Analysis of a Health Care Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Analysis of a Health Care - Essay Example Much has been said about the reform, which should take place at Medicare, and to view the necessity in these reforms, it is important to define, how the system works and how effectively it uses its resources. Medicare healthcare delivery system is influenced by a number of factors, among which are: the level of payment, medical education support, regulations relating to probable conflicts, the decrease in funding, etc. These issues are crucial in the activity of any healthcare delivery system, but attention should also be paid to the way these services are delivered to the elderly patients, as well as the ways of positive changes in quality and cost-effectiveness in healthcare delivery. It is important to notice, that hardly any company, even the most successful, uses its resources to the fullest, and thus there is always a possibility for improvement in any area of health care delivery system. One of the primary purposes of Medicare at the time it was created was 'to provide coverage for hospital care'. (Marmor 2000, p. 25) 'This coverage was expected to be equivalent to the types of coverage available to the working population, however, typically required acute care services for accidents and injuries. Having all the necessary resources at its disposal, Medicare tried to duplicate the health care coverage received by employees for coverage to elderly and disabled persons, but slowly came to the recognition that hospitals should not be the centerpiece of health care'. (Marmor 2000, p. 23) Thus, the main contribution and role of Medicare in the state healthcare delivery system was in making its main stress on chronic diseases, moving away from the hospitals being the center of any healthcare delivery system. Another contribution of the system was in less attention to how to decrease the number of inpatient days, and more on how to provide the highest quality care in the optimal time. One of the drawbacks in the Medicare activity lies in its wrong management of primary care. First of all, it lacks financing for geriatric care. The model of primary care, which is used by Medicare, can be called disease-based system. The main principles of using and creating this system lie in regular brief visiting of elderly people, each visit relating to a separate disease; the follow-up is minimal and the use of auxiliary specialists and services is frequent, which are often not necessary, but demand additional financing. On the other hand, if Medicare used its resources to the fullest, and made this effectively, there could be created other health delivery system, which, to my mind, would be much more effective. There should be created a team of several specialists for several medical disciplines, who would develop a complex primary care plan and would also perform a qualified evaluation of the health status of each patient, together with implementing the created plan. Taking into account that here we speak about elder people, it is better if the above mentioned plan includes possible so-called 'end-of-life' wishes of old patients. The new progressive system could also include more frequent visiting, with monitoring of the patient's health via telephone calls and home visits. Among the possible options of the

The Graduate Labour Market in Sydney Essay Example for Free

The Graduate Labour Market in Sydney Essay 1. Introduction to Professional Competences – BKEY401 One of the key modules of level four was Professional Competences (BKEY401) which took place over two semesters. The aim of the module was to help identify and analyse professional and personal skills. Also, a further purpose was to use those skills and to develop them to enhance our career prospects. The next paragraphs show an insight of the different skills we have focused on during the module and how it was useful to the individual. The key skills we have concentrated on were communication, team working and presentation and research skills. 2.1. Communication Skills According to the Dearing Report (1997) employers are seeking following ‘key skills’ in graduates: * Communication; * Numeracy; * The use of information technology; * Learning to learn. The Compact Oxford English Dictionary for Students (2006) defines the word ‘skill’ as ‘the ability to do something well’. To be successful in the job you have to be able to combine knowledge with skills. During the module Professional Competences (BKEY401) students got prepared to identify their skills by using a Skills Tracker. This method allowed students to rate their competences in certain areas and to evaluate the need as to where improvement is needed. Communication is one of the ‘key skills’ and therefore has been an important element during the module Professional Competences. Already 40 years ago studies have shown the massive impact of communication (Mintzberg 1973). It has found that managers are spending up to 80 per cent of their time in communicating in one way or another. Based on a research study by Ofcom (2010) consumers are spending 45 per cent of their waking hours with various of communication devices. To improve communication skills numerous techniques, such as role plays can be used. Good communication skills are leading to lots of personal benefits as it helps to build confidence. During last year’s module we have practiced and developed our communication skills by debating or self-reflecting on our communication skills. The self-reflection was very useful to determine in which areas improvement is needed. I had used a SWOT analysis to reflect on my own communication skills. Looking at last year’s Skills Tracker I have rated myself overall with 6.25 points out of 10 points for my communication skills. As English is not my first language my biggest weakness was to speak out loud during classes as I was afraid to make any mistakes. I certainly have improved in this area by preparing myself for classes in advance and by doing further reading within a subject. Receiving feedback from our seminar leader on our reflection on the debate and our skills during the debate was very useful. It helped to ascertain which arguments have been powerful and which ones  should have been researched better. Also, the importance of supporting arguments with statistics and facts has been emphasized. 2.2. Team Work Skills Another focus was put on team working skills. According to Stevens and Campion (1994, 1999) there are five key areas required for team skills at work: * Collaborative problem solving, * Communication – listening effectively, * Conflict resolution, * Goal setting and performance management and * Planning and task coordination. During the module we have been put into teams but were also able to select our own teams. The aim was to prepare us for the future as in any job it is important to work well within a team. Also, it gave us the possibility to share ideas and have access to a wider range of knowledge. Furthermore it helped us to learn how to deal with a conflict that may have occurred and together agree on a strategy on how to proceed. Being part of a team has definitely helped me to develop and strengthen my ability to listen to what other team members had to say, also to be diplomatic if I did not agree with another opinion. I was able to use my own communication skills to make my own voice heard. Working at team projects was a good starting point to prepare us for future working environments. Yet, more guidance on how to deal with conflicts or difficult situations would have been helpful. 2.3. Presentation and Research Skills In the course of BKEY401 focus was also put on developing presentation and research skills. Our task was to compare and analyse four UK supermarket chains by using secondary data. To complement the analyses we had to convert the collected data into Excel graphs and import those into a PowerPoint presentation. Exploring different research sources and methods were a good  starting point for this year’s module Business Research and Professional Practice (BKEY501) which builds up to BEKY401. However, it would have been more beneficial to learn more about the advanced use of Excel as the exercises we had to complete were very basic. Receiving feedback after the task has been positive as it showed you where an improvement was needed. Nevertheless, it would have been helpful to receive more assistance in interpreting the collected data before having to present it. 2. Research into the graduate labour market This section will focus on the research into the graduate labour market especially concentrating on the labour market in Sydney, Australia. Furthermore the regulations in regards to migration to Australia are listed. Additionally the current job market has been investigated. 3.4. The chosen sector My plans for after graduating from University of Westminster are pretty clear and I had already decided them at the time of the application process for university. The sector I would like to enter after finishing my BA Business Management with Human Resource Management bachelor degree will be a combination of HRM and tourism and hospitality. In 2004 I have gained a diploma in Tourism and Management at the College of Tourism and Management in Semmering, Austria. During and after my time at the College I have worked in several hospitality industries and were able to gain lots of knowledge in this field. Unfortunately, the experience has not always been positive, especially when it came to managing staff. The lack of functioning HR departments within the hospitality industry has inspired me to choose the pathway â€Å"Human Resource Management† at University of Westminster. 