Analysis of Lidl’s business strategies Essay

Lidl Stiftung & Co is an international discount supermarket that is located in Germany. The company was founded in the early 1940s by one member of the Schwarz family. The company has been operating in most parts of Europe, giving the other competing firms a very tough ground for retail business. Currently, the company has over 10,000 stores, most of which are in the UK. The company is the fifth best retailer in the world with a net income of $82.4 billion (Lidl, 2011). Apart from being active in the retail business, the company also carries out a number of services such as DVD rental, which was launched in 2009 and bakery services launched in 2012. According to Sillince (2006), resource based view in competitive advantage can help Lidl in achieving competitive advantage by looking at the internal factors that are within its system. For instance, the company has used its employees in ensuring that it achieves most of its goals within the shortest time possible. In addition, the company has achieved greater competitive advantage that has led to increase in the amount of profits and market share by internal tangible and intangible factors such as products and values respectively.In addition, the company uses heterogeneous and immobile resource-based views to ensure the achievement of the most effective competitive advantage in the market. Discourse and disruption have also affected the company hence making it work towards ensuring that it produces more to enable it sell better than other firms. The PESTEL analysis directly and comprehensively evaluates the industry’s external environment elements in order to identify the overall available opportunities and dangers of specific procedures, on the grounds that progressions in these elements can prompt the huge change of businesses, particularly as time goes on. Specifically, PESTEL mainly highlights Political, Economic, Social, Technological, Environmental as well as Legal variables. The first aspect of PESTLE analysis is the political aspect. With over 10,000 stores in Europe alone, Lidl needs to manage unique political examples affecting its business operations. One of the major political components influencing the business is natural assurance laws to compel companies to comply with all the government requirements. The second imperative component is UK government vitality advance programs for innovative work of retail products. For this situation, numerous retail companies have been able to greatly undergo structural changes in order to fit in the government policies. In addition Lild uses economic internal and external factors. Financial elements incorporate monetary development in the option vitality commercial enterprises and increment in the expense of utilizing the automobiles fundamentally because of the ascent in fuel costs in the brief time. In this manner, the interest for more-proficient automobiles is higher than in the recent past. Consequently, recuperation of GDP and the rising rate in the majority of the slowly developing nations from the recessionary period that happened in 2008/2009 has a huge effect on the client buying power. The company also has a stable financial system that enables it to communicate effectively and favorably. Moreover, Social components are identified with expansion natural concerns, mentality and stress on items, which are eco-friendly. In addition, without a doubt the current society judge’s individuals focused around the sort of the automobile they buy and the thought of having electric vehicles enhances the societal position of a single person. The company has also considered a number of cultural elements that help in achievement of competitive advantage and in promotion of customer interests. For instance, the company stocks various items used by almost all the religions in Europe. With the rise in technology, Lidl has tried to improve its customer service platform to ensure that the new technological aspects are included in order to avoid any delays. In addition, the company has allowed customers to make purchases using credit cards and checks in order to make purchases easier and faster. Besides, in order to beat competitors and gain competitive advantage against other competitors in the retail industry. Currently, numerous retail stores have confronted the aggressive weight to produce eco-accommodating products. Natural components, for example, expanding attention to environmental change lead to changes in operations and organizations’ items and administrations, in light of the fact that clients are getting more mindful of ecological impacts of generation. Lidl has also ensured that it initiates various environmentally friendly aspects such as the use of the modernized ways of handling waste disposal such as recycling. Additionally, numerous regulations emanate from governments presenting vitality credit projects and putting weight on creation eco-accommodating products, for example, licensing companies to join the new techniques for green business and working towards reducing the effects of wastes from vehicles on the environment (Sillince, 2006). Porters Fiver Competitive forces are some of the most essential tools that Lidl has to use in ensuring that it achieves competitive advantage in the retail sector. The company needs to identify some of the most desirable strategies and use them towards achieving the best part of the market share. The first force is Threat of new entrants. Currently, the retail industry has the highest risk from the threat of new entrants. Having entered the industry in 1940s, Lidl also faced the difficulties of being a new entrant in a market that needed high capital and had increased problems that rose from building a brand name to indifferent distributors. However, Lidl managed to pass through this and is still on the verge to become the highest market holder in the industry. The general bargaining power vested on the buyers is uncertain and Lidl had to rely on their closeness with advertisers in order to please the buyers. These advertisers are some of the buyers of Lidl hence making it achieve competitive advantage in the market. Besides, the threat of substitution is relatively low since very few firms produce can match the market covered by Lidl. This has given Lidl an upper hand in the retail business hence increasing the advantage over other companies. In addition, in its bid to enter the US market, Lidl has to counteract the benefits that Wal-Mart has given to the consumers. Based on Suppliers’ bargaining power despite building strong relations with the main suppliers, Lidl has a hard time trying to win other suppliers. However, its ability to buy products in bulk has helped increase its bargaining power among the suppliers thereby giving it a higher competitive advantage (Clegg Et., al, 2006).Rivalry in the Industry is evident in the presence of competitors in the market.Despite having competitors such as Morison’s in the UK and Wal-Mart in the US, Lidl has managed to counteract rivalry in the market by using the best strategies that are aimed at improving the company’s image among the various international and local customers. References Balogun, J., Jacobs, C., Jarzabkowski, P., Mantere, S., &Vaara, E. (2014).Placing strategy discourse in context: Sociomateriality, sensemaking, and power.  Journal of Management Studies,  51(2), 175-201. Clegg, S. R., Kornberger, M., &Pitsis, T. (2011).  Managing and organizations: An introduction to theory and practice. , : Sage. Clegg, S. R., Hardy, C., Lawrence, T., & Nord, W. R. (Eds.).(2006).  The Sage handbook of organization studies.Sage.Colla, E. (2003). International expansion and strategies of discount grocery retailers: the winning models.  International Journal of Retail & Distribution Management,  31(1), 55-66. Hanf, J., &Hanf, C. H. (2007). Does food quality management create a competitive advantage.  Quality management in food chains, Wageningen, Wageningen Academic Publishers, 489-502.Hill, C., & Jones, G. (2009).  Strategic management theory: An integrated approach. Boston, ME: Cengage Learning. Morschett, D., Swoboda, B., & Schramm-Klein, H. (2006).Competitive strategies in retailing—an investigation of the applicability of Porter’s framework for food retailers.  Journal of Retailing and Consumer Services,  13(4), 275-287. Porter, M. (2005).  Strategy as action : Competitive dynamics and competitive advantage: Competitive dynamics and competitive advantage. , : Oxford University Press. Porter, M. E. (1998).  Competitive strategy: Techniques for analyzing industries and competitors. , : Free Press. Sillince, J. A. (2006). Resources and Organizational Identities The Role of Rhetoric in the Creation of Competitive Advantage.  Management Communication Quarterly,  20(2), 186-212. Source document

Launching a new business

Apex International Ltd is a health care product company. The company is about to launch a new product in the market. The health care segment of this company is well renounced with products ranging from medical devices to surgical apparel including sterilization wrap, surgical gloves, surgical drapes and gowns and other medical devices. In an over all sense their products are targeted towards general health and hygiene. Therefore the vision statement would be a logical conclusion to launch a product in alignment with general health and hygiene.At present the mission statement of the company is to expand and occupy global market with a new and ingenious product. This is because to mark an impact in the global market the company must employ a strategy in the parameters of product selection that would enable the company to stand at a distinctive position. This distinctive position would help the company to attain a better market segment. For the purpose, along with a new and effective pr oduct, the company needs a group of motivated employees who would be able to execute the laid down strategy by the top management. The company is confident about its present group of employees and is certain that the motivated workers would be able to execute the planning without much specified difficulties.Thus the employees should1. Follow the laid down principals and strategies closely2. Understand the need of the potential customers clearly3. Understand the preference of the potential customers4. Provide customer service at the highest levelBusiness descriptionThe company is set to launch a new product in the line of its existing item but in an updated and creative mode. The business would be spread over a large amount of markets around the world, and would venture into the markets of Asia, especially China. This would be well supported by market segments of other continents like North and South America, Europe and Australia and Oceania. The business would be controlled by the c entral headquarter situated in each of the countries of operation which would controlled by the Continent Head Office. The supreme negotiations would be done from headquarter situated in New York as it is a predominantly New York based company.Operation requirements   Operation requirements for this project are vivid and intricate.Firstly the management has to development a perfect schedule in terms of production in the line of future market potentials.Secondly, it should be looked upon that every aspects of the potential market segment is evaluated and measured.In the third phase of the operation requirement it should be noted to understand the need and priorities of the targeted customers.Lastly, a core unit should be developed to look into the motivation factors of the employees in the long run.2. Vision StatementAs the general consumer durable health and hygiene related products of Apex International Ltd includes mostly fabric related products or versatile materials that are d eveloped from synthetic fibers it would be a logical conclusion to include a product like a fragranced panty liner for white discharge in this context.At present Apex International Ltd deals in products of personal care such as feminine pads, incontinence products and diapers it would be favorable for them to include panty liners for white discharge in this list of products specifically when the base material of the panty liner for white discharge is aligned with the base material of the other mentioned and related product which is non-woven fabrics. In the context of non-woven fabrics it would be interesting to mention that Apex International Ltd themselves is responsible for manufacturing non-woven fabrics in huge number of grades that are numbered around hundreds.As these grades of non-woven fabrics are already operational for various purposes like spill control, car covers, industrial fabrics, home furnishings and flexible packaging making room for an additional product like fra granced panty liner for white discharge would not include any further fixed or capital cost to the company.As for the market segment part the new product i.e. fragranced panty liner for white discharge would become a market leader world wide when a support system of a company like the Apex International Ltd is applicable.To begin with it would be applicable to mention the need of panty liner for white discharge with a brief detail of white discharge as an ailment. White discharge is regarded as a vaginal discharge that is considered as normal during and after the menstrual period and it varies from woman to woman. It has been estimated that during the period of ovulation the mucous products increase and it has been reported that after the interval of ovulation the amount of white discharge increases by about 30 times. The material is elastic and watery in nature and therefore it is prescribed by the doctors to use panty liners during this time frame of the cycle. One of the most dif ficult propositions of this material is that it has a very bad odor.Thus to access this market with a significant product the company needs to introduce a product that is1. Well Fragranced2. Extremely Hygienic3. Highly dependable4. Cost effective3. Sales, Marketing and Finance management planExecutive summaryThe marketing strategy of the Apex International Ltd would be to develop a fragranced panty liner for white discharge. Developing a healthy and attractive fragranced panty liner for white discharge would never prove to be very difficult for the company as it is already in operative stage with relative products.Situation AnalysisThe potential, if the assumable market of this fragranced panty liner for white discharge is taken into consideration, could be substantially huge. It has been estimated that without the use of a normal panty liner for white discharge various symptoms may arise like discomfort, itching or even pain due to formation of fungal infection due to the amount of white discharge. Therefore, panty liners are essential and as it is consumer durable in nature therefore there is no chance of market being exhausted. Moreover, with a better campaigning with the focal point mentioning the betterment and advantages of a fragranced panty liner for white discharge would certainly help the company to occupy the existing market of panty liners by a huge margin.Marketing strategyAt present the market segment of the world of panty liners are segregated among numerous companies of which a bulk of the companies represents China. These Chinese companies would be the prime target once Apex International Ltd takes over the manufacture of this new fragranced panty liner for white discharge and makes the product operational. The major reason of targeting China as the premium competitor would be the reason that these companies are basically marginally equipped to compete in the international market. Therefore they should be the primary concern as being the softe st targets of all.Secondly, the advantage of the Chinese companies to be able to penetrate into low market segment could well be nullified with the campaigns concerning health issues. Once this has been done a bulk of the customers would be diverted towards the Apex International Ltd’s product of fragranced panty liner for white discharge as there are hardly any individual who would compromise in terms of health issues. This would have an additional advantage for the company. Once penetration is possible within the market occupied by the Chinese companies it would also be possible to inflate the market with other products of the Corporation. This would be a double advantage and a scope of further optimization of revenue.Thirdly, the other plus point enjoyed by the Chinese companies is the ability to penetrate into the markets of different nations all at the same time.Financial projectionsThe amount of customers for this fragranced panty liner for white discharge would be by n o means negligible. It has been estimated that about 9 million women visit the gynecological department or the general practitioners each year. This is just the estimation of the United States alone. It would be quite interesting to find out the actual number of potential customers for this new fragranced panty liner for white discharge world wide. That would mean a titanic amount of potential customers waiting for the fragranced panty liner for white discharge if marketing and campaigns are well executed by the Apex International Ltd. (Dollard, 2005)Implementation ControlThus once China is marginalized from the basic market of the fragranced panty liner for white discharge the rest of the market would fall in place with competition on the equal ground with other European, Australian and US companies. Here the main advantage of the Apex International Ltd would be the application of the fragranced panty liner which would drive away other potential competitors from the market and by t he time any other company is able to formulate something new like the fragranced panty liner for white discharge the battle for supremacy over the market would belong won by the Apex International Ltd. Therefore it is obvious that a brand new product by the Apex International Ltd would be resulting into a clear winner not only in the local or national level but it is a cut made up for the international level and thus should be treated as a cut above the rest.Reference:Dollard, John & Robert R; (2005); The White discharge Syndrome; New University Press; 21-25

