Tech Prep :: Education School Careers Essays

Tech Prep Tech prep has gotten all the more broadly acknowledged by instructors and the business network as genuine changes have been made in educational plan, courses, and projects. Be that as it may, the jury is still outabout whether the foreseen understudy, school, and network results are being figured it out. This article inspects the degree to which tech prep is prevailing as a one of a kind exertion, satisfying the cases that have been made for it. Throughout the years, teachers have been tested by various government, state, and neighborhood initiativesthat pronounce to bring about better instructive results for understudies. Profoundly showcased at their origin, a considerable lot of the activities at last blur into indefinite quality, some retained as a feature of otherprograms. Assessments of tech prep and its relationship to class to-work activities point to thedistinctions that make every one of the two projects one of a kind and feature the qualities that makethem comparable. Program center is the most distinctive element that separates tech prep from school to work.Tech prepares center is basically around school-based learning, though school-to-work programs alsoinclude work-based learning and linkages between the two. The qualification is less clear when thecore components required for tech prep change among tech prep consortia, as they are accounted for to do(Owens 1996). For instance, when tech prep includes components that incorporate work-based and careerguidance segments, it gets like school-to-work, which may clarify why someeducators are seeing next to zero distinction between the two. Of the 100 people overviewed at the1996 American Vocational Association Convention, in any case, just 15 percent saw tech prep andschool-to-fill in as being the very same (Bragg 1996). A large portion of the studied tech prep consortia didn't consider the to be endeavors as equivalent, however saw tech prep as a segment of school to work: 35% of the respondents considered techprep to be the establishment for school to work; half believed tech prep to be under the school-to-work umbrella (in the same place). In any case, for financing just as program issues, most nearby techprep facilitators accept that tech prep ought to hold its novel character to guarantee that thebenefits of its procedures and methodology are not lost or copied by school-to-work (Bragg et al.1997). Review reactions from 42 of 50 state executives of professional specialized training showedagreement with the view that tech prep is one choice inside school to work and that its identityneeds to remin solid (Dykman 1995). Imprecision in characterizing the two changes can make disarray and dissatisfaction among allstakeholders. At one of the five field destinations concentrated during the 1996-1997 scholarly year, forexample, tech prep was saw as a chief way to deal with STW for all the more scholastically talentedstudents, consolidating both school-based and work-based parts.

Research in Educational Leadership-Free-Samples for Students

Question: Comprehensively Organize your paper into the four fundamental stages for Planning Change as Identified by Hodges and Gill. Answer: Presentation The upkeep of the proficient school or instructive initiative is the way to accomplish the reasonable reconstruction of the instructive procedure. The principals are prepared to deal with a quickly changing and complex condition so as to improve the instructive framework and lead the understudies towards obtaining the protected future (DuFour Mattos, 2013). The nearness of the instructional pioneers decides the supportable advancement in the instructive field. Anyway there are a few cases where the authority inside the instructive establishments turns out badly. As per Arafeh (2014) bringing chance into instructive organizations are difficult. There are unequivocal force circumstance because of the situation of the person which might be not sufficient for catalyzing the change into the association. Past instructive investigates show that diverse school organization factors don't have a lot of effect on the learning procedure, considering independently, anyway all things considered th e factors may hugy affect arriving at the understudies and making a warm situation for the understudies. Not many years back, the idea of school administration was obviously missing from the greater part of the center schools and there was a genuine need the authority as a large portion of the school the board didn't see school initiative and the duty of the school guideline as a noteworthy matter of intrigue (Fullan, 2013). Notwithstanding, slowly more investigates in this field have added to this field which made the school initiative to be a significant issue for the school condition and understudy learning. This examination will concentrate on the change the executives in initiative of the ABC Middle School which has confronted a serious circumstance because of flawed authority and turnover of staffs all the time. The investigation will consider arranging the change the executives as it has been recognized by Hodges and Gill (2015). Responsibility of Principle in instructive organizations While changing the schools, the school authority starts things out in the need list for the vast majority of the significant school renewals. As expressed by Guskey (2014) an improved standard administration among various different issues that are looked by the center schools. Anyway the nature of the educators in the instructive establishment is the most huge factor in the improvement of the instructive organizations, however the school administration is as significant as different issues. The instructive explores in this field demonstrate that the standard of the center school take after to the director of the business associations (Santamara, 2014). Inside the changing field of the instruction there are a few reconstructions dependent on the quality measures and the responsibility, consequently an exceptional origination that has developed which draws exercises from the contemporary business associations (Hallinger, 2014). Moreover it recommends that initiative is the essential fa ctor that ought to be placed in the concentration with a more prominent lucidity in the center school the executives. The standards in center schools have immense responsibility for doing the guidelines and guidelines staying away from any sort of mix-up. The significant obligations of the guideline in a center school incorporate, molding the crucial vision of the instructive accomplishment for the understudies in school dependent on the better expectations of the scholarly field, making a cordial and safe air for the understudies that involves an agreeable and productive soul, developing the feeling of initiative inside different instructors so they can understand the vision of the instructive foundation simultaneously, improving the directions to different educators so they can give their best to the understudies, accordingly upgrading the learning procedure alongside a cautious administration of individuals, gatekeepers and handling the information with the goal that the improvem ent of the school can be cultivated (Parkay, Anctil Hass, 2014). These key duties may turn hard for the guideline, yet these are required to be completed for upgrading the instructive accomplishment of the understudies. Foundation of the Problem In Canada, center schools fundamentally go about as the progress time frame between the auxiliary schools and elementary schools. ABC Middle school understands that it is important to comprehend for the center school the executives that the years understudies spend in the school are the most essential phase of their lives. Inside this period the understudy may lose enthusiasm for their scholastics or they can be increasingly more keen on their scholarly profession. The school has around 500 understudies originating from different foundations and diverse ethnicity. The school doesn't support any sort of racial separation inside the school premises. As of late the school had confronted an extreme issue with the standard of the school. After the retirement of the past standard, another guideline has been designated who at first appeared to be over equipped for the position having over ten years of involvement with the instructive field. Anyway the circumstance in the school had changed not long after the joining of the new rule, Mr. Jones. He has actualized new standards for the educators, for example, explicit clothing regulations and added additional classes to their schedules that they are not specialists at. He has additionally executed another timetable for tests which at first appeared to be overburden for the youngsters. In the school gatherings the instructors had contradicted to such executions as they realized that the understudies probably won't acknowledge these abrupt changes and they may respond in an alternate manner. Anyway Mr. Jones acted in an absolutist manner and didn't tune in to any proposals originating from the instructors and the other administration work force. The encouraging staffs likewise didn't take the new principle usage on a positive note concerning any minor disappointment from the new standards; they had been experienced with fiscal hindrances. Hence soon not many senior educators had left the school because of such pointless ex acting guidelines. The understudies had additionally felt issues with the new standard as they had confronted racial segregation while experiencing the guideline. Mr. Jones has likewise utilized scarcely any showing staffs who were very little experienced and were cruel on the understudies. Before long the whole circumstance in the school has transformed into a randomness of disarray. Straight Change Model by Hodges and Gill The authoritative change relies upon the usage of the consecutive arrangement. When the presentation hole is remembered, it is fundamental to comprehend the game-plan that will be useful for an association to deal with the exhibition and actualize the change. It is to be demonstrated that the hierarchical change or changes brought to the administration style require the basic arranging (Burke, 2014). In the wake of actualizing change, it is important to screen the viability for barely any months. In the event that the result of the progressions appears to be certain, the administration of the school ought to give the consideration towards keeping up the consistency. It is fundamental to screen the response of the related staffs towards the change. The suggestions gave by Hodges and Gill with respect to the change the executives procedure incorporate four diverse advance. In this area of the investigation, these four phases will be talked about to guarantee the usage of the change the executives activities in ABC Middle school. The four phases of the change the executives model are talked about further: Stage 1: Defining the requirement for change and building up the vision The hierarchical change the executives requires the ID of the difficult that makes the hole in the presentation. According to the situation talked about in this investigation, the ABC Middle School has been confronting the critical and conspicuous issues with the inadequate initiative administration. The Autocracy kept up by the standards is expanding the staff turnover rate. Also, the broad extended of the racial separation is the significant issues. Numerous youngsters from the outside nations take affirmation in this school. In any case, the racial segregation looked by the universal understudies is making enormous disappointment. It for the most part makes the disappointment among the understudies, their watchmen, and the related educators. Subsequently, it is fundamental to take out such conduct and keep up the counter discriminative laws inside the association. What's more, the enrollment procedure is additionally beneath the desire level (Conner, 1992). The employed staffs are not completely taught to meet the instructive parameter. It for the most part makes the commitment regarding the upgrades resolved to the instructive field. Consequently, it is basic to change the authority methods to keep up the steadiness and long haul supportability. Additionally, the change is likewise required for limiting the turnover rate and impacting the staffs to build up the instructive ability. In any case, it is eminent that the association needs to focus towards the enrollment procedure too. So as to alleviate the exhibition hole, the association has chosen to change the initiative structure. At the underlying stage the dictatorial administration style was trailed by the head of ABC Middle School. Be that as it may, following such initiative style was very unimportant since it expanded the staff turnover rate. The enrollment of the certified instructors and the staffs would be fundamental for the school to improve the instructive procedure. Truth be told, the vision ought to be founded on the advancement of hostile to discriminative law or guidelines to take out the discriminative conduct with the global understudies or staffs. It is fundamental since it decreases the odds of disappointment and improves the instruction quality. Stage 2: Initiating the Change Starting change implies the phase where the change activities are characterized appropriately. The pioneers need to distinguish the proper answers for improve the hierarchical si

