Marketing Strategies Essay

Marketing strategies are not effective and they are just a fad for different organizations. Agree/Disagree Sultan Lashari In statement Marketing strategies are not effective and they are just a fad does not fit in the parameters of agreeable statement; it forces us to consider the health of the statement in terms of profit impact of marketing strategy. Marketing strategy many have its share of setbacks in the marketing moves if that is given the status â€Å"not being effective†. It does not mean holding back growth. Companies often desire a balanced product portfolio. [ (Kotler) ] To treat marketing strategy as just a fad is on the wrong basis, because the strategy changes in terms of several key strategic factors that can be explored to make changes of the situation. The term fad is a product life cycle type and a fad curve represents quick popularity and a sudden decline and extended fad except that residual sales at a fraction of earlier sales after the initial success . A sophisticated marketing planner must be able to ask the right questions and planning strategy must relate to the problem of building right kind of approach which is nothing but a path way to achieve the desired end in competitive market environment. [ (Forsyth) ] In order that marketing strategy is shaped to win-win situation that is to be termed effective, it must see that marketing strategy is devise around the stage, a particular product is in the product life cycle which has a typical pattern from traditional, boom or classic, fad, extended fad, seasonal or fashion, revival or nostalgia and bust. In fad time, sales look like: FAD Sales Time In devising marketing strategy, we must keep in mind that it can only be considered effective if we do not disregard the basic fact that product promotion has a direct bearing to the stage a product is at in the product life cycle. Formulating and implementing marketing strategy is a distinct decision-making focus. Planning and executing the marketing strategy involves many inter-related decisions such as: what to do, when to do it, and how it should be done. [ (Forsyth) ] This is got to be based on the nature of the organization and its product portfolio. The reason for calling marketing strategies ineffective or different organizations could be attributed to something for saying sake. As a matter of fact, marketing strategies involve various market situations and one need to make decisions intelligently. The process of formulating and implementing marketing strategies involves corporate objectives and strategy. [ (Forsyth) ] The marketing is the game of variable and by placing heavier accent on one or more of the marketing variables that is product, price, promotion and distribution, the winning platform can be labeled. The entire marketing concept leaves much to imagination in developing correct mix [ (Kotler) ]. In a nutshell, devising marketing strategies necessitates due diligence on the stage, the product is in the product life cycle because you have to understand market opportunities in or business level objective, for new market entries, for growth markets an or mature and declining markets. This enables the marketers for correct target marketing and product positioning. [ (Kotler) ] Works Cited Forsyth, P. Every thing you need to know. Kotler, P. Management skills in marketing.

