Teaching Philosophy Statement Essay Example For Students

Teaching Philosophy Statement Essay Dewey defined education as the reconstruction and reorganization of experiences, which increases one’s ability to direct the course of subsequent experiences and these experiences can be both active and passive. However, according to Lindemand, the education experience is, first of all doing something; second, doing something which makes a difference; and third, knowing what difference it makes. While on the other hand Maxine Green said, â€Å"to do educational philosophy is to become critically conscious of what is involved in the complex business of teaching and learning. As an individual who is anticipating becoming an educator in today’s complex teaching field, my philosophy is one that will reflect a blending of the educational foundations in which the concept of education was first introduced to the populus. From Plato’s idealism that the everyday world of things and objects is merely a fleeting, shadowy copy of the true ideas which the soul carries which encourages students to seek a higher level of thinking (Hamm 1974, 212). Idealism also includes the cultural heritage and wisdom which each student should be encouraged to share by being knowledgeable about it, participating in sharing it and elaborating it through their own contributions in the classroom and in the community. We will write a custom essay on Teaching Philosophy Statement specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now Because all students should be motivated to seek their inner learning potential, they must also realize that rules and regulations are essential in our society if the concept of democracy is to survive and be passed on to each new generation. Personal experiences and scientific methods through empirical, objective, and experiments with precise measurements are a common sense approach to discovering the truth and passing them on through educational processes. According to Morris, existentialism in education is to develop the affective side of man, his capacity to love, to appreciate, and to respond emotionally to the world about him. To accomplish this goal, there must be education at the secondary level which focuses on the humanities. To assure this appreciation, education in the various disciplines such as art, biology, chemistry, geography, history and mathematics are now at the center of education in our current high schools. This cluster of related concepts provides a structured framework which helps to explain the physical, natural, social, and human realities. It should be noted that when students consider, interpret, and explain these concepts, as a teacher, one must always consider the alternative, to be aware of what these alternatives can do and be responsible for the choices as it affects the students, which will ultimately effect all mankind. From class research, it appears that pragmatism is currently the most popular philosophy used in education in the United States. This type of expressive teaching provides an integrated approach through the blending of pragmatism, social reconstruction, experimentalism, and progressive educational movements. As I see it, when a teacher extracts the best from each of the foundations of education, he/she can commit them to a curriculum which emphasizes experiences, child-centered activities, and humanities that provides a complete learning environment for students. In 1964, Meade developed nine primary points about education which should be the building blocks on which classroom instruction is delivered in today’s every changing and global environment. As a teacher who is trained to be sensitive to the needs of children and their interests, I expect my classroom will have enough freedom to allow children to make choices and explore on their own, thus promoting the concept of self-actualization; while encouraging students to address and resolving issues which affect the quality of life for all humanity. Within my vision of education, students will be encouraged to improve themselves by acquisition of organized knowledge, development of intellectual skills, which increase and broaden the understanding of ideas and values found in a democratic approach through public education. Perhaps, the greatest influence on my desire to impart knowledge to others was a role model and mentor dedicated to improving the learning and education of those individuals who may have never realized the opportunity which awaited them. Building upon the works of experienced, formal education, and advanced educational degrees, this small, independent, and community oriented one-room school teacher imparted to me the ability to dream, to set a goal high upon a shelf, and to reach for all opportunities, no matter how small. Once these goals were identified, no matter how small or how adverse the situation, to always stay focused on the outcome of your goal and it would become a reality and the reward would be wo rth all the struggle and effort to get there. .u46d38c6e81b5d90145dabed4ff4d38d7 , .u46d38c6e81b5d90145dabed4ff4d38d7 .postImageUrl , .u46d38c6e81b5d90145dabed4ff4d38d7 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u46d38c6e81b5d90145dabed4ff4d38d7 , .u46d38c6e81b5d90145dabed4ff4d38d7:hover , .u46d38c6e81b5d90145dabed4ff4d38d7:visited , .u46d38c6e81b5d90145dabed4ff4d38d7:active { border:0!important; } .u46d38c6e81b5d90145dabed4ff4d38d7 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u46d38c6e81b5d90145dabed4ff4d38d7 { 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; } .u46d38c6e81b5d90145dabed4ff4d38d7:active , .u46d38c6e81b5d90145dabed4ff4d38d7:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u46d38c6e81b5d90145dabed4ff4d38d7 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u46d38c6e81b5d90145dabed4ff4d38d7 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u46d38c6e81b5d90145dabed4ff4d38d7 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u46d38c6e81b5d90145dabed4ff4d38d7 .