Classroom Essentials for the New Special Educator

When we approach the school year all teachers will be evaluating the strategies and classroom structures that are important for behavioral success and instructional efficiency.  That is doubly essential for the new teacher creating their first classroom.  Ã‚   Perhaps the most important actor in your classroom is the environment.  A classroom environment is not just a matter of lighting and decorating (although they may contribute.)  No, it is the emotional as well as the physical environment that create the canvas on which you will be providing instruction.  For some special educators who push in, they carry their environment with them.  For teachers who are in resource room settings, they need to create an environment communicates expectations for students and create an efficient place for them to engage in instruction.  For self-contained programs, the challenge is to create an environment that will provide a structure that will work for the teacher, the classroom para-professional, and the range of abilities your students will probably bring with them. In our experience, self-contained programs often have as wide a variety of skills and challenges as a regular education classroom with three to four times more students.   Pro-Active Means Preparation Preparing a classroom for students will require planning and anticipation, including:   Seating/Seating chart: How you plan to provide instruction will change how you seat your students.  Anticipate those seating arrangements to change.  For a classroom where you anticipate behavioral challenges, start with desks in rows separated by an arms length in each direction.  As your year progresses, you will be able to modify how you mediate instruction and how you  manage behavior.  A group that needs constant monitoring will be arranged completely differently from a group that focuses on independent work while others are in small groups or working in learning centers.  Also, the first group, with consistent feedback, teaching, and reinforcement, might just become the second group! Comprehensive Behavior Management System How you intend to reinforce the behavior you want, especially independent behavior and how you want to provide consequences for behaviors you do not want, you will need to choose and implement one of several different comprehensive plans:   Whole Class and/or Individual Behavior Management Systems:  Sometimes a classroom system will work without implementing individual behavior management, especially when the focus of your program is remediating academics and not managing behavior.  Or, you can start with a group plan and then add an individual plan.  Or, you can use individual reinforcement plans (i.e. token boards) and then a classwide system for group activities or transitions.   Whole Class Behavior Systems Require   A visual cuing system.  This can be a board, a digital system (such as Class DOJO)  Ã‚  or an interactive cue system, like a clothespin clip system or a color wheel.  Clear expectations and outcomes. These include rules and routines, which we will explore later.  Be sure you know exactly when you place a token or move a clip up or down.  Be sure you know what consequences will be moving to red or whatever your least desirable color is.  Be sure your consequence is truly a consequence and not a threat, in other words dont make a consequence something that is either unreasonable (no p.e. for the rest of the school year) or something you are unwilling or unable to do (two swats with a paddle.  Corporal punishment is illegal in most states and doesnt work in any case.)  Rewards or Reinforcement.  Be sure some of the reinforcers you offer (positive) are social so you are pairing reinforcement with appropriate social behavior.  How about tickets for a game day? (Play bo ard games as a class on Friday afternoons.)  Access to preferred activities or classroom jobs with status (such as line leader or lunch basket) is also great reinforcers.  By pairing reinforcement with appropriate positive behavior, you also reinforce the social behavior.  Consequences.  Sometimes the absence of reinforcement is consequence enough to change future behavior.  Sometimes an appropriate consequence (because it makes undesired behavior less likely to reappear) is to remove access to a preferred daily activity, such as recess or reading in a kindergarten classroom.   Individual Behavior Systems Require A visual recording system.   Sticker charts or token charts work well.Clear expectations.  It is best to focus on no more than two behaviors at a time.  Be sure students know why they are earning stickers or tokens when they get them:  i.e. Wow, you did a nice job getting that spelling page done, Roger.  Heres your sticker.  Just two more till you get your break!  Targeted reinforcement:  As above, target specific behaviors and be sure you define those target behaviors clearly.  Reinforce no more than two behaviors at a time.   Deciding Which Behavioral Strategies to Use As you are setting up your classroom, you will need to decide a few things: Do you start with individual behavior management systems or group?  As a new teacher, you are best to err on the side of too much structure, not too little.How easy or hard will the system be to administer?  No structure is chaos, too much structure may lead to default because you cant keep your eyes on everything.  Know your team, as well.  Will you have one or more paraprofessionals who could administer one of your reinforcement systems?  Can you and your staff administer the system with as little effect as possible?  You dont want a system that you are tempted to use as a punishment.  If the focus of your system becomes your relationship with your students.  Ã‚   The Physical Environment Arranging supplies, pencil sharpening and all the mechanics of supporting academic and social interaction for school success is invaluable. Sharpening pencils, handing out materials, all those simple tasks are tasks your students can manipulate to avoid tasks, to move around the classroom and disturb peers, to establish their pecking order in the classroom.  New teachers may feel that those of us who are long in the teeth make way too much of organization, but we have watched students dither away the day sharpening their pencils.  Oh, and they can burn those babies out! So, you need to be sure your routines include: Pencil Sharpening.  Is it a job, or do you have a cup where pencils can be swapped out?  Desks: Trust me.  You want the tops of desks clean.  They are students, not insurance agents.  Supplies:   If you put students in groups, each group should have a carry all or tray for pencils, crayons, scissors, and other supplies.  Put someone in charge (and assigned on the job chart) to refill papers, sharpen pencils and do whatever you need.  For small groups, put someone in charge of paper passing.Turn in:  Have a routine for turning in completed assignments.  You may want a tray for finished assignments, or even a vertical file where students turn in their folders.   Bulletin Boards Put your walls to work.  Avoid that temptation of some teachers to spend big at the teacher store and clutter up the walls.  Too much on the walls may distract students with disabilities, so be sure the walls talk but not scream.   Resources Behavioral Systems A Color Chart System Using Clothes PinsToken ChartsSticker Charts to Support IndependenceA Lottery SystemA Token Economy Physical Resources Seating ChartsBulletin Boards that Put Your Walls to WorkBack to School Bulletin BoardsSticker Charts

Case Analysis Hollyfrontier Corporation - 2143 Words

HollyFrontier Corporation is a largest independent petroleum refiner and distributor of petroleum products. It is also known as a Fortune 500 company which is located in Dallas, Texas United states. In 1947, Holly Corporation was initially consolidated under the name General Appliance Corporation. Later, in 1949, it was fused under the name Wainoco Oil Corporation, which was basically an oil and gas investigation organization with creation in Canada and the U.S. To expand its enthusiasm into oil generation, General Appliance Corporation transformed its name to Holy Corporation in 1952. The Company lives up to expectations in two parts refining and HEP (Holly Energy Partners, L.P) which creates high esteemed refined item use in the†¦show more content†¦The main goal of company should always be providing maximum customer service at the lowest cost possible. Nowadays company are facing many challenges regarding some areas. Let’s talk about Procurement, it begins with man aging processes associated with a firm’s need to purchase goods and services required to manufacture goods/services (direct) or run the organization (indirect). The process of procurement is regarded as part of the organization because the ability to purchase certain materials will determine whether the operation will continue or not. For a business to survive in the competitive market the price of procurement should be low than the profit it makes on selling the actual product. HollyFrontier Corporation is a largest petroleum company and it operates to a global market where it has to face many competitors. Many companies are adopting value based strategy and less volume which helps them to sell their product in higher cash value. An organization spends colossal sum on discovering, creating and delivering oil and gas. In this way, acquisition capacity assumes extremely discriminating part in effective operation. Procurement management is divided into drilling, well completion , facilities, transportation, operation, office services and IT services. The oil and gas industry has turned into the heart of the worldwide vitality business sector and dominant part of the general public utilize these vitality in high sum.

