Managerial Acconting Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Managerial Acconting - Essay Example Product prices mean both fixed and variable factors and the cost unit bears a full burden of all the costs. The paper focus to illustrate the validity of the variable and absorption models of costs of production, which determines the levels of profitability of a product. It outlines the justification for difference in profits when using variable and absorption costing systems. It is imperative to note the main difference in profits when using variable and absorption costing systems. In absorption costing methods, fixed overhead costs are applicable to manufacturing costs, calculated per unit. That is, fixed costs divided by the units manufactured and sold over a period considered during costing. It results to the cost, per unit, of every unit that the firm manufactured or sold over a period. In variable costing, the fixed overhead is applied as a lump sum expense, rather than a unit. The fixed overhead include the summation of all variable costs such as raw materials and supplies among other costs. A sum of fixed overhead costs over a period is added. Instead of figuring the expenses on a unit basis, they are subtracted from the revenue as a lump sum figure. The unit profit calculated under absorption costing, therefore, is lower than that calculated under variable costing. Managements have interests that each product should have its total cost, both fixed and variable, and still generate profits. For every business, generating profits is the key target. If a product does not give benefits, then the management may consider discontinuing production over time. That implies that a product needs to recover all the costs involved in its production as well as provide returns to warrant profitability. Not all the goods provide the same contribution towards profitability. Some products may sell at a cost that covers variable costs to the maximum levels but fail to meet

Organic enterprise repor Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Organic enterprise repor - Assignment Example The farmers in this region of Australia have invested heavily in organic farming, as opposed to the popular practice of using chemicals. The north Queensland, Australia region has an abundance of fertile soil that is rich in nutrients and a forest-free environment with a favourable climate that supports the growth of Aloe Vera all year long. The leaves are tested on a daily basis, a process which facilitates monitoring the health of the plant and ensures a bumper harvest at maturity. The Proposed Schedule for the Research Report ACTIVITY IMPORTANCE IMPORTANCE Making contact to the relevant authority Define the physical location of the farm the telephone numbers obtained and make appointments with a farm representative Week one +week two ACTIVITY IMPORTANCE IMPORTANCE Conducting a literature review Based on the research findings and theoretical knowledge regarding organic agriculture, the report can effectively prepare a conclusive literature review. Week three+ week four ACTIVITY IMP ORTANCE IMPORTANCE Visiting the enterprise Collecting data, information and observations. Week five ACTIVITY IMPORTANCE IMPORTANCE Preparing a draft report A draft report will be written after every visit to the farm to produce a final conclusion and identify the key notes from each visit; analysing reports to extract the main drawbacks and suggested solutions to such drawbacks Week six ACTIVITY IMPORTANCE IMPORTANCE Time for the need for possible follow-up visits or phone calls Discuss the feasibility of applying suggested solutions and evaluate their applicability; examine the progress the farm achieved after implementing the suggested solutions; obtain feedback from sellers and consumers. Week seven The study will take a total of seven weeks during which time the activities will be appropriately spaced out. There are certain key activities that must begin before other activities can begin (such as seeking permission from the farm owners before the study resumes). The other activi ties (i.e. the literature review and visiting the farm) may be done concurrently. The visit is expected to affirm the research that has already been conducted. The schedule may be altered depending on unforseen constraints that might emerge during the course of the study. Introduction This report examines organic Aloe Vera farming in north Queensland, Australia. It gives a detailed account of the factors that have led to the success of organic farming in north Queensland, Australia, and also explores the reasons behind this choice of farming. The research investigates the organic methods that the farmers use in their farming practices. There is a detailed account of the benefits of these practices and the returns that the farmers obtain from practicing organic farming. The examination goes on further to discuss different products processed from organic Aloe Vera and the health benefits associated with these products. There is a detailed review of the different farming associations t hat aide the farmers with the expertise and financial loans that

