Wednesday, July 31, 2019

Inclusionary Practices In The Science Classroom Education Essay

Inclusionary patterns are those which involve pupils with or without disablements. Students who are physically or mentally impaired are given more attending, but they are taught in the same environment as that of the normal pupils. In order to manage such a group of pupils, teamwork is compulsory. A squad of decision makers, regular schoolroom instructors, physical instructors, particular instructors, physical and occupational healers, etc is required ( Meieran, – ) . There are two sorts of inclusion. Regular inclusion- is one where the particular pupils go in the schoolroom of general pupils. There they are given extra aid and particular direction in the schoolroom. Full inclusion is one where there is no segregation between general and particular pupils, and they work together ( Hub Pages ) . Experiences Richard Lange, is a talented expert, and he talks about his experience and about the international talented plans. He talks about his visit to Taipei, Taiwan, where he saw that these pupils had to take extended strict arrangement trials in order to acquire them admitted in these schools. These schools have big focal point on scientific discipline and research lab experiments at an early age. Cultivation of Inclusive Practices in Schools When inclusive patterns are cultivated in schools, the school faculty members must do certain that the instructors they hire have a focal point on handicapped pupils beyond that they have on normal pupils. The manner instructions are given is an of import factor, as it can function as solid foundation for inclusive schoolroom ( Dukes & A ; Dukes ) However, there are a batch of challenges that comes across in inclusive schoolrooms. The instructor has to be more inclusive and identify challenges by supplying practical activities, thoughts and attacks ( Inclusive Science ) . One obstruction which everyone comes across is the common attitude of instructors. It has been observed that the attitude of general pupil instructors is different towards the handicapped pupils. Their thought of inclusion and acceptableness differs in regard to the two types. This finally leads to a creative activity of ‘yours non mine ‘ kind of an hostile environment between both the pupils and the staff. A 2nd obstruction is that most of the clip the leaders are unable to acknowledge the demands of the inclusive schoolrooms, and hence, due to this deficiency of support from the staff and decision makers, success is improbable ( Green ) . Importance of Science Science has been considered as the most valuable topic to be taught to the handicapped pupils. Largely general pupil instructors have developing refering to learning pupils with disablements. Particular pupil instructors have had preparation in learning the scientific discipline topics. After the jurisprudence which stated that every kid has a right to achieve instruction was passed, budgets were allocated for the support of instruction of these particular childs. But a job came along with this credence. The scientific discipline instructors were non efficient plenty to convey the cognition to particular pupils, as they were small trained to cover with handicapped pupils, and in general, particular pedagogues had small or no exposure to scientific discipline. Therefore the cognition which the pupils receive is largely that from the text books. And nil beyond the text edition cognition could be explained to the particular pupils. It was observed that the instruction towards scientific discipline was non taken that earnestly. Patton, Polloway and Cranon in a study of particular instruction instructors found that 42 % of particular instruction instructors received no preparation in scientific discipline, 38 % of ego contained kids in particular instruction categories did non have any scientific discipline preparation. In the study further it was found that particular pedagogues spent merely 60 proceedingss in one hebdomad to scientific discipline, and 90 % of the instructors were dependent on the cognition which was available in the text edition. Therefore this shows that there was no existent practical deduction. Another flooring observation revealed that pupils with mild disablements on an norm of 200 proceedingss of text edition cognition received 1 minute of scientific discipline direction ( Norman, Casseu, & A ; Stefanich, 1995 ) . Science has become a general focal point for primary instruction. It is non necessary that scientific discipline is merely available to those who already have an chance and those who have received encouragement to prosecute it. It is besides made available to adult females and misss, all racial and cultural groups, physically and educationally challenged, etc. However pupils with disablements who are prosecuting their callings in scientific discipline frequently face a figure of barriers. These barriers include historical, attitudinal, institutional, physical, and curricular barriers. A undertaking by the name of Creating Laboratory Access for Science Students ( CLASS ) has been initiated in order to fix pedagogues for inclusive schoolrooms. They even teach them the methods of extinguishing the barriers ( Kirch, Bargerhuff, Turner, & A ; Wheatly ) . The whole construct behind Class inclusions came into being after the authorization ‘No kid left behind ‘ was passed. This authorization talked about kids equality retrospect to education. Out of the seven attacks, Friend and Cooke talked about five of them. Co instruction is coaction between the general instructors and the particular instructors. Increase in instructional options should be one of the ends of the instructors. Apart from this, the engagement and public presentation of these pupils should be enhanced. There are a figure of ways of carbon monoxide instruction. In the first attack the instructor will be responsible for learning while the other circulated throughout the room supplying support. In the 2nd attack, the instructor divides the pupils and content into groups, and so they split the clip every bit between each group. Parallel instruction is the 3rd attack. In this attack the category is divided, and so the instructor teaches each group the same conten t. The 4th attack is known as the alternate attack. In this type the category is divided into two groups. One big and one little, and each teacher instruct one of the groups. The smaller group is normally the one which requires most of the attending. Elementary instructors had a more positive attitude towards co learning instead than secondary instructors. Co instruction is fundamentally a partnership between two instructors, one particular instruction and one regular instruction. Elementary instructors would most likely to pass half a twenty-four hours or so with the particular instructors. Whereas, the secondary instructors would prefer to pass a period or two merely. Classroom direction is an of import issue. If the instructors plan their course of study and learning techniques in a advanced, so they would ne'er hold an issue pull offing a category. Plus the pupils will acquire to larn more from the instructors. Advantages/Disadvantages of Co Teaching There are a figure of advantages and disadvantages of carbon monoxide instruction. Students in carbon monoxide instruction categories get the attending of two instructors at the same clip. In this manner the pupils could easy be handled, in add-on to this the pupils get to larn more and they can pull more attending. Another advantage for the handicapped pupils is that they no longer are labeled as analyzing in handicapped schools, since they are analyzing with the normal pupils. However particular instructors showed concerns about the big sized schoolrooms. They believed that frequently instructors do n't acquire sufficient clip to function for handicapped pupils because of the figure of pupils in one category. Therefore they were non in favour of big category suites, alternatively they preferred smaller 1s ( Joe, Dowdy, & A ; Nichols ) . Qualitative Research There was a qualitative research carried out of two handicapped. Melinda and Philips were both in the same category, and at the ages of 15 ( Melinda ) and 16 ( Philips ) they were diagnosed with cognitive disablements. When the two of them turned 35, co by the way they met and it was found that they were having support through the Medicaid Waiver. The two of them were asked to take part in a research that was taking topographic point. The research was about the participant ‘s educational and personal experiences at that clip, the participant ‘s lives instantly after go forthing the schools, and the participant ‘s current lives. During twelvemonth one of the survey, when the participants were of 15 and 16 old ages of age, the two of them were placed in ego contained particular instruction category. Melinda ‘s records shows that after the first twelvemonth, she was included in the general instruction categories. Prince philips on the other manus was observed to stay in self-contained particular instruction categories for the remaining of his educational calling which was at the age of 22. Over the clip interviews were conducted with the participant ‘s parents and themselves in order to find any alterations in the personal differences and public presentation degrees. The surveies fundamentally shows that during twelvemonth one, Melinda was regressing academically and she showed marks of being riotous in unintegrated schoolrooms. Prince philips on the other manus was non being riotous in unintegrated schoolrooms, he was demoing marks of adulthood and he seemed to take part volitionally in activities that require functional faculty members. After go outing school Melinda was seen to make better in high schools, she prefers working independently, and her marks of growing were increasing. Prince philips on the other manus is seen to lose ego assurance. He was regressing academically, and was loath to interact with others. He had a fright of doing errors and non making things absolutely. When the research workers met Melinda 4 old ages after maturity, when she was populating, they found out that she lived entirely in her flat, had an extended natural support web, and used get bying schemes to help with processing troubles. Whereas in instance of Phili ps, he lived in his parents ‘ house, had lost several occupations and was presently working at a sheltered workshop for items, and had many troubles in the community. After 8 old ages of life as an grownup, it was observed that Melinda got married for an twelvemonth. She was married to Philip, and the two of them shared an flat. She had expanded her natural support web and was self assured of everything she did. Philips on the other manus had a portion clip occupation in the community, he approached advocators when in troubles, and he requires frequent confidences because he is dying with people around. Therefore the findings show that particular instruction in inclusive general instruction scenes may take to better results for pupils with disablements ( Ryndak, Ward, & A ; Alper, 2010 ) . Decision I personally am in a complete favour of inclusive instruction. In this manner the disabled would ne'er experience that he/she is low in capableness so normal pupil. We all are equal and hence shall be treated every bit. The authorization which was taken out by the US which is â€Å" No Child Left Behind † , should besides be implemented in Pakistan, it gives an chance to both the instructor and the pupils. In add-on, kids analyzing in such an environment learn to be patient.

