Tips for Success at College

Who would not want to be successful at every stage of life? While each person may have a different definition of success, a general definition states that any person who is able to achieve his goals and shows progress in his life is said to be successful. At college, there are several ways in which students can be successful i.e. success in academics, success in student-run societies, success at job and success at sports. Some students are able to achieve all of these while some cannot even be successful in one task. I made up my mind to excel in academics and one other activity which, according to me, would make me a successful student at college. I used to write my essay carefully, submit assignments well before deadline and developed good relations with instructors and teaching assistants. Furthermore, I served as the president of Media and Arts society of my college for one academic year. Following are some tips that can help you become successful at college in any category you want: Developing contacts with people: Experts and graduated students claim that the most successful students among all are those who are in good terms with as many people from various batches as possible. If you have links with people, you will be able to get several tasks done easily through their reference. Also, you can achieve success at societies through your reference: someone you know will definitely favor you over anyone else. So as soon as college begins, start getting involved in ice breaking activities and interact with people by yourself. As a freshman, very few people will approach you to interact so it is your responsibility to talk to people on any topic. Remember, do not annoy people by trying to interact too much. Have the passion and dedication: Nobody in this world can stop a passionate and dedicated person to succeed in anything he wants. Set a clear goal for yourself so that you can work on it with dedication. Spend a lot of time and efforts keeping in mind that you are not alone running in the race. You will meet a number of competitors who would want to reach the heights you are aiming at so you can only win if you regularly show passion and dedication towards the goal. Give your 100% and make it visible to the higher authorities. Get proficient in time management: A lot of students could not achieve everything they want just because they are not able to manage time properly. Learn how to divide all your tasks properly in the available time because the most successful entrepreneurs and industrialists claim time management to be the most crucial thing in life. So from the very first day of college, try allocating the time appropriately between tasks. You can do this in a better way by writing down a timetable for the entire week. Eventually, you will get proficient in time management and focus well on the goals. Eliminate procrastination and laziness from your life: This point is quite self-explanatory. The key to success in any task is avoiding procrastination and laziness at all times. These habits can lead you to miss out on a lot of opportunities. I used to write my essay and do my assignments as soon as they were assigned to me.

2004 Ethical Issues and Criticisms

Enrons (USA) and Parmalats (Italy) Scandals of 2003/2004 Ethical Issues and Criticisms Introduction The recent global economic crisis left on its wake a number of bankrupt business organisations. These were especially those business organisations that were poorly structured or poorly managed such that they were unable to withstand the effects of the crisis.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Enron’s (USA) and Parmalat’s (Italy) ‘Scandals’ of 2003/2004: Ethical Issues and Criticisms specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More However, there are some organisations which filed for bankruptcy within the same period but whose downfall cannot be fully attributed to the global economic meltdown. Those were for example the firms that were embroiled in financial and other forms of scandals whose effects might have made it hard for them to withstand the crisis. An example of companies or business organisations that reported poor performance and filed for bankruptcy in the 21st century is Enron Corp oration and Parmalat SpA. The former used to operate from Houston, Texas, with more than 20,000 employees. The company filed for bankruptcy late 2001. Prior to this, it was considered to be one of the leading organisations in the energy, communications and pulp paper industries. In 2000, this organisation’s revenues were approximated to be more than 100 billion US dollars. However, the company came crumbling down by the end of 2001 after it emerged that the financial records filed by the management were fraudulent and misleading. This is where the infamous Enron scandal emerged from. This was more or less the same for Parmalat SpA by the end of 2003. Before then, the company was hailed as one of the leading dairy firms in the world. Operating from Italy, the organisation has operations in various cities around the world. Apart from dairy products, the company is also known for its production and distribution of fruit juices through its various subsidiaries and outlets all ove r the world. The organisation has more than 140 production plants scattered all over the world. These (together with the other business operations) engage approximately 36000 members of staff. The collapse of this company and the reported financial fraud associated with the fraud made analysts term this as one of the biggest bankruptcies in the continent. It was likened to the Enron scandal mentioned earlier in this paper, with parallels drawn on how the two organisations misrepresented their financial reports prior to their collapse. In this report, the author will critically analyse the ethical issues revolving around the two financial scandals mentioned above. In the report, the author will set out the main issues and criticisms surrounding the two scandals. The extent to which these scandals could be considered as ethical and legal violations will also be analysed.