Information and computer technology on banking Essay

For over a decade, the rapid advancement in information and communication technology has significantly affected the banking industry. The banking sector has embraced the use of technology to serve its client’s faster and also to do more with less. Emerging technologies have changed the banking industry from paper and branch based banks to â€Å"digitized and networked banking services†. Unlike before, broadband internet is cheap and it makes the transfer of data easy and first. Technology has changed the accounting and management system of all banks. And it is now changing the way how banks are delivering services to their customers. However this technology comes at a cost, implementing all this technology has been expensive but the rewards are limitless. The banking sector was one of the first to embrace rapid globalization and benefit significantly from IT development. The technological revolution in banking started in the 1950s, with the installation of the first automated bookkeeping machines at banks. This was well before the other industries became IT savvy. However, in Bangladesh the revolution started in 1990s. Present Status: A good number of technology driven services are provided to the customers by the Private Commercial Banks (PCBs), Foreign Commercial Banks (FCBs)and Nationalized Commercial Banks (NCBs). The FCBs operating in Bangladesh like Standard Chartered Bank and HSBCare the pioneers to introduce technology driven banking facilities. Thesebanks provide services like ATM, debit card, credit card, Point of Sale (POS)services, internet banking, phone banking, any branch banking, ElectronicFund Transfer (EFT). Along with these services Standard Chartered Bank isproviding KIOSK service to its customers. Among the local banks, the PCBs are ahead of the NCBs in providingtechnology driven banking services. A limited number of technology drivenservices are being provided by the private Islamic banks in Bangladesh. For sending foreign remittance NCBs and some PCBs are working collaboratively with mobile phone service operators. Application of computer based services in Bangladesh: Electronic Fund Transfer (EFT), SWIFT and MICR cheque are being provided by all the banks. All the banks except Uttara Bank are providing any branch banking to the customers. All banks have debit card facilities for their clients except Citi Bank NA. First Security Islami Bank Limited, Uttara Bank Limited and Citi Bank NA have no own ATM booth. First Security Islami BankLimited is going to establish their own ATM booth. They have already selected the palce for 100 ATM booth and expect to launch within very short possible time.

Mark Sheet: Leading and motivating a team effectively Essay

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ASSESSMENT AND USE OF MARK SHEET Assessment must be conducted with reference to the assessment criteria (AC). In order to pass the unit, every AC must be met. Assessors will normally award marks for every AC and then total them into a percentage. However, for greater simplicity, there is the option to not use marks at all and merely indicate with a ‘Pass’ or ‘Referral’ in the box (below right). In order to pass the unit every AC must receive a ‘Pass’. Where marks are awarded according to the degree to which the learner’s evidence in the submission meets each AC, every AC must be met, i.e. receive at least half marks (e.g. min 10/20). Any AC awarded less than the minimum produces an automatic referral for the submission (regardless of the overall mark achieved). Sufficiency descriptors are provided as guidance. If 20 marks are available for an AC and the evidence in the submission approximates to the ‘pass’ descriptor, that indicates it should attract 10 mark s out of 20, if a ‘good pass’ then ca. 15 out of 20. The descriptors are not comprehensive, and cannot be, as there are many ways in which a submission can exceed or fall short of the requirements. 1.Learner named above confirms authenticity of submission. 2.ILM uses learners’ submissions – on an anonymous basis – for assessment standardisation. By submitting, I agree that ILM may use this script on condition that all information which may identify me is removed. However, if you are unwilling to allow ILM use your script, please refuse by ticking the box: Learning Outcome / Section 1: Know how to communicate the organisations vision and strategy to the team Assessment Criteria (AC) Sufficiency Descriptors [Typical standard that , if replicated across the whole submission, would produce a referral, borderline pass or good pass result] Assessor feedback on AC AC 1.1 Explain the importance of the team having a common sense of purpose that supports the overall vision and strategy of the organisation Referral [ca. 4/16] Pass [8/16] Good Pass [ca. 12/16] An explanation of the importance of the team having a common sense of purpose is not given or, if given, the supporting of the overall vision and strategy of the organisation is not included The importance of the team having a common sense of purpose that supports the overall vision and strategy of the organisation is merely stated, as opposed to explained or, if explained, is incorrect, inappropriate or minimal The importance of the team having a common sense of purpose that supports the overall vision and strategy of the organisation is correctly and appropriately explained although the explanation may be limited and the link to organisational vision may be more implicit than explicit A thorough and detailed explanation is given of the importance of the team having a common sense of purpose and its link to the overall vision and strategy of the organisation is made explicitly clear / 16 (min. of 8) Pass or Referral AC 1.2 Explain the role that communication plays in establishing a common sense of purpose Referral [ca. 4/16] Pass [8/16] Good Pass [ca. 12/16] Assessor feedback on AC The role that communication plays in establishing a common sense of purpose is not explained or is merely outlined as opposed to explained The role that communication plays in establishing a common sense of purpose is explained but the explanation is incorrect or minimal The role that communication plays in establishing a common sense of purpose is explained although the explanation may be limited A thorough and detailed explanation is given of the role that communication plays in establishing a common sense of purpose and an outline of how, in contrast, inappropriate communication may damage a common sense of purpose AC 1.3 Assess the effectiveness of own communication skills on the basis of the above Referral [ca. 3/12] Pass [6/12] Good Pass [ca. 9/12] Assessor feedback on AC Own communication skills in establishing a common sense of purpose are not assessed against appropriate criteria or are merely listed or described Own communication skills in establishing a common sense of purpose are assessed against appropriate criteria although the criteria may be limited Own communication skills in establishing a common sense of purpose are thoroughly assessed in detail against a range of appropriate criteria and a judgement on self is made / 12 (min. of 6) Pass or Referral Section comments (optional): Verification comments (optional): Learning Outcome / Section 2: Know how to motivate and develop the team Assessment Criteria (AC) Sufficiency Descriptors [Typical standard that , if replicated across the whole submission, would produce a referral, borderline pass or good pass result] Assessor feedback on AC AC 2.1 Describe the main motivational factors in a work context and how these may apply to different situations, teams and individuals Referral [ca. 4/16] Pass [8/16] Good Pass [ca. 12/16] The main motivational factors in a work context are merely stated as opposed to described The main motivational factors in a work context are described but the description does not apply to different situations and teams and individuals and/or the description is incorrect, inappropriate or minimal The main motivational factors in a work context are described, although the description may be limited, and the description applies to different situations and teams and individuals although the emphasis placed on each of these factors may be imbalanced A thorough and detailed description of a range of the main motivational factors in a work context is given which  clearly applies to different situations and teams and individuals Examples may be provided to enhance the description given. / 16 (min. of 8) Pass or Referral AC 2.2 Explain the importance of a leader being able to motivate teams and individuals and gain their commitment to objectives Referral [ca. 5/20] Pass [10/20] Good Pass [ca. 15/20] Assessor feedback on AC The importance of a leader being able to motivate teams and individuals is merely stated as opposed to explained An explanation of the importance of a leader being able to motivate teams and individuals is given but does not explain how their commitment to objectives might be gained and/or the explanation is incorrect or minimal The importance of a leader being able to motivate teams and individuals and gain their commitment to objectives is explained although the explanation may be limited A thorough and detailed explanation of the importance of a leader being able to motivate both teams and individuals, outlining the different approach to teams and individuals, and gain their commitment to objectives is given and an outline of how, in contrast, a leader’s disregard of the importance motivation could undermine the gaining of team or individual commitment to objectives / 20 (min. of 10) Pass or Referral AC 2.3 Explain the role that the leader plays in supporting and developing the team and its members and give practical examples of when this will be necessary Referral [ca. 5/20] Pass [10/20] Good Pass [ca. 15/20] Assessor feedback on AC An explanation of the role that the leader plays in both supporting and developing the team and its members is merely stated as opposed to explained, or if explained, is incorrect, inappropriate or minimal No more than one practical example of when this will be necessary is given A correct and appropriate explanation of the role that the leader plays in both supporting and developing the team and its members is given although the explanation may be limited At least two practical examples of when this will be necessary is are given A thorough and detailed explanation of the role that the leader plays in both supporting and developing both the team and its members is given and is supported by several practical and relevant examples of when this will be necessary / 20 (min. of 10) Pass or Referral Section comments (optional): Verification comments (optional): / 100 TOTAL MARKS Assessor’s Decision Quality Assurance Use Outcome (delete as applicable): PASS / REFERRAL Signature of Assessor: Date: Outcome (delete as applicable): PASS / REFERRAL Signature of QA: Date of QA check:

Natural Sci 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Natural Sci 3 - Essay Example Finally, it will present a conclusion based on the data gathered and present recommendations for people who will try this test in the future. More often than not, people avoid cockroaches or try to kill or repel them, mainly because they carry disease and germs, and the fact that many people either find cockroaches disgusting, or are afraid of them. This is why these people spend money on insecticides, repellants, exterminators and other chemicals and gadgets for the purpose of getting rid of cockroaches. As commonly known, cockroaches are attracted to food, and are often found in dark confined places of the home. These cockroaches that we see are actually only a small percentage of the actual number of cockroaches in your home. According to an article by extension.umn.edu, â€Å"Cockroaches are nocturnal, hiding during the day and becoming active at night. The number of cockroaches people see is usually a small percentage of a much larger population.† And this means that ther e are definitely more cockroaches in your home than you expect. ... It will break down the pre-experiment and post-experiment information as such: Project design plan Problem Statement Relevance of the study Review of related literature Experimental design Dependent, independent and controlled variables Threat reduction to internal validity Hypothesis Post-experiment data analysis Data collection method Graphs and charts of the data collected Interpretation of results from the data collection Conclusions and recommendations Project design plan Problem Statement The problem that this paper aims to test is if the pandan plant is effective in repelling cockroaches from food. This paper aims to test the effectiveness of an all-natural, inexpensive, low-maintenance and non-toxic alternative for repelling insects. This paper will use a scientific style of experimentation in order to determine if the pandan plant is effective at repelling cockroaches. Relevance of the study This study aims to test the effectiveness of the pandan plant in order to determine if it can be used as a good alternative for electronic or chemical insecticides or repellents. This study is significant to several people and groups such as: Homes and families If proven, this natural alternative can help homes and families reduce the number of cockroaches in their home without having to spend so much money and avoid the danger of chemical repellants. This also gives families the ability to secure their food and rooms from cockroaches and the germs they bring using a low-maintenance method. Schools This gives schools the opportunity to keep their students secure and safe from the disease brought by roaches and keep their facilities from being infested by the roaches using a natural and low-maintenance

