Wednesday, July 31, 2019
Literature Review – Work Choices of Married Women
Literature review The labour supply of women has been the subject of extensive study both in Australia and internationally. 1 Despite this, only a few international and Australian studies have examined the inter-temporal labour supply behaviour of women, and it remains a less understood area of labour supply research (Hyslop 1999). 2 However, study in this area is growing rapidly due to the increasing availability of panel data and improved computational power and techniques. This chapter reviews a selection of studies of inter-temporal labour supply of women in Australian and overseas. Past research Several international studies have examined inter-temporal persistence in labour supply. Shaw (1994) used the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID) over the period 1967-1987 to measure persistence in (annual) working hours of white women in the United States. She found evidence of (statistically) significant persistence in an individualââ¬â¢s labour supply even after controlling for other influencing factors ââ¬â such as wages, the age and number of children and individual health status. Further, the extent of persistence was found to have changed little over the 20 year period studied. Shaw also found that unobserved (time invariant) individual heterogeneity played an important role in the persistence. However, the study did not examine whether the persistence also resulted from unobserved transitory shocks (or errors) that might be serially correlated. Hyslop (1999), also using the PSID data (for the period 1979-1985), examined the dynamics of labour force participation of married women in the United States and found evidence of state dependence. While unobserved individual heterogeneity was found to contribute to the persistence of labour force participation, transitory 1 For a detailed survey of the international literature on womenââ¬â¢s labour supply, see Killingsworth (1983), Killingsworth and Heckman (1986) and Heckman (1993). 2 A few studies also examine inter-temporal labour supply behaviour of men, such as Muhleisen and Zimmermann (1994) for Germany and Arulampalam, Booth and Taylor (2000) for the United Kingdom. LITERATURE REVIEW 5 rrors were found to be negatively correlated over time, suggesting that failing to control for serially correlated transitory errors would lead to underestimation of state dependence. The non-labour income of married women, measured by their partnerââ¬â¢s earnings, was also found to have a negative effect on their labour force participation. Permanent non-labour income was found to be more important in affecting a womanââ¬â¢s labour force participation than transitory non-labour income. The age and number of young children were also found to have a significant negative effect on the labour force participation decisions of women. Inter-temporal persistence in womenââ¬â¢s labour supply was also examined by Lee and Tae (2005) using the first four waves (1998-2001) of the Korean Labour and Income Panel Study. Without considering serial correlation of transitory errors, the authors found that both state dependence and unobserved individual heterogeneity were important in explaining inter-temporal persistence in the labour force participation of women. They also found that the extent of state dependence of labour force participation varied with education, marital status and age. State dependence was found to increase with age, and was higher for married than for single women and higher for women with a junior college level of education relative to those with other levels of education. In the Australian context, very little research exists on the inter-temporal persistence of labour market activity. One study, Knights et al. 2002), examined labour market dynamics of Australian youth (those aged 15-29 years), using the Australian Longitudinal Survey over the period 1985-1988. Dynamic labour market activity of both males and females was analysed separately, with each group being further divided into high and low education groups. High education was defined as the completion of secondary school; with the low education defined as secondary school not being completed. Only two labour force states were examined ââ¬â employed or not em ployed (binary variable). The authors found that an individualââ¬â¢s employment status in the previous year predicted his/her employment status in the currently year for all the four gender-education groups, suggesting evidence of state dependence of employment status. They also found evidence that unobserved individual heterogeneity was important explanatory factor in the persistence of employment status for all groups examined. Like Lee and Tae (2005), however, Knights et al. (2002) did not examine whether the observed persistence was due to serially correlated transitory errors. Some studies have also examined the effect of serially correlated transitory errors on inter-temporal persistence. Tatsiramos (2008), for example, examined female employment dynamics in seven European countries (Demark, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain and the United Kingdom) to test the effects of fertility had on employment status. State dependence was found in the employment status for 6 WORK CHOICES OF MARRIED WOMEN: DRIVERS OF CHANGE women in all countries after controlling for observed and unobserved individual heterogeneity and serially correlated transitory errors. The magnitude of state dependence as measured by average partial effects was very similar across all the countries studied, with the probability of a women being employed being 31 to 49 percentage points higher if employed in the previous year. Like Hyslop (1999), Tatsiramos (2008) also found that transitory errors are negatively correlated over time for all countries, and only in the case of Denmark, was the serial correlation insignificant. Permanent non-labour income was found to have a significant and negative effect on labour supply for all countries except Denmark and the United Kingdom, where the effect was positive. In case of the Netherlands and Italy, a womanââ¬â¢s transitory non-labour income was also found to decrease labour supply. Summing up Much of the existing literature of the inter-temporal behaviour of labour supply has focused on whether or not a woman is involved in paid work ââ¬â a binary choice measured as labour force participation or employment status. In contrast, the approach taken in this study is to examine working hours as a measure of labour supply, and thus treat non-employment (those with zero working hours) as a censored outcome. Further, there are no Australian (and few international) studies that have examined both the effect of observed and unobserved individual heterogeneity and serially correlated transitory errors on inter-temporal labour supply. Despite this, studies of labour force participation by Australian women, comprehensively reviewed by Birch (2005), provide a valuable guide to the choice of explanatory variables. Although the estimates vary across studies and are sensitive to model specifications and estimation techniques, some patterns emerge. The studies generally found that increases in a womanââ¬â¢s wages, educational attainment, labour market experience, and the cost of living, all have a positive effect on a womanââ¬â¢s labour supply. Conversely increases in family income and the number of dependent young children had a negative effect. 3 In this study the focus is on hours worked of individuals. The individual level measures are used to obtain corresponding aggregate indicators of labour supply such as the labour force participation rate, the employment rate and total hours worked of all employed persons, and average hours worked per employed person. LITERATURE REVIEW 7
Preparation
Classrooms no longer have to be In a building In a school. Students can now take classes at schools around the country and world without actually having to attend In person. This has given students the ability to reach more goals. Those who want to go back to school are no longer limited to local universities and colleges but now can choose from a broad range of programs. This lack of limitations is making it easier for people to get the education they need.It opens them up to possibilities they might to have had otherwise. The ability to earn your degree online has made It possible for people with other commitments to still get the education they want and need. This technology has made it possible for them to take classes and complete them on their own time fitting it into their schedule. They are able to design a course load that allows them to care for their family and even work a full time Job and still get the education they are looking for.For many, making the decision of what school to attend Is the hardest art of the process. Taking the time to visit remedying. Com could prove to be very helpful in your decision making process. There Is no doubt that technology has become heavily Integrated Into our everyday lives. Classes at schools around the country and world without actually having to attend in choose from a broad range of programs. This lack of Limitations Is making it easier for people to get the education they need.It opens them up to possibilities they might The ability to earn your degree online has made It possible for people with other It into their schedule. They are able to design a course load that allows them to care looking for. For many, making the decision of what school to attend is the hardest There is no doubt that technology has become heavily integrated into our everyday Classrooms no longer have to be in a building in a school. Students can now take The ability to earn your degree online has made it possible for people with other
Tuesday, July 30, 2019
Business Studies â⬠Marketing Mix Essay
All businesses offer some form of service as part of the product that they supply to customers. This is true of businesses supplying manufactured goods, as well as those that only supply services. By meeting (or exceeding) customersââ¬â¢ expectations, businesses can improve their image and establish a reputation for supplying products with high -quality characteristics. The features of quality service include: * Making sure the customer is safe ââ¬â This is crucial for a high profile business like IKEA otherwise the media will be straight on to them issuing bad press against them, potentially giving IKEA a bad name, furthermore the customer may wish to take legal action if he/she feels mistreated by IKEA. Again causing problems for IKEA. * Delivering good customer service ââ¬â Decisive for IKEA to maintain the good name they have, customers in this day and age will not accept poor service, otherwise itââ¬â¢s likely they will look elsewhere. * Improving the quality of the product ââ¬â Its important IKEA continue improving the quality of there products otherwise customers will begin to lose interest in the company due to its lack of creation and continued progress; customers want to see new/improved products on each visit they make to IKEA. * Making sure the customer is not kept waiting ââ¬â If IKEA let customers wait for there service, its likely they will simply leave the store and go else where, so its important there staff are motivated and wanting to give IKEA a good name. * Demonstrating good after sales care ââ¬â Once the sale is done its easy to take the money and thatââ¬â¢s it, but with IKEA if a problem arises they will want to help the customer in any way possible. Itââ¬â¢s vital for them to retain customers and not lose them to a competitor, and clearly IKEA are doing a good job at this as there profits continue to increase meaning the customers are happy with how they are treated both before and after sales. To see how business offer service in practice, letââ¬â¢s look at some real examples. IKEA sells their products ready to be fitted, meaning the products they sell have to match customerââ¬â¢s precise requirements and also come with good instructions to help them build it at home. Otherwise people will see it as a hassle, meaning they re less likely to purchase from IKEA again. IKEA has bought it self a good name due to fact they offer good after sale services so if needed to contact a member of staff its possible, they give you a good instructional manual, if thatââ¬â¢s not enough you can phone them, email them or even talk 1 to 1 with a member of staff on their website via their web chat facility. It is this combination of products together with a range of services that is important in shaping and determining Ikeaââ¬â¢s reputation, the distinct characteristics of its products and the companyââ¬â¢s competitiveness. IKEAââ¬â¢s website is also a key part in generating sales for there products, its important they describe the product clearly, and give the customer as much information about the product as possible, its less likely that someone will make a visit to IKEA for a product they arenââ¬â¢t given much information about on their website. The above picture is the basic layout for all IKEA products on there website, it has a clear picture of the product, price, special features, measurements, whether it requires assembly, care instructions, material made out of. It also gives the customer the option to see whether they have that product in stock at your local IKEA store, which from personal experience is very useful and practical. IKEA do give a lot of information which reassures the customer that this is the product they want, giving them a buzz and actually wanting to get down to IKEA as soon as possible to purchase the product. B) Price is the amount charged by a business for its products. The factors determining the price of a product can be summarised as the three Cs: Cost, Competition and Customer value. * The cost of producing the product: If a business is to make a profit, then it clearly needs to charge a price that covers the cost of making and selling the product. * The price charged by competitors: A business might want to charge a price at or below that of its competitors. However, if the product is sufficiently unique and superior, then the business might feel it is acceptable to charge a price above that of its competitors. IKEA excels here, in the sense that it offers prices cheaper then its competitors, putting them ahead of the game. * The price customers are willing to pay: This is determined by the value of the product to the target market. If consumers in the target market believe that they can gain significant benefits from the product, then they will be willing to pay a high price. However, if the product provides few benefits, consumers will only be prepared to pay a low price, for example, the price someone is willing to pay for a house will depend on its location, the number of rooms and other factors such as the size of the garden. A business will consider all these factors before deciding on a price for each of its products. In certain situations, it may be appropriate to set