Race to the Top Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Race to the Top - Research Paper Example The assessment was supposed to be common for everyone throughout the state for purposes of uniformity. Disabled students were considered so they could also participate in the program. Those with the language barrier especially in English were given special accommodations. The program was meant to measure certain standards that previous programs could not. The main aim was to make scoring uniform so that colleges could use the same results for placement purposes. The discussions of the pros and cons of that program are meant to help us decide on whether the program was effective or not. Cons The first issue is that the program applies the use of multiple-choice questions in their assessment. In as much as such kind of questions reduce subjectivity when marking and scoring, they have been shown to narrow the curriculum. In addition to this, scanty reading and guesswork is highly used when answering such questions leading to untrue scores. It is impossible to tell what a student knows a nd what concepts were never understood. There was the introduction of performance tests in the 1990’s to help improve on the programs. These kinds of assessment included doing practical work, science experiments and extended essays, which enabled the student to apply theory into practice. This was to be seen as a success, but a problem arose in reliability of the scores; score results in some places could not be used to make any important inference. The tests were made of fewer questions and this meant that the area covered was not as extensive as any test should. The seriousness of the validity of performance tests was so vast that by 2002, only a few such kind of tests were given. Seeing all these disadvantages, the federal funding decided increase the number of tests and instead use a range different types of assessments. Nevertheless, this would increase the total cost of developing the tests and even scoring. It was also seen that teachers are forced to pull out of schoo l to score the tests and the inability of such teachers to engage in other activities that foster professional development. Teachers are bound to learn more during their first scoring exercise but this would change over time because of the teacher’s knowledge that scores are compared. In as much as there is professional improvement in instructions given to class, it is very hard for a teacher to change instructions that will cater for the unique needs of each student. In cases where a student was required to express what they know like in performance tests, language and inability to write essays was a hindrance to the accomplishment of many students. Apparently, only valid test scores can be used to make inferences, valid tests are those that give the same result if issued to the same group for a second time. However, such scores cannot be used to test teacher and principal quality because they do not directly do so. This may seem like very small areas but in terms of test re liability and validity, a problem in a small area is bound to make the whole test insignificant. Pros In order to know if an assessment system works, it is important to subject it to rigorous effectiveness exercises. Also for validity, it is important to make tests uniform and to standardize the conditions under which every test is given (Dietel 4). This kind of system enabled educators to perform the two exercises

McCrae & Costas Five-Factor Model Essay Example for Free

McCrae Costas Five-Factor Model Essay McCrae and Costa’s Five-Factor model of personality is said to be predictive in certain behaviours such as honesty, job performance and procrastination. This Five-Factor model applies to organisational testing because personality is a crucial part in understanding the interests and abilities of an applicant within a business. There have been several criticisms of the Big Five and how accurately it can describe a person’s future performance. These criticisms will be discussed in length in this essay. The essay will also consider the usefulness of the Big Five within psychological assessments. Personality can be defined as â€Å"the dynamic organisation of systems that determine the individual’s characteristic patterns of behaviour, thought, and feeling† (Sibaya Nicholas, Personality, 2008). Simply put one can describe personality as the aspects of a person which make them unique (Sibaya Malcolm, 2003). Personality attributes have successfully been studied over centauries and investigators have concluded that the personality domain can be best described by five â€Å"super ordinate constructs† (Digman, 1990). A personality trait is â€Å"a durable disposition to behave in a particular way† and the five-factor model has become the dominant idea of a personality structure (Weiten, 2007). The five-factor model of personality came about as a result of Hans Eysenck’s two dimensions of personality. Eysenck’s theory comprised of neuroticism-stability and extraversion-introversion and he later added the third dimension known as psychoticism (Sibaya Malcolm, 2003). Eysenck’s theory also concluded that personality traits could largely be determined by genetics (Sibaya Malcolm, 2003). Eysenck’s theory of personality dimensions was a â€Å"precursor of the five-factor model† developed by Costa and McCrae (Sibaya Malcolm, 2003). The five-factor model can be seen as the most recent approach to personality and personality traits. Costa and McCrae argue that personality traits derive from five higher order traits. These traits are now known as the â€Å"Big-Five† (Weiten, 2007). Similar to Eysenck’s view on personality traits Costa and McCrae concluded that genetics play a substantial role in personality (Digman, 