Migration and Immigration Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Migration and Immigration - Essay Example As a result of migration, the U.S. experiences a lot of individuals who get either illegal or legal entry through its borders. According to Martin (2010) in his highlights, U.S experienced 40 million residents who are foreigners born in the country. Moreover, in the total global migration it has 20% portion totaling to about 214 million immigrants of which 30% of them illegally migrate into the U.S., Martin (2010). This situation is quite intensified as researches reveal since there is a record of 100,000 daily entries through front doors, back doors and side-door migration. It is a clear fact that the U.S is inclusive to migrants who influx the various states. This is because of enormous benefits that come along with the acts of the migrant. That therefore introduces benefits and detriments aspects of immigration in the U.S, which include amelioration of military power and labor force as well as tax and consumer expansion. On the contrary, illegal immigration may strain infrastructure due to overcrowding thereby introducing various ailments that the immigrants might have along come with that will ultimately infect the entire population. In addition, immigration causes imbalance in ethnicity and social life, an issue which consequences conflict and discrimination of immense diversities, Gannon

Research questions Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 2

Research questions - Assignment Example That is when I thought social media could actually be an opposite of social and does not make people sociable. Information on this will be easily gathered from my peers and other internet resources. After watching the movie â€Å"John Doe Vigilante,† I was left with too many unanswered questions after I got some enlightening from the movie. The vigilante at some point, in police custody and awaiting court’s verdict, asks where we draw a line between a vigilante and soldiers. They all work for a noble course, but a vigilante will be prosecuted for fighting for the justice of those that the system cannot do justice. In war, many innocent people suffer, including women and children. When do we justify the work of our soldiers as a noble course, where do we draw the line? War journals and articles discussing aftermath of war will be a good place to start while looking for information on this topic. Whenever we do a module that deals with Gender equity and gender equality, I cannot help but think that these two terms are contradictory. In our definition, Gender equity implies to efforts of allocating resources, decision-making, and programs fairly to both females and males and addressing any imbalances on sex basis. Gender equality means all sexes are equal. There is, therefore, contradiction in that we give some sexes what seems to be a free pass to address the imbalances and at the same time, assert that all sexes are equal. Shouldn’t all sexes be treated by order of merit? Should there be posts such as Women Representative in some governments? The internet will be an ideal place to gather information on this

After reading chapter 6 and 7 of the textbook, Philosophy the Power of Assignment

After reading chapter 6 and 7 of the textbook, Philosophy the Power of Ideas, answer the following questions - Assignment Example ne Descartes, however, realized that although he could doubt everything else, he could not doubt his very own existence because existence is a sine qua non for doubting. His doubting self/existence therefore became the starting point of his theory of knowledge. Having proved his existence, Rene Descartes went on to prove the existence of God. Descartes argued that since doubting is less perfect than to know/knowledge, he was an imperfect being; Descartes realized that there must be a perfect being that does not doubt, a being that knows everything. Descartes concluded that the perfect being is God. Descartes, therefore, argued that God is the truth and all other things share in the truth of God. God therefore became the metaphysical basis of Descartes’ Epistemology. Descartes concluded that everything that we can conceive clearly and distinctly is true because it is a participation God, the truth itself. An evaluation of Descartes theory of knowledge shows that the theory was a phenomenal milestone in Philosophy, the theory challenged Philosophers to base their arguments only on logical truths, rather than, on believes and doctrines that have no logical basis. Question 2. Thomas Hobbes was a thorough going materialist. Hobbes argued that all reality is material, including thoughts, feelings and ideas. Hobbes argued that all reality in the universe can be explained in material form, i.e. in terms of the motions and the interactions of material bodies. For this reason, Hobbes denied existence of any immaterial reality. For this reason, Hobbes saw human beings as machines, operating solely according to the physical laws; For Hobbes therefore all human actions can be explained in terms of cause and effect. An evaluation of this theory reveals one glaring shortcoming: Hobbes did not give a sufficient and convincing account of how human thoughts and ideas are material in nature; Hobbes did not give a convincing argument on how the motions and interactions of

Legal Right and Ethical Obligation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Legal Right and Ethical Obligation - Essay Example This causes a certain deviation from the law for a judgement to be ethically viable. "When important ethical principles are jeopardized by law, citizens are confronted with an ethical problem." (Loewy, 2000). In a situation where people who have suffered loss of life and property claim for compensation, there is no doubt that all legal possibilities will be explored in order to ensure that the company does not lose heavily. In a case where a passenger (of American origin) tries to sue the cruise line that claims immunity under 'flag of convenience rules', the question is more of an ethical issue than a legal one. It would be quite unjust to argue that by merely flying the flag of another country, the DWI are under no obligation to pay for the loss of life and/or property of a passenger who has boarded their cruise with a fervent hope that he and his belongings will be safe. Third party billing problems occur most of the time either in phone companies or in the medical sector. Most disputes arise when people are oblivious of the declarations and statements made in fine print in most bills and invoices. As in the case of Mr. & Mrs.

The Impact of Mobile Banking on the Finance Profession in Banking Article

The Impact of Mobile Banking on the Finance Profession in Banking Environment - Article Example   However, there is also a group of stakeholders, including the staff that is concerned about the negative consequences of mobile banking. The crucial question is then how the finance work in the banking environment would be affected. The trending developments regarding mobile banking are well documented. According to SWIFT (2005), mobile banking is still considered as one of the pertinent topics in the finance industry, as well as for banking institutions. This has been exacerbated by the growing ubiquity of mobile phones across the global population. In a population of about 7 billion people, as many as 5 billion people will be in the possession of mobile phones. At the same time, out of all that population, only 2 billion people will be holding the bank accounts. Consumers are now increasingly using their mobile phones in making payments and bank their money. Mobile banking is described as a growing business, with users expected to increase to about 900 million while the transac tion value is expected to exceed 1 trillion dollars by 2015. Finance staff would also have to reap from the benefits that accompany the mobile banking operation. It is agreeable that mobile transfer is cheaper than teller transfer by about fifty times and ATM transfer by about ten times. Mobile banking comes with a lot of flexibility, both to customers and the firm itself. For instance, the service makes it easy for the bank to combine and sell other services and products that are offered in the bank, such as credit cards and loans, with relative ease. Mobile banking is the best way of realizing drastic growth because it is one way for banking institutions to remain competitive (Delloitte 2010). In the most obvious way, the finance staff would is some of the stakeholders to gain when the banks gain. Tiwari, Buse, and Hersatt (2006) acknowledge that increased competition as a result of technological development and globalization has exposed banks to a challenging environment. Mobile banking innovation creates the allowance for the banks to retain their place by introducing the innovative services that are aimed at retaining the customers, as well as increase the revenues. However, the business is still immature, considering that only a few initiatives have succeeded in attracting a significant base of users. In other words, the service is still marred with a lot of uncertainties.  Ã‚  

Facilitating the Educational Approaches to Students with Special Needs Essay

Facilitating the Educational Approaches to Students with Special Needs - Essay Example Within the context of the classroom setting, the teacher is required to identify the most effective of the teaching strategies which may be deployed vis--vis the special needs students. Identification is done through either the problem solving or the special protocol approach (Teaching LD, 005). Ideally, the characteristics and needs of the students function as the primary determinant of the learning approach which will ultimately be selected. The problem-solving approach, as clarified in "Teaching LD"(2005) is comprised of four steps. These are problem identification, problem analysis, plan implementation, and problem evaluation. The first step is an observational one, whereby the teacher is required to observe students classroom behavior for identification of problem areas. The second step focuses on the analysis of the identified problem for the purpose of identifying the factors which incite them and how these problems may be addressed. This second step, in other words, involves an in-depth exploration of the identified problem for the purposes of formulating a corrective plan. The third step entails the implementation of the individual student plans which were formulated in the previous step.

RRQ Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

RRQ - Essay Example After the end of the war, the southern states passed laws that the black codes which allowed the Africans in America rights such as, owning of property, legalized marriage and they were also allowed to have access to courts (Farr 236). On the other hand, they repudiated the right to testify and attend in the panel of adjudicators in the state militia or beginning to work without endorsement from the former employer. Carter supports his argument about Americans crisis of confidence, in that during the past three years he spoke about national concerns, the energy crisis reorganizing the governmental, national economy and the various issues of war and especially peace (Farr 234). He insisted on how the government should be doing to make sure the nation’s dreams and vision are accomplished (Farr 347). Carter says that in order for the nation economy, to flourish the government has to curb the entire crisis and focus on the national

To Watch the Faces of the Poor Essay Example for Free

To Watch the Faces of the Poor Essay Charles Cunningham, in â€Å"â€Å"To Watch the Faces of the Poor†: Life Magazine and the Mythology of Rural Poverty in the Great Depression (1999),† details how Life magazine describes the agrarian poverty in 1930’s due to Great depression, ridiculing the poor of whites by showing photographs without enough explanation of this poverty. Exclusion of explaining the cause of poverty in agriculture possibly leads to these â€Å"White poor† as â€Å"worthy† poor, who are not inherently inferior, but are victims of nature and geography. Tom Delph-Janiurek, in his article of â€Å"Sounding Gender(ed): Vocal Performances in English University Teaching Spaces,† states that gendered voices are performed through repeated stylization of bodies, having connection with gendered and sexualized identities. Also, he argues that voice have a geography shaped by how discourses change across different types of space. Both these authors discuss how pre-held notions construct the distorted bias of poverty in race and gendered voices respectively. According to Cunningham, by showing many pictures of poor white in U. S. rural regions such as Oklahoma, Montana, Arkansas, and Dakota, Life magazine effectively aroused sympathy from readers of Life magazine who subsequently thought their poor condition was mainly attributable to misfortune. This limited a reasonable explanation of poverty of â€Å"worthy poor. † The readers of this magazine only saw the pictures of untidiness, biological unfitness, and sloth of the poor white, so only consider that they were handicapped sufferer by geographical conditions. The direct factor of this economic crisis, capitalism itself, was never involved or even considered as the cause of the poor condition in Life magazine. Thus, the readers of Life did not expand themselves as unworthy to be poor, and think of becoming destitute as a result of economic crisis. In Delph-Janiurek’s discussion of voices, although gendered dualism of voices seems obvious having distinctive characteristics in a certain way, voices actually have geography with involving the production and interpretation of them in particular ways within different kinds of spaces. It means that voices have much more unique ways of interpretation than the vocal performance of roles and identities. Audiences themselves grasp the context of speaking according to specific interactional spaces and geography. The understanding of talk is not only related to binary gendered voices, but also to surroundings and desired narratives. For example, when performing in drama, students would be required to relinquish one kind of vocal and adopt another to alter unenthusiastic, unemotional voices of heterosexual masculinity to more emotional theatrical voices through a process called â€Å"drag. Along with dragged voices, lesbian and gay voices can be performed vocally in ways that mimic the gender dualism. Some gay men can use extreme versions of â€Å"women’s voices† to act â€Å"camp† identities, or vice versa. Taken together, mythology of poverty with hidden crucial factor of economical crisis and various forms of vocal performance would result in abs olutely different interpretation by readers or audiences.

