Individual Achievement Tests for Special Education Students

Individualized achievement tests are useful for assessing a students academic abilities. They are designed to measure both pre-academic and academic behavior—from the ability to match pictures and letters to more advanced literacy and mathematical skills. They can be helpful in assessing needs, monitoring a student’s progress, diagnosing a student with a learning disability or identifying benchmarks on a student’s Individualized Education Program, which the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act requires special needs students to have. A team made up of teachers, parents and others develop the program and update it periodically to meet students’ needs as they grow. 1. The Woodcock Johnson Test of Achievement The Woodcock Johnson Test of Achievement is another individualized test that measures academic areas and is appropriate for children from the ages of 4 to young adults to 20 and a half. The tester finds a base of a designated number of consecutive correct answers and works to a ceiling of the same incorrect consecutive answers. The highest number correct, minus any incorrect responses, provide a standard score, which is quickly converted into a grade equivalent or age equivalent. The Woodcock Johnson also provides diagnostic information as well as grade level performances on discrete literacy and mathematical skills, from letter recognition to mathematical fluency. 2. The Brigance Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills The Brigance Comprehensive Inventory of Basic Skills is another well-known, well-accepted criterion based and normed individual achievement test. The Brigance provides diagnostic information on reading, math and other academic skills. As well as being one of the least expensive assessment instruments, the publisher provides software to help write IEP goals based on the assessments called Goals and Objective Writers Software, which sells for $59.95. 3. KeyMath 3 Diagnostic Assessment KeyMath 3 Diagnostic Assessment is both a diagnostic and progress monitoring tool for math skills. Broken into three areas: Basic Concepts, Operations and Applications, the instrument provides scores for each area as well as each of the 10 subtests. Along with the flip chart books and test booklets, KeyMath also provides scoring software, to generate scores and reports.

Unfair Labour Practices - 1195 Words

ASSIGHNMENT OF LABOUR LAW ON UNFAIR LABOUR PRACTICES Submitted to- submitted by- Mrs Archna Shukla Shikhar Dixit B.A. LL.B(H) V sem (A8108309048) UNFAIR LABOUR PRACTICES ------------------------------------------------- Chapter- 10 of The Industrial Disputes Act, 1947 deals with the unfair labour practices. Section- 25T ------------------------------------------------- Prohibition of unfair labour practice No employer or workman or a trade union, whether registered under the Trade Unions Act, 1926 (16 of 1926), or not, shall commit any unfair labour practice†¦show more content†¦To insist upon individual workmen, who are on a legal strike to sign a good conduct bond, as a pre-condition to allowing them to resume work. 9. To show favouritism or partiality to one set of workers regardless of merit. 10. To employ workmen as ‘badlis†, casuals or temporaries and to continue them as such for years, with the object of depriving them of the status and privileges of permanent workmen. 11. To discharge or discriminate against any workman for filing charges or testifying against an employer in any enquiry or proceeding relating to any industrial dispute. 12. To recruit workmen during a strike which is not an illegal strike. 13. Failure to implement award, settlement or agreement. 14. To indulge in act,, of force or violence. 15. To refuse to bargain collectively, in good faith with the recognised trade unions. 16. Proposing or continuing a lock-out deemed to be illegal under this Act. It is difficult to define and lay down exhaustive test of unfair labour practice, but it may be said that any practice, which violates the directive principles of state policy contained in Article 43 of the constitution and such other Articles as deal with the decent wages and living conditions for workmen amount to unfair practice. In Eveready flash light company. Labour court barielly, the company appointed a workman on daily rate basis on 18th January 1958 after trying himShow MoreRelatedUnfair Labour Practices3811 Words   |  16 Pageswritten or unwritten. When an employer hires a worker, he can demand labour, and agree on a price for that labour. The offer, acceptance, consideration, and intention to create a legal relationship constitute a bargain to which compliance can be sought in law. When trade unions negotiate a collective agreement with employers, the process and the outcome are somewhat different. In the first place, trade unions do not sell labour to employers, unlike individual workers. Likewise, employers do not payRead MoreUnfair Labour Practices1394 Words   |  6 PagesResearch Paper on Unfair Labor Practice ________________________________________ Introduction The development of fair labor standards and its adoption in the business world was aimed at achieving a decent and humane working condition (farex. 2012). 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Nevertheless, these codes did improve labour conditions in some industries and also aided theRead MoreEconomic Effects Of Labor Abuse1267 Words   |  6 PagesAccording to David Barboza (2008), a writer for the New York Times and winner of the Pulitzer prize for international reporting, â€Å"In 2007, factories that supplied more than a dozen corporations, including Wal-Mart, Disney and Dell, were accused of unfair labor practices, including using child labor, forcing employees to work 16-hour days on fast-moving assembly lines, and paying workers less than minimum wage. (Minimum wage in this part of China is about 55 cents an hour.)† The amount of savings seems hugeRead Moreâ€Å"the History of the Caribbean Is the History of the Exploitation of Labour† - with Reference to Slavery and the Encomienda Labour System†1045 Words   |  5 Pagesof labour† - with reference to slavery and the Encomienda labour system† In the above statement â€Å"the history of the Caribbean is the history of the exploitation of labour,† it simply states that the Caribbean’s history is basically the history of its exploitation of labour. The definitions of keywords exploitation and labour must be considered. Exploitation can be defined as the practice of taking selfish or unfair advantage of a person or situation, usually for personal gain, while labour isRead MoreCase Analysis : Walmart Stores788 Words   |  4 Pagesthese unions. They can also explain them that the employees are treated as â€Å"associates† rather than just â€Å"employees† so it is duty of them to protect the best interests of the company. Question 2: The certification of the first Walmart was hailed by labour as a milestone event? It is considered as a milestone because Walmart has been trying every trick in the book to avoid unionization of its workforce. The working conditions in most of the Walmart stores where poor and sometimes they force their workersRead MoreIs Your Chocolate the Result of Unfair Exploitation of Child Labor650 Words   |  3 PagesCase Study #1: Please refer to Mini Case Mini-Case â€Å"Is Your Chocolate the Result of Unfair Exploitation of Child Labor?