Software Security and its Role on Cyber Security Research Paper

Software Security and its Role on Cyber Security - Research Paper Example The number of cyber crimes is growing exceptionally on an annual basis and because of this reason; the internet is becoming more and more unsafe. The level of hacker’s intellect is growing as he or she is gathering more knowledge and information about the art and science of hacking (Xu, Hu, & Zhang, 2013). The companies on the other hand, restricted their exposure to the vast universe of internet by inventing intranet. The intranet is an infrastructure that helps an organization in creating a network within the network of networks. The private network’s identity and access is restricted to employees only. The employees have to login with a specific and unique username and their activities are strictly monitored as well. The modern technique of intranet is also not working because the hackers have devised methods that can locate and identify the networks. Once the network is located then the hackers use the information to hack the central computer and therefore, the enti re network starts to play in the hands of evil geniuses. The era of antivirus is also coming to an end. The antivirus programs are famous for providing the hackers a plain ground. The viruses are nowadays programmed to alter the binary coding of the antivirus and in this way; the protector of the system becomes its worst enemy. The hackers managed to follow the technique of Aids virus. The virus does not cause any type of illness but kill the immune system of the human body. Consequently, the viruses of other diseases move in and finish the job. The intelligent hackers eliminate the defense system of the network and then, other harmful programs move in and render the entire network inoperable. The technical staff becomes helpless in front of the multiple attacks and therefore, has to purge all data in the network (Sukwong & Kim, 2011). The modern hackers and technical teams at various data centers of the world are suspected to be engaged in a never ending battle. The war is fought l ike a game of chess and whole game-plan is based on striking and counterstriking. In most number of cases, the objective of hackers is fulfilled. The hackers always like to cause hindrance in the operationality of the network and it is fulfilled with the help of causing sufficient doubt in the minds of technical teams. The technical teams cannot afford to take any threat lightly and therefore, if they believe that the game is getting out their hands then they have to shunt the network before finding a bug. The networks are insecure and this is a common belief. The sales of antivirus programs are declining and this is the depiction of decreasing public trust on leading names in the industry of internet security. Additionally, the latest internet browsers are programmed to detect any suspicious product or webpage. All of the viruses and other harmful programs are known to come from the internet in the global village of the 21st century. The best defense is prevention and therefore, th e modern programmers have decided to put a blockade in the way of viruses by planting a smaller and efficient antivirus program within the fabric of browsers (Singh, Moshchuk, Wang, & Lee, 2010). The users are notified as soon as the suspicious activity has been detected. The browsers are designed to block the potentially harmful events from happening until and unless the user allows them to take place. In this manner, the virtually nothing can go on without the

Equality and Diversity Essay Example for Free

Equality and Diversity Essay In this assignment I will demonstrate my understanding of equality and diversity as a key approach to policy and practice within my setting. I will make reference to current legislation such as equal pay act, disability discrimination act, sex discrimination act and equality act. Other areas of discriminatory practice I will discuss are language and terminology, stereotyping and attitudes in relation to children and young people. I will explore anti discriminatory practice and diversity that is within the everyday role of the early years practitioners. I will also explore an area of my practice using my understanding of equality and diversity through an audit of provision to develop practice and outline any issues. The audit I will carry out will specifically be aimed to support children with additional needs within my setting. I will look into staffing, the environment and the funding available. Following completion of the audit I will write a report identifying any concerns and making recommendations to enhance the experiences that children with additional needs will gain from the setting. I am going to demonstrate my understanding of equality and diversity and how it affects the policy and practice in my setting. I will make reference to current legislation to support my discussion. Legislation I will refer to includes: Equality Act 2010, Human Rights Act (1998), Employment Equality Act Regulations (2003), SEN and disability Act (2001/2), Race Relations Act (1976), Sex discrimination Act (1975) and the Warnock report (2005). I will discuss areas of discrimination in early years practice like, language and terminology, prejudice and stereotypical images and attitudes in relation to children and young people. I will also explore anti discriminatory practice and the diversity in early years settings. The legislation I am going to discuss has been incorporated into my setting by using the essential information in the policies and procedures. The policies and procedures are given to all employees upon recruitment so all staff are aware of the laws and regulations they have to work to. Richardson, R (2011) it is the requirement of the public sector equality duty that equalities is a due regard for schools. Schools are required to eliminate discrimination, advance equality of opportunity and encourage good  relations. The equality act is used in the equality and diversity policy in my setting. OFSTED also look for equality in the setting looking for the progress of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development in the development of the children attending the setting. It is also important that the setting do not discriminate against the nine protected characteristics that are outlined in the equality act 2010. It is important for all children accessing the setting to have access to the curriculum which is the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS). As a setting we ensured that all the children wishes, preferences and beliefs are taken into account as children learn more effectively when they feel safe and secure. The setting intervenes and provides additional support to those children who are not developing and progressing. The planning process also includes the support needed for any children with additional needs. Garside, R (2011). The sex discrimination act 1975 works to eliminate the discrimination against men and women and promote the equal opportunities for both men and women. This act is evident with the children in the setting as they all have equal opportunities in their unit, the same access to toys, activities the outdoor areas. We do not stop girls from playing with cars and boys playing with dolls, they require equal opportunities to develop the knowledge and skills they require in life. The SEN and disability act 2001/2 is an amendment of the education act 1996. The act is there to prevent discrimination against children with SEN or a disability in school and ensures them an education in mainstream school unless the parents request otherwise or it is incompatible with the education of the other children. This is seen in my setting as we are a nursery that accepts children with additional needs unless we feel that we cannot meet those children’s needs without unrealistic changes to the setting. The setting currently has children with Autism, global learning delay, speech and language disorders and chromosome 16 disorder as well as other children with undiagnosed additional needs. The Warnock report 2005 focuses on the future of education and inclusion into mainstream schools. The Warnock report changed the way that we see children with disabilities and encouraged inclusive education, however now inclusive education is favoured the SEN school system is become devalued despite the work they do for the children they care for. My setting is a inclusive setting for children with additional needs and we support the development of the  children and the preferences of the children. Within the early years education system discrimination can occur, it is an aim of my setting to prevent and reduce discrimination, they do this using the policies and procedures and regularly sending staff on training courses to gain knowledge of current legislation and procedures. Prejudice and stereotyping are often seen in education settings because of the high number of different ethnic and cultural backgrounds and the lack of understanding and knowledge that children and young people have. Stereotypes tend to originate from the media of what is seen as ‘cool’, the media also labels certain groups as not being as important as others and can cause children with disabilities isolating themselves from the rest of the group. Judgments can also cause discrimination as people can make poor judgements of people and discriminate against their good qualities just because they are in a wheelchair or have ADHD doesn’t mean they can’t play the same games as the other children they just may need more support than the others. In early years setting we use policies and procedures to outline the government legislation, we do not simply publish the legislation because of the way they are presented and the terminology they are written in. The policies and procedures are designed around the legislation in a way that are easily understandable for the staff and parents/carers using the setting. We make sure that the policies and procedures are accessible for all parents/ carers and staff. It is no longer acceptable to base an education programme on the stereotype of emotional behaviour being feminine, artistic and marginalised and rationale behaviour as masculine, logical and mainstream (Yelland, N 1998). It is important to give all children equal opportunities and allow boys and girls access to all resources and activities whether that be the girls playing with the cars and the boys playing with the dolls or both genders playing outside on the slides and bikes, this is all available in the work setting. Stereotyping can be offensive and cause biased thinking and actions, the tasks set in education programmes could favour groups depending on their culture and previous education (Frederickson, N and Cline, T 2009). As early years settings are examples of anti discriminatory practice and diversity through the early years foundation stage practitioners can provide a programme for the children that meets all their needs, wishes and preferences in learning and development. Stereotypes leading to discrimination through the exchanging of humorous stories can reinforce negative perceptions and group boundaries, this discrimination may be seen between the staff which will give them negative attitudes towards groups of children and parents. In my setting the staff work closely with the early years foundation stage and attend training courses which prevent this from happening. Often no cure is possible for disabilities. However, medically, disabilities were diagnosed, managed and treated. This was challenged by the children’s parents who said they were seen as medical cases rather than individual children. The social model focuses on the children as an individual and highlights social difficulties they may have as a result of their specific disability. The social model respects the needs, wishes and preferences of the individual child when it comes to medication and treatment. In early years there needs to be a good balance of the two models for children with SEN. Without the medical model we would have no knowledge of any causes of management systems that could be used with the children to help them develop and without the social model we would not be meeting the children’s individual needs. Through this essay I have demonstrated my understanding of equality and diversity and how it affects the policy and practice in my setting. I have made reference to current legislation to support my discussion. Legislation I have referred to includes Equality act (2010), Human rights act, Employment equality act, SEN and disability act, Race relations act, Sex discrimination act and the Warnock report. I have discussed areas of discrimination in the early years practice like language and terminology, stereotyping and anti discriminatory practice and the diversity in early years settings. I completed the audit after a meeting in the setting where I was informed of the parent wanting to start in the setting, a discussion was held about how we were unaware of the disorder and didn’t know anything about it. I chose to do the audit here because it was a great opportunity to highlight areas we needed to change or adapt to meet the needs of the child and his family. It was important for us to make the setting accessible for this child because Pugh, G (2010) says it was the focus of the children act (2006) for integration of all services for children with special educational needs (SEN), which supports the aim the best start for children. After the parent was shown around the setting and she told us she wanted her child to attend, a discussion was held between mum, the manager and the SENCO. It came from the discussion that mum wanted the child to start in the preschool unit as he would soon be 3, although his developmental age was much younger. As we did not want to go against mum’s wishes and preferences we made substantial changes to the preschool unit, with the support of the EYP and external agencies we made the preschool unit a suitable environment for the child. Mum was very nervous about leaving her child so the SENCO who was to be the child’s key person started home visits to see the child and talk the mother about his needs. The child then started a long transition into the setting lasting a month and a half. The changes made to the preschool unit incorporated the needs of the child well and after several weeks attending the setting he is getting on well, the SENCO is assessing him constantly t o make sure that he his developing and progressing well and has just took on board teaching herself makaton to communicate more effectively with the child. From doing this audit I have found that the staff in the setting work well to the standards set out in the policies and procedures. The extended transition period used with the child also helped the parent to come to terms with leaving her child with somebody else, this could be something  that could be incorporated throughout the setting and we could make the transition period more flexible for all children coming into the setting. I have also found that the setting not only works together as a team but with work with others like parents and external agencies to create a partnership to help the child. A set back that we came across was researching the disorder, as it is so rare and varies considerably between each sufferer it was hard to find much information, we had to go on the information that mum gave us to create a suitable environment and provide for the child to help him develop and progress, I would recommend regular assessments to identify the gaps in his development so t hat the setting can provide for these and he can progress ready for school. In this assignment I have demonstrated my understanding of equality and diversity as a key approach to policy and practice in my setting. I have made reference to current legislation that has been used to compose policies and procedures in my setting. I have discussed areas of discriminatory practice that relate to children and young people and I have explored the anti discriminatory practice and diversity within the everyday role of practitioners working in early years settings. I have explored an area of my practice using an audit of provision and my understanding of equality and diversity. This was done to develop practice in my setting for children with additional needs. I observed and evaluated the staffing, environment and available funding. Through a report I made recommendations of how the setting can develop practice to support the children attending with additional needs.

