Hospitality and Tourism Management Essay

The K-12 program covers kindergarten and 12 years of basic education ( six years of primary education , four years of junior high school to provide sufficient time for mastery of concepts and skills, develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education , middle-level skills development, employment ,and entrepreneurship. the enhanced basic education act of 2013 , or republic act no. 105333, was signed on may 15, 2013. K-12 is a helpful tool that can strengthen early childhood education, make the curriculum relevant to learners , ensuring integrated and seamless learning ,building proficiency through language , gearing up for future and most of all nurturing the holistically develop Filipino. Every graduate will be equipped with information, media and technology skills, learning and innovation skills, effective communication skills and life career skills. Program implementation in public schools is being done in phases starting SY 2012-2013. Grade 1 entrants in SY2012-2013 are first batch to fully undergo the program, and current 1st year Junior High School Students (or Grade 7) are the first to undergo the enhanced secondary education program. To facilitate the transition from the existing 10-year basic education to 12 years, DepEd is also implementing the SHS AND SHS modeling. .Each student in Senior High School can choose among three tracks: Academic; Technical-Vocational-Livelihood; and Sports and Arts. The Academic track includes three strands: Business, Accountancy, Management (BAM); Humanities, Education, Social Sciences (HESS); and Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics (STEM). Students undergo immersion, which may include earn-while-you-learn opportunities, to provide them relevant exposure and actual experience in their chosen track. The enhanced curriculum for grade 1 and grade 7 ( 1st Year Junior High School ) was rolled out SY 2012-2013 , and will be progressively introduced in other grade levels in succeeding school years. Grade 11 will be introduced in SY 2016-2017 AND GRADE 12 IN SY 2017-2018. The first batch of high school students to go through K to 12 will graduate in march 2018. DepEd has entered into an agreement with business organizations, local and foreign chambers of commerce, and industries to ensure that graduates of K to 12 will be considered for employment. There will be a matching of competency requirements and standards so that 12-year basic education graduates will have the necessary skills needed to join the workforce and to match the College Readiness Standards for further education and future employment. Entrepreneurship will also be fostered in the enhanced curriculum; ensuring graduates can venture into other opportunities beyond employment. After finishing Grade 10, a student can obtain Certificates of Competency (COC) or a National Certificate Level I (NC I). After finishing a Technical-Vocational-Livelihood track in Grade 12, a student may obtain a National Certificate Level II (NC II), provided he/she passes the competency-based assessment of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). NC I and NC II improves employability of graduates in fields like Agriculture, Electronics, and Trade. Target Market 12-13 years old who supposed to graduate grade 6 this year but will be introduced to k-12 program. Grade 5 and 6 students Youth that belongs in the poor families with potential to be out of the school youth after their high school years. Schools Professors – lecturer SY 2011-12 SY 2012-13 SY 2013-14 SY 2014-15 SY 2015-16 SY 2016-17 SY 2017-18 GR 12 2 YEARS SENIOR GR 11 HIGH SCHOOL HS IV (15 yo) GR 10 4 YEARS JUNIOR HS IV (14 yo) GR 9 HIGH SCHOOL HS IV (13 yo) OLD CURRICULUM GR 8 HS IV (12 yo) NEW CURRICULUM GR 7 GR 6 (11 yo) GR 6 6 YEARS GR 5 (10 yo) GR 5 ELEMENTARY GR 4 (9 yo) GR 4 GR 3 (8 yo) GR 3 GR 2 (7 yo) OLD CURRICULUM GR 2 GR 1 (6 yo) NEW CURICULUM GR 1 KINDER (5 yo) KINDER Analysis of Case During the period of governance of Spain and the United States, education in the Philippines changed radically, mostly modeled on the system of education in the United States of the time. After gaining independence in 1946, the systems were no longer automatically applied in the Philippines, which have since moved in various directions of its own. Filipino children may enter preschool at the ages of three to four, starting from nursery, and kindergarten. At the ages of six to seven, children enter elementary school for six or seven (on selected schools) years. This is followed by the high school, for four years. Students may then sit for the College Entrance Examinations (CEE), after which they may enter tertiary schools for two to five years. The Philippine educational system pursues the achievement of excellent undergraduates in the elementary and secondary level. Implementation of UbD is one of the proposals that undertook in the country recently. At present, the Department of Education pronounces the addition of two more years in the basic education of students, which according to them will benefit not only the Filipino youth but all the Filipinos in the Philippines. This proposal is part of P-noy’s Educational Reform Program. The administration asserts that with the implementation of such program, the problem of unemployment in the country will be resolved. In as much as employment in the Philippines is concerned, the K12 education also responds to the fact that most countries in the world already have the same plan in their educational institutions. With this, the standards of these countries go a notch higher than what the country has, thus, creating an expansion in the global competency. What can be really said about this plan. The K-12 Basic Education Program aims to provide every Filipino child with the education s/he needs to compete in a global context. In May, President Benigno Aquino of the Philippines signed into law a basic education curriculum that will see a mandatory kindergarten year and two additional senior high school years added to what was a 10-year education curriculum to make basic education 12 years. The programmed has been adopted not only in schools in the Philippines, but also in Filipino schools abroad that follow the department’s curriculum. Gulf news reports: The goal of the new curriculum is to give Filipino students enough time to master skills and concepts so that they are ready for tertiary education when the time comes. Kindergarten was previously optional, and advocates of the K-12 programme argue that students who went to kindergarten are better prepared for primary education than those who did not. In addition, the K-12 programmed â€Å"provides for the use of the ‘mother tongue‘ language as the medium of instruction for students in the basic and lower years to facilitate and expedite learning. † This fabulous interactive map of all public schools in the country could be a useful tool in planning a recruitment strategy. It contains data on the school’s budget, enrolment statistics, education indicators, number of teaching personnel, furniture, textbooks, classrooms, plus the water and power supply of some 45,000 schools nationwide. 10 Point Education Agenda The move to the K-12 policy comes as part of the 10 Point Education Agenda which was set out by the current government administration. The K-12 Basic Education Program, universal kindergarten and instruction in mother-tongue languages are but three of the ten points Aquino’s administration want to implement in order to improve the overall quality of education in Filipino schools. The other seven points include: Establish the Madaris Education as a sub-system in the current education system; Make every child a reader by Grade 1; Improve science and mathematics; Expand government assistance to private education; Better textbooks; Build more schools in cooperation with local government units (LGUs); Re-introduce technical and vocational education in public high schools. Australia extends a helping hand Australia has long been a friend to the Philippines – donating time, funding and other resources, as well as working with the nation to develop and ensure quality. Last month, the country grantedPHP 8. 4 billion (nearly US $193 million) â€Å"to address basic education issues and support the implementation of the K-12 programme. † They have also funded a project to â€Å"enhance the skills of school officials in managing school processes and turn schools into learner-centred institutions that continually improve and build on its best practices. † In return, Australia is surely hoping Filipino schools and students will select Oz as their destination of choice for partnerships and study. As ICEF Monitor reported in February, the Philippines is one of the top ten student markets for Australian schools, colleges and universities. Building classrooms and adding teachers As mentioned, one of the ten points on the Education Agenda aims to address severe overcrowding in Philippine schools and the shortage of classrooms. In October of last year, the Department of Education signed an agreement â€Å"with two winning consortia which will undertake the construction of close to 10,000 classrooms. † The department’s Public Private Partnership for School Infrastructure Project (PSIP) will give schools the physical space they need and â€Å"provides the private sector the business opportunity to invest in the design, construction and maintenance of classrooms. † Philippine Education Secretary Armin A. Luistro has said he hopes that by doing so, the classrooms would stand as a testament to Filipino capability and efficiency. Progress is well underway; construction of more than 9,000 classrooms began in March of this year. An increase in student enrolment which caused the shortage of teachers was due to an increase in kindergarten students – a result of the new K-12 curriculum, as well as students who were formerly enrolled in private school transferring to public school because of tuition fee hikes. Student enrolment in 2012/3 stood at 20. 67 million: 1. 77 million kindergarten students, 13. 26 million elementary students, and 5. 64 million high school students. Increased focus on vocational education A final point on the 10 Point Education Agenda calls for a re-introduction of vocational and technical education in high schools, which has been designed to give Filipino students practical skills to gain employment after graduation – a key component in tackling the high youth unemployment rate in the Philippines. Some advocates are calling for the adoption of the German model of apprenticeship. The Manilla Bulletin reported: It is hoped that adopting the German model would help address the skills mismatch between Filipino graduates and the jobs available. Ramon del Rosario, chairman of the PBEd, has said now is the time to implement the apprenticeship system, because of the start of the K-12 curriculum: â€Å"It is a good time because of the development of the senior high school curriculum and that will have a track towards technical vocational education. † In May, the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA) announced it had completed the K-12 technical vocational curriculum, and everything was in place for the start of the new school year. TESDA Secretary Joel Villanueva said, â€Å"Technical vocational education and training (TVET) will play a central role in the new education model that prepares students for tertiary education, middle-skills development, employment and entrepreneurship. † Courses include automotive servicing, horticulture, welding, consumer electronics, dressmaking/tailoring, carpentry, food processing and beauty care. The Philippines as a study destination Like many of its neighboring countries, the Philippines has its eye on becoming a study destination of choice for students from the Asia-Pacific region. In January of this year, the Philippine Bureau of Immigration reported that of the 203,753 foreigners in the country, 47,478 are studying in schools and universities across the country (which is 14% higher than the 41,443 foreigners who applied in 2011). The bulk of those (31,000) are under the age of 18 and studying at an elementary or high school or on a short-term (less than 1 year) course. The Bureau’s Commissioner Ricardo David Jr said: â€Å"Our country is fast emerging as a new educational hub in the Asia-Pacific region. More and more foreigners are coming here to study and it demonstrates recognition of the improved quality of our educational system. † He attributed the influx of foreign students to the quality of teaching and the use of English as the medium of instruction. Some of those students chose the Philippines to study English, and the government is hoping to boost ESL student numbers by making it easier for them to stay and learn. Last year, ICEF Monitor reported that for international students studying English in Australia, the Philippines had entered the competition as a destination option for the first time in 2011. Backing that up, an article in The PIE News quotes Ruth Tizon, Programmed Director of the Philippines ESL Tour Program, as saying, One thing is clear: the Philippines is looking ahead. With a growing population and a budding economy, demand for quality education is high. Many Filipino parents welcome the basic education reforms and are looking forward to more opportunities for their children in vocational and higher education. KEY ISSUE / GOALS The fact that the Philippines is the last country in the region to adopt a K-12basic educations system because it is not all about the trending basis but checking in accordance to the â€Å"reality†. During the assessment done by the prestigious organization Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), they conclude that the problem about the present curriculum in squeezing 12 years of basic education into just 10 is that students are overloaded with subjects which resulted to poor quality of basic education as reflected in the low achievement scores of Filipino students. International tests results like 2003 TIMSS rank the Philippines 34th out of 38 countries in HS II Math and 43rd out of 46countries in HS II Science; for grade 4, the Philippines ranked 23rd out of 25 participating countries in both Math and Science. In 2008, even with only the science high schools participating in the Advanced Mathematics category, the Philippines were ranked lowest. This quality of education is reflected in the inadequate preparation of high school graduates for the world of work or entrepreneurship or higher education . It is not the question of teaching force because internationally we can say that the country is equipped of well trained educators capable enough for the learning needed by the students in our country. In fact, teachers in our country are highly demanded and most preferred to be hired and work in other country. But it is the matter of the educational system that we have which is designed to teach a 12-year curriculum, yet it is delivered in just 10 years. Though some criticizing it as a way only to realigned as to what is the trending educational system to must have, then why not follow it if it will sustain the development of the educational system of our country and there is nothing wrong with it. As to the question of the consequences that will be brought by the policy, surely there will be many of those and it’s a part of the changes. Better because the government exists to uplift the standard of education in the country and not just sitting down to their respective offices and waiting what will happen to the future of the students experiencing the current system. The policy exist with provisions of program to be administered forthe sustainability of it, thus to relate it with economic hindrances it should be another story that is worth to be reflected and should not serve as a hindrance for the development of one system in our country (education). To reach the development wherein the citizens are wanting, admitting the fact that it couldn’t be happening simultaneously is the first step. Goals of k-12 Individualized learning customized to each child’s needs. Award winning curriculum that engages young mind from k to 12 with a rich