One Acre Fund free essay sample

When first looking at Kenya, Postigo had five different suppliers that all met certain criteria he had for doing business. He narrowed down the suppliers by contacting them and asking them for a RFQ. He then, with his knowledge of the market and his product as well as coming to the table prepared, negotiated the fertilizer to an acceptable price that could be offered to farmers enrolled in the OAF program. 1. Fertilizer is a commodity – why did Postigo spend so much time developing a relationship? Shouldn’t he have just set up an auction? Postigo did his homework and understood that developing and building relationships is a very important dimension in the Kenyan culture. â€Å"Kenyan culture’s emphasis on relationships and hierarchy stems from the importance of family. Kenya is a place where you need to get to know people†¦in a room with twenty-five people, you need to shake everyone’s hand† (Negotiating, pg 3). Postigo realized that most of his potential suppliers we located in Kenya. He also knew that if he could make a deal with a vendor in Kenya then the transportation costs would be much lower, thus creating a little more wiggle room for his BATNA. Postigo grasped the importance of building relationships from a different, more strategic purpose. OAF’s short-term plan incorporated rapid growth with regards to the small family farms, which required rapid growth in their requested quantity of DAP. Postigo recognized that in building a relationship he was really opening up their opportunities for the future. If he could guarantee larger batch orders in the future, then he might be able to use that leverage to talk the supplier into lowering the current price. Postigo knew that establishing his desire for a strong relationship would pay off in multiple ways, both satisfying the cultural status quo while also putting a strategic plan into place to realize cost savings in the future. 2. What was Postigo’s BATNA to reaching a negotiated agreement with Dehvi Medji and Sons? During the negotiations for fertilizer, Postigo was concerned with three major issues: delivery date, price, and the ability for growth into the future. Keeping these things in mind, it seems that the best alternative to a negotiated agreement would have come from the current market prices of fertilizer in the area. If he was not able to come to an agreement with any of the suppliers and negotiate a better contract for OAF, then Postigo would simply buy the fertilizer at regular market prices. According to the research, in Nakuru, where both the cost of fertilizer and the cost of transportation were taken into consideration, a 50kg bag could be purchased for 4,000 Ksh (Negotiating, pg 6). This cost of 4,000 Ksh would have been the BATNA for Postigo’s negotiations; However, the BATNA could also have been found in one of the other vendors that were being looked into. If these other vendors had offered him a reliable price then that value could have been seen as Postigo’s BATNA. 3. Should Postigo have spent the time and money to meet face-to-face with all five potential vendors for the purpose of telling them about One Acre Fund, rather than sending them an e-mail? Working for a not-for-profit organization, Postigo understood that he needed to save money wherever possible. Meeting with the vendors in person might have had a larger effect on empathy throughout the negotiation. He might have been able use that to his advantage, but in the end, the benefit would not have outweighed the cost. Postigo contacted five vendors, four of which came back with bids. The first scenario where the cost outweighed the benefit: had he traveled to the fifth vendor, it would have been a complete waste of time and money. Secondly, as soon as Postigo informed the potential vendors of their expected delivery date, a second vendor dropped out of the running, stating that they would not be able to make the delivery date. By sacrificing the face-to-face meetings, Postigo saved a large amount of time and money while still attracting 3 potential vendors; eventually leading to a deal that, from his standpoint, was very successful. . Followup question: Did Postigo pay particular attention to the other party’s needs in the phone calls with Dehiv Medji? Postigo did a very good job of paying attention to Dehiv Medji’s needs throughout the negotiations. They spoke about the affect the Kenyan government might have on both parties, understanding the government subsidies could cripple both parties. He brought up Medji’s opportunity to grow and wanted to be involved in their growth, â€Å"he asked about growth prospects†¦indicated that