Lessons Learned Paper

Lessons Learned Paper Na’Kisha Sherrard, MS University of Phoenix Lessons Learned Paper Connecting with a group of doctoral students for the first residency is very frightening. Several students admitted to having feelings of misperception, worry, or uncertainty. Meeting someone new is certainly not comfortable, however the expectations and anxiety of a doctoral program is sufficient for someone to ask why one would choose to undertake a huge venture. This residency has motivated me to endure in my program. There were several eye-openers that revealed development and improvement as a doctoral student.In the last five days, various lessons and experiences were taught and learned but the most important lessons for me include the learning team experiences, scholarly writing, and reflection on the lessons learned. Learning Teams During this residency experience, I acquired a lot about learning teams. In my academic and professional experience, I have been a part of numerous teams. I have had some bad encounters with teams during my duration with the University of Phoenix and presumed that the team experiences at residency would be similar.I definitely applied my situatedness but I understand now a cohort of different personalities can form a successful team where all opinions are heard, all ideas count, all contribute and all appear to demonstrate an authentic interest for one another. Dr. Sally played a major role in team experience. She encouraged an atmosphere of empathy, hope, and interest. She was our main supporter. I appreciate and value the honest disposition Dr. Sally showed. Her charisma made us feel we belonged to the team.We completed several team assignments that allowed us to develop our learning team skills. We had various chances to work in learning teams. We reviewed course articles, course competencies, and were given several activities to develop team organization. We presented assignments on thinking models, constructing meaning, team pre sentations, and scholarly writing. The diverse assignments and activities we had in addition to the combined efforts of Dr. Sally and the students have made me reevaluate the idea of working with a learning team in my classes to come.While are listening to other doctoral students in a learning team communicate what they got from learning; I was able to get another viewpoint that also gets me thinking. My brain absorbed more information from listening to other student’s views. Understanding from other students also makes me try to pay attention to my lessons in a manner I would not have thought of without getting reactions from my learning team. I will be unbiased in the future and not believe that I will experience a negative encounter with a learning team experiences.I will guarantee to show encouraging traits of a team player and stay helpful. Individuals provided with new information and abilities are supposed to not only better themselves but to be instantaneously inspire d to change the world (Mezirow, 1990, 47). I am excited about my next learning team experience and look forward to making a difference. Scholarly Writing There was so much knowledge gained about scholarly writing and what it includes. These past five days has strengthened what I previously understood about this subject.Throughout several assignments we have did in class, I learned that scholarly writing must be involved. There are certain parts of scholarly writing that are not flexible. Scholarly writing must be written in third person, written for a reason, cannot be prejudged, avoid suppositions and be backs by evidences, theories, and data. I also learned new terminologies that have to do with writing such as anthropomorphism. Trustworthy sources must be used in scholarly writing. I learned a great deal about the choice of sources to use and about scholarly writing.The constructing meaning assignment helped reinforce the importance for trustworthy and legitimate sources in schol arly writing. I believe the assignment we accomplished personally where we had to select and analyze an article helped show how significant it is to use the correct sources. The resources used can also be deceiving and seem to be qualified, but may only be just an opinion of that author. To avoid this, we must use scholarly, peer-reviewed articles to back up our statements. One of my ultimate disappointments as a college and graduate scholar is not putting more importance on learning to become a critical writer.Although I think I obtained a great knowledge from awesome universities, this is one subject where I was dissatisfied with myself and the instructors. I desire that they would have held me responsible to being a critical writer. I would definitely tell an individual that is looking into pursing their doctoral degree, if writing is a weakness you should be not embarrassed. It is better to be mindful of this task and do all that can be done to improve it as early as possible. S earch for assistance immediately to learn to write appropriately and it will help throughout one’s education and career.With all the information I obtained about scholarly writing, I plan to use it to numerous types of writing I will do in the future. I can use this knowledge I acquired on this subject for different types of writings at the scholarly level during my studies at the university and beyond, upcoming course assignments, discussion replies, spoken conversations on the subject and my dissertation process. I can give this knowledge to my colleagues and well as other doctoral students to help advance their writing. I can also use what I acquired when I begin my study process whether it is on quantitative or qualitative study.Reflection One of the most valuable topics I learned was reflection. Reflection is scholarly and emotional activities in which a person engages to discover their encounters in order to guide new perceptions and gratitude (Mezirow, 1990). I also le arned the variations amongst critical reflection and reflection. The process of critical reflection covers three points: discovering suppositions that motivate views and behaviors, examining the precision and rationality in how we tie suppositions with our encounters of realism, recreating suppositions to make them more general and encompassing (Mezirow, 1990).During the different course activities we completed, I learned the value of reflection. This residency offered several chances for the students to reflect on what was learned. There were several practices used to promote reflection during this experience at residency. Our nightly journals were just one of the ways we could reflect on what was covered every day and focused on what we learned on each subject, how we can use what we acquired, what we learned about ourselves and how the class information and encounters have shaped our means of reflecting.This was not the only way of reflection we practiced during the residency. We encountered other types of reflection that inspired the practice of critical thinking. The residency essentially began with a type of reflection on why we were personally here and out purpose statements. We integrated reflection methods as we finished our reviews of the articles and talked about how we will use what we absorbed on writing assignments in the future. We also learned to reflect as a team. The comments we gave other teams was a type of reflection.We were able to help enrich their presentations while reflecting on methods we can individually advance personally and on a team. I can definitely foresee myself encompassing the lessons I learned on reflection. Dr. Sally made a recommendation to start journaling and I plan to apply the practice of journaling my reflections. I intend to use my critical thinking skills and reflection while working in teams and at work. Previously, I felt that reflections were strained when I finished my weekly summaries in previous courses, how ever I do understand the significance of reflections.This valuable practice will continue to develop me as a scholar, practitioner and leader and improve me be self-conscious so I can supportively touch others around me. â€Å"The processes of writing and reflection can help to clarify some of the whirling and unfocused thoughts that sometimes get in the way of more productive thinking† (Wellington et. all, 2005, p. 36). Conclusion Year One Residency was very gratifying. I have developed resourcefully and individually because of this knowledge. Although, when I arrived I was unsure of what to expect, I was relieved rather quickly.I met some awesome doctoral students and gained a great deal of knowledge that I can apply to my everyday life. This has been a rewarding and I am excited about Year Two Residency. References Mezirow, J. (1990). Fostering critical reflection in adulthood: A guide to transformative and emancipatory learning. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. Wellington, J. , Bathmaker, A. , Hunt, C. , McCulloch, G. , & Sikes, P. (2005). Succeeding with your doctorate. Thousand Oaks, CA: SAGE Publications Inc.

Jacksonian democracy Essay

Jacksonian Democracy refers to the political philosophy of United States President Andrew Jackson and his supporters. Jackson’s policies followed in the footsteps of Thomas Jefferson. Jackson’s Democratic Party was resisted by the rival Whig Party. More broadly, the term refers to the period of the Second Party System (1824-1854) when Jacksonian philosophy was ascendant as well as the spirit of that era. It can be contrasted with the characteristics of Jeffersonian democracy, which dominated the previous political era. Jackson’s equal political policy became known as Jacksonian Democracy, subsequent to ending what he termed a â€Å"monopoly† of government. The Jacksonian era saw a great increase of respect and power for the common man, as the electorate expanded to include all white male adult citizens, rather than only land owners in that group. In contrast to the Jeffersonian era, Jacksonian democracy promoted the strength of the presidency and executive branch at the expense of Congress, while also seeking to broaden the public’s participation in government. Jacksonians believed in enfranchising all white men, rather than just the propertied class, and supported the patronage system that enabled politicians to appoint their supporters into administrative offices, arguing it would reduce the power of elites and prevent aristocracies from emerging. They demanded elected (not appointed) judges and rewrote many state constitutions to reflect the new values. In national terms the Jacksonians favored geographical expansion, justifying it in terms of Manifest Destiny. There was usually a consensus among both Jacksonians and Whigs that battles over slavery should be avoided. The Jacksonian Era lasted roughly from Jackson’s 1828 election until the slavery issue became dominant after 1850 and the American Civil War dra matically reshaped American politics as the Third Party System emerged.

