David the King

David the King of Israel and the 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership After two thousand years of being scattered around the world, the Israelites, God’s chosen people were finally able to come back to their historic home. When they finally settled in and formed a new government, they decided to have as their national symbol a flag with the Star of David prominently displayed in the center. One has to ask, of all the great and mighty leaders that have come and gone in the history of ancient Israel, they opted to have David as the symbol of unity, strength, resiliency, courage and above all integrity for the newly formed nation. This paper will look into the life of David and how he has risen from anonymity and transformed himself to become the most effective general and political leader Israel has ever known. Introduction Based on what can be gleaned from the Bible, David did not come from royalty. But his family could not also be considered as dirt poor since his grandparents according to the Book of Ruth owned land. Nevertheless, David had to work as a shepherd boy to help augment the income of his family. They also have no servants because when it was time to seek news and provide supplies to his brothers in the war front, David’s father asked his youngest son to travel instead of asking a trusted male servant to the job. The above-mentioned information is very important because it must be established that David was not groomed as a leader. It also provides contrast to the current situation in the 21st century where people are more aware of leadership quality traits and that schools and leadership programs are being established to replicate good leaders. But it was not the case with David. It can be argued that David was thrust into the limelight so to speak and he did not plot his way to the throne of Israel. When he visited his brothers, he witnessed and heard and unusual sight – the people of God cowered in fear against a man-giant called Goliath. The 8-foot plus warrior was taunting and blaspheming the Israelites and Yahweh respectively. His young heart could not take the insults and so he decided to do something about it and the rest as they say is history. 21 Laws of Leadership The fact that David did not consciously desired to be king and the fact that his family did not actively encouraged him to set his sights so high can be a very good starting point for studying the 21 laws of leadership. If Maxwell was right then even ancient peoples practiced these principles. If this study provides proof that an ancient leader such as David did indeed – consciously or unconsciously – sought out the benefits of these principles then at the end of this study one can conclude that John Maxwell was right to say that these principles are indeed irrefutable. The following pages describes Maxwell’s laws of leadership as seen in the life of David: A. The Law of the Lid- Leadership ability determines a person’s level of effectiveness David did not enroll in leadership school. His was a training program found in the wilderness. It was not formal but he desired to perfect the little talent that he had and from here he accelerated faster than the others did. During this time all he knew was three skills. The first one was to tend sheep; the second one is the ability to ward off predators using a slingshot and stick; and finally the ability to play the harp B. The Law of Process- Leadership develops daily, not in a day There were others who probably knew the same skills set as David but he became an expert in the little things on a daily basis he practiced the playing of the harp and the dead aim of a slingshot-shooter able to scare away lions and bears. He kept plugging on it until his fame grew as a young boy eager to please his father and also as a budding musician skillful with the harp. Because of constantly desiring excellence even in the little things, David was rewarded in his efforts. The news of a good musician skilled in the art of providing happiness to a gloomy heart reached the ears of a depressed King Saul. This was the beginning of an accelerated development process for David. On the part of David, it is very probable that he was not there absentmindedly fiddling with the harp but actively soaking it in learning all that he could. Now, the young is not only learning about the ways of sheep, lions, and bear he is also beginning to get an insight into the ways of a leader in the times when he was called into the palace. During this time, David had insider information as to how a government should be run. There were only a few young men given the privilege of doing so. C. The Law of Intuition- Leaders evaluate everything with a leadership bias There were many examples in his life when one can see this principle regarding intuition is in full display. The first one is when he faced Goliath. David did not grandstand or acted foolish as was suggested by his brothers. God knew what was going on, David was prompted by something so profound that no one in the whole camp was able to understand except this young man. The leader’s intuition was first displayed here when David refused to back down from a blasphemer and instead asked permission to go to battle with the giant. The second time this intuition was on display was when David refused to glory in humiliating Saul and finally when his enemy was killed he did not gloat and showed tremendous restraint choosing instead to mourn the former ruler of Israel. In this way David demonstrated a leadership bias and not merely someone following the dictates of emotions. D. The Law of Influence- The true measure of leadership is influence When David decided to become a dutiful son he immediately became an influence in his region. He was well known and it is the reason why he was brought to the palace of the king. Yet his influence grew even more in his association with the king. Finally his capacity to influence others grew exponentially when he destroyed Goliath. This capability was in full display when was able to convince the King that the whole nation should put their trust in him, knowing fully well that if he failed then Israel will be enslaved by the Philistines. His ability to influence grew as he was considered as Israel’s new hero. The Adult Years In the second phase of his life, David finds himself married, a successful career in the military and serving a delusional king, severely depressed and jealous of his success. It was at this time when he was driven out of the palace and he survived by living in caves. It is also at this point in his life when one can observe the following leadership principles come into play: 1. The Law of E.F. Hutton- When a real leader speaks, people listen 2. The Law of Respect- People naturally follow leaders stronger than themselves 3. The Law of Magnetism- Who you are is who you attract 4.The Law of Solid Ground- Trust is the foundation of leadership 5. The Law of Empowerment- Only secure leaders give powers to others 6. The Law of Connection- Leaders touch a heart before they ask for a hand The people that he met – during the time when he was Public Enemy No. 1 – were acknowledged to be fugitives like David. Many were the dirty dregs of society and the Israeli military would love nothing but their capture. Yet it was from this group that David handpicked his future leaders and used it as the core to create one of the most feared armed forces in the history of ancient warfare (1 Sam. 22). This could only happen if David was able to practice the 8 leadership principles listed above, including those mentioned previously. The desperate men gathered in the caves listened to David because they believe in him and they respect him because they sense that he is a man of inner strength. They probably heard that he was the one who had slain the giant while he (David) was still in puberty. They may have also figured out that Saul is hunting him down though he is innocent. So they were attracted to him because like them he has full of potential but circumstances conspired to make him a lesser man. It is also because of David’s loyalty to Saul – in spite of the king’s ingratitude – that made the people feel that they can trust this young man. So by training them and teaching them how to behave like a disciplined military unit, he was able to touch their inner being and he was able to empower them. Reigning King The following principles are evident even before he was making a push to ascend the throne of Israel. But it was only when he reached manhood when David was mature enough to display the following: E. The Law of Navigation- Anyone can steer the ship, but it takes a leader to chart the course For many years, David was living in a remote outpost far from Saul. But when Saul was dead he knew that the best step is to go to the capital and claim what was rightfully his according to the late prophet Samuel. F. The Law of The Big Mo- Momentum is a leader’s best friend David allowed his organization, his small band of men to gather momentum. There is no use charging a fortified target if the group is not yet ready. Momentum was building for years and when he was ready he made it known that it was time to go to Jerusalem. G. The Law of Timing- When to lead is as important as what to do and where to go Those who are eager enough to seize power and those who are foolish enough to charge in without being sensitive to what is happening all around him is not a good leader. David demonstrated his knack for timing when he did not immediately enter Jerusalem after Saul’s death. He waited until he has gathered enough support – until his army is ready to face whatever it is that the enemy can throw against them. H. The Law of Production- It takes a leader to raise up a leader One of the main reasons why David was able to establish a strong government can be attributed to his ability to raise up leaders. He was able to train former fugitives who used to have no direction in life until he stepped in and intervened in their behalf. The result was awesome, a multitude of military leaders were equipped and made ready for battle. I. The Law of Buy-In- People buy into the leader and then the vision Aside from leading a band of former fugitives to capture Jerusalem and other key areas in the Promised Land, the vision that David provided for his men were almost impossible to achieve. The men who went with him in pursuit of the dream have to believe first in David before they could follow him into harm’s way. J. The Law of the Inner Circle- A leader’s potential is determined by those closest to him It is important to note that David’s capability can also be determined by the caliber of people that he surrounds himself with. According to 2Sam 16 it was not only efficient military commanders that comprise David’s inner circle but also religious men who are also an important component of Israel society. K. The Law of Victory- Leaders find a way for the team to win David, it seems, can find the solution to his problem in just the nick of time. He saw the weakness in Goliath’s armor and he was well aware of his enemies weaknesses and strength allowing him to become Israel’s’ most victorious military strategist. L. The Law of Priorities- Leaders understand that activity is not necessarily accomplishment When Absalom, David’s son decided to rebel against his father and tried to usurp the kingdom, David did the unthinkable. He retreated and crossed the Jordan. He saw no reason to fight Absalom and engage him head on. He was criticized by this act but he demonstrated that it is not only ruthless action that can win wars. M. The Law of Sacrifice- A leader must give up to go up It is too many to count the times when David decided to sacrifice something in order to win. The first time that he demonstrated this is by obeying his father and doing all the tedious work needed to support his family. The second incident is when he decided to run away rather than to stage a coup against his King Saul. N.The Law of Explosive Growth- To add growth, lead followers-to multiply, lead leaders In the earlier part of his reign David was able to grow the army in size and potency in warfare. David has at least thirty chiefs responsible for hundreds of men. On top of this there are many that defected to David to increase further the strength of his army. O. The Law of Legacy – A leader's lasting value is measured by succession Before he died, David left the Kingdom of Israel into the hands of capable men. One of them is Solomon who grew up to lead Israel into its golden age. But there is perhaps no other legacy that David left behind than to prepare a bloodline from which Jesus Christ will come from. Conclusion Even though the 21 laws of leadership was a modern take at leadership principles and values; it is clear to see that ancient men were able to observe and practice them. One of the ancient rulers who benefited greatly from the wisdom of the 21 laws is a young man called David. He was once a shepherd boy who grew up to become one of the most beloved and one of the most accomplished military general and ruler of Israel. References Maxwell, J. (2007). The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership. Retrieved from: Â  Accessed 17 September 2007. Holy Bible. (2005) Today’s New International Version. CO: International Bible Society. Â  