the two organizations might grow together† (Negotiating, pg 7). Postigo negotiated in a fair and cooperative manner, providing flexibility on delivery dates and transportation costs. â€Å"One of the biggest appeals of Dehvi Medji to OAF was its willingness to fix a price in November for a January delivery† (Negotiating, pg 7). Postigo was very aware of the other party’s needs and acted accordingly. He felt obliged to make the negotiation a win-win scenario and when all was said and done, he did just that. 4. What do you think about Pastigo’s sharing information with Dehvi Medji about OAF’s strategy for the future? Was this a good thing to do? Is this a good way to develop a relationship? In the situation that Pastigo was in an open discussion about the long term goals of the not for profit OAF was a valid opening strategy. It gives Pastigo a fair amount of leverage epically since OAF is planning to have a large amount of growth in the near future, that information alone allows Pastigo to negotiate much harder for present prices with the perceived promise of future growth. It is also a valid and simple way for Pastigo to begin building a relationship with the supplier. By opening with a good amount of information, especially with a local supplier, OAF as an organization can leverage the fact that they are trying to grow the amount of fertilizer used by a large amount of farmers which is good for the fertilizer suppliers. This was also an efficient means to build the relationship the OAF was hoping to have with their future supplier, by showing that they were open and upfront with both the plans and goals of OAF any possible relationship would from more easily. All in all by being open from the beginning Pastigo put himself in a good position to conduct the negotiations. . If Dehvi Medji’s price had been good but not the best, would you still have recommended that Postigo try to negotiate with Dehvi Medji? As we have mentioned before, Postigo was concerned with three major issues: delivery date, price, and the ability for growth into the future. Taking into consideration all of these issues, it could be seen that Dehvi Medji met the other qua lifications for a good supplier in that they could meet the proper delivery schedule in January and they were a small company that had the ability to grow alongside OAF going into the future. Price was only one of the concerns that Postigo was looking at. The case study goes on to state that â€Å"in previous fertilizer negotiations between OAF and Dehvi Medji, the company had settled for 10 percent off its initial offer† (negotiating, pg 7). This indicates that although the initial bid that Dehvi Medji produced might have not been the best, their company was proven to have wiggle room during the negotiations process and could possibly still be convinced to lower their price to become the best price. Although Dehvi Medji might not have had the best initial price coming out of the initial requests for proposals (RFPs), their initial price could be negotiated and they met the other requirements, delivery schedule and ability for growth in the future, that OAF was looking at. Our recommendation to Postigo would be to still enter the negotiation phase with Dehvi Medji, regardless of the initial price bid, in order to further scope out the qualifications of the supplier and possibly discover all of the benefits that they have to offer. . OAF’s founder, Andrew Youn, is a MBA. Given the importance of low-priced, good-quality fertilizer to his company’s ability to achieve its goals, should Youn be considering alternatives to buying from a handful of Kenyan wholesale suppliers? What might those alternatives be? The importance of low-priced, good-quality fertilizer was a major component to the success of the companies but it is doubtful that it was the only goal of the not fo r profit. The goal of the OAF is to help the local small plot farmers become more self-sufficient and by choosing local wholesalers over a foreign supplier can build the fertilizer industry in Kenya allowing local farmers to have better access even if the OAF was to leave the country. It is quite likely that Mr. Youn did consider other options during the start-up process but in the end decided local suppliers would be a better option. An option that they may considered would be using a foreign wholesaler and bulk ship the fertilizer to Kenya and then ship it to the warehouses to break down and disperse to the participating farmers. This option may have saved them enough money on the base product to offset the increase in shipping and handling cost to get the fertilizer into Kenya. This may not