combination of online interactive and offline hands-on learning High school full-and-part time options to help students find their own path A new kind of powerful, personalized connection with teacher Preferred alternative with rationale in this study I find out that k to 12 will have a big effect in our country and even in our industry. It is a good program that can provide many outcomes and may help our country men to arise. But I also notice that some of whom I asked if k to 12 will be the answer for the people to be more comprehensive and productive in man powering many had answer maybe and no . then I got this thought that It can help but people in our country don’t want to open their minds in this changes. People in our country nowadays is always looking forward to fast solutions and money at this state it is because of the arising poverty and the low demand for man power and they are afraid that if they will not chase the time there will be no jobs available for them. They are afraid that k to 12 will affect every industry in hiring people so as our industry because if we can see jobs in the hospitality industry is widely offered than that of the other careers . so I came up with the rationale that we are good enough in the old curriculum. Why did I say this but I did not yet see the effect of it in the students it is because we are also pushing students to work early , why we will do that if we really want to push them to work early is to decreased the level of education just like the old one. Many parent will be sacrificing much about it, I guess the answer of today’s crisis is to help those student to bring their selves up in the maximum time possible. So that they can be as professionals in their early age . There is an urgent need to enhance the quality of basic education in our country as seen in the education outcomes of Filipino students and the comparative disadvantage of the Philippines with regard to other countries. The following data would support this explanation: At present, the Philippines is the only country in Asia and among the three remaining countries in the world that uses a 10-year basic education cycle. According to a presentation made by the South East Asian Ministers of Education Organization (SEAMEO-INNOTECH) on Additional Years in Philippine Basic Education (2010), the comparative data on duration of Basic and Pre-University Education in Asia shows that the Philippines allots 10 years not just for the basic education cycle but also for the pre-university education while all the other countries have either 11 or 12 years in their basic education cycle. Achievement scores highlight our students’ poor performance in national examinations. The National Achievement Test (NAT) results for grade 6 in SY 2009-2010 showed only a 69. 21% passing rate while the NAT results for high school is at a low 46. 38%. Moreover, international tests results in 2003 Trends in International Mathematics and Science study (TIMSS) show that the Philippines ranked 34th out of 38 countries in HS Math and 43rd out of 46 countries in HS II Science. Moreover, the Philippines ranked the lowest in 2008 even with only the science high schools joining the Advanced Mathematics category. Assumptions The K to 12 Program covers Kindergarten and 12 years of basic education (six years of primary education, four years of Junior High School, and two years of Senior High School [SHS]) to provide sufficient time for mastery of concepts and skills, develop lifelong learners, and prepare graduates for tertiary education, middle-level skills development, employment, and entrepreneurship. -DEPED K 12 can contribute to: Strengthening early childhood education Making curriculum relevant to learners Ensuring integrated and seamless learning Building proficiency through language Nurturing the holistically Filipino Kindergarten and 12 years of basic education is offered for free in public schools. There are additional indirect costs, but government agencies are collaborating to provide programs that will enable everyone access to quality education, especially to those with lesser means. Proposals such as the expansion of the Education Service Contracting (ESC) scheme under the Government Assistance to Students and Teachers in Private Education (GASTPE) and other cost-sharing arrangements are being developed by DepEd. K to 12 graduates should have higher earning potential as they will be more competent and skilled. As a result of the K to 12 Program, particularly the more specialized education in Senior High School, CHED is exploring the possibility of decreasing the number of years of which will enable them to have more employment opportunities. Certain degree programs in college. K to 12 graduates can obtain national certification from TESDA, After finishing Grade 10, a student can obtain Certificates of Competency (COC) or a National Certificate Level I (NC I). After finishing a Technical-Vocational-Livelihood track in Grade 12, a student may obtain a National Certificate Level II (NC II), provided he/she passes the competency-based assessment of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). NC I and NC II improves employability of graduates in fields like Agriculture, Electronics, and Trade. After going through Kindergarten, the enhanced Elementary and Junior High curriculum, and a specialized Senior High program, every K to 12 graduates will be ready to go into different paths – may it be further education, employment, or entrepreneurship. Every graduate will be equipped with: Information, media and technology skills, Learning and innovation skills, Effective communication skills, and Life and career skills. MANILA, Philippines – Last May 15, President Benigno Aquino III signed the Enhanced Basic Education Act of 2013 into law. Philippines is the last country in Asia to approved k 12. The implementation of the Universal Kindergarten began in SY 2011–2012. The enhanced curriculum for Grade 1 and Grade 7 (1st Year Junior High School) was rolled out in SY 2012–2013, and will be progressively introduced in the other grade levels in succeeding school years. Grade 11 will be introduced in SY 2016–2017 and Grade 12 in SY 2017–2018. The ? rst batch of high school students to go through K to 12 will graduate in March 2018. K to 12 graduates will be ready to be employed in various industries. Education Secretary Armin Luistro earlier said that â€Å"the K to 12 program would like to ensure that even if they don’t choose to go to college, they finish studying what is basic. † As per Republic Act no. 10157 or the Kindergarten Education Act, Kindergarten has become part of the education system and a pre-requisite for admission to Grade 1. Public schools will continue to admit children who have not taken Kindergarten into Grade 1 until SY 2013-2014. Senior high school students can choose from 3 tracks: Academic, Sports and Arts, and Technical-Vocational-Livelihood. After Grade 10, a student can obtain Certi? cates of Competency (COC) or a National Certi? cate Level I (NC I). After finishing a Technical Vocational-Livelihood in Grade 12, a student may obtain a National Certi? cate Level II (NC II), provided he/she passes the competency-based assessment of the Technical Education and Skills Development Authority (TESDA). NC I and NC II improves employability of graduates in ? elds like Agriculture, Electronics, and Trade. In Kinder, mother tongue, shall be used as the medium of instruction. In Grades 1-3, the mother tongue will be used in teaching all subjects, except in teaching Filipino and English subjects. Starting Grade 4, Filipino and English will become the languages for instruction. Starting SY 2016-2017, DepEd shall engage in partnerships with colleges, universities, and Technical-Vocational Institutions (TVI) to use their existing facilities and teaching staff to ensure that reduction in enrollment in these colleges and universities will be offset during the transition period. Private schools are to adhere to the minimum standards of the K to 12 curriculum. They should also follow the K to 12 progression, even if they choose not to offer grades 11-12 (e. g. private junior high schools can remain as such but their students will have to transfer for senior high school). Recommendations In the light findings of the study and the conclusion drawn, the following recommendations are given: K to 12 will be more embraced by the parents of the students if the government will make new ways of helping the parents of the student to make their children’s finish the k to 12 program Most of the student who will undergo k-12 program belongs to a family that has a minimum wage income. And majority of the respondents are 11-12 years old. Based on my study , we can say that k to 12 program will affect the student learning’s and will add training for them to used if they will wanted to work as early in their age. It can be said for the findings that k to 12 will help the youth to be young professionals in the hospitality industry were in job opportunities are more open to them because of the training that they will take in this program. On the findings there for include that the k to 12 has many effects on the students that will undergo the program and they will have capabilities of having work in the hospitality industry but in the study it shows that it also decreased their parents capabilities to support their studies. Decision criteria Future education status Family salary income how do you asses k to 12 program as a student to take the k to 12 program: Quality of the education Effects on the student learning Its effect on the parents capabilities on supporting their Childs education How will it affect the numbers of the students who will continue their studies to attain their degree in college? What is the perception of the students regards to: the k to 12 program the new ways of learning readiness for them to work in a establishment If the TESDA training accreditation will make them more professionals especially on the hospitality industry. Subject – this research concerns with the analysis of the case of k to 12 program in the Philippines that had been implied last 2012 and if can create new hospitality professionals. Respondents – the respondents of the study are the students of San Antonio National high school that has already taking the new curriculum k to 12. Instrumentation – the author used the following instrument to gather important data . Questionnaires are carefully prepared to answer the specific problems of the study. Observation – as means of gathering information for the research may define as perceiving data through the senses. Observation is most widely used in studying behavior. This will be used to determine the actual reaction of the students while the Questionnaire given to them. Setting – the author will focus their studies on the point of view of students in San Antonio national high school in san Antonio village Makati city. Justification Student that will take k to 12 program can acquired the following: †¢ Acquire mastery of basic competencies. †¢ Be more emotionally mature. †¢ Be socially aware , pro-active, involve in public and civic affairs. †¢ Be adequately prepared for the word of work or Entrepreneurship or higher education. †¢ Be legally employable with potential for better earnings. †¢ Be globally competitive. †¢ Every graduate of the Enhanced K to 12 Basic Education program is an empowered individual who has learned, through a program that is rooted on sound educational principles and geared towards excellence, the foundations for learning throughout life, the competence to engage in work and be productive, the ability to coexist in fruitful harmony with local and global communities, the capability to engage in autonomous critical thinking, and the capacity to transform others and oneself. Agriculture and Fisheries, Sports, Business and Entrepreneurship Why add two more years? Decongest and enhance the basic education curriculum. Better quality education for all. Philippines is the only remaining country in Asia with a 10-year basic education program. K to12 is not new. The proposal to expand the basic education dates back to 1925. Studies in the Philippines have shown that an additional year of schooling increases earnings by 7. 5%.. Studies validate that improvements in the quality of education will increase GDP growth by 2% to 2. 2% Minus 2 instead of plus 2 for those families who cannot afford a college education but still wish to have their children find a good paying job. Right now, parents spend for at least 4 years of college to have unemployable child. In our model, parents will not pay for 2 years of basic Education that will give them an employable child. In effect, we are saving parents 2 years of expenses. The plan is not â€Å"Plus 2 years before graduation† but â€Å"Minus 2 years before work Inspire a shift in attitude that completion of high school education is more than just preparation for college but can be sufficient for a gainful employment or career. What will the society gain from K to 12? K to 12 will facilitate an accelerated economic growth. K to 12 will facilitate mutual recognition of Filipino graduates and professionals in other countries. A better educated society provides a sound foundation for long-term socio-economic development. Several studies have shown that the improvements in the quality of education will increase GDP growth by as much as 2%. Studies in the UK, India and US show that additional years of schooling also have positive overall impact on society. What Benefits will Individuals and Families get? An enhanced curriculum will decongest academic workload. Graduates will possess competencies and skills relevant to the job market. Graduates will be prepared for higher education. Graduates will be able to earn higher wages and/or better prepared to start their own business. Graduates could now be recognized abroad. MANILA, Philippines—Adding two years to the present 10-year basic education cycle is â€Å"an absolutely essential reform† to put the country’s public education system at par with the rest of the world, an international education expert said on Wednesday. Sheldon Shaeffer, director at the Bureau of Education of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (Unesco) Asia Pacific, said the K+12 program (Kindergarten plus 12 years) was a necessary reform â€Å"to make the system comparable to and competitive with other countries. † Speaking at a lecture on school leadership at the Department of Education (DepEd), Shaeffer said a 12-year education cycle would be â€Å"more useful to the personal needs and employment opportunities† of its graduates. â€Å"I actually don’t see how people can disagree with it,† said Shaeffer before an audience of top Philippine education officials and representatives from various schools. The flagship education program of the Aquino administration, the K+12 basic education reform plan aims to improve the quality of Filipino high school graduates by adding two years of senior high school to the current 10-year education curriculum. The two additional years in senior high school are envisioned to serve as a specialization period for high school students, whether in vocational skills, music, the arts or sports. This would give high school graduates the option to pursue jobs with a basic education diploma or proceed to college. The program aims to make Philippine education at par with the rest of the world, with 12 years of basic schooling already a global standard. According to the DepEd, only the Philippines, Angola and Djibouti have a 10-year basis schooling cycle. Officials said the two-year shortcoming had proven problematic in the accreditation of Philippine graduates when applying for postgraduate courses and employment overseas. Recently, Laos added a year to its 11-year-program, Shaeffer noted. Education Secretary Armin Luistro acknowledged that the transition to a 12-year system would be difficult but noted that the Philippines was â€Å"already delayed† in coming up to the global standard. â€Å"What we’re looking at now is how to implement it. In [implementing] any change, there will be difficulty and this is what we really have to work on toge

