegiance to the King of England the privilege to sleep with any newly married common woman on the first night as a married woman. This was done in an effort to encourage more Scottish nobles to swear allegiance to the King of England which then would lead to the surety of Edward the Longshank’s hold over Scotland (â€Å"Braveheart†). It was around this time that William Wallace, now an adult, returns to the shire that he had left when he was a young orphan.He reunites himself with Hamish, his childhood friend and the young woman named Murron who, during his father and brother’s burial, offered him a flower as a sign of sympathy. Because of the prima nocte decree, William and Murron married in secret and thus allowing William the privilege that most other men in the shire had been deprived of (â€Å"Braveheart†). The turning point for the pace of the movie and the life of William Wallace occurred just a few days after his secret marriage.A soldier of the English crown attempted to force himself on the young woman, but she had fought and, through the help of William, freed herself but only for a while. She was eventually caught by the soldiers and was executed in front of the entire town as an example on what would happen to them should they try to oppose any representative of the king of England, be it a soldier or a noble since according to the nobleman, an opposition to any individual representing the king of England is an opposition to the King himself (â€Å"Braveheart†).The death of Murron and the reasoning of the noble had caused William Wallace to begin a revolution beginning in his own town. His passion and determination to rid the country of the English had made a lot of Scottish c ommoners take up arms and join him in his cause. Town after town, he and his band of men which eventually led to the joining of the forces of the Scots and the Irish, had made the townspeople consider him as a legend and tales began to spread about him (â€Å"Braveheart†).News had reached the King of England and sent his daughter-in-law, the Princess of France, as an ambassador to negotiate some form of truce and ceasefire with William Wallace, who by now had been knighted by the Council of Scots, headed by Robert the Bruce. Wallace declined the offer of Edward the Longshanks by relaying to the future queen the haunting scene that he had stumbled on when he was a boy and when the King of England first offered a truce to the people of Scotland.Not only did the Princess of France become amazed by the intelligence that Wallace had exhibited, but she also began to grow fond of him in a romantic way (â€Å"Braveheart†). When she returned to London and delivered the message of William Wallace to the king, he decided to go into war with Wallace again. This time, he was to have a larger army by tapping into the allegiances that he had formed through the years. When news of this reached William Wallace through the help of the Princess of France, Wallace went to the Council of Scots to ask them to join their cause.Initially, Robert the Bruce gave Wallace his word and so did the other members of the council. However, on the day of the battle, Wallace first experienced betrayal when he saw two of the council men that showed up with their respective armies had turned around after being bribed by the King of England, and then later when he discovered that Robert the Bruce himself was fighting alongside the King of England as well (â€Å"Braveheart†). Upon seeing the effects of his betrayal to Wallace, Robert the Bruce was overcome with guilt and as a means to try to amend for his betrayal, helped Wallace escape the battlefield.This allowed Wallace to ta ke revenge on the two noblemen who have betrayed him in the battlefield (â€Å"Braveheart†). With news of Wallace’s escape reaching the King of England, another attempt was made on his life. This plot was overheard by the Princess of France, who again warned Wallace of the assassination attempt. Unfortunately, the third time, Wallace was finally apprehended. Robert the Bruce sent word to William Wallace that he would like to talk and make amends for his previous betrayal.Still trusting the Bruce, and realizing the need for a larger army to continue the cause, Wallace went to the residence of the Bruce alone and unarmed. Unknown to both Robert the Bruce and William Wallace, the other members of the Council, through the guidance of Robert the Bruce’s father, made arrangements to hand William Wallace over to the King of England (â€Å"Braveheart†). William Wallace was tried for high treason against the King of England and was sentenced to be executed the fol lowing day. Knowing about this, the Princess of France begged for the life of William Wallace to the King of England as he lies on his deathbed.When the king refused to grant the request of the princess, she then made it known to the dying king that she was pregnant with the child of William Wallace, his mortal adversary (â€Å"Braveheart†). Wallace suffered a horrendous and slow death through a process called hung, drawn and quartered. With his last breath, he shouted with all his might the word â€Å"Freedom†, a cry that stirred the hearts of his comrades who witnessed his execution in the crowd. After he was beheaded, the body of William Wallace was cut into pieces and placed in different locations to serve as a warning to anyone who tries to go against the King of England.His head was situated on London Bridge, while his arms and legs were sent to the four corners of England. The movie ends with the narration on how instead of deterring any form of resistance towar ds the crown of England, the opposite had actually happened. In the year 1314, despite the Scottish army headed by Robert the Bruce were lacking in resources and heavily outnumbered, had won the freedom of their land from English rule in the battle that occurred on the field of Bannockburn (â€Å"Braveheart†). Analysis of the Accuracy of â€Å"Braveheart†

Nursing management Essay

Introduction To lead effectively, you have to strike the difficult balance between communication and accountability. Different situations call for different leadership approaches, depending on corporate needs, objectives and available resources. Ultimately the goal of any leader is to get results. Here’s a list of the various common leadership types. Types of Leadership The Autocrat The autocratic dictator is the one of the most common types of leaders. The autocrat’s approach is to make unilateral decisions without asking for suggestions from other members of the group. Such totalitarian leaders have the advantage of saving time and receiving little oppositions as they seek solutions. The classic example of autocratic leadership is seen in the governments of countries like North Korea, which control their citizens through force and fear. Used positively, this type of approach is helpful to tighten up companies that are suffering from inefficiency or a lack of discipline. The Laissez-Faire Leader This type of leader is the opposite of the autocrat: employees are given a lot of freedom and eeway to work as they see fit. The laissez-faire leader rarely monitors employees and does not get feedback or updates on a regular basis. The style can be advantageous for companies that aim to harness individual leadership skills and encourage initiative among employees. The laissez-faire approach can result in time savings and better intra-office relationships, but only in companies with efficient, honest workers that require little supervision. Over time, leaders still need to follow up on the employees or they may sacrifice efficiency, productivity and affordability. The Motivational Leader A motivational leader helps to bring out the best in everyone. By taking the time to get to know each member of the organization, this type of leader gets to study employee’s strengths and weakness and develop strategies for taking advantage of them. This approach leads to good communication throughout the different levels of an organization. Employees get to share their feelings, thoughts and ideas, and so feel empowered and satisfied. AÂ  motivational leader is perfect in sales organizations or companies that are in need of a creative spark—or a jolt of enthusiasm. The Democrat The democratic leader values every member of the organization and seeks to make each group member feel content and useful. A democrat participates in tasks while respecting and acknowledging the suggestions and contributions of other workers. This approach generally leads to team efficiency and happy employees. Note that while members of the group participate in the planning and decision-making process, the leader makes the final decision based on all available information. The Gratifier The gratifier follows the old carrot-and-stick approach. Such a leader sets goals and then offers relative rewards depending on the contribution and achievements of members. If an employee or department performs poorly, there may be punishments or penalties. One benefit of this traditional management strategy is that it’s possible to initiate competitions within the workplace that often lead to improved—even transcendent—performance. The Innovator An innovator is creative and dynamic, adapting quickly to change and spearheading explosive growth. An innovative leader is aware of new developments in the marketplace and is always listening to other team members, on the lookout for fresh ideas and solutions. The best thing about the innovator’s approach is that the lead-by-example creativity inspires other employees to explore, expand and come up with new concepts of their own. This type of management strategy is particularly effective for tech, media and other idea-driven businesses. Your company’s current needs and goals may dictate the most effective management approach. Be flexible, and respond to changing circumstances or personnel by varying that approach as needed. It’s also wise to tailor your style of management to the capabilities and personalities of your company leaders.

Event management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 3

Event management - Essay Example Groups of related event usually stage up the pre-event and the post event requirements, preparations, site an event management area, the impact of time frames, number of guests required, food prepared with respect to the scales and the intended target groups of events. An example of an event is the graduation ceremonies held in the schools, which require event related operations. Through this operation, a student will be able to understand what is required in the event. Guest invited, parents and any other target get to know what time is the event starting, and all the other proceedings. These events help to design the programs to be followed in a particular span of time. This program designed to help eliminate much time wastage since most of time an event that is not designed with relevant programs tends to extend to late hours hence frustrating the attendees. They also help to give the chronological analysis of the presentations in the events. Each event has a unique way to handle the running activities that have to be effectively designed and followed. Team organizer and designer of the programs is first selected to discuss on how to conduct the event in a unique way that will attract the guests and the other attendees. Logistical arrangements are then made by the event team to determine the amount of the time to be consumed by the related event, the number of the guests invited the event also helps to determine whether the site put aside for the sole purpose of the event will accommodate the number of the people require to attend the event. Some other teams are selected to formulate the branding of the event especially the event are not seasonal or they require high attention. Event operation management is basically about getting things done effectively and efficiently in an organization. They aim at delivering a product or a

Current event analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Current event analysis - Essay Example The article argues that the study is highly significant as the prevalence of alcoholism and depression is frequently interrelated, and no substantial treatments have yet been designed to specifically address this diagnosis. The study was conducted by Helen Pettinati Ph.D. and her associates at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to receiving the medical treatments, the patients underwent cognitive-behavioral therapy. Over a fourteen week period, one-hundred seventy people were tested, using four treatment groups. All four treatment groups demonstrated improvements. While all four groups demonstrated improvements, the group that received the combined treatment demonstrated the highest rate of abstinence and also had the longest intervals in between drinking. The difference in intervals was extreme, with the average interval for patients with the combined drug 61 days; while the other groups combined was 15 days. While the article states that the combined treatment was most effective in reducing adverse side effects (namely hospitalization for rehabilitation), it neglects to mention if there were new side effects from the combination of the drugs. It also doesn’t neglect if research is looking into a hybrid drug that would function to treat alcoholism and depression

E-learning through Virtual Field Trips Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

