Learning Is A Continuous Process Education Essay

Learning Is A Continuous Process Education Essay It is said that Ignorance is Bliss. If that be the case, one may wonder why people seek knowledge. This is because Knowledge is Power. That is why everyone is in pursuit of knowledge. Acquiring / up gradation of knowledge is known as learning. Learning is a continuous cyclic process. It starts from what one knows. It goes towards what one wants to know. The cycle is as shown below [1] In the process of learning, one picks up from what others know and some times one learns from ones own experience. Many times the success in life comes through learning new skills, knowledge, capabilities and attitudes. If we narrow our concern to the success of learning process in educational institutions, the success cannot be measured as a simple parameter. The success may be seen immediately or it may be felt at a later date. Success may be felt by an individual or it may be felt by the society. In many societies, education is seen as cost center and not as profit center. Governments in the world spend huge sums of money to educate their population. Generally these investments are made currently with an eye on future generations of the society. All along lifetime of mankind, education and continuous up- gradation of knowledge have been contributing to development of society. In a broad sense the following parameters can form the basis of measuring the success of learning: Knowledge gained Skills up-gradation Decision making capability Attitudinal change Ability to shoulder responsibility Problem solving capability Judgmental capability II LEARNING PROCESS Many principles are used to accelerate learning process [2]. Learning style depends on students preferences, students information processing capability, personality, social interaction tendencies, cultural diversity in the learning place and instructional methods. It may be difficult to model learning process precisely. There is a lot of disagreement between the educators and psychologists in the understanding of learning process. However, they agree that learning can be explained by the combination of two approaches namely, behaviorism and cognitive theory. Some of the principles that affect learning are readiness, exercise, effect, primacy, intensity, recency and perception. The factors that affect perception are physical organism, basic need, goals and values, self concept, time and opportunity and element of threat. There are four levels of learning namely, Rote learning, understanding, application and correlation. Higher levels of learning take place in cognitive domain, affecti ve domain and psychomotor domain. However, any knowledge / skill learnt are liable to be forgotten if not used regularly. There are methods for retention of what is learnt. The methods are praise, recall by association, favorable attitudes, meaningful repetition and leaning with all senses. Learning or acquiring of knowledge, skill etc are aimed at enhancing a persons decision making capability, problem solving ability, judgmental capabilities, ability to shoulder responsibilities and above all confidence of that person. Since learning is an important aspect of students lives, it becomes all the more important for us (teachers) to concentrate on different learning processes and various teaching methods that can bring about the required change in the students for maximum benefits. From the understanding of learning process, we understand that teaching involves transfer of knowledge, belief, skill, understanding, experience, values and preferences from the teacher to the taught. While undertaking any teaching assignment, the teacher is interested in knowing he sure methods of success in achieving the required goal of transfer of knowledge etc. There is no specific fool-proof method for available for the same. The success depends on the subject taught and methods employed. If one method has failed, the teacher must find another that can facilitate transfer of maximum information. In short, teaching is not considered to be a science and it is recognized as an Art. III PEDAGOGIES Different pedagogies are used for teaching different subjects. The well known, time tested standard and traditional pedagogies are chalk and talk, demonstration, tutorials, experiments and questions. But it has been found that these pedagogies fall short of expectations. So, there have been efforts to identify more effective novel strategies for teaching. We shall discuss some of the novel pedagogies and some of e-learning methods. Recent pedagogies include Role play, learn while you play, Learn through games, promoting Lateral thinking, Discovery learning, Cooperative learning, Case studies and Peer teaching. More recent methods are e-learning and m-learning pedagogies. We shall discuss each of these in detail. 3.1 Role Play Role play as a pedagogy has been in use for some time now [3]. It has been recognized as an effective learning tool especially for development of attitudinal skills. It exposes the participants to different views / perspectives for the same situation. All the participants may have gone through the theory of situations and how to react to such situations. However, in practice, one may find himself / herself wanting. Role play lets the participants go through the experience and to understand what different people may think / do at the same situation. In a role play a scenario is explained through a brief given to set of players. Each player may have been given different responsibilities and with different goals / objectives. There may be roles with conflicting interests as in the real life scenario. As the players play out the scenario, the possible obstacles in any ones plan are unfolded. Each one learns about the others ideas and each player gains more insight in to real life situati on. The result is the rich experience gained by all. 3.2 Learn while you play This pedagogy is use in use since kindergarten scheme of education is in vogue. This pedagogy is used mainly to help children get out of their homesickness in to a system of education. The system is use from 19 Century [4]. The pedagogy is useful in making even the reluctant child to join his / her friends in learning the basics of language / numbers. It has been found to be very effective across large societies. One of the reasons for this pedagogy to be successful is that it makes learning an interesting activity. It can possibly be beneficial if the same pedagogy is extended o higher learning also, specifically for learning skills. 3.3 Learn through games This pedagogy is very much useful for learning management skills. This is practiced in many International Schools of management [5,6]. It was started in 1958. It seeks to initiate reactions (management decisions) from students in a simulated environment. The game(s) can be played by a group of students across the table or it can be played over the Internet. Assisted learning is possible with the teacher providing necessary inputs so the student makes correct decisions. A good example is TOC V6 that can be played over the Internet [7]. The game lets the students to create a company, operate railway lines, plan routes and tariffs, plan advertisement and management strategies based on simulated results. In this game, the player is expected to make management decisions in the spheres of personnel, business planning, marketing and financial management. 3.4 Lateral Thinking The term Lateral Thinking was invented in the year 1967 by Edward De Bono [8]. It lets the students to think out of the box. The practice has been found to be useful in many situations. The website by the author is very useful in understanding the full capabilities of the practice of lateral thinking. In any situation, one can find the way out by simply thinking differently. As an approach, it is beneficial for all students to be encouraged in the art of lateral thinking as they are likely to face different problems than the ones for which they are prepared now. Good example of lateral thinking is the game of crossword. It tries to find an answer to a seemingly difficult statement. 3.5 Discovery Learning It is a good tool to let the students learn new concepts simply by discovering them. It is originally proposed by Jerome Bruner [9]. Discovery Learning is a method of inquiry-based instruction, discovery learning believes that it is best for learners to discover facts and relationships for themselves. This pedagogy allows knowledge to be constructed by the students themselves. In this method, the learner discovers the facts from their past experience and existing knowledge [10]. David Kolb has suggested an experimental learning model in 1984 [11] as shown below. Seymour Papert, a Professor from MIT has said You cant teach people everything they need to know. The best you can do is position them where they can find what they need to know when they need to know it [12]. Learning orientations are found to happen in four different domains, namely, Behavior, cognitive, humanist and social domains. Out of these, cognition and recognition are mental processes that get sharpened by learning. Cognition is a complicated process that extends beyond what one sees or hears or smells. It provides understanding and association. For example, when we hear background music, we are able to identify the song and also any event / memory associated with it. 3.6 Case studies In this pedagogy, a single person or a group of persons study a situation or case in the real world. That is, they study a real time problem. It is expected that the person or group is involved in extensive research about the problem. Case studies are very helpful in the fields of Business or medicine. Case studies are useful in bringing out the correlations between events. Many times, case studies are also useful in suggesting suitable ways out of any situation. It helps the participants to weigh the pros and cons of different approaches towards the solution to any problem on hand. The benefits of this pedagogy and the approaches are many [13]. Free samples of case studies are also available [14, 15, 16, 17, and 18]. 