1990). An example of genetics playing a role in the development in personality traits can be seen in the study of twins. Jim Lewis and Jim Springer were identical twins separated at birth in 1940 (Sibaya Malcolm, 2003). These twins were later reunited and research showed that they had similar personality traits. The twins both drove the same model car; they both smoked heavily and liked the same brand of cigarettes (Sibaya Malcolm, 2003). A further impact of the five-factor model is that it has shown in studies that this personality study applies across cultures and is widely identifiable in different cultures around the world (Weiten, 2007). The five-factor model states that there are five core personality traits: openness, conscientiousness, extraversion, agreeableness and neuroticism. These form a mnemonic, OCEAN, which is often used for remembering the personality traits (Sibaya Malcolm, 2003). Openness applies to the openness one would have to an experience. Openness is often associated with traits such as curiosity, imagination and flexibility (Weiten, 2007). McCrae states that openness can determine one’s political attitudes or ideologies (Weiten, 2007). Conscientiousness relates to traits involving well disciplined and well organised people and is associated with people being diligent within the workplace (Weiten, 2007). Extraversion relates to people who can be categorised as outgoing or sociable people (Weiten, 2007). Agreeableness relates to one’s ability to be sympathetic, trusting and modest (Weiten, 2007). Agreeable personality traits have been known to be associated with a constructive approach to dealing with conflict but agreeable people have also been known to be aggressive (Weiten, 2007). Neuroticism relates to people who are anxious or hostile (Weiten, 2007). People who score high in this personality trait have been known to over re-act to stressful situations (Weiten, 2007). Organisational psychology â€Å"focuses on role related behaviour, group pressure, commitment to organisations and patterns of communication† (Sibaya Malcolm, 2003). In order for an organisational psychologist to determine this behaviour certain organisational testing or psychological assessments need to take place. A psychological assessment is a â€Å"standardised measure of a sample of a erson’s behaviour† (Weiten, 2007). Psychological assessment is one of the oldest and most focussed areas of industrial-organisational psychology (Weiten, 2007). Psychological assessment focuses on an individual’s difference in behaviour and their individual job performance and then develops ways in which they can measure or predict such performances. Testing enables psychologists to select people for jobs, assess one’s potential and develop people. Testing can often lead to labelling of people and selection for jobs, promotions or training has often been made in accordance to these labels. The importance of psychological assessments within the workplace is that they enable the perspective employer to have predictions about the applicant’s future performance and how that applicant may behave in the future. An example of how psychological assessments are beneficial and important can be seen in the use of a personality test. A personality test â€Å"measure various aspects of personality, including motives, interests and attitudes† (Weiten, 2007). Personality tests can be helpful because they assist in personnel selection within business and industry (Weiten, 2007). A sub-division of personality tests is ‘interest inventories’ which determine the interest of an individual in relation to the interests needed to do the job. An example of ‘interest inventories’ can be seen in the need for a sales person to have a personality type that is an extrovert. The example of the sales person can also explain the importance of psychological assessments within the work environment because without this form of testing perspective employers would be unable to employ people that are specifically suited to the position on offer, e. . an extrovert. The use of psychological assessment in business begins when the candidate is still in the selection process. The applicant for a perspective job will first consider the job analysis. A job analysis is the process of obtaining information about a job by determining what duties, tasks or activities it entails in order to perform the job successfully (Sibaya Malcolm, 2003). Following a job analys is the applicant would then submit an application and begin the selection process. A selection process can be described as the process of identifying who will be hired from the pool of applicants (Sibaya Malcolm, 2003). The applicant will then undergo psychological assessment which involves a prediction of the applicant’s knowledge, abilities, attitudes and personality traits. The way in which these tests help with the selection process are that they are the best predictors of performance and behaviour on the job (Sibaya Malcolm, 2003). Now that the selection process has been explained one can similarly link the development and promotion process to psychological assessment. With development or promotion the worker will have to undergo psychological testing to ensure that their abilities and interests fit with the promotion available. The five-factor model applies within the workplace because it enables employers to evaluate employee’s personalities and make use their personality traits to the best of their abilities. Research has indicated that the Big Five traits are able to predict specific behaviour (Weiten, 2007). The Big Five’s ability to predict this behaviour can be seen as beneficial in the workplace. An example of how the Big Five can benefit an industry can be seen in the personality trait ‘conscientiousness’ because it has been