What Critical Thinking Is and How to Develop It

The concept of critical thinking has been defined in many complex ways, but for young students new to the concept, it can best be summed up as thinking and judging for yourself. When you develop critical thinking skills, you will learn to evaluate information that you hear and process information that you collect while recognizing your implicit biases. You will analyze the evidence that is presented to you in order to make sure it is sound. Recognize Common Fallacies Fallacies are tricks of logic, and understanding them is the best way to avoid falling for them. There are many types of fallacies, and the more you think about them, the more readily you will recognize them all around you, especially in advertisements, arguments, and political discussions. Bandwagon Appeals: Bandwagon appeals argue that you should follow along with something because everyone else believes it.Scare Tactics: A scare tactic is the use of a  scary story as an example to make you more likely to believe some underlying assumption.Appeal to Emotion: An appeal to emotion uses a fiery speech or a tragic story to convince someone to side with you.False Dichotomy: Often there are many sides to an argument, but a false dichotomy presents an issue as one side versus the other. Characteristics of Critical Thinking To become a critical thinker, you must develop a few skills. Recognize assumptions you carry with you. Have you ever wondered why you believe the things that you believe? Do you believe things because you’ve been told to believe them? Step outside your own beliefs to observe from a neutral viewpoint. Be aware of assumptions and learn to self-reflect.Process information honestly. People sometimes pass along information that is not really true (i.e. the fake news crisis).Recognize a generalization. Girls don’t like bugs. Old people are wise. Cats make better pets. These are generalizations. They’re not always true, are they?Evaluate old information and new ideas. There was a time when doctors thought leeches could cure us. Recognize that just because something is commonly accepted, doesnt mean it is true.Produce new ideas based on sound evidence. Detectives solve crimes by collecting bits of truths and putting them all together like a puzzle. One small deceit can jeopardize an investigation. The entire truth-seeking process is destabilized by one piece of bad evidence, leading to a wrong conclusion.Analyze a problem and recognize the complex parts. A mechanic must understand how an entire engine works before s/he can diagnose a problem. Sometimes it is necessary to deconstruct an engine to figure out which part isn’t working. You should approach big problems like this: break them down into smaller parts and observe carefully and deliberately.Use precise vocabulary and communicate with clarity. The truth can be blurred by fuzzy language. It is important to develop your vocabulary so you can communicate truths accurately.Manage emotions in response to a situation or problem. Don’t be fooled by stirred up, emotional plea or angry speech. Stay rational and keep your emotions in check as you encounter new information.Judge your sources. Learn to recognize hidden agendas and bias when you collect information. As students progress from high school into college and graduate school they must develop critical thinking skills in order to carry out research. Students will learn to identify good sources and bad sources, make logical conclusions, and develop new theories.

Are Athletes Heroes Essay - 1166 Words

Are exceptional athletes heroes ? Heroics is used very broadly and can consist of many different aspects of ones= feats or achievements. While researching this topic, I have found that there are numerous ways to describe a hero. What makes a hero? I have determined in my opinion, that the word Ahero@ consists of ones accomplishments, actions or service that leads to the betterment of others. From my definition of the word, exceptional athletes do have the potential to be heroes. The word hero has been used broadly for many years. The word has found different variations of its meaning throughout a time line of history. Going back to our ancient history, the word was found primarily in literature. The word hero or heroine trails†¦show more content†¦Michael Jordan is one of the most talented athletes, but it=s beyond his talent that defines him as a hero. It is Jordan=s actions outside of the court that he has attributed. Jordan is involved with a variety of charities including the Boys Girls Club of America, Special Olympics,UNCF/College Fund and a number of other charitable organizations that support children and families. Jordan contributes much of his time towards the youth, assisting them as individuals and athletes. His ability on the court was always backed by his actions off. Many throughout our time can be characterized as a hero by this definition, but can exceptional athletes fit this criteria as well? My answer is that exceptional athletes can be characterized as heroes under the same heroic principles. Heroes do not consist of those who set unbreakable records or sign multi-million dollar contracts. Athletic heroes consist of those whose actions have been followed and attributed to others in a positive or benefitting way. One prime example of heroism is Jason McElwain. McElwain doesn=t have the fame and fortune as other star athletes, but his dedication and perseverance led him to such heroic feats. Jason McElwain suffers from autism and shares the love for basketball like many others worldwide. It took only four minutes for McElwain to go from a unknown team manager of his high school=s basketball team, into a nationwide inspiration for many. During McElwain=sShow MoreRelatedThe Temple Of Zeus At Olympia, Heroes, And Athletes1693 Words   |  7 PagesOlympia, Heroes, and Athletes†, 2005, pp. 211-241 I chose to review Judith Barringer’s article on the topic of why the sculpture works inside the Temple of Zeus should be looked at as a whole collective ensemble. This is because they would provide insight into how these works were seen and how they were closely related to Olympia and all the activity that occurred there. Judith Barringer also discusses how these sculptures literally acted as positive role models for the Olympic athletes that participatedRead MoreAre You Really My Hero?1216 Words   |  5 PagesReally My Hero? â€Å"Heroes have their scars. Some you can see, some you read about later on.† George Foreman Growing up we all had our dreams of winning the gold medal in an Olympic event, scoring that game winning basket, being a prize fighter, or hitting the homerun with bases loaded in a World Series. We imagined the feeling of success and glory but we also realized that few do accomplish such. Seeing such deeds are what creates our desires, determination and goals. The athletes that achieveRead MoreNike s Core Competency : The Risky Business Of Fairy Tales1413 Words   |  6 PagesNike’s core investment is in the athletes the company sponsors, there is risk on return on the athletes is high. The strength of creating heroes could be a weakness as well. If a hero becomes not so heroic. An athlete could be in the press for a scandal such as criminal activity or cheating. Nike has been successful with any of their endorsements, but there are cases of athletes not so successful. In Nike’s endorsement history, there are multiple cases that athletes were involved in scandals. PhilRead MoreThe Impact of Steroid Allegations on Sports Heroes and Their Fans1037 Words   |  4 Pagespopular athletes. Whereas once the uncovering of an athletes illicit use of such substances was shocking and anomalous, contemporary stories of steroid use are fairly routine and even commonplace in certain sports, such as Major League Baseball. Allegations levied against athletes like Mark McGuire and Sammy Sosa (who waged an epic battle for the single season record of number of home runs hit in 1998) would appear to have a significant impact on the many sports fans who regard these athletes as sportsRead MoreHeroism : What Makes A Hero? Essay1665 Words   |  7 Pagescelebrities as heroes. Firefighters, police, doctors and members of the military are great examples of people who exhibit great heroism every day. Heroes can be found anywhere throughout the country. They can be found in government, hospitals and importantly the ones keeping our country safe. This paper will focus on heroism and attempt to show how a hero can be anyone who exhibits actions that are above and beyond the norm; they could be cops, firefighters, parents, teachers, athletes or even celebritiesRead MoreProfessional Athletes Have Become A Major Part Of American Popular Culture846 Words   |  4 PagesProfessional athletes have become a major part of American popular culture. Athletes are idolized as heroes and legends that defy all odds and create history. Some of these athletes perform at such a high level that they are considered worthy of induction into the hall of fame for their sport. However, high performance is not the only criteria a professional athlete should have to meet in order to qualify for a spot in the hall of fame. A professional athlete should have been recognized as exhibitingRead MoreThe Gold Affect And Effect1308 Words   |  6 Pagesjust as hyperbolic as the number of innocent athletes accused of taking performance enhancing drugs– which could be the end of some athletes’ careers. The 2016 Olympic games saw around 11,200 athletes, 366 of which were Team GB, battle their way to the reach the top of the podium in individual and team events. Despite their small number of warriors, Team GB punched above their weight, achieving 2nd place in the overall medals table and becoming heroes in the eyes of most Brits. But now that theRead MoreUsing Illegal Substances Help Win?1709 Words   |  7 Pagesreasons; how the players were role models for young players wanting to make it to the pros like their exemplary heroes did. The technical definition of the verb to cheat by dictionary.com is â€Å"to elude; deprive of something expected. In the definition it says to deprive of the expected in the case of PED meaning that using takes away the expected athlete. In most cases of juicing athletes, the fans are baffled by the amazing talent of that player which isn’t why the player even does it. A playerRead MoreEssay Sports770 Words   |  4 PagesSports Everyone loves sports stars. They look great, they appear on television and like rock stars, they perform with the entire world watching. No wonder young adults make heroes out of their favorites. Great athletes teach us more than how to swing a bat or dunk a basketball. In the face of seemingly impossible challenges they teach us that success -- whether on the basketball court or in the classroom -- takes dedication, confidence, and a hefty dose of hard work. Unfortunately, RickRead MoreSports : Sports And Sports1092 Words   |  5 Pageswhen they hear the movie say,† fans hold their breath, lose themselves, and when that moment they witnessed is over, they will remember it for the rest of their lives. Unforgettable sports moments become a part of people s lives as they see brave athletes, biggest upsets, strongest rivals, and who has the most heart (Sport in America: Our Defining Stories).† It doesn t matter how long ago the memory was, fans remember and share the ir stories about the memorable moments in sports history forever.