Strategic Analysis of the Uk Fast Food Industry

Business and Management Strategy BAM6012 A Strategic and Competitive Analysis of the UK’s Fast Food Industry Executive Summary The food industry in the UK is a multi-billion pound industry that is mainly dominated by a few competitors such as McDonalds, Burger King, KFC and Subway. Most of the food sold in these fast food restaurants is unhealthy, which is becoming a huge concern as there are many people dying of obesity and other health related problems. This is one of the key social factors facing the fast food market at the moment.The fast food industry is a ‘red ocean’ as it is already well defined where rivalry is intense. It is also a perfectly competitive industry as the barriers to entry are low and there are many rivals each with similar products. Information about any of the competitors is freely available. The industry does have a few characteristics of an oligopolistic industry too as there is a couple of companies that have the main market share and h ave power over the buyers and suppliers.The main features that influence a firm’s ability to compete and gain profitability depend on who their main competition is. For example there are different strategic groups in the industry such as McDonalds and Burger King who compete at the top of the industry and single privately owned fast food retailer that compete on a much lower level with much smaller budgets. The customer requirements are very low in this industry as a lot of the products sold by different firms are very similar; however the requirement of a cheap and fast meal is always at the top of their needs.Any potential strategy to increase profitability within the industry will need to be assessed properly and to realise the risks involved and other potential threats to it. Table of contents Pg. Executive Summary†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 2 Introduction†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4 History of the fast food market†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 4 Current market conditions†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 4 PESTEL analysis†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 5 Porter’s Five Forces†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã ¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Industry attractiveness†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 9 Opportunities†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9 Threats†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦ 9 Possible strategies†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 10 Bibliography†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. 11 Introduction This report aims to give a strategic and competitive analysis of the UK’s fast food industry. It will cover the main structural features of the industry that influence competition and profitability. The report will give an overview of the whole industry rather than just one company within it.I shall also aim to analyse the industry attractiveness showing why possible companies would like to enter the marketplace. Another aim of the report is to analyse the competition and customer requirements in order to identify opportunities to gain a competitive advantage within the industry. The final aim of the report is to develop possible strategies to influence and improve on profitability. Whilst developing a strategy, the difficulties and risks involved in using these strategies will be covered. History of the fast food industry in the UKThe UK has embraced a lot of different types of fast food over the years, ranging from pizza to burgers, kebabs to Chinese, curry to fish & chips and healthy offerings. There is a lot of competition in the market at present with high profile companies such as McDonalds, Subway, Burger King, and KFC, not to mention the amount of privately owned single store fast food outlets. Current market conditions The value of the fast food market in the UK grew by 3. 3% in 2011 to reach a total value of $7,860. 3 million. The forecast for the market value is set to increase to $9,147 million by 2016.This is an increase of 16. 4% by 2011. Transactions in the fast food market also grew in 2011 by 1% to reach a total volume of 2,785. 2 million transactions. The market volume is set to increase by 6. 8% by 2016 to a total of 2,975. 4 million transactions. Fast Food Industry Profi le: The United Kingdom’ 2012, Fast Food Industry Profile: United Kingdom, pg 1-35, Business Source Premier, EBSCO host, viewed [25/11/2012] PESTLE analysis â€Å"PESTLE analysis will help to capture understanding about aspects of the context by using the prompts political, economic, sociological, technological, legal and environmental.It is a technique that facilitates a wide scan of the context and actual or potential factors that would affect objectives if left unmanaged. † (Webster-Murray, R. 2010. pg. 88) Political factors * There is an increasing amount of pressure from the government to encourage people to eat healthier as the number of deaths relating to obesity and an unhealthy lifestyle is on the increase year after year. * The government can allocate grants to business start-ups to try and promote fair competition within the marketplace. There is speculation over the government introducing a new ‘fat tax’ on fast food served over a counter. This will add on another 20% to the current price in taxes. http://www. guardian. co. uk/society/2012/may/16/fat-tax-unhealthy-food-effect Economic factors * Consumers will have less disposable income with the current economic climate and therefore may be less likely to spend money on fast food as it may be seen as a luxury. * Exchange rates may affect profitability on the business if they are sourcing materials (all the ingredients used to create their food) from outside the UK. Unemployment levels are high at the moment in the UK which means there will be even more consumers without the money to purchase fast food. The current unemployment rate currently sits at 7. 8%. http://www. ons. gov. uk/ons/key-figures/index. html * The inflation rate is at 2. 2% currently in the UK. This does not pose a problem as businesses will not be phased by this to invest more and grow. http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/business-19959827 Sociocultural factors * The current social trend of eating healthy and ha ving a healthy lifestyle is pushing customers away from eating at fast food restaurants. With London just hosting the Olympic Games in the summer of 2012 then a lot of people are trying to start a much healthier diet and lifestyle for themselves, therefore cutting back on the amount of fast food they currently eat. * The high standard of education in the UK means that children are more aware and knowledgeable about the health implications that arise from eating fast food. * With the current fast paced lifestyle that a lot of consumers have, it is easy for them to just pick up food at a fast food outlet rather than cook for themselves.This shows that fast food can be seen as convenient. * Companies must try and add value to their brand by being reasonably priced and of an equal quality in relation to the price. * Consumers already have a large variety of choice within the fast food market therefore a menu should also offer a lot of choice so that the customer can be satisfied and the ir ever changing taste can be satisfied too. * The fast paced lifestyle of consumers means that the service of fast food must also match that and be quick too. * Healthy options must be made available as to encourage a balanced diet.Technological factors * Fast food companies now have a wide range of tools available to them in order to promote their brand and products. Different ways they can do this is through the use of TV, radio, internet, direct mail, interactive billboards and many other options. * Companies can now use the internet not just to promote their brand but also to take orders and let the customer make transactions. This can be helpful to lower the cost of using employees. * Technological advances mean it is easier for a company to keep track of stock levels and also take orders in store.This minimises the risk of human error. Environmental factors * Companies in the fast food industry now need to monitor the amount of waste they dispose of as there is a lot of empha sis now on cutting down the amount of waste and turning it into recyclable and reusable products. Businesses are now turning to recyclable packing. * The amount of energy that is consumed in the process of making the fast food and where all the energy comes from to power a fast food outlet. Can be seen as a good ethical policy to use or create off shore wind farms that power outlets. Legal factors Have to stick to a law that means they cannot mislead consumers on the nutritional value of their products. * Companies have to abide by certain health and safety laws for both the employees and the customers. * Other laws that a business will have follow are laws on employment, fair competition and food hygiene. Through the use of a PESTLE analysis we can see that there are many factors that affect the UK’s fast food industry. Most of these factors arise in the sociocultural section as it is here that the fast food industry gains most of its unwanted attention.This is mainly down t o the fact that the foods served by the companies are mainly unhealthy, carrying lots of calories, salt and sugars. Porters Five Forces Model In 1980, Michael Porter came up with a model that identified five forces that have an influence on an industry. This model â€Å"focuses on five forces that shape competition within an industry: (1) the risk of entry by potential competitors: (2) the intensity of rivalry among established companies within an industry: (3) the bargaining power of buyers: (4) the bargaining power of suppliers: and (5) the closeness of substitutes to an industry’s products. (Hill, C. W. L, Jones, G. L. 2010, pg. 42) Threat of New Entrants * Low barriers to entry mean that it is easy for a company to start up a business in the fast food industry. However would be unable to compete directly with the large organisations already in the market. * Easy for a new entrant to differentiate their product and atmosphere of the outlet (shop). * Once a good location i s found then it could ensure the success of a new entrant. Could be possible to dominate the market in a certain location. Capital investment is not too high or out of reach for most individuals. Bargaining Power of Suppliers * Companies in the fast food industry could change their suppliers quite easily as there are a lot of suppliers that would be happy to receive the amount of revenue they could gain from using such a large company as Burger King or McDonalds. * The larger companies in the fast food industry have a lot of bargaining power over their suppliers as they could make up a very large proportion of the suppliers revenue, if not all of it. Bargaining Power of Buyers Due to the sheer volume of customers that purchase fast food, the bargaining power of the buyer is low. For example, a customer could barter with a butcher’s market stall about the price of meat whereas they could not walk into a Subway store and negotiate the price of a sandwich down to their preferred amount. The price shown is the price that will be paid. * Only bargaining power the customer has is the lack of switching costs. A customer could purchase from a McDonalds instead of Subway without costing them anything. Threat of substitutes The threat of substitute products is very high as firstly the lack of switching costs means that a customer could change preferences and purchase from another company immediately as long as it fitted their standard of quality and price. * The market is currently flooded with products that are all very similar (McDonalds burgers are in theory the same as Burger King) therefore a new product could arise and sell particularly well as long as it had a good taste and quality. Rivalry among Existing Firms * Rivalry is high in the current market as top firms such as McDonalds and Burger King compete for the highest market share.Due to the sheer size of these companies they can spend heavily on advertising and use aggressive tactics to ensure success. * Constant funds are being ploughed into advertising to try and promote not just the products companies offer but also to try and promote their brand. For example, McDonalds now tries to show more on the ethical side of the company saying that all of their ingredients are sourced locally. Through the use of Porter’s Five Forces model, we can see that the threat of substitutes, rivalry among existing firms and threat of new entrants to the market are moderate to high.Whereas the bargaining power of both suppliers and buyers are relatively low. This shows that the companies in the market currently have a lot of power. Industry attractiveness * Massive industry worth $7,860. 3 billion. * Huge volume of transactions at 2,785. 2 billion. * Small market share can still mean high revenue. * Possibility to create a large and global company similar to that of McDonalds. * Possibility to run a franchise business model. * Has a very broad market segment. * Could be a good industry in a recession as consumers cut down spending on eating at more expensive restaurants. Industry is predicted to continue growing. Opportunities There are many opportunities and threats that arise from the use of the PESTLE analysis and Porter Five Forces model such as: 1. Due to the current unemployment rate of 7. 8% this means that large companies such as McDonalds could use this to their advantage and open a number of new stores to create new jobs and in turn create more revenue for the industry. This could enhance the image of the industry as it is helping the nation out by creating jobs in this time of economic downturn. . As consumers have less disposable income then they will be less likely to eat out at more expensive restaurants and may turn to fast food outlets as they are cheaper. This is a great opportunity to advertise heavily on a menu that is less expensive than the normal menu. For example creating a meal that only costs the consumer ? 2. This should attract a lot of pote ntial customers to spend more in the fast food industry. 3. Differentiate the industry by offering healthier foods on a whole to gain the interest of the health conscious consumers.This would increase the volume of the industry. Threats 1. If an outbreak of foot and mouth disease or BSE (mad cow disease) were to arise then consumers would not be purchasing any type of beef which would mean a downturn in the amount of revenue gained by the fast food industry. 2. Any type of negative feedback from the media would shine an unwanted spotlight on the fast food industry. For example, if someone were to find a hair in their burger at a fast food outlet then it might influence customers to eat elsewhere.Strategies to influence industry structure and improve industry profitability * Create new menus that will offer healthy food to the consumer. This will engage with a new target audience and therefore enhance the volume of transactions the industry already has. The amount of revenue earned b y the industry will also increase. This will lead to new competitors in the market place offering a different product type and increase the amount of competition amongst the already competing firms. * Companies could vertically integrate in order to gain control over the production of the ingredients that it needs to create the foods.This would be risky for some businesses as the vast majority of their expertise is in the retailing of fast food. Conclusion Overall, the fast food industry is a highly competitive industry that is dominated by a few main players. The main features that influence competition are the changing tastes of the customer and their willingness to try other fast food outlets. Profitability is not only based now on the products that a company sells but also the way in which the customer perceives the ethical values of a company.Although the requirements of a customer needing a cheap meal at a fast pace is still high on their agenda of needs. For a company to surv ive and improve upon its current position in the marketplace it should think about different strategies such as growth (new products or different areas) differentiation and vertical integration. Bibliography * Fast Food Industry Profile: The United Kingdom’ 2012, Fast Food Industry Profile: United Kingdom, pg 1-35, Business Source Premier, EBSCO host, viewed [25/11/2012] * Murray-Webster, R. (2010) Management of risk: guidance for practitioners.The stationery office: Norwich * Dennis Campbell (2012) ‘Fat Tax’ on unhealthy food must raise prices by 20% to have effect says study. (01/12/2012) http://www. guardian. co. uk/society/2012/may/16/fat-tax-unhealthy-food-effect * Office for national statistics (2012) Key figures. (02/12/2012) http://www. ons. gov. uk/ons/key-figures/index. html * BBC (2012) UK inflation rate slows to 2. 2% in September, ONS says. (01/12/2012) http://www. bbc. co. uk/news/business-19959827 * Hill, C. W. L & Jones, G. L. (2010) Strategic Man agement an integrated approach. Cengage learning: USA

