Army Leadership Competencies Essay

Leadership competencies are groups of related actions that the Army expects leaders to do. The three categories are leads, develops, and achieves. The Army leader serves to lead others; to develop the environment, themselves, others and the profession as a whole; and to achieve organizational goals. Core competencies are those groups of actions universal to leaders, across cohorts and throughout organizations. They provide a clear and consistent way of conveying expectations for Army leaders. Leader competencies can be developed. Leaders acquire competencies at the direct leadership level. As the leader moves to organizational and strategic level positions, the competencies provide the basis for leading through change. Leaders continuously refine and extend the ability to perform these competencies proficiently and learn to apply them to increasingly complex situations. The category of leads encompasses five competencies. The first two focus on the affiliation of the followers and the common practices for interacting with them. Leads others involves influencing Soldiers and Army Civilians in the leader’s organization. Extends influence beyond the chain of command involves influencing others when the leader does not have designated authority or while the leader’s authority is not recognized by others, such as with unified action partners. Builds trust is an important competency to establish conditions of effective influence and for creating a positive environment. Leader actions and words comprise the competencies of leads by example and communicate. Actions can speak louder than words and excellent leaders use this to serve as a role model to set the standard. Leaders communicate to convey clear understanding of what needs to be done and why. Leaders are expected to extend influence beyond the chain of command, which usually has limited formal authority. This competency widens the responsibility and sphere of influence for a leader. Such influence requires insightful, and possibly nonstandard, methods to influence others. Its limited authority stems from the audience’s possible lack of the traditions, customs, and regulations of the Army and military forces. When extending influence, Army leaders have to assess who they need to influence and determine how best to establish their authority and execute leadership functions. Often they have little time to assess the situation beforehand and need to adapt as the interaction evolves. Extending influence is a competency that includes negotiation, consensus building and conflict resolution. Extending influence largely depends on the trust established with unified action partners and often applies to stability and defense support of civil authorities operations. Leaders operate to improve or sustain high performance in their organization. They do so by focusing on the four develops competencies. Creates a positive environment inspires an organization’s climate and culture. Prepares self encourages improvement in leading and other areas of leader responsibility. Leaders develop others to assume greater responsibility or achieve higher expertise. A leader stewards the profession to maintain professional standards and effective capabilities for the future and also they are responsible for development. They must ensure that they themselves are developing as well as developing subordinates, and sustaining a positive climate while improving the organization. Leaders encourage development and set conditions while performing missions they do this by having subordinates reflect on what happened during the event, by assessing whether units performed at or well above standard and why, in addition to having a positive mindset of improvement and l earning. Every experience is developmental. There are choices to make about developing others. Leaders choose when and how to coach, counsel and mentor others. Leaders often have the freedom to place people in the best situation to maximize their talent. Then the leader provides resources the subordinate needs to succeed, makes expectations clear, and provides positive, meaningful feedback. While leaders need to develop others, they have to set a positive climate in which individuals and the unit can improve and operate. As part of their developmental responsibilities, leaders must prepare themselves and act to promote long-term stewardship of the Army. Gets results is the single achieve competency. It relates to actions to accomplish tasks and missions on time and to standard. It is a process of providing value toward mission accomplishment. Getting results is the goal of leadership. However, leaders must remain mindful that leading people and creating positive conditions enable them to operate as successful leaders. Getting results requires the right level of delegation, empowerment and trust balanced against the mission. Adaptability to conditions and adjustments based on adversarial actions are ever important elements of success. Leadership and increased proficiency in leadership can be developed. Fundamentally, leadership develops when the individual desires to improve and invests effort, when his or her superior supports development, and when the organizational climate values learning. Learning to be a leader requires knowledge of leadership, experience using this knowledge and feedback. Formal systems such as performance evaluation reports, academic evaluation reports, and 360 degree assessments offer opportunities to learn but the individual must embrace the opportunity and internalize the information. The fastest learning occurs when there are challenging and interesting opportunities to practice leadership with meaningful and honest feedback and multiple practice opportunities. These elements contribute to self-learning, developing others and setting a climate conducive to learning. Leader development involves recruiting, accessing, developing, assigning, promoting, broadening, and retaining the best leaders, while challenging them over time with greater responsibility, authority and accountability. Military leadership is unique because the armed forces grow their own leaders from the lowest to highest levels. Army leaders assume progressively broader responsibilities across direct, organizational and strategic levels of leadership. The Army entrusts leaders to develop professionally and be ready to accept greater responsibility when called upon. Reference List United States Army. (2006). Army Leadership (Field Manual 6-22)Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office United States Army. (2012). Army leadership (Army Doctrine Reference Manual 6-22)Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office United States Army. (2007). Army Leadership (Army Regulation 600-100)Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office United States Army. (2012). Leadership Development and Assessment Course HandbookJoint Base Lewis-McChord: U.S. Government Printing Office Department of Defense. (2010). Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms. (Joint Publication 1-02) Washington, DC: U.S. Government Printing Office

Men of Power in “The Jungle”

A Summary and Review of Upton Sinclair's The Jungle Upton's Sinclair's book portrayed a wide variety of characters to convey his messages. Only one character can be considered a major character, Jurgis Rudkus. The book revolves around Jurgis' life in Packingtown. The supporting characters, transitioned in and out of the story with great frequency. When Jurgis initially arrives in Packingtown from his native Lithuania he can best be described as being large and powerful. He believes in the work ethic to a point of naivete. His sole answer to any setback: â€Å"I will work harder. † Eventually Jurgis learns that no laborer can make enough to be the sole provider for his family. His only recourse is to send his wife and children out to work. Soon Jurgis begins to discover certain injustices that the meat packers employ to exploit their workers. Workers are worn out by a â€Å"speed-up† system, they are not compensated for illnesses or injury incurred from their work, and they are literally paid by the hour, anything less than a hour does not get compensated. Jurgis, frustrated with the current conditions in the meat packing industry, that uses the men the same way they use swine (every part), joins a Union, as does Marjia, and various other members of his family. Investing money into a home and life into his job gets a Jurgis no where. Positions of power tend to go only to the corrupted characters. Bribes and kickbacks come as commonly as unemployment and job insecurity. He finally realizes that even a physically strong man, willing to work hard, can be beaten by the system; indeed, the system must defeat and discard him as part of its â€Å"progress† through exploitation of people for profits. Eventually his luck runs out and Jurgis is injured upon his the killing beds at the meat packing plant. His foot swells and he has no other recourse but to lay in bed and wait until his foot heals. Ironically, he is free to enjoy the company of his son only when he is laid off from work. In just a few years after immigrating to the country, he is brutalized by circumstances to the point of ruin. His once mighty stature has been reduced to rubble, and looks seedy and wretched. He acts dull and beats young Stanislovas into going to work. After two months of waiting, with bills pilling up, Jurgis goes back to work to find his job filled by another man. Due to his large house payment and the need to eat, Jurgis takes the worst possible job in Packing town, the Glue factory. By this time he has taken to the bottle and has started to move father and farther away from his family. The children have all been put to work, as well as his wife, Ona and his Grandfather-in-law Deda Antonias. To make matters even worse, Jurgis finds out that Ona has been forced have sex with her Boss. This totally enrages Jurgis, he runs to the Packing house to find the boss, Connor, and then beats him savagely. After his arrest he must serve on month in jail. During his stay in jail he meets Jack Duane, and becomes somewhat good friends with him. Within the month his family is in shambles. The children now, for the most part, live on their own, various family member are dead, Ona is about to deliver a child, everyone has lost their jobs, and the house that they struggled so hard for has vanished away. By the time he finds Ona she is in mid child birth and in need of medical assistance. Due to his current lack of funds, Jurgis finds a Dutch lady to deliver his child for $1. 25. Even with the help of the Dutch lady Ona and the child dies. After Ona's death in premature childbirth, their son's dies in an accidental drowning while his father is at work. Jurgis then takes to the country as a tramp. Through his journey in the country he gets somewhat rejuvenated, and returns to his old stature. He works when he needs to, and travels and sleeps when he wants. By winter it becomes obvious to him that he can not survive out in the country for the duration of the winter, and is forced to seek work in the city he left behind. He becomes a bum, and drinks extremely heavily. While begging and wandering through the streets he, falls into a bit of luck and meets a young man named Frederick (â€Å"Freddie†) Jones. Freddie, being the son of rich Old Man Jones, takes Jurgis back to his home, giving Jurgis $100 and the privilege of dining and drinking with him. Eventually when the young man falls asleep, the butler throws Jurgis out. With the hundred dollars firmly in his possession Jurgis decides that the only place he could probably get change for the bill would be at a bar. Jurgis goes into the bar when no one is looking, and asks the bartender to give him change for the bill. The bartender makes him buy a drink, and then hands him a handful of change. Jurgis becomes enraged, and pounces on the man. Jurgis gets arrested again for battery and lands in jail. With the assistance of Jack Duane he drifts into crime and the corrupt world of politics. Jurgis make himself available now as an assistant to a robber or to a political boss rigging elections. Ironically, under these evil conditions, he discovers a new confidence and a talent for management. With a bit of luck and some help from newly acquired acquaintances Jurgis gets a cushy job in the meat packing factory. To keep this job, all Jurgis had to do was get the Democratic ticket elected, making the common man think that it was the best choice. During the 1904 meat packer's strike, he gets a golden opportunity to become a scab and then a typical boss, driving his workers and taking bribes. A chance encounter with Connor proves to be Jurgis' moral salvation. Jurgis gets arrested again for furiously beating his wife's seducer and realizes that he must jump bail. He has proven himself capable once more of moral fury, and he realizes bitterly which side he is really on. Cold and looking for a place to sleep, Jurgis stumbles into a Socialist meeting. He is profoundly moved by an orator who describes the life of the working class and how workers can take active measures to improve society. It dawns on Jurgis that he is entitled to join this movement. â€Å"A new man had been born. † He is no longer an isolated victim of circumstances; â€Å"he would have friends and allies. † Finally Jurgis reunites with Marjia, a doped up prostitute supporting the remains of his family. They have definitely become two different types of people. Her the victim, and him the fighter, still struggling for justice. With the idea, that he might be able to once again support his family Jurgis goes out in search of a job. Apparently by luck, he finds a job in a hotel, run by socialists. By the end of the book Upton Sinclair, through Jurgis and various other characters, makes various speeches, and arguments for the use of Socialism with opposition to capitalism. Personal conflict was not the key theme of this book, but rather social conflict within the corporate structures. There is, however, some conflict among various characters. The most notable instance occurs when Jurgis batters his wife's Boss Connor, upon two occasions. This is his way to release his rage and anger at the man who abused, seduced, and molested his wife. Jurgis also has a conflicting view on how he looked at the people in the factories. He saw them as weak and lazy people, complaining because they could not handle their jobs. After the death of his wife and child, Jurgis goes on as self-destructive rampage through the city and the country. Not only does Jurgis conflict with others he finds himself in conflict with the legal system, and the factory system. This causes him to make a mental shift to socialism. This also brings up the conflicting types of government, Socialism vs. Capitalism, in a obviously biased portrayal. The most important message of conflict that Upton Sinclair wanted to deliver was his idea that the individual is constantly conflicting with the trusts and work machines that enslave him. The Jungle contains numerous themes which create the perfect atmosphere for Upton Sinclair's tragic book. In 1900 – 1904, industrialized America is a jungle. The only real law is the law of the jungle: might makes right. The main problem is that the economic system fosters greed and ruthless competition as a way of life. Greed prompts people to sell spoiled meat, engage in false advertising, pollute, bribe and be bribed. In such a system, the hired worker lives at a distinct disadvantage. He is trapped, exploited, and cheated by employers who, in competition with other employers, must consider profits more important than people. The worker in early twentieth-century America is brutalized and stultified. Only that part of his personality needed to perform a monotonous task is kept alive; the rest is crushed. Under these conditions, love is reduced to mere bestiality; the tender aspects of marriage and the raising of children are harshly overshadowed by the agonies of the economic struggle; and indeed, marriage itself becomes an economic trap. Big Business has complete control of, but no responsibility for, the well-being of the masses. Big Business ultimately, deviously, controls government and the courts for its own benefit. In order to foster its corruption of politics, Big Business needs and thrives on crime and ultimately works in alliance with the criminal world. Capitalist democracy is therefore a fraud, a contradiction in terms. There can be no true democracy in a society controlled by one class with hereditary economic power. Turn-of-the-century immigrants to America were lured into a trap. They were attracted by promises of economic well-being and political equality; instead, they were sacrificed on the altar of â€Å"progress,† the generation that built industrial society for its native owners. â€Å"Here, precisely as in Russia [1904] . . . rich men owned everything. † American greatness is due to exploitation. If we are the greatest nation the sun has ever shone upon, it would seem to be mainly because we have been able to goad wage earners to [a] pitch of frenzy. † By using the characters in the meat-packing industry, Upton Sinclair is able to portray his Socialistic messages. In the end, Jurgis' life is turned around because the character finds true â€Å"freedom† and happiness in Socialism. The entire book is a large piece of propaganda supporting Socialism. To say that it was only meant to be a piece of propaganda would be ignorant, and foolish upon any readers part. Through his characters, Mr. Sinclair exposes a corrupt and brutal system in which on the law of the jungle reigns true. This belief is maintained by every single character in the piece. The author obvious had strong beliefs and motives for writing this book. Mr. Sinclair used his beliefs on socialism to provided an answer to how America trusts could be broken up. This book, (from American History Class) aided the common man to understand the horrid conditions of the meat packing industry, as did books like Uncle Tom's Cabin by Harriet Beacher Stowe, ironically a white woman fighting for the freedom of slaves in the 19th century.