History 1302 Note Free Essays

string(864) " of the French construction of a canal across the Isthmus of Panama, Philippe Bunau-Varilla, in organizing a â€Å"revolution† against Columbia \* On November 3rd,1903, a revolt against Columbia broke out in panama city with arm distributed by the city fire department \* Marines from three US hips prevented Colombian troops from reaching Panama city \* November 6th,1903 : secretary of the state john hay recognized the newly established country of Panama \* March 14th,1904: the supreme court decided against the northern securities company in the Sherman antitrust case that the Roosevelt administration had brought against the company in 1902 and ordered the dissolution of the company \* November 8th, 1904: president Roosevelt won the presidential election, to whom, some historians have asserted, a large percentage of growing urban white-collar vote went\." * In the â€Å"reconstruction† congress required the setting up of new state government for a second time. * The 14th amendment stipulated that no state shall â€Å"deprive any person of life, liberty or property, without due process of laws; or deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws† * March 4th 1689 Former Union General Ulysses S. Grant, a republican, took office as the 18th president of the US, having campaigned on the slogan: â€Å" let us have peace† * Alaska had been purchased recently in 1867, for Tsar alexander II of Russia for $7. We will write a custom essay sample on History 1302 Note or any similar topic only for you Order Now 2 million * The purchased of Alaska had been criticized as â€Å"Seward’s Folly† in ridicule of secretary of state William Henry Seward because of a popular view that Alaska was a cold land of little economic value except for fur and fishing. * January, 1870 John D. Rockefeller incorporated the standard Oil Company in Cleveland, Ohio * Within 5 years standard oil company controlled kerosene refineries in New york, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, and talking over kerosene marketing terminal and distributors * September 4th, 1872 New York city’s Sun newspaper exposed the Credit Mobilier scandal * Massachusetts congressman Oakes Ames, together with director of the union pacific railroad, had formed a construction company which received large government contracts * Furthermore, congressman Ames had distributed shares of the company to other congressman, to official in the cabinet, and to Vice –president Schuyler Colfax * Till 1920 the majority of the US population was engaged in agriculture * Farmers and democratic candidates for office favored the coinage of silver, because some thought banks and financiers in the northwest manipulated the price of gold * March 4th 1874: President Grant began his second term March 11th, 1874: The Wiscons in legislature passed the potter law, which imposed state regulation of railroad freight rates * It was call â€Å"a Granger law†, because a farmer’s association growing in importance, the National Grange of the patrons of husbandry, called the â€Å"Grange† for short, had been pushing for government regulation of rail road freight rates * In 1874 what has been called â€Å"home-rule†, â€Å"the solid south†, and â€Å"the new south† was happening instead of boycotting the reconstructed state government, whites began voting in large numbers again, turning out carpet baggers, scalawags, and radical republicans and replacing them with Democrats * The discovery of gold and silver had been a major factor in drawing people from the east half of the U. S to California in 1849,, to Colorado and Nevada in 1859, and to south Dakota in 1875 * On the seventh ballot, it nominated Ohio governor Ruther Ford B. Hayes for president * June 26th 1876: in the battle of little bighorn, 265 cavalry under the command of Lt. Colonel George A. Custer were killed while pursuing the Sioux in Montana territory * January 16th, 1883: Congress passed a civil service act introduced by senator George H. Pendleton of Ohio, the Pendleton civil service reform act, which set up a three member commission to oversee entrance exams for 14000 federal jobs, to which presidents could add in the future. * February, 1883: The senate ratified a treaty of friendship and commerce between the US and Korea * March 3,1886: Grover Cleveland a democrat took office as president * February 4, 1887: Congress passed the interstate commerce act, which prohibited railroads from discriminating among shippers, prohibited railroads from fixing prices, prohibited railroads from forming pools to divvy traffic among themselves and authorized the formation of a presidentially appointed five members interstate commerce commission to regulate rates. On April 22 1889: President Harrison officially opened part of Indian territory to settlement * July 2, 1890: Congress passed the Sherman antitrust act * The Sherman antitrust act outlawed Rockefeller-like â€Å"trust†, in which shares of stock were exchanged for c ertificates, and it outlawed other combinations and â€Å"conspiracies† which restrained interstate commerce and foreign trade * On May 19,1891, members of the farmer alliances and labor unions meeting in a convention in Cincinnati , Ohio, formed a new people’s or populist party * July 2, 1982: The newly organized populist party in Omaha, Nebraska, and nominated a recently defeated greenback party Iowa congressman, James B. Weaver, for president * The platform of the Populist party called for government ownership of railroads, grain storage facilities, telegraph lines, and telephone line. * It called for the coinage of silver * It called for a graduated income tax * It called for popular election of US senators * It called for the secret ballot Test 2 note * February 18th 1898: a US battleship Maine exploded in Havana Harbor, Cuba * Afterward â€Å"remember the Maine† became a slogan of some American who blames Spain for the explosion and wanted go to war * Apri l 25th congress declare war on Spain * On July 1 – 2, 1898, US infantry under gen. Hamilton S. Hawkins took San Joan Hill to the east of Santiago * Nearby, Colonel ( and recent assistant secretary of the navy ) Theodore Roosevelt, on horse-back, charge up Kettle Hill, followed by the 9th and 10th African American regiment, on foot * February 6th,1899: the US senate ratified the formal treaty ending the Spanish – American war, the treaty of Paris is which Puerto Rico became US possession, the US paid Spain 20 billion for the Philippines and the independence of Cuba was recognized * September 6th,1899, secretary of state John Hay proposed to Britain, Germany, and Russia an â€Å"open door† policy for China: Chinese ports be opened to the trade of all nations * During the 1900 election campaign, both the democratic presidential candidates William Jennings Bryan, and the Republican vice-president candidate Theodore Roosevelt, attacked â€Å"trust† monopoly * December 2nd, 1901: President Roosevelt asserted in his first annual message to congress, â€Å"the go vernment should have the right to inspect and examine the workings of the great corporations engaged in interstate business. * June 17th,1902: congress passed the Newlands reclamation act, authorizing the president to set aside more land for national parks * In august, 1902, president Roosevelt travelled through New England and the Midwest speaking out against abuses of â€Å"trust†, meaning, in the use if the time, monopolies. * President Roosevelt conspired with the former chief engineer of the French construction of a canal across the Isthmus of Panama, Philippe Bunau-Varilla, in organizing a â€Å"revolution† against Columbia * On November 3rd,1903, a revolt against Columbia broke out in panama city with arm distributed by the city fire department * Marines from three US hips prevented Colombian troops from reaching Panama city * November 6th,1903 : secretary of the state john hay recognized the newly established country of Panama * March 14th,1904: the supreme cou rt decided against the northern securities company in the Sherman antitrust case that the Roosevelt administration had brought against the company in 1902 and ordered the dissolution of the company * November 8th, 1904: president Roosevelt won the presidential election, to whom, some historians have asserted, a large percentage of growing urban white-collar vote went. You read "History 1302 Note" in category "Papers" * December 6th, 1904: in his annual message to congress, Roosevelt introduced the Roosevelt the Roosevelt corollary to the Monroe doctrine: the US may act as an â€Å"international police power† in the western hemisphere when â€Å"chronic wrong doing† arises. June 4th, 1906: president Roosevelt released the Reynolds and nulls report, which confirmed unhealthy conditions in meatpacking * June 30th,1906: congress passed the pure food and drug act, which was aimed at mislabeling and adulteration of food, and, on, the same day, congress also passed the meat i nspection act * During 1907 president Roosevelt set aside five national parks, sixteen national monuments, and fifty one wildlife sanctuaries * June 8th, 1908: after the national conservation congress, president Roosevelt appointed a national conservation commission to inventory the country’s natural resources * August, 1910: during a 16 state tour former president Theodore Roosevelt proposed regulation of corporate involvement in politics, a graduated income tax, inheritance taxes, federal labor regulations, conservation, and a tariff commission—all of which were called â€Å"new nationalism† or â€Å"square deal† * June 22nd, 1912: when the republican national convention was adjourning in Chicago, republicans who wanted to run Theodore Roosevelt again for president, instead of Taft, met at another location in Chicago and formed the progressive party, which was also called the â€Å"Bull Moose Party† * December 23rd, 1913: president Wilson signed the Glass-Owens Federal reserve Act, which would go into effect in November, 1914, setting up the federal reserve system of twelve regional bankers’ banks connected to national banks and optionally to state banks * A presidentially appointed board of governors set interest [â€Å"discount†] rates on loans to member banks * April 6th, 1917 congress declared war on Germany * January 1st, 1920 the Red Scared began with US attorney general A. Mitchell palmer’s deportation of 500 resident Russians and arrest of more than 6000 other people, most of whom were released afterward * On June 8-12, 1920, the republican national convention met in Chicago and nominated a tobacco chewing, poker playing, whiskey drinking senator of Ohio, Warren G. Harding, for president and governor Calvin Coolidge of Massachusetts for Vice-president * Harding was remembered particularly for the following line made in a speech a month before the republican convention: â€Å"America’s need is not heroics, but healing, not nostrums, but normalcy† * November 2nd,1920: republican senator warren G. Harding of Ohio won the presidential election with 16152000 popular votes and 404 electoral votes over 9147353 popular votes and 