Culture at Thai Temple Essay

Today, I have the opportunity to go to the Thai Temple on North Broadway Street. As we all know that Thai community is not a big population in Wichita, Kansas, and there’s not many temple here as well. I walked into the temple with a beautiful site view, there was only one Buddhist statue inside the building. Walking in the temple there stood three monks with a warm welcome from them to show me around the temple. I turned around with a curious look on my face, and started to asked them how often do they held ceremony for praying time. They told me that it is usually every Saturday and Sunday. One of the monk name was Michael, he told me that usually the people who participate or come visit the temple they would bring food to share with monk, and other people. The food must be vegetarian, and that your spoon or any utensil must not touch any meat at all. Monk Michael told me that monks are vegetarian, they cannot eat fish or any meats at all. They always eat before 11 o’clock and usually once a day before the prayer. It was really fascinating for me to have the opportunity to view the different from my usual culture and belief system. As monk Michael guide me through the temple, he said that when there’s a hug festival there is a lot of people from Thai community gather to celebrate the holiday. He told me that during the New’s Year which is the most important holiday for Thai and Cambodian society. People would come to the temple to pray and lit up incense for the Buddhist statue, and get red envelop under the Ochna tree. The red envelop meant to bring us luck and prosperity for the upcoming year. Monk Michael ask me to come by during the big festival in April 14. It is the most exciting day for Thai and Cambodian which they shared the same New Year day. Attending this Buddhist temple I have engage and learnt the culture difference between Catholic and Buddhism. My belief is Catholic, and I noticed the New Year holiday for Catholic and Buddhist was totally difference from my culture, and my own belief. Catholic biggest holiday is Christmas just like American society. We only celebrate Christmas in church, but we don’t celebrate New Year as Buddhist. As monk Michael asked me to engage in the part of prayer, I felt a little uncomfortable, because I was afraid I might do something wrong, and that we have to knee down through the whole praying time. It is usually lasted about an hour or so. My religious is not the same as Buddhist, but I know the food flavor and the taste are the same. Even though, monk Michael asked me to stay and enjoy the meal with the rest of the monks. The food might be plain without the meat, but it was really delicious. The monk is vegetarian, and they cannot eat meat, if they did people would not respect them as a monk who guard the temple, because if they did they will break the rule of being a monk. That’s what monk Michael tell me about their habit and the protocol the have to follow. Monk Michael also told me that, monks cannot have spouse and kid, also drinking as well, because that’s is against the religious value. Being Catholic I feel that’s our Father or priest we don’t have to fast, even if we do. Catholic only eat fish during Easter month. The majority people who goes to temple are usually Buddhist believer or any people who want to come to pray is always welcome. Our culture and religious are different, but we have the same view of life such as karma. Attending Buddhist temple I can see the different between religious and the different in culture practices. It was worth of my time to spend today to engage in this wonderful heritage of Buddhism. Thai people worship Buddhism is stronger believer. They believe that life is does not end with dead, but it is more base on karma. â€Å"What we sow, is what we reap† it is the concepts in every human being; it doesn’t have to be in your religious. Going to the Thai Temple make me feels like there are a lot of great culture practice not only around world, but also in the community of Thai, and Vietnamese who practices Buddhism it is worth my time to explore this culture. After attending this culture event, I feels closer not only to my heritage, but I have deeply appreciated Thai heritage as well as my own. Thai Temple had taught me more about their background, and their religious, which they provided on this fieldtrip. Michael monk had provided me with real life interaction experience with his culture and exchange different belief. I will come back to Thai Temple during their New Year’s events to gain more knowledge of their culture holiday. This fieldtrip has help me become less ethnocentric and become more open to experience new culture. After this fieldtrip I would like to go and learnt more about other culture that I never have intents to tries. This make me realize that I have missed a lot of this opportunity to seek and learnt other culture belief.

Assignment is to read the 22 page IPCC AR4 summary for policymakers Essay

Assignment is to read the 22 page IPCC AR4 summary for policymakers (SPM) (Introduction plus 5 sections) and write a concise summary of it - Essay Example shift in animal and plant ranges together with the earlier timing of various spring events has been linked to warming in the terrestrial ecosystems while changes in ice, frozen ground and snow have resulted in a general increase in both the total number and size of glacial lakes (Ipcc, 2007). It has been shown that the energy balance of the world’s climate system has been altered by changes in the atmospheric concentration of aerosols and various green house gases, solar radiation and total land cover. During the period ranging between 1970 and 2004, Carbon dioxide emissions have been shown to have grown by about 80%. The atmospheric concentration methane and carbon dioxide have exceeded the pre industrial levels recorded from ice cores over the last 650,000 years. This has mainly been attributed to the use of various agricultural products and fossil fuels (Ipcc, 2007). If the Emission of GHG continues at the current rate, this will potentially cause changes in the planet’s global climate system to be larger in the 21st century than those previously observed in the 20th century. Warming is expected to reduce the ocean and terrestrial uptake of CO2 resulting in an increase in the ocean’s acidity with an expected average decrease of its PH by about 0.1 units (Ipcc, 2007). The Greenland ice sheet is expected to continue contracting, a factor that is expected to continue playing a vital contribution to the increasing rise in sea levels after 2100, with various models suggesting the eventual virtual complete elimination of the ice sheet after a millennia. There are several adaptation and mitigation options available touching on various aspects. These include expanding water storage, harvesting and conservation techniques, the adjustment of agricultural product varieties and planting dates, reduction of the world’s dependency on a mostly single source of energy and opting for green energy, creation of storm surge barriers and sea walls to help create a

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Social and Environmental Reporting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

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Management and Organisations Individual REPORT Essay

Management and Organisations Individual REPORT - Essay Example Through such cultures, the allowance of personal goals to subsume the team goals becomes rather difficult as they go against the core drivers for elements of self-preservation. The elements of team operation have a major effect on considering the different teams and elements types for team effectiveness. The major components of team effectiveness include viability and performance. Performance focuses on success in the delivery of several outputs (that is, services, products, information, or performance events) to the prospective consumers across the organization. The organization viability element has a future orientation and inclusion of continuity. The variability of viability is the ability towards maintaining the integral group membership while responsibility has to do with a shared group purpose. Cohesion refers to the responsibility of appreciating each of the team member’s contributions while capability describes the accomplishment of shared purposes (Cascio, 2006). For gaining success, teams have to focus on the integration of viability and performance. Researchers offer different explanatory models towards helping accurate conceptualization of team effectiveness. There is a pioneering development into input-process-output model in measuring organization effectiveness. Even with the age of the idea, most other models for work group effectiveness have a heavy reliance on it. Inputs have a key change driver for processes in case they mediate the effects of such inputs to their issues (Mullins, 2007). Inputs embrace all personal elements (such as experience, expertise, personality, and status) brought to teams when formation. The process variables engage the interaction of different team members of social information exchange, attempts leadership, and influence) as well as inherently dynamic outputs. They refer to yields from the group. From these, process variables

