The Micro and Macro Factors That Would Affect Airasia’s Performance

INSTRUCTIONS ON â€Å"HOW TO REFERENCE† Bibliography: Citations must be consistent in author name(s) (spelling and name order) and publication date between the text and the bibliography at the end. Any reference in the text must be matched by a full entry in the end bibliography. Entries in the bibliography must be matched by entries in the text; if nor they should be deleted. Citations must include all information necessary to enable the reader to locate the referenced publication. The examples in the format section below reflect the information considered adequate for each type of publication.Citations should be in alphabetical order by the first author's last name (if there is a name); by the first word of the publication or authoring organization if there is no author name. Citations in text: ‘Author's last name (20**) found that†¦ ‘ ‘Recent studies (Last name 20**; last name, last name, and last name 20**; last name 20**)†¦ Note the following: a semi-colon separates entries, there is no comma before the date, there is a comma before the ‘and' in multiple author listings. Citations in references: Books: Ward, John W. (1987). Keeping the Family Business Healthy. San Francisco, Calif. Jossey Bass. Note the following: Author names and publication date are formatted like journal entries. Books are italicized and followed by a period. Publication information includes the publisher's location with city and state followed by a colon and then the publisher's full name. Journal Articles: Hoy, Frank, and Trudy G. Verser (1994). ‘Emerging Business, Emerging Field: Entrepreneurship and the Family Firm,' Entrepreneurship Theory and Practice, 19 (1), 9-23. Note the following: Initials or first names follow the first author's name, but precede the last name for subsequent authors.There is a comma before the ‘and' between author names, even if there are only 2 authors/ There is a period after the date. Article titles use initial caps (excluding conjunctions and prepositions) and are blocked by double quotation marks. There is a comma between article title and journal title; the comma is inside the quotes. Journal titles are italicized. The column number is not italicized. Neither ‘Vol. ‘ or No. ‘ are used. Thus, Vol. 19, No. 1 = 19 (1). There is no ‘pp. ‘ before the page numbers. Articles in edited publications: Kaslow, Florence W. and S. Kaslow (1992). ‘The Family that Works Together: Special Problems of Family Businesses,' in Work, Families, and Organizations. Ed. S. Zedeck. San Francisco, Calif. : Jossey Bass, 312-361. Note the following: Author names, publication dates and article title are formatted like journal articles. Use ‘In' before book title; title is italicized. Precede editor's name with ‘Ed. ‘ (which means ‘edited by'; thus ‘Eds. ‘ is inappropriate). Put initials before last names. Put a period between the editor s' names and the publisher information.Include and format publisher information like a book. Include the page numbers (no ‘pp. ‘) n the book where the article is located. Papers presented at conferences or other meetings: Pleck, John (1979). ‘Work-Family Conflict: A National Assessment,' paper presented at the annual meeting of the Society for the Study of Social Problems, Boston, Mass. , May. Note the following: Author names, publication dates and article title are formatted like journal articles. Include type of meeting, sponsoring organization, location, and date of meeting.If there are printed proceedings for the conference, cite the entry as an article in an edited publication. Theses and Dissertations: Simic, James (1993). ‘A Comparison of SMEs in Greenland and the Fiji Islands,' Ph. D. dissertation, University of Fjord, 23-26. Note the following: Author names, publication dates and article title are formatted like journal articles. Type of work (Master 's thesis or Ph. D. dissertation) should be indicated, as well as academic institution. Website documentation: West Virginia Bureau of Business and Economic Research (2001). ‘Economic Outlook Conference. ‘

Master of International Business Essay

What is inventory turnover? How can a high inventory turnover ratio be detrimental to a firm? Inventory turnover refers to the number of times that inventory is sold in a one year period. It can be calculated by dividing the cost of goods sold for a particular period by the average inventory for that period. High inventory turnover may signal a low level of inventories, which can increase the chance of product stockouts. 2. Distinguish among cycle, safety, pipeline, and speculative stock. Cycle (base) stock refers to inventory that is needed to satisfy normal demand during the course of an order cycle. Safety (buffer) stock refers to inventory that is held in addition to cycle stock to guard against uncertainty in demand and/or lead time. Pipeline (in-transit) stock is inventory that is en route between various nodes in a logistics system, while speculative stock is inventory that is held for several reasons to include seasonal demand, projected price increases, and potential product shortages. 3. Define what is meant by inventory carrying costs. What are some of its main components? Inventory carrying costs refer to the costs associated with holding inventory. Inventory carrying costs consist of a number of different components, and their importance can vary from product to product. These components include obsolescence costs, shrinkage costs, storage costs, taxes, and interest costs. 4. Discuss the concept of stockout costs. How can a stockout cost be calculated? Stockouts refer to situations where customers demand items that are not immediately available and stockout costs refer to the costs associated with not having items available. Calculation of a stockout cost first requires a company to classify potential customer responses to a stockout (e. g. , delays the purchase, lost sale, lost customer). Next, the company needs to assign probabilities to the various responses as well as to assign monetary losses to the various responses. The respective probabilities and losses are multiplied together and then all costs are summed to yield an average cost of stockout. 5. Distinguish between a fixed order quantity and fixed order interval system. Which one generally requires more safety stock? Why? In a fixed order quantity system, the order size stays constant (although the time interval between orders may vary); in a fixed order interval system, the time interval is constant (although the order size may vary). The infrequency of inventory monitoring makes a fixed order interval system more susceptible to stockouts and thus there is likely to be higher levels of safety stock in a fixed order interval system. 6. Explain the logic of the EOQ model. The logic of the EOQ model is as follows: determining an order quantity requires a company to balance two costs; the costs of carrying the inventory and the costs of ordering it. Inventory carrying costs are in direct proportion to order size; that is, the larger the order, the greater the inventory carrying costs. Ordering costs, by contrast, tend to decline with order size but not in a linear fashion. The EOQ attempts to find the point (quantity) at which ordering costs equals carrying costs. 7. How can inventory flow diagrams be useful to a logistics manager? They present a visual depiction of additions to, and subtractions from, inventory. This could be helpful in identifying any patterns that might be occurring. In addition, inventory flow examples illustrate how safety stock can offset an increased rate of demand as well as longer than normal replenishment cycles. 8. Discuss what is meant by ABC analysis of inventory. What are several measures that can be used to determine ABC status? ABC analysis is an approach that recognizes all inventories are not of equal value to a firm and, as a result, all inventory should not be managed in the same way. Measures that can be used to determine ABC status include sales volume in dollars, sales volume in units, the fastest selling items, item profitability, or item importance. . What are implications of the JIT approach for supply chain management? The consequences of JIT actually go far beyond inventory management and JIT has important implications for supply chain efficiency. One implication is that suppliers must deliver high quality materials to the production line, in part because of JIT’s emphasis on low (no) safety stock. Moreover, because customers in a JIT system tend to place smaller, more frequent orders, it is imperative that suppliers’ order systems are capable of handling an increased number of orders in an error-free fashion. Smaller, more frequent orders, coupled with close supplier location, tend to favor truck as a mode of transportation and this means that production and distribution facilities should be designed to support truck shipments. 10. How does vendor-managed inventory differ from traditional inventory management? In â€Å"traditional† inventory management, the size and timing of replenishment orders are the responsibility of the party using the inventory. Under vendor-managed inventory, by contrast, the size and timing of replenishment orders are the responsibility of the manufacturer. This represents a huge philosophical shift for some organizations in the sense that they are allowing another party to have control over their inventories and this requires a great deal of trust among the various parties. 11. Do substitute items or complementary items present the greater managerial challenge? Support your answer. Either answer would be acceptable. Students should recognize that both substitute items and complementary items present managerial challenges, but the nature of these challenges is different. For instance, one challenge with substitute items might be the amount of product to hold; a challenge with complementary items might be product placement in a retail outlet. 12. Define what it meant by dead inventory. What are several ways to manage it? Dead inventory refers to product for which there is no demand—at least under current marketing practices. Because dead inventory has often been associated with overproduction of items that customers do not want (or need), one suggestion would be make to order as opposed to make to stock. Having said this, an increasing source of dead stock in recent years involves special, highly customized orders that never end up with the customer. Suggestions for dealing with this situation include partial (or full) prepayment as well as a no-return policy. Another suggestion is for companies to more aggressively market their dead stock, and companies might also sell dead inventory via auctions. Another possibility is to donate the dead inventory to charitable causes. A last resort is to simply throw away the dead inventory in order to free up storage space. 13. Explain how an SKU might have different meanings, depending on one’s position in the supply chain. A retailer, for example, might keep records in terms of individual items or case lots, while the warehouse that supplies the retailer may deal only with case lots or pallets loads of a product. In turn, the distributor that sells to warehouses may deal with only pallet loads or vehicle loads, and may only accept orders only for pallet loads or vehicle loads—and not case lots or individual items. 14. Why is it important for a manager to understand informal considerations with respect to inventory management? One reason is that the increasing quest for customer service and customer satisfaction is leading many companies to engage in informal considerations. Even though â€Å"formal† inventory analysis should not be ignored, they should not be applied without taking into account informal arrangements. The informal arrangements may not fit any â€Å"formal† inventory tenets, but many informal considerations tend to do an excellent job of satisfying customers. And, without customers, businesses are not going to be very successful. 15. Discuss some of the challenges that are associated with managing repair and replacement parts. One challenge is the difficulty in forecasting the demand for these products—when will products break down or fail? As such, it becomes challenging with respect to which parts to carry as well as the appropriate stocking levels for them. Another challenge involves the number of warehousing facilities to be used: Should the parts be more decentralized or more centralized? These and other challenges have caused some companies to outsource their repair/replacement parts business. 16. Which presents the greater reverse logistics challenge: (1) Returned items or (2) Refurbished and recycled products? Support your answer. As was the case with question 11, either answer is acceptable. Again, it is important to recognize that both present reverse logistics challenges—but the nature of the challenges is different. For example, there is unpredictability with respect to returned items, in terms of return rates and product content. Refurbishing and recycling, by contrast, are predicated on sufficient product volumes, which require adequate storage space. 17. What are substitute items and how might they affect safety stock policies? Substitute items refer to products that customers view as being able to fill the same need or want. With respect to safety stock policies, if a consumer has little hesitation in substituting another item for one that is out of stock, there would appear to be minimal penalties for a stockout. It is also important that companies understand substitution patterns in the sense that Product A may be a substitute for Product B, but the reverse may not be true. In such a situation, safety stock policies would need to reflect the appropriate relationships. 18. Which supply chain participant(s) should be responsible for managing inventory levels? Why? The key to this question is the word â€Å"managing. Although various inventory approaches may require certain select participants to maintain the inventory, supply-chain effectiveness and efficiency would argue that all supply chain participants should be involved with managing inventory levels. Because the supply chain is a system, one company’s inventory policies and practices can impact the other members of the supply chain. Failure to consider these other participants when setting inventory policies and practices could lead to dysfunctional consequences. 19. Should inventories be considered investments? Why? The text suggests that inventories should be considered investments. Carrying costs for inventories can be significant; the return on investment to a firm for its funds tied up in inventory should be as high as the return it can obtain from other, equally risky uses of the same funds. 20. Since the mid-1990s, many beer and soft-drink cans and bottles have contained a freshness date stamped on them to indicate the latest date that the product should be consumed. What problems might such a system cause for the people responsible for managing such inventories? Discuss. There are a variety of possible answers to this question. One consideration is that product needs to be in places where it can be bought prior to the expiration date. At a minimum, this means that companies need to be able to identify individual products, locate the products, and move the products to the appropriate place(s). The oldest inventory should be â€Å"turned† before other inventory. Another consideration involves what to do with expired product, a situation that brings into play reverse logistics considerations.

