Technology and the Positive Affect in the Classroom Essay...

Technology in the classroom is an up and coming technique that has caused controversy among teachers, parents, and experts. Technology has become and could quite possibly forever be a part of every day life and educators now have the option of either fighting it or embracing it. â€Å"Technology is killing our work ethic† is a buzzing debate between educators of every grade level and studies around the world are taking place in hopes to â€Å"prove† which teaching method would result in benefiting the pupils. According to Hicks (2011), â€Å"In today’s educational system technology is inevitable. Technology ultimately boasts many benefits when used in the classroom and can enrich the learning experiences of students† (p. 188). Hicks stating that†¦show more content†¦If the youth of society is educated in the proper use of technology in order to expand their minds, not much damage to the education system can be done. â€Å"The saturation of techno logy in students’ lives has produced an entirely different type of student, shaping the way they think, learn, and experience the world around them† (Hicks, 2011, p. 188). Hicks’s statement about an â€Å"entirely different type of student† is exactly what teachers of the world are facing right now. Today’s educators did not grow up in a society dominated by technology so it is common for them to be reluctant to that drastic new direction in teaching. Educators are learning just as much about the technologies offered today as the youth are so training teachers to feel comfortable with every available outlet for education may help decrease the resistance. â€Å"Teachers who are properly trained to use the technology and have adequate technical support are much more likely to integrate technology into everyday lessons within the classroom than teachers who do not have this kind of support† (Hicks, 2011, p.189). With proper support for teachers , integrating technology can be a smooth process. Again, fighting the inevitable eventually comes to an end. A study byShow MoreRelatedThe Impact Of Technology On A Student s Ability880 Words   |  4 Pagesof technology in the classroom is a pressing topic in education. There are both positive and negative arguments when discussing the impact of technology on a student’s ability to learn. Three parties play a role in the success of technology in the classroom, including the teacher, student, and parent. Along with the introduction of technology comes new terms that must be understood. II. TERMS Four terms are commonly mentioned when discussing the implementation of technology in the classroom. A classroomRead MoreTexting And Teen Literacy : Understanding And Knowing How Texting Affects Literacy Overall, Particularly With Teenagers1206 Words   |  5 Pagestopic is understanding and knowing how texting affects literacy overall, especially with teenagers. I know that communication has evolved and as we move forward with technology, there are/will be positive and negative results that will arise and affect our daily and normal lives in how we communicate This will affect not only our day-to-day communication but also in how we learn. 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In 2009, 97% of teachers had computers in the classroom for students use. 54% of those teachers allowed students to bring their own computers and laptops into the class. Obviously, times have changed since 2009. In 2012, Troy Williams, who is the president of Macmillan New Ventures, told a room full of technology experts that businesses similarRead MoreThe Impact Of Technology On Our Schools1376 Words   |  6 Pageswe go further into the digital age, the role that technology plays in our lives will be constantly increasing. We can already see the reach that technology has, as it is making its way into our classrooms now more than ever. Is this integration beneficial, constricting or simply nothing at all? There are a lot of different factors such as learning and teaching styles, effects on student learning, and aptitude. 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Have you ever been more interested in the vivid colors and pretty designs in the game? Rather than the actual material within the game? Well I have. As a child, computers have distracted me from learning. I’ve been more interested in the bright colors and funny-looking animated characters in the game that itRead MoreStudent Motivation And Academic Success1568 Words   |  7 Pagesimportant for teachers to attempt to connect with students in the classroom. Adjusting instructional methods that focus on students’ learning preferences/styles can increase student motivation and can lead to academic success.   Studies have been conducted to determine if teaching methods, learning preferences/styles and motivation can predict academic success in college. Some of the challenges facing educators in college classr ooms across the nation include: how to make valuable connection with studentsRead MoreTeaching Methods That Affect A Child s Learning863 Words   |  4 Pages In today’s world, there are numerous different teaching methods that affect a child s ability to learn; these different teaching methods have either a positive or negative impact on a child’s learning in-take. In most schools, the instructors are allowed to profess in a way that satisfies their teaching abilities. Majority of teachers nowadays teach the material, test the material, and then move on to the next chapter, without making sure that all of the students understand the contents. ThereforeRead MoreTechnology Is Becoming Increasingly Used For Student Learning Through Technology Essay1320 Words   |  6 PagesTechnology is becoming increasingly used in K-12 schools every day. In fact, in 2010, the U.S. Department of Education released the National Education Technology Plan to promote student learning thro ugh technology. School districts began to spend millions of dollars on newer and more updated devices to provide their students with the newest technology. (Factors, 1). But questions have come up about the affect technology has on the students. Do they truly learn more when using technology in the

Understanding Sociology s Theory Of Social Self - 1155 Words

When I first looked at my degree plan I was always eager to take Sociology for some reason. I actually never really understood the subject. I often thought it was somewhat similar to psychology but as the semester went on I realized they are not similar at all. Sociology is the study of groups of persons and their function of human society. While psychology is more about one individual and their mind. So while the semester continued I became more and more interested in this class and begun opening my mind to the subject. I realized there was more to Sociology than I ever thought. Sociology is the study of myself and the way I am in this world. Understanding Sociology was tough for me obviously because this is my second time writing this paper, so I hope I don’t disappoint. One of the material that my instructor went over in class was about an American philosopher George Mead who is well known for his theory of social self. My instructor lectured us about Mead’s concepts of the â€Å"I† and the â€Å"Me†. After hearing his lecture and having learned the distinction of the â€Å"I† and â€Å"Me†, I have a totally different perspective and my self-analysis paper will most likely have more meaning than if I would have not been presented the Mead’s concept. It was rather interesting to learn of this idea that a person’s identity consists of two parts. The way that Mead explained the self, helped me understand my own behaviors and actions in the most basic of activities. Some personal experiencesShow MoreRelatedSociology: Value Conflict1346 Words   |  6 PagesSociology ï ¿ ½ PAGE * MERGEFORMAT ï ¿ ½1ï ¿ ½ Running Head: SOCIOLOGY Sociology ï ¿ ½ Sociology Value Conflict Objectivity means that the conclusions arrived at as the result of inquiry and investigation are independent of the race, color, creed, occupation, nationality, religion, moral preference and political predisposition of the investigator. 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Swot Vodafone Free Essays