Bargaining and Negotiation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Bargaining and Negotiation - Essay Example There is also the perception that conflict resolution is a costly, complicated and thankless undertaking. In the process of upholding bargaining and negotiation as the best methods of resolving this type of organizational conflict, the paper also discussed related human resource management strategies commonly intended to create a complement of committed and motivated employees. These include: equal opportunity in promotion and advancement; fostering cooperation and camaraderie in the workplace; attending to employees' physical, emotional and psychological well-being; and hiring people who not only possess the necessary skills but the willingness and capability to work in a team. The research found that conflict resolution is possible without professional counselors such as occupational psychologists, whose services not many organizations can afford. Managers and supervisors can perform this function just as well with some training on non-directive counseling or "listening with unders tanding (Skaperdas, 1998)." This works because the manager serves as catch basin by which the discontented employee can vent his feelings and thus relieve his frustrations to move to a problem-solving frame of mind. It was also learned that the appropriate HRM strategies mentioned above are good preventive measures. Research Conflict is part of organizational life, which becomes even more pronounced in highly politicized and hierarchical organizations. One view of organizational structure looks at it as the outcome of a political contest for control within the organization, which at the same time provides the participants with further advantages in the political struggles because of their structural positions (Johnson, 1976). Once people of different capabilities and estimation of their self-worth come together, they invariably form a political organization. According to organizational theory, each individual and group in an organization is expected to play a specific role, like organs in the human body, and that all institutions, laws and traditions in a society are designed to support those in power or groups perceived as superior to others. Consequently, conflict arises when any of that individual or group breaks out of its specific role and aspire for a higher position or a greater share of the organ ization's resources (Bacal, online). Conflict within an organization is thought of as unpleasant, counterproductive and time-consuming, but it need not be destructive if the energy expended on it is directed towards problem-solving and organizational improvement. Instead of viewing it as a destructive force, it is seen as a factor to stimulate members in increasing their knowledge, skills and contribution to organizational innovation and productivity. Rather than try to eliminate conflict or suppress its symptoms, the best way is to manage the conflict so that it enhances instead of

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Business History - Essay Example Smith's strong will coupled with his hard working attitude made him a successful man. His Canadian Office was in fact nicknamed as "The Light House" because the windows are frequently illuminated long after the remainder of the street was in darkness. On the other hand, Cooke's efficiency, friendliness and competence have impressed many businessmen which enabled him to climb in the corporate ladder of success. "He developed his skills rapidly, writing to his older brother at one point, 'I am getting to be a good judge of bank notes, can tell counterfeits at sight, and know all nearly the broken banks in the United States of America...' By the age of twenty-one Cooke was a full partner in the banking house..." (Frey 58). Smith had made his way to his fortune with the use of his persuasive skills and political connections. "He used his influence as an HBC officer and bribes to attempt a peaceful settlement..." (Redford 940). It was also said that, "Smith profited from his position in the HBC to survey business opportunities both for the company and for himself" (Redford 941). Smiths numerous personal business endeavours put a stress in his career at HBC (Hudson's Bay Company). "Undoubtedly, Smith's business ventures distracted him from his management of the HBC's affairs. He received periodic rebukes From Governor Sir Stafford Henry Northcote who complained that he had to report on land sales based on information gleaned from newspapers" (Redford 942). Smith was also said to have neglected the fur trade. William Joseph Christie, inspecting chief factor of the HBC reported to the London committee on the slack management of the company's affairs. Christie resigned his job when no action was taken on hi s information. Conversely, Jay Cooke first gained the attention of the banking industry when he marketed $3 million of Pennsylvania's bond issue. The state was in dire straits, it is indebted by $40 million. Cooke created a marketing strategy that made the bonds oversubscribe in less than a month. He sent agents all over the state and drafted circulars, pamphlets and posters emphasizing the patriotic need for the subscription of the issue. The proceeds of the bond issue were to be used as a necessary capital to win the war. Mr Cooke capitalized patriotism in selling the bonds. It can also be observed that Smith was politically active. It is but understandable why it seems this way, after all any political/high organizational position entails power that may be used to prosper or obliterate a business. Through these connections he was able to meet new business partners, engage in another business venture and gain more money. "Smith began a political career representing Winnepig-St John in the Manitoba legislature 1870-1874 and Selkirk in the House of Commons 1871-78" (Farr). Whereas, Cooke served the government as Ohio's financial adviser and he also helped develop sound fiscal policies during the American Civil War. In spite of Smith's hard work and achievements, a shadowy figure of him lurks

Academic Models in Strategic Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Academic Models in Strategic Management - Essay Example There are numerous techniques and approaches that support strategic decision making, like PEST, SWOT, portfolio matrixes, life cycles, value chain concepts and many others. The most important aspect of these academic tools is to â€Å"what extent [these tools] enhance or inhibit creative competitive strategy making in organizations† (Clark, 1997, p. 417). Some authors argue (Eilon, 1980, cited by Clark, 1997, p. 418) that there is an absence of strong focus on academic tools because they play a secondary role being â€Å"the means to an end, not an end in [itself]†. Still, the usage of academic business models should not be underrated, because these promote the development of â€Å"strategic thinking in organizations† (Clark, 1997, p. 418). Strategic management tools perform basically a â€Å"support role† (Clark, 1997, p. 418) in the strategic management process. This is so, because academic instruments offer useful insights into the benefits of different strategies and suggest a more systematic approach towards strategy implementation. These tools provide information generation, framework for analysis, also coordination and control mechanisms (Clark, 1997, p. 418). Further on, schemes and visualized models have the benefit of presenting ideas, model relationships and help management identify opportunities and co nvict others about the usefulness of suggested strategies. 2. The use of tools during the different strategic management stages Academic models are visible throughout the strategic management process, from planning and defining of mission and purpose to crafting different strategies and strategy execution and evaluation (Thompson et al, 1996, p. 3). Situation analysis Analysis of the business environment is regarded "as a fundamental part of the strategic management planning process" (Pickton, 1998, p. 102), because academic strategists have realized that environmental changes are constant and unavoidable. A research undertaken by Clark (1997) points out that for many companies environmental analysis includes evaluation of remote environment, meaning PEST analysis; and evaluation of the companies' operating environment, meaning competitors, customers, markets, suppliers and stakeholders. PEST and Porter's five forces model are basically similar tools for environmental audit and are ranked in the top set of tasks in UK (Clark, 1997, p. 423). In an increasingly diverse competition, industries are no longer viewed as isolated independent markets. This makes the application of the Porter's model insufficient, because it "tends to be focused on the single industry or strategic business unit", which means that it's much narrower in its scope. Another largely used academic tool is SWOT analysis, which is regarded as the simplest "easy-to-use technique for getting a quick overview of a firm's strategic situation" (Thompson et al, 1996, p. 92). SWOT is praised for its simplicity and practicality and is widely adopted uncritically (Pickton et al, 1998, p. 101); it underscores the basic principle that strategy must be a good fit between a company's internal capabilities and its external situation. Authors like Farjourn (2002) observe that SWOT is only suitable to a stable and predictable world. Too simplistic adoption of SWOT is reflected by the fact that most academic papers review it as a static strategic framework (Pickton et al, 1998, pp. 102-103); academicians simplify it to a list of factors and fail to conduct further analysis, which limits the usability of the model. Another tool, the value chain concept is a "primary analytical tool of strategic cost analysis"; it identifies costs and value drivers for primary and

Economic analysis construction Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Economic analysis construction - Assignment Example Realizing that this increase in the available financial resources is not a sustainable growth strategy in the long-term, the UAE government has made several public commitments to reform its regulatory environment, strengthen the country’s macroeconomic foundations, sustain the rapid growth in the non-oil sector, and invest in human capital (World Economic Forum, 2). On the macro-economic level, economic recovery after the recent financial crisis is on a sustained track. UAE’s economic recovery has continued to gather momentum in the recent past, driven by sturdy expansion in trade, tourism, manufacturing and transport. Additionally, the construction and real estate sectors have also bounced back from the slump experienced during the recession. On the back of a notable rebound of consumer confidence, real Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth in 2013 stood at 4.0%, following a 4.4% growth in 2012, according to the estimates provided by the International Monetary Fund (Bank Audi, 1). The GDP growth and the rebound in consumer confidence is a good development within the market the construction company intends to penetrate. This is because it will create opportunities that will drive demand in the construction sector for commercial and residential real estate. The Abu Dhabi Government committed to finance an additional AED 330 billion in early 2013 for major developments over the coming five years. The government’s commitment focuses on social development, specifically in the education, healthcare, housing, and selective strategic transport projects (Kerr, Ryburn, McLaren, & OrDentons 1). The UAE’s real estate sector continues to be characterized by unique patterns in two major cities. While Abu Dhabi’s market remains subdued, Dubai’s market has been experiencing renewed development activities, an increase in prices, and growing concerns about a bubble comeback

