Assessing the Dependency of Teamwork Dynamics to Cultural Differences Essay

A debate whether a heterogeneous or a homogeneous team is easier to handle and manage has been going on for years. Companies, firms and even organizations are starting to make teams as the basic unit of their operations. Due to this trend, organizational researchers started to study the correlation between the composition of the team and the teams’ output (Earley & Mosakowski, 2000, p. 26). Organizational composition in terms of the homogeneity and heterogeneity of the team composition is commonly studied through the comparative advantages that each type of composition can give to a working team (Schippers, Hartog, Koopman, & Wienk, 2003, p. 779). This research paper will try to address the issue at hand in the same manner as most organizational researchers do; this research paper will compare homogeneous and heterogeneous team compositions through the advantages they can give to their teams. The hiring structure of most organizations, companies and firm includes a set of qualification that seeks to sift through the applicants not in terms of credentials but also in terms of their backgrounds (Prat, 2000, p. 3). These sets of qualifications are commonly structured in their own ways to create a homogenous or a heterogeneous team, depending on the position of the hiring party in terms of its team composition preference. Before moving on to the advantages of the two-team compositions, it should be noted that the basic differences between the two-team compositions are its team members’ culture. Culture embodies the system of shared meanings (Gibson C. B. , 2004). It can even be said, that culture attributes the different reactions of the team members in different managerial approaches and team objectives (Gibson C. B. , 2004). Furthermore, the probability of success and efficiency in team is dependent to the culture of its team members. Identifying the difference between leading a homogeneous team or a heterogeneous team can be easily discussed through the extent by which team members share a certain culture. In modern day organizational researches, culture sharing is not the only difference. Factors such as efficiency, efficacy of the leading model, output capabilities and even conflict resolution mechanisms are considered in organization researches that address homogeneous and heterogeneous team compositions. Describing the actual leadership process in these two team compositions would lead to the discussions on team cohesiveness. Team cohesiveness is the degree by which members of a group (both hetero and homo) are attracted to the team (Wendt, Euwemab, & Emmerik, 2009, p. 359). It can be said, that team cohesiveness embodies the reasons for joining a team and expected incentives for joining the team (Wendt, Euwemab, & Emmerik, 2009, p. 359). Team cohesiveness is present in both homogeneous and heterogeneous team compositions. However, the burden of insuring that the team would function is not directly related to the team composition; it is also determined by the leadership style in the team. Leading leadership styles such as directive and supportive styles have two very different effects to the team depending on the team composition. The exclusivity of the shared culture in homogeneous teams can work better with directive leadership such as seen in autocratic countries (Wendt, Euwemab, & Emmerik, 2009, p. 360). On the other hand, supportive leadership can work better with heterogeneous team composition since the differences in the shared culture of the team can be compensated for by the support that the leadership style offers (Wendt, Euwemab, & Emmerik, 2009, p. 360). Interchanging the two leadership styles in heterogeneous and homogeneous team compositions can result to high probability of team inefficiency and failure. Following this logic, it can be said that the leadership style would determine the difference between these two team compositions; a certain â€Å"fit† must be properly addressed. After discussing the needed â€Å"fit† in the leadership style and the team composition, advantages in terms of properly leading a homogeneous team or a heterogeneous team can now be established. Having a heterogeneous team implies that a team leader would have members with different recognitions of shared culture. Due to this, the team leader can expect different opinions and a wide range of ideas to be articulated by the team members (Gibson & Vermeulen, 2003, p. 207). This setup is seen in companies that operate on a high technology level. Technology based companies tend to function in a transnational level; this allows the companies to have an experience in having a heterogeneous team to deal with their operations. The diverse pool that the company can easily access to creates a working environment, which is perfect for the creation of cohorts. According to other related researches, team members tend to speak out their idea or opinion if they have at least one team member that supports their idea (Gibson & Vermeulen, 2003, p. 207). This finding is the coined as the cohort formation in workplaces. Following this logic, leading a heterogeneous team has an advantage of being able to pool a good number of ideas and opinions due to the different shared cultures among the team members. Practically speaking, a heterogeneous team can come up with more possible solutions needed to address a problem as compared to a team with members that share a uniform culture. Heterogeneous team through its cohorts also has the advantage of creating a workplace, which is more conducive for a more receptive learning behavior (Gibson & Vermeulen, 2003, p. 209). The cohort formation that arises from a heterogeneous team creates subgroups that are more receptive to learning through experimentation; reflective communication and codification (Gibson & Vermeulen, 2003, p. 209). The psychological support provided by team members that share culture allows other team members to learn more (Gibson & Vermeulen, 2003, p. 210). These advantages of heterogeneous teams make many organizations, companies and firms to invest in the creation of a heterogeneous team. This trend is best seen in transnational companies’ attempts to outsource team members from different places around the globe to insure that their team has cohorts to cultivate better brainstorming activities (Earley & Gibson, 2002, pp. 230-232). Unfortunately, the advantages of having a heterogeneous team stop at the cohorts. Heterogeneous team, which is too heterogeneous in the sense that it does not allow the formation of cohorts tends to be counterproductive since its team members without some