Internet Banking - Computers and Internet Essay

Internet Banking - Computers and Internet - Essay Example So the current research empirically investigated the future of Internet banking, through semi-structured, convergent, in-depth interviews and successive stages of this study. At this stage of the paper, the role of the interviews will be outlined and then the nature of this facility will be explained. The objective of this dissertation is to ascertain the perceptions and attitudes to Internet banking usage amongst universities students of the Edinburgh; in particular focusing on the uncertainty associated with the usage. The data collected was primarily quantitative in nature with the questionnaire questions being mostly close ended leaving no scope for divergent and qualitative responses. Though some specific and limited questions were left specifically for qualitative responses; however these were mainly utilized in obtaining concluding impressions of respondents. Three main data sets were collected from respondents pertaining to awareness, understanding and approval of Internet banking. Each data set was comprised of two or three questions in order to obtain an established view of the respondent in respect of the data set or aspect of usage of Internet banking. ... The chief variables concerned basic awareness of Internet banking, knowledge of various possibilities of usage of Internet banking and the factors that promoted/discouraged usage of Internet banking. Questionnaire sought to collect data in respect of these variables. 3.5 Statistical Procedures Results are analyzed with the help of Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS 11.0) using standard statistical tests and analysis procedures. The values of variables we will give in the results are means and standard deviations throughout. The overall indexes and factor scales are calculated and examined using demographic comparisons and other techniques. Exploratory statistics such as cross tabulation with Chi-Square tests, frequency histograms, and pie charts can calculate to better understand the results. Other statistical analyses included Univariate analysis of variance (ANOVA), based on the General Linear Model (GLM), and calculation of confidence intervals. For all statistical significance tests, a 95% confidence level was working. Such analyses are relatively objective. The following presents a summary of results from all sources and identifies key strategic prospects and recommended actions. In keeping with the triangulation method, we point out significant similarities and differences in findings across sources. For some issues, data are not available from all sources. There are two methods, which are mainly used in researches, and these two methods are: 1. Qualitative research method 2. Quantitative research method In this study, quantitative approach was flexibly so that this approach is use over here. But

Linguistic examples of hypercorrection Annotated Bibliography

Linguistic examples of hypercorrection - Annotated Bibliography Example This essay discusses that another website is Interesting Thing of the Day. This website provides different articles covering different subjects. The principal writers who write for the site are Joe Kissell and Morgen Jahnke besides the guest columnists. The publication of the articles is by the alt concept. This site has been working for the benefits of the public since April 2003.This site is also much related to the topic under discussion. On this site, there is an article by Joe Kissell, which defines hypercorrection as a mistake that occurs when one becomes conscious of avoiding a mistake. In order to define hypercorrection in detail, the writer divides the article under different titles. A clear example of hypercorrection is given under the title linguistic overcompensation. If one uses the word whom instead who, hypercorrection occurs. For instance, when somebody says I have to meet my friend who is going abroad instead of I have to meet my friend who is going abroad.I like Wis egeek because it is much related to my topic. Further, the site is easy to use. WiseGeek is an effective site in demonstrating the concept of hypercorrection because it defines what hypercorrection is and it also tells how and why hypercorrection occurs and gives distinctive examples of hypercorrection.I like the second website because the definition is vivid and the given examples of hypercorrection are quite influencing and comprehensive besides giving the reasons and types of hypercorrection. It is also easy to use.

Criminal Theories of Crime Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Criminal Theories of Crime - Essay Example Criminals spend too little time in prison and they have too good conditions there. In many countries, as in Poland, there isnt death penalty, however it would help us to stop increasing violence and crime and it would be a warning for criminals. Another problem is that often the homeless commit crime to go to prison because they have food free of charge, bed, TV and other entertainments. I think that our government should be more interested in these people and try to help them (give them places to live, meals). Everybody knows that many crimes are committed by teenagers. They often want to have more friends and they decide to commit a crime to impress them. The young also try to stay against their parents, they want to get money without work and to be independent. TV has huge influence on their behaviour. It shows them the world full of crime and brutal sex, without friendship, love and other important feelings in many thrillers and crime series. It isnt strange that after watching a film, like "Pulp Fiction" or "Rambo", crime may seem funny to teenagers. In cartoons there is also bad behaviour, for example a main hero of this film beats others. In films an actor doesnt die but in real life people do. Our society nowadays is divided into classes: rich, well-to-do, poor. Poor people, who start their life in poor families or families with the problem of alcoholism, need money and may attack rich (or well to do) people to get money. They usually hate them, because they also would like to live in beautiful villas and have expensive cars. It may be next cause of attacks on people. In the case of social disorganization, anomie, differential association, and rational theories, there are many similarities as well as, subtle differences. The first theory to look at is social disorganization theory. The Social Disorganization Theory provides that if relationships in the family and friendship groupings are good, neighborhoods are stable and cohesive, and

Importance Of Understanding Cultural, Ethnic, And Gender Differences Research Paper

Importance Of Understanding Cultural, Ethnic, And Gender Differences By Managers And Professionals In A Business Setting - Research Paper Example This is because these differences highlight the basis of potential troubles that might surface at the workplace and that need to be looked upon at with a sense of comprehension. Without a shadow of a doubt, this has come to the fore for the sake of the organizations that the cultural, ethnic and gender differences arise because the employees are not being handled in a proper way. If these employees know that they are bound by the organizational contracts, terms and conditions, and are time and again told about it, there would be fewer instances of rifts and differences cropping up at the workplace realms. There is a need to set things right, and that too in the most apt manner possible. Adequate levels of analyses and suggestions should be made use of in order to get acquainted with the changing norms and conditions of the time because this is the needed within the globally changing business dynamics (Bell, 2006). What remains significant is how the top management manifests its due r ole and what steps are undertaken by the human resources management department in the wake of the cultural, ethnic and gender differences arising at the workplace settings within these organizations. Research has proven that it would be sound to state that diversity within organizations is a good omen and thus asking the employees to stay away from the cultural, ethnic and gender differences is sane and reasonable. The employees’ role is therefore exponentially enhanced within the related settings and the managers need to supervise where they are going wrong, and what could be done to correct them. The managers and professionals under such constructs should know exactly what they would like the employees to do and to commit to a... Without a shadow of a doubt, this has come to the fore for the sake of the organizations that the cultural, ethnic and gender differences arise because the employees are not being handled in a proper way. If these employees know that they are bound by the organizational contracts, terms, and conditions, and are time and again told about it, there would be fewer instances of rifts and differences cropping up at the workplace realms. There is a need to set things right, and that too in the aptest manner possible. Adequate levels of analyses and suggestions should be made use of in order to get acquainted with the changing norms and conditions of the time because this is the needed within the globally changing business dynamics. What remains significant is how the top management manifests its due role and what steps are undertaken by the human resources management department in the wake of the cultural, ethnic and gender differences arising at the workplace settings within these organiz ations. Research has proven that it would be sound to state that diversity within organizations is a good omen and thus asking the employees to stay away from differences is sane and reasonable. The employees’ role is therefore exponentially enhanced within the related settings and the managers need to supervise where they are going wrong, and what could be done to correct them. The managers and professionals under such constructs should know exactly what they would like the employees to do and to commit to a collective good.

