My Favourite Book Essay

One of the things that I really love to do is to read. Through reading I have found out so many things about life in all of its aspects. Reading page after page, book by book, I have discovered the world around me, facts about past, present and versions of the future and i have learned so many amazing things. I’ve started reading at the age of eight when The stories from 1001 nights fascinated and captured me completely. It helped me to open my mind to new situations and I understood that the power of creation can change lives. Later, at the age of 10, I was amused by Pacala and Tandala adventures, but my favourite book is Childhood memories. This book contains lots of funny events on which young heart of Ion Creanga he lived and he felt intensely. One of the events and the one that surprised me very much is Pupaza din tei. It describes everyday life that was plagued by hoopoe song and how Nica tried to get rid of it. Another event comic is where Nica goes to the Ozana river even though his mother gave him the child in the care. Nothing prevents to go Ozana and to bathe, but gets his reward from his mother. All these events have made the reading to become an important part of my life and helped me to find out more about me, information about human nature, human art and history, human achievements, anatomy and human mental faculties. I love reading because it helps me to learn. to be creative and offers me new perspectives.

Brand Failures

Companies don't blame the product, (but) they blame the brand. Brands also transformed the process of marketing into a process of perception-building. Image is now everything: consumers consider more important the perception of the brand than the real product. Why branding is everything? Because companies live or die on the strength of the brand: one mistake and the customer can break the loyalty bond RULES why brands fail l. Brand Amnesia. For old brands, memory becomes a problem. When a brand forgets its identity and try to create a new identity, like Coca-Cola with New Coke. Brand Ego. Brand overestimates its importance, believe to dominate the market alone (like Polaroid in the photography market) or enter new markets that don't fit (like Harley Davidson selling perfume) 3. Brand deception. Companies sometimes lie when branding, and today consumers are really connected via Internet and can't be cheated. 4. Brand paranoia. When the brand feels an inferiority complex, imitating the competitors and reinventing the brand every six months. 5. Brand Relevance. When a market evolves, the brands risk to become obsolete.There are some myths associated with branding: I If a product is good, it will have success. This is not always true, Because good products can fail exactly like bad products. For example, Bateman was better than VS., but failed. 2. Brands are more likely to succeed than fail. Wrong. Brands fail every single day, the 80 per cent dies when introduced, and 10 per cent within five years. 3. Big companies Will always have brand success. This is false, because famous brands are also weaker. For example â€Å"New Coke†. 4. Strong brands are built on advertising.Advertising can support brands, but not build them. There are many types of failures, one of them is Classic failures Reasons why brands fail: marketing errors: like setting the wrong price or name or getting paranoid about the competition or consumers can boycott the brand because of a scand al via internet or simply because they are bad ideas New Coke case In the case of New Coke, the brand forgot its identity.

Personality Theories

Introduction The purpose of this essay is to review theories that have been linked and discussed in regards to personality. It aims to define personality, summarize the main ideas across different articles, pointing out the strengths and weaknesses that are in the articles. It also links my personal experience of personality traits to the theory of personality. The essay begins by defining personality from different articles and books, then analyzing critically the key definitions. Furthermore the essay discusses the relationship between personality and job performance and the relationship between personality and motivation. The essay contains a reflective writing section, based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, a theory of motivation and personality, in which my personal experience is discussed. Definitions The word personality has many definitions across many fields, in different articles. Hogan and Holland (2003), defines personality as the unique pattern of psychological and behavioral characteristics by which each person can be distinguished from other people. This means each person’s characteristics are different from the other, and people are unique beings. Unlike Griffin (2007), who suggests that personality is understood by some people to mean self concept, by others, the consensus of other people’s opinions about one’s character, and by others, one’s true character. This definition is vague and over simplistic. It places individuals in single categories, ignoring the fact that every personality represents a unique combination of qualities. Walter (1986) goes on further to look at personality from two angles, the actors view and the observers view. Personality from the actors view is a person’s identity, which is defined in terms of the strategies a person uses to pursue acceptance and status, identity controls and actors social behavior. Personality from the observers view is a person’s reputation, and it is defined in terms of trait evaluations-conforming, helpful, talkative, competitive, calm, curious and so forth. However, the common trait on the definitions is restored on the following definitions. Griffin (2007) defines personality as the relatively stable set psychological attributes that distinguish one person from the other. This is often referred to as the long standing debate often expressed as nature versus nurture, that people’s personality is shaped by both inheritance and environment. The next definition implores a new trait that of interaction with others. It is suggested that personality is the term used to describe the overall combination of characteristics or traits that reflect the nature of a person and the way they react to and interact with others (De Janasz, Wood, Gottschalk & Schneider, 2006). Here the authors suggest that personality determinants appear to be shaped by inheritance, environmental and situational factors. Hellriegel and Slocum (2006) also define personality as the overall profile or combination of stable psychological attributes that capture the unique nature of a person. This definition suggests that personality combines a set of physical and mental characteristics that reflect how a person looks thinks, acts and feels. Hellriegel and Slocum’s definition contains two important ideas, the first being what sets people apart and what they have in common and the second refers to personality as being stable and happening overtime. The relationship between personality and job performance Since 1990 analytical reviews have shown that personality measures are useful predictors of job performance. Although these results represent a substantial revision in how applied psychology views personality assessment (cf. Guion & Gottier, 1965; Locke & Hulin, 1962), there is still no agreed theoretical account for the findings. A theory of individual differences in work effectiveness that links assessment to performance would enhance the value of personality measures for forecasting occupational outcomes. The current study organized criterion measures into the broad themes of getting along and getting ahead, and big five personality categories (Hogan & Roberts, 2001). The results suggest that there is some practical utility for the theory driven research. Nevertheless, some researchers have criticized the big five factors as an incomplete taxonomy and have suggested that important relationships are obscured when analysis is limited to the big five rather than a seven factor model. Tellgen & Waller (1987) found seven factors, five of which corresponded to the big five and two additional factors. This goes on to show that more extensive research is needed and current theories are not enough to draw conclusions from. However, research related to personality has recently clarified the utility of using personality variables for predicting job performance. This research by (Barrick & Mount, 1991; Hough, 1992; Salgado 1997) has demonstrated that personality constructs are indeed associated with work performance. Other traits are correlated with specific occupations. However, very little research has examined the mechanisms through which personality traits influence performance. Barrick and Mount (1991) found autonomous goal setting, and to a lesser extent goal setting, to mediate relationships between measures of job proficiency and supervisory ratings of job performance and sales volume for sales representatives. Organizational researchers have long been interested in relationships between personality traits and job performance. With the resurgent interest in theories of personality and the discovery of the big five model structure, research in this area has flourished. Researchers of personality and performance studies frequently make the implicit assumption that performance is a stable construct and thus rely on cross sectional and one time measures of performance to capture something that by its very nature unfolds across time. In depth studies have shown that the relationship between personality and performance measures have been the norm despite longstanding evidence that performance is dynamic (Bass, 1962). *The relationship between personality* and motivation Personality has had an uneven history in work motivation research. Most researchers would implicitly agree that there are individual differences in motivation, and these differences can be traced to dispositional tendencies. In response to a question about what is known in regards to individual differences in motivation, Austin and Klein (1996) commented, â€Å"Despite studies addressing individual differences within each of the perspectives, a considerable amount of research is needed before precise statements can be made about their role†. Gellatly (1996) noted that†attempts to empirically link personality characteristics with motivational variables have produced inconsistent results†. This is a result of lack of theoretical progress and conceptual clarity in the motivational area itself. However, motivational research has made substantial theoretical progress and with respect to the theory for which the most progress has been made it is not clearly defined. As Locke, Shawn, Saari and Latham (1981) noted in their seminal review, the only consistent thing about studies of individual differences in goal setting is their inconsistency. A more likely explanation for the lack of progress in personality and motivation literature is as Hogan and Roberts (2007) put it, â€Å"there are thousands of personality measures in the published literature†. These authors commented further that past personality research was sprawling in conceptual disarray, with no overarching theoretical paradigm and the subject matter was operationalized in terms of a large number of poorly validated scales with different names. With so many traits related to different aspects of motivation, it is no surprise that reviews of the literature have come away apathetic by the observed findings. Reflective Writing Maslow’s hierarchy aims to explain human behavior in terms of basic requirements for survival and growth. These requirements are arranged according to their importance for survival and their power to motivate the individual. The most basic physical requirement, such as food, water and oxygen constitute the lowest level of the need hierarchy. These needs must be satisfied before other higher needs become important to individuals (Scmuttle, 2002). While the order of satisfaction is subject to debate, I have worked as a farm manager and the most of my subordinates only cared about the first two needs. The physiological and safety needs. The basic needs of survival are what seemed to motivate them to work. The farm workers were not driven by ambition, esteem needs or self actualization needs. If by chance the basic requirements were lacking the workers would revolt, but in abundance farm output would double or triple in certain quarters. Although Maslow agrees that other needs do not fit into his hierarchy for example cognitive needs such as curiosity and scientific interest. I feel that in developing countries those needs are not yet valued and hence a forfeited which renders the hierarchy of needs valid. In conclusion, the literature on personality and job performance, and personality and motivation shows a connection between each of the two. In theory a strong connection exists but often that is not the case. Incorrect assumptions about personality in relation to job performance and motivation could result in erroneous conclusions in firms and organizations, which can be costly. However, this does not render the theories invalid, in my personal experience the connection was evident but only on the first two levels of the hierarchy. The differences can be attributed to different cultures and values between developing countries and Western countries. References Austina, J. T & Klein, H. J. (1996). Work motivation and goal striving. In K. R. Murphy (Ed), Individual differences and behaviour in organizations. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Barrick, M. R. & Mount, M. K. (1991). The Big Five personality dimensions and job performance: A meta-analysis. Personnel Psychology, 44, 1-26. Bass, B. M. (1962). Further evidence of the dynamic nature of criteria. Personnel_ Psychology_, 15, 93-97. De Janasz, S. Wood, G. Gottschalk, K. D. & Schneider, B. (2006). Interpersonal skills in organisations. McGrawHill: NSW. Gellatly, I. R. (1996). Conscientiousness and task performance: Test of cognitive process model. Journal of Applied Psychology, 81, 474-482. Griffin, M. (2007). Organizational Behavior. Managing People and Organizations. 8th Ed. Houghton Miffling: Boston. Guion, R. M. & Gottier, R. F. (1965). Validity of personality measures in personnel selection. Personnel Psychology, 18, 135-164. Hellriegel, D. & Slocum, J. (2006). Organizational Behaviour. Thomson South-Western:China Hogan, R. & Roberts, B. W. (2001). Personality and Industrial and organizational Psychology. In B. W. Roberts & Hogan (Eds) _Personality Psychology in the workplace (pp. 3-16). _Washington, DC: American Psychology Association. Hough, L. M. (1992). The Big Five personality variables-construct confusion: Description versus prediction. Human Performance, 5, 139-155. Locke, E. A & Hulin, C. L. (1962). A review and evaluation of the validity studies of activity vector analysis. Personnel Psychology, 15, 25-42. Locke, E. A. , Shaw, K. N. Saari, L. M. , & Latham, G. P. (1981). Goal setting and task performance. Psychological Bulleting, 90, 125-152. Salgado, J. F. (1997). The five factor model of personality and job performance in the European Community. Journal of Applied Psychology, 82, 30-43. Schuttle, D. (2002). Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. Gale Encyclopedia of Nursing and Allied Health. 3, 1500-1503. Tellegen, A. & Waller, N G. (1987). Re-examining bas ic dimensions of natural language trait descriptors. Paper presented at the 95th annual convention of the American Psychological Association, New York. Personality Theories Answer: c. â€Å"us versus them. † Correct Answer: Question 2 O out of 2 points Because they both thought In terms of privacy an power, Nixon and Singer could relate well to one another, according to Kelly's Corollary. Answer A. Choice D. Sociality Question 3 In order to emphasize that his theory was concerned with the â€Å"nature of the animal† rather than with environmental forces, Kelly called his theory Answer a Jackass theory. Question 4Kelly explained personality change as a result of Answer adjusting to environmental pressures. Successive constructions of the replications of events. Question 5 increase the predictability of events. Question 6 Slot movement describes changing to the contrast pole of a construct. Question 7 â€Å"Is your teacher happy? † a student is asked. The student replies, â€Å"I don't know; I never thought about that. † What interpretation from Kelly's theory is appropriate? B. The teacher is outside the range of convenience o f the student's construct â€Å"happiness. † Correct Answer: â€Å"happiness.Question 8 Despite numerous physical difficulties, artist Friday Kohl believed she could be successful in her work. This is called Answer self-efficacy. Question 9 Michel focuses particularly on variables. Cognitive Question 10 According to Michel, traits contradict describe Question 1 1 behavior. â€Å"If I ask Jane to go to the movies, will she go, or reject me? † This is a question of behavior-outcome expectancies. Question 12 According to Michel, people are not passively controlled by their environment because they can develop to influence their own behavior.Answer self-regulatory systems Question 13 Michel conducted research on the delay of gratification in Answer children. Question 14 Delay of gratification is easier if the child sees models who delay their own gratification. Question 15 Bandanna's concept of describes the mutual influences of the person, the environment, and behavior. Answer reciprocal determinism The main function of the self-system, as described by Bandeau, is to Answer regulate behavior. Question 17 A person high in self-efficacy believes he or she can act effectively in a situation. Question 18