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; } .u46d38c6e81b5d90145dabed4ff4d38d7:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u46d38c6e81b5d90145dabed4ff4d38d7 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u46d38c6e81b5d90145dabed4ff4d38d7 .u46d38c6e81b5d90145dabed4ff4d38d7-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u46d38c6e81b5d90145dabed4ff4d38d7:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: Rosa Parks EssayThis demanding, warm-hearted, caring, and loving teacher was years ahead of the teaching requirements that are now being established, she was dedicated to professionalism, to high academic standards, and quality testing for all students. She was truly an eclectic teacher. This is my goal, to become an eclectic teacher, with the ability to blend and network the best of what education has to offer. I would like to impart this knowledge along with a desire to my students to love learning and seek the road to which will provide the highest reward for the goal which they have established for themselves in their quest for education and internalize a drive for lif e-long learning. In order to help establish this drive for life-long learning, an educational student must take to heart the information contained in Chapter 3 of the text, Teaching, Bearing the Torch. It is on page 51 of this text, an educational student begins to realize it is the teachers themselves who must push for educational reform in American schools. According to Linda Darling-Hammond, a professor at Columbia University’s Teacher College, states, â€Å"the way to improve schools is for teachers to teach for understanding and to encourage authentic assessment.† Hammond reasons why teachers fail their students is not because of the work assignments, but because teachers encounter bureaucratic processes that prohibit them from teaching. As supporting data, Hammond points out that in today’s comprehensive high schools, top-heavy administrative staff, only one-third of adult time is actually spent teaching, as a matter of fact, teachers have 6.2 minutes a week to spend with e ach child. In text reading and through observation within the actual classroom, a prospective teacher must undertake an educational reform attitude. As the old saying goes, â€Å"let it begin with me.† If one is truly dedicated to the philosophy of learning and teaching then one must be committed to the establishment of national standards for teachers and students. If as a teacher, I am to use the Education Goals as a building foundation, then as a member of the teaching profession, I must at the beginning of my career have a commitment to establish national teaching standards and an accurate way to assess the students. These standards must take into account the wishes, desires, and rules that involve parents, local communities, sate and federal requirements regarding funding resources. These standards must provide for real-time with students, time which allows for a cooperating relationship to develop between teacher and student which will afford a true learning environment that include s appropriate support systems, and a caring friendly attitude to the customer who uses the public school system.

Application of psychological theories at the Queens Hospital The WritePass Journal

Application of psychological theories at the Queens Hospital Abstract Application of psychological theories at the Queens Hospital , p. 30). Theory provides the medical personnel with the framework and goals for assessment, diagnosis and intervention. For instance the nurses working at the hospital focused on the aspects of care that are holistic in nature for more effective judgment of different patient situations and conditions. The goals of care helped the nurses by providing a checklist by which the services that they provide are measured against. In deed Walker (2007, p. 65) says that theory is an effective tool that renders practice more efficient through comparing the outcomes against the set goals and then providing mechanisms for rectifying problems as soon as they are detected. Application of psychological theories at the hospital As a health care assistant I was many times faced with the challenge of choosing the appropriate theory or set of theories to apply in any given circumstances. This was not an easy decision because I realised that selection of only one theory in a certain circumstance would have placed restrictions on practice and probably led to inefficiencies. It is for this reason that I relied heavily on theory adoption where I took a theory and then altered it to suit the situation where I was applying it and in other cases I had to use it alongside another one. I learned that most of the patients were going through intense stress as a result of their illnesses. Some of the patients adjusted well to their new conditions whereas others developed some form of psychological disorders secondary to their physical diseases especially for those that were unable to do basic things like going to the toilet and bathing. In addition to this, some patients also showed physical symptoms for which there is no significant medical explanations and most of them were as a result of unrecognised psychological problems. I was able to learn from the nurses and other hospital staff as I realised that they were applying psychological theories in dealing with the stressed patients. They used the biopsychosocial model to explain to me the reasons why the patients were stressed. This