string(122) " allowing MVNOs to ease network capacity without the capital cost of building their own hence reducing barriers to entry\." Email Developing a total communication strategy in the uk market 1. INTRODUCTION This report will critically analyse the external environment of the mobile phone operators industry with the application of appropriate strategy tools including PESTEL and Michael Porter’s five forces models. An immediate result of this would be the identification of opportunities and threats that may arise from change in environmental factors and assessment of the attractiveness of the industry respectively. We will write a custom essay sample on Swot Vodafone or any similar topic only for you Order Now The report will also analyse critically, the strategic capability of Vodafone, also applying appropriate strategy tools resulting in the identification of key strengths and weaknesses of the firm. The aim here will be to identify and discuss the core competences the firm possesses. To aid the analysis, the report will draw on information from various sources such as: The Vodafone case study on page 557 in the main textbook by Johnson, Scholes and Whittington, Exploring Strategy 9th Edition, Prentice Hall, 2011. Other sources include Keynotes, Mintel and Magazines. . QUESTION ONE: PESTEL, KEY DRIVERS AND MICHAEL PORTER’S 5 FORCES 2. 1 PESTEL The PESTEL framework is used for the analysis and according to Johnson, Scholes and Whittington (2011), â€Å"it provides a comprehensive list of influences on the possible success or failure of particular strategies†. Discussed below are a few issues of PESTEL, please see appendix for other issues. Political/Legal factors Government ’s privatisation(through Ofcom) of the national telephone company, BT, compelling it to allow access to its network (via Openreach) for voice and broadband. This has helped to break down BT’s monopoly thereby creating an opportunity for mobile operators to operate and at competitive rates. (case study p. 558) Economic factors a. The UK economy has still not fully recovered from the financial crisis of 2008, recovering even slower than other countries amidst huge government resuscitation efforts and even consumer spending is expected to decline by 0. 6 per capita in 2011(the Telegraph, May 2011). This is a threat to the industry as, the slower the economic recovery, the slower the market growth for the mobile operators industry. b. Though the case study(p. 58) says that personal disposal income growth as experienced between 2002 and 2007 was forecasted to resume in the future, recent developments suggest otherwise. Now the future is here, reports say household incomes are falling(NewStatesman, May  ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­Ã‚ ­2011 and Mail Online, May 2011 ). This is a threat to the mobile industry as it means less i ncome at the disposal of households, hence less subscribers to its services. Social factors a. Consumer need for converged services, such as mobile telephony, fixed line telephony, television and broadband internet, was increasing(case study p. 558). This means an opportunity for mobile operators to expand their market as more people are coming on board with this convergence need which could be a result of the plunge in disposable income so people want all services in one and pay a lower lump sum for all in a bid to ration their income. b. A decline in UK fixed line telephone market as households were becoming â€Å"mobile-only† users. This is an opportunity for mobile operators to capture the market share of fixed line telephone operators in a bid to expand theirs. c. Consumer perceived prestige that comes with owning smartphones is an industry opportunity. For example, everyone wants to have an IPhone, HTC or Blackberry because they are ‘cool’ or for other reasons, so operators in the industry can capitalize on this and increase their market share by offering cheap deals. d. Consumer ‘hype’ for new and modern technologies as everyone wants to have the latest ‘thing’ in technology. This would create an opportunity for the industry to capitalize on and expand their market share. Technological factors a. Development of new technologies, IP(Internet Protocol) for voice, data and video transmission(case study p. 557). The dynamic nature of technology is posing a threat as operators may be stuck with obsolete technology thereby facing a challenge to be pro-active in order to retain market share and keep churn rates at bay. b. Continued upgrading of speeds over mobile networks poses a threat as operators have to keep up with the upgrading of speeds because they might loose customers to service providers who can offer better speeds. Environmental factors As a result of advancement in telecommunications technology, mobile operators have to replace network equipments and hazardous wastes(masts, cables, construction waste etc)frequently. Mobile operators are then faced with the challenge of finding energy efficient ways of recycling which may also be capital intensive, altogether posing a threat. Legal factors a. Ofcom’s issuance of licences for additional mobile network operators will pose a threat to incumbent operators( as their market share is threatened) and be an opportunity to potential operators as this will lower entry barriers for them. b. Elaborate legal contracts can also be a threat to the industry as lots of legal obligations have to be satisfied prior to and after entry. Drawing up different phone contracts for different mobile packages can prove challenging for the operators. 2. 2 KEY DRIVERS FOR CHANGE Socio-cultural issue Consumer need for converged services: Consumer needs(which has led Virgin Media to provide multiple services such as the ‘quad play and others providing the triple play) change from time to time and even some firms will try to create the needs for the consumers thereby pushing the industry towards finding ways to satisfy these needs as the market expands. This is one of the major drivers of change for the industry. Technological issue: Development of new Technologies: The dynamic nature of technology will keep operators findings ways to stay ahead of competitors by developing new technologies such as the IP, digitising high-speed distribution of voice, data and video over multiple networks. 2. 