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Aparthied in South Afirca essays

Aparthied in South Afirca essays Imagine having to carry an identity card wherever you went, or having separate places where you could eat and live. These are the things that the Black South Africans ad to go through in South Africa. The Black South Africans were segregated for their race and no other reason at all. Also the Black South Africans were subject to arrest at a given time without an explanation. Basically, apartheid was an act which highly segregated the Black South Africans from the rest of South Africa. Apartheid is an event in history that will never be forgotten. With this even there come two different types of views. There are those people who support apartheid, and think it is a good thing, and there are also people like myself who think that apartheid was a disgrace and a horrible thing. A website entitled: stormfront.org/archive/t-84837 or the Stormfront White Nationalist Community, is a website/forum which on that particular topic, people are discussing their views on the whole Apartheid crisis. All of the people there think that either 'there should have been a homeland for blacks? orAt the time the kaffer was causing unrest and by providing them with cheap, decent or might I add still standing houses in their own areas was something Verwoerd implemented.? Such terms likekaffer? andboer? are the names given to the Black South Africans. These quotes emphasize that not only do these people think that Apartheid was an ok thing to do, but they think that it should have been don e better! I totally disagree with these points of views or anything supporting racial segregation because I don't feel that anybody should be treated differently than anybody else, not to mention I have a mixed family of blacks, whites, and Chinese. Therefore, I feel completely opposite then the people posting their comments on Stormfront. This site obviously displays the views of supporters for apartheid, but there are also websites ...

RBC Centura Bank Groups and Teams Research Proposal

RBC Centura Bank Groups and Teams - Research Proposal Example task within an organization because failure to deliver may suggest that the different organizational controls are not properly placed within the organizations which are allowing gaps into the performance of different individuals working as a team. Many research studies successfully demonstrated that the gaps in the performance of the teams largely depend upon the structure and configuration of the team. (Stewart & Barrick, 2000). Structure and configuration of the teams therefore indicate towards the different dynamics involved in the organization as well as formation of the teams and then converting such teams into high performing teams. As such organizations must take into account different factors such as team leadership, cohesion, structure as well as configuration of the team to expect high performance from the proposed teams. This paper will discuss as to how a group can become a high performance team besides discussing the ethical considerations of globalization and its impacts on the team dynamics by evaluating RBC Centura Bank as a case study. Team dynamics require the effective formation of teams in order to extract best performance however, before expecting such high performance, it is imperative that all the ingredients of converting a group of individuals into a high performance team shall be put into place. Team structure is defined as the configuration or allocation of the roles, responsibilities as well as authority within the team. (Stewart & Barrick, 2000). Team structure is important for extracting high performance because by providing interdependence and autonomy to the teams, teams tend to perform better because both factors provide an in-built channel for effective communication and grievance handling besides being self regulated in their orientation. Thus, in order to successful convert a group into a successful and high performance team; it is critical that the overall structure of the team is wisely built so that coherence and

Significant Health Issue Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Significant Health Issue - Research Paper Example Different studies have shown that depression should be recognized as crucial issue by the practitioners. The major signs and symptoms of depression are losing interest, loss or change in the appetite, lack of interest in daily activities, change in sleep patterns. In a depressed state one may also feel low levels of energy and feeling of exertion even after having rest. If depression is not treated in a proper way it can result in physical sickness, isolation or in worst cases may lead a person to commit suicide (Styron, 1990). By dealing with the hurdles and utilizing a straightforward 20 questions Geriatric Depression Scale, diagnosis and cure can be performed with ease. The reports by NIH show that the symptoms of depression are represented by about 15 to 20% of the people who are over 60 to 65 years in age. Major and minor depression varies in rates from 5% to 30% from primary to long term setting. It has been shown that only 15 % of the old people receive the proper treatment fo r depression according to American Psychiatric Association (2002). The mortality rates in the old aged people due to depression are much higher as compared to the ones who are not suffering from it. The barriers for depression diagnosis by the patients and the practitioner are given as follows: By The Patient: †¢ Issues regarding perceptions or disgrace associated with psychological sickness †¢ Fear about condemnation by relatives †¢ Economic concerns related to expenditure of treatment †¢ Information and aptitude to identify symptoms of depression †¢ Anxiety concerned with other therapeutic occurrences like chronic sickness The Practitioner †¢ Unwillingness to pay attention †¢ Conviction that depression is a usual factor of growing old †¢ Non- familiarity or identification of symptoms †¢ Other medical situation is given priority Predominance of Elder Depression It has been found by extensive research that almost 25 to 30% of the elderly population shows symptoms of depression in one way or the other. The prevalence of depression in older women is two times more as compared to men of the same age. The depression in late life can lead to serious complications leading towards increased mortality and morbidity, higher costs of health care and prolonged stay at the hospitals. It has been estimated that 65% of older people having some mental problem want unmet psychological health services (Huisani, 2004). As the American people have longer life span, the disease and disability can not be avoided with the advancing age. It has been estimated that 55% or people at age 65 or older have some sort of disability and 35% are having severe disabilities. Therefore more than seven million elderly persons need some sort of help in order to perform daily activities of life like bathing, eating, cooking, travelling etc. All the above problems increase to further extent when the person moves to the age of 80+. Consequently, almost 20 % of the US adults are engaged in providing extraordinary care to their elderly relatives especially parents. These adults are at the same time involved in the brought up of their own children and also do jobs outside their home. So they are having a sort of double burden on them. Theoretically "Individuals involved in providing care to aging relatives and raising kids simultaneously at are known as the sandwich

Business strategy-business game Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Business strategy-business game - Essay Example A single strategic direction for the firm is selected which is the differentiation strategy as per the Bowman’s strategy clock. The Bowman’s strategy clock is used to identify one or multiple strategic aspects that may be taken up by a company for developing competiveness, sustainability and continued success (Chesbrough and Rosenbloom, 2002). This is because the results of the analysis and the study of the external market indicate that the adoption of a differentiation strategy can be beneficial for the company for ensuring greater levels of success and sustainability for the future years. The number of companies operating in the athletic footwear segment in which the case company belongs ranges from 4 to 10 main companies. However, for the analysis, three main competitors of APanda Shoes are considered which are Diversity Footwear, C Athlete Company and Bold Athletics Company. The company APanda Shoes operates in multiple geographical regions. The company has its manufacturing plants in North America, Asia pacific, Europe, Africa and Latin America. This makes the athletic footwear manufacturing company much vulnerable towards the political norms in the different countries of its operation. The political factors like the stability of the political environment, the formulation of government policies, taxation policies, export and import policies and duties levied on the athletic footwear products are some of the common factors that would affect the business decisions and operations of APanda Shoes. The economic factors like inflation rates, Gross Domestic Predict (GDP), economic and business cycles, disposable income level and Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) are some of the economic factors that would directly influence the profitability, sales and sustainability of the company in the four operational regions. The volatility of currency exchange systems and the fluctuations in the foreign exchange

