The Importance Of Critical Thinking Skills Education Essay

Moore viewed critical thought accomplishment is highlighted as an indispensable foundation to bring forth womb-to-tomb scholars for Twentieth Century acquisition. This chapter will discourse on the importance of critical thought accomplishments, critical thought and employability, execution and challenges of learning critical thought in Malaysia every bit good as theory and schemes to learn critical thought. This chapter will besides lucubrate further on the interconnectedness between engineering, linguistic communication and higher order believing accomplishments, argumentative cognition acquisition and eventually, depict the Toulmin ‘s Model.The importance of critical thought accomplishmentsHarmonizing to Edmonds et Al. ( 2005 ) , critical thought has many definitions over the past old ages ; nevertheless, it can be concluded as an active mental procedure that includes mental accomplishments such as conceptualizing, analysing, using, synthesising and measuring information in order to emerge with an reply or decision. Everyone needs to hold an ability to work out jobs throughout their lives. Therefore, many educational experts have stressed on the importance of transfusing higher order believing accomplishments in one ‘s instruction as it helps pupils to analyze the state of affairs, learn the undertakings better before emerge with solution both in academic and non-academic fortunes ( Chance, 1986 ; Tama, 1989 ; Ennis, 1992 ; Elder & A ; Paul, 2001, ) . This is because believing and larning are interrelated as one has to independently believe and seek solutions to a job or state of affairs in order to derive cognition. Research findings indicate that critical thought accomplishment can be taught and improved in everyone and this accomplishment should be integrated in the course of study at all degrees ( Grant, 1988 ; Paul et al. , 1989 ; White, Burke, 1992 ; McKendree et al. , 2002 ) . Sternberg ( 2003 ) stated that one of the ends of instruction is to bring forth womb-to-tomb scholars who posses the qualities of intelligent, critical minds which is believed to be able to believe independently, analytically and critically to see a better calling accomplishment in order to derive personal satisfaction and hopefully, contribute to national accomplishment to develop his state. This is because larning is an on-going procedure that may happen in academic and non-academic fortunes. Without critical thought accomplishments, Sternberg ( 2003 ) further elaborated that schools and universities will merely bring forth extremely fleeceable pupils and alumnuss who may be knowing, but deficiency of the accomplishments to believe critically and analytically over a state of affairs. This is because they are merely passively having information exhibited by the political leaders as information can be easy transmitted by the media via assorted signifier in this epoch of rapid develop ment of Information Technology ( IT ) . Without ability to believe critically, they besides would subsequently confront some jobs when they become employees as they need to pass on well-reasoned thoughts and would non be able to actively lend to educational treatments due to hapless communicating accomplishments and deficiency of analytical logical thinking to a state of affairs at manus ( Education Reform in Malaysia Report, 2012 ) .Critical thought and employabilityPaul ( 1995 ) claimed that critical thought is a critical foundation to the accommodations needed for mundane societal, personal and professional demands of the twenty-first Century. It is further supported by Elder ( 2000 ) who claims that it is of import to learn higher order believing accomplishments to pupils in schools and universities as today ‘s society has become more complex due to rapid alteration in engineering. The society demand to be able to analyze the huge information that can be gathered effortles sly via online and merely choice necessities from it ( Chartrand, 2009 ) . Henwood ( 2007 ) claimed this state of affairs besides applied in twenty-four hours to twenty-four hours existent life state of affairss. Hence, he farther stated that pupils who are ill-equipped with critical thought accomplishments will non be able to get by with the challenges and demands of current occupation market. This is because higher order believing accomplishment is believed as one of the most indispensable soft accomplishments for future employability of the new coevalss. â€Å" aˆÂ ¦workplace literacy in the following millenary will be synonymous with job resolution. † ( Mariam Jean Dreher, 2000 ) Mariam Jean Dreher ( 2000 ) predicts that the hereafter will name for a life style ; both in instruction and calling field ; of independent job convergent thinkers that requires multiliteracies which involves higher order believing accomplishments. In Malaysia, the research findings claim that critical thought accomplishment is extremely valued in the workplace today ( DETYA, 2000 ; Chartrand, 2009 ) . Norshima ( 2011 ) studies that Malaysia produces 60, 000 alumnuss yearly in which at least 30 per centum of these alumnuss are unemployed every twelvemonth as they are lacked of these powerful accomplishments. This is farther supported by Gurvinder Kaur and Sharan Kaur ( 2009 ) who claimed that in Malaysia, six out of 10 university alumnuss take every bit much as six months to be employed due to miss of critical thought accomplishments and hapless communicating accomplishments. Fong ( 2004 ) and Vijan ( 2007 ) findings stated that the grounds that Malayan alumnuss are unemployed because they are non able to affect their possible hereafter employers during interview due to hapless presentation and communicating accomplishments particularly if it is done in English. Besides, Malayan instruction system is said to be excessively exam-oriented and therefore, the alumnuss could non lend every bit much once they start working as they are merely theoretically competent but non equipped with sufficient practical exposure ( Henwood, 2007 ) . This is farther supported by Rosnani ( 2009 ) and Education Reform in Malaysia Report ( 2012 ) findings which stated that employers in Malaysia, specifically in concern sector, complain about the low quality of most alumnuss from Malaysia are lacking in footings of critical thought accomplishments which in return affect the quality of their work.Execution of critical thought in MalayaDue to the uprising employees ‘ concern over the lacking of this powerful soft accomplishment amongst newly alumnuss employers globally, course of study of educational system has been bit by bit revamped over the old ages. This state of affairs is particularly true in most prima or developing states like the United States, England and Singapore ( Nagappan, 2001 ; Willingham, 2007 ) . The demand to instill critical thought accomplishments into Malayan instruction system is therefore undeniable in order to carry through Vision 2020. This demand is supported by Rosnani ( 2009 ) who proclaims that Malaysians, in general, have non been able to use the content of cognition gained throughout their school old ages into existent life state of affairss even after undergone at least 11 old ages of schooling and hence, Malaysia educational system demand to be analysed and some alterations need to be made. Ministry of Education ( MOE ) has realised the dismaying demands of the aforesaid state of affairs and therefore, Integrated Curriculum for Secondary School ( KBSM ) was introduced in the late eightiess ( Nagappan, 2011 ) . The content of this new course of study was revamped in which originative and critical thought accomplishments were integrated in most of the topics taught in schools with a emphasis on treatment, find and enquiry ; the higher round of Bloom taxonomy ( Curriculum Development Center, 1989 ) . As it is realised that the instructors need to be competent to learn critical thought accomplishments to the pupils, a few attempts were besides been conducted as to fix the instructors and teachers-to-be with the new undertaking in front of them. As educational findings have reported that most instructors in Malayan schools are missing in footings of cognition and accomplishments to learn critical thought accomplishments to their pupils ( Education Reform in Malaysia Report, 2012 ) , a few amendments have been made to meet this job from the instructor ‘s portion. Nagappan ( 2001 ) studies that Teacher Education Division ( TED ) had revamped the course of study for Teacher Training Programme such as in Post Degree Teaching Programme ( KPLI ) in early 1994 to integrate a programme that teaches the schemes to learn believing accomplishments utilizing the extract attack which is based on Boston Model. As for the instructors in schools, Ministry of Education ( MOE ) had introduced the Programme for Instruction in Learning and Thinking Skills ( PILTS ) in 1992 ( Rosnani, 2009 ) . This programme was introduced to place the nucleus thought accomplishments to be taught and the schemes to inculcate these accomplishments into the content of the lesson being learnt. Apart from that, Ministry of Higher Education ( MOHE ) has besides made an effort to cultivate undergraduates ‘ critical thought accomplishments through the content and undertakings assigned throughout each programme. Harmonizing to Hairuzila, Hazadiah & A ; Normah ( 2010 ) , the course of study for undergraduates has been infused with relevant soft accomplishments such as communicative accomplishments, critical thought and job resolution accomplishments, womb-to-tomb acquisition, squad work force and leading accomplishments into its course of study. They further elaborate that in order to aline with Vision 2020 of bring forthing holistic persons for the state, the appraisals or undertakings given to the undergraduates are geared towards fixing them for their calling life as most are based on real-life jobs, with less emphasis on pen and paper trials like antecedently.Challenges in learning critical thought accomplishments in MalayaDue to the exam-oriented civilization that has been practised for old ages in Malayan instruction system, instructors are shouldered with the duty to complete the course of study and give every bit much boring exercisings as they can to their pupils as to maintain up with the society ‘s outlook and over-emphasis on academic consequences. This in return has caused the instructors paying the least attending to pupils ‘ character edifice and soft accomplishments such as critical thought accomplishment ( Education Reform in Malaysia Report, 2012 ) . It can be seen here that Malayan instructors are non merely missing in footings of accomplishments to learn critical thought accomplishments ( Rosnani, 2009 ) , but besides are less than competent to fix and carry on a lesson that infuses critical thought accomplishments in a traditional schoolroom. This is due to the fact that learning critical thought accomplishments needs a batch of clip allotment during the pre-preparation category and undivided committedness both of por tion of the instructor and pupils to guarantee an active advancement during the acquisition procedure ( Willingham, 2007 ) . Apart from that, large size schoolrooms in most Malayan schools are besides one of the grounds that contribute to the failure of incorporating critical thought accomplishments in learning a topic in traditional schoolroom. A study done by Kamaruddin ( 2011 ) stated that schoolroom in Malayan schools are by and large consists of 35 to 50 pupils per schoolroom. This indirectly shows that most pupils will look as inactive scholars and synergistic activities that are believed to cultivate pupils ‘ critical thought can non be good conducted in such large size category. In contrast, many surveies have shown that a little size category of 20 pupils and below are said to be efficient and frequently associated with increased pupils ‘ public presentation and therefore, most likely leting smooth nurturing procedure of their soft accomplishments ( Carson, Badarack, 1989 ; Berliner, 1990 ; Kamaruddin & A ; Bhasah, 2004 ) . The force per unit area to accomplish excellence in academic consequence in a less contributing environment in most of Malayan schools left the instructors with no pick but to fall back rehearsing teacher centred attack in go toing their duties. Hence, pupils are non given ample chance to see synergistic, active acquisition that could really assist to cultivate their critical thought accomplishments ( Kamaruddin, 2011 ) . Teacher centred attack, in return, will undeniably do one-way cognition transmittal to happen and hence, less opportunities being given to the pupils to convey their sentiments to actively build their ain cognition ( Willingham, 2007 ) . Without chance to actively build ain cognition, one is said to pay less attending to cultivate and foster his ain critical thought ( Toulmin, 1958 ) . Due to this state of affairs, most of Malayan pupils who are subsequently become employees are said to hold hapless communicating accomplishments and this visibly shows in their defic iency of ability to critically reassigning an sentiment or cognition when pass oning with others ( Education Reform in Malaysia Report, 2012 ) .Educational Learning Theory and SchemesDue to that, instructors ‘ manner of learning should pitch towards incorporating higher order believing accomplishments and rehearsing positive communicating accomplishments in order to bring forth holistic persons align with Vision 2020. Woolfolk ( 1993 ) suggests that theoretical foundation of acquisition and schemes used in a acquisition procedure will assist to model the type of pupils that a instructor wants to foster. Lai ( 2011 ) suggests the instruction of higher order believing accomplishments should be based on the followerss:Constructivism TheoryBruner ( 1996 ) stated that the basic thought of constructivism is that scholars actively construct ain apprehension by accepting certain experiences and choosing necessities from assorted beginnings of cognition. Naismith et. Al ( 2006 ) beside s claimed that constructivism attack is about constructing new cognition upon what have been gathered in old acquisition. Woolfolk ( 1993 ) stated that constructivist larning theory indirectly learning the pupils to â€Å" larn to larn † as it involves believing procedures in which pupils need to be able to travel beyond the information given, use their ain cognition, evaluate opinions before generate new thoughts out of it. Students are required to actively affect in the acquisition procedure to develop their thought accomplishments through their experiences in schools ( Prawat, 1991 ) . Lai ( 2001 ) stated that constructivism can be used as a foundation to foster one ‘s higher order believing accomplishments via self-questioning, analyzing written papers for comprehension and besides holding collaborative treatments with equals.Social Constructivist TheorySocial Constructivist Theory, on the other manus, is a theory that states each single cognitive development is at its best when one constructs the significance of new cognition by actively take parting in building and sharing the cognition through communicating with others ( Burningham & A ; Cooper, 1999 ) . These theories believes that equal to peer treatment will assist one to actively build new cognition and learn by sharing and discoursing the stuffs gathered in a positive societal environment ( Schwandt, 2003 ) .Problem Based Learning ( PBL )Teaching critical thought accomplishments is normally being paired with Problem Based Learning attack as it triggers and provokes scholars ‘ thought as to make to a solution to a job with relation to daily state of affairss ( Woolfolk, 1993 ) . Problem Based Learning ( PBL ) attack teaches pupils to believe critically as it takes existent universe fortunes which normally involves experiential, inductive acquisition that requires oppugning and believing that is purposive and purposive ( Lai, 2011 ) . More frequently than non, it involves a underta king that encourages the scholars to â€Å" larn to larn † which is an of import constituent in constructivist attack ( Kuhn, 1999 ) . This necessarily will promote active larning procedure including through speaking, brainstorming and in-depth probe of cognition via legion collaborative acquisition experiences.Collaborative acquisitionA figure of critical thought research workers recommended that societal experiences in a learning procedure can significantly lend to one ‘s cognitive development procedure which obviously occurred in a collaborative acquisition attack ( Heyman, 2008 ; Thayer-Bacon, 2008 & A ; Nelson, 1994 ) . This is farther supported by Woolfolk ( 1993 ) who claimed that collaborative acquisition is fundamentally based from Piagetian and Vygotsky theory which reciprocally agree that societal interactions extremely contribute to one ‘s cognitive development procedure. In a collaborative acquisition, it is believed that Piaget theory is applied in footings of its instructional facet in which scholar ‘s cognitive development can be triggered via interactions with another individual of a higher developmental phase which is usually the instructor or a more knowing equal ( Woolfolk, 1993 ) whilst Vygotsky belief is identified in footings of one ‘s zone of proximal development that distinguishes between what an person can achieved by himself and what can be accomplished via interactions with a more competent equal or grownup ( Nelson, 1994 ) . Thayer-Bacon ( 2008 ) further viewed that societal interactions with others in collaborative acquisition is an of import facet to instil critical thought accomplishments onto pupils as they need to constructively contribute and portion sentiments and at the same clip learn to esteem other parts during group treatments.Collaborative Problem Based Learning ( CPBL )Gokhale ( 1995 ) findings stated that pu pils who are actively engaged in a collaborative undertaking demonstrate better Higher Order Thinking Skills ( HOTS ) as compared to the 1s who work separately. This determination is farther supported by Vygotsky ( 1978 ) who claimed that collaborative acquisition helps to further the development of critical thought accomplishments via treatment, justification of thoughts and analyzing other ‘s positions. A few research findings have shown that uniting collaborative attack on job work outing learning scheme has really increase pupils ‘ meta-cognitive on work outing the jobs and therefore, better their higher order believing accomplishments ( Johnson & A ; Chung, 1999 ; Mergendoller et al. , 2000 ) . They further elaborate that the interaction between equals about the job at manus, brainstorming for solutions and measuring each other ‘s positions during the procedure has encouraged more frequent coevals of thoughts and solution and therefore, allow pupils to believe critically and analytically. Collaborative acquisition, as defined by Correndo and Alani ( 2007 ) , is an instructional scheme that consists of pupils from assorted proficiency degrees work together in a group while assisting each other towards accomplishing one common aim or larning result. On the other manus, Problem Based Learning is an instructional teaching method that uses job as a larning context to dispute the pupils to â€Å" larn to larn † in order to happen solutions to the job ( Duch, Groh & A ; Allen, 2001 ) . Hence, Collaborative Problem Based Learning ( CPBL ) is a combination of Collaborative Learning and Problem Based Learning which can be concluded as an instructional scheme that provides chances for the pupils to work within little groups and actively take part in assorted activities including treatments a state of affairs, analyzing others ‘ positions and eventually collaboratively measuring possible solution to the job at manus ( An, 2006 ) .The advantages of CPBLCPBL encourages pupils to work together in building new cognition to seek a solution of the job at manus. Hence, pupils are given huge chances to go critical minds by sharing thoughts and actively prosecuting oneself in treatments and be responsible of their ain acquisition every bit good as others ‘ ( Totten, Sills, Digby, & A ; Russ, 1991 ) . This place is farther supported by Johnson and Johnson ( 1986 ) who stated that the coaction on job work outing promotes higher degree of thought as the participants need to analyze others ‘ sentiment before clear uping ain sentiment. They farther claimed that this helps to advance longer cognition keeping as compared to the 1s who worked separately to seek cognition. Besides, An ( 2006 ) besides stated that CPBL provides reliable larning experiences every bit good as fostering their communicating accomplishments while interchanging thoughts during the treatments. Hence, CPBL helps to further autonomous acquisition accomplishments that could be utile to assist pupils go womb-to-tomb scholars and critical minds ( Norman and Schmidt, 1992 ) . Albanese and Mitchell ( 1993 ) besides proposed that pupils who undergone CPBL attack performed better than the 1s who received traditional attack in larning as they have first manus experience that rewards them with in-depth understanding about the undertaking at manus. This is believed because the pupils actively building their ain cognition via interaction with their equals ( Smith & A ; MacGregor, 2001 ) . Vygotsky ( 1978 ) besides views that instructor is non the lone cognition sender that the pupils can larn from ; equal instruction is besides one of the ways to promote active acquisition.The restrictions of CPBLDespite of these benefits, CPBL attack besides has its just portion of defects when it is being applied in a traditional schoolroom. In any group activities, particularly in a traditional schoolroom as it is rather hard for the instructor to accurately measure every pupil ‘s parts to the group, there is ever freeloading jobs. The freeloading members normally take credits of the work of others and this may do struggle amongst pupils ( Bower & A ; Richards, 2006 ) . Bower and Richards ( 2006 ) further stated that this may diminish some assurance of some pupils as psychologically, every pupil demand to be acknowledged where recognition is due in order for them to foster build their ain cognition in an active mode. They besides claimed that it is about impossible for the instructor to reasonably administer the grade based on every pupil ‘s part to the group. Hence, this may either do some pupils to either frustrated for being credited below the belt and subsequently de-motivated to lend in the hereafter or worse, become freeloaders and merely basking the free tiffin ( Bonwell, 2006 ) . Other than that, since CPBL activities need the pupils to collaboratively work towards accomplishing a end or solution to a real-life job, the readying of these activities are usually take great attempt and commitment both from the instructor and pupils. This is difficult to accomplish if it were to be done in a traditional schoolroom due to clip and infinite restraint ( Bonwell, 2002 ) . Apart from learning, Malayan instructors particularly, are burdened with other excess course of study or out of-school activities that take a batch of their personal clip ( Rosnani, 2009 ) . Without proper readying, CPBL that is hoped to promote pupils to actively build their ain cognition and at the same clip fostering their higher order and communicating accomplishments may non be turn into an accomplishable terminal ( Hmelo-Silver, 2004 ) . This is farther supported by Smith and MacGregor ( 2001 ) who claimed that collaborative acquisition is a fantastic attack to promote critical thought, nevert heless, it is besides may make quandary between pupil ‘s procedure of acquisition and the coverage of the lesson ‘s content.Computer Supported Collaborative Learning ( CSCL )Due to the rapid development of Information Technology ( IT ) in this modern age, these twenty-first Century pupils ‘ manner of acquisition has besides changed ( An, 2006 ) . Today, one of the ways to back up active acquisition can be materialised in a more fun manner through the usage of engineering tools. Computer Supported Collaborative Learning ( CSCL ) is an instructional scheme infused with constructivist attack to learning and larning utilizing engineering to back up coaction in order to make a more contributing and prosecuting larning atmosphere ( Johnson & A ; Johnson, 1996 ) . They farther stated that a technology-rich acquisition environment is able to increase pupils ‘ societal interaction, cooperation and coaction and therefore, promote their cognition building. Harasim, Hilt z, Teles, and Turoff ( 1995 ) besides claimed that CSCL promotes on-line collaborative acquisition that may positively promote pupils ‘ towards active acquisition. This is because pupils can acquire information about effortlessly via online and so discourse with their equals before emerge with a solution to a job.CPBL in an online environmentIn this epoch of rapid development of Information Technology ( IT ) , there have been attempts to unite CPBL into CSCL environment ( An, 2006 ) . Many research findings have indicated that CPBL in an online environment has been demoing positive effects towards pupils ‘ cognition building every bit good as societal interaction accomplishments. One of the fringe benefits by using CPBL into an on-line environment, apart from treatment with the teacher and their equals via online with no limitation to clip and topographic point, is that it encourages autonomous larning amongst pupils as it provides pupils with huge choices of information needed about effortlessly ( Bonk & A ; King, 1998 ) . This is because it allows the pupils to larn via Web 2.0 tools as larning AIDSs such as electronic mails, on-line group treatment in the confab suites, collaborative authorship via Wiki, societal bookmarking and so forth to go on anytime and anyplace. This limitless and easy entree on information will open ways for the pupils to accommodate to autonomous acquisition and therefore, promote active cognition building to happen. Besides, this online larning environment allows the function of the instructor as the exclusive supplier of cognition to transform into the function of facilitator, which aligns absolutely with student-centred attack in PBL ( Vrasidas & A ; McIsaac, 2000 ) . Here, pupils are encouraged to build their ain cognition with small counsel from the instructor and go an active subscriber towards their ain acquisition alternatively of passively having cognition from anyone else. This attack opens manner to cultivate one ‘s higher order believing accomplishments ( Harasim et al. , 1997 ) as it besides promotes positive interaction between the instructor and the pupils ( Relan & A ; Gillani, 1997 ) . Most significantly, Althaus, ( 1996 ) viewed that CPBL in an online environment allows computing machine mediated communicating that gives an ample clip for the pupils to analyze, reflect the content of the treatment, happen excess information needed via online and evaluate others ‘ sentiments before supplying a thoughtful response. The treatment via online besides allows the pupils to make self contemplation at their ain convenient clip as they can publish out the treatment due to its permanency discourse, as opposed to confront to confront treatment ( Bonk & A ; King, 1998 ) . Bower and Richards ( 2006 ) stated that one of the restrictions of utilizing PBL in a traditional schoolroom is that the collaborative treatment in a traditional schoolroom frequently consequences in off-task behavior amongst pupils. In contrast, many research findings have proven that pupils emit less off-task behavior in an on-line treatment and they tend to concentrate and intently work outing the job at manus ( Angeli et al. , 2003 ; Bonk et al. , 1998 ; Bonk & A ; King, 1998 ; Bonk et al. , 2004 ) . In fact, many psychological surveies have indicated that collaborative treatment via online shows more engagement from the pupils than the face to confront treatments ( Bonk & A ; King, 1998 ; Chong, 1998 ; Cooney, 1998 ) . This state of affairs is particularly true for the pupils who have shy personality or deficiency of ego assurance to speak publically. Leasure et Al. ( 2000 ) proposed that this could be due to the comfy and â€Å" safe † societal acquisition environment that the on-line atmosphere provides for these pupils. Here, it can be said that CPBL in an on-line environment is a possible acquisition attack to advance positive alterations in cultivating critical thought every bit good as to promote one ‘s societal interaction with others.2.8 Language larning issues in MalayaIn traveling towards carry throughing Vision 2020, instruction system in Malaysia is undergoing a few alterations as to bring forth holistic persons who are competent physically, emotionally, spiritually and intellectually ( Education Reform in Malaysia Report, 2012 ) . Along with the alterations introduced, Ministry of Education ( MOE ) has decided to incorporate the instruction of critical thought accomplishments within the course of studies of the topics taught in schools including English topic. The alterations is hoped to bring forth womb-to-tomb scholars who are able to believe critically and analytically over a given state of affairs. Sadly, nevertheless, the result of our instruction system has proven a contrasting consequence in which most of Malayan pupils and university undergraduates are said to be lacking in footings critical thought accomplishments and show hapless communicating abilities particularly when it is done in English ( Normazidah, Koo & A ; Hazita, 2012 ) . A survey by Koo ( 2008 ) revealed that this is due to the fact that Malaysians schools in general, placed a high value of importance on national scrutiny. This has indirectly caused the English instructors to concentrate on the instruction of grammar, reading a transition and composing accomplishments instead than concentrating on the communicative facet of the linguistic communication itself, allow entirely to model pupils ‘ critical thought ability while larning the linguistic communication ( Normazidah, Koo & A ; Hazita, 2012 ) . This is farther supported by Amigapathy ( 2002 ) findings on his analysis of KBSM course of study which indicated that the content of current course of study requires the pupils to larn excessively many grammatical constituents which subsequently are to be tested in scrutinies. Here, it can be seen that the instruction of English is chiefly focused on the mechanical facet of the linguistic communication without doing any connexion with how it should be used in existent life communicative events. He farther documented that in order to carry through the demands of the society to bring forth pupils with good classs in scrutinies, English instructors in Malaysia frequently resorted to teacher-centred attack in learning the linguistic communication by supplying