Andragogy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words - 1

Andragogy - Research Paper Example The seven steps to creating a learning planning for adults is called the progress model which means that solving problems is the focus of how learning is accomplished. The following paper will examine the assumptions that define andragogy and the meaning behind them as they support adult learning and the differences between adult and child level learning capacities. The origins of andragogy can be traced back to a German educator in 1833 who used the term to define adult education from child education. Alexander Kapp created the term which specifically means man-leading, which is in contrast to the term pedagogy which means child-leading. In the 20th century American education theorists defined three different types of adult learning. The first is andragogy, the second is self directed learning, with the third being transformative. Andragogy is used as a description of adult learning as a concept in which the learner is motivated by a series of assumptions that end with the learner developing solution to problems in order to learn in the context that an adult learns best (Melik & Melik, 2010, p. 108). Defining andragogy is a bit difficult as it has been presented through a variety of different ideas and is therefore not quite a firm theory through which to filter ideas. Andragogy was originally presented with three assumptions. Some criticisms of the ideas behind andragogy is that it is focused on the individual and not a critical evaluation of the social perspective on adult learning. The concept of andragogy has been correctly criticized for not informing the social perspective, but Knowles suggests that it does not have to promote the social perspective in order to have value in developing a structure of ideas about adult learning. One of the main proponents of andragogy as a theory of learning for adults is Malcolm Knowles. Knowles introduced the idea in the 1970s in response to the fact that most theory on learning was focused on

Modern Business in Comparative Perspective Essay - 6

Modern Business in Comparative Perspective - Essay Example Theorists such as Krugman, Chandler, and Rugman have developed theories that eliminate the weaknesses of the diamond model. According to Porter, he argues that the success of a nation is dependent on the prosperity of its firms. The nation acts as home base essential for an organization’s economic growth and provides competitive advantages. Porter uses the Diamond concept in determining economic growth rate of a nation. The Diamond concept offers a concept of understanding firms and their management of resources. It also gives the competitive advantages of different businesses in a nation. The first attribute is the factor condition, which is crucial to organizations growth. This attribute helps in improving cluster structure. The cluster structure involves the relation between customer, skill, technology, and distribution of products. These clusters are vital in attaining economic success at a national level. – example ? The Italian tile industry gained competitive advantage because of the cluster structure of the business. Organizations in the industry relate well with customers and they have workers who have essential skills of producing the product. The industry has also succeeded because of the use of the kiln technology, which helps in minimizing the cost of energy used to produce tiles. The industry developed this technology after the oil crisis of the 1980s, which motivated companies to develop new ways of remaining competitive. The second attribute is demand conditions, which concerns with home market nature such as home demand influence. The home demand can be affected by customer’s wants and needs (e.g local demand of product). The domestic demand plays a significant role in shaping an organization’s innovativeness and ability to upgrade, which are vital in determining breakthrough of the organization in the national market. – example? The wine producing industry in France has developed

How do external definitions of good and bad mothers and fathers impact Essay

How do external definitions of good and bad mothers and fathers impact on the actual experience of parenthood - Essay Example Also, good and bad have been defined by the respective culture and identity of mother and father rests in the context of their society. However, actual experience moves beyond these stereotypes. Kath Woodward (2002) in her book on Understanding Identity brings up the conflict between self identity and the society created images of the self and the ideal. Though identity is a matter of the individual, it is never free of social stigma and external definitions. She redefines ‘identity’ to encapsulate â€Å"the way of thinking about the links between the personal and the social† (2002). This psycho-social definition of identity offers another perspective of the stereotyping of mothers and fathers Vs actual experience of parenting. She discusses on the relative nature of the reality of parenting. The latter might be the identity they create for themselves, but however hard they strive, the identity cannot be free of the social context and definitions. Kath’s sociological definition of identity is not new, but could be traced back to Adam Smith’s Wealth of the Nations. The concept of individualized self is a modern invention, though. Kath, in th e modern context, reinvents the older concept. Kath also analyses the identity of motherhood with respect to the bodies and selves. She says that the first thing a woman could relate to in her role as a mother is her body. This could be symbols and evidence of patriarchal control of female body. However, the child evokes tenderness in her as against the anger toward the male body. This conflict is discussed by Rich. Any role is not subjective and is always relative to the others involved. For example, parent is relative to the child and the vice versa; the role of the teacher is relative to the role of the student. So roles are modified and moulded according to their relative positions and the feedback from the related roles. In addition, it is dependent on the expectations

