Monday, August 24, 2020

Term Exam Sample Paper free essay sample

This example test should just be utilized as a manual for the styles of inquiries. The subjects secured here are not comprehensive. Your update ought not be founded on these arrangement of inquiries as it were. The degree of trouble of this example test is additionally NOT characteristic of the degree of trouble of the real test. The appropriate responses are given toward the finish of the record. 1. A sensible gauge of the yearly standard deviation of return of the securities exchange would be? a. Under 5 percent. b. Somewhere in the range of 5 and 10 percent. c. Somewhere in the range of 15 and 25 percent d. In excess of 30 percent e. Difficult to appraise 2. An undertaking has a normal income of $200, in year 1. The hazard free rate is 6%, the market pace of return is 16%, and the ventures beta is 1. 5. Figure the sureness proportional income for year 1. a. $175. 21 b. $164. 29 c. $228. 30 d. $212. 56 e. Nothing from what was just mentioned 3. Offer X has a standard deviation of return of 10%, share Y has a standard deviation of return of 20%. We will compose a custom paper test on Term Exam Sample Paper or on the other hand any comparable point explicitly for you Don't WasteYour Time Recruit WRITER Just 13.90/page The relationship coefficient between the offers is 0. 5. On the off chance that you put 60% of your assets in share X and 40% in share Y, what is the standard deviation of the portfolio? a. 10% b. 20% c. 12. 2% d. 14. 0% e. Nothing from what was just mentioned 4. Richard Rolls scrutinize of trial of the capital resource evaluating model is that: a. Given a productive market portfolio the CAPM is redundancy b. The market portfolio isn't proficient c. You have to test the model utilizing the market portfolio for every single capital resource d. an and c e. an and b 5. The Template Corporation has a value beta of 1. 2 and an obligation beta of . 8. The organizations showcase esteem obligation to value proportion is . 6. In the event that it attempts another task with a similar hazard profile, what is the undertaking beta (expecting zero duty rate)? a. 0. 70 b. 0. 72 c. 0. 96 d. 1. 04 e. 1. 05 6. Think about after information on three offers: Share Standard Deviation A 0. 6 B 0. 30 C 0. 20 Beta 1. 00 0. 80 1. 29 Assuming that you wished to limit hazard, you would choose share if the offer was held in all alone, and you would choose share if the offer was to be added to a portfolio. a b c d e 7. An, An A, B, A B, C, An In an arrangement of three u nique offers, which of coming up next is beyond the realm of imagination? a. b. c. d. e. The danger of the portfolio is not exactly the danger of every one of the offers held in disengagement. The danger of the portfolio is more noteworthy than the danger of one of the offers. The beta of the portfolio is not exactly the beta of every one of the individual offers. The beta of the portfolio is more noteworthy than the beta of one of the individual offers betas. The standard deviation of the portfolio is more noteworthy than the standard deviation of the hazard free resource. 8. You hold a broadened portfolio comprising of 20 unique offers with $1,000 put resources into each. The portfolio beta is equivalent to 1. 35. You have chosen to sell all your holding of Edna Average Cosmetics Ltd which has a beta of 1. You will reinvest the returns in Aggressive Action Ltd which has a beta of 2. What is the new beta of the portfolio? a. b. c. d. e. 1. 35 2. 35 1. 45 1. 10 1. 40 9. An organization is thinking about an interest in another task. That venture is best assessed just as: a. b. c. d. e. It is an independent task free of the organization thus its hazard is estimated as difference. Its hazard is acclimated to take into account broadening with the organizations existing ventures Its expense of capital is the weighted normal expense of capital Its hazard is assessed just as it were exchanged the capital markets None of the over 10 Is the portfolio with the base conceivable fluctuation a proficient portfolio? a. b. c. d. e. Indeed No Yes, however just for hazard cherishing financial specialists Yes, yet just for speculators who won't face any challenge. Indeed, however just for financial specialists who are hazard nonpartisan. 11. For a two-stock portfolio, the greatest decrease in hazard happens when the connection coefficient between the two stocks is: A) +1 B) 0 C) - 0. 5 D) - 1 E) None of the over 12. The change or standard deviation is a proportion of: A) Total hazard B) Unique hazard C) Market chance D) Bankruptcy chance E) None of the over 13. The danger of a very much expanded portfolio relies on the A) Market hazard B) Unique danger of the protections remembered for the portfolio C) Number of protections in the portfolio D) Variance of the portfolio E) None of the over 4. A factor in APT is a variable that: An) Affects the arrival of unsafe resources in a precise way B) Correlates with hazardous resource returns in an unsystematic way C) Is absolutely commotion D) Affects the arrival of a dangerous resource in an irregular way E) is commonly not associated with stock brings 15 back. An organization has an expense of capital of 15%. Nonetheless, it is presenting another item that it considers to be a dangerous undertaking to an all around expanded financial specialist. What would you be able to state about the fitting markdown rate for the undertaking? A) The rate utilized ought to be 15% B) The rate utilized ought to be lower than 15% C) The rate utilized ought to be more prominent than 15% D) Any rate somewhere in the range of 12% and 18% is adequate E) The rate ought to be the normal market return. 16 What has been the normal yearly pace of return in genuine terms for an arrangement of U. S. basic stocks somewhere in the range of 1900 and 2006? a. Under 2% b. Somewhere in the range of 2% and 5% c. Somewhere in the range of 5% and 8% d. More noteworthy than 8% e. More prominent than 20% 17. Super Corporation has the accompanying returns for as far back as three years: 8%, 12% and 10%. Ascertain the fluctuation of the arrival and the standard deviation of the profits.

Saturday, August 22, 2020

Legislation & regulations Essay Example for Free

Enactment guidelines Essay Until the entry of the Food, Drug and Cosmetics Act of 1938, which just because forced punishments for items that contains hazardous or polluted substances, the creation and offer of makeup in the United States was then directed. Grolier (2005:220). Clear and precise naming of all fixings was currently required. The food and medication laws are managed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), once in a while related to the Department of Agriculture. Concerning beautifying agents, the laws consider the makers liable for selling items that are in consistence with the guidelines. Makers, in any case, are not required to enlist their organizations, their items, or their item fixings with the FDA. They need not report unfavorable responses, on the off chance that they happen among their clients. The FDA may explore an item , yet bears the obligation regarding demonstrating that a substance utilized in that item is unsafe. The business, be that as it may, has been to a great extent self-policing in the ongoing years. Respectable makers lead their own item security tests. In this table, the elements of FDA are specified, in spite of the fact that not restricted uniquely to these: Source: Passiment (2006:38) Prue (2007:349) As a component of the screening techniques and security quantifies in adjusting these items and selling cross-areas, the inquiry on quality control evaluation ought to never be undermined nor put into auxiliary significance. The level of the quality estimates will straightforwardly affect item execution, cultural utilization, client faithfulness and market endurance of the firm. In this manner, the assessing board ought to insignificantly have the strictest techniques or approachs of testing and assessing these bio-items, according to the outline or flowchart underneath: Source: Akoh (2004:39) Regulatory and Safety Conditions More than beauty care products, the administration additionally directs administrative arrangements for any specialists proposed for use in the preparing of nourishments or union of mixes or elements for food use. As indicated by the Food Chemical Codex, compounds as recorded must have a GRAS status or experience the administrative procedure of endorsement. Nonetheless, the debate over hereditarily altered life forms ought to be thought about by atomic biotechnologists and applied biotechnologists as they structure new lipases for new employments. These administrative polices were set up by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for substances that will be available in the eating regimen at low levels. Neither the compound arrangement nor the creation life form has any wellbeing related risk, and both do not have any oral poisonousness and genotoxicity. Forcing and actualizing arrangements influencing human subjects are the principle elements of the FDA. Being a government administrative organization that screens the security and adequacy of food and drinks and even of clinical gadgets. The FDA is separated into focuses:  Center for Devices and Radiological Health with its Office of In Vitro Diagnostics Device Evaluation  Center for the Biological Evaluation and Research FDA order are assigned into a few classes: Class I, Class II or Class III, with Class I being the least guideline. Gadgets are ordered by the danger of hurting the client and structure. The easier the plan, the higher the likelihood that it will be ordered as Class I. FDA’s choices can be exceptionally questionable for the business and for the organization or the maker. It ought to be noted anyway that this dynamic procedure isn't a standard making game, so neither the influenced organization have the option to remark on FDA’s choices. The FDA has been regularly seen as an obstructionist to another development. , particularly in new items and prescription.

Friday, July 24, 2020

Avoid spelling errors!

Avoid spelling errors! As you begin your MIT application and other college applications, I thought Id give some tips on how to avoid simple spelling errors. Most errors I see are not in the essay portion. People are pretty good about using spell check for that. More often, I see spelling errors in the activity list, list of honors and awards, self-reported coursework form, or short answer essays. So be careful in these sections, too! What happens if you do have a spelling error? Its certainly not fatal, but its something to avoid if you can. Its unlikely to be the difference between getting in and not getting in, but youd rather look your best throughout the application. My favorite spelling error on MIT applications is students who talk about taking discreet math. Is this math that you do without showing off? (I think these students mean discrete math) I also like duel enrollment courses. Perhaps these students are preparing to join MITs national champion Pistol Team? (Probably you mean dual enrollment) Both of these examples, of course, dont get caught by spell check, since both discreet and duel are actual words. So dont just rely on Microsoft Word to proofread your essay youll want to take a keen look at it yourself. Here is a non-scientific list of the most commonly misspelled words I see on applications. And, thanks to GoogleBattle, Ill tell you how often people on the Web make the same mistake. independent [independant, 6% of the time] calculus [calculous, 2%] honor roll [honor role, 2%] principal [principle, n/a] extracurricular [extracuricular, 1%] discrete math [discreet math, 1%] dual enrollment [duel enrollment, 1%] varsity [varisty, 1%] sophomore [sophmore, 8%] I hope this is helpful! What are those words and terms that you most often get wrong?

Friday, May 22, 2020

Immigrant Assimilation And Associated Implications With A...