127 electoral votes for democrat James M. Cox * March 4th,1921 Warren G. Harding, republican, took office as president * March 4th, 1923: secretary of interior Albert B. Fall resigned during a senate investigation into the lease of naval oil reserves at Teapot Dome, Wyoming, and Elk Hills, California, without competitive bidding * In addition to the Teapot Dome Scandal, the administration had been shaken by two suicides in March, 1923, and a Senate investigation and resignation of the director of veterans bureau, Charles R. Forbes, for mismanagement * August 2nd, 1923: president Harding died from an embolism in San Francisco during a trip to the West Coast and Alaska * October 24th, â€Å"black Thursday†, and again on October 9th, â€Å"black Tuesday†, 1929, the stock market crashed, beginning the Great Depression * June 27th – July 2nd, 1932: The democratic national convention also met in Chicago and nominate the Governor of New york, Franklin D. Roosevelt, for president * Roosevelt campaigned for a â€Å"New Deal† and accused republicans of catering to special interest and big spending * On March 31th, 1933: Congress created the civilian conservation corps to employ young men in national forest reclamation project * April 19th, 1933: president Roosevelt, supported by act of congress, took the U. S off the gold standard purposely to devaluate the dollar and force the circulation of more money * June 16th, 1933: On the last of day of the Hundred Days, Congress passed the national recovery Act which created the national recovery administration, NRA, to draw up industrial codes, which included minimum wages, maximum hours, and collective bargaining, and created the public works administration, PWA, nder the secretary of the interior to fund public construction project * November 8th, 1933: the civil works administration was created by executive order to employ millions directly, bypassing the need of the state governments to match federal grants offered under federal emergency recovery administration * April 8, 1935 congress passed the emergency relief appropriation act, which authorized the president to disburse 5 billion by executive order for â€Å"work relief and to increase employment by providing useful project * May 6th, 1935: In pursuance of the act, the Works Progress administration, WPA, was set up * From 1933 to 1939 the US national debt had increased to $10,439,000,000 * On December 7th, 1941, Japanese armed forces made a surprise attack on the US pacific base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, as part of its strategy to take the Dutch East Indies, where there was oil Test 3 December 11th, 1941: Germany under Hitler and Italy under Mussolini, allies of Japan, declared war on the US * November 7th, 1942: In operation Torch, US forces under general Dwight D. Eisenhower began landing in Morocco and Algeria * The US forces under General Dwight D. Eisenhower pushed the German and Italian armies toward Tunisia, while the British pushed them from Egypt. * June 6th,1944: D-Day a twelve nation allied expeditionary force (AEF) of 175000 soldiers, 5000 ships, and 6000 airplanes, invaded Normandy, France, from Britain * The invasion was called operation overlord * US General Dwight D. Eisenhower was top commander of the operation * September 12th,1944: US forces began entering Germany August 6th,1945: An US B-29, the â€Å"Enola Gay,† piloted by Colonel Paul Tibbett drop an atomic bomb, â€Å"little boy†, on a site of Japan’s defend industry, Hiroshima * August 9th, 1945: A US B-29, the â€Å"Bockscar,†, piloted by major Charles Sweeny dropped another atomic bomb on a second Japanese defend industry site, Nagasaki * March 5th, 1946: Former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill announced that â€Å"†¦ an iron curtain has descended across Europe† in a speech at Westminster College in Fulton, Missouri * June 23th, 1947: Congress, in which Republi cans outnumbered democrats, passed the Taft-Hartley Act over Truman’s veto * The Taft-Hartley Act authorized courts to issue injunctions imposing a from-sixty-to-eighty-day cooling off period on any strike jeopardizing public health or safety * The Taft Hartley act also made it illegal to use union dues to aid political parties * The Taft Hartley Act made the closed shop, hiring union members only, illegal, but it did not illegalize the union shop, requiring union membership after hire * US secretary of State George C. Marshall indicated that the US would contribute to an European recovery plan that funneled US aid through an organization representing the participating countries, which became known as the â€Å"Marshall Plan† * December 19th, 1947, President Truman presented to Congress the European recovery plan that had been negotiated at Paris, the Marshall Plan, amending, though, the $28 billion originally negotiated to $17 billion * April 3rd, 1948, Congress passed the Foreign Assistance act, which appropriated $4 billion for the â€Å"Marshall plan† * June 28, 1948 The Foreign Aid appropriations Act directed $6 billion to the Marshall Plan and other foreign aid * July 12-15, 1948 The democratic national convention met in Philadelphia and nominated Truman for president * The democratic national convention adopted a civil right plank * July 17, 1948 Southern Democrats, â€Å"Dixiecrats† met in Birmingham, Alabama, formed the States Rights party, nominated Governor Strom Thu rmond of South Carolina for President, and adopted a segregationist plank * July 6, 1948 President Truman ended racial segregation in the US military by executive order and called for an end to racial discrimination in federal jobs * April 4th,1949 Representatives of the US, Canada, Britain, Belgium, Netherlands, Luxemburg, France, Italy, Denmark, Norway, and Iceland signed the north Atlantic security treaty in Washington DC, setting up an anti-communist, west European-North American, defensive alliance, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, NATO * February 7th, 1950 Republican Senator Joe McCarthy of Wisconsin said that there were Communists in the State Department when he gave a speech to a women’s club in Wheeling, West Virginia * 13 days later Senator McCarthy said that he had a list of Communist suspects * July 8th,1950 US general Douglas MacArthur was named Supreme Commander of the UN forces in South Korea, which were made up of mostly US personnel * July 20th, 1950 T he Senate Foreign relations committee reported that Senator Joseph McCarthy’s allegations about Communist in the State Department ( made five months before) were unsubstantiated * July 7-11, 1952 The Republican National convention met in Chicago, and nominated General Dwight David Eisenhower for president and senator Richard M. Nixon of California for vice-president * The Republican national convention’s platform supported a balanced budget, reduction of the national debt, and the Taft-Hartley Act * January 20, 1953 Dwight D. Eisenhower, a republican, was inaugurated president of the United state * July 27, 1954 At Panmunjon, South Korea, near the North Korean border, U. N and North Korean officials signed an armistice and conditions for prisoner exchange * January 12, 1954 Secretary of State John Foster Dulles announced a policy of â€Å"massive retaliation,† which he described as â€Å"keeping a large strategic reserve in the US to counter any communist threat to take over the Free World† * April 7, 1954 President Eisenhower told the press that he favored continuing US aid to the French in Indochina to prevent Southeast Asia becoming a â€Å"falling row of dominoes† to Communism * April 22 to June 17, 1954 A senate subcommittee investigated senator Joseph McCarthy after he had charged that there were Communists in the army, resulting in Senate censure of McCarthy on December 2, 1954 * On December 1, 1955 Mrs. Rosa Parks was arrested for sitting in the front â€Å"white† section of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama * A boycott of the bus system led by a local Baptist minister named Martin Luther King Jr. ollowed * From 1956 to 1959 the US slid into a recession, with declines in sales, productivity, and employment * In response, the Federal Reserve System lowered its discount rate, and Congress funded construction, especially highway construction, which had been proposed by the Eisenhower Administration * September 4-20, 1957 Governor Orville Faubus of Arkansas used the National Guard to block the entry of African America students into Little Rock Central High School till a federal injunction forced the removal of the Guard * September 23, 1957, rioting broke out a Little Rock Central High School * September 25, 1957 President Eisenhower sent the US army in to protect the nine African American students attending Little Rock high School * September 2, 1958 In the aftermath of Sputnik, President Eisenhower signed the National Defense education act, setting aside $800 million over four years for the teaching of science and foreign languages in school and colleges and for loans to college students * At the co nvention Senator Kennedy pushed for medical care for all aged Americans, and, in his acceptance speech, he called for sacrifices on a road to a â€Å"New Frontier† * January 17, 1961 In a live Farewell Address on TV, president Eisenhower warned about the increasing power of a â€Å"military industrial complex† * January 20, 1961 John F. Kennedy, Democrat was inaugurated President of the US * March 1, 1961 By executive order President Kennedy created the Peace Corps, which funded Americans with particular academic knowledge or technical skills in developing countries where the knowledge or skills were needed * March 13, 1961 President Kennedy called for an Alliance for Progress in which US aid would raise health, education, and living standards in central and south America at the grassroots level * During April 17-20, 1961, about 1300 Cuban refugees landed at the Bay of Pigs, Cuba, to enter Cuba to set up a base of operations to overthrow Fidel Castro, but failed * The Cuban refugees had received military training under the auspices of the CIA since the Eisenhower Administration, they had been transported to the Bay of Pigs on US ships, and they had received US air cover * May 25, 1961 In a speech before Congress six weeks after the Soviets had placed a man in orbit, President Kennedy proposed sending a man to the mo on by the end of the century * July 17, 1962 A proposal for Medicare, which president Kennedy supported, was defeated in the senate * October 22-28, 1962 Seven day long â€Å"Cuban Missile Crisis† occurred. President Kennedy demanded the removal of Soviet missiles from Cuba and ordered the navy to interdict any shipment of Soviet missiles to Cuba * As soviet ship approached Cuba, Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev backed off at the last moment in exchange for assurances that the US would not attack Cuba and would remove its missiles from Turkey if the Soviets removed their missiles from Cuba * November 22,1963 President Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas, Texas * January 8, 1964 President