Cognitive Behavioral Theory Essay Example for Free

Cognitive Behavioral Theory Essay Cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) is a short-term, problem-centered therapy that is used to address psychopathology within the individual (Beck, 1995). This model of therapy is used to address issues of depression, anxiety, eating disorders, relational problems, and drug abuse, and can be utilized when working with individuals, as well as within group and family modalities. The core aspects of this therapy include collaboration and participation by the client, a strong alliance between therapist and client, and an initial focus on current problems and functioning (Beck, 1995). The theory of CBT emphasizes the relationship between the individual’s thoughts feelings and behaviors, which is seen as being the underlying cause of psychopathology in individuals. Therefore, this theory asserts that the identification, evaluation, and modification of one’s negative thoughts will lead to an improvement in one’s mood and behaviors (Beck, 1995). It is important to understand the concepts and theory from which CBT is based in order for it to be efficiently implemented in therapeutic work with individuals, groups, or families. While CBT is used to treat psychological disorders, this theory can be examined by looking at the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors of individual’s with an absence of psychopathology. Beck (1979) and Beck (1995) present the cognitive model in order to explain the theory of CBT. The cognitive model demonstrates that the emotions that an individual experiences and the behaviors that they exhibit are a result of their perception of a situation or event (Beck, 1995). When in any given situation, an individual’s immediate thought response is their automatic thought (Beck, 1995). These thoughts are an immediate evaluation of the situation, which in turn directly influence the feeling that a person has about the situation. Automatic thoughts are experienced by everyone and occur in the individual’s mind prior to reasoning. These thoughts occur swiftly and often times the individual may be unaware that they have occurred, being more observant of the emotion that they are feeling in the moment (Beck, 1995). Once an automatic thought occurs within the individual, it triggers a feeling, which in turn triggers the individual’s response, such as a behavior and/or physiological response. For example, after a young child begins to pick up his blocks to be put away, his mother rubs him on the back and gives him praise for his actions. His automatic thought may be, â€Å"I am good when I put away blocks,† triggering a feeling of confidence, an increased level of physical energy, and the behavior of putting away the remaining blocks. Automatic thoughts can be neutral, positive, or negative. We all have our own automatic thoughts as we move through our day-to-day lives and interact with others. In regards to individuals with psychological disorders, the cognitive model looks at how negative thoughts influence the individual’s feelings and behaviors (Beck, 1995). From a CBT lens, it is the negative automatic thoughts that an individual has that perpetuate symptoms of psychological disorders, the occurrence of negative mood, uncomfortable physiological responses, and maladaptive or inappropriate behaviors (Beck, 1995). While we all have moments of experiencing negative automatic thoughts, for those with psychological disorders, and more pervasive difficulties in living, negative thoughts are often experienced in situations that are neutral, producing negative feelings that lead to maladaptive behaviors or responses that would not typically be expected from the neutral situation (Beck, 1995). Aaron Beck presents theory of the cognitive model of how depression is rooted and perpetuated in individuals as a result of the interaction between negative automatic thoughts, feelings, and behavioral response. In this discussion, depression is conceptualized in terms of the cognitive triad, which describes three components of negative thinking of the depressed individual: the individual’s negative view of self, their negative view of the others and the world, and their negative view of the future (Beck, Rush, Shaw, Emery, 1979). The cognitive triad is maintained via the remaining components of Beck’s cognitive model of depression, the individual’s schemas, or core beliefs, and the utilization of faulty thinking, or cognitive errors (Beck, Rush, Shaw, Emery, 1979). Cognitive theory asserts that our automatic thoughts are rooted in our core belief system or cognitive schemas. Core beliefs begin to be developed early in life and are based on experiences that the individual has throughout their life. Because these beliefs are so grounded in how the individual views their life, others, and the world, and begin to be cultivated so early in development, they become a fundamental aspect of the individual, who considers them to be absolute truths (Beck, 1995). Core beliefs are deeply rooted in an individual, so much so that the individual may be unaware of the belief and how it influences their thoughts about themselves and the world. Each belief can have varying levels of presence within an individual’s day to day life, with some core beliefs remaining predominately dormant and only being activated in certain situations, while others may be frequently present in an individual’s thoughts (Beck, 1995). It is the individual’s cognitive schemas that allows for the categorization and evaluation of different experiences or situations (Beck, Rush, Shaw, and Emery, 1979). The core belief system maintains the way an individual experiences and thinks about a given situation (Beck, Rush, Shaw, Emery, 1979). While everyone conceptualizes a given situation in their own way, each individual typically conceptualizes similar situations in a similar way based on their own core beliefs (Beck, Rush, Shaw, and Emery, 1979). Within a set of similar situations, the individual’s core beliefs trigger automatic thoughts, which in turn trigger the individual’s emotional and behavioral response. Over time, the individual’s responses to similar situations become more consistent, thereby causing the development of a routine response to these types of situations. As this consistently occurs, the schema connected to particular type of event is further developed and the individual’s assertion that the belief holds absolute truth is strengthened (Beck, Rush, Shaw, Emery, 1979). Beck’s theory underlying CBT focuses on the idea that symptoms of depression, as well as those of other psychological disorders, are developed and maintained through to the individual’s negative core beliefs and triggered negative thoughts. In addition to the individual’s negative schemas, Beck’s theory states that the cognitive triad of negative cognitions of self, others, and future is further perpetuated through patterns of faulty thinking (Beck, Rush, Shaw, Emery, 1979). There are a variety of faulty thinking mechanisms that are used by individual’s to support their automatic thoughts and core beliefs, even in light of contradictory evidence (Beck, Rush, Shaw, Emery, 1979). This type of thinking can be characterized as labeling, over generalizing, personalization, emotional reasoning, magnification or minimization, and all-or-nothing or impetrative thinking (Beck, 1995). These cognitive errors are often extreme and unrealistic ways in which the individual assesses and draws conclusions regarding their problems, which is then used to further support their negative belief system and automatic thoughts. CBT theory declares that the individual can learn to identify their automatic thoughts, thereby creating an avenue for changing the emotions, behaviors, and psychological responses to various situations. When utilizing CBT with a client, it is necessary for the therapist to conceptualize the individual’s presenting problems from the perspective of the cognitive model (Beck, 1995). This can be done through the work of gathering information regarding the individual’s current problems, diagnosis, and how the problems have been developed and maintained. As this information is collected, the CBT therapist begins to assess and identify the inaccurate and unhelpful thoughts connected to the problems, and the behaviors that are exhibited as a result of this thinking (Beck, 1995). As this is done, the therapist can then begin to guide the individual to identify, examine, and correct or modify the negative automatic thoughts, underlying core beliefs, and faulty thinking mechanisms that have sustained the presenting problems (Beck, 1995).

Overview of Steven Pinkers Theories

Overview of Steven Pinkers Theories Introduction and brief biography Steven Pinker is a well-known psychologist who writes, researches and lectures on language and cognition. As well as being an experienced and widely published researcher in the academic field he is also well known to non-scientists for his easily accessible popular science books covering evolutionary psychology and language development. He is arguably responsible for bringing the complex field of cognitive psychology to the layperson and a short analysis of his work and ideas should provide insight into why he is so popular and successful both to academic and lay readers. Steven Pinker is Canadian American, born in 1954 and educated at McGill University and the Ivy League colleges of Cambridge, Massachusetts. His official biography describes him as an experimental psychologist, currently Harvard College Professor and Johnstone Family professor in the Department of Psychology (Pinker 2003). He is a teaching as well as research scientist and writes for the academic press and popular press as well as his own books. He credits his interest in science to a teenage present of science books on the mind (Pinker 2004b). In interviews Pinker is often self deprecating, indicating that scientists don’t always choose a specific field due to overwhelming interest, rather due to circumstance and being in the right place at the right time (Pinker 2004b). Despite being an immensely successful author with his most recent book being ranked at number 624 in the bestseller list of Amazon.com[1], he does not seek to either overawe or be condescending to the regular lay reader, instead treating them, in his own words, as an â€Å"old college room mate† and respecting their intelligence (Pinker 2004b). Pinker’s ideas and impact Pinker is often known for his debates with fellow scientists such as Steven Rose in which the nature versus nurture concept is discussed. Pinker is described as the leading spokesman for the view that we are made by nature as well as nurture (Appleyard 2007). Pinker is a firm believer that our genes dictate how we act our lives through the mind being the critical determiner of who survives and passes their genes on to their offspring; whereas Rose believes that all living systems are radically indeterminate and continually construct their own futures (Brockman 1998). One of the reasons for the controversy of Pinker’s ideas is the echoes of Nazism as, by saying that we are a product of our genes, it suggests that some are genetically programmed to be inferior to others. Pinker addresses the idea that humans develop purely based on their experiences in the book The Blank Slate, thus called because of the common belief that the mind is a blank slate and the way a person develops is purely a product of culture and socialisation (Rakoff 2002). He points out that anyone having children can see that they are born with identities and the fact that children are affected by upbringing is not proof of causation, rather being merely correlation. However he is also able to argue the other side, as it were, when he explains that, whilst genes can have something to do with behaviour, the study of behavioural genetics is, in his words, ‘a paradox’ (Pinker 2003). In particular the influence of culture will affect many lifestyle choices, with serious effects on development. He exhorts everyone to ‘try to reach the best point in the range [of temperament and talent]’ (Pinker 2003). He protests that the biology of consciousness offers a bette r explanation for how people ‘work’ than the existence of an, un provable in his view, immortal soul (Pinker 2007a). He suggests that we all develop as a product of our brains, and other people have similar brains so all have a similar capacity. He further develops his view by stating that the soul is in fact the information-processing activity of the brain and that all emotion can be tied to specific neural activity (Pinker 2004a). This is a controversial view as many philosophers and sociologists would not like to believe that our freedom of thought is not in fact freedom at all, rather an automatic response from our genes. One of Pinker’s key ideas is his words / rules account of language in which he suggests that there is a contrast between the regular and irregular inflection of words and this is due to there being 2 distinct computational mechanisms for the processing of these words (Berent, Pinker Shimron 2002). He set this out in his oft cited[2] piece entitled Rules of Language published in 1991 in the journal Science (Pinker 1991). The language processing of the brain was described as modular and independent of real-world meaning suggesting a genetic basis to the development of language, presumably because logically language would only be processed in connection with the meaning of that language. Pinker has more recently written about human nature in a wider context than language. One such example is where he explains that romantic love has a paradoxical logic, where in fact there is not a neat matching of mates according to the rules of shopping – eg matching purely on the grounds of features and quality (Pinker 2008). He also commends other people on their influence, with one such account being his 2007 commendation of Paul Allen’s contribution to the scientific world (Pinker 2007b). An individual must be well respected and influential in his own right to be asked to comment upon the influence of others. However he has been subject to controversy, with people suggesting that his book The Blank Slate denies the existence of sex discrimination. However he defends his position, indicating that he has merely shown empirical evidence about the differences in talents, temperaments and life priorities between men and women (Pinker 2006). He describes how he lost sleep over the gender chapter yet also points out that in the first 2 years post publication no one had any problem with that chapter (Quixote 2006). It was only later that Pinker’s work was used out of context by Larry Summers, then president of Harvard University, who said that innate [genetic] differences were the reason why fewer women succeeded in maths and science (Bombardieri 2005). Thus the message of the book reached a greater audience, but the audience misconstrued what had been said originally. He often has to defend his work, or clarify it to others who misinterpret e.g. (Pinker, Ullman 2003, Pinker, Ullman 2002) and the much longer opinion article (Pinker, Ullman 2002). No doubt, though, if a researcher or author has to defend their work it means that others are noting what they say enough to criticise, and then publishers care enough to seek the rejoinders. It is possible to obtain impact factor trend graphs for published articles. This provides an indication of the journal’s relative impact, thus the consequent impact that the article within that journal may have. Analysis of the 3 most cited articles from Pinker provides the data for table 1 below. Obviously the most cited articles are older but the journals in which the articles are published have high impact. Table 1 An analysis of the journal impact and number of times cited for the 3 most popular Pinker articles[3] In a profile published last year the Sunday Times refer to Pinker’s ideas as ‘incendiary’ and describe him as a global science celebrity (Appleyard 2007). Despite the possible Nazism connotations that could be attributed to his ideas, there is also a clear logic to the brain containing the blueprint to our development. If there are genes that decide our hair colour and skin colour then why not other features? No one would deny that genetic malfunctions such as occur in Downs Syndrome clearly show the effect that defective genes can have from birth. Why should only defective genes be influential? Pinker says that it hard to judge his own influence, but that more people of more cultures and races are [now] open to the idea that biology can have some answers to human life and its workings (Quixote 2006). He also suggested the topic for the annual question for The Edge Foundation for 2006 as ‘My Dangerous Idea’. His account of his 2005 includes instances such as the Summers’ speech mentioned above, as well as other research which endeavoured to show that race and intelligence do not exist. The lasting influence of these ideas (and his own work and reputation) is that people perceive Pinker as propounding dangerous ideas that fuel bigotry (Brockman 2006). However bigotry isn’t created by the influence of one scientist. Pinker’s work may be used as evidence to support existing bigotry but support is not the same as initiation. References Appleyard, B. 2007, Steven Pinker knows what’s going on inside your head, October 14th 2007, The Times, London. Berent, I., Pinker, S. Shimron, J. 2002, The nature of regularity and irregularity: evidence from Hebrew nominal inflection, Journal of psycholinguistic research, vol. 31, no. 5, pp. 459-502. Bombardieri, M. 2005, Summers remarks on women draw fire, January 17th 2005 edn, Boston Globe, Boston. Brockman, J. 2006, 01/01/2006-last update, Edge: The World Question Centre 2006 [Homepage of The Edge], [Online]. Available: http://www.edge.org/q2006/q06_3.html#pinker [accessed 30/10/2008] . Brockman, J. 1998, 25/03/1998-last update, Edge: PINKER VS. ROSE-A DEBATE (PART I) [Homepage of The Edge], [Online]. Available: http://www.edge.org/3rd_culture/pinker_rose/pinker_rose_p1.html [accessed 30/10/2008] . Pinker, S. 2003, , Steven Pinker About- long biography [Homepage of Harvard University], [Online]. Available: http://pinker.wjh.harvard.edu/about/longbio.html [accessed 30/10/2008] . Pinker, S. 2008, Crazy love, Time, vol. 171, no. 4, pp. 82-83. Pinker, S. 2007a, The mystery of consciousness, Time, vol. 169, no. 5, pp. 58-62, 65-6, 69-70. Pinker, S. 2007b, Time 100 scientists thinkers. Paul Allen, Time, vol. 169, no. 20, pp. 112. Pinker, S. 2006, The gender debate: science promises an honest investigation of the world, Nature, vol. 442, no. 7102, pp. 510. Pinker, S. 2004a, How to think about the mind, Newsweek, vol. 144, no. 13, pp. 78. Pinker, S. 2004b, Steven Pinker, Current biology : CB, vol. 14, no. 21, pp. R909. Pinker, S. 2003, Are your genes to blame?, Time, vol. 161, no. 3, pp. 98-100. Pinker, S. Bloom, P. 1990, Natural-Language and Natural-Selection, Behavioral and Brain Sciences, vol. 13, no. 4, pp. 707-726. Pinker, S. Prince, A. 1988, On Language and Connectionism Analysis of a Parallel Distributed-Processing Model of Language-Acquisition, Cognition, vol. 28, no. 1-2, pp. 73-193. Pinker, S. Ullman, M. 2002, Combination and structure, not gradedness, is the issue, Trends in cognitive sciences, vol. 6, no. 11, pp. 472-474. Pinker, S. Ullman, M.T. 2003, Beyond one model per phenomenon, Trends in cognitive sciences, vol. 7, no. 3, pp. 108-109. Pinker, S. Ullman, M.T. 2002, The past and future of the past tense, Trends in cognitive sciences, vol. 6, no. 11, pp. 456-463. Pinker, S. 1991, Rules of Language, Science, vol. 253, no. 5019, pp. 530-535. Quixote, D. 2006, July 4th 2006-last update, 10 questions for Steven Pinker [Homepage of Gene Expression], [Online]. Available: http://www.gnxp.com/blog/2006/07/10-questions-for-steven-pinker.php [accessed 30/10/2008] . Rakoff, D. 2002, Questions For Steven Pinker, 15th September 2002, The New York Times, Ney York. Tarr, M.J. Pinker, S. 1989, Mental Rotation and Orientation-Dependence in Shape-Recognition, Cognitive psychology, vol. 21, no. 2, pp. 233-282. 1 [1] Data obtained from www.amazon.com at 09:20 on 30/10/2008 [2] 318 citations as at 30/10/2008. Data from ISI Web of Knowledge [3] Citation information obtain from ISI Web of Knowledge Journal Citation reports for social science journals on 30th October 2008 available at http://admin-apps.isiknowledge.com/JCR/JCR?RQ=HOME.

