Describe with examples how different aspects of development can affect one another Essay

Example 1 A family of four attends a large family gathering. Their new addition to their family is 6 month old â€Å"Emily†. This â€Å"Emily’s first time out with people other than her family. While she is with her family, â€Å"Emily is happy, smiling and making cooing and babbling noises. She is aware and alert with the new environment that surrounds her, she is she moves her arms and legs vigorously to show her excitement. As this is her first social outing, she gets upset when someone she is not familiar with talks to her or plays with her. She starts to cry as this her way of showing that she is not familiar with this person and may be a little scared. Emily’s emotions affects her communication. Example 2 â€Å"John† is seventeen from a low wage, single parent family. He has a part-time job while studying to help out his mother financially. Unfortunately the Manager undermines, bullies him and takes credit for his work. â€Å"John† who is not used to dealing with difficult people in a working environment, may become withdrawn and quiet. He may keep his feelings towards his Manager to himself as he is afraid that he might lose his job that he desperately needs. Emotionally he feels depressed and unworthy. He is seen as ‘the man of the house’ and feels he cannot communicate his problems to his mother as he doesn’t want her to have the added pressure of dealing with his problem. His studying may also suffer as he worries about his mother’s financial situation and also his situation at work. Socially he has withdrawn from his friends as they may realise something is wrong is embarrassed to talk to them about it. Intellectually, his studies would have suffered as a result of his manager bullying and undermining him as he cannot concentrate.

History ‘biased’

Brave, slaughtering, lord of battle, marched on, noble conqueror, so many dangers, came back to the battle field his victory, praise, wonderful virtues. (b) This Duke after following his enemy's, came back to the battlefield In the middle of the night. At first dawn he took the road to London At length he brought his soldiers safely across the river Thames. From there he went through London. The Londoners gave hostages and gave themselves and all that they owned to William. Finally he won the battle. (c) Yes because it hasn't got much detail in it so it sounds boring and uninteresting.It ounds like no one cared about him and he didn't have any followers because of the poor quality writing. 4) Yes because if they knew everything about him and how kind he was then they would be able to write from the truth and the writers wouldnt just me making up lies to interest people. 5) Because it makes it look as though William is a big strong hero who is bigger than everyone, like a God or a rea lly strong lord rather than a King. 6) I think source E was written by an Englishman because it doesnt include anything good about him. It Just says how things get worse and worse not â€Å"Things were getting worse but this didn't stop William! â€Å"

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

Museum - Essay Example Museums can be broadly taken as custodians of society’s artefacts and specimens that may include art galleries. Museum always reflect public interest through their open invitation of visitors, promotion of deeper understanding and advancement of people enjoyment while supporting the sharing of authentic natural and cultural heritage. The other role of museum to the society is serving as a custodian of societies exhibits. Here, the museums collect, preserve, study, interpret and display both the tangible and intangible evidences of a society and its nature. Lastly museum serves as educational institution where physical forum is provided to help in carrying out important inquiries and investigations. Different types of museums exist depending on how they are managed, owned and funded. These museums include: National museums, Local authority museums, University museums, Independent museums, Historic properties and heritage sites, and National Trust properties. Other types of museums are Art Museums, Botanical Gardens, Children’s Museums, History Museums, Historic Houses/ Sites, Historical Societies, Living History, Sites, Military Museums/ Battlefields, Natural History Museums, Science Museums/ Science Centers and Special Interest

Imagery in Poetry Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Imagery in Poetry - Essay Example He portrays the beauty of the natural setting consisting of the woods, hills, grooves and valleys among others explaining that the beauty will pleasure many, â€Å"And we will all the pleasures prove† (line 3). The poet portrays his genius through his systematic use of words to evoke numerous other feelings besides sight and hearing. Sensory imagery is vital in enhancing the effectiveness of the message in the poem. Christopher Marlowe strives to portray the natural beauty of the landscape; he therefore utilizes all the senses in doing this. â€Å"And we will sit upon the rocks† (line 5), in the line the poet strives to build the feelings associated with solitary sitting on rocks while watching the natural scenery. The line enables the audience to conceptualize the setting and the act. In retrospect, building mental images is a fundamental poetic requirement in poems. Just as is the case above, imagery influences the consumption of the poems. In this context, Christopher Marlowe strives to develop the beauty associated with natural scenery. He therefore uses descriptive words that help develop the images thereby enhancing the consumption of the

MANAGEMENT Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

MANAGEMENT - Essay Example In most cases, companies will experience organizational change after undergoing a shift in executive powers. When organizational change happens, it does not result in self-adjustment, but requires appropriate management in order to be under control. The business world today is competitive and therefore, companies need to keep adjusting in order to compete favourably in the market. In the fast-moving business environment, companies should embrace organizational change in order to satisfy the standards in the market. Organizations might undergo organizational changes due to a number of reasons. First, if new technology is introduced in a company, there will probably be some changes. Although this might be disruptive to employees, new technology tends to increase the productivity of companies (Burke, 2010). Additionally, companies choose to initiate organizational change as a way of satisfying their customers’ needs. Customer needs today keep changing, even as technology changes. Therefore, a company might be forced to develop new types of products and services, in order to meet its customers’ changing taste. On the other hand, the aspect of economy might lead to both positive and negative organizational change in a company. ... All this is for the purpose of ensuring that the company makes good use of the growth opportunities in the market. Training for employees might be conducted using different ways, to ensure that their newly acquired skills enhance growth of the company (Burke, 2010). There are different types of organizational changes a company might be involved in. These vary depending on the objectives of the company, and the outcomes they anticipate from the organizational change. Different scholars of economics have developed a variety of frameworks, through which an organizational change in a company can be viewed. Grundy (1993) developed a framework of categorization of organizational change. In this framework, there is the smooth incremental organizational change, there is the bumpy incremental, and the discontinuous organizational change (Grundy, 1993). In the smooth incremental change, Grundy considered this to be any type of organizational change, whereby the changes occur in an evolutionary manner, slowly, and systematically. Such changes in an organization are therefore easy to predict. On the other hand, the bumpy incremental changes are characterized by periods of quiet change, which are interrupted abruptly by an increase in the rate of change because of various factors in the organization. An example of this is reorganizations. Finally, the discontinuous organizational change is one that is faced with much turbulence. When this happens, normally, the course of change will take a divergent breakthrough at various points. Therefore, as opposed to the smooth incremental change, the discontinuous change is highly unstable; therefore, it is hard to predict

Disaster Recovery Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Disaster Recovery - Assignment Example The malware was discovered by Kaspersky lab technicians and who unearthed the stream of bank robberies through hacking that have been going on (Sanger & Perlroth, 2015). This banking disaster in several banks online is an indication of the lack of a disaster recovery plan in place and especially the one which acts as a preventive plan. If any of the hacked banks had enacted a preventive disaster recovery plan in place, this incidence would not have affected them. It would also have been detected earlier than it was and much of the already lost money would have been prevented. A disaster recovery prevention plan ensures that any attempt at hacking of the banking systems let alone hacking for a period of two to four months to simply get feedback through video feeds from employees’ computers would have been detected and prevented or dealt with (Whitman & Mattord 148). There is dire need to correct this is the banks hope to beat this gang as well as prevent such future incidences. Sanger, David & Nicole Perlroth. Bank Hackers Steal Millions via Malware. The New York Times, February 14th 2015. Retrieved from

Home Style Cookies Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Home Style Cookies - Essay Example nformation is sent to the storage silos where the ingredients are stored, afterwards, the ingredients are sent into a giant mixing machine where they are mixed in appropriate ratios. Then, the batter is poured in cutting machines, where individual cookies are cut. The cookies are sent to ovens, and flavored cookies are further sent for additional steps. Non filled cookies are cut diagonally rather than straight cut cookies as it takes less space. The cookies are sent to spiral cooling racks, after the racks they are placed in cookie boxes. The boxes are then sealed, wrapped and labeled. Yes, the company is making the right decision by not automating the packaging process. By doing so the company has a good quality control, by the fact that the destroyed cookies are not placed in the packages. And, the company is doing good for its society as well, providing job opportunities for the unemployed people. The size of the company is a big factor, if it is a small company manual labor is better for the company because that would result in low costs. If it was a large company it would have had other fields for jobs and the automation of packaging would be a better option in that case. Since the company makes cookies on the basis of orders, they dont have a lot of ending inventory. Plus whatever is produced, they are shipped immediately so that they dont have to be stored in the shelves. Because of this policy the company is able to minimize its storage and inventorial costs. The advantages that the company gets from not using preservatives in cookies are that they increase the health factors in their cookies which results in high customer demand. Because, people would prefer health over anything and since the cookies offer good health factors people will buy it in bulks. The limitations that the company gets from not using preservatives are, that the company has to sell the cookies immediately or it will result in the waste of the products. The life span of the

Place Marketing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Place Marketing - Essay Example 45). The pictures presented to the fans are a true reflection of the occurrences during the games. For instance, one issue that affected a live match was the racially abusing of the black players especially those with a dark skin color. It posed a challenge for the organizers and even some of the players threatened to pull out. The poster covers the issues of fan trouble by having pictures of the fans trying to support their teams while they are half naked. In fact, fan trouble was caused by flares especially games to which the host team won or even equalized. The effect of the behaviors is represented in the poster by the addition of the different pictures of the poster. The poster presents both the success and failure of the organization while also handling the success of the host in handling the whole situation perfectly. The failure of the poster to bring out the details of the success and failures can be attributed to the focus of the author (Benioff, 2012, p. 67). The focus on the poster is about racism and the success achieved by hosting the continental games in Ukraine and Poland. This success can be seen on the poster by looking at the pictures associated with the poster which is limited to the hosting of the Euro games in 2012. Fabrication versus realism The poster focuses on the life in Cardiff city especially the nightlife. The distinction between reality and a fallacy in relation to drinking is the focus of the poster. The negative impact of drinking is depicted in the poster by the picture of the lady extremely drunk and lying next to a garbage dump. The picture explains the impact of nightlife culture (Beverly and Thomson, 2011, p. 78). According to poster, a distinction between realism and fabrication must be done otherwise the night life in Cardiff will be associated with over-drinking and negative public behavior such as urinating in public, indecency, and having a black-out in a public area. I believe that the picture may be sending a wrong m essage to others who has visited the city. Therefore, the authenticity of the story may not be easily understood by other audience. The failure to research and develop a conclusive result indicates the fallacy of generalization, which may cause a serious problem to the city image (Dagron and Tufte, 2006, p. 89). Bad behavior is an individual choice and not a social choice. Therefore, bad behavior should not be used to create a negative image about a place or city. The city should not be viewed as a benchmark of a certain behavior, but the individuals therein. I think that for a city to be evaluated on the basis of resident behavior, it must cover over 80% of the population. The facts on the issue must be clearly stated because it is the basis of the argument. I the society today, several prefabrications have been done as marketing or social control system. However, all these conclusions may be a fabrication. For instance, the association of rats with cheese is wrong because in reali ty, mice do not like cheese. Consequently, the association of drinking with negative behavior is wrong because it indicates a grand scale fabrication. Acceptable Face of the Past? National image is developed based on the past occurrences or events that can be associated with the country. One of the images associated with Wales is the National Eisteddfod which is considered acceptable face of the past. The past

