Whether Organizations Should Use Formal Mentoring Schemes Essay

Whether Organizations Should Use Formal Mentoring Schemes - Essay Example It is evidently clear from the discussion that employees’ morale holds the key for the eventual decisions that are made for them when it comes to imparting training and the related facilities. There must be an effort to mobilize the employees more and more and seek from them a feedback mechanism so that their role comes out significantly well within the related context of training regimes. The formal mentoring schemes within the organizations of today are shaping up because there is a need to address the challenges which have come up. The employees know little with respect to social and personal pressures which engulf their domains and it is only natural to understand that formal mentoring schemes would help resolve these issues in entirety. A mentor is defined as an individual who serves as a teacher or a trusted counselor whose main task is to act wise and thus guide and advise on different issues and matters. As far as the formal mentoring schemes and activities are concern ed, they are always very organized and have a serious disciplinary regime within them. Mentoring is more inclined with personal development relationship than anything else; focusing on the experienced senior who imparts the much-needed knowledge and help towards the unknowing junior. The former is regarded as the protege or an apprentice who works to best effects to make sure that the person who is being given the formal mentoring remains on track and is guaranteed to receive the benefits of mentoring in the long run scheme of things. The formal mentoring happens through a professional development process, where formal communication hierarchies are embedded and the information is passed across a number of different significant channels. This formal mentoring is therefore very elusive and takes care of the areas which are not covered by informal mentoring regimes in place. One must comprehend the fact that formal mentoring requires face to face conversation and linkage, helping towar ds building the long-term credibility of the protege and indeed the organization from a strategic perspective. The difference between formal and informal mentoring lies in the fact that since formal mentoring takes care of the employees from a very formal setting, the latter comes about in a haphazard and random manner. What this means is the philosophy that informal mentoring can be held anywhere within the domains of the organization and it basically takes care of the employees on a very one to one level, where the legal codes of inviting employees over for the mentoring programs and activities are not held as such.

The Chicago Police Department Essay Example for Free

The Chicago Police Department Essay The organizational situation that will be the focus of this paper is the recent appointment of a civilian Superintendent of Police at the Chicago Police Department. It has been over fifty years since a civilian was appointed as â€Å"top cop’ in the City of Chicago. Unfortunately, three of the last four police superintendents have left their position under scrutiny or an ensuing scandal. In 2006, the mayor of the City of Chicago Richard M. Daley publicly announced that a nationwide search for the next Chicago Police Superintendent will be conducted. After a seven month search, the front runner was a 35 year veteran of the Chicago Police Department (CPD). Mayor Daley’s decision to re-evaluate the participants and continue the nationwide search for the position of superintendent proved to be a major blow to police morale. Ultimately, the mayor appointed retired FBI Director Jody Weis as Superintendent of Police. The Superintendent is the commanding officer for the CPD. Under the direction of the Superintendent, the CPD is organized into the First Deputy’s Office and five bureaus each commanded by a Deputy Superintendent. The five bureaus are Investigative Services, Patrol Division, Strategic Deployment, Crime Strategy and Accountability and Administrative Services. Within each of these major operating units are patrol officers, investigative staff, support staff and administrative staff. There are approximately 120 subunits which work under these six operating units. There are approximately 13,400 sworn personnel and 1,850 civilians employed by the CPD (Chicago Police. org n. d). The Chicago Police Department’s patrol and investigative geographical area are broken down into five Investigative Areas (1-5) and each area is broken down into 25 local police districts (1-25). Each district is broken down into beats numbering anywhere from 12-15 beats per district. The CPD is entering a new era of police administration and will undergo major restructuring as a result of police corruption and misconduct, political pressures, and a loss of community trust. According to Bolman and Deal (2003), â€Å"restructuring is a challenging process that consumes time and resources with no guarantee of success† (p. 83). Organizations usually embark on a path to change when they feel compelled to respond to major problems or opportunities (Bolman Deal, 2003). Unfortunately in the case of the CPD, major problems are the cause for change. Reorganization is often the first step a new leader makes to leave his stamp on the organization. The CPD is an old fashioned public bureaucracy that has remained stagnant in its operation for over fifty years of â€Å"insider† control. Promotion from within the ranks is expected. The appointment of an â€Å"outsider† is an effort by the mayor to shake things up with a focus of weeding out misconduct and corruption. Holloway (2002), defined police corruption â€Å"as the abuse of police authority for personal or organizational gain† (p. 1). The CPD has had its fair share of corruption and official misconduct. Externally, acts of police misconduct can be reported by those affected to a civilian investigative organization or to an internal police unit known as Internal Affairs. Internally, acts of police misconduct and corruption may be dramatically under-reported if reported at all. According to Ivkovic (2003, when a police administrator engages in reform and invests resources for the purposes of corruption control without having all the necessary information regarding the extent and nature of the corruption, the administrator will most likely be fighting a â€Å"losing battle† (p. 594). This losing battle in fighting corruption is the main issue that Jody Weis will encounter in his new position. Weis is seen as an â€Å"outsider† and even worse, an ex-federal employee. When a police officer is accused of committing acts of misconduct or corruption, the officer is likely to face federal charges and placed under arrest by a Federal Agent. Weis is considered an enemy, and unless he is part of the inside police culture, he will never have full access to internal police information on the existence of misconduct or corruption. The complex phenomenon of police corruption needs to be addressed from an ethical and moral standpoint. To truly address the problem, it is necessary to work not only with the officers and the community, but also with professional policing organizations† (Johnson Cox, 2004 p. 67). The lack of community trust is a major factor in restructuring the CPD. Community policing was the first major step in forming a collaborative partnership with the community. It allowed the police and community to work side by side to help each other to save neighborhoods from crime and disorder. Ethics, morals, and professionalism are just a few ways in which the communities trust can be gained. Johnson and Cox (2004), defined â€Å"ethics as the moral behavior of an individual or group in its surrounding† (p. 69). Northouse (2007) further added that â€Å"ethics concerns itself with the morals and values that the society or an individual finds appropriate† (p. 342). A 1996 study by Delattre, (as cited in Johnson Cox, 2004) contends that those who maintain a position of public authority and trust should prescribe to a higher level of moral standards than civilians. The community deserves the right to feel safe and protected. The community is a powerful force that can organize and demand change by putting pressure on the elected officials. Political pressure is the last of the four factors that affected the change needed in the CPD. The appointment of the Superintendent of Police was orchestrated by the mayor of the City of Chicago. The mayor stated that the CPD was in desperate need of a â€Å"change agent. † The mayor was looking for someone that was going to restore the communities trust in the CPD and institute organizational change. The â€Å"politicos† were not happy with an â€Å"insider† being promoted to Superintendent of Police. Political pressures dictated that the search for a Superintendent of Police continue. Following the appointment of Jody Weis, major organizational and personnel changes were instituted. One of the most critical factors that affected the actual implementation of the change was the change of personnel. After approximately two months of being on the job, Weis removed and appointed 21 of 25 new District Commanders and replaced numerous exempt rank Deputies and Chiefs of units. Never in the history of the CPD had anyone made such drastic and unpopular changes. The changes in personnel were made by use of the Chicago Police Department’s meritorious promotion system. This system had for a long time been associated with political clout and nepotism rather than true merit. According to Boseman (2008), leaders are given the opportunity to lead not because they are merely appointed by managers, but because they are seen as leaders. On the contrary, Leonard (2003) contends that many employees select future leadership primarily for their technical skills rather than their interpersonal or people leadership skills. Faced with the current status of the CPD, change was inevitable. With change comes resistance to change. The leader must have a plan to institute change and remedies to quell the fears of change (Kouzes Posner, 2002). Conclusion A basic assumption throughout this analysis has been that the CPD is in need of major policy, procedures, programs, and organizational change. A strong argument in favor of this point is the low police morale and community distrust of the CPD. Adhering to the basic principles of the police code of ethics and moral values, police can create a service based on consent and participation. Overall, the transformational leader must create a vision, get subordinates to buy in, and manifest honesty and integrity. The problems that affect the CPD are not situations that can be easily fixed. Over time, hard work and a dedicated collaborative effort between an enthusiastic leader and the community can bring about change. Further research is needed in the area of the complex phenomenon of police corruption. Change can be a good thing.