Pepperdine MBA Essay Samples

Pepperdine MBA Essay SamplesThere are several Pepperdine MBA Essay samples available that you can take a look at. These samples contain the entries that were made on various assignments that are being given to students who are studying for their BBA, MS and MBA programs. In this article, we will discuss about these samples and how they can be of great help for you.These essay samples are very useful because they give you all the contents that you need to write an MBA case study. These materials contain the complete program as well as curriculum outline for a person who is enrolled in a BBA, MS or MBA program. You can also use these materials as references while writing your own study material. All these materials can help you a lot when it comes to writing your MBA essay.These are the common topics which are included in these essays and samples. These include business management, business administration, management and finance, management, economics, business finance, business ethics , management skills, marketing, competition and innovation, public policy, decision making and skills, entrepreneurship, social and organizational psychology, and human resources. These are the main topics that are covered in the course outline. They are all extensively discussed by the faculty of the school.It is a good idea to read through some of these materials before you start writing your own. This will give you an idea of what is needed to be included in your essay. It is a must to read through them closely and see if there are any contents that are missing or if there are specific examples which are missing. If there are anything that is missing, then you can include them in your own data.One of the most important things that you should remember is that your essay should not only contain facts and figures but it should also have a personal touch to it. Therefore, if youwant to make your essay stand out, you must be able to write about yourself and your achievements. If you a re able to do this, it will make the whole process more meaningful and fun.These essay samples are a great help to those who are taking up their first MBA course. The fact that you can get such high quality materials online is a great thing to take advantage of. You can use them for your own use as well as to help others prepare for their essay topics. It is a nice way to learn and have fun doing it.A BBA or MBA student who is studying for his or her program will do well to take advantage of these samples. This will help them study the basics of the program and you will also be able to use it as a reference in case you feel that you do not understand something in a particular lesson. You can also see whether you have covered all the basics as well as being able to complete the necessary assignments.There are several sites where you can find MBA essay samples. These can be found on blogs, on various websites and even at various college colleges. If you are still struggling to come up with the right content for your essays, then it is time for you to sit down and review your essay topics with a pen in hand.

Mental And Physical Disabilities Of The Community

Avila-Garcia 1 Maria G. Avila-Garcia English II Mrs. O’Sullivan, Sherry 3 September 2015 Mental and Physical Disabilities This community has plenty of things to focus on, like work, family and a social life. All of those things should be important to them, yet focusing on people that need help should be something they do as well. There are people that deserve to be helped but almost no one helps them. These people have either mental or physical disabilities that stop them from being happy. People with bad emotional and physical health should have more attention because they get neglected by society, they have economic problems, and they could be pushed to harm themselves. These people should not be going through hard things in their†¦show more content†¦The number one reason people do not get help for mental illness is because they are scared. People are scared of their illness and they are certainly afraid of asking for help for that mental illness. â€Å"Honestly, it’s a complicated piece of psychology, but in a nutshell – if you don’t ad mit to the mental illness, then it isn’t really there. It’s the head in the sand approach.† (1, Tracy). It happens with all illnesses. No one wants to be sick so they deny it and just hope it will go away. People with mental disorders also need economic help. According to the Social Security Administration, â€Å"more than 1.3 million people who are receiving Social Security disability (SSDI) benefits have been diagnosed with a mood disorder† (Allsup) Mental illness has became the second most common diagnostic category for receivers, after musculoskeletal system disorders and connective tissue disease. SSDI gives benefits for those who have paid FICA taxes and no longer can work because of a long-term disability. (Allsup) Unfortunately, mental health issues can add layers of hard and already confusing process. As a Psych Central blogger wrote recently, â€Å"mental health problems or even the medications intended to treat them can make it almost impossib le to stay on top of the notoriously cumbersome claims process†. (Allsup) One of the reasons Mental illness not affordable is because the economic costs of mental illness have been easy to

Income Inequality Between Men and Women - Free Essay Example

Sample details Pages: 6 Words: 1864 Downloads: 10 Date added: 2019/07/01 Category Finance Essay Level High school Topics: Income Inequality Essay Did you like this example? On April 10, 2018, women celebrated Equal Pay Day, which is really nothing to celebrate. Equal Pay Day is the annual day that marks when finally the average womans income has caught up to a mans income. Sadly, it took an additional three months and ten days for women to finally earn what men earned in 2017. Don’t waste time! Our writers will create an original "Income Inequality Between Men and Women" essay for you Create order Women have been set aside from men since day one, and are still trying to catch up. It is usually assumed that women are the ones to do more of the household work and child care, which is one reason why women earn less money in the first place. Back in the 1920s when women were just beginning to enter the workforce, they were automatically paid less than men. In the 1930s women were required to be paid 25% less than men. Women were paid less than men because of what they were known for previously, which is to take care of the house and the children. Women continue to be paid less than men in their chosen profession, simply because of their gender, where they live, or because of events such as maternity leave. This leads to detrimental effects on the livelihood of women and shows the need to eliminate the gender wage gap. In almost every occupation, men get paid more than women, which lead many people to believe that the reason men make more than women is only because of their gender. But in nearly all jobs, average earnings for women are lower than that of men (Hegewisch). It does not seem to matter if the occupation is mostly consisted of men, women, or even an equal amount of both men and women; men still make more money. Even in the most common female occupations such as nurses, elementary school teachers, and administrative assistants, mens median earnings are more than $500 per week than womens (Hegewisch). That $500 difference has a huge impact on women, resulting in them losing thousands of dollars every year. These thousands of dollars could be used in other areas of womens lives, but instead, it is just cut off. Across almost all professions, women earn only 78 cents per dollar as compared to men. This translates into a loss of $10,000 per year, which could pay for 14 more months of child care, 74 more weeks of groceries, and an additional 10 months of rent for the average woman (Jones). Stereotypes for specific jobs clearly play a role. A contributing factor to income inequality is the choice that women make regarding the profession they take interest in. By way of example, it is more likely for men to seek out top jobs in business and or government, resulting in men earning more money. Among physicians, for example, women are more likely than men to choose lower-paid specialties (though this does not explain all of the pay gap among doctors) (MAP). Women, starting as early as high school, need to be encouraged to pursue degrees and professions that are stereotypically male professions. Doing this will help close the gender wage gap and eliminate the stereotypical aspect of different professions, because if women start to join more male dominated professions, more and more women will be encouraged to join them, resulting in employers requiring to equal the incomes between men and women. Another obvious example of the gender pay gap is one of the most popular entertainment sources in the world sports. Men significantly get more money and attention than women. In sports, more likely than not, people like to watch men play more than women. This leads to men getting paid much more money. One of the biggest improvements in the sports world was the passing of Title IX. Title IX is a federal law that states: No person in the United States shall, on the basis of sex, be excluded from participation in, be denied the benefits of, or be subjected to discrimination under any education program or activity receiving Federal financial assistance'(NCAA). Title IX led to colleges being required to give out scholarships to women athletes, further expanding womens professional sports after college. Before Title IX was passed in 1972, there were no athletic scholarships available to women, and no championship games were held for womens sports. Title IX was intended to enforce equal ac cess to womens athletics. But even with these advancements, there is still a huge difference between men and women athletes salaries. The only way to narrow this gap is for sponsors (such as Nike, Gatorade, etc.) and media networks to promote womens sports the same as men, and for the owners of sports teams to pay female athletes more. This will encourage the decrease of the gender wage gap because if the womens professional sports gets more attention, more people will want to watch it and find it more interesting, resulting in the athletes being paid a significantly larger amount than before. Maternity leave is known to be one of the largest causes of the gender pay gap because women lose a significant amount of money from going on maternity leave and often never catch up. When men and women complete school and start working, they are paid almost the same amount of money. But that is before the gender pay gap appears, which significantly increases over their working years. Maternity leave usually occurs when women are in their late 20s and mid-30s. The main issue is that so many women have children, so it has a large effect on many jobs and incomes as, unlike women who are married and have children, unmarried women without children continue on the path to earn almost as much as men, but still lag behind. A stereotype exists that when women return to work after maternity leave, they will put forth less of an effort and will be less focused on advancing their position in the workplace. The research shows that this stereotype leads the employers to think that they need to pa y them less because they think the women will act exactly like their stereotypes; less dedicated, less competent, and less efficient (Hardwick). Many companies in the United States have paid maternity leaves, but not all. However, when women take maternity leave (if their employer does not offer paid leave), they are not only missing out on their income, but they also can miss out on big opportunities, like a promotion. This puts women at a severe disadvantage because they could have had the opportunity to earn more money through a promotion, but they were not able to because of their absence at work. Maternity leave may not seem like it puts women at a major disadvantage, but it does because it lasts much longer than the typical 12 weeks that companies offer. A further detrimental effect of the gender wage gap is the impact it has on the womans family. When a woman has to leave her job for a reason such as maternity leave, she may not get paid. This could mean that the family does not receive any source of income, and when the woman returns to work, she is behind on being eligible for a raise, bonus or promotion. In some states, the gender pay gap is larger than others. The best place for women to work, where the gender pay gap is the lowest, is in Washington D.C. Female workers earn 89.5 cents per every dollar male workers earn. The state that has the biggest gender pay gap is Louisiana, where women earn only 65.5 cents per every dollar a man makes. Other favorable states are New York (86.6 cents) and Florida (84.9 cents) (MAP). Studies do not provide any clear explanations for why different states have different gender pay gaps; however, one explanation could be that major metropolitan cities such as Los Angeles, New York City, and Miami force employers to pay women closer incomes to men to attract and retain good, diverse talent. The varying salaries between states are troubling to those women who work in the states that have a large gender pay gap because they may not earn enough money to have the option of moving to another state. Gender discrimination also plays a large role in many different areas in the workplace, including income. When women are discriminated against by being paid less, this will negatively impact their motivation, productivity and work ethic. Some other significant results of discrimination in the workplace are being denied a promotion, or even a job itself. These types of discrimination against women constantly deepen the divide between men and women, and women have been trying so hard to eliminate that line for a very long time. About eight in ten women (78%) who say they have encountered gender bias at work say a major reason for the difference in pay is that employers treat women differently than men (Chapter 4). For example, people believe that women are paid less than men is because of the myth that women do not negotiate well. The stereotype for women is to just be polite and agree on everything. This stereotype affects how women negotiate and managers hire (Hardwick), which should never be the case. This puts women at a disadvantage because they are afraid to ask for a larger income. Women feel as if they were to try and argue for a larger income, they would be turned down, which is why most women just accept the offer the employers give, resulting in them receiving a lower income than men. In a very telling experiment, a woman was asked to negotiate a salary for herself, and a friend. When she was negotiating for her friend, she asked for the same pay as men. But when she negotiated for herself, she asked for a significant amount less. (Hardwick) This demonstrates that women need to advocate for themselves as strongly as they do for others. Like the passage of Title IX, another attempt is being made to eliminate the gender pay gap. Although it has not been passed into law, the proposed Paycheck Fairness Act would require employers to offer equal pay for equal work. The bill would further punish employers if they are unable to justify why they pay women less than men. Also, the law would offer programs to train women to improve their negotiation skills. Each of these are important components of the Paycheck Fairness Act, but until it is passed, income inequality between men and women will continue on into the foreseeable future. To have a chance at closing the gender pay gap, significant changes must be made by society as a whole. As to maternity leave, sadly, only women can bear children, so it immediately makes it unfair that women have no choice but to lose income and miss out on potential promotions at work. Employers need to make efforts into not holding maternity leave against women in pay and advancement. And laws such as Title IX and the Paycheck Fairness Act (if enacted) force colleges and employers to treat and pay women equally. Additionally, colleges can encourage women to pursue higher paying professions. Hopefully over time, these efforts will be taken into action and women will finally earn as much as men.

