Continuum of Care University of Phoenix Essay

Long-term Care is only one piece of continuum care. Most Americans try to stay home as long as they can. People love to try and keep their independence as long as they can. Many elderly Americans are able to stay home as long as they can due to family members help and home health care aide. Most elderly people can no longer take care of themselves mentally and physically. This is when Long-term care continuum benefits the patient. The long-term care continuum consists of nursing home care and assisted living care. The first step in the continuum of care is Independent living. Elderly patients are placed in supportive housing or home based healthcare. If the patient is unsuccessful with supportive housing, we must move to the next step. The next step is providing in home care. In home care is less expensive than long term care. The cost of care for this service depends on the level of care and the hours of service the patient needs. The patient’s last choice should be long term care. Most elderly patients use Medicare or Medicaid for long term care payment. Medicare only applies to the patient’s long-term care if the patient is immediately following a hospital stay. Medicare only cover short term provider prescribed home health care for speech therapy, skilled nursing, occupational and medical social services. Medicare also covers up to 100 days of nursing home care. We are fighting today for a longer duration for long term care. The federal government should allow elderly patients more time in long term care facilities. I believe this would cut the cost of emergency room visits and hospital admittance in seniors.

Haier, an international icon: Success Factors and Market Challenges Essay

Born out of Qingdao Refrigerator Factory in 1984, the Haier (pronounced â€Å"high-er†) Group is China’s largest home appliance manufacturer (Wang and Ong 2007), and the world’s fourth largest white goods manufacturer (Chen 2008). Haier was ranked first among China’s Top 10 Global Brands by the Financial Times in 2005 (Haier’s company facts 2008). It was also ranked 86th among the world’s 500 Most Influential Brands by World Brand Lab in 2006 and is the only Chinese brand to be among the top 100 for three consecutive years. (Haier’s company facts 2008). Its Chairman and CEO, Zhang Ruimin who was appointed in 1984 as the director has been credited for pulling Haier out of bankruptcy to become a global corporation (Zhang Ruimin 2006) with annual turnover of USD16.2 billion in 2006 (Haier’s company facts 2008). Zhang was ranked 26th among World’s Most Respected Business Leaders by the Financial Times in 2005 and 6th among Asia’s 25 Most Powerful People in Business by Fortune magazine in 2004Haier’s key markets are China, Europe, USA, Japan (Beebe et al 2006) and India (Mumbai 2007). It has over 240 subsidiaries and 87 trading companies, design centers and industrial parks and over 50,000 employees worldwide (Haier’s company facts 2008). HAIER’S PATH TO SUCCESSIn 1984, CEO Zhang Ruimin took over the nearly bankrupt refrigerator factory (Lin 2005, 1). Today, Haier is known as a global brand. How did it become such as a success (Lin 2005, 1)?Strong leadership, customer service, product quality, innovation, speed, pricing, positioning, localisation of design, production and sales, latecomer advantages and market entry strategy are among the top ten factors for Haier’s success. Strong LeadershipZhang Ruimin (Zhang), Chairman and CEO of Haier is described as down-to-earth and a charismatic leader who has worked his way up (Chinaview People: Zhang Ruimin 2003). Zhang demonstrated out-of-the-box thinking and risk-taking when he combined traditional Chinese philosophy with modern Western management style (Chinaview People: Zhang Ruimin 2003) and avoided following norms of the industry (Wu 2003). â€Å"From the OEC management model of â€Å"Never Leave Today’s Work Till Tomorrow† and â€Å"Daily Settlement Leads to Daily Improvement† to the market chain management†, Zhang’s unique management ideas have won praises and is much of a discussion topic among management specialists and top universities around the world (Chinaview People: Zhang Ruimin 2003). Zhang’s aspiration for Haier to become a global brand began during the early stage he took on the factory (Liu and Li 2002, 701) With this ambition, Zhang set clear objectives and focuses in building the brand, diversifying product lines, going international and now building a global brand name in different phases (Haier’s development strategy 2008). In 2006, for the fourth consecutive year (Haier introduction 2008), Haier was ranked first for overall leadership among Chinese companies in the Wall Street Journal Asia’s annual survey of Asia’s 200 Most Admired Companies (Areddy 2006). Customer ServiceHaier aims to provide excellent customer service to gain an advantage over Western rivals who can be more complacent (Business in China: Double Star Group and Haier Group succeed without the consultants 2003, 14). To achieve this, Haier developed a customer-focused culture by reducing the distance between employees and customers requiring all employees to sell products, listen to customers and understand rivals’ products on a regular basis (Denison 2001, 222). Haier also set up more than 11,000 customer service centres in 160 countries (Yi and Ye 2003, 204) hiring and training locals to provide after-sale service to local customers (Li and Chen 2007). Haier’s dedication to customer service has won the â€Å"Five Star Diamond Award† presented by the American Quality and Service Society (Haier 1996). Product QualityZhang knows that the key to survival and future development is to establish and continue to improve product quality. To drive the  importance of quality, Zhang ordered responsible workers to destroy 76 defective refrigerators (Xu et al 2006, 30-31). As a result, Haier received the first ever National Gold Medal Award in China’s refrigerator industry (Haier 1988) and ranked first in China’s Top 15 Brands by Forbes (Kim 2003). InnovationTo improve its technology knowledge and create innovative products, Haier has been increasing investment in research and development (R&D) (Duysters et al 2008, 16) establishing an extensive global R&D and design network (DiPaolo and Li 2007). Its R&D investment is significantly higher than the market average – RMB6.7 billion in 2006, equivalent to 6.2 percent of its sales (DiPaolo and Li 2007). Haier also formed alliances with leading companies such as Liebherr, Philips, Mitsubishi and Toshiba to acquire manufacturing and technological know-hows, expand product lines as well as enter foreign markets (Duysters et al 2008, 11-12). The basis of China’s advantage is low-cost labour (Zeng and Williamson 2007, 27). Haier is take advantage of the cost advantage to provide high technology, choice and customised and specialty products at low price (Zeng and Williamson 2007, 55). Using cost innovation, Haier gained brand awareness in the US by making compact refrigerators and wine chillers to the mass market (Jain, Malik and Cruickshank 2006, 21). SpeedHaier understands that the speed in bringing products to customers to satisfy their needs before rivals is important to win them over (Wu 2003). Since entering US markets, Haier has gained one-third (Lin 2005, 2) of market share in the compact refrigerators for dormitories and offices and created the market for stand-alone wine coolers (Haley and Haley 2006, 46). PricingChinese products are often viewed as low quality (Xin and Yeung 2007). Aware of the poor image of Chinese products, Haier price its products at a five per cent premium over its Korean rivals, LG and Samsung (Chinese consumer durable firms eye a bigger piece of action 2008) so that its products will be perceived as â€Å"top-of-the-line† (Gupta 2006). PositioningHaier positions itself as a premium brand and aims to develop Haier as a dependable, high-technology global leader (Gupta 2003). Haier is not targeting at different classes of consumers instead â€Å"it wants consumers to feel that Haier is closest to satisfying their needs† (Haier’s Aim: â€Å"Develop Our Brand Overseas† 2003). Localisation of Design, Production and SalesHaier set up local design, production and sales facilities, and industrial parks in US, Europe, Asia Pacific and Middle East and employs mainly local people (Haier Press Room 2008). With localised operations, Haier is able to respond more quickly to changing customers’ needs (Young and Nie 1996, 12) and to be accepted by the local community (Haier Press Room 2008). Latecomer AdvantagesInstead of creating a new business model from scratch (Duysters et al 2008, 8), Haier, as a latecomer, has the advantage of comparing and modifying its business models against those of established rivals identifying niches, for example compact refrigerators in the US (Wu 2003) that larger rivals have overlooked (Duysters et al 2008, 8) or do not have the flexibility to adopt (Bartlett and Ghoshal 2000, 139). Market Entry StrategyHaier started exporting to tough markets such as United States (US) and Germany as Zhang (Wu 2003) believes that once it gained brand recognition in these markets, it will be easier for Haier to enter neighbouring developing countries (Liu and Li 2002, 702-703). When entering a new market, Haier introduced one product at a time. It first introduced refrigerators in the US market. Once the product becomes successful, Haier began introducing washing machines lines and other products capitalising on the brand awareness (Liu and Li 2002, 703). CHALLENGES AHEADChinese manufacturers including Haier now face increasing challenges posed by â€Å"decrease in orders from overseas markets† (Global recession hits China 2008), lack of resources, negative Chinese brand image, further margin squeeze and rising costs. Lack of R&D InfrastructureAlthough Haier increased investment in R&D, it can take years to catch up on the standard of the research in the West (Isaksen 2006). One big obstacle that marketing research firms face in China is the lack of infrastructure to carry out surveys (Isaksen 2006). Lack of Qualified Human ResourcesManagers with experience managing an international operation are scarce (Beebe et al 2006, 7). This shortage can negatively influence Haier’s global expansion (Liu and Li 2002, 703). For example, managers from the Chinese and American operations find it difficult to have productive discussions due to language barrier (Liu and Li 2002, 703). Global Brand Awareness and ImageChinese companies including Haier lack global brand awareness in developed markets in the US and Europe (Xin and Yeung 2007, 3) and suffer negative brand image of cheap, poor quality and unreliable (Swystun, Burt and Ly 2005, 3). This negative image is further weakened with the recent milk scandal (Made in China 2008: The Challenge for Chinese Brands Going Global 2008). Changing Western consumers’ perception requires years of marketing efforts (Liu and Li 2002, 704). Dominant Bargaining Power of BuyersHaier distributes its products with retail giants like Wal-Mart who have large buying power (Rosenbloom and Diane 1993, 78). These retail giants pursue mass merchandising strategies that emphasize low prices and low margins (Rosenbloom and Diane 1993, 80). With the global recession of 2008, retailers are likely to further squeeze Haier’s margins (Bhaskaran 2008, 2). Rising CostsThe increasing cost of labour, raw materials especially steel (Industry analysts forecast price rise for white goods 2008), oil as well as the strengthening of the yuan has greatly affected Haier’s margins (Roberts 2008). REFERENCES Areddy, J.T. 2006. 2006 Asia 200 Report: Asia’s 200 Most Admired Companies. Wall Street Journal. http://www.wsj-asia.com/ (accessed December 28, 2008). Bartlett, C.A. and Ghoshal, S. 2000. Going global: Lessons from later movers. Harvard Business Review 78 (2): 132-142. EBSCOhost. http://web.ebscohost.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/ (accessed December 28, 2008). Beebe, A., Chee, H., Feng, Y.Q. and Dr Shi, D.L. 2006. Going global: Prospects and challenges for Chinese companies on the world stage. IBM Business Consulting Service. http://www-935.ibm.com/ (accessed December 16, 2008). Bhaskaran, M. 2008. The world in 2009: Expect both downside and upside surprises. The Edge Singapore, December 29 – January 11. Business in China: Double Star Group and Haier Group succeed without the consultants. 2003. Strategic Direction 19 (8): 12-15. ProQuest. http://proquest.umi.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/ (accessed December 18, 2008). Chen, S.C. 2008. Haier Forced To Raise Domestic White Goods Prices. Forbes, February 21. http://www.forbes.com/ (accessed December 16, 2008). Chinaview People: Zhang Ruimin. 2003. Xinhua News Agency. Xinhua News Agency http://news.xinhuanet.com/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Chinese consumer durable firms eye a bigger piece of action. 2008. Indian Brand Equity Foundation, April 09. Indian Brand Equity Foundation. http://www.ibef.org/ (accessed December 17, 2008). Denison, D.R. 2001. Managing Organizational Change in Transition Economies. Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. Google Book Search. http://books.google.com.sg/ (accessed December 28, 2008). DiPaolo, P. and Li, J. 2007. A Chinese company’s route to successful innovation: Stay true to it’s strategy. Bain. http://www.bain.com/ (accessed December 28, 2008). Duysters, G., Jacob, J., Lemmens, C. and Hu, J.T. 2008. Internationalization and technological catching up of emerging multinationals: A case study of China’s Haier Group. Working paper, UNU-MERIT. http://www.merit.unu.edu/publications/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Global recession hits China. 2008. China Knowledge, November 11. China Knowledge. http://www.chinaknowledge.com/ (accessed December 17, 2008)Gupta, S.D. 2003. The lowdown on Haier. Rediff.com, August 23. http://www.rediff.com/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Gupta, S.D. 2006. Chinese firms aim big in India. Rediff.com, April 29. Rediff.com http://www.rediff.com///money/2006/apr/29spec.htm (accessed December 16, 2008)Haier introduction. 2008. Haier. http://www.haier.com/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Haier’s Achievements. 2006. Haier http://www.haier.com.pk/abouthaierAch.asp (accessed December 15, 2008). Haier’s Aim: â€Å"Develop Our Brand Overseas†. 2003. BusinessWeek, March 31. BusinessWeek. http://www.businessweek.com/ (accessed December 20, 2008). Haier’s company facts. 2008. Haier. http://www.haier.com/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Haier’s development strategy. 2008. Haier. http://www.haier.com/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Haley. U.C.V. and Haley, G.T. 2006. The logic of Chinese business strategy: East versus West: part II. The Journal of Business Strategy 27 (2): 43-53. ProQuest. http://proquest.umi.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Industry analysts forecast price rise for white goods. 2008. Xinhua News Agency, February 25. China Daily. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/ (accessed December 18, 2008). Isaksen, J.E. 2006. China’s brand disadvantage. Thesis, Norges Handelshà ¸yskole. http://www.nhh.no/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Jain, V., Malik, S. and Cruickshank, J. 2006. The emerging threat of Asia’s corporate tigers Strategy & Leadership 34 (4): 19-24. ProQuest. http://proquest.umi.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/ (accessed December 16, 2008). Kim. J.M. 2003. China’s Brands: China’s Best Prospects. Forbes, October 20. Forbes. http://www.forbes.com/ (accessed January 2, 2009). Li, N.X. and Chen, X.Q.D. 2007. Tips for Doing Business in Third Tier Markets. China Business Feature, Jun 27. China Business Feature. http://www.cbfeature.com/ (accessed December 16, 2008). Lin, T.W. 2005. OEC management control system helps China Haier group achieve competitive advantage. Management Accounting Quarterly 6 (3): 1-11. EBSCOhost. http://web.ebscohost.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Liu, H. and Li, K.Q., 2002. Strategic implications of emerging Chinese multinationals: The Haier case study. European Management Journal, 20 (6): 699-706. Elsevier ScienceDirect. http://www.sciencedirect.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/ (accessed December 28, 2008). Made in China 2008: The Challenge for Chinese Brands Going Global. 2008. Interbrand. http://www.interbrand.com/ (accessed December 16, 2008). Mumbai, M. 2007. Haier Launches First Refrigerator Manufacturing and R&D Facility in India. IndiaPRwire.com, August 9. IndiaPRwire.com http://www.indiaprwire.com/ (accessed December 16, 2008). Pocha, J. n.d. Enter the Chinese brands. Businessworld. http://www.businessworld.in/ (accessed December 17, 2008). Roberts, D. 2008. Haier Struggles to Overcome the China Slowdown. BusinessWeek, September 5. BusinessWeek http://www.businessweek.com/ (accessed December 16, 2008). Rosenbloom, B. and Diane, M. 1993. Dominant buyers: Are they changing the wholesaler’s role in marketing channels. Journal of Marketing Channels 3 (1): 73-90. Informaworld. http://www.informaworld.com/ (accessed December 28, 2008). Swystun, J., Burt, F. and Ly, A. 2005. The Strategy for Chinese Brands: Part 1 – The Perception Challenge. Interbrand, October. Interbrand. http://www.brandchannel.com/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Wang, Y. and Ong, J. 2007. Overseas sales bright for Chinese appliance maker Haier. Bloomberg News, August 14. International Herald Tribune. http://www.iht.com/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Wu, Y.B., 2003. China’s refrigerator magnate. McKinsey Quarterly, August. McKinsey Quarterly http://www.mckinseyquarterly.com/ (accessed December 16, 2008). Xin, K. and Yeung, A. 2007. Go Global: The Next Challenge For Corporate China. International Institute for Management Development, November. Institute for Management Development http://www.imd.ch/ (accessed December 16, 2008). Xu, Q.R., Zhu, L., Zheng, G. and Wang. F.R. 2006. Haier’s Tao of innovation-a case study of the emerging Total Innovation Management model. The Journal of Technology Transfer 32 (1-2): 27-47. SpringerLink. http://www.springerlink.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/ (accessed December 15, 2008). Yi, J.J. and Ye, S.X. 2003. The Haier Way: The Making of a Chinese Business Leader and a Global Brand. Homa & Sekey Books. Google Book Search. http://books.google.com.sg/ (accessed December 28, 2008). Young, S.T. and Nie, W. 1996. Managing Global Operations: Cultural and Technical Success Factors. Greenwood Publishing Group. http://books.google.com.sg/ (accessed January 2, 2009). Zeng, M. and Williamson, P.J. 2007. Dragons at your door: How Chinese cost innovation is disrupting global competition. Massachusetts: Harvard Business School Publishing. Zhang Ruimin. 2006. China Daily. http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/ (accessed December 15, 2008).