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Static Ram and Dynamic Ram

What is the difference between static RAM and dynamic RAM in my computer? Your computer probably uses both static RAM and dynamic RAM at the same time, but it uses them for different reasons because of the cost difference between the two types. If you understand how dynamic RAM and static RAM chips work inside, it is easy to see why the cost difference is there, and you can also understand the names. Dynamic RAM is the most common type of memory in use today. Inside a dynamic RAM chip, each memory cell holds one bit of information and is made up of two parts: a transistor and a capacitor.These are, of course, extremely small transistors and capacitors so that millions of them can fit on a single memory chip. The capacitor holds the bit of information — a 0 or a 1 (see How Bits and Bytes Work for information on bits). The transistor acts as a switch that lets the control circuitry on the memory chip read the capacitor or change its state. A capacitor is like a small bucket that is able to store electrons. To store a 1 in the memory cell, the bucket is filled with electrons. To store a 0, it is emptied. The problem with the capacitor's bucket is that it has a leak.In a matter of a few milliseconds a full bucket becomes empty. Therefore, for dynamic memory to work, either the CPU or the memory controller has to come along and recharge all of the capacitors holding a 1 before they discharge. To do this, the memory controller reads the memory and then writes it right back. This refresh operation happens automatically thousands of times per second. This refresh operation is where dynamic RAM gets its name. Dynamic RAM has to be dynamically refreshed all of the time or it forgets what it is holding.The downside of all of this refreshing is that it takes time and slows down the memory. Static RAM uses a completely different technology. In static RAM, a form of flip-flop holds each bit of memory (see How Boolean Gates Work for detail on flip-flops). A flip-flop f or a memory cell takes 4 or 6 transistors along with some wiring, but never has to be refreshed. This makes static RAM significantly faster than dynamic RAM. However, because it has more parts, a static memory cell takes a lot more space on a chip than a dynamic memory cell.Therefore you get less memory per chip, and that makes static RAM a lot more expensive. So static RAM is fast and expensive, and dynamic RAM is less expensive and slower. Therefore static RAM is used to create the CPU's speed-sensitive cache, while dynamic RAM forms the larger system RAM space Inside This Article 1. Introduction to How Caching Works 2. A Simple Example: Before Cache 3. A Simple Example: After Cache 4. Computer Caches 5. Caching Subsystems 6. Cache Technology 7. Locality of Reference 8. Lots More Information |[pic] |If you have been shopping for a computer, then you have heard the word â€Å"cache. † Modern computers have both L1 and L2 caches, and many now also have L3 cache. You may also have gotten advice on the topic from well-meaning friends, perhaps something like â€Å"Don't buy that Celeron chip, it doesn't have any cache in it! † It turns out that caching is an important computer-science process that appears on every computer in a variety of forms. There are memory caches, hardware and software disk caches, page caches and more. Virtual memory is even a form of caching.In this article, we will explore caching so you can understand why it is so important. A Simple Example: Before Cache Caching is a technology based on the memory subsystem of your computer. The main purpose of a cache is to accelerate your computer while keeping the price of the computer low. Caching allows you to do your computer tasks more rapidly. To understand the basic idea behind a cache system, let's start with a super-simple example that uses a librarian to demonstrate caching concepts. Let's imagine a librarian behind his desk. He is there to give you the books you ask for.For t he sake of simplicity, let's say you can't get the books yourself — you have to ask the librarian for any book you want to read, and he fetches it for you from a set of stacks in a storeroom (the library of congress in Washington, D. C. , is set up this way). First, let's start with a librarian without cache. The first customer arrives. He asks for the book Moby Dick. The librarian goes into the storeroom, gets the book, returns to the counter and gives the book to the customer. Later, the client comes back to return the book. The librarian takes the book and returns it to the storeroom.He then returns to his counter waiting for another customer. Let's say the next customer asks for Moby Dick (you saw it coming†¦ ). The librarian then has to return to the storeroom to get the book he recently handled and give it to the client. Under this model, the librarian has to make a complete round trip to fetch every book — even very popular ones that are requested frequentl y. Is there a way to improve the performance of the librarian? Yes, there's a way — we can put a cache on the librarian. In the next section, we'll look at this same example but this time, the librarian will use a caching system.A Simple Example: After Cache Let's give the librarian a backpack into which he will be able to store 10 books (in computer terms, the librarian now has a 10-book cache). In this backpack, he will put the books the clients return to him, up to a maximum of 10. Let's use the prior example, but now with our new-and-improved caching librarian. The day starts. The backpack of the librarian is empty. Our first client arrives and asks for Moby Dick. No magic here — the librarian has to go to the storeroom to get the book. He gives it to the client. Later, the client returns and gives the book back to the librarian.Instead of returning to the storeroom to return the book, the librarian puts the book in his backpack and stands there (he checks first to see if the bag is full — more on that later). Another client arrives and asks for Moby Dick. Before going to the storeroom, the librarian checks to see if this title is in his backpack. He finds it! All he has to do is take the book from the backpack and give it to the client. There's no journey into the storeroom, so the client is served more efficiently. What if the client asked for a title not in the cache (the backpack)?In this case, the librarian is less efficient with a cache than without one, because the librarian takes the time to look for the book in his backpack first. One of the challenges of cache design is to minimize the impact of cache searches, and modern hardware has reduced this time delay to practically zero. Even in our simple librarian example, the latency time (the waiting time) of searching the cache is so small compared to the time to walk back to the storeroom that it is irrelevant. The cache is small (10 books), and the time it takes to notice a mis s is only a tiny fraction of the time that a journey to the storeroom takes.From this example you can see several important facts about caching: †¢ Cache technology is the use of a faster but smaller memory type to accelerate a slower but larger memory type. †¢ When using a cache, you must check the cache to see if an item is in there. If it is there, it's called a cache hit. If not, it is called a cache miss and the computer must wait for a round trip from the larger, slower memory area. †¢ A cache has some maximum size that is much Computer Caches A computer is a machine in which we measure time in very small increments.When the microprocessor accesses the main memory (RAM), it does it in about 60 nanoseconds (60 billionths of a second). That's pretty fast, but it is much slower than the typical microprocessor. Microprocessors can have cycle times as short as 2 nanoseconds, so to a microprocessor 60 nanoseconds seems like an eternity. What if we build a special memo ry bank in the motherboard, small but very fast (around 30 nanoseconds)? That's already two times faster than the main memory access. That's called a level 2 cache or an L2 cache. What if we build an even smaller but faster memory system directly into the microprocessor's chip?That way, this memory will be accessed at the speed of the microprocessor and not the speed of the memory bus. That's an L1 cache, which on a 233-megahertz (MHz) Pentium is 3. 5 times faster than the L2 cache, which is two times faster than the access to main memory. Some microprocessors have two levels of cache built right into the chip. In this case, the motherboard cache — the cache that exists between the microprocessor and main system memory — becomes level 3, or L3 cache. There are a lot of subsystems in a computer; you can put cache between many f them to improve performance. Here's an example. We have the microprocessor (the fastest thing in the computer). Then there's the L1 cache that c aches the L2 cache that caches the main memory which can be used (and is often used) as a cache for even slower peripherals like hard disks and CD-ROMs. The hard disks are also used to cache an even slower medium — your Internet connection The computer you are using to read this page uses a microprocessor to do its work. The microprocessor is the heart of any normal computer, whether it is a desktop machine, a server or a laptop.The microprocessor you are using might be a Pentium, a K6, a PowerPC, a Sparc or any of the many other brands and types of microprocessors, but they all do approximately the same thing in approximately the same way. If you have ever wondered what the microprocessor in your computer is doing, or if you have ever wondered about the differences between types of microprocessors, then read on. In this article, you will learn how fairly simple digital logic techniques allow a computer to do its job, whether its playing a game or spell checking a document!A microprocessor — also known as a CPU or central processing unit — is a complete computation engine that is fabricated on a single chip. The first microprocessor was the Intel 4004, introduced in 1971. The 4004 was not very powerful — all it could do was add and subtract, and it could only do that 4 bits at a time. But it was amazing that everything was on one chip. Prior to the 4004, engineers built computers either from collections of chips or from discrete components (transistors wired one at a time). The 4004 powered one of the first portable electronic calculators. [pic] | |Intel 8080 | The first microprocessor to make it into a home computer was the Intel 8080, a complete 8-bit computer on one chip, introduced in 1974. The first microprocessor to make a real splash in the market was the Intel 8088, introduced in 1979 and incorporated into the IBM PC (which first appeared around 1982). If you are familiar with the PC market and its history, you know that the PC market moved from the 8088 to the 80286 to the 80386 to the 80486 to the Pentium to the Pentium II to the Pentium III to the Pentium 4.All of these microprocessors are made by Intel and all of them are improvements on the basic design of the 8088. The Pentium 4 can execute any piece of code that ran on the original 8088, but it does it about 5,000 times faster! Microprocessor Progression: Intel The following table helps you to understand the differences between the different processors that Intel has introduced over the years. Name |Date |Transistors |Microns |Clock speed |Data | |Microprocessor Progression: Intel The following table helps you to understand the differences between the different processors that Intel has introduced over the years.Name |Date |Transistors |Microns |Clock speed |Data width |MIPS | |8080 |1974 |6,000 |6 |2 MHz |8 bits |0. 64 | |8088 |1979 |29,000 |3 |5 MHz |16 bits 8-bit bus |0. 33 | |80286 |1982 |134,000 |1. 5 |6 MHz |16 bits |1 | |80386 |1985 |275, 000 |1. 5 |16 MHz |32 bits |5 | |80486 |1989 |1,200,000 |1 |25 MHz |32 bits |20 | |Pentium |1993 |3,100,000 |0. 8 |60 MHz |32 bits 64-bit bus |100 | |Pentium II |1997 |7,500,000 |0. 35 |233 MHz |32 bits 64-bit bus |~300 | |Pentium III |1999 |9,500,000 |0. 25 |450 MHz |32 bits 64-bit bus |~510 | |Pentium 4 |2000 |42,000,000 |0. 8 |1. 5 GHz |32 bits 64-bit bus |~1,700 | |Pentium 4 â€Å"Prescott† |2004 |125,000,000 |0. 09 |3. 6 GHz |32 bits 64-bit bus |~7,000 | | Compiled from The Intel Microprocessor Quick Reference Guide and TSCP Benchmark Scores Information about this table: †¢ . †¢ rises. †¢ Clock speed is the maximum rate that the chip can be clocked at. Clock speed will make more sense in the next section. †¢ Data Width is the width of the ALU. An 8-bit ALU can add/subtract/multiply/etc. two 8-bit numbers, while a 32-bit ALU can manipulate 32-bit numbers.An 8-bit ALU would have to execute four instructions to add two 32-bit numbers, while a 32-bit ALU can do it in one instruction. In many cases, the external data bus is the same width as the ALU, but not always. The 8088 had a 16-bit ALU and an 8-bit bus, while the modern Pentiums fetch data 64 bits at a time for their 32-bit ALUs. †¢ MIPS stands for â€Å"millions of instructions per second† and is a rough measure of the performance of a CPU. Modern CPUs can do so many different things that MIPS ratings lose a lot of their meaning, but you can get a general sense of the relative power of the CPUs from this column.From this table you can see that, in general, there is a relationship between clock speed and MIPS. The maximum clock speed is a function of the manufacturing process and delays within the chip. There is also a relationship between the number of transistors and MIPS. For example, the 8088 clocked at 5 MHz but only executed at 0. 33 MIPS (about one instruction per 15 clock cycles). Modern processors can often execute at a rate of two instructions per clock cy cle. That improvement is directly related to the number of transistors on the chip and will make more sense in the next section.