have been a viable option in this opening round of negotiation due to the limited amount of fertilizer the OAF was purchasing at the time. 7. Postigo informed the case writers that the Kenyan government did implement its program of buying fertilizer in bulk to distribute at reduced prices to farmers, but that this program did not really affect OAF farmers because they could not afford to travel to government depots and did not have the cash to buy or transport the fertilizer. However, this action by the Kenyan government might have secondary effects for OAF’s negotiations with fertilizer suppliers in the future. What do you think those secondary effects might be? There are a variety of secondary ramifications for the OAF when negotiating future fertilizer purchase form local suppliers due to the government subsidized supply. One obvious problem in the risk that the a current or future supplier may not be able to stay competitive in the fertilizer market in Kenya and will go out of business, forcing the OAF to search elsewhere for their supply of fertilizer. Another less gloomy prospect is with the government subsidizing fertilizer in Kenya the OAF may have a better bargaining position with the local wholesalers, allowing the OAF to purchase more fertilizer with the same investment helping the program to expand faster. This choice by the Kenyan government may also allow the OAF to negotiate with the government to receive the discounted price and focus instead on the transport of the fertilizer from the government depots to the farmers who need it most. 8. In what way did Postigo use his awareness of hierarchy in Kenyan culture during his negotiations with Dehvi Medji? During the second round of negotiations which were exclusively with the Dehvi Medji firm the awareness of the hieratical culture of Kenya was used to help set a price from which Postigo could begin the round of negotiations. This was seen in the sentence on page seven of the case study where Pestigo from looking previous negotiations knew that Dehvi Medji sold for roughly ten percent less than their opening offer. This was an assumption made due to the fact that Postigo was working with decedent of the former managers who made this 10 present discount a way of business. There is also the fact the before the negotiators began discussing price Pestigo first discussed the increase in the price of fertilizer and the effects it was having of the OAF, the likely hood of government intervention, and finally the growth prospects of both the OAF and Dehvi Medji. Only after all of this opening information was shared were the negotiations for price and transportation brought into the negotiation. Both of these considerations made by Pestigo showed he was prepared to enter negotiations with Jiten Patel and allowed them both to come to an agreeable solution. 9. What do you see as the strengths and weaknesses of Postigo’s negotiating strategy for fertilizer in 2007? Postigo had many strengths and weaknesses in his attempt of his first large acquisition of fertilizer for the OAF. His main strengths were the facts that he was knowledgeable about his product and the suppliers he was dealing with as well as the fact he was prepared going into the negotiation process. His main weakness included the fact that he had not built a relationship with his Kenyan suppliers knowing far in advance that that is an essential procedure in Kenyan business culture. He also failed to have realistic expectations when asking a smaller company like Delvi Medji and Sons to potentially supply such a large customer base. The fact that Postigo did not build a relationship could have resulted in Dehvi Medji and Sons’ Jiten patel(the supplier) agreeing with Postigo only to avoid confrontation knowing far in advance they would not be able to meet his needs. Postigo’s knowledge of the wholesale prices as well as his market and expected forecast did allow him however, to accurately predict OAF’s growth and was contributed heavily to his success of getting the fertilizer under the market price of 3,263 Ksh/50kg bag. He was able to work the suppliers down through both price competition but more importantly by providing a â€Å"win-win† situation for both him and the supplier. His main incentive was by doing business with OAF the supplier would grow with the OAF as it expanded its market to 30,000 farmers. He in return expected a supplier to reduce their costs helping the OAF. Even though Postigo had some weaknesses in his overall negotiation strategy by not meeting face-to-face,In the end, Postigo successfully worked to an agreeable solution where both parties benefited in 2007.