Johnson proposed reducing federal spending and proposed a â€Å"war on poverty: in the State of the Union Address * President Johnson increased the number of US military advisor in South Vietnam from 16000 to 21000 * July 2, 1964 a civil rights act outlawed racial discrimination in (1) facilit ies open to the public, (2) unions, and (3) federal employment, and it authorized the US attorney general to sue on the behalf of victims of discrimination * January 4,1965 In the state of the Union address, president Johnson recommended government spending in the areas of education, health care, the arts, urban renewal, reduction of pollution, and elimination of poverty for what he called the â€Å"Great Society† * February 7, 1965 president ordered bombing inside north Vietnam after a Viet Cong attack on a base at Pleiku, which was about 200 miles south of North Vietnam * The bombing would continue for three years, till March 31, 1968 * March 15, 1965 President Johnson sent a proposal for a voting rights bill to congress Test 4 July 28, 1965 President Johnson announced that he was sending 50000 more military personnel to South Vietnam, bringing the total to 125000 * July 30, 1965 President Johnson signed the Medicare Act in Independence, Missouri, in the presence of former President Harry Truman, who had pushed for national health care * August 6, 1965 President Johnson sign voting rights act, which authorized the suspension of literacy tests and the placement of federal registrars at locations where less than 50% of eligible voters had registered * November 3, 1966 President Johnson signed the Clean water restoration act, which was directed toward lakes and rivers * President Johnson signed the Air Quality Act, which appropriated $428,300,000 over three year to decrease air pollution * March 31, 1968 President Johnson stopped an any bombing above the 21st parallel in North Vietnam, which included Hanoi, and announced that he would not run for re-election * April 11, 1968 president Johnson signed a civil rights act supporting open housing * October 31,1968 president Johnson announced that all bombing of North Vietnam would stop the next day, November 1, 1968 * June 8,1969 president Nixon began the withdrawal of 250000 US military personnel from South Vietnam, explaining it as a turn-over of the war to the South Vietnamese, which the press called â€Å"Vietnamization† * September 16,1969 President Nixon further implemented â€Å"Vietnamization† by the withdrawal of 35000 more US military personnel from South Vietnam * April – November the US and Soviet Union negotiated a Nuclear non-proliferation Treaty in the Strategic Arms Limitation talks, SALT * April 20, 1970 president Nixon continued â€Å"Vietnamization† by withdrawal of 150000 more US military personnel from South Vietnam * April 30 – June 9, 1970 US ground forces crossed into Cambodia from south VN to destroy enemy supply bases – after having conducted 3500 secret bombing attacks inside Cambodia since 1969 * November 12, 1971 President Nixon continued â€Å"Vietnamization† by withdrawing 45000 more US military personnel from south Vietnam * November, 1971 – January, 1973 President Nixon imposed guidelines for wages and for prices, which he had been authorized to do by an act, the Economic Stabilization Act, recently passed by Congress * January 13, 1972 President Nixon continued â€Å"Vietnamization† policy by withdrawing 70000 more US military personnel from south VN * In February, 1972, President Nixon visited Communist China * The trip resulted in a joint communique announcing that steps would be make do normalize relations between the US and Communist China, which would be six years away , and announcing US recognition of Taiwan as part of China * May 26, 1972 President Nixon and Soviet premier Leonid Brezhnev agreed in Moscow to work for â€Å"peaceful coexistence† and signed, the Strategic Arms Limitation Treaty, SALT, which was ratified by the US senate in August * June 17, 1972 five men employed by the Committee to re-elect the President broke into the offices of the Democratic national committee at the Watergate hotel in Washington, DC. August 12, 1972 President Nixon br ought his â€Å"Vietnamization† policy to a conclusion by withdrawing US ground combat forces remaining in South VN * In October, 1972, the house of Judiciary committee began nearly 2 years of impeachment proceedings against president Nixon * The impeachment proceedings were the result of senate and special prosecutor investigations into the Watergate break-in in June, 1972, which contradicted a denial by president Nixon that he had anything to do with an attempted cover – up of the break-in * January 27,1973 US, South VN, Viet Cong, and North Vietnamese representatives signed a cease-fire agreement in Paris, France * June 13, 1973 President Nixon re-imposed guidelines on retail prices because of inflation * August 9, 1974 Facing the possibility of impeachment as a result of the Congressional investigations into Watergate, President Nixon resigned * July 15,1976 The democratic national convention met in New york city and nominated a Washington outsider, former engineer , naval, officer, farmer, and governor of Georgia, James E. Carter, for president * February 24, 1977 President Carter announced curtailment of foreign aid to governments violating human rights * August 4,1977 the department of energy was created On September 7, 1977, president Carter signed a treaty to turn the panama canal zone over to panama in October, 1979, and to turn the canal itself to panama in 1999, and the US senate would ratify treaty in march 1978 * September, 1978 Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin, President Carter, and Egyptian president Anwar Sadat met at Camp David, Maryland, to negotiate a way to end the state of war that had continued between Egypt and Israel since Israel’s beginning in 1948 * On February – April, 1979, President Carter placed priced controls on oil in the US following a US embargo on Iranian oil and a 50% OPEC price hike * The embargo on oil from Iran had been imposed after Shah Pahlavi was overthrown in January by Shia Muslims under the leadership of an imam named Rubollah Khomeini * September 27, 1979 Congress approved President Carter’s request for the creation of a separate department of education * November 4,1979 students took 66 US citizens in the US embassy in Tehran, Iran, hostage, in protest of the US’s allowing Shah Pahlavi to come to the US for medical treatment * April 25, 1980, US military landed overnight near Tehran, Iran to rescue the US hostages but mishaps with the aircraft scuttled the operation * July 16, 1980 The Republican National convention met in Detroit, Michigan, and nominated former announcer and actor Ronald Reagan for president * Ronald Reagan ran on a platform calling for cuts in government spending, for strengthening national defense, and for holding the line on taxes * November 4, 1980 Ronald Reagan defeated Carter’s bid for re-election with an electoral vote of 489 to 49 and a popular vote of 43,899,248 to 36,481,435 * President Reagan’s policy of reducing taxes for business and people with high incomes in anticipation that economic growth would more than make up the difference was called â€Å"supply-side economics,† â€Å"trickle-down economics,† and â€Å"Reaganomics† * July 16-19, 1984 The democratic national convention met in san Francisco, California, and nominated former Vice-president Walter Mondale for president and New York congresswoman Geraldine Ferraro for Vice-President, the first woman to be nominated for the vice-presidency * Between November 3-6, 1986 the New York times and Washington post ran reports that representatives of Ronald Reagan, before he took office, had covertly agreed to the shipment of pare parts and ammunition from the US to Iran in exchange for the release of the hostages on January 20,1981, the day Reagan would take office * November 25, 1986, reports circulated that money received from the sale of arms to Iran had been funneled to the contras in Nicaragua during the period congress had only approved humanitarian aid * July 7-24, 1987 Congressional hearings were held on the reported exchange of arms for the hostages in Iran and diversion of profits to the Contras in Nicaragua, what became known as the Iran-Contra Affair * Secretary of State George Shultz and other administration officials were reluctant to identify the higher-up who had oversight of the exchange and diversion * On June 3,1989, from 300 to 400 pro-democracy demonstrators were at Tiananmen Square in Beijing as the Communist leaders of the people’s republic of China began a Military crackdown in which thousands may have perished * In June 26 1990, in what appeared to many contradict a statement at the 1988 Republican national convention, â€Å"read my lips. No new taxes,† President Bush stated that â€Å"tax revenue increases† would be needed to reduce the deficit. * On August 2,1990 President Bush denounced an invasion and annexation of Kuwait by Iraq as â€Å"naked aggression† and warned the military dictator of Iraq, Saddam Hussein, that the aggression â€Å"will not stand† * September 11, 1990 President Bush stated to joint session of Congress that administration’s policy to oppose control of southwest Asian oil resources by Saddam Hussein, whom he viewed as a brutal, unpredictable dictator. * On January 12, 1991. Congress authorized President Bush to use ground to liberate Kuwait * On January 17,1991, after the expiration of an U. N deadline for Iraqi forces to evacuate Kuwait, US and a coalition of air forces began six weeks of attacks, called Operation desert Storm, targeting communications, nuclear and chemical weapons facilities, artillery, tanks, and troop positions in Iraq * August 15, 1991 four year after the beginning of the congressional hearings into the Iran-contra Affair, President Bush signed a bill requiring Presidents to report all covert action to congress and to authorized all covert actions in advance with a written presidential finding * February 21,1992 a little over two year after Tiananmen Square, the Bush administration lifted US trade sanctions against the People’s Republic of China * May 19, 1992 the 27th amendment was ratified, preventing a Congress form making salary increases for its members before the next Congressional election. July 16, 1992 the democratic national convention met in New York City nominated Governor Bill Clinton of Arkansas for president * Governor Bill Cli nton of Arkansas campaigned as a â€Å"new democrat† and criticized supply-side economics, saying it had produced the highest federal deficit ever. * Governor Clinton placed emphasis on the global economy and promotion of democracy abroad, and he supported air strikes in Bosnia and human rights in China * November 3, 1992 Democratic presidential candidate Bill Clinton won the election, receiving 44909889 popular votes, which gave him an electoral vote of 370, to president Bush’s 36481435 popular votes and 168 electoral votes and Ross Perot’s 5719437 popular votes. How to cite History 1302 Note, Papers