Oroonko or the Royal Slave Essay

Oroonko or the Royal Slave tells a story about the life of a man captured and sold into slavery and some of the adventures his life encompassed. Oroonko was the grandson to the King of Coramantien. He possessed a very rare and unique magnificence that all admired. Oroonko was brought up learning and living the life of an honorable soldier and prince. He was well educated and well-liked far and wide by all who knew him. Oroonko became acquainted and quickly fell in love with his mentor’s daughter, Imoinda. They soon decided to be joined as husband and wife. According to the customs of their time, Oroonko’s grandfather, the King of Coramantien, was to be allowed the opportunity to bless the union before anything became official. The king had heard of Imoinda’s beauty and instead of blessing their union, the king took Imoinda for himself. This very greatly disgraced Oroonko. With the passing of time, the love Oroonko held in his heart for Imoinda did not fade. He desperately wanted to be with Imoinda and was eventually afforded the chance. The jealous and ever-suspicious king discovered Imoinda and Oroonko together and became very angry. The penalty for treasonous acts, as this was most certainly considered, was death. Oroonko was able to escape, but Imoinda was not. The king, unable to put such a beauty as Imoinda to death, instead sold her to a slave trader to be shipped off to America to become a slave. Death would have been preferable to Imoinda and she begged for it, but the king wanted nothing to do with her any longer. Selling Imoinda into slavery was kept an absolute secret from Oroonko. The king knew if Oroonko ever learned what had really happened to Imoinda, his rage would be unequaled. And so it was assumed by all that Imoinda was, in fact, put to death for her treachery. At this point, the king felt it necessary to make his peace with Oroonko. He realized and wanted to repent of the disgrace he brought upon his grandson. He also felt extremely guilty about his decision to sell Imoinda into slavery, but again, that was not widely known. Oroonko conceded no revenge would be taken on his part against the king. Time passed and in the course of this time Oroonko became a highly decorated and popular war general and hero. Forever longing in his heart for Imoinda, Oroonko resigned to live the life he was born to live – the life of a nobleman. It was to happen after a particularly successful battle, Oroonko came home to a celebration. At this celebration, there was a ship’s captain who was familiar to Oroonko and they spent some time together. Oroonko was aware that this particular captain was a slave trader, but had no reason to distrust him or hold animosity against him. Unjustly so, as it would turn out, since this captain deceived Oroonko into a tour of his ship and then shackled him to the ship and set sail for America to be sold into slavery. The captain continued in his deception while on the voyage and convinced Oroonko that he and his men would be let go at the next port. Oroonko had not encountered dishonesty as was present in the heart of the captain before, so he suspected nothing and trusted the captain to keep his word. When they arrived on land, Oroonko and his men were at once sold to the highest bidder and sent off to be slaves. Oroonko worked for a short while and then heard of a woman of great beauty who was also a slave. He soon found Imoinda and they were married. Oroonko lived as a slave, but was restless to regain his freedom. He frequently spoke to his owner and pleaded for this and was put off time and again for one reason or another. He was given promise after promise or release to no avail. Oroonko soon realized exactly how dishonorable the slave owners were. With only a little effort, Oroonko called together the slaves from all around and when they had gathered, he convinced them they were being treated unfairly and should leave their cruel and uncaring owners to find a better life somewhere else. With his eloquence and affirming manner, Oroonko was able to sway them that even the evils of the wilderness could be overcome with enough conviction and team work. Regardless of the hardships facing a journey of such proportion, losing your life fighting was more honorable than being treated like animals. Unfortunately, the revolt did not take the slaves far. Their trail was easily discovered and it was not long before they were caught and surrendered. The terms of the surrender Oroonko struck with the slave owners who had caught them included fairness and avoidance of retribution or retaliation against the group who had attempted escape. However, disregarding the word given at the surrender, the slave owners marched their slaves back to their respective plantations and they were all punished. Oroonko, however, was taken to a post, tied securely, and severely lashed. There was barely any life left in him when the evil slave owners were finished. Oroonko made up his mind that he would one day seek revenge against such untrustworthy, wicked, and dishonorable men. While the end of the story tells that this plan was not brought to fruition, Oroonko left this world a legend. He held his honor to his dying breath. The story of Oroonko is an excellent anti-slavery argument. Through the story, the reader is allowed a glimpse of a man who could have very easily been from any race or station in life. Oroonko was well educated. He was taken in and taught by the best of the best. Many slave owners, in those days, believed slaves were nothing but unintelligent, low-life heathens, but Oroonko was none of these. Oroonko may not have believed in the same religion or faith as the slave owners, but his beliefs were just as important and essential as theirs. The slave owners judged without considering the differences that existed between their very unique cultures. For example, Oroonko and Imoinda came from a country where wives were expected to give honor to their husbands. Imoinda pleaded with Oroonko to take her life as an alternative to living without him by her side. She considered being killed by someone so noble as Oroonko was far superior than living as a slave. The slave owners and white men would not and did not understand this logic. By their standards, Oroonko was a vile and murderous heathen. Slavery abruptly stole men, women, and children from their place of origin and flung them into a life of degradation and submission. They were required to work for little to nothing by way of payment and treated as no better than dogs. Oroonko spoke of them being whipped at the end of the day. It made no difference if you had done well or poorly, all slaves were whipped. The â€Å"gods† these slave owners prayed to and had faith in was a puzzling deity to Oroonko. His faith in his gods was built on very different standards, and Oroonko believed so strongly in these gods, there was no questioning how others should be treated and how one should conduct themselves in all situations. Everyone deserved to be treated with honor and respect. The faith of the slave owners came into question several times. Oroonko was unable to understand how these people could on any level of decency treat anyone the way the slaves were treated. While it remained unsaid, Oroonko must have certainly felt as though all were created different, but equal. Not all slave owners were cruel in their treatment of slaves. Oroonko befriended several compassionate men along the way. The narrator of the novel happened to be one of these men. While remaining benevolent in spirit, these men did own slaves and were hesitant, if not downright unwilling, to grant them their freedom. None of the men and women sold into slavery deserved the life they were forced to lead. The white men who bought them did not consider the lives they left behind. These were real people with real lives and real customs and real traditions. The religion practiced – on whatever level – by the white slave owners was not the only way to believe. The simple belief they held that they were right did not by any means make that a truth. The Negroes held their own beliefs, and right or wrong according to someone else’s standards, they had every right to believe however they chose. Oroonko was a prince and more than likely more educated than many of the slave owner’s themselves, and yet was treated with contempt and disrespect. With his breeding and the instruction he had received, Oroonko knew in his head and in his heart that treating anyone in such a manner was unreasonable and outrageous. In the end, despite the best efforts of the slave owners, Oroonko died as he had lived with his honor and dignity.

Monday, July 29, 2019

My friend Lloyd Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

My friend Lloyd - Essay Example They agreed to take turns bringing us to school in the morning and picking us up at mid-day. School was just a few minutes walk from where we lived, so Lloyd and I spent many mornings walking to school, exchanging stories, laughing together, and thinking of games we would play each day. We enjoyed those early morning walks, talking about friends and playmates, making fun of some and hating others. There was one kid we hated, a real brat, the only child from a rich family who was brought each morning by a limousine. Her name was Nancy. She was beautiful, but she had bad manners. Maybe because she was used to getting her way at home, she thought she could do the same in school, in the playground, the canteen, in class, and in the library. She craved for attention everywhere she was, jumping lines, not returning books she borrowed, getting the best burger patty at lunchtime, the coldest can of soda, and a thousand and one other things besides. Everyone hated her for being a spoiled brat who thought of no one else but herself. And then one afternoon, my dad sprained his back and had to lie down in bed. That night, he had to sleep with pillows on each side of his body. Without asking my permission, my mom took my pillow and gave it to dad to use.

Sunday, July 28, 2019

Commercial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Commercial Management - Essay Example There was a big hand of volunteers and a few full time employees in the completion of Didcot railways center 2011 project. For the more professional approach for the project it was ruled by a local enterprise partnership. Moreover, it is mentioned that a project team was hired by the Great Western Society and the team was headed by specialized skills in the area of project management, procurement and infrastructure engineering. Clearly, the technical and engineering side of the project, that was quite huge, was done under the supervision of a technical expert. Similarly, there was a project manager, leading the project and giving the timelines, cost and quality indications to its team with its complete consultation. The project management outlined a detailed communication management plan for all the documentation, quality management and scope to make a standard to be followed through the project The copy of project plan and resource plan were made available to volunteers and committe e so that they can follow up to it. The plans of the project were submitted to the stakeholders in the very beginning of the project year by the team of project management. Hence, the project plan was handled by all the stakeholders, committees and employees to execute the project take the controlling measures and re-implement it under the control of project management team. To chase up the timelines and deadlines the meetings were scheduled in all the groups at the end of every week keeping in mind the availability of volunteers. Then the experts and experienced leader in their respective fields lead the areas of their concerns. In 2010, the Government assigned the duty of Tourism and Heritage Minister to John Penrose MP considering the growth in tourism industry as a key role player in economic development. The measures of the Government and overall performance of the team managed them to achieve satisfactory results and sets targets for the particular year in

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Workplace Safety Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Workplace Safety - Essay Example (Gustafson, 2011). This article reflects on an issue that involves a severe attack on the employee Rich Dean by a dangerous prisoner Lehtinen. Dean is seriously distressed by the news that Oregon hospital will not have to deal with any sanctions in regard to the violent incident even after a long workplace safety inspection undertaken by Oregon’s Occupational Safety and Health Division (OSHA). This decision by OSHA led Dean to present his issues with the results of the investigation in an interview. Dean voiced facts that set in contrast to the justifications presented by OSHA. According to OSHA, Dean issued a citation against the hospital’s security administration on no grounds. This is because the hospital has always adopted satisfactory security measures and conducted safety assessments before the grave attack on Dean occurred. Also, there had been no violent attacks on any hospital employee by the jail inmates before that incident and high-profile assault prevention training is also given to the employees according to the OSHA report. Now, Dean claimed that when he was attacked by Lehtinen, the two other employees dog-piled on him and Lehtinen, which gave Lehtinen an easy access to land heavy kicks on Dean’s eyes, shoulders, and neck. Had it not been for the careless action of the two other security men, Dean would surely have saved himself from Lehtinen’s attacks. Also, the emergency alarm system was sadly out of function at the time of the assault.