3.7 Peer Teaching This has been found to be very effective in teaching students with mixed capabilities. This strategy exploits the advent of ICT (Information Communication Technology) in the field of education. In an UNESCO study conducted at Malaysia, it has been found that this pedagogy is very helpful for students in learning [19]. This strategy has been identified as hands On, Heads On, Hearts On strategy. There are many benefits of this strategy as this makes it possible for the learning to continue beyond the classroom and the examinations. It encourages collaboration among the students. But it must be borne in mind that a good student may not always be a good teacher. Main reason for this strategy to be effective is that we tend to remember [20]: 10% of what we hear 15% of what we see 20% of what we hear and see 60% of what we do 80% of what is done actively with reflection; 90% of what we teach others IV RECENT TRENDS Recent pedagogies are e-learning and m-learning using more of ICT. These strategies are more suited for teaching knowledge or concepts. However, for teaching skills, ones personal experience is the best teacher. For example, one cannot learn to swim from any amount of conceptual teaching from any one. One can learn swimming simply by jumping in to a water body and picking up the nuances of swimming. An analysis of e-learning initiatives of Colleges of Technology shows that majority of the staff members here use prepared study material and starting and maintaining discussion forum in websites. Some of the staff also uses power point presentations for transferring knowledge. However, there are some more e-learning pedagogies that can be made use of. We shall discuss them in detail. 4.1 Animation Animation uses the language of pictures. It is easy to convey a concept through an image than through verbose statements. Image captures the attention of viewers better than the ability of a lecturer to capture the attention of the listener. There are many 2D or 3D animation pictures available for teaching different subjects. It is possible to make the students understand certain time-related concepts better with animation than by regular classroom lecture. Many organizations are involved in development of animation pictures for teaching different subjects. 4.2 Simulation Software Many times, especially in design, it may not be possible to build a particular product and then test it. It may be costly and there may be other problems. So, it becomes advantageous if we can simulate a design and test the same in simulation. More over, a product / design that may give certain results under certain conditions, may give varied results under different conditions. While it may be possible to calculate / extrapolate the current situation, simulation helps the person to find the result without having to create the conditions physically. There are soft wares available for simulating various parameters and finding the results. The student can test his / her design under different conditions. Many simulation packages are available for teaching different subjects. 4.3 Video Lectures This is another method where the student is made to listen to the lectures by an eminent person in a field. The lectures by a reputed person are recorded and are available as video lectures. There are many such lectures available in the Internet [21]. The well known lecture series from Professors of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) or Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are available for free down load on any technical subject. These lectures are expected to offer to the student the much needed variety of view on the subject. It must be understood such lectures, though available, are not suited for developing practical skills. 4.4 Audio- visual (AV) lectures These are slightly different from the video lectures. These are useful with additional voice-over. That is, there are practical demonstrations with supporting voice -over instructions. The additional instructions are very helpful in enhancing the understanding of the subject. There are many available, mainly for learning different languages. However, there are a series of AV volumes available for Physical Exercises by Jane Fonda. 4.5 Screen casting and POD casting Some times screencasting helps easy understanding of some subjects [22]. A screen cast is the capture of the computer screen along with accompanying audio (of the teacher) and distributed. It can be viewed through the LAN in screen cast or it can be distributed through mobile network in POD cast. It can be considered to be representation of computer screen over a period of time. It captures changes in the screen for each action. The student, even if he / she has not been attentive in the class to appreciate all the minute points can learn them leisurely at home at a later time. 4.6 Virtual Learning Virtual Reality is the latest technique. It allows the user to experience a simulated Virtual environment in the computer. It calls for use of many gadgets associated with imaginary environments. It helps the student to gain the experience of any situation without having to go through the rigmarole of creating the environment. This is driven by stringent computing power requirements. V CONCLUSION We have considered many pedagogies that can be used in your classroom. After studying all these options, one may wonder if the pedagogy used by that person is the best one. However, it must be borne in mind that a particular pedagogy may be well suited for teaching a particular subject. The same pedagogy may not suit well for teaching other subject. The suitability of the pedagogy is dependent on the following parameters: The subject taught Students capability to understand Students interest to learn Nuances involved in learning that subject The learning environment Compulsion / incentives in learning that subject Language proficiency of teacher and taught We have considered different pedagogies and their relative merits. Only after practice of each of them one can come to a conclusion if it is well suited for any subject. VI References http://www.in-corporate.eu/images/diagrams/learning-process.gif http://www.dynamicflight.com/ Blanter A Blanter , Allee (1997) Applications in Education In the Art of play : Helping Adults reclaim imagination and spontaneity Philadelphia: Bruner/Mazel Taylor Francis http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindergarten sbaweb.wayne.edu/~absel/bkl/vol17/17ck.pdf http://www.cmu.edu/corporate/news/2007/features/mgmt%20game.shtml Carnegie Mellon University http://tocgame.sr1.fi/ www.edwdebono.com/debono/lateral.htm Bruner, J.S. (1967). On knowing: Essays for the left hand. Cambridge, Mass: Harvard University Press. www.learning-theories.com/discovery-learning-bruner.html Kolb DA 1984. Experiential learning: experience as the source of learning and development. Prentice-Hall. http://www.papert.org/ http://www.studygs.net/casestudy.htm www.Caseplace.org www.intel.com/business/casestudies/all/index.html http://www.thetimes100.co.uk/company_list.php http://www.schroeder-inc.com/casestudy.html http://ucs.ist.psu.edu/default.asp Tan Tee Hwa, Student Peer Teaching Strategy, Malaysia, UNESCO, Bangkok (2009) ISBN 978-92-9223-251-1 (Print version), ISBN 978-92-9223-252-8 (Electronic version) http://ceupromed.ucol.mx/sptss/introduction.htm www.youtube.com www.educause.edu/eli

Computer Crime :: essays research papers

Computer Crime A young man sits illuminated only by the light of a computer screen. His fingers dance across the keyboard. While it appears that he is only word processing or playing a game, he may be committing a felony. In the state of Connecticut, computer crime is defined as: 53a-251. Computer Crime (a) Defined. A person commits computer crime when he violates any of the provisions of this section. (b) Unauthorized access to a computer system. (1) A person is guilty of the computer crime of unauthorized access to a computer system when, knowing that he is not authorized to do so, he accesses or causes the be accessed any computer system without authorization... (c) Theft of computer services. A person is guilty of the computer crime o f theft of computer services when he accesses or causes to be accessed or otherwise uses or causes to be used a computer system with the intent to obtain unauthorized computer services. (d) Interruption of computer services. A person is guilty of the computer crime of interruption of computer services when he, without authorization, intentionally or recklessly disrupts or degrades or causes the disruption or degradation of computer services or denies or causes the denial of computer services to an authorized user of a computer system. (e) Misuse of computer system information. A person is guilty of the computer crime of misuse of computer system information when: (1) As a result of his accessing or causing to be accessed a computer system, he intentionally makes or causes to be made an unauthorized display, use, disclosure or copy, in any form, of data residing in, communicated by or produced by a computer system. Penalties for committing computer crime range from a class B misdemeanor to a class B felony. The severity of the penalty is determined based on the monetary value of the damages inflicted. (2) The law has not always had much success stopping computer crime. In 1990 there was a nationwide crackdown on illicit computer hackers, with arrests, criminal charges, one dramatic show-trial, several guilty pleas, and huge confiscations of data and equipment all over the USA. The Hacker Crackdown of 1990 was larger, better organized, more deliberate, and more resolute than any previous efforts. The U.S. Secret Service, private telephone security, and state and local law enforcement groups across the country all joined forces in a determined attempt to break the back of America's electronic underground. It was a fascinating effort, with very mixed results. In 1982, William Gibson coined the term "Cyberspace". Cyberspace is defined as "the "place" where a telephone conversation appears to occur.