Boeing Company Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Boeing Company - Case Study Example Louis, James Hoard who was building trainers in Los Angeles and Howard Hughes. In later years the company combined to form the present day Boeing Company. Boeing business serves across the continent enjoying a wide variety of customers ranging from government agencies, military departments and at the same time commercial customers. Boeing Company employs more than 170,000 employees both in the United States and 70 other countries. In 2013 the company stock price was $ 134. 72. In 2012 the company stock price was $ 75.88; Boeing company stock price as of 2011 was $ 70.22. The company net profit as of 2012 was 5.24% which was $ 49.1 billion. Boeing company assets fall into two major segment which are the Aircraft financial services and defense, space and security financial services. The Boeing business is relevant to me as it offers a unique opportunity to study one of the world successful companies which has been in existence for a while. On this regard it is my goal to learn the mana gement technique on the same and thus as a result, in future, be in a position to form my own company and apply the skills. Transport supply and demand have a reciprocal but asymmetric relation, the re demand must be there in order for supply to take place. Since Boeing company inception the company has seen different aspect of fluctuation in demand over the years, but one thing that is adamant is the fact that the company has continued to thrive well in thee ever rising competitive market. In their company mission and goal, the company has set to always ensure quality service to their potential customers. The company has over the year invested a lot of money in many projects all with the same purpose to ensure that they attract many customers and at the same offer reasonable prices that will in turn attracts the customers. The company like any other company tries to take charge of their prices and as result ensures high rate of profit generalization, doing this poses some challenge due factors such weak economy fluctuation of oil price, external competition. The company tries to vary their prices with different time, the company price are never fixed, this serve the purpose of ensuring that at all times their prices are relatively fair and as a result attract most of the customers. The company engages in high rate of product development due to the high economic demand, where new airplanes are being produced on a continuous basis. This serves to meet the company ever rising demand for their products and services. The company thus is in a position to set their own prices, take charge of the prices and as a result invest in profit mobilization. The company invests a lot in advertising as a way of reaching to their potential customers and marketing themselves on a global scale. Adverting is done through social media such Facebook and twitter, continuous advertising through television and the internet among many other. Boeing company faces current issues and legal warfare like for instance the company engages in a subsidy dispute where in 2004 the EU and USA where it was discusses that all forms of subsidies of Boeing 787 be revised. This formed a

Strategic Management Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Strategic Management - Assignment Example Few major markets where it operates are the US, the UK, Australia, Asia, Europe and New Guinea. Recently, the company added more than 36 additional channels in Europe, Latin America and Asia. Consequently, the profit was also recorded to be on rise continuously. Notably, in Italy they have gained popularity by the introduction of ‘Sky Italia’. ‘Sky Italia’ offers digital video recorder, which allows customer to store their favourite movies and television programmes in HD quality. For this reason people are ready to pay for ‘Sky Italia’ (News Corporation, 2009). Broadcasting Business of TNC News Corporation’s television business mainly includes ‘My Network TV’, FOX Entertainment and 27 TV stations. Their revenue comes mainly from advertisements of different sponsors of TV shows. Their main competitors are other TV stations and Cable Programme Networks, which compete for various TV shows, revenues from advertising and that of a udiences. Around 15 percent to 18 percent of News Corporation’s total revenue comes from their television business. In the year 2009, their income from television business exceeded 4.6 billion Dollars. There was a decrease by 21% from the revenue generated in the fiscal year 2008 which amounted 1205 million Dollars. One of the reasons for this decline can be stated as the selling of few television stations in the year 2008. The revenues from advertisement also decreased because of weak market conditions (News Corporation, 2009). In the year 2010 News Corporation’s operating income saw an increase by 37% in comparison to 2009. It was recorded at $2.3 billion. All of their significant networks showed notable growth. Their revenues also increased by 8 percent in the year 2010. The revenue in 2010 was $32.8 billion Dollars and the net income was recorded at $2.5 billion Dollars (News Corporation, 2010). The Satellite Broadcasting Television section of News Corporation cons ists of ‘Sky Italia’. It provides television and broadband services via satellite directly to home. The audio & video quality, interactive programming and better service quality are the major factors of gaining a larger market share in the respective segment. Around 11 percent to 12 percent of the company’s revenue comes from this segment. For instance, in the year 2009 the revenues of ‘Sky Italia’ had increased by 11 million USD. Their number of subscribers also increased to 4.8 million in 2009 compared to 4.4 million in 2008. Consequently, their main competitors are the companies which provide high quality graphics and sound, good entertainment, various broadband internets and DTT (Direct to Home) services to the targeted market (News Corporation, 2009). Question 1 Generic Strategy of News Corporation The News Corporation has employed various generic strategies that were introduced by Michael Porter. Michael Porter had proposed three strategies in order to increase competitive advantage of a company. These are ‘cost leadership’, ‘differentiation’ and ‘market segmentation’. Considering the current strategies implied in the organisation, i.e. the News Corporation, it can be observed that the company has followed the differentiation and the segmentation strategies according to the Porter’s Generic Model. As stated by Porter, differentiation strategy is highly advantageous in a broad

Similarities and differences Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Similarities and differences - Assignment Example (Wagner ) That said research continues to be pursued to determine how beneficial animal therapies are in treating a multitude of disorders, ailments, and other unpleasant issues of the human condition. One of the current uses of animals in therapy is in treating children you have a fear of reading. Such fears can develop due to several different causes. Individuals with legitimate disabilities or difficulties reading may fear the judgment and criticism of their peers, which can manifest in them suffering low self-esteem. Animals, however, unlike people, never pass judgment and can be a comforting and encouraging presence on children, particularly dogs. Multiple reading programs have been developed that involves matching children with dogs and asking these children to read to the dogs. This can, not only improve, their desire to read, but, also, provides them a sense of comfort and relaxation. Ideally such a program’s overall goals are to associate reading with positive experiences and animals can participate in that in unique and endearing ways. ("TDI: Therapy Dogs International") Children are not the only ones that benefit from the inclusion of animal therapy in their live s. The elderly, particularly those that live in institutionalized settings, are occasion to very high rates of loneliness, depression, and a huge detachment, very often, from the world around them. For both alert and non-alert patients, distinct differences are apparent in their behaviors. The physical contact and gentle interaction and companionship of an animal grants these individuals that sense of necessary comfort.(Ptak 10) One of the most saddening side-effects suffered from the brave men and women who serve in this country’s military is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. This is a very serious condition that can have hugely negative effects on the psychological, emotional, and physical day to day existences of our veterans. Research is showing that

Criminal Justice Agency Budget Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Criminal Justice Agency Budget - Case Study Example Budgets should reflect management's planned change initiatives, related costs, and expected results. 2) Performance-past and current performance, as well as that of like organizations, should contribute to the budgeting process. Consideration needs to be given to uncontrollable external changes that could dramatically affect the operation and its results. Examples of such events include rising energy costs, economic slowdowns, foreign threats, shifts in technology, and changing global markets. 3) People-good intra- and inter-organizational communications are essential to developing both good plans and good budgets. From customers to suppliers to internal personnel, the higher the quality of information, thought, and input into the process, the more likely a more realistic budget will result. The Fiscal Services Unit of the City of Yonkers is responsible for preparing and monitoring the police department's budget, processing its payroll, keeping time and leave records for its personnel, and ensuring that reimbursements due the department are obtained in a timely manner. (McElron, 2008) The unit also provides statistical information to city departments as well as outside government agencies. Presently, the unit consists of a Captain, an Account Clerk IV (Jackie Olmsted), a Clerk III (Flo Fallon), two Clerk IIs (Janet Castelli, and Louise Campbell) and a Clerk I (Michael Gale). The Fiscal Services Unit prepares operating and capital budget requests for the police department based on information provided by each unit or division's commanding officer. In accordance with the readings for this course, I would classify the budget system as an annual system (meaning that a budget is proposed for each year). For fiscal year 2007/2008, which began on July 1, 2007 and continues until June 30, 2008, the police department's operating budget is $69,106,663; personnel costs comprise 98% of the operating budget. After receiving the adopted budget from the city, the Fiscal Services Unit monitors expenditures to ensure that they are in compliance with the department's budget. The annual budget model is the best suited for the City of Yonkers as it allows the Fiscal Services Unit to maintain the pulse of the budget while planning ahead for the city's needs for the next year. (Bennett & Hess, 2007, pg. 416) In administering the budget, the Fiscal Servi

FedEx The Success Story Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

FedEx The Success Story - Essay Example This paper looks at these aspects in detail. The enduring success of FedEx has been in part due to the wisdom, knowledge and information imparted towards the employees in helping them gain a better understanding and applying a number of company principles and policies. The philosophy at FedEx has always been People, Service, Profit. People always come first. A deep understanding of what makes people tick, their inner psychology, motivations, desires and aspirations are key factors that the company strives to take into account when dealing with them. As people everywhere are varied, FedEx accepts their diversity and understands that each individual must be handled differently. The company attempts to find a common ground between itself and the customer where both mutually agree on terms and conditions and are satisfied with the business goals. The second point is service. To maintain long term customer relationship, the company makes sure that its own philosophy, work practices are sound and credible. When its own employees and leaders are comfortable with the system and have understood it fully, they are able to serve the customer better. The service side of the business is always scrutinized and made adaptable to a changing economic environment. FedEx maintains quality control at every level from the handlers to the customer service representatives. The third aspect is profit. Without the first two factors in place and functioning properly, profits may be affected. FedEx uses cutting edge technology and analytical systems to ensure that the company is on the right course. Variations in profit margins are evaluated and set against the backdrop of the bigger competitive economic picture and also internal company practices. If need be, a revision of policies are made. The company might also look into the process of innovation and how it can be improved upon. The underlying pattern in FedEx is constant change and adaptation. FedEx recognizes the changing world and business environment and in order to be a part of the evolution process, they have continually evaluated business models and strategies. The company regularly studies market trends and the competition and attempts to stay one step ahead. As their customer base expands and a diverse range of people have varied number of requirements, customer satisfaction is very important and FedEx has addressed the expectations and desires of its customers. FedEx has also recognized that the present global economy is extremely competitive and preserving a status quo would not suffice. In order to grow, the company strives to change constantly. This means being flexible in organizational procedures. Rather than sticking rigidly to company policies, an open more adaptable policy towards change has taken place at FedEx. FedEx's growth depends on successfully meeting and anticipating varying customer's requirements in a competitively differentiated manner. Competitive differentiation works on planning and providing customer value offers that are of better-quality that those offered by the competition and which are considered to be a better investment. In designing customer value propositions, each department and employee is directly or indirectly participates in the development. As people are involved in the innovation process, FedEx employees are expected to believe that

