How Can Leaders Motivate Staff In Order To Improve Productivity And Job Satisfaction?

How can leaders motivate staff in order to improve productivity and job satisfaction? The purpose of this essay is to highlight the use of management theories in relation to productivity and job satisfaction. This essay shall discuss how leaders can motivate employees in order to improve the overall productivity and job satisfaction. I will be looking at theories in relation to how they are categorised, also how different management theories can be implemented by a leader.The essay will analyse both the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that are relative to applicable management theories and from the analysis there will be a justification of methods the writer believes to be the most suitable for the leadership and motivation of employees. The ‘Classical Perspective’ was exercised by theorists such as Frederick Taylor and Henri Fayol who both incorporated aspects of the classical approach into their management theories.The approach has specific characteristics that make it simple to distinguish which theories can be associated; the general idea is that theorists using the classical approach viewed the employees as components of a production process rather than as individuals. The classical management style they applied to their theories ensured that the focus was entirely on an individual’s extrinsic needs such as; monetary incentives, level of working conditions, labour division and quantity.The theorists concentrated on aspects such as systematic analysis, remuneration, hierarchical structure and the use of autocratic leadership. 1 Frederick Taylor’s theory of Scientific Management suggests that a worker’s productivity will increase when given monetary incentives. Taylor believed that the employees would be motivated to produce more if paid for the completion of a task. Taylor measured and timed tasks in order to find an average completion time; if workers exceeded that they were to be paid extra.Roles were concise; managers to plan and train, and workers to perform. A leader of a manufacturing company could implement Taylor’s idea of a ‘piece-rate system’ with the intention of motivating the staff to improve productivity. Job satisfaction may potentially increase for some of the employees; specifically the individuals that have the correct skills to produce more as they will be receiving a higher salary.2 3 Henri Fayol’s theory of Classical Management was concerned with competence on an organisational level, Fayol devised 14 Principles of Management that he believed explained how managers should organise and communicate with employees. Fayol’s principles involved the use of discipline, autocratic leadership, teams having the same objective with one manager and one plan, the importance of group interests over individual interests, remuneration, hierarchical structure, good working conditions and stability of labour turnover.Using Fayol’s principles could help a lea der guarantee that workers are correctly organised whilst ensuring the workers are motivated to improve their productivity and job satisfaction. 4 5 The introduction of monetary incentives based upon work output (remuneration) could motivate employees to produce more whilst increasing their job satisfaction, as they would receiving higher pay. Delegating controlled freedom could improve the employee’s productivity and job satisfaction as they may feel they have more of an opportunity to contribute, potentially increasing their work output.Promoting team spirit and unity within a workplace may improve job satisfaction and productivity as working in a team allows all of the collective members to contribute complementary skills to the overall task and as a result the overall output and performance of each individual may increase; if work output and performance increases the individual’s self-esteem is likely to increase alongside job satisfaction.Ensuring stability of ten ure may motivate improvement of productivity and job satisfaction, if an employee feels their job is secure then they are likely to be happier in the role and are also likely to focus on the work more as they will be worrying and focusing less on potential redundancy or dismissal. 6 7 In addition to the Classical Perspective there’s also the Humanistic Perspective consisting of three subfields; Human Relations, Human Resources and Behaviour Sciences.Theorists such as Abraham Maslow and Elton Mayo integrated the Humanistic Approach into their management theories. There are specific factors that distinguish whether a theory uses the Humanistic Perspective; the humanistic approaches all emphasise the importance of understanding human behaviour, needs and attitude within the working environment. The Humanistic Perspective focuses on both extrinsic and intrinsic factors of an individual. The central idea is that the human needs are the conclusive factor to achieving efficiency wit hin an organisation.Elton Mayo’s association with the ‘Hawthorne Studies’ provided a stimulating effect to the understandings of the human factor at work. The focus within Elton Mayo’s studies was on the worker rather than the work; this was revolutionary as previous theorists had only concentrated on the labour. Elton Mayo initially carried out a study into physical working conditions and productivity but his results ended up being a series of studies into social factors.The results from Elton Mayo’s studies showed that the initial factors of analysis such as working conditions were not influencing the employee’s increase in productivity and motivation; it was the fact the workers were responding to being the centre of attention, a member of a team and feeling a sense of recognition. The findings showed that social relationships in the workplace were just as important as monetary incentives and good working conditions relating to the product ivity and job satisfaction of an employee.Elton Mayo’s studies were more factual than theoretical; the findings provided a clear representation of the importance of social factors at work. A leader could apply some of Mayo’s ideas into their management techniques in order to improve productivity and job satisfaction. If the workers are given recognition they are likely to feel more motivated to increase their productivity; a manager’s relationship and focus on the individuals will also provide them with the feeling of being centre of attention which is likely to increase their work output if they know they are being supervised.If a manager were to apply the action of team work into their organisation then the workers may feel a sense of unity; building good colleague relations may increase the employee’s job satisfaction. Working in a team allows all the individuals to contribute their complementary skills potentially resulting in overall better working p erformance; if working performance increases and the employees are given recognition they are likely to continue their hard work and also increase job satisfaction.Another essential theorist that used the Humanistic Approach within their management theory was Abraham Maslow. Maslow studied human motivation; his findings gave him the incentive to develop a hierarchical model relating to human needs. Maslow’s theory influenced the development of management in the 1950s/60s; the simplicity of the model and the idea of levelled needs made it a favourable approach to managers. Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy of Needs’ consists of five levels of needs (physiological, safety, belongingness and love, esteem and self-actualisation), it is organised in order of influence upon theindividual. The stronger needs (physiological and safety) are at the bottom of the hierarchy and the weaker needs (belongingness and love, esteem and self-actualisation) are at the top. 13 14 15 The the ory puts forth the idea that if an individual’s stronger needs are threatened then they cannot begin to fulfil the weaker needs. The theory suggests that if a category of needs is not met then the individual cannot proceed to fulfil the higher level needs, this is due to the unsatisfied needs being dominant.Maslow’s theory relates to motivation in regards to productivity and job satisfaction; an individual cannot be motivated to be productive if certain needs are threatened or not met. An individual may not be satisfied in their job if needs are threatened or not met, theoretically it is crucial for a manager to ensure a worker’s needs are met if they want them to increase their productivity. 16 17 18 The Hierarchy of needs provides useful framework for managers relating to the ways in which the employee’s motivation can be met.Although the systematic movement from the bottom to top of the hierarchy is not necessarily representative of all individuals the theory still provides an outline for managers to use when trying to motivate employees. If a manager ensures that the employee’s physiological, safety and belonging needs are met within the work place then the individual is likely to be motivated towards the esteem needs such as the desire for achievement, adequacy, mastery, competence, recognition, attention and glory.If the individual is motivated towards the esteem needs they are likely to increase their productivity as it is relevant to the desires of the category. If the individual esteem needs are being met then the individual is likely to feel a sense of job satisfaction as feelings such as glory, achievement and recognition provide positive emotion. If a manager regularly ensures the individual’s needs are being met and exceeded their motivation for productivity and job satisfaction will theoretically increase.In conclusion it is clear that both perspectives of management can be effective when increasing an em ployee’s productivity and job satisfaction. The classical approach can in theory increase an individual’s productivity and job satisfaction although the way in which the manager’s view the individuals as human machines potentially degrades the individuals and as a result their job satisfaction could decrease. The theories developed by Taylor and Fayol may only be applicable to specific job sectors such as factory work; if a manager applied the use of piece-rate and division of work it may not be relevant for use.The humanistic approach is likely to increase productivity and job satisfaction however the systematic movement in Maslow’s hierarchy does not necessarily apply to the diverse range of personalities of individuals. Mayo’s findings may also be biased due to the sector he researched; therefore they may not relate to productivity and job satisfaction in all fields. Overall if a manager were to combine the most relevant ideas from both humanist ic and classical theories they could then ensure their management style is applicable