chalk-and-talk boring method of past twelvemonth documents, manus outs and infinite paper exercises. This finally will necessarily bring forth scholars who know about the linguistic communication but do non cognize how to utilize it in existent life state of affairss ( Amigapathy, 2002 ) , show limited critical ability in analyzing and reacting to an academic transition ( Ahmad Mazli Muhammad, 2007 ) as pupils are merely exposed to come up attack to reading ( Noorizah Mohd Noor, 2006 ) . Here, it can be concluded that there is a mismatch between the policy made with the existent practise of instruction and acquisition of English in Malaysia which make it rather hard to bring forth scholars as critical minds with acceptable degree of English proficiency. This state of affairs is reported leads to a greater job when the pupils make the passage from secondary school to university as the pupils will confront jobs to travel off from school spoon-feeding learning civilization ( Normazidah, Koo & A ; Hazita, 2012 ) . Research surveies have indicated that most Malayan pupils are non prepared to run into the academic demand that requires them to hold both linguistic communication literacy every bit good as critical literacy ability in order to carry through the academic reading and academic authorship undertakings imposed on them at university ( Rosniah Mustaffa, 2006 ; Krishnakumari, Paul-Evanson, & A ; Selvanayagam, 2010 ) . Therefore, it is safe to state that the clip has come for Malayan instructors to handle the pupils as the focal point of linguistic communication acquisition by doing a little alterations in learning the linguistic communication and at the same clip, whenever possible, supplying a contributing environment of larning. As CPBL is geared towards cultivating one ‘s critical thought ability ( An, 2006 ; Totten, Sills, Digby, & A ; Russ, 1991 ) and critical thought accomplishments is viewed as important portion in the acquisition of linguistic communication accomplishments ( Elder & A ; Paul, 2006 ; Shaharom Abdullah, 2004 ; Moore, 1995 ) , it merely seems appropriate to accommodate CPBL attack in the instruction and acquisition of English in Malaysian schoolrooms. Besides, linguistic communication acquisition can besides be mediated via engineering tools because as mentioned earlier, CPBL in an on-line environment brings enormous advantages and benefits to the pupils in footings of critical thought and linguistic communication acquisition as it involves legion chances for societal interactions amongst the pupils and pedagogue.Technology, linguistic communication acquisition and critical thoughtTechnology has besides been proven utile in the instruction of linguistic communication and development of one ‘s critical thought at clip and infinite convenient to both the instructor and pupils ( Cheong & A ; Cheung, 2008 ) . For case, the treatments in the treatment boards or chew the fat suites between the pupils and the instructor and besides between pupils have been used as a medium to positively develop pupils ‘ communicating accomplishments every bit good as linguistic communication accomplishments ( Chitravelu, Sithamparam and Teh, 2005 ) . Kroop, Nussbaumer and Fruhmann ( 2010 ) reported that the development of Web 2.0 tools are able to better one ‘s linguistic communication skills every bit good as support one ‘s critical thought accomplishments development by leting its users to make collaborative treatment that includes discussing, reasoning, reexamining, measuring, composing and re-producing an thought. By utilizing Web 2.0 tools such as electronic mails, treatments in confab suites or treatment boards that could be done either synchronously or asynchronously, pupils become more participative and therefore, bettering their linguistic communication and communicative accomplishments ( Berry, 2006 ) . Another Web 2.0 tools that is often used in an on-line environment to learn linguistic communication is Wiki. Wiki is said has the potency to better pupils ‘ linguistic communication accomplishments every bit good as communicating and thought accomplishments ( Goodings, 2008 ) . Fuchs-Kittowski and Kohler ( 2005 ) mentioned that Wikis is able to ease the collaborative treatments that encourage coevals of cognition by supplying a medium to portion creative activity and edit paperss. Bruns and Humphreys ( 2005 ) besides added that Wiki is a learning tool that support societal constructivist larning as it allows argumentative-based larning experience ( Chong & A ; Yamamoto, 2006 ) , facilitates knowledge determining ( Reinhold, 2006 ) , allows coaction ( Kim et al. , 2006 ) and allows enquiry acquisition and collaborative building of cognition ( Yukawa, 2006 ) . This procedure is known as Argumentative Knowledge Construction. Knowledge building within a traditional schoolroom is frequently relied to a great extent on the instructors which necessarily produce inactive scholars who may or may non be able to critically decode the cognition received to use it in existent life state of affairs ( Weible, 2011 ) . By utilizing Web 2.0 tools, on the other manus, it encourages and facilitates active engagement of each user as everyone has a just portion and chance to make, portion, edit, add on and go through the cognition and these actions reinforce single ‘s cognition building by actively larning from others ( Correndo & A ; Alani, 2007 ) . Besides, Web 2.0 tools value are increased as the more people are utilizing it as the content cognition and the information are provided chiefly by the users and construct up over the clip with other users ‘ part ( Weible, 2011 ) . This procedure encourages argumentative cognition building amongst its users as they learn from each other and develop higher other be lieving accomplishments as the users need to measure others ‘ sentiment apart from offering one in the treatment. This is in line with constructivism attack in which larning takes topographic point and retain longer when it is achieve via societal context ( Woolfolk, 1993 ) .Argumentative Knowledge ConstructionHarmonizing to Weinberger and Fischer ( 2006 ) , Argumentative Knowledge Construction is described as a manner for the pupils to build their ain cognition via educational debate and interaction with their learning spouses. They besides stated that each single cognition building is depends on is refined and evidenced throughout their active engagement in analyzing sentiments of others, measuring possible solutions or results available from emerge with ain point of views via treatment and debate with equals.Argumentative Knowledge Construction in CPBLAalst ( 2009 ) stated that Argumentative Knowledge Construction is a procedure in which the pupils solve a job and concept m eaningful comprehension of a peculiar state of affairs in relation to their anterior cognition by societal interaction within a peculiar group. He farther added it involves a huge sphere of cognitive procedures as it involves critical-explanation seeking oppugning techniques, construing and analyzing new information, sharing, knocking, reorganizing thoughts, sum uping and synthesising before emerge with a new construct of the affair. In CPBL, for illustration, pupils learn by take parting in experiential acquisition and garner the indispensable cognition by work outing a job and reflecting on their collaborative experiences ( Hmelo-Silver, 2004 ) . CPBL activities encourage pupils to work in little collaborative groups in order to look into, understand, explicate and happen a solution to meaningful, real-life contexts ( Barrow, 2000 ) . He farther viewed that CPBL attack is widely used to cultivate one ‘s critical thought accomplishments as its acquisition procedure starts by showing the pupils with a job scenario in which the pupils try to work out the job collaboratively by place the lacks within the job, sharing sentiments and facts before coming out with hypotheses as to critically supply solutions to the job. Therefore, it can be said that CPBL is a suited attack to learn pupils to develop schemes in work outing jobs which may heighten their critical thought ability and besides assist them to heighten their argumentative cognition building ( Hmelo-Silver, 2004 ) .Argumentative Knowledge Construction in CSCLStudent ‘s argumentative cognition building procedure can be enhanced rather expeditiously through pupils ‘ treatments and composing with the assistance of fast growing and spread of Web 2.0 engineering, particularly in linguistic communication instruction and acquisition ( Stegmann et al. , 2007 ) . Bocconi ( 2010 ) proposed that CSCL may help to the Argumentative Knowledge Construction via the usage of Web 2.0 tools integrates with societal package to ease pupils interaction and coaction within a peculiar group. This is an accomplishable state of affairs as Web 2.0 tools such as weblogs, wikis, societal bookmarking, treatment boards, societal networking sites and others allow its users to pool information that triggers communications that leads to knowledge sharing and therefore, cognition is constructed ( Strijbos, Martens and Jochems, 2004 ) . Apart from that, the research conducted by Boulos et Al. ( 2006 ) stated that Wikis have the possible to ease autonomous acquisition of one to build ain cognition in order to derive deeper apprehension over a affair. Another research done by Bocconi ( 2010 ) shows that the usage of Web 2.0 tools, the Wikis to be specific, has shown positive consequence to catapult pupil ‘s argumentative cognition building procedure by analyzing the quality and frequence of the single argumentative Acts of the Apostless throughout the procedure. This is farther supported by Armin et Al. ( 2006 ) who claimed that by utilizing Wiki, pupils learn how to reason within a sphere and facilitates scholars in building their ain cognition and this taking them to a deeper apprehension. Bocconi ( 2010 ) stated that pupils ‘ higher order believing accomplishments are evidenced via their statements throughout the treatment procedure. He farther suggested that one of the methods to analyze and supervise pupils ‘ statement that emits their degree of higher order believing accomplishments can be done by utilizing Models of Argument such as Toulmin ‘s ModelModels of ArgumentationModel of Argumentation is defined as the basic layout as to sketch the best possible ways to organize an effectual procedure of common sense logical thinking or controversy in supplying a persuasive point of views ( Georgia State University, Department of English, 2008 ) . There are a few theoretical accounts of debate that are widely used in educational discourse in linguistic communication acquisition viz. the Classical Approach, the Rogerian Approach and the Toulmin Approach. The Classical Approach is fundamentally used to convert the audience to hold and take side or do determination that favours one ‘s personal point of view ( Beale, 1986 ) . He farther elaborates that this attack consists of five elements of composing the statements viz. the Introduction in which to province the general claim of an statement to the audience ; the Narration as to supply a relevant drumhead background of peculiar state of affairs ; the Confirmation as to supply back uping grounds to a claim. Then, it is followed by the Refutation in which the talker or author provides a counter-argument to any opposing claims before terminals it with the Conclusion as to which the talker or author summarizes the chief points and reiterates the claim made in Introduction portion. The Rogerian Approach, on the other manus, is based on the thought that the talker or the author needs to happen a â€Å" common land † with his audience as to make to a more conciliatory and less confrontational solution ( Moxley, 2012 ) . There are besides chiefly five elements in sketching debate thoughts harmonizing to Rogerian Model of Argumentation. It begins with an Introduction that province the issue ; followed by a non-judgemental opposition ‘s place ; a impersonal statement of ain point of view ; an analysis of common land of both places stated and eventually a proposal of concluding statement that satisfies the demands of both places made. Whilst Toulmin ‘s Model of Argumentation in which it was developed by a British philosopher, Stephen Toulmin. He suggested that a realistic statement normally starts with a individual makes a claim over a affair, so supply a land that support the claim which is followed by a warrant to endorse up the land made ( Toulmin, 1958 ) . This is the Model of Argumentation chosen to be used in this survey and will be elaborated at length below.Toulmin ‘s ModelHarmonizing to Toulmin ( 1958 ) , his strategy of statement analysis is based on six parts, which could be depicted utilizing Figure 2.1 as follows:DatasClaimWarrantsBackingQualifierRebuttalFigure 2.1: Toulmin ‘s Model of Argument Claim: the statement or decision being argued ; Datas: The grounds or fact to back up the claim made ; Warrants: the logical statements that serve as a connexion between the informations and the claim made ; Backing: the basic premise that is made to farther support a warrant ; Qualifiers: states the restriction under which state of affairs the claim can be regarded as true ; Rebuttals: the counter statements to picture circumstance when the claim made is non true. ( Toulmin, 1958 ) In add-on, Bocconi ( 2010 ) indicated that the basic construction of each of these phases can be identified and represented as follows: â€Å" because ( informations ) . . . since ( warrant ) . . . on history of ( endorsing ) . . . therefore ( decision ) † Bocconi ( 2010 ) Karbach ( 2010 ) stated that Toulmin suggested that one ‘s statement can be analysed by looking at his or her cognition building at four stairss viz. ; claim, informations, rebuttal and backup as to see whether the statement made solidly backed, sufficient and relevant to back up the old statements made. Hence, Karbach ( 2010 ) believed that Toulmin ‘s Model of Argumentation is a clear theoretical account to observe one ‘s inductive, deductive and logical logical thinking. Kneupper ( 1978 ) besides viewed that this layout strategy can be efficaciously used to analyze the constituents of an statements in linguistic communication acquisition.DecisionThe instruction of higher order believing accomplishments can non be taught in isolation ( Lai, 2011, Nagappan, 2001 ) . Hence, it has to be integrated into the course of study as to supply the pupils with the existent life medium and purposeful acquisition results apart from its importance to cultivate one ‘s critic al thought and communicating accomplishments ( Education Reform in Malaysia Report, 2012 ) . In this fast growing of Information Technology ( IT ) epoch, the usage of engineering such as Web 2.0 tools can be used to efficaciously heighten the instruction of these accomplishments anytime anyplace ( Winston, 2006 ) . Besides, the usage of these engineering tools are proven to be effectual to promote pupils to larn collaboratively as human makes significances and can make at a deeper apprehension by pass oning with others ( Vygotsky, 1978 ; Johnson and Johnson, 1986 ; Gokhale,1995 ; An, 2006 ) . Through the communicating and interaction in a collaborative treatment via online, one can actively develop his or her ain cognition building in order to organize deeper apprehension in a safe and unafraid societal environment ( Chitravelu, Sithamparan & A ; Teh, 2005 ; Weinberger & A ; Fischer, 2006 ) .