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper wi th 15% OFF Learn More The author will also analyse the impact of the two events on the general public’s views of business operations in USA and Italy. This is in addition to a critical analysis of the extent to which the two events reflect their respective national contexts. Finally, the author will provide informed recommendations on how such scandals can be averted in the future. The Main Issues Enron’s Financial ‘Scandal’: The Main Issues Enron was established in 1985 and emerged to be one of the largest public investment companies in America. This was before its bankruptcy in 2001 as mentioned earlier. The company had invested in more than 30 products in various economic sectors around the world. It was widely associated with its enormous investment in the profitable energy industry (Petrick Scherer 2003). Enron had operated as a successful company for decades. It was one of the most profitable investment companies in America. Thus, ma ny business persons invested in Enron. The company had employed thousands of employees and collaborated with dozens of American companies in its operations. However, the company operated in a fraudulent and unethical manner. One of the key issues that led to the failure and bankruptcy of Enron was the lack of transparency and the dishonesty of Enron’s key top management team and partners. The accounting, auditing and consulting firm- Arthur Andersen- was implicated in the scandal for its dishonest business dealings with Enron (Cramton 2004). The inflation of accounting book records and assets held by Enron evidenced the greediness of the top management in their attempts to enrich themselves by embezzling the shareholders’ assets. The management was involved in inflation of the value of the company’s assets. They intentionally misled the shareholders to believe that the company had stable assets. This also persuaded more investors to entrust their money with the company. Its financial statements were not transparent at all. They were tampered with and manoeuvred to depict a stable performance even when the company was making huge losses (Jennings Marianne 2002). The illegal and unethical behaviour of the management had significant impacts on the American economy and the global economy in extension. Members of the executive awarded themselves with huge compensation packages that seemed to be targeted at enriching them instead of fairly compensating them.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Enron’s (USA) and Parmalat’s (Italy) ‘Scandals’ of 2003/2004: Ethical Issues and Criticisms specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The compensation in terms of bonuses and stock option for the top management was directly linked to the practice of deal making that disregarded quality accounting practices. This in turn led to a misguided and unhealthy corporate culture wit hin the firm. The employees were encouraged to focus on high, short term returns by the system (Rhode Paton 2002). Parmalat’s Financial Scandal: Main Issues Parmalat was one of the leading multinational food and dairy producers based and founded in Italy before its bankruptcy and collapse in 2003. The company had engaged thousands of employees and thousands of dairy farmers in Italy depended solely on it. Investors had also heavily engaged themselves with the company through the Milan Stock Exchange where it was publicly trading. With its operations in dozens of countries, Parmalat was a major employer and business partner (Coffee 2005). Some of the key ethical issues at Parmalat included the fraudulent financial practices that the company was involved in. Members of the top management team intentionally failed to provide the correct financial information including the status of the company’s debts and losses. The company was making losses and covering them up. The to p management kept it a secret and whoever came close to learning about it was fired including, the chief accounting Officer Fausto Tonna. The cover up, forgery and non-disclosure were directly linked to its bank. Upon its collapse, thousands lost their jobs and investments. The figure below shows the indirect and direct control that one large shareholder (the Tanzi family) had in terms of voting rights. This indicates the extent of unethical control of organisations by some shareholders. The structure provides adequate avenues for a shareholder who was also the chairperson and C.E.O to inappropriately pursue his own interests disregarding those of the other stakeholders. The minority shareholders who had little or no power at Parmalat Corporation were exploited at the expense of the majority shareholder (Melis 2005). Figure 1: Direct and Indirect Control of One Shareholder over ParmalatAdvertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Adapted from: Madsen Vance 2009 