Cross Culture Managment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Cross Culture Managment - Essay Example However, this company is subsidiary of the Japanese parent company present in Malaysia and this subsidiary company does not follow any of these four principles. Japanese work culture is supposed to be growth oriented, and hence, when ABC MNC entered in Malaysia, large number of people wished to join this organisation as an employee. The above stated four principles of Japanese organisations are the major reason for higher job demand in Japanese organisation. During 2003, due to the closedown of its R&D department Malaysia, employees perceived that their jobs had become less secured. This was the first instance that affects ABC MNC’s job satisfaction level. However, followed by this incident, there were also other factors that increased the number of unsatisfied employees in ABC MNC. ABC MNC was highly dependent on local Malaysian people for recruiting its labour forces. However, most of the top level management were the Japanese expatriate managers and there were significant g aps between the thorough process of Japanese top level managements and local Malaysian employees. Basically, the Japanese and Malaysian culture differs from each other due to their basic orientations that influence their basic traits. The Malaysian local employees used to perceive their Japanese top level management as people with a serious working attitude. Moreover, ABC MNC had a tendency to change its CEO in every three years, and every time, the new CEO restructured the entire organisation including strategies that also increases the dissatisfaction level among Malaysian employees. On the other hand, the top management always emphasised that their employees should gain skills like leadership, better communication etc. However, the company never provided any... This paper approves that the management also has to take care of the fact that management practices do not remain the same across all nations. It is important to analyse the nature and characteristics of human resources at the place where the company is set up before employing the local employees. As apparent from the above case, candidates were moving out of the company on account of low salaries and other benefits. This is the reason why the management had introduced benefits like transport allowances, car parking allowances and sell phone allowances for retaining the employees. It was also seen that the top management positions in the company were dominated by the Japanese personnel. This paper has presented crucial areas of job satisfaction and commitments focusing on a case study of a Japan-based company called ABC MNC present in Malaysia. The company suffered from lower job satisfaction level and lower commitment level that led to increase the employee turnover ratio of the organisation. In the present world of competition, managing a growth oriented organisation culture is a necessary but difficult task. As ABC MNC is a multinational organisation, it has to deal with number of issues. Therefore, it must make an effort to understand the culture and psychology of its local Malaysian employees who are crucial factor for the success of ABC MNC of Malaysia. However, in spite of being a Japan-based company, ABC MNC has not able to develop motivational work culture for creating higher job satisfaction and better commitment level.

Oil price Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Oil price - Essay Example Since this rising prices is inevitable, the major countries will need to find alternative sources of energy to protect themselves from the impending doom of disaster. Oil is the ingredient that drives the planet; it is as essential as air and a key source for almost every product from construction material to transportation to clothing. But the hard fact is that the supply of oil is finite and eventually it will be depleted and demand will outstrip production capacity. Increasing demand along with diminishing supply has already begun to drive price upwards. As prices are rising, new supplies are emerging in an effort to reduce consumption. "The rate at which consumption levels are rising, it is predicted that the world's oil supply will be exhausted within the next 40 years". (Guinness Atkinson Funds, "Future of Energy"). As can be seen by the above graph, demand and supply both have been rising over the years, but the growth in supply has not been able to keep pace with the demand growth and hence an increase in prices. On the supply side, there are three factors that are responsible for the current situation. "Firstly, non-OPEC production capacity has been growing over the years. In recent years, the former Soviet Union supply has been growing annually at a rate of about 0.5 million barrels per day. However, this growth had mainly come from repairing tired infrastructure rather than new exploration and this sort of growth rate is and will be hard to sustain. In addition to that, West Africa, Canada and Brazil have seen another 0.5 million barrels per day annual growth in production capacity. But like the former Soviet Union, the future looks bleak regarding the maintenance of this growth. The output from the U.S. and North Sea is also shrinking. Secondly, the growth potential in OPEC production cap acity is becoming smaller. Currently, most of OPEC, with the exception of Saudi Arabia, is operating at near capacity. Thirdly, since 1998, OPEC has been quite effective in keeping supply and demand