Decision Making Process WRT Consumer Behavior Free Essays

string(42) " and over 250 dialects and ethnic groups\." Question 1. Explain Decision making process and various types of decision with examples? Ans: Decision making can be regarded as the mental processes (Cognitive process) resulting in the selection of a course of action among several alternative scenarios. Every decision making process produces a final choice. We will write a custom essay sample on Decision Making Process WRT Consumer Behavior or any similar topic only for you Order Now The output can be an action or an opinion of choice. Developed by B. Aubrey Fisher, there are four stages that should be involved in all group decision making. These stages, or sometimes called phases, are important for the decision-making process to begin Orientation stage- This phase is where members meet for the first time and start to get to know each other. Conflict stage- Once group members become familiar with each other, disputes, little fights and arguments occur. Group members eventually work it out. Emergence stage- The group begins to clear up vague opinions by talking about them. Reinforcement stage- Members finally make a decision, while justifying themselves that it was the right decision. When in an organization and faced with a difficult decision, there are several steps one can take to ensure the best possible solutions will be decided. These steps are put into seven effective ways to go about this decision making process. An Example illustrating Decision Making Process in an Organization * The first step – Outline your goal and outcome. This will enable decision makers to see exactly what they are trying to accomplish and keep them on a specific path. * The second step – Gather data. This will help decision makers have actual evidence to help them come up with a solution. The third step – Brainstorm to develop alternatives. Coming up with more than one solution ables you to see which one can actually work. * The fourth step – List pros and cons of each alternative. With the list of pros and cons, you can eliminate the solutions that have more cons than pros, making your decision easier. * The fifth step – Make the decision. Once y ou analyze each solution, you should pick the one that has many pros (or the pros that are most significant), and is a solution that everyone can agree with. * The sixth step – Immediately take action. Once the decision is picked, you should implement it right away. * The seventh step – Learn from, and reflect on the decision making. This step allows you to see what you did right and wrong when coming up, and putting the decision to use. Another example showing Decision Making Process with respect to consumer behavior. This model is important for anyone making marketing decisions. It forces the marketer to consider the whole buying process rather than just the purchase decision (when it may be too late for a business to influence the choice! The model implies that customers pass through all stages in every purchase. However, in more routine purchases, customers often skip or reverse some of the stages. For example, a student buying a favourite hamburger would recognise the need (hunger) and go right to the purchase decision, skipping information search and evaluation. However, the model is very useful when it comes to understanding any purchase that requires some thought and deliberation. The buying process starts with need recognition. At this stage, the buyer recognises a problem or need (e. g. I am hungry, we need a new sofa, I have a headache) or responds to a marketing stimulus (e. g. you pass Starbucks and are attracted by the aroma of coffee and chocolate muffins). An â€Å"aroused† customer then needs to decide how much information (if any) is required. If the need is strong and there is a product or service that meets the need close to hand, then a purchase decision is likely to be made there and then. If not, then the process of information search begins. A customer can obtain information from several sources: †¢ Personal sources: family, friends, neighbours etc Commercial sources: advertising; salespeople; retailers; dealers; packaging; point-of-sale displays †¢ Public sources: newspapers, radio, television, consumer organisations; specialist magazines †¢ Experiential sources: handling, examining, using the product The usefulness and i nfluence of these sources of information will vary by product and by customer. Research suggests that customer’s value and respect personal sources more than commercial sources (the influence of â€Å"word of mouth†). The challenge for the marketing team is to identify which information sources are most influential in their target markets. In the evaluation stage, the customer must choose between the alternative brands, products and services. An important determinant of the extent of evaluation is whether the customer feels â€Å"involved† in the product. By involvement, we mean the degree of perceived relevance and personal importance that accompanies the choice. Where a purchase is â€Å"highly involving†, the customer is likely to carry out extensive evaluation. High-involvement purchases include those involving high expenditure or personal risk – for example buying a house, a car or making investments. Low involvement purchases (e. . buying a soft drink, choosing some breakfast cereals in the supermarket) have very simple evaluation processes. Post-purchase evaluation – Cognitive Dissonance The final stage is the post-purchase evaluation of the decision. It is common for customers to experience concerns after making a purchase decision. This arises from a concept that is known as â€Å" cognitive dissonance†. The customer, having bought a product, may feel that an alternative would have been preferable. In these circumstances that customer will not repurchase immediately, but is likely to switch brands next time. To manage the post-purchase stage, it is the job of the marketing team to persuade the potential customer that the product will satisfy his or her needs. Then after having made a purchase, the customer should be encouraged that he or she has made the right decision. Question 2. Take any international country of your choice and list down their social, cultural, lifestyle, business etiquettes and trade practices in detail? Ans: Country in Discussion: Nigeria Social / Cultural and Life Style Background The culture of Nigeria is shaped by Nigeria’s multiple ethnic groups. The country has over 50 languages and over 250 dialects and ethnic groups. You read "Decision Making Process WRT Consumer Behavior" in category "Papers" The three largest ethnic groups are the Hausa-Fulani who are predominant in the north, the Igbo who are predominant in the south-east, and the Yoruba who are predominant in the southwest. The Edo people are predominant in the region between Yorubaland and Igboland. Much of the Edo tends to be Christian while the remaining 20 percent worship deities called Ogu. This group is followed by the Ibibio/Annang/Efik people of the coastal southeastern Nigeria and the Ijaw of the Niger Delta. The rest of Nigeria’s ethnic groups (sometimes called ‘minorities’) are found all over the country but especially in the middle belt and north. The Hausa tend to be Muslim and the Igbo are predominantly Christian. The Efik, Ibibio, Annang people are mainly Christian. The Yoruba have a balance of members that are adherent to both Islam and Christianity. Indigenous religious practices remain important in all of Nigeria’s ethnic groups, these beliefs are often blended with Christian beliefs. Nigeria is famous for its English language literature and its popular music. Since the 1990s the Nigerian movie industry, sometimes called quot; Nollywoodquot; has emerged as a fast-growing cultural force all over the continent. All over the country, and even increasingly in the conservative north, western music, dresses and movies are ever popular. The music of Nigeria includes many kinds of folk and popular music, some of which are known worldwide. Traditional musicians use a number of diverse instruments, such as the Gongon drums Football (soccer) is extremely popular throughout the country and especially among the youth, both field soccer and professional international soccer, has developed into a cult of unity and division. Supporters of English football clubs Manchester United, Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea often segregate beyond the traditional tribal and even religious divide to share their common cause in Premier League teams. The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF). Nigerian food embellishes a rich blend of traditionally African carbohydrates such as Yam and Cassava as well as vegetable soups made from native green leaves. Praised by Nigerians for the strength it gives, Garri is a powdered Cassava Grain that can be readily eaten as a meal and is quite cheap. Yam is either fried in oil or pounded to make a Mashed Potato like Yam pottage. Nigerian beans, quite different from green peas, is widely popular. Meat is also popular and Nigerian Suya, a barbecue like method of roasting meat, is a well known delicacy. Bush meat, meat from wild game like deer and giraffes is also popular. Fermented palm products is used to make a traditional liquor, Palm Wine, as is fermented Cassava. Business Background in Nigeria The fact that Nigeria is not a magnet for international investment could be seen as a tragedy of immense proportions. Years of political instability, regional strife and the weakening influence of massive corruption have resulted in the country failing to capitalize on its many advantages; leaving the mass of the population in relative poverty and the country enormously infra-structure poor. A large number of international organizations and business people have been wary of doing business in Nigeria for many years. This may seem strange given that Nigeria is one of the most populous countries in Africa as well as being one of the most oil-rich places in the world. Couple this with the fact that the country is abundant in many other natural resources and has good port facilities and you might think that international business would be fighting for a piece of the action in Nigeria. Huge strides have been made in the last few years to try to tackle the many endemic problems which assail the country — with political and economic stability