School Improvement Plan: The UAE

School Improvement Plan: The UAE School planning, organization and management is directly related to human and physical resources. The foundation behind it is that schools should be capable of utilizing the entire resources in a way that help them in performing their obligations successfully. All schools need their students to succeed and prosper. But schools can simply create a lifelong change when they have emphasis on specific goals and strategies for change. School improvement planning (SIP) is a process through which schools set goals for improvement, and make decisions about how and when these goals will be attained. The definitive purpose of the process is to promote student achievement by improving the way curriculum is provided, by building an advantageous environment for learning, and by increasing the parental involvement in their childrens learning at school and in the home. In this assignment, the investigator will develop SIP focusing on the common problem affecting the private and public schools in the United Arab Emirates. An action plan will be developed to help in improving schools and consequently increasing student achievement. What is a school improvement plan? A SIP is a road map that undertakes the changes required by a school to increase student achievement, and indicates how and when these changes will be constructed. SIPsare selective: they help principals, teachers, and school councils answer the questions What will we focus on now? and What will we leave until later? They boost staff and parents to follow on student achievement and other issues, such as the school environment,that are known to impact student success. schools will able to respond to the needs of students, teachers, and parents when updated and trustworthy information are provided on student performance. Moreover, a SIP is a mechanism by which the community can hold schools responsible for student success and through which it can evaluateprogress. One of the first steps-a critical one-in establishing an improvement plan includes teachers, school councils, parents, and other community members working together to collect and examine data concerning the school and its students, therefore they can decide what needs to be enhanced in their school. As the strategy is implemented, schools keep ongathering this type of information. By comparing the novelinformation to the primarydata on which the plan was grounded, they- and the public-can assess the accomplishment of their improvement plans. Authentic change takes time. It is essentialto keep all partners involved in theSIPinformed. Gradual improvements are significant, and they should be distinguished, but they do not comprisepermanent change. Therefore,SIPs are best designed over three years: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Year 1 the planning process à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Year 2 the implementation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Year 3 -continue the implementation. During initial discussions, or as time goes on, schools may need to expand their plan for additional years to make sure that they maintain their focus and attain their targets. Anyway,SIPs should beconsidered working documents that can beutilized tocheck their development over time andto make revisions when necessary to ensure that the plans stay on course. In developing SIP, the principal, staff, school council, parents, and other community members actthrough a diversity of activitiesconcentrated uponthreedomains of priority: curriculum delivery, school environment, and parental involvement. For all these areas, schools set up the following: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ A goal statement à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Performance targets à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Areas of focus à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Implementation strategies à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Indicators of success à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Time lines à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Responsibility for implementing strategies à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Checkpoints for status updates à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Opportunities for revisions. Appendix B contains a sample school improvement plan. All school partners must be involved in the SIP to guarantee its success. Schools represent the whole school community. The principal, who has the responsibility of school administration and delivering instructional leadership, is ultimately accountable for SIP. However,all school community should be actively engaged in all stages of the process: planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating progress. Purpose To identify effective strategies for developing school improvement plans that lead to enhanced student achievement and increased parental involvement in education Background According to KHDA (2009), there are 220 schools in Dubai; 189 schools were inspected between 2008 and 2009. The remaining 31 schools which use the Indian, Pakistani and Iranian curricula will be evaluated later. These 189 schools are composed of 109 private schools and 80 public schools. Among the private schools ; 49 schools follow the UK National Curriculum, 30 offering a US curriculum, 16 schools using the Ministry of Education (MoE) curriculum, 6 schools follow the International Baccalaureate (IB), 4 schools follow the French curriculum and a further 4schools provide unique curricula (German, Russian, Japanese and Philippine). All public schools in Dubai were checked, including Madares Al Ghad (MAG) schools and Model schools. The purpose of schools evacuation was to improve the delivery of education to students in Dubai and to help parents know that their children are being learned and are in safe, skillful, and caring hands. The overall findings of schools performance in Dubai were shocking as there are around 20,000 students in Dubai receives unsatisfactory quality of education, more than half the schools are presently delivering an education that is not yet of the good quality anticipated of all schools in Dubai.Additionally,9 out of 10 schools provide acceptable quality of education. None of the public schools got outstanding but 50% of them achieved good.As for the private section, 4 schools offering the UK curriculum attained outstanding, 50% of private schools achieved 50% while 75% were unsatisfactory. As for the students performance, the results were generally disappointed. Students progress in the key subjects, are not yet making sufficient progress in speaking and writing Arabic and English. In public schools, where English is taught as a second language, students English language skills are insufficient and expectations, chiefly in connection with writing and speaking, are not satisfactorily high. The students capability of using mathematics to solve problems is poor. In private schools, students skills in Arabic need improvement. Nearly 20% of students make unacceptable progress. In Islamic Studies, students progress in the public schools is better than the private schools. The majority of the students have good attitudes to learning. They are motivated, attentive and hard worker. Economic and environmental understanding is developing in most schools. Students are often unattended except in class. Different forms of bullying are noticed. The teaching and learning methods were not useful for the students as the majority of the teachers dominate the lesson discussion in the public schools and poorly performing private schools. Assessment in more 25% of all schools is unsatisfactory. Consequently, many students are not aware of their strengths and weaknesses. In schools delivering the MOE curriculum, and US curriculum, students are not prepared well for higher education or employment. Leadership and management are unsatisfactory in nearby 20% of private schools and in a similar proportion of boys public schools. Almost all schools do not have self-appraisal system to assess their own work. Finally, many schools have comprehensive connections with parents but they are unsatisfactory to some parents. What Areas Should Be Considered for Improvement? The main goal of SIP is to increase the level of student achievement. To achievegenuine change, nevertheless, the process needs to focus on specific priorities. Student performance becomes better when teachers use curriculum-delivery strategies that purposely address the studentsneeds, when the school environment is supportive, and when parents are effectively involved in the education of their children. To improve the process of planning, therefore, schools should institute one priority in each of these three components-curriculum delivery, school environment, and parental involvement. Basically, the planning process involves answering the crucial questions: What will we focus on now? and What will we leave until later? Curriculum delivery in the United Arab Emirates Curriculum is considered the foundation of the educational system. It incorporates the principles, underlying educational philosophy, goals, content and actual operation of the instructional program in the class, besides the written and other materials required to reinforce the educational system (Farah.S. Ridge.N. 2009).There are two new approaches presently being executed on a trial foundation in the United Arab Emirates (UAE)-a new standards-based curriculum in Abu Dhabi schools and a new English-medium curriculum in particular governmental schools, the Madares Al Ghad, over the UAE. Curriculum as a concept can be divided into three main components: intended curriculum, implemented curriculum and attained curriculum. The intended curriculum typically embraces the directorial documents shaped by the UAE-Ministry of Education (MOE) or other education authorities which command how much, how frequent and what should be taught in schools. The implemented curriculum is what really occur s in the class, how successfully teachers offer the material, how long they pass on a topic and what resources they need to deliver the content. Lastly, the attained curriculum is what students practically learn in the class, what skillsand values they grasp, and what content they assimilate and retain (Table 1). The focus of the MOE curriculum upon the buildup of factual knowledge rather than critical thinking limits students learning. Facts are learned in isolation and students are incapable of applying their knowledge in real life situations. This is proved evidently in the findings of the 2007 TIMSS survey, which examined students performance in the application of mathematics and science in many countries. The MOE curricula in mathematics and science give slight attention to practical investigation and the use of mathematical and scientific knowledge to solving problems (KHDA 2009). Consequently, students are not well equipped for the courses and careers they will study. Public school students have to choose either a scientific or literary arts for their last two years of school-based study. Both of these options have narrow scope, heavy content and do not prepare students for university. Curriculum Policy brief: The MOE (2008) has issued curriculum policy documents that set out standards, activities, strategies, expected outcomes and tools for teaching and assessment for student learning in all grades and subject areas. The policy documents also encompass achievement charts that assist teachers in assessingstudents achievement in respect to the expectations. Assessment strategies must focus on how the students integrate theory into practice to encourage independent thinking and enhance problem solving abilities. To set a goal for improving the delivery of the curriculum, principals, teachers, school councils, parents, and other community members participating in the SIP must understand the expectations emerged by the MOE and how well the those expectations are going to be achieved by the students. Main Findings Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau Annual Report(DSIB) will be used as groundwork for this investigation. According to DSIB(2009), the majority of the schools achieved an acceptable level in meeting the students educational needs in relation to their curriculum. Yet, in schools delivering curriculum of the MOE, and in many schools providing a USA curriculum, students are not equipped well to vie globally. Moreover,in these schools, wherethe mainstream of students are native Arabicspeakers, have limited selection of subjects and their physical, creative and analytical skills are developing. These curricula are not operated effectively to satisfy the prerequisites of students, including those with learning difficulties as well as the potentially highest achiever. Furthermore, curricular weaknesses in public schools hinder the progress of many students and limit their achievement. The ill prepared English curriculum and the reduced demands of the text books fail to sufficiently meet the requirements of students for English proficiency.The students are learning English as a second language where opportunities for using it in conversation are limited. Additionally, the curriculumprepares the students to use only a few vocabularies. The range of students reading and writing is alsoimperfect. Extended writing is rarely a feature in most public and poorly performing private schools. Students are customarilyneeded to give only short written answers to questions present in textbooks and English teaching is miserable. As a result, non-native speakers are often unable to communicate their thoughts and ideas confidently even in Grade 12. These limitationsalter thestudentspreparation for university. The curricula in mathematics and science dedicateminimal attention to implementing mathematical and scientific knowledge in investigating and solving problems of daily life. In private schools, a high number of the older students fail or do not complete courses, particularly in mathematics and science subjects a situation not helped by the lack of independent information, advice and guidance for students prior to their admission to courses. The ICT curriculum focuses barely on performing skills. In addition,it is taught in English and many students do not get it adequately. All schools physical education, art and music have low status in MOE curriculum anda plenty of the ill performing private schools. The time allocated to these subjects to beneficially effect students physical and cultural growth is not sufficient. Music and art is taught to only a few students after Grade6 and 9 respectively. These restrictions hamper thestudents opportunities to develop their capabilities for independent learning through such activities as team working. All schools provision for students with exceptional educational needs is poor overall.The governmental schools offer some support, mainly in separate classes, in Grades 1 to 3 School environment Environmental factors are the most influential on studentsachievement and success.Creating a well-fit school environment calls the involvement of, principals, teachers, school councils, parents, and other community members to make effective and relaxing placesfor learning. WHO defines a health-promoting school as one that constantly strengthens its capacity as a healthy setting for living, learning and working.The American Academy of Pediatrics (1993) defines a healthful school environment as one that protects students and staff against immediate injury or disease and promotes prevention activities and attitudes