Hydraulic Civilizations and the Philanthropic Industrialists

1. Historical Origins For many planners and historians the origin of ancient cities has been a source of fascination and the cause for much research and debate. One theory developed by the German-American historian Karl Wittfogel was that of ‘hydraulic civilizations’ (Minnery 2010a). Hydraulic civilizations were described as those whose agricultural system was reliant upon significant government-directed water systems for irrigation and flood management (Encyclopà ¦dia Britannica 2010). Wittfogel listed that Egypt, India, Mesopotamia, Northern China and pre-Columbian Mexico and Peru were examples of hydraulic civilizations (Minnery 2010a). This paper will focus on the theories of the Wittfogel’s hydraulic civilization and then try to draw†¦show more content†¦One other dissimilarity is that of Brisbane’s environment. It isn’t arid or semi-arid in fact it was once lined with sand covered beaches and the water was clear and blue (Our Indooroopilly 2002). Therefore it is difficult to prove that Brisbane has similar qualities to that of a hydraulic civilization and Wittfogel’s theories can be left in the past with the ‘Old World’. 3. The â€Å"Philanthropic Industrialist† The United Kingdom in the late eighteenth and nineteenth century was home to the bustling and demanding Industrial Revolution. Factories emerged all over the country as technology advanced into an era of mass production. In many of these factories the conditions were unclean, unsafe and ultimately appalling. Some factory owners however, sought out to improve the quality of life for their workers. These few are recognised as the ‘Philanthropic Industrialists’. They implemented what has become known as the ‘company town’ which saw the social and economic qualities of the township under the control of the industrialist (Pollard 1964). This paper will discuss one UK example in the town of New Lanark, in particular the philanthropy of Robert Owen and will examine whether this town and Owen’s theories have been influential up until the present day. New Lanark in Scotland was initially founded by David Dale in 1785 (The Open University 2009). The Clyde River which ran along New Lanark’s location provided water to power the four

The Beginning Of The Constitution Essay Research free essay sample

Paper The Beginning of the Fundamental law The fundamental law was made up of many impressive and historic paperss, which when combined made one of the most historic paperss in universe history. The fundamental law takes many of the most historic facts from other resources. For illustration, the Magna Carta and the Leviathan. It besides uses information from such philosophers such as John Locke, Benjamin Franklin, and other of import historic figures in universe history. The fundamental law was made up of many doctrines from the Magna Carta. # 8220 ; The Great Charter # 8221 ; is considered the precursor of the constitutional authorities. Chapter 59 of the Magna Carta states that the authorities can take no action against an person without traveling through the proper legal processs. This is what we have come to name # 8220 ; due procedure of jurisprudence, # 8221 ; which is stated in the fundamental law. The most far-reaching deduction of Magna Carta, nevertheless, was John # 8217 ; s admittance that # 8220 ; The male monarch is, and shall be below the jurisprudence # 8221 ; . We will write a custom essay sample on The Beginning Of The Constitution Essay Research or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This is the foundation of ulterior impressions of # 8220 ; limited monarchy. # 8221 ; This is another major point that the fundamental law borrowed from the Magna Carta. In Leviathan, Thomas Hobbes states much about how, without authorities, the universe would be a immense war. He states how of import authorities is, and what the authorities should be. The fundamental law besides borrowed and viewed Thomas Hobbes doctrines in Leviathan. In decision, the fundamental law would non be possible without the Hagiographas and cognition of many. They took these thoughts and Hagiographas and combined them to do a really intelligent, and long-living papers. It made what the United States has became, and continues to go.