The Vampire Diaries: The Fury Chapter One

Elena stepped into the clearing. Beneath her feet tatters of autumn leaves were freezing into the slush. Dusk had fallen, and although the storm was dying away the woods were getting colder. Elena didn't feel the cold. Neither did she mind the dark. Her pupils opened wide, gathering up tiny particles of light that would have been invisible to a human. She could see the two figures struggling beneath the great oak tree quite clearly. One had thick dark hair, which the wind had churned into a tumbled sea of waves. He was slightly taller than the other, and although Elena couldn't see his face she somehow knew his eyes were green. The other had a shock of dark hair as well, but his was fine and straight, almost like the pelt of an animal. His lips were drawn back from his teeth in fury, and the lounging grace of his body was gathered into a predator's crouch. His eyes were black. Elena watched them for several minutes without moving. She'd forgotten why she had come here, why she'd been pulled here by the echoes of their battle in her mind. This close the clamor of their anger and hatred and pain was almost deafening, like silent shouts coming from the fighters. They were locked in a death match. I wonder which of them will win, she thought. They were both wounded and bleeding, and the taller one's left arm hung at an unnatural angle. Still, he had just slammed the other against the gnarled trunk of an oak tree. His fury was so strong that Elena could feel and taste it as well as hear it, and she knew it was giving him impossible strength. And then Elena remembered why she had come. How could she have forgotten? He was hurt. His mind had summoned her here, battering her with shock waves of rage and pain. She had come to help him because she belonged to him. The two figures were down on the icy ground now, righting like wolves, snarling. Swiftly and silently Elena went to them. The one with the wavy hair and green eyes- Stefan, a voice in her mind whispered-was on top, fingers scrabbling at the other's throat. Anger washed through Elena, anger and protectiveness. She reached between the two of them to grab that choking hand, to pry the fingers up. It didn't occur to her that she shouldn't be strong enough to do this. She was strong enough; that was all. She threw her weight to the side, wrenching her captive away from his opponent. For good measure, she bore down hard on his wounded arm, knocking him flat on his face in the leaf-strewn slush. Then she began to choke him from behind. Her attack had taken him by surprise, but he was far from beaten. He struck back at her, his good hand fumbling for her throat. His thumb dug into her windpipe. Her attack had taken him by surprise, but he was far from beaten. He struck back at her, his good hand fumbling for her throat. His thumb dug into her windpipe. But he was stronger than she was. With a jerk of his shoulders, he broke her hold on him and twisted in her grasp, flinging her down. And then he was above her, his face contorted with animal fury. She hissed at him and went for his eyes with her nails, but he knocked her hand away. He was going to kill her. Even wounded, he was by far the stronger. His lips had drawn back to show teeth already stained with scarlet. Like a cobra, he was ready to strike. Then he stopped, hovering over her, his face changing. Elena saw the green eyes widen. The pupils, which had been contracted to vicious dots, sprang open. He was staring down at her as if truly seeing her for the first time. Why was he looking at her that way? Why didn't he just get it over with? But now the iron hand on her shoulder was releasing her. The animal snarl had disappeared, replaced by a look of bewilderment and wonder. He sat back, helping her to sit up, all the while gazing into her face. â€Å"Elena,† he whispered. His voice was cracked. â€Å"Elena, it's you.† Is that who I am? she thought. Elena? It didn't really matter. She cast a glance toward the old oak tree. He was still there, standing between the upthrust roots, panting, supporting himself against it with one hand. He was looking at her with his endlessly black eyes, his brows drawn together in a frown. Don't worry, she thought. I can take care of this one. He's stupid. Then she flung herself on the green-eyed one again. â€Å"Elena!† he cried as she knocked him backward. His good hand pushed at her shoulder, holding her up. â€Å"Elena, it's me, Stefan! Elena, look at me!† She was looking. All she could see was the exposed patch of skin at his neck. She hissed again, upper lip drawing back, showing him her teeth. He froze. She felt the shock reverberate through his body, saw his gaze shatter. His face went as white as if someone had struck him a blow in the stomach. He shook his head slightly on the muddy ground. â€Å"No,† he whispered. â€Å"Oh, no†¦Ã¢â‚¬  He seemed to be saying it to himself, as if he didn't expect her to hear him. He reached a hand toward her cheek, and she snapped at it. â€Å"Oh, Elena†¦Ã¢â‚¬  he whispered. The last traces of fury, of animal bloodlust, had disappeared from his face. His eyes were dazed and stricken and grieving. The last traces of fury, of animal bloodlust, had disappeared from his face. His eyes were dazed and stricken and grieving. He stared at her a moment, the pain in his eyes reaching a peak, and then he simply gave up. He stopped fighting completely. She could feel it happen, feel the resistance leave his body. He lay on the icy ground with scraps of oak leaves in his hair, staring up past her at the black and clouded sky. Finish it, his weary voice said in her mind. Elena hesitated for an instant. There was something about those eyes that called up memories inside her. Standing in the moonlight, sitting in an attic room†¦ But the memories were too vague. She couldn't get a grasp on them, and the effort made her dizzy and sick. And this one had to die, this green-eyed one called Stefan. Because he'd hurt him, the other one, the one Elena had been born to be with. No one could hurt him and live. She clamped her teeth into his throat and bit deep. She realized at once that she wasn't doing it quite right. She hadn't hit an artery or vein. She worried at the throat, angry at her own inexperience. It felt good to bite something, but not much blood was coming. Frustrated, she lifted up and bit again, feeling his body jerk in pain. Much better. She'd found a vein this time, but she hadn't torn it deeply enough. A little scratch like that wouldn't do. What she needed was to rip it right across, to let the rich hot blood stream out. Her victim shuddered as she worked to do this, teeth raking and gnawing. She was just feeling the flesh give way when hands pulled at her, lifting her from behind. Elena snarled without letting go of the throat. The hands were insistent though. An arm looped about her waist, fingers twined in her hair. She fought, clinging with teeth and nails to her prey. Let go of him. Leave him! The voice was sharp and commanding, like a blast from a cold wind. Elena recognized it and stopped struggling with the hands that pulled her away. As they deposited her on the ground and she looked up to see him, a name came into her mind. Damon. His name was Damon. She stared at him sulkily, resentful of being yanked away from her kill, but obedient. Stefan was sitting up, his neck red with blood. It was running onto his shirt. Elena licked her lips, feeling a throb like a hunger pang that seemed to come from every fiber of her being. She was dizzy again. â€Å"I thought,† Damon said aloud, â€Å"that you said she was dead.† He was looking at Stefan, who was even paler than before, if that was possible. That white face filled with infinite hopelessness. â€Å"Look at her† was all he said. A hand cupped Elena's chin, tilting her face up. She met Damon's narrowed dark eyes directly. Then long, slender fingers touched her lips, probing between them. Instinctively Elena tried to bite, but not very hard. Damon's finger found the sharp curve of a canine tooth, and Elena did bite now, giving it a nip like a kitten's. Damon's face was expressionless, his eyes hard. â€Å"Do you know where you are?† he said. Elena glanced around. Trees. â€Å"In the woods,† she said craftily, looking back at him. â€Å"And who is that?† She followed his pointing finger. â€Å"Stefan,† she said indifferently. â€Å"Your brother.† â€Å"And who am I? Do you know who I am?† She smiled up at him, showing him her pointed teeth. â€Å"Of course I do. You're Damon, and I love you.†

Accounts in the Balance Sheet and Income Statement of the Bank of Abu Assignment

Accounts in the Balance Sheet and Income Statement of the Bank of Abu Dhabi - Assignment Example Overall the bank’s statements reflect the quality of the bank's operations. Although there can be a few improvements in the operations of the bank and its customer base, however, the bank has performed remarkably well showing high revenues and net profits. The National Bank of Abu Dhabi was founded in 1968 in the United Arab Emirates. It is the market leader amongst lending banks in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the second largest player in the United Arab Emirate lending market. The bank has a presence in various regions including Hong Kong, Shanghai and Kuala Lumpur. The National Bank of Abu Dhabi is a premier bank offering the complete range of financial services in 18 countries. It is ranked in the Worlds 50 Safest Banks and the Safest Bank in emerging banks. This is a testament to the quality of the services and the operations of the bank. This assignment aims to analyze the balance sheet and income statements of the bank for the year 2012 and 2011. All accounts under assets, liabilities, equity, expenses and revenue will be defined and analyzed in this report. An asset on a balance sheet represents what a firm owns. They can be categorized as current assets and fixed assets. Current assets are ones that are consumed in a years’ time and the fixed assets are those that provide benefit over a certain period of time. I will now be defining the assets that are in the financial statements of the National Bank of Abu Dhabi. This account includes all the cash that is currently with the bank, the balances with the central bank and the dues from other banks (maturing within 3 months). Cash is the most liquid of all the current assets. The balance at the central bank is a percentage of the total customer deposits given to the central bank as a measure of avoiding bank runs. These are identified as financial assets which are held for the purpose of trading them in the market. are assets measured at fair value and the gains and losses are recorded in the income statements under the subheading of â€Å"Gains or Losses on Derivative Financial Instrument Transactions†.

Critical analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Critical analysis - Essay Example With these clearly set, one can now set on to writing, and this makes writing simple. In earlier stages, students write based on their experiences. However, in academic writing, one maybe required writing on a totally new topic, and this requires one to have good research skill. Research in academic goes beyond Google and Wikipedia, to databases with scholarly writings. One also must have the ability to read complex texts and analyze them to succeed in academic writing. Academic writing is described as an argument. This is because; one presents a case and offers support to it, in an attempt to convince others. This depends on the writers ability to present their ideas in an organized manner and persuasively. Academic writing is also an analysis where the author focuses on the how and why questions. It is advisable to start with a draft and then develop the ideas on the draft to create the final paper. Success in academic writing depends on how well one knows what they are doing as well as how they approach

Business plan Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business plan - Assignment Example Fresh fruit segment is a rapidly growing segment with better future prospects and is segment to venture now. Though many people are venturing into the segment, those who are going to survive rivalry onslaught and tighter regulations must produce high quality products; follow industry regulation to the latter; innovate saleable sales ideas; and develop appropriate ways of communicating products to the customers. The fresh fruit juice segment is on the growth rate and promises higher returns to investors. The fresh juice market is large. Most people are embracing consumption of fresh fruits due to health concerns. Fresh fruit juice appeals most to people who are above thirty years (53% of Halifax population). Such population is health conscious and has the money to buy the fresh fruit juice. Therefore, their buying behaviour is reliable and predictable. The company is strategically placed in a high traffic area. In addition, it is able to innovate better juice mixes in future to keep i ts customer base and attract new customers. BestJuice Limited uses the cut out middleman model. This model eliminates middlemen in its distribution chain. Therefore, the Company shall produce and sell the products at its premises. This will lower the price of fresh fruit juices by about 30%. The management team is made of Assem (CEO) and Susan (Director Operations). Both members are entrepreneurial and dedicated to continuous improvement of the company and aspire for excellent performance. The business is a limited private company owned by seven shareholders (Assem, Susan, Charles, Robert, Angela, Hannington and Adan). The managing board is made up of executive and non-executive board members. Assem and Susan are the executive directors while Charles, Robert, Angela, Hannington and Adan are non-executive members. The company is at formative stage and does not have the money to employ all kind of professionals in the business. Therefore, it shall form strategic