Numeracy Levels in BT1 Training Programme

Numeracy Levels in BT1 Training Programme Research Methods BT1 Numeracy Abstract This research will investigate the readiness of students to join the basic training program. It will focus on the perceptions of staff at No1 Radio School while marrying these comments to student performance. The research will focus on the levels of numeracy within the student population and their ability to apply this to the course material, whilst relating this to their current level of qualifications. These issues are not purely associated with the Royal Air Forces training but are prevalent throughout the education and training sectors. The subjects of literacy and numeracy have been identified as areas that are vastly under research, it is hoped that the issues raised in the short research project will identify further research questions that in turn may form part of further research. Introduction The field of work this research will investigate lies within the MoD, specifically the RAF at DCAE Cosford. The school being used to conduct this research is No1 Radio School, delivering training to Basic Trainees and Assimilation Trainees for all ground trades now known as Trade Group Four (TG4). The students ages range from 17 to 30 years of age. This research will focus on one specific target group, Basic Training 1 (BT1). These students are new members of the Royal Air Force and will have just completed their basic training at Halton (Ten weeks); they have come to Cosford to begin their trade specific training. The course is ten months in length, over which the students will cover both principles and trade training. The entry requirement for this trade is a minimum of three GCSEs, in Physics, Maths and one other subject. However they do accept some individuals with lesser qualifications as an exception and occasionally current members of the RAF who wish to change their trade. The trade requirements are specific and therefore it would be reasonable to assume the students basic level of literacy and in particular numeracy, would be sufficient to allow them to develop throughout this course. Research Issue. This research will look specifically at the levels of numeracy within the BT1 student population. It will try and identify if there is a problem and seek to provide evidence of any issues while providing recommendations for improvement. To ensure that there is no breach of ethics, the research will focus on the perceptions of the staff and the results from the students. This research issued raised questions that required answering, why is it that qualified students find the level 2 key skills and the level 2 maths phase of the BT1 training difficult? It is these issues that have intrigued me for some time. I believe this issue is worthy of research, however it is quite possible that additional questions will be raised that fall outside the scope of this research and may require additional research before they can be answered. Research Focus It has become apparent that new students entering the Royal Air Force as trade group 4 operator maintainers, although qualified for trade do not appear to posses the prerequisite knowledge required to complete the Key Skills at level 2 and the Maths phase of the course. That is not to say they all fail. That would be far from the truth, it is the difficulty they demonstrate when completing this phase of the course. The reason that this research is so important is this first phase of the course is crucial for the students. It gives them the skills and knowledge they require, which in turn will allow them to apply this knowledge to new problems and situations as they progress through the course. These skills could be considered tools of the trade, without a good grasp of these concepts the students will not gain the maximum benefit from the course. Literature Literacy and numeracy have become major issues in the field of education since the Moser report 1999, the working group chair by Sir Claus Moser in the opening statement of the report stated, Something like one adult in five in this country is not functionally literate and far more people have problems with numeracy. Moser, C (1999) This statement is met with surprise when you discuss this subject, however Moser states, We have found that people are staggered when one confronts them with the basic facts about literacy and numeracy, and rightly soIt is a state of affairs that cannot be allowed to continue, and our Report proposes a wide ranging approach to the challenge Moser, C (1999) Many organisations have concerns about the statistics when it comes to Literacy and numeracy in the adult population, Wells, A (2004) states, Surveys in the 1990s suggested that between 15 and 19 per cent of adults had poor basic skills. However, the International Adult Literacy Survey in the late 1990s suggested a much higher figure of 23 per cent or seven million adults. Wells, A (2004) Are we seeing a true picture of the problem? This research has highlighted concerns from staff about the students abilities. It would seem from the statistics that there is a strong correlation. One area this research was unable to quantify was how does gender affect numeracy, It was not possible to confirm or deny this because there were insufficient females included in the sample group to make a good judgement. However a recent article published by the DFES suggests there is a considerable difference between females and males when it comes to numeracy. Grinyer, J (2006) states, Women and men perform near equally for literacy, but men significantly outperform women at numeracy. Grinyer, J (2006) At level 2 this is an interesting fact and one that is perhaps worth of further research. If gender is an issue then what about current qualification level. Grinyer, J (2006) states Highest qualification appears to be the best predictor of an individuals literacy and numeracy level, with parental background and local deprivation having larger effects than current employment status Grinyer, J (2006) Research Hypothesis. The research hypothesis should be constructed in such a way that the research can disprove the hypothesis. So while the researcher believes students have issues with numeracy that directly affect their ability to perform throughout the course, and that the accepted entrance qualifications standards do not reflect the abilities of the students, the hypothesis should refute this. (See the hypothesis) The Hypothesis for this piece of research is: All BT1 trainees are sufficiently numerate to attend the BT1 course, as all trainees are qualified to a minimum standard. (Three relevant GCSEs) Research Hypothesis. There are a number of possible questions encompassing a range of different methodologies the scope of this research will be limited to one Research question, below are two possible questions. Why do students on the BT1 course suffer with the issue of numeracy when attending the taught lessons, completing assignments and examinations when they are course qualified? How do staff perceive the readiness of students on the BT1 course to deal with the academics of the course? After consideration and due to the constraints of this research it was decided to use the later, an interpritivest approach. Using this question offers the research some distinct advantages, firstly a limited scope and secondly and more importantly, it eliminates the students from the research which removes a large percentage of the ethical issue that may arise from questioning the students directly. This research should identify how instructors feel about the perceived problems students have when using the different forms of numeracy. Mercer, N states, one function of theories is to set agendas for research  ¿Ã‚ ½ to generate certain kinds of questions which the research will attempt to answer. Mercer in Walford (1998 p.42) This question could use a likert style method of answering, thus allowing the individual to grade their agreement or disagreement of the above question. This question as it stands would not necessarily be suitable for the students to answer as it is likely to produce a Yes/No response, however it could be acceptable for the staff. The same question could be asked in a different way. i.e. How has the GCSE maths helped the students with their study of the other principle subjects? Although it would be more difficult to analyse a short answer would bring out more of the individuals feelings, where as the likert style just grades the agreement or disagreement. Other questions that might be asked are: I. Do you feel the students could complete this course successfully without this qualification (GCSE maths)? II. How did the students maths affect their ability to complete this phase of training? III. Has the student qualification helped them with their studies? Youngman (1986) in Bell said, The more structured a question the easier it will be to analyse. Bell (1999 p.119) Research Paradigm What is a paradigm? A Paradigm  ¿Ã‚ ½ group of coherent ideas about the nature of the world and of the functions of researchers that are adhered to by a group of researchers, conditions and patterns of their thinking which underpins their research actions. What paradigms exist? There are a few key paradigms that exist within educational research positivist and Interpretiveist. Positivist research uses scientific, Statistical analysis and empirical methods, Cohen and Manion said, Traditionally, the word refers to those techniques associated with the positivistic model  ¿Ã‚ ½ eliciting responses to predetermined questions, recording measurements, describing phenomena and performing experiments. Cohen and Manion(1996 p.38) Interpretiveist research deals with human emotions, personnel perspectives. Cohen and Manion said, The central endeavour in the context of the interpretive paradigm is to understand the subjective world of human experience. Cohen and Manion(1996 p.36) Ethnographical methods are interpretivist. Gall, M. et al (1996, p607) say, Ethnography involves first hand, intensive study of the features of a given culture and the patterns in those features. Judith Bells thoughts on quantitative and qualitative research identify that quantitative researchers collect facts and study the relationship. They are measured using scientific techniques producing quantifiable and generaliseable conclusions, where as a qualitative perspective is more concerned with individuals perceptions of the world; Seeking insight rather than statistical analysis. In addition she concludes that on occasions qualitative researchers draw on quantitative techniques and vice versa. This would suggest that one method alone does not have all the answers and therefore we could consider various methods when conducting research. This research will use an interpretiveist methodology, this approach has been selected as the most appropriate as the information will come from members of staff, the information they provide will be their interpretation of the situation hence interpretiveist. This approach has been chosen as more appropriate than positivist approach because there is little scientific evidence and the amount of data collected would be insufficient to produce any valid statistical analysis. Ethnographical and eclectic research was also dismissed although it bridges the gap between Positivist and Interpertiveist research. It would however,still have positivist elements as mentioned previously. However the over arching reasoning for adopting an interpretiveist approach was the limited nature of this research project. Although, it is hoped that the findings from this research will generate further questions and spark yet further research questions for future research Research Methodology This style of research could be considered a case study, as its focus is centred on a specific group of students, belonging to a single organisation. Cohen and Manion state, a case study researcher typically observes the characteristics of an individual unit  ¿Ã‚ ½ a child, a clique, a class, a school or a community Cohen and Manion (1996,p106) While this approach would work it is more suited to a continuous improvement program and not a specific piece of research, in addition the length of time it would take to conduct a program of this nature makes this approach unsuitable. In planning the research, various methodologies were considered, however due to the limited nature of this research and to limit the impact of ethical issues, this research decided that an Interpretiveist approach would be most suited. This style of research is relevant, as the research will investigate the attitudes and opinions of the staff and not the students, while using student data to support or refute the findings. To facilitate this research there were a number of preferred techniques available for gathering the data: Interviews / Meetings Academic results Reference to external sources (Collages, Universities, Schools, Government Departments) The main reason behind this strategy, methods and analysis tools was time. The other key issue was ethics, for these reasons this research will be conducted through focus group meetings with staff using structured questions, this data will then be compared with the average results for a class. This approach will limit the impact of ethical issues and allow some conclusions to be drawn. This approach was discussed with the staff that felt that due to busy teaching commitments this was the most appropriate solution. Judith Bell states, Talking through problems and possible topics with colleagues is an essential stage of any plan. Bell (1999 p.21) The focus group will consist of five lecturers and four instructors, it is envisaged that a single meeting will take place to pose the questions to the staff. The data will be collected via questions directed to the staff in discussion groups; the responses of the staff were recorded. (See Annex B) To support the findings from the discussion groups the students results will be analysed. Data Collection instruments The data collection will be achieved through structured questions delivered at group meetings where the responses will be tabulated; this will give a feeling for the staffs concerns and perhaps some misconceptions. It will also allow any further research to focus its attention on specific areas of concern. Once the data has been collected this can be cross referenced to the student results, identifying any disparities, in addition student results and student retention rates may be useful sources of information. The other methods considered were, interviews, these could be time