Are humanities relevant to the 21st century Essay

In this annotated bibliography I will be trying to answer the question of the importance of humanities in the 21st century. I will be using sources from newspapers, books and blogs in which I found either in the UEA library, internet and other sources of information. I will be making summaries of the content which I read and evaluate the source as a whole, for this annotated bibliography most of the sources which I came across coincidently were about the usefulness of the humanities in education or in the work place in the 21st century. In addition, I incorporated film, literature, art and history making my range of sources broad. 1) Arnheirn Rudolf, 1932, film as Art, London, university of California press This book is mainly about theory, the authors main argument is that human beings are losing their ability of creativity. For example, the author talks about the â€Å"limitations of the medium, the absence of sound, the absence of colour and the lack of three dimensional depth† Arnheirn Rudolf (1932), these limitations created a new distinct art however due to advancement everything is about realism and because of these advancement creativity has been lost in the world of film. â€Å"The thoughts that made the picture move† Arnheirn Rudolf (1932) can be interpreted as realism bringing truths of world into the limelight such as the violence which occurred around the world. As a source it has very little relevance to the humanities in the 21st century, when reading this book it seemed very personal to the author the way he wrote it seemed as if he is defending something very important to him. Also, from what I had read there wasn’t much evidence to support his claims and was more like an aggressive rant about the mechanical advancements in the film industry. 2) Belfiore Elenora and Upchurch Anna, 2013, Humanities in the 21st century, Hampshire, Palgrave Macmillan This book is mainly a collection of essays and articles from different authors that has been edited by the authors. They talk mainly about the connection between the markets and the humanities. Their main aim was to â€Å"exercise of critiquing the present state of the humanities within and outside of the academic practise† Belfiore Elenora and Upchurch Anna (2013). The authors describe the history of the humanities and stated that the humanities came from the united states which spread to great Britain and then explained that social science came out of humanities which is why the humanities is the parent of the social science. The two authors compiled a collection of original essays that tackle the question however I did not read any views the authors had. 3) Corrigan timothy, 2012, film and literature: and introduction and reader, second edition, Abingdon, Routledge. Timothy Corrigan’s main argument is that he argues without the literature there will be no film and they need each other. â€Å"While the blockbusters harry potter films would constantly draw masses of young people/readers to the movie theatres and lines of moviegoers into the bookstore† Corrigan timothy (2012). He also argues there is a renewed interest in literature and film as â€Å"30% of movies today derive from novels and 50% of books classified as best sellers have been adapted to cinema† which enforces his argument that literature in fact is still important. Later in the chapter he gives disadvantages of turning novels into film by stating it destroys our imagination. When reading a novel we use our imagination to create a reality in the novels world however when watching a film adaption of that same novel your imagined world becomes the film directors interpretation and your imagined creation is lost. In this book the author clearly states 4 disadvantages of literature and not one positive or advantages to literature making me think that his views to a certain extent is biased. In addition, this book contains bucket loads of information from theories to history of film and this book is an educational one therefore contains information directed to students and is also the second edition generally meaning is an improvement to the first edition. 4) Grafton Anthony, (2010), 05/11/2013, Defending the Humanities, www. youtube. com Grafton Anthony is a historian that delivered a lecture in the University of Hampshire. He argues against a claim that humanities as a subject is ‘dying’. His argument boldly states that professors teaching the humanity  subjects are being force feed useless knowledge and information which will not help undergraduates in the future. He states that humanists should be creators of conversations between the graduates, the historical thinkers, ancient musicians and great artists which is critical and exciting, instead of creating of theories and drop everything we teach though it ‘like a sausage grinder’. He concludes, and states that humanities as a subject is improving and is always being rewritten when new information is available. Grafton Anthony uses the American civil war as an example, as a child Grafton Anthony in school had never heard of the presence of the African Americans in the civil war and parents would never take their children to historic battle sites because they felt offended. However, in today’s age African American parents joyfully take their children to these sites due to historians re-writing history and creating a true story that African Americans were in fact involved in the civil war. This lecture was really about promoting humanities as a subject. This is a good source as it emphases the problems of humanities being taught in the 21st century and also gives information on how to improve humanities in general in addition; his points are being reinforced by Bill Smoot who also had similar ideologies. 5) Grafton t. Anthony and Grossman James, 2013, the chronicle of higher education: the humanities dubious battle, 19th October 2013, pages 13. The authors as a summary basically belittles the humanities and talks about history are not needed in the economic and capitalist world. He quotes â€Å"Why would a company like Enterprise Rent-A-Car care if a prospective employee took the initiative to read the company history? What could the study of the past contribute to a career in, say, medicine? † Grafton t. Anthony and Grossman James (2013). He also makes the point that the humanities do not lead into any clear cut career than let’s say engineering, medicine and law. They then go on to say that the humanities is not totally dead as from a Harvard report stated that there are more people studying humanities in private universities and are mainly for the ‘elites’ â€Å"Humanities education provides the foundation for leadership, and wider access to such education implies wider access to positions of leadership. † Grafton t. Anthony and Grossman James (2013). Personally I didn’t like this source as the authors slightly changed their view from stating that the humanities is a rubbish subject to learn to the humanities being this epic subject that only the ‘elites’ should learn. The source was very simple to read and it seem to ‘speak’ to you as if you were having a conversation with the writer and made you think about subject. In addition, an article which finally sits on the other side for a change, It was interesting to find a source and authors who argued that humanities is useless so reading from an objective view it was a new insight into the subject of the relevance of humanities in the 21st century. 6) Kagan Jeome. (2009) The Three Cultures: Natural Science, Social Sciences, and the Humanities in the 21st Century, Cambridge: Cambridge University press. This book defines the three cultures and then compares them to one another. The author’s main argument is that the three cultures cannot survive without the fuel each culture provides. One example used is climate change kagon Jeome (2009) stated 50,000 years ago climate changed in northern Europe which destroyed our protein supplies and in turn the human population in northern Europe dropped drastically therefore if humans were involved in climate change it would be more rapid. The author then concludes that the sciences and humanities need each other and are both important to the 21st century as without the literature humanities provided the less likely research may have taken place. The author is American psychologist suggesting that he is very well educated and has written many books in regard to psychology, the book was also published by the Cambridge university press meaning that it is more likely to be intellectual. The book was written in 2009 which in regard to humanities and his major points is not too long ago. However, this book was basically a revamp C. P. Snow’s work who was a chemist and novelist who published â€Å"the two cultures and scientific revolution† which was written in 1959. 7) Pring Richard, 1999, oxford review of education, political education: relevance of the humanities, p71-87, volume 25 issue, Taylor and Francis. In this article the Richard Pring puts an emphasis on education being used as tool to control the young to becoming a model citizen and uses the phrase â€Å"developing desirable attitudes†. He next explains why he used that phrase and backs up his point by stating the â€Å"government is worried about the consumption of drugs amongst young people; therefore, schools are being instructed to teach about their evil effects†. Furthermore later on in the article he explains why the humanities is important not only because the humanities teaches us how to be †Human† but it gives us the skills to incorporate into politics such as critical writing and analysis. This journal is very detailed but is rather old compared to evidence I can acquire from books, blogs or other forms of sources. A lot of things have changed since 1999 such as the economy, which has gone through major changes during this time so views have changed. In terms of relevance to the question is that it is relevant to a strong extent from a cultural view. He describes that humanities is all around us and is impossible to miss. 8) Small Helen, 2013, the value of the humanities, oxford, oxford university press The book value of the humanities provides a critical account of the principal arguments used to defend the value of the Humanities. The claims considered are: that the Humanities study the meaning-making practices of culture, and bring to their work a distinctive understanding of what constitutes knowledge and understanding. The authors of this book made a very deep arguments from the contribution of human happiness to the â€Å"driving force for democracy† Small Helen (2013). She later concludes that the purpose of the humanities is to explore the grounds for each argument, and test its validity for the present day and â€Å"promise to sharpen the terms of public debate† Small Helen (2013). I believe this a very good source, firstly because it is very modern and up to date, academic slightly hard to read aimed at the educated and scholars. The author is a professor of the English literature at the University of Oxford which suggests she is smart enough to look at this question from an objective view. 9) Smoot Bill, (2011), 04/11/2013, Humanities in the 21st century, http://www. edutopia. org/blog/humanities-twenty-first-century-bill-smoot , Online Blog This blog offers information about the humanities in the 21st century, the author writes about his personal experience and feelings to the killing of Osama Bin Laden. He writes about how he felt satisfied for the killing of a man who may or may not of deserved it and as a English teacher he takes an objective look on different people’s reactions to the news and states he saw people crying and praising the death of a man, another group were indifferent and quoted â€Å"it is unholy to gloat over the bodies of the dead† Smoot Bill (2011). He later explains that we need humanities to teach the students habits ‘of critical thought and the historical perspective necessary for citizenship in a democracy’. The blog is aimed for people in the position of power. In terms, of relevance to the question I believe it answers the question because his simplistic writing explains why humanities are needed in the 21st century. However, a blog is an individual record of opinions so it does not carry weight as a good source but it gives an opinion so in that respect it becomes useful but not very reliable. 10) Stern Nicholas, Mon 22 July 2013, Don’t neglect the importance of the humanities, the independent, pages 7. In this source, the message is a lot more political. Firstly Nicolas Stern describes that there is a shift in every subject due to the lack of trust in intuition and lack of confidence in existing ideas and models and politicians are not inspiring the younger generations. He later describes the Science, engineering and medicine are vital drivers of human progress and we must celebrate and nurture them. However, without the humanities and social sciences we can never find responses to the urgent issues that trouble us. He then backs up his points with facts and figures for example â€Å"The UK economy is now 75 per cent services, hugely reliant on the analytical, negotiating and communication skills which humanities and social sciences disciplines develop in people† Nicolas Stern (2013) and â€Å"Most of the leaders in public life – government, commerce, public sector – were educated in humanities and social science disciplines. † Nicolas Stern (2013). In my opinion I believe this is a very good source as the author makes a point and then backs up his points with evidence and statistics. It is also a newspaper article meaning that the general public have access to it and create an opinion about the matter. However, the only disadvantage about this article is that the author doesn’t write about the advantages and disadvantages of humanities and only keeps to the positives and belittles other subjects. 11) Vianello Andrea 16/11/2013, http://www. bronzeage. org. uk/the-value-of-the-arts-and-humanities-in-the-21st-century-a-report. aspx, blog The author of the blog describes that he went to a debate about the importance of the arts and humanities in the modern day life and business. During this debate the author states that at this debate everyone assumed that they all agreed on the fact that â€Å"the humanities in modern day society are pretty much over due to the subject having no impact on modern society† Vianello Andrea (2013). The author concludes; with his own personal opinion which was that the value of the humanities is unique in terms of the way humanists’ think and its potential for sciences and businesses and that graduates who have studied the humanities have been equipped with transferable skills and a unique way to approach and solve problems. The author makes valid points with evidence which makes the author argument about this subject stronger however, he criticized in a negative light all the researchers and educated opinion that did not agree with his side of the argument making his view very personal not hold a lot of weight as a source. In terms of relevance to the question it is very relevant however due to his opinion being very personal and biased it’s a useless source and weak in terms of argument. 12) Warwick Clare, Terras Mellissa, Nyhan Julianne, 2012, Digital humanities in practise, London, Facat publishing. The authors open up with the definition of what digital humanities is and defined it as â€Å"the collaboration of the arts and humanities with computing† Warwick Clare, Terras Mellissa, Nyhan Julianne (2012). The book mainly talks about the experience of three people in the University of City London which is the leading university for digital humanities.