Biography of Bernardo OHiggins, Liberator of Chile

Biography of Bernardo O'Higgins, Liberator of Chile Bernardo OHiggins (August 20, 1778–October 24, 1842) was a Chilean landowner, general, president, and one of the leaders of its struggle for independence. Although he had no formal military training, OHiggins took charge of the ragged rebel army and fought the Spanish from 1810 to 1818, when Chile achieved its independence. Today, he is revered as the liberator of Chile and the father of the nation. Fast Facts: Bernardo O'Higgins Known For:  Leader during Chiles struggle for independence, general, presidentBorn:  August 20, 1778 in Chilln, ChileParents: Ambrosio OHiggins and Isabel RiquelmeDied:  October 24, 1842 in Lima, PeruEducation: San Carlos College, Peru, Catholic school in EnglandNotable Quote: Lads! Live with honor, or die with glory! He who is brave, follow me! Early Life Bernardo was the illegitimate child of Ambrosio OHiggins, a Spanish officer born in Ireland who immigrated to South America and rose through the ranks of the Spanish bureaucracy, eventually reaching the high post of Viceroy of Peru. His mother Isabel Riquelme was the daughter of a prominent local, and he was raised with her family. Bernardo only met his father once (and at that time he did not know who he was) and spent most of his early life with his mother and traveling. As a young man, he went to England, where he lived on a small allowance that his father sent him. While there, Bernardo was tutored by legendary Venezuelan Revolutionary Francisco de Miranda. Return to Chile Ambrosio formally recognized his son in 1801 on his deathbed, and Bernardo suddenly found himself the owner of a prosperous estate in Chile. He returned to Chile and took possession of his inheritance, and for a few years he lived quietly in obscurity. He was appointed to the governing body as the representative of his region. Bernardo might well have lived his life as a farmer and local politician if it were not for the great tide of independence that was building in South America. OHiggins and Independence OHiggins was an important supporter of the September 18 movement in Chile, which began the nations struggle for independence. When it became apparent that the actions of Chile would lead to war, he raised two cavalry regiments and an infantry militia, mostly recruited from families who worked his lands. As he had no training, he learned how to use weapons from veteran soldiers. Juan Martà ­nez de Rozas was president and OHiggins supported him, but Rozas was accused of corruption and criticized for sending valuable troops and resources to Argentina to help the independence movement there. In July 1811, Rozas stepped down and was replaced by a moderate junta. OHiggins and Carrera The junta was soon overthrown by Josà © Miguel Carrera, a charismatic young Chilean aristocrat who had distinguished himself in the Spanish army in Europe before deciding to join the rebel cause. OHiggins and Carrera would have a tempestuous, complicated relationship for the duration of the struggle. Carrera was more dashing, outspoken, and charismatic, while OHiggins was more circumspect, brave, and pragmatic. During the early years of the struggle, OHiggins was generally subordinate to Carrera  and dutifully followed his orders as best he could. This power dynamic would not last, however. The Siege of Chilln After a series of skirmishes and small battles against the Spanish and royalist forces from 1811–1813, OHiggins, Carrera, and other rebel generals chased the royalist army into the city of Chilln. They laid siege to the city in July of 1813, in the middle of the harsh Chilean winter. The siege was a disaster for the rebels. The patriots could not completely dislodge the royalists. When they did manage to take part of the town, the rebel forces engaged in raping and looting, which caused the province to sympathize with the royalist side. Many of Carreras soldiers, suffering in the cold without food, deserted. Carrera was forced to lift the siege on August 10, admitting that he could not take the city. Meanwhile, OHiggins had distinguished himself as a cavalry commander. Appointed Commander Not long after Chilln, Carrera, OHiggins, and their men were ambushed at a site called El Roble. Carrera fled the battlefield, but OHiggins remained despite a bullet wound in his leg. OHiggins turned the tide of the battle and emerged a national hero. The ruling junta in Santiago had seen enough of Carrera after his fiasco at Chilln and his cowardice at El Roble and made OHiggins commander of the army. OHiggins, always modest, argued against the move, saying that a change of high command was a bad idea, but the junta had decided: OHiggins would lead the army. The Battle of Rancagua OHiggins and his generals battled Spanish and royalist forces throughout Chile for another year before the next decisive engagement. In September 1814, Spanish General Mariano Osorio was moving a large force of royalists into position to take Santiago and end the rebellion. The rebels decided to make a stand outside the town of Rancagua, on the way to the capital. The Spanish crossed the river and drove off a rebel force under Luà ­s Carrera (brother of Josà © Miguel). Another Carrera brother, Juan Josà ©, was trapped in the city. OHiggins bravely moved his men into the city to reinforce Juan Josà © in spite of the approaching army, which far outnumbered the rebels in the city. Although OHiggins and the rebels fought very bravely, the result was predictable. The massive royalist force eventually  drove the rebels out of the city. The defeat could have been avoided had Luà ­s Carreras army returned, but it did not- under orders from Josà © Miguel. The devastating loss at Rancagua meant that Santiago would have to be abandoned: There was no way to keep the Spanish army out of the Chilean capital. Exile OHiggins and thousands of other Chilean rebels made the weary trek into Argentina and exile. He was joined by the Carrera brothers, who immediately began jockeying for position in the exile camp. Argentinas independence leader,  Josà © de San Martà ­n, supported OHiggins, and the Carrera brothers were arrested. San Martà ­n began working with Chilean patriots to organize the liberation of Chile. Meanwhile, the victorious Spanish in Chile were punishing the civilian population for their support of the rebellion. Their harsh brutality only caused the people of Chile to long for independence. When OHiggins returned, the general population was ready. Return to Chile San Martà ­n believed that all of the lands to the south would be vulnerable as long as Peru remained a royalist stronghold. Therefore, he raised an army. His plan was to cross the Andes, liberate Chile, and then march on Peru. OHiggins was his choice as the man to lead Chiles liberation. No other Chilean commanded the respect that OHiggins did (with the possible exception of the Carrera brothers, whom San Martà ­n did not trust). On January 12, 1817, a formidable rebel army of some 5,000 soldiers set out from Mendoza to cross the mighty Andes. Like  Simà ³n Bolà ­vars epic 1819 crossing of the Andes, this expedition was very harsh. San Martà ­n and OHiggins lost some men in the crossing, although their sound planning meant that most soldiers survived. A clever ruse had sent the Spanish scrambling to defend the wrong passes and the army arrived in Chile unopposed. The Army of the Andes, as it was called, defeated the royalists at the  Battle of Chacabuco  on February 12, 1817, clearing the path to Santiago. When San Martà ­n defeated the Spanish last-gasp attack at the  Battle of Maipu  on April 5, 1818, the rebel victory was complete. By September 1818, most Spanish and royalist forces had retreated to try to defend Peru, the last Spanish stronghold on the continent. End of the Carreras San Martà ­n turned his attention to Peru, leaving OHiggins in charge of Chile as a virtual dictator. At first, he had no serious opposition: Juan Josà © and Luis Carrera had been captured attempting to infiltrate the rebel army. They were executed in Mendoza. Josà © Miguel, OHiggins greatest enemy, spent the years from 1817 to 1821 in southern Argentina with a small army, raiding towns in the name of gathering funds and weapons for liberation. He was finally executed after being captured, ending the long-standing and bitter OHiggins-Carrera feud. OHiggins the Dictator OHiggins, left in power by San Martà ­n, proved to be an authoritarian ruler. He hand-picked a Senate and the 1822 Constitution allowed representatives to be elected to a toothless legislative body.  OHiggins was a de facto dictator. He believed that Chile needed a strong leader to implement change and control simmering royalist sentiment. OHiggins was a liberal who promoted education and equality and curtailed the privileges of the wealthy. He abolished all noble titles, even though there were few in Chile. He changed the tax code and did much to encourage commerce, including the completion of the Maipo Canal. Leading citizens who had repeatedly supported the royalist cause saw their lands taken away if they had left Chile and they were heavily taxed if they remained. The Bishop of Santiago, the royalist-leaning Santiago Rodrà ­guez Zorrilla, was exiled to Mendoza. OHiggins further alienated the church by allowing Protestantism into the new nation and by reserving the right to meddle in church appointments. He made many improvements to the military, establishing different branches of service, including a Navy to be led by the Scotsman Lord Thomas Cochrane. Under OHiggins, Chile remained active in the liberation of South America, often sending reinforcements and supplies to San Martà ­n and  Simon Bolà ­var, then fighting in Peru. Downfall OHiggins support began to erode quickly. He had angered the elite by taking away their noble titles and, in some cases, their lands. He then alienated the commercial class by continuing to contribute to expensive wars in Peru. His finance minister Josà © Antonio Rodrà ­guez Aldea was revealed to be corrupt, using the office for personal gain. By 1822, hostility to OHiggins had reached a crucial point. The opposition to OHiggins gravitated towards General Ramà ³n  Freile as a leader, himself a hero of the Independence wars, if not a hero of OHiggins stature. OHiggins attempted to placate his foes with a new constitution, but it was too little, too late. Seeing that cities were prepared to rise against him in arms, OHiggins agreed to step down on January 28, 1823. He remembered only too well the costly feuding between himself and the Carreras and how a lack of unity had almost cost Chile its independence. He went out in dramatic fashion, baring his chest to the assembled politicians and leaders who had turned against him and inviting them to take their bloody revenge. Instead, all present cheered for him and escorted him to his home. Exile General Josà © Marà ­a de la Cruz claimed that OHiggins peaceful departure from power avoided a good deal of bloodshed and said, OHiggins was greater in those hours than he had been in the most glorious days of his life. Intending to go into exile in Ireland, OHiggins made a stop in Peru, where he was warmly welcomed and given a large estate. OHiggins had always been a somewhat simple man and a reluctant general, hero, and president, and he happily settled into his life as a landowner. He met Bolà ­var and offered his services, but when he was offered only a ceremonial position, he returned home. Final Years and Death During his final years, OHiggins acted as an unofficial ambassador from Chile to Peru, although he never did return to Chile. He meddled in the politics of both countries, and he was on the verge of being unwelcome in Peru when he was invited back to Chile in 1842. He did not make it home, as he died of heart trouble while en route on October 24, 1842. Legacy Bernardo OHiggins was an unlikely hero. He was a bastard for most of his early life, unrecognized by his father, who was a devout supporter of the king. Bernardo was ingenious and dignified, not particularly ambitious nor an especially dazzling general or strategist. He was in many ways as unlike Simà ³n Bolivar as it is possible to be: Bolà ­var had much more in common with the dashing, confident Josà © Miguel Carrera. Nevertheless, OHiggins had many positive qualities that were not always apparent. He was brave, honest, forgiving, and dedicated to the cause of liberty. He did not back down from fights, even those he could not win. During the wars of liberation, he was often open to compromise when more stubborn leaders like Carrera were not. This prevented unnecessary bloodshed among rebel forces, even if it did mean repeatedly allowing the hot-headed Carrera back into power. Like many heroes, most of OHiggins failings have been forgotten and his successes are exaggerated and celebrated in Chile. He is revered as the Liberator of his country. His remains lie in a monument called The Altar of the Fatherland. A city is named after him, as well as several Chilean navy ships, countless streets, and a military base. Even his time as dictator of Chile, for which he has been criticized for clinging too tightly to power, is viewed by many historians as more beneficial than not. He was a strong personality when his nation needed guidance, yet by most accounts, he did not overly repress the people or use his power for personal gain. Many of his liberal policies, seen as radical at the time, are respected today. Sources Concha Cruz, Alejandor and Maltà ©s Cortà ©s, Julio.  Historia de Chile.  Bibliogrfica Internacional, 2008.Harvey, Robert.  Liberators: Latin Americas Struggle for Independence. The Overlook Press, 2000.Lynch, John.  The Spanish American Revolutions 1808–1826. W. W. Norton Company, 1986.Scheina, Robert L.  Latin Americas Wars, Volume 1: The Age of the Caudillo 1791–1899. Brasseys Inc., 2003.Concha Cruz, Alejandor and Maltà ©s Cortà ©s, Julio.  Historia de Chile  Santiago: Bibliogrfica Internacional, 2008.Harvey, Robert.  Liberators: Latin Americas Struggle for Independence.The Overlook Press, 2000.Lynch, John.  The Spanish American Revolutions 1808-1826. W. W. Norton Company, 1986.Scheina, Robert L.  Latin Americas Wars, Volume 1: The Age of the Caudillo 1791-1899. Brasseys Inc., 2003.