being seen as the key weapons in attacking the corrosive influence of corruption. Whether the actions being taken on the ground now lead to dramatic improvements in levels of transparency and levels of corporate governance remain to be seen — in the meantime, the country struggles along and those doing business in Nigeria need to be aware of the issues that await them. Business Etiquettes Nigerians like to use language in a fairly flowery fashion and will often address you with great courtesy and overt signs of respect. This desire to show respect to people is shown in the Nigerian use of titles and honorifics. People will often be addressed as Uncle, Auntie, Chief, Mazi, Doctor etc. rather than by the use of first names. Business conversations will often veer towards the personal and you may be asked questions about family, hobbies and other interests within business meetings. This is an important section of the meeting and should be treated as such. It is not seen as overly personal but rather as a signal of warmth and friendship. Handshaking is very important and it is usual to exchange long, lingering handshakes with everybody you meet. Nigerian Management Style As you would expect in a strictly hierarchical culture, managers are expected to lead quite strongly. The boss is expected to make decisions (with or without wider consultation) and the decisions of the boss are expected to be carried out to the letter. Directions should be given in a polite and friendly but definitive fashion. Spell out in detail what needs to be done — anything which is not explicitly requested, is likely to remain undone. This does not mean that subordinates are inefficient or lazy, merely that they expect the boss to know exactly what he wants to happen and to explain things to them fully. It is important to dress well in Nigeria as the way you are dressed will signal your relative level of importance. Men should wear dark suits and ties and women should wear dark, demure business-style suits. In return for loyalty, the manager will often take on a paternalistic role with regard to colleagues. The manager is expected to take an interest in subordinates beyond their directly work-related duties. People are as likely to ask the boss advice on personal matters as they are on business issues. Indigenous Nigerian companies will, however, have an approach and flavor all of their own. All native Nigerian companies will display massively hierarchical tendencies as befits a country rich in tribal tradition and culture. Thus the boss expects and receives respect from those below them in the structure. As age is highly valued in Nigerian culture, managers are often of the older generation — age brings wisdom. Although people at a middle-management level will like to give the impression that they have great power in the organization, they rarely do. Decisions are invariably made right at the top, so try not to waste too much time trying to force decisions out of more junior employees. If possible, go right to the top. This does not, however, mean that people lower down the corporate structure can be ignored as they may very well be pivotal in influencing the eventual decision-maker. As a relationship-oriented culture, it is important to be seen to be trying hard to develop good relationships at all levels within the organization. Economic Facts previously hindered by years of mismanagement, economic reforms of the past decade have put Nigeria back on track towards achieving its full economic potential. Nigerian GDP at purchasing power parity more than doubled from $170. 7 billion in 2005 to $374. billion in 2010, although estimates of the size of the informal sector (which is not included in official figures) put the actual numbers closer to $520 billion. Correspondingly, the GDP per capita doubled from $1200 per person in 2005 to an estimated $2,500 per person in 2009 (again, with the inclusion of the informal sector, it is estimated that GDP per capita hovers ar ound $3,500 per person). It is the largest economy in the West Africa Region, 3rd largest economy in Africa (behind South Africa and Egypt), and on track to becoming one of the top 30 economies in the world in the early part of 2011. Although much has been made of its status as a major exporter of oil, Nigeria produces only about 3. 3% of the world’s supply, and though it is ranked as 15th in production at 2. 2 million barrels per day (mbpd), the top 3 producers Saudi Arabia, Russia, and the United States produce 10. 7mbpd (16. 8%), 9. 8mbpd (15. 4%), and 8. 5mbpd (13. 4%) respectively, collectively accounting for 63. 6mpd (45. 4%) of the world’s total production. [2] To put oil revenues in perspective: at an estimated export rate of 1. 9mbd, with a projected sales price of $65 per barrel in 2011, Nigeria’s anticipated revenue from petroleum is about $52. billion. This accounts for less than 14% of official GDP figures (and drops to 10% when the informal economy is included in these calculations). Therefore, though the petroleum sector is important, it remains in fact a small part of the country’s overall vibrant and diversified economy. The largely subsistence agricultural sector has not kept up with rapid population growth, and Nigeria, once a large net exporter of food, now imports some of its food products. In 2006, Nigeria successfully convinced the Paris Club to let it buy back the bulk of its debts owed to the Paris Club for a cash payment of roughly $12 billion (USD). Trade Practices: The Federal Government plays the role of protecting local industries and the labor market from unfair competitions and trade practices of developed countries. While Nigerian government appreciates that the world is a global village, in terms of exchange of goods, services and persons, it will not open the nation‘s borders to the influx of foreigners in whatever guise without considering the security and economic implication inherent in the administration of Expatriate Quota and other immigration formality. While it is true that Nigeria as a developing country needs to benefit from the xperiences and technology of the advanced nations, it is important that we protect our local manpower by ensuring that jobs that are meant for Nigerians are not occupied by foreigners in order to stem the unemployment rate in the country. Although the world is a global village and the WTO preaches free trade or liberalization of trade, it is the government’s duty both indiv idually and as government to protect our local industries and markets in order to avoid being reduced to mere consumers of labor and technology of the advanced nations. Their focus at all times should be to develop indigenous technology, local capacity building for both our industries and marketsquot;. Also, the administration of Expatriate Quota helps attract foreign direct investment; fast track economic development; transfer technology through importation of modern machinery and equipment; build and enhance local capacity and skills; institutionalize Nigerian understudies attached to Expatriates and for appropriate documentation. ALTERNATIVE TRADE NETWORK OF NIGERIA (ATNN) The Alternative Trade Network of Nigeria (ATNN) was established in 1994 with 25 artisans drawn from different parts of Nigeria as a Non Governmental Trade and Development Network. It was formerly registered with Corporate Affairs Commissions Abuja on the 7th January 1999 as an Incorporated Trustee with a five member Governing Board. The daily operations of the network are coordinated by program staff and team of volunteers under the leadership of the Director. ATNN is a registered pioneer member of the International Fair Trade Association (IFAT) formed in 1994 now the World Fair Trade Organization (WFTO) and also a founding member of the Cooperation for Fair Trade in Africa (COFTA) with its Africa Regional Office based in Nairobi, Kenya. With a founding membership of 25 artisans and groups, ATNN membership has grown to 120 cooperatives, groups and individuals (over 3616 individuals) engage in both food and Non food products from different parts of Nigeria who are grass root based and committed to the principles and standards of fair trade. 3% of the current membership is women, employing over 3616 people. 1774 apprentices have also been trained and are now self employed and running their business in different areas of micro enterprises. ATNN has the following thematic areas of intervention 1. Fair Trade Market Access, Retailing and Export Trading†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ This program provides unique solutions to specific members based on identified n eeds, level of business development, size, structure, markets, retailing and other trading opportunities. 2. Producer Development, Community Mobilization and Empowerment. This program engages participatory method of development of both formal and informal groups of producers and communities in identifying and establishing core strength and weaknesses and collective designing of sustainable and achievable business solutions. 3. Fair Trade Advocacy and Economic Rights†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ The objective of this program is to develop and disseminate appropriate fair trade information to raise beneficiary’s awareness and stake holder’s interest and support for effective and proactive fair trade participations. It also highlights and lobby against unethical business, production and trade practices and policies that are detrimental to community growth, environmental protection and other impacts that are related to sustainable production and development. The Alternative Trade Network of Nigeria believes in fostering an accelerated producers businesses development and sustainable income through developing, consolidating and advancing the core mission and objectives of the global fair Trade Movement within Nigeria, Africa and the world over. This is achieved through the offering and provision of technical guidance, market support, networking and awareness rising for favorable trade policies and micro business development measures. ATNN, in its business development services also ensures that producers do not just access profitable markets, but produce quality products and get appropriate value for their labor. ATNN generally desires to achieve the following: 1. Increased and improved business skills How to cite Decision Making Process WRT Consumer Behavior, Essays

