The Problem Of Violence In Schools Essay Example For Students

The Problem Of Violence In Schools Essay The problem of violence in schools today is a major concern. Crime in and around schools threatens the well being of students, as well as the school staff and the surrounding communities. It also holds back learning and student achievement. The problem is more defined in the public school system than in catholic schools. Catholic schools seem to express a better-rounded teaching environment. Most catholic schools have less tolerance than they do in public schools. It is said that the wearing of a uniform helps to keep more peace in the school. The students do not get made fun of for not wearing brand name clothing. The laughing and making fun of the other students is what contributes to low self-esteem, which one of the traits for a student who is likely to bring violence into school. More than half of U.S. public schools have reported at least one crime incident in 1997. Also one in ten schools reported at least one serious violent crime during this school year. Ten percent of all p ublic schools had experienced one or more serious violent crimes (e.g. murder, rape, suicide, sexual battery, and physical attack of fighting with a weapon or robbery) reported to police or other law enforcement during 1997. We will write a custom essay on The Problem Of Violence In Schools specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Crime and violence seem to be more of a problem in middle and high schools than in elementary schools. In 1997 forty-five percent of elementary schools reported one or more acts of violence. Seventy-four percent of middle schools and seventy-five percent of high schools had reported incidents of violence. One of the goals of the National Education Goals states that by the year 2000, all schools in America will be free of drugs and violence and the unauthorized presence of firearms and alcohol, and offer a disciplined environment that is conducive to learning. This goal has obviously not yet been reached, but there still is some time left for them to reach this goal. The crimes that are most frequently occurring in most schools are vandalism, theft/larceny, and physical attack or fight without a weapon. Six percent have reported physical attack or fight with a weapon. Even though the percentage of weapon related crimes is not as high as many of the rest, it is still one of the biggest and must be eliminated. It is the one of the worst acts of violence that could happen in a school. The school administration should adopt a policy that will help to eliminate the violence. They should either consider a zero tolerance strategy or something similar. The school environment should be a safe one for staff and students. Students should be able to go to school and not be concerned with any in or outside forces that will distract them from learning, or injure them in some way. Many potentially violent incidents continue to plague schools. School administrators are reviewing security and crisis plans, but many administrators are quick to point out that there is no one answer to providing a safe school environment. Everyone wants a simple solution, but the is not a one. People have to work towards getting and maintaining school safety. But no matter how well prepared or how safe everyone thinks a plan to be; it will never be one hundred percent foolproof. Someone will always find a way to get around even the most strategized effort to control the violence. Most incidents could and can be prevented by students, parents, teachers, or citizens coming forward and sharing the information that they know with either the school or police. It is known that prior to a major violent attacking, in most schools someone knows that it is going to happen other than the person who is planning it. But they do not go forward because they think that something like that could never happen in their school. Violence can happen anywhere, at any time. For example, take the Jonesboro incident or Columbine, it is common knowledge that someone knew about what the students were planning, but did not share it with the school or police officials. Schools should pay attention to not only the major incidents like Columbine, but also to the smallest threat. Schools in Allen, Texas, cancelled the remaining two weeks of classes due to repeated bomb threats. But after parental and community outrage, officials opened the schools on a limited basis a few days later. Four bo ys were charged with plotting a shooting in their Port Huron, Michigan, middle school similar to the massacre at Columbine. Reaction like these should always be taken to incidents as such. It prevents the tragedies like Columbine and others from happening again. A common trend in most school shootings is that they have all occurred in communities in which people felt safe. The perception of schools as being safe havens has changed over the past few years since the rash of shooting incidents. But the fact still remains that schools are the safest places for children. But, still, schools have always been easy targets for violence. Even though the number of violent incidents in schools is dropping, the use of firepower by students is growing. .ue85d8891dccf5f150e082eedbd09d366 , .ue85d8891dccf5f150e082eedbd09d366 .postImageUrl , .ue85d8891dccf5f150e082eedbd09d366 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ue85d8891dccf5f150e082eedbd09d366 , .ue85d8891dccf5f150e082eedbd09d366:hover , .ue85d8891dccf5f150e082eedbd09d366:visited , .ue85d8891dccf5f150e082eedbd09d366:active { border:0!important; } .ue85d8891dccf5f150e082eedbd09d366 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ue85d8891dccf5f150e082eedbd09d366 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ue85d8891dccf5f150e082eedbd09d366:active , .ue85d8891dccf5f150e082eedbd09d366:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ue85d8891dccf5f150e082eedbd09d366 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ue85d8891dccf5f150e082eedbd09d366 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ue85d8891dccf5f150e082eedbd09d366 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ue85d8891dccf5f150e082eedbd09d366 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ue85d8891dccf5f150e082eedbd09d366:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ue85d8891dccf5f150e082eedbd09d366 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ue85d8891dccf5f150e082eedbd09d366 .ue85d8891dccf5f150e082eedbd09d366-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ue85d8891dccf5f150e082eedbd09d366:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Scarlet Letter Description EssayLately, medal detectors, security cameras, ID cards, and other security hardware and systems have been finding the nations schools as a home. This is mainly due to the need to show students, staff, and parents that security measures are being taken. Schools should be safe enough that they there is no need for security devices as such. Although medal detectors are very useful, but they are only part of the solution. Schools must also look at other prevention methods. Administrators have agreed that they will not find just one specific solution to the school dilemma that would be one hundred percent effective. Something that must be changed is the fact that in every incident in the last two years, the kids have spoken about their act before the committed it. And for some reason or other, adults have refused to pay attention to it. It must be changed. People listen to a cry for help when they hear it, why not this? It is basically the same thing; they should pay just as much attention to it. Safety is not a sometimes thing, it is an all-the-time thing, students should be able to go to school and feel safe. It has been said that violence on television has been a contributor to kids committing these acts of violence. But is this really true? Sure, the violence on television is a contributor. But it is not as big a contributor as most people make it out to be. Most of the students, who do commit crimes in school, all fit basically the same profile. They were alienated, angry and had a history of emotional problems. They are students who hold a grudge. Most of these students often write about these things in advance, they perhaps signal that they are going to happen. Experts say that there