Social Structure of the Society

?MINISTERY OF EDUCATION OF THE REPUBLIC OF BELARUS Belarus State Economic University REFERAT: â€Å"SOCIAL STRUCTURE OF THE SOCIETY† Minsk 2008 What is social structure of the society? Any object has its structure. As the noun â€Å"structure† is rendered as â€Å", , †, structure is defined as functional interdependence of elements constituting the carcass of an object. The society has social structure. The concept of social structure was pioneered by G. Simmel, then developed by K. Marx, E. Durkheim but became most known due to T. Parsons who created structural functionalism. There are various approaches to studying social structure of the society but they didn’t avoid influence of structural functionalism in any way. Due to the functionalist perspective, social structure is the carcass of a social whole (society or its part) the elements of which are invariable in time, interdependent of each other and largely determine the functioning of the whole in general and its members in particular. The focus is made on both interdependence – it’s like a house: take some brick off the wall and the whole building may ruin, and function – take a log: it can be burnt to get warm or used as construction material to build a house. In other words, structural functionalism analyzes parts of the society in terms of their purpose within the whole. It’s clear that social structures of ancient and modern societies differ from each other. This difference is caused by diachronic changes taking place in the society: although the structure presents a stable carcass, it is stable or invariable only for a definite period of time, and historically it changes. Social structure is qualitative certainty of the society which means that change in structure leads to radical, qualitative change in the society. Structure ensures stability required for the functioning of associated social elements which accumulate quantitative changes up till the moment when they turn to quality, and a need for structural changes in the social object rises. For instance, development of the bourgeoisie and proletariat as classes and formation of new relations of production lead to a bourgeoisie revolution and change of the socio-economic system. Social structure is characterized by the following main attributes: hierarchy – vertical and horizontal arrangement of structural elements which is based on their unequal access to authority, income, social prestige etc. interconnection of structural elements which is realized through exchange of resources, information, sharing values etc. ; differentiation into the smallest elements and their integration into the whole; flexibility, capacity to change so it is an important part of the management. Traditionally, theorists identify the following types of social structure: socio-demographic, socio-class, socio-ethnic, socio-professional, socio-confessional etc. No doubt, any social object has its structure. For instance, at analyzing a labour collective we may consider employees within the socio-professional structure: those who got secondary, vocational and higher education, scientific qualifications, representatives of various professions, specializations, their levels of qualification. The socio-demographic structure suggests analysis of employees according to the age and gender: the young up to 30, middle-aged, those of pre-pension and pension age, males and females. There are different types of social structure. A famous Russian theorist M. N. Rutkevich identifies three basic types. The first one characterizes the process of historical development of mankind, i. e. a global structure of human society consisting of nations, states and their various associations. The second type comprises relations between various spheres or subsystems of social life. The third type comprises relations between social groups and other communities of people. The last two types reflect some settled approaches to consider social structure. In social structures of the second type their elements are viewed as relatively independent subsystems or spheres of social life (politics, economy etc). Their number is a point for debate. For instance, G. Hegel and F. Engels spoke of politics, economy and family; modern theorists perceive four spheres: culture, politics, legislation and economy although they don’t deny that other spheres can also be seen in religion, science or in family. Anyway, less debated is a position of the Russian researcher A. I. Kravchenko who divides the society into economic, political, social and spiritual spheres. Economic sphere includes four types of activities – production, distribution, exchange and consumption. It provides eans for increasing the material welfare of the society: enterprises, banks, markets, money flows and the like that enables the society to use available resources (land, labour, capital and management) in order to produce the amount of goods and services sufficient enough to satisfy people’s essential needs in food, shelter and leisure. About 50% of the economically active population take part in the economic sphere as the young, old, disabled do not produce material wealth. But indirectly 100% of the population participate in the economic sphere as consumers of created goods and services. Political sphere includes the head of the state and the state bodies such as government and parliament, local bodies of power, the army, the police, taxation and customs bodies which together constitute the state and political parties which are not part of the state. Its objective is to realize the goals of the society: to ensure the social order, settle conflicts arisen between partners (employers, employees and trade unions), defend the state frontiers and sovereignty, impose new laws, collect taxes etc. But its main objective is to legalize ways of struggle for power and defend the power obtained by a particular class or group. The objective of political parties is to legally defend the diversified political interests of different, very often opposite, groups of the population. Spiritual sphere includes culture, science, religion and education and their artifacts such as monuments and establishments of culture, pieces of arts, research and learning institutions, temples and cathedrals, mass media etc. If science is aimed at discovering new knowledge in various spheres, education should translate this knowledge to the future generations in a most effective way, for schools and universities are built, new programs and teaching methods are worked out, qualified teachers are trained. Culture is designed to create values of arts, exhibit them in museums, galleries, libraries etc. Culture also comprises religion which is considered the pivot of spiritual culture in any society as it gives sense to human life and determines basic moral norms. Social sphere embraces classes, social layers, nations associated by their relations and interactions. The given sphere of the society is understood as narrow and wide. In its wide meaning the social sphere is a totality of organizations and establishments that are in charge of the population’s wealth; they are shops, transport means, communal and consumer services, establishments of catering, medicine, communication, leisure and recreation. Thus, as such the social sphere covers almost all classes and layers – the rich, the poor and the middle class. In its narrow meaning the social sphere is designed for the members of the society who are regarded as socially unprotected (pensioners, unemployed, with low incomes or with many children etc) and the establishments that provide their service, namely, the bodies of social security (including social insurance) of both local and national subordination. In this case, the social sphere is designed for the poorer layers of the population. There are other approaches as to the number of parts or spheres of the society but they are all united by a view that social subsystems cannot exist as isolated. They are arranged in a pattern of relationships that, together, make the system. The social naturally penetrates into the productive and managerial spheres since people of different nationalities, ages, sexes and confessions can work together at an enterprise, on the one hand. On the other hand, if the country’s economy doesn’t perform its main objective to satisfy the population with the sufficient amount of goods and services, the number of jobs doesn’t increase, there may arise negative consequences in the society. For instance, the money is short to pay wages and pensions, unemployment appears, the living standards of the socially unprotected layers are decreasing, crimes are increasing etc. In other words, success or recession in one sphere has a great influence on prosperity in the other one. The third type of social structure is best developed by structural functionalists who assert that structure arises out of face-to-face interactions of people. Interactions make up patterns which are independent of the particular individual, because patterns are determined by social norms and values of the given society. For instance, somebody needs money. He can earn it, but if in some society robbery or burglary is not disapproved of, he may rob someone to reach the purpose. So patterns exert a force which shapes behaviour and identity. That’s why T. Parsons and his supporters define social structure as the way in which the society is organized into predictable relationships, or invariable patterns of social interaction called institutions. Social structure does not concern itself with the people forming the society or their social organizations, neither does it study who are the people or organizations forming it, or what is the ultimate goal of their relations. Social structure deals rather with the very structure of their relations – how they are organized in a pattern of relationships, or institution. So due to structural functionlism, structural elements of the society are social institutions and social groupings; structural units are social norms and values. Social groupings and communities Social groupings are social groups, social classes and layers, communities, social organizations, social statuses and roles. A group is a number of people or things which we class together, so that they form a whole. In our minds we could group any assortment of people together. For instance, you could group together Phillip Kirkorov, your nearest relative, the person who sat opposite you last time you were on a bus, Santa Clause and a shop-assistant from the Hippo market in Serebryanka. But a social group, however, means more than just an assortment of people. There must be something to hold them together as a whole. To be a social group, people must: interact with one another, perceive themselves as a group. Social group is an assortment of people associated by a socially significant distinction, people who interact together in an orderly way and perceive themselves or perceived by others as a group. Any social group is characterized by a number of attributes: interaction within a group is realized on the basis of shared norms, values and expectations about one another’s behaviour; groups develop their own internal structure: kernel and periphery, norms, value, statuses and roles; they can be rigid and formal or loose and flexible; there is a sense of belonging, individuals identify with the group; outsiders are distinguished from members and treated differently; groups are formed for a purpose – specific or diffuse; eople in a group tend to be similar, and the more they participate, the more similar they become. There are a lot of classifications of social groups. The first one embraces statistical and real groups. A statistical group is an assortment of people differentiated by a definite characteristic that can be measured. For instance, citizens are people living in formal settlements called cities. A real group possesses a number of characteristics describing i ts immanent essence. So, citizens are people living in cities, who live an urban way of life with highly diversified labour (mainly industrial and information kinds) and leisure activities, with high professional and social mobility, high frequency of human contacts in formal communication etc. According to this definition, only a part of the statistical group of citizens comply with the criterion of being urbanites, or not everyone who lives in city can belong to the real group of citizens. Another type is a reference group as any group we use to evaluate ourselves, but it doesn’t necessarily mean we must belong to it. It is like a target group in the market: a target group of black BMW cars is composed of people with high income, of a certain age, males etc. David is a person with such characteristics but he doesn’t like BMWs. He prefers Volvos. The normative function of the reference group is to set and enforce standards of conduct and belief. Its comparison function is viewed as a standard by which people can measure themselves or others. For instance, we compare confessional groups to examine some features, let’s say, Jews and Protestants, and find out that Jews display 20% greater tolerance. So if you are a Jew, you’re perceived by others as a more tolerant person. Social groups can also be classified according to their size, character of organization, emotional depth, accomplished objective etc. According to size, groups can be small, middle-sized and large ones. Small social groups, normally small in number, are characterized by human interactions in the form of direct contacts like in families. The smallest groups are stable and more constraining, but offer more intimacy and individuality. As size increases, freedom increases, but intimacy declines and the emerging group structure tends to limit individuality. Contacts are frequent and intensive; members take each other into account as they group together on the basis of shared norms, values and expectations about one another’s behaviour. As more people are added to the group (up to 20), complexity increases, subdivisions appear. Middle-sized social groups are relatively stable communities of people working at the same enterprise or organization, members of a social association or those sharing one limited but large enough territory, for example, people living in one district, city or region. The first type is called labour-organizational groups, the second one – territorial groups. People are united into labour-organizational groups to accomplish a certain purpose or objective that determines its composition, structure and type of activities, interpersonal interaction and relations. Large social groups are stable numerous collections of people, who act together in socially significant situations in the context of the country or state, or their unions. They are classes, social layers, professional groups, ethnic groupings (nationalities, nations and races), demographic groupings (the young, the old, males and females) etc. With regard to all of them, a social group is a patrimonial, collective concept. People’s affiliation to a large group is determined by a number of socially significant distinctions such as class affiliation, demographic factors, form and character of social activities etc. In large social groups, interaction bears both direct and indirect character. According to the character of organization, groups are distinguished as formal and informal ones. Formal groups are collections of people whose activities are regulated by formal documents such as legislative norms, charters, instructions, registered rules, bans or permissions sanctioned by the society, organization etc. At performing some activities members of the formal group are in terms of subordination, or hierarchically structured submission. Such groups are academic groups, labour organizations, military units etc. Informal groups don’t have formally registered grounds for their existence. They are formed on the basis of common interests or values, respect, personal affection etc. which cohere individuals into more or less stable entities such as a group of friends, a musical band, Internet chatters etc. Behaviour of their members is regulated by special non-written laws and rules. In such groups membership is voluntary, and members may resign at any time. Due to emotional depth of interrelations within the group, primary and secondary groups are differentiated. A primary group is, as a rule, a small social group whose members share personal and enduring emotional relations which are established on the basis of direct contacts reflecting the members’ personal characteristics. The examples are a family, a group of friends, a research group etc. A secondary group is a large and impersonal social group whose members pursue a special interest or activity. In such a group people’s ability to perform particular functions, not their personal qualities, is highlighted. This is the way that social organizations with their departments and job hierarchy are set up and function. The personality of any of its member is of very little significance for the organization. As roles in the secondary group are strictly fixed (John is a student, Mr. Brown is the dean), very often its members know too little about each other. Besides, in the social organization of an enterprise, both roles and ways of communication are fixed. If a student is in trouble, he can’t apply straight to the University rector but first to the tutor, dean or prorector, then to the rector. While studying human society sociologists are interested in larger groups of people at the meso – and macro-levels, or those ones called social communities. There are a lot of definitions of such a phenomenon but theorists agree that members of the community should possess a similar quality such as age, gender, job, nationality etc. and consider similarity as one of the main distinctions of the community. Examples are natural-historical communities like tribes, families, nationalities, nations and races; mass groups like crowds, TV audience etc. A more important distinction of the social community is social interaction between its members. Interactions may be more enduring that determines a long-term existence of communities such as nations, races, and less enduring that is typical for occasional communities such as crowds, lines, passengers etc. But even occasional community with weak ties has its patrimonial and specific distinctions, regulating collective behaviour. Besides similarity and social interaction, a social community also suggests that the actions undertaken by its members are oriented by expectations of behaviour of other individuals in the community. It encourages people’s deeper solidarity that forms a cohered group – a basic element of the society. Judging by it, a social community may be defined as natural or social grouping of people characterized by a common feature, more or less enduring social relations, goal attainment, common patterns of behaviour and speculation. A social class is also considered as a structural element of the society. Although approaches differ, in general the concept of a class is connected with people’s relation to the means of production and character of acquiring wealth under a market economy. The known examples of a class are the nobility, bourgeoisie and proletariat. In each class society there are fundamental and non-fundamental classes. Fundamental classes are distinguished by a dominating way to produce material wealth within the socio-economic system (feudal, capitalist etc), for instance, under capitalism its fundamental classes are the bourgeoisie and proletariat. Non-fundamental classes are available because the rests of the previous relations of production are still kept in the society or new ones are emerging. A social layer is an assortment of people who are distinguished by their social status and who perceive themselves cohered by this community. A social status is one’s position (place) in the social structure of the society connected with other