History - Rwanda Genocide Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

History - Rwanda Genocide - Research Paper Example Though efforts are done, those harms do still happen in controlled settings. Mutual understanding among nations and people may have reduced the occurrences of conflicts and violence. Conflicts and violence may occur anytime and anywhere which means people must be aware of their surroundings at all time. Nobody knows when it may happen though there are some ways that people especially the government agencies can predict the occurrences of violence through patterns they get from the data of past events. One of the nations that experienced a significant violence and conflict is Rwanda. That country is located in the eastern part of Africa near Tanzania and Congo. The topography of the land of Rwanda is composed of mountains and valleys. Rwanda then has the highest peak at 4,324 meters which is the top of a volcano called Mount Karisimbi (King 2007, p. 7). The people then that live the mountains and valleys are generally called Rwandans and composed of the ethnic groups Pygmy, Hamitic an d Bantu. The population overall of the Rwandans is approximately 11 million and the size of population is attributed to high mortality rate. Many die because of diseases because of poor sanitation and major diseases like the dreaded Autoimmune Deficiency Syndrome or AIDS. They are mostly poor as only 19 percent of them are in the urban areas. They also lack potable water to cater the needs of everyone. In terms of religion, Rwandans are mostly Christians with majority of them are Catholic. When it comes to basic education, most of them know how to read and write by 15 years old and above (Streissguth 2007, p. 36). The government of Rwanda then became a parliament recently and its laws are patterned after France and Belgium. The constitution of Rwanda was then ratified in 2003. The said constitution pledges to protect the rights of the Rwandans, to provide peace among groups there and to prevent political party formations based on culture and race. The government then is divided into judicial, legislative and executive just like in the government form seen in Europe and USA. The people allowed to vote must be at least 18 years old. Once the election is finished, the president then has been decided and he is the one responsible to appoint the prime minister and the cabinet who will assist him in leading the country (King 2007, p. 43). Before the government of Rwanda has been patterned after the Western nations, the country started as a land roamed by Pygmy group called Twa but the said ethnic group is only one percent of the current population. It was known in the past that Twa had interactions and interrelationships with the other ethnic groups like Tutsi and Hutu. The two groups were very similar in traditions but they are differentiated for their source of livelihood as Tutsi are cattle growers while Hutu are crop growers. It was then in 1933 when Belgian people controlled Rwanda and commanded the Rwandans to wear identification cards to clearly separate them by races (Kalayjian and Paloutzian 2009, p. 73). Probably that decision of the Belgians had bred further conflicts and violence among the ethnic groups which became prevalent since the independence of Rwanda. Rwanda became occupied by Germany before. When the First World War came, Belgium took over Rwanda as the Belgians snatched it from the Germans. After the war, it became a joint-state with Burundi which was also a colony of Belgium. It was then under the custody of United Nations which also played a big role in giving those

Effects of WWII on Canada Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Effects of WWII on Canada - Essay Example Historical records show that over 50 countries participated in the war and the effects were felt in the whole world. Fighting took place in nearly all parts of the world and in every continent except for Antarctica. The chief battlegrounds for the war included Europe, Asia, the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, Mediterranean Sea, and North Africa. Even though historians seem not to agree entirely on the exact date when the war started, most of them consider that the invasion of Poland by Germany on September 1, 1939 without warning marked the beginning of the World War II. By September 3rd, the war had gained more momentum as France and Britain were at war with Germany. Within a week after the war had began, Canada, New Zealand, South Africa, and Australia had joined the war. Six years of total war then followed, being fought over numerous kilometres. The war was fought on land, in the air, and on the sea (Zuehlke 2004). It should be noted that although many countries were involved in the World War II, major world powers were the main players as they sought for global domination. Other countries like Canada and New Zealand were just backing their dominant allies based on certain factors such as territorial and historical. It should not be lost that such involvement, although not in the scale of major world powers, resulted to more effects on these countries than in countries that played very passive or no role at all during the war. It is against this background that it is necessary to understand what effects that these countries faced. This essay will focus specifically on the effects of World War II on Canada. Before evaluating the effects of World War II on Canada, it is important to highlight the effects of the war upon the major world powers, the non- European world, international organizations, and science and technology. Understanding effects on the aforementioned countries and aspects is very crucial because the