is no foolproof way to spot potential killers. But, by early next year, the FBI will release a report listing problematic traits to help educators and parents identify the seriousness of a students threat. The report will detail warning signs in four areas of a students life: 1.) Personality, 2.) Family, 3.) School behavior, and 4.) Other factors such as drugs and alcohol. This report should be very helpful to the parents and administration in controlling the safety of their school. Some of the indicators of what would make a student turn to violence are: social withdraw, excessive feelings of isolation and persecution, and a history of aggressive behavior. The question of what went wrong early on in these kids lives is brought up more that one. It is wondered what made them into killers where they would go out and without any conscience just kill people, their friends and classmates and then themselves. No one will ever know except for himself or herself. What steps should be taken to helping kids like this? Having school psychologists is a good idea; they are traditionally the first lines of defense. But lately they have been preoccupied in assessing kids who need to help with learning disorders. Many schools are now adopting zero tolerance policies, pulling out kids who do anything suspicious. This works, but not always. When a school expels a student for something like violent imagery in creative writing, it is an overreaction. Or the twelve year old boy in Virginia who was expelled for waiving a stapler around on a school bus; a Florida girl was suspended for bringing a nail clipper to class, and the suspension of a nine year old boy who wrote you will die with honor when his teacher asked him to compose a fortune cookie message. It is all-ridiculous. There is no reason to go that far. The zero tolerance rule is a good idea, but not for things like that. But for a kid who brings a gun to school or a kid who starts a fire in the sc hool, they should be removed immediately, with no questions asked. Zero tolerance polices should cover clear and serious offenses involving weapons, violence, threat, harassment, bomb scares, drugs, alcohol and cheating. Not in simple matters like those mentioned above. Crime rates in the United States are decreasing which is very good. Statistics show that crime rate in the U.S. has declined 6.4 percent and the murder rate has declined 7.4 percent in 1998. A poll shows that forty years ago, fifty percent of Americans reported having guns in their homes. Last year the figure was thirty-five percent. Which is good. This lessens the easiness of a child getting a gun to bring into school. A New York Times/CBS poll asked kids if they worry about being crime victims at school or on the streets and twenty-four percent said yes. So, obviously the kids are not as concerned about a killer attending their school as the adults are. .ue7552c3872162bf6d777e4c0f922b1a0 , .ue7552c3872162bf6d777e4c0f922b1a0 .postImageUrl , .ue7552c3872162bf6d777e4c0f922b1a0 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .ue7552c3872162bf6d777e4c0f922b1a0 , .ue7552c3872162bf6d777e4c0f922b1a0:hover , .ue7552c3872162bf6d777e4c0f922b1a0:visited , .ue7552c3872162bf6d777e4c0f922b1a0:active { border:0!important; } .ue7552c3872162bf6d777e4c0f922b1a0 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .ue7552c3872162bf6d777e4c0f922b1a0 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .ue7552c3872162bf6d777e4c0f922b1a0:active , .ue7552c3872162bf6d777e4c0f922b1a0:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .ue7552c3872162bf6d777e4c0f922b1a0 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .ue7552c3872162bf6d777e4c0f922b1a0 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .ue7552c3872162bf6d777e4c0f922b1a0 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .ue7552c3872162bf6d777e4c0f922b1a0 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .ue7552c3872162bf6d777e4c0f922b1a0:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .ue7552c3872162bf6d777e4c0f922b1a0 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .ue7552c3872162bf6d777e4c0f922b1a0 .ue7552c3872162bf6d777e4c0f922b1a0-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .ue7552c3872162bf6d777e4c0f922b1a0:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Frailty Thy Name Is Woman EssayIt is not clear at this point if schools are engaged in another cycle of violence or if we have evolved into a society whose culture has embraced violence as a characteristic and permanent feature. It is argues that the youth of today are coming more and more from backgrounds where antisocial behavior is more normal rather than unusual. These young people are highly agitated and invested in antisocial attitudes. They tend to see the behavior and intentions of others as biased against them. They frequently decide to react aggressively to situations they view as challenging or threatening, very often with tragic consequences. This kind of aggression and reaction is what makes the schools dangerous. There are four factors that generally accelerate youth violence. They are: 1.) Easy access to weapons, especially hand guns, 2.) Early involvement with drugs and alcohol, 3.) Association with antisocial groups and 4.) Pervasive exposure to violent acts depicted in the media. Eight-one percent of weapons brought to school come from the home. A safe school is characterized as effective, accepting, freedom from potential physical and psychological harm, absence of violence, and being nurturing, caring, and protective. Some school based protective factors are positive school climate and atmosphere, clear and high performance expectations for all students, good values and practices throughout the school, strong student bonding to the school environment, high levels of student participation and parent involvement in social development, and schoolwide conflict-resolution strategies. An unsafe school is characterized by lack of cohesion, chaotic, stressful, disorganized, poorly structured, ineffective, high risk, gang activity, violent incidents, unclear behavioral and academic expectations. Some risk factors are poor design and use of school space, overcrowding, lack of caring but firm disciplinary procedures, student alienation, rejection of at-risk students by teachers and peers, anger and resentment at school routines and demands for conformity, and poor supervision. Impacts and influences of school violence are: 1.) Large schools and classrooms of students, that prevents teachers from developing meaningful relationships with students and 2.) Overcrowded schools normally have higher rates of discipline problems and vandalism than schools that are at or below the enrollments for which they are intended. We must begin to reform the schools who need it. There are direct strategies as well as indirect strategies. Examples of the direct include things such as locks on doors, metal detectors, and random searching for weapons. Indirect strategies include requiring school uniforms, and establishing a positive school climate. It is likely that more direct strategies are more effective than the indirect, but they do not change the culture of the school. It is recommended that schools maintain a zero tolerance policy for weapons, fighting, or other acts of violence, minimized the number of unlocked entrances, exits, and halls for students and visitors, require students to carry a hall pass when roaming about the school during classes and to limit the hall passes to an absolute minimum. These few strategies can be the stepping stones to making a better school enviroment. BibliographyWork CitedLessons Learned. American School University, July99, Vol. 71 Issue 11Agron, JoeWatching for Warning Signs. Newsweek, 12/20/99, Vol. 134 Issue 25, p.39Kantroitz, Barbara; Wingert, Pat; Struzzi, DianeCracking down on kids. U.S. News World Report, 12/13/99, Vol. 127 Issue 23, p19Leo, JohnGround zero of zero-tolerance for violence. Christian Science Monitor, 11/18/99, Vol. 91 Issue 247, p1 McLaughlin, AbrahamPreventing School Violence. FDCH ABC Nightline, 04/21/1999Sawyer, Diane; Gibson, CharlesDangerous Schools? Christian Science Monitor, 11/05/99, Vol. 91 Issue 239, p11Schorr, DanielMaking Schools Safer and Violence Free. Intervention in School Clinic, March97, Vol. 32 Issue 4, p.199. Walker, Hill M.; Gresham, Frank M. Social Issues Essays