Moral Universalism Vs Ethnocentrism Commerce Essay

Moral Universalism Vs Ethnocentrism Commerce Essay In todays scenario the manager across the globe are quite focused and clear when its comes to moral or ethical behavior because now a days there is a tremendous pressure from people, government and other concern bodies to do business ethically. Multinationals is the one who has to decide that what kind of approach they want to follow in their business process. Business ethics are the principals which are used to do business in a proper manner. This report is a critical assessment of ethical and moral challenges face by multinational companies in their overseas business operations. Moral Universalism Vs Ethnocentrism It is very difficult to defined a similar set of rules of morality and ethics for each and every country of the world because every country, every religion, every community has their own likes and dislikes, their own set of rules, preferences, understanding etc. so its become very difficult for an organization to formed a similar set of rules which can be applied in each and every country of the world. The decision to set moral values differs from place to place in which an organization is doing business. In Moral Universalism some set of ethics is accepted globally regardless of culture, race, sex, religion, nationality. These are certain set of ethics which are globally practiced. Moral Universalism is broader approach when is come to apply ethics globally. Example: There are many examples where we see moral universalism used globally. The most common example of moral universalism is the equality in the workplace regardless of your gender. This is the most common example of moral universalism when global moral and ethics are used in every country without any hesitation. Ethnocentrism is the approach in which moral or the culture of a particular place, country or organization is judged accordingly to the standards set by a particular person, group or country. This style is very narrow in its approach and not widely accepted. Ethnocentrism mainly believed to be subtle and overt in its approach. Code of Conduct A number of organizations across the globe developed their own code of conduct when it comes to doing business overseas. Many organizations shake hands with other organizations in the world to develop a certain set of standards which can be used globally. Companies such as Avon (cosmetics), Sainsbury Plc. (a food retailer in the United Kingdom (UK)), Toys R Us (toy retailer) and Otto Versand (clothing retailer) have joined with the Council on Economic Priorities (CEP) to establish SA8000 (Social Accountability 8000, on the lines of the manufacturing quality standard ISO9000). (G.MEHALU, Kidus, 2011) Some standards which are globally accepted are as follows: Do not use child labor at work place. Dont use forced labor. Provide safe working environment. Pay at at least minimum wages to the workers. There are four major organizations which mainly decide the code of conduct for multinational across the globe: International Chamber of Commerce. Organization for Economic Cooperation development. International Labor Organization. United nation commission on transnational corporations. (G.MEHALU, Kidus, 2011) Factors affecting Moral and Ethical Behavior: Stage of moral development- There are various stages involved in the development of moral of an individual. Starting from pre conventional, then to conventional when one tries to fulfill the expectations of others, then last stage is the self chosen path. Individual characteristics- Moral and ethical behavior also differ from person to person. Its totally ones choice to decide what is right and what is wrong. Structural factors- Structure of an organization is also affecting the ethical behavior and moral values of an individual. Organizational culture- Organization working culture plays a decisive role in employees thinking. The organization laid the foundation stone in employees understanding of morality and ethical behavior. (G.MEHALU, Kidus, 2011) Case-1 NIKE Sweatshop: Nike is the world pioneer in the field of footwear and apparel manufacturing. It has the presence in over 140 countries across the globe with over 44000 workers. In the early 1990s, Nike products were being manufactured in six Indonesian factories, employing more than 25,000 workers. Four of these factories were owned by Nikes Korean suppliers. As Nikes presence in Indonesia increased, the factories supplying its products (about six million pairs of shoes per year) came under greater scrutiny. Reports by a variety of NGOs and labor activists claimed that these plants were rife with exploitation, poor working conditions, and a range of human rights and labor abuses. Many Indonesian shoe factories did not even pay the minimum daily wage (at the time, 2,100 rupiah or about US$1). They petitioned the Indonesian government for exemptions to the legal minimum wage, claiming it would cause them hardship to pay. According to official Indonesian government calculations, this minimum daily wag e only covered 70% of the basic needs of one individual let alone a family. Nikes Korean suppliers were seen as especially stingy with wages and abusive to local workers. (RICHARD M. LOCKE, Alvin J. Siteman, 2000) This case clearly shows that multinational organizations mould their rules and working style according to their preferences and according to the place where they are operating. What Nike does in Vietnam, Indonesia, Pakistan they cant do the same things in America or any other European countries because they have strict rules and regulation for the working environment. This a moral challenge which Nike faced during their operation in Asian countries but company decide lower their standard of operations in so called third world countries to make more profit. Nike not follow the same policy of operation which they use in America or Europe. But they decide to go another way and do which is morally and ethically wrong to make more profit margins (RICHARD M. LOCKE, Alvin J. Siteman, 2000). Case-2 Coca Cola Controversy in India Coca-Cola is one of the most recognizable brands on the planet, and also one of the worlds largest corporations. The companys profits amounted to just under $15 billion in 2005, while its market value is calculated at over $100 billion. Worldwide, more than one billion cans or bottles of Cola-Cola are consumed every day or 12,500 every second. But in 2004 in Kerala, Coca-Colas plant was forced to close down after the village council refused to renew the companys license, on the grounds that it had over-used and contaminated local water resources. Four months earlier, the Kerala High Court had ruled that Coca-Colas heavy extraction from the common groundwater resource was illegal, and ordered it to seek alternative sources for its production. Local villagers, politicians, environmentalists and scientists heralded the closure of the Plachimada plant as a major victory, and are now attempting to have it made permanent. In addition to the depletion of the groundwater, analyses indicated that water extracted by Coca-Cola had been contaminated with potentially harmful foreign particles as it was drawn upwards through the various rock strata. The water subsequently became unfit for human consumption and even for irrigation purposes. (Coca Cola the alternative report, 2006) Coke follows a strict rules and regulations in the US and in other developed countries but in third world countries coke doesnt remain in its ethical and moral value which they follow in their home country. In India and in many Asian countries coke working policy is ethically and morally correct but they change their policies according to their need (Coca Cola the alternative report, 2006). Coke which is world most trusted brand is doing the things which are not ethically and morally correct. They must follow the same practices which follow in U.S in other developed countries. Case-3 Ethical issues of McDonalds in India The major issue was beef. Cow being sacred and worshipped, beef could not be served. Muslims did not eat pork. The challenge was to change the form of the worldwide popular Hamburger to make an entry into India. With 25-30% of the population being vegetarian and a large majority eating meat, an alternative to beef and pork was necessary. The population of a billion was undoubtedly a promising opportunity for an international company. McDonalds accepted the challenge and created the Aloo Tikki Burger known as McAloo TikkiTM especially for the Indian vegetarian customers. Aloo- Tikki was a potato patty with spices. It also made a chicken and fish option available for the non vegetarians. McDonalds even separated the non vegetarian cooking process and the vegetarian cooking process to convince the customers of the Shudh Shakahari Experience which means pure vegetarian experience. In addition, the crew cooking vegetarian food was asked to wear green aprons. McDonalds in India was one of its kinds as it did not offer beef at all. In order to convince and change the perception of the customers about the burgers they offered, McDonalds made attempts to clarify their stand about beef in India. So the world famous hamburger was without meat. This was indeed a classic case of product adaptation, to gain foothold in a new market. (KULKARNI, Dr. Smita, 2009) McDonalds faces a crucial ethical and moral challenge in India bur they accordingly and tries to follow the practices which are used in India instead of imposing their own preferences over the people. McDonalds handle this situation of cross culturalism and ethical values very smartly and not lend into any controversy as we already discussed above. Conclusion: In keeping with the examples discussed above, one can say that moral values and ethics are depends on organizations. Organizations have to decide their moral values and ethics and implement them accordingly. As in this case company working policy is debatable but you cant accuse them because they dont do it forcefully, and they also give back to the society.