3 MICHAEL PORTER’S 5 FORCES ANALYSIS a. Threat of entry: (low) The barrier of initial capital cost of entry may be daunting but the regulatory changes in the UK communications industry by Ofcom saw the issuance of licences to more mobile operators and also allowing MVNOs to ease network capacity without the capital cost of building their own hence reducing barriers to entry. You read "Swot Vodafone" in category "Essay examples" This has also led to increase in the number of competitors. b. Threat of substitutes: (low/moderate) Considering the advantages of mobile connections (make calls, sending messages/data, music etc), substitutes would be the fixed line connections, skype(or VOIP) on broadband, radio airwaves, phone booths or simply go without. With the fixed line connections, Ofcom reported that the number of lines dropped from 34. 9million in 2003 to 33million in 2009. Call minutes had also decreased by 15% from 167billion to 138billion over the same period with mobile minutes expected to exceed fixed line minutes in 2010(Case study p. 558). A report on Broadband news also says that mobile broadband will overtake fixed line connections in 2011. (Broadband Choices 2009). It is likely that the trend will continue in this way, considering the convenience offered by mobile connections, of being able to make a call on the move. c. Competitive rivalry: (high) One of the aims of Ofcom is to ensure healthy competition among operators which saw a rapid growth in the number of competitors. The major competitors in the industry are Vodafone, Telefonica O2, Orange, 3 UK and Tmobile plus lots of MVNO’s. According to the case study, wireless operator margins in the UK were up because of strong competition(p. 559). d. Buyer power: (moderate) The main buyers from the industry are households(individuals) and businesses. According to case study(p. 559), average churn(customer switching) rates in the market was 20% annually due to the introduction of number portability in 2007 and competitive tactics such as subsidising handsets for subscribers. Customers would switch operators for better offers or added value for their money. To counter this churn rate, most operators have found a way to switch post-paid customers to longer contracts of 18months or even 24months as at 2009. A recent 2011 report (Sim-only deals, 2011) highlights other reasons for low switching rates including provider’s loyalty programme and value for money SIM only deals which altogether gives them the power to make customers stay. e. Supplier power: (moderate) The main suppliers to the industry would be the handset makers and Ofcom. Major handset suppliers such as Nokia with 40% of UK handset market and Samsung,21%, supply handsets to the industry under global contracts(case study p. 59). There are more suppliers today including Apple, which is another fast growing supplier as their phones are deemed trendy and a must-have because of its innovative features. Sony-Ericsson, Samsung are among the loads of others. The case study p. 559 says mobile handset sales had experienced a decline in 2009 as UK wireless operators started to off er sim-only plans which allow consumers to retain their current handset and pay lower monthly tariffs. Ofcom on the other hand is the sole provider of spectrum. ATTRACTIVENESS: Based on the evidences from the five forces, the report concludes that the industry is attractive. This being that, though rivalry is high, but other threats and powers are low. Essentially incumbents or new operators can then focus only on competition and worry less about powers and other threats. 3 QUESTION TWO: STRATEGIC CAPABILITIES OF VODAFONE According to Johnson et al. (2011), Strategic capabilities are capabilities of an organization that contribute to its long-term survival or competitive advantage made up of two components: Resources, which are assets the company has or can call upon and Competenceswhich are ways in which those assets are used or deployed effectively. 3. 1 RESOURCES AND COMPETENCES Human Resources Vodafone has had a history of experienced CEOs including Arun Sarin(resource), who was skilled in achieving growth in developing markets(competence/strength). Also, Gary Laurence(resource), head of Vodafone UK, appointed CEO in September 2008 was known for his ability to identify strategic options(competence/strength) and the current CEO, Vittorio Colao(resource) who succeeded Arun in 2008 is known for strong reputation as cost cutter. (competence/strength). (Case study page 563) Vodafone’s partnership with BT(resource) hosting BT’s MVNO, allowed it to provide services to corporations. competence/strength). It started a joint venture with O2(resources) which enabled it to extend its fixed-line network. (competence/strength). Vodafone, in its target of business travelers with passport services(resources), was able to offer home country voice rates while roaming in Europe and mobile data services for ? 10 a day(competence/strength). (case study page 563) F inancial Resources Financial Performance of Vodafone: (a) ROCE(Return on Capital Employed): measures the returns made from all forms of resources or capital employed in the business. Vodafone’s resources are the capital employed and its competence is shown in the amount of returns generated from utilization these capital. Vodafone’s ROCE plunged by 3. 73% to give a ROCE in 2010 of 19. 85. This may be slightly better than industry average but it shows a weakness to efficiently utilise resources to yield maximum profits. Vodafone| 2010| 2009| Industry| ROCE| 19. 85| 20. 59| 19. 48| Source. Morning Star Stock Report. (b) Current ratio:   measures a company’s efficiency at meeting its short term obligations. A good ratio would be for current liabilities to be covered at least once but Vodafone’s current assets(resources) can barely cover 50% of its liabilities in 2010 though it improved from previous year. On the whole, this is a weakness as the company is low on liquidity and incurring too much liabilities in terms of its short term borrowings. Vodafone Plc| 2010| 2009| Industry| Current Ratio| 0. 50:1| 0. 47:1| | Source: Morning Star Stock Report. (c) Net Gearing: shows the proportion of debt within a company’s overall capital. The table below shows that Vodafone’s net gearing has declined from 40. 7% in 2009 to 37. 76% in 2010. Overall for the industry borrowing is about 40% of total capital. The reduction therefore for Vodafone is good as its means a reduction in finance costs too. Vodafone| 2010| 2009| Industry| Net Gearing ratio| 37. 76%| 40. 67%| 39. 40%| Source: Morning Star Stock Report. (d) Interest cover: explains Vodafone’s ability to service its d ebt. From the table below, it appears Vodafone makes enough profits to service it finance costs as it has been able to increase its interest cover to 7. 51times in 2010 from 7. 03times in 2009. This may not be a core competence but it is a strength for Vodafone. Vodafone| 2010| 2009| Interest cover| 7. 51 times| 7. 