Mark Woods Health Space Essay Example

Mark Woods Health Space Essay This essay intends to discuss how the determinants of domestic violence affect a persons health. 1 in 3 or 1 in 4 women report having suffered domestic violence at some time in their adult lives according to recent different surveys in the UK. According to the British crime survey (1996) only 1 in 3 crimes of domestic violence were reported to the police. Research in the UK found that in 25% of cases the male partner had also been violent to the children. The government has a zero tolerance policy with domestic violence. On the home office website it defines domestic violence asAny form of physical, sexual or emotional abuse which takes place within the context of a close relationship. In most cases, the relationship will be between partners (married, cohabiting, or otherwise) or ex-partners.It is most commonly for the offender of domestic violence to be caused by the male and inflicted upon the female and / or the children. This is often because the males are bigger in build, strong er and like to feel in control of most situations. If the male isnt in control he may become aggressive and become violent upon the other member of the family. This is more likely to happen in violent men during an argument in instances high tension. It isnt just a man that can be guilty of domestic violence women can also be guilty. It is unlikely that they will assault the male, but can be violent towards the child if she feels that she can not control him/her.In 1999 the government set up a campaign to raise more public awareness into domestic violence. This was called break the chain and involved England and Wales. The government issued a leaflet, which underlined the zero tolerance policy towards domestic violence. As well as an aim to raise awareness it was also introduced to provide victims and the friends of victims with a source of help and advice. In the Lothian region of Scotland the Local Authority has implemented a programme for offenders of domestic violence called the Lothian Domestic Violence Probation Programme.This programme set out to research what effect the penalty had on guilty offenders such as fine, probation and prison sentences. The outcome of this showed that the punishment had a positive outcome on the offenders. The perpetrator programmes that are run in England and Wales are run by the probation services over England and Waless domestic violence is central to their functions of crime reduction. The government and social policy can aid fleeing victims as they provide safe accommodation for them. In England there are around 418 refuges and 45 in Wales.The media is often used to raise peoples awareness akin to the break the chain leaflet issued by the government. The NSPCC use adverts to increase awareness and ask for donations to help the children involved in domestic violence. They also use billboards in raising awareness. Domestic violence is everywhere and involves all types of people. Many stories of domestic violence are often reported in the national papers and seen in films and television shows. As well as raising awareness it doesnt always have a positive effect. Often when a documentary or soap opera shows domestic violence in their television programme they provide a contact number at the end for anyone who is experiencing domestic violence. Viewers such as young children could see this violence as normal behaviour. Not only seeing domestic violence on television but also watching violent scenes in films and cartoons. An example of violent films effecting the way children react was the case of Jamie Bulger. Two boys of thirteen and fourteen abducted Jamie and murdered him. They were viewed to have been influenced by films of 18 certificate, which other family members had watched with them.A large determinant of domestic violence can be due to stress created by employment and finances. Stress can also be caused by a number of things in the work place. Such things include pressure from deadlines, press ure to perform (depending on the job: e.g. professional athlete.), and pressure from employers and colleagues as well as abuse in the form of bullying. On the other hand the subject may have a very good reputation in the company as getting sales and may experience stress in trying to maintain that reputation. As well as stress from employment their can also be stress caused by unemployment and trying to find a job. The pressure from family and friends put on the subject to get a job. All this stress can lead to the subject returning from work very angry and take the anger out on another member of the family in the form of domestic violence.Many employers have stress management sessions for their employees to attend. A lack of employment links it to the other determinant of finance and trying to find the money to cope with finances and bills. This can cause stress in two ways. The first is being that the subject hasnt got a job and is struggling to pay bills, leading them to domestic violence. The second is a job that is only paying minimum wage and is not enough to pay for bills. This may be because of the subjects educational status. If it is poor then the likelihood of getting a well-paid job is not good. Both of these factors can lead to stress and therefore domestic violence. A small income can also mean that the environment that you live in isnt the best. For example you may live in a run down council flat that has very violent neighbours and an area that has a very high crime rate. A violent atmosphere can lead people to be aggressive and violent. A person can also be influenced to using domestic violence by the environment in which he or she has grown up. If the person had come from an area where there was a lot of violence then there is more chance of them being a violent person.The people or friends that the person hung about with as a child may be violent and influence him/ her into a violent nature of life, were violence is the answer to problems. T he adult may also have seen domestic violence when he/ she was a child through their parents. 