Principles Underpinning the Role of the Practitioner Essay

The principles underpinning the role of the practitioner working with children Section 1 – Maintaining professional relationships in the multi-professional team E1: Describe the responsibility of the practitioner in professional relationships: â€Å"Professional,† means engaging in a given activity as a source of livelihood. It also means being an expert and having or showing great skill. Practitioners are more likely to develop good relationships with colleagues and children if they are able to demonstrate professional standards. â€Å"Professional practice is the skills that will be required of you to develop in order to work effectively with children. These include understanding your role and responsibilities, the ability to establish and maintain good relationships with children and colleagues, and communication skills.† (Tassoni P, 2007:10) Being reliable means that staff and children begin to rely on you, for example practitioners may plan activities or mee tings and expect you to be there to assist or supervise children. Reliable means doing what is expected of you and this can include working as a team helping each other and being on time and honest. It can also include being hard working and consistent as this shows your enthusiasm towards the job role. It is important to be reliable because children can get attached to you and start counting on you to be there. Punctuality is crucial in all jobs but especially when supervising children. It is important to be on time consistently which shows you are dedicated to your job. A good example of this is a parent may not be able to leave for work until you arrive in the setting, or a setting may not be able to open if the right ratio of staff is present. Flexibility is essential as practitioners should have the ability to meet new ideas and initiatives with openness. They should be able to adapt to different teachers approaches and be flexible about the hours that they work or tasks that are given to them. For example, a practitioner can help with a Year 3 display if they are always working with reception. This shows that they can be helpful as well as outgoing. Being a good listener is highly important when being a practitioner. Using eye contact and lowering yourself down to the child’s level will make them feel as if you are talking to them and not at them which will not intimidate them. Practitioners should be supportive and non-judgmental. Good examples include repeating back what the child has said to show you are listening, commenting and asking further questions using body language; practitioners should not interrupt or change the subject. â€Å"You need to show children and young people that you are interested in what they have to say. By looking (not staring) at a child or young person, you show them that they have your full attention. Sometimes, during a conversation, they may look away or down and this may be a sign that what they are about to say may be uncomfortable or difficult for them.† (Tassoni P, 2007:139) (356 words) E3: Explain the value of a multi-professional approach when working with children and parents: Multi-professional working requires people from different professions and agencies to work together towards meeting the needs of the child. There are a very large number of organisations that support children and their families that may be involved in multi-agency working. In order to work effectively with other agencies, it is important to have an understanding of what they do and how they support one another. â€Å"†¦professionals can share knowledge about the family’s needs with each other so that parents do not have to be asked the dame questions over and over again. It also means that professionals are aware of each other’s role in supporting the family and so conflicting advice or timings of appointments can be minimised.† (Tassoni P, 2007:11) The benefits of a multi-professional approach include ensuring that children get extra support for example a learning mentor or speech therapist. The child is safer when they are looked after by a team of professionals because they can share all their concerns and expertise to support the child. This approach also boosts children’s confidence within the setting and promotes a holistic approach. It increases independence because children are given strategies from a variety of professionals who want the best outcome for the child. The value of a multi-professional approach ensures that the 5 outcomes of Every Child Matters (stay safe, be healthy, enjoy and achieve, make a positive contribution and achieve economic wellbeing) are being met because everyone is working together to share information and skills. This information will minimise the risk of error or neglect of the child. The fact that many professionals are involved means that judgements made about children are informed, thorough and objective. For example if a child is frustrated and has a low concentration span, this can then be analysed by a educational psychologist and further action can be taken from then. A multi-professional approach also supports parents. For example a dietician can advise parents on the recommended intake for their child (5 a day). If a child is diabetic, they can help to design a healthy food plan to help the child manage their glucose levels. He/she can also link the child’s diet with sports activities and advise parents on the benefits. â€Å"There are many benefits for children and families when this type of approach is used as support, advice and childcare can be tailored to ensure some continuity. In practice, this may mean that parents may be able to leave their children in a nursery while in the same building or nearby they attend a parenting class or take a younger baby to the health clinic.† (Tassoni P, 2007:11) (314 words) Section 2 – Developing reflective practice E4: Describe the benefits of developing reflective practice within the setting: Reflective practice is paying crucial attention to the practical values and theories which inform everyday actions, by examining practice reflectively and positively. Reflective practice can also mean understanding knowledge of something positively. One of the benefits of reflective practice is allowing schools to develop self awareness, a critical skill in order for a setting to thrive and move forward. For example, if practitioners are only aware of school policies and not current legislations, children are at risk and practitioners are not doing the best they can to further their knowledge. â€Å"An important part of the reflective cycle is how you review your practice. It is important that the process of reflection is viewed as positive process, rather than problems being seen as barriers to success.† (Tassoni P, 2007:229) Practitioners need to be aware of current legislations in order to follow them to improve their setting and be aware of fresh initiatives, for example considering children’s opinions which will make them feel valued and confident to learn. Lessons will be interesting and children are less likely to lose concentration. Reflective practice creates and effective staff team as observations are carried out to improve on expert advice. There are opportunities for personal and professional development and job satisfaction. This benefits children because activities and practice is evaluated to meet the children’s needs and support learning. It also benefits the setting as there is higher quality provision because weaknesses, strengths, activities and resources are addressed which ultimately is of benefit to the children. Lastly, reflective practice improves the reputation of the setting because it could lead to a higher Ofsted report. A good reputation benefits the practice because parents have confidence in the setting and this motivates their children to learn. Children will feel the urge to come to school and work hard, therefore resulting in higher grades and children achieving more which will maintain the good reputation of the setting. (280 words) D1: Explain the importance of reflective practice for improving your own performance: As a practitioner, reflective practice is extremely important as you can look back on a situation and make improvements. You can also check to see if you are following the correct procedures. This allows the practitioner to grow and reach higher potential, in other words make continuous progression when reviewing situations. Reflective practice benefits the practitioner because he/she can validate and challenge existing approaches and methods of working. Reflective practice would help me to find out my strengths and weaknesses and to adapt into new situations that may occur. For example, when handling a situation where a new member of staff joins the team, reflective practice would help me to find out if I have helped them to settle in, in order to build a good relationship. I would have to think back and ask myself if I briefed them about what to do in the setting. This would help improve relationships with children and staff. Reflective practice would also help me to identify my training needs. For example, if a child had got lost on a school trip, I would have to think about if I followed the correct procedures or if I need to further my knowledge in safeguarding to build up my own learning, performance, confidence and job satisfaction. Reflective practice keeps me up to date with trends and initiatives, which are good for job promotions and job interviews. For example, if activities are repetitive or uninteresting, being reflective would encourage me to research and find out about new trends to keep the class intrigued and provide stimulating activities. Furthermore, reflective practice shows a commitment to wanting to do my best and reach my full potential. It is important that I reflect back on how I carried out a job and how I can do better, resulting in becoming more aware of what I am doing and how to become a better practitioner. â€Å"Through self-reflection, it becomes possible to think about how to repeat something that has worked well or how to improve ready for next time. Through reflect it is also possible to improve your interpersonal skills. For example, you might think about how you responded or communicated in a situation and then be able to consider ways in which you might have been more effective.† (Tassoni P, 2007:349) D2 Discuss two strategies for improving your own learning and performance Two areas, in which I would like to improve my own learning and performance are using my own initiative and working as a team. I can achieve these goals by using two strategies which are SMART targets and peer observation. â€Å"†¦it is important that any goals you set are SMART.† (Tassoni P, 2007:231) SMART targets are Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic and Time scaled. Using this strategy will allow me to draw up an action plan. The problem I tried to solve was maintaining a child’s attention throughout the required session time. Whilst I was carrying out work experience, I was allocated a maths group on a regular basis to try aid their learning and improving their mathematical abilities. The problem I encountered with this was trying to keep their attention so that I could communicate with them and so the tasks could be completed effectively. One of the children had been identified as having ADHD and therefore had particular difficulties in maintaining concentration and was often distracted. Other factors which affected this problem were distractions in the classroom and the complexity of the tasks that had to be carried out. I have decided that my own observations about how effective the solution was and how much work the children successfully did as week as well as the response I received from them. I decided to research into the effects of ADHD particularly children in a school environment and used various information sources (this will be attached as evidence). I decided on three options that I thought had realistic chance of success. The first was to arrange the classroom to minimise distractions for the child with ADHD and also those with difficulty concentrating, the advantages of doing this would be this would lower the disruption methods, however there are some disadvantages for example it may cause unnecessary d isruption to other pupils. The second solution that I considered was to include a variety of activities in each lesson by alternating physical and sitting down activities that appeal to different learning styles and would require careful and detailed planning to accommodate all three learning styles and each activity would need to be adapted to the requirements of each individual. Ensuring the classroom rules are kept clear rules are kept clear and simple and having a set discipline routine. If there continued or excessive misbehaviour and send them to my supervisor. Some of the advantages of this solution were that it would ensure that children are clearly understand the rules and repetition of the discipline system would emphasise the rules and therefore the children would begin pick up on them. However the disadvantages were that disciplining those with children with behavioural problems may have a negative effect and the discipline may seem harsh and could cause more problems. From the three solutions I have chosen to implement in my time during work experience is the second solution as I think this could be an effective method at maintaining a child’s concentration particularly a child with ADHD I have chosen to implement is solution 2 and this means I have to ensure that the teacher will have to be consulted and she will then provide the outline of the tasks to be carried out with the maths group. The teacher I was working with included different activities within the lessons such as discussions, quizzes, videos, drawing and some movement with the activities. I have decided to check if the problem had been solved using my own observations and to a certain extent the problem was solved and saw a gradual increase in their concentration levels and motivation to learn however it was difficult to implement the solution with limited time and resources. When working with the child with ADHD he was often distracted by other people around him and also other pupils found it difficult maintaining their concentration levels therefore it may have been effective to incorporate all three solutions together as this would have created a better and more stable working environment for all the pupils and would have benefitted their learning. It would have set out a clear and systematic discipline routine whilst maximising the use of different activities to achieve the child’s potential. â€Å"Peer observation is an effective way of gaining feedback about your practice with children.† (Tassoni P, 2007:230) Peer observation can improve my own learning and performance as it will enable a colleague to focus on my strengths and weaknesses when I am working with children. It is important that peer observations are objective and detailed, providing an opportunity to celebrate and recognise the things that I do well. This will improve my ability to work as a team by communicating and receiving positive feedback about my performance. This can be in meetings, or between me and my supervisor. If feedback is given to me in a positive way, this will improve my performance as I will feel confident, as well as being able to gain information that will help me reflect upon my own practice. â€Å"It can be difficult not to be defensive and take feedback personally, but if you focus on improving your own performance this will become easier with time.† (Tassoni P, 2007:231) Section 3 – The principles underpinning the role of the practitioner E5: Summarise the main principles that underpin work with children There are many main principles that underpin work with children. Some of these include the following: The welfare of the child is paramount. This is stated by the Children’s Act 1989 and links in with the EYFS. This means the wellbeing of the child is the first and most important aspect of practitioners’ work. A child should always be valued and practitioners should ensure the child is safe and happy to protect them from abuse, harm and neglect. Celebrating diversity and individuality are also important. This means that children are individuals in their own right and need to be listened to and respected. Their cultural needs need to be met, for example, children should opt to celebrate their own or other cultural festivals such as Diwali, instead of just Christmas. Equal opportunities and inclusive practice are actively promoted. This is about recognising and celebrating difference and not about treating everyone the same, for example, setting up an activity that everyone can do regardless of their skin colour or race. Confidentiality is respected at all times except when child protection is an issue. All practitioners have a responsibility to maintain confidentiality at all times. This means that any information passed to the practitioner should only be passed on, on a need to know basis. (214 words) C1: Analyse how the main principles that underpin work with children can support the practitioner’s practice in the setting: Knowing the importance of the main principles that underpin work with children means that the practitioner can set out creating an appropriate environment. This means the environment is safe, healthy and enjoyable as the welfare of the child is paramount. The practitioner should act upon this principle by making the child their first priority. They should carry out daily risk assessments and follow policies and procedures to ensure this happens. Practitioners should act upon the EYFS because Every Child Matters. For example, practitioners can promote healthy eating (snack time) for being healthy, and when carrying out activities, all children should participate and enjoy what they are doing. Activities should be carried out to meet all children’s needs and practitioners should maintain commitment to children’s emotional wellbeing. Practitioners should also make sure children’s health and wellbeing is being actively promoted. They can do this by making sure children have pastoral care which includes health, social and moral education, behaviour management and emotional support of children. Practitioners need to act upon this by educating children about healthy eating, for example promoting healthy eating posters around school and encouraging parents to take part in cookery lessons, as well as encouraging their child to eat healthily at home and encouraging parents to provide healthy meals. It is important for children to also have good amounts of physical/outdoor play and exercise. Practitioners should make sure individuality; inclusive practice and diversity are celebrated. They can do this by getting parents involved. An example can involve having an international day where children can bring in food from their countries and dress according to their culture. This links in with Knowledge and Understanding of the World (KUW), from the EYFS six areas of learning. â€Å"Recognising diversity is about understanding that children come from a variety of backgrounds and family structures, and that this is reflected in many ways including the languages they speak their culture, beliefs and even care needs. While the core needs of children are the same (love, affection, stimulation and physical care), recognising diversity means responding positively to the differences and valuing all people, not just the children and families you feel closest to.† (Tassoni P, 2007:7) An example of inclusive practice is for example having reasonable adjustments such as a wide range of visual aids for children with learning disabilities. Equal opportunities and anti-discriminatory practice are actively promoted. Practitioners should make sure of this by mixing boys and girls together. For example, girls should play football with boys, or boys should paint with girls. Practitioners should avoid stereotyping by valuing process and not just the end product, for example, valuing a child for trying their best with a drawing, even though it may not be the best drawing within the class. Persona dolls should also be used for anti-bullying practice to show everyone is different. Some people may be disabled or have a different skin colour. Confidentiality is respected at all times except when child protection is an issue. Practitioners should ensure records are stored away safely and are only accessible to whom it may concern, for example the child’s parents or key worker. They should keep information on a need to know basis and respect the child as an individual. Parents should be informed about who the information is being shared with. (476 words) E6: Explain the importance of valuing children’s interests and experiences: There are many reasons why valuing a child’s interests and experiences are important. The first one being, the interests of a child should always come first and activities should be based upon the child’s interests. This is because if children enjoy the activity, they will do well and can achieve their full potential. It will be meaningful and this allows children to develop their confidence and self-esteem. A good example of this is when doing maths; children could learn to count using something that interests them for example cars, cubes, pencils and so on. â€Å"A child centred practice should be maintained throughout the child’s education. It is all about keeping the interests and wellbeing of children and young adults as the main focus of the practice used.† (Bruce and Meggitt, 2007). This approach promotes the child to give freedom to think, experience, question and search for answers. Children learn easily and retain information more effectively because they are participating in decisions about their learning and are able to develop to their full potential. It is stimulating for both the practitioner and child, and research shows children respond better and concentrate longer when they are engaged in something which interests them. The Early Years is based on this principle with a heavily play based and child centred curriculum. By involving children and showing them respect for their ideas and capabilities, will help them grow in confidence and self-esteem. This will also help to build a positive relationship with practitioners, for example, using a child’s idea in practitioners planning. Practitioners should include all children in activities and put all work up on display to make them feel valued. They should give the children free choice of activities, in other words let them do what interests them. It is important that practitioners should feedback to parents about their child’s interests and if possible, find out about what the child’s interests were in previous settings.