03 times| Source: Morning Star Stock Report. Physical Resources Vodafone makes heavy investments in the marketing of its Product brands (competence/strength) which includes, landline solutions and mobile telephony, mobile broadband and secure employee remote access(resources), making them well known. (Vodafone website). It invests also in the marketing (competence/strength) of 3G dongles or cards(resources) for internet connection giving it the largest share of 3G subscribers. Vodafone used wholesale services to distribute its fixed voice and broadband (resources) but its prices were too high giving it only a few customers(weakness). Another of its products is the Vodafone-at-home(resources), with which it competed with fixed line providers by offering fixed line prices when customers call from within or near their home(competence/strength). Core Competences For the sake of this report, the core competences identified are Vodafone’s CEO’s. They have been exceptional with what they bring to the table and how their expertise has been able to transform the company. Vodafone UK CEO, Gary Laurence has been formidable in terms of identifying strategic options available to the company such as successful alliances and joint venture with likes of BT and O2. Heavy investment in the marketing of its products giving it largest share of 3G subscribers is another core competence. 3. 2 VODAFONE VALUE CHAIN Primary Activities Inbound logistics: Vodafone possesses its own network equipments, backbones and infrastructure to provide various communication services, and purchasing of handsets (Annual Reports 2010, p. 21). Now, its in a network sharing agreement (sharing masts, sites and towers) with O2 covering the UK and 4 European countries,. (case study page 559, Guardian March 2009). , Another inbound logistic is the ownership of spectrum. Spectrum is of particular importance to the mobile phone and mobile broadband industry, which relies on it to carry information between customers’ handsets and mobile masts. Vodafone spectrum is 1800MHz. (Ofcom report, Feb 2011). Operations: All Vodafone operations are based on in-house infrastructure. Vodafone’s operations is dependent on its people, infrastructure and financial resources. Its logistics operations (which provides a variety of value-added services), evolves from a single, purpose built site in West Midlands. (Unipartlogistics. com) Out-bound logistics: Vodafone has consumer on-line purchasing systems in place that allow customers to purchase its services directly(Vodafone website). It also has its own billing system. Marketing and Sales: Vodafone has several own branded and other retail chains that it uses in distribution. According to the case   study(page 563), Vodafone invests a lot in marketing in all markets whilst promoting its brand and also sponsors Formula 1 and England cricket sports. Services:Its all encompassing website enables customer online ordering and feedback monitoring. (source). Vodafone has customer services helpline that offer after sales services and it also offers services to MVNO’s such as Lebara mobile, Asda mobile, Talk mobile(Carphone Warehouse) and BT mobile(http://ukmobilecoverage. co. uk/), Support Activities Infrastructure: Vodafone’s mode of expansion was the formation of a joint venture with O2(case study p. 559) to manage its mobile network and share network covering 4 European countries and the UK. It also leases BT’s fixed line services and hosts BT’s MVNO. (case study p. 562) Human Resource Management: Vodafone depends on its employees for the quality of its services to customers. It ensures an inclusive working environment and encourages innovation, ambition and pro-activeness. Vodafone encourages enthusiasm, talent and commitment in its employees in order to build and maintain its success and stay competitive. (Vodafone, Our people). Technology and Development: Vodafone owns internet portals which enables on-line ordering. Also, continuous RD helps the company to incubate and deliver innovation to the business. (Annual Report, 2010. p. 20) Procurement: Vodafone, like other networks, purchases branded handsets from suppliers. Vodafone holds several training courses for its procurement team for efficient management of supplier performance. CONCLUSION SWOT MATRIX STRENGTHS1. Experienced CEO’s(UK CEO, Gary Laurence). 2. Partnership with BT and O2. 3. Offering home country voice rates abroad. 4. Heavy investment in marketing. 5. Vodafone at home6. Good Interest Cover7. Reduced borrowing| WEAKNESSES1. Low level of liquidity2. Inability to increase ROCE3. High prices and inefficient channel of distribution for fixed voice and broadband. | OPPORTUNITIES1. Government’s privatization of Ofcom. 2. Consumer need for converged services. 3. Decline in Fixed line telephone market4. 2012 Olympics5. Consumer demand for smart phones6. Consumer hype for modern technology7. Ofcom issuance of entry license| THREATS1. Slow economic recovery from recession2. Decline in disposable income3. Immigration cap4. Health issues in areas of mobile masts. 5. Customer switching rates. 6. Development of new technologies7. Capital intensive recycling8. Ofcom’s issuance of entry license9. Elaborate legal contarcts| From all facts assessed in the report and also information from the case study and Vodafone accounts, it is indeed evident that Vodafone is struggling to develop a total communications strategy to enable it to secure leadership   in the rapidly growing market for high speed internet services in its UK home market due to the fact that it actually cannot improve its core activities in order to gain competitive advantage. Please rate the quality of this essay: Good Neutral Poor Struggling with your essay? You can get your essay custom written by an expert in your subject area. Fully researched and referenced, the perfect model answer†¦ Get a quote here Share ; download: Print Download Email Request the removal of this essay. 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All Answers Ltd is a company registered in England and Wales Company Registration No: 4964706. VAT Registration No: 842417633. Licensed under the Consumer Credit Act under Licence No: 0612201. Registered Data Controller No: Z1821391. Registered office: Venture House, Cross Street, Arnold, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire, NG5 7PJ. * Fair Use Policy * Terms ; Conditions * Privacy Policy * Cookie Info * Complaints Policy * Get Verified * Fraud * Writer Jobs * Corporate Client Services * Sitemap Are you writing an essay and struggling? We can help you! Find out more Read more: http://www. ukessays. com/essays/communications/developing-a-total-communication-strategy-communications-essay. php#ixzz2DTJZYU7Q How to cite Swot Vodafone, Essay examples