3.5. Australia’s labour market This report aims to analyse the graduate labour market of Australia, with the  main focus on the labour market in Sydney. Based on the outcome of the Australian Graduate Survey (AGS) (2010) which is released annually by the Graduate Careers Australia (GCA) it shows that after four months of completing a bachelor degree 91.3 per cent are employed either in a full time or part time position. Comparing it with the outcome of the AGS (2009) it is a slight decrease of 1.3 per cent. However it is expected that the graduate labour market will start increasing again over the next few years. Australia’s graduate labour market is more stable compared to the UK graduate labour market. According to a survey from the UK Graduate Careers (2010) due to the high number of graduates only 36 per cent of undergraduates can be expected to find a job after leaving University. This number hasn’t been that low since 1995. Enclosed is a table to give a wider insight into the bachelor graduates market for business studies in Australia. The data has been collected by the GCA (2010) and shows that 75.1 per cent of bachelor graduates who were available for full time employment are working in a full time job. Due to missing sex data percentages of males and females might not add up exactly to 100 per cent. The median salary for a business bachelor graduate is 46 000 AUD (Australian Dollar) which is about 29 200 GBP (Great Britain Pound). Table 1: Grad, Jobs and Dollars Source: Graduate Careers Australia (2010) According to the Australian Labour Market Update (2010) there is a trend in employment increase by 2.9 per cent and this trend has been positive since 2009. Also, the Australian Labour Market Update (ALMU) states that employment will continue to grow in the periods ahead. This statistics are also supported by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) which can be seen in Figure 1 that shows the full time and total employment trend from August 2001 to August 2011. Figure 1: Full time and total employment Source: Labour Force Survey, ABS (2011) Looking at Figure 1 it can clearly be seen that there has been a positive trend in the full time and employment market within the last 10 years. A brief decrease can be seen in the years between 2008 and 2009 during the recession but the market has recovered since then and is continually growing. 3.6. Sydney’s labour market – tourism and hospitality Chosen Australia and especially Sydney being the market I would like to enter these are a very reassuring. Looking at the long term this supports my decision to seek a job in Australia after graduating. Also, taking a closer look at the tourism sector it can be seen that over 220 million people worldwide or 7.6 per cent of the total global workforce is employed within that sector (World Travel and Tourism Council [WTTC], 2009). Regarding Inner Sydney which is the commercial and political heart of Sydney but also the home of one of the best hospitality sectors in the country, it shows that this industry contribute a noteworthy part to Sydney’s economy given the data by Australian Bureau of Statistics. ABS (2011) also states that the hospitality sector counts to the five top industries in Sydney. Based on a study by ABS (2006) it shows that human resource professionals count to the 20 top occupations within Inner Sydney. As I am focusing on a specific sector within the human resource profession I rate my chances to get a job as high as it is still a niche market. Research on various recruiting websites has shown that there is a high demand within the hospitality industry and especially in HRM. As almost in all job announces a membership at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) is required I have done some further reading into it. According to their brochure a professional membership of the CIPD can help to * Open doors to new career opportunities, * Raise your profile, * Increase your earning potential, * Connect with the very best in the profession and * Access and influence the latest thinking on the future of HR. Even though CIPD is Europe’s largest HR and development professional body it is an internationally recognised brand. Therefore it is committed to develop HR globally by driving HR capability within organisations. Global companies such as Qantas Airlines are offering graduate programmes. Qantas human resources graduate programme is specially designed for graduates with a HR-related degree and takes place over two years. It allows the participant to get a broad exposure to the business and most of the graduate roles are located in Sydney. Areas that would be covered during the training are * Generalist HR * Project Management * Corporate HR Applications for the 2013 graduate programme will be open early 2012 and I have already registered my interest in the programme for their HR department. After completing the two year training staying with the company for a couple of years is compulsory. By doing well during the programme a managerial position is secure and a lucrative salary and benefit packages is included. Getting into this graduate programme would be a great opportunity for me and would also secure a long term contract with the company. 3.7. Migration and the labour market To be able to work in Australia a working visa will be required. There are a few options available to get a working visa. The easiest way would be on a â€Å"Business People† visa and to work for an international company which has a branch based e.g. in Sydney which is my chosen city. This would allow me to work there for a limited period of time. A second option would be to apply for an â€Å"Employer Sponsored Workers† which means, according to the Department of Immigration and Citizenship; applicants must be sponsored by their employer and will be able to either receive a temporary or permanent working visa. The third way would be to apply for The General Skilled Migration Program (GSM) which can be done by professionals and other skilled migrants. People can only apply for it if their skills are particular required in Australia  and who are not sponsored by an employer. Based on statistics published by the Australian Labour Market Update (2010) 33.9 per cent of the working visas granted by the state and territory governments were for the permanent GSM working visa. Taking the last two recent years into account this has been an increase of more than 34 per cent for visas sponsored by the state and territory governments. Furthermore my research has shown that human resource managers are part of the Skilled Occupation List (SOL) 2011 – Schedule 2 and the Australian Institute of Management (AIM) will be the assessing authority for the visa application. 3.8. Skills needed to enter Australia’s labour market The Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (DEEWR) is in charge to analyse the skills and education needed in regards to the labour market issues, including their relationship with migration policy settings. Recent studies conducted by the National Resources Sector Employment Taskforce’s Resourcing the Future: Report 6, have shown that Australia is selecting highly skilled migrants to fill vacant positions for medium and long term needs. Based on the information given on their website professionals holding a degree in human resource management are part of the people taking in consideration for recruitment. Given my double-education, by already holding a degree in Tourism and Management and graduating from the University of Westminster in 2013 with a bachelor degree in Business Management and Human Resource Management it shows that I have excellent chances to enter the market. Being fluent in two languages (German and English) and also having basic knowledge in French and Spanish are prosperous aspects for getting a job. My position as supervisor at my current job at The Medical Chambers Kensington (TMCK) and being in charge of a five man reception team is of great avail. Within the last two years of working for TMCK I was assisting in recruiting new staff and in charge of the training programme. 3.9. Level of education within the hospitality industry According to a survey which has been conducted by Griffith Business School in Australia the hospitality industry is ranked as well qualified, with over 64 per cent of operational staff holding some form of post-secondary education level qualification. Research on LinkedIn on people who are working in the positions I am interested in was very helpful. It has shown that it is important to have not only a good education but also having work experience. During an interview for the Sunday Times with the HR Manager Joanne Wright at The Cavendish Hotel, she stated that internships are very important. In her view student placements help to fill real job vacancies as the student gets a chance to apply subject knowledge and skills in a real working environment. Furthermore it helps for the personal development and allows exploring different career paths and helps to build confidence. Joanne Wright also made clear that nowadays work experience is valued more and more and cannot be replaced with any theoretical knowledge. A personal recommendation to me would be to sign up for a course in Australian Employment Law as it will be necessary to have complete understanding in this subject in order to work there. Also, within the field of human resources on-going trainings are compulsory to keep up with the constant changes within this industry. 3.10. Analysis of Feedback Receiving feedback from my group members during the seminar sessions for Business Research and Professional Practice (BKEY501) has helped me to get a wider understanding of the labour market. It has shown me that I had to include more statistics to support my arguments. Also, the information I had found in the first place were not detailed enough and it was clear that more sources were needed. Constructive Feedback should always be seen as something positive as it helps to improve and to do better the next time.  Giving feedback to the other has been very helpful to get a wider understanding of the task. Caution has to be paid when giving feedback as it should never be meant personally. It is important to only criticise the information provided and not the informer. 