positions by the system of rights and obligations. The status of a teacher has its meaning only with regard to a student, not to a passer-by or doctor. The teacher should translate knowledge to the student, check up how knowledge is learnt and assess it etc. The student should regularly attend lectures, prepare for seminars, pass credits and examinations in time etc. In other words, the teacher and the student enter into social relationships as representatives of two large social groups, as bearers of social statuses. Social status is often considered as the â€Å"standing†, the honour or prestige attached to one’s position in the society. In modern societies, occupation is usually thought of as the main dimension of status, but even in modern societies other memberships or affiliations (such as ethnic groups, religion, gender, voluntary associations, hobby) can have an influence. For instance, a doctor will have a higher status than a factory worker but in some societies a white Anglo-Saxon Protestant doctor will have a higher status than an immigrant doctor of minority religion. Every person can have several social positions, or statuses called by R. Merton a status set. Among them there must be the main status; it is a status used by the individual to identify himself or by other people to indentify a definite person. For males it is their occupation (a lawyer, banker, worker), for females it is a place of living (a housewife) but there exist other variants. It means that the main status is of relative character as it is not directly associated with gender, race or occupation. The main status is one that determines the person’s way and style of life, patterns of behaviour, friends etc. Sociologists differentiate between social and personal statuses: social status identifies the person’s position in the society which he occupies as a representative of a large social group (occupation, class, nationality, gender, age or religion); personal status is the person’s position in a small group identified by how the members of the group estimate and percieve him due to his personal qualities. Being a leader or outsider, winner or loser means to occupy a certain position in the system of interpersonal, not social relations. Statuses are also distinguished as ascribed and achieved ones. Ascribed status is a social status a person is given from birth or assumes involuntarily later in life. For example, a person born into a wealthy family has a high ascribed status. Achieved status is a sociological term denoting a social position that a person assumes voluntarily which reflects personal skills, abilities, and efforts. Examples of achieved status are being an Olympic athelete, a criminal, or a teacher. Achieved statuses are distinguished from ascribed statuses by virtue of being earned. Most positions are a mixture of achievement and ascribment; for instance, a person who has achieved the status of being a doctor or lawyer in Western societies is more likely to have the ascribed status of being born into a wealthy family. The mentioned statuses are considered basic statuses which include kinship, demographic, economic, political and occupational statuses. There are also a number of non-basic statuses such as those of a passer-by, driver, reader, TV-watcher, witness of a road casualty etc. They are temporal positions and their rights and obligations are not registered as they are hardly fixed. No doubt, the status of a professor determines much in life of a certain person; as for his status of a patient, it does not. If a social status identifies a particular position of an individual in a given social system, a social role represents the way that he is expected to behave in a particular social situation. Each individual plays many roles in the society; in one situation he is a boss, in another – a friend, in the third – father etc. All roles that a person plays are called a role set. Roles are identified as ascribed if we are forced to play and as achieved if we choose to play them. The first is a role of a son or daughter in relations with a parent, the second – a subordinate with a boss. Roles have two further dimensions: the prescribed aspect of a role, or role expectations, and role performance. The prescribed element in any role provides a norm-based framework governing the way people are generally supposed to interact. People expect one conduct from a banker and quite another – from an unemployed person. Role performance is what a person eally performs within this framework. Each time a person who performs a certain role builds his behaviour according to the expectations of the social milieu. If his actual behaviour differs from what is expected, it means that conformity to culturally appropriate roles and socially supported norms is not created. Behaviour, which doesn’t correspond to the status, is not considered an appropriate role. F or instance, if somebody came into the classroom, introduced himself as a teacher but then started painting the wall or washing the windows, his behaviour is a role but not that of a teacher. In the society various social control mechanisms exist to restore conformity or to segregate the nonconforming individuals from the rest of society. These social control mechanisms range from sanctions imposed informally – for example, sneering and gossip – to the activities of certain formal organizations, like schools, prisons, and mental institutions. Social institutions Another structural element of the society is social institutions. These are not buildings, but organizations, or mechanisms of social structure, governing the behaviour of two or more people. Institutions are identified with a social purpose and permanence, transcending individual human lives and intentions. For example, the institution of the family and marriage, of religion etc. American sociologist Erving Goffman (1922-1982) asserts that an institution is a place, like a building, in which activity of a particular kind regularly goes on. He uses this term for somewhere that embraces everything that its inhabitants do – where they live, work, play, sleep, day in day out. Members of the society have a similar mental concept of right and wrong, order and relationships, and patterns of good (positive values). As the broadest organizers of individuals’ beliefs, drives and behaviours, social institutions evolved to address separate needs of the society, for instance, the military institution evolved out of the need for defense. Each society has a number of needs but those of fundamental character are only five. Consequently, there are five fundamental social institutions ensuring social needs in: procreation of the population (that of the family and marriage); social order and defense (the state, political institutions); getting means for existence (the production, economic institutions); translating knowledge, socialization of the growing-up enerations, training personnel (education in its broad meaning including science and culture); solving spiritual problems, looking for sense of life (religion). So social institutions can be defined as organized patterns of beliefs and behaviours centered on basic social needs, adapting to specific segment of the society in question. American so ciologist T. Veblen is the founding father of institutionalization as he was a first to give a detailed description of social institutions in his book, The Theory of the Leisure Class (1899). He showed that evolution of the society is a process of natural selection of social institutions which by their nature present habitual ways to react to stimuli created by external changes. Early mankind is known for promiscuity or non-regulated sex relations that could result in genetic degeneration. Gradually such relations began to be limited by bans. The first ban was that of incest, forbidding sex between kinship relatives, such as mother and son, brother and sister etc. The given ban is the first social norm, considered the most important in history. Later, other norms regulating sex relations appeared. People learnt to survive and adapt to life by organizing their relations with norms. Norms of family and marriage behaviour translated from generation to generation became collective habits, customs, traditions that regulated people’s way of life and their thinking. Those who broke such traditions (deviants) were punished (sanctioned). This is the way how the most ancient social institution of the family and marriage might have emerged. And this is the way why norms and values have become structural units of the society. There are three terms to be differentiated in the related area such as â€Å"institute†, â€Å"institution† and â€Å"institutionalization†. To institute something is to bring it into use, set it up, or establish it by practice. A father might speak of instituting some changes in his family, perhaps forcing the children to be respectful, and not giggle at his words. An institute may be something that has been set up, for example, an association of women calls itself the â€Å"Women’s Institute†. If institution is spoken about, it is meant a totality of customs or practices that was established by the members of a particular society, by God, or just an established and respected practice (with no reference to its origin). Institutions are used about parts of the society, not the whole. As a society is created by the interaction of people, they establish ways of interacting that are acceptable or unacceptable. When a way of behaviour is both emotionally satisfying and leads to rewards from others, it becomes institutionalized. The way by which behaviour, custom or practice is institutionalized, is called institutionalization. For instance, institutionalization of any science means working out various standards, laws, setting up research institutes, laboratories, faculties, departments at universities, also publishing textbooks, monographs and journals, training specialists in the area etc. Thus, the concept of a social institution defines an aggregate of people whose activities in a certain area are regulated with inflexible systems of social, legal or other controls by organizations originally created for beneficial purposes and intents. As any structure, it is presented by its structural elements although some sociologists argue against, defining them as attributes. Structural elements of the society’s fundamental institutions Institutions Fundamental roles Physical features Symbolic features Family and marriage Mother Father Child House Plot of land Furniture Rings Engagement Marriage ceremony Economy Employer Employee Seller Buyer Enterprise Office Shop Bank Money Securities Trade mark Marketing Politics Head of the state Member of parliament Law-maker Subject of law Public buildings and places Flag Constitution Hymn Law Religion Priest Parishioner Bishop Cathedral Church Chapel Christ Bible Confirmation Education Teacher Student Professor School University Textbook Qualification Diploma Degree At the same time fundamental institutions are divided into smaller units called non-fundamental institutions. For instance, economy can’t operate without such practices as production, distribution, market, management, accounting, etc. ; the institution of the family and marriage includes such practices as martenity, vendetta, sworn brotherhood etc. So non-fundamental institutions are social practices or customs, for example, vendetta or celibacy can be identified either as a tradition or settled practice. Both are right as the fundamental institution includes both traditions and practices. If the purpose of fundamental institutions is to satisfy the basic needs of the society, non-fundamental institutions perform specialized objectives, serve particular traditions or satisfy non-fundamental needs. For instance, a higher school as a social institution meets the social need in training highly qualified specialists. By its character of organization, institutions are subdivided into formal and informal ones. The activities of formal institutions are regulated by strictly settled directions such as law, charter, instructions etc. Formal institutions are often bureaucracies in which the functions of bureaucrats are impersonal, i. e. that their functions are performed independently of their personal qualities. In informal institutions playing a very important role in interpersonal interaction, their aims, methods, means to achieve objectives are not settled formally and not fixed in the charter. For instance, organizing their leisure time, teenagers follow their rules of game, or norms which allow them to solve conflicts. But these norms are fixed in public opinion, traditions or customs, in other words, in informal sanctions. Very often public opinion or custom is a more efficient means to control an individual’s behaviour than legislative laws or other formal sanctions. For instance, people prefer being punished by their formal leaders than being blamed by colleagues or friends. Both formal and informal institutions have functions. To function means to bring benefit. So, the function of a social institution is the benefit that it contributes to the society. In other words, the outcomes or end-products of the system, institution and the like are referred to as its function. If besides benefit there is damage or harm, such actions are referred to as dysfunction. For instance, the function of a higher education is to train highly qualified specialists. If the institution functions badly due to some circumstances (lack of personnel, poor teaching, or methodical and material basis), the society will not get specialists of the required level. It means that the institution dysfunctions. Functions and dysfunctions can be manifest if they are formally declared, perceived by everybody and obvious, and latent which are hidden, or not declared. To manifest functions of a secondary school those of getting literacy, enough knowledge to enter university, vocational training, learning basic values of the society may be referred to. Its latent functions are getting a definite social status which enables to become ranked higher than those who are illiterate, making stable friends etc. Functions and dysfunctions are of relative, not of absolute character. Each of them can have two forms – manifest and latent. In one and the same time both a function and dysfunction may be manifest for some members of the society and latent – for the other ones. For instance, some people consider important to obtain fundamental knowledge at university, others – to establish necessary links and relations. Latent functions differ from dysfunctions by that they don’t bring harm. They only show that the benefit from any institution (system etc) can be larger than it is declared. To sum it up, each of the institutions reflects a different aspect of the society. Each of them performs a different role in the society fostering spiritual, social, or educational development. On a larger scale, these organizations exemplify the links that bind a society together. BASIC CONCEPTS Achieved status – a social position that a person assumes voluntarily which reflects personal skills, abilities, and efforts. Ascribed status – a social position a person is given from birth or assumes involuntarily later in life. Class – an assortment of people united by their relations to the means of production and character of acquiring wealth under a market economy. Dysfunction – bring harm. Flexibility – a capacity to change. Formal group – a collection of people whose activities are regulated by formal documents such as legislative norms, charters, instructions, egistered rules, bans or permissions sanctioned by the society, organization etc. Function – bring benefit. Informal group – a group formed on the basis of common interests or values, respect, personal affection etc. which cohere individuals into more or less stable entity. Institutionalization – the way by which behaviour, custom or practice is institutionalized. Large social group – a stable numerous collection of people who act together in socially significant situations in the context of the country or state, or their unions. Latent function – a function if it is not formally declared, perceived by people or obvious. Main status – a status used by an individual to identify himself or by other people to indentify a definite person. Manifest function – a function if it is formally declared, perceived by everybody and obvious. Middle-sized group – a relatively stable community of people who work at the same enterprise or organization, members of a social association or those sharing one limited but large enough territory. Personal status – a person’s position in a small group identified by how the members of the group estimate and percieve him due to his personal qualities. Prescribed element (role expectation) – what provides a norm-based framework governing the way people are generally supposed to interact. Primary group – a small social group whose members share personal and enduring emotional relationships which are established on the basis of direct contacts reflecting the members’ personal characteristics Real group – any group of people possessing a number of characteristics describing its immanent essence. Reference group – any group one can use to evaluate oneself, but it doesn’t necessarily mean one must belong to it. Role performance – what a person really performs within the norm-based framework. Role set – all roles that a person plays. Secondary group – a large and impersonal social group whose members pursue a special interest or activity. Social community – a natural or social grouping of people characterized by a common feature, more or less enduring social relationships, goal attainment, common patterns of behaviour and speculation. Small group – a group normally small in number, characterized by human interactions in the form of direct contacts like in families. Social group – an assortment of people cohered by a socially significant distinction, people who interact together in an orderly way and perceive themselves or perceived by others as a group. Social institution – organized patterns of beliefs and behaviours centered on basic social needs, adapting to specific segment of the society; an organization, or mechanism of social structure, governing the behaviour of two or more individuals; a totality of customs or practices that was established by the members of a particular society, by God, or just an established and respected practice. Social layer – an assortment of people who are distinguished by their status and who perceive themselves cohered by this community. Social role – the way that a person is expected to behave in a particular social situation. Social status –a person’s position in the society which he occupies as a representative of a large social group. Social structure – the carcass of a social whole (society or its part) the elements of which are invariable in time, interdependent of each other and largely determine the functioning of the whole in general and its members in particular (functionalist perspective); the way in which the society is organized into predictable relationships, patterns of social interaction. Statistical group – a group of people differentiated by a definite characteristic that can be measured. Status set – the number of statuses which a person has or acquired. Structure – functional interdependence of elements constituting the carcass of an object. Additional literature 1. Blau P. Exchange and Power in Social Life. (3rd edition). – New Brunswick and London: Transaction Publishers, 1992. – 354 p. 2. Bourdeiu P. Logic of Practice. – Cambridge: Polity Press, 1990. – 382 p. 3. Coser L. The Functions of Social Conflict. – Glencoe, Ill: Free Press, 1956. – 188 p. 4. Durkheim E. The Division of Labour in Society. – New York, NY: Free Press; 1997. – 272 p. 5. Durkheim E. Suicide. – New York, NY: Free Press; 1951. – 345 p. 6. Sztompka P. Sociology in Action: The Theory of Social Decoding. – Oxford: Polity Press, 2001. – 415 p.