Explain the true-justified-belief theory of knowledge we discussed in Essay

Explain the true-justified-belief theory of knowledge we discussed in class.Then make up your own Gettier case and explain why i - Essay Example However, despite the acceptance of the JTB theory, there is so much consideration to be done around the epistemology of knowledge development. For that reason, a theory of justification is required, which will lead to answers from the question that the subject (S) is justified in holding the belief that the proposition (p) is factual. Therefore, warrants to be treated like knowledge – if a theory of justification supports the belief. Discussion The conditions required for the true justified belief theory are based on the regard that there should be the subject (S) that holds the proposition in question. The first condition for the theory is that there should be a proposition, which should warrant the subject’s treatment that it is factual and one warranting to be regarded as truthful. The second condition for the theory is that the subject (S) should be one who believes that the proposition in question is truthful (Pritchard, Millar & Haddock 22). The third condition is that the subject (S) should be one who can offer a justification or one who identifies with a justification that supports their belief in the truthfulness of the proposition in question (p). ... e second condition is necessary and sufficient, mainly because the subject (S) should hold the belief that the proposition (p) is truthful, because in the case that they do not, then it would not be considered for its truthfulness or the lack thereof (Schaffer 73-75). The third condition is necessary and sufficient, mainly because it is necessary for the subject (S) to be in a position of offering a justification that their belief in the proposition is truthful and one that holds the potential of presenting truthfulness. The three conditions are sufficient when taken into account together, mainly because they cannot work singly, but require one another, before they can lead to the development of valid conclusions. For example, taking a case of a false proposition, then the subject is less likely to believe that it is truthful, and more is that they cannot offer a justification of the proposition. Secondly, in a case where the subject does not believe in the proposition, then they are less likely to consider it truthful, and more importantly; they cannot offer a justification for believing the proposition. Thirdly, without a justification about the belief in the proposition, it will be impossible for the subject to believe that the proposal is truthful, and more importantly, they will not be able to hold the belief that the proposition is truthful. In offering a counterexample to the truthfulness of JTB, the case of John will be used. From my class, I saw the ID of John, and it shows that he is from Florida; therefore, I can infer that he comes from Florida (inference 1). The second inference will be that, due to the fact that he is from Florida, then a member of the class comes from Florida (inference 2). In this case, inference 2 has been drawn from the justification

Marion Kaplans Between Dignity and Despair Essay

Marion Kaplans Between Dignity and Despair - Essay Example Above all, Marion A Kaplan has been able to demonstrate as to how the overall family experiences transformed due to marginalization and restrictions imposed on Jewish community. This book is academically critical as it narrates the story of common Jews who were part of the community before the rise of Hitler to the power. Marion A Kaplan offered a detailed account of changes in the social attitudes of common Germans when Hitler assumed the power. Marion attempted to illustrate the historical account of how ordinary Jews suffered during the period immediately preceding the war. She has specially been able to portray the experiences of women and how the family experiences changed during that era. Marion is known for her work on the feminist movement and extensive work on detailing the day to day lives of Jews during Imperial Germany. She has been able to combine the history of ordinary Jews with that of the gender studies with focus on women. The theme of this book is to present the Jewish history from the point of view of individuals- women specially and is based upon an extensive account of personal memoirs as well as testimonies of women who lived during that era. There has been extensive historical coverage of how the Jews survived under these conditions however; Marion’s account is more rigorous as it offered a unique and different perspective to this historical period. Until this work, Jewish history was not seen particularly from this perspective and thus this book is significant milestone towards contributing the academic literature on this subject. Marion has been able to demonstrate as to how the psychological, social as well as physical isolation of the German Jews further deteriorated their spirit and marginalized them in same society where they were considered as equal citizens. The use of legislations to actually undermine the social, economic as well as legal standing of the Jews in the country was widely used against them. These actions

How the Evian conference allowed hitler to massacre the jews Research Paper

How the Evian conference allowed hitler to massacre the jews - Research Paper Example The urgency of the refugee problem was graphically portrayed in the case of four hundred refugees from Austria who drifted for several weeks on a barge in the Danube: â€Å"Although they were within sight of three frontiers, they could go back neither to the country from which they were driven out nor land at any foreign port. (They were) people without a country, human flotsam adrift on an international stream.†1It was evident that an unprecedented, immense humanitarian crisis faced the world. U.S. President F.D. Roosevelt called for an international conference to address the plight of refugees fleeing Nazi persecution. The resulting Intergovernmental Conference on Political Refugees was held in Evian-les-Bains in Southern France, opening on July 6, 1938. The Evian Conference’s preliminaries, the refusal of the participating nations to ease visa restrictions and the results are proof of the multi-national anti-Semitism which provided Hitler with complete impunity for a vision of a world free of the â€Å"Jewish Vermin.† The Conference’s preliminaries displayed the underlying anti-Semitism in world society. America suggested Switzerland as the venue but was turned down by the Swiss who feared German displeasure. The official participants of the Conference were Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, United Kingdom, Chile, Canada, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, France, Guatemala, Haiti, Ireland, Honduras, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Norway, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Sweden, Switzerland, the USA, Uruguay and Venezuela. Poland and Romania attend unofficially, while South Africa was an observer.2 These nations agreed to participate only on the understanding that they would not be asked to increase their quota of refugees – they would only be called upon to offer solutions to the refugee problem. In the first instance, Great Britain and France collaborated to ensure that the mandate of the new body extended only to refugees from Germany and Austria, excluding any refugees from Rumania, Italy, Poland, Hungary and Spain.3 Again, at the very outset, Britain made it clear that any notion of large-scale settlement in Palestine would not be acceptable. This stand reflected the British policy of appeasement of the Arabs, in order to prevent uprisings against Jewish immigration. In fact, the British representative, Lord Winterton, deliberately avoided all references to Palestine in his opening address. Earlier, he had assured the British foreign office that â€Å"he and the British delegates would bear in mind the need to avoid provoking the Reich government.†4Australia held that Jews could not be culturally assimilated into their county and attended only to avoid international criticism. Canada attended the Conference with great reluctance, fearing being pressurized into admitting Jews. Canada’s anti-Semitic sentiment was amply demonstrated in the reply of a senior official to the question of how many Jews would be allowed into the country after WWII: â€Å"None would be too many.†5Switzerland sent its Police Chief, Dr. H. Rothmund, as its delegate, clearly conveying its intention of doing nothing for the Jews. In the words of a renowned journalist, â€Å"I doubt if much will be done.   The British, French and Americans seem too anxious not to do anything to offend Hitler.   It's an absurd situation.   They want to appease the man who was responsible for their problem.†

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words - 2

Marketing - Essay Example The framework of the product life cycle assists in managing a product through the processes involved from birth to its demise. It is possible to look at the product life cycle in the management of a product, as providing the guidelines that a good parent would like to have in the bringing up of a baby and sending it out face the challenges of a competitive world and providing input to meet these challenges. However in recent times the validity of the relevance of the product life cycle to the modern marketers is facing a challenge. Groucutt, 2005, p. 198, suggests that the product life cycle may be taken as a concept that â€Å"is used to predict the strategic needs associated with products as they age within the market place. It allows for the development of strategies appropriate to the life cycle stage and anticipate the need for changes in strategy as progression from one stage to another occurs† (1). Even though the origins of the product life cycle concept are rooted in economic theory as shown by Schumpeter in 1934, the credit of the origin of the product life cycle is normally attributed to Dean in 1950. It was however Levitt, T., who popularized the product life cycle concept from the early to the mid-1960’s, from where it came to be an established framework to assist in the analysis of the product portfolio of an organization. (1). The theory behind the product life cycle was presented in a simple manner by Kotler in 1967 as a classical model in marketing management for the explanation of the life of a product in the market. The classical model of the product life cycle is an S – shaped curve, as seen in Figure -1 consisting of four stages namely the introduction phase, the growth phase, the maturity phase and the decline phase, showing the four stages of a product in a market. A saturation element was later added on to the maturity phase making the third phase consist of maturity and saturation. The classical model of the product life

Policing Trends and Issues Essay Example for Free

Policing Trends and Issues Essay * History and roles of law enforcement in society. During the history of Law Enforcement the duty of police is to maintain order, dealing with lawbreakers. At the same time, citizens were responsible for protecting themselves and maintaining an orderly society. With the pass of the time, throughout the Law Enforcement field, organized police department have change dramatically. In addition, the modern style police departments did not appear until the fourteenth century in France and nineteenth century in England. Moreover, the first police officers were Praetorian Guard, who was a select group of highly qualified members of the military established by the Roman emperor Augustus to protect him and his palace. During the 1829, Sir Robert Peel credited with establishing the first English police department which was the London Metropolitan Police. At the same time, during the seventeenth century English policing system also used a form of individual, private police known them also like the Thief-takers. The Thief-Takers were private English citizens with no official status who were paid by the king for every criminal they arrested. The roles of law enforcement in society are criminal apprehension, conviction, and crime prevention. Throughout the history and roles of law enforcement many things have changed for example the treatment and punishments for offenders. In the past offenders were treat as animals and slaves, because while in prison they cannot communicate each other, during meal, and work. Moreover, during that time they have very strict rules, such as silent obedience, discipline, and labor, which they have to follow, and many offenders died inside of the prison as a result of brutal treatment. Now, offenders receive a different treatments and punishments, they are able to have communication with their inmates, and they do not receive brutal treatment like animals. They also form their gang members and sells drugs  while in prison. Then, during the 1980’s and 1990’s included the development of a computer revolution in policing involving communications, record keeping, fingerprinting, and criminal investigations. * Levels of jurisdiction. Police has jurisdiction and their city sheriff has jurisdiction over the county. * Distinction among the multiple functions of modern law enforcement agencies. * Analysis of historical events that have shaped modern policing practices. Past II – Scenario 1. Throughout the history of police agencies, there have been different traditions surrounding how to handle DUI stops. If you were on routine patrol and stopped a vehicle on reasonable suspicion of driving while intoxicated, and discovered that the passenger was your next door neighbor, what would you do? Historically, how would law enforcement handle this type of situation versus today? First at all, I will not care if he/she is my next door neighbor or even a family member, because I choose to become a police officer to protect and help my community without being corrupt. Then, I would do the right thing, without caring who is committing a DUI stop because my job is serving as a police officer and treat all people equal. I will handle this type of situation by asking for their license, insurance, and registration. In my opinion I think that law enforcement in the past should act violent, with the people. On the other hand, comparing it with today police officers should just ask for their license, insurance and registration, without any aggression against people. 2. You are on foot patrol and a citizen who is known to be a drug dealer walks up to you and complains that another officer is talking money from him. He is afraid of retaliation and is unsure how to handle this. What is the ethical and professional response to this, and why? 3. You are on duty and having lunch. While you are eating, a citizen walks up to you and tells you that the bank across the street is being robbed. How do you respond? Who has jurisdiction and why? 4. You have recently completed field training and are on routine patrol when you receive a call to a disturbance in a home, when you arrive, you realize that one of the individuals involved is threatening suicide. You have not been trained to deal with suicide threats. How do you respond? 5. You are on routine patrol and you notice two individuals on the street looking inside of jewelry store. It is 85 degrees out in the middle of July and they are both wearing heavy winter coats. Explain which Supreme Court case would apply and what you would do in this situation. 6. You are recruit that has just graduated from the academy. It is your first week being trained on the street. You and your Field Training Officer walk into a department store and you observe him taking an item without paying for it. You leave that store and on your way out he tells you that if you are questioned by anyone, you did not see anything. What do you do in this situation? Part III – summary Reactions * How do ethical decisions tie into the profession of policing? Ethical decisions tie into the profession of policing by doing the right thing. In other words, ethical decisions are a set of standards that tell us how we should behave at all times. In addition, no one stands without a code of ethics; everyone has to follow their code of ethics based on their positions. For example, ethics are more than what we must do its doing what we should do following a code of ethics which requires self control at all times. Moreover, ethical decisions tie into the profession of policing by doing the right thing and seeing the difference between the right and wrong thing. These ethical decisions are very significant in the field of policing because each ethical decision has consequences. For example, when you do the right thing you can gain sacrifice, pride, integrity, reputation, honor, respect, caring, responsibility and satisfaction than doing an unethical decision and having bad consequences for your career. * In the scenarios above, and in general, why do you think it is important to maintain ethical and professional behavior in the workplace at all times. It is important to  maintain ethical and professional behavior in the workplace at all time, because it help you to have self-control, give fairness for all, and because it affects our workplace or business. Another reason of why ethical and professional behavior is important in the workplace at all times is important is because having a good conduct helps maintain a high level of respect not only for people but for the profession you have. In other words, as a professional, you need to know the things you should not do because each workplace has a different ethical code of behavior that has to be follow and not to be violate. On the other hand, being honest, having respect and telling the truth all times at work is an ethical thing to do. Maintaining an ethical and professional behavior in the workplace at all times, have benefits, which are helpful such as respect, integrity, and honor. Also each professional behavior has a result of progress, and success. Then, having an ethical and professional behavior is important because if you chose a career in criminal justice you have to serve and protect people from criminals by doing the right thing not by being corrupt. * Describe why it is important to understand the function of law enforcement within the criminal justice and how understanding this can better prepare you for a career within the criminal justice field. For example, if you chosen career function is corrections, how does law enforcement work with the correctional system in ensuring justice is served?