E-learning through Virtual Field Trips - Essay Example Here the word 'virtual' means "delivered via the Internet" (qtd. in Lai 135) and not taken to mean that it is an unreal experience. "VFTs involve electronic travel, via the Internet, beyond the classroom in either place or time, for the purpose of learning." (Hovell 135). By this definition, VFT can be classified as a form of e-learning. In designing e-learning programs, the delivery of the programs can either be in the (a) synchronous mode, where using technologies such as videoconferencing, interaction with remotely located students is made possible or (b) asynchronous method, using CBTs and WBTs, students work on the lessons independently. It is especially important to consider the merits of an e-learning program with respect to all aspects of the system - the learners, the instructors, access to technology, cost-benefit, value addition to the curriculum, intangible benefits etc. Apart from the challenges posed by virtue of being a form of distance education, e-learning warrants a different attitude to learning relying heavily on the ease of use of the underlying technology. The "Ten Benefits of Learners" (Broadbent 31) include: understanding and recall during online discussions, caters to a wide range of learners with different learning styles, easy access to learning material independent of time and place, ... The purpose of this paper is to: - Introduce the basic concepts and principle of VFT - Provide an overview of how to design a VFT by applying principles in e-learning - Describe the LEARNZ program as working example of VFT - Offer a conclusion regarding the value of VFT as an e-learning tool. Basic Concepts of VFT A Virtual Field Trip is an alternative to an actual field trip and not a substitute. VFTs offer an almost realistic experience by presenting 'an interrelated collection of images, supporting text and/or other media, delivered electronically over the World Wide Web, in a format that can be professionally presented to relate the essence of a visit .." (qtd. in Lai 136). "Bellan & Scheurman (2001) look on virtual and actual field trips 'as complimentary components in a powerful instructional approach' to learning. VFTs can serve as preparatory pre-visit motivators.. and focus attention on things students will see on the actual field trip" (Hovell 137). The essential components of VFT are: data collected during the trip, text used for descriptions, multimedia used for audiovisual effects and the technology that form the 'interactive components'. A logical and dynamic combination of these components, deliver the experience of an actual field trip to a location otherwise inaccessible for study to everyday learners, such the icy waters of the Antarctic Ocean or the architectural marvels of the Egyptian pyramids. The primary entities in the VFT program are: the students, the instructors, the Technology and the curriculum (the learning). Every entity in the system has an important role to play and is inter-connected with every

Chipotle Mexican Grill Financial Position Case Study - 1

Chipotle Mexican Grill Financial Position - Case Study Example This shows an improvement in the company’s performance, as it is indicates an increase in the rate of return on the shareholders equity that is going up steadily over the years. More than often, the return on assets ratio gives a measure of effective and efficient utilization of assets in order to produce net profit. It therefore, allows the management an opportunity to enhance the utilization of resources around the company. Chipotle Mexican Grill return on assets in the year 2008 indicates a ratio of 0.3788 and thereafter an increase in the 2009 as the return on assets ratio rose to 0.4987 and a further increase in 2010 to 0.5094, indicating that there was an increase in the returns on the net profit from the assets, as they were effectively utilized (Grant, 2009). As a restaurant that offers Mexican food, Chipotle Mexican Grill is considered to be the leading among its competitors in the United States market. This attributes are related to its ability to offer services that have got high level of integrity. More so, the services of Chipotle Mexican Grill is accredited as one that is of high quality and has outstanding reputation as a result, the company outshines the rest of its competitors who offer Mexican dishes as it is followed by Baja fresh Mexican grill (Allen, 2011). On the other hand, Taco Bell remains low in its operations because it offers lower food quality as compared to its competitors even though its menu remains favorable. The liquidity ratio of Chipotle Mexican Grill indicates the profitability measure concerning how effectively and efficiently the firm’s performance is accredited in terms of the current ratio (Grant, 2009). A good liquidity ratio gives creditors more interest in transacting with the company, as it determines the overall liquidity of a company in terms of business short-term solvency thus, its ability to pay back its debts as it runs its business

Problem Set 6, 7, and 8 Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Problem Set 6, 7, and 8 - Assignment Example Thus it is a measure of the strength of relationship between the two variables. David states that when the two variables are continuous-level variables, the value is called Pearson correlation coefficient (David, 1997. Pg100). Suppose an economist wants to determine if higher oil prices increase the cost of shipping and the degree of the relation between the two, in this case, his main concern is the cost of shipping and how it is being affected by the changes in the oil prices; of which he wants to determine whether the shipping cost changes depend on the changes in the oil prices. Thus the dependent variable is the shipping cost while the independent variable is the oil prices. This is basically because the shipping cost depends on the oil prices. To answer his question, the economist can go ahead to collect historical data on the same and probably tabulate his results as below: To measure the strength and direction of relationship/association between two variables, Spearman rank-order correlation can be used. It is a nonparametric measure. David notes that before using Spearman rank-order correlation, it is vital to check the validity of the data (David, 1997. Pg230). This is because not all data is qualified to be analyzed by Spearman rank-order correlation. Thus to use the spearman rank-order correlation, data must meet the following prerequisites: Thus I selected this test to analyze the data based on these two conditions that have been met by the data. Suppose football analysts want to find out the order of the teams between two years in English premier league, Spearman rank-order correlation may be an option. The analyst has collected the following data: 1. Predicting unknown values of a variable from the value of several known variables (predictors) is done using multiple regression analysis. For example, we can predict the value of a dependent variable y so long as we are given the value of xi (x1, x2, x3, †¦xn) Suppose an

The Horrors of being Deaf in Prison Research Paper

The Horrors of being Deaf in Prison - Research Paper Example Contrary to the misconception back in 1960s, it is wrong to believe that deaf individuals to have more capability of committing violent crimes and sexual deviances simply because several studies revealed that not all deaf individuals will aggressively respond to social isolation or minimal communication to other people (Young, Monteiro, & Ridgeway, 2000; Vernon & Greenberg, 1999). Likewise, Miller, Vernon, & Capella (2005) noted that there were several authors who over-represented the number of inmates with hearing loss that were held prisoners in country jails or the state prison cells (Zingeser, 1999; Jensema, 1990). The authors also considered the significance of the research topic. Upon investigating the previous research studies that were conducted by other researchers concerning the deaf offenders (Miller & Vernon, 2002; Young, Monteiro, & Ridgeway, 2000; Vernon & Greenberg, 1999), the authors strongly suggested the need to compare and contrast the degree and types of violent o ffenses that were made by the deaf and hearing prison population because of the high incidence of psychiatric misdiagnoses due to lack of familiarity with deafness. According to Miller, Vernon, & Capella (2005), there were quite a lot of previously available research studies that carefully examines the different patterns behind the offending behaviors made by deaf individuals and those without hearing problems. However, most of these studies were conducted using limited sample sizes which could somehow distort the actual research findings and analysis. As part of increasing the accuracy of the research study findings and analysis, the authors examined 99 deaf inmates with severe-to-profound hearing loss among the total of 133,680 inmates throughout the state of Texas back in 2001 (Miller, Vernon, & Capella, 2005). Review of Literature In any types of research study, the authors should provide a clear literature review that clearly identify and compare the different types of criminal and non-criminal offenses made by prisoners with and without hearing problems, discuss how the variables and key terms are clearly defined, and examine the research strategies that

Microorganism Responsible for the Disease of Jake Essay

Microorganism Responsible for the Disease of Jake - Essay Example He also observed that C. tetani can be grown only in the absence of oxygen. He could also ascertain that bacteria do not spread to other organs and tissues rather remain at the place where they are injected into the body. C. tetani release two toxins namely tetanospasmin and tetanolysin. The role of tetanolysin is not very clear; however, it has been found that the toxin called tetanospasmin is the main culprit behind the disease. (Guilfoile 2008) In 1890, Danish scientist, Knud Faber, was successful in isolating tetanus toxin from C. tetani and noticed that toxins developed similar disease symptoms as found to be caused by infection with C. tetani. (Guilfoile 2008) Symptoms and Identification of Disease As per the case details, the blood test report from the lab mentions about the gram-positive rods in Jake's blood. Moreover, stiffness in the abdominal muscles and difficulty in swallowing are the two major symptoms that have surfaced. Jake reported that he was hurt and scratched his leg on scrap metal a week ago while skateboarding. The average period of incubation for tetanus spores is usually found to be 8 days though it could vary from 3 days to 3 weeks. Jake got a wound only a week back when he hurt his leg at the construction site and this incident is a potential cause for him getting infected with tetanus that is how most of the tetanus patients usually get infected. His eating at the local Mexican restaurant does not seem to be a cause for the current symptoms because none of his family members got affected or had any complaint so far of any kind. Jake is a healthy young man with no previous history of muscle stiffness or any nerve disease. Rabies too has somewhat similar symptoms such as difficulty in swallowing but it is ruled out because it is caused by a virus and blood report clearly shows the presence of Gram-positive rods. Bacterial Meningitis is also ruled out because it is a disease caused by Gram-negative bacteria. It is quite likely that Jack was infected with C. tetani bacterial spores when he hurt his leg with scrap metal. Spores got activated and developed into gram-positive bacteria. (Gram-Positive Bacteria 2011), The bacteria produce a powerful toxin called tetanospasmin that affects muscles. These spores are found in soil, faces, dust widely in the environment. Puncture wounds provide spores an easy entry into the human body. That is what seems to have happened in the case of Jake. Tetanus is not transmitted from person to person but acquired from the environment and Jake’s current history suggests so. Epidemiology and Risk Factors Tetanus is found to inflict people worldwide but damp and hot climates offer a fertile ground for the C. tetani to flourish. Its spores are widely found in the faces of animals such as dogs, rats, sheep and other cattle. Usually, spores get entry into the body through wounds and puncture. Widespread immunization in the U.S has made this disease a rarity with 50 or less numb of ca ses every year. Drug addicts are at high risk for tetanus. Source: http://www.cdc.gov/vaccines/pubs/surv-manual/chpt16-tetanus.pdf Between the period 2001 and 2008, out of the 233 cases of tetanus patients only 26 deaths were reported in the U.S including one case of neonatal death.