said that conscientiousness correlates with honesty, higher job performance and a lower alcohol consumption (Weiten, 2007). This being said one can understand that the Big Five traits allow a perspective employer the ability to employ conscientious workers. Many of the Big Five traits are related to career success (Weiten, 2007). The five-factor model can be used in the selection, development and promotion of employees because it allows the employer to predict what qualities the applicant has. The example used previously about the sales rep needing to be an extrovert is a perfect example of how the Big Five apply to selection, development and promotion. The five-factor model would allow the employer of such sales rep to be able to select candidates that fit the personality type that is required for the job at hand. Similar to this the employer could use the five-factor traits to determine whether an existing employee fits the personality required in a job opening and therefore the five-factor model applies to promotions within business as well. A further benefit to the Big Five is that an employer can determine an employee’s weak traits and develop them further thus improving the workforce. The use of the Big Five within occupational testing has been criticised by many psychologists and researchers as they feel nit does not adequately determine one’s ability to perform a task. A common criticism is that there is a fundamental need for more than five traits (Weiten, 2007). An example of this can be seen in recent studies that state that honesty-humility should be a sixth trait. Another criticism is that studies have shown that the five-factor model can discriminate against people. In the case of South Africa this criticism of the five-factor model only improved the outcome of the test because the discrimination led to changes in legislation which protect the rights of people and state that only valid testing may be done (Sibaya Malcolm, 2003). The legislation protecting people’s rights within organisational tests has encouraged the use of these tests in the selection of new employees. Studies have also shown that the Big Five are not necessarily a reflection of one’s personality but rather a reflection of their â€Å"test-taking skills† (Ones, Reiss, Viswesvaran, 1996). This criticism states that the results of the five-factor traits test are a reflection of one’s â€Å"cognitive ability and years of education† (Ones, Reiss, Viswesvaran, 1996). This criticism is not necessarily a negative aspect as it only ensures better use of the Big Five within organisational testing because education is an important aspect to one’s personality. There are two main criticisms of the five-factor model. These are the â€Å"frame of reference effect† and â€Å"socially desirable responding† (Hanges, Dickson, Smith, 2001). Critics argue that the five-factor model is not useful because it is too broad to be applied to psychological assessment (Schmit Ryan, 1993). The first criticism is the frame of reference effect which states that the image the average job applicant would like to convey will have an effect on the psychological assessment (Hanges, Dickson, Smith, 2001). The frame of reference effect can be explained better if one considers that a job applicant will be guided by their self-presentation (Schmit Ryan, 1993). An employee will stand to gain or lose from the results of the psychological assessment and will therefore may alter their response to be in line with what would be considered the correct response (Hanges, Dickson, Smith, 2001). This ‘altered response’ by the job applicant can be seen as a â€Å"ideal-employee† frame of reference where as the response given by a volunteer would be seen as a â€Å"stranger-description† frame of mind (Schmit Ryan, 1993). The second criticism of the five-factor model is the socially desirable response. The â€Å"socially desirable response† can be divided into two sub-groups. Firstly there is â€Å"self-deception† which is the â€Å"unconscious tendency to see oneself in a favourable light† (Schmit Ryan, 1993). Secondly, there is the theory of â€Å"impression management† where a person is consciously aware that they are putting up a false front in order to create a better impression (Schmit Ryan, 1993). The concept of socially desirable responses has undergone three studies which examined the effect of the socially desirable response. The result of these three studies found that in a test of â€Å"fake good vs. honest responses† the personality reliabilities were higher in the fake good (Hanges, Dickson, Smith, 2001). A further study was done on socially desirability consisting of three sample groups. The sample groups were the job applicant, the job incumbent and the student (Hanges, Dickson, Smith, 2001). The results of this study much like the results of other studies showed that the job applicant showed more socially desirable responses than the job incumbent (Hanges, Dickson, Smith, 2001). When defining personality some may argue with Freud’s opinion that personality is largely hidden and unknown. This definition of personality would parallel the argument that the five-factor model is a poor predictor of job success as well as suggesting that it is unethical to use the five-factor model within employment procedures (Hogan, Hogan, Roberts, 1996). This argument could stem from criticisms such as the effect of socially desirable responses, the frame of reference effect and the thought that the five-factor model is limited by only considering five traits. Although these criticisms all have a valid argument one cannot help but believe the evidence that a well-constructed personality assessment is a valid predictor of job performance and it enhances fairness in the employment process (Hogan, Hogan, Roberts, 1996).

