buy custom The Educational System and Concern essay

buy custom The Educational System and Concern essay Introduction The educational system and concern Eight years of primary and four years of secondary schooling is offered by the Belize education system. Although the number of preschools has steadily increased over the last decade, preschool education is not compulsory. There are a few post secondary institutions including the NationalUniversity (University of Belize). This institution evolved from the merger of four former government funded tertiary institutions, and the University College of Belize (Longsworth Mason, QADS, 2005). The cost of tertiary education is borne primarily by students and/or their parents, even though government provides support to tertiary institutions. For pupils between 5-14 years old, primary education is compulsory. Moreover, at the secondary level, there were 44 schools with total enrolment of 15, 359 and teaching force of 1,060 of whom 293 or 27.5 percent are classified as graduates with professional training (Longsworth Mason, QADS, 2005). With professionally qualified teachers at this level, this number is a dramatic decline. There are government and grant-aided schools that are fully financed by the government and also a number of denominational grant-aided schools. The Roman Catholics manage a number of schools in the primary school sector. Government pays 100 percent of all teachers salaries, develops curricula and standards, and trains teachers under the church/state partnership. Government also contributes to the cost of capital expenditure and assists with school maintenance for grant aided schools (Longsworth Mason, 2005). Given the substantial level of financing it provides to schools, some have questioned the merits of the government taking over the financing and management. What is often debated is governments ability to fully fund and manage all primary schools. One factor for the low enrolment rates at secondary level is the lack of available space in schools at this level. Additionally, the high private cost of some schools is another factor that was suggested by recent studies. Moreover, in the rural areas, students have to travel several miles to access schools and the transportation cost prevents many from attending. Nevertheless, the most significant factor causing decline in secondary enrolment rates seems to be the socio-economic factors. I tend to agree with Young and Melnicks (1988) account that the impact of poverty and its attendant problems tends to be more severe in inner-city environments than in other geographical settings...(Ainscow West, 2006). For example, in one case in Belize City a government funded secondary school opened approximately three years agostudents pay very little, as such, neighbouring schools that are not fully funded by the government and require the students to pay tuition fees have lost a lot of their students and are at risk of closing down. Therefore, students who were unable to afford these denominational schools are able to participate in secondary education because it is almost free (Longsworth Mason, 2005). Two public examinations are administered on an annual basis at the primary level. To all students completing primary education, the Primary School Examination (PSE) is administered and to all students completing the middle division of primary education, the Belize Junior Achievement Test (BJAT) is administered. As stated by the Quality Assurance and Development Services (QADS) in the Ministry of Education (MOE) Belize Report, the PSE consists of criterion referenced measures in English, Mathematics, Social Studies and Science (2005). Then, the results from the BJAT are provided to schools in a report containing each students scores as well as an analysis of the schools performance compared to other school (MOE/QADS, 2005). External examinations provided by the Caribbean Examination Council (CXC) is the only public examinations or regional examination offered at this time. At the completion of the secondary education, one can take these exams but it is not compulsory. For employment purposes as well as matriculation to higher education institutions locally and/or regionally (Caribbean), the results from these examinations are used. More recently, Kerr West (2010), whom I tend to agree with, as in the case of Belize have also argued that in reality, exam success is at best a proxy indicator for educational quality and there is ample evidence that improving scoresdoes little to influence either post-school choices or opportunities (Kerr West, 2010, p. 38). However, Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) and formerly the Caribbean Examinations Council (CXC), presently the Caribbean Secondary Education Certificate (CSEC), are two examining boards that offer Advanced (A) level examinations in Belize as international examinations. Belize has always been demanding by trying to narrow the gap as they would usually mean in terms of results (Kerr West, 2010, p. 14) and also by putting pressure on the achievement of examination success due to the rapid competition in the region. Colleges receive awards annually for producing students that show outstanding performance in the regional examinations. Kerr and West (2010) ask a similar question; will this create a more equal system in terms of results and access to resources and opportunities needed to get good results for Belize (Kerr West, 2010, p. 14)? The impact of ongoing challenges and educational priorities Despite some developments in certain areas, there still remain ongoing challenges that cause school failures in relation to accommodating the mechanism of the 1999 Education Strategy. Longsworth and Mason (2005) suggested that there is a need for the following: (i.)Greater commitment by government that can translate into adequate resources and access to funds to address access especially at the preschool level; (ii.)Strengthening of the supervision and monitoring of schools; (iii.)Increasing teacher training to reduce the large number of unqualified teachers that are in the system; and (iv.)Greater involvement and strengthening the roles of parents and communities in educaton, etc. (Longsworth Mason, 2005). Fortunately, Longsworth Mason (2005) articulate a much more positive account that the School Performance and Improvement Plans (SPIP) have made significant improvements in schools that have implemented it; hence SPIP must be a requirement for all education institutions (Longsworth Mason, 2005). In this regard, there would appear to be sound evidence in support of the argument that school improvement interventions should be designed carefully, taking into account what is known about successful school development educational policy needs to focus on those things that schools can have an impact on (Kerr West, 2010, p. 48). Many children, who enter the school system at the primary level, as previously indicated, do not complete the cycle and the difficulty increases. Pupils repeat at various stages of the education system, Infant 1 and First Form in particular. Highlighted below are a number of the factors which contribute to the low completion rates within the school system. 