Article Review on Workplace Collaboration for Business Management

Question: Write about theArticle Review on Workplace Collaboration for Business Management. Answer: Summary of the article Due to the change in the business trends and activities, collaboration is strongly needed in the workplace. According to the reports, collaborative outputs have increased more than 50%. As the competition between the brands has intensified, the need for teamwork has attained necessity in terms of completing the projects within the stipulated time (Rosemann and Brocke 2015). The major drive behind this is the globalization of the business. This globalization has enriched the workplace diversity. Countering this, globalization has generated conflicts, discriminations and harassments within the workplace. These issues contradict the coordination and unity, represented by teamwork. Key questions According to the recent surveys, the time spent by the managers on cooperating the team members has expanded. It has been found that most of the company managers spent 80% of their times in assisting the staffs so that they can indulge in teamwork. Here, one of an essential question is how the leaders encourage the business? Role of leaders is crucial in terms of providing motivation and encouragement to the team members (Chang 2016). This is in terms of enhancing the efficiency in the business activities. One of the other questions in this context is the types of collaborations the companies and organizations adopt. Collaboration is dependent on the workplace requirements. For this, the team formation is a vital step. Taking into consideration Tuckmans stages of team development is helpful in terms of creating strong and flexible team. The surveys reveal that the distribution of the work among the employees is lop-sided. Most of the collaborative outputs come from the employees (Jacobs, Chase and Lummus 2014). The phrase, In Demand yet disengaged reflects the issue of low engagement to the workplace issues in case of the topmost position in the organizational hierarchy. These personnel are considered as an important source of collaborators. The evidence of this lies in taking valuable lessons while leaving the organization. Herein lays one of the other most important question, the time criteria adopted in the workplace for equal distribution of the tasks among the staffs. The phase discovers a related question, What is the role of the top performers in collaboration? Distribution of the tasks within the staffs begins from the organization itself. This is with adequate planning for the achievement of positive results (Wheelen et al. 2017). This planning includes the consideration of the supply and demand, which needs to adhered for the efficient execution of the business activities. Surveys and feedback reflect the effectiveness of the task distribution among the staffs. Mention can be made of tools like Do.com monitors enhance the awareness of the managers regarding the time taken by the managers and the employees towards the business activities. Literature review Concept of collaboration in workplace Teamwork is necessary in the present age in terms of coping up with the intense external pressure and forces of the market. Teamwork helps in completion of the challenging and enduring tasks within the stipulated time (Harmon 2015). The role of the managers is crucial for the achievement of best results in exposure of collaborative output. For this, the assistant managers need to send drafts about the formation of the teams, allotment of the workplace and the tasks to the team members. This activity engages the topmost personnel in the workplace activities. These drafts reflect the reflective practices adopted by the personnel for executing the business activities. The main component in the types of collaboration involves the behavioral science of the personnel. Herein lays the appropriateness of the concept of behavioral change. This change is the change of the personnel upon receiving the instructions of exposing collaborative output (Kerzner and Kerzner 2017). These behavioral changes has both positive and negative connotations. Positive connotation relates to the enthusiasm of the staffs in terms of indulging in teamwork with the colleagues. Negative connotation is related to the aspects of conflicts, discriminations and harassments, which contradict the aspect of unity, coordination and integrity within the workplace. Behaviors towards collaboration Pressurization is also one of the behaviors, which brings noticeable changes in the performance of the staffs. The staffs have differing and wide-ranging grasping power towards the workplace issues. Provision of adequate motivation and encouragement to the staffs generates an urge within the staffs for exposing better performance (Rees et al. 2015). Sometimes, the staffs are hesitant towards working with others. This is in terms of averting the clashes and conflicts. Here, the managers need to play the role of the guardian in terms of guiding the staffs. One of the other aspects of the behavior change is the intake of the information, which is being shared among the staffs. Some of the staffs are interested enough for learning the information shared by the colleagues. Yet some other staffs expose disinterest towards intaking the information shared by the others. These behavioral specifications reflect the functions of the software Basecamp, which allows the staffs to create a boundary around them for preventing any external information (Czajkowski and Salort 2017). Countering this, the boundary obstructs the growth and development of the employees, which is harmful for the enhancement of professionalism. The software offers the employees with a choice, which reflects the concern of the managers towards the wellbeing of the employees. The access to the personnel reflects the addition of values for the investments made towards exposing the appropriate attitude towards carrying out the business activities. Respect towards the efforts of the employees adds new vigor and energy into them. This respects forms the keystone in enhancing the stability in the relationship between the management and the employees (Ross and Ressia 2015). Example can be given of Fortune, where 60% of the employees have been found to spend 60% of the time on the production of collaborative output. Interestingly, the rest of the 40% preferred to spend their time in taking coaching, training or monitoring the performance of the employees. The request of the employees was placed before the management. The managerial authorities spent quality time in making plans for ensuring the wellbeing of the employees. After minute speculation of the request, the managers affirmed the decision of the staffs. Once the requests of the staffs were respected, the re were fewer mistakes in the performance of the employees (Yew and Goh 2016). Technology and the work space The managers of Dropbox discarded the thought of meetings, as it needed lot of time for emailing the matter to the respective departments. The suspension period was two weeks. This incident represents the lack of coordination between the personnel in terms of exposing appropriate attitude towards the workplace activities. This step of the managers alarmed the employees regarding the importance of meetings within the workplace issues. The immediate outcome was the preparation of agenda for the meetings. One of the other steps was addition into the workforce, which proved ineffective in terms of organizing productive meetings (Logan 2017). Ineffective meetings relates with encountering instances like customer and employee turnover, resulting in huge losses. Transparency in the technological devices and the personal space assures the employees regarding the services of the companies and organizations. This assurance is necessary in terms of exposing productive and collaborative output for fulfillment of the identified and the specified objectives. Mention can be made of the tools Slack and Salesforce.com, which enhances the awareness of the employees regarding the various workplace issues. Along with this, tools like Syndio and Volometrix proves beneficial in terms of enhancing the decision-making process of the employees through the means of accessing the networks (Ammentorp and Madden 2018). Structural changes Structural changes alter the collaboration needed in the workplace. Allocating the duties and responsibilities to the personnel according to the skills, expertise and knowledge of the personnel proves helpful. This is in terms of convincing them towards adopting the changes. However, this is impossible if the staffs are entrusted with heavy responsibilities. In most of the organizations, it is seen that half of the personnel are collaborators. Overlaps in the organizational structure can topple the organizational hierarchy. Some of the employees are overwhelmed upon getting easier projects that they deviate from the focus (Lee and Bonk, 2014). This is the reason why they expose poor performance. Herein lays the role of the managers regarding the equal distribution of work between the staffs. Tools like network analysis, peer recognition programs and value added performance metrics hold prime importance in the workplace. Practical examination on one of the life science companies resulted in twists and turns in the employee structure. The managers feared about losing corporate minds. The same experiment on a consultancy company resulted in the introduction of retention bonuses for the leaders. This bonus was a means for luring the leaders for effective management of the business activities (Sawyer 2017). These bonuses can be considered as the means for encouraging the leaders for effective regulation of the business activities. This approach went in vain, as it lacked the consideration of those employees, who are heavily involved within the workplace activities. Mention needs to be made of Network Analytics, which helped in restoring equality within the employees. Transfer of knowledge Sharing of information generates teamwork within the team members. However, rationality needs to be maintained in this sharing, as wrong and incorrect information leads to conflicts and differentiation of opinions. Here, all of the personnel need to be considered for the achievement of positive results in terms of collaboration (Ammentorp and Madden 2018). Collaboration between the personnel is important for handling all types of clients for carrying out the business transactions in an efficient and effective manner. Lucrative schemes, offers and discounts are needed in terms of retaining the staffs into the workplace conditions. Bonuses can lure the leaders towards taking the charge of managing the team members. However, adequate planning is needed in terms of planning for the changes in the workplace issues and conditions. True essence of collaboration One of the criterias highlighted is the generation of revenue. This means that the needs, demands and requirements of the employees are compromised for the enhancement of the profit margin (Yew and Goh 2016). This approach contradicts the true essence of collaboration. Here, one of the other considerations is ensuring that the staffs have adequately catered to the colleagues grasping power. Consciousness towards this direction is the main agent in terms of bringing collaboration within the workplace. For this, the power and authority needs to be placed on the hands of such personnel, who emerge successful in maintaining the balance between the individual needs of the employees and the organizational requirements (Rees et al. 2015). Conclusion Collaboration acts as an address for the potential challenges faced by the companies and organizations in the competitive ambience. Mostly, the leaders fail to recognize the kind of collaborative effort needed for fulfilling the identified goals and objectives. This understanding is crucial in terms of gaining an insight into the needs, demands and requirements of the clients. Hiring collaboration officers have proved effective in terms of enhancing unity and coordination between the departmental units. This unity and coordination is essential in terms of enhancing the efficiency in the business activities. References Ammentorp, L. and Madden, L., 2018, January. Learning From Others: Developing Preservice Teachers Workplace Skills. InThe Educational Forum(Vol. 82, No. 1, pp. 85-96). Routledge. Chang, J.F., 2016.Business process management systems: strategy and implementation. CRC Press. Czajkowski, J.W. and Salort-Pons, S., 2017. Building a Workplace that Supports Educator-Curator Collaboration.Visitor-Centered Exhibitions and Edu-Curation in Art Museums, pp.237-48. Harmon, P., 2015. The scope and evolution of business process management. InHandbook on business process management 1(pp. 37-80). Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. Jacobs, F.R., Chase, R.B. and Lummus, R.R., 2014.Operations and supply chain management(pp. 533-535). New York, NY: McGraw-Hill/Irwin. Kerzner, H. and Kerzner, H.R., 2017.Project management: a systems approach to planning, scheduling, and controlling. John Wiley Sons. Lee, H. and Bonk, C.J., 2014. Collaborative learning in the workplace: Practical issues and concerns.International Journal of Advanced Corporate Learning (iJAC),7(2), pp.10-17. Logan, S., 2017. SoftServes workplace launch for global collaboration.Strategic HR Review,16(5), pp.207-210. Rees, C.S., Breen, L.J., Cusack, L. and Hegney, D., 2015. Understanding individual resilience in the workplace: the international collaboration of workforce resilience model.Frontiers in psychology,6, p.73. Rosemann, M. and vom Brocke, J., 2015. The six core elements of business process management. InHandbook on business process management 1(pp. 105-122). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. Ross, P. and Ressia, S., 2015. Neither office nor home: Coworking as an emerging workplace choice.Employment Relations Record,15(1), p.42. Sawyer, K., 2017.Group genius: The creative power of collaboration. Basic Books. Wheelen, T.L., Hunger, J.D., Hoffman, A.N. and Bamford, C.E., 2017.Strategic management and business policy. pearson. Yew, E.H. and Goh, K., 2016. Problem-based learning: an overview of its process and impact on learning.Health Professions Education,2(2), pp.75-79.