Select two manufacturing multinational firms (one from the US, one Essay

Select two manufacturing multinational firms (one from the US, one from Europe) and select two services multinational firms (one - Essay Example The discussion shall compare and contrast the internationalization process of the both sectors by discussing representative multinationals from the continents. Internationalization is perceived to be the process of enhancing organizational involvement in the international market. Unilever is based in United Kingdom and Netherlands. Unilever has an international presence lasting for decades. The internalization of the manufacturing multinational has been driven by renowned imperatives. They include growth, knowledge, efficiency, globalization of consumers and competitors. The company has a market presence in more than 150 countries and over 220, 000 employees. The company has been labeled as both multi-local and multinational because of a heavy presence in the domestic and international markets. The internationalizations strategy involved adapting local market differences. The strategic team targeted the optimal locations for product launches and resources in the foreign markets. Unli ke the internationalization plan for Barclays which involved joint-ventures with domestic firms, Unilever embarked majorly on acquisitions to expand the sphere of influence (Edwards & Rees 2006). The management believed that the company needed to have a direct response to the customers through production of superior products (Altinay & Roper 2007). A telling example is in Latin America where Unilever used the ULA strategy. The Unilever Latin America) strategy involved implementation of common processes, innovation and leadership. This caused the multinational to become the market leader in four countries in the region. However, when it came to opening branches, the Unilever tends to have shared a similar strategy with Barclays. Unilever has head offices in every foreign market location (Hill 2002). These regional branches are semi-autonomous (Boome & Riley 2011). The top level management of the multinational has been trying to review the strategy because extreme decentralizations ha ve been counterproductive in the internalization process. The strategic team is targeting the emerging and developing markets in the internationalization plan. In manufacturing sector it is easier to develop products tailored for consumers than in service sector. Therefore, the multination has been able to target different income groups (Boome & Riley 2011). Barclay’s depended on intermediaries in many emerging markets. This means most of the branches were stationed in major urban centers, where infrastructure supported. Unilever believes that a seamless international development would be effective (Altinay & Roper 2007). This company hopes to use technology to synchronize data and automate systems. The management has been countering threats in specific domestic markets while rolling out internationalization strategy. Some of the solutions have been obtained through transplant learning. Unilever has ensures that the retail stores are close the end user. Internationalization p rocess must address the complexities that arise from ineffective supply chains (Battilossi & Cassis 2002). Banking sectors in heavily dependent of technology. Barclays has been affected be unhealthy foreign laws and extreme exchange rates. Studies show that banking sectors is subject to multiple regulations (Boome & Riley 2011). Unilever has established a rapport with consumers directly.

Vessel electrical Distribution system Assignment

Vessel electrical Distribution system - Assignment Example These are vessels that apply complicated operational systems as extra precaution against accidents and that also needs effective management system, even employing well-tested computer software for electricity distribution and communication. Great example of modern large vessels are cruise ships, commercial and industrial ships and tankers, military ships, pipe layers, and drill, which have complicated electrical distribution systems with multiple generators, distribution boards, and significant essential services located throughout the vessel. The type of distribution system needs a power management system which is responsible for the automatic start/stop control of the generators, loads, and all interconnections inside the distribution ring. A ring-main configuration provides at least two power sources for each essential component. Electrical distribution and control systems become problematic sometimes due to the growing number of consumers and distribution units. In this scenario, we must be able to provide detailed attention on the complex distribution and control systems and a focus on the special operation and reliability. Working on these systems requires a collaborative effort as this is a real challenge for engineers and technicians. The crew who will operate need proper training. The worldwide shortage of qualified technical personnel affects the marine industry and superimposes the human factor on the operation issues. Engineering activities during the design of large distribution systems include the use of new modern tools, software packages, and often dynamic simulation analysis, all of which can lead to an increasing number of errors. One particular problematic area is the application of converters, which are related with so-called harmonic distortion. Converters need filtering equipment, which are quite expensive. Multiple installation or

Critical Thinking Week 7 Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Critical Thinking Week 7 - Coursework Example Pathogens are also spread through physical contact with dirty surfaces or even dirty day to day substances such as money, soil, doorknobs, etc. Money is known to be one of the dirtiest substances that people come into contact with on a day to day basis. Pathogens are also found on peoples skins. Individuals are always advised to ensure that they keep their hands clean and surfaces cleaned with an antiseptic to ensure that pathogens are cleared. Pathogens can be introduced into the body through physical touch, through the mouth and even through the air. Animals are also known to spread germs especially through their skin and hence the need for cleaning from time to time (IOWA State University). The spread of bacteria is very rapid and the only way that individuals can contain it is by ensuring that they wash their hands thoroughly before they eat and also maintaining clean environments around their homes. Direct contact can cause the spread of pathogens, and this can be reduced through the use of condoms, gloves, and masks. However, these are not 100% foolproof as some pathogens are known to pass through the tiny holes that the gadgets have. Indirect contact with pathogens is more common than direct contact and usually spread very fast. Some of the most common devices include doorknobs that cannot be avoided hence the need for regular disinfecting. Inhalation of the pathogens is perhaps more dangerous than the rest of the ways as it affects the individuals respiratory system, and its effects are more severe. It is advised that sick people avoid coming into contact when they have communicable illnesses, and those that have life-threatening diseases such as tuberculosis should be quarantined until they are no longer in danger. Pathogens that come from vectors could be avoided through the use of insecticides, which involve killing the vector. The spread of airborne pathogens could be mi nimized by

Capital structure and firm value Literature review

Capital structure and firm value - Literature review Example Finally, the relationship between various aspects like credit ratings, target leverage, short term financing etc and their influence on the firm’s financing policy have also been discussed. Introduction The financial managers of a company work towards achieving an optimal capital mix. In large companies there is a separate financial department that takes care of financing issues. The managers strive hard to achieve a right mix of debt and equity as the capital base of the firm determines the cost of capital. The point at which the average cost of capital is minimum, the value of the firm is maximum. This point is referred as ‘optimal’. Methodology The choice of capital structure and firm value is an important topic in financial literature. This paper examines various capital structure theories like pecking order, trade-off theory etc and its impact on capital structure decisions. Mostly, the secondary sources of data have been used to determine the relationship be tween the capital structure of the firm and its value. ... The significant components of the capital structure include both debt and equity. Back in the year 1958, Modigliani and Miller had established the modern theory of capital structure. According to this theory, the value of a firm does not depend on its capital structure decisions. The Modigliani-Miller theorem is a significant arena of contemporary corporate finance. At its centre, the theory refers to an irrelevance proposition. The Modigliani Miller theory offers cases under which the financial decision of a firm does not have an effect on its value. According to the theorem, â€Å"with well-functioning markets ... and rational investors, who can ‘undo’ the corporate financial structure by holding positive or negative amounts of debt, the market value of the firm – debt plus equity – depends only on the income stream generated by its assets† (Villamil, n.d., p.1). As per Modigliani, the firm value should not be dependent on the portion of debt withi n the financial structure. The Modigliani Miller theorem is comprised of four separate results which are fetched from a series of research papers. According to the first proposition, under some specific conditions, the debt-equity ratio of the firm would not have an impact on the market value. Among them, the first two are related to the firm’s capital structure. As per the second proposition, the leverage of any firm would not have any effect on the firm’s weighted average cost of capital. This means that cost of equity has a linear relationship with the firm’s debt equity ratio. Miller has given an example for a better understanding of the theorem. For an instance, one can think that the firm is a huge tub of

Pros and Cons Essay Example for Free

Pros and Cons Essay 1) Nuclear power generation does emit relatively low amounts of carbon dioxide (CO2). The emissions of green house gases and therefore the contribution of nuclear power plants to global warming is therefore relatively little. Between mining the uranium, refining and enriching fuel, and finally to building and operating the plant, a big 1,250 250-megawatt nuclear facility produces an estimated 250,000 tons of carbon dioxide during its lifetime. In contrast, coal-fired plants produce close to 2 billion tons of carbon dioxide every year in the U. S. alone while also emitting lots of other pollution: soot that causes lung diseases; sulphur dioxide and nitrogen oxides that cause smog and acid rain; and mercury that contaminates fish. In fact, coal kills 4000 times as many people as nuclear power, according to one analysis. 2) It is possible to generate a high amount of electrical energy in one single plant. 3) This technology is readily available. Disadvantages 1) Uranium Waste- The chief danger lies with the mining waste; it contains radium, which is highly radioactive. Radon gas (one of the products that occur after radium undergoes radioactive decay) can expose workers and nearby and nearby communities to an array of health risks like lung cancer, bone cancer and lymphoma. 2) The energy source for nuclear energy is Uranium, which is a scarce resource. It’s supply is estimated to last only for the next 30 to 60 years depending on the actual demand. 3) Nuclear power plants as well as nuclear waste could be preferred targets for terrorist attacks. 4) Risk of Catastrophe- Fukushima has joined Three Mile Island and Chernobyl in the vocabulary of dangerous nuclear mishaps. The explosion at Chernobyl’s nuclear plant in the Ukraine showed how nuclear energy could just as easily destroy us as it nurtures our everyday needs.  While nuclear power would allow Singapore to achieve energy self sufficiency, the risks and