PlayStation Marketing Mix & Environment & Target Essay Example for Free

PlayStation Marketing Mix Environment Target Essay The PlayStation brand is a series of video game consoles created and developed by Sony Computer Entertainment. PlayStation was the idea of Ken Kutaragi, who known as â€Å"The father of the PlayStation, a Sony executive who had just come out of his hardware engineering division at that time. The consoles origins date back to 1986 where it was originally a joint project between Nintendo and Sony to create a CD-ROM for the Super Nintendo. The PlayStation made its debut at the Consumer Electronics Show in June 1991 when Sony revealed its console, a Super Famicom/SNES with a built-in CD-ROM drive. However, a day after the announcement, Nintendo announced that it would be breaking its partnership with Sony. The deal was broken by Nintendo after they were unable to come to an agreement on how revenue would be split between the two companies. The breaking of the partnership infuriated Sony President Norio Ohga, who responded by appointing Kutaragi with the responsibility of developing of the PlayStation project to rival Nintendo. The original PlayStation released in December 1994 was the first of the ubiquitous PlayStation series of console and hand-held game devices. Target Market They targeted at fans of video games and teenager or audience starting at 17+ and the focus is more on the male. Of course the games themselves have limits on who can play them, depending on the content rating on the games cover. Sony developed the PlayStation with the intention of hitting a wider, especially the older generation of gaming enthusiasts. Marketing Mix * Product: A successful marketing efforts result in product that become a part of everyday life, and that what Sony reached by offers games of all genres to match customers gaming preference. With its product PlayStation they have succeeded in satisfying the customers wishes by developing it among the time as requirements of the customers and their needs. * Distribution Decisions with respect to distribution focus on making the product available in adequate quantities at places where customers are normally expected to shop for them to satisfy their needs. Selecting the appropriate retailers or wholesalers is an important thing. PlayStation covered the market. Its distributes it in various channels, customer buy it from the retailers recognized by Sony, and these retailers buy the products directly from the company itself. * Promotion Promotion is a key element of marketing program and is concerned with effectively and efficiently communicating the decisions of marketing strategy. A company’s promotional efforts are the only controllable means to create awareness among publics about itself, the products and services it offers, their features and influence their attitudes favorably. Advertising campaign carried out by Sony to promote their product for PlayStation was big, they published video clips on the Internet, and they have advertisements in television screens, newspapers and magazines all over the world and other promotional media are very important in term of creation awareness about it. Some of the phrases in the ads are: Live In Your World. Play In Ours. Wherever, Whenever, Forever. The most notable of recent PlayStation commercials is the series of It Only Does Everything, these commercials garnered popularity among gamers. * Price Pricing decisions are almost always made in consultation with marketing management. Customers directly relate price to quality. PlayStation is with price range from moderately-high. Here in Saudi Arabia its price varies from SR 1300 to 1700 first raises the market, and then begins gradually decrease its. Marketing Environment * Competitive Biggest competitors to PlayStation are Wii of Nintendo and Xbox from Microsoft. The competition among them is very strong, PlayStation sales dropped against Wii at the beginning of 2008, and one of the reasons is its low price. *Numbers in thousands * Technological The current penetration of Internet creates the stimulus for the increase use of Internet as information. The introductions of new technologies have changed the nature of customers expectations, creating new zones of tolerance. Today, customers expect more flexibility, speed and dependability from retailers, than before the introduction of web-based technologies. * Sociocultural The price has become the key determinant of purchase choice. Various consumers are always looking for the best price opportunities. Also, research shows the large number of UK consumers choice of product strongly depends on the appeal of product mix and its congruence with their self-concept.

Different Aspects of Management Essay Example for Free

Different Aspects of Management Essay Two of the most important person in every company is managers and leaders. Although both are important in every company and may have the same traits in order to be effective in their own field, there are also some differences in being a manager and being a leader. Thus, being a manager is not equal to being a leader and vice versa.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Management refers to the activities that are often participated by a group of people. This people in the management are involved in the four general functions. The management functions involved planning, organizing, leading and coordinating of the resources. Planning includes knowing and identifying goals, objectives, methods as well as the resources needed to carry out this methods, responsibilities and dates of completion of the task. In organizing resources, it is important to achieve the goals in the best possible and the most favorable manner and approach. Leading or setting direction, creating vision and mission which is so important in knowing where the company are and where should they go in the future run. Controlling or coordinating the organizations system that includes monitoring and adjustments to reach the companies define goals and objectives. These four functions are highly integrated all through the companies or organizations. The managers are believed to be the brains of the business. They are the one who created rules and operating procedures, recognized and established the system and put this into place. Management is about the people but it is a fact to be considered that people are important as a way to run the company and to make the work done. The company or the organization has the greatest chance to be successful when all of its people, employees, leaders or manager work together to achieve their goals. Leadership involves the practice and exercising the influence of one to the other. Leading is different from managing because leading is more on influencing people while managing is more focused on the resources in addition to the people. Leading is the business heart. The heart and the real meaning of leadership is that it inspires and recognize that people in the company are likely to resist making major changes for a variety of reasons, including fear of the unknown, inadequacy to deal with the change and whether the change will result in an adverse effect on their jobs.   People need to feel that their concerns are being heard.   Leaders must widely communicate the need for the change and how the change can be accomplished successfully.   Leaders must listen to the employees – people need to feel that the approach to change will include their strong contribution and ongoing involvement. They want to feel respected enough by leaders to be involved and to work toward a vision that is realistic, yet promising in the long run.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The similarities between leadership and management are that both the heart and the brain are important in bringing out the best for the company and in achieving the success. Having operating procedures as well as rules and having clearly defined goals and objectives mission and vision or preparation for the future provide a direction and meaning to everyday activities of the company, and this is the same as having a successful leaders and managers. Whether they called a leader or a manager they have to learn to do just the same thing for both of them is accountable for the whole performance of their group. Manager or a leader it does not matter because manager or leader they still have to give the people their help, manager or leader they are expected to held their hands, to reach their people and to make it become a contributing part of the team, something bigger than who they really are. Managers or leaders have to coach, counsel, correct, encourage, and set goals and vision for having a vision is one of the most powerful components to achieve change and future success. A leader and manager with a clear vision were believed to be a good and effective. All successful managers and leaders have visions of what would they want to see in the future.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   A manager may serve as a motivator and a coach when he or she is acting as the leader of a team. Such actions may involve encouraging the workers in performing their job well. Managers may also establish benefits and other things that may help the company in gaining the trust, respect and loyalty of the workers. In this way, the manager serves as a motivator for the workers in doing their job well.   Managers are may also be referred to as leader of leaders since they are the one who are responsible in several aspects regarding the company’s actions and must therefore give orders and instructions to other personnel. In this way, a manager serves as a coach in handling different personnel of the company.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   All managers must be good leaders but not the other way around. There many good leaders in their own field but are not managers. Thus, although both are important in for the company, a greater responsibility is in the hands of the manager. Still, the every company needs good leaders who are able to maximize the potential of every worker. References Bock, W. (2007). Does it matter whether we call something management or leadership?. Retrieved January 26, 2008 from http://blog.threestarleadership.com/2007/12/10/does-it-matter-whether-we-call-something-management-or-leadership.aspx McNamara, C. (2007). Introduction to management. Retrieved January 26, 2008 from http://www.managementhelp.org/mng_thry/mng_thry.htm Robins, S. (2008). The difference between managing and leading. Retrieved January 26, 2008 from http://www.entrepreneur.com/management/leadership/article57304.html Young, D. (2008). A study of similarities and differences between leadership and management: implications for assessment centres. Retrieved January 26, 2008 from http://www.assessmentcenters.org/2006/con_Similarities_Differences.asp