a relatively high price. For example, Ikea may set a premium price on a high quality piece of furniture that is widely recognised as being superior to other similar products made by competitors. In other situations a business may opt to set relatively low prices. For example, a new company operating in a very competitive market may set low prices relative to its competitors in an attempt to win business and build a customer base. IKEA are renowned for their cheap prices and high quality products. This has helped them build a huge reputation, and ultimately there cheap prices are a unique selling point, when people think, where can I get good, yet cheap furniture from? Instantly in most cases they think IKEA. IKEA is renowned for being value for money. c) Promotion is a series of marketing activated designed to make consumers aware of products. The ultimate aim, of course, is to persuade them to buy those products. Promotion is an important part of the marketing mix, and business can use a variety of different types of promotion. One of the methods is advertising, advertising is a means by which businesses pay for communication with actual and potential customers through newspapers, television, radio, the internet and other media. It can be expensive, but advertising is often highly successful in influencing consumersââ¬â¢ purchasing decisions. Advertising can be informative, by setting out to increase consumer awareness of a product. This type of advertising is based on facts rather then images. On the other hand, persuasive advertising attempts to convince consumers to purchase a certain product. Persuasive advertising aims to persuade that the advertised product is better than the competition. Sales promotion is any activity that provides a financial incentive to purchase a product. For instance Ikea may hand out free samples of food in their newly built restaurant or perhaps have demonstrations of how to put together some of their products to show customers thatââ¬â¢s its easy, and can be done by anyone. IKEA advertising in the UK is intended to raise awareness of the IKEA brand and drive traffic to the stores. Some people love IKEAââ¬â¢s unique style of retail advertising, some hate it, but everyone who sees there advertising has a strong opinion and subsequently it provokes conversation and debate. Despite having some of the most controversial television advertising campaigns in the UK this includes criticising the taste of the British public, invisible furniture, an exaggerated homosexual man advertising for IKEA. IKEA have raised awareness of there brand, let people know they are different to other home furnishing companies and most importantly increased sales. The advertising department includes all aspects of advertising and brand communication from television advertising and sponsorship to magazine and radio promotions. Advertising is used to support many different areas of the business including brand awareness, store themes, catalogue drops and store openings. The term merchandising covers a range of tactics used by businesses at the point of sale (the location at which the products are actually purchased) to achieve higher sales figures. For example, a business might offer retailers special display stands or point-of-sale adverts to encourage them to place the businessââ¬â¢s products in a more favourable and prominent position withen stores. Merchandising can be important when: * Consumers make decisions at the point of sale. ââ¬â This includes a lot of information about the product, making it bright, clear and attractive. * Competitors make extensive use of merchandising. * A variety of rival products are on display in stores. * Rival products have only minor differences. Businesses seek good publicity, and public relations (PR) is designed to improve businesses standings in the eyes of consumers and other interested groups,. Larger organisations have their own PR staff. Ikea engage in a variety of PR activity including: * Making donations to charities ââ¬â IKEA support unicef to help young children in less fortunate countries around the world. * Sponsoring sporting and cultural activates, and IKEA support the local community by donating products to schools which donââ¬â¢t sell in stores, this is very popular in the community, and keeps the public happy, which creates good press for IKEA. * Allowing the public to visit the business ââ¬â Makes the customer feel more welcome, and at home with IKEA if they feel involved by learning more about the company. Public relations can be a very expensive form of promotion, and it can be difficult for businesses to assess the effect of public relations on sales. Catalogues are a huge part of advertisement for IKEA, itââ¬â¢s relatively cheap when compared to TV adverts, and its fairly easy to get to the customer, IKEA print 131 million copies of there catalogue making it the most widely distributed commercial publication in the world. Having picked up a couple of the latest IKEA catalogues and handbooks, itââ¬â¢s clear that IKEA thrive on simplicity. The IKEA text is the same font on all brochures, with the traditional blue and yellow logo on the bottom hand side of the page this creates continuity which means people recognise it straight away when they see it again, the traditional yellow and blue logo is based on the colours of there home country Sweden. The background images are warm, cosy, family pictures, one containing a large sofa with numerous pillows, the other an aqua blue kitchen. This gets the message across to the reader that there is a large range of products available, furthermore on the front cover they get the message about there prices, ââ¬Å"Pay less, enjoy moreâ⬠and ââ¬Å"your 100 page guide to making an affordable, inspired choiceâ⬠. This encourages the public to go through the IKEA catalogue. Furthermore the catalogue brings the IKEA store into your home, itââ¬â¢s the best way to prepare for a visit to IKEA. d)Place is another term for distribution. It covers the range of activities necessary to ensure that goods and services are available to customers. Deciding on the right place involves a range of decisions. A business needs to consider the most cost-effective way of getting its products and service to the customers. It needs to look at the implications for its profit margins of each means of distribution. The growth in use of the internet has encouraged even small businesses to use websites to sell their products to what can be a global market. This can be highly cost effective means of reaching a wide target audience, but is not suitable for all business and all products. Businesses seek to design marketing mixes that are complementary and work together to benefit the business and to maximise sales. For example, Ikea promotes itself to its target audience on the basis that it offers the lowest possible prices. Place is important to Ikea, and the company locates stores in areas where it costs less to set up, eg on the outskirts of major cities. Which targets both high income earners and low. IKEAââ¬â¢s transport methods are highly effective, large volumes in combination with flat packages are important in helping IKEA to transport products economically from the supplier via the stores to the customers. Flat packs mean that IKEA do not have to pay for transporting or storing unnecessary air ââ¬â and that not only means lower warehousing and distribution costs, but also less impact on the environment. At present 20 % of all IKEA goods are transported by rail. 6) It makes sense for Ikea to target a wide range of customers. This is referred to as mass marketing. But thereââ¬â¢s the other side of it where in some situations they will target small sections of the market. Taken to the limit, this might involve catering for a small select group of customers ââ¬â a target market that has very specific needs. I.E childrenââ¬â¢s section. In mass marketing, Ikea would aim their products at most of the available market and normally try to sell a range of similar products to all customers. Mass marketing is possible if the products are popular and purchased by many different types of people. For example Ikeaââ¬â¢s furniture products are well suited to being sold in mass markets. Businesses must be able to produce on a large scale if they are to sell successfully in a mass market. A company may have to invest heavily in resources such as buildings, machinery and vehicles. Usually, firmââ¬â¢s also have to be very price competitive to flourish in mass markets. By contrast, niche marketing involves companies identifying and meeting the needs of relatively small areas of the market. The aim is to cater for the needs of customers that have not been met sufficiently by other business, and niche marketing is one way in which small businesses can operate profitably in markets that are dominated by large firms. An example would be Ikea and their play pen for younger children. Market research helps businesses to identify whether they should adopt a mass or niche marketing strategy. In general, this would depend on: * Whether the needs of customers within all parts of the market are being met. * The extent to which a business can provide specialist products capable of meeting the needs of select groups of customers. ââ¬â This gives IKEA good idea whether there is a need for a unique product on the market, or a product aimed at a special selection of customers, doing this research could potentially uncover new opportunities for them. * The degree to which competitors are currently meeting the needs of all customers within the market. 7) Market research is the systematic collection and analysis of data to enable a business to take better quality marketing decisions. In simple terms, market research allows businesses to find out what customers want. There are a number of reasons why businesses invest in market research. To determine whether IKEA should focus on mass marketing or niche marketing, they can use market research. Most products are only likely to be mainly purchased by particular groups of customers: the market of young working-class males, for example, is very different to that of middle aged wealthy couples. Market research can assist a firm in identifying which parts of the market are most likely to buy its products. It is vital for a business to know who its customers are. This allows the business to: * Design products to best meet the needs of these customers This makes it more efficient at what it does as it specifically meets the needs of IKEAââ¬â¢s customers, meaning its something which grabs there attention, or they can relate to and want to purchase. * Target advertising, promotions and special offers at these groups People like a bargain, once they see a discount on a product they are looking for they are likely to purchase it from IKEA. * Conduct further in-depth research with specific groups of customers to uncover their needs as fully as possible. 5) Businesses need to know whatââ¬â¢s happening in the market. To be able to plan its product and marketing effectively, a business like Ikea needs to address three important questions. What is the size of the market? A way of measuring the size of the market is to consider the volume of sales made by all businesses selling furniture. What is the structure of the market? This means discovering the number and size of businesses that make up a market. Are there, for example a few large firms, or many small firms? Or a mixture of large and small firms? If a business is in competition with large firms, it may decide to avoid competing on price terms as larger firms may be able to produce their products more cheaply. Is the market growing or shrinking? Market research can reveal what is happening to sales in market over a period of time. A business may feel more confident about entering a market which is growing, as it should be easier to win sales when some customers are not yet loyal to particular brands or manufactures. The market for DIY furniture has kept growing recently mainly due to Ikeaââ¬â¢s success. If IKEA are planning on releasing a new product, its likely they will do research into other products in a similar field to see whether the market for them specific products are increasing or decreasing. This will give them a good idea whether it is worth a full-scale launch of the product they have in mind. 9) Total Quality Control is the most necessary inspection control of all in cases where, despite statistical quality control techniques or quality improvements implemented, sales decrease.The major problem which leads to a decrease in sales was that the specifications did not include the most important factor, ââ¬Å"What the customer requiredâ⬠. To maintain their quality and standards is vital to IKEA, the quality and reliability and workmanship of their products is crucial to there brand. Both to keep their customers and to be legally correct. * Marketing had to carry out their work properly and define the customerââ¬â¢s specifications. * Management had to confirm all operators are equal to the work imposed on them and holidays, celebrations and disputes did not affect any of the quality levels. * Inspections and tests were carried out, and all components and materials, bought in or otherwise, conformed to the specifications, and the measuring equipment was accurate, this is the responsibility of the QA/QC department. * Any complaints received from the customers were timorously and satisfactorily dealt with. This will help keep IKEA a favourites with the customers. To conclude, the above forms the basis from which the philosophy of Quality Assurance has evolved, and the achievement of quality or the ââ¬Å"fitness-for-purposeâ⬠is ââ¬Å"Quality Awarenessâ⬠throughout the company. IKEA hire highly trained quality control workmen, to check that the products in the warehouse are looked after sensiblely and that they are delivered to the customer effeciantly. Quality control is to check that there product meets customer demands and possibly look for ways to improve it. Its important for a business like IKEA to have regulary quality control checks to make sure that the products they sell are always up to standards, making sure the high IKEA standards donââ¬â¢t drop without them being aware. To make sure of this IKEA have a test lab in Almhult which tests both textiles and furniture, around 50,000 tests are carried out in accordance with current standards each year. For several years in succession the IKEA Test Lab has been accredited for it quality system and test methods in accordance with the international standards. All these tests have been developed to correspond to many years of regular use in a domestic enviroment in the areas for which the product is intended. IKEA not only test products during development, but also selects random samples from among the products on sale in the stores. As IKEA say ââ¬Å"It is our customers that we want to come back ââ¬â not our productsâ⬠This makes sure that IKEAââ¬â¢s customers get there full value for money and a long lasting product.