Sia Singapore Airline

Executive Summary The report provides an overview of the company and its environment. The paper identifies various resources and capabilities available to the company. The various strategies that Singapore Airlines utilise and how they affect the airlines performance. Key issues have been identified that threaten Singapore Airlines current market. The often complicated Government regulations and global laws that affect the airline industry have been defined and explained. Current industry issues and trends that affect Singapore Airlines have been researched, a number of recommendations have been provided, as a possible solution.Overview of Singapore Airlines Singapore Airlines (SIA) first flights began in 1947 partnered with Malaysian Airlines, each funded by there governments. The two airlines mainly serviced South East Asia. Singapore separated from Malaysia in 1965 to become the republic of Singapore. The two governments therefore decided to go there own ways and set up there own airlines. In 1972 Singapore Airlines was launched. The domestic market was basically non existent due to Singapore being a small country geographically.Singapore Airlines had to immediately pursue an international presence and started planning flight routes, airport resources, and government acceptance into foreign destinations etc. SIA also had to establish themselves as a genuine competitor and market the airline internationally to potential customers and future stakeholders. Today, SIA has more than 10,000 employees and 95 aircrafts. The airline now serves 89 destinations around the world including Asia, Europe, North America, Middle East, Australasia, and Africa. ( www. airlines. priceline. om) SIA is situated at Changi Airport along with subsidiaries Silkair and Tiger Airlines. ‘In 2004, Changi Airport received a record 30,400,000 passengers, a year-on-year growth of 23. 1% in passenger traffic. Similarly, a record 1,780,000 tonnes of cargo was moved, representing a year- on-year increase of 10. 2% in airfreight volume’. (http://en. wikipedia. org). Changi Airport is classed as â€Å"the hub of Asia†, Changi provides stopovers, refuelling, and passenger exchange for all the international airlines travelling from one side of the world to the other.Changi Airport is also expanding to accommodate for there cut price airline and new Airbuses arriving in 2006. Analysis of Singapore Airlines Environment In analysing the environment, the important external influences that effect performance and decisions of Singapore airlines have been detailed in this section. The airline industry has been strongly controlled by agreements and policies. Airlines couldn’t just fly to any destination or country without appropriate authorisation. Most countries have there own national airline that are generally government backed and hold a big influence on there operation.The governments also implement policies and regulations to control foreign airline a ccess to there airports. Some countries now have deregulated there national airline industry to reduce the amount of government control, and make access to airports/services more open for negotiation. Countries that have employed this action are the United States, Australia, European Union and Japan. The deregulation of the Airline industry opens doors for more entrants to the market and increased competition.Singapore Airlines is still owned by the Singapore government and is still affected by such controls. The Singapore government has signed an agreement with the United States called â€Å"Open Skies† that gives both countries unrestricted flight access to each others countries. The open skies phenomenon is gathering momentum and more and more countries are signing up. Singapore Airlines is currently in negotiations with Australia, to reach an agreement regarding open skies access down under. Basically the countries that gain open skies agreements are able to expand on exi sting business.The airline industry is highly competitive industry and the rival airlines are always taking advantage of any opportunity to gain more destinations. Statistics show Asia’s population is steadily increasing every year and this contributes to the increase in flights. Asia is recognised as the hotspot for air travel at present and into the future. Asia-Pacific intercontinental flights are up 7% and there has been growth of 8% intra-regional services (www. oag. com). This interest in the area has seen new cut price airlines emerge to cater for the demand. SIA has established its own low price airline Tiger Airlines to satisfy demand.Other environmental factors influencing SIA and the airline industry are rising fuel prices. The price rise in fuel causes a cost increase in the running of flights, therefore a rise in ticket prices. SIA have just passed a decision to put a US$10 surcharge on ticket prices to accommodate the fuel rise. Terrorism has caused massive econ omic losses for airline industry and also bankruptcy. Terrorism strikes happen at any time without warning and destinations around the world that are directly affected by terrorism attacks see a dramatic stop in airline flights.The airlines cannot predict these attacks from happening and have to build such occurrences into there risk management policies. Review of the Industry Structure In analysing the industry structure this report uses Porters 5 Forces. The five forces look at the Threat of New Entrants, Power of Suppliers, Power of Buyers, Availability of Substitutes, and Competitive Rivalry. Threat of New Entrants: The international airline industry has high barriers to entry for a number of reasons, firstly there are quite high costs involved in setting up an industry.As mentioned previously, gaining flight access to foreign countries and obtaining airport space is another hurdle that stands in the way of new entrants. The current airlines dominating the industry are constantl y working on maximising cost efficiency, and performance to discourage any new entrants and to try force out existing poor operators. The Domestic industry is more attractive to new entrants as it doesn’t have as much complications as the international side and lower barriers to entry. Power of Suppliers: The aircraft suppliers of the airline industry are dominated by two suppliers Boeing and Airbus.The aircrafts engines are standardised so both aircraft manufacturers have similar engines. Boeing and Airbus both outsource there parts for there planes and generally use the same suppliers. The body frames and interiors is where the two manufacturers can differentiate there product. Due to the standardisation of engines the switching costs of suppliers is reduced and airlines. (De Melo, 2000) Power of Buyers: The power of buyers is low in the airline industry as switching costs are high. Most airlines are similar inside; it’s more the service that sets them apart.Most air lines follow each other on prices and cause buyers to pay there price, on the other hand new entrants my cause price competition and therefore a buyers market. (www. fool. com). Availability of Substitutes: The substitutes that could threaten the airline are cars, boats and trains. These substitutes are not that much of a threat to aeroplane travel. Airlines are generally is used to cover large distances in a short period of time, and was establish to fill a demand that the other forms of travel couldn’t accommodate as effectively.Alternate measures of transport are more of a personal choice not a direct parallel substitute. (www. fool. com). Competitive Rivalry: The airline industry is highly competitive and price wars are a common occurrence. There is constant fighting for territory and expansion. Major players in the industry concentrate on lowering there costs and improving service to deter new entrants. What Key resources available to Singapore Airlines? Singapore Airlin es is a well establish international airline with strong profitable track record.The company has a government ownership and also private stakeholders. The airline has always been profitable and the funds reinvested back into the company, to build on capital. The table below shows that last 3 years financials and even in the case of the S. A. R. S breakout in 2004 they still posted a profit. [pic] Aside from just financial capital, Singapore Airlines has many other resources listed below: †¢ Changi airport the home of Singapore Airlines is one of the largest freight handling facilities in the world, and is the most popular hub in Asia. †¢Singapore has a resource of about 95 aircrafts that now are brought internally and not leased; the aircrafts are generally replaced every 4-5 years. †¢ Singapore Airlines has built a mass of 89 international flight destinations. †¢ The airline has built a human resource training facility. †¢ Changi Airport hosts SIA state of art engineering company that services there planes and other international airlines. SIA also has one of the largest flight kitchens in the world situated at Changi. †¢ SIA belongs to the Star Alliance where other airlines join resources together to increase coverage around the world.Star alliance covers 790 airports in 138 countries. †¢ Finally the brand attribute, is probably there most powerful resource. â€Å"Singapore Girl you’re a great way to fly† Has been strongly nurtured over the last 32 years to be the most recognised brand and icon in the airline industry, Singapore Airline has many capabilities that support there resources, these are: †¢ Latest technological and communication products linking there global network. †¢ Huge investment in human resources, this provides highly skilled workers and management. †¢ Expansive destination coverage due to Star Alliance. State of the art freight facilities that link with the port shipping auth ority What it takes to be successful in the Airline Industry and What strategies are used by Singapore Airlines? Singapore Airlines is basically the trend setter of the airline industry. SIA has employed many innovative strategies since it began. These strategies have been supported and strengthen over the years, and have led to the success, the company enjoys today. To be successful in the airline industry you have to employ superior efficiency, quality, innovation and customer responsiveness.SIA has exercised a quality/service differentiation strategy to become one of the leaders in the passenger airline industry. ‘Singapore Airlines has carefully built a financial and fixed cost infrastructure which allows them to continue investing to support the brand while challenging the competition on