Animal Testing Essay Example for Free

Animal Testing Essay In this topic, I will show animal testing. Animal testing is a part of our everyday life. Do you know that many of the products around us and use everyday are still tested on animals? However, many people complain about using animals testing, and they argue animals have life right. People produce a new medicine or cosmetics. But the new product needs to be tested what will affect humans. If the new product wont be tested on animals, who will volunteer for new product testing? I think nobody wants to do it. Animal testing saves our lives. Animal testing is necessary for many reasons. A lot of animals are used for experimentation every year. For example: white mice, dog, rabies, and monkey. Without them we dont know if a product is safe to use or not. Animal testing is important because it provides an excellent insight into the complex interactions within a biological system that no existing alternative can provide. Humans and animals alike share many of the same basic biological processes and interaction (Jason,1996). We need to understand animal testing; it is helpful to be aware of different kinds of research conducted on animals and engage in testing. The story Animal Experimentation Is Ethical by Derbyshire, he agrees animal experimentation is necessary. He says: the best hopes to treat or cure any number of diseases all rely on current animal experiments(Derbyshire, 2006 pg 11). Animal testing improves our safety and increases our knowledge of nature and can therefore increase the possibilities for human action, advancing the cause of human freedom. Also, his consensus has formed regarding the three Rs: refinement, reduction, and replacement are defined. The three Rs is importance and advantages of alternatives to animal testing methods are mentioned. Successful promotion of animal research can only begin when we withdraw support for the three Rs. On the other hand in the story Animal Have Rights by Tom Regan, the author argues that non-human animals have the same rights as humans do because animal are similar rational and emotional beings. He contends that viewing animals as inferior constitutes specialism, a prejudice similar to sexism and racism. Furthermore, he claims that treating animals equally fosters individual growth and helps society become more compassionate. Regan (1997) says using animals for testing is a wrong way. It is wrong to treat weaker human beings, especially those who are lacking in normal human intelligence, as tools or renewable resources or models or commodities. It cannot be right, therefore, to treat other animals as if they were tools, models and the like (Regan,1997 pg 21). Animal testing is a part of everyday life. From the shampoos and conditioners that consumers buy to medicines that patients receive, many everyday products are tested on animals. Hampton (2010) says the new products testing is difference between humans and animals. Companies test the new products on animal protect people safety; people can buy the safe products and couldnt hurt them. Companies test on animals to ensure their products are safe not just for profit (Hampton,2010). Animal testing has advanced human welfare and animal testing is necessary. Ranganatha (2012) information is given about the institutions researching alternatives to animal testing and resources available to assist in searching for alternatives are listed. Ethical considerations on the alternative methods are also discussed. It is concluded that much greater effort should be put into overcoming the barriers to the acceptance of replacement alternatives which currently limit the contributions they have to make toward greater humanity and better biomedical science (Ranganatha, 2012). Animal testing can help save human lives. Some animal testing is done to promote a product or to understand the effects of those products. Anonymous (2012) without animal testing first, nobody know whether it is safe for someone to take a new drug or use an improved anesthetic. Researchers may start to use the small flies, if the products havent happen wrong thing, then move up to mice or rabbits and then up to animals much like ourselves. The new products are safety they might test on human volunteers try it, and see the side result. The new products havent killed any animals or people yet, they will sell the new products to the market (Anonmous, 2012). PIR Partners Research (2008) Consumers demand and have a right to expect that the products they depend upon are safe if used properly. They also need reassurance that physicians can save victims in case of accident. Currently, the only way to guarantee these protections is through knowledge gained from animal testing( PIR Partners R esearch, 2008 pg 33). Animal testing is a good way to protect consumers able to use these new products to help them with their illness and even save some of their lives. Without animal testing we dont know if a product is safe to use or not . PIR Partners Research (2008) animal testing has helped people using safe products of the important ways. For example: the company produce the baby food and victims, before the use animal testing and the researcher to resolve the problem that might be caused by a drug or product. It is the first test step. The results were sometimes tragic. The researcher would make sure the products is safe. Many parent hope and have right to expect that the product that they believe on are safe if used properly. Today the only way to guarantee these protection is through knowledge gained from animal testing. ( PIR Partners Research, 2008). Animal experimentation is necessary to ensure product safety. The government requires that the new drugs be tested on animals before sale to market. On the other hand, the computer testing cannot substitute for animal testing . George Poste suggests (2006) although present-day technology cannot yet replace many types of animal research, the research community is committed to finding new ways to reduce and replace animal testing. This ethical commitment is embodied in strict animal welfare protocols at most university, government and industrial laboratories(Poste,2006). Today animal testing is only because of animal experimentation. If the new drugs are only test in a computer lad, who is first able to use them? Kyle(2007) lab animals are also used to help train doctors and veterinarians to be able to practice doing operations before doing the operation on a person. All of these tests work because, according to the BBC website there are No differences between lab animal and humans that cant be factored into tests. (Kyle, 2007). Many of the people who oppose animal testing believe that replacement should be used in these test. If the new product wont be tested on animals, who will volunteer for new product testing. Naik (2011) if some of people oppose animal testing, who would like to volunteer for new products testing. I think nobody wants to do it. The people who against it and say is unjust for animals, also they say animals are equal to people. If the company produces a new medicine or cosmetic. Researchers dont test on animal at the first, they look for some volunteers to test on the new products. I think nobody wants to test at the first. (Nail, 2011). Many people suggest new products test on Syrian hamster embryos(SHE). On the other hand, Partners Research (2008) computer data banks allow for the reduction of test duplication. They are also useful in the initial evaluation of chemicals slated for further study; unsuitable chemicals can be eliminated from consideration prior to the institution of animal testing. But computers can only process and store existing knowledge, much of which has come from animal studies. Animal testing is needed to expand that knowledge base (Partners Research, 2008). Animal testing cannot separate with new technology, too. People produce a new medicine or cosmetics. But the new product have to be test for what will affect for humans. Kyle (2007) says that animal testing is a well regulated method to improve the safety of products and to help develop life saving medicines, for which there are no alternatives. This is currently the only way to test many products and must continue to be used to ensure our safety (Kyle,2007). Researchers want to discover the products information. The information is collected and used to make assumptions about how the products will work on humans and how the products might affect humans. In conclusion, animal testing based on scientific result, it is given us a lot of safe products. The scientific community has been successful in reducing the number of animals used in safety testing, as well as in refining test methods to reduce any pain or distress these animals may experience. The new medicine or cosmetics are always tested on animals first. The new products if safe might be tested on people, try it and see the result. Today, many companies use animal and lab computers to test new products. However, animal testing would find out more detail information and dont hurt people. Animal testing is safe for our live. This is currently the only way to test many products and must continue to be used to ensure our safety.