† 1. Should labor practices in another country be a relevant consideration in international trade? Why or why not? Yes, labor practices in another country should be relevant for consideration in international trade. The reason for concern is labor and social advocates has increased imports from countries in which labor standards are apparently notRead MoreChallenges Facing The World Today s Society1021 Words   |  5 Pagesidea of what it means to be a citizen is changing rapidly. Profits and principles are now correlated along with the idea that green is the new gold. Companies that do not follow this tend to be punished, like Walmart and Nike in terms of unfair labour practices. The triple bottom line is also key in creating a progressive company. Greenwashing is an issue where companies are perceived as being more environmentally friendly than they really are. People are prepared to pay more for products made byRead MoreRole Of The Wto On Addressing Labour Standards1107 Words   |  5 PagesAppropriate role of the WTO in addressing labour standards Introduction The relationship between international trade and labour standards is a key issue today. The relation defines the link between developing countries and advanced industrialized nations. International enforcement of labour standards is justifiable from two frontiers of arguments. The first one opines that â€Å"unfair† labour conditions and practices exist in many countries and trading partners and call for the need to offset an occurrenceRead MoreSwot Analysis Of Easyjet1159 Words   |  5 Pagesflights in major cities across Europe, and not afraid to maintain this by strategic financial management e.g. By keeping expenses and overheads low, charging customers for inflight meals, charging levies on baggage. Also, easyJet tactically lower labour costs. Staff work multiple roles, seeing staff taking on a hands-on customer service from gate to cabin, which otherwise would be see three times as many staff present at competitor’s airlines. Mission EasyJet vision statement states†¦ Our vision

How IKEA has incorporated sustainability principles free essay sample

Introduction Traditionally, most multinational companies see themselves as competing to survive. However, if this philosophy leads to unwillingness to co-operate, it can be self-defeating. Behind this concept is the idea of supply chain management, which is the network of organizations and individuals who are involved in producing and delivering products to the end users. Thus, a home furnishing company such as IKEA is a part of a supply chain that includes the suppliers of raw materials, component manufacturers, transporters, retail stores and end customers. In the past it was often the case that the relationship with the suppliers was competitive rather than co-operative. It is still the case today that multinational companies will try to achieve cost reductions and quality improvements at the expense of their supply chain partners, but a further dimension has been added sustainability. The aim of this essay is to examine IKEA’s sustainability report and evaluate its sustainability principles. It will explore how IKEA has incorporated its sustainability principles with its suppliers whilst maintaining and improving its strategic competitive advantage in the home furnishing industry. About IKEA IKEA is a multinational company that produces home products including disassembled furniture, accessories, bathrooms, and kitchens at retail stores around the world. The company focused on disassembled design furniture at reasonable prices in the beginning and is currently the largest furniture manufacturer in the world. From IKEA’s headquarter in Sweden, it operates more than 265 stores in twenty-five countries and employs one 123,000 (Bartlett Nanda, 1996, pp. 5-20). IKEA designs all of its products, which are mostly manufactured by independent sources, and sells them under its brand name through its own stores and a number of other distribution channels. IKEA owns almost all strategic business units that it relies on for its production, which is crucial for their profitability, since they basically rely on outsourcing their production. For example, it owns the industrial group Swedwood, the main source for the wood that to be used in the manufacturing of IKEA’s furniture, as well as the sales companies that run IKEA stores and the procurement functions. IKEA formed a separate company IKEA of Sweden that is responsible for the design and improvement of the products of the IKEA collection. Sustainable procurement policy Sustainability is a development concept defined by the United Nations (1987) as meeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainable procurement policy emerged from this concept. It refers to a set of purposes, principles and rules that guide the work of an organization and put its social, environmental and economic values at the heart of a business to achieve its competitive advantage (Monczka et al. , 2010, p. 136). IKEA’s sustainable report demonstrated that they are dedicated and striving to incorporate sustainability within their business relationships by implementing comprehensive principles in order to gain a competitive advantage as a first mover. Those principles expressed explicitly in their code of conduct, which called â€Å"IWay†, expressly cover all the three sustainability aspects social, environmental, and economic—and guide IKEA’s internal and external relationships and especially its supplier relationships. This policy is based on their vision â€Å"to create a better everyday life for many people† (IKEA Sustainability Report, 2010, p. 6). and is expanded with the 2015 Sustainability Goals that state that sustainability is a priority and should influence the whole value chain from product design to the end of a product’s life cycle. IKEA’s FY2015 Sustainability Goals are: to offer a range of products that is more sustainable, taking a leading role toward a low carbon society, turning waste into resources, reducing water footprint, and taking social responsibility. Those goals are considered and integrated into the supplier relations’ policies (IKEA Sustainability Report, 2010, p. 8). Supplier selection policy and sustainability principles Supplier selection is becoming a much more important aspect of the procurement process for IKEA. IKEA seeks to have close and long-term relationships with suppliers who share and respect its values. IKEA as a multinational company that has a concern for its reputation is forged a bond that governs their relationships with their suppliers, since they rely on outsourcing their production. IKEA deals with more than one thousand suppliers to procure the products required for its global operations. IKEA has incorporated its â€Å"IWAY† to minimize risks that could affect its sustainability policy especially social or environmental risks. IWAY contains the requirements suppliers have to meet in order to be approved by IKEA and specifies that it is the responsibility of the suppliers to communicate the code of conduct to their staff and sub-suppliers. The code of conducts mainly covers the sustainability and its social, environmental and economic aspects. While it is compulsory for suppliers to