matched, in addition to keeping the world oil supply a little tight. It is this combination of strong demand, slow non-OPEC production growth and effective OPEC supply management that has been the major driver of recent increases in world oil prices. On the demand side, the surge in global economic activity has led to an explosion in demand for oil and hence the world is facing an oil demand growth shock"(Guinness Atkinson Funds, "Future of Energy"). The major demand is coming from the developed world particularly the US, China and other economies in Asia. "China is in a phase of rapid energy-intensive industrialization and will continue to be one of the key consumers of oil in the coming years"(Oil Market Report, International Energy Agency). Behavior of Oil prices: The Asian Financial Crisis hit the world in mid-1997 and had a devastating effect on the major economies of the world. Even in the face of this crisis,

Impacts of Nuclear Energy on Global Business

Impacts of Nuclear Energy on Global Business 1. Background and Overview Tony Blair’s Labour government has finally decided to move ahead â€Å"with a vengeance† (Webster, 2006) with its’ plans for development of nuclear power, ending years of speculation on the issue. Work on the last nuclear power station started eighteen years ago in the UK on Sizewell B and since then there has been a complete embargo on any fresh initiative in the area. Things are now likely to change, much to the concern of environmentalists and anti nuclear campaigners. The use of nuclear power, for any reason, peaceful or otherwise, has always been looked upon with deep suspicion because of its inherent association with weapons of mass destruction and its ability to cause large scale destruction on a horrific and unimaginable scale. â€Å"Many analysts have attempted to explain the visceral hostility toward nuclear power, and the most common explanation is that people link nuclear power with nuclear weapons.† (Lorenzini, 2005) The reasons for this attitude are also justifiable as most scientific work in atomic radiation, atomic change and nuclear fission, be it in the USA, Nazi Germany or communist Russia, at least till 1956, was focussed primarily on the furthering of the atomic bomb. It was only after 1956 that the focus of nuclear technology shifted to the design of safe and reliable nuclear plants. The growth in use of nuclear energy for power entered a state of not just stagnation but moderate decline, world wide, in the late seventies and remained so until the turn of the century and the UK was presumably, but echoing global concern in the formulation of its energy policy. Very few reactors were ordered globally and the new reactors coming on line just about matched requirements. Global capacity increased by only a third in more than a decade. Even then, nuclear energy, from the 442 nuclear power reactors used in 31 countries, adds up to one sixth of the world’s electricity supply today. The growth of nuclear fuel as an energy source has been sluggish due to quite a few reasons, some of which now need rethinking in today’s grim geopolitical and environmental scenario. For more than three decades, energy policies in the United States and much of the Western world have been held in the ideological grip of a flawed concept: the notion that we can achieve sustainable energy by relying solely on conservation and renewable resources, such as wind, the sun, the tides, and organic materials like wood and crop waste. Born in the wake of the 1973 oil embargo and arising out of renewed commitments to environmental quality, this idea has an almost religious appeal. An unintended result is that the world has become ever more reliant on fossil fuels and therefore less able to respond to global warming. (Lorenzini, 2005) It has been the case of the pro nuclear power lobby, for many years now, that nuclear energy is a clean, economic and efficient way to generate power; ideal for continuous generation of medium and large scale electricity. In nuclear power stations, apart from the nuclear reactors, the rest of the equipment works similarly to those in coal or gas fuelled power plants. However, the cheaper and more widely available fuel used by these nuclear plants, compared to those fired by coal, oil and gas, makes the case for its’ wider use attractive. This is especially relevant today with oil hovering in the range of 70 to 73 USD per barrel, and gas from the North Sea wells beginning to run out. With the increase in greenhouse and emission problems and the uncertainty of fossil fuel supplies in a shifting and unstable political environment, the nuclear power option has definitely got itself a strong tailwind. The concerns of the anti nuclear campaigners focus on a number of worrying issues. Their first contention concerns the forecasted reduction of carbon dioxide emission from nuclear power plants; this to them is no more than blatant propaganda. In the US, where much of the worlds uranium is enriched, including Australias, the enrichment facility at Paducah, Kentucky, requires the electrical output of two 1000-megawatt coal-fired plants, which emit large quantities of carbon dioxide, the gas responsible for 50per cent of global warming. Also, this enrichment facility and another at Portsmouth, Ohio, release from leaky pipes 93per cent of the chlorofluorocarbon gas emitted yearly in the US. The production and release of CFC gas is now banned internationally by the Montreal Protocol because it is the main culprit responsible for