was a very resourceful tool in the assessment of psychological stress among the patients in the hospital. The model included both environmental parameters and personal processes of perception and being able to cope with the different stress factors at the hospital. Greenberg (2007, p. 30) claims that the effects of stress have a positive correlation to coping. Coping in this case as defined by the Lazarus theory is constantly changing both cognitive and behavioural efforts to manage the existent taxing demands of the internal or external environment (Pickren Rutherford, 2010, p. 52). The doctors and nurses encouraged dialogue with the patients because they considered it an important aspect in the management of psychological and psychiatric elements of physical ill health. Greenberg (2009, p. 67) suggests that this relationship is beneficial to both the medical team and the patients. It is very important for patients particularly for those with serious physical and psychological problems to have a more personal relationship with the nurses and doctors in order to create and sustain a therapeutic relationship for better health care delivery (Sitzman Eichelberger, 2011, p. 94). This will be helpful for the health care personnel to identify the patients that need psychological treatment in good time and offer immediate attention to help them cope with the mental problems. The doctor patient relationship is explained by two other approaches which are the psychoanalytical and the task oriented approaches (Bekerian Levey 2012, p. 31). All the approaches emphasise the idea of ensuring that the patient is the centre of all actions in order to engage them as much as possible in the treatment process. Greenberg (2007, p. 32) says that these approaches demand that for an effective treatment to be achieved there has to be an efficient partnership and information sharing between the patients and the doctors. Nevid (2012, p. 89) says that the information has to flow both ways in order to improve the clinical outcomes through cognitive (knowledge), behavioural (adherence to advice) and affective (satisfaction). Indeed the application of psychological theories at the hospital was beyond what I had imagined it will be at first. I observed that the patients were mostly able to recall more information when they were satisfied. The non cooperative patients seemed to remember less information and the hospital staff in most cases had to offer them specialised care. Good communication was also maintained among the clinicians to ensure that the information flowing to the patients was consistent in order to eliminate any possibility of conflicting information reaching the patients. This was important be cause any conflicting information would have left the patients wondering who to believe and this would have even made things worse for them. Conclusion Application of psychological theories in medical settings is an important aspect of the treatment process because the patients need to be attended to psychology as well. As indicated in the paper some patients find it difficult to cope with their new conditions in the hospital and go to the extent of developing mental disorders as a result. This is the reason why the hospital made use of psychological theories in understanding their behaviour and condition in order to be able to attend to them efficiently. This is a big lesson that I learned from my placement at the Queens Hospital and I will apply it once I start working in the hospital. I am now aware of the fact that ignoring the psychological needs of the patients places them at an increased risk of developing psychological disorders and as such will always apply psychological theories in communicating with them in order to know how they feel and the best possible ways of attending to them. References Bekerian, D. A., Levey, A. B. (2012). Applied psychology: Putting theory into practice. Oxford: Oxford University Press. Greenberg, T. M. C. (2007). The psychological impact of acute and chronic illness: A practical guide for primary care physicians. New York: Springer. Greenberg, T. M. C. (2009). Psychodynamic perspectives on aging and illness. Dordrech: Springer. Hefferon, K., Boniwell, I. (2011). Positive psychology: Theory, research and applications. Maidenhead, Berkshire, England: Open University Press. Irwin, R. S., Rippe, J. M. (2008). Irwin and Rippes intensive care medicine. Philadelphia: Wolters Kluwer Health/Lippincott Williams Wilkins. Marini, I., Glover-Graf, N. M., Millington, M. J. (2012). Psychosocial aspects of disability: Insider perspectives and counseling strategies. New York: Springer Pub. Nevid, J. S. (2009). Psychology: Concepts and applications. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co. Nevid, J. S. (2012). Essentials of psychology: Concepts and applications. Belmont, CA: Wadsworth, Cengage Learning. Ninivaggi, F. J. (2010). Envy theory: Perspectives on the psychology of envy. Lanham: Rowman Littlefield Publishers. Patterson, J. A., Lipschitz, I. N. (2008). Psychological counseling research focus. New York: Nova Science Publishers. Picano, E. (2009). Stress echocardiography: [CD-ROM included]. Berlin: Springer. Pickren, W. E., Rutherford, A. (2010). A history of modern psychology in context. Hoboken, N.J: John Wiley. Robins, R. W. (2007). Handbook of research methods in personality psychology. New York: Guilford. Segal, D. L., Hersen, M. (2010). Diagnostic interviewing. New York: Springer. Sitzman, K., Eichelberger, L. W. (2011). Understanding the work of nurse theorists: A creative beginning. Sudbury, Mass: Jones and Bartlett Publishers. Walker, J. (2007). Psychology for nurses and the caring professions. Maidenhead, Berkshire: Open University Press