1.1 Institutions modus operandi and policies in education Overall recurrent expenditure per primary and secondary school child has been rising in recent years. Although over the years, official expenditure on education has been somewhat constant. A greater shift of the financing to parents has been the cost-sharing norm between the Ministry of Education and institution contributors. Consequently, education is becoming beyond the reach of many households (most evident at the preschool level). This burden has made it difficult for parents and communities to support education adequately. Poverty-stricken parents are unable to feed their children properly and provide adequate health services even with children in schools fully financed by government. Longsworth and Mason (2005) stated that in these circumstances, children whose parents cannot afford costs of instructional materials, school uniforms, tuition fees, and activity fees tend to go to school irregularly and, in the long run, drop out of school (Longsworth Mason, 2005). In addition, parents are unable but also seem to show little interest to educate their children faced with restricted resources, and uncertain returns from education. It is arguable that these factors have negative effects on pupils school involvement and their accomplishment in the end. However, the efforts to provide universal access to education in Belize have been plagued by the legacy of an elitist education system (Longsworth Mason, 2005). What, then, is the level or readiness of students entering primary and secondary schools? I would be inclined to agree with Longsworth Mason (2005) that this question continues to be answered by the high repetition rate at these levels (Longsworth Mason, 2005). A policy shift by government to provide for preschools has been the requirement for children to have a jump-start for primary school. Likewise, leaving very little to be pumped into early childhood education, the heavy costs for primary education continue to take the lions share of governments expenditure. The efficiency and quality of the schools remains a huge challenge not least because private providers of schools have very little in terms of accountability systems to deal with. Schools supervision has been deficient at numerous levels, and frequently a school would be operating for years without being visited by supervisors. There is a lot that must be done to hold management responsible for the provision of education services. 1.2 School-Based components Regarding the reasons for high drop-outs, several school-based factors have been cited. There are in most Belizean schools, low completion rates among primary and secondary pupils. A major factor is the cost of school-based instruction. Many poor pupils go through the accompanying frustrations that affect their academic performance, and end up losing interest in education; ultimately they drop out of school. Another factor which discourages pupils participation in school is the curriculum. The match of the curriculum to the needs and interests of students is low, and hits at the centre of motivating students, hence, reducing their performance and attainment. Again, in the long run, some children give up on education and drop out of school (Caribbean News Now, 2010). Another problem occurs when teachers lack training and build negative attitudes; studies of school drop-outs indicate that these factors also drive pupils out of school. Some children dislike school because the environmen t is not conducive to learning. Absenteeism, poor performance, and non-completion of the education cycle are obvious results of this. 1.3 Community-Based and Home components Child labour has become vital for family survival as the level of poverty increases. Measures should be set in place and emphasized for the betterment of all the lives of the children involved and the society at large. It has also been suggested that the government and its partners in education must continue to promote early childhood education with viable policy initiatives to salvage the education system from this inefficiency (Longsworth Mason, 2005). How to reduce school failure and what agenda/policy can prevent school failure? It is worth noting that there is no silver bullet when looking at the factors towards reducing school failure. Solutions require a coordinated approach, including resources that go beyond the school. It needs incorporation of efforts from students, teachers, parents, administrators, community-based organizations, businesses, as well as the government. The ministry of education (MOE) Action Plan 2005-2010 (Belize Education Reform Targets, 2005) cites key areas that are guided by current reforms and includes the ongoing and planned strategies for improvement: Early Childhood Education and Development the first and highly prioritized area where there is the urgent need to increase access opportunities. Building the needed foundation for further learning is a critical stage of childrens development. Teacher Training this addressses the large numbers of untrained primary school teachers, also the poor quality and need to create better opportunity for training. Longsworth and Mason (2005) emphasize that the development of the Belize Institute for Teacher Education as an arm of the Ministry of Education will focus on ensuring that while access to training is increased, quality is not lost in the process (Longsworth Mason, 2005). Adult and Continuing Education basically to consolidate and review existing programs, rather than initiating new ones. Curriculum and Assessment the school curriculum must remain relevant at all levels of the education system. MOE has to ensure as well that the plan addresses both curriculum and assessment needs while seeking to reform the current system thus promoting improved educational standards (MOE, 2009). Technical and Vocational Education -for economic improvement and social development, it is clear that a well trained work force is critical. As MOEs action plan states, this realization evidently led the Government of Belize to seek to invest in the development of Technical and Vocational Education Services (MOE Action Plan, 2005). Special Education Longsworth and Mason add that the principle of Inclusion and the principle of Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) (Longsworth Mason, 2005) are two main principles that governs the provision