Criticisms, Ethical, and Legal Aspects of the Scandals The fall of this Italian giant led to the loss of public confidence on financial reporting. The Italian public and the investing community was largely made to distrust the system of accounting, auditing, and financial reporting that seemed to have worked for ages before. The loss of jobs worldwide made employees of many multinationals to lose confidence and trust of their parent companies. The accounting and auditing professionals all over the world were enormously affected. Ethical questions and concerns were raised as far as their profession was concerned. It is one of the most trusted professions that are supposed to appropriately guide the investors, creditors, members of public, and other stakeholders. But instead, it was implicated in the scandal (Coffee 2005). The Enron scandal brought to fore significant legal concerns. Some of them included the concern whether the banks had enough legal frameworks to prevent the occurrence of such scandals in the future. It also proved that the American investors’ legal protection was not fully effective in this changing market. The legal structures and mechanisms of preventing such scandals were downplayed. This is an indication of the fact that the legal system needs to catch up with the changing markets and investment environment. The state’s role in corporate investigations was also challenged. The state’s failure to put in place enough measures to protect the investors, creditors, and employees made them lose trust in state mechanisms and systems (Wearing 2005). Parmalat and Enron scandals raised major ethical issues touching on marketing and conflict of interest that existed between the companies and their main partners. For example, the illegal collaboration that existed between the Bank of America, Parmalat, Arthur Andersen and Enron in defrauding the investors was unacceptable and unethical. People wh o had trusted these companies with their pension lost everything. The public lost faith in the American and Italian investment markets. The failure of the American and Italian regulatory authorities to prevent the occurrence of these scandals had far reaching implications on members of the public who for years depended on these stock markets as an investment channel (Wearing 2005). Impacts on the Public’s View of Business Behaviour in USA and Italy The American education system- especially the standards set in business, accounting and law schools in teaching ethics- was highly questioned. Ethical concerns were raised on the level, standard, and quality of ethical education and training of business and accounting students. Education- which is highly regarded as the absolute remedy for unfair and unjust business practices- was viewed as having failed. This is especially so given that most of these executives were highly educated and experienced in their respective professions ( Berndt 2000). Key Issues Corruption was endemic at Enron and Parmalat organisations. At Enron, the top management used shareholders’ assets to improve their financial standing. Derivatives and stock option bonuses that the top management provided themselves with were illegal, unfair and unjustified. These are the people who the shareholders entrusted with their assets to protect their financial interests. Instead they were stealing from the company and shareholders’ assets. At Parmalat, the influence of family businesses on voting rights was noted. The ownership and control structure at Parmalat was largely characterised by one major shareholder. This led to indirect and direct control over the company’s financial gains (Wearing 2005). Non-disclosure of the correct accounting records characterised both firms. This lack of disclosure as far as the correct accounting records such as book balances, asset portfolio and balance sheets was concerned misled all the sta keholders. This unethical practice by the executives was intentional and aimed at harming not benefiting the employees, creditors, shareholders, and the investing public (Madsen Vance 2009). Parmalat’s misguiding and misleading information was intended for the shareholders and other stakeholders. The falsified financial information and doctored accounting records made the American and the investing public lose trust and respect for the auditing and accounting profession. These dishonest and fraudulent acts shattered the trust the public had on the American securities’ exchange market as well as the trust of employees and shareholders as far as the protection of their interests by top leadership is concerned (Madsen Vance 2009). Other major ethical issues of concern in the organisations include the relationship with the suppliers, customers, competitors and marketers. Ethical concerns for the customers include the quality and safety of the product. Conflict of interes t and illegal business practices existed in both firms. At Enron, the consulting and auditing firm- Arthur Andersen- was at the centre of the unethical business practices (Crane Matten 2010). According to investigations carried out at Enron and Parmalat, the top leadership had adequate remuneration packages. In spite of this, they used improper mechanisms- such as the use of unfair derivatives and stock options- to enrich themselves using the shareholders’ assets (Berndt 2000). This is an indication of the extent of corporate greed among top managers and leaders. They also supported a greedy corporate culture that focused on short-term benefits. At