Monday, September 30, 2019

Corporal punishment Essay

Introduction The performance of most South African schools fluctuates from time to time. These fluctuation trends are as a result of the micro-evolutionary mechanistic changes that consistently take place throughout the country. Some schools in the urban areas perform extremely well, but some perform poorly despite the available resources that the school have. For example some of these schools have laboratories that are highly functional and also well structured for experimental as well as practical work which enhances skills in learners and also intensifies the existing theoretical knowledge that the learners have, whereas in schools geographically featured in remote areas or should I say rural schools, these resources are scarce. Privileged learners in these schools (urban) do not utilize these resources appropriately. Most learners in rural areas come from very disadvantaged homes and go to disadvantaged schools. However, the performance in some of these schools is satisfactory. Some learners academically excel irrespective of the harsh conditions they have to encounter on a daily basis. These Excellencies are facilitated by educators, parents/guardians or community members who act as â€Å"steering† in the learning environment. Educators in these schools sympathize with their learners and thus dedicate themselves in everything they do which effectively enhance as well make active the mindset of learners irrespective of their spectral backgrounds. We often hear of these educators who play such critical roles in learner’s academic life in newspapers, community radio stations and also on televisions. Some of the work of these educators may not be globally recognized but the outcomes are truly appreciated in the South African context. Distinction between resilience and excellence The restoration from form unfavourable conditions due to environmental factors is referred to as resilience. Generally resilience according to Akhurst and Sader, 2012 is â€Å"the process of recovering quickly from misfortune or illness†. If resilience was to be explained in scientific terms: It can be explained as follows, â€Å"let’s consider a typical plant cell and see what happens when you place it in a saturated solution( solution containing an excessive amounts of solutes) , the plant cell shrinks, becomes smaller in size and temporarily lose form and shape. During the process, its contents are rearranged, altered and functionality ceases to operate. When you take the same plant cell and place it in pure water, the cell regains its contents and gets restored back to its original form. The plant cell does not die because there is a â€Å"resilient force† which prevents it from total annihilation. The plant cell stays dormant until its physiological conditions get restored†. Similarly in the context of resilience in schools, some schools are able to overcome the barriers associated with learning and continue with the production of good results irrespective of external factors. Excellence in simple terms can be described as the ability to do well or the production of positive outcomes. Excellence in schools can be assessed differenty depending on the schools primary purpose. For example schools that do well in mathematics regard themselves as being excellent whereas schools that perform well in Speech and drama also regards themselves also as being excellent. So in actual fact, the description of the excellent depends on the desired outcomes of that particular context. Excellence in schools Resilience in Relation to Excellence Corporal punishment was another way of shaping learners, that mischiveously stood on the way pathway of learners with the willingness to perform to produce outstanding results. (Christie, P, 2001, p52). Even though this is very unlawful, meetings based on corporal punishments are first discussed with the parents/guardians of the learners before a decision is taken. Some learners parents/guardians agrees, specifically those with children’s from black schools. The reason why they (parents) permit educators to give corporal punishment is simply because they were raised in a similar way which in a way instilled good discipline and also helped them to be responsible individuals. â€Å"Some parents still believe that abandoning corporal punishment by the government is the reason why learners perform poorly in their subjects at school. However, according to Christie, 2012, the banning of corporal punishment could not be the reason for poor performance in South African schools, because no evidence was gathered in the apartheid era. Some resilient learners were greatly aspired by pupils in the community, these included church, and community services. This is true, for example in my case after trying to give on school . i. e. at high school, some grown up folks that lived in the same neighbourhood as me, folks that i used to hang up with and take drugs encouraged and told me that dropping out of school was not an option for a person who really wants to be successful in life. At first when they said this, i questioned them about why did they drop out at standard 8 and 9, now known as grade 10 and 11 respectively? Unfortunately these guys did history while still at school and the response they gave was a quotation from former S. A president, Nelson Mandela, which stated that â€Å"A 70 year old can never think like a 30 year old, and being 70 years of age gives you the licence and priviledge that the 30 year old can never have†. The second quotation they gave was from Malcom X, which stated that,†The future belongs to those who prepare for it today†. Well at that stage all of this was meaningless to me as a science learner, but after being triggered by a discussion I had with one of my EDPD610 colleague (Ms Moodley) during the first contact session, I started to realise the in depth meaning that these guys were trying to convey to me 11 years ago. Conditions at that time for me were unfavourable, both mom and dad were uneducated, consumed liquor and I had to watch my father beat my mother almost every weekend, the home turned into a â€Å"gladiator ring† with my elder brother and I as the referees. I was good in mathematics and science at grade 8, but when I reached grade 10, the performance started to deteriorate because I started to take drugs and abandoned my soccer training in the afternoons. I joined wrong friends and isolated myself from my primary school buddies. Unfortunately one of my science teachers, Mrs S Padayachee detected the problem and confronted me directly. I received help, woke up and dusted myself, but it was too late for me to catch up with the material covered in grade 12. I ended passing with bad symbols and decided to repeat my matric. After repeating, I passed with good symbols, enrolled for Bsc degree at UKZN, graduated, and now i’m a science educator, with less than a year experience. Generally I feel revived, resurrected, and restored and have this immense power of wanting to infiltrate knowledge to South African learners. I managed to excel academically despite the repulsive forces that acted upon me, I managed to excel in overcoming my negative thoughts, I managed to excel in making my family proud of me because i’m the only person in the family to reach matric and have a degree. Best practices of teacher’s resilience in their schools Conclusion References 1) http://web. uvic. ca/hr/managertoolkit/changeandtransition/takingchargechange. pdf( date accessed 13/03/13) 2) Botha ,R. J(2004). Excellence in leadership : The demands the professional school pricinple. Retrieved 08 March 13, 2013http://www. ajol. info/index. php/saje/article/viewFile/24995/20678 3) Christie,P. (2001). Improving school quality in South Africa: a study of schools that have succeeded against the odds. Journal of Education , 41,45,52 4) Hattie, J (2003). Teachers make a difference: what is the research eveidence.

Sunday, September 29, 2019

Business management Essay

Introduction Organizational cultures refer to the shared norms, values and expectations that govern the way people interact with one another and approach their work. Organizational cultures can be managed by the senior staff by changing the employee’s view towards their work performance. Diverse companies or organizations use different approaches to manage organizational culture. For organizational culture to be managed in successful manner, careful assessment of the changes to make is important. This will ensure support from the workers and other leaders for they will be able to get the purpose for it (Pareek, 2006). Organizational culture is an important aspect in any administration. It has great impacts in the change programmes of the organization. Strong cultures have been known to obstruct performance and most of the organization managers are struggling hard to manage it. Through assessment of models and application of the current public and private sector operations, organizational culture is easy to administer. In addition, organisational cultures can be handled by establishment of an exterior rather than an internal orientation which is associated with less control focus. Organizational managers should strive to administer the cultures with awareness so that success can be achieved and reduce the shortcomings brought about by lack of culture management issues (Pareek, 2006). How important are organisational subcultures? In order to successfully run an organisation, the management need to create subcultures for they have proved to work best resulting to good performances. Subcultures consist of groups of people within a given culture who differentiate themselves from the well-built culture to which they belong. Organisational subcultures give responsiveness and freedom that a certain culture in the administration may be in a position of limiting. The subcultures allows the organisation be able to generate diverse responses to the surrounding without necessarily intruding its internal consistency. It is clear that subcultures have some properties which are in a position of reinforcing the organisation’s culture. For instance, the subcultures differ from the extent they dispute the overarching traditions (Mullins, 2013). Subcultures often appear in response to varying demands and can provide as an outlet for members to articulate arguments and disputes arising during chaotic times. Subcultures also present methods for changing fewer central principles which are important factors in any organisation. With organisational subcultures, free interaction is enhanced particularly to the workers. This motivates the employees for they are able to present their problems or views to their leaders in a confident manner which makes them feel satisfied (Mullins, 2013). What is management? Management is the organisational process that involves calculated planning, locating managing resources, objectives and installing financial and human possessions which are a necessity in achieving the organisation’s goals and measuring the outcomes. Management includes storing particulars and recording facts for later use and those which are important within the organisation.   Management functions are not only limited to the managers but everyone in the organisation is involved in the administrative functions. For instance, the workers in the organisation are involved in the reporting task as their work. Management reaches out the organisational goals by working through and with people and having control of the resources in the administration (Mullins, 2013). Management also involves a function that coordinates people’s efforts to accomplish the organisation’s set goals by use of the resources available in an efficient and effective manner. Management also involves functions of which when applied, administration becomes successful. Some of the most essential functions required during management include organizing, influencing, planning and controlling. This mostly applies to the supervisors and the managers in an administration. Planning involves making of tasks which are required to be accomplished within the given period of time. Influencing involves motivation of the workers. It also involves directing of the organisation members to the direction that makes them be able to fulfil their goals. Controlling involves gathering if information that compares the present performance established to the previous ones (Mullins, 2013). Is bureaucracy a bad thing? Bureaucracy is defined as a form of leadership in which a group of people is given the responsibility of setting rules and regulations especially in an organisation. It may have negative effects particularly when decisions are made when the workers in the organisation are not given a chance to express their views for instance. This form of leadership consists of many departments of which are arranged in a descending order. The decisions made by the most senior department have to be discussed further in the other divisions and therefore leading to time wastage (Pareek, 2006). Bureaucracy also discourages innovations and creativity in the organisation since the selected decision making body is always permanent. Application of this form of leadership makes the employees lose morale during work particularly when they are not comfortable with the rules that govern them. On the other hand bureaucracy is also associated with a few advantages, for example, tactical decision making is easy because a few number of individuals is involved. Standardisation in the place of work is also efficient for the group in leadership is able to effectively ensure that work is perfectly performed (Beetham, 1997). References Beetham, D. (1997). Bureaucracy. Minneapolis, Mn: University of Minnesota Press. Pareek, U. (2006). Organisational culture and climate. Hyderabad, India: ICFAI University   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Press. Mullins, L. J. (2013). Management and organisational behaviour.