consuming, as staff are not always available. A well constructed questionnaire could produce valid reliable results in a reasonable time frame. However due to the limited time constraints, this research will utilise meetings with a number of groups and evaluate comments from those meetings to produce an Interpretivist style report. This will not provide hard evidence, however it will illustrate any concerns or trends that may be apparent which in turn could instigate further research. This approach although less structured will give a general feel for the issues, which could lead to further research questions. Sapsford and Jupp note the following facts about collecting data, There are both advantages and disadvantages to both highly structured and less structured methods; in no sense is it true to say that one is more objective than the other. Sapsford and Jupp (1996, p94) Research validity ensures the data collected is accurate and meaningful, collecting data in a non valid way would affect the final analysis; which may produce misconceptions when analysing the research data, thus rendering the research valueless. The research will improve validity through accurate data collection and careful analysis of the results, in addition reliability and repeatability could be enhanced through the triangulation of the data collected. Triangulation is method of verifying the data, checking and ensuring accuracy and ensuring that the findings are qualitative and thus reducing the chance of unsubstantiated data. Cohen and Manion said, Triangulation may be defined as the use of two or more methods of data collection the study of some aspect of human behaviour. Cohen and Manion(1996 p.233) The triangulation of the data was achieved through data collected from the meeting notes; these were then supported by student results and reference to national statistics. Chosen methods of data collection. This project will use a structured set of questions derived from the research question. The aim was to ask these questions at the focus group meeting, where the staffs responses and opinions were recorded. The rationale behind the choice of research and the methodology is predicated upon the limited nature of the research this in turn has limited the choice of methodology (interpertiveist). The limited time scale in which this research was conducted has in turn restricted the modes of research used to produce the data for evaluation; the aim was to gain a feeling from the staff as to how they perceived the research issue. The use of structured questions helped guide the process of data gathering and allowed the collection of data within a very short time scale, this was imperative due to the limited time constraints of this research. The interpritiveist approach allows the staffs feelings to be represented against the set criteria thus giving a good degree of relevant data for analysis. While this approach aided the collection of data at a rapid rate it did not offer the widest selection of data. Other methods could have produced further data to support or refute the findings. However this research hopes to triangulate its findings against student data (examination and assignment results). Research ethics. The matter of ethics is an important one; if the researcher wants to achieve open and honest answers they must consider ethics when conducting the research. To reduce the impact of this research the methodologies have been carefully chosen to reduce the data collection to that of the staff. The students results will be anonymous, to such an extent that the research will not identify the individual students, thus reducing the opportunity for others to identify individuals through the results and class group. Researchers cannot always predict what they might find and they may not like what they find; however it is the duty of the researcher to be open and honest about the research they are conducting. These are some of the things to consider when conducting research: Peoples amenity, that is to say protecting an individuals identity, ensuring that a respondents comments cannot be tracked back to a single individual or group. The Oxford Brookes University classifies research ethics and says, The integrity of any research depends not only on its scientific rigour, but also on its ethical adequacy. Ethical issues are many and varied, and may be quite complex. Research involving human participants is undertaken by many different disciplines and conducted in a broad range of settings and institutions. While some issues are specific to professional groups, all research should be guided by a set of fundamental ethical principles to ensure the protection of human participants. Wood,L (2006) Design Constraints One of the main issues when conducting any form of research is time; given enough time the research could produce massive amounts of facts, figures and an impression of peoples feelings. In addition to time there is always the cost of conducting research. However most organisations would expect any form of research to be conducted within certain time constraints, thus limiting costs and obtaining results within that time frame. Therefore the research can only be expected to deliver some of the information that is available, and that data would need to be substantiated through triangulation, generalisability and reliability. It is the limited nature of this research that has influenced the chosen methodology, interpertiveist. Although this may limit the validity of the research, the triangulation of the staffs comments and answers to the set questions when linked to student results, should give a reasonable confidence in its findings. Analysis of Results The questions asked at the focus group and the responces are given below: The group was asked, Are current BT 1 Trainees academically equipped to join this course? The staff responded with the following statements: Although students are qualified they do not seem to be prepared for the challenges this course offers. Some staff feel that GCSEs are a lower level qualification than a traditional O level (This used to be the entry requirement some years ago.) Although the students are qualified they do not seem to have the prerequisite skills to work effectively on the course. Students do not seem to remember some of the basics of mathematics. It would appear from the response that the staffs perception is that students are not prepared for this course and that the qualifications they hold do not reflect the students abilities. The BBC news web site on 30 October 2003 stated, The survey found 47% of the adults in England or 15 million people had a lower level of mathematical knowledge than was needed to gain a grade G at GCSE. The Department for Education and Skills blamed decades of neglect for figures showing millions of people lacking basic literacy and numeracy skills. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/education/3227263.stm There seems to be a general distrust of current qualifications as opposed to the traditional O Levels. This was the minimum entrant standard for this trade. The group was then asked, Which area of the course do students find difficult? The Maths is the most difficult for students because they do not possess the basic skills required to complete the work. Key Skills, Numeracy Some struggle with Electronic fundamentals mainly due to a lack of maths ability. They coped well with Addition and subtraction, however multiplication, division were more problematic. Additional areas where students struggled were percentages, area and fractions. These are not the only subject areas where students found difficulty, however they cover the major problem areas. These issues are similar to those identified in a recent TES, they stated, In last years skills action plan, the Assembly government revealed that 24% of the working age population lacked level 1 literacy skills and 53% level 1 in numeracy. In Wales, 20% have no qualifications compared with 14% across the UK (TES Cymru, June 30 2006) The focus of the problem seems to be centred on the Maths / arithmetic elements of the course. One of the key areas was Key Skills, in particular numeracy. Students seemed to find this difficult; they did not seem to posses the basics. Staff were asked to consider, Are there any circumstances that might affect students ability to perform on the course? Poorly prepared when leaving school. Length of time away from a learning environment. Lack of ability Some seem unable to apply previously learnt knowledge to new situations. Its is difficult to believe the students were poorly prepared as they all are qualified, suggesting they once had the knowledge, however it is interesting to note the comment about the length of time, as it is well known that constant and repetitive use of knowledge aids retention, lack of use leads to little or no retention of knowledge. A recent news article in the Daily Mail by HARRIS, S (2006) stated, One in five about to embark on teaching careers still have problems spelling and using punctuation as well as doing the most simple multiplication, division and percentages. Harris, S (2006) The question, Do you believe the students are suitably qualified? Staffs response to this was, Yes, they are for the trade and on paper, but do the qualifications match up to the expectations of the course? This alludes to a previous question about students being prepared. Do the qualifications meet the minimum requirements of the course. The answer is yes they do, however there seems to be a void between students retained knowledge and the paper qualifications. To illustrate this issue the House of Commons raised the issue of literacy and numeracy with the Secretary of State for Defence being asked, how many and what proportion of new recruits to the army in the last 12 months had (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills at or below (i) entry level 3, (ii) entry level 2 and (iii) entry level 1. Mr. Touhig replied, Consolidated literacy and numeracy initial assessment figures for recruits to the army in the period 1 November 2004 to 31 October 2005, are provided as follows. Literacy Numeracy Entry level 1 Entry level 2 Entry level 3 Entry level 1 Entry level 2 Entry level 3 Percentage 0.71 7.81 32.51 0.19 7.65 37.11 Number of recruits 72 795 3310 19 770 3737 Total number of recruits(11) Literacy Numeracy These figures were given from an Official Report, column 98W on departmental staff literacy and numeracy. No Author (2005) The group was also asked, Are students prepared for the academic rigor of this course? No, Students are ill prepared when it comes to learning in this environment. This may also relate to the time away from a learning environment, the beginning of the course is quite intensive and therefore the students find it difficult to get back into a learning environment. In summary of the responses, the staff feel the students were inadequately prepared for this course. However this was not for lack of qualifications more a perceived difference between the more traditional O Level and the existing GCSE qualifications, while the time away from the learning environment may have its part to play. Student results for the first eight classes illustrate that not all students struggle to achieve good results. (RAF pass is set at 60) So could this purely be a staff issue and not one of the students. As the results below indicate some classes obtain reasonable results, that is to say, not all struggle. The results for the first eight classes are shown below: Maths BT1/01 BT1/02 BT1/03 BT1/03 BT1/05 BT1/06 BT1/07 BT1/08 59 66 75 56 72 66 68 62 Electronic Fundamentals BT1/01 BT1/02 BT1/03 BT1/03 BT1/05 BT1/06 BT1/07 BT1/08 68 73 82 77 73 74 59 While these classes passed the respective subjects, there are some low scores in maths for classes 1, 4 and 8. Electronic Fundamentals produces better results, however class 1 and 7 have still scoured low marks. This information is not entirely conclusive as can be seen from the results, some classes did well. Findings The hypothesis has been refuted through the data collated from staffs responses to questions and the student data, all be it limited in nature this research has been shown to support the staffs comments. The analysis of the questions suggests a lack of ability on the students part, this however does not seem to be predicated on qualification. The staffs perceptions of students abilities seem to suggest the students are not sufficiently prepared to attend this course, more over they are not used to the training methods utilised within the MOD. These facts when grouped together cause the students and staff some problems, however this is not to say that large numbers of students are failing to achieve a pass in these subjects, therefore is there a problem? On the face of it, no. However modifications to the training methodology and some additional sessions may improve some of these issues. This research has investigated a broad range of issues relating to new students entering the RAFs BT1 training program, their ability to cope with the academic pressures of the course and their ability to complete the work to the required standard. It would appear many students, although qualified on paper have some difficulty when it comes to the Maths and Electronic Fundamentals phases. Some of the underlying problems relate to the methods of delivery on the course as it is unlike traditional academic institutions. This means that the students take time to adjust to this training methodology and as the Maths and Electronic Fundamentals phase of the course is at the front end, it does not allow sufficient time for this adjustment to take place. On the subject of time between learning, many students left school twelve months before joining the course and have not practiced these skills for some time. As with the maths unless a student continues to use these skills they are quickly forgotten. However this does not explain why students do not remember when prompted. Perhaps this could point to a lack of understanding at the initial point of learning and may require further research to substantiate this theory. Recommendations This piece of research has been limited in its nature, however it has allowed the researcher to gain a wider perspective on these issues, to further improve this work and make the findings more valid it is proposed to include the students in any future research. The students were excluded in this case to speed up the data collection and to reduce any ethical issues that may arise from the research. Further research could be developed from the fi