Organizational controls and structure in business

Organizational controls and structure in business Introduction Organizational structure can be defined as the formal system of task and authority relationships that control how people coordinate their actions and use resources to achieve organizational goals. (Jones, et al, 2010)  [i]   Organizational structure specifies: The firms formal reporting relationships, procedures, controls, and authority and decision-making processes; and, The work to be done and how to do it, given the firms strategy or strategies Developing an organizational structure that effectively supports the firms strategy is difficult, especially because of the uncertainty about the cause-effect relationship in the global economys rapidly changing and dynamic competitive environments.  [ii]   Organizational Controls Organization Control includes any process designed to assure that organization plans are carried out the way they were designed. Control in the organizational context can be classified as: 1. Strategic controls 2. Financial controls Strategic controls are largely subjective criteria intended to verify that the firm is using appropriate strategies for conditions in external environment and the companys competitive advantage.  [iii]  Strategic controls are concerned with examining the fit between: What the firm might do (opportunities in its external environment) What the firm can do (competitive advantages) Financial controls, on the other hand, are largely objective criteria used to measure the firms performance against previously established quantitative standards.iii Financial controls have two criteria: Accounting-based measures include: Return on investment Return on assets Market-based measures include: Economic Value Added (EVA) Relative use of controls varies by type of strategy. Large diversified firms using a cost leadership strategy emphasize financial controls. Companies and business units using a differentiation strategy emphasize strategic controls. In relation with organizational structure, organizational controls are important to measure the effect caused by a change in the structure. Relationships between Strategy and Structure Strategy and structure have a reciprocal relationship. Structure flows from or follows the selection of the firms strategy but once in place, structure can influence current strategic actions as well as choices about future strategies. Evolutionary Patterns of Strategy and Organizational Structure The relationship between organizations strategy and structure was studied extensively by Alfred D. Chandler in his legendary book Strategy and Structure: Chapters in the History of the American Industrial Enterprise. According to Chandler (1962), firms grow in predictable patterns: First by volume Then by geography Then integration (vertical, horizontal) And finally through product/business diversification Chandler also says that a firms growth patterns determine its structural form. All organizations require some form of organizational structure to implement and manage their strategies. Firms frequently alter their structure as they grow in size and complexity. The three basic structure types are: Simple structure Functional structure Multidivisional structure (M-form) Global expansion structure The following figure explains the change in organizational structure with growth and strategy. D:Chap11graphicsMultidiv_fig 11.1.jpgD:Chap11graphicsFunctional_fig 11.1.jpgD:Chap11graphicsSimple_fig 11.1.jpg Efficient implementation of formulated strategy Efficient implementation of formulated strategy D:Chap11graphicsSalesHigher_fig 11.1.jpgD:Chap11graphicsSalesLower_fig 11.1.jpg Simple Structure A simple structure is where the owner-manager makes all the major decisions and monitors all activities while the staff serves as an extension of the managers supervisory authority. (C. Levicki, 1999). This type of a structure is matched with focus strategies and business-level strategies where firms commonly compete by offering a single product line in a single geographic market. Functional Structure A functional structure is a design that groups people together on the basis of their common expertise and experiences or because they use the same resources. (Jones, et al, 2010) Functional structure supports use of business-level strategies and some corporate-level strategies single or dominant business with low levels of diversification. Multi-divisional Structure The multi-divisional structure (M-form) consists of operating divsions, each representing a separate business or profit center in which the top corporate officer delegates responsibilities for day-to-day operations and business-unit strategy to division managers. Multi-divisional structure has three major benefits: Corporate officers are able to more accurately monitor the performance of each business, which simplifies the problem of control Facilitates comparisons between divisions, which improves the resource allocation process Stimulates managers of poorly performing divisions to look for ways of improving performance International Strategies and Worldwide Structures International strategies are becoming increasingly important for long-term competitive success in what continues to become a global economy. The following framework explains how organizations proper in a global economy: Global expansion strategies Global expansion strategies can be understood in terms of local responsiveness and geographical integration within the company. On the basis of these two parameters, four strategies of global expansion have been arrived at. These are: International strategy Multi-domestic strategy Global strategy Transnational strategy International Strategy In case of international strategy, firms decentralize all value-creation functions except for RD and marketing. Multi-domestic Strategy Multi-domestic strategy is oriented towards local responsiveness by decentralizing control to subsidiaries and divisions in each country. Global expansion Strategy Global expansion strategy is oriented towards cost reduction, with all the principal value-creation functions centralized at the lowest cost global location. Transnational Strategy In a transnational strategy some functions are centralized, while others are decentralized at the global location best suited to achieving these objectives. Transnational Global Expansion International integration Multi-domestic Strategy International Strategy Local Responsiveness An observation on structure and strategy The theory developed above is only a guideline to how organizations might structure themselves in their pursuit of growth and global expansion. However, these are not universal rules and many organizations have prospered in spite of structures completely out of sync with those discussed above. Organizations can also use structures which are a hybrid of those detailed above. This study analyses the cases of two organizations, ABB and Semco, which have used contrastingly different structures to implement their strategies. ABB File:ABB logo.svg Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) is seen by more and more global business leaders as the model of the way that organizations will have to operate to thrive in the 21st century-that is, streamlined in structure, rapid in transferring information, having employees who are highly empowered, committed to continuous learning, running world-class HRD programs, and team working and networking globally.  [1]   ABB became one of the most widely admired companies in the world, not because of its products, or its innovative technology, but because of its organizational structure. ABB prided itself on being an organization that its former CEO, Percy Barnevik, saw as being simultaneously global and local, big and small, centralized and decentralized. Formation of ABB: Merger of Asea Brown Boveri ABB was created by the merger in 1987-88 of two companies whose roots lie in the nineteenth century: Asea, founded in Sweden in 1890, and Brown Boveri, established in Switzerland in 1891. The two companies were among the surge of industrial enterprises established towards the end of the 19th century to provide equipment for the rapidly expanding electrical power industry, which involved generating, transmitting, and distributing power, and using it in industrial motors. The strategic commitment to the power industry and to a global strategy was demonstrated in a rapid series of alliances and acquisitions. These moves rapidly extended ABBs international reach into North America and Eastern Europe. The speed with which these acquisitions were integrated into ABB was attributed to the flexibility of its new organization design. Strategic Context ABBs largest business is producing and servicing the equipment for generating, transmitting, and distributing electrical power. The customers in this business are electric utilities around the world, many of which are state-owned or strongly state-regulated. Because national or local governments either directly own or indirectly control the utilities, they had a strong tendency to favor suppliers with a local manufacturing presence, both because local companies are contributing to the local economy and because they can be relied upon for servicing and replacement parts for the complex power systems, any breakdown of which can have enormous costs for local business and for the reputation of the utility. But they have also pressed suppliers to lower their prices and increase the lifetime of equipment, cutting profit margins for suppliers that are unable to achieve greater efficiency in production. ABB is also a world leader in rail transportation systems, such as locomotives, light rail vehicles, and signaling. Again, this is a business in which rail networks are state-owned or state-regulated and subject to the same somewhat contradictory pressures to manufacture locally and to be locally responsive to customers, while achieving efficiency through scale economies and cost savings. A third set of products in ABB is directed to a very different type of customer. Its building systems and industrial production systems are sold to industrial companies, whose concerns are much more focused on price. ABBs businesses require the company to be locally responsive and to maintain a credible local presence in each of its major markets, and simultaneously to be efficient and cost-competitive. Moreover, operating in 140 countries in a wide variety of product lines, many of which are closely related in the eyes of the customer, the company needs to have a high degree of intra-product and cross-product coordination if the company is to capture fully the benefits of its product diversity. However, it also needs to be able to respond quickly to customers and local problems, and to encourage its managers to take responsibility for their units. Organizational Design of ABB One of the first steps taken after the merger of Asea and Brown Boveri was announced in August 1987 was the creation of a task force of five top managers from each of the two companies to generate an organizational architecture for ABB. The task force had agreed on the principal features of the new organization. The structure was to be an international matrix of business and geography. The basic organizing principle was to create highly focused local companies reporting both to a worldwide business manager, who would be responsible for achieving efficiency in that product line and growing the business on a global scale, and to a country manager responsible for coordinating the various businesses within a particular country. In drawing up the shortlists for the high level managers, emphasis was placed on identifying flexible individuals who could cooperate in multi-cultural environments and for whom innovation, risk-taking and the ability to motivate others were almost second nature. One of the goals of the new design was to push accountability, decision-making, and the responsibility for action far down the organizational hierarchy. One of the first steps taken by the new top management was the radical reduction of the company headquarters. Within a few months, the headcount at corporate HQ in Zurich went from over 1,300 professional staff to just over 100. Another crucial step in the process was the design of a company-wide information system, called ABACUS (Asea Brown Boveri Accounting and Communication System).ABACUS collected monthly performance data from each unit, put it into a standard currency (US dollars), and transmitted the information to its main data processing center in Sweden, which compiled the data and passed it to the top managers at the Swiss headquarters and to the designated managers at each level of the company. The basic unit on which performance data are collected for ABACUS is the profit center, the smallest organizational unit in the new organization. Each month they report their performance data to the next highest level of the organization, the local operating company/Business Unit (BU) , which in turn put the data into the ABACUS system. The local operating company composed of two or more profit centers and focused on single business and market. ABBs strategy was to concentrate on radically reducing costs in each site, reducing throughput times, maximizing design and production flexibility, and focusing on local customer needs. The local operating company president had CEO responsibilities for his operations. However, the heads of the local operating companies report to two bosses one was the Business Area manager; the other was the country manager for the country in which the operating company was located. The Business Side of the Matrix: The Business Area The Business Area (BA) manager was responsible for the worldwide strategy and performance of a business.BA management tasks include coordinating technology development, deciding on transfer prices among local operating companies in the BA, transferring expertise within the BA, capturing economies of scale in purchasing, and, perhaps most important, allocation of markets and production to local operating companies. The fact that the BA manager was also the head of a local operating company increased his or her motivation to push responsibility and decision-making down to the local operating companies, on the basis of time pressure, if not personal management philosophy. In addition, they were supported by a BA Board, which assisted the BA manager in setting strategy, reviewing performance, and identifying and addressing key problem areas. The BA Manager selected the members of the Board, and membership varied considerably depending on the nature of the business. The BA Board was an international group, and usually met in a different location for each of its meetings over the course of a year. In addition to the BA Board, the BA had a number of functional councils that brought together key managers in a function for quarterly meetings to assess and exchange internal best practices and to identify and propose solutions for key problems in their area of expertise. For particular problems, the BA Board also formed task forces from among the high-potential younger managers in the BA. The BA manager received monthly reports through ABACUS on the performance of each of the profit centers and operating companies in the BA. The BA manager decided how to disseminate this kind of information across the local operating companies. One of the most important roles of the BA was the dissemination of best practice. Sharing information about performance and exposing managers to different ways of operating, through transfers and through travel help in achieving this. The combination of strict performance requirements with the resources for performance improvement was a powerful driver of change in ABB. The Business Segment The BA managers in turn reported to Business Segment Managers. Business segments were groupings of related BAs. Each segment was headed by a member of the Executive Committee, the highest-level organizational unit in the company. The Country Level The local operating company managers also reported to the country manager of the nation in which it is located. The country manager had profit-and-loss responsibilities for all ABB activities within that country. The country managers task was to realize the potential synergies across the various ABB local operating companies, to present a local face for major projects within that country, to provide the legal and political infrastructure for operations, to coordinate certain personnel development programs, and to make sure that the local political and social environment was understood and considered appropriately in business decisions. The country manager received monthly reports through ABACUS on the performance of each of the local operating companies in the country, and could use these data to identify common problems they faced. The heads of the local operating companies were supported in their contrasting duties to the country manager and the BA manager by a Steering Committee, with representatives from the national company, the BA, and other closely-related local operating companies in the same company. Performance evaluations of the president of the local operating companies were conducted by both the BA head and the country manager. Each share the same basic performance metrics, but each has somewhat different expectations. Managing the Matrix: The Top Management At the top of the company the two dimensions of the matrix met at the level of the Executive Committee, which was chaired by the CEO. The CEO chaired the Committee, and each of the ten Executive VPs had responsibility for one or more of the segments and countries. The extent of their individual responsibilities varied by the scope of their tasks. Each BA manager and each country manager reported directly to a member of the Executive Committee. With ABBs acquisitions, the individual responsibilities assigned to Executive Committee members changed over time, especially in terms of geographies. The major change was on geography: instead of having different members responsible for a portfolio of different national companies, geographic responsibilities were clustered into three regions: Europe, the Americas, and Asia Pacific. Each member was assigned either one of the four industrial segments or one of three geographical regions.The move to make the geography side of the matrix report to Committee members with regional rather than individual country responsibilities also reflected ABBs global strategy. Each Executive Committee member was involved in the annual planning process of each of the BAs and geographic units reporting to him. But as important were their collective responsibilities in charting the overall strategic direction for the company. Extensive communication in a company that operates in 140 countries required a common language, which in ABBs case was English. Communication also took place on a more individual level, between the Executive Committee and their direct reports, and even between the Executive Committee and the heads of the local operating companies. Executive Committee members had access to monthly performance data for all the operating companies, national companies, and business areas for which they were responsible. The ABACUS system provided rapid feedback on changes in the performance of any of these units, and the monthly data were routinely scrutinized carefully at the top of the company. Alignment: Developing the Global Manager One of the key challenges which faced ABB was developing managers who could work effectively in the demanding system. The development of the global managers who could occupy key positions in the Business Areas and at the top of the company on the Executive Committee was the most important task. The global managers should be capable of balancing the often contradictory pulls of being locally responsive and globally efficient, pushing decision-making and responsibility for action down while enforcing accountability and control, and simultaneously encouraging local operating companies to be entrepreneurial while making sure that ABB does not lose the competitive advantage of being a multi-business global company. Keeping this philosophy in mind, such people were developed through the training programs, experience on cross-national teams, and rotation across locations. One of the hallmarks of the cadre of global managers was that they spent a lot of their time travelling internationally. Region Business SegmentExecutive Committee Region Local Operating Company Profit Centers Ce Business Segment Figure 1. ABBs Organizational Structure from 1988-1998 (note: ABB has now moved on from a matrix organizational structure to a more customer-centric organizational structure). Learning from the ABB organizational structure and its impact on its strategy and performance ABBs example clearly shows the example of an organization which can successfully compete on a global level by being both locally responsive as well as paying attention to its global integration strategy. Each local operating company head was given the freedom to operate as the CEO of his business and was free to make his own decisions. By fixing dual responsibility, both to the country manager as well as to the product manager on a global level, ABB was successful in achieving its strategic aim of becoming the leader in the electrical systems and the power generation and distribution business. ABB successfully demonstrated how successful matrix organizations can be. Matrix organizations always had been an important theoretical concept but even other very large organizations with a global presence had failed in implementing it. Matrix organizations were widely touted to be as the organizations of the future in the 1970s and organizations such as Citibank and IBM tried to model their organizations around the matrix structures, but failed, as they found the model too complicated. In fact, ABB was the first company on a global level to implement the matrix organizational model so efficiently. Seeing the success of ABB, many organizations around the world also adopted the matrix structure successfully. The various performance indicators of ABB during the 1988-1996 period clearly showed that when the organizational structure is in sync with strategy of the organization and vice-versa, it results in achieving great results. ABB achieved the co-ordination of 210,000 employees, 310 business units and 5000 profit centers in 140 countries through the matrix structure. This demonstrated the crucial role of linking mechanisms in turning a complex kaleidoscope of grouping patterns into a smoothly functioning organization. ABB simultaneously achieved the goal of acting as a global powerhouse amassing resources know-how on a global scale and responding swiftly to meet the demand of local markets and customers. ABBs net income rose to $1.3 billion in 1996 and its stock price doubled between 1992 and 1996, reinforcing the choice of its organization structure. The SEMCO Model What makes the SEMCO model so interesting is that it for the first 20years it was in operation its structure and culture were autocratic and relied heavily on command and control management styles. However, for the last 20years it has been run democratically. SEMCO is a mode lf how companies who have not yet evolved into democratic cultures can make the transition with credible success. What is also unique about the SEMCO model of democratic organization is how effectively it works in Brazil-a country that is still developing, often unstable and known for economic boons and busts. One could reason that in highly unpredictable environment, command and control corporate structures are even more inadequate for dealing with a dynamic socio-economic climate. Perhaps this is why the SEMCOs adaptive model has been a highly effective model of company Introduction Semco a Brazilian company which manufactures over two thousand different products including industrial pumps, cooling towers etc. and also provides environmental and internet services, saw its revenues growing from $32 million in 1990 to $212 million in 2003.It achieved this growth rate in an economic environment characterized by staggering inflation, and chaotic national economic policy in Brazil. Between 1982 and 1998, Semcos productivity increased nearly sevenfold and profits rose fivefold. Semco was also one of the most sought after Brazilian companies as far as employment was concerned. Turnover among its 3,000 employees was about 1% during the period 1994 to 2004. Repeat customers accounted for around 80% of Semcos 2003 annual revenues. The culture at Semco was unique in the sense that there were no power-packed job titles; employees including top managers themselves did the photocopying, sent faxes, typed letters, and made and received phone calls. There were no executive din ing rooms, and parking was strictly first-come, first-served. Organizational profits were shared with the employees and the salaries were set by the employees themselves. Behind this maverick organization was Ricardo Semler (Semler), the CEO of the company who referred to himself as the Chief Enzyme Officer Wrote Semler, If you ask me to describe it in conventional business terms, Id have to admit I have no idea what business Semco is in. For years, I have resisted defining Semco for a simple reason: once you say what business youre in, you create boundaries for your employees, you restrict their thinking and give them a reason to ignore new opportunities. Semlers way of thinking resulted in an organisation which had no conventional structure, no organisational chart; no fixed CEO, no VPs, CFOs, COOs or CIOs. There was no long term strategic business plans, no career plans, no job descriptions or dress codes for the employees. Some of the important organisational decisions like relocating a unit or acquiring a company were taken on the basis of employees votes. History Semlers father, Antionio Curt Semler, an Austrian-born engineer, migrated to Argentina in1937. A visit to Brazil in 1952 prompted him to think about the prospects a vast, undeveloped country like Brazil presented. During this time, he was working on a centrifuge technology capable of separating oil from vegetables. With an urge to start his own business, he selected the city of Sao Paulo to start his venture, Semco, a contraction of Semler Co, in 1953. Soon after, he obtained a patent for his technology. Through the 1960s and 1970s, Semco was mainly a manufacturer of marine pumps. In the late1960s, ninety percent of the sales of Semco were to the Brazilian shipbuilding industry. Semco was a hierarchical organization with twelve layers of management. According to a Fortune article, Fear was the governing principle. Guards patrolled the factory floor, timed peoples trips to the bathroom, and frisked workers as they left the plant. Anyone unlucky enough to break a piece of equipment wo uld replace it out of his own pocket.According to Semler it was a company with a pyramidal structure and a rule for every contingency. Enter Semler In 1980, at the age of 21, Semler took over as the CEO of Semco. Semlers views on running the company were completely different from those of his father. He felt that the company in its existing form was too rigid. He wanted to replace the old way of doing business and planning with a participatory style of management. But the old guard at Semco was not open to this, with the result that Semler fired two thirds of the top management. Semler started out with a functional organizational structure at Semco. Under this structure, decision-making took a long time and each department took independent decisions that sometimes were not in the interests of other departments. Then, the company shifted to a matrix structure. But, unhappy with its effectiveness, Semler changed the structure of the organization once again. New Organization Structure: From Pyramid to circle Though the company worked on the principle of no Organization structure but it actually had was a very flexible organization structure in the form of 3 concentric circles and few triangles floated in it. The smaller innermost circle would include team of a dozen people the eqivalent of VPs and above Second circle would include the 7- 1o leaders of SEMCOs business units and be called partners. Last immense circles would hold virtually everyone else at Semco machine operators, cafeteria workers, janitors, salesman, security guards and so on. They will be called associates The triangles- They will be distributed around the big circle each enclosing a single person we would call a coordinator. These people would comprise the first crucial level of Management A the marketing,sales and production supervisors, the engineering and assembly area foreman, anyone who had a basic leadership role in our old system. Organizational Culture The replication of business units into smaller units as and when the need arose created units small enough to operate with a commonly shared set of values, philosophy and culture. The organization was bound together by the three interdependent core values: Employee Participation, Profit Sharing and Free Flow of Information. These three values stemmed from the belief that participation in design and implementation of work procedures would give employees control over their work; profit sharing would bring in a sense of ownership; and the availability of information as and when needed would help the employees understand to improve their work practices continuously Leadership and Change Management Semler can be credited with sustaining the radical changes at Semco. He nurtured changes that might have been viewed as taking away his power and authority. He created an empowered environment where employees could innovate continuously. An idea he generated would later permeate to the whole work force. For example, after seeing a company order file cabinets worth $50,000, which were meant only to keep documents which were hardly ever referred to, Semler said that every person in the company should clear his own file cabinets of documen