Absolutism Pros And Cons Essay

The history of Absolutism began during the seventeen century during the transition from Feudalism to Capitalism in England and was known as â€Å"The Divine Right of Kings† England was experiencing a complete overthrow of their monarchy and its replacement was first by a Republic and then by a new and weakened monarchy. For England, at the end of the seventeen century they would see the erosion of the monarch’s powers in the â€Å"Glorious Revolution†. Absolutism was a form of government where the ruling monarchs were responsible for God and sovereignty was embodied in the King only. Despite the attempts by the Kings in England their idea of Absolutism didn’t hit its full power like it did when King Louis XIV of France took the throne. I believe I share the same opinion of the majority of people throughout this country and even worldwide that there are more cons and weaknesses of Absolutism than there are pros and strengths. I will start out with the cons and weaknesses. In all reality the notion that one man, a single â€Å"leader† could have all this power invested into him with a single view on the entire country’s personal choices, religious beliefs, lifestyle choices, culture and moral values is beyond insane and a form of slavery if you ask me. His views are not shared with the entire country and for a single person to be in control of them all is disturbing beyond belief. These monarchs were recognized as France’s supreme legislators, executors, judicators and ruler of the entire country. In other words, the judge, lawyers and jury! I would say that is a major â€Å"con† right there! Absolutism doesn’t take into account and even refuted any historical developments during the scientific revolution during the Enlightenment era. It also debunks science theories, new ideas on creation, morals theories, personal family values, individual lifestyles and evolutionary na ture of humanity in general. It also lacks cultural differences and many of the monarchs seemed intolerant to any cultural diversity. Another weakness is that Absolutism basically ignores the circumstances in which ethical judgments are made and in today’s world in the 20th and 21st centuries those are the very freedoms and liberties we have as Americans. It’s a nightmare looking back in history and learning about these wealthy, selfish and greedy unruly men being the kings and rulers of an entire country. Really one â€Å"mind† and â€Å"theory† for all? Thank goodness for the Enlightenment era when the intelligent, educated and morally sound men rose to the occasion to change the world in which they lived in from the dark ages into the â€Å"light† known as the Enlightenment period! The last â€Å"con† of Absolutism that is probably the most dangerous to their society was the fact that there was no Democratic legitimacy because the leader was not elected by the people he inherited the position by either a family passing away or given to them by a retiring king. So any liability and accountability is lacking when it comes to a bad ruling by an inefficient tyrant of a ruler. Some examples include religion beliefs and castration to the non-believers and followers, a rush to judgment for a crime the accused might not have committed with their â€Å"eye for an eye† outlook of cruel punishments because remember there was no trials, jurors and their â€Å"government† lacked that liberty to defend yourself and speak your mind in that era. It was a great moment in history when Absolutism hit its shelf life with the age of the Enlightenment on the rise with a more modernized way of thinking. The pros and strengths were hard to gather but taking my biased hat off for a moment I can open my mind to other people’s opinions and different views on Absolutism†¦.I guess. Absolutism can provide a fixed ethical code which gives clear moral judgments in situations where there is a need for ethical guidance. Their ideas are that morality isn’t based on individual or group preferences but rather on absolute and universal values. Some people feel it’s better to follow then to lead and it allows different societies to share common values. It could bring stability and a more civil society when everyone follows the same ruler, whether they agree with it or not, the ruler sets clear and simple rules which would any avoid conflicts, disagreements and any personal biases because options and consequences are not taken into account. This would be somewhat beneficial when it comes to decisions on war because decisions are reached and implemented quickly, as there is a no debate and bureaucracy involved. There is a sense of equality within the government because the same rules apply to everyone in every situation. In conclusion, it is common sense that having an Absolute monarchy government over a Democracy is absolutely insane. We have come a long way from the dark ages into the era of the Enlightenment, the Scientific and American revolutions, along with the end result of a strong U.S. Constitution and Bills of Rights that is now the foundation to our country’s civil liberties and freedoms we pride ourselves on and are very thankful to have.