Dangers of Childhood Immunizations Essay

Evidence Supporting Thesis â€Å"In order to understand the ‘safety’ of vaccines, you have to know several things, including how a baby’s immune system works from birth onwards, and what vaccines do biochemically in the body. That work has never been done.† Found in the book Just a Little Prick by Hilary Butler No one medical treatment will work the same way on every person it is used on, so why would we expect for generalized vaccines to work the same way in every child? It is merely impossible to know how your child’s immune system will respond to vaccines, but there are consequences set in place for parents like myself who do not believe in giving annual vaccines. For example: if your child’s vaccines are not up to date, then your child is not allowed to go to school, be involved in team sports, and a host of other activities. Main Points Studies have not been done to show how each individual vaccine affects the body in both positive and negative ways. Alternative measures should be available for those parents who are against vaccinating their children. More studies need to be conducted to see what role, if any, vaccinations play in the behavioral aspect of a child’s development. Studies have not been done to show how each individual vaccine affects the body in both positive and negative ways. What are the positive effects that vaccines have on a child’s body? Vaccines can help to prevent some of the serious complications that occur as a result of serious diseases. Vaccines help to ensure that if a child comes in contact with a disease, they will only develop a mild case of the disease versus a child never having the vaccine who develops a natural immunity to the disease which will in turn cause the non-vaccinated child to have very severe complications. Varicella Infection leads to Pneumonia if no vaccine has been given. Polio Infection leads to permanent paralysis if no vaccine has been given. Mumps Infection could lead to deafness and infertility in young boys if no vaccine has been given. Hib infection can lead to permanent brain damage if no vaccine has been given. Vaccinations help to build immunity to diseases that may be foreign strains of normal diseases. * *   What are the negative effects that vaccines have on a child’s body? Because there have not been any studies on the exact biochemical effect that vaccines have on a child’s body, there is not much supporting evidence to why vaccines are negative. However, there are some studies that suggest that vaccines may be closely tied to various behavior problems such as adhd, add, and the ever controversial autism. It has been proven that vaccines cause mild side effects such as swelling, fever, flu-like symptoms, and in more severe cases: seizures. Alternative measures should be available to parents who are opposed to vaccinating their children. The bottom line School age children are required to have up-to-date vaccinations before being allowed to attend school. There aren’t any alternative options for parents who do not believe in vaccinating their children Children are not allowed to attend school. Children are not allowed to participate in group activities such as team sports, and clubs. Are we really harming our children by vaccinating them? Studies have not been done to show how each individual vaccine affects the body in both positive and negative ways. Alternative measures should be available for those parents who are against vaccinating their children. * 3.More studies need to be conducted to see what role, if any, vaccinations play in the behavioral aspect of a child’s development.