to share his or her culture with, becomes too protective of their ideas (Gibson & Vermeulen, 2003, pp. 212-213). In this situation, organizational researches recommend the full dismantling of the team or the inclusion of other team members that may allow that formation of cohorts within the heterogeneous team. Advantages in a homogeneous team are the extreme solutions to the disadvantages of a heterogeneous team. The probability that too much heterogeneity can impede team growth and efficiency can be cancelled out by adapting a homogenized team since the shared culture of the whole team will eradicate the cultural diversity that may have started the problems of a too heterogenic team (Mello & Ruckes, 2010, p. 1022). This is the primary advantage of homogeneous team- cohesion. Team cohesion is at its prime state if the subject team is a homogeneous team (WordPress. com, 2009). The strong sense of group cohesion in a homogeneous team allows the whole team to easily accomplish tasks and yield maximum productivity rates (WordPress. com, 2009, p. n. pag. ). The shared culture of a homogeneous team creates a sense of unity among the team members; that translates to achievements that are most probably unattainable for a common heterogeneous group. This is the primary and appears to be the only advantage in a homogeneous group. Unfortunately, it also has its share of disadvantages. The major disadvantage of a homogenous team is that the team is prone to make probable dumb decisions due to the strong sense of groupthink mentality present in this team composition (WordPress. com, 2009). This attributes of homogeneous team composition allows homogeneous teams to be the perfect team composition for productivity and goal oriented organizations, companies and firms. Conclusion: Heterogeneous and homogeneous team compositions have been existing ever since basic groups have been formed. The reason for their existence is the fact that each of this team composition provides a perfect fit for different organizational arrangements (Gamage, 2006, p. 57). The interplay between organizational cultures, team composition and the type of leadership determines the needed fit implied in this research paper. Conclusively, this research paper takes the position that homogeneous team composition is an advantage for organizations, companies and firms that are goal and production oriented, while heterogeneous team composition is an advantage for organizations, companies and firms that seek to provide solutions. The cohesive team culture cultured and enforced in homogeneous team composition allows a consolidated movement of the whole team towards the attainment of their team’s objectives. On the other hand, the differences of the team members of a heterogeneous team allow the utilization of the multi perspective orientations in the advantage of the whole team. The different ideas and cultural inclinations of a heterogeneous team allow the development of holistic solutions. These points when summed up results to a general idea that the team compositions’ effectiveness are dominantly dependent on the factors such as type of leadership and environment such as context of application. Bibliography Adams, S. K. (2007, July 30). Disciplinarily Hetero- and Homogeneous Design Team Convergence:Communication Patterns and Perceptions of Teamwork. Retrieved August 6, 2010, from www. scholar. lib. vt. edu: http://scholar. lib. vt. edu/theses/available/etd-08272007-114555/unrestricted/MastersThesis. pdf Adler, N. (1991). International dimensions of organi-zational behavior (2nd ed. ). Boston: PWS-Kent. Burke, S. , Wilson, K. , & Salas, E. (2010). Varying Team Composition to Examine the Effect of CulturalDiversity on Team Process and Cultural Adaptability. Retrieved August 6, 2010, from www. ftp. rta. nato. int: ftp. rta. nato. int/public//PubFullText/†¦ ///MP-HFM-142-18. doc Casmir, R. (1992). Third-culture building: A paradigm shift for international and intercultural communication. Communication Yearbook , 407-428. Cox, T. (1992). Cultural diversity in organizations. San Francisco: Berrett Koehler. Earley, P. C. , & Mosakowski, E. (2000). Creating Hybrid Team Cultures: An Empirical Test of Transnational Team Functioning. The Academy of Management Journal, Vol. 43, No. 1 , 26-49. Earley, P. , & Gibson, C. B. (2002). Multinational Work Teams: A New Perspective. Mahwah: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates, Inc. . Elron, E. (1997). Top management teams within multina-tional corporations: Effects of cultural heterogeneity. Leadership Quarterly , 393-412. Gamage, D. (2006). Professional Development for Leaders and Managers . Dordrecht: Springer Publications. Gibson, C. B. (2004). Building Multicultural Teams:Learning to Manage Homogeneity and Heterogeneity. Retrieved August 6, 2010, from http://web. gsm. uci. edu: http://web. gsm. uci. edu/~cgibson/Publication%20files/Articles/Crossing%20cultures%20chapter. pdf Gibson, C. , & Vermeulen, F. (2003). A Healthy Divide: Subgroups as a Stimulus for Team Learning Behavior. Administrative Science Quarterly, Vol. 48, No. 2 , 202-239. Leadershipreview. org. (2002). Research Synopsis: Creating Hybrid Team Cultures. Retrieved August 6, 2010, from www. leadershipreview. org: http://www. leadershipreview. org/2002winter/nelson_winter_2002. asp Mayo, M. (2005, September 2). Networks and Effectiveness in Work Teams: The Impact of Diversity. Retrieved August 6, 2010, from www. latienda. ie. edu: http://latienda. ie. edu/working_papers_economia/WP05-10. pdf Maznevski, M. (1994). Understanding our differences: Performance in decision-making groups with diverse members. Human Relations , 531-552. McGrath, J. (1984). Groups: Interaction and performance. Englewood Cliffs: Prentice Hall. Mello, A. S. , & Ruckes, M. E. (2010). Team Composition. Retrieved August 6, 2010, from http://finance. fbv. uni-karlsruhe. d: http://finance. fbv. uni-karlsruhe. de/download/Ruckes_TeamCompositionJB. pdf Prat, A. (2000, August 16). Shoul a Team Be Homogeneous? Retrieved August 6, 2010, from www. econ. lse. ac. uk: http://econ. lse. ac. uk/staff/prat/papers/sharedeer2. pdf Schippers, M. C. , Hartog, D. N. , Koopman, P. L. , & Wienk, J. A. (2003). Diversity and Team Outcomes: The Moderating Effects of Outcome Interdependence and Group Longevity and the Mediating Effect of Reflexivity. Journal of Organizational Behavior, Vol. 24, No. 6 , 779-802. Wendt, H. , Euwemab, M. C. , & Emmerik, I. H. (2009). Leadership and team cohesiveness across cultures. Retrieved August 6, 2010, from http://hettyvanemmerik. com: http://hettyvanemmerik. com/ScientificPublications/+Enl2009=Article_LQ_Wendt_Euwema_Van_Emmerik_Leadership_and_team_cohesiveness. pdf WordPress. com. (2009, March 10). Homogeneous or Heterogeneous Teams and Creativity. Retrieved August 6, 2010, from www. wordpress. com: http://asifjmir. wordpress. com/2009/03/10/homogeneous-or-heterogeneous-teams-and-creativity/