Saturday, September 28, 2019

Implications and Limitations of Economic Feasibility Statistics Project

Implications and Limitations of Economic Feasibility - Statistics Project Example Out of the variables, however, only Staffed beds, Medicare Days, Total Surgeries, and RN FTE were significant to the hospital's total operations cost. Â  One of the implications of the study is a target-specific approach to management of operations costs for greater profit margins. The identifying signs of only Staffed beds, Medicare Days, Total Surgeries, and RN FTE means that the other variables do not influence total operations costs and should therefore not utilize the managements’ time while planning for the optimal cost for operations. I would focus only on the four significant variables in managing costs and in using costs to determine the optimal level of service delivery that a hospital should ensure. I would use operations management strategies to determine the optimal level of a mix for Staffed beds, Medicare Days, Total Surgeries, and RN FTE that can optimize marginal returns through the coefficients suggest a greater focus on RN FTE_05 then Staffed beds_05 in the determination of costs and its derivative decisions. Reducing the costs through efficiency strategies would be a priority for ensuring sustainable pro fit margins (White and Wu, 2014). Â  This also implies that profitability of hospitals do not depend on type of locality and with consideration of competition due to concentration of facilities in urban areas, I would locate a hospital, especially for a new organization, in a rural area because while competition is lower in the locality, costs are the same, ceteris paribus.

Friday, September 27, 2019

Risk Management Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Risk Management - Research Paper Example Traditionally, the financial function was seen in respect to financial reporting and control. The modern theory of risk management reflects on the financial function in respect of financial policy and financial decision making. This comprises an organizations operational, business and economic risks. There are various risks that are unacceptable which includes insurance risks, capital market risks, a market for replacing and equalizing such risks has been developed (Adams, FÃ ¼ss & Gropp, 2014). The paper identifies the issues in the risk management and its significant impact to the financial decisions of the manager of an organization. The paper also identifies the relevance and approaches to the risk management practices. Additionally, the impact of the new risk management regulations is critically evaluated. There are mainly two types of risk in finance namely, systematic and unsystematic risks. Systematic risks are the one which are uncontrollable by the organization and unsystematic risks are the ones which are controllable by the organization. Interest risks, market risk and inflationary risks come under systematic risks and liquidity risks, credit risks and operational risks fall under unsystematic risks (Edgar financial market analysis, 2015). Various risks faced by managers of the organizations are descried under in details. Market Risk- This type of risk deals with unfavorable price or instability that affects the assets contained in an organizations portfolio (Edgar financial market analysis, 2015). It can be explained as the doubt of a financial institution’s earnings which arises from changes in the market conditions like the price of an asset, interest rates and market liquidity. Credit risk- This kind of risk takes place when one falls short to realize their commitments towards their counter parties. Sovereign risk and settlement risks are types of credit risk (Federal Reserve financial market analysis, 2014). Sovereign risk

Thursday, September 26, 2019

Early Childhood Development Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Early Childhood Development - Essay Example at in preschool days between birth and age 5, most of the child development happens through family inputs and all children feel pride in their family members and that pride will decide about how the child thinks about herself. The development of child happens in an orderly manner, for example, crawling happens before walking. Though learning period differs child to child but usually it follows a definite order or pattern. Physical development follows a certain and set pattern. Large muscles in legs and arms grow first and then small muscles in the hands and fingers grow. The act of walking precedes the act of drawing. Development process is initiated from the head to the toes. How to keep head straight is learned by the child first before learning other processes such as crawling on stomach or on knees (Cherry, 2012). Large muscles in the arms and legs that promote the activity of walking, running, lifting, riding fall in this category. Proper nutrition and environment play a crucial part in the development of these activities (Goodheart-Willcox 2012, p.71). Small muscles of the fingers or hands that are used to hold, grasp or related activities fall in this category. Good physical growth leads to the healthy development of other faculties namely cognitive and emotional (Goodheart-Willcox 2012, p.71). Physical activities such as running, jumping, cycling on extended basis will help strengthen muscles. Strong and powerful body muscles not only increases the work stamina but safeguard the children from illness. This also helps forming a healthy social and emotional relationship with colleagues and a positive view point about life. Physical growth is accompanied by cognitive growth. Cognitive abilities such as reasoning, thinking, logic, memory, recognizing continue to grow side by side. Jean Piaget made a pioneering research on the child psychology and their learning abilities. According to him, children are as intelligent as adults. He listed some of the basic

Tourism In Greece Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 5000 words

Tourism In Greece - Essay Example In the spirit of this ancient tradition of hospitality, contemporary Greece has instituted a tourist industry of considerable magnitude and the country has been continuously classified among the world’s most popular tourist destinations. The spectacular range and enormity of Greece’s tourist attractions encompass natural beauty, rich history and culture. A plethora of mainland destinations along with fifteen thousand kilometres of coastline and over two thousand five hundred islands which are spread out into the Ionian and Aegean Archipelagos add to the country’s unique attributes. These have also been responsible for transforming the country into a vacation spot of international calibre (Apostolopoulos: 72). However, Buhalis (p.441) states that Greece is one of the most remote, peripheral, insular and poor economic regions of the European Union. Its tourism requires urgent strategic management action in order to compete with alternative destinations and maximise the prosperity of the host population. The purpose of this paper is to evaluate and critically analyse the process of tourism in Greece. It also proposes to identify areas that require changes, and methods to improve tourism in Greece, which is a popular destination for international tourists. The phenomenal expansion of tourism development since the 1960s has transformed the basis of socioeconomic structure, altering the country’s life chances and welfare, accompanied by adverse sociocultural and ecological ramifications (Apostolopoulos: 72). Tourism continues to be the foremost economic sector of Greece, though it constitutes a statistically invisible industry in the midst of international geopolitical and economic reshuffling. Within this international framework and without overlooking the crisis phase of traditional, mass charter Greek tourism model, the multifaceted dimensions of Greek tourism needs to be critically reviewed. The focus will be on production and consumption

Wednesday, September 25, 2019

Working with the New Millenials Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Working with the New Millenials - Essay Example Case facts revealed that new millenials have tendencies to question everything, demand explicitly clear and consistent expectations, are primarily family oriented and earn to consume immediately as their very philosophy embodies living for the moment. Likewise, the facts indicate that new millenials want flexibility and working in a virtual environment where they can wear casual clothes and come at a time they please. Therefore, rather than restricting their movements, organizations can focus on providing flexibility in work, as long as explicitly stated goals and objectives are attained. Organizations should encourage their creativity and innovativeness and evaluate performance using Management By Objectives (MBO) that would determine progress and discuss meritorious increases depending on performance and attainment of goals. As confirmed by Heathfield (2012), there are some guidelines to manage millenials, to wit: (1) effective provision of structure, leadership and guidance; (2) e ncouraging â€Å"the millennial's self-assuredness, "can-do" attitude, and positive personal self-image† (Heathfield, 2012, p. 1);

Tuesday, September 24, 2019

Writting about SARs disease Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Writting about SARs disease - Essay Example o appropriate medications and swift action on the parts of doctors and nurses to help contain the virus, there were only eight reported cases in the United States that year. â€Å"All of these people had traveled to other parts of the world with SARS. SARS did not spread more widely in the community in the United States† (CDC, 2005). However, this does not mean that the virus could not possibly spread in the US general population at some point in the future or that the danger of the illness should be underestimated or ignored. To ensure that a general outbreak does not occur, it is up to the medical community to remain informed about the disease, including knowledge regarding what causes it, how it is transmitted and the best ways of treating it. With this knowledge in hand, it is possible to develop intervention strategies appropriate for use by community health nurses. The SARS virus is considered a febrile severe lower respiratory illness. This simply means that it is an illness that attacks the lower respiratory system and is accompanied by fever. Most patients experience a high fever at the onset of the disease of something higher than 100.4ï‚ °F. This is most often accompanied by a headache, overall body aching and a sense of discomfort regardless of attempts to the contrary. According to the CDC, â€Å"some people have mild respiratory symptoms at the outset. About 10 percent to 20 percent of patients have diarrhea† (2005). This condition typically persists for anywhere from two to seven days before the patient develops a dry cough. An overwhelming number of patients with the illness then begin to develop pneumonia. Other common symptoms of the disease include rashes, loss of appetite and general confusion. In attempting to discover the cause of the disease, scientists have identified a novel coronavirus now referred to as SARS-associated coronoavirus. A coronavirus is a subgroup of the RNA viruses. This particular type is unique in that they

