Learning Team A Reflection Essay Example for Free

Learning Team A Reflection Essay Throughout this course, we established a foundation in understanding Business Information Systems. This week’s objectives were to describe how wireless technologies are used in the workplace and how to use spreadsheets in business situations. While some members of Team A were well versed in Microsoft tools, others had their first lesson on Microsoft’s Excel and Access fundamentals. Team A’s members range from a project manager who attained their Associate Degree in Computer Programming, a logistics specialists for Amazon. com, a employee in the Hilton Hotel industry, and a wine educator working in hospitality—all very different fields with varying levels of information systems background. While for some it was a review, Team A can all agree that each and every one of us gained a better understanding on how and why information systems accomplish business objectives. Cheryl knew the degree in which wireless technologies kept users plugged into the World Wide Web. She was aware that smartphones and their many accessories allowed users to access their emails, schedules, mobile banking and participate in e-commerce as well as make online payments—she learned that M-commerce another growing trend. Due to telemedicine, modern technology has allowed the medical world to provide assistance via videoconferencing. In addition, she learned that setting up and using access points to create meshed networks called a Wide Area Network (WAN) (Rainer Cegielski, 2011). Xavier learned the relevance of wireless technology in everyday life. More specifically, he learned of the different functions of varying satellite types to communicate information. Kelly learned about the two basic operations of data mining. According to Rainer and Cegielski (2011), data mining functions in  Ã¢â‚¬Å"predicting trends and behaviors and identifying previously unknown patterns† (chap. 11). Angeliza discovered that Wi-Fi was abbreviated for Wireless Fidelity as well as the synchronization of using Microsoft Excel with Access. With the objectives of Week 3 in mind, Team A members have found varying ways in which we can apply what we have learned in the classroom into our professional or personal lives. As a project manager, Cheryl can utilize Excel to track cost of goods (COGS) inventory. As a logistic specialist, Xavier can use spreadsheets in generating employee lists and creating reports to reflect the volume of freight used on a daily basis. As a team member in hospitality, Kelly can use data mining to track hotel guests’ sign up and preferences. In customer service, Angeliza can use the point of sale system to analyze the day’s sales and returns (Rainer Cegielski, 2011). The learning activities and readings have left each member of Team A with a little more knowledge than we had previously. Cheryl knows that Microsoft Excel and Access are a perfect duo: Excel creates the tables that can be exported to Access where the data is analyzed. Xavier learned how to more effectively incorporate spreadsheet into his daily work routine. Kelly understands the role of wireless information systems in the creation of invoices for clients and making it easier to calculate daily cash sales. Angeliza learned that she doesn’t need to be an IT specialist to analyze data from Excel with Access. Despite our different backgrounds, Team A members can agree that we all gained a better understanding on how Information Systems plays into effectively and more efficiently completely business goals. Week 3’s lesson on spreadsheets and wireless technologies makes us more proficient in the language of information systems in the workplace and in our daily lives. Reference Rainer, R. K., Cegielski, C. G. (2011). Introduction to Information Systems (3rd ed.). Retrieved from The University of Phoenix eBook Collection database

Types of Analysis for Strategic Planning

Types of Analysis for Strategic Planning Task 1 Internal Assessment Sometimes, it is something inside the organization that demands a major change. It can be technological change forcing new methods of carrying out its work, Cost efficiency/Performance, Assets condition/Productivity, Organizational culture and image, Organizational structure, Key staff, Operational efficiency, Operational capacity, Brand awareness, Market share and financial resources. External Assessment Sometimes the outside world forces such decisions on the organization. Such forces may include major shifts in the market, big changes in government policy, market competition, distribution methods, and the geography in which you will compete to get result Assumptions We can assume certain alternative that can be true in forming strategy and from which conclusion can be drawn, as the strategy is based on assumptions Priority issues We must address our priority issues. It can be cost of production, service level and delivery, organization and material effectiveness, customer service and friendliness, new product/service innovation and quality RESULT REQUIRED The second step to identify where do we want to be? We must set our mission and objective to reach our goals. Mission/ Vision It can be defined as what the company is to become over set period of time. To be effective the vision must be simple. It must be something that the people within the business can identify easily and it must have tangible impact on the business. Objectives Objectives are concrete goals that the organization seeks to reach, for example, an earnings growth target. The objectives should be challenging but achievable. They also should be measurable so that the company can monitor its progress and make corrections as needed. HOW The third step to find out how will we get there? We should make some strategy and proper programs to reach our goals. Strategic development process is dynamic and continuous. A change in one component can necessitate a change in the entire strategy. As such, the process must be repeated frequently in order to adapt the strategy to environmental changes. Throughout the process the firm may need to cycle back to a previous stage and make adjustments. IMPLEMENTATION The fourth step to define who must do what. Once a strategy is developed it is most important how to implement it and for effective implementation, it needs to be translated into more detailed policies that can be understood at the functional level of the organization. As strategy forms at corporate level, it should be translated into specific policies for functional areas such as marketing, R D, production, Human resources, Information Systems. REVIEWS The final step is to review once implemented, the results of the strategy need to be measured and evaluated, with changes made as required to keep the plan on track. Control systems should be developed and implemented to facilitate this monitoring. Standards of performance are set, the actual performance measured, and appropriate action taken to ensure success. Example: In my previous organization in Dubai, having two divisions, dealing in waterproofing and insulation materials and both were doing well. The management realized scope of further expansion into interior business. The Chairman has three sons. Two of them looking