Monday, July 29, 2019
Organization development and change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words
Organization development and change - Essay Example Also the change management framework should be easy to implement and also cost effective. In order to implement changes in the organization the business leaders go for the introduction of various approaches like; Organizational Development (OD), Total Quality Management (TQM) and the Business Process Reengineering (BPR). The focus of this paper is to study the criteriaââ¬â¢s required, for the successful implementation of OD in an organization, in order to bring about the desired Organizational changes. Some four decades ago, there emerged a new approach to organizational change, which came to be known as Organizational Development (OD). This concept considers organizational performance as a sum total of all the individual performances. OD is concerned with an approach towards change which looks forward to improve the performance of the organization by improving the performance of the people working in them. Individuals working in an organization are generally found to be the members of various groups. These groups range from the formal groups in their own departments to the informal friends groups. These groups are constantly interacting with each other and in many cases have been found to be interdependent and having significant role in the determination of organizational culture. The consultant or the change agent tries to use these groups so as to influence the organization culture for infusing the desired changes in the organization. The OD practitioners teach the leaders as w ell as the members such skills which enable the organization to solve its own problems. (Miller, 1999). The focus of the OD practitioners has always been to focus on the gap between the position where, the organization is currently functioning and the position where it wishes to reach. Laboratory Training: This began when Kurt Lewin was conducting a work shop on group dynamics at MIT. At the end of each day of the work shop the researchers used to discuss the
Sunday, July 28, 2019
Promotional Campaign Olympenergy the energy drink Research Proposal
Promotional Campaign Olympenergy the energy drink - Research Proposal Example The health and energy drinks sector is the most promising, profitable and growing segment in the UK (Reuters, 2008). Accordingly Unilever plans to launch its new energy drink during the London 2012 Olympics which would give the brand a good start. This product will be labeled Olympenergy and would be an energy drink, basically a sports drink without artificial sugar. This sport drink would also be beneficial for the older generation as it would reduce muscles and joint aches. It would help the viewers of the Olympics by providing cognitive support. The energy drinks market in the UK has very high potential. This is evident from a report which says that an energy drink with an Asian ant as its principal agent made a successful entry in the UKs stimulant drinks market (Functional Ingredients, 2002). This drink raises the energy level, fights ageing, and enhances sexual vigour apart from fortifying the different systems in the body. Moreover, the energy and sport drink market is thrivin g in the UK with 484 million litres drunk in 2008 (Williams, 2011). Energy drink producers are generally targeting the young and active consumers. The campaign for plan to leverage the maximum promotional benefits is presented below. 2. Marketing strategy The marketing strategy of consumer goods has undergone a change due to internationalization and globalization. Marketing is not just restricted to adjusting the elements of the marketing mix. Today products marketing demands services being extended to the consumers, and services have extended elements of marketing mix. The marketing campaigning would include several tasks such as taking into account the issues of standardization and adaptation. 2.1 Standardization and... Unilever markets its products in all markets including the developed and the developing countries. Standardization means that the same marketing strategy is applied in all markets without considering the local factors. Standardization means identical product lines at identical prices through identical distribution systems with identical promotional programmes. Standardization can bring about significant benefits but this can be feasible if the markets and the consumer behavior are homogenous. Markets are supposed to be homogenized because of advanced technology in communication and information systems but heterogeneous cultures, political systems and economic conditions across borders makes this task difficult. Standardization is a product-oriented approach and not a customer-oriented approach to marketing. Product focus can blind the company to the consumer needs and wants. Standardization ignores the customer needs and the focus is on reducing the product variables. Cultural differ ences and competitor strategy are also important factors in devising the marketing strategy of such products. Thus, local adaptation becomes essential in devising the market plans.
Saturday, July 27, 2019
Cooperate Social Responsibility Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words
Cooperate Social Responsibility - Assignment Example Still, on social responsibility in regards to human resource, it is important to highlight that Etisalat Company has created a department within the company that helps in the provision of solutions to various persons in the company either internally or externally. In this, it can solve external problems that could possibly involve the company with the customers, another company or organization at the same time the department can help in the giving of solutions to the employee's problems themselves and with the management for example on the salaries and wages. This is a very crucial department in the Company as the relationship between Etisalat Company, government, customers and other organizations are very key to the success of the company and like it is always said that the customer is always the king, good relationship with the customers is the key to success and this is because the customers feel that their problems and concerns are catered for by the company (Mark, 2011). Ã Environmental conservation is a very delicate matter in every nation and even to the whole world due to the fact that there are several environment conservation and protection bodies that push for the protection of the environment. Etisalat Company is not left out in the protection of the environment as well. The company employs the reusing of substances especially plastic.
Friday, July 26, 2019
Educational psychology - Investigate theories of teaching and learning Assignment
Educational psychology - Investigate theories of teaching and learning and how those impact on the classroom environment - Assignment Example If the teacher could implement his/her lessons using the appropriate theory as underpinning, successful teaching and learning process will take place. Let us investigate the two major theories in education and the implications of these theories in the classroom environment ââ¬â and the teaching and learning process as a whole. The two main theories in the teaching and learning process are: Behaviorism, also known as a subject-centered theory and Constructivism which is known to be a student-centered theory. Behaviorism Behaviorism is primarily concerned with observable and measurable aspects of human behavior. In defining behavior, behaviorist learning theories emphasize changes in behavior that result from stimulus-response associations made by the learner. Behavior is directed by stimuli. An individual selects one response instead of another because of prior conditioning and psychological drives existing at the moment of the action (Parkay & Hass, 2000). There are two main theo ries under behaviourism: Classical Conditioning and Operant Conditioning. Classical conditioning hearkens back to the experiment done by Ivan Pavlov. There are three things involved in this experiment, the dog, the bell, and the food. At first Pavlov rang the bell then gave some food to the dog. He repeated the procedure for a couple of times. Then he observed that each time that he rang the bell, the dog will salivate then he will give the food. After he did these things again and again, whenever he rang the bell, the dog will salivate even without the presence of the food. Pavlov uses the bell to serve as a stimulus to get the response from the dog which is ââ¬Ësalivatingââ¬â¢. Thus, relating this theory to the classroom situation, if teachers would positively reciprocate the good behavior, students will automatically think that if ever they want to be rewarded, or they want to get something, they must first practice a good behavior. B.F. Skinner developed a more comprehensi ve view of conditioning ââ¬â the Operant conditioning. on the other hand involves the use of reinforcement to encourage behaviors. This theory was based on the belief that satisfying responses are conditioned while unsatisfying ones are not. . Operant conditioning is the rewarding of part of a desired behavior or a random act that approaches it. Skinner remarked that "the things we call pleasant have an energizing or strengthening effect on our behavior" (Skinner, 1972, p. 74). There is what we call the positive reinforcement and negative reinforcement. Positive reinforcement comes in the form of prize, praises, a simple tap at the back, and rewards. Negative reinforcement increases the likelihood of a behavior. Negative implies removing a consequence that a student finds unpleasant. Skinner believed the habits that each of us develops result from our unique operant learning experiences (Shaffer, 2000). With these practices in mind, the behaviorist point of view assumes that hum an behavior can be learned and unlearned. A key element to this theory of learning is the rewarded response. The desired response must be rewarded in order for learning to take place (Parkay & Hass, 2000). Relating this theory in the classroom setting and academic conventions, a teacher who adopts behaviorism uses the system of reward and punishment inside the classroom. S/he rewards desirable behaviors that s/he wishes to strengthen and punishes undesirable
The Burden of the Current Unemployment Insurance Program on Small Essay
The Burden of the Current Unemployment Insurance Program on Small Businesses and Possible Alternatives - Essay Example Instead, they want to pay more for the employees' salaries and wage protection. The business cost rising from the payment of tax towards unemployment compensation will have to recoup by the business firm through its business and actually the consumers bear the tax burden of the firm. The tax rate of unemployment insurance is based on the stability in working of the firms. A company with stable employment history will get deduction in tax rate. An employer is held liable for paying towards unemployment insurance in case he has quarterly payroll of $1500 or more in a calendar year. "The tax rate for new employers is .0270 (2.7 percent). The first $7,000 in wages paid to each employee during a calendar year is taxable. Any amount over $7,000 for the year is excess wages and is not subject to tax. Excess wages can never be greater than gross wages."1 According to the Federal Unemployment Tax Act establishment and administration of the Unemployment Compensation Program is carried on mutually by the state and federal governments. Thus there exist dual system of state and federal in the tax program and the, payments of the employer towards payroll taxes is levied by both the state and federal governments. The rate of payment towards unemployment taxes by employees is on the basis of established tax rates and the history of employers work stability. Thus employers having a history of greater unemployed workers would have to pay more towards the unemployment compensation tax. In case the business owner is compelled to lay off his business for military service, the resulted unemployment to workers would lead to count as a higher unemployment rate in the firm and thus the tax rate payable by the employer will be higher. Similarly if the employees took leave from their jobs for military service then also firms work history will be shown as higher unemployment rate and thus also the tax rate will be increased. In case workers who refrain from job for joining with their transferred military spouse have the legal right to receive unemployment compensation. Thus the employer wants to pay for their non working employees even though job is exist there. In some states the employers are not chargeable for the workers' leave for military service and thus it does not taken for calculating its tax rate. However the workers have the right to receive unemployment compensation and this is charged from the unemployment compensation fund of the state. Thus the actual cost of workers compensation is paid by the employer as a socialized cost and this will lead to increase the overall state unemployment tax rate. 2 Complicated tax regulations is causing firms to indulge in unnecessary law suits with high cost and this will always prevent establishing new business. Along with this higher rate of workers compensation and unemployment insurance has lead to increasing the labor cost of firms. In Florida there employ tort reform for reducing the burden of employers. Joint and several liability rate reductions are followed in workers unemployment compensation insurance. Small businesses are seriously affected by the workers compensation insurance. Majority of the burden of the rising tax rate is always comes to small businesses. Due to shortfalls in state regulation relating to compensation insurance the small business are required to bear a major portion of the UC fund. The working cost such as regulatory costs and tax payments are always becoming
Thursday, July 25, 2019
Japan economy after the earthquake and tsunami Research Paper