costs’. (www. venturerepublic. com) More recently Singapore Airlines became a member with the star alliance, which helps the company maintain economies of scale by code sharing, wh ere SIA can offer services on another airline under its own flight codes and offer more destinations.By building solid capital the airline now enables them to purchase aircrafts and equipment internally without the need for leases and interest. This has enable SIA to have the latest aircrafts and renew them every 5 years. By having a new fleet the company is able to be more efficient with regards to fuel economy, maintenance, and have less downtime. (www. venturerepublic. com). Another benefit of owning aircrafts outright gives flexibility if there is a dramatic decline in the economy, SIA has the freedom of not being locked into long leases and aircrafts can be disposed of, if need be.Therefore they can handle the ups and downs of the economy, more so than competitors. (www. venturerepublic. com). Singapore Airlines have always concentrated on being innovative, as mentioned above they replace there airlines every 4-5 years taking advantage of new technology. The company has always the first to introduce new innovative ideas for example hot meals, free alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, Hot towels, personal entertainment systems, and video on demand. SIA will also be the first to own the new Airbus Super jumbo A-380 in 2006. www. allaboutbranding. com) SIA is committed to providing a world class quality and service, the airline allocates a substantial amount of time and money into there staff training and education. The company has 4 training facilities with various programs that exercise classroom, work experience and simulation strategies. (www. trainersdirect. com) SIA has more concentration on staff training than any other airline. Singapore Airlines employees have to complete a 4 month training course before they are even allowed to serve a customer.On average in 1997 Singapore Airlines spent $5600 per staff per year on training. The emphasis on staff training is so they can provide the best quality service. (www. trainersdirect. com) The branding of SIA is based on quality. SIA have the strongest brand name in the airline industry. â€Å"Singapore girl you’re a great way to fly† has been there brand of quality for the last 32 years. ‘The icon has become so strong that Madame Tussaud’s Museum in London started to display the Singapore Girl in 1994 as the first commercial figure ever’. (www. venturerepublic. com).The airline provides the best on flight cuisine including fine wines, and cocktails. Complimentary gifts are received on each level of passenger class. SIA have maintained a policy that once a passenger pays for there ticket there is no more to pay. (www. venturerepublic. com). Some airlines in tough economic times have started to charge for in-flight drinks and entertainment where SIA haven’t. This commitment to quality has won the airline numerous international awards and differentiated themselves from other airlines. Some issues facing Singapore AirlinesThe Airline has purchased a number of the new Airbus Super jumbo A-380, which could be a bit premature due to the fact they are still in negotiations with the Australian government over open skies. The Australian government holds the key to Singapore gaining open skies agreements, if an agreement is reached Singapore will be able expand and benefit from long haul flights between Australia and United States. On the flip side the introduction of the new airbuses into the industry will cause less demand on Singapore as a stop-over, refuelling hub.Airlines that adopt the new airbuses will be able to bypass previous stopovers and enjoy cost savings. As explained earlier there has been a dramatic increase in demand for inter-Asia flights. Rival players have noticed the increase in demand and have implemented there own low cost airlines. E. g. Australia’s Jet Star. Recommendations and Justifications Singapore Airlines conduct a very professional business they have a strong brand, strong human resources and ma nagement, advanced facilities and a proven track record as being one of the top airlines for the last 20 years. I recommend: The airline pursue â€Å"open skies† agreements to expand there destinations. †¢ Establish the long haul routes with the new Airbus technology before rival airlines purchase the aircrafts. †¢ Keep strong emphasis on the brand name and quality of service. †¢ Utilise some of the success factor from SIA on the new low-cost airline to compete with new rival competitors establishing themselves in the Asian market. †¢ Promote Changi Airports engineering and freight facilities to the new inter-Asian airlines as long haul flights maybe bypassing Singapore’s Changi Airport in the future. Stay with the competitive advantage outlined above, using the differentiation strategy. †¢ Maintain the innovation and complimentary products. †¢ Help support the Star Alliance to improve customer satisfaction. It is very hard to recommend a lot of strategies for Singapore airlines to undertake, as they have been leaders in the industry for so long and have developed award winning strategies that have made them very successful. This report has been constructed from a wide array of research that has complemented Singapore Airlines various approaches to conducting business.

Discuss why and in what ways young people have been treated Essay - 1

Discuss why and in what ways young people have been treated differently in the criminal justice system - Essay Example Scholars have casted doubts on the effectiveness of the UK main criminal system in achieving positive results with the youths and children. The overall opinion is that the main criminal justice system is detrimental to the well-being of the youth going through it (Hill, Lockyer and Stone, 2007). Currently, criminal liability in the UK starts at the age of ten years (Davis, Croall and Tyer, 2010). Offenders between the age of ten and seventeen years are usually taken to Youth Courts for their cases to be heard and determined. However, if the offences committed are serious offences, for example armed robbery, murder and rape, then the perpetrators are prosecuted in Crown Courts regardless of their age provided they can assume criminal liability (Cavalino, Dignan and Mair, 2013). The UK National Audit Office advocates for all children and young people to be treated differently from how adults are treated. It advocates for the Youth Justice System since it manages to strike the unique balance between the interests of the young person and those of the community. It formulates measures that ensure early intervention, and taking proactive measures as opposed to reactive ones towards criminality (Duckley and Loader, 2012). It also institutes restorative justice measures as opposed to retributive ones used by the main criminal justice system, administers proper punishment and provides the necessary support to aid the youth and children in their rehabilitation process (Smith, 2013). This paper investigates why children and young offenders are treated differently in the UK criminal justice system and the ways in which these differences manifest themselves. To achieve this, the paper starts by listing the reasons why youth engage in crimes and develop an understanding of whether they should be accorded special treatment. The paper then discusses the models of

Analyze the 2012 Penn State scandal using ethical thinking and the Essay

Analyze the 2012 Penn State scandal using ethical thinking and the various ethical theories - Essay Example A majority of high-level university officials were charged with perjury, dismissed or suspended for covering up the activities by failing to report to the authorities. The sexual assault charges were brought onto Jerry Sandusky for sexual assaulting at least eight underage boys near or on the university property with the full knowledge of some university officials who failed to intervene or report to the appropriate authorities. The grand jury trial dropped four of the 52 charges against Jerry Sandusky who was found guilty of 45 of the 48 counts of sex assault charges, and he was sentenced to 30-60 years in prison. This paper seeks to discuss ethical thinking and ethical theories involved in the above-mentioned case. The 2012 Penn State scandal raises some very important and crucial ethical questions regarding the incident that saw top ranking university officials cover up sex assault activities of a member of staff. On their part, the members of staff who did not report Jerry Sandus ky’s activities to the authorities or take pre-emptive measures to intervene illustrate negligence. It was the responsibility and it still is for every individual in society to report sex abuse crimes to the authorities. ... Revelations that brought Jerry Sandusky’s sex abuse charges cast Joe’s ethical responsibility in a different light that negates his role as coach and protector of his charges. Many ethical issues abound regarding this case because of its multifaceted nature in terms of rationale and perspectives. It can be construed that the university’s officials failed to report on the sex abuse cases for fear of damaging the university’s reputation. On the other hand, the plight of the abused underage boys comes into sharp focus as to what was more important between the university’s reputation and their wellbeing. According to Gigerenzer, bounded rationality is an idea in decision making that stipulates the rationality behind decision making. It states that decision making in individuals is limited by the amount of information available to them with regard to the subject in question. The finite expanse of time available to them in making the decision and their co gnitive limitations are also considered in this approach towards decision-making (Gigerenzer, 2010). The theory of bonded rationality terms rationality as an optimization tool that facilitates decision making in finding an optimal solution concerning the information available. Bounded rationality provides the decision makers with the option of arriving at decisions that are viable under their presenting circumstances. In essence, this means that due to limited resources like sufficient information and time, an individual is applies their rationality only after simplifying their choices (Hinman, 2011). This means that the arrival at a decision that ensures an optimal solution is not critically considered as paramount compared to the available simplified choices. In the case of the Penn State scandal, the officials