Against Love Essay

At the beginning of this essay Kipnis says something stands out to me. â€Å"Love is, as we know, a mysterious and controlling force. It has vast power over our thoughts and life decisions. It demands our loyalty, and we, in return freely comply† (Kipnis 749). I think this is the best way to explain love. When there is someone that you really love you do and say things that you never imagine yourself doing. I think this is the main purpose of love and what everyone should feel. Love is not something you just stumble upon I think it is something that grows on you with time. I believe that if you love someone your willing to go out of your way and do extraordinary things for this person. I do not believe it would be a random person in front of you at the supermarket that you will do those types of things for, because you need to have a deep feeling and connection to this person. In this essay something else Kipnis said stood out to me. â€Å"But passion must not be allowed to die! † (Kipnis 751). I have never been married but I have been in love before. I believe that if there is passion you should never let it die. Passion is a strong barely controllable emotion that you have for another person. It is not something that you can stop or pretend to share with someone. Love can and will make you feel as if you are nothing without your other half. You will do and say things that you feel are crazy. Today I think so many people, mostly younger, rush into marriage because they feel as if it is the only way to keep their love for each other alive. I personally believe that love is not something that can be rushed. Do not get me wrong people can be young and fall in love and get married but you have to do it for the right reasons. I myself would love to find someone to have a deep love for. Love is so hard to explain but there is a passion that you find with someone else and it is not something you can just pretend to feel. I think that if it is meant to be then everything falls into place on its own. Something that I believe personally people are doing now days is getting married and if things do not seem to work out the answer simply is divorce. The divorce rate now days is growing higher and higher. Divorce is not something that is uncommon, I hate to say it but it is something that happens every day. After a while for one reason or the other people simply want out of the marriage and want to go their separate ways. Some people go into a marriage and come out very quickly; they decide it is simply not for them. On the other hand others stay together for 10 years and more before they decided they want out of the marriage. I personally believe that it is not the world’s job to keep marriages loyal. I do not feel that today marriage is taken seriously anymore because people think that if it does not work out why try and make things better if we can simply just get a divorce. Honestly what would people do if divorce was not an option? Would people have to learn to work their problems out? Would people just have to be miserable all the time? It is something to stop and think about. I personally believe now days that people honestly do not even think before getting married they are just caught up in the moment. I would say that this essay is a polemic. Kipnis basically argues of the fact that in order to have a good relationship and love someone you have to be able to meet the requirements of mutuality, communication and advanced intimacy. These are the big issues in relationships today. More people are breaking up and getting divorces because they will not come to a simple compromise to make their relationships work. A couple should have good communication skills. You have to learn to be in everything you do together because it is not just yourself anymore. It is you and your partner the one that you love. Works Cited Kipnis, Laura. â€Å"Agaisnt Love. † McQuade, Donald and Robert Atwan. The Writer’s Presence. Boston: St. Martin’s Bedford, 2009. 748-755.