adhere to the relevant local laws as per communicated in â€Å"IWAY†, it is uncertain whether adequate standards and laws exist in developing countries. IKEA specifies that in addition to relevant law, suppliers must comply with the code of conduct. To enter a business relationship with IKEA, suppliers must first fulfill pre-requirements that mainly focus on social and environmental values. IKEA stipulates that complete compliance with the code of conduct should be reached within twelve months from first delivery date (IKEA Sustainability Report 2010, pp. 15-37). Environmental values are the first sustainability value that is communicated in the code of conduct. It is subdivided in a number of principles, the first one being energy consumption reduction. The code demands measuring and comparing the energy utilization annually by assessing measurable goals, time frames, and current measures for raw materials, water usage, and chemical spills. The second principle focuses on preventing any kind of severe pollution to air, ground and water. The suppliers have to ensure that they do not emit any excess emissions, high noise levels, or pollute the water. In fact, to suppliers have to utilize effluent treatment plants (ETPs) for water and have to properly operate them. The third principle demands that suppliers have to handle, store, and dispose chemicals and hazardous waste such as lubricant oils, paints, acids in a safe manner for workers and the environment. Suppliers are required to have and maintain Material Safety Data Sheets, competence training for the staff, and reliable labeling for chemicals and hazardous waste (IKEA Sustainability Report 2010, pp. 58-85). This indicates that IKEA tries to lead their suppliers and sub-suppliers toward achieving high environmental standards. IKEA furthermore stresses the importance of approved suppliers having plans to mitigate environmental impacts from production and operations. The second sustainability value is the social one. IKEA states that it â€Å"expects that suppliers have to respect the basic human rights and to treat their workers honestly and with respect† (IKEA Sustainability Report 2010, p. 38). Firstly, IKEA’s IWAY emphasized the importance of preventing child and forced labor. To ensure complete compliance, IKEA has assigned a supervisory duty to internal and external auditors. Secondly, suppliers have to provide healthy and safe working environments by e. g. , facilitating high air quality, a low level of noise, enough lighting, and proper drinking water and hygiene facilities. The second social principle is to provide staff with health and safety training for aspects of the daily working life before they start working. The third social principle is that suppliers have to pay their staff the minimum legal wages and compensate them for overtime. Thus, suppliers have to provide overtime information such as pay-slips. Also, suppliers should not provide their staff more than three months of advance payment to avoid that they are working under force. Suppliers have to grant weekly, yearly and emergency leave days. The fourth social principle is that staff needs to be treated fairly and without any kind of discrimination. Lastly, the code of conducts states that IKEA does not accept physical punishment and harassment or abuse (IKEA Sustainability Report 2010, p. 38). Economic values are the code of conducts’ third sustainability value. Since IKEA mostly outsources its production to developing countries, the scale of IKEA’s activities can have an effect on the host economies. According to Sturges (2000, p. 12) there is a strong relation between the activities of multinational companies and a positive economic development of host countries. One of the important factors for economic well-being is investment high levels of investment are coupled with a strong economy (Lucas, 2000, p. 24). IKEA usually does not invest directly in the developing countries it operates in, but encourages other stakeholders to invest by subcontracting the production of its products. Thus, factories will be built, people will be employed and money will be injected into the host countries’ economies. An initial income will be distributed, goods will be consumed, and new income is created with each transaction. This in turn creates new demand for goods, which creates more demand for labor and thus more employment opportunities for more people (Coates, 2000, p. 60). IKEA balances the sustainability aspects to some degree through the supplier selection policy to achieve a competitive advantage by which will increase profitability that is important for IKEA as per mentioned by the Group President and CEO Mikael Ohlsson (IKEA Group net profit) Good profitability is needed to carry out our extensive growth program on existing as well as new markets, to give more people access to the IKEA range. Sustained profitability is also enabling us, through IKEA Social Initiative, to finance a number of Social projects that e. g. soon will have benefited 100 million children†. According to Moffatt (2008, pp. 81-87), IKEA’s supplier selection policy represents the traditional view of sustainable development, which simply seeks the crossing point of the sustainability aspects economic, environmental and social. Much evidence for IKEA’s commitment to their aims toward their stakeholders has been found. For example, IKEA works together with UNISEF in joint projects to safe children around the world and prevent workplace abuse (IKEA Sustainability Report 2010, p. 27). They press their suppliers to supply only certified wood and timber and follow their forestry code of conduct. The economic aspect is showcased by IKEA’s efforts of developing their suppliers in developing countries by increasing employment levels and household incomes in the host economies. IKEA’s competitive advantage Competitive advantage is the strategic advantage a specific business has over its competitor within its industry. Attaining a competitive advantage supports a business and improves its position in its industry (Chaharbaghi Lynch 1999, p. 45). The challenge is that achieving sustainability requires additional cost, while competitiveness demands lower costs, especially in highly competitive industries (Porter Linde, 1995, p. 97). In the case of IKEA, it has been stated clearly that sustainability is not an option anymore, but a requirement that should not be traded off for lower prices. IKEA’s sustainability report shows that they have incorporated sustainability and also achieved a competitive advantage, while providing people with innovative, stylish, affordable home furnishing products. Also, it can be assessed that IKEA is keen to take a distinctive role in the industry through the use of the first mover strategy, which could add another competitive advantage (Adams, 2006, p. 143). According to Hart and Ahuja (1996, p. 31), being sustainable really pays and will reflect positively on the bottom line by utilizing a prevention strategy, which results in an efficiency improvement. A prevention strategy implies that a re-engineering has to be applied on the production process meaning that most of the excess cost and the environmental impact would be eliminated starting from the designing stage until product disposal (Horngren et al. , 2011, p. 281). For example, IKEA’s