50 years ago there was no policy on domestic violence and therefor as a child may have been brought up believing that it is was acceptable behaviour. The way the person grows up can also influence lifestyle another determinant for domestic violence. If the lifestyle of the person is a violent one where they drink a lot then the chance of domestic violence is high. The stereotypical image is one where the man returns from the pub drunk and beats up his wife. This scenario is often used in soap operas. Alcohol can have a huge effect in peoples behaviour as it can make people more violent and aggressive.This on top of being stressed could lead the person into assaulting a member of his her family when they return home. However if the subject has a healthier lifestyle, which involves him or her in activities such as regular visits to the gym or is a member of a football team, they are less like ly to be highly stressed as sport can act as a way to relieve stress. Sport acts like this because it allows a person to vent their anger as it is often seen as ok to make hard challenges that will harm the opponent. Leisure activities can have a positive effect on a person in many ways. However it could also have negative effects for example: the offender of domestic violence is a boxer, this could lead to the victim being very seriously injured as he or she is trained to fight and cause injury.A major determinant into domestic violence can be the subjects personal relationships with family and friends. In terms of the male being violent towards the women, this could be that if they have a poor relationship where they continually argue, then domestic violence is likely to occur. An argument where the man feels he is right but the women continues to argue and he loses his cool and assaults her. The cause of this could be argument over finances, marital problems or problems over chil dren. Parents may also use violence as a way of disciplining a child and not feel that there is anything wrong with doing so. A persistently naughty child may drive a parent to lash out and hit the child. The better a personal relationship is the more chance domestic violence will not occur. If the families do more activities together and socialise more the relationships can improve and problems may be sorted by discussing them instead of arguing.Social class is the next determinant. If a person is in the lower working class, then they are likely to have very little qualifications linking into educational status previously mentioned. These people may work every day all-day and only come out at the end of the month with enough money to pay for bills and no or few luxuries. This can cause the person to become stressed and this can increase the chance of domestic violence.Another determinant of domestic violence is ethnicity. Ethnicity can influence domestic violence through racism. Fo r example if a white women has had a previous relationship with a black male and they had a child together, then she found a white male as a new partner, the man may be racist and abuse the child because of the child ethnicity. Another example of ethnicity, which also applies to the determinant culture, is arranged marriages. Certain religions have arranged marriages and this could lead to domestic violence. Some arranged marriages today do not work out, many people prefer to have a say in who they choose to marry as it is a major commitment.Having to get married to a stranger because of their religion may anger them, and if this person is an aggressive person they may take it out on the other person in the form of violence. There is often then a reluctance to discuss of the abuse received from their partner as it may bring shame on their family, as well as wanting to preserve a marriage and fearing the batterer. Often culture can also be a problem in the event of domestic violence if there is a language problem. For example an ethnic women married to an English male abuser. As she has a communication problem with local people and authorities she may not understand her basic human rights.Poor social policies can impact upon family life and consequently be a determinant factor in incidences of domestic violence. Unemployment can breed drug and alcohol abuse and / or stress and feeling of worthlessness. Subsequently this can lead to frustration and domestic violence can occur. The Labour Governments 1997 Manifesto outlined the need to strengthen family life. It stated that Families should provide the day to day support for children to be brought up in a stable and loving environment. But families cannot flourish unless government plays its distinctive role: in education; where necessary, in caring for the young; in supporting good parenting; and in protecting families from lawlessness and abuse of power.It is on this basis that the Governments Welfare to Work programme was established. As part of that programme, The New Deal for Lone Parents, for example, aims to enable lone parents to become employable and therefore become independent. This could help in cases where women feel trapped in a violent relationship because they have no independent means of income. Also New Deal for Unemployed Partners is a means by which an individual could obtain a job and thus become less dependent on the other partner.As referred too earlier, Social Services provide safe houses and women refuge centres for vulnerable women. However these are usually temporary arrangements and it is important that as a long term measure that there is good, affordable housing. The current government supports a three-way partnership between the public private and housing association sector to promote good social housing. The recent comprehensive spending review has highlighted again the need to drive forward the housing policy as part of the overall need to address poverty a nd deprivation.Domestic violence is found at all economic and class levels. Sigler in his research in 1989 noted that race, religion, social class, income, and education are not consistently related to being a batterer. However he did acknowledge that ones level of income may be related to battering. It has also been found that that there were higher rates of abuse in poor, blue-collar families and that in general, there is a consistent decrease in violence as income levels go up. Straus et al, (1980). Steinmetz (1986). Okun (1986) comments that unemployed and under-employed men are more likely to engage in wife battering. Since men are socialised into believing that they must be the family breadwinners and failure to live up to this responsibility may be a characteristic of abusive husbands. Despite this Langley and Levy, (1977) note that the stereotyped wife beater does not exist. That is, the wife beater is not necessarily of lower class. Nor is he probably black, on welfare, and living in a ghetto.Research has shown that domestic violence can emanate in any home irrespective of age, community, income level, race, or religious group.