Academic Performance of College Students Essay Example for Free

Academic Performance of College Students Essay Academic performance (42) , College Students (39) , college level (10) , for college students (8) , top college (7) company About StudyMoose Contact Careers Help Center Donate a Paper Legal Terms & Conditions Privacy Policy Complaints ? The lack of adequate background and/or preparation, among other things, causes many students to withdraw from college or to graduate with low grades, which often makes it difficult for them to obtain suitable jobs. This paper examines the academic performance and efforts to seek assistance for academic and related problems of undergraduate students at North Carolina A&T State University. To that effect, the grade reports of business and economics majors and responses to a survey of students enrolled in business and economics courses were qualitatively analyzed. The results of the analyses indicated that many students experienced academic deficiency and did not seek assistance when faced with problems. The results also revealed that many of the students who sought assistance rated the services they received as ineffective and indicated their preference for school-level advisement services. The development of a school-specific academic monitoring and advisement center would alleviate these problems. Such a center, with a comprehensive and extended advisement and counseling program, will be more effective than university-wide services in improving student academic performance and marketability upon graduation. ********** Teaching, research and service are usually used as a yardstick to measure faculty contributions to higher education institutions. Major universities have long stressed the importance of research activities relative to teaching. Over the last two decades, many of smaller teaching institutions, including the Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) where research activities were recognized only to the extent that they would keep educators and the knowledge they transmit to students current, have been under pressure to acquire external funds for scholarships, faculty development, and meeting accreditation standards (Fielding 1985). As these institutions, particularly the HBCUs, placed more emphasis on faculty research productivity, they are faced with the challenge of striking a balance between teaching and research activities. Nevertheless, most colleges and universities recognize that teaching is the ultimate goal of their institutions (Wiley 1993). The main factors considered for improving teaching effectiveness among other things, include teaching approaches and techniques and faculty availability for student assistance and advisement. However, students in higher education institutions must be motivated and committed to make reasonable efforts toward handling various activities, such as reading, written assignments, class discussion, presentation and examinations, effectively. Accordingly, the students’ commitment to attain a good education, their study habits and cooperation, their motivation and efforts to seek assistance, when needed, are equally critical for learning. Thus, since the provision and consumption of education service occur simultaneously, the students’ active participation in the process is a necessary condition to transform teaching to effective learning (Norales and Addus 2003). This paper assesses the academic performance and efforts of undergraduate students to seek assistance for academic and related problems at North Carolina A&T State. The paper (1) examines the academic performance and deficiencies of the students in terms of their overall grade point averages; (2) identifies the relative magnitude of student academic and related problems from freshman to senior classifications; (3) presents student evaluation of the effectiveness of advisement and counseling services available to students; and (4) recommends the development of a school-specific academic monitoring and advisement center to improve student academic performance and marketability upon graduation. Methods and Instrumentation The 1998 grade point averages (GPAs) of undergraduate business and economics majors were used to determine the levels of student academic performance and deficiencies, with the application of chi-square statistic test to the relevant data. The student grade reports (the most recent data available) were obtained from the North Carolina A&T State University’s School of Business and Economics. In addition, data from students were collected through a student survey of 2002. The sample for the student advisement and counseling effectiveness questionnaire consisted of students enrolled in business and economics courses at North Carolina A&T State University. The questionnaire items were designed to elicit responses from students to determine the magnitude of student academic and related problems, efforts to seek assistance to solve their problems, evaluation of effectiveness assistance they received, and preference for the location of advising and monitoring services within the University. The results of this study can be used as a source of data that can provide information on the curriculum effectiveness at North Carolina A&T State and other universities. Such data can assist educators in curriculum planning and development so that they can better meet the needs of students. Student Academic Performance and Survey Results The results of this study are based on the examination of the School of Business and Economics student GPAs and the student advisement and counseling survey of students enrolled in business and economics courses at North Carolina A&T State University. The results are centered around (1) the student academic performance levels and deficiencies; (2) the magnitude of student academic and related problems; (3) the students efforts to seek assistance to solve problems; (4) the student evaluation of effectiveness assistance received; and (5) the student preference for the location of advising and monitoring services. The following are the findings of the study based on student grade point averages and student advisement and counseling services questionnaire responses. Student Academic performance. The school of Business and Economics at North Carolina A&T State University consists of accounting, business administration, business education and economics and transportation/logistics departments. The distributions of grade point average of students enrolled in the School during the 1998 fall semester are presented in Table 1. For the data in the Table, the chi-square test statistic is significant. This indicates that grade distributions by classification are statistically different. Generally, the number of students with low grade point averages decreased from freshman to senior classifications. In other words, more freshmen maintained lower grades relative to seniors, and more seniors maintained higher grade point averages than freshmen. More specifically, the data indicates that, in the School of Business and Economics, 55% of freshman, 14% of sophomore, 16% of junior, and 6% of senior students maintained below 2. 00 grade point averages. The decline in the proportion of students with lower grades from the freshman to senior levels is an indication of either grade improvements, transfer from one program to another or withdrawal and/or suspension/dismissal from the university. In their senior year, 41% of students maintained a GPA of below 2. 50, 23% below 2. 25, and 6% below 2. 00. For all classifications, 53% of students maintained a GPA of below 2. 50, 39% below 2. 25, and 26% below 2. 00. The School of Business and Economics cannot afford to ignore 23% students who may graduate with a GPA of lower than 2. 25 and 41% below 2. 50, only to find it difficult to find professional jobs of their choice in their respective fields. Apparently, students need to be monitored, encouraged and assisted to play an active role in their pursuit to achieve their education and career objectives. Student Survey Results Of some 206 students who responded to the survey, 52% were female and 48% were male students. By classification, 10% were freshmen, 30% sophomore, 37% junior and 23% senior students. In terms of general fields of study, 68% majored in business and economics and 32% in other areas, including arts and sciences, education and engineering (Table 2). These figures suggest that the survey represents a balanced coverage on gender, student classification, and various fields of study. Magnitude of Student Academic and Related Problems: Of 154 who sought assistance, 52% were female and 48% were male students. By classification, 9% were freshmen, 30% sophomore, 37% junior and 25% were senior students (Table 3). The data in the Table is indicative of the fact that the number of problems faced by students generally declined from freshman to senior year of their study. Of 52 students who did not seek assistance, 52% were female and 48% were male students. By classification, 17% were freshmen, 30% junior, 37% sophomore and 19% senior students. A total of 56% who did not seek help were junior and senior students. The reasons indicated for not seeking assistance are that 19% did not have any problems, 17% did not have time to seek assistance, 19% did not know the availability of assistance, 14% did not believe such assistance would be useful, and 15% indicated a combination of the above factors (Table 4). Student Efforts to Seek Assistance: Out of 206 students who sought assistance, 60% consulted with their academic advisors and 30% with course instructors or respective departments. Only 4% indicated to have sought assistance with the University Center for Success (Table 5). Student Evaluation of Assistance Effectiveness: Of 154 students who sought help, 72% indicated that the assistance they were offered was effective resulting in grade improvements, enhanced self-confidence, remaining in major for the better, and changing major for the better. However, 28% indicated that the assistance they received was not effective at all (Table 6). Student Preference for Advising and Monitoring Services: Of 206 survey respondents, 147 (71%) indicated their preference for student monitoring and counseling services at school/college level (as opposed to counseling at the university level); and 92% indicated that they would seek assistance more often if such services were available at school/college level (Table 7). The Case for Academic Monitoring and Advising Center The findings of this study reveal that relatively low grades and high failure rates were maintained by upper level undergraduate students with the possibility of marketability problems. The findings further show that 28% of survey respondents said the assistance services they received were not effective. Another 28% of the respondents, of which 56% were juniors and seniors, did not seek help to resolve their academic and related problems. In addition, 71% of respondents indicated their preference for a school-level assistance services, and the overwhelming majority (92%) said they would seek help more often if such services were available at the school level. It follows that a school-specific academic monitoring and advisement center (AMAC), with a comprehensive agenda for student advisement and counseling, will be effective in improving student academic performance and marketability. The need for the AMAC is underscored by other studies. The main problems affecting student academic performance include inadequate background, working long hours, lack of time to study and seek advice, lack of time management skills, bad study habits and skills, and lack of self-confidence. Many students are also faced with various impediments in their pursuit of higher education and career objectives, including financial problems, family responsibilities, and social and extracurricular activities. Some of these activities do not only take away from the time needed for sleeping, attending class and studying, but they also cause considerable stress resulting in negative effects on academic performance as measured in terms of GPA (Womble 2001). The results of a survey of 239 university students enrolled in business and economics courses at North Carolina A&T State University indicated that most students did not have sufficient time to read the textbook and study, and that their absence from class was work related. The majority (56 %) of the students stated that they could not take lecture notes while listening, and 29 % said they could not understand the lecture (Norales and Addus 2003). Kelly et al (2001) classified college students into short sleepers (individuals who slept six or fewer hours a day), average sleepers (individuals with seven or hours of sleep a day), and long sleepers (individuals sleeping nine or more hours a day). They found that the individuals who represented long sleepers reported higher GPAs than the first two groups. Many students are admitted to a university as a result of their performance in examinations that do not demand the same preparation levels required to succeed in higher education. Thus, one of the main factors affecting the academic performance of college and university students is the lack of adequate preparation skills (Beswick and Ramsden 1987). Entwistle et al (1989) studied the academic performance of electrical engineering students and found that low course grades were associated with inadequate study skills, and that many students had not established adequate independent study strategies required to succeed in higher education. Eikeland & Manger (1992) looked into factors affecting student achievement, especially those factors related to high failure and dropout rates. The findings showed that organized study habits had a positive impact on self confidence during the students’ first semester, but such study habits did not have a direct effect on grades until as late as their fourth semester in college. In a survey of close to 350,000 students attending four-year public and private colleges, over 70 items related to the students’ educational experiences on the survey instrument were grouped into 12 factors. (1) The survey results indicated that out of these factors, public college/university students rated academic advising as the most important aspect of their educational experiences. Private college/university students rated academic advising second to only instructional effectiveness in importance. When students were asked to rate five items (2) comprised academic advising, both public and private college/university students rated the academic advisor’s approachability and the academic advisor’s knowledge about major requirements as strengths–meaning most important and most satisfying (Noel-Levitz 2003). In general, the success or failure in higher education are not explained by the student attributes or faculty teaching efficiency in isolation, but by the complex interactions between students and the learning environments they experience (Entwistle 1990). Thus, students are in need of comprehensive advisement, counseling and support services including time management, stress management, efficient study style, habits and skills, reading, writing, and lecture note taking skills, and other support services. These must help students enhance their capacity to master the relevant subject, self confidence, verbal and written communication, academic performance, and to be competitive and productive members of the community. Academic Monitoring and Advising Center The findings of this study, along with the discussion of relevant literature, suggest that a school-specific AMAC, with a comprehensive agenda for student advisement and counseling, will be effective in improving student academic performance and marketability. The primary purpose of the AMAC is to enhance student academic performance and produce marketable graduates by providing extended assistance and guidance to students in academic activities and related areas. At North Carolina A&T State University there are university-wide student support services, including the Center for Student Success (which is focused on student retention) and school-level academic assistant services. In addition, there are programs which are designed to mentor students with high academic standing, in collaboration with potential employers, to prepare them for the real world work environment upon graduation. However, many students who for various reasons fail to perform to their potential levels deserve to be uplifted through a similar program provided by the AMAC. Compared with university-wide academic counseling services available for students, the AMAC will be more effective for needy students can be given individual and unique attention suited to their specific needs by their respective schools. In addition to regular advisement provided by academic advisors, the AMAC will provide counseling services for students who fail to reach a minimum GPA of 2. 