Organizational Change Management A Proposed Model

Question: Discuss about the Organizational Change Management for A Proposed Model. Answer: Introduction The report is having a brief discussion on organizational change in fast track in relation to their objective and goals. Report explains the change in organization strategic plan which fast track will make according to their policies, practice, goals and objectives. There is an analysis of organization performance with regard to their people, processes, technology and structure. The report consists of the analysis of external trend of organization which effect their objective and working system (Blokdijk, 2008). Report consists of the analysis on the changes required due to performance gaps of employees, business opportunities and different changes due to management decision and threats. The change required by fast track in their policies, practices, plans, working system and structure is discussed here. Analysis of organisational objectives for identifying the change requirements for Fast Track Couriers To identify the change required in Fast Track Courier objectives one has to understand and analyse their strategic plan properly (Brown and KaÃÅ'„tz, 2009). Strategic plan of Fast Track consist of: Analysis of market share Operating expenditure of Fast Track courier Analysis of service provided by the organization Study of method for increasing profit rate of the organization. Analysis of change required in organization policies considering their employees. Requirements for change Changes should be done by every organization to improve working structure, market share and etc. Fast Track Courier requires changes in their objective to achieve goals and increase profit share of the organization (Brnnmark and Benn, 2012). The changes are required in Fast Track courier to:- Increase their market share in comparison to their competitors in market. To reduce their operating expenditure to gain more profit. Changes are required for improving and increasing the number of services provided by Fast Track Courier (Cameron and Green, 2004). For increasing their profit rate organization has to increase the number of service provided by them and the work to increase the number of customers (Degen, n.d.). Changes are required for improving the quality of services provided by them so that they can increase their customers. Explanation of change needed in relation to organizations strategic plan goal/s Organization strategic plan of Fast Track Courier are used to explain their strategies, direction, process of decision making and etc (Elias, 2007). Strategic plan of Fast Track Courier is used to explain organizational goals and the process required to achieve that goals. Strategic planning is the process which explains the whole working process of Fast Track Courier. Strategic planning of Fast Track Courier is required to be changed:- To increase the profit shares in comparison of previous year. For reducing the operating expenditure cost to increase their income. To change their working structure this can motivate their employees to work better. Fast Track courier should change their objective considering their employees and customers (Floyd, 2002). The services provided by the organization should be improved and if required changed to increase their customer number. Strategic plans are required to be changed to update the organization in relation to technology. Organization should always change their working practice so that the employees are motivated toward the organization and their job. Current policies, practices and operations deliver against the organisations strategic goals The current strategic goals of Fast Track Courier in relation to their policies and practices are as: To increase their market share Expand their service facilities as per market change and requirement (Gover and Duxbury, 2012) To improve their employee engagement in context to their job. To update or improve their supply chain system. To upgrade their structure regarding technology and supply chain system. Organizations performance with regards to its :- People:- People in organization mean the employees of the organization. Fast Track Courier should always review that the workforce of their organization are having proper skill, knowledge as per their jobs. Because if the employees are not having knowledge regarding their job or task then both organization and employee as to face problem (Green, 2007). The organizational policies and practices should always be in support of employees so that they are motivated to work. Organization should give proper training regarding the changes made in technology, working system (GruÃÅ'ˆnig, KuÃÅ'ˆhn and KuÃÅ'ˆhn, 2005). If suppose Fast Track Courier are changing their supply chain system or upgrading it in technology then the employees working on supply chain system should be trained properly so that they are comfortable with new technology (Jarrahi and Sawyer, 2014). Fast track Courier should always keep a track on the contribution of their employees in success. Processes Fast Track courier should always analyze there end to end process whether it is effective in achieving the goals decided at the starting of the work (Langley, 2007). Organization should upgrade their work flow process as per the task to achieve positive result in less expenditure. Technology Fast Track Courier should always upgrade their system in relation to technology used by them. Organization should try to keep them updated in technology so that they can achieve goals (Oreg, Michel and By, 2013). If Fast Track Courier is working on old technology in comparison of their competitors in market then the result or the outcome achieved can affect their profit (Nilakant and Ramnarayan, 2006). Before updating the technology organization should check the compatibility of the technology with working system of the organization. And organization should also provide proper training to their employees after the implementation of the technology. Structure The structure of Fast Track Courier should support their decision making process. The structure of the organization helps in deciding the levels of hierarchy (Organisation and management change, 2002). Organization should always have structure as per their job i.e. centralized, decentralized, sales and service and etc. Structure of the organization helps in motivating their employees to work in a team i.e. it helps in promoting team building within the organization. External trends which may affect the achievement of the organisations strategic plan goals There are two types of trends internal trends and external trends which effect the achievement of the organisation strategic planning and goals (Pelletier et al., 2011). Some of the external trends of the Fast Track Courier which effect their strategic planning and goals are as: Consumers- The rapidly changing demand of the consumer make difficult for the organization to decide their goals and objective. Economy of the country- The main factor which affects each and every organization strategic planning and goals is the nations economy. Ethics- Ethics are the set of rules and regulation which every nation have regarding working condition and style of the organization (Poole and Van de Ven, 2004). Every organization has to work as per the ethics mentioned by the nation and employees also have to work as per the ethics of the organization. Legal- Organization have to work according to the legal procedure (Pugh and Mayle, 2009). The working style and the process have to be decided under the legal condition. Political- Politics of country affect the organization working condition as well their goal. Social- Organization should try to work without affecting the surroundings or the society in which they are located. Technology- Organization has to be updated in technology they are using. Old technology can affect