Leadership Audit Analysis Essay

This set of audits focus on the handwork and skills that a leader needs to possess. â€Å"A skill is the ability to use one’s knowledge to do something well. † These audits are important because a leader can have the right character, but not be competent enough to be a success in a specific position. In this second analysis Aubrey Malphurs in his book Being Leaders gives the reader seven audits to determine if they have the skill set that a Christian leader needs to be effective in the ministry. â€Å"Psalm 78:72 says that David led his people not only with ‘integrity of heart’ but also with ‘skillful hands. ’† Malphurs separates the skill audit into relational and task skills. â€Å"Relational skills are based on the Great Commandment (Matt. 22:36-39). † If leaders cannot effectively get along with people then they will severely hinder their ability to reach those in need. Malphurs says â€Å"task skills are based on the Great Commission (Matt. 28:19-20). † These are the abilities used in conveying the message the leader is trying to communicate. For a leader to succeed they must effectively learn to communicate to people in the proper manner. This set of audits also deals with the importance of knowing one’s leadership style and core values. A leader must know their own mindset and abilities to determine whether or not they will be a good fit in a leadership position at a certain locale. Although it is God who places leaders in a position; the prepared leader is the one with the potential to be most successful. A Relational Skills Audit Relational skills are of utmost importance for anyone in a leadership position especially for a pastor. If a leader is going to be effective they are going to have to learn to deal with people and work through people. The work of God is too great for one person to be able to handle it alone. People have said, â€Å"I like the ministry; it is just the people I do not like. † Ministry is more than just a job and it is more than handling materials. True ministry is all about reaching people and watching God work in and through them. While no one likes to discipline another person it is a necessary task a leader must take on. To be an effective disciplinarian a person needs at least two qualities. The first is a love for the truth and for what is right. If a person does not have a genuine love for what is right, they will be more apt to allow bad behavior to slide. As a leader I am passionate that there is a correct way and an incorrect way to behave based upon the Word of God. Secondly, there must be an authentic love for people. If a leader loves the people he is going to want what is best for their lives even if it involves confronting them about their problems. God has given me a love for both of these aspects as I deal with faculty and students every day in the position God has placed us in. I thoroughly enjoy empowering and encouraging other people whom I work with. I take great pleasure in trying to get other people to reach their full potential and to give them the materials to succeed. Many times I will purposely put someone in a position where they have to get out of their comfort zone so that they might be encouraged to see their potential for God. The biggest weakness in this audit would probably be networking. I am a person who likes to be given a job and left alone to do it. I do not always take the time to seek out others who can help me accomplish it. I am also a person who is somewhat an introvert so I feel like I am a bother to ask someone to help. I am sure they would help if I only took the time and effort to ask. The Task Skills Audit To be able to competently fulfill a task is a must for anyone who desires longevity in a leadership position. While God is not looking for ability but availability, he does expect the people he calls to perfect the talents they do possess. Jesus brought this point out so vividly in the Parable of the Talents in Matthew chapter twenty-five. The person who is perfecting their talent is a person whom people will notice. Solomon said, â€Å"Seest thou a man diligent in his business? e shall stand before kings; he shall not stand before mean men† (Proverbs 22:29; KJV). The art of preaching is a task that I have worked hard on. When God first called me to preach I was so nervous that I would dry-heave when I got behind the pulpit. I struggled putting together an outline of more than one point. I have, with the help of the Lord, conquered my fear of standing before people and ministering passio nately, authoritatively, and illustratively. Recently I conducted a survey among students of the good qualities of preachers they listen to on a regular basis. One of my top qualities they pointed out was my preparedness. Time management is another one of my strong points. I have learned to reject the good in order to pursue the great. I work a full time job, take two college courses, and preach on Sunday nights; therefore, I have had to learn to prioritize my time to be as effective as I can in all areas. I have also learned how to schedule in relaxation time, lest I fall apart. Advertising is one of my weaker areas. I am not one to impose on someone else, so I have a hard time trying to push a product on anyone. I have learned in past business ventures that I am not a natural salesman. I need to start speaking up more for a â€Å"product† I believe in instead of just portraying it by my example and use of it. The Leadership