Full Day Kindergarten Essay

Full day kindergarten should be mandatory and of no extra cost for all of the elementary schools. This will boost the children’s academic achievement. The children that are exposed to full day kindergarten will learn more in literacy and mathematics than those in half-day kindergarten. The students that are in a full day program get to spend more time on their math, writing, and reading activities. The full day students also get the advantage of being able to participate in gym, art, and music classes. The half-day students do not get to experience gym, art, or music class. I have seen results first hand because I chose to put my son in a full day kindergarten versus the half-day. I chose to bring my son to a school that is located in Fridley so that he could receive the benefits of the full day kindergarten. The half-day program that Blaine offers has a very undesirable schedule for parents who work. The half-day schedule for Blaine elementary school is full days Mondays, Wednesdays, and every other Friday. I think that the earlier the educational intervention begins the higher the impact and the more likely the effects will be retained. Other than the health of a child, I think that nothing should be more important than their education. Giving children the opportunity to be in a full day kindergarten program gives them opportunities that the half-day students do not receive. One of the opportunities is being able to spend more time on reading, writing, and math. The teachers also have more time to sit one on one with each student one or in small groups and work on these skills. They also have a different theme for each month that they focus on. Some examples of the themes are the solar system, U. S.  presidents, maps, and the celebrations around the world. Children also absorb things more easily when they are younger. Being a mother of a full day kindergarten student, I see the results of the extra reading, writing, and math that the teacher does with him. My son is one of the youngest in his class and he is reading at a first grade level. As for his writing, he attempt to write big words using phonics. For example, I came home one day a few months ago and he had written on his dry erase board â€Å"I see a red ladebug†. He also brought home a worksheet that he had written about his favorite fruits. On this worksheet, he had written â€Å"watrmlon†. As far as his math goes, he is always measuring things in the house with a kid’s yard ruler. The themes that they work on each month give the students the ability to know what is going on in the world around them. My son came home from school one day and told me that there was a planet that was not considered a planet anymore. I did not know this and I was in complete awe. According to Debra Ackerman, â€Å"Children in full day kindergarten programs score higher on their achievement test than those in half-day programs. Full-day kindergarten advocates suggest that a longer school day provides educational support that ensures a productive beginning school experience and increases the chances of future school success. In both full-day and half-day programs, kindergartners spend most of their class time working on reading, language arts, and math activities, but the total number of minutes teachers devote to specific subjects differs. For example, 80 percent of full day but only about 50 percent of half-day programs devote more than 30 minutes each day to mathematics instruction. Sixty-eight percent of full day but only 37 percent of half-day classrooms dedicate at least 60 minutes to reading instruction each day. Perhaps most striking, 79 percent of full-day teachers read aloud to their students every day, compared to 62 percent of half-day teachers. Reading aloud is a critical activity in helping to develop children’s reading skills. Additional research shows children’s literacy learning is enhanced in full-day programs, as the full-day schedule provides a more intensive, ongoing, enriched language and literacy experience for the young child. † (Ackerman) Children in full day kindergarten programs score higher on their achievement test than those in half-day programs. I asked my son’s kindergarten teacher, Ms. Janssen, what the average for reading was for her class. Ms. Janssen stated that the majority of her students are already in the first grade reading level as of the end of the second trimester. As said by the Indiana Association of Public School Super Intendants, â€Å"Full day kindergarten programs are associated with greater reading achievement gains during the kindergarten year than half day programs†. (Plucker, 6) The students are graded on their writing and math abilities as well. According to the Kalamazoo Public Schools reports, â€Å"The group of kindergartners advanced in 2010 to first grade at Kalamazoo Public School, where 60 percent tested at or above the 50th percentile in reading on the Iowa Test of Basic Skills last April. That’s a 7-point increase compared to Kalamazoo Public School first-graders tested in April 2009, Rice said. On the Iowa Test Basic Skills math test, 52 percent of first-graders tested at or above the 50th percentile last spring, a 12-point jump over spring 2009. The Iowa Test of Basic Skills are administered in schools nationwide and is a norm-referenced test, which means scores are based on how students perform compared to other test-takers. The Kalamazoo Public School results show that 60 percent of Kalamazoo students are in the top half of first-graders nationwide in reading and 52 percent are in the top half in math. † (Mack) Children who are in full day kindergarten have better social and behavioral effects than those who are in half-day kindergarten. When children are in school for the full day they have more time to get to know the other students. They get more time to interact together socially and they are learning while they are interacting. The students also get to go to specialists and they go with their classmates. Some of the specialists that Hayes Elementary offers are music, art, Spanish, and gym. Going to the specialist is something that the full day kindergarteners get to do and the half-day kindergarteners do not get to do. These students also get to spend more time with the teacher. This means that they will be less hesitant to approach their teacher. According to Clark, â€Å"Some researchers have examined social and behavioral effects. According to researchers, a clear relationship emerged between the kindergarten schedule and children’s behavior. Teachers rated children in all-day kindergarten programs higher on 9 of the 14 dimensions; there were no significant differences on the other 5 dimensions. Other researchers who have studied social and behavioral outcomes found that children in all-day kindergarten programs were engaged in more child-to-child interactions and they made significantly greater progress in learning social skills†. (Clark) In the kindergarten classrooms of Hayes Elementary, the students get into groups called centers. During this center time, the teacher takes a group of five students to a table to do independent reading and the rest of the students go to a center. The centers are groups of three or four students and the students get to interact socially while doing something educational. Some examples of the centers are writing center, listening center, leapster center, and art center. The writing center is where the students can write freely. The listening center is where the students put on headphones, listen to directions, and write down what they hear. The leapster center is where the students get to play a handheld learning game that integrates math, reading, and spelling in the games. Finally, the art center is where the students get to draw and color what they want. When the time is up the students clean up as groups. A full day of learning offers many social and emotional benefits to kindergarteners. As stated by NEA, â€Å"They have more time to focus and reflect on activities, and they have more time to transition between activities. When children are taught by qualified teachers, using age-appropriate curricula in small classes they can take full advantage of the additional learning time—social, emotional, and intellectual— that a full day allows. Further, research finds that children adjust well to the full-day format. † (NEA) The full day kindergarten teachers plan and use the extra time in class well. The time in class is spent differently in both the full day kindergarten and the half-day kindergarten. According to the research that the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents, â€Å"The research provides evidence that time in full day kindergarten programs is different both quantitatively and qualitatively from how time is used in half day programs† (Plucker, ii). Full day kindergarten offers benefits to teachers. Teachers prefer the full day program to the half-day program. If there is a child that is struggling with something, the teacher has the ability to find time to help that student. There is also more time to finish activities. According to Ms. Janssen, â€Å"With the full day program I am able to get through four reading groups versus two reading groups in one day. With the full day program we are able to go more in depth on our unit that we focus on in class. † (Janssen) According to the NEA, â€Å"Switching to full-day kindergarten gave teachers more time to plan the curriculum, incorporate a greater number of thematic units into the school year, and offer more in-depth coverage of each unit. † (NEA) In the half-day programs there is less time for multiple activities. According to Dr. Martinez, â€Å"Many kindergarten teachers favor full day kindergarten because they find it difficult to balance cognitive activities and affective social activities in the short kindergarten day. † (Martinez, 2) Teachers also prefer full day kindergarten because there is more instructional time than that of a half-day kindergarten program. As stated by the Indiana Association of Public School Superintendents, â€Å" Across all of the schools in the Indiana sample, the proportion of instructional time is similar across program types, resulting in much greater instructional time in full day programs, representing approximately 40-50% more instruction in full day programs than half-day programs†. (Plucker, ii) Teachers also have the benefit of getting to know the students and their parents better. According to Dr. Martinez, â€Å"Teachers state that they have a chance to know children and parents better, to do more individualization of instruction, and to expand the curriculum horizontally. † (Dr. Martinez) There are so many benefits for the children. A very important benefit is that the full day kindergarteners have the opportunity to an easier transition into the first grade because they are already used to the full day schedule. The time that the students get to spend with the teacher is a great benefit as well. The extra time that is spent with the teacher is as much beneficial for the teacher as it is for the students. According to the research from Dr. Martinez, â€Å"Teachers thought children developed closer relationships and were more relaxed in the full-day program and felt more a part of the school. Teachers indicated they were able to give more individual attention to students and that children had more time to develop both academic and socialization skills. Teachers noted they could work more on the continuing development of each child and felt children showed more advancement. Teachers indicated they felt closer to the children and that they got to know both child and family better. Some indicated in the full day they felt more flexible, were more relaxed and spontaneous, and felt better prepared to meet with parents. † (Dr. Martinez, 6) The time that the students get to spend on activities is another great benefit. According to NEA, â€Å"in a study evaluating teachers’ views on full-day kindergarten, teachers reported a number of benefits for themselves as well as children and parents. Participating in full day eased the transition to first grade, helping children adapt to the demand of a six-hour day. Having more time available in the school day offered more flexibility and more time to do activities during free choice times. Having more time actually made the kindergarten program less stressful and frustrating for children because they had time to fully develop an interest in activities. Participating in  the full-day schedule allows more appropriate academic challenges for children at all developmental levels. Children with developmental delays or those at risk for school problems benefited from having more time to complete projects and more time for needed socialization with peers and teachers. † (NEA) Full day kindergarten offers more benefits to the students that are at risk and children that come from educational and economical disadvantaged homes. If the full day kindergarten programs cost money, as most do, they cost around 3000 dollars per child for the year. The 3000 dollars is charged to the parents of the child. The children that come from the educationally and economically disadvantaged homes would not be able to attend because of the cost. These children are the ones that benefit from the program the most. According to the Indiana Superintendents, â€Å"Students at or below the poverty level enrolled in full day kindergarten scored statistically significantly higher in math and reading than their half day counterparts. Poor children enrolled in full day kindergarten programs tested statistically significantly above half day pupils on reading, spatial, and verbal skills, naming colors and letters, and identifying numerals. †(Plucker, 6) Parents prefer full day kindergarten as well. I as a mother prefer the full day kindergarten program to the half-day program. One of the advantages is that I do not have to figure out childcare and who would bring my son to the childcare. Trying to figure out childcare and school between my job schedule would be undesirable. As said by Dr. Martinez, â€Å"Full-day kindergarten saves parents day-care problems, while providing children a comprehensive, developmentally-appropriate program. Parents said that children often feel more stress when they have to go from a school situation to a day-care environment, where different rules and philosophies apply. Therefore, parents favor a full-day program, which reduces the number of transitions kindergartners experience in a typical day. † (Dr. Martinez) Full day kindergarten also takes a huge cost out of many parents’ monthly budget including mine. Even though some people would be against this and say, â€Å"Why would I have to pay for your childcare? † I would say that many parents including myself pay taxes too. Their parents wanted them to have the best education that they could have gotten. Most importantly, I know that my son and many other children are getting the best out of their day while they are in school. They are having fun while they are learning. My son enjoys being in school. If he had a choice, he would go on Saturdays and Sundays. Children attending full day kindergarten spend the day learning instead of watching television or playing video games. Full-day kindergarten provides parents with better support for their children. According to NEA, â€Å"For parents who work outside the home, full-day kindergarten means that children do not have to be shuffled between home, school, and childcare. For all parents, there is more continuity and less disruption in the child’s day and more time for focused and independent learning. One study of parent attitudes found that after the second year of a full-day kindergarten program, 100 percent of full-day parents, and 72 percent of half-day parents noted that, if given the opportunity again, they would have chosen full-day kindergarten for their child†. (NEA). In conclusion, having full day kindergarten should be mandatory. There are many benefits of the full day kindergarten program. The benefits are not limited to the students. Teachers and parents also get great benefits out of the full day program. According to MaryBeth, â€Å"Research has shown that it is important to begin learning early in life. School systems that have implemented the academically based full day kindergarten are finding it to be successful. † (Calvin) If I had to choose again if a child of mine was going to go to full day or half-day kindergarten, I would not even have to think twice. A child’s education should be one of the most important things to think about. These children will be the future and they need a great education to get there. * Works Cited Calvin, MaryBeth. Expectations for Kindergarten in 2010. 3 February 2010. 3 March 2011. Clark, Patricia. Recent Research on All Day Kindergarten. 2004. 4 March 2011. Debra J Ackerman, W. S. Making the Most of Kindergarten. March 2005. 4 March 2011. Janssen.

Post-Modernism and art Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Post-Modernism and art - Essay Example Quaternity is another artwork by Anself Keifer that depicts art as a production in the post modernism era. The painting has a rough grains on the floorboards traced in various charcoal lines bleeding over a burlap canvas. There are three flames burning at the centre with each one being a member of the Christian fraternity: father, son, and the Holy Spirit. At the right hand corner, there emerges a snake that commune through the flames and it is labeled as Satan. In his sense, he labels the Christian fraternity and Satan as having a complex relationship by placing Satan equidistant from the three Christian trinities. Thus, his artwork portrays that Christianity suppressed evil. In the artwork, every trinity has a hidden fourth, which all the three combine to make a quaternity. In his brain by David sale, there is a picture of a naked woman on a bed. The image is almost pornographic. Across the canvass are tiny images of Abraham Lincoln that are taken from pennies. These images suggest cheapness and moral rectitude. The conflicting meaning in the artwork competes with each other and competes over the naked woman thus draining its pornographic content . This relays the recycling of a culture authenticated by the audience. Though pornography is prohibited in most states, the artwork tries to reveal pornography on a lighter note. Thus, most individuals are able to identify with the artwork though on a lighter note. . All the ideas and emotions expressed are only implied due to lack of.

External Environment in Which The Body Shop Operates Research Paper - 2

External Environment in Which The Body Shop Operates - Research Paper Example Resources utilized for this project were gathered utilizing a wide variety of secondary source materials, including the theoretical professional perspectives in books, journals, and community reports highlighting strategic activities and analyses of reputable firms which recognize the importance of macro-level assessments. Research literature regarding The Body Shop, from a wide variety of community and internal perspectives, was compared to the tangible 2006 The Body Shop Annual Report so as to provide an accurate snapshot of the current state of long-term business strategy within the company. No primary data was gathered for this report in the form of observations or questionnaires due to researcher limitations.  Because of sales declines in the United Kingdom, The Body Shop must come to understand all of the macro-environmental factors which potentially hinder continued growth and business sustainability. In order to fully address these factors, this section highlights the busin ess environment of The Body Shop, including a detailed PEST analysis which divides the external business forces into four specific environmental categories. This format is designed to assist the reader in understanding how the aforementioned categories directly impact current performance and future longevity at the firm.  The Body Shop maintains an employee population of just over 7,500 (The Body Shop Annual Report, 2006). The Body Shop UK is a division of The Body Shop International, Plc. owned by the L’Oreal family of brands and experienced a one percent drop in sales from 2005 to 2006 (BSAR, 2006) Though this is not a tremendous sales decline, it does tend to illustrate that the firm is currently losing momentum in its European market. The Body Shop offers products which appeal to the upscale consumer, consisting of naturally inspired ingredients and the company guarantees the quality of its somewhat organic product line.

Love or Morality.What Takes Precedent Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Love or Morality.What Takes Precedent - Essay Example This paper seeks to discuss how love, and morality is intertwined with an aim of finding out which one is precedes the other. It is undeniable that the power of love is greater than any other feeling that man can experience. It makes people do unimaginable things. However, love, like any other aspect of life is governed by social rules and expectations, which are collectively referred to as morality. Gurov, a banker in Moscow had been married for a long time and had two sons and a beautiful daughter. However, his relationship with his wife was not in good terms. In fact, â€Å"he secretly considered her shallow, narrow-minded, and dowdy, he  stood in awe of her, and disliked being at home† (Chekhov web). Although there were no conflicts, it was certain that love missed in the marriage. This is a clear evidence of ambiguity since the society thought of the family as a happy and loving family. According to the society, they were expected to remain in their stale relationship i n order to maintain moral integrity. Certainly, the absence of love in the marriage initially made him despise and classify women as â€Å"the lower race.† This was notwithstanding that, the same women were the source of love that he longed for. He recounted the many times that he would sleep with other women but would not find the true love â€Å"when they discovered their mistake, they went on loving him just the same. And not one of them had ever been happy with him† (Chekhov web). Many of the women loved him not because of who he was but because of who they thought he was. This is a phenomenon worth noting. Chekhov intended to show that love can make people compromise their moral standards, or at least the moral standards set by the society. However, it is evident that morality failed in this situation where Gurov slept with so many women due to lack of love. Most notably, Gurov was willing to compromise his moral standards and cheat on his wife. However, he was al ways very careful not to make it known by the society. Therefore, he still maintained a cover over the societal moral standards. A twist of events happened when Gurov met with Anna. Anna  had gone to the town for a vacation and most importantly, to take time off her husband. She too was tired of loveless relationship with her husband. A relationship ensued and the two new lovers began recounting the predicaments that had befallen them in their lives. At this moment, it was evident that Anna had experienced a loveless life with her husband. She felt that she had all along been deceiving herself. She claimed, â€Å"I despise myself and have not the least thought of self-justification. It is not my husband I have deceived, it's myself. And not only now, I have been deceiving myself for ever so long† (Chekhov web). Although her husband was an honest man, she certainly did not love him. Therefore, she experienced the same ambiguous situation with Gurov. It was easy for her to co mpromise the moral integrity due to lack of love in the marriage. Similarly, she was afraid to put it open to the society in fear of compromising the moral standards set by the society. It does not come by surprise that she slept with Gurov albeit in secrecy. The two fell in love and it became apparent that they were meant to be together. However, Anna was recalled by her ailing husband and had to go back. Although the two were deeply in love, they still respected the moral values of the family and therefore agreed that she had to go and attend to her

