Marketing Strategy & Practice of cable and internet industry

Comcast is a telecommunications company based in the United States. Currently Comcast is the country’s' leading cable television network provider as well as being the country’s second largest provider of broadband internet services. In analyzing this paper, I will look at the current trends in the telecommunications industry within the United States. In addition to this, I will also look at some of the current developments and or drawbacks giving special reference to Comcast as a single firm. INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER: Internet service providers are business organizations whose core business is providing business firms, organizations as well as private individuals with internet related services. In addition to this internet service, providers also provide a range of other services including domain registration, web hosting, collocation as well as internet transit. CABLE TELEVISION: Cable television is a technology that involves providing television services to wishing consumers using radio signals transmitted through coaxial cables or in recent times through optical fibers. In addition to this, these cables are sometimes used for providing broadband internet services, radio programming as well as a range of other services MARKETING STRATEGY: A marketing strategy is a business process that allows organizations or businesses to optimize sales as well as acquire competitive advantage over its competitors by finding the greatest opportunities of channeling the organizations limited resources. INTRODUCTION: Comcast Corporation has tried to find its market share within the United States telecommunications industry. In doing this, the company has tried to apply bleeding edge technologies in order to be ahead of its competitors like time Warner and Verizon. In doing this the company has company has initiated a mix of the best marketing strategy as well as market research. ANALYSIS: By the year 2006 the telecommunications industry on a global perspective was estimated to be worth more than $3 billion dollars. Within the United States alone, the sector is one of the largest employers with more than one million employees as of the year 2006. Within the United States, there are estimates that subscribers will grow to about 4 billion by the year2011. In addition to this, current trends within the sector involve mergers and multiple acquisitions that have made the industry one of the most competitive. In addition, cross-border ownership of business enterprises has become the norm. Among these mergers and acquisitions is the take over of MCI by giant Verizon Corporation. In addition, the industry is one of the fastest growing within the market. The industry is also the most interrelated with all the other sectors of the economy. Regardless of its remarkable growth, the industry is faced with a discreet problem from the wireless internet service providers. The growth of wireless internet and telephony has been one of the major troubles for the broadband technologies. On a firm-based perspective, there is stiff competition within the industry. To improve on market share every company uses its own strategy. However, in any industry there are four core elements of marketing strategy. These four elements are strategies that involve the product, pricing, promotion, and distribution. All firms within the industry seem to employ a different mix of the four elements in order to achieve its growth or industry projections. In this field, companies like Comcast have adopted technologies like video on demand in order to improve their competitive edge. In addition to this, companies like Verizon have increased their capital base and they are becoming some of the core competitors to Comcast. CONCLUSION: The telecommunications industry has come to be a major source of revenue for many economies. The industry is behind much growth that is being experienced within the East Asian newly industrialized countries like Singapore and Malaysia. The role of the industry in the development of many countries cannot be overlooked. REFERENCES: Edward F. McQuarrie. (2005). the Market Research Toolbox: A Concise Guide for Beginners. London: Sage Publications. Ian, Chaston. (1999). New Marketing Strategies: Evolving Flexible Processes to Fit Market Circumstance. London: Sage Publications James Higgins. (1994). the Management Challenge. New York: Macmillan Rogers, M. (2003). Diffusion of Innovations, (5th ed.). New York: Free Press. Sunny, Crouch. &Matthew, Housden. (2003). Marketing Research for Managers. Amsterdam: Elsevier. Â   Â   Â   Â   Â   Â  

Clara Barton’s Courage Essay

â€Å"My business is staunching blood, and feeding fainting men.†, Clara Barton once wrote according to the Clara Barton Birthplace museum, 2010. One of the most important humanitarians and courageous people that has ever lived is Clara Barton. Barton posses the qualities and fits the definition of courageous through her actions as she encounters life of helping to aid soldiers in very extreme surroundings, donating munificently to the war, and trying to help a cause when she had nothing left, showing selflessness. Shows perseverance as she kept going while soldiers stopped for the night, she put much effort to unite Red Cross and the US, and she kept striving when she was told it was unladylike. Barton asserted a hard working ethic by working in many wars, working nights that had much to do, and accomplishing the assignment from Lincoln. Look more:  perseverance essay Clara Barton was a courageous person from having the traits of selflessness, perseverance, and a hard working ethic. Thus presenting the qualifications and the definition of courage herself. Born in Oxford Massachusetts on December 25, 1821 to Stephan â€Å"Captain† Barton and Sarah Stone, (American Red Cross, 2013) Growing up, her childhood was very fearful and full of containing much nursing experience. Barton had no playmates as a child, but she had many adults and became chicken-hearted of many things, â€Å"I remember nothing but fear† (Clara Barton, 1862). She first encountered and glimpsed into the field of healing others, when she was 11 years old. Her brother suffered a very serious fall, and at the time- doctors prescribe leeches. Clara Harlowe became his nurse for a duration of 2 years. (Nancy Whitelaw, 1997) When she was a child, she would always listen to her father’s war stories and watch her family all become teachers or serve in the war. She followed their footprints and became a teacher, but quit after 10 years from feeling that this isn’t what she really wants to do. A school was dedicated to her for her great efforts. She became a clerk, but quit for the same reason. (Women in History, 2013). She helped in many civil wars as aid, which awarded her with the Iron Cross, the Cross of Imperial Russia and the International Red Cross Medal. (Women in History, 2013) Years later, around the age of 83, she retired from being the president of the Red Cross. At the age of 90, she died. America, thought of her as one of the greatest Americans in History, (Red Cross, 2013) Life experiences that put her down, was suffering depression around times of no work such as being restricted to continue aiding, â€Å" but always seemed to revive quickly when a major calamity called for her services,† (Red Cross, 2013) Clara Barton is a very courageous person in history from her altruism throughout her life. She volunteered to help aid soldiers in very extreme places, donated most of her life savings, and though she had lack of funds or tickets, she still tried to help a cause with what was left. One extreme nursing area was when she aided in the battle of Antietam. â€Å"The tables jarred and rolled until we could hardly keep the men on them, and the roar was overwhelming.† (Clara Barton, 1862). While she was attending to needy men, the upper levels of the house was being shot at. â€Å"the house and corn field were under the lee of a hill and the enemy’s guns were mostly trained on that hill so that the firing went over us. The upper stories of the house were riddled to be sure and several shells fell in among us†, Clara Barton,1862. The mere fact that she had to adapt and not be fearful, as she stayed in this hostile and unsuitable environment for medical aid, presenting the characteristic of selflessness. She was there to help, no matter what the situation put her in. She was also selfless by philanthropic acts toward the war. In Culpepper, Virginia, she brought 3 warehouses of supplies from her own home from lack of supplies there, and aided them without pay or pension. (James Lincoln Collier, 2003) 3 warehouses full of supplies in the time period was a great deal. She gave her life savings to the penurious war and realized she had too little money to keep up with the dedication to aid. She proposed to congress for 30,000 dollars to keep up the great help, but only received 15,000 in congressional appropriations instead. (Nancy Whitelaw 1997) Clara Barton was selfless when she was restricted from the army supplies and unable to help the army in any way from lack of funds and ticket. During this time, whenever she heard of need of aid, she was there. Exemplifying, St. Helens Island was infected with smallpox, so she scraped up money to help them by sending supplies such clothes and sanitation, according to Nancy Whitelaw, 1997. During this time she talked to everyone she could and tried to publicize how important it is to donate to the army, while suffering depression. (Dorothy Francis 2002) Barton’s courage is greatly emphasized from the events showing her selflessness as she put her heart out for the cause she believed in. Overall, Barton was a very courageous person because of perseverance and devotion to the cause. She kept proceeding on the trail while soldiers stopped for the night, she put much effort to unite Red Cross and the US, and she kept contending when she was told it was unladylike. While many soldiers stopped for the night, she continued on the path to set up her place to care for the wounded. â€Å"At dusk the train drew to one side of the road and halted for the night. At midnight I directed my drivers to harness quietly and drive on past them, if possible without creating suspicion.† (Clara Barton, 1862) When the battle began, she would be completely prepared to heal anyone as soon as it starts. She adjusted to her job, to where she could care for the soldiers at the utmost convenience. Also, she showed perseverance during the battle of Antietam. She testified to congress in 1862, of a conversation between the Chef and herself. The assistants were gone, leaving the Chef and her. â€Å"They have been here through ghastly scenes since daylight and then cannonading is nerve-wracking. Don’t blame them that they have retired, and some have gone down the line to the wounded.† Other assistants couldn’t bear the amount of trouble and overwhelming times, yet she abided until the supplies ran out, therefore showing perseverance. Clara Barton showed perseverance by fighting the odds of the union of the Red Cross and the US.( Nancy Whitelaw, 1997). Her persistence to the government officials,was not enough to make them budge, so she tried to publicize Red Cross. She wrote countless letters, talked to everyone she could, and created speeches to gain support and awareness that might change the government official’s minds. (James Lincoln Collier, 2003) When Barton went to Europe for rest, she and Henry Dunant tried to make â€Å"international agreements to protect the sick and wounded during wartime without respect to nationality and for the formation of national societies to give aid voluntarily on a neutral basis.† by making an agreement to many countries such as Russia, the US, and Geneva for the Red Cross to be part of the â€Å"framework†. (Red Cross, 2013) She also showed perseverance by when she was told that what she wanted to do was unladylike, yet kept going. When she made the decision to visit the front of the battlefield for a living, she had to get many proper officials authorizations. They told her of how it’s not fit for a lady, but she juxtaposed to their argument of the idea of how effective she was aiding to the Washington troops, through the exemplaning the amount time she spent collecting supplies for soldiers, and the fact of 3 warehouses full of supplies to her dispense. (Dorothy Francis, 2002) Clara Barton was a very courageous person because of her hard working ethic. She worked in many wars, worked nights that had much to do, and accomplishing the assignment from Lincoln. Barton aided in Battle of Cedar mountain, Battle of Chantilly, Battle of South Mountain, Maryland, Siege of Ft. Wagner, South Carolina, traveled with the Army of the Potomac, Battle of Fredericksburg, and aided to riots in Maryland, and many other small battles. (Clara Barton, 1862) The timing between each war was very little- some were only less than a week apart. The duration of each war was as little as 2 days to a whole month. (National Park Service, 2013) In account of Barton 1862, she and 42 other nurses were nursing with many soldiers in need of immediate attention, 1862. Clara Barton had a hard working ethic because of the amaranthine and undying amount of wounded pouring in that she tended to (Clara Barton, 1862) Since there were ceaseless amounts of wounded soldiers each night, she was constantly working throughout the night. Clara Barton even stated in her diary about how sometimes she wouldn’t be able to see her quarters for two days because of the amount of 1862. Having long tedious nights, every night for a long time, means much effort given all the time. Barton showed her hard working ethic when President Lincoln allowed her to search for missing soldiers. She set up an office of correspondence for four years writing to families . (Red Cross, 2013) â€Å"She and her assistants received and answered over 63,000 letters and identified over 22,000 missing men† (Red Cross, 2013). Her hard working and dedicated work ethic brings. Clara Barton had a great impact on history. She created Red Cross, she tracked over 36000 men, and she proved and inspired many people that they can help in the war without fighting it. The Red Cross is a great relief to every disaster of human need there is. â€Å"When disasters strike abroad, we provide technical support, relief supplies, and financial assistance to ensure rapid response and recovery,† they stated, 2013. Their role in the community was purely to save many lives funded and made possible by contributors in society. Clara Barton founded and created this organization that affected many Americans. Without the Red Cross, we would be relying on the government to provide help in disasters. With the limited funding they have, it would not anywhere close to the support the Red Cross has. Same with the facts of, if there was never a Red Cross, there would not be enough support to military families, disaster relief, enough health/ safety education, help to foreign countries, and enough blood to provide who needs it. (Red Cross, 2013). When Clara Barton did the assignment by Lincoln, â€Å"She and her assistants received and answered over 63,000 letters and identified over 22,000 missing men,† according to the Red Cross. She helped create the national cemetery of the Andersonville Prison, she and 31 other people â€Å"identified the graves of nearly 13,000 men†. She provided much cessation of worry to the 63,000 families by doing what she did. (Red Cross, 2013) Imagine if she didn’t help at all with identifying and provide closure to the vast amount of men who were MIA? Clara Barton had a great impact on history and the world, as it seen by them of inspiration and proof that you can help the war without fighting it. Barton’s speeches she gave over time to who would listen, provided awareness of the donation and volunteer work available to in the Red Cross. (Nancy Whitelaw, 1997) Events such as helping to servicing in intense environments, donating most of her life savings, trying to largess with insufficient funds, shows the trait selflessness, which perceived as courageous. Perseverance (also a trait apart of courage) is shown as she kept on trail while soldiers stopped for the night, put much effort to unite Red Cross and the US, and kept contending when she was told it was unladylike. Courage also has the trait of a hard working ethic shown by Barton having an aspiration to assist in many wars, working nights that had much to do, and accomplishing the assignment from Lincoln. Barton is one of the most courageous people in history from having the traits of selflessness, perseverance, and a hard working ethic. Works Cited â€Å"The Civil War: Clara Barton – Birthplace Museum.† The Civil War: Clara Barton – Birthplace Museum. The Birthplace Museum, 2010. Web. 05 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Founder Clara Barton.† Clara Barton. Red Cross, n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2013. â€Å"Women in History†. Clara Barton biography. Last Updated: 2/5/2013. Lakewood Public Library. Date accessed 2/5/2013 . â€Å"Clara Barton and the International Red Cross Association†, Clara Barton papers, Library of Congress, reel # 109, beginning at frame # 409, Sep. 17, 1862. 17 Sep. 1862. Wed. 05 Feb. 2013 Collier, James Lincoln, and Greg Copeland. The Clara Barton You Never Knew. New York: Children’s, 2003. Print. â€Å"Founder Clara Barton.† Clara Barton. Red Cross, n.d. Web. 05 Feb. 2013. Francis, Dorothy Brenner. Clara Barton: Founder of the American Red Cross. Brookfield, CT: Millbrook, 2002. Print. Whitelaw, Nancy. Clara Barton: Civil War Nurse. Springfield, NJ: Enslow, 1997. Print.