Style Audit Leaders are the ones in front directing how an organization is being run. The fact is â€Å"that leaders are doers and what they do is influence. † â€Å"Every leader has a style of influence that has an impact on people, so it’s important that leaders correctly perceive how they influence their followers. † When I took this audit I found that I have an Analytical-Director leadership style. I have a desire for God’s work to be done in a quality way. When God created the world he stepped back and looked at it, and saw that it was very good (Gen. 1:31). I believe that Christians ought to have the best materials available and they should produce the best materials possible. As a leader I am also self-disciplined and a self-starter. I am one who sees a job that needs to be done and jumps in and sees that it is accomplished. My weakness would be that I do not enjoy someone looking over my shoulder. If I need help I will gladly seek someone out who has the ability to help me. I would also have to say that there are times when I am â€Å"cool, distant, and reserved. † My other strength is being a director. I not only like to challenge myself to do the best I can, but I enjoy challenging those around me to step up their efforts and do more for God. I am not afraid to change a policy or procedure if there is a better way to achieve something. I have learned not to make hasty decisions. In order to receive the best outcome I chart the best course to accomplish the task. There are times when I can be bossy, especially when I am stressed over a mountain of problems that are piling up at once. The Structure Audit Sensing the need of when to take on responsibility has always been a strength of mine. I am a person who likes to have a plan to see that tasks are finished. That plan will include a way to get the job done with plenty of time to spare. I do not enjoy work piling up and trying to complete a responsibility at the last moment. I know how to put a plan in place and delegate it out so that it is accomplished. When an organization has a combination of a centralized and a decentralized ministry structure it functions the best. I believe in having the best and brightest leaders at the top of the ministry organization. I do feel they should make the most of the decisions. I believe though that those who are closer to the situation are on the first line of defense. I think they should report to those in charge with major problems and what they feel is the best solution on key tasks. There should not be a lot of â€Å"red tape. † I believe they should work together to see that the task is accomplished in the best way with the leader on top making the final decision. I feel that power is best served when it is shared. If a leader has the right people around them then their span of control does not have to be as great. There should be teamwork on the top tiers of leadership where everyone is responsible for a certain portion of the work so that no one is bogged down by too many details and responsibilities. When a team member is bogged down they can become easily worn down. I do not feel that any certain person has ownership of a certain work. I do believe that there needs to be a strong sense of stewardship in the hearts of the leaders. They need to realize that they have a grave responsibility before God for his work. They also have a great accountability to the people who they serve to see that God’s work is carried out efficiently and effectively in the right manner. The Leader’s Core Value Audit The Leader’s Core Value Audit is important because a leader will only rise as high as his foundation will allow him. The taller the building; the deeper and stronger the foundation needs to be. It is my desire as a leader to have a solid core that God can use and build upon. The principle of fairness is very important to me. I grew up in a dysfunctional home and have witnessed firsthand what mistreatment consists of. I have seen the negative impact on a person and the suffering they have went through to serve God. I try to make sure that everyone feels welcomed and that they know that their part of the ministry is making an impact on the bigger picture. As a Christian leader I feel it is extremely important to know the Bible. It is the only book that is alive and changes the reader. It is the sword that God has given us to take the battle to the enemy and to defend the faith that has been delivered to the saints (Eph. 6; Jude 1). It is a command in the Word of God that for a minister to be approved he must know how to study and interpret the Word of God effectively (II Tim. 2:15). A person’s relationship with the Lord should be the number one priority in life; after that, it should be the leader’s family. Paul told Timothy in his search for leaders, â€Å"For if a man know not how to rule his own house, how shall he take care of the church of God? † (I Tim. 3:5). If a leader fails in the mission of taking care of their family, which should be closest to their heart, why should the church trust them to have their best interest in mind? Cultural relevance is an area I can improve upon. I am effective in ministering to those I am familiar with and share a common background. I need to spend more time studying the cultures of other groups to devise ways to better communicate the gospel with them. The Ideal Circumstances Audit God has a certain place in the ministry for everyone. That is why he gave the church different gifts so it