Judgmental Attitudes, Isolation, and Forgiveness in Marilynne Robinson

In Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead narrator and reverend John Ames seeks to transcend the isolation he feels from the title town through a letter to his son. John Ames holds the ironic role of moral leader and recluse, which leaves him alienated from the people who respect him. His isolation is a byproduct of his independence; an independence that distances him from those he loves: Jack Boughton and his son. This estrangement is represented in the text by his heart condition which prevents him from watching his son grow up, metaphorically epitomizing the damage that his years of solitude have done to him. Therefore, in order to find a way to transcend his temporal life and imminent death, he writes a letter to his son offering something guidance, as consolation for leaving him in poverty and destitution. The letter serves to offer his son guidance and understanding of his father’s identity after he dies and as a plea for forgiveness for the narrator’s isolation, critical ways, and for leaving his son’s life too soon. Ultimately, Gilead portrays a forced distance between father and son due to the father’s death. It reveals the isolation of independence and it expresses forgiveness in the face of loneliness. Through this construction of a father-son relationship, the text critiques independence and reveals a value in forgiveness, acknowledging that the impermanent nature of humanity leaves distance between people and that the nature of writing gives some level of permanence. Ironically, John Ames’ role as preacher causes him to become the estranged moral leader in the community that respects him so much. Those who respected him for â€Å"all those hours [he] was up [there] working† on his sermons and studies distanced themselv... ...ent it causes between him, Jack, and his young son illustrates the dangers of independence and self-reliance in Gilead. Ultimately, the novel acknowledges the imperfections of others but does not offer a method of change so much as an emphasis of understanding and forgiveness. The letter of John Ames to his son reveals a plea from a father to his child of his own faults and his desire for forgiveness because of them. Ultimately, writing allows an individual to live on after death and have a level of permanence which allows one to have an enduring identity. Gilead critiques judgmental attitudes and isolation and reveals the value of forgiveness through John Ames’ story. Forgiveness allows one to transcend misunderstandings and differences and recognize the value of others. Work Cited Robinson, Marilynne. Gilead . New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux, 2004