Acculturation as a concept is a relatively new theory in the fields of sociology and anthropology, even more so in the world of psychology. In recent years, it has been throuroghly investigated and analysed as the immigration rates increase in Australia and worldwide since world war two. Acculturation has become an ever increasingly relevant concept in today’s eclectic blend of cultures. Immigrants are usually caught in limbo between two different cultures of their own and the host country, with little idea as to how to successfully assimilate. They are confronted with being separated with their culture, unfamiliar aspects of life and uncertainty. Many researchers have studied the assimilation process regarding the best approach and causal factors that may interfere in doing so. Although the literature presents acculturation in a variety of contexts, this literature review’s primarily focus will be on suggested approaches for immigrant assimilation and associated implic ations with a strong focus on the work of John Berry. First of all, it is imperative to get a clear definition and understanding of what acculturation is and what it entails. The definition for acculturation is varied depending on view point of the definer and their discipline (ie, psychology, anthropology, or sociology). Berry (2005) explains acculturation as a combined process of cultural and psychological change that results from an amalgamation of at least two cultural groups. In other words, theShow MoreRelatedThe Theory And Methods Of Motivation2979 Words   |  12 Pagesbehavioral issues and was constantly in trouble with the law. My middle brother had mild dyslexia and emotional problems that later in his adult life was diagnosed as ADHD. Looking back, low self-efficacy and learned helplessness was rampant in the psychology of my brothers within the classroom. Schoolwork was a major struggle and they failed to place value on success or failure. They were not motivated to perform in school despite being raised in a supportive , loving family. And so I have always wonderedRead MoreSocial Identity6572 Words   |  27 Pages as a consequence, can mean many different things to different people. Identity is sometimes used to refer to a sense of integration of the self, in which different aspects come together in a unified whole. This intrapsychic emphasis is often associated with Erik Erikson, who introduced the term â€Å"identity crisis† as part of his stage model of psychological development. Another common use of the term, particularly in contemporary times, is identity politics, where the reference is typically toRead MorePsych Exam Chapter 1216262 Words   |  66 Pagesthe general adaptation syndrome B) stressor; stress C) hassle; the stress contagion effect D) stress; stressor Page 1 5. The branch of psychology that studies how biological, behavioral, and social factors influence health, illness, medical treatment, and health-related behaviors is called: A) social psychology. B) biological psychology. C) health psychology. D) psychoneuroimmunology. 6. Dr. Gordon uses the biopsychosocial model to guide her research into how psychological factors influence healthRead MoreSantrock Edpsych Ch0218723 Words   |  75 Pagestheir child, a girl’s aggressive attack on a peer, a boy’s empathetic feelings for a sick or hurt classmate, and an adolescent’s feelings of joy after getting good grades all reflect socioemotional processes in development. In this chapter, we will focus on physical (biological) and cognitive processes. In the next chapter, we will explore socioemotional processes. Remember as you read about biological, cognitive, and socioemotional processes that they are interwoven. Socioemotional processes can shapeRead MoreLenovo and Ibm23938 Words   |  96 Pagesworldwide trend of businesses expanding beyond the domestic boundaries (Mitchell, 2000; Focarelli and Pozzolo, 2008). Companies, large or small, public or private, are increasingly engaged in the international competition now. This means that the world is becoming one connected economy in which companies do business and compete anywhere with anyone, regardless of national boundaries. Companies that rivet their eyes on â€Å"domestic-business-only† are already falling behind their international competitorsRead MoreIntercultural Communication21031 Words   |  85 Pagesaware of the reasons for the development of the world into a global system: a. The development of technology has enabled a constant flow of information and ideas across boundaries. Communication is faster and more available than ever. The development of transportation as well, has increased face-to-face contact with people from different cultural backgrounds immensely b. These developments have affected the world economy. The business world is becoming more international and interrelatedRead MoreFrom Salvation to Self-Realization18515 Words   |  75 Pagesit also needed a favorable moral climate. In this essay, I shall argue that the crucial moral change was the beginning of a shift from a Protestant ethos of salvation through self-denial toward a therapeutic ethos stressing self-realization in this world an ethos characterized by an almost obsessive concern with psychic and physical health defined in sweeping terms. 5Of course, one could argue that there is nothing specifically historical about this therapeutic ethos. People have always been preoccupiedRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pagesthought-provoking, witty and highly relevant for understanding contemporary organizational dilemmas. The book engages in an imaginative way with a wealth of organizational concepts and theories as well as provides insightful examples from the practical world of organizations. The authors’ sound scholarship and transparent style of writing set the book apart, making it an ingenious read which invites reflexivity, criticalness and plurality of opinion from the audience. This is a book that will become aRead MoreFundamentals of Hrm263904 Words   |  1056 PagesUnderstanding Cultural Environments 4 The Changing World of Technology What Is a Knowledge Worker? 6 How Technology Affects HRM Practices 6 Recruiting 7 Employee Selection 7 Training and Development 7 Ethics and Employee Rights 7 Motivating Knowledge Workers 7 Paying Employees Market Value 8 Communications 8 Decentralized Work Sites 8 Skill Levels 8 A Legal Concern 8 Employee Involvement 20 How Organizations Involve Employees 20 Employee Involvement Implications for HRM 20 Other HRM Challenges 21 RecessionRead MoreFactors Affecting Motivation to Learn English25117 Words   |  101 Pagesi FACULTY OF EDUCATION UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MALAYSIA FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO PROFICIENCY IN ENGLISH AS A SECOND LANGUAGE AMONG CHINESE STUDENTS IN JOHOR BAHRU BY OOI CHOON LEAN MP061113 EDUCATIONAL PSYCHOLOGY 581225-07-5846 SUPERVISOR ASSOC PROF DR AZIZI HJ YAHAYA ii ABSTRACT There has been an ongoing debate about the importance of the English language. Employers are lamenting that new graduates these days lack communicative proficiency in English. The purpose of this study

Thursday, May 7, 2020

Essay on Computer Aided Language Learning (CALL) - 584 Words

Through the last several courses, several areas have been reviewed and considered for research. The main area in which I am focusing on at this time is the area of computer aided language learning (CALL). Specifically, I am interested in the literacy development of second language learners. However, I am also aware that there is significant resistance from many teachers to integrate the technology in its entirety and there is also resistance from parents. From the student’s point of view, I think it depends on the age group and the teacher’s influence, but I have not seen any research that actually supports that idea. It seems that research in this area would be challenging because it would require both a significant amount of time and†¦show more content†¦In addition, with a study like this, the control group would be group of students who do not have specific technology available. It still seems that the area of study is far too broad, however. The final consideration was to create a case study based on a specific situation which I have seen repeatedly in my classroom. I work with English language learners who come from many parts of the world and with many levels of educational backgrounds. OI have witnessed certain areas which both frustrate and worry me as an educator. Some of my students are highly gifted, but there is no program available for them because they are not fluent in English. If their native language is Spanish, the district is able to test them in content specific areas. However, if their primary language is not Spanish, they are not tested until they achieve a certain level of proficiency. These students usually end up having very low scores and often drop out of school. The other scenario which I have witness is the students who comes either with limited schooling or with significant disabilities and limited English. When these students arrive as very young students, there are many programs available to h elp them. However, when these students arrive in the secondary levels (6th grade or higher) there are not many options for them and the students are very self conscious about their lower ability compared to their peers. How would technology based orShow MoreRelatedComputer Assisted Instruction ( Cai )1295 Words   |  6 PagesComputer Assisted Instruction (CAI): A New Approach In The Field Of Education Asst.Prof. Ambily Merlin Kuruvilla Assistant Professor Head of the Department –B.C.A. Saintgits College of Applied Sciences. Abstract The growth in information technology (IT) rapidly changed the world. The growth of e-Learning technologies implies the fact that the future education system will largely depend upon the electronic devices and computer aided technologies. Computer aided teaching techniques are much moreRead MoreThe Evolution of Second- and Foreign- Language Teaching1662 Words   |  7 PagesThe Evolution of Second- and Foreign- Language Teaching (The 19th and 20th Century and The New Era of Second Language Teaching) In his treatment of the historical developments in language pedagogy, Stern (1992) isolates three ways in which language pedagogy has aimed to renew and improve itself:1. Innovation through change in teaching methods; 2. Innovation through language-related sciences and research; 3. Technological innovation. During the nineteenth century, the Grammar-TranslationRead MoreTechnology Learning And Teaching Language2026 Words   |  9 PagesTechnology in learning and teaching language Introduction The innovation of communication technology has had a major impact on teaching language and how it is learnt, causing a major paradigm shift in authorship and how language is disseminated in a community. This paper will critique the important issue on how language is related to technology and these are the status of what is referred to as CALL (Computer assisted learning language), its cultural influence, its effectiveness and theoretic overviewRead MoreTechnology As A Catalyst For Beneficial Change And Progress1564 Words   |  7 Pagescatalyst for beneficial change and progress. When I first immigrated to the United States from the metropolis of Hong Kong, my rudimentary English skills resulted in an inability to communicate. Consequently, I arrived home each day to log on to the computer and sought safety in its tranquil hum, far away from the linguistic struggles and relentless bullying I encountered at school. While my peers viewed technology as a tool for entertainment to distract them from the monotony of daily life, I perceivedRead More Technologys Impact on Children With Communication Disorders1594 Words   |  7 Pagesthose around you? Remember, this is one hundred years ago and you didn’t have computers or other augmentative devices to â€Å"talk† with. Perhaps you are able to use your hands to write, but often communication disorders are joined with other problems like Down syndrome, autism, or cerebral palsy, all of which make it more difficult to control your hands. Be thankful that you live in the twenty-first century, where co mputers can help communicate as well as teach children with these disorders how to surviveRead MoreVocabulary Acquisition Through Audio-Video Aids3146 Words   |  13 Pagesadvancement in computerized technology, there are a great number of advantages using computers and multimedia for second language instruction. Vocabulary plays an important part in second language acquisition and academic achievement. The role that vocabulary knowledge plays in second and foreign language acquisition has long been neglected. However, vocabulary is currently receiving increased emphasis in the language teaching curriculum. This paper will focus on various possibilities to enhance vocabularyRead MoreThe Reign Of The Carolingian Dynasty1429 Words   |  6 Pagespioneering a cultural and intellectual renaissance that influenced the remainder of the Middle Ages. Although there were various Carolingian rulers who aided these advances, it is fair to say that Carolingian developments reached their pea k during the reign of Charlemagne, a leader and reformer of the church who fully appreciated the importance of learning and education. Throughout his reign, he established himself, as a ruler, and his empire as an example that subsequent Kings of the Middle Ages wouldRead MoreDigital Immigrants Essay1774 Words   |  8 PagesTechnology has advanced incredibly throughout the years, ranging from but not limited to, medical equipment, mobile devices, computers, internet services and content, science equipment, and much more. The world of technology is changing and evolving rapidly before our eyes, but technology hasn’t always been as advanced as it is today and not everyone got the opportunity to grow up learning this new technology as it became available, thus resulting in our society being divided into two categories, ‘DigitalRead MoreMusic Gets You Through It All 834 Words   |  3 Pagesmusic helped in blocking out the background noises that would have otherwise dist racted the student. Throughout my journal my notes further prove the hypothesis, by echoing that frequently listening to music improved my understanding of the material, aided in blocking out the background noises, and improved my grades overall. While reviewing my journal I noticed that I had increased how often I listened to music and how it was a necessity to consciously play the music while I studied. Entries like;Read MoreHow Internet Is Negatively Impacting Carolina Day School s Environment1693 Words   |  7 Pages Aided by the convenience of smartphones, tablets, and computers, the Pew Research Center has found that 92% of teens are online daily, with open access to harmful material that can affect developing minds permanently, and set up habits that can damage their potential for success in the future. An even more shocking 24% of teens say that they are online â€Å"almost constantly.† As a tenth grader in Carolina Day’s upper school, I’ve witnessed the daily activities of students who confirm these statistics