Introduction To The Global Tourism Hospitality Tourism Essay

Introduction To The Global Tourism Hospitality Tourism Essay travel and tourism, lodging, assemble and event management, restaurant and managed serviceà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Walker 2009. On the whole, these components have interrelated nature because they support each other, together aim at a common target: best customer service. The outstanding characteristics of hospitality and tourism industry are: long working hours and people have to work in shifts. The most important feature of this sector is that it focuses heavily on customers satisfaction but it is also intangible and perishable à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ (Walker, 2009). As a result, in order to be successful in this highly competitive industry, managers should consider several factors to ensure the success for their hotels, such as: customers focus, understanding of the role of the guest contact employees; weave a service culture into education and training system (Walker, 2009). On the other hand, the severity of the market and the economy crisis also encouraged hotel creating the alliance and association to be more successful. For example, Global Hotel Alliance (GHA) is a collection of 15 upscale and luxury regional hotel brands from across the world. Choose from 300 hotels, palaces and resorts in 52 countries around the world, each one reflecting the distinctive culture and traditions of their locations (Walker, 2009). They can gain more profits and saving by sharing the promotions and making chain services between members. I think in the normal condition, when the social, economic and political environment is stable, hotels tend to compete with each other to expand their markets as well as to generate more revenue. However, when the external environment encounters any changes, such as the recent economic crisis, hotels might want to cooperate to help each other overcome troubles. . In the future, hoteliers have to deal with several unprecedented issues such as short booking window or develop mobile booking, which never happened in the past (Hotels, 2011). There are more and more new technologies applied in hospitality and tourism to increase productivity and optimize the strategy. The hi-tech equipment will also attract the Y generation who rely much on those devices daily. Exercise 1 The image Umbrella might symbolize for the square of flat and the speed of opening umbrella. As shown above, Hospitality Industry is a wide segment, which contains many relevant sub majors. It is even said that under the umbrella of travel and tourism, countless professions are necessary to meet the needs and wants of people away from home (Walker 2009). All of these majors one by one continually provide customers with necessary services when they are away from home. For instance, people might need a car to travel (Travel and Tourism majors task), then they might want to book a room at 4 star hotel to sleep (Lodging service). After that customers want to visit a park (Recreation service) and finally they book a table at their hotel to have dinner (Restaurant service). I think in the future, with the development of technology, people will know more about their options and they might have new desire. Thus there will be more professions under the umbrella of hospitality and tourism and they may attach more closely through electronic devices to each other. Exercise 2 VIETNAM Figure 1.The number of tourists from 2008 2010 in Vietnam (Source: General statistics Office of Vietnam) In the graph, the data of outbound customers in Vietnam was not shown for several reasons. The number of tourist growth significant from 2008 to 2010. There is a slight decrease in inbound data in 2009 around 1.5 millions visitors while the figure of domestic rapidly raised more than 3 millions visitors per year. In fact, only the data on international visitors to Vietnam are published monthly, and data on domestic and total revenue from tourism is often only reported in the six months of the annual meeting of the industry. Deputy General Director of the General Statistics Office said Tran Thi Hang, program surveys, national statistics, the new unit every 2-3 years she expenditure survey of international visitors to Vietnam, domestic tourists foreign and domestic travel once.(Chile, 2012). Lacking information might prevent the authorities from making policy plan as well as prediction about the long term and short-term development of tourism and the development of market. As a result, the government might not control the domestic tourism and outbound like taxing, foreign exchange, support the customers right, responsibilities of travel agents, hotels à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. AUSTRALIA Figure 1. The number of tourists from 2008 2010 in Australia (Sources: Tourism Research Australia, 2012; Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011; Overseas Arrivals and Departures, 2012) As can be seen, the tourism market of Australia was stable with slight decreases. The total number of tourists in 2008 was 81,495,000 visitors while there were 79,793,000 visitors in 2010. Meanwhile, the number of Vietnam tourism market rose dramatically over a period of 3 years. In 2008 and 2009, the tourism sector of Australia was influenced slightly by the economy crisis. However, the data of inbound and domestic customers in Vietnam kept increasing steadily. From my perspective, during the difficult time of economy, people want to redirect their destinations to developing countries to save money. Table .1 Compare the Employment in tourism by sectors Vietnam (2010) Australia (2010) Direct labour 434, 240 513,900 Accommodation and food services 207,600 232,400 Travel agency and transport 65,800 92,500 Indirect labour 955,350 393,400 Other services 160,840 189,000 Total 1,389,600 907,300 (Source: General Statistics Office of Vietnam, 2011 and Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2011; Tourism Research Australia, 2012) As can be seen, the total number of people working in Hospitality segment in Vietnam is much higher than the number of Australia (around 1,4 million and 900 thousand respectively). However, the number of direct labour of Vietnam is lower than Australias (434 thousand and 513 thousand). On the other hand, Vietnam has more people contribute indirectly to hospitality industry than Australia has (about 955 thousand and 393 thousand). In my opinion, Vietnamese labour force is much abundant than that of Australia and this matter might lead to both strong points and drawbacks. First of all, as for the advantages, hospitality industry might have cheap labour cost, which save them a lot of expense. However, the labour force in Vietnam is not equal in quality and easy to be replaced. TOPIC 2 CURRENT ISSUES FOR THE TOURISM AND HOSPITALITY INDUSTRY A brief history Four Season Hotel From a small hotel opened in Toronto, Canada, Four Season Corporation becomes a great international hotel group, which provides the most luxurious and satisfactory services to customers. In this exercise, I would like to outline the development and expansion of Four Season globally. Canada In 1961 the first Four Seasons hotel opened at Toronto, Canada by Issy Sharp England In 1970, Inn on the Park London (later renamed Four Seasons Hotel London) opened. USA In 1976, the Four Seasons officially enter the American market Maui In 1990, Four Seasons launched its first tropical resort, in Maui. Asia In 1992 Four Seasons started their expansion to Asia with the first hotel opened in Tokyo. In 2002 Four Seasons entered Chinese market with the hotel in Shanghai. In May 2008, Four Seasons marked its entry into the Indian market Middle East In 2000, launched the first hotel in the Middle East (Four Seasons Cairo).There followed a prominent extension in the region. Four Season Hotel today As shown above, Four Seasons step by step expand its operation and influences to the international hospitality industry. Nowadays, Four Seasons exist in almost continental and one of the most potential markets is Asia since Asian market is developing and it is going to be the biggest market by 2020 (Amadeus report November 2012) . Evaluation Currently, with 88 hotels and resorts in 35 countries, Four Seasons has strong reputation, which provides high level services delivered by well -trained staff. I think that one of the reasons make Four Seasons become distinctive among competitors is the responsibility to bring new experience to customers. For example, Four Seasons is going to introduce the first Around-The-World by Private Jet tour trip, a brand new, unique service to customers (Four Seasons Corporate Newsletter A September 28, 2012). Four Seasons Hotel group has huge impacts to the global business world in terms of innovative service and technological progress. For example, Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts has been ranked number one in Digital IQ Index: Hotels report for the appliance of digital platform (Four Seasons Corporate Newsletter B September 28, 2012). The main global challenges Speaking of the global strategies, I believe that proving the memorable experiences for guests and quality relationships with employees and business partners (According to Michael D. Johnson, the Cornell Hospitality Hotel Schools dean) and following its living values are two of the major strategies that Four Seasons apply. The living values include: supporting sustainability, building communities and advancing cancer research. TOPIC 3 OWNERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT STRUCTURES AND THE ACCOMMODATION SECTOR Discussion questions The different hotel ownership options Hotel ownership options Advantages Disadvantages Owned by a single entity or group that has hired a hotel management company to operate the property A qualified and experienced manager operates the properties. Hotel owners and management companies might conflict. Lower benefit for owners. A hotel chain Existing good reputation, operation manners, staff training. Hotel chain has the same standard quality of services and products. Require huge initial resources The different hotel in chain might compete with each other. A major change in hotel chains need a lot of money and time. A franchise The products and services have already been developed and have reputation. The franchisee used the logo, slogan, marketing and financial assistance of the franchisor to start the business, old market, a network of loyal and low-priced supplies. The cost opening a franchise need a lot of money for brand, signage,à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ If your franchise decides to go through a major change. A franchisee may be required to upgrade facilities and signage, all at your expense. Reputation: Name recognition is one of the biggest advantages in purchasing a franchise. If the brands reputation suffers for any reason, however, the franchisees also suffer from poor consumer perception. Limited growth potential: a franchisee cannot franchise an operation and must look instead to purchasing additional franchises. City Hotels in Sydney: Shangri-La Hotel, Four Seasons Hotel, Sheraton, InterContinentalà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦. Resort Hotels in Sydney: Old Sydney Park royal, Parramatta Apartments, Park Lodge Hotel, Renaissance Sydney Hotel, Waldorf Apartment Hotel, Waldorf East Sydney, Woolloomooloo Waters Hotelà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Pricing differences for accommodation packages The price for Residential Hotels accommodation package includes: + Room service, maid service, laundry facilities. + Cooking facilities, especially for children. The price for All Suite Hotels accommodation package includes: + Room service, maid service, laundry facilities. + Separate bedroom and living areas and full kitchen + Housekeeping service + Food and beverage services are available through room service. The price for Resort Hotels accommodation package includes: + Accommodation with full experiments. + Full facilities such as massage and salon treatment, swimming pool, scuba diving, climbing mountainsà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ + Food and beverage service or restaurants with many of choices. City Center Hotels: + Room service, maid service, breakfast. + Food and beverage service in restaurants Airport Hotels: + Room service, maid service, breakfast. Motels: + Accommodation with full furniture. Transient Hotels: + Room service, maid service, breakfast. Bed and Breakfast. + Room service, breakfast. The typical guest mix of two types hotel The city centre hotels have certain advantages like: + Convenient locations + A variety of accommodation rooms + Food and beverage outlets depending on demand and customers + Facilities like gift shops, swimming pools, spa and sauna à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ + Convention facilities such as conference rooms, convention equipment The customers of city centre hotels: + Corporate individuals + The senior corporate groups + Leisure customers + Convention and/or association groups + Tour groups + Government and military travellers + Regional getaway or weekend travellers. The city centre hotels have some advantages like: + Rooms with full amenities + Providing room service, maid service, laundry facilities + Full equipped with cooking facilities and recreational facilities for children Residential hotels guest mix might include: + Long-term stay guests: military or government employees + Leisure travellers or back packers Compare cruise ships and resort hotels There are many similarities of cruise ships and resort hotels that make people think cruise is floating resort. Both cruise ships and resort hotels aim at customers who want enjoy a long period holiday. Their infrastructures of cruise ships and resort hotels are the combination of different buildings and facilities inside their areas, such as rooms, restaurants, swimming pool, spa and sauna area, entertains areaà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ Both cruise ships and resort hotels activities rely on climate and season However, there are many differences between these two kinds of hotels and compare with their expectation to choose the most suitable one for them. Firstly, the experience between cruise ships and resort hotels is so different. The cruise liner is a passenger ship used for pleasure voyages. An advantage to choosing a cruise line is the unique experience of sailing from island to island(Banks, n.d ). The view from a private balcony on a cruise ship is enough to make anyone feel like a world traveller. Cruise ship spends most of its time on the ocean, customers can entertain many activities which is provided free facilities. It is available both day and night and is generally more engaging than the entertainment that is offered at an all-inclusive resort (Banks, n.d ). The customers can sleep the night away while they are traveling to the next destination, leaving they refreshed to embark on a new adventure(Banks, n.d ). One disadvantage to choosing an all-inclusive resort is that customer will only see one destination(Banks, n.d ). The entertainment at an all-inclusive resort is also usually less diverse than a cruise ship(Banks, n.d ). However, experience of resort might be the favourable climate and wide range of recreational activities(Banks, n.d ). Resort hotels are often located at comfortable climate regions such as beaches, hills or mountains(Banks, n.d ). Consequently, cruise ships and resort aim at different groups of customers, who have different demand in terms of, experience, services Case study: The case study presents the strategy of Royal Hotel about a renovation program. This hotel had a loyal clientele and ranked as a top of the line property. Hotel do not want to take the risk of losing customers to competitors then managers decided to remain open and keep in operation any rooms or portions of the hotel which did not have to be shut down for construction. Those problems is the cause that the customers complaint about ongoing construction in public areas and hallways, along with the attendant dust, confusion, and noise. In this situation, some necessary solutions should be given including: Isolating construction areas from the rest of the building by signs, advertising background in order to separate the working areas of builders from areas for customers. Minimizing the impact of noise, dust, and construction materials. Increasing organizational activities, events to disperse the attention of customers from the repairing areas. Increasing promotion and other benefits for customers who were affected by the refurbishment. The conditions needed for the solution include the promotional programs and the budget for negotiation with customers in particular situations. Besides, the renovation program should be speeded up to reduce noise and affects to customers. TOPIC 4 ROOMS DIVISION AN OVERVIEW FROM A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE Reading This article proposes a resort classification system which provide definition stating minimum qualifications for a resort and proposes a classification system based on range and scope of amenities (Brey 2011). However, there are many categorizing resorts made by national governments About the definition, Focusing on resorts as real estate developments, a definition by Schmitz et al. (2008) requires three primary characteristics: inclusion in master-planned real estate developments, proximity or easy access to significant amenities, and lodging(Brey 2011). In an effort to standardize a diverse group of resorts, the Organization of American States (OAS) placed minimum structural and supplementary requirements to unite individual rating systems throughout the Caribbean (Caribbean Innkeeper 2007). While these clarification activities have successfully served a specific purpose, they lack industry-wide application As for classification, the first category, destination resort, serve as the primary motivation to visit a destination and have characteristically high levels of service(Brey 2011). Next, intermediate resort, typically located in a rural location, provides a range of activities and amenities that is not as comprehensive as what is found at destination resorts. Lastly, specialized resort, can be found in any location and provide a focused experience around one signature amenity or anchor attribute. We can see the important role of classification its helps the managers can control, evaluate and and make strategy plan for their resort. The online travel agents bring to the hotel many benefits and drawbacks, they are also important distribution channel to make hotels inventory available to global audience. Hospitality providers want to use technology to distribute their inventory directly, it is impossible to deny the role of online travel agent currently. Many hotel bookings are implemented through online travel agents and online tools. As for advantages, the relationship between hotels and the online travel agents called LOVE. Online intermediaries have evolved to cover different models, reach different market. Hotels and online travel agent need each other, hotel need agent to drive demand and agent need hotels to offer services. Both sides need each other, both hotels and the online travel agents develop and rely on each other to develop. However, hotels loss the power to contribute by themselves, they must share more commissions to pay for agent then fewer profitability. That is the reason why hotels HATE the online travel agents. The love hate relationship seems to be most intense between large hotel group and large online travel agents. Since the large hotel create a monopoly amongst online agents. In general, online travel agents and intermediaries are now essential part of the industry and as for the hotel, an absolute necessity. Revenue management and sales staff have close relation with each other because they together make decisions regarding rate, accept group business and forecast. However, they can foster better coordination to minimize the misunderstanding and understand thoroughly the others main tasks. We understand in some ways that revenue management team include sales and revenue management personnel. One way to improve group revenue management functions is to expand the collabouration of sales and revenue management personnel, particularly in pricing (Cross, Higbie, and Cross 2009) and forecasting (Milla and Shoemaker 2008). Revenue management team are responsible for: Whether to accept a group offer and forecast room block utilization to ensure that rooms will be filled or released for sale to transient guests. Although having the frequency of formal meetings, the two respondent groups are still having certain informal meetings. With regard to formal meetings, the highest mentioned frequencies were daily or one or two times per week. The informal meeting to help communication between the revenue management and sales functions better. Case Study: The case study describes the new position for Morgan Black in the Coug Inn. The Cougar- Inn is in a remote location near local university, with 150-room full-service property with several medium-sized conference rooms. After observing, Morgan Black found out some problems of the front desk: the check-in process which still in the traditional process and the poor communication between housekeeping and the font desk. Morgan wants to use the automated property management system, however the front desk manager do not think it is worth money In my opinion, Morgan should consider a number of issues like employee habit, the ability to budget for the system and the adaptation of employees to work with systems. The proposed check-in time of the font desk Morgan need to determine whether the front desk clerks really need more time to arrange check-in. Which the crunch time which because of the reservation process or complex reservation form or poor communication between the parts such as front desk, reservation and housekeeping by the language or the process? Morgan should present the solutions for the communication issue between housekeeping and the font desk. There is the needed aware of communication between each department. The international language must be English for business and the hotel should have training English and automated property management system. The manager of housekeeping should have rules to encourage staff using English in work. On the other hand, using automated property management system will help to minimize the mistake in communication; the transmitted information will be more accurate. In the easier way, Morgan should hire new employee who can use international business English in workplace. The final decision requires the participation of the corporate office, the font desk, reservation and housekeeping. The corporate office will control the budgets, who will decide where the money comes and which is worth for investment. The font desk are the staff for a long time and the corporate office needs to give their ideas and advice before any methods are implemented. The housekeeping must concern for understanding their role in new property management system. Topic 5 Food and Beverage The two basic types of beer and three Australian common brands Beer is generally categorized into types according to the type of yeast used during fermentation. Ales are beers that use top-fermenting yeast, while lagers are those that use bottom-fermenting yeast. The choice of yeast provides the beer different characteristics, which can alter the look and taste of the brew (Richard, 2007 ) The two types of beer are also different in other ways. For instance, ales are fermented in a warmer temperature, which is why it takes a shorter amount of time to ferment. On the other hand, lagers are fermented in moderate temperatures. The warm fermentation temperature also gives ales a nutty or fruity taste. Ale Lager Thousands of years old Relatively new Fermented warm Fermented cold Top fermentation Bottom fermentation Yeast Saccharomyces cervisiae Yeast Saccharomyces Uvarum Quick brew cycle as little as 7 days Longer brew cycle up to several months Usually brewed between 59 77 degrees F Usually brewed between 40 and 55 degrees F Strong, assertive, and more robust in taste Smoother, crisper, and more subtle in taste and aroma Served not too cool, usually 50-55 degrees F, 10-14 degrees C,  sometimes called  cellar temperature. Served cold, usually 40-45 degrees F, 4-7 degrees C. Table 5.1 The differences between Ale and Lager (Source: Richard, 2007 What is the difference between an ale and a lager?) The two major beer producers Carlton United Breweries (CUB) is one of the most iconic beer companies in Australia with our history going back to 1824(Carlton  Ã‚  United Breweries ,n.d,) In 2011, we demerged from our wine arm and became part of the SABMiller group, the second largest brewer in the world. This has allowed us to return to our heritage and core strength as a brewer(Carlton  Ã‚  United Breweries ,n.d,) CUB alcohol beverage sales team services over 17,000 customers across the on-premise and off-premise channels and our national brewing, logistics and sales network delivers to over 20,000 customers including hotels, clubs, liquor stores, restaurants and bars(Carlton  Ã‚  United Breweries ,n.d,) Victoria Bitter (VB) has long been Australias favourite beer, and is specially brewed to deliver full flavour when ice cold, making it the ideal beer for the Australian climate(Carlton  Ã‚  United Breweries ,n.d,) VB is a full flavoured, full strength beer at 4.9%; the gentle fruitiness of the aroma compliments the sweet maltiness in the mouth which in turn balances perfectly with the clean hop bitterness of the finish(Carlton  Ã‚  United Breweries ,n.d,); Crown Lager is Australias premium lager beer(Carlton  Ã‚  United Breweries ,n.d,) It has a creamy fruitiness with a rich, malty mid-palate, bal ­anced with the crisp, clean finish of Pride of Ringwood hops(Carlton  Ã‚  United Breweries ,n.d,) Brewed from the finest malt and hops, using CUBs original and unique strain of brewing yeast, extended storage softens, and rounds out, the flavours produced during fermentation, ALC/VOL: 4.9%(Carlton  Ã‚  United Breweries ,n.d,) Carlton Draught is a traditional, full-strength lager that is crisp on the mid-palate with a good malt character and smooth full-bodied flavour(Carlton  Ã‚  United Breweries ,n.d,) Clean hop bitterness gives the brew a slightly dry finish. Synonymous with the origins of the brewery itself, Carlton Draught is renowned for tasting as fresh as it did the day it was brewed. And its that kind of consistency in taste thats been important to Australians for generations. ALC/VOL: 4.6%(Carlton  Ã‚  United Breweries ,n.d,) Miller Genuine Draft is the original easy drinking beer cold filtered four times for a crisp, smooth and refreshing taste. MGD contains no additives or preservatives. ALC/VOL: 4.7%(Carlton  Ã‚  United Breweries ,n.d,) Lion is a beverage company that operates in Australia and New Zealand and produces and markets a range of beer, wine, RTDs and spirits(Lion, n.d) Tooheys New is the classic, easy-drinking Australian lager brewed with no artificial additives and no preservatives(Lion, n.d). Its lightly hopped, malty character delivers the perfect balance of bitter and sweet beer flavours XXXX GOLD is a refreshing mid-strength beer that continues the great tradition of FOUREX brewing heritage, by being brewed with the finest Australian malt, barley and unique golden cluster hops. XXXX GOLD has a balanced, smooth flavour and body, complimented by mild bitterness and a trace of sweetness from the extra malt.(Lion, n.d) Hahn premium beer is only as good as its ingredients. Thats why our pioneering team scoured the globe to assemble three special hops, one of which is grown in Germany on the Hersbruck Hills, north of Munich. Its that unwillingness to settle for anything but the best that makes Hahn Premium.(Lion, n.d) James Squire is produced by the Malt Shovel Brewery in Sydney. The beer is named after the convict brewer James Squire, who is claimed to have created Australias first commercial brewery.The brewery has won various awards including: Champion Australasian Brewery, 2000 and 2003 (Australian International Beer Awards),[14] and Best Bohemian-Style Pilsener, 2008 (World Beer Cup)(Lion, n.d) The boutique breweries Boutique breweries :A small brewery, generally producing fewer than 10,000 barrels of beer and ale a year and frequently selling its products on the premises. Also called microbrewery. Three Australian boutique beers include: Carlton and United Breweries owned by Fosters Group Main Beers: VB, Crown Lager, Carlton Draught, Pure Blonde and Reschs Pilsener Tooheys owned by Lion Nathan Main Beers: Tooheys New, Tooheys Old and Tooheys Extra Dry Castlemaine Perkins owned by Lion Nathan Main Beers: XXXX Bitter, XXXX Gold, XXXX Light, XXXX Summer Bright Lager The most popular overseas beers Heineken is a pale lager beer with 5% alcohol by volume produced by the Dutch brewing company Heineken International. Aroma: A slight bit of sweet graininess and no hop aroma. As the beer warms up there is more of a malt character present. Again, unlike the almost undrinkable bottle version, the can has the aroma of a nice to style lager. Appearance: Just like it should be, a light gold colour and crystal clear. Head retention is white and does not persist. Flavour: Nice and dry, but crisp. There is a definite yeast character that seems to work well with the slight hop bitterness. No hop flavour to speak of. No dactyl, and there is a definite carbonic bite from the carbonation. Overall: A very drinkable beer that benefits from being packaged in a light and oxygen free can. Modelo Especial: It is an American lager produced by the produced by Grupo Modelo in 1925 Aroma: Light struck, of course. Other than the skunk, some bready, thin malt profile. Sweet mildly bitter grains, corn. Appearance: Pale yellow. High clarify. Lots of rising bubbles. No lacing. Flavour: Better than the aroma. Mild malt sweetness, corn and maybe rice. Some bitter bite at the end Overall Impression: Very easy to drink, bland and insubstantial San Miguel Pale Pilsen: produced by San Miguel Corporation from Philippines Aroma: aroma of malt sweetness, bit of citrus with