Odontology Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Odontology - Term Paper Example He approaches his victims in public places while feigning injury or disabilities then overpowering and restraining them as he puts them in his car. Several evidences collected included pantyhose mask (which was also used for strangling victims), ice pick, handcuffs and crowbar but the most famous evidence of him doing the crime was the bite mark he left on Lisa Levy’s buttock that linked him to other murders (Saferstein, 2009). Lisa Levy was a student in Florida State University and she was bludgeoned to death while sleeping at the Chi Omega sorority house. The bite mark was actually one of the two bite marks on Levy’s body. There was also another one on her breast. The buttock bite mark proved to be useful because it left impressions that gave the investigators more points of comparison for leading a match in identification. The analysis of the bite mark was a success because the investigator used a ruler to show the scale of the bite mark in relation to Bundy’s . They also analyzed the bite mark by using impressions, illustrations and such. Because of this, Bundy was forced by the court to give a dental impression. Then, the forensic dentist confirmed that Bundy’s teeth were the exact match of the dental pattern that they derived from the bite mark on Levy’s buttock. Bear in mind that people have unique bite marks – no two are alike (Saferstein, 2009).

Should Americans have free universal health care Essay

Should Americans have free universal health care - Essay Example Also, deeper evaluation of why the government should consider a free universal health care has been explained well. The opposing viewpoints have been revealed and were corrected with a brief explanation too. Both sides of the coin have been weighed with various studies to explain the efficiency or importance of the program. A Position paper to the issue: â€Å"Americans Should Have a Free Universal Health Care† There are many people who long to have freebies in life such as free food, free key chain, free shirts, and even free gift certificate in salon and spa. Some makes fun of it and some do not. Every laughs that these freebies bring has some â€Å"real thing† accompanied with it. It is pretty obvious that every man who wants freebies in life lacks for something. And that is the issue: if there is someone who cries for some â€Å"freebies† and it seems to bring goodness on the other side if evaluated well, would the authority listen? Health is one the most imp ortant things that people do consider. If they are not having a good lifestyle, their health would be on the peak of harm. They would experience illness and worst, even death. Health has become a big issue in the United States making universal health care to be the answer for these health issues. According to Torrey (2008), universal health care is a view where everyone, who belongs to a certain place, is covered with basic health amenities and would not be denied of any health related needs. Today, there are several debates that discuss whether the Americans should have a free universal health care or not. Julie Sykora (2010) listed a few countries that embrace the universal healthcare system such as Canada, Germany and Japan and compared their health services with the United States of America. According to the writer, the United States is the only industrialized nation whose citizens are not guaranteed health care rights. As a result, as many as 45 million citizens are uninsured. Sykora (2010) also criticizes the unnecessary paperwork included in the American medical care system and considers them repetitive and unnecessary. Also, according to Avery Johnson (2010), a reporter at The Wall Street Journal, it was showed that the data and statistics of the rising uninsured, based on the 2010 Census Bureau, are dramatically increased in a year’s time. Most of the drop is seen in employer sponsored insurance, while people are found moving to government funded health insurance that can be seen with a significant increase in number. The Democrats use these findings to support their health care reform, and, on the other hand, Republicans representatives also want to get every American covered under health insurance. It is obvious that literally, people value their health and always make it a point to work with it. The government should consider their cries. Health is a valuable thing that one should always consider. It is a good point if the government would l et the universal health care to be freed. All Americans should have free universal health care. This is because free universal health care would encourage them to start preventive medicines and avoid major health problems. Also, it would let people work part-time or be stay-at-home parents without worrying about the health

Value of Concept of Innovation Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Value of Concept of Innovation - Essay Example Value innovation aims at seeking new and completely different value curves. High growth companies employ an approach that offers unknown value and compete by summoning the existing conditions. For this reasons they achieve sustained high growth in both revenues and profits. On the other hand, the less successful companies take a conventional approach, that is, they strategically work towards beating their competitors. In making their competitors irrelevant, the high growth companies employ a strategic logic referred to as value innovation (Kim, 2014). Discovery of hidden demand and creation of new demands are problems that value innovations redefine. The business model canvas aids an organization in carrying out structured, solid and strategic conversations surrounding new and existing businesses. Global companies employ the canvas in the management of strategy or in creating new growth engines (Verstraete, 2011). For businesses that are starting up, the model is used in search of an appropriate business model. The business canvas model aims at helping an organization move beyond product based thinking and towards thinking based on a business model. In a bid to explain the value of the business model in discussion, Nespresso a daughter company of Nestle shall be of reference. The company utilizes the tool in their regular planning and cycles of development. It is a company affiliated with the food and beverages industry. The business canvas model is used in the creation of a blueprint of their strategy. The model provides clarity in the foundation and direction for the impending conversation. Still on strategizing, the tool is utilized for strategic planning per business unit because it provides the organization with general information on the progress of the business units. The business canvas model works as a common language across the units of the business and provides the

Memories on Cities, Nature and People through the Lenses of Andre Essay

Memories on Cities, Nature and People through the Lenses of Andre Aciman - Essay Example Definitely, Alexandria goes first in such a recollection by the author. It is a source for his passion where he is inclined to take a glimpse at the past experience which is never-ending for his entire life. Thus, the first claim of significance is that Aciman is well devoted to the value of a memory. Thereupon, in Alexandria: The Capital of Memory he states on what he gained and missed being an ordinary denizen of the city while the political conflict sprang up in his youth and what Alexandria means to him at present (Aciman 6). It is a so-called memoir represented through the lenses of the writer’s vision of sweet memories and dreams about this location. On the other hand, Aciman is sensitive to the subtle facets of his soul each time he reproduces his own vision of life and living it in close relation with the environment. Just roaming the streets of Alexandria helps the writer focus more on the way everything functions and stays in the city (Aciman 10). It is a particular way to fix the picture of the location at the writer’s specific foreshortening just in case something will change in the future. Such sweet things keep track to the writer’s appreciation of his young ages and how they went on. Besides, In Search of Blue depicts Aciman’s reasoning on the most valued features to stay in mind. It is unlikely that he is dreaming about some material amenities or some lucre. He is dedicated more to the abstract images of what he sees and what will be accumulated in his widespread mind afterwards. Flashbacks feed Aciman in his trip to Rome along with his parents. Along with Alexandria, Rome is a part of the writer’s colorful life (Aciman 24). It is all about a man living his life along and with the family at once. Aciman is open to describe the power of his feelings through the shades and hues of blue, namely: â€Å"For years this wonderful expanse of still and timeless blue, where hills and rippleless beaches seemed made to ex ist in memory alone, belonged nowhere† (Aciman 24). Admittedly, the writer aims at the height of his imagination while taking a look at the natural beauty of the city he lived in. Past memories presuppose the sense of living for Aciman. He takes care of each slight memory so as to keep it alive and vivid. Thus, in search of blue, Andre Aciman seems to find out the exact way of thinking about what a man can bear with him/her throughout life. In his another essay called Shadow Cities, the writer makes an attempt to bind another city to make sure a reader knows what New York means to him. The essay represents his worries about what happened to a little Straus Park just within the city (Aciman 38). He does not hesitate to come closer to the overall idea of a virtue and social responsibility of people inhabiting the city and contributing into its further development. It is all about the way Aciman once shared the significance of natural episodes within concrete jungles of todayâ₠¬â„¢s urbanized world. However, it does not describe him as an opponent of the city. He finds New York pretty magnificent along with its streets and avenues. Therefore, the writer’s great desire states as follows: â€Å"I wanted everything to remain the same† (Aciman 38). It is a voice of despair the writer faced in New York and realized it would never stop in the future. Everything is in the state of flux, as they say. However, Aciman behaves as a real foreigner keeping in mind the things as they were earlier. Hence, he illustrates his strict incapability to get accustomed with new names of the stores or some change to the places of sightseeing he once encountered in his life. To say more, being an adolescent, Andre Aciman obtained precious knowledge of what the world means to a man. Insofar, the essay called Square Lamartine is also a compilation