You have been asked to create a database to handle various account combinations of customers in a bank of your choice Essays

You have been asked to create a database to handle various account combinations of customers in a bank of your choice Essays You have been asked to create a database to handle various account combinations of customers in a bank of your choice Essay You have been asked to create a database to handle various account combinations of customers in a bank of your choice Essay You have been asked to create a database to handle various account combinations of customers in a bank of your choice. Your database must consist of at leas three tables (maximum of 7) to store information about customers, accounts, investments, mortgages, etc. The bank offers a range of accounts, such a current, student high rate deposit, etc and a range of investment services such as Individual Savings Account (ISA) or a portfolio holding shares. A customer may have more than one account and at the same time may also hold an investment or a fixed rate mortgage (or both). Your working database will allow users to: * set up new accounts * enter, view, and edit data in entry forms * initiate queries to search for specific information * and generate a monthly overall financial statement for each customer USER SPECIFICATION PURPOSE A model is a representation of something in the real world. We use models in all walks of life because they represent a simplified view of the world, highlighting the part which interests us. A good model should: Aid communication A model that is difficult to read or understand is of no use. Projects of various sizes all depend upon communication exchanging ideas, discussing proposals, understanding requirements. A model should aid all ideas. There is no use communicating a complex model as it will be difficult to understand, to verify and to maintain. A test which can be applied to any model is to give someone unconnected with the system and ask them what the model represents. If they describe the system accurately then a good model has been produced. Fits its purpose A good model should have an explicit purpose that everyone uses it recognises. Project models are produced at many different stages of a project life cycle for various purposes. This includes: * physical models showing the system as it is currently exists, with implementation details who does what and where * logical models showing the essence of the system what the system actually does, without any implementation details * models used during the systems analysis stage of the project * models used during the design stages of a project * models giving a general overview of a system, putting all the relevant parts of the problem into perspective * highly detailed models for one small part of a system * models that show different perspectives of a system, for example dynamic, functional or static. Capture the essentials Many models consist of documentation for businesses, such as invoices, orders, receipts. If it only consisted of documents, what would happen if the business changes? Most businesses today are dynamic meaning that they have to respond to increasing competition and to he changes in the environment around them. It is therefore necessary to capture the essence of the business and model around those core concepts to be able to handle changes properly. Be consistent with other models in the system Different models of the same system can be integrated or cross checked against each other for consistency. This is to say that if a set of models represent the same thing then it should be possible to put them altogether without introducing inconsistencies. Reduce complexity To deal with systems not too complex to understand directly by breaking them up into more manageable parts and separating out a small number of important things to deal with at a time. Be able to be drawn on ordinary paper Models are a communication aid. If we present users with a model that fills the back of a roll of wallpaper then no matter how accurately it may represent the system under investigation it is unlikely that it will communicate the main point to users. Models produced on a standard A4 sheet of paper are more likely o represent manageable chunks or a system that users can comprehend, comment on file, post to other users and so on. Be capable of manipulation by computer Drawing models is essentially an iterative process a model is produced, shown to the users then redrawn as many times as is necessary until the users are happy with it. Using a model that can be manipulated by computer cuts out the drudgery of redrafting, and ensures that models can be produced and amended speedily and without introducing errors. USER SPECIFICATION AND USER SKILLS In order to identify the type of working model that the user would want I designed a questionnaire. This was distributed to 10 employees of who all worked for Barclays and were used to an already existing system put into the banks. The purpose of the questionnaire was to identify what the user wants. As part of my GNVQ Advanced IT project I have to design a database for a bank. I would be very grateful if you could spare a few minutes to fill it in. Please tick as applicable. 1) When filling in information would you like the font to be a large or small size? -Large -Small 2) Would it be easier if drop down lists were made available to reduce time taking operations? -Yes -No 3) On average how long do you spend with a customer? -5 to 10 minutes -11 to 20 minutes -21 to 30 minutes -1 hour -longer 4) Would it not be easier if the customer could fill out a form first and then you could input the information into the computer? -Yes -No 5) How many ranges of accounts do you offer from the following? -Current account -ISA -Insurance -Savings and investments -Mortgages and home -Students and graduates 6) Would it be easier if information was copied from table to table or was identified in different sections using the customer ID? -Yes -No 7) Does adding colour make the database more interesting? -Yes -No 8) Would it be a good idea if the database was made more realistic using 3D effects and interesting graphics and writing? -Yes -No 9) Is it a good or bad idea if certain boxes were eliminated with a certain validation rules. E.g. Tel no. can only be a number up to 11 digits. -Good -Bad 9) Would it be suitable for certain formulas to imply be themselves such as date? -Yes -No Thank you. USER SPECIFICATION AND USER SKILLS Below you are able to view the results of this questionnaire based upon 10 people: In order to identify the type of working model that the user would want I designed a questionnaire. This was distributed to 10 employees of who all worked for Barclays and were used to an already existing system put into the banks. The purpose of the questionnaire was to identify what the user wants. As part of my GNVQ Advanced IT project I have to design a database for a bank. I would be very grateful if you could spare a few minutes to fill it in. Please tick as applicable. 1) When filling in information would you like the font to be a large or small size? -Large 8 -Small 2 2) Would it be easier if drop down lists were made available to reduce time taking operations? -Yes 9 -No 1 3) On average how long do you spend with a customer? -5 to 10 minutes 2 -11 to 20 minutes 1 -21 to 30 minutes 7 -1 hour 0 -longer 0 4) Would it not be easier if the customer could fill out a form first and then you could input the information into the computer? -Yes 2 -No 8 5) How many ranges of accounts do you offer from the following? -Current account 10 -ISA 10 -Insurance 10 -Savings and investments 10 -Mortgages and home 10 -Students and graduates 6) Would it be easier if information was copied from table to table or was identified in different sections using the customer ID? -Yes 10 -No 0 7) Does adding colour make the database more interesting? -Yes 10 -No 0 8) Would it be a good idea if the database was made more realistic using 3D effects and interesting graphics and writing? -Yes 5 -No 5 9) Is it a good or bad idea if certain boxes were eliminated with a certain validation rules? E.g. Tel no. can only be a number up to 11 digits. -Good 10 -Bad 0 9) Would it be suitable for certain formulas to imply be themselves such as date? -Yes 10 -No 0 Thank you. Final Specification Carrying out the questionnaire has enabled me to come up with the following specification according to the results that were achieved. 1) The model should be simple and user friendly and be able to communicate well. It should be able to: -exchange ideas -discuss proposals -understand requirements 2) It should capture the essentials so if the business does face changes the way it operates is not affected due to the pressures of ever growing competition. 3) Reduce complexity of the model and break it down into manageable chunks. 4) To be able to fit the basic concept or model onto one A4 sheet. 5) Ensure models can be produced and amended speedily and without introducing errors according to the user. 6) Ensure the font is of a reasonable size to ensure less constraint on the eyes of the user. A font size of 12 should be a good idea. 7) Drop down lists should be made available to ensure less time is taken. 8) The whole database should be able to be filled in between 21 to 30 minutes. 9) A minimum of 5 tables should be implemented which will include information on customers, accounts, investments and insurances. 10) Information should be made available in different tables, which will be identified by the customer ID. 11) Colour should be implemented to make the database more interesting and easier to identify different sectors. 12) Certain boxes/cells should contain validation rules as it will mean that errors are minimised. 13) Certain formulas should also be implied as it will mean that it is for less time consuming. NORMALISTATION THE STEPS INVOLVED IN ORMALISTAION The steps involved are the creation of an un-normalised form (UNF) followed by first (FNF or 1NF), second (SNF or 2NF) and third normal forms (TNF or 3NF). UNF Collect all attributes and select a key for the un-normalised relation. The key could be any item but select a reasonable key that is, unique for the particular data source, involving the smallest combination of items possible and not textual. 1NF Remove all repeating groups of attributes (those with several values determined by a single value of the key) to form a new relation. The key to this new relation will be the key of the UNF (which should be taken with the removed group of attributes) plus any further attributes belonging to the removed group which are necessary to uniquely each row. 2NF Remove attributes determined by part of a compound or composite key to form a new relation. The determining attributes become the key of the new relation. A relation is in 2NF if it is 1NF and every non-primary key attribute is fully functionally dependent on the primary key. 3NF Remove attributes determined by non-key attributes to form a new relation. The determining attributes become the key of the new relation. Mark foreign keys. Remember that determinacy exists when the value of the determined attribute is totally dependent on the value of the determining attributes. Test for TNF Given a value for the key, is there only one possible value for each attribute in the relation? Examine every non-key attribute and question its relationship with every other non-key attribute. Ask the question, If I know the value for attribute A, is there only one value for attribute B? If the answer is Yes, then attribute B is determined by attribute A (that is, is functionally dependent on A). Since A is a non-key attribute, attributes A and B must be removed to a separate relation, leaving A behind as a foreign key and using it as the primary key of the new relation. When this process is finished you should be able to examine each relation and answer Yes to the following question: Is each attribute dependent on the key, the whole key and nothing but the key? NORMALISATION TABLE UNF 1NF 2NF 3NF Customer ID Customer ID Customer ID Customer ID Title *Sort code *Sort code *Sort code Customer name Title Title Title Customer address Customer name Customer name Customer name Telephone number Customer address Customer address Customer address Sex Telephone number Telephone number Telephone number Date of birth Sex Sex Sex Marital status Date of birth Date of birth Date of birth Sort code Marital status Marital status Marital status Branch name Branch address Sort code Sort code Sort code Current account number Branch name Branch name Branch name Date of CA transaction Branch address Branch address Branch address CA Start balance CA Money out Customer ID Customer ID Customer ID CA Money in Current account number Current account number Current account number CA Overdraft limit Date of CA transaction Date of CA transaction Date of CA transaction CA Description CA Start balance CA Start balance CA Start balance Savings account number CA Money out CA Money out CA Money out Date of SA transaction CA Money in CA Money in CA Money in SA Start balance CA Overdraft limit CA Overdraft limit CA Overdraft limit Date of SA transaction CA Description CA Description CA Description SA Money out Savings account number SA Money in Date of SA transaction Customer ID Customer ID SA Overdraft limit SA Start balance Savings account number Savings account number SA Description Date of SA transaction Date of SA transaction Date of SA transaction Interest earned tax year ending 2002 (before tax) SA Money out SA Start balance SA Start balance Lower rate tax deducted SA Money in Date of SA transaction Date of SA transaction Mortgage account number SA Overdraft limit SA Money out SA Money out Date of MA transaction SA Description SA Money in SA Money in MA Balance bought forward Interest earned tax year ending 2002 (before tax) SA Overdraft limit SA Overdraft limit MA Description Lower rate tax deducted SA Description SA Description Debit Mortgage account number Interest earned tax year ending 2002 (before tax) Interest earned tax year ending 2002 (before tax) Credit Date of MA transaction Lower rate tax deducted Lower rate tax deducted MA Balance bought forward Mortgage account number MA Description Date of MA transaction Customer ID Debit MA Balance bought forward Mortgage account number Credit MA Description Date of MA transaction Debit MA Balance bought forward Credit MA Description Debit Credit EXPLAINING THE DATA DICTIONARY Different databases vendors supply different dictionary products. The following is a general review of the desirable components and the tasks it ought to be capable of. A data dictionary is a composite of: Data dictionary contains definitions of records; data; items; relations, etc. The user can find the characteristics of the data stored in the database. Data directory or catalogue Contains information about where data is stored. Thus, it will contain the internal schemes and indexes maintained by the DBMS (such as CustNo_Index and CustomerName_Index). Also, in a distributed database, the data directory keeps track of which data is stored at which nod. The data directory is used by the data management software rather than by users. Data stored by the data dictionary is known as meta data which is data about data. A data dictionary may hold only information about the database implementation or may also hold details of conceptual model ad process or functional model. The four partition model of a data dictionary can be used to describe the features that a fully implemented data dictionary may contain. The line between the boxes represents the relationship between data structures and the programs which use them, etc. This information is useful when amending data structures, for example so that the programs affected can be traced and the data model updated as necessary to correspond to the new data structures. Using the data dictionary in systems development As an example of how the data dictionary may be used, the following points illustrate how it may be used in systems development: * Information provided by the data dictionary helps to identify redundant data and help developers and users to understand and agree what data means. * Information can be used to help with conceptual data modelling and also to generate documentation. * Prototyping may be used to develop a database system it is a quick, experimental approach which requires a readily available store of data and a readily available description of that data together with some computer based tools. Other data dictionary users There are several things that management needs that the data directory provides, including: * Information about existing corporate data * Information about how and where data is used * A means of controlling data * A means of controlling new users or modifications of existing data or processes using the data * A tool for standardising data definitions * Security of data resources The data administrator: * Helps to ensure all users are provided with the communications network and data and processing structures they need * Is responsible for implementing and maintaining DBMS and DDS * Is responsible for controlling the consistency of entries. For the Data Administrator the dictionary provides: * Description of the DB * Subschema generation * Data description for application programs * Extensive and timely on-line documentation of all data structures * An effective and uniform means of recording detail about DBMS, non-DBMS and manual systems * A valuable tool for monitoring changes * A device for estimating major cost factors in implementing planned modifications * A facility that optimises the use of corporate data * A medium through which non-data processing staff can be acquainted with corporate data. For the system analyst/designer the dictionary provides: * Verification of the structure of company data * Identification of redundancy * Implementation standards * System documentation * Description of schemas and subschemas * Description of files records and fields * Automatic COPY facilities * Cross reference to users of data * Security facilities * Responsibilities for updating * Project progress facilities. For programmers the dictionary provides: * COPY facilities * Information about interdependencies * Description of the usage of files and programs within systems * Usage of data entities * Generation of reporting facilities The auditor needs: * Control of information * Accuracy of information about flow of data * To evaluate and audit new and revised systems for accuracy, effectiveness, reliability and timeliness * Quick and effective mechanism to trace and audit all activities. THE DATA DICTIONARY ENTITY KEY ATTRIBUTE DATA TYPE SIZE VALIDATION CUSTOMER ID PRIMARY Customer ID Auto number LI SORT CODE FOREIGN *Sort code Lookup wizard / / Title Text 4 chars Mr/Mrs/Miss/Ms Customer name Text 15 chars Customer address Text 50 chars Telephone number Text 11 digit Sex Text 6 chars Male/Female Date of birth Text 8 digits Format:00/00/00 Marital status Text 7 chars Married/Single SORT CODE PRIMARY Sort code Number LI Branch name Text 20 chars Branch address Text 50 chars CUSTOMER ID PRIMARY Customer ID Lookup wizard / / CURRENT ACCOUNT NUMBER PRIMARY Current account number Number 8 digits Date of CA transaction Text 8 digits Format:00/00/00 CA start balance Currency / / CA Money out Currency / / CA Money in Currency / / CA Overdraft limit Currency / / CA Description Text 50 chars CUSTOMER ID PRIMARY Customer ID Lookup wizard / / SAVINGS ACCOUNT NUMBER PRIMARY Savings account number Number 8 digits Date of SA transaction Text 8 digits Format:00/00/00 SA start balance Currency / / SA Money out Currency / / SA Money in Currency / / SA Overdraft limit Currency / / SA Description Text 50 chars Interest earned tax year ending 2002 (before tax) Currency / / Lower rate tax deducted Currency / / CUSTOMER ID PRIMARY Customer ID Lookup wizard / / MORTGAGE ACCOUNT NUMBER PRIMARY Mortgage account number Number 8 digits Date of MA transaction Text 8 digits Format:00/00/00 Balance bought forward Currency / / MA Description Text 50 chars Debit Currency / / Credit Currency / / ENTITY RELATIONSHIP DIAGRAM An entity relationship diagram is a graphic used to represent entities and their relationships. Entities are normally shown in rectangles or squares, and relationships are shown in diamonds. The cardinality of the relationship is shown inside the diagram. The simplest form of binary relationship is a one-to-one (1:1) relationship, in which an entity of one type is related to no more than one entity of another type. The second type of binary relationship is one to many (1:N), in which an entity of one type can be related to many entities of another type. The third and final type of binary relationship is many to many (M:N), in which an entity of one type corresponds too many entities of the second type, and an entity of the second type corresponds too many entities of the first type.