3. Conclusion Overall the University of Westminster is doing an excellent job in preparing us for the real world. During the module Professional Competences we have been made aware of the importance of skills and to make sure to continually develop those. Feedback we have received throughout the module helped us to identify our weaknesses and turn those into strengths. The graduate labour market is very competitive but it shows that the economy in Australia is very stable. Also, analyses have shown that the employment market in Sydney is increasing at the moment and that the positive trend will not be stopping any time soon. Even though working visa regulations seem very strict for Australia researches into requirements for the highly skilled visa have shown that with my education so far it should be no problem to enter the job market over there. One of the arrangements I have to do though is to complete a course within Australian Employment Law before applying for the visa. Research has also shown that there is an increase in visas granted for GSM by the state and territory governments. The importance of work experience has clearly been stated in the report. In addition I have to bear in mind to constantly push myself and developing myself to be able to work in the top of my field. 4. List of References AG (2010), RESOURCING THE FUTURE National Resources Sector Employment Taskforce, Report 6, DEEWR, Canberra. AG. (2011). Visas, Immigration and Refugees. Available: http://www.immi.gov.au/skilled/. [Accessed 9 November 2011]. Australian Bureau of Statistics (2010c), Labour force, Australia, detailed, quarterly, May 2010, cat. no. 6291.0.55.003. ABS, Canberra. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2009). Australian and New Zealand Standard Classification of Occupations, 1st Edition, Revision 1, Cat. No. 1220.0 ANZSCO. Australian Government Printing Office, Canberra. Australian Bureau of Statistics. (2011). Australian Labour Market Statistics, October Quarter, Cat. No. 6105.0. Australian Government Printing Office, Canberra. CIPD (2011). Experience Assessment: A new route to professional membership. Brighton: Mosaic. Compact Oxford English Dictionary for Students (2006) Oxford: Oxford University Press. Dearing, R. (1997) The Dearing Report (series of reports by The National Committee of Inquirq into Higher Education. Available at http://www.leeds.ac.uk/educol/ncihe/docsinde.htm. [Accessed 5 November 2011]. Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations (2010d), Workforce characteristics, Skills Info, DEEWR, Canberra. Gilleard, C. (2006) Graduate careers: Bridging the gap between graduates and employers. Independent [online], 13 October. Available at http://education.independent.co.uk/magazines/article1869024.ece [Accessed 7 November 2011]. Graduate Careers Australia (2010), GradStats: Employment and Salary Outcomes of Recent Higher Education Graduates, 15,.2-9, GCA, Canberra. International Labour Organization. 2001.Human Resources Development, Employment and Globalisation in the Hotel. Catering and Tourism Sector, ILO, Geneva, 2001. Mintzberg, H. (1973) The Nature of Managerial Work. New York: Harper Row. Ofcom. (2010).The Communications Market August 2010. Available: http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/market-data-research/market-data/communications-market-reports/cmr10/. [Accessed 9 November 2011]. Paskin, B. (2011). The Cavendish Hotel named as best small hotel employer. Available: http://www.bighospitality.co.uk/Events-Awards/Sunday-Times-names-The-Cavendish-Hotel-as-best-small-hotel-employer. [Accessed 8 November 2011]. Qantas. (2011).Human Resources. Available: http://www.careers.qantas.com.au/Graduates/Human-Resources.aspx. [Accessed 7 November 2011]. Stevens, M. J. and Campion, M. A. (1994) The knowledge, skill, and ability requirements for teamwork: Implications for human resource management, Journal of Management, 20, 2: 503-30. Stevens, M. J. and Campion, M. A. (1999) Staffing work teams: Development and validation of a selection test for teamwork settings, Journal of Management, 25, 2: 207-28. Taylor J (2005) Recruiting University graduates for the public sector: An Australian case study. International Journal of Public Sector Management 18(6): 514–533. UKCGE. (2010). The UK Graduate Careers Survey 2010. Available: http://www.ukcge.ac.uk/news/archive/April+-+June+2010/Careers+Survey. [Accessed 7 November 2011]. World Travel and Tourism Council (2009). Travel and tourism economic impact. London, England: World Travel and Tourism Council.

Takeover Mergers Acquisitions Case Study Of British Petroleum Commerce Essay

Takeover Mergers Acquisitions Case Study Of British Petroleum Commerce Essay BP is one of the largest vertically integrated oil and gas companies in the world. The companys operations primarily include the exploration and production of gas and crude oil, as well as the marketing and trading of natural gas, power, and natural gas liquids. BP has its headquarters in London, United Kingdom and employs about 80,300 people. British Petroleum, which transformed from a local oil company named Anglo Persian formed back in 1908 to a global energy group, is one of the worlds largest energy companies today, providing its customers with fuel for transportation, energy for heat and light, retail services and petrochemicals products for everyday items. BP excelled exponentially in the past century and today it employs over 80,000 people and operates in over 100 countries worldwide. On 20th April, 2010, BP came across a deep water rig explosion in the gulf of Mexico which was caused by what has been described as the worst US ecological disaster ever, wiping more than $58 billion from the companys value and causing its share price to drop down more then half compared to the value before the explosion. Many analysts are saying that this could trigger a takeover of the business by one of its big competitors such as Exxon Mobil, Shell or even Petrochina. In this report, we will discuss the factors and reasons which can result in a takeover of any company along with the very real disadvantages which a company may face if they do an acquisition, including those special to an acquisition of BP at this time. What is Merger and Acquisition stands for? The term Merger Acquisition or Takeover refers to the aspect of corporate strategy, corporate finance and management dealing with the buying, selling and combining of different companies that can aid, finance, or help a growing company in a given industry grow rapidly without having to create another business entity. Takeovers and mergers are also the reason why todays corporate landscape is a maze of conglomerations. Insurance companies own breakfast cereal makers, shopping mall outlets are part of military manufacturing groups, and movie studios own airlines, all because of mergers and acquisitions. Although often used synonymously, the terms merger and acquisition mean slightly different things. Merger A merger happens when two firms agree to go forward as a single new company rather than remain separately owned and operated. It can be described as the mutually agreed decision for joint ownership between organizations. When two companies merge, the boards of directors (or the owners, if it is a privately held company) come to an agreement. The original companies cease to exist, and a new company forms, combining the personnel and assets of the merging companies. Like any business deal, this can be straightforward, or incredibly complex. The key is that both companies have agreed to the merge. Acquisition When one company takes over another and clearly establishes itself as the new owner, the purchase is called an acquisition. From a legal point of view, the target company ceases to exist, the buyer swallows the business and the buyers stock continues to be traded. Hostile Takeover: A hostile takeover is an acquisition in which the company being purchased doesnt want to be purchased, or doesnt want to be purchased by the particular buyer that is making a bid. The buyer has to gain control of the target company and force them to agree to the sale. Both acquisitions and mergers typically involve the managers of one organization exerting strategic influence over the other. Reasons for a Takeover There are different reasons for developing through a takeover activity. The primary reason being that acquiring firms seek improved financial performance. Another major reason is the need to keep up with the changing environment and to gain opportunities of market growth more quickly than through internal means. Following gives a brief account for the conventional reasons of a takeover. Speed of Entry Speed of entry is one of the reasons for a takeover because products and markets nowadays are changing so rapidly that acquisition becomes the only way to successfully enter a market, since the process of internal development is too slow and when speed is important, acquisition is more likely to be used. Most acquisitions are consummated relatively quickly, whereas internal development of new products or services normally takes many months or years. Acquisition may allow the acquiring firm to realize revenue earlier, achieve economies faster, and capture a greater market share. When entry occurs through internal development, a decade or more is often required to fine-tune the business to achieve the profitability of established competitors Economies of Scale Economies of scale is an economic term describing a business model where the long-run average cost curve declines as production increases, or in a simple example explaining the principal, where a manufacturing company saves money as it produces higher quantities of its product, as in all business areas, the more you buy, the more you save. Economies of scale is a long run concept and refers to reductions in unit