Enron, the top leadership seemed to support the culture of â€Å"get returns quick, no matter the means, and don’t get caught†. Enron and Parmalat had loyal shareholders and hardworking employees. Top leaders in every organisation are expected to safeguard the interests of these stakeholders. This is vital for the su ccess of the organisation. However, the leadership in both organisations sacrificed shareholders’ interests and employees’ rights for their own personal interests (Melis 2005). Measures to Avoid such Scandals in the Future and Recommendations Internal Investigation and Prevention It is a requirement for every company to have mechanisms such as internal auditing to detect flaws and prevent or correct them on time. However, it is not enough to simply assume that all organisations have proper internal systems. Research has shown that with proper internal mechanisms, companies are less likely to experience fraud, dishonesty and other unethical business practices. It is therefore necessary for organisations to put in place proper internal auditing, accounting and overall business investigation mechanisms (Coburn 2006). Whistle Blowing Whistle blowing is done by the bold and courageous individuals in an organisation. The support and encouragement accorded to whistle blowers at Parmalat and Enron could have prevented the scandals. Whistle blowers could have observed and disclosed the unethical, immoral, and illegal business practices at the organisation at an earlier stage. This could have saved many parties from losing their jobs and investment. Organisations from all over the world should encourage whistle blowing at every level of the business entity. Employees and managers cannot be effective whistleblowers and cannot raise the alarm if they are not accorded proper training in expected organisational ethical practices (Crane Matten 2010). The Amendment and Enactment of Laws National and international laws are vital in regulating the conduct of multinationals such as Parmalat and Enron. The American and Italian laws on unfair business practices, unethical behaviours by the executives and laws on corporate governance were not adequate. Although the concerned parties were legally charged in a court of law- and some of the cases are still ongoing in th e legal system- there is need to enact more laws that properly address key modern unethical and illegal business practices (Coburn 2006). Government policies, measures and laws should be adjusted to include the changes taking place due to globalisation. The American employment laws were questioned after the occurrence of the Enron scandal which left thousands jobless. The American public and workforce lost faith in employee’s protection and rights laws. It was therefore an appropriate measure to amend and adjust some of the key American employment laws. These laws should be updated in tandem with the changing workplace environment especially due to globalisation. The US Securities Exchange and New York Stock Exchange need to adjust to the changing investment environment and the changes in corporate crime and investment frauds (Coburn 2006). The community should play the vital role of rewarding ethical standards. It is the role of the society to embrace acceptable values, stan dards, and behaviour as well as punish the unacceptable ones. As a result of this, individuals such as managers and employees will feel obligated to do what is acceptable and right in their operations. This will help in building communities that are morally and ethically sound, conducive for the mutual coexistence among individuals (Melis 2005). Education and Training Business, accounting, auditing and legal professions are inextricably intertwined with business operations of an organisation. It is important for individuals in these professions to be highly qualified in their field and have adequate business ethics education. The occurrence of the scandals at both Enron and Parmalat does not necessarily mean that the executives did not have enough education on ethics. However, it may imply that although they did have the knowledge of what was expected of them, they decided to be arrogant for their own personal gains. It is therefore critical to introduce courses on ethics at all lev els for employees and managers in an organisation (Giovanni 2005). Ethical decision-making processes should be supported at all levels in an organisation. At Enron, this vital role was supported but was not adequately effective due to top leadership’s structure and secrecy. Employees were hard-working and gave positive results. They also engaged in collective and individual ethical decision making mechanisms. For example, the former vice president indicated that the management had interactive board meetings to solve organisational or departmental problems. However, there were certain issues that these meetings could not address. He cited that he once questioned the fact that he did not have complete access to financial records which was vital in making decisions for the development of the firm (Madsen Vance 2009). Therefore, there was lack of support for ethical decision-making mechanisms. Every organisation should embrace ethical decision-making processes among employees an d managers. It helps create and sustain ethical relationships with key stakeholders. Ethical decisions help an organisation to identify its risks, prevent, avoid and solve them. It enhances accountability, efficiency, and transparency which are necessary in