Combining risk assessment and value engineering (this is project risk Essay

Combining risk assessment and value engineering (this is project risk management class) - Essay Example ng is an important technique that helps in the identification and elimination of unnecessary costs in construction, product design, manufacturing, operations, practices and processes. For over sixty years of existence and use, value engineering is referred to by different names. While some people refer to it as value engineering, others call it value analysis, value methodology or value management. However, the reference to value engineering in different terminologies does not change its concept. The concept of value engineering as a systematic process can be used to improve a projects value through a critical analysis of its functions by a multidisciplinary team. Value refers to the equivalent in goods, money, services or a fair return for something exchanged. It is most often represented in the relationship indicated below: The function is measured by the customer performance requirements while the resources are measured in labour, materials, time, price and many other elements that are essential for the accomplishment of the function. In a value methodology, the focus is primarily on how to improve value through the identification of alternative ways of reliably accomplishing a function that meets the customers performance expectations. A job plan in the systematic process of value engineering outlines the specific steps used to evaluate an issue and attain the maximum feasible alternatives that address the issue in consideration. The issue being considered could be a particular event risk(s) that potentially can be dealt with through value engineering in the context of risk assessment (Cretu, Stewart and Berends, 2011). The analysis of functions, as done by a multidisciplinary team through the application of value engineering, helps to improve the value of a project. The multidisciplinary team is a value engineering team that comprises the project stakeholders and experienced professionals. The team members are chosen based on their experience and expertise

Importance Of Law In To Kill a Mocking Bird Essay Example for Free

Importance Of Law In To Kill a Mocking Bird Essay Law’s are made for many different reasons, they are made to keep society in place, they are made to give justice to everyone, they are made to give equality to all, they are made to stop intolerable acts, and they are made to uphold our strict justice system. When it comes to practicing law I believe that no exceptions may be made in any circumstances because a rule is a rule. With one exception being made many people would be at a disadvantage, creating an unfair justice system. Pretend you are a driving your child to their doctor’s appointment, when you realize that you may be late you begin to speed. Eventually you are going 50 miles per hour on a 35 miles per hour road and you run a red light. The police eventually pull you over, and you explain to them your delema. Instead of being understanding and thoughtful of your situation the police officer charges you with both a ticket for speeding and running a red light. Acording to the law this is the right thing to do but according to Atticus, in To Kill A Mokingbird, the policie officer should have accepted your reasoning and allowed you to go free of charge because â€Å"sometimes it is better to bend the law a little in special cases.† (30) I disagree with Atticus because stretching the law in minor casing may seem understandable but laws are made for certain reason’s and when there is an exception made for one person there should be an exception made for any person who breaks the law. Much like in chapter 3 of To Kill A Mockingbird. The Ewell family is a family of much lower social ranking and class that the Cunninham’s. Burris Ewell proves this to be true when he arrives to school with worms attactched to his body and lice in his head, and no shoes on (further explain)

Functionalist, conflict and the integrationist theories of education Essay Example for Free

Functionalist, conflict and the integrationist theories of education Essay The functionalist theory looks more into the ways that universal education serves the needs of the society. On the other hand, the conflict theory focuses on the function of education as perpetuating inequality on the social aspect of life and boosting the power of those who are dominant within the society. The interactionist’s theory limits its analysis on education to what happens directly in a classroom setup, as it looks into the teacher’s expectation from the learner and how it affects the learner’s performance, attitude and perception (Rappa 1976). The relationship of each theory to education Functionalist theory; According to this theory, the latent role of education is that it brings people together. In other words it enhances socialization within the society among the different people from diverse cultures, languages, color, age and interests. Through the interactions, people get to learn from one another through the exchange of ideas and views regarding different areas of discussion. The other role of education is that it plays the role of passing down core values and social control within the society. Read more:Â  Functionalist Perspective on Social Institutions The conflict theory experts further insist on getting rid of modern exams, as according to them all tests contain a knowledge base which is always culturally sensitive. On the other hand, the Conflict theorists look at education not as a social benefit or opportunity, but as a powerful means of maintaining power structures and creating a docile work force for capitalism. The interactionists’ theory is relative to education in the sense that a teacher has more influence on the students within a classroom set up; therefore the performance of a student is majorly based on the teacher judgment and effort (Brubacher 1962) The perspective of each theory The functionalists see education as a means of transmitting or perpetuating the core educational values from one generation to another. Additionally, they consider education as an important factor in separating the learners putting the basis of this distinction as merit. The conflict theorists on the other hand see the educational system as perpetuating the status quo by dulling the lower classes into being obedient workers to the higher classes. The interactionists on the other hand, focus on the influence of the expectations of the teacher on the learner’s performance (Rappa 1976) Expectations of education from each theory The functionalists expect that universal education should serve the society by unifying the people within a society, and helping in transmitting the core values of the society. The conflict theorists expect that education will maintain inequality within the society, by preserving the power of those who are dominating the society. The interactionists’ expectations are that the teacher’s anticipation from the students should have an impact on their performance, regardless of its positive or negative nature (Rappa 1976). Comparison The functionalist and conflict theorists concur on that education is a tool to be used for sorting out the different learners. Further, the functionalists argue that schools sort students based on merit, while the conflict theorists argue that schools sort out students along class and tribal lines (Schon, 1983). The conflict theory puts more focus on competition between groups, while the functionalist theorists focus on balance and stability within a social system. Additionally, conflict theorists focus on society as made up of social relations characterized by inequality and change. Functionalism perceives the society as a complex phenomenon or system of interrelated parts working together to maintain the desired stability (Brubacher 1962) Analysis of personal selected philosophy and philosopher Aristotle; His philosophy is education for producing quality citizens who are virtuous. He further put consideration on human nature, habit and reason as the vital forces to be expected from and through education. For instance, he considered repetition to be a key tool towards the development of good habits; from the teacher’s systematic guidance of the different students (Schon, 1983). Aristotle put more weight on balancing the theoretical and practical aspects of the subjects taught. Additionally, he argues that the explicitly important subjects include reading, writing and mathematics. Based on the discussion, it can thus be considered that Aristotle’s thinking fits into the ideas of the functionalist theory (Rappa 1976). Conclusion Having discussed the different educational theories, it can be argued that these educational theoretical models are paramount as far as education is concerned, as they bring about an understanding of how different people perceive education. Further, it is through these differences that different people come together and reason towards reaching a solid conclusion, which contributes to an advancement in the field of education because trough discussions new ideas are established. Additionally, these theories help the members of society realize diversity in their thinking and perception of things. References Brubacher, S. (1962). Modem Philosophies of Education. New York: Mc Graw Hill Book Co. Pg 114 Rappa, S. (1976). Education in a Free Society: An American History. Philadelphia: David McKay Company Inc. pp 59 Schon, D. (1983). The reflective practitioner. New York: Basic Books.