sustainability report stressed that the goal was minimizing Carbon dioxide emission, turning waste into resources, reducing the water footprint, and becoming more socially responsible. These goals have been communicated within IKEA through the sustainability score-card, which emphasizes producing more products by using less material, using renewable materials, increasing transport efficiency, using energy efficiently, and minimizing the use of energy, water, and waste in the usage stage (IKEA Sustainability Report 2010, p. 19). Suppliers’ compliance with the code of conduct †¢ In order to guarantee the suppliers’ compliance to IWAY, IKEA explicitly requires having the right of inspecting the suppliers’ floor shops without any previous announcement. IKEA can either use its internal auditors, who are supposed to do unannounced routine checks of the suppliers’ compliance, or external auditors such as KPMG and Intertek Testing Services (IKEA Sustainability Report 2010, p. 37). Recently, IKEA faced criticism for one of its code of conduct’s aspects child labors. Two of its suppliers in Bangladesh and India were employing children and not respecting human rights in their dealing with their employees (Haan Michiel, 2006, p. 20; Sjoman et al. , 2006). IKEA has admitted the existence of these incidents in its sustainability report (2010, p. 37) and stated that it is focusing on the improvement of their suppliers’ social and environmental responsibility gradually, especially in developing countries to achieve full compliance by 2015, since there are no supportive laws for such principles. This can be interpreted as a transparent and proactive approach by IKEA that adds to its good record in terms of sustainability. Conclusion In conclusion, sustainable procurement policy is vital for IKEA’s suppliers’ relations’ management. IKEA’s sustainable procurement principles contain all relevant sustainability aspects. However, there were a number of violations of the code of conduct by suppliers, which have caught the attention of IKEA and will be addressed in future improvements. Regardless of the discrepancies among some of the suppliers, IKEA seems to have incorporated sustainability principles deeply within its suppliers’ performance evaluations and is maintaining its competitive advantage in the home furnishing industry. This competitiveness has been achieved by innovation, a leadership role, and low prices they were the result of increasing production efficiency throughout the value chain and are based on the concept of preventing any unnecessary processes and material use. References

Problems In Intercultural Communication Essay Example For Students

Problems In Intercultural Communication Essay Word Count: 1681 Humans have been communicating since four million years. On the other hand, the birth of culture is estimated to have token place about 35,000 years ago. Today, both culture and communication have evolved considerably and have become interdependent of one another, to the point that communication is considered to be a product of culture. Thus, our own culture has a deep impact on our thoughts and behaviors. Since each culture has its distinct aspects, intercultural communication can be the cause of conflict and disorder. There are three main issues which are at the root of the problem of intercultural miscommunication : language as a barrier, cultural diversity and ethnocentrism. I will analyze these three notions in situations in which intercultural communication is frequent such as : the workplace, the classroom and vacation trips. The way people communicate varies widely between, and even within, cultures. One aspect of communication style is language usage. Language has always been perceived as a link between people but it can also constitute a barrier. Across cultures, some words and phrases are used in different ways. For example, even in countries that share the English language, the meaning of yes varies from maybe, Ill consider it; to ;definitely so,; with many shades in between . Furthermore, communication between cultures which do not share the same language is considerably more difficult . Each culture, has its distinct syntax, expressions and structure which causes confusion in intercultural communication. For example , in Asian countries the word no is rarely used, so that yea can mean no or perhaps. Therefore, an American traveling to Japan might be considered impolite if he ignores this rule. Furthermore, individuals who are not comfortable with a certain language may not be taken seriously. Such is the case in the classroom, where a student who has a perfect knowledge of the subject in question may have difficulty expressing his idea due to his inability to write properly and therefore he would not receive the grade he truly deserves. Similarly intercultural communication is dominant in the workplace. In the past, many companies and organizations could operate entirely within their country of origin and conduct their activities exclusively in their own native language. But now, due to an increasingly amount of intercultural business, some American companies require for their employees to have a good knowledge in languages such as Japanese, German, Italian Sociolinguists examine social and cultural influences on language behavior. Among the most important concepts to emerge are those relating to dialects and language standards. Sociolinguists have documented the presence of dialects in every language. These dialects, all of which are legitimate, are associated with educational, economic, social and historical conditions. Hence, even if an individual scrupulously studies all the possible dictionaries of a random language, he would still be somewhat of a stranger to that language since he is unaware of all the dialectal changes. In addition to differences in pronunciation, vocabulary and grammatical structures among cultural groups, variations also exist in the rules for general discourse in oral communication, covering such specific acts as narratives and conversation. In communicating with one another, teachers and students naturally will follow the assumptions and rules governing discourse within their respective cultures. Discourse rules govern such aspects of communication as: opening or closing conversations; taking turns during conversations; interrupting; using silence as a communicative device; interjecting humor at appropriate times and using nonverbal behavior. Once again, an American student studying in the middle east, who would constantly interrupt the teacher in order to clarify the professors opinion, would be considered to be extremely rude since he would be defying his authority. Atomic Bomb EssayBesides language other intercultural differences may be the cause of conflict. Hence, in this specific case, diversity is considered to be at the root of miscommunication. In comparison to verbal communication, non verbal communication takes a different form in different cultures. Gestures and facial expressions play a key role in communication. However, each culture incorporates different types of gestures and disregards others. For example, in most western societies , it is customary to shake ones hand upon introduction. However, in most oriental countries shaking ones hand is frown upon, since they believe bowing is the only .