stratospheric ozone depletion. But CFC is also a global warmer, 10,000 to 20,000 times more potent than carbon dioxide. (Caldicott, 2005) In addition, the environmentalists say that nuclear fuel cycle also consumes large quantities of fossil fuel, in the mining of uranium, in the construction of the reactor and its’ robotic decommissioning as also in the transportation and storage of radioactive waste. The use of nuclear fuel can lead to significant health threats from the unregulated emission of radioactive isotopes; which include Krypton, Xenon, Argon and Tritium and could cause long term physical harm to residents in surrounding and nearby areas. These releases are unregulated because the nuclear industry considers these particular radioactive elements to be biologically inconsequential. The transportation and storage of radioactive waste could also become a global security problem, if the use of nuclear energy is adopted on a wide basis. A completely new and potentially catastrophic dimension would be added to global security with the deliberate creation of new and potentially vulnerable targets for terrorist strikes. While the advanced nations would be able to shore up reasonable levels of security the same may not be true of the developing countries where weaker management systems could lead to grave risks; witness the variation in the effectiveness of different management sy stems in disaster control in the Chernobyl and Three Mile Island episodes. Nuclear proliferation remains a major issue. The USA is planning to go ahead with the selling of weapons grade nuclear fuel to India, (a non signatory to the Nuclear Proliferation Treaty and a country with a history of surreptitious manufacture of nuclear weapons) for use in power generation. If it is India today, can Pakistan be far behind? The prospect of an atomic bomb capable Pakistan getting access to Yellow Cake, an intermediary for the production of enriched uranium, is a frightful thought; enough to send shivers down the spine of the developed world. The energy crisis enveloping the globe has a number of dimensions, all equally worrying. The availability of fossil fuels is reducing sharply because of resource depletion, price spikes and geopolitical reasons. Greenhouse emissions of carbon dioxide are leading to global warming with far reaching ecological effects that could one day threaten the existence of the world. The development of renewable energy sources, wind and solar, once touted as the best solutions, have been largely unsuccessful and remained in the realm of experimentation; useful only in small isolated pockets. In this situation, while nuclear energy does appear to have most of the answers, the concerns of the environmentalists and the anti nuclear campaigners also remain very valid. 2. Impact on Contemporary Business Organisations The UK has always been in the forefront of development of nuclear technology. The work carried out by British scientists in the 1940s was renewed after the war and it is pertinent to recall that the world’s first nuclear power reactor started in the UK in 1956. Twenty three nuclear reactors power the country’s nuclear plants, leading to the generation of a total of 75 billion kWh of electricity, a fifth of the country’s requirement. However, all but three of these plants are scheduled to close by 2020, with consequent effects on the economy and operations of contemporary business organisations. The major dilemma for business and economy is to find alternative sources for energy, nuclear or otherwise to fill this expected gap in energy production and to provide for increased needs. 2020 is not so far away. The other major factor staring British economy in the face is the prospect of importing 90 % of its gas requirement by 2025. The country and its economy is looking at a huge energy deficit, an issue that will need resolution in the very near future. The Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has, in a widely publicised call in April this year, asked the Government to clarify its’ stand on longer term carbon emission policy to enable low carbon emission sources like nuclear fuel to play an important role. The CBI has also stated very categorically that nuclear power is the only proven low-carbon technology able to deliver consistent supplies of electricity on a large scale. The advantages of stable operating costs, the availability of nuclear fuel from politically stable countries and the ability to store uranium are practical reasons to work towards the development and commissioning of more nuclear plants. In addition, the operating costs of nuclear power are stable because the cost of fuel varies between only 5 and 10% of total operating costs. The cost of building nuclear power plants, as of now, is far more than that of conventional oil, gas and coal fired plants. Operating costs are however not just lower but also expected to be stable and independent of recurring political upheavals. Two factors are however set to change these circumstances. The cost of fossil fuel, especially oil is on a sharp upward path, threatening to throw all cost projections out of gear. The expected depletion in gas resource and consequent compulsion to buy increasing quantities from outside is also going to come with its own consequences, increased costs definitely one of them. While manufacturers of nuclear power plants are working on reduction of capital cost, a â€Å"significant increase in the price of natural gas could make new nuclear plants economically competitive even without further reductions in their capital costs.