Perceptions of Catholic School Teachers

Perceptions of Catholic School Teachers PART ONE: RESEARCH DESIGN A title for your study A mixed methods study of student perceptions of the qualities of highly effective traditional Catholic secondary school teachers. A description of the research context/background/problem leading to your study (three to five sentences approximately) It is a well-established and researched fact that individually and collectively, teachers play a pivotal role in facilitating student success (Duncan, Gurria, Leeuwen, 2011; Hattie, 2009; Reddy, Fabiano, Jimerson, 2013). Moreover, there is much evidence to suggest that the level of teacher quality is linked with the level of student performance (Darling-Hammond Youngs, 2002; Goe Stickler, 2008; Hattie, 2003; Leigh, 2010). Although recent research on teacher quality has identified general traits (Canter, 2014; Coles, Owens, Serrano, Slavec, Evans, 2015; Cooper, Hirn, Scott, 2015; Spilt, Hughes, Wu, Kwok, 2012), Jimerson Haddock (2015) advocate further research regarding teacher effectiveness (p488). Consequently, this study proposes looking into teacher effectiveness within the sphere of traditional Catholicism, an area which is gradually burgeoning (Society of Saint Pius X, 2016; Wikipedia, 2017a) and hitherto unexplored. Additionally, as Sutcliffe (2011) suggests, it is impo rtant to examine high school students perceptions of teacher quality (p24). Describe your study aims The aim of this mixed methods exploratory sequential study is to explore and examine student perceptions of traditional Catholic secondary school teacher effectiveness in order to identify and eventually come up with a list of ten top characteristics for this group. Findings will be used to inform future teacher education programmes which have a specific emphasis on training Traditional Catholic teachers. The nature of the exploratory sequential study is such that it will be divided into two stages (Onwuegbuzie Collins, 2007). The aim of the first stage of the study is to collect qualitative data from select samples of students in order to then identify general themes/characteristics using an inductive approach to data analysis (Schulz, 2012). The aim of the second stage of this study is to further identify a top ten list of characteristics via a quantitative survey which will ask students to choose from a list of key characteristics and then ask them to rank the top ten. The result s would then be published. What are your qualitative research question (s)? What elements set a highly effective traditional Catholic secondary school teacher apart from others? What characteristics do they have? What teaching methods do they use? What qualities/virtues do they possess? What behaviours do they exhibit? What spiritual qualities do they have? How do highly effective Catholic secondary school teachers promote learning and engagement? What are your quantitative research question (s)? Of all the characteristics identified, which are considered the most appealing? What are your mixed methods research question (s)? Which characteristics of highly effective traditional catholic teachers are considered most appealing and to what extent? Describe the qualitative data that you will collect and how you will analyse it. What methods will you use? Discuss some of the key aspects of the data that you wish to collect (e.g. Interview question, what you will look for in observations etc.). How many participants and how will you chose them (sampling) (approximately 300 words). I intend taking a focus group approach to the collection of qualitative data. Focus groups allow participants to interact with one another, share and compare and often generate new insights beyond what individual interviews can do (Carey, 2016; Pedersen et al., 2016). Furthermore, given the fact that participants will be secondary age students, I thought they would feel more comfortable with each other rather than in an individual interview alone with an adult. At the same time focus group interviews give the researcher an opportunity to hear the language of the participants and explore the topic in more depth (Pedersen et al., 2016). In regard to the number of participants I intend using what Onwuegbuzie Collins (2007) call cluster sampling. That is select focus groups consisting of 10 students from each of 10 different traditional Catholic schools so that qualitative data is collected from a total of 100 participants. It was thought advisable to select clusters of senior age students, that is, students in their last year of school only, for two reasons. Firstly, older students have years of experience behind them and are able to reflect on those experiences, and secondly, older students are more mature. In regard to key aspects of the data, it is hoped that semi-structured questions such as reflecting on your own personal learning experiences, what examples of effective catholic teaching have you seen? and what makes a traditional catholic teacher great? would elicit responses from the students which the researcher could then explore in more depth. Data would be collected via a voice recorder then from the recording a conversation analysis would be undertaken. This involves constructing a transcript of the interviews and then analysing the data using an inductive approach, that is finding themes/characteristics and recurring themes/characteristics which have emerged from the data (Schulz, 2012; Wikipedia, 2017b). These popular themes could then be used to develop a quantitative instrument for the next stage of the research project. A few factors would also need to be considered during data collection and analysis. For example, the schools, parents and students would have to give informed and voluntary consent and anonymity and confidentiality with regard to names of teachers and students, including the names of the schools would have to be respected (Tolich Davidson, 1999). Describe the quantitative data that you will collect and how you will analyse it. What methods will you use? Discuss some of the key variables that you will collect data on. How many participants and how will you chose them (sampling) (approximately 300 words). I intend collecting quantitative data from a survey which would be sent to the same students who had participated in the first stage of this research project, that is to say, those senior age secondary school students who had participated in the focus groups. The survey would consist of a list of variables, that is, the results of the qualitative conversation analysis and the key characteristics of highly effective catholic school teachers. To cite an example, one such variable might be the proposition that highly effective catholic secondary school teachers prepare well for their lessons. Others might be that highly effective catholic secondary school teachers have positive attitudes or that they are masters in their subject areas or that they include a spiritual dimension in their teaching. I consider it advisable to add one other variable and that is school location so the researcher can identify how many surveys from each school were returned. Other nominal demographic data such as gender, age etc. were considered unnecessary for this particular research project because the focus of the project is on a list of top ten characteristics of effective catholic secondary school teachers and not on gender or age differences. In regard to the administration of the survey itself, students would be invited to read the list of variables and choose a top ten. Students would be asked to rank the characteristic they felt most defined an effective catholic secondary school teacher as number one and so on and so forth until they reach number ten. Results would be entered into a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet and the top ten key characteristics would be determined by working out which characteristics had the 10 lowest total scores. Drawing on the work of Creswell Plano Clark (2011), draw a diagram of your mixed methods study.    PART TWO: CRITICAL REVIEW Using Onwuegbuzie and Poths meta themes, conduct a critical review of the following mixed methods article (500-750 words): Wyant, J.D., Jones, E.M. Bulgar, S.M. (2015). A mixed methods analysis of a single-course strategy to integrate technology into PETE. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 34, 131-151. A critical review has been conducted on Wyant, Jones, Bulgers (2015) above mentioned article using Onwuegbuzie and Poths (2016) meta-themes. Unless otherwise noted, all references are citations from this article. META-THEME #1 WARRANTEDNESS Many terms were introduced and defined however I assess that there were too many. In the introduction alone readers were introduced to the terms PETE, NASPE, ISTE, CBAM, Stages of Adoption, External Barriers, First-Order Barriers and TPACK. Whole articles have been devoted to explaining TPACK! Additionally, what are occupational socialization researchers? The reference list was comprehensive however there were quite a few errors. For example throug technology instead of through technology; the use of capitals in some of the titles Teachers Use of Educational Technology in U.S. Public Schools: 2009 (NCES 2010-040), US States missing Eugene: instead of Eugene, OR, the words Author Retrieved instead of just Retrieved and many recent journal articles were missing DOI numbers. In regard to the latter, was this the fault of the authors or were they simply unable to be found? Citations were inconsistent within the article, for example, three authors were consolidated to (Hall et al., 1979) and (Rochanasmita et al., 2009) while others with four were written out in full (Allan, Erickson, Brookhouse Johnson, 2010) and (Russell, Bebell, ODwyer OConnor, 2003). META-THEME #2 JUSTIFICATION The article appears to be underdeveloped. Although the authors used the TPACK model as a theoretical framework to explain the first theme, nowhere in the article do the authors explain this. They refer readers to the TPACK model in the introduction but that is all. The same could be said for First-Order Barriers which is used as a framework for the second theme. The authors advance qualitative/quantitative research/mixed methods research. They used a mixed methods design and quantitative and qualitative data collection procedures consisting of closed-ended survey instruments and weekly journal entries and end of course semi-structured interviews. The purpose of the study was cleared stated in the purpose statement paragraph The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of a domain-specific technology course META-THEME #3 WRITING QUALITY Although the authors made good use of headings and sub-headings some sections seemed out of order. For example Research Design followed Methods when it really should be the other way around, participants were mentioned twice and the introduction seemed too long. Furthermore the authors did not follow the structure recommended by Onwuegbuzie and Poth (2016) who advocate the following framework literature review, theoretical framework, rationale, purpose statement, research questions, hypothesis, and educational significance. The authors used a number of appropriate transitional words such as Accordingly, More specifically, For example, Typically, Further etc. However, the abstract repeats the purpose statement. META-THEME #4 TRANSPARENCY Information relating to sample size was mentioned specifically and clearly. Readers were directed to the fact that participants included 12 pre-service teachers and were recruited from a sample of 34 (male=24, female=10). However, information regarding the two participant sampling techniques could have been made clearer. For example, the authors could have clearly stated that the first participant sampling technique used wasà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦, the second participant sampling technique wasà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.etc. All tables and figures were referred to, for example, see Figure 1, see Figure 2, see Table 1 etc. However, in my opinion they were not explained sufficiently. To cite just one example on this point, Figure 1 was a visual model of the mixed methods design, however, the authors only referred readers to this visual diagram under Data Collection Procedures and Analysis and not under Research Design where it seems more appropriate to put it. Furthermore, readers were referred to the model as a timeline a timeline was created à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦.. (see Figure 1), yet the caption clearly indicated that it was a Visual Model of Mixed Methods Research Design. Directions for future research were provided in the final concluding paragraph What this study further highlights is the need for scholars to devote greater attention to the research and dissemination of technology-related projects. META-THEME #5 INTEGRATION Figure 1, which consisted of a visual model of the mixed methods research design, was clear and visually appealing. However as said above, it should have been referred to and explained in detail under the heading Research Design. Measures were taken to ensure validity/legitimation. For example, the use of experienced social science researchers (plural) to review and legitimize research procedures, and interview transcriptions and journal entries were also distributed to participants to confirm the data accurately captured their feelings. META-THEME #6 PHILOSOPHICAL LENS The authors refer to research philosophies such as occupational socialization and constructivist-based learning, however, both could have been presented in a better way. For example, in regard to the former, the authors refer the readers to occupational socialization researchers, yet they do not clearly define this it but simply refer readers to it at the very end of the paragraph As with occupational socialization, research on learningà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Shouldnt philosophies be clearly defined first so readers understand? REFERENCES Canter, L. (2014). Classroom management for academics success. Bloomington, IN: Solution Tree Press. Carey, M. A. (2016). Focus groups-what is the same, what is new, what is next? Qualitative Health Research, 26(6), 731-733. doi.org/10.1177/1049732316636848 Coles, E. K., Owens, J. S., Serrano, V. J., Slavec, J., Evans, S. W. (2015). From consultation to student outcomes: The role of teacher knowledge, skills, and beliefs in increasing integrity in classroom management strategies. School Mental Health, 7(1), 34-48. doi.org/10.1007/s12310-015-9143-2 Cooper, J. T., Hirn, R. G., Scott, T. M. (2015). Teacher as change agent: Considering instructional practice to prevent student failure. Preventing School Failure: Alternative Education for Children and Youth, 59(1), 1-4. doi.org/10.1080/1045988X.2014.919135 Creswell, J. W., Plano Clark, V. L. (2011). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (2nd ed). Los Angeles, CA: SAGE Publications. Darling-Hammond, L., Youngs, P. (2002). Defining highly qualified teachers: What does scientifically-based research actually tell us? Educational Researcher, 31(9), 13-25. doi.org/10.3102/0013189X031009013 Duncan, A., Gurria, A., Leeuwen, F. (2011). Uncommon wisdom on teaching. Retrieved from www.huffingpost.com/arne-duncan/uncommon-wisdom-on-teachi_b_836541.html Goe, L., Stickler, L. M. (2008). Teacher quality and student achievement: Making the most of recent research. National Comprehensive Center for Teacher Quality. Retrieved from http://files.eric.ed.gov/fulltext/ED520769.pdf Hattie, J. (2003). Teachers make a difference: What is the research evidence? Presented at the Paper presented at the Australian Council for Educational Research Annual Conference on Building Teacher Quality, Melbourne, Australia. Retrieved from http://research.acer.edu.au/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1003context=research_conference_2003 Hattie, J. (2009). Visible learning: A synthesis of over 800 meta-analyses relating to achievement. London, England: Routledge. Jimerson, S. R., Haddock, A. D. (2015). Understanding the importance of teachers in facilitating student success: Contemporary science, practice, and policy. School Psychology Quarterly, 30(4), 488-493. doi.org/10.1037/spq0000134 Leigh, A. (2010). Estimating teacher effectiveness from two-year changes in students test scores. Economics of Education Review, 29(3), 480-488. doi.org/10.1016/j.econedurev.2009.10.010 Onwuegbuzie, A. J., Collins, K. M. . (2007). A typology of mixed methods sampling designs in social science research. The Qualitative Report, 12(2), 281-316. Pedersen, B., Delmar, C., Falkmer, U., Grà ¸nkjaer, M. (2016). Bridging the gap between interviewer and interviewee: Developing an interview guide for individual interviews by means of a focus group. Scandinavian Journal of Caring Sciences, 30(3), 631-638. doi.org/10.1111/scs.12280 Reddy, L. A., Fabiano, G. A., Jimerson, S. R. (2013). Assessment of general education teachers Tier 1 classroom practices: Contemporary science, practice, and policy. School Psychology Quarterly, 28(4), 273-276. doi.org/10.1037/spq0000047 Schulz, J. (2012). Analysing your Interviews [Southampton Education School] [Video File]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59GsjhPolPs Society of Saint Pius X. (2016). General statistics about the SSPX. Retrieved from http://sspx.org/en/general-statistics-about-sspx Spilt, J. L., Hughes, J. N., Wu, J.-Y., Kwok, O.-M. (2012). Dynamics of teacher-student relationships: Stability and change across elementary school and the influence on childrens academic success: Teacher-student relationship trajectories. Child Development, 83(4), 1180-1195. doi.org/10.1111/j.1467-8624.2012.01761.x Sutcliffe, C., P. (2011). Secondary students perceptions of teacher quality. Electronic Theses Dissertations. 391. Retrieved from www.digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/etd/391 Tolich, M., Davidson, C. (1999). Starting fieldwork: An introduction to qualitative research in New Zealand. Auckland, N.Z: New York, NY: Oxford University Press. Wikipedia. (2017a). Conversation analysis. In Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conversation_analysis Wikipedia. (2017b). Traditionalist Catholic. In Wikipedia, the free encyclopaedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traditionalist_Catholic Wyant, J. D., Jones, E. M., Bulger, S. M. (2015). A mixed methods analysis of a single-course strategy to integrate technology into PETE. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 34(1), 131-151. doi.org/10.1123/jtpe.2013-0114