the performance of organization. Organization should upgrade their technology and train their employees. Suppose the organization Fast Track Courier is using old technology in comparison of their competitors for supply chain system, due to this Fast Track will be lacking behind. Organization always has to be updated regarding the technology used by them (Quttainah and Paczkowski, 2014). Major operational change requirements Changes due to performance gaps Organization operation can be affected by the performance gap of the organization as well as the employees. Performance gap is the difference between current situation and the pretended situation of the work flow (Senior and Fleming, 2006). To analyze the performance gap of the business the performance gap analysis process is done. Operational changes can be made after analyzing the performance gap of the business. Changes due to business opportunities Business opportunity helps organization to know the present condition of the market in relation to their job (Special issue of Strategic Organization: "Strategic Responses to Institutional Complexity", 2014). As per the demand or need in the market organization has to change their working or operation process. To achieve the goals organization has to focus on the market changes in relation to their business. Changes due to threats There are different internal and external threats which affect the operation of the organization. External threats can be economy, politics, technology and etc and internal threats can be workforce, organizational policies, practices and etc (Toia, 2002). Changes due to management decisions Management decisions in the organizations are the decisions taken by the management regarding the working process, style, organizational policies and practices (Zanotti, 2012). Operation process of any organization is affected by policies, practices and working style. Specialist required for assisting the identified changes Organization take help of an external consultant for identifying the changes required within the organization. External consultant is used by organization to:- To analyze the neutral view of the organization. To suggest the best practice for their organization. To give training of the knowledge and skill required for new projects or task of the organization. To identify the gap between the performance of employees and the business of the organization. To suggest the best way to the organization for improving their performance gap. To suggest organization best way for achieving their goal with minimum expenditure cost. Model used for engaging the specialist and reason for using the model The model used by the organization to engage specialist are as:- Purchasing the expertise model In this method the specialist suggests the expert model or the best method which can be used for making changes in organization. Doctor patient model Doctor patient model means the problem occurred is patient and the consultant is doctor who will suggest the best way to the organization for removing or overcoming from the problem. Process consultation Process consultation is used to analyse the particular process of the organization and then recommend the best suited way for making changes in that particular process so that organization can achieve their goal or objective without any obligations (Blaber, 2004). The reason behind using these different models by organization for engaging their specialist are as:- To identify the expert method used for improving the performance of the employees. To analyze the reason of performance gap of the organization and suggest the best way for improving it. To make employees train regarding the new technology or the changes made in working process. To ensure that the technology, working process used by the organization are up to date and perfect as per the job. To suggest a better plan or way for achieving organizational goal and objective with a minimum expenditure cost. To identify the threats or the barriers in achieving the goals and suggest organization a best suited way. For suggesting a proper activity process plan which will help organization in achieving their goals. Conclusion By the above discussion in report the conclusion which can be stated is the changes required by the Fast Track Courier has to be made by taking into consideration the people, policies, practice and etc of the organization. The organization with the help of external consultant identify the reason behind the changes required and consultant has to suggest the best way for making changes in the organization with the minimum expenditure cost. The report is used to analyze the organization performance in relation to their people or employees, process for working, technology used by the organization and the system of their work. The report consists of the brief discussion on the external trends which affects the organizational objective and goals. The external trends can also affect the performance of the organization and their workforce. Bibliography Blaber, P. (2004). Change management. Carlisle Barracks, PA: U.S. Army War College. Blokdijk, G. (2008). Change management 100 success secrets. [Brisbane, Australia: Emereo]. Brnnmark, M. and Benn, S. (2012). A Proposed Model for Evaluating the Sustainability of Continuous Change Programmes. Journal of Change Management, 12(2), pp.231-245. Brown, T. and KaÃÅ'„tz, B. (2009). Change by design. New York: Harper Business. Cameron, E. and Green, M. (2004). Making sense of change management. London: Kogan Page. Degen, N. (n.d.). The market. Elias, S. (2007). Employee Commitment in Times of Change: Assessing the Importance of Attitudes Toward Organizational Change. Journal of Management, 35(1), pp.37-55. Floyd, P. (2002). Organizational change. Oxford [England]: Capstone Pub. Gover, L. and Duxbury, L. (2012). Organizational Faultlines: Social Identity Dynamics and Organizational Change. Journal of Change Management, 12(1), pp.53-75. Green, M. (2007). Change management masterclass. London: Kogan Page. GruÃÅ'ˆnig, R., KuÃÅ'ˆhn, R. and KuÃÅ'ˆhn, R. (2005). Process-based strategic planning. Berlin: Springer. Jarrahi, M. and Sawyer, S. (2014). Theorizing on the take-up of social technologies, organizational policies and norms, and consultants' knowledge-sharing practices. Journal of the Association for Information Science and Technology, 66(1), pp.162-179. Langley, A. (2007). Process thinking in strategic organization. Strategic Organization, 5(3), pp.271-282. Nilakant, V. and Ramnarayan, S. (2006). Change management. New Delhi: Response Books. Oreg, S., Michel, A. and By, R. (2013). The psychology of organizational change. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. Organisation and management change. (2002). OECD Journal on Development, 3(3), pp.69-80. Pelletier, J., Vaudreuil, F., Morel, S. and Lapointe, P. (2011). Different perspectives on work changes. [QueÃÅ' bec, QueÃÅ' .]: UniversiteÃÅ'  Laval, FaculteÃÅ'  des Sciences sociales, DeÃÅ' partement des relations industrielles. Poole, M. and Van de Ven, A. (2004). Handbook of organizational change and innovation. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press. Pugh, D. and Mayle, D. (2009). Change management. Los Angeles: SAGE. Quttainah, M. and Paczkowski, W. (2014). Linking Business Owners Choice of Organizational form to Appraisers Determination of Value: An Agency Theory Perspective. JMPP, 2(4). Senior, B. and Fleming, J. (2006). Organizational change. Harlow, England: Prentice Hall/Financial Times. Special issue of Strategic Organization: "Strategic Responses to Institutional Complexity". (2014). Strategic Organization, 12(3), pp.216-219. Toia, J. (2002). Strategic plan identifies priorities. Australian Veterinary Journal, 80(7), pp.386-386. Zanotti, F. (2012). Designing a strategic plan through an emerging knowledge generation process. The Learning Organization, 19(4), pp.311-323.