today’s global markets (Crane Matten 2010). Code of ethics in an organisation serves as a cornerstone and check point for ethical standards of behaviour. Every organisation sets its codes of ethics expected to be followed in the workplace. Designing ethically sound code of ethics, implementing them and sustaining them in an organisation is crucial for its success. They should be well communicated to employees and other members of the organisation. Enron had a strong code of ethics and code of conduct. Nevertheless, it did little to prevent the unethical behaviours of top leadership in the organisation (Rhode Paton 2002). Codes of ethics without proper communication, implementation and continued revision can do little in maintaining ethical standards of behaviour. It is everyone’s role in the organisation to understand, implement and translate these codes of conducts and ethics at the workplace (Guorevitch Shinn 2005). Conclusion There is no amount of regulations or legislations that will ultimately prevent or stop executives, managers and employees from engaging in unethical organisational practices. It is the responsibility of individuals to learn and adopt ethics at their respective positions in the organisation. Organisations on the other hand must change and adopt codes of conducts or ethics to act as ethical guidelines. Due to globalisation, various core aspects of organisational business activities have changed. Ethical decision-making processes should be supported to enhance accountability, effectiveness, transparency, and corporate image as well improved relationships among key stakeholders. Enhanced transparency and accountability leads to enhanced overall efficiency and organisati onal performance. It helps organisations to conduct their activities in an ethically acceptable manner that ensures economic stability worldwide. References Berndt, M 2000, Global differences in corporate governance systems: theory and implications for reforms, Harvard Law School, Harvard. Coburn, NF 2006, ‘Corporate investigations’, Journal of Financial Crime, vol. 13 no. 1, pp. 32-38. Coffee, JC 2005, A theory of corporate scandals: why the United States and Europe differ, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Cramton, RC 2004, Enron and the corporate lawyer: a primer on legal and ethical issues, Free Press, New York. Crane, A Matten, D 2010, Business ethics, 3rd edn, Oxford University Press, Oxford. Giovanni, D 2005, ‘Investors trust after Parmalat scandal: the role of corporate governance’, Journal of Business Management, vol. 4 no. 4, pp. 34-49. Guorevitch, PA Shinn, J 2005, Political power and corporate control: the new global politics of corporate gover nance, Princeton University Press, New York. Jennings, A Marianne, M 2002, ‘Primer on Enron: lessons from a perfect storm of financial reporting, corporate governance and ethical culture failures’, Journal of International Business Management, vol. 5 no. 2, pp. 23-39. Madsen, S Vance, C 2009, ‘Unlearned lessons from the past: an insiders view of Enrons Downfall’, Corporate Governance, vol. 9 no. 2, pp. 216-227. Melis, A 2005, Corporate ownership control, 2nd edn, Winter, New York. Petrick, JA Scherer, RF 2003, ‘The Enron scandal and the neglect of management integrity capacity’, American Journal of Business, vol. 18 no. 4, pp. 53-58. Rhode, DL Paton, PD 2002, ‘Lawyers ethics and Enron’, Journal of Business Ethics, vol. 3 no. 2, pp. 34-38. Wearing, R 2005, Cases in corporate governance, Sage Publishers, London.

Black & Decker (SWOT analysis) Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Black & Decker (SWOT analysis) - Research Paper Example The industrial segment is sub divided into tradesmen and industry level. The domestic consumers are a big fan of Black & Decker products and the company enjoys fifty percent market share from this segment. However, the share at industrial level is twenty percent and tradesmen account for nine percent only. Tradesmen are not quite satisfied with the Black & Decker products as they consider the tools less professional and less reliable. Although research and development is an ongoing process at Black & Decker and due to the company’s efforts, hundreds and thousands of products have become a part of the brand. Sub brands of Black & Decker are also popular at global level. Thus, the brand portfolio of Black & Decker is quite satisfactory and appeals the customers. ... other idea could be to remove the Black & Decker label from all products in the mentioned category and market the products under the name of other Black & Decker brands which are absolutely free of any negative associations. Threats Competitors such as Makita and Milwaukee are a major threat for Black & Decker. They have a market share of more than fifty percent and have better brand awareness and reputation in the power tools market. The negative image of Black & Decker can also have negative impact on the consumer segment. If strategies aimed at the growth in the tradesmen segment fail, the company might face decline in revenues and reputation. 4 P’s Analysis Product Black & Decker is one of the world’s biggest manufacturers of power tools and accessories. The products range from the smallest of screwdrivers which are used rarely by domestic consumers to heaviest parts of machinery used at the industrial scale. The products are classified into two categories: home use and industrial use. The industrial segment is sub divided into tradesmen and industry level. The domestic consumers are a big fan of Black & Decker products and the company enjoys fifty percent market share from this segment. However, the share at industrial level is twenty percent and tradesmen account for nine percent only. Tradesmen are not quite satisfied with the Black & Decker products as they consider the tools less professional and less reliable. Although research and development is an ongoing process at Black & Decker and due to the company’s efforts, hundreds and thousands of products have become a part of the brand. Sub brands of Black & Decker are also popular at global level. Thus, the brand portfolio of Black & Decker is quite satisfactory and appeals the customers. Price A deep