Traditional Values In Now Essay Example for Free

Traditional Values In Now Essay In the 1950’s, the family was portrayed as consisting of a father, a mother and their children who were most preferably boys. Rarely were there any girls in the shows that were brought on television. The men were supposed to work and earn money that would then be used to bring home what was needed in the house for the women to cook in other words the men were seen as bread-winners while the women were the bread makers. There was also a lot of racism and the difference between colored and white people was clear-cut-interracial. Marriages were unheard of and those people who did so were discriminated against and even suffered being labeled as outcasts in the society. There were also areas that were segregated specifically for the different races and they could not mix. One was not allowed to live in such areas unless they belonged to the specific race that was allowed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   One was labeled a social misfit if found to be a gay or a lesbian. The society went out of its way to discourage such behaviors and practices. It was not so much as preventing the occurrence of such behavior but to hide it from the society. There were benefits provided to married people that were denied the unmarried because they wanted to ensure that they avoided having homosexuals in the society. Since it was a form of deviance there was a cure recommended for it and this was marriage and children. If this failed then one had to pretend that it was working (http://www-mcwilliam.com). Due to the huge number of young pregnant girls, there was a lot of adoption happening in the 1950’s. Women were beaten up by their husbands and also sexually mistreated and it was always depicted that it was their faults   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In the current practice of non-traditional family values, one finds a lot of single parents and also gay and lesbian marriages in which they adopt to complete the family set-up recommended by the traditional family values. Most of the social problems that are to be found in the current society have been blamed on this breakdown of traditional family values. The presence of families headed by single mothers has been blamed for the increased rate of unemployment, juvenile crime, school dropout and poor health. (http://www.scu.edu). Most families that are led by single women are mostly black families just as was previously during the traditional family value days. They were usually separated from their husbands and it is still happening up to date.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Up to now, the women are still not seen as equals with men although there have been huge strides taken towards this opinion. Women are still discriminated against economically and also in terms of employment. Although there has been an increased awareness of the homosexual marriages, it is still frowned upon by society. This has led to the formation of various protest groups that intend to justify their way of life and demand to be respected regardless of their sexual orientation or gender. However, one finds that these people are still not free to express themselves, as they tend to face violent incidences when come across people who do not conform to the changes taking place.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   In America, a huge percentage of black men render themselves unable to perform the traditional male roles in the family and hence become irrelevant. They are usually involved in drug abuse and various forms of violence and more often than not end up being imprisoned thus increasing the number of households headed by black women. The problems that the black community faces are blamed on their departure from the traditional family values but the more they are blamed the more remote their chances for returning to the traditional family values become. Nowadays, there is an increase in the number of single white mothers and there is increased concern over this new phenomenon yet when it was about black mothers not much was done to prevent its increase.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The traditional value of having a nuclear family that includes two parents and children is being exercised even in homosexual unions. They have gone so far as legalizing their unions through marriages and in the recent years they are even wedding in church. Due to the various advances made in the scientific field, these couples can end up having their own children and if this is not desirable or possible for them, they adopt a child from the welfare system (http://bad.eserver.org). In trying to show that homosexuals are not really normal, they are depicted even by the media as people with awkward traits like men who have feminine traits and women who strive to look and behave like men.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Although society is accepting some of the changes taking place in the society, some parts of the society are still very much attached to the values that were to be found in the society are very much attached to the values that were to be found in the traditional families. These are usually those who benefited from the practice of such values. These people include mostly white, married heterosexual men. They are the people who fight most for the reintroduction and reinforcement of the traditional families values. In the traditional family values, men and especially white men were treated differently from other people and also treated other people differently. The traditional values were racist and sexist and favoured the white men who looked down on the white women and other races as being inferior to them (Leed D. H. Schaninger C. M. pg 3-6)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   There has been an increase in the number of interracial marriages and they are becoming accepted although some are still staunchly against them. This has affected the family structure in that there is now the introduction of children who are not purely of one race. This then makes them unable to be able to look down on any race, as they do not belong to any specific race. Among these group of people racism is very minimal if any and this is a huge improvement in regards to social cohesion. It has led to the melting pot theory in the United States. The adoptive strategy that was practiced in the traditional family when a girl got pregnant out of wedlock has reduced, as more women prefer to become single parents instead of giving their children up for adoption.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   By empowering women financially, it has liberated them to be able to make choices on how to lead their lives. Previously women were supposed to listen to their husband’s wishes and do their best to help them achieve their dreams. This has changed to enabling women to achieve their dreams and to succeed where men had dominated before. It has allowed them to make decisions to live their lives even in the absence of a man in their lives. By incorporating some traditional values in the non-traditional families there is a sense of stability introduced in the society and also liberation of people like marriages. When some disruptive values like racism are abandoned it leads to increased harmony in the society and the issue is striking the right balance between the two ways of life.                      Reference: Barlow A. Probert R. 2004 Regulating Marriage and Cohabitations: Changing Family Values and Policies in Europe and North America- An Introductory Critique Law Policy pg 1-11. Lee D.H. Schaninger C.M 2002 Altitudinal and Consumption Differences Among Traditional and Non-traditional Childless Couple Households Henry Stewart Publications New York USA Mc William peter 1996 Ain’t Nobody’s Business If You Do Traditional Family Values Retrieved on 17th October 2007 from http://mcwilliams.com/books/aint/404.htm Perry T.L 2007 Family Values, Race, Feminism and Public Policy Retrieved on 17th October 2007 from http://www.scu.edu/ethics/publications/other/lawreview/familyvalues.html Sandell J. March 1994 issue 12 The Cultural Necessity of Queer Families To a Certain Extent 1993 really was the year of the queer. http://bad.eserver.org/issues/1994/12/sandell.htm