Autism Essay -- Chromosome Disorders

What is autism? "Autism is a potentially severe neurological condition affecting social functioning, communication skills, reasoning, and behavior. It is considered a "spectrum disorder," meaning that the symptoms and characteristics of autism can present themselves in a variety of combinations, ranging from extremely mild to quite severe" (Fergus 2002 para.1). Autism was first reported in 1943 by a Dr. Leo Kanner of John Hopkins University. Dr Leo Kanner based his theory on 11 children who showed signs of withdrawal from human contact, this started at age 1 between the years of 1938 to 1943. In the 1940’s, the research of autism was so rare and this was a new case, Dr. Leo Kanner based the disability to be schizophrenia which in the eyes of the parents they thought they were at fault. In the 60’s, that is when the knowledge of autism and the treatments came clear. (Edelson Para. 8) Having the basic history of autism will let people understand where and how Dr. Leo Kan ner had come across the disability. Some people have never heard about autism and the treatments that go into helping someone with autism. The three main points that will be discussed are treatment, prognosis, and the quality of life. Having a child with autism can make life difficult but with therapy and treatment children with autism can grow to be what society calls normal. With a child who has been diagnosed as autistic, this starts the wheels turning of what is to do next. The diagnosis of autism is based on I.Q. tests and observations; this will introduce what needs that the child may have. As physicians observe children with autism and evaluate how severe each child may be. Depending on the severity of the children depends on the course of treatment th... ...riskfactors Autism Research Institute. (2008). What is autism? Retrieved August 29, 2008, from Autism Research Institute: http://www.autism.com/autism/index.htm -Autism Society of America. (n.d.). Unique needs and abilities. Retrieved August 29, 2008, from Autism Society of America: http://www.autism-society.org/site/PageServer?pagename=life_edu_unique Autism Spectrum Disorder program. (2000) Wichita State University. Retrieved from September 20, 2008, from http://webs.wichita.edu/?u=vbain&p=/AutismSpectrumClinic/ Pediatrics (Oct 2005): 54(10). General OneFile. Gale. Apollo Library. R etrieved from September 20, 2008 from . American health line. (2007). Pediatrics: Reports on Autism. Retrieved on September 20, 2008 from University of Phoenix Library. Lee LC (2007) Quality of life. Retrieved from September 20, 2008 from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez

Analysis Of “Here’s Herbie” Essay

This short story by Mike Feder, is about his own life as a discouraged teen in the 70’s society. When Mike was a young boy he was in a constant state of teenage depression, and one of the major reasons why, was his mother’s both mental and physical illness. This sickness of hers, made him sick as well, and it didn’t become any easier when his mother constantly reminded him, that he wasn’t wanted and that she wished she had never had children (p.62). This was just one of the many obstacles, that Mike had to face during his teenage years. Especially this factor is very clear to see in the story, since the narrator Mike, describes himself as a boy who was â€Å"possessed of great many psychosomatic complaints† (p. 62) We know in forehand that this is a true story, but when a narrator is writing about himself, it is very hard to determine if he is reliable or not, and to be honest I do not want to draw any conclusions since there could be solid argumentations for both parts. This story could easily be an exaggerated version of a childhood memory, but could also be an actual event. Some elements could indicate, that we have an unreliable author as for instance the long gab between the year he wrote the story and his age in the story, which we know by looking at the many passages of the story which reveals it as: â€Å"When I was a kid† or â€Å"When I was about fifteen† (both on p. 62) As a little wimp boy, Mike had a lot of fears, but on the top of the list was the long and adventurous trip to his allergist in Manhattan. He lived at the edge of the city, which meant, that there was a long way to his destination. The trip held a lot of terrors for Mike and he had â€Å"a department full of fears to play with† (p. 63). First of all he was quit afraid due to the violence in the train, but also other things as the powerful machines and the darkness of the underground frightened him. The funny thing is; as much as he hated the whole experience, he felt this kind of crazy excitement as soon as the train came rumbling and roaring into the station. Every single time he felt this adrenalin rush, which he love very much, and that made him forget about all his other fears. This could indicate that the theme in â€Å"Here’s Herbie† had something to do with the initiation of adulthood, since he is so passionate about this, that he forgets some of his childish  anxieties. This is obviously just one of the themes, where the main theme is growing up which in this case also contains being different. Mike liked to sit in the front of the train, because of two things, firstly because he felt â€Å"some sort of identification with the surge of power in the front† and then also because he could peek out of the front window. He wanted to stand up and look out of the window, but he could never seem to find any courage to do so. He speculated too much about what the others passengers might think of him, and the attention that position would draw. So he had to live with just glancing out of the window, from the corner of his eyes, every now and then. But this whole thing changed one day, because of one specific man named Herbie. Herbie was slump shouldered and had a nutty lopsided look on his face. He looked funny with his dim eyes and big hairy ears, but seemed careless anyways. This man just walked to the centre and started shouting: â€Å"Here’s Herbie! Here’s Herbie!† with absolutely no care in the world, and it was this kind of confidence Mike wanted to possess. Herbie then walked straight up to the front window of the train, with a plastic steering wheel and started â€Å"steering† the train, as if it was nothing. The one thing that Mike thought about doing every single time, Herbie did so abruptly. So despite Herbie’s shaggy appearance he actually achieved that one dream, that the narrator was embarrassed to fulfill. I think this was the point where Mike realized that he could never reach any of his own goals if he kept being afraid of what others might think of him. Experiencing Herbie just shouting into the void and pursuing his dream really got to him and changed him. (p. 67) This is a very simple goal, and is nowhere near something impossible, but no matter what the dream is or how big or small it is, the same rules apply. Nothing should stop you from pursuing your dreams, even if it’s just to look out of a train-window. This is why the message of this short story is so simple, yet so deep. It really applies to so many different occasions and almost everyone can relate to it. No matter if you want to be a president, or an artist or if your biggest dream is to try an awesome rollercoaster or climb Mount Everest, I really believe that nothing should keep you from doing what you want. Because at last Mike was so inspired by this odd man Herbie that he decided to look out  window, without thinking about the other passengers, and this really changed him. He might have gotten some pitiful stares or judgemental comments, but this was the first time in his life that he felt he was in command of it. So a lesson we can learn from this short story could be: Nothing ventured, nothing gained.