Value Based Marketing Concept Marketing Essay

Value Based Marketing Concept Marketing Essay Research in Motion Limited, based in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada was founded in 1984. It is one of the largest companies in Mobile Communications worldwide. It took the world by storm by launching its leading product Blackberry smartphone in 1999. The current product includes Blackberry Play book Tablet, Blackberry smartphone, software for Businesses and other related accessories. It has got its identity in North America, Asia-pacific, South America and Europe. The Company is led by President and CEO, Thorsten Heins. Frank Boulben was named Chief Marketing Officer effective June2012. Executives and sales people from around the world boasts about the possession and utility of Blackberry. It enhances their ability to access key corporate information and connect with their colleagues in real time. The resulting efficiency has resulted in sales agreements being closed faster and key decisions being communicated to Top Honchos. The BlackBerry smart phone has become the one device that many business people find hard to function without.(Mcgraw-hill.com) The BlackBerry solution is now available on over 300 networks in over 120 countries. Recently, on 5 June 2012, its stock fell below $10 for the first time since 2003. Company is losing grounds to Apple Inc.s iPhone and phones that run Google Inc.s Android software like Samsungs. Revenue for the second quarter fiscal is $2.9 billion which is down 31% from $ 4.2 billion in the same quarter of fiscal 2012. Company net loss for the quarter was $ 235 million (www.press.rim.com/newsroom, 2012) After studying the case studies and using the Marketing mix strategy and Value based marketing models I have analyzed that customers want value for the price they pay for. RIM can create value through quick innovation, market research, market trends and realities. It also needs to change with changing needs of the people. Blackberry was once the pioneer in mobile industry, it has lost its shares in the current market due to slow adoption with changes in demand of consumers. I have also studied the strengths, weakness, threats and opportunities that blackberry have in the current situation. I have analyzed that Blackberry has a potential to rule the market again however the company should invest on new technology according to the needs and change in demand in the mobile industry 1.0 Value based Marketing concept Companies generally focus on maximizing the profits than on maximizing customer value. The late Peter Doyle, in his book value-based marketing, charges that profit maximization leads to short term planning and under-investment in marketing, promoting a focus on Sales, market share and current profits. (Doyle, 2000) This concept erodes the competitiveness in the long run as it eliminates the opportunities in the new markets. Companies ignore the fact that the real investment of a company relies on brand management, customer relationship, Partner relationship and knowledge about the market. Customers buy value rather than products and services. It is a Value package of cost of the product and the benefits that are significant to the end users. Customers hardly find true value, when they find they hardly ever leave until a better value takes over. (J Nicholas De Bonis, 2012) Companies should discover customers attributes and benefits the customers look for in a product and create a marketing strategy to deliver value to them. The steps involve market research and how customers perceive different brands available in the market. The diagram below depicts how cost based pricing is different from Value based pricing. In value based approach value comes first and in cost based approach companies target on profit maximization. (Pricing and price stratergy, n.d)http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSMggVwiSafznfxuwsbt3bnGX_6m75FlJJ993t1Gi9ezRLXeRaH7g How companies create values: Customer Relationship Management: Companies maintain the database base of the customers, collect information on the preferences and likings of the customers, Use information to target the potential/target customers through products services and promotions that adds value to the most important aspect of customer requirements. Target Segments: Value driven companies focus one or more consumer segments, ensure additional value on the product and reduce cost through extremely efficient operations. Retaining the existing loyal customers by adding value features that can be helpful to the target customers. http://image.slidesharecdn.com/valuebasedmarketing-120228185920-phpapp02/95/slide-8-728.jpg?1330477417 Companies can focus on key areas: Focusing on the customer Focusing on market trends realities Articulate new market opportunities Emphasizing on customer satisfaction Creating single cohesive strategy CMO of Research Motion also talks about which customers they intend to serve and why they are going to serve them better than the competitors. By adding value to the product, RIM could have the greatest come back http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SAJp_tL7ggE (Boulmen, 2012) 1.2 Marketing Mix Strategy http://business-fundas.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/Strategies-for-Marketing.jpg (The 4 Ps of marketing, n.d) The term marketing mix was coined by Neil Borden. Every Marketer should have knowledge of this theory. It is part of the segmentation process where all 4 Ps, Product, Price, Place, Promotion play their role. This model helps in positioning based on the elements that are best suited for marketing. The above diagram also talks about the relevant questions that the company can think of and based on the best answers the strategies can be made. By answering the above questions, RIM can create a value for its products to effectively compete in the market. 2.0 Driving forces of change in the mobile Industry and changed landscape The best innovation ever is of a mobile phone. Mobile has created worlds most innovative companies. The macro trends surrounding the industry are: Persistent Demand: There seems to be a never ending demand of mobile phone. There has been demand of mobile phones, smartphones tablets throughout the world. People strive hard to earn a good phone. The market has been swayed with the extensive demand of mobile phones. Customer Centric Mobile Applications: Every company is struggling hard on innovation to compete on products and features that the customers expects or over expects from mobile phone. Market Disruption: There is a deadly competition happening in the mobile market. There are mergers, acquisitions, war among technologies, Facebook planning to create its own phone, Google planning to buy Motorola. Lack of innovation problem for Nokia Blackberry has created havoc in the Mobile Industry. Based on the trends that we analyzed, we can say that Mobile industry will remain the most lucrative industry in the years ahead and will lead to further innovations in technology and designs. 3.0 Understanding Customer Behaviour and upcoming Challenges Customers look at maximizing values. High customer value delivery is the key to customer loyalty. 3.1 Drivers of Customer Equity Value Equity: It is a combination of effective of quality, price and convenience. It is effective where companies have differentiated products. Brand Equity: Its a bundle of perception, attitude and awareness. Effective when products are less differentiated. Relationship Equity: It is for companies relying on customer loyalty programs and special and maintaining relationships. 3.2 Factors affecting Customers behavior Personal Factors: Includes Age, Gender, values, personality, lifestyle, occupation, etc. Blackberry is targeted for a separate class of people that needs quick texting, believes in getting things done, messenger, and Internet access with media player. It is a great way to connect people, place and resources access through Mobile. Cultural Factors: It involves the cultural differences of individuals based on the culture and background an Individual comes from. Geographical location, Nationality, Religion is a part that affects the customers choice and beliefs. Social Class: It is segmented based on the income earned by an individual group of people. It affects the customers behavior in a way where not every person can buy a specific product because of limited source of income. 4.0 SWOT Analysis Strengths Brand: Brand is internationally recognized and established. Products beneficial for consumer and business professionals as well. The most relied upon phone for business e-mails Potential to develop a range of products based on specific designs and innovations over the years Patented rights for the thumbwheel and QWERTY keyboard found on the device. Its products have awarded for unique features and products. It still has a huge database of loyal customers who do not want to part from their phones. Weaknesses Prolonged lack of innovation Persistent fixation with a platform which is losing appeal for both customers and developers Blackberry phones are expensive and chic product that is gets costly for organizations that want to offer email across large organizations. Limited storage capacity compared to other phones. Opportunities: Non Exposure of its product line RD talent is getting increasingly low. Acquisitions: Smaller firms with low resources to invest on technology can be a good buy-out option. Market Intelligence reveals an immense opportunity for smart phones similar technology that can be exported. Exports are expected to can reach billions by 2013 end. The new BlackBerry Tablet OS (found on the Play Book) looks like a robust platform in the long run, and it is built on QNX OS that is tried-and-tested. Threats: Aggressive competition on evolving new soft wares in the global smartphone market In 2007 Symbians operating system designed for mobile devices held an estimated 65% worldwide share of the converged devices, exporting 77.3 smartphones in 2007, while RIM Blackberry OS at 11%.(2011) In Exports RIM leads in North America standing at 42% Key competitors have already expanded globally like Apple, Samsung, LG, and HTC Product imitations, loss of source code, software piracy and are more common in developing and third world countries Competitive market for employees in the global software development industry. Rapid innovations from other companies. Changing consumer behavior: With wider options in features and technology customers choice change rapidly. It is a threat as it becomes difficult to cope with the rapid change in consumer requirements. 4.1 TARGET MARKET The primary target market for Blackberrys is the business people between 25 to 60 years. These people are the ones that want their things done, more on the go people and mostly occupied with their work. A device which can provide them more suppleness of wireless network i.e. internet services, emails and GPS services is needed to make lives easier of the corporates. Blackberry should also add features that can target children and Generation Y as they are more technology savvy and innovation hungry. The Gen Y group is always exquisite about latest and smarter technology and they respond rapidly to changes in technology. They are also willing to pay high prices for the benefits and value offered to them. Hence it is a prospective market for RIM. 5.0 Marketing Mix strategy for RIM to achieve the lost market share PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT BRANDING: In this dynamic environment of technology RIM needs to invest on innovation and R D. Horizontal business opportunities like Multimedia and Satellite services will generate extra revenue. RIM needs to position itself as the leading smart phone provider for professionals in emerging countries such as Brazil, Russia, India and China. MARKET SEGMENTATION: They should target others segments not specifically but by adding additional features that can attract students, youths and try to indulge in other product or cross sell other products. CHANNEL SALES: RIM can negotiate with major phone services provider in several countries, this will help RIM to promote their phones through a mutual relationship. Internet marketing and social media channels can also be widely used for advertisements marketing COST CUTTING: RIM can also look at reducing the cost through operational excellence. This can further reduce the cost of the supply chain and can also reduce the per unit cost of making the phone and ultimately selling it at a competitive price. 6.0 RECOMMENDATION 1) RIM needs to innovate and invest on technology this needs to come with new products with more user friendly feature to satisfy current consumer demand and attract new customers 2) RIM should also strongly focus on the advertising campaign to increase brand awareness through viral advertising, television advertisements, internet marketing etc. 3) RIM sells its equipment and services in around140 countries, so it should target to place the product in some other developing countries. 4) RIM should target not only business clients but also target tech savvy Generation Y by increasing product line. 7.0 CONCLUSION Looking at the disappointing sales figure of this year RIM should develop robust product strategies to win over competitors. In order to regain the competitive edge RIM needs to utilize its resources to utmost level by increasing the product line. Also RIM can make strategies to foresee future competitors e.g. Facebook planning to launch its own mobile phones. Facebook Inc. and plan long term strategy as per market demand. It is time for RIM to step ahead of the game and compete directly with Apple and Samsung. As per market research Blackberry is in the maturity phase of its life cycle so it needs to make the future plans accordingly. It is high time that Blackberry enters the market with a big bang giving tough competition to its competitors.