Factors that possibly affect first year performance in college Essay

Factors that possibly affect first year performance in college - Essay Example For this study, the dependent variable was â€Å"First Year Performance† which was measured by taking the average of the grades received by the student from the courses he was taking. Independent variables were region of origin, age, and gender. Region of origin referred to the student’s place of study, and took the values of EU, OS, and UK. Age was divided into two values: regular (below 21 years old as of 1st September at the year of intake) and mature (below 21 years old as of 1st September at the year of intake). Gender took the values of Male and Female. In order to find if there were any regional effects on first year performance, Analysis of Variance was used. Analysis of variance tests for mean differences among a sample of three or more groups. To find if either age or gender had effects on first year performance, differences of the means of two groups were investigated using t test. Relationships between the variables which, incidentally, contained categorica l variables, were investigated using cross tabulation techniques and the chi square test. First year performance in college is a crucial measure because it says a lot regarding the initial progress of a student. In summary, age, gender, and region did not have significant effects on the overall first year performance of students. However, these factors did have certain effects on selected course units. Also according to the research findings regular students tended to come from OS more than from UK or EU.... Presentation and Discussion of Results Descriptive Statistics Table 1 shows a summary of the frequency and percentage distribution of a total of 238 respondents for this study. The figures show that 53. 8% were from OS (n = 128), 36.1% were from UK (n = 86), and 10.1% were from EU (n = 24). When grouped according to age, 87.4% were regular students (n = 208), while 12.6% were mature students (n = 30). When grouped according gender, 46.2% were male (n = 110) and 53.8% were female (n = 128). Figures from Table 2 indicate that the students had a mean average grade of 56.6 (SD = 12.2). Students had the highest mean grades in BMAN10001 (10) – Economic Principles: Microeconomics (Mean = 69.7, SD = 15.4) while lowest mean grades were in BMAN10621 (M) (10) – Fundamentals of Financial Reporting (Mean = 45.9, SD = 20). Effects of Age T test results showing effects of age on first year performance are summarized in Table 3. No significant effect of age was found in the average sco res of students, t(38) = .43, n. s. However, age was a significant factor in unit courses such as BMAN10801 (10) – Introduction to Work Psychology and BMAN10812 (10) – The Modern Corporation, t(36) = 2.06, p = .05, and t(191) = 3.27, p < .01, respectively. In both cases, Regular students scored higher (Mean = 56.4, SD = 11.9 and Mean = 57.4, SD = 12.1) than Mature students (Mean = 51.1, SD = 13.37 and Mean = 47.8, SD = 21.1). No other significant differences were found. Effects of Gender T test results showing effects of gender on first year performance are summarized in Table 4. No significant effect of gender was found in the average scores of students, t(231) = .70, n. s. However, gender was a significant factor in