against known risk factors that might lead to future disease or disability. A schools environment is the thread that linkstremendous activities on a campus. In many situations this thread is nearly invisible; however each person experiences its effect. Positive social relations and attitudes about school are as significant to the environment as are safe and well-maintained buildings and grounds. The quality of the school-good or bad is reflected by the environment of the school. A safe, clean, and well-Kept school with a positive psychosocial setting and culture can nurture school connectedness, which in turn improves student and staff well-being as well as students educational achievement. A schools physical environment includes the school building and the surrounding grounds, such as noise, temperature, and lighting as well as physical, biological, or chemical agents. The disturbing increase in the number of asthmatic students is a unique problem that can, in part, be influenced by negative physical conditions in schools. The psychosocial school environment incorporates the attitudes, feelings, and values of students and staff. Physical and psychological safety, positive interpersonal relationships, recognition of the needs and success of the individual, and provision for learning are all part of the psychosocial environment. Other factors encompass: the economy; social, cultural, and religious influences; geography; socioeconomic status of students families; tax bases; and legal, political, and social institutions. Main Findings The quality of health care is good or outstanding in a majority both public and private schools. School nurses, doctors and social workers presentobviously in the schools to support the students and their families. Medical records are arranged properly and routine follow-up are difficult. The role of the social worker is to have positive relations with families and monitor students attendance carefully. In the majority of the public schools, however, social workers work in isolation and do not communicate properly with other staff in the school to provide a rounded view of students performance. Comparatively little healthy food is sold in school canteens in most public schools; students in these schools often eat crisps and sweets throughout the day. Safety issues including transport measures, fire safety procedures, supervision and security, affect some public and private schools. Students are frequently unsupervised except when in class. School transport is occasionally organized with few considerations for the safety of students in pedestrian areas and on board buses, where working seat belts are not always provided. In a minority of schools there are events of unsuitableusage of physical punishment in response to negative behavior. Different forms of bullying range from kicking, spitting, malicious teasing, taunting, making threats to spreading rumors, engaging in social exclusion, extortion and intimidation. Generalizations cannot be made to understand why bullying occurs; but it should be recognized in all its forms and not tolerated. A survey conducted by ADEC in 2009 involving 1728 students (grades 3 to 6). The findings revealed that young children have various concerns about bullying in the schools; more than 47% considered that students at the school are often endangered or bullied; and more than 63% favor remaining at home because it is more safer than the school. The procedures for student safety are feeble in most private schools excluding those categorized as the best performing. According to KHDA (2009) most private schools have effectual policies to handle bullying and other kinds of upsetting behavior, and students report such events as uncommon. Moreover, whilst the best performing private schools have well-defined procedures for bullying, in many others do not. Students in the schools that were identified to be lacking bullying policy have no person to tell to if there is mistreatment inside or outside the school putting them at risk. Sana, A. A., MOE psychology advisor in Dubai, states that the ministry admits bullying in schools and is trying to overcome it. Some students dont have sufficient information and competency to recognize and contend with the behavior of aggressors (Khaleej, T 2010). According to the head of KHDA, an attention should be given to new forms of bullying, such as cyber-bullying. Cyber-bullying has clearly increased in recent years and it can be more harmful and risky than other forms of bullying, (Samineh I. Undated). She cautioned of increasing incidence bullycide where children accustomed to escape to their homes to protect themselves from being intimidated at school, yet, through cyber-bullying there is no escape which give rise to many cases of bullycide ( bully associated suicides), Shaheem said (Gulf,N 2010). When the bully feels they cant express out their hostility on the school grounds, they will yell at either on the way home, on the bus or through text messages, chat rooms or Facebook. Speaking of one of the cases that came to Dubai Psychologist Dr. Singh, D., said that the plight of a small girl came to light only after her friend found her petrified at the sight of an older student and reported the incident. Her friend said that she was literally shaking at the sight of the older student, which led to an investigation that brought to light how the child was being bullied using social networking sites. Parental involvement Research found that parental involvement is one of the essential factorsleading to students success in school. Keeping the parents informed and involved in their childrens education will increase student achievement. Students attend school more frequently, finished more homework in a reliable manner, and exhibit more positive attitudes towards school. They also are more likely to complete high school. Parental involvement helps a child succeed in school and later in life. To ensure parents are informed about and involved in their childrens education, schools must foster partnerships with parents. Because parental involvement is one of the most significant factors in a childs success, it is crucial that all schools set a goal in their SIP for increasing it. Links with parents Many schools have comprehensive connections with parents but they are not continuously as effective as they want to be and some parents are unsatisfied withthe information givenabout their childs progress by the school. However,links with parents are usually good or outstanding in the best performing private schools. A small number of public schools have very good links with the local community and local businesses, which lead to enhanced outcomes for students. This is particularly true of schools in low economic status areas. The ADEC (2009) survey 1429 teachers in public schools and asked them about the number of times they met the parent personally and the degree of parents support to teachers .The result showed 6.9% have never met parents, 28.9% have met them once or twice a semester, 36.7% have met them once or twice a month, while 27.4% meet parents once a week. Regarding parents supporting the teachers teaching efforts, 55.5%feels some; while 13.5% feel never. More than 56.1% of teachers believe that only some parents make considerable effort to help their children learn; while only 5.6% do not at all. As for trust and confidence in parents as being partners in the teachers mission of educating the children, 19.3 % said no. Who Are the Partners in School Improvement Planning? Everybody involved in or interested in the operation of schools has a role to play in the SIP. District school boards and superintendents of education play vital roles in setting guidelines and in supporting and monitoring SIP. The most significantoperation, nevertheless, occurs within the school community itself. An effective SIParises when principals, teachers, school councils, parents, and other community participants work as a team to identify priorities, set goals for enhancement, apply strategies to reach those aims, and evaluate progress.Generally, principals responsibilities in SIP fall into three main categories:Communication, Leadership, Professional development. How Do We Begin? The first step of the SIP process is: Creating a SIP team; collecting and assessing data about student achievement, the school environment, and parental participation; and setting priorities for improvement through a sequence of activities. Principals play a fundamental role in these early platforms. They ease the creation of a planning team, which will be accountable for establishing priorities, and they ensure that the information needed for effective planning-such as report card marks, the results of assessments. Forming a school improvement planning team Principals should enlighten teachers, school council members, parents, and other community partners about the progressof SIP in a manner that appreciates their participation. In elementary schools, all the participants in the SIPconstitute a part ofthe planning process. Secondary schools, which usually comprise large teaching personnel, should guarantee that at least one representative from each section is part of the planning team, with the school council, parents, and other community affiliates who wish to share. In addition to expressing their preciousviewpoints and skills, teachers will alsofacilitate understanding ofinformation on students achievement as well as the expected value of and challenges implicated in a range of improvement suggestionsto other teammembers. It is imperative that the team be representative of the schools community. Principals should make hard effort to convince parents who correspond to a range of the school communitys demographic profile to play a part in the planning work out. Other communitymembers may offer worthinsights and perspectives, and their input should also be encouraged and vigorously sought out. Principals in the French-language systems will want to include leaders from the local francophone community. Finally, secondary school students should also contribute in the planning team. Principals should give confidenceto their involvement in the process, and possiblylook for those who are student leaders, motivating them to play a role. Principals in elementary schools may desire to engage interested Grade 7 and 8 with the teams work. All participants should have a positive attitude towards the process and realize that they have toact as a team. Scheduling meeting times for the planning team that are suitable to both staff and parents may be challenging. This issue can be solved by arranging parallel processes, whereby staff meets during school time whereas parents meet in the evening. The benefit of this organization is that it allows maximumparents participation. To insure consistency regarding decision makingbetween both groups, selected teachers could volunteer or be delegated to join both meetings. The SIPteam holds the role of analyzing data on student achievement in the school, the efficiency of the school environment, and parental involvement in their childrens education. Established on the results, team limbs make decisions about subjects that must be improved in priority. As figure 1 indicates, the planning work should take place between September and January of year 1. Understanding the context Before beginning a SIP, the planning team, together with parents, must be aware of and be familiar with particular types of information that school boards pass to staff and the public such as boards vision statement, national tests, and boards strategic plan, which includes short- and long-term goals for the district. In addition, members of the planning team should understand the nature and characteristics of the school and its community. Many schools create a school profile that sets out these characteristics in a simple way. Reviewing the school profile and debating each topic facilitate understanding of the school, and it places a context for the improvement strategy. A school profile could include information about the following: Student demographics Enrolment trends Languages spoken in the home The schools mission statement The schools program priorities Programs and services offered by the school (for example, guidance and library services) School facilities Class sizes Rate of student turnover or transfer Other relevant information. Schools in all systems should have other relevant information that will guide the readers of the profile obtain a realistic and full picture of their school. After acquiring an understanding of the boards targets and the schools characteristics, the planning team is prepared to start setting priorities for a SIP. Setting priorities SIPs are structured around three components: curriculum delivery, school environment, and parental involvement. The planning team must set up one priority in each of these three domains. The following activities will facilitate planning teams create these priorities: Priority for Enhancing Curriculum Delivery Collecting information The principal need to make sure that the planning team has the required data to identify which curriculum component (for instance, mathematics, science, reading, or writing) has the highest priority for improvement. Principal must also verify that the gathered information is reliable-that is, that it was collected according to the expectations and achievement outlined by the MOE. All teachers have to understand the MOEs policy obligations. The principal should therefore collect the following information for the planning team: Results of the annual assessments of students. Report card marks. Class profiles. Results of board-administered, national, and international tests. Discussing the information An open discussion, utilizing all the data collected about student achievement, allows all associates on the planning team to evaluate the strengths and weaknesses in providing the curriculum, and identifies a priority for improvement in this regard. Deciding on a priority The facilitator distributes red dot stickers to the team members. Each associate obtains a number of dots equal to one third the number of weaknesses. All team members vote, using the stickers, for the subject of curriculum weakness that they think should be called first. Members must use all their dots, but they may not use more than one dot per weakness. The weakness with the most dots becomes the priority for enhancing curriculum delivery. Priority for Improving the School Environment Collecting information The principal need to collect information that will help the planning team define a priority subject for improving the school environment, such as school layout, students behavior and health condition. Discussing the information Before the meeting starts, the facilitator should collect the responses to the parent survey, transcribe the strengths and weaknesses of the school as sensed by parents Deciding on a priority The facilitator allots red dot stickers to team members. Each person receives a number of dots equal to one third the number of weaknesses. All members vote, using the stickers, for the ranges of weakness that they suppose should be handled first. Participants must get through all their dots, but they may not use more than one dot per weakness. The weakness rank high dots becomes the priority for enhancing the school environment. Priority for Increasing Parental Involvement Collecting information To help the planning team arrive at an endorsed priority for improving parental involvement, the principal should supply them with duplicates of: the school profile, a summary of the information collected in the parent survey. Discussi