BTVET in Uganda

BTVET in Uganda AN INVESTIGATIVE STUDY OF FACTORS AFFECTING ENROLMENT AND COMPLETION RATES IN INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER LEARNING (BTVET) IN UGANDA Introduction This study attempts to conduct an investigation of the factors affecting enrolment and completion rates within the Business, Technical Vocational Education and Training (BTVET) institutions in Uganda. The study covers a period of ten years (between 1999 to 2009), rationally decided upon as it was during this time when the government Implemented major reforms within the education system of the country, as a result of the Education Review Commission (1989). It will be noted that 1999 falls two years short of the actual time (1997) when the government implemented Universal Primary Education (UPE) free to four children of every Ugandan family in the country a step towards meeting Education for all (EFA) by the year 2012 as one of the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) in the country. The study takes place more than ten years down the line since the inception of UPE and three years after Universal Secondary Education (USE) programmes. Whilst many primary schools are still struggling with the influx of pupils who would otherwise have had no chance of getting a formal elementary education if it were not for UPE and USE, this author seeks to investigate whether the implementation of these programmes has in any way made a difference to peoples attitudes towards education in general and vocational education in particular. The study seeks to investigate the trend of enrolment and completion in institutions of higher learning and in particular those in the Business, Technical, Vocational Education and Training (BTVET) sector during the time when Education For All (EFA) by the year 2012, has been on top of the agenda as one of the United Nations Millennium Development Goals (MDG) for developing countries. The UPE programme took off amidst a barrage of problems including widespread public criticism resulting from the initially poor performance of typical UPE schools in the country. Among the problems that pledged this programme from the very start was the issue of congestion of the available classrooms. Because of the UPE programme many schools reported overwhelming enrolments leading to an influx of the hitherto non school going children. This became a cause for concern as a result of the overstretched existing facilities within schools. In spite of the inadequate conditions under which some of the schools operated, and whilst some schools were still lamenting the lack of space and inadequate facilities, it was about this time that the government made good its second promise regarding free education and introduced the Universal Secondary Education, (USE) free for all. The programme, which started in 2007, was introduced in a similar way to UPE ten years earlier. Similar in a sense tha t the programme was ill prepared for as it was started within the existing school infrastructure and with the same manpower. Three years down the line however, reports from the media and evidence from schools seem to suggest that the USE programme has produced increased rates of enrolment in secondary schools by the year since it was started. It is the assumption of this author that if these reforms in the education sector have so far been a success story they could have a similar impact on peoples attitudes regarding education in general and vocational education in particular, and it is from the results of this study that this fact will be fully established. It is on this basis among other factors that this author is to conduct a study of the rates at which students enroll and complete their courses paying particular attention to such factors as cause them to drop out and what to do about it. It is important to note at this point however that in as much as both primary and secondary education have been made universal there are still many children of school going age that are not in school, leaving us with questions demanding answers as to why this is so. There are many children seen hanging about on streets whilst others resort to early marriages and/or childhood labour. A lot of children who dont go to school are found in the villages which are the centre of activity for most families who live on subsistence farming. Causes for this can be numerous, however let it suffice to say at this point that this kind of situation is at the centre of this studys investigation. Whereas there is no legislation on school going age in the country universal education has so far not been made compulsory. This has not only given some parents the freedom but also has to a great extent contributed to keeping many children away from schools since there is no accountability to any local autho rity for not sending children to school. With so many children growing up in an environment where a good part of the population either disregard the importance of education or considers it to be beyond their reach, it is important to investigate whether this carries any significance in terms of influence to the students who opt to continue with education in institutions of higher learning. Whilst the tendency of dropping out of schools can be traced in all sectors of education in the country, it is important to investigate the rate at which it is happening. Since the government set up the Special Educational Policy Review Commission (1989), some of its results have been realized in the government white paper on education, in addition to UPE and USE. There is need therefore to investigate further the reforms on educational programmes brought about as a result of the action of this commission and how these impact on enrolment and completion rates. OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY 1. To establish factors that influence students to join institutions of higher learning. 2. To investigate how the programmes on offer within the institutions of higher learning particularly in the BTVET sector meet employment needs of young people 3. The study will seek to establish the trend of performance in the BTVET institutions by comparing the number of students that initially enroll and the number that finish their two or three year courses, noting any disparities if any, over a period of ten years. 4. A cross section of school drop outs will be located and interviewed to establish reasons why they failed to complete their courses. 5. A cross section of students in the final year of their courses will also be interviewed to establish factors that motivate them to complete their courses. 6. To study and draw examples from developing countries as well as developed European countries for purposes of comparing and contrasting the BTVET situation on ground in Uganda. It is the view of this author that comparing and contrasting systems will provide a wider perspective about how BTVET courses are taught elsewhere in relationship to what is on the ground. 7. To conduct a review of the literature that explores education as practiced in the history of the African traditional society the context in which formal education can be appreciated and practiced for the benefit of communities (ref). 8. To conduct a brief study of the current reforms within the British system of education as an example of a system that is constantly transforming in an attempt to match needs of young people in a developed country. Political/Economic background to the Problem Uganda is a land-locked country, which lies across the equator in the heart of Africa, covering 241,139 square kilometers, 17% of which is water. Most of the country lies between 900-2000 meters above sea level, which makes it enjoy a generally mild tropical climate with temperatures ranging between 17 ºc and 28 ºc with the average rainfall of about 1500 mm p.a. The same altitudinal variations enable Uganda grow a wide range of subsistence and cash crops for the country. With a population, which is now estimated to be 24.4 Million, Uganda has an annual growth rate of 3.3% and a density of 124 persons per square kilometer. Females constitute about 51.2% of the population according to the 2002 National Population and Housing Census. A decade after Uganda attained independence in 1962 a period of political instability was experienced, (1970-1979) which led to serious economic and political decline. During this period skilled manpower including a large number of professionals fled the country seeking political and economic refuge. As a result of this most of the infrastructure for industries, education, transport and other service sectors were hardly repaired or maintained with many consequently falling into decline. The countrys growth in all sectors including that of the vocational education and training was adversely affected and the need for economic and social renewal both in terms of infrastructure as well as public attitudes towards education programmes was stronger than ever. Studies within the ministry of education and the Uganda Bureau of Statistics (UBOS), indicate that this situation appears to have improved in the past twenty years during which time a lot of changes have been brought about by the pres ent regime. The present system of education in Uganda is patterned after the model of the British system of education inherited after the country attained her political independence in 1962(ref). This system of education was originally designed to produce graduates with a bias towards secretarial and administrative jobs(ibid). This is because the main purpose of education during the colonial days was to provide personnel for service to the colonial master (ref). The system had no inclination towards rural development although government policy emphasized transformation of the country side(ibid). The educational system continued to over-supply youngsters with purely academic type of education while shortages of specialised practical training persisted. As a result of this trend when the Ministry of Planning and Economic Development conducted a survey in 1997 it was revealed that there was an acute shortage of professionals and technicians in the manufacturing industry. The time elapsed since then calls for yet another study to help find out the present state of affairs regarding the job market in Uganda. Documentary evidence from the ministry of education and sports seems to suggest that enrolment in institutions of technical and higher education does not correspond to the countrys manpower needs. Moreover, earlier research within the ministry has shown that the enrolment mechanism used is one where each institution has an enrolment target set depending on the previous years enrolment as well as available resources and training capacity of the institution(ref). In setting targets, there is no evidence to suggest that the government gives priority to the countrys job market needs or to the needs of the young people in a particular geographical area. Most of the institutions whether government or private often attract students nationwide regardless of geographical boundaries, who apply for admission to the already established courses. Admission to these courses is on merit and certain courses are highly competitive. A comprehensive study of Ugandas National Manpower which was carried o ut in 1988 by the Ministry of Education and Sports revealed that countrywide, there were at that time 21 vocational schools, 77 technical schools and institutes and 37 business schools and institutes with a total annual output of about 5000. Of the total number of institutions, 5 vocational centres, 52 technical schools and institutes were government-aided. The survey also revealed that from 1983 to 1987 (inclusive), vocational schools graduated 3795; technical institutions graduated 6011 while commercial institutions graduated 11,831. The survey showed that the manufacturing sector alone employed 3.6 per cent of the administrative, managerial and professionals enumerated; 6.6 per cent of the technicians and associate professional personnel and 12.7 per cent of the skilled workers. It was projected that the number of 5000 artisans, technicians and craftsmen who were at the time produced by Ugandan institutions would hardly satisfy the demand by the economy especially during the peri od of rehabilitation and reconstruction programmes to be undertaken under the new regime. Despite the fact that vocational education and training institutions are supposed to produce graduates whose skills will be readily utilised in the job market, it has been observed that there are many graduates of the vocational sector that suffer from joblessness. As to whether this is a result of students taking the wrong courses, or whether it is the inadequacy of the infrastructure within the industrial economy making it unable to absorb all graduates, is a fact yet to be established. On the matter of joblessness however, Dewey (1998) asserts that education serves a far greater purpose, suggesting that it is a means by which members of the society preserve their own identity and values. Nevertheless, this problem of joblessness and economic backwardness resulting from systems of education which produce unemployable graduates remains a subject of investigation. Hence the necessity of this study to investigate and analyse all factors underlying the enrolment and completion rates wi thin the very institutions concerned with the supply of manpower for the industrial economy of the country. Study questions In some of the rural areas of Uganda, TVET has in the past been generally considered as a second-class education in both the perceptions and expectations of pupils and parents. Likewise low prestige is attached to technical training as it is often associated with failure to achieve higher academic aspirations. This suspicion of a second-class education supposedly leads some parents to opt for a general type of education that is likely to help improve quality of everyday life by providing access to white collar employment for their sons and daughters. It is one of the aims of this study to investigate whether the attitude of both parents and their children has had any effect on the enrolment and completion rates in TVET institutions. A review of the Uganda Education Policy Review Report (1989) reveals an observation made regarding Ugandas educational curriculum of the late 80s, as outdated and irrelevant to the needs of the economy. Among other things it was recommended that the curri culum be revised and updated for it to suit the countrys needs. With over two decades down the line since the establishment of this review commission there is a need to investigate whether this recommendation was ever put into effect, and to establish whether there is a difference between the present provision of educational programmes and those of twenty years ago. The study therefore seeks to find answers to the following questions: a) What are the factors affecting the rates of enrolments into VET programmes. b) What are the factors affecting completion rates in TVET institutions. c) What is the trend of enrolment in relationship to completion rates in the BTVET institutions over the past ten years? Focus of the Study From the Uganda Bureau of statistics (2002) we find that the rural population represents 70 percent of the worlds poor and 72 percent of the population of the least developed countries. Many African governments are doing their best to harness development through urbanisation and education of masses in a bid to uplift the populations standards of living. However, despite the urbanization, the situation of poverty and underdevelopment is likely to stay with us for the foreseeable future. The present campaign to ‘make poverty history in the developing countries might yield no results and poverty will continue to exist for as long as the worlds rural populations remain living in such conditions such as those that exist today. While African