Analysis of the Main Theme in Sidney Sheldon’s Tell Me Your Dreams Essay

Sidney Sheldon’s book, â€Å"Tell Me Your Dreams† carries a dark theme. It focuses on how the central character, Ashley Patterson, represents the seemingly well-adjusted, successful and attractive young working professional.   Deep inside though, she is experiencing stormy emotions.   A product of   traumatic childhood experiences, she is a walking disaster, ready to explode.   She is proof that parental abuse can strongly affect an individual’s future behavior and life.   The power of parental nurturing cannot be underestimated, and lack of respect by a parent for a helpless child can produce trauma, shattered dreams and disastrous results which the child carries into adulthood. Ashley Patterson’s troubled personality is introduced at the very start of the novel.   Her paranoid state is immediately presented in the novel’s first few lines: Someone was following her.   She had read about stalkers, but they belonged in a different, violent world†¦ She was trying desperately hard not to panic. But lately her sleep had been filled with unbearable nightmares and she had awakened each morning with a feeling of an impending   doom (Sheldon, 1998, p. 3) Described as an intelligent and attractive woman who has been living in Cupertino, California for three years at the start of   the story, Ashley Patterson, daughter of a famous heart surgeon Dr. Steven Patterson, seems to have many good things going for her. Looks, however, can be deceiving.   Not all that looks well on the outside – like an innocent and beautiful appearance, reflects what is on the inside. Ashley gets involved in a series of brutal murders, specifically men who were stabbed and castrated.   As far as the police authorities were concerned, truth can be hard to find and later, as they were to find out, hard to believe. Eventually, the authorities find the same DNA in each crime scene, trace it to her, and Ashley is arrested and placed under psychiatric investigation. While undergoing therapy Gilbert Keller, Ashley’s dark past is gradually revealed.   Ashley admits that her co-workers, the outgoing and merry Toni Prescott, and the shy and lonely painter Alette Peter are not real, when she says to Dr. Keller: Don’t you understand? They’re not real. They’re my imagination (Sheldon, 1998, p. 308). When Dr. Keller suggests bringing the three women fact-to-face with each other and tells Ashley, â€Å"You have to get to know one another. It’s the only way you’re going to be cured† (Sheldon, 1998, p. 308), he confirms the main character’s multiple personality disorder. Dr. Keller’s calming presence symbolizes peace in Ashley’s world of chaos and pain.   He soothes Ashley when he explains to   her the presence of her other personalities Toni and Alette by saying, â€Å"you must remember that Toni was born out of your pain, to protect you.   The same is true of Alette† (Sheldon, 1998, p. 344).   At this point, and as the story progresses, readers are able to see how Ashley’s painful past – including a father who sexually assaulted her and a mother who did not appreciate her – had caused her personality disorder, leading to her crime. She remembers how her mother was scolding her for singing while they were in a car, which leads to an accident (Sheldon, 1998, p. 349). Her worst and repeated memories of her father saying â€Å"You’ll like this† followed by â€Å"an image of the man getting into bed beside her† followed by a scream to stop (Sheldon, 1998, p. 327) depicts just how haunting and traumatic child abuse in the physical or sexual sense can be. This highlights   the duality of the human psyche.   Ashley’s father may be famous and enviable and he may have obtained the respect of his colleagues and the general public, but to his own daughter he is a monster. Ashley Patterson’s guilt is confirmed in the story when her split-personality character says, †I’m not a dangerous criminal. I’m a normal woman. And a voice inside her said, Who murdered five innocent people† (Sheldon, 1998, p. 291).   With this, the novel’s main theme – of serious parent-child conflict can be highly traumatizing. Parental abuse carries grave consequences like behavioral problems and sometimes, the effect – like youth violence — is irreparable. I chose this theme because it is one that is being experienced in an alarming way in different countries. It is a universal problem that requires concerted action – by therapists, family members, police authorities, social workers, the community-at-large, and so on. What interested me about the novel’s plot is the dramatic revelation, through Ashley’s therapist, of her multiple characters. Then, there is also the gentle and positive reassurance provided by Dr. Keller, which gives an encouraging portrayal of the medical community, and how it sees a   breakthrough when patients who are victims of abuse seem to make progress or attempt to let go of their hurts and pains. The most important character in â€Å"Tell Me Your Dreams† is Ashley Patterson. All the unfolding events and issues revolve through her, and she serves as a symbol of others who suffer a disorder but who deserve to be treated not as inferior beings but as individuals who need understanding and help.   On the other hand, her father symbolizes the demented   minds of those who may appear respectable from the outside but who are capable of causing tremendous harm with their acts. The context, or the place and time where the story takes place, begins in Cupertino, California, a sleepy corner of the world but one which is bustling with corporate activity.   The context helps highlight the dual personalities of several characters in the novel, like Ashley Patterson and Dr, Steven Patterson. The story also takes readers from London to Rome to Quebec City to San Francisco in Bedford, Cupertino, as if pointing out how fast and varied modern-day developments go. The context, or multiple settings, also parallels the multiple personalities of the main character and their different activities at different points in time. Ashley Patterson’s multiple personality disorder is discussed by Dr. Salem, readers gain a better understanding of a disorder which is real.   It is described as â€Å"a condition where there are several completely different   personalities in one body. It’s also known as dissociatve identity disorder. It’s been in the psychiatric literature for more than two hundred years. It usually starts because of a childhood trauma. The victim shuts out the trauma by creating another identity† (Sheldon, 1998, chap. 12).   Ã‚  The author leaves an encouraging note in his book that say that some cases of multiple personality disorders are treatable.   Unfortunately, this was not the case with Ross Carlson, a teenage boy diagnosed with Multiple Personality Disorder. As the news goes: In the summer of 1983, the bodies of Rod and Marilyn Carlson were found beside a road in Douglas County, Colorado. Both had been shot execution-style in the back of the head. Ross Carlson, their teenage son, was later charged with the murders†¦ Eventually, therapists identified as many as 10 personalities residing within Carlson. His attorneys later argued that Carlson’s parents were abusive people who forced their twisted religion on their only child, causing him to develop the diverse characters as a defense mechanism†¦. The six-year drama ended in 1989 when, at age 25, Ross Carlson died of leukemia (â€Å"Multiple Personality Disorder,† para. 2).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Ross Carlson is the real-life counterpart of Ashley Patterson. In both cases, the truth hurts – that people who are your family and who are   supposed to nurture and protect you can be capable of inflicting the greatest harm.   The two cases – one portrayed in a novel based on real life, and the other a real-life incident – show that family upbringing and genuine care, concern and nurturing from parents are the best guarantees for a child’s future.   The two cases stress that people afflicted with Multiple Personality Syndrome are, after all, human beings who, in the first place, just needed to love, to be understood, and to heal.                                     References Larson, B. (n.d.). Multiple Personality Disorder. Retrieved May 19, 2008, from http://pullingdownstrongholds.com/deliverance/multiple_personality_disorder.htm Sheldon, S. (1998). Tell me your dreams. New York: HarperCollins Publishers Inc.

Young People Have A Better Life

My grandfather always story me how was his life when he was young. I find that there is a huge different between my life and his young life, my life is 10 times much better than him. So, I will say yes for this topic that young people have a better life today.Nowadays, young people have a better life because of the sophisticated technology that helps us in every work that we do. For instance, when teacher gives us assignment, we can gain information and tips that are required for the assignment by just surfing the net without going to library. We also can be a knowledgeable person because now we have a lot of online newspapers which provide us the latest news from entire world. In contrast, the previous people are so hard to get to know the news because they do not have sufficient money to buy newspaper which is the main source to know the news.In addition, young people have a better life today because we can enjoy live together in harmony and peace, there is no war, terrible rush an d the most important thing that can be proud by Malaysians is Malaysia is an independence country now. This success is achieved because of the contribution of the elderly generation to our country. Apart from this, the life quality of the young people today is increased drastically. For example, there are a lot of hospitals and clinics which are not only at the city areas but also in the interior areas to improve the health of the citizens.Government is always wants the best for the young people to live in good condition in this country. So, they provide us infrastructures kind of post offices, libraries, banks, highways, and many more which help us a lot in our daily life. Those days, there are less infrastructures and the elderly generation disables to do their works smoothly.Besides that, the education itself is the main reason why young people have a better life today. For instance, the systematically system is practiced in education, the marking scheme in exam is easier than be fore and the teachers nowadays are more understanding and educated. Hence, we will be more excited  and enjoy to study. This leads us to be a successful person in the community one day.