Strategy processes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Strategy processes - Essay Example 2.0 Globalisation In the context of this discussion, globalization plays an important role in the way a company strategise its policies to sustain their business presence. Globalisation has opened up numerous possible avenues for large and mid-sized companies to promote their products and services abroad. This directly enhances their market value and contributes to their economic might. In such cases, the time-tested strategy of rational and deliberate policies remains, and their products receive further boost through unknown territorial clientele. The governments of the once reclusive economies of Asia; China and India opened their skies to transfer of technology and co-production. Many of the heavy-machinery manufacturers and automotive industries were able to benefit immensely through co-productions and tie-ups. Government subsidies, cheap labour, qualified personnel and abundant raw material supplies generated huge volumes of profits and that too by retaining their strategy of being rational and deliberate. However, with time comes monotony and weariness. The strategy process has to be reassessed and changes brought about. Changes are perennial and so too are strategic processes. 3.0 Strategy Processes The strategy process is quite intriguing, yet exhilarating. Every company has its share of researchers who respond to the strategy process challenge by identifying certain traits that can either bring moments of exhilaration or disillusion. Disillusion comes from the often grotesque outcome of their effort leading to an outcome that is far from impressive. A lot of empirical research goes into the strategy process; large, often heroic and distinctive, collection of data is required to explore the possibility of... Though there are many players in the mobile telecommunication industry worldwide, the major names that one comes across in daily life are quite a handful. This is so, because of the strong marketing and services offered by these companies. Companies such as Alcatel, Ericsson, Fujitsu Microelectronics, Intel Corporation, Nokia, LG, Sony Ericsson, Motorola, Siemens, Samsung, Sun Microsystems, Panasonic, Mitsubishi Electric, Sprint, Nextel, AT & T Wireless, and Vodafone are well known and accepted brands. They have done extremely well all around the world with their branded mobile phones. However, there is no doubt, that without proper strategy process, most of these companies would find themselves in the same boat. There are no fixed love for a particular brand of handsets anywhere in the world, and definitely not so much in Europe, where mobile phone brands varies tremendously. The same is the case with the people of one continent with another. In general, Nokia is much better known and respected in Europe. Motorola dominates the handset numbers in the US. There is of course the interests of national players in mind, the likes of champions like Siemens, which is heavily respected in Germany. Samsung's brand awareness has been steadily rising in both the US and Europe, and LG is trying to make an impression on similar lines. So how do these companies sustain their market share? By being creative and emergent, of course!

The article review of 'Universal Jurisdiction, Universal Prescription Literature

The article of 'Universal Jurisdiction, Universal Prescription A Preliminary Assessment of the African Union Precriptive - Literature review Example Essentially, some of the issues explored by the article could be understood from the perspective of the historical differences that have affected African countries in their attempt to ratify some of the international legal principles. The article explores a range of issues that connect within international jurisdiction in ways that demonstrate the differences in approaches adopted by European and African countries. On this matter, it becomes necessary to consider the fact that most of the issues that relate to international legal practices have elicited sharp divisions in African countries, which have tended to demonstrate the fact the universalist practices are essentially biased. Basically, some of the issues raised in the article tend to promote the assumption that the international legal practices were specifically developed as tool of western powers to influence the governance of African States. The article uses specific provisions in international laws relating to matters of im munity and culpability to demonstrate this fact. Case examples of countries such as France and Switzerland show that the application of the universality principle in its narrow sense and understanding fails to connect the issues with the fundamental applications as they relate to issues of law in a universal context. The merits of this argument could be assessed from the point of view of the differences in culture which affect the manner in which different societies perceive the aspect of law. The author points out that the development of the legal structures on which some of the tenets of international law are based is essentially biased in favor of the western countries. According to the author, some of the differences that attend to the application of the rules of international law are essentially manifest in the contestations that various countries attach to the rulings and applications of various countries. In this regard, it becomes necessary to assess the manner in which vari ous countries have attempted to redefine the articles and concepts of international practice to suit some specific realities in their home countries. The author makes the case of various aspects of the law in a manner that attempts to explore the unworkable parts and the mismatch with realities that occur in the African continent. The aspect of criminality acquires new meaning when removed from local interpretations and applied in accordance with western concepts. The article cites cases such as the Rwandese massacre in which the failure by the international community to come to terms with the ethnic and cultural factors that connect to the issue have occasioned misinterpretations of the international legal practices. The central argument of the article is that the universality principle only serves the interests of western powers. The argument fosters the impression that the international law was mainly created to entrench their control and influence over the African states. The ar ticle explores the problematic application of matters of immunity in ways that seek to illustrate the unclear issues that make it difficult for countries to approach the subject from a common platform. In essence, many of the issues that apply within the issue could

Virtual Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Virtual Management - Essay Example It is important for virtual teams to connect their daily activities with the strategy and objectives of the business to remain committed and engaged over time. This in turn contributes to the success of the organization. High performing virtual teams establish better decision-making and better problem solving process than low performing ones. Decision making and ensuring that the rightful information reaches the right people is challenging for virtual teams whose members are located in different time zones or who converse through email or phone. It is important for virtual team leaders to establish communication processes early and revisit them over time. Most of the virtual teams have little face-to-face contacts with their members or work under different time zones. That is why they face challenges in communication with their members. High performing teams always have a way to work around these challenges unlike the low performing virtual teams. High performing virtual team members respond quickly to problems, providing each other with the required information, involving each other in decisions making and providing each other with necessary feedback. They have various technologies of communicating with each other and updating one another. Good communication strategy with each other increases the success of the virtual teams with ample face-to-face meetings every now and then. It is important for the virtual team members to exercise trust with each other since lack of trust can lead to unsuccessful virtual work arrangements (Zofi, 2011). Trust is important for the success of the virtual team members because most of these members rarely see one another and others have never met in person. Thus, they relate on inter-personal trust based on their personal relationships. Virtual teams rely on the task-based trust where they believe that members will do their jobs in the

Covenants of God with His Children. Pentateuch discussion Research Paper

Covenants of God with His Children. Pentateuch discussion - Research Paper Example Throughout the Old Testament are historical covenants which advance and refine the Covenants of Redemption and Grace. In another perspective of Covenant Theology, the Covenant of Redemption is without evidence, the Covenant of Grace is implicit as the main covenant, and the historical covenants reflect different administrations of the Covenant of Grace. A third perspective of Covenant Theology is that, since the Bible does not specifically refer to any covenants of redemption, works or grace, it is more scripturally accurate to see all covenants as historical, and to see god’s plan of redemption/grace as an overarching purpose, but not specifically as covenants. This paper will discuss these major areas, as well as the historical covenants, as they are found throughout the sections of the Old Testament (Pentateuch, Historical Books, Poetical Books, and Prophesy), shaping Christian understanding and appreciation of the fulfillment of God’s purpose through Old Testament t imes, transitioning our understanding readiness, and application of covenant truths in the New Testament. A covenant is a promise, a contract of protocol, which outlines specific expectations and outcomes of keeping and breaking the expectations, binding on all parties and descendents. In the case of God’s covenants with people, God dictates the terms. The Covenant of Works was established with Adam and Eve, in Eden. God’s instruction was explicit. Adam was told to name the animals and to be a steward over God’s creation. God commanded them to be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth. They were invited to partake of the abundance of paradise, but were forbidden to eat of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. The latter stipulation had a consequence of death, for violation of terms. Freewill obedience demonstrates faith. In exchange for abiding by this covenant, God gave them eternal life in a perfect paradise, control over plants and animals in the garden, protection, and God’s own companionship and love. This covenant was binding on Adam and Eve and all descendants, even to us. When Eve was persuaded by Satan to eat forbidden fruit, and Adam also accepted from Eve, because of Satan’s false rationalization about God’s motivation and agenda, sinful choice separated them from God and paradise, but also separated us from God and paradise. The consequence of death and suffering that became theirs also became ours. There are two kinds of covenants which God makes with man: conditional and unconditional (Warren, 2000). Conditional covenants are where God says what he will provide â€Å"if† people will do what he instructs them to do, and to not do what he instructs them to not do. The Covenant of Works is a conditional covenant (Warren, 2000). The Covenant of Grace, however, was an unconditional covenant (Warren, 2000). There was no â€Å"if† clause. God made a gift, no strings attached. His gift was to send his son, Jesus, to be born without sin (as the child of God), to live a life without sin, and to die as a sacrifice for all the sin ever committed and all the sin ever to be committed by everyone everywhere. This was nothing we could earn, because we had already failed that test, through Adam and Eve, already shown that we would use our free choice in a wrong way. The consequence of death was part of the contract. Only Jesus could pay it, and he willingly did so, and God willingly sent Him. The Covenant of Redemption is the everlasting agreement, within the Godhead, before history began, for Jesus, the Son, to be born as a man, to live a life of obedience to the law and to God, and die a sacrificial death to atone for human sin. This agreement was powered by the Holy Spirit. This can be seen as a covenantal arrangement