might be healthy and profitable. It is only when leaders find their God-given place that they can be used and profitable to their fullest extent. God has made each person with different preferences and the Ideal Circumstances Audit can help a person narrow their focus to a position where they can fit in more easily. My ideal setting would be in a church that is growing. I am passionate about growth. I do not enjoy being around ministries that are declining. It is my passion to see churches come alive in their outreach vision as well as in the spirituality of their services. When people come to church they should be able to have an anticipation that they are going to get fed from the Word of God. They should be excited about coming because there is going to be an atmosphere where the presence of God is going to be in the midst. I would like to pastor a medium size church that is about middle-aged. A church of this magnitude is big enough to make a noticeable impact on a community. It is also small enough where the pastor can have a personal relationship with his congregation. I would like to pastor a church where there is a combination of all ages. A good mixture of ages makes for a healthy church, because each has their own gifts. Children put smiles on people’s faces. Young people add life and energy to the services and outreach of a church. The middle-aged group provides the majority of the workers in the church. The older adults provide the stability and maturity that a church needs. It does not matter to me what the ethnicity of the members are. I do prefer a church located in the suburbs. This location allows a church to have outreaches in both the inner city and rural areas. The Pastor-Organization Fit Audit The Pastor-Organization Audit helps a pastor determine how close their views match the views of a congregation. The work of the ministry can be difficult under the best situations; therefore, it is important that a perspective leader know what they are getting themselves into before they commit to a position. While it is God who sends leaders to fulfill positions this audit serves to help the leader prepare a plan for success. In my current position the church’s doctrinal beliefs and mine correspond. This is an absolute must for any position I take in the ministry. It is hard to stay on the same page if there are doctrinal differences because you are looking through two different types of glasses. Malphurs points out that â€Å"it would be wise to explore the nonessentials of both the leader and the church. † The more the leader and the congregation know about each other the less chance there will be for conflict. I believe that it is important that the leader have the capabilities that the church is lacking. It can be very frustrating for a leader to feel like they are not contributing to the overall success of an organization. It is hard for a leader to put their whole self into something when they feel like someone else can do just as good of a job and that they are just one of many. There are times when there does not appear to be a perfect fit when it is still God’s will for a leader to be there. A church might have plateaued and grown comfortable and God desires for a certain type of leader to come in and infuse fresh vision and direction. I have also seen churches going through troubles where God sent the right leader there to correct the problem. In both of these situations there was not a perfect fit at first and some people resisted the change. In the end God had his way and the churches prospered. The best thing for a leader to do is make sure they know the voice and plan of God. Conclusion This set of leadership audit analysis has been eye-opening. I found out that my leadership style is analytical-director. This has clued me in on my strong areas that I can continue to shore up and my weak areas that I need to be more mindful of. I have received a greater desire to pass on the burdens of my heart and ministry into others. I want to see strong leadership become apparent in the lives of my students; however, I will not see this to the extent that I want unless I â€Å"sell† it to them with the same passion that the importance of leadership has on me. In order for me to see excellent leadership produced I ust be in front to show what proper leadership is by example. Children are produced by parents and portray their parent’s values and personalities. I want my students to produce what I have lived and help propel them to even greater heights. I have not always found myself in the ideal circumstances to be able to enforce what I thought was the best solution to a task at hand, but a good director is able to take a deep breath and submit to the final authority. If there have been repercussions in the outcome of that situation, I have learned to not act smug but help pick up the pieces. When I have been in the final authority position, I have been able to look back and learn from those times when I was a team member and keep those tragedies from reoccurring. I am trying harder learned to fit into the organization that I am presently in and be the team member I need to be to help the organization to run efficiently even when I disagree with certain decisions. I am learning to a greater degree when and how to address issues and when to remain silent when things are not handled properly. It is my desire to reach to be more, do more, and learn more so that I can be as complete of a leader as I can be.