Wednesday, May 6, 2020

Ethical Analysis of Citigroup Free Essays

string(125) " to the Corporate Citizenship Report, in early 2012, Citi rolled out a formalized ethics training program for all employees\." Company Assessment: An Analysis of CitiGroup 1 Company Assessment: An Analysis of CitiGroup Introduction With origins dating back to 1812, Citigroup (Citi) is a global diversified financial services holding company providing both individuals and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services. These services include; consumer banking and credit; corporate and investment banking; securities brokerage; transaction services; and wealth management. Headquartered in Manhattan, NY, Citi currently has over 260,000 employees servicing 200 million customer accounts in more than 160 countries around the globe. We will write a custom essay sample on Ethical Analysis of Citigroup or any similar topic only for you Order Now Citi is organized into two divisions; Citicorp and Citi Holdings. Citicorp manages the consumer and institutional core client business, while Citi Holdings manages the brokerage and asset management divisions. Based on financial data obtained from the Citi website, the core st business (i. e. Citicorp), represents 92. 9% of the $19. 4 billion ($US) of the 1 quarter 2012 revenue. The total revenues of Citicorp are geographically diversified across the globe with North America representing 40% of the total, Asia at 22%, Latin America at 20% and Europe, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) accounting for the remaining 18% (Citi Financials, 2012) Over its 200 year history, Citi has been a leading innovator in financial services starting in the 1920’s by becoming the first major U. S. bank to offer compound interest on savings accounts. Also, through the acquisition of Second National Bank, Citi has the distinction of being the first bank in New York to provide separate banking services for women. Further innovations include; offering unsecured personal loans and customer checking accounts in 1928 and 1936 respectively (Citi Timeline, 2012). Citi’s original mission of offering traditional banking services evolved as they grew, however, since the financial crisis of 2008, Citi has been selling off many of the non-core operations to refocus on the traditional banking model. The refocused mission as stated on the corporate website is: â€Å"We strive to create the best outcomes for our clients and customers with financial solutions that are simple, creative and responsible. (Citi, 2012) The purpose of this paper is to conduct a review and overall ethical assessment of Citi which will include an overview of the mission, vision and values, ethics and compliance codes, leadership, corporate social responsibility as well as the corporate governance structure. Mission, Vision and Values Clicking on the â€Å"Our Company† link of the Citi website, you are immediately dra wn to the bolded text stating the corporate vision: â€Å"160 Countries. 1 Vision. Citi works tirelessly to provide consumers, corporations, governments and institutions with a broad range of financial products and services. We strive to create the best outcomes for our clients and customers with financial solutions that are simple, creative and responsible. † (Citi, 2012) It is clear that Citi has a vision that places them as the global bank focused on client service, innovation and financial responsibility. Expanding upon the vision statement is the mission statement of Citi and the principles that guide them. The Mission statement is: â€Å"Meeting the World’s Challenges. Seizing its Greatest Opportunities† (Citi Mission, 2012). The four key principles that guide the company as they endeavor to deliver on their vision and mission are; Common Purpose; Ingenuity; Leadership; and Responsible Finance. Based on the stated vision, mission and principles, in my opinion, Citi can be described as a focused team, rewarded based on talent and merit, operating in an innovative culture with one clear goal to deliver transparent and prudent financial products globally. I consider the written vision, mission and guiding principles of Citi to be quite inspiring. Ethics and Compliance Codes In early 2005, Charles Prince, then CEO of Citi announced a bold strategy to transform the financial giant that was Citi. His plan, known as the â€Å"Five Point Ethics Plan†, was designed to; improve ethical training; focus on talent and development; integrate ethics into performance appraisals and compensation; improve communications; and strengthen ethical controls. (Restoring Ethics, 2012) As the successor of Sandy Weill, who, Johnson (2012) suggests typifies the ethically neutral leader (p. 19), Prince faced considerable skepticism on whether his plan could work in such a large and complex organization that had a history of significant regulatory scrutiny, and was linked to some of the biggest scandals in corporate history (e. g. Worldcom). While Prince had some critics, he also had some support. In the January 28, 2005 edition of BusinessWeek Online, Prince was described as a smart, logical thinker and another quote made by an analyst was†¦Ã¢â‚¬Å"I believe that non-charismatic Prince is going to be a more positive force at Citigroup than the other three charismatic CEOs going back to the 1960s. (Restoring Ethics, 2012) I believe he vision that Prince delivered after taking over from Weill, continues to be embraced by the current Citi CEO, Vikram Pandit as well as the Board of Directors. One of the key responsibilities of the Citi Board of Directors is to review and approve the Citi Code of Conduct (the â€Å"Code†). The Code outlines Citi’s principles, values and standards of practice for all employees of 2 Citi and as such can be viewed as Citi’s ethics code. Employees are expected to read and sign the Code, not necessarily as a condition of employment, but as a formalized agreement to abide by the standards of behavior outlined therein. Although not a formal contract of employment, the formal approach to signing the Code can be viewed as being integrated into HR practices. A point of interest is that Citi also strengthens the employee requirement to abide by the code by stating that even if an employee doesn’t return a signed copy, they are still bound by its terms and conditions. In fact, in the introduction to the Code, Citi is clear that failure to adhere to the Code can result in immediate termination of employment. The latest revision to the Code was made in 2011. The code is available in 26 different languages. While in the past, employees had periodic training on the Code, it appears that the training was ad hoc, but according to the Corporate Citizenship Report, in early 2012, Citi rolled out a formalized ethics training program for all employees. You read "Ethical Analysis of Citigroup" in category "Essay examples" In addition to the Code that exists for all employees, there is an additional Code of Ethics that applies solely to the senior financial executives (CEO, CFO, etc†¦) and financial administrative staff. While it may appear that this is a sign of a higher ethical standard at Citi, as with the NYSE requirement for a firm-wide code of ethics, Sarbanes Oxley mandates a requirement for a separate Code of Ethics for senior executives. In reading both the firm-wide Code as well as the Code of Ethics for the senior executives, it’s interesting to note that the Code of Ethics reads like a very compliance based document, while the firm-wide Code reads more like a call to action for all employees to act with the utmost integrity. In fact, the word integrity appears 9 times in a relatively short document. In all fairness to Citi, they do specify that the Code of Ethics should be considered a supplement to the firm-wide Code and they provide a link to the Code as part of the document. Citi also has a set of ethical principles that applies to suppliers. In short, Citi expects that suppliers adhere to the same high standards of practice that governs Citi. The key areas that the principles apply to are; ethical business practices (Integrity, transparency and community engagement); human rights in the workplace; environmental sustainability; and management systems and implementation. Further information on these principles is available at http://www. citigroup. com/citi/citizen/people/diversity/supplierprinciples. htm. One final point regarding the ethical policies of Citi would be that they operate a 24/7 ethics hotline where employees can report ethical concerns and remain anonymous to the extent that the law will allow. While it is unclear if the hotline is operated independently of Citi, (it appears as if it is not) there is a strong focus on confidentiality and although I was unable to identify the name of the individual, the Code identifies that Citi has an ethics officer. Leadership It is the responsibility of a leader to establish and foster the organizational climate. The leader’s ability to cast shadow or shed light will permeate throughout an organization and ultimately shape the culture. In short, regardless of who is named the formal ethics officer, the leader of the organization is charged with that duty. Citi is managed by an executive team of 24 senior leaders from key regions and divisions across Citigroup’s global network. While the ethnic origins of the executive are not specifically mentioned, there appears to be a wide range of ethnic backgrounds on the executive committee. Unlike the Board of Directors however, the executive committee has only 1 woman, Cece Stewart who is the president of US, Consumer and Commercial Banking. Citi maintains a compensation philosophy that attempts to align compensation with their overall Mission statement. The key objectives of this philosophy are to; enhance shareholder value; attract talent; recognize contributions; manage risk; provide independent oversight; and transparency to all stakeholders. You can visit http://www. citigroup. com/citi/investor/data/comp_phil_policy. df? ieNocache=340 for further information on Citi’s compensation policy. Some evidence to support the integrity of Citi’s compensation practices would be that, according to the 2011 Proxy Statement, as part of the process for making incentive awards for 2011, the Personal and Compensation committee considered the April 2011 â€Å"say on pay† vote which received as 92. 9% favorable. Perhaps the vote was biased upwards as a result of Pandit’s decision to only accept a â€Å"total† compensation package of $1 for 2010, and most of 2009? While I was unable to find any concise data that represents the pay gap between the top executives and the front line employees, I am pretty confident that for all of 2010, and the better part of 2009, the CEO was the lowest paid employee of Citi. The table on the following page provides some compensation data for the past 3 years for the key senior executives of Citi. 3 Change in Value of Deferred All Other Compensation Compenstion ($) ($) 0 0 0 73,047 51,995 49,117 0 0 0 0 14,700 0 3,750 14,700 9,800 14,700 14,700 9,800 14,700 14,700 Executive Member Year Salary ($) 1,671,370 1 125,001 500,000 500,000 416,667 500,000 500,000 500,000 500,000 Bonus ($) 5,331,452 0 0 2,200,000 Stock Awards ($) 0 0 0 Option Awards ($) 7,839,581 0 0 Total ($) 14,857,103 1 128,751 7,160,916 4,728,462 5,063,817 12,984,481 9,509,800 11,276,454 11,354,536 0 0 11,446,900 10,116,895 10,400,007 Vikram Pandit CEO John Gerspach CFO John Havens COO Brian Leach Chief Risk Officer Manuel Medina-Mora CEO Latin America 2011 2010 2009 2011 2010 2009 2011 2010 2009 2011 2,333,333 2,039,836 4,166,667 4,583,333 4,750,000 2,719,781 9,000,000 10,327,374 434,380 5,400,000 2,039,836 5,000,000 3,400,000 2011 2010 2009 546,966 546,966 546,966 4,181,214 0 0 3,998,939 2,719,781 7,450,911 0 9,328,010 361,984 2,119,018 163,047 0 0 0 Source: taken from the 2011 Citi Proxy Report While on the surface, multimillion dollar compensation packages may appear egregious, however, for each of the executives above, approximately 50% of the total compensation package is deferred and/or exists under a multiyear vesting provision that is not only tied to tenure at Citi, it is direct ly tied to the performance of the organization. For 2011, there does appear to be a â€Å"traditional† pay gap between the CEO and the other â€Å"C’s† and I suspect that the gap widens significantly as you move down to the front line workers. By looking at just the total cash (salary and bonus) component of the compensation packages that range from a low of $2. 5 million to a high of $7 million, many people will undoubtedly feel several of the other condemning emotions. But to add a little perspective, for 2011, Citi’s charitable giving was more than 2 times the value of the total (cash and deferred) executive compensation of the individuals above. Also, at a total of $6. 4 billion, the 2011 commitment to climate change initiatives represented over 8% of Citi’s 2011 revenues, and almost 60% of net income. I must admit, besides a little wallet envy, I feel mostly admiration for the work, both social and economic that the leadership of Citi has done that started in 2005, was derailed during the financial crisis, and has continued over the past few years. Based on this evidence, I would challenge an assertion that the current management is hoarding rewards at the expense of all other stakeholders. When Prince took over leadership of Citi in 2005, his calm, intellectual demeanor was quite the opposite of the â€Å"larger than life† charismatic CEO that preceded him. Since taking over from Prince in 2007, Pandit appears to have followed by example and has demonstrated some remarkable unselfish actions as he navigated Citi through the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression. Despite the critics of the financial industry, Citi, through sound leadership, ranks well on the triple bottom line accounting metrics that forms the foundation of Corporate Social Responsibility. Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) One of the biggest criticisms of CSR reporting is that it is simply a public relations tool designed as window dressing to improve image. After the financial crisis of 2008, no other industry would have as many critics as the financial industry. To provide a little evidence of the integrity of an organization’s CSR claims may help st soothe the critics. Since the early part of the 21 century, Citi has been consistently been a constituent company of the Dow Jones World and North America Sustainability Indexes as well as the FTSE 4Good Index, and in 2011, Citi also became a component of the STOXX Global ESG Leaders indices. It is clear that the CSR activities of Citi are being recognized outside the organization and may have a little more credibility than window dressing. Citi defines its Corporate Social Responsibility framework as Global Citizenship. The three key focus areas of their citizenship efforts are; delivering financial solutions at affordable costs, sustaining the environment 4 and valuing Citi employees. Progress towards these three focus areas are provided as a summary page within the Global Citizenship report, but also as separate publication (attached as Appendix A). There are four key metrics for Financial Inclusion performance indicator. First, they provide charitable contributions (Strategic Giving), which at $121. 9 million for 2011 (1. % of net income), and represents an average annual growth rate of 13% since the end of the financial crisis in 2008. Second, is Small Business Lending, which at almost $8 billion for 2011, has grown by 75% since 2009, and actually surpassed the 2011 goal of $7 billion. nd The third metric is the provision of affordable housing lending, which at $2. 0 billion, places Citi, for the 2 consecutive year , the top affordable housing lender in the US. The final metric under Financial Inclusion is Global Microfinance. In 2011, Citi has provided microloans to almost one million lenders of which 92% of loans where to women. Under sustaining the environment performance indicator, Citi includes metrics for e-communications, clean energy, greenhouse gas emissions and using ESRM screening criteria for financial transactions. As one of the world’s leading credit card companies, Citi’s movement towards paperless statements has, at 29% penetration (2011), doubled since 2008. Under the clean energy metric, in 2007, Citi announced a 10 year, $50 billion commitment to activities directed at mitigating climate change. As of the end of 2011, 5 years in to the program, 73% of the total has been committed. Under the greenhouse gas emissions metric, in 2005, Citi announced a 10 year plan for a 25% reducing in greenhouse gas emissions. As of 2011, there has been a 13. 6% percent reduction since the 2005 baseline. In 2011, the integration of environmental and social factors into the traditional risk management screens for project financing covered over 400 projects globally. Citi appears to have a significant focus on environmental concerns through written policies and statements as well as real action. Further information on Citi’s position on the environment and their ESRM polices can be found at http://www. itigroup. com/citi/environment/ The final area covered under the report card is the metrics that cover the way Citi values their employees. The key metrics are; training; satisfaction; diversity; and employee volunteering. Citi has a very diverse workforce, and though 61 network groups consisting of 15,000 employee members in 18 locations around the world, Citi encourages emp loyee diversity and support. Employee satisfaction has been increasing since the end of the financial crisis and at 73% satisfaction for 2011; it represents an overall 10% increase since 2009. It is unclear whether the increase in a result of simply happy to have a job in a tough economy, or true job satisfaction, in any event, Citi appears to have a more satisfied workforce. Employee training has seen a remarkable increase since the 2008 financial crises. Training activities cover areas such as, leadership, management, product and compliance and since 2008; training hours have increased by over 80% at 38. 4 hours per year per employee. Employees of Citi provided almost 800,000 hours of volunteering activities during 2011, almost 30% growth over 2010. It seems that giving back to the community not only is evidenced by financial metrics but also by the employee’s action. Although Citi’s key performance indicators focus on; Financial Inclusion; Environmental Sustainability; and Valuing our Employees, the Global Citizenship report is quite extensive and can be viewed as a supplement to the Citi Annual Report. In addition to the three key focus areas covered above, the report also covers corporate governance, which is covered in the section that follows, as well as, how Citi serves the customer and maintains sustainable and diverse supply chain relationships. The report outlines both Citi’s achievements as well as the challenges they face and breaks down Citizenship on a regional basis. In guiding their citizenship activities, Citi uses a stakeholder engagement approach to and list their stakeholders as; Customers; Investors; Employees; Regulators; Suppliers; Community Leaders; Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO’s); Socially Responsible Investors; Media; and Competitors. The communication channel used for each stakeholder and examples are included as Appendix B. Corporate Governance Corporate Governance has been defined as â€Å"The framework of rules and practices by which a board of directors ensures accountability, fairness, and transparency in a company’s relationship with its stakeholders (financiers, customers, management, employees, government, and the community). † (Governance, 2012). As an appendix to the annual proxy statement, Citi provides the Citigroup Inc. Corporate Governance Guidelines. Consistent with the overall corporate mission, the corporate governance mission is†¦Ã¢â‚¬ Citigroup Inc. the â€Å"Company†) aspires to the highest standards of corporate governance and ethical conduct: doing what we say; reporting results with accuracy and transparency; and maintaining full compliance with the laws, rules and regulations that govern the Company’s businesses. † (Citi Governance, 2012). This comprehensive document outlines the guidelines and policies with respect to the responsibilities, term, expected qualifications, and compensation of the Board and the committees thereof. Of notable mention in the governance policy would be the restriction against interlocking directorates, the requirement for personal stock ownership, and the annual review and assessment of board performance conducted by the Nomination, Governance and Public Affairs Committee. 5 One shortfall of the policy would be the lack of any set term for a board member. While there are two schools of thought with respect to fixed term appointments, in my opinion, the advantage of bringing in fresh ideas with new board members would outweigh any potential loss of knowledge that would exit with an entrenched board member. I believe staggered board appointments with fixed term would be an enhancement to the Citi corporate governance policy. As mentioned in the Ethics and Compliance Codes section above, as a requirement to list on the NYSE, a company is required to have a formal code of ethics. In addition to this requirement, the NYSE also requires a minimum standard for the independence of directors. To meet the regulation, Citi would need a minimum of 9 independent directors. At the end of 2011, 11 of the 13 member board were independent. The two connected members were Pandit, and the Citi Chairman, Michael O’Neill. The remaining board members consist of a diverse group of active and retired business professionals, a philanthropic foundation president, a former state federal reserve bank official, a leader from the investment management community as well as Ivey league academics. Although only 3 of the board members are women, almost 40% of the members are visible minorities which also includes the Chairman and the CEO of Citi. Simply put, the Board of Directors of Citi is comprised of a very comprehensive representation of their stakeholder groups as identified in Appendix B. As of 2011, there are 5 standing committees of the Board: Audit; Risk Management and Finance; Executive; Personnel and Compensation; and Nomination, Governance and Public Affairs. A separate Charter exists for each committee that outlines the mission, duties and requirements regarding independence of the committee members. The Audit and Risk management committee is comprised of all independent directors. O’Neill is the current Chair of the Executive as well as the Personnel and Compensation Committees (non-voting) and he sits as a voting member of the Nomination, Governance and Public Affairs Committee. Among other roles, the Nomination, Governance and Public Affairs Committee is responsible for the environmental sustainability and stakeholder engagement activities of Citi. Since 2005, non-employee directors receive $75,000 per year plus a deferred stock award valued at $150,000 on the date of issuance with a 2 year vesting period. With the requirement to own stock of Citi, as well as the deferred vesting of the majority of the compensation they will receive, directors of Citi are incented to act in the best interest of the organization. SEC Investigations As a publicly traded, multinational, diversified financial services organization, incorporated in the U. S. , it should not come as any surprise that in the course of their business dealings, both the organization and the individual staff of Citi will be subject to SEC litigations and investigations on a frequent basis. In fact, a search on the SEC website (http://www. sec. gov/litigation. shtml), and filtering the search parameters to include only â€Å"Litigation† and â€Å"Regulatory Actions† you will actually find too many to list. In fact, since January 1, 2005, there have been a total of 284 Regulatory Actions and 140 Litigations that has Citi named. It would be quite misleading to state that all litigations listed Citi as the defendant, however from my brief review of some of the search results there appears to be complaints related to the accounting treatment of credit derivatives, fair value misstatements of sub-prime mortgage exposure, many of which listed most of the financial services industry. There was however one interesting investigation made in 2008 that questioned the independence of the Board of Directors. While I can’t comment too much on the ethical leadership of the firm leading up to the financial crisis, evidence such as the highly publicized investigations, along with the involvement in Worldcom and other major financial collapses, certainly cast a shadow on the past activities. However, during the tenure of the current CEO, as well as his predecessor, the Board of Directors appear to have addressed many of the high level governance ethical shortcomings that were past investigations by the SEC. Conclusion Perhaps the most difficult aspect of conducting a review of an organization is coming to a definitive stance, based on concrete evidence, on the degree of ethical culture that exists inside the organization. Without living inside an organization, how can you state that ethical conduct permeates across all aspects of the firm activities? Operating in an industry that has undoubtedly has the highest level of public cynicism regarding ethical conduct, how could anyone take the stance that any financial services company scores well from any ethical standpoint? Despite this challenge, my impression from this review is that Citi does indeed rank well. Since taking over the firm in 2007, carrying on from Prince’s â€Å"Five Point Ethics Plan†, Pandit, has lead the firm back on firmer financial ground by shedding much of the troubled assets and refocusing the operation more towards a traditional banking model. Despite participating in the TARP and subsequently paying back all funds borrowed, under Pandit’s leadership, Citi has become one of the best capitalized banks in the U. S. He won high 6 praise from public opinion by accepting a total compensation package of $1 for most of 2009 and all of 2010, becoming undoubtedly, the lowest paid employee of Citi. Those types of unselfish acts, despite his personal net worth, should be viewed as a sign of an admirable leadership style. The critics statement that he doesn’t need/deserve the money is, in my opinion, ludicrous and shouldn’t overshadow what is a truly admirable action. An ethical culture starts with an ethical leader posed ready to lead by example and in my opinion, by his example, Mr. Pandit ranks very well. In addition to the profit motive, Citi approaches it business with a demonstrated commitment to environmental and social key performance metrics, engaging with all stakeholders, going above and beyond the simple legal requirements and acting as an agent of moral influence with suppliers. Adding to this ethical framework a very committed CEO, a strong board representing stakeholders, and ethics training, it’s hard to argue that the firm lacks a robust ethical framework. It appears as if the vision of Prince continues to be embraced by Pandit and Citi’s current leadership. While it may be a long road ahead in the court of public opinion, Citi appears to be on the right track to shed the degree of cynicism the financial industry has, but like most future outcomes, only time will tell. 7 References How to cite Ethical Analysis of Citigroup, Essay examples