Violence Against Women Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Violence Against Women - Assignment Example The Dreamworlds 3 was produced in the year 2007. It is a documentary that presented the history of music using MTV’s with sexual imageries in order to draw the attention of people. It presented the reasons behind that sexual imageries in music videos are all about women. In this documentary, sexual imageries of women are presented as to attract men, desiring for sex in the absence of men, and the quality of being a feminine is always over powered by powerful men. It also presented some aspects how women attract men through their dresses, movements of the body and using energetic activities. It also presented how pornographic imaginations, ways of how women look in the video degrade women. At the end of the documentary, the film maker gives the purpose of this film and presented statistics about some violence of women particularly in America. From the video I do believe that the film maker’s message is for the betterment of a society that has a revolting behavior. These music videos are reflections of how society thinks about women who are lesser than men. Women are always considered sexual prey, for example, in school campuses in which fraternities exist. In order to enter into that kind of organization, violent sex should be done. Aside from using alcohol, facilitation of rape is practiced in order to give emphasis on the importance of maleness among the members but this thing lowers the position of women in the eyes of the members of this kind of group. In my opinion, the film does not obliged viewers to adopt the conclusion of Jhally but instead to develop their own critical eyes and to convey the breeds of these sexual images that can be found in music videos. These music videos breed violence against women such as rape, sexual assaults, harassments, verbally and physically. One of the most violent breeds of the combination of music and pornography in music videos is rape. Women’s appearance is one of the main reason men do this kind of violence to women. It is considered that the appearance of women made men helpless in terms of sexual pleasure. Men see the appearance of women especially the way they dressed. If a woman dresses with a very seductive way then some men think that the woman is seducing although the woman does not have that kind of intention. But many don’t agree with the idea that to avoid getting rape is to avoid dressing in a seductive manner. In the year 2011, at Toronto, there was a so called â€Å"slutwalk† wherein many marched for the purpose of not agreeing with the advise of a police officer telling students that the best way to avoid getting raped was to avoid dressing like a ’slut’. These people who participated in the said slutwalk are claiming that instead of telling to the women on how they dress, they should focus and warn those that are abusing women to avoid abusing and assaulting women so that they will avoid going into jail. They are angry for blaming th e women of such violence that are happening to them. Women are the main victims but in the end they are being blamed for what is happening to them. Pornographizing is one of the main issues that lead to the violence of women. Men are relating to the images of women. Images such as in music videos which have sexually images that excites and wrings for sexual desire. Because of these images, it may lead

IT Systems Case Study Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

IT Systems Case Study - Assignment Example The institutional archives manager at Campus A learned the tough way that he could not inactively wait till electronic records were conveyed to his office for long-standing access and retention. A research of the records at the campus, aided by the National Historical Publication and Records Commission grant, discovered that over 90 percent of the data sets did not have adequate documentation, hence making archival evaluation impossible (Kahn, 2000, 332). Campus B The archives department at Campus B opted for a method to handling electronic records, which was extremely diverse from Campus A’s. Rather than working with groups all through the university system, the archives department opted to work with a minute group of mainly external experts on creating an electronic-record policy (Kahn, 2000, 336). The challenge to this is that it left out vital departments of the institution meaning that the final policy did not incorporate every department’s view about the endeavor (Kahn, 2000, 337). Also, the campus had limited resources unlike Campus A, which opted to use all the resources they could together for the endeavor. Unlimited resources translated into unlimited support for the system. Strategic Responses to the Challenges Campus A In response to the campus’ IT report, the institution archives director begun by strengthening internet record management in his office and also by seeking the assistance of relevant and significant offices and departments all round the institution. He also started to make use of a new budget-management scheme, which rewarded record-management endeavors all through the university system (Kahn, 2000, 334). The director’s initial move to deal with this problem was to add the role of electronic-record management to the archives department. The appointment of the electronic-record administrator in the archives department was a departure from normal practice whereby record management was housed in an administrat ive scheme. Campus B The archives department allocated a majority of its internal budget resources and a US$130,000 national grant for creating a conceptual strategy for managing electronic records (Kahn, 2000, 335). The money was largely used to recruit a small team and pay faculty to oversee pilot record-management plans and create policy. The archives department director also hired a counseling board which included national specialists in the field of electronic-record management. Just two people in the institution’s hierarchy—a university personnel director, as well as a university information resources administrator—were included on that board (Kahn, 2000, 336). This would assist the campus to come to grips with the policy and management concerns surrounding electronic records. Social Action Theory Social action, in sociology, is an act that considers the actions and reactions of people (or 'agents'). Max Weber considers that "an Action is 'social' if the p erforming person considers the behavior of others and is thus oriented in its course. Campus A Campus A’s archives department is situated at the library adjacent to the geographic center of the main campus. The department is in walking distance to several university

ABA Therapy Research Proposal Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

ABA Therapy - Research Proposal Example The will examine methods of controlling autism. The methods examined will include Applied behavioral Analysis, Discrete Trial Training, Functional Communication training, Pivotal response Training, Antecedent based interventions and Parental Implemented intervention. Most of the literature review papers advocate for evidence-based approaches and emphasize on the engagement of a qualified Therapist to a control Autism. However, a meta-analysis will not be possible due to lack of comparable inclusion and characterization criteria. Even so, it will be imperative that we engage the services of a qualified ABA therapist and, for this reason donor funds will be required. The use of ABA therapy is an evidence-based method of controlling autism and is highly recommended. Autism is a neurological disorder that has that has posed a lot of challenges in finding effective ways of control irrespective of the economic state or geographical location of the victims (Hilsen, 2012). Research has not clearly proven the causes of autism though it is likely that autism is caused by genetic and environmental factors. Recent data by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention has indicated that cases for autism have risen to 1 in every 110 American children. This rate translates to one in every 70 boys and 1 in every 315 ladies. However, there is a concern that only a small percentage of this population has been actually diagnosed with this condition. The Autism Society of America has estimated that over the life of an autism patient, an average of 3.5 million dollars to 5 million dollars is used towards care research, insurance among other costs (Johnson, 2013). Measured in terms of lost productivity and caregiving costs, autism costs America over 90 billion do llars annually. Even though this has been a prevailing problem in the society at large, my attention was drawn to it after I was attached at Mercy Kids Rehab Laredo, Texas. Parents whose children suffer

Segregated Schools Essay Example for Free

Segregated Schools Essay â€Å"From the day she was born, the girl had seizure after seizure† quoted Gina Kolata. One new born, toddler, baby girl, was suspected that she had a genetic disorder. Doctors at Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City, Mo, provided a sample of her blood which took only 50 hours and provided with an answer. The toddler had seizures after seizures that doctors frantically tried to keep her alive. Her doctors suspected a genetic disorder that they began a study of a new technique for quickly analyzing the DNA of newborns. The baby girl had a mortal gene mutation. â€Å"There was no treatment, there was not anything that could have changed the outcome†, Dr. Petrikin said which her family decided to let their baby go because her family did not want to see their baby girl in pain. She was only 5 weeks old. This all happened by not saying it was the baby girl’s fault or its mother’s. It just happened there is no explanation about why, did the baby girl have a disorder or disease. But there was not enough resources and medicine that could cure the disorder in time. My opinion on this article is that it is a well written article and gives a lot of details on what the situation is. I chose this article because I was mainly focusing on Medicine, Disease, and Health because I really like knowing about what kinds of different diseases there are and what just goes on in the human body. I don’t know if I agree with the article or disagree with the article because of how it turned out to be at the end with the baby girl. I think the article kind of turned out to be a story.