Special Needs Education Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Special Needs Education - Essay Example By giving a workshop to parents regarding the education of children with special needs, not only would they be able to appreciate the efforts that regular schools do for the children, but also enlighten them in what they could do to support and encourage their own children’s learning process. Special Needs Education Workshop for Parents Many parents take it for granted that their own children are able to follow the school’s given curricula without any worries. However, for parents who may not be able to understand why their child is having a hard time coping with lessons in school, despite regularly attending classes and studying even after school, it may be that they have not realized that the child has learning problems. Putting the blame on the child or the educational system, or both may not be the best way in handling the situation. Not only does it creates a barrier between understanding the child better, but it also gives the child an idea that there is nothing t hat can be done to the situation (Porter, 2002). Thus, to improve the well-being of children with special needs as well as providing stability to the parents’ relationship with the child and the school, a workshop regarding the mechanics of how special education needs are addressed by regular schools, as well as how parents can participate in their child’s learning process would be a helpful tool in helping parents understand and support their child better in school. The main goals for conducting the seminar and workshop regarding the special education needs for children that have learning problems are: to introduce to parents the â€Å"IDEA†, an act that supports the education of children with special education needs through the public school system; to present to concerned parents how regular schools are able to provide quality education not just to children with normal or superior learning capabilities, but also to children that may have other needs that woul d allow them to learn lessons at the same rate as their peers; to let parents see the perspective of children with learning difficulties in dealing with their everyday schooling; to provide parents ideas which could help them assist and empower their children in coping with the regular educational curriculum of the school; and to enlighten parents of the important role that they have to play in order to become even more attuned with their children not just in the academics but also in their physical, social, psychological, and emotional well-being. In order for the parents to not only be informed but also get engaged with the topic itself, the program shall consist of four parts: the introductory part; the presentation proper; the question and answer part; and the workshop proper. The introductory part would be presented in the form of a video presentation that enumerates and explains laws that are concerned with the provision of additional adjustment of the school’s teaching methods to address the needs and support the abilities of children with special needs. The presentation proper would utilize a power point presentation so that the parents would be able to read the additional information with ease. The presentation will be mentioning in detail the services that are provided for specifically by the schools that their children are enrolled in, as well as other

The Best of Intentions Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

The Best of Intentions - Case Study Example Some of the key issues include the following: Business decisions which are made based on race or gender rather than an evaluation of strong or best performance Discriminatory clients or customers influence decision making in the AgFunds company. The issue of minorities is evident with the company having low expectations for blacks becoming successful. The company has made little effort in reforming customer attitudes and supporting their previous minority representatives Racial and cultural differences strongly influence company decisions which show racial biases. Analysis and explanation of decisions will be made based on expert discussions. Researchers agree that Cynthia should offer Steve the job. According to Humphreys et al (2002), Cynthia should give Steve a good list of prospects after finding out the clients. These clients assume that she will not send to them a representative that under performs. Therefore, clients will be more open to Steve. Also, Cynthia needs to act as St eve’s sponsor through working with Steve but at the same time work with others to communicate the high expectations she has for him. This effort may not be successful though because Peter Jones, Cynthia’s boss, believes that the clients are not yet ready for a black person to become their representative. That is why he shows unwillingness to risk proving that he is wrong. Therefore, Peter is denying Steve a chance to prove himself in a cross cultural environment. According to Morris (Humphreys et al, 2002), Cynthia should offer Steve a job because he has the right qualities and he is the best qualified candidate. He states that if Cynthia allows discriminating clients to influence her decision to hire Steve, it may put the AgFunds Company at risk of a discrimination claim. He proposes that strong performance could be a great equalizer in the organizational culture. In this case, some prospective clients may be in need a high performer irrespective of race or gender bec ause the district has been losing customers for fifteen years. Again this might not be possible because of Peter’s paternalism which is rather offensive and lack of effort by the company to change the attitude of customers. Also, the company lacks support to previous representatives considered as minorities. Based on these facts, the causes of lack of effective communication across cultures is the clients’ unchanging attitude and the lack of support and mentorship for representatives from the black minority. Koehn & Leung (Humphreys et al, 2002) work in collaboration on research examining ethical problems that arise during cross cultural interactions. Koehn is for the opinion that Cynthia should offer the job to Steve if she thinks she is the right person. She says that Steve may be in a better position than other sales representatives at AgFunds to handle the Arkansas farmers. This is based on several studies that have shown that minorities who were being treated as o utsiders have often outperformed others in handling difficult and stressful situations. However, this might not apply in this case because Peter with other district managers may be already set to push Cynthia into not hiring Steve. Koehn’s and Leung’s research give an example of gender bias in decision making where male executives have over the years argued that female employees should not be given international postings. They argue that nationals

Electrical and electroinc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Electrical and electroinc - Essay Example It provides high gain in signal process. Despite this, positive feedback is prone to oscillations, poor frequency response, prone to more distortion and prone to more drift. This is where the feedback signal is 1800 out of phase with the input signal. In this scenario, the feedback is in such a way that it opposes the input signal. In negative feedback circuit, the feedback signal is connected in such a way that it is out of phase with the input signal. As a result, the feedback signal subtracts from the input resulting in lower amplitude output signal as compared to what could have been in the absence of the amplifier. 1. Gain stability. This is because the general gain of feedback amplifier is independent of internal gain and only is dependent on the feedback ratio. Also, the feedback ratio solely depends on passive elements which include resistors and amplifiers. Oscillation occurs when the feedback system is unable to find a stable steady state since the transfer function can’t be satisfied considering this scenario, the system becomes unstable when 1+AÃŽ ² = 0. Crystal oscillators are advantageous over other type of oscillators. This is because in case excitement, they oscillate at precise frequency because of the mechanical make associated with it. When compare to an electronic oscillator, its frequency can be made to shift with

How the Internal and External Environment Effect Hublots Marketing Essay

How the Internal and External Environment Effect Hublots Marketing - Essay Example The researcher states that the internal influences tend to determine the marketing in more outlook. The management usually makes the decision that influences the marketing department in their objectives and priorities. Financial capability of the firm also plays a lot in marketing. The financial structure and policies should allow enough funds for the implementation of the marketing plans and strategy, thus if hub lot company have limited funds or in event locate less capital for the marketing department, then the department would not achieve their target as watches are products that need a huge investment in marketing policies to keep up with the new ones that may emerge. On the other hand, research and development of hub lot watches should ensure production of quality, attractive and be creative and innovative so that the product can compete in the market. The image that the company portrays and branding of the product help the marketing to create intermediaries and channels throug h which hub lot watches may enter the new market and rival the competitors. Hence the internal factors are key efficiency in the marketing of the hub lot company. External influences are situations that are beyond the company control. It is important for a company to manage their competitors in the market as they influence a lot on the performance of the company produces more so in pricing and market share of the product. Thus firms like hub lot watches must have an efficient marketing system to be more productive and keep pace with the new inventions. Economic factors do influence the market on various scenario since it determines the distribution of goods within the economy e.g. infrastructure, and since this is goods which need to reach the market for their respective customers, the efficient movement must be available.