Sunday, September 22, 2019

Partisan Comedies Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Partisan Comedies - Thesis Example Reviews done by various popular media outlets as well as people’s reactions on the show will be analyzed. In conducting such study, the researcher proposes that partisan comedies in the US have significant influence on the social and political views of the American people. Introduction Comedy is a form of entertainment art which primary purpose is to provoke laughter. It does not only include the elements of humorous dialogue or actions but also the elements of surprise, incongruity, conflict, repetitiveness, and the effect of opposite expectations. Actually, there are various forms of comedy based on their source of humor, the method of delivery, and the context in which it is delivered (Griffin, p.1). One of the most popular forms of comedy is satire. It is a composition that deals with the fragments of society. And the person who uses satire is called satirist. Certainly, the word satire was coined to describe a collection of literary poem or commonly known as poetic medley. Then, it may also mean a poem that was riddled with vices. It was widely used to describe many works of literature that exposes foolishness or vices in humans, organizations, or even governments. It is a form of entertainment which uses the art of irony, sarcasm, ridicule, or humor/comedy in order to effect reaction, change or even to prevent it. It is widely available in written verse or prose, vocal and even in visual form (Griffin, p.1). Today, partisan comedy shows are becoming very popular in the US since it was revolutionized in media. In fact, it becomes an effective tool especially in exposing political and social issues. Thus, this research paper attempts to determine the specific publication or revi ews, or media perception of partisan comedy shows in the US as well as to analyze the influence of the show or comedy on published opinion and public reaction through review of published literature and to determine any link or consequential political or governmental action regarding the comedy or show. The researcher has found these objectives important in this study because these have significant contribution in the evolution of partisan comedy in the United States. Literature Review Evolution of Comedy in US Comedy is a popular literary or entertainment which usually use humorous performance, satirical tone, or jokes to amuse and make the audience laugh. It also includes the elements of surprise, incongruity, conflict, repetitiveness, and the effect of opposite expectations. Actually, comedy was used in varied forms of arts and entertainment. But, the development of each form also marked the conceptualization and development of another form i.e. the radio comedy leads in the devel opment of comedy in television (Rourke, 324). In the United States, partisan comedies can be traced back after the American Revolution when the country was already freed from worries and chaos and when the American citizen begun to appreciate the works of art such as comedy. At first, comedy was only used in writing and speaking but years later it expanded in other forms such as in literatures, cartoons, magazines, animation, theater, vaudeville, radio, recordings, television and films even in standup comedy (Rourke, 324). In literature, the earliest available material for comedy and satire was the work of Thomas Morton from Marymount, which was entitled the â€Å"New English Canaan† published and circulated in 1637. The author used humor and wit to compare the cultural values of native people and English Puritan colonists. Another was

Saturday, September 21, 2019

The History of Walmart Essay Example for Free

The History of Walmart Essay Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. branded as Walmart, is an American multinational retail corporation that runs chains of large discount department stores and warehouse stores. According to the Fortune Global 500 list in 2012, the biggest private employer in the world with over two million employees, and is the largest retailer in the world. Walmart remains a family-owned business, as the company is controlled by the Walton family, who own a 48 percent stake in Walmart. It is also one of the worlds most valuable companies. The company was founded by Sam Walton in 1962, incorporated on October 31, 1969, and traded on the New York Stock Exchange in 1972. Its headquarters is located in Bentonville, Arkansas. Walmart is also the largest grocery retailer in the United States. In 2009, it generated 51 percent of its US$258 billion sales in the U. S. from grocery business and it also owns and operates the Sams Club retail warehouses in North America. Walmart has 8,500 stores in 15 countries, under 55 different names. Walmart Stores U. S. is the companys largest division, accounting for $258 billion, or 63. percent of total sales for financial year 2010. It consists of three retail formats that have become commonplace in the United States: Discount Stores, Supercenters, and Walmart Markets. The retail department stores sell a variety of mostly non-grocery products, though nowadays you can buy almost anything in what they now call supercenters, which include more grocery items. This division also includes Walmarts online retailer, www. walmart. com. It is the world’s third largest corporation and still to this day it continues to thrive and business is booming.