Platos View On The Soul Philosophy Essay

Platos View On The Soul Philosophy Essay Plato was a Greek philosopher. He had many views on life and existence. Platos views on the mind body distinction have been the target of many criticisms since his time. In the republic, he formulated ideas on the allegory of the cave and the theory of the forms. He believed that our existence on earth was merely a shadow of a higher spiritual plane, our bodies just a vessel, or even looked upon as a cage trapping the soul and restricting it from this higher plain. Plato was a dualist and so believed that when the material body dies the soul lives on. Platos views, are best described in his analogy of the cave in which it depicts a prisoner that escapes the cave metaphorical for this life- and goes on to discover everything he once believed in was only a fraction of the truth: Platos main philosophy stemmed from the cave and was about knowing the theory of the forms. Here, he thought that the soul is a substance and is immortal, however the body- being physical- could be doubted as it was part of the empirical world. On the one hand, Platos ideas about the soul were revolutionary and extremely advanced for his time, as with most of Platos philosophies, yet on the other hand they appear to be both self-conflicting and flawed. Platos idea of the soul is his dualist position, believing that body and soul are fundamentally distinct. His theory on the soul was produced in his book Phaedrus. In it Plato was most concerned with demonstrating the immortality of the soul and its ability to survive bodily death. He proposed the idea that, like Aristotles idea of motion, whatever is the source of its own motion or animation must be immortal. Plato was writing at a time in Greek philosophy where popular opinion believed that the soul did not survive death, and that it dispersed into nothing, like breath or smoke. Plato believed that the soul must be immortal by the very nature of being the source of its own animation, for it is only through a psyche that things can be living rather than dead. The souls are both animated and at the same time the source of its own animation. Plato also states that the soul is an intelligible and non-tangible article that cannot be destroyed or dispersed, much like his ideas about form s of non-tangible realities; such as beauty or courage. The argument from affinity, as Plato posited in Phaedrus, states that because the soul is an invisible and intangible entity, as opposed to a complex and tangible body; the two must be distinct and separate. Plato believed that which is composite must be divisible, sensible and transient; and that which is simple must be invisible, indivisible and immutable. Forms bear a resemblance to the simple, immutable entities, such as beauty; however a beautiful painting is transient and palpable. The body shows an affinity to the composite by nature of its mortality and mutability; just as the soul shows a similar affinity to immortality and indivisibleness. To further emphasise the point, Plato writes when the soul investigates by itself it passes into the realm of what is pure, ever existing, immortal and unchanging. He argues that just as the bodys prime function is to understand the material and transient world, the functioning of the soul as an entity of rational and self-reflective thou ght demonstrates its affiliation with a simple and immutable world; showing that the two are distinct. However Plato does not explore the criticisms of this argument that just because an entity portrays an affiliation, does not necessarily require it to be as that which it affiliates. Plato believed that the soul, if it were to be the animator of all living things, must be responsible for a person s mental or psychological activities and responses. For the soul cannot be the reason for life, yet at the same time limited in its influence over the bodies in which it animates. However this provides one of the most serious and potentially defeating criticisms of Platos views on the soul. He fails to address the issue of the interrelationship between body and soul, if they are indeed distinct. He doesnà ¢Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¡Ã‚ ¬Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â‚¬Å¾Ã‚ ¢t mention if the soul act as controller of a lifeless body, or is there more to the body than simply the material. Moreover the argument from affiliation would suggest that the body is concerned with the material, composite world whilst the soul is concerned with the invisible and simple world. If this is the case then the soul cannot, following from Platos argument, have any interaction with the material, bodily world; for then it ceases to be simple and immutable. An argument from recollection, which Plato first put forward when discussing his theory of the world of the forms, also serves his theory of the soul. Perfect forms, such as equality, are knowable a priori; we have no need for experience to tell us whether two lines are equal length. We must, therefore, know these things through recollection of these perfect forms. Therefore, the soul must have pre-existed the body to know these facts a priori. Platos argument from opposites was based on his idea that everything in the observable world has an opposite effect. As Plato writes in his work Phaedo; If something smaller comes to be it will come from something larger before, which became smaller. In other words everything we can know has an opposite; asleep and awake; hot and cold. Similarly they are reversible, just as one goes from a state of sleep to a state of being awake, one can do the opposite. Plato argued that if this were the case, then the same should apply to life and death. Just as one can go from life to death, one must be able to go from death to life; and if this statement is correct, then the soul must survive this transition and as a consequence possess immortality and separation from the body. He believed that animation and life was integral to the very notion of the soul, just like heat is a part of fire; thus it cannot be destroyed and is eternal. A separate argument from his theory of opposites was that of a similar theory of the forms and their opposites. He stated that no entity can consist of contradictory forms, and thus one form must necessarily exist and the other not in any particular entity. The number five cannot possess both the form of even and odd; by adding or subtracting one; the form of odd is displaced by even. Plato wrote: so fire as the cold approaches will either go away or be destroyed; it will never venture to admit coldness and remain what it was, fire and cold The soul must share in the form of life, for we know that those living have a soul. Therefore, it cannot contain the form of death also, for this would be in direct conflict of life. The soul must ontologically necessarily exist, and must therefore be immortal. Contemporary analysis of Platos views on the soul produces many criticisms; there is a clear chronological confusion as his work progresses; with the soul starting as an unintelligible and non-tangible item, yet progressing to where the soul becomes a complex tripartite entity that is trapped in the material body, yet still longing to enter the world of the forms. Plato demonstrates a contradictory and muddled thought process that attempts to find resolutions for flaws in his thinking. The idea of an imperfect entity entering the perfect realm of the forms is one such logical fallacy in his argument; and he does this by seeking to find reason and justification for his conclusion, rather than seeking a conclusion based on all of his own logic.