† (Taylor, 2004) The CBI in its statement of April also stated that companies would seriously consider investing in new, capital intensive nuclear plants, subject to the introduction of a correct non-discriminatory policy on carbon emission; beyond the present policy which is unclear after 2012. Intense concern about the current situation also made it say that â€Å"an energy policy based on crossing fingers and the use of the prayer mat is not acceptable†.(Nuclear Power in the United Kingdom, 2006) Contemporary businesses, not just in the UK but across the globe are wrestling with an energy crisis, the widespread usage of fast depleting fossil fuels, rocketing oil prices currently resting in the low 70s (USD per barrel), and the continuous spectre of carbon dioxide emissions and global warming. The real advantage of nuclear energy is its potency. One pound of uranium contains the energy equivalent of roughly one million pounds of coal. Such potency means that nuclear powers energy potential is vast, clearly sustainable as a long-term resource. It also means nuclear’s environmental impact is inherently low. With so much energy coming from such a small volume of material, producing nuclear fuel requires much less exploration, mining, transportation, and collection, with all their attendant environmental problems, than do fossil fuels. For example, a 1,000-megawatt nuclear plant requires one refueling per year, whereas a similarly sized coal plant requires 80 rail cars of coal per day. (Lorenzini, 2005) The gridlock appears to be slowly tightening with nuclear power possibly the only solution to the intensifying problem. 3. Likely Future Scenario The future scenario in use of fuel for energy and its development is probably going to move in reasonably predictable directions. All across the globe, awareness on global warming and its possibly devastating repercussions has heightened considerably. Every natural calamity, be it the Tsunami in Indonesia, earthquakes in Pakistan, the arrival of the Katrina in the United States or the melting of the glaciers in the Himalayas finds an immediate media connection to carbon dioxide emissions, the greenhouse effect and global warming. This phenomenon, coupled with the instability of supply and the rising cost of fossil fuels is going to lead to an expansion of nuclear power both in the USA and the UK. Governmental restrictions on use of nuclear power are slowly being dismantled as governments across the globe see the advantages of going nuclear for power generation. Along with increase in nuclear power generation, governments across continents will try to develop renewable energy sources for power generation. Renewable energy has not really made much headway despite concerted efforts in the last thirty years. Nearly 90 % of the global energy production is obtained from fossil sources and most of the rest comes from nuclear power. Wind and hydro energy can be harnessed only in suitable locations that have access to huge amounts of rainfall, fast flowing rivers or conditions suitable for setting up wind farms. Countries with access to fossil fuels, oil, gas and coal will of course continue to depend heavily upon these sources for power. However, the threat of emissions and consequent ozone layer depletion will nudge all countries towards the development of alternative sources. The rising costs of oil, essential for vehicular and air transportation will lead to its curtailment for use as as fuel for all but essential reasons. Renewable sources will of course fill a part of the yawning power gap which appears to be looming on the horizon but nuclear power is also very much a part of the final answer. It is the one energy source that today combines the benefits of displacing the use of fossil fuels, minimising pressure on land, avoiding resource depletion and restricting harmful emissions. The UK and the USA, both countries with over regulated nuclear power generation environments will necessarily open up their laws to ease the setting up of newer power facilities, based on nuclear fuels. The building of nuclear energy capacity necessarily comes with the enormous added responsibility of ensuring public health and safety, involving first, the storage and containment of harmful waste material and second, the prevention of dangerous nuclear material going into the hands of rogue states and terrorist organisations. Contemporary business organisations will need to survive in similar circumstances for the next few years until additional nuclear and renewable energy facilities are set up. This is essentially going to be a slow, expensive and careful process and the period of infrastructure build up will be open to all the risks that exist today, namely uncertain supplies and skyrocketing prices. It is only with the spread and extensive use of nuclear power on a global basis, the establishment and strict enforcement of protocols for responsible and peaceful use of nuclear energy and the rooting out of rogue states and terrorist organisations that businesses will be able to witness and take advantage of stability in supplies and cost of energy, free of the worry of a global environmental threat from emissions of harmful gases. 