Acquisition and Justification of Beliefs :: Psychology Access Internalism Essays

Bartleby is a lazy student who refuses to study simply because he would prefer not. Although his teacher, Mr. Smith, automatically assumes that Bartleby failed the final exam he just took, Mr. Smith could have reasoned that he has sufficient evidence to support his belief. Mr. Smith has seen that Bartleby shows little interest in the class, that he has poor study habits and has consistently failed all his previous exams, and that just about enough questions were incorrect on the portion of the exam that Mr. Smith did have time to grade to warrant a failing grade. But because final grades are due and Mr. Smith runs out of time to finish grading, he marks an ‘F’ on Bartleby’s test without actually calculating the score or even realizing that he has sufficient evidence to support his belief that Bartleby failed. Later, Mr. Smith comes to find out that his belief was true, thus once again confirming Mr. Smith’s time-tested bias that students who have failed in the past are perpetual failures. Was Mr. Smith’s belief justified? Intuitively, we would want to say that it isn’t, because his belief is grounded in, or caused by, his bias against Bartleby. The problem is that both rigidly Internalist, like Access Internalism, and rigidly Externalist accounts of justification, like Reliabilism, have difficulties with showing how bias can disqualify a seemingly justified belief. In what follows, I will use Matthias Steup’s account, â€Å"A Defense of Internalism†[1], to explain Access Internalism and then use the scenario just presented to show how the justificatory requirements of Access Internalism are incompatible with the findings of current psychological research on how most beliefs are actually acquired and justified. Next I will briefly discuss how a much weaker form of Internalism with an Externalist character, Psychological Internalism, can avoid the problems of Access Internalism, but at the cost of missing out on the main benefits of both strongly Internalist and strongly externalist theories. Next I will use Alvin Goldman’s article, â€Å"Reliabilism: What is Justified Belief?†[2] to explain the basic ideas of Reliabilist Externalism and again use the Bartleby situation to draw out the inconsistencies between the Reliabilist requirements of justification and our normative intuitions of what justification ought to be.

Jit in Service Sector

This issue s covered by adopting an indirect approach. All the benefits which are obtained using KIT are listed and then their corresponding implementation In service sector Is discussed. It is observed that all the utilities of KIT like Reducing cost, Improving Quality, Improving Performance, Improving Delivery, Adding Flexibility and Increasing Innovativeness are implemented in service industry. This helps us to understand that basic philosophy remains the same, only Implementation methodology Is changed.IT is a philosophy of continuous improvement in which non-value-adding activities re identified and removed for the purposes of: Reducing cost Improving Quality Improving Performance Improving Delivery Adding Flexibility Increasing Innovativeness IT is not about automation. KIT eliminates waste by providing the environment to perfect and simplify the processes. KIT is a collection of techniques used to improve operations. It can also be a new production system that is used to produ ce goods or services.All the above utilities of Just in Time concept indicates that this concept is not sector specific concept. It can also be employed in service sector. Service Sector In order to define services, it is not enough to say simply that they are intangible acts as opposed to tangible goods. Most modern products are a combination of both. For example, when purchasing a washing machine the customer also receives services such as installation, maintenance and repair. When getting a haircut, the customer will likely also benefit from a number of hair care products and might even purchase some for home use.Therefore services can be characterized with the following important features: Intangibility: services cannot generally be seen, tasted, felt, heard or smelled before they are bought. ? Inseparability: services are produced and consumed at the same time. Variability: the quality of the same service may vary depending on who provides it as well as when and how it is provi ded. Permissibility: services cannot be stored for later sales or use; lack of demand cannot be evened out by producing to an inventory.Several of the features enumerated above do not apply to modern information technology-based services. There, personal contact does not have any importance (e. G. , on-line learning in its purest form, on-line banking, etc. ) and variability is greatly reduced t I not eliminated completely. Due to this heterogeneity in services it is difficult to classify them in a useful manner. Implementation of KIT in Service Sector The key principles of KIT in any system are: no wastage, total visibility, and flexibility in the use of human and material resources.In any environment these principles translate into three simple rules: don't start any work unless the demand signal indicates a need for more material; if the demand signal indicates a need, work to fill that need; and, never exceed the queue-size limit . KIT is now fully integrated into service sector , although the use of the term KIT is rarely used. All the objectives aimed by employing KIT is achieved in service sector as seen below. Reducing Cost In Service sector â€Å"return on investment† (ROI) has traditionally translated to â€Å"cut costs. Certainly, organizations today are under tremendous pressure from management and from customers to deliver a higher level of service at lower cost, and to do so using existing resources. Any expenditure they do make to help them achieve this goal is expected to deliver a measurable, hard-dollar ROI, and deliver it quickly. Similar to manufacturing sector, cost can be reduced by adopting administration. Service sector can delivers standardization by applying the principles to the way people, business processes, and technology are organized.All three have become so interlinked that change to one must be addressed in all three. Uses of Information technology in various service sector industries have led to standardization. Standa rdization can be adopted by using the industry standards, reusable components, and consistent implementation. Industry Standard Architecture Industry standards provide a consistent enterprise-wide approach for deploying IT at the lowest cost. Reducing the diversity of your IT environment drives down the costs of implementing change.Industry standards enable different components in a heterogeneous environment to work together consistently. Today's standards will also help facilitate the integration of tomorrow's standards and solutions. Standards drive efficiencies and economies of scale, increase flexibility and provide greater choice. They lower the cost of computing compared to proprietary offerings and provide the foundation for innovations that enhance functionality and the user experience.Standards also facilitate common training, best practices and the reuse f knowledge. Reusable component Reusable components break down silos of IT into modular assets. This building blocks app roach applies to system elements, application and infrastructure services and people. The rapid adoption of web services is the result of standard, industry- recognized IT components that address the need to reduce cost, implement new services quickly and efficiently, and scale rapidly.Consistent Implementation Consistent implementation provides a standardized approach to the way work is organized, establishing a common framework for business and IT A consistent approach to implementation increases productivity and enables the rapid redeployment tot resources to meet changing business demand and reduces the time required to implement change, improves operational efficiency, and increases flexibility when deploying human resources or changing business processes.Example McDonald's Corporation will migrate more than 4,000 stores to run on CO'S Open Server Release 5 platform over the next two years. McDonald's implementation of Open Server will assist in relaying data from the stores' p oint-of-sale machines to McDonald's corporate headquarters, as well as provide access to corporate applications. Open Server also helps McDonald's reduce costs by allowing the use of less expensive hardware and enabling the networking and speed provided by newer hardware. Improving Quality According to Curran (1999), quality can be defined as fitness for use.The term can also be understood as features of the product which meet customer needs and thereby provide customer satisfaction and as freedom from deficiencies – errors that require rework or result in field failures, customer dissatisfaction and claims etc. In order to improve quality in the service sector it is important to realize that every recess generates information that can be used for its improvement. No organization should neglect the opportunity to take a close look at accumulated data as part of the operations.With this data it is possible to discover hidden patterns in process deficiencies, form