Models Of Strategic Change That Is Appropriate Management Essay

Models Of Strategic Change That Is Appropriate Management Essay Lewins change model is the appropriate model for the British Airways strategic change. According to this model, the initial step of any change process it to unfreeze the current pattern of behaviour as a way of managing opposition to the change. On the basis of the organizational level of change needed, such unfreezing may involve on the individual level by selectively promoting or terminating the employees and on the structural level- by developing highly experiential training, providing data based feedback on how employees feel about certain management practices. Each of these interventions is planned to make organizational members address that levels need for change. The next step, movement, involves making the definite changes that will shift the organization to any other level of response. On the individual level, we would anticipate to see people behaving in a different way, possibly representing new skills. At last, on the interpersonal- style level, we would anticipate to see behavior patterns that indicate better interpersonal trust and less dysfunctional interactions. The final stage of the change process which is refreezing involves stabilizing these This stage may involve redesigning the organizations employment process in order to increase the likelihood of hiring applicants who share the organizations new management style. LO1.2 Discuss how your chosen strategic change model is relevance British Airways in the Current economy Markov models and Monte Carlo simulations staff replacements can be employed along with the Delphi technique, for strategizing change. The application of Kurt Lewin is a wide-ranging plan of approach to hit issues governing the British Airways. Kurt Lewins three steps of change in British Airways had both the positive as well as the negative impacts on organisational employees and its structure. The existing pattern of behaviour, which is Unfreeze to cease resistance to change was ordained and was effecting a persons behaviour. It includes the downsizing of workforce policy and shortened employees incumbency and also reduced the hierarchical levels. It also empowered functioning people and made the decisions to spread fast which resulted in a better performance. Lewins second models bring forth highlight of top management to bottom-line. Obviously, it transformed the internal structure and system of the British Airways. It was also complemented with the incentives to absorb shock and a new performance appraisal was introduced in order to alleviate the change by placing the above systems in a behavioral pattern. It emphasized on customer pleasure and amalgamation of the entire team of people in the hierarchy. LO1.3 Discuss the benefits of your chosen strategic change models as intervention Techniques in British Airways British Airways today is the worlds most important airline. Because of the internal and external pressures, BA was forced to adapt to as corporate culture, value and company mission in order to improve the organisations performance. Lewins model is the most important strategic change model for BA. The Unfreezing Stage reduces the hierarchical levels and gives more independence to working people and also allows work to get done without any difficulty as a result the organisations performance is improved. In the past, retirement which is a policy to reduce employees was introduced in this stage. It was got a good response from many employees. There were major changes in British airways top management. The Movement Stage is the second stage of Lewins Model. In this stage, the company involved in building any change to be real which BA developed strategy and plans to bring the idea of the top management-level to the bottom-line employees. For supporting this stage, a number of internal British Airways structures and systems were altered like new bonus system and opening of Terminal 4 at Heathrow airport etc. The final stage is Refreezing in which the company had to alleviate changes by establishing systems which can make behavioral pattern in BA. For example, a new performance appraisal system was created to highlight customer service and subordinate development. BAs symbols were introduced to carry those changes. LO2: Understand issues relating to strategic change in an organisation LO2.1Based on the case study discuss why you think British Airways need change In the 90s, that British Airways was well-known as the worlds number one airline when it came to quality and customer satisfaction. Today the above mentioned statement would have obscurity in itself as British Airways strategy seems to have changed from a service focused business to one competing on value that the British Airways have implemented in an attempt to deal with low profits and the high operating costs. Today all the organisations are being all the time more challenged by change. Subsequently, they have to to be aware of the issues that force the need for change which means that the organisations call for a proactive approach to the strategic change management. A cooperative and peaceful work environment is a key need in every organisation and strikes in the organisations also affects the good will and brand of the organisation. Strikes in any organisation imply that there is lack of proper communication between employees and the managers which ultimately leads to growth of tension in the organisation climate. BA now need to adopt a strategy to ensure that strikes wont occur and for this over-communication need to be done to check nothing gets missed and the project manager and the employees must understand the value of compromise and work actively together in order to avoid any risk of bitter relationship which may give birth to a strike in the future. LO2.2 Assess the factors that are driving the need for strategic change at British Airways Strategic management is a set of managerial decisions and activities that determines the long-run performance of an organisation. It includes aspects such as strategy formulation on the basis of the current environment of the organisation, implementation of formulated strategy, and its evaluation and control. The organizational development tradition is an approach to carry out organizational change with a view to increase efficiency. A variety of employee involvement strategies are taken in to account, but there is minor confirmation for their effectiveness as a means of securing commitment and improved performance. Due to the incidents like the global slowdown in the travel industry and lower demand for bookings, that fuel costs rise sharply, costs of insurance going up in the BA saw the need for strategic changes in attracting the market. Strategic change is imperative for every business because it determines its success in the market. A major strategy of airlines is alliances or merges. Alliances or merges are a part of strategic management plan. Alliances are useful for any airlines to manage and preserve the business. This strategy was also adopted by the British Airways for better service and customer satisfaction. The motivating factor behind alliances is long-term profitability. Their formation is for strategic reasons like accessing larger markets and building hub-to-hub traffic etc. LO2.3 Assess the resource implications of British Airways not responding to strategic change British airways have been affected by the change in technology, business trends, and economic trends. They have been slow to adapt to the changes according to the changing world and this has become a major setback in the British Airways where they have lagged behind. The key problem for British Airways is the poor management strategies. Earlier, the company was doing amazingly well with high profits. The companys reliability had grown enormously in the transport industry as well and therefore it was termed as a company with class. Later on the troubles for the company led to its financial catastrophe due to lack of managerial strategies or we can say due to resistance to change. The change in the business trends is one of the main causes of the poor management strategies as the customers have been varying their behaviours from the conventional habits they were used to. Another main problem that is the root cause of the poor management strategies is the rise in fuel costs. Earlier in the past, the fuel prices were low and easily quantifiable. The times have passed by and the prices of the fuel today have sky rocketed which means that the income have diminished and have now transformed to losses. Because of this reason, the management of British Airways is having management crisis due to resistance to change. Another problem is the competitors of the company. There were no competitors in the past to compete with British airways. Earlier, the company did not have any struggle but this all changed with the formation of new rivals in the industry for example- Easy Jet due to which BA faced a huge loss of customers and they started making losses. Technology is also a problem which has affected British Airways leading to its huge poor management strategies. The organization strategic change management has been not efficient in solving all these entire problems. LO3 Stakeholders in developing a strategy for change LO3.1 Identify a system involving stakeholders in the planning of change at British For Creating a stakeholder aware culture in the organisation a structured approach is needed, skilful management is also essential. A structured process which is focussed on identifying the stakeholders, understanding their expectations and managing their expectations, monitoring the efficiency of the stakeholder activities and continual review of stakeholder community can be used to achieve success in managing stakeholder relationships. A stakeholder has a stake in the activities of the organisation. That stake may be an interest in the result or product, an individual or group influenced by the work or the product which may be direct or indirect. As an unremitting upgrading process, stakeholder administration requires understanding support from everyone in the organisation ranging from the CEO to the employee to the short-term contractor. This ensures the concepts of effective stakeholder relationship management in the organisation. Management should have to recognise that success criteria of its organisation must be broader than the bottom line considerations: -The only business driver is not only shareholder value. -Organisations today need to think about socially valuable behaviours such as sustainability and corporate social liability as an important part of their mission and goals. Many organisations followed the management ideologies of the bottom line. Above all, the CEO should be a hero and the shareholder value is supreme. Any kind of activity that an organisation undertakes, whether it be operational, strategic or tactical, the activity can only be unbeaten with the input, obligation and support of people- stakeholders. Attainment of and maintaining the support and loyalty of stakeholders requires a constant process of appealing the right stakeholders at the right time and obviously to understand and manage their expectations. LO3.2 Analyse the change management strategy of British Airways with stakeholders STAKEHOLDERS Stakeholders are the persons or groups who are impacted by or can influence the success or failure of an organisations actions. They are the groups or individuals who supply important resources. The Stakeholder Circle methodology The Stakeholder Circle is a five step methodology which provides a flexible and structured approach to understand and manage relationships within and around the organisationsactivity. It is based on the concept that the success of any organisations activities depend on the participation of the stakeholder community. With each of the activity a team is associated, often unobserved in many stakeholder engagement processes like it appeared to be known as being imperative to the success of that activity. The outmost circle references possible stakeholders:, those who may be important to the victory of the activity at the later stage. The methodology defines a concept that any activity of the organisation can only exist with the informed approval of its stakeholder community. Managing the relationships between the stakeholders community and the activity will augment the chances of the success. The community of stakeholders consists of individuals and groups having a different potential to influence the activitys result either positively or negatively. The team associated with the activity must develop knowledge about this stakeholder community. This information will help to define the suitable level and substance of communication required to affect stakeholders expectations and actions. The five steps are: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Identification of all the stakeholders. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Prioritisation to determine who among the stakeholders is crucial. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Visualisation in order to determine the overall stakeholder community. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Engagement through effectual communications. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Monitoring the outcome of the engagement. LO3.3Evaluate the systems used by British Airways to involve stakeholders in the planning of change Key stakeholder are the stakeholders with major impact on or considerably influenced by the work and where these interests and influence must be accepted if the work is to be thriving. The British Airways stakeholders consist of the groups who are concerned in the British Airways business and that would be: -British Airways Workers who want BA to do well as the company pays their mortgages. -BA shareholders who want BA to do well because they have possession of the company and want their investments to increase. -BA suppliers as they make money by supplying the BA with goods and services. -BA customers as they want BA to do well so they can continue to use their service. STAKEHOLDER CIRCLE METHODOLOGY It is based on the concept that the success of any organisations activities to achieve its objectives depend upon the involvement of the stakeholder community. All decisions of the relationships are made from the point of view of the project manager. Team surrounds the activity which at times is overlooked in many stakeholder engagement processes. Surrounding the team there is stakeholder community that, at present time, is identified as the important factor for the victory of any activity. The outermost circle is of potential stakeholders those who are/will be crucial for the projects success at later stages. LO3.4 Were there any resistance to change? If so explain The CEO, Willie Walsh of British Airways, has faced major industrial action when he implements a change programme intended to develop the competitiveness of the BA. British Airways illustrates the unfreezing-moving-refreezing procedure of change. The changes at the BA faced the increased competition for example from the Virgin Atlantic Airways. Organisational change hence can be critical for the performance and the survival as well. BA is the largest UK airline. BA is the market leader but instead the low cost airlines can influence the decisions that BA makes. Boeing and airbus are the core BA suppliers. BA tries to keep a healthy relationship with the media in order to have good relation with the public. Stakeholder engagement British Airways has been important for many years. Networks of stakeholder relations exist within the Airways. In the BA change process, the time and attention change leaders spent on the unfreezing face is of particular note. When change leaders fail to see the unfreezing phase as a crucial and separate phase they often encounter problems. Resistance to change is likely to be strong without any explicit attention on the unfreezing phase and this ignorance towards the unfreezing phase is also the reason behind the failure of change efforts. There are two additional and crucial points. First is that the managers should not suppose all the change activities to occur in succession. Activities necessary in the one phase of the process may overlap with that of the next phase. For example- The change leaders may be engaged in the activity of the moving phase while continuing to convince people to the requirement of change which is an activity associated with the unfreezing phase. Second is that instead of an individual a team of the change leaders should guide the organisation through a important c hange effort. The team can work more efficiently than a single person as there is too much work like deciding how to better unfreeze people, vision development and its communication, generation of small wins, overseeing many change projects. Individuals of the team must possess knowledge related to all the problems needed for the change efforts and must have different point of view for various solutions. Leadership is also crucial in the context. The team needs individuals who are capable to lead the team efficiently and confidently. The team size is also a concern. Six may be enough for a smaller organisation while fifteen or more may be needed in a larger one. LO4 Planning to implement models for ensuring ongoing change LO4.1 How would you develop appropriate model for change for British Airways Lewins change model, according to me, is the appropriate model for change for the British Airways. It is outlined as below:- Lewins Change Model Organizations tend to always work in order to maintain a steady state and this may help us to understand that why do organizations require external force to initiate alteration and why that change will be opposed. Organizational change can occur at three levels and the patterns in each level need different change strategies. The levels involve: Changing the persons who are employees in the organization which includes changing their r skills, values, attitudes, and behaviour. Changing the organizational environment or interpersonal style which means that how open people are with one another, how the conflicts are managed and how decisions are taken, and so on. According to Lewin, the initial step of any change process it to unfreeze the current pattern of behavior as a way of managing opposition to the change. On the basis of the organizational level of change needed, such unfreezing may involve on the individual level by selectively promoting or terminating the employees and on the structural level- by developing highly experiential training, providing data based feedback on how employees feel about certain management practices. Each of these interventions is planned to make organizational members address that levels need for change. The next step, movement, involves making the definite changes that will shift the organization to any other level of response. On the individual level, we would anticipate to see people behaving in a different way, possibly representing new skills. At last, on the interpersonal- style level, we would anticipate to see behavior patterns that indicate better interpersonal trust and less dysfunctional interactions. The final stage of the change process which is refreezing involves stabilizing these This stage may involve redesigning the organizations employment process in order to increase the likelihood of hiring applicants who share the organizations new management style. LO4.2 Based on the case explain how you would plan and implement a model for change for British Airways British Airways used the same tools and faced the similar thing which others faced for their revival. They chose for manpower management and strategic movement. Future requirements of manpower were compared to that of the existing human resource. It identified skills and competencies. On the basis of the, the organization prepared a plan for developing the human resource strategy for preservation and removal with compensation. A process driven mechanism ensued to collect competencies that are vital in the organization. In order to achieve its goals the British Airways undertook strategic functions based on enterprise and the objectives were to make the organization competitive. In the British Airways, skill obsolesce are a major factor in the organisation. It needs deep-seated actions to be performed. Any organization has two categories its knowledge set, smart people and skill-sets that are ensured with job definitions. Overstaffing increase training cost and production cost. It also affects values, morale and productivity. If an organisation wants to create an optimised manpower planning designs then the following points are salient: 1. Delivery and allocation of manpower and Balancing of demand supply. 2. Human resource controlling. 3. Introducing policies on succession, transfers and repositioning of manpower. Internal/External Changes in the Organization Internal/external changes in the organisation are fairly natural. They add to innovations of competitive strategy. External changes include change in the customer need and taste, amendments in government policy while internal change is related to product and service design innovation, appointment of well-informed senior managers for fresh ideas in order to deliver better services. Amidst a set of fiscal problems, the only alternative that British Airways could take resort to was a privatization program. It had to sale government owned stakes to the private players. It influenced and improved the organizational performance; which was subjected to fierce competition. Lewins Model The model to be engaged for managing change is the Lewins model having three stages. The step one includes unfreezing which reduces the forces of change which maintains behaviour, identifies the need for change and the points that required enhancement. The step two consists of adopting movement for development of new attitude for the execution of the change and in the step three re-freezing is to be adopted in order to alleviate the change at new level. LO4.3How would you develop appropriate measures to monitor progress at British Airways Key Performance Indicators: KPIs or Key performance indicators are the financial and non-financial measures which are used to assist an organisation to measure its progress headed for a settled organisational objective. A key measure of companys success is customer recommendation. An onboard customer survey, British Airways Global Performance Monitor (GPM) survey and a follow up online survey on the arrivals process which provides monthly insights into the views of the customer. British Airways expect big things of everybody working for it. It invests in new leadership training; implementing comprehensible communication programmes and recuperating the way company supervise presentation in all the business areas by training and systems solutions. British Airways must attain a constantly strong financial performance to keep on investing for the future success of the business and provide enough shareholder returns. The main way for measuring financial performance is Operating margin. http://thanabut.blogspot.in/2007/05/1-introduction-this-report-is-written.html http://www.zeepedia.com/read.php?the_nature_of_planned_change_lewins_change_model_case_example_british_airways_organization_developmentb=52c=7 (function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "https://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })() http://www.google.co.in/url?sa=trct=jq=the%20benefits%20of%20lewin%27s%20strategic%20change%20models%20as%20intervention%20techniques%20in%20british%20airwayssource=webcd=10ved=0CGkQFjAJurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov%2Fbooks%2FNBK43742%2Fei=RlMEUf7zC9DyrQfJpYDYDQusg=AFQjCNGFjP5000WlUvCFVexZLiT6ILiQNgcad=rja http://www.google.co.in/#hl=entbo=dsclient=psy-abq=the+benefits+of+lewin%27s+strategic+change+models+as+intervention+techniques+in+British+Airwaysoq=the+benefits+of+lewin%27s+strategic+change+models+as+intervention+techniques+in+British+Airwaysgs_l=serp.34565.14668.0.15522.10.10.0.0.0.2.2517.4891.9-2.2.0.les%3B..0.01c.1.1E8XqHvQoJkpbx=1bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.r_qf.fp=39ca3a13ecaabac5biw=1024bih=637 www.mcqueens.ie/modules/189/strategic-change-management.html www.studymode.com/subjects/strategic-change-for-ba-page2.html www.britishairways.com/careers/strategyandplanning.shtml http://www.studymode.com/subjects/factors-driving-the-change-in-security-check-system-in-british-airways-page6.html www.ukessays.com à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ º Essays à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ º Business www.britishairways.com/cms/global/microsites/ba/ceo3.html http://www.projecttimes.com/articles/6-strategies-for-better-pm-ba-relationships.html www.guardian.co.uk à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ º Business à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ º British Airways