Essay on Fame in Djerassi’s Cantors Dilemma -- Cantors Dilemma Essay

Dreams of Fame in Djerassi’s Cantor's Dilemma  Ã‚  Ã‚     Ã‚   Opportunistic scientists, the most hypocritical deviants of the modern age, revolve around the scientific method, or at least they used to. The scientific method once involved formulating a hypothesis from a problem posed, experimenting, and forming a conclusion that best explained the data collected. Yet today, those who are willing to critique the work of their peers are themselves performing the scientific method out of sequence. I propose that scientists, or the "treasure hunters" of that field, are no longer interested in permanent solutions, achieved through proper use of the scientific method, and rather are more interested in solutions that guarantee fame and fortune. Fame and fortune as a motive for scientific discovery is a popular theme in fictional writing, especially in Cantor's Dilemma by Carl Djerassi. Cantor's Dilemma is a novel of the struggles of two scientists through life and a Nobel Prize "campaign". As one digs deeper into the context of the novel, one finds it similar to that of a political race, a fight for glory. For example, the "Cantor-Stafford experiment", the first tumorigenesis experiment tested in the novel, was not validated before its findings were published. This example fails to meet the standards of the scientific method because a conclusion was reached before experimentation was fully executed. Surely any true scientist would know such conclusions to be unsuitable and not "Nobel" worthy. Yet, Cantor and Stafford, both, won a Nobel Prize for their work. Kurt Krauss in Cantor's Dilemma, an opportunistic scientist, is the extreme of scientific deviance. As a fellow scientist and a competitor, Krauss is charged with the duty of ch... ...o not believe my experience has changed the ways of the scientist at that company. Both in fiction and in real life a certain breed of scientists has decided to ignore the scientific method and chase dreams of fame. With that fame, they hope to dig deep into our pockets and reap the benefits of their poor workmanship. It is most evident from the examples given that these scientists, who have seemingly reversed scientific evolution, no longer care for true science and the scientific method, but rather are interested in personal glory. 1 Carl Djerassi, Cantor's Dilemma (New York, New York: Penguin Books, 1991), pg. 113. 2 Djerassi, Cantor's Dilemma, pg. 113. 3 Abbott laboratories, medical news, (http://www.plsgroup.com/dg/72da.htm), 5:25 p.m. 9/23/97 4 "Cold Fusion Times", (Wellesey Hills, MA http://world.std.com), 7:15 p.m. 9/23/97      

Skin Color in Black Like Me :: Black Like Me Essays

Black Like Me  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Skin Color    What is the value of skin color?   In the biological point of view, it is worth nothing.   In the social point of view, it represents community standings, dignity, confidence or something people have never imagined.   In the story Black Like Me, by John Howard Griffin, a white Southern reporter, who is the author and the main character, experienced an unforgettable journey in the Deep South.   Mr. Griffin has a heart, which is filled with curiosity; he therefore undertook a significant project.   He took several medical treatments to change his skin pigments from white to black in order to write a report. To create a successful project, Griffin had to leave his wife to be a temporary African American.   Being an African American brought him many unfair encounters.   However, after he changed back to a Caucasian, the attitude of everyone had immediately turned, and they treated him well.   Mr. Griffin felt bad, and he told everyone about his experiences by writing book s and attending press interviews.   Throughout these hard times, one can read this book and find out the characteristics of the author, how he saw the light bulb, and the truth that he wanted people to understand.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Mr. Griffin was a middle age white man who lived with his wife and children.   He was not oriented to his family.   He decided to pass his own society to the black society.   Although this decision might help most of the African Americans, he had to sacrifice his gathering time with his family.   â€Å"She offered, as her part of the project, her willingness to lead, with our three children, the unsatisfactory family life of a household deprived of husband and father† (Griffin 9). Leaving Mrs. Griffin and his children would deprive them of the care they needed.   Even though he was not oriented to his family, he was full of courage.   He was willing to discuss topics that people hesitated to talk about, trying new ideas that people were afraid to do.   After turning back to his own skin color, he attended most media conferences and also wrote books about what he had gone through.   During those interviews, Griffin was ve ry considerate.   He requested Wallace, a reporter, to report carefully so that he would not hurt his African American friends.   â€Å"Please†¦ Don’t mention those names on the air.

Gender Roles in Children’s Literature

Everything we read constructs us, makes us who we are, by presenting our image of ourselves as girls and women, as boys and men† – M. Fox It is a well known fact that children’s literature holds an important role in the development of young children. It has the power to teach, offer meaning and serve purpose all while being entertaining. Children’s literature is a widely available resource that offers children a plentitude of insightful information. Within the pages children’s books lies an immense resource of tools that aid in the development of character for children, and conveys.Gender is an important aspect of development and is a commonly explored theme in children’s literature. Children gain information from many sources such as teachers, family and friends, but they also gain it from literature. Like in every culture the roles of gender in America are an important part of its culture. Gender Identity is a crucial part of a child’ s development because it helps children to see themselves in relation to others. A child develops their sense of gender at a very early age, for most children gender identity begins to develop between 18 and 30 months.After a child has developed their sense of gender they begin to realize that gender is stabile; girls grow up to become woman and boys grow up to become men. By the time a child is the age of four or five they have come to prefer participating and playing in activities that are defined by society as gender appropriate. It is during childhood that children begin to fall victim of stereotypical behaviors. For example girls refusing to play with trucks or wear pant because it is not considered feminine by society. Lawrence Kohlberg an American Psychologist outlines the stages of gender development.Kohlberg outlines gender development in three stages. The first