Legend Of Kate Morgan Essays (1030 words) - Kate Morgan,

Legend Of Kate Morgan Have you ever had the feeling you werent alone? Have you ever felt a cold breeze in a room with no windows? Have you ever heard voices or footsteps when you thought you were alone? What would be the cause of these mysterious situations? Would it be your imagination, a hallucination, a ghost? According to thus study xx% of people believe in ghosts and the paranormal The paranormal has been a fascination of mine every since I was a little girl and believed that a witch lived in my closet. The room was very cold and I always had nightmares in there, and it was much colder than the rest of the house. Ever since then I had been interested in finding out if hauntings and ghosts do occur. In my search for knowledge on the subject I came across a very interesting story, The Legend of Kate Morgan. I would like to share with you the story of Kate Morgan in association with the haunting of the Hotel Dell Coronado and the mysteries surrounding her death. On November 24th, 1892 a young woman checked into room 302 of Hotel Del Coronado under the name of Lottie Anderson Bernard. Five days later she was found dead on the exterior stairs of the hotel leading to the beach. She had a gun wound to her head and a pistol was found at her side. What happened to this young woman? Well, thats where the legend begins. Lottie Anderson Bernard was an alias for Kate Morgan who was 24 years old and married to Tom Morgan. The two were said to be con artists who told people they were brother and sister as part of their scam. Kate was a very beautiful woman and would use her charms to attract men, then she would tell them they had to gain her brothers approval by playing a hand of cards with him, this is how Kate and Tom made their money as they rode the trains and conned people. Now one day Tom and Kate had a fight on the train from Los Angeles to San Diego, and Tom disembarked the train while Kate continued on to San Diego where she proceeded to Hotel Del Coronado. During her stay in room 302, which is room 3312 today, the hotel employees reported that she looked very ill and pale. Kate told the employees she had stomach cancer and was waiting for her brother who was a doctor to come. Some people believe that the reason that Tom and Kate argued on the train was because she became pregnant and wanted to settle down while Tom did not want to change their gambling lifestyle. Tom ran off and was supposed to return to the hotel some time after Thanksgiving. People believe Kate was sick because she was taking quinine pills, which would cause a woman to miscarrybecause these quinine pills were reportedly found in her room after her death. When Tom did not return to the hotel, Kate went into town and bought a gun. Shortly there after she was found dead. The San Diego Coroner said that Kate Morgan died of a self-inflicted gun shot to the head, and that Kate Morgan committed suicide. Many people believe this is what happened, Kate Morgan (pregnant or not) suffered from a broken heart and killed herself. Still others believe that Tom Morgan did come back to the hotel and he killed Kate Morgan. Some such as Alan May in his published book The Legend of Kate Morgan: The Search for the Ghost of the Hotel Del Coronado conclude that the bullet found in Kates head is not the same caliber of the gun that she purchased. Nobody can say for sure what happened to Kate Morgan. Was she pregant or not? Did she committ suicide or was she murdered? Nobody really knows which of these mysterious circumstances are true..but this is not where the story ends. The Hotel Del Coronado is said to behaunted by Kate Morgans ghost. Room 3312 is said to be haunted with Kates spirit and the guests in room 3312 oftern find the belongings have been moved, they hear murmurings, and footsteps, and cool breezes seem to come from no where. One employee said

Free Essays on Managing Absenteeism At Work

Managing Absenteeism at Work With each new employee that is hired, they bring a totally new set of expectations, needs and problems. It takes more time and skill to manage today’s workforce. Bad managers are the biggest cause of high turnover, low attendance and low morale. Absenteeism and lateness are two of the most costly and disruptive employee problems faced daily by all business operations. Flexibility may be the best strategy. A better attendance strategy may simply include flexi-time for people who have children or parental responsibilities. Be aware that workers who have child care responsibilities find it difficult, if not impossible, to have a perfect attendance record. However, before we begin, a definition of "absence" must be established. For the purpose of this report, an absence refers to any time an employee is not on the job during scheduled working hours, except for granted leave of absence or holiday time. Scientifically speaking, absenteeism as a disease that appears whenever a company fails to inoculate itself with sound management practices. To cure excessive absenteeism, one has to know the exact causes and then examine the available, workable and proven solutions to apply against those causes. Remember that a window of opportunity won't open itself. Establishing The Facts To embark upon a successful reduction of absenteeism, you need to make sure you have some basic information and facts about absenteeism in your company. Consider the following questions, and as you begin to dig for the answers, you likely will become aware of many ways to address your problems. Getting to the Root of the Problem Your responses to the following questions should give you food for thought and direction for combating absenteeism. If you have not yet made it a policy to keep track of absenteeism, your first step now should be clearly mapped out for you. As a next step, consider the following four questions, which s... Free Essays on Managing Absenteeism At Work Free Essays on Managing Absenteeism At Work Managing Absenteeism at Work With each new employee that is hired, they bring a totally new set of expectations, needs and problems. It takes more time and skill to manage today’s workforce. Bad managers are the biggest cause of high turnover, low attendance and low morale. Absenteeism and lateness are two of the most costly and disruptive employee problems faced daily by all business operations. Flexibility may be the best strategy. A better attendance strategy may simply include flexi-time for people who have children or parental responsibilities. Be aware that workers who have child care responsibilities find it difficult, if not impossible, to have a perfect attendance record. However, before we begin, a definition of "absence" must be established. For the purpose of this report, an absence refers to any time an employee is not on the job during scheduled working hours, except for granted leave of absence or holiday time. Scientifically speaking, absenteeism as a disease that appears whenever a company fails to inoculate itself with sound management practices. To cure excessive absenteeism, one has to know the exact causes and then examine the available, workable and proven solutions to apply against those causes. Remember that a window of opportunity won't open itself. Establishing The Facts To embark upon a successful reduction of absenteeism, you need to make sure you have some basic information and facts about absenteeism in your company. Consider the following questions, and as you begin to dig for the answers, you likely will become aware of many ways to address your problems. Getting to the Root of the Problem Your responses to the following questions should give you food for thought and direction for combating absenteeism. If you have not yet made it a policy to keep track of absenteeism, your first step now should be clearly mapped out for you. As a next step, consider the following four questions, which s...