Royal Mint Production Management Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Royal Mint Production Management - Case Study Example It is clear that Royal Mint wants to establish itself as a low cost producer through economies of scales i.e. Mass Production at a reduced cost. Companies plan and forecast the demand according to the future needs of the market. Forecasting demand assists in decision making with respect to investment in plant and machinery, market planning and future sales. Some of the popular forecasting methods include In this Case, Royal Mint Estimates the demand on Time series basis. In the UK, the Treasury contracts with Royal Mint on an annual basis for the likely requirements for coin in 12 months. The Mint meets every three months with executives from the UK clearing banks to discuss their currency requirements in the shorter term. These estimates are then updated at weekly planning meetings and the demand is forecasted and Royal Mint follows a Just in time work schedule. Based on these estimates, the raw material is procured and safety stock is maintained. Agile manufacturing is the ability to accomplish rapid changeover between the manufacture of different assemblies. Rapid changeover is further defined as the ability to move from the assembly of one product to the assembly of a similar product with a minimum of change in tooling and software. Rapid changeover enables the production of small lot sizes, allowing for just-in-time' production. Inventory Control - Safety Stock Inventory control is a planned approach of determining what to order, when to order and how to order and how much to stock so that costs associated with buying and storing are optimal without interrupting production and sales. Safety stock is an important measure to be calculated regarding inventory. This ensures efficient purchasing, storing, consumption and accounting for materials. This also ensures that there is no shortage of product and there is adequate supply of product to customers. This improves delivery time and increases the reliability measure of a company. Inventory Control must be established to avoid huge accumulation of inventory. The Order level and Order quantity must be estimated prior to avoid shortages and reduce the customer lead time. These estimations in practical aspects are not accurate to the core. The estimations might be either higher or in some cases below the exact demand. To avoid this discrepancy, Safety stock is determined. In order to ensure that additional stock is maintained to meet the customer demand, the Safety stock level can be calculated as per the following formula. Safety stock = (Maximum Lead time - Normal Lead time) * Consumption rate Q2.Explain the criteria which the Mint will need to take into account when it designs newcoinage. The criteria which

Advantages and Disadvantages of Sole Proprietorship Essay

Advantages and Disadvantages of Sole Proprietorship - Essay Example Assignment It is worthwhile to mention that Katy has a relatively better idea to initiate her personal furniture business as she could invest a considerable amount of 250,000 pounds. Indeed, commencing one’s own business is more feasible than investing this money in financial markets by purchasing bonds, stocks, saving certificates etc. Indeed, the reason behind this is the fact that today’s corporate world is highly unstable that in turn affects the financial markets. Secondly, low interest rates has also reduced the yield on financial products, hence income generated in above mentioned products may not be up to one’s expectations. As far as furniture business is concerned, it should be highlighted that people tend to purchase furniture (including dining tables, bedroom sets, cupboards, chairs, book shelves etc) for their households; therefore, the demand for furniture products is relatively inelastic and will exist because it is a human need. However, the purchasing power of a customer could affect the demand of designed and branded furniture products. In more simple words, Katy who is adept in designing and marketing should opt to commence her own business in the light of following costs and benefits analysis of each available business option including Sole Proprietorship, Partnership, Limited liability partnership and Company formation. Katy could definitely make a rational business decision after reviewing the mentioned recommendations.

Discuss 3 strategies that you could adopt to help manage pupil's Essay

Discuss 3 strategies that you could adopt to help manage pupil's challenging behaviour - Essay Example Moreover, it is not recommended for behaviors that are abusive, or destructive such as perpetration of outright lies, failure for compliance. Most importantly, inattentive and withdrawn pupils should not be ignored by the teachers. Instead, teachers can apply redirecting strategies such as addressing the pupil at a close range, keeping eye contact or visual cues to remind him of the acceptable behaviors (Day, 2007). Consequences as a strategy – this is appropriate for gross misconduct. The penalties to be faced by the pupils must be logical and clear, appropriate, applicable, and can be enforces fairly immediately. The school should therefore draw a proper discipline policy document with clearly outlined restrictions regarding such serious misbehavior outbursts among the pupils in school (Day, 2007). Provision for time-out strategy – the misbehaved child is taken to a separate room away from other pupils but under the teacher’s watch for about five minutes in a bid to release the tension that could escalate further. It is recommended for circumstances of serious misconduct by the pupils (Day,

Tourism Essay On Turkey Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Tourism On Turkey - Essay Example Elements of Traditional Turkish Culture and Arab Culture observed in Turkey The constitution of Turkey has given everybody the right to choose their religious beliefs. However, despite of that the traditional Turkish culture and Arab culture exert a great influence over the life of people here. As in other Arab cultures, Islam holds significant place in the lives of Turks since most of them are Muslims. The Quran and the actions of the Prophet (the Sunnah) shape the basis of all religious and daily practices of the Turks. As per traditional Arab culture, family relationships hold the utmost position in the people’s lives. The father is positioned as the supreme head of the family though today, the mother enjoys equal rights. However, in most small towns and villages, till today the father is supposed to play the role of the boss and protector of the family whereas mothers are responsible for looking after the daily chores of the household. Children are expected to give respect to elders and support when they are old; and it is the duty of the elders to provide financial and emotional support to children when they are young. Every family member is supposed to help each other in the hour of need in every possible way. The segregation of sexes can still be seen in small towns and villages. ... The outlook behind the hospitality is â€Å"whatever religion you are from, whichever country you come from, whatever language you speak, you are God’s guest and so you deserve to be welcomed in the best manner†. This courteous and kind hearted attitude of the Turks is visible for every tourist visiting their country or any person visiting their home. Another culture that still holds an important place in the lives of Turks is the practice of Turkish baths or, Hamam. The emphasis of Islam upon cleanliness has made this custom a part of every event in the life of a Turk whether childbirth, marriage or death. Moreover, the famous coffee houses called Kahve, are very explicit to Turkish people even today (as cited in â€Å"People and mentality†, n.d). Extent of Influence of Westernization and Modernization on Traditional Turkish and Arab Culture Western and modern culture has been adopted by the Turkish people in a huge way. In 1923, Turkey was declared a republic a fter the fall of the Ottoman Empire during World War II. The main aim of the new government under the leadership of Ataturk was to turn Turkey into a contemporary, western and secular nation. The state religion of Islam was disestablished and all religions were given the freedom to practice their beliefs; the Western system of legal code was adopted. Soon, the classical music of Turkey became influenced by the western culture for example, the development of rock music insurrected the local form. Moreover, the European style of architecture replaced the Ottoman style in institutional buildings. The Turkish literature became westernized with the introduction of the novel and the short story. Most importantly, the western culture of lifestyle, clothing and attitude was

Womenwomen Empowerment Through Self Help Group Essay Example for Free

Womenwomen Empowerment Through Self Help Group Essay The present study is an attempt to analyse the role and performance of SHGs in promoting womens empowerment in Thiruvallur District , Tamil nadu. The broad objective ofthe study is to analyses the operating system of SHGs for mobilization of saving,delivery of credit to the needy, management of group funds, repayment of loans, in building up leadership,establishing linkage with banks and examine the social benefits derived by the members. In order to collect and gather primary data, field observation and structure questionnaire survey methods were employed. In addition, information was also collected through discussions and interviews with local NGOs and governments grass roots level workers. The Mahalir Thittam was implemented in Phase I during the Year 1997-98 in Thiruvallur district. In Thiruvallur District there are 539 Village Panchayat (Grama Panchayat). SHGs are formed in all Village Panchayat and the number of Self Help Groups will be from 3 to 11. In order to reduce the dependency of SHGs on its project partners, it has been decided to form Panchayat Level Federation in every Village Panchayats. The Panchayat Level Federation will consist of the members of the representatives from various SHGs in that particulars Village Panchayats. At present, there are 296 PLFs in Thiruvallur District compressing of 2106 Self Help Groups. The study reveals that SHGs had set a new agenda for financial intermediation by banks in the form of micro-credit. By the formation of SHGs, credits are demanded for various purposes (domestic, health, festivals, repayment of old debts, investment, etc. ). Similarly different economic activities Manufacturing of Paper Cup ,Jute Bag ,Catering Technology,Leather and Rexene ,Tailoring,Herbal Products ,Beauty Parlour,Soap Manufacturing,Agarbathi ,Diary products, Screen Printing are undertaken by the SHG members after joining the group. Habits of savings, economic independence, self confidence, social cohesion, asset ownership, freedom from debt, additional employment, etc. benefits are derived by the SHG members. Thus, SHGs have served the cause of women empowerment, social solidarity and socio-economic betterment of the poor for their consolidation.