Argo case study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Argo - Case Study Example The frequency of their meeting after every three months is evidence that assessment was done appropriately. The change was thoroughly evaluated by the committee and found it right to restructure the client teams. They sought to embark on changing in order to achieve desirable results. In an effort to solve the issue, they deployed an external team of consultants for reviewing the policy. The team interviewed the managers and employees. The team of consultants was also tasked with the responsibility of recommending changes. This indicates that the capacity of the management to asses and review happenings in the organisation was at a good position. Assessment focuses on regular review of the activities and results of the organization to ensure adherence to the excellence model. Through the review, Argo ID was able to identify its strengths. Another area the organisation did well was in deployment. After the team of consultants administered the recommendations, the line manager and questionnaires administered on to the employees on their preferential positions in the new organisation did briefings. The success of deployment was evidenced by the ability of more than 80% of the total number of employees getting their preferred positions. In addition, the rest does not lose anything since they were interviewed for other positions. The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Bill Marshall made presentations that featured how the work was to be done and the scheduling thereof. 2. Argo Areas According to Subcategory (1e) of the Case Study Organizational and Management Review did a review on the way the operations were being conducted and went a step ahead to outsource for services of specialists in order to streamline the situation. The recommendations by the consultants helped reshape the organizational structure of the compa ny hence conserving it from the blink of failure. This time round the approach was rectified, hence changing the expected scenario. The results of the initial process were not right. They called for a reshuffle of the entire employment structure in order for it to deliver desirable results. The failure in achieving the results was expensive to the organisation since they had to re-embark on a new strategy that involved an overhaul of the entire system. Results are the ultimate goal of every organisation, it emanates from a wrong approach taken in implementing a good idea. Sometimes, the approach my be wrongly placed and may not be a making from the individuals involved leading to undesirable results. This was the case with Argo. 3. Site Visit Issues One of the main issues to check in the organisation is the staff interactions in the organisation. The questions are how the employees interact in the organisation at the different levels. The relationship between the juniors and seniors in the organisation is paramount; I would like to know why majority of the staff preferred a change in the place of work. Underlying issues in the organisation may cause a disparity and breakdown in communication. I would also like to know about the structure and the policies of Organizational and Management Review. It seems they play a very important role in the organisation, understanding their composition, the mandate and their way of operating is very important in the organisation. Part B 1. Comments on People Strategy Argo seems to be on a positive trend in achieving satisfaction for the employees. Considering

Laws in the Employment Sector Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Laws in the Employment Sector - Research Paper Example The law sets a certain framework with which some industrial cases can be solved. Industrial researchers lament that the majority of employers were exploited by their rich and influential employers due to lack of appropriate laws to protect the employees. To date, there have been scenarios where multi-million companies are closed or charged for violating some employees’ rights. However, the laws are also meant to mean to protect the employer on any false allegations by the employee for compensations. The employment Act of the United States ensures that the employer would appreciate the health of his/her employees for increased productivity and national economy development. The government appreciates the fact that the nation can only be built by healthy citizens. The government is strict on expectant employees. The law compels the employer, either public or private sector to allocate a reasonable duration for the expectant employee to deliver then later return to work. The law f urther requires the male, whose wife is expecting a special leaf to accompany or comfort the wife during her maternity. The employee is entitled to full payment during the maternity and paternity leave. This law took time to be implemented more so in the private sector. The companies’ attorneys argued that the employee should be subjected to a half salary scheme during the leave. But the final verdict compelled the employer to offer full payment to both their male and female employees. Employees’ health must be insured by reputable insurance companies as per the contracts. This is to enable the employees and their family member’s access health care in any private or public hospitals depending on the insurance bonds. The law requires that all workers in a certain organization should have health insurance despite the role he/she plays in the organization (Jean, 2000). A few decades ago, only specialized professionals enjoyed health insurance. But the law intervene d and currently, all employees despite the experience or academic background are entitled to health insurance. The law also compels the employee to cater for the employee treatment bills in case of accidents and injuries within the working institution. This law has compelled several employers to ensure their employees work in a safe environment. Companies ensure there is enough light, air circulation and space to limit chances of accidents or injuries. The law requires that every employee should be subjected to clean and healthy environment to boost the employees’ productivity. Furthermore, employees in industrial or machinery environment should wear protective clothing like goggles, helmets, boots and overalls among others. This is to protect workers from minor injuries in their respective workplaces. There should working fire extinguishers in work places as a disaster preparedness response. Finally, the law requires the availability of fully equipped first aid kits to provi de first aid or primary treatment in case of emergencies in such workplaces. The law recognizes unions or cooperatives in the work places. This implies several employees in a certain organization or from different organizations with but with same interests forming defined groups of a certain number of individuals to run a specific saving scheme. The employees are entitled to some loans by the company and run their parallel business from that of the parent organization.

Exercise Physiology Laboratory 6 Question Set Essay

Exercise Physiology Laboratory 6 Question Set - Essay Example It helps you to maintain Blood Pressure, Improve Cholesterol, control weight and prevent cancer. (Mayo Clinic Health Letter,January Edition 2008 ) Moderate Obesity Recommendations PHYSICA ACTIVITES NUTRITION Brisk Walking and Jogging Drink Plenty Water, avoid soda Swimming Eat Slow and consciously Prefer Stairs as much as possible Replace Milk with Soy Milk Involve more in Household activities 1 Vegetarian Meal / Day (Fruits & Vegetables) Avoid Sleeping in Afternoon (Access Sleeping decreases Basal Metabolic Rate Don't Skip Breakfast 20-25gms of fiber diet e.g. Soya beans,oats,carrots and Broccoli Eat 2 Teaspoons of Honey 4. SPORTS AS PER SOMATOTYPE AND BODY COMPOSITION Somatotype is the key element in analyzing the sports potential. The Structure or built of person is known as Somatotype. My Somatotyoe is as below: SOMATOTYPE SPORT RECOMMENDED AVOID MESOMORPHIC Decathlon,Gymnastics,Rowing and Swimming Marathoning, Mountain biking & Golf The above mentioned recommendations are on the basis of skills and body structure required for a particular sport. "Mesomorphs rank high on strength, endurance and agility and therefore is best suited for the above mentioned sports." (Sports Potential, Measurement Description, Overview) 5. AFFECT OF HYDRATION LEVEL ON DXA, BIA AND SKINFOLD A. Hydration Level and DXA Test: Ideally with a decrease in hydration there should be an increase in element content (like Na, K, Cl) leading to a higher molecular weight of the body and thus change in attenuation coefficient. In the study done by Going and colleagues, it was found that the 98% of weight change due to dehydration was measured by DXA. (Human Body Composition, By Steven Heymsfield, Pg 75) A normal variation in hydration level (1-3 %of body weight)...In the study done by Going and colleagues, it was found that the 98% of weight change due to dehydration was measured by DXA. (Human Body Composition, By Steven Heymsfield, Pg 75) A normal variation in hydration level (1-3 %of body weight) has very little affect on measurement by DXA method. Variation in Hydration level blazes DXA estimates of percentage fat only 1-2.5 %.This interprets that Hydration Level doesn't have much affect on DXA measurement. B. Hydration Level and BIA Test: "In an experiment done, with decrease in Hydration level, Bioelectric Impedance (BI) decreased from 14.4 5.3% to 12.3 5.3%, After Rehydration, BI % increased to 15.5 5.8%. Similar findings occurred when subjects were super hydrated (Normal-BI = 13.2 5.3%; Super hydration -BI = 15.4 5.6%)." (SAUNDERSM. J. (1) ; BLEVINSJ. E. (1) ; BROEDERC. E. (1) ) B. Hydration Level and SKINFOLD: With the increase level of Water in the body, the Value in Skin fold test increases. High extra cellular water in subcutaneous tissues causes thickness of and hence the value calculated is incorrect. "Martin, Drink water and Clays(1992) reported that variation in skin fold compressibility may be an important limitation of this method.

Information Systems for Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Information Systems for Management - Essay Example Getting closer to the customer and maintaining valuable relationships with members along the supply chain are some of the major issues circulating around the companies at present. Web-based selling, sales force automation and integrated customer service are the technologies and buzzwords that are fast becoming a company's focus point. In addition to that, the customers are busy dealing with so many things at the same time that they don't have time to personally visit physical locations or wait in lines to do their respective duties. They rather prefer doing business with companies that provide them with ease and comfort and as little hassle as possible; these are the companies that have web-based systems. The paper that follows will identify the types of web-based systems and how essential they are for companies to be competitive, retain their market share, satisfy existing customers and attract new ones. E banking is one of the web-based systems that a bank may use to improve its relationship with its customers or suppliers and effectively carry out its business. E banking involves all the banking activities that can be carried out from home, business or while on the road without being at a physical bank location. It is the new way of doing business with a bank and has brought about the hassle free way of conducting business. It incorporates many advantages for the banks as well as the customers. An example of a bank using e banking facilities is the Wells Fargo bank. The customers are facilitated greatly because they can do several activities like: View account balances at any time of the day Receive personal bank account statements Pay bills without the need to stand in queues Download their account transactions on their personal PCs Funds transfer between accounts Can handle their finances while traveling Can perform any bank related activity whenever it's feasible for them. Advantages of E banking are: Real time banking- can be done from anywhere at any time. Saves time- customers don't need to stand in lines to pay bills or personally visit a bank to carry out transactions. Convenience- customers don't need to cramp all their banking activities in the 9 to 5 banking hours; they can do everything at their own convenience. Attract more customers- the banks are able to attract those customers as well who are in remote areas and were previously discouraged by the far away location of the physical bank. Increased customer base- banks offering e-banking facilities are able to enjoy a large customer base and hence a competitive edge over traditional banks. Saving of costs- the banks are able to save the cost of paper transactions and the cost of hiring extra employees to deal with the large amount of customers. Disadvantages of E banking are: Losing valuable customers- if the main server is down and the customers are unable to process their transactions, they'll be dissatisfied and prefer not to do business with that bank the next time and the bank will lose current and prospective customers as well. Maintenance issues- the bank will need to hire expert personnel to deal with maintenance issues and proper handling of the expert systems. Security issues- hackers are a potential threat to both customers and the bank. Higher costs- the banks need to install costly safety systems such as firewalls to ensure safety and reliability of the systems. There are some implementation issues with

High Allegiance To Culture Is Detrimental to Well-Being Research Paper

High Allegiance To Culture Is Detrimental to Well-Being - Research Paper Example This is vital in bringing out the discrepancies that Amy tries to illuminate in her book. Thereafter, the arguments that prop this statement shall roll out to defend the same. However, the discussion covers the scope of different possibilities to a single situation. Cultures differ in of terms stability, stakeholders and inheritors of the same and awareness of a group about their own culture. While some groups know whatever entails their culture, another group may have a culture without committing to the same. The discussion shall focus on daughter-mother relationships to illustrate the detriment of culture disparities and intolerance on growth of individuals. High allegiance to culture is a detriment to the wellbeing of individuals. This novel is entails the story around four Chinese families that have settled in America. The families are composed of daughters and mothers. Through these characters, the story illuminates the embodiment of culture. The four Chinese families experience their unison by playing their own games and engaging in culinary activities. The Chinese families are in America due to their own various reasons. The first mum in the story dies before the events to the whole plot pick up. Suyuan Woo is a Chinese woman who lives in china with her family and husband. However, the husband is involved way from home in the Second World War. Woo goes through difficult times trying to harness hope for herself and her family. During this war period, she forms the original joy club with a few of her friends. The war escalates and the Japanese invade China. In despair, and before the Joy club matures, Woo sets off with her twin children to escape out of China. On the way, she gets sick and abandons her kids in wait of her own death (Dong 21). Fortunately, a lorry comes by and rescues her before she succumbs. She, then, immigrate into America whereby she remarries (Tan 19). In USA, she encounters her four friends whereby they form another joy club. She bear s a daughter known as Jing Mei. Jing Mei is the striving force behind Suyuan’s strength in bearing the loss of her twin children. She succumbs to a disease before she actualizes her hope of meeting her two children. The next character is Lindo. Lindo, too, escaped from China due to her unique reasons. While she was twelve, her society obliges her to marry a sixteen-year old boy. Since they shared little attachment, she decides to flee on the pretext of spiritual grounds. She is domineering character who strives to shape the direction of her daughter’s life (Rosinky 52). Similarly, there exists An Mei who immigrates into America due to her unique reasons. An- Mei grows up as an orphan due to traumatic events that befalls her family. Her mother faces rejection from her first family since she remarries as a concubine to a wealthy man. An- Mei’s mother commits suicide due to trauma she undergoes in her new home. On her mother’s death, she finds her way out of China. During her stay in USA, she marries whereby she has seven children. The last principal character in this story is Ying- ying. Her Chinese family is wealthy and conservative. The family teaches Ying -ying to define her femininity by being demure. However, Ying-ying possesses a strong personality that she hides in order to please her family. She gets to marry a man whom she realizes she does not share an attachment. The husband becomes abusive and; therefore, she