Friday, September 20, 2019

Importance of Customer Service in Hospitality

Importance of Customer Service in Hospitality Exceptional Service Quality in the Hospitality Industry: It’s Role in Good and Bad Times Abstract Customer satisfaction is widely acknowledged to be causal in driving repeat and new business of hospitality enterprises and is considered to be integral to their success. With the delivery of service quality being vital to customer satisfaction, hospitality enterprises make great efforts to maintain, improve and distinguish their service quality through the adoption of corporate strategies and operational policies and procedures. Recent years have seen enormous expansion in the hospitality industry and the introduction of sophisticated technology, not just in areas of computerisation and Internet, but also through the use of various applications that aim to increase the comfort, convenience and safety of guests. With competition in the industry having become intense and advances in technology having become available across the spectrum of hospitality organisations, delivery of exceptional service quality is considered crucial for achievement of competitive advantage. Again whilst the last two decades have been a period of growth for the industry, current global developments, namely the astonishing increase in prices of oil, worldwide inflation in food and commodity prices, the banking crisis, the credit squeeze, and the impending recession in the United States indicate the onset of very difficult times for the hospitality business. The spectre of lower occupancy, lesser rates, and higher costs stares the industry in its face and the prospect of an industry shakeout, accompanied by the closure of inefficient units and the survival of the fittest is imminent. Whilst such situations could possibly entail cost cutting exercises by industry members, along with reduction in services offered to guests, providing of exceptional service quality may well be vital to maintenance and improvement of competitive advantage and be the key to riding out difficult times. This dissertation investigates the phenomenon of customer service, its importance in the success of hospitality organisations, and its role during periods of economic downturn. Table of Contents Introduction A. Overview Achievement of customer satisfaction is widely accepted by business leaders and academics to be the most significant criterion for shaping the quality of products or services that are deliverable to customers, both through the actual product or service, and the corresponding service.[1] With the intensely competitive nature of the modern customer-centric business environment ensuring the elimination of businesses that dissatisfy their clients with their products/services, customer satisfaction is vital not just for corporate growth, and profitability, but for the very survival of today’s corporations.[2] Customer satisfaction, which is greatly dependent upon the quality of the customer service provided, is recognised to be critical to business success, primarily because of its role in driving future sales from both new and existing customers. Numerous studies have corroborated the theory that it costs five times the amount of time, money, and resources to attract new customers as it does to retain existing clients.[3] Losing existing clients very clearly is among the worst things that can happen to business firms. Customer satisfaction is also accepted to be one of the cheapest and most effective ways of promoting goods and services; with no form of advertising being as effective as word-of-mouth publicity and actual customer endorsements. Satisfaction strengthens affirmative feelings toward the product or service and leads to a superior probability of repurchase; dissatisfaction on the other hand leads to downbeat perceptions and reduces the probability of repeat purchases.[4] â€Å"Or as others put it: if consumers are satisfied with a product or brand, they will be more likely to continue to purchase and use it and to tell others of their favourable experience with it if they are dissatisfied, they will be more likely to switch brands and complain to manufacturers, retailers, and other consumers about the product.†[5] Achieving high levels of customer satisfaction poses intense business challenges because of the ambiguity embedded in the concept as well as because of its abstract nature. With the actual manifestation of the level of satisfaction varying both between individuals, and between products and services, satisfaction levels depend upon a range psychological and physical variables that evidence positive correlation with behaviours indicative of satisfaction, like repeat purchase and recommendation rate.[6] Such levels of satisfaction can also depend on other options available to customers and on the qualities of other products or services against which the organisation’s products or services can be compared.[7] Despite the very broad range of parameters involved in its assessment and determination, customer satisfaction is overly dependent upon, related to, and driven by customer service. â€Å"Substantial empirical and theoretical evidence in the literature suggests that there is a direct link between service quality and behavioural intentions (Bitner, 1990; Bolton and Drew, 1991a). Among the various behavioural intentions, considerable emphasis has been placed on the impact of service quality in determining repeat purchase and customer loyalty (Jones and Farquhar, 2003). As pointed out by Bolton (1998), service quality influences a customer’s subsequent behaviour, intentions and preferences. When a customer chooses a provider that provides service quality that meets or exceeds his or her expectations, he or she is more likely to choose the same provider again. Besides, Cronin and Taylor (1994)† also found that service quality has a significant effect on repurchase intentions. [8] The delivery of quality service is expected to be a major challenge that is likely to confront hospitality managers in the immediate future and will be vital for achieving success in the intensely competitive modern day global markets.[9] Hospitality service experiences are overly complex because they range from the exceedingly trivial to the extremely vital.[10] They differ to a great extent in their character and may be straightforward or multifaceted, standard or bespoke, low or high technology, distant or responsive, little or highly skilled, or recurrent or infrequent.[11] They can furthermore concern the execution of obligatory utilitarian actions or can involve grand and highly-strung hospitality events.Hospitality encounters, as distinct from material products or pure services, consist of a fusion of products and services, and satisfaction, (in such situations), represents the sum total of satisfactions with the individual traits of all the products and services that make up the experience.[12] B. Elaboration of Problem The last few decades have witnessed enormous growth in the hospitality industry. Driven by a range of technological, social, economic, and political developments like the tremendous advances achieved in communication technology, the ever-increasing use of the internet, the breakdown of the Soviet Union, the formation of the European Union, the crumbling of travel barriers, economic liberalisation across countries, the proliferation of budget airlines, cheaper travel, and the opening of numerous new travel and tourism destinations, the hospitality industry has expanded like never before and that too across the world. New hotels, new restaurants, new resorts and new spas have mushroomed in near and distant locations to provide people with numerous hospitality options. Whilst the industry has been buffeted by events like the September 11 bombings, the London Tube explosions, and the SARS and Bird Flu epidemics, the steadily increasing economic affluence in the western countries, as also in the countries in Southeast Asia and the Pacific Rim, in the last two decades, has ensured that such setbacks were overcome and the hospitality sector remained vibrant and prosperous. Such a period of inexhaustible growth now appears to be coming to an end. With oil prices having neared USD 140 per barrel and currently hovering at around USD 125, the days of cheap air travel appear to be irrevocably over. Whilst local and international airlines had started ringing alarm bells when the price of oil crossed USD 70 per barrel last year, the events of the last few months have shaken up the whole airline and travel and tourism industry, cast doubts on the survival of several airlines, and led to the cancellation of thousands of airline bookings and hotel reservations. Apart from the price of oil, the disastrous denouement to the risky home mortgage policies adopted by major international banks, followed by thousands of home loan bankruptcies, billions of dollars in banking industry losses and a credit squeeze on business and personal lending have also contributed to the onset of a recession in the USA. The deepening recession in the United States, the biggest global consumer of goods and services, accompanied by cut downs in jobs and mortgage bankruptcies, is bringing in a global economic downturn that is expected to bring extremely difficult times for the hospitality industry, not just in the United States but also in the UK and in other countries. â€Å"More than one in three hospitality businesses in the UK are feeling less confident about economic prospects over the next 12 months than they do now, according to research launched by American Express. The survey also found that overall confidence has decreased in the last 12 months, with only 29% feeling more confident about the economic environment, down from 38% in 2007. Among hoteliers the number feeling confident has dropped to 34% from 41% a year ago. In comparison for restaurateurs the figure is only 24%, a fall of 10%. For pubs the picture is similar with only 20% stating that they feel more confident about the economic prospects facing their businesses over the next year than they do today.†[13] Whilst the probability of a shakeout in the industry seems to be imminent many veterans in the business appear confident of riding it out on the strength of enhanced customer service and total customer experience. â€Å"Kathryn Pretzel-Shiels, Head of Hotels and Restaurants at American Express explains: ‘Like any other the hospitality sector is not immune to prevailing economic conditions, so it comes as no surprise that Britains hospitality industry feels more circumspect about business prospects than it did last year. The economy is forcing the agenda to a certain extent but the industry is fighting back. There are still opportunities to make money by providing a quality product and memorable service, as consumers are still willing to dine out and are doing it more than ever before.’†[14] A hotel chain like the Ritz Carlton, (the winner of two Baldridge quality awards and a byword in the area of service quality), which has weathered several economic downturns and has yet grown from strength to strength over the years, provides an outstanding example of the importance of exceptional service quality. â€Å"The Ritz-Carlton is well-known for providing consistent service throughout all of its properties. The company began its commitment to quality in 1983 with such simple touches as fresh flowers throughout its hotels, white ties and aprons, and gourmet cuisine. It also established its Gold Standards for customer service—which include its credo, motto, employee promise, three steps of service, and the 12 service values—leading the company to repeatedly outperform its competition, increase customer loyalty (the average guest spends $250,000 at a Ritz over his lifetime), and win the Malcolm Baldridge National Quality Award twice†[15] Whilst the Ritz Carlton is of course the most well known example of a customer-centric and service quality oriented organisation in the hospitality industry, a number of other establishments like the Four Seasons, the Mandarin Oriental, The Marriott and the Red Carnation provide brilliant examples of how focus on exceptional customer service can increase the competitive advantage of organisations and ensure performance, business and profitability during the worst of times. On the flip side, whilst most business managers are aware of the need to maintain if not improve quality during economic downturns, the actual picture on the ground becomes significantly different in many establishments; where quality programmes are cut down or even abandoned; very often at the cost of quality. â€Å"When economic troubles loom, weve found the usual knee-jerk reaction is to sacrifice programs associated with quality and the customer experience training, quality assurance and mystery shopping programs, guest research, etc.