malvo case, death penalty :: essays research papers fc

Malvo Case: Beltway Sniper Issue: Should minors be put to death for the crimes they commit? Relevance to Case At Hand: Malvo was 17 when him and his accomplice (Muhammad) killed more than four people in a sniping spree. I believe that Malvo’s major influence was Muhammad, 41. Malvo did most of the shooting, but as an adolescent it may not seem fair to be put to death. As a minor, it is so easy to get manipulated and peer pressured into doing things that occur only because their maturity level has not developed. At ages 16-17 a juvenile is still immature and does things without realizing the seriousness of the consequences. At the same time there are juveniles that are leaders of gangs and have a lot of criminal intent on injuring or permanently harming others. How can we separate the children that do not know the seriousness of crimes they have done, from children that matured a lot faster and know the seriousness in everything they have done? Research Findings: It is a tough decision when it comes to determining whether a juvenile should be put to death or not. Research has also claimed that the human brain is not fully developed, specifically the frontal lobe, until the early 20’s. (Cassel, 03) All of our sources of organization, planning, strategizing, judgment, reasoning, and impulse control is not fully complete till the ages of 21 or 22(Cassel, O3). Malvo was 17 at the time of the murders and very easily persuaded by Muhammad. Should he be accountable for his mistakes by death or is it possible that a weekly dose of counseling and jail time be seen as a better punishment for him. â€Å"Adolescents as a group, even at the age of 16-17, are more impulsive than adults. They underestimate risks and overvalue short-term benefits. They are more susceptible to stress, more emotionally volatile, and less capable of controlling their emotions than adults.†(Cooperman, 04) If a child is raised around violence then it’s likely for the child to engage in violent behavior. This also depends how the violence is staged in front of the child. In this case, Malvo was taught violence rather than just seeing it second hand. This makes it more likely for Malvo to do violence acts, but how much of this is really his fault? He is still a minor and has not reached any stage of maturity.

social theory :: essays research papers fc

no paper avail as of yetReport Writing - Rewrite! The chapter on report writing is very important for those who will be doing senior projects, or who will be doing formal reports at work. There are also many terrific advanced features in MS Word that you ought to know about and be experimenting with. Some sections of MHH 324 require that you do research and write a report paper (on top of everything else!) I would like to leave the research tasks for other courses, and have you focus on using standards for business reporting to dress up a paper which you've already done. Study the Report format suggestions of the text (Chapters 11-12) and also study the report template of your team, including the MS provided guides (modified somewhat by your instructor). [Tip: Go to your styles menu and advanced features in order to import a style which you like from one MS Word document to your Normal Template, and from there to a new document.] You might also find useful some ideas for formatting in several "reports" done by Steve. The first reviews some of the vision of Peter Drucker when it comes to thinking about new challenges to management. A second report explores the impact of technology on new ways of working and forms of organization. Haul out an old term paper which you've submitted in the past to one course or another. In a pinch you can borrow a pretty substantial term paper from a friend. Your goal is to "dress up" this old assignment such that you'd be willing ot incorporate it into a portfolio of your best work which you might show a prospective employer. You should include/use at the least, the following items in your report:  · Letter of Transmittal (cover letter) -- tell me what you learned and how you evaluate the assignment  · Title page - don't stick too close to tradition.. make it look professional but with excellent design  · Executive summary - as usual, single space, no indents  · Headings to at least 3 levels - use MSWord Styles as you write and revise the document.. it'll save you tons of time!  · Converting to a business-style document will ususally mean shorter paragraphs (one per idea), and many more levels of header organization. Don't hesitate to insert pull quotes, call-outs, or other sidebar features  · Format with appropriate margins and spacing.

The Zipper :: essays research papers

The zipper is a very common fastener used to secure all kinds of things, especially clothing. But the zipper wasn't always around. Before the zipper was invented, buttons were used in fastening clothes, and so were hooks and eyes that had to be fastened manually. When the zipper first came out, it was somewhat of an oddity; it wasn't widely accepted. But slowly, more and more people started noticing its convenient applications, and soon it could be seen everywhere. The zipper started off as a novelty, and because of its convenience, it is now a necessity.The first zipper was invented by Whitcomb Judson. He devised it to do up boots, and got the device patented on August 29, 1893. He called it the "clasp locker". The clasp locker was much bulkier than the zipper we know today. It was a series of two rows of hooks and eyes that could be fastened by a "slider" (which was the most important part of Judson's invention). Another big difference from today's zipper is that after zipping up the fastener, the slider would detach right off the garment. Then to open the clasp locker, the slider would be re-attached at the top of the locked clasps, upside down, and then pulled down.About a year after the patents were issued, a close friend of Whitcomb Judson, named Harry Earle, and a lawyer named Lewis Walker met up with Judson, and they formed the Universal Fastening Company. They weren't very successful. One of the main reasons was that the clasp locker didn't work very well. The fastener frequently jammed, and easily rusted. But in April of 1896, some Post Office Department representatives went to the company and inspected the Judson fastener on a mailbag and pronounced it satisfactory. Twenty mailbags equipped with the fasteners were ordered. That was one of the first orders Universal Fastening Company got, and it wasn't repeated. It's assumed that the mailbags were discarded due to faulty fasteners.While Judson tried to improve his fastener, the company struggled to get customers. But soon they weren't so worried about trying to sell it, and more worried about finding useful applications for it. In early promotion, it was described as a "20th century device". Also "remarkable in its simplicity, rapidity, security, utility". The fastener would be shown applied to skirt plackets, gloves, corsets, boots, shoes, and leggings. A little later in the decade, Judson came up with a new separable fastener, called the C-curity fastener, although its patent wasn't issued until 1905.