of education for children with special educational needs. As a result, maintenance of special schools and classes, resource classrooms and home schooling is an integral part of MOEs plan of action (MOE, 2010). Higher Education this should contribute to the development of knowledge, enterprise, leadership, governance, participatory democracy, and poverty alleviation. Policy Development it is therefore, a great importance that the available documents be reviewed and formalized in the system as one single National Education Policy document used to inform the planning and the delivery of education services (Longsworth Mason, 2005). Longsworth and Mason (2005) mentions that the Ministry must develop one document which will capture the key policies under the title National Policy for Education (Longsworth Mason, 2005). It seems then that the government has some clear ideas about what needs to be done. Now it should find the means to implement it! Other participating Caribbean territories along with Belize have selected to address the problem of school failure by way of developing policies and programs. Evidence shows that in the case of Belize, just a few preschool age children are registered in preschools, as such, educational foundations have been weak, resulting in school failure (MOE Action Plan, 2005). Hence, in collaboration with international organizations such as UNESCO and UNICEF, the unit Quads will ensure relevant quality education through the development and monitoring of the implementation of national standards for the performance of students, teachers and schools (QADS, 2005). This would be a good first step. Conclusion and moving ahead Classroom teachers have pointed to serious limitations in childrens reading, speaking and comprehension of the English language (the official language of Belize), especially with majority of students entering at the primary level. Although it is a challenge, we need to try to understand where young people are coming from and how such understanding can help us with the task of school improvement (Rudduck, Chaplain Wallace, 1996, p. 172). Socio-economic factors have prevented the involvement of many children in various levels. At the district level, training continues, which ensures greater participation. In keeping with the firm belief that It is only through Education that we will provide our people with the knowledge, information, skills, values and attitudes required for personal and national development (MOE, 2010). In some cases children themselves have to cautiously examine the opportunity costs of education in poor households. In my own experience, I was one of eight children in a family with limited means. Nevertheless, I still had the objective of furthering my education. Despite the fact that my father left during my teenage years, I remained positive and stepped in to fill the responsibilities. These hardships helped to mould me into a positive person. I firmly believe that education is the vehicle that will lead to a better life. I also entered the political arena at the tender age of 19 and served three terms in the local government. As a result, I have leveraged the political tools along with my teaching experience to further enhance students life and development at secondary level institutions in Belize. Nonetheless, where parent (s) and children have negative attitudes towards education or do not see its immediate benefits, the consequence is a high drop-out rate in that situation. The level of performance as well as interest of children in school will always be proportional to the circumstances of the immediate learning environment. Children need someone to stand by them and e ncourage them all the time that they can achieve greater things in life (Ministry of Education, 2011). Therefore, when this vital component lacks in the lives of most of the children, their vision is intercepted by other interests such as child labour and early marriages among others. It is worth noting that, among all other stakeholders, parents and guardians and the society at large have the responsibility of encouraging children to develop and preserve an interest in education for the betterment of their future. The Belize government has developed an action plan (2005-2010). This was in consultation with Ministry personnel and experienced educators to improve, support, empower and provide a system of education that represents and produce excellence in Belize (Longsworth Mason, 2005), which is still ongoing presently. Is Belize now beginning to make progress? Greater investment in early childhood education and other levels of education will continue to be the focus on the way forward for Belize. I certainly agree that the government and its partners in education must continue to promote early childhood education and in addition come up with viable policy initiatives, including affirmative action to salvage the education system from this inefficiency (Longsworth Mason, 2005). Buy custom The Educational System and Concern essay

Transformational Leadership at Virgin Group

Transformational Leadership at Virgin Group Introduction Leadership is an important aspect of an organisation that will always have a direct impact on the success in achieving its objectives. The world is very competitive and for firms to manage this competition there is a need to have a leadership structure that is conscious of the dynamic factors of the environment. It is through proper leadership that a firm can embrace the changing environmental factors and is able to meet the changing market demands.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Transformational Leadership at Virgin Group specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Firms that are successful in the market today owe their success to adequate leadership. Richard Branson is one of the leaders in the contemporary world that has come out strongly as a transformational leader with the capacity to inspire the employees to achieve the best results. The Virgin Group of companies under the Virgin Foundation is one of the la rgest companies in the world. According to Fey (2012, p. 72), this company has grown from a small firm that was selling articles to a college, to a multinational company trading in various countries around the world. This firm has been able to venture into various industries with a lot of success. This is attributed to the leadership style of Richard Branson and his team of management. Sir Richard Branson has worked closely with his team of employees to ensure that this firm increases its scope of market and its profitability. The Virgin Group is one of the best brands in the world. According to Cutcher (2007, p. 241), Virgin Group has been used in many case studies as a success story around the world. It is one of the firms