Business models of Staples Inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Business models of Staples Inc - Essay Example Safety is an issue that affects the running of the business, but staples have that covered under their safety supplies. Staples are a business concept that surpasses supplying products only by offering a list of easy to obtain services tailor made for the customers. They offer mailing and shipping services. For any business that requires the Copy and Print services, they are readily available within their customer center. They also offer Promotional services and the modern Cloud Software. Technology trade-ins and tech Support Services is a business portfolio they use to attract and maintain their customers. In addition, they have a Recycling and Eco-Services, a Business Hub, Textbook Rental, Staples Credit Center and Staples Merchant Services. Staples Inc. are Retailers who have stores where customers come and pick their products. They have retail stores, restaurants and online features for order and shipment of their products. They offer as a link between manufacturers of the broader products as above. They trade using their original name in cities across USA and slightly change their name in other countries like Italy. T some extent Staples become distributors by working with other enterprises, but these are exclusively in the US in the business-to-business and business-to-company models. The advertising procedure utilized by Staples concentrates on the target business sector of commonplace buyers and organizations. By designating sensible costs and straightforwardly mailing advancements to homes, Staples targets everybody from regular clients to larger enterprises. Staples can offer office supplies in mass or single units. They have secured the establishment for office supply superstores. In 2003, Staples started their committed fight to make their organization client centered. Â  

Evaluate the book Fast Food Nation, arguing its value (or lack of Essay

Evaluate the book Fast Food Nation, arguing its value (or lack of value) for a specific group of citizens of the United States - Essay Example This paper aims to evaluate this book and determine whether it contains or lacks value to a specific group of citizens in the US. The US fast food industry started after the Second World War when the country came out of the Great Economic Depression. These times saw the country experience an economic boom that led to massive gains on all fronts of the economy. More jobs were created by the many industries, factories and corporations that were founded on the basis of this economic boom. This led to urbanization, which was characterized by people moving from rural areas to urban centers where there were job opportunities. The lifestyle in the city necessitated for there to be a system that could offer fast food services to the busy metropolitan population. This was because lifestyle, in cities, did not allow a lot of time to be spent on meals at the expense of working hours. Thus, the fast food industry was borne, out of this necessity, to offer fast and convenient food services and de livery to consumers on the go due to time constraints (Talwar 58). The book offers valuable lessons, insights and information, to parents, which enable them to make informed choices about the source of food they allow their children to consume. The information contained in the book can help parents realize the detriments of fast food in the diet of their children. U.S. parents are given insights on how to recognize marketing gimmicks and ploys that are aimed at ensnaring their children onto fast foods. They can use this newly gained information to protect their children form advertising campaigns directed at their children. Apart from the negative impact that fast foods have on health, which the book does not keenly elaborate on, there other crucial features in the book that are important. The use of marketing campaigns directed at children poses a significant risk to children. According to Schlosser, this is in the sense that it serves as a form of indoctrination because it leads t hese children to becoming lifetime loyal customers. This is despite the fact that habitual consumption of fast food meals is a key causative agent for a myriad of health problems. This advertising predisposes children to becoming loyal customers who are blind to the detrimental benefits of fast food meals (Nestle 208). Fast Food Nation provides vital information, to parents, which is utilized to shield the innocent minds, of children, from advertising that might have an impact on the rest of their lives. The chapter about the chemical compounds used, by fast food companies, to flavor their food stuffs offers crucial information that can be used by health professionals. The book gives an account of some chemical food additives with known harmful implications that are used to give these food stuffs that unique taste. These substances are used to give fast foods their unique aroma, taste and appearance so that they are appealing and attractive to their customers. Some of these chemical substances have recognized abilities to promote the development of diseases and conditions like diabetes and cancer. The impact of these chemical substances is especially magnified if consumed for a long time from a tender age. This is because these chemicals build up in the body, raising their concentrations to levels that can cause toxicity. The effects of these chemicals can have far-reaching effects that can last through generations where damage

UK MEDICAL LAW Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