Counseling Psychology Essays

Counseling Psychology Essays Counseling Psychology Paper Counseling Psychology Paper Richard is a 44 year old man who has been refereed to our agency for counseling by his doctor. Richard’s doctor believes he has a major drinking problem. Counseling sessions with Richard will be conducted in separate categories of psychodynamic and cognitive behavioural paradigms. The case study will help Richard and his counselors develop specific prevention, intervention, and treatment resources. Psychodynamic Paradigm Psychodynamics is defined as, â€Å"the mental and emotional process underlying human behavior and its motivation, esp. as developed unconsciously in response to environmental influences† (Webster’s 1982, p. 1147). In other words, psychodynamics is predominately concerned with unconscious conflict, until Erik Erikson came along. Erikson, a Neo-Freudian, came up with his own theory of development in psychodynamics called â€Å"psychosocial† (Funder 1997, p. 270). Erikson’s theory of psychosocial stages expands on Freud’s psychosexual stages as the basis of unconscious conflicts. Moreover, Erikson believes that â€Å"the ego does not just mediate between id impulses and superego demands. It is also a positive force in development. At each stage, it acquires attitudes and skills that make the individual an active, contributing member of society† (Berk 2001, 17). Thus, Ericson postulates the not all differences occur in the unconscious area of the mind- many conflicts are conscious. Richard has many identifiable unconscious and conscious conflicts going on in his mind. When a doctor announces that you have a drinking problem, the accused usually does not agree with the diagnosis. But when a professional mental health worker illustrates a number of specific factors that identify alcohol as a disease, the drinker begins to believe their problem is real. If you want to convince an alcoholic that they have a problem, you must get passed their denial. In addition, if the worker wants to treat the alcoholic, a problem has to be acknowledged by the drinker. My first step is to conduct an open-ended interview with Richard’s father. The premise for this interview is to gather as much information on Richard as possible to gauge the truthfulness of his story and to see if there is any family history of drinking problems. Richard’s father agrees that he may be to blame for the abandonment of Richard at the age of ten, but accepts no responsibility for Richard’s drinking problem or interpersonal relationship failures. Next, I got Richard’s previous medical records sent to me so I could go over his past case history. I ordered medical tests and an MRI to see if Richards liver, kidneys, or brain function has been damaged by the drinking. Finally, I sat down with Richard for his interview. During the interview I notice Richard is trying to project his problems on others instead of taking responsibility for his actions. Richard denies he has a drinking problem and blames his inconsistent behavior on depression. I allowed Richard to â€Å"free associate† the rest of his story to me. The prodromal stages leading up to the numerous disruptions in Richard’s personal and business life lead to the conclusion that Richard is in a mild for form of delusion as well. According to statistics in the United States on alcoholism and drinking: â€Å"14% of men are heavy drinkers† and â€Å"about one-third of these are alcoholics† (Berk 2001, p. 433). Berk goes on to point out that, â€Å"Alcohol acts as a depressant, impairing the ability of the brain to control thought and action. In heavy drinkers, it relieves guilt and anxiety. † John Higgins supports Berk’s analogy in his journal publication Psychodynamics in the excessive drinking of alcohol. Higgin’s concurs that â€Å"excessive drinking functions as a defense mechanism against anxiety† (p. 713). In other words, denial, Richard’s defense mechanism in his case, is leading to his delusion that depression is the cause of his problems with anxiety when in reality it is his alcoholism. Erikson uses his psychosocial stages of psychodynamics to explain Richard’s inconsistent behavior throughout his life. At the age of 9-11 years old Richard will go through Erikson’s theory of industry versus inferiority (Berk 2001, p. 320). The origins of Richard’s problems started in late childhood when his mother died and his father sent him away to boarding school. According to Sandra Hutchison she, â€Å"applies Erikson’s psychosocial stages of ego development to the understanding of children’s reactions to traumatic incidents† (2005, p. 174). The risk at this age is to gravitate towards an inferior and pessimistic outlook towards responsibility and moral obligations. It does appear that Richard did get affected by the traumatic events of his mother dying and his father abandoning him to acquire separation anxiety that led him to become an adult alcoholic. Richard’s problems carried through to middle adulthood. Alcoholism tends to run in families, is biological and psychological, and influenced by social factors and relationships (Oltmanns, Emerey, Taylor 2002, p. 382-383). Erikson labeled this stage of his theory generativity versus stagnation. In this stage of Erikson’s theory the middle aged adult decides to mix inner desires with cultural demands to prepare for the next generation. In Richard’s situation, there seems to be little self interest in external community welfare. For the time being Richard is completely focused on his self interests and over indulgence in alcoholism. According to Charles Slater there are seven psychosocial conflicts that give breadth to the central crisis in This stage of Erikson’s theory that include: 1. Inclusivity vs exclusivity. 2. Pride vs embarrassment. 3. Responsibility vs ambivalence. 4. Career productivity vs inadequacy. 5. Parenthood vs self-absorption. 6. Being needed vs alienation. 7. Honesty vs denial (2003, p. 53). As you can see from the description of Richard’s case story, he is in the negative field of all these identified categories of Slater. In other words, Richard is in Erikson’s stagnant part of the stage. Connecting Erikson’s late childhood theory to his middle adulthood theory sheds some light on the situation Richard faces. Richard will need an extensive and intense treatment plan to overcome his deep rooted alcoholic problems. How will Richard’s treatment structure proceed? First, Richard will be required to attend a 30 day alcohol treatment center. Second, Richard will require continued counseling sessions upon completion of his 30 treatment stay. A pilot study done by Daniel Coleman, that integrates psychodynamic theory with cognitive behavioural theory, will be used in conjunction with contemporary psychodynamic therapy to monitor Richard on a weekly basis (2005, p. 206). Third, with the recent empirical hypothesis confirmation of â€Å"unconscious mental processes and phenomenon such as repression and transference† (Funder 1997, p. 280), Richard would benefit from psychoanalytic therapy based on theories of childhood attachment to adult patterns of inter-relations of dysfunctional romances. My prognosis for Richard is deferred for the moment; however, his situation does look good if he is open to the treatment suggestions and lifestyle changes recommended in this case study. It will be a long road of recovery for Richard. Cognitive Behavioral Perspective Cognitive Behavioral Paradigm is defined as, â€Å"behavioral processes that underlie learning† (Oltmanns, Emery and Taylor 2002, p. 39). Oltmanns et el goes on to list the influences of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) as originating on the introspection of William Wundt and influenced by Ivan Pavlov (classical conditioning), B. F. Skinner (operant conditioning), and John B. Watson ( behaviorism). However, social learning theories such as J. B. Rotter and Albert Bandura’s, brought CBT into the current research era. Today’s psychologists and counselors may define the complex paradigm cognitive psychology as, â€Å"patterns of individual differences in behavior and the psychological processes behind them,† (Funder 1997, p. 409), as an accurate description of current CBT. Since its early influence the importance of cognitive processes in learning has been identified and â€Å"behavioral† has been modified to â€Å"cognitive. † Today CBT is â€Å"the scientific study of mental process† that â€Å"account for human behavior† (Hunt, Ellis 1999, p. 32). Richard has many obvious problems that can be categorized as â€Å"learned† and â€Å"cognitive. † When Richard was abandoned by his father after his mother’s death, he learned how to cognitively detach his feelings from loved ones. CBT would suggest that people like Richard who suffer mood swings are affecting their encoding, retrieval, and schema network of memory and facilitating a cognitive break from their emotional state. In other words, Richard is his own worst enemy. The mental processing of Richard’s mind also affects his perception. Thus, his cognitive melt down of three failed marriages, abusive nature, and excessive job firings and demotions, are all comorbid with Richard’s main disorder of alcoholism. Three areas of the memory and one area of information processing have been identified in cognitive psychology: Short term, working, and long term memory along with the sensory/perception (where veridical information is processed) buffer. Some of the possible etiological causes are rather complex in Richard’s past memories. The tragic incident of his mother’s death encountered as a developing young child is obviously the start of Richard’s deep rooted processing problems. First, I believe that the core cognitive problem for Richard is PTSD from the mother’s death. Second, the complex nature behind PTSD makes the disorder cyclical. Is it the traumatic event which caused Richard to become a cognitive processing mess and an alcoholic; or, is it Richard’s premorbid personality characteristics that caused the alcoholism? Third, in my opinion because Richard shows no previous history of psychological problems before his mother’s death, and due to the fact that all his problems seem to generate from that one incident, I see his alcoholic disorder, and the cognitive processing failures of his memory influence on current decisions, being a direct relation to his tragic memory of his mother’s death, and future abandonment by his father, to be the motive and underlying reasons to the pathology behind his alcoholism. Richard’s mental processing of events seems to be mixed with faulty memory dispensation, PTSD, and poor judgment. Treatment will need to function from a new set of developed strategies for Richard in CBT. The recommended treatment plan for Richard will begin with short term motivational therapy (STMT). Because Richard was ten years old when the tragic event occurred, and no Critical Incident Stress Debriefing took place at the time, Richard will need STMT to recognize the severity of his problem(s). Next, Richard will undergo a new PTSD screening test developed by Rachael Kimerling et el called the Validation of a brief screen for Post-traumatic Stress Disorder with substance use disorder patients (2006, p. 2074). Following the STMT Richard will require intense coping skills training and relapse prevention techniques therapy. Richard should also be put in Aversion Therapy (Oltmanns, Emery, Taylor 2002, p. 85), so his alcoholism can be associated with the unpleasant consequences of his behavior where his sight, smell, and taste of alcohol are paired with the nausea. Furthermore, I would like to see Richard join an alcoholic’s anonymous group. I believe that once the PTSD is dealt with, as Sudie Back et el confirmed in their study Symptom Improvement in Co-Occurring PTSD and Alcohol Dependence, that the alcoholism will be reduced to an after affect of the larger problem. Moreover, Back et el backs up my diagnosis by stating, â€Å"PTSD had a greater impact on improvement in alcohol dependence symptoms than the reciprocal relationship† (2006, p. 690). If the alcoholism remains as the excuse for Richard’s destructive behavior after the PTSD has been immobilized, I will recommend future treatments. Richard went a long time without help; however, the good news is that the treatment for PTSD clients has a high outcome of success (Oltmanns, Emery, Taylor 2002, p. 245) once a resolution and strategic treatment plan for the symptoms is put into motion. I expect Richard to make a noticeable recovery in his cognitive processing activities a year from now. At that point I will reassess Richard’s treatment. Analytical Comparison On the one hand, psychodynamics does not originate from empirical evidence; cognitive theories do. Psychodynamics postulates that sexuality is the basis for unconscious conflicts; cognitive psychology disagrees. Psychodynamics relies on human interpretation of dream analysis and other psychoanalytic treatments; cognitive psychology is backed with experimental qualitative and quantitative data. On the other hand, psychodynamics raises some questions that border on genius; while cognitive therapy (the most popular in psychology today) is deluged with redundant questions and experiments bordering over-kill. Psychodynamics is beginning to empirically test and answer some of the questions it raises; cognitive theory seems to be raising more questions than it can answer. In the end, each theory has its positive and negative points; the disorder, and the person, will have to decide which therapy to choose. References Back, S et el 2006, ‘Symptom Improvement in Co-Occurring PTSD and Alcohol Dependence’, Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease’, Vol 194 (9), pp. 690-696. Berk, L 2001, Development Through the Lifespan, 2nd edn, Allyn Bacon, Boston. Coleman, D 2005, ‘Psychodynamic and cognitive mechanisms of change in adult therapy: A pilot study’, Bulletin of the Menninger Clinic, Vol 69 (3), pp. 209-219.