Alternative Dispute Resolution Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Alternative Dispute Resolution - Research Paper Example In clearer terms, ADR refers to the processes of solving disputes outside the judicial process or formal litigation. In fact, the judicial system/process is currently encouraging and requiring conflicting parties to utilize the Alternative Dispute Resolution processes, particularly mediation, prior to taking such cases before a court of law. There are four other main types of Alternative Dispute Resolution namely negotiation, mediation, arbitration, and collaborative law (Lynch, P. 213). In fact, conciliation has also considered a type of Alternative Dispute Resolution. Except in negotiation, all the other categories of Alternative Dispute Resolution involve the presence of a neutral person who provides fair opinions while facilitating or making a decision in ADR processes. However, the collaborative law processes such as collaborative divorce require both parties to have counsels who are experts at following the details of the contracts or terms involved such issues. Among the dispu tes or conflicts in which ADR techniques have been particularly useful include family matters such as divorce, professional liability disputes, insurance issues/disputes, and personal injury situations. There are several advantages for which the use of Alternative Dispute Resolution has become prominent in recent times. These advantages include more efficiency, cost-effectiveness, and greater satisfaction for all parties involved. In fact, great deals of civil cases such as marital dissolutions have been settled using Alternative Dispute Resolution techniques (Lynch, P. 213). Due to the recognized effectiveness of ADR as a tool for dispute resolution, judicial systems world over have adopted the practice of providing conflicting parties and their lawyers with information about and the option of ADR, more so in civil cases. Advantages and Disadvantages of Alternative Dispute Resolution The current trend of increased usage of Alternative Dispute Resolution techniques stems from the ma ny advantages that arise from their use. The first among the advantages of ADR is the fact that far less time is consumed in solving disputes in cases where ADR, rather than litigation is applied. ADR also usually costs less in monitory terms compared to litigations. Moreover, ADR techniques such as arbitration have more flexibility in the choice and the application of the relevant rules to their disputes. For instance, one may choose to apply industrial standards, religious laws, foreign/international laws, domestic laws, and any unique set of standards/rules for ADR processes such as negotiation, mediation, conciliation, or arbitration. Importantly, the disputing parties are in a position to use the services of experts in the relevant fields. The other advantage of ADR over litigation is that more time is also wasted in litigation since judges and juries have to be educated on the technical terms and aspects of cases that involve complicated and technical issues that are not prope rly understood by laymen. In fact, it is only after this kind of education that judges and juries may make informed and fair decisions.  Ã‚  

Sustainability in Global Business Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Sustainability in Global Business - Assignment Example In global context a business should strive efficiently in order to meet triple bottom line. Sustainability can be achieved by global business if sustainability principles are incorporated in business decision making, environmental friendly goods are supplied by firms, traditional competition is managed more efficiently and business is highly committed towards environmental principles. This study shall focus on major challenges that would be faced by firm in nearby future. It would even encompass a sustainable innovation strategy which will help in providing competitive advantage and value in 2050 business scenario. Globalization has provided immense opportunities to many large organizations. Growing interconnectedness resulted from globalization that was highly reflected on flow of technology, information, services, people, goods and capital across the globe. Certain aspects of globalization will be altered in the coming years but revolution of information technology shall remain unaltered. The mega trend is expected to shape substantiality of a firm. Around the world developing and developed countries would benefit from world economy gains (Andersen, 2006). Fastest growing consumer markets would initiate growth of world class multinationals. Western countries are focusing on international economic dynamism. Adaptability and accessibility of advanced technology would increase by 2050. Vision for 2050 is to develop such business environment that can lessen the impact on environment (Bennett, 2006). Figure1 represents the population growth by 2050. Macroeconomic scenario encompasses numerical GD P projections, sectorial activity, population and household income. There are 22 sectors within EU member states. These sectors comprise of 10 energy intensive industries, 3 service sectors, 6 non intensive energy firms and energy supply and agriculture sector. Figure1 states the projection of

Child abuse Essay Example for Free

Child abuse Essay Child abuse is one of the biggest injustices of all time because it is a never ending cycle. Child abuse is the physical, sexual, or emotional mistreatment or neglect of a child. Children are young, innocent, and fragile. Their minds are like sponges, absorbing everything they see and feel. Thus, leading the children to being the advocate of child abuse when their older. Abused and neglected children are 11 times more likely to engage in criminal behavior as an adult. Therefore, child abuse leads the victims to not have the opportunity to a bright future. Neglect is the most common form of child abuse. Over 75% of children who experience maltreatment or abuse suffer from neglect. For every incident of neglect thats reported, an estimated two incidents go unreported. Approximately one in ten young adults (9%) was cruelly neglected by parents or guardians during their childhood. Based on the interviews with 1,761 young adults between the ages of 18 to 24, one in 6 (16%) young adults were neglected at some point during their childhood, with one in 10 young adults (9%) severely neglected during their childhood. Based on the interviews with 2,275 children between the ages of 11 to 17, one in 7 (13.3%) secondary school children have been neglected at some point, with one in 10 children (9.8%) severely neglected. Based on the interviews with 2,160 parents or guardians of children under 11 years old, one in 20 (5%) of children under 11 have been neglected at least once before, with one in 30 (3.7%) severely neglected. On March 31, 2012 (or in Scotland on July 2012), there were 21,666 children in the United Kingdom on the subject of child protection plans under the category of neglect. On March 31, 2012 (or in Scotland on July 31, 2012), 43% of all children on the subject of child protection plans in the United Kingdom were under the category of neglect. There were 18, 220 children were the subject of a child protection plan under the category of neglect in England on March 31, 2012. In England, 43% of all children subject of a child protection plan were under the category of neglect on March 31, 2012. There were 1,006 children on the child protection register under the category of neglect in Scotland on July 31, 2012. In Scotland, 37% of all children on the child protection register under the category of neglect on July 31, 2012. There were 1,040 children on the child protection register under the category of neglect in Northern Ireland on March 31,  2012. In Northern Ireland, 49% of all children on the child protection register were under the category of neglect on March 31, 2012. There were 1,400 children on the child protection register under the category of neglect in Wales on March 31, 2012. In Wales, 48% of all children on the child protection register were under the category of neglect in March 31, 2012. In England, about one in seven children who became the subject of a plan for neglect in 2011-2012 had been subject to a plan at least once before. There were 6.2 million children referred to Child Protective Services in 2011. About 3.7 million children were investigated for maltreatment by CPS in 2011. There were 676,569 children decided to be victims of abuse or neglect in 2011. The most common victims of abuse and neglect are children age 2 and under. More than 11% of victims had a reported disability. In the U.S., there are about 1,570 child victims per year caused by maltreatment and an average of 30 child fatality victims per week. Most child fatalities were under 4 years old (81.6%) with 42.4% less than one year old. In the U.S., 37% of states limit information on child deaths and accidents. In the U.S., the yearly estimated direct cost of medical care of child abuse and neglect is $33,333,619,510. In the U.S., the yearly estimated direct and indirect cost of child abuse and ne glect is $80,260,411,087. The percentage of states that do not obligate legal representation for victims in abuse and neglect is 39%. There are about 408,425 children in the foster care system. About 27,854 of those children aged out of foster care. The percentage of the general population that has a bachelors degree is 30%. The percentage of former foster children that have a bachelors degree is 3%. The percentage of the general population in jail or prison is greater than 1%. The percentage of former foster children incarcerated since age 17 that are males is 64%. The percentage of former foster children incarcerated that are females is 32.5%. The percentage of the general population who experience homelessness during a year is greater than 1%. The percentage of former foster children who experience homelessness after aging out of the system is 24%. The percentage of former foster children who are unemployed for 1 year after aging out is 61%. The percentage of former foster children who are unemployed for 5 years after aging out is 53.5%. Ronald T. is a victim of physical abuse, emotional maltreatment, and neglect.