CIPD †5DPP Essay

Introduction Within the confines of this report we will investigate the 6 keys headline statements in delivering the finding. These are the project plan, risk assessment, creative thinking, and team working and conflict, political behaviour, ending with formal recommendations. The principal argument will look at the functionality of project management and the delicate balancing act of the different element that would bring a successful outcome or possibly result in failure. 1. Project Planning Definition: What is a project? A project is a programme of activities that have a beginning and end. Projects are generally used to instigate change, improvements or developments. This statement is underpinned by PMI ‘a project is a temporary endeavour undertaken to produces a product, service or result. (Project Management Institute 2008). What is Project Management? Project management is defined by, ‘initiating processes – clarifying the business need; planning processes – detailing the project scope; executing processes – establishing and managing the project team; monitoring and controlling processes – tracking performance and taking actions; closing processes – ending all project activity’ (Portny 2012) What is a project Managers? ‘The project manager’s job is challenging – her success requires a keen ability to identify and resolve sensitive organisational and interpersonal issues.’ (Portny 2012: 21). As one of the principle stakeholders in the project their responsibility is reliant on developing good team dynamics and delegate correctly through a well organised project plan. The project Plan endorses these statements and clarifies the unique role of the manager, understanding of the project and the application of the management process and is cited in appendix 1. 2. Risk Assessment When dealing with human being it is inevitable that risk factors will arise due to different values, perceptions and behaviours leading to an adverse impact on the success of the project. ‘All projects can be affected by outside or inside risk. Planning what possible risks might affect a project and the likelihood of those risk occurring is vital to the success of the project’. (Horn 2012:414) With project control and clear project planning, many identifiable risks during the project can be minimised or averted. In order to identify these risks a Risk Breakdown Structure can use used (RiBS), to ensure that risk is managed appropriate and effectively. Derived from the Work Breakdown Structure (WBS), this chart calculates the impact and probability of various risks associated with the project and then provides methods of contingency to reduce or eliminate the risk. ‘Impact is used in the calculation of the risk factor and is the effect on the project if the risk occurs. Probability is used in the calculation of the risk factor and is the likelihood of the risk occurring’. (Horn 2012:414) Two key areas of risk highlighted in the project are; Scope Creep – where the predetermined scope of the project escalates and the project evolves in size or cost due to a range of changing variables, such as stakeholder and client changes and unforeseen circumstances due to environment, finance or politics. It is in this area that risk levels can be high. ‘Scope creep is a major cause of project failure’ (Horn 2012:405) Scope creep is most likely to happen in the area of team recruitment and development, the most costly part of the project, where any changes in specification may require more staff or specialist staff. Any expansion in the project of this type would be costly for the project. This is confirmed by Horn (2012:406) that ‘when you consider that only about a quarter of projects complete on time and budget’. Early contingencies planning for the effects of scope creep should be interlaid within the RiBS to manage any financial allowance for such eventuality and to communicate the changes across the project and organisation. Roles and responsibilities – It is possible that during the project  development some staff may have difficulty in defining their roles within the team or were not part of the role development process that takes place during the forming stage of Tuckman’s team development model. It is also likely within the project team to have duplication of roles/function, even though Belbin’s Team roles model may have been used. However it is not a pre-requisite that all team must have the nine roles specific by Belbin. ‘Team members can take on more than one role and some roles are not necessary in certain teams’. (Horn 2009:13) Through team meetings and project control, risk associated with roles and responsibilities could be quickly identified. One through work duplication if one or more staff are performing the same task and two through inaccurate, incomplete or delayed work. Left unmanaged they may lead to long term delay and added cost as well as team dysfunction as political behaviours evolved. To resolve these risks, clarity of roles may need to be re-established and a more robust command and control; day to day supervision of roles and task be implemented. Re-evaluation of Tuckman’s forming stages may identify the need for further direct involvement of the project manger, to remind the team of the non-negotiable behaviours expected. ‘Insufficient day-to-day supervision of work is still the largest single reason for lost productivity.’ (Mullins 2005:833) 3. Creative Thinking The aspect of the project that best fits a creative approach is how the project recruits applicants into the organisation. This fits the requirements made by the CEO that they’re looking for a higher calibre of employees that are able to engage with the workforce. This will require a different approach and a move away from traditional routes. ‘Everyone can be a creative thinker; it is a state of mind and a set of skills’. (Horn 2012: 159). To encourage a more creative approach in the team, models such as Mind Mapping, blind, negative and positive brainstorming (Horn 2012:156) would be use in the team on a regular basis. This would work towards promoting open discussion, through using tool that draw on right side brain activity that stimulate creativity and to develop  an environment where people feel comfortable to contribute ideas and solutions to problems. ‘So using the right side of the brain we tend to draw things as they are rather than as we know them to be. It represents innocence which plays a role in creativity, particularly artistic expression’. (De Bono 1985) Paramount to this approach working is a project team of engaged staff that have aligned values to the organisations, where there are shared interests, common causes and an environment built on trust and integrity. ‘The approach is also about celebrating diversity, placing compassion and flexibility at the heart of everything the council does, accepting risk and listening and trusting people to try new and innovative ways of working.’ (David Macleod 2000:56) Alongside these creative mechanisms to support a creative space (De Bono’s 1985) established Six Thinking Hats Model. This method allows everyone to contribute, explore ideas, solve problems and generate creativity without denting egos. This create a non-judgemental environment as a particularly type of thinking is applied to a subject, rather than a personal opinion, allowing free speech and opportunity to explore without feeling defensive. This additional model would be implemented throughout the whole process of the project; for 1-1, team meeting, casual meeting and encouraged in general conversations where it would help resolve problems quickly by removing and instil creativity. In De Bono’s words, ‘the six hats system encourages performance rather than ego defense. People can contribute under any hat even though they initially support the opposite view’. (Burns 2011:17) The key point is that a hat is a direction to think rather than a label for thinkin g. The six hats describe six separate thinking functions as follows; White Hat thinking This covers facts, figures, information needs and gaps. Red Hat thinking This covers intuition, feelings and emotions. Black Hat thinking This is the hat of judgment and caution Yellow Hat thinking This is the logical positive. Green Hat thinking This is the hat of creativity, alternatives and proposals. Blue Hat thinking This is the overview or process control hat. 4. Team Work / Conflict The fundamental ingredient of a team is full and willing participation by each member of the team in whatever task the group faces. The level of participation is perhaps the single most important factor affecting the team’s output. It is only when a group is fully functioning and performing at the optimum level that it can call itself a team. ‘Building successful teams also requires effective leadership with an emphasis on trust, clear communications, full participation and self-management.’ (Mullins 2005:568) The first approach in developing good team work is to establish the different roles individual align themselves to in a team. Understanding and valuing the diversity of skills in a team is essential for good team working and secures the accurate delegation of work. Staff are more likely to be productive when task assignment to them marry up with their skill set and interest. Belbin Team Roles support this explanation in its bid to help team members become aware of their strengths and weakness within a team environment, by completing a personal assessment to highlight people’s behaviour, characteristics and attitudes. These are the aligned to 9 key roles. (Huczynski & Buchanan: 330) The nine roles of Belbin are listed as follows; Plant – creative, imaginative Resources investigator – Extrovert, communicative Co-ordinator – mature, delegates well Shaper – challenging, thrives on pressures Monitor-evaluator – Sees all options, strategic Teamworker – co-operative, mild Implementer – disciplined, reliable Completer – conscientious, delivers on time Specialist – Single-minded, provides knowledge Another method of developing team working and self-awareness is the Betari Box model. It ‘provides a vehicle for discussing the way in which people can get locked into a cycle of attitude breeding behaviour’ (Clements & Jones 2008:217). Implemented within the communication process, in the early stages of the team formation it lends itself to supporting diversity in the workforce. The Betari Box illustrates how our own attitudes and behaviours directly affect the attitudes and behaviours of people around us. When we’re stuck in a negative cycle, then it’s up to us to stop that cycle by changing our attitude. This will positively impact those around us – and therefore break the cycle. My Attitude -> Affects -> My Behaviour -> Affects -> Your Attitude -> Affects -> Your Behaviour -> Affects -> My Attitude and so on. These models are all under pinned by McLeod (2009:9) which states that ‘attitude, behaviour and outcomes – are part of the engagement story’. An engaged workforce are at less risk of conflict and disagreement. As the project manager of a team, understanding changing dynamics and development is essential to grow and functionality. Using (Tuckman’s 1965) team development stages the manager will be better equipped to interpret the team stages of growth. According to Tuckman, in the initial stages of team evolution communication is essential, with the leading voice of the manager guiding an initially dependant team. ‘Members are dependent on some leaders to provide them with structure in the form of ground rules and agenda for action’. (Huczynski & Buchanan: 297) Implementing 1-1s, supervision, regular team meetings, and personal development programme will help to deliver clear modes of operation and behaviourial expectations. Conflict Team conflict can stem from a variety of sources; difference in perception,  departmentalisation, specialisation and role conflict. Mullins (2010) state ‘that there are different perspectives on conflict in the workplace, and in some cases conflict is a driver for creativity, energy and limiting apathy.’ Solving differences in perception is a challenging. The stringent use of management policies and procedures to enforce professional adult behaviour will help deter interpersonal differences of opinion. The reason behind this is ‘conflict is a behaviour that intends to obstruct a person from achieving some of their goal’ Mullin (2010). Informing employees on what behaviours are expect may help eliminate such conflict. Conflict in perception is likelier to arise when there are limited or unclear objectives, expectations and leadership from senior management. ‘Leadership is about creating a vision and direction for people, (Horn 2012:456). Proactive leadership is essential in encouraging conflict resolution. Where possible, promoting a culture of respect and consideration for others needs and opinions, and encourage staff to find mutually acceptable solutions to minimise or avoid conflict situations. ‘People say what they think and trust that the other person will hear the criticism in the spirit of help in which they were intended. They give each other essential feedback that will help to improve individual and collective feedback’. (Ryan & Oestreich 1998:39). One way of managing conflict is the use and awareness of transactional analysis. Encouraging team members to always have adult to adult conversations and to be aware of the possible risk of conflicts when roles change, is critical to conflict resolution. ‘So-called mature people are people who are able to keep the Adult in control most of the time but their child will take over on occasion like anyone else’s, often with disconcerting results’ (Berne 2011:27) 5. Political Behaviour Political behaviour can be linked to the power the individual or team have. The level of power or status will determine how the team or individual will play out their behaviour; possibly removing themselves from involvement with the team if they feel they have limited power or status or firming up power by pushing their view toward a self-interest goal. ‘Involves individual engaging in activities to acquire, develop, retain and use power in order to obtain their preferred outcome. (Huczynski & Buchanan 2001:823) Resistance to the changes recommend by the CEO could initiate many of those political behaviours in order to keep the status quo or to try and sabotage the efficiency drive of the recruitment and selection process. Having an open and clear mechanism for staff opinions and views through, surveys, focus groups, and other staff feedback forums, where staff can contribute constructively, will bring benefit to the organisation and not hinder the progress of the project. Reluctance to take part in team activity or limit information to the team, to negotiate higher status or responsibility because of the knowledge or skill that person has could be a display of political behaviour. This type of behaviour could cause the project to stagnate and caused deeper politicking as other individuals may retaliate in the same or worse manager, causing dysfunctional team dynamics and reduced work productivity as morale plummets. It’s important to note that politics will always be part of a team but it’s not always accepted as adverse to the team or organisation. ‘In every team there are political agendas, so it is as well to be aware of them but try to avoid them’. (Horn 2012:119). ‘Thus organisational recruitment, appraisal and training and promotion policies directly encourages political behaviour’. (Huczynski & Buchanan 2001:824) Influencing In order to bring about change, solve problems or develop ideas that grow and evolve businesses, influencing is critical. Built on Maslow hierarchy of need (Huczynski & Buchanan 2001:242), ‘Cohen & Bradford identified a range of positive sanctions and rewards which they termed organisational currencies. They showed how these could be used to influence others to comply with your request.’ (Huczynski & Buchanan 2001:819): currencies such as resources, information, network/contacts and recognition. Using reward and recognition polices within the organisation to influences positive behaviours and adopt organisational values, would help to shape an open and engaged workforce and decrease the need for political and power play. Persuasion Exploring new ideas, view and thinking is necessary in an organisation to motivate, create innovation, enable development and support change, this require persuasive action. ‘Whatever control is achieved over work behaviour is brought about as much through the processes of negotiation, persuasion’ (Mullins 2005:844). With the De Bono Six hat, the team can be persuaded to see the benefits of the change in recruitment and selection. Using a clinical approach to discussions that remove the ego state associated with political behaviour, individuals will come to understand the importance of a fair political landscape that represents the organisation not a single individual. Negotiation Negotiation involves two parties coming together to confer with a view to concluding a jointly acceptable agreement’. (Gennard & Judge 2005:238) Through the earlier stage of team formation in the project process, issues of political behaviour can be negotiated through clear role selection of Belbin, behavioural expectation and awareness using Betari Box, and transactional analysis. Applied through the traditional route of 1-1s, supervision, team meeting and other informal interaction, leading to a lessening of these behaviours; as a result it can support staff smoothly through the change curve cycle. 6. Recommendations I have used the Cause and Effect Diagram and the Pareto Diagram to argue a preferred decision on which part of the project I should delivery to the CEO. The cause and effect diagram addresses the main problems by identifying what  the causes are associated with that effect; in this case an inefficient, poor quality and disengaged recruitment and selection process. By asking a series of questions to key headings associated with the effect we can reach a range of decisions on what part of the causes are the major or minor reasons for the ‘effect’. ‘Cause-effect’ diagrams are particularly effective of helping to search for the root causes of problems’ (Slack 1998:703). Linked to the Pareto Analysis Model we can analysis which area of the ‘causes’ has the greater impact on the project. (Slack 1998) states that Pareto analysis ‘distinguishes between the vital few and the trivial many’. I have used the cause effect model to help identify where the ‘root causes of problems’ (Slack 1998:704) lie in the project. The Pareto analysis model is then used to identify a specific cause or group of causes, which will solve a greater number of the effects or problems. In this project’s recommendations I have made a few assumptions to pinpoint that, the human resource (people) ‘causes’, would yield the greatest outcomes and it would be in this area that I would apply the ideas for improvement and recommend to the CEO. In appendix 2 have illustrated this explanation. Conclusion With a robust project plan and reliable control measures, issues such as risk and will be identified early on in the project process, ideally during the initial planning stages, with contingencies set in place for those eventualities. With new ways of working applied to not only the process but people through De-Bono Six Hats and adult lead behaviourial awareness of Betari Box and transactional analysis; creativity and innovation should flourish in what should now be a trusting and transparent working environment. Signs of self-interest or personal political behaviours will be limited, though an open dialogue of communication across the team supported by strong influencing, negotiation and persuasion tools by the leadership. Using any project plan methodology or project software to underpin the suggested ideas, the project plans should be able to fulfil it obligations  and delivery the desired outcome for the CEO. References Berne, E. (2011) Games People Play. London:Penguin Books Limited Burns, A. (2011) Engaging with Teams. Unpublished. Birmingham: Birmingham City Council De Bono, E. (1995) Serious Creativity [online] available from http://teaching.ust.hk/~mark329/Papers/serious%20creativity.pdf [29/10/13] Gennard, J. & Judge, G. (2005) Employee Relations. Trowbridge: CIPD Horn, R. (2009) The Business Skills Handbook. London: CIPD Huczynski, A. & Buchanan, D. (2001) Organisational Behaviour. Essex: Pearson education limited Jones, J. & Clements, P. (2008) The Diversity Training Handbook London: Kogan Page Limited Macleod, D. (2008) Engaging for Success Surrey: office of Public Sector Information Mullins, L. (2005) Management & Organisational Behaviour. Essex: Pearson education Limited Portny, S. (2010) Project Management for Dummies. Indianapolis: Wiley Publishing Project Management Institute, (2008) The Project Management Body of Knowledge. Pennsylvania: Project Management Institute Ryan, K. & Oestreich, D. (1998) Driving Fear out of the Workplace. San Fancisco: Jossey-Bass Inc Slack, N. (1998) Operations Management. Kent: Pitman Publishing Bibliography Marchington, M & Wilkinson, A (2008) Human Resource Management At Work. London: CIPD Taylor, S (2008) People Resourcing. London: CIPD Appendix 1 Project Plan Appendix 2 Cause and Effect of Project Management Process