The Role of HR as Business Partners in Impementation of Change Essay

The Role of HR as Business Partners in Impementation of Change Management Strategy - Essay Example It is seen that the HR is not involved as a partner and its participation is not sought at the need assessment or change planning and development stage. The HR’s resources and skills are used only as means or tools for implementing the trainings and conducting the evaluation post the change. The research highlights the fact that the organizations are missing out on using the potential of HR to contribute significantly at the planning, implementation and transition phases of change management. The research concludes with making recommendations to involve the HR in providing basic inputs and direction to planning, and autonomy and empowernment during implementation, transition and evaluation phases. Table of Contents Chapter 1: Introduction 1.1 Introduction and Background 1.2 Research Objectives 1.3 Research Methods 1.4 Outline of Chapters 1.5 Summary Chapter 2: Literature Review 2.1 Introduction 2.2 The Concept of Change Management 2.3 Introduction to the Role of HR in Change M anagement 2. 4 Human Resources and Change Management 2. 5 Employee Involvement and HR during Change 2. 6 Challenges Faced by HR during Change Management 2. 7 Tools and Strategies that would help HR facilitate the change in a better way 2. 8 Summary and Conclusion Chapter 3: Research Methodology 3.1 Introduction 3.2 Research Approach 3.3 Research Methods 3.4 Research Design 3.4.1 Sample 3.4.2 Data Collection Instrument 3.4.3 Data Collection Method 3.4. 4 Data Analysis Method 3.4.5 Validity and Reliability 3.4. 6 Ethical Considerations 3.4.7 Summary Chapter 4: Findings and Analysis 4.1 Introduction 4.2 Findings 4.2.1 Changes in the Market Environment in the Past Five Years 4.2.2 Threats and Opportunities Due to the Changed Business Environment 4.2.3 Assessment of Internal Needs To Change 4.2.4 HR’s Role in the Need Assessment Phase 4.2.5 Challenges Faced By HR during the Need Assessment Stage 4.2.6 HR’s Role in the Changement Management Process 4.2.6.1 Planning 4.2.6.2 I mplementation 4.2.6.3 Transition 4.2.6.4 Evaluation 4.2.7 Challenges Faced and Strategies Employed for the Change Management Process 4.2.7.1 Challenges To HR 4.2.7.1.1 Implementation 4.2.7.1.2 Transition 4.2.7.1.3 Evaluation 4.2.7.2Strategies Used by HR 4.2.8 Reflections on the Role of HR in the Change Management Process 4.2.9 Summary Chapter 5 Conclusions and Recommendations 5.1 Summary of Findings 5.2 Recommendations 5.3 Research Limitations and Scope of Future Research List of Tables and Figures Table 1: Changes in the Market Environment in the Past Five Years Table 2: External Environment Changes Related Threats and Opportunities Figure 1: HRs Role During Implementation Phase of Change Management References The Role of HR as Business Partners in Implementation of Change Management Strategy Chapter 1: Introduction 1.2 Introduction and Background The modern day business environment has become extremely dynamic and increasingly complex because of the huge transition from a local to a global marketplace. As the world has become a smaller place because of rapid technological advancement, the competition has been increasing continuously; the management is under constant pressure to improve the performance by lowering the cost of operations and improving efficiency, productivity and logistics. Hence, the organizations are invariably forced to rethink their strategies and realign their mode of operations to be able to meet the challenges and to provide the right response to the customers as well as to their