Opera houset promotion Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Opera houset promotion - Assignment Example The company should create a compelling advert that convinces the customers that the service at Opera Houset Company is the best. Adverts should deliver a proper message to the people, enhance the company’s image, draw more people to the business while holding and keeping the existing customers (Belch and Belch 12). Promotion should be done in different ways, this will include the print media, electronic media and digital media. Print media, which include magazines and newspapers to advertise (MacRury 8). The magazines and newspaper should provide information about the company’s location, its service, and the cost of their tickets. It should bring out the company as the best in providing service. The advert should be placed in the newspapers like the New York Times. Opera Houset Company should involve in promotion through electronic media, which include the use of televisions and radios to advertise on their information (Clow and Baack 11). This media is considered the best as it can reach targeted groups like teenagers. This will involve advertisement for about 30 seconds about Opera Houset Company. Advertisement through television will be the best as it creates impact on the viewer through sight of the opera company their quality halls, dinning, and best services. Trade paper advertisement will be through publishing of information about Opera Houset Company in business papers. This business books are of better production quality, high prices and large (Belch and Belch 15). They put advertisement adds on them to promote Opera Houset Company. Opera Houset Company needs to incorporate this system to obtain more customers. Digital media advertisement includes methods like social Medias, social networking, and social sites to promote information should also be used. This is a modern way of advertising information and it provides a platform to interact with customers as it advertises (Lin 16). Information from digital media is from

Superfund Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Superfund - Research Paper Example The result is the superfund, specifically which is placing funding and aid to stop the toxins and chemicals from being dumped into various regions. The approach is one which is furthered by the pressured cleanups by corporations throughout the different regions. This paper will examine the approach which is being taken by the EPA and how this is linking to the superfund. Background of the Superfund The superfund was established in New York City in 1980. It consists of a program that is based on offering monetary support and initiatives to clean up toxic waste and chemicals that are hazardous around the area. The project began after it was noted that over 22,000 tons of toxic waste were dumped by Niagara Falls, New York, in the known Love Canal. The Love Canal was completed and purchased for the use of different environmental needs. However, corporations began to pile toxic waste and chemicals into the canal. After the inability to move the toxins, the corporations covered the canal a nd sold this to the city of New York for $1. After a certain period of time, an explosion resulted from the large amount of chemicals and toxins in the area. The Love Canal continues to be hazardous for the environmental area it surrounds and directly affects the land which one is in. The superfund was established to force companies to clean up these areas and to tax those who were not complying with the law. Today, over 1,000 sites have been cleaned with billions of dollars being spent. Over 70% of the funds are going to corporations that began to the toxic waste and chemical buildup. The money is combined with government initiatives and companies which are linked to the polluted sites (New York Times, 2011). The initiatives which began with the funds and the need to clean up various areas has continued with specific policies and procedures offered by the Environmental Protection Agency. The bill was originally introduced by a bipartisan leadership group of senators and passed by t he Senate with limiting measures for the cleanup. The House amended this and approved the final alternatives in 1980 through S.1341. However, it was also noted that the final bill and law was sidetracked and moved into different departments because of the other proposals taken earlier. In the Carter Administration, a similar bill was being passed, specifically which was based on toxic waste and oil spill cleanup. This bill had been bypassed during the time because of other political objectives which would not provide the right cleanup. The problem which arose then created Congress to approve the bill with limited measures from the past history, specifically to take care of the problem with the Love Canal without considering the overall task of the Superfund and the extra requirements and provisions from the final bill and law which would be passed. This has led to a variety of amendments as well as questions of responsibility, taxation and corporate responsibility linked to the main bill (Grad, 1982). The approach which was taken in 1980 and the outcomes have resulted in political economics that have become a part of the Superfund and initiatives which have been taken. The approach which is now being taken is to develop the activities as a space for the contaminated sites that are continuing to have waste, as opposed to being active in the continuous dumping of the