50 during each semester. To start with, such students will be able to discuss issues regarding specific courses and their course loads with an advisor from the AMAC, and receive advice on how to successfully manage their time and handle their course loads. Also, the AMAC if necessary, can suggest changes in course, course loads and schedule to help the students balance their time between school and work. As mentioned above, one of the biggest problems that many students have is lack of time and time management skills. If this problem is solved early, students will be able to maintain a more marketable GPA. The AMAC will continuously monitor students and evaluate their grades throughout each semester to insure that these students continue to do well in the school, and graduate within a reasonable period of time. Students who need assistance must be identified at the appropriate time and be given intensive advice and counseling. It will maintain a data base for all students in the School of Business and Economics with an overall GPA of 2. 50 or less. The data can be collected from student applications, academic records, and surveys (Seidman, 1996). The AMAC will coordinate its activities with university programs designed to provide remedial services to students with deficient backgrounds. It will refer students to other departments and and University support services for problems outside its responsibilities. Such intensive intervention will likely help not only improve academic performance, but also retain students and enable them to graduate with decent grades. Student participation in the AMAC’s program shall enhance their capabilities to improve their academic standing through sound advice and counseling which will positively influence their attitude toward learning and grades, time management skills and study habits. The AMAC will further facilitate development of university policies and programs designed to overcome academic deficiencies and encourage students to stay in school and achieve their academic and career objectives. Conclusions Academic advising is a very important aspect of students’ educational experiences in higher education. In order to enhance teaching and learning effectiveness, higher education institutions must listen to their students unique needs and priorities by assessing assistance services available to students. The results of such assessments can be used to develop targeted action plans for serving specific student population. The results of the analyses of data obtained from the School of Business and Economics grade reports and a survey of students enrolled in business and economics courses at North Carolina A&T State University, along with other relevant literature, imply that many college students need a school-specific academic monitoring and advisement services at an early stage of their college career. It is apparent that it becomes difficult, if not impossible, for junior and senior students to make meaningful grade improvements due to the short span of time available to them during their last years of study before graduation. This may pose a serious marketability problem for some of the graduates of these programs with low grades. In the real world of ever increasing globalization and more competitive job market environments, college students need to acquire higher skills and GPAs. The proposed AMAC is certainly a first step to guide needy students in this direction. References Beswick, D. and Ramsden, P, (1987). How to Promote Learning with Understanding. Working Paper 87:1. Melbourne: Center for the Study of Higher Education, University of Melbourne. Eikeland, O. J. and Manger, T. (1992). Why Students Fail During Their First University Semesters. International Review of Education 38(5), 489-503. Entwistle, N. J. (1990). How Students Learn and Why They Fail. Paper Presented at Conference on Talent and Teaching, University of Bergen. Entwistle, N. J. , Hoursell, D. , Macaulay, C. , Situnayake, G. and Tait, H. (1989). Success and Failure in Electrical Engineering Courses in Scotland. Summary of a Report to the SED. Edinburgh: Department of Education and Center for Teaching, Learning and Assessment. University of Edinburgh. Fielding, G. J. (1985). Transportation Education, Part Two. Report of Joint Conference, Eno Foundation Board of Directors and Board of Consultants. Transportation Quarterly, 39(2), 207-233. Kelly, W. E. , Kelly, K. E. and Clanton, R. C. (others) (2001). â€Å"The Relationship between Sleep length and Grade-Point-Average among College Students,† College Student Journal. Noel-Levitz Research (2003). â€Å"Academic Advising Highly Important to Students,† www. noellevitz. com. Norales, Francisca O. and Addus, Abdussalam A. (2003). â€Å"University Students’ Learning Efforts,† Texas Business and Technology Educators Association Journal, Vol. VII, No. 1. Seidman, A. (1996). Retention revisited: R = E, ID + E & In, Iv. Journal of College Student Retention. 71(4), 18-20. Wiley, III, Ed (1993). Re-Emphasizing Teaching. Black Issues in Higher Education. Womble, Laura P (2001). â€Å"The Impact of Stress Factors on College Students’ Academic Performance,† Working Paper, University of North Carolina, Charlotte, N. C. ABDUSSALAM A. ADDUS Associate Professor DAVID CHEN Associate Professor ANWAR S. KHAN Professor Emeritus Department of Economics and Transportation/Logistics North Carolina A&T State University Notes. (1) the factors are: academic advising, campus climate, campus Life, campus Support Services, concern for the Individual, instructional Effectiveness, recruitment and financial aid effectiveness, registration effectiveness, responsiveness to diverse population, safety and security, service excellence, and student centeredness. (2) the items are: the academic advisor’s approachability, the academic advisor’s knowledge about major requirements, the academic advisor’s concern about the student’s success as an individual, the academic advisor’s assistance to set goals and work toward, and the clearness and reasonableness of major requirements. Table 1 Grade Distribution of Students in the School of Business and Economics by Classification, Fall 1998 Grade Range Classification Freshman Sophomore Junior No. % No. % No. % 3. 50-4. 00 20 6 46 19 20 10 3. 00-3. 49 26 7 44 18 32 16 2. 50-2. 99 45 13 62 25 45 23 2. 25-2. 49 33 9 33 13 33 17 2. 00-2. 24 37 10 28 11 34 18 Below 2. 00 200 55 35 14 31 16 Total 361 100 248 100 195 100 Chi-square: 278. 38 * Grade Range Classification Senior All No. % No. % 3. 50-4. 00 18 7 104 10 3. 00-3. 49 42 17 144 13 2. 50-2. 99 90 35 242 24 2. 25-2. 49 47 18 146 14 2. 00-2. 24 44 17 143 13 Below 2. 00 14 6 280 26 Total 255 100 1059 100 Chi-square: 278. 38 * Note: * Statistically significant at 5 percent probability level. Source: School of Business and Economics, NC A&T State University. Table 2 Profile of Survey Respondents Item Frequency Percent Gender (n = 206): Male 99 48. 1 Female 107 51. 9 Classification (n = 206): Freshman 21 10. 2 Sophomore 61 29. 6 Junior 77 37. 4 Senior 47 22. 8 Major Area Unit (n = 206): Business and Economics 140 68. 0 Other Areas * 66 32. 0 * Include Arts and Science, Education, and Engineering. Table 3 Distribution of Number Problems for Students who Sought. Assistance * (n = 154) Classification Number of Problems and Gender One Two Three Four Five Six Total Plus Classification: Freshman 4 1 3 2 1 2 13 Sophomore 16 4 7 9 8 2 46 Junior 14 14 12 6 4 7 57 Senior 6 7 14 7 3 1 38 Total 40 26 36 24 16 12 154 Gender: Male 19 15 15 11 8 6 74 Female 21 13 19 13 8 6 80 Total 40 26 36 24 16 12 154 * Problems include adding/dropping courses, choosing major, changing major, improving grades, time management, internship opportunities, personal problems which affect academic performance. Table 4 Distribution of students who did not Seek Assistance (n = 52)  frequency Percent of Total Classification: Freshman 9 17. 3 Sophomore 14 29. 9 Junior 19 36. 5 Senior 10 19. 3 Total 52 100. 0 Gender: Male 25 48. 1 Female 27 51. 9 Total 52 100. 0 Reason for not Seeking: Did not have problems 10 19. 2 Did not have time 9 17. 3 Did not know availability of assistance 10 19. 2 Did not believe it is useful 7 13. 5 Combination of last three 8 15. 4 Other reasons 8 15. 4 Total 52 100. 0 Table 5 Student Efforts to Seek Assistance for Academic Problems (n = 154) Assistance sought from Frequency Percent Academic Advisor 89 59. 7 Department/Course instructor 44 29. 5. University Center for Success 6 4. 0 SOBE resource Lab 3 2. 0 University Counseling Service 3 2. 0 Career Counseling 2 1. 4 Financial Aid 2 1. 4 Table 6 Student evaluation of Effectiveness of Assistance Sought (n = 149) Item frequency Percent Grade improved 13 8. 7 Enhanced self-confidence 4 2. 7 Remained in major 15 10. 1 Changed major for better 16 10. 7 Two or more of above 60 40. 3 No effect 41 27. 5 Table 7 Student Preference for Counseling/Monitoring Services Location (n = 206) Item Frequency Percent Prefer student Counseling at school level Yes 147 71. 3 No 44 21. 4 Indifferent 15 7. 3. Would seek assistance more often if Available at school/college level) Yes 92 44. 7 No 15 7. 3 Not sure 45 21. 8 Indifferent 54 26. 2 Gale Copyright: Copyright 2007 Gale, Cengage Learning. All rights reserved. Economic Scene Colleges Are Failing in Graduation Rates Top of Form Bottom of Form †¢ Share By DAVID LEONHARDT Published: September 8, 2009 If you were going to come up with a list of organizations whose failures had done the most damage to the American economy in recent years, you’d probably have to start with the Wall Street firms and regulatory agencies that brought us the financial crisis. From there, you might move on to Wall Street’s fellow bailout recipients in Detroit, the once-Big Three. Multimedia [pic] From the Most Selective Colleges, More Graduates Related The College Dropout Boom Economix: Which Colleges Are Doing Their Job? Reader Responses: Failing Colleges Readers’ Comments Share your thoughts and read responses to readers’ comments from David Leonhardt on the Economix blog. †¢ Read All Comments (113)  » But I would suggest that the list should also include a less obvious nominee: public universities. At its top levels, the American system of higher education may be the best in the world. Yet in terms of its core mission — turning teenagers into educated college graduates — much of the system is simply failing. Only 33 percent of the freshmen who enter the University of Massachusetts, Boston, graduate within six years. Less than 41 percent graduate from the University of Montana, and 44 percent from the University of New Mexico. The economist Mark Schneider refers to colleges with such dropout rates as â€Å"failure factories,† and they are the norm. The United States does a good job enrolling teenagers in college, but only half of students who enroll end up with a bachelor’s degree. Among rich countries, only Italy is worse. That’s a big reason inequality has soared, and productivity growth has slowed. Economic growth in this decade was on pace to be slower than in any decade since World War II — even before the financial crisis started. So identifying the causes of the college dropout crisis matters enormously, and a new book tries to do precisely that. It is called â€Å"Crossing the Finish Line,† and its findings are based on the records of about 200,000 students at 68 colleges. The authors were able to get their hands on that data because two of them are pillars of the education establishment: William Bowen (an economist and former Princeton president) and Michael McPherson (an economist and former Macalester College president). For all the book’s alarming statistics, its message is ultimately uplifting — or at least invigorating. Yes, inadequate precollege education is a problem. But high schools still produce many students who have the skills to complete college and yet fail to do so. Turning them into college graduates should be a lot less difficult than fixing all of American education. â€Å"We could be doing a lot better with college completion just by working on our colleges,† as Robert Shireman, an Education Department official who has read an early version of the book, says. Congress and the Obama administration are now putting together an education bill that tries to deal with the problem. It would cancel about $9 billion in annual government subsidies for banks that lend to college students and use much of the money to increase financial aid. A small portion of the money would be set aside for promising pilot programs aimed at lifting the number of college graduates. All in all, the bill would help. But it won’t solve the system’s biggest problems — the focus on enrollment rather than completion, the fact that colleges are not held to account for their failures. â€Å"Crossing the Finish Line† makes it clear that we can do better. †¢ The first problem that Mr. Bowen, Mr. McPherson and the book’s third author, Matthew Chingos, a doctoral candidate, diagnose is something they call under-matching. It refers to students who choose not to attend the best college they can get into. They instead go to a less selective one, perhaps one that’s closer to home or, given the torturous financial aid process, less expensive. About half of low-income students with a high school grade-point average of at least 3. 5 and an SAT score of at least 1,200 do not attend the best college they could have. Many don’t even apply. Some apply but don’t enroll. â€Å"I was really astonished by the degree to which presumptively well-qualified students from poor families under-matched,† Mr. Bowen told me. They could have been admitted to Michigan’s Ann Arbor campus (graduation rate: 88 percent, according to College Results Online) or Michigan State (74 percent), but they went, say, to Eastern Michigan (39 percent) or Western Michigan (54 percent). If they graduate, it would be hard to get upset about their choice. But large numbers do not. You can see that in the chart with this column. In effect, well-off students — many of whom will graduate no matter where they go — attend the colleges that do the best job of producing graduates. These are the places where many students live on campus (which raises graduation rates) and graduation is the norm. Meanwhile, lower-income students — even when they are better qualified — often go to colleges that excel in producing dropouts. â€Å"It’s really a waste,† Mr. Bowen says, â€Å"and a big problem for the country. † As the authors point out, the only way to lift the college graduation rate significantly is to lift it among poor and working-class students. Instead, it appears to have fallen somewhat since the 1970s. What can be done? Money is clearly part of the answer. Tellingly, net tuition has no impact on the graduation rates of high-income students. Yet it does affect low-income students. All else equal, they are less likely to make it through a more expensive state college than a less expensive one, the book shows. Conservatives are wrong to suggest affordability doesn’t matter. But they are right that more money isn’t the whole answer. Higher education today also suffers from a deep cultural problem. Failure has become acceptable. Students see no need to graduate in four years. Doing so, as one told the book’s authors, is â€Å"like leaving the party at 10:30 p. m. † Graduation delayed often becomes graduation denied. Administrators then make excuses for their graduation rates. And policy makers hand out money based on how many students a college enrolls rather than on what it does with those students. There is a real parallel here to health care. Academic Performance of College Students. (2016, Oct 22).