cost as the size of a facility and the usage levels of other inputs increase. This refers to the fact that the company after takeover can often reduce its fixed costs by removing duplicate departments or operations, lowering the costs of the company relative to the same revenue stream, thus increasing profit margins. An example is that of a private soft drinks manufacturer. The more orders that the manufacturer receives, the more savings it makes, as it will in turn get cheaper prices for the materials it needs to produce its drinks (e.g. plastic, aluminium, sugar) as it will be buying them in larger quantities and receiving discounts, the manufacturing company in turn would give its customers cheaper prices for the more orders for drinks they make for this very reason, as they will gain the discounts, they can pass a saving onto their customers, making themselves stronger, a more respected company from its suppliers as it is buying in higher volumes and its turnover becomes higher. All these factors contribute to the benefits of economies of scale.. Why Economies of Scale Happen: An In Depth Look Corporations incur fixed costs when buying heavy machinery, buildings, or other large purchases. A fixed cost is called fixed because when production increases in the short run, new buildings and machines are not immediately needed. Because fixed costs are not tied to production, firms have an incentive to produce as much as possible (assuming they can sell their product). Intuitively, a large factory should produce a large number of units to minimize its fixed cost per unit. Say that an automobile factory costs 1 million dollars. If it only produces 1000 cars, then its Fixed Cost Per Unit is 1 million dollars divided by 1000 cars, or $1000/Car. If the factory produces 8000 cars, however, its Fixed Cost Per Unit is 1 million dollars divided by 8000 cars, or $125 per car. By producing 7000 more cars, the firm gets an 88% fixed cost reduction per car. This graph illustrates that increased production reduces fixed costs per unit. Figure 1 With fewer fixed costs per unit, firms can afford to lower per unit prices. If fixed costs are very significant to a particular firms industry, then firms who mass produce efficiently can cut costs, extract revenues, lower prices, and therefore capture market share. Higher market share and higher revenues mean more money to spend on machinery, and expand the firm. This in turn allows further cost cutting, higher production, and the development of better products. In the long run, firms which effectively mass produce take over industries dominated by high fixed costs. Figure 2 Financial markets Financial markets may provide conditions that motivate acquisitions. If the share value or price/earnings (P/E) ratio of a company is high, it may see the opportunity to acquire a firm with a low share value or P/E ratio. Indeed, this is a major stimulus for the more opportunistic acquisitive companies. An extreme example is asset stripping, where the main motive is short-term gain by buying up undervalued assets and disposing of them piecemeal. Eliminating Competition A buyer company, when absorbs a major competitor, eliminates the major competition and thus increases it revenue or market share. This motive of takeover comes into play when companies want to increase their market power which results in an increased share value and overall monopoly. Synergy Synergy is the potential additional value from combining two firms. It is probably the most widely used and misused rationale for takeovers. Operating Synergy Operating synergies are those synergies that allow firms to increase their operating income, increase growth or both. Operational synergy is deemed to be the main motive of the takeover when the bidder takes over a target in the same industry. We would categorize operating synergies into four types. 1.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Economies of scale that may arise from the takeover, allowing the combined firm to become more cost-efficient and profitable. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Greater pricing power from reduced competition and higher market share, which should result in higher margins and operating income. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Combination of different functional strengths, as would be the case when a firm with strong marketing skills acquires a firm with a good product line. 4.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Higher growth in new or existing markets, arising from the combination of the two firms. This would be case when a UK consumer products firm acquires an emerging market firm, with an established distribution network and brand name recognition, and uses these strengths to increase sales of its products. Operating synergies can affect margins and growth, and through these the value of the firms involved in the takeover. Financial Synergy With financial synergies, the payoff can take the form of either higher cash flows or a lower cost of capital (discount rate). Included are the following. 1. A combination of a firm with excess cash, (and limited project opportunities) and a firm with high-return projects (and limited cash) can yield a payoff in terms of higher value for the combined firm. The increase in value comes from the projects that were taken with the excess cash that otherwise would not have been taken. This synergy is likely to show up most often when large firms acquire smaller firms, or when publicly traded firms acquire private businesses. 2.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Debt capacity can increase, because when two firms combine, their earnings and cash flows may become more stable and predictable. This, in turn, allows them to borrow more than they could have as individual entities, which creates a tax benefit for the combined firm. This tax benefit can take the form of either higher cash flows or a lower cost of capital for the combined firm. 3.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Tax benefits can arise either from the acquisition taking advantage of tax laws or from the use of net operating losses to shelter income. Thus, a profitable firm that acquires a money-losing firm may be able to use the net operating losses of the latter to reduce its tax burden. Alternatively, a firm that is able to increase its depreciation charges after an acquisition will save in taxes and increase its value. Diversification Companies takeover different product line companies to diversify their product or service range and to protect themselves against downturns in the core markets. This calls for a very well thought and specific policy keeping in mind the future steps and goals of a company. Moreover, can really help if there is a downfall in the core market and company shares of a particular product. Disadvantages of a Takeover The reasons for takeover are kept under account while targeting a company, but calculating the disadvantages associated with it are analysed with more precision and taking all situations under consideration. Companies mostly come up with the following disadvantages while acquiring other companies Costs of mergers and acquisitions Mergers and acquisitions can be costly due to the high legal expenses, and the cost of acquiring a new company that may not be profitable in the short run. This is why a merger or acquisition may be more of strategic corporate decision than a tactical maneuver. Moreover, if a poison pill unknowingly emerges after a sudden acquisition of another companys shares, this could render the acquisition approach very expensive and/or redundant. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Legal expenses à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Short-term opportunity cost à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Cost of takeover à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Potential devaluation of equity à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Intangible costs MA activity can also be exacerbated by the short-term cost of opportunity or opportunity cost. This is the cost incurred when the same amount of investment could be placed elsewhere for a higher financial return. Sometimes this cost does not prevent or deter the acquisition because projected long-term financial benefits outweigh that of the short-term cost. Consumer and shareholder drawbacks In some cases, acquisitions may not only disadvantage the shareholders but consumers as well. In both cases, this may happen when the newly formed company becomes a large oligopoly or monopoly. Moreover, when higher pricing power emerges from reduced competition, consumers may be financially disadvantaged. Some of the potential disadvantages facing consumers in regard to mergers are the following. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Increase in cost to consumers à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Decreased corporate performance and/or services à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Potentially lowered industry innovation à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Suppression of competing businesses à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¢ Decline in equity pricing and investment value Shareholders may also be disadvantaged by corporate leadership if it becomes too content or complacent with its market positioning. In other words, when takeover activity reduces industry competition and produces a powerful and influential corporate entity, that company may suffer from non-competitive stimulus and lowered share prices. Lower share prices and equity valuations may also arise from the merger itself being a short-term disadvantage to the company. Effects on management A study published in the July/August 2008 issue of the Journal of Business Strategy suggests that mergers and acquisitions destroy leadership continuity in target companies top management teams for at least a decade following a deal. The study found that target companies lose 21 percent of their executives each year for at least 10 years following an acquisition more than double the turnover experienced in non-merged firms. If the businesses of the acquired and acquiring companies overlap, then such turnover is to be expected; in other words, there can only be one CEO, CFO, etc at a time. Wages Settlement This could also be a problem if the acquiring company gives less wages to its employees then the acquired company. This may result in overpaying the new employees of acquired company or increasing the wages of its previous employees. This can really unsettle the budget and administration of the company. REASONS AND DISADVANTAGES OF TAKING OVER BRITISH PETROLEUM The idea of BP being taken over by anyone would have sounded crazy before the gulf of Mexico disaster, but it is now becoming commonplace to suggest that the UK oil major might even fall into the hands of rivals like Exxon Mobil, Shell or even Petrochina. The about turn has been extraordinary. Before its money and reputation began bleeding away in the Gulf of Mexico, the oil giant was considered the safest of blue chip companies, because its debts were so low and its income so high. BPs failure to stop an oil leak from spewing millions of gallons of crude into the Gulf of Mexico may leave the biggest oil and gas producer in the U.S. in a fight to stay independent. BP Facts Clean-up: Cost to date: $3.1bn approx Escrow account promise: $20bn Shares: Share price on 20 April (before leak began): 656p Share price lowest point (on 25 June): 296p (55% fall) 2009 profits:  £10bn 2010 dividend:  £1.8bn in Q1; Q2-4 cancelled, saving  £5.4bn Debt: Total debts:  £17bn, of which  £4.9 due by end-2011 2009 cashflow:  £21bn Credit ratings: A2/A (Moodys/SP) Credit default swap spread (5 years): 4.1% per annum Strategic investors: Market capitalisation:  £65bn (at 345p current share price) Kuwait shareholding: 1.75% China shareholding: 1.1% (Data: Bloomberg as of 6 July 2010) Reasons for Takeover In addition to being the largest oil and gas producer in the U.S, BP is the biggest operator in the Gulf of Mexico, where it holds more than 500 leases and pumps 450,000 barrels of oil a day. The company plans 10 projects in the Gulf during the next five years, more than other regions of the world, according to a BP presentation. A takeover of BP will result in the acquisition of all these projects ultimately increasing the growth of the acquiring company. A takeover by Anglo-Dutch shell looks likely because synergies of $9bn had been estimated by former BP chief Lord Browne and it is revealed that merger of these companies were tried before in 1995 and 2004. These synergies will give the combined company the power to take advantage from economies of scale and great pricing power. If Exxon Mobil acquires BP that would be a combination of the first and second biggest gas producers in the US which will result in the monopoly of the whole oil market in the hands of the acquirer. If this happens, the joined company can dictate the stock market and gain other advantages as well. Chinese oil giant Petrochina which is not a major oil producer but an avid consumer of oil can divert scarce oil supplies of BP towards china to satisfy its needs rather than those of the west. This will not only give Petrochina access to BPs international oil and gas reserves, but also the expertise and latest technology which will result in higher value and growth of the combined company. The takeover will eliminate a fierce competition between the oil giants of the world as the acquiring company will absorb a major competitor in the form of BP. Thus increasing overall market power and share value. Disadvantages The huge and indeterminate cost of the oil spill cleanup, as well as damages, fines and compensation analysts forecast of the cash cost to BP have ranged up to about $40 bn, could spiral into tens of billions. Political Effects Technically any of Exxon Mobil, Shell or Petrochina can afford to buy BP, but in an industry which is already fraught with regulatory and political risk, it is a difficult to cope up with all the arising situations. There is already a statutory limit under US law for oil spill costs of a mere $75m, but BP long ago waived this limit, as hiding behind it would have been politically untenable. The oil firm could take more active steps to limit its liability, for instance through a selective bankruptcy of its US business. But this would almost certainly be unpalatable to the companys board, as it would enrage US politicians, including President Barack Obama, and probably cut off the entire US market to BP. So the political reality is that BPs liability in the Gulf of Mexico remains unlimited, and this continues to weigh down the companys share price. A takeover of BP in such a scenario will result in an unlimited liability for the acquiring company. Moreover, it may probably cutoff from the U.S market where BP is the biggest oil and gas provider. Environmental Effects The environmental threats after Mexico oil spills are still in account and acquiring companies will feel the effects of it for a long time. The cost of oil cleanup is indeterminate and in case of an acquisition, those cleanups and its effects will become the liability of the acquiring company and if they fail to clear them in a particular set of time, then the acquired company can feel the heat as well. Legal Effects The damages, fines and compensation forecasts of the spill are very unclear and there is no exact account of the litigations which BP will face. BP has crossed the $368 million mark till now in paying companies and individuals as a result of after-effects of the oil spill. Still there is a long way to go and no one wants to pay an unquantifiable liability. Other Disadvantages If Shell makes a move, then it will ace serious competition issues that would force divestments in Europe and the US. A combined company will be very difficult to manage and to sustain growth. Petrochina will be in a risk of overpaying the employees of BP as labour is cheap in Chinese companies and this could really effect the management and workforce from top to bottom. In case of Exxon Mobil, Most combinations of assets would have to be downsized for competition reasons. The overlapping management will lose their jobs and the old management will have to fit in the shoes of the BP management and become familiar with their systems and ways which will take time and incur cost. The costs of oil projects are set to soar as governments insist on tougher environmental safety standards in the wake of the spill. Already the Kazakhstan energy ministry has forced Shell to tighten up plans at its Kashagan development, meaning that the current $136bn budget dedicated for the project is likely to be busted. The result could be that smaller companies, that dont have market values in excess of $100bn might pull out of deep-water activities. Only the big boys of the industry would remain in the waters. Conclusion There are many likely motives to takeover BP but it carries a lot of dips and drops. If a buyer does try to overcome all these enormous hurdles, it would still need to agree a deal. At the moment, there is no sign of BP to surrender. Takeover talks are likely to keep swirling, but the chances are that BP will emerge with its independence intact.

Conflict between Hindus and Muslims :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  India is the center of a very serious problem in the world today. It’s a very diverse place with people from many different religious backgrounds, who speak many different languages and come from many different regions. They are also separated economically. Two of the country’s religious sects, Muslims and Hindus, have been in conflict for hundreds of years. Their feelings of mistrust and hatred for each other are embedded in all those years and will not leave easily. What’s most disturbing is that there seems to be no plan for reconciliation available. There are numerous reasons for this conflict.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Power struggles amongst the two groups are ever present and each group thinks the other is out to get them. Hindus comprise the majority of the population of India at eighty percent while Muslims are a minority, making up only fourteen percent, which is a problem in itself. The feeling of being dominated by the majority comes from being a part of the minority. To complicate things even more is the controversy that surrounds Ayodhya, a holy place in Gujarat claimed by both groups. The Babri Masjid, a Muslim temple in Ayodhya was burned to the ground by Hindu extremists in 1992 and caused a wave of violence that resulted in the loss of over two thousand lives. These Hindu extremists believe the temple rests on the birthplace of Ram, one of the Hinduism’s most revered deities. They want a temple built on the site to commemorate Ram’s birth. Muslims in turn want the Babri Masjid rebuilt in the same spot. Neither side wants to give in and are currently fi ghting on.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  The most threatening conflict between Hindus and Muslims is the province of Kashmir. This is where the decision to divide India into India and Pakistan seems to have been a terrible mistake. Kashmir, which is the only Muslim majority city in India, lies between the divided India and Pakistan. After India’s independence in the 1940’s, Kashmir had to choose to either unite with India or Pakistan. The Prince of Kashmir chose India but Pakistan invaded the province soon after and have occupied part of Kashmir since then. Controversy still surrounds the province today because naturally, Muslims want to control it. While many Muslims relocated to Pakistan and the Hindus to India, half of the Muslim population was left in India and their relations did not improve after being partially separated.