after two divisions and the third just returned from abroad after completing his studies. The company had enough resources, financial, premise etc. to start the new business. The chairman utilized all of the available resources efficiently and started a new interior business. Now I realized that they had followed above strategic planning process to be success and still they are doing well. Task 2 How does one involve stakeholders in the strategic planning process and give examples of what tools you might use to review strategic options. As an organization grows, it becomes more important that all those involved are clear about what the organization is looking to achieve and how it is planning to do it. Each organization should identify those with a legitimate interest in its work (stakeholders) and ensure that there is regular and effective communication with them about the organization. It is therefore worthwhile reviewing who the stakeholders are in the organization because they help to get job done more effectively. Stakeholders may vary according to the nature of the organization but most common can be explained in following diagram. Suppliers Government Customers Organization Bank / Financial Institution Employees Competitors How to engage stakeholders while developing strategy Personal Interviews It can provide quite detailed and rich data on individual behavior and attitudes. Data gathered with this process can help to develop strategy more effectively. Focus Groups Under this method people are selected and invited to meet together to discuss some aspect of a particular product or services which is helpful in making strategic decision. Advertising: It is a form of communication that helps to persuade potential customer to purchase or to consume more of a particular brand of product or service. If the strategy is to develop for a new product then view of prospective customer can be obtained by this means. Newspaper inserts: It enables advertiser to target their advertisement to specific geographic market. Mostly it covers local area and strategy planner can get the feedback from relevant stakeholders. Web/Online Surveys One of the most sophisticated and modern method to involve stakeholders in strategy planning process. It’s quick and more accurate and solves the distribution and result collection problems. Conferences: Company can arrange conferences where views can be exchange which will help the planner to form the strategy accordingly. Stakeholders are invited to discuss on a particular topic. Workshop / problem solving meetings: It is like a meeting emphasizing interactions and exchange of information among a usually small number of participants. Newsletters: A newsletter is a regularly distributed publication, generally about one main topic that is of interest to its subscribers. For example Company send newsletter to their employees to update their market position and any future development. Annual report: It is a complete report of an organization’s activities throughout the preceding year. It is normally sent to Shareholders and other interested stakeholders informing about the company’s activities and financial performance. It has been observed that individual stakeholders usually may have their own interests which they will ensure are protected and valued. It means that stakeholders can influence negatively or positively the performance of an organization. It is therefore important for an organization to determine which stakeholders can have a positive or negative impact on their organization so that the positive effects are promoted and the negative effects are managed so as to minimize damage. For example employees of an organization will be concerned about their job security and salaries and other benefits and while planning the strategy if they are not involved in planning process they may resist due to some risk, which they don’t want to take but if they are better educated they will help to achieve strategic goal. There are three important tools that can be used to review strategic options. †¢ Suitability †¢ Feasibility †¢ Acceptability Suitability: This is one of the important tools while developing a strategic plan. The planner must ensure that the strategy he is planning, will it be adjusted with the current environment and are we competent enough to face the challenges. Suitability is a decisive factor for assessing the extent to which a proposed strategy fits the situation identified in the strategic analysis, and how it would sustain or improve the competitive position of the organization. Some authors have referred to this as ‘consistency’. Suitability is therefore a useful tool for screening strategies. For example, if a strategy is likely to improve the organization’s competitive standing then we should find out, can we able to resolve the company’s liquidity problems, or decrease dependence on a particular supplier? Feasibility: Whether it can be implemented successfully. The organization must evaluate their resources and at the evaluation stage there are a number of fundamental questions which need to be asked when assessing feasibility. For example: Can the strategy be funded? Are we capable of performing to the required level (e.g., quality level, service level)? Can the necessary market position be achieved, and will the necessary marketing skills be available? Will the required skills at both managerial and operative level are available? Will the technology (both product and process) be available to compete effectively? Can the necessary materials and services be obtained? It is also important to consider all of these questions with respect to the timing of the required changes. Acceptability: Alongside suitability and feasibility, it is the third factor to review strategic options. This can be a difficult area, since acceptability is strongly related to peoples expectations, and therefore the issue of acceptable to whom? Following essential questions need to be asked when assessing Acceptability. Return What will be the effect on capital structure? Profitability analyses (return on capital employed, payback period, discounted cash flow, market valuation, etc.) Risk Will the function of any department, group or individual change significantly? Financial ratio projections; Sensitivity analysis; Decision matrices Stakeholder Expectations Will the organization’s relationship with outside stakeholders (e.g., suppliers, government, unions, and customers) need to change? Needs, power, interest, and predictability of stakeholders. Task 3 Prepare an example SWOT analysis of an organization you know or have studied listing the 4 key (SWOT) elements in a table. Explain how strategic planner will use the analysis in developing the strategy using some of the example elements you have listed. SWOT stands for strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats. Strengths and weaknesses are internal factors, which relates with resources. Opportunities and threats are external factors which relates with environment. SWOT analysis is a tool for auditing an organization and its environment and is often used to highlight where a business or organization is and where it could be in the future. It is the first stage of planning and helps marketers to