Business Strategy Kerry Group Essay Example for Free

Business Strategy Kerry Group Essay In 1972 Kerry Group started its operation in Listowel, Co. Kerry. In 1974 Kerry Group has been formally established as Kerry Cooperative Creameries Limited in County Kerry, Ireland. The company grew in less than 30 years from this small provincial dairy for one of the world leaders in specialty food ingredients producers and distributors. During the 1970s, the company expanded to include a large number of dairy farms and processing plants in the counties of Cork, Killarney, Galway and Limerick. Between 1979 and 1985, Kerry has built a lot of confidence in their abilities and technologies. During the 1980s the business strategy of the organization was based on organic growth with a focus on diversification. With that Kerry began branching out from its core dairy products in other categories of food. The company had its growth through acquisitions including a number of manufacturing facilities and other food processing, located throughout Ireland and Northern Ireland. In 1986 with Denis Brosnan as chief executive, the cooperative decided to become a full-fledged company, listing its shares on the Irish Stock Exchange. The newly public company reported strong growth after its first  full year of operations, with revenues nearing IR £ 300 million, and net profits of nearly IR £ 6.3 million. Before the end of the decade Brosnan managed to double the sales of the company maintaining its Expansion in Ireland with the acquisition of 1986 Snowcream Moate Dairies, and the formation of a division of convenience foods, bringing the company into this increasingly prominent market. Alongside this movement was the intensification of business Kerry special ingredients. At the same time, Kerry also established presence in the United States, the opening of a processing facility dairy product, Jackson, Wisconsin in 1987. In the 1990s Kerry Group continued to expand its business into the UK from the acquisition of new businesses to the already existing portfolio company. Kerrys acquisition drive continued into the late 1990s, bringing the company into France, Italy, Poland, Malaysia, Brazil. Two important acquisitions highlighted Kerrys expansion. The first came in 1994 when the company acquired the business of food processing DCA, bringing the company to a position outstanding among North Americas specialty ingredients producers. The DCA purchase also introduced it to the Australian and New Zealand markets. The opportunity for renewed expansion came in February 1998, when the Kerry Group announced its agreement to purchase the food ingredients businesses of the U.K.s Dalgety PLC. Kerry acquired Dalgety Food Ingredients plants in the United Kingdom and in Hungary and the Netherlandsnew markets for Kerry well as plants in France, Italy, and Germany. The Dalgety acquisition firmly established Kerry as the top specialty ingredients producer in Europe, and one of the worlds leaders in its specific categories. Kerry was now turning its attention to two new markets: the Far East and South America both markets represent a huge potential new customer, both for the companys products and food brands, and products for their  ingredients. Companys initial forays into these markets include acquisitions of plants in Malaysia and Brazil, while the company predicted that these markets are reaching some 25 percent of the companys revenue at the beginning of the next century. Strategic Levels According to Porter Porter in Montgomery (1998) corporate strategy is the general plan for a diversified company, which has two levels of strategy: the strategy of the business unit (or competitive), and corporate strategy (or entire corporate group). To Christensen in Fahey Randall (1999), corporate strategy is one that is concerned with three major issues to be faced by the managers of the corporation: 1. The corporate scope: that complex business corporation should attend? 2. The relationship between its parts: on what basis the business units of the corporation should relate to each other? 3. Methods for managing the scope and relationships: that specific methods acquisitions, strategic alliances, divestitures, and others will be adopted to effect specific changes in corporate scope and relationships?

California Essay Example for Free

California Essay A couple of centuries ago California was distant wasteland with vast deserts and a long sandy coast, it seem unsuitable for living. Today it is a cultural hub of the United States and all its success can be attributed to the ethnic minorities that broke ground in California despite discrimination, violence, and imprisonment. California is unique in that it is one of the few place where industry (mining and lumber) came before agricultural. While the force which brought people to California was the Gold Rush in 1849, it was the lush fertile soil and moderate temperatures which kept people here. African Americans (Frankel 227 -240) In 1849 California was made a state. It was considered a free state which meant that slavery was prohibited. However, there were several â€Å"strings†, which effected African American civil rights, that went along with the title free state. After California became a state, one of the first actions by the state legislature was to deny black citizens the right to vote. Additionally they could not testify against a white person, they could not be formally educated, and they could not own land. Californias African American population was very politically active and held several meetings in the north in hopes of stimulating political change and freedom for black people in the state (1855-1865). The state of California also had a fugitive slave law. Which required slaves that were in California illegally to be given back to their owners. African Americans in the years leading up to the World War II were extremely active in the advance of mining, lumber, and agriculture. Black populations could be found everywhere in minor territory and many of the areas were named â€Å"Negro Bar, Negro Flat, and Nigger Ravin. these were obvious reminders of how their presence in these areas were not welcomed. This is a time in which African Americans had to use not just physical strength but intellect to protect what was rightfully theirs. Remember, African Americans could not testify in court. This means that if any white man should do them hard or steal from them, there was nothing that would be done. In many mines, blacks and whites, worked side by side. Many black men even owned their own mines that were extremely successful. Farming was the basis of Californias economy. When white Americans came to California and set up their experimental farms they targeted southern blacks for employment. They were a source of low waged labor and therefore African Americans were among the first farmers to work with the crops which have made California unique. In 1905 cotton fields were introduced to California. Blacks and Mexican immigrants exclusively worked these fields in Imperial County. The majority of these blacks had come from southern states and were not surprised by the racism that was presence in California. African Americans had to compete for jobs with Mexican immigrants. However, seasonal crop jobs were only a resting point for African American workers who wanted more. These contract jobs were only a means to help African American families move and establish themselves in California. Soon blacks moved forward becoming entrepreneurs, skilled workers, and farm owners. Black people opened business in towns that were flooded because of the gold rush. San Francisco was the hub of most African American businesses. These business flourished until the mining towns closed down and these areas where flooded with the white population who felt superior and opened competitive businesses. White patrons of black owned stores were force through societal rules to switch to white stores. Again, African Americans were told to go back to service oriented jobs. Systematic racism was back in full form by 1920s, restricting African Americans to specific living and working districts. However it is important to point out there African Americans migrated to California and settled areas which were deemed unsuitable for life. Once they prospered the whites would move in and push out the blacks. Based on this cyclic approach to development and grow California was created on the backs of talented and industrious black people who carved life into the deserts and wastelands that California originally was. Native Americans (Trafzer and Hyer 80- 91) In 1848 California became an official territory of the United States. Soon after gold was found and people from across the country came to California to become rich and have a better life. Most whites viewed Native Americans as a nuisance and on top of that as cheap labor they could exploit for their own gains. There was also a law against Native Americans testifying against whites. Between the years 1850 and 1863 could lend out â€Å"indians† who had been arrested. Essentially Native Americans were imprisoned and then used for free labor just like a slave. Ironic in that California was supposed to be a free state. Children were also kidnapped for labor because they were much easier to manipulate then adults. During 1850 through 1887 Indian Reservations were set up for the first time. The agreement that the Native Americans had with the government was they were allowed 7. million acres of land in California but just under 500k were given over to the Native Americans. Much of the reservations were infertile land that could not be farmed. It was not until after 1905 that Native Americans, specifically the next generation, wanted to take an active role in the decisions that effected them. Lost treaties were discovered which allowed Native Americans to claim land and rights that was theirs. These included the right to education, and citizenship. However, the United States government believed that because the Native Americans had not acted quickly enough those conditions were null and void. Essential the government said it was the Native Americans fault for not being pro-active when the treaties were originally drawn up (Heizer 232). It was the force labor or slavery of Native Americans which began Californias semi-feudal economy. Chinese Americans (Wyatt 50-100) The Chinese Americans living in California today have a long history of being residents of California. Some of them are from sixth generation Chinese Americans. Despite racial violent, restrictive legislation and almost no advancement opportunities, Chinese Americans have no just flourished but found a place in the California social landscape. Chinese immigrants came from China and move into San Francisco. There was a great deal of confusion over if Chinese immigrants could become citizens – some where allowed and some werent. Chinese immigrants who were not allowed to become citizens had no rights and therefore could not stake a claim during the Gold Rush. Many of the Chinese people reworked old mines because they could not have their own. In additional there was also a fee of $20 that foreign miners had to pay if they wanted to work a mine. The Chinese too were greeted with violet discrimination. In 1856, a group of white miners raced into the a Chinese American mining community destroying property and killing miners. Despite the violence and the inability to mine gold successfully, Chinese immigrants from work elsewhere – merchants, laborers, and laundrymen. Fishing was one of the industries which Chinese Americans helped promote. Early on there was almost no demand for shrimp in the states much of it was frozen and sent back to China. Soon there was a demand for shrimp in California and Chinese immigrants were pressured by the white competition to buy licenses, make Chinese techniques illegal, and several other things. Making it virtually impossible for Chinese fishermen to make a living fishing, while white fishermen thrived. Chinese immigrants were also the main workers in canneries. They open up and worked in the states first cigar shops and factories. Chinese Americans were also responsible for starting up the first wineries in California, and had the skills for growing and processing delicate crops like wheat, hops, apples, grapes, and pears. The Chinese also worked on the roads throughout California as well as the Central Pacific Railroad. There were several forms of legislation which subordinated the efforts of Chinese Americans in making new lives in California. On top of that the depression that occurred in 1870, was said to be caused directly from the cheap labor of Chinese workers. Following the depression there were several instances of racial violence which lead up to the anti-Chinese movement. This was done in attempt to squeeze Chinese run laundries out of business. It is clear that Chinese Americans played an important role in the growth of Californias economy and are responsible for the birth of the orange and grape crops that make California grape country . Japanese Americans (Chapman 31-42) The history of Japanese Americans in California and what they have contributed to Californias economy is often biased focusing heavily on the vast discrimination they suffered at the hands of the white majority. While their victimization is important it not more important then their vital contributions. Much of their reaction to the various forms of discrimination too the form of strikes, protests, and the constant fight against adversity to become successful in America. Japanese Americans were responsible for the establishment of the flower industry in California. They own, worked at, and grow almost all the flowers and plants sold in California in the late 1800s and early 1900s. They established still existed organizations including the Southern California Flower Market, the California Flower Market, Luck Produce, and the City Market in Los Angeles. Several Japanese business cater to agricultural workers supplying food, lodging, and general merchandise stores. They also helped the agricultural economy of California grow including grapes, fruit trees, strawberries, and several different strains of rice. Japanese Americans not only grew but also prepared and shipped produce across the state. It is clear that Japanese Americans were instrumental in pushing California semi feudal economy into the modern day capitalistic economy of California. Filipinos (Fehrenbacher 160 – 165) The history of Filipinos in California truly begins in 1848 when California annexed. During this time Filipinos found works as general laborers who were paid an extremely low wage. Often workers would have to travel farm to farm, as seasonal work came and went. Many Filipinos moved into larger cities in California but found little work because they were only skilled in agriculture. Due to discrimination and no education , Filipinos were pushed out of their unskilled labor jobs by the influx of immigrants from the Dust Bowl. This is one of the few instances were a ethnic group saw downward mobility in terms of work and then lifestyle. Filipinos have a rich history of being hat makers and tailors but in the hostile white dominating environment of late 1880s California, they existed no longer. Most Filipinos could only find work as ranch hands who were supervised by whites. While Filipinos males struggled in the economy of California, females flourished and were hired as domestics, farm laborers, laundresses, and cannery workers. As the job market for every ethnic group became smaller the white attitude toward Mexicans changed. Previously, Filipinos had been welcomed into the agricultural market as important components and contributors. But soon Mexicans were seem and treated like excess labor. Again Californias agricultural industry was built on the backs of these immigrants and when there was no more work for them, they were cast aside and considered (and it seems still considered economic liabilities).