Inclusive Education Essay Example for Free

Inclusive Education Essay In this assignment I will be critiquing a peer reviewed research article which explores an aspect of interprofessional practice. I will reflect on my practice and identify how the research discussed with in the article impacts and challenges my thinking and approach. By critiquing the journal – Early Years: An International Research Journal, I will show knowledge and understanding of other professional roles in early years under pinned by theory I have researched. My own understanding of inclusive practice in early years is that All children, irrespective of ethnicity, culture or religion, home language, family background, learning difficulties or disabilities, gender or ability should have the opportunity to experience a challenging and enjoyable programme of learning and development. (Early Years Statutory Framework, 2014, 1.15) The journal focuses on 52 early years practitioners from England, their experience of interprofessional working, woven together and their level of confidence and competence also different settings such as children’s centres, preschool settings and private settings as well as community preschool as it has been the fore front of government policy in UK since the inquiry into Victoria Climbie I have focused on three prime aspects from the journal: training, communication with multiagencies and support which I think is key regarding my own reflection of my practice as well as the impact on my thinking approach. The writers of the journal are Jane Payler and Jan Georgeson (2009) but nowhere in the journal are their qualifications and backgrounds cited. It is unclear that the writers are professional s or have had any practical experience in early years. It does not tell you where the settings are located and which back ground the children and families are from. I believe if all this information was given it may have been clear to the readers why we believe that research done in the deprived area has a  huge impact on their achieving when it comes to budget training and skills. If it was a deprived area they might be struggling with the funds, resources and support. On page b385 it states that they sent the questionnaires out but I believe all the methods used had weaknesses as it does not say anywhere what language they were using and what sort of questions were asked. Throughout the journal the writers praise the efforts that are made from the children’s centre in terms of working with inter professionals. As a reader I felt they were biased towards the children centre as throughout their article they have mentioned several times about how well children centres are doing, in comparison to preschool and private nurseries. Even the tables indicate that the children’s centres are performing at the top and preschool and private settings are nowhere near their achievement and successes. On page 387 of the journal it states that during her research it clearly showed that the children’s centres showed a secure understanding of procedure as well as confidence in approaching other agencies. The first aspect explored was training needs. The Journal article states that â€Å"the survey done was completed by 52 early years practitioners who were either undergoing, or had recently completed training for early years professional status.† Due to the level of education, it is clear to me why most of them were confident when working with outer agencies and writing reports according to the NutBrown review of early education and childcare qualifications interim report (March 2012) â€Å"Getting qualifications right will help to ensure that women and men enter the profession with the skills and experiences they need to do the best work with young children and their families. Well taught courses and learning routes that lead to reliable qualifications can help early year’s practitioners to improve their skills, knowledge and understanding, constantly developing in their roles.â€Å" This has made me reflect on my own training in regards to what I need to attend in terms of inclusive education and its importance as it is clearly shows in the journal on pg381 that the staff members with high qualifications and training were more confident in approaching and writing IEPS (Individual Educational Plan). As I was reading the journal one thing which really drew my attention was that it talked about the staff training being inconsistent. In some places staff seemed confident and in some places they were not. My  self being an early year’s practitioner and working in a private sector I can relate to the problems as staff are expected to go on training in their own time. Working within the Borough of Hounslow I have experienced first-hand cuts that have definitely been made in regards to training. According to the Guardian published in 2011 heading â€Å"The government is putting training out of reach of those who need it most in early years’’. (Th e Guardian, 2011) It goes on further to state thatâ€Å" From August colleges and training providers, in the main, will receive only half the cost of courses’’. This results in training being harder to gain. In order to go onto training you now have to firstly go onto a waiting list. Not only has that had an impact on your practice but also a staff member’s confidence with dealing with any situation which that training may have addressed. Another issue is that we now, as a setting, have to pay for the training. If a setting is low on funds the training cannot take place and so the staff members, as well as, children, parents and the setting, miss out. Covering the staff on training and courses exacerbates the situation.† It is also shown on page 390 of the journal that due to the cuts the speech and language therapist who will come to the setting one day fortnightly was reduced to once a week which impacts on the children having to refer somewhere else and not having an inc lusive service. I have been affected by this last year as I was told that there was no money left in Hounslow borough to give out for inclusion support staff which resulted on my having to use the staff I had already to support the child’s need . Despite the above and reflecting on my own practice, I believe early years practitioners do the best when it comes to identifying a child with a need, as they are the primary carers after the parents. In my belief, other agencies might have the qualifications but we as practitioners are the ones who identify the problem and so refer them on. As stated in the new EYFS (2014 3.20) â€Å"providers must support staff to undertake appropriate training and professional development opportunities to ensure they offer equality, learning and development that continually improves.† The second aspect which came to my attention was the different level of support throughout the children’s centre, preschool and private nursery. It was astonishing to see that the children’s centres were given the most support and due to this it is not a surprise that they were the most confident in approaching the  outside agencies and writing reports. This is clear due to their inter links with the outside agencies. According to the article they state that in every child’s centre in London they have family support, speech and language therapists as well as health visitors who are designated to each children’s centre. Due to that reason, I believe that they have far more support including regular meetings, interactions and support; however, private nurseries and preschools do not get that support and rely on communication based on letters as well as emails and phone calls, which is not always reliable and as effective as meetings. From my own experience I have noticed that once you identify a concern with a child’s speech and language, the referral takes over six months to completely get a response from a speech and language therapist. In Hounslow alone there is a long waiting list of children waiting to be seen by a speech and language therapist. Due to this, it is no doubt in my mind that having an in-house speech and language therapist or to even have a type of training in order to help and support children with their need as now out of? â€Å"Children coming to school are in need of some sort of speech and language support’’. (I CAN Talk Series – Issue 6) This has challenged my thinking and approach I would definitely like in my setting, as a manager, ascend a staff member to see how the speech and therapist works so they can come back and continue with the therapist approach. It was described by one of the practitioners that sitting with a child whilst seen by the therapist helped her to support the child page 389. I would love to be able to do so in my setting. I can support children with some support while the child is waiting to be seen by the speech and language therapist. Once the child has been seen by the speech and language therapist I make sure I have the copy of the recommendations and advice made by the therapist, so I can use the same strategies used by the therapist. According to I CAN, an organisation that helps children to communicate, ‘‘In some parts of the UK, particularly in areas of poverty over half of children start school with speech, language and communication needs.’’ â€Å"That means 2 to 3 students in every classroom have significant communication difficulties.’’ (I CAN Talk Series – Issue 6) One of the other aspects which came to my attention was that throughout the article it is c lear to me that there has been effective communication within the children‘s centre as there have been professional  staff on site; therefore all communication is face to face especially with speech and language therapists. Whereas private and other settings do not have this capacity and funds so all the communication involving outside agencies is on paper. It is clearly shown in figure 1 page387 that the children’s centres were 100 % on target when it comes to face to face contact with outside agencies. Other settings like independent preschools where I am employed are only doing 75% of face to face contact when it comes to communication and although it’s only 75% contact it is effective within that percentage. I agree with this as my own private setting has to rely on emails, phone calls and paper. This is also clearly stated in the journal on page 387. On page 395 it tells you about the need of the effective inter professionals practice in early years and their belief that it will be possible once the two year old check for disadvantaged children is extended. Since the 2 year check has been introduced I have experienced more regular contact with the health visitor. I have experienced di fferent types of response when it comes to effective communication. As in the document one part needs to be done by the practitioner one by the parents and one need to be done by the health visitor regarding any concern with the child. Some health visitors will be very particular in writing about the child’s health and on other hand some health visitors will write little information concerning the child and leave it as ‘no concerns’. Conclusion: The article helped me to reflect on my practice and identify key issues that impact and challenge my thinking and approach. For me, inclusion is not simply the toleration of all pupils, but the active provision of opportunities for all to feel good about themselves and to have the chance to flourish, whatever their individual needs and potential barriers to learn might be. Whatever difficulties may arise in dealing with the outside agencies ,distance between the professionals and resources and funds available as a particular I believe we have a legal duty to make sure we do the best when it comes to equality and diversity (inclusive and inclusion). In my setting and practice I have made sure that I provide and implement a clear policy and procedure to promote equality and support to every child in need as up held by the legal frame work in EYFS 3.66. It was also clearly stated in the journal on page 389 that settings doing their best when it comes to competence in developing their knowledge and network for inter-professionals over a period  of time were based on their knowledge and greater experience of integrated provision. Effective working practice with outside agencies should occur whatever the contact is, face to face or remote. As a practitioner it is our responsibility to make sure the child is covered within the inclusion policy. The second part of my assignment will be focusing on communication and the importance of communication in settings between other agencies, staff and parents/guardians. The word â€Å"communication† comes from the Latin word â€Å"communis,† meaning â€Å"to share.† (Communication studies). I believe sharing is a very important element when working within your practice, with parents and outside agencies. Personally I believe communication â€Å"is the act of conveying information for the purpose of creating a shared understanding. And includes verbal, non-verbal and electronic means† (Communication studies) According to Pietroni (1992) â€Å"We should not underestimate the many factors that challenge working relationships between professionals. Most fundamental is communication.† â€Å"To achieve better integration of services and organisation, The Children’s Act 2004 required local authorities to enter into partnership arrangements with parents who, in turn, carried reciprocal duties to cooperate.† -Aubrey Carol. â€Å"As suggested by the Laming Report, the Common Assessment Framework(CAF) was introduced as a standardised approach to assessing children’s additional needs. CAF supports the identification of a child’s additional needs which are not currently being met at the earliest possible stage.