different hyp othesis as to what might be the reasons for deficiencies, etc. In short, use the scientific method to increase profitability and competitiveness of the organization as a whole by improving processes and customer satisfaction. Statistical tools for improvement of service quality The basic statistical toolbox includes a set of seven tools. Among them are check sheets, the Parent chart, the cause-and-effect diagram, histograms, stratification, scatter plots and graphs (including the control chart).They help people see how often things happen, when and where they happen and in what different forms they may present themselves to the observer. These tools are widely used in the service industry. Example The President of a relatively small mortgage-lending bank facing a serious competition of similar institutions had decided that in order to survive in the market ,excellent service should be the banks trademark. They selected team conducted a preliminary statistical study of transaction da ta. Team members found out that the average time to complete a loan was 24 days.A market analysis showed that a shorter time period to obtain a home loan would give the bank a significant advantage over the competitors. The banks President nominated a team to work on reducing the waiting time for the loans approval. After flowcharting the process on the basis of available transaction data and observing the processing of new loans for 3 months, the team found out that enormous time savings could be achieved. A Parent chart indicated that an overwhelming part of the elapsed time was due to the documents traveling between various offices since they had to be read and approved by so many different people.Further analysis showed that the steps in the process could be combined, and get done by one person. This could greatly reduce boot TN waiting time and the potential for errors. As a consequence, a set of standard operating procedures was prepared for the new process. After the system c hanges were implemented, a statistical study showed that the average time to obtain a home non was reduced to 4 days, providing this bank with a significant advantage over its competitors. Improving performance Performance in a service sector can be improved by using various approaches.Any or all of the following approaches will improve organizational performance depending on if they are implemented comprehensively and remain focused on organizational results. Broad Overview of Various Approaches The following descriptions are general and brief. Balanced Scorecard: Focuses on four indicators, including customer perspective, internal-business processes, learning and growth and financial, to monitor progress award organization's strategic goals Benchmarking: Using standard measurements in a service or industry for comparison to other organizations in order to gain perspective on organizational performance.For example, there are emerging standard benchmarks for universities, hospitals, etc. Business Process Reengineering: Aims to increase performance by radically re-designing the organization's structures and processes, including by starting over from the ground up. Cultural Change: Cultural change is a form of organizational transformation, that is, radical and fundamental form of change. Cultural change involves changing the basic values, norms, beliefs, etc. , among members of the organization.Knowledge Management: Focuses on collection and management of critical knowledge in an organization to increase its capacity for achieving results. Its effectiveness toward reaching overall results for the organization depends on how well the enhanced, critical knowledge is applied in the organization. Learning Organization: Focuses on enhancing organizations systems (including people) to increase an organization's capacity for performance. Management by Objectives (MOB): Aims to align goals and fortunate objectives throughout the organization Program Evaluation: Program evaluation is used for a wide variety of applications, e. . , to increase efficiencies of program processes and thereby cut costs, to assess if program goals were reached or not, to quality programs for accreditation, etc. Strategic Planning: Organization-wide process to identify strategic direction, including vision, mission, values and overall goals. Direction is pursued by implementing associated action plans, including multi- level goals, objectives, time lines and responsibilities. Strategic planning is, of course, form of planning. Improving Delivery The delivery in service sector is improved by the introduction of Internet and information technology.It has bridged the gap between customer and service provider. Now it is possible to take orders on computer, maintain a database of clients on network and use it as and when required. Customer segments vary by need, size and service levels so it is difficult for one delivery channel to serve all segments efficiently. Providers ca n oaten increase snare tot wallet Witt under- penetrated customer segments by creating niche-focused delivery channels. A low venue segment, for example, can be assigned to a telephone channel at a lower cost while providing services designed to increase customer satisfaction.The niche- focused channel can be developed so it replicates the sales and service functions that traditional face-to-face delivers to more profitable segments. Contact center representatives can identify and prioritize customer needs and then deliver solutions that have high value to the customer. The path to such solutions begins with an evaluation of current channel performance to diagnose opportunities. Compare current and desired future state metrics of each channel. Then restructure key components of the delivery system for each line of business and each customer cluster.Look for solutions that guide customers into more efficient channels while actually improving service to the customer. Adding flexibilit y The only way companies can continue to empower employees and reduce the bureaucracy within their operation is to use flexible people–people who can do more than one task. Business needs workers who are ascertained in other skills and who also participate in such traditional managerial concerns as Job planning, organizing, and controlling. Flexible people are also having an impact on the service industry. One example, reported by Fortune (Ulster 1989), is Lecher, Inc. A store retail chain owned by Dayton Hudson. Experimenting with flexibility as a competitive tool, Lecher began by offering employees in its Sarasota, Florida facility raises based on the number of Jobs each learned to perform. Cashiers were encouraged to sell records and tapes. Sporting goods salespeople were taught to operate forklifts. What are the benefits to Lecher? Flexibility in the work force has helped the company adjust quickly to shifts in staffing needs because workers can be moved to where hey are needed. Pay incentives plus the chance for more varied and interesting work days are powerful recruiting incentives.Perhaps that is one reason Lechery's Sarasota facility has a more stable work force–60 percent full time, rather than the 30 percent that exists in the rest of the chain. Increasing Innovativeness Innovation is clearly critical to the dynamism of the service sector, in particular as information and communication technologies are applied to re-engineer business processes, to create and extend service offerings, and to realize entirely new business models Type tot Innovation, by sector [pick] Due to the heterogeneous nature of services, innovation can take very different shapes in different areas.As shown in figure, in service sector innovation is primarily happening in terms of organizational changes. Companies are becoming horizontally integrated and Job enlargement is the key driver for the organizational change. Today, it typically leads to a stronger focus on â€Å"core business†, enhancing firms' capacity to excel in a narrower band of products. The increased tendency towards outsourcing is one element of this trend. Another one is the establishment of more mutinous and mutually beneficial relationships between firms.Organizational change serves in part to improve co-operation both within and between organizations; it is often essential for reaping the gains of innovation as well as for promoting successful innovation. Hence it is observed that in service sector KIT is implemented in a different way, yet it lead to the same result. KIT is now fully integrated into service sector, although the use of the term KIT is rarely used. Examples of KIT implementation in service sector McDonald's, Domino's and federal Express, who compete on speed and still provide heir products and services at low cost and increasing variety. ? Lens provider, cleaner and car-repair services can turn around customer orders in an hour. Supermarkets repleni sh their shelves according to what the customers withdraw. Retail stores can provide customers with more choice faster than ever before. Stores can now track customer buying habits in real-time and change their orders daily. Conclusion It is seen that elements of KIT can be applied to almost any operation, including service operations. The philosophy remains the same, only the methodology and ways of implementation changes.