Innovation Leadership and Sustainability

Question: Discuss about the Innovation Leadership and Sustainability. Answer: 1: When I am usually done with stuff, I mostly try to recycle as much as possible. The things that I disposed in the last 24 hours are the trash, some books and some old clothes of mine. I donated the books to a local library. I gave away the clothes to charity. Every time I clean my room or my attic, I happen to find at least 10 things that I could do without yet I still dont throw them away. I took out the trash and the trash truck probably took it to the landfills. I usually recycle the organic wastes that I have in the house and use them as manure for my home and roof garden that I am passionate about (Livesey Kearins, 2002). I am not a shopper but I do get emotionally attached to stuff easily and would not have the heart to throw them out without recycling anything that can be. I have an organized home which I clean on a regular basis and dont need much organization. The only thing I do it have a trash can and a recycle bin in the kitchen so as to categorize what is to be throw n away and what is to be recycled. 2: When thought about open and closed innovations in general, it is hard not to think about them as totally entirely different entities. The open innovation may be carried upon in many businesses when the innovations can lead to generation of revenue through ownership or patents. But the closed innovations are a must when the innovation that is about to be made is for a game-changer idea. Companies like Apple when they were working on the iPhone did not open their innovations to the public up until they launched in the keynote by Steve Jobs. It is better for some ideas to stay open and some to be closed. There must be an equilibrium state in between open and closed innovations where innovations with higher value should be kept for element of surprise and demand creation whereas smaller ideas can be leaked for others to know and to improve the idea in their own way. If I were to consider two stakeholders in my organization, I would pick a colleague and my manager (Sernovitz, Godin and Kawasaki, 2009). This way, if I choose to go with the open innovation as an independent company, I can always trust the colleague who has been working with me for years. And the open innovation to the manager would be like giving the idea to the company without expecting anything in return or possibly made a partner in the future business when this idea is incubated. 3: The nine laws of Biomimicry are so important that every industry is trying to integrate them into their projects and try to trigger innovation in different ways. If I were to choose among the nine, I would probably choose nature runs on sunlight, nature demands local expertise and nature recycles everything (Nidumolu, Prahalad and Rangaswami, 2009). Generating power from solar energy is the being focused on much these days with the effects the earth is facing due to pollution, global warming etc. This has led people to think about relying on renewable sources of energy such as the solar energy. The organization that I am in can be fitted with solar panels on the roof so as to generate power whenever there is sunlight. This can be useful in cutting back of electricity bills. Our company usually needs help like outsourcing of projects and even though the company is capable of bringing in the most sought people from any part of the world, our CEO ask us only to get people from the lo cal area who are experts in the tasks assigned. This is how the nature demands local expertise. In our office, we have a recycle bin where we recycle a lot of paper, cardboards, and whatever we possibly can on a regular basis (Du Plessis, Hargovan and Bagaric, 2010). This gives us the sense of doing our part for safeguarding the environment. This is in reference to the nature recycles everything. 4: Being transparent in a situation like this is the best idea than to hide the facts from the press and media coverage where they already are picking up on every single clue that the company has left in the digital scenario. As a leading official in this situation, since it is the digital era and I can reach the masses in the press of a button or through social media, I would take timely action by apologizing to the general populace. This would earn the trust of the people as this is considered as a bold movement. The initiative is to take up apology route and let the audience know that this problem will be looked into as soon as possible with the help of experts. The apology should not only make clear explanation of how the company is sorry for the actions done knowingly or unknowingly and would take immediate steps to get things fixed. Even while doing this, I should get proper information from my superiors on the things I am allowed to say on the media and should stay cautious at all times (Bovey and Hede, 2001). I would also make sure to find the person who is responsible for hacking the confidential information from the company and take further actions to decide what has to be done legally regarding this. 5: There may be several reasons why people at the workplace may resist changing. They may be accustomed to a specific comfort zone and the change can scare them. Lack of communication in not consulting them before making the change decision may throw them off at times. Most people are bound to the traditional practices that they fear change as they believe that change can bring about new problems. Lack of trust is also a causative factor that can trigger people to resist changing (Boone and Kurtz, 2009). There was a colleague who refused to accept when his lunch breaks were shortened by 10 minutes. There was obviously some miscommunication between him and my employer where they eventually ended by quarreling at the office. The Human Resources asked him about his feelings about the change and he let them know that he could not work freely with the lunch break being shortened and they gave him flexible lunch hours in order to satisfy him. Another colleague passive aggressively resisted changes in our management strategy where he constantly used the silent treatment and would not cooperate well with the team. I, as the team leader, talked to him and he said that he did not like the new management strategy as they made him feel controlled and he was not independent like before (Chesbrough and Appleyard, 2007). Then, we talked to my employers and fixed the changes. 6: There are several reasons why the for-profit organizations go for social causes and non-profit organizations to go in hand with certain commercial products of the business market. When considering things for the benefit of the society, there automatically is some media coverage of the philanthropy. Many people target the social benefits by changing their legal structures in order to boost their income from what they are receiving already. The legal structures in the early stages might not receive the expected attention by the market and the consumers (Hargroves and Smith, 2006). Helping a social cause by supporting a non-profit organization gives them the heads start in having medias attention a lot to offer to the society and can be at good terms with the customers that will possibly trigger the sales in the for-profit organization. This has become a common strategy in the business scenario that almost every company is pulling a publicity stunt more or less. References Boone, L.E. and Kurtz, D.L., 2009.Contemporary business 2010 update. John Wiley Sons. Bovey, W.H. and Hede, A., 2001. Resistance to organisational change: the role of defence mechanisms.Journal of Managerial Psychology,16(7), pp.534-548. Chesbrough, H.W. and Appleyard, M.M., 2007. Open innovation and strategy.California management review,50(1), pp.57-76. Du Plessis, J.J., Hargovan, A. and Bagaric, M., 2010.Principles of contemporary corporate governance. Cambridge University Press. Hargroves, K. and Smith, M., 2006. Innovation inspired by nature: Biomimicry.Ecos,2006(129), pp.27-29. Livesey, S. M., Kearins, K. (2002). Transparent and caring corporations? A study of sustainability reports by The Body Shop and Royal Dutch/Shell. Organization Environment,15(3), 233-258. Nidumolu, R., Prahalad, C.K. and Rangaswami, M.R., 2009. Why sustainability is now the key driver of innovation.Harvard business review,87(9), pp.56-64. Sernovitz, A., Godin, S. and Kawasaki, G., 2009.Word of mouth marketing: How smart companies get people talking. New York: Kaplan.