that have experienced consistent rise, from a small firm that did not get attention of members of the society, to a large firm that plays a very important role in boosting the economy of the United Kingdom. The success of this firm, as Budhwar (2006, p. 510) say s, is attributed to the management style that the leader applies in managing operations of the business. This research will focus on how transformational leadership is used in Virgin Group and how it has helped the firm to become successful in the market. Management Style Used by Richard Branson Sir Richard Branson is a strong supporter of individualized attention to every employee. According to Baruch (2008, p. 430), transformational leadership encourages the approach of management where the manager gives direct attention to each employee within the firm. This means that the manager would avoid cases where a decision is made on a generalised term. Every employee has unique qualities that make him or her different from others. This uniqueness of the individuals makes it necessary for the management to ensure that every employee is understood perfectly within the organisation. All the employees of this firm who are in the managerial positions have at one moment or another met Richard Branson in person (Guesa 2010, p. 510). In such meetings, he would engage the employee in a dialogue with the sole purpose of gathering any information that may be relevant in understanding that person.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More He would then ensure that such an individual is given attention based on his or her unique characters. This is what he would insist should be transferred to all the junior employees whom he cannot reach directly. This is part of total quality management technique used by this management. The diagram below explains this. Figure 1: Total Quality Management Used at Virgin Group Source: Baruch (2008, p. 430) Transformational Leadership in Organisations Pielstick (2005, p. 75) defines leadership as a process where an individual (a leader) offers guidance to a group of individuals (followers) in an organisational structure. Leadership is one of the most important factors in any organisation. Leadership and management share a number of attributes, but they differ in various fronts. Transformational leadership is defined by Yukl (2010, p. 117) as a type of leadership that uses motivation to enhance the performance of employees. Transformational leadership, as the name suggests, provides a completely new path to approaching various issues in an organisation. It provides the employees with an insight. One of the main aims of a transformational leader is to create a completely new approach in managing various issues within the organisation. This is what the current world demands of a firm. Emerging technologies are changing various approaches of management. The emerging trends need new approaches that can be used to provide a way in which they can be managed differently. This is what the management of the Virgin Group has been practising.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Transformational Leadersh ip at Virgin Group specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Transformational leadership attempts to make employees discover themselves. According to Hacker and Tammy (2004, p. 46), a transformational leader will always make followers realise that they have untapped capacity which they can exploit to get better results in every activity they are doing. Unlike management, leadership takes the front line in bringing a change that is needed. It involves making the followers realise that they are a part of the change. It makes employees own the whole process. They feel that some changes that are proposed are a part of them and are meant to make their work easier. This way, they develop the responsibility to ensure that these changes are accomplished successfully and within the specified time. Such leadership will evoke desires on the followers to see to it that specific desires are achieved within the specified time. It is an art of tying the objectives of a firm to those of employees. Nature and Relevance of Transformational Leadership in Organisations Transformational leadership has some characteristics that make it unique among other forms of leadership. Transformational leadership cherishes authenticity. It encourages followers to act as natural as possible. People who act naturally always tend to give their best. Passion is another major characteristic of transformational leadership. Transformational leaders must be passionate about every action they take. This way, it becomes possible for the followers to take this characteristic from the leaders. Followers will develop passion when they realise that their leader has passion in his or her actions. Transformational leadership should also embrace creativity. Creativity is crucial in the contemporary world. Leaders must be able to solve problems in a creative manner (Pardey 2007, p. 78). They have to encourage the culture of creativity in their employees. This way, their organis ation will be able to be creative in the market. Richard Branson has always cherished these factors in his leadership. Transformational leaders always have self-awareness. They understand what they stand for and are able to express this feeling to the followers. This way, it would be easy to avoid cases where a leader issues instruction which he or she can change abruptly without a clear explanation for the same. Transformational leaders always have interpersonal intelligence. This is important to help bring people of different social backgrounds together. Organisation brings together individuals from different backgrounds. It would require interpersonal intelligence to make these people reason in the same line and work as a unit towards achieving specific objectives.