The Success of US Economy in 2004-2007 Essay Example for Free

The Success of US Economy in 2004-2007 Essay Economics and professionals economists have felt the heed of a series of books economic subjects which is not filled by usual textbooks or by the highly technical treatise.   This present series are published under the general title ‘The Economics handbook series with the interest of informing any reader in general. They are short volumes that give essentials of the subject matter within the hundreds of few pages within a short span of period. The American Economy has undergone a considerable remodeling during the recent past. First the most important issue is the single factor, which is the new factor that has never been experienced in the History of America. America has never had a major depression far nearly two decades. WE have had virtually full employment and booming prospect. Although past experience has been quite different throughout out history every eight or nine years we have experience serious depression and widespread unemployment. Indeed over a century our economy was the most violently fluctuating economy in the world. The recent election history, particularly 2000 presidential contest and 2002 congressional elections, suggests a decisive victory for the incumbent republican president.   Since then the American economy had enjoyed unprecedented economic growth. The budget was balance and with the cold war over and America as the only hegemony left standing, the world was mere peaceful than ever (Acemoglu, 2004) Operating under pressure the American Economy had performed a miracle. The output response to adequate aggregate demand has surprised everyone, and what is many still more surprising, it has not led to any such destructive inflation as was feared. Clearly we are not out of words in this matter, but the experience of recent years is reassuring. One thing is certain; our economy is equipped with three powerful safeguards against peace time inflation: 1. Our prodigious capacity to increase production when under pressure. 2. Our capacity both corporate and individual, to save at high income levels; 3. Our demonstrated capacity at responsible fiscal and monetary management. However the problem of wages and collective bargaining still remain. There can be no doubt that this requires statesman like action. In all events it is therefore fair to say that experience thus far indicates that the alarmists may well have beaten the drums a little too loudly and it will be happy to note recently a little softer note in the discussion of this very important problem. A high degree of stability in the value of money must be an important consideration of public policy. Yet there is in considerable danger of making a fetish of rigid price stability. This fetish could easily become a serious obstacle to optimize. (Karol Panis, 2004) The record of post man central Bank history in the United States points to the conclusion that monetary policy has become only one of many instruments controlling the rate of aggregate spending. And fiscal policy has played the dominant role, with monetary policy and selective controls serving as important supporting measures. The long term interest rates still need to be coming down, especially since they climbed back recently short term rates could go down another percentage point to help. In addition the Federal Reserve should conduct some of its open market purchases in the long-term markets, and the Treasury should stop selling new bonds in the long term markets. Both measures would lighten the supply of bonds in the long maturities, give an upward push on their prices and bring down long tern interest rates. In 1960, on the Kennedy Council, the council was trying to persuade the Whitehouse, the congress and the public that the beginning of recovery is only the begging of recovery. At that point, the full employment growths push. By simply changing the direction of the economy from negative to positive does not automatically trigger an inflation problem. This will indicate that just because the economy has turned around and is going up rather than down is going up rather   than down for a month or two or a quarter or two does not mean the business cycle problem is solved. A lot of unemployment excess capacity and slack demand still persists at and after the typical cyclical turning point (Barrel, 1992) The government offers job training and job training is a pervasive aspect of the life of Americans, Wages and salaried employment is the single largest source of aggregate personal income in the United States. Every person holding a job has benefited from the training. Most job training in the United States is undertaken by private employers in their normal course of doing business, but each year, many Americans in precarious economic conditions use publicly funded job training as a path to employment. Training comes in many shapes that are not the same and in different forms. There is an important distinction between general and firm specific training. The general training provides the trainee with skills that apply to many employers in the labor market while specific training mainly offers skills that have value within a given firm or for a given employer. The government finances more of the former whole employers support more of the later since they are its principal beneficiaries. Both public and private intermediaries have played important role as service providers throughout during the publicly funded employment and training programs. The work forces investment act (WIA) has expanded the role of intermediaries participating in the workforce investment system by establishing new one stop operator roles and excluding local work force investment boards from being direct service providers, unless waivers have been removed.   Intermediaries that provide services under WIA receive funds from local boards to provide direct employment and training services to customers or facilitate work force development in the one-stop environment. In the recent past, concern about the skills of the US work force has emerged as a persistent public policy issue. The current focus on skills and their importance in the working lives of Americans is not new, rather a renewal. The Federal training policy has its roofs. In new deal public workers programs several factors are tied to the renewed public interest in skill development. Globalization, technological change and the reorganization of work have combined to produce dramatic changes in the demand for workers’ skill. Today a ‘good’ job increasing requires a strong base of analytical quantitative and verbal skills. In the United states these skills are produced for the most part by the educational system, followed in sequence by private employers. (O’Leary et al. 2004) While most work force development programs have evolved incorporating lessons learned from previous initiatives, the job corps program, designed to offer disadvantaged youth a one year residential work force development program, has continued virtually unchanged since it was established by the economic opportunity act in 1964. In the next 15 years, work in the United States will be shaped by a number of forces that includes demographic trends, advances in technology and the process of economic globalization. These key factors have already played a role in shaping the world of work in today economy. They have influence the size and composition of labor force, the features of the work place, and the composition structures provided by employers. During the last century the US economy was shifting from one based a production to one based on information. New technology had spawned new products and industries had transformed the way firms in established industries were organized and labor was employed. The phenomenon of globalization can be viewed from a number of perspectives. There is no a single agreed upon definition (world bank 2000) Economic aspects of globalization has seen the flows of goods and services, direct investment and other capital flows, the transfer of knowledge or technology and the movement of people. From this, perspective in the United States, the era of economic globalization affects the size of the markets we produce far the mix of products be consumed and the nature of the competition in the global market place. It also has implications for the labor market, the US workers compete in and the sources of domestic and international labor available to US firms and in addition to the economic dimension of globalization, it also has political social and cultural dimensions such as the balance of power across nations. (Karol Panis, 2004) The secular bent of the shah as well as his oppression and dictatorial ways alienated many Iranian groups allowing radical Islamists to overthrew the dictator and in stall a radical Islamic state in its place. The new regime held Washington acceptable for its years of support of shah, and relations between the two countries deteriorated as groups of Iranians took over American Embassy in Teharan.This is in support of explainging to exposà © the roots of present war on terrorism. (Gareau, 2004). One of the apparent puzzles in the empirical corporate governance literature is the lack of correlation between the presence of independent directors and the firm’s economic performance. Various studies have searched in vain far an economically significant effect on the overall performance of the firm. Theory would predict that firms will select the board structure that enhances the chance for survival and success; it competitive market pressure eliminates out of equilibrium patterns of corporate governance whole some predict that corporate governance in the US is already good and therefore marginal improvements in a particular corporate governance mechanism would expectedly have a small effect. The rise of independent directors in the diffusely held public form is not driven only by the need to address the managerial agency problem at any particular form but on how to govern forms so as to increase social welfare. Fundamental changes in the information environment rewarded th e ratio of the firm’s reliance on private information to its reliance information impounded in the prevailing stock market prices. In conclusion over the period between 2004 and 2004, the central planning capabilities of the large public firm became suspect. The richer public information environment changed the role of directors and special access to private information became less important. Thus the fidelity shareholder value as to the utility of stock market signals found unit in the reliance on stock price maximization as the measure of managerial success. (Gordon, 2007) The US economy slowed sharply in the fourth quarter of 2005 growing of its slowest rate since early 2003. This is because private consumption was weak largely due to a sharp drop in auto sales as buyer incentive programs ended and gasoline process surged in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, corporate fixed investment was subdued and net experts exerted a substantial drag and growth. Mainly indicators suggest that the weakness was concentrated on the early part of the quarter and the economy had subsequently bounced back.   Industrial production has strengthened capital goods orders are firm non fair payrolls increased and consumer confidence has rebounded from its Past Katrina slump. Consequently real GDP growth issues expected to rebound in the first quarter 7 2006 and average at 3.4 percent for the year as a whole. Strong corporate profits and comfortable financing conditions imply a positive outlook for business investment. Consumption growth, however is expected to slow in 2006 by about  ¾ percent point as a cooling housing market and elevated energy prices more than offset any acceleration in disposable incomes from employment and wage growth with corporate profits expanding robustly and balance sheets in good shape, business investments and employment growth could be stronger than expected, but overall risks to the outlook are slanted to the down side. The large current account deficit 6.4 percent of GDP in 2005 makes the United States vulnerable to a swing in investors’ sentiment that could put downward pressure on, the dickens and see a spike in long-run interest rates. However a weaker housing market could trigger a more abrupt withdrawal of consumer demand than anticipated. House prices have grown strongly in recent years providing a boost to economic activity through their effect on consumption, residential investment and employment. (World Economic Outlook, 2006)