Setting an Agenda for Social Justice

Introduction Written by Mark Brundrett and Rachel Anderson de Cuevas in the journal of Management in Education, and published in 2007, this article is titled Setting an Agenda for Social Justice through Leadership Development. According to Wilkinson (2007), Brundrett is a professor of Educational Research in the Faculty of Education, Community, and Leisure and the head of the Centre for Research and Evaluation, in the Liverpool John Moores University.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Setting an Agenda for Social Justice specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More On the other side, Rachael de Cuevas is a PhD student in the School of Tropical Medicine in the Liverpool John Moores University (Theobald, 2010). Professor Brundrett started as a primary school teacher before progressing to middle and secondary school teaching and finally becoming a professor in the Liverpool John Moores University. He holds masters degree in edu cation, and arts, bachelors degree in arts, and a doctorate degree in philosophy and education. His research has been mainly on education where he has authored and co-authored 12 books and numerous scholarly journals. Moreover, he is a board member of many advisory boards of different international journals. Major Thesis This paper addresses two main issues; one, the implicit nature of commitment in leadership development programs which until recently, has been practiced in the United Kingdom to enhance social justice through management of school system. Secondly, this article argues that recent legislations in education have fostered crucial reforms that would facilitate active involvement of school leaders in promoting social justice whilst in training. Article Summary The United Kingdom has undergone increased funding in leadership development evidenced by formation of the National College for School Leadership (NCSL) and upsurge in national programs of leadership development. Ne vertheless, these reforms came only after the election of a government mandated to advance social justice in 1997, that is, the New Labor administration. Hitherto, there was no elaborate system to incorporate leadership development in schools but this has changed with the creation of NCSL, which deals with improving leadership training in schools to align with the increased regulatory and accountability clause in the 1988 Education Act. The NCSL was established to â€Å"ensure that our current and future school leaders develop the skills, the capability, and capacity to lead and transform the school education system into the best in the world† (Brundrett de Cuevas, 2007, p. 45).Advertising Looking for article on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More NCSL has continuously performed well and by 2001, it had structured the Leadership Development Framework to guide in leadership developments entailing core and extensi on programs befitting all leaders in school system viz. emergent leaders, established leaders, head teachers, and consultant leaders. This framework encapsulates preparation, induction, and further training of head teachers. This framework specializes with head teachers mostly because the triad of preparation, induction, and further training of head teachers forms the backbone of national intervention measures in leadership training and development. Head teachers are the ‘heads’ of schools thus are better placed to implement any form of leadership development in their respective institutions. In 2006, the NCSL formed Head for the Future (HftF) to address challenges facing school headship and challenge participants to think critically to embrace and incorporate change in school headship and leadership development. In 2003, NCSL introduced ‘Leading from the Middle’ a portfolio meant to develop leadership acumen at all levels of the teaching profession. Moreov er, the NCSL conducts online learning and network information, research and development projects among other leadership development issues. Moreover, NCSL runs the Leadership Network, which runs in over 2,000 schools. Nevertheless, there has been criticism of NCSL functioning and outcomes. While some people see the rapid expansion of NCSL as a positive move towards realization of leadership development in schools, others have been quick to point loopholes in the system. NCSL has been on the receiving end in matters concerning efficiency; outcome-focus, goal clarity, and depth in the future work. A 2002 review by Ofsted revealed that, while NCSL’s training programs are efficient, the selection criteria for the candidates and ability to meet prevalent needs were inefficient. Nevertheless, NCSL has an agenda for development, which would facilitate renewal of leadership capacity in this sector as suggested by PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2007. This study also pointed out the dire ne ed to come up with leadership framework that would address needs hence calling for goal-oriented system.Advertising We will write a custom article sample on Setting an Agenda for Social Justice specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Reflection and Personal Evaluation/conclusion This article properly articulates the need to set an agenda for social justice through leadership development. Fortunately, this agenda is underway with NCSL working tirelessly to improve on what it has in place. It is true there are some shortcomings here and there as depicted in the PricewaterhouseCoopers and Ofsted’s reports. However, it is important to appreciate what the NCSL has achieved so far. The Leadership Development Framework coupled with other programs as Leading from the Middle’ has proved vital in leadership management. Brundrett and de Cuevas have given a clear and concise picture of how far leadership development has gone in the Un ited Kingdom. The article draws widely from other sources and this shows its credibility. Unfortunately, the authors did not leave any room for further analysis of the paper. Generally, the article is well written to accomplish its objective. Reference List Brundrett, M., de Cuevas, R. (2007). Setting an Agenda for Social Justice through Leadership Development. Journal of Management in Education. 21(4): 44-48. Theobald, S. (2010). Staff Profile. Liverpool School of Tropical Medicine. Retrieved From,  https://www.lstmed.ac.uk/ Wilkinson, P. (2007). Mark Brundrett. Liverpool John Moores University. Web. This article on Setting an Agenda for Social Justice was written and submitted by user Camren D. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Black Hawk Down Summary essays

Black Hawk Down Summary essays A Black Hawk is a very advanced, expensive and deadly military helicopter and the title of the movie explains what the goal of the plot was. Once the one hundred elite U.S. soldiers dropped into Somalia they were almost instantly fired upon. A rocket was actually shot at one of the black hawks while a soldier was preparing to descend to its target but to dodge the missile the helicopter had to jar itself to the left which caused the soldier to plummet to the ground. The movie was very graphic and the language was pretty harsh but then again the material being covered was very harsh itself. When men (and women) began opening fire on the U.S. soldiers it explained everything. Many soldiers were hurt in this battle, and a total of 19 U.S. soldiers were killed. When the fighting began things looked good for the U.S. They did not have tactical advantage, and they did not have the advantage of having the location they were prepared for even though preparation was intense. They did have the advantage of having a better more advanced, yet smaller artillery and combat training. Leave no U.S. soldier behind! said the general, which helps to better explain the title. The soldiers that were alive had to get to the helicopters that had crashed so they could be seen and evacuated. Through radio contact it would be very difficult to let the rescue team let them know where they were because they couldnt explain where they were due to the fact the aria was new to them. Plus, at the crash sites many Somaliland rebels were looting and ready to fight which only made things more difficult. Rebel ground forces were not the soldiers only problem, the biggest threat they had were the snipers on the roof tops that were taking out ground soldiers and mak ing it near impossible for helicopters to land for evacuation. All in all, I thought this was a very good movie. It may have been a bit too long, ...

Investments in Emerging Countries Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Investments in Emerging Countries - Essay Example Higher global crude oil price is expected to benefit Russia’s economic recovery. But this benefit will be carried away by the expected capital outflows. The capital outflow of Russia is much higher compared to that of the inflow. Business Risks in Czech Republic: The political risk of Czech Republic is lesser compared to that of Russia. Rising oil price is one of the business risks in Czech Republic. Annual oil production of the country is much below its annual oil consumption. (Theodora, 2011) Therefore, the rising oil bills will increase cost of production and paving way for an inflationary situation in the country. Another risk of the country is the strict legal system. Bureaucracy is at an increased rate in the country. Another risk factor is that the capital market of the country is small. Czech Republic is mostly an export related economy with majority of its exports being to other European countries. Therefore, the performance of the country’s economy depends lar gely on the stability of other European nations. Best Investment: The analysis of business risks at both the countries show that Czech Republic is better placed with less investment risks than Russia. Economic factors are positive to Czech Republic than Russia. Therefore, Czech Republic is the better investment destination than Russia. Works Cited World Economic Forum (2010) Current Investment Risk in Russia. Retrieved May 20 2011.