Christian Aid Essay

Once the Second World War had finished, there was widespread homelessness in continental Europe .In addition to the thousands of refugees; many people had lost their homes and their possessions. So as a result of this, Churches in Britain and Ireland decided to do what they could do help at the time and they set up an organisation called â€Å"Christian Reconstruction in Europe†. Twenty years later the name was changed to â€Å"Christian Aid† and by 1964, the organisation began to focus on aid outside Europe which by then had largely recovered from the War. The aims of the organisation originally were to aid in the re construction of Europe and in the aid of refugees from all over the continent. During the 1960’s Christian Aid joined forces with other relief forces and their aims were to respond to world-wide emergencies and disasters. An emergency committee was set up so that in an emergency situation immediate action could be taken and all the organisations could co-operate to make the best use of their resources by organising a joint repose. During the late 60’s Food shortages and starvation were growing problems and Christian Aid wanted political action to be taken. So the latest aim was to campaign along with the World Development movement which was set up by the Churches and Christian Aid, so they could campaign on the hunger related issues. Their aims changed again over the period of the 80’s, world economic recession developed. The Banks in the rich north were demanding their interest rates from the Less Developed Countries that had received loans in the past. The interest charge that the countries had to pay turned out to be twice as much as the original loan. So Christian Aid began a campaign to persuade bank and governments to reduce or even cancel the debts of the poorer nations. In 1987 the Board of Christian aid adopted a statement by the British Council of Churches entitled To Strengthen the Poor, as a basis for action and reflection. The statement â€Å"Strengthen the Poor† is now Christians Aids basic aim. The majority of Christians Aid is funding comes from us the British public; you can either send a cheque through the post, or phone and make a donation. But Christian Aid is probably best known for its â€Å"Christian Aid week†. For seven days in May, church members from all over the country make door to door collections for the worlds poor. In the financial year of 1997-8, Christian Aid raised over à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½37million. Money also come from the UK’s government who then donated 5.4million, the European Union gave à ¯Ã‚ ¿Ã‚ ½2.8 million, and the Irish government gave 0.57 million. That year Christian Aid spent 76% in improving poorer counties living conditions and health, 11% on campaigning and education, 11% on fundraising and only 2% on administration. This is how the money was spent in the year of 2001-2. In International work on development in poorer countries Christian Aid raised 28.9m, in International work on emergencies such as the refugees in Afghanistan 9.4m was donated to help. A total of 6.5m was spent on Campaigning and education, a further more 8.6m was used on Fundraising and publicity 0.9m was put towards Management and administration, this gave Christian Aid a great total expenditure of 54.3million pounds. At the heart of all of Christian Aids aims, beliefs and thoughts, comes their basic philosophy that peoples lives improve most when they make their own decisions. So they operate in partnership with local people in the belief that the local community best knows its needs and what skills are locally available. Once a group has decided on a community project it can approach Christian Aid. This way Christian Aid can help people strengthen themselves but let them do it them selves so in the future if they have a problem they can deal with it themselves, instead of them having it spoon fed to them. The group will have to provide a description of the work, showing how it can be done, and an estimate of how much will be needed. The Christian Aid project officer for the region will then assess the request and visit the site. Only when local experts have assessed the project in detail does the committee in London decide whether to support it. Christian quotes that † in penitence and hope we commit ourselves to strengthen the poor against injustice†. Another appealing quote is â€Å"we must act strategically to strengthen the arm of the poor until they can stand up to those who so often acted against them and have the power to determine their own development under God†. These two quotes sum up Christian Aids beliefs and aims for me. In conclusion I believe that Christian Aid has been successful in that they the main resource given to the poor is in education and the teaching of self-reliance. Another good aspect of the organisation is that aid is almost immediate to those in need, such as refugees in Iraq today however how far can we say Christian Aid is a complete success because we still have less developed people and countries in the world, Christian Aid alone cannot of itself solve the worlds problems but it can help with them.

Hartmann vs Loudon County Board of Education: Impact on LRE Essay

In the case of Hartmann vs. Loudon County Board of Education, the plaintiff alleged that the defendant failed to educate Mark Hartmann, a student with autism, with non-handicapped children to the maximum extent appropriate. Mark Hartmann is an eleven-year-old child who has a developmental disorder characterized by significant deficiencies in communication skills, social interaction and motor control. He was joined in regular classroom during his pre school years at Butterfield Elementary, Illinois with self-contained classes as well. He was provided with speech and occupational therapy while doing so. So, when they moved to Loudon County, Virginia, and his parents sent him to Ashburn Elementary he was placed at the regular education classroom based from his IEP at Illinois. Mark was provided with all the support including SPED Teacher, Special Aide, Therapist, etc. However eventually, Mark manifested episodes of behavioral problems such as screeching, hitting, pinching, kicking, biting and removing his clothes. His IEP team declared that there was no academic progress noted for Mark in his stay with the regular classroom hence it has been proposed to place him in a specifically structured class at Leesburg Elementary. His parents refused to sign the new IEP and demanded court hearings against the Board due to failures of providing appropriate education in the least restrictive environment. The Hartmanns won the case on the basis that Loudon County failed to provide appropriate steps to try to include Mark in a regular class. They also rejected the administrative findings that Mark could not receive significant educational benefit in a regular classroom. The district relied heavily on the reading of Mark’s experience in Illinois and Montgomery County, where he moved. Also, they regarded disruptive behavior as not a significant factor in determining the appropriate educational placement for a disabled child. However IDEA too expresses the relationship between local school authorities and a reviewing district court such that invitation to the courts is by no means to substitute their own notions of sound educational policy for those of the school authorities. IDEA also notes that administrative findings are prima facie correct. IDEA also does no prohibit educators of the right to present professional judgment and although states have been tasked to give specialized instruction and other services, it is not required to furnish every special service necessary for the child. The appropriateness of Mark’s education becomes inappropriate when despite supplementary aides and services; his education is not achieved satisfactorily due to the severity of the disability. The progress Mark was making at his speech therapy was due to its one on one setting. The Illinois report of his presumed progress was considered flawed. In consideration of Mark’s social skills that were due to interaction with non-disabled peers, this however cannot outweigh his failure to progress in academics in the regular classes. The Supreme Court in favor of the Loudon County Board of Education has therefore reversed the decisions of the district court. I feel that this case impacts on my understanding of the Least Restrictive environment. Clearly, the case helped me clarify issues of appropriateness of education for disabled students, factors to consider in conducting assessments of the students, the relationship between behavior and academic performance vis a vis educational placement decisions, the significance of IEP as a basis for a student’s current performance, and most specially the smooth relationship between parents and educators in arriving at a common understanding for the benefit of the student. This new knowledge is beneficial for me in two ways: in properly interpreting IDEA and in improving assessment of students so that proper IEP is made, appropriate educational placement is suggested and modified teaching strategies and methods are implemented. This case has been important in public education in terms of determining proper relationships between local school authorities and district courts and in the consideration of evidences that are most significant to the case. Also, it created a new sentiment as regards the notion of LRE and FAPE, that mainstreaming favors educational benefit of the student but is not sufficient to attain so.