countries are likely to benefit from the global fight to try and assist in making poverty history, the real solution is not in ‘the provision of the fish, but in teaching the African young people ‘the fishing techniques (ref). In this respect, education which is the process by which people learn and acquire skills (ref) need to focus on imparting the right kind of skills, those which will promote a holistic type of education. Likewise, the governments policies and resources need to be redirected to providing a type of education that will produce the skills of a kind that the country needs for its social and economic development. Studies by the World Bank reveal that in Africa today vocational skills are particularly important at an early stage in the education of an individual because circumstances such as wars and pestilences have made many a young person become the sole provider for the family. For this reason among others, this study will focus on the young people and the factors that have in the past ten years influenced their enrolments, drop outs and those that motivated completion in various courses offered in the BTVET institutions. A review of the Literature on Ugandas current Education system According to the Uganda National Curriculum, formal education in Uganda takes seven years at the primary level, followed by four to six years for both ‘O and ‘A level. Students completing this level join the technical schools which take three years at the lower level and 2 years at the advanced level. As would be the case in many countries the choice to join a technical school at the lower primary school level is not a very popular one as to many it would reflect academic failure, and to some a poor economic background. Another considerable factor is the poor output for those joining at this level, as it gives poor yields both in skill and standards of living. Grubb, (1995) emphasizes this fact by asserting that the training programmes for the low educated and less skilled have in the past not been particularly successful in getting them jobs and higher incomes. There have been in the past great opportunities for ‘O level leavers to join the Primary Teachers College s (PTC), this is also reducing as the demand for standards in institutions becomes higher and higher in the country. Those who join ‘A level eventually join either university or an institute of higher learning such as a National Teachers College (NTC), and possibly a technical/vocational college or farm school. The Uganda Vocational Curriculum is represented in an overlapping three-tier system with level one, the craftsman level offered by technical schools as the lowest. This level is for the primary school leavers who for various reasons could not make it to secondary schools. Such students go to technical schools for three-year full time courses leading to the award of Uganda Junior Technical Certificate (UJTC) in courses such as Carpentry and Joinery, Block laying and Concrete Practice, Tailoring, and Agriculture. Level two is also known as the Technician level offered through technical colleges and Uganda Polytechnic normally admits ‘O level with high passes in Science and Mathematics and in certain cases ‘A level graduates not absorbed into university. These technical Institutes offer two-year full time courses in various vocational courses such as Carpentry and Joinery, Mechanics, Plumbing, etc. Due to rising academic standards however, many students who would benefit fro m these courses are kept out as a result of high pass grades in Mathematics, Physics and English at Olevel. Level three, the graduate engineer level is offered through Universities, Technical Colleges and the Uganda Polytechnics. These recruit ‘A level graduates who passed examinations in Physics and Mathematics. Courses are of a two-year duration leading to the award of ordinary diploma in Civil, Mechanical and Electrical Engineering among others. Graduate level engineers are currently trained only at Makerere University. However, according to a report by Wirak, et al, (2003), the Uganda Polytechnic Kyambogo aspiring for university status, in 2001/2002 academic year through a merger with the Institute of Teacher Education Kyambogo (ITEK) sought to upgrade into a degree awarding institution known as Kyambogo University. In addition to Makerere University this institution might also be in position to offer similar degree programmes in engineering. Vocational training on the other hand, is offered through the Directorate of Industrial Training with various Centres and programmes within the country. The directorate is responsible for industrial training, apprenticeship training, trade testing and certification and skills up-grading. Ugandas Education Curriculum The National Curriculum Development Centre (NCDC) a body responsible for reviewing the needs and formulating the curriculum was set up in 1973, (Bennell Sayed, 2002). This body has revised the curriculum and attempts made to implement it, covering a range of subjects at primary and secondary school levels. In spite of all the efforts towards formulating a practically oriented curriculum however, it is worth noting that the curriculum is still academically rigorous and irrelevant to the economical and industrial needs of the country. Reasons for this could be attributed to the inherent biasness within the education system where general education programmes are treated with higher priority and given preference by both parents and students over vocational education programmes. Past experience has shown that many school leavers do not have the skills needed by the employers in spite of successful completion of their general education courses. It is also evident that the Uganda Curriculu m seems to promote the traditional trend of a high demand for an academic education which is the basis for white-collar employment notwithstanding the needs for the countrys growing mixed economy. According to Bennell Sayed, (2002) Uganda has been one of leading Sub-Sahara African countries to implement wide-ranging economic and social reforms to achieve sustainable growth. And it is for this reason that the country has in the recent past been mentioned as a success story for the African continent by several UNESCO and World Bank reports (UNESCO, 2001). Progress is particularly prominent in primary education due to the decision taken in 1996 to implement universal primary education free to four children in every family. This removed what had been an important economic impediment for families to enroll and maintain their children at school. According to a ministerial report (Bitamazire, 2005) by 2001, about 65 percent of the total education budget was devoted to primary education an d the gross enrolment ratio for this level increased from about 75 percent in 1995 to about 135 percent in 2002, (ibid). Late 2005, the prospect of Universal Secondary Education (USE) was announced, (Newvision, Nov. 2005). It was predicted that the scheme would benefit an estimated 300,000 pioneers to the programme. This number would comprise of pupils who sat for Primary Leaving Examinations in 2005 and those who completed Primary 7 under Universal Primary Education (UPE) in 2004 and 2003 but were unable to continue due to lack of funds for school fees, (ibid). The successful implementation of this programme would make Uganda the first country in Africa to introduce universal and free secondary education, (ibid). According to UNESCO, (2005) by the year 2004, only a fifth (20%) of the then Ugandas population of 25 million had a chance to enroll for secondary education, and the beneficiaries were mainly from the higher income groups and urban families. The new USE scheme would aim at enhancing access to secondary education, particularly for low-income groups and children from rural families. As one of the ways of advancing towards the millennium development goals, (MDG), Vocational Education and Training is of particular importance in todays globalized, information and knowledge-based economy. In order for any society to successfully integrate its young people and have them ‘benefit from the economy a well-educated workforce is inevitable (Bennell Sayed, 2002). In Ugandas predominantly rural economies where many primary school leavers do not have any chance of further formal education, a vocational training is most needed. With the introduction of USE the problem of unemployment will probably be exacerbated by an influx of unemployable and unskilled school leavers into the job market. By solving the problem of secondary school accessibility for many rural young people, the process of universal and free secondary education will be creating another one as the rural communities will be filled with frustrated school leavers who will not be able to cope with the rural lifestyles, and yet do not have the capacity to live the desirable urban lifestyles due to lack of employable skills. TVET and Industrial Training Industrial training is an integral part of all the courses in technical/vocational education, in each of the technical and vocational education and training institutions, including university. In Uganda students would spend a minimum of three months each year on job placement, while doing the practical training. During this time they are supervised by the industry and would normally be visited by their lecturers to assess and discuss their training and progress in their programs. Other forms of training involve field trips, regional workshops, study tours and seminars organized by the various training institutions. It is usually through such workshops and seminars that vocational students are made aware of and given the chance to discuss the experiences and opportunities provided by the world of work. According to Lugujjo, (1998) such seminars were by then limited and depended on different training institutions and their ability to finance them (the seminars). Lugujjo, (1998) further asserted that the government of Uganda ought to have adopted a coherent policy with financial provision to ‘link technical and vocational education and training to industry in order to produce proficient workers and make education more responsive to the social and economic requirements of the country. This study also investigates to what extent the Ugandan policy has supported the link between the training institutions and the real world of work (or the industry). Challenges facing the Vocational sector The structure of Ugandas education system appears to be well organized and appealing to the needs of all levels of students including those with the lowest level of formal education. Yet promising as it appears, the system still faces numerous problems and as a result it yields limited and controversial outputs as its would-be beneficiaries turn out to be its very critics. As the case would be in most countries the Uganda government as well as the general public see TVET as expensive, and difficult to implement due to the high costs of infrastructure, provision of machinery and equipment, and well trained staff to handle the programme, (Kasozi, 2005). Besides it also carries with it the stigma of being patronized by intellectually inferior students and associated with non-prestigious blue-collar employment. After completing primary school, a child who failed to go to secondary school would join a technical school. Similarly, a child who failed to go to university would have a vocatio nal institution as a last option to keep him in school. In the past the situation was made worse by the fact that technical and vocational education had no vertical mobility and access to higher education, (ibid). This was compounded by lack of adequate facilities and infrastructure in some vocational institutions resulting in the fact that many of the students completing technical/vocational courses in such institutions were ill equipped for both industry and self-employment. For some young people this constituted a reason for choosing rather to stay at home than join a technical school as it was not worth the expensive effort. For others, the feeling that a technical school was the last alternative for those students who could not make it to the next stage caused a dislike for the system. For many young people however, VET seems to be the best option as evidence from the numerous informal sector (Jua Kali) workshops in Nairobi, Kenya seems to suggest. When given the opportunity an d the right environment, many of these academically downgraded students often turn out to be among the most successful craftsmen and entrepreneurs of the country after putting to use the practical skills gained from technical and vocational institutions. Numerous examples of these are seen in the informal sector workshops in the country. Most of the informal sector in the sub-Saharan Africa is dominated by craftsmen who never saw the inside of a university classroom. Handelman, (1996) pointed out that many of the low-income workers in developing countries who find jobs, will under favourable conditions achieve upward mobility. He cites an example in Owens, (1991:235) who carried out a study of West Bengals industrial city of Howrah, where he found that â€Å"several hundred men who started with almost nothing now own factories large enough to employ twenty five or more workers, placing them among the richest people of the community.† (Handelman, 1996, pp.135-136). This example further demonstrates the fact that the acquisition of technical skills leading to industrial success does not have to depend only on ones performance in general education. a) Accessibility to Vocational Education A survey of the socio-economic needs of local communities in Uganda done by the World Bank (2002) reveal that it is the wish of most school going children and their parents that they pursue their education to the highest level and attain a university degree. However this would not be possible given the variable capabilities ranging from academic to social and economic demands. As a result a lot of students are forced to look up to other institutions of higher learning other than the Universities. This is necessary so that all students can be catered for even if they may not have academic requirements or the financial means to acquire a University education. Another factor to consider is that state universities do not have the capacity to absorb all applicants with minimum entry requirements. As a result many join private universities, vocational/technical institutions and other institutions of higher learning. The question however still to be discussed later in this study is what mot ivates students to join the institutions of higher learning, and particularly those in the Business, Technical or Vocational training sector? Studies by UNEVOC and UNESCO have established that some parents have a accepted technical and vocational education as a possible alternative for their children. This is the trend the present government seems to be following as in the process of introducing USE, there are plans to follow it up with free vocational education, (New Vision, March 29th 2006). b) Aims and objectives of TVET in Uganda: The ministry of education, listed among others the following as priorities for education of a rural community: listed among other priorities in the education for a rural community the following aims and objectives of technical and vocational education in Uganda: â€Å"To stimulate the technical growth of students in order to make them productive members of the community; and to produce craftsmen, technicians and other skilled manpower to meet the demands of industry, agriculture, commerce and the general labour force†. The Uganda Education Sector Investment Plan, (ESIP, 1998-2003), The ministry also established that ‘one of the biggest limiting factors to access entry to technical schools was the students poor academic performance in Mathematics and Science causing them to fail getting acceptance to the tech