Effect of Social Networks on Teaching Methods

Effect of Social Networks on Teaching Methods ABSTRACT Background. Research on social networks in schools is increasing rapidly. Network studies outside education have indicated that the structure of social networks is partly affected by demographic characteristics of network members. Yet, knowledge on how teacher social networks are shaped by teacher and school demographics is scarce. Purpose. The goal of this study was to examine the extent to which teachers work related social networks are affected by teacher and school demographic characteristics. Method. Survey data were collected among 316 educators from 13 elementary schools in a large educational system in the Netherlands. Using social network analysis, in particular multilevel p2 modeling, we analyzed the effect of teacher and school demographics on individual teachers probability of having relationships in a work discussion network. Conclusions. Findings indicate that differences in having relationships were associated with differences in gender, grade level, working hours, formal position, and experience. We also found that educators tend to prefer relationships with educators with the same gender and from the same grade level. Moreover, years of shared experience as a school team appeared to affect the likelihood of teacher relationships around work related discussion. INTRODUCTION Relationships among educators are more and more regarded as an important element to schools functioning, and a potential source of school improvement. Educational practitioners and scholars around the world are targeting teacher interaction as a way to facilitate knowledge exchange and shared teacher practice through a variety of collaborative initiatives, such as communities of practice, professional learning communities, and social networks (Daly Finnigan, 2009; Hord, 1997; Lieberman McLaughlin, 1992; Wenger, 1998). The growing literature base around these concepts suggests that relationships matter for fostering a climate of trust and a safe and open environment to implement reform and engage in innovative teacher practices (Bryk Schneider, 2002; Louis, Marks, Kruse, 1996; Coburn Russell, 2008; Penuel, Fishman, Yamaguchi, Galagher, 2007). Social network literature asserts that relationships matter because the configuration of social relationships offers opportunities and constraints for collective action (Burt, 1983, Coleman, 1990; Granovetter, 1973; Lochner, Kawachi, Kennedy, 1999). For instance, the extent to which an organizational network supports the rate and ease with which knowledge and information flows through the organization may provide it with an advantage over its competitors (Nahapiet Ghoshal, 1998; Tsai, 2001). While social network studies have mainly concentrated on the consequences of social networks for individuals and groups, less attention has been paid to how social networks are conditioned upon individual characteristics and behavior (Borgatti Foster, 2003). A developing set of studies in organizational literature is focusing on how attributes of individuals such as personality traits affect their social network (e.g., Burt, Janotta Mahoney, 1998; Mehra, Kilduff, Brass, 2001; Madhavan, Caner , Prescott, Koka, 2008), how individuals select others to engage in relationships (Kossinets Watts, 2006; McPherson, Smith-Lovin, Cook, 2001), and how organizations enter into alliances with other organizations (Gulati Gargiulo, 1999). These studies offer valuable insights in potential individual and organizational attributes that may affect the pattern of social relationships in school teams. Attributes that are especially worth investigating for their potential to shape the social structure of school teams are demographic characteristics (cf. Ely, 1995; Tsui, Egan, OReilly, 1992). Demographic characteristics are more or less constant elements that typify teachers, their relationships, and schools based on socio-economic factors such as age, gender, teaching experience, and school team composition. Several network studies have suggested that networks are at least in part shaped by demographic characteristics of individuals, their dyadic relationships, and the network (Brass, 1984; Heyl, 1996; Ibarra 1992, 1995; Lazega Van Duijn, 1997; Veenstra et al., 2007; Zijlstra, Veenstra, Van Duijn, 2008). For instance, several studies reported that relationships among individuals with the same gender are more likely than relationships among individuals with opposite gender (a so-called homophily effect) (Baerveldt, Van Duijn, Vermeij, Van Hemert, 2004; McPherson, Smith-Lovin Co ok, 2001). These studies, however, seldom purposely aim to examine the impact of demographic characteristics on social networks and consequently only include few demographic variables of network members. Insights in the extent to which social relationships are formed in the light of multiple individual and organizational demographic characteristics are limited, and even more so in the context of education. We argue that such groundwork knowledge is crucial for all those who aim to optimize social networks in support of school improvement and, ultimately, student achievement. This chapter aims to examine the extent to which social networks in school teams are shaped by individual, dyadic, and school level demographic variables, such as teachers gender and age, school team composition and team experience, and students socio-economic status. We conducted a study among 316 educators in 13 Dutch elementary schools. Results of this study were expected to increase insights in the constant social forces that may partly define teachers relationships in their school teams, and discover potential tendencies around, for example, homophily and structural balance. Based on a literature review of social network studies that include demographic variables in a wide range of settings, we pose several hypotheses on the extent to which demographical variables at the individual, dyadic, and school level may affect teachers social networks. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Individual level demographics that may shape teachers social networks Social network literature has suggested various individual demographic characteristics to affect their pattern of relationships, and as such social networks as a whole (Heyl, 1996; Lazega Van Duijn, 1997; Veenstra et al., 2007; Zijlstra, Veenstra, Van Duijn, 2008). Following these suggestions, we will first review how individual level demographic characteristics may affect teachers social networks. We focus on the individual demographics gender, formal position, working hours, experience at school, age, and grade level for their potential influence on teachers patterns of social relationships and school teams social network structure. Gender. The likelihood of having relationships in a network may be associated with gender (Metz Tharenou, 2001; Moore, 1990; Stoloff et al., 1999; Veenstra et al., 2007; Zijlstra, Veenstra, Van Duijn, 2008). Previous research has indicated that gender affects network formation (Burt et al., 1998; Hughes, 1946; Ibarra, 1993, 1995, Moore, 1990; Pugliesi, 1998; Van Emmerik, 2006) and that, in general, women tend to have more relationships than men (Mehra, Kilduff, Brass, 1998). These differences are already found in childhood (Frydenberg Lewis, 1993) and continue to exist through life (Parker de Vries, 1993; Van der Pompe De Heus, 1993). In various settings and cultures, both men and women were found to use men as network routes to achieve their goals and acquire information from more distant domains (Aldrich et al., 1989; Bernard et al., 1988). Following these findings, we hypothesize that male teachers will have a higher likelihood of receiving more relationships than female tea chers, and women will send more relationships than men (Hypothesis 1a). Formal position. Previous research in organizations (Lazega Van Duijn, 1997; Moore, 1990) and education (Coburn, 2005; Coburn Russell, 2008; Daly Finnigan, 2009; Heyl, 1996) suggests that the formal position of individuals may be related to their relational activity and popularity. For instance, Lazega Van Duijn (1997) found that lawyers were more often sought out for advice when they held a higher hierarchical position. Research has indicated that the network position of an organizational leader is important in terms of access and leveraging social resources through social relationships as well as brokering between teachers that are themselves unconnected (Balkundi Harrison, 2006; Balkundi Kilduff, 2005). In line with these studies, we expect that principals will be more sought out for work related discussions than teachers. We also expect that principals will report to be involved in more relationships than teachers, since they depend on these relationships to gather informat ion and convey knowledge, plans, and expertise to support student learning and monitor the functioning of teachers and the school. Moreover, principals are reported to occupy a strategic position in the flow of information between the district office and teachers and relay important policy and organizational information from the district office to the teachers (Coburn, 2005; Coburn Russell, 2008). Therefore, we hypothesize that principals have a higher likelihood of sending and receiving relationships (Hypothesis 1b). Working hours. In addition, the number of working hours that an educator spends at the school may also affect his/her opportunity to initiate and maintain social relationships. Recent research suggests that the relationship between network embeddedness and job performance is related to working hours (Van Emmerik Sanders, 2004). In line with this finding, it is hypothesized that educators who work full time will have a higher probability of sending and receiving relationships than educators with part time working hours (Hypothesis 1c). Experience at the school. Another demographic characteristic that may affect an individuals pattern of relationships is seniority, or experience at the school. The previously mentioned law study (Lazega Van Duijn, 1997) indicated that senior lawyers had a higher probability of being sought out for advice than junior lawyers. Besides having more work experience, a perceived network advantage of senior lawyers may be that they have built more strong, durable, and reliable relationships over time, and therefore have access to resources that are unattainable for more junior lawyers. Accordingly, we hypothesize that educators who have more experience in their school team have a higher likelihood of sending and receiving work discussion relationships than educators who have less experience in the school team (Hypothesis 1d). Age. Network research in other contexts found age differences in relation to the amount of relationships that individuals maintain (Cairns, Leung, Buchanan, Cairns, 1995; Gottlieb Green, 1984). In general, these studies suggest that the amount of relationships that people maintain tend to decrease with age. However, with increased age, experience at the school also increases together with the amount of relationships based on seniority (Lazega Van Duijn, 1997). In concordance with the latter, we hypothesize that age will positively affect the probability of work related ties, meaning that older teachers are more likely to send and receive work related relationships than younger teachers (Hypothesis 1e) Grade Level. Within schools, formal clustering around grade level may affect the pattern of relationships among educators. The grade level may to a certain extent affect the amount of interaction among educators since grade level teams may have additional grade level meetings and professional development initiatives are often targeted at the grade level (Daly et al., in press; McLaughlin Talbert, 1993; Newmann, Kings, Youngs, 2000; Newmann Wehlage, 1995; Wood, 2007; Stoll Louis, 2007). Dutch elementary schools are relatively small compared to U.S. elementary schools, and are often divided into a grade level team for the lower grades (K 2) and a grade level team for the upper grades (3 6). The amount of relationships that teachers have, may partly be defined by the requirements of and opportunities provided by their grade level team. We may expect that teachers that teach upper grade levels send and receive more relationships than teachers that teach lower grade levels because o f the increasingly diverse and demanding curriculum in the upper grades combined with intensified student testing and preparation for education after elementary school. These conditions may require more work related discussion of upper grade level teachers than of lower grade level teachers. As such, we expect that teachers that teach upper grade