to the sector of work. How can leaders motivate staff in order to improve productivity and job satisfaction? How can leaders motivate staff in order to improve productivity and job satisfaction? The purpose of this essay is to highlight the use of management theories in relation to productivity and job satisfaction. This essay shall discuss how leaders can motivate employees in order to improve the overall productivity and job satisfaction. I will be looking at theories in relation to how they are categorised, also how different management theories can be implemented by a leader.The essay will analyse both the intrinsic and extrinsic factors that are relative to applicable management theories and from the analysis there will be a justification of methods the writer believes to be the most suitable for the leadership and motivation of employees. The ‘Classical Perspective’ was exercised by theorists such as Frederick Taylor and Henri Fayol who both incorporated aspects of the classical approach into their management theories.The approach has specific characteristics that make it simple to distinguish which theories can be associated; the general idea is that theorists using the classical approach viewed the employees as components of a production process rather than as individuals. The classical management style they applied to their theories ensured that the focus was entirely on an individual’s extrinsic needs such as; monetary incentives, level of working conditions, labour division and quantity.The theorists concentrated on aspects such as systematic analysis, remuneration, hierarchical structure and the use of autocratic leadership. 1 Frederick Taylor’s theory of Scientific Management suggests that a worker’s productivity will increase when given monetary incentives. Taylor believed that the employees would be motivated to produce more if paid for the completion of a task. Taylor measured and timed tasks in order to find an average completion time; if workers exceeded that they were to be paid extra.Roles were concise; managers to plan and train, and workers to perform. A leader of a manufacturing company could implement Taylor’s idea of a ‘piece-rate system’ with the intention of motivating the staff to improve productivity. Job satisfaction may potentially increase for some of the employees; specifically the individuals that have the correct skills to produce more as they will be receiving a higher salary.2 3 Henri Fayol’s theory of Classical Management was concerned with competence on an organisational level, Fayol devised 14 Principles of Management that he believed explained how managers should organise and communicate with employees. Fayol’s principles involved the use of discipline, autocratic leadership, teams having the same objective with one manager and one plan, the importance of group interests over individual interests, remuneration, hierarchical structure, good working conditions and stability of labour turnover.Using Fayol’s principles could help a lea der guarantee that workers are correctly organised whilst ensuring the workers are motivated to improve their productivity and job satisfaction. 4 5 The introduction of monetary incentives based upon work output (remuneration) could motivate employees to produce more whilst increasing their job satisfaction, as they would receiving higher pay. Delegating controlled freedom could improve the employee’s productivity and job satisfaction as they may feel they have more of an opportunity to contribute, potentially increasing their work output.Promoting team spirit and unity within a workplace may improve job satisfaction and productivity as working in a team allows all of the collective members to contribute complementary skills to the overall task and as a result the overall output and performance of each individual may increase; if work output and performance increases the individual’s self-esteem is likely to increase alongside job satisfaction.Ensuring stability of ten ure may motivate improvement of productivity and job satisfaction, if an employee feels their job is secure then they are likely to be happier in the role and are also likely to focus on the work more as they will be worrying and focusing less on potential redundancy or dismissal. 6 7 In addition to the Classical Perspective there’s also the Humanistic Perspective consisting of three subfields; Human Relations, Human Resources and Behaviour Sciences.Theorists such as Abraham Maslow and Elton Mayo integrated the Humanistic Approach into their management theories. There are specific factors that distinguish whether a theory uses the Humanistic Perspective; the humanistic approaches all emphasise the importance of understanding human behaviour, needs and attitude within the working environment. The Humanistic Perspective focuses on both extrinsic and intrinsic factors of an individual. The central idea is that the human needs are the conclusive factor to achieving efficiency wit hin an organisation.Elton Mayo’s association with the ‘Hawthorne Studies’ provided a stimulating effect to the understandings of the human factor at work. The focus within Elton Mayo’s studies was on the worker rather than the work; this was revolutionary as previous theorists had only concentrated on the labour. Elton Mayo initially carried out a study into physical working conditions and productivity but his results ended up being a series of studies into social factors.The results from Elton Mayo’s studies showed that the initial factors of analysis such as working conditions were not influencing the employee’s increase in productivity and motivation; it was the fact the workers were responding to being the centre of attention, a member of a team and feeling a sense of recognition. The findings showed that social relationships in the workplace were just as important as monetary incentives and good working conditions relating to the product ivity and job satisfaction of an employee.Elton Mayo’s studies were more factual than theoretical; the findings provided a clear representation of the importance of social factors at work. A leader could apply some of Mayo’s ideas into their management techniques in order to improve productivity and job satisfaction. If the workers are given recognition they are likely to feel more motivated to increase their productivity; a manager’s relationship and focus on the individuals will also provide them with the feeling of being centre of attention which is likely to increase their work output if they know they are being supervised.If a manager were to apply the action of team work into their organisation then the workers may feel a sense of unity; building good colleague relations may increase the employee’s job satisfaction. Working in a team allows all the individuals to contribute their complementary skills potentially resulting in overall better working p erformance; if working performance increases and the employees are given recognition they are likely to continue their hard work and also increase job satisfaction.Another essential theorist that used the Humanistic Approach within their management theory was Abraham Maslow. Maslow studied human motivation; his findings gave him the incentive to develop a hierarchical model relating to human needs. Maslow’s theory influenced the development of management in the 1950s/60s; the simplicity of the model and the idea of levelled needs made it a favourable approach to managers. Maslow’s ‘Hierarchy of Needs’ consists of five levels of needs (physiological, safety, belongingness and love, esteem and self-actualisation), it is organised in order of influence upon theindividual. The stronger needs (physiological and safety) are at the bottom of the hierarchy and the weaker needs (belongingness and love, esteem and self-actualisation) are at the top. 13 14 15 The the ory puts forth the idea that if an individual’s stronger needs are threatened then they cannot begin to fulfil the weaker needs. The theory suggests that if a category of needs is not met then the individual cannot proceed to fulfil the higher level needs, this is due to the unsatisfied needs being dominant.Maslow’s theory relates to motivation in regards to productivity and job satisfaction; an individual cannot be motivated to be productive if certain needs are threatened or not met. An individual may not be satisfied in their job if needs are threatened or not met, theoretically it is crucial for a manager to ensure a worker’s needs are met if they want them to increase their productivity. 16 17 18 The Hierarchy of needs provides useful framework for managers relating to the ways in which the employee’s motivation can be met.Although the systematic movement from the bottom to top of the hierarchy is not necessarily representative of all individuals the theory still provides an outline for managers to use when trying to motivate employees. If a manager ensures that the employee’s physiological, safety and belonging needs are met within the work place then the individual is likely to be motivated towards the esteem needs such as the desire for achievement, adequacy, mastery, competence, recognition, attention and glory.If the individual is motivated towards the esteem needs they are likely to increase their productivity as it is relevant to the desires of the category. If the individual esteem needs are being met then the individual is likely to feel a sense of job satisfaction as feelings such as glory, achievement and recognition provide positive emotion. If a manager regularly ensures the individual’s needs are being met and exceeded their motivation for productivity and job satisfaction will theoretically increase.19 20 21 In conclusion it is clear that both perspectives of management can be effective when increas ing an employee’s productivity and job satisfaction. The classical approach can in theory increase an individual’s productivity and job satisfaction although the way in which the manager’s view the individuals as human machines potentially degrades the individuals and as a result their job satisfaction could decrease. The theories developed by Taylor and Fayol may only be applicable to specific job sectors such as factory work; if a manager applied the use of piece-rate and division of work it may not be relevant for use.The humanistic approach is likely to increase productivity and job satisfaction however the systematic movement in Maslow’s hierarchy does not necessarily apply to the diverse range of personalities of individuals. Mayo’s findings may also be biased due to the sector he researched; therefore they may not relate to productivity and job satisfaction in all fields. Overall if a manager were to combine the most relevant ideas from both humanistic and classical theories they could then ensure their management style is applicable to the sector of work.