being Gender labeling, in this stage children identify others as male or female based on physical appearance. The second stage is when children begin to recognize that gender is stable over time; gender stability. And the third stage is gender consistency; children understand that gender is permanent. But what influences children to know what’s appropriate for their gender? The answer may be found in a theory known as Gender Schema. The Gender Schema is a psychological theory that explains how children develop their gender roles.This theory suggests that children learn about male and females roles from the society in which they live in. This theory also suggests that children adjust their gender behaviors to conform to the gender expectations of their culture. Children acquire cultural information about their gender roles from a variety of sources; parents, teachers, family, media and literature. Through literature children are exposed to characters that outline the expected behaviors for each gender. Children take the information given to them and then try to conform themselves to what is expected of them.Because of this children are unable to know their full potential, forcing them to abide within their given roles. Since the beginning of time gender has defined ones role in society. â€Å"Like class, race and ethnicity, gender shapes just about every part of our lives. † (Macions pg 90). Society places roles and expectations for each gender that are played in out in every aspect of life; home, school, work, playgrounds and literature. As children develop they are subjected to messages from society, which helps them to gain understanding of the world around them and molds them into their given roles.The way, in which gender roles are portrayed in children’s literature, significantly contributes to the development of children’s gender roles and how they are perceived by society. It is important to teach children about gender roles since it is something that society holds in regards, but most of the time in literature it is done unequally. The portrayal of gender in literature is based off of the expectations of society and places bias on gender. Boys are portrayed as strong, adventurous, independent and capable and often play the roles of fighters, adventurers and rescuers.Girls are portrayed as sweet, naive, dependent, sensitive and emotional and play roles such as caretakers, princesses and mothers. The roles of gender portrayed in literature are often a reflection of the views of society and do not offer objective insight. Even though it is important to teach children about gender roles, the fashion in which it is done in does not allow children to see beyond those expectations. If a young girl is constantly read stories about a woman’s role as a housewife, homemaker and mother, she will assume that’s what is expected of her and will not know society will allow her to be anything she wants to be.Gender roles in children’s literature are linked to gender stereotypes. Gender stereotypes have always been a part of society and are seen in almost every aspect of life. Stereotypes are defined as â€Å"exaggerated descriptions applied to every person in the same category. † (Macions p. 72). For every ethnic, racial and gender category society places stereotypes to describe certain groups of people. Gender stereotypes in children’s literature are portrayed in the traits, role behaviors, physical characteristics, and occupations of characters in children’s literature.The common messages in children’s literature about gender put emphasis on the traditional roles of men and woman. Unfortunately traditional roles are often unequal and place males as dominant over woman. Traditional gender encompasses the concept of masculinity and femininity. In many countries around the world, the traditional roles of gender are greatly valued. The traditional role of gender places woman as the homemakers and men as the provider. â€Å"Girls are always shown as passive and girls are always shown as being active. † (BookStove. com).With such emphasis on tradition, children’s literature does not allow children to see past the stereotypical expectations of society. It is no wonder why gender inequality in children’s literature is so prevalent when society places unequal views upon gender. Unfortunately much of the children’s literature today contains gender stereotypes as previously discussed. One would most likely assume that this is something of the past but it is as present today as it was in past decades. A reason for this could be that â€Å"Gender-role development is one of the most important areas of human development† (Noppe).Since gender roles are an important aspect of development for children, it is a significant topic in literature. However in the majority of children’s books the main characters are predominantly male, thus limiting opportunities for girls to identify with and validate their own gende r. The male gender has been the dominant of the two sexes since the beginning of time, which explains why male characters are dominant in children’s books. The majority of children’s books have a male as the main character, leaving females with the minority of literary experiences aimed for them. In an analysis of children’s book titles by S.Ernst it was â€Å"found that male names represented nearly twice as often as female names† (Tsao). Ernst also found that books that had gender neutral and girls names were actually about boys. Gender roles and stereotypes force young children to conform to traditional stereotypes regarding gender. Because of this, boys feel pressured to live up to the standards of masculinity while girls feel pressured to be feminine. Gender based beliefs are incorporated into a majority of literature written for children. Even though the stereotypical divide between males and females is not a large as it was 40 years ago, it is stil l present today. When they are repeatedly given stereotypical messages, their choices of what they want to become or accomplish is limited by these gender stereotypes† (Bookstove. com). Today both males and females are doctors, soldiers, teachers, athletes, government leaders, stay at home parents and much more, however this is not fully represented in children’s literature. Females in children’s literature are all too often â€Å"portrayed in a narrow and biased way† (Bookstove. com). Over the past few decades societal changes in gender roles have lead the stereotypical beliefs of gender to represent something different than what it used to.With so many changes in the views of society you would think that children’s literature would reflect these changes but all too often they do not. And most often the books that do challenge the beliefs of society draw great controversy causing them to be put on the back burner in favor of more traditional childr en’s books. The stereotypical roles of gender that are portrayed in children’s literature have been the cause of much controversy in recent years. However