Healthy Vending Machine Business Plan

Healthy Vending Machine Business Plan Food awareness is one of the most common areas over which people have started focusing as it is directly related to their health. Irrespective of their background, age, income, or any other factor they are concerned about their eating habits. Based on this very particular aspect, we have come up with our product, i.e. Healthy Vending Machine which will target customers in a niche segment during its start. Our vending machine will be exactly like any other vending machine, but difference lies in its contents. All the content like snacks, drinks, juice, bars, chocolate, etc. in our vending machine will be chosen in a highly particular manner based on their effect on health. We will be giving very high end concern over quality of food that we place in our vending machine as maintaining healthy food will be acting as our USP (Unique Selling Proposition). We are planning to place our healthy vending machine at all the places where footfall is remarkably high like metro stations, railway stations, shopping malls, crowded market places, etc. We are planning to keep price of our products quite nominal as it will help us in attracting customers are they able to fulfill their need in a healthy way by getting healthy snacks without spending extra money. SWOT (S)trengths Primary strength of our venture Good Luck Food would be its uniqueness in the market. Weve performed extensive research and so far none other vendor is operating in this domain. Thus following a blue ocean strategy, we will be able to capture maximum percentage of the market without any competition. Based on this trend, there had been several restaurant take away places that started in recent past in order to serve healthy food in a community which is struggling to get such options. This particular factor will act as the primary strength for our business. (W)eakness Weakness of this Healthy Vending Machine will be to attract people towards itself during initial times along with ensuring that it is able to form a clientele. It is one of the most difficult tasks to be performed by any new business, especially for those which are not associated with any big brands. Being a startup (though with excellent business idea), it will act as a weakness for us, had it been started by another vendor which is already operating in this segment and has reputation in the market. Another weakness would be that well not be able to spend large sum of money over its marketing and increasing awareness among masses regarding our product. We would be having very limited amount of resources which we would be spending over its marketing and promotion during initial times. Once it starts generating revenue, we will be able to allocate more funds in this domain, but during initial times, new name in the market will act as a weakness for our business. (O)pportunities In recent past, bad and unhealthy eating habits of people have resulted into unnatural physical changes. According to a report, amongst most obese countries in the world, UAE ranked fifth. An average person in UAE is consuming 20% more calories than required on a daily basis. Thus it has become a major problem for authorities to take care of this problem. (UAE the fifth most obese country in the world, 2012) Based on this particular factor, our venture will pose great support to such authorities and we will get initial push without much effort. Also many of such authorities are owned by government, which will provide government support to our venture. It will also help us in getting required permissions from Abu Dhabi Food Control Authority and Dubai municipality in a hassle free manner as we are helping them solve the problem along with complying with their Policies and Regulations. (Policies and Regulations) (T)hreats As per our research, there is a high demand of healthy food in almost all the parts of UAE. Also people would be willing to pay more amount of money for this category of food which makes it a lucrative segment of food industry. Also it is one of those segments which have still not been tamed by few market leaders; there is a high end possibility that many new entrants could enter the market soon after us. We ourselves being new entrant in the market would make it extremely difficult to survive for a longer period of time in the market in which echelon of competition is continuously increasing. Another important parameter which should be taking into consideration is that after sometime, if already existing vendors like Snackzone, Coffee Planet, etc. also enters into the same segment of the market as they are always looking for opportunities, it will become highly difficult to ensure our survival if substantially remarkable survival strategies are not adopted by us. Thus we need to focus over our progress throughout our tenure in the market along with taking care of our survival. (Next generation vending machines launched at UAE-based Coffee Planet, 2012) Risk Analysis Basic parameter associated with any new venture is Risk. There is no way one can eliminate the risk completely, but by adopting certain measures it is possible to reduce the level of risk. Intimidations First parameter is level of increasing competition which will be a problem in near future based on the prosperous aspects associated with this market segment. Although new entrant will not pose such high degree of risk, but they will still make an affect over our strategies. Major risk is from existing players. If they also enter the healthy vending machine segment, it will make a high end impact over our profitability and operations. Also they would have ample resources to sell products at lower margins and kick us out of the market. Estimate Risks With every threat, there is an associated factor of risk. Increasing competition over the period of time had already been estimated by us as it is inevitable. It will make an impact over our market capturing and market penetration. If new players will enter this market segment of healthy snacks, it will make an impact over our profitability as it will hamper our profit margins. Although it might not be the case in all the regions, but there is a high end certainty of this particular factor. If existing players enter this market segment, it will make a direct impact over our survival. We may have to follow a separate strategy for survival, but there is also a possibility that we may get extinct if we are not able to handle the competition. Managing Risks To handle new entrants, we will have to cover as much market as possible in our first phase before our competition arises. This particular aspect will give us more market visibility as compared to any other vendor. Also being the first player in the segment, we have a chance to establish our monopoly during initial times and earn large profits which will help us in fighting competition at later stages. To manage the risk of existing players entering in this segment, we will have to ensure that we establish our unique image in the market. Although we do not have ample time, but in order to tackle this risk, we will have to build our brand value and ensure our survival. (Risk Analysis) Form of Business Ownership Defining the form business ownership is extremely important as it will define way of our operations along with our liabilities. We can either form Partnership or Corporation. But as the food industry, especially healthy food industry is not generally liable to go into heavy debts; it is not required to go for Corporation option. We can choose Partnership for our business venture as amount of initial investment is also not extremely high. Specifying details of Partnership firm, we can go for General Partnership as it will ensure equal involvement, responsibility and liability of all the partners in the firm. Thus all the owners will also be responsible for any legal actions if taken against the company which is very less likely as we trying to solve a problem. Business Goals Following are the Business Goals of Good Luck Food: Ensure its profitable existence throughout its lifetime so that we are able to conduct our operations adequately. Build Good Luck Food a brand in Middle East part of the world. Provide healthy food to all the people to ensure that they are following a good lifestyle. Spread health awareness amongst people which is a noble cause and also act as our Corporate Social Responsibility. It will also help in boosting our business in long run. Generate healthy competitive environment in the Middle East region so that customers are also benefitted from our existence. Work in compliance with government norms and help it in solving one of the biggest challenges of near future. Mission Statement Mission of Good Luck Food is to provide easy accessibility of healthy munching options to individuals and become a leader in the market. Marketing Marketing Analysis In the recent few years, UAE has been emerged as one of the biggest business capital in the world. People from all around the world have come in this country to either open up a business venture or work in some countries. With such a great diversity of people coming in this country, the level of health security has also increased. This gives a great leverage to our product Good Luck Food. With an increasing popularity for one-stop-shop or one-stop-machines, the target population for our product is not restricted to any particular age, gender or income level. But still, there are some groups which can be considered as a higher buying level group and there is some other which is considered low. Looking at the demographics of the country, the total population is 7,890,924, as estimate in the year 2011. Around 71% of the people living in this country are immigrants. There is a gender ratio 70:30 (male: female). Talking about the main target market of the product, this product is reachable to all the customers irrespective of their age, gender, or income level. But, the company is mainly focusing upon the people of the working age group and people who are more into sports (mainly kids). As far as the income level of the target population is considered, middle class people and high class people are the main target customers. Main reason for keeping kids and the working age people to be the target market for the product is that our product will mainly be located in Metro Stations, railway stations, Shopping malls, etc. Hence, the specified groups of people visit these places more often as compared to the other groups. Talking about the geographical distribution about the target market, our product will initiate its business in three main cities of UAE Abu Dhabi and Dubai. According to ICD Research, the potential market for vending machine is UAE as per the year 2015 is going to be huge. Already, there are several companies putting their vending machines at different locations in UAE. The popularity of vending machines is continuously increasing because of the changing needs of the people. Today, nobody would like to go to a shopping mall to buy eatables for immediate consumption, everybody wants vending machines they are easy to reach and they are cool! There is a change in the needs to the customers as well. The customer, whichever age may he be from, is now becoming more concerned about his or her health. With such a changing need, Good Luck Food will serve fruitful to the customers because it will be the first vending machined which will help the customers to chose according to their health status. The sales of various products from the vending machines will depend upon the requirement in a particular season; for example, in Soft Drinks will be more popular in the summer season whereas in the winters, coffee and tea will be preferable. Hence, the sales of few of the products from vending machines will be season. The collection of products in the vending machines should be set keeping in mind their popularity in the market and among the customers. It is very much important that the vending machine should contain all the food which is preferable by the customers. Hence, sales from the vending machines depend a lot on the popularity of the products kept inside the machines. Marketing Plan Advertising and Promotional Campaign There are different types of promotional techniques to be used in the marketing of Good Luck Food among the customers. These promotional techniques used by the company are as follows: Using Print Media (Newspapers and magazines advertisements): Not in comparison with the earlier times, but still newspapers and magazines are mostly used by the people when they are travelling or when they are not doing anything else. Almost every age group is acquitted with these. Keeping in mind the diversity of the population of UAE, the advertisement will have to publish in both Arabic and English Newspapers. At the starting stage of the business, it will cost AED 50,000 and the frequency of the usage of the advertisements will be once in a week three months before the launch and daily, one month before the launch and at least three months after the launch. This is one of the most expensive advertisement technique used by the company but is effective as well Using Digital Media (Television, FM): This is again an expensive technique of advertising. Main target market is the kids, ladies, husbands watching sports channel, daily soaps, and news channels, respectively. The frequency of the advertisements from the digital media would be same as the print media. It would cost a little more than the print media i.e. AED 60,000 Web Advertising: This is one of the most preferred ways of advertising. In the present era, almost everyone is acquainted with the internet. Good Luck Food will be promoted on the websites which are highly popular, for example, advertisement will be put in almost every social networking site facebook.com, twitter.com, etc. These are several other websites where the advertisement will be displayed by the company. The cost of web advertisement would be AED 35,000 Posters, Hoardings, etc.: Digital and non-digital posters will be displayed on various important places (mostly the places where these vending machines are to be placed) like shopping malls, railway stations, metro stations, etc. These are available for all the passing by customers. This is one of the most effective ways of promotion in case of promoting the product through an eye to eye catch. Total cost of promotion through these techniques would be around AED 35,000 Web Presence As this has been presented earlier that internet advertisements would be one of the best ways to promote the product because almost all the people at present are acquainted with internet in the present era. Hence, there is a huge web presence of the product before it gets started off in the market as well as the time when it gets launched because at the present times, it is highly important to continue promoting the products during its operations as well otherwise, its popularity degrades. Location Layout Location Good Luck Food vending machines will be available in various places like metro stations, railway stations, shopping malls, crowded market places, etc. These places are chosen for the placement of these vending machines because these have high footfall which clearly means that a lot of people would visit these place on a daily basis. All of these locations would be considered crowded with obviously crowd in the railway stations and metro station would be more than the crowd in the shopping malls as far as the daily frequency is concerned. Hence, these places are chosen because of the fact that they produce high human traffic. As these vending machines would be placed at the railway stations and metro stations in the open, a deal with the Abu Dhabi and Dubai Municipality has to be done. Permission will need to be taken before launching the same. This deal will be cracked in an approximate average lease of AED 100,000 per year per location. As we are planning to have 25 locations in Abu Dhabi and 25 in Dubai at the start of the business, hence for the location charges, the company will have to pay AED 5,000,000 to the municipality. Other stakeholders involved Other stakeholders involved in the business are as follows: Founder and CEO of the company: The company is founded in partnership of two person Mr. A and Mr. B. Mr. A has done his MBA in marketing from UK and has a total experience of 10 years in the CPG industry in UK and UAE both. Mr. B has done his masters in Finance from Abu Dhabi. He has a total experience of 12 years in the CPG industry Suppliers: Our prime suppliers are few of the very important brands in the industry like Dabur, Pepsi, etc. These are the reputed brands in the industry and hence contribute a lot in the sales of the products. Legal and Auditing Firm Companys yearly financial statements will be audited by XYZ firm with an annual charge of AED 50,000. Human Resource Plan Legal Issues with the Employees All the employees in the company will be hired with a legal obligation to work for at least one year in the company. This will be a mandatory bond which the employee will have to sign with the company before joining. Projection for the employees for Future Total Investment Made 42,870,000 Syndicated Loan of AED 30,009,000 has been taken from two different banks of UAE. These loans are promised to be repaid in the time span of 10 years with an interest rate of 10% per annum.