Structure in the human resource management Essay

Structure in the human resource management - Essay Example The features of the Human resource management thus include: demonstrating expertise at organizing the management, competence in the administration of personnel, specialization in the management of manpower and competence in industrial management. The human resource management docket is usually headed by a human resource manager. This paper examines human resource management with reference to the roles, the various careers inherent and further examines interviewing as an aspect of employment and recruitment. With the above features, it is evident that a number of people have made assumptions over the aspect of management and development of human resource. This explains why some organisations will have the entire human resource management as a subsidiary of human resource development (Gary, 1996). This perspective further explains that Human resource development is far much broader than the former and encompasses the development of careers, development of the entire organisation and training. There are a number of careers that are common to any form of human resource management. These careers include human resource assistance which is a generalised job field in human resource (Cynthia et al 1995). Other major careers include employment alongside placement and recruitment that are basically upheld through interviews headed by interviewers. Human resource management also calls for the need to have specialists in Equal Employment Opportunity (EEO) that are also referred to as college recrui ters (Gary, 1996). For training, there is need to have specialists in both training and orientation. For the purpose of remuneration, there is need to have specialists preferably analysts that can handle issues to do with the compensation , payment of salaries which may call for the need to have salary administrators alongside administrators that can handle benefit claims. The roles of Human Resource Management. The roles of the human resource management as depicted in the above careers thus include: making vital decisions on matters concerning the type of staffing to be adopted in the organization. Decisions on this aspect are usually made with regard to hiring people to assume the implicated positions or using contractors that work independently (Gary, 1996). Other functions include the recruitment and training of the best people for a number of positions within the organization. With regard to the former, it is upon the human resource management to ensure that the people recruited are excellent at performing their duties. This implies that the human resource management also deals with the evaluation of the performance of the recruited employees (Raymond, 2000). The human resource management docket is also held with the responsibility of ensuring that the type of manpower hired meets the expected standards with reference to the regulations within the firm (Raymond, 2000). Other responsibilities that are to be upheld by the human resource management include; managing and coordinating the approach to the benefits of employees alongside the compensation and the management of employee's records and man power related polices. Some of these roles will differ with regard to the scale at which an organisation operates where small scale operators may opt to perform these duties by themselves while some large scale