† (How children learn, Pg. 59) As an early years professional it is very important that I use communication effectively regardless of the type of setting, the ability to communicate effectively is crucial for developing positive relationships with children, young people and their families, colleagues and other professionals. Not only does it pave the way for a happy working environment but it is also a core unit of study for most children and young people especially when working with inclusion. In my setting I am the manager and the SENCO. I believe we are at the stage of norming as described by Tuckman in his performing team development models. Consensus largely forms among the team, our team responds well to reinforcement by a leader. Roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and important decisions are discussed and agreed upon by the entire team. Smaller decisions may be delegated to  individuals or small teams within a group not only to empower the members of staff but to ensure each staff member understands how to handle decision making and help them to gain experience. Our team also discusses and develops our processes and working styles and are always adapting and evolving in parallel to new research and studies. There is overall respect for team leaders and leadership is shared by the team. Leader facilitates and enables (similar to the Situational Leadership Participating mode). Working beside staff is very important to make sure we have an effective chain of communication which is strong and healthy. In support of this â€Å"Good communication practices need to be built into the policies and procedures of a setting† (Communication studies: what is communication) In our setting we make sure we work alongside parents as they are the â€Å"first educators† (Early Years Foundation Stage – EYFS, 2.2.) To help children achieve their full potential we make sure that practitioners investigate the experiences families and children receive when they attend our setting. Their feedback is essential to us as it helps us to further improve and meet the needs of parents more successfully. As part of gaining insight into the experiences of children and parents in our setting we send out surveys and questionnaires for parents to express their opinion through, this is especially effective if the parent does not feel comfortable expressing their opinion face to face with a member of staff. In addition to this our setting has an open door policy where every morning members of st aff are available to talk to; our staffs are multilingual and can communicate with a vast range of parents. We also have a text and email system in place for the parents who are working and don’t have time to complete surveys or get in touch with the staff. All these systems are in place to ensure effective communication. Coffee mornings are also in place and provide greater opportunities for parents to discuss their feelings in an informal atmosphere. Some settings invite parents to attend a short nursery rhyme performance and a chat about their experiences of the setting. We, at our setting take the ethos of â€Å"parents as partners†. Research tells us that the parents have the most influence over child development and so practitioners will serve children better by working in partnership with the parents. Practitioners also need to be mindful of the parents’ readiness to engage. There are many factors that should be considered when communicating or  attempting to communicate with parents such as communication barriers. Some of these barriers include time constrain ts regarding parents working hours, story time and language issues and if the parent may have special needs. Another communication barrier is if the engagement may be difficult due to family issues (such as a new baby, caring for a relative, domestic violence, health issues, and unusual working patterns.) It is only by understanding parents and valuing their input that practitioners will be able to acknowledge their readiness to engage with the setting. Strong and positive communication and relationships between staff, parents and children will help to develop an atmosphere of trust and comfort. Some children may receive additional support from agencies for their communication development. It is essential that practitioners work in partnership with these agencies to maximize the benefit for the child as it also states in EYFS â€Å"When parents and practitioners work together in early years settings, the results have a positive impact on children’s development and learning.† (EYFS, 2.2) Our setting works closely alongside outside agencies and take the multi-agency approach to make sure we provide the best care to the children. We also follow EYFS guide lines which states in i.16 â€Å"Close working between early year’s practitioners and parents is vital for the identification of children’s learning needs and to ensure a quick response to any area of particular difficulty. Parents and families are central to a child’s wellbeing and practitioners should support this important relationship by sharing information and offering support for extending learning in the home†. To make sure this is happening effectively we have implemented a key person system. Each child has a key person allocated before they start at the setting; it is established before the child starts the setting and on the basis of the initial meeting on induction day and the information gathered from paperwork. An example of this in practice is during introduction staff members meet all the parents and the children. If during the meeting we identify any information about the child’s specific needs such as speech/language/physical issues and the parents need e.g. parents first language is not English, the key person is chosen to suit the need of the child’s /parents so they have better communication and feel more comfortable and at ease. Parents can feel confident in communication with staff members and between their children and staff. The role of the key  person is too gather as much information as possible before the child starts the setting so that the settling in time can be arranged according to the child’s needs and interest. On the child’s first day the key person sets the activity of the child according to the child’s perceived interest and ability to ensure comfort and a sense of safety for the child. In addition to this the key person is responsible for noting and observing the activities of the child. After the initial meeting of the child and pare nts the SENCO of the setting (me) sit down and asses and evaluate any issues or concerns. An example of this is a child who attended my setting and during the induction day the mother had mentioned that the child is shy and an introvert. However upon observing the child during induction activities I learnt that the child may be more than just shy or anti-social. I came to this conclusion as I had noticed the child avoided eye contact and would only play with one toy, a toy car in which he would move it up and down in a continuous pose. The child also flapped their hands as a result of excitement. After the introduction I sat with my staff and talked about the day and mentioned the particular child. I then allocated myself as the child’s key person. I felt I had more rapport with the child and insight than any other member of staff. I then shared my thoughts and observations I had made during the day and offered some solutions and plans of action. During the first few weeks of the child attending the setting I conducted many observations and also got in touch with m y local SENCO and shared my concern over the phone. We then collectively arranged a day for her to come and observe the child. I double checked and ensured there was no further help I could provide and did all that was possible for the child e.g. the child enjoyed sticking doodles wherever he could and so I made a little post-box in each corner of the classroom and moved any hazards such as televisions as he loved sticking notes on the screens of television and computers. I also maintained daily contact with the mother and even asked her if it was possible to come earlier to pick him up as he became very upset when seeing other parents pick up their children. And made the mother aware of the assistance I was receiving from my local SENCO. I explained how it was vital to contact my area SENCO as they could provide advice which would further help me to support her child to the best of my ability. On the mothers agreement permission my area SENCO visited me and observed the child  she later introduced herself to the mother, she explained her role and what she could do for her child. We arranged a meeting to discuss the concern we have as a team and our plans to set up a IEP so that we are to help and support the child on confirming the date we made sure that all the people involved are available such as the mother, area SENCO and myself the setting SENCO. We explained everything to the mother for example what an IEP is and what we were trying to accomplish with it. My role was to arrange a support worker who would work alongside the child to support his needs. On our meeting day we all sat down together with all staff members who were going to support the child. Everyone shared their thoughts individually and expressed their opinions. In the end we set up IEP targets to help the child develop skills and improve, these targets were made in shared agreement. Each individual involved was given a copy of the IEP targets, this ensured that all staff members involved in relation to the child was aware of the child’s difficulties and aware of processes to help overcome them and that we all were all shared same vision to establish positive relation, both with each other and what’s best for the child. I personally believe â€Å"A trusting relationship between the practitioner and parents begins with the initial contact and it is crucial that from the start, parents appreciate that staff value their knowledge and understanding of their child.† (Working in partnership with parents, EYFS Principle) â€Å"a professional and honest approach by all staff will be the baseline in building the feeling of trust† as also reinforced in the government good practice guide as well as in Working Together to Safeguard Children, 2013 states â€Å"all professionals contribute to whatever actions are needed to safeguard and promote a childs welfare and take part in regularly reviewing the outcomes for the child against specific plans and outcomes;† according to the report published a HM inspector in 2007 talks about working together with professionals and has stated that it is important that we as a practitioner enable ‘’parents to play a stronger role as partners in their child’s learning and development.† The staff also share the IEP so all the other staff are also aware of what is our common goals as a team as I believe it is very important to work as an effective team and to have the common goals. For me teamwork is like an oil that makes the team work. It can enable smoother movement towards targets, can prolong forward momentum, and can help teams to overcome  obstacles. In my setting I make sure when I communicate to my staff, parents and professionals I perform as an adult as a model of Berne’s transactional analysis theory. As I believe if you talk like a child you will get a reaction like a child so it is very important that you make sure you come across as someone you want to be, as an adult or someone representing an accounting function or model. We need to be communicating like an adult. To make sure the staff is confident in doing the targets I arrange for the staff to go on training to be able to support the child as it is vital to me to make a â€Å"quality lea rning experience for children and this requires a quality workforce†¦ providers should regularly consider the training and development needs of all staff members to ensure that they offer a quality learning experience for children that continually improve† (Department of Education 2012). We also have professionals come to our setting to train the staff on the IEP targets such as bucket time. Intensive interaction and especial time in the setting â€Å"the staff trained that share their experience and knowledge with less experienced staff, in order to ensure that continuing professional development takes place†. (EYE VOLUME 14) The professionals who train the staff come to the setting to work with the key person to see if they are using the training effectively. I have regular contact with the professional through phone, email, and through paper. We have regular interaction with the outside agency and termly meetings in which the child’s progress and next steps to take are addressed. During the meetings the child’s transition is also discussed as it is very important to make sure the child moves to the next setting with all the support and the hard work achieved by us at our setting is implemented and continued. I sat with the mum and the area SENCO to explain to mum the options she has to choose from as in the end it’s what she wants for the child that is important.as it is clearly stated in the SEN code of practice working in partnership with parents 2.2 â€Å"parents too have a vital role to play in supporting their child’s education.† They hold key information and have a critical role to play in their children’s education. It continues to state that parents have â€Å"knowledge and experience to contribute to the shared view of a child’s needs and the best ways of supporting them.† So I believe it is very important that professionals (schools, LEAs and other agencies) actively seek to work with parents and value the contribution they make. It  is my belief that â€Å"The work of professionals can be more effective when parents are involved and account is taken of their wishes, feelings and perspectives on their children’s development.â €  In the document it continues stating â€Å"When practitioners are friendly and have a genuine interest in the children, parents come to like and trust them, and mutual respect can flourish.† According to B Sandra who is the consultant and director of Early Years gives some recommendation on effective communication according to her recommendation we need to give full attention to the person who we were communication, we need to be aware of our body language, need to resist any ways to interrupt. We need to take account of individual need and be flexible in the way they communicate and be ready to ask for help when required, be honest about what we know and what we don’t know, one of the other recommendation is that we need to be sensitive to culture differences as in some cultures direct eye contact is class as been rude in other culture satin cultures certain gestures are classed as rude.so care is needed when communication. While communication with a person with English as a additional needs we need to use photos, and visual aid. Someone with hearing aid needs to be communicating visual aid as well as use of British sigh language to make sure effective communication is taking place. To conclude my assignment I believe that a happier, healthier and better-informed workforce leads to a better setting. And that engaging your workforce with the right kind of communication, delivered regularly and efficiently through appropriate channels and means can make a big difference to all involved, for example you, your staff, child, parents and outside agencies.