Monday, April 27, 2020

Oral Language Activities for Promoting an Understanding Essay Sample free essay sample

Oral linguistic communication is a cardinal facet of the future literacy of kids. as it goes a far manner toward advancing many of the accomplishments contained in reading. composing. and linguistic communication humanistic disciplines. The encouragement of unwritten linguistic communication in kids allows them to pattern their voice and verbal agreement accomplishments in an organic and real-world scene. Talking in order to be understood is kindred to composing for the intent of allowing others understand one’s ideas. In the same manner. hearing and decoding the significances contained in the unwritten communicating of others is similar to the cognitive exercising that goes on in the head while reading. Practice with unwritten linguistic communication. hence. gives a kid a head start in understanding the methods of reading comprehension and authorship. Oral linguistic communication is besides a method through which kids may larn incidental vocabulary. Bing exposed to linguistic communication in a existent life puting allows them to larn and utilize new words in an synergistic manner that is likely to advance memory and proper use. We will write a custom essay sample on Oral Language Activities for Promoting an Understanding Essay Sample or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This signifier of acquisition is kindred to the constructivist type of cognition that is advocated by such developmental psychologists as Vygotsky. Bruner and Piaget. The kid expands non merely his/her cognition of the linguistic communication. but besides the ability to show him-/herself. Children’s acquaintance with unwritten linguistic communication and the ability to show themselves in this manner requires that they develop a certain consciousness of the different phonemes that exist within the linguistic communication. Such unwritten linguistic communication accomplishments besides require that kids be able to understand the differences among the array of phonemes and be able to blend and pull strings them to make apprehensible sounds. This is the really beginning of phonemic consciousness. and hence unwritten linguistic communication pattern helps the kid develop accomplishments that will subsequently be required in phonics direction ( Lesaux. 2006 ) . Diversity instruction has a linguistic communication constituent. as cultural differences besides come out in the idioms that kids are likely to hear and talk ( Colquit. 1975 ) . It is frequently the instance that dialects highlight the variableness that frequently exists within the phonetics of a linguistic communication ( particularly English ) . Exposure to unwritten linguistic communication gives kids the opportunity to hear similar words being spoken in different ways. and this allows them to convey a kind of verbal flexibleness to the acquisition of reading. Such flexibleness is good. as it is frequently the instance that phoneme permutation ( particularly for English vowels such characters as g and degree Celsius ) AIDSs in the pronunciation of slippery words. In-class reading and comprehension direction may besides include an unwritten linguistic communication constituent. Read-alouds promote the hearing and attending accomplishments that are of import for children’s comprehension and the development of the ability to transport out instructions. It besides aids in patterning to kids how reading should sound. and this gives them a benchmark for emulation in their ain reading. Finally. read-alouds are a signifier of unwritten linguistic communication pattern that promote reading as a merriment and gratifying activity that is worth making even when the kid is entirely. Phonemic consciousness and phonological consciousness are footings that have to make with cognitive consciousness and accomplishment development of kids ( and grownups ) as it regards the development of linguistic communication accomplishments. Phonemic consciousness is defined as the comprehension of the fact that different sounds exist within a linguistic communication and a acquaintance with the nature of those differences. It besides includes the ability to separate these separate address sounds one from another ( Reutzel A ; Cooter. 2005 ) . This signifier of consciousness is what is present when one understands that the sounds contained in different words. such as â€Å"yes† and â€Å"no. † are so separate and hence distinguish the words from each other. Phonemes are sounds. and kids who have a basic apprehension of them and how they work are considered as being phonemically cognizant. Since phonemes differ from letters. phonemic consciousness must predate phonic s direction. as it is the footing upon which such direction must be built. Phonological consciousness is a broader term that encompasses a great trade that has to make with sounds and the use of those sounds within a linguistic communication. The term phonological refers to the sounds that exist within a certain linguistic communication. and while phonemes represent the simplest sounds. phonemics encompasses all sounds ( Reutzel A ; Cooter. 2005 ) . Therefore. while phonemic consciousness would be concerned with the sound /s/ that corresponds to the character found at the beginning of the word â€Å"soap. † phonological consciousness is concerned with that every bit good as the other features of its sound. This might include. for illustration. how â€Å"soap† might rime with other words or the figure of syllables one hears when the word is spoken. Other phonological facets of linguistic communication may include the perennial usage of similar oncomings within a sentence or poetry ( initial rhyme ) or the sounds used in a verse form that corre spond to natural sounds within the environment ( onomatopoeia ) . Phonemic consciousness provides a foundation upon which the alphabetic rule might be laid. This rule denotes the development of an ability to do connexions between sounds found within a linguistic communication ( phonemes ) and letters contained within its alphabet. Association and use these sounds make the alphabet rule an built-in portion of developing within ( and spring-boarding from ) the wide country of phonological consciousness. This rule includes the apprehension that words are made up of symbols ( letters or characters ) that represent the sounds of the linguistic communication. Substitution of sounds for these letters is a method of decrypting the linguistic communication. A good appreciation of these facets of linguistic communication promotes greater ability to read and understand text. Bringing these three facets together creates a wide spectrum of understanding for the kid and gives him/her an array of accomplishments that are necessary to the edifice a strong linguistic communication foundation. It begins with phonemic consciousness. which is confined to the kingdom of understanding the differences between single phonemes. Phonological consciousness goes beyond this to include larger types of sounds. such as syllables. oncomings. frosts. and whole words. This type of consciousness points out similarities and differences within words that will help the memorisation of certain conventions of the linguistic communication. The alphabetic rule physiques on these by supplying a codification through which linguistic communication can be translated from the kingdom of unwritten into the kingdom of written. Mentions Colquit. J. L. ( 1975 ) . â€Å"Oral Language Activities for Promoting an Understanding and Appreciation of Dialectal Differences. †Clearing House. 49 ( 3 ) : 135-38. Lesaux. N. K. ( 2006 ) . â€Å"Diversity and development: advancing early literacy accomplishments in ELL’s. †Reading First Conference.Sturbridge. Ma: Harvard Graduate School of Education. Available: World Wide Web. Department of Energy. mass. edu/read/presentations/lesaux_readingfirst. pps Reutzel. D. R. A ; R. B. Cooter. ( 2005 ) .The necessities of learning kids to read.Upper Saddle River: Pearson Education.