Implications for Education Using Frueds Theory Essay

Sigmund Freud was born in 1856 in Moravia, a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire known until recently as Czechoslovakia. His home was Vienna where he studied and practiced medicine until 1938 when Austria was annexed by the Nazis. With the Nazi annexation of Austria he went into exile in England and died in London in 1939. Freud made a great contribution to psychology and learning theory with his discovery of the emotional nature of unconscious motivations. His personality theory – though not entirely correct in all its aspects – brought to our awareness the unconscious level of the human ‘mind’. As a result we are aware of some previously unknown aspects of human development. We now know that the mental conflicts of the neurotic are not fundamental conflicts of human nature. Instead they are based on the motivating forces and social conflicts of the social environment within which the individual personality develops and functions. The concept of ‘normality’ makes sense only within the context of nature of the social environment in which the individual is functioning. Freud’s scientific discovery of the unconscious has contributed to the understanding of the role of the unconscious in the motivation aspect of learning †¦the basis of the valuing process intrinsic to the human organism†¦ (‘intrinsic motivation’) and the importance of the emotional nature of motivation as a determinant for effective learning. This is of great significance to learning theory and consequently to educational theory. The emotional nature of motivation for learning is a key aspect of educational theory of the so-called paradigm of education for development of the person as a whole i.e. ‘holistic education’. In 1923 Freud described his constructs of the id, ego and the superego. The id is the most primitive part of our personality. It operates according to the pleasure principle and it simply seeks immediate gratification. Freud believed that every human had a life and death instinct. The life instinct is called eros while the death instinct is called thanatos. Both are integral parts of the id. And the energy for this mechanism is libido, a flowing, dynamic force. The ego is different from the id as it is extremely objective. It operates according to the â€Å"reality principle† and deals with the demands of the environment. It regulates the flow of libido and keeps the id in check, thus acting as a â€Å"control center† of the personality. It is the superego which represents the values and standards of an individual’s personality. It acts as an internal judge, it punishes the ego with feelings of guilt or it rewards, which lead to feelings of pride and heightened s elf-esteem. The superego is a characteristic of the personality which strives for perfection. According to Freud, the disparity and development of the id, ego and the superego, determines an individual’s behavior in a given situation, which in turn results in the development of the personality. Freud placed great importance on the early years of a child as he believed that what we are as adults is determined by childhood experiences. Freud called these early years of development the psychosexual years of development. These early years proceed through a number of stages. Each child undergoes the different stages. These stages are the oral stage (first year of life), the anal stage ( second year), phallic stage (third through fifth year), a period of latency (from 6 to 12), and the genital stage (after puberty). Freud believed that as every child passes through these stages there might be a likely possibility that a child may spend more time in a particular stage then they aught to. This co ndition can lead to a fixation or an incomplete development of the personality. A critical event during the first five years of life is the experience of Oedipus and Electra conflicts. Freud believed that both sexes encounter and must deal with these turmoils, which result from boys developing sexual attraction toward their mothers, and girls developing sexual attraction towards their fathers. A boy may have feelings of jealousy towards his father as he is an obstacle between him and his mother. And, they fear retaliation by their fathers if they are caught (fear of castration). Since the boy loves his father, these feelings are repressed and he begins to identify with the father, adopting his values. Similarly girls develop hostility towards their mothers, unconsciously blaming their mothers for not being equal with boys. They assume that something is missing and feels inadequate (penis envy). Another major aspect of psychoanalysis is the development of defense mechanisms. According to the theory defense mechanisms are used by the ego to protect the person from anxiety. Repression is when information is pushed down into the unconscious. This information is either unpleasant or undesirable and may cause anxiety. Very often this information is pushed so deep down into the unconscious that is hard to retrieve. Reaction formation is when due to anxiety feelings are replaced by the extreme opposite. For instance a person feeling hate will be replaced by love. Undoing is when the ego completely changes actions which lead to feelings of anxiety. In this mechanism the truth may be drastically distorted. Projection is when an individual tends to assign one’s own shortcomings on to someone else. Rationalization is when an irrational act is made to appear rational. Denial occurs in cases where the ego is threatened and a person refuses to acknowledge the reality or seriousness of the situation. Identification involves empathizing with the qualities or characteristics of another favorable person. Fixation and Regression are related mechanisms which occur during psychosexual development. Psychoanalysis is also a therapy. It is based on the observation that individuals are often unaware of many of the factors that determine their emotions and behavior. Psychoanalytic treatment demonstrates how these unconscious factors affect current relationships and patterns of behavior, traces them back to their historical origins, shows how they have changed, and helps individuals to deal better with the realities of adult life. Though primarily of historical interest, an understanding of Freudian theory may give classroom teachers insight into the importance of