a solution to remedy the abundance of gender stereotypes in literature has not yet been reached.It is believed that the ideas of masculinity and femininity are too deeply embedded in society making it especially difficult to change. Every aspect of society is shadowed with stereotypical beliefs that are perceived through media, advertising, literature and socialization. These models are a constant reassure that exploits gender stereotypes. According to Bookstove. com, guidelines were implemented in an attempt to eliminate sexist roles in children’s literature. These guidelines were expected to encourage a healthier development of gender for young children but unfortunately did not persist to combat the situation.Thus making it evident, that stereotypes are too deeply rooted in society. It will be interesting t o see how the issue pans out over the coming decades. Gender identity is a crucial part of a child’s development and will most likely remain a common theme amongst children’s literature. The views of gender depicted in literature may prevent children from participating in activities that would best suit their capabilities and personalities. It is important to understand and learn the expectations of society but children’s literature does not fully allow children to develop concepts of individuality.Today society places value on individuality and does not limit life chances to certain genders, but this is all too often not shown in children’s literature. In order to help children in the process of gender identity one must realize that children need chances to interpret the world around them without the insight and beliefs of society. Hopefully in time children’s literature will steer away from the stereotypical beliefs of gender and focus on non-tra ditional gender roles, allowing children to see themselves in many different aspects.Works Cited Macions, John J. Social Problems. New York: Pearson, 2008. Noppe, Illene C. social. jrank. org. 1 December 2010 . Tsao, Ya-Lun. â€Å"Gender Issues in Young Children's Literature. † Reading Improvement (2008). â€Å"Unknown. † 12 3 2007. Bookstove. com. 5 December 2010 . â€Å"Gender Development: Gender Schema Theory. † Encyclopedia of Women and Gender: Sex Similarities and Differences and the Impact of Society on Gender. Oxford: Elsevier Science ; Technology, 2001. Credo Reference. Web. 06 December 2010. Fox, M. (1993). Men who weep, boys who dance: The gender agenda between the lines in children’s literature. Language Arts, 70 (2), 84-88. [EJ457107].

A Various Powerful Organizations in England Essays

A Various Powerful Organizations in England Essays A Various Powerful Organizations in England Essay A Various Powerful Organizations in England Essay The basic alma for this unit is to provide novices with a perfect understanding of how various organizations operate the powerful influence of stakeholders and the relationship between the business and its external forces which are local, national and global environment. 1. 1 Before I go straight Into answering this question I will Like to briefly explain what an organization is, An organization is a social entity that has a collective goal and is linked to an external environment. There are seven different type organizations in England. Each of these organizations have their purpose which they serve. . Sole trader. This Is a business that Is owned by one person, and Is controlled by the same individual. Their purpose is to render special services to customers, as they are sensitive to customers needs since they are closer to them. 2. Partnership. This is a type of business that is owned by two or more people. They raise capital to form this kind of business. There Is increased credibility among customers and supplier, the purpose for this kind of organization Is for the both of them to bring skills and employ workers to reduce unemployment 3. Private limited company. This is a type of organization in which the business is owned by share holders, but cannot be sold to the public, and also, Its stock cannot be traded on the stock market. They have a duty to pay tax and all other revenue to the government. 4. Public limited company. This type of Organization is owned not by one individual but by the public, they sell shares to the public since they are quoted the stock market. They employ large number of employees; engage In International trade that earn the country foreign exchange and revenues. . Co-operatives. This Is the type of organization that the roofs or persons come together for the purpose of each member and the public. 6. Franchises. This is the type of organization that gives right to another company to use their name. Their rules, norms and style of franchiser are followed according to how I set out. The franchisee has to pay a certain amount. They pay tax and revenue to the Public sector. This type of organization is own and run by the government. 7. Government. They are the local or federal investment. 8. Non profitable organization. This type of organization is set up not to make profit, they receive donations, to help the less privileged In the society. COMPANY PROFILE Marks and Spencer Is one of Auks leading retailers, which have over 21 million people visiting their stores every week. They offer high quality stylish, home product and great value clothing, and also quality foods, responsibly sourced from approximately 2,000 suppliers worldwide. They provide work for over 78,000 people In the UK and abroad, and they have over 700 UK stores, plus an increasing worldwide business. They have specific values, goals, missions and visions. Their main vision is to have a specific standard compared to others. Their main mission is to give self-improving OFF quality. Www. Merchandiser. Co. UK). 1. 2. Marks and Spencer as one of I-J leading Retail Company have a large number of stakeholders both internal and external, so they will go to any length to meet the expectations of these stakeholders. Employees. He employee are those individual in the company that put their effort to make sure that Marks and Spencer are running from day to day, they are the internal stakeholders in the company, meeting their expectations is of most importance, these expectation may range from wage levels, working condition, personal growth and Job security, since they are humans and all hose conditions are meant, their production level will increase greatly. Customers. The customer are the people that make Marks and Spencer who they are today, Marks and Spencer have to work so hard to met their expectation by producing reliable and affordable product at all times. Shareholders. These people are the investors they are very much interested in the share and affair of the company. Marks and Spencer have to meet to their need by offering security to their investment, market value of investment, dividends and liquidity of investment. Suppliers. The suppliers are those people that Marks and Spencer depend on to apply their good to met their expectation, Marks