Discrimination Due to Racism

THEME: DISCRIMINATION due to RACISM The scars of discrimination on society as a whole and people as individuals. Discrimination has caused a lot of sufferings on our people and ancestors in many ways around the world which scars lives of people from generation to generation as well as affects individuals and society as a whole.I have chosen a range of societies by selecting the texts, Dawn Raids play-script written by Oscar Knightley, Freedom Writer movie directed by Richard LaGravenese, Othello play-script written by William Shakespeare, Black Like Me novel based on a true story written and experienced by John Howard Griffin and The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till told by his mother, Uncles and cousins presented by Top Documentary Films. These texts explore a wide range of societies including Black Americans, White Americans, Africans, Pacific Islanders, New Zealanders, Asians, Latinos and other cultures too.These texts help reveal how discrimination scars society and people as in dividuals. What do we see in the text that portrays discrimination? As depicted in the play script Dawn Raids, we are introduced to some racist polices in New Zealand who stopped brown people on the streets asking them for passports in search of over stayers. These racist polices only picked on brown faces that they assumed were Samoans, Tongans, or Fijians. They even stopped Maoris asking them what country they’re from, being treated like over stayers in their own country.There were Europeans and Asians who were over stayers but polices never bothered them to ask for passports. Polices would crash into Pacific people’s houses early in the morning chasing them with dogs frightening their children, families and their neighbours. They were humiliated and embarrassed in front of their neighbours, their children and worst of all they were being treated badly in their own home. This racist act resulted in most Pacific Islanders were being separated and deported back to thei r Islands in a very cruel manner due to their racist hatred towards the Pacific Islanders.This shows that racism humiliates people and affects them in so many ways and discrimination should be stopped. This type of hatred towards other races is also obvious in the movie Freedom Writer but with more races involved, where Latinos, Asians, Black Americans and white Americans are separated into gangs and are targeted by racist white polices. The gangs hate each other due to their races and backgrounds but the one seemed lower than everyone else is the black people. White racist polices pinned down Marcus for a crime he did not commit due to his skin colour being black. I sat there until the police came. But when they come, all they see is a dead body, a gun, and a nigger†. He wasted months of his life locked up in a cell for crime he did not commit but being black put him as the killer and so someone had to pay the price. It shows in this text, justice meant someone had to pay the price and â€Å"someone† meant anyone who is not white. White polices didn’t care who committed the crime because all they wanted was someone to blame and Marcus was the one black guy that was around and due to his race and skin colour being black he was an easy target to pin the crime on.This text shows that racism ruled over justice and how discrimination can destroy one’s life forever. Another text which shows clinging to the belief of discrimination due to racism scars society and people is Othello, where Iago a jealous white man used racism slurs when he awakens Brabantio with the news that his daughter Desdemona, a white young lady has eloped with Othello. He used animal imagery in his racist diatribe against Othello, which is grounded in the idea that black –men and woman—is inhuman. â€Å"Even now, very now, an old black ram is tupping your white ewe. Arise!Arise; awake the snorting citizens with the bell. Or else the devil will make a gr andsire of you. Arise I say. † Iago refers to Othello as an â€Å"old black ram† and is â€Å"tupping† Brabantio’s â€Å"white ewe† Desdemona. He plays on the Elizabeth notions that black men have an animal like hyper-sexuality. This seems geared at manipulating Brabantio’s fears of miscegenation, between Othello and Desdemona. So due to Iago’s racist attitude towards Othello, Brabantio and few others tries to separate Othello from Desdemona. This shows how discrimination can affect love ones and individuals due to discrimination.In contrast Black Like Me a non-fiction novel based on a true story of John Howard Griffin, who changed his skin colour to black to try and find out how it feel likes to be black. He was called names like ‘nigger’ and he felt like an outcast amongst the white people, his own people. He found it hard to get along with white people as he gets ‘hatred glares’ from them but gets loving, w arm greetings and invitations from black people. Black people were being pushed away into hiding, poverty which caused a lot of sufferings for the black society as a whole, all young and old because of the colour of their skin.This shows that discrimination affected the black society leading them to poverty, misery, homeless and sufferings. The text The Untold Story of Emmett Louis Till shows an identical horrific incident that scarred the Black Society at that time and even up to now in America. A young boy named Emmett Till was brutally murdered in Mississippi, America. Emmett was 14 years of age when he was taken from his uncle’s house by two white men due to the fact that he whistled at a white lady.Emmett loved to play around and had a sense of humour which led him to whistling at the white lady which caused his death by the hand of two racist white men. This reason for their action was very unacceptable and racist because if it had been a white man who whistled at the l ady, the white people nor anyone would do anything but since Emmett was black and not white, he paid the price of death. These white people had to prove a point that they were superior and they had to prove it by killing a 14 year old boy.Emmett’s mother had to keep the casket open to show the world the face of her son and what the white people did to him. The result of the brutal manners that was done was unimaginable and indescribable. Emmett’s face was unrecognized by his family and friends but especially by his own mother. His teeth were knocked out and his mother â€Å"took pride in them because they were the most beautiful thing I have ever seen. † There was a massive hole on his head and his mother â€Å"could see right through. † His skull was broken in the middle and his tongue was cut and hanging down.The world attended the funeral to have a look at Emmett and this angered the white people. They sent racist letters of threats calling names like â€Å"niggers†, â€Å"savages† and treat of house being bombed. This text shows how black and white were separated by racism and how discrimination took control destroying the black society physically and emotionally. How does the context (time, place, social condition and other people) enhance the occurrence of discrimination due to racism? My text consistently displays the social condition, times and places where/when white were superior of all races.A time we now look back and feel embarrassed that it ever happened, a time of suffering, of pain, of struggle and temptation but hope was always in front and kept them going. In Dawn Raids this event happened in the mid-1970s to early 1980s during the most embarrassing time of New Zealand, where most islanders were being woken up early in the cold mornings at dawn with dogs and flashlights trashing things that came their way, handcuffed and held in cells. These times made racism easier for polices because they had the au thorities to pick on anyone but they chose only to pick on brown faces for over stayers.It was during the time when New Zealand brought Pacific Islanders to New Zealand to work in factories and do hard works and by that it meant that Pacific Islanders had to obey Pakehas and do as they are told. They lived in fear and under pressure because their lives were being controlled. This shows that discrimination affects and destroys lives of the Islanders and it should have been prevented and stopped. In Freedom Writer is based on a time where whites were still superior to all races and black being the lowest of them all and a time in America where black people were blamed for almost every crime.This show a time where freedom was deprive of the non-white people due to racism. Othello is a text that was influenced by the occurrence of racism through words of hatred, jealousy and a time where people believed in strange things concerning the devil, more religious believers and strong Christia n faiths. Iago refers to Othello as the â€Å"devil† even though Othello’s Christian, as indicating that black were evil and that â€Å" the devil† often took the form of a black man, which as to make Othello seem as something miserable and should be treated like an animal.These racist words of Iago were used to persuade Brabantio that it is impossible for Desdemona to fall in love with Othello because of his race. This shows a time where Othello’s race was seen as something not desirable or wanted. Othello is similar to Black like me where in accordance with social segregation of time, finding a job for black people was difficult and hard. They couldn’t find a restroom or cafe allowed for black to enter and use. This shows a time in America where black people were neglected of their needs and social involvement because of their skin colour.According to The untold story of Emmett Till and it’s devastating incident, that occurred during the t ime of the white being superior to black and slavery still seen around, black people were seen lower than whites and other races. Black people would be treated like animals and white people would get away with it. it shows a time where black people at that time still had no protection from the law, a time where they weren’t yet allowed to vote or speak their minds. This made racism worse for black people because they had no say in anything, due to most of them being brought up in the culture of slavery.So, in these texts it shows how the context can enhance the occurrences of racism shown through discrimination and why discrimination should be stopped. Why do people discriminate (including those in the texts)? There is no single, simple answer to this question. To begin with, it seems to be a human trait to dislike and distrust anyone we perceive as being â€Å"different. † It also seems to be a human trait to