Cultural Diversity Essay -- School Education Diverse Essays

Cultural Diversity Children should be exposed to all segments of society. Youngsters learning with children of different races, nationalities, and religions tend to be more tolerant and accepting of individual differences. They learn customs, beliefs and rituals of classmates that maybe quite different from what they have been taught. Youngsters learning in an environment of diversity are well prepared to deal more effectively in society after they complete their education. A mutual respect and understanding of other cultures removes barriers and stereotypes. Individual differences need to be threatening. In fact, knowledge of other cultures helps a person realize and appreciate the similarities more than the differences. It is most important that the teacher is trained to teach about and respect individual differences. A diverse group of youngsters can add a great deal to the classroom environment. Interaction between children, handled effectively, can promote a climate of curiosity, mutual respect an d acceptance. Nina Rees addressed the topic of teaching styles at both public and private school systems. She suggested students achieve greater results in an environment in which competition and different religious and cultural backgrounds exist. (Rees 93). Although students may have a different religion, culture, race and socio-economic level, they all deserve an equally outstanding education. There is a national attempt to give parents the option of a public or a private education for their youngsters. "There is also such a thing as a Voucher System. In "PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PRIVATE SCHOOLS, SPECIAL NEEDS, AND VOUCHER SYSTEMS- A GENERAL REVIEW OF BASIC PRINCIPLES," the author writes, "the idea of the voucher system is that parents ... ...iling grades coming from the students, they are remaining open and continue to be rewarded with extra funding. Viadero,D. Increased choice found to have modest impact on school improvement. Edweek. Retrieved October 7,2002 from Edweek.com Greene,J.P. (2001). The surprising consensus on school choice. Public interest,144,pp.19. Retrieved November 22,2002 from britannica.com Rees,N.S. School choice: a report card. World & I, 15 (9),pp.28. Retrieved November 23,2002 from britannica.com Private vs. public schools. www.internetcampus.com Public schools,private schools,special needs,and voucher systems. www.angelfire.com School choice programs: what?s happening in the states? www.heritage.org/schools/ Schoolreformers. www.schoolreformers.com Test scores: public vs. private schools. http://osx.soc.uh.edu/~bmoeller/kpftnews/092002story6.html Cultural Diversity Essay -- School Education Diverse Essays Cultural Diversity Children should be exposed to all segments of society. Youngsters learning with children of different races, nationalities, and religions tend to be more tolerant and accepting of individual differences. They learn customs, beliefs and rituals of classmates that maybe quite different from what they have been taught. Youngsters learning in an environment of diversity are well prepared to deal more effectively in society after they complete their education. A mutual respect and understanding of other cultures removes barriers and stereotypes. Individual differences need to be threatening. In fact, knowledge of other cultures helps a person realize and appreciate the similarities more than the differences. It is most important that the teacher is trained to teach about and respect individual differences. A diverse group of youngsters can add a great deal to the classroom environment. Interaction between children, handled effectively, can promote a climate of curiosity, mutual respect an d acceptance. Nina Rees addressed the topic of teaching styles at both public and private school systems. She suggested students achieve greater results in an environment in which competition and different religious and cultural backgrounds exist. (Rees 93). Although students may have a different religion, culture, race and socio-economic level, they all deserve an equally outstanding education. There is a national attempt to give parents the option of a public or a private education for their youngsters. "There is also such a thing as a Voucher System. In "PUBLIC SCHOOLS, PRIVATE SCHOOLS, SPECIAL NEEDS, AND VOUCHER SYSTEMS- A GENERAL REVIEW OF BASIC PRINCIPLES," the author writes, "the idea of the voucher system is that parents ... ...iling grades coming from the students, they are remaining open and continue to be rewarded with extra funding. Viadero,D. Increased choice found to have modest impact on school improvement. Edweek. Retrieved October 7,2002 from Edweek.com Greene,J.P. (2001). The surprising consensus on school choice. Public interest,144,pp.19. Retrieved November 22,2002 from britannica.com Rees,N.S. School choice: a report card. World & I, 15 (9),pp.28. Retrieved November 23,2002 from britannica.com Private vs. public schools. www.internetcampus.com Public schools,private schools,special needs,and voucher systems. www.angelfire.com School choice programs: what?s happening in the states? www.heritage.org/schools/ Schoolreformers. www.schoolreformers.com Test scores: public vs. private schools. http://osx.soc.uh.edu/~bmoeller/kpftnews/092002story6.html