Management Strategy and Policy Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Management Strategy and Policy - Research Paper Example The external environment can be analyzed with the aid of tools likes Porter’s Five forces. After analyzing the environment using Porter’s, effective strategies can be formulated. Also, EMAAR’s strengths, weaknesses, competition, opportunities and in particular competitive advantages, also need to be focused while coming up with strong strategies. Thus, the focus will be on strategy development in EMAAR group, starting with a background about the company, then Porter’s Five Forces analysis of its external environment, followed by the focus on its competitive advantages and finally coming up with strategies in key areas which will help it to achieve optimum competence. UAE based Emaar Properties is a Public Joint Stock Company (PJSC) focusing on property development as well as lifestyles related services. Established in 1997, it has grown to become one of the largest property developers in the whole of Middle-East Asia. (â€Å"About Emaar†). It became a PJSC in 2007, after Dubai government garnered around 32% equity stake in Emaar, by exchanging with sizable prime land. Although, its prime focus is property development, it has over 60 companies under its wings, with each company operating in different business sectors, offering varied services including in the sectors like hospitality & leisure, shopping malls, healthcare, education and financial services. (â€Å"Board of Directors†). Apart from its main operations in UAE, EMAAR has expanded geographically doing projects and offering services in many key Asian countries like Saudi Arabia, India, Syria, Pakistan, etc., African countries like Egypt, Morocco, etc., as well as United Sta tes and Canada. It has developed some of the globally well-known and prominent landmarks of UAE. The list includes Downtown Dubai, â€Å"the 500-acre mega-project, home of Burj Khalifa – the world’s tallest building which features the world’s first Armani Hotel Dubai and the world’s

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McClelland's Trichotomy of Needs and other Concepts of Motivation - Essay Example Several scholars define motivation and present their own theories on how employees can be motivated to act. Motivation is the willingness to exert a high level of effort toward organizational goals, conditioned by the effort's ability to satisfy some individual need (Ribbins, 1993 cited in Nasri and Charfeddine, 2012). It is a set of energetic forces that originate from within as well as beyond an individual’s being (Latham and Ernst, 2006). Most employees would work up to a certain point but to stretch beyond, they need some kind of stimuli. These stimuli are the motivating factors that induce an individual to exert extra effort. Thus an increase in motivation results in higher productivity and enhanced profits, which is the ultimate goal of any organization. Thus managers must have knowledge of the motivation theories which will help create a motivational atmosphere.   People have different kinds of motivation and human motivation can vary not only in level but also in typ e. Accordingly, Mirabela-ConstanÈ›a and Maria-Madela (2011) elaborate on intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivations are those activities that give rise to inner satisfaction and are not based on expectations of some extrinsic gains such as monetary compensation.  Ã‚   Extrinsic motivation is said to exist when an activity is performed to obtain some separable outcome. The term ‘separable’ suggests that it is an objective gain whereas intrinsic motivation provides a subjective experience, subjective gain and is not separate from the individual. This is definitely superior to extrinsic motivation and Ryan and Deci also confirm that extrinsic rewards can decrease intrinsic motivation. Extrinsic motivation reflects external control whereas intrinsic motivation provides an opportunity for self-direction.   Threats of punishment also decrease intrinsic motivation whereas verbal praise or some similar external reinforcement may increase intrinsic motivati on.