levels have a higher likelihood of sending and receiving relationships than teachers that teach lower grade levels (Hypothesis 1f). Dyadic level demographics that may shape teachers social networks Dyadic level demographics are demographics that typify the relationship between two individuals. Dyadic level effects give insights in network homophily. Network homophily is arguably the most well-known social network concept that often explicitly focuses on demographic characteristics of network members. The concept of homophily, also known by the adage birds of a feather flock together, addresses similarity between two individuals in a dyadic (paired) relationship. Homophily literature builds on the notion that individuals are more likely to develop and maintain social relationships with others that are similar to them on specific attributes, such as gender, organizational unit, or educational level (Marsden, 1988; McPherson Smith-Lovin, 1987; McPherson, Smith-Lovin, Cook, 2001). Similarly, individuals who differ from each other on a specific attribute are less likely to initiate relationships, and when they do, heterophilous relationships also tend to dissolve at a faster pace than homophilous relationships (McPherson et al., 2001). Homophily effects result from processes of social selection and social influence. Social selection refers to the idea that individuals tend to choose to interact with individuals that are similar to them in characteristics such as behavior and attitudes. At the same time, individuals that interact with each other influence each others behavior and attitudes, which may increase their similarity (McPherson et al., 2001). This is a process of social influence. In addition, individuals who share a relationship also tend to share similar experiences through their relationship (Feld, 1981). Homophily is related to the concept of structural balance. In the footsteps of cognitive balance theory, structural balance theory poses that individuals will undertake action to avoid or decrease an unbalanced network (Heider, 1958). Over time, people tend to seek balance in their network by initiating new strong relationships with friends of friends and terminate relationships with friends of enemies or enemies of friends (Wasserman Faust, 1997). As a result from this tendency towards structural balance, relatively homogenous and strong cliques may be formed that give the network some stability over time (Kossinets Watts, 2006). Structural balance and network homophily may have also have a negative influence on individuals social networks as the resulting network homogeneity and pattern of redundant relationships may limit their access to valuable information and expertise (Little, 1990; Burt, 1997, 2000). In this study we focus on two types of similarity that may define teachers relationships, namely gender similarity and grade level similarity. Gender similarity. A dyadic attribute that may affect teachers patterns of social relationships is the gender similarity between two teachers. Several studies have shown that work and voluntary organizations are often highly gender segregated (Bielby Baron, 1986, McGuire, 2000; McPherson Smith-Lovin, 1986, 1987; Popielarz, 1999; Van Emmerik, 2006). This gender homophily effect already starts at a young age (Hartup, 1993; Cairns Cairns, 1994; Furman Burmester, 1992). In the context of education, Heyl (1996) suggested an effect of gender homophily on interactional patterns among teachers, indicating that for men and women relationships with the opposite gender are less frequent or intense than relationships among men or relationship among women. In line with this suggestion, we hypothesize a homophily effect for gender, meaning that educators will prefer same-gender relationships over relationships with teachers of the opposite gender (Hypothesis 2a). Grade level similarity. Another dyadic attribute that may shape the pattern of teachers relationships is the grade level. In the Netherlands, schools are relatively small compared to the Unitesd States, with often only one full time or two part time teachers per grade level. Commonly, Dutch school teams are formally divided into two grade level levels representing the lower (onderbouw, often K-2 or K-3) and upper grades (bovenbouw, often grades 3-6 or 4-6), which are often located in close physical proximity. Recent research suggests that teachers who are located closely to each another are more likely to interact with each other than with teachers that are less physically proximate (Coburn Russell, 2008). Moreover, most schools have separate breaks for the lower and upper grades, and some schools hold additional formal meetings for the lower/upper grades to discuss issues related to these grades. Since shared experiences are argued to result in greater support among individuals (Fe ld, 1981; Suitor Pillemer, 2000; Suitor, Pillemer, Keeton, 1995), these organizational features will increase the opportunity for teachers from the same grade level to interact relative to teachers from a different grade level. Therefore, we hypothesize a homophily effect for grade level, meaning that teachers will more likely maintain relationships with teachers from their own grade level than with teachers that teach the other grade level (e.g., lower or upper level) (Hypothesis 2b). School level demographics that may shape teachers social networks Although teachers can often choose with whom they interact, the social structure of their schools network is partly outside their span of control (Burt, 1983; Brass Burkhardt, 1993; Gulati, 1995). Just as individual relationships may constrain or support a teachers access to and use of resources (Degenne Forse, 1999), the social structure surrounding the teacher may influence the extent to which teachers may shape their network so as to expect the greatest return on investment (Burt, 1992; Flap De Graaf, 1989; Ibarra, 1992, 1993, 1995; Lin Dumin, 1986; Little, 1990). Because of the embeddedness and interdependency of individuals in their social network, relationships and attributes at a higher level will affect lower-level relationships (Burt, 2000). As such, demographic characteristics at the school level may affect teachers patterns of relationships. We pose that the following school level demographic characteristics affect teachers pattern of social relationships: gender ratio , average age, school team experience, school size, school team size, and socio-economic status of the schools students. Gender ratio and average age. Above and beyond the influence of individual demographics on the tendency to form relationships, there may be aggregates of these individual demographics at the level of the school team that may affect teachers tendency to form and maintain relationships. Research in a law firm demonstrated that above the influence of individual level seniority, a lawyers position in the firms network was in part dependent on the ratio of juniors to seniors in the team (Lazega Van Duijn, 1997). For school teams, a compositional characteristic that may affect patterns of relationships is gender ratio, or the ratio of the number of female to male teachers. In a school team with a high ratio of female teachers (which is not unusual in Dutch elementary education) male teachers have fewer options for homophily friendships with same-sex peers than women. Therefore, male teachers in such a team may have a lower tendency to maintain relationships in general and a higher propens ity towards relationships with women than men in school teams with relatively more male teachers. Research confirms that the gender composition of a team may significantly affect gender homophily, with the minority gender often having much more heterophilous networks than the majority (McPherson, Smith-Lovin, Cook, 2001). Therefore, we expect that the gender ratio of the school team will shape teachers social networks. In line with previous empirical work suggesting that women tend to have more relationships than men (Mehra, Kilduff, Brass, 1998), we expect that teachers in school teams with a high female ratio will have a higher likelihood of sending and receiving ties than individuals in teams with relatively more male teachers (Hypothesis 3a). Along the same lines, if we expect that age will increase the likelihood of sending and receiving relationships, then increased average age of a school team may also enhance the probability of relationships. Therefore, we hypothesize that average age is positively related to the probability of ties (Hypothesis 3b). Team experience, school size, and team size. Prior research has indicated that individuals are more likely to reach out to others with whom they had previous relationships (Coburn Russell, 2008). Given the time and shared experiences that are necessary for building relationships, we may assume that the number of years that a school team has been functioning in its current configuration, without members leaving or joining the team, may affect teachers lilelihood of maintaining relationships. Therefore we include school team experience as a school level demographic that may positively affect teachers patterns of relationships (Hypothesis 3c). Other school demographics that may affect teachers inclinations to form relationships are school size (number of students) and team size (number of educators). Previous literature has suggested that the size of organizations and networks is directly related to the pattern of social relationships in organizations (Tsai, 2001). In general, the amou nt of individual relationships and the density of social networks decrease when network size increases. As such, we may expect a lower probability of relationships in schools that serve more students (Hypothesis 3d) and schools with larger school teams (Hypothesis 3e). Students socio-economic status. Social networks can be shaped by both endogenous and exogenous forces (Gulati, Nohria, Zaheer, 2000). An exogenous force to the school team that has been demonstrated to affect schools functioning is the socio-economic status (SES) of its students (Sirin, 2005; White, 1982). We argue that the socio-economic status of the children attending the school may influence the probability that teachers will form relationships. For instance, teachers perceptions of the urgency for communication and innovation may be dependent on the community surrounding the school. Typically, schools that serve more high-needs communities are associated with greater urgency in developing new approaches (Sunderman, Kim Orfield, 2005), which may relate to an increased probability of relationships among educators. Therefore, we hypothesize that teachers in low SES schools will have a higher probability of having relationships than teachers in high SES schools (Hypothesis 3f). METHOD Context The study took place at 13 elementary schools in south of The Netherlands. The schools were part of single district that provided IT, financial, and administrative support to 53 schools in the south of The Netherlands. At the time of the study, the district had just initiated a program for teacher development that involved a benchmark survey for the monitoring of school improvement. We selected a subsample of all the district schools based on a team size of 20 or more team members, since trial runs of the p2 estimation models encountered difficulties converging with smaller network sizes and more schools. The original sample consisted of 53 schools that, with the exception of school team and number of students, did not differ considerably from the 13 sample schools with regard to the described demographics. The context of Dutch elementary schools was beneficial to the study in three ways. First, the school teams were relatively small, which facilitated the collection of whole network data. Second, school teams are social networks with clear boundaries, meaning the distinction of who is part of the team is unambiguous for both researchers and respondents. Third, in contrast to many organizations, school organizations are characterized by relatively flat organizational structures, in which educators perform similar tasks and job diversification is relatively small. Often, educators have had similar training backgrounds, and are receiving school wide professional development as a team. Therefore, despite natural differences in individual characteristics, teachers in Dutch elementary school teams are arguably more comparable among each other than organizational employees in many other organizations, making demographic characteristics possibly less related to differences in tasks or task-rel ated status differences. Sample The sample schools served a student population ranging from 287 to 545 students in the age of 4 to 13. We collected