Oxidation of Cyclohexanol to Cyclohexanone :: essays research papers fc

Oxidation of Cyclohexanol to Cyclohexanone   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The oxidation of cyclohexanol to cyclohexanone involves the removal of hydrogen from the OH group. After separation and purification, an Infrared Spectrum will be run to determine the composition of the recovered material.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Infrared Spectroscopy is a very powerful technique used in the determination of molecular structure and the identification of unknown organic materials. The infrared spectrum yields direct information about the presence or absence of key functional groups. â€Å"The region of the infrared spectrum which is of greatest interest to organic chemists is the wavelength range 2.5 to 15 micrometers which correspond to approximately 4000 to 600cm-1†(Young). â€Å"When atoms or molecules absorb light, the incoming energy excites a quantized structure to a higher energy level. The type of excitation depends on the wavelength of the light. Electrons are promoted to higher orbirtals by ultraviolet or visible light, vibrations are excited by infrared light, and rotations are excited by microwaves† (Tissue).   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  IR spectroscopy is the measurement of the wavelength and intensity of the absorption of infrared light by a sample. The wavelength of IR absorption bands are characteristic of specific types of chemical bonds.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  An IR spectrophotometer is an instrument which is designed to obtain an infrared spectra of a molecule. An IR spectra is obtained by first irradiating a sample with an IR source of light. The light passes through the sample, which can be in solution or contained within a salt plate, and then onto an IR light detector. The spectrum is analyzed by examining at which frequency the peaks occur. Different peak frequencies indicate different types of vibrational motion and hence, different types of chemical bonds. The peak intensities are usually noted as percent transmittance which compares the amount of light absorbed compared to the amount of IR light that was not absorbed. The frequencies are normally listed in wave numbers (in units of reciprocal centimeters). Experiment   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The oxidation of cyclohexanol by dichromate occurred in the presence of sulfuric acid which yielded cyclohexanone according to the balanced redox reaction below: 3 + Cr2O7-2 + 8H+ -- 3 + 2Cr+3 + 7H2O In the presence of excess dichromate, cyclohexanol oxidizes to adipic acid. To maximize yield, the following reaction was prevented: 3 + 4Cr2O7-2 + 32H+ -- 3HOOC(CH2)4COOH + 8Cr+3 + 19H2O The addition of methanol reduced the excess dichromate according to the balanced redox reaction below: CH3OH + Cr2O7-2 + 8H+ -- CO2 + 2Cr+3 + 6H2O Recovery of the ketone was by steam distillation; collecting all