The Struggle of an Outsider Essay -- Race Relations, Native American

Throughout our readings this semester, the theme the outsider has been present. The outsiders in these selections have all had similar roles. One of the main roles was subjection that developed from the feeling of unequal standings. This subjection silenced and forced many from the mainstream. The Native Americans were outsiders to the Europeans. The Europeans had different beliefs and ideas about life which they forced upon the Native Americans. Suddenly with the arrival of Europeans, Indians became strangers on their own territory. They lose the stability which came with knowing the simply pleasures that surround them. They could not longer listen to wind or feel the sun’s touch but they were forced to fight just to keep a place on the land in which now could be owned. â€Å"Could there be a more efficient way to distress and murder them by inches than the way they have taken† (Apess 484).Even if the Indians were successful in keeping a small portion of land, they were afraid of when it would be taken from them. Before the Europeans, they never knew this world. They were somehow â€Å"ignorant of time, either by the sun or moon; nor do they reckon by the month or year. They understand the seasons in terms of the ripening of fruits, the dying of fish, and the position of stars† (Cabeza de Vaca 32). The perplexing thought for most Native Americans was the Europeans claimed to be Christians but seemed so engulfed with hatred toward this people constantly causing destruction to this innocent group of people. William Apess of both European and Native American descent writes of Europeans who â€Å"would think it no crime to go upon Indian lands and cut and carry off their most valuable timber or anything else they chose† (Apess 484).Slowly, the N... ... control. Simon Rosedale is also an outsider in this society although not for the same reason as Lily. Mr. Rosedale Jewish background prevents him from acquiring a position in this society. Although Rosedale is quite wealthy, he cannot advance in this society unless he can marriage a member that has rank in society like Lily at the beginning of the novel. â€Å"Why should I mind saying I want to get into society† (Wharton 200). Mr. Rosedale intentions are obvious and he uses his wealth to try to succeed in obtaining a role in this society. Lily and Rosedale both posses attributes of outsiders trying to earn their way in a vain society. Many of the outsiders in our readings tried desperately to gain acceptance to the inside. They were subjected to the ideas and beliefs of others. They also were forced to take off their identity to gain acceptance in their society.