Business Analysis of Honeywell International

Business Analysis of Honeywell International Honeywell International is a Fortune 100 global diversified technology and manufacturing leader with revenues to the tune of $30.9 billion. The company has four strategic business units, namely Aerospace, Access and Control Solutions (ACS), Transportation Systems, and Specialty Materials. Honeywell employs about 123,000 employees in more than 123 countries of which over 10,000 are employed in India. The organizational structure of Honeywell India is illustrated in ) This thesis aims to formulate a design and implementation plan for a formalized onboarding program for two of the Strategic Business Units (SBUs) of Access and Control Solutions (ACS) namely: Honeywell Security Group (HSG) and ADI. Honeywell Security Group (HSG) Honeywell Security is an international supplier and distributor of electronic security systems and solutions. Honeywell Security is a business unit of Honeywell International, $34 billion diversified technology and manufacturing leader, serving customers worldwide with aerospace products and services; control technologies for buildings, homes and industry; automotive products; turbochargers; and specialty materials. (Honeywell, 2010) Honeywell Security has an extraordinary range of solutions across intrusion detection, Video surveillance, access control technologies Home net systems and invests over $50 million a year in research and development. It has its engineering centers of excellence in the U.S., Canada, China, Korea, India, Scotland and France and leverages technologies that are developed elsewhere in Honeywell and brings them to the security business. Honeywell Security South Asia operations spans across Sri Lanka, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal and other South Asian countries with HQ in India. Headquartered at Gurgaon, Honeywell Security has sales offices in Mumbai, Bangalore and Kolkata catering to all four corners of the country. An exponentially growing business unit of Honeywell International, Honeywell Security caters to all electronic security needs for Industrial, Government, Defense, Transportation, Commercial, Retail, Hotel, Hospital, Corporate Buildings, IT, ITES, Banking and also the Residential market. Lines of Business Video Systems Products range from basic camera systems to fully integrated systems capable of working on LAN and over internet. Access Control Systems Single door applications to integrated enterprise level access control systems. Integrated Security Systems Use of access control, alarm monitoring, video badging, digital video, CCTV, visitor management and perimeter intrusion detection on vindicator platform to provide a comprehensive security management solution integrated with process control, building management control and other enterprise level systems. Intrusion Detection Systems Intrusion detection products ranging from the simplest door contact to the central station receiver. Home Systems Sophisticated end to end technology solutions for comfortable, secure informed living. In India, HSG employs about 61 employees constituting of about 33 sales employees ADI ADI is a $1.8 billion leading distribution business encompassing security, fire, sound and low voltage products, with over 219 branches across North America, Europe, Mid-East Africa. ADI globally represents more than 700 leading vendors and is a global distributor for more than 80,000 products. ADI also partners with customers by providing business tools, products and services they need to enhance their capabilities and grow their business. (Honeywell, 2010) Beginning 2006, ADI launched its distribution business in Asia with first three branches in India at Gurgaon, Bangalore Mumbai. ADI also has a team of sales professionals in New Delhi, Chandigarh, Lucknow, Jaipur, Pune, Ahmedabad, Chennai, Cochin and Hyderabad. ADIs goal in India is to build a successful distribution model to satisfy the burgeoning need for quality and cost-effective security, fire, sound and other low-voltage electronic products in the rapidly growing Indian economy. ADI in India represents over 40 leading industry brands in 7 product categories; over 2000 products and offers its customers a one stop shop value proposition at convenient branch locations, with multiple brands, local stocking, competitive pricing, training technical support and customer business centre all under one roof. In India, ADI employs about 120 employees constituting of about 82 sales employees. Lines of Business CCTV Fixed Cameras, Speed Dome Cameras, Digital Video Recorders (DVR), Monitors, Lens, Accessories. Intrusion Alarm Wired Wireless Control Panels, Keypads, PIR, Panic Switch, Magnetic Contacts, Gas-leak detectors, Sounders, Sensors, Speech Dialers, Accessories. Home Automation Video Door Phones, Multi-apartment solutions, Home Systems, Accessories. Access Control Single Multi-door Controllers, Readers, Cards, Locking devices, Accessories. Fire Alarm Conventional Addressable Control panels, Sensors Detectors, Call points, Notification Appliances, Initiation Devices, Accessories. Sound Speakers, Amplifiers, Microphones, Intelligent PA Systems, Professional Audio, Accessories. Chapter 8: Problem Statement The time taken for a sales employee currently to become productive, that is, start contributing effectively to the business at HSG and ADI divisions is about 6 months to a year. This problem has been even more consistent in ADI since its entry into the Indian market in 2006. This has a direct impact on productivity and revenue generation. Productivity is defined by an employees achievement of their key result areas (KRA) with a primary focus on target revenue achievement. Retention of employees is another concern especially at ADI. The attrition level is 13% at HSG and 31% at ADI year-to-date (YTD). This Management Research Report aims to understand the key reasons for attrition in the two divisions and the delays in productivity. Chapter 9: Hypothesis According to a study conducted by the Aberdeen Group, 90% new hires make their decision about whether to stay in the company within 6 months of joining. Inspite of this only 88% of companies have onboarding programs of duration less than 6 months (Refer to ). Another research reveals that over 50% of new hire sales people leave voluntarily or are terminated before they even become productive. The above statistics indicate the correlation between a formalized onboarding program and the productivity of an employee thereby leading to the hypothesis that investing in a formalized onboarding program and other engagement initiatives improves productivity and retention of an employee and increases revenues. It is a cost that needs to be incurred by a company so that the employees become productive assets by generating steady revenue streams on a regular basis. Chapter 10: Approach and Methodology Approach This project is approached through a combination of primary and secondary researches. The primary research piece includes interviews with the business leaders, sales employees and human resource managers. The intent is to analyze the problem from the business, employees and the process owners perspective. The secondary research was conducted via published reports and white papers about onboarding best practices. Once the results of the research were tabulated, an onboarding framework was designed based on the gaps identified between the current and desired state. A cost-benefit analysis is also conducted to estimate the effectiveness of the onboarding program. Lastly, through the use of Six Sigma tools, a Failure Modes and Effects Analyses (FMEA) study is undertaken for the proposed onboarding framework to identify, prioritize and mitigate potential risks associated with the program. At the end, some priority action points are suggested for the implementation of the program. Research Methodology Two questionnaires were rolled out for the research based on the initial inputs from the Human Resources team, namely for the business leaders and the sales employees. The questionnaires were sent to heads of the two SBUs and based on their availability, they were interviewed. The questionnaire for the business heads was designed with the intent of identifying the core issues in processes which might impede employee productivity (for example, recruitment policy, onboarding/training employees, performance evaluation or engagement) and to understand the desired state of a productive employee from the business leaders perspective. The second questionnaire was sent to a few of the sales employees at both of the SBUs. The sample employees selected for the interviews consisted of new sales employees who were about 6 months old in the organization. The others included some who have been with Honeywell for over a year. The intent of the interview was to identify the key challenges faced by the new employees in getting adequately oriented to the business. The secondary research was conducted with the intent of understanding onboarding best practices. Some of the published reports and white papers consulted were taken from Corporate Leadership Council (CLC), Aberdeen Group, Kaiser Associates, Bersin Associates and Gallup Consulting. Chapter 11: Analysis Employee Profile at ADI Figure Employee break-up by function in ADI Figure Sales v/s Non-sales employee mix As displayed in Figure 14 and 15, the sales function forms a major portion of the employee population in Honeywell ADI. Understanding that ADI is in the distribution business and the presence of numerous players, both organized and unorganized, makes the market extremely competitive and explains the sales driven nature of the organization. Figure Total work experience of employees in ADI Sales Division The division employs more skilled employees than fresh graduates (Figure 16). The maximum sales employee work force has a total work experience between 2-4 years Figure Work Experience in ADI Sales Division (in months) ADI has a fairly new workforce; most employees have spent only about 6 months in the organization (Figure 17). This signifies that there is a high turnover in the ADI and people are being hired more frequently. Additionally, the loyalty of ADI employees seems to diminish over the years spent in the organization. Figure ADI Sales Employee Industry Experience Profile Most sales employees have a background in security or IT. This implies that Honeywell aims to recruit as many people with a background in Security, although due to a lack of available skilled talent, they prefer to recruit from the IT industry, followed by distribution (Figure 18). A need for technical knowledge is the reason for IT and security taking precedence over distribution. Other industries include telecommunications, computer hardware, FMCG, chemicals, dish television providers etc. Employee Profile at HSG Figure Employee break-up by function in HSG Figure Employee break up Sales v/s Non Sales: HSG As displayed in Figure 19 and 20, just like the ADI division, the sales function too forms a major portion of the employee population in the HSG division as well. Figure Total work experience of employees in HSG Sales Division The division employs more skilled employees than fresh graduates (Figure 21). The maximum sales employee work force has a total work experience between 2-4 years. However this variation is less in HSG as compared to ADI. Figure Work Experience in HSG Sales Division (in month) Figure Composition of employees by tenure in organization Comparative view HSG vs. ADI While experienced in the industry, HSG has a workforce new to Honeywell; most employees have spent only about six months in the organization (Figure 22). However a comparative look at the composition of employees by tenure in the organization (Figure 23), suggests that there are a greater number of employees hired at a faster rate in ADI than HSG. In ADI. 37% of the employee population has spent six or less than six months in the organization as compared to 27% in HSG. Also there are a greater number of older employees in HSG than ADI. This suggests that employee retention is better in HSG than in ADI for employees who spend more than 36 months in the organization. Figure Sales Employee Industry Profile: HSG Most sales employees have a background in IT or Security. This implies that Honeywell aims to recruit as many people with a background in Security, although due to a lack of available skilled talent, they prefer to recruit from the IT industry, followed by System Integration. A need for technical knowledge is the reason for IT and Security taking precedence over System Integration. (Figure 24) Interview Results Interviews with Business Leaders: Challenges and Findings (Please refer to and for the details of the interview) This section summarizes the key findings from the interviews conducted with the business leaders of the ADI (Harish Vellat) and HSG (Anil Mehra) Divisions respectively. ADI: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To enable the sales employee to have an intelligent conversation with the customer. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Meet both product and category wise targets à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To get a good knowledge about both Honeywell and competitor products à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Understand the customer and preempt his expectations. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Clearly state objectives and desired outcomes of the onboarding program to the employees HSG: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Low awareness about the industry and hence lack of relevant talent. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Lack of a formalized onboarding/ training schedule à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Challenge to administer employees based in remote locations à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ No formalized feedback process to gauge the effectiveness of the onboarding program à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ To bring the employees on board at the earliest Interviews with New Sales Employees: Findings ADI à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Most respondents have relevant work experience. A lot of them have worked in the profile of a System Integrator. Previous employers: Godrej, Vodaphone, Voltas, Sony Ericsson. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ The aggressive fast paced nature of work is a challenge. The product portfolios that the employees were handling at Honeywell are much larger as compared to their previous roles where it was much smaller. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Employees sense a lack of in-depth knowledge about the products. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Lack of clarity of role/ processes à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Control measures implemented in case of lack of clarity: Technical team, branch manager, colleagues. Most employees said that they prefer contacting their immediate colleagues first due to easy reach. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Other employees supported the idea of having a buddy/mentorship system in place since it would serve as a platform for potential employees to take on higher roles HSG à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Induction winded up too fast. Too much information in very little time à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Lack of clear understanding of the business models. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ People based in remote locations face a problem in reaching out to their RMs directly à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Changing the mindset of people to open up to a niche product/market à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Lack of clarity on processes especially order and collection processes à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Products are priced at par/high priced compared to competitors and the challenges are in justifying the product to them. Ideal versus Current State of New employee productivity at Honeywell Current State: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Time to Productivity Currently it takes about 6 months to a year for an employee to reach productivity à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Selling Skills Employees selling skills is currently based on their previous work experience. They lack selling skills specific to Honeywell and the distribution model. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Industry/ company knowledge Employees come from similar industries and have a fair understanding of the industry. However they lack the understanding of the impact of their contribution to Honeywell objectives. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Product Knowledge Employees do not feel confident about their understanding of the products as they think the product trainings wind up too fast and the product portfolio is large. A few respondents also felt that Honeywell products are priced at par or higher than a few competitors and they find it challenging to justify the product to the customers. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Learning internal processes (order, booking, preparing bill of quantities etc.) Employees do not feel comfortable with the processes and utilize previous work experience to comply with processes à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Build relationships with various functions (commercial, marketing, technical, supply chain etc.) Lack of interaction with marketing team, inadequate technical support à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Engagement in day to day selling activities (prospecting/ meeting customer) Employees selling skills is currently based on their previous work experience. Lack of clarity on everyday process which increases follow ups with managers/colleagues. Ideal State: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Time to Productivity Desired state would be to reduce the time to productivity to 3-4 months à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Selling skills Employees should be able to make an intelligent conversation with the customer. They should possess employee good prospecting skills and should continuously communicate with the customers by asking questions, listening to them and collecting the information and thereby draw an action plan to approach the same. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Industry/ company knowledge Productive employees should possess a thorough knowledge of the various products offered not only by Honeywell but also the competitors. These employees should be able to connect individual objectives to Honeywell objectives. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Product knowledge The employees should have a deep understanding of the products. They should be able to bring out the strengths of each product to the customer to justify the price and add value. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Learning internal processes (order, booking, preparing bill of quantities etc.) A productive employee should adhere to all internal processes from the start to the closure of an account; customer evaluation, payment, order taking, billing à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Build relationships with various functions (commercial, marketing, technical, supply chain etc.) A productive employee needs to work in coherence with other functional teams to get better market information and tune the companys environment to market conditions (competitor moves, changing market trends, forecasting demand) à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Engagement in day to day selling activities (prospecting/ meeting customer) A productive employee consistently follows up with the customer, is extremely responsive to customer demands and prepares a plan of action from themselves. Summary of Ideal versus Current State Figure Summary of Ideal versus Current State The current state of Actual versus Target Sales achievement and Bonus Payouts is summarized below. Actual versus Target Sales and Gross Margin Achievement Market Share Total Market Size ($) 349,000,000    Market Share ADI% 5%    ADI Annual Revenue ($) 17,450,000 Total market size ($) times market share of ADI (%) ADI Gross Margin ($) 13% Actual Gross Margin for ADI Employee Targets # Total Sales Employees in ADI 82    # New employees (not rated) 32    Revenue Target per employee per day (Rs.) 80,000    Revenue Target per employee per day ($) 1818 (1 USD = Rs. 44) # working days 231 52 weeks times 5 working days per week minus 21 paid days off + 8 national holidays Annual Revenue Target per employee ($) 420,000 Sales target per employee per day times # of working days Annual Revenue Target for ADI (all employees) 34,440,000 Annual Sales target per employee times # total sales employees in ADI    Revenue Gross Margin Description Targets Weights in Sales Incentive Program 75% 25%    Target per employee per day ($) 1818 N/A Gross margin for ADI is 20% Annual target per employee ($) 420,000 N/A Annual target per employee times # of working days Annual target for the ADI division 34,440,000 20% Annual target per employee times # total sales employees in ADI Actual versus Target Mismatch Actual as a % of Target 51% 65.00%    Weighted (Actual as % of Target) 38% 16% 75%:25% weight to Revenue: Gross Margin in SIP Figure Target Sales Achievement Figure 29 shows the actual versus target achievement by the sales employees at the ADI division. The total market size as mentioned before for the Electronic Security Market is USD 349 million. ADI accounts for about 5% of the total market share and its gross margin for FY2010 was recorded at 13%. There were 82 sales employees as of June 2010 of which 32 were new (less than 6 months old) and were not rated for performance. The Key Results Area (KRA) set for each sales employee includes Billing of Rs.80,000 (USD 1818) per day and meet weekly targets. For details of the all the KRAs please refer to . Assuming an employee has 5 working days in a week and there are 52 weeks in a year of which there are 21 paid leaves and 8 national holidays, the total number of working days is 231. The annual revenue per target is thus USD 420,000. For a typical sales employee at ADI the sales incentive program is split between individual revenue target achievement and ADIs gross margin target achievemen t. The gross margin target for ADI was set at 20%. The Individual revenue and gross margin SIP components are split in the ratio of 75:25. Knowing the divisions annual revenue achievement in FY2010 was USD 17.45 million and the target revenue is USD 34.44 million, we can infer that the actual revenue as a percentage of target revenue was only 51%. Additionally the actual versus target gross margin achievement is calculated as 65% (13%/20%). Assigning the respective weights based on the SIP, the actual as a percentage of target achievement is 38% and 16% for the revenue and gross margin components respectively. These figures clearly suggest that the division is way behind achievements of its targets. A closer look at Figure 30 also supports the possible reasons for this mismatch. Bonus Payouts Bonus Payout (Actual versus Target) Payout % of target payout Planned       Performance at 75% of target 50%    Performance at 100% of target 100%    Performance at 130% of target 200%    Actual bonus payout       What % of target was bonus paid out Actual 100%    # Sales employees who exceeded target performance (bonus payout >100%) 25 Honeywell Performance Development (HPD) 9 block rating (1,2,4) # New employees who were not rated 32    Potential population at risk 25 # total sales employees in ADI (# of new employees not rated + # sales employees who were paid bonus) Potential attrition rate 30%    Current attrition rate 31% YTD Figure Bonus Payouts Figure 30 illustrates the actual bonuses that were paid out in FY2010 to the ADI sales employees. The sales incentive policy distinguishes the payout at different levels of performance as follows: Figure : Sales Incentive Policy Performance Levels Performance Target Achievement % Payout (% of target payout) Threshold 75% 50% Target 100% 100% Maximum 130% 200% Based on the limited data available, the number of employees who exceeded their performance and got a bonus payout of greater than 100% was estimated based on the performance ratings. Honeywell follows a 9-block performance rating matrix called the Honeywell Performance Development (HPD). The matrix is based on two parameters: results and behaviors with three rating scales namely: Exceeds Honeywell Standards, At Honeywell Standards and Below Honeywell Standards. Additionally, the base salary to incentive is pay mix is in the ratio 65:35. Refer to for the matrix. Based on the matrix, ratings 1, 2 and 4 signify exceeds standards ratings in one of the two parameters at least or both. There were 25 employees who received an HPD rating 1, 2 or 4, while the number of employees who were not rated since they were new is 32 in number. This means that the remaining 25 employees form part of the potential employees who are the risk of leaving the organization. This accounts for an attrition ra te of around 30%. As per the data provided by the Human Resources team as well, the attrition rate was indicated as 31% YTD.