Heart of Darkness in Relation to its Title Essays -- essays research p

The Parallel meaning of the novella with its title- Heart of Darkness The title, Heart of Darkness, aptly chosen, can be very strongly linked to the novel. IT can be used to describe Joseph Conrad’s views on civilization, the individual mind and the land into which he ventures. These sum up his opinions on the bourgeoise society, uncivilized society and the faults of human nature, linking them to the land under one common theme and thus establishing the title. ‘Heart of Darkness’ can most noticeably describe Marlow’s journey into the heart of the land. A dominant symbol in the novel is of the river- the snake- â€Å"But there was in it one river especially, a mighty big river, that you could see on the map, resembling an immense snake uncoiled with its head to the sea, its body at rest curving afar over a vast country, and its tail lost in the depths of a land† (71). This river brings him into what has become a ‘dark’ place- â€Å"It had ceased to be a blank space of delightful mystery- a white patch for a boy to dream gloriously over. It had become a place of darkness† (71). As in snakes and ladders, you start at the head and go towards the tail. This leads him into evil (snake symbolism), danger (uncoiled), and deeper towards Kurtz, whom the snake has swallowed towards the tail. As he travels along, just as the snake’s body grows thinner, so do the tolerance levels of those who thin k they are civilized. First Fresleven clubs a black village chief, then a brawl breaks out, and this progresses to all-out insanity, where cannibals, primitives, Inca-like natives and, eventually, Kurtz, reside, where he loses any control he had of his life, doing anything for more ivory, and realizes this in his dying moments. Marlow again mentions headin... ...ke hell break loose. Voyage into the land increases the themes of death and chaos. However, with the trek into the heart of the land, the other two concepts significantly grow- civilization becomes more and more edacious, and the dark heart of each individual is more likely to burst free. This may very well explain how when with his aunt, Marlow is so resisting that he states that the company is totally profit-oriented. By the time he has been at the station for a period of time and reads Kurtz’s book, he actually considers his views on the inferiority of the natives. Also note how the continent ‘got to’ Fresleven, causing him to go insane. The half-hidden, negative side in each concept becomes the ‘heart of darkness,’ both relating it to the title and a very unifying theme. Bibliography Conrad, Joseph. Heart of Darkeness. New York: Chelsea House, 1987.