Actions Of A Teacher Who Is Behaviorist

Actions of a teacher who is behaviorist: As a behaviorist, you believe that learning takes place when knowledge is separated into smaller bits. Students are rewarded for successful answers. Instruction focuses on conditioning the learner's behavior. Learning involves repetition and association and is highly mechanical. Behaviorist leaning teachers focus on a new behavioral pattern being repeated until it becomes automatic.(Schuman) The role of the behaviorist teacher is providing stimulus material and prompting the correct response, while the learner's role is to be the receiver of the information response until the behavioral change is permanent. (Applications of Learning Theories) Teachers with a behaviorist leaning view errors as not enough conditioning. Without repetition and proper conditioning, students will make mistakes. Behaviorism can also be thought of as a form of classroom management. Behaviorists believe human beings are shaped entirely by their external environment.If you alter a person's environment, you will alter his or her thoughts, feelings, and behavior. The system is based on rewards and punishments. Behaviorists believe that if teachers provide positive reinforcement, or rewards, whenever students perform a desired behavior, they will learn to perform the behavior on their own. The same concept applies to punishments. Behaviorists think people act in response to internally or externally generated physical stimuli. They basically consider human nature to be the product of one's environment.An example of behaviorism is when teachers reward their class or certain students with a party or special treat at the end of the week for good behavior throughout the week. The same concept is used with punishments. The teacher can take away certain privileges if the student misbehaves. 2. Actions of a teacher who is progressivist: Progressivists believe that individuality, progress, and change are fundamental to one's education. Believing that people l earn best from what they consider most relevant to their lives, progressivists center their curricula on the needs, experiences, interests, and abilities of students.Progressivist teachers try making school interesting and useful by planning lessons that provoke curiosity. In a progressivist school, students are actively learning. The students interact with one another and develop social qualities such as cooperation and tolerance for different points of view. In addition, students solve problems in the classroom similar to those they will encounter in their everyday lives. Progressivists believe that education should be a process of ongoing growth, not just a preparation for becoming an adult. An obvious example of progressivism would be our class.We are in groups a lot and we actively learn through discussion. We talk about how what we read can be incorporated into our future teaching careers. Dr. Theodore takes into account the suggestions from the previous semester's students an d modifies his class accordingly. My reflections pg. 15 As a future teacher, I must ensure that I am prepared to organize my classroom in ways to inspire my students. I believe most strongly in the constructivist philosophy of teaching. I believe a constructivist teacher should be a guide for the student.My classroom will be full of motivational words and pictures, with bright colors. I want there to be something on every wall that will inspire my students to ask questions. I want my students to think critically with my guidance and support. I feel it is important for my students to feel safe within the walls of my classroom and feel free to explore their environment and create their own learning. Through experiences and investigation, the students within my classroom will continue to take steps forward to their educational and emotional development.I also believe that children should grow together. Although some students may be advanced, while others may have special needs, I think it is important to start at one point. Occasionally, some students may need scaffolding in order to reach the ability of other students, but through guidance and support I want to allow each child to grow individually. Differentiated instruction will be vital be to help assist students on different learning levels. Moreover, each student's individuality should be considered when planning activities and molding each activity for them personally.I want to ensure that each student is being challenged, no matter what their starting level may be. My educational philosophy is simple; I believe all children have the right to an enriching education! I believe all children are unique and need a safe and enriching environment to learn and grow, emotionally and intellectually. Education is the stepping stone to a child's future and it is important to make sure every student learns what they need, in order to help them succeed in their adult lives.As a future teacher, the three areas I believe will make my classroom efficient and motivating to my students are (1) teaching as though I am guiding my students through the knowledge I present to them (2) giving my students the freedom to let their curiosity take them further and (3) encouraging my students to respect their peers and the things of the world. I plan to hold my students to the highest expectations because I feel that is my obligation. I want my students to know they can achieve anything, just as long as they put their minds to it.I will be open-minded and will always encourage creative thinking. I want the activities my students participate in to be intrinsically motivating. The Russian psychologist Vygotsky emphasizes the idea of allowing students to work together and help each other learn. This can be done through scaffolding; assisting students in the early stages of learning and slowly decreasing the assistance and letting students figure things out independently. I want my students to learn through interact ions with their peers and be able to use their minds and construct their own ideas about what information I give them.This idea comes from the constructivist theory of learning; giving students the freedom to discover and apply ideas through the information they receive. My desire is to have the students be completely satisfied in learning new and even challenging things and that they are fully engaged in what they are learning. I want their learning to be of the purest nature and I want them to really enjoy every aspect of learning. I want my students to feel comfortable in my classroom, so I plan to come to class everyday with a smile, an open heart, and a sense of humor.Teaching comprises many aspects, but the one aspect I feel that is most important is stirring the minds of students, letting their curiosity take them into learning, and allowing them to enjoy the rewards of their achievements. That said, the importance of philosophy in education is the fact that it is the foundat ion in which all academic teaching and intellectual learning is built off. My future application pg. 16 Learning encompasses three broad domains—knowledge, behaviours and attitudes.When we create a positive environment for learning, we set the conditions for students to move through a range of behaviours in each domain, from simple to increasingly complex, until they achieve mastery of the course learning outcomes. The challenge of creating a positive learning environment is one that all teachers face regardless of the physical environment in which learning takes place. Learning can occur in many settings, not just in the classroom. Accordingly, the term â€Å"classroom† in this book is used figuratively and includes a wide range of learning environments.Creating a positive learning environment is the cornerstone of effective teaching. In order for our students to succeed, they must first believe they can succeed. Students must have confidence in their abilities and th ey must feel that the teacher shares that confidence. A positive learning environment nurtures these feelings by allowing students to explore and expand their knowledge without undue risk or fear. A positive environment is fostered when learning outcomes and expectations are clearly communicated to the student.Students have a wide range of learning needs and styles, and this diversity must be taken into account in employing a variety of teaching strategies. The size of the classroom, the arrangement of the furniture, the functioning of equipment and other physical aspects of the class all contribute to, or detract from, the learning environment. When these factors can be manipulated to be positive influences, an environment more conducive to learning will be created. Creating a positive learning environment is the cornerstone of effective teaching.As teachers we are accountable to our students, as well as to their future employers. Clearly , there is no one â€Å"right† combi nation of elements that will magically result in a positive climate for learning for every student. Creating and maintaining a positive learning environment is an ongoing process. Clearly, there is no one â€Å"right† combination of elements that will magically result in a positive climate for learning for every student. The methods you devise will be uniquely yours and will reflect your own personal style and the philosophy, direction, goals and skills of your particular program, faculty and students.You will bring your own creativity as a teacher to build on the wide variety of experience of teachers across a range of disciplines. In teaching and learning Teaching and Learning provides leadership, service, and support in the development, implementation, and dissemination of learning standards in all curriculum areas. We support school districts and their educators in delivering high quality instruction of the learning standards that ensures students achieve at high levels. Clarity of communication, collaboration, coordination, and commitment are the core values that guide our work.Addressing diversity of learners The guiding research question – How well prepared pre-service teachers believe themselves to be to teach students of diversity? -provided an effective means of ascertaining the effectiveness of one university’s teacher preparation program as it relates to this issue. Discovering the pre-service teachers’ perspective was germane to this study for identifying the degree to which the teacher preparation curricula and field-based experiences influenced their beliefs about diversity; thus preparing them for teaching students of diversity.It became evident that these future teachers had differing meanings of diversity and there was a perceived disconnect between how well the curricula compared to their field experiences prepared them to teach diverse populations. The purpose for conducting this study has been twofold. First, th e objective was to learn how prepared the students in our teacher education program; perceive themselves to be to teach the diverse student populations found in an ever-increasing amount of public schools. Learning this information can influence policy and practices in this University’s teacher education program.Having conducted this study for this primary purpose, it is encouraging to have research drive decisions that address the issues of enhancing diversity training in teacher preparation programs. MY OBSERVATIONS 1. Classroom Arrangement The classroom I observed was the first grade class of Mrs. Wunderlin at Winchell Elementary School. The student’s desks were arranged into groups of six. I believe that the student’s desks were arranged into groups to promote social interaction, which builds a community for the students. When the students sit in groups it is easier for them to work as a team.The classroom also consisted of a reading area, which had a variet y of books. There were picture books and chapter books that covered low, average and advanced reading levels. In the back corner of the room there was a math area. The math area had several containers of manipulative objects that students could use to solve mathematical problems such as rods and cubes. Along the back wall of the classroom were two computers. Above the computers were photographs of the students and above each photograph were a drawing of a self-portrait created by that student.This is a great activity to use at the beginning of the year that helps students get to know the names and faces of their classmates. I really enjoyed looking at them and will do this activity in the future. At the front of the classroom was the teacher’s desk next to the board. Beside the teacher’s desk was a word wall. Word walls are excellent tools to use in the classroom. On the board Mrs. Wunderlin had the daily schedule which was reading, spelling, lunch/activity, story time , math, music, social studies, and ending with science. Also on the board were a class number grid and a clock to learn how to tell time.Next to the board was a bulletin board that had a calendar on it. All these items are essential to have in a first grade classroom. It did seem that students shared ownership in the classroom. They are allowed to have water bottles on their desks and a â€Å"toolbox† as the teacher referred to it, which was a small plastic container that the students put their writing utensils in. Besides from allowing students to have items on their desks during class time, students didn’t have to ask to use the restroom, they just get up even when the teacher is talking.The students also had a â€Å"respect† guide that was located on the wall so they can always refer to it. The â€Å"respect† guide is, for every letter in the word respect stood for a word that students should follow in the classroom. The letter â€Å"R† for resp onsibility, â€Å"E† for effort, â€Å"S† for solving problems, â€Å"P† for perseverance, â€Å"E† for empathy, â€Å"C† for confidence, and â€Å"T† for teamwork. I loved this idea and will add it to my list of things to have in my classroom. 2. Bulletin board display I went around the School Areas and I saw different Bulletin Board Displays located from the first to third floor.In every level of Basic Education, they have their own bulletin board display. Some are colorful and some are simple. The contents found are the list of the pupils with their pictures, lists of their subjects and their academic performances, schedules, word for the day, eye-openers, â€Å"legacy of excellence†, achievements, and the like. There are no misspelled words used in the display, the messages are clear, precise and consistent, the colors and designs always suit the interest and age of the pupils. 3. School playground I love going there; it’s such a celebration of the carefree spirit that all kids possess.The rear entrance to the school requires a short walk across two huge sports fields, which are always occupied by screaming, laughing, playing, running kids. There are books and chapters in books and no doubt countless pages on the internet describing various techniques for undertaking this part of a child’s assessment. Over the years I have practiced, I must have looked at hundreds of examples. For a parent or teacher seeking information on observation techniques it must seem very confusing. The following techniques are the methods I have settled on and used successfully for years; both are very simple.I always use both techniques sometimes in sequence but more often in tandem. If you are new to observation I would suggest doing them in sequence, you will naturally begin to use them in tandem as you gain experience. All you need is a note pad a pen and a watch. 4. Learning resource center Learning resources can be broadly defined to include books, libraries, bookstores, consultants, teachers, newspapers and journals, computers, on-line services†¦ just about anything that will either act as a source of learning or as a point of access to other learning resources.Until we start looking for them, many of us are unaware of the existence of these resources or under-estimate their potential value 1. Class routines Co-Curricular Activities are positive outgrowths and extensions of the regular curriculum in the schools. A co-curricular activity is one generated for a class or course, with the idea that all students participating in the class or course may be involved. Extra-curricular activities are those which contribute to the spirit of the school, personal growth of the participant and the positive aspects of school participation but do not offer credit.