How to Analyze an Article Sample

How to Analyze an Article SampleYou've spent your entire life doing research for your article analysis samples. It's a very intense experience, but you're tired of it and want to write a quality article. That's a huge part of article writing. Writing with conviction and finishing what you start is the best way to succeed at it.If you find yourself stuck, then you need to take some time and research one. Don't be afraid to go on the Internet and type in keywords for articles that you think you can write, then write an analysis of the sample essay. That way you can really see if this article is what you're looking for. The analysis will make you know if this article is a great one or not. It will also tell you what to use as an example in your own writing.Also, the analysis is a good place to see what other experts are saying about your sample essay. If you want to write your own analysis, that can be very helpful too. One thing you'll discover is that people will rate your essay based on its structure, language, style, and content.To make sure you are writing your analysis well, make sure you are really reviewing each article thoroughly. Check the grammar, check for spelling and punctuation mistakes, and make sure the tone of voice is appropriate for the essay. You'll then be able to decide how to address the topic of the essay.Really, as you go along, you will get a feel for the tone of voice you should use. So the first part of analyzing your essay is doing some background reading and checking in case you can miss anything when reviewing your essays.Once you feel comfortable, you will begin to think about how to structure your analysis sample essay. Here's an example: To format it in such a way that the thesis statement stands out as a central point, you can begin with a title that states the main idea of the essay. Then, you can continue with more to follow.For instance, in one of the examples outline, you could tell the readers that, 'The main idea is this: If only I could get pregnant, I'd have the perfect child.' You could then continue to explain that, 'Of course, the process isn't always easy to understand, but as long as you understand how the different parts work together, you can become pregnant.' Finally, you could finish by saying, 'For those who wish to learn more about this process, here is an online class.'

Pros and Cons of Teaching

Pros and Cons of Teaching Are you thinking about becoming a teacher? The truth is that it is not for everyone. It is a difficult profession which the majority of people on the planet are not capable of doing effectively.  There are many pros and cons of teaching. Like any profession, there are aspects that you will love and aspects which you will despise. If you are considering teaching as a career, carefully evaluate both sides of teaching. Make a decision based on how you will handle and respond to the negative aspects of teaching more so than the positive ones. The cons of teaching will be what lead to burnout, stress, and resentment, and you need to be able to deal with them effectively. Pros Affords you the opportunity to make a difference. A nation’s youth is our greatest resource. As a teacher, you are afforded the opportunity to be on the front lines, making a difference. Today’s young people will be tomorrow’s leaders. Teachers have the opportunity to have a profound influence on their students thus helping shape our future. Offers a friendly schedule. When compared to other careers, teaching does offer a particularly friendly schedule. You often have extended time off 2–3 times during the school year and three months during summer break. School is only in session from approximately 7:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m. each weekday allowing you evenings and weekends to do other things. Gives you the chance to collaborate with all kinds of people. Collaboration with students is, of course, your greatest focus. However, you will find that collaborating with parents, community members, and other teachers to help our students can also be rewarding. It truly takes an army, and when everyone is clicking on the same page, the students will reach their maximum learning potential. Is never boring. No two days are alike. No two classes are alike. No two students are alike. This creates challenges, but it ensures that teachers are always on their toes and never bored. There are so many individual variables in a classroom that you can be assured that even if you teach the same subject all day long, it will be somewhat different every time. Allows you to creatively share interests, knowledge, and passions with others. Teachers should be passionate about the content they teach. Great teachers teach their content with enthusiasm and passion that motivates their students. They engage students in creative lessons that spark self-interest and the desire to learn more about a particular topic.  