†[16] C. Determination of Objective With the price of oil showing no sign of rebating to previously unimaginable levels of 80-90 US dollars per barrel and the global economy caught in a cleft stick; of severe inflation in prices of food as well as commodities like steel and cement on one side and an impending and long-lasting recession in the United States on the other, all indications point to difficult economic times and squeezes on travelling, holidays, discretionary spending, hotel accommodation and restaurant visits. One of the most important routes to achieving competitive advantage in such difficult and worrying situations is through enhancement of customer service quality to superior levels and improvement of hospitality experiences of customers, not only when compared to previous experiences in the same establishment, but also in comparison with that available elsewhere. Whilst the truth behind this theory is widely accepted and beyond doubt, embattled organisations, challenged by dropping revenue figures, higher costs and lesser margins, frequently adopt the opposite route, taking action to reduce and even abandon quality improvement programmes and actions in order to effect organisational economies and cost savings. This study aims to examine the components of customer service with special emphasis on the hospitality industry and the ways and means in which it can be enhanced in times of economic downturn to increase the competitive advantage of organisations. 2. Literature Review A. Service Quality The key objective of organisational and marketing strategies of business firms in today’s intensely competitive and fast changing business environment is to make profits and further organisational growth. Customer satisfaction, quality and retention have become global management imperatives that are important for all organisations. With the maturing of different industry sectors high quality service has increasingly become an important tool in business success. The hospitality industry and its various components, mainly different types of hotels and restaurants, are certainly not exempt from the challenges of increased competition or rising consumer expectations of quality. Researchers have defined service quality in different ways â€Å"There are many researchers who have defined service quality in different ways. For instance, Bitner, Booms and Mohr define service quality as ‘the consumer’s overall impression of the relative inferiority / superiority of the organisation and its services’. While other researchers view service quality as a form of attitude representing a long-run overall evaluation, Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry defined service quality as ‘a function of the differences between expectation and performance along the quality dimensions’. This has appeared to be consistent with Roest and Pieters’ definition that service quality is a relativistic and cognitive discrepancy between experience-based norms and performances concerning service benefits.†[17] Other researchers have conceptualised customer satisfaction as â€Å"an individual’s feeling of pleasure or disappointment resulting from comparing a product’s perceived performance (or outcome) in relation to his or her expectations.†[18] Conceptualisations of satisfaction are of two main types, i.e. transaction-specific satisfaction and cumulative satisfaction, transaction specific satisfaction being the customer’s evaluation of his or her experience and reactions to a particular service encounter and cumulative satisfaction being the customer’s overall evaluation of the consumption experience to date [19] The satisfaction level of a service encounter arises from differences between the expectations of customers and the actual experience from the provided services, the perceptions of service encounters being vital factors in creating long-term loyalty, customer satisfaction and quality awareness.[20] Whilst the Nordic conceptualisation of service quality was developed in the mid 1980s by Gronroos and emphasised the role of technical and functional quality on service encounters, Parasuraman, Zeithaml and Berry developed a new model of service quality, called the SERVQUAL model in 1988.[21] The SERVQUAL model has five dimensions, reliability, responsiveness, empathy, assurances, and tangibles, which together form a basis to measure, quantify, and assess the service experience and to determine the ways in which the viewed and expected service would influence the perceived service quality. Reliability is the ability to perform the promised services dependably and accurately. Responsiveness is the willingness to help customers and provide prompt service. Assurance is the knowledge and courtesy of employees as well as their ability to convey trust and confidence. Empathy is the provision of caring, individualised attention to customers. Tangibles are the appearance of physical facilities, equipment, personnel and communication materials.[22] The SERVQUAL model views service quality to be the gap between the expectations of customers (E) and their perceptions of the performance (P) of the service providers. â€Å"According to Parasuraman et al. (1985), service quality should be measured by subtracting customers perception scores from customer expectation scores (Q = P  ± E). The greater the positive score represents the greater the positive amount of service quality or vice versa.†[23] Whilst the model has been the subject of criticism, mainly because of its inadequacy in quantifying and thus in measuring expectations of service from customers, it has nevertheless been used as the basis for investigation by other researchers who have developed modified versions of the model. Despite the essentially theoretical nature of the models discussed above most quality conscious organisations take actions across a wide front of organisational activities to follow their underlying principles and take actions for minimisation of negative customer perceptions and strengthening of positive hospitality experiences. â€Å"Companies that achieve high levels of customer satisfaction display a zeal for superior service from the very top of the organization chart. This dedication constitutes the foundation of customer-centricity. Without the values and culture that leaders inspire, none of the other principles can be effective for long. Customer-centric values and culture inform the hiring process and animate the systems of training and rewards. Instilling values of this sort may be the ultimate test of leadership. Leaders of customer-centric companies clearly articulate what kind of organisational culture they want and consistently sell employeeson its key principles, leaving no doubt about the significance that members of senior management attach to customer-centricity. More important than communications, however, is the leaders’ willingness to take action when the primacy of high-quality service is challenged.[24] B. Routes to Achievement of Exceptional Service Quality The relationship between quality of service and successful hospitality establishments is frequently noticed but rarely recognised as a causal relationship. Reppa and Hersh (2007) report that interviews with 40 executives of truly successful companies operating in intensely competitive environments during a study by Booz Allen suggest that these organisations are distinguished by superb levels of service, which very often are viewed not just as being integral to the organisations but also as their important differentiators. Most such companies consciously route their organisations towards customer-centric behaviour and constant enhancement of service quality. Companies known for high levels of customer satisfaction exhibit an enthusiasm for providing better service from the very summit of the organisation.[25] This commitment makes up the basis of customer-centricity. Corporate strategies that are exclusive of the principles and mores of their leaders cannot really be effectual for long. Customer-centric values and traditions drive the recruitment processes of such companies, provide vitality to training, motivation and reward systems; experts state that building value systems of this type can well prove to be the definitive criterion of leadership. Leaders of such businesses are eloquent about their requirements of organisational culture and leave no doubt about the importance they attach to service quality.[26] Whilst most organisations by and large follow their own strategies for achieving of exceptional service quality, certain principles, policies, and strategies are important for the continued success of all hospitality organisations. i. Human Resource Policies Whilst strong HR policies are accepted to be utmost importance for achievement of high levels of service quality, especially so in the hospitality industry where interaction between organisational employees and guests occur at various points, actual HR practices leave much to be desired in many establishments, and much of the hospitality industry, especially in the middle level and economy level hotels and restaurant segments, is characterised by low wages, part-time workers and high turnover.[27] This is especially true of the London budget hotel and restaurant segment, which is peopled by workers from East Europe and Asia, many of whom are paid low wages, have essentially temporary jobs, and are weak in communicating in English. Staff turnover in many hospitality establishments is often as high as 100 %.[28] Hotels Chains like the Marriott, the Four Seasons, and the Ritz Carlton, on the other hand, are obsessed with issues concerning employee selection, training, remuneration, and retention, believing and very rightly so, that the quality of service is predominantly dependent upon employee calibre. [29]Such organisations populate their establishments with superior staff who are specifically chosen for their natural predispositions for caring for people. The Marriott recruitment philosophy of â€Å"get (ting) it right, first time† conceals a complex and well thought out strategy of recruiting people with great care in order to provide for near perfect fits. Again most such establishments pay as much attention to training, motivating and developing employees as they do to selecting and recruiting them.[30] â€Å"Ritz-Carlton uses a process that may set the standard for methodical rigor. It evaluates each applicant using scientific, behaviour-based assessment tools developed by the human resources consulting firm Talent+, tools derived from statistical analysis of top performers’ behavioural characteristics in each job category. Potential hires are tested both for cultural fit and for traits associated with customer service excellence, including what Ritz calls an innate ‘passion to serve.’ Says John Timmerman, vice president for quality and program management: ‘The smile has to come naturally.’† [31] The interview process furthermore requires candidates to spend time with hotel staff whilst they operate on their regular functions, giving prospective employees a practical picture of the rigours and responsibilities involved in the job and the opportunity to withdraw in case of any apprehensions or misgivings. With in-house company research indicating that wrongly recruited employees could cost the organisation many times their annual salary, the Ritz tries out initiatives like these to minimise attrition. The company’s staff turnover, which is less than 15 % of the industry average, adds, both to stability and to profitability. [32] ii. Essential Areas of Focus Whilst service quality is integral to customer satisfaction, its delivery, in the hospitality industry and elsewhere, is essentially multifaceted and subjective, and thus far more challenging than product quality. The issue has become more complex because of the fact that whilst hospitality clients have until now been satisfied with basic and fundamentally simple products and services, the technological advances of recent years have introduced new dimensions of comfort and convenience that have come to be regarded as part of high quality service.[33] Despite a plethora of innovative products, services and technologies now available in hotels, people still share a basic set of requirements critical to their experience. The top five factors that drive loyalty across all industry segments are (a) value for price, (b) room cleanliness, (c) employees â€Å"can do† attitude, (d) friendliness of the front desk staff, and (e) comfortable bed and furniture. [34] These factors play key roles in the provisioning of service quality and all successful hotels are fanatical about issues like guest comfort, cleanliness, and housekeeping. At the Mandarin Oriental, which won the highest ranking for Housekeeping in the Market Metrix Hospitality Index ranking for 2006, Barsky and Nash state that customers expressed their appreciation on various facets of housekeeping services like twice a day turndown of sheets and carefully chosen flowers. iii. Technological Advances and Service Quality Recent times have seen incredible progress in technical knowledge, expertise, and know-how, and their use in across almost all areas of human action. Hardware technology, software development and the expansion of the World Wide Web have provided new facets to the hospitality sector. Technological development has led to improvement in efficiencies, reduction of expenses, heightening of customer satisfaction, expansion of revenues, and increase in competitive advantage of members of the hospitality industry. The emergence and the progressive adoption of the Internet by millions of individuals across the world has opened up new dimensions in human connectivity and influenced the actions of all business sectors. â€Å"The Internet, as a collection of interconnected computer networks, provides free exchanging of information. Over 400 millions of computers on more