Thursday, March 19, 2020

Income inequality essayEssay Writing Service

Income inequality essayEssay Writing Service Income inequality essay Income inequality essayIncome inequality is an important issue in the USA. There exist many factors which are assumed to drive income inequality: discrimination, social differentiation, the impact of geographic location and neighborhood, etc. Income inequality is high in the developed countries, and the processes of globalization tend to aggravate inequality. In particular, the incomes of upper and middle class citizens tend to increase, and the incomes of bottom middle and low-income class further decline. Income inequality also depends on the state: for example, in 2009 the lowest income inequality was witnessed in Maine while the highest income inequality was recorded in Texas (Noah, 2013).Some of the growth of income inequality is attributed to the increasing power of multinational corporations, global financial institutions and people possessing great power. In 2011, an international movement named â€Å"Occupy† emerged; the goal of this movement is to achieve greater equ ality in the distribution of income and resources among people. The leaders of this movement state that income inequality undermines democracy and leads to social instability (Noah, 2013).Structural factors shaping income inequality are interrelated with the governmental policies, decisions and strategies. Income inequality has many negative consequences for the society such as the lack of opportunities for young people, low social mobility, discrimination, increased level of stress and aggression, etc (Reardon Bischoff, 2011). Among the factors influencing income inequality there are the policies pertaining to unemployment insurance and minimal wages, tax reforms and changes, tax policies and programmes of income support (Banerjee, 2010).Furthermore, income inequality itself causes more dangerous social tendencies such as the segregation of affluence and poverty and deterioration of low-income communities. Income inequality is assumed to relate to gender, but the research data ass ociated with income inequality also indicate that there might exist gender stratification or the stratification of particular social groups pertaining to income.It is important to analyze existing distribution of income in the context of racial/ethnic differences, gender differences and social groups formed by different combinations of racial/ethnic and gender characteristics. It is likely that there are several vulnerable social groups which are struggling to overcome income inequality. Studying the specifics of income inequality is important because addressing this social issue will help to enhance social stability, might contribute to the reduction of crime and strengthening of the economy in general.Research questionThe major research question considered in this paper is formulated as follows: â€Å"Among U.S. adults, how does the level of income differ between gender and race/ethnicity?†. The data for this analysis will be based on the data of Current Population Survey ( CPS) which was conducted for the Bureau of Labor Statistics by the U.S. Census Bureau. It should be noted that instead of absolute income values, income groups will be considered in order to establish more precise borders for identifying income inequality.HypothesesIn this research, there will be three major hypotheses. Hypothesis 1: Among U.S. working adults, differences in income level exist between genders. Hypothesis 2: Among U.S. working adults, differences in income level exist between different races/ethnicities. Hypothesis 3: Among U.S. adults, differences in income level exist between the different social locations created by race/ethnicity and gender.Basing on the preliminary analysis of sources devoted to studying income inequality, it is possible to assume that there exists gender-based income inequality and income inequality related to race/ethnicity. Therefore, the initial assumption is that both Hypothesis 1 and Hypothesis 2 are correct. Furthermore, it is assumed tha t there are specific social locations for which income level difference is statistically significant, i.e. that Hypothesis 3 also holds.

Tuesday, March 3, 2020

Customer Insight Research Paper

Customer Insight Research Paper Customer Insight Research Paper Introduction The aim of the interview of the interview was to find out some of the factors that motivate customers to choose online shopping and the factors that motivate other customers to opt for off-line sopping. The interview also sought to know and to establish the behavior patterns between the two groups of consumers, online and off-line shoppers. In the interview, customers started by identifying themselves either as online or offline shoppers, after which the interviewer asked them to describe the main reasons that motivate their mode of purchase, as well as their purchase patterns. The main reason of choosing questions aimed at identifying the motivation factors was to find out the differences between the two groups. For instance, a question such as; â€Å"why do you choose to buy products online?† was included in the interview questions because it gives the customer an opportunity to give a direct response that would give the interviewer a clear understanding of some of the factors. Analysis of Results The results of the online shoppers indicated that 45 percent of people in a highly competitive business environment would get out of the shops and make online payments at a discount of 2.5 percent. This shows that customers opting for online shopping and payment are enticed by the low price offers that retailers and wholesalers provide for such payments. The percentage increases to 60 percent for those customers who choose online shopping after getting a discount as high as 5 percent for all the purchases they make. Similarly, when retailers offer high discount rates which may reach 20 percent, only 13 percent of shoppers remain in selling stores to complete their purchases. These results are substantial evidence that online discounts are a motivating factor that influences the customers’ decision to purchase goods online. The survey also found out that the most common products bought online are electronics such as TVs, movies game items, laptops and audio equipment. However, many online shoppers showed little concern for home appliances such as fryers, kettles and vacuum cleaners. During the interview, the results also showed that show- rooming behavior is also significant feature that leaves many mortar and brick sellers with few offline customers. Many online customers reveled that show-rooming is anew habit that gives them an opportunity to compare prices from one store to another, just by the use of their mobile phones. Online customers also mentioned carrying out price comparisons from one in-store to another is more expensive compared to online stores. Online customers have changed their shopping to use the in-store premises as a step in their purchase processes, and not as the final point. Consumers decide to shop their household products because of instrumental reasons to achieve certain goals and because of experiential motives (Arnould Wallendorf, 1994, pp 486). However, in the interview, goal oriented customers tend to more common than experiential and instrumental oriented customers. Based on the interview, the interviewers employed 5 online and 5 offline groups and many online customers attributed their behavior to availability of information about the product, wide range of products and the opportunity to avoid unwanted contacts such as spouses or sales agents in the retail premises. The goal oriented online shopping gives rise to experiences that are too involving for customers (Batra Ahtola, 1999, pp 167), but which leads to little commitment to the buyers. Customers indicated that they buy online when they want, and have the convenience to abandon the shopping cart when they feel the products on sale are not pleasant. Whereas some customers ware more likely to explain their offline shopping rather than online shopping in experiential purposes, there was more experiential motivation for customers who choose to shop online than the offline shoppers. On the other hand, offline shoppers attribute their motivation to the social aspect and experiential benefits associated with visits to retail and wholesale in-stores. Many of these buyers describe online shopping as never enjoyable and sociable. They also described their liking for offline shopping as an opportunity to ask for a lot of information about the products they purchase. Others claimed that in- store purchases offers after sales services that many online stores were found to be lacking. Because of information security reasons (Citrin, Sprott, Silverman Stem, 2000, pp 298), some offline shoppers did indicate lack of trust that their card numbers and identification documents were safe if used to pay for goods online. A good number of off-line shoppers also indicated that the opportunity to bargain for good commodity prices motivates them to make purchases from in-store retailers since it enables them to save a lot of money. Another factor given by the offline shoppers for the dislike of online shopping is the difficulty experienced when inspecting a product or service that retailers sell online. This is attributed to internet shortcomings that do not enable a customer to employ other senses such a touch or taste, and consumers have to rely only on sight. Other offline customers dislike online shopping because of the fact that they have to wait for the product delivery, especially in cases of overseas shopping. Risks such as pilferage, perishable products and damage during transportation highly discourage some customers from shopping online (Chen Tan, 2004, pp 78). In this group of shoppers, the psychological risks are perceived to be more demotivating than even the financial risks. Thus, any initiatives by retailers to offer discounts on online goods and series does not some offline shoppers to change their shopping decisions. Customer behavior literature According to Foucault and Scheufele (2002, pp 411), in a study involving 1000 customers in the US, researchers used multiple hypothetical scenarios of showrooms of ten items with different prices to find out the behavior of online customers. The results showed that 44 percent of online customers used mobile phones to influence their purchase choices when purchasing goods online. The researchers also found out that when the price difference between the online and in-store products is more than 5 dollars, customers showed a preference for the online products. This is similar to the views given by online customers in the interviews conducted to understand consumer behavior for online shoppers. The US research further profiled their customers based on age and gender, and the outcome of the study indicated that young female shoppers made online purchases more frequently than any other age bracket. On the other hand, old male shoppers whose minimum age is 50 years came out as the group of shoppers who were easily swayed to make purchases offline in retail stores. Other customers who happened to get advice from sales agents were 12.5 percent likely to make purchases offline. The results of this study are similar to the outcome of the interviews conducted in the group survey, since many of the choices that a majority of shoppers made are similar in motive and influence. According to Wachman (2012, pp 14), people spent nearly 8 billion US dollars in December 2011 on goods bought 0onine despite the difficulty shopping experiences that are usually associated with the month of December. According to the Capgemini research, a business consultancy organization, people spent remarkable 68 billion US dollars online in the year 2011. This is an indication that the number f online shoppers is ever growing as people move from the conventional culture of in-store purchases. According to Graham (2012), in UK, online purchases account for 17 percent of the total retail business, and this predicted to increase with the growth in mobile technology. The number of retailers launching online stores is also growing at a remarkable rate. Other literature sources indicate that utilitarian or goal oriented shopping is understood to be rational, deliberate and efficient (Kelly, 1998, pp 45). Therefore, the online search provides the medium for this task because the costs associated with dramatically lower than in in-store search. Moreover, some shoppers prefer to carry out efficient searches on the online stores with remarkably few clicks of the computer to obtain the details they need. In line with the objectives of goal oriented online search, shoppers who employ internet services in their purchase tasks end up saving a lot of time. According to Modahl (2000, pp 67), some customers do not perceive online purchases to be shopping; rather they perceive it to be a â€Å"buying† experience. As well, other online shoppers believe that they only decide to buy products online when they are convinced that they need the particular product, which further describes online shopping to be attracting a majority of customers who have a planned activity. Some online shopping surveys indicated that offline shoppers are more impulsive than online shoppers, because of limited accessibility and convenience and the influence by sales people in retail stores. Unlike online shopping (Rayport, Sviokla, 1999, pp 89), offline shoppers are proud of the personal associations they establish with business owners, which can help them build loyalty. Such loyal customers have the advantage of accessing goods on credit, or on hire purchase agreements, a feature that online shoppers are denied. Other customers who enjoy using senses beyond the sense of sight are well placed to fulfill their pleasure by shopping online since in- store commodities provide them with the opportunity to touch, feel, smell or even taste some of the goods before they pay form them. As observed in the analysis of results in the section above, this was one of the reason some customers prefer getting goods from an in-store retail, as opposed to online stores. Some businesses perceive offline shopping to be appropriate over online shopping because it helps them manage the products that customers buy. For instance, as much a restaurant can employ online advertisement services, it cannot manage to serve its clients online (To, Liao Lin, 2007, pp 778). Similarly, an auto dealer may not be effective by leasing a car online, because of security and lease agreement procedures and requirements. Marketing strategy and recommendations In order to reap from the changes in consumer behavior, retailers have to be keen when designing their marketing techniques. A lot of focus should be on the provision of goods based on location and population features. As observed in the analysis of results, young female shoppers are most likely to spend more money shopping online than older male who are easily swayed by sales agents. Thus products which female consumers need to be marketed or sold online, while products meant for the old generation can be kept in in-retail premises. Many brands sold to the middle and low market ends continue to report poor sales results, while luxurious products that target high end customers are continuing to generate profits. This scenario is partly attributed to the spending behavior of consumers spending [patterns whereby middle and low income consumers are squeezed by inflation, while the wealthy are continuing to earn goo d income. In order to cope up with these market changes, retailers and wholesalers have to employ a wide range of marketing strategies that target each group of consumers in the market. E-retail business activities remain a significant component of the broad retail trend (Spiggle, 1994, pp 498), and marketers have to incorporate it in all the strategic company plans. Despite the reduction in consumers’ disposable income, online shopping continues to record impressive sales growth every year. In order to motivate a number of offline shoppers who are demotivated to shop online by psychological factors, retailers and companies need to implement appropriate initiatives that address the psychological concerns of such customers. Online grocery businesses are in the most sophisticated field, and to make the business efficient, they can give consumers the chance to choose the nearest collection and deliver points that enable consumers to access the products in reasonable time. Availability of storage facilities and frozen food is also a technique to see business people benefit from online ventures. It is worth noting that dealing with consumable goods such as drinks vegetables or fruits need a high standard of hygiene; thus, retailers need to ascertain the hygiene levels of the agents they appoint to distribute goods on the retailers’ behalf. By putting in place measures to encourage online shoppers develop loyalty in commodities and brands, organizations and companies need to incorporate information security protocols that will assure buyers of the safety of their bank accounts, and the need to trust the websites. Once customers are convinced that their details are safe, retailers will be able to provide for the needs of customers in order to attract other buyers.