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More In managing organisations today, Conger (2006, p. 39) says that integrity is also of utmost importance. A transformational leader always has integrity. It is important to note that transformational leadership aims at bringing a completely new approach of doing various activities in a better way. Integrity will be one of the main ingredients in that leadership. It will be possible to tell others to maintain integrity only if the leaders show the same in their actions. A transformational leader must also develop clarity of purpose. The leader must be sure of what he or she wants from the followers and from the leaders. According to Biswas (2011, p. 27), having a clear sense of purpose on what one does makes it possible to measure the level of success of an individual. This way, it becomes easy for such a leader to determine the rate at which objectives of the firm are being achieved. Finally, such a leader always has global awareness of various factors in the environment. When the lea der is managing a large multinational organisation, understanding factors in the immediate environment may not make one formulate policies that can benefit all the branches of the firm. Such a leader must have global awareness of various environmental factors in order to transform employees and the firm in general towards desired direction. Besides the above characteristics, transformational leadership has four main elements that help in making it unique in the market. The four are discussed below. Evaluation of the Behaviour of Leaders in the Selected Organisation Richard Branson has demonstrated capacity of a leader in his Virgin Foundation. Being a brilliant entrepreneur, Branson has managed to grow the Virgin Empire to capture various industries around the world. He has demonstrated leadership capacity that is beyond reproach. According to Bustin (2004, p. 67), Branson believes that the strength of the firm is bestowed in the employees. He has therefore maintained a cordial rela tionship with the employees, always making them feel that they are appreciated within the organisation. One of the most important cultures he has developed within the organisation is trust in peers. Employees spend much of their time with fellow employees. They interact with their peers when doing different activities geared towards achieving specific goals for the firm. Employees should therefore develop positive attitude towards their peers in order to ensure that the internal working environment is peaceful. They should share innovative ideas amongst themselves and develop a working environment where each team member is a protector of others. Trust in peers refers to the extent to which workers in similar job positions would be willing to cooperate amongst themselves to accomplish certain tasks. In the organisation, it is understood that peers interact with their workmates as far as accomplishment of tasks is concerned. An employee would be tempted to work hard after realising th at his colleague is committed to realising certain goals (Kouzes Posner 2006, p. 56). For instance, peers choose certain models of performance once they notice that they have similar objectives. Trust in peers therefore refers to choosing appropriate models meant for achieving high results. This has helped Branson build a very strong Virgin Atlantic Empire. Branson has also been keen on encouraging participation at work amongst all the employees. The workplace requires participation of all members of the organisation. Employees should develop an attitude of collective participation at work. Branson has ensured that all cases of individualism are eliminated, and its place is a team spirit (Northouse 2010, p. 67). All the members of the organisation have been made to realise that they have a responsibility to participate in every activity that the organisation undertakes. To achieve this, Branson has ensured that there is clear separation of duties among various groups within the org anisation. Division of labor is important because it creates a sense of responsibility (Pielstick 2005, p. 120). Employees will feel that they have a role specifically meant for them. They will realise that their failure to achieve the goals set for them would lead to a loss for the entire firm. Employees would feel guilty of carrying the blame for a possible failure of the entire firm. They will make an effort to accomplish their tasks to avoid blame coming from their side. Richard Branson has been keen on guiding the behaviour of individuals, groups and teams within this organisation. According to a report by Conger (2006, p. 59), Branson has been keen on determining the behaviour of every single employee and team within the organisation. This scholar says that there is always a need to shape the behaviour of employees in order to ensure that they act within the expectations of the leader. To achieve this, Branson has created an organisational culture that is unique to this firm. Creating an organisational culture within the firm helps ensure that the behaviour of individuals or teams formed within the organisation can be predicted by the leader (Burns 2009, p. 113). A leader should be not be caught unaware by an action of an individual follower or a group of them because the leader is always expected to be on top of every situation within the organisation. Being able to predict the behaviour of the employees or teams gives the manager an upper hand in control it as would be desirable. At Virgin Group, Branson has been very keen on ensuring that employees embrace change. According to Rollinson (2005, p. 89), Branson is one of the contemporary managers who cherish change within their organisation. He has been keen on influencing employees’ readiness for change by making change part of the organisational culture of this company. The Impact of the Leadership Style on the Performance of the Firm The impact of the leadership style used by Richard Branson i n the Virgin Group is evident in the performance of this firm. According to Artur (2008, p. 680), the Virgin Group is one of the best performing firms globally. The group defied the massive economic recession that hit the United Kingdom and the rest of the world to register a growth (Jensen 2011, p.671). The firm is considered as one of the few firms with capacity to run in various industries with a considerable level of success. This may be attributed to the transformational leadership approach that Branson has employed in managing his employees. In order to understand the impact of this leadership style, SWOT analysis will be necessary to analyse its strengths and weaknesses, the opportunities it poses and some of the threats. According to Barney (2010 p. 99), transformational leadership is one of the best leadership theories that managers in the contemporary world should consider employing. One of the main strengths of this leadership structure is that it inspires employees to wo rk beyond their current capacity. The business world is increasingly getting competitive. There are various competitive forces in the market, which is always a threat to a firm that does not consider coming up with the strategies to manage them. Managing competitive forces would need a team of dedicated employees who have the capacity to meet the demands of the customers however dynamic they are (Marchington 2012, p. 285). The Virgin Group is one of the success stories in the transport industry. The Virgin Air is one of the biggest airplane firms in the world, capturing the markets in Europe, in North and South America, Asia and Africa among other continents. In the financial sector, this firm has been performing well given the strategy that it has employed in