UK MEDICAL LAW - Essay Example the fact that medical professionals are deemed ready, willing and able to provide medical treatment and advice and by implication are bound to have the necessary skill and knowledge of a reasonable medical professional.3 A registered medical professional offering his or her service is held to this standard.4 In addition, Lord Brown Wilkinson held in Wilsher v Essex Area Health Authority 1987] Q.B 730, CA [1998] AC 1074 that health authorities owe a duty of care to patients in their care.5 The question then turns on whether or not there was a breach of the standard and duty of care assigned to the medical profession on the part of Doctor Greene and/or Wilington hospital.. In determining whether or not there was a breach of the duty and standard of care, the Bolam test is applied. In Bolam v Friem Hospital Management Committee [1957] 1 WLR 582 the court devised a two-tier test to determine whether or not the medical professional or institution breached the applicable standard and duty of care.6 The first leg of the test inquires into whether or not the defendant professional acted in a manner that corresponds with the reasonable skilled person or vocation of the profession at issue.7 The second leg of the test inquires into whether or not the treatment or advice administered was consisted with a body of opinion in the profession.8 In ascertaining whether or not Doctor Greene, acting on behalf of and on the authority of the hospital complied with the Bolam standard of care, the court will look to the circumstances in which the treatment was administered and the attending physician’s post or position.9 On the facts of the case for discussion there is no specific evidence of Dr. Green’s position or post within the hospital, except that he is from the casualty department. The question then turns on whether or not a doctor in the emergency room who specializes in the treatment of children would have taken the action that Dr. Green took. Dr. Green

A Report on the Balanced Scorecard for Yunnan Lucky Air

A Report on the Balanced Scorecard for Yunnan Lucky Air The Chinese airline industry is a heavily regulated industry which provides limiting flexibility to both new as well as growing airlines. In the recent years many low-cost airlines have mushroomed, Lucky Air being one of them. Lucky Air was founded in July 2004 with an initial capitalisation of US$2.2 million. The ownership of the airline is with Hainan Airlines, Shanxi Airlines and Yunnan Shilin Tourism Aviation.The airline exists in a crowded field of around 15 low-cost Chinese airlines. The airline, though growing, anticipates a potential squeeze in its business. The management of Yunnan Lucky Air, hereinafter referred to as Lucky Air, approached us to advice them on monitoring their performance closely so as to achieve their organisational mission and objectives. After initial discussions with the management of the airlines, my team has recommended the use of a Balanced Scorecard to monitor its performance. I present in this report a Balanced Scorecard for Lucky Air that translat es the airlines mission and strategy into a comprehensive set of performance measures. Recent Trends in Lucky Air Lucky Air is currently based in Kunming in Peoples Republic of China. The airline has its main base in Dali airport and runs its flights between Dali to Kunming and Xishuangbanna. The routes in this region have greatly contributed to most of its profits. It is slowly reaching out to other regions in China. The overall growth of the airline has been facilitated by the limited route licensing policy of the Chinese government that has given Lucky Air a near monopoly status within Yunnan. The number of passengers carried by the airline has grown from 500,000 passengers over 5,746 flight hours in 2006 to 1.2 million over 17,875 total flight hours. During the same period, its operating revenue tripled from US$31.2 million to US$104.3 million. Over the recent years, Lucky Air has also grown in terms of flights to and from destinations outside the Yunnan province. As in early 2008, the additional routes represented almost 87 of its 150 weekly flights by the airline. Lucky Air Strategy Lucky Air operates as a low-cost, high-efficiency airline. This is the basis of its key strategy. The low-cost and high efficiency is maintained through: Using single type of aircraft leading to reduced maintenance and operational costs. Having only one category of seat class, thereby simplifying pricing. Having no seat assignments or in-flight entertainment. Increasing on-time departure and arrival by having short haul point-to-point routes. Operating mostly in secondary cities to avoid congestion and reduce landing costs. As a part of its expansion strategy, in recent times Lucky Air has tried to build its competitive advantage by focusing on e-commerce. Customers can buy and refund tickets online by paying 5% to 20% less than anywhere else. The airline has created an online community for its passengers and hopes to reach more customers directly via its website and build more brand recognition and a loyal customer base. In addition, Lucky Air has invested in own call centres to facilitate ticket booking. Balance Scorecard for Lucky Air Lucky Airs strategy rests around it being a low-cost, high-efficiency airline. A scorecard can measure the airlines performance across four different but linked perspectives that are derived from its vision, strategy and objectives. These perspectives include: Financial, Customer, Internal and Learning Growth. The left-hand side of the diagram represents the cause-and-effect relationships across the four perspectives that describe low cost and high-efficiency strategy. (Refer Appendix A for an explanation of the Lucky Air Scorecard and Appendix B for Cause and Relationship between perspectives) Benefits and