Japan economy after the earthquake and tsunami - Research Paper Example The purpose of this paper is to describe the economic effects of the March 11th earthquake on Japan. The earthquake devastated the infrastructure of Japan. There are over 500,000 people homeless as a consequence of the earthquake. The overall property damage exceeds $300 billion (Huffingtonpost). The effect of having so many people homeless has destabilized the nation in social and economic terms. Despite all the humanitarian help that has come from the global community the Japanese government is finding it hard to feed and provide shelter to so many people. Due to the rising cost of petroleum and its derivative products is going more expensive than the $300 billion estimate to reconstruct Japan. A major problem that is hurting the economy of Japan is the damage that the earthquake caused to the power supply of the country. About ? of the electricity in Japan is produced by 4 nuclear reactors. The earthquake caused major damage to one of the plants. The nuclear accident in the Japane se Fukushima plant is considered the biggest nuclear accident since the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Due to the immediate danger that the nuclear facility pose to the population the nuclear electricity infrastructure of Japan has been offline. There is a shortage of electricity across Japan. The lack of electricity throughout the entire country has negatively impacted the industrial activity in Japan. Manufacturing companies have been forced to temporarily shut down operations. This is affecting the ability of the country to export goods. The working class of Japan is losing valuable income everyday which is hurting the well-being of Japanese families. Another problem that companies are having in Japan is supply chain issues. The transportation system in Japan is in total chaos. The short term outlook for the Japanese economy is not too bright. The OECD had to recalculate the GDP growth forecast of Japan for 2011. The OECD GPD forecast for 2011 was lowered to 0.8% from the original metr ic of 1.7% (Euronews). There are major health concerns in Japan as a consequence of the earthquake. In the short term the quake caused injuries to thousands of people. The health system of Japan has been overloaded with work due to the massive amount of people requiring medical treatment. Another issue of major concern for the people of Japan was the nuclear accident in the Fukushima plant. Radiation has been already released into the population. An early study on the situation claimed that the 5.5% of the Japanese population living within 200 square kilometers of the damaged Fukushima plant would develop cancer in the long term (Youtube). This figure implies that 400,000 people would develop cancer. The only way to prevent such a horrible health forecast is to evacuate the entire area of 7.8 million inhabitants. Japan is still in a state of crisis six weeks after the earthquake. During the last month it is estimated that the Japanese economy has lost $297.8 billion (Theworldreporte r). Even a strong economy such as Japanââ¬â¢s cannot sustain these types of losses in such a short period of time. There a strong concerns that the Japanese economy will enter into a recession. The global economy will be hurt if Japan goes into a recession because Japan is considered one of the 8 most powerful countries in the world. Nobody could have image that such a strong earthquake would hit Japan. The people of Japan
Wednesday, July 24, 2019
How should a person be Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 1
How should a person be - Essay Example he globe and it is considered by many who believe in god that god is present everywhere which means there is omnipotence with regard to the presence of god. Many religions teach the followers that god is present everywhere thatââ¬â¢s what omnipotent means. Among the different religions there are many meanings of the word omnipotent, for some it means that god can do anything for anyone who leads the right life, life which is free from sins. This also means that if god says something will happen it will happen. God will make sure that it happens because ever step taken by god is right and every step has logic behind it. This can be better understood with the help of an example, in Christianity if a person lives a holy life or for that matter in any other religion if a person lives a holy life he/she is entitled to eternal life and god will grant it if the person really deserves it. ââ¬Å"There is nothing that God cannot do except that which goes against His nature. God alone has the power to conquer sin and death. He even created Satan who disobeyed and fell; therefore, He has power over him. He promised to give us the power to overcome him that is in the world.â⬠(God is Omnipotent). If there is god then there has to something n egative because where is positive there has to be a negative to counter the positive. That position is occupied by the Saturn and the Saturn tempts the people to do wrong things in other words the Saturn is the evil which makes sure that people do not follow the path of god. The temptation of the Saturn is very difficult to resist and most people fall to that temptation and ignore the path of god. This leads to chaos in the world. All the undesirable activities like suicide bombings, murders, theft etc are done by people who get tempted by the Saturn. When the evil tempts people it makes sure that people forget everything which is good and they incline towards the evil completely. If God does exist then why are women getting raped in all
Tuesday, July 23, 2019
Applying concepts from SAP to a real world case (business processes in Essay
Applying concepts from SAP to a real world case (business processes in SAP) - Essay Example In essence, rate of production must be done in such a way that consumers do not have the need to wait for supply because there are shortages. This is because in a very competitive market, as soon as there are shortages, consumers fall on substitute products and other competitors to get their demands met. To avoid this situation, Fuji has a number of ways that is fuses technology with the traditional concept of production to ensure that production takes place in a much effective and efficient manner. This means is rooted in the use of SAP enterprise resource planning. This paper therefore discusses one concept of SAP as applies to Fuji and identifies how effectively this is used to bring about the needed competitive advantage that the company requires from its business engagements. Production Planning Concept of SAP Designed to make the general execution of task within the organization easier, SAP can be identified as comprising of several layers, all of which must be together as a co llective force to achieve the goals of the organisation (Cowie, 2003). Despite the fact that there are many different layers, it is advised that the basic system, which acts as the heart of the data operations with the SAP concept, should be kept only for the evidence of higher level managers within the organisation. This is because of the control that the basic system has over the entire organisational processing (Simha & Word, 2012). With this noted, there are other concepts or modules within the SAP that can be customised as implementation tools that can used across all departments of the organisation for the execution of duties. These concepts come in different forms and formats, including production planning. As the name implies, production planning is a very important component of the production process that is used as starting point for all other aspects of production to follow (Baeza-Yates and Ribeiro-Neto, 2009). Specifically, production planning SAP is used to plan and con trol the manufacturing activities that take place within the company (Kania School of Management, 2011). This means that the production planning SAP is necessary not only at the pre-manufacturing stage but also very influential at the manufacturing stage of products and goods. This is because whiles manufacturing is taking place, it is important to undertake production planning processes to evaluation the level of conformity of what is being done to what was planned to be done (Balabanovic and Shoham, 2007). Once SAP is introduced as concept for the production planning, there are several other modules that follows, particularly bills of material. Bills of Material at Fuji Under the broader concept of production planning in SAP, the specific concept of bills of material is related to Fuji, where the need to engage in the manufacturing of sports bikes take place on a constant basis. Notably, at Fuji, bills of material involves and engages several aspects of the production planning pro cess. Specifically, there are two major ways that bills of materials are broadly used in Fuji. The first of this is to identify the list of all input materials needed to make the manufacturing of each set of sports bike complete by use of SAP concept of production planning. As part of the planning phase of the manufacturing that takes place,
Monday, July 22, 2019
Working in groups at the work place Essay Example for Free
Working in groups at the work place Essay Organisations all around the world provide remarkable but extraordinary workplaces for millions of people. The majority of workplaces require employees to interact towards other fellow employees and the public. Working together with other employees generates a group. There are many ways to define a group, A group may be defined as a collection of individuals who are interdependent in some way (Johnson and Johnson, p15; 2003). According to this definition, working at the same organisation is the event, which affects them all, and it initiates the individuals to work together. The natures of groups produce a relationship between each individual, which expands from the interaction with one another. Not everyone will get along or have the same opinions, but this teaches everyone to appreciate the fact that all individuals are different and to identify the various cultures. In the workplace when the group gets along, it should improve the effectiveness of the relationships between the people identified. This will help the group to have a high morale and will improve the companys reputation. Lenards, is a well-known poultry shop, which serves a variety of fresh chicken. It is a multi-award winning company, considered to be one of Australias leading fresh food retailers and a pioneer in the kitchen ready market(Dias, 2002). I am currently working at Lenards located at Middle Park, and have been employed there for approximately six months. During these six months, I have particularly become close to two fellow employees, Donika and Nick. I have also formed a good relationship with my manager Ray. The objectives of this report will identify in individuals such as personality and attitudes, behaviors individuals demonstrate that leads a person to believe that they have those personalities and attitudes, the level of morale existing between people in the workplace and the indicators of morale that are present and any cultural and social differences that has an influence on the relationships of these people. INDIVIDUAL DIFFERENCES Ray (Supervisor) Ray is of great importance to the team at Lenards as he is in charge of the businesss daily operations. Therefore his personality and attitudes reflect strongly upon the business. Managers need to be aware of their own attitudes, assumptions and beliefs, as well as being sensitive to their subordinates perceptions, needs and motivations. (Robbins, Bergman, Stagg, Coulter, 2003, p.11). Rays duties reflect upon his personality, which makes his duties easier to perform. One important personality for managing is planning. Planning is where the decisions are made and are the essence of a managers job (Robbins, Bergman, Stagg, Coulter, 2003, p.174). The decision making process is a set of eight steps including identifying a problem, selecting an alternative, and evaluating the decisions effectiveness. Ray tries to be aware of the stores problems by making sure the employees are serving the customers the right way, and checking that all the procedures are carried out properly. When he identifies a problem within the team, he will usually inform the group about the problem so that no one else makes the same mistakes. Organising is another major behavior for managing. This helps the business to be more organised with team responsibilities and also individual responsibilities. At the beginning of the day Ray sets out what he wants to be done, how it will be best to do it and when it should be done by. The challenge for managers is to design an organisational structure that allows employees to effectively and efficiently do their work while accomplishing organisational goals and objectives. (Robbins, Bergman, Stagg, Coulter, 2003, p.274) Leading, is concerned with the subject of behavior and the actions of people at work. It is important for managers to be good leaders so that they have good control over the employees and the business. These areas look towards attitudes, personality, perception, learning and motivation it also includes norms, roles, team building and conflict (Robbins, Bergman, Stagg, Coulter, 2003, p.384). Ray is an understanding person, who tries not to judge. For example, if we are late for work and have a good reason for it he will understand and wont go further into the situation by being nosey. He also gets along well with every customer and does not treat any customer differently no matter of their looks, or culture, etc. Job satisfaction refers to an individuals general attitude towards their job. (Robbins, Bergman, Stagg, Coulter, 2003, p. 389). Rays high involvement as the manager of Lenards has made him extremely motivated and displays positive attitudes. Organisational commitment is an individuals orientation towards to the organization in terms of loyalty identification and involvement. (Robbins, Bergman, Stagg, Coulter, 2003, p. 59). Ray participates in the workplace daily and he shows a considerably high commitment to the workplace. He understands the different cultures of all employees and does not treat anyone different. All managers are required to perform duties that involve people (Robbins, Bergman, Stagg, Coulter, 2003, p.11) Ray does his job very well by performing the duties that involve people at a great level, he interacts well with all the customers by starting conversation and offering bonus cards and cooking guides, he always tries his best to make every customer smile. Morale is basically the need for a manager or supervisor to give their employees direction, guidance, support, encouragement, praise and recognition for work. It is understood that Rays morale is the highest out of all the workers in the business. He shows a cheerful attitude towards employees and is always willing to perform certain tasks for the daily operations. Nick (High Employee) As one of the main employees that make up the staff of Lenards, Nick contributes greatly in the food preparations and daily operations. His personality seems to be much more conversant compared to the rest of the employees. Nick is more tranquil, meaning that he is calm, easy-going and open-minded at the same time. He is always cooperative towards the group and the customers. Human or interpersonal skills represent the ability to work well with and understand others, to build cooperative effort within a team, to motivate and to avoid conflict. (Robbins, Bergman, Stagg, Coulter, 2003, p.11). Nick has developed many skills over the many years that he has been employed at Lenards for. This makes him more conversant meaning that he is much more experienced compared to the rest of the group. Nick is someone that the group members rely on if Ray is not around. The team is very reliant upon Nick because of his great knowledge towards the business and the skills that impact upon the business. A person, who is tranquil, is easy going and calm towards many situations. It is important for group members to portray tranquility so that they can keep there cool at times of frustration. Nick is an outgoing person but at the same time he stays calm and on task. Cooperation is important within a group and a businesss customers. Instead of an individual completing there own duties on there own, the group can work together as a team to complete all the tasks in an organised way. This means that each individual can get help from others where needed. The primary goal is to get along sufficiently well to achieve the goals and do the tasks. (Birchall Colwill, 1996, p70). Nick cooperates well with every team member by helping everyone complete tasks, and by identifying and informing us of something we are doing wrong. He also cooperates well with the customers by coming to a conclusion with a customer who has a problem. Nick, being a thinking and also a feeling person, tends to be logical but always considers others feelings, having both feeling and thinking dimensions giving strength. He is always organised and