Self-Preservation Japan Territorial Ambitions

The need for self-preservation was the motivating force behind Japan’s territorial ambitions. † In my opinion,self-preservation refers to the preservation of Japan’s territories as well as the achievement of self-sufficieny(autarky). Thus, I feel that Sources B,C and D support the statement while Sources A and E do not. Source B supports the hypothesis. It states the two reasons why Japan went to war and is reliable because it is a report of the Japanese government conference held in 1941.Source B states that Japan will â€Å"seek to establish a solid basis for security and preservation of the nation†and â€Å"advance south†. This shows that Japan wanted to protect its territories like China and sought to establish its military so that it could conquer more territories for more natural resources to reduce reliance on other countries . Also, Japan needed to â€Å"establish a solid basis for security† so that it could protect itself from externa l threats. Japan felt that in order to be more powerful, it needed to conquer more territories and preserve its current territories.To Japan, power was the key to self-preservation and thus, in order to satisfy its need for self-preservation, Japan became hungry for power and this ignited Japan’s territorial ambitions. Source B also states that Japan’s main reason for expanding its territories was the â€Å"policy that resulted in the establishment of the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere†. Thus, I can infer from Source B that Japan conquered other territories because it wanted to achieve self-sufficiency.From my contextual knowledge,Japan established the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere on the pretext of wanting all the economies in East Asia to prosper together. However, Japan’s main aim was to control the economies and trade and at the same time, the countries’ natural resources. By doing so, Japan was able to gain more natural resour ces for its growing industries and population as well as use the Southeast Asian countries as overseas markets for Japanese goods. Hence,I feel that Source B shows that the motivation behind Japan’s territorial ambitions was its need for self-sufficiency.