Global Nuclear Warfare Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Global Nuclear Warfare - Essay Example As Franklin Delano Roosevelt has stated in his inaugural speech - the only thing we have to fear is the fear itself. During the Cold War that followed, ideological conflicts were often conducted through the medium of fear. While some politicians argued for expanding arms expenditure by raising alarm about the threat of communism, others demanded disarmament and appealed to the public's fear of nuclear weapons. However, the promotion of competing alarmist claims is very different to the situation in the past (Furedi). The abuse of fear is a high stake politics. The worldview of citizens during the Cold War era has primarily been shaped by alteration between concepts of realism and idealism. These two general approaches in the American foreign policy, dealing with the international sphere, are most explicitly reflected in the foreign policy doctrines. As professor Furedi puts it, the fear has fast become a caricature of itself, it was no longer simply an emotion or a response to the perception of threat; it has become a cultural idiom through which we signal a sense of unease about our place in the world (Furedi). The beginning of the post bipolar era emerged ... First, the collapse of Soviet Union, that secured at least the ideological domination of the United States. Second, the Iraq intervention, that demonstrated the reality of the terrorist thread to the world security, but the thread of the nuclear warfare remained, and so did the fear in the heads of most people. A brilliant indicator of the perception of the world by general public through the optics of the global nuclear warfare is the Doomsday clock, that attain a significant respect and prestige in forming the public opinion since the very start of the global nuclear thread. The Doomsday Clock, symbolic clock on the University of Chicago wall shows the time left till the outbreak of global nuclear war and the end of the world that would follow. Over the last sixty years the fingers have moved - forward and backwards - only eighteen times. Recently on few days ago, two minutes closer to the nuclear apocalypse: they stopped at five minutes to twelve. The last time we, and the world, were this close to the definite destruction was in 1984. Any sensationalists or fanatic peace activists have not invented this final countdown. Doomsday Clock - the "Apocalypse Clock" as it has been nicknamed with popularity - have been designed by top nuclear scientists associated in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists and the prestigious scientific board, or convocation, that is in charge of the decision of whether to move the fingers or not. On its latest session that decided to move the fingers world famous astrophysicist Stephen Hawking has participated. The first time D oomsday Clock were introduced to the public was short after the end of World War II, in 1947 and were set on seven minutes to twelve. The "midnight" symbolizes

Problems with Android phones Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Problems with Android phones - Essay Example Various problems come with Android phones. One problem that needs immediate solution is forceclose, which is when an application running on Android phones stops abruptly. This is the root concept of this problem. It has problems with data storage and transmission. When the forceclose error is experienced, in most cases, data is lost. Therefore, it needs to be solved immediately. Various issues are being discussed in various forums. One of the forums that are commonly used and popular with many programmers is xda-developers.com. The stakeholders in this forum are the programmers of Android phones. The vision of the forum is to ensure that Android phones are popular and meet the client’s requirements. This forum is common with programming issues that are experienced with Android phones. Most problems that are raised in this forum need programming solutions. One common issue here is forceclose, and from the discussions, it seems to be a common problem that needs immediate solution. It is something that can affect the marketing of the product, and there is a need to work on it immediately. Another forum is that of Adnroidcentral.com. This forum deals with issues that can be solved. The common errors that are raised in this forum are those that can be solved without necessarily engaging programming procedures (Martin and Hoover). The xa-developers.com deals with programming issues. Most stakeholders are those that make use of Android phones in data collection. The data collection brings with it these problems. Android forums are mostly programmers who work on a freelance basis. They give solutions to the problems that are posted in the forum. The artifact analysis of the stakeholders is that the users of the forums give step-by-step solutions to the problems that are sent.  Most contributors also have programming skills that help them to solve the issues  (DoCoMo).  

The effects of Strategic marketing on Business performance Literature review

The effects of Strategic marketing on Business performance - Literature review Example In the present era, market has become highly competitive. In this competitive market, a strategy is needed to offer product or service which will do better than the competition. The marketing strategy must be executed by a proper methodology. To create a marketing strategy for business a company should think about the following factors. When the market is attractive and the company is holding a strong position in that particular industry, then it must invest the best resources for supporting the offering. But if the company is not in a good position then it must focus on strengthening the company first. When the market is not that attractive and the company is holding a strong position in any industry, then the company should offer effective sales and marketing effort for creating good profit. Furthermore, in either case where company is not too strong then it should promote those offerings which will prove most profitable for business. Literature Review According to the study conduc ted by Jaakkola (2006), there is a strong connection between market and financial performance. Sales volume has direct effect on profit. Individual coefficient differs from country to country. Four measuring sets, i.e., market and innovation orientation, inside out, and outside in marketing were used for assessing marketing performance in few companies. The ‘inside out capabilities’ have high influence on performance in most of the sample country he used except Hong Kong because the market structure and strength of competition are favourable with high market orientation. The connection among market orientation and market performance is extremely low in Finland. This indicates that market orientation in Finland is bad and high market orientation of the business context does not pay off. Where Finnish companies are good in making profit from ‘inside out capabilities’, Austrian companies are good in converting ‘outside in capabilities’ into good b usiness performance. German companies are good into innovation orientation and generate profit with it. Finnish companies have a more positive outlook than others and they act in market oriented way. They continuously take customers and competition into account and hence the financial performance suffers from it. The effectiveness of strategic marketing process in Finnish companies is extremely low. This refers to strong focus on technological product improvement as emphasis should be put more on irrelevant development of processes and capabilities of company. It shows that how ‘inside out capabilities’ is the individual construct and have large influence on competitive advantage development and sustaining business performance. The innovation process positively relates to market performance and competitive advantages, but its total effect on financial performance is negative. The ‘outside in capabilities’ and marketing orientation include slight harmful out come on business performance of a company (Jaakkola, 2006). According to the researches done by Garland and Brooksbank (2008), the marketing strategy is quite prevalent in company in case of more comprehensive situation. The higher performing firms place more importance to an inclusive situation analysis than the lower performing companies. There are five kinds of situation study namely buyer, internal, marketplace, business environment and competitor.

Internet and Our Social Life Essay Example for Free

Internet and Our Social Life Essay For a few decades now, the internet has been an important gear in the ticking clock we like to call everyday life. Its significance and usage is ever growing, as well as the number of areas in which it has crept in. The phenomenon that is the internet brought power at the click of a mouse, but as it goes with power, consequences are inevitable. The internet is, undoubtedly, the largest source of information today. It is also a practical tool for managing bank accounts, staying in touch with friends and communicating with people all over the world, with technology that enables you to simultaneously talk while looking at the person on screen and even hold video conferences. But practicality and availability of information are not the only things that attract internet users. In online social communities, forums and game rooms people are given the opportunity to be whoever they want to be. The internet gives us virtual clay which we can use to mold our identities in any way we want. Especially in game rooms, people tend to fantasize and invent characters in order to compensate for the lack of their own. That is how a regular John Doe can go to his boring work every morning, but come back home, turn his computer on and become Zyborg, the hero from outer space. The cyber space can be used as a resort when real life is difficult to deal with. For example, people with low self-esteem or people who lack social skills will probably find online chatting much easier than talking to the person face to face. Such use of internet can make one’s life more interesting or less stressful, but too much time and dedication to it can lead to serious social and psychological consequences. If a person spends too much time on the computer, with its virtual character and virtual friends, he develops a virtual life which he may prefer more than the real one. Consequently, even though he might feel satisfied and safe, he does more damage than good by neglecting some important parts of his regular life such as time with his family, health, responsibilities and productivity. Lately, a diagnosis called Internet addiction disorder has been introduced for people who are thought to spend too much time on the internet. This issue is facing its beginning and it i s still disputed whether it is a real disorder. But according to Dr. Maressa Orzack between 5% and 10% of internet users suffer some form of internet dependency and she lists withdrawal, loss of control, and compulsive behavior as some of the effects. Online dating sites, which people visit in order to find a partner for romantic or sexual relationship, have made courtship easier, but, paradoxically, there have been many cases in which the internet was the prime cause of ending a relationship, marriage or even filing lawsuits. With internet becoming more and more integrated into our lifestyles it is only normal that the effects, both positive and negative, be visible in all aspects of our lives, including socializing. It is nice to be able to see your sister who lives miles away smile for you on screen as if she were in the room with you, or exchange e-mails with a person who you normally wouldn’t have the courage to come up to, but it would be a scary thing if cafes would become empty and internet networks overloaded with Zyborgs.