dealing with the customers. All these are because of the leadership structure applied by the top management unit of this firm. This leadership structure poses some opportunities for the prosperity of this firm in the market. I n this firm, Biswas (2011, p. 105) says, Branson has created an environment where every employee feels aggressive and determined to achieve better results each time. Branson has created an organisational culture where employees feel obliged to work even for extra time in order to reach for a specific target. Although the extra time worked would always be paid, the employees always have a stronger desire to see success in whatever they are doing, than to earn the extra income. They consider their work as of utmost importance, and thus would give it all the concentration that they possibly can (Pielstick 2005, p. 104). The result of this concerted effort is clearly evident in the kind of growth this firm has achieved. Employees of this firm remain the stronghold that has seen it through to its current glorious position. With Richard Branson still at the head of this firm, Virgin Group is destined to greater heights as the future is very bright. It is important to appreciate that this leadership theory has some weaknesses. One of the main weaknesses is that it assumes that every single employee would respond positively to the motivational factors directed to him or her. For this reason, this leadership strategy should be used alongside other theories as identified in the appendix shown below. Employees must realise that they are responsible for their acts of omission or commission, and that they are expected to deliver on their assignments. Similarly, this leadership strategy is prone to some threats in the environment. The theory emphasises the need to give employees some form of freedom within the firm, and that the information should always flow smoothly from the top office to the junior employees. However, some employees can be moles of competing firms. Giving them this freedom and allowing information to flow freely will be like allowing the competitors to have an easy way of accessing classified information about the firm. This may make it vulnerable to its competitors. Conclusion and Recommendations It is apparent from the above discussion that transformational leadership is very important in the current society in helping firms manage the market forces. The Virgin Group has been successful in the market because its management has embraced transformational leadership. This management has come to appreciate the power of having a team of motivated employees. For this reason, it has always focused on ensuring that employees remain motivated while working for this firm. The management has ensured that these employees are made to feel that they own Virgin Group rather than being employees of this firm. It is only through this that firms in the current competitive market can be successful. The management should be conscious of various forces in the environment which have a direct impact on the firm. These factors should be managed properly in order to ensure that they do not have negative consequences for the firm. In order to realise this , the following recommendations should be observed. The management should always ensure that its employees remain positively motivated within the firm. The leadership of the firm should always try to ensure that it embraces dynamism in line with the changing environmental factors. There should be a clear communication system within the organisation between the management and junior officers, among the employees and within the management. Every member of the organisation should understand his or her role within the firm and how this role is related to the role of other members of the firm. Appendix House’s Path Goal Theory According to Rollinson (2005, p. 79), â€Å"This theory has its basis on the premise that employees’ perception of expectancies between his effort and performance is heavily influenced by leader’s behavior.† According to this theory, four leadership styles are important in ensuring success within an organisation. The four include dire ctive nature of the leader, supportive leadership, participative leadership and result-oriented leadership. These behavioural leadership characteristics will influence employee behavioor and manage environmental factors in order to achieve leadership effectiveness. List of References Artur, J 2008, Effects of human resource systems on manufacturing performance and turnover, The academy of management journal, vol. 37, no. 3, p. 670-687. Barney, J 2010, Firm resources and sustained competitive advantage, Journal of management, vol. 17, no.1, pp. 99. Baruch, Y 2008, Response rate in academic studies-A comparative analysis, Human relations, vol. 52, no. 4, pp. 421-438. Biswas, S 2011, Commitment, involvement, and satisfaction as predictors of employee performance, South Asian Journal of Management, vol. 18 no. 2, pp. 92-107. Budhwar, P 2006, Rethinking comparative and cross-national human resource management research, The International Journal of Human Resource Management, vol. 12, no. 3, pp. 497-515. Burns, J 2009, Leadership in the Contemporary World, Harper Row, New York. Bustin, G 2004, Take Charge: How Leaders Profit From Change, Tapestry Press, Irving. Conger, J 2006, The Practice of Leadership: Developing the Next Generation of Leaders, Wiley, New York. Cutcher, G 2007, Impact on Economic Performance of a Transformation in Workplace Relations, Management Journal, vol. 44, no. 1, pp. 241. Fey, C 2012, The effect of human resource management practices on MNC subsidiary performance in Russia, Journal of International Business Studies, vol. 32, no. 1, pp. 59-75. Guesa, E 2010, Human resource management and industrial relations, Journal of management Studies, vol. 24, no. 5, pp. 503-521. Hacker, S Tammy, R 2004, Transformational Leadership: Creating Organization of Meaning. Milwaukee, Quality Press, Wisconsin. Jensen, T 2011, The impact of human resource management practices on turnover, productivity, and corporate financial performance, Academy of management j ournal, vol. 38, no. 3, pp. 635-672. Kouzes, J Posner, B 2006, The Leadership Challenge, Jossey-Bass, San Fransico. Marchington, M 2012, Involvement and participation, Human Resource Management: A Critical Text, vol. 7, no. 67, pp. 280-305. Northouse, P 2010, Leadership: Theory and Practice, Sage, New York. Pardey, D 2007, Introducing leadership, Butterworth-Heinemann, New Jersey. Pielstick, D 2005, The Transforming Leader, a Meta-Ethnographic Analysis, The Community College Review, vol. 4 no. 3, pp. 65-138. Rollinson, D 2005, Organisational Behaviour and Analysis: An Integrated Approach, Pitman, London. Yukl, G 2010, Leadership in Organisations, Prentice Hall, New Jersey.