Cooperative Learning in Mathematics Essay -- Math Education Learn Educ

Cooperative Learning in Mathematics There have recently been many new trends towards the use of cooperative learning in many classrooms, particularly in mathematics classrooms. Cooperative learning involves students working together to accomplish shared goals. In this type of situation, students must feel they can only reach their learning goals if the other students in their group also reach their own learning goals. Students have to understand their achievements are interrelated. Cooperative learning helps students to fully understand the mathematical concepts and assists them in developing social skills that will take them through life. There are different methods of teaching, in addition to cooperative, such as competitive and individualistic. In competitive learning, students are graded on a curve, which means they have to work against each other and try to work faster and more accurately than their fellow students. In individualistic learning, students work towards goals that are separate from their peers. When working on their own, they can work on their own pace, and work for their own set of goals. (Johnson 104). When using cooperative learning, it includes characteristics of both individualistic and competitive learning. In order for a cooperative learning environment to be most effective, there needs to be group rewards along with individual accountability. When each individual succeeds in their group, the group is rewarded; this prevents certain students from dominating the work. There are different methods for cooperative learning that incorporate individual and group rewards. One such method i s Student Teams– Achievement Divisions (STAD). With motivation to win, the groups compete ag... ...athematics. The students develop social skills and learn to work as part of a group. This greater understanding of mathematics and the social skills will stick with the students for the rest of their life. Works Cited Bol, Linda, Nunnery, John A., and Whicker, Kristina M. â€Å"Cooperative Learning in the secondary mathematics classroom.† The Journal of Educational Research. Sept./Oct. 1997. (p. 42-8). Leiken, Roza, and Zaslavsky, Orit. â€Å"Cooperative Learning in Mathematics.† Mathematics Teacher. March 1999.(p. 240-6). Lew, Marvin and Mesch, Debra. â€Å"Isolated Teenagers, Cooperative Leanring, and the Training of Social Skills.† The Journal of Psychology. (p. 323-333). Johnson, David W., and Johnson, Roger T. â€Å"Using Cooperative Learning in Math† Teaching and Learning Middle Grade Mathematics.-Student Resource CD. Key College Publishing. 2004.

Maslows Theory of Human Motivation Essay example -- essays research p

In order to understand the human condition, one must first understand what it is that motivates humans. It follows that we must then look to the motivator, the brain. The human brain works in such a way as to satisfy a series of needs. Abraham H. Maslow’s theory of human motivation (1954) explains the sequence by which humans move through levels of concentration so as to best satisfy these needs. Maslow’s pyramid (1954), a five-tiered structure, represents a summary of this theory. Maslow (1954) postulates that in order for one to focus his/her attention on the ultimate goal at the apex of the pyramid, self-actualization, one must first fulfill the needs at the subordinate levels. At the lowest level of the chart are the physiological needs, followed by the need for safety, the belongingness and love needs, the esteem needs, and finally culminating in self-actualization. This paper will demonstrate how various brain mechanisms work to satisfy each echelon of needs, and fu rther, how as all lesser needs are met, the individual may refocus his/her concentration to ascend the hierarchy towards self-actualization. According to Maslow’s pyramid, the basest of human needs are physiological, in particular homeostasis and appetite. These necessities must be met before human consciousness can progress to the next level of concentration. Maslow’s theory gains support upon examining the breakdown of how the brain functions. Carter (1998) explains that the lateral and ventromedial hypothalamic nuclei are largely responsible for controlling when one feels hungry. While the lateral nucleus is responsible for detecting declining blood glucose levels, the ventromedial senses rising glucose levels. Thus, the lateral nucleus signals hunger while the ventromedial signals fullness. These nuclei are therefore responsible for making sure that the human body has the proper amount of fuel and nutrients. While these functions are not controlled by the conscious mind, in cases of extreme hunger the need to sate one’s appetite becomes the primary motivator in one’s actions (Maslow 1954). When a human being’s concern lies at this level of the pyramid, it can be said that (s)he is concerned with more primal matters, as opposed to the higher tiers when man’s state of mind is focused on “higher thou... ...ch was the case with Vladimir Nabakov who claimed that different sounds, such as letters, each evoked disparate hues (Carter 1998). Realizing personal potential in people like Vladimir may include creating works of art representing their unique experiences, while people not born with this condition will self-actualize in other ways, such as business. The underlying theme is that each person has a distinctly different ability to help him/her move upwards through the social class system. Utilizing the anterior cingulate cortex and focusing on one’s specific talents, is the way in which the civilized brain achieves self-actualization. As can be seen, human needs as dictated by the brain follow a distinct pecking order. Although human wants and desires are fulfilled in far more complex manners than a simple level-to-level ascension, Maslow’s pyramid provides a clearer understanding of the basic processes by which the human brain discerns what the conciousness should be most occupied with. Further, once the brain focuses on the object of desire, it may work in such as way as to satisfy that desire and thus ensure that the human being is prosperous and well-adjusted.

Photos and Images are More Powerful than Words Essay -- Argumentative

Images are More Powerful than Words The American Heritage College Dictionary defines the term image as â€Å"An optically or electronically formed representative reproduction of an object, esp. an optical reproduction formed by a lens or a mirror.† This is what is more commonly referred to as a picture. The definition of a word is â€Å"a sound or combination of sounds, or its representation in writing or printing that symbolizes and communicates a meaning and may consist of a single morpheme or a combination of morphemes.† In fact, there is a constant debate about the importance and significance of both forms of communication. Because either one can be interpreted and considered differently, depending on who the viewer or reader is, this debate has been ongoing for quite some time now. The power that images have over words is stated simply by Neil Postman’s â€Å"The Great Symbol Drain† as â€Å"one picture, we are told, is worth a thousand words† (515). So, one can take a stand in saying that images are more powerful than words, because they can be understood and interpreted differently by different people. One of the benefits of EOP Cultural Trip was the visit to the United Nations Building (UN), where there was a Mural that depicted the past, present and future achievements of the UN as an organization. The images contained in this Mural evoked so many different emotions at one time that they forced one to become completely overwhelmed and in total awe. The pictures of the Holocaust were more vivid than any that could have ever been imagined while reading any book or article on the same topic. The images depicted struggle, despair, hope, strength and determination of those who were involved in that tragedy. Everyone,... ...s, Madge Sinclair. Paramount Pictures Video, 1988. Class Film. Eng 1201-EB. Summer Session, 2002. â€Å"Image.† American Heritage College 3rd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000. Image of Kofi A. Annan With Young Girl. EOP Cultural Trip to New York: United Nations Building, July 19, 2004. Mural of Past, Present, and Future of the United Nations. EOP Cultural Trip to New York: United Nations Building, July 19, 2004. Postman, Neil. â€Å"The Great Symbol Drain† The Presence of Others 3rd ed. Ed. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000. Stephens, Mitchell. â€Å"By Means of the Visible; A Picture’s Worth† The Presence of Others 3rd ed. Ed. Andrea A. Lunsford and John J. Ruszkiewicz. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000. â€Å"Word.† American Heritage College 3rd ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2000.