Personal statement for law school Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

For law school - Personal Statement Example The officer not considering the situation, gave me a ticket and helped the other car to speed off, even after the lights turned to a stop sign. To my surprise, the officer implicated me and used the events to my disadvantage. He made severe decisions that led me into trouble not considering that the insurance for my car had expired. As a result, my insurer came into the mix attracting more trouble. The realization of this unjust treatment for the less privileged was extremely empowering. I knew that concentrating on the officer’s hostility would only reinforce my fear and the prejudice he had against me bearing in mind it was the other car that was on the wrong. My passion for equality and social justice kept growing until now when I wish to have a chance to participate in the fight against the unprivileged while at the same time empowering others. It is with this enthusiasm that I have great passion and interest for

Business Ethics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 3

Business Ethics - Essay Example Whilst other people may not be aware of this, the management will be fully aware that their action contravenes the moral principles they should uphold in their operations. They will be just behaving in such a way as a result of the fact that their action is beneficial to the majority of the people involved. To them, this practice is morally right since it benefits the majority of people. For instance, this action means that the company stands better chances of generating more revenue from this malpractice. This in turn benefits the shareholders and other stakeholders who have interests in the company. However, other unsuspecting people are likely to be impacted negatively by this kind of action. It may not be noticeable but these people are likely to be affected in the long run. The organizations in particular should always be guided by their stated values that compel them to act in way that make them different from other companies. The values in this case are basic tenets that shape the culture of the organization and these should not be compromised for financial gain. From this assertion, it can be seen that financial gains should not be given precedence over the interests of other people since this action is likely to result in negative consequences to the affected people. Indeed, the goal of each organization is to generate profits from its operations but care should be taken so as to ensure that the rights of the other people are not violated for the love of money by the organization involved. The moral principles that shape the company’s values should always shape its operations so as to be in a position to create trust among different stakeholders. It can also be seen that... It can be observed that action that is regarded as morally right may have negative consequences though it may benefit the majority of the people involved. Actions that are detrimental to other people should never be condoned though they are beneficial to the majority of people. Ethical principles that try to distinguish between something that is bad from right should always be upheld regardless of the fact that bad action can yield benefits to other people. It should always be noted that something wrong will remain wrong no matter how beneficial it may be to other people who may be involved in such a scenario.

Vignette Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Vignette - Essay Example These workers who are mostly Mexicans and Hispanics have not been arriving to the north. It is pointed out from the article that the mass-production farms are feeling the crunch of the increase in local small farms. Because of the decrease in the source of cheap labor, their produce is becoming more expensive than the local farm produce which used to be more expensive. It is cited in the article that â€Å"local farm sales are becoming more stable, predictable and measurable† (Johnson, 2012). The growing trend is that the Hispanics, who used to be low-wage laborers, are now becoming farm entrepreneurs through the support of training programs for beginning farmers. These farmers are not only provided with the agricultural know-how but also given guidance with regards to the distribution and marketing of their produce. Several economic concepts and implications can be derived from this article about small-scale farmers. One concept is about the risk that an entrepreneur takes in making an investment (Adomait & Maranta, 2011). It can be observed that the low-wage Hispanic farm laborers are taking a risk in becoming an entrepreneur. They are investing their time and effort at farming although they are not sure if the investment is worth it. It is a risk to be working on one’s own when one has no experience at being an entrepreneur. The laborer is taking this risk in the hope that he can benefit from its expected return. Like the Hispanic farmer, Narendra Varma, the former Microsoft manager described in the article is also taking a risk. He invested $2 million from his savings to a 58-acre project of small plots and new farmer training near Portland. Since this venture may be a high risk investment for him, he obviously expects a higher rate of return, maybe higher than if he just invested his money in the bank. One thinks that if the trend towards entrepreneurship continues, the economy will be

How are women represented in afghanistan Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

How are women represented in afghanistan - Essay Example There have been diverse concerted efforts to improve the freedom, quality of life, and privileges of afghan women, but the situation is still disgraceful. The representation of Afghanistan women is still confounded. While Australia has recently appointed only one woman in the ministry, Afghanistan has three women representatives in the cabinet. In the last century, Afghanistan has struggled with issues related to the leadership status of women in the country. The Taliban rule has recently created a major situation for women. The situation is a symbolism of war of Western military powers for women’s justice and freedom. Most recently, the Mujahideen rule is worse than the Taliban. Once people analyse the Women’s situation in Afghanistan from the perspective of the country’s History rather than the above rules, women would be integral in the Nation building. (Ahmed-Ghosh 1). Women’s rights, leadership, education and participation in growth and development of the country are strategies useful in advancing their status as discussed in this document. Throughout history, government authorities have instituted several policies to support and curtail the rights of women. Most of the policies have been suppressive, since traditional institutions have thwarted individual efforts to support women rights. For instance, previous leaders, for instance, Amanullah Khan in the 1920s (Lough 4), who have tried to create equal opportunities have failed in consequent elections. In terms of political participation in previous years, there has not been any measurable progress (Lough 4). The only women who accessed the political sphere were the elite or those in urban areas. The rural women had no rights since they were not empowered. A big incident between women and the government was women leaders presenting The Afghan Womens Bill of Rights to

Should children under the age 14 be allowed to make treatment Research Paper - 1

Should children under the age 14 be allowed to make treatment decisions - Research Paper Example However, recently, such presumptions continue to receive criticism from policymakers and other activists, thereby raising the question of the justification of children’s decisions regarding their health. There have been several conflicts between the caregivers and the teens below 14 years regarding their welfare, and some children’s arguments seem justifiable over those of their parents (Cherry, 2013). As such, there is a critical need to address the issue, and give such kids a bigger voice in making decisions regarding their health. Besides, since such children have the direct impacts of their health conditions, they may suggest treatment modes that may improve their conditions (Cherry, 2013). However, the assistance of a physician is critical, and it should be at the best interest of the patient (minor) (Cherry, 2013). The key advantage of such a decision is that it will aid in the recovery of the child, particularly in emergencies where the caregiver may be unavailable. However, this ought to be within the allowed legal standards. Besides, children with long-term disorders are perceived to be more acquainted with their conditions, and hence they may make wise decisions regarding their health. This is evident in cases where parents advocate for a misinformed treatment prescription that only leads to the deterioration of such children’s conditions. Such cases have been evident in numerous US states, thereby highlighting the need for child involvement in cases regarding their health. However, owing to the legal obligations of parents to make such decisions, the challenges still loom (Cherry, 2013). Besides, negative consequences resulting from a physician allowing such children to make decisions concerning their health may compel the physicians to undergo unjustified legal proceedings, thereby jeopardizing their careers. Although children may be under the care of the parents and guardians, the children’s consent to treatment may

Describe a situation in which you combined analysis and creativity to Personal Statement

Describe a situation in which you combined analysis and creativity to solve a challenging problem - Personal Statement Example A major factor in the retail industry is the influence by policy published by Chinese government that takes the anti-corruption campaign against gift-giving culture. Men luxury, jewelry will definitely be affected by the policy. This year, I come back to China to find out the many new stores of famous brands in the Chinese market that have been closed and its sales have reduced from about 150 in 2012 to about 100 in 2013. Meanwhile, the decrease rate is one-third and I think it is very puzzling and challenging to figure out the real reasons of this phenomenon. It is said that Chinas luxury market has grown rapidly from the enclosure stage to the development of sustained attention to the customer experience and comparable store sales stage. I want to establish the reason because I feel very interested in this situation and want to research the reasons for this problem. In this regard, I plan to apply the theoretical and practical knowledge to study this problem. It is not easy to learn all the pictures of all the problems faced by stores of famous brands. Therefore, I run to many stores that sell the famous brand clothing and learn this price in China since I am a Chinese and want to study Strategic design a nd management. It is easy and creative for me to know some situations, sales, and styles by communicating with sellers. Usually, it is thought that the price is the most important reason to explain the reduction and decrease of the sales for luxury clothing. However, only the price in China is higher than the clothing with same style, but also the types of styles are rich. This probably explains the phenomenon that many Chinese customers want to buy luxury clothing in foreign countries instead of China. Meanwhile, from my own research I established that the main method is to search for information from the internet and library in the university to establish the reasons behind this whole scenario. Essentially, 73% of

Risk Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Risk Management - Essay Example 14,040. b) Total indirect (uninsured) lost time accident costs = 36*650 => ? 23,400. c) The indirect (uninsured) cost of non lost time accidents =12*630 => ? 7,560. d) The total costs of injury accidents = 7,560 + ? 23,400 => ? 30,960. e) The cost of injury accidents per employee = 30.960/633 => ? 49. f) The total cost of damage accidents = 2500*85 => ? 212,500. g) The total accident costs for XYZ factory = 7560 + 212,500 + 23,400 =>? 243,460. h) The average accident cost = 243,460/3 => ? 81,153. i) The average accident cost per employee = 243,460/633 =>? 385. 2. Probability distribution of damage for an airplane Notes: It can be observed from the diagram above that the probability of occurrence of damage increases up to a certain maximum value and then falls drastically to zero. The probability of damage can be determined at different damage levels. The mean, median and the 90th percentile level of damage can be obtained. The 90th percentile represents the highest possible damage ex pected. 3. Principles of portfolio theory Positive correlation principle- this principle applies when the investment takes a positive move. For instance, in foreign exchange the upward or downward movement of two or more assets classes indicates a positive correlation. Investing in class of items that has high positive correlation helps in reduction of risk. ... To manage risk negative correlation implies that part of your investments may retain their value or improve while the rest deteriorates in value. The risk is manageable since one investment loses and the other gains. 4. Main elements of insurance premiums The amount of money paid in an insurance policy (premium) depends on the following elements. 1) Intended use- the amount of premium paid will vary depending on the use of the commodity insured. For instance, a private car and a public car require different premiums. 2) Mortality charges- Charges used to cover the eventuality on an individual. Many companies, belief that young men cause a large number of accidents; hence, they charge them high premiums. 3) Saving component- Some of the premium paid is used for reinvestment in order to generate returns which the policy holder receives in terms of bonuses or maturity amount. 4) Geographical location- People who live in densely populated areas; that have high traffic density tend to pay higher premiums. In these areas, the incidences of losses are more pronounced. 5. Influences of the following factors on elements of premiums A. The insured expected losses: When the level of loss expected is high, then the amount of premium to be paid is also high. Mortality charges will increase with the age of the insured since the expectation of death is high in old age. B. Potential variation around the insured’s expected loss: Changes in geographical location and age are associated with increased vulnerability to loss. These changes may imply an increase in premium to the insured. C. Risk sharing arrangement between the insured and the insurer. Sharing of risks between the insured and the insurer implies payment