Importance of Employer Branding Concepts

Importance of Employer Branding Concepts Terms of references This report highlights the rising awareness for the development of Employer Branding concept and its benefits for the organisations in present competitive labour market. The conflict between effective employer branding and employees rights and satisfaction toward organization has been examined in this report with specific focus on the unethical and controlling effect. Introduction Employer branding is the perception of employees about an organization as a place to work. Its designed for motivating and securing employees alignment with the vision and values of the organizations. From the HR perspective the concept was subsumed the older term INTERNAL BRANDING that was essentially the process of communicating an organizations brand value to its employee. Employer branding The concept of EMPLOYER BRANDING was created in the 1990s by Simon Barrow, who founded People in Business (now part of TMP Worldwide) and was the co-author of The Employer Brand. 1 In the past, Barrow had been a consumer goods brand manager and headed up an advertising agency in London, but later became the chief executive of a recruitment agency. He was immediately struck by the similarities between the challenges faced in promoting consumer goods and in publicising the strengths of an organisations employee proposition. Both, he recognised, required a strong brand, and so the concept of employer branding was conceived. Barrow defined the employer brand as the package of functional, economic and psychological benefits provided by employment and identified with the employing company. Sullivan (2004) defines employer branding as a targeted, long-term strategy to manage the awareness and perceptions of employees, potential employees, and related stakeholders with regards to a particular firm. Ambler and Barrow (1996) define employer brand in terms of the benefits it conveys on employees. In other words, the employer brand represents the array of economic, functional and psychological benefits that an employee might receive because of joining an organization. Just as product brands convey an image to customers, an employer brand conveys an organizational image to potential and current employees. In that regard, the employer brand presents a value proposition about what people might receive as a result of working for a particular employer (Backhaus and Tikoo, 2004). These definitions indicate that emp loyer branding means promoting and building an identity and a clear view of what makes an organization different and desirable as an employer. It has similarities with product and corporate branding but the key difference is its more employment specific. Recruitment and employer branding Developing an employer brand is a combination of adopting vision, values, and behaviours, and delivering a service that shows commitment to best practice and service excellence. It begins with the recruitment process that offers number of tools that can be used to create perceptions of an employing organization, these tools are: 1. Job advertisement and description 2. Interview process 3. Offer letters 4. Information pack for new recruiters 5. Employee handbooks 6. Induction and training. The recruitment process is an important way to build a positive relationship between the organization and employee. Throughout the procedure, the organization can create a strong and positive view about them; even it can be extended to unsuccessful candidates as well. When employees have accepted the sincerity and accuracy of the employer brand, they will carry it forward, actively promoting the brand to colleagues and customers. However, employer branding which is basically untruthful will not work and is likely to be counter-productive. Benefits of Employer Branding Long-term impact: Successful employer brand can have positive impacts on recruiting for at least five years baring any major PR issues surrounding the company. Increased volume of spontaneous candidates: The number of applicants will increase each year. In some cases, applications will increase by 500%. Higher quality candidates: Not only the quantity but the quality of candidates will improve dramatically, individuals who never would have considered in the past will start applying. Higher offer-acceptance rates: As employment image becomes better known and more powerful, firms offer acceptance rates will improve dramatically. Increased employee motivation: Employee motivation will be easier to maintain because of employees increased pride in the firm and the better management practices that are required to maintain an employer-of-choice status. A stronger corporate culture: Because one of the goals of employment branding is to develop a consistent message about what its like to work and what it feel to be a part of the organization, employment branding can help strengthen firms corporate culture. Decreased corporate negatives: Effective branding programs identify and counter negative comments about the organisation. Increased manager satisfaction: The resulting higher quality of candidates and higher offer-acceptance rate means that hiring managers will have to devote less time to interviews, and they will be more satisfied with the recruiting function. A competitive advantage: Because employment branding efforts include extensive metrics and side-by-side comparisons with talent competitors, firms can ensure that their talent-management approaches are differentiated and continually superior. Increased shareholder value: The effective and improved employer image can positively impact a firms stock price. Support for the product brand: An employment brand can support the corporate brand and related product brands because many consumers mentally make the link between attracting quality employees and producing a quality product. The brand essence should summarize what the brand stands for, becoming the nucleus for product development, all communications and even HR initiatives for employees. Its definition should also be consistent with the corporate vision/mission and values. For example, Volvo is a good example of a brand description is Volvo Style, driving pleasure and superior ownership experience while celebrating human values and respecting the environment. Volvos values and associations reflecting this brand identity are what are considered to be typically Scandinavian e.g. nature, security and health, human values, elegant simplicity, creative engineering and the spirit of stylish/innovative functionality. For Volvo, this description not only mirrors the psycho-graphic profile of the ideal customer for their cars, but also summarizes what Volvo as a company means to all its workers its employer brand. These are intrinsic values that Volvo workers can relate to, what they believe in and why they feel comfortable making a commitment to their jobs. One can easily visualize the types of HR programs that would inspire a sense of pride and re-enforce these intangibles e.g. nature, health, security and other meaningful human values. Living the brand LIVING THE BRAND is identifying with an organizations brand value to such an extent that employees behaviours fit exactly to the image that the business is trying to portray to its customers (Alan Price 2007). The alignment between employees behaviour and value of organizations brand image is very important. It is suggested that organisations need to ensure that there is no gap between what the organisation is saying in the outside world and what people believe inside the business. The employees should be perceived as Brand ambassador and brand marketing would only be successful if they LIVE THE BRAND. From this perspective: 1. Organizations have encouraged employees to buy in to the business vision and values. 2. They have to ensure that everyone in the organization clearly understand the purpose of the common set of values. According to Ind (2004), the themes discussed are likely to be of interest to HR and marketing practitioners as well as those involved in internal communications within organisations. Employees themselves are expected to internalise features and aspects of the organisations brand to ensure that they become brand champions, thus helping to represent to organisations brand to the outside customers. Such an approach immediately raises some interesting problems relating to equality and diversity as it expects each employee to share a particular set of values and act in accordance with these values. The employee branding approach being recommended by Ind raises a number of challenges for those interested in an equality and diversity agenda. An organisation that aims to ensure that empl oyees are living the brand will specifically aim to attract and recruit employees who already share the values of the corporate brand. Furthermore, those already employed within the organisation will be encouraged to internalise the values of the organisation. Clearly, there are problems for encouraging diversity here, with one of the principles of diversity management being an acceptance and recognition that people are different and individual differences (especially of values) should be welcomed. Inherently, a living the brand focus is likely to go against such a principle. Ind makes the point that encouraging employee identification and commitment to the organisations brand values might deny an expression of individuality. However, Ind suggests that internal branding combined with allowing employees to be empowered will enable freedom with order. Denial of individuality (dress code policy) When it comes to professional image, many employers are realising that Standards of dress and personal presentation are essential thus having a policy on dress code can be important. Where the employees meet customers, they act as the shop window for the company and the benefits of presentable appearance are obvious. However, even where the employees work is internal, there are less tangible benefits such as: Creating a team atmosphere, Engendering standards of professionalism, and Creating a corporate image. As employers are realising this, they are paying more attention to the appearance of their employees and the image and perception of the business dress, grooming and personal hygiene are all part and parcel of this. However, the issue of work place dress codes can be highly controversial. It is vital that employers are aware of the discrimination issues that dress codes can create. Issues with work place dress codes In organisations with uniforms, the issues can be more wide ranging. For instance, at the Greater Manchester Police Force, bureaucracy and unwillingness to accept change has hampered the introduction of hijabs for Muslim women. At Inchcape Fleet Solutions where all 140 non-senior staffs are provided with polo shirts or blouses branded with the company logo the style of the uniform does not suit all staff and most do not like wearing it. This would affect their moods at work and consequently affect their performance. Complaints of discrimination Furthermore, a complaint was raised informally by the staff forum of child trust fund provider Family Investments and relates to the fact that women can wear trousers that are not full length, while men cannot. Employees have requested that the company allows shorts to be worn, as long as they are below the knee Also, in September 2006, a British Airways worker has been suspended and attended an appeal over wearing a cross at work at Heathrow Airport. She claims the suspension is discriminatory, especially since the airline allows Sikh employees to wear traditional iron bangles and Muslim workers to wear headscarves.BA has said it will review its uniform policy in light of the media storm the story has provoked. Employer branding and discrimination law There are three areas of discrimination relevant to dress code policy: 1. Sex Discrimination Act 1975 2. Religious or Belief Regulations 2003 3. Disability Discrimination Act 1995. Sex discrimination and dress codes There is the obvious potential for sex discrimination in any dress code, which sets different requirements for men and women. Past claims have challenged policies that: women must wear skirts men should not have long hair Men must wear a collar and tie. The case of Matthew Thompson who objected to the dress code imposed by the Department for Work Pensions at his place of work, a job centre in Stockport, can also be a good example. Mr Thompson claimed that the dress code discriminated against male employees as they were forced to wear a collar and tie whereas female employees could wear T-shirts to work. The Employment Tribunal found in favour of Mr Thompson stating that the dress code was discriminatory as the requirement to wear a collar and tie was gender based and there were no items of clothing that were imposed on women in the same office. From the Thompson case, it became clear that employers should be careful in the way that they draft their dress codes. Employers are not prevented from imposing dress codes that require employees to wear specified items of clothing as long as the code is drafted in such a way as to be even-handed between men and women. For example, jobs in the City, the current convention is for both men and women to wear suits. The convention is that a man should wear a tie with a suit but the same does not apply to a woman. A dress code requiring a smart suit could apply to both sexes but be enforced in a non-discriminatory manner appropriate for each sex. Religion/belief discrimination and dress codes A dress code that requires employees to act in a way contrary to their religious beliefs, risks being indirectly discriminatory. Thus, a dress code forbidding headgear will be discriminatory to male Sikhs, who must wear a turban. The best way to avoid these problems is to be as non-specific as possible. A widely worded dress code requiring smart appearance, with non-binding examples of suitable dress, cannot fall foul of specific clothing-related beliefs. To cross-check your dress code against the main religions clothing beliefs, refer to Acas Guide on Religion and Belief which has a useful chart at Appendix 2 (pages 40-50). It may be possible for employers to objectively justify a dress code contrary to any of these beliefs, if it can be done so objectively. For example, employees at a chocolate factory were successfully prohibited from having beards for health and safety reasons. However, employers should be very wary of relying on objective justification as the courts are reluc tant to accept it. There may be a question mark in some cases whether a persons views are beliefs. According to Acas, Rastafarianism (which requires the wearing of a hat) is a belief system. Certain political beliefs or powerful sentiments such as patriotism (the wearing of an American flag badge) may or may not be regarded as beliefs. Employers should respect beliefs that are strongly held whether or not they are religious in nature. Disability discrimination and dress codes Disabled employees may not be able to comply with a dress code, for example, an employee with a neck injury unable to wear a tie. However, by and large, this need not affect the way the code is drafted; instead, employers should be sensitive in the enforcement of the dress code. In summary, employers should be quite a bit flexible when writing a policy on employee dress or appearance. Reasonable flexibility and sensitivity to the employees racial differences should be allowed in the dress code to make employees comfortable and any conflict and law suits, while meeting the Trust standard of Dress code. This view is echoed by organisations such as Broker Network, which believes that employees should be able to make their own judgments on what is best to wear. Many companies are now turning their backs on the concept of dress-down Fridays, opting instead to ditch smart business-wear every day of the week. A survey of 560 organisations has found that four out of five employers believe a more relaxed dress code leads to greater productivity. Nine out of 10 organisations that replied to the poll by the Peninsula employment law consultancy had declared ties an unnecessary part of their dress code. Conclusion The issues discussed above create a challenge for HR professionals involved in employee focused branding projects, especially those where employees are expected to share a specific set of values. That is that such initiatives will undoubtedly create a tension and potentially conflict with principles underlying an equality and diversity agenda. Inds suggestion that inside-out branding allows freedom and order remains unconvincing even when the employees are involved in constructing the brand values. An organisation that dictates a set of values for employees to internalise is still a homogenising force. Organisations that genuinely take diversity programmes seriously will have to tackle this tension. One possible way out of this conundrum is to include equality and diversity awareness as a key value included in the internal brand proposition. Recommendations Any guidelines should be carefully drafted, and employers are advised to treat any requests to dress contrary to the company code for religious or racial reasons with respect. Employers should consult the employee in question and discuss how to accommodate reasonable requests, and try to find a favourable solution. A tribunal will be more likely to be sympathetic to the employer where a policy is required for health and safety purposes, rather than simply to maintain a corporate image. Decide what restrictions on employees appearance are necessary and why. For example, teachers are expected to wear sensible footwear, suitable for the activities their job involves. Restrictions should not be excessive or unreasonable, for instance insisting on suits or ties in the office when employees are not customer-facing. Set out the guidelines clearly, and include the rationale behind any restrictions. Explain why restrictions may be placed on some employees but not others (for example, no body piercing for those operating heavy machinery for health and safety purposes, and those working within a cafà © of a supermarket may have stricter codes enforced on them than those who work in the same store, but dont come into direct contact with food). Give employees notice of when the policy will come into force. Allow employees a grace period before disciplining for non-compliance. Explain what will happen if employees are found to be in persistent breach of the policy (disciplinary action and, potentially, dismissal). Give the name of an individual that employees can talk to if they feel they cannot comply with the policy. Current legislation on issues that could lead to discrimination should be reviewed from time to time, and staff handbook should be read by employment lawyers to ensure compliance. Guidelines should also be updated to accommodate the legislation. Base the policy on business-related reasons. Explain your reasons in the policy so employees understand the rationale behind the restrictions. Common business-related reasons include maintaining the organizations public image, promoting a productive work environment, or complying with health and safety standards. Require employees to have an appropriate, well-gro omed appearance. Even casual dress policies should specify what clothing is inappropriate (such as sweat suits, shorts, and jeans) and any special requirements for employees who deal with the public. Communicate the policy. Use employee handbooks or memos to alert employees to the new policy, any revisions, and the penalties for noncompliance. In addition, explain the policy to job candidates. Apply the dress code policy uniformly to all employees. This can prevent claims that the policy adversely affects women or minorities. However, you may have to make exceptions if required by law. (See next suggestion.) Make reasonable accommodation when the situation requires an exception. Be prepared to accommodate requests for religious practices and disabilities, such as head coverings and facial hair. Apply consistent discipline for dress code violations. When disciplining violators, point out why their attire does not comply with the code and what they can do to comply REFERENCES: Edwards, M. R. (2008) Employees as a Focus of Branding Activities: A Review of Recent Contributions to the Literature and the Implications for Workplace Diversity, Equal opportunities international. Vol 27(5) pp. 447-481 [online] Available from: www.emerald.com [Accessed 1 April 2009] Carrington, L (2007) EMPLOYER BRANDING [Online] Available from: http://globaltalentmetrics.com/articles/EB_2007_Brandempl.pdf [Accessed 26 March 2009] Wolff, C. (2007) EMPLOYERS USE DRESS CODES TO ENHANCE CORPORATE IMAGE, IRS. Issue 878. Available from: http://www.xperthr.co.uk [Accessed 26 March 2009] Downes, J. (2007) POLICY CLINIC: DRESS CODES, [online] Available from: http://0-www.xperthr.co.uk.lispac.lsbu.ac.uk/article/81919/policy-clinicdress-codes.aspx?searchwords=Policy+clinic%3a+Dress+codes [Accessed 26 March 2009] Millar, M (2006) EMPLOYERS RELAXING WORK DRESS CODE CAN HELP IMPROVE PRODUCTIVITY, [online] Available from: http://www.personneltoday.com/articles/2006/07/26/36558/employers-relaxing-work-dress-code-can-help-improve.html [Accessed 26 March 2009] Dr. Sullivan, J (2008) EMPLOYMENT BRANDING: THE ONLY LONG-TERM RECRUITING STRATEGY, [online] Available from: http://www.drjohnsullivan.com/content/view/183/27/ [Accessed 26 March 2009] Stephen Morrall, S Urquhart, C (2003) SEX DISCRIMINATION ARE DRESS CODES DISCRIMINATORY? [online] Available from: http://www.drjohnsullivan.com/content/view/183/27/ [Accessed 26 March 2009] Gronlund, J K (2008) HOW EMPLOYER BRANDINGCAN FOSTER TRUSTS AND LOYALTY? [Online] Available from: http://www.employerbrand.com/Points_pathf.html [Accessed 26 March 2009]