Four basic characteristics of a successful strategy

Four basic characteristics of a successful strategy 2.1.1 What is Strategy? So, what is strategy? Or, better, what it is not? According to Grant (2005) strategy is not a detailed plan or program of instructions; it is a unifying theme that gives coherence and direction to the actions and decisions of an individual or an organization. Furthermore, there are four basic characteristics of a successful strategy: goals that are simple, consistent and long term; profound understanding of the competitive environment; objective appraisal of the resources; and, effective implementation. Other definitions of strategy include:  · the determination of the long-term goals and objectives of an enterprise, and the adoption of courses of action and the allocation of resources necessary for carrying out these goals (Chandler, 1962),  · the pattern of objectives, purposes, or goals and the major policies and plans for achieving these goals, stated in such a way as to define what business the company is in or is to be in and the kind of company it is to be (Andrews, 1971),  · the match an organization makes between its internal resources and skills à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ and the opportunities and risks created by its external environment (Hofer and Schendel, 1978),  · the pattern or plan that integrates an organizations major goals, policies and action sequence into a cohesive whole (Quinn, 1980). To simplify things we could say that strategy is when a firm assesses its internal organization and external environment, sets its goals and objectives, and designs the action plan to accomplish them. 2.1.2 A Brief Presentation of some Strategic Concepts The concepts and theories of business strategy have their antecedents in military strategy. The term strategy derives from the Greek word strategia, meaning generalship, itself formed from stratos, meaning army and -ag, to lead. Another early contributor to the forming of the concept of strategy is the Chinese Sun Tzu (about 500 B.C.) with his classic piece of work The Art of War, which is regarded as the first thesis on strategy. In modern times, the field of business strategy has largely been shaped around a framework first conceived by Andrews (1971) in his classic book The Concept of Corporate Strategy. As weve seen above, Andrews saw strategy as the match between what a company can do on one hand (organizational strengths and weaknesses) within the universe of what it might do on the other hand (environmental opportunities and threats). This is how the famous concept of SWOT (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats) has emerged. This concept is examined further in the following chapter. Although the power of the SWOT framework was recognized from the outset, managers were given very few insights about how to assess either side of the equation systematically. The first important breakthrough came from Porter (1980) in his book Competitive Strategy: Techniques for Analysing Industries and Competitors where he introduced the concept of the five forces model. This model focuses on the external side of the SWOT strategic balancing act, helping firms to understand those forces in an industry that give rise to opportunities and threats. In this framework, strategy becomes a matter of choosing an appropriate industry and positioning the firm in that industry according to a generic strategy of either low cost or product differentiation. Again, this concept is examined further in the following chapter. Fig. 2.1(1) The Five Competitive Forces Porter These theories have been criticized mainly because they do not help particular firms to identify and leverage unique and therefore sustainable advantages. Furthermore, studies have shown that internal characteristics of particular firms within an industry can make a difference in terms of profit performance. Based on these experiences, a new perspective, known as the capabilities approaches, which is focused on the internal, organisational part of the SWOT equation, has emerged. Based on this theory, firms are exhorted to compete based on their unique or distinctive capabilities, competences and resources. These approaches assume that the roots of competitive advantage lie within the organization and that the adoption of new strategies is constrained by the current level of companys resources. In this framework, external environment received little (if any) attention. Finally, another approach which tries to bridge the two parts (internal organizational element and external environment) and fulfill the promise of Andrews framework is the resource based view. Like the capabilities approaches, the resource based view acknowledges the importance of company specific resources and competences, yet it does so in the context of the competitive environment. It sees capabilities and resources as the heart of a companys competitive position, subject to the interplay of three fundamental market forces: demand (does it meet customers needs and is it competitively superior?), scarcity (is it imitable or substitutable, and is it durable?) and appropriability (who owns the profits?). 2.1.3 Towards a Knowledge Strategy Model Strategic management models have traditionally defined the firms strategy in terms of its product / market positioning (the products it makes and the markets it serves). The resource based approach, however, prescribes that firms position themselves strategically, based on their resources and capabilities rather than on the products and services derived from those capabilities. Resources and capabilities, especially organizational skills and practices learned over time, can become highly unique to a particular firm and hard to imitate by others. Therefore, competitive advantage based on these resources and capabilities is potentially much more sustainable than that based on product and market positioning. Products and markets may come and go, but the firms capabilities are more enduring. Creating a strategy based on unique resources and capabilities provides a more long-term view of strategy than the traditional approach, and one, which is more robust in todays uncertain and dynamic competitive environment. In modern business, knowledge is being considered the most important strategic resource, and the ability to create and apply it the most important capability for building and sustaining competitive advantage. The firm that knows more about its customers, products, technologies, markets and their linkages, performs better. This view is leading to a further development in the resource based theory called the knowledge based view of the firm. The firm is seen primarily as a vehicle for creating, integrating, storing and applying knowledge. Firms embracing the knowledge based view of the world have many difficult questions to answer in formulating their knowledge strategy. If we update the original model of strategy to reflect todays knowledge intensive environment, knowledge strategy becomes the way in which the firm balances its knowledge resources and knowledge processing capabilities with the knowledge required to create its products for its markets in a manner superior to its com petitors. In essence, firms need to perform a knowledge based SWOT analysis. Identifying which knowledge is a unique and valuable resource, which knowledge processes represent unique and valuable capabilities, and how those resources and capabilities support the firms product and market positions, are the essential elements of a knowledge strategy. The firm must identify what it has to know for a given product / market position. Every firm requires some level of knowledge about its technology, markets, products, customers and industry merely to participate and hold its own in its industry. The strategic choices that companies make regarding these factors directly influence what the firm and its members must know to effectively compete. Furthermore, these choices all set the stage for the development of future knowledge through the processes of learning and innovation. Conversely, the firm, given what it knows, must identify the best product and market opportunities for exploiting that knowledge. The creation of unique, strategic knowledge takes time, forcing the firm to balance short and long-term strategic resources decisions. The firm must therefore determine whether its efforts are best focused on knowledge creation, exploitation, or both, and then balance its knowledge processing resources and efforts accordingly. Other critical issues in knowledge strategy include organizational learning (the ability of an organization to learn, accumulate knowledge from its experiences, and reapply that knowledge is itself a skill or competence that can provide strategic advantage), the competition (the firm must assess the knowledge resources and capabilities required by its industry merely to play the game, those required to be competitive and those required to be uniquely innovative) and how easily the firms knowledge can be imitated (on the one hand, knowledge must be made explicit and transferable to share it among the firm, while, on the other hand, once made explicit it is subject to being appropriated by other firms, reducing or eliminating its competitive value). 2.1.4 Knowledge Strategies It has become clear, especially during the last few years, that the term Knowledge Management (KM) has been applied to a very broad spectrum of activities designed to manage, exchange and create or enhance intellectual assets within an organization. In other words, there is no widespread agreement on what KM actually is. For example, information technology applications that are using the term knowledge management in their title range from the development of highly codified help desk systems to the provision of video conferencing to facilitate the exchange of ideas between people. The one fact that there does seem to be agreement on is that different situations require different KM strategies. In this section we will examine a number of proposed different KM strategies and consider how they can be classified. Then we will look into a range of different driving forces behind the strategies and propose how we can select a suitable knowledge strategy. The main difference between the various approaches in knowledge strategy is that they emphasize different aspects of KM: some focus on the knowledge (content), others on the business processes / areas and some on the end results. (A) Knowledge Matrix One of the most widely accepted and widely quoted approaches is that of the knowledge matrix of Nonaka Takeuchi (see Figure 1.3-2 in chapter 1.3.1). This matrix classifies knowledge as explicit or tacit, and as either individual or collective. Nonaka Takeuchi also propose corresponding knowledge processes that transform knowledge from one form to another: socialisation (from tacit to tacit, whereby an individual acquires tacit knowledge directly from others through shared experience, observation, imitation and so on); externalisation (from tacit to explicit, through articulation of tacit knowledge into explicit concepts); combination (from explicit to explicit, through a systematisation of concepts drawing on different bodies of explicit knowledge); and internalisation (from explicit to tacit, through a process of learning by doing and through a verbalisation and documentation of experiences). Nonaka Takeuchi model the process of organisational knowledge creation as a spiral in wh ich knowledge is amplified through these four modes of knowledge conversion. It is also considered that knowledge becomes crystallized within the organisation at higher levels moving from the individual through the group to organisational and even inter-organisational levels. (B) I-Space In another well-known application, Boisot proposes a model of knowledge asset development along similar lines to that of Nonaka and Takeuchi. In Boisots scheme, knowledge assets can be located within a three dimensional space (Information Space or I-Space) defined by three axes from uncodified to codified, from concrete to abstract and from undiffused to diffused. He then proposes a Social Learning Cycle (SLC) that uses the I-Space to model the dynamic flow of knowledge through a series of six phases: 1. Scanning: insights are gained from generally available (diffused) data 2. Codification Problem-Solving: problems are solved giving structure and coherence to these insights (knowledge becomes codified) 3. Abstraction: the newly codified insights are generalised to a wide range of situations (knowledge becomes more abstract) 4. Diffusion: the new insights are shared with a target population in a codified and abstract form (knowledge becomes diffused) 5. Absorption: the newly codified insights are applied to a variety of situations producing new learning experiences (knowledge is absorbed and produces learnt behaviour and so becomes uncodified, or tacit) 6. Impacting: abstract knowledge becomes embedded in concrete practices, for example