Devising a training program for an organisation

Devising a training program for an organisation Organizations are not exempt from changes that society continually faces, therefore training is a fundamental part of organisational life. Many situations require unique solutions based on the unique needs of the organization. Thus this makes training a universal need but one that differs across individuals. Training is the acquisition of knowledge and skills in order for a person to carry out a specific task or job. Training benefits employees in several ways: It increases their sense of ownership in the business. They become more organised, productive and flexible and are better able to meet the needs of internal and external customers new skills and abilities in areas such as decision-making can empower staff, which makes them more effective. As a training manager, I know that the first step in conducting a training programme is to conduct a training needs analysis. This involves fours stages, Planning, job analysis, training gap analysis and training options analysis. In which I ask myself why is this training needed? What is the perceived problem? What are the aims and objectives? (Grey 1994) It is where I outline how the organizational objectives can be realised through the training programme. To do this I should conduct a gap analysis in which I identify the gap between the existing and needed skills of the employees, and in turn I can specify when, what, who, where and how to conduct the training. I can classify the exact areas were training is needed, that the training is closely aligned by the goals of the organization, that its causing the least possible disruptions to normal work routine, thats its cost effective and that I constantly keep in mind the preferred learning styles and opportunities to the individual and the organisation. This needs analysis proceeds in 3 stages, with the outcomes of the one stage influencing and helping to shape the next: (!) Organisation analysis (2) job analysis (3) person analysis. In the organisational analysis, I link the training initiatives with the organisations strategic plans. This is a very important step because before training solutions are sought one must ensure that funds are allocated properly, because this can cause costly mistakes to the organisation. In job analysis I identify the tasks, skills and attitudes that one needs to compete the job. This can be achieved through an HTA (Hierarchical task analysis) which was developed by Annett and Duncan 1967, in which tasks are broken down in a deductive manner, hence showing a hierarchical connection between the tasks, and afterwards instruction is sequenced bottom up. However one must keep in mind that the HTA does not necessarily capture the psychological processes that one goes through when doing the task. In the last stage of person analysis, I ask myself question like who needs the training? What skills need to be taught? Once I have gathered all the information from the training needs analysis, I can move on to the actual content of the programme in the training design, which is the second stage in the training cycle. The training design helps me determine the criterion behaviour, so I determine the contents, design of the training, and what the person should be able to do after the training. Throughout this stage one must keep in mind how people learn. This is because people learn in different ways, and so one must pay close to attention to teach the trainees in the most effective manner suitable to them. As example depending on the organization and the type of tasks that Im trying to teach the employees I may choose Fitts Skills Development theory (1962) which states that skill development progresses through three distinctive phases, Banduras Social Learning theory (1977) who says that learning is seen to result from strengthening stimulus response links through reinforcing appropriate behaviour or Andersons ACT theory (1983, 1987), whos theory is aimed at developing expertise. Regardless of what method of instruction I choose, I should keep in mind Goldsteins and Fords 2002 techniques for choosing good trainers. They argue that good trainers are those who encourage trainees to use their talents to achieve, set difficult but attainable goals, give exams that show both strengths and weaknesses, show enthusiasm for the subject, allows trainees to express problems related to the course content covered and to share any relevant knowledge and experiences and trainers who stimulate interest in the subject. I also should pay attention at how easily the trainees can put what they have learned in the training programme (the skills, attitudes and knowledge) into practise in the work place. And this all depends on the trainee characteristics, meaning the trainees personality, self efficacy, cognitive ability, age (Colquitt at al, 2000). With this information I can evaluate who is to be trained and how train them since for example older employers tend to take longer to learn or unlearn. One must also pay close attention to the work environment, including the organisational climate and the social support system (Tracey et al, 1995). The training evaluation is the final stage of the training cycle. Here I ask myself if the trainees reached their objective, and if the training programme has been a valid one. Throughout this stage I asses the performance of the workers before and after the training programme this is done by measuring performance, to establish is any changes took place if these changes are as a result of the training. Kirkpatrick explains that there are four stages for evaluation of training programme. (1) Reaction, in which the trainers get to know the trainees opinion about the training programme, which can be both positive and negative. (2) Learning, which actually looks for confirmation that learning took place. (3) Behaviour is the stage in which one sees the trainee performing what has been learnt (4) In the last stage one sees how the training effected behaviour, performance and the organisation. One should also take note that depending on the organisation one may choose to conduct these stages in either an on the job or off the job training programmes. As an example Tesco which is the largest British retailer and is also the worlds third largest grocery retailer with outlets across Europe, USA and Asia, offers employees both on-the-job training and off-the-job training. On-the-job training methods at Tesco include: shadowing a person already in the job shows the employee how to do it, coaching a manager or designated colleague will help trainees work through problems and inspire them to find solutions, mentoring a more experienced member of staff acts as an adviser job rotation or secondment the trainee has the opportunity of covering their target role, taking full responsibility on a temporary or limited basis. Off-the-job training is often more appropriate for training in specific new skills or for developing the individual, in areas such as team-building, communications (for example, making presentations), or organisation and planning. It usually involves attending external courses run by professional training organisations or qualified Tesco training staff (www.thetimes100.co.uk ) A well constructed training programme, is beneficial on both and organizational level and an individual level. This is because on an individual level, one gains greater intrinsic and extrinsic job satisfaction, and the employee can enhance their portfolio for better employability. On an organisation level it can lead to enhanced work performance and productivity, less absenteeism accidents, decrease in wastage, greater customer satisfaction and lower labour turnover. (Arnold et al, 2007) In conclusion one must keep in mind all the points and stages that I have mentioned, because unless the training is planned and systematic, its simply a waste of time and money. Organisations that fail to do so, end up making costly mistakes and as a result end up using ineffective training methods, wrong amounts of training (too little or too much) or they fail to follow up on the training used. (Arnold et al, 2007) (Word count: 1,311)