Promotion of Effective Communication †Workbook Essay

Question  1 Look at your company’s policies and procedures on completing records and maintaining effective communication, what is your role? Answer: I browsed and read my organisation’s policy regarding the service user’s rights and those legislations which promotes equality, diversity, and discrimination. a. Each service user has a right to information regarding their care service that does not discriminate on the basis of race or ethnic origin, creed, colour, religion, political affiliation, disability or impairments, marital status, parenthood, sexual gender or sexual orientation. b. Each service user has the right of access to their personal care records and to comment on them accordingly. Service users have the right to appoint an advocate to make their wishes and preferences known if they are unable to do so. c. Each service user has the right to be assured that no personal or confidential information concerning their affairs will be disclosed to a third party without their express permission. d. Each service user has the right to communicate using their preferred methods of communication and language. When completing records and reports look through your staff hand book or induction pack you were given at work and explain any rules and regulations or policies you need to follow when completing records and reports at work some of which might include: †¢ Records should be completed as soon as possible after the event †¢ Details should be accurate †¢ Details should be relevant †¢ Details should be legible †¢ Details should clearly indicate if it is a fact, opinion or hearsay. Opinions are acceptable as long as it is clearly stated as such. †¢ Always record as little as possible but detailed and as much as necessary. 2, 3, 10, 11 Describe ways that you provide support to individuals to communicate their needs. How might your communication alter with different individuals ? What aids might be used to support effective communication ? Answer: To support individuals and key people to communicate their needs you will need to: a. Arrange the individual’s environment to facilitate effective communication and promote understanding. This can be done by ensuring privacy going into a quiet room, if the area is noisy because of the volume of a radio or television it needs to be reduced. Poor lighting in the room needs to be changed and some more that you can think of. b. As a care worker you need to check that the individual have the appropriate support to communicate their views. This could be making sure the individual who uses glasses and an hearing aid is supported by making sure the glasses is at client’s reach or that hearing aids is switched on and working properly. c. Appropriate styles and methods of communication should be used with respect to the individual. Such as: Active listening – showing be gestures that you are listening, sitting or standing half turned away gives the message that you are not listening. Responding appropriately – nodding your head.  Good body language and maintaining eye contact – Leaning forwards can be used effectively when you want to emphasize your interest or support. The methods that can be used to communicate effectively are: a. Support equality and diversity †¢ This can be done by using appropriate language that the service user understands also using the appropriate register of language, for instance not using phrases that could be referred to as jargon. Another method is to use the appropriate way of speaking within a speech community. For instance communicating with young people may mean using their style of language e.g. what’s up with you, hello mate. †¢ Provision of communication aids and use of non-verbal communication if service user has hearing or vision impairments or learning and physical disabilities. b. Are effective when dealing with, and challenging discrimination †¢ Working with key people demands that you communicate in a language that they understand and also using simple words. For example the use of clinical words that is not commonly understood would not be necessary if you know they are not familiar with them. †¢ Sometimes we come across people who cannot understand us for one reason or the other instead of ignoring them it would be helpful to source a skilled interpreter but we still need to make effort to communicate with the person by learning some of the ways of communication or a few useful words from their language. The methods to support individuals to communicate are: Ensure environment is suitable (lighting, noise background) Provide interpreter if necessaryAllow sufficient time for individuals to understand the content of communication. Use relevant aids for communication (e.g. cards, symbols, hearing aids, large print) Provide advocate to speak for a service user Ensure written material is in suitable formats or language. Specific aids that may be used to support effective communication : Aided communication is communication supported or replaced by materials or equipment. There are simple materials or equipment used everyday such as a pen and paper to write messages, alphabet charts, pictures or symbols or photographs. Communication aids can be categorized into 3 broad groups: Symbolic Aids This is commonly the use of signs and symbols, it requires individuals to undertake a form of training on the correct forming of signs used and types of symbols: †¢ British Sign Language – used as a communication aid for individual with hearing loss. †¢ Makaton – used as an aid to support speech and not intended to replace it. †¢ Picture Exchange communication systems (PEC) – This aid helps individuals to be independent as they able to exchange a picture for what they want from a compiled album of pictures. †¢ Deaf – Blind manual alphabets – Slightly modified version of the BSL. Finger- spelling alphabet is used. Technical Aids †¢ Talking microwaves – usually for individuals with sight loss †¢ Computers – which read out the text on the screen. †¢ Light writer – this is a portable device into which the individual types in what they would want to say. Human Aids †¢ Interpreter – is a person who supports the communication between two people who do not have the same language. This also includes the sign language. †¢ Translator – is a person who changes the written word into an easier format for the individual to read. This could be into Braille or symbols. †¢ Advocate – This is someone who speaks on behalf of an individual when they are not able to do so. 4, 5, 19 In relation to the promotion of effective communication, give examples of what you do to maintain the following laws and guidelines: a) Data Protection Act b) Access to Health Records Act c) The General Social Care Council Code of Conduct d) Standard 37 National Minimum Standards for Care Homes e) Caldicott Report Answer: a) To maintain Data Protection Act it is necessary to complete the records as soon as possible after the event and always record as little as possible but detailed and as much as necessary; to make sure that the details are accurate, relevant and legible and that they clearly indicate if it’s a fact, opinion or hearsay. Another important thing is that opinions are acceptable as long as it is clearly stated as such. The information shared by the individuals must be confidential to ensure data protection. In case that the information suggests that the client is under risk, the consent of the individual needs to be obtained before passing the information to an appropriate member of the staff, and even when the consent is not given it becomes important to report. b) To maintain the Access to Health Records Act I have to make sure that the records are accurate, legibly written, shareable so that the information can be used to provide individuals with the support and care required. The  members of a care team are fully informed of new developments and changes in a client’s care plan and the evidence of the actions taken in specific circumstances are available if the need arises. I can access information and records about an individual by: talking to the service user, accessing previous records after permission has been sought from the appropriate person, talking to colleagues who know the individual, to family members or to other professionals c) To maintain The General Social Care Council Code of Conduct, as a social care worker, I must establish and ensure the confidence of service users and carers. This includes: communicating in an appropriate, open, accurate and straightforward way; respecting confidential information and clearly explaining agency policies about confidentiality to service users and carers. I must be accountable for the quality of my work, I have to maintain clear and accurate records required by procedures established for my work. 6,7 Where can you find out about an individuals communication and language needs, information about communication and language skills to improve your practice ? Answer: I can find out about an individuals communication and language needs by asking my manager or the service user, discussing with other care workers who know the individual, talking to family members, to a speech therapist or other professionals for advice, exploring the internet or consulting a library for more information. In order to improve my practice, I can find out about information, communication and language skills by asking my supervisor or manager, or colleagues who have confronted with similar cases. I can also consult the case notes of the individual, or relevant documents provided by the organization that will help me learn how to communicate effectively – for example the induction manuals, search for information via the internet or specialist organizations for the particular condition, attend relevant training courses to communication, supervision and appraisal sessions. 9  What factors may affect communication skills, abilities and behaviour of an individual ? How may they react as a result of these factors? Answer: Factors that can affect communication skills, abilities and behaviour of an individual are: – Physical Impairments – visual and hearing – Language barriers – accents, different language – Cognitive or sensory impairments – learning difficulties, memory loss, – Illness – dementia, stroke – Environmental problems – poor lighting, noisy environments If this happens, the individual in question becomes withdrawn from others around them, isolated from others. This may affect his self-esteem and self-confidence negatively. That individual may also become confused, angry and frustrated. 12  If you were trying to have a conversation with an individual how would you arrange the environment and position yourself to communicate effectively? Answer: First of all, I have to make sure that there isn’t any background noise that could make the communication difficult. Then, another important step to achieve effective communication with individuals is arranging the environment to aid communication. Here are some factors that can hinder or disturb good communication: – Poor lighting, because individuals with poor sight are unable to see you – Background noise from the radio, other individuals, TV and so on – Obstacles between me, the care worker, and the individual, for example furniture and household items – Insufficient distance to keep appropriate space within me and the individual to avoid encroaching or invading on their personal space 13, 14  Describe some conflicts that might occur as a result of communication difficulties. How would you deal with these conflicts? Answer: Some of the conflicts that might occur as a result of communication difficulties are: individuals can become frustrated and isolated when the  communication between themselves and their workers is encountering problems. These problems or dilemmas are sometimes the result of: – a difference in the language spoken by the service user and the worker – the service user has visual impairments or hearing difficulties – the individual might have a physical illness or disability – either physical disability or learning disability. There are many ways to solve the conflicts that might occur. It depends on the nature of the problem. For example, for: †¢ Language differences: If there are conflicts due to language differences, then an interpreter will be appropriate for any serious discussions or communications. Efforts should be made to learn a few important words to communicate with the individual or teach the individual some words in the workers language if they are willing to facilitate communication. Non verbal communication will be an effective method in solving this kind of conflict. †¢ Hearing difficulties: Individual with hearing difficulties need to be assisted to ensure their hearing aids are working and fitted properly. It would be necessary that a worker will assist the individual to clean the equipment, change the batteries when appropriate. Workers will also need to give the client the appropriate space and communication pace that would make communication effective. If the need arises words can be written down for clarity. The use of signs and telecommunication services such as type talk service are very useful. †¢ Visual difficulties: Individual with visual difficulties need to be provided with glasses or contact lenses so they can observe non verbal communication. This will prevent misunderstandings during communication with people. †¢ Physical disabilities: Communications with individuals in this category will be according to the type of physical disability or illness. If the illness has affected the individual’s ability to speak and understand, for instance a stroke then the use of short, simple sentences, gestures, writing and drawing or using flash cards, the use of closed questions which only need â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no† should be useful. †¢ Some illness do not affect the client’s understanding, so there is no need to speak slowly but will need to be patient to receive a response as the client might have difficulty with their speech e.g. stroke. †¢ Learning disabilities: The method of communication will depend on the level of the disability. I will need to communicate at the pace and space suitable for the client. Physical contacts are of an advantage to be used along with  verbal communication. †¢ Cultural differences: People have different cultural backgrounds, therefore it is necessary to find out from the individuals their communication preferences or alternatively check their care plan records o r ask people such as their family, friends, colleagues or key people who have worked with them. 15, 16  When communicating difficult, sensitive or complex messages, how might your style of communication alter? What type of environment would be most appropriate for this sort of communication ? Answer: Communicating with individuals who are distressed or upset due to bereavement this could be sensitive, complex or difficult. In this situation, I will ask if the person would want to discuss any concerns with me or maybe another person of their choice. I can use non verbal communication while been a good listener such as making good eye contact with the individual as she talks, which will depict that I’m willing to listen. If the client is displaying a behaviour that dictates that they are able to put others or themselves at risk, then I might need to involve the attention of appropriate members of the care team. For this sort of communication, the environment must be comfortable and appropriate. I would come across times when I need to discuss matters with individuals that are referred to as sensitive issues. If an individual needs to discuss his personal needs with me, I have to ensure that he feels comfortable and encouraged to communicate these issues. On the other hand, I might want to discuss with the service user about their changing needs such as diet, incontinence, mobility and so on. Communicating bad news, like a bereavement of a spouse or close person to the individual will also require certain communication skills. The things that should take into account are: †¢ Remember individuals have a right to their privacy, therefore the immediate environment should be arranged to ensure privacy. For example a client’s bedroom or apartament should be free from visitors at the time. †¢ Individual’s preferred method of communication should be made available. †¢ Communication should be made at the pace of the individual, giving enough time for both of us to understand the content of the communication. †¢ Observe and respond appropriately to reactions fromà ‚  individuals. 17  Who do you need to gain permission from to access records and why ? Answer: I need to gain permission of my manager or client to access records. Accessing information will help me to improve my practice and also my responsibility. Within the organization there should be relevant documents to access information or if I work with individuals in their own home the care plan should contain useful information. 18  Define the following words: a) Fact b) Opinion c) Judgement Why is it important that you aware of the difference of these words when reporting and recording information about individuals ? Answer: a) A fact is a true statement that cannot be disputed, knowledge or information based on real occurrences; something demonstrated to exist or known to have existed. b) An opinion is a personal belief or judgment that is not founded on proof or certainty- it is the result of emotion or interpretation of facts, a subjective statement or thought about an issue or topic. An opinion may be supported by an argument, although people may draw opposing opinions from the same set of facts. c) A judgement is a cognitive process of reaching a decision or drawing conclusions. Judgments are also personal and developed from experience; they differ from person to person. For example, if a client is dying and all the symptoms and signs show the evidence, reports and records should show these facts. On the other hand if the client only refused to talk, people might have different opinions and judgments to explain the reason. Records and reports will need to be verified to deduce the correct and most suitable reason. It is important to aware of the difference of these words when reporting and recording information about individuals because I have the responsabiliy to provide seamless services for individuals, and this thing can be done only if the  information is correct, precise.

The Jungle Questions for Study and Discussion

The Jungle Questions for Study and Discussion The Jungle is one of the greatest (and most controversial) works by   Upton Sinclair.. Dedicated to the Workingmen of America, the novel detailed the unhealthy conditions of the meatpacking industry and eventually led President Theodore Roosevelt to pursue  new federal legislations.   Here are a few questions for study and discussion to think about before and after reading this work. What is important about the title: The Jungle?What are the conflicts in The Jungle? What types of conflict (physical, moral, intellectual, or emotional) did you notice in this novel?How does Upton Sinclair reveal character in The Jungle?What are some themes in the novel? How do they relate to the plot and characters?What are some symbols in The Jungle? How do they relate to the plot and characters?Is Jurgis Rudkus consistent in her actions? Is he a fully developed character? How? Why?Do you find the characters likable? Are the characters persons you would want to meet?Does the novel end the way you expected? How? Why?What is the central/primary purpose of the novel? Is the purpose important or meaningful?Why is the novel usually considered a work of protest literature?How essential is the setting to the story? Could the story have taken place anywhere else?What is the role of women in the text? How are mothers represented? What about single/independent women?Would you recommend this novel  to a friend?