Food Preservative Essay

Food Industry is one of the complexes which involve a vast global collection of many businesses that come together to avail food energy consumed throughout the world population. Those farmers who merely depend on food that they plant are not considered to be part of food industry in these modern days. The food industry includes the following: – Regulations- These regulations range from local to international rules and regulations which govern food production and sales, food quality and safety, and general industry lobbying activities (David, Grotton, 1979, pg417). – Education- This can be academic which results to professional in food production, vocational which involves basic training or consultancy which deals on consultation regarding different food products. – Research and development- This involves food technology in order to invest various ways of food production which does not exist in the market. – Financial services which include insurance and credit services. – Manufacturing- Food industry involved in manufacturing of Agro-chemicals, seeds, farm machinery and supplies of agricultural construction. – Agriculture- This is a basic area in food industry since it deals with raising of crops, livestock and also sea foods which are the main raw material used in food industries. – Food processing- This involves preparing fresh products for sale in markets and also it involves manufacture of already prepared food products. – Marketing- This deals with promotion of new products in market. It also gets views from public opinion by advertising packaging and public relation. – Wholesale and distribution- This is done in warehouses, transportation and logistics. – Retails- Food products are basically sold in supermarkets, stones, direct con. Summer restaurants and other food services centers. Therefore, food industry basically covers all aspects of food production and sales. All transactions between productions of food up to the time food is taken to the market are taken care of. The industry size of food production is quite wide since it covers worldwide population and it’s approximately US $3. 2 trillion in 2004. For example, in United State they spend about US $ 1 trillion annually for food or almost ten percent of their gross domestic product (Harratio, 2007, pg 370). This industry due to its diversity and great need to expand it has around 16. 5 million people who are employed in the industry. Food industry regulations are very vital in every stage from production to consumption. These stages include production, processing, distribution, retail, packaging and labeling of all food products. All these are governed by a mass of laws, regulations, code of practice and guidance. There are general food laws which must be followed by everyone whether one is working in a food business or he or she is involved in consumption of the food productions. This deals mainly with registration of foods which are either imported or exported, the safety of food, labeling, product withdrawals and recall (Brown, 2001, pg 439). For example, the main food laws which are used in United Kingdom are:- – Food safety act of 1990 which involved registration of general food registration in Great Britain. – General food law regulation 178/2002. – General food regulations 2004. This incorporated imposition of penalties to those who breaks food regulation. Some of the food safety and consumer protection offenses include – Rendering foods which can injure one’s health by either: I ) Adding something harmful to food. ii) Using harmful ingredients in production of food. iii) Removing any food constituent which can benefit the consumer iv) Passing food through processes which are no recommended. – Selling product to purchaser which is not of the nature, substance or quality demanded by the buyer. – Using false descriptions or presentation of foods in order to entice customers. – Commission of defense is due to the act of default of another person, the other person is guilt of the offense. – In European countries, Food imported to these countries must comply with all their Food safety regulations or else they should enter into an agreement with the exporting countries for those requirements. – Exportation by European countries demands that food should meet the required food law, not unless the importing country demands otherwise as per their laws. – The safety standards of food should be followed strictly this is passed by the law that states: Food shall not be placed in market if it’s unsafe. Food can be regarded as unsafe if its-injurious to one’s health. – Unfit for human consumption. – The labeling, advertising, presentation and setting of food product for consumer should be done in such a way that it would no mislead the consumer. – For traceability purposes, operators of business need to keep accurate records of food, food substances and producing animals supplied to their businesses and also records of suppliers where they buy their commodities which should ensure that this information shall be made available to authorities on demand. – Food business operator can withdraw food which is not complying with safety standards incase it has left their control and recall food incase it has reached the consumer. In case any company breakdown any of these offenses, the company is liable to penalties laid down by general food regulation (Windsor, 1959, pg 37). Food law guide is a process which needs to be updated each and every time in order to comply with food standard every time. In food industry, there should be regulatory impact assessment team which its main duty is assessment of costs, benefits and risks of regulations laid down which could adversely affect the business in one way or another. These teams are either produced by government or agencies which have statutory powers for making laws. The government is trying to put up better regulatory initiatives which will work with food standard agency which is a statutory body which protects public health and consumer’s other interest related to food and drinks. Deregulation can lead to food safety coming to a critical condition since it opposes most of the regulation acts imposed in food production till marketing time. These deregulations may include:- – Free trade agreement. Due to free trade agreement the safety standards of food during export and import times are looked down upon and this can lead to harmful consumption of food. For any successful company to grow well, merging with other companies is quite essential since it enables diversity and acquisition of new methods and formulas which the merging company has. Merging stimulate growth and expression of ideas to give a wide range of products to be produced. The main aim of encouraging merging and acquisition of businesses is to reduce the number of firms operating on one same thing and consequently they increase concentration since the number of firms have lessen and therefore management can focus on something substantial since they are concentrating on a smaller area than before. Also through merging and acquisition companies promote anticompetitive pricing behavior since operations will be taking place on one company which can set standard prices for each items (Manley, 1940, pg 83). In food industry, they have focused merging as something that can bring great impact in economy since it basically changes employment structures. Therefore merges and acquisition results to workers dislocation since the companies will be fewer than before which lead to retrenchment of some workers. The food industry had two distinct mergers and acquisition involved in eight different food industries. These occurred from 1977 to 1982 and from 1982 to 1987. This mergers and acquisitions did not necessary portray the processes causing workers dislocation and lost wages. During the acquisition and mergers, small plants in food industries were added workers during the first merge wave but not during the second one. Mergers and acquisition had small but positive effect on wage during the first merger of 1977-1982 while little effect was felt during the second merger period. Mergers and acquisition also enables many plants to exit their industries during the 1977-82 period and facilitated closure of some firms during the period during 1982-1987. Therefore productivity can be increased and profitability of industry enhanced by actively participating in acquisition and merging of industries. Joint venture by different companies helps the businesses to grow increasingly and therefore increases business interest. Joint ventures also help the business to diversify its products and it basically operates like mergers and acquisition (Zhouying, 2005, pg317). Food technology has greatly advanced in many food companies through invention of new ways of production and marketing of food produce. Food supply chains in any food industry must give way to dynamic supply network and elaborate food technology that drive them. Technology enables high volumes of distributed transactions which take place between different members of supply chain in a rapid and low cost manner. Food technology should be used even during marketing to fit to a variety of transactions.

Why Literatura by Mario Vargas - Summury Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Why Literatura by Mario Vargas - Summury - Essay Example e computer, can replace the books and provide the readers with all the excitement, pleasure and the inherent relationship that he develops with the concerned author as well as with the characters. According to the author, while speaking at the Royal Spanish Academy, Bill Gates had even said that his ultimate goal ‘is to put an end to paper and then to books’. Is it really that easy? Llosa says that even though the technology has restructured the priority areas of human race, the relevance and importance of literature can never lose its basic essence of providing people with the opportunity of creative imagination and at the same time, help them to understand the wider scope of human psychology through the experiences of other people. The very appeal of the literature lies on the fact that it not only provides the reader with an opportunity to grow and learn but it also goes beyond the concept of time and space. One can even go so far as to say that one can actually observe the changes or evolution because we have gleaned the process of evolving times through the literature. Indeed, Homer, Socrates, Tolstoy, Shakespeare are as important a figure today as any other contemporary writers. We understand them because we can identify ourselves in their writing. Another very important aspect of literature is that it provides the human race with the means to express their deepest feeling that facilitates platform for the future generations to learn and expand on the various facet of inter-related imagery or the real life situations that directly or indirectly may have considerable impact on other people. The books can inflame the emotions of the readers and they can also be the greatest source of inspiration for those who wish to look beyond the petty selfness of racism, prejudices and religious bigotry. The author is saddened by the fact that the reading habit in people has declined drastically, though women readers have increased. According to a survey in US in

Define TQM Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Define TQM - Essay Example ic upon seeking to manage the organization as a whole and develop all of the processes and levels of integration that exist within it in such a manner that a level of synergy can be realized between all of these factors (Alfalla-Luque et al., 2012). Obviously, as can quickly be noted, such an approach is difficult to achieve on any macro scale and ultimately breaks down into a situation in which micro processes will dictate whether or not total quality management, or some lesser achievement, will ultimately be realized. Whereas many different approaches to management had existed over the past several decades, total quality management, although still employed within a litany of different fields, has not experienced the same widespread level of success that it did during the late 1980s and early 1990s (Zatzick et al., 2012). Instead, approaches such as ISO 9000 and Six Sigma have permeated the management field and slightly turned the focus away from total quality management; at least a s compared to what it was two decades ago. Alfalla-Luque, R., Marà ­n-Garcà ­a, J. A., & Medina-Là ³pez, C. (2012). Is worker commitment necessary for achieving competitive advantage and customer satisfaction when companies use HRM and TQM practices?. Universia Business Review, (36), 64-88. Zatzick, C. D., Moliterno, T. P., & Fang, T. (2012). Strategic (MIS)FIT: The Implementation of TQM in Manufacturing Organizations.Strategic Management Journal,  33(11), 1321-1330.