focus on key issues. The following SWOT analysis looks at PRIMARK which is an Irish clothing retailer. The SWOT analysis will give a clear picture of the business environment PRIMARK is operating in at the present time. Strengths: The strengths of a business or organization are positive elements, something they do well and are under their control. The following section will outline main strengths of PRIMARK. A strong brand is an essential strength of PRIMARK as it is recognized and respected. Competitive pricing is a vital element of their overall success, as this keeps them in line with their rivals, if not above them. The lucrative location. mostly on high street adds up PRIMARK strengths due to its accessibility Keeping costs lower than their competitors and keeping the cost advantages helps PRIMARK pass on some of the benefits to consumers. There distribution chain is one of their strengths and links to success. Supplier relationships are strong at PRIMARK, which strengthens their overall performance. Weaknesses: Weaknesses of an organization is things that need to be improved or perform better, which are under their control. Weaknesses are also things that place you behind competitors. This section will present main weaknesses of PRIMARK. They don’t have good advertising technique to tell customers about their business. There limited product line is a major weakness. PRIMARK does not functions wider international market, which has an effect on success, as they do not reach consumers in more `overseas markets. Due to lower price more customer visit in their store but they don’t have enough checkout counters to avoid long queue. Opportunities: Opportunities are external changes, trends or needs that could enhance the business or organization’s strategic position, or which could be of a benefit to them. This section will outline opportunities that PRIMARK is currently facing. Decrease in taxation is an opportunity for them to reduce prices or increase profits. New market opportunities are a way to push them forward. PRIMARK has the opportunity to enter a niche market, gain leading position and therefore boost financial performance. Expanding the product lines by PRIMARK could help them raise sales and increase their product portfolio. They can enjoy benefits from reduction in interest rates so that business costs would come down. Expanding into other markets could be a possibility for them. Threats: Threats are factors which may restrict, damage or put areas of the business or organization at risk. They are the factors which are outside of the companys control. Being aware of the threats and being able to prepare for them makes this section valuable when considering contingency plans and strategies. This section will outline main threats PRIMARK is currently facing. Consumer lifestyle changes could lead to less of a demand for its products. Changes in the way consumers shop and spend and other changing consumer patterns could be a threat to their performance. Being undercut by low-cost imports is a major threat for them. Slow growth and decline of the retail market is a threat to them. Increased competition from overseas is another threat to them as it could lead to lack of interest in their product. The actions of a competitor could be a major threat against PRIMARK, for instance, if they bring in new technology or increase their workforce to meet demand. Price wars between competitors, price cuts and so on could damage profits for them. A slow economy or financial slowdown could have a major impact on their business and profits. PRIMARK could be threatened by the growing power customers have to set the price of their products. Conclusion Given this analysis we come to realize that each organization has its own external and internal problems to handle. The process in which we enable to identify and analyze such problems is by using proper management method of analysis like SWOT. The SWOT analysis is useful in a difficult strategic situation. The strengths are analyzed to reach opportunities and to avoid threats. The search of weaknesses is of importance as it allows the manager to minimize them. It also explains what unique resources you have and what you can offer that makes you stand from the rest. Task 4 Explain the differences between balanced scorecard, scenario planning, cost benefit analysis and sensitivity analysis giving at least one example of where each technique would be most appropriately applied Balance Scorecard The balance scorecard is a performance management tool to measuring whether the smaller-scale operational activities of a company are aligned with its larger- scale objectives in terms of vision and strategy. By focusing not only on financial outcomes but also on the operational, marketing and developments inputs to these, the balance scorecard helps provide a more comprehensive view of a business, which in turn helps organization act in their best long-term interests. It was proposed by Robert Kaplan and David Norton in 1996 In the balance scorecard we refer to the several different kinds of balance. For example -The balance between short and the long term. -The balance between four perspectives. The Balance scorecard approach generally has four perspectives: Finance: Return on Investment, Cash flow, Return on capital employed Financial results (quarterly/Yearly) Internal business processes: Process alignment (is the right process in the right department?) Learning and growth Is there the correct level of expertise for the job? Employee turnover Source Businessball.com Job satisfaction Training learning opportunity Customer: Delivery performance to customer Quality performance for customer Customer satisfaction rate Customer percentage of market Customer retention rate Scenario Planning Scenario planning is a method for learning about the future by understanding the nature and impact of the most uncertain and important driving forces affecting our world. It is a group process which encourages knowledge exchange and development of mutual deeper understanding of central issues important to the future of the business. It is a process of visualizing What future conditions or events are probable? What their consequences or effects would be like and how to respond to, or benefit from them. Four aspect should taken into consideration in scenario planning Future scientific capabilities Technological developments The role of business and government Social attitudes The transport for London is having scenario planning about future development like air conditioning in Tube. Cost benefits Analysis The process involves, weighting the total expected costs against the total expected benefits in order to choose the best or most profitable option. It is typically used by governments to evaluate the desirability of a given intervention. It is an analysis of the cost effectiveness of different alternatives in order to see whether the benefits are greater than costs. The costs and benefits of the impacts of an intervention are evaluated in terms of the public’s willingness to pay for them (benefits) or willingness to pay to avoid them (cost) inputs are typically measured in terms of opportunity costs the value in their best alternative use. The guiding principle is to list all parties affected by an intervention and place a monetary value of the effect it has on their welfare as it would be valued by them. Sensitivity Analysis It is a technique for determining the outcome of a decision if a key prediction turns out to be wrong. ‘The Study of how the uncertainty in the output of a model (numerical or otherwise) can be apportioned to different sources of uncertainty in the model input’ Suppose that the manager of an organization just completed a linear programming solution which will have a major impact on the company, such as determining how much to increase the overall production capacity and are about the present the results to the board of directors. How confident are you in the results? How much will the results change if your basic data (e.g. profit per item produced, or availability of a component) is slightly wrong? Will that have a minor impact on your results? Will it give a completely different outcome, or change the outcome only slightly? Bibliography: Primark.co.uk Thompson John L . Strategic Management . 