unconscious feelings and drives that motivate some student behavior Implications for teaching When applying psychoanalysis to children or young students, a teacher must take a broad view by exploring the considerable range of psychoanalytic literature available.When applying psychoanalytic theories to children in the classroom, activities are typically categorized into either behaviorism or cognitivism. Behaviorism focuses on tangible behaviors, such as a child who will share her toys versus a child of the same age who refuses to share. Behaviorism also looks at conditioning and social learning to understand where a child picks up his personality traits and habits. Cognitivism looks at mental processes and events rather than tangible behaviors. Cognitive structure, or the structure and function of the brain, is of particular concern here. In cognitive science, psychologists are concerned with whether behaviors can be justified chemically or structurally in biological differences between people. When behaviorism and cognitivism are understood, teachers, parents and psychologists can attempt to answer behavioral disorders from a social conditioning and chemical perspective. A behavioral problem may be rooted in either or both areas of psychoanalysis. An example of a classic activity used for psychoanalysis in the classroom is role playing. During a role play, the teacher exercises control over the basic setup of the scenario. Students then act within those boundaries to produce original decisions and actions. In each scenario, a student knows there are things she should or should not do. For example, if the scenario involves seeing another child break a rule, the actor in the role play must decide what to do. Should he tell the teacher, attempt to punish or correct the child himself or let the child get away with it? Classroom activities around psychoanalytic theory can be public or anonymous. An example of an anonymous psychoanalytic activity is the question and answer game. Students write anonymous questions about social situations on a piece of paper and submit them to the teacher. The teacher will pass the questions back out to students, making sure each student gets a question he did not write. Students take the questions home and answer them overnight, and resubmit them anonymously. The teacher then reads them aloud for class discussion. 1. Learning is a process of active construction. Learning is the interaction between what students know, the new information they encounter, and the activities they engage in as they learn. Students construct their own understanding through experience, interactions with content and others, and reflection. Teaching Implication Provide opportunities for students to connect with your content in a variety of meaningful ways by using cooperative learning, interactive lectures, engaging assignments, hands-on lab/field experiences, and other active learning strategies. 2. Students’ prior knowledge is an important determinant of what they will learn. Students do not come to your class as a blank slate. They use what they already know about a topic to interpret new information. When students cannot relate new material to what they already know, they tend to memorize—learning for the test—rather than developing any real understanding of the content. Teaching Implication Learn about your students’ experiences, preconceptions, or misconceptions by using pre-tests, background knowledge probes, and written or oral activities designed to reveal students’ thinking about the topic. 3. Organizing information into a conceptual framework helps students remember and use knowledge. Students must learn factual information, understand these facts and ideas in the context of a conceptual framework, and organize knowledge in ways that facilitate retrieval and application in order to develop competence in a new topic. Teaching Implication Support students by using concept maps, flowcharts, outlines, comparison tables, etc., to make the structure of the knowledge clear. 4. Learning is a social phenomenon.   Students learn with greater understanding when they share ideas through conversation, debate, and negotiation. Explaining a concept to one’s peers puts knowledge to a public test where it can be examined, reshaped, and clarified. Teaching Implication Use Cooperative learning strategies, long-term group projects, class discussions, and group activities to support the social side of learning. 5. Learning is context-specific. It is often difficult for students to use what they learn in class in new contexts (i.e., other classes, the workplace, or their personal lives). Teaching Implication Use problem-based learning, simulations or cases, and service learning to create learning environments similar to the real world. 6. Students’ metacognitive skills (thinking about thinking) are important to their learning. Many students utilize few learning strategies and have a limited awareness of their thinking processes. Teaching Implication Help students become more metacognitively aware by modeling your thinking as you solve a problem, develop an argument, or analyze written work in front of the class. Teach metacognitive strategies, such as setting goals, making predictions, and checking for consistency. Focus attention on metacognition by having students write in a learning journal or develop explanations of their problem-solving processes. Conclusion Psychoanalytic (or psychosexual) theory deals primarily with personality and postulates that human â€Å"behavior is motivated by inner, unconscious forces, memories, and conflicts† (Feldman, 1998, p. 26) that often stem from early life experiences. According to this theory, there are three basic structures of the personality: the id (which consists of the irrational libidinal drives that motivate the person to seek pleasure and sexual gratification), the ego (the rational part of the mind), and the superego (essentially the conscience which counterbalances the impulses of the id). Development occurs through a sequence of five psychosexual stages (oral, anal, phallic, latency, and genital) which focus on a body part (or erogenous zone) that becomes the center of pleasure or gratification (Rice, 1997). Defense mechanisms such as denial, repression, rationalization, and displacement, which serve the important purpose of temporarily distorting reality to relieve anxiety or reduce conflict, are also important components of Psychoanalytic theory. Though primarily of historical interest, an understanding of Freudian theory may give classroom teachers insight into the importance of unconscious feelings and drives that motivate some student behavior.