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Ethical Foundations - Personal Statement Example I have moral obligation to offer my patients the best care possible to alleviate their suffering because it is right to help a person in need. I would not perform abortions because it’s murder unless when saving the life of the mother. This is a dilemma but by saving the mother, I am following the natural law. I would not practice in eugenics or assist in voluntary suicide because it is morally wrong and is against the social norms of the society. These laws preserve the dignity of human life and the sanctity of life as it is God given. They uphold the dignity and respect of medical practice and all who practice it. Human nature makes upholding natural law very difficult. One must be virtuous to have consistency in medical practice. According to Aristotle, a virtue lies between two central vices and is described as the mean by reference to two vices. Cardinal virtues expounded by ancient Greek philosophers are courage, prudence, temperance, and justice. By using reason, we make the right decisions and this will make me achieve job satisfaction and eventually actualization. By being courageous and doing the right thing we get happier and better at our jobs, this law is fundamental to success in the work place, as the code of conduct will govern most of the key decisions in the work place eliminating unnecessary conflict of beliefs. It is my responsibility to care for my patients and be responsive to their needs at all times during their medical care. It is not right to say that this principle applies to females alone as all practitioners care for the sick in health facilities. My responsibility would be to reduce their physical and emotional suffering by using own experience and expertise in the medical field. I would not withhold necessary treatment and facilities to a sick individual for whatever reason because it is morally wrong and against the medical code of ethics. It would be wrong to offer

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Intercultural aspect of conflict resolution Essay Example for Free

Intercultural aspect of conflict resolution Essay During the first day of the workshop, I did not completely understand the real meaning of culture. I did not even have a single definition for the term culture. Many questions came into my mind such as, â€Å"What is culture? What are the factors that create culture? What is the scope of culture? Does culture improve itself or not? Although, I started the inquiry on the concept of culture without certain answers for these questions, I had figured them out step by step during that day. I started to find answers for most of the questions that I faced. I finally understood what culture was and why different people with different cultures had different behaviors. By understanding the factors that influenced culture, I started to learn its importance to the parties who got involved in particular conflicts. Throughout that day, I comprehended why people with different cultures got involved in particular conflicts and what were their objectives. I started to give answers for these queries. They might need someone whom they can air their grievances or opinions with. Moreover, they might only wish that others would respect their culture as it was. In the role play, I learned that listening skill was very helpful in making the parties who were involved in the conflict feel better. Also, they should be given the chance to continue telling their stories without any interruption. I had also learned that I could be able to interact with them simply through body language such as moving my head up and down which tells, â€Å"I understand you. Keep going.† Furthermore, these skills would give me the chance to get as much information as possible and understand the parties’ cultures. Personally, I think that having much understanding of other cultures using the skills mentioned earlier would help me adapt with their behaviors and become more flexible when dealing with them.   Culture’s factors such as religion, climate and geography play very significant roles in parties’ behavior. These explain why different countries have different cultures. Finally, all ideas and skills that I had learned during the first day of the workshop let me pay a close attention on understanding other cultures, respecting their beliefs and values as I want other people do the same thing when they cross my culture. I would try to use these ideas and skills in my daily life – simply by listening to other people and respecting them.