Exploring New Trends Of Literature

Exploring New Trends Of Literature Effortless and high-speed access to internet through mobile phones and computers has made the man impatient, edgy and hungry for knowledge. No one has time to stop, to read and to enjoy. The busy life of man leaves him no time for leisure and hobbies. In this fast-paced world, knowledge is wider with little words. Somehow, words seem not as importance as they used to be. Books, newspapers, journals have taken a back-seat in this electronic-age. In America most major paper publications like the New York Times or the wall street Journal are having trouble surviving in face of the alternate media that is the internet. Cybernetic reading is displacing linear, closed, solitary reading. It is transforming the process of literary reading. The reader is continuously exposed to inter- textual ties and virtual ties of mass media and that of information technology. People, moreover kids today have short attention-spans. Long drawn out sentences, never ending paragraphs and detailed long descrip tion are not comprehensible to them. For example: Thomas Hardy. Hardy has a flair for the native lands and usually writes pages describing landscapes which is not appreciated by todays reading audience. I mean, how do we relate? There are no landscapes left which we can see and admire their beauty! Literature has faced uncountable changes ever since its existence. Passing through all the ages, it has flourished richly. In the age of cybernetics, literature has become an art form. Its being redefined as per the needs of a younger population. Modern tools have helped literature become an equalizer between the haves and the have-not. SMS has created new room for urban quotations and poems. Stories can now be presented in 140 characters or less. No wonder we say the world is growing smaller. Flash fiction and micro-fiction have sidelined long elaborative patterns of writing. Earlier people used to spend hours in libraries searching and reading up on information for their answers and papers. Now, however all one needs to do is GOOGLE it! An entire world of information is accessible at the click of a mouse. The same is with dictionaries. Oxford, which was once considered the bible for literature students is no more that important. Almost all the mobile phones have dictionaries. And i f not that, there is still the web. Software like Word web etc provides one with the meaning for almost all the words. The 6 word novel is a new field for writers to experiment. After she died, he came alive by Rebecca James and One gun, two shots, three dead by Marcy are examples of a six word novel. This is a new fashion of writing which is challenging and creative. It may be easy to write a long, narrative and detailed novel but writing a novel as short as six words requires innovation. Hundred years back no one would have thought of writing a novel in six words. Mr. Dickens is definitely turning in his grave. Six word novels leave the reader curious and thoughtful. The meaning is also left to readers interpretation. It requires a lot of creativity and imagination We are moving ever closer to the concept of the Death of the Author, that Roland Barthes had propounded. The text now has more and more gaps that makes it more and more readerly than writerly. Further Blogging sites have given opportunity to upcoming, amateur writers. They are getting more and more popular. Flash fiction too is an in thi ng. It has restricted words and the idea has to be flashy and catchy. The famous example is Aesops Fables. It is loved by all due to its concise form of writing and implied moral. Even famous writers like OHenry, Ernest Hemingway, and Anton Chekov as flash fiction writers. Examples Twitter fiction refers to original, self-contained works of fiction in each tweet published by Twitter users. Twitter fiction is being classified into certain new literary genres, which are given new names by combining the name of the different genres with the name of the application. Therefore, Thrillers become Twillers, Haikus become Twaikus and Short Stories become Twistories or Twisters. Twitter has come about as a revolution. A television serial SHIT MY DAD SAYS which makes its CBS debut in September is based on a Twitter feed started by struggling comedy writer Justin Halpern in 2003, who captured his own fathers salty language and forthright observations. As an expression of postmodern literature, twitter fiction shares characteristics of micro-fiction (printed), such as brevity, multiple meanings and inter-textual ties. Literature is also an art of writing; the above mentioned forms are not only new trends and ways of enhancing but also re-altering art. It has diverse, exigent and very spontaneous forms and unlike the conventional. It has gained immense popularity. It gives you the pleasure of knowledge and quenches your curiosity in small and controlled doses. It definitely creates new and different genres of literature. These forms have come in to acceptance because of their popular demand. These new and recent trends are unimaginable concepts from the point of view of anyone living a few decades ago. Blogging, twittering, micro blogging, 6 word novels, all of them are changing the trends of literature with regards to reading and writing. Its giving opportunity to upcoming talent and is helping decentralize the processes of who gets to publish what in the world of literature. Of course, these new trends are fascinating and interesting but, according to some literary purists, it is degrading the classics and the conventions of literature. Literary purists are put off by internet slang, which according to them gives rise to the abuse of language and superficiality. Especially on Twitter, for e.g.: The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger is: Rich kid thinks everyone is fake except for his little sister. Has breakdown. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen has become: Woman meets man called Darcy who seems horrible. He turns out to be nice really. They get together. Dantes Inferno is boiled down to: Im having a midlife crisis. Lost in the woods. Should have bought my iPhone. These are non-formal free form styles of writing and they often neglect grammatical errors, wrong use of vocabulary and have little respect for the great works of literature from which some of them copy. These are shorter than short stories, flashier than flash fiction and now they have beco me Twititure. SMS and Facebook poetry have been claimed to have degraded the language, vocabulary, form and conventions of writing too. Urban words and slangs are becoming common to every mouth. To some, phrases like ash hole, zombie Jesus, directionally challenged, pen you in dont make sense. Nor do they consider it as any form of valid language. Grammar is lost and has almost disappeared in todays scenario. SMS languages have ruined the role of vocabulary and spelling. Spellings with missing vowels are now growing famous. The fast-paced life is short-lived for literature. No longer do many want to learn the details of any book, grammar or even poetry. Somehow, Classics are now growing old fashioned and boring. Anything that is short and interesting is definitely catchy for todays generation. We want to know everything now! Who cares if its missing a comma or two or that it lacks in depth and research. Lastly in cybernetic culture, hypertext may survive as an art form by offering pleasures of virtual immediacy, spontaneity, rich web of texts in various media and interactivity for the reader. Literature as a form of art, can be studied in depth; adding more weightage to the content. Otherwise the subject in itself is losing its importance and charm. Hypertext version can be the boon to revive Literature. For e.g. D.G. Rosettis The Blessed Damozel in its hypertext version will have the poem and the painting juxtaposed. Using zoom in and zoom out the student and/or reader can view the relevant sections of the painting and be able to relate better with the poem. How many times have we literature students heard the word boring being tagged along with our stream of study. The decisive moment of literary life will be that of reading. Mankind is beginning to understand how to dismantle and reassemble the most complex and unpredictable of all its machines: Language. Earlier people used to write diaries but it has now become the talk of the past. Reliving memories through Facebook, twitter and other networking sites is a lot easier. Uploading of pictures on Facebook saves man from the tedious task of taking care of albums or preparing scrapbooks (Anyway there is no space to keep them!) All the friends have an access to the albums online and are free to add their comments on the pictures saving it till the account survives. Is it necessary? Todays world is far richer in words and concepts and signs than the world that surrounded primitive man. Far more people are getting involved, are taking part in the process or writing than ever before. The changing face of literature is an uncontrollable factor, whether its good or bad is undetectable and unknown.

John Lennon :: essays research papers

I like music. Whenever I listen to my favorite music, I feel good. My favorite musician is John Lennon. I have reasons why I like him and why I choose John Lennon as famous person. I like songs of John Lennon because of his song is kind and beautiful. In addition to we always impressed with his songs. I consider that John Lennon was one of the best musician in history because of his songs had a lot of influence on us. Everybody knows John Lennon regardless of the generation gap. John Winston Lennon was born October 9,1940 in Liverpool England. His parents separated and his mother married another man and he ended up living with his aunt Mimi. John entered Dovedale Primary School in Liverpool in 1945. He showed a natural aptitude for drawing and word play. When Lennon was 17 his mother was killed by a bus. In 1952 John entered Quarvy Bank High School. John was well behaved in the house because of his aunt was strict woman but in school he was very bad. In 1956 his aunt bought John a guitar that started he shows his music ability and then he created the group called the ?gQuarry Man?h. The band had shifting member until 1957 when the second permanent member was in. His name was Paul Mccartney. John came up with the name Beatles for the group. They were performing in the cavern. In 1961 the Beatles debuted at the Cavern Club and then they released their first single ?gLove me Do?h. John met a woman in 1966. Her name is Yoko Ono. John fell love with her and he divorced his first wife and re-married Yoko Ono. After the Beatles broke up and John started doing this by releasing solo album Imagine. But on December 8, 1980,Lennon, returning to their apartment on New York City?

Free Siddhartha Essays: Significance of the River :: Hesse Siddhartha Essays

The Significance of the River in Siddhartha In the book Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse the significance of the river is displayed throughout the experiences that Siddhartha has next to the river and the things that by listening to the sound he comes to understand. Siddhartha is learning something from the moment he rides the ferry to the time when Govinda lays on the ground with tears flowing uncontrollably. Siddhartha admits to having no money to pay for the voyage, but the Ferryman says that friendship is payment enough, and takes him into town. After leaving town, Siddhartha returns to the river where had met the Ferryman earlier. Intrigued by the river's beauty and silent wisdom, Siddhartha decides to stay by the river. Siddhartha soon meets the Ferryman Vasuveda, the same man who took him across the river earlier. Siddhartha offers to be Vasuveda's apprentice, an offer that the Ferryman graciously accepts. The two grow together as Siddhartha begins to learn the river's wisdom, and soon Siddhartha begins to emulate Vasuveda's demeanor, expressing a contented peace in the routine of daily life. Years pass. One day, the two Ferrymen hear that the Buddha is dying. Kamala, on hearing the news as well, travels with her son to be near Goatama. As she passes near the river, she is bitten by a snake and dies, but not before Vasuveda takes her to Siddhartha. After Kamala dies, Siddhartha keeps his son with him by the river. The boy, though, refuses to accept Siddhartha as his father and consequently does nothing he is told. Many months pass, but the boy remains intransigent. Eventually the boy runs away. Vasuveda tells Siddhartha to let him go, but Siddhartha follows him. Upon reaching the town, Siddhartha recalls his own experiences there and admits to himself what he knew all along, that he could not help the boy. Siddhartha feels a great sorrow at this loss, and the happiness he had known as a Ferryman leaves him. Vasuveda soon arrives and leads the despondent Siddhartha to back to the river. The pain of losing his son was long lasting for Siddhartha. It enabled him, however, to identify with ordinary people more than ever before. Though Siddhartha was beginning to understand what wisdom really is, the thought of son did not leave him. One day he sets off in search of his son, but stops as he heard the river laughing at him. Free Siddhartha Essays: Significance of the River :: Hesse Siddhartha Essays The Significance of the River in Siddhartha In the book Siddhartha by Hermann Hesse the significance of the river is displayed throughout the experiences that Siddhartha has next to the river and the things that by listening to the sound he comes to understand. Siddhartha is learning something from the moment he rides the ferry to the time when Govinda lays on the ground with tears flowing uncontrollably. Siddhartha admits to having no money to pay for the voyage, but the Ferryman says that friendship is payment enough, and takes him into town. After leaving town, Siddhartha returns to the river where had met the Ferryman earlier. Intrigued by the river's beauty and silent wisdom, Siddhartha decides to stay by the river. Siddhartha soon meets the Ferryman Vasuveda, the same man who took him across the river earlier. Siddhartha offers to be Vasuveda's apprentice, an offer that the Ferryman graciously accepts. The two grow together as Siddhartha begins to learn the river's wisdom, and soon Siddhartha begins to emulate Vasuveda's demeanor, expressing a contented peace in the routine of daily life. Years pass. One day, the two Ferrymen hear that the Buddha is dying. Kamala, on hearing the news as well, travels with her son to be near Goatama. As she passes near the river, she is bitten by a snake and dies, but not before Vasuveda takes her to Siddhartha. After Kamala dies, Siddhartha keeps his son with him by the river. The boy, though, refuses to accept Siddhartha as his father and consequently does nothing he is told. Many months pass, but the boy remains intransigent. Eventually the boy runs away. Vasuveda tells Siddhartha to let him go, but Siddhartha follows him. Upon reaching the town, Siddhartha recalls his own experiences there and admits to himself what he knew all along, that he could not help the boy. Siddhartha feels a great sorrow at this loss, and the happiness he had known as a Ferryman leaves him. Vasuveda soon arrives and leads the despondent Siddhartha to back to the river. The pain of losing his son was long lasting for Siddhartha. It enabled him, however, to identify with ordinary people more than ever before. Though Siddhartha was beginning to understand what wisdom really is, the thought of son did not leave him. One day he sets off in search of his son, but stops as he heard the river laughing at him.

Affirmative Action Essay -- essays papers

Affirmative Action Few social policy issues have served as a better gauge of racial and ethnic divisions among the American people than affirmative action. Affirmative action is a term referring to laws and social policies intended to alleviate discrimination that limits opportunities for a variety of groups in various social institutions. Supporters and opponents of affirmative action are passionate about their beliefs, and attack the opposing viewpoints relentlessly. Advocates believe it overcomes discrimination, gives qualified minorities a chance to compete on equal footing with whites, and provides them with the same opportunities. Opponents charge that affirmative action places unskilled minorities in positions they are not qualified for and violates the Fourteenth Amendment. Since its inception, the definition of affirmative action has been ever-changing. Prohibiting discrimination in hiring, expanding the applicant pool to include more minorities, compensating for past grievances, and s etting quotas have all been part of the definition. In theory affirmative action helps integrate minorities better into society and puts them on equal footing with whites; however, in reality affirmative action is widening the racial gap in America and therefore should be discontinued. When the Civil Rights Law passed, minorities, especially African-Americans, believed that they should receive retribution for the years of discrimination that they endured. The government responded by passing laws to aide them in attaining better employment as reprieve for the previous two hundred years of suffering. To many, these laws made sense. After all, the white race was partly responsible for their enslavement. However, the individual w... ... Am I being picked for my writing ability, or to fulfill a quota† (Chinea-Varela 342). Minorities like Migdia want to be treated as equals, not incompetents. Affirmative Action was an essential part of the desegregation that occurred thirty years ago, but it has become outdated and is no longer part of the solution. It was a temporary plan to improve the conditions for minorities, but it is now more of a hindrance than a help to them. Affirmative action lowers standards, causes unqualified workers to be hired, places a stigma on minorities, lowers their confidence, and gives them the opportunity and encouragement to idle. Affirmative action has not fulfilled its goal of assisting lower income minorities with a history of discrimination, but instead has been exploited by middle-class minorities, the lower income groups still remaining uneducated and unsuccessful.