Limitations of 10th & 11th 5 Year Plan

The Eleventh Five Year Plan, which was approved by the National Development Council on 1 9 De cembe r 2 0 0 7 re a f f i rms thi s commi tment . It pro v i de s a comp r e h e n s i ve s t r a t e g y f o r i n c l u s i v e development, building on the growing strength of the economy, while also addressing weaknesses that have surfaced. Tenth Five-Year Plan (2002–2007) ? Providing gainful and high-quality employment at least to the addition to the labour force; ? All children in India in school by 2003; all children to complete 5 years of schooling by 2007. Reduction in gender gaps in literacy and wage rates by at least 50% by 2007; ? Reduction in the decadal rate of population growth between 2001 and 2011 to 16. 2%;* ? Increase in Literacy Rates to 75 per cent within the Tenth Plan period (2002 – 2007) Eleventh Five-Year Plan (2007–2012) The eleventh plan has the following objectives: Education ? Reduce dropout rates of children from elementary school from 52. 2% in 2003-04 to 20% by 2011-12 ? Develop minimum standards of educational attainment in elementary school, and by regular testing monitor effectiveness of education to ensure quality ? Increase  literacy rate  for persons of age 7 years or above to 85% ? Lower gender gap in literacy to 10 percentage point ? Increase the percentage of each cohort going to higher education from the present 10% to 15% by the end of the plan Thrust Areas in the 10th Five Year Plan GENERAL : To achieve a profound transformation of higher education in order that it becomes an effective promoter of sustainable human development and at the same time, improves its relevance with closer links with the world of work and achieve quality in its teaching, research, business and community extension functions including life long learning. SPECIFIC: To contribute to the transformation through improvement of the conceptions, methodology and practices related to: The relevance of higher education. Quality, evaluation and accreditation. Research and development. Outreach activities in business and community and life long learning. The knowledge and use of the new information and communication technology. Management and financing. Export of higher education, and reorientation of international cooperation. Strengthening of open and distance education system. Strengthening of research institutions. Mobilization of resources. Proposals/Recommendations for 11th Five Year Plan A Working Group on Higher Education was set up by the Planning Commission under the Chairmanship of Secretary (HE), vide order no. M-12015/2/2005-Edn. Subsequently, it was decided to constitute seven Sub-Working Groups on the following sectors of higher education:- 1. Central Universities 2. Deemed to be Universities 3. State Universities 4. Col leges 5. Distance Education 6. Quality of Higher Education 7. Research. Tenth Five Year Plan (2000-2005) The year wise allocation and expenditure for the 10th Five Year Plan period was as follows : The Tenth Five Year Plan was fixed at Rs. 30,162 Lakhs. The flow to TSP, SCCP and PWD projects were follows: 1. TSP – 145 Lakhs 2. SCCP – 225 Lakhs 3. P. W. D. – 200 Lakhs During 10th Five Year Plan period the following development works was undertaken by the Govt. : 1. Normalisation of Plan Posts. 2. Establishment of  The K. K. Handique State Open University 3. Introduction of 5 years L. L. B. Courses in B. R. M. Govt. Law College. 4. Establishment of F. M. Radio Station. 5. Introduction of Private University Bill. . Sanction of Rs. 10 Lakhs to each Provincialised colleges and Rs. 4 Lakhs to all provincialised Sanskrit Tols under the scheme â€Å"Buniyad†. 7. Financial assistance to all affiliated Non-Govt. colleges (133 numbers) and 16 Sanskrit tols under â€Å"State Priority Schemes†. Eleventh Five Year Plan (2005-2010) The draft XIth Five Year Plan has been proposed for Rs. 34,175 lakhs. The flow to S. C. C. P proposed for XIth Five Year Plan is Rs. 300 Lakhs. During the current financial year an amount of Rs. 70 Lakhs has been agreed for S. C. C. P for implementation of the above mentioned schemes. For the next financial year 2008-09, an amount of Rs. 1,831 Lakhs has been proposed and the flow to S. C. C. P. is proposed for Rs. 100 Lakhs. III. Major Initiatives in the Eleventh Five Year Plan Let us examine the provisions made in the Plan for the various sectors in Education. This section will also highlight the changes, if any, in the scheme structure and measures taken for better implementation. C. Secondary Education The Central Government has been managing four types of schools that have been allocated the following: Kendriya Vidyalayas (Rs. 1,326 crore), Navodaya Vidyalayas (Rs. 4,067 crore), Central Tibetan Schools (Rs. 6 crore) and National Institute of Open Schooling (Rs. 88 crore). The Union Government scheme ‘Strengthening of Boarding and Hostel Facilities for Girl Students of Secondary and Higher Secondary Schools (Access & Equity)' is to be restructured and merged with the new umbrella scheme of ‘Universalization of Access and Improvement of Quality of Se condary Education'. Further, the erstwhile schemes of Information, Communication and Technology (ICT) in schools, girl child incentive, Integrated Education for Disabled Children, Vocational Education, etc. will be subsumed under a new umbrella Centrally Sponsored Scheme (CSS) named SUCCESS. The Eleventh Plan apportions Rs. 9,282 crore to SUCCESS. It is worthwhile here to note that under this scheme it is proposed to set up 6,000 block-level Model Schools at the secondary