SWOT Analysis | What is SWOT Analysis? | Examples of SWOT Analysis

SWOT Analysis | What is SWOT Analysis? | Examples of SWOT Analysis SWOT analysis was originally conceived and developed in the 1960s and its basic organising principles have remained largely unchanged in the field of strategic management since that time (Kotler et al., 2013). It is, as Ghazinoory, Abdi and Azadegan-Mehr (2011) comment, a systematic framework which helps managers to develop their business strategies by appraising the internal and external determinants of their organisation’s performance. Internal environmental factors include leadership talent, human resource capabilities, the company’s culture as well as the effectiveness of its policies and procedures. In contrast, external factors include competition, government legislation, changing trends, and social expectations (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington, 2008). The SWOT analysis framework involves analysing the strengths (S) and weaknesses (W) of the business’s internal factors, and the opportunities (O) and threats (T) of its external factors of performance (Ghazinoory, Abdi and Azadegan-Mehr, 2011). Through this analysis, the weaknesses and strengths within a company can correspond to the opportunities and threats in the business environment so that effective strategies can be developed (Helms and Nixon, 2010). It follows from this, therefore, that an organisation can derive an effective strategy by taking advantage of its opportunities by using its strengths and neutralise its threats by minimising the impact of its weaknesses. Moreover, SWOT analysis can be applied to both a whole company as well as a specific project within a company in order to identify new company strategies and appraise project feasibility. Hollensen (2010) asserts that the strengths and weaknesses of a company relate to its internal elements such as resources, operational programmes and departments such as sales, marketing and distribution. More specifically, a strength is an advantageous – or even unique – skill, competency, product, or service that a business or project possesses that allows it to create competitive advantages. This may include abstract concepts, such as its possession of strong research and development capabilities. A weakness on the other hand is a strategic disadvantage, such as a skill that the business or project lacks which limits it and creates potential risks in negative economic conditions. Achieving a balance between such positives and negatives is therefore a necessary pre-requisite for any company and it is also imperative that a company continues to review its strengths and weaknesses to take account for changes in its internal environment (Kotler et al., 2013). An opportunity is, as Henry (2011) comments, a desirable condition which can be exploited to consolidate and strengthen a strategic position. Examples of this phenomenon would include growing demand for a trendy new product which it could consider selling, such as that announced by Burger King relating to the introduction of a black cheeseburger (Molloy, 2014). A threat on the other hand, is a condition that creates uncertainties which could potentially damage an organisation’s performance or market share (Henry, 2011). Threats include the introduction of new competing products or services, foreign competition, technological advancements, and new regulations. Examples of the fear of such external factors can be noted in the comments of companies planning to relocate their headquarters and registration bases from Scotland to England in the event of a ‘yes’ vote in the Scottish referendum in September 2014 (Wright, Titcombe and Spence, 2014). Therefore, a company needs to develop strategies to overcome these threats in order to prevent the loss of its market share, reputation, or profit. It must be noted, however, that opportunities and threats exist in the environment and therefore are often beyond the control of the organisation – but they do offer suggestions for strategic direction. SWOT analysis, as a result, demands a great deal of research into an organisation’s present and future position (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington, 2008). The results of SWOT analysis provide a useful source of information from which an organisation can go on to develop policies and practices which allow it to build upon its strengths, diminish its weaknesses, seize its opportunities, and make contingency plans or measures to eradicate or curtail threats, as Kotler et al. (2013) observe. SWOT analysis is widely used by managers because of its simplicity (Hollensen, 2010). It is used as a planning tool that can be adapted to a range of situations and projects. Whilst it is not the only technique available to managers, it can often be the most effective if used properly (Henry, 2011). The basis for a SWOT analysis is usually drawn from an audit review as well as from independently carried out interviews with staff and customers. Data is then analysed to arrive at a list of issues which can be categorised into strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. The key issues and company activities are then reassessed through protracted discussions between managers and reduced further to identify the most important issues and the potential impact that they could have on the organisation. If too many issues are included in the analysis, there will be a lack of focus in the development of a new company strategy and thus it is important to ensure that such discussions focus on a limited number of factors (Ghazinoory, Abdi and Azadegan-Mehr, 2011). Additionally, the issues considered should be made in view of customer opinions and perceptions, which would therefore require objectivity. Ideally, a company should carry out a SWOT analysis on a regular basis in order to assess its situation against its competitors in a constantly evolving market environment (Fernie and Moore, 2013). According to Stalk, Evans and Schulman (1992, p. 62), â€Å"the essence of strategy is not the structure of a company’s products and markets but the dynamics of its behaviour†. It is also recommended that an organisation should develop and undertake SWOT analysis on its competitors so that it is able to take into account consumer perceptions and determinants of their buying behaviour. This is particularly the case with issues such as quality, in which perceptions may be more powerful than reality (Kaplan and Norton, 2008). In today’s highly competitive and fast changing market environment, managers may make a grave error when evaluating their company’s resources; that is, not to assess them relative to the competition (Kotler et al., 2013). A competitive analysis as part of the SWOT framework is always necessary in order to determine an organisation’s position in the wider market. Thus, for example, if a project or business strength is the amount of capital it has to invest in improved IT functionality, this may not be the case if its competitor is investing double this amount to improve its own IT functionality. Thus, it is no longer a strength but rather a weakness for the company. The same competitive analysis should also be taken into account when assessing opportunities and threats, as it depends on the relative situation of the competing businesses (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington, 2008). McDonald (1989, p. 16) states that the â€Å"SWOT device†¦ whilst potentially a very powerful, analytical device, is rarely used effectively†, and recommends using a summary from a marketing audit to arrive at a sound SWOT analysis; the analysis must be conducted rigorously so that it prioritises the issues of paramount importance. Further, McDonald suggests keeping it focused on critical factors only and to maintain a list of differential strengths and weaknesses in comparison to competitors, concentrating mainly on competitive advantages. Additionally, only critical external opportunities and threats should be listed with a focus on the real issues. Finally, according to McDonald (1989), the reader of the SWOT analysis should be left with the main issues encompassing the business to the extent that they are able to derive and develop marketing objectives from them. At the end of the analysis, the organisation is left with reasons behind their choices as well as their potential impacts, which provides them with a stronger basis from which to form future strategic decisions. Example of a SWOT analysis of the McDonald’s Corporation Strengths Open door policy to the press Ceres guidance and co-ordination and active CSR Selective supply chain strategy Rigorous food safety standards Affordable prices and high quality products Nutritional information on packaging Decentralised yet connected system Innovative excellence programme Promoting ethical conduct Profitable Weaknesses Inflexible to changes in market trends Difficult to find and retain employees Drive for achieving shareholder value may counter CSR Promote unhealthy food Promoted CSR meat imports in error Opportunities Attractive and flexible employment Positive environmental commitments Higher standards demanded from suppliers Corporate responsibility committee Honest and real brand image Threats Fabricated stories about the quality of chicken Unhealthy foods for children Health concerns surrounding beef, poultry, and fish Labour exploitation in China CSR at the risk of profit loss Contributor to global warming Local fast food restaurants Political instability (e.g. Russia) Strengths Open door policy to the press At times of wider national food scandals, for instance those related to BSE, McDonald’s operated an open door policy, allowing the press into a limited number its restaurants and suppliers (Vrontis and Pavlou, 2008). This was done as a deliberate measure to reassure the public of the safety of McDonald’s. Ceres guidance and co-ordination, and active CSR McDonald’s, as Valax (2012) notes, co-ordinates with employees, investors, environmental and corporate social responsibility (CSR) organisations, such as Ceres, to improve its social and environmental programmes. As a result of such policies, McDonald’s can be seen to be continually updating its profile to take account of changes in consumer preferences – keeping the firm relevant and allied to the desires of its customers. Selective supply chain strategy McDonald’s works to ensure that its suppliers meet or exceed safety and quality standards as well as complying with best practice with reference to a sustainable food supply and animal welfare (Deng, 2009). Indeed, its recent advertisement campaigns have laid a premium on the traceability of products used. Rigorous food safety standards McDonald’s, as Vrontis and Pavlou (2008) observe, works hard to ensure that high food safety standards are met through training, food, safety and quality and menu development in each restaurant. This filters through to its partners, ensuring that they operate ethically and meet social responsibility standards. The high training required can also be noted by reference to its endorsement of specific qualifications and training for staff – thereby adding value to its workforce (Valax, 2012). Affordable prices and high quality products McDonald’s is an efficient provider of high quality foodstuffs and always seeks to offer the best value to its customers, as noted by its 99p ‘value’ range (Harnack et al., 2008). Nutritional information available on packaging McDonald’s was one of the first fast food restaurants to disclose nutritional information on its packaging and continues to seek new ways in which it can provide nutrition and balanced active lifestyles for its customers (Harnack et al., 2008). Indeed, there are sections of the corporate website specifically tailored to this data. Decentralised yet connected system McDonald’s provides a core system of values, principles and standards which managers adhere to in combination with its â€Å"Freedom within the Framework† programme, which provides them with the flexibility to respond to the diversity of its customers and local markets (McDonald’s Corporation, 2013). Innovative excellence programme McDonald’s employs an array of mystery shoppers who visit premises pretending to be customers. They inspect the premises as customers and rate them accordingly. Many restaurants provide customer comment contact numbers and employee satisfaction surveys. It may also be noted, though anecdotally, that the firm responds quickly to mistakes and problems raised with area managers. Promoting ethical conduct McDonald’s works hard to maintain its integrity with its shareholders through open channels of communication (McDonald’s, 2013). Profitable McDonald’s is profitable, as Wallop (2014) comments, with sufficient capital. This allows it to grow and realise gains on its investments. Thus, McDonald’s is able to offer help to charities as well as itself when in need. Weaknesses Inflexible to changes in market trends If customer trends move towards eating in a more eco-friendly or organically-oriented manner, McDonald’s would be unable to follow this trend without changing suppliers and incurring significant financial losses (Wallop, 2014). McDonald’s could consider the introduction of new products with the aid of market research, in coming years, to prepare them for such potential change. Difficult to find and retain employees McDonald’s has had hostile relationships with unions and, although this has been controlled, the company does find it difficult to find and retain good employees (Valax, 2012). The company can build on its reputation for developing top level managers by further increasing its graduate recruitment portfolio. Drive for achieving shareholder value may counter CSR When McDonald’s profits fall, its stock price often falls as well; as a consequence, it is often forced to take drastic action to resolve the problem. (Wallop, 2014) This often relates to issues of social and environmental responsibility. McDonald’s could be more proactive in finding more long-term CSR suppliers and processes that provide lower costs and higher profit margins, rather than being reactive. Promotion of unhealthy food Despite providing healthier product varieties, McDonald’s continues to sell burgers that have 850 calories in them. . This could continue to harm its reputation as an unhealthy fast food provider. McDonald’s could research ways to reduce the calories in its products whilst still maintaining their taste, or at the least provide low calorie burger options. Much progress has been made in this arena – but it is suggested that more needs to be done (Harnack et al., 2008). Promoted CSR meat imports in error McDonald’s claimed to provide meat from socially and environmentally responsible sources, but a court case found that meat had been imported from Latin America, where rainforests were cleared to create green fields for cattle (Deng, 2009). Where McDonald’s carries out CSR processes or investments, it may wish to consider carrying out random checks to ensure their standards are continually met, to minimise embarrassing press. Opportunities Attractive and flexible employment McDonald’s offers a variety of job opportunities and is proud to say that 42% of its top managers first started by serving customers (McDonalds, 2013). That the company offers a selection of different shift patterns as well as employee benefits can be seen as further reasons as to why McDonald’s attracts employees. Positive environmental commitments McDonald’s incorporates environmental commitments in its daily operations, from the use of environmentally friendly products in maintaining daily ‘drive-thru’ cleaning, to providing sustainable fish sources, to using recycled packaging (McDonald’s, 2013). It was also a pioneer of using bio-diesel and recycling fat from its fryers into a form of fuel. Higher standards demanded from suppliers McDonald’s sets the standards it demands from suppliers for low cost high quality, socially responsible supplies, in return for a long-term business commitment (Yuece, 2012). Corporate Responsibility Committee McDonald’s has a standing Corporate Responsibility Committee that acts as an advisor to its Board of Directors (McDonald’s, 2013). Honest and real brand image McDonald’s has built and maintains a trusting relationship with its shareholders and customers through truthful marketing and communications (Harnack et al., 2008). Threats Fabricated stories about the quality of chicken Emails and websites have published fabricated information that McDonald’s is using ‘monster-chickens’ in its products. McDonald’s could build on its open door policy with the press and apply it to the web, to combat false distribution of information (Kaplan and Norton, 2008). Unhealthy foods for children If competitors begin to offer premium healthy alternatives for children with small gifts to encourage them to eat healthy, this would be a significant threat to McDonald’s (Kotler et al., 2013). McDonald’s positive strategy to provide a range of healthy products could include further healthy products for children in addition to its present offering of carrot sticks. Health concerns surrounding beef, poultry, and fish There are various initiatives working against hormone induced cows and other issues such as bird flu epidemics and heavy metal levels in fish that could reduce McDonald’s sales and cause profits and its share price to fall (Johnson, Scholes and Whittington, 2008). McDonald’s could use its purchasing power to its advantage to source supplies that have proven health benefits. McDonald’s greater work with local farmers in the UK with regard to the sourcing of beef and eggs can be seen as a step in the right direction in this regard. Labour exploitation in China Chinese manufacturers exploit labour in their production of ‘Happy Meal’ toys (Valax, 2012). McDonald’s could use its purchasing power to its advantage to demand that manufacturers provide toys without exploiting labour. CSR at the risk of profit loss If share prices and profitability are under pressure, managers will inevitably seek to resolve it at the risk of a CSR issue (Ceres, n.d.). Contributor to global warming McDonald’s is the largest consumer of beef in the world. Greenfields used to supply this beef comes at the expense of rainforests, heavy use of chemicals, fertilisers and pesticides (Ceres, n.d.). McDonald’s could use its purchasing power to its advantage to source CSR suppliers. Local fast food restaurants Local restaurants which are less environmentally threatening than McDonald’s and have less purchasing power may have better reputations with local suppliers and customers (Wallop, 2014). Political instability Political instability can be a threat to the secure and continued operation of a business. Even if local staff are employed, a tense political situation can cause areas of operation to be closed, in the short- or long-term. An example of this relates to McDonald’s in the Crimea and in Russia; for the foreseeable future, McDonald’s restaurants are closed in the Crimea as a result of the Russian invasion. In retaliation, Russia has temporarily closed a number of McDonald’s restaurants in Russia (Wallop, 2014). From the above SWOT of McDonald’s and the summary that follows it, it can be seen how, by highlighting its position, an organisation can identify areas that could be strengthened, seize opportunities, minimise threats and diminish or eliminate weaknesses. In summary, a SWOT analysis provides a systematic framework for appraising an organisation’s internal and external position. It is a useful tool but it must be constantly updated to enable the company to keep abreast of developments and change its strategies accordingly. Whilst it may be difficult for management to resolve all of the weaknesses and threats highlighted, the company is at least made aware of them through the conducting of a SWOT analysis and can refer to them when implementing future strategies. The McDonald’s SWOT analysis case study highlighted several CSR threats and weaknesses whilst simultaneously highlighting strengths, such as its strong purchasing power which could potentially be used to demand more socially responsible production techniques from its Chinese manufacturers and meat suppliers. It also showed how a more proactive and longer-term approach to its strategies can help it to anticipate changing consumer tastes and demands (Yuece, 2012). Bibliography Ceres (n.d.). Mobilizing business leadership for a sustainable world. Boston, MA: Ceres. Collins, R. (2010). A graphical method for exploring the business environment. Oxford University Working Paper 956. Coman, A. and Ronen, B. (2009). Focused SWOT: Diagnosing critical strengths and weaknesses. International Journal of Production Research, 47(20), pp. 5677-5689. Deng, T. (2009). McDonald’s new communication strategy on changing attitudes and lifestyle. International Journal of Marketing Studies, 1(1), pp. 37-39. Fernie, S. and Moore, C. (2013). Principles of retailing. Abingdon: Routledge. Ghazinoory, S., Abdi, M. and Azadegan-Mehr, M. (2011). SWOT methodology: A state-of-the-art review for the past, a framework for the future. Journal of Business Economics and Management, 12(1), pp. 24-48. Harnack, L.J., French, S.A., Oakes, J.M., Story, M.T., Jeffery, R.W. and Rydell, S.A. (2008). Effects of calorie labelling and value size pricing on fast food meal choices: Results from an experimental trial. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 5(1), 63-81. Helms, M.M. and Nixon, J. (2010). Exploring SWOT analysis – Where are we now?: A review of academic research from the last decade. Journal of Strategy and Management, 3(3), pp. 215-251. Henry, A. (2011). Understanding strategic management. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Hollensen, S. (2010). Marketing management: A relationship approach. Harlow: Pearson Education. Johnson, G., Scholes, K. and Whittington, R. (2008). Exploring corporate strategy: Text cases (8th edn). Harlow: Pearson Education. Kaplan, R.S. and Norton, D.P. (2008). The execution premium: Linking strategy to operations for competitive advantage. Cambridge, MA: Harvard Business Press. Koen, P.A., Bertels, H.M. and Elsum, I.R. (2011). The three faces of business model innovation: challenges for established firms. Research-Technology Management, 54(3), 52-59. Kotler, P., Armstrong, G., Harris, L.C. and Piercy, N.F. (2013). Principles of marketing (6th edn). Harlow: Pearson. McDonald, M.H. (1989). Ten barriers to marketing planning. Journal of Marketing Management, 5(1), 1-18. McDonald’s Corporation (2013). Annual report, 2013. Oak Brook, IL: McDonald’s Corporation. Molloy, M. (2014). Burger King introduces black burger with charcoal cheese in Japan. The Telegraph, 11th September. Stalk, G., Evans, P. and Schulman, L.E. (1992). Competing on capabilities: The new rules of corporate strategy. Harvard Business Review, 70(2), pp. 57-69. Valax, M. (2012). Beyond McDonalds CSR in China: Corporation perspective and report from case studies on a damaged employment reputation. Asian Business Management, 11(3), 347-366. Vrontis, D. and Pavlou, P. (2008). The external environment and its effect on strategic marketing planning: A case study for McDonalds. Journal for International Business and Entrepreneurship Development, 3(3), pp. 289-307. Wallop, H. (2014). Has the world fallen out of love with McDonald’s? Daily Telegraph, 23rd July. Wright, B., Titcombe, J. and Spence, P. (2014). Scotland’s biggest companies reveal ‘Yes’ exodus plans. The Telegraph, 11 th September. Yuece, I. (2012). SWOT analysis of McDonald’s and derivation of appropriate strategies. Munich: GRIN-Verlag.