Being on Time Essay

Being at the right place at the right time for any person is extremely important to the daily life and military life. Being dependable, accountable, and disciplined are all crucial factors that go along with it. Being on time shows that a person is dependable and have his or her priorities straight. Being where one needs to be at the right time always one of the most important aspects of everything you want to succeed in. Failure to be on time not only hinders your time to get tasks done but also wastes the time of those waiting on you. If you want to fix this use good time management. It is important to realize that it is necessary for a person to hold themselves at a higher standard if the wish to excel in life, the military, or whatever you wish to succeed in. Punctuality remains and always will be an extremely vital aspect of military bearing and discipline. It has a direct connection to a person’s appearance, task effectiveness, and essentially every aspect of life and responsibility. I cannot place enough importance on how significant being on time constantly is. For instance; a person who is late or does not report at all to a place at the time stated effectively compromises and reduces the efficiency of which the task or mission at hand can be completed. It also makes it so other people are waiting on you to put out information. This makes it so you waste their time so then they may be late for something and you make them look bad. No one should every try to be sabotaging someone else because of their laziness and inability to be considerate of others. Not being on time also shows that you are not accountable or unaccountable. This is also a direct reflection of yourself and what others feel they should treat you like. Like a wise man once said â€Å"If you act like a child you will be treated like a child.† And really what grown man or women wants to be treated like they are 15 years old and have people hold their hand constantly. Not I not you not anyone. Also by getting this cause from the effect u made of acting like a child it also makes your ability to exceed and excel in life or the military diminish greatly. Also it makes you unreliable and that’s never a good trait to have. Time management is a way to correct this problem. By setting alarms to get up on time, leaving sooner to give yourself enough time to get to one place to another, and making sure you have enough time to do the things you need to do or the things you want to do. Also if you set things up the night before you will not be in such a rush to get things done the next day. If you do not have good time management you will fail in just about every aspect of life in or out of the military. Remember to plan ahead. Good time management is a major key to not make these kinds of mistakes. In conclusion being on time greatly reflects your dependability, accountability, and discipline. These factors affect your opportunity to excel and be the best you can be. Also good time management is key and a way to correct the problem of not being on time. Being on Time Essay Being on time is very important. It is a sign of respect to the person you are meeting. If you are always late, you’re creating a bad reputation for yourself. People feel they can’t trust you or rely on you, so it impacts relationships. It also impacts self-esteem. Being late is upsetting to others and stressful for the one who is late. People’s stress level is very high when they’re late. They’re racing, worried, and anxious. They spend the first few minutes apologizing. And that’s not the best way to making a good impression. So if you want to be on time you must first figure out why you are always late. The reason can usually be classified as either technical or psychological. For example if you’re always late by a different amount of time 5 minutes sometimes, 15, or even 40 minutes other times it is likely that the cause is technical. It’s a case of bad planning, of thinking you need less time than you actually do. Another technical difficulty for some people is the inability to say â€Å"no† to additional commitments when they’re short on time. But if you are literally always 10 minutes late, it’s psychological. You’re arriving exactly when you want. The question is why? For some people, it’s a resistance thing. They don’t want to do what other people expect them to. Another category is the â€Å"crisis-maker†. These are people who cannot get themselves together until they get an adrenaline rush. They need to be under the gun to get them selves moving. There are also people who are late because they worry they won’t have nothing to do while waiting. This problem can be solved easily. Always carry a book or magazine. So you aren’t feeling bored and you don’t have the feeling of â€Å"excess† time when you are waiting. And that’s not the only thing that can help you to deal with lateness. You can also†¦ †¢ Clean out your purse or briefcase each evening so it’s ready to go the next morning. †¢ Know how much money is in your wallet so you won’t run out of cash at an awkward time. †¢ Give up that â€Å"one last thing† before walking out the door. †¢ Think about what you could do with an extra five minutes for every place where you arrive early. †¢ Review your plans for the rest of the day and make note of things that have changed. †¢ Keep a clock in a prominent location so you can check it quickly when you have to leave your activities. †¢ Always keep keys, purse and backpack on hooks and a shelf by the exit door. †¢ Set your clocks 5 to 10 minutes ahead. Although remember that at dinner party it’s rude to arrive early; you might surprise the host and find him in his bathrobe vacuuming. In Japan, China, Germany and the United States being on time is the rule. In other places, such as Latin America punctuality is rare. Punctuality exhibits respect for the time of others; you do not waste their time while they wait for you. But it makes it difficult for Germans to act spontaneously. You can’t really call someone and say, ‘Let’s go for a coffee. ‘ Many Germans will want that date in their diaries for at least a week. Back in the technological dark ages, you couldn’t contact people so easily, so you made an effort to meet them on time. Nowadays if you are running late you simply call the person and delay or cancel the meeting. However that should not become a habit, because you may delay, but time will not. I used to be late all the time. But I’ve got tired of running down the street to catch the bus and bored of explaining to everyone why I’m late again. So I decided to deal with the problem. First step was setting my clocks 5 min ahead and it really works for me. But I realized that everything is in my head. I just have to decide that the meeting or event is just too important for me to be late. I won’t say I’m always on time, but I’m trying. As someone else said: â€Å"Better late than never, but better never late! † [pic].

Legal and finance Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Legal and finance - Assignment Example ed with a minimum economic wage and the number of the hours worked in the day should be compensated in the form of overtime if it surpasses the standard working hours. The government sets the minimum wage, and any private or public sector must conform to it. Payment of extra hours worked should be more than the usual working rate. These legislations are provided for by the fair labor standards act administered by the wage and hour division department in the federal system. Workers are also entitled to safety working conditions at workplaces. This law is provided for by the fed under occupational and safety health Act (OSHA). The employees should only work with a free harmful environment, and the organization should take responsibility whenever a person is injured in the cause of duty. The department monitors this by inspections of various firms and ensures that all employees are safe. The federal act also provides for family and medical leave which is unpaid. Hence, employees can always attend to cases of serious health, allow women to give birth and take care of the young ones and any other family responsibility that may befall them. Any organization that does not comply with these laws and denies employee their accessibility is subject to prosecution in a court of justice. Ways on how the salary is arrived at or determined. It should be based on duties, experience, educational investment of the employee and any other relevant factor that may require compensation. This factor prevents exploitation of the employee. However, the compensation of workers must be of market wage rate and employees should be contented with it. Since the organization is trading in a competitive market, demanding of high salaries and more benefits would do a great harm and the employee’s jobs will not be protected (Vargas & Noruzi,2011).. The organization will experience a high costs in operations that may force the firm to lay off workers, or the company may quit operations since

An outline marketing plan for the next year for Atlantic Quench 304 Essay

An outline marketing plan for the next year for Atlantic Quench 304 - Essay Example market. Theoretical frameworks of Porter’s five forces, Ansoff Matrix and Marketing Communication mix has been used in this paper. The paper suggests that AQC must continue with its quest of new product development primarily focusing on healthy products for consumers. A slightly high price can be charged from the consumers if they assume that the products provide functional value. The global fruit juice industry is also facing a number of challenges from the health organizations in the developed countries regarding their fatty contents and the amount of sugar in these drinks. It has therefore become difficult for fruit juice companies to retain their market share in face of volatile demand conditions. In this light, this paper makes an attempt to create a marketing plan for Atlantic Quench Cranberries (AQC), a US based agricultural cooperative which have pioneered in the production of canned fruit juices. AQC had a slow but steady beginning in 1930’s. It started as a cooperative which was initially controlled by three farmers from New Jersey and Massachusetts. Presently the company is the top player in the U.S. fruit juice market. The success story of AQC had been strong even in the United Kingdom ever since its entry in the U.K. market. This report provides an elaborate marketing plan for AQC in the next one year so that the company can increase its market share in the U.K. The government of the U.K. is trying to introduce measures to reduce obesity and fruit juices are items which contains high volume of saturated sugar. However, Atlantic Quench produces drinks with very low sugar content and low calories that provide chances of growth in the U.K. markets. The market conditions in the U.K. fruit juice industry are quite dynamic. An estimated growth of 10% has been noted in the value of fruit juice markets including the smoothies. Despite the

Administration of Medications Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Administration of Medications - Research Paper Example For instance, intravenous (IV) furosemide directed too hurriedly can have adverse effect of causing deafness. In the same way, too much of topical steroids applied on the body can cause tapering of the skin and various dangerous side-effects. In the opinion of Shane (2009), medication administration can be considered as the â€Å"sharp edge† in the medication-use process, because errors occurred at the prescribing, dispensing, or transcribing stages, if not detected, will result in the patient receiving the medication in error. There are two factors that decide whether or not the medication will meet the anticipated site of action in the body of the patient. They are; The bioavailability of the drug: - Bioavailability is the amount of administrated medication that can affect the systematic circulation and thereby available for circulation to the anticipated site of action. Routes of administration: - The routes of administration consist of the method of carrying out the admini stration of drug. For the effective drug therapy and desired patient outcome, it is essential to recognize the advantages, implications, and disadvantages of the routes of administration. The administration of medication is the prime responsibility of the nurse. The procedure of administering medication involves supporting the patient with a substance given, medication, or deterrence of a clinical illness or situation. The main function of medication administration refers to the specific and absolute delivery of a medication to the patient. The nursing staff must be familiar with the large set of practices in order to attain safe and effective patient outcomes and to organize for and analyze the outcome of medication administration. The first step of medication administration starts with the prescription written by the physician and passes through different channels including nurses, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants, etc. Nursing Responsibilities in Administration of Me dication Primarily, the nurse while administrating medication should keep in mind the five rights of medications; right patient, right drug, right time, right dose, and right route of administration (Washington Poison Center, 2008). The nurses must be familiar with the responsibilities and should be duty bound to carry out these responsibilities while administering medication. The nurse should make sure that no medication is given to the patient without an accurate clinical order from a doctor clearly specifying the medication, dose, route, and schedule. To ensure the homogeneity, the medication in the solution should be shaken well before it is parted from the main drug container. In the same way, extra care should be applied while extracting drugs from large containers, and rim of the container must be wiped after taking solutions or suspensions. While administering medication, the nurse must make sure that the drugs are kept in order in a proper place, ensuring that they are not freely accessible to patients or the public. The medications must be preserved well from air, light, and moisture and only those labeled properly must be maintained in the storage. Each medication should be carefully examined regarding its storage, refrigeration and expiration dates. Hughes and Blegen (2008) point out that restricted medication like narcotics should be preserved in lockers and proper records must be maintained on the use of such medication. Nurse must be very careful while dealing with the drugs, knowing exactly the abbreviations of the mediations as well as their action, dosage, indication, route, effects, etc. It is important not to touch drugs, especially tablets and pills

Administrative Perspective Matrix (Evolution of Management Class) Essay

Administrative Perspective Matrix (Evolution of Management Class) - Essay Example 2. According to Sridhar (2010), the administration of an organization under the consideration of administrative perspective does not restrict management of the organization within the organization but on a large-scale stage. Therefore, the second characteristic of administrative perspective is to consider the development of the organization not on a micro level but on a macro level. 3. Administrative perspective and scientific management are quite contrasting from one another because of their location in the hierarchy. Administrative perspective is the approach that is set upside down due to which, it is categorized as top-down while scientific management develops from downside up due to which, it is considered bottom-up approach. Henry Fayol and Chester Bernard can be considered as major theorists who contributed in determining administrative perspective. They can be regarded as authoritative figures because of their most important involvement in structuring theories for administrative perspective. 1. Henry Fayol showed interest in running the organization as one unit due to which, he structured miscellaneous groups with partitioned organizational functionalities. According to the theorist, the handling of organization as one unit with dissimilar groups is manageable and convenient. The theory by Henry Fayol is based on division of organizational functions. 2. Chester Bernard emphasized on development of organizational objectives because it is only because of the organizational objectives due to which, the organization prospers. The administration of an organization should be able to make certain that all the set goals of the organization must be accomplished. The theory of Chester Bernard is based on accomplishment of organizational goals. The relevance of administrative perspective to today’s managers cannot be negated as it enables today’s managers to give