Building Defects

Introduction: Decay and deterioration can happen in a building for any number of reasons. The first being poor repair and maintenance of the building over its life by users or those responsible for its maintenance such as a landlord etc. It can also mean that there were original problems with the building that impair its ability to function as intended, these may not have been uncovered during the snagging process at the end of the construction stage.These building problems are referred to as defects, depending on the type of contact most contracts have a 12 month defect period, this enables the users (and funders) to live in the building through the different seasons and see if any problems occur. A latent defect is after the 12 month defect period has lapsed and the new building shows signs of problems that are so significant that they can stop its functionality (a latent defect period can last up to 12 years on some contracts). Please find below some common reasons for defects: * Design IssuesDesign professionals (such as architects or engineers) could perhaps specify material or equipment that cannot perform as intended. For example: a geological survey that does not cover enough areas on a site could mean that the subsoil is not consistent across the site and therefore could eventually cause subsidence in the building. The architect’s motivation for the design may be with the building form, function or aesthetics but the completed design could result as a defect as any cost considerations or value engineering if not well planned, managed and coordinated could result in a defects.The use of inferior building materials can cause problems such as windows that leak or fail to perform and function adequately, even when properly installed. Leaking windows are a common defect and prevention requires good workmanship. * Site supervision during construction period Poor supervision during the construction period can result in poor quality and sub standard wor kmanship. For example: this can often manifest in water infiltration through some portion of the building structure (cracks in oundations, floor slabs, walls, dry rotting of wood or other building materials), electrical and mechanical problems, plumbing leaks and back-ups, lack of appropriate sound insulation and fire-resistive construction between adjacent housing units, etc. The above can prevented with a good Quality Assurance process in place that ensures that all trades are well supervised on site, accurate records are kept on workmanship (this can include pictorial evidence) and guidance is given to all staff on the quality expectations that have to be achieved on site.The traditional role of Clerk of Works should also be used to ensure that all measures are met on site level. * Maintenance No building lasts forever. Day to day planned maintenance of a building is required to ensure that it prevents any problems in the future. Poor planned maintence can cause defects to occur in buildings that would have performed well had they been cared for properly. For example: a master plan for the buildings mechanical and electrical (M&E) equipment to be replaced (such as Boiler replacements, lighting upgrades, ICT Category cabling upgrades etc. also phased window or roof replacement schedule to ensure that all that entire building envelope is protected to protect from the elements. If maintenance of buildings are not kept up to date then in some contracts ‘latent defects’ would not be honoured as the users have not maintained the works that were carried out in line with the contract therefore the contractors would not be obligated to rectify any defective works. * Service installationSome equipment requires regular servicing under the terms of its guarantee. For example: If a boiler that has been installed with a 10 year warranty is not annually serviced then the manufacture can advise that the user did not meet their obligations and therefore any replacement in the 10 year period would fall to the user to fund. Common Defects found in Low-Rise Housing: Please see below mock defects sheets in relation to the defects outlined in ‘Common Defects in Low-Rise Housing’.These outline the defect, the cause of the defect, the remedy required to rectify the defect and finally any supporting building regulations/guidelines that support this process. STAGE:A| WORKS/JOB SHEET NO. 6| LOCATION:South Wall| DATE:26th May 2010| BRE REF NO. Defect Action Sheet 116| DEFECT: Insufficient wall ties below Damp-proof Level | CAUSE: Poor design and specification | FUNCTION:A wall tie is a small piece of metal generally made of steel that is installed between a cavity wall void or between two adjoining walls. The purpose of this is to keep both walls together at all times.A wall tie allows slight movement for expansion but if correctly fitted stops each wall acting independently of one another so therefore keeps the building strong and stable. | DEFECTIVE AREA: * Corroded and show signs of de-laminating (this is when the metal starts to peel and splinter) * Corroded due to water egress (decaying of the tie means loss of strength) * Corroded show signs of ferrous oxide (this is when the metal bubbles and expands) this can cause lifting and cracking the brickwork * Cavity walling that is blocked with decayed mortar that bridged the DPC. Poorly fitted wall ties (this means that it does not function as originally intended) * Incorrect wall ties used (there are 4 different types of wall ties – each tie has its own best area for use)| DEFECTIVE CORRECTION REQUIRED: * Ties should be placed at 900mm centres horizontally and 450mm vertically * Sufficient lap of Damp proof course is required all round * Wall ties to be of a minimum size 5/m2 * Ensure that ties are as specified and are of the correct type * Use BS or BBA Certificated ties of length and type suitable for cavity width and purpose * Space ties in accorda nce with BS 5628: Pt 3: 2001.For example: the cavity width should be 50 to 300mm, number of ties 2. 5 per m2, 900 mm horizontally 450mm vertically and provide extra ties adjacent to openings * Check that there is a row of ties at every sixth course of bricks * Ties should be staggered and evenly distributed * Check that the horizontal spacing’s have the correct number of specified ties per m2 * Check that ties are at every block course within 225mm of opening | RELEVANT BRITISH STANDARD:| * BS:5628 Pt 3. 2001 | | | | | STAGE:A| WORKS/JOB SHEET NO. 1| LOCATION:Rear externals| DATE:26th May 2010| BRE REF NO.Defect Action Sheet 96| DEFECT: Mature trees too close | CAUSE: Poor design and specification | FUNCTION:Movement where a building is in close proximity of a mature trees. This is a common problem found generally in the following species Oak, Poplar, Ash, Plane, Willow and Elm although any very large mature tree close to a building can spell disaster. These trees require a c onsiderable amount of water to grow much of this is taken up by their root system. For example: a mature poplar can take up to 50,000 litres of water from the sub-soil each year.The more mature the tree the greater amount of water it requires. The outcome of the site survey and soil investigation should inform the decision on the type of substructure to be used for the proposed buildings in relation to soil type, saturation levels and lay of land e. g. sloping etc. It is recommended that buildings be built at least a distance equivalent to the tree’s height away from that tree to protect both the tree and the building although in some cases of Willow, Poplar and Elm the root radius can be twice that of the tree height. DEFECTIVE AREA: * The trees potential root radius has not been calculated correctly * Poor choice of substructure for the new building| DEFECTIVE CORRECTION REQUIRED: * Repair works require the retrospective installation of a root barrier (see attached diagram) . This means detailed surveys are required to identify were the tree roots are. If the tree has a Tree preservation order (TPO) on it then any damage to its roots could mean an appearance in Majesties court and a fine up to ? 20,000| RELEVANT BRITISH STANDARD:| * BS:5837 * Approved Document A & C * Tree Preservation Orders: A Guide to the Law and Good Practice 2000|STAGE:A| WORKS/JOB SHEET NO. 22| LOCATION:Flank wall| DATE:26th May 2010| BRE REF NO. Defect Action Sheet | DEFECT: Poor Mortars, Bricks, Blocks in sub-structure| CAUSE: Poor design and specification Poor site supervision| FUNCTION:Mortar is used a bonding agent to secure brick and block work. These three elements used together ensure that the building is sound, secure and water tight. | DEFECTIVE AREA: * Poor specification of an inferior brick and blocks that are engineered to support the loadings of the finished building is poor design planning.A poorly specified mortar could also be the reason that water could ingr ess the building this could lead to significant problems later for the building. * Poor site supervision of this area could mean that the mortar is poorly laid or not given enough time to set, or could even have been laid in the wrong temperatures such as Frosty weather. | DEFECTIVE CORRECTION REQUIRED: * The building may require additional support. For example: underpinning externally could support the substructure sufficiently enough to take the load away from the problem areas. The best method in this case is to pile and beam. This method stabilises the existing substructure by using piles installed either side of  an existing wall. A small excavation is made below the ground level and a reinforced concrete needle beam is used to connect the piles and support the wall. * Reducing the distance between needle beams can accommodate very high loads. | RELEVANT BRITISH STANDARD:| * | STAGE:D| WORKS/JOB SHEET NO. 24| LOCATION:Internal/External various locations| DATE:26th May 2010| B RE REF NO.Defect Action Sheet | DEFECT: Notches and holes for services mis-positioned and oversized| CAUSE: Poor design Poor site supervision| FUNCTION:The location of holes and notches for services is very important in relation to the functionality and quality of finish to the end building. A misplaced large hole could lead incorrectly fitted lighting, heaters, light switches etc. | DEFECTIVE AREA: * Poor design drawings that are sent to site with the wrong measurements could mean that the location and shape of the holes for services are installed as per the drawing. It is more lightly that this defect would be down to poor site supervision. This could mean that the inappropriate person has been tasked to carry out this work such as a labourer that does not have the skill to read drawings but was asked to install holes for services rather than an electrician or electrician’s mate (i. e. being supervised by the trade lead at all times)| DEFECTIVE CORRECTION REQUIRED: * If cau ght early enough this should not be a great problem to resolve on site.However, if this was left to practical completion were the building is being handed over to the user/occupier then the works to rectify could be much greater and could include the following: * Re-routing electrics and mechanical pipe works to suit correct dimensions * Repositioning of all electrical and mechanical equipment * No direct connection