Effect of Mindfulness on Attention, Learning and Memory

Effect of Mindfulness on Attention, Learning and Memory Chapter-3 METHOD The present study aims to investigate the effect of mindfulness on attention, learning and memory among adolescents. Present study is of interventional nature, as it tries to manage and maintain the attention, learning and memory. The present chapter gives a detailed account of the research method used to carry out the study. The description of various methodological aspects has been presented under various headings: Sample Measuring Instruments Administration of Test Interventional Procedure Scoring Statistical Analyses 3.1 Sample: The sample for the present study was drawn from various school students of Hisar district. A total of 600 subjects were drawn by using the technique of cluster sampling. It was ensured that equal numbers of male and female subjects are sampled for the study. After the screening of 600 subjects, 60 subjects were chosen for intervention having low level of attention, learning and memory. The age of subjects ranged between 13 to 16 years. 3.2 Measuring Instruments: The measures used in the study were selected in accordance with the objectives of the study. The measures used in the study are related to both verbal and non-verbal test which were selected to assess the key variables of the study such as attention, learning and memory. The brief description of the measures used in the study is as under: A). Standard Progressive Matrices (Raven, Court and Raven, 1996) B). The d2 attention test ( Brickenkamp Zillmer, 1998) C). Serial Learning (Janbandhu Deshmukh, 1985) D). Digit span memory test from Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children III (Weschler, 1992) 3.2.1 Standard Progressive Matrices: SPM is a non verbal assessment tool which was originated by Raven, Court and Raven, (1996) for the measurement of Intelligence. It consists of 60 diagrammatic puzzles which are divided into five sets (A, B, C, D, and E) of 12 items each. Each puzzle has a part missing and in it subject’s task is to identify the missing part of the diagram from several alternatives. All subjects are given exactly the same series of problems and asked to work at their own speed. It is an untimed capacity test and the total score provides an index of intellectual capacity. Kuhnlein et al. found a split-half reliability of .94 in German sample of psychiatric patient. Stinissen (1956) Swinnes (1958) have reported correlations of .94 .95 respectively of group of Belgian school children while Barahemi (1974) found the range from .89 to .95. Reliable correlation of SPM with the Binet Weschler scales range from .54 to .86 (Raven, 1948; Taibl, 1951; Sinha, 1951; Borratt, 1956). Rogers Holmes (1978) demonstrated SPM WISC – R correlations range from .83 to .92. 3.2.2 The d2 Attention test: The d2 attention test has been developed by Brickenkamp Zillmer (1998) to measure the selective attention and mind concentration in response to the discrimination of similar visual stimuli while selectively orient to relevant aspects in task and ignoring other irrelevant ones as well as doing so quickly and accurately. This test includes only one form which can be administered either individually or in group. Possible age range of this test is from 9 to 60 years. It comprised 14 lines with 47 characters for a total of 658 items. These contain characters â€Å"d† and â€Å"p† with one to four little dashes set either individually or in pairs above or below each letter. The subjects need to identify and cross out all â€Å"d’s† with two dashes. The d’s† with two dashes considered as the relevant elements in this test whereas the remaining combinations (the â€Å"p’s† with or without dashes and the â€Å"d’s† with one or no dash) are considered as irrelevant elements since they should not be crossed out. The subject is permitted 20 seconds for each line. The internal stability of test proved to be very high (r>.90) and test retest reliability also demonstrated satisfactory (r >.70). Many researches support the multiple clinical and empirical applications of the d2 test. For e.g. d2 test has been used in study of the remediation of attention deficits (Penkman, 2004), the neuropsychological markers of schizophrenia in adolescents (Stolz-Born, Heinrich, Kornhuber, Born, 1992; Klemm, Schmidt, Knappe, Blanz, 2006), the neuropsychological effects of irradiation for childhood leukemia (Langer et al., 2002). 3.2.3 Serial Learning Serial Learning is an experimental procedure developed by Janbandhu and Deshmukh (1985). This is an experiment in learning which includes a list of 10 nonsense syllables (CVC trigrams). In this experiment firstly subjects were show the list of CVC combination and asked to pronounce the syllable that would follow the preceding one. In it subject recalls the list in serial order. In this experiment, first trial is considered as a learning trial, consist ‘no responses’. From the second trial onward the trials taken by subjects are noted down. The subjects were given trials till the time they were not able to recall complete list in serial order. The more the number of the trials taken by subjects, the more the time subjects will take to learn and recall which indicates slow learning. 3.2.4 Digits span memory: Digits span memory test is the subtest of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children III by Weschler (1992). This subtest includes two parts a) digit forward and b) digit backward items. In it the researcher reads a series of numbers to the subject. In first part subject’s task is to listen and then recall these numbers correctly in sequence order as spoken by researchers. In second part, the subjects listen to a sequence of number and recall them in reverse order (Digit backward). The lengths of digit sequences begin with 2 digits, and two trials are given at each increasing list length. In both parts length of digit sequences increases as child responds correctly. Maximum scores of digit forward are 16 and of digit backward are 14. The average split- half reliability coefficient across all age group for digit span was .90 with an average standard error of measurement of .94. Digit span exhibited moderate criterion validity when correlated with the Stanford – Binet I V composite score (r = .48) and Stanford – Binet IV short term memory (r =.52) (Weschler, 1997). 3.3 Administration of tests: The subjects were administered above described tests namely the standard progressive matrices, the d2 attention test, serial learning and digit span memory test. The subjects were approached directly in their institutions for data collection. They were tested in small groups ranging from 10 to 15 subjects or individually after obtaining their willingness to participate in the study. The general testing conditions were satisfactory and atmosphere was uniform all through. Subjects were encouraged to respond in a realistic way without rumination on all tests too much. A good rapport was established with them in order to get real position on the measuring instruments. They were told about the importance of the study and that the data collected will not be made public, rather confidentiality of their responses will be maintained. Subjects were informed that their position on different behavioral measures would be intimated to them, if they desire so. Though there was no time limit, subjects were asked to complete the tests as early as possible. They generally completed serial learning in 15 to 30 minutes, intelligence in 20 to 30 minutes, digit span in 10 to 20 minutes and the d2 test is a timed test in which 20 seconds per line are allowed. The instructions and administration procedures were same for all the subjects, and in accordance with described by the respecti ve test authors. 3.4 Interventional procedure Before the beginning of intervention, the sample screening was done on a sample of 600 students with the help of standard progressive matrices by Raven , Court and Raven (1996), the d2 attention test by Brickenkamp Zillmer, (1998), serial learning by Janbandhu and Deshmukh (1985) and digit span memory test for the assessment of memory by Weschler (1992). In present research intelligence test has been used as a control variable to know about the normal IQ of the subject. These pretest tools were administered on students to measure the levels of decided dependent variables. Students having low score in attention, learning and memory were administered the mindfulness procedure for the period of 6 months. After 6 month’s training program, post testing was done of all three variables i.e. attention, learning and memory. Before Mindfulness practice, an orientation programme for fifteen days has been designed for subject with the help of breathing exercises and imagery techniques. At initial level, students were instructed to direct their attention towards the things present in their environment. Firstly they were instructed to notice whatever sounds they hear from the external environment and they observed, for example, sound of footsteps of passing person outside the room, ringing of bell, chirping of birds, any type of vehicle sound, sound of bench, noise of door etc. This procedure has been continued for a week for approx. 30-40 minutes per day. After that, students were asked to observe the movements of the children sitting around them, like sound of scrapping, sound of yawning, coughing. This procedure was also continued for seven days. In next session, with closed eyes they were asked to focus the attention on their own actions for instance, shaking of body, movement of hands, changing of body position etc. After an orientation program, mindfulness training has been received by the students. Mindfulness training focus on various aspects such as external environment, experience of the body, and attention to thoughts, feelings, mind and meditation exercise. The following are the some exercises which were adopted by subjects during 6 month interventional program. Mindfulness of the Environment: At initial level, Mindfulness Training directs children attention to things in their environment. The following two exercises are introduced in this section. Awareness of objects: In first exercise, children were shown an object (for e.g. clock, scenery) and asked to draw it. They were educated to spend time looking at the object and paying attention to smaller and smaller detail. Next day, same procedure was done. They were instructed to compare the drawings and the subjects were also asked to recognize the missing details from the first drawing that they memorized in the second. This procedure was followed for seven days for 30-40 minutes approximately each day. Awareness of Self in the Environment: In the second exercise of mindfulness training subjects were asked to pay their attention to themselves or experiences in the environment. This session was conducted in evening in which subjects were instructed to write down step by step what they did from morning to evening. They repeated this exercise for seven days and paid attention to their whole day activities and added new things from the previous one. Mindfulness of the Body: After the children awareness of the environment, the next exercise was to focus on their body awareness. This session follows three steps: Attending the senses: The Raisin meditation: This step involves being aware of one’s own experience of an object. For example, subjects were given 3 raisins and instructed to bring to their attention one raisin and observe that carefully as if they had never seen that before. They were asked to observe the thoughts and feelings regarding raisin while looking at it. After that they were asked to smell the raisin, and put it into their mouth, chew that slowly and feel the actual taste. They were instructed to consciously experience their all thoughts, feelings, smell and taste of the raisin. Later, they were instructed to repeat the same procedure with second raisin and considering it as the first raisin which they have ever seen. Same procedure was followed with third raisin. This exercise was also continued for seven days with another small food items such as popcorn, almonds and chocolate etc. Awareness of Movement: In this step children were asked to pay attention to their own body while interacting with environment. Children were instructed to move around the room and to become aware of each movement of their body posture e .g. feeling the movement of thigh muscles, foot coming off the floor and setting it back down, movement of hands and arms were also noticed that they were moving slowly or faster. They were also instructed that if their thoughts begin to wander from their body and their moving experience, they should note it and return their attention to a part of their body. Meditation on the Breath: This 10 days exercise begins with a simple practice of breathing exercise. In this step subjects were asked to notice the movement of their breath in all parts of their body (lungs, stomach, ribs, chest, and shoulder). They were asked to be aware of the natural rhythm of the breath, how cool air enters in the nose and warm air is exhaled. Later on, subjects were instructed to count how many breath they inhaled. One breathes equals one inhalation plus an exhalation. They were told to avoid distracting thoughts and only to pay attention to their breath. This exercise focuses on the current breath and effectively enhances the subject’s awareness on the present moment. Mindfulness Meditation: Mindfulness meditation focused on the present moment, while being aware of the internal sensation, thoughts and feelings. This mindfulness meditation process follows under headings: Attending to the Thinking Process: The purpose of this exercise is to bring subject’s awareness to their thoughts and feelings. Children become aware that how they are the producers of their own thoughts. They were instructed to close their eyes and wonder what their next thought is going to be so that they become very alert and wait for the next thought. This exercise has been continued for 10 days. Meditation on the Bubble: Subjects were instructed to observe their thoughts, release them and let them go without any judgement. For this, subjects continued the meditation for a few minutes in silence. After that they were asked to envision the bubble which slowly rising up in front of them. They were told to visualize as if each bubble contains thoughts, feelings and perception. They were asked to notice the first bubble rising up and observe every thought slowly floating away with bubble. The procedure was same with each bubble. Now they were asked to observe that their mind goes blank, and then visualise the bubble rising up with â€Å"blank† inside and slowly floats away. Another example like imagination of clouds was also included. This procedure has been continued for 10 days. Visualization Meditation: Finding a safe haven: This exercise is related to visualization in which subjects were instructed to imagine a place that they feel comfortable, safe and relaxing. It might be beach, lake, temple and their own bed. Slowly the place becoming clearer to them. They were asked to look at the surrounding of that place, walk around the place. They were asked to stay focused on that place, look closer at certain things and observed their own feelings. If they found that their thoughts were wandering, they were asked to observe them, and then focus on bringing the image of their place back into focus in front of them. When they feel relaxed, can open their eyes. 3.5 Scoring: In Standard Progressive Matrices calculations are based on raw scores. Each of the 60 items were scored as 0 for incorrected or 1 for corrected. Total score is converted into percentile score which translated into IQ respectively according to norms table. The d2 attention was scored with the help of two scoring keys 1 and 2 that are placed in the upper and lower lines so that the number is read off on the scale. The resulting score are TN i.e. total number of elements tried on the 14 lines. Scoring Keys 1 computed E1 which is number of mistakes due to omission and scoring key 2 counted errors of commission. Then numbers of errors are added for each column (E = E1 + E2).For overall performance of D2 attention test; firstly, TN-E has been measured i.e. resulted from subtracting the number of errors (E) from the total numbers of characters processed and secondly, CP i.e. concentration performance which is derived by subtracting the type 2 errors (E2) from the number of correctly crossed out relevant items has been calculated. Standard Scores and percentile ranks can be determined by the raw scores from the appropriate norms table. In serial learning experiment, total numbers of trials were noted. In digit span memory test one score has been given to each correctly repeated digit forward items and digit backward items and then final score is total numbers of trials of both digit forward items and digit backward items. 3.6 Analyses of data The obtained data were subjected to various statistical analyses. Although analyses most pertinent to the objectives of the study are descriptive statistics, correlation, paired t test and independent t test. Correlations among all pairs of variable were computed through Pearson Product Moment method. Independent t-test was run to examine the difference between boys and girls in attention, learning and memory and paired t test computed to examine the effect of mindfulness on attention, learning and memory.