Friday, July 26, 2019

Substance Abuse Article Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Substance Abuse - Article Example Through the journaling technique, I took down relevant notes on shared information which are deemed crucial to the healing process. As I was attending the meeting, there were different thoughts that crossed my mind, such as (1) how dedicated and committed are the alcoholics and the family members who attended the meeting; (2) do they really see the group (Alcoholic Anonymous) as an effective tool for recovery; (3) how different are the views of new and old members in terms of AA facilitating ways for their recovery; (4) does it help the alcoholics more when family members are present; among others. Initially, the meeting started by the presider announcing relevant events and activities to be participated in by alcoholics, family members and interest guests. Then, during the discussion the presider reminds members of the Twelve Steps which are the guiding principles for recovery. Old alcoholic members who have fully recovered shared their challenges and rewards for undergoing the program; while members were still anxious and apprehensive to share experiences. Every experiences shared were expounded by the preside r where interesting thoughts were emphasized and confirmed through validating experiences of others. I honestly thought that it would be an instrumental contribution to be part of this community as a presider, a coach or mentor to assist people with drinking problems on the road towards

Thursday, July 25, 2019

Australopithecines Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Australopithecines - Essay Example Many changes in the physical environment contributed to the evolution of these early humans. Australopithecines comprise a genus of primitive hominids that resided in Eastern Africa about 4.2 million years ago. Many scientists think that some of the australopithecine species are direct ancestors to humans. Others believe that the Australopithecines represent a branch of hominids from which humans evolved, but are not directly related to humans. There several established taxonomic methods for classifying the australopithecines, but the four most frequently acknowledged species are Australopithecus afarensis, Australopithecus africanus, Australopithecus robustus, and Australopithecus boisei (Chardin). The species can be differentiated, because A. robustus and A. boisei have bigger bones and are more "robust" than A. afarensis and A.africanus (O'Neill). Most species of the Australopithecus were not any more adept at using tools than modern primates. But, Australopithecus garhi seems to have been the most sophisticated, because its remnants have been discovered near tools and slaughtered animal carcasses, which suggests the advent of a highly antediluvian tool conception. This caused many scientists to infer that A. garhi must be the predecessor of the Homo genus, even though recent deductions held that A. garhi was merely competition to the ancestral Homo species. The brains of most Australopithecus species were barely 35% the size of the modern human brain (Foley). Most species of Australopithecus were small and gracile in nature, often standing no more than 1.2 meters in height (Wikipedia). Fossil records seem to indicate that Australopithecus is the ancestor of a specific classification of hominids, known as Paranthropus, but are not direct ancestors of the genus Homo, which encompasses modern humans. Both the Paranthropus and Homo genera have proven to be more progressed in behavior and customs than the Australopithecus, which were hardly more than bipedal chimps. It is still widely accepted that only the descedants of Homo would go on to generate language and learn how to use fire. Though opinions certainly vary in regards to whether the species aethiopicus, boisei and robustus should be placed within the genus Australopithecus, the scientific community currently places them in the genus differ as to whether the species aethiopicus, boisei and robustus should be included within the genus Paranthropus. Paranthropus is thought to have originated from the Australopithecus lineage. Until recently, many scientists classified all Australopithecus species within a single genus. Paranthropus, because it was larger and more robust, was physically different from Australopithecus, and its superior anatomy implied that its behaviors might have been very different from that of its ancestor. The more diminutive and gracile forms such as Australopithecus africanus and Australopithecus afarensis are commonly assumed to be the closest relatives to humans. But, some studies have shown that Australopithecus africanus had a body shape more similar to that of the modern apes than t o the members of the genus Homo. Still, the gracile australopithecines are considered to be the earliest known true hominids, because australopithecines and humans are biologically similar enough to be classified in the family Hominidae (Nickels). Australopithecines

Wednesday, July 24, 2019

Global Development Politics Policy Brief Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Global Development Politics Policy Brief - Essay Example How can the international society continue to maintain sustainable development of its population without inducing further effects of climate change? This question continues to remain a nightmare to experts in environment and economist, alike. Experts mandated to ensure practical climate change policies face this similar challenge. The policy options identified, discussed and proposed include applying costs and benefits analysis exhibition to the public. This, in turn, would inform the public on the effects of climate change on health and environment including the economy. Analysis and exhibition of climate change effects would evoke initiatives for early mitigation of climate change among the population. The second proposal is to ensure reduced level of emissions, on a global scale, would help address climate change. These include agreement on acceptable amount emitted by countries (Posner & Weisbach 2010, p.3). The third proposal is to find means that would change the human behavior and help reduce human causes of this global environmental threat. To sustain the ever-escalating human population growth rate and the ability to support their demands for natural resources, without inducing climate change-causing processes, we recommend initiatives that would correct human norms and behavior to control development. Situation brief Why should the world address climate change? The apparent pursuit to implement sustainable development raises concerns on the necessity to have a succinct policy regulation that control developmental effects. World organizations including institutions sets up by the United Nations face the challenge of ensuring developments that guarantee an uncompromised future. Climate change is among the major challenges that are at the focus of issues that call for redress and attention from the world community, through a united approach. Most conventions and treaties set by international bodies, since the 1972 meeting at Stockholm have climate change as one of the priority challenges. The scope of climate change implications on diverse sectors including the economy, food production and health makes it a grim issue that is better when addressed than left to escalate. Noteworthy is the concern that climate change implications are not region-specific but a matter that is all-inclusive of the entire world society. Scientists point at an alarming change in world temperatures and an anticipation of potential increase in ice melt rate. What are the challenges to existing climate change control policies? Existing policy initiatives to control the rate of emission have little, so to say, effectiveness. The policy frameworks available to suppress over emission from development activities, in developed countries especially, have failed. The carbon credit initiatives tend to assure the world population of insignificant influence and effects. Climate finance is another unsuccessful idea that has least impact in controlling climate change. T he current situation calls for a workable framework that would leave the world population staying in a clean atmosphere that is free of contamination and related effects. The high extent of uncertainty in predicting possible impacts of the alteration of world climatic conditions is the key threat to existing policies. Policy discussion Climate change economists

Final term paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Final term paper - Essay Example Natural resources like water supplies, fisheries, forests, mineral products, timber, and even the air should be maintained sustainably so these resources can recover and be renewable for years to come. It is an imperative need to use natural resources in a wise and prudent way for survival. Richard Buckminster Fuller is a famous inventor, systems theorist, designer, architect, and more notably, also a futurist who once remarked that â€Å"normal Man is designed to be a success and the Universe gets designed to support that success. Man is essential to the success of the Universe itself† (Fuller, 1967). From Fuller’s perspective, Man and Universe are co-existent and need each other for support and success. Man should achieve success via the Universe and the Universe requires Man to make it a better place. The Universe and Man exist in synergy and through their interaction each becomes successful; there is a mutually beneficial relationship and this Fuller quote indicates or implies a symbiosis. In other words, it connotes the impression Man is designed for success and it is only up to him to secure that success. The default mode for Man is to be successful and any failure is again up to him only; there is no one to blame but Man if something goes horribly wrong. Fuller’s thinking is Manifested in his architectural designs. Discussion Although Richard Buckminster Fuller (1895-1983) has Many great contributions to science, design, engineering, and architecture, his most famous and iconic design is the geodesic dome which is composed of a shell- or lattice-structure superimposed with a network of spheres or circles on the surface of a much larger sphere. This design is reminiscent of an eggshell which is considered as one of Nature’s most efficient designs ever because it maximizes its utility and at the same minimizes the use of raw materials or natural resources to achieve a utilitarian design. In other words, it extracts and exploits natural resources at Man’s disposal but minimizes damage to the environment by using only what is required as absolutely necessary. The Universe provides Man with the natural resources he or she requires for survival and success. The Universe provides Man for all his basic needs of food, shelter, and clothing by providing him with all forms of material things and the energy required to transform these things. Natural resources such as water and land enable Man to become creative in ways so he or she can make use of them to become socially and economically successful. A normal Man would take advantage of the resources offered by the Universe to catapult him or her to success but this is to be taken not literally but only figuratively. Man should use his or her resources wisely. The wise of use of resources is conceptualized and evidenced by the development of geodesics which is the scientific and academic discipline involving the study of how to form an enclosed space that is strong, lightweight, curved or spherical in shape that gives a rare stability to a structure and more importantly, provides or encloses the greatest volume with a least surface area required; in other words, this design makes good use of the

Tuesday, July 23, 2019

International Development Is Best Helped Through Free Trade Research Paper

International Development Is Best Helped Through Free Trade - Research Paper Example This report stresses that countries have learned to use free trade to improve their economies or foreign relations with their neighbors . In spite of research efforts to understand, the concept of free trade, definitive findings on the subject are still limited. Compared to related areas such as business management, diplomacy, and foreign relations, free trade has received less research recognition and attention and deserves better. This topic is an attempt to do justice to the concept of free trade by providing more critical, comprehensive and relevant perspectives on the subject. Students, managers, business owners, leaders and teachers need to develop a better and deeper understanding of free trade, and this international development is best helped by free trade. Based on the literature review and the examination of collected data, all indications are that there is a positive correlation between international development and free trade. In addition, the research shows that when al l conditions are constant, the relationship between international development and free trade is directly proportional. Various observations and have been made, and there is considerable proof that free trade has a positive impact on international development. Another inference is that free trade is a multidisciplinary and multifaceted concept that is easy to misconstrue because of its wide scope. It is important for researchers to use critical skills when analyzing the concept of free trade on its own, without relating it to other variables.