level which would be largely managed and run by the corporate entities, trusts and reputed private providers. This, when seen in the light of growing share of private schools (from 15% in 1993-94 to 30% in 2004-05) and encouraging establishment of good quality schools in deficient areas in Public Private Partnership ( PPP) mode is reflective of the policy direction of the Planning Commission and the Central Government. Focusing on the girl child, A Girl Child Incentive Scheme with a provision of Rs. 1,326 crore is to be launched on a pilot basis in selected Economically Backward Blocks (EBBs). On the basis of quick evaluation, its expansion will be considered in the Eleventh Plan period. It is proposed that the merger of all girl child incentive schemes will be ensured. Herein, a critical aspect related to school education is teacher education and training. The Plan provides Rs. 3,536 crore to Teacher Education. In this regard, severe gaps have been observed in the management of District Institutes of Education and Training (DIETs). Not only have most of the DIETs been headless, there is also a shortage of quality faculty in DIETs, thereby leaving much to be desired in the quality of teacher training. While the Plan document finds this detrimental to promoting quality in teaching, the solution suggested is heavily dependent on outsourcing the DIET faculty or DIETs adopting the PPP mode. D. Vocational Education The Eleventh Plan apportions Rs. 1,768 crore towards Vocational Education. As part of the strategy adopted by the Plan, there is greater emphasis on the services sector. This apart, over 95% of the unskilled and semi-skilled population will be provided continuous informal training. It is also suggested that a National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) system be developed. E. Higher Education Apart from the existing 7 schemes in Higher Education, the Eleventh Plan has provided 9 new schemes along with outlining a Special Plan for Higher Education wherein uncovered regions are provided with Science, Medical and Engineering Universities. The Plan highlights the need for autonomy and accountability in the higher educational institutions and calls for quality improvement. While the Plan observes that there are inherent imbalances due to the private sector focusing on specific disciplines and regions of the country; it is worth noting that the Plan hopes that more than half of the incremental enrolment in higher education is made by private providers, thereby encouraging the role of private unaided higher educational institutions in the country. F. Technical Education In the field of technical education, the Eleventh Plan envisages establishing new institutes of management, technology, industrial research and training, planning and architecture. This apart, upgrading select existing technical institutes is on the anvil. The State technical institutes are also proposed to be strengthened. Another key area that has been highlighted is the lack of adequate polytechnics in the country. With 125 districts not having a single polytechnic, it is suggested that every district be covered, through Central funding as well as with PPP and private funding. Some critical issues with regard to these polytechnics include: static curricula, poor industry interface, lack of flexibility to respond to needs, obsolescence of equipment, lack of trainers and inadequate funding. Limitations in the Eleventh Five Year Plan with Regard to Provisions for Education â€Å"The Eleventh Plan would be a Quality Plan in respect of the education sector. † – Eleventh Five Year Plan While some advances have been made towards ensuring the basic issues of access, retention and quality is met, some problems persist. The Plan seems to adopt a piecemeal approach as there are multiple schemes having multiple goals and a constant friction persists between the Centre and the States with regard to funding norms allowing scant progress in terms of outcomes. The Eleventh Plan is increasingly stressing on privatisation in elementary and secondary, higher and technical education sectors in education. PPP is being seen as the preferred route to financing and implementing schemes. Another distressing trend observed in the Plan document is the encouragement given to private players ranging from setting up educational institutions and suggestions to outsource DIET faculty, establishing private polytechnics, etc. Further, acknowledgment of the need to levy (user charges) fees even in public (government-run) schools is worth noting. This, when seen in the light of the Plan proposing to be a Quality Plan, also proves to be contradictory as illustrated by specific instances. In the elementary sector, the Plan continues to seek the participation of teachers in implementing the MDM scheme thereby denying quality teaching to pupils. Under adult education, low motivation and lack of training of voluntary teachers is hardly seen as encouraging quality concerns. Increasing role of public private participation in secondary schools and continuing to have four types of public-funded schools, instead of having a common system of school, also do not promote uniform quality education. With regard to addressing gender concerns, initiatives focusing on Muslim women need to be enhanced. There is also a fear that having multiple schemes with divergent goals (vocational training ranging from small scale entrepreneurial development to computer literacy, etc. ) might dilute the primary objectives of ensuring education and training of uniform quality for all.