Analyze the statements of each speaker. What does each statement imply Essay

Analyze the statements of each speaker. What does each statement imply regarding their views on the following legal philosophica - Essay Example George Wallace was the 45th Governor of Alabama and he was strongly in favor of segregation laws. He held opposite opinions from Luther King Jr. on human rights and believed that it was right for white and colored men to be treated differently. His opinion on civil movements was also not pleasing for civil rights activist. He called for an end to these movements. King’s views on Legal Philosophical Issues Natural law is the law that is based on human inclination or nature (Rothbard, M. 2011). Positive laws are manmade laws that are based on the fact that human beings are not inherently moral or rational so laws are required to govern them. Martin Luther King considered natural law to be more legitimate than positive laws. King considered the positive laws of segregation to be incoherent with natural law of freedom and justice. He said â€Å"We can never be satisfied as long as our children are stripped of their self-hood and robbed of their dignity by signs stating: ‘Fo r Whites Only.’† (Luther King Jr.). Segregation was supported by law and King argued against it because he thought it was against the natural laws of freedom. Luther King Jr. was of the opinion of St. Augustine that ‘unjust law is no law’ (MacDonald Jr. 2010). ... Law should be used to promote the common good as argued by King. He believed that it was our duty to follow the just laws. Just laws promote the common good among people by listening to the all groups of the society. He says in his speech â€Å"Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice† (Luther King Jr.). So he argues that laws should be changed. When he argues that laws should be changed he must believe that laws can be used to promote common good of the people. Martin Luther King Jr. believed in the non violent ways of protest. He was inspired by Gandhi and his philosophy of non violence. He believed that violence is not justified even if it is done to achieve a just claim. He said specifically â€Å"In the process of gaining our rightful place, we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds† (Luther King Jr.). This clearly explains his non violent ideas. He strongly believed that harm done to people even in the course of protest for a just cause is not justified. The legal philosophy of King was to achieve the aims through peaceful protests and not physical violence. King viewed the role of autonomy to be great in determining aims of law. Autonomy was promised by the ancestors of America but this was not given to the black Americans. In his opinion aims of law were to promote autonomy but later on the society developed its own biases and prejudices. State intervention is argued by Stuart Mill but only in cases where a person inflicts harm or danger to the society (Dogan, A. 2006). King sees paternalism as undesirable as it hinders in achieving the aim of law and that is to promote freedom. Morality plays a role in determining aims of law according to Luther King Jr. The aims

Past and present and fuuture technologies in his field of study or his Essay

Past and present and fuuture technologies in his field of study or his interest - Essay Example Students who study science and engineering are supposed to have more interest in the history of their main subject of study. In terms of the evolution of computers, the same capital has always been used but fresh and creative ideas over the years have allowed the technology to become better than the ones which were already being used. This paper will consider the development and improvement of computers over the years all the way to the present and will continue to predict what the computers are likely to do in the in the coming years. This paper should give a proper description of the improvement of computers together with the progress that have been seen it their technology. It is obvious that computers have become important in all the countries of the world even though the success they have achieved did not come overnight. The capabilities and abilities of computers have undergone a lot of improvement since they were invented with numerous advancements on a regular basis (Thyagarajan, Chelvi & Rangaswamy, 2000). This essay will study the progress that has been made in terms of computers, the way that they exist today as well as try to try to predict what they will be and the abilities they might have in the days to come. The initial function associated with computers, which was computing, was also important in coming up with their name as computing involves accepting inputs and creating outputs. During the Second World War, computing assisted physicists to develop the first ever atomic bomb as well as intelligence officers to understand the message in communications that were being sent by enemy soldiers. Regardless of the fact that these activities could have been done without the help of computers, they made the entire processes easy therefore decreasing the chances of human errors simply through provision of instruction making the activities undertaken efficient and effective. Even though the first computer had huge

Best is the new worst and glamour, that certain something Research Paper

Best is the new worst and glamour, that certain something - Research Paper Example Print media showed women with long hair and meat on their body to be the most desirable. However gradually with time the perception of being beautiful changed from limited curves on a woman’s body along with short hair. Media revolves around the concept of picking up an ideal fashion of the society and conveys it to the audience so that the audience can adopt that particular fashion. It is through these channels that the large audience is being controlled by the media. People who watch television get inspired by some sort of fashion and try to adopt it. To become cool in the society one tries to imitate the person that they watch on the different forms of traditional media. Media does affect our perception of beauty in one way or the other and at times this can prove to be disastrous for the people whose perceptions are being tangled with (Gallagher 2009). References How the Media Changes Our Perception of Beauty. Tammy Gallagher. 2009. Associated Content.

Organizational Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Organizational Ethics - Essay Example In most cases in an organization, unethical behavior is normally as a result of the subordinates actions. In order to foster a decision making and ethical climate in an organization, it is important for the concerned manager to create and give enough freedom to the workers. As a result, the workers are likely to exhibit more loyalty to the organization and this makes them less prone to unethical behavior such as theft. The results of a study carried out by Graham indicate that employees are more likely to be attracted to and more committed to ethical organizations. As a manager in an organization, I would devote valuable employee time into training on ethical reasoning and ethical behavior; I would insist that ethical conduct should be exhibited even in the midst of aggressive competition. This would play a critical role in creation of a positive reputation in the organization. It would also enhance ethical climate as well as improving the decision making process. Unethical behaviors are very prominent in business settings and they include a wide variety of different activities. Myer (123), states that there are limitless reasons as to why many people and organizations exhibit unethical behavior. However, the most prominent ones relate to ones personality and the ethical frame work an individual holds. This is due to the fact that the frame work may conflict with the ethical frame work that the organization holds. In reference to the outlined and recent scandals, any individual is likely to fall into them. Therefore, this does not exempt me as a person, mainly due to the fact that I also hold unto some ethical frame work which would conflict with what others and the organization hold. It is therefore wise to devise ways in which to manage the potential ethical pitfalls in any organization, business, and company. To start with, individuals in prominent positions in an organization should encourage ethical consciousness in a concerned and supportive manner. Secondly, a clear policy in writing should be allocated to all individuals involved; they should carefully read and sign against it to indicate that they have clearly understood the terms and conditions and that they are ready to abide by the requirements. This would play a critical role in promotion of ethical behavior. In most instances, the personal ethics of leaders either positively or negatively impact the ethical behavior of an organization. They therefore play a big role in determining the kind of ethical behavior that is portrayed in an organization. In relation to the leaders, my ethical frame work may either positively or negatively influence my organization. Myer, Craig. Contemporary Business. 2nd ed. New York: Oxford UP, 2000. Week 4 # 4 The framework for ethical decision making process includes 10 stages which have been grouped into 5 steps (Greg 65). It provides a well defined direction in which one is expected to follow in order to achieve the best results during decision making process and formulation of ethical behavior. The first step involves recognition of an ethical issue in which the facts are collected. Evaluation of alternative actions follows up whereby a decision and a test are made. Lastly, one is expected to

Organized Crime Essay Example for Free

Organized Crime Essay The times are definitely changing. As civilization progresses, human way of living also improves. Sadly, even the negative entities have progressed executing their evil ways; crime has come from petty to being organized. Of course, there are still those who commit crime in their own little ways, so to speak. But the world is now faced with international crime syndicates who operate or influence various institutions, government most especially, and which are harder to combat. There are different definitions for organized crime offered by different individuals or organizations. I have thought of organized crime as being operated by a group having some formal structure which aims to gain profit through illegal activities. Most organized crime syndicates use or threat to use violence, and influence government officials, with some even managing to become one, to control illegal economic sector or jurisdiction. Most of the time, organized crime hide beneath legal operations but gain more on their illegal operations, which includes, but not limited to, drug trafficking, prostitution, illegal gambling and human trafficking. Combating organized crime takes a lot more effort than with the petty everyday crime because of their manipulation of government officials. Some organized crime syndicates may also have the support of unwitting citizen, who are being deceived through the syndicate’s socially accepted operation. Organized crime is mainly different from other criminal groups in that while some groups are motivated by political ideals or religious beliefs, organized crime syndicates operate almost exclusively for profit. They enter the political arena to gain protection for their illegal activities and may raise a new cult to control and manipulate their jurisdiction. Just like any formal organizations, organized crime group have their own hierarchical structure; and just like any crime group, organized crime syndicates would readily resort to violence. There are specialized members doing specific jobs for their illegal operation, which as already specified, may include public officials to protect their business. Usually, higher rank members take care of business. Managing the business, finding new market, business negotiations, all tasks that are essential to the survival of a business just as if it were an ordinary legal business enterprise are some of the specifications of higher rank members. They may also be the ones who have connections within the government, or are government officials themselves. Lower rank members are the ones specified to perform the â€Å"dirty† jobs: murder, arson, or threatening those who oppose or which are dangerous to the group’s illegal operations. Organized crime syndicates also abhor other groups with the same operation. Operating chiefly for profit, they try to eliminate the competition as much as possible. Less competition means greater profit. Organized crime need not worry about losing business as they can always find patrons for the goods and services they render. In other words, organized crime businesses are always in demand. The text defines organized crime as a group of â€Å"three or more persons, with hierarchical links or personal relationships, which permit their leaders to earn profits or control territories or makets, internal or foreign, by means of violence, intimidation or corruption, both in furtherance of criminal activity and to infiltrate the legitimate industry. Reading the text have offered new insights about organized crime but has not changed my perception, which were basically identical. In sum, an organized crime, as the term implies, is a group with a formal structure, just as any organization, that operates with specialized rules and regulations (organized) incorporating various illegal activities (crime) for the purpose of profit.