Opportunities and Challenges of Having Access to a Broader Workforce Essay

Question: a) Discuss the opportunities and challenges of having access to a broader workforce. Answer: The Workforce is the total number of a country’s population employed in the armed forces and civilian jobs, plus those unemployed people who are actually seeking paying work. In other words, workforce also refers to Total number of employee (usually excluding the management) on an employer’s payroll. It may also mean all those that are available for work. Workers may be unionized, whereby the union conducts negotiations regarding pay and conditions of employment. In the event of industrial unrest, unions provide a coordinating role in organizing ballots of the workforce, and strike action. As the world becomes globalize, the workforce in industries/companies become diversifies. The broader workforce make up from employees that come from different age groups, race, beliefs, gender etc. Opportunities Provide training on core competencies Devise training is needed to address the needs of different levels of workers, including training directed at entry-level and less skilled staff, workers with degrees not directly relevant to afterschool, and workers pursuing credentials. We cannot afford to ignore the workers who stay only a short time or work part-time, because they make up too large a portion of our workforce. They need some minimum level of knowledge in the core competencies required to work in afterschool programs. Moreover, providing training and supporting pursuit of a credential is an excellent way to foster an attachment to the field. Expand Quality training and professional development opportunities Quality training and professional development opportunities are needed to be expanded for all workers, including encouraging programs to give workers paid time off to attend training. Another need is for approaches such as distance learning to increase access to training in rural areas. We also should establish a core group of high quality, recognized, and approved trainers and promote ways to share the knowledge of experienced afterschool staff, for example, through mentoring younger staff. Provide afterschool/youth work content in higher education curricula We need to work with institutions of higher education to provide more course work relevant to youth work and afterschool that could be accessed by workers and students pursuing credentials or a degree. We also need to work with these institutions to address the needs of the adult learners in our workforce who would be candidates for these courses. Advocate for funding for training and professional development Policymakers at all levels need to provide more funding specifically for training and professional development for afterschool staff through supports such as scholarships and loan forgiveness. In advocating for such funding, the afterschool field needs to highlight the connection between positive outcomes for children and youth in afterschool—a goal endorsed by policymakers—and the qualifications of the staff that provide afterschool services. Provide human resources staff with the training and resources they need to recruit and hire Although the focus of this project and resulting report is on the current afterschool workforce, it’s difficult not to consider the need for effective recruiting and hiring techniques in afterschool programs. A program’s workforce begins with, and its success reflects, the recruiting and hiring of employees who are adequately matched to a program’s core competencies and needs. Challenges Developing specific strategies for reaching the target populations There are people 18- 59 years old in the population who are all needed in the workplace and who need the education/training to take advantage of the opportunity it provides. The challenge is to develop marketing campaigns and services that focus on each of these groups, their specific education/training needs, and their need for user friendly access, delivery, and support systems. Further, there are significant shifts in the gender, ethnicity, and work experience within these populations. Studying these shifts identifies targeted opportunities for increased participation and support. The lack of clear, systemic, and complete information continues to be one of the major barriers to these populations. Several recent studies suggest the lack of useful labor market information contribute to the lack of participation. Developing a series of strategic alliances with business/industrial associations, professional associations, and assessment organizations Education curriculum and competency standards are no longer within the sole domain of the academy. Such areas as education content, achievement, and application are all reflections of constant evolutions in the world external to higher education. It is no longer possible for free standing independent education and training organizations to unilaterally maintain currency with the rapidly changing demands of the new economy. Curriculum is no longer fixed, singular, or limited in scope. Competency standards are evolving at increasing rates as are the related assessments. Further, the expansion of multiple employer related delivery options as well as the growth in industry recognized credentials suggest the need for formal alliances with external partners. Employer Associations Three fundamental shifts have shaken the employer world: 1) the rapid changes in technology and productivity and the resulting impact on workforce skills, 2)the dramatic shift in demographics with the loss of skilled workers and the lack of skilled entrants, and 3) the difficulty identifying effective educational ‘pipelines’ for skilled applicants. Both employers and educators are looking to industrial associations as partners in developing the definition of new skills and competencies, the related curriculum, the required assessments and, the resulting credentials. The move towards alignment (tuning) is increasingly dependent on association partnerships. Effective associations will have systems of continuous improvement that will ensure alignment between their education and training partners as well as their employer membership. This communication system opens up the pipeline for skilled workers and provides a communication system for internships, work based learning, and ultimate support for placement of graduates within the industry. The primary purpose of these alliances is to ensure both the continuous alignment and portability of academic content and outcomes with the constantly changing expectations of both the employer and academic world. Industry Recognized Certifications (IRC) Opportunities for more formal alliances occur with associations that sponsor formal industry certifications. These offer industry recognition of credentials and their accompanying competencies. They offer the individual portability of their recognized credentials and the institution a means of aligning curriculum, competencies, and assessments. An exceptional opportunity exists in providing academic credit to students enrolled in programs resulting in industry recognized certifications. Students engaged in technical training would be more inclined to stay in a program if they receive industry recognized credentials as well as specific credits toward academic or technical Associate degrees. This creates a unique prospect to engage students in seamless system of lifelong continuous learning. The prospects for long term strategic alliances with industry associations are enormous and offer great marketing benefits. Alliances with Professional and International Organizations Forming strategic alliances with professional organizations and accreditors ensures both alignment of curricula and outcome standards as well as ensuring the portability of the credits and credentials. These alliances are becoming increasingly recognized as significant pipelines for qualified professional applicants and they offer exceptional marketing opportunities to both student applicants and industry. Development of a ‘One Stop’ access to the new economy A ‘one stop centers’ is needed for individuals to: 1) get labor market information about high wage/high growth industries, 2) obtain available skill standards and/or IRC’s, 3) accredit their past training, education, and experience, 4) gain advice and counseling on entering post secondary education, 5) receive assistance with entrance to recognized academic and training programs, and, 6) get assistance with placement within the industry. The major problem with the labor market adjustment system in the United States is a completely bifurcated and user unfriendly information, counseling, advising, crediting, accessing, financing, and education/training system. Both the unemployed, re-entering adults and first time students are highly mobile learners who are looking for the access portal to the new economy. Stagnate outdated agencies, policies and systems are simply incapable of delivering such services. It is time to develop a new on-line system that would ensure all citizens ongoing and easy access to understandable and timely job matches, labor market information, and credentials needed for the new economy. All post secondary institutions have a unique opportunity to participate in the building of this broader set of services into a publically transparent system. Ability to offer, give a perception of and have the reputation of providing a ‘Guarantee’ This is the outgrowth of the need to close the loop between employers, students, and educators. The primary question is: does the institutions system of identified learning outcomes meet the academic and technical standards of the new economy and, then, does it ‘ensure’ that every graduate meets those standards? This means establishing standards, curriculum, and assessments that achieve these levels and ensuring that every graduate meets them. When substandard performance is recognized there is a system of remediation and ultimately the failure to graduate if the student simply cannot meet the institutional standards. Some would add that for any student hired which the employer believes does not meet the standard, the school would take them back and remediate them at no cost. While this would come with a cost, it is far more important to develop a reputation with employers for producing graduates that meet the industry standards for tomorrow’s economy. While this important for employers, it is imperative for students who want to be certain that the education/training they are engaged in will in fact prepare them for the new economy. Action on this challenge represents a fundamental shift away from the old system of ‘education opportunity’. For the future, it is about highly mobile students accessing a system that ‘ensures’ their achievement of the competencies required for the new economy. America’s exceptionally diverse post secondary education system has the capacity and commitment to implement this new relationship. (b) What extend Malaysia has benefited and also able to develop own Knowledge worker. The Malaysian labor force is generally educated. This is because youths who enter the labor market would have undergone at least 11 years of schooling. Furthermore, the proportion of labor force with secondary and tertiary education has risen over the years, making them easier to be trained and to learn new skills. Nonetheless, it has been argued that there is a shortage of skilled labor in Malaysia. This shortfall in skilled labor was believed to be one of the causes for the tightness in the Malaysian labor market during the 1980s and 1990s, alongside a mismatch between demand for and supply of labor. Malaysia’s response to this matter is one of the reasons for the nation’s focus on human capital development in recent years. Since the mid-1990s, Malaysia has entered into a phase where new emphasis and demand for high technology and knowledge-based industries were in place. A change in the Malaysian economic policies was, therefore, needed in order to maintain the nation’s competitiveness. Knowledge-based economy is defined as one that is â€Å"directly based on the production, distribution and use of knowledge and information†¦ towards growth in high technology investments, high-technology industries, more highly skilled labor and associated productivity gains†. Malaysia adopted this definition into its Knowledge-based Economy Master Plan, which defines a knowledge-based economy as â€Å"an economy where knowledge, creativity and innovation play an ever-increasing and important role in generating and sustaining growth†. The Master Plan was developed to provide a strategic framework outlining the required changes to the fundamentals of the Malaysian economy. Since the concept of a knowledge-based economy revolves around knowledge and information as the key contributors to economic growth and development, the move towards a knowledge-based economy is expected to provide Malaysia with the necessary competitiveness in order to achieve a developed nation status and meet the objectives of Vision 2020. Several reasons were given as to why Malaysia should move into the knowledge-based economy. First, the nation has lost its global competitiveness in attracting FDI when it fell from the 18th place in 1994 to the 29th spot in 2001, as reported the World Competitiveness Yearbook (IMD, various years). Related to this is the increasing competition for the country’s products from other developing countries, such as China, India, Vietnam and Indonesia that enjoy cheaper labor and more abundant resources. This is especially true in the case of China, where it has been reported that cheaper and equal quality goods from this new economic power, mainly in labor intensive textiles, would bring about stiff competition to Malaysia’s export goods in its domestic and international markets. Third, Malaysia’s economic policies have been affected by globalization and liberalization as barriers and protective walls that help sustain local industries are