MGT499 MOD 4 SLP Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MGT499 MOD 4 SLP - Essay Example This strategic plan include the induction of most innovative products backed by solid research of its research facilities, maintaining diversity of portfolio, cost effective and low cost medicine and achieving efficiency and effectiveness through its human and material resources. (Novartis, 2011). The Cost Leadership component of Porter’s competitive strategies is the most important but difficult objective to be achieved especially, in pharmaceutical industry where quality compromise is not an option at all. The only way out to achieve competitively lower prices of products is through savings on procurements, cost effective production and advantageous use of supply chain. To ensure cost leadership the company has improved its internal processes to save production cost in order to provide relief to the consumer. ICIS, trusted market intelligence for the global chemical and energy industries states the cost effective procedures of the Novartis in these words, â€Å"Operational efficiency initiatives have made progress to improve speed, flexibility and productivity while freeing up resources. On this basis, it has launched a companywide project â€Å"Forward† to provide annual cost savings of approximately $1.6bn in 2009 and 2010.† (ICIS, n.d.). The differentiation is mainly achieved through wide range research and diversified portfolio. Research and diversification complements each other to ensure differentiation. The company wide research facilities have contributed a long way into achieves uniqueness in its products. Afinitor, a potential breakthrough for advanced kidney cancer, the vaccine Menveo for protection against four meningococcal meningitis serogroups and Extavia (interferon beta-1b) for patients with certain forms of multiple sclerosis (MS) are few examples of thoroughly researched innovative products of Novartis to ensure a level of differentiation with its competitors. (ICIS, n.d.). The diversification of portfolio is an way

102 exam question 1 Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

102 exam question 1 - Article Example People make decisions based on what actions will please others, especially authority figures and other individuals with high statuses such as managers. They are concerned about maintaining relationships through trust and loyalty. Individuals take other peoples perspectives and intentions into account when making personal decisions. People recognize that rules represent agreements among many individuals about appropriate behavior. Rules are seen as potentially useful mechanisms that can maintain the general social order. People also recognize the flexibility of rules; rules that no longer serve a societys best interests can and should be changed. Only a few people ever reach this ideal stage. People in this stage adhere to a few abstract, universal principles. Individual answer to a strong inner conscience and willingly disobey laws that violate their own ethical principles. In order to translate what is on paper, the theory to apply practically, the management will have to excises some functions such as work delegation; this enables individuals to fully exercise moral ethics which they presume as best suit. Through consultations of individuals in decision making, moral and ethical behavior of individuals is revealed. Thus the management should involve its staff in decision making procedures. This will help a big deal in putting into practice the theory of moral ethics. The stages as stipulated by Kohlberg are distinct and tend to conflict. For example a person who justified a decision on the basis of principled reasoning in stages 5 or 6 would frequently fall conflict while reasoning with stages 3 or 4 in another events. In practice it seems that reasoning about right and wrong depends more upon the situation than upon general rules. Gilligan reached the conclusion that Kohlberg’s theory did not account for the fact that women approach moral problems from an ‘ethics of care’, rather than an ‘ethics of justice’ perspective, which challenges

Two Methods for teaching Third Grade students to appreciate Art Essay

Two Methods for teaching Third Grade students to appreciate Art - Essay Example This will enable kinesthetic learning which is so essential for this age-group. A hands-on approach to art in which the students not only look at different forms of art but also take part in creating them will enable the imagination of the children to be captured. The use of water to thin paint can introduce various elements of the basic science curriculum to the children. How water flows, what happens to it when other materials are put in it and what happens to it and other materials when it dries can be made an integral part of this learning experience. This will not only enable the students to understand how paint works but also that "science" is in fact fun and relevant to their actual lives. In the context of third-graders, this can be presented to them as how they can use the water in so many different ways. A second technique for the teaching of art is to introduce the children to the art of many different cultures, and have them try to create their own versions of it. Thus children may be encouraged to bring in pictures from their own culture if the classroom is diverse enough to enable this exercise. The third-graders will learn about other cultures (an essential element of the wider curriculum) and also be self-empowered through discovering that they can produce their own versions of that culture's art. As Gelineau (2003) suggests, the arts can provide opportunities for creative expression and self-fulfillment. The arts can and should be taught for their own sake as legitimate areas of study, but their link within the wider curriculum can also be stressed. Thus, as has been shown in this brief discussion, areas of the curriculum as diverse as science and cultural studies can be brought into the study of art. Most of all, the children should be taught that the appreciation of art is enjoyable, hopefully a lesson that will bring them a lifetime of pleasure in discovering the arts. _______________________________________ Works Cited Gelineau, Phyllis. Integrating the Arts Across the Elementary School Curriculum. Wadsworth, New York: 2003.