Adidass Strategy

Adidass Strategy Free Online Research Papers What is adidass corporate strategy? â€Å"To lead the sporting goods industry with brands built on a passion for sports and a sporting lifestyle. To provide athletes with the best possible equipment to optimize their performance. Leveraging opportunities across their brand portfolio 1.Market penetration – gaining market share across all markets in which they compete 2.Market development – expanding into new markets and addressing new consumer segments To have a leading market positions in all regions where we compete. Leading though innovation and design Customizing distribution 1.Mono-branded stores run by retail partners 2.Shop-in-shops that Adidas establish with their key accounts 3.Joint ventures with their retail partners 4.Co-branded stores with sports organizations or other brands Creating shareholder value† Was there a common strategic approach used in managing the companys lineup of sporting goods businesses prior to its 2005–2006 restructuring? No, Adidas was trying to regain the number one position within the sporting goods industry by investing in many different areas of sporting goods. â€Å"Adidas’s 1998 acquisition of Salomon had several businesses that adidas’s management viewed as attractive-its Salomon ski division was the leading producer of ski equipment: TaylorMade Golf was the second-largest seller of golf equipment; and Mavic was the leading producer of high-performance bicycle wheels and rims.† Adidas was not focused on athletic footwear and started selling bike wheels and rims that had nothing in common with their main business of athletes’ footwear. Also the ski division was out of line with their many main business goals and strategies. Has the corporate strategy changed with restructuring? Yes, Adidas sold the divisions that were not inline with their main strategy or didn’t have noting in common with their main business. â€Å"Adidas announced near the end of its second quarter 2005 that it would divest its winter sports brands and Mavic bicycle components before the end of the year.† Adidas started focusing on its main business strategies and divisions that were in common with the strategies. â€Å"Adidas’s October 2005 announcement that it would acquire Reebok International Ltd for three point eight billion was the final component of a restructuring initiative that would focus the company’s business lineup primarily on athletic footwear and apparel and golf equipment by 2006.† With the restructuring and acquisition of Reebok the company strategy has changed. The new Adidas will start focusing on their core business strengths in the athletic footwear and apparel business. The combined companies will offer the spectrum of their product mix to gain a greater combined market share. â€Å"The brand adidas will continue to have a clear focus on sport performance and will highlight team sports, while brand Reebok will be positioned as a fitness oriented, sports-lifestyle brand with the focus on individual performance. The positioning will also be reflected in the distinct brand communication to reach different consumers.† What is your evaluation of adidass 1998 acquisition of Salomon SA? Adidas should have not acquired Salomon SA since they did not have the knowledge to run the division and it made adidas to diverse. â€Å"A Merrill Lynch analyst suggested that the Salomon acquisition might prove troublesome for adidas since other athletic shoe companies had dabbled in the hard goods segment, but they have been unsuccessful to date in making inroads.† By adidas becoming too diverse, they were unable to capitalize on any value chains and unable to cross promote their products. The acquisition did give adidas more market share â€Å"Adidas’s 1.5 billion acquisition of Salomon allowed it to surpass Reebok to become the world’s second-largest sporting goods company† This was not a good business decision because adidas already owned Reebok and just because they gain market share showed that the end result would not be profitable (bigger is not always better). Did the acquisition achieve the Robert Louis-Dreyfuss objective of putting together the best portfolio of sports brands in the world? NO. Louis-Dreyfus used 100 percent debt financing to create adidas-Salomon thinking that the new business units would boost adidas’s pretax profit by 20-25 percent, however, Louis-Dreyfus’s projections never materialized. In 2000 Louis-Dreyfus resigned since his objective failed. What does a 9-cell industry attractiveness/business strength matrix displaying adidas-Salomons business units look like? A 9-cell industry attractiveness/business strength matrix for the time would have showed that the combination of adidas and Salomon AS would not be a good fit. Adidas brought to the deal a company that had underestimated the competitor (Nike), falling to the eighth position of athletic footwear market within the United States. Their was no competitive advantage for adidas within an maturing industry. Both adidas and Salomon had challenges within their industries that were not fix or address before or during the merger. Did adidass business lineup prior to the divestiture of Salomon and Mavic exhibit good strategic fit? No, at first it looks like a very good fit since both companies are in the sporting goods industry and having well known brand names. Both of them have strong apparel lines and having presence in similar geographical regions. However, it’s obvious that the hard-goods categories of Salomon and Mavic would not create synergies with the apparel and footwear industries of adidas. Skill transfers between the businesses would have been a problem to because each business was so different. What value-chain match ups existed? Adida’s knowledge in the apparel and footwear industries were a good match up for running TaylorMade, Salomon, etc. footwear and apparel lines. What opportunities for skills transfer, cost sharing, or brand sharing were evident? Adidas should have gain more bargaining power that should have resulted in cost savings for all the companies. Advertising cost could have been shared since all the companies are in the sporting goods industry. TaylorMade can use adidas’s apparel and footwear manufacturing strengths to its advantage to come up with more apparel and footwear products to increase its market share. Cost reduction learned from adidas could be used at TaylorMade to save money. What strategic fits will be possible once Reebok International is acquired? Reebok will give adidas’s company the ability to position adidas as a technologically superior shoe designed for athletes and adidas can then focus on the high-end of the markets. Reebok would be positioned as leisure shoes that would sell at middle price points. Adidas can keep endorsement contracts with respected athletes and Reebok’s endorsements would be from more edgy celebrities. This is a great strategic fit since both companies are in the same line of business, but in different segments of the market and so they compliment each other. Another great fits is that Reebok would keep its CEO to lead Reebok after the acquisition so both companies will have the management that knows how to run their part of the business. Did adidass business lineup exhibit good resource fit between 1998 and 2004? No, because the businesses were too different in order to gain any economies of scale from combined production. Management skills and employee skills could not be moved from one company to the other without retraining. What were the financial characteristics of each of three major segments? Exhibit 5 Adidas 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 Net Sales 80% 79% 78% 79% 80% 83% 85% Gross profit 75% 71% 71% 71% 75% 82% 86% Operating profit 88% 78% 75% 74% 79% 87% 94% Salomon 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 Net Sales 10% 10% 10% 12% 12% 11% 10% Gross profit 8.47% 9% 10% 12% 12% 10% 9% Operating profit 2% 7% 9% 13% 12% 6% 1% TaylorMade 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 1999 1998 Net Sales 10% 10% 11% 9% 8% 6% 5% Gross profit 9.74% 10% 12% 11% 4% 7% 6% Operating profit 10% 14% 16% 13% 9% 6% 5% Salomon was far behind Adidas and TaylorMade with operating profit declining from 2002. As of 2004 Salomon is getting to the point where it is just able to cover expenses. Which businesses might have been considered cash hogs and cash cows? Adidas is the cash cow with 75% gross profit. Solomon is the cash hog with only 9% operating profits then TaylorMade is the second cash hog How did adidas-Salomons performance vary by geographic region? On average from 1998 2004 Europe with 51% of adidas’s sales Asian with 16% of adidas’s sales Latin American with 3% of adidas’s sales Based on your analysis of adidas-Salomon businesses, did the 2005 restructuring make sense? Yes It allowed adidas to focus back on its core business of athletic footwear and apparel. At also allowed adidas to get rid of businesses that it was unable to manage. Does it appear the acquisition of Reebok International will produce positive results for shareholders? Yes, since adidas sales has gained more market share in china, overtaking Nike within that business region. What strategic actions should adidas CEO Herbert Hainer initiate to improve the companys financial and market performance now that the restructuring is nearing completion? Grow in other location out side of Europe. Adidas must increase market share in North America. Either sell or get the Salomon’s division more profitable. Focus on getting more business within the basketball area’s were Nike is slam dunking them at the hoops. Work Cited adidas-group.com/en/investor/strategy/default.asp Crafting and Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage- Concepts and Cases, 15th ed., by Arthur A. Thompson Jr, A. J. Strickland III, and John E. Gamble (New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2007). Crafting and Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage- Concepts and Cases, 15th ed., by Arthur A. Thompson Jr, A. J. Strickland III, and John E. Gamble (New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2007). Crafting and Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage- Concepts and Cases, 15th ed., by Arthur A. Thompson Jr, A. J. Strickland III, and John E. Gamble (New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2007). businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/aug2005/nf2005088_0844_db008.htm Crafting and Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage- Concepts and Cases, 15th ed., by Arthur A. Thompson Jr, A. J. Strickland III, and John E. Gamble (New York: Mc Graw-Hill/Irwin, 2007). Crafting and Executing Strategy: The Quest for Competitive Advantage- Concepts and Cases, 15th ed., by Arthur A. Thompson Jr, A. J. Strickland III, and John E. Gamble (New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin, 2007). Research Papers on Adidas's StrategyAnalysis of Ebay Expanding into AsiaMarketing of Lifeboy Soap A Unilever ProductOpen Architechture a white paperDefinition of Export QuotasBionic Assembly System: A New Concept of SelfPETSTEL analysis of IndiaIncorporating Risk and Uncertainty Factor in CapitalThe Project Managment Office SystemTwilight of the UAWRelationship between Media Coverage and Social and

QUIZ What Type of Student Are You

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Business Economics 1 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Business Economics 1 - Essay Example As third world countries are moving into the industrialized world, the demand is growing. As this evolution of the world is taking place, more oil is being drawn from the earth, which means one day the oil supply will dry up (Presswire). That does bring about the question of whether or not supply is an issue since we are told frequently that one day the earth will not yield anymore oil. But as the oil prices go up, one will find that it is because demand is not staying the same. This is making the aspect of supply a little less of a contributor to the increase in oil prices. When using an oil demand curve chart, the demand becomes vertical, but when looking at both the supply and demand curves, one can see that both have been increasing at the same rate for the past twenty years. Yet recently, the supply curve has not moved at all while the demand curve has increased. If supply cannot keep up with demand, then the prices will seen an increase. We probably won't see an increase in the supply aspect until supply reaches maximum production. When this maximum production or extraction of oil occurs, we will see another increase in the price of oil due to the decline of supply until true maximum production is reached. ... Chances are, the extreme fluctuations in oil prices for the past few years has been due to the fact that maximum production has been reached, which lowers demand. This decrease in demand leads to a decrease in prices just as a decrease in supply leads to an increase in prices. When these price increases happens, the economy sees a recession and when decreases occur everyone feels that all is well (valuesystem). Supply influences Unfortunately, the supply to a specific market will not be constant. There are several different factors that influence supply such as: Price: High prices will influence producers to supply more oil Cost of production: These are the costs that are associated with the productive resources used to bring the oil to the market. These costs can include labour costs, the cost of materials, etc. Technological innovations: Oil companies can reduce various costs through new technological innovations that allow them to perform in a more efficient manner at a lower cost. Objectives of the producer: A lot of times the supply of oil can also be dependent upon profit maximisation. There are certain objectives that oil companies have in mind, which can distort our perception of how the supply aspect is really working. There are also other things such as labour force and climate change that can influence supply. These are just some of the factors that can influence the supply aspect of oil that, in turn, influences the fluctuations in cost. Yet supply is only half of the equation since demand is also a very important part of the supply and demand economic theory (Souster). Demand influences Demand is the amount of goods and

Unknown Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Unknown - Thesis Example This interesting because in 1692, witchcraft was considered a crime in the United States and anybody who is tried for the crime will be denied legal counsel. US legal system was also flawed at that time and could even be considered worst than the most fatalistic government today. During that time, anybody can be convicted by just an accusation that a person was seen in a dream committing the crime (spectral evidence) where gossips and hearsays were used as evidence (Linder, 2009). An accused is also tried on the basis of either he or she is with God or against God (McGill, 1981) where evidences were based on religion instead of facts (Eugen, 1959). And yes, America hanged their convicts too especially when it involves witchcraft. This piece of America’s history is not that popular because it ran counter to cherished value that we now enjoy. Yet at some point, America was like her critic that would make this research an interesting excursion into America’s dark

Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Marketing - Essay Example The particular product selected for the research was nothing but a big-name energy drink ‘Red Bull’. To study this impact, the research approach used was ‘experimental’ and subjects were ‘personally’ contacted by the experimenter. In the experiment, the subjects were made to play a car racing video game where each was assigned a racecar which was functionally identical yet differing in terms of brand logos and color schemes including the logos of Guinness, Tropicana, Coca Cola, and Red Bull. The different brands were actually reflecting different brand identities. This experimental research found that the players racing the Red bull car competed with speed, recklessness, power, and aggressiveness – attributes that have been identified with the brand throughout its marketing programs. The players raced either inspiringly by winning or horribly by crashing, reflecting the associated extreme dimensions confined in the brand’s attribut es. In this way, the performance of Red Bull car racers was revealing the brand’s attributes among the racers even this impact was unknown to them. This finding can also be generalized to the behavioral influence of other energy drinks on consumer behavior or even to brands having an established, prominent personality.