Causes and Effects of Binge Drinking Essay -- essays papers

Causes and Effects of Binge Drinking In many of the colleges and universities today, there are a tremendous amount of students who Drink. The students who consume at least five drinks in a row at one point during a two week period are considered Binge Drinkers. Binge Drinking by college students is the cause to some of the students’ deaths, causes some students grades to fall, and is very dangerous and unhealthy. The overwhelming amount of college students deaths caused by binge drinking has increased greatly by about 44 percent. To go along with the amount of deaths is the amount of life long injuries one may obtain from binge drinking. As David L. Marcus states, in recent newspapers, headlines are troubling. â€Å" A 20-year-old student at Georgetown University dies in a fight after drinking. A fraternity member at the University of Michigan shoots a 19-year-old pledge with a pellet gun at a keg party. A party at Washington State University turns into a 500-student brawl.† (David L. Marcus) These incidents that occurred were only at three universities out of hundreds. Another incident that occurred at a party at Duke was of a 20-year-old student who got drunk and died after inhaling his own vomit. All these deaths and injuries can all have been avoided if only the students had not been involved in the stupid acts of binging. In a magazine article written by Jack Hitt, he tells a story of his nephew who knew two college students that died after binging. One died after falling off a cliff and the other was from blood poisoning. Along with these two deaths came 5 other students who had been paralyzed and seriously injured in car accidents after their acts of binging. As for students not believing anything they re... ...New York; May 1999. Binge Drinking Blowout: Educating Teens About Alcohol Use. Volume: 45 Issue: 5 Start Page: 52 Hitt, Jack; New York Times Magazine; New York; Oct. 24, 1999 The Battle of the binge. Start page: 6, 31:3 Marcus, David L.; U.S. News & World Report; Washington; 3/27/00 Drinking to get drunk Campuses still can’t purge bingeing behavior. Special volume/issue: Vol. 128 No. 12 Start page: 53 Weber, Wim; The Lancet; London; Feb. 24, 2001 Young people’s alcohol consumption reaches alarming levels in Europe. Volume: 357 Issue: 9256 Start page: 617 Wechsler, Henry; The Chronicle of Higher Education; Washington; Oct. 20, 2000. Binge Drinking: Should we attack the name or the problem? Volume: 47 Issue: 8 Start page: B12-B13

Sexual Harassment and Diversity in the Workplace :: Workplace Diversity

Introduction Workforce diversity is a new term in business and industry. It is a term that is still uncommon in various areas of the world. Diversity can be considered by taking two different perspectives. Firstly, there are those fundamental individual attributes that make everyone on the earth unique for example disability, personality among others. Secondly, there are those differences that exist based on group membership for example race, ethnicity, and cultural differences among others (Barak, 131). Diversity is being an associate of either an indiscernible or discernible groups that are believed to be mainstream in the society (Barak, 131). Pluralism, on the other hand, is the distribution of supremacy among the many groups of the society (Carroll and Buchholtz, 8). In other words, pluralism means decentralization and diversification of authority from a group of few individuals from the top to the majority at the bottom of the societal hierarchy. Workplace diversity brings about a variety of ethical issues in the places of work. For example, sexual harassment due to sexual orientation, racism and ethnicity, gender issues among others. Sexual harassment is characterized by annoying sexual advances and innuendos meant for others; who think that such actions violate their right or interfere with their work. People take part in sexual harassment because of their sexual desires, or when, they want some sexual favors; prompted by the prevailing situation. For example, employees may be harassed sexually, by their managers, so that they get promotion. Sexual harassment is one of the ethical issues that face managers and employees alike. If it is perceived in an organization, it can strain the relationship between the organization and the society (Carroll and Buchholtz, 4). My personal view Regarding sexual harassment, I personally think that people need to have a more mature way of dealing with issues of sexuality. We need to go about them more carefully and privately. Sexual advances can be made provided the two individuals consent on the same. These advances should not be pegged on certain expectations on favoritism in workplace but can be for the continuity of the genealogy or for the purposes of procreation. Various cultural practices have seen various forms of sexual relationships that exist within the society. As a Christian, I think is wrong and unfair to engage in irresponsible sexual behaviors like sexual harassment. We should bear in mind that it is against Christian teaching and against the ten commandments of God.

Health and Safety Policy Essay

General statement of policy This policy is to provide and maintain safe and healthy working conditions and equipment for all our employees, and a safe environment for all children to learn and develop in. We wish to develop and promote a strong health and safety provision within the nursery for the benefit of all staff, children, parents and visitors. The policy will be kept up to date, particularly as the business changes in nature and size, and will be revised annually, or as and when necessary. Aims and objectives The aim of this policy statement is to ensure that all reasonably practical steps are taken to ensure the health, safety and welfare of all persons using the premises. To achieve this we agree to comply with the following objectives: †¢ Establish and maintain a safe and healthy environment throughout the nursery. †¢ Establish and maintain safe working procedures amongst staff and children †¢ Ensure information, instruction and supervision is provided for all employees where necessary. †¢ Ensure the safe handling and use of substances. †¢ Ensure all employees are competent to do their role and to provide adequate training where needed. †¢ Maintain a healthy and safe place of work and safe entry and exit from it. †¢ An effective policy and procedure is in place covering fire and other emergencies and for evacuating the nursery premises. The evacuation procedure is practiced on a regular basis. †¢ Follow the regulations of the Health & Safety at Work Act 1974 and any other relevant legislation. †¢ Maintain a safe working environment for pregnant workers with appropriate risk assessments undertaken where necessary. We believe the nursery as a whole is a low risk but to maintain the maximum protection for children, staff, parents/carers and visitors we comply with the following: †¢ Ensure the entrances and exits from the building, including fire exits remain clear at all times. †¢ Regularly checks are carried out on the premises and the individual rooms any faults or defects are reported to management as soon as possible. †¢ Ensure all staff are aware of the fire procedures and they participate in regular fire drills. †¢ Ensure that all members of staff are aware of the procedures in case of accidents. †¢ Protective gloves and clothes are worn when appropriate by all staff to control and prevent the spread of infectious diseases. †¢ The nursery has a strict no smoking policy in place. †¢ Any contractor working on the premises must seek permission from the owner prior to commencement of work. †¢ No inappropriate jewellery to be worn. One pair of stud earrings and wedding/engagement rings are acceptable. †¢ Dress code is smart black trousers no jeans, linen trousers or combat trousers and practical with sensible black shoes/small heeled boots and all hair must be tied back at all times. †¢ No running inside the premises. †¢ All electrical sockets are protected by safety plugs. †¢ All cleaning materials/toilet cleaner are out of reach of children and are kept in cupboards off the ground in the utility room. †¢ Appropriate clothing is worn when working in the kitchen. †¢ Peanuts and any other foods that can cause an allergic reactions are not allowed in the nursery †¢ Telephone calls must be received before 7am if a member of staff is not well enough to attend work. This must be to a senior member of staff, Owner, Manager, Deputy Manager or Assistant Manager. †¢ All staff know where the First Aid box is and know who the appointed First Aider is †¢ Children are supervised at all times by qualified staff  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Student are not left unsupervised at any time.