My Photo Album :: Writing Education Teaching Essays

My Photo Album Overheard at University College London: "Because when you write this way- with this pomp and circumstance covering for any substantive thought- you aren't fooling me"...... CRASH. "OUCH! Old son- you seem to have just thrown me out a window!" If I had been given this little lecture by Mr. Pomp and Circumstance, the previous scene is what would have been witnessed. I would have thrown him out a window for two reasons. First and foremost, he sounds like an obnoxious, holier than thou prick. Second and more importantly, everything he said is right on the mark. As they say, "the truth hurts." He seems to have the ability to see through my themes and realize that I am really not saying anything at all. I like the concept that our previous work is just like an old photograph. Needless to say, I have a few photographs in my collection which I might want to hide under the bed. As I page through my photo album from college, I notice that I seem to be wearing the same outfit in almost every picture. Let's just look at a few. "By becoming acquainted with the Pardoner in both the general prologue and the prologue to his tale, we become aware of his hypocritical nature. In his prologue, we find that the Pardoner is a very immoral person." Yep, that one was taken just outside of a class on Chaucer. Look at those nicely pressed khaki slacks and that perfectly ironed shirt. I can't believe I'm standing with my hand pressed to my chin deep in thought. I don't think I ever noticed those people from English 220 snickering in the background before. Here's another good one. Lanham would have a Paramedic field day with this one. "Lawrence Frederick Kohl's book, The Politics of Individualism is at once an account of America's political turmoil in the Jacksonian era and an interpretation of the relationship of these political views to the psychological nature of the American citizen during the era. In this account of the Jacksonian era, the reader is able to recognize the framework for the politics which will dominate the nineteenth century." I think this one was taken outside Gerry Schnabel's history class. That looks like my Chaucer outfit again. I used to wear that outfit for every occasion which I thought was important. I can't help but notice that it doesn't look like there is anything behind that outfit.

Circadian Rhythms Essay -- essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tomas Izquierdo has not slept since 1945. Due to an attack of encephalitis, an inner brain inflammation, his ability to fall asleep was lost at the age of 13. Although he rests with his eyes closed, his brain patterns are those of someone who is fully awake and aware. He has memory problems and very sensitive eyes, but is otherwise completely normal. To relax, he usually uses transcendental meditation from about three or four AM until the morning (Coleman 94).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Tomas Izquierdo is what one might call someone without circadian rhythms. Circadian rhythms are the daily sleep patterns of humans. Circadian rhythms tell people when they are most alert, when they feel tired, and when they should wake up. These circadian rhythms, while difficult to research, are important to many industries, as well as a multitude of sleep disorder patients. For several years, scientists and doctors have been seeking a greater understanding of these patterns through constant, difficult, and fast paced research. The applications of such knowledge would be quite beneficial in shift based industries as well as some special circumstances. As of yet, doctors have been able to determine a few important correlations between internal time cues and sleep, activities or events that give cues to the brain about what time it is or should be. However, the research is very difficult.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Researching sleep is difficult for a variety of reasons. The first reason for difficulty is the nature of experimentation. To truly isolate the sleep patterns, all time-giving cues, or zietgebers, have to be eliminated. Light, electromagnetic waves, the schedules of researchers, and even the growth of a facial hair on outsiders may lead the subject to guess the time of day. The body can detect even the faintest cues of time, so it is incredibly important that the subject be completely shut off from time giving cues. If the subject of the research knows the time of day, he or she may adjust accordingly, skewing results and making it all but impossible to collect the data needed.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Another reason for the difficulty of sleep research is the pace of discovery. The field moves too fast for its own good. As a result, no comprehensive beginner’s text is available in the field of circadian rhythms. By the time... ... a part of their brain known as the suprachiasmatic nucleus, or SCN, gets smaller. The SCN is the primary pacemaker for most circadian functions in the brain. It is responsible for the production of the sleep hormone melatonin. As the SCN decreases in size, less melatonin is produced, causing a shift in sleep patterns. The drop in melatonin, just as in SAD patients, can cause restlessness. In order to counteract this melatonin loss, many of the elderly sit in front of light boxes, just like the SAD patients, at the end of the day for a few hours (Center for Biological).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Circadian rhythms are part of the daily lives of humans. They cue our levels of alertness, our need for sleep, and our time of waking. To better understand these rhythms, scientists from around the globe have participated in difficult research for years. As of yet, the research shows that light, hormones, exercise, age, and a variety of other factors are important in determining circadian rhythms. Perhaps in the future, scientists will be able to manipulate circadian rhythms so that people no longer feel fatigue. By then, maybe Tomas Izquierdo could finally get some long overdue sleep.

Critical Theory of Communication in Organizations Essay -- business Co

Critical Theory of Communication in Organizations The critical theory of communication developed by Stanley Deetz was designed to explore ways to insure the organizations’ health while increasing the representation of diverse human interests. He does this first by showing that corporations have become political as well as economic institutions. Deetz then employs advances in communication theory to point out how communication practices within a corporation can distort decision making. Finally, he outlines how workplaces can become more productive and democratic through communication reforms. Humanists feel that meanings are in people not words. Deetz accepts this but goes another step and wants to know whose meanings are in people. The companies meanings, the CEO’s meanings, the perception the companies give as their meanings, this is what Deetz is looking for. When people use slang in big business, they begin to put corporate values in to play. According to EM Griffin, this theory is critical in that he wants to critique the assumption that â€Å"what’s good for General Motors is good for the country.† Furthermore, Deetz feels that most people fall into the norm that is presented to them from corporate America. Companies in today’s society are appearing more democratic. They appear as more focused on the worker, the consumer, and society than their monetary needs. Is this to say that they are not concerned with money? No. The bottom line for the company is cash. However, the latest strategy is perception. How the company is perceived, makes a huge difference in how society interprets them. This theory will help us understand consent practices in the workplace. Corporations tend to make critical decisions for the public, regardless of if they know or not. The four criteria Deetz uses to discuss ways that public and corporate decisions can be made are: strategy, consent, involvement, and participation. These four points are how I am going to evaluate his theory. In the first criteria, strategy, Deetz describes the problem to be managerialism, which he defines as â€Å"a kind of systematic logic, a set of routine practices, and ideology†. Managers have one thing on their mind: control. Some employees will conform to the ways of their bosses, however some will reform against them. Deetz uses an example of stockholder... ...heory that has many truths to it, that most corporate employees would take as a surprise. They do not want to know that this is the reality of their world. What kind of person would want to know that they are being controlled by the people that give them the opportunity to make a living? Most people already realize it. Although most people do not have much of a choice in the matter, I think that most would continue with what they are doing. What is the difference between working at PriceWaterHouseCoopers and Chili’s restaurant, besides the major salary difference. I work at Chili’s, a large corporation with so many rules that you would think I was making more than $2.83 an hour (excluding tips). They dictate the way I communicate to customers, the way I dress and the style of my attire and how I look. They don’t give the impression that work comes before family, but they do expect me to pay them for the meals I eat while at work. Overall, Stanley Deetz has made many good points in evaluating how a corporation is organized. If only people would break away from the corporation, but this is the way we made it, the way our world is run, and it will never be the same again.