Marketing Plan for a Premium (Branded) Product

Table of Contents No| Tittle| Pages| 1. 0| Executive Summary| 5| 1. 1~1. 2| Objectives ~ vision and mission| 5| 2. 0| Company Summary| 6| 2. 1| Background| 6| 2. 2| Company Locations and Facilities| 6| 3. 0| Products and Services| 7| 3. 1| Products Description| 7| 3. 2| Competitive Comparison| 8| 3. 3| Supply and Demand Details| 9| 3. 4| Technology Needs| 10| 4. 0| Market Analysis| 11| 4. 1| Target Market| 11| 4. 1. 1| Target Market Segment Strategy| 11| 4. 1. 2| Market Needs| 11| 4. 1. 3| Market Trends| 11| 4. 1. 4| Market Growth| 12| 4. 2| Industry Analysis| 13| 4. 2. 1| Industry Participants/Key Players| 13| 4. 2. | Main Competitors/Competitive Analysis| 13| 5. 0| Strategy and Implementation Summary| 14| 5. 1| Marketing Strategy| 14| 5. 2| Pricing Strategy| 15| 5. 3| Promotion Strategy| 15| 5. 4| Distribution Patterns| 15| 5. 6| Sales Strategy| 16| 5. 7| Sales Forecast| 16| 5. 8| Sales Programs| 16| 6. 0| Web Plan Summary| 17| 6. 1| Website Marketing Strategy| 17| 6. 2| Developmen t Requirements| 17| 7. 0| References| 18-20| 1. 0 Executive Summary 1. 1 Objectives My objective is to collect and research information to understand Audi Company better in terms of their company background, product and services and their marketing strategy.Examples are like their technology, competitors pricing, sales figures market growth and many more. 1. 2 Vision and Mission Vision: â€Å"Audi – the premium brand† Mission: â€Å"We delight customers worldwide† 2. 0 Company Summary 2. 1 Background Audi is under a parent company named Volkswagen Group which is a German automobile manufacturing company. Audi is a manufacturer of exquisite cars – beautiful, sophisticated machines that embody technological perfection. Audi is the Premium brand growing most rapidly and on course to become the world’s most successful Premium manufacturer.Audi has been recognised by the European Union for outstanding environmental protection, based on its long traditio n of minimising and reusing production waste. 2. 2 Company Locations and Facilities The worldwide network of Audi sites comprises the two German plants in Ingolstadt and Neckarsulm, as well as seven production facilities in Gyor (Hungary), Brussels (Belgium), Changchun (China), Aurangabad (India), Bratislave (Slovakia), Martorell (Spain) and Indonesia. 3. 0 Products and Services 3. 1 Products Description Type| Audi Q5 2. 0 TFSI Quattro (225PS)| Vehicle Type| Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)|Transmission| 6-speed manual| Year| 2011| Price(RM)| 328,000| Engines| 1,984  cc (1. 984  L; 121. 1  cu in) I4 turbo| Acceleration(0-60mph)| 7. 0 sec| Maximum Speed| 130 mph| Tank Capacity| 75| Weight| 1850| Audi Q5 2. 0 TFSI Quattro (225PS) is a sport utility vehicle (SUV). The transmission for the car is 6-speed manual. Not only that, the Audi Q5 engine is 2. 0 litre engines comes with a turbo system which boost its engine capability, the acceleration from 0-60mph is 7. 0 per second and the ma ximum speed is 130mph which is approximately 233kmh while the tank capacity is 75 litres and the weight is 1850kg. 3. Competitive Comparison Type| Range Rover Evoque| Porsche Cayenne| Vehicle Type| Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)| Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV)| Transmission| Six-speed Automatic| Eight-speed Tiptronic S with Auto start/stop function| Year| 2012| 2012| Price(RM)| 363,888| 570,000| Engines| 2. 0L Si4 4-cylinder petrol engine| 3. 6L V6| Acceleration(0-100km/h)| 7. 6 sec| 7. 5 sec| Maximum Speed| 217 km/h| 230 km/h| Tank Capacity| 70| 100| Weight| From 1640| 2030| 3. 3 Supply and Demand Details Audi Q series Annual Sales in all countries Production (unit)| Year| Year| Vehicles (Audi)| 2011| 2010| Q5| 183,678| 154,604|Q7| 53,703| 48,937| Q3| 19,613| -| Total Audi Q series| 256,994| 203,541| Based on the table above, Audi Q series annual sales for the model Q5 had increase from 154,604 for the year 2010 to 183,678 for the year 2011. The different of annual sales between year 201 0 and 2011 is 29,074 which means the supply and demand for year 2011 had increase. The total annual sales of Audi Company for 2010 are 203,541 whereas for the year 2011 is 256,994. The table above show that the total annual sales of the company had also increase 53,453 which mean the supply and demand of the cars increase from the year 2010 to 2011. . 4 Technology Needs As technology needs for the model of Audi Q5 is the engine. The engine Audi Company use for Q5 is 2. 0 litre engines comes with a turbo system which boost its engine capability and turbocharging for more power and greater efficiency   is a development of the engine that powers the likes of the current Audi TT and Volkswagen Golf GTI. The engine’s power and performance will be from 0-60mph is 7 seconds and the top speed will be 130mph or 209km/h. The horsepower can up to 211hp or 4300rpm and the torque will be 258 Ib-ft. or 1500rpm. 4. 0 Market Analysis 4. 1 Target MarketThe following are the strategy for tar get market. 4. 1. 1 Target Market Segment Strategy Market segmentation for Audi Q5 will be psychographic segmentation which means Audi Company divide the buyers into different categories based on social class, lifestyles or personality characteristics. For the target market segment will be differentiated marketing strategy which means Audi Company produces several types of car such as SUV (Sport Utility Vehicle), Sedan and Sport each targeting its own segment of consumers. As for the product I choose Q5 target market is towards consumer’s lifestyles from higher level income.The target market will be consumers who finding for more comfortable, powerful and luxury option. 4. 1. 2 Market Needs Audi Company is providing customer comfort and luxury cars. Audi have a very good warranty and aftersales services for the customers. Now for all the new Audi models, the customers can choose whether you want to have three, four or five years warranty. So with the few years warranty you ca n enjoy your driving and also no need to worry about the unexpected repair bills. 4. 1. 3 Market Trends Market trends for Audi Q5 is the technology its use for the engine. Audi Q5 has automatic start and stop function for greater fuel.Audi Q5 comes with the Driver’s Information System (DIS) can help consumer to save fuel. Not only that, the market trends for Audi Q5 is because comfort and luxury. 4. 1. 4 Market Growth Production (unit) Production (unit) Year Year Figure: Production of vehicles Audi Q5 Figure above shows the Audi Q5 pass four years production from 2008 to 2011. The models of Q5 have a production of 20,320 in year 2008. Then the production increase from 20,320 to 105,074 in year 2009. The different of both years are 84,754. The productions still continue increase from 2009 to 2010 which mean from 105,074 to 154,604.Lastly for year 2011, the production for the year is 183,678. Compare to the pass four years the production of Audi Q5 is continues increase. 4. 2 I ndustry Analysis 4. 2. 1 Industry Participants/Key Players The industry participant for Audi Q5 is Stefan Sielaff. He is the head of design in Audi Company. He joins the company in year 2006. The key player for Audi Q5 is towards the consumers with high level of income and age above 40. Not only that, Audi Q5 can also be for family uses because it is 7 seaters car. 4. 2. 2 Main Competitors/Competitive Analysis The main competitors for Audi Q5 are Range Rover Evoque and Porsche CayenneRange Rover Evoque: * The main strength of Range Rover Evoque is that it is the sport utility vehicle (SUV) with the engine turbocharged inline four-cylinder which can boost up to 240 horsepower, six-speed automatic transmission and impressive acceleration which is 7. 6 per second. Porsche Cayenne * The main strength of Porsche Cayenne is that it is also sport utility vehicle (SUV) with the engine 8-speed Tiptronic S which can boost up to 380 horsepower, Eight-speed Tiptronic S with Auto start and stop function and impressive acceleration which is 7. 5 per second. 5. Strategy and Implementation Summary 5. 1 Marketing Strategy Marketing strategy for the Audi Company is to hit the annual sales target or increase sales and profitable get back. Audi Company will choose the best strategy to gain profit in order to create customers value. Audi Company market segmentation will be psychographic segmentation which means for the model Q5, the segmentation will base on the individual lifestyles. Audi Company market target will be age above 40 and consumers with high level of income. The target market segment will be differentiated marketing strategy.This is because the Audi Company is going to target on few market segments and provide few models such as A4, TT and Q5. By setting the market targeting, company hope can get higher sales. The market position for Audi Q5 is to combine both aspect in terms of luxury and performance in order to make the Audi Q5 to become a perfect sport utility veh icle. With high quality and luxury car and have also good performance with high tech engine, better interior and exterior are more attract the consumers compare to others competitors. 5. 2 Pricing StrategyIn terms of pricing strategy, marketers have to look into competitors’ strategies and prices to make comparison. The pricing strategy for Audi Company is by cost-based pricing which is convincing consumers of the vehicles value. The company profit will be the most important issue in pricing strategy. Audi Company is using psychological pricing which means it is consider about the pricing but not the world economics. The higher the price of car is, the higher quality of the car is. 5. 3 Promotion Strategy The promotion strategies for Audi Q5 are advertising and public relation.In terms of advertising, Audi Company has to make decisions when setting the advertising budget which is objective, budget decisions, message and media decisions and advertising evaluation. The marketer had chosen the advertising budget by using competitive-parity method in order to prevent promotion war and know what the competitors plans. Public relation is that Audi Company builds a strong relationship with the customers. The public relation company will organise a special event for example car show to promote the cars. By organising the car show public relation people can introduce the benefit of Audi Q5 and the specifications. . 4 Distribution Patterns The distribution patterns for Audi Company will be wholesaling. Audi Company is the wholesaler and the Audi Company will hire selling agents to help the company to gain the sales. The selling agents will sell the cars direct to last consumers. The wholesaler will set the segmentation and targeting consumers in order to identify the consumers and build a strong relationship with them. Selling agents have to explain about the cars specification and pricing to the customers in details to make the customers understand about the car concept. 5. Sales Strategy Sales strategy for Audi Company for model of Q5 is Audi Company have a very good aftersales services and warranty. Each of Audi cars has a warranty of at least 3years. Then, consumers no need to worry about the high repairing cost. Let’s say a customer with an Audi car model of Q5 send his or her car to service and he or she is busying with the job he needs a car to go work while the car repairing. In this case, Audi Company will decide to give the particular customer a same model of car to use while the car is doing services. 5. 6 Sales ForecastThe annual sales for Audi Q5 in year 2011 are 183,678 units so the marketers aim that the next annual sales in year 2012 for Audi Q5 will be 500,000 units. The reason why the marketers aim for more annual sales is because the Audi Company objective is to get benefits. To gain more annual sales the marketing strategy have to be improve in order to have more supply and demand of Audi Q5. 5. 7 Sales Programs T he sales program for Audi Q5 is the marketers will set market segmentation, market targeting, market position and market differentiation to concentrate on a market to increase the annual sales.In terms of pricing, the marketers will consider the target market income level and needs to get an Audi Q5. The marketers also will consider about the consumer judgement on the product. The marketers have to do some promotion in order to introduce the product to the target market. In this case, the product is Audi Q5 so the marketers have to consider the suitable premium product promotion strategy. After all, the marketers have to set a distributer to sell out the product. The distributer is by wholesale which means the Audi Company has to hire a selling agent to distribute the product to the last consumer. 6. 0 Web Plan Summary 6. Website Marketing Strategy Website marketing strategy is something similar to marketing strategy but is only available in online business. First of all, the market ers have to select the target market for Audi Q5. The target market for Audi Q5 is basically on consumers which is with high level of household income and with age 40 above. Audi Q5 is a premium product so for online marketing the consumers have to look into more about details of the company and also the car. Furthermore, the marketers have to look into the competitor’s online advertisement make sure the competitor’s online marketing did not reduces the confident of the consumers.Then, the marketers have to improve the Audi Company advertising skills. In terms of pricing, the marketers have to look into the market target needs. By using psychological pricing which means the consumers thought that the higher price of the car means the higher quality of the car. The consumers buying Audi Q5 is to show status and personal characteristic. The marketers have to create an advertisement either create by own or by hiring the graphic designer. For Audi Company normally the mark eters will hire the famous graphic designer to create a fabulous website page.And the graphic designer will helps to create the content of the advertising which is the slogan of the Audi Company by giving consumers message about the car comfort and luxury. In addition, the marketers have to monitor the advertising in terms of maintaining the latest news of the website. 6. 2 Development Requirements The marketers have to make sure the budget of the advertising did not over the cost so that the company did not lose any profit. The costing by hiring a famous graphic designer are very high so the marketers have to make sure that the online marketing are successful and hit the target of sales.List of References Audi. com (n. d. ) Corporate strategy > Audi at a glance > Investor Relations > Audi Worldwide. [online] Available at: http://www. audi. com/com/brand/en/company/investor_relations/audi_at_a_glance/corporate_strategy. html [Accessed: 28 Nov 2012] En. wikipedia. org (1937) Volkswag en Group – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [online] Available at: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Volkswagen_Group [Accessed: 28 Nov 2012]. Fleetdirectory. co. uk (2012) Audi profile and Audi company details. [online] Available at: http://www. fleetdirectory. co. k/audi/ [Accessed: 28 Nov 2012]. Audi. com (n. d. ) Careers > Audi Worldwide. [online] Available at: http://www. audi. com/com/brand/en/company/careers. html [Accessed: 28 Nov 2012]. Models. audiusa. com (2012) Detailed Specifications > Features and Specifications > Audi Q5 > Audi of America. [online] Available at: http://models. audiusa. com/q5/detailed-specifications [Accessed: 28 Nov 2012]. En. wikipedia. org (2009) Audi Q5 – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. [online] Available at: http://en. wikipedia. org/wiki/Audi_Q5#Transmissions [Accessed: 28 Nov 2012]. Models. audiusa. om (2012)  Engines > Features and Specifications > Audi Q5 > Audi of America. [online] Available at: http://models. audiusa. com/q5 /engines [Accessed: 28 Nov 2012]. Landrovermalaysia. com. my (2011) Land Rover – Media. [online] Available at: http://www. landrovermalaysia. com. my/media_rangerover44tdv8. asp [Accessed: 28 Nov 2012]. Topgear. com (2012) Porsche Cayenne GTS unveiled in Malaysia – TopGear Malaysia. [online] Available at: http://www. topgear. com/my/7667-porsche-cayenne-gts-unveiled-in-malaysia/ [Accessed: 28 Nov 2012]. Porsche. com (2012) Technical Specs – Cayenne Diesel – Cayenne Overview – Dr.Ing. h. c. F. Porsche AG. [online] Available at: http://www. porsche. com/pap/models/cayenne/cayenne-diesel/featuresandspecs/ [Accessed: 28 Nov 2012]. Annualreport2011. volkswagenag. com (2011) Volkswagen Group – Annual Report 2011 – Audi. [online] Available at: http://annualreport2011. volkswagenag. com/divisions/audi. html [Accessed: 28 Nov 2012]. Audi. com (n. d. ) Corporate strategy > Audi at a glance > Investor Relations > Audi Worldwide. [online] Availab le at: http://www. audi. com/com/brand/en/company/investor_relations/audi_at_a_glance/corporate_strategy. html [Accessed: 28 Nov 2012].Models. audiusa. com (2012) Detailed Specifications > Features and Specifications > Audi Q5 > Audi of America. [online] Available at: http://models. audiusa. com/q5/detailed-specifications [Accessed: 28 Nov 2012]. CNET (2009)  Audi Q5 delivers sports car handling. [online] Available at: http://reviews. cnet. com/8301-13746_7-10309171-48. html [Accessed: 28 Nov 2012]. Topgear. com (2012) Porsche Cayenne GTS unveiled in Malaysia – TopGear Malaysia. [online] Available at: http://www. topgear. com/my/7667-porsche-cayenne-gts-unveiled-in-malaysia/ [Accessed: 28 Nov 2012].Audi UK (2012) Saving you fuel < Q5 < Q5 < Models < Audi UK. [online] Available at: http://www. audi. co. uk/new-cars/q5/q5/saving-you-fuel. html [Accessed: 28 Nov 2012]. Babyrr. com (2012) babyRR. com – The Range Rover Evoque Forum – Negative Consumer Reports Revie w. [online] Available at: http://babyrr. com/forum/archive/index. php/thread-2845-1. html [Accessed: 28 Nov 2012]. Porsche. com (2012) Drive – Features – Panamera S Hybrid – Dr. Ing. h. c. F. Porsche AG. [online] Available at: http://www. porsche. com/usa/models/panamera/panamera-s-hybrid/detail/drive/ [Accessed: 28 Nov 2012]. speedonline. com (n. d. ) PDK vs. Tiptronic – 6speedonline. com Forums. [online] Available at: http://www. 6speedonline. com/forums/cayenne-958/273697-pdk-vs-tiptronic. html [Accessed: 28 Nov 2012]. About. com Small Business: Canada (2000)  Part Two of the 5 Step Internet Marketing  Plan. [online] Available at: http://sbinfocanada. about. com/od/onlinebusiness/a/netcampaignpp_2. htm [Accessed: 28 Nov 2012]. Marketing, An Introduction ARMSTRONG, G. and KOTLER, P. (n. d. ) Marketing, An Introduction. 11th ed. United State of America: Pearson Education