Surveillance technology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Surveillance technology - Essay Example That respect warrants this essay a critical outlook into the evolution, merits, and demerits of spy cameras as type of surveillance technology. Additionally, this paper will also seek to give a recommendation on the way future of this subject. The evolution of spy cameras and its incorporated technologies is an important topic that examines the state of surveillance technology and its impacts on the modern society. The tumultuous history of technologies associated with spy cameras has its origin rooted in the 16th century and stretches all the way to the present generation whereby it shifted from facto disciplinary practice to a real time practice revolving around security and conveniences it offers to its participants. Spy cameras evolved in three basic stages namely, daguerreotype, film, and digital photographic spy cameras. Daguerreotype was a truly successful stage of spy cameras since photographers used copper plates coated with iodine whereby it used this combination to produce silver iodide upon sensing light. Daguerreotype photography entered the United States during the time of Civil War whereby technical fighters used it as an investigative tool. (Heir and Greenberg, 2007:217). Even though the Federal Bureau of investigation did not exist during the time of President Lincoln, documented evidence shows that, security officers used daguerreotype as a form of surveillance technology in crime scene investigation. With spy cameras came in telephone calls which aided in taking surveillance technology into the following stage. Surveillance technology shows, the introduction of telephone accounts for a big margin in this subject as it led to wire-tapping where one could listen to a telephone conversation between other people. Year 1945 witnessed a major shift as wire and tape recorders became available (Tavani,

Nursing - Staffing Issue Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Nursing - Staffing Issue - Essay Example Although the government has attempted to develop robot nurses, the scientists are yet to succeed in that front. Up to date all nurses are still human thus the need to adopt staffing policies in consideration that the players are human in nature (Roussel, 2011). Staff ratio Staffing ratio entails the number of registered nurse per patient. The ratio could compare the registered nurse per surgical or hospitalized patient. Further, the ratio could be a registered nurse per shift or per patient day. It is imperative for the proportion to be as low down as feasible so that a lesser number of patients is assigned to registered nurses. Nurses being human, also suffer fatigue and exhaustion. When exhausted, a nurse’s effectiveness deteriorates and could lead to the death or atrophication of the patient’s health (Finkelman & Kenner, 2012). Shift rotation and duration Nursing can be structured in shifts whereby the nurses have specific times when they would be on duty. The length and time of the shift is critical in the effectiveness of the nurse. Ideally, the nurse should be on duty for the duration in which s/he is able to concentrate fully. Patients whether surgical or hospitalized would need attention and the nurse should be at her/his best to give attention. When a shift takes too long, the nurse would suffer from fatigue and lose concentration (Griffin, 2011). This gives leeway for the occurrence of procedural or medical errors. The duration must therefore, be long enough to cover for the economic ability of the hospital management but also short enough to guarantee the concentration of nurses. The shifts must also be rotated among the nurses. It is prudent to spread the shifts to all the nurses so that everyone enjoys the burdens in a particular shift. This especially relates to the night shifts which is usually less convenient for most nurses. It is important to provide incentives that would encourage participation by nurses in the night shifts. The management must however consider other factors such as the age of the nurses, marital status and family commitments in electing the night shift nurses (Griffin, 2011). Overtime and weekend staffing Nurses may be forced to work overtime due to strained resources. However, this is risky and should be a measure of last resort. An overtime worker has never been productive in any industry. The nursing profession is more delicate as it deals with the life of patients. It is proper to avoid working nurses overtime as this compromises their effectiveness hence poor delivery which translates to higher risk of hospital mortality. The management should adopt the more difficult option of hiring more nurses rather than opting for overtime (Fernandez, 2010). Weekend staffing is inevitable considered that patients do not cure during weekends. Policy formulators need to appreciate that packages must be friendlier to attract nurses to work over the weekends. The effectiveness of a nurse working ove r the weekend is however not compromised by the fact that the days are weekends (Fernandez, 2010). Empirical evidence Research has attempted to estimate the ratio of hospital mortality to nursing hours. In this analysis, hospital mortality refers to death in the hospital or within thirty days after admission in the hospital. Research has proven that an increase in the

Radio and the Music Industry Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 15750 words

Radio and the Music Industry - Dissertation Example During the mid to late 1880’s numerous inventors including Edison, Berliner, and Bell were experimenting with a new invention called the gramophone.   By 1889 Edward Easton opened the Colombia Phonograph Company.   The recording industry was in its infancy.   The first recording Easton made was John Philip Sousa directing the United States Marine Corp Band that same year.   During this time, Marconi and his company made many advances during the next several years including: erecting the first commercial radio station in 1898 on Rathlin Island off the coast of Ireland. (â€Å"Brief History† â€Å"Pre 1900† 2004, screen 2).   In 1893 Emile Berliner made major breakthroughs with the phonograph.   His company, the U. S. Gramophone company the following year sold 1,000 of the machines, most crank type although a few were motorized.   The same year he discovered that shellac worked much better than what had been used for producing ‘records’, which until that time was a hard rubber.   In 1894 Guglielmo Marconi having heard about recent development with sound waves made the first successful radio transmission from his home, a distance of just over one mile.   The following year he travelled to England and received a patent for his â€Å"wireless† telegraphy.   By 1896, â€Å"Eldridge Johnson improved the gramophone with a motor designed by Levi Montross and his own patent 601,198 filed Aug. 19, 1897, for a simple and inexpensive machine that became the most popular disc phonograph by 1900; he then merged his Consolidated Talking Machine Co. with Berliner's company.

Global Business Strategies Essay Example for Free

Global Business Strategies Essay Course Description The managers perspective in the fields of international payments, international trade, and investment are analyzed. Emphasis is given to the materials and concepts that illuminate the strategies, structure, practices, and effects of multinational enterprises. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents: University policies: You must be logged into the student website to view this document. Instructor policies: This document is posted in the Course Materials forum. University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality. Course Materials Hill, C. W. (2009). International business. Competing in the global marketplace (7th ed.). Boston, MA: McGraw-Hill. All electronic materials are available on the student website. Week One: Contemporary Global Business Environment Details Due Points Objectives 1.1 Define globalization. 1.2 List the major drivers of globalization. 1.3 Explain some effects of globalization. 1.4 Compare and contrast the role of economic integration in promoting global business. 1.5 Relate the stage of economic development of an economically integrated region to potential business opportunities. Readings Read Ch. 1 of International Business. Read Ch. 2 of International Business. Read Ch. 3 of International Business. Read Ch. 5 of International Business. Review this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. Read the Week One Read Me First. Participation Participate in class discussion. 1 Individual Week One Quiz Post week one quiz. 1 Individual Globalization Questionnaire Prepare a comprehensive response to the following questions in 350 words. What is globalization, and what are some of the traditional international trade theories that support the concept of globalization? List the major drivers of globalization and provide three examples of each. Explain at least four effects of globalization that affect your community and your organization. 10 Week Two: Global Business Strategy Formulation Details Due Points Objectives 2 2.1 Conduct a business risk analysis. 2.2 Choose an appropriate mode of entry for global products or services. Readings Read Ch. 6 of International Business. Read Ch. 7 of International Business. Read Ch. 8 of International Business. Review this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. Read the Week Two Read Me First. Participation Participate in class discussion. 1 Individual Week Two Quiz Post week two quiz. 1 Learning Team Instructions Select a country and product to focus your cumulative Global Business Plan Learning Team project. The deliverables for the project include the following Learning Team assignments: Week Two: Comprehensive Analysis Outline and Presentation Week Three: Country Risk and Strategic Planning Analysis Paper Week Five: Final Global Business Plan and Presentation Individual Regional Integration for and Against Articles Select a region approved by your instructor and choose a trading bloc (NAFTA, EU, ASEAN, etc.) within that region. Write two 350- to 500-word articles, one article in favor of regional integration and another article against regional integration. Describe the advantages and disadvantages of regional integration and relate the stage of economic development of the economically integrated region to [emailprotected] potential business opportunities. 10 Learning Team Comprehensive Analysis Outline and Presentation Select a product and a country for a global business venture. Conduct a regional, country, and product analyses for your new global venture. Prepare a 1,050- to 1,400-word outline and a 5- to 7-slide summary presentation illustrating the following: Region Analysis Regional alliances and economic integration Physical environment and its affect on trade Political stability Economic conditions Finance options available Social, health, and environmental conditions Terrorism threats Country Analysis Political stability Economic conditions Finance options available Physical environment and its affect on trade Social, health, and environmental conditions Cultural considerations Organization and product or service analysis Description of your organization Product needs assessment of the target country Description of product to meet the need Format your written paper consistent with APA guidelines. 5 Week Three: Strategic Implementation: Global Business Operations Details Due Points Objectives 3 3.1 Describe the legal, cultural, and ethical challenges that confront global businesses. 3.2 Determine the various roles that host governments play in global business operations. Readings Read Ch. 12 of International Business. Read Ch. 14 of International Business. Read Ch. 15 of International Business. Read Ch. 17 of International Business. Review this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. Read the Week Three Read Me First. Participation Participate in class discussion. 1 Individual Week Three Quiz Post week three quiz. 1 Learning Team Country Risk and Strategic Planning Analysis Paper Prepare a 1,400- to 2,100-word paper in which you conduct a country risk analysis for your selected global business venture. Analyze the following risks in your paper: Political, legal, and regulatory risks Exchange and repatriation of funds risks Competitive risk assessment Taxation and double taxation risks Market risks (four Ps) Distribution and supply chain risks Physical and environmental challenges to entering and operating in a target market Social and cultural risks Cyber or technology Describe how you would manage these risks Summarize your strategic planning process: Define and clarify mission and objectives SWOTT analysis of target country Make strategy selection Select and justify an appropriate mode of entry for your global product or service Control and evaluation Devise contingency plan Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. 10 Week Four: Strategy Implementation: Finance and Marketing in Global Business Details Due Points Objectives 4 4.1 Analyze global financing and exchange rate mechanisms. 4.2 Identify multilateral and regional financial institutions that help foster global business. 4.3 Identify various methods of financing global operations. 4.4 Identify key foreign exchange risks and techniques to mitigate risk. 4.5 Conduct a global marketing analysis for a product or service. Readings Read Ch. 9 of International Business. Read Ch. 11 of International Business. Read Ch. 16 of International Business. Read Ch. 18 of International Business. Read Ch. 20 of International Business. Review this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. Read the Week Four Read Me First. Participation Participate in class discussion. 1 Individual Week Four Quiz Post week four quiz. 1 Individual Case Study Select one of the following cases from the International Business Textbook: â€Å"Nike: The Sweatshop Debate† at the end of Part 2 â€Å"Google in China† at the end of Chapter 4  Ã¢â‚¬Å"Boeing versus Airbus: Two Decades of Trade Disputes† at the end of Part 3 (Video is not required to complete this case.) â€Å"The Russian Ruble Crisis and Its Aftermath† at the end of Part 4 â€Å"Molex† at the end of Part 6 â€Å"Merrill Lynch in Japan† at the end of Part 6 Write a 500- to 750-word paper in which you address the following topics: Describe the legal, cultural, and ethical challenges that confront the global business presented in your selected case study. Determine the various roles that host governments played in this particular global business operation. Summarize the strategic and operational challenges facing global managers illustrated in your selected case. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. 15 Week Five: Changing Environment of Global Business Details Due Points Objectives 5 5.1 Identify appropriate business strategies based on business risk analysis. 5.2 Determine appropriate exit strategies for a global organization. Readings Read Ch. 4 of International Business. Read Ch. 13 of International Business. Review this week’s Electronic Reserve Readings. Read the Week Five Read Me First. Participation Participate in class discussion. 1 Individual Week Five Quiz Post week five quiz. 1 Individual Global Financing and Exchange Rate Mechanisms Choose one of the following topics. Prepare a 1,050- to 1,750-word paper in which you analyze one of the following global financing and exchange rate topics: Purchasing power parity and the Big Mac index Currency hedging Hard and soft currencies Countertrade Financing via letters of credit and EXIM Bank and commercial banks Tariff and nontariff barriers Roles of international financial institutions (e.g. IMF, World Bank, ADB, etc.) Euro currency markets Define your selected topic. Explain how your topic is used in global financing operations and describe its importance in managing risks. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. 15 Individual Final Examination Prepare to take a final exam. 10 Learning Team Final Global Business Plan Paper and Presentation Prepare a 7,000- to 8,750-word paper integrating your previous Learning Team assignments to include the following new material: Summarize your findings from previous Learning Team assignments. Include the rationale for selecting your target country. Refer to your Learning Team Country Risk Analysis for highlights. Determine the marketing mix specific to your selected global product or service and explain your choice of marketing mix. Prepare a marketing plan that addresses product modification, pricing, promotional programs, distribution channels, and e-business in your chosen country. Include market indicators and trends for your product or service. Prepare a financial overview for your global venture. Include a chart that represents the general budget for your global venture. Explain how your company deals with foreign exchange risk for your global operation. Identify potential domestic and international sources of financing for your global venture. Include at least two possible financial institutions within your chosen region. Describe the degree to which your organization operates as a centralized versus decentralized organization. Include a chain of command chart to illustrate how communications would reach senior management from the field when events necessitate changes in tactics or strategy. What types of exit strategies would be most appropriate for your global venture? Some strategies to consider include divestiture of assets, handing over to a joint venture partner, diversification, shutting down operation, and contingencies for your global venture. Based on your findings, make final recommendations about the feasibility of this global venture. Would you recommend proceeding with this global venture? Explain why or why not. Format your paper consistent with APA guidelines. 15 Week One Quiz Questions What technological advances in telecommunications and transportation have influenced global business in the last decade? How have these technological advances affected regional economic development? What trends may be anticipated in these areas? Would globalization have been possible without these technological advances? Discuss how culture, language, and religion might influence the costs of doing business in a particular country. Support your statement with examples. Discuss the following theory: The study of global business is relevant if you work or plan to work in a large multinational company, but it has little or no significance for individuals who work in smaller national firms. Do you agree or disagree? Defend your argument with at least two supporting statements. Week Two Quiz Questions What is country risk analysis? How is this analysis conducted? Is country risk analysis an effective tool in determining the desirability of establishing a manufacturing site or other mode of entry? Define a trade deficit and a trade surplus. What are the implications of a long-term trade deficit or trade surplus? What techniques are available to correct balance of payment deficit or surplus? Does free trade equate to fair trade? Does free trade exist anywhere in the world? Respond to the questions and support your answers with examples. Week Three Quiz Questions What is the current status of the telecommunications, energy, and transportation infrastructures of the world’s fastest developing countries? What effect does importing advanced technology, such as wireless technologies, into a developing country have on that country’s telecommunications, energy, and transportation infrastructures? How do these changes in infrastructure and technology alter business productivity? What are some issues and trends in global sociocultural issues? Why must a company be sensitive to the sociocultural environment within the host country? What affect does sociocultural sensitivity have on a company’s operations or sales within a host country? What are the major staffing policies that global organizations must consider? How must an organization choose among these staffing policies? How do you assess the effect of implementing a specific staffing policy? What are the primary functions of the foreign-exchange market? Who are the participants in the market? How do global companies use the foreign-exchange market to hedge against foreign-exchange risks? Felix, a U.S. technology company has recently developed a revolutionary wireless phone. The product offers exciting new features along with all of the features of current products, but at a fraction of the manufacturing costs. As the international business manager of Felix, you have been asked to choose the best mode of entry into the European market. Your have the following options: Export your product from the United States. Enter into an alliance with a large European company. Manufacture the product in the United States and set up a wholly owned subsidiary in Europe. License a European firm to manufacture and market the phone in Europe. In preparation for your choice, list the pros and cons of each method of entry. Which choice do you present to your CEO? Support your decision. Can any product or service be marketed globally? If it sells in the United States, does it sell in another country? Explain why or why not. Can a product be marketed in the same manner in multiple countries? Defend your answer with examples. How might you relate the four Ps of marketing to customer relations management (CRM) in a global business environment? Week Four Quiz Questions What are the elements of capital budgeting? How do you determine these elements in the global business arena? Provide examples of how you would use capital budgeting analysis to determine the desirability of global projects. What are the international and regional institutions that comprise the global monetary and financial system? What role do these institutions play in  promoting global business operations? Under what conditions is it better to borrow funds from a domestic bank? When might it be necessary to borrow from a target country financial institution? Explain your answer. When would a firm choose to operate on a transnational basis? Under what circumstances would a firm use a localization strategy? When would an international strategy be employed? Support your answers with examples. Week Five Quiz Questions Describe one exit strategy an organization may use when things go wrong in a foreign country. What are some of the issues that might prompt the implementation of an exit strategy? Summarize the effect of an exit strategy on the strategic planning for a global organization? Name the factors that may contribute to the global business failure of an organization? How might a global organization protect itself against a global business failure? Are US ethical standards applicable worldwide? Explain your answer and provide examples. What are the consequences of failure to incorporate ethical considerations into global planning.