Internal and External Stakeholders Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Internal and External Stakeholders - Essay Example People will still play the game, but the virus will affect the overall quality of the video game. Recently, the company has faced a dilemma that will change the video gaming landscape for some time. The Best Game Productions Company is not sure whether to release the video game or delay it. The company decided to hire a consultant who would give them the best solution to the problems and who would communicate to both the internal and external stakeholders of the company. The consultant group advised the Best Game Production to delay the release of the game. The best communication channel that was appropriate to communicate to the internal and external stakeholders was by sending a memo to the company employees informing them of delayed release of the video game. It would also be appropriate to send an interoffice memo to all the employees informing them when the release will be done (Jackson & Welch, 2007). The business situation that Best Game Productions is facing is Professional, knowledgeable and honest company. The company offers an environment that focuses on respect and fairness to their customers at all times. Best Game Productions wants their clients to be satisfied with their products and services. The company is also faced with competitors who will be releasing their games on the Christmas holiday. Best Games is faces challenges whereby their game has a bug that will delay the releasing date. If the game is released with the bug, it will disappoint the customers. The majority of business and companies have both internal, and stakeholders who are interested in the on the success, and potential failures of that are likely to occur. Stakeholders are persons who are affected by the practices and policies carried out by a company (Hansen & Spitzeck, 2010). Best Game Production has various stakeholders both internal and external. The internal stakeholders of the company include CEO of the

The Necessity for Ethical Behavior in the Project Management Essay

The Necessity for Ethical Behavior in the Project Management - Essay Example Therefore, ethical behaviors are crucial in the management of projects. Moral philosophy or ethics concerns the defense and recommendation of the concepts of wrong or right behavior. The philosophy of ethics is divided into operational areas such as normative ethics, applied ethics and meta-ethics. Meta-ethics involves the reference and theoretical meaning of moral values, and the determination of their truth (Ashrafi, 2007). Normative ethics involves the practical means of establishing a moral plan of action, while applied ethics involves the achievement of moral outcomes in different situations with different ethical requirements. The characteristics of ethical behaviors are fairness, honesty, and equity in professional, interpersonal and research, scholarly and academic relationships. Ethical behaviors compliment the diversity, rights and dignity of individuals or people in the society. The standards upheld in enhancing the attributes of responsibility and honesty is ethical behav iors. These standards are applicable to all individuals regardless of the facets of life, and the position held in commerce. The hallmark of ethical behavior is the application of these standards in situations that are inconvenient for their application (Long, & Spuma, 2005). Project Management Project management involves organizing, planning, managing, securing, controlling and leading resources towards the achievement of objectives and goals. Projects are provisional endeavors that have a defined starting and end points. They are mostly time and funding constrained. Projects are carried out to meet objectives and goals, characteristically for addition of value or for beneficial changes. Projects because of their temporary nature are in contrast to operations or businesses that are permanent and repetitive (Long, & Spuma, 2005). The management of projects is thus challenging and different and requires distinct management strategies and technical skills. The major challenge in proje ct management is the achievement of the objectives and goals while honoring or considering the preconceived limitations. Typical limitations are budget, scope and time. Another challenge with project management is the ability to maximize the allocation of inputs and incorporate the necessary inputs to meet the predefined goals and objectives (London, 2006). The management of projects involves elements, process groups and control systems. Regardless of terminology and methodology used, project management processes involve the same processes, with different ethical requirements. Project management involves the initiation of the project, planning for development, production and execution, monitoring and controlling, and the final phase which is the end or closure of the project. These phases in most cases are undertaken by one person-the project manager. Project management environment that require exploration; research and development must be supplemented with points for decision makin g. These points are essential for the continuation of the project as they involve debating and decision making. Ethical practices and behaviors are necessary to ensure the diligent and progressive completion of each phase, hence movement to the next phase. Ethical behaviors in project management involve the simultaneous management of the basic elements which are money, time, resources and scope. These elements, which are interrelated, must be effectively

What Do ERP Systems mean Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1

What Do ERP Systems mean - Research Paper Example From this paper it is clear that the above departmental processes are comprised of characteristics which have similarity and differences on various aspects. These characteristics are based upon the definition, order, customers, emdeddedness, cross-functionality and value-adding. In regards to the definition, the processes have well defined boundaries, inputs as well as outputs. Business processes operate on one or more functional units. The enterprise processes are either based internally or externally unlike the inter-enterprise process which is non-centralized. Next to ordering, the processes consist of ordered work activities based on their position in terms of time and space. In any process there must exist a recipient that receives the outcome of the process. Both enterprise and inter-enterprise process are not exceptional to this. They have targeted customers for whom they produce and deliver their products and services to. Another feature of these processes is embeddedness. Th is means that processes cannot survive alone and must be embedded to the structure of the organization/department. Further to cross-functionality, processes are expected to perform several functions. Finally, processes are characterized by transformations either upstream or downstream aimed at adding value to their products/services and their recipients at large. For the past 20 years, the detonation in the use of ERP systems across the world has proved a major factor in the advancement of business operations, services and the overall quality of products. This paper basically discusses how the ERP system operates, its elements and history. Customer intelligence identified as vital for it brings out the customers buying habits.  

Creating False Memories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Creating False Memories - Essay Example The act of recall enhanced later remembering of both studied and nonstudied material. The results reveal a powerful illusion of memory: People remember events that never happened. False memories-either remembering events that never happened, or remembering them quite differently from the way they happened-have recently captured the attention of both psychologists and the public at large. The primary impetus for this recent surge of interest is the increase in the number of cases in which memories of previously unrecognized abuse are reported during the course of therapy. Some researchers have argued that certain therapeutic practices can cause the creation of false memories, and therefore, the apparent "recovery" of memories during the course of therapy may actually represent the creation of memories (Lindsay & Read, 1994; Loftus, 1993). Although the concept of false memories is currently enjoying an increase in publicity, it is not new; psychologists have been studying false memories in several laboratory paradigms for years. Schacter (1995) provides an historical overview of the study of memory distortions. Schacter (1996) spoke of the fragile nature of memory and the Seven Sins of memory, discussing how our memories can fail us in certain situations. Where is the weakness in a memory system that functions according to the principle of semantic relatedness and integration There is one well-known case of false memories being produced in a list learning paradigm: Underwood (1965) introduced a technique to study false recognition of words in lists. He gave subjects a continuous recognition task in which they decided if each presented word had been given previously in the list. Later words bore various relations to previously studied words. Underwood showed that words associatively related to previously presented words were falsely recognized. Anisfeld and Knapp (1968), among others, replicated the phenomenon. Cognitive psychology is the scientific study of human memory and mental processes, including such activities as perceiving, remembering, using language, reasoning and solving problems. There are two important lessons in cognitive psychology. First, mental processes can occur with very little conscious awareness. This is especially true of processes that have received a great deal of practice, such as reading skills. Second, even though these processes can operate very quickly, they are quite complex, involving difficult motor, perceptual and mental acts. Their complexities make it even more amazing how efficient, rapid, and seemingly automatic they are. Intuitive analysis of examples such as "How many hands does Aristotle have" indicates that many important mental processes can occur automatically, that is, very rapidly and below the level of conscious awareness. Memory consists of the power, act, or process of recalling to mind facts previously learned or past experiences. It also refers to process, mental act in which stored information is recovered for some current use. Aside from this, memory also refers to a place, a location, where all the events, information, and knowledge of a lifetime are stored. Cognition, on the other hand, refers to all the processes by which the sensory input is

U.S History 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words - 3

U.S History 1 - Essay Example In a program Jackson and his democrats worked strong in order to get rid of National Bank of the United States and Protective tariff but the Whigs were in all favour of both of them. The difference in the policies of these two parties can be clearly determined by those whom the two political parties favour or support. The Jacksonian Democrats mainly represent the common man or the lower class people and their policies and programs were made in support that anyone can hold a position in the government. However, The Whigs were in favour of the nationalists and industrialists and their policies and programs were made keeping these classes of people in mind. One of the important opposing factors between these two parties was revolving around their idea of expansion. The Democrats were in the mind-set the expansion could be faster if there is more farming land, which would gain more potential profit whereas The Whigs were in the argument that this expansion is unnecessary. The difference between these two parties basically came from the differences that they have in their support program. The domestic goals of The Whigs show that they were in support of Congress over presidency. They also favoured the program of economic protectionism and modernization. However, the Jacksonian Democrats were worried a bout this modernization (Williams, 2006). They were under the impression that the economy of modern market manipulation would lead to aristocracy, which the common people cannot afford since their belief is that majority of the population in the society consists of people who earn their living by farming. They used to believe that the government should help theses common people and encourage them to expand the American economy and culture. But the Democratic Republicans created an American System that made tariffs that protect the

Whether bear hunt should be permitted in New Jersey Research Paper

Whether bear hunt should be permitted in New Jersey - Research Paper Example The hunters are driven by thirst for blood and the profit garnered as federal and state agencies implement programs such as wildlife management that is designed to boost the numbers of black bear species. These programs help ensure that there are plenty of animals to be killed by hunters and consequently plenty of revenue from the sale of hunting licenses. My take on this is that such programs by the government should be replaced with those of creating better facilities to cater for these bears. With the implementation of the zoos, nature should be allowed to take its course through delicate balance of ecosystems which ensures their own survival if they are uninterrupted. Nature helps maintain this balance by killing the sickest and weakest individuals. Unusual natural occurrences cause overpopulation as natural processes work towards stabilizing the group. Starvation and disease are tragic, but they are nature's ways of ensuring that strong, healthy animals overcome and healthy, str ong animals survive and uphold strength level of the rest of their herd or group. Shooting an animal because it might starve or become sick is arbitrary and also destructive thus ought to be stopped. This activity is disturbing to both the citizens and the bears themselves. On noticing they are being trailed, the bears can choose to be vicious Hunting accidents destroy property and can injure, cows, dogs, cats, hikers, and other hunters as well. Secondly the bears might choose to get into the residential attacking innocent people who are unaware resulting to havoc and deaths, destruction of property insecurity and tension. A way to keep black bear populations in balance in New Jersey would be to ensure that free-roaming, healthy wildlife are never artificially fed by the wild or tamed and these should be applicable to other wild animals. Animals that are artificially fed lose their fear of humans and begin to approach residents as well as hunters. Feeding also causes animals to bree d at an accelerated rate, resulting in more animals. The more animals you have in small areas, the more the likely hood they will be perceived as overpopulated or as a nuisance, especially when they start to eat fish, damage gardens, or defecate on sidewalks and many people