The militarization of our law enforcement agencies in America Research Paper

The militarization of our law enforcement agencies in America - Research Paper Example Owing to the level of criminals sophistication, militarization offers police protective equipment like helmet so that they are equally safe guarded from possible attack. This incude use of armored vests,sophisticated machines guns and trucks fitted with communication gadgets The militarized police must reconcile between keeping the civilians safe while they are on raid. At the same time they must uphold their own safety from possible return gun fire from the criminals. Abiliy to undertake these two responsibilities helps in gaugig the preparedness from the militarization process. The interest of the civiliam must be prioritized through sound preparation mechanisms while carrying out raids.accountability in the event that police raids aount to loss pof life of civilian through negligence or abuse of power is also a concern. Militarization of police is geared towards improving the security of the citizens and ensuring sustained functionality of the government to defend its subjects. This calls for shared responsibility between members of the public and government. Militarization of law enforcement agencies is a positive step towards addressing the surging criminal sophistications. The idea should be given more attention and offered more support by the society at

Discuss the idea(s) developed by the author about the significance of Essay

Discuss the idea(s) developed by the author about the significance of our memory of the past - Essay Example Memories of the past especially regarding racialism and the white supremacy mentality are evident and still haunt Walt’s future. In other words, the belief that the white race was supreme than others, which was practiced and held for many years still haunts memories of the actor in his past. For example, the author indicates that though "Hmong might be good people," if they wanted anything fixed such as appliances or even cleaning up a yard or even ending the gang war that affect the society, they needed a white person to help and that the white may get away with anything thing. The racist mentality that was practiced in the past still haunts the author; he believes that the whites are supreme over other races in all aspects. The past beliefs in cultural superiority dictate his relationships with other races, which as the film illustrates prevents the author from establishing a cordial relationship with others. Understanding one another early enough dictate how people interact later in life and how this interaction impacts their lives. Walt’s memories of the good and meaningful life he had in the past as a soldier and with the family affects his life, considering he is now alone and in different settings. This makes Walt to sink deep into loneliness and reject any gesture that seeks to lift him from this life. For instance, his oldest son and his wife bring him a birthday gift to make his life better and cheer him up. However, his son’s motives are against Walt’s values and feelings. As a result, he rejects the gift and the suggestion of a retirement home. This suggests that everyone views life in a different and unique lens. In other words, there is a need to understand others and their needs to avoid conflicts. The fact that the two do not understand one another results into conflict. If the two had understood one another before, the son could have known what his fat her needed most at the time,