If you can not decieve, you can not lead :: essays research papers

"The morals of the prince", written by Machiavelli in 1513 has unique and informative points of view. In order to uphold, and / or maintain power, deception is required, regardless of whether it is deemed right or wrong. All political parties, enter into office with the belief that they will do whatever is in the best interest of the people. They intend on being fair, honest, and well liked by those they reign above. However, once elected, they discover that compromise is necessary to achieve anything worth while. For example, naturalists, want land and animals to be protected by those who set out to abuse or disrupt the natural flow. But, on the other hand, hunting and fishing industries bring about a vast amount of revenue, into areas where it is permitted. Therefore, those in power, must compromise the needs and / or wants of their people to keep all parties involved happy, or at least content. Both groups must feel their desires have been accommadated. Hence, state parks, state recreational land, and wildlife refuges are established. Both groups have what they value, the naturalists have the wildlife refuges that are untouched, as close as possible to earth in the beginning of time., and some sta te parks and recreational areas have regulated statutes that permit hunting and / or fishing. Compromise, may be looked upon as deceit to many. Really, they do have similar meanings, but, compromise is a much friendlier word. Would you rather think, your boss, compromised with you or deceived you? When dealing with power, love is also a deception. As long as people love you, they will follow you. As long as you tell the people what they long to hear, they will love you. You can not love what you do not know, nor can you love what you can not trust.

Use of Imagination in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Study in Scarlet and Sig

  Ã‚   While reading Robert Louis Stevenson's The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and Arthur Conan Doyle's A Study in Scarlet and Sign of the Four, I found myself impatiently competing against Mr. Utterson and Sherlock Holmes to find out the solutions to the crimes.   Stevenson and Doyle cleverly use the imagination of their protagonists to display through fictional literature the concern late Victorians felt about the rise of a new science.   The characters of Utterson and Holmes resemble each other in their roles as objective observers who use imagination to create a picture in the reader's mind about the narrative.  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Utterson is a prominent London lawyer retained to oversee Dr. Jekyll's personal affairs.   Utterson is characterized as an upright and honest man who is genuinely interested in his client's well being.   Through his acquaintance with Enfield, a man about London, Utterson learns more about Dr. Jekyll's friend, the mysterious Mr. Hyde.   For the reader's benefit, Utterson exhibits his imagination by opening a window to the discrete aspects of Dr. Jekyll's life.   It is important for readers to envision the discrete aspects of Jekyll's character including his good and evil nature that he continually experiments with through scientific study.   This display of imagination allows the narrative to smoothly unfold and quantify Stevenson's attempt to reveal late Victorian concerns through fiction.        Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the same way, Sign of the Four's character of Holmes uses imagination through his role as an optimistic, amateur detective.   Holmes is portrayed as being driven by his imagination, which compels him to shoot cocaine in order to alleviate the feeling of boredom... ... at Pondicherry Lodge and while Utterson's concern with character of Jekyll discloses an aspect of the new science that probes the duality of good versus evil.      Works Cited and Consulted: Doyle, Arthur Conan.   A Study in Scarlet in The Complete Sherlock Holmes.   New York: Doubleday and Company, Inc., 1930.   22-75. Chesney, Kellow. The Victorian Underworld. New York: Schocken Books, 1970. Macdonald, Ross. "The Writer as Detective Hero." Detective Fiction: A Collection of Critical Essays. Ed. Robin W. Winks. Englewood Cliffs, London: Prentice-Hall, 1980. Stevenson, Robert Louis. The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. First Vintage Classics Edition. New York: Vintage Books, 1991. Veeder, William. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde after One Hundred Years. Eds. William Veeder and Gordon Hirsch. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1988.