Monday, July 22, 2019

Ethics, values, and social responsibility Essay Example for Free

Ethics, values, and social responsibility Essay In the finance field there are a number of ethical issues although many issues in this field are governed by law. Ethical issues in finance include individual conduct, financial institution operations and financial markets operations. In this field people are trained to perform different duties and thus finance ethics is diversified. However, the top five issues in this field include honesty and fairness, fraud, conflicts of interest, discrimination and information technology. Honesty and fairness in this field has raised much dispute. Because of the intense competition in the world, many people view the conditions in a business to be similar to those in a game of sport or war and thus anything is considered to be fair. On the other hand there are those who argue that not everything is considered to be honest and fair. This has therefore led to ethical issues in this field regarding what is honest and fair and what is not. Conflicts of interest is mainly observed in situations where an individual is placed in a position of making a decision on whether to pursue personal interests or the interests of other individuals or business. Similar, it can involve an organization making a choice on whether to pursue own interests or the interest of the society. The issue concerning fraud primarily entails the disclosure of valuable information which is vitally important for security. It also involves misrepresentation of material evidence intentionally. There are several types of fraud and this may include; accounting, marketing and consumer fraud. Discrimination is an ethical issue which can involve an individual or a business. Some individuals or businesses abuse others by enticing them and exploiting them. In addition to that it may include issues regarding race, gender among others. To add to that there are some cases which involve price discrimination. In information technology, the issue entails the privacy and confidentiality of information on matters concerning the employees and consumers. Privacy and confidentiality is essential in this field however there may be some cases where it is not ensured. This has therefore led to ethical issues concerning what is privacy. In addition to that there are ethical issues which involve protection of intellectual property. Ranking The top five issues can be arranged in descending order as honest and fairness, conflict of interest, fraud, discrimination and information technology (College of Micronesia, n. d. ). Honesty and fairness are major issues since they affect all levels of an organization, and are much experienced by society. Furthermore, controlling this issue other issues will be taken care of. For instance, an organization which is honest and fair, issues concerning fraud, discrimination, conflict of interest and information technology are minimal. Analysis Honesty and fairness In the financial market fairness is taken to mean a level playing field for everyone. However, in most cases the playing field is unleveled and this can be attributed to issues concerning inequalities in the bargaining power, possession of information, resources available, among others. Inequalities in the bargaining power and resources are considered to be ethical only when used coercively and violate rights and obligations (Frederick, 2002). This implies that individuals or organization are only allowed to use their advantages in ways that are considered fair to others. Additionally, individuals can use their resources to acquire information which they are entitled to exploit to their advantage. This has made access to information an issue of investment thereby leading to inaccessibility to critical information by some individuals. To acquire information individual must invest adequate resources. Ethical issues arise over accessibility of information, how the information should be distributed to ensure equality. Fraud In sales concerning financial products like insurance policies, loans, mutual funds among others, application of ethical standards is a requirement. Hence businesses are given the mandate to ensure adequate material information is available. There are regulatory agencies which monitor prospectus for mutual funds, however, personal sales and advertisements can contain false or misleading information (Frederick, 2002). Additionally, this is an issue which has been observed in the stock market and in many businesses. Some individuals conceal valuable information to lure more customers to their businesses. For instance, in the stock market assets of a particular organization may be inflated or some of its liabilities may be concealed. This issue has led to large losses in many investment companies and to individuals (Frederick, 2002). Since assessing the risk and suitability for an investment has been made difficult with inadequate material information. Conflict of interest This is issue which is primarily observed in agents, fiduciaries and financial managers, in which the personal interest interferes with the interests of the organization or society. Agents and fiduciaries are given the mandate to act on behalf of others in exercising judgment, however, in cases where they stand to gain personally their judgments may be compromised. Additionally, financial managers are given the mandate to manage assets prudently and thus avoid using them for personal gains however, in some cases conflict of interest might occur. For instance, management buyouts whereby a group of managers take a public organization to be private are an ethical issue. This issue occurs mainly since the actions to be performed by an individual are not fully specified before the transaction and thus an individual is given a wide range of options. In addition to that they are not closely monitored and evaluated. This has led to huge losses being incurred by individuals and companies. For instance, some banks have collapse and this was attributed to rogue traders (Frederick, 2002). Discrimination This issue observed mainly in financial products and it involves abusive practices of selling such as flipping and twisting. In flipping one loan is replaced by another for generation of additional fees. While in twisting, insurance agents persuade their clients to replace the existing policy in order to get commission (Frederick, 2002). Some financial institution abuse poor individuals by offering them loans of high interest and by adding little values to lure them. Furthermore, in some institutions there are cases of discrimination in employment on matters concerning race and gender. Information technology Maintaining privacy and confidentiality of information in many business has been difficult because of the cost of technology. As technology advances it becomes more expensive to ensure privacy of employees and clients information. Furthermore, with the increase in number of people of accessing the internet maintaining privacy and confidentiality has become difficult. This has therefore led to loss of confident by the public since they cannot trust some organizations to protect their personal information. Solutions and recommendations The issue of conflict of interests can be addressed by closely monitoring individuals and by changing the structure of the relationship. For instance, the commissions can be focused mainly on performance of the clients portfolios and not on the volumes of sales. Additionally, professionalism, trust and codes of ethics should be strongly emphasized in relationships in order to guarantee the confidence from the society. Fraud and discrimination issues can be solved in courts. There are laws which were put in place in place to protect people against abuse or discrimination. For instance, the Employment Act protects employees against discrimination and harassment. Furthermore, the pre-dispute arbitration agreement should be amended or individuals should avoid it. This agreement may have several advantages but denies adequate protection to investors. Maintaining privacy and confidentiality of clients and employees information require much funding. It is essential for organizations to invest more funds in acquiring knowledge and skills concerning privacy and confidentiality in the information technology. By ensuring privacy and confidentiality, public confidence will be build. Social responsibility is essential for ensuring ethical standards are maintained in the society. When making decisions, people should consider their effects to the society and to themselves. This will ensure that ethical issues are maintained. Additionally, since businesses cannot be trusted to maintain ethical standards, some laws have been passed to ensure social responsibility. For instance there are laws concerning consumer safety and environment protection. This is a step forward in ensuring ethical standards. Furthermore, there are some financial institutions which have developed and implemented strict policies that ensure ethical standards are adhered. For instance there are policies concerning privacy and confidentiality of employees’ and customers’ information. In conclusion, maintenance of ethical standards should not be the responsibility of an individual or an organization but should involve the whole society. By maintaining ethical standards the society and organizations will be protected from any harm and at the same time eliminate conflict. Even though ethical standards vary from one society to another, they should be understood and maintained adequately. Reference list College of Micronesia, (n. d. ). Code of Ethics. Retrieved June 18, 2009 from http://www. comfsm. fm/~dleeling/alo/personnel/code_of_ethics. html Frederick R. (2002). A companion to business ethics. Edition: 1. New York: Wiley-Blackwell. pp. 154-59.