4th Ed Team-based strategic planning By C. Davis Fogg 1994 http://www.netmba.com/strategy/process/ JOHNSON, G., and SCHOLES, K. (1997). Exploring Corporate Strategy, Fourth Edition, Prentice Hall, New York. [Chapter 8] Business dictionary.com Cases in public policy analysis by George M. Guess, Paul G. Farnham Wikipedia.org Practical Optimization: a gentle Introduction – John W. Chinneck, 2000 A Practical guide to using the Balanced scorecard By Nils-Gà ¶ran Olve, Anna Sjà ¶strand, Carl-Johan Petri Businessball.com http://www.well.com/~mb/scenario_planning/ dft.gov.uk Sensitivity analysis in practice by Andrea Saltelli, Stefano Tarantola, Francesca Campolongo

Leadership and Groups: FMC Green River Essay -- Business Leading Essay

Leadership and Groups: FMC Green River Background FMC is and has been a successful company for the last fifty-six years. First originated in 1948 and produced 1.3 million tons of various grades of soda ash a year. The success of the first business brought about a second refining plant in 1953, which was completed in 1970. FMC Aberdeen, located in South Dakota with a population of 30,000 is also a successful subsidy of FMC. FMC Aberdeen employs one hundred people, produces one product, which is a missile canister for the U.S. Navy. FMC Green River managed by Mr. Dailey, produces various chemicals, has over 100 domestic and international customers, 1,150 employees, creates several products and works closely at times with the United Steel Workers of America. Situational Awareness Aberdeen has a great structure for the ability to create quickly various small work teams such as informal groups or self managed work teams that allow the group to focus on improving a specific process. At Aberdeen the small groups gather, choose their own leader, poll together ideas and come up with a solution to specific problem. Once a solution is found the team disbands. Since Aberdeen’s company is smaller and its employees create a family atmosphere, the role relationships between the people in the groups have a strong personal bond. This basic idea will also work at FMC Green River but will require some modifications. At Green River, if they follow the same concept, then the small groups that gather to solve a specific problem must also remember that what effects one decision in the process they are improving may have a devastating impact on another division of the same company since the company produces different products. Quickly creating teams on the spot for resolut ions to specific problems as done at Aberdeen is much easier when only dealing with one product for one customer. At FMC Green River, where there are several products being produced and over 1,150 employees, trying to incorporate small teams when the need arises will work but some restrictions may have to be applied. I would suspect more division of labor and command groups would be better suited due to the possible impact of a decision by one team, which may significantly influence another part of the organization. The culture created at Aberdeen in terms of the small groups gathering ... ...llow up on the new process on the results and make a final report or provide information on additional improvements. I’m not sure if this is done at Aberdeen. Since the number of managers should be limited, it would be advisable to allow the leaders of groups (if the leaders rotate) to counsel in a positive or negative way the group members performance. This will better and more accurately document performance to be used for yearly reviews for pay increases or promotions. Also by allowing the leaders to counsel it will build on their management skill and confidence. But, all members of the teams should have this opportunity by rotating the leaders as done at Aberdeen. Green River could use the advances of technology to create virtual teams to support the overall mission of Green River. I think the managers of the different areas and not for the small work teams should use it. Works Cited: J. M. George and G. R. Jones, â€Å"Organizational Behavior,† 3rd ed. (Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall, 2001) J. G. Clawson, â€Å"FMC Aberdeen from Practical Problems in Organizations: Cases in Leadership, Organizational Behavior and Human Resources,† Custom ed (Prentice Hall, 2003)

Marketing scenario

Positioned as an premium offering focused to lowest overall cost to end users through superior overall performance. Leader in quality , performance and technological innovation Product lines Carton sealing and industrial tapes Specialized adhesives Other packaging products SKI tape – Manufactured using patented technology and a brand name for pressure sensitive carton sealing tapeEvery high tensile strength and sheer resistance Positioning High Price K Products Low Quality High Quality ‘pack Tensile New Product Low Price Problem Statement ; K tape competed against inferior economy grade products in carton sealing type ; ‘PACK offered 25-35% lesser price ; Revenue of K- $68. 6 million ‘PACK – $28. 5 million 2012 ; Tensile -a new competitor had $2. 7 million dollar sale with one sales representative Should SST stay with high quality product or enter the economy grade segment ?Option 1: Enter the economy grade segment under the same brand PROS Access to t he economy segment Defend market share against competition Diversification of product portfolio CONS Dilution of the brand image as a maker of technological superior product Conceptualization of its own product offering Accoutered product line Option 2: Enter the economy grade segment under different brand Implications for: Customer ; Ability to fulfill need of price sensitive customers ; Possibility of change in perception of being a quality leaderDistributor ; Possibility to offer a low end SST product ; Even wider product range; Limited sales force Sales Force ; Ability to offer more variety in terms of price levels ; More effort to explain product differences Brand ; No positive impact ; Negative impact on brand image Option 2: Stay with high-quality products ; Maintaining image of quality Leader ; Loss of Market share; Not targeting price sensitive consumers ; No need for adjustment in distribution policy.