Leadership within the organization effective learning processes

Leadership within the organization effective learning processes Introduction The decisions made by leaders determine the success of an organization; they have the role of mentoring and creating a learning environment to enhance the performance of their teams.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Leadership within the organization: effective learning processes specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The main difference between a leader and a manager is that leaders lead people while managers manage tasks; with this role, leaders must develop appropriate mechanisms of enhancing learning and staff participation in an organization Muller, J., (Maclean and Biggs, 2009). This paper discusses the most critical areas for leadership within the organization to concentrate on in developing effective learning processes. Creating a positive Organizational culture To have an environment favorable for learning, leaders must create a positive organizational culture that rewards success and efforts of a n employee. When employees have invented or innovated something, the management should recognize them; this will motivate them learn more and innovate others. Within teams, it is area that employees learn a lot amongst and from each other, leaders have the role of developing an orchestrate team that embraces team spirit. This will enhance knowledge and experience sharing that leads to learning of new traits and tactics by employees. The leader should be delegating duties and power effectively to create an urge in his team members to learn and improve their skills. Toyota Motor Corporation has a culture that facilitates learning, the company even has a training institute where its employees can enroll for sponsored course, and this facilitates learning in the organization. Enhancing appropriate human resources practice Organizations with a well-structured human resources management enhance a learning experience, employees in such organizations are highly motivated and they have the w ill to develop themselves through learning process. Human resources has the role of creating numerous training programs as demanded by the organization; team leaders has the role of advising the human resources on the trainings they will facilitate, this will enhance the growth of learning spirit in the organization.Advertising Looking for assessment on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Zappos shoe company has been successful in the business because of its effectively managed human resources; the internal customers enjoy some benefits which include are free medical care and lunches, free vending-machines, fully equipped-free library and a nap room; the policies aims at developing team spirit that facilitates learning of new tricks and tactics (Zappos Official Website, 2011). Involvement of team members in decision-making An efficient leader should involve his team in decision-making. Leaders have t he role of implementing strategies, entrepreneurial and mandated with the role of creating a winning team. Different situations and organization calls for different leadership styles, thus management should ensure that they understand the kind of style that can be implemented in their organization. When team members are involved in decision-making, they get a chance to learn from each other as well as from the leadership (Hornsby Warkeoczeski, 2000). The success of Apple Inc has been attributed to a robust team that is willing to learn and in the process, it has developed numerous inventions and innovations. How organizations should account for the societal aspects affecting organizational learning and knowledge Organizations need to recognize that external factors/forces affect learning and knowledge development in the organization. To ensure that the effect is not negative, an organization needs to have good relationship with the external environment. To create good environment, a company need to be ethical in its processes and adopt corporate social responsibility activities; this will enhance the relationship that the company have with the external environment. Culture within the environment of operation has an effect on an organizational learning and knowledge development, a company should develop culture intelligence programs to reduce the risk of contradicting the culture of internal and external customer, when this is done it will enhance learning within the organization (Meinolf, Ariane, John and Ikujiro, 2003) References Hornsby, T. and Warkeoczeski, L. ,2000. New roles for leaders: A step-by-step guide to competitive advantage. Franklin: Hillsboro Press. Meinolf, D., Ariane, A., John, C. and Ikujiro, N.,2003. Handbook of Organisational Learning and Knowledge. Oxford: Oxford University Press.Advertising We will write a custom assessment sample on Leadership within the organization: effective learning processes specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Muller, J., Maclean, R. and Biggs, H., 2009. The impact of a supportive leadership program in a policing organization from the participants perspective. Work, 32(1),Pp. 69-79. Zappos Official Website, 2011. Zappos.com.

Write Daily or Not

Write Daily or Not Stephen King (On Writing) and Julia Cameron (The Artists Way) believe strongly in writing daily. A few others, however, argue that writing daily isnt necessary. So whats a new or struggling writer to decide is the best for them? My take on writing daily is this: DO IT EVERY DAY. Until you find a voice, until you know your direction, until you are a hard-core writer and not a hob Unfortunately when you stop writing for a period, or skip weeks between poems or chapters, you lose ground. You backslide. Its like building a house for a week then letting the weather erode it for a couple months, then you go back to it and have to spend several days fixing whats deteriorated due to neglect. And thinking about writing doesnt work. It doesnt count. While it feels good, and you might consider new ideas to write about, its not writing. Nothing is a substitute for putting words down for a conclusion. Now there may come a day when you have so much on your plate, that you feel discombobulated. Too many deadlines, too confused where to take a scene, uncertain whether a character is needed. At that point, take a day off. Maybe even a weekend but only after youve been writing so steadily that you are honed to scribble each day. My light day is Saturday after a busy Friday putting out newsletters, when Im most likely to have family drop in. There have been times when Ive been at conferences and missed three days, but Im itching to get back to business Youll build your writing in layers. Your talent doesnt embed itself into your brain unless its repeated on a steady basis. If you put weeks and months between your chapters, be prepared to have to do a lot of starting over. Like going to college, taking Spanish 1 this year, and Spanish 2 three years from now a lot is going to be lost in the interim. Yes, you might have been writing for years. But how many years would it really be if you tallied only those days you actually wrote? Write daily. Youll be flabbergasted at your rate of improvement.

Planning & Property Development- Development Appraisal Essay

Planning & Property Development- Development Appraisal - Essay Example Projects are also underway to develop high speed train links between London and Europe to the midland and northern cities of England. There is a rich and diverse presence of flora and fauna around but there are currently no tree preservation orders at the site. The site has also been used for cement works (currently), tourism (currently), agricultural purposes (1800s), canal warehouses (1935s), and canals and railways (1840s). There site also the boasts the presence of historical sites (museums and galleries), entertainment and leisure facilities, a shopping complex and hotels. All these amenities are within close proximity to one another and also in the city centre where the main attractions are located. The site is in a flood warning area and therefore due caution must be taken when putting up structures on the site. It is however, very accessible through the excellent public transport links which include bus, train and even cycling routes. The highest traffic volume is recorded by commercial vans and lorries. There is also a short supply of off-street parking as evidenced by fully parked spots at both sides in the surrounding roads. The site also enjoys legal access to the nearby warehouse, Fazeley street properties and also into the cement works. The site also enjoys the public right of way on the canal towpath. The objective is to use the site as a yardstick for the development options it provides. After this, those options will also be appraised financially by using appropriate financial methods. The financial appraisal method selected for this exercise is the traditional residue site value (RSV) budget (Guy 2002, pg. 43). Although financial data has not been provided, this wil l not be a hindrance to a recommendation on which development option is the best for Mr. Brown’s estate. Financial appraisal will be based on factors like finance charges, design period, rental fees, yield, plot ratio, letting

Conclusions and recommendations Dissertation Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Conclusions and recommendations - Dissertation Example The researcher also adopted the use of interview as a research instrument to sample views from workers of the company. The research instrument was used on five out of six members of the company, which represents 83.3% of the staff strength of the company. The data that was collected was well presented and analysed. With information from these primary and secondary data collected, the researcher has drawn the following conclusions about the recruitment and selection process at B&M Company and other pertinent organisational issues that relate to the company. Efficiency and Effectiveness of Recruitment Method Because of the size of the company’s staff, it employs external recruitment method. Pillar (2011), ‘External recruitment is when organizations looks to fill the vacancy from any suitable applicant outside organizations.’ To attract applicants for vacant positions, the company advertises in local community newspaper. The company restricts itself to the local comm unity newspaper in order to minimise the number of prospective applicants because of the size of the company. It was also said that the company did not have enough funds to embark on mass publicity. This mode of advertisement however affected the effectiveness of the recruitment process. This is because it did not expose the company to reaching a large human resource base. The company should have known that the wider the range of jobseekers, the wider the range of human resource with abilities and knowledge they would have attracted. ‘Promotion and advertisement are directly linked to marketing because the promotional campaigns tend to have a huge effect on the reception of the product. Good marketing is something that helps your business grow bigger.’ (McCollister, 2007) The company however had a very detailed job description and job specification. Job description is a written statement showing job title, tasks, duties and responsibilities involved in a job. It also pr escribes the working conditions, hazards, stress and relationship with other jobs. Job specifications, also known as man or employee specifications, is prepared on the basis of job specification. It specifies the qualities required in a job incumbent for the effective performance of the job (Prasad, 2007). Because the job description and job specifications were very detailed, prospective employees had a very good idea of what the company was looking for. This approach, in no uncertain terms reduced the chances of the company having to waste resources and time interviewing people who did not have what the company was looking for. Efficiency was therefore recorded here. Efficiency and Effectiveness in Recruitment Processes The major recruitment processes involved giving feedback on candidates who were shortlisted and the interview itself. The feedback process was very effective. Most workers interviewed said they had feedback on their application was well communicated to them and they were made aware of all that to expect in the interview. It was also confirmed that the feedback was very prompt. When interviewees receive prompt feedback on their candidature to attend interviews and the interview requirements are well communicated to them, it enhances efficiency during the interview itself because it reduces the incidence of time wastage because the interviewees come well prepared. It also ensures efficiency of man power as interviewers do not do a lot of talking, explaining the interview routine

Educational Program of the Graduate School of Computer and Information Essay

Educational Program of the Graduate School of Computer and Information Science at Nova Southeastern University - Essay Example Respectfully, the following paragraphs are the stories of my open -book life as I knock on my New Alma Mater's door with hope and understanding.My life has been focused on two major goals. First, my long-term goal in obtaining this degree will be to increase the intensity of my continuing contributions to the field of Information Technology (Mcginn, 2008). To this end, I will light that midnight oil as I engross myself in the exchange of intelligence information among my classmates and mentors as a graduate student at Nova Southeastern University. But, my ultimate goal is to inspire innovation and passion for Computer Science in the lives of my future students. For, I firmly believe that someday many will continue the fire burning in me to touch the lives people in all walks of life through the use of information technology. Definitely, both goals can be achieved faster because I have found the missing link.And, I learned that the unique educational program of the Graduate School of Computer and Information Science at Nova Southeastern University is one of the many features why many students study and research here. For, one of the main reasons for my selection of Nova Southeastern University is its Cluster classroom format. Since I am a firm believer in the concept of teamwork, I believe the cluster meetings will be beneficial for me as I network and team with others in my field with the guidance and wisdom of my instructors.