Formal And Informal Framework Of Policies And Rules Commerce Essay

Formal And Informal Framework Of Policies And Rules Commerce Essay Organizational Structure can be defined as the formal and informal framework of policies and rules, within which an organization arranges its lines of authority and communications, and allocates rights and duties. Organizational structure determines the manner and extent to which roles, power, and responsibilities are delegated, controlled, and coordinated, and how information flows between levels of management. This structure depends entirely on the organizations objectives and the strategy chosen to achieve them. In a centralized structure, the decision making power is concentrated in the top layer of the management and tight control is exercised over departments and divisions. In a decentralized structure, the decision making power is distributed and the departments and divisions have varying degrees of autonomy. An organization chart illustrates the organizational structure [1]. An example of organizational Structure as shown: Fig 1.1 [2] ORGANIZATIONAL CULTURE: Organizational culture is an idea in the field of Organizational studies and management which describes the psychology, attitudes, experiences, beliefs and values (personal and cultural values) of an organization. It has been defined as the specific collection of values and norms that are shared by people and groups in an organization and that control the way they interact with each other and with stakeholders outside the organization. This definition continues to explain organizational values also known as beliefs and ideas about what kinds of goals members of an organization should pursue and ideas about the appropriate kinds or standards of behaviour organizational members should use to achieve these goals. From organizational values develop organizational norms, guidelines or expectations that prescribe appropriate kinds of behaviour by employees in particular situations and control the behaviour of organizational members towards one another. Organizational culture is not the same as corporate culture. It is wider and deeper concepts, something that an organization is rather than what it has. [3] 1.2 RELATION B/W ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE AND CULTURE The literature has suggested that structure and culture in organisations exist in close alignment. Structure is one of the determinants of culture; conversely, culture has been shown to have an influence on the organisational structure and operational systems in an organisation. Both are mechanisms for the coordination of organisations: structure as an integrating mechanism for organisational activities, and culture as an integrating mechanism concerned with behaviour and values within organisations. Organisations and individuals need an understanding of these mechanisms in order to manage uncertainty in the face of ever-changing markets and business conditions. An effective alignment of structure and culture provides a means of getting people to work together to reach strategic goals and achieve an organisations vision. Together they provide a focus to enable organisations and individuals to reduce uncertainty, variability and ambiguity, so providing a framework for acting in a consistent manner. Structure and culture have overlapping functions, but one mechanism is not necessarily a substitute for the other. Both are needed. The literature also shows no one pattern or right way for the development of a relationship between structure and culture. However, it offers many examples of this relationship generated by a range of variable factors inside and outside organisations. In one example, ONeill, Beauvais and Scholl (2001) propose that different organisations face different problems in reducing organisational variability. Variable structural factors such as the complexity of tasks and the geographic dispersal of employees act to increase uncertainty. They demand different responses even within similar cultures. Likewise, differences in organisational culture can explain why organisations in the same industry, with similar structures, can be quite different. This goes some way to explain why TAFEs, with similar structures, and which exist in the same system, can still vary widely in the way they operate. From another perspective, Hodge, Anthony and Gales (1996) observe that while an organisation might authorise a formal structure, an informal structure not necessarily sanctioned by the organisation also exists. This informal structure, whose interactions are shaped by culture and sub-cultures, comes about in part because of ambiguity in the formal design or because of changes in conditions the organisation faces. This further explains some of the operating variability within RTOs. [4] 1.3 FACTORS INFLUENCING EMPLOYEE PERFORMANCE AT WORK It is the quality of the employees workplace environment that most impacts on their level of motivation and subsequent performance. How well they engage with the organization, especially with their immediate environment, influences to a great extent their error rate, level of innovation and collaboration with other employees, absenteeism and, ultimately, how long they stay in the job. Many studies have revealed that most employees leave their organization because of the relationship with their immediate supervisor or manager. So, what are the workplace environment factors that need to be taken into consideration by any serious manager? Described below are the key factors and how each can be utilized by supervisors and managers to boost performance. Workplace Performance Factors Goal-setting Involve employees in setting meaningful goals and performance measures for their work. This can be done informally between the employee and their immediate supervisor or as part of an organizations formal performance management process. The key here is that each employee is actively engaged in the goal-setting process and takes ownership of the final agreed goals and measures. Performance feedback Regularly feed back to employees information on how they are performing. This should consist of both positive feedback on what the employee is doing right as well as feedback on what requires improvement. Role congruity Work to ensure that the role that the employee is required to perform is consistent with their expectations on joining the organization and any subsequent training. The organizations role expectations are typically reflected in formal documents, such as Job Descriptions and Role Specifications. These expectations should be consistent with tasks allocated by the employees immediate supervisor. Defined processes Many errors, defects and customer complaints are the result of poor process management. Constrain the variability of how work is actually performed through documenting processes and communicating such expectations to employees. Verify on a regular or random basis that the work is actually performed in the way required. Along with goal setting, getting employees to help define and improve processes is a powerful opportunity for engagement. Workplace incentives Determine what motivates your employees in particular and set up formal and informal structures for rewarding employees that behave in the way required. Rewards may consist of a mix of internal rewards, such as challenging assignments, and external rewards, such as higher compensation and peer recognition. Supervisor support Act as advocates for employees, gathering and distributing the resources needed by them in order for them to be able to do a good job. Immediate supervisors and managers need to display the interpersonal skills required to engage employees and enhance their self-confidence. This includes providing positive encouragement for a job well done. Mentoring/coaching Make available to employees skilled and respected people to help them perform better in their current role and to assist them develop further into a future role. Mentors and coaches may be internal to an organization or external. Either way, they will need to possess the necessary facilitation skills to assist employees apply existing sills and develop new skills. Resource availability The vast majority of employees take pride in their work and try hard to do a good job. Make sure that individual workloads and organizational systems and processes do not hinder employees from applying established skills or from practicing newly learned skills. Adequate time and material resources need to be available to enable them to perform to the best of their ability. Money is not a sufficient motivator in encouraging the superior workplace performance required in todays competitive business environment. Managers and supervisors will need to be comfortable with working with the whole gamut of workplace factors that influence employee motivation. Last but not least, to drive their organizations to peak performance managers and supervisors must put out front the human face of their organization. Paramount here is the human-to-human interaction through providing individualized support and encouragement to each and every employee [5] TASK 2 2.1 ORGANIZATION THEORY PRINCIPLLES AND PRACTICES OF ORGANISING AND MANAGEMENT Leadership is stated as the process of social influence in which one person can enlist the aid and support of others in the accomplishment of a common task. Definitions more inclusive of followers have also emerged. Alan Keith of Genentech stated that, Leadership is ultimately about creating a way for people to contribute to making something extraordinary happen Tom DeMarc says that leadership needs to be distinguished from posturing. Contexts of leadership Leadership in organizations An organization that is established as an instrument or means for achieving defined objectives has been referred to as a formal organization. Its design specifies how goals are subdivided and reflected in subdivisions of the organization. Divisions, departments, sections, positions, jobs, and tasks make up this work structure. Thus, the formal organization is expected to behave impersonally in regard to relationships with clients or with its members. According to Webers definition, entry and subsequent advancement is by merit or seniority. Each employee receives a salary and enjoys a degree of tenure that safeguards her/him from the arbitrary influence of superiors or of powerful clients. The higher his position in the hierarchy, the greater his presumed expertise in adjudicating problems that may arise in the course of the work carried out at lower levels of the organization. It is this bureaucratic structure that forms the basis for the appointment of heads or chiefs of administrat ive subdivisions in the organization and endows them with the authority attached to their position. In contrast to the appointed head or chief of an administrative unit, a leader emerges within the context of the informal organization that underlies the formal structure. The informal organization expresses the personal objectives and goals of the individual membership. Their objectives and goals may or may not coincide with those of the formal organization. The informal organization represents an extension of the social structures that generally characterize human life the spontaneous emergence of groups and organizations as ends in themselves. Leaders emerge from within the structure of the informal organization. Their personal qualities, the demands of the situation, or a combination of these and other factors attract followers who accept their leadership within one or several overlay structures. Leadership versus management Over the years the philosophical terminology of management and leadership have, in the organisational context, been used both as synonyms and with clearly differentiated meanings. Debate is fairly common about whether the use of these terms should be restricted, and generally reflects an awareness of the distinction made by Burns (1978) between transactional leadership (characterised by eg emphasis on procedures, contingent reward, management by exception) and transformational leadership (characterised by eg charisma, personal relationships, creativity Leadership by a group In contrast to individual leadership, some organizations have adopted group leadership. In this situation, more than one person provides direction to the group as a whole. Some organizations have taken this approach in hopes of increasing creativity, reducing costs, or downsizing. A common example of group leadership involves cross-functional teams. A team of people with diverse skills and from all parts of an organization assembles to lead a project. A team structure can involve sharing power equally on all issues, but more commonly uses rotating leadership. The team member(s) best able to handle any given phase of the project become(s) the temporary leader(s). Additionally, as each team member has the opportunity to experience the elevated level of empowerment, it energizes staff and feeds the cycle of success.