Saturday, February 15, 2020

Practical Life Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Practical Life - Research Paper Example For example, coming up with a Montessori classroom and environment oriented to foster learning. Logically, human beings are gifted with the need to learn. Education acquired by an individual person cannot be advantageous to another person since an individual need to achieve it by him or herself. Children learn faster from their environment because they possess a higher sensitivity, compassion, and curiosity to learn. Montessori developed a program that uses specially designed materials, which are intended to instruct. For example, enough room in a large Montessori classroom where children will move freely and be at liberty to undertake a task they want. These are ages of growth for human beings due to a very high stimuli response they possess to the surrounding environment. Montessori approved that a child’s fast growth is between birth and the sixth birthday, a period which, the child has a fast rate response to skills that when made use of the child can master abilities like language. The child is capable of mentally modeling their brain in response to the environment. For example, during the sensitive period for requesting assignment, the child is interested in coming up with suggestions. These are the periods of a child development whereby a child is highly motivated and determined due to their high sensitivity to seek new encounters and learning opportunities in their surrounding environment. During this period, the child experiences an unconscious development and occurs within the first six years of age. The Montessori classroom was designed to seize this moment in a child’s development. The environment proposed by Montessori is rich and reflect the dominance of stimulating all the primary senses. For example, when it comes to remembering issues taught in class and performed them without understanding. They occur in a child-learning environment and they have a rapid torrent of concentration. Montessori ruled out that, the precision of

Sunday, February 2, 2020

UK Economic Policies Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

UK Economic Policies - Dissertation Example Economic Policy Measures undertaken on or before the 1990s. †¢ Privatization ï  ¶ Mainly aimed to tackle the stagflation that gulped the nation during the 1970s and to prevent further such developments. However has been criticised by a number of economists. ï  ¶ Also enabled the revision of labour laws so as to reduce the power of the labour union and assign more power to the company. ï  ¶ Moreover, the competitive spirit that the step would instil among the producers will help the nation to achieve a comparatively advantageous position. ï  ¶ Most relevant sectors, other than the postal system, were privatized. ï  ¶ The scheme was preceded by a number of failures and required a lot of effort from the then Prime Minister, Margaret Thatcher, before it finally achieved success almost a decade later. †¢ Reduction in unemployment benefits combined with a modification of tax laws that might act as an incentive for higher production and thus an improved GDP position (Wagnur, 2000). †¢ Modification of the education system in the country and providing maximum financial coverage to the students. †¢ New pension plans so as to shift the burden from the state to the individuals. ï  ¶ Introduction of pay-as-you-go scheme in the occupational structure, where the individual has to purchase and become a part of some pension benefit scheme (Taylor-Gooby, 2006). †¢ Increased housing ownership due to introduction of buyer-side subsidies. †¢ Capital account convertibility that helped the inflow foreign investments.

Saturday, January 25, 2020

Motivation rewards

Motivation rewards You have to get rewarded in the soul and the wallet. The money isnt enough, but a plaque isnt enough either (Hymowitz, Murray, 1999, 4). Motivation-the willingness to exert oneself, consequent of the afore-implied intrinsic and extrinsic incentives, is fundamental to the prosperity of individuals, groups, organizations and society; for absent of this, there exists a lack of satisfaction, productivity and willpower that ultimately leads to inefficiency, dissatisfaction and management constraints. It is the aim of this paper to contest traditional views, by asserting that pay is of equal importance as job-design in achieving motivation-which will in turn provide an appreciation that both job-design and pay act as complementary factors in inducing varying levels of motivation, greatly dependent upon circumstance. This will be accomplished through the exploration of the individual implications of job-design and pay, through the application of practical examples, empirical research and mo tivational theories. Job-design is a comprehensive term, and for clarification purposes, it will within this paper include: working environment, relationships, feedback, achievement, responsibility and lastly, growth and developmental opportunities. Hereafter, aspects of job-design which motivate simply through the activity itself, such as feedback, achievement, responsibility, growth and development will be referred to as intrinsic factors; conversely, aspects of job-design which motivate through the anticipation of external rewards, such as changes in the working environment, status through relationships and mainly pay, shall be referred to as extrinsic factors (Deci, 1972). Similarly, pay in this paper refers to salary, pay-per-performance schemes, and any other form of monetary compensation. Furthering this, Herzbergs hygiene-motivator theory examines the intricate relationship between the extrinsic and intrinsic components of job-design. The theory associates extrinsic aspects of job-design with the hygiene factors, of which the absence or inadequate development will result in dissatisfaction, thereby prohibiting motivation from occurring; however, when adequately present, motivation is still not attainable solely based on those factors (Herzberg, 1987). Conversely, the factors which are claimed to motivate are those of intrinsic nature, being capable of stimulating psychological growth. Upon application to conventional employment, it is commonly accepted that few individuals are able to dedicatedly pursue a goal, if exposed to inappropriate atmospheres, harassing superiors or neglectful colleagues. Thereby, it is understood that prerequisites of extrinsic factors must suffice, and only thereafter could an individual be satisfied and hence motivated by undertaking work which stimulates psychologically. Thus, it is imperative to understand that the visible extent of intrinsic factors available in the design of a specific job, will ultimately dictate the extent to which an individual can be motivated. Alternatively, job characteristics theory suggests that motivation of employees is best achieved through the application of meaningful work-characterised by skill variety, task identity and task significance, for which the employee is personally responsible, and receives clear feedback regarding performance (Hackman, Lee, 1979). Thereby, the perceived purposefulness of a job, which is then reinforced through feedback, indicates that the design of a job in terms of potential achievement and its recognition, responsibility and consequently growth and development through significant contribution-all intrinsic factors, will determine the attitude of an employee, and hence will reflect upon the perceived self-image of the individual in relation to their organization. The lack of feedback could typically induce feelings of insignificance, through impressions of the work not being important towards an organization. Hence, if an individuals perceived role is rather minor, there will be a lac k of incentive to perform well. Since people work more for meaning and enjoyment than anything else in their lives, not providing an individual with the opportunity to learn and develop through application of meaningful tasks and feedback, will result in reduced commitment and motivation (Pfeffer, 1998). Illustrating the significance of acknowledging social needs incorporated into job-design: a case study examining the effects of improving working conditions of workers in The Western Electric Company in Hawthorne, resulted in continuous increases in production during the experiment (Mayo, 1975): clearly illustrating the positive correlation between job-design and motivation. Additionally, the bringing together of individuals placed in an autonomous team, resulted in spontaneous but consistently increasing dedication and collaboration-once again improving productivity, demonstrated that the possibility to develop relationships and achieve esprit de corps is fundamental, and of great significance (Fayol, 1949) in attaining motivation. However, even control groups seem to have improved their productivity-most likely as a result of increased perceived importance; a phenomenon, which furthermore underlines the influential impact of self-image upon motivation, generated by the perception o f work as being meaningful to the organization. Individuals involved in work whose job-design allows for major involvement and dependency through autonomy and responsibility, would typically find themselves being confident. Such an individual will have earned the respect of management, and in turn developed an increasingly prevalent self-esteem. Taking this into account, the hierarchy of needs suggests that such an individual would be motivated by having the option through commitment in achieving his fullest potential: self-actualization (Maslow, 1943). However, pre-requisites for the basic need satisfactions according to Maslow are amongst others, freedom to express ones self and freedom to investigate and seek information. Drawing on this, individuals who are not autonomous-those who are not granted this discretionary right, will never be able to undergo motivational enlightenment; in other words, jobs which do not stimulate the intrinsic aspects of job-design have significantly reduced effects in motivating individuals accordin g to Maslows theory. Consequently, it is imperative to accommodate the needs of an individual to ensure optimal productivity, by providing meaningful, appreciated autonomous work in a steady environment, and thereby avoiding the instigation of absenteeism and the free-rider problem (Knights Willmott, 2007). Therefore, when the unavoidable occurs-sub-optimal provision of intrinsic and other job-design factors, organizations must ensure that extrinsic aspects succeed for the purpose of compensating the motivational loss. For this reason, the primary source of extrinsic motivation: pay, will is now examined. Implications of pay as a motivator have long been explored, for the vital purpose of determining to what extent individuals should be rewarded for their efforts. Traditional studies, which largely focus on the self-reported importance of pay, have frequently dismissed its absolute significance as a motivator (Rynes, Gerhart, Minette, 2004). Of such nature, an extensive study performed at the Minnesota Gas Company, was conducted in order to ascertain which of the factors (advancement, benefits, company, co-workers, hours, pay, security, supervisor, type of work, working conditions) were most important to employees, and as a result would be most motivating (Jurgensen, 1978). Males ranked pay as fifth and females seventh respectively in terms of importance. However, when those exact employees were asked to attribute the same factors in order of preference from the viewpoint of a fellow worker, both males and females remarkably ranked pay as the number one factor! These discrepancies bet ween findings are suggestive of social norms dictating that money as a source of motivation is much less noble than factors involving challenging work, and ultimately contributing to society (Rynes, Gerhart, Minetta, 2004). Additionally, this example is indicative of traditional studies presenting distorted findings, thereby begging the question of how employees behaviours change in accordance with a change in pay. Hence: more conventional studies which instead examine behavioural proclivities, have largely concluded that increases in pay or introductions of individual pay incentives, have led to significant increases in production, far greater than those resulting from job enrichment procedures (Locke, et al, 1980). A meta-study of this nature, evaluated through behavioural responses, examined the effects of inducing varying motivational techniques of firstly increased pay or pay per performance, secondly setting goals and receiving feedback, thirdly employee participation in decision making, and lastly job enrichment, arrived to the conclusion that pay was the greatest motivational factor (Locke, et al, 1980). By having observed the behavioural modifications of involved individuals as opposed to subjective self-reporting information, this case-study illuminates the possibility of pay being far more significant than what Herzberg, Hackman, Maslow and Lawler claim it to be. Despite there being evidence pinpointing the absolute importance of pay as a motivator, it must be considered that its significance does in fact depend on a number of factors (Rynes, Gerhart, Minetta, 2004). Firstly, it is imperative that variability exists in pay; if this is not the case, when considering pay as a motivator, there would be no incentive to increase performance. Secondly, the effects of pay as a motivator when variability is existent, is dependent on its relative contribution to the existing wealth of an individual. Considering the implications of a billionaire receiving a raise will have ridiculously minute effects. Thus, the motivational effects of pay can be related to its relative impact in achieving varying levels on Maslows hierarchy of needs. Although traditionally assumed that pay can only satisfy lower-order needs (Lawler, 1969), it must be stressed that in contemporary actuality, pay greatly impacts an individuals perceived status, likeability, friendships, respectability and perhaps even sexual relationships. Moreover, it can be assumed that pay in the sense of allowing the accomplishment of the aforementioned much sought characteristics of man, will ultimately lead individuals being motivated by their desire for them. Especially since, descriptors attributed to characteristics are always relative to other individuals, it is vital that in the same way, the inputs of an individual-(which could potentially lead to those much desired traits through pay), relative to their outputs, are equivalent in comparison to others (Adams, 1965). If this condition is ill met, i.e. inequitable circumstances exist: an individual would have no incentive to perform well, thereby losing motivation to perform conscientiously as a result of pay. However, if an equitable environment is maintained, pay would result in motivating an individual as long as it possessed variation, and could impact status. Realistically, as pay is somewhat of a gateway to obtaining other goods, there will often be conflict involved regarding which individuals will benefit most. Variances in pay which is theoretically a determinant for motivation, is therefore met with competition to claim certain monetary rewards. The traditional method of measuring motivation, through changes in performance and output will often experience decreases, despite enhanced individual motivation: a phenomenon, explained by the undermining of teamwork and perception that certain relationships determine outcome, rather than individual input (Pfeffer, 1998). Even more so, through the lens of Marxism, pay-incentives will ultimately result in alienation from others and oneself, and could completely obstruct efficient functionality through head to head competition, instead of teamwork (Knights Willmott, 2007). Fundamentally, regardless of intrinsic and extrinsic factors being available to a specific job, motivation will be determined by an account of what rewards are possible, and are desired for completing a certain task. Hence, the reward value and the probability of that reward occurring from ones effort is what dictates motivation (Lawler, 1969). As seen, both job-design and pay can largely result in motivation, however, the effectiveness of either are established by the underlying reasons of undertaking an activity; if it is simply for the joy of participating in the work with the expectancy of improving knowledge, pay will have very limited effects in terms of motivation. However, if an individual only conducts a specific task, with the emphasis on craving monetary compensation, even job-designs offering a variety of intrinsic factors will not suffice. Especially considering that every individual will identify a different incentive for undertaking a certain activity-founded on varyin g cultures, morals and ideals, it is vital to provide a mixture of motivational inducements: namely pay, and job-design. Subsequently, as seen, job-design through controlling the extent and availability of socially responsible environments, significant and acknowledged tasks, establishment of comradeships, responsibility and discretionary rights, ultimately determines the possible levels of motivation. Consequently, if those aspects are suboptimal, an insufficient reward value for the completion of a task would be incurred. Hence, pay-which is highly probable to occur, can to some extent be used to substitute for the absent intrinsic motivational factors in job-design, which would normally satisfy the psychological needs of individuals, by instead, attaining items and relationships which could indirectly improve self-esteem and image. In this light, both job-design and pay act as complements to each other, compensating for the lack of either, and once again inherently allowing for the pursuit of a goal. Hence: it is understood that both pay and job-design share equal importance. Thereby, it is apprecia ted that single system approaches, regardless of whether their focus is on design, payà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦are just plain destructive and suicidal (Lawler, 1980, 542) and that both must be equally considered, in order to maximise potential motivation.