Teaching provides you with a great platform for sharing your passions with others. Provides continuous opportunity for professional growth and learning. No teacher has ever maximized their potential. There is always more to learn. As a teacher, you will always be learning. You should never be satisfied with where you are. There is always something better available. It is your job to find it, learn it, and apply it to your classroom. Allows you to create a bond with students that can last a lifetime. Your students must always be your number one priority. Over the course of 180 days each year, you build bonds with your students that can last a lifetime. You have the opportunity to become a trusted role model that they can depend on. Good teachers encourage their students and build them up while providing them with the content they need to succeed. Provides solid benefits such as health insurance and a retirement plan. Having health insurance and a respectable retirement plan is a perk of being a teacher. Not every career offers either or both of those things. Having them provides you with  peace of mind should a health issue arise and as you get closer to retirement. Has a flexible job market. Teachers are a necessary part of our society. The job will always be there. There can be a lot of competition for a single position, but if you are not limited to a particular area it is relatively easy to find a teaching job virtually anywhere in the country. Can allow you to be closer to your children. Teachers work the same hours that their children are in school. Many teach in the same building their children attend. Some even receive the opportunity to teach their own kids. These provide tremendous opportunities to bond with your children. Cons Is not the most glamorous job. Teachers are undervalued and underappreciated by many people in our society. There is a perception that teachers complain too much and only become teachers because they cannot do anything else. There is a negative stigma associated with the profession that is unlikely to go away anytime soon. Will never make you wealthy. Teaching will not make you wealthy. Teachers are underpaid. You should not get into this profession if money matters to you. Most teachers now work summers and/or take a part-time job in the evenings to supplement their teaching income. It is a startling reality when many states offer first-year teacher salaries that are below their state’s poverty level. Is terribly trendy. Best practices in education change like the wind.  Some trends are good, and some are bad. They are often ushered in then out in a constant revolving door. It can be particularly frustrating to invest a lot of time in learning and implementing new things, only to have new research come out to say it does not work. Is being overtaken by standardized testing. The emphasis on standardized testing has changed over the last ten years. Teachers are increasingly judged and evaluated on the test scores of their students. If your students score well, you are a great teacher. If they fail, you are doing a terrible job and need to be terminated. That one test day is more valuable than the other 179. Is even more difficult when you do not have parental support. Parents can make or break a teacher. The best parents are supportive and engaged in their child’s education making your job easier. Unfortunately, those parents seem like the minority these days. Many parents only show up to complain about the job you are doing, are not supportive, and do not have a clue about what is actually going on with their child. Is often displaced by classroom management. The demand for classroom management and student discipline can be overwhelming at times. You cannot want nor need every student to like you, or they will take advantage of you. Instead, you must demand and give respect. Give your students an inch and they will take a mile. If you cannot handle disciplining a student, then teaching is not the right field for you. Is too political. Politics plays a key role in every level of education including the local, state, and federal levels. Money is the primary cog in the majority of political decisions concerning education. Politicians continuously push mandates on schools and teachers without truly seeking input from educators themselves. They often fail to look at the potential impact of a mandate 5–10 years down the road. Can be extremely frustrating and stressful. Every job comes with some level of stress and teaching is no different. Students, parents, administrators, and other teachers all contribute to this stress. Those 180 days go by extremely quick, and teachers have a lot to get done during that time. Distractions deter progress almost daily. In the end, a teacher has to figure out how to get results or they will not keep their job for long. Involves a lot of paperwork. Grading is time-consuming, monotonous, and boring. It is a necessary part of teaching that virtually no one enjoys.  Lesson planning also takes up a lot of time. Teachers also have to complete paperwork for absences, classroom level reporting, and discipline referrals. Each of these is necessary, but no teacher got into the field because of the paperwork. Requires more time than you think. The schedule may be friendly, but it does not mean that teachers only work when school is in session. Many teachers arrive early, stay late, and also spend time on the weekends working in their classroom. Even when they are home, they spend quite a bit of time grading papers, preparing for the next day, etc. They may have summers off, but most use at least a portion of that time at voluntary professional development workshops.