George W. Bush Biography

George W. Bush Biography George W Bush Addison Davis On July 6, 1946, in New Haven, Connecticut one of our future presidents would be born his name is George W. Bush. Growing up, he was the oldest of six children from his mother and father, Barbara Pierce Bush and George Herbert Walker Bush. The Bush family has always been with politics, even in the 50’s. Bush’s grandfather, Prescott Bush, was a progressive Republican senator from Connecticut and a banker on Wall Street His father was also involved with politics, he was a businessman, diplomat, a vice president and president of the United States. At just two years old, George H.W. Bush decided to move the whole family to Midland, Texas where he would make it big in the oil business. Boy George mostly grew up in Midland and went to school there up until seventh grade when they moved to Houston, Texas. At that point George W. Bush was sent to Massachusetts to go to school at Phillips Academy. At Phillips Academy he was a Star Athlete playing baseball, basketball and footbal l. He was an alright student and occasionally got into trouble, but nevertheless, he was accepted into Yale with the help of family connections. At Yale, he put his social life in front of studies, but this being said he was still invited into the invitation only Skull and Bones society. Just before his graduation George enlisted in the Texas Air National Guard. He was again accepted with some help of a family friend. In 1970 George received his fighter pilot certificate, but on November 21, 1974 he was honorably discharged from the Air Force. After that, he decided to go back to school so, he went to Harvard Business School to get his Masters of Business Administration degree. After that he went back to his hometown to enter the oil business working with a friend. Later on, after he had had some experience with the business he started his own oil and gas firm. In 1977, he would meet his future wife Laura Welch, who was a school teacher and a librarian at the time. After just three months him and Laura decided to take the next step so George proposed and were married on November 5, 1977. After they were married, they settled in Midland, Texas, so George can continue to work on his business. Prior to his marriage George had a serious drinking problem and then joined the United Methodist Church and was a born-again Christian. In 1981, George and Laura had their first children, which turned out to be twin girls. Five years later, Bush sold his struggling oil business to Harken Energy Corporation for stock a spot on its board of directors. Around when this happened George had completely quit drinking and became deeply involved in his church. When George’s dad was running for president, George W. Bush and Laura moved his family to Washington, DC to help his father’s campaign. After George H. W. Bush won the election, George W. Bush and Laura Bush moved back to Texas and shortly after getting involved with investors trying to purchase the Texas Rangers . George W. Bush was quickly qualified as their leader and made amazing trades. After those trades the team did excellent and he eventually sold his team for seventeen times his initial investment. In 1992 after his father lost to Bill Clinton in a reelection, George W. Bush decided to run for governor of Texas as a Republican. His family reputation and his affiliation with the Rangers helped him win the 1994 campaign against Ann Richards. The election was tight the whole time, but George won the election with a fifty-three percent vote and was also the first governor to have a father as president. He was also the first Texas Governor to be elected to consecutive four-year terms. When Bush was a governor, he mainly appealed to republicans but also was well known for bipartisan governing. He combined personal responsibility and limited government. Since Bush was governor during a surplus he pushed for tax cuts and better education. He changed teachers’ salaries to student perf ormance on standardized tests and lowered the age of being tried in an adult court.[1] In 2000, Bush and his running mate Dick Cheney, who had been a former congressman and U.S. defense secretary under George H.W. Bush, had just defeated Al Gore and Joe Lieberman, U.S. Senator from Connecticut, by a very slim margin of 271-266 electoral votes even though Gore had beaten Bush with the popular vote by 48.4% to Bush’s 47.9%. This has been the fourth time this had ever happened in U.S. History.[2] One of the first things and one of the best domestic achievements Bush’s Administration worked on was public education. The first major initiative was the No Child Left Behind Act of 2002, this helped the public education system and raised test scores. Bush increased Peel Grants available to college students and they were raised to an all-time high. The tax relief package was another thing Bush was well known for. This package reduced individual taxes and doubles child tax credit and other reforms. On September 11, 2001 the most deadly attack on American soil happened unexpectedly and Bush’s Presidency was completely altered. On this day, terrorists from the group Al Qaeda hijacked four airplanes, two of the airplanes were ordered to hit the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Another was told to hit the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia. The final plane crashed in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after the passengers made a bold move to overtake the hijackers. When this happened President Bush declared war on Terrorism. This became an assault on anyone who had the twisted mind to support terrorism around the world. As a result of this effort the Afghanistan War started in October of 2001 and then the War in Iraq in 2003. This was actually Bush’s greatest failures in doing this it made the United States look like we were marked by fear, confusion and vulnerability.[3] George Bush’s greatest domestic failure was the way he tried to handle Hurricane Katrina, his attempt was just too slow. Bush sent in federal troops in days after the catastrophe and it took even longer for the troops to get there because of the road conditions. People were dying on top of their roofs of starvation and thirst waiting for some type of evacuation. News teams got there the first day it all went down asking questions about why troops were not showing up to bring aid to all of the unfortunate people. Bush’s administration was heavily criticized for the way this was handled and it showed when Bush’s public support went from sixty percent to forty-nine percent within two weeks.[4] George Bush did not have a lot of foreign achievements, but one of the best has to be humanitarian aid in Africa. In 2003 President Bush announced the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, otherwise known as PEPFAR, was a global program to fight AIDS. This was the largest effort ever created to fight a disease. In July 2008 a reaut horization was passed to add funding to tuberculosis and malaria as well, all of this cost 48 billion U.S. Dollars. This is all a part of President Bush’s emphasis on foreign aid in Africa. Thanks to George Bush tons of Africans get thousands of dollars of medicine for free. [5] But like all presidencies they must come to an end. Many people were against him having bumper stickers saying â€Å"Bush Lied, People Died†. Other people thought he was a not really a republican. Despite all of that most people will still talk about President Bush and say he an average leader who achieved much redemption just as the United States gave up.[6] Bibliography â€Å"Bushs Biggest Achievements.† N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2014. http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2008/08/bushs-biggest-achievements>. â€Å"Bushs Legacy.† N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2014. http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21588363-best-account-yet-failed-presidency-bushs-legacy>. George Bushs Greatest Achievements and Failures.† Accessed December 7, 2014.http://siirispolitics.blogspot.com/2010/11/what-are-george-w-bushs-greatest.html. â€Å"George W. Bush,†, accessed December 7, 2014,http://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/george-w-bush. George W. Bush.† N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2014. http://www.georgewbushlibrary.smu.edu/The-President-and-Family/George-W-Bush.aspx>. George Walker Bush. (2014). The Biography.com website. Retrieved 08:26, Dec 07, 2014, fromhttp://www.biography.com/people/george-w-bush-9232768. [1] George Walker Bush. (2014). The Biography.com website. Retrieved 08:26, Dec 07, 2014, fromhttp://www.biography.com/people/george-w-bush-9232768. [2] â€Å"George W. Bush,†, accessed December 7, 2014,http://www.history.com/topics/us-presidents/george-w-bush. [3] George W. Bush.† N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2014. http://www.georgewbushlibrary.smu.edu/The-President-and-Family/George-W-Bush.aspx>. [4] George Bushs Greatest Achievements and Failures.† Accessed December 7, 2014.http://siirispolitics.blogspot.com/2010/11/what-are-george-w-bushs-greatest.html. [5] â€Å"Bushs Biggest Achievements.† N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2014. http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2008/08/bushs-biggest-achievements>. [6] â€Å"Bushs Legacy.† N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2014. http://www.economist.com/news/united-states/21588363-best-account-yet-failed-presidency-bushs-legacy>.