Whole School Approach To Behaviour For Learning Education Essay

Whole School Approach To Behaviour For Learning Education Essay B4L is a concept that has been developed through a review of effective behaviour management strategies. It has been identified that B4L is a result of a multitude of influences and not merely the desire of a learner to misbehave and unwillingness to learn. B4L identifies the link between students social conduct and behaviour and the way in which they learn. The study will focus on policies and practice to promote B4L. Research has identified the importance of motivating learners by improving teaching, making learning enjoyable in reducing behavioural issues and promoting B4L. Schools with good or outstanding teaching almost always have outstanding behaviour. The most successful schools set expectations of staff to deliver lessons that were varied and interesting, this has proven to increase attendance as well as reduce the incidence of unacceptable behaviour in lessons. The study identifies the importance of consistency within the application of policies, it also identifies a number of areas for improvement to promote B4L including the rewards system and use of detentions. Further research identifies the link between outstanding teaching B4L. Every opportunity to reward praise students should be taken, through verbal communication and point allocation. It is important that any policy in place is agreed and embraced by all staff to ensure that it is delivered consistently. Introduction The need to manage behaviour has long been an issue within schools. With the push on raising attainment, the development of Special Educational Needs (SEN) provision and the increase in policy, to be inclusive of all learners irrespective of their academic level or their social behaviour. It has been identified that 20% of all SEN learners have Social Emotional Behavioural Difficulties (SEBD) (Department for Children, Schools Families, (DCSF) 2009). The schools policy sets out high expectations of students, We expect students to reflect this in their appearance, attitudes and behaviour. We know we are moulding the citizens of the future and will encourage them to care for one another, be open, fair, honest and just. We want them to have a sense of pride in being part of our school community. (Appendix 1). Further to this the schools vision is to raise achievement by developing a culture where learning is at the heart of the school community. To achieve this vision the school identifies whole school priorities for 2010/2011 including improving behaviour and attendance. It also stated that the school will focus on incorporating Social, Emotional aspects of Learning (SEAL) practice in the classroom, which has been identified as an important key in developing learners emotional intelligence (Goleman, 1996 cited in Capel, Leask Turner 2009, p.141) providing learners with the skill set to monitor and improve their behaviour independently. It was clearly identified in the School Development Plan that Behaviour for learning (B4L) is a targeted area for improvement (Appendix 1). This was reinforced as a high priority area during staff meetings and subsequent correspondence from the Head Teacher. Issues that arose were the use of mobile phones MP3 players within lessons, consistency in the application of sanctions and use of rewards (Appendix 2). It is interesting to note that these both encompass the teacher and the learner identifying the diversity of the issues. It would be interesting to further enquire as to whether the use of mobile phones within lessons is a B4L issue or a sign of disengagement due to other factors. Understandably there is a close link between the quality of learning, teaching and behaviour, and therefore raises the question Can behaviour be improved through improving the quality of learning teaching? The school clearly identifies that there is a need to reinforce their policies on B4L. Through i nitial observation around the school it was interesting to note the overall behaviour of students occurring both in and out of lessons, there was frequent use of inappropriate language, fighting and a significant littering problem. During lessons students often refused to do any work, persistently had their mobile phones out and there was significant level of unrequired talking during lessons. This posed the question Is the school being pro-active in managing behaviour for learning or re-active to behaviour that has now reached undesirable levels? Behaviour management is often flagged as an area that Initial Teacher Education (ITE) students feel they would benefit from having greater support in when entering the profession of teaching (Buell et al., 1999 cited in Powell, S, Tod, J, 2004). This has been met by the expectations set by the Teacher Training Agency (TTA) via the Qualifying to Teach, the new standards and requirements for Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) (TTA, 2002). B4L is a concept that has been developed through a review of effective behaviour management strategies. It has been identified that B4L is a result of multitude of influences and not merely the desire of a learner to misbehave and unwillingness to learn. It is important to identify the theoretical principles behind the way in which learners manifest themselves in terms of behaviour (Powell, S, Tod, J, 2004). B4L identifies the link between students social conduct and behaviour and the way in which they learn. Recent national policy has moved away from a punitive system where students were punished for doing something wrong, known as being reactive, and are now working towards understanding what causes learners to be off task and display undesirable behaviour, pro-active, as supported by Weare (2004 cited in in Capel, Leask Turner, 2009, p.141) who suggested that a punitive approach tends to worsen or create the problems it is intended to eradicate. Punishment alienates children from their teacher and does nothing to build up trust which is the foundation of relationships. National policy now promotes the inclusion of a greater diversity of learners in schools irrespective of level of achievement or social behaviour (Department for Education Employment (DfEE), 1999). It is important for schools to recognise this and develop strategies to promote B4L as over 20% of SEN provisions are learners with SEBD (DCSF, 2009). SEBD learners by nature can display undesirable behaviour unless managed in a positive way, so would it not be deemed unacceptable from an education professionals view for a learner predisposed to display poor behaviour, to fall victim to punitive actions? It is therefore important for schools to have a well-structured B4L policy that coincides with the SEN policy. In order for schools to develop an effective policy they must be able to identify the complexity of factors that influence behaviour and clearly identify what is considered an unacceptable level. Do schools have a standard response to unacceptable behaviour with clear sanctions regardless of the severity of the behaviour witnessed? The Elton report (1989) defines misbehaviour as such that raises concern to teachers. This clearly has limitations as it is dependent on the individual teacher and within the context of which it occurs. This can cause numerous issues within schools as inconsistencies can arise due to teachers individual views of unacceptable behaviour, as reported by Ofsted (2006). Ofsteds (2008) report identified the importance of all staff sharing clear expectations of pupils. The report showed that the most successful schools had strong senior leaders that supported staff through training. They also had clear behaviour policies instated that are implemented consistently by all staff, which clearly proves that by providing clear instruction of policies to staff and the consistent application of them is fundamental in controlling negative behaviour in schools. Disruptive, challenging, anti-social, emotional behavioural difficulties (EBD) are widely used terms by teachers to describe a students behaviour (Capel, Leask Turner, 2009,). These however do not clearly identify the actual behaviour and the causation. It is important for teachers to not merely state that a child is being disruptive but record what they were doing to be disruptive and why. In order to be proactive rather than reactive staff need to have dialogue with the offender to discuss what happened, who was affected and acknowledge the learners views. This falls within the restorative approach and is essential in developing a learners emotional intelligence. Far too often learners are punished and do not know exactly what they were doing wrong or resolve the underlying issue. It is difficult to define unacceptable behaviour on a National whole school level due to the perceptions, tolerance threshold, and experience management approach of teachers. These inconsistencies can lead to confusion amongst pupils and lead to teachers being pin pointed as being strict and inconsistent in comparison with the rest of the school, which can cause tension and ultimately a breakdown in student-teacher relationships (Weare, 2004 cited in Capel, Leask Turner, 2009, pg141). It is therefore essential that schools adopt a well-structured monitoring and reporting policy which relates to the observable actions of pupils. The Qualifications and Curriculum Authority (QCA) (2001 cited in Capel, Leask Turner 2009, pg145) generated a list of 15 behaviours by which pupils emotional and behavioural actions could be defined, these were sub-divided into three categories learning , conduct and emotional. Ofsted (2008) identified persistent low-level disruption as the most common for m of poor behaviour. There is an abundance of research on behavioural management strategies. However behaviour still remains an area of concern for schools. It was also raised as an issue for newly qualified teachers (NQT) who expressed that they would benefit from additional support in behaviour management in preparation for teaching (Powell, S, Tod, J, 2004). In response the Behaviour Management Review Group (2004) conducted a review into the theoretical explanations of behaviour, in order to enhance teachers understanding of the causal factor of behaviour. By providing teachers with a theoretical framework to model their management strategies around, Initial Teacher Trainees (ITT) will not feel the need to continually find new strategies to cope with behavioural issues. The review highlighted the complexity of learning behaviour and the contributing factors of societal, family and school environments that influence pupil behaviour basing their model on Bronfenbrenners Ecological Systems Theory (1989 c ited in Powell, S, Tod, J, 2004) (Appendix 3) . This obviously highlights a barrier to addressing B4L, as teachers do not have input during all environments. It is therefore important that schools need to develop and maintain relationships with students, parents carers, which was identified in the Ofsted Report (2009), as still needing some improvement. The conceptual framework used within the review by the Behaviour Management Review Group (2004) identified the importance of relationships in shaping learning behaviour. The model identified the relationship of a learners with others, the curriculum and themselves. When observing a learners behaviour a teacher must consider if the curriculum is relevant in the learners eyes, does the learner feel they can achieve what is asked of them? Does the learner have a strong relationship with their teacher and peers? This is supported by Evans et al, (2003 cited in Capel, Leask Turner, 2009) who suggested the key to promoting a positive lea rning environment by improving learning behaviour is characterised through the development of positive relationships and developing an appropriate emotional climate in the classroom. It is in all teachers interest to take responsibility for B4L focusing on developing positive relationships with learners. Several reports have identified the importance of motivating learners by improving teaching, making learning enjoyable in reducing behavioural issues and promoting B4L. Schools with good or outstanding teaching almost always had outstanding behaviour. The most successful schools set expectations of staff to deliver lessons that were varied and interesting, this has proven to increase attendance as well as reduce the incidence of unacceptable behaviour in lessons. Schools reported improved attitudes towards learning and an improvement in monitoring students achievement (Ofsted, 2001; 2006; 2008). Ofsted (2008) continued to acknowledge the need to improve behaviour as 28% of secondary schools displayed no better than satisfactory behaviour. Other contributing factors to improve B4L included consistent acknowledgement of achievement and use of a reward system to promote positive behaviour. Often schools do not provide consistent administration of reward systems and it has been seen that often teachers cease to use reward systems past Yr7 and very rarely into Key stage 4 (Ofsted, 2001, pg26). This was identified within the study school during a staff meeting where senior management had gathered information during student council raising the issue that older students still liked receiving reward points, where it had been presumed by staff that it was no longer effective. The study will focus on the schools current policy on behaviour for learning and how this is implemented on a daily basis. Through a review of the schools current policy and staff views the study will hope to identify areas for improving B4L providing recommendations for the future. The study will focus on current school issues including inappropriate use of mobile phones, reward system and sanctions. Methodology The research will aim to identify the current issues within the school surrounding B4L schools current strategies to improve B4L. To gain an in-depth review of the schools current B4L issue the study will focus on the implementation of B4L strategies through direct informal observation. This allows a high degree of validity by monitoring the focus in its setting of actual use. The limitation of this is that actual situations may be skewed due to the presence of the observer and it is therefore important for observation to occur over a period of time so those being observed become less aware of the observers presence. To promote this the observer should not become involved or drawn into the social interactions with those being observed. A significant limitation to observation is that the observer will have to interpret what they witness without confirmation from the subject. This limitation will be reduced by following observations with unstructured interviews as used by Frederikson, et al (1996) which allows subjects to express a more detailed insight into the topic. Data across the school will be analysed to identify any trends in negative behaviour. A view of the whole school approach towards behaviour will be obtained through analysis of the current policies along with statistical data from the Schools Information Management System (SIMS). Further to this, interviews will be arranged with lead staff on B4L. Over a period of a week a number of lessons were observed and followed up with informal discussions with the teacher. The observations were focused on identifying the levels of engagement of students, any behavioural issues and how they are addressed by the teacher and level of teaching learning. Through further discussions post-lesson, staff members were asked on their views of the lesson and how they feel the students level of behaviour impacted on the learning. In addition to this the reward policy was reviewed and the application of it was observed in lessons. The main purpose of this study was to review existing policies on improving B4L including