Knight in Medieval Times

A knight in medieval times is normally recognized as an equipped combatant at the service of the lord or king. Knight was considered a symbol of chivalry and an epitome of bravery in the medieval times. He was regarded as the most skilled person in the art of fighting who worked under the lord and was subjected to his orders and instructions in every affair of life. His leisure time activities were also chivalrous in nature and he remained involved in chivalrous games like duels. He used to possess best Arabian breed of horses that had no match in Europe.â€Å"The close association of the knight and his horse is clearly shown by the titles by which we was known throughout Europe; in France he was a Chevalier, in Italy a Cavalier, in Spain a Caballero, and in Germany a Ritter, from the word meaning to ride. Even the name for the code by which the knight was later bound, Chivalry, derives from the French Cheval. † (The Origins of The Knight) Knight was the production of a practi cal necessity of keeping men of valor and strength to keep the territories and states safe against internal and external threats.That armed knights later became a part of nobility due to the growth and extension of military power and their importance in the affairs of the states. Over a period of five hundreds years, in addition to knights’ military duties and obligations, their socio-political importance led to three other important changes regarding their status in the socio-cultural set-up. This was the steady advancement of knights as a fortunate and advantaged, inherited group.Secondly, a code of chivalry developed naturally that customized and legitimized their code of conducts and elaborated and elevated them to an exclusive social position as a martial privileged class that developed itself into an nobility. The Knights was bound by socio-cultural convention to follow a code of chivalry. This chivalrous was a counter-effective to manifestation of his violent nature du ring battles and wars. Code of chivalry used to be no document system of conduct but it was customary set of rules based on morality and cultural compulsions.Chivalric qualities of an ideal knight during the middle ages under this code are best described in Song of Roland. It reflects that a Knight should be God fearing who could serve his lord in every thick and thin. He must defend the feeble and frail and must abstain himself from giving unnecessary offense to others. He must not fight for his own financial or social gains but for the wellbeing of all.Song of Roland says in this regard: â€Å"A knight should have such valour,/ Who bears arms and sits astride a good horse./ In battle he should be strong and fierce,/ Or else he is not worth four pence. / He ought rather to be a monk in one of those monasteries/ And pray all day long for our sins! † (Song of Roland, laisse 141)Duke of Burgundy recognizes some important characteristics and personality traits of a chivalrous kn ight. â€Å"The words he chose to use to describe the virtues that should be exhibited in the Knights Code of Chivalry were as follows: Faith, Charity, Justice, Sagacity, Prudence, Temperance, Resolution, Truth, Liberality, Diligence, Hope, Valour†.(The Middle Ages Website) So these characteristics of knight were manifestations societal expectations about the code of conduct of knight. Beside all these chivalrous qualities, he was expected to be brave and skillful enough to shows his valor and strength at the battlefield. Another manifestation of chivalrous characteristics was brotherhood at arms. â€Å"Among the gentler features of chivalry may be reckoned the beautiful institution of brotherhood in arms, by which two knights vowed faith to each other.The brothers in arms wore the same arms and clothes, mingled their blood in one vessel, and received the Sacrament together. They engaged to support each other in battle and in all quarrels, and to have the same friends and en emies. † (Knights in Middle Ages) This not only unified the knights of one state but their vows to each other used to augment their strength and confidence. Courtly love was another important development that was directly associated with knight and knighthood. It was one of the most celebrated activities of Knights that is romanticized to a great extent by the medieval literature.Courtly love was eulogized and was considered a noble passion. This form of romantic passion is depicted differently by Chaucer. In his era, the medieval era, relationship between lady and a knight took the form of ‘courtly love’ and was labeled as a noble passion coupled with chivalry and gallantry. In renaissance, love was also considered an ennobling phenomenon but we see concept of romantic and exalted love that has nothing to do with knightly and chivalrous qualities. Chaucer writes about one of the most important activities for a Knight was;To love my lady, whom I love and serve/ d evere shal, til that myn herte sterve. (The Knight’s Tale) Courtly love is not depicted an immodest and lustful phenomenon by Chaucer but it is praised occasionally. Chaucer further shows certain other fine qualities of the contemporary culture pertaining to courtly love. For example, in Knight’s Tale male lover were never usurpers. Following the tradition of courtly love, both knights, Palamon and Arcite disclosed their love for the lady and requested her hand.Both are â€Å"broken al day for love in ech degree. † (The Knight’s Tale)This clearly manifests that culture and value of time pertaining to courtly love strongly prohibited forced love. Furthermore, it shows the individual integrity and honesty within the community. It was knights’ integrity and honesty that did not let them to deceive their lady-love and adopt a proper way to court the lady. This indirectly depicts the rationality level of the people in general and nobility in particular. Loyalty and equality were other ingredients of the courtly love that portrays the values and traditions of the society as a whole. Although Middle Ages’ literature highly romanticize the characteristics of a knight and elevated their characters but many knights were unable to live upto these standards. Chaucer depicts in Canterbury Tales (Wife of Bath’s) the story of knight who raped a lady. This was highly against chivalrous code. As Chaucer’s tales are considered as the mirror image of his contemporary era, so this story was a reflection of the prevailing socio-cultural situations.In another medieval story, Sir Gawain and The Green Knight, we also find some knights who are coward and are not as good as knight Gawain. So it is obvious that not all knights were chivalrous. Above-mentioned arguments and supported evidence clearly manifest that medieval knight were well-mannered, gracious and towering personalities. Their indulgence in courtly love was not a lustf ul affair but it was a based on mutual attraction and admiration was purely a refined and passionate activity that was accepted and sanctioned by social norms.Works CitedChaucer, Geoffrey. The Canterbury Tales. New York: Penguin Classics. 1996.Goldin, Frederick. The Song of Roland. New York: Norton, 1978.Gravett, Christopher. The World of the Medieval Knight. Peter Bedrick Books. New York. 1996.Medieval Spell. Knights in Middle Ages. 12 November 2008 .The Middle Ages Website. Knights Code of Chivalry. 12 November 2008 .The Origins of The Knight. 12 November 2008 .