How the divorce impact the children Essay

Divorce has become an everyday part of American society today. This has caused parents and professionals alike to have concern about the effects of divorce on children of all ages. Research in this area is new but is nevertheless helping us to gradually gain a better understanding and appreciation that divorce is difficult for a child of any age. This paper considers the effects of divorce on children ranging in age by summarizing and analyzing existing research. The focus of my paper will be measuring the different aspects of life affected by a child’s experience with divorce. Some of the factors that will be of concern include the subject’s age at the time of the divorce, gender and time passed since the divorce occurred. Mainly, this paper will be trying to prove that divorce can and does affect many aspects of a child’s future. There have been numerous studies and piles of research done on this topic since the beginning of divorce and more so now due to its rising numbers in our society. from the research that I have completed, it appears that a lot of this research is consistent as far as their results go. Divorce has become a major concern for children’s health and development in American society. Parents and professionals are becoming much more interested in the effects of divorce on children. It is definitely known that divorce is a very stressful time for children. Children, adolescents, and teenagers will are likely to experience feelings of anxiety, sadness and anger during and after their experiencing their parents’ divorce. Many of the resources that I have read have stated that parental divorce produced a moderate, long-term negative impact on their mental health as adults. The negative effects of divorce on mental health operated indirectly through higher emotional problems and lowe r levels of school achievement and family economic status. I have found that there have been several theoretical perspectives created, that I have read about, that try to explain some of the effects of divorce and other types of explanations for some of the behaviors. Some of these include the socialization perspective of divorce, interparental conflict, the divorce-stress-adjustment perspective, etc. These theories choose  different ways of looking at how divorce may affect the child experiencing it. One of these that I discussed, as an example was the divorce-stress-adjustment perspective, this views divorce as a very long-term event, beginning with the arguments and other behaviors that occur while the couple lives together and ending long after the legal procedures have been completed. This perspective also goes into the different emotional, behavioral and health issues connected with divorce. Many researchers are looking at divorce as an easy way out or selfishness on the part of the parents. Parents are not thinking about the lifelong and traumatic effects that they might be creating for their children by making the permanent decision to divorce. In most cases, unhappily married parents staying together for the sake of their kids, will be found as beneficial for them. Research has found that children of divorce are more likely to develop mental and emotional disorders later in life. These children are also likelier to start sexual activity earlier, abuse drugs, turn to crime and even as fateful as committing suicide. They additionally will find themselves facing problems in their future intimate relationships as they may not have had the proper model for one through their parents due to their split. These emotional problems may not appear right away that is why they have been given the title of a â€Å"sleeper effect†. Their parents divorce hangs like a cloud over their lives haunting them later on as adults. In researching my objective I do hope to find more precise descriptions on divorce than I presently have knowledge of. I want to develop a much better understanding of what aftermath, if it exists, of divorce may be for a child’s future. I think that I will have excellent results due to the fact that I will be studying numerous studies that have already been completed rather than just one or creating my own new study. My plan was to use more of a qualitative analysis through my research as opposed to a quantitative analysis. This is because I want to have a better sense of social observations that have previously been made. I will base my report on the information that I find by comparing and contrasting these numerous researchers’ collections of work. This is in hopes of finding any of the kinks that I may come across by reading so many different research projects  and then summarizing and putting all of the information together to make my final conclusions. According to Webster’s Dictionary, the definition of divorce is the legal dissolution of a marriage or to end marriage with one’s spouse. In looking up grounds for divorce one will find many different variations including but most certainly not limited to, adultery, desertion, physical or mental cruelty, habitual drunkenness, incurable mental illness, conviction of a crime, nonsupport, etc. The statistics for divorce in the 1990’s suggest that around fifty percent of marriages inevitably end in divorce. Given this startling figure, the assumption can be made that many children will experience some effects caused by this life-changing event called divorce. This unsettling realization that is being made through the collections of research being done is that young children of divorced parents are facing various types of psychological challenges due to the environmental conditions and changes associated and brought about by the event of divorce. â€Å"Recently, fami ly researchers have started to perceive marital disruption as a continuous, multistage process that may begin long before families dissolve and extend many years after divorce or separation† (Sun, 697). Children that experience their parents’ divorce will have trouble in the future with numerous social developments in their life such as, school, socialization with peers, intimate relationships, etc. My objective in doing this research is to study children that have experienced their parents’ divorce and find out how this may affect them in the future. I have a particular interest in this topic because my parents were divorced when I was thirteen. This experience was very hard on me and I feel that it still affects me today in certain aspects of my life. I also believe that it may have had a lot to do with molding me into the person that I am today. I would like to research this topic to see what has been found thus far through research so that I can develop a better understanding of my own personal situation and the millions of others in this similar situation. When compared to children of never-divorced families, researchers have agreed that children and adolescents from divorced families show poorer adjustment in numerous aspects of life. After following more than 100 kids whose parents had recently divorced, Judith Wallerstein concluded that the effects of a break in the family unit can be life-long and traumatic for a considerably large enough group of children and adolescents for us to have concern. â€Å"While their parents might feel liberated by getting out of an unhappy marriage, the kids were bereft. In interviews, many expressed a profound pessimism about their future† (Kantrowitz, 48). Adolescents and children also battle with anxiety, and self blame and anger, which then transform into the undercurrent for making bad decisions in their future relationships, and giving up hastily when any new kind of problems present themselves. Part of this struggle is said to be due to â€Å"the loss of the powerful mental image of the intact family inflicts the crucial harm† (Leo, 140). Later as adults, these young people become frightened of failure, commitment, and terrified that they might end up following in their parents footsteps. Such emotional hardships only set the stage for misbehavior and delinquent activity. As marriage has become a more optional and less permanent institution in contemporary America, adolescents are encountering stresses and adaptive challenges that reflect off of their parents’ marital transitions. Such dysfunctional self-concepts, anxiety and trouble adapting socially as discussed earlier have been proven to affect the child’s actions, as well as their mindset. Recent studies have shown that children of divorce are more depressed, aggressive toward parents and teachers, more likely to develop mental and emotional disorders later in life, start sexual activity earlier, have more children out of wedlock, have problems with drug abuse, crime and even have been lead to suicide (Leo, 140). The anxiety battles they face are brought with them most everywhere, including the classroom where numerous problems are being displayed. Additionally, these problems in the classroom may sooner than later appear on the streets and neighborhoods in some form of delinquency or violence. One of the concepts developed to describe an aspect of these problems caused  in children of divorce is the â€Å"sleeper effect†. This term is found in many researchers’ writings to describe the â€Å"deep and long-term emotional problems that arise only when the children enter early adulthood and begin to confront issues of romance and marriage† (Leo, 140). It is because of the â€Å"sleeper effect† that so many children of divorce are later in life finding themselves having different problems with numerous aspects including intimate relationships that they become involved in. Divorce is a difficult thing for a child of any age to be forced to face as their reality. Understanding what may be the necessity of the divorce is never the problem, it is learning how to deal with the consequences of it that they will find themselves facing later on down the road. Parental conflict appears to have a pronounced effect on the coping efforts of children. The intense anxiety and anger between some parents in the early stages of divorce is all too real. It is common behavior for the parents to allow their children to get in the middle of fierce verbal confrontations that may be occurring between them. Criticizing and belittling the other parent in front of the child is another way of placing the child in an unfair position. This, in essence, is leading to putting the pressure on the child to feel as if they must choose between the parents. A less tangible example of parental-conflict is the way in which the two opposite genders relate to one another in the presence of children. Mothers may treat fathers as if they are less important and undeserving of respect, just as the opposite can apply. Any form of parental conflict, no matter to what degree, leads to more confusion and a difficult adjustment period for the children involved. The deterioration in parent-child relationships after divorce is another leading cause in psychological maladjustment for children. â€Å"Recent studies say that it’s not the parents’ marriage or divorce that affects children’s later relationships, but the parent-child bond that is key to children’s success in achieving their own satisfying adult relationships† (Campbell, 16). With any divorce comes a new parenting plan of some kind. A child may experience either shared custody between the two parents or custody by one parent with visitation by the other parent. Variations of these plans can  be included or added at different times in the child’s life depending on special circumstances. More often than not, the mother is awarded custody of the children. The absence of the father on a full time level is detrimental to the healthy development of the children. In the case that the father is awarded custody of the children, the opposite applies as well. â€Å"Some scholars see the two-parent family as the fundamental institution of society–the setting in which adults achieve a sense of meaning, stability, and security and the setting in which children develop into healthy, competent, and productive citizens† (Amato, 1269). Studies have shown that deterioration in custodial parent-child relationships may frequently occur in the first year or two following divorce. The correlation between divorce and a drop in standards of living for female-headed families has been documented in several studies. The association between divorce and financial difficulties in these households may negatively impact children’s adjustment periods. â€Å"Because females have lower-paying jobs and often aren’t able to collect child support, they can’t provide an adequate standard of living for their families† (Henderson, 2). It is a disappointing statement but sadly usually still true today that men commonly are more successful in their occupations than women. Men are usually the ones that bring home more money and women usually win custody battles so a balance has to be found; the resulting decision most commonly being some form of child support. The decrease in income level can contribute to anxiety, frustration, and even embarrassment for children. Listed by age group are some of the more common post-divorce symptoms experienced by children. Preschool children are more likely to blame themselves and to experience nightmares, enuresis, and eating disturbances. Early-school age children suffer with academic problems, withdrawal and depression. Older school age children are more likely to blame one parent for the divorce and feel intense anger at one or both of their parents. Adolescents experience the most intense anger and also exhibit problems with developmental issues of independence and interpersonal relationships. The adjustment period for children experiencing divorce is traumatic. Parental conflict is generally high and tense in the beginning stages, which gives  children a sense of insecurity. Change occurring in the parent-child relationship is almost always prevalent leading children to worry about who will take care of them. Disorganization and inconsistency in parenting styles leave the children in a state of confus ion. Children don’t know what behavior is acceptable at mom’s vs. dad’s place of residence. Due to all these changes, it is reasonable to hypothesize that environmental condition and change associated with the post divorce adjustment period are mediated both by the different experiences that occur and by different responses to these experiences. This investigation was done as a means of proving my hypothesis that I developed before setting out to find my resources. My goal was to explore the different perceptions and experiences had by children of divorce that were stated in numerous different collections of research. This is what makes my research a qualitative study since I have chosen to examine and interpret my observations through the research of many other examiners of this topic. I have done this for the purpose of discovering any underlying meanings and patterns that may exist concerning the effects of divorce on children. As had been stated earlier, around 50% of marriages end in divorce. Divorce rates seem to be constantly rising, numbers closer to 60% have also been reported. â€Å"More than 12 million children younger than 18 years of age have divorced parents, and more than 1 million children younger than 18 years of age will experience divorce this year† (Lebowitz, 695). Even though growing up in divorced families raises the risk certain kinds of psychological, emotional and physical problems, it by no means forces the child into a terrible life. It has been found and recorded that â€Å"75% to 80% of children of divorce are functioning well, with little long-term damage†¦.25% of children from divorced families have serious social, emotional or psychological problems† (Corliss and McLauglin, 40). This study obviously is mainly focused on children ranging in ages from younger school aged to older teenagers and college adults. The one thing that the subjects in this study will have in common is their having been  through their parents’ divorce at some point in their childhood, adolescence or teenage years. Divorce obviously affects both males and females. The two genders have shown that they are affected differently in some cases, though they are for the most part similar. As long as families follow the trend that divorce is setting, more and more children will become the victims of their own parents’ divorce and be left to fend for themselves whether it is physically with unstable custodial parents or mentally without the needed role models and structure in their lives to keep them headed in a more positive direction. Divorce has been shown to adversely affect academic performance, and personal characteristics as far as social skills and self-presentation, it erodes the parent-child relationship and takes away structure and replaces it with a consequence free environment. When you take a child, an adolescent none-the-less at the height of confusion and insecurity and remove boundaries such as parents, rules, and regulations, some sort of trouble is likely to result. It is true that children are our future, so maybe we should be taking this fact into more serious consideration when making the decision to divorce which will more than likely have some kind of negative effect on their future well-being. The easiest recommendation to give to any married couple with children is to remain married for the kids’ sake. â€Å"If a couple can repair their marriage and develop an effective parental alliance, their kids will certainly benefit† (Coontz, 21). Divorce is commonly the easy way out, rather than spending a little extra time working things out, couples selfishly opt to divorce. Usually, their reasons for divorce are nothing more than just not getting along with each other like they used to. Parents have, for some reason, become unwilling to put forth the extra necessary effort towards making their relationship successful. Bibliography: Amato, Paul R. 2000. â€Å"The Consequences of Divorce for Adults and Children†. Journal of Marriage and Family. Vol. 62 Issue 4, p1269. Henderson, Zorika Petic. 1993. â€Å"Divorce Impoverishes Women and Children†. Human Ecology. Vol. 21, Issue 1 p2. Kirn, Walter. 2000. â€Å"Should You Stay Together for the Kids?† Time. September 25. Lach, Jennifer. 1999. â€Å"The Consequences of Divorce†. American Demographics. Vol 21 Issue 10 p14. Lebowitz, Marcia Lipman. 2001. â€Å"Divorce and the American Teenager†. American Academy of Pediatrics. Richardson, Christina D. and Rosen, Lee A. 1999. â€Å"School-Based Interventions for Children of Divorce†. Professional School Counseling, Vol. 3 Issue 1, p21. Robertson, Ian. 1995. â€Å"Bloody Kids†. British Medical Journal. Vol. 310 Issue 6987 p1143. Royal, Sharon W. and Knoff, Howard M. 1990. â€Å"Children and Divorce†. School Psychology Review. Vol. 19 Issue 2 p253. Studer, Jeannine R. and Allton, Judith A. 1996. â€Å"When Parents Divorce: Assisting Teens Adjust Through a Group Approach†. Guidance and Counseling. Vol. 11 Issue 4, p33. Webster, Pamela; Orbuch, Terri L. and House, James S. 1995. â€Å"Effects of Childhood Family Background on Adult Marital Quality and Perceived Stability†. American Journal of Sociology. Vol. 101 Issue 2, p404.