to main sewer therefore re routing all connections to bathrooms, kitchens and any sinks etc| RELEVANT BRITISH STANDARD:| * | STAGE:D| WORKS/JOB SHEET NO. 30| LOCATION:Door No. GF32| DATE:26th May 2010| BRE REF NO.Defect Action Sheet | DEFECT: Lintels in external walls: missing, damaged, bedding, insulation| CAUSE: Poor design and specificationPoor site supervision| FUNCTION:A Lintel is a piece of steel or concrete that is used as a support in walls. These are generally used above openings (such as windows or doors) in the wall to support the load above. Lintels are usual ly supplied with load bearing at each end for 100mm openings up to/including 1000mm, 150mm for openings up to/including 3000mm and 200mm for openings over 3000mm. For spans in excess of 1200mm, it is good practice to provide temporary support such as an Acro at every 1200mm point. DEFECTIVE AREA: * Poor design could mean that the location window or door opening is in a difficult position to properly fit the correct size lintel * Poor specification could mean that a concrete lintel is specified when the location requires a small and compact steel lintel * Poor site supervision could mean that the area were the lintel is to be installed in not supported prior to installation and therefore the floor above is already sagging with the load. Also installation of the wring lintel in time will show on the exterior and interior of the building. DEFECTIVE CORRECTION REQUIRED: * Lintels should be carefully bedded on a full mortar joint * Wall ties should be positioned in accordance with curren t building regulations * A damp proof course should be used for all lintels in external walls, and must be fixed in accordance with building regulations * In cavity construction, it is recommended that both internal and external leaves are taken up uniformly * It is good building practice to insert a flexible joint between the lintel and the top of the frame| RELEVANT BRITISH STANDARD:| * BS:12 * BS:882|STAGE:E| WORKS/JOB SHEET NO. 20| LOCATION:| DATE:26th May 2010| BRE REF NO. Defect Action Sheet 73 & 74| DEFECT: Floor joist quality and installation: not graded or marked, bowing and twisting, high moisture content and wet rot| CAUSE: Poor specification Poor site supervision| FUNCTION:A floor joist is a beam of wood that stretches from one side of the sub-floor to the other bridging the floor load bearers. They are the essential component to the foundation of each floor level and floor boards are laid onto of them to give a foundation to any floor covering.Wood should be marked Top/Bottom, be graded (for the load) and have a kite mark or brand number referring to BS: EN 14250. | DEFECTIVE AREA: * Poor specification of a floor joist can mean that the wood used is not the correct grading to support the load. This can mean that the floor in time will show effects of overload bowing and twisting are one of the signs. * Poor site supervision of this area could mean that the wood has not been stored correctly on site meaning that it is now warped and twisted and has high water content. If wet rot occurs it is generally at the bearings of timber joists in external walls.For example: the sole or head plates rather than in the studs. | DEFECTIVE CORRECTION REQUIRED: * An assessment on if there is any ‘dead air’ within the cavity between the joists and the floor board. If so, then air bricks (to BS:493) can be installed into the external walls to allow air flow. If wet rot is localised in small area then minor repairs can be made * If poor ungraded wood has been installed then the floor will have to be taken up and reinstalled with the correct graded wood to ensure it complies with current building regulations. | RELEVANT BRITISH STANDARD:| * BS:EN 14250 * BS:493|Area H: Defect| Drains below foundations| Reason for Defect:| * Broken or damaged pipes * Failure to washout subsoil leading to foundation settlement; * Lack of clearance to debris or materials * Lack of flexible joints. * Non compliance with Approved Document H * Non compliance with the Public Health Act revised 1985 * Non compliance with Building regulations C part 2 * Incorrect type and size of pipe used for subsoil drainage * Drainage not laid to correct gradient| Specification Issue:| * Possible poor quality drainage pipes specified| Design Issue: | No|Site Supervision Issue:| * Compliance with Approved Doc H * Compliance with Public Health Act 1985 * Compliance with Building regulations C part 2 * Correct size and type of pipe use for each type of drainage identifie d e. g. foul, rainwater, soil type. * Ensure movement joints are in place * Ensure drainage meets the required gradient * Ensure pipes are clear from obstructions * Check pipes are not broken or damaged prior to installation. | Maintenance:| No|Responsible area:| The above defect is due to poor management on site on manual labour workforce| Image:| Ref: Image taken from NHBC Good Craftsmanship Guide for Drainage| Area H: Defect| Installation of DPC and DPM| Reason for Defect:| * DPC pointed or rendered over * DPCs bridged by mortar droppings * DPM punctured * DPCs and DPMs not lapped * Fill and paving not kept at least 150mm below DPC * DPM should comply with BS CP 102, Section 3, and Building Regulations Approved Document C. | Specification Issue:| No| Design Issue: | No|Site Supervision Issue: | * Check that edging of DPM projects enough to lap later with the DPC * Sheet should be sealed with adhesive tape and any punctures patched with an overlap of no less than 150mm * Use polye thylene sheet not less than 500 gauge and should carry a BBA certificate or is to the PIFA standard| Maintenance:| No| Responsible area:| The above defect is due to poor management on site on manual labour workforce| Image: | Ref: Image taken from http://www. bricksandbrass. co. uk/images/walls/damp. gif| Area H: Defect| Damp walls |Reason for Defect:| * No DPC installation in walls * Poorly installation of DPC in walls| Specification Issue:| No| Design Issue: | No| Site Supervision Issue:| * A responsible contractor should understand the importance of DPC within the external walls * If just poorly installed retrospective DPC injections can be used to back fill in areas that require additional waterproofing * If no damp proof course is in place then Electro Osmosis method can be used this is when a low voltage steel stake is placed intermediately around the external walls as long as the unit is on it will keep the damp at bay | Maintenance:| No|Responsible area:| The above defect is due to poor management on site on manual labour workforce| Image: | Ref: Image taken from www. petercox. co. uk/prevent| Area J: Defect| No lintel above the window and doors | Reason for Defect:| * No installation of lintel above window and door openings| Specification Issues:| * Possible incorrect lintel specified * | Design Issue: | * For an architect to exclude lintels from the design, it means that they have not complied with building regulations.This is not only a design floor but a dangerous and hazardous way to leave the building| Site Supervision Issue: | No| Maintenance:| No| Responsible area:| The above defect is due to poor design management by the design team and should have been picked up by various professionals along the process including Building Control| Image: | Ref: Image taken from http://www. bancroftcentre. org/images/eco/insulation. bmp|Area J: Defect| Plaster break up on internal walls and ceilings| Reason for Defect:| * Bond failure between plasterwork and plasterboard due to ‘watering down’ of bonding agent * Plaster itself poor quality or poorly mixed together (plasterer should have a mate to mix for them as plaster can ‘go off’ quickly) * Cracking due to movement * Drying out period hurried and room artificially heated to increase drying time| Specification Issue:| * Poor quality bond or plaster | Design Issue: | No| Site Supervision Issue: | * Remove poor quality plaster, apply a thick oat of Unibond allow to dry and then re-applying a suitably mixed plaster (plasterer should have a mate to mix for them as plaster can ‘go off’ quickly) * Ventilate and allow to naturally dry out| Maintenance:| * Poor maintenance of internal finishing can make plaster work decay and break up * Poor ventilation or extreme weather (if no heating) then plaster can become brittle and break up| Responsible area:| The above defect is due to poor management on site on manual labour workforce and/or poor maintenance by the occupier/users| Image:| Ref: Images taken from Google images ‘plaster work’|Area J: Defect| Shrinkage to wooden floor joists| Reason for Defect:| * Temperature to install to extreme * Stored poorly on site allowing water to penetrate – Part C of the Building Regulations â€Å"Site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture† * Area needs better ventilation| Specification Issue:| No| Design Issue: | No|Site Supervision Issue:| * A responsible contractor should have the knowledge and experience to know at what temperatures they can have to install after the installation * Air bricks may need to be installed in the external walls tp improve under floor ventilation * All materials should be stored off the ground and well covered in accordance with building regulations| Maintenance:| No| Responsible area:| The above defect is due to poor management on site on manual labour workforce| Image:| Ref: Image taken from Google images ‘defective timber joists’|Area K: Defect| External wall movement| Reason for Defect:| * Incorrect substructure * Restraints missing from wall to floor| Specification Issue:| No| Design Issue: | * Substructure must be designed following an accurate soil survey, bore holes are taken from the proposed site and are inspected in laboratory condition. * The soil samples are tested and categorised in accordance with their load value * Then detailed calculations are erformed by structural engineers to establish the most suitable substructure for the proposed building * Below a ‘tell tale’ is a measuring device that can check how much a crack is moving over a period of time| Site Supervision Issue: | No| Maintenance:| No| Responsible area:| The above defect is due to poor design management by the design team and should have been picked up by various professionals along the process including Building Control| Image:| Ref: Image of a ‘tell-tale’ taken from Google images|A rea K: Defect| External wall movement| Reason for Defect:| * No cavity tray installed to discharge water outwards * No weep hole specified in brickwork at lowest tray * No flashing identified, Lead or a suitable substitute should be installed in accordance with BS 1178 * All roof tiles to Part C of the Building Regulations â€Å"Site preparation and resistance to contaminants and moisture†| Specification Issue:| No| Design Issue: | No|Site Installation & Supervision Issue | * A responsible contractor should install cavity tray to ensure water is discharged correctly * Ensure appropriate weep hole is installed in the brickwork at the lowest tray level * Install appropriate flashings where required * Ensure tiles and drainage is compliant with Building Regulations Part C| Maintenance:| No| Responsible area:| The above defect is due to poor management on site on manual labour workforce| Image:|