Compare the Roles That Elizabeth Proctor and Abigail Williams Play in The Crucible Essay

A mother, a wife, a friend Abigail wanted to shargon a family with John Proctor. In some aspects she was desirous of Elizabeth, as she had the ane thing in the world that Abigail desperately yearned for. Oh, I curiosity how such a strong art object whitethorn let such a sickly wife be We backside pull in here that Abigail is existence corrosive to manipulate Proctor in travel for her. Oh shows she is taking a calm and problematical approach to get what she wants. Though Abigail is dissemble to be uncivilized at Elizabeth for being the cause of Proctors rejection towards her, we can clearly wait that the empowering emotion over here is envy, towards Elizabeth and Proctors marriage.Abigail resorts to diagnose deliberateicraft to cast doubt in Proctors mind and she attempts to compliment Proctor to examine and get a taste of customary living as Elizabeth. The Statuss and reputations of the people in Salem were shockingly important to them. Labels and stereotypes were fabulously common and the people move their effect best to protect their prominence. To the locals Abigail Williams was an innocent deprive and the niece of the reverend, other than this they did non think to a greater extent than of her.So when she went out of her way to excite the respected people and it became public rumourmonger about the truth of her affair, Abigails c be for esteem in the community was unawares questioned. (In a temper) My constitute is good in the village I will not gravel it said my find out is dirty Goody Proctor is a gossiping liar Arthur moth miller has used curtly sentences to show the reader that Abigail is extremely angry this is a cite from act 1, and so it gives the reader an impression of Abigails character. Miller wanted to show the true influence of Abigails persona and he was boffo in this.The exclamation marks shows the canvass of her words, Abigail is fuming at this point and concentrates all that irritation at Elizabe th. From a orphanage, it was obviously problematic for her to compose a good name for herself however Abigails determination had operate her to demand a better life for herself. She did not want all her accomplishments to be shattered by Elizabeths duplicitys, so tried to criticise her by calling her a liar. This challenges her character as the readers are perfectly aware of Abigails dishonest nature, we all know that she is the one who is deceitful and craves vengeance, and Elizabeth is the direct opposite.From the beginning of the adjoin Abigails intentions were clear, she obviously wanted to phrase her relationship with John Proctor and stumble his respect. Abigail was a young, naive and narrow-minded maidservant who did anything to save herself, no matter who she bilk along the way. Elizabeth was a totally antithetic person. Elizabeths motivation came from the passion of rise her family she wanted to restore the trust in her marriage to Proctor, for the benefit of her children. She was much older, wiser and she addicted her life to her religion. I wake and walkway about the house as though Id find you comin finished some door Miller gives a childish effect to this quote and make believes Abigail backbreaking like a love enamored puppy, this reminds the reader that she is only a teenager. This quote illustrates that her love towards Proctor is enduring and it besides demonstrates her repulsion towards Elizabeth. The witch trials were an obvious national of McCarthyism, the court of Salem did not request much evidence for prosecution. It was simply cheating(prenominal) The people at the bottom of the amicable hierarchy system had an plain humble chance for survival.Although the people were given a chance to avoid death by confessing to their sins, this was an excessive act and showed that the people were strip of rights. Elizabeth is understood to be extremely prayerful she controls her emotions and buries her feelings of anger towar ds Abigail to avoid any boisterous outbursts of extreme emotions and frustration. However Abigail rejoinders pride in her hysteria. This highlights the position that the age difference amidst these 2 women is phenomenal. He have his chastity now. God forbid I take it from him Elizabeth is much more composed than Abigail, even though she is losing her husband she is happy for him, as she believes he is now at peace. passim the play John struggles with his feelings that he was not a good man. Hale tried his best to save John from being hanged to death but Elizabeth believes that he is in conclusion going to be cleansed of his sins, as he has finally come out the unconsolable about his affair. She loves him so much that she is impulsive to let him go. She feels that he is doing the right thing. She takes the name of God to justify herself.A Selfish, disobedient and shameless stray Abigail was not the exonerative type. Once someone had double track her, she did not take it l ightly Abigail created affright in the hearts of her peers. She even turns against her friends to make her story more convincing. Due to the fact that her parents were shot in front of her, she has never learnt to accept this and this has limited her well- being, so she blames all(prenominal) one else. On the other hand Elizabeth was selfless and even though her hard-core husband betrayed her integrity, she learnt to overcome this and forgave him. (in agony) My husband-is a honorable man, sir. Unlike Abigail, Elizabeth has never told a lie in her life, however the one m it would save her life, she tried to save her husbands reputation. This whitethorn be an act to show mildness to Proctor as she may have thought it was her last opportunity to see him. She dedicated her life to being a good Puritan so wanted Proctor to live a nonaggressive and guilt- free life without her. However she may have felt that it was her duty to entomb the truth for her husbands case, as she has be en the one who has been more interested in preserving appearances.If they put aside their detestation towards separately other, then they would actually have more in common than they let on. Firstly, they are in love with the same man, they are both(prenominal) religious and they both aim to fulfil their motives (whatever they may be). Although they have extremely different intensions that drive them, they are both very ambitious and stubborn. They both try to exert influence on community as they want to be remembered afterward their deaths. Also, in the end they both lie, although for vary reasons.