Studying The STOF Business Model Domains Information Technology Essay

Studying The STOF Business Model Domains Information Technology Essay STOF Model: This framework for business model focuses on customer value creation, the arrangements required from the organisational, financial and technological point of view, for creating a new service. These four dimensions address how value is delivered to the customer and similarly how the service provider can gain value from the service offered. The four dimension of the framework are service domain, technology domain, organisational domain and finance domain. In the following sections, these dimensions will be explored in detail. STOF Business Model Domains Since it is essential that the service offered by the firm should meet the demands of the customer, the new service definition is used as the central reference for all other domains. In customers viewpoint the technology is an enabler of the service, from the firms perspective it is the driver. Organisational domain describes how the resources in the firm will made available and used. Financial domain, stress on the pricing model, investment and other cost based risks involved in providing the service. Service Domain: Critical Success Factor and Critical Design Issues for Customer Value Chapter 3: A successful business model should balance the value created for the customer to that for the service provider. To achieve this there should a balance between the different domains of the business model. A critical design issue is variable which is of importance for the feasibility and sustainability of the business model. Understanding of critical design issues (CDI) and its linkages is critical for designing balanced business model. Service domain requirements guide the choice of technology to be used for the service delivery. Furthermore, it affects the organisational and financial domain. Critical Design Issues in Designing Business Model For each business model domain, we identify the respective CDIs. The identification of different CDIs is based on the literature review. In case of service domain the CDIs are target customers, value creating elements and customer retention. Target customers: Service requirements and the customer need are different for each target group. The target group definition, whether it is B2C or B2B is necessary. And it is therefore fundamental to have a clear segmentation of the customers to address respective value proposition. Value creating elements: To provide a compelling value proposition to the targeted customers, factors like relevance, ease of accessibility, accuracy, quality and trust are critical. It is therefore, the core service offering as well as support service being offered to the customer. Branding (removed in the diagram) : To get a better recognition for the new service , brand image is essential. It can also increase the trust and awareness of the service being offered. Customer Retention: It defines the ways to keep the customer loyal and satisfied. It is also need to develop recurrent use of the service by the customer. Critical design issues for Technology domain: Factors like security, integration of the existing system and accessibility are key design criteria for the technology domain. Security: The way information is stored in the technical architecture and how the access is granted to the customer is essential to avoid security breaches. The trade off between ease of accessibility and data privacy should be addressed to reduce the risk of improper use of the services. Quality of Service: The ability to provide different priority to maintain a certain level of performance based on the users, context and importance. The incurred cost in the technological infrastructure should be balanced with that of the quality of service. It can also be argued that the technological architecture or infrastructure influences the technical functionality, which in turn affects the customers perceived value of the service. System Integration: The extent to which the new service offering can be integrated with that of the existing ones determines the adaptation of the service. Cost and flexibility of the new technology affects the system integration. In the case of ICT , firms with open standards bring down the level of integration required in the technical side. Accessibility: There two factors which affect the accessibility of a service by the customer, first preference of service platforms and second the architecture. If there is a closed or controlled environment, it can make way to a restricted access to a particular group of customers. This also increases the security at technology level. Critical Design Issue at Organisational Domain: Partner Selection: This design criterion is based on the strategic interest that the firm has, based on it suitable partners can be chosen. It is also vital, to get hold of the required resources and capabilities by the firm. Openness of Network: It is the extent to which new business can link to the value network. There can be two scenarios, first a closed network and second an open network. The closed network is mostly used to create higher quality of service and new partners are chosen by certain set of rules. Open network, gives an opportunity to deliver services to a wider audience than the closed network. Network Governance: Establishment of set rules by which the partner businesses should operate and can be monitored. This is usually done by the most dominant actor in the value network. Access to the end-users is the key determinant of an actors dominant role in the collaboration. Network Complexity : The number of relationships that has to be maintained with other businesses in providing the services act as the determinant of the network complexity. If the complexity is reduced , or in other words, less number relations increases the security and quality of service. Critical Design Issue in the Finance Domain: Pricing: Pricing of the service plays an critical role in the service adaptation and its use. The perceived value by the customer should be greater than or at least equal to the delivered value by the service provider. The pricing strategy should address whether the firm is aiming for maximising the market share or maximising the profitability from delivering the service. Risk and Investment: The uncertainty about return on investment is the fundamental risk involved in developing and delivering a new service to the market. A division of investment and risk among the actors can reduce the degree of impact to the actors involved. Cost and Revenue: The division of cost and revenue between the businesses is not the same in all cases, it differ from case to case. For instance, the service provider can share the revenue with the other actors in the service delivery or it can be based on the subscription fee. The revenue sharing is based on the underlying business logic either value based or on cost basis. The division of cost and revenue depends on the division of risk and investment also. The CDIs play a significant role in the process of creating value to the customer as well as to the service provider therefore it act as the starting point. The next step is the identification of Critical Success Factors (CSFs). A minimum group of areas in which satisfactory outcome is required to make certain that the business model generates value for both the service provider and to the customer is called the Critical Success Factor(Rockart and Bullen ,1981). Then the linkage between CDI and CSF , will aid for generating a feasible business model. Critical Success Factor and Critical Design Issues for Network Value Critical Success Factors (CSF) For creating value to the customer : Compelling value proposition: It is related to value creating element CDIs in the service domain and it is a critical criterion for creating value to the customer. Value proposition is the overall benefits that are delivered to the customer by the service provider. Bouwan et al (2008) argues that the value proposition should be based on the customer needs and requirements and not to be based on the technological possibilities. Customers perspective of value also depends on the pricing (CDI) of the service. Similarly, Kotler (2000) points out that brand (CDI) influences the customer perspective of value proposition. Defined target customer: The CDI targeting is related to this CSF. Defined target customer will help the firm to focus on the targeted customers, as the customer needs are different for different customer group. The assumed customer needs by the service provider can be nullified by segmenting the customer base (Kotler, 2000). Accessibility CDI of technology domain also affects this CSF. Customer Retention: Customised or personalised service delivery to the customers will help retain the customer, mainly influenced by customer loyalty and customer experience. The unconstructive occurrence in service can affect the experience and frustrate the customer(Strauss, Schmidt, Schoeler, 2005). Quality of Service: Grà ¶nroos, 1994 suggests that the quality of service output and service process are equally important. CDIs from technology domain are closely related to QoS. CDIs in the technology domain demands an adequate level of quality, since the service being delivered is technology based. Security and system integration To summarize a high score in these CSFs will grantee that the service being provided will meet the customer expectations and create value to the customer. CSF for creating value to the network: The actors in the value network will cooperate for generating value on mutual interest and also compete for value on individual interest (Brandenburg Nalebuff, 1996). Another framework, Porters five forces model stress on competition between the actors (Porter, 1980). For creating value in the network, balance between financial and organisational domain is critical, mover over it should be acceptable by the collaborating actors. Profitability: There should be a acceptable profit for the firms, according to the division of cost and revenue (CDI). Other domain issues like customer group and pricing will affect the profitability. Risk: An agreeable division of risk among the participating actors should result from the division of investment CDI. Since, there is a high uncertainty of service acceptance and due to the investment in IT infrastructure. Network Strategy: This CSF is required to effectively manage the different relation in the value network, from the organisation domain perspective. Division of roles and Network Governance CDIs is directly related to the network strategy. Partner selection and network complexity is also interlinked with this CSF. To summarise a high score on these CSFs will create benefit for the firms that are involved in the service. Organisational CDIs help in allocation resources and capabilities, similarly the CDIs in finance domain is instrumental in directing to a profitable service.

Missionaries in Pre-Colonial and Early Colonial Nigeria Essay -- Colon

Missionaries in Pre-Colonial and Early Colonial Nigeria In any study of colonial Nigeria, the groundwork accomplished by the missionaries in pre-colonial days must be a central concern. They were instrumental in setting the scene which would meet the colonists when they started arriving. Missionaries were used by the colonial power as an avant garde, to expand into new regions, a fact keenly displayed by Achebe in Things Fall Apart. For many Nigerians, missionaries were the first Europeans with whom they came into contact. The missionaries first made their presence felt through their work in abolishing the slave trade. As Crowder notes, they took the emphasis away from the ''human products'' of Africa in a bid to use more fully her abundant natural resources. The overall, and idealistic, aim was to promote a more healthy and mutually beneficial trade between Africa and Europe. Sir Thomas Fowell Buxton once put forward the argument that ''the only way to save Africa from the evils of the slave trade ... would be call out its own natural resources''(Crowder, The Story of Nigeria, 111). Right from the outset, there was both a commercial and religious context to all missionary work in Nigeria. If anything, it could be argued that initially, the commercial aspect was more pressing than the religious, due the urgent need to find a quick substitute for trading slaves so that the traders would not feel their profit was at stake. Outcry in England against the horrors of the slave trade reached unprecedented levels. Never before had there been such unanimous public support over a single issue. Cheap pamphlets and tracts were sold in abundance, meaning that the public was fairly well informed in matters such as the cramped and pes... ...y consulted their oracle. Yet, the underlying forces at work behind the missions, as well as their inextricable links with commercial activities should never be overlooked. From the outset, the missions were seen as ideal vehicles for gaining the trust and confidence of the tribal leaders, before the real monied interest moved in. It could argued that the missions were one part of the wheel of business and economics that starting to turn in Nigeria, while a substitute for slaves was sought. The humanitarian touch they seemed to bring disguised these motives behind a facade of peaceful and beneficent civilisation. It would be naive to assume that the missionaries were innocently unaware of the drastic consequences their opening of the African heartland would bring. In this sense they must, at least in part, be held answerable for the colonial predicament of Nigeria.