James Carter essays

James Carter essays Hello, my name is James Earl Carter, Jr. As you may or may not know, I was the president of the United States for one term (four years). I like to think those four years of presidency; I accomplished a great deal of things that may have affected your life. However, Ill just let you decide whether or not I made an impact on the lives if citizens by reading what I have to say about what I accomplished in my career. I hope that you can learn something from what I have to tell you. I, James Earl Carter (better known as Jimmy Carter) was born on October 1st, 1924 in Plains, Georgia. In the early years before I was president, I was a well-known peanut farmer who loved to dream and talk of politics and my devotion to the Baptist faith. I graduated from the Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland in 1946 and Married Rosalyn Smith whom I had four children with. There were three boys (John William, James Earl III, Donnell Jeffery) and one girl (Amy Lynn). In 1971 I got my first real government-related job. I became the 76th governor of Georgia. While I was in office as the governor, my fellow governors from the surrounding states recommended me to be chairman of the Southern Regional Educational Board, the Appalachian Regional Commission, the Coastal Plains Regional Action Planning Commission, and the Southern Growth Policies Board. In 1973, I became the Democratic National Committee campaign chairman for the 1974 congressional elections. Then, on December 12th, 1974, I announced that I was going to run in the election for the president of the United States for the Democratic Party. I won the ballad for my party and on November 2nd, 1976, I was elected President of the United States. I tried my hardest to do the best that I could at being president and I feel that I accomplished quite a few things. I dont want to sound like I like to boast, but I m going to tell you some important things that were done whi...

English Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

English - Essay Example It could be an advantage to the agency to dismiss her as it will protect the agency from any further leaks from McCarthy. Another reason I can find for firing McCarthy is the fact that her action broke the agreement of secrecy required by any agent of the CIA. (Shrader,) Again, this means that McCarthy cannot be trusted; however this may not be reason enough to dismiss her. A disadvantage of firing McCarthy is that the media will most likely support McCarthy as it is favorable for the media to take the side of someone who is apparently being fired unfairly. Also, the President may not agree as his interests don't always agree with those of the CIA, according to Senator Menendez. (Shrader) In order to avoid opposition from the president and from the media I feel it might be best to place McCarthy under probation and if it is found she is not to be trusted I will have a solid reason to dismiss McCarthy. I failed one polygraph test and now my job is on the line. (Shrader) I'm sure they want to fire me. I need to gather my thoughts together and analyze this situation. I've already confessed the leak and that could work in my favor. I also need to determine what reasons the agency may have for firing me and not firing me and act accordingly.

Entry to a new market Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Entry to a new market - Research Paper Example Making an entry into the existing automobile Indian market should be carefully approached. For example, a company should consider whether to enter into the market through a joint venture, or opening up a subsidiary of the organization as part of the mother branch. The company should be aware of the pros and cons of all the available options and how much they would cost. Entry Modes into the market Foreign direct Investment One of the advantages of a foreign direct investment mode of operation is that the organization would have a large proportion of direct control of the firm that it sets up in India. A foreign direct investment would allow the American company to gain a high tax exemption. The Government of India is bound to view the foreign direct investment as an opportunity that will increase the country’s income through labor provision to its nationals.. A foreign direct investment often includes transferring labor, funds and new technology to the target market (Iyer 272) . A foreign direct investment might involve purchasing of an already existing organization or starting up of a new one. A foreign direct investment into India will require an input of large resources by the automobile company. The resources will go into putting up the organization and marketing services. However, the organization would gain a better understanding of the customer needs and how to reach their target market audience. Joint Venture The organization might also consider a joint venture entry into the Indian market. A joint venture with an automobile company would be strategic if the CEO decides to invest a minimal amount of money into the venture in India. The American automobile company would ideally invest half the money while the India co-venture investor would invest the other half. Both investors would learn from each other for the good of the organization. The Indian investor would guide the American automobile investor on issues such as Indian tax system, best labo r sources, best location, cultural awareness and distribution lines. A joint venture would be highly recommended when the two merging companies have the same kinds of business strategies that they would want to achieve. In order for the joint venture to succeed, both the organizations should be clear on their strategic goals and objectives, and the timelines within which they hope to achieve them. The joint venture organizations should also clarify on the duties and responsibilities of the different personnel that they both bring in to the organization. There are critical issues that might arise in the running of joint ventures (Tsang 218). The companies might have proprietary information that they might be afraid of sharing. Secret business ideas take a lot of resources to develop. Therefore, none of the organizations would take the resources invested lightly. One or both of the organizations’ employees might also develop apathy at the expense of the other joint venture part ner’s employees. If the duration of the organization was unclear, disputes might arise on how and when the company should be closed down. There might also be cultural disputes between the two companies in the joint venture. Each of the companies in the automobile joint venture might want to get the best of the partnership while what they put in is not equal to what they want to gain. Licensing Licensing for the automobile organization would require the organization to license an organization

Reading To a Child Everyday and Language Development Essay

Reading To a Child Everyday and Language Development - Essay Example Nativist perspective: This theory was suggested by Noam Chomsky and has remained significant in understanding language acquisition in children. The nativist perspective postulates that children learn through their innate ability to organize language laws. However, the theory acknowledges that children cannot utilize their ability to organize and utilize language laws in the absence of adults. Based on this theory, children have in-born Language Acquisition Device embedded in their brains, which enable them to learn language skills as they grow (Martin, Fabes & Fabes, 2009). Social interactionist theory: This theory emphasizes on the environment and context in which language is acquired. According to this theory, pragmatics of a language precedes grammar. Children and adults live in a negotiated environment where there is likelihood of feedbacks. As such, language develops through one’s negotiation of his or her environment (Martin, Fabes & Fabes, 2009). Language development stems from children’s desire to learn and share new information with others. The theory argues that language acquisition takes both biological and social dimensions. Cognitive theory: In this theory, Jean Piaget postulated that symbols and structures constitute language and becomes exposed as children’s brains develop. Consequently, language is a mental activity. Piaget’s cognitive theory on how a child’s brain develops has for a long time been influential in shaping educational theory (Ellis, 2006; Pütz, 2001).