Doctor & Management Essay

This course applies the tools available to University of Phoenix graduate students and the competencies of successful managers to understand the functions of business. Students develop an increased awareness of their own perceptions and values in order to manage and communicate with others more effectively. Other topics include MBA program goals, argument construction, decision making, collaboration, and academic research. Policies Faculty and students/learners will be held responsible for understanding and adhering to all policies contained within the following two documents (both located on your student website): †¢ Academic Policies †¢ Instructor Policies University policies are subject to change. Be sure to read the policies at the beginning of each class. Policies may be slightly different depending on the modality in which you attend class. If you have recently changed modalities, read the policies governing your current class modality. Objectives and Standards Not Available Get Ready for Class †¢ Familiarize yourself with the textbook used in this course. Course Materials All electronic materials are available on your student website. Aug, 21 – Aug, 27 Week1 Introduction to Business Management Tasks †¢ Download the new and improved Phoenix Mobile app. †¢ Review the Knowledge Check Faculty and Student Guide. †¢ Personal Professional Development Plan presentation Objectives/Competencies 1.1 Identify the manager’s role in the functional areas of business. 1.2 Create a personal professional development plan. Required Learning Activities †¢ Management, Ch. 1 †¢ MBA Welcome Video See the student website for additional recommended learning activities that may help you learn this week’s concepts. Participate in the class discussion. MBA Overview Module Complete the MBA Overview Module. Save a screen shot of the completion screen as a Microsoft Word document on your computer once you finish the module. Click the Assignment Files tab to submit your assignment. Personal Professional Development Plan Activity: Part 1 & 2 Individual Aug 27, 2013 05:59 PM By completing the My Career Plan activities in this course, you are taking some of the first steps to creating a career plan that will help you reach your career goals. Navigate to My Career Plan in Phoenix Career Services. Complete the Career Interests Profiler and the Career Plan Building Activity: Competencies in My Career Plan. †¢ You may have already completed the Career Interests Profiler during enrollment. Your results will be saved if this is the case. †¢ You must complete both the Career Interests Profiler and the Career Plan Building Activity: Competencies. You may access your results at any time in My Career Plan. Submit screen shots ofyour Career Interest Profiler and Competencies results. †¢ Press Print Screen on your keyboard to create a screenshot. †¢ Open a new document in Microsoft ® Word. †¢ Press Ctrl + V on your keyboard to paste the screenshot into the document. †¢ Save the document on your computer as Career Competencies. Complete Parts 1 & 2 of the Personal Professional Development Activity: in the Microsoft ® Excel worksheet. Click the Assignment Files tab to submit your assignment.