Corporate Culture, Employee Motivation and Workforce Diversity

Introduction Researchers agree that successful businesses depend on the effective management of corporate culture, employee motivation, and workforce diversities (Dipboye Halverson 2004; Ackroyd Crowdy 1990). This agreement stems from successive years of research, which have studied employee-company relations.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Corporate Culture, Employee Motivation and Workforce Diversity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More For example, successive neo-liberal governments in the United States (US) and the United Kingdom (UK) have given a lot of freedom to companies and managers to redefine the working conditions and practices that affect employee-company relations (Ogbonna Wilkinson 2003). Practically, governments have influenced employee-company relations by loosening the restrictions on labour union powers and limiting the extent that company employees could oppose managerial strategies. The same governments have achieved this objective by reducing competitive pressures on companies and eliminating widespread redundancies in the corporate space (Ogbonna Wilkinson 2003). Through these legislative interventions, since the early eighties, many companies have enjoyed the freedom of adopting different managerial theories for improving employee-company relations. The adoption of the above governance frameworks requires the careful implementation of managerial strategies to meet company goals because the process of managing corporate culture, employee motivation, and workforce diversity is complex. Based on this analysis, this paper investigates different considerations that company managers need to be aware of when they manage corporate culture, employee motivation, and workforce diversity programs. To explore these issues, this paper divides into three sections that investigate corporate culture issues, employee motivation issues, and diversity issues. They outline below Managin g Corporate Culture Influence of External Factors on Organisational Culture As organisational heads create distinct cultures that differentiate their organisations from others, they need to be aware of the influence of the societal culture in their organisations. Indeed, organisations cannot operate in isolation. They are, therefore, subject to external organisational factors that often influence employee perceptions and attitudes in the organisation.Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More An experiment by Ackroyd Crowdy (1990) to investigate the behaviours of employees of a Cincinnati slaughterhouse showed that most of the employees experienced social stigma because of the nature of their work (people thought their jobs were dirty and involved killing living animals). The experiment revealed that the employees did not allow these negative societal perceptions to affect them (Ackr oyd Crowdy 1990). Instead, the negative societal perceptions of their work helped them to develop an interesting sub-culture that made them exceptionally proud of their work (realism and aggressive masculinity characterised this subculture). Referring to this outcome, Ackroyd Crowdy (1990) said, â€Å"This subculture helped the employees to work hard and fast, to ignore the very considerable demands and dangers of doing the job, to be indifferent to the harassments and blandishments of co-workers and the public alike† (p. 10). The development of such a subculture appeals more to the influence of external forces than internal management interventions (in influencing employee behaviour) (Jackson Carter 2007). Its significance to the employees was the creation of an insulating buffer that would protect them from external prejudice (from the society). This experiment also showed that all employees in the organisation shared the same job security concerns because they did not e xperience primary dissent from other employees and the society. Through the realisation that they need to be tough, to conduct their activities (efficiently), the researchers considered their bravery and creation of a new sub-culture as an attempt by the employees to import a â€Å"latent culture† into a â€Å"manifest culture† (Ackroyd Crowdy 1990). However, it is essential to understand that the creation of the resilient subculture does not stem from the vitality of the latent subculture, but from the working practices of the employees, based on societal evaluations of their work.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Corporate Culture, Employee Motivation and Workforce Diversity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The above analysis shows the significance of understanding the effect of latent cultures on corporate cultures. Managers, therefore, need to consider how an organisation’s culture align s (or clashes) with the societal culture. An analysis of the effects of external forces in the development of the US corporate culture also explains this fact. Indeed, based on the diagram below, it is easy to point out that the development of the American corporate culture, in the 1980s, depended on several external factors, including the nature of the work, competition from other countries, labour market conditions, societal culture, technological development, global business dynamics, legal and political environment, and economic conditions. Figure One: External factors that affected the development of the US corporate Culture (Source: Peters Waterman 1982) To further elaborate the influence of some of the above factors in the American corporate culture, it is critical to highlight that business developments in Japan greatly influenced America’s corporate culture development. For example, the fierce competition from Japanese products made American companies struggle to m aintain their market (Peters Waterman 1982). Furthermore, increased competition from Japan made it difficult for American companies to shift their production processes overseas. A legal and political analysis of the above diagram also shows that although the neo-liberal government, of the time, created increased freedoms for managers to redefine employee-organisational relationships, mistrust, and the opposition to governance systems (that started in the 1970s) hindered these reforms (Peters Waterman 1982).Advertising Looking for essay on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Lastly, from a cultural perspective, the role of Japan’s culture in informing the country’s success created renewed hope among American businesses that their national culture would equally yield the same results. Comprehensively, most studies have compared East and West managerial practices to understand how corporate cultures affect employee success (Ogbonna Wilkinson 2003). Peters Waterman (1982) add that Japan’s influence on America’s corporate culture has increased pressure for American companies to link company productivity to American culture (to achieve the same efficiencies that Japanese companies enjoy). However, unique cultural practices in America suggest that America’s culture of individualism has introduced unique dynamics to employee behaviour in the workplace (Peters Waterman 1982). For example, the highly individualistic culture in the US has created a sense of accountability in the country (aimed at increasing employee