Model Of Planned Organizational Change Management Essay

Model Of Planned Organizational Change Management Essay These changes require that we alter what we expect from the people we work with. We have to change the values we live by. Values like awareness, teamwork, tolerance, responsibility and information are paramount just as flexibility and change readiness. Overview Change management can be describe as the act of changing the current state of affairs to new ways of doing things through a series of activities including communication and education, leadership, and team work When switch from manual system to automate system we have to consider about the change management because organizational changes typically involve many different types and levels of personal loss for the people in the organization. For example, change always requires the effort to learn the new, which is a loss in terms of time and energy that could have been used elsewhere. Although some may welcome the learning opportunity, many of us dont want to invest that time and energy unless we are dissatisfied with the current arrangements or see powerful advantages to the proposed change. Upgrading to new software in which the future benefits may not be seen as sufficient to outweigh the short-term investment required to learn the new programs. Second, people want to feel good about themselves Ideally, people are able to take pride in their work, feel responsible for a job well done, feel they are part of a high-quality enterprise, and feel that their time has some significance. In many work situations, the work itself and the organizational culture make it difficult for people to feel good about themselves. In these poorer situations, people usually invent strategies to help them feel better about themselves, and these strategies involve getting some sense of control, belongingness, and significance out of their work. Sometimes this involves opposition to management, on the assumption that management is always up to no good. More commonly, the worker-management relationships are not completely alienated. Still, the workers strategies for achieving good feelings are unknown to or quite misunderstood by management. Therefore, change initiatives, unknowingly and unintentionally, threaten to cause the workers serious personal loss. Not surprisingly, the workers resist and do all they can to sabotage such change initiatives. Third, change initiatives often require large losses for middle managers. Generally, people perceive that information systems increase the ability of top executives to know more about what is going on and to exert more direct control. New systems require us to learn a new set of behaviors. Reasons for Change Factors may lead to a necessity for change To improve performance To reduce waste and inefficiency To improve management control and satisfaction of the employees To improve the quality and productivity of an organization To compete in the changing market environment To achieve the desired business results as early as possible Model of planned organizational change Change can be managed. By observing external trends, patterns and needs, managers use planned change to help the organization to adapt to external problems and opportunities. When organizations are caught flat footed, failing to anticipate or respond to new needs, management is at fault. Four events make up the change sequence: Internal and external forces for change exist Organization managers monitor these forces and become aware of a need for change; and The perceived need triggers the initiation for change, which Is then implemented. How each of these activities is handled depends upon the organization and managers styles. Organizational Development Organizational development (OD) is the application of behavioral science knowledge to improve an organizations health and effectiveness through its ability to cope with environmental changes, improve internal relationships, and increase problem-solving capabilities. Organizational development improves working relationships among employees. The following are three types of current problems that OD can help managers address. Mergers/Acquisitions Culture differences should be evaluated during the acquisition process, and OD experts can be used to smooth the integration of two firms. Organizational Decline/Revitalization OD techniques can contribute greatly to cultural revitalization by managing conflicts, fostering commitment, and facilitating communication. Conflict Management Conflict can occur at any time and place within a healthy organization. Organizational development efforts can help solve these kinds of conflicts. OD Activities. A number of OD activities have emerged in recent years. Some of the most popular and effective are as follows. Team-Building Activities Team building enhances the cohesiveness and success of organizational groups and teams. Survey-Feedback Activities Survey feedback begins with a questionnaire distributed to employees. Employees are engaged in problem solving based on the data received from questionnaire. Intergroup Activities These activities include retreats and workshops to improve the effectiveness of groups or departments that must work together. Process-Consultation Activities Organizational development consultants help managers understand the human processes within their organization and how to manage them. Symbolic Leadership Activities This approach helps managers to use the techniques for cultural change, including public statements, ceremonies, and slogans. Forces for Change Forces for organizational change exist both in the external environment and within the organization. Environmental Forces External forces originate in all environmental sectors, including competitors, technology, economic forces, Internal Forces Internal forces for change arise from internal activities and decisions. If top managers select a goal of rapid company growth, internal actions will have to be changed to meet that growth. Change Process Unfreezing: Moving: Refreezing: Breaking from the Instituting the reinforcing and old ways of doing change supporting the things new ways Unfreezing stage, Management realizes that its current practices are no longer appropriate and the company must break out of (unfreeze) its present pattern by doing things differently (Bateman Snell, 2004:559). This could be triggered by the environmental changes or the performance gap (drivers of change). In this stage, people need to move towards recognizing that some of the past ways of thinking, feeling and doing things are outdated. Bateman Snell (2004:559) state that the most effective way to do this is to communicate to people the negative consequences of the old ways by comparing the organizations performance to its competitors. However, care must be taken not to arouse peoples defensiveness by pinning the blame directly and entirely to them. Moving Institute change begins with establishing a vision of where the company is heading (Bateman Snell, 2004:560). The organization needs to get the vision right. This could be done by getting the people to establish a vision and strategy to focus on emotional and creative aspects necessary