Assessing Factors Of National Security

Assessing Factors Of National Security Disclaimer: This work has been submitted by a student. This is not an example of the work produced by our Law Essay Writing Service . You can view samples of our professional work here . Assessing Factors Of National Security National security is the necessity to maintain the endurance of the state through the use of political power, the exercise of diplomacy, economic and military. The idea developed mostly in the United States of America after World War II. Originally focusing on military might encompasses a broad range of facets all of which impose on the military or economic security of the nation and the values espoused by the national society. Therefore, in order to possess national security, a nation needs to possess environmental security, economic security and energy security etc. Security threats involve not only conventional foes such as other nation-states but also non-state actors such as violent non-state actors, narcotic cartels, multinational corporations and non-governmental organisations; some authorities include natural disasters and events causing severe environmental damage in this category. Measures taken to ensure national security include: us ing diplomacy to rally allies and isolate threats marshalling economic power to facilitate or compel cooperation maintaining effective armed forces implementing civil defense and emergency preparedness measures (including anti-terrorism legislation) ensuring the resilience and redundancy of critical infrastructure using intelligence services to detect and defeat or avoid threats and espionage, and to protect classified information using counterintelligence services or secret police to protect the nation from internal threats Slide 4 – Who defines national security? State/Government/group of elites determines the main objectives of security based on the nation’s sovereignty, integrity of the state and economic prosperity. As the source of political authority, the government defines security, and this definition generally encompasses the broader spectrum of values held dear by the majority. â€Å"Since the future racial peace in this country depends on how well the gove rnment handles the sensitive issues, it is suggested that the NSC shall be the body to look into the matter†. Slide 5 – Scope Slide 6 – Factors Of National Security Slide 7 – Economy Historically, conquest of nations have made conquerors rich through plunder, access to new resources and enlarged trade through controlling of the conquered nations’ economy. In today’s complex system of international trade, ‘ by multi-national agreements, mutual inter-dependence and availability of natural resources etc., the freedom to follow choice of policies to develop a nation’s economy in the manner desired, forms the essence of economic security. Economic security today forms, arguably, as important a part of national security as military security. Slide 8 – Military This is traditionally, the earliest recognised form of national security. Military security implies the capability of a nation to defend itself, and/or deter military aggr ession. Alternatively, military security implies the capability of a nation to enforce its policy choices by use of military force. The term â€Å"military security† is considered synonymous with â€Å"security† in much of its usage. One of the definitions of security given in the Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms, may be considered a definition of â€Å"military securityâ€Å": A condition that results from the establishment and maintenance of protective measures that ensure a state of inviolability from hostile acts or influences. Slide 9 – Politic The political aspect of security has been offered by Barry Buzan, Ole Wà ¦ver, Jaap de Wilde as an important component of national security. Political security is about the stability of the social order. Closely allied to military security and societal security, other components proposed in a framework for national security in their book â€Å"Security: a new framework for analysis†, it specifica lly addresses threats to sovereignty. System referent objects are defined, such as nation-states, nations, transnational groups of political importance including tribes, minorities, some religious organisations, systems of states such as the European Union and the United Nations, besides others. Diplomacy, negotiation and other interactions form the means of interacion between the objects.

The Dark Side of the Domus Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

The Dark Side of the Domus - Essay Example The Concept of Dwelling The conception of the dwelling has significantly become a normal subject in architecture. It connects predominantly well to the sustainability revolution as well as green architecture. These concepts share a viewpoint of profound pace attachment and correlation inside the environment. The theorist Lyotard holds the viewpoint that, the dwelling requires a location of permanence so that when threatened with alteration can result to a reactionary community of separating those with divergent principles. These similarities of the sustainability revolution connect to Lyotard’s fear of a place of abode and suppose a refocus of attempts toward tackling matters of equity. There are varied attempts globally to re-establish an individual scale of locales that promote an individual’s relationship with the environment, as well as each other. These attempts fall under certain hypothetical approach, for instance, sustainability, ecological design, as well as li veability. Scale and correlation among individuals is a significant quandary in the West. The sustainability upheaval correlates and reacts to Heidegger’s conception of dwelling, the significance of being in the universe. However, Lyotard visualizes dwelling as a prospective driver of isolation and disparity due to its dependence on commonly held principles. Lyotard refutes the notion of dwelling as a way to warn and criticize the standing and limitation of sustainability as well as ecological building uprisings nowadays (Ballatyne, 1998). The significant notion in the conception of the dwelling is the comprehension of how appropriate individuals can exist in their surroundings. For instance, the presumption of th building is dwelling and these buildings offer the act of residing in a certain place. A house, nonetheless, provides the act of residing but is not a place of abode. Individuals work within the city but live outside. Individuals also commute and live here and there . The concept of dwelling simply describes the occupation of temporary housing. It is the fundamental nature of human existence the summation of all the