also understanding. Nick shows that he is a well-organised employee. He always asks questions like are you busy or do you need any help at all with that? He is careful with his words (as to not offend or dishearten other co-workers) and always likes to help other people if they are in need. Organisational commitment is how much a person contributes in doing task and the loyalty towards the business. Nick, having work there for over 5 years, shows that he is loyal towards the business and always contributes as much as he can, thus is highly committed. It is understood that Nick is very spirited within the business as he has considerably high morale. Morale is the mental or emotional condition of a person or group, as indicated by the level of enthusiasm, confidence, cheerfulness, or the like. Nick shows morale through his confidences and cheerfulness at work, where he loves to interact with others. He always shows that he wants to work and is very confident in doing daily tasks. Donika (Employee) Donika shows great deal of personality and is possibly the most complex employee at Lenards. She is an extremely outgoing person she loves interacting with others but is not always aware of people and/or things around her, this becomes one of her weaknesses, feeling. Other than this she is perceiving, but has equal strengths. A feeling person is a person who is more aware of people, problems and situations around them than being logical and objective. This means that the person places more value in people and their life. Donika does not show a lot care for much more than just the job she does, but she likes to know about other employees weekends, problems and loves interacting. At times she can be a bit judging towards people, for example, she may comment about customers after they have left, such as saying something like, That person had stinky breath. Perceiving is where an individual always thinks twice before acting or always want to know more about the task given or problem before making solutions for the problems or task. Perceivers like to take in new ideas and perspectives with others but tend to have a weakness in planning and organizing within the workplace. For example, Donika is a less organised employee by not putting her full effort into a task. For example, when it comes to the end of the day and we have just had a rush of customers leaving all our duties out the back unfinished, she will do a lazy job by not washing thing properly so that she is not late to leave work. Having equal strengths with intuition and sensing means that the person can see possibilities, likes new ideas, enjoys solving problems, can work in complicated situations, likes to establish facts and has minor errors. Having balanced strengths in this dimension could give a person great personality to work with. An example of this can been seen in the workplace at Lenards where Donika likes to invent and discuss new ideas and would like to question others opinions on whether or not the new ideas would be successful if implemented. One day Donika noticed that where the knifes are placed could become a hazard. The knifes are placed on a magnetized holder, Donika suggested that we purchase or create something which would be more safe which the knifes would not fall out of. When she came up with this idea, she informed the management after suggesting it to the rest of the employees. It is understood that Donika has a high morale towards the business organisation as a whole. Morale as said before is a state of individual psychological well being based upon a sense of confidence, usefulness and purpose. The confidence she shows is considerably high. She also likes to motivate and encourage others to work faster and effectively. Donika holds a cheerful attitude towards the job. Deema (Employee) During the six months which I have been employed at Lenards for, I have formed good relationships with the employees and the manager. Human or interpersonal skills represent the ability to work well with and understand others, to build cooperative effort within a team, to motivate and to avoid conflict. (Robbins, Bergman, Stagg, Coulter, 2003, p.11) This makes my job enjoyable and bearable to anticipate. I differ from the group at Lenards in many ways, but I can relate to the employees in many ways. My culture becomes some of the many differences that I have with the group. My family background is stable and has brought me up to be understanding, friendly, cheerful and easy to talk to. On the other side of my personality I can be impatient, unmotivated and unorganized at times. By understanding peoples situations, it helps them to feel comfortable to interact with one another. When there was a new employee, I understood his situation as I had been in the same place before, so I tried me best to help him and make him feel comfortable in his new work place. When others interact with me, I try to put my self in the same situation so that I can understand what they are talking about. By being understanding upon peoples situation is one of the aspects of friendliness. By being friendly towards the group I feel that I enjoy work much more by interacting with one another. By being friendly towards the customers I have realized that they become happy with the service and tend to come back. From being impatient, certain situations become irritating to handle. For example, when customers are picky with what they want, while there are many other customers waiting behind them. While being at work I have to try my hardest to be patient with customers, and try to ignore the irritation I get. Many of times I can become unorganized by coming late to work but other than that I tend to work hard and motivate myself by interacting with the employees and customers. Morale is the spirit of a persons mind where the person can be affected by confidence, cheerfulness and willingness as stated above. I always work with a cheerful attitude, but may sometimes have the will to conduct certain tasks; rather I may need to be instructed to do so. I do not have full confidence in all assigned task so I can sometimes be unsure of what to do in certain operations. The morale I have mainly comes from my enjoyment of interacting with the group and customers. CULTURAL AND SOCIAL DIFFERENCES Culture and society can single everyone out from each other. Culture, can be defined as A deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion notions of time, roles, spatial relations, concept of universe and material objects and possessions acquired by a group of people the course of generation through individuality and group striving. (Samovar Porter) The cultural differences within Lenards are of great importance to how people act and explain things. People are raised with different cultures and these changes the way we act, explain and differentiate between different cultures. Culture serves as a sense-making and control mechanism that guides and shapes the attitudes and behaviour of people. (Robbins, Bergman, Stagg, Coulter, 2003, p. 559) As we go through the workers it is understood that the manager and employees have certain cultural differences within the business. All the employees at Lenards have different backgrounds, I am from Iraq, Ray is Australian, Nick is from New Zealand and Donika is Italian. This proves that a group can work together regardless of each others backgrounds. Having a different social status between workers could really contribute in the way workers act within the organisation. Ray, being the manager of the business organisation uses his status to influence others in the workplace. He acts controlling at times to express that he is dominant but does care for employees opinions. As for Nick, he always respects all employees and customers. He listens well to what everyone has to say, when consulting the manager he always asks relevant questions and discusses any problems in a very formal way. Donika appears to talk naturally to anyone with any social differences within the business; she cares less of what status you are as she thinks that all people are equal in the workplace. Deema, being the least experienced in the organisation tends to respect all people and talks formally and respectfully towards every worker within the business. After going through and analyzing the social differences between the workers, it demonstrates that there is a considerably high difference between them. They all show different attitudes to different social statuses within the workplace. The group at Lenards is all different from one another. We all have our own beliefs, cultural and social differences, but it does not stop us from interacting with each other. There are times when we all agree on things and times when we dont. For example, Ray and Nick always leave the radio on Triple M, and myself and Donika always ask to change it to B105. It never causes a fight because we all understand that we like different types of music and we all share the radio stations. CONCLUSION All organisations require for employees to work in a group. For this to be effective, the members in the group should all get along, understanding each others differences which may relate to culture or society. Just because people work together in the same work group does not mean the share common interests (Birchall Colwill, 1996, p4). All individuals may share many qualities with other people, but they still have their differences, the majority of these come from cultural and social beliefs. It is important for groups to accept each others beliefs so they can interact with each other. Good morale associates with group performances and makes the workplace a happy place. For employees to have good morale, they need to enjoy their job, and when employees enjoy their job they then demonstrate a great attitude towards customers, to influence the return of everyone who is served. I believe that the group at Lenards has a high morale. This is due to the fact that we all get along well; pressure is not put on to anyone, and no one ever seems to complain about working. The customer response is good and we have many regular customers, who very rarely complain. I think that a great influence for the groups high morale is from Ray. Most reasons why employees have low moral is if they dont like their employer. Ray is easy going and does not boss us around, and all of us get along well with him. Human relations is a process by which management brings workers into contact with the organization in such a way that the objectives of both groups are achieved. (Hodgetts, 1987, p6) Overall, it is vital for group associations to accept each others differences so they can interact together with good team work to produce a good morale to the society. BIBLIOGRAPHY * Richard M. Hodgetts, 1987, Modern Human Relations at Work third edition, Florida International University, New York. * Luft, J. (1970, 2nd Ed.) Group processes; an introduction to group dynamics. Palo Alto, CA: National Press Books * Georgia Birchall Jenni Colwill, 1996, Working Relationships, Alice Graphics, Melbourne. * David W. Johnson Frank P. Johnson, 2002, Joining Together Group theory and group skills, Pearson Education, Inc. USA * Stephen P. Robbins, Rolf Bergman, Ian Stagg, Mary Coulter, 2003, Management third edition, Pearson Education, NSW * L. Dias http://www.lenards.com.au/ 2002
Sunday, July 21, 2019
Analysis of Indias Cosmetic Industry
Analysis of Indias Cosmetic Industry Cosmetics or Makeup are substances to enhance the beauty of the human body, apart from simple cleaning. Their use is widespread, especially among women in Western countries. Cosmetics, general term applied to all preparations used externally to condition and beautify the body, by cleaning, coloring, softening, or protecting the skin, hair, nails, lips, or eyes. Perfumery is usually excluded from the field of cosmetics. Although perfumes are commonly manufactured in coordination with cosmetics. The use of cosmetics is worldwide and dates from the remotest antiquity. Although it is generally believed that cosmetics as they are now known originated in the Far East, the study of simple cultures indicates that forms of cosmetic beautification have been practiced in every part of the world. The war paint of the Native American, the tattooing and scarification practiced by many peoples (the Maori of New Zealand and numerous African cultures), and the use of woad (a blue dye used by ancient Britons to paint their bodies) are all forms of cosmetic adornment. A large variety of cosmetics are generally available today. Cold cream is an emulsion of various oils and waxes and water; it is employed to cleanse and soften the skin. Face powder and dusting powder are based on talcum (powdered magnesium silicate) and zinc oxide and are used to dry and give a satiny texture to the skin. Lipsticks, either applied directly or brushed on the lips, are made of cocoa butter or lanolin and are manufactured in an endless variety of shades, as are rouges, mixtures of red pigments and starch or finely powdered clay. Bath salts and other bath preparations combine water-softening agents such as sodium carbonate or borax with perfume; bath oils are also a popular skin-softening and perfuming aid. Nail polishes are lacquers or plastics available in many colors. Hair lotions and hair sprays are used to condition the hair, keep it in place, or make it glossy. Shampoos are based on soap or synth etic detergents. Hair-coloring dyes, tints, and rinses, available in many shades and colors, are widely used cosmetic products. Henna is a vegetable dye, used for centuries to impart a red tint to the hair. Weak solutions of hydrogen peroxide are often employed as hair bleaches. For coloring the eyebrows and eyelashes, mascara is generally used. This is a compound of gum and black, green, or blue pigment. Sulfides of calcium and barium have the property of removing hair from the skin and are generally the active agents in cosmetic depilatories. Bronzes are creams that impart a color to the skin similar to that of suntan. Whereas perfumes are not classified as cosmetics, deodorants are. Deodorants may contain an astringent such as aluminum sulfate, which closes the openings of the sweat glands. An antibacterial ingredient, hexachlorophene, was banned from deodorants in 1972. Cosmetics and perfumery are by no means confined to use by women. Grooming aids frequently used by men include powders, colognes, and lotions, particularly alcohol-based after-shave lotions; bay rum, a mixture of alcohol, oil of bay, and oil of orange, originally made with rum; hair tonics, often with an alcohol or quinine base; and deodorants. Annual retail sales of men and women toiletries in the U.S. today make cosmetic manufacturing a multibillion-dollar industry. Cosmetics are designed for cleansing, beautifying, promoting attractiveness and altering appearance of skin. There are an ever-growing number of ingredients included in cosmetics that are purported to be beneficial for the skin, but often little information on these ingredients is available. COSMETICS INDUSTRY OVERVIEW The cosmetics industry is a $45-billion-a-year business with thousands of products embodied in 33 Food and Drug Administration (FDA) classifications (13,18). Cosmetics are defined by the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act as articles intended to be applied to the human body for cleaning, beautifying, promoting attractiveness or altering the appearance without affecting the bodys structural function .The key words in this definition are intended and bodys structural function. Intended use