slowly removed and brought down. As a result, Malaysia, like all other developing economies will have to search for new products and services that are feasible in the emerging global market where the distinction between local and world markets is gradually disappearing. Such goods and services like aircraft, pharmaceuticals, ecommerce, tourism and educational services and ICT industries are common in the knowledge-based industries. Fourth, as Malaysia strives to become a developed nation by the year 2020, this would result in its current edge in producing goods and services for the global market, which hinges on low wages, to be eroded. This is because its cost levels would approach those of developed countries. To face this anticipated escalating labor cost, Malaysia needs to ensure higher value is added to its products in order for its industries to remain viable. Thus, for Malaysia to be competitive, it must produce goods and services to compete at comparable levels as those in developed countries. Again, such high value-added is generally provided by knowledge-based industries. Fifth, Malaysia needs to move into more profitable and wealth-generating stages of production. In other words, it has to make its manufacturing sector more profitable. To do so, Malaysian firms have little choice but to move into the pre- production stage (which includes product conceptualization, research and design, prototyping etc) and/or post-production stage (packaging, branding, marketing, retailing etc) of manufacturing, because there is less profit to be made from the core production process. These pre- and post-production stages also happen to be more knowledge-intensive compared to the existing core production process stage. Sixth, Malaysia needs to find new sources of growth in its economy as the old sources of growth have become less productive. A knowledge-based economy will provide some of these new sources of growth to enable Malaysia to sustain growth and dynamism. Finally, Malaysia needs to improve the contribution of the â€Å"total factor productivity† (TFP) in terms of improving the quality of workers, methods of doing things and other delivery activities (EPU, 2002: 5). To what extend do Malaysia able to develop own knowledge worker? Education: At the primary and secondary levels, some of the indicators for quality that tend to raise concerns have to do with the teaching profession, the curriculum, and the grading of schools. The most serious concern is that of teacher recruitment, salary, career path, work load and training. These concerns have discouraged many potentially good teachers from joining the profession. As regards the school curriculum, there are two sets of issues. The first has to do with content. The second set of issues deals with implementation of the curriculum, classroom size, expertise of teachers and courseware development. Overcrowding in urban schools can impede teaching and learning, including the effective delivery of the curriculum. At the tertiary level, concerns centre mainly on the issues of research, resources, faculty qualifications, and the quality of output. Some public institutions are not keen on being assessed and ranked by an external body. Consequently these institutions become less aw are of their weaknesses. This lack of awareness about their performance does not contribute to accountability. The public requires detailed information on the performance of various institutions in order to have confidence in them. In terms of the use of ICT, the largest provider for programmes in schools is the government, mainly the Ministry of Education (MOE). MIMOS, MDC and the private sector, including parent-teacher associations, are also involved. Some observations are made on the current trends and development of the ICT programmes in schools: ââ€" ª At this stage, ICT programmes at the school level are still heavily centered on infrastructure or procurement of hardware. Software (content development for courseware) and people ware (training) in the ICT programmes are more urgent. The hardware focus alone is inadequate to create the environment for e-education which can enhance teaching and learning and accommodate life-long learning. The software and people ware aspects that are necessary for e-education have to be considered and expanded. ââ€" ª There is a lack of co-ordination among the various agencies, namely MOE, MIMOS and MDC, in their supporting activities for the ICT programmes. Redundancy and wastage of resources can be avoided if there is better co-ordination. ââ€" ª In many schools, computers are often locked up in a special room or a lab, impeding their use for teaching and learning. The class time-table often does not include time for working or playing with computers. The costly equipment forces teachers in charge of the room to be cautious in allowing access, and this adds to the difficulty in utilizing the computers. ââ€" ª Most teachers have not had sufficient training to maximize the use of computers to enhance teaching and learning, and often merely impose traditional methods of drilling and rote learning using computers. This is mainly due to the emphasis on ICT literacy in teacher training programmes. ââ€" ª Due to the lack of a standard approach in the utilization of computers, student contact hours with computers cannot be established. ââ€" ª Teachers take charge of ICT centers in schools on a voluntary basis. Most of them do not have any formal training in ICT. There is often no technician who can assist the teachers with maintenance. Public higher education institutions, especially the universities, have been expanding their ICT programmes, especially over the past five years. Computer labs at the faculty level and computer centers for the university have been initiated and are in progress. ICT’s capacity to contribute to greater efficiency of work and resource management has not been fully exploited. E-mail facilities are not being maximized, and downloading lecture notes from the web or interacting with lecturers via e-mail or the web is still uncommon. The Internet is not being adequately accessed for lecture content. Another issue requiring attention is the need to develop quality private education. Private education in Malaysia is a relatively developed sector, particularly at the higher education level. As regards technical education, the system at the upper secondary level needs to address a number of issues: ââ€" ª Greater efforts should be made to improve hands-on skills among technical school students. The Technical Education Department has already introduced the contextual learning delivery system, which essentially recognizes that learning is a complex and multi-faceted process. Such learning goes far beyond theory, drill-oriented, stimulus and response teaching methodologies. It was introduced in Secondary Technical Schools in 1998 to help all students master higher-level academic and work skills. Instruction based on this strategy is being structured to help students apply their knowledge more effectively. ââ€" ª Greater efforts are required to improve the links between schools and industry. Currently the School Advisory Committees, established in all schools, comprise representatives from industries, higher education, Parent-Teacher Associations and Head Teachers who advise schools on curriculum and equipment. The Career Guidance, Industrial Liaison and Placement Unit in every school also provide career guidance and placement of students in industries. These should be further improved. B. Skills Training and Retraining Malaysia currently has several drawbacks with regards to the education and skills profile required for a K-based economy. It lacks an adequate pool of knowledge workers, sufficiently high enrolment in the sciences at tertiary levels, and a broad base of workers with minimum literacy, learning ability and skills. Educational reform takes time while the recruitment of foreign talent is merely a temporary measure. An effective response would be to train managers and workers to cope with the new demands of the K-based economy. Private and public sector managers need to be trained to reengineer their organizations into ‘learning organizations’ which can attract, retain and develop K-workers to make their organizations more competitive, service-oriented and efficient. To increase the quality and relevance of skills, greater autonomy and flexibility should be given to public sector training institutions to make them more responsive to the rapidly changing labor market requirements of a K-based economy. To minimize job dislocation resulting from the transition to the K-based economy, ‘bridging’ courses need to be organized for displaced workers, especially those who are old, uneducated, and un-trainable. The power of the Internet should also be harnessed to establish ‘net communities’ for citizens with special needs and interests to interact among them and with the government. For the economy as a whole, there is also a need for an efficient and speedy labor market information system to help ensure effective planning to meet the manpower demands of the K-based economy. This may require the establishment of a specialist study group, improved career counseling, and a directory of training institutions. In addition to providing basic education for all, in a K-based economy it is essential to stress Lifelong Learning and Education to help citizens cope with expanding knowledge and rapid change. The challenges of Lifelong Learning and Education in the context of the K-based economy include the following: 1. Producing a highly skilled, knowledge-rich workforce. 2. Reducing unemployment and re-skilling the workforce. 3. Addressing and adjusting to the needs of an aging society. C. Global Talent A world shortage of high level manpower is likely to increase the brain drain from Malaysia. While the high growth East Asian economies compete for Malaysian talent, particularly in ICT the more serious long-term competitors are the advanced K-based economies of the US and Europe which suffer serious shortages of ICT personnel. It is estimated that Europe and the US alone need two million more ICT workers by 2002. Recent changes to immigration laws enacted to attract foreign talent to the US have serious implications for Asia and for Malaysia’s efforts to retain domestic talent and attract foreign, particularly ICT talent. A Bill passed by US Congress in late 2000 allows US firms to recruit 600,000 foreigners, a third of them from India. The three-year programme takes effect from 2001. The US recruitment drive occurs in the context of a world-wide shortage of ICT talent, with Asian countries too unable to meet their domestic demand. Despite this the best and brightest Asians ( including Malaysians), are likely to be lured by better wages, work conditions, occupational mobility and the quality of life in the US and Europe. This ‘brain drain’ has already begun, with European and US recruiters scouring Asian universities for talent. This situation signals several dangers for Malaysia. Firstly, like the Asian countries, Malaysia too is likely to lose young graduates from local and foreign universities to firms in the US and Europe. Secondly, experienced Malaysians may also be recruited, with the Malaysian labor market serving as a ‘training ground’ for developed K-based economies. Thirdly, since the Asian shortage and US demand will deplete the international talent pool, Malaysia’s option of utilizing foreign talent will be limited. Foreigners who are recruited to work in Malaysia are also likely to treat Malaysia as a ‘training ground’ for eventual entry and settlement in the US and Europe. There are several ways Malaysia can cope with this situation: ââ€" ª One current advantage Malaysia has is that except for Singapore, other countries in the region including Hong Kong, Indonesia, Thailand, and China, all of which also have ambitious ICT plans, have not moved fast enough to recruit foreign talent. Moving quickly to simplify immigration rules and ease recruitment of foreign talent will give Malaysia a competitive edge in recruitment. ââ€" ª Secondly, of all countries in the region, Malaysia probably has the most balanced set of attractions in terms of wages, low costs, quality of life, stability and safety. This advantage should be exploited to the fullest. ââ€" ª Thirdly, Malaysia’s rich and tolerant multi-ethnic heritage makes it attractive to a wide spectrum of expatriates, whether Caucasians, Middle-Easterners, East Asians or South Asians. Unlike its competitors in the region, Malaysia can therefore alleviate the problem of the world-wide shortage by recr uiting from a wide variety of countries and labor markets. The government itself has made several clear efforts to recruit foreign talent. In 1995-98 the Returning Scientists Programme managed by the Ministry of Science attracted 93 overseas-based foreign and Malaysian scientists on short-term contracts to local institutions. But their high wages posed a financial strain and contributed to wage inequities vis-a-vis local scientists. Recognizing the need for talent, the Returning Scientists Programme was revived in early 2001, and the recent national Budget provided incentives to encourage Malaysian experts abroad ‘who have the required expertise’ to return and serve the nation. Income remitted within two years from the date of arrival will be exempted from income tax. Two cars registered in the country of origin for at least six months will also be exempted from import duty and sales tax, while the husbands/wives and children of Malaysian citizens will now be given PR status within six months of the date of arrival. Previously, husbands who were non-citizens were not entitled to PR status, while non-citizen wives could only apply for PR after five years residence in Malaysia. The programme took effect from 1 January 2001. Under this programme, six fields of expertise and skills have been identified, i.e. IT, Science and Technology, Industry, Finance and Accounting, Arts, and Medicine and Health.