Scope and Kinds of Cyber Security Research Paper

Scope and Kinds of Cyber Security - Research Paper Example The researcher states that one can hardly imagine an activity that would not involve the computer and other digital equipment being used in digital devices. Their usage is furthermore visible in the organizational structures, both on managerial front, educational and governmental level. Having explained its dominance and presence all over in our surrounding, at the same time, it must be said that computing world which is an online world is a fragile one and is extremely vulnerable to the external threats and challenges. These threats come in form of security concerns. While it is an outer world where there is no restriction on anyone who may want to join the network of World Wide Web, it becomes imperative to create a security factor consideration which would enable safe operations. Since all kinds of activities are being performed over the computer and internet, ranging from private data exchange to financial records, governmental records, other documents of national security, centr al databases and various other elements, in such cases it becomes important to establish a mechanism that would ensure safer operations on the internet. Internet is being termed as one of the least equipped and least reliable source of communication when it comes to privacy and security. This has been proven in cases and forms of all kinds of breaches in different parts of the world from time to time. no bank, no individual, no organization , no website is safe from the attack of these insurgents who pose threat to the common flow of traffic across the board. Scope of cybersecurity: The scope of cybersecurity is a very large one and it finds its application in any place where there is computer and internet in function. It would find its usage in home applications, official applications, educational institutes, governmental, even in the aeroplanes where most of the transmission is done over computer and digital means, require safe coding methods. Anything that is on the board of onli ne interface is included in the scope of cybersecurity since it requires protection in one way or other. Even the domestic users of computer who may use it for ordinary online operations, require security and safety since any kind of malware or bug can penetrate into their computer and cause the desired damaged. The need for cybersecurity: Cyberworld is just like the society of human being. While over 3 billion people from across the world are on board on the digital interface, it does require patrolling and controlling of the entire traffic. Just like the society would need law and order, police control and patrol, in the same way a medium that has over 3 billion users would require a scheme which would ensure safe usage of internet and computers. With all kinds of operations subject to the usage of online resources, it is highly imperative to create a zone that is shielded with secure browsing of computers and the world of internet. Kinds of cybersecurity threats: Just like a phys ical society may face threats in different forms, the cyber world is no exception and it is faced with challenges and obstacles in various forms. These come in form of cybersecurity concerns.

THE GLOBAL ECONOMY Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

THE GLOBAL ECONOMY - Essay Example bserved that cutting edge improvements in the area of information technology (IT) have made most of the business processes easier as well as economical, apart from pushing geographical boundaries into near obsolescence. These improvements â€Å"have made it less costly for consumers to determine the characteristics of products produced abroad† (Krol, 2008, P.3), and have also provided the producers/manufacturers with the ease to gauge consumer preferences. As a result the manufacturers are in a better position to customize their products and/or services with an aim to tap the foreign markets. Hence it can easily be comprehended that the modern business scenario that prevails in the global arena is highly competitive and the players are keen on utilizing every possible avenue to maximize their gains. It may be observed that â€Å"income growth in developed countries and even in some less-developed countries has increased the demand for goods and services produced domestically as well as from abroad† (Krol, 2008, P.4), which implies that the volumes of international trade – and hence its inherent perils – have been rising incrementally, thereby calling for efficient trade protection policies. Another important reason for the implementation of such policies is that â€Å"trade restrictions have decreased significantly since World War II† (Krol, 2008, P.4). In the context of global economies it has been observed that the developed nations can afford to subsidise, the developing nations prefer barriers to protect their trading activities. Data from the World Bank reveal that a large number of trade restrictions have been brought into effect as â€Å"several countries, including 17 of the G-20, have implemented 47 measures whose effect is to restrict trade at the expense of other countries† (Gamberoni & Newfarmer, 2009, P.1). Within the eventful cauldron of international trade one of the phenomena that raise concern is that of dumping which, according to the World

Financial Statements and the Monetary Situation of Morrisons Essay

Financial Statements and the Monetary Situation of Morrisons - Essay Example The report is aimed towards guiding interested shareholders to rationally invest in Morrisons Supermarkets. Morrisons is one of the largest chains of supermarkets located in the U.K. The firm has their headquarters located in Bradford, England. Morrisons is counted amongst the big four supermarkets in the U.K, after Tesco, Sainsbury, and Asda. Currently, the company holds approximately 11% market share in the supermarket sector of the U.K. The company had initially begun as retailers of butter and egg in the year 1899. However, the firm has remained successful in expanding itself and presently it has 515 superstores and 113 local stores spread across the U.K, England, Wales, and Scotland. The U.K supermarkets are highly competitive and also possess the ability to earn a very high level of revenues. Consumers, in general, are seen to gain benefits from such high competition as they are able to procure goods and services at reduced prices. The purpose of the paper is to understand how analysis of financial statements facilitates better investments decision making. Income statements are prepared to estimate the level of profitability existing in a firm. They also indicate the efficiency with which an organization performs and earns revenue. Investments decisions are crucial as they may either cause a shareholder to earn adequate profits or lose earnings on the capital invested. Shareholders face the risk of losing their savings if financial statement interpretations are not carried out effectively. The income statement is essentially a summary of the incomes and expenses of a firm presented in a summarised form for a particular period. By analyzing the incomes, expenses and the profits of a number of years, investors can understand how effectively a firm manages their internal operating expenses so as to earn sufficient profits.

Scope and Kinds of Cyber Security Research Paper

Scope and Kinds of Cyber Security - Research Paper Example The researcher states that one can hardly imagine an activity that would not involve the computer and other digital equipment being used in digital devices. Their usage is furthermore visible in the organizational structures, both on managerial front, educational and governmental level. Having explained its dominance and presence all over in our surrounding, at the same time, it must be said that computing world which is an online world is a fragile one and is extremely vulnerable to the external threats and challenges. These threats come in form of security concerns. While it is an outer world where there is no restriction on anyone who may want to join the network of World Wide Web, it becomes imperative to create a security factor consideration which would enable safe operations. Since all kinds of activities are being performed over the computer and internet, ranging from private data exchange to financial records, governmental records, other documents of national security, centr al databases and various other elements, in such cases it becomes important to establish a mechanism that would ensure safer operations on the internet. Internet is being termed as one of the least equipped and least reliable source of communication when it comes to privacy and security. This has been proven in cases and forms of all kinds of breaches in different parts of the world from time to time. no bank, no individual, no organization , no website is safe from the attack of these insurgents who pose threat to the common flow of traffic across the board. Scope of cybersecurity: The scope of cybersecurity is a very large one and it finds its application in any place where there is computer and internet in function. It would find its usage in home applications, official applications, educational institutes, governmental, even in the aeroplanes where most of the transmission is done over computer and digital means, require safe coding methods. Anything that is on the board of onli ne interface is included in the scope of cybersecurity since it requires protection in one way or other. Even the domestic users of computer who may use it for ordinary online operations, require security and safety since any kind of malware or bug can penetrate into their computer and cause the desired damaged. The need for cybersecurity: Cyberworld is just like the society of human being. While over 3 billion people from across the world are on board on the digital interface, it does require patrolling and controlling of the entire traffic. Just like the society would need law and order, police control and patrol, in the same way a medium that has over 3 billion users would require a scheme which would ensure safe usage of internet and computers. With all kinds of operations subject to the usage of online resources, it is highly imperative to create a zone that is shielded with secure browsing of computers and the world of internet. Kinds of cybersecurity threats: Just like a phys ical society may face threats in different forms, the cyber world is no exception and it is faced with challenges and obstacles in various forms. These come in form of cybersecurity concerns.

Financial Statements and the Monetary Situation of Morrisons Essay

Financial Statements and the Monetary Situation of Morrisons - Essay Example The report is aimed towards guiding interested shareholders to rationally invest in Morrisons Supermarkets. Morrisons is one of the largest chains of supermarkets located in the U.K. The firm has their headquarters located in Bradford, England. Morrisons is counted amongst the big four supermarkets in the U.K, after Tesco, Sainsbury, and Asda. Currently, the company holds approximately 11% market share in the supermarket sector of the U.K. The company had initially begun as retailers of butter and egg in the year 1899. However, the firm has remained successful in expanding itself and presently it has 515 superstores and 113 local stores spread across the U.K, England, Wales, and Scotland. The U.K supermarkets are highly competitive and also possess the ability to earn a very high level of revenues. Consumers, in general, are seen to gain benefits from such high competition as they are able to procure goods and services at reduced prices. The purpose of the paper is to understand how analysis of financial statements facilitates better investments decision making. Income statements are prepared to estimate the level of profitability existing in a firm. They also indicate the efficiency with which an organization performs and earns revenue. Investments decisions are crucial as they may either cause a shareholder to earn adequate profits or lose earnings on the capital invested. Shareholders face the risk of losing their savings if financial statement interpretations are not carried out effectively. The income statement is essentially a summary of the incomes and expenses of a firm presented in a summarised form for a particular period. By analyzing the incomes, expenses and the profits of a number of years, investors can understand how effectively a firm manages their internal operating expenses so as to earn sufficient profits.