Sunday, July 21, 2019

Role of Derivatives on Financial Products

Role of Derivatives on Financial Products Title: Derivatives are now a well established part of every financial institutions financially engineered products. Discuss, in depth, the role that derivatives are playing in financial products/portfolios and the risks that they remove (and create) Introduction Past three decades have witnessed an expansion in global trade and continuing technological developments. This has resulted in an increase in market volatility and enlargement of business and financial risks and has led to an increase in demand for risk management products. The types of risks faced by corporations today have not changed; rather, they have become more complex and interrelated. The increase in demand for risk management products and the complexity of risks is reflected in the growth of spectrum of financial contracts called derivatives. Derivatives are now a well established part of every financial institution’s financially engineered products. Derivatives have become an integral part of the financial markets because they can serve several economic functions. Though there has been an incredible growth in the derivative market, there has also been an increase in reports of major losses associated with derivative products. For example, derivatives led to a collapse of Barings Bank (the Queen of England’s primary bank), bankruptcy of Orange County California and also had a role in the fall of Enron. All this has resulted in a great deal of confusion about effectiveness of derivatives in risk management. What are Derivatives? Derivatives are complex instruments that have become increasingly important to the overall risk profile and profitability of organisations throughout the world. Broadly defined, derivatives are contracts that primarily derive their value from the performance of underlying assets. Derivatives contracts are entered into throughout the world on organised exchanges and through over-the-counter (OTC) arrangements. Types of Derivatives Derivatives come in various shapes and forms such as futures1, forwards2, swaps3, options4, structured debt obligations and deposits, and various combinations thereof. __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ 1Futures are contracts to buy or sell specific quantities of a commodity or financial instrument at a specified price at a specified time in the future. 2A forward contract obligates one party to buy the underlying at a fixed price at a certain future date from a counterparty, who is obligated to sell the underlying at that fixed price. (Source: Demystifying Financial derivatives, Rene A Stulz) 3A swap is a contract to exchange cash flows over a specific period. 4An option can be a call option or a put option. A call option on a stock gives its holder the right to buy a fixed number of shares at a given price by some future date, while a put option gives its holder the right to sell a fixed number of shares on the same terms. Benefits of Derivatives Derivatives are put to three key uses: Hedging by entering into derivatives transactions for offsetting existing risks. The existing risks could be an investment portfolio, price changes of a commodity or perhaps investments in a foreign country. Derivatives make it possible to hedge risks that otherwise would be not be possible to hedge. Speculating through hedge funds to generate profits with only a insignificant investment, essentially by putting money on the movement of an asset. Exploiting Arbitrage opportunities throughout the world markets. Thus, risk management is one of the primary purposes of derivatives. Role of Derivatives in Risk Management As indicated above, derivatives are important tools that can help organisations meet their specific risk-management objectives. Derivatives allow organisations to break up their risks and distribute them around the financial system through secondary markets. Thus, derivatives help organisations in risk management. Risk management is not about the removal of risk but is about its management. An organisation can manage its risks by selectively choosing those risks it is comfortable with and minimising those that it does not want. Through derivatives, risks from traditional instruments can be effectively unpackaged and managed independently. If managed properly derivatives can help businesses save costs and increase returns. In addition, derivatives make underlying markets more efficient. Derivative markets produce information which at time is the only reliable information available to base critical business decisions on. For example, reliable information about long-term interest rates can be obtained from swaps, because the swap market may be more liquid and more active than the bond market. Using Derivatives Many organisations use derivatives conservatively to counterbalance risks from fluctuating currency and interest rates. Individuals and firms use derivatives to achieve payoffs that they would not be able to achieve without derivatives, or could only achieve at greater cost. Derivatives are used by both financial and non-financial institutions and organisations. Financial organisations use derivatives both as risk management tools and also as a source of revenue. From a risk management perspective, derivatives allow financial institutions to identify, segregate and manage separately the market risks in financial instruments and commodities. Cautious use of derivatives provides managers with effective risk reducing opportunities through hedging. Derivatives may also be used to reduce financing costs and to increase the yield of certain assets. In addition, derivatives are a direct source of revenue through market-making functions, position taking and risk arbitrage to most of the financial organizations (source: http://www.bis.org/publ/bcbsc211.pdf). Derivatives are used by non-financial organisations for hedging and for minimising earnings volatility. For example, derivatives are used to hedgeinterest-rate risks. If the company strongly believes that interest rates will drop between now and a future date, it could purchase a futures contract. By doing so, the company is effectively locking in the future interest rate. Similarly, companies that depend heavily on raw-material inputs or commodities are sensitive, sometimes significantly, to the price change of the inputs. For example, most airlines use derivatives for hedging against crude-oil price. Some firms use derivatives to reduce tax liability and at times to speculate. Risks Associated with Derivatives Although derivatives are legitimate and valuable tools for hedging risks, like all financial instruments they create risks that must be managed. Warren Buffett, one of the worlds most wise investors, states that â€Å"derivatives are financial weapons of mass destruction, carrying dangers that, while now latent, are potentially lethal.† (Source: Gabriel Kolko, Weapons of Mass Financial Destruction) On one hand derivatives neutralise risks while on the other hand they create risks. In fact there are certain risks inherent in derivatives. Derivatives can be dangerous if not managed properly. Numerous financial disasters such as Enron can be related to the mismanagement of derivatives. In the 1990s, Procter Gamble lost $157 million in a currency speculation involving dollars and German Marks, Gibson Greetings lost $20 million and Long-Term Capital Management, a hedge fund, lost $4 billion with currency and interest-rate derivatives (Source: Ludger Hentschel and Clifford W. Smith, Jr., Risks in Derivative Markets) . It is key to consider that it has not been the use of derivatives as a tool which has led to the downfall of these companies but the misuse of such instruments. The kinds of risks associated with derivatives are no different from those associated with traditional financial instruments, although they can be far more complex. Different derivatives have different risk profiles. For some derivatives though the risk may be limited, the profit potential may be unlimited. For example, the risk of loss with a derivative contract which grants a right to buy a particular asset at a particular price is limited to the amount paid to hold that right. However, profit potential is unlimited. On the other hand there are certain other derivatives that exhibit risk characteristics in which while potential gain is limited, the losses associated with the derivative is unlimited. For example, a derivative contract which grants the right to buy a particular asset at a particular price may have the associated potential profit limited to the amount received for giving that right, but because the asset has to be delivered to the counterparty at expiry of the contrac t, the potential loss may be unlimited. Most of the risk of derivatives is due to the complexity of the structure of the derivative instruments. Apart from the structure of the instrument itself, the source of a lot of the risk associated with derivative contracts arises from the fact that they are leveraged contracts. Derivative products are ‘leveraged’ because only a proportion of their total market exposure needs to be paid to open and maintain a position. Thus, the market exposure with derivative contracts can be several times the cash placed on deposit as margin for the trade, or paid in the form of a premium. Derivative contracts also have the ability to create artificial wealth and this creates additional risk. The artificial wealth skews the values of underlying assets considerably. Fundamentally, risks from derivatives originate with the customer and are a function of the timing and variability of cash flows. Types of Risks Associated with Derivatives In general, the risks associated with derivatives can be classified as credit risk, market risk, price risk, liquidity risk, operations risk, legal or compliance risk, foreign exchange rate risk, interest rate risk, and transaction risk. These categories are not mutually exclusive. Credit risk Derivatives are subject to credit risk or the risk to earnings or capital due to obligor’s failure to meet the terms of a contract. Credit risk arises from all activities that can only be accomplished on counterparty, issuer, or borrower’s performance. Credit risk in derivative products comes in the form of pre-settlement risk and settlement risk. Derivatives are exposed to pre-settlement credit risk or loss due to failure to pay on a contract during the life of a transaction by the counterparty. This credit risk exposure consists of both the replacement cost of the derivative transaction or its market value and an estimate of the future replacement cost of the derivative. Even out-of-the-money derivative contracts have potential pre-settlement credit risk. Derivatives are also subject to settlement risk or loss exposure arising when an organisation meets its obligation under a contract before the counterparty meets its obligation. Settlement risk generally exists for one to two days from the time an outgoing payment instruction can no longer be cancelled unilaterally until the time the final incoming payment is received and reconciled. This risk is due to the fact that it is almost impractical to arrange simultaneous payment and delivery in the ordinary course of business. In the case of international transactions settlement risk may arise because of time zone differences. This risk is usually greater than pre-settlement risk on any given transaction. Market risk Derivatives are also subject to market risk Market risk or risk due to unfavorable movements in the level or volatility of market prices. Market risk results from exposures to changes in the price of the underlying cash instrument and to changes in interest rates. Though market risk can be created or hedged by derivatives such as future or swap in a clear-cut manner, it is not so simple in the case of options. This is because the value of an option is also affected by other factors, including the volatility of the price of the underlying instrument and the passage of time. In addition, all trading activities are affected by market liquidity and by local or world political and economic events. Price Risk Price risk is an extension of the market risk. Price risk is the risk to earnings or capital arising from changes in the value of portfolios of financial instruments. The degree of price risk of derivatives depends on the price sensitivity of the derivative instrument and the time it takes to liquidate or offset the position. Price sensitivity is generally greater for instruments with leverage, longer maturities, or option features. Price Risk can result from adverse change in equity prices or commodity prices or basis risk. The exposure from an adverse change in equity prices can be either systematic or unsystematic risk. As equity markets can be more volatile than other financial markets equity derivatives can experience larger price fluctuations than other derivatives. Commodity derivatives usually expose an institution to higher levels of price risk because of the price volatility associated with uncertainties about supply and demand and the concentration of market participants in the underlying cash markets. Price risk may take the form of basis risk or the risk that the correlation between two prices may change. Liquidity risk All organisations involved in derivatives face liquidity risks. Liquidity risk is the risk to earnings or capital from an organisation’s inability to meet its obligations when they are due, without incurring unacceptable losses. This risk includes the inability to manage unplanned decreases or changes in funding sources. An organisation involved in derivatives faces two types of liquidity risk in its derivatives activities: one related to specific products or markets or market liquidity risk and the other related to the general funding of the institution’s derivatives activities or funding risk. Market Liquidity Risk Market liquidity risk is the risk that an organisation may not be able to exit or offset positions easily at a reasonable price at or near the previous market price because of inadequate market depth or because of disruptions in the marketplace. In dealer markets, market depth is indicated by the size of the bid/ask spread that the financial instrument provides. Similarly, market disruptions may be created by a sudden and extreme imbalance in the supply and demand for products. Market liquidity risk may also result from the difficulties faced by the organisation in accessing markets because of its own or counterparty’s real or perceived credit or reputation problems. In addition, this risk also involves the odds that large derivative transactions may have a significant effect on the transaction price. Funding Liquidity Risk Funding liquidity risk is the possibility that the organisation may be unable to meet funding requirements at a reasonable cost. Such funding requirements arise each day from cash flow mismatches in swap books, the exercise of options, and the implementation of dynamic hedging strategies. The rapid growth of derivatives in recent years has focused increasing attention on the cash flow impact of such instruments. Operations risk Like other financial instruments, derivatives are also subject to operations risk or risks due to deficiencies in information systems or internal controls. The risk is associated with human error, system failures and inadequate procedures and controls. In the case of certain derivatives, operations risk may get aggravated due to complexity of derivative transactions, payment structures and calculation of their values. . Legal or compliance risk Derivative transactions face risk to earnings or capital due to violations, or nonconformance with laws, rules, regulations, prescribed practices, or ethical standards. The risk also arises when the laws or rules governing certain derivative instruments may be ambiguous. Compliance risk exposes an organisation involved in derivatives to fines, civil money penalties, payment of damages, and the voiding of contracts. Besides, legal and compliance risk may adversely affect reputation, business opportunities and expansion potential of the organisation. Foreign Exchange Rates Risk Derivatives traded in the international markets are also exposed to risk of adverse changes in foreign exchange rates. Foreign exchange rates are very volatile. Foreign exchange risk is also known as translation risk. Foreign exchange rates risk in derivatives is the risk to earnings arising from movement of foreign exchange rates. This risk is a function of spot foreign exchange rates and domestic and foreign interest rates. It arises from holding foreign-currency-denominated derivatives such as structured notes, synthetic investments, structured deposits, and off-balance-sheet derivatives used to hedge accrual exposures. Interest Rate Risk Interest rate risk is the risk to earnings or capital arising from movements in interest rates. The magnitude of interest rate risk faced by derivatives from an adverse change in interest rates depends on the sensitivity of the derivative to changes in interest rates as well as the absolute change in interest rates. The evaluation of interest rate risk must consider the impact of complex illiquid hedging strategies or products, and also the potential impact on fee income that is sensitive to changes in interest rates. When trading is separately managed, this impact is on structural positions rather than trading portfolios. Financial organisations are exposed to interest rate risk through their structural balance sheet positions. Transaction risk Another risk associated with derivatives is transaction risk. In fact transaction risk exists in all products and services. Transaction risk is the risk to earnings or capital arising from problems with service or product delivery. This risk is a function of internal controls, information systems, employee integrity, and operating processes. Derivative activities can pose challenging operational risks because of their complexity and continual evolution. Thus, derivatives are subject to various technical risks. The problems surrounding the use of derivatives in recent years have primarily been due to difficulty in understanding these risks and thus using appropriate derivatives for risk management purposes. Derivative use is sometimes misunderstood because, depending on the terms of derivative it may be used to increase, modify, or decrease risk. In addition to the technical risks highlighted herein, there may also be a fundamental risk that the use of these products may be inconsistent with entity-wide objectives. Conclusion Derivatives will continue to be an important business tool for managing an organisation’s risk management. In fact the significance of derivatives is expected to increase with the development of new derivative products that refine and improve the ability to achieve risk management and other objectives. However, it is important that organisation’s using derivatives for risk management completely understand the nature and risks of derivatives. This requires effective control is critical to any well-managed derivative operation. References: Aristotle, Politics, trans. Benjamin Jowett, vol. 2, The Great Books of the Western World, ed. Robert Maynard Hutchins (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1952), book 1, chap. 11, p. 453. Bodie, Cane and Marcus (2005), Investments (6th Edition), McGraw Hill. Bodie, Cane and Marcus (2005), Investments (6th Edition), www. highered.mcgraw-hill.com/sites/0072861789/student_view0 [Accessed 30 December 2006] Corporate Use of Derivatives for Hedging http://www.investopedia.com/articles/stocks/04/122204.asp [Accessed 30 December 2006] Frank A. Sortino Stephen E. Satchell, Managing downside risk in financial markets: Theory, Practice and Implementation Gabriel Kolko, Weapons of Mass Financial Destruction, http://mondediplo.com/2006/10/02finance [Accessed 31 December 2006] Internal Control Issues in Derivatives Usage www.coso.org/publications/executive_summary_derivatives_usage.htm [Accessed 31 December, 2006] Kenneth A. Froot, David S. Scharfstein, and Jeremy C. Stein, A Framework for Risk Management, Harvard Business Review, November-December 1994, pp. 91-102. Ludger Hentschel and Clifford W. Smith, Jr., Risks in Derivative Markets, http://fic.wharton.upenn.edu/fic/papers/96/9624.pdf [Accessed 30 December 2006] Market Risk Derivatives, Hedge Funds Challenge Financial Regulators, http://www.ieca.net/news/story.cfm?id=13754 [Accessed 30 December 2006] Rene A Stulz, Demystifying Financial Derivatives, www.cornerstone.com/pdfs/Cornerstone_Research_Demystifying_Financial_Derivatives.pdf Risk Management Guidelines for Derivatives, http://www.bis.org/publ/bcbsc211.pdf [Accessed 31 December 2006] Thomas F. Siems, Financial Derivatives: Are New Regulations Warranted? Financial Industry Studies, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas, August 1994, pp. 1-13. Thomas F. Siems, Derivatives: In the Wake of Disaster, Financial Industry Issues, Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas (1995): 2-3 Brief 191916Page 1 of 9