The Olympics - Ancient Greek Funeral Games

The Olympics - Ancient Greek Funeral Games Its a curious aspect of sports that even when they are part of a celebration of global peace, like the Olympics, they are nationalistic, competitive, violent, and potentially deadly. Substitute panhellenic (open to all Greeks) for global and the same could be said about the ancient Olympics. Sports, in general, could be described as ritualized warfare where one power competes with another, where each hero (star athlete) strives to defeat a worthy opponent within a setting where death is unlikely. Rituals of Compensation for the Catastrophe of Death Control and ritual seem to be the defining terms. In coming to grips with the eternally present fact of death (remember: antiquity was a time of high infant mortality, death by diseases we can now control, and almost incessant warfare), the ancients put on shows where death was under human control. Sometimes the outcome of these shows was purposeful submission to death (as in the gladiatorial games), at other times, it was ​a  victory. Origin of the Games in Funerals The[re] are a number of possible explanations of the custom of funeral games such as to honor a dead warrior by reenacting his military skills, or as a renewal and affirmation of life to compensate for the loss of a warrior or as an expression of the aggressive impulses that accompany rage over the death. Perhaps they are all true at the same time.- Roger Dunkles Recreation and Games * In honor of his friend Patroclus, Achilles held funeral games (as described in Iliad 23). In honor of their father, Marcus and Decimus Brutus held the first gladiatorial games in Rome in 264 BCE. The Pythian Games celebrated Apollos slaying of the Python. The Isthmian games were a funeral tribute to the hero Melicertes. The Nemean games celebrated either Hercules killing of the Nemean lion or the funeral of Opheltes. All of these games celebrated death. But what about the Olympics? The Olympic games also began as a celebration of death, but like the Nemean games, the mythological explanations for the Olympics are confused. Two central figures used to explain the origins are Pelops and Hercules who are genealogically linked insofar as Hercules mortal father was Pelops grandson. Pelops Pelops wished to marry Hippodamia, the daughter of King Oenomaus of Pisa who had promised his daughter to the man who could win a chariot race against him. If the suitor lost the race, he would also lose his head. Through treachery, Oenomaus had kept his daughter unmarried and through treachery, Pelops won the race, killed the king, and married Hippodamia. Pelops celebrated his victory or King Oenomaus funeral with Olympic games. The site of the ancient Olympics was in Elis, which is in Pisa, in the Peloponnese. Hercules After Hercules cleaned the Augean stables, the king of Elis (in Pisa) welshed on his deal, so, when Hercules had a chance after he finished his labors he returned to Elis to wage war. The conclusion was foregone. After Hercules sacked the city, he put on the Olympic games to honor his father Zeus. In another version, Hercules merely regularized the games Pelops had instituted.

Quality Assurance Program for Moose Winooskis Restaurnat Essay

Quality Assurance Program for Moose Winooskis Restaurnat - Essay Example However, merely philosophizing about the importance of strategy or publishing statements of management's support of the notion is not enough. Moose Winooski's has introduced quality assurance programs aimed to improve service quality, sustain strong brand image and leading position of the market. In Moose Winooski's, Quality Assurance (QA) programs involve all departments and employees. What is required is a business process to aid organizations in focusing their total quality efforts on issues that most directly support strategy. By focusing on the quality strategy, Moose Winooski's makes significant progress toward the overall goal of increasing customer satisfaction. Organizationally, QA can be seen as a new philosophy of business and a part of culture (Goetsch and Davis 2003). A proper balance of these actions results in working more effectively together toward increasing overall quality. Moose Winooski's there is a need to adopt quality as a business strategy whereby workers would enjoy the working environment and be proud of the resulting products or services. Part of achieving this result is encouraging and managing the participation of these workers in their day-to-day jobs (Goetsch and Davis 2003). For instance, the standards of the company are based three keys: 'pe rformance, support and innovation' (Moose Tracks 2007). At the organizational level, QA programs are determined by careful planning, control and feedback mechanisms. Personally, QA means commitment and high level of responsibilities, sense of belonging and support for success, effective teamwork and positive culture. Moose Winooski's states that: "our goals, passions, and values are the foundation of Moose Winooski's, and the source of six principles that guide out behavior and the conduct of our business: hospitality, respect, fairness, fun, sharing, and courage" (Moose Tracks 2007). There are no differences in view points because in Moose Winooski's, management provides leadership and direction to each level of the organization. The key is to provide each function with a clear understanding of its specific role in implementing organizational strategy. Each member of Moose Winooski's is then in a position to offer and implement suggestions and process improvements specifically designed to support the strategy (Goetsch and Davis 2003). With a shared understanding of the strategy and quality assurance management more effectively and efficiently manage organizational efforts. Managers are responsible for providing active leadership to the organization. This includes providing feedback, encouragement, constructive criticism, and discipline so that a pervasive, well-understood success paradigm exists and all team members know their expected role. Employees in Moose Winooski's are responsible for fully participating in the strategy development process. They then embrac e the resulting plans and do their part to implement them fully. Finally, they should approach their day-to-day job in a way that supports the organization's goals (Marath and Turnbull, 1998). QA programs are designed to link with organization's goals and strategies, vision and aims. In general, QA programs are based on four main functions of management: planning, organizing, leading and controlling. There are very clear and distinct roles for both managers and employees

Systems and Operations- Critical Evaluation of Relevant Issues Essay