A Creative Society Helps the Development of a Country

A Creative Society Helps the Development of a Country Jonathan Alberto Hermenejildo Bello Suneeta Williams    Abstract The next pages focus on an investigation of how creativity can become a great tool, which helps the development the country with the creation of new things. The methodology that was used to carry out the research was through the collection of data of articles, documentaries, videos on YouTube, and dictionaries. Creativity needs to be cultivated in children between four and five years old at school to create efficient people by changing the model of education in the country. Moreover, with inclusion of creativity in the educational system can generate breakthroughs in the society of a country. This way can change the world and help to have a better society. Whats done to children, they will do to society. -Karl A. Menninger (2001) Creativity is the capacity to generate new interesting ideas. These ideas might be applied to real life, and this is called innovation. Also, creativity is another way of seeing things compared to other people. According to Ossola (2014) creativity is innate because each person thinks in different ways. Nowadays creativity is being lost and one of the most important reasons is that students do not have motivation to improve their capacity to think or develop imagination. The way students learn and what they need to learn is rapidly changing. The antiquated model of education used in Ecuador does not develop good creativity in students. Creativity needs to be cultivated in children between four and five years old at school to create efficient people by changing the model of education in the country. First, historically the Ecuadorian educational system was guided by republican governments and religion, specifically Catholicism. Ecuador is funding has given priority to invest resources in other areas as the construction of roads or other public works; neglecting thus the process education in the country. Vicente Rocafuerte founded schools and colleges in the country. The general direction of studies, which, although they provided guidelines to meet the requirement in Quito and Guayaquil were targeting other governments in Ecuador remained insufficient education for many years. (Eval, 2016) Kofi Annan said that Knowledge is power. Information is liberating. Education is the premise of progress, in every society, in every family. As it has been creativity and innovation are important factors in developing countries and have to put special attention in the education as the way in which people can get more creativity and innovation and expand it. Every country has their own education system managed and directed by a government. A system education well managed and organized will have positive effects on teaching-learning of their students. For this reason is important to renew the educational model to develop creativity and imagination in students. Hence the Ecuadorian educational system has been progressing for many years. Second, society needs to stimulate creativity from an early age. According to Robinson (2012) we have to rethink the fundamental principles on which we are educating our children, because of early age they are developing their abilities. The Ecuadorian educational system needs to promote critical thinkers, innovators, and excellent citizens. The professor cannot just focus on theory in class. The educational model of Finland is leaving aside the memorization of concepts and emphasizes the development of curiosity, creativity and experimentation. To finish, people, matter of transmitting information is not the only important thing, where it is most important to learn to think. In a study UNICEF (2008), the range of ages where a person develops the capacity the capacity to reason and communicate is from four to six years of age. This period of time a child devoted all their energy and all their interest to learn and playing, which some of the activities necessary for the development of life. Where each person that is around him is responsible of his education principally the family, teachers and friends. Those people contribute to teaching that this child will develop and practice for their life. Third, the children have the need of exploring, know and act on the world that it surrounds and is starting from there build and develop their expertise. According Juscelina is the Director of Ananda Marga said that We are going to focus on their balance, boundaries, education and values. We involve the entire learning process; cognitive, intellectual, physical, and creative. (Zoomin TV World News, 2016) A child needs to make decisions and take action to control the environment that surrounds it. For this reason is important to stimulate the mind and body of the child from an early age. For instance the language of a child is poor and this is learning all the words that this listening around him. On the other hand, the movements of a child of six years are more complex than them from one of two. Therefore, Schools must take a more holistic approach to education and centering mindfulness as a component of instruction. Thus, the set of changes that experiences the child with the increa se of its age is called development, which helps him to future life. Another clear example is the Cedarsong Nature School in U.S. is defined as unstructured free time in nature resulting in an intimate, deep and personal connection to the natural world. (Kenny, 2011) This educational center focuses on children between two and six years age. The focus of this school is that children need to be outdoors to get stimulation of their brains through interacting with nature. That practical learning is the best educational approach for children. Also the teachers arouse the curiosity in the children, besides fomenting confidence in them. In times of crisis, only imagination is more important than knowledge. Albert Einstein said it because he knew that an idea might be more useful than a mathematical calculation or a chemical formula. Many characteristics of talent that a human being comes from a well-worked childhood where in areas such as art, music, sports and reading are part of parenting, as a mechanism to complement learning and understanding of exact sciences. I think we take for granted that we rely heavily on scientific creativity, whether we realize it or not, said Rex Jung (cited in Ossola), a professor of neurosurgery at the University of New Mexico in Albuquerque. Whether we use the advanced technology for to create new methods of communication and thus shorten distances. Also in the medical field as vaccines for any disease or simply facilitate the resolution of the problems of daily life, creativity and innovation is incredibly important to our quality of life, Jung said (cited in Ossola). Creativity is fundamental in the development of a country and social welfare of this. The capacity we have to change things and people through the creation of unimaginable things. While creativity is the meeting point between imagination and reality, the door to both our emotions and our knowledge; is a fundamental right of children and a human responsibility. Creativity is a great motivator because it makes people interested in what they are doing. Creativity gives hope that there can be a worthwhile idea. Creativity gives the possibility of some sort of achievement to everyone. Creativity makes life more fun and more interesting. Edward de Bono said. A good school does not only mean having the best grades or competing to be the best without assimilating what has been learned and without coherence between to teach and learning. For a good education you need to instruct the children on a path to love what they do. While a child is at ease with himself and his surroundings can build things that change the world towards comfort. Nowadays, education in Ecuador must development approach in the creativity of its infants. Children need principles that help them be reflective and interpret the information that teachers teach them. In addition to having knowledge in an area specifies for example, mathematical or physical, the professor must also have a preparation of as educate. Thus, that master also will have the tools necessary to mold of the best way to a student. These teachers will get the best potential of their directed and place them in the route of creativity and innovation. On the other hand, the family also has an important role in the development of creativity of sons. The parents can achieve it through the game where he proposes to the child is what experiment. It is to say to prove your potential to a problem to make you think that there are many ways to solve it and any solutions, is correct. Because this do not try to annoy child, but this tries that child travels for himself, his personal tastes and his character. So the child can motivate himself and learn as much as he wants without any limitation. So the child will be able to develop with the necessary tools to be able to face any difficulty that is presented around him. Specifically, the role of educators and parents is to be close, not wanting to eliminate their creativity in children. Also, understand that as much as children and adults, we are wrong. The mistakes the child makes will teach him not to repeat them again. In the other hand, if the child feels permanently criticized, this will generate insecurity in itself. All this will take the child to leave that use his imagining. Therefore, the child will not think that there are other ways to solve problems and he will agree what society dictates. I truly believe that everything that we do and everyone that we meet is put in our path for a purpose. According Marla Gibbs said There are no accidents; were all teachers if were willing to pay attention to the lessons we learn, trust our positive instincts and not be afraid to take risks or wait for some miracle to come knocking at our door. Finally, Ecuador cannot fail to recognize the role of the professors in education, since it is true that their role is changing in response to new demands of the knowledge society. It can be referred to an inspirational role. Furthermore, the role of government, which would be invested in the education of the country is pivotal. A good model of education helps to improve, prepare, develop virtues, and promote autonomy. The government needs to concern their effort in improving the quality of education and giving the necessary tools to children from an early age. Those people can develop things to improve not just the world, but also a tenacious society that is unafraid. Thus, those future thinkers will change their current situation in Ecuador with creativity and innovation. Works cited BrainyQuote, 2016 (2001) Marla Gibbs quotes. Available at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/quotes/m/marlagibbs499846.html (Accessed: 12 December 2016). Childress, S. (2007) A Young Tinkerer builds a windmill, electrifying a nation. Available at: http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB119742696302722641 (Accessed: 20 November 2016). Education (2008) Available at: https://www.unicef.org/education/ (Accessed: 20 November 2016). Eval, N. (2016) Ecuador educational System-overview. Available at: http://education.stateuniversity.com/pages/400/Ecuador-EDUCATIONAL-SYSTEM-OVERVIEW.html (Accessed: 8 December 2016). Hamblin, J., Ossola, A., Brannen, P., Smith, E.E., Stern, J.E., Cooper, M., Graham, D.A., Prestowitz, C., Bodenner, C., Beinart, P., Gilbert, S., Green, E., Ajaka, N., Skurie, J. and Pollock, N. (2014) Scientists are more creative than you might imagine. Available at: http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/11/the-creative-scientist/382633/ (Accessed: 13 December 2016). Jaime (2012) The Finland phenomenon: El mejor Sistema Educativo del mundo. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c2JGeGNxlh4 (Accessed: 20 November 2016). Kenny, E. (2011) Cedarsong nature school. Available at: http://cedarsongnatureschool.org/forestkindergarten/forest-kindergarten/ (Accessed: 8 December 2016). In-text citations: Kelley, T., Bodenner, C., Fallows, J., Kitfield, J., Rosengren, J., McGill, A., Ossola, A., McAdams, D.P., Green, A., Mokyr, J., Goldberg, J., Bigelsen, J., Varjacques, L., Ajaka, N., Hamblin, J., Pollock, N. and Skurie, J. (2014) Scientists are more creative than you might imagine. Available at: http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2014/11/the-creative-scientist/382633/ (Accessed: 20 November 2016). Menninger, K.A. (2001) Karl A. Menninger quotes. Available at: https://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/authors/k/karl_a_menninger.html (Accessed: 20 November 2016). Thomson, S. (2016) World economic forum on Latin America 2016. Available at: https://www.weforum.org/events/world-economic-forum-on-latin-america-2016 (Accessed: 20 November 2016). Zoomin TV World News (2016) Zen preschool: Wellness parenting brazil style. Available at: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3-45C9kvv7A (Accessed: 8 December 2016).