Engaging In Comparative Education Education Essay

Engaging In Comparative Education Education Essay Introduction It is in the very nature of logical activity to make comparisons. Comparing is a elementary part of thought process which enables us to make sense of the world and our experience of it. Indeed, it can be said that only by making comparisons can we properly defend our position on most questions of importance which requires the making of the judgments. Comparing causes us to make statements to the effect that one thing is intellectually or morally preferable to or more effective or better than the other, and this can be clearly exposed in the education field, where the quest for improvement for doing things better is always compelling. In a world which is mainly focused on intense global economic competition and growing beliefs in the key role of education as the source of potential advantage, governments have become increasingly obsessed with the international rankings of measured educational outcomes. Educational policy is increasingly driven by national attempts to copy the perceived advantage associated with the educational strategies and techniques of other countries. Margret Brown argues that documenting practices in high-scoring countries that give ideas for change are very important (as cited in Broadfoot 2000, p.361). It would be at least as important to find out why similar projects have not been successful in other countries. (Shorrocks-Taylor Jenkins 2000, p.16) It is crucial to assess any suggested practices from one country to another. Teachers and the general public need to be informed about the problems of putting something borrowed into practice and reform ideas from other countries to our own system. The increasing international importance of a policy discourse of learning in relation to conventional educational institutions such as schools and universities, reflects the contemporary understanding of the implication of the knowledge society (Broadfoot 2000, p.358); It is of great potential and inevitability for the whole population to be capable and disposed to take advantage of the new methods for accessing new knowledge that information and communications technology is making available. This also reflects the growing recognition that learning is not equivalent with teaching. Todays growing concern is lifelong learning which is powerfully described in a recent European Commission report: The Treasure Within. (Broadfoot 2000, p.358) Different perspective of comparative education by different scholars Antoine Jullien de Paris in 1817 saw comparative education as an analytical study of education in all countries with a view to perfect national schooling systems with adaptation and changes from which policymakers can borrow ideas to implement in their own-country (Bray 2007, p.1). In Hans view the utility of comparative education was that type of education which analyzes comparative law, comparative literature or comparative anatomy in order to highlights the differences in the forces and origins that create the differences in the educational systems (C.S. Oni 2005, p.244). Lewis approached the issue of comparative education in terms of an Island formation. Lewis asserted that, no country is an island; that each is a part of the world; therefore, no educational system anywhere in the world is worth anything unless it is comparable to some other systems in the world.(Quoted from C.S. Oni 2005, p.244). Comparative education for Blishen is the branch of educational theory that has to do with analyzing and interpreting the educational practices and policies in different countries and culture (C.S. Oni 2005, p. 244). Le Thanh Khoi believed that comparative education is a multidisciplinary area when he said that it is not strictly a discipline, but a field of study covering all the disciplines which serve to understand and explain education (quoted from Bray 2007, p. 35). In addition to learning about other people and cultures, comparative education also helps the researcher to know about oneself. As George Bereday puts it: It is self-knowledge born of the awareness of others that is the finest lesson comparative education can afford.(Quoted from Kubow Fossum 2003, p. 11). With the enhancement of nationalism and the increasing importance of the nation states in the beginning of the 19th century comparative education was pushed ahead. The objective was to learn useful lessons from foreign countries, especially concerning education systems. This contained a very colonialist view of the western societies on the foreign countries. School systems were seen as a resource of new educational ideas, which could be borrowed to improve the own school system. Comparative education transferred itself from highly pure description level to a more sophisticated analysis. With the rise of the social sciences in the 1950s the historical aspect became insignificant. Instead comparative education was introduced as a true science by using statistical techniques and more quantitative methods. The main approach was structural functionalism. The aims of comparative education: The aims of comparative education are to describe educational systems, processes, and ending products as well as to assist in the development of educational institutions and practices. It also highlights the relationships between education and society and establishes generalized statements about education that is valid in more than one country. Comparative education also deepens our understanding of our education and society; it can be of great aid to policy makers and administrators; and can be of great asset in the education of teachers (Bray 2007, p.15). Comparative research also helps us understand better our own past; locate ourselves more exactly in the present; and see more clearly what our educational future may be. Comparative education gives the researcher the ability to describe what might be the consequence of certain courses of political and economical action, by looking at experience in a range of countries. From the theories mentioned above extracted from different sch olars, we can see that comparative education facilitates the researchers to learn from the accomplishment and faults that other countries have made in the process of solving similar educational problems. The focal point of comparative study in education is the collection and categorization of information, both descriptive and quantitative. As Sadler stated in one of his lectures delivered in 1900: In studying foreign systems of education we should not forget that the things outside the schools matter even more than the things inside the school, and govern and interpret the things inside. We cannot wander at pleasure among the education systems of the world, like a child strolling through a garden, and picking flowers from one bush and some leaves from another, and then expect that if we stick what we have gathered into the soil at home, we shall have a living plant. A national education system of education is a living thing, the outcome of forgotten struggles and of battles long ago. It has in it some of the secret workings of national life. (Quoted from Philips in Alexander et. al 1999, p.19). On Comparing The comparative education researcher should go far from the familiar to see the unfamiliar to make the familiar strange, in order to broader the principles, geographical and epistemological view (Broadfoot 2000, p.363). When comparing in education researchers are producing a variety of descriptive and explanatory data which differ from micro to macro comparative data analysis, allowing us to see various practices and procedures in a very wide context that helps us to throw light upon them (Sultana as cited in Borg 2009, p.21). While less developed countries have a tendency to look at more developed countries to learn from them, more developed countries tent to look at countries that are on the same economic and educational level to make cross-national comparisons. Examples of this are number of countries that looked at USA as their model. Switzerland in mid-1990 apart from looking up to USA, it also hired American consultants to develop a reform package for schools (Steiner- Khamsi 2002, p.76 as cited in Bray 2007, p.18). On the other hand, America learned also from other countries (Levin 2010, p.96 in www.kappanmagazine.org) like East Asia, (Bray 2007, p.21-22) where the US department of education made an intensive study of Japanese education and came out with 12 principles of good practices. Educators and policy makers went to Finland, which is the top-performing country in the first three rounds of PISA, in order to find the key to education success to achieve high marks in PISA. Private companies like Cisco and McKinsey, are issuing reports on the quality of education around the world. Comparisons across time provide information about improvement or decline over the years like comparing the different periods in the history of education. These comparisons though are limited in the nature of the reference groups or criteria used: that is they are usually limited to school systems similar to those being evaluated. When policy makers look at the past to learn for the future as the British policy makers used to do in 1980s to make comparisons with their own past rather than with other countries. Sometimes the reason to compare with the predecessors is to see how the society has developed as well as to learn from the mistakes that were done in the past (Bray 2007, p.23, Bradburn Gilford 1990, p.2). Comparisons with other localities or between states, provincials and regions compare similar local educational systems within the same state, or with those in other states or the nation as a whole. Comparisons with other states or the nation as a whole have the advantage of comparing between educational systems that are broadly similar. They provide information on particular nations level of achievement in education to the much broader area of the worlds education system (Bradburn Gilford 1990, p.2).Example of such comparison is the comparison between the education systems of Hong Kong (Bray 2007, p.131) or the education systems of Macao (Bray 2007,p.134). When comparing the researcher has to identify the areas; countries or places, and cannot be generalised. As Le Than Khoi (in Sultana as cited in Borg 2009, p.16) gave the example of the Mediterranean. There are too many differences in the region that we call the Mediterranean to make it the object of comparative analyses. Culture is an important factor when comparing places. An example of this is the result that Finland got in the PISA in 2002 compared to other places which was based on the reading competences. Finland achieved well as it has centuries of cultural tradition that long promoted the reading ability (Bray 2007, p.167). A comparative education researcher must try not to be prejudiced either on political, national, religious, racial, gender or ideological aspects. It is crucial that the paradigms used are relevant to all geographic areas and nations that are included in the study. Differences between inter and intra-national research present challenges in comparative research that must be recognized. Such differences are often significant resource of cultural variation (Bradburn Gilford (1990), p.21). The contribution of developing countries in international studies adds information to the development of local research capacity and also widens the sample of participating countries. Third-world participation develops North South dialogues as well as East- West linkages as it serves as a good source for building trust and co-operation (Bradburn Gilford (1990), p.22). As the economic sector is increasing its value and the importance of having a sound education system, the business and industry sector may consult comparative educational studies in their international planning. Textbook publishers, developers of educational software and other educational traders use comparative education to categorize the needs and markets for new products. So the question raised is In whose interests do the education system and decisions taken, work? (My lecture notes). Though comparisons in education are of great benefit there are also who is sceptic and critic about it. There is the belief amongst these that comparative research will lead to a homogeneous-world approach to education that impede proper attention to each countrys unique history, culture, and people.(Bray 2007, p.178). This idea comes from experiences with international institutions that forced economic policies that had negative consequences in less-developed countries. It is vital for policy makers to keep in mind that not all the methods of any country can or should be put into practice in other countries. (Lavin 2010, p.96 in www.kappanmagazine.org, Stromquist 2002, p.87) It is important that insiders and outsiders work collaboratively in order to research and development work that is more sensitive to local, social constructions of reality. (Crossley 2002, p.82) Education research projects and organizations: As global economic competition increases, increases also the beliefs in the education as the source of marginal advantage, governments have become increasingly obsessed with the international rankings of measured educational outcomes. However the issue and impact of power on the educational institutions differentiate form in society to another. It is becoming important more than ever as the decision making in education is changing considerably. The main actors are no longer those most affected by education like the students, parents and the teachers but rather private agencies and international financial institutions (Stromquist 2002, p.87). International agencies compare patterns and results in different countries in order to improve the advice that they give to national governments and policy makers. The UNESCO, World Bank and OECD are amongst international agencies each emphasising their own aims varying from pedagogy, curriculum, economic and financial matters, which play an important part in the education arena. Their aim is to assist countries in designing and implementing successful policies to address the challenges that the educational systems are facing. They also create schemes for promoting lifelong learning in relation with other socio-economic policies (Bray 2007, p. 31). New ideas gained from international studies such as PISA, TIMMS and Survey -Lang can be tried to see if they will improve the education system and to understand why the performance of students in different countries differs (Shorrocks-Taylor Jenkins 2000). Since the late 1950s with the founding of the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) such large scale comparative studies have taken on considerable significance in education. From the beginning the IEA has been committed to studying learning in the basic school subjects and to conducting on a regular basis survey of educational achievement. Over time, these outcome data have been increasingly linked to analyses of the effects of curriculum and school organization upon learning and the relationship between achievement and pupil attitudes (Shorrocks- Taylor 2000, p.14). There are different methods on how to measure the comparative aspect which differs from theoretical grounded studies intended to build or test complex models of educational systems to descriptive studies whose purpose is to monitor different features of educational systems, practices and outcomes. The purpose of theoretically oriented studies is mainly to examine relationships among variables and look for casual explanations. It is designed to examine links between school achievement and such characteristics as curricula, teaching