Limitations of the Scorecard Like any other performance measurement tool, a Balanced Scorecard is not foolproof. Before the scorecard that has been designed for Lucky Air is implemented, the benefits and limitations of the scorecard need to be examined and understood. Benefits of Lucky Air Scorecard Balance Scorecard has led companies to develop a variety of corporate scorecards suggesting a process approach to innovations in performance measurements. (Source: Epstein and Birchard, 2000 and Hoque and James 1997). The benefits that can be obtained from a Balanced Scorecard depend on not just its design but also what it is used for and how it is applied. In general, a Balanced Scorecard will help Lucky Air: Enhance traditional financial accounting measures of Lucky Air by including certain non-financial measures. Thus, Lucky Air, through a Balanced Scorecard, can examine the drivers of financial performance by focusing at least three other perspectives: customers, internal business processes, and learning and growth. (Source: Kaplan and Norton, 1992, 1996). Acquire an effective means for clearly translating a firms vision and strategy into tool for communicating the firms strategy to the various sections of the organisation. In the case of Lucky Air, the Balanced Scorecard can show how focusing on the customer and the services can lead to increased profits. (Source: Chow, 1997; Source: Kaplan, 1992) Motivate performance against established strategic goals. A handful of critical measures have been identified for each perspective and the corresponding targets have been defined. The performance measures force managers to focus on the measures that are most critical. The targets provide managers with a framework to manage the various activities in line with the corporate objectives. For example, a manager can clearly see that managing on ground time is critical and it needs to be kept below 20 minutes. Ensure that its employees understand the long-term strategy of the organisation and also the association between the employees actions and the chosen strategic goals. It can provide strategic feedback and promote learning within the airline through the monitoring of short-term strategic results. Allocate resources and set priorities based on the initiatives contribution to long-term strategic objectives. (Source: Kaplan and Norton, 1996). Evaluate and judge the decisions, policies, plans of the airline. For example, the success or otherwise of the decision of adopting e-commerce as an expansion strategy by Lucky Air can be examined in terms of the four perspectives and its impact on the profitability of the airline. Fosters organisational learning and continual improvement when it is used as a strategic management tool. Limitations of Lucky Air Scorecard Though Balanced Scorecard may be an effective tool for many organisations, it may not help in improvement of performance of all organisations. A Balanced Scorecard is only a tool and the deployment of the tool rests with the airline itself. It is not easy to provide practical guidance for deployment of the scorecard. Some of the key limitations that can cause a Balanced Scorecard initiative at Lucky Air to fail are as follows: Effectiveness of a balanced scorecard depends on a well defined strategy and an understanding of the linkages between strategic objectives and metrics. (Source: Howard Rohm pp.4). If this is lacking its deployment will be unsuccessful. The biggest limitation of the Lucky Air scorecard is that it has been designed by an external team of consultants who have been in discussion with some key players in the airline. It did not involve a cross-section of the airline in developing the system. Thus if the scorecard of Lucky Air fails to link the correct drivers in the internal and learning and growth perspective to the desired outcomes in the financial and customer perspectives, it will not be effective. A scorecard may not be effective if it includes a few measures for each perspective. For example, success of Lucky Air is not only a result of the training and motivation of the ground crew but the entire staff. Thus a scorecard with too few measures may not depict enough of Lucky Airs strategy and does not represent a balance between desired outcomes and performance drivers of the outcomes. Likewise if too many measures are included, the managers attention may get so diffused that he may pay insufficient attention to those measures that can make the maximum impact. No balanced scorecard can be flawless with respect to its design. The Lucky Air scorecard too may have certain design flaws which may not be visible now. These will only be detected when the scorecard is implemented. It is only over a period of time that a company will learn about the effective drivers of performance. (Source: Norreklit, 2000) The scorecard on its own will not be effective if Lucky Airs top management is not committed to it. The top executives may end up looking at Balanced scorecard as a quick fix that can easily be installed in the airline. The scorecard may have its limitations if the top management simply uses it as a checklist for operational improvements or to expand the compensation system to include non-financial measures. (Source: Atkinson, A. et al, 2004) The scorecard seems to have too much internal focus. The scorecard is only depicting incentives for desired behaviour changes in the ground crew and not focusing on other employees. Conclusion and Recommendation A scorecard balances traditional financial measures of success such as profits and return on capital with non-financial measures of the drivers of future financial performance. It can prove to be an effective tool for Lucky Air if it is appropriately deployed by the