When identifying the learning support of dyslexic pupils, the same :: Education

When identifying the learning support of dyslexic pupils, the same underlying principle of careful assessment of skills an â€Å" When identifying the learning support of dyslexic pupils, the same underlying principle of careful assessment of skills and strategies should apply to literacy and numeracy. Discuss the implications for classroom practice. In this essay I will be discussing the importance of careful assessment in the management of dyslexia with particular reference to literacy and numeracy and the subsequent implications that this will have on classroom practice. Current theory shows that although there is no one definition for dyslexia it is widely recognised as being a specific learning disability of neurological origin that does not imply low intelligence or poor educational background It is were the language section of the brain is not developed in the normal way,so preventing the acquisition of phonological skills ,decoding and encoding of words.These difficulties are believed to be due to the inherited aspects of language processing.The neurological bases of dyslexia are now well founded and reflected in the current definitions of the term.The British Dyslexia Association (1996) produced the following definition; â€Å"Dyslexia is a neurological condition, which is constitutional in origin. The symptoms may affect many areas of learning and function and may be described as a specific difficulty in reading , spelling , and written language. One or more of these areas may be affected.Numeracy ,notational skills (music), may also be involved. However ,it is particularly related to mastering written language, although oral language may be affected to some degree.† The Dyslexia Institute (1997)defined dyslexia as â€Å"a problem dealing with words and symbols that make it hard for a dyslexic person to learn to read write and spell and sometimes causes difficulty with mathematics and music†. Dyslexia is therefore a disorder in the cognitive processing system of the brain which presents itself with difficulties with organisatonal skills ,short term memory problems ,reading ,writing and spelling problems and to some extent difficulties in numeracy. A dyslexic pupil may have problems with word retrieval and pronounciaton ,difficulties with rhyme and alliteration, sequencing problems and naming.Singleton an E.

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance Essay -- Philosophy Religion

Told by the blurb that we have here "one of the most unique and exciting books in the history of American letters," one bridles both at the grammar of the claim and at its routine excess. The grammar stays irreparable. But I have a hunch that the assertion itself is valid. Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance: An Inquiry Into Values, by Robert M. Pirsig (Morrow), is as willfully awkward as its title. It is densely put together. It lurches, with a deliberate shift of its grave ballast, between fiction and philosophic discourse, between a private memoir and the formulaic impersonality of an engineering or trade journal. As it stands, it is a very long book, but report has it, and fault lines indicate, that a much longer text lies behind it. One hears of an eight- hundred-thousand-word draft and feels perversely deprived of it by the mere sanity and worldliness of the publisher. Zen and the Art is awkward both to live with and to write about. It lodges in the mind as few recent nov els have, deepening its grip, compelling the landscape into unexpected planes of order and menace. The narrative thread is deceptively trite. Father and son are on a motorcycle holiday, traveling from Minneapolis toward the Dakotas, then across the mountains, turning south to Santa Rosa and the Bay. Asphalt, motels, hairpins in the knife-cold of the Rockies, fog and desert, the waters dividing, then the vineyards and the tawny flanks of the sea. Mr. Pirsig is not the first ever to burst: Kerouac has been here before him, and Humbert Humbert, a clutch of novels, films, stories, television serials of loners on the move, lapping the silent miles, toasted or drenched under the big skies, motelling from one neon oasis to the next, and glidin... ... exception. The cracker-barrel voice grinds on, sententious and flat. But the book is inspired, original enough to impel us across gray patches. And as the mountains gentle toward the sea with father and child locked in a ghostly grip-the narrative tact, the perfect economy of effect, defy criticism. A detailed technical treatise on the tools, on the routines, on the metaphysics of a specialized skill; the legend of a great hunt after identity, after the salvation of mind and soul out of obsession, the hunter being hunted; a fiction repeatedly interrupted by, and meshed with, a lengthy meditation on the ironic and tragic singularities of American man- the analogies with Moby Dick are patent. Robert Pirsig invites the prodigious comparison. It is at many points, including, even, the almost complete absence of women, suitable. What more can one say?

Abortion Essay example -- essays research papers

Abortion has been and still is one of the most controversial topics in American culture. The reason for the controversy is the different viewpoints of this very personal matter. Some believe that abortion is the same as murder. Others believe it’s a personal choice which only they have the right to make. Due to the nature of the procedure and the concerns associated with ending a pregnancy, abortion will continue to top the list of â€Å"touchy† subjects in American politics and culture. As a pro-choice advocate, it is important for the right to have an abortion to be established and protected. An abortion is the termination of a pregnancy. The most common abortion procedure is the vacuum aspiration or suction curettage.   Ã‚  This is performed during the first trimester of a pregnancy. â€Å"†¦   The physician will then gradually widen (dilate) the cervix.   When the cervix has been dilated to the width appropriate for your stage of pregnancy, the physician will insert a small tube (cannula) which is attached to a suction machine.   The machine’s suction empties the contents of the uterus through the tube†¦The entire procedure takes just a few minutes†. On the other hand, the most controversial abortion procedure is the Partial-Birth abortion. This procedure, performed past the first trimester, has been banned in many states, including New York. â€Å"†¦the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, Bush administration lawyers said the procedure was never medically necessary to protect a woman's health and caused undue pain to the fetus, making t he procedure inhumane.† (2) The procedure is also known as dilation and extraction, or D&X, and dilation and evacuation, or D&E. â€Å"In a regular D&E abortion performed in the second trimester, a patient's cervix is dilated and the fetus is dismembered and removed by forceps†. (3) In 1973 abortion was legalized in the United States. In Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court ruled that it was unconstitutional to forbid a woman to have an abortion during her first trimester of her pregnancy. The Court also ruled that second trimester abortion was to be regulated by the state and only when the Woman’s health was at risk. This decision was a big step in the fight for women equality in the United States. It gave women the right to decide when or whether or not to become a mother. This was unheard of before. Before Roe v. Wade, women were having illegal... ... away with passing this first act it is only a matter of time before abortion is banned all together. This will mean a step back for all women in the fight for equal right in the United States.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  What will happen if it is banned all together? Well for starters, the practice of illegal abortions will be reinstated in the country. Young girls will go to these â€Å"doctor† and put their lives in their hands not knowing exactly what the outcome will be, because as with any illegal practice it will not be performed in a safe environment. It will not be followed up with proper medical attention. As a result, women will die. They will be forced to put their lives and their relationships with their families at risk. It will no longer be a personal matter or a private choice because once a woman who is afraid to have an illegal abortion and instead keeps an unwanted child will have to deal with the consequences. This might lead to losing a job, dropping out of school or even becoming mentally and emotionally unstable. I am pro-choice. I want my rights protected and I believe every woman whether she is pro-choice or pro-life will appreciate at least having a choice.

Do Soaps Represent ‘real’ life? Essay

Soap operas are viewed by millions of our population every day; on average Eastenders has a viewing coverage of approximately 13million. There are a number of reasons as to why soap operas appeal to such a large and diverse audience. In this essay I will be examining these reasons with reference to my own attraction to soaps, and seeing how the soap stories fit into the everyday lives of the millions who watch them. Furthermore, I will investigate the way in which the construction and conventions of a soap opera relates to ‘real’ life. My discussion will include different aspects of a range of the most popular British soaps, for example, Crossroads, Coronation Street, Hollyoaks and Eastenders. It is hard to prove that soaps represent real life. Surely if they were truly reflective, we would all have fallen tragically into at least one coma by now. And we would have come out of it, too, with better hair and a new contract. It is true that the murder rate in Britain is at a record high. But if soaps were to be believed, it would be a whole lot closer to Colombia’s murder rate. You’re no one on the small screen until you’ve been whacked. The incidence of animal-print evening wear has also skyrocketed in this country. But it could never reach soap-opera Bet Lynch proportions. Similarly, the use of the phrase â€Å"If you ever come back here again† has peaked on soap operas at a level impossible to sustain in real life without a face like Phil from Eastenders and the gravelly, ‘I-will-whack-you’ voice to go with it. There are, also, many illegitimate children born in Britain today. About 40 per cent of all births are now â€Å"out of wedlock†. But if the soaps were anything to go by, that number currently would be nudging something much higher. The fact that approximately twenty years ago, ten to twelve soap operas were shown daily, each an hour or half an hour long would support this notion. The first went on at 10am and the last at 3:30pm, (the hours during which the majority of women were at home). There was an obvious pattern running through these soaps, they were generally set in small towns, involved two or three families connected with one another. Families were often composed of several generations from a range of classes on the social scale, although most identifiably middle – class. Men and women worked outside the home, usually in professions such as law and medicine. However, the focus of the programmes was on people discussing personal and domestic crises. Occasionally controversial social problems such as rape and murder were included and were for the most part, handled in a sensitive manner. However, in spite of the fact that soaps contained more references to social problems than any other form of entertainment at the time, critics tended to fault them heavily for their lack of realism. The fans and audience (the women) would insist on the soap operas lifelikeness, but the fact that blacks and other minorities were almost completely excluded as well as other underlying problems and exclusions would suggest that these soaps were no more ‘real’ than a fictional story. Some people may suggest that soap operas have moved on much further from the days of the early Crossroads, I mean just look at the ‘modernised’ Crossroads. There are many men and women portrayed in the storylines that come from a variation of ethnic minorities, Asians, Nigerians, Indians, the list goes on. And it’s not only Crossroads that has these kinds of ethnic minorities, it is Eastenders and Hollyoaks and Coronation Street also. If you are a keen supporter of either Hollyoaks or Eastenders, you may even notice that the most recent additions to each cast were families from ethnic minorities and both have taken on quite bold storylines as they have entered their respective programmes. For example, the current ‘Ronnie’ storyline in Eastenders is a gripping one and the fights and feuds in Hollyoaks attempt to show that families from ethnic minorities can live in a dominantly white society just as normally as a white family can. However, what we must ask ourselves is, just because there are a few characters from ethnic minorities dotted around these soap operas, does it mean they are directly and accurately representing ‘real’ life? My answer to that question would be no and my reasoning is this; although Eastenders contains at least nine characters that I can name that are from an ethic minority, there are only two families in the soap. Also, although nine may sound like a reasonably large number, it is not relative to the programme that is being shown and the area that it is set in. I can assure you that if you were to visit the East End of London as a white person you would be far outnumbered by the number of people from varying ethnic minorities, therefore I would like to suggest that Eastenders is not a true representation of ‘real’ life. This statement explicitly suggests that the soaps may have been a little unrealistic years ago but they have progressed to a state where they are representative of ‘social realism’. In support to this idea, it can be noted that contemporary soaps now employ a number of standard conventions, and many researchers have attempted to list some of the typical characteristics. For example, Sonia Livingstone believes the common soap opera features include: ‘transmission at regular, frequent times, often daily; predominantly aimed at female viewers , occupying day-time/early evening slots; use of fairly constant and large cast, over many years, and a faithful audience; cheap production costs, regarded as low prestige entertainment; concern with daily activities, centred on a small community and/or large family; simulation of real time and realistic events; interwoven narratives, with overlapping resolutions; ‘cliff-hangers’ to ensure committed viewing; focus on female characters and ‘feminine’ or domestic concerns. ‘