of the cosmetic must be clearly labeled and if the safety of a cosmetic product is not adequately substantiated for that intended use, the product is considered misbranded and may be subject to regulatory action. The physiological, or functional, altering of the body differentiates drugs from cosmetics. The FDA regulates this difference by not requiring premarket approval of cosmetics. At the same time, however, the FDA does expect that the manufacturer of a cosmetic has conducted toxicological and other ap propriate tests to substantiate the safety of the product and can provide this data if challenged by the agency. While it has become fashionable for some manufacturers to apply the cruelty-free label to their products (indicating that animals were not used during safety testing), this claim can be misleading. In vitro tests and other nonanimal methods for safety evaluation have come a long way and are being used in industry as initial screening procedures. However, given a new cosmetic derivative or a cosmetic incorporating a drug component, a standardized in vivo test, such as the Draize Ocular Irritation Test, may be in order. This in vivo test is still considered valuable in predicting human eye irritants when the irritation is subtle or when the chronic recovery phase data may be equally as important as the initial acute exposure data. Industry, in cooperation with regulatory agencies, has established multiple refinements to obtain the required data while minimizing the potential for pain or distress. Evaluation of the agents pH and the use of the primary dermal irritation tests are routinely used to screen out agents likely to evoke a response beyond moderate irritation (17). Agents having passed the preliminary screening could conceivably go on to the classic test but with the follo wing refinements in place: use of three animals vs. the standard of six; use of smaller volumes of solution installed in the eye; use of one animal to evaluate an unknown and await a response before continuing or discontinuing with the remaining test animals; and use, when applicable, of anesthetics in the eye (10). In part, because of refinements to the Draize Ocular Irritation Test and use of available in vitro methods, the number of rabbits used in the cosmetic industry between 1980 and 1989 was reduced by 87 percent. COSMETICS MANUFACTURING In the fast-paced and ultracompetitive cosmetics industry, the right color, special effects and functionality can mean the difference between success and failure. Engelhard technologists and market specialists understand this dynamic and are dedicated to helping customers create new and innovative looks and textures for their products. For example, Engelhard effect-enhancing pigments enhance the appearance, performance and value of a wide variety of cosmetic products, including lipsticks, mascaras, nail polishes, eyeshadows and blushes. Specifically, these high-performance pigments impart a range of special effects from a soft satin luster to dramatic sparkle, and add subtle dimension and nuance to matte-type products. Our performance personal care materials impart a range of important benefits to cosmetics. These range from providing sun protection and anti-wrinkling power in skin products to providing antimicrobial protection in a wide range of cosmetics. Some product lines include Reflecksà ¢Ã¢â¬Å¾Ã ¢ pigments and colors, which add brilliant star-like glittter and shimmer: FlamencoÃâà ® pearlescent and iridescent pigments, which provide a range of effects, textures and opalescent colors; DuocromeÃâà ® iridescent colors for dual-color effects; CloisonneÃâà ® colors, which give lustrous and rich color effects; Pearl-GloÃâà ® bismuth oxychloride pigments; and many others. Engelhard Actysseà ¢Ã¢â¬Å¾Ã ¢ BG performance actives can impart a new breadth of benefits to cosmetics. And, our performance minerals also are used extensively in cosmetic manufacturing. Products such as CoslinÃâà ® specialty performance kaolins are used throughout the industry to enhance oil and moisture absorption, skin adhesion and compressability. Other performance minerals such as mica and treated mica provide other benefits to a wide range of formulations. With such a diverse and technically advanced product range, Engelhard is clearly well positioned to help customers stay ahead of the competition. Utilizing Engelhard technology, customers get products that feel better, look better and work better. And when customers want to create totally new and innovative products and bring them to market fast, Engelhard is the only partner they need. CURRENT PLAYERS IS INDIAN COSMETIC INDUSTRY Baby Products Listings Futura Poly Containers Manufacturers and exporters of baby care products like feeding bottles, nipples teats, sippers, training cups, non-spill cups, sports bottles, bottle brushes, infant toys, teethers and pacifiers. Johnson Johnson Ltdà Suppliers of baby care products such as hair oil, baby powder and also provides medicines for a range of conditions in the areas of gastroenterology, fungal infections, womens health, oncology, nephrology, mental health, neurology and pain relief. RPE Group Distributors of baby feeding teething products, baby feeding spoons forks, baby teething toys, shaving products, batteries, emergency lights and torches. Bonny Product Pvt. Ltd. Producing and supplying baby care products like baby feeding bottles, nipples, baby teats pacifier, infant non topple tumbler, brushes, bibbs and key rattle. Bonny Baby Care Pvt. Ltd. Supplying feeding bottles, nipples, nipple shield, pacifiers, soother, sipper and other baby products. Cosmetics Toiletries Listings Hygienic Research Institute Manufacturers and suppliers of skin care products, lotions, moisturizer, cosmetics, hair oils, hair dyes, shampoos, hair care soaps and depilatories. CavinKare Pvt. Ltd Exporters of cosmetic products, shampoos, creams, perfumes, hair oils and hair-dyes. Raheja International Exporters of beauty cream, face wash, shaving cream, toiletries, talcum powder, nail paint, analgesic, lotions, toothpaste, detergent powder cake, incense sticks and kitchen ware. Bagla Co. (Regd.) Suppliers of nail polish, kajal, eyeliner and nail polish remover. D. C. S. International Trading Company Dealing in supply and export of indian human hair including double single drawn, remy and non-remy for making wigs, hair pieces, toupees, dolls wigs, eye leashes and other human hair products. Shepherd India Eximp Pvt. Ltd. Engaged in the exporting of human hair and also provides hair replacement. Raj Impex (India) Exporters of raw human hair, processed human hair and bleached hair in different shades/colors. Indian Hair Industries (P) Ltd. Dealing in supply and export of beautiful healthy human hair all over the world. Kuria Mal Gopi Chand Exporters of natural henna powder and henna based hair dyes in various colors including black, brown, chestnut, burgundy, mahogany, blond, orange, red and purple. Cosmotech Industries Manufacturers and exporters of talcum powder, nail polishes, perfumes and incense sticks. Pretty Maam Herbal Cosmetics Manufacturers of skin care and hair care products such as tulsi, amla, henna shampoo, aroma hair oil and aroma bouquet fairness cream, etc. Clarion Cosmetics Pvt. Limited Manufacturers and exporters of talcum powder and other fashion beauty products. Vicco Laboratories Manufacturers of ayurvedic toothpaste, powder, skin care products, face wash, sugar free, etc. Chandrika Ayurvedic Soaps Manufacturer and exporter of ayurvedic soaps and shampoos. Lissome Cosmetics Pvt. Ltd. Manufacturer and supplier of cosmetic products including lip and nail colours, face make-up, etc. Cosmetic Product study Fair Lovely Fair Lovely, a skin whitening cream, marketed by Unilever in many countries in Asia and Africa, and, in particular, India. Fair Lovely is indeed doing well; it is a profitable and fast growing brand. First launched in India in 1975, Fair Lovely held a commanding 50-70% share of the skin whitening market in India in 2006, a market that is valued at over $200M and growing at 10-15% per annum (Marketing Practice, 2006). Fair Lovely was the second-fastest growing brand in HLLs portfolio of 63 brands, with a growth rate of 21.5% per year (HLL, 2002). Its two closest rival competitors, both produced by local Indian firms, CavinKares brand Fairever and Godrejs FairGlow, only have a combined market share of 16%. Claiming to possess a customer base of 27 million Indian customers who use its product regularly, Fair Lovely has successfully launched new product formulations from lotions to gels and soaps. Fair Lovely is marketed by Unilever in 40 countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East, with India being the largest single market. Fair Lovely is certainly doing well financially. Created by HLLs research laboratories, Fair Lovely claims to offer dramatic whitening results in just six weeks. A package sold in Egypt displays one face six times, in an ever-whitening progression, and includes before and after photos of a woman who presumably used the product. On its website the company calls its product the miracle worker which is proven to deliver one to three shades of change (Leistokow, 2003). HLL claims that its special patented formulation safely and gently controls the dispersion of melanin in the skin without the use of harmful chemicals frequently found in other skin lightening products. (Higher concentrations of melanin lead to darker skin.) Emami Hairlife Instant Hair Pack Emami Limited, the Rs. 600 crore personal care and healthcare major,launched Emami HAIRLIFE Instant Hair Pack nationally. Emami Hairlife Instant Hair Pack is a premixed, crà ¨me herbal hair pack enhanced with vitamins and proteins to make hair beautiful and healthy from within. Emami has identified such a need and now makes it possible with the introduction of a breakthrough hair- care innovation Emami HAIRLIFE Instant Hair Pack, which makes hair shinier, easy to manage and look like a million bucks along with revitalising and making it strong from within and all of this in just 10 minutes. KERAHERB11à ¢Ã¢â¬Å¾Ã ¢, an advanced herbal formula, ensures optimum action in just 10 minutes, which helps those women who are hard pressed for time and are constantly on the move, women who want to fashionably turn up at every occasion and are looking out for easy solutions to make life less-complicated. CAN INDIA BECOME MANUFACTURING HUB FOR COSMETICS? Pros Cons of current scenario With disposable incomes increasing in India, the country is poised to become a manufacturing hub for global cosmetics luxury brands over the next five years, a report to be released Monday by the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (Ficci) and Yes Bank said. The report referred to the core strengths in Indias manufacturing sector, and said manufacturing of luxury items could become a $500-million industry in this period. This optimism stems from the fact that global brands like Louis Vuitton and Frette are already looking at India as a manufacturing base for their products, while others are sourcing their requirements from India, the report said. Moreover, the study said, cost advantages, particularly in labour-intensive sectors like leather and accessories would goad manufacturing of foreign brands in the country. The study suggested that in order to promote the luxury cosmetics market, three initiatives were required organizing the sector, promoting standardization and branding organization, and partnerships with international fashion and luxury associations. Corporatization of the luxury cosmetics sector will bring along with it concepts of organized and innovative marketing, leading to large investments, employments and generating additional revenue streams, the report said. Moreover, it said, the luxury sector needed to be treated in isolation with other retail sectors as the dynamics governing it were significantly different in nature. To reach its potential, the Indian retail sector required significant capital, technology and best practices. One of the key steps towards facilitating the development of the retail sector and in accelerating its growth would be to further ease foreign direct investment in the sector. The constant back and forth on policy decision on retail at the centre also acts as a dampener for luxury brands. The Indian tariff structure also needs to be streamlined. India has one of the highest duties and taxes on imported luxury goods, which drive the grey market and duty free purchases, while the stringent regulatory environment impedes investment by foreign brands. The study called for transparency at all levels for duties and taxes, and a thorough revision of rules and regulations. Luxury skincare, cosmetics, hair care, fragrances have emerged as thriving sectors and so remarkably proved that often European or US educated brand conscious Indian women. The customers first encounter at any departmental store like Shoppers Stop, Lifestyle, Essence or mall like Crossroads, Ansals, Metropolitan, often is with fragrances and cosmetic brands thus proving that it is these brands that invite customers to stores. CONCLUSION Global cosmetic industry, a Rs.30000 crore industry, borders are expanding everyday and potential is limitless. The end-user industry of cosmetics and toiletries is amongst the most dynamic industries in world, consistently showing growth rates more than the average GDP growth rate of Europe and displaying an excellent ability to quickly identify and exploit growth areas. As multinational manufacturers seek to generate growth beyond mature core markets, opportunities are opening up in regions around the world. It is a fast-changing industry, with new product launches, new packaging for old products and price pressures that create a tendency towards economy of scale. Where famous brands remain unchanged, presentation becomes even more crucial. Naturally, fashion and beauty fads play a part, hence the so-called essential and natural products. The latest skin creams, facial scrubs, lotions and moisturizers reflect a more fashionable minimalist look for make-up throughout much of the developed world. Changing social attitudes and generally higher disposable incomes also reflect more self-indulgence between both sexes in the use of up-market fragrances and toiletries. With many players in the beauty care industry coming up with innovative products aimed at penetrating into largely untapped markets, the future looks bright. The cosmetic industry worldwide continues to grow. Many companies in beauty care industry are coming up seeking opportunities arising out of the changing environment specifically- socio-cultural and demographic environment, bringing innovative products aimed at merging niche markets and venturing at largely untapped markets. If we look around we find that what existed 20 or 30 years ago has totally changes and the change is transparent Despite of every above fact, this industry faces many challenges-including social, demographic as well as cultural ones. No doubt the changing environment do give opportunities, we have to count deep insight into the sector As a part of change in socio- cultural environment, it includes changes in education, tastes and preferences, urbanization, women empowerment, attitude of people, increased media influence etc. Changes in demographic environment with worldwide population growth, geographical shifts in population, sex composition, household patterns are a must study areas which have potential that can be tapped for expansion and for search of better areas or untapped markets.