Fuel and energy Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Fuel and energy - Case Study Example Cutting trees, air pollution, water pollution etc. are some of the after-effects that tend to destroy the delicate balance of the nature. Traditionally we've been using oil and gas for all of our energy requirements. But over the years, with growing realisation of threat to environment and fast depleting natural resources, governments around the world have started making efforts to see that how best we can adjust our lifestyle in such a manner that the future generations do not face acute shortage of energy and a healthy living environment. It is no secret that our energy needs are growing day by day, but at the same time, the supplies of oil and gas are shrinking. It is said that each drop of oil which we use in seconds takes millions of years to develop through the natural process (Smale, 2004). Therefore, it is certain that a day will come when the oil sources around the world will dry up. The North Sea production has certainly led to the transformation of UK oil industry, but at the same time industry analysts have expressed their views from time to time that the production has peaked and we must prepare for a lif e after oil (Murray, 2004). Though due to the recessionary trends the crude oil prices have come down, but the manner in which these prices were on their way up till sometime back, were a serious cause of worry for the government. Therefore, we need to plan in such a manner that the country finds itself prepared for any eventuality in the coming years. Well, we can always call upon the citizens to make judicious use of energy to preserve the sources for long, but such measures would prove to be short-term measures only. Damage to environment by the use of oil and gas is another very important aspect which has forced us to think about greener alternatives. Planning for the long-term would involve use of renewable fuel sources. This is an alternative which can help the country in adopting a holistic approach towards making use of cleaner fuels. Organic fuel is one such alternative which promises to be a dependable alternative for our energy needs. Plants, animals as well as human beings absorb some amount of solar energy which is stored in the body in the form of fats, sugars or starches. If we can extract this energy for reuse, it is termed as organic fuel. As compared to fossil fuels, such organic fuels are far more environment friendly. Though, theoretically all plants are supposed to have this property, but there are some plants which have more of such ability. In fact when Rudolph Diesel developed Diesel in 1895, he also made use of oil extracted from sunflower, rape, peanuts and palm. But, with the discovery of fossil fuels, the petrochemical industry came to being. As we enter into the 21st century, the need for saving on our res ources becomes more prominent. In order to have a smooth transition, Bio-fuel technology is divided into three generations1; First-generation bio-fuel technology makes use of what we eat Second-generation technology makes use of what we throw away. Third-generation bio-fuels will subsequently be produced from some plants which were earlier considered to be of little use. The amount of carbon dioxide that melts into the atmosphere as a result of our routine actions creates damaging footprints of carbon. In fact at times, we unknowingly tend to perform some actions which lead to an increase in our carbon footprints on the environment,

Time Management Essay Example for Free

Time Management Essay Introduction It is rightly said Time and Tide wait for none. An individual should understand the value of time for him to succeed in all aspects of life. People who waste time are the ones who fail to create an identity of their own. My Rational on my first action plan was: I have poor attitudes towards managing time, such as managing time to study. Developing effective study habits is important as they will help me to use my study time more productively and will also help to handle stress. Therefore, learning some effective memory techniques, developing a good support network and working with other class members will enhance our study habits (Anthony, 2012). So it is important for me to make an action plan about time management. Benefits of time management could be; Time Management makes an individual punctual and disciplined. One learns to work when it is actually required as a result of effective time management. To make the judicious use of time, individuals should prepare a TASK PLAN or a TO DO List at the start of the day to jot down activities which need to be done in a particular day as per their importance and urgency against the specific time slots assigned to each activity. A Task Plan gives individuals a sense of direction at the workplace. An individual knows how his day looks like and eventually works accordingly leading to an increased output (Management Study Guide [MSG]). If we do not have a proper time management skills, it will be more difficult to achieve the goals in your future. This report includes a deep research about time management skills. This includes a brief description of what is time management, how it helps in an organisation and some benefits improving your time management skills. And lastly the action plan with the actual outcomes. What is time management Time management is the art of arranging, organizing, scheduling, and  budgeting ones time for the purpose of generating more effective work and productivity. There are an abundance of books, classes, workshops, day-planners, and seminars on time management, which teach individuals and corporations how to be more organized and more productive. Time management has become crucial in recent years thanks to the 24/7, busy world in which we live (Wisegeek, 2013). Time management is important for everyone. While time management books and seminars often place their focus on business leaders and corporations, time management is also crucial for students, teachers, factory workers, professionals, and home makers. Time management is perhaps most essential for the person who owns his or her own business or who runs a business out of the home. Managing work and home responsibilities under the same roof takes a special type of time management (Wisegeek, 2013). An important aspect of time management is planning ahead. Sometimes, successful time management involves putting in more time at the outset in order to reorganize ones life. Though many time management books and teachings differ in their suggestions, most agree that the first step in efficient time management is to organize the workspace or home. Even if ones schedule is well-ordered, but the office and filing system are a disaster, time will be wasted trying to work efficiently in a disorderly place (Wisegeek, 2013). Lastly, good time management involves keeping a schedule of the tasks and activities that have been deemed important. Keeping a calendar or daily planner is helpful to stay on task, but self-discipline is also required. The most efficient to-do list in the world will not help someone who does not look at or follow his own daily planner (Wisegeek, 2013). Time management helping in organisations. Time Management refers to managing time effectively so that the right time is allocated to the right activity. Effective time management allows individuals to assign specific time slots to activities as per their importance. Time Management refers to making the best use of time as time is  always limited. Time Management plays a very important role not only in organizations but also in our personal lives. (Management Study Guide) Time Management includes: 1.Effective Planning 2.Setting goals and objectives 3.Setting deadlines 4.Delegation of responsibilities 5.Prioritizing activities as per their importance 6.Spending the right time on the right activity Effective planning: Plan your day well in advance. Prepare a To Do List or a TASK PLAN. Jot down the important activities that need to be done in a single day against the time that should be allocated to each activity. High Priority work should come on top followed by those which do not need much of your importance at the moment. Complete pending tasks one by one. Do not begin fresh work unless you have finished your previous task. Tick the ones you have already completed. Ensure you finish the tasks within the stipulated time frame (Management Study Guide). Setting goals and objectives: Working without goals and targets in an organization would be similar to a situation where the captain of the ship loses his way in the sea. Yes, you would be lost. Set targets for yourself and make sure they are realistic ones and achievable (Management Study Guide). Setting deadlines Set deadlines for yourself and strive hard to complete tasks ahead of the deadlines. Do not wait for your superiors to ask you every time. Learn to take ownership of work. One person who can best set the deadlines is you yourself. Ask yourself how much time needs to be devoted to a particular task and for how many days. Use a planner to mark the important dates against the set deadlines (Management Study Guide). Delegation of responsibilities: Learn to say NO at workplace. Dont do everything on your own. There are other people as well. One should not accept something which he knows is difficult for him. The roles and responsibilities must be delegated as per interest and specialization of employees for them to finish tasks within deadlines. A person who does not have knowledge about something needs more time than someone who knows the work well (Management Study Guide). Prioritizing Tasks Prioritize the tasks as per their importance and urgency. Know the difference between important and urgent work. Identify which tasks should be done within a day, which all should be done within a month and so on. Tasks which are most important should be done earlier (Management Study Guide). Spending the right time on right activity: Develop the habit of doing the right thing at the right time. Work done at the wrong time is not of much use. Dont waste a complete day on something which can be done in an hour or so. Also keep some time separate for your personal calls or checking updates on Facebook or Twitter. After all human being is not a machine (Management Study Guide). Organized Avoid keeping stacks of file and heaps of paper at your workstation. Throw what all you dont need. Put important documents in folders. Keep the files in their respective drawers with labels on top of each file. It saves time which goes on unnecessary searching (Management Study Guide). Dont misuse time Do not kill time by loitering or gossiping around. Concentrate on your work and finish assignments on time. Remember your organization is not paying you for playing games on computer or peeping into others cubicles. First complete your work and then do whatever you feel like doing. Dont wait till the last moment (Management Study Guide). Be Focussed One needs to be focused for effective time management. Develop  the habit of using planners, organizers, table top calendars for better time management. Set reminders on phones or your personal computers (Management Study Guide). Benefits of time management. Its normal to hear time management discussed in business circles; yet, it is a topic that can be of great benefit to everybody. Time is a challenge for all of us, whether were business people, workers, students or stay at home moms or dads. There seems to be less time in todays world, and thats why its a lot more important to learn how to properly manage our time. In this article, we are going to be discussing a few key reasons why time management is so important (Marie, 2012). A big benefit of time management is just how that it boosts your productivity. It is something that almost everybody hopes to be able to do. Seldom do you hear of individuals who feel that theyve got adequate time to do the things they need and wish to do. In lots of instances, the problem is not not enough time but rather the fact that you do not have an efficient way of managing your time. Time management shows you how to set priorities, and to focus on how much time youre wasting every day. The idea is not really to put yourself under more pressure to try and do more, but to utilize your time more wisely so you appear to have more of it (Marie, 2012). One positive advantage of time management is decreased levels of stress. Not having enough time is one of the main reasons we experience stress. Think about how tense you feel if you are worrying about being late for a scheduled visit or if youre stuck in traffic. These issues relate to time, and if you have this type of situation often you could probably benefit from some training in time management. Learning how to control schedule so that overwhelmed us and become an issue indicates that you are supervising your time efficiently. We often believe that the solution to our problems is doing things faster, but it could be even better and more relaxing if we learn how to manage our time better (Marie, 2012). Time management doesnt just include boosting your productivity and  efficiency; you also want to feel more pleasure and a better quality of life. Time is an important component of life and so we feel better about our lives when we have the ability to control our time. Conversely, feeling that were running out of time can create an overall feeling that we arent good in some part of life. Those who are genuinely successful are aware that time management is a crucial skill they have to get good at. It could be the one determining factor that lets you live in the moment and appreciate your life instead of feeling that time is a merciless boss (Marie, 2012). Time management is very significant in our present times, even more so than in previous decades. Existing technology allows us to do things faster than before and yet we feel forced to continually increase the pace. As an example, we continue to have difficulty keeping track of the large number of available information even with computers and other gadgets that are extremely powerful. Time management is the component that can give us a sense of control over time so we can quit rushing and loosen up (Marie, 2012).