Air Asia Essay

INTRODUCTION : Marketing Mix : Air Asia as a brand concept be similar to or is associated with service stipulation, the 8Ps method adopted for service marketing may be competently espoused for its advertising. The 8Ps are: Product – This refers to the stuff or services to be offered by the company. In the case of Air Asia, their services is about low-priced airline services, thus the need for constant review should be bear in mind in order to meet the changing customer expectations. Place –Air Asia are considering the issue regarding availability of services needed by the target market, i.e., current and prospective clients. As seen, Air Asia are now doing the online booking and online ticketing in which clients can avail the services of Air Asia. Aside from this, the company was also committed in extending their services all over Asia. Price – In terms of price, Air Asia fees were priced competitively and guaranteed at low price. Promotion – Air Asia’s most effec tive ways to communicate to the various target groups to stimulate greater awareness, interest and patronage are somewhat good but not exceptional. Air Asia are also using TV advertisement, Internet marketing, and billboard advertising. Physical Evidence – In terms of presentation, Air Asia’s services are exceptional. As seen in their offices and aircraft board, Air Asia are known with their well-dressed staff, logos on office doors/ business centers, letter heads, brochures, complimentary cards, consultancy reports, etc. Process – With regards to the process, the business of Air Asia are well management in which makes their business system flawless and customer complaints are easily handled. People – When it comes to people, Air Asia chooses the best suitable person needed by the company. This means that Air Asia expertly identify the capabilities of a person that will reflect the value of Air Asia services. Public Relations – Air Asia stakeholders carefully identify the various publics that can impact on Air Asia to which PR communications can be directed. Such publics  include individual c onsultants, clients, big practices, small practices, other related professional associations, relevant agencies of the United Nations, financial institutions, etc. AirAsia Key Strategies :Safety First : Partnering with the world’s most renowned maintenance providers and complying with the world airline operations. High Aircraft Utilization : Implementing the regions fastest turnaround time at only 25 minutes, assuring lower costs and higher productivity. Low Fare, No Frills : Providing guests with the choice of customizing services without compromising on quality and Services.Streamline Operations : Making sure that processes are as simple as possible. 5.Lean Distribution System : Offering a wide and innovative range of distribution channels to make booking and travelling easier. 6.Point to Point Network : Applying the point-to-point network keeps operation simple and lower costs. Gaps Model : PerceivedServiceExpected Service CUSTOMERCOMPANY CustomerGapGap 1Gap 2Gap 3External Communications to CustomersGap 4ServiceDeliveryCustomer-Driven Service Designs and StandardsCompany Perceptions of Consumer Expectations The main aim of any organisation is to reduce the gap between the expected service and the perceived service i.e. the customer gap,which can be reduced by minimising the four providers gap from the company side. Customer Gap :ExpectedservicePerceivedserviceCustomer Gap AirAsia manages the customer expectation by using the following strategies: Customer Satisfaction Towards service quality in AirAsia :Five dimension through which the service quality is measured are the following ways: 1.Reliability2.Assurance3.Empathy4.Tangibility5.Responsiveness. In order to fulfill the customers’ needs, the ultimate concern for Airlines Corporation is the service offered. The contributing factor for the latter is due to the fact that only satisfied customers will have the intention of repeat purchase (coming back again to avail the service). Additionally, they will tend to share their great experiences and benefits with their network of friends. Many people would argue that price is the most crucial element of concern among the customers. However, the service provided is closely  related as the most significant concern in the airlines industry. Continuous improvement in the service provided to the customers should be planned and executed to maximize the b usiness performance. The improvement in CS for airlines industry can be linked with the measurements of service quality such as tangible features (TF), schedule, services provided by ground staff (GS) and flight attendants (FA), online services (OS), food services (FS) and level of passenger satisfaction. According to Brown (1991), SQ is difficult to define because of the intangible nature of the service offering. The definition of quality may differ from situation to situation and from person to person. In this study, CS towards SQ was focused on AirAsia Malaysia. By applying the measurements of SQ like TF, schedule, services provided by GS and FS, OS, FS and level of passenger satisfaction, the researchers have identified the dimension of SQ that affects the CS. This dimension serves as the most critical dimension for AirAsia. By conducting this study, the information and results have practical implications for AirAsia’ managers as they can manage company resources to make improvement for CS. Business Model :LOW COST CARRIER (LCC) BUSINESS MODEL The low cost airlines like AirAsia have changed the definition of airlines that air travel is a luxury and it is only for the upper segment of the population. The key objective of low cost carriers is to increase their reach and provide the services to a large segment. However, the low cost carriers are now facing some challenges in the market. AirAsia follows the Low-Cost-Carrier (LCC) business model in the airline industry, which can be characterized as below: Low Cost Carrier (LCC) Business Model Simple Product Catering on demand for extra payment Planes with narrow seating and only a single class No seat assignment No frequent flyer programmes Positioning Non-business passengers, especially leisure traffic and price-conscious business passengers Short-haul point to point traffic with high frequencies Aggressive marketing Secondary airports Competition with all transport carriers Low Operating Costs Low wages Low airport fees Low costs for maintenance, cockpit training and standby crews due to homogeneous fleet High resource productivity Short ground waits due to simple boarding processes No air freight, no hub services, short cleaning times, and high percentage of online sales MAJOR CHALLENGES Increasing competition because of increasing number of low cost airline competitors, and aggressive competition against the large or traditional airline companies Customer decrease because of poor economy Rising of the fuel prices Higher labor cost Inadequate infrastructure Route and flight utilization Safety and security issues of aircraft crash or being attacked WAYS TAKING TO IDENTIFY THEIR TARGET MARKET: For AirAsia, the following are some of element identified that AirAsia used to identify their target market and formed a niche market Branding: AirAsia went into intensive General advertisements and other high profile activities, which contributed, to the high offering of their company’s image. They came with a brand â€Å" Now every one can fly† These points of contact with their target customer help them to mold their image, which in turn created loyalty from their customers. Philanthropy: Donating money, services, and/or time can build trust and a positive image for your business. Philanthropy contributes both toward your branding efforts and toward your company’s internal well-being. AirAsia embark on this to build and attract more customers. In early 2005, AirAsia Sdn Berhad flights to select Southeast Asian destinations. The airline said that was its way of celebrating the completion of three years of successful flying and of saying thank you to the people for their support. â€Å"AirAsia’s accomplishments and success today is a reflection of the public’s trust and faith in the  company,† said Tony Fernandes (Fernandes), CEO of AirAsia. (Refer Exhibit I for AirAsia’s Free Seats Offer)5. With this incentive and philanthropy, more and more customers are attracted to their business New Product/services Pipeline: New products in development represent your future sales. AirAsia has extended its services to different part of the world. AirAsia was initially a local company but it has become international with its extension of its services to different part of the world to meet up with their market. AirAsia get feedback from their customers or potential target market, and they designed new services to meet their needs, this practice is ensuring a demand for their products in the future. Reduced Price Sales: This was one of the basics of securing a target market for AirAsia. They reduced their price to suit their class of customers. AirAsia saw a need for a lot of low pay salary citizens who could not afford the money to travel home. With the introduction of their services of low fares, most people can travel home and most people that can only afford to travel once could travel up to three times with their cheaper fares. This Limited time sales encourage customers to act. You likely have customers intending to buy but have not â€Å"gotten around to it†. Holding a reduced price sale will give them incentive to purchase. Group Discounts and Offers. Discounts or other offers to a specific group can help exposure your business to new customers, resulting in a sales surge. AirAsia is a ticketless Airline that allows customers to purchase their ticket online with at a discounted rate. They also have a scheme of group discount and this help to get more target market, especially internet based customers. Foreign workers and Contractors strategy AirAsia also target most foreign workers from Indonesia, Singapore, Thailand, China, Macau who may not afford the expensive flight home and offer them the cheap fare which attracted most of them as would go home very often without paying much. PROMOTION : In the context of the marketing mix, promotion represents the various aspects of marketing communication, that is, the communication of information about the product with the goal of generating a positive customer response. Marketing Communication decisions More recently, AirAsia struck an advertising deal with Time, which will have the local mobile phone operator’s logo painted on one of AirAsia’s planes. Moreover, there will be more of these, as well as advertisements on pull-down trays. Again it is obvious that AirAsia started offering fares that were unheard of in Malaysia, people were lining up for hours Provider Gap-1 :Listening Gap :  CUSTOMERCOMPANYCustomerGapGAP 1Company Perceptions of Consumer ExpectationsPerceived ServicesExpected Services Customer Relationship Management (CRM) :In long term, customer relationships should be fostered for AirAsia to maintain competitive advantage and profitability. When planning and implementing CRM application, management is recommended the following approaches: 1. Customer segmentation – mileage-based segmentation is inadequate, rather should focused on value-based and needs-based approaches can guide investment decisions and drive greater insight into the needs of highvalue customers. 2. CRM initiative development – to differentiate from other competitors, AirAsia should not adopt the â€Å"fast follower† approach to CRM initiative development, i.e. learning from other competitors’ approach (e.g.installing kiosks for fast check-in). AirAsia should implement CRM program in favor of investing in initiatives with a high return, which respond to the needs and desires of their own customers 3. Organizational design and management – AirAsia needs to train the employees, empowering them with a complete view of the customer and clearly articulating the employee’s role in the CRM strategy. Customer Relationship Program (key Functions) :Traveling planning Site personalization for on-line customer to create travel plan, bundled services information, flight notification systems, and gate information displays etc. Reservations and ticketing ITA search engines, roving agent check-in, kiosks, internet check-in, and phone check-in etc. Frequently flyer program membership-based or point-based rewarding scheme offering to the applicable customers.Campaign management Email campaigns and promotion. Customer care Web-based self service such as e-ticket booking and reservation, online baggage tracing, RFID baggage tags, internet in lounge, and in air Internet services. Business intelligence Dynamic, updated, multi-dimensional reports that helps management to do analytics in various areas such as customer profiles.AirAsia Brand value Pyramid : Employees And Customer Role In Service Encounter : 1.Customer Role : The Consumer Role of Dependence One experiential role for some consumers is being dependent while receiving service. The theme of dependence arose during informants’ discussions of consuming a service in which they have limited knowledge or expertise. The dependent consumer feels vulnerable and uncomfortable in the service setting and needs the service employee to provide guidance and assistance during consumption as illustrated in the following interview excerpts: â€Å"I felt more secure because I’m getting a service done that I have no idea about. He made me feel at ease like he was in control, like he knew what was going on. When you don’t know anything about something you want to feel that way. You know like a doctor should make you feel that way. It’s the same kind of thing.† â€Å"When you buy a tennis racket there’s a lot of stuff you want to know. At  first I was nervous to ask this guy. He’s a pro. What if I ask him a stupid question. Will he think I’m an idiot or something. I didn’t want to ask him any questions. Then he started talking to me, explaining about the tension of the racket, stuff like that. He made me feel more comfortable right away. It makes you feel more comfortable to ask questions.† The Consumer Role of Autonomy In contrast to the dependent consumer stands the autonomous consumer. The theme of autonomy was revealed most frequently in informants’ descriptions of shopping in retail stores, where they indicated a desire to be on their own while shopping for clothing. Self service is an essential and desired part of their consumption experience. 2.Employee Role : The Consumer Role of Mutuality – The Employee Role of Cooperation The emergent themes of mutuality and cooperation are discussed together to emphasize their close interrelationship. It is difficult to tease apart differences in the meaning of mutuality and cooperation since the two themes flow together within the interview dialogue. Mutuality represents the consumer’s role in the service encounter, while cooperation describes the service employee’s role. The themes of mutuality and cooperation emerged for the most part while informants were describing satisfying service experiences. Consumers received their desired service with the mutual cooperation of the service employee. The service encounter takes on an air of synergy and coordination as exhibited in the following two passages: â€Å"It’s satisfying because of the interaction by the waiters. They make the fondue at the table. They explain all the different ingredients that they are putting in there. It makes you feel important since they’re taking the time to talk to you. It’s the interaction rather than at a place where they just come and take your order and then come back with your food.† (wf, mid 20s) â€Å"I went to a car stereo place. The person there like totally helped me. I could tell he wasn’t just trying to get me to buy the most expensive one. He was looking for what I wanted. He didn’t immediately start showing me top of the line things. He said, what was it about your old car stereo that you liked? What features were the most important to you? That made me feel comfortable that he was not just trying to make a buck. He was really  looking to get what I wanted and needed.† These passages reveal a sense of care and concern for the consumer by the service employee. The consumer is given a sense of status and importance that results from the service employee’s treatment. The relationship moves beyond the mere interaction of consumer and service employee to a mutual process of human cooperation and coordination. The roles of mutuality and cooperation may come closest to representing the ideal of service quality. Consumers and service employees understand their roles and work together in giving and receiving service. Informants’ satisfying experience arose from interacting with employees who were responsive, assuring, and empathetic while providing service.