Saturday, July 20, 2019

Team Performance and Strategic Management Objectives

Team Performance and Strategic Management Objectives Assess the links between team performance and strategic Objectives. The fundamental aim of the strategic management is to generate strategic capability by ensuring that the organisation has the skilled, committed and well motivated employees which it needs to achieve sustained competitive advantages. It’s objective is to provide a sense of direction in an turbulent’s environment, so that the business needs of the organization, and the individual and collective needs of its employees, can be met by the development and implementation of coherent and practical Human Resource policies and programme. Team performance working involves the development of a number of interrelated processes that together make an impact on the performance of the firm through its people in such areas as productivity, quality, levels of customer service, growth, profits, and ultimately the delivery of increased shareholder value. This is achieved by enhancing the skills and engaging the enthusiasm of employees . The starting point is leadership, vision and benchmarking to create a sense of momentum and direction. Progress must be measured constantly and the main drivers, support systems and culture are: Development of people capacities through learning at all levels, with particular emphasis on self-management and team capabilities to enable and support performance improvement and organizational potential Performance, operational and people management processes aligned to organizational objectives to build trust, enthusiasm and commitment to the direction taken by the organization Fair treatment for those who leave the organization as it changes, and engagement with the needs of the community outside the organization. Team-performance management practices include rigorous recruitment and selection procedures, extensive and relevant training and management development activities, incentive pay systems and performance management processes. The fundamental business need the strategy should meet is to develop and maintain a high performance culture. The characteristics of such a culture are: A clear line of sight exists between the strategic aims of the authority and those of its departments and its staff at all levels Management defines what it requires in the shape of performance improvements, sets goals for success and monitors performance to ensure that the goals are achieved Leadership from the top which engenders a shared belief in the importance of continuing improvement Performance management processes aligned to the authoritys objectives to ensure that people are engaged in achieving agreed goals and standards Capacities of people developed through learning at all levels to support performance improvement. People valued and rewarded according to their contribution. Evaluate tools and techniques available to set team performance targets Tools and techniques to help companies transform quickly. Way back when (pick your date), team members in large companies had a simple goal for themselves and their organizations: stability. Shareholders wanted little more than predictable earnings growth. Because so many markets were either closed or undeveloped, leaders could deliver on those expectations through annual exercises that offered only modest modifications to the strategic plan. Long-term structural transformation has four characteristics: scale (the change affects all or most of the organization), magnitude (it involves significant alterations of the status quo), duration (it lasts for months, if not years), and strategic importance. Yet companies will reap the rewards only when change occurs at the level of the individual employee. 1.2.1. Performance Evaluations: As a supervisor, your role is to set expectations, gather data, and provide on going feedback to your employees to assist them in utilizing their skills, expertise and ideas to produce results. To provide this direction. The Annual Performance Evaluation should provide a comparison of actual on-the job performance to established performance measurement standards. The Annual Performance Evaluation encourages periodic and structured communication between supervisors and employees about the job, and should take place continuously. 1.2.2 . Feedback: Feedback is a process by which effective performance is reinforced and less-than-desirable performance is corrected. Feedback should be information that highlights the relationship between what is expected and what has been accomplished after the work is performed or the action is taken. 1.2.3. Development Planning: Development planning is the process of creating experiences for your employees that promote skills and knowledge related to the position, as well as to professional growth. Development plans draw from the Performance Evaluation: Performance goals or needs (deficiencies) to be addressed The employee, with supervisor assistance, identifies ways to achieve those goals and/or address performance deficiencies in systematic ways. Address opportunities for professional growth Agreement and/or commitment between employee and supervisor Planned follow-up Assess the value of team performance tools to measure future team performance The first step in getting organized is to establish the performance measurement team. The team should be made up of: 1. People who actually do the work to be measured2. People who are very familiar with the work to be measured. 3. It is important that each person understands the task before them and their role in its accomplishment. Guidelines for Teams When meeting as a team, consider these Guidelines for Team: 1. Focus on effectiveness of systems and the appropriate level of internal controls. 2. Maintain a balance between outcome (objective) and process (subjective) measures. 3. Develop measures that crosscut functional areas to better represent overall organizational performance. 4. Incorporate â€Å"Best Practices† and reflect management’s judgment as to the key elements for overall successful operation, including cost/risk/benefit effectiveness—ascertain that measures add value a improve effectiveness in support of the organizational mission. 5. Consider value-added criteria, including evaluating the cost of measuring and administering the measure, and the number of measures that can be effectively managed. Keep the number of performance measures at each management level to a minimum. For any program, there are a large number of potential performance measures. Develop clear and understandable objectives and performance measures. Performance measures should clarify the objective and be understandable Consider the cost of attaining the next level of improvement. Establishing a measure that encourages reaching for a new or higher level of improvement should take into account the cost of implementing such a measure against the value of the additional improvement. Consider performing a risk evaluation. Organizations developing performance measurement systems should consider performing a risk evaluation of the organization to determine which specific processes are most critical to organizational success or which processes pose the greatest risk to successful mission accomplishments. Consider the weight of conflicting performance measures. Organizations frequently have several objectives that may not always be totally consistent with each other. For example, an objective of high productivity may conflict with an objective for a high quality product, or an objective of meeting specific deadlines may conflict with an objective of providing the highest quality reports to meet. 2.1 Analyse how to determine required performance targets within teams against current performance High-performing individuals and teams should be the goal of any organisation. We are all now aware of the potential results of high performance in terms of organisational success and competitiveness. The perennial debate is around how to create that high performance and, more importantly, how to sustain it. Most companies find the organisational issues much easier to handle than the individual ones so they get the attention. Unfortunately this is only part of what needs to be done to create a successful high-performance culture: addressing high performance among individuals is also essential. 2.1.1 Know what it looks like It will be impossible to know when youre achieving high performance if you dont know what it looks like. From an organisational perspective, high performance means not only running a financially sound business, adhering to essential policies and ensuring regulatory demands are observed, but also understanding the capability of your workforce to deliver high performance. All too often, concerns about what they might find and the time it may take prompt organisations to adopt the three wise monkeys strategy dont see, dont hear, dont speak with the result that low performance goes unchecked for years until it is too late and competitors have overtaken you. Too often, individual high performance is defined as simply getting the job done in the short term rather than looking to the long term and focusing on behaviours. 2.1.2 Make a commitment Strong and active commitment from leaders and managers, and the pursuit of continuous learning throughout the organisation, are crucial to building a well-defined high-performance culture. Commitment means not leaving it to fate, but truly understanding what high performance looks like, trusting different approaches and working with all stakeholders, including the human resource 2.1.3 Define your starting point Knowing where your organisation currently stands will make it much easier to create a vision for the future and to secure buy-in. One of the most effective strategies is to define explicitly what creates high performance in your organisation. Ensure that these behaviours are distinct, while being comprehensive enough to cover different levels of the organisation. Include areas such as how people collect and make sense of information and how they influence and build confidence in stakeholders. 2.1.4 Put a stake in the ground Once you have agreed what the behavioural high performance indicators look like, it is essential to observe and measure them. The best way to capture current performance is through objective observation, such as work shadowing, behavioural event interviews and subjective feedback via online and facilitated 360-degree analysis. This should clearly distinguish between behaviour that: †¢ impedes performance †¢ helps to do the task in hand †¢ makes a sustainable and long-term positive contribution †¢ promotes beneficial and long-term behavioural change in teams and divisions. 2.2 Discuss the need to encourage individual commitment to team performance in achievement of organisational goals Individual understand how their work fits into corporate objectives and they agree that their teams goals are achievable and aligned with corporate mission and values. Team ground rules are set with consideration for both company and individual values. When conflict arises, the team uses alignment with purpose, values, and goals as important criteria for acceptable solutions. To enhance team commitment leaders might consider inviting each work team to develop team mission, vision, and values statements that are in alignment with those of the corporation but reflect the individuality of each team. These statements should be visible and walked every day. Once a shared purpose is agreed upon, each team can develop goals and measures, focus on continuous improvement, and celebrate team success at important milestones. The time spent up front getting all team members on the same track will greatly reduce the number of derailments or emergency rerouting later. Leaders can facilitate cooperation by highlighting the impact of individual members on team productivity and clarifying valued team member behaviors. The following F.A.C.T.S. model of effective team member behaviors (follow-through, accuracy, timeliness, creativity, and spirit) may serve as a guide for helping teams identify behaviors that support synergy within the work team. 2.3 Relate the application of delegation, mentoring and coaching to the achievement of the organisational objectives Coaching can take many forms, life coaching, business coaching, performance coaching etc. As with mentoring and counselling it is about helping the individual to gain self awareness, but it is goal focused and action is required so that the individual can move forward. The goal setting process has two components: skill development and psychological development. The outcome sought is that the coachee will achieve the goals set, and will thereafter feel able and confident to set personal goals for themselves. Developing a persons skills and knowledge so that their job performance improves, hopefully leading to the achievement of organisational objectives. It targets high performance and improvement at work, although it may also have an impact on an individuals private life. Mentoring happens in all organisations whether it is fostered as a development strategy; allowed or encouraged as an informal process; or is an activity that occurs below the consciousness of individuals. People are learning from others, adopting modelled behaviours and attitudes and absorbing the culture and perceived values of the organisation through their personal interactions with co-workers. Benefits to