Dress Not for Success: Fifty Years of American Dress Codes Burdening Students

Karnik Soghomonian Professor Brauer Writing 39C February 16th, 2012 Dress Not For Success: Fifty Years of American Dress Codes Burdening Students Over the past fifty years, dress code policies have been a major topic, a topic repeatedly protested against by American high school students. However, at the same time, dress codes have gained popularity in school districts across America. Since the 1960s, drastic measures have been taken to prevent students from wearing certain clothing of their choosing, in fear that the message presented on their clothing being too controversial.Consequently, students have been burdened with dress codes that infringe upon their First Amendment rights. This ongoing trend of imposing dress codes in schools has plagued America for years, resulting in numerous law suits and student punishments. The dress code debate in American Public schools can be traced through various inconsistent rulings in the court cases dating back to 1969, and continued to gain spe ed as a result of falsified information gathered to encourage dress codes in 1994. This debate has continued despite evidence suggesting its uselessness founded by Dr.David L Brunsma in 1998 and despite the negative psychological effects that dress codes could potentially cause, as implied by Psychoanalysis Erik Erikson in the 1960s. Controversy over American public school dress code policies gained the nation’s attention in 1968, when a group of high school and middle school students attending schools at Des Moines Independent Community School District (DMICSD) in Iowa claimed that their personal rights were being violated in the American schooling system.According to the students, they had been suspended from their school for half a month for wearing black armbands at school protesting the Vietnam War. Their school had suspended them on the grounds of violating the school district’s dress code policy, which stated that no students were allowed to convey any type of m essage through their speech or their clothing. Due to what they felt was an overbreach of school codes into their rights, the students sued the school district on November 12th, 1968. In the months that followed, the case, now known as Tinker, et al v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, et al, 393 U.S. 503, reached the level of the Supreme Court. On February 24th, 1969, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of the students saying, â€Å"it can hardly be argued that either students or teachers shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate† (Tinker). A result of the court case was a set of rules now known as the Tinker Standard, which state that a school district cannot ban any students’ rights unless they can point to specialized evidence that the specific right caused a substantial disruption of education and school activities.The Tinker Standards also state that if a student’s clothing portrays a clear and easy to understand message, the school has no right to hide that message (Hudson 150). This is still the standard in which our court system is supposed to abide. However, as will be mentioned further, the Tinker Standard has been ignored almost completely for forty years by the American School System and the court system (i. d. 154). One such case that ignored the Tinker Standard was Broussard v.School Board of Norfolk in 1992. A student wore a t-shirt bearing the message â€Å"Drugs Suck† to her middle school in Norfolk, Virginia. The student had worn the t-shirt several times to school previously; however on one occasion the student was stopped in the school hallway and sent to the principal’s office where the student was held for the remainder of the day, losing a full day of education. The student, with the assistance of the American Civil Liberties Union, sued the school district for overbreach.Even though the t-shirt had a plain and easy to understand message th at ‘drugs suck,’ which should have been protected under the Tinker Standards, the court ruled in favor of the school, ignoring the positive message of the shirt insisting that the word ‘sucks’ was too sexual. The court ruled this, even though the school district had failed to provide any evidence of disruption of student education (Broussard). In 1997, David Chalifoux and Jerry Robertson of New Caney High School in Texas wore rosary beads to school to express their Catholic faith.A school police officer told them to remove them due to their association with Hispanic gang culture. The two students, who had never associated with gangs before, looked through a student handbook which did not list rosaries as out of dress code. The students filed a lawsuit against the school, challenging the ban of rosaries in school with the application of the Tinker Standard. The court ruled in their favor, acknowledging that the school failed to provide evidence of the disrup tion f beads (Chalifoux). However, in recent times, it is seen that the Chalifoux case has also been ignored; in 2010, school officials in New York suspended a thirteen year old student for also wearing rosary beads while mourning the loss of his brother (Hudson 144). As can be seen, the legality of dress codes is entirely unclear as courts have contradicted themselves several times. The fact that the Tinker Standard is not widely accepted in all courts causes great confusion in laws of the First Amendment.Some courts, such as the one involved in the Chalifoux case, apply the Tinker Standard while other courts, such as the one in the Broussard case, do not. Some court cases make up their own standards such as seen in one example from Albemere County, Virginia where the court allowed students to wear t-shirt with guns to school, since the mascot of the particular school was a soldier carrying a musket (Hudson 155). Proponents of school dress codes claim that data and evidence support their argument that dress codes and uniforms improve discipline and reduce the crime rates in school.Those in favor of dress code policies point to Long Beach Unified School District, the first district to have a widespread uniform dress code policy in its public schools in 1994. The initial reports show a drop in crime by seventy percent. While this report seems to show positive credence to dress codes, upon closer examination, problems begin to appear. In 1996, Dr. Kerry A. Rockquemore, a professor at the University of Notre Dame, took a closer look at the information gathered in Long Beach and noticed that several other reforms were put into place at the same time as the uniform dress code policy.Rockquemore’s