Management Theory Essays

Management Theory Essays Management Theory Essay Management Theory Essay Part 2: Management theory essay (individual) Classical Viewpoint This report will focus on the classic viewpoint style of management, and how this may be able to assist Quik Clips hairdressing in becoming more profitable and successful by introducing key aspects that the classical viewpoint entails. I will also contrast this with another well know viewpoint behavioural giving a brief summary the key elements and the key similarities and differences between the two contrasting styles , of it and how also that could benefit Quik Clips hair dressing from a management perspective. Using both types of viewpoints which differ greatly I will be able to guide Quik Clips in the correct direction so that they can become successful and profitable in the future. For the classical viewpoint I will be looking at the key aspects which include scientific, administrative and bureaucratic management approaches also what all these approaches are based around and the key focus of the total classical viewpoint. Bartol pg41) Classical viewpoint the main focus is to get the most out of your workers, emphasising ways to mange work and organise more efficiently, it involves three main management approaches which include scientific, administrative and bureaucratic. The scientific management approach focuses on the worker efficiency through scientific study of work methods , developed by Frederick Winslow Taylor why he developed this was because he saw a trend among his workers. Which he labelled soldiering which he defines as workers deliberately working at less than full capacity, he saw this problem as much deeper then workers just not working hard but the incentives for the workers to work hard and the way they were managed meant many did not work as hard as they could just for this soul purpose. Taylor began to create the scientific management approach where by he followed four main points the first, scientifically study each part of each task and develop the best method of preforming it, carefully select workers and train them to preform a task using a scientifically based method . The third cooperate fully with workers to ensure they use the proper method, the fourth divide work and responsibility so that management responsible for planning work methods using scientific principles and workers are responsible for executing the work. Through these four simple methods of really communicating to the worker and giving the responsibility he was able to stop soldering , and came with a great response from the workers. I believe implementing these four steps into Quik Clips the company would see great results , as this really givers the workers a chance to exactly what is required from them and how to complete a task in a way in which the management would be happy. It also allows the workers far more freedom in the sense that all the responsibility is on the workers to complete the task without getting hounded by management throughout task giving workers more confidence to use their own skills and initiative. Which would work well with a business such as hairdressing where you cant be looking over your workers all the time you have to trust the will do the job that you require from them. (Bartol pg 41-42) Bureaucratic Management another branch from which falls under classical viewpoint, is an approach that focuses on emphasising the need for organisations to operate in rational manner rather than rely on owners and managers arbitrary whims (Bartol pg44). It is an embellished scientific management theory like scientific it also mainly focused on dividing organizations into hierarchies, establishing strong lines of authority and control, Weber suggested organizations develop comprehensive and detailed standard operating procedures for all routine tasks. ( vectorstudy. com) Weber reasoning for the bureaucratic management system came about due when study the Prussian army, where all aristocrats became officers, giving the family members the job no matter if they could do the job or not. This is where his theory of rational thought process came into play he believed that was very ineffective way of picking the officers therefore he created the ideal bureaucracy. I believe some the characteristic that are involved in the ideal bureaucracy the first one that could be very helpful to Quik Clips would be the, specialisation of labour through this the Quik Clips management would be able to quickly and efficiently break down the role of the employee into a routine with well defined task so they know exactly what is expected of them. This will make the employee feel very competent and confident in what they have to do, which would improve efficiency. The second which is key to a new company like Quik Clips starting up is career advancement, this is all about selecting staff and promotion of staff on qualifications and based on merit this key for new company such as Quik Clips as good qualified new staff can really create a good positive environment within the workplace which is vital for new company to establish within its self as it can help promote growth within the company. The last characteristic I would suggest to follow would be impersonality this is a set of rules and procedures that apply to every worker not matter the individual personality, race, religion. This helps build unity within the workplace as all workers see each other as equal and everyone is treated equally, allowing no one employee to be put above the rest due to any personal consideration any employee may have, a new company would benefit from this as everyone starts on level playing field no one employee above the rest. Bartol pg 44) The third and final administrative management approach is different to the previous two approaches mention early administrative focuses on principles used by managers to coordinate the organisations internal activities, the idea of the administrative approach was created by Henri Fayol and is based on 14 major principles Division of work, Authority and Responsibility, Discipline, Unity of Command, Unity of Direction, Subordination of individual interes t to general interest, Remuneration, Centralization, Scalar Chain, Order, Equity Stability of Tenure, Initiative and Esprit de Corps. They way in which this type of approach differs from the first to approaches previously mentioned is that the mangers and bosses are given far more power and less responsibility on the employee as managers coordinate all area’s as no departments are divided giving a manager to each there is only one manger to coordinate all as opposed to the first to approaches mentioned. In relation to Quik Clips out of the principle mentioned in this theory I have chosen three that if Quik Clips chose to go with this type of management approach apply these three principles would provide good structure and allow the company to run smoothly. Bartol pg 45-46) The first principle that I have chosen to apply to Quik Clips that will help it is unity of command in a small business such as Quik Clip hairdressing would be vital as the employee’s that follow this principle follow commands from one superior only, this stops any confusing within the employee’s who they should be listening to when carrying out tasks. This stops division being created within the company when one employee tries to take leadership when they do not have the power do so, a classic example of this division between old and younger workers within companies the older employee’s tend o try and bully younger employee’s telling them things to do often when they have no right to do so. This principle stops all that be clearly showing the employee who they should listen to. The second principle I have chosen to apply to Quik Clip is equity which involve all employee’s be treated with kindness and justice, this is important as it creates good working environment for all workers within the company makes them feel safe within their job and a sense that employee actually does care about the workers wants and needs. Through this the result is far better productivity levels within the employee’s and greater since of trust and loyalty to the company, which is important for the future of the company as they would want to keep the skilled workers they have trained to stay with the company and not move to another organization. This would be important for a startup company such as Quik Clips, as the quicker you build the trust and loyalty the quicker you see the positive results within the company in profits sales and levels of productivity. The third principle stability of personnel tenure again what I have stated in the previous paragraph, it is very important that Quik Clips keep their employee’s and they don’t move on quickly creating a high staff turnover rate, which means loss of time and money put into training and developing new staff. So this should be prevented at all costs at Quik Clips especially within new company as it early high staff turnover rates could send the company under making it very important principle for it to follow if it chose this type of management approach. Bartol pg 46) Behavioural viewpoint this is a perspective on management that focuses on the human side of things rather than the scientific factors, such as classical does behavioral has emphasis on the various factors the influence human behaviour. It focuses on four aspects early behaviourists, Hawthrone studies , the human relation movement and bahavioural science approach,

Changing Worlds essays

Changing Worlds essays Looking Backward by Edward Bellamy is a novel in which the protagonist, Julian West, is able to experience a whole new century through a deep, mesmerizing sleep. He is hypnotized one day in the middle 1800s before he goes to sleep. When Julian awakes, he finds himself back in Boston, but in the year 2000 and in a completely different society. As he experiences the new ways of life such as a new government controlled industry, free higher education for all, and an equal distribution of the common wealth, he begins to like this new utopian society. Bellamy predicts many different ways of life in his then futuristic and radical novel, creating two completely contrasting environments. The twentieth century brought with it many economic changes, including the elimination of private ownership of businesses. The new government now controls all of industrial America and the marketplace. Competition between businesses has been wiped out completely, and successful business now runs off cooperation. This system works well with supply and demand. Since there are no competing businesses, the government can easily calculate what will be needed and what wont be. This means little is wasted. Even products which arent in high demand can be manufactured as long as there is someone willing to pay the money for the product. The government is the sole distributor and manufacturer of all goods and services. They bring in all the revenue and then they distribute the wealth. The second most prevalent difference under the new economy is that there is an even distribution of the wealth. This system bridges the gap between the rich and poor, thus eliminating any class system. Everyone works for the government, and everyone receives a line of credit with the government. There is enough credit to go around for all, so the standard of living has been raised significantly. Because there is no rich or poor, no one is looked d ...

Cross-cultural Management in Multinational Project Groups Essay

Cross-cultural Management in Multinational Project Groups - Essay Example Nonetheless, the business culture of France still reserves some surprises for Americans and other western nations. This report seeks to provide a cross-cultural analysis of France as a potential location for investment. The report seeks to provide a profile for the cultural environment of France, exploring issues that may have significant impact on management, including business protocols, language, housing, clothing, social institutions, education, and others. Introduction According to the 1958 constitution, France is a parliamentary republic. A president, who is the head of state, leads the country. The latter monitors the functioning of democratic institutions as far as the constitution is concerned. The country also has a Prime Minister in charge of day-to-day policy. A bicameral parliament governs the country. It comprises of a Senate with directly elected representatives from the departments and region, and a House of Representatives elected by the universal suffrage every five years. The metropolitan France has twenty-two regions with ninety-six departments. The communities, departments, and regions share the centrally collected tax revenues (Smircich, 2005). France is the largest West European country with a population of approximately 65 million people, about four-fifths of the size of Texas. Due to the large area coverage, the country has different environmental orientation. The country has mountains in the south and east, volcanoes in the middle and beaches in other parts. The beaches are also very different, comprising of cliffs, sand, and stones. Consequently, the country has different climate conditions: dry and hot in the east and south, and rainy in the north and west. The country does not have an official religion, but most of the citizens are Roman Catholic. The country hosts over 4.5 million foreigners, majority of whom are from communist countries and other European countries (UHY, 2011). As far as French citizens are concerned, education is very important. This is evident from the fact that the French educational system is almost free from primary school through to a doctorate degree for French citizens. Population According to a survey carried out in 2010, about three-quarters of the French population live in the cities, with a population density of 97 inhabitants per square metropolitan kilometer. The major currency in use is the Euro. The country majorly speaks French. According to economic statistics, the service sector accounts for over 74% of the overall employment, compared with 5% in agriculture. The industrial sector of the country continues to suffer significant deficits in foreign trade due to the fierce competition from the Far East. In 2009, the country made a Gross Domestic Product of 1950 billion Euros, an increase of 2.5% from 2007. The average growth rate was 0.6%, slightly below the Eurozone average of 0.7% and 0.8% of the US figure. The GDP purchasing power parity in 2010 was $2.097 trillion, with a GDP per Capita purchasing power parity of $32,700. The global economy has been slow in all areas because of the recent financial crisis. The global effect was initially high, but France gained from its little exposure and encouraged a strong public spending policy to maintain a high demand level (Fatehi, 2003). Economy Since 2008, the rate of unemployment has increased to stand at 10% of the overall active population, slightly higher than the average European rate of 9.6%. The country reduced the