Thursday, September 19, 2019

Autism :: essays research papers fc

â€Å"Many years ago, I watched a young boy rock back and forth as he worked a crossword puzzle. I tried to distract him from working the puzzle to ride bikes with me. I continuously asked him to play with me, but he kept staring at the puzzle while I attempted to look in his eyes. He took the puzzle apart and flipped the pieces in the air, one at a time. He did not speak, but he made crying noises. The more I asked questions or talked to him, the louder his cries became. As his frustration grew, he balled his fists up, punched his eyes, and kicked his feet. I was curious about his activity. I was later told the boy {my brother} was autistic,† says Tamara Robinson in an interview.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Autism is â€Å"a syndrome of childhood characterized by a lack of social relationship, a lack of communication abilities, persistent compulsive, rituals, and resistance to change† (Paluszny 1). For centuries, medical professionals have tried to understand autism and its origin. The above example shows only a few examples of autistic behavior.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The history of autism extends, as far back as the late sixteenth century; however, during that time it was not identified as this illness. Here is a statement from before the discovery of the illness: In 1799, a boy about eleven years of age was found naked in the woods of Averyron, France. He was dirty, covered with sores, mute, and behaved like A wild animal. Jean Itard, the physician of the new institution for deaf-mutes, Was given charge of the abandoned child. From Itard’s description, Victor Showed many features of autism—he did not look at people and never Played with the toys, but showed remarkable memory in recalling the position Of objects in his room and resisted any change of these objects. (Paluszny 2) In attempt to educate Victor, Itard used a glass of water as a form of encouragement, but he continued to remain silent and never spoke any words. It was not until 1943 that the label â€Å"autism† was used by a child psychiatrist, named Leo Kanner to describe the symptoms. â€Å"The term autism derives from auto, the Greek word for self,† (Hamblin 137). Kanner used this term when he studied eleven children who had a â€Å"unique form of schizophrenia† (Hamblin 136). Although, it was later determined that even though some of the characteristics of schizophrenia and autism are not the same, Kanner did open new doors for an intensive study of a confusing syndrome.

Wednesday, September 18, 2019

Forensic Psychology Essay -- Papers

Forensic Psychology 1). Forensic Psychology is the application of the theories of psychology to law and the legal system. Issues of violence and its impact on individuals and/or groups delineate the main and central concerns in Forensics within the adult, juvenile, civil, and family domains. Forensic psychologists provide advice to legislators, judges, correctional officers, lawyers, and the police. They are called upon, for example, to serve as an expert witness, diagnose and treat incarcerated and probationed offenders, and screen and evaluate personnel in the law enforcement and judicial systems. Forensics encompasses a wide range of academic orientation. Synonyms for Forensic psychologists include criminal psychologist, correctional psychologists, police psychologists, and social-legal psychologists. However, Forensics is considered a single discipline. Just as one social psychologist may focus on group behavior while another may focus on interpersonal interaction, Forensic Psychology is best consi dered as a large all-encompassing field, for which correctional, police, and legal psychology are all sub-disciplines. 2). Erich Fromm defines benign aggression as a brief reaction to protect us from danger. In contrast, malignant aggression is hurting others purely for the sadistic pleasure. Fromm believes people feel helplessly compelled to conform to the rules of society, at work, and to authority everywhere. This lack of freedom to make decisions and the inability to find meaning and love in one's life causes resentment and sometimes malignant, sadistic aggression. How and where does this hostility show itself? Some people get pleasure from hurting, killing, and destroying; Hitler was a prime example: he killed 15 to 20... ...de where fires are set in or around the home and result in attention from family, friends, and neighbors. The instrumental person's act is usually characterized by a desire to resolve interpersonal conflict by setting fire to a building in a retaliative way, external to the arsonist. This offence often involves prior threats to the victim plus a specific behavioral trigger just prior to the attack. The expressive arsonist's object of target is on very public buildings affording as much public attention as possible and thus increases psychological relief for the fire setter. Emotionally charged 'non-specific' triggers are common prior to the event. These offenders will often return to the scene and observe and participate in the response. The Instrumental object of the instrumental fire setter is generally a means of achieving some criminal goal such as theft.