judge groups of people by the actions and attitudes of a fe w and it also seems to be a human trait to think that what we believe, how we live, and what we are is the only â€Å"right† way to believe, live, and be.People are not born racist and they learn this behaviour from their family, friends, and other important people in their lives. This is a personality disorder, I believe, based on a person's lack of self-worth. During the years of Affirmative Action (employment preference given to blacks) in America, many non-blacks were passed over for promotions and jobs which they considered rightfully theirs and this caused a great deal of bitterness. This particular program has not been around for many years, but older workers probably recall it clearly and still hold a great deal of resentment, like wise shown on the text Black Like Me.Some people  discriminate due to one's skin colour being different from theirs, backgrounds and where they’re from. It shows that white people discriminate black people because they believe that they are superior and they can do anything and get away with it without punishments. In Dawn Raids it shows that polices discriminate because immigrants were getting bigger and better in New Zealand and plus they didn't need them anymore; they had no use for them any longer.That was a selfish and unloving way, of how discrimination worked. Iago in Othello was totally under the influence of jealousy and hatred towards Othello, which resulted in a very tragic event of deaths and broken hearts and trusts between the two lovers, Othello and Desdemona, together with the help of religious faith and beliefs. In The Untold Story of Emmett Till it shows that the â€Å"white society† discriminates basically because of skin colours and ethnicity together with the echoing background of slavery from years ago.Similar to Freedom Writer it shows that students discriminates because of things that happened in the past, stories told by their fathers, their brothers, sisters and mothers. They kill each other and fight against each other even to death, shooting each other down because of the fact that their backgrounds and ethnics are different, they believe in different things and their past experiences due to racism and racial-hatred. Hatred and fear of others being superior or overpowering them made discrimination stronger but less do they know that they all have a lot in common than they know of.So discrimination should be stopped because it is unfair, unloving, painful, sorrowful and straight inhuman-like and lets come together and try make a difference for our next generations. Conclusion: People discriminate for many reasons; fear, envy, desire for power or a need to disassociate them from others but especially because of racism. Racism is and will always remain a central issue which is heard, seen and recognized in most countries, in societies and amongst individuals which causes a lot of sufferings.These issues of discrimination scars every aspect of economic cul tural and political life by overt or covert racism acts, either in offensive loud bang or in a subtle manner. In many ways discrimination due to racism blur the line of accepted and unaccepted societal norms, that to destroy and subjugate others –either through perpetuation of physical violence or words– is a phenomenon as old as time. These actions wounds societies and people as individuals which healed but left scars that will never fade or forgotten.What is disconcerting are the facts, figures and the damages caused to an individual and society as a whole. Painful tortures done behind doors and are swept under the rugs without others knowing or recognizing the damages. Hundreds of years ago people have paid a price for being racially different, tortured, and subjugated or killed, despite the advancement in culture, science and technology. People have been categorized and stereotyped which made discrimination easier. The root of the problem lies in our physical or cu ltural differences which involves skin colour, anguage, religion or tribe, hence the solutions too comes from this problem of being different. We should learn to love the different cultures and when  we meet people and learn about them we are really all just the same. I have zero tolerance for racism because it has resolved nothing for as long as racism has been, and it's the likes of JFK, Bobby Kennedy and Martin Luther King, Jr, losing their lives for these very principles to make one realize that certain people are terrified that wars that should never have been, will be ended and there will be equality for all races of man.We should learn from these great men and strive to get along together rather than to fight with one another. I believe that by accepting and maybe celebrating differences is just one way of educating ourselves on these differences of cultures, and just maybe, a zero tolerance towards racism as an individual or society as a whole could pave the way for less o f it and try make this world a better place, discrimination-free and racism-free for our children, our children's children.A world where we can all come together as one with peace and love no matter what race, skin-color or country we're from, because I believe that  without discrimination and racism, the world would be a much better place for our species to multiply and replenish with equality for every man no matter what differences we have. Discrimination and racism should be stop and prevented forever. Don’t ignore or avoid the scars of discriminations. Bibliography: Shakespeare,William ‘Othello' playscript http://www. william-shakespeare. info/act1-script-text-othello. htm Knightley, Oscar   Ã¢â‚¬ËœDawn Raids’  Ã‚   ()playscript from school http://www. laymarket. org. nz/node/3328 LaGravenese, Richard  (2007)  Freedom Writer’ movie http://www. imdb. com/title/tt0463998/  or Youtube http://www. youtube. com/watch? v=m0PRB4YsXn4;feature=rela ted Griffin, John Howard ()‘Black Like Me’   based on a real life event, based on a true story. http://www. imdb. com/title/tt0057889/   http://books. google. co. nz/books/about/Black_Like_Me. html? id=ObTddfcqk2gC;redir_esc=y     Top Documentary Film (1950s)‘TheUntold Story of Emmett Louis Till’   http://topdocumentaryfilms. com/the-untold-story-of-emmett-louis-till/

Daycare Observation Report

The Kids Learning Centre is a privately-owned day care facility and non-formal educational institution for children up to 12 years old. It is located at the heart of the City of Downtown, just behind The Business Building, a convenient place where parents and guardians can drop off their children safely. It operates from 6:30 AM to 6:00 PM daily, and closes only during major holidays. Like other day care facilities, The Kids Learning Centre strives to provide the best in child care.As part of their program to deliver quality service to the kids and their parents, the centre has established the following: I. Security, Safety, Health The centre has an open-door policy, allowing and welcoming parents to visit and observe their children at any time. This, however, is a regulated procedure in order to provide security for the children, and is implemented under the following measures: * Upon enrolment, the parent/ guardian is issued an individualized Parent Identification Number, which he/ she uses to go through the facility’s entry system.Visitors are required to present a valid ID with photo before being allowed to enter, and he or she is escorted and supervised by the Assistant Director during the entire visit. * The centre has an emergency lock-down procedure – forced entry will automatically send an alarm to the police department. Moreover, the centre has a closed circuit classroom monitoring system, wherein the classroom is fitted with a four-way camera. The system records daily activities for the protection of both children and caregivers. In addition, sprinklers and fire extinguishers are present in every area of the building.Fire alarms are installed, and the fire department is automatically alerted when the alarm goes off. The school conducts a monthly fire drill and fire alarm safety practice to ensure that the staffs is prepared in case of emergency, and would be able to protect the children should a crisis occur. Aside from security and fire safety, the centre is also very particular about the health and well-being of the kids. The centre, licensed by the Department of Health, provides healthy, nutritious, and delicious meals and snacks for the children.The daily menu is planned by the school’s chef and the Director a month in advance. Also, a sick child is not allowed to enter the facility to avoid contagion; and a doctor’s note stating that the child is not contagious must be presented before the Director would allow the child to rejoin his group. II. Environment The classroom is bright and colourful – a place designed to be attractive and interesting to kids. The walls are painted with animal pictures, and the floor is covered by carpets, safety mats, and cushions in vivid colours.There are six rooms and each room is fully-equipped with age appropriate safe toys that stimulate the different senses and develop gross motor and fine motor skills, including building blocks, rubber balls, stuffed ani mals, books, tinker toys, and many more. These are organized on kid-sized shelves, baskets, and containers that develop a child’s organization and sorting skills. The room is a place for kids to have fun and learn at the same time. They are able to express their energy in safety, and also explore, experiment, touch, and fill their senses using the wide variety of learning materials available in the area.III. Caregivers The Kids Learning Centre is comprised of a group of devoted individuals trained to protect, nurture, and educate children. As part of the school’s policy, all the members of the staff underwent a criminal background check through the Department of Public Welfare’s state and federal fingerprinting system before being hired. They are likewise First Aid/ CPR Certified. The centre is currently composed of seven individuals: the director; the assistant director; five lead teachers; and two assistant teachers. * Director. Ms.Mayan holds a Degree in Earl y Childcare Education, and has been a director for five years. She is very warm and friendly. * Assistant Director. Ms. Dina also has a degree in Early Childcare Education and has more than 30 years of experience in a childcare facility. She supervises and trains teachers. * Lead Teachers: * Baby Teacher. Ms. Mina is a high school graduate and has 5 years experience in the medical field and 20 years of experience