The Specialist Creed Essay Example for Free

The Specialist Creed Essay No one gets away with more than I. I am a non Non-Commissioned Officer, a beast of burden. As a junior enlisted soldier I realize that I am a member of an under appreciated, much chastised group of soldiers which is known as the ribcage, or perhaps pancreas, of the Army. I am proud of myself and my fellow Specialists and will continue to bitch, whine and sham until the absolute last second regardless of the mission at hand. I will use my grade and position to avoid responsibility, accountability and any sense of presence of mind. Ignorance is my watchword. My two best excuses will always be on the tip of my tongue I didnt know, and It wasnt me. I will strive to remain invisible and unavailable for details. Never ever volunteer for anything is my rallying cry. I am aware of my role as a SPC and if you need me for anything, Ill be on appointment. I know the other soldiers, and I will always refer to them by their first name or in some cases derogatory nickname. On weekends, or days off I will consistently drink myself into oblivion, and I will never answer my phone. I understand that for a person in my hierarchal position, rewards are going to be few and far between, and punishment will always be swift and severe. Officers of my unit will have maximum time to accomplish their duties, because I will be accomplishing them for them. I will kiss up to their face and badmouth them behind their back, just like everyone else. I will be loyal to those with home I serve, provided theres something in it for me. I am the last bastion of common sense that stands between me and the Army philosophy of Work Harder, Not Smarter. My voice is a tool and my complaints are a weapon that I wield with unmatched skill and finesse. I will not forget, nor will I allow my comrades to forget, Specialist is the greatest rank in the Army and rank has its privileges.