Tuesday, September 17, 2019

Methods of Business Research Essay -- Business and Management Studies

Methods of Business Research According to the American Marketing Association, marketing research is the systematic gathering, recording, and analyzing of data about problems relating to the marketing of goods and services. Marketing research is not a perfect science. It deals with people and their constantly changing feelings and behaviors, which are influenced by countless subjective factors. To conduct marketing research you must gather facts and opinions in an orderly, objective way to find out what people want to buy, not just what you want to sell them. It is impossible to sell products or services that customers do not want. Learning what customers want, and how to present it attractively, drives the need for marketing research. Small business has an edge over larger concerns in this regard. Large businesses must hire experts to study the mass market, while small-scale entrepreneurs are close to their customers and can learn much more quickly about their buying habits. Small business owners have a sense their customers' needs from years of experience, but this informal information may not be timely or relevant to the current market. Marketing research focuses and organizes marketing information. It ensures that such information is timely and permits entrepreneurs to reduce business risks, Spot current and upcoming problems in the current market, identify sales opportunities and develop plans of action. Business research is essential because it involves statistical information about the external and internal environment of the company. This information is required while planning strategically, setting objectives and determining the competitive advantage of the company or the product. Studies based on morale, employee opinions, absenteeism and the management of people provide valuable insights into the prevailing conditions of employee management relations and tend to strengthen and improve levels of productivity and growth by fostering efficiency and effectiveness as well as competitiveness. Research on financial matters can guide the company with respect to financial issues and problems as well as opportunities. This research can lead to financial prosperity. While research is used widely to study markets and their opportunities, research is also used to study the company’s production and marketing operations. ... ...text of marketing plans. Since the business has to carry out strategic planning with reference to a company and its functions a separate specialized R&D department should be made. The reason is that research provides information on the external and internal environments of the company, on the development of a competitive edge, goals and performance measuring controls. The information collected may not be interpreted in the same way, which may lead to chaos and confusion and accurate and appropriate decisions may not be made. An un-integrated department for R&D would mean the employment of research specialists who have the expertise to collect accurate information, provide information about different opportunities and interpret it accurately. Researchers need to be well equipped with data collection, measurement and analysis tools to make the best possible use of the information gathered. There fore, in larger businesses, it is almost essential for company to have a separate well equipped research department to deal with large amounts of data in an effective manner in order to maintain the focus of strategic development on the different functions of the organizaiton

Analysis and Critique on French Education System

In my opinion, the French education system is faulty and undeserving. Meisler portrays for us in animated detail, the torture that French pupils go through in their schooldays. It is also relatively easy for me to understand this scenario because in my country, India, the scene is strikingly similar. It is also the reason that I am here right now–in the United States getting the benefits of the best undergraduate system in the world–to take home with me the accrual of a â€Å"liberal† education. I find the lack of French students in an American institution surprising. Surely French parents will think and re-think before making a choice between their child†s future and the haughtiness of their country†s culture. Do they really want risk their children to go through a system where the chance of getting the baccalaureate degree is only one in three? What is the point of â€Å"attempting† to get an education? The country†s literacy rate reads ninety-nine percent yet Meisler indicates that two-thirds of France is without a reputed degree. These statistics are unheard of in the rest of the world. Students who do manage to get this degree get celebrity treatment and many go on to become Nobel laureates. Nevertheless, what of those who not make it? They live an obscure life, affected by their failure until their dying day. This also happens to be the reason for France†s contemptuous behavior towards tourists. One often comes across a French waiter or low-level bureaucrat or store clerk behaving defensively as they had done with their teachers, desperately trying to evade disapproval. Fear being their motivation rather than the pursuit of success. French education seemingly preaches that France is the world and that there is nothing beyond. Meisler has pointed out a symbolic example when he says that, in English, people usually try to judge the level of comprehension of the person with whom they are conversing. They then try to adapt to the same wavelength so that the conversation carries on with least difficulty. However, to the French, this is an alien concept. If you cannot speak the perfect grammar that they as children have been taught in medieval fashion, you become an outcast. I think the French have to modify their philosophy and look beyond defining â€Å"education† as â€Å"academics†. There is much more to a complete education than precision of mind, command of language and a huge store of memory. They have to realize that Nobel laureates do not mean much until they are representatives of their entire country. Although France may have had several more Nobel laureates than the United States, it has achieved this at a price. The price of disregarding their â€Å"lesser† citizens. The United States on the other hand has gone the Darwinian way–the process of natural selection–and has let the people discover themselves and bring the best out in them. They have not had them molded to become superior beings–which in my vocabulary reads as â€Å"robots†Ã¢â‚¬â€œwhich in turn is defined in the Webster dictionary as â€Å"an efficient insensitive person who functions automatically. † The French education system is in desperate need of a complete overhaul. Otherwise, their nation is going to lose all of the little importance that they have in the world today because of their immodesty and arrogance. France is and will be nothing more than an angry yapping poodle in the midst of uninterested, lazing bulldogs.

Monday, September 16, 2019

Employment responiblities and right in health Essay

1.1 Disciplinary procedures Discrimination Minimum wage Hours worked Health and safety Holiday’s entitlements Redundancy and dismissal Training Union right and consultation 1.2Employment rights Equalities and Discrimination Health and safety 1.3There has to be rules and protection for workers, owners of businesses and factories have never given anything to the workers without being forced to, shorter hours, paid holidays, proper safety protection, rising the age a child can be employed. All these above have to be legislated for the owners to obey the laws. It also helps us the employer and the employee. 1.4looks at your contract Handbook, Job description, Policy documents, Terms and conditions Basic rights Discrimination issues Information source Health and safety Work experience Bullying in the Workplace 2.1 My contract shows me the start date of my contract started. What hours I will be doing in the week. How much I get paid an hour and when it will get paid in my bank. What holidays I am entitled to, For the sickness pay and conditions there is no contractual sickness/injury payment scheme in  addition to SSP, if there is a capability/disciplinary issues it explains what how you should look in the handbook and what part of the hand book you need to look at. If you have a grievance it tells you to raise it with your manager either verbally or in writing. It tells you how many week notice you have to give for termination for you and the employee. 2.2 On my pay statement it shows the breakdown of all the hours I have worked thought out the month. It also shows how much national insurance and tax I have paid, what tax period it is. How many days holidays I have taken and have left. It also tells me my pay roll number. It has the gross pay which is how much you have earned before tax and at the bottom off the wage slip it tells you how much you come out with after the tax has been taken off. 2.3 Submit a formal written grievance to the line manager, who will make every effort to hear your grievance within five working days, if we need help putting are point across we can ask a colleague or an accredited trade union official to be present to help explain. If you are not happy with the outcome, tell the person who dealt with the grievance that you would like to take it further. Submit a formal written appeal to the director within five working days of receiving written confirmation you need to include an explanation of why you are unhappy with the original decision. Once a decision is made at the appeal stage is final. 2.4Your name Address/telephone number 2.5The aim of the policy is to ensure no job applicant or employee is discriminated against either directly or indirectly on any unlawful ground. The managing director has overall responsibility for ensuring that this policy is implemented in accordance with the appropriate statutory requirements and full account will be taken of all available guidance and in particular any relevant code of practice. Day to day training is the responsibility of the management who can call on specialised skills and knowledge within the home and from external sources for advice on training matters. Training will be arranged during normal working hours whenever possible but there may be occasions when employees will be required to attend training outside their normal working hours. All employees will be given a copy of the handbook at the beginning of their employment with the home. A copy of the handbook will always be on the premises. The home  recognises your rights either to join or not to join a trade union of your choice. You are required to take reasonable care of your own well being and that off your employees. The relevant health and safety notice are posted around the premises and you are expected to be familiar with their requirements. 3.1 Care assistant play a key role in supporting qualified professionals in hospitals, care homes and other health care environments. Depending on the individual role and setting, a care assistant may assist therapists or specialists by setting up equipment and providing hands on support by working directly with the patients in carrying out routine personal care duties. 3.2 I need to be monitoring the wellbeing of the clients. Making sure that they are eating well, making sure they are not losing any weight as this could be a medical condition and a doctor may need to be called, their personal hygiene as this could mean they are not capable to do this themselves. To ensure their medication is being taken correctly and if they are not to inform the office. Making sure they are safe in their own if there any safety issues the we need to ring the office and let the co-ordinator so they can get hold of the social work to find the best way to sort it out. 3.3 We need to be making sure that the individuals are proved with the right care for example making sure personal care is done, making sure they have taken their medicine and eating correctly support in their intellectual, social and emotional needs. Carrying out treatment or therapy. 3.4 Their roles are to regulate health and adult social care providers to protect and promote the health, safety and welfare of people who use health and social care services. They undertake the role for the general purpose of encouraging three things, the improvement of health and social care services, ensuring services focus on people who use services, and all that resources are used effectively and efficiently. To do them thing they need to register providers a common set of standards. These are the standards providers have a legal responsibility to meet and that people have a right to expect whenever or wherever they receive care. Monitor and inspect providers against regularly, at anytime in response to concerns. Undertaking themed inspections, themed reviews and specialist investigations base on particular aspects of care. 4.1 Home care manager Outreach worker Doctors Nurses Social worker Dental Health care scientists Care co-ordinator Team leaders 4.2 Hospitals Carehomes Careworkers Library Work placement 4.3 Pathway for a team leaders are: Well organised Positive attitude Able to work with plant equipment and complete some office work with computers Problem solving skills Good time management skills Able to provide management support with good communication skills which include motivational skills and decision making abilities 5.1 Winterbourne view was meant to help by assessing and treating patients so that they could have ordinary lives in their own home, but in 2011 some of the staff at winterbourne view got filmed slapping, hurting patients getting them on the floor. They also sat on them and lay on them so that the patients could not move; sometimes they would trap them under chairs to stop them from getting up. The patients were bullied, had water thrown at them. One lady was put in the shower with her clothes on, they swear, pulled hair and poking their eyes. After this was broadcasted on panorama there were 11 of its former care staff were sentenced to court. Some of the 11 got a jail sentence. 5.2 As the public have lots of concern about winterbourne view and other care homes one person said â€Å"the absence of transparency &  accountability is terrifying†. There was a lot of concern on the care sector and thinking there not just isolated instances as one lady said â€Å"there aren’t isolated instances, its cultural and its grown out of what happened in the care sector† but most of the public views on what happened was to see justice and the after care of the residents a gentlemen said â€Å"not only do I want to see justice to be seen but what is the after-care being given to the victims It’s not as simple moving them out, they have been throw hell they will need a lot of care to try and build their trust, heal the abuse and bad memories†. 5.3 The changes that have happened since winterbourne view is that CQC now take whisleblowing calls to ensure each one is tracked and chased until resolved. They now receive 500 calls a month. They also now carry out more unannounced inspections of high risk services, similar to winterbourne view. CQC carried out an extra 150 inspections of similar services and found out that almost half didn’t meet national standards. They focus on personalisation and prevention in social care and that commission should ensure services can deliver a high leave of support and care to people with complex needs or challenging behaviour. Also that services /support should be provided locally where ever possible. 5.4 The changes that have happened since Winterbourne View is that CQC now take whisleblowing calls to ensure that each one is tracked and chased until resolved. They now receive around 500 calls a month. Also they now carry out more unannounced inspections of high risk services similar to Winterbourne view. CQC carry out an extra off similar service and found out that half did not meet the national standard. They also focus on personalisation and prevention in the social care and that commission should ensure service can be deliver a high level of support and care to people with complex needs or challenging behaviour. Also the services/ support should be provided locally where possible.