examination conclude to a third variable problem, that while the change in dress code policy was the most obvious change, improvements to campus security through the increase of campus police officers and increase funding to improve teaching methods are most likely the cause of the drop in crime rates seen in long beach Unified School District (Williams). Despite the noted third variables found seen in the Long Beach statistics on dress codes, many school districts have adopted similar dress code policies and have consequently felt no positive results.For example, Miami-Dade County School District in Florida created a dress code policy similar to that in Long Beach in 2006 and in the following few years, saw in increase in student misconduct (i. d. ). In response to the popularity of dress code policies since Long Beach initiated theirs in 1994, Dr. David L Brunsma, currently a professor of sociology at Virginia Tech University, has devoted much of the last fifteen years to studying uniforms and dress codes in public schools and their effects on students. In 1998, Brunsma, along with Dr.Rockquemore of Notre Dame, published his first academic paper showing the results of uniforms and dress codes on student. The study was conducted by following hundreds of students across America that had been chosen for a previous experiment in 1988. Many of these students went to schools with dress code policies while many did not. Brunsma and Rockquemore compared the students and concluded that dress codes and uniforms had no effect on student behavior, academics, drug use, or attendance in school (Brunsma, David and Kerry Ann Rockquemore).The graph below taken from Brunsma’s book The School Uniform Movement and What it Tells Us about American Education published in 2004 as a follow up on his 1998 paper shows nearly identical results that were published in his 1998 paper. The graph shows the correlation coefficient of dress codes and uniforms to various variables thought to be affected by dress code policies. A correlation coefficient of + or – 1 would indicate a perfect correlation while 0 would indicate perfect no correlation, which rarely happens in the real world.As you can see in the graph from Brunmsa’s book, the correlation coeeficients are much closer to 0 than they are to + or – 1. This indicates that there is no significant correlation between dress codes or uniforms to any variables shown in the graph. Figure 1: Brunsma, David L.. The School Uniform Movement and What it Tells Us about American Education. Lanham, Maryland, United States of America: The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, 2004. Print. 13 Feb. 2012. Figure 1: Brunsma, David L..The School Uniform Movement and What it Tells Us about American Education. Lanham, Maryland, United States of America: The Rowman & Littlefield Publishing Group, 2004. Print. 13 Feb. 2012. With little evidence to support their claims, many schools still implement dress codes, which some psychologists insist is hurting the development of adolescents (Swafford). In 1968, Psychoanalysis Erik Erikson published his book Identify: Youth & Crisis detailing key psychological crises in adolescents’ life that lead to healthy development of personality and dentity. In his book, Erikson describes one crisis in which an adolescent undergoes a series of physical transformations by changing their clothes, hair, body, etc. in order to explore various options in self-identity (Erikson 128). Erikson states in his book, â€Å"should a young person feel that the environment tries to deprive his too radically of all the forms of expression†¦ he may resist with the wild strength encountered in animals†¦without a sense of identity. †(i. d. 130).Here, Erikson is saying that if an adolescent has this remodeling of physical appearance restricted, such as through dress code policies, an adolescent going into adulthood may develop psychological problems in his personality causing him to be no more like an animal than a human. Erikson goes on further to identify these animal-like disorders as idiosyncrasy, depression, identity confusion, negative identity, and in rare cases, dissociative identity disorder (formerly kno wn as multiple personality disorder), and borderline personality disorder.Erikson’s theory of identity development in adolescents is still considered the leading theory in the development of human identity and personality, being taught in college still today (Henry). Despite the evidence drawn from Rockquemore’s and Brunsma’s studies, many schools are still ignorant of this information and still strongly believe that the results gathered from Long Beach are genuine. Assuming mainstream psychology is true, schools are potentially hurting students by preventing them to wear the clothing they want.Who knows how many adolescents have developed a poor self-identity because of their school’s dress code policy. There are many news stories and studies out there that claim that depression and identity disorders are on the rise in teenagers and young adults (Neighmond, Dissociative, and Cloud). Can this rise in identity disorders and depression be due to the rise o f dress code policies? Something must be done to loosen dress code and uniform polices in schools. Surely, some form of code should be in place, but one that does not deprive students of their freedom of expression and identity.Perhaps America needs to go back to 1969, when the original Tinker Standards came out. It would seem that the Tinker Standard was meant to be followed by American public schools and the court system, rather than ignored and shelved only for occasional use. Bibliography Broussard v. School Board of Norfolk. Vol. 801 F. Supp. 1526 (E. D. Va. 1992). 1992. CHALIFOUX v. NEW CANEY INDEPENDANT SCHOOL DISTRICT. Vol. 976 F. Supp. 695 (S. D. Texas 1997). 1997. 18 Feb. 2012. â€Å"Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly Multiple Personality Disorder). † Recurrent Depression. 12 Oct. 006. Web. 19 Feb. 2012. Brunsma, David and Kerry Ann Rockquemore. â€Å"Effects of Student Uniforms on Attendance, Behavior Problems, Substance Abuse, and Academic Achievement. â₠¬  The Journal of Education Research 92. 