Development of 3D printing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Development of 3D printing - Essay Example The 3D printing technology is a technology that has undergone quite a series of changes since the period of implementation. It involves the creation of printable 3D models with the use of computer-aided design software (CAD) or through the use of what is called a 3D scanner. The modeling process of 3D geometric data does not have a significant difference from the common plastic applied in different parts of the world today. A process known as 3D scanning is applied before printing, and it involves the collection and analysis of digital data in reference to the shape of a real object. The complexity nature of both the manual and automated 3D printable models to normal consumers is what has caused the emergence of the 3D printing places located in different places. The most interesting part of the concept is the printing part. Before the commencement of the printing, the file that is known as the STL file must under processing that is a task performed using the slicer software. The slicer does the conversion of the model into several systematic thin layers and produces a command or rather instruction known as the G-code that is now sent to the printer. The printer then systematically in accordance to the instructions lays down the layers of the material used t produce the desired object. The major advantage of the technology is that it can produce almost any desired provided the required instruction is well fed to the printer (Lipson & Kurman,  2013). Several changes have taken place in the quest to achieve more efficiency in the application of the technology. The first development is on the provision of low-cost printers. In the past, the 3D printers were extremely expensive, and the majority of the people willing to invest in the same could not be able to afford a printer. The other development is a 3D modeling software. In the past, the software used was complex and tough

Focus On Music, Text and Drama Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Focus On Music, Text and Drama - Essay Example Music, at all times, has been accompanied with drama, and its function in this combination remains quite multifaceted (BaileyShea, 2007). From early epic poems and ballads with simple musical auxiliaries to the increasingly complex sound worlds of fresh drama and music can ease drama in a couple of ways. This paper will be exploring on how a certain artist narrate his story in his music and analyze one of his vocal songs to analyze. The song I chose to analyze is The Great Disappointment composed by Davey Havok from AFI. He is also responsible for every performance of the song. This paper will be discussing the meaning in this song and various factors as stated in the instructions. To enlighten you, I will be employing three main conventions Music, Structure and Lyrics. Davey Havok is an American actor, singer and fashion designer. He is best recognized as the lead singer of the bands Blaqk Audio and AFI (Kresky, 1977). He was born on 20th November 1975. Havok is a frank supporter of the straight edge lifestyle, atheism, and veganism. The great disappointment, the name of this song, was a historical event, which took place on 22nd October 1844. Some Christians argued that Jesus was allegedly going to return to earth during this day. However, that did not happen. This is where the main topic of my understanding comes from. In the song, Davey Havok uses past tense to explain that he had once done something, or to be more precise, he had once believed in a matter. All through the entire lyrics, there are concealed messages that a person would need to dig for a number of times to see the message clearly. The structure of a normal song contains three main sections - choruses, verses and ordering of ideas (Hoek, 2007). This song also has one main chorus, three main verses and the ordering of ideas. Ordering of ideas in the song is from positive to negative as is the flow in every song. In this song, the author’s point of view alters from optimism to disappoint ment when he notices that the â€Å"amaranth† and the â€Å"white creatures† are not real. It is as if he has been wasting his time hoping, searching and waiting for good news. These creatures are only in his dreams, which is a sick twisted story of this own subconsciousness. The main elements of the song are tone or mood, as well as rhythm. The mood, which this song gives off, is sad and gloomy (Hoek, 2007). The tone of the voice, on the other hand, is extremely frustrating as the artist sometimes whispers and at other times he screams. The verses, however, are sad and calm. The chorus is extremely angry, loud and even. A statement like â€Å"while I lingered I was wasting away† seem like an extremely strong statement. The lyrics section incorporates conventions like repetition, language, title, imagery and rhyme. The language in this song is grammatically correct and normal. In my opinion the â€Å"creatures dressed in white† and the â€Å"amaranthâ₠¬  in the great disappointment are descriptions for purity, angels, love, happiness and joy. The artist’s subject is wasting his life through waiting for these â€Å"creatures to emerge† for happiness and purity to emerge, but then he notices that the creatures do not exist - purity is all, but a dream. This world is never going to be pure, pristine or innocent (Hoek, 2007). Also, according to the song, the world will never be full of happiness, love and joy. Symbolism is broadly used in this song. The white chrysanthemums might simply mean that – a white flower. It can also symbolize purity and blamelessness. Amaranth might mean a never contemptuous flower or it might mean a never ending love. The great disappointment has a lot of symbolism and metaphors. These factors have more than one connotation but in spite of these differences they extremely well present the theme of disappointment. In numerous songs, it is not only the chorus which is repeated. The repe tition in a song signifies that the artist wants to point these

International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words - 2

International Business - Essay Example Pushing the implementation of SABIC’s international joint venture plan in China opens a lot of business opportunities by enabling SABIC penetrate the market of China within the shortest possible time. Likewise, this strategy could benefit SABIC through economies of scale, cheaply expand the business internationally, increase profit by diversifying its risk management portfolio, improve SABIC’s market power and competitive advantage against its global competitors. Despite the business opportunities behind the international joint venture project, the strong government control in China on top of the market saturation and the differences in the way Chinese people do business could lead to a long-term business failure. To improve SABIC’s internationalization strategies, the company should carefully analyze the current social, political and economic situation in China aside from selecting the right business partner, implementing a proper cross-cultural management, and selecting the best options for international joint ventures. In relation to the tight competition in the global markets, some of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) based chemical companies entered into mergers and acquisitions (M&A) or joint venture as a way of expanding its businesses around the world. For the reason of easy access to domestic and international market, easy access to technology transfer, and product diversification; Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) has been continuously entering into joint venture projects with other local and international companies (Arab News 2007). Established back in 1976, SABIC managed to expand its business by going through a series of joint venture. Today, the company is known as one of the biggest and most profitable petrochemicals manufacturing company based in Riyadh (SABIC, 2010a). Other than manufacturing chemicals, SABIC also manufacture polymers and innovative plastics, fertilizers, and metals

The Strategy of Verizon Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Strategy of Verizon - Research Paper Example The strategy of Verizon in increasing their business process and evolving new technologies in their business. Verizon is the service provider of broadband wireless communication service to its users. They want to meet the global need and establish new technologies and meet the customer requirement. The primary goal of the company is to reach the top in the market and take the leading position. A SWOT analysis is done on Verizon to identify the objectives of the company. Verizon is transforming its business process and aligning the different segment of its business process with their new strategy. The primary strategy of Verizon is to move to the wireless platform and make their infrastructure capable of giving the internet and wireless service to the cars and automobiles (About Verizon,2016). Verizon is innovating new technologies that would help the company to take a lead position in the future. It has identified that the wireless technology in the next evolution and thus it has qui ckly jumped into the wireless platform for further development. According to the strategy, they are working on new technologies that can implement and as a result, more than 98% of the US 4G network covered by Verizon (Greenwald,2013). They use the optical fiber cables for faster transmission instead of traditional copper wires.

A Strategic report on The CrossChannel Transport Business and Essay

A Strategic report on The CrossChannel Transport Business and Eurotunnel (GET.SA) - Essay Example Choice affects outcomes and this is the nature of strategy. Whereas organizations can often function just fine in periods of stability, this is not appropriate for long-term success. Environmental turbulence and competition are sure to increase at some point, at which the company that was relying so heavily on the stability will be adversely affected. This is the very basis of the formation of strategic management. Whatever strategy a company decides to employ will be based on their unique organizational structure, their access to resources, their relationship with the environment, and their desired objective(s) (Wikipedia, 2008). Capacity on Cross-Channel traffic has grown with the opening of the tunnel in 1994, and with bigger modernized ferries, and fast hydrofoil services. Unlike low-cost airlines where lower prices have led to a growth in travel, demand for vehicle transit across the channel has not also grown rapidly, therefore and intensely competitive situation persists, especially away from holiday 'peaks'. It is easily notable here that while Eurotunnel is experience steadiness, they are not experiencing the growth they desire. People have other choices for travel, such as flying. When the price of airline travel goes down, Eurotunnel experiences less business. Road freight traffic grows steadily with economic growth in the EU; car traffic (especially from the UK) is largely dependent on shopping and vacation choices. Eurotunnel also has 'rail-user' customers 'Eurostar' and 'Rail-freight'; the former is growing rapidly, the latter has problems. According to the company information that is provided to the public on their corporate website, "Eurotunnel is the holder, until 2086, of the Concession to operate the cross-Channel Fixed Link made up of twin rail tunnels and a service tunnel below the bed of the Straits of Dover, of two terminals in Folkestone (Kent) and Coquelles (Pas-de-Calais) which provide access, as well as a fleet of 25 Shuttles which transport passenger vehicles or trucks. This impressive undersea structure, the longest in the world, also gives passage to passenger and freight carrying trains belonging to rail operators" (Eurotunnel, 2008). There are current and future key issues and trends that are likely to affect this market and GET.SA's strategy-making. One major issue is the abolishment of the Strategic Rail Authority in 2006, as it is yet to be determined how this will strategically affect the industry. The United Kingdom's growth rate largely determines the condition of the passenger and freight transport markets in the country. According to Bharat Book Review: "The present economic climate remains favourable for companies operating in the market, with economic growth steady, and both inflation and unemployment levels relatively low by historical standards. Rail passenger markets benefit from the fact that work-related trips, both the journey to work and trips undertaken as part of business activity, are likely to be relatively inelastic to short-term changes in the economic climate. Rail freight, which serves markets for the carriage of industrial materials, is likely to be relatively unaffected by any short-ter m fluctuations in consumer demand (2006). There are other customer concerns that are affecting this market. First of all, they are concerned about issues such as safety and security.