In the practical application of the resource-based view of the firm Essay

In the practical application of the resource-based view of the firm (the RBV) there is usually less emphasis placed on the management of resources than on the - Essay Example Jay Barney’s Resource Based View (RBV) is one such interesting tool. Because of its simplicity, engineers find it easy to understand the management perspective behind enterprises. This essay explains the concept of RBV, examples of key resources in well-known companies, managements’ approach in using the tool together with opinions on its utility and limitations. All firms are built on certain resources. In common parlance, we hear of money, materials and men as the resources of any business in a very broad sense. If all firms collect these resources and start operations to produce and market the same goods or services, then there will be intense competition and few would survive. In order to survive with normal profits and grow with supra-normal profits, a firm has to distinguish itself in some ways from the others competing with it. One way of looking at such distinguishing features of a firm is the so-called ‘resource-based view’, conceived and named as such by Jay Barney in the early 1990s. Barney1 postulated that a firm has to identify the resources it has in its command, evaluate them to identify the ‘key resources’ which give the firm its competitive advantage and guard them jealously to maintain the strategic advantage. In order to identify whether a resource can be treated as a key resource or not, Barney developed a four point criterion of resource evaluation, VRIN, that stands for: As can be seen, the emphasis is on resources as internal to a firm. From the simplest Mom & Dad stores, requiring no more than a couple of people, a few consumer items and a place to store and sell, to the very complex commercial or industrial firms of today with properties, unique products, patents and trained staff, we have a plethora of resources. Many of them are quite visible for all to see; but many more are what are known as intangibles, which are not seen or easily understood; for instance,

China Economy Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

China Economy - Coursework Example The share of China of total accumulated FDI stock in Asia almost tripled within 20 years i.e. from 6% in 1990 – 15% in 2010. Currency strengthening against the US dollar- the Chinese RMB has continuously appreciated against US dollar from8.27 in 2005 to 6.41 in 2011. The country still continues to run trade surplus as well as accumulating foreign reserves. Its pressure to appreciate the currency still remains strong (Tong & Wong, 2012). The reason as to why there was no industrial revolution in China is that the brokers as well as tax collectors created a market only for luxurious consumer goods instead of investing in new technologies. â€Å"They could use their surplus capital to extend credit at high interest rates or to run pawnshops, but they failed to invest in new technologies that would spur industrial revolution† (133). When Europe built modern infrastructure within Chinese treaty ports, it did not spark industrial revolution since industries were few (Tong & Wong, 2012). Cultural Revolution was a major drawback since it did cost China economic problems. â€Å"Though it resulted to long term economic damage to government administration and factory management as well as the country’s education system† (Tong & Wong, 2012). 4. China adopted an open-ended approach towards its economic reform process because it did not have any books to help them learn the way of un-planning, hence they needed something with no blueprint or detailed plans. China chose to begin with Agriculture reform step taken by china to start economic reform, which they did through instituting household responsibility system. The reason they chose agriculture was that despite the trial and error reform strategy having work well during the first phases, critical microeconomic measures of reforms failed to lend themselves effectively to the gradualist method through experimentation. Some of these reform measures included taxation,

Answer question Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 3

Answer question - Essay Example Nonetheless, the relationship between Rose and Saba concerning a graphic design desktop computer worth 1,500 did not constitute a valid contract. Despite the seller’s â€Å"offer† of the item for sale, MacIntyre (2013) would argue that Rose’s response did not meet the â€Å"acceptance† test. Her counter-offer of 1,000 for the same item was not readily accepted by the seller, thus stripping the agreement of any validity. This case is almost similar to Hyde v Wrench (1840) 49 ER 132 in which the respondent offered a piece of land valued at  £1,000 for sale (Elliott, & Quinn, 2014). The plaintiff gave a counter offer of  £950 which the seller refused. The plaintiff then communicated his acceptance of the initial offer of  £1,000, but the seller refused to sell the property to him, prompting the litigation for performance. The court is likely to follow the precedent set in Hyde where a counter-offer invalidated the contract and stripped the claimant of the rights to specific performance. The status of contract between Rose and TW depends on whether each party acted reasonably to see its creation. Whereas the two weeks that Rose took to communicate her acceptance of the TW offer was reasonable, it may have been the cause of the subsequent delay, leading TW to revoke the contract. The main legal issue in this case is whether TW made a valid revocation of the offer. The validity of a revocation of an offer principally lies in its communication to the offeree. Rose has grounds against the validity of TW’s letter of revocation. Rose’s claims are backed by the ruling in Byrne & Co v Leon Van Tien Hoven & Co [1880] 5 CPD 344 where the court imposed a ban on revocation of an offer by the postal rule, but allowed acceptance under similar circumstances. As Justice Lindley held in the case, TW would only be deemed as having validly revoked the offer through a direct communication

Homeland Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Homeland Security - Essay Example is a department created in the United States to help prevent terrorist attacks within the country, this responsibility is similar to emergency department’s role in dealing with terrorism, and thus it is correct to say the two somehow fit together. National Response Framework (NRF) is one of the various parts of the established National Strategy for Homeland Security (Bullock et al, 2013). NRF’s main work is to formulate and present the principles that would help guide the various factions involved in domestic response to terrorist attack or calamities, either man-made or natural. NRF is very essential to the National Incident Management System whose sole task is to develop principles and concepts that assist in the easy management of emergencies (Walsh, 2012). The principles govern the various agencies such as emergency management and homeland established to deal with emergencies. One of the main purpose of these agencies is to help secure the country in the quickest time possible following an emergency. The understanding of the emergency department helps people assume the responsibility of helping fellow citizens in emergency cases. Knowledge of how emergency department works make people cooperate with the government in different