Porters Five Forces Study of Starbucks

Porters Five Forces Study of Starbucks Executive Summary: Given case study maps the situation of the company in 2009. In this assignment we will date back to a timeline of about 25 years and see how Starbucks developed their business. We will also see the strategies applied and the present situation of the company with the application of Porters five competitive forces. Finally we will have a look at the future recommendations to reap a profit from the business Part: 1 Starbucks Coffee Company Founded in year 1971 First headquarter in Seattle USA Business in 37 countries Expansion started 1982 with Howard Schultz joined Starbucks has evolved from being a $.50 million business to a business that worth $6.4 billion Howard Schultz is the Chairman, President Chief executive officer History: 1971: Pike Place Market in Seattle was the first place where Starbucks store was settled 1982: Howard Schultz joined the company as marketing and retailing head 1985: Espresso bar concept 1987: Schultz purchased Starbucks and merged his business Giornale Coffee House with Starbucks 1987: Expands Business in the American market by starting outlets in British Columbia and Chicago 1992: With a business comprising of 165 outlets, Starbucks gets listed with its first public stock offering. 1996: Expands business to Japan, Tokyo was the first place. 2003: Starbucks expansion continues at a robust rate and it translates into a company with 6400 outlets worldwide. 2008: Global economic meltdown resulted loss in profitability, Starbucks decided to shuts down 600 outlets across the world and also exits the Australian market. Howard Schultz Chairman, President Chief executive officer VISION, OBJECTIVES AND MISSION Vision Statement: To establish Starbucks as most familiar and appreciated brand in the world and become a national business with values and guiding principles that employee could be proud of The vision statement clearly describes the dream or the future of the company that is to be the worlds most well known coffeehouse and also to be the most appreciated and positively graded brand by all levels of people around the world. The company also focuses its vision to employee satisfactions, so that the employees will be happy. Objectives of Starbucks: Is to grow by making employees feel valued Is to recognize that every dollar earned passes through employees hands The Six principles are: Respect and dignity Quality Diversity Profitability Satisfied customers Commitment Corporate Values and Business Principles: Building a Company with Soul Opposing Franchising because of Quality Control and Culture Only selling coffee beans without artificial flavors. Satisfy customers by all means. Employees contribution and involvement in making Starbucks a better company Corporate Social Responsibility: Establish the Starbucks Foundation in 1997 A major contributor of CARE, worldwide relief and development organization (Health, Education, and Humanitarian aid) Participate in local charitable projects. Provides financial support to community literacy organizations 2004 EnviroStars Recognized Leader Award for its community service and environmental activities Value Chain: Starbucks do not have a vertically integrated supply chain. It always works at increasing its relationship with its suppliers through the fair trade initiative Success Factors for Starbucks: Factors which helped Starbucks to gain success Starbucks were the first coffee makers in business Starbucks started their operation in the year 1987 under Howard Schultz Within the first five years they had 150 stores. First specialty coffee retailing chain in the market. First move advantage gave Starbucks a reason to establish a value proposition within customers and comes with a unique brand positioning. Profits were huge enough to allow them invest in their expansion plans. Market Research: Starbucks performed comprehensively study for expansion and enter into new markets. 1991 was the year in Starbucks moved to California resulted after a lot of market research. The reason why California people adapt quickly to changing lifestyle and that is the reason of choosing California. Employee Satisfaction Motivation: Starbucks played a major role in this aspect. Highly motivated and well trained staff resulted the high level of employee satisfaction. Starbucks offered health benefits to their employees for employees who worked more than twenty hours in a week. Starbucks Strategies (1983- 2008) Schultz restored the old and honest employees of Starbucks to give the best service to the customers. Dave Lawrence was hired as a executive vice presented and charged with leading operation, finance and human resources. In order to increase the market share, Starbucks has differentiated itself in providing a unique experience to its customers. In order to create a unique value proposition, Starbucks have created stores with specific themes. Secondly they have a focus on different flavors of beverages to suit peoples needs. Starbucks have developed the market for specialty coffee industry for America. In this context, Starbucks have created brand awareness and henceforth have created a demand for coffee stores amongst American population. Therefore, they have taken coffee from a commodity market to a specialty item. New logo was invented to match the culture of the Starbucks and Giornale. New espresso machines were equipped and look more Italian than old world nautical Chicago store opened in October 1987 as per expansion strategy Identifying inability of the customers for having a cup of coffee in the winter season in Chicago, Schultz solved the problem of freshness and quality assurance by putting freshly roasted beans in special flavor lock bags that used vacuum packaging technique. Portland, oregon was the next market the company entered. Entered in L.A in late 1991. Opened 15 new stores in 1988, 20 in 1989, 30 in 1990, and 53 in 1992, producing a total of 161 stores in US. Also went for franchising concept to retrieve the cost for new store expansion. In order to make Starbucks a great place to work Schultz accepted to expand healthcare coverage to include part-time workers. To oversee the expansion process Starbucks created zone wise vice presidents to direct the development of each region and to implant the Starbucks culture in the newly opened stores. Starbucks had created a new subsidiary, Starbucks coffee international, to orchestrate overseas expansion and build the Starbucks brand name globally via license. To accommodate its strategy of rapid store expansion. In august 2002 Starbucks teamed up with T-mobile USA, the largest carrier-owned Wi-Fi services, to experiment with Providing internet access and enhanced digital entertainment to patrons at over 1200 Starbucks locations. Part 2 Starbucks Performance (Fiscal 2009 Annual Report) Stores Open : Store Sales Growth: (1) Store openings are reported net of closures. (2) Of the approximately 800 total US stores identified for closure, 566 stores and 205 stores were closed in fiscal 2009 and 2008, respectively. (3) Starbucks restructured its Australia market by closing 61 stores in fiscal 2008. Of the approximately 100 International stores (incremental to the Australia closures in fiscal 2008) identified for closure, 41 stores were closed in various markets in fiscal 2009. Net Revenues: Operating Cash Flow Capital Expenditures: Company revenues decreased from fiscal 2008, primarily attributable to a 6% decline in comparable store sales, comprised of a 4% decline in transactions and a 2% decline in the average value per transaction. Foreign currency translation also contributed to the decline with the effects of a stronger US dollar relative to the British pound and Canadian dollar. The weakness in consolidated comparable store sales was driven by the US segment, with a comparable store sales decline of 6% for the year. The International segment experienced a 2% decline in comparable store sales. The Company derived 16% of total net revenues from channels outside the Company-operated retail stores, collectively known as specialty operations. The decrease in Foodservice and other revenue was primarily due to the softness in the hospitality industry. Schultzs Actions in 2008/2009 Retrained all the store employees They reduced operating costs by $600m per anum Simplified the product range They Closed 1,000 worst-performing stores Introduced Fairtrade coffee Started advertising Porters Five Forces Potential entry of Competitors (Low). Differentiation: Coffee industry companies tries to achieve differentiation in their service qualities through stores ambience, staff and complimentary products. Hence it becomes difficult for new players to imitate the existing business models. Potential development of substitute products (Low) Companies such as Pepsi and Coca Cola have been a threat to specialty coffee retailing from a substitute perspective. In the current situation this threat has been lowered considerably Bargaining power of suppliers (High) Trade Policy Farmers associations that practice the fair trade policy. In US this initiative is called the TransFair initiative. Users of these are certified coffee beans are regarded as more reputed by customers and hence most companies such as Starbucks are forced to buy from these farmers. This increases the bargaining power of suppliers. Differentiation Because of the taste differentiation companies need to procure an assortment of different varieties of coffee beans from different specialized farmers. This results the increase in the bargaining power of suppliers. Rivalry among competing firms (High) It faces tough competition from local baristas due to price factor. Starbucks is priced higher than these local players. Starbucks faces stiff competition from McDonalds, Dunkin Donuts and a number of players. Overall the industry is growing but at a slow rate and there are lot of players. Cost: In terms of switching cost, consumers do not pay a high amount when they needs to switch their preferences from Starbucks to other coffee shops. Starbucks have lost a number of its customers because of the high prices. Customers opine that they get the same coffee in other places at lower prices. Bargaining power of consumer (Moderate) Loyalty Programs: Repeated purchases from a single customer become guaranteed customers are bounded to the organization through Loyalty Cards Low Switching Cost It usually plays a negative factor to the companys growth by increasing the bargaining power of buyers. SWOT Analysis Strength: Starbucks has proven to give an outstanding performance in customer service and experience. It has its own unique playback songs system which can be used to listen to your choice. Starbucks have changed coffee to a recognized beverage. One of the major strategies of Starbucks is that it has never used expensive television advertising campaigns or brand ambassadors to advertise, instead it has relied more on its universally present cafes, word of mouth publicity and the ambience of its stores. It has maintained a high level of service through which it has achieved a consistent level of customer satisfaction. Weakness: Customers are never loyal to a single store and keep on changing their stores, because when ever Starbucks enters any international market it opens a large number of stores within close vicinity Sales of individual stores are never stable. Because of the recent recession, the levels of same store sales and margins have come down. The fourth quarter results have shown a loss of 70% in the companys net income and share prices have fallen by 33 cents. There has been a closure of 600 stores and lay off for 6700 stores. Opportunities: Along with coffee Starbucks has also branched out to produce DVDs, CDs, t-shirts and other proprietary food product offerings. The market for these products has grown considerably and gives a great opportunity to Starbucks for leveraging their brand. Starbucks should also look at exploring some of the emerging economies in South Eastern Asia such as India where the economy is stable. Threats: The economic recession is a threat for Starbucks since they had to close down a large number of stores leading to declining profits and large level of unemployment. McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts serve high quality green coffee also which is an impending factor on Starbucks growth. Starbucks is facing major challenges from competitors such as McDonalds and Dunkin Donuts. Strategic Synopsis: Starbucks faces an extremely challenging fiscal 2009 due to the ongoing economic slowdown. It noted that its customers may have less money for discretionary spending as a result of job losses, foreclosures, and bankruptcies. Any resulting decreases in customer traffic or average value per transaction will negatively impact the companys financial performance as reduced revenues result in sales de-leveraging which creates downward pressure on margins. The company also said it expects negative comparable store sales for fiscal 2009 and that additional restructuring measures may be needed in the future if Starbucks is unable to improve its financial performance. PART: 3 Customer, Market, Market Segment: Customer Segment: Its is well known for its coffee as well as the relationships formed with its customers. This targets college students and business people in general, as well as individuals. Target Market Starbucks us always adult -focused and look forward to aim to connect with their customers, childrens and communities through different types of advertisements tactics. College age group and post graduates are the big growing market. Market Attraction Targeting adults and young adults is a good mechanism for Starbucks because this age level has the same interests as the foundation that promotes arts, culture, education, and the environment (starbucks.com). The company satisfies their customers through their advertising, support programs and, of course, their coffee. Resources and Capabilities A: Resources, capabilities and Strategic Assets: Every company or organization needs and owns certain resources, capabilities or competencies and also assets which are a necessity to endure and prosper globally. The resources consist of: Creating Competitive Edge Intangible Resources Recipe Employee relationship Large customer base Reputation of products and services Tangible Resources Large number of outlets Machinery equipments Operations in 37 countries RESOURCES CATEGORIES STARBUCKS RESOURCES PHYSICAL RESOURCES Operation in 40 countries Conventionally taste and environment. Effective segmentation. Supply chain management. Large number of outlets. FINANCIAL RESOURCES Turnover of  £46.56 billion in 2009. Gross margins of  £4.13 billion in 2009. Profit of  £2.1 billion in 2009. HUMAN RESOURCES Greatly competent labour force. Young and prosperous. INTELLECTUAL CAPITAL Reputation for excellence Brand image built as taste, environment. Strategic capability of Starbuck: CATEGORIES STARBUCK RESOURCES THRESHOLD RESOURCES solid supply chain. Young and affluent workforces. THRESHOLD COMPETENCIES Quality. Reliability. Dealings and relationship with its employees and customers. UNIQUE RESOURCES Hi-tech coffee machines equipments. Extraordinary labour force CORE COMPETENCIES Technology. Speed of production. Known as The Best coffee provider B: Structure, Culture and organizational knowledge There are very less companies who can boast to be as consistent as Starbucks in terms of attracting the customers which is always adjusting itself for the demand of the time with seamless quality and efficiency. The adjustment which is the company is willing to accept all the time is what makes it different from the rest. Their philosophy of the Starbucks is to provide product which are marvel of taste but also come with value and satisfaction. B: STRATEGIC CHOICE Identification of Strategic Options Ansoffs Product/Market Matrix Considering the approach of STARBUCKS they should continue to go with what they are doing currently. It means stick to what they do best. I think that they do need to enter new markets for themselves and in particular ASIA. Currently STARBUCKS is not one of the most commonly used or known brands in ASIAN region. To pin point the region the areas to focus must be China and South Asian markets. STARBUCKS has set its sights on Chinese Niche market with view of the massive growth in Chinese economy and the wealth generated. Working in China would also mean that they will be able to work with the best available technology and also the fast growing consumer market that exists within China. Other region of interest can be South Asian emerging markets and in particular India who are enjoying a massive boom in economy and also buying power. In my opinion the strategy used needs to be Business to Customer or B2C as this strategy has already served STARBUCKS Group very well in the past. The benefit of the strategy will be that it will be Product driven and will also maximize the value of the transaction and plus they will have larger target markets. This will also ensure that there will be a single step buying process and will enhance brand identity and also the brand image will also work as an extra helping hand for the company. B2C strategy will ensure the brand loyalty and also will promote emotional buying decisions which will base on status, price or may be desire. RECOMMENDATIONS FOR ACTION Starbucks should continue with its operation in the growing economies and markets and diversify themselves to new markets where ever possible. As most of markets of Europe and America are at a stage of maturity, the realistic option for growth is diversion to new markets. The markets of Europe and America are older and also are very established for the Starbucks and it also has developed a brand loyal segment of customers behind them. That is the reason they need to consolidate the work they have so far put in to the emerging markets and consumers. To put the strategy into action STARBUCKS needs to consider the below stated aspects so that the transition or change over to new markets is as smooth as it can get. The timing is one of the major aspects which need to be taken care off or estimated beforehand. Since company already has its plants based in INDIA and CHINA; they still need to develop them further to enhance production and meet the growing demand of a growing market and also a growing consumer base. The time it will take for them to either acquire or go into further and further of franchise growth model. The other important type of strategy in which STARBUCKS has been largely successful is by creating their 100% subsidiaries in the emerging markets so that it becomes a strategic asset for the company and would usually mean that it will be cost effective manufacturing by producing it in developing countries; which means that they will have relatively less expensive labour at their disposal in comparison with already developed countries and markets. The constraints for company can be the rise in prices of raw materials will definitely impact pricing and positioning of the brand. They will also have to work extensively to keep up to date with taste of consumers and also their preferences in terms of product. Another factor can be the potential of the markets suggested will definitely appeal to the competition and it might trigger a price war and fierce rivalry amongst the industry players. The fluctuation in international business will also affect STARBUCKS in particularly the international currency market. This strategic plan may be able to help STARBUCKS achieve a safer journey ahead and they will be able to sustain a strong foothold in the world. Starbucks should continue to open new locations worldwide. Starbucks is extremely dependent on its domestic success, and yet has a variety of countries it has not explored opportunities in. However, it is recommended that Starbucks tread lightly and with caution, insuring proper social and cultural analysis before plunging into a country. This is apparent in the fact that Starbucks was forced to close three retail stores in Singapore last year.   