productiv ity). This way, employees perceive their success and failures as their personal responsibility. This culture has also introduced new benchmarks for defining corporate success – personal, economic, and consumer success. The American cultural direction shows a close connection with neo-human relations that focus on employee self-actualisation goals (Rose 1990). This paradigm supports employee productivity by linking their performance to the actualisation of personal goals (Rose 1990). The above analogy shows that external factors could heavily influence corporate cultures. Therefore, while managers strive to implement and teach the dominant organisational culture on employees, they should do so after considering how this culture integrates with other cultures. Conceiving the implementation of the manifest culture without considering the influence of the latent culture may, therefore, lead to unforeseen outcomes, as observed from the slaughterhouse case study and the development of the American culture (discussed above). Although the outcome of the case study is positive, it is crucial to say that this may not always be the case. Public Assertions of Vision and Corporate Values In line with the goal of developing corporate cultures, organisations often profess unique visions and corporate values that differentiate them from other organisations. Modern managers are, therefore, quick to assert organisational values that inform their corporate cultures. However, as Dipboye Halverson (2004) observes, this trend may create the opportunity for inaction among employees. This possibility mainly exists for organisations that charismatic leaders head. Dipboye Halverson (2004) also warn that charismatic leaders may be the drivers for organisational inaction because they take pride in making lofty expressions of what they believe in, without following them with action. To support this view, Dipboye Halverson (2004) say, â€Å"weighty pronouncements on how discrimi nation will not be tolerated, or how diversity is a key-value, can introduce inaction† (p. 151). Inaction creeps into such organisations because many leaders make these lofty statements as a cover-up for organisational and personal flaws. Although most of such leaders may make outright lies about their commitment to uphold the spirit of the organisational culture, Dipboye Halverson (2004) believe they adopt very subtle approaches when doing so. An interesting dynamic to this analysis is the fact that when most organisational leaders make egalitarian pronouncements about organisational vision and values, they provide a moral licence for employees to practice discriminatory activities in the organisation, so long as these activities support their goals and vision. An experiment by Dipboye Halverson (2004) affirmed the above fact. The researchers sampled a group of female respondents and asked them common social questions, such as, if most women required a man to protect them, if men were more emotionally suited to participate in politics, and if most women were better off conducting home duties. The use of the word â€Å"most† was strategic to the formulation of these questions because it informed the findings of the researchers. Dipboye Halverson (2004) found out that equal assertions encouraged the respondents to discriminate other people. A deeper analysis of this fact reveals that egalitarian assertions provide employees with a licence to discriminate other employees. Dipboye Halverson (2004) also revealed that egalitarian assertions have a negative/opposite effect on employees because managers perceive such assertions as codes for defining employee conduct, to no avail. Therefore, by stating an organisation’s culture/position, they do not see the need for following up on employee performance. This reason explains why most companies that do not support discrimination, or prejudice, still report cases of the same. Similarly, organisati ons that claim to uphold employee diversity still tolerate prejudicial practices. It is therefore interesting to see that vision and mission statements, that are supposed to guide organisational actions and employee behaviours, have a counterproductive effect of failing to make employees act or live up to their spirit. From this analysis, clearly, public assertions of visions and corporate values lead to the development of subtle forms of inaction in the workplace, where few organisations admit any prejudice regarding their employee appraisal procedures, or corporate diversity policies. Organisational heads should be careful not to fall into this management trap. Managing Employee Motivation Competition in Incentive Appraisal Systems Modern management and corporate practices require managers to reward their employees for positive job performance. Within the same paradigm, modern corporate practices require managers to identify talent and promote accountability among employees (based on their organisational performance). However, the need to respect the above philosophy mirrors the principles of shrewd researchers, such as Allport (1954), who says the most effective way of eliminating stereotypes and discrimination is encouraging employee cooperation. However, the adherence to this principle undermines the concept of diversity. For example, managers who prefer to improve organisational performance by encouraging competition among employees undermine the spirit of employee diversity. To support this view, Dipboye Halverson (2004) argue, â€Å"Diversity and EEOC policies, that mandate tolerance, are undercut by programs such as rank and yank systems of performance appraisals that have the effect of pitting one employee against another† (p. 150). Attaching rewards and pay increments to individual employee performance also creates the same effect. In fact, many researchers argue that organisational reward and appraisal systems play the most significant role in worsening employee discrimination (Dipboye Halverson 2004). Managers, therefore, need to be aware of the effects of adopting modern employee appraisal systems that promote individual employee performance because they may undermine the role of synergy in improving organisational productivity. Relationship between Personal Self-fulfilment and Organisational Performance The psychology of employee behaviour and organisational performance plays a significant role in understanding how to manage employee motivation. At the centre of this discussion is the ability of managers to understand how to use expert psychological knowledge to increase employee motivation levels. This process starts by understanding employee desires and shaping them to create the perception that employee contribution, in organisational performance, is a step towards personal fulfilment. This strategy highlights the rise and the use of psychological knowledge (especially in the 20th century) by managers to manage employees (Rose 1990). In detail, the use of psychological knowledge to influence employee behaviour stems from attempts by managers to manipulate employee thinking, and feelings, to align with organisational goals. As outlined in the human relations theory and neo-human relations theory, managers make employees to believe their personal accomplishments peg to organisational success (Jackson Carter 2007). With the realisation that coercive authority would