to drive service and efficiency. It is of critical importance to inspire people to move and make objectives real and relevant. In addition, a team has to be built with the right people in place with the right emotional commitment, and the right mix of skills and levels. This is complemented by Van der Linde (2002:47) in his highlight of the importance of visionary leadership in instituting change. Van der Linde (2002:47) contends that visionary leadership is engaged through clarity, commitment, communication, capabilities, organization culture, configuration and continuous learning. Refreezing Refers to the enhancement of the new behaviors that support the change The changes are spread and stabilized throughout the organization in order for people to identify and behave accordingly. During this stage, control measures, corrective and rewarding measures that support the change are implemented to change behaviors. Bateman Snell (2004:560) highlight the importance of guarding against refreezing rigid behaviors that might be problematic in future. Bateman Snell (2004:560) contend that, the behaviors that should be refrozen are those that promote continued adaptability, flexibility, experimentation, assessment of results and continuous improvement. Implementing Change Creative culture, idea champions and new-venture teams are ways to facilitate the initiation of new ideas. The other step to be managed in the change process is implementation. A new, idea will not benefit the organization until it is in place and being fully utilized. One frustration for managers is that employees often seem to resist change for no apparent reason. To effectively manage the implementation process, managers should be aware of the reason for employee resistance and be prepared to use. Techniques for obtaining employee cooperation are: Why Do Employees Resist Change Idea champion often discover that other employees are unenthusiastic about their new idea. Members of a new-venture group may be surprised when managers in the regular organization do not support or approve their innovations. Several reasons for employee resistance are: Self-Interest. Employees typically resist a change they believe will take away something of value. A proposed change in job design, structure, or technology may lead to a perceived loss of power, prestige, pay, or many company benefits. The fear of personal loss is perhaps the biggest obstacle to organizational change. Lack Of Understanding And Trust. Employees often do not understand the intended purpose of a change or distrust the intentions behind it. If the previous working relationships with an idea champion have been negative, resistance may occur. Uncertainty. Uncertainty is the lack of information about future events. It represents a fear of the unknown. Uncertainty is especially threatening for employees who have a low tolerance for a change and fear the novel and unusual. Different Assessment And Goals. Another reason for resistance to change is that people who will be affected by innovation may asses the situation differently from an idea champion or new-venture group. Managers in different departments pursue different goals and an innovation may detract from performance and goal achievement for some departments. The reasons for resistance are legitimate in the eyes of employees affected by the changes. The best procedure for managers is not to ignore resistance but to diagnose the reasons and design strategies to gain acceptance by users. The strategies for overcoming resistance to change typically involve two approaches: the analysis of resistance through the force field technique and the use of selective implementation tactics to overcome resistance. Force Field Analysis Its the process of determining which forces drive and which resist a proposed change. To implement a change, management should analyze the change forces. By selectively removing forces that restrain change, the driving forces will be strong enough to enable implementation. As restraining forces are reduced or removed, behavior will shift to incorporate the desired changes. Overcoming Resistance to Change The other approach to managing implementation is to adopt specific tactics to overcome employee resistance. The following five tactics have proven successful: Communication and Education. Communication and education are used when solid information about the change is needed by users and others who may resist implementation. Education is especially important when the change involves new technical knowledge or users are unfamiliar with the idea. Participation. Participation involves users and potential resisters in designing the change. This approach is time consuming, but it pays off because users understand and become committed to the change. Negotiation. Negotiation is more formal means of achieving cooperation. Negotiation uses formal bargaining to win acceptance and approval of a desired change. Coercion. Coercion means that managers use formal power to force employees to change. Resisters are told to accept the change or lose rewards or even their jobs. Coercion is necessary in crisis situation when a rapid response is urgent. Top Management Support. The visible support of top management also helps overcome resistance to change. Top management support symbolizes to all employees that the change is important for the organization. Benefits and significance of change management Some of the unique benefits of change management from organizational perspective are given below: Understanding environment (society, government, and customers) it is important for organization to understand, assess and gauge the dynamics in its external environment in order to envisage and establish an appropriate relationship with various actors like government, customers and society. Therefore managers by knowing the subject of change management can better be prepared to understand whatever is going on in the environment. Objectives, strategy formulation implementation (to develop competitive advantage) second is consequent upon knowing the impact of change at extraneous level on its own internal dynamics, and the foremost is objective setting and seeking competitive advantage. Employees (trained, high performing work practices, reliable organization) The employees are the recipient of change plan. One such perpetual concern of senior managers is to make organization highly reliable; therefore employees ought to be trained and high performing one in todays hyper competitive world Technology Issues Technology is considered the engine of growth in todays world. Perhaps the greatest challenge for contemporary organizations is the acquisition and integration of technology in its strategy, structure and process. CONCLUSION change management and its impact during the implementation of a new business model including a shared service. The implementation of shared services requires a significant integration and coordination, including human resources, to ensure success. To be a partner to the business, the shared services unit and its employees must understand profoundly what capabilities drive successful implementation and how the nature of work affects those capabilities.