High Stakes Testing In The Modern World Education Essay

I remember that in today s modern universe, separately(prenominal)one is persistent to hammer round type of achievement, whether it is academician or vocational. In some instances senior superior shoal bets proving be utilize to find most of these proceedings. uplifted bets streamlet ar indeed utilize to verify a all-embracing scope of scathing results which grant savants to come on to the following percentage point. spicy bets proving idler be traced blanket to the 1965 mandate of the Elementary and Secondary Education piece ( Eocean ) . This was to better doing of import determinations ab come out of the c relapset indoctrinatechilds, teachers, and decision renderrs in the simple and secondary trown(prenominal)s and as well for measuring the schools and school remainss.Clarke, Shore, Rhoades, Abrams, Miao, and Li ( 2003 ) demonstrate in their National poster survey that answer ability systems with last bets outpouring protagonisted instructo rs accept countries for future direction, and transformed the accent on theme and detailed thought accomplishments. I m of the plastered sentiment that spirited bets prove allows pupils to analyze and prise a given job or land of affairs by get the hanging the cardinal grosbeak content cognition and achieving the accomplishments necessary for future victor in instruction and realise force. in addition instructors go out feedback so that accommodations and scour restructuring could be applied.With in last spirits bets proving some instructors brace adopted a much(prenominal) savant-centred attacks Jones, Jones & A Hargrove, ( 2003 ) , and aligned their lead of train to the responsibility criterions, which in bend join ond teacher coaction marshall ( 2003 ) . Students discombobu tardy to be given the chance to holdup on their old cognition and explicate their ain thoughts as to do sensory faculty of what is universe taught. The purification of the instru ction has to be in coherency with the province or state to let pupils to bring onwards at an optimal degree. Students must be able to associate and place within their linguistic confabulation, beliefs and norms.High bets proving withal senior upliftedlights the accomplishments gaps between rich and hapless territories, recentoral and urban countries and among cultural and cultural groups. Uncovering these teachings keep let pedagogues to turn to the prevalent jobs, particularly if wagess and countenances to schools, instructors and pupils atomic number 18 specified. Administrators and instructors mountain nail possible jobs and readdress the feast of take aim and instructional activities accordingly.Conversely, the high bets runnels constrained many instructors ability to learn creatively Gordon & A Reese, ( 1997 ) Jones, Jones & A Hargrove, ( 2003 ) and undermined their sense of professionalism and liberty. Some of these high declare on trials earn be cours e of ruminate and fashioned direction. teachers now thrust moved to where ever soything has got to be aligned and tightly merged. A sense of autonomy is no longer possible due to the authorizations and force per unit res publicas to execute. Teachers atomic number 18 hence learning the course of study and implementing a strategical method of committal to memory a pupil s ability to condescend and reproduce names, day of the months and details for the earn of go through with(predicate)ing a certain degree of their academic accomplishment.In add-on to the above, high bets sieve deal the inclination to over trial and under-scrutinyine pupils abilities and accomplishments. This places an tremendous tenderness of force per unit bea on the instructors and pupils similarly to follow a particularise course of study and concentrate on memorising facts alternatively of exploitation much advanced abilities. High bets proving has retained a minute appraisal of pupil capabl enesss and so pupils do what they must in dedicate to go through the test and nil to a greater extent. Education becomes a in prompt get down and this transcends the classroom to the work environment.Finally by distant the most compelling indictment of these high-stakes scrutinies is that they test what pupils notice instead than what they can make and as such(prenominal)(prenominal)(prenominal) motive is an authoritarian federal agent. Education should be an active experience where pupils be invariably engaged and where a love for acquisition is developed, instead than a iniquity for concluding tests. Ash and Persall ( 2000 ) state that motive can drastically impede school betterment and make an discerning and dead environment in which instructors argon iso juveniled, without chances to collaboratively work out jobs, portion cognition, or gain together.In reasoning the intent of high provoke trials is to better pupil accomplishment. While pupils with memoriseing disabl ements concord a bus to derive from increased focal come in on pupil accomplishments it is at any rate evident that high bets trial does hold major deductions. Crucially, with respects to high bets proving more direct and concrete information is necessitate to certify that pupils are using factual information and reassigning their cognition, accomplishments and thoughts into a merchandise, a public-service corporation or a public presentation. However, high bets trial are accommodate towards bettering pupils and heighten the answerability that the contrivers are urgently pursuance and supply the equity and regard that each and every kid is entitled to in the school system. hence it might be exactly possible that every kid would acquire a opportunity to reflect.BACKGROUND TO juicy STAKES TESTING IN TRINIDAD AND TOBAGOIn Trinidad and Tobago High hazard Testing are done throughout our principal(a) schools, secondary schools and third establishments as these establishments have maintained a stiff arrested development on scrutinies. regularize trials are goodness in that they are effective for comparing pupils countrywide since they are all needful to analyze the like course of study for the aforementioned(prenominal) test. The Secondary Examination appraisal is no dissimilar as it awards a kid for farther accomplishment in the academic field.Secondary Entrance judicial decision ( ocean ) Examination is a high engross trial that is used in Trinidad and Tobago to ease the order of battle of pupils in Secondary Schools.A The ocean comprises of three documents productive Writing, Mathematics, and Language Arts with an allotted powder store mold for each topic and covers the national course of study for Primary-level instruction with a focal point on Standards three to five.The Common Entrance was replaced with this de simply of the ocean scrutiny high-stakes trial to be used as one of the tools to drive the instruction system in the in good order hand way. Planners would no uncertainty argue that thither is good virtue for the application of this high chase appraisal. Besides the sea interrogations uses standard tonss to use the diversity in each paper and hence allows the pupil s to keep a criterion when they are combined, therefore guaranting equity in the arrangement procedure. arrangement in secondary schools continues to be on the basis of virtue, pick of schools and gender. Merely when pupil s picks of schools have been exhausted, leave try be made to upchuck pupils in schools closest to their places.In such a high beguile trial as the SEA exams the paper contains open-ended points for which pupils are required to shit their responses, instead than choose them from a figure of distinct options. Open-ended points can arouse different right responses from pupils, yet the accent is on uncovering pupils thought. This high concern trial gives room for creative and critical thought leting pupils to dev elop their accomplishments. Students are required to demo their cognition of the mechanics of linguistic communication and rat their academic competences.While their exists certain wagess to the SEA high bets test the sum of accent placed on larning through past documents, brochures and sample trials speaks to the unfortunate greatness of the understanding the trial format over the importance of understanding the existent stuff. Furthermore, what makes a good school good is how good its pupils perform at the destination of these trials. This places an tremendous sum of force per unit area on the instructors to follow a narrow course of study and concentrate on memorising facts alternatively of developing more advanced abilities. For case where a instructor would wish to give her pupils a hebdomad to intend an experiment to prove the issuing of planetary heating, the curb factor before the S.E.A. exam yet does non allow her to make so. Alternatively of advancing fresh ad vanced thoughts, instructors are forced to restrict themselves and pupils to walking the beat out way.Another downside is that the instruction system is organized in such a manner that if you have jobs memorising and regurgitating, you are branded as a somebody who is non effulgent and your way is set from every oddball too soon as the S.E.A. scrutinies. Those doors are non unfastened to you who have jobs declaiming information, because even if you somehow do it go through the rootage phase of S.E.A. , you end up in the corresponding state of affairs at higher degrees in a system that has the same learn-by-heart demands of its pupils. This civilization of high interest trials in instruction has limited the capacitance of our citizens to bring forth at an optimal degree in our society because it has limited creativeness of the instructor, of the pupil and of the ensuing work force.Standardized testing overly limits creativeness of the instructors. Our state s overexploitat ion of tests to tone pupil public presentation is holding austere negative effects on instruction and acquisition. The trials have defined course of study. The standardised testing of SEA exams merely assesses pupil s ability to shop and reproduce names, day of the months and facts. What is of import is that pupils memorize the conceptualisation and non that they understand it. This leads to a entire deficiency of subject for groking cardinal constructs and believing in abstract footings. In add-on, how the topic is tried and true has become how the topic is taught and what is non tested is non taught.Students should non be asked to reproduce a twelvemonth s work in a 70 proceedingss exam because this does non develop their critical thought accomplishments and analytical techniques. By heightening creativeness in the schoolroom, it will prune originality in believing which will enable citizens to draw things otherwise and use new schemes and attacks to work dispatch jobs.Ed ucation should be an active experience where pupils are invariably engaged and where a love for acquisition is developed, instead than a hatred for concluding tests. fortunately for us, Ras Shorty I did non hold to go through a music test in order to contrive soca and it is a good thing that Brian Lara did non larn to play play through a cricket enchiridion with batting expression. It is non the sweeping reproduction of novel-writing nevertheless the originative usage of written linguistic communication that makes VS Naipaul an acclaimed author.In decision high bets test such as the SEA scrutiny has its benefits and its negative impact. It is expedient in puting criterions crossways the schools, territories and state. Besides it would be glacial in constructing answerability into the system. Hence provide feedback so that accommodations and even restructuring could be applied to the system. However, peculiar attention to the course of study and instructional techniques, alter ation of proving methods, more teacher encouragement and good observation are some of the other factors that will besides hike up pupils to accomplish higher classs.Campaigners InterviewedData Collection InstrumentDate and Time of Interview1. Teacher2. Parent3. Student OneTwo threesomeInterviews Interviews were conducted with a instructor, parent and students, with respects to high bets proving.2rd June 2010 200 postmortem examination4th June 2010 330 autopsy7th June 2010 200 autopsy9th June 2010 200 autopsy11th June 2010 200 autopsyTeacherAfter carry oning an reference with a SEA test instructor, Mr. Mehindra give tongue to that most pupils sitting the S.E.A Examination are under glowing anxiousness as the course of study had many countries to specify. He stated that the SEA scrutiny course of study is rather regime and demands a batch from the pupils composing the test. A major job he stated was the clip restraint that inhibits pupils from being originative as there is small or no clip to experiment with information. Formulae, regulations and grammatical constructions are learnt and merely applied to inquiries.While he found a high interest trial such as the S.E.A. scrutiny to be relevant and necessary as it standardizes proving of pupils who portion similar learnt cognition and ability as to what they have studied throughout their primary instruction. He stated that as a S.E.A. exam instructor such a high interest trial is indispensable because it allows for pupils to be motivated and encourages an environment for free-enterprise(a) acquisition. He besides mentioned that the accomplishment of transportation is at the bosom of larning and should non be left to speculate. It must be officially encouraged and become profoundly engraved and structured into the course of study in schools. In contrast he besides claimed that the existent winners are ever those who think away(p) of the box and who have put their cognition and endowments to creative usage in the humanistic disciplines, concern, scientific disciplines, humanistic disciplines, athleticss and across subjects and have good balanced and holistic development.ParentMost parents fatality what s best for their kids. They want their kids to go critical minds with the accomplishments necessary for higher instruction and great winner in life. As a parent of a kid who sat the SEA test late she was much relieved that it was done and over with. She stated that utilizing high bets test to do determinations with of import effects for single pupils can be intimidating. Her concerns were if the trials are being used right and reasonably. She besides stated that it was much work for her as it was for her kid because she spent same sum of hours awake and was emotionally stressed out by the volume of worked needed to be cover by her kid.Besides the memorisation of all the diverse expression and grammatical regulations were rather overpowering. She found that the SEA test high be ts test promoted a narrow focal point on acquiring the right reply and contract the course of study to whatever information is expected on the trial. Thinking outside of the box is discouraged. Capable countries such as art, music, health and scientific discipline got fringy attention.AConversely she besides expressed rather an interesting point by acknowledging that high bets test facilitates higher acquisition accomplishments. She besides appreciated the fact that the SEA test high interest trial in peculiar besides encourages an environment for private-enterprise(a) acquisition.Student 1As a SEA exam pupil it proved to be rather pushy and boring Cavita stated with a diffident smiling. She has late completed the SEA scrutiny and shared some of her late fond memories. The effects of the high interest SEA test did so take a toll on her. Her full agenda had changed as she had increased her perusal hours because the work got really demanding, which in bend reduced her cheating(a ) activities by to the highest degree half. She besides stressed of the scope of inauspicious emotional reactions, of which she ofttimes felt down, disquieted, or embarrassed. Besides at times she felt stupid and less rarefied of herself.While there was the motivative factor of competitory acquisition she besides stated that it was so a immense challenge. Cavita besides mentioned that her parents were rather supportive and did so attend to her every demand. Her female parent would often remain up while she studied and if she was hungry made a speedy bite for her to mash on. She did nevertheless hold that standardising a high bets test such as the SEA tests do hold its benefits, as it allowed a similar scene of criterions across the schools, territories and state. Furthermore she stated that it gave a sense of what to reside at secondary and third degree scrutinies.Student 2Ravi is a originative kid who is non really fond of tests. When questioned virtually the SEA test he wa s a part hesitating about the subject because he found the test to be an highly hard undertaking. He argued that it was excessively much work to larn in excessively small clip. He stated that at times the focal point on memorisation of expression and grammatical regulations were rather overpowering. Besides he stated that instructors teach the course of study and merely what is in the course of study and as such originative humanistic disciplines and scientific discipline undertakings are sidelined in order to complete the demanding course of study.Next, he mentioned how boring it used to be as instructors counseling on so many trial documents and past documents that at clip he felt suffocated. His extracurricular activities were denied as he had excessively much work to concentrate on. However he besides stated that he was a spot slower than others and frequently felt down and defeated, therefore, the demand to seek harder.On the positive side he was appreciative to the fact tha t in such a high interest trial as the SEA exam he can look frontward to capture into a secondary school, which in bend was his motivative factor.Student 3Small spoiled heads ever think critically, as such is this student who late wrote the high bets SEA test. She found the SEA scrutiny to be a ambitious watercraft to greater accomplishment. She stated that it a chemical mechanism that is used to actuate pupils and instructors likewise. Student should desire to execute good to experience a sense of achievement as go throughing this test allows you to graduate and travel on to a secondary instruction. Teachers should besides experience complete(a) when their clip and attempt is appreciated, non merely by their pupils but parents every bit good.She besides pointed out that standardising trial such as the SEA scrutiny will let pupils a just opportunity of comparability as the same trial is given to each kid. She besides did non bury to advert that a high interest trial as the SEA test will besides help in puting criterions across the schools and state.On the downside nevertheless, she stated that a batch of analyzing had to be done and as such her extracurricular activities were minimum. Besides being originative was non an option as memorisation of assorted expressions and grammatical regulations was a cardinal factor in go throughing the SEA test.THEMES DERIVED FROM ALL INTERVIEWS TAKENHarmonizing to the ball Wide Web, a subject is a unifying thought that is a perennial component in literary or artistic work, in a sentence, paragraph or try. Many subjects can be derived from the interviews taken every bit many responses were likewise based. While it s true that each individual has given their valuable and honest parts towards this assignment, it can be noted that many of us are of the same position when it comes to standardised testing, and to a too large extent Secondary Entrance Assessment Examinations, and that it that it is clip devouring with it s overladen course of study, it encourages competitory acquisition, disputing, motivationally structured and it diminishes any excess clip towards extra-curricular or other capable affairs. As a instructor in the primary school, I am to the full informed that the clip tabular array is shifted doubtless when a kid escalates to the standard 5 category. Besides, small or no clip is given to extra-curricular activities every bit good as Creative Humanistic disciplines, Music, skill and Social Studies. It was besides highlighted that there are excessively many expressions, regulations and grammatical constructions which are to be know in order to keep and put high at its terminal.DecisionIn kernel, high-stakes testing has its benefits and its disadvantages. High bets trial is aimed at making better accomplishing pupils. A High-stakes testing is designed to keep single studentsA accountable for their ain trial public presentation, unlike system answerability, which is aimed at the su ppliers of instruction, such as, school territories, and schools. However, this can non be achieved if the system is smothering the creativeness of the people. Memorizing a textbook edition is no replacing for advanced thought. The creativeness for advancement that should hold been cultivated in the schoolroom is missing. Therefore neglecting to go through for a esteemed school at the S.E.A. scrutiny does non specify a individual it merely puts you at a different degree. Rather the inquiry is how best to utilize high-stakes testing.Furthermore, decent resources must be provided for professional development of instructors in the usage of trials and redress of pupils who ab initio fails. Policymakers must non lose sight that the ultimate end of a oecumenical answerability system is non to honor or penalize, but to better the bringing of course of study and increase pupil larning. Some balance could be brought to bear on the overdose of these pen-and-paper trials if schools become committed to a annual expounding of kids s work highlighting, among others, their accomplishments in athleticss, the ocular and executing humanistic disciplines, and the school s outreach community programme, to be viewed publically by school functionaries, nucleus stakeholders and other service suppliers. It provides indirect grounds that pupils are showing understanding of their cognition in context.Therefore it is of my sentiment that a high interest trial does non specify an person but help a pupil into going a more successful and accomplishing individual. In Trinidad and Tobago we must recognize that the consequence of the instruction system which revolves about high bets scrutinies is non ever the most achieving method but a mechanism used to assist ease higher accomplishment.