Learning style Essay Example for Free

Learning style Essay There is no credible evidence that learning styles exist. While we will elaborate on this assertion, it is important to counteract the real harm that may be done by equivocating on the matter. In what follows, we will begin by defining â€Å"learning styles†; then we will address the claims made by those who believe that they exist, in the process acknowledging what we consider the valid claims of learning-styles theorists. But in separating the wheat from the pseudoscientific chaff in learning-styles theory, we will make clear that the wheat is contained in other educational approaches as well. A belief in learning styles is not necessary to incorporating useful knowledge about learning into ones teaching. We will then discuss the reasons why learning styles beliefs are so prevalent. Finally, we will offer suggestions about collegiate pedagogy, given that we have no evidence learning styles do not exist. What is a Learning Style? The claim at the center of learning-styles theory is this: Different students have different modes of learning, and their learning could be improved by matching ones teaching with that preferred learning mode. The way theorists have defined â€Å"modes of learning† has changed over the more than 50 years that this concept has been in vogue. Proposed modes have included dichotomies such as linear vs. holistic, impulsive vs. reflective, reasoning vs. insight, and visual vs. verbal. The most popular current conception of learning styles equates style with the preferred bodily sense through which one receives information, whether it be visual, auditory, or kinesthetic (for some reason, no one claims that there are tactile or olfactory learners). We use this sensory definition of learning styles in the examples below, but our conclusions apply equally to other definitions. As you will see, the claim that the mode of presentation should match the preferred mode of learning subsumes several other claims, and it is worth unpacking the learning-styles concept in order to consider its constituent subclaims separately. Which Claims of Learning-Styles Theorists are Correct? We believe that some general assertions of learning-styles proponents have nearly universal consensus, based on a wealth of evidence. We begin by acknowledging the truth of these claims in order to differentiate them from other ones without support. The first claim is this: Learners are different from each other, these differences affect their performance, and teachers should take these differences into account. This is true and recognized by educators and cognitive scientists alike. While many of those scientists seek to discover general principles of learning, we all acknowledge that there are differences among students. Understanding these differences and applying that understanding in the classroom can improve everyones education. We can find further agreement on some of the differences that matter for learning. First, whether we call it talent, ability, or intelligence, people vary in their capacity to learn different areas of content. One of the authors (Riener) has fraternal twin sons, and despite having most of the same experiences, one has learned to read earlier and the other is a better basketball player. This is clearly due to genetic differences in talent rather than a bizarre experiment in which the parents decided that one would be a basketball player and the other a professor. With educators under 6 feet tall for both parents and grandparents, they are both probably doomed to proceed to graduate school rather than to the NBA. Second, and often intertwined with ability, students differ in their interests. If a student loves the piano, or basketball, or chess, or the biology of frogs, that student will no doubt learn material related to that subject faster than another one who does not share that fascination. We all agree that interest and attention are preconditions of learning and vary from student to student, depending on the subject. Third, students differ in their background knowledge, and that difference influences their learning. This is obviously true in the sense that a large vocabulary allows one to read a wider variety of books. And it is further true in fields such as history: One cant hope to learn much about the causes and consequences of the American Civil War without knowing facts about the growth and separation of the colonies, the history of economic differences between the North and the South, political facts about our three branches of government, etc. But background knowledge is also quite important in things we think of as skills. For example, learning basic math facts is critical to the acquisition of later math skills. Finally, some students have specific learning disabilities, and these affect their learning in specific ways. For example, there is considerable research on dyslexia and the strategies for addressing it. These strategies of course differ from those appropriate for those students on the autistic spectrum or those with hearing difficulties. In each of these cases, a specific difference in the student calls for individual diagnosis and attention. So in claiming that learning styles do not exist, we are not saying that all learners are the same. Rather, we assert that a certain number of dimensions (ability, background knowledge, interest) vary from person to person and are known to affect learning. The emphasis on learning styles, we think, often comes at the cost of attention to these other important dimensions. What Do Learning-Styles Theorists Get Wrong? The next claim is that learners have preferences about how to learn that are independent of both ability and content and have meaningful implications for their learning. These preferences are not â€Å"better† or â€Å"faster,† according to learning-styles proponents, but merely â€Å"styles. † In other words, just as our social selves have personalities, so do our memories. Students do have preferences about how they learn. Many students will report preferring to study visually and others through an auditory channel. However, when these tendencies are put to the test under controlled conditions, they make no difference—learning is equivalent whether students learn in the preferred mode or not. A favorite mode of presentation (e. g. , visual, auditory, or kinesthetic) often reveals itself to be instead a preference for tasks for which one has high ability and at which one feels successful. But even if we did identify preferences that were independent of ability, finding ones that are independent of content is a much trickier proposition. If I were to tell you â€Å"I want to teach you something. Would you rather learn it by seeing a slideshow, reading it as text, hearing it as a podcast, or enacting it in a series of movements,† do you think you could answer without first asking what you were to learn—a dance, a piece of music, or an equation? While it may seem like a silly example, the claim of the learning styles approach is that one could make such a choice and improve ones learning through that choice, independent of content. We all agree that some kids show more interest in math, some start their education more interested in poetry, and others are more interested in dodgeball. The proof that the learning-styles theorist must find is that for some sort of content—whether it be math, poetry, or dodgeball—changing the mode of presentation to match the learning styles helps people learn. That evidence has simply not been found. Finally, we arrive at the critical and specific claim of learning-styles proponents: Learning could be improved by matching the mode of instruction to the preferred learning style of the student. Learning-styles believers do not make the claim that students sort neatly into sensory categories: One need not be purely visual, auditory or kinesthetic. But according to the theory, an educator should be able to improve the performance of those who have a strong preference for one of these sensory styles by matching instruction to their preference. Failure to find any experimental support for matching the mode of instruction to a preferred learning style would simply leave us where we were at the end of the section above: Students have different interests, backgrounds, and abilities. And indeed, a recent review article in the journal Psychological Science in the Public Interest by a group of distinguished memory researchers sought to find evidence for this claim in particular. If you are visual, you should learn better with a visual presentation of information than with an auditory one. If you are auditory, you should learn better with auditory materials than with visual ones. Each of this pair of results is necessary to support this element of learning-styles theory. But experiments that tested this prediction with a variety of content material have not found support for it. While such evidence of learning styles would serve as a proof that they exist, the lack of evidence does not prove definitively that they do not exist. However, in order to persuade us to devote the time and energy to adopt a certain kind of differentiated teaching, the burden of proof is on those who argue for the existence of that description of students cognitive strategies. In other words, a good rule of thumb is that we should only bring ideas from the laboratory into our teaching if (1) we are sure that the laboratory phenomena exist under at least some conditions and (2) we understand how to usefully apply these laboratory phenomena to instruction. The first of these two conditions is not met for learning styles, and the first is obviously a precondition for the second. Why Does the Belief in Learning Styles Persevere? What are the reasons for this myths perseverance? First, we think that a belief in learning styles persists because the more general claims (the ones we addressed above) are true. Learners do differ from one another. But many who believe in the myth do not consider the critical differences between styles and abilities. Teachers should take into account the differences in learners abilities. And adjusting a lesson not just to be appropriately pitched at the students level of ability but to take into account their background knowledge and interests is surely an important first step in fostering learning. Second, a belief in learning styles fits into an egalitarian view of education: Everyone has value, according to the theory, and everyone has strengths. The corollary for some learning-styles theorists is that if you think that the theory is wrong, you must think that all students are identical—which is obviously untrue. Again, we agree that students differ and all students have value, but we do not need learning-styles theory to convince us of that. Third, learning-styles theory has succeeded in becoming â€Å"common knowledge. † Its widespread acceptance serves as an unfortunately compelling reason to believe it. This is accompanied by a well-known cognitive phenomenon called the confirmation bias. When evaluating our own beliefs, we tend to seek out information that confirms our beliefs and ignore contrary information, even when we encounter it repeatedly. When we see someone who professes to be a visual learner excel at geography and an auditory learner excel at music, we do not seek out the information which would disprove our interpretation of these events (can the auditory learner learn geography through hearing it? Can the visual learner become better at music by seeing it? ) Why Should College Educators Care? We have addressed the direct costs of the learning-styles myth above, but there are considerable opportunity costs as well. The same research in cognitive science and education that has failed to find evidence for learning styles has offered many insights into how memory does work. Mindset (2006) by Stanford psychologist Carol Dweck is an excellent summary of the interesting ways that incentives—both carrots and sticks—as well as internal drives influence learning. And Henry L. Roediger and his associates at Washington University in St. Louis have demonstrated the value of testing for learning. Even the act of taking a test when one does not know the answers can support learning the correct answers faster and more effectively. Of course learning is an enormously complex activity, and this is not the place to outline all of the basic research on learning. We seek only to emphasize that attention to learning styles, for which evidence has not been found, may lead educators to neglect research on learning for which there is solid scientific support. Even though the belief in learning styles has influenced pedagogy in the schools far more than it has in higher education, we believe that there are several other reasons faculty might pay attention to the fact that researchers have failed to find evidence of learning styles, reasons that have important implications for the college classroom. First, when we poll our undergraduate classes on the belief in a number of myths of popular psychology, the one that â€Å"people have their own learning styles† is typically endorsed by more than 90 percent of our students. This belief has the potential to shape and constrain the experience that students have in the college classroom. For example, if a student believes she is a visual learner and therefore disengages and daydreams when a lecturer turns off the PowerPoint and tells a story, this will prevent her from learning the concept through a compelling narrative. And while these beliefs may not have as direct an impact on performance reviews as they do in K-12 settings, a belief in learning styles occasionally shows up in student evaluations of teaching: â€Å"I am a visual learner, so the visual examples were good,† or â€Å"I am an auditory learner, so more auditory content would have helped. † Second, learning-styles theory is sometimes offered as a reason to include digital media in the classroom. While including multimedia may be a good idea in general (variety in modes of presentation can hold students attention and interest, for example), it is not necessary to tailor your media to different learning styles. We shouldnt congratulate ourselves for showing a video to engage the visual learners or offering podcasts to the auditory learners. Rather, we should realize that the value of the video or audio will be determined by how it suits the content that we are asking students to learn and the background knowledge, interests, and abilities that they bring to it. Instead of asking whether we engaged the right sense (or learning mode), we should be asking, what did students think about while they were in class? Finally, when one has the opportunity in a smaller class to collect information about students and more specifically to tailor a lesson to that particular group of students, it is a waste of time to assess learning styles rather than, for instance, background knowledge. The latter can obviously be extremely useful. We often use prerequisites to ensure common background knowledge of students in a given class, but assessment at the beginning of a class can be an excellent reminder of how little of the prerequisite course content is easily recalled. Assessment of student interest can also be a useful tool for deciding how to approach the material in a given class. Some indication can be gained by what majors are represented in the class, but more specific interests assessed through a brief questionnaire or class discussion can also be useful in certain situations, such as small or homogeneous classes. So here is the punch line: Students differ in their abilities, interests, and background knowledge, but not in their learning styles. Students may have preferences about how to learn, but no evidence suggests that catering to those preferences will lead to better learning. As college educators, we should apply this to the classroom by continuing to present information in the most appropriate manner for our content and for the level of prior knowledge, ability, and interests of that particular set of students. Resources 1. Dweck, C. (2006) Mindset: The new psychology of success, Random House, New York, NY. 2. Paschler, H. , McDaniel, M. , Rohrer, D. and Bjork, R. (2010) Learning styles: Concepts and evidence. Psychological Science in the Public Interest 9, pp. 105-119. 3. Roediger, H. L. and Karpicke, J. D. (2006) The power of testing memory: Basic research and implications for educational practice. Perspectives on Psychological Science 1, pp. 181-210. Cedar Riener is an assistant professor of psychology at Randolph-Macon College. Daniel Willingham is a professor of psychology at the University of Virginia. He blogs at the Washington Post and is the author of Why Dont Students Like School? (Jossey-Bass, 2009). Related Notes Change Magazine September-October 2010The Myth of Learning Styles by Cedar Riener and Daniel Willingham There is no credible evidence that learning styles exist. While we will elaborate on this assertion, it is important to counteract the Learning with es: A convenient untruthThursday, 24 November 2011 A convenient untruth What do you think is the teachers worst enemy? Some would say lack of time. Others would say unsupportive leadership, or the dreaded government inspect