and Spencer have to offer security of contract, ensure the growth of the organization and also met up to their regular payment. Society. These group of people are those people around the environment they try to avoid discrimination and they make sure that Marks and Spencer produce safe product which will make the environment safe and healthy to live.. Government. The governments are the rule maker that governs every business in the I-J, to meet their expectation is the regular payment of taxes and following the rules set out by them. 1. . In a business organization, the manner of handling stakeholder is of most important and it is the responsibility of Marks and Spencer to ensure that is done because of its status. Reliability. There should be reliability in the company, Marks and Spencer should earn the trust of their customer, in order for this to be done the production and quality of their goods should be at its best at all time. And it is essential to innovation new product. Responsiveness. Responsiveness is a law which is bound by every company in England which has been set out by the government as a center for very company to follow. In that way mark and Spence must also respond to those laws, this can increase the output of the goods because the quicker response to customers needs the better. Design with quality. The goods and services offered to customers should be of good quality and latest design. There is nothing as constant as change in this world. Customers always forget about the price with the passage of time, but good quality remains as long as it does exist. It is essential that the goods should not be considered sold to the customers until the customer has used it and e/she is satisfied with the product. 2. 1 An Economic system is a well planned and organized way in which a nations resources are allocated in a national society. The following are ways in which a nation allocates its resources. Command economic system: this is whereby the resources are allocated by the government through their planning system. They also decide government, employees and consumers. All system is owned by the government. Free Market economy system: This kind of economical system can also be called the price system simply put is a means of allocating resources in which the resources are even out by the market mechanism and the company have the power to decide what to produce and the most important economic problems are been resolved by private individuals in the company. Mixed economic system: This is the kind of system that portrays the characteristics of both the market and command economy these resources are allocated by the government and the stakeholders as well and this system is owned by the two parties I. E. Government and the investors as well. Some of these resources are allocated through market system or price and other are allocated by the state. 2. 2 Fiscal Policy, has to do with how changes in the level and rules of taxation is carried out by the government, and also the how the government changes the spending in to influence the economy. In England, it is expected of every business to pay 40 % higher rate and a 20% standard rate. On selected product there are some special taxes which is up to 16. 5% plus and other condition. Monetary Policy, The circulation of money and supply of money is determined by the rules made by the central bank, currency board or other regulatory committee, and this at the end affects the interest rates. Monetary policy is the act of determining the way banks store their money in their vaults or reserve. In March 2009, (MAC) Monetary Policy Committee declared it would be decreasing bank rate to 0. % and also stated that this current rate wouldnt reduce below that current rate. But in order for stimulate the economy with monetary value series of purchase asset need to be done. 2. 3. Competition Act 1998. This act was made to stop practices that discourage competition and free trading between business organizations. The banning of abusive character by a company or anti-competitive practices can be spread in industry. The impact of this in Marks and Spencer is that the clothing aspect of M will get free trading and at the same time bringing out the best in M. Enterprise Act 2002. The Enterprise Act 2002 is policy of the Parliament of the United Kingdom have made lot of changes to I-J competition law with respect to mergers and also changed the law governing liquidation bankruptcy. Free trading Act 1973. These deals with company that come together and the misuse the monopoly power in the market. This does not affect the clothing aspect of M since clothing industry is not monopoly and the law also abides with offenders who try to discourage free trading. 3. 1 Even though companies have the right to fix its price of goods this also depends on the market structure at that particular time. Below are some of the factors that determine the output and pricing decision off business. (1) Supply and demand. Demand is how much in quantity the customer want the product while supply is the amount of quantity a company produce out to the market. For a company like marks and Spencer the higher the demand the higher the supply and also the price will increase because of the increase in demand. Same goes to decrease in demand the lower the supply. (2) Elasticity of Demand. This is whereby goods or service changes of some of their product there will be an increase in sales. (3) Elasticity of Supply. This is whereby a company responds whereby there is a change in price of goods or services. So if the prices increase so will supply. (4) Economies of Scale. This is defines in how much quantity a company produces goods; because the more products you produce and the more the customers buy it in numbers will be cheaper, so this give competitive advantage to smaller company. 3. . Market forces A market force is the relationship and interaction between supply and demand in a market. The organizational response to market forces is very necessary for the company to stay important in the market. T will also have a direct contact to its profits and reputation. For example in England, in the real estates industry, the prices of selling house and the price of letting out houses has increased because everyone want to come and stay in England, this means that demand of home has increased and the same time the supply will increase at the same time. And also ruing the summer season in England summer clothes such as sandals, bikini sleeveless etc are also high in demand, so with this the prices tend to increase with the demand its dealing with. The external factor which change the planned behavior production, these factor must be strictly monitored stay competitive and important in business For any company to be able to participate in the business industry the external factor must be put into effect below are the list of external factors that change the behavior of planned production. Political Forces: these are