Involvement in the Vietnam War Essay

In 1954, the Geneva agreement ended the fighting and declared Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam independent countries. The agreement also split Vietnam into two countries; communists governed North Vietnam and South Vietnam became a democratic country. North Vietnam reneged and the communists tried to take over South Vietnam, so the American military fought the communists in a battle that became known as the Vietnam War (Barr, 2005). The Hmong in Laos experienced tragic, long-term consequences for their wartime allegiance with the United States by secretly fighting in the Vietnam War. At the beginning of the Vietnam War, Laos was an officially neutral country (Mote, 2004). Freedom is important to the Hmong. The word Hmong means â€Å"free man† (Murphy, 1997). However, the Vietnam War spread to Laos when communist leaders decided to use Laos as a route to deliver supplies to their troops fighting in South Vietnam. Fearful that a communist victory in South Vietnam would eventually lead to communist victories throughout Southeast Asia, the United States Department of Defense, State Department, and Central Intelligence Agency â€Å"secretly created and administered a billion-dollar military aid program to Laos. (Castle, 1993). The U. S. military recruited and trained Hmong men and boys who wanted to protect their freedom from the communists. Tens of thousands of Hmong soldiers fought alongside U. S. soldiers to stop the communist’s troops and supplies from reaching South Vietnam. In 1975, the United States lost the Vietnam War and withdrew its soldiers from Vietnam and Laos, leaving behind the secret army of Hmong soldiers (Barr, 2005). Immediately, communists took control of South Vietnam and Laos, and declared war against the Hmong in Laos. Without the protection of American soldiers, Hmong soldiers and their families were hunted down and killed by communist soldiers. From 1975 until 1990, hundreds of thousands of Hmong fled Laos (Barr, 2005) to resettle in Thailand refugee camps. The United States promised to â€Å"find a new place† (Mote, 2004) for Hmong people, if the war against communism was lost. The United States had an agreement with Thailand, a democratic country, to provide safety and refugee camps. For several years, Hmong families struggled to survive in refugee camps until they received official permission from the United States to resettle in America (Murphy, 1997). When the first Hmong families arrived in the United States, they did not speak English and â€Å"lacked written language, formal education, financial saving, and support networks. † (Su, Lee, Vang, 2005). In spite of that, they held tight to their Hmong identity and loyalty. To be a Hmong in the eyes of the Hmong community of parents and elders is to be fluent in Hmong, have respect for elders, participate in family celebrations, help each other when needed, and have the will to succeed while maintaining one’s identity (Moore, 2003). Today, 18 different Hmong clan names are still passed down from generation to generation. Hmong clan names are equivalent to American last names. First names identify people and last names identify clans. The 18 clans provide life-time membership and ongoing material and spiritual support to their members from birth to death. Newborns are given the father’s clan name, which they cannot change. For that reason, Hmong women retain their clan name when they get married (Moua, 1995). The foundation of Hmong life is marriage and family (Millett, 2002). An ancient ritual requires the groom to pay â€Å"a bride-price,† a negotiated sum of money paid to the bride’s parents. Hmong newlyweds live with the husband’s parents until they have two or more children. However, Hmong culture expects the last-born married son, his wife, and children to permanently live with, support, and care for his parents and grandparents until their death. Unfortunately, time-honored Hmong traditions are challenged by American culture. For example, there is conflict between Hmong Christians and Hmong Animists. Animists sacrifice animals to worship spirits; they believe â€Å"that all living things have spirits† (Brittan, 1997). Hmong Christians worship God and condemn animal sacrifice. As a result, Christianity altered traditional Hmong rituals and ceremonies. For instance, Christianity eliminated the payment of a bride price and animal sacrifice. It also, eliminated the reciting of lengthy songs paying attribute to ancestors and natural spirits during funerals. These changes and other social and adaptive conflicts continue to cause disagreement and division among some Hmong families, friends, and clans. Once upheld with high respect and status, the Hmong shaman’s role in America has been downgraded.