Interview with a Midwife Essay -- Interview Essays

â€Å"All over the world there exists in every society a small group of women who feel themselves strongly attracted to give care to other women during pregnancy and childbirth. Failure to make use of this group of highly motivated people is regrettable and a sin against the principle of subsidiarity.† Dr. Kloosterman, OB/GYN from Holland Chances are that terms such as â€Å"midwife† and â€Å"home birth† conjure up for you old-fashioned images of childbirth. These words may bring to mind scenes from old movies, but you’re not likely to associate them with the modern image of childbirth. Do you know anyone who has had a midwife-assisted birth or a home birth? Would you consider one? The version of childbirth that we’re used to is propagated by television and movies. A woman, huge with child, is rushed to the hospital when her water breaks. She is ushered into a delivery room and her husband hovers helplessly as nurses hook her up to IVs and monitors. The woman writhes in pain and demands relief from the painful contractions. Narcotic drugs are administered through her IV to dull the pain, or an epidural is inserted into the woman’s spine so that she cannot feel anything below her waist. When the baby is ready to be born, the doctor arrives dressed in surgical garb. The husband, nurses and doctor become a cheerleading squad, urging the woman to, â€Å"Push!† Moments later, a pink, screaming newborn is lifted up for the world to see. Variations on this theme include the cesarean section, where the woman is wheeled to the operating room where her doctors remove the baby through an incision in her abdomen. For one woman, this vision of childbirth is not the norm. Ana Rhodes is a midwife, and she is one of the only birth attendants available to... ...ucky has very limited choices. I remember something that Ana said during our interview: â€Å"My biggest influences are my repeat moms. They encourage me and love me as a good friend, and I know they will support me and have my back no matter what.† It strikes me that the relationship Ana develops with her clients is genuine and long-lasting. From the first meeting to the day your baby is born, Ana is with you every step of your pregnancy, which lies in stark contrast to the revolving door of doctors, nurse practitioners and residents you might encounter during a medically managed pregnancy and childbirth. The service that Ana provides to this community is selfless and driven by a passion for helping women. My hope is that midwifery will be recognized in Kentucky as the untapped resource that it is, and that hidden treasures such as Ana will have their chance to shine. Interview with a Midwife Essay -- Interview Essays â€Å"All over the world there exists in every society a small group of women who feel themselves strongly attracted to give care to other women during pregnancy and childbirth. Failure to make use of this group of highly motivated people is regrettable and a sin against the principle of subsidiarity.† Dr. Kloosterman, OB/GYN from Holland Chances are that terms such as â€Å"midwife† and â€Å"home birth† conjure up for you old-fashioned images of childbirth. These words may bring to mind scenes from old movies, but you’re not likely to associate them with the modern image of childbirth. Do you know anyone who has had a midwife-assisted birth or a home birth? Would you consider one? The version of childbirth that we’re used to is propagated by television and movies. A woman, huge with child, is rushed to the hospital when her water breaks. She is ushered into a delivery room and her husband hovers helplessly as nurses hook her up to IVs and monitors. The woman writhes in pain and demands relief from the painful contractions. Narcotic drugs are administered through her IV to dull the pain, or an epidural is inserted into the woman’s spine so that she cannot feel anything below her waist. When the baby is ready to be born, the doctor arrives dressed in surgical garb. The husband, nurses and doctor become a cheerleading squad, urging the woman to, â€Å"Push!† Moments later, a pink, screaming newborn is lifted up for the world to see. Variations on this theme include the cesarean section, where the woman is wheeled to the operating room where her doctors remove the baby through an incision in her abdomen. For one woman, this vision of childbirth is not the norm. Ana Rhodes is a midwife, and she is one of the only birth attendants available to... ...ucky has very limited choices. I remember something that Ana said during our interview: â€Å"My biggest influences are my repeat moms. They encourage me and love me as a good friend, and I know they will support me and have my back no matter what.† It strikes me that the relationship Ana develops with her clients is genuine and long-lasting. From the first meeting to the day your baby is born, Ana is with you every step of your pregnancy, which lies in stark contrast to the revolving door of doctors, nurse practitioners and residents you might encounter during a medically managed pregnancy and childbirth. The service that Ana provides to this community is selfless and driven by a passion for helping women. My hope is that midwifery will be recognized in Kentucky as the untapped resource that it is, and that hidden treasures such as Ana will have their chance to shine.

The Elusive Form: The Use Of Female Characters In naked Nude :: essays research papers

The Elusive Form: The Use of Female Characters in "Naked Nude" Thesis and Outline: Thesis: In his picturesque short story, "The Naked Nude", Bernard Malamud uses the female characters to develop, enact, and resolve Fidelman's epiphany and to bring about the protagonist's final, artistic self-understanding. I. Introductory paragraph--statement of thesis. II. The prostitutes A. in contrast to Fidelman's initial idea of the artistic nude B. "maybe too many naked women around made it impossible to draw a nude"--establish basis of conflict within Fidelman III. Teresa A. flat, static character--functions totally as a touchstone for Fidelman B. provides Fidelman's first turn towards artistic epiphany IV. Bessie, his sister A. childhood memory brings about full epiphany V. Venus of Urbino A. aesthetic constant--she, as a painting, remains static B. Fidelman's method of viewing her evolves, providing his epiphany VI. Relationship of female characters VII. Conclusion and restatement of thesis. Bernard Malamud, a leading contemporary Jewish author, skirts between fantasy and reality in his almost allegorical short fiction, teaching the reader a lesson through coinciding elements of beauty and comedy. Venturing away from his usual, inner-city Jewish element, Malamud tackles new challenges of subject and setting in his novelistic collection of short stories, Pictures of Fidelman . Malamud develops his protagonist through a series of six, interrelated short works, each of which may function entirely independent from the others. In "The Naked Nude," for instance, Fidelman comes to a new, artistic maturity through his attempt to copy the famous painting "Venus of Urbino" by Titian Tiziano. Malamud's recurring theme of self-knowledge through suffering permeates this short work. Scarpio and Angelo, as primary antagonists, provide the bulk of this suffering for Fidelman. It is his own mental captivity concerning the female nude, however, that gives cause for Fidelman's eventual epiphany asan artist and as an individual. His relationship to the women in the work shapes his ability to capture the form of the "Venus" and to come to grips with his own self-worth. In "The Naked Nude," Bernard Malamud uses the female characters to develop, enact, and resolve Fidelman's epiphany and to bring about the protagonist's final, artistic self understanding. At the story's outset, Fidelman is forced to act as janitor and manservant to a group of ill mannered prostitutes under the employment of the padrone, Angelo. These offensive characters establish the first of a series of mental obstacles in the imprisoned protagonist's attempt to copy Titian's nude. They torment Fidelman with cynical laughter and exploit his demeaning position. His sexual insecurity is established at the beginning of the story when he ponders his violent guillotine sketch, asking "A man's head or his sex?...either case a terrible wound" (Malamud 318).

Jury Nullification and Its Effects on Black America Essay -- Criminal

Jury Nullification and Its Effects on Black America   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  It is obvious that significant improvements have been made in the way that the criminal justice system deals with Blacks during the history of the United States. Blacks have not always been afforded a right to trial, not to mention a fair one. Additionally, for years, Blacks were unable to serve on juries, clearly affecting the way both Blacks and whites were tried. Much of this improvement has been achieved through various court decisions, and other improvements have been made through federal and state legislatures. Despite these facts, the development of the legal system with regard to race seems to have become stagnant.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Few in this country would argue with the fact that the United States criminal justice system possesses discrepancies which adversely affect Blacks in this country. Numerous studies and articles have been composed on the many facets in which discrimination, or at least disparity, is obvious. Even whites are forced to admit that statistics indicate that the Black community is disproportionately affected by the American legal system. Controversy arises when the issue of possible causes of, and also solutions to, these variations are discussed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although numerous articles and books have been published devising means by which to reduce variance within the system, the most recent, and probably most contentious, is that of Paul Butler, Associate Professor of Law, George Washington University Law School, and former Special Assistant United States Attorney in the District of Columbia. Butler's thesis, published in an article in the Yale Law Journal, is that "for pragmatic and political reasons, the black community is better off when some nonviolent lawbreakers remain in the community rather than go to prison. The decision as to what kind of conduct by African- Americans ought to be punished is better made by African-Americans themselves."1 The means by which Butler proposes for Blacks to implement these decisions is termed jury nullification. By placing the race of the defendant above the facts of the case, and thus producing either an acquittal or a hung jury, Butler hopes that Blacks will be able to keep a large portion of Black males out of prison.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Although several commentators have voiced criticisms with the ideas of Professor Butler, most ... ...11 See Coramae Richey Mann, Unequal Justice (1993) at 202-3. 12 Morris, supra note 3. 13 Morris, supra note 3. 14 Butler, supra note 1. 15 Michael R. Gottfredson and Travis Hirschi, A General Theory of Crime (1990), at 152. 16 Butler, supra note 1. 17 See William Julius Wilson, The Truly Disadvantaged: the inner city, the underclass, and public policy (1990), at 91. 18 See Kate Stith, The Government Interest in Criminal Law: Whose Interest Is It, Anyway?, Public Values in Constitutional Law (Stephen E. Gottlieb ed., 1993), at 137, 158 19 Randall Kennedy, The State, Criminal Law, and Racial Discrimination: A Comment, 107 Harvard Law Review (1994), at 1262. 20 Morris, supra note 3. 21 Morris, supra note 3. 22 See Douglas S. Massey, America's Apartheid and the Urban Underclass, Social Service Review (December 1994), at 480. 23 Butler, supra note 1. 24 Michael Vitiello, Reconsidering Rehabilitation, 65 Tulane Law Review (1991). 25 Benjamin A. Holden, Laurie P. Cohen, and Eleena De Lisser, Does Race Affect Juries? Injustice with Verdicts, Chicago Sun-Times (October 8, 1995) at 28. 26 Butler, supra note 1. 27 Butler, supra note 1.