Consider and explore how far Susan Hill encourages us to feel Sympathy for The Woman In Black

This chilling ghost story, written by one of Britain’s outstanding writers, Susan Hill, was first published in 1989. It took just 6 weeks over the summer for Hill to produce this masterpiece. The Woman in Black maintains the reader’s attention the whole way through the book, keeping them hooked onto every word. Hill has written it in a very clever way, making the reader feel the greatest sympathy for The Woman in certain parts of the novel, but in other parts she makes the reader feel the complete contrast. Hill demonstrates this at the start of the book, when we feel sympathy for The Woman when Arthur sees her at her sister’s funeral.We feel sympathy ‘that a women who was perhaps only a short time from her own death, should drag herself to the funeral of another’. This makes the reader feel sad for The Woman. Another reason the reader does not dislike The Woman is that even though she obviously feels hurt by her sister; she still makes the effort to go to her funeral. The reader also feels great sympathy at Mrs. Drablow’s funeral when Arthur realises that The Woman is suffering from ‘some terrible wasting disease’. ‘Only the thinnest layer of flesh was tautly stretched and strained over [The Woman’s’] bones’.We also feel sympathy that she is ‘quite possibly no more than thirty’, as a woman of her age would tend to care more about her beauty. The disease is also incurable which makes us again feel sympathy. The fact that her child was born illegitimately, meant that she had to give him up when he was very young, also makes the reader feel compassion for The Woman. Jennet was not even allowed to visit her beloved son and was forced to live ‘hundreds of miles away’. This obviously deeply upset her as ‘she threatened violently’ when she was told she could not see Nathanial.We also feel that it must have pained her that it was her own sister that was keeping her away from her son. When she was finally allowed to visit her son she could ‘never see the boy alone nor ever disclose she had any relationship with him’. It must have been terrible for The Woman to not be able to tell her son that she was his mother. Another thing which would have saddened her was to see her son acting towards another woman like she was his mother but to her like a stranger. Hill makes us feel sympathy for The Woman when she had to witness the brutal drowning  of her child, knowing she could do nothing to save her son. This must have been a truly terrible experience and the reader feels extreme empathy for her.The noise of her son breathing his last breaths, his ‘cry’, ‘shout’ and then his ‘terrified sobbing’, must have haunted her for the rest of her life. This would have been worsened by the fact that she knew she could have saved her son if she had not let her sister take him out that day. Hill makes the reader feel compassion for Jennet that for most of her life she was mentally tormented by ‘desire for revenge’.The Woman is described as a ‘crazed, troubled women, dead of grief and distress, filled with hatred’. This shows that Hill is again making the reader feel sympathetic towards Jennet, who had obviously loved her child so much that she was driven crazy by revenge to get back at Alice, who she believed, cruelly snatched her child out of her arms. We feel that The Woman was not responsible for some of her actions as her mind was clearly clouded. The writer then uses Jennet’s disease to make us feel understanding for her. Because of her disease ‘she looked like a walking skeleton-a living spectre.When she went about the streets, people drew back. ’ This would be terrible for The Woman, that her appearance was enough to make people not want to even look at her, let alone talk to her, further heightening her feeling of being alone. The fact that ‘children were terrified of her’ would have been deeply saddening for a grieving mother. Susan Hill encourages the reader to feel sadness for The Woman when we learn about the circumstances of her death. She makes us pity The Woman because ‘she died in hatred and misery’ and she also died alone and isolated. Not one person loved, cared or even liked her.Hill makes us sympathise with her as no one would like to die knowing that no one cherished them, and that no one would miss them. Even Arthur, who was severely affected by The Woman, sympathises with her. Near the end of the novel he refers to the reasons she went mad and says, ‘Was there any wonder? ’. This shows that even though Arthur bitterly disliked The Woman, he can understand that with the terrible, tragic events that happened in Jennet’s life, it was no wonder she went mad. However even though Hill makes us sympathise and pity The Woman, in many parts in th e novel, she also makes us feel hatred and loathing towards her.This is demonstrated when we learn that she has probably been haunting her sister for many years, up until her death. This would have been terrible for ‘old Mrs. Drablow’, as she was all on her own in a big, old, isolated house. It must have also been terrible for her to know that it was her own sister who was haunting her, someone who should have loved and cared for her. Hill also makes us feel dislike for The Woman when the reader discovers that Jennet ‘blamed her sister’ for Nathan’s death, when in fact it was ‘no one’s fault’.Alice was kind enough to care for her child, yet Jennet gives her no thanks for that, only blamed her when something beyond her control goes wrong. Hill also makes us have no sympathy when she tries to take the life of yet another innocent being. This is when Arthur is at Eel Marsh House with Spider. The Woman whistles Spider to come, playing on his weakness. The vulnerable dog follows the sound, which almost leads to his and Arthur’s death. ill HHill makes us despise The Woman for this, because if Arthur had not been there to rescue Spider, Jennet would have succeeded in taking the life of another innocent being.This also shows that The Woman is more than just a mental threat to Arthur and the other people she torments; she is also a physical threat. The way that The Woman gets her revenge is the thing that earns her the most hatred. How she takes innocent, blameless lives of children, the sole reason being that her child died, something which the children lives she takes have nothing to do with. The children do not die peacefully either; they die in ‘some violent or dreadful circumstance’. The fact that The Woman does all of this just so she can get her revenge, again, makes the reader feel no sympathy for what had happened to her child.The Woman doesn’t just torment children; she also cause s great distress to Mr. Jerome, a young man who was in no way to blame. Hill makes us feel hatred towards The Woman because of how severely she has evidently affected him. We can tell this because when The Woman is mentioned, Jerome goes into ‘a state of near-collapse’. Arthur also notices ‘how seriously he was affected’, when he tries to have a conversation with him about The Woman and his skin turned ‘a sickly greyish’ colour.Hill does not encourage us to feel sympathy for The Woman as the novel is written from Arthur’s point of view and The Woman is horrible to Arthur. It appears that almost as soon as The Woman sets eyes on Arthur she feels hatred towards him. This is first demonstrated when Arthur encounters The Woman at Eel March House. The expression on her face was one of ‘purest hatred and loathing’. This again wills us to dislike The Woman, why would she detest someone so much, when he has done nothing wrong to her ? Another way that Hill gets us to feel absolutely no sympathy for The Woman is when she comes after Arthur and his family.The fact that Arthur is trying to get over her and start a new chapter in his life, and then The Woman appears and ruins it for him. She kills his innocent child, but still this is not enough. The Woman then goes on to give Stella, Arthur’s wife, ‘terrible injures’. This eventually ends in Stella’s death; however she does not have an instant death where she feels no suffering, but a painful, prolonged, miserable death. The Woman then forces Arthur ‘to live through it all’, makes him watch Stella gradually fade away, all-the-while he is grieving over the recent loss of his child.The final way that Hill encourages us to feel no sympathy for The Woman is when she reveals what The Woman has done to the nursery. Whereas before The Woman set foot in it it was orderly and peaceful, after she did it was ‘in a state of disarr ay’. Hill uses this to symbolise that before The Woman appears in people’s lives, they are much like how the nursery originally was, orderly and peaceful. However when she intrudes in them, they quickly turn into ‘a state of disarray’. Some of the toys are also broken; this represents how some people cannot recover their lives.Hill uses the nursery to makes us feel no sympathy towards The Woman because of the way she can destroy others’ lives. In conclusion I think that Susan Hill has been very clever in the way she wrote this book, encouraging us to feel sympathy for The Woman In Black in some parts or the book, and encoraging us to feel hatred and disgust with The Woman in other parts. I think that The Woman’s past explains her actions however it does not justify the terible things she did to all of those innocent, blameless people. By Ellie Vaughan