airline. Appropriate deployment will require complete commitment from all levels in the organisation by making its implementation everyones job. Moreover, the initial Balanced Scorecard should only be taken as a starting point and needs to be looked upon on an ongoing basis. Frequent reviews of the scorecard are required and new performance measures identified as a Balanced Scorecard evolves over a period of time. Data on various measures or metrics needs to be collected on a regular basis and the targets of the metrics should be sufficiently linked to rewards and incentives to motivate their accomplishment. APPENDIX Appendix A: Explanation of the Lucky Air Scorecard The classes which can be formed and the parameters which may be put in the balance scorecard are: Financial: How is success measured by Lucky Airs owners, namely, Hainan Airlines, Shanxi Airlines and Yunnan Shilin Tourism Aviation? The financial parameter can be evaluated by assigning values to parameters like total revenue or increase in revenue from tickets, total amount refunded due to cancelled tickets etc. It is also measured in changes in the plane leasing costs, maintaining and operating costs etc. Customers: This is the customer perspective. It focuses on how the airline creates value for the customers. Customer perspective provides an insight into the perceptions customers hold for Lucky Air. Internal: What internal processes should Lucky Air excel in to satisfy customers and shareholders? Internal Processes can be known from turnaround time, on-ground time, arrival and departure delays, number of ticketing errors, customer care services etc. This would help in attaining an idea of the operations of the organization in question. Learning and growth: What employee capabilities, information systems and Lucky Airs climate does the airline need to continually improve its internal processes and customer relationships? It focuses on the motivation and training of the crew members. Starting at the bottom of the diagram, the strategy has a learning and growth objective to train and motivate ground crew with the expectation that this will lead to better improved ground turnarounds, from arrivals to subsequent departures, for its planes. This internal objective enables Lucky Air to have its planes depart on time and to get better utilisation of its airplanes and flight crews, further enabling it to earn profits even at prices that are lowest in the industry. It also focuses on improvement of internal processes to realise bigger revenue opportunities. The low prices and on-time departures attract more customers, improve customer loyalty and lead to a growth in revenues. The combination of revenue growth and low costs finally results in high profits and high return on assets. The strategy is clearer through the cause and effect relationships among objectives in each of the four balanced scorecard perspectives. These can be stated as follows: Increase revenues through increased sales to existing and new customers (financial) Grow to be service oriented ( customer perspective) Excel in providing services through continuous process improvements ( internal) Bring into line employee incentives and rewards with the strategy (learning and growth)

Paris During the Terror Essay -- Papers Paris France Terror Essays Pap

Paris During the Terror This document in its original form as a speech is an unpublished document. However, because it has been translated and printed as a part of a book, it is now a published document. As a source for study, it has several strengths. Firstly, it is now a part of a recognized historical document. Secondly, it fulfills the criteria of being a relevant document because of the author’s proximity to the Paris Terror. It also provides good clues about the view points (however biased) of Jacques Roux and others like him living in Paris at that time. On the other hand, while this speech’s translation into English will ensure it reaches a wider audience, important nuances of the French language may have been lost in the crossover. As a result, significant connotations gained from a choice of French words may no longer be obvious and this may even affect the amount of unwitting testimony one might have been able to extract from it. Another weakness this speech will have is its bias. It is very obvious that Jacques Roux is passionate about the role of the government in the persecution of his people. The reader is presented with one side of the struggle without being aware of whether the government was in fact guilty of what it is charged with. The foot notes are also open to interpretation. How sure can the reader be of the accuracy of the information? While reading Jacques Roux’s speech, it may be difficult to decipher certain terms, one of which is the sans culottes. If one investigates, one will be faced with the task of interpreting which version was meant and used by Roux. In order to truly underst... ... by law’, merchants and traders should bear some moral responsibility towards the poverty stricken citizens of Paris. Although much of what Roux says can be checked against other documents of the era, his speech would be of significant use to a historian as except for the translation to English, it has not been manipulated in terms of personal interpretations or open to discussion. It is mainly for this reason that for a historian, Jacques Roux’s speech is a minefield of information about the personal struggles of a Parisian living during the Terror. Bibliography An Introduction to the Humanities. History, Classicism and Revolution. Block 3. Open University Press.1997 An Introduction to the Humanities. Resource Book 2. Open University Press. 1997 www.library.ttu.edu/ul/subjects/humanities/history/