Symbolism in Jacksons The Lottery Essay -- The Lottery Essays

Lottery: A Terrifying Trip Symbols can be used to convey a special meaning to the reader by association, especially when a material object is used to represent something abstract. Throughout the years, American writers have been using their works as a way to describe society to their broad audiences. As time periods change, writers as well as readers change their view about society. Several factors affect how readers view society in a piece of literature. To get a better understanding of the society expressed in a piece of literature, one must consider not only the time period in which the work was written, but also the life of the author, the style in which the work was written, and criticism of the piece. In Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery,† the society is demonstrated as unchangeable due to the underlying fear and evil of human nature. By using, main types of symbols represented in this story, are characters' names and objects. Jackson wrote several pieces of literature throughout her life, she is most known for her short story â€Å"The Lottery.† The lottery takes place in a small town on June 27th. The lottery is an annual event handled by Mr. Summers and the postman, Mr. Graves. The night before the lottery, Mr. Summers and Mr. Graves made slips of paper that are placed in an old black box that has been used for the lottery for a very long time. The children are the first to arrive for the lottery, then the men, followed by the women. As Mr. Summers calls the names of the families in the town, heads of the households, the men, come and draw slips of paper from the black box. During the lottery, Mrs. Adams mentions that the other towns are thinking of stopping their lottery, to which Old Man Warner responds it wil... ...l human character. Writers of American literature have many different opinions on the society. In order for readers to understand an author’s view on the society, they must look at many different aspects including the writer’s life and the time period in which the work was written. Though writers have different theories about the society, they express their philosophies into their work. The town who seem horribly uncivilized, where a son stones his mother, yet they can easily be compared to today's society. Following customs blindfolded in any given society does prove to be fatal, and as I would like to say, disgusting. We need to realize that although, we make a society in the end it is painful for the society as a community to conclude life according to a black box. Work Cited Wilson, Kathleen, ed. Short Stories for Students. Detroit: Gale, 1997.

A Personal Integrated Theory of Counseling Essay

Abstract This personal model of counseling addresses the importance of developing a biblical theory of Christian Counseling, which also integrates psychology, theology and spirituality, without diminishing the relevance of each. The working model for counselors should provide practical techniques for the inclusion of believers and non-Christians, as they work towards a personal relationship with God. This paper will discuss the personality traits, external influences that build a personal integrative theory of scientific disciplines and theological truths. The works of relevant theorists and authors will be reviewed as comparable viewpoints on Christian Counseling and how integration can benefit individuals, couples and families. The paper will begin to create a personal guideline for the author’s counseling practices with clients from all backgrounds. It will conclude with personal thoughts to identify areas for growth and improvement. A Personal Integrated Approach to Counseling Introduction A comprehensive personal theory of counseling should integrate Psychology, Theology and Spirituality. One of the most important goals of counseling is develop a theoretic approach through the integration of Psychology, Theology and Spirituality. Individually, each discipline offer concepts that are unique and relevant, yet separately they lack the inferences of other viewpoints that may be overlooked. There is a basic understanding for counselors to focus the treatment on the client, as well as temporal systems that exist which have influence on the client. Therefore, the intent of integrating these theories will provide the counselor with a more comprehensive wisdom and faith to combine the key elements of each to implement into their counseling practices. A concern for counselors is the prioritization of theology over psychology. This can be difficult as well as thought provoking for and individual to undertake because of the historical debate between faith and science. An individual deeply rooted in their biblical worldview will argue that with faith, they require no further belief, while others with a secular based worldview requires the proof of statistics and data for their belief. (Entwistle, 2010, p. 9) Secular viewpoints are bound by the limitations of earthly living and its standards. The Christian viewpoint is directly related to the fact that their eternal destiny is ordained because they are a child of God. The counselor who will be successful at integration will find it necessary to increase their competence in all areas. (McMinn, 2011) states that the best at interdisciplinary integration are those that have an informal and formal preparation of both psychology and theology. While there can be preference in either theory, counselors are cautioned not to minimize the doctrines of Theology or misrepresent the clinical applications of Psychology. Personality Development of Personality Human personality is a set of characteristics and traits, as well as emotions and behaviors that make each person unique. An individual’s personality usually remains consistent throughout life. However, personality can be altered by an individual’s environment, temporal systems as well as traumatic events. For counselors it can be challenging when attempting to understand Human Personality without exploring the clients past. This can uncover many of the misbeliefs, hurt feelings originating in childhood that manifest into maladaptive behaviors in adulthood. (Backus & Chapian, 2000) The Christian worldview allows the understanding of all human functioning parts: The physical and the personal. The physical represents the body and the personal acknowledges the spirit or soul. A counselor’s focus is centered with both the conscious and unconscious parts of the mind where misbeliefs and attitudes are held. They must first look at the totality of a client through the u se of concentric circles. This theory allows the counselor the viewpoint of the various circles that create human personality. The innermost circle represents the self. It represents the core where the image of God, the Holy Spirit, and issues of sin reside. Also within the core is the heart where scripture shows the heart as vital function of providing life giving blood. The heart is that part of a human that chooses the basic direction they will follow in life. (Crabb, 1977) The outer layers consist of the soul of a human infused with the Holy Spirit. When we are born, we inhabit a soul that allows us to think, feel and choose. Your spirit is in union with God if he is the choice for the center of your life. Scripture notes that those who alternatively do not accept God into their life will become vulnerable to the influence of Sin and Satanic forces. Consequently, it is the choices that guide the soul and the resulting emotions, thoughts and behaviors that impact human interactions and relationships. As you move to the outer circles there is theory that is presented that exhibits the correlation of the body and the effects on human personality. The physical circle illustrates the connection with the body and physical health as humans relate to life challenges. Our bodies alert us to potential dangers in the form of pain and discomfort. When the body is in distress, messages sent to the brain are distorted. The outcomes of physical pain, will affect a person’s mood, energy and cognitive abilities. The physical circle illustrates the connection with the body and physical health as humans relate to life challenges. (Hart, 1999) Finally, there are two components of circles in this theory. The first is the temporal system. These are the external forces or the earth systems such as family, friends, religious affiliations, economic conditions and society that create positive and negative personality traits in humans. The author Crabb suggests that humans have two basic needs; sig nificance and security in order to function effectively. (Crabb, 1977) When we feel secure and significant we are then deemed to be worthwhile. However, the interactions of Hawkins temporal systems will jeopardize these assurance and the results are maladaptive behaviors that lead clients to therapy. The final outer circle is supernatural systems. (Hawkins, 2009) In this system, God, Angel, Satan and Demonic forces are introduced. Spiritual forces inhabit all humans, yet there is a battle between the dark forces of Satan, and the truth in God’s word. . Author Neil Anderson describes the forces at work on the formation of human personality. (Anderson, 2000) These evil forces disguise themselves and aggressively seek to intervene with deception of the Holy Spirit. Without a personal relationship with God, Satan has opportunity to manipulate thoughts and create misbeliefs which are the direct cause of emotional turmoil, and maladaptive behaviors. (Backus & Chapian, 2000) The supernatural outer circle aids in the quest for a realization that spiritua l disciplines can help begin the process for an internal change. Motivation One of the major premises of counseling is to develop an understanding why people do what they do. An individual’s actions are directly connected to their personality profile. Behind every action there is energy or a force that results in a specific behavior. Every human has motivations that are based often on self-centered needs. The basic needs are physical which encompasses the elements critical to life, the need for emotional relationships as well as the need for significance and security. Counselors are aware that Human Need will continue and this need moves people into false outside systems in order to reach the type of gratification they desire, rather than seek a relationship with God. That relationship indicates the temperament of the unbeliever as opposed to a believer. The unbeliever thinks of himself first, and evaluates life in terms of the world system and the behavior is motivated and designed to meet his or her own needs. While the believer will still experience misbeliefs in his conscious mind, however this individual makes a deliberate choice to evaluate his or her world based on a biblical framework. The biggest difference is the believer’s purpose is to live for Christ and exhibit behaviors that are Christ like and subsequently will receive them in return. (Crabb, 1977, p. 107) Human Development All Humans have a desire for autonomy in the world from a very early age. This search for self-governing freedom to establish their place in the world but is conflicted by the distortion of good and evil. The boundaries or acceptable behaviors guide the decision making process. These boundaries are for self-preservation. (Cloud & Townsend, 1999) Positive choices, allow the capacity to be loving and kind to others, use physical energy creatively, and live a purpose driven life. The alternative choice directs individuals on a path of sin and brokenness that prevents both growth and maturity. (McMinn, 2011) Without self-control individuals a counselor has the ability to guide this development process by helping them realize their position in the kingdom of God. Scripture emphasizes the purpose for an intimate relationship with God in that acknowledges a rebirth as a child of God, and confirms that life is no longer in the flesh but now life is in Christ. The intent of a counselor is to progress the client toward the development of an optimal balance of mental and spiritual health. Individual Differences Every human has a viewpoint of the world that is used as base of understanding of the world and their place in it. It is model of assumptions and evaluations that impacts personality traits and behaviors and forms a standard of living. (Clinton & Ohlschlager, 2002, p. 59) Most people’s worldview are inherited rather than chosen and are shaped by cultural, religious and social influences. The presumptions can transcend into discriminatory beliefs to those who have opposing viewpoints. Counselors who are willing to address cultural difference in their client are mostly those that do not see them as impediments, but as an opportunity for growth. Individuals with an understanding & acceptance of themselves will achieve a greater sense of emotional and spiritual health. Health and Illness Health is more than a state of physical, mental, and social well-being. There are other components such psychological, and spiritual. The goal is achieve perfect health on all levels, however this can be challenging for clients to achieve and difficult for counselors to measure. A lifestyle that consists of a balanced diet, physical activities should result in good health; however, these alone are not sufficient. (McMinn, 2011) offers a triad approach that includes an accurate sense of self, healing relationships and an accurate sense of need. Those that are committed toward moving toward total health learn self-love and worth, to recognize needs as well as the importance of therapeutic relationships. There are biological, physical and social systems that all contribute to the symptoms of an illness. The pain and discomfort are presented in the physical body, while anxiety, sinful behavior and other temporal systems affect health. Conflicting messages delivered to the brain trigger and imbalance of worry and stress that are manifested in personality disorders. When people try to function in areas that affect untended and unhealed hurts, they will hurt others. (Wilson, 2001) Psychological and Spiritual Illness Sin is a pervasive element of human condition. In biblical terms, it dates back to Adam and Eve as committing the â€Å"original† sin. It is often misused by those who commit that they are ill; therefore they engage in sinful behavior. Through the use of attributional style, decipher if mental illness or the absence of spirituality are the sources of maladaptive behaviors. (McMinn, 2011) Consequently there must be a conscious choice to identify what sin represents in preventing an intimate relationship with God. Spiritual illness is living outside the will of God who desires peace and tranquility for those who accept him in their life. James 4:17 (King James) Integration and Multitasking McMinn (1996) stresses the need for counselors to evaluate a client’s problems from several viewpoints simultaneously. Through a multidimensional lens, there is the ability to explore theological, psychological perspectives. Developing the ability to multi-task, integrates the science of psychology, the truth in Theology and Spirituality, with the focus on theological truth as a foundation, without diminishing the significance of other perspectives. Effective multitasking acknowledges the forces that influence personality. Nine elements including the body, the human spirit, volition, sin and temporal systems illustrate how humans can obtain a healthy balance when there is a spiritual foundation. Interdisciplinary Integration requires competence that goes beyond the understanding of theology and psychology. Spirituality is not viewed as a study of credentials. It is the personal relationship with God that confronts weaknesses and dependence on God. The author also expresses tha t counselors must engage in the practice of personal devotion and exploring their own spiritual beliefs, through additional training and study Elements of Theory This theory of counseling incorporates integrative applications of disciplines and concepts with emphasis on the core of the human as the source where the spirit resides, cognitive behaviors are developed, and personality structures emerge. As a counselor develops a plan of treatment for a client, attention must be given to both parts of a human. The material or physical self and the immaterial or spirit self. Each part of the self represents areas for the counselor to learn and explore influences on the client’s emotions and dysfunctional behavior. My theory mirrors (Crabb, 1977) presents a unique theory of counseling which he refers to the concepts of Tossed Salad and Nothing Buttery approach to counseling. There is a balanced integration however the focus is on teaching the truth in God’s word from biblical perspective as the most important. I believe effective counseling combines the strengths of various disciplines, without diminishing or promoting one over the other. A comprehensive theory removing deeply rooted misbeliefs and replace with biblical truths. My theory leads clients into an intimate relationship with God and provides a guide to initiate the process of change. (Hawkins, 2009) Process and Techniques Four elements are introduced in the counseling relationships that work together in a successful counseling experience: the spirit, the counselor, the counselee and the bible. The counselor establishes trust, engages the client by attentive listening as they explore the client’s problems, and create a working process that toward goals for both counselor and client. The counselor teaches principles of integration identify patterns of healing, guides the client toward change. The client acknowledges their spiritual relationship with God, takes ownership for emotions and behaviors, and commits to change from within. True transformation begins with a renewal of the mind. (Adams, 1986) Expectations and Effectiveness of Theory The effectiveness of the theory is evaluated through the client progression towards a balanced h awareness of self, God, healthy relationships. (Crabb, 1977) theory suggests that success is measured in Spiritual and Psychological Maturity. The presentation of symptom relief, decreased maladaptive behaviors promote well-being. As counselors enter into experiences with our clients, we trust that God will bless their honesty and courage, as they display progression toward overall improvements in life functioning (Petrocelli, 2002) Worldview and Influence on Theory The basis for my theory is based on a worldview of personal experiences and reflection. It demonstrates a biblical foundation that incorporates the integration of psychology, spirituality and theology. The emphasis of theory reviews the systems surrounding the core self that affect personality, including temporal and supernatural systems. This theory allows a better understanding of the motivation behind a client’s choices. Approach to Integration My approach dispels the myth that Christianity is just a religious belief and psychology is just science of profession, it illustrates that combined integration counselor can understand that you can be a religious person, and still find solutions and order in the science of psychology that examines human behavior. Christianity does not inhibit scientific progress; in fact it is viewed as a major force to the further the exploration of the science. The Spoiled Egyptian Approach has a secular approach to psychology, the weeds out elements that oppose the truth in the scripture. (Crabb, 1977) Conclusion This theory is grounded in a well-balanced foundation. It addresses the theories of integration, Multitasking and Worldviews. The goal of a counselor is summarized into two parts; to lead my clients into an intimate relationship with God and guide the process of change. I believe the strong desire to help my clients begins within the heart of a counselor whose life inhabits the truth in the word of God, as a foundation for their personal theory of counseling. References Adams, J. E. (1986). How to Help People Change. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan. Anderson, N. T. (2000). The Bondage Breaker; Overcoming Negative Thoughts, Irrational Feelings, and Habitual Sins. Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House Publishers. Backus, Dr., W., & Chapian, M. (2000). Telling Yourself the Truth. Bloomington, Minnesota: Bethany House Publishers. Clinton, T., & Ohlschlager, G. (2002). Competent Christian Counseling: Foundations and practices of compassionate soul care. Colorado Springs, Colorado: Waterbrook Press. Cloud, Dr., H., & Townsend, Dr., J. (1999). Boundaries in Marriage. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan. Crabb, Dr., L. (1977). Effective Biblical Counseling; A Model for Helping Caring Christians Become Capable Counselors. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan. Entwistle, D. N. (2010). Integrative Approaches to Psychology and Christianity (2nd ed.). Eugene, Oregon: Cascade Books. Hart, Dr., A. D. (1999). The Anxiety Cure. Nashville, Tennessee: Thomas Nelson, Inc. Hawkins, R. (2009). Constructing a Theory of Counseling. McMinn, M. R. (2011). Psychology, Theology, and Spirituality in Christian Counseling. Carol Stream, Illinois: Tyndale House Publishing. Petrocelli, J. V. (2002). Processes & Stages of Change: Counseling with the Trans theoretical model of change [journal]. Journal of Counseling & Development, 23(4). Social, cognitive processes in behavioral health; Implications for Counseling. (1995). Counseling Psychologist, 2(4). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com.ezproxy.liberty.edu Wilson, S. D. (2001). Hurt People, Hurt People; Hope and Healing for Yourself and Your Relationships. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Discovery House Publishers.