Pprf

Professional Project Handbook and Guidance 2011/12 The Professional Project Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 2 The Professional Project Foreword Please may I extend a warm welcome to those students studying the Professional Project (PP). We intend the Project to be a rewarding experience and one which encourages and supports you in your time at Newcastle Business School. This is a demanding element of your programme but one which we hope you will find engaging and helps focus on your future career. Wishing you well in your studies. Regards Dr. Simon Lillystone Module Tutor NX0315 – The Professional Project Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 3 The Professional Project Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 4 The Professional Project CONTENTS PAGE Page SECTION 1 – Introduction 7 SECTION 2 – Section A of Project 10 SECTION 3 – Section B of Project 11 SECTION 4 – Reflective Statement 12 SECTION 5 – Written Presentation Format 13 SECTION 6 – Reference Specifications and Format 18 SECTION 7 – Project Submission Information 20 APPENDIX A – Specimen Title page 3 APPENDIX B – Specimen Declarations Page 22 APPENDIX C – Specimen Contents Page 24 APPENDIX D – Ethics in Research & Consultancy (Guidelines & Procedures for Students Undertaking UG Projects) 25 Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 5 The Professional Project Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 6 The Professional Project SECTION 1 – INTRODUCTION Module Background Information The Professional Project is a 30 point module which will be taken by all direct entry final year students to an undergraduate programme of study at NBS. It counts for 25% of the marks on the final year of the Honours degree and its importance should not be underestimated. The module provides an opportunity to explore the key study competences required to achieve academic success and develop these into employment competences to promote career success. These competences will be developed, practised and written up as part of the Project and applied to an investigation of a business issue/problem. To support this individual investigation into an applied business problem or issue the student will be given a defined topic to research and relevant information relating to the topic. The information will be set in the context of an appropriate academic framework and the student will be expected to draw relevant conclusions, write up and submit the work in an approved format. The target length of the whole project will be 8,000 to 10,000 words. A workshop programme and eLearning Portal will support the process. Learning Outcomes This module is intended to be taken by direct entry final year students to an undergraduate programme of study at NBS. At the end of the module students will be able to: 1. Apply key intellectual competences at level six and critically appraise their employment competences to support continuing professional/career development 2. Conduct a literature review involving the critical evaluation of appropriate theories, models, frameworks and principles and apply those principles to a particular business problem or issue drawing appropriate inferences and conclusions. Aims The Professional Project promotes the development of key competences required to achieve academic and professional career success. These competences will be developed, practised, written up and applied to an investigation of a business issue/problem. The student will be supported in their learning by an eLearning Portal and a workshop programme. The student will be given guidance as to the nature of work to be undertaken in the workshop programme. The module will make use of current research activity related to the chosen subject and, where appropriate, to that specifically carried out by staff of Newcastle Business School. Formative assessment will take place within the contact sessions and may take place through tasks set and theory/practice related discussions including Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 7 The Professional Project research into career paths. Approaches to Teaching and Learning and Formative Assessment The module is intended to deliver knowledge of and attendance to the competences and abilities for effective study at level six together with entry to and participation within the graduate labour market. It provides an opportunity to undertake a major piece of academic research into a specific business related problem. The module necessitates a broad syllabus where much use will be made of directed study supported by the facilities of the Careers Service, Study Skills Centre and Library. This approach will facilitate the development of students as independent learners. The creation of Learning Sets will be encouraged to facilitate understanding of the issues and problems associated with the completion of the project. The process leading to the completion of the project will include reading, reflection and research. This will be incorporated into the workshop programme which will support the student throughout the process. It is intended that the project will be closely allied to their preferred field of employment. Through the project and workshop activities it is envisaged that students will appreciate the importance of active engagement in competences and career development to improve NBS graduate success in securing appropriate careers or future study opportunities The module is supported by a Learning and Teaching Plan that outlines the formal sessions and by an elearning Portal. The assessment for this module will be an individual project, incorporating the writing up of the student's understanding of personal and professional competence development and an investigation into an applied business problem or issue. The student will be given a defined topic to research and relevant information relating to the topic. The information will be set in the context of an appropriate academic framework and the student will be expected to draw relevant conclusions, write up and submit the work in an approved format. The target length of the whole project will be 8,000 to 10,000 words. The learning outcomes will be achieved through the lecture/workshop programme and will culminate in the completion of the final project. The project will demonstrate the student's understanding of the above learning outcomes. Formative assessment will take place within the workshop sessions and may take place through tasks set and theory/practice related discussions. Workshop Support Programme This is a taught programme with weekly workshops during the first semester followed by six workshops in the second semester. The Project will not be individually supervised. Instead the students will be expected to work in learning sets. However, it must be noted that the final project is to be an individual piece of work. Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 8 The Professional Project Recommended Reading List for Module Cottrell, S (2008) The Study Skills Handbook 3rd Edn Palgrave MacMillan Basingstoke Armstrong (2005) A Handbook for Leadership and Management: a guide to managing for results. Kogan London Toplis, J. Dulewicz, V. and Fletcher, W. (2005) Psychological Testing – a Manager's guide. CIPD London Cameron (2007) The Business Student's Handbook: learning skills for study and employment (available as an e-book) Bolles, RN (2008) What colour is your parachute? A practical manual for job hunters. Ten Speed Publishing Walliman, N (2001) Your Research Project Sage Publications Bell, J (2005) Doing your research project Open University Press Cottrell, S. (2008) Critical Thinking Skills Palgrave Basingstoke Jankowicz,A. D (2005) Business Research Projects Thompson Business Press Remenyi,D, Williams,B, Money,A & Swatz,E (2007) Doing Research in Business and Management Sage Publications Bryman,A & Bell E (2003) Business Research Methods Oxford University Press Price, G. & Maier, P. (2007) Effective Study skills – unlock your potential. Pearson Education McMillan, K. Weyers, J. (2009) The Smarter Student Prentice Hall / Pearson London McMillan, K. & Weyers, J. (2007) How to write dissertations & project reports Prentice Hall/ Pearson London Additional Learning Resources (e. g. websites, CD Roms) Blackboard Site The module is supported by the e-learning portal. It is imperative that the site is fully utilised by the students. Certain links t o psychological tests are available under the site which will be used to support the learning process. eLearning platform at Northumbria http://elearning. unn. ac. uk/ Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 9 The Professional Project SECTION 2 – SECTION A OF THE PROJECT The Project is intended to link personal and professional career development with an academic piece of work in the form of a literature review. The appreciation of professional, career and personal development should not be underestimated. It should provide evidence to support that development with critical reflection by the student. A series of psychometric tests are available via BlackBoard to support your self-analysis. The outline of Section A of the project should take the form seen below with supporting evidence shown in the appendices. Part 1: Who I am as a learner? †¢ †¢ Implications for your learning Family & friends to comment Discuss the implications of the questionnaire findings and show how these relate to how you learn. Appendix A – VARK, Myers Briggs, Belbin Inventory Part 2: Implications for career choice †¢ †¢ †¢ Lifelong learning Transferable skills Justify chosen career choice Discuss how your personality type and how you learn affect your choice of career Appendix B – curriculum vitae, two job adverts, a standard application form Appendix C – PowerPoint Presentation Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 10 The Professional Project SECTION 3 – TOPIC SELECTION (SECTION B) General topic areas will be defined by the nature of the programme e. g. , those students studying finance would be expected to focus their topic on this area. However, the selection of a final suitable question or issue for Section B of the Project rests with the student. In some cases ideas can be gleaned from many sources. Work placement experiences, aspired career paths, tutor research interests, course work and readings are just a few. Copies of recent projects may suggest ideas as well. Normally projects that are available for inspection have achieved a mark of 60% or more. It is intended that suitable projects will be made available on the Blackboard site. Originality The question or issue needs to be related to business or management or to the specific named degree the student is studying. It is the student's responsibility to verify that the title and the approach of the project are original. However, a student may not claim exclusive rights to a topic area. Guidelines for Suitable Questions The student can assume that the question as initially conceived will evolve as the project progresses. By evolve it is meant that the particular aspect of the question which becomes centred to the project may well change in one direction or another as the project progresses. This evolution or â€Å"fine tuning† of a question is quite usual and should be expected. The goal is to find a question which is general enough to be significant, but specific enough to become focused. In any event, the final title as established should not be changed without consent of the Project Supervisor. Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 11 The Professional Project SECTION 4 – REFLECTIVE STATEMENT A vital element of the project is critical reflection by the student. It is important therefore to produce a reflective statement which will link the two sections of the project together. This is a very important area of the project and should be a considered and well thought out element of the final piece of work. The workshops will provide guidance and support on critical reflection as part of the programme. Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 12 The Professional Project SECTION 5 – WRITTEN PRESENTATION FORMAT Length The total length of the project should not exceed 10,000 words. As a general guide Section A of the project should be between 3,000 and 4,000 words while Section B of the project should be between 5,000 and 6,000 words. The word count is to be declared (Appendix B). Summarising and compressing the information in your project into 10,000 words is one of the skills that students are expected to acquire, and demonstrate as part of the project process. The word count does not include abstract, title page, contents page, glossary, tables, appendices and end material. If the project is to be very much shorter (i. e. ess than 8,000 words), it is necessary to clear this in advance of the final deadline with your tutor. Some slippage is acceptable but anything in excess of 11,000 words will be penalised. Referencing It is the student's responsibility to see to it that all ideas, opinions, conclusions, specific wordings, quotations, conceptual structures and data taken directly or indirectly from the work of others and used in the project are appropriately cited and referenced. (THE IMPORTANCE OF PROPER REFERENCING – SEE SECTION 7 – CANNOT BE OVER EMPHASISED). Structure and Components TABLE OF CONTENTS Title page Declaration and Word Count Abstract (to cover both sections) Acknowledgements Contents Page List of figures Glossary (if appropriate) Section A Part 1: Who I am as a learner? Implications for your learning Family & friends to comment Part 2: Implications for career choice Lifelong learning Transferable skills Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 13 The Professional Project Justify chosen career choice Appendix A – VARK, Myers Briggs, Belbin Inventory Appendix B – Curriculum vitae, two job adverts, a standard application form Appendix C – PowerPoint Presentation Section B Part 1 Introduction Reason for choice of topic Academic objectives of Project Outline of sections Part 2 Setting the Scene – (if required) Part 3 Literature Review Rationale for literature reviewed Critical review of literature relating to academic objectives Part 4 References Bibliography Appendices A B C Reflective Statement Last Page o o It is useful to specify the last page so that the reader may ensure that no pages have been omitted in error. Summary and Conclusions Title – The title should be succinct yet clearly specify the content of the report. This should be descriptive and explicit rather than poetic or implicit. Twelve words is normally the maximum length. It should be agreed and finalised as part of the final draft. It may be different from the original proposed title. Acknowledgements – The student may wish to thank those people who have been particularly helpful in the preparation of the project. Consideration of persons external to the NBS is particularly appropriate. Facetious acknowledgements are not acceptable. Abstract – The purpose of the abstract is to summarise the entire project, including a description of the problem, the student's contributions, and conclusions. Four keywords are required. (See sample Appendix C. ) Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 14 The Professional Project Declarations and Word Count – To be included (See sample Appendix B). Do not forget to sign. No signature: No Mark. Introduction – The purpose of this section is to contextualise the study. This means that the significance or importance of the subject is set out. If there is no apparent importance to the study to any external reader, the topic may not be appropriate. Personal interest may inspire selection of the project topic, but ultimately, its mportance to others should be specified. This can often be done by positioning the project in relation to other work that has been published, either as an advancement, continuation, compilation or verification. This part should also tell the reader how the topic will be unfolded and the order of forthcoming material. Literature Review – A review of the current literature surrounding the q uestion or issue should provide a clear understanding. It should be up-to-date and relevant. Conclusion – This section explains the relationship between the body of knowledge and the question. It should present the case for the project's success in meeting its goals, as well as any shortcomings and limitations that apply. It may suggest further work or study needed on the question or issue, as well as ways the new work can be used or applied in other cases. It is not meant to be a summary or restatement of the entire project, which belongs in the abstract. If the student has developed any strong personal opinions about the subject which seem appropriate to relate, this is the place where such content is appropriate. Appendices – Often the concepts of the study can be clarified in graphic form, or data presented in tabular form. Normally, this material should be entered into the text at or near the place it is referred to in the text. Where such material would be inconvenient to include in the text itself, it can be included in an appendix. As a general rule, if figures, tables, charts or quotes are less than a full page and can be conveniently included in the text, you will want to do so, since reference to appendices is awkward for the reader. All such material, in the text or at the end, should be titled and sequentially numbered. Tabular material which is presented in landscape format should be bound with the top of the table to the spine. Appendices are labelled alphabetically, although if there is little such material and it is all of a similar nature, it may all be included in one Appendix. Appendices are referenced in text in parentheses (Appendix A) not (see appendix A). Writing Style The level of writing must be appropriate to the level of the Bachelor's degree. Specifically, acute attention should be paid to correct spelling, grammar, punctuation, sentence structure and clarity of style. Also, it is the student's responsibility to edit the text for typing errors, uncover all spelling errors even if the document is, typed by another party. Note that a spell-check programme does not uncover all spelling errors, e. g. principal v principle. Normally, there should be no first person references (I, we, us) in Section B of the project. If self-reference is required, reference may be made to â€Å"the present author† Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 15 The Professional Project or â€Å"this study†. The exception to this is in the conclusion section B and Section A, where personal comments may be appropriate. Students from overseas who wish to develop their English style and grammar may wish to make use of the Study Skills Centre. Page Layout Pages should be numbered in sequence at the top right hand corner, starting with and including the title page (Appendix A). Margins and headings: the specifications are 1? † left margin, 1? † on the other three sides. The page number should be above the top margin line. The right margin should be unjustified (left ragged), since the spacing between words used to make the right margin even inhibits readability greatly, while adding little aesthetically. Headers and footers are to be used with discretion. Please do NOT include your name in any header or footer. Tables and charts should be numbered in sequence by chapter, e. g. Table 3. 