social network data from 13 principals and 303 teachers, reflecting a response rate of 94.5 %. Of the sample, 69.9 % was female and 54.8 % worked full time (32 hours or more). Educators age ranged from 21 to 62 years (M = 46.5, sd = 9.9 years). Additional demographic information is depicted in Table 1 and 2. Instruments Social networks. We assessed the influence of demographic variables on a network that was aimed at capturing work related communication among educators. The network of discussing work related matters was selected because it is assumed to be an important network for the exchange of work related information, knowledge, and expertise that may affect individual and group performance (Sparrowe, Liden, Wayne, Kraimer, 2001). Moreover, according to the previous analysis into network multiplexity (see Chapter 1), this network appeared to be an instrumental network with relatively small overlap with expressive networks. We asked respondents the following question: Whom do you turn to in order to discuss your work? A school-specific appendix was attached to the questionnaire comprising the names of the school team members, accompanied by a letter combination for each school team member (e.g., Ms. Yolanda Brown = AB). The question could be answered by indicating a letter combination for each colleague who the respondent considered part of his/her work discussion network. The number of colleagues a respondent could indicate as part of his/her network was unlimited. Individual, dyadic, and school level attributes. We collected demographic variables to assess how individual, dyadic, and school level attributes shape the pattern of social relationships among educators. At the individual level, we examined the following individual attributes: gender, formal position (teacher/principal), working hours (part time/full time), number of years experience at school, age, and whether a teacher was teaching in lower grade or upper grade. At the dyadic level, we included similarity of gender and similarity of grade level (lower/upper grade). At the school level, we investigated school size, team size, gender ratio, average age, years of team experience in current formation, and students socio-economic status (SES). Data analysis Testing the hypotheses Since our dependent variable consisted of social network data that are by nature interdependent (relationships among individuals), the assumption of data independence that underlies conventional regression models is violated. Therefore, we employed multilevel p2 models to investigate the effect of individual, dyadic, and school level demographics on having work-related relationships (Van Duijn et al., 2004; Baerveldt et al., 2004; Zijlstra, 2008). The p2 model is similar to a logistic regression model, but is developed to handle dichotomous dyadic outcomes. In contrast to a univariate logistic regression model, the p2 model controls for the interdependency that resides in social network data. The model focuses on the individual as the unit of analysis. The p2 model regards sender and receiver effects as latent (i.e., unobserved) random variables that can be explained by sender and receiver characteristics (Veenstra, et al., 2007). In the multilevel p2 analyses, the dependent variable is the aggregate of all the nominations a team member sent to or received from others. A positive effect thus indicates that the independent demographic variable has a positive effect on the probability of a relationship. We used the p2 program within the StOCNET software suite to run the p2 models (Lazega Van Duijn, 1997; Van Duijn, Snijders, Zijlstra, 2004). This software has been recently modified to fit multilevel data (Zijlstra, 2008; Zijlstra, Van Duijn, Snijders, 2006). We make use of this recent development by calculating multilevel p2 models for our data. The social network data in this study have a three-level structure. Network data were collected from 13 schools (Level 3) with 316 educators (Level 2) and 11.241 dyadic relationships (Level 1). To examine the influence of individual, dyadic, and school level demographics on the likelihood of having work related relationships we constructed two multilevel models. In the first multilevel model, the effects of individual and dyadic level demographics on the possibility of having relationships were examined. In the second multilevel model, school level demographic variables were added to the model in order to explain the additional effect of school level demographics on the possibility of having relationships, above and beyond the effects of individual and dyadic level demographics. For the multilevel p2 models, we used a subsample of the 13 schools with a team size of 20 educators or more. We selected this subsample of 13 schools from a larger sample of 53 schools to reduce computing ti me and to examine schools that were more comparable in network size. Still, each model estimation took about six hours of computing time. How to interpret p2 estimates In general, effects in p2 models can be interpreted in the following manner. Results on the variables of interest include both sender effects and receiver effects, meaning effects that signify the probability of sending or receiving a relationship nomination. A positively significant parameter estimate can be interpreted as the demographic variable having a positive effect on the probability of a relationship (Veenstra et al., 2007). For instance, a positive sender effect of formal position with dummy coding (teacher/principal) means that the position with the upper dummy code (principal) will have a higher probability of sending relationships than the position with the lower dummy code (teacher). To assess homophily effects, dyadic matrices were constructed based on the absolute difference between two respondents. For example, the dyadic relationship between male and female educators would be coded as a relationship between educators with a different gender because the absolute difference between male (dummy variable = 0) and female (dummy code = 1) is 1. Smaller numbers thus represent greater interpersonal similarity in gender. The same procedure was carried out for grade level differences. To facilitate the interpretation of the models, we labeled the dyadic parameters different gender and different grade level. A negative parameter estimate for different gender would thus indicate that a Effect of Social Networks on Teaching Methods Effect of Social Networks on Teaching Methods ABSTRACT Background. Research on social networks in schools is increasing rapidly. Network studies outside education have indicated that the structure of social networks is partly affected by demographic characteristics of network members. Yet, knowledge on how teacher social networks are shaped by teacher and school demographics is scarce. Purpose. The goal of this study was to examine the extent to which teachers work related social networks are affected by teacher and school demographic characteristics. Method. Survey data were collected among 316 educators from 13 elementary schools in a large educational system in the Netherlands. Using social network analysis, in particular multilevel p2 modeling, we analyzed the effect of teacher and school demographics on individual teachers probability of having relationships in a work discussion network. Conclusions. Findings indicate that differences in having relationships were associated with differences in gender, grade level, working hours, formal position, and experience. We also found that educators tend to prefer relationships with educators with the same gender and from the same grade level. Moreover, years of shared experience as a school team appeared to affect the likelihood of teacher relationships around work related discussion. INTRODUCTION Relationships among educators are more and more regarded as an important element to schools functioning, and a potential source of school improvement. Educational practitioners and scholars around the world are targeting teacher interaction as a way to facilitate knowledge exchange and shared teacher practice through a variety of collaborative initiatives, such as communities of practice, professional learning communities, and social networks (Daly Finnigan, 2009; Hord, 1997; Lieberman McLaughlin, 1992; Wenger, 1998). The growing literature base around these concepts suggests that relationships matter for fostering a climate of trust and a safe and open environment to implement reform and engage in innovative teacher practices (Bryk Schneider, 2002; Louis, Marks, Kruse, 1996; Coburn Russell, 2008; Penuel, Fishman, Yamaguchi, Galagher, 2007). Social network literature asserts that relationships matter because the configuration of social relationships offers opportunities and constraints for collective action (Burt, 1983, Coleman, 1990; Granovetter, 1973; Lochner, Kawachi, Kennedy, 1999). For instance, the extent to which an organizational network supports the rate and ease with which knowledge and information flows through the organization may provide it with an advantage over its competitors (Nahapiet Ghoshal, 1998; Tsai, 2001). While social network studies have mainly concentrated on the consequences of social networks for individuals and groups, less attention has been paid to how social networks are conditioned upon individual characteristics and behavior (Borgatti Foster, 2003). A developing set of studies in organizational literature is focusing on how attributes of individuals such as personality traits affect their social network (e.g., Burt, Janotta Mahoney, 1998; Mehra, Kilduff, Brass, 2001; Madhavan, Caner , Prescott, Koka, 2008), how individuals select others to engage in relationships (Kossinets Watts, 2006; McPherson, Smith-Lovin, Cook, 2001), and how organizations enter into alliances with other organizations (Gulati Gargiulo, 1999). These studies offer valuable insights in potential individual and organizational attributes that may affect the pattern of social relationships in school teams. Attributes that are especially worth investigating for their potential to shape the social structure of school teams are demographic characteristics (cf. Ely, 1995; Tsui, Egan, OReilly, 1992). Demographic characteristics are more or less constant elements that typify teachers, their relationships, and schools based on socio-economic factors such as age, gender, teaching experience, and school team composition. Several network studies have suggested that networks are at least in part shaped by demographic characteristics of individuals, their dyadic relationships, and the network (Brass, 1984; Heyl, 1996; Ibarra 1992, 1995; Lazega Van Duijn, 1997; Veenstra et al., 2007; Zijlstra, Veenstra, Van Duijn, 2008). For instance, several studies reported that relationships among individuals with the same gender are more likely than relationships among individuals with opposite gender (a so-called homophily effect) (Baerveldt, Van Duijn, Vermeij, Van Hemert, 2004; McPherson, Smith-Lovin Co ok, 2001). These studies, however, seldom purposely aim to examine the impact of demographic characteristics on social networks and consequently only include few demographic variables of network members. Insights in the extent to which social relationships are formed in the light of multiple individual and organizational demographic characteristics are limited, and even more so in the context of education. We argue that such groundwork knowledge is crucial for all those who aim to optimize social networks in support of school improvement and, ultimately, student achievement. This chapter aims to examine the extent to which social networks in school teams are shaped by individual, dyadic, and school level demographic variables, such as teachers gender and age, school team composition and team experience, and students socio-economic status. We conducted a study among 316 educators in 13 Dutch elementary schools. Results of this study were expected to increase insights in the constant social forces that may partly define teachers relationships in their school teams, and discover potential tendencies around, for example, homophily and structural balance. Based on a literature review of social network studies that include demographic variables in a wide range of settings, we pose several hypotheses on the extent to which demographical variables at the individual, dyadic, and school level may affect teachers social networks. THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Individual level demographics that may shape teachers social networks Social network literature has suggested various individual demographic characteristics to affect their pattern of relationships, and as such social networks as a whole (Heyl, 1996; Lazega Van Duijn, 1997; Veenstra