Friday, January 17, 2020

There is Need to Review Our Education System

Liting Wang Professor Feindert ENGWR 48007 April 2018 Critique of â€Å"There is Need to Review Our Education System† T he article â€Å"There is Need to Review Our Education System: Africa News Service. (Apr. 1, 2009)Africa News Service. News Provided by Comtex. Byline: Rhoda Kalema† looks at some pressing issues that the education system in Uganda is currently facing. She is a well-known woman. According to Wikipedia, â€Å"she was honored in 1996 by Uganda's Forum for Women in Democracy as a transformative leader. On March 13, 2018, she received the Sudreau Global Justice Lifetime Achievement Award from the Pepperdine University School of Law and the Ugandan Judiciary.† There have been no proper mechanisms to foresee high-quality education is offered in the country. She explains that, the experience of educational people feels afraid for what was happing to the education world. They worry about the future get lost on what will happen to the education. If people do not have good education, they will not have a bright future. As a result, the country will fall backward and weak. It will affect the country's improvement. She suggests that, the educational administrator should start to look at this situation. In addition, both learners and teachers face challenges that make it impossible for the education system to be ranked anywhere in the world. The government is aware of these challenges but offers no solution. Through critique, the key issues facing the primary, secondary, and vocational education in Uganda are examined. The opinion that is currently viable to revive this whole situation is an overall reviewing of the education system from the tradition one to a modern one that will suit the needs of the students and benefit them to fight in equal terms with the rest of the students, if not in the world but Africa. The Ugandan government should take an example of the neighbouring Kenya, which has had several amendments in their system, and currently they have embarked on a new system of 2-6-6-3. This will make sure that the current students do not undergo the kind of suffering experienced by their fore front-runners. Everyone in the country and even those that have been lucky to secure jobs outside the country never experienced a balanced education about 25-30 years ago, and it is for this reason that they are in pain over what is happening in the education system. What is bothering them is Uganda's future is doomed to be at a loose end, if drastic measures are not put into place. Many stakeholders have reflected on several aspects that they have observed which will bring doom to the Ugandan education sector unless a review is done instantaneously and aggressively. One of the most intriguing factors with the education system is one that dates back more than four decades ago when fresh graduate teachers had the aspiration of literally igniting the classrooms. Shortly when they dive into the adventure towards greatness, these graduates understand that the procedure has been pre-decided and what is required of them is to stick within classroom limits of the syllabus. The objective here is to cover the syllabus, and any idea of presenting new substance is disapproved. There is no space for learning for information's purpose, an instructor in class is to educate and how well one educates is obvious through students' execution in exams. Those who have different thoughts of possibly to energize the students, and familiarize them with new ideas and thoughts, influence them to think, and long to know more, are left to swallow their skills and watch as the students follow the old road of the low-quality education. Guardians and parents expect more from schools. They have high expectations that school will change their kids. Occasionally, they even observe the instructor as a wonderful professional of sorts, after all an educator could influence a child to learn. A typical presumption is that tutoring will shape the children and the instructor will be the one individual to guarantee this happens. In any case, things are not as basic and practical as they appear, and teachers face challenges explaining to parents that with this old education system, they should not expect much from their children. What the government has failed to understand is that Education is a public entity, which has a good aim of providing quality training with a specific end goal to reduce variations (instruction as an equalizer). Framework change should address parts of value and correspondence and additionally the more extensive quality objective. The change procedure must be incorporated, problematic, and transformative for there to be substantial outcomes for all students. An intricate procedure must be acknowledged through community-oriented associations amongst government and other key players, for example, guardians, current society, and the private area. Sometimes individuals expect too much from old system framework models to deliver present 21st-century skilled students. Uganda like the rest of Africa has a considerably young populace that forms an important part of the human resource. The youth forms the vital group that is thought to take Africa to the next African Rebellion urged by education and training. Based on the problems that the Ugandan education system is facing, the following are some of the ways that can help redeem the learners from surging into the problematic conditions just like their predecessors. Education syllabus The current education syllabus needs through amending to suite Universal Primary Education (UPE) and Universal Secondary Education (USE). This will enable students to gain more skills based on their talents rather than based on theories. Practical's need to be more encouraged in schools as different learners have different learning abilities. Promotion of students With a review of education systems, students can be graded based on their talents rather than their class performance. Even with the recommendation of automatically promoting students to the next grade, there can be incentives, which will see students grouped based on their talents. Vocational/technical courses The revised curriculum needs to focus on the vocational and technical teaching, to provide young skills together with the academic learning. Teaching the young people skills means that they will never be lost children. This calls for the movement to come up with improved and more accessible vocational colleges, which are modern and which go hand in hand with the rest of the world to ensure students rank well outside Africa and the rest of the world when they go job seeking. In addition to that, parents should be taught to encourage their children not to follow the old model of only seeing them worth if they take white color jobs. In conclusion, anything that contributes to meeting the huge needs of the education systems in Africa is a positive thing. Such programs or projects are driven by people who want to serve the general good of the country in the area that, as a reminder, is the top priority of all priorities. The impression that one's gets is that there is a desire to be involved in proposing the beginnings of a solution, a standard foundation for teaching that will integrate specific local features and at the same time train future citizens of an interconnected and culturally very mixed world. A change of school learning system will reflect this concept, and it is an interesting one. The important thing is that there are on-going discussion and dialogue, and adjustments constantly being made to ensure the consistency at country level and then ideally, at the level of each regional African community, of an educational offering that necessarily has to be diversified. This is also one of the recommendations from the summary of the debate that we must have high-level, national education authorities, which must be separate and independent from the governments. They should also be tasked with the responsibility of managing the fundamental choices affecting education systems in the long term, to set a course that is not changed every time there is a change in government. Work Citedâ€Å"There is Need to Review Our Education System.† Africa News Service, 1 Apr. 2009. Opposing Viewpoints In Context, http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A196876335/OVIC?u=sacr73031&sid=OVIC&xid=d3a28488. Accessed 3 Apr. 2018.