4. Summary and Way Forward In the UK the 2006 review of the energy policy has put development of nuclear energy firmly on agenda and public opinion is also now veering towards its use. It has been determined that all the new plants will have to be built by the private sector with internalised waste and decommissioning costs. All barriers that threaten to slow down investment will be looked at very carefully, without compromising public safety; new and speedier licensing procedures will also be considered. The use of nuclear fuel for energy is gaining ground globally after years of stagnation but some of the old concerns still remain. Environmentalists and anti nuclear campaigners have a number of worries, most of which concern safety, the prevention of hazards from nuclear plants and the misuse of nuclear fuel by rogue states, international criminals and terrorist organisations. While their strident objections to the theory of nuclear energy being much cleaner and â€Å"greener† than energy derived from fossil fuels could be taken to be substantially incorrect, it would be presumptuous to brand all their worries about safety and the possibility of nuclear proliferation as facile and alarmist. Many of these concerns are still valid and do need attention. The two major areas that demand consideration are the disposal of nuclear waste and the reprocessing of spent fuel. The sustainability of nuclear power, the ability to make it work for long time frames and to think of it as a real long term solution to the global power issue depends upon obtaining an acceptable and workable solution to the problem of managing nuclear waste. Nuclear wastes are classified differently from other toxic residues and need to be kept safely for thousands of years, whereas the timeframe for non radioactive toxics of between 50 to 70 years is far less. Work is needed in this area on two fronts, the carrying out of continuous scientific research, needing significant governmental and institutional funding to find a solution to the storage problem, and a fresh look at regulatory laws to assess whether they can be revisited without compromising safety. Reprocessing relates to the process in which plutonium and uranium are chemically separated from spent fuel for reuse, as is done in France. Reprocessing allows for more complete usage and tapping of the energy potential of nuclear fuel and makes waste management easier, reducing both bulk and long term hazards which could arise from the waste. However, the separated plutonium could create a potential nuclear threat, if it finds its way to the wrong hands, and again will need very careful security. After years of stagnation, the several demands of the twenty first century have combined to make the world seriously think of the need for nuclear power. The increase in demand for power and electricity in the developing world, the sharply eroding global resources of fossil fuels, the continuing global geopolitical instability, the skyrocketing prices of oil and gas, and the need to severely restrict carbon emissions are forcing nations to turn towards nuclear fuel for release from their energy worries. The need of the moment is to think and to cooperate in this global mission. As Paul Lorenzini states: The most critical step is to build a consensus among energy planners and policymakers that sustainability as a policy goal should include nuclear power. Bringing nuclear power back into the mix for energy planning means shedding ideological biases. It means openness of thinking to resolve the tension between the human desire for modernization and the global need for sustainability (2005) References Caldicott, H, 2005, Nuclear Power is the problem, not a solution, Common Dreams News Center, www.commondreams.org/views05/0415-23.htm Clapp, R. W., 2006 Nuclear Power and Public Health. Environmental Health Perspectives, 113(11), 720+.Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=5012166072 [27 Aug 2006] Lorenzini, P., 2005, Spring. A Second Look at Nuclear Power: By Overlooking Nuclear Power in the Quest for Clean Energy, We Are Condemning Ourselves to a Future of Increased Fossil Fuel Use. Issues in Science and Technology, 21, 31+. Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=5009414160 [27 Aug 2006] Nuclear Power in the United Kingdom, 2006, World Nuclear Association, www.world-nuclear.org/info/inf84.htm [27 Aug 2006] Taylor, J. J. (2004, Spring). The Nuclear Power Bargain: The Potential Benefits Are Enormous If We Can Continue to Make Progress on Safety, Environmental, Fuel Supply, and Proliferation Concerns. Issues in Science and Technology, 20, 41+. Questia database: http://www.questia.com/PM.qst?a=od=5006170378 [27 Aug 2006] Webster, P, 2006, Britain goes nuclear to beat energy crisis, Times Online, www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2-2184192,00.html [27 Aug 2006]

Little Women - Movie vs. Book :: Movie Film comparison compare contrast