1 (1998): 53-62. Web. . Google Scholar. Dr. David Brunsma, a professor of sociology at Virginia Tech, and Dr. Kerry Ann Rockquemore, the Executive Director of the National Center for Faculty Development & Diversity, argues throughout their research that dress codes and uniforms in public school systems have no effect on students' behavior in school.Brunsma and Rockquemore construct a ten year long experiment proving that there is no connection between the way a student dresses and the way they turn out academically for a scholarly journal on education research. In order to further back up their research, Brusma and Rockquemore cite many other scholarly researchers who have studies dress codes in school who have come up with similar results. Brusma's and Rockquemore's audience can be narrowed to those in the field of educational research, or perhaps parents interested to find out if a school with a dress code policy is right for their child.T heir central purpose is to dismiss the claim that dress code and uniform policies improve student behavior. Brunsma, David L.. The School Uniform Movement and What it Tells Us about American Education. Lanham, Maryland, United States of America: The Rowman ; Littlefield Publishing Group, 2004. Print. 13 Feb. 2012. Dr. David Brunsma, a professor of sociology at Virginia Tech, argues that the use of dress code and uniform policies in public schools have had no effect on students' behavior, grades, drug use, or violence. Brunsma tells his thesis in a book that summarizes  over fifteen years of research of dress codes and uniforms.In order to prove that dress codes and uniforms have no effect on students, Brunsma cites numerous examples of school districts with failed uniform policies and tells of his own journey on testing students across the country to prove that there is no correlation between dress code and student behavior. Brunsma's audience can be narrowed to those working in t he education field and those who are interested to know more about dress codes and uniforms in the public school system. His central purpose is to explain away the common misconception that uniforms benefit students. Brunsma, David L..Uniforms In Public Schools: A Decade of Research and Debate. Lunham, Maryland, United States of America: Rowman ; Littlefield Education, 2006. Print. 13 Feb. 2012. Cloud, John. â€Å"The Mystery of Borderline Personality Disorder. † Time Magazine. 8 Jan. 2009. Web. 19 Feb. 2012. Erikson, Erik H.. Identity Youth and Crisis. New York, New York, United States of America: W. W. Norton ; Company, 1968. Print.. 13 Feb. 2012. Henry, Gleitman, Gross James and Reisberg Daniel. â€Å"Psychology. † . 8th ed. Ed. Sheri L. Snavely. New York, New York: W. W. Norton ; Company, 2010. : 576-582.Print. 1 Feb. 2012. Hudson Jr. , David L.. Let The Students Speak! A History of the Fight for Free Expression in American Schools. Boston, Massachusetts, United St ates of America: Beacon Press, 2011. Print. 13 Feb. 2012. David L Hudson Jr, a professor in law at Vanderbilt University Law School, Nashville School of Law, and Middle Tennessee State University, argues that students’ rights of freedom of expression are being violated in the American school system. Hudson constructs a historical analysis on students’ rights in school and their fight for freedom of expression.Hudson examines court cases, student protests, and other key events in the history of students’ fight for the freedom of expression in schools to tell the tug-of-war story between school officials and students. Hudson’s audience can be narrowed down to those interested in the First Amendment laws, and also the casual reader who with an interest in law and schools. Hudson’s central purpose is to explain the major events in the history of students’ fight for freedom of expression and to educate his audience on why the debate is so importa nt. Murphey, Paul D.. RESTRICTING GANG CLOTHING IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS: DOES A DRESS CODE VIOLATE A STUDENT'S RIGHT OF FREE EXPRESSION?. † Southern California Law Review. 64 (1991): 1321. Web.. 15 Feb. 2012. Neighmond, Patti. â€Å"Depression On The Rise In College Students. † National Public Radio. 17 Jan. 2011. Web. 19 Feb. 2012. Swafford, Melinda, Ann Lee and Leigh Southward. â€Å"The Student Dress Code Debate (Part II). † Techniques: Connecting Education & Careers 86. 2 (2011): 10-11. Web. 21 Jan. 2012. Academic Search Complete. TINKER ET AL. v. DES MOINES INDEPENDENT COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT ET AL. 393 U. S. 503. 24 Feb. 1969. Web. 1 Feb. 2012.Willaims, Darlene. â€Å"School Uniforms: The Raging Debate. † . 2000. Web.. Asserting Parental Rights – it’s Our Duty. Writer’s Memo I really like the information that I was able to present in this paper. I feel like it is really convincing and strong evidence. If I had more time, I would just make it better. I would go back and see if I can make any sentences shorter and easier to read. For this essay, I really did not have too many opportunities to go back and review my work. I guess I would thank my class mated for reading my paper and Prof. Brauer for guiding us through the paper. I believe I will get a B+ in this paper.

Impacts and Implications of Stress

There are many impacts and implications of academic stress on the health of an individual in the academic environment as a student. Some of these impacts and implications are time management skills, social life, and being employed. This paper will be examining the role and significance of the perception in the academic environment and how there is an increase of stress and anxiety in college.Also, I will construct my personal Medicine Wheel to show how can manage my own stress and anxiety being in the Coco optional Therapist Assistant and Physiotherapist program (TOT/PTA). The first impact and implication that will be being discussed is time management skills and how it increases stress and anxiety in college. Firstly, transiting from high-school into college brings on a huge amount of stress because it's completely two different worlds and adjusting is very hard for some.This may cause the Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and this is the cost common type of anxiety, it is a  "ongoing state of mental and/or physical tension and nervousness, either without a specific cause† (Put Reference). Some of the symptoms are constant restlessness, irritation, trouble concentrating, and fatigue. Another impact and implication is assignments, and this is because coming straight from high-school I had no idea how to prioritize my assignments and all the workload at once.So this would lead me o mini panic attacks because would feel overwhelmed with assignments and test all coming at once and not wanting to fail. Lastly, studying was an enormous stress factor because had no study habits nor a study group. This made things difficult because also didn't know how to pick out important information from the slides. All of these implications increased stress and anxiety in the academic environment causing my health to decrease because of the lack of sleep, over eating and mentally drained.