Most Important World Famous Educationists Theology Religion Essay
Most Important World Famous Educationists Theology Religion Essay Plato and Rousseau are the most important world famous educationists who have contributed much to the advancement of human civilization. Present education system of the world stands on both the above thinkers. Platos educational philosophy was grounded in his famous work The Republic, The Laws wherein the individual was best served by being subordinated to a just society. Rousseau wrote in his book Emile, Discourse of Political Economy, The New Heloise and Considerations on the Government of Poland. In keeping in mind the philosophies, ideas of Plato and Rousseau on education theory discussed above, this study focuses on the similarities and dissimilarities between these two philosophers share in regard of philosophy of education. It also aims at finding out the influences among the education theories of Plato and Rousseau have on contemporary and succeeding generations. All over the world in general, and at measuring the influences reflected in planning and designing the national education policy in Bangladesh in particular. 1.2 Rationale of the Study This research is mainly for gathering knowledge. Every movement or social situation has a chronology. Without understanding this chronology, it is difficult to understand the current situation of that movement. Plato and Rousseaus Education theories contributed much to the salvation of their country men which is really praiseworthy. Their theoretical and practical efforts helped to break the long standing superstitions, blind faith and absurd ideas. This study will be a matter of great teaching for the present and succeeding generations that will fulfill the knowledge gap existing in this area. Their realistic and utilitarian views on education certainly will play an effective role in preparing modern citizens fit for modern world. The investigated information drawn from the comparative study on the education theory of Plato and Rousseau in planning and designing can be used in the formulation of national education policy of our country. 1.3 General Objective of the Study The general objective of the study is to Analyze a comparative study on the educational theory of Plato and Rousseau. 1.4 Specific Objectives of the Study The specific objectives of the study are to Assess, evaluate and compare the philosophy of education developed by Plato and Rousseau. Find out the influence of their philosophy of education on contemporary and succeeding generations. Assess the role of Philosophy of Plato and Rousseau in planning and designing the national education policy in our country. 1.5 Research Questions of the Study What did Plato and Rousseau mean by philosophy of education? What roles did Plato and Rousseau play to the development of the philosophy of education? What influences did the philosophies of education of Plato and Rousseau have on the contemporary philosophers and thinkers? What are the results to be drawn from the comparative study between the philosophies of education of Plato and Rousseau? What roles of philosophy of Plato and Rousseau in planning and deigning the national education policy in our country? 1.6 Definition of Key Terms Education Etymologically, the word education is derived from Educare (Latin) bring up, which is related to Educere bring out, bring forth what is within, bring out potential and Ducere to lead (Source www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=educate; video.ted.com/talks/podcast/AimeeMullins_2009p.mp4). Theory Some social researchers have meant by theory special ideas such as- concept, frame of reference, conceptual scheme, perspective, hypothesis, generalization, ideal type, paradigm, typology etc. (Alam, 1993, p. 107) Education theory Educational theory may refer to either speculative educational thought in general or to a theory of education as something that guides, explains or describes educational practice. Philosophy Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind and language. 1.7 Scope of the Study This research will cover Plato and Rousseaus thoughts along with the Major writings on them. Available information on them from Magazines and newspapers of that time are also used to find out their actual philosophy of education. We shall discuss their philosophy of education along with the thoughts of other philosophers who have contributed much to the development of education in modern society. We shall assimilate the ideas of Plato and Rousseau with the ideas of other philosophers of education. In this way the researcher would make a comprehensive study on the philosophy of education. 1.8 Limitations of the Study The study would be mainly based on printed documents such as various articles, essays, journals, books and research works done on the comparative study on the educational theory of Plato and Rousseau. Concurrently all information from individuals related to the present study needs more time and money. There are only few research work conducted on the issue and very few articles might be published on the journals but the researcher did not find any research work on that issue in Bangladesh. Chapter 2: Review of Literature Reviewing literature means study of other literatures for finding out the research gap. So far as the researcher has surveyed, this is a new field to study. The researcher has gone through all the writings of Plato, as well as good number of books written on him such as: The Republic, Laws etc. The researcher also reviewed books written by Rousseau. These are: Emile, Discourse on Equality, A discourse on political Economy, Social contract etc. Here, the researcher has presented some studies related to Plato and Rousseaus education theory by different researchers like Patricia M. Lines, Shackling the Imagination: Education for Virtue in Plato and Rousseau. Many aspects of Platos recommendations for education resemble those adopted by constitutional democracies in different countries. According to him education must be compulsory and free to all, with government control and support. Plato identified four interdependent virtues (Wisdom, Courage, Discipline and Justice) as essential to b e ideal in The Republic. Wisdom guides the philosopher-ruler. Courage moves the auxiliaries (the soldiers and the bureaucrats). Discipline, sometimes translated as moderation, assures that each class carries out its assigned role and that the governed obey the governors. Justice- the supreme ordering principle-ensures harmony and balance within the individual and the state. These virtues should lead to a full understanding of the Truth, the Good and the Beautiful, which according to Plato is the highest reality. Like Plato, Rousseau aims at creating an ideal citizen. Unlike Plato, he wants to prepare this citizen for democracy. Rousseau regards virtue as the ultimate goal of education. He offers a simple rule. Emile the Hero in his book must never harm another. To achieve this goal, the tutor isolates the children from others. Both Plato and Rousseau offer a limited view of virtue. Still, both reveal a certainty that they fully understand and know how to encourage the right virtues. (www.amazon.com/shackling-immagination-education-rousseau-humanitas/dp/b0043uonp08) Samuel Scolnicov, Plato on Education as the Development of Reason. Plato stresses his Socrates new concept of reason (nous). Reason is not a tool for attaining goals independently thought worthwhile: possessions, honor, personal and political success; rather, rationality itself, expressed in the giving of reasons and the avoidance of contradictions, confers value to goals and opinions. The ultimate educational objective, then, is to bring about a revolution in the learners perception of the role of reason, namely the recognition of its normative, and not merely theoretical or instrumental nature. Platos theory of education aims at specifying the conditions of the growth of the Socratic man, whose soul is free from contradictions and whose excellence is justified knowledge.(www.bu.edu/wcp/papers/Anci/Anciscol.htm) Farhan Zainulabideen, A Critical Review of the Aims of Education in the Western Traditi on. Plato is the earliest important thinker on education. He is also the first to have laid down a comprehensive outlook of education that was integrated with his views of society and its aims. In Republic, Platos primary aim of education is to produce the elites needed to govern the ideal city. The supreme product of the education process is the philosopher-king who rules the city. The highest aim of education for Plato is the knowledge of good, which in turn instills the four great virtues: wisdom, courage, discipline and justice. Jean-Jacques Rousseaus intellectual range and achievements are staggering. He made epochal contributions to political theory, literature and education. His educational tract, Emile, transformed the debate about children upbringing and was very largely instrumental in altering the Western perception of childhood. He overturned conventional wisdom on the nature of childhood and education with a radical discourse in this fictional novel. The fundamentals of Rousseaus educational creed are nature and freedom. He believed that children should develop their skill and capacity in nature and enjoy freedom. This goal in education was actually the first step in ensuring a more social society, where natural law is seen to accomplish harmony and balance and to get rid of artificial man-imposed coercive restrictions (http//www.ips.org.pk/education/IIII-acriticalreviewoftheaimsof education). Plato was disturbed by condition of society, its corruption and shallow-dreams. In his famous work The Republic, Plato tried to teach Good and beauty to his students (Lee, 1987, p. 161). Jean-Jacques Rousseau convinced that men and women had lost their worth that can be revived in natural phenomena so that we might learn to live together in ways that foster a better ethics of citizenship (Bloom, 1979, p. 25). Rousseau believes that the primary goal of education is to prepare men and women to be moral agents who, while living autonomously, also live with each other. Many researches have been done on various aspects of Plato and Rousseau. But no research has yet been done on the problem of education theory of Plato and Rousseau. So there may be some gap in this field. For this reason this problem may be an important issue of a research work. The present study is such an attempt. Chapter 3: Methodology The methodology of the present research is descriptive and qualitative. Generally descriptive research is done on education related problem, academic decision making, designing plan, changing the curriculum and etc.(Samad, 2010, p.21) Qualitative research is done on some qualitative events or topics (that are related with quality). Qualitative research is very important especially in behaviorism. Because through education the personality of a man changes. (Tapan, 1987, p.21) The main characteristic of the descriptive research is to provide reasonable explanation of the topic through data analysis. So it is found that descriptive research not only includes the description of the event or situation/state/condition but also includes comparative discussion, classification, explanation and evaluation.(Ali, 1988, p.19) In a descriptive research a researcher does not control the data. Only the process of observation, description and analysis of data can be controlled.(Zaman, 1987, p.7) Aristotle for the first time used deductive method in case of presenting descriptive method through argument and after a century later Francis Bacon used the direct observational method. This method is known as inductive method. In this method data are collected sequentially from every field and decision is made. Inductive method is from particular to general. On the other hand, deductive method is from general to particular. (Zaman, 1987, p.11, 12) So, Qualitative and Descriptive method fits well in accomplishing the present research study from the selection of the materials till the completion of the research work. It includes the collection of material leaving no gap in the connected aspects of the study, the scanning of the materials, their systematization and synchronization so that clear vision becomes apparent to complete the dissertation. Moreover, this method also covers, while writing the thesis, the arguments in favor of and against the problem raised and then ratification of powerful opinion with convincing evidences and arguments. First the information has been collected from primary and secondary sources. The writings of Plato and Rousseau have been considered as the Primary data (Plato: The Republic and The Laws. Rousseau: Emile, Discourse of Political Economy, The New Heloise, and Considerations on the Government of Poland) and the writings on Plato and Rousseau published in various books, journals, article and r esearch works have been considered as the Secondary data. The researcher has identified the contradiction carefully among educational theory of Plato and Rousseau maintaining strict objectivity to fulfill the aims and purpose of the present study. The collected data have been analyzed in order to find out the similarity and dissimilarity between Plato and Rousseau and by their thinking what kind of philosophy developed and influenced the succeeding generations. The researcher has used the logical analysis for data analysis. The researcher has followed the American Psychological Association (APA) code and conduct for using the reference. Chapter 4: Plato Platos Philosophy of Education Platos educational philosophy was grounded in his vision of the ideal The Republic, The Laws wherein the individual was best served by being subordinated to a just society. Plato proposes a thoroughgoing communism for the guardians, and (I think) also for the soldiers, though this is not very clear. The guardians are to have small houses and simple food; they are to live as in a camp, dining together in companies; they a re to have no private property beyond what is absolutely necessary (Russell, 1946, p. 127). Socialism is now out-dated in the present world. Most of the people in the world now believe in individual freedom. The system that Plato has talked about for philosophers with a view to building an ideal state is not effective in most of the countries including Bangladesh. The Educational Theory of Plato Platos Theory of education was an indispensable necessity for mankind. It was a positive remedy for the problems and operation of justice in an ideal state. Rousseau says, Platos Republic is not a work on polities but the finest treatise on education that has ever been written. Nothing was more important to Plato in human life as education. He considers education the greatest thing in human life as he mentions in his famous book The Republic, the one great thing. Major ideas in Platos educational theory are Education for all: Plato would educate every boy and girl to the limits of their abilities. State education: Education should be provided by the state, not by parents. Platos suggestion was that the state will take the responsibility of educating the whole nation has been accepted in most of the countries. But it is not still properly implemented in Bangladesh because of her scarcity of fund and inability of parents but the country is trying to educate her all children. Aims of Education To produce future civil servants for the