Case Study Ryanair and Virgin Atlantic

Case Study Coursework LEADERSHIP and ORGANISATIONS BABA SDL 2012-13’B’ Virgin Atlantic and Ryanair This case examines two organisations that have many similarities as well as a number of significant differences. The essential technology and systems behind each organisation may be very similar, but the nature and style of management and its consequent impact on the way people working in these organisations think, feel and behave have created very different organisational cultures.So what are the similarities and what are the differences? The most obvious similarity is that both Virgin Atlantic and Ryanair operate in the UK passenger air transport industry. Both are relatively recent creations and might be seen as new entrants to the sector: Virgin's air transport business was founded by Richard Branson in 1984 and Michael O'Leary took over as Chief Executive at Ryanair, a small Irish airline which had been founded as Guinness Peat Aviation in 1985 (Creation, 2004).Both s tarted life in competition with major national flag carrier airlines (British Airways and Aer Lingus respectively) and grew to be major challengers to these established companies. As they grew, their scale of operations brought them into competition with a much larger number and range of airlines operating from the UK: Branson's Virgin Atlantic competes with some major US and other intercontinental companies such as American Airlines and United Airlines; O'Leary competes with the likes of Flybe and EasyJet in the short-haul market.Both Branson, who was born in 1950, and O'Leary, who is ten years younger, are individuals with strong and distinctive personalities, who have a relentless appetite for media presence and who make extensive use of themselves in their frequent marketing communications. They engage in advertising stunts, readily appear on the news media in relation to stories about the industry, and their faces and personalities are easily associated with their companies. Ch arting different courses There are, however, some major differences. First, they differ in their choice of markets.Virgin's air transport business originated in the long-haul, mainly transatlantic market which might be highly profitable but is also extremely competitive. As the business grew, offshoots were founded as independent companies; for instance, Virgin Blue in Australia and Virgin Express which has its hub in Brussels and serves European destinations outside the UK and does not compete directly with Ryanair. Ryanair started as a short-haul carrier and has remained so, focusing on European destinations from a small number of airports in the UK and Eire. The two companies' competitive positioning is also very different.Ryanair is well known as ‘The Low Cost Airline'; the first thing that hits you in its publicity material is the price and this is very clearly the core of its business strategy (Ryanair website). The ‘no frills' approach means just that: even the in -flight food is limited to sandwiches and costs extra. Virgin, by contrast, attracts passengers by offering a superior experience and is firmly positioned at the quality end of the market: Publicity material emphasises style and comfort, and there is a range of in 1/4 Case Study Coursework LEADERSHIP and ORGANISATIONS BABA SDL 2012-13’B’ light extras which, even at the economy end of the price range, includes in-flight food and drinks and packs of ‘amenities' such as flight socks, eye shades and lip balm. As was noted, both men love publicity stunts and often use humour in their public communications. Branson is usually smiling and in poses which indicate fun and a desire to show close links with his staff and popularity with employees, customers and the public in general. O'Leary is much more likely to be acerbic, critical and uses what might euphemistically be called ‘colourful' language in his public statements.He seems to care little about public opinio n of him as an individual and has been in trouble with the advertising standards authorities in the UK and Eire on more than one occasion for ‘offensive' adverts that have upset people from British Airways (who were accused of being ‘Expensive ba * * * * ds' in an Evening Standard advert in 1999) and the Catholic Church (the ‘Fourth Secret of Fatima’ advert of 2000 featured the Pope) (Creation, 2004). The brand values are also very different. Virgin as a collection of businesses does everything from running trains, manufacturing contraceptives and cosmetics o offering financial services. All these enterprises are linked by the single powerful central image of the founder and the characteristic red livery; Ryanair does one thing and one thing only, but in doing so sets an almost buccaneering tone, readily taking on authorities such as the European Union over competition policy and the British Airports Authorities over charging practices. Branson has certainly had his conflicts with British Airways, notably over the ‘dirty tricks' affair of the early 1990s, but is not likely to challenge governments.Virgin tries hard to build customer loyalty and gain repeat business through brandrelated service values; Ryanair's repeat business (and for some customers the Ryanair experience is one which inspires the thought ‘never again') is on price, not loyalty to the brand. These differences have a significant effect on the nature of employment relations and the psychological contract between the two companies and their employees. Working for Richard and Michael Each company's brand image and treatment of customers have a bearing on the nature of organisational relationship with staff, and vice versa.Aspects of organisational behaviour therefore show through in a variety of interconnected ways to create consistent and very different cultures. At Virgin Atlantic, cabin crew are there to be helpful and welcoming; they are important projecto rs of the brand image and their job is partly to encourage the allimportant customer loyalty which generates continuing profit. The importance of staff as carriers of company values is clearly reflected in the recruitment material and other statements about the nature of work at Virgin Atlantic.Virgin Atlantic brings together all manner of people in all manner of roles, all playing a crucial role in the smooth running of a very complex operation. But whoever you are and wherever you join us, you'll never stop thinking of our customers and what 2/4 Case Study Coursework LEADERSHIP and ORGANISATIONS BABA SDL 2012-13’B’ we can do for them. From frontline cabin crew to IT analysts, everyone here plays a role in delivering the Virgin brand. That means using initiative, taking responsibility for your actions and being ready to support those around you at all times.Similarly, you'll play your part in maintaining the friendly, unconventional professionalism that makes Virgin A tlantic such a unique place of work (Virgin Altantic website). The recruitment process is lengthy and includes a group interview which acts as a filter for further tests before job offers are made. Training programmes for cabin crew and other staff are run from a dedicated training centre, and there is a wide range of benefits for full-time staff including seven free flights a year, private pensions and medical schemes and discounted goods and services across the Virgin group.At Ryanair, the cabin crew work for a supplier organisation called Crewlink. You can discover whether you qualify to apply for a job by answering a series of 11 on line questions. Successful applicants for cabin crew posts are trained at one of Crewlink's centres and are expected to pay an up-front charge of â‚ ¬1,200 for the fiveweek course (or with a â‚ ¬400 deposit it can be offset against initial year's salary at a total cost of â‚ ¬1,300). Students are not paid to attend the course; successful gra duates get a three-year contract with Crewlink to work on Ryanair flights on a shift-work basis.Ryanair crew are not expected to make overnight stops at its destinations. Post-tax starting salary is listed as being ? 1,100 per month (? 13,200 pa); Crewlink suggests that after the initial three years, and subject to satisfactory performance, a permanent job with Ryanair itself might be available at a salary of up to ? 25,000 pa. Staff must be flexible in terms of their work location across the 15 European centres and Crewlink does not guarantee work if individuals specify a preferred work location (Crewlink website).By comparison with long haul, a short-haul operation involves very tight turnaround times and Ryanair aims for 20 minutes. This creates a very different pace and set of pressures on the workforce compared with those at Virgin, which is likely to have higher staffing levels and to give crew longer rest breaks in the destination locations between flights. The nature of cust omer relations, by contrast, might be more demanding at Virgin than at Ryanair – staff and customers are together for longer and the brand image must be maintained.Complaints and horror stories can be found about work at both organisations; however, Ryanair is subject to a more systematic and organised campaign of criticism for its employment practices by trade union organisations. In particular, the International Transport Workers' Federation has run a major campaign on its website since 2004 called ‘Ryan-be-fair', the purpose of which is to pressurise the management at Ryanair into accepting the role of trade unions in representing the workforce.It collects comments from disgruntled crew and former workers which give a flavour of the operational stresses and organisational culture. Both organisations have been successful – Ryanair has turned in significant profits for several years in a sector which is prone to disruption and financial loss and which has seen a number of brands disappear (Buzz, Go and Debonair) (BBC, 2005). Virgin also continues to go from strength to strength commercially. But the cultures and values which get them off the ground could hardly be more different (BBC, 2006). /4 Case Study Coursework LEADERSHIP and ORGANISATIONS BABA SDL 2012-13’B’ References Creation, S. (2004) Ryanair – How a Small Irish Airline Conquered Europe. Arum Crewlink website www. crewlink. ie International Transport Workers’ Federation website www. iftglobal. org Ryanair website www. ryanair. com Virgin Atlantic website, Working for Us, http://www. virginatlantic. com/en/gb/careers/workingforus/index. jsp BBC News articles: News website: www. news. bbc. co. k Profits Jump at Virgin Atlantic (27 May 2005) Ryanair Profits Jump on Hot Spots (1 August 2006) Question: Using relevant leadership and organisational theory, explore the impact of organisational features and external environment influences on the leadership and management styles and performance of Richard Branson and Michael O’Leary. Critically evaluate the effectiveness of their leadership approaches in their specific context with their specific set of strategic challenges. (1500 words) Closing date: 1st April 2013, submit on StudyNet by 23. 30 UK time 4/4