International Business Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 4000 words - 2

International Business - Essay Example Pushing the implementation of SABIC’s international joint venture plan in China opens a lot of business opportunities by enabling SABIC penetrate the market of China within the shortest possible time. Likewise, this strategy could benefit SABIC through economies of scale, cheaply expand the business internationally, increase profit by diversifying its risk management portfolio, improve SABIC’s market power and competitive advantage against its global competitors. Despite the business opportunities behind the international joint venture project, the strong government control in China on top of the market saturation and the differences in the way Chinese people do business could lead to a long-term business failure. To improve SABIC’s internationalization strategies, the company should carefully analyze the current social, political and economic situation in China aside from selecting the right business partner, implementing a proper cross-cultural management, and selecting the best options for international joint ventures. In relation to the tight competition in the global markets, some of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) based chemical companies entered into mergers and acquisitions (M&A) or joint venture as a way of expanding its businesses around the world. For the reason of easy access to domestic and international market, easy access to technology transfer, and product diversification; Saudi Basic Industries Corporation (SABIC) has been continuously entering into joint venture projects with other local and international companies (Arab News 2007). Established back in 1976, SABIC managed to expand its business by going through a series of joint venture. Today, the company is known as one of the biggest and most profitable petrochemicals manufacturing company based in Riyadh (SABIC, 2010a). Other than manufacturing chemicals, SABIC also manufacture polymers and innovative plastics, fertilizers, and metals

A Strategic report on The CrossChannel Transport Business and Essay

A Strategic report on The CrossChannel Transport Business and Eurotunnel (GET.SA) - Essay Example Choice affects outcomes and this is the nature of strategy. Whereas organizations can often function just fine in periods of stability, this is not appropriate for long-term success. Environmental turbulence and competition are sure to increase at some point, at which the company that was relying so heavily on the stability will be adversely affected. This is the very basis of the formation of strategic management. Whatever strategy a company decides to employ will be based on their unique organizational structure, their access to resources, their relationship with the environment, and their desired objective(s) (Wikipedia, 2008). Capacity on Cross-Channel traffic has grown with the opening of the tunnel in 1994, and with bigger modernized ferries, and fast hydrofoil services. Unlike low-cost airlines where lower prices have led to a growth in travel, demand for vehicle transit across the channel has not also grown rapidly, therefore and intensely competitive situation persists, especially away from holiday 'peaks'. It is easily notable here that while Eurotunnel is experience steadiness, they are not experiencing the growth they desire. People have other choices for travel, such as flying. When the price of airline travel goes down, Eurotunnel experiences less business. Road freight traffic grows steadily with economic growth in the EU; car traffic (especially from the UK) is largely dependent on shopping and vacation choices. Eurotunnel also has 'rail-user' customers 'Eurostar' and 'Rail-freight'; the former is growing rapidly, the latter has problems. According to the company information that is provided to the public on their corporate website, "Eurotunnel is the holder, until 2086, of the Concession to operate the cross-Channel Fixed Link made up of twin rail tunnels and a service tunnel below the bed of the Straits of Dover, of two terminals in Folkestone (Kent) and Coquelles (Pas-de-Calais) which provide access, as well as a fleet of 25 Shuttles which transport passenger vehicles or trucks. This impressive undersea structure, the longest in the world, also gives passage to passenger and freight carrying trains belonging to rail operators" (Eurotunnel, 2008). There are current and future key issues and trends that are likely to affect this market and GET.SA's strategy-making. One major issue is the abolishment of the Strategic Rail Authority in 2006, as it is yet to be determined how this will strategically affect the industry. The United Kingdom's growth rate largely determines the condition of the passenger and freight transport markets in the country. According to Bharat Book Review: "The present economic climate remains favourable for companies operating in the market, with economic growth steady, and both inflation and unemployment levels relatively low by historical standards. Rail passenger markets benefit from the fact that work-related trips, both the journey to work and trips undertaken as part of business activity, are likely to be relatively inelastic to short-term changes in the economic climate. Rail freight, which serves markets for the carriage of industrial materials, is likely to be relatively unaffected by any short-ter m fluctuations in consumer demand (2006). There are other customer concerns that are affecting this market. First of all, they are concerned about issues such as safety and security.

Transformation of Rome from Republic to Empire Essay Example for Free

Transformation of Rome from Republic to Empire Essay Like so many agricultural cultures, Rome began as a city-state about 600 B.C. It was founded by descendants of Indo-European invaders from central Europe who merged with earlier Italian peoples. The Roman language and many basic social patterns were inherited from the local farmers who had populated the region long before the city was founded. But the city itself borrowed from an earlier Italian civilization, the Etruscan, slightly to the north, and to a lesser extent from Greek colonies in the south. This gave form to early Roman religion and also to political structure. Rome began as a kingdom under Etruscan rule. But about 509 B.C. the Roman aristocracy overthrew the king, and Rome became an aristocratic republic not unlike the Greek city-states. Intense local civic pride was part of this pattern, as in Greece, including a willingness to sacrifice self in the interest of the state. Heroic military action by a few individuals, such as the fabled Horatio holding the bridge over the Tiber river against an Etruscan army, gained Rome increasing independence. Roman family structure was the basis of this kind of culture. It emphasized obedience to the father, although the mother was honored as well. Even though the aristocrats competed for power, they could unite when loyalty to the state was at stake, because they had been trained to subordinate themselves to the common good, just as children were taught to yield to family interest. Religion was another binding force, as was the consideration with which aristocrats treated the common people of the city. In the early days of the republic there was much social tension, but uprisings gave the citizens of the lower class, whatever their wealth,   their own representatives, called tribunes, to oversee their interests in the government. The first law code, the famous Twelve Tables, was introduced about 450 B.C.; this restrained the upper class from arbitrary action. By the third century B.C., citizens of the lower class, called plebeians, could be elected to public office and pass laws. The Roman city-state was not like the Greek. The Roman people met in assemblies, but the assemblies were called and run by officers. There was no choosing of leaders by lot; two consuls were elected by the people each year to serve as executive and military leaders, and almost always these were aristocrats or wealthy plebeians. The consuls scrutinized each others activities so that neither could seize power; behind the scenes the aristocracy could usually run the show. Aristocratic power was formalized in the Roman senate which was composed of anyone who had held public office and who then served as senator for life. This group had only advisory powers, but, composed of experienced and prestigious men, its influence was considerable and it lent stability to the   state. The picture of the Roman state around 250 B.C. proved so attractive to many western political theorists long after the republic was gone that it was copied, at least partially, by a host of western political governments. What was particularly appealing about the Roman arrangement was its balance. Underwritten by definite laws which protected the rights of the citizens, the Roman government checked unlimited democracy without yielding to total upper-class rule; and it prevented executive dictatorship. The division between a popular assembly and an upper-class senate was to be imitated many times. Although legislative authority was predominant, there were separate judges and a separate executive; here was a hint of division of powers and it seemed to work well. Based on political stability, Rome prospered and began a pattern of conquest which none of the Greek city-states had been capable of. Internally, the population increased, which is always a creative factor if properly channeled. Conquest offered the means of distributing the surplus population and of providing wealth for the masses, which helped keep them quiet. Also, Rome was well situated, being in the center of Italy, for once the Etruscans had been beaten and their culture collapsed, there were few powerful rivals surrounding Rome. Finally, the Romans were lenient rulers. Nevertheless, over time the republic itself became unviable. The aristocratic Senate no longer provided consistent wisdom and the populace vied for favors from the rich, particularly the victorious generals. Rome had implicitly chosen between a balanced republic and an empire, in favor of the latter, and this made a military regime inevitable. By 31 B.C. Augustus had defeated his rivals. The Republic was dead, and the Roman Empire, a political structure governing Rome and all the colonies, was now to be created. The empire turned out to be Romes major contribution to the western arsenal of political precedents. Not surprisingly, given the major Roman interests, formal culture remained limited until the last century of the republic, when Greek models were copied and Greek artists and writers, some of them slaves, worked directly for Roman patrons. The Romans did not blindly copy; their painting, for example, differed from what we know of the Greek, showing more realistic portrayals of nature and the human form. Hence, Roman statuary, often busts of the great men of the day, reflects attention to individual facial traits more than the stylized approach of the Greeks. However, the central cultural contribution was to spread a Greco-Roman art and literature to the vast empire and particularly to Western Europe, where such products had never before been known.Textbook writing, increasingly important as Roman creativity waned in the later empire, helped preserve the rudiments of learning not only for the Romans themselves but for later ages. Bibliography Heitland, W. E. A Short History of the Roman Republic. Cambridge University Press, 1911.