Importance of Operations Management in Organizations

Importance of Operations Management in Organizations Managers are also responsible for critical activities such as quality management and control, capacity planning, materials management, purchasing, and scheduling. The importance of operations management has increased dramatically in recent years. Significant foreign competition, shorter product and service life-cycles, better-educated and quality-conscious consumers, and the capabilities of new technology have placed increasing pressures on the operations function to improve productivity while providing a broader array of high-quality products and services. With the globalization of markets, firms are recognizing that the operations function can be used to strengthen their position in the market place. Managers in operations management play a strategic and tactical role in satisfying customer needs and making their firms strong international competitors. The role of operations management is to transform a companys inputs into the finished goods or services. Inputs include human resources (such as workers and managers), facilities and processes (such as buildings and equipment), as well as materials, technology, and information. Outputs are the goods and services a company produces. Basically, Operations management has an impact on the five broad categories of stakeholders in any organisation. The five groups are: Customers These are the most obvious people who will be affected by any business. Suppliers Operations can have a major impact on suppliers, both on how they prosper themselves, and on how effective they are at supplying the operation. Shareholders Clearly, the better an operation is at producing goods and services, the more likely the whole business is to prosper and shareholders will be one of the major beneficiaries of this. Employees Similarly, employees will be generally better off if the company is prosperous; if only because they are more likely to be employed in the future. Society Although often having no direct economic connection with the company, individuals and groups in society at large can be impacted by the way its operations managers behave. The most obvious example is in the environmental responsibility exhibited by operations managers. Company Profile CRH plc, the international building materials group, has its headquarters in Ireland and operates in 22 countries in three closely related core businesses: Primary materials Value-added building products Specialist building materials distribution. Listed on the Irish and London Stock Exchanges and on the NASDAQ in the US, CRH consistently delivers long-term growth in total shareholder return, averaging over 18% per annum since the Group was formed in 1970. CRH maintains a rigorous focus on improving existing operations through experienced local management teams. These regional platforms and management structures generate the profits, cash flow and organisational strength to support CRHs ongoing programme of development. CRH grows by investing in new capacity, developing new products and markets and by acquiring and growing medium-sized companies. This long-term development strategy is supported by occasional larger acquisitions that extend the Groups geographic reach or product range and offer new strategic platforms for future growth. Strategic Vision CRHs strategic vision is to be an international leader in building materials, delivering superior performance and growth. Current strategic objectives and appropriate tools to analyze them Most of strategic objectives are directed toward generating greater profits and returns for the owners of the business, others are directed at customers or society at large. In the case study CRH plcs ultimate objective is to deliver superior performance and growth to its customers and stakeholders in all aspects. Any strategic objectives generally measured by the following tools; Measurable. There must be at least one indicator (or yardstick) that measures progress against fulfilling the objective. Specific. This provides a clear message as to what needs to be accomplished. Appropriate. It must be consistent with the vision and mission of the organization. Realistic. It must be an achievable target given the organizations capabilities and opportunities in the environment. In essence, it must be challenging but doable. Timely, there needs to be a time frame for accomplishing the objective. After all, as the economist John Maynard Keynes once said, In the long run, we are all dead! When objectives satisfy the above criteria, there are many benefits for the organization. First, they help to channel employees throughout the organization toward common goals. This helps to concentrate and conserve valuable resources in the organization and to work collectively in a timelier manner. Second, challenging objectives can help to motivate and inspire employees throughout the organization to higher levels of commitment and effort. A great deal of research has supported the notion that individuals work harder when they are striving toward specific goals instead of being asked simply to do their best. Third, there is always the potential for different parts of an organization to pursue their own goals rather than overall company goals. Although well intentioned, these may work at cross purposes to the organization as a whole. Meaningful objectives thus help to resolve conflicts when they arise. Finally, proper objectives provide a yardstick for rewards and incentives. Not only will they lead to higher levels of motivation by employees but also they will help to ensure a greater sense of equity or fairness when regards are allocated. There are, of course, still other objectives that are even more specific. These are often referred to as short-term objectives-essential components of action plans that are critical in implementing a firms chosen strategy. Operation objectives of the Company and its success in meeting strategic objectives Key components of the strategy to achieve the set objectives are; Clearly understand the current and potential future requirements and expectations of our customers-work closely with our customers, suppliers and partners to achieve quality objectives Deliver services of market-leading quality, reliability and consistency that meet our customers requirements Implement quality management in a systematic and planned way through the application of management systems that support the delivery of the business plan Educate and train our people and partners, to support the delivery of high quality work Establish and measure performance and customer satisfaction against appropriate quality objectives and/or targets Measure service performance and customer satisfaction at an appropriate level Continually review and improve our processes and levels of service CRHs one of the objectives is to remain the employer of choice for all employees and to exceed the expectations of all our stakeholders. This implementation can be done; CRH believes that continued business success is rooted in good employee, customer and supplier relations. This is particularly true in a decentralised organisation, where management responsibility is delegated as far as possible to the local level. Company Managing Directors/Presidents are responsible for the implementation of CRH employment policies, guidelines and objectives in their areas of responsibility. They are supported in this role and in reporting at Group level by their Human Resources (HR) teams. Human Resource has a functional reporting line through Product Group and Divisional HR Directors to the Group Human Resources Director. Data is provided below on the geographic employee footprint of the Group emphasising the increasingly global reach of CRH. Shortly after CRHs foundation in 1970 the Board set a clear strategy for the development of the Group which, while it has evolved over the years, is still broadly applicable today. CRHs development strategy is based on the following: Stick to core businesses in building materials Invest at home; be the low cost market leader Develop overseas; create platforms for future growth Negotiate deals that meet the sellers and CRHs needs Devolved development teams reporting to regional and product group managers Rigorous approach to evaluation, approval and review Generally mid-sized deals augmented from time to time with some larger transactions Objective is to maintain and develop a balanced portfolio across regions, products and construction sectors Focus on performance and growth The resources, systems and tools used in the organization to support its Business Process. CRH has a three-part strategic objective for fostering new growth across its operations. Invest in new capacity Develop new products and markets Acquire and grow mid-sized companies Investment is central to growth. CRH is making four fundamental types of investments that will make continued growth possible: Invest in its employees Upgrade production facilities Improve efficiency Manage performance Invest in people The success of CRH is very much due to having talented, committed, enthusiastic and well-qualified people throughout the Group. They encourage and support the continuous professional development of the CRH team and its members. What attracts people to CRH? A competitive pay package, the opportunity to travel, a good working environment, the team philosophy, flat organisation structure, challenging work assignments and internal training programmes to prepare the next generation of leaders. Upgrade production facilities CRH re-invests capital in their existing facilities to improve energy and operational efficiency to meet future demand growth. In other words, a plant producing 500 tonnes of cement a day could easily meet local demand , but years later, the demand could skyrocket due to a building boom. If the plant does not upgrade to increase its capacity, then competitors will. Like all other technologies, methods of production can become obsolete. It takes substantial capital to re-tool an entire factory with newer, better machines, but regular upgrading is necessary to maintain and improve competitiveness. Improve efficiency One way to get more out of existing factories is to make sure they are being used to the maximum. A low capacity utilisation results in higher fixed costs per unit, which means lower profitability. Low capacity utilisation can be a result of over-supply in the market or seasonal fluctuations of demand. In Portugal, for example, the economy is going through a difficult period with construction down approximately 3.9% for 2007, reflecting reduced activity in housing and a significant reduction in public capital expenditure. However, all three of CRHs Portugese cement plants operated at full capacity by taking advantage of strong export markets. Investment in efficiency and environmental improvement programmes, to offset higher input costs and improve performance, continued at all three locations. Manage performance A strong focus on achievement against targets is part of CRHs objective of performance and growth. The ability of key players to deliver is important. CRH has implemented a strong performance management system and appraisal process. The key elements include: Planning Clear expectations and goals are set and so plans develop to achieve these. Jobs, and how they relate to the strategic objectives of CRH, are looked at. These plans set out key steps and measures for staff. The A-SMART criteria are used, i.e. Aligned, Specific, Measurable, Action-oriented, Realistic and Time-bound. Coaching Observing and documenting performance, conducting reviews, as well as identifying training and development needs all provide feedback and support, and ultimately promote better performance achievement and growth. Having a mentor or coach can help staff to learn and develop, and reinforces effective and active communication and performance. Reviewing Getting results is a crucial factor of CRHs high-performance culture. What the individual achieves as well as How, are assessed and reviewed. Self-assessment, collection of information, appraisal and a review meeting all drive performance improvement. Employees have an opportunity to respond to feedback. Regular formal reviews of management development strategy are conducted by each Division with the guidance and support of the Group Human Resources Department Developing new products and markets CRH has activities in 28 countries but there is still plenty of room for expansion within those markets, and in neighbouring regions. The Groups wide spread across countries, regions and construction sectors helps to smooth the effects of industry and economic cycles. That wide spread of activities creates opportunities for further growth. Each of the Groups diverse operations across three continents is seen as a platform on which to build. CRH tailors its strategy to suit each country it operates from. An integral part of CRHs development is its investment in four fundamental areas: people, market leadership, the environment and technology. Investment in people consists of training and development to provide all employees with a platform for progress, a best practice programme to guarantee an efficient, safe and healthy place to work, and a market-based remuneration policy to attract, retain and motivate the right people. While investing in acquisitions and development