et al., 2007; Zijlstra, Veenstra, Van Duijn, 2008). Following these suggestions, we will first review how individual level demographic characteristics may affect teachers social networks. We focus on the individual demographics gender, formal position, working hours, experience at school, age, and grade level for their potential influence on teachers patterns of social relationships and school teams social network structure. Gender. The likelihood of having relationships in a network may be associated with gender (Metz Tharenou, 2001; Moore, 1990; Stoloff et al., 1999; Veenstra et al., 2007; Zijlstra, Veenstra, Van Duijn, 2008). Previous research has indicated that gender affects network formation (Burt et al., 1998; Hughes, 1946; Ibarra, 1993, 1995, Moore, 1990; Pugliesi, 1998; Van Emmerik, 2006) and that, in general, women tend to have more relationships than men (Mehra, Kilduff, Brass, 1998). These differences are already found in childhood (Frydenberg Lewis, 1993) and continue to exist through life (Parker de Vries, 1993; Van der Pompe De Heus, 1993). In various settings and cultures, both men and women were found to use men as network routes to achieve their goals and acquire information from more distant domains (Aldrich et al., 1989; Bernard et al., 1988). Following these findings, we hypothesize that male teachers will have a higher likelihood of receiving more relationships than female tea chers, and women will send more relationships than men (Hypothesis 1a). Formal position. Previous research in organizations (Lazega Van Duijn, 1997; Moore, 1990) and education (Coburn, 2005; Coburn Russell, 2008; Daly Finnigan, 2009; Heyl, 1996) suggests that the formal position of individuals may be related to their relational activity and popularity. For instance, Lazega Van Duijn (1997) found that lawyers were more often sought out for advice when they held a higher hierarchical position. Research has indicated that the network position of an organizational leader is important in terms of access and leveraging social resources through social relationships as well as brokering between teachers that are themselves unconnected (Balkundi Harrison, 2006; Balkundi Kilduff, 2005). In line with these studies, we expect that principals will be more sought out for work related discussions than teachers. We also expect that principals will report to be involved in more relationships than teachers, since they depend on these relationships to gather informat ion and convey knowledge, plans, and expertise to support student learning and monitor the functioning of teachers and the school. Moreover, principals are reported to occupy a strategic position in the flow of information between the district office and teachers and relay important policy and organizational information from the district office to the teachers (Coburn, 2005; Coburn Russell, 2008). Therefore, we hypothesize that principals have a higher likelihood of sending and receiving relationships (Hypothesis 1b). Working hours. In addition, the number of working hours that an educator spends at the school may also affect his/her opportunity to initiate and maintain social relationships. Recent research suggests that the relationship between network embeddedness and job performance is related to working hours (Van Emmerik Sanders, 2004). In line with this finding, it is hypothesized that educators who work full time will have a higher probability of sending and receiving relationships than educators with part time working hours (Hypothesis 1c). Experience at the school. Another demographic characteristic that may affect an individuals pattern of relationships is seniority, or experience at the school. The previously mentioned law study (Lazega Van Duijn, 1997) indicated that senior lawyers had a higher probability of being sought out for advice than junior lawyers. Besides having more work experience, a perceived network advantage of senior lawyers may be that they have built more strong, durable, and reliable relationships over time, and therefore have access to resources that are unattainable for more junior lawyers. Accordingly, we hypothesize that educators who have more experience in their school team have a higher likelihood of sending and receiving work discussion relationships than educators who have less experience in the school team (Hypothesis 1d). Age. Network research in other contexts found age differences in relation to the amount of relationships that individuals maintain (Cairns, Leung, Buchanan, Cairns, 1995; Gottlieb Green, 1984). In general, these studies suggest that the amount of relationships that people maintain tend to decrease with age. However, with increased age, experience at the school also increases together with the amount of relationships based on seniority (Lazega Van Duijn, 1997). In concordance with the latter, we hypothesize that age will positively affect the probability of work related ties, meaning that older teachers are more likely to send and receive work related relationships than younger teachers (Hypothesis 1e) Grade Level. Within schools, formal clustering around grade level may affect the pattern of relationships among educators. The grade level may to a certain extent affect the amount of interaction among educators since grade level teams may have additional grade level meetings and professional development initiatives are often targeted at the grade level (Daly et al., in press; McLaughlin Talbert, 1993; Newmann, Kings, Youngs, 2000; Newmann Wehlage, 1995; Wood, 2007; Stoll Louis, 2007). Dutch elementary schools are relatively small compared to U.S. elementary schools, and are often divided into a grade level team for the lower grades (K 2) and a grade level team for the upper grades (3 6). The amount of relationships that teachers have, may partly be defined by the requirements of and opportunities provided by their grade level team. We may expect that teachers that teach upper grade levels send and receive more relationships than teachers that teach lower grade levels because o f the increasingly diverse and demanding curriculum in the upper grades combined with intensified student testing and preparation for education after elementary school. These conditions may require more work related discussion of upper grade level teachers than of lower grade level teachers. As such, we expect that teachers that teach upper grade levels have a higher likelihood of sending and receiving relationships than teachers that teach lower grade levels (Hypothesis 1f). Dyadic level demographics that may shape teachers social networks Dyadic level demographics are demographics that typify the relationship between two individuals. Dyadic level effects give insights in network homophily. Network homophily is arguably the most well-known social network concept that often explicitly focuses on demographic characteristics of network members. The concept of homophily, also known by the adage birds of a feather flock together, addresses similarity between two individuals in a dyadic (paired) relationship. Homophily literature builds on the notion that individuals are more likely to develop and maintain social relationships with others that are similar to them on specific attributes, such as gender, organizational unit, or educational level (Marsden, 1988; McPherson Smith-Lovin, 1987; McPherson, Smith-Lovin, Cook, 2001). Similarly, individuals who differ from each other on a specific attribute are less likely to initiate relationships, and when they do, heterophilous relationships also tend to dissolve at a faster pace than homophilous relationships (McPherson et al., 2001). Homophily effects result from processes of social selection and social influence. Social selection refers to the idea that individuals tend to choose to interact with individuals that are similar to them in characteristics such as behavior and attitudes. At the same time, individuals that interact with each other influence each others behavior and attitudes, which may increase their similarity (McPherson et al., 2001). This is a process of social influence. In addition, individuals who share a relationship also tend to share similar experiences through their relationship (Feld, 1981). Homophily is related to the concept of structural balance. In the footsteps of cognitive balance theory, structural balance theory poses that individuals will undertake action to avoid or decrease an unbalanced network (Heider, 1958). Over time, people tend to seek balance in their network by initiating new strong relationships with friends of friends and terminate relationships with friends of enemies or enemies of friends (Wasserman Faust, 1997). As a result from this tendency towards structural balance, relatively homogenous and strong cliques may be formed that give the network some stability over time (Kossinets Watts, 2006). Structural balance and network homophily may have also have a negative influence on individuals social networks as the resulting network homogeneity and pattern of redundant relationships may limit their access to valuable information and expertise (Little, 1990; Burt, 1997, 2000). In this study we focus on two types of similarity that may define teachers relationships, namely gender similarity and grade level similarity. Gender similarity. A dyadic attribute that may affect teachers patterns of social relationships is the gender similarity between two teachers. Several studies have shown that work and voluntary organizations are often highly gender segregated (Bielby Baron, 1986, McGuire, 2000; McPherson Smith-Lovin, 1986, 1987; Popielarz, 1999; Van Emmerik, 2006). This gender homophily effect already starts at a young age (Hartup, 1993; Cairns Cairns, 1994; Furman Burmester, 1992). In the context of education, Heyl (1996) suggested an effect of gender homophily on interactional patterns among teachers, indicating that for men and women relationships with the opposite gender are less frequent or intense than relationships among men or relationship among women. In line with this suggestion, we hypothesize a homophily effect for gender, meaning that educators will prefer same-gender relationships over relationships with teachers of the opposite gender (Hypothesis 2a). Grade level similarity. Another dyadic attribute that may shape the pattern of teachers relationships is the grade level. In the Netherlands, schools are relatively small compared to the Unitesd States, with often only one full time or two part time teachers per grade level. Commonly, Dutch school teams are formally divided into two grade level levels representing the lower (onderbouw, often K-2 or K-3) and upper grades (bovenbouw, often grades 3-6 or 4-6), which are often located in close physical proximity. Recent research suggests that teachers who are located closely to each another are more likely to interact with each other than with teachers that are less physically proximate (Coburn Russell, 2008). Moreover, most schools have separate breaks for the lower and upper grades, and some schools hold additional formal meetings for the lower/upper grades to discuss issues related to these grades. Since shared experiences are argued to result in greater support among individuals (Fe ld, 1981; Suitor Pillemer, 2000; Suitor, Pillemer, Keeton, 1995), these organizational features will increase the opportunity for teachers from the same grade level to interact relative to teachers from a different grade level. Therefore, we hypothesize a homophily effect for grade level, meaning that teachers will more likely maintain relationships with teachers from their own grade level than with teachers that teach the other grade level (e.g., lower or upper level) (Hypothesis 2b). School level demographics that may shape teachers social networks Although teachers can often choose with whom they interact, the social structure of their schools network is partly outside their span of control (Burt, 1983; Brass Burkhardt, 1993; Gulati, 1995). Just as individual relationships may constrain or support a teachers access to and use of resources (Degenne Forse, 1999), the social structure surrounding the teacher may influence the extent to which teachers may shape their network so as to expect the greatest return on investment (Burt, 1992; Flap De Graaf, 1989; Ibarra, 1992, 1993, 1995; Lin Dumin, 1986; Little, 1990). Because of the embeddedness and interdependency of individuals in their social network, relationships and attributes at a higher level will affect lower-level relationships (Burt, 2000). As such, demographic characteristics at the school level may affect teachers patterns of relationships. We pose that the following school level demographic characteristics affect teachers pattern of social relationships: gender ratio , average