Little Women - Movie vs. Book According to the Internet Movie Database's exhaustive records, Louisa May Alcott's novel "Little Women" has seen itself recreated in four TV series, four made for TV movies and five feature length movies since 1918. The most recent version appeared in 1994 and features Winona Ryder, Claire Danes, Kirsten Dunst, Samantha Mathis, Eric Stoltz, Susan Sarandon, and Gabriel Byrne. As a long time fan of the novel, who has happily carted her large leather bound gold-gilded unabridged edition whenever she has moved, I find that I was disappointed in this newest movie version. As a movie lover, however, I found the movie to be an enjoyable experience. The decision of the screenwriter and director to cut out what I felt were several story arcs and scenes from the novel was very disappointing. For example, in the movie there is no mention of Beth's shyness, or of her overcoming that shyness to become friends with Mr. Lawrence. The scene in the novel where she gathers her courage to walk over to his house and thank him for giving her his piano is one of the most defining moments for Beth. Overall I found Beth and Mr. Lawrence to both be sadly underdeveloped in the movie. Mr. Lawrence appears in only three scenes, while many of Beth's key moments also vanished. Jo's wonderful tomboyish nature is also severely tone-down for this version. She does not say "Christopher Columbus"; nor any of her other slang words. We never see the scene where she longs to go be a soldier fighting in the war and wishes she were a man. They transformed the character of Meg from someone who longs for finer things and tends to be snobbish into the wise older sister who does not care about such things. Lacking is the wonderful moment when she realizes that she does not care about Mr. Brook's poverty as she staunchly defends her love of him against Aunt March. While Amy's quest for a perfect nose is mentioned twice, there is never a scene showing some of her efforts such as her wearing the clothespin on it at night to make is straight, nor do we get enjoy watching her artistic endeavors such as her attempts to make a plaster cast of her foot.

Assessment for Learning Essay

The results of the personal survey of assessment literacy showed that general considerations scored 87/90, prior to test design scored 53/55, writing the test scored 28/30, during test administration scored 15/15, and after testing reflected 25/25. Our school is a small private school with small classroom sizes. As a result, most of our students receive specialized one on one attention and strong supervision for their academic success. Teachers believe every student can and will succeed. It is not an option to do otherwise. â€Å"Teachers must believe that all students can achieve a certain level of academic success, must bring all of their students to believe this of themselves, must accommodate the fact that students learn at different rates by making use of differentiated instruction, and must guide all students toward the attainment of standards† (Stiggins, 2005, pg. 326). How we test students need to take into consideration the impact of the learner (Stiggins, 2008). Stiggins (2008) informed teachers to utilize assessments for students by looking at the classroom level of use, the program level of use, and the institutional accountability and policy level of use. Looking at the school survey of assessment literacy will take into account these three types of assessment uses and their importance in generating an accountability system for our school to develop a system that fosters learning for all students. My greatest area of strength in regard to assessment literacy can be found in during test administration (15/15) and after testing (25/25). These were perfect scores and illustrated that student’s needs were met when considering the testing environment as conducive to maximize student performance and monitoring the students as they take ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING 3 the test. Directions are always clear and questions are rarely asked. Tests are accurately scored because they are reviewed twice. Assessment data is gathered for what questions students answered incorrectly and notes are made for improvement of material taught the following year. It is reviewed again after the results of the test are completed to ensure mastery before moving on to the next chapter. The main goal is always on student achievement and mastery of the material. The data adjusts instruction to improve student performance. Any students who do poorly are given the opportunity to retest for 92% of the grade for improvement and mastery. Parents are notified of any student receiving below an 86%. This is our school policy. Retests are given within a week of the original test. Tests are graded the same day and given back the next day. This enables students to observe what they got wrong and assess ways to improve for the retest or master the material. Assessments are not always tests. Projects, reports, computer uses, etc. are vital ways to assess student learning through a plethora of ways. Gardner (1999) believed that students learn through spatial, linguistic, naturalist, interpersonal, intrapersonal, bodily kinesthetic, logical/mathematical, musical, and existential. Educators should recognize that diversity needs an on-going presence, availability, and active participation in the classroom teaching process (Spasovski, 2010). â€Å"If society wants all students to meet standards, then all students must believe they can meet those standards; they all must be confident enough to be willing to take the risk of trying† (Stiggins, 2008, p. 8). My greatest limitation in regard to assessment literacy is working with colleagues to design common assessments. Since we are a small private school, teachers are left ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING 4 with the task of compiling their own assessments. Our principal will supply the assessments created by the publisher in book form or cd rom or teachers can compile their own. None of us work with colleagues to create assessments. We have team meetings that cross teach certain areas that are being studied to enhance learning across disciplines of teaching. However, assessments are each teacher’s responsibility. The Stanford test scores analyze