New Jersey corrections officer

Paul Leaders has been a New Jersey Department of Corrections Officer (NJDCO) for over ten years.   As a NJDCO, Paul’s role and responsibility is to â€Å"ensure the custody, safety and care of criminal offenders confined in state correctional facilities† (www.state.nj.us/corrections).  Ã‚   It is his duty to â€Å"ensure the safety and welfare of the staff and inmate population, assist in the rehabilitative efforts for those incarcerated individuals returning to the community and promote public support for the operation and objectives of the Department of Corrections† (www.state.nj.us/corrections). At the age of 25, Paul began his career with the Department of Corrections.   Before he became a full-fledge corrections office, he had to go through a screening process.   The pre-employment screening is a four phase process that includes filling out an application, taking a video test, completing a computer background assessment, a general and intensive background check, a drug test, a written psych exam, a medical exam and a psych interview.   If an interviewee gets through the screening successfully, next comes a 14 week training course at the academy and then an on the job test period (www.state.nj.us/corrections).   The pre-employment screening is vigorous to discourage those who are not serious about making the Department of Corrections their career of choice. Once Paul successfully completed his screening, his on the job test period began in a youth facility.   His eyes were opened to the harsh realities of his position when he was attacked by a 15 year-old inmate. Although, he was not seriously hurt, his perspective changed. Paul realized that to do his job to the best of his ability and to protect himself and his co-workers, he had to treat all inmates as dangerous, no matter what their age.   Throughout the years, the dangers associated with his career choice were clearly seen.   NJDOC’s are often put in a variety of sticky situations. The ratio of officers to inmates is 1 to 3 (www.njpp.org/rpt_moneyfornothing).   Since they are out-numbered, a NJDOC’s goal is to stop potentially harmful situations before they happen.   Paul learned many valuable techniques in his psychology classes during his 14-week training process. (www.state.nj.us/corrections).   It is so much easier to prevent situations from happening than to try to de-escalate a situation once it has started. Paul has found the most challenging aspect of being a NJDCO is the personal standard necessary.   An NJDCO must have a higher set of standards when the bars clang shut.   A daily part of the job includes being taunted, called out of your name, and possibly attacked.   Through all this, a NJDCO cannot retaliate.   It is not the correction officer’s place to get angry or respond in kind.   They must turn away when an inmate is purposely trying to rile them.   If an officer hurts an inmate or is caught abusing their authority, they will be fired.   The duty of a NJDCO is to uphold the laws of the penal code and treat inmates with respect. NJDCOs’ spend time at lease forty hours a week with inmates.   Officers get to know the inmates extremely well and see facets of the human psyche many people are unaware of.   â€Å"40% of NJDOC offenders were convicted of a violent offense such as homicide, sexual assault, aggravated or simple assault, robbery, kidnapping and other personal offenses (terrorist threats, coercion, larceny from a person, death by auto and negligent manslaughter)† (www.state.nj.us/corrections). Dealing with inmates intimately is no walk in the park.   Officer relationships with inmates have gone from one extreme to another.   Some officers have been charged with bringing inmates contraband and others have been charged with assault on an inmate.   The key to survival is finding the balance – living in the middle is an NJDCO officer’s way. The department of corrections has a code of ethics that must be adhered to if an officer is to last on the job.   It is necessary to hold in confidence all information gained on the job, no gifts or services can be accepted from inmates or family members and no personal or financial gain is to be made that is in conflict with duties or will impair objectivity or judgment (www.state.nj.us/corrections).   To sum it up, be honest and do your job.   Unfortunately, for some, that’s easier said than done. The Department of Corrections has a Hearing Appeals Section and an Administrative Law/Civil Employment Litigation Section that handles employee discipline/grievances and resolves cases against employees (www.state.nj.us/corrections).   Whenever a corrections officer is facing an ethical issue, representation is provided so that the officer’s rights are not violated. Of course, there are specific laws correction officers must obey and if they knowingly exceed the extent of their power then they can face a judge and possibly go to jail.   The added stress of the job decreases the correction officer’s life span to 59 years (www.jrank.org).   Therefore, it is necessary to have your guard up continuously if you want to make wise choices, get through the workday with your personal honor intact and live longer than what some researchers have predicted. The stress of the job has caused Paul to think thought about moving into a different area of law enforcement but this might require more training and schooling.   As a corrections officer, his high school diploma was all he needed, along with being a US citizen, having a valid New Jersey driver’s license, speaking English well and being able to handle the job physically and psychologically.   Although he took extra courses during training, he does not believe that will be enough for a transfer to a different department.   Paul has not investigated the move and after an especially hard day with the inmates, he promises himself that he will. Prolonged contact with inmates is the main difference between NJDCO positions and other law enforcement positions.   Policemen and detectives, for example, investigate crimes and track criminals.   They may have to face the individuals in court, but once they are locked up, their contact with the criminal is over.   A NJDCO’s contact with the criminal begins after the other law enforcement officers’ contact has ended and that contact lasts as long as the inmates’ sentence. For the first few years of his career, Paul found fulfillment on his job.   He is serving his state, providing a needed assistance, protecting the residents of New Jersey and helping his fellow officers.   Now, he can’t say that.   The stress of not knowing what will happen from day to day is extremely hard and the last few years have been a struggle.   The constant hassle of the job has become overwhelming and is causing a strain on his marriage of 2 years.   The fact that he cannot express why he dissatisfied and he does not want to talk about the job increases to the couple’s frustration. Add the fact that he cannot talk about confidential information and the situation gets dangerous.   Communication between Paul and his wife has gone from bad to worse.   Because they are planning to have children, Paul recently transferred from the youth facility to a minimum security prison.   They are hoping this change will decrease his stress and ease the strain in their relationship.   Paul believes the transfer will make a big difference in his attitude and stress level, increasing his job satisfaction. In New Jersey, the Department of Corrections is made up of minimum, medium and maximum-security prisons.   With 14 major institutions, including 8 male prisons, 3 youth facilities, 1 female prison, and one prison for sex offenders, there were plenty of facilities for Paul to choose from.   Moving to a maximum-security prison would have meant an increase in pay but for Paul, added money would have brought added stress.   This wasn’t the case when Paul’s career began but today, the salary for a corrections officer is $43,000.   The max amount for a senior corrections officer is $65,000, achieved in nine step increments (www.state.nj.us/corrections). There are over ten different promotions available to senior corrections officers, which include, Central Transportation, Correction Staff Training Academy, Critical Incident Negotiation Teams, Custody Recruitment Unit and SRP Boot Camp.   These are just some of the positions available to Senior Correction Officers (www.state.nj.us/corrections).   Although, all officers go through rigorous training that includes coursework, most officers who move into higher positions have additional schooling.   If things go well in his new position, Paul believes that one day, he may be ready to interview for one of the promotional positions. Paul believes the key to a successful career in the Department of Corrections is to walk on the job daily with a mindset of integrity and tactfulness mixed with firmness.   Inmates are people, just like you, no matter what they’ve done.   An officer cannot take their crimes lightly but an officer must, to the best of their ability, treat them with respect.   Then, do your job, have a life outside of work, leave your job at the door and choose to be happy.   That may be the key.   Paul hopes it will be the key to his future happiness and the future happiness of his family. References 2006.   Retrieved April 3, 2007 from http://www.jrank.org. Forsberg, Mary E.   Money for Nothing?   The Financial Cost of New Jersey’s Death Penalty.   November 2005.   Retrieved April 6, 2007 from http://www.njpp.org. New Jersey Department of Corrections.   1996.   Retrieved April 3, 2007 from http://www.state.nj.us/corrections.