age, school team experience, school size, school team size, and socio-economic status of the schools students. Gender ratio and average age. Above and beyond the influence of individual demographics on the tendency to form relationships, there may be aggregates of these individual demographics at the level of the school team that may affect teachers tendency to form and maintain relationships. Research in a law firm demonstrated that above the influence of individual level seniority, a lawyers position in the firms network was in part dependent on the ratio of juniors to seniors in the team (Lazega Van Duijn, 1997). For school teams, a compositional characteristic that may affect patterns of relationships is gender ratio, or the ratio of the number of female to male teachers. In a school team with a high ratio of female teachers (which is not unusual in Dutch elementary education) male teachers have fewer options for homophily friendships with same-sex peers than women. Therefore, male teachers in such a team may have a lower tendency to maintain relationships in general and a higher propens ity towards relationships with women than men in school teams with relatively more male teachers. Research confirms that the gender composition of a team may significantly affect gender homophily, with the minority gender often having much more heterophilous networks than the majority (McPherson, Smith-Lovin, Cook, 2001). Therefore, we expect that the gender ratio of the school team will shape teachers social networks. In line with previous empirical work suggesting that women tend to have more relationships than men (Mehra, Kilduff, Brass, 1998), we expect that teachers in school teams with a high female ratio will have a higher likelihood of sending and receiving ties than individuals in teams with relatively more male teachers (Hypothesis 3a). Along the same lines, if we expect that age will increase the likelihood of sending and receiving relationships, then increased average age of a school team may also enhance the probability of relationships. Therefore, we hypothesize that average age is positively related to the probability of ties (Hypothesis 3b). Team experience, school size, and team size. Prior research has indicated that individuals are more likely to reach out to others with whom they had previous relationships (Coburn Russell, 2008). Given the time and shared experiences that are necessary for building relationships, we may assume that the number of years that a school team has been functioning in its current configuration, without members leaving or joining the team, may affect teachers lilelihood of maintaining relationships. Therefore we include school team experience as a school level demographic that may positively affect teachers patterns of relationships (Hypothesis 3c). Other school demographics that may affect teachers inclinations to form relationships are school size (number of students) and team size (number of educators). Previous literature has suggested that the size of organizations and networks is directly related to the pattern of social relationships in organizations (Tsai, 2001). In general, the amou nt of individual relationships and the density of social networks decrease when network size increases. As such, we may expect a lower probability of relationships in schools that serve more students (Hypothesis 3d) and schools with larger school teams (Hypothesis 3e). Students socio-economic status. Social networks can be shaped by both endogenous and exogenous forces (Gulati, Nohria, Zaheer, 2000). An exogenous force to the school team that has been demonstrated to affect schools functioning is the socio-economic status (SES) of its students (Sirin, 2005; White, 1982). We argue that the socio-economic status of the children attending the school may influence the probability that teachers will form relationships. For instance, teachers perceptions of the urgency for communication and innovation may be dependent on the community surrounding the school. Typically, schools that serve more high-needs communities are associated with greater urgency in developing new approaches (Sunderman, Kim Orfield, 2005), which may relate to an increased probability of relationships among educators. Therefore, we hypothesize that teachers in low SES schools will have a higher probability of having relationships than teachers in high SES schools (Hypothesis 3f). METHOD Context The study took place at 13 elementary schools in south of The Netherlands. The schools were part of single district that provided IT, financial, and administrative support to 53 schools in the south of The Netherlands. At the time of the study, the district had just initiated a program for teacher development that involved a benchmark survey for the monitoring of school improvement. We selected a subsample of all the district schools based on a team size of 20 or more team members, since trial runs of the p2 estimation models encountered difficulties converging with smaller network sizes and more schools. The original sample consisted of 53 schools that, with the exception of school team and number of students, did not differ considerably from the 13 sample schools with regard to the described demographics. The context of Dutch elementary schools was beneficial to the study in three ways. First, the school teams were relatively small, which facilitated the collection of whole network data. Second, school teams are social networks with clear boundaries, meaning the distinction of who is part of the team is unambiguous for both researchers and respondents. Third, in contrast to many organizations, school organizations are characterized by relatively flat organizational structures, in which educators perform similar tasks and job diversification is relatively small. Often, educators have had similar training backgrounds, and are receiving school wide professional development as a team. Therefore, despite natural differences in individual characteristics, teachers in Dutch elementary school teams are arguably more comparable among each other than organizational employees in many other organizations, making demographic characteristics possibly less related to differences in tasks or task-rel ated status differences. Sample The sample schools served a student population ranging from 287 to 545 students in the age of 4 to 13. We collected social network data from 13 principals and 303 teachers, reflecting a response rate of 94.5 %. Of the sample, 69.9 % was female and 54.8 % worked full time (32 hours or more). Educators age ranged from 21 to 62 years (M = 46.5, sd = 9.9 years). Additional demographic information is depicted in Table 1 and 2. Instruments Social networks. We assessed the influence of demographic variables on a network that was aimed at capturing work related communication among educators. The network of discussing work related matters was selected because it is assumed to be an important network for the exchange of work related information, knowledge, and expertise that may affect individual and group performance (Sparrowe, Liden, Wayne, Kraimer, 2001). Moreover, according to the previous analysis into network multiplexity (see Chapter 1), this network appeared to be an instrumental network with relatively small overlap with expressive networks. We asked respondents the following question: Whom do you turn to in order to discuss your work? A school-specific appendix was attached to the questionnaire comprising the names of the school team members, accompanied by a letter combination for each school team member (e.g., Ms. Yolanda Brown = AB). The question could be answered by indicating a letter combination for each colleague who the respondent considered part of his/her work discussion network. The number of colleagues a respondent could indicate as part of his/her network was unlimited. Individual, dyadic, and school level attributes. We collected demographic variables to assess how individual, dyadic, and school level attributes shape the pattern of social relationships among educators. At the individual level, we examined the following individual attributes: gender, formal position (teacher/principal), working hours (part time/full time), number of years experience at school, age, and whether a teacher was teaching in lower grade or upper grade. At the dyadic level, we included similarity of gender and similarity of grade level (lower/upper grade). At the school level, we investigated school size, team size, gender ratio, average age, years of team experience in current formation, and students socio-economic status (SES). Data analysis Testing the hypotheses Since our dependent variable consisted of social network data that are by nature interdependent (relationships among individuals), the assumption of data independence that underlies conventional regression models is violated. Therefore, we employed multilevel p2 models to investigate the effect of individual, dyadic, and school level demographics on having work-related relationships (Van Duijn et al., 2004; Baerveldt et al., 2004; Zijlstra, 2008). The p2 model is similar to a logistic regression model, but is developed to handle dichotomous dyadic outcomes. In contrast to a univariate logistic regression model, the p2 model controls for the interdependency that resides in social network data. The model focuses on the individual as the unit of analysis. The p2 model regards sender and receiver effects as latent (i.e., unobserved) random variables that can be explained by sender and receiver characteristics (Veenstra, et al., 2007). In the multilevel p2 analyses, the dependent variable is the aggregate of all the nominations a team member sent to or received from others. A positive effect thus indicates that the independent demographic variable has a positive effect on the probability of a relationship. We used the p2 program within the StOCNET software suite to run the p2 models (Lazega Van Duijn, 1997; Van Duijn, Snijders, Zijlstra, 2004). This software has been recently modified to fit multilevel data (Zijlstra, 2008; Zijlstra, Van Duijn, Snijders, 2006). We make use of this recent development by calculating multilevel p2 models for our data. The social network data in this study have a three-level structure. Network data were collected from 13 schools (Level 3) with 316 educators (Level 2) and 11.241 dyadic relationships (Level 1). To examine the influence of individual, dyadic, and school level demographics on the likelihood of having work related relationships we constructed two multilevel models. In the first multilevel model, the effects of individual and dyadic level demographics on the possibility of having relationships were examined. In the second multilevel model, school level demographic variables were added to the model in order to explain the additional effect of school level demographics on the possibility of having relationships, above and beyond the effects of individual and dyadic level demographics. For the multilevel p2 models, we used a subsample of the 13 schools with a team size of 20 educators or more. We selected this subsample of 13 schools from a larger sample of 53 schools to reduce computing ti me and to examine schools that were more comparable in network size. Still, each model estimation took about six hours of computing time. How to interpret p2 estimates In general, effects in p2 models can be interpreted in the following manner. Results on the variables of interest include both sender effects and receiver effects, meaning effects that signify the probability of sending or receiving a relationship nomination. A positively significant parameter estimate can be interpreted as the demographic variable having a positive effect on the probability of a relationship (Veenstra et al., 2007). For instance, a positive sender effect of formal position with dummy coding (teacher/principal) means that the position with the upper dummy code (principal) will have a higher probability of sending relationships than the position with the lower dummy code (teacher). To assess homophily effects, dyadic matrices were constructed based on the absolute difference between two respondents. For example, the dyadic relationship between male and female educators would be coded as a relationship between educators with a different gender because the absolute difference between male (dummy variable = 0) and female (dummy code = 1) is 1. Smaller numbers thus represent greater interpersonal similarity in gender. The same procedure was carried out for grade level differences. To facilitate the interpretation of the models, we labeled the dyadic parameters different gender and different grade level. A negative parameter estimate for different gender would thus indicate that a