Closing The Achievement Gap Education Essay

Closing The Achievement Gap Education Essay The American education experienced long and sustained period of school reforms filled with significant challenges. The policymakers as well as the governors made the school reform movement their top project priority since the 1980s (Sindelar, Shearer, Yendol-Hoppey Liebert, 2006). The school reform movement undergone profound achievements in the past and continues to tackle significant challenges although it has achieved its goal in creating changes to school conditions, student performance, and institutional policy. The National Governors Association for Best Practices is looking into the achievement gap challenge facing the schools today (Grant, 2009). This requires creating new policies and developing old policies to close in the achievement gap problems happening in several states. The policy primer discloses the nature of the achievement gap problem, its history, and the different states efforts to solve the existing problem. The primer also discusses alternative solutions and strategies at state level including important issues and factors to avoid in implementing solutions. Understanding the achievement gap context The achievement gap context is all about the differences one sees between people coming from different race and class (Chubb Loveless, 2002). There is an increasing difference concerning the performance of students coming from the disadvantaged minority as compared to the performance demonstrated by white students of the same grade level (Chubb Loveless, 2002). This achievement gap is a clear issue of racism and the effects of the power of the privilege. Educational institutions, educators, and policymakers face genuine lack of understanding creating and developing schools that can cope up with the context of a diversified society. The challenge goes on with the creation of correct policy that could help close the achievement gap. Federal response to the urgent persisting achievement gap problem The No Child Left Behind Act or NCLB is an attempt by the Federal government to close the achievement gap (Chamberlain, 2004). The policy set forth a new accountability practice for American schools to set the same standards with detailed plan for testing performance to ensure students meet preset standards of the schools. The framework of the NCLB allows a student to transfer to other schools located at the same district if he fails to pass the test performance set by the school. It is the responsibility of the school district to provide persistently failing students supplemental services as well as choices to study at other schools operating within the same district (Chamberlain, 2004). The school needs to demonstrate adequate progress about the problems of persistently failing students. Failure to show progress makes them open for state law corrective action (Chamberlain, 2004). The schools focus their performance targets based on the conditions of the students with disabilities a nd coming from disadvantaged family background. This includes students coming from ethnic or minority group that possess limited English language skills and proficiency. However, well performing schools are still required to alter school practices, policies, and governance to accelerate and enhance the educational experience of the disadvantaged group of students. The state considers a school as well performing only when they become successful in bridging the achievement gap. The intervention of the new Federal law on the educational scene has created quite a stir among schools struggling to meet the new set of policies and criteria. How do you measure the achievement gap? NCLB Act is clearly a Federal strategy to challenge the achievement gap brought by the effects and challenges of inequality among students in the US. Schools measure achievement gap by comparing African-American test scores and academic performance with the Hispanic group and white Americans using standard assessment tests (Chamberlain, 2004). Survey statistics gathered by the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) reflected a narrow gap between Hispanic and African-American 17 year old students reading scores for the period 1975 to 1988 (US Commission on Civil Rights, 2004). The gap becomes wider or somehow constant in the areas of mathematics and reading during 1990 to 1999. The NAEP charts on achievement gap raised concern over the intelligence and skills of the disadvantaged minority students. The Education Trust analysis on the NAEP data bothered policymakers. It concluded that the grade 12 level disadvantaged minority students performed similar to the level of the s tudents studying four years behind them (Ferguson Mehta, 2004). The skills of the Latino and African-American 17 year old students are comparable to the skills possessed by the 13-year-old White students in the subjects of English, science, and mathematics (Ferguson Mehta, 2004). The educational attainment is another way to measure the achievement gap between races. The different ethnicities showed wider gap as to the highest educational level of attainment they had achieved in the past. The groups showed gaps in all discipline. Dropouts among African-American and Hispanic groups in high school are heavier even though the tuition fee rates are lower than those rates given to the Whites (Ferguson Mehta, 2004). The Whites show more effort in trying to get a college degree than the Blacks and Hispanic young adults. Policymakers and schools do not overstate the importance of achievement gaps but actually noted the big difference between Whites and other ethnic groups educational achievement specifically Hispanic and African-American groups (Chubb Loveless, 2002). The achievement gap is the outcome of local and national standard test measures between diversified groups of students mostly categorized by ethnicity and socioeconomic status (Chubb Loveless, 2002). The other forms of category applicable to the groups are their gender and ability. There are many ways that a school can measure the achievement gap between the groups such as test scores resulting from standardized test and average grades obtained by each group. The dropout rates, highest level of educational attainment, and population of college enrollees are other ways to measure the achievement gap between ethnicities (Strictland Alvermann, 2004). Although the results of this statistic survey came from different American states, the same thing is also happening with other countries. These achievement gaps noted across countries showed the possible effects brought by discrimination and social injustice. The government made a good move eradicating social discrimination. The move to bridge the achievement gap between ethnicities also responds to their effort to solve existing social discrimination at the same time. Eradicating the gap as a public policy would help eliminate the other problem of social discrimination. However, some people disagree that the core causes of the achievement gap come from a persons class, culture, or even biology. These people believe that policymakers can directly influence economics and education using progressive education based on multiculturalism. This idea is more effective in helping them achieve equality among ethnic groups. Identified factors causing the widening achievement gap Researchers do not have any clear idea about the real reason for the increasing achievement gap between ethnic groups. Structural as well as cultural factors played a major role to the widening discrepancy. Students lacking the cultural capital portrayed by the middle class are likely to show low academic scores and achievements especially if they experience little parental involvement concerning their education and home coursework (Strictland Alvermann, 2004). Annete Lareau stated that better resource students demonstrate more accomplishments in academics and life (Lareau, 2000). Other researchers believed that a persons ability to achieve more in life and academics largely depends on its socioeconomic condition and the classification of race from which he belongs. It is evident that students belonging to the disadvantaged minority suffer the adverse result of the achievement gap because they find themselves at a disadvantage position than the White students. Understanding the effects of the environment and culture to students performance The culture, traditions, beliefs, social roles, and environment of the student influence the students performance and are factors that need extra consideration and study when dealing with the core causes of achievement gap (Lareau, 2000). It would be for the researchers advantage that he should look into the lives, environment, economic condition, and practices of the disadvantaged minority to ascertain and identify specific cultural differences that can help explain the differences of the child-parent relationships between ethnic group families (Lareau, 2000). Cultural differences shaped the childs behavior and motivation to become achievers. The authors Jencks and Phillips argue that a child belonging to the Black family do not have much motivation and encouragement from their parents because of the lack of understanding about the benefits of education and obtaining academic skills (Jencks Phillips, 1998). The lack of awareness resulted to Black children going to school with littl e vocabularies than their White counterparts. Studies claimed that students with parental involvement such as homework assistance show more progress in school (De Carvalho, 2001). In comparison, the disadvantaged minority consists of single parents have to spend more of their time looking for money to cope up with their household economics and other needs rather than staying and getting involve with their childs homework (De Carvalho, 2001). The minority group also consists of parents that do not understand nor speak English well. The study points two major causes of the childs difficulty namely unavailable English speaker at home and lack of parental involvement for homework. Researchers highly believed that children from the minority group do not attend school because they are not willing to find themselves in comparison with the Whites and accused as behaving like the White children by their peers (De Carvalho, 2001). The children of the minority group simply lack the motivation and the understanding to pursue higher education because they do not see and believe the benefits and role of education in their future. They possess little understanding about the benefits that knowledge and higher education bring to their lives and how it could improve years of hard work (De Carvalho, 2001). The common minority behavior from lack of motivation to do better in school is plain rejection of the idea to achieve something more in their future. It is like giving up their potential and the ability to do more by not studying and working hard to make any progress in their social status as well as to receive higher wages. Furthermore, researchers found that schools often set up their performance measures based from the students knowledge as well as familiarity about the White group that belongs to the middle class cultural capital. It is obvious that the disadvantaged minority is not familiar about the middle class cultural capital background of the White group. Schools need to change their test for students performance and base it on their understanding of the subject matter. The test should be solely base on how they understand and perceive the subject they are taking. How structures of the institutions influence the students? Students coming from the disadvantaged minority group definitely go to schools categorized by the district as poorly funded schools (Danielson, 2002). Children belonging to low-income household attend poorly funded schools because it is the only affordable form of education. Schools belonging to the poorly funded school category have limited resources and employ teachers with less qualification (Danielson, 2002). Schools tried to solve the achievement gap between ethnicities by placing students in tracking education groups. The framework of the tracking education group assigns students within the same school into several groups base on their skills and academic abilities (Ansalone Biafora, 2004). The schools then tailored the teachers lesson plans to meet the varying requirements of the different sets of learners abilities (Ansalone Biafora, 2004). The strategy made dramatic progress to some learners. However, some schools based their grouping from the students cultural capital and socioeconomic status that results to the disadvantaged minority overly representing the lower educational group (Ansalone Biafora, 2004). This made schools placed the African-Americans and the Hispanic students into the lower educational group. Their perception about the minority group wrongly placed the African-Americans and the Hispanic students, which reflects practice of institutional racism (Ansalone Biafora, 2004). This confirms some researchers beliefs that the initiation of the tracking education groups implies the existence of racial segregation within the school system itself. Several studies performed on tracking education groups provided negative results. The implementation of the tracking education groups harmed the potential of the minority students to learn more skills because the teachers assigned to their groups are less qualified (Molnar, 2003). The curriculum design for the minority group is also less challenging and provides less opportunity for advancement in their academic fields. The peers as well as the teachers of the students belonging to the lower tracking educational group labeled them as slow learners. This greatly affected their self-confidence and motivation to continue their studies, which resulted to increasing minority school dropouts. Concerned psychologist claimed that the schools tracking groups outcomes might not be beneficial to all groups (Molnar, 2003). They cannot identify any lasting benefit to the grouping. Chapter 2 Rational The schools explanation over the creation of the tracking education widely varies. The goal to find applicable institutional and policy solutions to narrow the achievement gap gave birth to drafting education reforms. The categorization leads schools to provide remedial classes as well as tutoring sessions for identified less performing students. Strategies applied to narrow the ethnicities achievement gap The school provided tutoring sessions to the less advantaged and low performing students after school. They also offer remedial classes to help underperformers. The main problem noted with the categorization program is the pressure it gave to minority students. The program pushes minority students or underperformers to learn at a fast pace in an attempt to catch up with the performing groups usually comprise of their White counterparts. The catch up required more efforts from the teachers and gave much pressure to the students. The schools changed their categorization by race to grouping the students according to their ability. This new grouping criteria enabled schools to provide fair quality education for the students without considering ethnicity. The detracking scheme made schools and teachers perceive students equally (Burris Welner, 2005). This also made schools provide more teachers that are qualified to the different groups, design their curriculum appropriately, and provide more resources to the learners. Understanding the condition of the minority The Blacks and the Latinos usually describe the low-income minority of the United States (Aragon, 2000). These students usually come from poor families and comprise the less performing group in school. The schools can easily identify minority students based on their SAT scores. Minority students often obtain lower scores than their White peers (Aragon, 2000). The schools broke down their SAT scores according to their socioeconomic status. The results showed that the Blacks and the Latino students usually achieve lower SAT scores than the Whites. However, Asians still achieve higher SAT scores than their White peers who belong to the same family income level. The analysis of the authors Steven G. Rivkin and Eric A. Hanushek fully explained the core causes of the increasing achievement gap. In their book published last 2006, the authors discussed the effects of the schools effort to group the students according to their socioeconomics and ethnicity (Hanushek Rivkin, 2006). The racial concentration in certain groups created the unequal distribution of experienced teachers and the inexperienced teachers (Hanushek Rivkin, 2006). The study noted the increasing achievement gap in the grades 3 and grades 8 levels. Looking into the structure of the high performers that belongs to the minority group There are minority students who managed to excel in their grade levels. One great example of minority high performers is the students attending at Davidson Magnet School of Augusta, Georgia. The other school with minority high performers is the Amistad Academy located in New Haven, Connecticut. The schools strategically employ traditional and rigorous training instructions that include providing direct instruction to students. Researchers found direct instruction effective and efficient in developing the skill levels of the learners coming from the inner city of the research title Project Follow Through (Harris Graham, 2007). Black schools sometimes perform higher than their White counterparts do. The results of the annual test during the later part of the 19th century at Washington, DC can prove this claim. The Blacks performing higher than the Whites do continued until the middle of the 20th century. The M Street School gave quite a performance during this period by exceeding on the national standardized test. The author Carl L. Bankston III and his partner researcher Stephen J. Caldas claimed that the achievement gap causes the segregation of the schools in US (Caldas Bankston, 2005). The book titled A troubled dream: The promise and failure of school desegregation in Louisiana published in 2002 and the other book titled Forced to fail: The paradox of school desegregation published in 2005, clearly pointed that students benefit more when placed in the same school with high achieving students (Caldas Bankston, 2005). Their research also showed that students experienced academic disadvantage when they interact more with low achieving schoolmates. This proves their perception about the achievement gap as the core cause of school segregation. This means that parents played a major role and are greatly involve in the creation of school segregation for the fact that many parents even avoid sending their children to schools with larger minority student population (Caldas Bankston, 2005). Understanding the standards based form of education reform The standard based education reform based its classification by the education characteristics and income level of the student regardless of performance (US Commission on Civil Rights, 2004). Most schools in US decide to adopt the education reform. The policymakers believed that students regardless of race and gender have the potential to become achievers and receive higher pay levels. There is a need to study the content and context as well as the effects of the states education policy and compare them with the education policies of other nations. Improved performance is attainable using the standard based assessments with clear set of incentives such as examination for high school graduation (US Commission on Civil Rights, 2004). The student reforms of whole language, multiculturalism, affirmative action, block scheduling, desegregation, inquiry-based science, and reform mathematics were not successful in improving the achievements of the students. The recent NCLB legislation requires students to take annual testing and demonstrate progress at an acceptable rate every school year. The federal government imposed sanctions to schools with larger population of under performing students. Obviously, the schools having the greatest attendance of minority and poor students face the problems of coping up with the legislation and working on the skills of the students. Those who favored the traditional education claimed that the schools are not designing the education reforms in a constructive way because the reforms are not curriculum and student based. The IQ tests and the SAT are widely accepted as norm-referenced tests. Some people claimed the ACT as limiting chances for the minorities. Many people favored the standards based assessment because they have a clear definition and design of the criteria for the reference test (US Commission on Civil Rights, 2004). The criteria are acceptable and regarded as free from any cultural bias. The students can easily pass the reference test criteria. In 2006, states like the Washington questioned the effectiveness of the approach. The assessment became a mandatory requirement for graduation. Terry Bergeson, a Superintendent, believes that students coming from the disadvantaged minority can compete and are capable of achieving higher scores (Thomas, 2005). However, these minority students need additional help to perform more. MCAS in Massachusetts showed higher percentage of graduating students for all races. In the Fairtest point, there are still many minority students dropping out and performing less than the Whites and Asians. Although the Washington state has narrowed the achievement gap, researchers cannot find any conclusive evidence that the standard based reforms are effective in closing the achievement gap. The author of the book titled The Bell Curve, Charles Murray, looked into the point gaps and its relative improvement (Locke, 1995). His analysis implied that the test is theoretically easy to pass but actually difficult to answer. The test consists of open-response questions that are mostly problem solving, reading, writing, and mathematics. Minorities who fail the test are about twice or even four times than the population of the students that achieve high scores of the testing history. In 2006, only one sophomore student belonging to the minority group passed the standard test. One needs to pass WASL to obtain a diploma. The tasks of keeping American public schools from educational failure depends on how fast policymakers and educators provide efficient policies and effective structure of framework for teaching that can respond to the students individual differences and capabilities. There is a rising need for educational institutions to meet projected challenges posed by changing demographic trends and requirements. The most crucial part is the transmission of societal values from diversified students of differing religion, philosophy, history, and political context. The lack of understanding of each ethnic group values and culture endangers the opportunity of any education reform to work for the learners. Chapter 3 Significance of the problem The American Indian group always ranked below the Latino and the African American students in terms of graduation rates and standardized test scores. The three groups always showed significant numbers concerning dropout rates. The achievement gap persists in the US history. The study published in the Education week revealed that American Indian or Alaska Native students graduation rate is about 47.4 percent. The foundation of the couple Bill and Melinda Gates funded the study. The statistics showed that American Indians were 30 points below their White peers, which means that about half of the graduating students belonging to the minority failed. The Council of Chief State School Officers report in 2006 declared that the low attendance of American Indian students across the country is a significant problem among the states specifically West Mississippi (Council of Chief State School Officers, 2006). The persisting problem about the achievement gap of the African Americans, Hispanic, Asian Americans, and Caucasian students present a challenge to the present structure of public education (Zajda, 2005). The gap narrowed a little during the 1970s and the 1980s and then started to widen again in 1990. The gap persists to widen until today (Vanneman, Hamilton, Anderson Rahman, 2009). There were about 22% grades 4 White students who scored below the basic NAEP test for reading in 2007. The report also showed about 50% Hispanic and 54% Black students who obtained scores below the basic NAEP. There were about 16% White students at grades 8 who scored below the basic mark required to pass the reading test. There were about 42% Hispanic and 45% Black students performing below the basic mark required to pass the reading test. The wide achievement gap reflected in their math scores also. Some people argued that district resegregation across the states reinforced the rising disparity problems. This is especially true in the northern and southern districts (Kozol, 2005). The White parents enroll their children in high quality suburban schools while the African-American as well as the Hispanic families enroll their children in racially isolated schools. These racially isolated institutions normally provide school instruction of very low quality and normally face other types of problems (Zajda, 2005). The California state is the most affected state in the US. Jack OConnell, State Superintendent, considers the task of helping the minority as moral, economic, and ethical imperative (Gerston Christensen, 2009). The California Department of Education (2009) revealed the state needs to prepare and train the students especially the African-American and the Latino to compete in the global economy. This would make California gain a competitive edge over world economic leaders. The success of the task largely depends on how well the students respond to the NCLB standardized test. Taylor (2006) is the main advocate of the Critical Race Theory. He tried to bring awareness about the racial minority and institutionalized oppression hidden under the Federal as well as state policies. Although the Federal government created the NCLB in an attempt to bridge the achievement gap, Taylor claimed that the Federal regulation puts too much pressure over the educators and students in trying to improve academic performance. Taylor claimed that the movement did not correctly address the issues stated in The Colors of Poverty by Lin and Harris. Taylor claimed that putting pressure to perform better does not respond to the racial segregation practices and policies. People and policymakers do not even understand the occurrence and the consequence of the practices nor do they have the ability to reverse its occurrence (Taylor, 2006). Understanding the context of differentiated instruction Differentiated instruction makes students the center of learning and teaching based from the theory that students come to school bearing different skills implying unique differences on their learning needs (Tomlinson, 1999). The varying degrees of differences may refer to their personal and educational context, community or environment background, and academic skills. The educators under the differentiated instruction design and employ several methods of instruction that can facilitate the learning experiences of the diversified students in the classroom effectively. The goal is to match students skills to the resource materials in a qualitative manner. The program includes blending the needs of the whole class with the design of their individual instruction using effective approaches and methods to expedite the processing of knowledge, input and output, of the learners. This requires constant assessment of the students progress by their respective classroom teachers. Policymakers considered the differentiated instruction movement as a proactive approach to educational issues facing practitioners today (Tomlinson, 1999). The proactive approach makes the students become more comfortable in pursuing their education. Educators refine and tailor their instructions according to the needs of the students. This also entails adjusting the curriculum to fit the students academic needs. Teachers committed to this approach understand that the students they teach shape their teaching style and practically believe that students create awareness on teachers how to shape them. The students personality and learning style necessarily influence the instructors teaching philosophy and methods (Tomlinson, 1999). This is the only way to get through them and seems the only possible way that they get to learn things. Creating a model for differentiated instruction requires student centered approach that supports the key elements of interest, readiness, and learning profile (Allan Tomlinson, 2000). The Russian psychologist, Lev Vygotsky, declared that people receive and learn more things when they are ready to learn these things (Daniels, 2001), which is the theory behind the differentiated instruction movement. The differentiated instruction approach matches the individuals interest and methods of learning. This approach supports the student interest, which is one of the key elements of differentiated instruction. Jerome Bruner claimed that the moment a teacher gains the interest of the student is the specific moment that a student starts to learn and the learning experience becomes more rewarding (Tomlinson Allan, 2000). The American psychologist who wrote about the multiple intelligence theory, Howard Gardner, claimed that a human being is a unique individual that possesses different levels of intelligence and perceives learning in different ways. This led him to suggest that schools need to look into the possibility of providing individual-centered approach. The framework tailors the curriculum to the intelligence and preferences of the child (Tomlinson Allan, 2000). This suggestion fits to the different student learning profile key element of differentiated instruction. The context of differentiated instruction supports and integrates the learning styles of the students to the conditions of their brain development. This constructivist learning theory details and analyzes the various factors that influence the readiness, intelligence preferences, and the interest of the students that motivate and engage them to learn at school (Anderson, 2007). Kathie Nunley, an educational psychologist, stated that the movement for differentiated instruction is crucial to the classroom makeover from the 1970s homogeneous groupings to the present heterogeneous learners (Nunley, 2006). Educators using the differentiated instruction approach are able to ascertain and meet the differing needs of the students, help each student in their learning process, and exceed expectations from established standards (Levy, 2008). Tomlinson believed that the need to implement differentiated instruction came from the fact that learners are unique individuals that vary in different ways. The student population is also fast becoming academically diverse, which presents higher probability that diversity will continue for a long time . Pre-assessment criteria for differentiated instruction The most crucial part of the differentiated instruction program is the assessment, identification, and determin