The Gratefull Dead essays

The Gratefull Dead essays In San Francisco, on August 1, 1942, Jerome John Garcia was born. This marked the beginning of a long strange trip. Jose Garcia, Jeromes father named his son after his favorite Broadway musical composer, Jerome Kern. Tired of the name Jerome, Jose and his family began to call him Jerry. Garcia was surrounded by music as a child. His father would play him to sleep at night. His mother listened to opera and his maternal grandmother loved country music. Family gatherings tended to be musical, too, for his fathers side of the family would gather round and sing songs together. Young Jerry and his family took a trip to the Santa Cruz Mountains in California, when he was four; he and his brother were given the job of splitting firewood for the family that night. Horsing around, Jerry and Tiff were teasing each other while chopping the firewood. Jerry accidentally placed his hand in the way of the axe, lost half of his middle finger on his right hand. He screamed. I screamed. We both screamed. It was an accident. I didnt do it maliciously. I was a kid. I was eight and Jerry was four. We were little guys. Missing half a finger, Jerry had to press through life learning different types of instruments. He used his disability to his advantage by striving harder. A year after the loss of Jerrys finger, tragedy struck the Garcias again. Fly fishing in a river, Jose Garcia suddenly lost his footing and was swept away by the raging current. After his fathers death Garcias life changed forever. Moving in with his grandmother who had a strong passion for country music gave Jerry a huge influence for that style of music Turning fifteen, Jerry got turned on to marijuana. Me and a friend went up into the hills with two joints, and just got so high, laughed and roared and went skipping down the streets doing funny things and just having a helluva time, said Garcia. Garc...