Paper on Critically Examining the Educational Policy of Malaysia

Malaysia is one of the world's fastest growing economic regions, a rapidly growing nation in the heart of South East Asia. Within a span of two decades, it has succeeded in bringing about socioeconomic transformation of the society; from its architecture to its lifestyle, the Malaysian character speaks of a comfortable coexistence of its ethnic, cultural as well as religious diversity that continues to be a part of this country's charm and practical reality. Malaysia's Vision 2020 steers the nation towards becoming a fully developed and industrialized country, a democratic society that is strong in religious and spiritual values, a society that is liberal and tolerant, scientific and progressive, innovative and forward looking. This goal is reflected in the mission of the Ministry of Education, that is: â€Å"To develop a world class quality education system which will realize the full potential of the individual and fulfill the aspiration of the Malaysian nation.† Education has provided a solid platform for country's political as well as economic stability with a view to establishing Malaysia as a regional center for academic excellence and turning education into a top quality export commodity. The Malaysian education system has equipped its young people with a level of competence and skills which has put them on par with the top students in some of the world's best universities, and at 93%, Malaysia's literacy rate is one of the highest in the world. The paper aims at critically examining the educational policy of the Ministry of Education Malaysia, with description of social, governmental and economic environments in which the policy was developed. Effectiveness of the policy will be evaluated and problems related to it will be further highlighted, with comparison to the one of the models from class lecture, i.e. the incremental model of public policy. The foundation for the development of the national education system rests on the National Philosophy of Education, which states that: Education in Malaysia is an on-going effort towards further developing the potential of individuals in a holistic and integrated manner, so as to produce individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically balanced and harmonious, based on a firm belief in and devotion to God. Malaysia being a multi-relligious country, spiritual, religious and moral characteristics of the individuals are highly emphasized and encouraged, which is clear from the national philosophy as well. Such an effort is designed to produce Malaysian citizens who are knowledgeable and competent, who possess high moral standards, and who are responsible and capable of achieving high level of personal well-being as well as able to contribute to the harmony and betterment of the family, the society and the nation at large. One of the most significant reforms initiated in recent years is the formulation of new legislation on education, which will affect the process of educational reforms from pre-school to higher education. The Education Act 1996 replacing the old one of 1961 aims at consolidating the national system of education and widen the scope of education in the country. All categories of schools, with the exception of international ones will be incorporated under the national system of education, which is characterized by the use of a common medium of instruction, a nationally excepted curriculum and common public exams. It will also cover such areas as upgrading and enhancing of pre-school education, teacher education, special education, private and technical education. It gives the education greater prominence, ensuring relevance and quality in the system of education. The Ministry of Education is directly responsible for the organization, management and development of the education in the country and has a centralized system of educational administration headed by the Minister of Education. Hi is assisted by two Deputy Ministers of Education. The secretary-general of Education is responsible for the administrative matters, and the Director-General of Education is concerned with professional matters, and both are directly responsible to the Minister of Education. â€Å"The Ministry was restructured in 1995† and under this new structure there are six principal Departments, such as Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education Department, Department of Higher Education which coordinates governance and policy formulation of public universities and higher education institutions in the country; Technical Education Department which is responsible for conducting research, planning and implementing technical and vocational programs; Department of Private Education which monitors and regulates the development of private education in the country; Department of Special Education; and Department of Islamic Education which supervises the Islamic and Moral Education at all public primary and secondary schools. Besides these six Departments, there are several Divisions, agencies and statutory bodies within the Ministry of Education that are responsible for professional and administrative matters that are not handled by the six Departments. They can be classified under two broad categories, namely Professional and Administrative Divisions. Under Professional Divisions are: Educational Planning and Research Division, which undertakes macro educational planning, and monitors the implementation of educational policies and programs; Educational Technology Division, which upgrades the quality of the teaching-learning process by providing educational media and technological services to support educational programs; Examinations Syndicate responsible for organizing, administrating and conducting all public examinations for schools; and Federal Inspectorate of Schools, providing professional supervision on the teaching-learning process of teachers and supervisory management to school principals. Under Administrative Divisions, there are Organizational Development and Services Division, which oversees the implementation of the terms and conditions of the education service; Scholarship Division; Management Services Division responsible for handling general administrative matters for the Ministry of Education; Financial Division; Information Systems Division and International Relations Division. The administrative structure is organized at four hierarchical levels, namely, national, state, district and school. A system of committees is established in the Ministry of Education to facilitate inter-division and intra-division decision-making. The Minister chairs the Education Planning Committee, which is the highest decision-making body at the federal level concerned with educational policy adoption, adjustment and implementation. Policy matters in education with wider ramifications are referred to Cabinet before final decisions are made. b) State Education Department (SED) Those educational policies and plans made at the federal level are implemented at the state level through the State Education Department. It supervises the implementation of education policies, monitor national education programs, project and activities, as well as providing feedback to the central agencies for general planning. District Education Offices are set up in almost all states, except Perlis, Malacca and the Federal Territories, in order to support the state level administrative system. It basically provides the linkage between schools and the SED. At the level of school, the Headmasters/Principals, assisted by two or three Senior Assistants are responsible for providing professional as well as administrative leadership in schools. The Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA) foster better cooperation between the school and the community. Malaysia provides 11 years of free schooling. Education is the responsibility of the Federal Government, and 20,4% of the annual National Budget is allocated for education. The national education system encompasses education beginning from pre-school to higher education. Primary and secondary education is free but not compulsory. Excellence has been achieved through a carefully designed system that allows flexibility and room for individual approaches. This is really apparent at the pre-school and again at tertiary level. However primary and secondary education is highly structured, with a curriculum which enables the sound acquisition of fundamental knowledge and skills. The admission age to the first year of primary education is six. Most schools in the country are government or government-aided schools. The school year starts in January and ends in November. Students sit for common exams at the end off primary, lower secondary, upper secondary and sixth form levels. The primary level covers a period of between five to seven years, the lower secondary three years, followed by two years at the upper secondary and another two years at the post secondary level. Tertiary education in both the academic and professional fields id provided by universities colleges and other public and private institutions of higher education as shown in Chart 1. Pre-school education id part of the national education system under the Education Act, 1996. The aim of pre-school education is to provide a firm foundation for formal education at the later stage. They are run by government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGO's) as well as private institutions. Children generally begin their pre-school level between four and five years of age. Within the broad guidelines set by the Ministry of Education, a high degree of flexibility prevails in terms of teaching approaches and medium of instruction. The curriculum guidelines set by the Ministry of Education enables pre-school children to acquire sufficient basic communication, social and other positive skills in preparation for primary schooling. Primary school begins at six years of age, and may be completed within five to seven years. Education at this level aims to provide the child with a firm foundation in the basic skills of reading, writing and arithmetic, as well as emphasizing thinking skills and values across the curriculum. Eventhough education at this level is not compulsory, more than 99 percent of this age group are enrolled in primary schools nationwide. Taking into consideration the multi-ethnic nature of its population, Malaysia has set up two categories of schools: the National and National-type schools. In the national schools the medium of instruction is the Malay language, whereas the medium of instruction in the national type schools is either Chinese or Tamil languages. In both types of schools the Malay language is compulsory, and English is also taught as second language in addition to Chinese, Tamil and other indigenous languages. The curriculum used at this level id the Integrated Curriculum for Primary Schools (ICPS) which consists of three main areas, namely, Communication, Man and his Environment, and Self Development. Two assessment examinations at year three and six are used to evaluate student performance. Outstanding students at year three can opt to go straight into year five. Secondary school offers a comprehensive education program. It aims to promote the general development of students by helping them to acquire knowledge, insight and skills from wide range of arts and sciences as well as vocational and technical subjects that provide a practical bias and hands-on approach to learning. Basically, the ultimate goal is to develop a strong foundation for life-long education as students are introduced to the beginnings of specialization. The medium of instruction is the Malay language, English, Tamil and Chinese are also widely taught as second language. Following the Lower Secondary Assessment examination (PMR) at year three, students move into more specialized fields of study at the upper secondary level, based on choice and aptitude of the students, and are reevaluated at year five through the Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM) assessment examination. Some secondary schools offer the Malaysian Higher School Certificate (STPM) program which qualifies students for entry into the national universities, colleges and teacher training institutions. Co-curricular programs are regarded as integral part of the school curriculum, and there are basically three types of co-curricular activities, namely, uniformed bodies, clubs and sports. Some co-curricular programs and activities are partly financed by government agencies and the private sector, and implemented at school, district, state and national levels. Various co-curricular programs are organized to develop character, discipline and leadership qualities of the students. Some of these programs are: School Youth Cadet Corp., School Fire Brigade Corp., and other leadership courses. The Youth is highly encouraged to indulge in various Entrepreneurial Programs, writing, speaking and debating competitions as well as cultural activities to create cultural awareness and literary appreciation among the students. Cultural exchange programs are held to promote closer ties and foster better relationship between students of different countries regionally and internationally. Special education provides educational opportunities for pupils with special needs, such as the spastic, handicapped, visually impaired, hearing impaired as well as those with learning disabilities. Currently there are 2883 schools in the country which are equipped with both teaching staff and facilities to help integrate these children within the general school system. However, those needing more intensive care and attention attend 31 special schools. The Education Act 1996 provides for special provision of special education in special schools or in regular primary and secondary schools. As a policy, the duration of schooling for children with special needs in a formal system should not be less than that accorded to pupils in regular primary and secondary schools. To ensure effective implementation of special education programs, the Special Teacher's Training College conducts courses for teachers of the visually and hearing impaired students. By the way of shedding light on the policies adopted by the Ministry of Education of Malaysia, it would be expedient to evaluate their effectiveness, and give some solutions for future improvements. During the Sixth Plan period, i.e. 1991-95, the overall thrust of education was on expanding capacity and increasing access to all levels of education, strengthening the delivery system and improving the quality of education. Consequently, it resulted in increases in enrollment at all levels of education. Recognizing the importance of pre-school education efforts were taken by the Ministry to increase facilities and improve quality of pre-school education. Efforts by both the public and private sectors including non-governmental organizations, resulted in an increase in pre-school centers from about 6,960 in 1990 to 10,350 in 1995. Correspondingly, the number of children in the 5-6 age category enrolled increased from 328,800 in 1990 to 420,600 in 1995, representing an increase of 27,9 per cent.10 Establishment of pre-school centers in the rural areas was very much emphasized, â€Å"of the total pre-school centers established by the Government, 80% were in rural areas, which benefited about 204,100 rural children.11 In primary education the main focus was on expanding capacity, improving existing facilities, and the quality of teaching and learning materials. In order to instill interest in science from an early age, the old existing syllabus were revised and some new ones were introduced. In order to accommodate increases in enrollment, reduce overcrowding, a total of 9,530 additional classrooms were constructed. With hostel facilities provided in rural and remote areas, students were able to gain access to a more conducive learning environment. In order to attract qualified and experienced teachers to serve in the rural and remote areas, an incentives were introduced for those those willing to teach in rural areas. Efforts were also undertaken to provide greater access to education for disabled children and those with learning difficulties. Despite efforts to improve the overall academic performance of primary school students, gaps in student's achievements between rural and urban schools still remained. Enrollment at the secondary level in Government and Government aided schools increased by 23.1 per cent from about 1.3 million in 1990 to about 1.6 million in 199512 as shown in Table 1. With the gradual implementation of the policy in the Sixth Plan, the transition rate from lower to upper secondary level improved from 68 per cent in 1990 to 83 per cent in 1995, while the participation rate at the upper secondary level increased from 50. Per cent in 1990 to 63.7 per cent in 1995.13 Due to increasing enrollment in urban schools and to reduce overcrowding, a total of 5,20 additional classrooms was planned for construction. However, only 75% or 3,960 classrooms were completed. Despite improvement measures bring undertaken, there were still concerns regarding student achievement and the proportion of students who chose science subjects at the upper secondary level. In order to meet the manpower requirements of a rapidly growing economy, tertiary education was directed at increasing enrollment at the degree, diploma and certificate levels, particularly in science, medicine, engineering and other technical related courses.. Efforts were undertaken to increase intake into local public institutions of higher learning by expanding physical facilities of existing campuses and establishing new universities. Opportunities for Bumiputera to pursue studies at the tertiary level were expanded at the Institut Teknologi MARA (ITM) where enrollment increased from 27.500 in 1990 to 35.480 in 1995. Enrollment at the degree, diploma and certificate levels increased by 52.7 per cent from 100.590 in 1990 to 153.610 in 1995. In 1995 an estimated 50.600 Malaysian students or 20 per cent of students in tertiary education were enrolled in various institutions overseas.14 In order to meet the objective of education and skill training programs, which is to produce an adequate number of skilled and quality workforce to meet the manpower requirements of the country as well as produce citizens who are disciplined and possess high moral values and good work ethics, the following measures were suggested:  · to increase the capacity of existing institutions and establishing new ones, particularly in science, engineering and other technical fields;  · strengthen the delivery system through the provision of qualified and experienced teachers and instructors, as well as greater utilization of up to date technologies and computers so as to improve the overall quality;  · improve the management and implementation of education and training programs through enhancing managerial capability as well as strengthening the monitoring and evaluating system;  · strengthen research and development (R&D) within the existing institutions of higher learning as well s collaborating with local and foreign R&D institutions;  · increase science and technical manpower, particularly in R&D;  · provide appropriate incentives to increase enrollment in the science stream.  · improve educational facilities in rural areas so as to reduce dropouts from the schools, while at the same time helping the children to perform better;  · inculcate positive values and right attitudes as well as innovativeness, communication and analytical skills among students and trainees;  · encourage reemployment of retired teachers to overcome the problems with shortages in critical subjects;  · encourage more private sector investment in education and training to complement public sector efforts.15 As far as the future development of pre-school education is concerned, the Government targets at participation of at least 65 per cent of children in the age of 5-6. A comprehensive policy will be formulated for the development of pre-school education, covering major aspects such as curriculum, physical facilities and teacher training, in addition to further improvements of coordination and quality of pre-school education in the public and private sectors. In this respect the latter will be encouraged to provide more pre-school facilities. Furthermore, greater parental involvement in their children's education will be encouraged to increase awareness of parents on the importance of pre-school education in their children's development. New syllabus and teaching methods with emphasis to practical experience will be further developed. As far as secondary education is concerned, the enrollment at the secondary level in Government and Government-aided schools is expected to increase by 25 per cent from about 1.6 million in 1995 to 2.0 million in the year 2000. The increase will be more significant at the upper secondary level with the extension of basic education from nine to 11 years. A total of 9,770 new classrooms will be built in order to accommodate the increase in enrollment and reduce overcrowding.16 Teaching method which are simple, practical and interesting will continue to be used in order to increase student's interest as well as improve their performance. Appropriate incentives will be provided to science students so as to increase enrollment in the science stream. Taking into account the latest technological development, the use of computers in secondary schools will be extensively promoted to build a strong foundation for a computer literate society. Extensive monitoring and evaluation of student's performance at all levels will be undertaken, in addition to development of new teaching and learning approaches so as to enhance student's academic performance. Paper on Critically Examining the Educational Policy of Malaysia Malaysia is one of the world's fastest growing economic regions, a rapidly growing nation in the heart of South East Asia. Within a span of two decades, it has succeeded in bringing about socioeconomic transformation of the society; from its architecture to its lifestyle, the Malaysian character speaks of a comfortable coexistence of its ethnic, cultural as well as religious diversity that continues to be a part of this country's charm and practical reality. Malaysia's Vision 2020 steers the nation towards becoming a fully developed and industrialized country, a democratic society that is strong in religious and spiritual values, a society that is liberal and tolerant, scientific and progressive, innovative and forward looking. This goal is reflected in the mission of the Ministry of Education, that is: â€Å"To develop a world class quality education system which will realize the full potential of the individual and fulfill the aspiration of the Malaysian nation.