Re-thinking History: Improving History Textbooks in America Essay

Since introducing his book with the notion that high school students hate history, Loewen (1996) devotes a considerable amount of his work debunking facts and theories taught in history classes in American schools. He appeals to the trust of the readers with his comparisons on what textbooks include and what they omit. He accomplishes this by recounting some sparse facts taught in most textbooks, appealing to the emotions of all former, current and future history students with his empathy on how boring most history textbook. Finally, he reaches the logic of his readers with heavily pocked paragraphs footnoted with his sources that presume his great understanding of the history itself. The scope and size of history textbooks is an issue Loewen tackles, pointing out how â€Å"textbook authors tend to include most of the trees and all too many twigs, they neglect to give the readers even a glimpse of what they might find memorable: the forests† (para 14). As he intertwines much of his ideas about history with Sociology and Social Studies, he notes that students rarely possess the ability to â€Å"think coherently about social life† (para 14) and returns to the concept that learning history reinforces sociology when he concludes his theory about textbook size preventing students from learning history. He describes how textbook covers use patriotic symbolism to represent the contents of the textbook material, complete with descriptive titles such as Rise of the American Nation (para 12). From this, he deducts that no other textbook cover takes as many liberties with the textbook title as do History textbooks. Loewen selects an iconic point, the First Thanksgiving, taught in some manner among nearly all grade levels and provides illuminating d... ...g buried items, he lists a footnote to accompany the passage. After observing 40 other footnotes in the previous 46 paragraphs, it’s likely that most readers would simply assume that the footnote leads to another reputable source. Discovering that this particular footnote relates to the fairytale of Goldilocks and not the journal’s author may lead one to believe that the footnote source is questionable. Loewen provides a convincing account of what he finds wrong with history textbooks used in schools around America. His appeal to readers influences their opinions on what textbook publishers should do to change this phenomenon. While history textbooks are boring, oversized and sometimes less detail oriented than Loewen would expect, high school courses simply do not teach and address the sort of sociological impacts that students in higher education expect to learn.

Ideal Teacher Essay

An ideal teacher is the one we respect from our heart. He/she acts as a guide to the students, while not pushing them too much. Such a perfect motivates them and boosts their morale. He/she tries to encourage the students and refrains from criticizing them. The perfect teacher prefers to give positive motivation to his/her students. His/her comments are always constructive in nature. He/she serves as our friend, guide, educator, confidante, and a blend of all the good qualities one can posses. Such a teacher shapes the entire life of the students. If everyone in this world gets an ideal teacher, he/she won’t have to look back in his/her life ever. The ideal teacher is a problem solver, he/she understands the students psychology, is an idol for his/her students, a good guide, and a motivator. Students have a tendency to assume that their teacher will come up with a solution for all their problems. This is the toughest test of a teacher-student relationship. Teachers are largely responsible to solve the problems of their pupils, without expecting anything in return. The students will then learn to look up to the teacher, because he/she has the answer for everything. The teacher should always maintain civilization in the classroom and make sure ever one gets along. It is the main yardstick of being an ideal teacher. It is very important for a teacher to understand the psychology of his/her pupils. Every student is different from the other and will react differently to situations. All students cannot be equated and therefore, need individual attention. An ideal teacher knows where the students lack and what their requirements are. He/she never fails to comprehend the needs of students and tries his/her level best to fulfill them. He/she will treat all students equally but at the same time teach them in a way which is easier for the students to learn. An ideal teacher leaves a life-long impression on his/her students and impacts their mind in a positive way. The teacher is a much valued asset, without whom one can’t imagine a life. In fact, perfect teachers are as important as our parents. Not even a single day of our life will seem to be complete without them. They keep their door open to who ever need them, and never denied to help any of us. They love us as if we are their own child, and never expect to see us fail. The work hard to keep us educated and make sure we stay in school. They are the ones, whom we can idolize and look up to. Children of a certain age trust their teachers, even more than their parents. Therefore, it is the responsibility of an ideal teacher to guide the pupil like his/her own child. Such a teacher shows students the right path under all circumstances and never shies away from his/her duties. In fact, he/she is always there by the student’s side, at the time of need. Most students cant always in most situation go to their parents for advise, but yet they still need an adults opinion on things, and the teacher will always be there to voice his/her opinion to the students. And if he/she feel that the situation is more serious and a parent need to know, he/she will go with the student to talk to the child parents. An ideal teacher never lets the limitations of his/her students restrict their vision. He/she constantly motivates them to reach ahead and broaden their horizon. A teacher should encourage and inspire his/her pupils to think beyond their confines and help them realize their talents as well as the need to pursue them with diligence. He/she stay and work long hours with the child so that the child won’t give up. His/her motivation keeps the child motivated to learn. In conclusion, all teachers should take time and get to know who their students really are. They might even be surprise at the outcome. By getting to know the students helps them become more close to each other; that way it’ll be easier for the teacher to solve any problems that occur in the classroom, it’ll be easier for him/her to understand the students psychology, he/she might even become an idol to the students, the teacher will become a good guidance, and also become a motivator to the students.