Safety And Security And The Hospitality Industry Tourism Essay Essay Example

Safety And Security And The Hospitality Industry Tourism Essay Essay Example Safety And Security And The Hospitality Industry Tourism Essay Paper Safety And Security And The Hospitality Industry Tourism Essay Paper Introduction and Background of the Study Safety and security plays a large function in this century. Everyone is refering about their safety and security when they are remaining in the hotel during holiday. In the world-wide hotel industry, the direction excessively concern about safety and security issues refering on their invitees and employees. In the cordial reception industry, they are proud of themselves because they are known friendly to everyone in such manner of attitude in welcoming their clients or invitees. Therefore, they should pattern and keep the construct of a home-from-home with their open-door attack with comfort, convenience and privateness to their invitees ( Gill, Moon, Seaman A ; Turbin, 2002 ) . After the catastrophes such as terrorist onslaught at Luxor Egypt in 1992 and 1993, 852 riders died on the shipwreck of Estonia in Baltic Sea on 28th September 1994, Iraq war panic onslaught of September 11, 2001 in New York, United States, the SARS epidemic in 2003, Tsunami catastrophe on 26th December 2004 in Thailand and Bali bombardments, the demand for safety and security around the universe is turning and the subject of safety and security has become a popular treatment among the people in the universe. Besides, most of the hotels have now implemented a safety and security program every bit good as quality program such as supplying preparation for the employees and invitee s safety and security ( Steene, 2009, Lockyer, 2007 and Helena A ; Natasa, 2010 ) . The hotel direction has separated the hotel safety into two wide classs which are safety and security. The direction categorized safety as in the services provided, besides included the building of the hotel inside designed whereby doing certain they are safe built for the employees to work in and in-house invitees. However, security in hotel related to menaces that set by people than puting by the physical milieus, which means it depends on the individual who set the security danger that can non be predict ( Policy Department, 2008 ) . Based on Enz ( 2009 ) personal definition on safety and security, she defined safety as protecting invitee s safety, while maintaining invitees belongings safe will be included in the security definition. In other words, harmonizing to Enz and Masako ( 2002 ) , safety involves in protecting employees and invitees while in the hotel country from serious injured and decease. In footings of safety, it can be farther categorized by assorted facets such as fire safety and others facets of hotel safety. As for hotel safety, it includes nutrient safety, swimming pool safety and non burying the hotel s belongings safety such as offense safety ( Policy Department, 2008 ) . Problem Statements Training safety and security steps is of import to the cordial reception industry whereby without the of import of steps, the cordial reception and tourim industry will non hold roar so fast. This is because everyone take their life every bit cherished as gold. Unfortunately nowaday, hotels merely used of the tecnology safety and security system to protect their guest. They should hold besides used of developing method and processs to develop their employees and educate invitee as a safeguards for accidents to go on. Morever, the cordial reception should be more concern on which aspects that will hold a high rate of accidents go on in the day-to-day rountine. However, why preparation is important for the cordial reception industry to look upon on? What are the ways that the cordial reception industry able to utilize to develop their employees and invitees to maintain safe from danger? Which aspects must they refer on? Research Aims The purpose of this research is done to find employee safety and security preparation and instruction for invitees do helps to minimise the safety and security issues in the cordial reception industry. This research is carried out to accomplish several aims in the undermentioned below: To find the importance of preparation safety and security. To find the ways that the hotels implement to develop their employees and educate invitees on safety and security to experience secure and comfy piece in the hotel. To place the factors that the hotels will look into concern and train employees and educate invitee to forestall these issues to go on. Research Questions This survey is attempted answer the research inquiries in the undermentioned below: Why it is importance of preparation safety and security? What are the ways that the hotel implements to develop their employees and educate their invitees on the safety and security? What are the factors that the hotels will look into concern and train employees and educate invitee to forestall these issues to go on? Hypothesis Statement The hypothesis in this research will be done based on the value of the population which the hypothesis statement will be related to the importance of preparation safety and security does lower the per centum of safety and security issues. In this hypothesis research, the writer has used a statement which will give less bad consequence on the consequence. Ho = There is no significance between the importance of preparation safety and security will take down the per centum of safety and security and have no consequence on safety and security issues. H1 = There is a significance between the importance of preparation safety and security will take down the per centum of safety and security and have no consequence on safety and security issues. Theoretical and Conceptual Model The importance of preparation safety and security on employees and invitees Importance of preparation safety and security Training the employees on safety and security Wayss and factors to refer on Fire safety Accident and private safety Educating invitees on safety and security Crime safety and security Figure 1.1 A conceptual model on the importance of preparation safety and security on employees and invitees in the hotel industry. Basically the above figure shows about this research will be concentrating on several facts and facts such as the facets that the hotel should be more concerned on by implementing ways to protect them. Before the writer determined the facets and ways on protecting the employees and invitee s safety, the writer would wish to explicate on the importance of preparation safety and security on employees and invitees and non merely trusting on the safety and security characteristics such as CCTV and others more. As for the facets for the hotel to be concerned on will be the fire safety, accident and private safety and offense safety and security. These facets should be concerned on because they will go on in our day-to-day life. Fire is a phenomena facet which we can non foretell to go on, therefore it is of import for the cordial reception to develop the employees and invitees on ways to get the better of it when it happens. As for accidents and private safety, if the employees and guest are teach to forestall them to go on, the rate of accidents will be lower down. For illustration, housekeepers should be trained in a right manner to clean the room with safety steps. Crime happens about every twenty-four hours in our life, therefore the hotel should besides take in safeguards even though there are security constabulary and officers. For illustration, the hotel needs to develop employees on ways to non fall into the condemnable traps when they suspected leery people inquiring in the hotels. Significance of the Study Training employees and educate in-house invitees in order to maintain themselves safe and secure is a really of import elements in the cordial reception and touristry industry presents. With the preparation of safety and security, they will make the employees and invitee s satisfaction where they will experience safe merely like they are in their ain house. In the average clip, it will besides increase the attending from the foreigners and travellers if they know the hotel manage good in safety and security affairs, therefore this will convey benefits to the hotel when they need more work force and increase the economic system and position of the hotel. The writer had recognized the types of preparation methods for employees and invitees to follow to get the better of the negative factors which will do them experience safer while being in the hotel at anytime and anyplace. Furthermore, the effects of these method used will minimise the safety and security issues. This research will assist the organisations in the cordial reception industry to understand the intent of developing safety and security will profit the employees and travellers. This will besides profit the hotel as they pattern and using on the employees and invitees to pull off and better the safety and security steps. Scope and Restriction Basically, this research is chiefly concentrating on the method that the hotel s direction uses to develop their employees and educates their in-house invitees in order to maintain them safe and secure, besides help to cut down negative issues that will go on in the hotel and the surrounding. Hotels maintain them safe and secure in footings of avoiding hurts and decease on the employees and invitees when there are accidents, offense and fire. However, there are several restrictions related to this survey have occurred in order to finish this research successfully. First, it will be the handiness to seek for secondary informations, the electronic beginnings. The writer has faced some troubles in seeking extra information and electronic articles and diaries from the web sites that related to developing safety and security for employees and educating invitees when being in the hotel. Even though, the several college university has provided several beginnings for the writer like academic web sites but there are still lack of beginnings for the writer to roll up more information because some of the diaries and information demand to be purchased before consume. Furthermore, the writer had faced some challenges because of missing experience and cognition in carry oning a proposal. It is a great challenge when the writer does non hold sufficient experience and the accomplishments to roll up strong and good informations for this r esearch. Chapter TWO LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 Introduction In this chapter, it will contains the determination of the writers had done research sing on the of import of developing the employees and educate the invitees, besides several ways to develop the employees and educate invitees to maintain safe while they are in the hotel. Besides, it will besides include the factors where the hotel will be more concern on and avoid hurts happened. As for the old research worker s findings and theories, they will be used as back uping information besides guaranting that the methods and factors will be concentrating on will assist in this research. Furthermore, all information and information that have been gathered for this research are from assorted secondary informations beginnings such as electronic articles and diaries. 2.2 Importance of preparation for safety and security The word preparation is means by giving a individual the existent and adequate information to him or her needed in order to work safely. It is non important that developing demand to hold a formal category session or seminars and classs for the employees to go to. In this coevals, there are assorted facets that make the hotel successful whereby these facets are wellness, safety and sustainability of the attractive forces concern ( Williams 2008 ) . Harmonizing to Pitt ( 2007 ) , in United Kingdom, there are about more than 30 million of working yearss lost in each twelvemonth due to employee s wellness illness and seven million are because of employee injured in the on the job topographic point. Every twelvemonth, there are more than a million of employees enduring from bully while working by their ain co-workers or public. Therefore, in order to cut down the figure of workplace hurt and others factors, developing employees and invitees to maintain themselves safe while working and remaining in the hotel are important. Based on the research by Health and Safety in the Catering Industry Liaison Committee, there is a legal jurisprudence to supply information and preparation sing to wellness and safety facets to all employees who are needed ( hypertext transfer protocol: //www.hse.gov.uk ) . 2.3 Training employees Weitze ( 2008 ) noted that if the hotel direction is missing of employees developing, deficiency of keeping the policies and processs and in conclusion missing of bar, these will all take to a safety related incident. Therefore, it is of import to develop the employees from the hotel itself foremost earlier to educate the invitees. Furthermore, the staffs of Shangri-la Hotel are the first people who will interact with the invitees once they step into the hotel. It does non count they are from which section of the hotel, as long they are Shangri-la Hotel employees such as bell male child, front desk staffs, housekeepers and more, the employees are responsible to make a civilization of safety and professionalism to maintain themselves safe and maintaining the guest safety and security every bit good ( Kwiecinski, 2010 ) . Therefore, it is important for the direction to develop every employee to be able to confront to confront in any accidents such as fire, constabulary and other exigency services people so that they may assist out if that is a demand ( William, 2008 ) . Based on a wellness and safety director, Duncan Aspin, he had stated that directors need to determine up wellness and safety preparation policy for guaranting every employee have sufficient preparation on safety and security issues to cut down acc ident ( Mottram, 2005 ) . For an illustration, harmonizing to Mottram ( 2005 ) , supplying plan sing on staff development and safety preparation has given a manus to North-West division of Birse Civil to accomplish zero percent accident rate, which is besides the top 1 company in UK as building industry for safety. Therefore, developing employees non merely will assist to salvage their lives but besides assist Shangri-la Hotel to lift up hotel position. 2.4 Educating invitees Besides Shangri-la Hotel develop their employees to maintain themselves safe and implementing safety and security characteristics for the guest safety, it is besides of import for them to develop their in-house invitees to take attention of themselves every bit good. In general, everyone who travels around and look for adjustments would anticipate they will be safe and their belongings will be unafraid go forthing them in the hotel while they are out for travel. However, sometimes it is difficult to foretell that invitee will be safe by merely depending on the hotel s safety and security characteristics, therefore the invitees should besides larn how to protect themselves off from offenses, accidents and fire. Harmonizing to the research by Mottram ( 2005 ) , in the twelvemonth of 2003, 80 people who include the invitees and employees of Birse Civils have attended the safety direction and classs. In consequence, the company has recorded as nothing accidents occur within the company country. 2.5 Ways and factors that will be concerned on 2.5.1 Fire Safety Fire accident is an accident whereby we can non foretell when to go on and when non to go on. Even if there is a fire, the invitees might non cognize how to manage because they are non cognizant of it. Therefore, the hotel direction should take safeguards on managing the safety of their employees and invitees. For illustration, sometimes foreign in-house invitees might hold slow respond to the emptying alarms when it rings because they do non hold an understanding state of affairs in the local hotel ( Roberts A ; Chan, 2000 ) . Harmonizing to Helena A ; Natasa ( 2010 ) , in order to protect guest safety, the direction of the hotel needs to educate invitee by supplying instructions, labels and reminders which related to fire bars. The intent of implement this so that invitees will non be panic and nervous when there is fire accident, in fact they will remain unagitated and cognize the manner to go forth the hotel edifice safely. Throughout the research, as for the fire safeguards to protect the invitee and employees safety, Shareton Hotel did the best in developing their employees to manage fire incident in order to salvage their life and the guest life excessively. They provide full initiation and preparation for all hotel staffs on working safe processs and responses which relate to fire. Besides, new forces will be trained to utilize types of asphyxiators and taught them ways to manage when the hotel is on fire ( Roberts A ; Chan, 2000 ) . 2.5.2 Accidents and Private Safety In the Occupational Safety and Health Act ( OSHA ) , it has stated in 1970 that each working people either adult male or adult female in the state demand to hold a safe and healthful working conditions which besides means that without holding any hurts during the on the job period ( Hobson, 1996 ) . In the cordial reception industry, it is of import for the hotelkeepers to look into this facet because accident can go on in the hotel easy at anytime and anyplace on the employees and invitees. In the research by Mottram ( 2005 ) , the company of Birse Civils does supply developing to their employees which included first-aid preparation. This preparation is to guarantee that their employees are qualified to the Health and Safety Regulation 1981, which need four yearss developing at St John Ambulance premises. Therefore, as for all cordial reception industry, the direction should supply developing like this as a protection to their employees and invitees safety. In add-on, in certain clip, housekeeping section has a high per centum of doing accidents when the housekeepers do non handled unsafe chemicals in a proper manner and practising unhealthy airss while cleaning the suites. Due to they are covering with unsafe risky chemicals which will impact their wellness and life, safety and security preparation and orientation are of import and should be pattern in the housework section even though the housekeepers did non manage any machinery. As an illustration, Wyswert hotel does supply preparation and information for the housekeepers on what they are supposed and non supposed to make ( Kristanti A ; Kuhn, 2005 ) . However, sometimes it is a portion of the employee s occupations to protect the in-house invitee s safety. Leong ( 2000 ) has stated that the full employees need to be trained so that they know about the security processs to follow on which will be helpful for the invitees. Therefore, developing employees is of import particularly when the forepart desks agent is covering with the reaching invitee s room key. Harmonizing to Kristanti A ; Kuhn ( 2005 ) and Woods, Ninemeier, Hayes A ; Austin ( 2007 ) , they have mentioned that forepart desk agents are non allowed to give out keys, room Numberss, messages and mail to anyone from the petitioner without the proprietor s of the room existent individuality. Besides, during the procedure when the forepart desk agent passes the room key to the invitee, they should non denote the invitee s room figure out in the populace. In add-on, eating house staffs besides play a function in maintaining the invitees safety and security whereby they need to maintain their clients belongings in secure when they are holding their repasts in the several eating house. The eating house director needs to develop the waiter to be more qui vive on the client properties ( Kristanti A ; Kuhn, 2005 ) . 2.5.3 Crime Safety and Security Presents, violent offense in the workplace has become a universe issue that everyone will concern. Therefore, it is now has become a job to the cordial reception industry that they will be confronting and this job is increasing in other states ( Hobson, 1996 ) . After the incident of a popular vocalist was raped with a knife pointed at her in Long Island motel, the issues of security become a serious issue to all hotels in the United States ( Leong, 2000 ) . Therefore, hotels have aware of offense issues and security system and get down practising offense direction ( Gill, Moon, Seaman A ; Turbin, 2002 ) . Crime in the workplace has by and large separated into different classs such as robbery and other commercial offenses, employer or other employee direct state of affairss and terrorist act. In order to minimise the rate of force offense in the cordial reception industry, the direction can beef up the director and supervisors security accomplishments and ways to utilize first AIDSs. It is of import for both of them to be expert in pull offing these securities because they are the one will manage the jobs when there is a job. For illustration of a instance that happened in Pasadena, Texas in 1977, the trough of the hotel did non assist the victim because of lacking of security cognition ( Hobson, 1996 ) . Besides developing the higher degree of direction, developing the front line employees is needed excessively so that they will hold the cognition on managing it. The direction of the hotel can give preparation such as smile preparation which known as do nt look them in the eyes developing to learn the employees so that they will be more prepare and composure when there is a state of affairs occur. A clear and apprehensible direction should be given in order to avoid contending when there is a robbery ( Hobson, 1996 ) . Under the research that has been done by Shellum ( 2002 ) , several hotels have taken action to beef up the security issues. They have improved their security-guards preparation and so measure them by criterion operating processs so that it is changeless. Research has shown that consciousness is the most of import tools in order to take attention of safety, therefore the illustration of the hotel has done show the right manner of developing the employees ( Helena A ; Natasa, 2010 ) . Therefore, they have increased the staff-awareness by giving them more training alternatively of engaging security guards ( hypertext transfer protocol: //www.hotelasiapacific.com ) . Chapter THREE RESEARCH METHODOLOGY 3.1 Introduction In this chapter, the writer will be depicting about the research methodological analysis which will be utilizing to roll up informations for this research and seeing how the informations will make the research aims. With the used of this research methodological analysis by following the construction of guidelines, it will assist the writer to roll up dependable and trustable consequences for the research. In order to prove the consequences for this research, qualitative and quantitative methods will be used as a support with one another and the result of the consequences will be accurate in this research. 3.2 Research Design Qualitative methods is used for this research whereby it will be rely more upon interviews Sessionss and some instance surveies research covering with some little Numberss of people. The writer will roll up the informations and information by aiming to interview the people in Shangri-la Hotel on how they train their staffs and invitees to maintain themselves safe while being in the hotel. The writer would be after to interview the directors based on one on one footing so that more information included ain sentiments and ideas will be given by themselves. The interview questionnaire will be set and inquire based on the related inquiries stated in Chapter 1. The advancement of making interview session with the respondent will fundamentally get down with making the interview questionnaires and books that have related to this research. After the advancement of fixing the questionnaire that will be asked to the respondent, puting and carry oning a direct trial stairss will be taken for the interview session. After all, the last subdivision of the procedure will be the writer interview the respondent in one on one footing. Quantitative method is another portion of research methodological analysis that will be used to roll up information from the respondent. This research method will hold less interview Sessionss and observation. However, it is more towards on the aggregations of the informations and analyzes the numerical informations and statistic. For this research, study technique will be used by making a study questionnaire for the respondent, which is the invitee in Shangri-la Hotel. This is done in order for the writer to hold more apprehension on this research. 3.3 Data Collection In this research, there are two types of informations collected that has been used for this survey which are the primary informations and secondary informations. The combination of these two informations aggregation may be utile and able to demo accurate consequences which will assist the writer to make for this research. 3.3.1 Primary Data In this research, primary informations is of import for the research workers to roll up informations because the information that collected is direct from the respondent itself. Therefore, it will be much more accurate. However, this method that will be used requires more clip, cost and energy to finish. Therefore, the writer needs to pass more attempt in order to roll up great information and information. The primary informations for this research will be roll uping through one on one interview and questionnaire study. First, the writer will be merely aim the director of each section in Shangri-la Hotel to roll up information and information which relate to this research. The respondent that will be interviewed will be at least at the director degree ; hence the consequences taken will be more utile and dependable. The interview questionnaire will be asked will more base on the ways and the factors of safety and security issues will be concentrating on. The intent of utilizing interview method is because information that given will be more in deepness and interviewer able to inquire more personal inquiry in order to garner excess information. Besides, it is possible for the interviewer to enter down the conversation during interview session as mentions and cogent evidence with the permission O.K. from the interviewees. 3.3.2 Secondary Data Secondary informations are informations that have gathered and done by old research workers and now go the demands for the current research worker. Besides, secondary informations can be known as ready speedy beginnings with strong facts and grounds. Secondary informations includes books, diaries, articles, intelligence and others more. As for this research, the secondary informations will be more trusting on the electronic diaries and less on academic text editions. The information collected will be used more on cyberspace beginnings because it is easy to garner valuable informations which have done by person else antecedently. Electronic diaries articles that used to happen relevant articles and diaries as a support for some facts in this research are from the database of EBSCOhost from KDU e-library web sites, Emerald from USCI library web site and Google Scholar. All information that collected from these three web sites is cogency, truth besides free for prejudice. In add-on, the writer will borrow some books for excess information which relate to the research making from the library of KDU University College at Petaling Jaya campus. 3.4 Sampling Design 3.4.1 Sampling Technique The writer would take non-probability sampling as a tool to take the respondent for this research survey. The writer will be interviewed the directors of Shangri-la Hotel through quota sampling to acquire information. However, quota sampling will non be a helpful tool for the writer to make this research because non everyone is selected to be interviewed, therefore convenience sampling will be usage in study questionnaire. The questionnaire will be distributed to the targeted respondents who are willing to reply the inquiries unfeignedly. With the usage of this method, it gives the writer to hold big figure of full complete questionnaires fast and cheap which help the writer to salvage cost. 3.4.2 Sampling Frame In this research, the hotel that the writer choose to make on research is Shangri-la Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, therefore the writer will merely aim the respondents who are the invitees who stays in Shangri-la Hotel regardless of gender or races for the convenient trying. As for the quota sampling, the writer will merely choose people who have a high degree of direction to interview.