methods, family expectations and funding levels. These highlight the level of differences between schools or classes as well as on differences between students as the unit of analysis. (Bradburn Gilford 1990, p.5) Belatedly, the intensification of international competition, spurred on by globalization, neo-liberalism and marketizing, has major implications for cross-national studies of educational achievement, for those engaged in or dealing with the powerful influence of national and international league tables, and for the theoretical frameworks that we employ in our analyses. If the funding of research is increasingly linked to commercial interests, for example, the potential for critical theory, or for alternative cultural perspectives to influence the construction of new knowledge, may be increasingly challenged. Questions of power and whose knowledge counts?, in the process of development arise, perhaps, more strongly than ever before ( reference from my lecture notes). As Sultana stated, comparative education should go further than the concern with comparing like with like (Sultana as cited in Borg 2009, p.9). It focuses more on finding a particular point from where educational and related social phenomenon can be seen from different perspectives; create a deeper understanding of the dynamics as well come up with new ideas. Comparative education provides insights on higher education, educational innovation, teacher education, power and education researches each bringing the experience of the researchers country, or the country or the countries that researcher has studied and came together in order to share these issues in debating sessions. Comparative education and globalization: In a globalise world, schools have come under greater national enquiry regarding the ways they can contribute to or delay a national progress. Claxton (1998) has described the rapidly-changing times we are living as the Age of Uncertainty in which it is impossible to predict the state and shape of the world in few years time (as cited in Broadfoot 2000, p. 358). The educational world today encounters systems which may eventually prove to be a revolution in what is to be taught, to whom and how, since, as Edmund King implies, all its established systems were developed for a world that no longer exists (quoted in Broadfoot p.267). Accountability and educational transformation rose questioning on the education process itself. The heightened interest in and concern over education has encouraged educators to re-evaluate in the light of new global realities, the purpose of schooling, the underlying theories about the relationship between education and development and questioning about educator professionalism. (Watson as cited in Crossley 2002, p.81) The ways in which educators in different countries view these issues and the strategies employed to address them must be understood in the light of different cultural, social and political context in each country. By viewing the educational issue from the perspective of two diverse countries the researcher can identify factor that might be missed when viewing the issue within the context of own country alone. If the research area is related to researchers own cultural environment, it is not always easy to perceive its special characteristics. The case may appear too understandable and non-problematic. A fish cannot see that it is living in water (quoted in http://www2.uiah.fi/projects/metodi/172.htm). Multiple cultural perspectives thinking and analytic frameworks from a multiplicity of disciple the research would provide an international context as well as tools for opening perspective to enhance the way of seeing education. Critical thinking on Comparative education: Comparative education and the critical perspective taking that comparative inquiry, help the researcher to go into a deeper analysis of the relationship among society, development, education and the role that citizens either directly or indirectly play in the education process. Through the development of comparative thinking skills researchers should be able to undertake analyses of their home cultures and systems with a more understanding of the various cultural factors at play. Comparative education encourages both researchers and educators to ask questions like: What kind of educational policies, planning and teaching are appropriate and for what kind of society? The field of comparative education focuses attention on what might be appropriate and inappropriate policy while encourage awareness of philosophies underlying educational policies and encourages interdisciplinary critique. (Klein 1990, 1996, Epstein 1983 as cited in Kubow Fossum 2003, p.7). Comparative education is beneficial and necessary not only for scholars and policy makers but for education practitioners as well. As Gutek said, teachers function in two dimensions: as citizens of particular nation-states, they foster students national identity; and second as citizens of a global society, they recognize that possibilities of humans growth and threats to human survival going beyond national boundaries (Gutek 1993 as cited in Kubow Fossum 2003, p.251). Teachers must learn to look at other equivalent classroom and school practices throughout the world. As Stake (1978) said we observe that people intrinsically pursue the general by looking at the specific. People make sense out of the new circumstances they encounter by comparing that particulars to the universe that includes their own frames of reference. We have named the process of performing cross-cultural investigation and then deriving insights from these investigations the skills of comparative perspective takin g (quoted in Kubow Fossum 2003, p.252). Schools are compared with arenas which constitute tension and combination of forces. In order to understand and control such condition, involves critical skills and the ability to understand the political underlining of societal and educational circumstances (Kaplan 1991 as cited in Kubow Fossum 2003, p. 252). These kinds of critical thinking can promote critical questions like: What is the intention of schooling? What are the equitable education and who decides? What is the appropriate balance between educator authority and accountability? What factors reinforce or hinder teacher professionalism? (Quoted from Kubow Fossum 2003, p. 252). The field of comparative education continues to define its identity and significance in the new thinking about education, society, colonialism and development. Ideas from post-foundational thinking, post-modernism, post-structuralism and post-colonialism, are of great importance in comparative research because they deal with common metanarratives of progress, modernity, dominance and subordination that there have been the fulcrum of the main ideas in comparative education.(Mehta Ninnes 2003, p.238), Crossley 2002, p.82). Examples of Case studies: Case study 1: Comparing literacy The usefulness of comparative education is seen in the number of different case studies. An example of a case study is Literacy skills in Maltese-English bilingual children by Rachael Xuereb (2009). The study examines the reading and phonological awareness skills in English and Maltese of children whose mother tongue is Maltese and second language English. A sample of 50 typically developing Maltese children aging between 8 years 0 months to 10 years 5 months was chosen to participate in this study. The children acquired Maltese as a first language within the family and later acquired English as a second language through Kindergarten and/or the early school years. The participants in this study attend a church school situated in the south-western part of the island. Since children star going to school at the age of 5 years, the children have been learning to read in Maltese and also in English. For the purpose of this study, Maltese reading and reading-related tests were created to parallel the UK and US standardised assessments. All the children sat for the novel tests and the standardised tests. According to the results found by Xuereb, Maltese children read better in Maltese than in English, which is the language of instruction in most of the subjects. Each child was tested on the following measures in both languages: word and non word reading, non word repetition, spelling, segmenting words and non words elision, rapid naming of letters, numbers and colours, forward memory for digits. Increasing research has addressed this issue for bilingual students, in relationship to whether phonological awareness in the first language predicts phonological awareness in the second language (Quiroga, Lemos-Britton, Mostafapour, Abbott Berninger, 2002). Studies comparing first language and second language decoding skills in readers of different orthographies suggest that these skills are positively correlated and that individual differences in the development of these skills can be predicted on the basis of underlying cognitive and linguistic abilities such as phonological skills, memory, orthographic knowledge and speed of processing (Geva Wade-Woolley, 1998 as cited in Xuereb 2009, p.331). This study aimed to find answer for how do Maltese-English bilingual children perform on reading and phonological tasks and to verify whether prior findings of cross-language transfer from first language phonological awareness to reading or to second language phonological awareness be replicated in this sample of Maltese-speaking students. Case study 2: Comparing the role of gender and age on students perceptions towards online education. This study conducted by Fahme Dabaj, and Havva BaÃ…Å ¸ak, was conducted in order to question and analyze the perceptions and attitudes of the students to online distance education by means of email and the World Wide Web as the method of delivering instruction through on-line diploma programs offered by Sakarya University in Turkey with respect to their age and gender. The research was based on a questionnaire as a mean of data collection method. The findings of the analysis explained that although the students registered to the online program by will, they preference was for the traditional face-to-face education due to the difficulty of the nonverbal communication, their lack of ability in using the technology required, and their belief in traditional face-to face learning more than online education. The research methodology of this study used the quantitative statistical methods and techniques such as significance differences, correlation and the cross-tabulation distribution to find out if there is a significant relationship between the independent and the dependent variable questions, measuring the role of age and gender of students towards their perceptions regarding distant education. The quantitative data was collected by survey questionnaire and was analyzed via quantitative statistical methods. All the students enrolled in the distance education programs and the online courses in the autumn term of the 2005/2006 Academic Year took part in the research. Regarding gender, the results proofed that the female students have a better awareness of the online education contrasting to the male students. Regarding age, the results showed that the older the students preference moves towards attending face-to face classes. Case study 3: Comparing different Art methodologies. I also attempted to make a small comparative study in which I compared Art methodology adopted in a state school compared with that adopted by the Verdala International School. The Verdala International is a co-ed international school in which foreign students resident in Malta can attend. The Art department in this school in based on two Art Programs; the IG which is equivalent to O level exam and the IB which is equivalent to the A level exam. My research was aimed at bringing out the difference in teachers and students approach towards the subject. The first difference which I pointed out was the level of organization in the state schools Art room in comparison with the organized chaos that ruled in the Verdala International. Both teachers response to my comments about the Art room environment was that it reflects the methodology they adopt towards the subject. Art lessons in the state school are more structured; students have to follow rules which hinder them from using their imagination freely. In both schools the lessons where introduced in the same manner there was a lot of teacher talk with the teacher orchestrating the whole thing. The children were only asked to participate when the teacher asked them for suggestions. The two lessons differed in the way they developed while in the state school, the students followed the traditional method by copying the teachers examples from the whiteboard and were very limited in experimentation, at Vedala international the students were much freer to experiment and be creative. The reason was that although the Art syllabi of both schools are very similar, the methodology adopted is different. The teacher at the state school believes that in order to break the rules in Art first the student has to learn them by using the traditional method by copying. While Art lessons at the state school are more exams oriented, although at Verdala International they do have an end of year test, the focus is more on helping students develop creative ideas. During my observation sessions at the state school, which were carried out in the beginning of November, the teacher consistently reminded the students about the exam. On the other hand at Verdala International the final test was never mentioned. At the Verdala International I also tried to compare Maltese students who have been to a state school and are now attending Verdala International with foreign students who had been attending to Art classes in their own countries are now at Verdala. The aim of such comparison was to identify students perspectives of the methodologies used for the teaching of Art in Malta and abroad. The foreign students interviewed were from Italy, USA, Sweden, Germany, Russia and England. From the response given it resulted that the conservative Art methodology used in Maltese state schools is very similar to that in Russia and in the early years of the middle school in Germany. Lessons at Verdala International are more similar to those in Italy where the students are active participants and able to take decisions on what they should do. While in state schools every lesson planned out by the teacher following the syllabus that is to be covered, at Verdala International the lesson is in the form of a group discussion. Each student decides on a theme that he/she would like work on and the teacher will facilitate his learning. This way, different students might be working on different projects unlike in state schools where everyone would be doing the same thing. Maltese students prefer more the methodology used at the Verdala International than the Art methodology used in the state school. The research methodology of this study consisted of observation sessions, interviews with students both on individual bases and in groups, and interviews with four teachers (one at Verdala International and 3 at state school). The number of students that took part in this study was 45 students (22 at Verdala International and 23 at state school). Conclusion The comparative education area is composed by what researchers declare about its nature, origins, purposes, futures, by the truths people support and by the struggle over what made true comparative education (Mehta Ninnes 2003, p.240). The significance in studying this area using intellectual accuracy, the working and foreign systems of education will result in our better fitted to study and understand our own w