principles, and needs a connection to the soil. The individual fundamental, nature is present in the globe as in a heimat. This location specificity is further explicated as the real meaning of dwelling. This connection to a locale elucidates the other connotations of dwelling to be revealed. The principal element of the dwelling is to be at tranquillity and secure inside an individual’s preserve. Dwelling offers one of the most crucial human requirements and security. Individuals usually build to safeguard themselves from the universe. A place of abode is not just for individuals to be guarded. It is also meant to conserve the items that encircle the individual. This implies that nature is to be safeguarded. The mutual interrelationship calls for an innate understanding of a certain region that does not correlate to the pers istent structures of movement of varied present day individuals (Neil, 2009). People’s spatial existence has become detached by a rapidly altering community; consequently, the notion of the dwelling has emerged in the living areas as well as the daily existence in the city. This elucidates the

Managing Communication Knowledge and Information Essay

Managing Communication Knowledge and Information - Essay Example The department focuses on integrating operations and supply chain strategy with a firm’s operations capabilities. This involves decisions that relate to the design of the processes and infrastructure needed to support these processes. Process design includes selecting the appropriate technology, sizing the process over time, determining the role of inventory in the process, and locating the process (Schultz, 2011, pg, 49). The infrastructure decisions involve the logic associated with the planning and control systems, quality assurance and control approaches, work payment structure, and organisation of system quality assurance and control approaches, work payment structure and organisation of operations and supply chain functions. This department’s operations capabilities can be viewed as portfolio best suited to adapt to the changing product and or service needs of a firm’s customers. Starbucks’ location strategy-its clustering of 20 or more stores in each urban hubwas viewed as enhancing the experience both in creating a local â€Å"Starbucks buzz’’ and in facilitating loyalty by Starbucks’ customers. Starbucks’ analysis of sales by individual store found little evidence that closely located Starbucks stores cannibalized one another’s sales. Recognizing that convenience of location was critical to driving sales; Starbucks began adding drive-through windows to some of its stores and locating stores specifically to capitalize on drive-through customers (Miles & Friedman, 2006, pg. 100). For this reason, the manager requires information to do with the corporate social responsibility (Phillip & Freeman, 2010, pg. 33). This implies that the manager requires understanding what the community around as well as the consumer perceives of the products from the company. In addition, the management in this department requires information on employee perception on the decisions being undertaken in the company. This will ensure that operations are efficient and therefore, the supply chain is up to date. As such, the manager is supposed to

International business finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

International business finance - Essay Example On the other hand, too high or too frequently declared cash dividends may deplete internally generated capital, compelling the company to resort to more costly external financing according to the pecking order theory. Miller and Modiligliani (1961) proposed that the value of a firm was not dependent upon its dividend policy (Azzopardi, 2004). Rather than imply that the prospects of a regular cash income are not an important motivation of shareholders to invest in a firm, it is more likely, rather that there are different preferences and investment horizons for different potential investors. Generally a type of firm or industry would tend to attract investors of a similar profile with similar investment expectation, although not to the extent that deviation from one, ideal, type of dividend policy would dissuade potential shareholders from investing. Shareholder wealth is enhanced in two ways: by capital gain through the rise in the price of the stock, and through income distribution in the form of cash dividends. The dividend discount model implies that stock valuation should rise with rising cash dividends. On the other hand, pecking order theory proposes that retention of earnings in the company allows the firm to explore new opportunities for expansion without sourcing additional capital from external, costly sources. Finally, there is the signalling theory that opines that cash dividend declarations conveys the information to investors concerning the company’s long-term sustained earnings potential (Azzopardi, 2004; Kapoor, 2006). Determinants of dividend policy formulation Despite the apparent straightforward relation between dividend policy and stock price that determines shareholder wealth, empirically the relationship between them is not clear cut. There exist conflicting factors that qualify the manner dividend policy impacts upon the firm’s value and, therefore, shareholder wealth (Malla, 2009). The market therefore tends to associate va rious factors with dividend payout, which in turn influence the manner policy makers approach the issues surrounding dividend policy formulation. It is commonly assumed that the best dividend policy is one that increases shareholder wealth by the greatest amount, since it is presumed that the objective of policy setting is to increase the wealth of its shareholders (Adefila, 1995). However, correlation studies of stock prices and dividend policy revealed a relatively loose correlation between shareholder wealth and dividend policy, leading to the conclusion that various internal and external factors affect the formulation of dividend policy, some of which may not impact positively on shareholder wealth in the short term. The studies recommend a holistic approach to the formulation of dividend policy, since shareholder wealth is not the only consideration, nor even the overriding purpose, of setting the dividend pay-out. The findings of Adefila, made two decades ago and in relation t o an emerging market, are consistent even with findings of recent studies conducted in developed markets such as the United States. Gill, Biger & Tibrewala (2010) determined that in the US setting, the particular firm’s industry is also determinative of the typical (if not optimal) dividend payout policy adopted by it. It was found that the dividend payout ratio is dependent upon the