The Strengths And Weaknesses Of Liberal World Politics Politics Essay

The Strengths And Weaknesses Of Liberal World Politics Politics Essay Liberalism is a principle in Global politics theory that that is based on the hope of diligence, reason and universal ethics and that with the application of this the world will become a more orderly, ethical and cooperative. By achieving this it is hoped that international war can monitored by Non-governmental organisations. Liberalism is a philosophy championed by western nations such as the United Kingdom and the USA and some Non- Governmental organisations such as the United Nations. Liberals advocate the use of military force in order to help people for example Tony Blair invaded Iraq because Saddam Hussein inflicted pain and violence on his population. Infringing peoples rights is typically against Liberal thinking because they believe in the sanctity of human rights and an end to human suffering. Another Liberal philosophy is to export their own domestic policies into the foreign arena, for example in Britain the current government wants to eradicate poverty, it exports this d omestic policy to third world countries to try and eliminate poverty. But as with every international paradigm there are strengths and weaknesses. Collective security is a strength of the liberal perspective on world politics. Collective security replaces the realist idea of self help. For example in 1990 Iraq invaded Kuwait. The international community responded to expel Iraq from Kuwait. The Liberal countries did this to preserve liberty and resolve security in the Middle East. John Baylis and Steve Smith argue that Liberalism is primarily a theory of government, one that seeks to reconcile order (security) and justice (equality) within a particular community. (Baylis and Smith, 2001, pg 163.) Liberals argue the need for collective security as to prevent the world falling into international anarchism and up hold human rights, democracy and a free market where people are free to trade. Liberals believe in international cooperation as a way to great global harmony this can be seen to be coupled with collective security as a way to achieve this. Liberal ideas and trends often over take local ideas which can be viewed as totalitarian, a view taken by Booth and Smith, the assumption that universal norms and values will triumph over those based on particular local contexts is a feature which contemporary liberalism, (Booth and Smith, 1995, pg 92). The harmonising of greater international cooperation can be seen through the creation of the United Nations which tries to peacefully sort out countries disputes; it also tries to promote liberalism. A strong case for Liberalism is that it can be viewed as peaceful due to the history of liberalism, never have two liberal democracies gone to war which shows the level of cooperation between them and that the balance of power within the world has been upset by authoritarian regimes and outdated ideas and polices, the strand in li beral thinking which holds that the natural order has been corrupted by undemocratic state leaders and outdate polices, (Baylis and Smith, 2001, pg 178). Liberal politics has shown to protect the harmony of interests, through commerce and travel. For example the European Union can be seen as the official regulator of interests in Europe because they try to harmonise trade and travel to prevent any disputes. Liberal perspective on world politics is that they believe in minimal state intervention in peoples lifes they believe that this is the fundamental as it does not pose the risk of infringing on people human rights or interfere with the free market. Liberals argue about the preservation of individual liberty such as the freedom of free speech and freedom to trade. These are some fundamental guidelines which Liberal democracies adhere to. F. A. Hayek argues that Liberals try not to repress or discriminate their populace, every individual should be protected against all attempts to enforce them by violence or aimed discrimination. (Hayek, 1975, page 75). The preservation of liberties is seen to liberals as the basis of society and that they want to export it as it is way in which in reducing world anarchism and prevent war. Liberal trade markets are also a way of keeping state intervention to a minimum. This is so to create international harmony and cooperation as countries are allowed to trade with each other. F.A. Hayek takes into account liberalism has to have some sort of minimal state intervention as to ensure there is perfect competition and no barriers to entry within the economy, it also tries to prevent the monopolisation of areas within the economy, economic theory calls perfect competition but that there are no obstacles to entry into each trade and that the market functions adequately in spreading information about opportunities, (Hayek, 1975, page 71). Liberals always argue that for minimal state intervention in peoples lives but increasingly state centralisation is taking root within society as a result of the state trying to eliminate poverty and providing health care for the masses. J. S. Mill argues that the more the state increases its intervention in peoples lives the more they seem to look to the state for direction which eliminates independent thought, if government offices were universally filled by ablest men to whom the rest of the community would look for all things: the multitude of direction and dictation in all they had to do. (Mill, 1989, pg 111) A weakness of Liberalism is that western democracies try exporting it to other countries that are sometimes unwilling to adopt. Liberalism only takes into account western values for example democracy, free speech and equality, amongst others. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ universalising mission of liberal values such as democracyà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ undermine the traditions and practices of non-western cultures, (Baylis and Smith, 2001, pg 179). This shows that Liberal and typically western foreign policy has the ability to alienate other cultures. An example of the west trying to export democratic values in an ever internationally politicised world is on Iraq and Afghanistan, through the military intervention in Iraq 2003 and the attack on the Taliban in Afghanistan in 2001. A critique of the liberal perspective is that it wants to achieve world peace through international cooperation and the upholding of civil liberties, it operates with the goal of achieving world peace through cooperation and respect for human rights, (Larry Wilde, 2009, pg 4). Some countries see this as weakness and are prepared to exploit this to try and achieve concessions through taking advantage of Liberalism for example North Korea trying to get concessions for giving up nuclear weapons. A weakness of the liberal perspective on the world is that of the Liberal institutionalism. This is the liberalisation of world institutions such as the European Union. Many countries see the benefits of joining the European Union such as the freedom to access European trade markets and expand their economies that they are willing to risk and give up national sovereignty to join, The development of the European Union the benefits of membership have proved so great that states have been prepared to pool sovereignty and adjust their legal systems (Larry Wilde, 2009, pg 2). Realists view this much scepticism as they dont see why a country would want give up their own national sovereignty. A liberal perspective on the world has its strengths and weakness. Its strengths out way the weaknesses because Liberalism has influenced countries across the globe to operate free market economies which have adapted to globalisation and are now integrated into the global economy. The freedom of the economy has in some cases led to countries allowing freedom of speech and other basic human rights but it has also helped to alleviate poverty in certain areas of the world. Liberalism has also produced a network of greater collective security that helps protect nation states from attacks by aggressors such as in the 1990s when states stepped in to stop the bloodshed of the Balkan civil war. International cooperation has also helped harmonised trade and security agreements amongst states; an example of this is the development of the European Union in Europe and led to greater bonds and peace between nations. The belief of Liberals to give aid to those in third world countries has greatly helped and improved the lives of so many. Word count- 1389

Essay --

The Awakening, written by Kate Chopin, tells the story of one woman’s path to finding self-discovery. Edna Pontellier, the lady, who transforms herself from an obedient housewife to a person who is alive with strength of character and emotions which she no longer has to repress. How an individual’s true nature could conflict with societal expectations is revealed. It deals with the day-to-day realities that a woman may face if she chooses to pursue her own needs and desires that do not fit with what society expects. To remain true to one’s conviction a woman must have relentless strength and courage. This metamorphosis is shaped by her surroundings. Just as her behavior is more shocking and horrifying because of her position in society, it is that very position which causes her to feel restrained and makes her yearn to rebel. Yet, this story shows how the good and bad that comes along with choosing to live outside of society norms. Another point that Chopin make s is how devalued a husband can make a wife feel. This treatment could lead to a woman finding and pursuing different desires that she would not have otherwise pursued. In The Awakening, Kate Chopin’s main character, Edna Pontellier is â€Å"awakened† to a desire to live a life free of the accountability of her existing life as a wife, mother, and a homemaker in order to be the independent woman that realizes she wants to be. She awakens first to a discontentment in her life, then to a mental awakening, to the passion of music and art, to the pleasure of her own body, and finally, to boundaries that she no longer wishes uphold. For Edna that was a life of solitude, which was unbearable for her to accept. Chopin reveals how a person can gradually become affected by her enviro... ...lfill her newly awakened self. Edna finds suicide as the only option to pursue when she see that living in her world is purposeless and maintain her newfound identity is impossible. Within Edna was the desire that is within nearly every human being, the desire to be born free, to have live their own life, to, quite simply, embrace the value of independence. Edna drowning herself and not killing herself, draws a symbolism of the water as a representation of realizing freedom. Her suicide was meant to be a demonstration of her finally realizing that she couldn’t controlled by societal roles and expectations. Also, the symbolism of the bird offers a slightly different alternative; as a bird with a broken wing, Edna is a victim of fate and her society. Edna’s wings are not strong enough to overcome gravity; she weighted down by the forces that society imposes on her.