1 is the first table in Chapter 3. Each figure should be properly referenced and accompanied by a descriptive title which completely explains the contents of the figure. It is not acceptable to insert photocopies of tables into the body of the project. Tables should be word processed into the project. In broad terms this principle also applies to diagrams – no photocopies from books etc. There will, of course, be occasions when a photocopy of a table or a diagram is specifically required in order to illustrate points peculiar to the original. Use of such photocopies must be cleared with the supervisor. Similar principles apply to the appendices with regard to tables and diagrams. It is recognised that there will be circumstances (e. . a project on advertising) where photocopies are necessary. The project must be word-processed, and final copy must be printed single sided on A4 paper. Spacing may either be set at double or one and a half line spacing, depending on the machine used. Spacing greater than double spacing is not acceptable. The body of the project should be in Font size 12 (This is written Font Size 12) or similar. Arial is the pref erred font face. Legibility Both the draft and final copies of the project must be produced in such a manner that the text is entirely legible. This means an image suitable for good reproduction from a photocopier. Colour Printing Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 16 The Professional Project Black printing is the norm. Colour printing must be used with discretion. There are no extra marks for colour. The University makes no guarantee as to the provision of colour printing facilities. Retention of Working Papers The working documents (e. g. notes, any photocopies of articles used, drafts etc) used for your project MUST be retained by the student until formally notified of the award of their degree. As part of the NBS quality control a stratified sample of students will be asked by letter (after projects have been handed in) to submit their working papers. Please ensure you keep you working papers so that if called for they can be produced. The University tries to be reasonable over this. We do not expect you to keep every scrap of paper. We do expect you to keep the bulk of the important working papers. Thus students would normally (for example) be expected to include in their working papers some (but not necessarily all) successive drafts of the project. Any photocopies of library material etc you use should also be kept. Working Papers MUST be accessible. i. e. DO NOT pack them away in some inaccessible place such as luggage you are shipping home. If your project includes calculations, the working papers for those would be expected. And if your project includes a survey or questionnaire the original papers for those should be kept – along with names and addresses of any firms or individuals involved. Keep all computer based material in digital format, CD, etc. Production of â€Å"working papers† includes being able to produce the discs. Do not keep material on the hard drive. Failure to produce working papers when requested by the University to do so constitutes an Academic Irregularity, which may adversely affect the awarding of the students' degree. If it is not possible to establish, by inspection of the working papers, the sources of material in the project the award of the degree will be delayed until the matter is resolved. Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 17 The Professional Project SECTION 6 REFERENCE SPECIFICATIONS AND FORMAT Plagiarism and Citation The intellectual work of others which is being summarised in the report must be attributed to its source. It is assumed that all ideas, opinions, conclusions, specific wordings, quotations, conceptual structures and data, whether reproduced exactly or in paraphrase, which are not referenced to another source is the work of the student. If this is not the case, an act of plagiarism may have occurred, which is cause for disciplinary action at the course or University level. Plagiarism Please pay particular attention to originality and the proper acknowledgement of your sources. It is important that the work you submit: †¢ Is original in as far as the Project constraints allow †¢ Gives proper acknowledgement to any work by others which is used in completing your project Originality means that the project subject is presented in a way which differs from any other: †¢ Published works †¢ Study guides †¢ Projects/Projects of other students, past or present This does not preclude the use of the same material from wider reading (to support it with examples, or relevant opinions and ideas, or to place it within the context of existing knowledge). In fact, credit is specifically given for references in the assessment scheme. It does mean, however, that the sources of any such material MUST be identified. You should ensure that: †¢ Words or phrases taken verbatim from published works are placed in quotation marks and the source acknowledged. †¢ Quotations take the form of brief relevant extracts (only exceptionally exceeding 100 words in length). Where lengthier use of a published work is appropriate, you may summarise or paraphrase an author’s words, but the source of the summary or paraphrase must again be fully acknowledged by textual reference. Unacknowledged use of the work of others (plagiarism) is regarded as dishonest practice and will be dealt with on that basis, as per the University’s Regulations. Format in Text The format for reference styles is laid out in the Northumbria University Library publication Cite Them Right and is available on the UNN Website. Two styles of Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 18 The Professional Project referencing are defined, the British Standard (Numeric) System and the Harvard System. Please use the Harvard System for your project. A comprehensive discussion on referencing is laid out in the library's publication, which must be followed in detail. The following is a brief sample for illustration only: The Harvard (Name/Date) System uses name and year in text, e. g. According to Steinman (2003) there are three parts†¦ or A recent study (Steinman 2003) states there are three parts†¦ Direct quotes should have author, year and page number. This should be done as (Steinman, 2003:6) or Steinman (2003:6). If a quote crosses over pages you would write (Steinman, 2003:6-7). The purpose of the page reference is to enable the reader to find easily your source material. Particular points should also have page references whereas general themes from a complete article do not require the precise page number. Format in References Section The Harvard (Name/Date) System is listed at the end of the text in alphabetical order by author and date, e. g. Lafferty, B. A and Hult, M. T. (2001) A Synthesis of Contemporary Market Orientation Perspectives, European Journal of Marketing. Vol. 35:no. 12:pp. 2-109 Full specifications and examples are illustrated in the library's monograph. Referencing Electronic sources: e. g. from the World Wide Web should be as follows: PC MAGAZINE. URL: http//www. ziff. com/~ PC Mag/(date of downloading/viewing) (Name, Date (of article), Title) (i. e. as well as any date attached to a document on the web, electronic references should also include the date on which the web was read for the particular source). The citation for non English w orks should follow the same order as English works. For books: author, date, title of book, publisher. For articles: author, date, title of article, title of journal, volume and page numbers. Further details for other electronic referencing are in the Library's monograph â€Å"Cite them Right† Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 19 The Professional Project SECTION 7 – PROJECT SUBMISSION INFORMATION Projects are to be submitted to SHAPE UNN Office (room 309C) by no later than 4. 00 PM Friday 23rd March 2012. You must NOT exceed the deadlines given without an approved PEC. In exceptional circumstances late submission of the Project, up to a maximum of 2 weeks, may be sought. These must be approved in advance, with appropriate evidence, and are not meant to cover administrative difficulties. INCLUSION OF A DISK COPY OF THE PROJECT THREE CDs containing a complete copy of the body of the Project (appendices may be omitted as may diagrams within the body of the Project) is to be submitted along with the Project. The title page of the Project must be the first page on the disk. Non submission of a disk, or submission of a corrupt or blank disk will be regarded as an Academic Irregularity. Computer programmes are available which detect changes in grammar and style. The University uses such programmes as an aid in detecting plagiarism. Evidence from such programmes will be used in any disciplinary action taken by the University in cases of alleged plagiarism. Confidentiality This is regarded as an exceptional procedure and this must be agreed by the Tutor [who must be asked to the confidentiality form available on the blackboard site] and declared by the student to Reception on submission. The confidential Project will be pulped. If the confidentiality form is not submitted at hand in the Project will be regarded as non-confidential. It would be prudent to also state that the Project is confidential in footer on each page of the Project. Binding Requirements for Undergraduate Projects All Projects are bound in standard Business School covers. Students are required to submit TWO copies of the completed project. Newcastle Campus Projects submitted at Newcastle campus are submitted bound in standard Business School format. Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 20 The Professional Project Please note the Declarations statement must be signed and all pages in the correct order before taking the copies of the Project for binding. The procedure is: †¢ †¢ †¢ Pick up binding materials from SHAPE UNN office. Take the binded copies and CDs along to SHAPE UNN office by no later than 4. 