Performance Appraisal Essay

â€Å"Performance appraisal is the process through which employee performance is assessed, feedback is provided to the employee, and corrective action plans are designed† (Youssef, 2012). So basically, a performance appraisal is the process of evaluation workers’ performance in correlation with previously determined standards of the organization. Performance appraisals are one way of giving employees feedback about their performance at work; they record the employee’s performance to date, their potential and what they could work on to further benefit them. These appraisals do not only help them employee but they could benefit the organization as well in that it reflects on if the employee is right for the position (currently or in the future) and if the training the organization gives is sufficient for the employee. There are many advantages to performing appraisals. The records of these performance appraisals are kept for a period of time, they can be referenced and used to evaluate how an employee has improved over time, or if they have yet to improve or began to slack off. This gives an opportunity for a manager to pull an employee aside and praise them for their accomplishments or inform them what it is they need to improve on, managers can also determine whether or not an employee could benefit from further training. Employees can be given feedback while learning if their goals within the company have been fulfilled while setting up new goals for them to accomplish in the next year. Sometimes, expectations and policies can be difficult to understand; during feedback, one can take that opportunity to have clarity on policies and expectations and discuss matters that they want to discuss in private, such as ideas for improvement or issues they’ve had within the company or with fellow employees. Knowing that your performance will be appraised can serve as motivation to gain a reward for their hard work. There is potential for biases that need to be worked through to make sure everyone is given a fair opportunity. While it’s easy to compare one another, it’s imperative and difficult to resist comparing skills of one employee to another; if employees were compared to one another, it creates an unfair assessment of the employees. It’s crucial to set a standard to evaluate performance. Personality conflicts can influence judgment when assessing performance; this would cause an inaccurate assessment which would be unfair to the employee. Just because an employee is good at one thing, does not make them good at everything, and vice versa. One ruined project or miscommunication in direction does not mean the same thing will occur every time, or again even. There needs to be a minimum time-frame in which an employee’s performance should be assessed; it’s not fair for a manager that’s worked with an employee a time or two to fairly appraise them, a first impression can distort one’s image in either a positive or negative manner. It’s also necessary to appraise one on their entire performance, not just the most recent occurrences. Lifestyle choices should be left out of the appraisal process and should not be used for or against an employee. The primary objectives of an appraisal are – to assess past performance, to identify training needs, to set and agree on future objectives and standards, and to facilitate the achievement of these goals† (Youssef, 2012). Management by objectives includes an agreement between managers and their employees on the employee’s performance objectives for periodic review for the employee accomplishes said objectives. The effectiveness of a performance appraisal can be judged by its objectives. Understanding the strategic objectives can help one adjust to meet the needs of an organization. A timeline allows a manager and employee to make a plan for goals to be met, there must be deadlines and time periods assigned to each goal to ensure that they are met. An employee needs to show improvement, one that is not very productive and having issues with the company’s values and policies will not be around for a long period of time. Employees that are productive and possess talent that are imperative for the position will help with the company’s success and ensure they are able to withstand growth. Strategic planning is needed to determine the budget for current employees as well as future employees. Appraisal results reflect one’s character, development, how well one performs to the organization’s standards, as well as other strengths or weaknesses. In some organizations, these results may be used to determine if/which employees deserve recognition as well as awards such as a merit pay raise, a bonus and/or a promotion. These results can also determine which employees do not mesh with the organization and need to be let go, require counseling or further training or a demotion/decrease in pay. Performance appraisals can be a motivation to excel.