Paul Revere essays

Paul Revere essays The time April 18,1775, the place Lexington Massachusets. On this night something happened that would change and shape America from then on. General Gage sent a company of about 700 men to seize ammunition and guns the colonist had hidden in Concord. NO sooner were the soldiers on the move, than the watchful eyes of two patriots hurried to spred the alarm. One of these patriots was a very intresting peron for he would be remembered throughout history. Paul Revere was born on New Years Day 1735. He was a silversmith who served in the militia in the French and Indian War. In the begining of the 1670's Paul joined the Sons of Liberty, but this was only the begining. Later, he led a group of diguised Indians in the Boston Tea Party of 1773. Though all these things are important, this still is not what he is remembered for. Tuesday April 18, Pal Revere learned of the Brittish plan to capture the colonist arms at Lexingotn and Concord. So, that night Paul Revere and William Dawes rode to warn the Americans. Paul did not know if they were comming by land or by sea. He told a man named Robert Newman to hang one latern in the church tower if by land and two if by sea. Paul left by crossing the Charlse River, while William left through the town gate. They met at Lexington and warned countrymen thee. Here a man named Samuel Prescott joined them. On their way to Concord though, paul was captured by the British. He was stripped of his horse and freed. Only Samuel Prescott got through to warn the Americans in Concord. Latter on in the war, Paul Revere served in the Continental Army as a lietenant, in command of a fort called Castle Island in Boston. Before I bring this to a close. I want to ask a question. What would have happened if Paul Revere would have never gone on his famous ride? I say that the Americans would have never been warned. There would have been no fighting, and the Britsh would have just taken the arms sup ...

Doubt by John Patrick Shanley Essays - English-language Films, Doubt

Doubt by John Patrick Shanley Essays - English-language Films, Doubt Introduction Topic sentence: Doubt by John Patrick Shanley In the pursuit of wrongdoing, one steps away from God. Of course, theres a price. The quote means that in order to find someone guilty of sin, one might have to disobey God to get achieve that goal. Thesis: Body Paragraphs Sister Aloysius steps away from god in running her school and to attempt to confirm her suspicions about Father Flynn a.Gossips about Father Flynn with other nuns In the film, all the nuns are sitting at the table eating dinner. Sister Aloysius talks about to her suspicions of Father Flynn following his sermon to them. Symbolism: the nuns are eating simple meals and are quiet at the dinner table. b.Lies to father Flynn to try to get him to confess his sins. She didnt actually call his old school. This morning, before I spoke with Mrs. Muller, I took the precaution of calling the last parish to which you were assigned (53) c.Steals kids radio and uses it for her own pleasure Look at how tiny theyre making them now. I confiscated it from one of the students and now I cant stop using it. d.She admitted that she is taking a step away from God. In the pursuit of wrongdoing, one steps away from God. Of course theres a price (58) Sister James But its so unsettling to look at things and people with suspicion. It feels as if Im less close to God (20).

Gender Considerations Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 52

Gender Considerations - Essay Example In any environment that you find students, liking the teacher then it is evident that the class is a combination of both male and female students. The art of completion is present. Students in sick class encourage maximum much participation because they know that one-step mistake he will be among the last (Evans 15). There are completions that in most instances favor the female student involvement. For example food technology, boys find themselves lacking behind because what is being taught suits the opposite gender. The response to text-based learning in a variety of learning scenarios depends on the instrumental situations. The binding of these students together is characterized by the equal participation both in class and field activities while in school (Evans 23). In the pursuit of the concern of this topic, it is important to avoid colliding with some deception that one gender is smarter than the other is. Towards different subjects, the difference in performance is brought about the attitude of the student. Gender is not a limiting factor to the student; instead, they need to be given equal opportunities.

Business Impacts of Computerized Accounting Assignment

Business Impacts of Computerized Accounting - Assignment Example He has always been willing and ready to offer any form of help. Company he works for Green works for Alliance for Arab women, a ‘non-governmental’ organization that operates in Cairo, Egypt. Alliance for Arab women is a human rights campaigner that spearheads fight for women’s rights and the identity of women in the society. Technology covered The subject of the interview was a recently implemented technology in the interviewee’s workplace. Having been an emerging technology in the developing countries and since his company just implemented computerized accounting a year ago, the interviewee promised to be fruitful in exploring business impacts of the technology. Even though his company is a ‘non-governmental’ organization, a ‘non-profit’ making entity, the experience that he has had with the technology is sufficient for drawing conclusions on the business impacts of the technology. Interviewee’s experience with the technolo gy The interviewee has had sufficient experience in electronic technologies. Having graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in information technology and taken an additional accounting course, Green has sufficient experience in technological applications in accounting. ... The technology has facilitated work through easy accounting processes. Accountants have for instance been saved the agony of making double entries with respect to transactions because the technology updates entries on single recording of a transaction. This has particularly reduced chances of errors due to incorrect entry of figures in different accounts for double entry procedures. The technology has further enhanced accuracy in accounting as the use of software has eliminated errors that were previously encountered during entries and computations in accounts and statements. Application of the technology has also aided the works of accountants through its capacity to handle large amount of data. Unlike the manual accounting processes that are prone to confusion especially when the data to be handled is large, computerized accounting maintains precision and accuracy irrespective of the size of records to be kept and dealt in. The technology has also enhanced accuracy and reliability in accounting, as records are easily retrievable on demand. Drawbacks to the technology implementation Implementation of the technology faced a number of obstacles, both within the organization’s accounting department and the management. The accounting staffs were for instance reluctant to change to the new technology because of the required training that they would be subjected to. There were also reports of employees who had not been comfortable with computers and saw the technology as push towards reliance on computers. The management was on the other hand reluctant to implement the technology due to the costs that would be involved. First, the management would be expected to contract a firm that would determine and maintain the company’s hard drives