our teaching productivity. Data is analyzed for the incorrect answer. The results address the weakest area of student learning. Teachers are to find solutions to fix them through data and research of proven strategies that work within successful classrooms. According to Creighton (2001), collecting data without purpose is meaningless. Data driven decision making and instructional leadership support one another. By analyzing the data that exist in our schools, student achievement and quality in teaching and learning can improve to assist students to become avid learners. Part 2: Analyzing the Survey Results The survey results of the criteria for the school survey of assessment literacy scored 84/90. Assessment, curriculum, and instruction are balanced in our school. Assessments are aligned to benchmarks, standards, and scaffolding of material over time to foster students’ learning. To promote student achievement, assessments are varied and reliable. Communication is accomplished with parents about performance through emails, assessments sent home requiring signatures, progress reports, report cards, and Stanford test scores. Since our students score in the 79-99% ranking of Stanford test scores as a class average, teachers seek solutions through data to ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING 5 improve class average test scores. If any student did poorly, teachers seek ways that will improve student learning. Principals and teachers can learn to maneuver through the statistical data to help create goals and strategies for change and improvement (Creighton, 2001). The school’s greatest area of strength in regard to assessment literacy was that data-based decisions about student mastery of standards are made collaboratively by administrators and teachers. By looking at our strengths, opportunities, weaknesses, and threats, teachers can gain insightful information into how they may best serve their diverse students’ needs and administrators can find solutions to helping these students achieve an optimal learning experience at school. This creates an opportunity for teachers and administrators to work together to improve student achievement. By understanding our diverse students’ needs, teachers and administrators can see the big picture and find viable solutions to problems that arise at their school. This year we have added a resource room to help struggling students with special needs get help from an ESE teacher. Curriculums are modified to accommodate student’s needs based on any language or learning barriers. The dominant culture of the nation-state should incorporate aspects of their experiences, cultures, and languages, which will enrich the mainstream culture as well as help marginalized groups to experience civic equality and recognition (Gutmann, 2004). Teachers have professional development sessions and team meetings to assess proven methodologies and research to help students learn. â€Å"When teachers support students by treating them with respect and caring about their futures, and encourage students by helping them to succeed, students are more likely ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING 6 to respect and get along with one another; when taught how to be more tolerant of others, students exhibit greater tolerance† (Gollnick & Chinn, 2006). Our school climate is multicultural and is reflected in every aspect of the education at our school. This is imperative if we want our students to compete in a global economy and to ensure learning and equity for all students. The school’s greatest limitation in regard to assessment literacy is that not all teachers recognize students’ emotional connection to assessment and its results. Also, the formative assessments are not used regularly to tell members precisely where to focus their improvement efforts and how to do it in a timely manner. My students complain that some teachers take a month to grade papers. Parents complain to me that other teachers do not understand their child’s special needs. For instance, I have a student with dysgraphia, dyslexia, and ADHD. For spelling tests, I have found it beneficial to call him up after tests and have him spell the word to me verbally that he got wrong in writing and he often gets it correct. He has transformed from a failing student to an â€Å"A† student. I grade his paper immediately after he turns it in and I ask him to spell the words he got wrong to me verbally. When students are failing, teachers need to find viable solutions to increase student learning. No single assessment is capable of answering all these questions to aid a student’s learning capabilities. A productive, multi-level assessment system is needed to ensure accuracy of all instructional decisions (Stiggins, 2008). Relying heavily on Stanford test scores impedes a student’s emotional connection to assessment and its results. Instead a wide arrangement of student work should become part of a portfolio to determine the overall ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING 7 success rate of a student. â€Å"If all students are to succeed, they must have continuous access to credible evidence of their own academic success at mastering prescribed achievement standards† (Stiggins, 2008, p. 8). Data shows teachers areas that need improvement in teaching, student’s weaknesses, and how to do better next time. This will enable students to build self-efficacy when teachers help students to see what success looks like through assessment analysis to improve test taking the next time (Stiggins, 2008). This is the reason our school offers a retest at 92% of the grade. This is what Stiggins refers to as replacing the intimidation of accountability as the primary motivator through tests with the promise of academic success for all learners. This type of assessment promotes hope for all students to become successful. We are reminded by Tashik (2010), that an effective performance assessment system requires the complete interplay of several components: 1. Teaching and learning must remain the constant focus of the school. 