† Education has provided a solid platform for country's political as well as economic stability with a view to establishing Malaysia as a regional center for academic excellence and turning education into a top quality export commodity. The Malaysian education system has equipped its young people with a level of competence and skills which has put them on par with the top students in some of the world's best universities, and at 93%, Malaysia's literacy rate is one of the highest in the world. The paper aims at critically examining the educational policy of the Ministry of Education Malaysia, with description of social, governmental and economic environments in which the policy was developed. Effectiveness of the policy will be evaluated and problems related to it will be further highlighted, with comparison to the one of the models from class lecture, i.e. the incremental model of public policy. The foundation for the development of the national education system rests on the National Philosophy of Education, which states that: Education in Malaysia is an on-going effort towards further developing the potential of individuals in a holistic and integrated manner, so as to produce individuals who are intellectually, spiritually, emotionally and physically balanced and harmonious, based on a firm belief in and devotion to God. Malaysia being a multi-relligious country, spiritual, religious and moral characteristics of the individuals are highly emphasized and encouraged, which is clear from the national philosophy as well. Such an effort is designed to produce Malaysian citizens who are knowledgeable and competent, who possess high moral standards, and who are responsible and capable of achieving high level of personal well-being as well as able to contribute to the harmony and betterment of the family, the society and the nation at large. One of the most significant reforms initiated in recent years is the formulation of new legislation on education, which will affect the process of educational reforms from pre-school to higher education. The Education Act 1996 replacing the old one of 1961 aims at consolidating the national system of education and widen the scope of education in the country. All categories of schools, with the exception of international ones will be incorporated under the national system of education, which is characterized by the use of a common medium of instruction, a nationally excepted curriculum and common public exams. It will also cover such areas as upgrading and enhancing of pre-school education, teacher education, special education, private and technical education. It gives the education greater prominence, ensuring relevance and quality in the system of education. The Ministry of Education is directly responsible for the organization, management and development of the education in the country and has a centralized system of educational administration headed by the Minister of Education. Hi is assisted by two Deputy Ministers of Education. The secretary-general of Education is responsible for the administrative matters, and the Director-General of Education is concerned with professional matters, and both are directly responsible to the Minister of Education. â€Å"The Ministry was restructured in 1995† and under this new structure there are six principal Departments, such as Pre-school, Primary and Secondary Education Department, Department of Higher Education which coordinates governance and policy formulation of public universities and higher education institutions in the country; Technical Education Department which is responsible for conducting research, planning and implementing technical and vocational programs; Department of Private Education which monitors and regulates the development of private education in the country; Department of Special Education; and Department of Islamic Education which supervises the Islamic and Moral Education at all public primary and secondary schools. Besides these six Departments, there are several Divisions, agencies and statutory bodies within the Ministry of Education that are responsible for professional and administrative matters that are not handled by the six Departments. They can be classified under two broad categories, namely Professional and Administrative Divisions. Under Professional Divisions are: Educational Planning and Research Division, which undertakes macro educational planning, and monitors the implementation of educational policies and programs; Educational Technology Division, which upgrades the quality of the teaching-learning process by providing educational media and technological services to support educational programs; Examinations Syndicate responsible for organizing, administrating and conducting all public examinations for schools; and Federal Inspectorate of Schools, providing professional supervision on the teaching-learning process of teachers and supervisory management to school principals. Under Administrative Divisions, there are Organizational Development and Services Division, which oversees the implementation of the terms and conditions of the education service; Scholarship Division; Management Services Division responsible for handling general administrative matters for the Ministry of Education; Financial Division; Information Systems Division and International Relations Division. The administrative structure is organized at four hierarchical levels, namely, national, state, district and school. A system of committees is established in the Ministry of Education to facilitate inter-division and intra-division decision-making. The Minister chairs the Education Planning Committee, which is the highest decision-making body at the federal level concerned with educational policy adoption, adjustment and implementation. Policy matters in education with wider ramifications are referred to Cabinet before final decisions are made. b) State Education Department (SED) Those educational policies and plans made at the federal level are implemented at the state level through the State Education Department. It supervises the implementation of education policies, monitor national education programs, project and activities, as well as providing feedback to the central agencies for general planning. District Education Offices are set up in almost all states, except Perlis, Malacca and the Federal Territories, in order to support the state level administrative system. It basically provides the linkage between schools and the SED. At the level of school, the Headmasters/Principals, assisted by two or three Senior Assistants are responsible for providing professional as well as administrative leadership in schools. The Parent-Teacher Associations (PTA) foster better cooperation between the school and the community. Malaysia provides 11 years of free schooling. Education is the responsibility of the Federal Government, and 20,4% of the annual National Budget is allocated for education. The national education system encompasses education beginning from pre-school to higher education. Primary and secondary education is free but not compulsory. Excellence has been achieved through a carefully designed system that allows flexibility and room for individual approaches. This is really apparent at the pre-school and again at tertiary level. However primary and secondary education is highly structured, with a curriculum which enables the sound acquisition of fundamental knowledge and skills. The admission age to the first year of primary education is six. Most schools in the country are government or government-aided schools. The school year starts in January and ends in November. Students sit for common exams at the end off primary, lower secondary, upper secondary and sixth form levels. The primary level covers a period of between five to seven years, the lower secondary three years, followed by two years at the upper secondary and another two years at the post secondary level. Tertiary education in both the academic and professional fields id provided by universities colleges and other public and private institutions of higher education as shown in Chart 1. Pre-school education id part of the national education system under the Education Act, 1996. The aim of pre-school education is to provide a firm foundation for formal education at the later stage. They are run by government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGO's) as well as private institutions. Children generally begin their pre-school level between four and five years of age. Within the broad guidelines set by the Ministry of Education, a high degree of flexibility prevails in terms of teaching approaches and medium of instruction. The curriculum guidelines set by the Ministry of Education enables pre-school children to acquire sufficient basic communication, social and other positive skills in preparation for primary schooling. Primary school begins at six years of age, and may be completed within five to seven years. Education at this level aims to provide the child with a firm foundation in the basic skills of reading, writing and arithmetic, as well as emphasizing thinking skills and values across the curriculum. Eventhough education at this level is not compulsory, more than 99 percent of this age group are enrolled in primary schools nationwide. Taking into consideration the multi-ethnic nature of its population, Malaysia has set up two categories of schools: the National and National-type schools. In the national schools the medium of instruction is the Malay language, whereas the medium of instruction in the national type schools is either Chinese or Tamil languages. In both types of schools the Malay language is compulsory, and English is also taught as second language in addition to Chinese, Tamil and other indigenous languages. The curriculum used at this level id the Integrated Curriculum for Primary Schools (ICPS) which consists of three main areas, namely, Communication, Man and his Environment, and Self Development. Two assessment examinations at year three and six are used to evaluate student performance. Outstanding students at year three can opt to go straight into year five. Secondary school offers a comprehensive education program. It aims to promote the general development of students by helping them to acquire knowledge, insight and skills from wide range of arts and sciences as well as vocational and technical subjects that provide a practical bias and hands-on approach to learning. Basically, the ultimate goal is to develop a strong foundation for life-long education as students are introduced to the beginnings of specialization. The medium of instruction is the Malay language, English, Tamil and Chinese are also widely taught as second language. Following the Lower Secondary Assessment examination (PMR) at year three, students move into more specialized fields of study at the upper secondary level, based on choice and aptitude of the students, and are reevaluated at year five through the Malaysian Certificate of Education (SPM) assessment examination. Some secondary schools offer the Malaysian Higher School Certificate (STPM) program which qualifies students for entry into the national universities, colleges and teacher training institutions. Co-curricular programs are regarded as integral part of the school curriculum, and there are basically three types of co-curricular activities, namely, uniformed bodies, clubs and sports. Some co-curricular programs and activities are partly financed by government agencies and the private sector, and implemented at school, district, state and national levels. Various co-curricular programs are organized to develop character, discipline and leadership qualities of the students. Some of these programs are: School Youth Cadet Corp., School Fire Brigade Corp., and other leadership courses. The Youth is highly encouraged to indulge in various Entrepreneurial Programs, writing, speaking and debating competitions as well as cultural activities to create cultural awareness and literary appreciation among the students. Cultural exchange programs are held to promote closer ties and foster better relationship between students of different countries regionally and internationally. Special education provides educational opportunities for pupils with special needs, such as the spastic, handicapped, visually impaired, hearing impaired as well as those with learning disabilities. Currently there are 2883 schools in the country which are equipped with both teaching staff and facilities to help integrate these children within the general school system. However, those needing more intensive care and attention attend 31 special schools. The Education Act 1996 provides for special provision of special education in special schools or in regular primary and secondary schools. As a policy, the duration of schooling for children with special needs in a formal system should not be less than that accorded to pupils in regular primary and secondary schools. To ensure effective implementation of special education programs, the Special Teacher's Training College conducts courses for teachers of the visually and hearing impaired students. By the way of shedding light on the policies adopted by the Ministry of Education of Malaysia, it would be expedient to evaluate their effectiveness, and give some solutions for future improvements. During the Sixth Plan period, i.e. 1991-95, the overall thrust of education was on expanding capacity and increasing access to all levels of education, strengthening the delivery system and improving the quality of education. Consequently, it resulted in increases in enrollment at all levels of education. Recognizing the importance of pre-school education efforts were taken by the Ministry to increase facilities and improve quality of pre-school education. Efforts by both the public and private sectors including non-governmental organizations, resulted in an increase in pre-school centers from about 6,960 in 1990 to 10,350 in 1995. Correspondingly, the number of children in the 5-6 age category enrolled increased from 328,800 in 1990 to 420,600 in 1995, representing an increase of 27,9 per cent.10 Establishment of pre-school centers in the rural areas was very much emphasized, â€Å"of the total pre-school centers established by the Government, 80% were in rural areas, which benefited about 204,100 rural children.11 In primary education the main focus was on expanding capacity, improving existing facilities, and the quality of teaching and learning materials. In order to instill interest in science from an early age, the old existing syllabus were revised and some new ones were introduced. In order to accommodate increases in enrollment, reduce overcrowding, a total of 9,530 additional classrooms were constructed. With hostel facilities provided in rural and remote areas, students were able to gain access to a more conducive learning environment. In order to attract qualified and experienced teachers to serve in the rural and remote areas, an incentives were introduced for those those willing to teach in rural areas. Efforts were also undertaken to provide greater access to education for disabled children and those with learning difficulties. Despite efforts to improve the overall academic performance of primary school students, gaps in student's achievements between rural and urban schools still remained. Enrollment at the secondary level in Government and Government aided schools increased by 23.1 per cent from about 1.3 million in 1990 to about 1.6 million in 199512 as shown in Table 1. With the gradual implementation of the policy in the Sixth Plan, the transition rate from lower to upper secondary level improved from 68 per cent in 1990 to 83 per cent in 1995, while the participation rate at the upper secondary level increased from 50. Per cent in 1990 to 63.7 per cent in 1995.13 Due to increasing enrollment in urban schools and to reduce overcrowding, a total of 5,20 additional classrooms was planned for construction. However, only 75% or 3,960 classrooms were completed. Despite improvement measures bring undertaken, there were still concerns regarding student achievement and the proportion of students who chose science subjects at the upper secondary level. In order to meet the manpower requirements of a rapidly growing economy, tertiary education was directed at increasing enrollment at the degree, diploma and certificate levels, particularly in science, medicine, engineering and other technical related courses.. Efforts were undertaken to increase intake into local public institutions of higher learning by expanding physical facilities of existing campuses and establishing new universities. Opportunities for Bumiputera to pursue studies at the tertiary level were expanded at the Institut Teknologi MARA (ITM) where enrollment increased from 27.500 in 1990 to 35.480 in 1995. Enrollment at the degree, diploma and certificate levels increased by 52.7 per cent from 100.590 in 1990 to 153.610 in 1995. In 1995 an estimated 50.600 Malaysian students or 20 per cent of students in tertiary education were enrolled in various institutions overseas.14 In order to meet the objective of education and skill training programs, which is to produce an adequate number of skilled and quality workforce to meet the manpower requirements of the country as well as produce citizens who are disciplined and possess high moral values and good work ethics, the following measures were suggested:  · to increase the capacity of existing institutions and establishing new ones, particularly in science, engineering and other technical fields;  · strengthen the delivery system through the provision of qualified and experienced teachers and instructors, as well as greater utilization of up to date technologies and computers so as to improve the overall quality;  · improve the management and implementation of education and training programs through enhancing managerial capability as well as strengthening the monitoring and evaluating system;  · strengthen research and development (R&D) within the existing institutions of higher learning as well s collaborating with local and foreign R&D institutions;  · increase science and technical manpower, particularly in R&D;  · provide appropriate incentives to increase enrollment in the science stream.  · improve educational facilities in rural areas so as to reduce dropouts from the schools, while at the same time helping the children to perform better;  · inculcate positive values and right attitudes as well as innovativeness, communication and analytical skills among students and trainees;  · encourage reemployment of retired teachers to overcome the problems with shortages in critical subjects;  · encourage more private sector investment in education and training to complement public sector efforts.15 As far as the future development of pre-school education is concerned, the Government targets at participation of at least 65 per cent of children in the age of 5-6. A comprehensive policy will be formulated for the development of pre-school education, covering major aspects such as curriculum, physical facilities and teacher training, in addition to further improvements of coordination and quality of pre-school education in the public and private sectors. In this respect the latter will be encouraged to provide more pre-school facilities. Furthermore, greater parental involvement in their children's education will be encouraged to increase awareness of parents on the importance of pre-school education in their children's development. New syllabus and teaching methods with emphasis to practical experience will be further developed. As far as secondary education is concerned, the enrollment at the secondary level in Government and Government-aided schools is expected to increase by 25 per cent from about 1.6 million in 1995 to 2.0 million in the year 2000. The increase will be more significant at the upper secondary level with the extension of basic education from nine to 11 years. A total of 9,770 new classrooms will be built in order to accommodate the increase in enrollment and reduce overcrowding.16 Teaching method which are simple, practical and interesting will continue to be used in order to increase student's interest as well as improve their performance. Appropriate incentives will be provided to science students so as to increase enrollment in the science stream. Taking into account the latest technological development, the use of computers in secondary schools will be extensively promoted to build a strong foundation for a computer literate society. Extensive monitoring and evaluation of student's performance at all levels will be undertaken, in addition to development of new teaching and learning approaches so as to enhance student's academic performance.