00 pm on or before your hand in date with your Disc. Sign on the submission log sheet at the Reception to signify you had submitted the Project on time. Failed Projects A failed Project may or may not, depending upon the student's overall performance, be re-submitted. That decision is made by the Examination Board. If a student's performance merits a re-submitted Project according to the assessment regulations such that it would enable a student to improve upon the class of degree awarded the University (i. e. Examination Board) will invite the student to re-submit their Project. The student may accept or reject this offer. The Examination Board may direct that a new and unrelated topic be investigated. Any student whose Project falls into this category is so advised via the standard University Examination results letter sent at the end of the summer term. That letter will state whether re-submission is invited or not. Re-submitted Projects are submitted following the same process as described for first submission. The fees payable will be notified to students in their offer to retrieve and students should note that they will need to pay for the binding of this resubmission. Supervision is limited to one 20 minute meeting with the original tutor who will review the problems with the original submission. Mark Disclosure It is impossible for the prospective mark which a Project might achieve to be accurately estimated before a Project is formally marked. Every Project is marked and a sample is moderated. Some are marked a third (or more) time(s) either by External or Internal Examiners. The mark attached to a Project is a result of this process. It is therefore simply not possible for a tutor to give a definitive view as to exactly what standard a Project might reach. This does not, of course, preclude a tutor giving general guidance as to the calibre of the students work, but such guidance should be given and taken with due consideration to the above and can not be considered a binding assurance . Students will receive a copy of the completed assessment sheet following the conclusion of the examination boards. Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 21 The Professional Project APPENDIX A Proforma Note: This information must fit within the outline shown so that it will be visible through the window in the front cover. Please ensure your family name is in BLOCK CAPITALS NAME This is the position of the window in the front cover sheet Thomas JONES BA (Hons) Business Administration Helen Smith The Ethics of Advertising April 2009 Newcastle DEGREE TUTOR TITLE DATE O CAMPUS STUDENT No: 00/123456 Project submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements of the BA (HONS) BUSINESS ADMINISTRATION of Northumbria University Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 22 The Professional Project Appendix B DECLARATIONS I declare the following:(1) that the material contained in this Project is the end result of my own work and that due acknowledgement has been given in the bibliography and references to ALL sources be they printed, electronic or personal. (2) the Word Count of this Project is: Section A: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Section B: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Reflective Statement: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Total Word Count: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. (3) that unless this Project has been confirmed as confidential, I agree to an entire electronic copy or sections of the Project to being placed on Blackboard, if deemed appropriate, to allow future students the opportunity to see examples of past Projects. I understand that if displayed on Blackboard it would be made available for no longer than five years and that students would be able to print off copies or download. The authorship would remain anonymous. 4) I agree to my Project being submitted to a plagiarism detection service, where it will be stored in a database and compared against work submitted from this or any other School or from other institutions using the service. In the event of the service detecting a high degree of similarity between content within the service this will be reported back to my supervisor and second marker, who may decide to undertake further investi gation which may ultimately lead to disciplinary actions, should instances of plagiarism be detected. 5) I have read the University Policy Statement on Ethics in Research and Consultancy and the Policy for Informed Consent in Research and Consultancy and I declare that ethical issues have been considered and taken into account in this research. SIGNED: 1 †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. DATE: †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. 1 Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Please remember to sign the declaration before submitting your Project. Page 23 The Professional Project Appendix C TABLE OF CONTENTS Title page Declaration and Word Count Abstract (to cover both sections) Acknowledgements Contents Page List of figures Glossary (if appropriate) Section A Part 1: Who I am as a learner? Implications for your learning Family & friends to comment Part 2: Implications for career choice Lifelong learning Transferable skills Justify chosen career choice Appendix A – VARK, Myers Briggs, Belbin Inventory Appendix B – Curriculum vitae, two job adverts, a standard application form Appendix C – PowerPoint Presentation Section B Part 1 Introduction Reason for choice of topic Academic objectives of the Project Outline of each part Part 2 Part 3 Setting the Scene – if required Literature Review Rationale for literature reviewed Critical review of literature relating to academic objectives Part 4 References Bibliography Appendices: Reflective statement Last Page o o It is useful to specify the last page so that the reader may ensure that no pages have been omitted in error. Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 Page 24 Summary and Conclusions The Professional Project Appendix D Ethics in Research The Northumbria University policy for ethics in research is to be found on the NBS Research Group Blackboard site. Checklist for NBS Students designing and conducting primary research Completely based on secondary data which has previously been published, is desk based and does not involve people in data collection? NO Does your research involve engagement with people in primary data collection? e. g. interview, focus group, questionnaire etc. YES YES There are not normally ethical issues to address. However you should remain ethically aware. Please ensure that you have not breached plagiarism or copyright regulations and have adequately referenced your material Handbook and Guidance Booklet – 2011/12 You should not involve children or vulnerable adults in your research (other than authorised exceptions with CRB checks) If researching in an NHS context, please discuss ethical approval with a representative from your workplace and gain advice from your supervisor/School Ethics Sub Committee before proceeding Read the policy on informed consent: http://northumbria. c. uk/static/worddocuments/informe dconsent and gain consent from the organisation and people involved. Use implied, verbal or written consent and complete, where appropriate, an informed consent form (available on Blackboard) Read guidelines and address anonymity/confidentiality in research design and writing up: http://northumbria. ac. uk/static/worddocuments/ethicsp olicy. doc Read guidelines on data protection : http://northumbria. ac. uk/sd/central/uso/ndp/nudpp Ensure that you have NOT used inducements to obtain participants Page 25

5 forces model on Qatar airways Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

5 forces model on Qatar airways - Assignment Example Qatar airways flies to 119 terminuses and travellers can connect from Doha to terminuses such as Bangkok, Maldives, Nairobi, Dubai, Cape Town, Colombo, Seychelles and Dar es Salaam. The airline controls 110 aircrafts including cargo aircrafts. It has various subsidiary companies including: United Media International, Doha International Airport, Qatar Aviation Catering Company and Qatar Aviation Services. Qatar Airways has employed more than 20,000 individuals (Tower, 2007). The airline has a high capital expenditure. This is because the costs of leasing and buying aircrafts are very high. Also, manpower, customer service, security and safety measures costs are very high. Moreover, there are other airlines that exist and have high consumer dependability and brand value (Tower, 2007). There is a lot of competition as every airline wants to tap into new terminuses, provide different services like better menues and increasing in-flight channels (Tower, 2007). Also, many airlines are utilizing the use of extensive marketing. The airline industry can be affected by the suppliers through their capabilities of reducing the quality of purchased goods and services or raising prices. Globally, the airline industry has limited suppliers, namely Airbus and Boeing. Thus the suppliers’ power is very high due to the limited suppliers having a control on the market. This is because the products manufactured by these suppliers have a huge demand (Tower, 2007). Qatar airways has high performance standards, including customer service, security and safety. The airline has broad marketing strategies in building a strong brand. It also provides unique services, provides different customer oriented services concerning luxury and convenience (Tower, 2007). Qatar airways has a hub that is developing properly and has brand new aircrafts in improving the confidence of their customers. Marketing and brand building can make Qatar airways to increase its brand (Tower, 2007). The

MANAGEMENT RESEARCH Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

MANAGEMENT RESEARCH - Essay Example I have been continuously using this approach until now. The second reason I want my dissertation to be deductive is that it will be more logical. On the other hand, if I followed the inductive approach (sometimes known as "bottom up" approach) it would lead me to a degree of uncertainty in my dissertation. In addition to this, inductive reasoning may not be handy in proving and providing arguments. Although I read some dissertations that used both approach, I noticed that deductive reasoning is a valid form of proving. On the contrary, if I would be using inductive reasoning as a writer, I must observe a number of situations in which patterns exist. Unfortunately, that doesnt mean that pattern observed is true for all situations. This would not be helpful in my subject which is banking and finance since I need a lot of proof. In short, using a deductive approach would be most suitable for my dissertation. In conclusion, this is only my standpoint about inductive and deductive approach, this is not meant if I have chosen deductive approach, inductive approach was wrong approach. Both approaches are correct but choosing is different from person to