in artefacts, rules or behaviour patterns (knowledge becomes concrete) Fig. 2.1(2). Boisots I-Space I In his model, Boisot develops an interesting application of the laws of thermodynamics. This thermodynamic analogy points to the elusive and dynamic nature of knowledge. It seems that what is happening is a cycle in which data is filtered to produce meaningful information and this information is then abstracted and codified to produce useful knowledge. As the knowledge is applied in diverse situations it produces new experiences in an uncodified form that produces the data for a new cycle of knowledge creation. (C) Wiig Model Moving on to the business process side, one of the most widely accepted KM models is that of Wiig and the APQC (American Productivity and Quality Center). Wiig identified six emerging KM strategies in a study of organisations considered to be leading the way in this area. The strategies reflect the different natures and strengths of the organisations involved:  · Knowledge Strategy as Business Strategy A comprehensive, enterprise-wide approach to KM, where knowledge is seen frequently as the product  · Intellectual Asset Management Strategy Focuses on assets already within the company that can be more fully exploited or enhanced  · Personal Knowledge Asset Responsibility Strategy Encourage and support individual employees to develop their skills and knowledge as well as share their knowledge with each other  · Knowledge Creation Strategy Emphasises the innovation and creation of new knowledge through RD. Adopted by market leaders who shape the future direction of their sector  · Knowledge Transfer Strategy Transfer of knowledge and best practices in order to improve operational quality and efficiency  · Customer-Focused Knowledge Strategy Aims to understand customers and their needs and so provide them with exactly what they want. (D) Day and Wendler of McKinsey Company Along the same lines, Day and Wendler of McKinsey Company, identified five knowledge strategies employed by large corporations:  · Developing and Transferring Best Practices Like the Knowledge Transfer Strategy identified by Wiig and the APQC above, this strategy focuses on identifying best practices within an organisation and spreading them across a dispersed network of locations  · Creating a new industry from embedded knowledge This approach is to recognise that an organisation may have knowledge, which it can exploit in new ways. In particular, it may have built up knowledge about its customers, which reveals a gap in the market for a new product  · Shaping Corporate Strategy around knowledge This strategy was identified from the experiences of Monsanto, which encompassed two very different business groups: a chemicals group and a life sciences group. The chemicals group was focused on best practice while the life sciences group was an innovation-based business. The knowledge strategies for these two groups were perceived to be so different that Monsanto decided to sell off the chemicals group and concentrate on the life sciences business. This is an interesting example of the tensions between two very different KM strategies  · Fostering and Commercialising Innovation Similar to the Knowledge Creation Strategy identified by Wiig and the APQC above, this strategy focuses on establishing a competitive position by increased technological innovation and reduced time to market  · Creating a standard by releasing proprietary knowledge The cited example is Netscape who responded to the rapid decline of its market share in the internet browser market by making its source code publicly available at no cost. The strategy is an example of the Intellectual Asset Management Strategy identified by Wiig and the APQC study. In this case, Netscape felt that it could capitalise on a key asset (its source code) by giving it away. In return, it hoped to establish its browser as a widely used standard (increased by the adaptation to new specialty areas) and gain indirectly, by securing its share of a complementary product, namely: server software. (E) Three Value Disciplines (Treacy and Wiersema) Moving to the area of strategies based on the end results, we could refer to Treacy and Wiersema who proposed three value disciplines, as a way to focus an organisations activities. In this model, successful organizations concentrate their efforts on a particular area and excel at it, rather than trying to be all things to all people and failing to excel at anything. The three areas are:  · Customer Intimacy  · Product Leadership  · Operational Excellence These value disciplines reflect the fact that value is determined as a trade-off between convenience, quality and price. It is the inherent tension between these three qualities of a product that makes it necessary for an organisation to focus on excelling at just one of them. There are a few organisations that have managed to become leaders in two disciplines, but they have done this by focusing on one area first before turning to a second one. At a simplistic level, there are three primary elements to any competitive business: the business itself, its product(s) and its customers. Each of these components represents the focus of attention for one of the value disciplines. The focus is on the customers and their needs and desires when pursuing Customer Intimacy; the focus is on the product(s) when pursuing Product Leadership; and the focus is on the organisation itself and its delivery processes, when pursuing Operational Excellence. Some organizations will concentrate on their relationship with their customers (to increase customer satisfaction and retention by better understanding the customers needs and preferences). Other organisations will focus on their products (constantly developing new ideas and getting them to market quickly). The third group of organisations focus primarily on themselves and their internal processes (sharing best practices between different units, reducing costs and improving efficiency). (F) Zacks Strategy Another approach to identifying what KM strategy to take is proposed by Zack. He proposes a framework which helps an organisation make an explicit connection between its competitive situation and a knowledge management strategy to help the organisation maintain or (re-) establish its competitive advantage. He makes it clear that while each organisation will find its own unique link between knowledge and strategy, any such competitive knowledge can be classified on a scale of innovation relative to the rest of the particular industry as: core, advanced or innovative:  · Core knowledge is a basic level of knowledge required by all members of a particular industry. It does not represent a competitive advantage, but is simply the knowledge needed to be able to function in that sector at all.  · Advanced knowledge gives an organisation a competitive edge. It is specific knowledge that differentiates an organisation from its competitors, either by knowing more than a competitor or by applying knowledge in different ways.  · Innovative knowledge is that which enables a company to be a market leader. It allows an organisation to change the way a sector works and represents a significant differentiating factor from other organisations. Having identified the organisations competitive knowledge position, Zacks approach is to use a SWOT analysis to identify the strategic gaps in an organisations knowledge. This allows the organisation to identify where it has knowledge which it can exploit and where it needs to develop knowledge to maintain or grow its competitive position. This is achieved by analysing the organisations knowledge position along two dimensions:  · Exploration vs. Exploitation This is the degree to which the organisation needs to increase its knowledge in a particular area vs. the opportunity it may have to leverage existing but under-exploited knowledge resources.  · Internal vs. External Knowledge This refers to whether the knowledge is primarily within the organisation or outside. Some organisations are more externally oriented, drawing on publications, universities, consultants, customers, etc. Others are more internally oriented, building up unique knowledge and experience, which is difficult for competitors to imitate. Putting these two dimensions together, Zack describes organisations which are more exploitative of internal knowledge as having a Conservative KM Strategy while those that are more innovative (exploring external knowledge) have a more Aggressive KM Strategy. However, he points out that a KM Strategy cannot be made without reference to competitors. Thus, some industries (where knowledge is changing more rapidly) tend to be characterized by more aggressive firms, while other industries are generally more conservative. Summary Given that the classifications by knowledge listed above (Nonaka Takeuchis knowledge matrix and Boisots I-Space model) focus on the process of knowledge transformation and that most real world processes operate on a continuum rather than a step transformation, it is perhaps not surprising to find that some researchers have suggested that explicit and tacit knowledge should be considered to be at the ends of a spectrum of knowledge types rather than being the only two categories on that spectrum. Beckman has suggested that implicit knowledge is an intermediate category of knowledge that is tacit in form, but is accessible through querying and discussion. Nickols proposes that Nonaka Takeuchis categories should be further broken down according to whether they focus on declarative or procedural knowledge. What is needed is a classification that proposes a spectrum of knowledge management approaches. If this spectrum can accommodate the various approaches suggested previously, then it can be considered to be sufficiently comprehensive to be useful. Derek Binney provides a framework, the KM Spectrum, to help organisations make sense of the large diversity of material appearing under the heading of KM, and to help them assess where they are in KM terms. His focus is on the KM activities that are being carried out, grouped into six categories:  · Transactional KM: Knowledge is embedded in technology  · Analytical KM: Knowledge is derived from external data sources, typically focussing on customer-related information  · Asset Management KM: Explicit management of knowledge assets (often created as a by-product of the business) which can be reused in different ways  · Process-based KM: The codification and improvement of business practice and the sharing of these improved processes within the organisation  · Developmental KM: Building up the capabilities of the organisations knowledge workers through training and staff development  · Innovation/creation KM: Fostering an environment, which promotes the creation of new knowledge, for example through R D and through forming teams of people from different disciplines. Binneys analysis is interesting because it reflects aspects of both the knowledge-centred classification of KM and the business perspectives classification of KM. In terms of business perspectives, Binneys categories reflect activities that support particular perspectives; for example, Asset Management KM matches Wiigs intellectual asset management strategy, while Innovation and Creation KM reflects Treacy Wiersemas product leadership strategy. Yet, Binneys categories also form a progression from the management of explicit knowledge at one end to tacit knowledge at the other. So, for example, Transactional KM involves codifying knowledge and embedding it in applications such as Help Desk Systems or Case Based Reasoning systems, while Innovation and Creation KM focuses on facilitating knowledge workers sharing and creating new knowledge which rests in a tacit form in their heads. For each element of the spectrum, Binney also lists a set of enabling technologies used to implement those kinds of KM Applications. This provides an alternative way to identify KM activity already being undertaken within an organisation, even if not previously perceived in KM terms (Table 1). Table 1 Enabling technologies mapped to the KM Spectrum (Binney, 2001) Transactional Analytical Asset Management Process Developmental Innovation Creation Expert Systems Cognitive Technologies Semantic Networks Rule-based Expert Systems Probability Networks Rule Induction Decision Trees Geospatial Information Systems Intelligent Agents Web Crawlers Relational and Object DBMS Neural Computing Push Technologies Data Analysis and Reporting Tools Document Management Tools Search Engines Knowledge Maps Library Systems Workflow Management Process Modeling Tools Finally, we should note that the latest developments in the field suggest that the KM strategy in a modern, rapidly changing business environment should be dynamic, meaning it should change to follow the developments in the way the business functions or the competition is progressing in the industry. Scholars even go on to propose different KM strategies for different departments of the same organization.