Study on Competency Model of an effective teacher

Study on Competency Model of an effective teacher The paper builds on comprehensive review of 13 research papers and a book on teachers competencies on basis of which a Competency Model of an effective teacher has been suggested that can be used during recruitment, training, and performance appraisal and also can be used as a mean for compensation of a teacher. Competencies of an Effective teacher Model has been categorized into three categories as shown in the above diagram which are as follows: Concern for College, Concern for Self and Concern for Students. Therefore, this paper produces data on what attributes in todays academic market place and in particular in classroom produces effective teachers. INTRODUCTION: Education has become essential these days. But along with it there are several challenges of education as well which require change in the quality and structure of education. For this integration of education with corporate sector is required for which course contents needs to be upgraded. But this is not sufficient as teachers are the education providers they play a vital role in bridging the gap between what is now available in the form of curriculum and the demands of the corporate world. Hence teachers should therefore react to the changing scenario and equip themselves to meet the need of the hour. Hence this paper identifies competencies (behavioural indicators) required for an effective teaching according to the changing scenario. Therefore, this paper produces data on what attributes in todays academic market place and in particular in classroom produces effective teachers. The theory being, the more effective the teacher the better prepared the student is for tomorrows challenges, not yesterdays and the more competitive the school can make itself. The paper will first review the literature highlighting competencies [behavioral indicators] of effective teacher given by other researchers. First it is important to understand the word competency. A competency is an underlying characteristic of an individual that is causally related to criterion-referenced effective and/or superior performance in a job or situation [1] Underlying characteristic means the competency is a fairly deep and enduring part of persons personality and can predict behavior. Causally related means that a competency causes or predicts behavior and performance. Criterion-referenced means that the competency actually predicts who does something well or poor, as measured on a specific criterion or standard. The history of competency can be traced to the early 1970s when industrial psychologists and human resource managers were seeking ways to predict job performance. There was significant evidence to show that personality testing was very poor at predicting job performance (about 10 percent success rate was achievable). In 1973, David McClelland, Professor of Psychology at Harvard University wrote a seminal paper Testing for Competence Rather than for Intelligence, which appeared in American Psychologist in 1973 [2], that created a stir in the field of psychology (McClelland, 1973). According to his research, traditional academic aptitude and knowledge content tests seldom predict on-job performance. He went on to argue that the real predictors of job performance are a set of underlying personal characteristics or competencies. McClellands concept of competency has been the key driver of the competency movement and competency-based education. LITERATURE REVIEW Attempts to define teacher behaviors have blossomed into a movement known as Competency-based teacher education (or Performance based Teacher Education). The State of Florida has been a leader in identification of generic teaching competencies and in the movement of competency-based teacher education. In 1975 the Council on Teacher Education (COTE), spearheaded a project to identify those competencies which are most essential to all teachers. 48 generic competencies consistently appeared in the search was selected for a final survey instrument. A random sample of 5 percent of all certified personnel in the state were asked to rate the competencies. 23 competencies met the specified acceptance criteria. The 23 generic competencies were grouped into 5 major categories namely communication skills, basic knowledge, technical skills, administrative skills and interpersonal skills. The state of Florida has included the 23 generic competencies in state policies requiring all personnel to de monstrate them in order to be certified as a teacher in the state [3]. A few of the sub-skills under each of the five major categories are as follows: Communication Skills, Basic Knowledge, Technical Skills, Administrative Skills and Interpersonal Skills. Peter F Oliva [3] has described an effective teacher as one whom: Is fully prepared in his or her subject Has a broad general education Understands the role of a school in the society Holds an adequate concept of himself or herself Understands basic principles of learning process Demonstrate effective techniques of instruction Efficiently handles the management of the classroom Possesses personal characteristics conducive to the success in the classroom A similar list has been developed by Kenneth P Henson [3] of an effective teacher as one whom: Is interested in students as individuals Has patience and is willing to repeat Displays fairness Explains things thoroughly Is humorous Is open minded Is informal Does not feel superior Knows the subject Is interested in the subject Is neat in appearance Similarly Dwight Allen and Kevin Ryan [3] have given skills which are generic or common to teachers at all level as follows: Stimulus variation, Set induction, Closure, Silence and Non-Verbal Clues, Reinforcement of Student participation, Fluency in asking question, Probing question, High order question, Divergent question, Recognizing attending behavior, Illustrating and using examples, Lecturing, Planned Repetition, Completeness of communication Teachers Competency has been defined as any particular knowledge, skill, or attitude or any set or combination of them that we may choose to specify (Donald M Medley Patricia R Crock). The knowledge specified may involve subject-matter knowledge, general knowledge, knowledge of psychology, sociology or one of the other disciplines, knowledge of pedagogy-any knowledge that may enhance teacher performance. Skills specified may also relate to content, to writing and speaking skills, to skills in arithmetic, they may be perpetual or diagnostic in nature, they may be performance skills such as those involved in lecturing, leading a discussion or planning instruction, they may be related to deployment of knowledge and skills of other types, or to the integration and implementation of complex strategies. Attitudes specified may pertain to the self, to pupils, to colleagues and to the profession, to values, or whatever [4]. A recent Research in 2008 by Faculty of Education, Adnan Menderes University, Turkey aimed to determine the teachers competencies Turkey needs in the European Union harmonization process [5]. The research used Delphi technique to determine the teachers competencies. Delphi application was completed by participation of 37 experts. As a result of analysis of the third round data removal of items with a standard deviation above 1 and arithmetic average below 6, 142 competency items were obtained. Removal and combination of overlapping opinions was done and hence 137 competency items were obtained. The competencies were divided into four competency categories which are as follows: Competencies Regarding Professional Knowledge Competencies Regarding Field Knowledge, Competencies Regarding Improving Oneself, Competencies Regarding National and International Values. Competencies Regarding Professional Knowledge were addressed in five categories as follows: Professional Competencies Regarding Getting to Know the Students and Enabling Their Improvement Professional Competencies regarding the process of learning-teaching process Professional competencies regarding monitoring and evaluating learning and improvement Professional Competencies regarding School, Family, Colleagues and Society Relations Professional Competencies Regarding the Programme and Content (Abdul Rahim Hamdan et al, Faculty of Education, University of Malaysia) studied the teaching competency and dominant characteristics of 309 teachers from different secondary / primary schools in Johor Bahru [6]. Their competencies were determined through teaching skills, concern for school, concern for students and concern for self, forming a comprehensive and practical model of teachers competency characteristics. Factor analyses of the instrument with various samples revealed 19 stable subscales. Skills Scales were divided into seven sub-scales. There were scales on Subject Knowledge, Teaching Prowess, Classroom Management, Updating Knowledge, Instructional Planning, Teaching Effectiveness; and Teaching and Learnings Progress Evaluation. Concern for School Scales was divided into five sub-skills. There were testing on teachers concern on School Vision and Mission, Objectives and Goals, School Policy and System, Collegiality and Commitment. Scales on Concern for Student were divide d into four sub-scales. There were testing on teachers concern on Student Needs, Academic Performance, Motivation and Behavior. Concern for Self Scales was divided into three sub-scales. There were testing on teachers concern on Self-Development, Self Management and Performance Standard. The most dominant competency of the teachers was in concern for school scales followed by skills, concern for self and concern for students. The result showed that there is significant relationship between gender and teaching competency. The result for the ethnic and teaching competency showed that there is no relationship between ethnic and teaching competency in this study. The data analysis showed that there is no relationship between teaching experience and teaching competency. The result also showed that there is no significant relationship between academic qualification and teaching competency. Thus, it can be summarized that, teachers with higher academic qualification does not mean more comp etent in teaching. (Naree Aware Achwarin, R.N., Ed.D., Graduate School of Education, Assumption University of Thailand) aimed to determine the teacher competence level and investigate the relationship between teacher qualification, teaching experience, and school size and teacher competence of teachers at schools in the three southern border provinces of Thailand [7]. The method of survey research was used through questionnaire. The unit of analysis was teachers, 750 were selected by simple random sampling methods from nine educational regions, 18 secondary schools, under the Basic Education Commission of Thailand (OBEC) at Narathiwas, Pattani, and Yala province. The instrument used for collecting data was a questionnaire, constructed by the researcher, employing the professional standards of knowledge and experience from the Teacher Council of Thailand (2005) containing nine competence areas. The Cronbachs Alpha coefficient for the reliability was 0.96. The content validity was evaluated by five exper ts in the field of Educational Administration. The findings revealed Teachership was the highest teacher competence. In order from the highest to the lowest of nine competence areas, the ranking was teachership; psychology for teachers; educational measurement and evaluation; classroom management; learning management; educational innovation and information technology, language and technology for teachers; curriculum development; and educational research. (Earl Simendinger Bella Galperin, The University of Tampa Daniel R. LeClair, AACSB International A.G. (Tassos) Malliaris, Loyola University) described the design, development and delivery of this curriculum [8]. The objective and what the reader can expect to learn from this work is what are the most important attributes of effective business teachers. Incorporating these attributes into course design and delivery should lead to improvements in teaching effectiveness and students evaluation scores, which results in students better prepared for the business field. In addition to it, reviewing the past literature in particular, student evaluations have received the most attention- this statement shows the gap that competencies derived about the teachers were basically based on student perception not on the basis of management, professor and industry professions. (Kirk Tennant Charles Lawrence, 1975) focused upon teaching strategies and scheduled class hours and their effects upon instructor and course evaluations, student performance, and student absenteeism [9]. The study indicated that discipline teaching strategy produced much better student academic performance. This study indicates that in those situations in which student performance was considered a primary goal, a discipline teaching strategy should be adopted. In all cases the finding suggest that a discipline teaching strategy will improve both attendance and performance. In this multisection course, classes scheduled at good hours had higher student attendance, better student performance, and more favorable teacher evaluation by students. (William J. Read, Dasaratha V. Rama K. Raghunandan, 2001) surveyed administrators of accounting programs from a cross-section of schools and programs to determine whether there is an association between the weight given to teaching and the weight assigned to SEs [10]. The respondents were asked to allocate 100 points among research, service and teaching representing the weights that were attached to each in decision on tenure and promotion to full professor in their institution. The Result showed a statistically significant inverse relationship between the weight given to SEs and the weight assigned to teaching in faculty evaluations for tenure and promotion to full professor. This suggests that as institutions increase the relative emphasis on teaching in their tenure decision and promotion to full professor decision, they place significantly less weight on Student Evaluation. (Stephen A. Stumpf et al, New York University) investigated the relationships among several variables outside of the instructors classroom control and student ratings of teaching effectiveness are investigated in a causal network [11]. The student ratings are relatively independent of external variables. Variables external to the construct of student perceived learning include: (a) variables that students do not agree relate to their learning, (b) variables that the instructor cannot control with his or her instructional efforts within a class (e.g., instructor sex, class size), and (c) variables that students cannot observe and thus cannot accurately evaluate. A hierarchical multiple regression analysis was performed; the six independent variables account for a statistically insignificant 9% of rating variance. The set of six external variables were then entered into a regression equation already containing the three intrinsic variables (instructor in class, instructor in general an d graded assignments). The additional variance accounted for is .6%, indicating that no unique contribution is made by any or all of the external variables. The variables were instructor sex, the year the instructor received her/his last degree, instructor rank, proportion of required courses that an instructor taught over the two semester period and class size. (Dr Paul Isely Dr Harinder Singh) analyzed different factors that influence student evaluations, based on large set of data, reveals that class size, the difficulty of the class, the percentage of students responding, and the length of class are important determinants of students perception [12]. Moreover, although higher expected grades results in more favorable student evaluations, this relationship is significantly different depending upon faculty rank. Based on these findings, the author makes two policy recommendations. First, student evaluations of teaching should be adjusted for specific major determinants to obtain less biased estimates. Second, evaluating teaching effectiveness by a broad teaching portfolio that includes actual grades given to students and other teaching supplements may discourage faculty from exploiting the relationship between higher expected grades and favorable student evaluations. (James E. Whitworth, et al, Georgia Southern University, Statesboro, Georgia) analyzed 12,153 student faculty evaluations to investigate the effects of: (a) Faculty member gender (b) Course type (required business core courses, classes within designated majors, or graduate classes) (c) Course level (graduate versus undergraduate classes) on student faculty evaluations [13]. The authors explored the effect of these three factors on students perceptions of how much they learned in particular classes. They found that female instructors rated better than male ones and that rating differed significantly by course type and by students perceived amount of learning. Graduate students tended to give higher scores than undergraduates. These findings could indicate that comparing evaluation data across different courses might not produce valid overall effectiveness rankings. (Richard L. Peterson et al, Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ)conducted a study within a large department of a business school and recommends that the process used be adapted by other business school departments and other academic units across the university and at other universities to ensure a more universally appropriate usage of students ratings [14]. The central objective of the research was to identify variables that provide a valid rationale for assigning faculty into norming groups for the purpose of comparing one member of that group to all other members of that group. Given the objective and the data set they had available, they selected the following six variables to explore: Semester Effect, Course Session Effect, Faculty Type Effect, Course Level Effect, Course Focus Effect Course Type. Overall, this study makes two primary contributions to the literature. First, it provides an empirical examination of the factors that might be influencing students ratings. Seco nd, it offers suggestions on how these ratings might be used by administrators. These two contributions offer more evidence that supports Brightmans (2005) recommendations that any evaluation instrument focused on faculty teaching must be reliable and valid and have a meaningful norming report. COMPETENCY MODEL OF AN EFFECTIVE TEACHER A Competency Model of an Effective Teacher has been obtained after reviewing the literature and also by using Competency Dictionary obtained by colleagues of Richard Boyatzis in 1981 which was obtained by analyzing the data [i.e transcripts of behavioral event interviews] from a number of competency studies which produced set of competencies that consistently distinguished superior performance across organizations and functions [1] COMPETENCY MODEL OF EFFECTIVE TEACHER Concern for Self Concern for College Competencies of an Effective Teacher Concern for Students Figure 1: Competency Model of an Effective Teacher Competencies of an Effective teacher can be categorized into three categories as shown in the above diagram which are as follows: Concern for College, Concern for Self and Concern for Students. As teacher has duty towards for College it is defined as the first category where teachers competencies are adoption of College Vision and Mission, teacher should be committed towards his/her work, a teacher should be high on competencies like credibility, integrity and sincerity. Next comes the category Concern for Self which is very important as teacher always carry these competencies such as teacher should be high on analytical thinking, conceptual thinking, also have good meta qualities such as creativity, teacher should have excellent communication skills, should always be information seeking, should have self-control, self-confidence, be flexible, achievement oriented, open and receptive and most important is that teacher should be able to balance work and his/her life perfectly. Coming to Concern for Students teacher should have competencies like interpersonal understanding, should be able to influence others, should be good in developing others and should be assertive when required. The three categories have been diagrammatically represented below: The broad areas of Competencies under this category are: Organizational Awareness, Adaption Commitment Concern For Order, Quality And Accuracy The competencies can be as follows: Mission Orientation, Commitment to work contract, Ethical conduct and Credibility, integrity and sincerity Concern for College Figure2: Concern for College Competencies The broad areas of Competencies under this category are: Analytical Thinking Conceptual Thinking Meta Qualities Communication Knowledge and Information Orientation Self-Control Persistence Flexibility Achievement and Action Being open and receptive Being organized Work Life Balance The competencies can be as follows: Reasoning, Ability to Generate Theories, Creativity, Presentation skills, Resistance to Stress, Persistence, Strong Self-Concept, Adaptability, Result Orientation, Composure, Humor, Time Management, Work/Life Balance Concern for Self Figure 3: Concern for Self Competencies The broad areas of Competencies under this category are: Interpersonal Understanding Impact and Influence Developing Others Being Directive The competencies can be as follows: Empathy, Approachability, Sensitivity to Others, Interpersonal Savvy, Showmanship, Teaching and Training, Realistic Positive Regard, Motivating others, Classroom Control and Discipline, Assertive Concern for Students Figure 4: Concern for Students Competencies USE OF COMPETENCY MODEL: This Competency Model can be used for identifying policies for teacher training, Pre-service teacher training programs of institutions of higher education for teacher training, In-service training of teachers, Professional Development of Teachers, Selection of teachers, Evaluation of teacher performances, Self-knowledge and self-development of teachers.