Free Essays on The Role of Culture and Leader shipt

THE ROLE OF CULTURE AND LEADERSHIP IN IMPLEMENTING STRATEGY Abstract: In today’s fast paced, cut throat business world, companies are required to effectively plan for long-term success. The giants like GE and Microsoft have always used their vision and backed it up with a plan to accomplish their goals. Though it was not always referred to as strategically managing, these companies have always had to analyze their position in their industry, market and environment, and strategically align themselves to succeed. Today, companies must move quickly and continue to change, as uncertainty is the paradigm. This requires companies to rely on sound strategic planning to allow them to take advantages of opportunities and leverage their strengths in their market. However, strategic planning is only one small aspect in being successful in the long run. Planning has become the easy part for most companies. Today the most difficult challenge for companies is implementing and executing their strategic plan so that it functions as designed. A great id ea is useless if there is no rational way to transfer the idea to action. The same is true of a strategic plan if there isn’t proper implementation to make the plan successful. Eric Beaudan states, â€Å" The paradox of strategy implementation is that strategic thinkers overlook certain truisms that actually stop the execution. †¦ the concept that when strategy and culture are at odds, culture always wins.† (1 p.2) This is the backbone of this paper: trying to understand how culture and leadership affect the implementation, and thus the success, of a strategic plan. Beaudan’s statement emphasizes that when managers try to implement a strategy without creating the intellectual and emotional framework for the organization, the people rebel and the strategy fails. The overlying assumption is that if an organization can align their culture and leadership with their strategy, then ... Free Essays on The Role of Culture and Leader shipt Free Essays on The Role of Culture and Leader shipt THE ROLE OF CULTURE AND LEADERSHIP IN IMPLEMENTING STRATEGY Abstract: In today’s fast paced, cut throat business world, companies are required to effectively plan for long-term success. The giants like GE and Microsoft have always used their vision and backed it up with a plan to accomplish their goals. Though it was not always referred to as strategically managing, these companies have always had to analyze their position in their industry, market and environment, and strategically align themselves to succeed. Today, companies must move quickly and continue to change, as uncertainty is the paradigm. This requires companies to rely on sound strategic planning to allow them to take advantages of opportunities and leverage their strengths in their market. However, strategic planning is only one small aspect in being successful in the long run. Planning has become the easy part for most companies. Today the most difficult challenge for companies is implementing and executing their strategic plan so that it functions as designed. A great id ea is useless if there is no rational way to transfer the idea to action. The same is true of a strategic plan if there isn’t proper implementation to make the plan successful. Eric Beaudan states, â€Å" The paradox of strategy implementation is that strategic thinkers overlook certain truisms that actually stop the execution. †¦ the concept that when strategy and culture are at odds, culture always wins.† (1 p.2) This is the backbone of this paper: trying to understand how culture and leadership affect the implementation, and thus the success, of a strategic plan. Beaudan’s statement emphasizes that when managers try to implement a strategy without creating the intellectual and emotional framework for the organization, the people rebel and the strategy fails. The overlying assumption is that if an organization can align their culture and leadership with their strategy, then ...