Education Policies

Education is so important in any given society. For this reason, it forms a major part of any government’s plans. The plans that any government wishes to implement as regards their education system is determined by existing policies. Factors which influence formulation of policies form the subject of this discussion. For orderly presentation, the essay is divided into three chapters namely the introduction, the main body and conclusion.The introduction gives definitions of key terms used in the essay as well as conceptual frame work, the main body outlines and discusses major factors which influenced education policies in African countries after achieving their independence and lastly the conclusion draws a summary of the essay. 1. 1 Statement of essay purpose This essay aims at discussing the factors which influenced education policies in African countries after their achievement of independence.The essay will outline these factors and later give a detailed discussion of each factor. 1. 2 Definitions of terms In order to make this discussion meaningful, it is imperative that definitions of key terms that are involved are done. The key terms involved in the discussion are education, policy and independence. The definitions of the terms are as given below EducationAccording to the United Nations Education, Scientific and Culture Organisation (1975:1), education is defined as â€Å"organised and sustained communication designed to bring about learning† Thus education in this context involves a lifelong process by which an individual is incorporated into the group and made capable of behaving in the ways expected by the society for an individual of a particular age, sex or status. Education can take place formally, non formally and informally. However, in this context the emphasis is on formal education. PolicyA policy is defined as a deliberate plan of action which is put in place to guide decisions and achieve intended outcomes. Policies differ fro m rules or laws. Rules or laws are established to compel or prohibit certain behaviours while policies guide actions towards desired goals. This discussion, however, focuses on education policies. Bartlett and Burton (2012:134), define an education policy as the â€Å"rafts of laws and initiatives that determine the shape and functioning of educational systems at both national and local levels. Therefore, education policies give direction to the functioning of an education system.Independence This is defined as the freedom from being governed or ruled by another country. African countries in this discussion acquired the freedom to rule themselves from colonial mast 1. 3 Conceptual Framework Blackmore (1999), states that there are three models of policy making namely popular participation, decree and delegation models. This discussion will refer to these three models in outlining and discussing the factors which influenced education policies in African countries after achieving thei r independence. These models are discussed in detail below. (a) Popular Participation Policy making model(b) In this model, everybody is given an opportunity to contribute to the formulation of policies. People in African countries were given opportunities to make suggestions on changes to make to the education system. For example, Zambia’s educational reforms of 1977. (c) Decree Policy Making Model In this model, the head of state makes pronouncements on the direction to be followed in a given education system. (d) Delegation Policy Making Model This involves appointing a commission to review the education system of a given country. For example the Onide Commission was appointed to review the education system of Kenya in 1963.Policies are made with respect to the findings of the commission. CHAPTER TWO 2. 0 Main Body This chapter outlines and discusses the major factors that influenced education policies in African countries after achieving independence. These factors are as given and discussed below. Education for Economic Development The consideration given to education as an important vehicle for economic development is one of the factors which influenced education policies in African countries after achieving independence. Investment in formal education was considered as an essential precondition for economic growth.African countries learnt lessons from developed countries that a high basic platform of education was a catalyst to rapid economic development. There was a belief among developing countries that the modernisation, industrialisation and wealth of developed countries were the direct consequence of their educational systems. Coombs (1970) argues that during the 1960s education in developing countries was regarded as a sort of intellectual yeast which would ferment and transform pre industrial societies by promoting knowledge, skills and attitudes which were favourable to economic and social development.Therefore, education policies in Afri can countries after the achievement of independence were directed at promoting education pro vision expansion in order to achieve meaningful development. In fact an argument is advanced by Anderson (1965), that analysis of evidence from major developed countries such as Britain, France, United States of America and Russia that in general terms, a thresh hold male literacy rate of 40 percent was required before there be any significant take off of economic development.To this end, African countries directed their policies on education after attaining independence towards increased access to education in order to reach the required thresh hold of literacy. Therefore, in the 1950s and 1960s, demand and plans for investment in formal education by African countries increased. Education was regarded to be a principal weapon in achieving economic growth. To this end rapid quantitative expansion of the education system became the order of the day in newly independent African countries. Man power ShortagesAfter attaining independence, African countries were confronted with shortage of manpower in various sectors of the economy. As a result of this scenario, they experienced economic stagnation. Man power shortages were heavily felt in technical and managerial fields. Thus, education policies in most African countries were directed towards resolving the man power shortages experienced. This situation was evident from what obtained in Kenya. As Eshiwani (1993:26), observes ‘’at independence in 1963, Kenya found herself with a high shortage of skilled manpower to run the economy.In order to solve this problem, a commission was appointed to advise the government on the formulation and interpretation of national educational policies. † Therefore, it can be stated that man power planning in newly independent countries of Africa gave a direction to the formulation of education policies. Consequently, the governments of newly independent countries of Africa saw it paramount to expand the education systems of their countries in order to produce more graduates from the education system that would fill the manpower gaps which were experienced in various sectors of the economy.Most technical and managerial jobs at independence in most African countries were occupied by foreigners. Therefore, the aim of most African governments was to decolonise the education systems, produce more output from secondary and higher education so that manpower to participate in national development could be realised. Fafunwa (1974), Contends that education development in African countries like Nigeria was treated as a national emergency for the reason of curbing manpower shortages in crucial areas of the economy.In order to meet the requirements of manpower in various sectors of the economy, the policies of African countries after independence were directed at increasing school enrolments, especially at the post primary level. Rapid expansion of secondary and h igher education was considered as a pre requisite for sustainable economic growth. Enhancing education as a basic human right Newly independent African countries were confronted with a task of providing to every child their basic, essential right to education.The kind education that was to be provided was supposed to be relevant to the child in his or her African setting. For this reason, most newly African countries had massive capital and recurrent budgets towards the financing of primary education for all. The provision of education especially at elementary level to citizens of newly independent African countries was prompted by the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights in which education is enshrined as a basic human right. As Bishop (1989:1), postulates, â€Å"Everyone has the right to education.Education shall be free at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally a vailable and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit. †Therefore, from the foregoing, newly independent African countries were compelled to provide education especially primary education on the grounds of human justice and equity. The newly independent African countries were supposed to consider primary education as the birth right of every child.This was due to the fact that education was seen as an effective way to give all children regardless of sex or family background an equal start in life. Furthermore, the leadership of newly independent African countries considered education to be the great equaliser that would help to narrow the wide disparities which were apparent in conditions of living in rural and urban communities. Before the attainment of independence, education in most African countries was a preserve for the elite.In order to correct this, African leaders made radical changes to their education systems to make them more accomm odative to everyone. As Carmody (1994:23), contends â€Å"As in most African countries, from the early days Africa’s leaders viewed education as a powerful, often the most powerful vehicle for social transformation. Thus, as the UNIP government assumed power, among its immediate priorities were the elimination of racial segregation in schools and expansion of education provision. Tuition and boarding fees were abolished.† A point was also made by Bishop (1989), which in the days of the 1950s and 1960s massive expansion of education provision was regarded as the best means available for rooting out old prejudices and socio economic injustices. Therefore, education was regarded as basic human right which everyone needed to enjoy as provided in the foregoing arguments. In the pursuit of providing universal primary education, newly African countries set for themselves benchmarks. For example, the Addis Ababa conference on the development of education in Africa held in 1961 recommended that primary education was to be universal, compulsory and free by 1980.The conference further recommended that secondary education was to be provided to 30 percent of the children who completed primary school. Similarly, the conference of Arab states which met in Tripoli in 1966 also set 1980 as the target date for achieving universal primary education. To this end, it can be argued that one of the factors that influenced the formulation of education policies of African countries after achieving independence was related to the consideration that education was a basic human right which every citizen of a given country was supposed to enjoy.Hence, massive investment in the provision of education was undertaken by African countries after attaining independence in order to promote the achievement of universal primary education. As Court and Kinyanjui (1978:14), comment on the provision of Universal Primary Education in Tanzania. â€Å"President Nyerere had the choice of e xpanding the number of classes at grades V to VII so that those children entering primary education received seven years of schooling instead of four†.It can be concluded from the foregoing statement that the decision was arrived at because it enabled finances to be spent on the provision of 7 years of education to one child which helped him or her to become a useful member of society. African countries aimed at improving the access to education by increasing the number of school places which was facilitated by expanding already existing schools as well as construction of new schools in different parts of their countries. Promotion of ModernisationAfrican countries formulated their education policies with respect to the purpose of attaining modernisation. In order to influence modernisation in their countries, there was massive investment in education. This was a result of the belief that schooling would assist in the inculcation of modern ideas and attitudes. Bishop (1989), p ostulate that evidence seemed to indicate that schooling influenced the development of modern traits and ideas. To this end, schooling had some impact on modernisation. This was manifestated in higher levels of modernity among urban people and lower modernity among rural people.Consequently, many African leaders in newly independent countries felt modernisation of attitudes and behaviours was an important pre requisite for their countries’ development. According to Carmody (1994), education should socialise a nation’s population into modern values, attitudes and personalities. For this reason there was more emphasis on the expansion of education systems in newly independent African countries in order to enhance the access levels. Increased access to education meant increased modernity levels within a given country.In studies which were conducted be Inkeles and Smith (1974), indicate that education was the single most variable for modernisation. The studies indicate tha t each year of schooling improved a person’s score on their modernity scale by about 2 points. Education was also very effective in the development of positive attitudes and values. For this reason, formulation of education policies in newly independent African countries was influenced by the idea of modernisation. Modernisation was to be attained by every citizen in the newly independent African countries through education.Ensuring Citizens’ Political Participation The citizens’ participation in political affairs of their countries could be seen as one of the major factors which influenced education policies in African countries after achieving independence. Political participation of citizens of a particular country was linked to the notion of modernisation. This was due to the fact that knowledge was regarded as power. For this reason, many political leaders of African drafted educational policies which were responsive to the promotion of political participat ion of citizens in nation matters.This was highly evident in the content of education which was offered to the citizens . Again this could only be realised through the wide spread of education in African countries which most leaders promoted through the expansion of the education system. Cowan (1965), stressed that any political principle which governed education policy in independent African countries was supposed to regard as a top priority the provision of an education that would establish the most vigorous form of self government and independence.Therefore, extending schooling to a larger population would make more people politically and socially conscious and more active in the process of nation building. Thus, if equal political rights were to be enjoyed by everyone then everyone ought to have at least an adequate primary school education to participate more fully in the political process of their country. Promotion of Social Equality and Removal of Divisions The attainment of social equality is among the major factors which influenced education policies in African countries after achieving independence.Education was regarded as an instrument of social equality which was critical in the upbringing of social responsibility. Therefore, education policies which were put in place by African countries after attainment of independence were directed towards the promotion of social equality within their countries. Consequently, more and more school places were created in most parts of African countries to bring about the issue of equality within their countries in the provision of education services.Equality in the provision of education was called for as it ensured that child was provided with varied and challenging opportunities for collective activities and corporate social services. Furthermore, Eshiwani (1993), points out that the promotion of social equality in the formulation of education policies in African countries after achieving independence helped y oung people to acquire positive attitudes of mutual respect which enabled them to live together in harmony and to make a positive contribution to the national life.This contribution to national life was not supposed to be extended to every part of the country, hence the need of social equality in the provision of education. Respect and Development of Cultural Heritage The formulation of education policies in African countries after achieving independence was influenced by the need for promoting respect and development of cultural heritage. Education policies were directed towards the promotion of respect, fostering and developing the rich cultures which African countries have.For this reason, policy formulation as regards this situation was clearly addressed in the content of education which African countries were to provide to their people. The content of education was adapted to the culture of the people in any particular African country. In support of this assertion, Eshiwani (19 93), states that the commission which was assigned to review Kenya’s education system in 1963 recommended that Kenyan schools were to respect the cultural traditions of the people of the country, both as expressed in social institutions and relationships.Similarly, Damachi et al (1978), reports that education policies in African countries after attainment of independence were influenced by the need to enhance every aspect of human development which included the promotion of cultural heritage. Consequently, African countries were to state clearly their language of instruction in their education system both at lower and higher levels. This was done with the sole aim of promoting the preservation of cultural heritage and national unity.To this end the education policies which most African countries drafted after the attainment of independence were geared towards learners understanding of past and present cultural values and their valid place in contemporary society. Education fo r Self Reliance The education policies of African countries were influenced by the need for the curriculum offered to respond to the attainment of self reliance. Thus the recipients of such education were supposed to engage themselves in self employing activities.The curriculum of African countries emphasized practical subjects in order to ensure the acquisition of self reliance by learners. It was realised that the kind of education which was offered in some countries in Africa was too bookish and academic. The education system in most African countries separated manual work from learning. Thus theory was separated from practice. This situation further alienated young people from their societies. Therefore, education reforms in most African countries were inevitable so as reverse this trend.As Bishop (1989:116), reports â€Å"By the mid 1950s it was being argued once again that schooling should be reformed principally through curriculum reform to include more practical and vocatio nal studies’’ Similarly, Carmody (1994), reports that Zambia’s First National Development Plan pointed to the need for increasingly relating secondary education to the needs of the country by diversifying the secondary school syllabus into technical and commercial fields and giving a new place to agriculture. Therefore, it can be pointed out that education policies in African countries were supposed to address the concept of self reliance.Academic schooling was to be placed side by side with technical and vocational training in African countries. Improvement of Education Efficiency The education policies of most African countries after achieving independence were influenced by the need of improving the efficiency of the education systems. In education systems of African countries, it was felt that there was no correlation between inputs and out puts as well as between costs and returns. Education policies were centred on the need of making the systems of educati on to be more efficient.That is, the education systems were supposed to achieve their output at the lowest cost and also get the greatest return for a given cost. According to Bishop (1989), most education systems in African countries after achieving independence were inefficient, particularly at secondary and higher levels. The inputs such as expenditure per student or teacher training did not seem to have the effects on test scores which educators anticipated. Therefore, education policies were designed in a manner that would make the education systems in newly independent African countries to be more efficient.Additionally, education in many African countries was dysfunctional. It relied heavily on rote learning and led to an inappropriate reverence for paper qualifications. Furthermore, most curricular in African countries were irrelevant to pupils’ future lives and created an imbalance with many school leavers unemployed. Consequently, African countries formulated polici es which were aimed at addressing the challenges which were faced in education systems. Education as a means of fostering international consciousness Education policies in African countries were influenced by the need to foster international consciousness in learners.Education policies as complimented by the content of education provided to learners was supposed to ensure that positive attitudes towards other countries as well as the international community were upheld. This was emphasized because no country existed as an island. Each country depended on others for its prosperity. Therefore, it was essential that learners were provided with education that would instil international consciousness for the purpose of promoting cooperation among countries.CHAPTER THREE. 3.0 CONCLUSIONEducation policies in African countries after their achievement of independence were influenced by a number of factors. Some of the major factors which influenced education policies in African countries inc luded manpower shortages, recognition of education as a basic human right, consideration of education as a tool for development, modernisation, improving education efficiency, need for citizens’ political participation, and promotion of international consciousness among learners as well as self reliance.Changes in education policies were inevitable due to the fact that African countries experienced change in government. A change in government is associated with an ideological shift, thus aspects of the education system in a given country will be in a continual state of reformation. Hence, changes occurred in education aspects such as content, teaching methodologies, assessment and structure.