New Learning Strategies for Generation X Essay -- Education Careers Es

New Learning Strategies for Generation X Generation X workers resent the labels that have been used to describe them: slackers, arrogant, disloyal, having short attention spans. In fact, these descriptions are less likely to reflect the behaviors of individuals in Generation X than the perceptions of managers who are not attuned to new ways of learning. This Digest investigates ways in which the learning characteristics of the young adults classified as Generation X reflect the need for the new teaching and learning strategies promoted by cognitive scientists, such as learning in context, cooperative learning, and real-world application of knowledge. The Life Experience Gap The gap between Generation X and earlier generations represents much more than age and technological differences. It reflects the effects of a changing society on a generation. Young adults born between 1961 and 1981 have radically different life experiences than those in generations before them. In their youth, many Generation Xers were "latchkey kids"--children who saw both of their parents working and/or furthering their education. Many of them were raised in single parent homes, the children of divorced parents. They grew up with "fast" food; "remote control" entertainment; and "quick response" devices such as automatic teller machines and microwave ovens, all of which provided instant gratification. As young adults, Generation Xers find themselves facing limited economic prospects and a society different from any preceeding them. The previous generation saw rapid economic growth and expanding opportunities. Generation Xers see corporate downsizing and layoffs, limited opportunities for career positions, and an economically troubled socie... ..., p. 1. <http://www.physics.wisc.edu/~shalizi/Generation-x_Articles/brinkley/> Caudron, S. "Can Generation Xers be Trained?" Training and Development 51, no. 3 (March 1997): 20-24. Hornblower, M. "Great Xpectations." Time 129, no. 23 (June 9, 1997): 58-68. Losyk, B. "How to Manage an Xer." Current 392 (May 1997): 12 Newmann, F. M. et al. "Authentic Pedagogy: Standards that Boost Student Performance." Issues in Restructuring Schools. Issues Report No. 8. Madison, WI: Center on Organization and Restructuring of Schools, 1995. (ED 390 906) Sachs, P. Generation X Goes to College. An Eye-Opening Account of Teaching in Post- modern America. Chicago, IL: Open Court Publishing Company, 1996. Wagschal, K. "I Became Clueless Teaching the GenXers." Adult Learning 8, no. 4 (March 1997): 21-25. "Your Life." USA Today 125, no. 2622 (March 1997): 6.

Self Reliance - Society never advances :: Self Reliance Essays

Self Reliance - Society never advances "Society never advances. It recedes as fast on one side as it gains on the other. ... For every thing that is given something is taken." Emerson, "Self Reliance", p 169 I agree with this statement, and it frustrates me to no end. Our country is screwed up in every direction one looks. People are starving while others have too much money to spend. Our population is out of control. We pollute to no end. Ours is one of the best countries in the world? Society’s tumors seem to keep growing but I want them to end. These problems disturbed me to the point of depression when I discovered them but now I can handle my knowledge. One thing that has helped me is learning about American history. I thought that we teetered on the brink of imminent collapse with budget, environmental, and social problems, but I have learned about the problems that America has dealt with over the years. Now I know that this time period is no worse than the past. Yes, no worse than the past, but like the quote suggests, no better either. We keep trying for advancement, starting new social programs and developing new scientific solutions. Sometimes we make a little headway. When penicillin was discovered, it was a great boon to the medical industry. We are well on the way to loosing that gain as anti-biotic resistant microbes invade our bodies. We have eliminated slavery and segregation but the gap between the rich and poor has grown to compensate for this victory. We make scientific progress yet there are more ox-carts in use across the globe than there ever have been in the history of mankind. Are we actually making progress? I write this on a machine more powerful than the entire computing power of the world just sixty years ago.

Transitions: Primary Education and Young People

* Identify the transitions experienced by most children and young people. Transitions are the moves children and young people make from home to nursery, from stage to stage (and through the Curriculum for Excellence levels), from primary to secondary, between schools, and from secondary to further education and beyond. Transitions and changes are part of everyone’s life. When these transitions work well they help children and young people to develop confidence and acquire skills to manage future change in their lives.The vast majority of children and young people look forward to moving on, in learning and in life, and these moves almost always turn out to be positive experiences. However, transitions can also be challenging and support from parents and staff at school can help the transitions go more smoothly. All children and young people benefit from support from parents and staff as they make these important transitions. Transition into pre-school or nursery Starting nurser y is an exciting step, and listening and talking to children about this change in their lives will help to prepare them for a good start.Parents may also have questions and concerns at this time and should not be afraid to ask questions of the nursery staff. Parents have an important role to help and support staffs in getting to know their children by letting them know about their child’s interests and any health or personal issues which may affect the child’s learning. Transition from pre-school to primary school Primary teachers work closely with nursery staff and parents to ensure that information about each child’s learning and achievements is passed on.This will help ensure that their learning and development continues without interruption. Staff will also share other information which will help the teacher to support each child’s learning – for example relevant health issues, friendship groups and preferred ways of working. Transition from st age to stage in primary school Generally there are no formal transition meetings for parents or pupils at this stage (although there can be, depending on the school and/or the needs f the individual child), but pupils often get a chance to meet their new teacher for the next session. Transition from primary to secondary school The primary school will share relevant personal information, profiles of progress and achievements across the whole curriculum with the secondary school that the child is attending to ensure that young people’s learning continues with minimum interruption. This high level of planning for transition between primary and secondary school ensures that most young people will make a smooth transfer.As children get older they don’t always share information quite as readily as they did when they were younger. Teachers understand this and there will always be someone available in the secondary school to talk to about this important stage in a young person ’s life. Parents can speak to the school if they are unsure who best to approach. Transition – Puberty Puberty is the stage in life when a child's body develops into an adult's body. The changes take place gradually, usually between the ages of 10 and 16.During this time children change emotionally as well as physically. During puberty young people tend to focus more on friends and relationships outside the family. Relationships with parents and siblings can become strained. As a parent you may feel during this time that you're no longer relevant to your child's life. This is almost certainly not the case. Sometimes your child may appear to be rejecting and ignoring you. Despite this, you remain their primary role model and a central focus of their life. Transitions – preparing to leave schoolMany of them will stay at school to study for further qualifications, others may choose a blend of school and college learning or work placement; some will plan to move on to university, college or a training programme or to get a job. Regardless of what each young person’s post – 16 learning choice is, it will be important for teachers to work with them and parents and others to make sure they find the option which will be best for them. This can involve working with other learning providers and support agencies, and taking part in programmes delivered in partnership with other agencies, e. . youth work, often out of school. * Describe with examples how transitions may affect children and young people's behaviour and development. Most transitions have short-term or long-term effect on children’s development and behaviour. Long term effects: †¢ Self harming †¢ Withdrawal †¢ Avoiding social contact †¢ Lack of concentration †¢ Not learning/developing †¢ Low self confidence and self esteem †¢ Strained relationships. For example, bereavement will upset the child and make him aggressive with other chi ldren.Short term effects: †¢ Outbursts of anger †¢ Crying and tearfulness †¢ Clinginess/need for affection †¢ Withdrawal †¢ Unreasonable behaviour †¢ Tantrums in younger children †¢ Regression in behaviour †¢ Difficulty sleeping †¢ Loss of appetite †¢ Loss of motivation †¢ Lack of concentration. . For example, when the child starts to wet himself or start using babyish language after speaking clearly – Communication and intellectual development if children start to avoid social contact, they don’t care about school work, and lack of concentration. Social, emotional, and behaviour if children’s confidence and self-esteem are affected, if they show unwanted behaviour for attention and if they can’t make friends. * Identify the transitions that some children may experience. The diverse range of transitions faced by children and young people includes: †¢ Starting or moving school †¢ Bereavement: All looked after children and young people experience loss of some kind; for some this includes the death of someone close to them. They need sensitive and timely care and support to manage the impact of bereavement throughout their childhood and into adulthood.Reactions identified as common among bereaved children and young people include: †¢ sleep disturbances, insomnia, nightmares †¢ eating disorders, loss of appetite †¢ toilet problems: they may regress to soiling or wetting †¢ new physical disorders, such as asthma and eczema †¢ anxiety, separation anxiety, mood swings, withdrawal, aggressive behaviours, school phobia †¢ poor concentration †¢ possible guilt problems: thinking they are responsible for the loss †¢ loss of memory, earning difficulties †¢ hyperactivity, acting out, taking risks. Parents splitting up †¢ Illness (their own or a parent’s or sibling’s) †¢ Changing friendship groups †¢ Entry to, or leaving, a pupil referral unit: †¢ Moving through child health services into adult services †¢ Coming out as gay or lesbian †¢ Leaving home. Young people and children will need help and support from peers and adults to successfully make the transition to the next stage in their life. The nature and timing and giver of the support will vary depending on the individual’s needs and circumstances.