not align with this strategy, managers adopt more subtle approaches of manipulating employee behaviours by inviting employees to connect their individual projects with organisational and institutional projects (Dipboye Halverson 2004). Indeed, managers are often under a lot of pressure to improve organisational performance by ensuring there is a perfect person-organisational fit (Willmott 1993). This pressure mainly exists in many industrial and organisational psychology studies (Dipboye Halverson 2004). Similarly, many organis ational managers are under a lot of pressure to recruit, train, and retain employees that demonstrate adequate knowledge and skill in their jobs. Increased competition and the adoption of advanced technologies have further increased the pressure for managers to recruit the â€Å"right kind of workers† to propel organisation success. This pressure limits their freedom to motivate, or employ, whomever they wish. This limitation often creates room for the introduction of discriminatory activities in an organisation. Dipboye Halverson (2004) firmly believe that such opportunities for discrimination usually exist when organisations do not have a clear framework for employee appraisals. This weakness also creates a lot of room for individual prejudice to dominate the process. Overall, managers make employees believe that their private accomplishments are unique to their self-fulfilment goals, but they are not. Although this is a managerial secret, organisational heads need to be a ware of how to use it to harness employee potential and improve organisational productivity. Managing Diversity The main concept surrounding diversity management is the acknowledgement that today’s workforce comprises of different kinds of people. Although physical factors, such as age and sex, outline employee diversity models, unseen factors still define the success of employee diversity programs (Strachen French 2010). The common philosophy in diversity management is the understanding that harnessing employee differences may lead to improved organisational productivity. Here, increased productivity exists through a complete utilisation of talents and increased employee valuation. Key issues that most managers need to understand when managing employee diversities are the influence of profit motives in the implementation of diversity programs, the failure to adopt a broader focus on diversity programs, and the existence of prejudice among employees. Profitability over Ethic s Based on the doubts and cynicisms surrounding managerial efforts to uphold company visions and objectives, Jaffee (2001) says many people have expressed their doubts regarding managerial commitment to uphold employee diversity in the workplace. For example, an analysis of the Australian workforce shows that although many Australian companies have applied diversity management programs, for more than three decades, widespread inequality exists (Habibis Walter 2009). A deeper analysis of this situation shows that workplace practices have continued to reinforce traditional social inequalities that exist in the society (Habibis Walter 2009). Indeed, although managers reward exceptional employee performance, most employees still experience the same disadvantages that have characterised the Australian labour market for decades. For example, it is possible to predict a person’s labour market status by knowing his gender, racial identity, or even socioeconomic background. The fail ure of company managers to uphold the principles of diversity management emerges from institutional failures that respect profitability, as opposed to ethics. Certainly, instead of managers embracing diversity management, with the aim of reducing inequality, they use the concept to improve organisational profitability (as their main motivation) (Konrad 2003). Managers, therefore, use diversity management as a â€Å"business case† concept and fail to reduce inequality in this regard (Konrad 2003). Narrow Focus on Diversity Management Managers may fall into the pitfall of misunderstanding diversity management by adopting a narrow focus of the same. For example, instead of understanding group dynamics, a manager may be fixated on individual dynamics, thereby missing the point of diversity management (which aims to promote group cohesion/coordination) (Konrad 2003). The role of discrimination in undermining diversity management is at the centre of these discussions. In the past, discrimination was prevalent in most organisations around the world. However, with the adoption of affirmative action, discrimination has significantly reduced. Moreover, with increased globalisation, many organisations have experienced working with people from different cultures. Therefore, although discrimination may exist in some organisations, affirmative action has pushed it to the background of organisational practices. Nonetheless, its existence and dynamics create the need for organisational managers to understand its effects, especially in supporting workforce diversity. Dipboye Halverson (2004) say there is a thin line between improving organisational performance and embracing discrimination. The main enabling factor for this flaw is the similarly narrow focus of business practices that construct diversity through a narrow focus of selfish interests. In other words, instead of adopting diversity management strategies, to increase employee comfort and profitability, some m anagers may adopt the same strategies, only if they believe they make business sense. If they do not, they would not pursue these strategies. This narrow focus on diversity dilutes the impetus for adopting diversity management in conventional business practice. To navigate the challenges of working with a highly diversified workforce, Waddell Jones (2011) suggest that company managers should observe some fundamental principles of diversity management, such as securing managerial support and increasing diversity awareness. Similarly, managers are encouraged to pay close attention to employee evaluation frameworks, encourage their employees to question discriminatory practices, and reward employees for supporting diversity objectives (among other factors) (Waddell Jones 2011). Managers should also understand that questioning the status-quo would destabilise existing power structures in the organisation. Therefore, they should be flexible and refrain from keeping some employees in sp ecific positions (unnecessarily) because certain positions represent specific social cadres. Conclusion After weighing the findings of this paper, it is crucial to point out that the process of managing corporate culture, employee motivation, and workforce diversity is difficult and dynamic. Managers need to be aware of the several issues that affect employee behaviour and company performance (to strike a perfect balance between organisational productivity and employee satisfaction). Notably, this paper emphasises the need to understand crucial issues that affect all aspects of governance, such as, how a narrow focus on diversity, public assertions of vision and corporate values, and the negligence of employee interests in profitability affect diversity management. Similarly, this paper draws our attention to how the relationship between personal commitment, organisational performance, and competition in