Systems and Operations- Critical Evaluation of Relevant Issues - Essay Example Moreover, in the year 2002, Gerard J. Arpey became the Chief Operating Officer as well as the President of American Airlines. American Airlines under the leadership of Gerard J. Arpey became part of the ‘oneworld’, one of the foremost global alliances in the field of airlines (American Airlines, Inc., 2008). Current Operational Areas of American Airlines Product & Service Design According to Moritz, product & service design is â€Å"the design of the overall practices of a service as well as the design of the process along with different strategies in order to provide a particular service†. In addition, it is a process which covers the four D’s, that is define, discover, develop and deliver. It is all about recognising the market, client and organisation, developing ideas, transform them into practicable solutions and eventually to help in implementing them (Moritz, 2005). The operational areas of American Airlines includes such as product & service designs , supply chain management system, planning inventory control, resource planning and quality management among others. The product that the organisation deals basically with is the airline service and also it produces numerous service designs to its wide range of customers worldwide. One of the most significant services of American Airlines is their introduction of Admirals Club which is especially intended for their travelling customers (American Airlines Inc, 2008). Admirals Club as a quality feature offers an expansive range of facilities such as individual workstations, computers with internet facility; extensive distance telephones, children’s rooms, music rooms and a wide variety of sweet and flavourful snacks... According to the research findings with the advent of increased use of technology and competition in the airlines industry, there is a need of a very practical applicable theory that is maximising revenue and reducing cost for every organisation of the airlines industries in order to survive in today’s business environment. In the paper, the current operational areas of American Airlines that include the various operational fields like the organisations product and service design, supply chain management processes, planning inventory control processes, resource planning policies and quality management among others are focused. And also an analytical discussion has been made regarding these key processes within the operational areas of the organisation that significantly contributes to the competitive advantage. Also the various organisational, management and technical issues surrounding the information system has been elaborately discussed. In this connection, certain instruct ions were also recommended regarding the improvement to the specialised areas of the organisation which might eventually prove beneficiary as well successful for American Airlines. The concept of knowledge management is also highlighted and ultimately it can play a significant role or position within the organisation in alleviating the prevalent issues. Moreover, the ethical concerns and the security threats to the recommended information systems is also highlighted and certain controllable factors were also prescribed in order to cope up with several issues and threats that are prevailing within the organisation.

Relational Data Model Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Relational Data Model - Assignment Example The attribute "is leader" should be removed from the table Candidate because this information already exists in the table Party. It is possible to get to know if a Candidate is leader of any party with looking through references to leaders in the table Party. .. First_name Middle_name Last_name address gender date of birth Party Pk_id Fk_leader name address date established Candidate Pk_id Fk_electorate Fk_party First_name Middle_name Last_name address gender date of birth is leader Second normal form (2NF) further addresses the concept of removing duplicative data: Meet all the requirements of the first normal form. Remove subsets of data that apply to multiple rows of a table and place them in separate tables. Create relationships between these new tables and their predecessors through the use of foreign keys. (Chapple 2005) So, personal information, such as name (first, middle, last), address, gender, and date of birth can be taken apart into separate table Person. It also should have a primary key named Pk_id. Then tables Elector and Candidate should reference to it via secondary (foreign) key Fk_person. Therefore there are 5 tables in the relational database schema for the 2NF: Person Pk_id First_name Middle_name Last_name address gender date of birth Electorate Pk_id unique name number of registered voters Elector Pk_id Fk_electorate Fk_party_vote Fk_candidate_vote Fk_person Party Pk_id Fk_leader name address date established Candidate Pk_id Fk_electorate Fk_party Fk_person is leader Third normal form (3NF) goes one large step further: Meet all the requirements of the second normal form. Remove columns that are not dependent upon the primary key. (Chapple 2005) The attribute "is leader" should be removed from the table Candidate because this information already exists in the table Party. It is possible to get to know if a Candidate is leader of any party with looking through references to leaders in the table Party. There's no attributes that are not dependent upon the primary key. Here are

Nuclear Power and Solar Power Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Nuclear Power and Solar Power - Essay Example In a nuclear power station, the element uranium is applied in the process of producing nuclear power. The process of producing nuclear energy takes place in a nuclear reactor. In the nuclear reactor, the fuel used is uranium rods, and through nuclear fission, heat is generated. Heat in the nuclear core is generated when neutrons split in half after shattering into nucleus of the uranium atoms. Thereafter, water is passed through the heat, and as a result, steam, which drives turbines, is produced. Generators, connected to these turbines produce electricity (Petersons 23). It is also possible to produce nuclear energy via fusion. Fusion generally utilizes tritium or deuterium as a fuel, while recent advances have seen boron and lithium used. This process is, however , is expensive and complex thus has yet to be utilized commercially. Spent nuclear fuel can be assimilated into fuels of mixed oxides, and this is done in large scale, in France and Britain (Petersons 34). However, France, the most efficient of the assimilators, only reprocesses 28% of fuel used yearly. In a solar plant, sunlight is converted to electric energy via PV or CSP. CSP or concentrated solar power utilizes lenses and systems for tracking in order to focus large sunlight areas into smaller beams (Petersons 52). PV or Photovoltaics utilize Photoelectric effect to convert sunlight into energy, which is electricity. Commercial CSP plants were established commercially in the 1980s (Petersons 54). PV has been utilized since the 1860,s after fears on the â€Å"foreseeable† shortage of coal. Rationally, the facts are stacked in favor of solar energy. Recent studies by NC WARN show that costs related to nuclear energy are going up with the most recent estimate being 20 ¢$/kwh, while costs related to solar energy are going down, recently estimated at 15.9 ¢/kwh, before transmission charges at the site (Petersons