projects is important to attain market leadership, being the leading producer with the lowest costs is also critical. This is achieved by investing in those existing businesses which offer a strong foundation for sustained and profitable organic growth while driving continuous improvement in products, processes and strong regional brands. Environmental investments programmes help us to improve optimise our use of energy and resources, and to be good neighbours in the communities in which we operate. Environmental investment includes projects to reduce dust and noise, minimise effluent and waste, improve energy efficiency, increase the use of recycled materials, and to restore worked-out facilities through extensive tree and shrub planting. Investment in technology enables us to run more efficient plants; to create more effective processes; to develop innovative products; to offer better and more focused service to customers; and to measure and communicate international best practice throughout the Group. CRH continues to invest in a wide range of projects which contribute to overall profitability, drive continuous improvement of products and processes to deliver long-term performance and strongly underpin the future development of the Group. Quality audit and review systems Evans Parker (2008) describe auditing as one of the most powerful safety monitoring techniques and an effective way to avoid complacency and highlight slowly deteriorating conditions, especially when the auditing focuses not just on compliance but effectiveness Quality audit is the process of systematic examination of a quality system carried out by an internal or external quality auditor or an audit team. It is an important part of organizations quality management system and is a key element in the ISO quality system standard, ISO 9001. Quality audits are typically performed at predefined time intervals and ensure that the institution has clearly-defined internal quality monitoring procedures linked to effective action. This can help determine if the organization complies with the defined quality system processes and can involve procedural or results-based assessment criteria. With the upgrade of the ISO9001 series of standards from the 1994 to 2008 series, the focus of the audits has shifted from purely procedural adherence towards measurement of the actual effectiveness of the Quality Management System (QMS) and the results that have been achieved through the implementation of a QMS. Audits are an essential management tool to be used for verifying objective evidence of processes, to assess how successfully processes have been implemented, for judging the effectiveness of achieving any defined target levels, to provide evidence concerning reduction and elimination of problem areas. For the benefit of the organisation, quality auditing should not only report non-conformances and corrective actions, but also highlight areas of good practice. In this way other departments may share information and amend their working practices as a result, also contributing to continual improvement. Quality culture What is Culture? Basically, organizational culture is the personality of the organization. Culture is comprised of the assumptions, values, norms and tangible signs (artefacts) of organization members and their behaviours. Members of an organization soon come to sense the particular culture of an organization. Culture is one of those terms that are difficult to express distinctly, but everyone knows it when they sense it. For example, the culture of a large, for-profit corporation is quite different than that of a hospital which is quite different that of a university. CRH Corporate Culture Local autonomy Experienced operational management is given a high degree of individual autonomy and responsibility to accommodate national and cultural needs and to leverage local market knowledge, all in accordance with key centrally defined governance, financial and CSR operating requirements Global yet local There is strong management commitment to both the local company and to the CRH Group, supported by best practice teams that share experience and know-how across products and regions. This dual citizenship motivates local entrepreneurship, while maintaining and benefiting from Group synergies. Our management philosophy could be described as global yet local. Mix of skills CRHs market-driven approach attracts, retains and motivates exceptional management including internally developed operational managers, highly qualified business professionals and owner-entrepreneurs who join on acquisition. This provides a healthy mix and depth of skills with many managers having experience of previous economic cycles. Our succession planning focuses on sharing this wealth of experience with the next generation of CRH management Perpetuating CRH culture As the Group grows, CRH make considerable efforts to ensure that the unique CRH culture is propagated into the new acquisitions, while simultaneously preserving their identity, so that the Group culture thrives from generation to generation. These efforts include training programmes, seminars, newsletters, the CSR Report and many other activities that span country, regional, international, cultural and language boundaries. These are of increasing importance as the company now grow into developing regions. Monitor systems and work activities of CRH Plc and identify the major problems affecting the systems. Also identify the opportunities your company can avail to improve business process Managing operations CRHs success as a global business depends, on its ability to face fast-changing economic conditions. CRH is a decentralised Group with many subsidiary companies operating under a wide range of local and regional brand /trade names. CRHs strategy is to build leadership positions in regional and local markets. This is done by delegating authority to the local managers. So that decisions can be made promptly by those most familiar with local economic conditions, while central support from CRH Group ensures that sustainable growth is gained in line with the Groups strategic goals. Central functions consist of the Board that sets the strategic direction for the Group, and Human Resources, Finance and IT which support the implementation of day-to-day management policy. Finally, CRHs vision can be identified as to focus globally yet manage locally. During a recession, it is important for businesses to look for new ways to maximise performance. One method is to improve efficiency across operations. Another way is to reinvest capital through the use of retained earnings/revenue reserves in its existing facilities. This helps to improve energy and operational efficiency while matching capacity to meet current and future demand. Managing suppliers Individual operating companies generate raw materials in the region in which they operate. Most of these suppliers are based in Europe or North America. Deteriorating demand in these markets needs strict expenditure controls. Managements current aim is on sourcing quality supplies to gain cost reductions and to increase efficiency. Central sourcing functions have been setup in key markets to take advantage of economies of scale and reduce the cost of purchased goods. Managing finances Recession strategies The recent banking crisis made more difficult for companies to obtain finance. Maintaining the business with liquidity and adequate cash flow is very important. However, current market conditions have made it more expensive to get financing for operations, therefore the costs of running a business is expensive and non profitable. Like other companies, CRH is focusing on maximising cash flow from operations and reducing working capital. Budgeting Cost savings Year 2008 indicates major changes in the financial, economic and business climate worldwide. Declining markets led to wide ranging cutbacks across CRHs businesses in the world. The company showed its rate of acquisition and its capital expenditure to improve liquidity and take advantage of possible further reductions in the price of assets. CRH management has also implemented other energy and cost reduction to limit the decrease in profit margins Division-wide procurement strategies and purchasing Company targets at purchasing amterials at lower cost and supply its productions in economies of scale to get the operational efficiency in its operations. Operational Excellence procedures have helped to reduce both labour and equipment costs while eliminating and minimising the waste. Reductions in fixed overhead staffing and other fixed costs have been implemented to maintain a strong balance sheet position. Raising Capital Sources of finance -CRH management undertook a successful rights issue. This allowed existing ordinary shareholders to buy more shares as a way of re-investing back into the business. The funds rose used for further acquisitions challenging industry players. In 2009, despite the very challenging trading backdrop, CRH is operating a healthy cash flow. The Group continues to identify new measures to deal with the evolving trading conditions. CRH believes that its current cash flows, together with the recent rights issue and funds raised through its borrowing facilities, are more than sufficient to meet its expenditure requirements for the foreseeable future. Financial reporting It is essential that IT systems give prompt, consistent and reliable financial reporting from the local operating units to the central Group management. Accurate financial reporting is paramount importance for management especially during difficult economic circumstances. Decisions on budgeting, raising capital and sourcing of finance all rely on accurate financial reporting. Managing people CRH employs 80,000 people in over 3,700 locations, including 35 countries. This staffs is managed through four Divisions. Company is introducing a web-based global talent management system replacing a paper-based system. There is a unique culture of performance and achievement throughout the CRH Group ensuring that, CRH has the capacity to deliver performance excellence despite of critical economic conditions The CRH management team are highly experienced and the development of talented successors is a priority for all managers. Regular formal reviews of management development strategy is done by each relevant Division with guidance and support provided by the Group Human Resources Department. CRH managers come from three very different streams, comprising: Internally developed operating managers who have room to grow in an expanding organisation Highly qualified finance and development professionals business builders with vision and future potential Owner-entrepreneurs who have joined with their companies and provide a vibrant entrepreneurial spirit. This brings forth a healthy mix and depth of skills and a wealth of experience at senior level with many senior leaders having managed through previous economic cycles. This gives them invaluable experience to deal with the current downturn enabling them to prepare for the inevitable upturn of the market. Performance management In CRHs high performance culture particularly during difficult economic times achieving results is difficult. But, CRH has adopted a strong performance management and appraisal process. Employees are given realistic goals and plans in place to achieve them. Performance is driven by appraisal, regular review meetings and self-assessment. Leadership development Management Development Programmes gives leadership training usually to middle or top level managers to assist them in upgrading their skills. These programmes have been updated in response to the changing economic climate. Staffs are encouraged to identify opportunities for business development and increased efficiency. Internal promotion is used to motivate and reward staff. Succession planning CRH places a significant consideration on succession planning. So as to develop future generations of leaders from within the organisation and maintain quality employees at all levels. Staffs are prepared for future roles by involving them with challenging assignments, coaching and formal training. Employees are educated the fact that during difficult economic times they must work within tighter financial constraints to keep operations within budget. CRH Future and Recommendation The process of maintaining superior performance and growth involves continuously investing for the future. The overall picture in 2009 is extremely challenging, having the severe impact of ongoing turmoil in financial markets across the world. There are a number of positives factors which will provide future opportunities for business, for example, Lower energy costs, Interest rate reductions Infrastructure stimulus packages in a number of countries, notably the USA. In this environment, efforts will mainly focus on implementing cost-cutting measures, reducing expenditure and preparing the business for recovery in construction markets. Regional and product diversity cater for smooth outcome of the effects of changing economic conditions and to provide multiple opportunities for growth. Management has responded vigorously to extremely challenging market conditions. All aspects of business need to be analysed and cost reduction and cash generation measures need to be in place to deal with whatever trading circumstances may evolve as the time go on.