with children. She loves to talk to babies with her calm and gentle voice. * Young Toddlers’ Teacher.Ms. Fine is currently taking up Child Development Associate Certification and has a three years experience as day care assistant teacher at the YMCA. She is consistent in setting up limits, making sure young toddlers return the toys they are playing with before they get another toy. * Older Toddler Teacher. Ms. Georgia has childcare certification from Better Kid Care and has six years experience as assistant teacher at Head Start. She can handle difficult children ver y well. She is firm and the children listen to her when she says something.Pre-School Teacher. Ms. Barbie finished her 2 years in Education and has three years experience as lead teacher. * Pre-K Teacher. Ms. Nita finished her associate degree and earned her directorship certificate at the Best Care Centre. She has been a lead teacher for ten years and have been a director for five years. * Assistant Teachers: * Older Toddlers’ Assistant Teacher. Ms. Darlene is in her senior high school and she just started a couple of months ago. The children are very comfortable and love to play with her. * Pre-K Assistant Teacher. Ms.Julia has been in the academe for twelve years, and has been working in daycare for two years. As a day care worker, she is very warm and friendly with the children. She is very patient and always encourages the kids to always be nice to each other. One particular teacher I observed to be the most effective is Nita – the Pre-K teacher. Her class is so s tructured – she follows her daily schedule, she is very warm and friendly when parents drop off her/his child. She supervises her class very well. Even when she is talking to an adult, she is still able to hear and see what’s going on in her class.She uses the reward system to encourage children to participate in group activities. She always tells jokes and the children love it. She teaches various skills to her class, such as dancing, singing and storytelling, as well as some Spanish words. Two Instances that I’ve observed about Ms. Nita’s quality child care were: * when a child was hurt while playing outside; Ms Nita immediately and calmly attended to the child and talked in gentle manner. The other one who apparently hurt him was next to Ariana, watching as the teacher performs first aid.After Ms Nita was sure the Ariana was fine, she talked to both Ariana and the other child and asked them what really happened, she asked both side very patiently and t hen asked them what they should do next time, both boy apologizes and came to a conclusion that it is not nice to keep hands to others. * Another instance I observed was that Ms, Nita individually ask the children to check how they are doing both at the day care and at home; I particularly remember when she asked Karina and how’s she doing at home, the child answer that she is sad because her dad went to jail.I saw how her compassion rise up as she talked to the child and gave her a big sympathetic hug. IV. Activities The Kids Learning Centre provides a program to develop positive social skills and ideals and learn about their world through age-appropriate play, projects and activities. It provides a stable and protected learning environment that fosters a solid foundation for lifelong success. The children are encouraged to foster a love for nature and the environment through the centre’s Agricultural Program. In that program, the children experience how to cultivate and develop the Earth.Through agricultural lessons that include outdoor planting of fruits and vegetables, each child is able to experience the joy of caring for the Earth. The children also experience daily interactions that promote positive self concepts. All programs are curriculum based – Infant through school-age children. The daily schedule for Pre-K is as follows: 6:30 – 8:30 AM| Free Play| 8:35 – 9:00| Art Project| 9:00 – 10:00| Breakfast| 10:00-10:30| Circle Time| 10:30-11:30| Gym Class or Outside Time| 11:30-12:00| Science/ Math| 12:00 NN| Lunch Time| 1:00 – 3:00| Nap Time| :00 – 3:30| Snack Time| 3:30 – 4:00| Story Time| 4:00 – 4:30| Review Time| 4:30 – 5:30| Outside Play| 5:30 – 6:00| Library Time| From six thirty in the morning up to eight thirty in the morning, the children are allowed to choose centres (like dramatic play, table toys, or blocks ) of their choice – giving them freedom to selec t a toy or game for themselves in a small group, at Eight thirty to Nine in the morning, the children make art or crafts; this activity enhances the children’s fine motor skills at the same time appreciate the beauty of art.At Nine o clock to Nine thirty in the morning, the children wash their hands and have their breakfast. Ten O’ clock up to Ten thirty in the morning is circle time; during circle time, children learn the different season, month of the year, days of the week, the alphabets and numbers and study a particular book and song of the day. At Ten thirty to Eleven in the morning, the children will go outside to get fresh air and to boost their gross motor skills.At eleven o’ clock to twelve noon the children observe a science experiment or play math games depending on the lesson plan for the day. At twelve noon up to one o clock, the children wash their hands and have their lunch. At one O’ clock to three o’ clock in the afternoon, the ch ildren will have their nap time. If the child can’t go to sleep, the child will be provided a book and read quietly or he/she can lay quietly on her cot, Three O’ clock noon is snack time, three thirty to four thirty is review time; where children will be asked what they have learned for the day.Four thirty to five thirty in the afternoon is outside play and finally five thirty to six thirty is library time; the children will read book quietly as they wait for their parents to pick them up. V. Guidance and Discipline The Kids Learning Centre sets rules with the children at the beginning of the school year. The child’s role in the Guidance Process allows the child to be involved in writing the class rules. The teachers set clear limits and are always consistent.They redirect the children whenever possible. They include the children in the problem solving processes. Positive reinforcement and acknowledgement of good behaviour is encouraged. If a child exhibits imp roper behaviour, he/she is removed from the area The teacher then discusses the improper behaviour with the child – what choice would be better next time – and allows the child to return to the activity as soon as he or she feels she can already manage his/her behaviour appropriately.Should a conflict arise between two kids, they will have a reasonable opportunity to resolve the problem on their own, under the watchful eye of the teacher, before a she steps in. They will be given the chance to make an effort to change any unacceptable behaviour. If a child hurts another child, the teacher will attend to the injured child immediately. The child that did the injuring will stay with the injured child and the staff member looking after the injured child, until the injured child is ready to return to the classroom activities.The former will be asked what s/he can do to make the latter feel better. If the teachers see a continuing pattern of misbehaviour, the following steps will be initiated: * Phone call from the teacher informing the parent of the concern or â€Å"red flags† that have been observed. * As parents have a major role in the guidance process, they are requested to share any relevant information with the teachers to help understand any underlying issues. They are encouraged to open up when the teacher gives notification of a concern or if a continuing pattern of misbehaviour is observed.They are expected to follow through on any recommendations made by the staff including evaluation by the school district. * Contact between parents and the centre is made within two weeks of the recommendation, * Staff members are expected to work as a team so everyone can be consistent in expectations and help the child understand what behaviour is acceptable and not acceptable. * After attempts have been made to meet the individual needs of the child, any child that has demonstrated inability to benefit from the type of care offered by our school, or whose presence is detrimental to the group, shall be discharged from the school.The centre prohibits any form of corporal punishment or yelling at a child, ridiculing a child or the child’s family, blaming, teasing, insulting, name calling, or threatening the child with punishment, withholding food, affection, or positive attention. Personally, I find that The Kids Learning Centre ranks high in the following areas: * Security. The security system and fire safety features are technologically advanced and are quite impressive. * Nutrition. The children’s diet is balanced, and they receive highly nutritious meals and snacks daily. * Kids.The children are simply magnificent. Although The Kids Learning Centre’s main goal is it to provide quality care for the children, the fact still remains that it is a business. It is, therefore, not surprising that despite its efforts to provide excellent service; much is left to be desired. Some areas that can be improved incl ude: * Teacher Benefits. The centre lacks benefits and incentives for teachers, and is not very generous with remuneration and salary increase. Management also falls short in terms of support and encouragement for their staff. * High Turn-Over.Due to the lack of benefits for teachers, the turn-over rate is high. This is disadvantageous as constant adjustment is necessary between co-workers as well as between teacher and child. * Discipline. Also, some teachers become too absorbed in terms of child discipline that compassion is overlooked. It is ironic because some of the teachers are themselves in need of discipline in order to avoid squabbling among themselves. The centre would benefit most if it could improve on the following areas:* The management needs to evaluate teachers fairly and give benefits, incentives, and salary increases accordingly. The management needs to provide a better support system for the teachers; give positive reinforcement, remind the teachers their duties a nd responsibilities. * The management also needs to set a better standard for teachers and their behaviour, not only towards the kids but also among themselves. * Teachers should have training at least every quarter to help them learn new strategies in caring for the little ones. * Teachers should join a caregiver/teachers association to help them get encouragement from other professionals.