Analysis of Personnel Management and HRM Perspectives

Analysis of Personnel Management and HRM Perspectives INTRODUCTION The report has two sections; the first will focus on critically analysing the principals of Personnel Management (PM) and Human Resource Management (HRM) and the similarities and differences between them. Furthermore, John Storeys (1992), Guests (1987), Beer and Spectors (1985) points of difference will be provided and adapted to a Subway franchise. Finally, the appropriate recommendations on how the company could improve its HR procedures. The second will focus on context of Subway Franchisor Corporation which is currently the leading fast food company in the US, winning numerous awards since it was founded in 1965 by a 17 year old Fred DeLuca. It provides nutritious menu choices, flexible food options on its gourmet breads, sauces and toppings. The company also specialises in wraps, tortillas and salads as well as a variety of drinks. According to Subways official website (subway.co.uk), their mission is to supply good quality food and service, and also provide the tools and knowledge to entrepreneurs to gain competitive advantage over other fast food companies. It is important to understand Subways role as a franchisor. This report is not based on an analysis of the Subway Corporation, the franchisor, but rather on an individual Subway franchisee. 1 Personnel Management The history of PM began around the end of the 19th Century; a concept closely connected to the contradiction in relations between companies and their employees. It is believed that PM evolved through phases: Welfarist (until 1920s) Characterised by an emphasis on the provision of welfare facilities and efforts made to create the ideal factory (Cumming, 1993, pp.4-5). Personnel Administration (1930s) In the form of recruitment, basic training and record keeping (Armstrong, 1996, p.32). Development (1950s) Management of employee relations becomes the critical contingency factor of PM due to the rise in TU membership and collective bargaining. A wider range of personnel services were provided (Armstrong, 1996). A broad definition of PM is a function concerned with putting in place, the processes and procedures to make sure the organisation has the right staff at the right time so it can operate at a very basic level. Similarly, Cole (2002) describes PM as the function of management that has to deal with the recruitment, employment, training, redeployment, safety and departure of employees. 1.1 Functions of Personnel Management PM tries to maintain fair terms and conditions of employment, whilst efficiently managing day-to-day, personnel activities at the operational level. Heavily based on administrative tasks; It involves hiring and developing employees so that they become more valuable to the organisation. More specifically, the functions of PM are identified by Armstrong (1996) in Appendix 1. In broader terms, the functions include:- Conducting job analysis, recruiting and selecting and handling promotion internally. Training based on legal requirements of Health and Safety procedures, risk assessment. Remuneration: making sure the correct wage/salary is paid at the right time (Cole, 2002). Providing benefits and incentives. Appraising performance, resolving disputes in the form of grievance and discipline. Monitoring absences and sickness using techniques such as the Bradford Factor (identifies the number and patterns of absences). Redundancy: administration of and dismissal procedures (Cole, 2002, p.26) 1.2 Advantages and Disadvantages of Personnel Management Identifying people as the central function of an organisation which need controlling and allocated effectively (Bach, 2005), is the key advantage of PM as it is essential to the survival of the organisation. As previously mentioned, personnel managers can identify staffing gaps and assign the right number and type of people the organisation needs, (Armstrong, 1996, p.28). Furthermore, it is a very methodical. There are clear ideas of what has to be done in certain situations implying that there is transparency and consistency in the way individuals are treated. The advantages of PM may however also have negative implications. For example, Maslow (cited in Strage, 1992) identifies that individuals are different with different needs. The model is inflexible and standardised, dealing with each employee and every organisation in a certain way. This may not be appropriate for all employees or organisations. PM has often been described as routine and very process driven. This may be ideal for large organisations however not for smaller firms. The process is costly and time consuming to manage effectively. Finally, the culture and individual values of the workers are not considered, along with the adversarial relationship (the wanting of different things) between workers and management. 2 Shift from Personnel to HRM In the 20th Century there was a broad discussion whether or not HRM represents a fundamental change in people management or it just a phase of PM (Beardwell and Claydon, 2004). Some theorists emphasised a transformational shift from PM to HRM (Spector, 1985). Tyson and York (1993) believed that people are a businesss most important resource and that the achievement of organisational goals depends mostly on this. At the same time others believed that HRM was just a next step in PM development caused by historical and environmental factors (Bach and Sisson, 2000). It was stated that in PM, employees are seen as a variable cost, while HRM shows that they are a variable asset to the organisation. However, some theorists argued that change in name didnt bring a change in reality, therefore HRM was described as an old wine in new bottles (Armstrong, 1987) and as a wolf in sheeps clothing (Keenoy, 1990). Theorists tried to answer these questions by identifying similarities and differences between two approaches of people management. Legge (1995) identifies following similarities:- Both emphasise the importance of integration. Both linked employee development with the achievement of organisational goals. Both sought to ensure that the right people were in the right job. Both gave the responsibility of people management to line managers. 2.1 Beardwell and Claydon Model (2007) In contrast, Beer and Spector (1985), Guest (1987) and Storey (1992) compared the models and identified several points of difference which are summarised in a single model developed by Beardwell and Claydon, (2007, p.13). It examines differences between them in 5 perspectives seen in Appendix 2. 2.2 John Storeys Model (1992) Another model, underlying the previous one was made by John Storey, who identified 27 differences between PM and HRM. These points are grouped into four categories: beliefs and assumptions, strategic aspects, line management and key levers (Appendix 3). 2.2.1 Advantages Clearly identifies the differences between the two. Shows consideration to organisational culture, strategies, leadership. Identifies a two dimensional map: interventionary/non-interventionary and strategic/tactical (Armstrong, 1996, p.62) 2.2.2 Limitations Companies often combine both approaches and therefore cannot be characterised under just one. Organisations beliefs and assumptions as these are often invisible and non-tangible (Beardwell and Claydon, 2007). 3 Human Resource Management HRM presents a variety of different styles and models. Storey (1989) identifies its two types: hard and soft. Later, Michigan Business School (MBS) and Harvard University developed two different basic models, which have been very influential in the interpretation of HRM (Beardwell and Claydon, 2007): Matching model associated with a hard approach and Harvard model, in connection with soft. These two particular models underline the two main concepts: Matching model became a basis of best-fit school of Strategic Human Resource Management (SHRM), whilst Harvard models ideas contributed to best-practice approach. These will be discussed further. 3.1 Soft/Hard approach to HRM The hard approach stresses the importance of close integration of HR policies, and activities and systems of business strategy. Also, the emphasis is placed on cost-reduction strategies (Schuler and Jackson, 1987). Furthermore, it detects the strong from the weak i.e. those whose attributes and skills help the company to achieve strong strategic positioning and competitive advantage. The soft approach recognises employees as valued assets to attain competitive advantage through their commitment, high quality, adaptability, performance and their skill set. Employees are proactive through collaborations and participation. Soft and hard approaches are very contrasting especially when implementing a single approach. Soft and hard approaches show an obvious gap between what would be characterised as rhetoric and reality. 3.2 Matching Model The model is developed by MBS (Fombrun et al.,1984). It shows an interconnection between different environmental forces (political, economical, cultural), business structure and strategy and HR policies and practices. It emphasise a close relationship between the last two (Appendix 4). The model is associated with a hard version of HRM that is characterised by using HR in order to meet business objectives. Two basic assumptions form a model (Beardwell and Claydon, 2007): Effective way of people management is not universal: it depends on the particular organisation. Employees should follow the same business views as managers and the owners in order to maximise organisational performance. 3.2.1 Advantages Takes into account the influence of external factors on an organisation and its HR polices. Emphasises tight fit between HR and business strategy that leads to competitive advantage (Beardwell and Claydon, 2007, p.7). 3.2.2 Disadvantages Business level strategy and HR strategy could not be linear (Bratton and Gold, 2001). Fails to generate employee commitment (Purcell, 1995, cited in Storey). Excessive fit could be a disadvantageous to achieving goals (Boxall, 1996). 3.3 The Best-Fit Model Best-fit model belongs to contingency school of SHRM that explores the link between stages of organisational development, strategy, HRM policies and practices (Boxall and Purcell, 2000). There are several best-fit models: life-cycle model (Kochan and Barocci, 1985), competitive advantage models (Schuler and Jackson, 1987 and Miles and Snow, 1984) and configurational perspective (Marchington and Wilkinson, 2002; Delery and Doty, 1996). 3.3.1 Life-Cycle Model The model matches HR policies and practises with the stage of organisational life-cycle (Appendix 5). In the start-up phase, HR polices should be flexible and attract talented and skilled employees. The growth stage should have more formal HR procedures, efficient management and organisational development. The maturity stage is characterised by cost control, HR strategy and, finally, in the decline stage, the company shifts to rationalisation with a reduction of workforce and redundancy implications (Kochan and Barocci, 1985). 3.3.2 Competitive Advantage Model The model links HR systems and organisational strategy. Porter (1980) argued that firms could follow only three generic strategies: cost leadership, differentiation or focus strategy. Schuler and Jackson (1987) matches these with a firms HRM polices (Appendix 6). The emphasis shifts from long-term focus, coordination and broad career path under the innovation strategy to fixed job descriptions, immediate focus and continuous training under quality enhancement and to short-term focus and minimal level of training under the cost reduction strategy (Schuler and Jackson, 1987). Miles and Snow (1978) classify companies into four distinct strategic groups (defenders, prospectors, analyzers and reactors) and base their response to three major problems: entrepreneurial, engineering, and administrative. Their competitive advantage framework (Miles and Snow, 1984) links three of these strategies with firms HR practices (Appendix 7). Application of their model to the organisation increases busi ness performance. 3.3.3 Configurational Model Contingency school was criticised for its lack of sophistication, because of its attempt to relate only to one variable. Configurational model is a more complicated approach that focuses on multiple independent variables that effect HRM strategy. This approach represents non-linear synergistic effects and higher order interaction to maximise performance of the company (Delery and Doty, 1996, p.808). The model emphasises internal congruence with organisational systems such as management style, finance and culture (Paauwe, 2004) as well as their vertical integration with strategic configuration (Marchington and Wilkinson, 2002). 3.3.4 Advantages of Best-fit model Analyses the influence of external environmental factors on organisation and its HR practises. Emphasises congruence and coordination between internal HR practises (Delery and Doty, 1996). Matches HR system with strategic management processes (Schuler and Jackson, 1999). 3.3.5 Disadvantages of the Best-fit model Ignores unique characteristics of individual businesses that could be the main source of competitive advantage (Beardwell and Claydon, 2004, pp.48-49). Ignores employee interests. Simplicity of classical approach in describing competitive strategies. Lacks sufficient attention to dynamics (Boxall, Purcell, 2000, p.187). 3.4 Harvard Model The soft approach Harvard model described by Beer et al. (1984) provides one of the first major statements on how managers should practise SHRM (Appendix 8). The analytical framework consists of six basic components: situational factors, stakeholders interest, HRM policy choices, HR outcomes, long term consequences and a feedback loop through which outputs flow directly into the organisation and to the stakeholders. It is associated with the goals of flexibility and adaptability and implies that communication plays a central role in management (Storey and Sisson, 1993). 3.4.1 Advantages Recognises and incorporates a range of stakeholder interests (Armstrong, 2003) Recognises the importance of trade-offs. Widens the context of HRM to include employee influence, the organisation of work and the associated questions of supervisory style (Armstrong, 2003). 3.4.2 Disadvantages Fails to show corporate or business strategy as key determinant of HRM strategies and polices (Tyson, 2006). This model does not explain SHRM functions in a detailed way (Loosemore, Dainty and Lingard, 2003). 3.5 Best Practice: High Commitment Models These models are tools which are used to enhance companys overall performance in improving employee spirits, behaviours, lowering labour turnover and absenteeism. The aim is to improve productivity, encourage high levels of expertise, and enhance quality and efficiency (Claydon et al. 2004). There are two approaches: the best practice SHRM and universalism. The best practice according to Guest (1989) has four objectives: strategic integration, commitment, flexibility, and quality. These objectives mentioned are required to achieve:- High job performance, Good problem solving among employees, Flexibility Lower employee turnover Another model is Pfeffers (1994): 16 HR practices for competitive advantage through people, later changed to seven practices for building income by putting people first (Appendix 9). This type of model signifies that HR enables organisations to adapt and innovate to gain a competitive advantage. With the universal approach, the concern is with how close organisations can get to the ideal of practices, (Claydon et al. 2004) the assumption being that the closer a company gets, the better the company performs. Other best practice models vary depending on the relationship of organisational performance. This can be seen in Appendix 10. Limitations of best practice models are: difficulty in determining whether or not the HRM practices lead to enhanced organisational performance or whether it is the current financial position which leads to increases in performance. It is also very difficult to determine how organisations with tight financial control operate within highly competitive markets and how they can invest in some of the HR practices advocated in the best practice models (Storey, 1995). Other limitations include: improved performance through efficiency and its tight financial control could be associated with the hard HR policies as mentioned in Storeys 27 points of differences. According to Boxall and Purcell (2003) high commitment models tend to fudge the question of pluralists goals and interests (Boxall et al, 2003) which has also led to negative comments of how best practice models assist with the organisations overall performance. 4 Subways Approach to Human Resource Management/Personnel Management In this part we explore and critically evaluate Subways Leicester based franchisees HR practises and procedures and assess their PM and HRM characteristics. Mannys Classic Subs Limited is a typical example of Subway UK based franchisee. HR practises in this company are conducted by the HR manager and Managing Director (MD), which include planning, advertising, interviewing, recruitment and selection, disciplinary procedures, training, payment and wages review, rewards system and retention. Some fundamental HR procedures are communicated from the head office; however, the way in which they are implemented depends on the management of individual franchisees. In this particular firm HR procedures are still being developed. 4.1 Role perspective There are several top management roles such as the MD, Restaurant Managers, and Company Secretary. These are however, not clearly defined. When looking at lower roles: within the stores themselves, there is a high level of specialisation. The specific roles include: Sandwich Artist involves customer service, paperwork accuracy, cash register, equipment usage, product preparation and taking phone orders. Shift Leader involves supervision of sandwich artist, deals with customer complaints, delegating work, enforcing policies and dealing with staffing issues. Assistant manager involves hiring, training and supervising procedures, weekly inventory and paperwork, food service certification, service counter marketing (Subway Operations Manual, 2009) According to Storey (1992) and Guest (1987), characteristics of PM can be seen at the lower levels and HRM at the top levels. It can however be said that the level of standardisation is high in general. This is because strict guidelines are passed down from the corporate Franchisor to each Franchisee in relation to its operations. In addition to this, communication throughout the company is direct in reference to HR approaches. This could be associated with the size of the company and with the stage within its life cycle. This company has 46 employees and therefore classified as a small firm. In addition, Subway is in the growth stage because it was established two years ago and its market share is still growing. 4.2 Training and Development A two week training program, in the corporate headquarters, in management, book-keeping and personnel procedures, is offered to new franchisees. Plus an additional 34 hours of job training at a nearest subway (Subway Staff Handbook, 2009). In contrast, staff training is provided by the local managers or supervisors however, when training employees in first aid, they are sent in groups to St Johns Ambulance to attend a four day training course in advance first aid. Preliminary courses are also organised before sales training. This way of controlling access to courses when training staff relates directly to PM. Furthermore, the Subway Staff Handout (2009) states that employees could be sponsored to obtain relevant qualifications that may be beneficial to their development within the company. 4.3 Recruitment and Selection The recruitment processes within Subway include e-recruitment (company website), job fairs and word-of-mouth from current employees. They clearly identify what they want from candidates especially in relation to punctuality, accuracy, communication, ability to take direction and follow rules and most importantly, customer friendliness. The selection process begins once the company has received candidates applications. The HR manager identifies the key characteristics of a candidate for example, age, availability and previous work experience. On the second stage of selection, the HR manager selects appropriate candidates for a telephone interview to discuss in detail the requirements of the role. The candidates that match the companys criteria are then invited to a face-to-face interview; ultimately leading to the selection of one candidate and the signing of the contract. The company contract is simple and generic as it applies to most employees. All requirements included within this contract are clearly stated implying a personnel approach. 4.4 Employment relations Managers treat employees according to the business needs. The main focus is on company stakeholders especially customers, who they believe is the heart of their business (Kang, 2009). Internal relationships between staff are fundamental to the company. If conflicts occur, they are de-emphasised and the main role for management is to manage climate and culture. This is a reflection of the HR approach. 4.5 Monitoring and Control Subway adopts a personnel approach to monitoring its employees so that all procedures and regulations set by senior management are followed. The monitoring system used is called KADCAM which ensures every transaction is processed accordingly and any errors within the process line inform the manager that employees are not following the rules. 4.6 Pay and Rewards Wage starts at  £7 per hour for all staff apart from store managers, after a trial period. These are then reviewed annually and depend upon company results and in accordance with the HR approach; pay is also based on individual performance. Company policy also includes promotion for suitable candidates with an appropriate level of experience and essential competencies (Subway Staff Handbook, 2009). CONCLUSION The first section of the report critically analysed PM and HRM and evaluated the similarities and differences between the two approaches. It was identified that PM sees employees as a cost and the objective is to minimise this. In contrast, HRM approach argues that people are a valuable asset and its practices are aimed to increase the employees commitment. They allow for HR policies to fit company strategy and ensure the company maximises business performance. In the second part of the report Subways approach to people management is analysed using comparative frameworks by Beer and Spector (1985), Guest (1987) and Storey (1992) and identified features of both personnel and HRM approaches in Subway. RECOMMENDATIONS According to the companys life cycle which is at the growth stage, and strategy involving maximising return on investment and providing excellent customer service (Subway Staff Handbook, 2009); they have relatively appropriate HR strategies in place. However, in order for them to adapt to the changing dynamic environment, they could improve and develop some of their procedures. From speaking directly with staff at the franchise, it was identified that the employees are given a high level of empowerment. When management first implemented this, staff members were allowed to give out free upgrades but werent given appropriate instructions on procedures. It is recommended that management provides training and supervision (in the form of instruction booklets) before employees are empowered. Subway currently closely controls its staff, but it could shift from PM, monitoring approach to nurturing in order to build trust between the company and its employees. As this franchise in particular is in the development stage, some HR procedures such as rewards and promotions are not clearly identified yet. The company could improve this in order to increase enthusiasm within employees, thus leads to achievement of organisational goals. Subway already emphasises the importance of teamwork however this can always be improved and develop for example by the use of team building workshops. They could also have an additional rewards set for teamwork as opposed to just individual rewards. Finally, rate of pay is fixed as there is no difference between weekend and week pay. Separate teams are allocated to work weekends and mid-week. With a separate team just working on the busier weekends, dissatisfaction may occur. In compliance with other fast food companies within the UK, a recommendation would be to increase the hourly pay rate for the members that work on the weekends. REFERENCE LIST Armstrong, M. (1987) Human resource management: a case of the emperors new clothes?, Personnel Management, 19(8), pp.30-35 Armstrong, M. (1996) A handbook of Personnel Management Practise 6th Edition, Kogan Page Ltd, pp.27-63 Armstrong, M. (2003) Human Resource Management Practice 9th ed. Cambrian Printers Ltd, pp.397-496 Azashemi, M., (2008) Operational context: Human resource management, Prentice Hall Bach, S. and Sisson, K. (2000) Personnel management: a comprehensive guide to theory and practice, 3rd ed, Oxford: Blackwell Bach. S, Sisson. K (2002), Personnel Management (3rd Ed). Blackwell Publishing. Oxford (UK), p.323 Bach. S. (2005), Personnel Management (4th Ed). Blackwell Publishing. Oxford (UK). Beardwell, J and Claydon, T. (2007), Human Resource Management: A Contemporary. Approach, 5th ed., London: FT Prentice Hall Beardwell, I., Holden, L. and Claydon, T. (2004) Human Resource Management: A Contemporary Approach, 4th ed., Harlow, Financial Times Prentice Hall Beer and Spector (1985) Corporate wide transformations in human resource management In Walton R. E. and Lawrence P. R. (eds) HRM: Trends and Challenges. Boston, Mass.: Harvard Business School Press. Beer et al. (1984) Managing Human Assets. New York: Free Press Boxall, P. and Purcell, J. 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