governmental rules which govern business activities in the United Kingdom. We have various business rules and policies, which are: The law governing business, foreign policies, political stability all this rules and policies help to shaping productions with companies in the United Kingdom. Cultural Forces: this is the fundamental way people behave during production. Many companies in the I-J have started introducing this system into place because of the diverse culture here. That shows most company considers each individual. Economic Forces: this conceal of all the various forces which include economical impact of very business. This include supply, production, monetary policy etc. Al this form to make production a reality. Technological Environment: Technology has succeeded in bringing the world together, and thereby making the world a global village. In some ways technology has aided the restructuring of business positively, an instance is the online mode of selling goods, providing services to customers, and also the trade of ideas. Marks and Spencer in a good way is an example of a business organization that technology has made a huge impact on, more sales are being made online and he payments for these goods have also been made easier using the online mode. Social and Global Environment: Education, corporate and globalization which is the agreement between foreign nations, WTFO principles, and other treaties and convention are treaties of social factor Foreign nations have come together to make changes on the social factor of education 4. 1 . International trade is buying and selling of goods and rendering of services services across national borders. It is of vast importance not Just for a single country but all the countries because without international trade the economy of a country and enable to display their manufactures to display at international level. This has been very important in the continued existence of I-J businesses because the raw materials that are used to produce the final products are mainly imported from abroad. 4. 2. Impact of Global factors on Uk organization help in better business strategy, because it has created free trade among countries in the WTFO. Business are also affected by the external environment. World Trade Organization (WTFO). This is the organizational bodies that deal with rules that concern trade between nations. The major aim is to assist business and importers to attain their aim in conducting their business. Or example a company like Primary import clothing material from china, since the raw material is cheap and labor is quiet affordable to other most customer, there is totally no tariff or tax when Primary is trading within countries in the WTFO. Technological Factor. Technology is one the factor that help shape the economy since the world is speedily becoming a worldwide village, the social media has assist Marks and Spencer to promote their goods and services to the public and also sales are made online which sake sales faster. Economical Factor. The economical factor involves the change in worldwide economy. A rise in the standard of living will apply to the increase in demand of the product. With the current worldwide recession that hit the I-J, marks and Spencer has impacted in a negative way. Government Factor. The governments are always a factor because they make a law that controls the country. 4. 3. EX. Policy on Business. The impact of this policy on Primary is that to improve quality of Jobs, promote gender equality and pay the wage due across all employee and combat poverty and social exclusion. EX. Policy on Competition. This law ensures that there is free completion, rather than some cartels running the business and fixing price, the impact of this is that Primary can improve on their service and compete freely with other competitors. EX. Policy on agriculture (CAP). This law protects farmers by ensuring good standard of living. Provide stable and safe food products to its consumer, this is a very good impact on business because Primary will be relaxed because with this law it is sure its getting the standard raw material for the production of its finished products. EX. Policy on Science and Technology. Member of the EX. Have been encouraged to invest 3% of their in R by 2020. Which is estimated to create about 3. 7 million Jobs and increase GAP by nearly ‚800 billion, the impact of this will be since there is employment then there will be more money in circulation and the sales rate will increase as a result. EX. Policy on education. The EX. Shall contribute to the development of youths and the provision of quality education all across its members. The impact of this to UK business organization is that there will be more qualified work force to run business and make good financial returns at the end.

Misinterpretation of Correlation Essays

Misinterpretation of Correlation Essays Misinterpretation of Correlation Paper Misinterpretation of Correlation Paper Correlation in statistics is the measure of the association between two variables. The number computed in correlation is known as the correlation coefficient. The correlation coefficient’s value ranges from -1 up to +1. The -1 value means that there is a perfect negative association between two variables. The +1 value means that there is a perfect positive association between two variables. A coefficient of zero means that there is no association between two variables (Agresti Franklin, 2007). The next paragraph will analyze the scenario regarding John’s computation of correlation coefficient and Tom’s interpretation of the correlation coefficient. One often misinterprets the use of correlation in statistics. In the scenario, Tom made a misinterpretation of the correlation coefficient. Correlation measures the level of association between two variables. Association does not demonstrate causal relationship between two variables. The correlation coefficient stated in the scenario is 0.85. This means that there is high association between the medication and the stomach upset. This high association can be a ground for testing the causation between the medication and stomach upset. In order to test for causation, two variables must be associated to each other. The 0.85 correlation coefficient is not enough to say that the medication is the cause of Tom’s stomach upset. Thus, Tom’s statement is incorrect. If would be more correct if Tom states that there is an association between the medication and his stomach upset. Misinterpretation of data is one of the usual problem people encounters. Data can be seen everywhere, from newspapers up to the television sets. Statistics is a powerful tool used in interpreting data. Without proper knowledge in statistics, many data misinterpretation may rise. These give a hint about how important statistics is in one’s everyday life. References Agresti, A. Franklin, C. (2007). Statistics : The art and science of learning from data. Upper Saddle River, N.J. Pearson Prentice Hall.