Free Essays: Lancelot in The Knight of the Cart and Odysseus of Odyssey :: comparison compare contrast essays

Lancelot in The Knight of the Cart and Odysseus of Odyssey "Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good (Romans 12:9)." This principal seems to be markedly evident as one closely examines the actions and thoughts behind the character of Sir Lancelot in The Knight of the Cart. When one encounters the adventures of Odysseus in The Odyssey, however, the values of a completely different and slightly opposing culture present themselves. In the medieval times of Sir Lancelot, an ideal man would tend to follow the teachings of the Bible and live a relatively mild- mannered life. On the other hand, in the culture of the Ancient Greeks, the "perfect" role-model for life would be Odysseus and his perspicacious adventures involving grandiose plots against him and his crew. The ideals exemplified by Lancelot and Odysseus greatly and eloquently reflect the morals and aspirations evident in the literature of their respective time periods. This idea is demonstrated when one examines the similarities between Lancelot and Odysseus, their differences, and the consequences of their actions on their lives. Although Lancelot and Odysseus lived in completely different and somewhat opposing time periods, their heroic and "larger than life" personalities share some quite distinguishing characteristics. I say that their time periods were somewhat opposing because the views of the culture regarding the afterlife and any supernatural occurrence represent the conflict present between monotheism and polytheism. One mutual characteristic of Lancelot and Odysseus is their physical prowess present when they do battle against anyone opposing their divine quest. Odysseus tends to take a more militaristic and pitiless attitude toward this combat as shown during his battle with the suitors. Not only does Odysseus slay the entire lot of suitors, but he kills any servant or maid that has been unfaithful to him in his absence. Lancelot, on the other hand, pursues his ultimate goal with an undying diligence while trying, more often than not, to take pity on the individuals that he must combat. This is best demonstrated in The Knight of the Cart when Lancelot fights the knight that repeatedly taunts him about riding in the cart. Although he initially shows this knight mercy by giving him another chance to fight against him, this

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Change your mind, choose your mood Magazines, members of the print media family, have entered the twenty-first century in a state of confusion. Although they are still very much ink on paper products, magazines also reaches people on websites, they are exclusively available in digital form on the internet. At the same time, magazine format, which information organized by topic and theme in an entertaining manner, has been borrowed by television. Thus the magazine is a media product, a medium of communication, and a communication format. Understanding what magazines are and how they have evolved from their beginnings is one of the vital things in understanding what they are today. Many people nowadays ask the question: what differentiates a magazine from a newspaper? Actually it is a necessary question, since in contemporary publishing it is sometimes difficult to distinguish between the two. Generally, a magazine is a published less frequently than a newspaper. It is also manufactured in a different format; usually on better quality paper, bound rather than merely folded, and with some kind of cover. Magazines today then retain their traditional functions. They are a major medium of surveillance, often delivering information ahead of the rest of the media. Some magazines like Time, are intended mainly to inform and others like Playboy, to entertain. However, among the various functions served by magazines in contemporary society, the most notable is still correlation. This refers to interpreting society and its parts, projecting trends, and explaining the meaning of the news by bringing together fragmented facts. The magazine from which we will be discussing an advertisement is categorized as a consumer magazine, called SHAPE. Shape has a specific target audience, mainly woman trying to live a healthy life. This magazine has all kinds of articles, including low-calorie recipes, methods of exercising and ways to dress to look fit. The types of advertisements they publish are mostly related to health; beauty, skin, food and many more. While skimming through this magazine, an ad cau ght my attention. On a white background, starting from the top going vertically; three simple words combine to from the first half of the slogan: "Change your mind" printed in Times new roman, and in black. Slightly beneath it, a color palette make-up case with five circular colors: lime, orange, green, brown and pink. They are in a metal case, with an eye shadow brush (pinceau).

Source of the Legend of Dracula Essay -- Legends

Dracula Reconsidered Background: The legend of Dracula is a renowned tale told all over the world. Created by Irish writer, Bram Stoker, the story was inspired by the Romanian ruler, Vlad Dracul. The story teller was a Caucasian 49-year-old male. He was born and raised in Bucharest, Romania and was quite familiar with the past history of and current events in the country. He identified with the Romanian orthodox religion. The Story: â€Å"Everyone knows the story of Dracula. [Walks around the table, moves his hands as he speaks.] He has been depicted in novels, movies, and paintings. In Romania, this story is told from generation to generation and it had become an integral part of our culture. However, not many people know the true origins of Dracula. [Pauses, tone changes, has a displeased look on his face, moves toward a chair and sits down.] This legend angers me since it is a figment of popular culture and gives a bad name to our Romanian society. It is unfair, and its main purpose is to promote the tourism of our nation. It was created by an Irish man. [Pauses, thinks.] I think he was Irish. I can’t recall his name right now. Nevertheless, this man was quite misinformed and he just created this legend out of thin air. He was obsessed with phantoms, castles, and the supernatural. [Points up to the ceiling and gazes outside towards the sky.] He transformed the reality of Vlad Tepes into a silly legend. Let me give you a history of Vlad Tepes, in order for you to understand the background behind the story. In the 1400s, Romania was split into three provinces, Wallachia, Transylvania, and Moldova. [Puts three fingers in the air.] Vlad was born in a castle in Sighisoara in Transylvania. He be... ...The teller used his hands a lot to subtly express his inner emotions. He also tried to show the actions of a vampire attack, but it wasn’t very effective, since there were no props and I had to use my imagination to understand. The storyteller performance embodied his annoyance with the myth’s mischaracterization, in his view, of Vlad Dracul, which shows the social implication of the story. The ability to believe easily without questioning the circumstances is a negative characteristic of our culture. Works Cited Leblanc, Benjamin H. â€Å"Vlad Dracula: An Intriguing Figure in the Fifteenth Century.† Journal of the Dark. 13 Oct. 2004 http://members.aol.com/johnfranc/drac05.htm. Porter, Ray. â€Å"The Historical Dracula.† 13 Oct. 2004. http://www.eskimo.com/~mwirkk/castle/vlad/vladhist.html. Vamp Club. 13 Oct. 2004. http://www.vampclub.com/index.htm.