Free sample - The Texas State Board of Education curriculum. translation missing

The Texas State Board of Education curriculum. The Texas State Board of Education curriculumThe communication triangle Referential: Between the student (writer) and the topic Interpersonal: Between the student and the instructor (reader) Directive: Between the instructor and the topic The workplace continues to experience change due to rapidly changing technology and global economic forces. These transform the work requirements of students that necessitate them to graduate ready to perform work that require strong academic skills and application of essential skills such as critical thinking, literacy and analytic capabilities, as well as increased proficiency in math and science. The graduation requirements for secondary school should therefore reflect the changes in the workplace. The promotion of the curriculum ensures that more students enter college or workforce when they are ready to succeed. This move is an effort to ensure that students gain necessary skills for college and work. The curriculum prepares students for post-secondary success. Students at all levels, including those who may not want to go to college, benefit from the curriculum. The performance in the courses has a startling effect on the students’ readiness for college. The costs associated with training students who are not ready to go to college is high, and this may be higher when they are unprepared for work. The curriculum is designed to ensure that each student enters work or college with a higher probability of success. The curriculum in high school should ensure development of a talented labor force that is economically competitive in the world. The curriculum provides better and more rewarding quality of life for the citizens. The courses are the gatekeepers to well-paying jobs. Preparation for work and college consist of courses that are taken in high school, which is the foundation The more rigorous courses the students take enable them to persist and obtain a degree at the end. They have higher rate of staying persistent on the academic track as compared to students who did not take such coursework. These students stay enrolled and work for a degree. Students’ outcome will always be related to the type and quality of available curriculum. Rigorous courses such as have positive effects on college graduation as well as on earnings later in life. Not all rigorous courses are equal (Rose Betts 33). Students who pass through a rigorous curriculum in high school can immediately enter a dual enrolment program in colleges (Ravitch 355). These students leave school much further along. This reduces cost as well as time for a post secondary degree. Students may not be ready for college unless they take additional courses from the traditional core. The content and quality of the core courses need to be improved through additional courses that students take, and this reflects how rigor the curriculum is. The courses enable all students to have equal opportunities to be prepared for post secondary education. Many students who take the core curriculum are unprepared for college and work challenges. Positive outcomes can be achieved through rigorous courses as qualified and professional teachers are recruited to teach. Thus, the schools are able to assign teachers to courses that they can handle best. The content of the rigorous curriculum can be taught and learnt effectively. Students in rigorous schools improve their ACT test scores in mathematics. Most students do not take the right number and kind of courses they need to be ready for college and work. The requirements for graduation must be aligned with readiness expectations of college and work. These courses cover what students ought to know and are capable of doing in their high school courses in specific subject areas. As such, students can have solid foundation to begin next courses. The courses will improve teacher support in education and preparation, which are crucial to the success of students in classroom. The quality of courses can be enhanced through hiring of qualified teachers and provision of training or professional development support to the existing teachers. The teachers are assigned on the basis of their qualification to handle a subject area. Inexperienced teachers are not allowed to teach the students who need best teachers. The rigorous courses must be offered under high quality standards so that students are prepared for work and college education. The students are frequently monitored so that they are able to learn what they are needed to learn. In such cases, interventions can be made to improve students’ progress as required. Conclusion The global economy is technology based and students are in danger of competing in international arena if the vigor of the courses is not raised. The students’ competitiveness in the world must be raised and maintained. It is also important to strengthen the high school curriculum to improve the readiness of students for college. Substantial proportion of students has not been offered education they deserve in order to receive boost to be ready for college and success after graduation. The nation is at risk of losing to the better prepared international students who take technology-based and other courses oriented at overcoming global challenges. Works cited Ravitch, Dianne. Brookings Papers on Education Policy. Brookings Institution Press, 2003. Rose, Heather and Betts, Julian R. Math matters: the links between high school curriculum, college graduation, and earnings. Public Policy Institute of CA, 2001

RTI module Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

RTI module - Essay Example Finally, wrap up involves adopting the RTI approach in schools to change the existing processes (The IRIS Center, 2012). This module should explore in detail the assessment actions integral to RTI (The IRIS Center, 2012). It outlines how to use growth monitoring data to decide if a student is meeting the recognized performance norm or if more rigorous intervention is required. When specific criteria are utilized, cut scores should be established to assess learners against a particular level of proficiency such as achieving a mark of 15 or above (The IRIS Center, 2012). Students scores, in a normative comparison, should be compared against those of a greater group such as getting marks over the 25th percentile compared to a nationwide sample of 3rd grade learners (The IRIS Center, 2012). I would stress to Ms. Doran that the core curriculum in the classroom must be field tested and research-based (The IRIS Center, 2012). This section describes which students should receive Tier 3 intercession or special education services. The educator should also use this module to examine parents’ involvement in assisting English Language Learners gain knowledge. This implies, derived from evidence from assembled research, that the core curriculum incorporates all the elements found essential to successfully teach students and has an identified record of