Sunday, September 15, 2019

History of Education Essay

Introduction The period between 1965 and the latter end of the 1980s witnessed significant developments in the provision of post primary education in Ireland. This coincided with changes in Irish and indeed worldwide society. What makes the changes that came about so significant was the fact that for so long education policy in Ireland had remained practically untouched. From the 1920s to the 1950s, Ireland was still a place where education was seen as Ideological and a â€Å"preserve of the middle classes†. The church/religious orders were still underpinning the structures in education. The 1920s was the era of the Gaelic League, and an attempt at reviving the ancient life of Ireland as a Gaelic State. During this time little was done to tackle the low levels of participation in education, especially amongst some groups of society, particularly people from poorer socio economic areas, people from rural areas, and girls in education. It was essentially a period of stagnation from the point of view of any development by government, or any change in attitude from the public towards education. Children were needed on farms to make ends meet. From the mid-sixties onwards however, things began to change. Over the course of the paper I hope to show how the general public understanding of and attitude towards education changed. I will discuss how the government’s attitude towards education also changed, in a number of ways, including how it was provided, and also what was provided as education. Policy, Curriculum, Access and Financing are areas that were all areas of major change. I hope to discuss how these changes in the provision of post-primary education came about, and how the understanding of schooling evolved and were articulated. Changes in public perception of education One of the biggest changes in Education during the 60‘s and early 70’s, was the way people viewed and understood Education. Ireland in the 1930s and 1940s was in a very bad economic situation, with an ailing economy and mass emigration. Between 1932 and 1948, Tomas Derek served as minister for education and effectively done nothing of major significance. Economic conditions were the basis for the decisions made during this time. It was felt there was no need to change the curriculum, peoples thinking was still very rigid, and the thought of free education wasn’t thought of as any way feasible or realistic, with ideas around this described as utopian. Developments were still being affected by post war economic conditions. So what paved the way for the change that was to come? The American economist and historian, Walt Rostow, in his book, â€Å"The Stages of Economic Development†, argues that there are 5 stages on the â€Å"Road to Development†. He speaks of a situation where there is a traditional society, where the ruling elite have all the say and prospects, and the lower income person has little or no prospect of improving their lot. Social customs and traditional values are strong. He argues that there is a second stage, and this is the one I feel Ireland went through in the latter half of the 50s, early 60s. He calls it â€Å"The Preconditions for Take-off†. In this stage people become more away of the possibilities that exist for them, and more aware of the benefits of education and developing new skills for careers away from the traditional farming. Prior to the Investment in Education bill, and the dawn of Free Education, Free buses, comprehensive schools, curriculum changes, there had to be a change in the way people thought. So what brought about this change? Around this time there was a radical change in peoples thinking and also in their expectations for life, brought on by, amongst other things; †¢ The dawn of television, which brought more information into people’s lives, opening their minds to new possibilities and bigger expectations of life, †¢ The establishment of state television in the shape of Telefis Eireann in 1962, which broadcast shows from Britain and America had a profound change on attitude. †¢ Women’s rights, the civil rights movement, the space race, were other events of the time that showed people that there were other possibilities now open to them. The 1960s generation were more vocal, liberal, and more politically aware. There was a growing awareness around this time of social exclusion, especially when it comes to people from poorer economic backgrounds, rural areas, and women. Together, these factors combined to change the way people were thinking about education, and ultimately, helped to change the way the state thought about education. People were now beginning to see that the longer a person could stay in education, and the more qualified they could become, the better chance they had in life of getting a more desirable job and salary. Changes in Investment in Education In terms of Investment in education, at the end of the 1950s, and beginning of the 1960s, Ireland was lagging far behind other countries in the world. To give an example of where we Ireland was at in 1959 in regards to investment in education, Ireland was investing 50p per child, whereas Russia was operating at a level fourteen times higher at ? 7, the USA at ? 5 per child, and perhaps most significant for us, GB/NI was investing ? 2. 25 per child in education. Ireland was coming from a very poor time in its economic history, post-World War II. However, around 1960, there was an upturn in the economy. With this came the thinking that there was a need for more technical skills, leading to the building of 35 Vocational schools, where more technical subjects would be taught. The problem with these schools was that they were poorly resourced, and it was expensive to fund this. The public was becoming increasingly aware of the correlation between spending on education and the increase in the standard of living. There was a growing demand for access to education for all. The OECD report which was commissioned in 1962 was produced in 1965. The report by the OECD was commissioned to analyse the education system in Ireland, identify areas of weakness, and recommend changes for the future. It was also supposed to identify the â€Å"manpower needs† of Ireland over the following 15-20 years. What the report did do was highlight the inequalities that existed in terms of opportunity when it came to access to post primary and 3rd level education and a host of other issues. This was to prove a catalyst for change throughout the following 25 years. The OECD report was the most thorough investigation of the Irish education system conducted in decades, if not ever. The 1991 OECD review of Irish National Policy has referred to the report of 1965 as â€Å"a landmark both in the national and international memory†, and â€Å"remarkable for its comprehensiveness, its studied detachment, its theoretical underpinning, its systematic accumulation of a mass of baseline data, its detailed estimates of quantitative trends and not least the originality of the methods that it used to penetrate unexplored territory†. It highlighted the high instances of school leavers at primary level, (around 17,000 per year (Randles 1975:216)), a low rate of pupils of vocational students going on to third level, (lack of Institute of technology’s at this time), and inequalities in education for children because of geographical location and/or social group, that is, they came from a disadvantaged background financially or from an a rural area with poor access to a school. The report recommended that there was a need for wider participation of students in schooling and for students to be in the education system for longer periods. The report also brought up the economic benefits to Ireland of having educated people. This was a change from the previous way of thinking whereby children were seen to be wasting their time continuing in education when they could be working and earning a wage. Its recommendations included the following; †¢ increased investment to get more children participating in education, and for longer, i. e. the use of scholarship schemes to increase participation †¢ a need for policy planning to improve education across the board in Ireland, at all levels †¢ A need for a programme of building which included amalgamating smaller schools to form bigger more efficient schools †¢ Up skilling and training, (or in service) for teachers. The OECD report wasn’t alone in highlighting these issues. The Labour Party policy document â€Å"Challenge and Change in Education† 1963, highlighted a lot of the same issues as the report, and highlighted the need for a less discriminatory educational system not only ‘†¦.. on social or moral grounds, but (as) a basic economic investment’; In the next few years, this country is going to face enormous economic problems, problems which may indeed put our survival as an independent nation in question. It is, therefore, essential that planning in education should be an inherent part of our economic planning. Already shortages of certain types of skill are becoming felt in our economy, and at the same time there is a surplus of other skills resulting in under employment and emigration (Randles 1975). The Federation of Irish Secondary Schools (1962) report, ‘Investment in Education in the Republic of Ireland’ argued that â€Å"Selfishness is almost always short-sighted†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦maintenance of such restrictions (restricting educational expansion) on educational facilities cannot fail to ultimately adversely affect our Irish economy, and thus indirectly injure both themselves and their families†(O’Sullivan 2005:269). In 1966, Donogh O’Malley announced free education was to be introduced. This was a significant development in Irish society. â€Å"O Malley’s Bombshell†, so called due to his lack of consultation with people over his announcement, detailed free education to leaving certificate at the age of 18, and free buses providing transport for students. This was an attempt to keep children in Education for longer and to an older age. At the time, around 17,000 children left school after finishing primary education. (Randles, 1975:216) He also announced that he was raising the age that children could leave school to 15 years of age from 14 years of age. This was due to be in place by 1970, but this was later deferred until 1972. (The reason behind this deferral was due to the success of the voluntary participation in second level education after the free education announcement, and also to give time to train teachers to know how to deal with the extra reluctant school goers who have less ability and/or educational motivation. ) The effect on numbers attending post-primary school was almost immediate, with a rise in secondary school enrolment of 15,000 between September 1966 and September 1967. An example of the popularity of the free bus scheme can be seen in the figures where out of 79,000 pupils in day school, 92% of the day school pupils opted for the â€Å"free buses† scheme-(Randles p. 276) The government estimated that the number of pupils in post-primary schools increased from 149,000 in 1966 to 184,500 in 1968, and that the raising of the school leaving age to 15 years of age would eventually lead to over 200,000 before the end of the third programme for education. (Hyland, Milne et al 1995). The success of the bill can be measured in the figures of how many pupils and schools opted into the scheme for free education. O’Malley had hoped for a figure of 75% of pupils opting for free education, but the figures showed that in September 1967, the figure was in fact sitting at 92%. (Randles 1975:276) An extract from the â€Å"Third Programme for Economic and Social Development 1969-1972† which was laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas in March 1969, shows that the government acknowledging the link between education and economic and social development, â€Å"The vital role of education in economic and social development and the need for fundamental changes in this sector has been repeatedly stressed in recent years. This increased emphasis has been reflected in the expansion in state expenditure. During the first programme, Exchequer expenditure on education (excluding agricultural education) increased from less than ? 16 million in 1958/59 to over ? 25 million in 1963/64 at current prices. The rate of increase has been even greater during the second programme; Exchequer expenditure in 1968/69 is estimated at ? 56 million†. (Hyland, Milne et al 1995:41) Changes in Government understanding of education. By the end of the 1960’s, it was for the first time that economic need was shaping education policy rather than pedagogy of the past. This is reflected when Brian Lenihan, who took over as minister for education when Donogh O Malley passed away suddenly in 1968, ordered a review of the education system with a view to job requirements, further emphasising the point that it was now an economy driven vision of education that we were adopting. However, this review was cancelled when Fianna Fail returned to power in 1969 and Padraig Faulkner was minister for education. The third Programme for Economic and Social Development also highlighted the need for more qualified teachers. The report states that â€Å"The number of teachers in secondary and vocational schools has been increasing by about 400 per year. The increase in 1968/69 is about 800†. (Hyland, Milne et al 1995:43) To facilitate the demand, there was a greater number of places in the relevant faculties in University, courses leading to the Higher Diploma in education was introduced in Maynooth, and there was an increase in departmental courses for the training of vocational teachers. The growth in the economy and in the technical sector led to the need for more people qualified in the technical areas. This combined with the OECD report highlighting the need for a building programme in Ireland led to the opening of RTC’s, Regional Technology Institutes. The building of the technical institutes regionally was to serve the dual purpose of tackling the problem of people being geographically disadvantaged, and the need for more technical courses. The relative success in this can be measured in rise of numbers attending, 5. 9% of people took up places in RTC’s in 1965, compared to 36. 7% in 1981-1982. The shift in emphasis or the uptake of higher education courses was towards technical courses, going from a level of 80% of students being in higher education in Universities, to 50% of people taking higher education courses taking up places in technical courses in 1980. Changes in Government understanding of schooling and curriculum While the period from 1965 to the early 1970s was primarily noted for developments such as the introduction of free education and bus travel, the raising of the school leavers age, and the introduction of comprehensive and community schools, it is worth also focusing on the curricular and educational policies that took places in this period. The main changes in regards to the curriculum include introducing common courses and examinations in secondary schools, thus enabling students attending vocational schools, comprehensive and community schools to study for the same exams as they would have been doing had they gone down the traditional route and attended some of the traditional secondary schools. Other changes to the curriculum included the introduction of new subjects, the removal of others, and the changing of content in others. One of the reasons why the second level curriculum was subjected to continuous adaptation around this time(early 1970’s) was to cater for the varied needs and abilities of the greater student population, which was a broader spectrum of student that there had been previously. In 1969, Minister for Education Brian Lenihan produced a booklet called, â€Å"All our Children†. The idea behind this booklet was to explain the changes that were happening in education in Ireland, such as the new Primary School Curriculum, the opening of Comprehensive schools, the new subjects and revision of others, as well as the building of technical colleges. Education in the 1970s may not have strictly followed the guidelines set out in the booklet, but it is an example of the way the government was changing in the way they were thinking about education, and their efforts to keep the public informed. Its publication also highlights the growing demand for information about education from the general population that was occurring at the time. Contrast this to the attitude towards education in previous decades and it highlights how far Ireland had come in such a short period of time. A further example of the change in how the government were approaching education and policy was evident when in 1970, then minister for education Padraig Falkner, said that there was now a change in the emphasis in educational, and that it was now a case of â€Å"passing from that of quantity to quality†, i. e. â€Å"from concentration on an expansion in the number of students attending at educational institutions to particular concern with the diversity of opportunity provided, the suitability of curricula, and long term planning for the future. †(Mulchahy, O’Sullivan 1989:81) This change in thinking and understanding led to developments such as the social and environmental studies project (SESP) based at St Patricks Comprehensive School in Shannon being set up, as well as projects aimed at developing the curriculum in other schools. The Higher Education Authority was set up by an act of the Oireachtas to advise the government on developing higher educational facilities. In 1971 there was the introduction of the New Curriculum for primary schools. Throughout the 1970s Ireland saw changes at third level, with the setting up of the nine Regional Technical Colleges, two National Institutes of technologies, and the opening of Thomand College. During this period, spending on education soared, from ? 78million in 1970 to ? 443 in 1979. (Hyland, Milne et al 1995:50) Faulkner also set up a committee in September 1970 â€Å"to evaluate the present form and function of the Intermediate Certificate examination and to advise on new types of public examinations†. (Randles 1975:315) The rationale behind this came from the drop in the pass rate for the Intermediate Certificate, from 87% in 1968, to 74. 6% in 1969 and then 73. 5% in 1970. This can be attributed to students with a larger span of abilities entering post primary and taking the examinations than had been the case before, and all of these students targeting the Intermediate exam regardless of its suitability to them. It was now being recognised that the Intermediate exam wasn’t suitable to all. The developments at third level are also important to note. Aside from the developmental works/building works done in providing the new RTC’s, aided by the setting up of the Higher Education Authority, teacher training was now looked at as being increasingly important. Teacher training courses was extended from two to three years; the National Institute for Higher Education was set up in Limerick, and Thomand College acting as a facility where teachers of specialist subjects could be educated. There is also a move to lower the pupil-student ratio, and to have greater accessibility to third level education for all. These changes at government level throughout the 1970s and early 1980s highlight the changes in the thinking behind education. No longer was it a â€Å"quantity† issue, it was now about â€Å"quality† of education. Greater facilities, better trained teachers, and increased availability of opportunities at third level are now real issues. If you contrast this to the early 1960’s, where it was a case of getting as many people into education, and then keeping them there as long as possible. Conclusion The way schooling in Ireland was understood changed dramatically over the period between 1965 and the end of the 1980s. It is a period of time where there is so much to discuss and it is hard to limit to speaking about just a few things. I felt that the most significant changes took place in the late 60’s, early, 70’s. I feel these were the most significant because these changes paved the way for changes that were to follow. The change in peoples understanding of the importance of education in turn led to an increased demand for education. Government understanding of the importance of education for the future economy combined with the growing demand for fairer access to education led to the hugely significant announcement of free education and free travel. At this point it was about getting the most amount of people into post-primary education as possible, but it wasn’t long before we began to realise that the quality of education needed to be looked at. The quality of teaching and the quality of what was being taught was looked at. Curriculum and examinations were investigated and changed. Real issues were now being addressed, such as third level requirements. Technical Institutes and courses were built and provided regionally. What made all of the changes so significant for me was the fact that for so long very little had been done in this field. The period between 1965 and the 1980s was a period where both the general public and government, began to see the importance of quality education, accessible to all, and its importance in the development of both the individual and the country. The developments of this period were a major stepping stone to where we are today. References Walt Rostow, â€Å"The Stages of Economic Growth†, 1959. (Available Online at) http://www. nvcc. edu/home/nvfordc/econdev/introduction/stages. html Irish Educational Documents, Volume 2 Aine Hyland, Kenneth Milne (Online Version found here) http://books. google. ie/books? id=8yNl5UCocFIC&pg=PA268&dq=1970+The+community+schools+proposal+ireland&hl=en&sa=X&ei=2H4ET6qMEYLLhAe-6pi-AQ&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q=1970%20The%20community%20schools%20proposal%20ireland&f=false Articles from above Book; Investment in Education, inaugural speech, October 1962 Page 29-32 Third Programme for Economic and Social Development, 1969-1972, Post Primary, 14. Page 43 Whitepaper on Educational Development 1980, foreword Page 52 Ar ndaltai uile- All Our Children 1969 Page 45-47 Bibliography Irish Education Policy, Process and Substance, D. G. Mulcahy & Denis O’Sullivan Cultural Politics and Irish Education since the 1950s, Policy, Paradigms and Power, Denis O Sullivan Post-Primary School Education in Ireland 1957-1970 Sister Eileen Randles, Veritas Publicans 1975 The Politics of Irish Education 1920-65 Sean Farren.