[6] 2.2 COMPARE DIFFERENT APPROACHES TO MANGEMENT AND THEORIES OF ORGANIZAING USED BY TWO ORGANIZATION You should be able to: Summarize the quantitative approach to management Describe the contributions of the early organizational behavior advocates Explain the importance of the Hawthorne Studies to management Describe the effects of: globalization, workforce diversity, entrepreneurship, e-business, need for innovation and flexibility, quality management, learning organizations, and knowledge management Academic Disciplines that Affected Management Anthropology work on cultures and social environments Economics concern about the allocation and distribution of scarce resources Philosophy examines the nature of things Political science effect of political environment on individuals and groups Psychology seeks to measure, explain, and change human behavior Sociology studies people in relation to their fellow human beings SCIENTIFIC MANAGEMENT F.W. Taylor Principles of Scientific Management Use of scientific methods to define the one best way for a job to be done Perspective of improving the productivity and efficiency of manual workers Applied the scientific method to shop floor jobs Frank and Lillian Gilbert Use of motion pictures to study hand-and-body movements Therbligs classification system for 17 basic hand motions[7] TASK 3 3.1 DIFFERENT LEADERSHIP STYLES AND THEIR EFFECTIVENESS There are a number of different approaches, or styles to leadership and management that are based on different assumptions and theories. The style that individuals use will be based on a combination of their beliefs, values and preferences, as well as the organizational culture and norms which will encourage some styles and discourage others. Charismatic Leadership: The Charismatic Leader gathers followers through dint of personality and charm, rather than any form of external power or authority [8]. Participative Leadership: A Participative Leader, rather than taking autocratic decisions, seeks to involve other people in the process, possibly including subordinates, peers, superiors and other stakeholders. The question of how much influence others are given thus may vary on the managers preferences and beliefs, and a whole spectrum of participation is possible, as in the table below [9]. Highly participative > Autocratic decision by leader Leader proposes decision, listens to feedback, then decides Team proposes decision, leader has final decision Joint decision with team as equals Full delegation of decision to team Situational Leadership When a decision is needed, an effective leader does not just fall into a single preferred style, such as using transactional or transformational methods. In practice, as they say, things are not that simple. Factors that affect situational decisions include motivation and capability of followers [10]. Yukl (1989) seeks to combine other approaches and identifies six variables [11]: * Subordinate effort: the motivation and actual effort expended. * Subordinate ability and role clarity: followers knowing what to do and how to do it. * Organization of the work: the structure of the work and utilization of resources. * Cooperation and cohesiveness: of the group in working together. * Resources and support: the availability of tools, materials, people, etc. * External coordination: the need to collaborate with other groups. Transactional Leadership The transactional leader works through creating clear structures whereby it is clear what is required of their subordinates, and the rewards that they get for following orders. Punishments are not always mentioned, but they are also well-understood and formal systems of discipline are usually in place [12]. Transformational Leadership Transformational Leadership starts with the development of a vision, a view of the future that will excite and convert potential followers. This vision may be developed by the leader, by the senior team or may emerge from a broad series of discussions. The important factor is the leader buys into it, hook, line and sinker [13]. The Quiet Leader The approach of quiet leaders is the antithesis of the classic charismatic (and often transformational) leaders in that they base their success not on ego and force of character but on their thoughts and actions [14]. In personal humility they put the well-being of others before their own personal needs, for example giving others credit after successes but taking personal responsibility for failures [14] [15]. Servant Leadership The servant leader serves others, rather than others serving the leader. Serving others thus comes by helping them to achieve and improve. There are two criteria of servant leadership: The people served grow as individuals, becoming healthier, wiser, more autonomous and more likely themselves to become servants (Greenleaf, 1977) [16]. The extent to which the leadership benefits those who are least advantaged in society (or at least does not disadvantage them). Spears (2002) lists: listening, empathy, healing, awareness, persuasion, conceptualization, foresight, stewardship, commitment to growth of people, and building community [17]. EFFECTIVENESS OF LEADERSHIP A leader is a person who influences a group of people towards a specific result. It is not dependent on title or formal authority. Leaders are recognized by their capacity for caring for others, clear communication, and a commitment to persist [18]. An individual who is appointed to a managerial position has the right to command and enforce obedience by virtue of the authority of his position. However, she or he must possess adequate personal attributes to match his authority, because authority is only potentially available to him. In the absence of sufficient personal competence, a manager may be confronted by an emergent leader who can challenge her/his role in the organization and reduce it to that of a figurehead. However, only authority of position has the backing of formal sanctions. It follows that whoever wields personal influence and power can legitimize this only by gaining a formal position in the hierarchy, with commensurate authority [19]. Leadership can be defined as ones ability to get others to willingly follow. Every organization needs leaders at every level [20]. 3.2 MOTIVATIONAL THEORIES MOTIVATION: Motivation is to inspire people to work, individually or in groups in the ways such as to produce best results. It is the will to act. It is the willingness to exert high levels of effort towards organizational goals, conditioned by the efforts and ability to satisfy some individual need. Motivation is getting somebody to do something because they want to do it. It was once assumed that motivation had to be injected from outside, but it is now understood that everyone is motivated by several differing forces. Motivation is a general term applied to the entire class of drives, desires, needs, wishes and similar forces. To say that managers motivate their subordinates is to say that they do those things which they hope will satisfy these drives and desires and induce the subordinates to act in a desired manner. In the initiation a person starts feeling lackness. There is an arousal of need so urgent, that the bearer has to venture in search to satisfy it. This leads to creation of tension, which urges the person to forget everything else and cater to the aroused need first. Because of the performance of the activity satisfaction is achieved which than relieves the tension in the individual [21]. THEORIES Some of the theories that are used for the motivation process are discussed as under [22]. 1. Jeremy Benthams The Carrot and the Stick Approach: Benthams view was that all people are self-interested and are motivated by the desire to avoid pain and find pleasure. Any worker will work only if the reward is big enough, or the punishment sufficiently unpleasant. This view the carrot and stick approach was built into the philosophies of the age and is still to be found, especially in the older, more traditional sectors of industry. For centuries, however, they were too often thought of as the only forces that could motivate people. At the same time, in all theories of motivation, the inducements of some kind of carrot are recognized. Often this is money in the form of pay or bonuses 2. Abraham Maslows Need Hierarchy Theory: One of the most widely mentioned theories of motivation is the hierarchy of needs theory put forth by psychologist Abraham Maslow. Maslow saw human needs in the form of a hierarchy, ascending from the lowest to the highest, and he concluded that when one set of needs is satisfied, this kind of need ceases to be a motivator. As per his theory these needs are: (i) Physiological needs: Food, water, warmth, shelter, sleep, medicine and education are the basic physiological needs which fall in the primary list of need satisfaction. (ii) Security or Safety needs: These are the needs to be free of physical danger and of the fear of losing a job, property, food or shelter. It also includes protection against any emotional harm. (iii) Social needs: People try to satisfy their need for affection, acceptance and friendship. (iv) Esteem needs: According to Maslow, once people begin to satisfy their need to belong, they tend to want to be held in esteem both by themselves and by others. It includes both internal esteem factors like self-respect, autonomy and achievements and external esteem factors such as states, recognition and attention. (v) Need for self-actualization: It is the drive to become what one is capable of becoming; it includes growth, achieving ones potential and self-fulfilment. It is to maximize ones potential and to accomplish something. 3. Theory X and Theory Y of Douglas McGregor: McGregor, in his book The Human side of Enterprise states that people inside the organization can be managed in two ways. The first is basically negative, which falls under the category X and the other is basically positive, which falls under the category Y. On analysis of the assumptions it can be detected that theory X assumes that lower-order needs dominate individuals and theory Y assumes that higher-order needs dominate individuals. An organization that is run on Theory X lines tends to be authoritarian in nature, the word authoritarian suggests such ideas as the power to enforce obedience and the right to command. In contrast Theory Y organizations can be described as participative, where the aims of the organization and of the individuals in it are integrated; individuals can achieve their own goals best by directing their efforts towards the success of the organization. 4. Contributions of Elton Mayo: The work of Elton Mayo is famously known as Hawthorne Experiments. He conducted behavioural experiments at the Hawthorne Works of the American Western Electric Company in Chicago. Although this research has been criticized from many angles, the central conclusions drawn were: * People are motivated by more than pay and conditions. * The need for recognition and a sense of belonging are very important. * Attitudes towards work are strongly influenced by the group. 5. The Porter and Lawler Model: Lyman W. Porter and Edward E. Lawler developed a more complete version of motivation depending upon expectancy theory. Actual performance in a job is primarily determined by the effort spent. But it is also affected by the persons ability to do the job and also by individuals perception of what the required task is. 6. Equity Theory: As per the equity theory of J. Stacey Adams, people are motivated by their beliefs about the reward structure as being fair or unfair, relative to the inputs. People have a tendency to use subjective judgment to balance the outcomes and inputs in the relationship for comparisons between different individuals. Accordingly: If people perceive that they are rewarded higher, they may be motivated to work harder. 7. Reinforcement Theory: Skinner states that work environment should be made suitable to the individuals and that punishment actually leads to frustration and de-motivation. Hence, the only way to motivate is to keep on making positive changes in the external environment of the organization. 8. Goal Setting Theory of Edwin Locke: The goal setting theory states that when the goals to be achieved are set at a higher standard than in that case employees are motivated to perform better and put in maximum effort. It revolves around the concept of Self-efficacy i.e. individuals belief that he or she is capable of performing a hard task. MOTIVALTIONAL THEORY AND MANAGEMENT PRACTICE The job of a manager in the workplace is to get things done through employees. To do this the manager should be able to motivate employees. But thats easier said than done! Motivation practice and theory are difficult subjects, touching on several disciplines [23]. Human nature can be very simple, yet very complex too. An understanding and appreciation of this is a prerequisite to effective employee motivation in the workplace and therefore effective management and leadership. The schematic below indicates the potential contribution the practical application of the principles this paper has on reducing work content in the organization. Motivation is the key to performance improvement There is an old saying you can take a horse to the water but you cannot force it to drink; it will drink only if its thirsty so with people. They will do what they want to do or otherwise motivated to do. Are they born with the self-motivation or drive? Yes and no. If no, they can be motivated, for motivation is a skill which can and must be learnt. This is essential for any business to survive and succeed. Performance is considered to be a function of ability and motivation, thus: * Job performance =f (ability) (motivation) Ability in turn depends on education, experience and training and its improvement is a slow and long process. On the other hand motivation can be improved quickly. As a guideline, there are broadly seven strategies for motivation. * Positive reinforcement / high expectations * Effective discipline and punishment * Treating people fairly * Satisfying employees needs * Setting work related goals * Restructuring jobs * Base rewards on job performance These are the basic strategies, though the mix in the final recipe will vary from workplace situation to situation. Essentially, there is a gap between an individuals actual state and some desired state and the manager tries to reduce this gap. Motivation is, in effect, a means to reduce and manipulate this gap. It is inducing others in a specific way towards goals specifically stated by the motivator [23]. TASK 4 4.1 NATURE OF GROUP AND GROUP BEHAVIOUR GROUP A small collection of people who interact with each other, usually face to face, over time in order to reach goals The size of the group can vary from three people to seven to 20. Normally the smallest number is considered which is capable of performing the task TYPES OF GROUPS BEHAVIOUR Groups come in many forms, shapes, and sizes. Most managers belong to several different groups at the same time, some at work, some at community, some formally organized, and some informal and social in nature. The most basic way of identifying types of groups is to distinguish between [24]: Formal groups Informal groups Formal Groups The organizations managers to accomplish goals and serve the needs of the organization deliberately create formal groups. The major purpose of formal groups is to perform specific tasks and achieve specific objectives defined by the organization. The most common type of formal work group consists of individuals cooperating under the direction of a leader. Examples of formal groups are departments, divisions, taskforce, project groups, quality circles, committees, and boards of directors. Informal Groups Informal groups in organizations are not formed or planned by the organizations managers. Rather, they are self-created and evolve out of the formal organization for a variety of reasons, such as proximity, common interests, or needs of individuals. It would be difficult for organization to prohibit informal working relationships from developing. Informal groups develop naturally among an organizations personnel without any direction from management. One key factor in the emergence of informal groups is a common interest shared by its members. For example, a group of employees who band together to seek union representation may be called an interest group 4.2 FACTORS FOR EFFECTIVE TEAMWORK Whether in the workplace, or in sports, or amongst members of a community, effective teamwork can produce extraordinary results. However, that is easier said than done, for, effective teamwork does not happen automatically. There are a number of factors that are required to cohere together, working seamlessly, for an effective team to develop and work. So, what makes an effective team? Well, given below are some of the factors that are vital for building a good team that works successfully [25]: Good Leadership Effective Communication Defining Clear-cut Roles Creating Procedures for Conflict Resolution Setting a Good Example Good Lead