the Organisation Increase in morale and motivation Greater productivity Discovery of talent Development of leadership for future survival and prosperity Communication of values, goals and plans Demonstration of personal and professional standards Achievement of excellent service Implementation of equity initiatives Fostering of shared values and team work Enhancement of leadership and people management skills of managers Increase in staff satisfaction Building a learning organisation Managed careers Development of cross-organisational networks 2.4 Evaluate a team performance plan to meet organisational objectives As a Team Leader you will be required to ensure that Performance Plans are created for your team and its members. You should also ensure that you are involved in developing your own Performance Plan in conjunction with your Manager. Your Performance Plan ensures that you are clear on the levels of leadership and management performance that are expected of you and helps you to develop new skills as required. Performance planning should occur as: An Initial Performance Plan A Performance Improvement Plan Initial performance plan An Initial Performance Plan is a detailed plan for either an individual or a team and is used to: Identify the desired performance levels Identify how these performance levels will be achieved Provide guidance and direction Measure progress towards the desired performance levels Although there are no strict rules as to the format of a Performance Plan they normally contain the following information: Specific goals for development Performance measures Actions required to achieve goals An indication of how long goals will take to achieve Individual and team Performance Plans should align with the organisations overall objectives. This can be achieved by aligning the: Performance Plans with the Team Operational Plan Team Operational Plan with the Team Purpose Team Purpose with the organisations Strategic Plan Performance Plans might include the following types of goals: Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) Goals to improve competency levels Team building goals Whenever the performance levels of an individual or team are found to be below the levels indicated in the Performance Plan then a planning process to improve performance should be undertaken. Performance improvement plan When a performance deficiency is noted, it should be dealt with as quickly as possible. The following steps outline a process for handling poor performance. Collate the information regarding poor performance This information may be in the form of feedback, customer complaints, error rates, statistics and/or informal observation. Meet with the relevant team member(s) and discuss the issues During this meeting you will need to discuss the deficiency or inappropriate behaviour and identify the causes. Inadequate performance does not always indicate a problem on the part of the individual. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) may be unrealistic or the resources required to achieve the performance standard may not be available. Develop a Performance Improvement Plan A Performance Improvement Plan provides an outline of what is required by both the individual and their Manager. You may find that your company or organisation has an existing process for implementing Performance Improvement Plans. You should consult with your Human Resources department or your Manager to determine if this is the case. Follow up Ensure that you monitor, follow up and evaluate the performance improvement as set out in the plan. A Performance Improvement Plan should clearly convey: The area of performance that requires improvement or development The action(s) to be taken Any parties required to assist in the achievement of the set actions The timeframe for achieving each action 3.1 Assess the process for monitoring team performance and initiate changes where necessary How do we initiate change Often it is easier to carry out a job if there is a specific plan to follow. When major changes are to be installed, careful planning and preparation are necessary. Strengthening the forces promoting the change and weakening resistance to it are the main tasks. Create a climate for change How people react to proposed changes is greatly influenced by the kind of climate for change that the manager/supervisor has created in the department. How is the right kind of climate created? Supervisors and managers who have enthusiasm for progress and change build a healthy climate. Creating the right climate is more than just passing on changes. It involves: Encouraging employees to seek ways of improving their jobs. Seeking suggestions and ideas from employees. This requires the manager/supervisor to listen and seriously consider suggestions. It is easy to see that there is a great deal of ego involvement in coming forth with an idea for improvement. Change can become an exciting and dynamic way of life. Get ready to sell Much of the difficulty in getting co-operation stems from the employees lack of understanding of how the change will affect them. With a little effort, managers/supervisors can find most of the answers to employees questions before they are even asked. Answers to these questions would be useful. What is the reason for the change? Whom will it benefit and how? Will it inconvenience anyone, if so, for how long? Armed with the answers to these questions a manager/supervisor can head off many objections and can develop a plan to present the change. 3.2 Evaluate team performance against agreed objectives Implement the action plans and take corrective action when required to ensure the attainment of objectives Periodically review performance against established goals and objectives Appraise overall performance, reinforce behavior, and strengthen motivation. Begin the cycle again supervisors need to ensure that appraisal processes are congruent with objectives and goals. An MBO rating form needs to provide space to list staff member objectives in order of importance, as well as space for the evaluator to describe staff member performance using a mutually agreed upon scale. Categories of performance can include: distinguished performance, competent performance, provisional performance, and inadequate performance. Accountabilities and Measures approaches involve the supervisor and staff member agreeing on accountability and performance factors and including them in the job description. Performance is then forecast for each factor to enable quantifiable measures for each factor. An Accountabilities and Measures form can be created, with performance factor categories. 3.3 Evaluate the impact of the team performance in contributing to meeting strategic objectives Clear Expectations: Expectations for the team’s performance and expected outcomes are clearly known and understand why the team was created. The organization demonstrating constancy of purpose in supporting the team with resources of people, time and money. It work of the team receive sufficient emphasis as a priority in terms of the time, discussion, attention and interest directed its way by executive leaders. Commitment: Team members feel the team mission is important. Members committed to accomplishing the team mission and expected the outcomes. The team members perceive their service as valuable to the organization and to their own careers. The team members anticipate recognition for their contributions and the team members expect their skills to grow and develop on the team. The team members excited and challenged by the team opportunity. Competence: The team feel that its members have the knowledge, skill and capability to address the issues for which the team was formed. The team feel it has the resources, strategies and support needed to accomplish its mission? Charter: The team taken its assigned area of responsibility and designed its own mission, vision and strategies to accomplish the mission. The team defined and communicated its goals; its anticipated outcomes and contributions; its timelines; and how it will measure both the outcomes of its work and the process the team followed to accomplish their task. Control: Team have enough freedom and empowerment to feel the ownership necessary to accomplish its charter and at the same time, the team members clearly understand their boundaries. The limitations (i.e. monetary and time resources) defined at the beginning of the project before the team experiences barriers and rework? The team’s reporting relationship and accountability understood by all members of the organization. There is a defined review process so both the team and the organization are consistently aligned in direction and purpose. The team members hold each other accountable for project timelines, commitments and results. The organization have a plan to increase opportunities for self-management among organization members. Communication: The team members clear about the priority of their tasks and an established method for the teams to give feedback and receive honest performance feedback. The organization provide important business information regularly and the teams understand the complete context for their existence. The team members communicate clearly and honestly with each other and the team members bring diverse opinions to the table and all the necessary conflicts raised and addressed. Creative Innovation: It reward people who take reasonable risks to make improvements or does it reward the people who fit in and maintain the status quo. It provide the training, education, access to books and films, and field trips necessary to stimulate new thinking. The team members feel responsible and accountable for team achievements and are rewards and recognition supplied when teams are successful. The reasonable risk respected and encouraged in the organization. Team members fear reprisal. The team members spend their time finger pointing rather than resolving problems and the organization designing reward systems that recognize both team and individual performance. The organization planning to share gains and increased profitability with team and individual contributors. Coordination: The teams coordinated by a central leadership team that assists the groups to obtain what they need for success. Have priorities and resource allocation been planned across departments. The teams understand the concept of the internal customer—the next process, anyone to whom they provide a product or a service. The cross-functional and multi-department teams common and working together effectively. The organization developing a customer-focused process-focused orientation and moving away from traditional departmental thinking. Cultural Change: The organization recognize that the team-based, collaborative, empowering, enabling organizational culture of the future is different than the traditional, hierarchical organization it may currently be and the organization planning to or in the process of changing how it rewards, recognizes, appraises, hires, develops, plans with, motivates and manages the people it employs. 4.1 Determine influencing and persuading methodologies to gain the commitment of individuals to a course of action This is a unique approach to team leadership that is aimed at action orientated environments where effective functional leadership is required to achieve critical or reactive tasks by small teams deployed into the field. In other words leadership of small groups often created to respond to a situation or critical incident. The individuals should have the knowledge, skills and values required for todays and tomorrows jobs. One company clarified the usual definition of competence and framed it as right skills, right place, right job. Competence clearly matters because incompetence leads to poor decision-making. But without commitment, competence doesnt count for much. Highly competent employees who are not committed are smart, but dont work very hard. Committed or engaged employees work hard, put in their time and do what they are asked to do. In the past decade, commitment and competence have been the bailiwicks for talent. But my colleagues and I have found that next-generation leaders for an organization may be competent (able to do the work) and committed (willing to do the work), but unless they are making a real contribution through the work (finding meaning and purpose in their work), then their interest in what they are doing diminishes and their willingness to harness their talent in the organization wanes. Contribution occurs when employees feel that their personal needs are being met through their participation in their organization. 4.2 Discuss the impact of individual dynamics, interests and organisational politics on securing the commitment of individuals to a course of action Organizational behavior scientists study four primary areas of behavioral science: individual behavior, group behavior, organizational structure, and organizational processes. They investigate many facets of these areas like personality and perception, attitudes and job satisfaction, group dynamics, politics and the role of leadership in the organization, job design, the impact of stress on work, decision-making processes, the communications chain, and company cultures and climates. They use a variety of techniques and approaches to evaluate each of these elements and its impact on individuals, groups, and organizational efficiency and effectiveness. 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