state. To produce virtuous, efficient and intellectual rulers for the country. To glorify courage and military skill among the warriors. To develop competent, obedient, and temperate workers. To develop a social disposition among all citizens. Virtue is knowledge and education is the main thing to acquire virtue. (Bhuiyan, 2010, p. 269) It (Platos theory of education) is an attempt to cure a mental malady by mental medicine (Barker, 1967, p. 314). Element of Platos Education System The first thing should be considered in education, which is divided into two parts- Music Music used in broad term for drama, history, art, letters, philosophy, oratory and music in real term. Music means everything that is in the province of the muses (Russell, 1946, p. 126). Plato had made Protagoras speak of childrens training in music as introducing rhythm and harmony into their souls and having a socializing influence; for the whole life of man stands in need of rhythm and harmony. Music is almost as wide as what we should call culture (Cornford, 1941, p. 86). Music is not taught as a compulsory subject in our country as it was advocated by Plato. Nevertheless there are individual departments of Music and Theatre in public universities where students with special interests can study music. Gymnastic Gymnastic means physical training and fitness (Russell, 1946, p. 126). Gymnastics is somewhat wider than what we call athletics. The physical training suitable for a citizen soldier is briefly contrasted with that of the professional athlete. Finally, it appears that physical training, no less than education in literature and the arts, really has to do with the soul (Cornford, 1941, p. 90). Physical exercise is not taught as a compulsory subject in our country as it was advocated by Plato. But there are individual departments of Physical Exercise in public universities where students with special interests can study physical exercise. Physical exercise is of paramount importance in Bangladesh Army. In every institution in Bangladesh there is a course on physical exercise which is mandatory in military institutions only. Plato writes in his book The Republic. I believe, gymnastic, for the body, and music for the mind. The Curriculum of Platos Education System Plato define different stages for the organization and curriculum Primary Education: Primary education mainly consisted of reading and writing (Grammatic); learning and reciting epic and dramatic poetry, lyre-playing and singing lyric poetry, the rudiments of arithmetic and geometry (Music); and athletic exercises (Gymnastic) (Cornford, 1941, p. 65). Co-education at primary level till the age of eighteen years.The age that Plato has advocated for primary education is not totally accepted in our country. Rather it is confined within 6 to 11 years. In our country primary education is free and compulsory. The compulsory primary education law what Plato has talked about has been passed in Bangladesh in 1992. Military Training: After elementary education two years of Physical education should be given to them and be selected for higher education to prepare for the future guardians of the state. Military education is not compulsory in our country as Plato has proposed. It is only compulsory for those who are physically fit and interested in taking military training. Higher Education: Higher education should be given from twenty to thirty-five years of age. At this stage a student will study mathematics, arithmetic, geometry, solid geometry, astronomy, harmonics, dialectic, program of studies, literature and philosophy. Later on he would be fit for a minor administrative position to get experience for the future more important governing positions. (Cornford, 1941, p. 230). Our education system is not very lengthy as Plato has advocated. In our country one can enter into any profession after completing ones higher education or can study for getting M.Phil and Ph.D degree. Plato has divided his educational curriculum into two levels. They are as follows: Primary level of education Higher level of education/ Higher education. Primary Education First stage (0-06) Up to 6 years children will be provided with education to flourish his/her latent talents. Meanwhile they will be taught politeness, mannerism and good taste. Second stage (06-18) From 6 to 18 years children will be taught only literature, music, and preliminary education on mathematics. Meanwhile children will be able to attain the great qualities such as self-control, disciplinary, punctuality, and the belief on the God. Third stage (18-20) Age from 18 to 20 years will be fixed for students physical exercise and military education. There will be no chance to teach any other subject within this time. The main purpose of this stage is to keep body fit and strong. Those who will succeed in the test at the end of the primary level will get the opportunity of receiving higher education. Higher education First stage (20-30) This stage covers from 20 to 30 years. In this stage human beings will acquire knowledge on astrology, higher math, geometry, and music. In this stage they will be taught very carefully on these subjects and there will be an attempt to establish the relationship between math and reality. Second stage (30-35) This stage ranges from 30 to 35 years. In this stage students will be taught philosophy, logic and metaphysics etc. Third stage (35-50) This stage covers the time from 35 to 50 years. In this stage the students will acquire practical knowledge by combining their acquired knowledge and their real life experience, and they will be vested with small responsibilities of the state (Talukder and Awal, 2011, p. 95, 96). Plato classified the stages of education 2500 hundred years ago which has been adopted and differently categorized in four stages to meet the demands of the modern time. These stages are primary education, secondary education, higher secondary education and higher education. Platos View on Women Education Plato also gives emphasis on women education and he prescribes the same kind of education for women like men. Women should have the same physical and educational training; they should know the art of war. The main aim of Plato was that each member of the society should undertake his work and responsibilities. Plato believed that women are equal to men and in some cases women are physically weaker than men or may not. He suggested that those who are equal to men should be allowed to learn the same thing like men. In his book The Republic Plato describes how male and female receive the same education and be given the same duties in society. Thus the male and the female should be given the same duty of The Republic. (Cornford, 1941, p. 141) Platos opinion regarding women education has received the attention of the people of all over the world and the present world has accepted the ideas of Plato. It has also been accepted in Bangladesh which has enormously enriched the nation. As a resu lt, there is seen the empowerment of women folk. Platos opinion about women education has been received almost in many countries in the present world. The outcome of women education is as we see that many women, the Prime Minister, foreign minister, opposition party leader are in various important positions in Bangladesh. Teaching Methods Plato suggested different ways to educate the children such as through telling stories, play and imitation. Plato gives importance to nursery education, he thinks nursery education plays a vital role in the education of man; it helps to build his moral character and state of mind The most important part of education is proper training in the nursery. Enforced exercise does no harm to the body, but enforced learning will not stay in the mind. (Nath, 1979, p. 57) In our country Platos material for education is used for the development of education. Besides, multimedia projector and visual sound system are used in higher level educational institutions, and maps, charts and models in primary level. Platos View on Moral Ethics Plato presents his ideas for an ideal society in the The Republic and he provided details about the curriculum and system of education. According to Plato the ideal society should care for their youth and the guardians would be responsible for the moral education of their children. Every person would know his duty and his responsibility. (Bhuiyan, 2010, p. 269) Plato talked about moral education in 427 BC, which is of paramount importance still in the perspective of Bangladesh. We teach our children moral lessons from the very beginning which is started by the parents, grandfathers and grandmothers. Moral institutions are also imparted to the student by their teachers in the schools, colleges and universities. Besides these, ethics is included in many disciplines in our country. Moral deterioration is very acute in everywhere. The only way to get rid of this problem is to practice or nourish moral education properly. Chapter 5: Rousseau Rousseaus Philosophy of Education Rousseaus philosophy of education is called the philosophy of Naturalism. Rousseaus philosophy of life and society has been reflected in his philosophy of education. Proper education is achieved through the understanding of natural objects and beauties. In this system, nature itself is the teacher. According to Rousseau, children will learn from three sorts of teachers such as nature, human being and objects. Having influenced and taught by this three sources is called an educated man by Rousseau. We can control human being and objects. But we cannot control nature. So education should be confined to the rules of nature. Go back to the lap of nature this idea is closely associated with Rousseau. In his book Emile, (Nurnobi, Fouzia and Champa., 2006, p. 277) he used nature in three senses. Psychological Nature, Physical Nature, Biological Nature Rousseaus views on the aim of education Rousseau opines that the aim of education is not only to acquire knowledge but also to help flourishing of childrens talents. The aim of education for children will be different on the basis of its age. In childhood, education should build up its physical development. There is no need of moral and social teaching. The education in boyhood should aim at the exercise of sensual and mental development. The purpose of female education should be preparing a woman fit for her male counterpart. Excessive learning is not necessary for the womenfolk. (Dali and Imam, 1999, p. 42) Curriculum of Rousseau The education curriculum of Rousseau is not definite and well planned. Rousseau launched a war against the conventional education. So he was against the traditional curriculum. Rousseau did not like reading books. He said, Books teach us to talk about something on which we have no practical knowledge. Nonetheless, he selected the novel Robinson Crusoe as mandatory for Emile. According to him, this book can help Emile to be self-confident and self-sufficient. According to curriculum, physical exercise and health education have been given much emphasis in adolescence. Importance has also been given on the arts of hand made goods and vocational works. He has also talked about religious and moral education. But he was against Female education. Household chores will be learning tasks of women. Rousseaus education related curriculum is not precise and well planned. (Uddin and Das, 2006, p. 247, 248) His education system which he advocated about 200 years ago is not fully coherent with the exiting education curriculum of Bangladesh. Nevertheless, the appeal and the necessity of his education about nature are still effective. For example, novel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore has established Shanty Nike ton in the midst of nature. Even in Bangladesh, Rajshahi, Chittagong, and Jahanggirnagor universities are established in the midst of natural beauties so that students and teachers can learn from nature. Teaching style of Rousseau His teaching method was inventive. In this method, a children is kept in the place of invention. A children learns through the process of examination. (Dali and Imam, 1999, p. 43) In fact, through the process of Rousseaus thinking laboratory method, invention method, education through work, sensual experience method were emerged. Rousseaus discovery method of learning is relevant to the existing creative method of Bangladesh. Because in the creative method, there is always a riddle or a story where students are to discover or find out the answers. Educational Framework Rousseau suggested two types of education framework based on different conditions Firstly, education framework for a state and society Secondly, education for preserving survival of civilization Stages of Education in Emile He divided education systems in five stages. Such as- Stage 1 Infancy (0-5): Education in infancy must be based on physique so that the limbs of a children should be developed proportionally. No need to develop any habit at this time. He said A children is bad because he is weak; make him strong and he will be good. Everything is good as it leaves the hands of the Author of things; everything degenerates in the hands of man (Bloom, 1979, p. 37). Stage 2 The age of Nature (5-12): No particular traditional education should be given now. No education on language, history, geography needs to be provided now. Even religious education is not necessary. Rousseau said, Exercise the body, the organs, the senses and powers, but keep the soughing follow as long as you can. (Cited in Bhuiyan, 2010, p. 313). Stage 3 Pre-adolescence (12-15): Before adolescence a children needs not to read any special book. In this stage, Rousseau has advised to include physical lesson or any sort of education related to art and culture so that he can develop a sense of respect towards Labour (Dali and Imam, 1999, p. 43). Stage 4 Puberty (15-20): Rousseau has advised to start social education in this stage. Here children can develop a habit of social responsibility, co-operation, respect, love, and fellow feeling. Rousseau said, we are born twice once for existing and again for loving; once for the species and again for sex. (Cited in Bhuiyan, 2010, p. 317) Stage 5 Adulthood (20-25): The adult Emile is introduced to his ideal partner, Sophie. The final task of the tutor is to instruct the young couple in their marital rights and duties. (Boyd, 1911, p. 130) 5.11 Rousseaus View on Women Education Rousseau has negative opinion about women education, which is the result of his experiences in his personal and family life. His attitude towards women education is not accepted by any modern state of the world. A nation can not prosper keeping half of the population uneducated. So Rousseaus attitude towards women education is totally unacceptable and unrealistic in the modern perspective. This is a huge drawback of his philosophy of education. Expart 1 said that Rousseau has proposed to keep women under male domination for children bearing because women become inactive in that time; according to Rousseau, this is the main reason of not giving the supremacy of women over men. There is another reason behind this that is the father has to be sure of the true identity of the new born children. This is the secret of Rousseau of not accepting the equality of men and women. Rousseau has been affected by the fear of women from the civilization; he has seen women as devious. In a poem Rousseau says about women, Enchante
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)