2. Teams of teachers collaborate on all aspects of instruction and assessment. 3. Staff, department, and grade meetings are regular features of the school week. 4. Scheduling includes blocks of time for teachers to mentor and supervise student progress on the performance assessment tasks. 5. Continual development of new courses and units of study to better engage students in their learning and meet their academic needs. When these key components are intertwined, effective assessments can benefit our students through diversity and it can take the shape of molding into our students’ needs. When we look at the classroom level of use, the program level of use, and the ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING 8 institutional accountability and policy level of use, assessments can work together to scaffold student learning for optimal success. In a perfect assessment system, the foundation would comprise of an array of assessments that enable students to learn more through scaffolding and take ownership of his or her learning success (Stiggins, 2004). ASSESSMENT FOR LEARNING 9 References Creighton, T. (2001). Data analysis and the principalship. Principal Leadership, 1(9), 52. Gardner, H. (1999). Intelligence reframed: Multiple intelligences for the 21st century. New York: Basic Books. Gollnick, D. and Chinn, P. (2006) Multicultural education in a pluralistic society. New Jersey: Pearson Education. Gutmann, A. (2004). Unity and diversity in democratic multicultural education: Creative and destructive tensions. In J. A. Banks (Ed. ), Diversity and citizenship education: Global perspectives (pp. 77-96). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Spasovski, Ognen. (2010). Principles of the inclusive education and the role of teachers and in-school professional staff. The Journal of Special Education and Rehabilitation,111(1-2), 67-86. Tashik, P. (2010). Changing the national conversation on assessment. Phi Delta Kappan, 91(6), 55-59. Stiggins, R. (2004). Classroom assessment for student learning: Doing it right – Using it well. Portland, OR: Assessment Training Institute. Stiggins, R. (2005, Dec. ). From formative assessment to assessment FOR learning: A path to success in standards-based school. Phi Delta Kappan, 87(4), 324-328. Stiggins, R. (2008). Assessment manifesto: A call for the development of balanced assessment systems. Portland, OR: ETS Training Institute.

Business btec level 3 unit 2 P1 Essay

In this task I am going to be defining the recruitment process and documentation components. Recruitment is a process in which allows businesses to obtain selected qualified people to attend to a job vacancy. The recruitment process is the steps in order to successfully pick suitable employees that match the specifications. There are typically seven steps included in the recruitment process to ensure the right person is selected: There are usually four main types of documentation that is included in the recruitment processÍ ¾ job description, person specification, application form and legal contract. The job description is a document stating the initial role of the job that is being advertised and allows candidates to know what they are applying for and for them to prepare for their interview. Job descriptions are used through all stages of the recruitment process as a description is often included in the advertisement, a candidate will then see the expectations again during an interview along with successful candidates revisiting this document when they begin the job. The job description usually states the main roles and responsibilities that the job requires and the hours that you are expected to work. Person specification is a document in which allows employers to figure out whether applicants are worth interviewing as they state the essential and desirable requirements includingÍ ¾ skills, experience, qualifications and knowledge. The person specification is drawn up at the same time as the job description and is most likely to also be available on the advertisement. Along with the job description, person specification is also a component of the short ­listing stage however it may not be revisited again. Application forms are the most typical way of applying for a job however there are two other different forms of application documentationÍ ¾ CV and cover letter. A CV is used to summarise your qualifications, experience and any other information. A cover letter is usually attached with your CV or application form to basically sell yourself to the employer and let them know why you’re the perfect candidate. Application forms are usually used when you’re applying for the job and then are revisited in your interview. The last form of documentation for the application process is the legal contract in which is used when you receive the job. The legal document is between you and the employer and states all the terms and conditions including the shifts, rules and regulations and expe