behavioural and reward policies and the consistency of their application. Findings Whole School The schools Ofsted report (2009) identified that students behaviour was not always as good as it should be with instances of boisterous behaviour. Inspectors found behaviour to be satisfactory overall, but variable. The report stated too many lessons lack challenge and do not take sufficient account of students individual capabilities or encourage independent learning. They also noted that the quality of marking and feedback was varied across the school. The report went on to suggest that teaching was not challenging on a whole school stage did not provide students with the opportunity to make progress, develop confidence and develop the skills to work independently. This could contribute to poor B4L as the lack of development of learners emotional intelligence can restrict learners from being able to monitor and improve their behaviour (Goleman, 1996 cited in Capel, Leask Turner 2009, p.141). The report continues to identify that teaching can be too directed and does not take into account the differing abilities of learners; the school needs to ensure that lesson activities consistently challenge students of all ability groups to make better progress and develop their independent learning skills, especially at Key Stage 4. Behaviour Policy In the first instance the school has a well-structured behavioural policy with the aims of providing a caring and secure environment by promoting positive behaviour, regular attendance, self-discipline and respect for others. It clearly states that consistent, yet flexible implementation of the policy by all is essential. This goes on to refer to special considerations for vulnerable groups such as SEN. This initially raises the issue of how flexible the policy should be whilst trying to remain consistent. As identified by the school as a high priority target, the policy states mobile phones MP3s can be confiscated when it disturbs the learning environment. The policy goes on to set out five expectations that should be maintained at all times (Appendix 4, Pg2). The policy has a clearly structured sanction system and identifies methods for recording behavioural infractions through SIMS. Through analysis of data on SIMS it is clear that teaching staff are thorough at recording behavioural incidents that occur during lesson with details of the incident. Some teachers used the data as a motivational tool in tutor time by sharing positive and negative points with students and setting them goals for the week. This was particularly effective with year 7 students who were very keen to see how many points they currently had. Sanctions The school sanction policy followed a ladder system which identified different sanctions for the level of behaviour displayed (Appendix 4, pg11). It was interesting to note that the column labelled examples of behaviour use general descriptive terms such as disruptive behaviour, persistent disruptive behaviour, disrupting the learners of other. It also groups various types of behaviour which a student may display. Many of these behaviours were identified by the QCA (2001) as either being learning behaviours, conduct behaviours and emotional behaviours and therefore individual and definitive in the way they should be met. All of the responses to behavioural issues bar the first incident result in a punitive response primarily of detentions at different levels. It is not until the fourth level when students are displaying persistent disruptive behaviour, three negative SIMS in a week in the same lesson and failing to attend a detention that meetings are set in place with the students a nd senior staff to discuss expectations. During observation of lessons the majority of incidences occur within the first three steps of the sanction flowchart which were often dealt with accordingly. It was however noted that not all staff made contact with parents as suggested when placing students in break lunch time detentions. On most occasion students are asked to stop what they are doing if disruptive to the lesson or asked to sit out as not to hinder the other students learning. The teacher then resolved the issue with the learner, by setting clear expectations of the student, then allowing them to join back in the lesson. If continual disruptive behaviour occurred, staff then proceeds to give the students a break time or lunch time detention depending on the severity of the behaviour. It was noted that the relationship between offences and consequences were inconsistent in application by different staff and dependent upon the individual learners. Often students who were kno wn to staff to be persistently difficult tended to be flagged up quicker for their behaviour compared to others. This often led to some students feeling that they were victimised by staff. During detentions in the Physical Education department students were asked to sit in an allocated area for the duration. Often this area had other students around and friends of the student in detention would come in and sit with them. It was also unclear as to the purpose of the detentions, was it time for the student to reflect on their actions or simply used to punish by taking up the students free time? Most conversations between teachers staff were one-sided and did not necessarily allow the student to resolve or discuss their actions. It was clear that the application purpose of detentions needed to be reviewed as supported by the departments views during a departmental meeting. If students repeatedly offended they were placed on report. This involved the students achieving their individually set behaviour targets each lesson. This allowed closer monitoring of the students behaviour in all lessons. The targets set on some reports were often too general and allowed flexibility in the judgement of the outcomes by teachers. The reports were useful as they facilitated conversation with the student and teacher at the end of lessons developing relationships and providing opportunity for the student to reflect on their actions over the lesson. It was noted that often students would lose their reports or not get their reports completed every lesson with little consequence when given to tutors. This raised an issue of the unimportance and disregard of the severity of being on report by students. If students ultimately did not improve their behaviour this would lead to a behavioural support program and the risk of internal and potentially external exclusion. Data Analysis Data was gathered from the school monitoring reports and SIMS (Appendix 5). Over the last three years there has been a decline in exclusions from 137 to 96 and withdrawals from 380 to 186 within the whole school. However Disruptive behaviour has returned to high levels from a dip in 2009/10 rising from 3983 up to 4424. By analysing the three areas it can be seen that although the amount of exclusions and withdrawals has decreased, this is accounted for by the contributing percentile increase of disruptive behaviour (Appendix 6). By analysing the SIMS reports for the whole school the most prevalently recorded behaviour incidents highest first were; Disruptive behaviour Inadequate work completed in a lesson Defiance Failure to complete homework, Truancy Rudeness to a member of staff Ignoring regulations Use of mobile phone/ MP3 in lesson Failure to attend detentions Dangerous behaviour Persistent lack of equipment Disruptive behaviour was by far the highest rating incident recorded, consistent with the Elton report (1989), which identified low-level disruptive behaviour as the most prevalent poor behaviour in schools. A significant number of reports of disruptive behaviour were due to talking out of turn. Disruptive behaviour levels were consistently high through all years with a decrease in years 10 11, this could be due to the responsibility of learning shifting towards the learners as they start preparing for GCSEs, and that the learners then have the opportunity to personalise their learning programme through options. Mobile Phone MP3s School data for 2010/11 identifies mobile phones as the 8th ranked occurring behaviour incident within the school. Through observation around the school it was clear that the use of mobile phones and music players had reached critical level and were continually causing disruption during lessons. Many students would arrive at lessons with mobile phones in hand and headphones in ears. It was good to see that on the majority of times students were challenged and told to put away their mobile phones and earphones at the beginning of a lesson. However this did not have a lasting affect as students often returned to using their mobile phones during lessons when the teacher was not aware of them. Some students continued to listen to music in lessons without being challenged, clearly identifying the issue of inconsistency with the implementation of the behaviour policy. It was clear that this behaviour was being communicated back to senior management, as during briefing the head teacher reit erated the schools policy and through further correspondence with particular focus on the use of mobile phones and music players (Appendix 2). In reaction to this release of policy staff started to clamp down on mobile phone use in lessons, however there were issues with the length of confiscation as this was not made clear. Some staff confiscated the phones till the end of the lesson, some till the end of the day and some even for the rest of the week. Although this revision and awareness of the policy certainly had an impact as staff soon felt empowered to confiscate students mobile phones it did not tackle the issue of as to why students were continually on their phones during lessons. It soon got to a point in some lessons where teachers were repeatedly taking mobile phones off the same students every lesson. Through discussions with students it was noted that students often resort to going on their mobile phones when feeling bored, disengaged in their learning or unsure of what they are doing. During a whole school meeting on B4L and the revised policy, various departments offered their views and strategies they have implemented to address B4L. The science department had set out a code of conduct with posters clearly indicating to students to put their bags and belongings in a designated area. This is felt to be an issue within the school as a whole as students are continuously carrying their belongings around in lessons and have them at easy reach during lessons, where it was suggested by getting students to leave their bags out of reach has helped reduce the distraction to their learning. Reward System The school operates on a house system where students belong to one of the five houses. Students can gain house points in the form of stickers to the value of 1, 5 and 10 points (Appendix 4, pg8. Each lesson students are able to gain stickers for achieving and taking part in a number of school activities. The ways in which students can achieve house points seem unobtainable on a daily basis for the majority of the school population. Through observations of tutor time students were asked to count up their points during the week, which were recorded onto SIMS. It appeared that on the whole students were receiving reasonably high amounts of points on a weekly basis including those who were known to staff as having regular behavioural problems. It appeared that the amount of points awarded were not consistent with the reward policy as students commented that some teachers were awarding high points for basic expectations of students which according to the policy only merited a single point . During the observation of physical education lessons it was apparent that the points system was not being applied as teachers expressed difficulty in physically awarding stickers during lessons due to the nature of the environment. However the staff did focus on recording positive behaviour on SIMS which the students seemed to respond to and want to achieve. Overall the observation of the reward system identified inconsistency in the administration of the house points and urgently needs reviewing and supported through discussion with staff. It was not clear within the school from a students perspective as to what the points contributed towards. There was no immediate or substantial reward for students who achieved in lessons. It was also clear that for some students particularly those who had been identified as SEN that points were awarded for demonstrating basic good behaviour which contradicts the reward policy that states, Points should not be awarded for students displaying the schools basic expectations as agreed by all staff (Appendix 4, pg9). The policy also states that individuals can have specific targets set to gain house points but this can only be sanctioned by faculty coordinators and year coordinators. Conclusion Based on the findings of this study it is clear that there is need for greater consistency in managing B4L even though the school has the well-structured policies in place. During a whole staff review meeting on B4L the head teacher acknowledged that the policy is not working due to inconsistencies in application. This is current with the rewards system, application of sanctions and addressing of poor behaviour, with particular reference to transition time between lessons and break time (Appendix 2). In order to improve levels of behaviour during break times the school could focus on providing structured sports sessions. Students currently have access to the courts and facilities which are supervised by the PE staff; however there is lack of structure. Through the Physical Education, School Sports Club Links (PESSCL) (2008) investigations it has been shown that by providing a range of clubs for the students, there has been an improvement in behaviour during lunchtime and afternoon l essons. Other schools have had success with students who have poor behaviour records and low motivation by providing them with the opportunity to develop their leadership skills and then run a sporting competition. This had a positive impact on the students self-esteem and attitude to learning (PESSCL, 2008). Ofsted (2000) identified that in schools where teachers agreed to follow procedures for supervision of corridors and outdoor areas between lessons, reduced behaviour incidents and increased punctuality. As identified in this study a large proportion of poor behaviour is due to the inconsistency in applying behaviour policies. Numerous studies have identified that in order to improve behaviour the school must tackle it as a whole school approach including attainment, teaching and attendance Ofsted (2006; 2000). Ofsted (2006; 2000) also highlight the importance of providing effective teaching that is interesting, structured and works to develop personal learning thinking skills. By developing these skills students will be able to work independently and take more responsibility for their learning. It is evident that B4L is directly related to Teaching Learning practice policy. Schools that have poor behaviour have often been seen to have ineffective teaching, this is concurrent with the study school as identified in the Ofsted report (2009).Several studies have identified that good teaching can promote good behaviour, creating a positive learning environment. By providing interesting lessons with clear learning objectives, clear expectations, differentiation and recognition of individual achievement learn ers feel positive about their learning and consequently act in a positive manner (Ofsted 2005;2008). There is a need for schools and teachers to be proactive in developing learning behaviour rather than simply being reactive to behavioural problems. It would be beneficial to prioritise the development of positive relationships with lear