Kant vs. Virtue Ethics Essay

When we talk about whether or not a person is ethically right, we can look at the actions that he or she may partake in. These actions maybe studied in different situations such as the one that we were told to evaluate. While leaving the grocery store, one witnesses an old man struggling with his oxygen tank. Without thinking, you lift the tank and help the elderly man. This action is a kind gesture, but would we consider this a moral act? One could analyze this situation with two different ethical theories, by Kantian and/or Aristotelian views. The approach that we take with Kant's views is strictly based on reason. The key factor in this situation with Kant would ask if we did this action without any thought. Because Kant heavily This case only brings the group off track again as yet another disagreement has to be resolved. While these conflicts themselves might have held the jurors back, the competition approach to these sources of conflict moved the group in the right direction. For example, Juror #9, the old man, approached Juror #10’s insults and stereotyping in competitive fashion, claiming that people are not simply born liars. Later, Juror #10 calls the accused boy a â€Å"common ignorant slob [that] don’t even speak good English,† after which immigrant Juror #11 competitively corrects him. In the end, almost every juror takes a competitive approach to juror #10’s insulting in one of the film’s most powerful scenes as they, one by one, leave the table and turn their backs on him. The jurors unsympathizing intolerance of Juror #10’s bigoted views serve as a prime example of a competitive approach to conflict. The conflict and the approach to the conflict between the jurors and Juror #10 bring the group together as the votes slowly change from guilty to not guilty. Another major source of conflict is the other jurors’ disinterested approach to the trial. Almost every juror approaches Juror #8’s insistence on a not guilty vote with avoidance. They care little about the case and do not grasp its gravity,

EU Official Control of Foodstuffs Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

EU Official Control of Foodstuffs - Assignment Example In this regard, the European community has laid down the regulation on the official foodstuff control system Regulation (EC) No 882/2004 on 2004, in order to ensure the objective of food safety and adopt requisite measures. These regulatory guidelines are implemented in order to overcome the drawbacks associated with the previous legislation to ensure the control in food management approaches and design common national control systems for the European zone (2Europa, 2010; EUE-Lex, 2004). Correspondingly, this study intends to address the topic related to official foodstuff controls system with a special focus on Poland. Poland is one of the rapidly growing economies, wherein it is observed that the foodstuff sector play a critical role to maximise the growth of the nation. In accordance, the report will summarise the aspects related to meat inspections abattoirs, food products, border Inspection, food emergencies and the role of government in it. Poland is one of the fastest developing nations of the EU with a population of around 38 million and a GNI of around $ 13,080 per capita. The nation is termed as one of the largest economies, located in Central Europe (The World Bank Group, 2014). The national strategic plan of Poland has been working with the motive to improve the competitive position of food industry by implementing various preventive methods in its food chain. Due alignment has also been focused by the food management authority in the EU with the already enacted regulations in the food market (International Finance Corporation, 2010). The Republic of Poland is an organisational structure incorporated of a central level, which has 16 regions, 379 districts and 2478 municipalities. The central level of the nation is equipped with the overall responsibility and authority to control animal health and their welfare, agricultural food safety and safety measures through the various channels of food supply in these nations. Both the

Week 3 Chapter 7 QM Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Week 3 Chapter 7 QM - Assignment Example These are people with whom company interacts before processes take place are called suppliers. On the other hand, people who come in contact with the company after the process of manufacturing or rendering services are called customers. Whereas, according to the contemporary viewpoint both customers and suppliers are existed inside and outside the company. In the total quality setting, customers play a pivotal and central role as they define quality. In the total quality setting customers are given top priority as they are success determinant for company. Reliable customer (one who makes repeated purchases) ensures the long term success of the company; therefore, its satisfaction is important. Reliable customer is the one who is satisfied with the company’s offerings and keep on making repeated purchases. Reliable customer can only be achieved by the company when he/she is highly satisfied. Customer satisfaction plays a key role in transforming a customer into a reliable customer. This is because once the customer is highly satisfied with what it is getting out of the product or product is exceeding his expectation only then he/she will make repetitive purchase. Otherwise, customer will simply switch to another product. Customer satisfaction can be ensured by bringing company’s employees in close contact with customers in order to find out their problems and complains related to products. Simultaneously, company should bestow powers in employees so that they could take actions to eradicate customer’s problems and make them satisfied in the end. The organization should identify needs of its internal and external customers thoroughly. It should communication with them on the regular basis. Organization should also look into customer’s feedback in order to establish a customer focus structure. Organizations should communicate with their customers on continual basis in order to know about the changes