The Ageing Population in Mauritius Essays

The Ageing Population in Mauritius Essays The Ageing Population in Mauritius Essay The Ageing Population in Mauritius Essay Discussions Impact of aging population in Mauritius The first aim of this survey aims to supply a thorough apprehension of the existent impacts of aging population in Mauritius. Since old people retire from their occupations, the incomes they generate are reduced and therefore they have to trust on pensions or insurances. Consequently, the aging population is really frequently faced with income security and poorness. Among the 80 questionnaires that were distributed, there were 18.5 % of the respondents were above 65 old ages. This was a really important figure and was the 2nd larger per centum after the age group of 20-35 old ages. Furthermore, the Mauritius Statistics forecasts that 20 % of the Mauritanian population will be above 65 old ages by 2025. One of the chief impacts of an aging population is that it increases the dependence ratio. There are comparatively more people claiming pension benefits and less people working to pay revenue enhancements. With the ever-growing aging population in Mauritius, it is likely that this will do jobs in the hereafter. Though 14.8 % of the respondents still live with their grand-parents and 12.3 % of them still assist their grand-parents financially, the dependence on the pension benefits do non look to diminish. Another impact is the increased Government disbursement on wellness attention and pensions. In UK, the old age pension is presently ?113.10 per pensionaries per hebdomad ( Population Ageing Statistics, Rutherford ) as compared to Mauritius, where the pension fund is Rs5, 000 per pensionaries per month. Since the per centum of old age is said to increase to up to 25 % by 2025, the Government disbursement will increase even more. Soon, the budget for old age wellness jobs sums to about Rs9.7 billion per twelvemonth and with a promising and important growing in the figure of old people in the hereafter, Mauritius is likely to confront serious budget issues. As such, as demonstrated in table 4.5 in the old chapter, 56.8 % people have that working people should pay a item for the elders’ medical services. This gesture can take a immense load from the Government outgo since people are non prepared to take old age pension financess even if an option, such as edifice places for the ag ed with all their required demands, is given to the old people as shown by the bulk of people who voted ‘No’ to the suggestion. Furthermore, an aging population directs to a deficit of workers in a state. Since the old people retire and live on pension, and there are lesser figure of new-borns to finally work to pay revenue enhancements, the state faces a deficiency of workers. Mauritius is non far behind from a deficit of workers. In this consequence, 48.1 % of the respondents thought that promoting Mauritians to reproduce will work out the job whereas 50.6 % of them thought it would be better to engage immigrants to work here. Furthermore, since Mauritius will be seting a higher per centum of income into pension financess in the hereafter, due to the increasing sum of old people, it could cut down the sum of nest eggs available for more productive investings. Therefore, taking to take down rates of economic growing. Impact of security budget on aging population The 2nd nonsubjective emphasizes on the impact of security budget on aging population. With greater figure of old people, comes greater disbursals in footings of security. As of now, the Government is passing about Rs27.1 billion on societal security entirely in the twelvemonth 2015 and as per our research conducted by the questionnaire, 38.3 % people feel concern about this sum of outgo merely on societal security. 76.5 % of the respondents agreed that the well-off should be cut off from pension installations. This is a considerable thought because the Government is passing manner excessively much money on old people and acquiring nothing-in footings of finance-in return. Though many people ( about 75.3 % of the respondents ) thought that the freshly elected Government was right to increase old age pension from Rs3, 600 to R5, 000 in December 2014, a important per centum ( 61.7 ) agreed that it was simply a political technique to derive ballots. This addition in the pension fund has resulted in an addition of over 50 % in the Government outgo as compared in 2014. Over 186, 000 people benefit from the cosmopolitan pension. The National Monetary Fund ( IMF ) has already sounded the dismay about the aging population of Mauritius that could endanger the national pension fund. The fiscal establishment recommends an pressing reappraisal of the payment of this societal benefit expression. As concluded by aWorking Paperof the IMF entitledPension Reforms in Mauritius ; Fair and Fast Balancing Social Protection and Fiscal Sustainability, Mauritius’ old age pension state of affairs is considered unsustainable in the long term. While now it amounts to 5 % of the Gross Domestic Product ( GDP ) , funding for different pension strategies should make 11 % in 45 old ages. The aging population is seting strong force per unit area on public fundss. The figure of people over 60 old ages will be 50 % in 2050, whereas they represented 13 % of the population in 2013. The consequence of outgos on pension benefits, particularly the non-contributory pension strategy will be exacerbated ( Takoor, Petri, and Martin ) . If major reforms are non undertaken, the pension financess could do a deficit and could finally be liability for the province particularly when 79.0 % of the respondents said they are non ready to further prolong the societal security financially, besides their parts in VAT and NPF. Problems faced because of gender in an aging population Harmonizing to a survey made by the UN administration, adult females make up a significantly larger portion of the older population. This is because adult females tend to populate longer than work forces and therefore rendering them more dependent on wellness attention installations and pensions strategies provided by their state. In 2014, Mundi calculated the ratio of females to males above 65 old ages old to be 66, 643: 45, 145 of the entire population. The aged dependence ratio was calculated to be 12.8 % . Besides, the UN found that older adult females see some of the lowest literacy rates in the universe. Average degrees of illiteracy for adult females aged 65 or over are every bit high as 78 % in Africa and 53 % in Asia, compared to 58 % and 29 % severally for work forces in these parts. This earnestly impacts on the lives of the older adult females, forestalling them from accessing wellness services, procuring incomes, and traveling out of poorness. Furthermore, the fact that women’s life anticipation is greater than men’s means that wellness jobs that increase with age, such as disablement, affect a greater figure of adult females worldwide. It is anticipated that the overall prevalence and badness of disablement among older adult females will go on to increase, in line with the turning aging population and the higher proportion of adult females in the old age groups. For illustration, older adult females are more likely to endure from sightlessness than older work forces, particularly in low-income states where 44 % of instances are caused by cataracts. The greater the figure of older adult females, the greater is the dependence on wellness attention services. Furthermore, despite increased consciousness of maltreatment, favoritism, and force against adult females, concerns over the state of affairs of older adult females have mostly been ignored. Datas on force against adult females over the age of 60 is badly limited and research focussing on maltreatment of older adult females tends to be confined to developed states and based on little sample sizes. Impact of sustainability on the degree of protection of the old age The challenge for the hereafter is â€Å"to guarantee that people everyplace can turn old with security and self-respect and that they can go on to take part in societal life as citizens with full rights† . At the same clip â€Å"the rights of old people should non be incompatible with those of other groups, and mutual intergenerational dealingss should be encouraged.† ( United Nations, World Population Ageing 1950-2050, Population Division ) Social protection of the old age attack has addressed the multiple interlinked planetary challenges of poorness obliteration, environmental sustainability, and economic equity, and gender equality, just distribution of resources, human rights, and inequality. In Mauritius, though approximately 50 % of old people do non take public conveyance, the latter is still free for people above 60 old ages old. However, approximately 21.0 % find that this system should be abolished. Basic income security for people in old age is considered as necessary to avoid poorness among the old age. However, about 49.4 % of Mauritians find that Rs5, 000 is a hazard factor to the life of the seniors. This sum of money is considered to be excessively much and can set the life of the seniors at interest. Decision This chapter has discussed the assorted aims of the research work together with the informations that was obtained and calculated in the old chapter, information analysis. As shown, some informations obtained were in line with the aims of this survey. The following chapter will speak about the proposed recommendations. Recommendations and Decision Introduction In this chapter we will suggest a list of recommendations of how the impacts of aging population can be minimised. We will besides urge ways in which the security budget can be controlled, how gender equality and equity can be ensured, and how to guarantee a sustainability in the aging population of Mauritius. Housing for seniors: Elder friendly lodging Specific steps can be taken to ease the development of retirement lodging by the private sector, in peculiar, changing the length of land rentals to lower land costs, to ease elders’ demands in footings of lodging. Besides, through a reappraisal of the Code on Barrier-Free Accessibility, the Government can see presenting guidelines for the proviso of handiness and safety characteristics in the places for the senior people so that they have a more elder-friendly environment to populate in. in this manner, the seniors will more probably have a healthy life style and therefore decreasing the wellness outgo for the Government. Stretching the work force and working hours The engagement rates of adult females and aged people in the work force should be increased to guarantee more part is being brought economically to Mauritius. Harmonizing to the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development ( OECD ) , 49 % of the people aged between 60 to 64 old ages old in USA are still gainfully employed. There are many ways in which a higher engagement of the ‘young’ seniors ( aged between 60 and 65 ) can be achieved. Among them, the most of import are to rectify the incentive of early retirement, cut down the period of entitlement to unemployment benefits, and extinguish high rupture payment, extended occupation dismissal protection every bit good as senior status rules. Besides, by implementing new child-minding agreements and more originative on the job clip theoretical accounts and rushing up organizational reforms, the engagement of adult females within the work force can be increased. Additionally, the one-year working and/or mean hebdomadal times can besides be increased such that fewer workers have to work for more hours in order to counterbalance for a negative demographic consequence on possible growing. Thus, a higher portion of adult females will be put in the work force and a greater figure of parttime occupations will be switched to full-time places. It will besides necessitate an addition in jointly agreed hebdomadal working times. Migration Immigration can assist to decelerate down the procedure of aging and shrinkage of the population and extenuate its negative economic effects. The younger, more flexible and better qualified the population, the more favorable the result will be. Mauritius should advance migration and set suited migration policies where the policies do non merely halt at placing suited immigrants but besides assist them incorporate good into the society. It is besides really of import for Mauritius to advance harmonious race relations-which is non really hard, sing the fact that we are ourselves a multi-racial state. Better usage of bing resources and acceptance of new engineerings. We can assist people to remain active, healthy and independent by constructing age-friendly metropoliss and â€Å"smart homes† that deploy a scope of monitoring and supportive devices to assist older people manage life more efficaciously. We can re-engineer wellness systems to concentrate on disease bar and early showing, instead than on expensive intercession. With these steps, we will lend to making better quality lives for older people: lives that are besides inclusive and sustainable. Preventing falls schemes Given the magnitude of this public wellness job, policymakers should promote falls bar as a precedence and support policies and plans that aim to cut down hazard factors among older grownup populations. This may be accomplished in multiple ways. For case, increased support may be provided to Area Agencies on aging for broader execution of community-based falls bar plans. Certain falls bar schemes, such as place safety appraisals, could besides be integrated into bing senior outreach services and plans, such as Meals on Wheels. Enhance chances for physical activities among older grownups It is recommended that policymakers enhance the chances for physical activity among the seniors. Particularly, they should implement policies and targeted schemes that support active life for seniors. This involves placing and turn toing the barriers that presently prevent seniors from take parting in physical activities, raging up instruction and outreach attempts, and advancing community-based plans that incorporate strength, endurance, balance, flexibleness preparation plans. Some communities for seniors offer other societal benefits, such as equal interaction and support. This should be put into pattern by all the communities for the aged. Additionally, policymakers should back up a wide continuum of plans, runing from low to high strength degrees, available to people of all abilities, civilizations, and cultural backgrounds. 6.7 Extra benefits for extra old ages worked Some states offer fiscal inducements to workers who keep on working even though they have reached their retirement age. Normally, the inducements are calculated on the footing of part period, for illustration, an extra twenty-four hours, month, one-fourth, or twelvemonth worked after the retirement age. They can come be in the signifier of a individual fillip payment or a per centum addition in the concluding pension. If Mauritius were to follow this system, it will guarantee more people working and therefore more people paying the revenue enhancements. Encourage employers to retain and enroll older workers The Government should promote employers to retain and enroll older workers. One manner in which this can be achieved is for the Government to straight lend to the consts of using older workers ( Gineste, 2012 ) . Reducing unemployment benefits for older people Reducing unemployment benefits and take downing pensions could be an inducement to work longer. If the seniors have lower pensions and decreased unemployment benefits, they will be more acute to work for longer periods of clip so that they achieve a more hearty and comfy life style for the clip when they are non able to work at all. 6.10 Decision This research work has tried to foreground the impacts of the aging population and measure what is being done the Ministry of Social Security, National Solidarity, and Reform Institutions to convey about a sustainable development in the aging population of Mauritius. With the lessening in birthrate and mortality rates, life anticipation at birth has increased drastically. And despite this rapid aging population, it can be said that the Government, along with the concerned establishments, are endeavoring to maintain the population an economically productive and healthy one. To reason we have besides tried to explicate some suggestions which can be implemented in order to guarantee that the aging population procedure stays in control and that Mauritius does non endure or at least suffers the minimal impact of such a population.

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