incentive appraisal systems affect employee motivation. Lastly, this paper arti culates the need for managers to consider the effects of societal cultures when managing corporate culture. Overall, these factors outline the primary considerations for managers as they steer corporate culture, workforce diversity, and employee motivation to support organisational productivity. References Ackroyd, S. Crowdy, P. 1990, ‘Can Culture be Managed? Working with Raw materials: The Case of the English Slaughtermen’, Personnel Review, vol. 19. no. 5, pp. 3-12. Allport, G. 1954, The Nature of Prejudice, Addison-Wesley, Massachusetts. Dipboye, R. Halverson, S. 2004, ‘Subtle (and Not So Subtle) Discrimination in Organizations’, in R Griffin A O’Leary-Kelly (eds), The Dark Side of Organizational Behavior, Wiley, San Francisco, pp. 131-153. Habibis, D. Walter, M. 2009, Social Inequality in Australia, Oxford University Press, Melbourne. Jackson, N. Carter, P. 2007, Rethinking Organisational Behaviour (2nd Edition), Prentice Hall, London. Jaffe e, D. 2001, Organization Theory: Tension and Change, McGraw Hill, Boston. Konrad, A. 2003, ‘Special Issue Introduction: Defining The Domain Of Workplace Diversity Scholarship’, Group Organization Management, vol. 28. no. 4, pp. 4-17. Ogbonna, E. Wilkinson, B. 2003, ‘The false promise of organizational culture change: a case study of middle managers in grocery retailing’, Journal of Management Studies, vol. 40. no. 5, pp. 1151-1178. Peters, T. Waterman, R. 1982, In search of excellence: lessons from america’s best-run companies, Harper and Row, New York. Rose, N. 1990, Governing the Soul: The shaping of the private self, Routledge, London. Strachen, G. French, E. 2010, Managing Diversity in Australia, McGraw Hill, Sydney. Waddell, D. Jones, G. 2011, Contemporary Management, McGraw Hill, Sydney. Willmott, H. 1993, ‘Strength is ignorance, slavery is freedom: managing culture in modern organizations’, Journal of Management Studies, vol. 30. no. 4, pp. 515-552. 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When I was a Kid

When I was a Kid When I was a kid we left the dirty streets of Brooklyn, New York for the quieter suburban streets of Connecticut. We moved into a large house in Norwalk, Connecticut. Norwalk is the sort of town that dreams of being a big city but will always be just another small port on the Connecticut coastline. Like out of some horror story, the south side of town offers plenty of frightening images: ghettos, drug dealers, prostitutes, graffiti, and even young urban professionals. The south end was a popular place to work, but when the day ended, these young men and woman got into their BMWs, Porsches, and other toys and drove to safe ground. Most found their way to surrounding towns: Westport, Wilton, New Canaan, and others. Other people, like my parents, crossed town through East Norwalk to our home in the northern end of town. Sometimes I would hear my father boast to far off relatives that we lived in a nice residential neighborhood (otherwise known as 'the good area') In most horror stories, as the hero approaches some haunted house (or some other terror) you can shout, 'Don't go in there! Stay away!' People moving into Norwalk have no such luck; they move into the charming town without a clue of it's underlying sickness and disagreeable citizens.English: monument in East Norwalk Historical Cemet...One of my first discoveries was the river that passed through the middle of town. I was only a kid, maybe ten, when I started fishing by the edge of the river. It wasn't easy finding the perfect location; this was a place where I would want to be alone, a place to get away from the unhappiness that would spread like fire through my home on occasion.This time away was possibly the most important thing to me then. When...

Schools Need Dress Codes Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Schools Need Dress Codes - Essay Example Then why cannot one opt the issue of uniforms in schools. In most of the countries it have been identified that there is no need of uniforms. Students are attending college in casual dress such as Canada. This is unethical, for instance if we are working in a particular organization each individual is asked to do formal dressing. This sense of equal dressing should be created in children’s from the very beginning, starting from schools, were each child is same in the eye of teacher. But one must consider the other perspective also, i.e. the children’s, what they feel when they see the other child in a good dress as compared to themselves. This may create a sense of demotivation in children’s as well as parents. For instance, a child with good financial background will wear luxuries clothes as compared to the child with low income group. This will create a gap in child’s mind and the former will force parents to get good clothes. This will affect income and expenditure pattern of the family. Therefore to control this situation it is imperative to have dress codes in schools to promote equality among children’s (Ann Svensen, 2000). Training Uniforms are required to train the students for future. In some of the jobs, mostly Asian countries employees are required to wear a uniform. If a child is not made to wear uniform in school, then he will not be able to wear that even later in life, because we human being perform in a way and principles learned in schools. Educational institution is the place which makes a child disciplined. Students can be trained by for future if they are required to wear uniforms. Most of the jobs specification requires servile attitude in people and a student wearing a uniform throughout his academic life is accustomed of having a servile attitude, which will help the child in future. In contrast, children are who are made to wear casual dresses in schools lack this form of attitude which is a main drawba ck. So, it can be said that uniforms in schools can lead to future success of children’s (Alleyene Sylvan, 2009). Equity This focuses on the fact that there exists a problem of rich and poor children’s due to the lack of uniforms in school. This factor is very important in a child’s life. If it is avoided, may ruin the entire life of children. This statement verifies the utmost importance of uniforms in schools. The equity arguments are mainly made by state schools who are more concerned for the future development of children’s. Presently, many private schools in Asia are focusing on this equity theory. School uniforms make students look alike and reduce the differences among them. Children’s mainly judge themselves from their physical appearances i.e. their clothes (David L Brunsma, 2004). Conflict Lack of uniforms may lead to conflict. As discussed earlier children’s judge themselves on the basis of their clothing, if they feel something i s less, more demands are made to the parents. In most cases, parent can’t afford to make their children wear luxuries clothes. This creates a sense of demotivation in a child. One gets frustrated. In result, there exist conflicts among children’s studying in same classes. It creates a sense of hatred among them. This can lead to increase in fights and democracy in an educational institution. It will not only harm children’s but as well as the school itself. Therefore, in order to solve these conflicts wearing uniforms should be