Love and Respect By Dr. Emerson Eggerichs

Have you ever looked for your lost keys in the same place over and over again only to find out they were there in front of your face the whole time? Or have you ever looked everywhere for the pen or pencil that you had all day only to find it behind your ear at the end of the day? This is how I felt when I read Love and Respect by Dr. Emerson Eggerichs. The running theme of this book is many marriages are strained due to the fact that â€Å"men are from Mars and women are from Venus.† What I am saying here is that a simple misunderstanding causes the strain. Men don’t grasp what women are feeling when they are trying to express themselves and, yes, it’s true women are in the same predicament concerning men. Husbands aren’t feeling respected by their wives when, in turn, wives aren’t feeling loved by their husbands. Eggerin states there are three major cycles to the process of Love and Respect. The first cycle is named the crazy cycle. So named because the husband and wife end up with the same negative results for the same reason over and over again and the cycle continues until the couple decides to break the cycle. The second cycle is coined the energizing cycle. The couple has now overcome the vicious crazy cycle and can work toward encouraging one another with the love and respect each spouse deserves. Finally, the third cycle is known as the rewarded cycle. This cycle emphasizes the fact that no matter the response of the spouse, your reward is in heaven. I will elaborate on these three cycles and the foundation for the need for love and respect in a marriage. Let me elaborate on how Eggerin came to the epiphany of the need for love and respect in a healthy marriage. First, if we look at the success of the twelve step programs ranging from co-dependency to food disorders to chemical addictions, we can come to one conclusion as to their success. They work because they are based on one person with the same problem helping another. Oddly, Dr. Eggerich had the advantage, for lack of a better word, of watching his parents’ marriage disintegrate because of the lack of respect and love in it. Interestingly, Eggerich shares his difficulties in his marriage and the difficulty he had with marriage counseling from the start as well. He may have his PhD but his success concerning marriage counseling is due largely to the fact that he and his wife had the same struggles many couples experience. There was a lot of stumbling through cycles of misunderstandings between Emerson and his wife, Sarah. He forgot her birthday one year. After a Bible study group one night, Sarah’s voice grew louder and louder on the way home trying to get through to Emerson concerning his standoffish quiet demeanor. Emerson felt disrespected and hurt and he said to her; â€Å"You can be right but wrong at the top of your voice. (p.11)† One day, for the thousandth time, he read Ephesians 5:33; â€Å"33 Nevertheless tlet each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she urespects her husband.†[1] That’s when it hit him. It was right in front of his face every time he read it but this time, it truly resonated.   He had never seen the connection between love and respect but this time, he did. He came to the realization that a husband is to obey the command to love his wife, even if the wife does not obey the command to respect the husband. Also, the wife is to respect her husband even if the husband does not obey the command to love his wife. So, the connection is love and respect. There are two reasons why love and respect are primary needs. He discusses his personal experience of coming to this understanding from a husbands’ point of view. When disagreements occur, the husband perceives that the wife is contemptuous or disrespectful toward him. This, in turn, causes the husband to shut down or blow up at her and the wife does not receive an expression of love (p.17). After years of counseling married couples, I think it is safe to hang your hat on Eggerins’ theory. The crazy cycle is a down to earth approach to a problem that started at the fall of man. If not broken, this cycle will tear a marriage to pieces. Often, the man is not even aware that it actually is disrespect that the wife is conveying toward him. On the other hand, the wife doesn’t understand why her husband is not expressing his love toward her. The steps toward breaking the crazy cycle are just as simple as the realization that it exists. One major component is communication. Learning how to express our feelings in a respectful tone is very important. The communication code is discussed. He uses a funny little example of how men and women communicate in code. When a wife says; â€Å"I have nothing to wear,† she actually means â€Å"I have nothing new.† When a man says, â€Å"I have nothing to wear,† he means â€Å"I have nothing clean.† This is an example of the code that needs to be broken in order for couples to move past the crazy cycle. I believe another important thing to mention concerning the crazy cycle is unconditional respect. It is vital for women and men to see that respect is not earned, but given. Eggerson uses an example of a boss in the workplace. He basically says that even if you don’t feel respect for your boss, you still show respect for him or her. This is an example of unconditional respect. I suppose we can look at it this way as well, we are to give respect, expecting nothing in return. Just the same, we are to give love expecting nothing in return and both love and respect are reciprocal. They feed off of each other. The second cycle that Eggerson discusses is the energizing cycle.   This is the cycle in which application is necessary in order to stay off of the crazy cycle and move forward. There are two separate sections devoted to husbands and wives respectively. Each section contains an acronym; 1) Couple and 2) Chairs for the wives. The acronym for couple is Closeness, Openness, Understanding, Peacemaking, Loyalty and Esteem. To elaborate, a wife wants her husband to be close and there is a biblical standard for this as well. Genesis 2:24 says, â€Å"the husband shall cleave unto his wife; and they shall be one flesh.† She also wants her man to open up to her or to tell her what’s happening inside of him and not shut her down when she asks if something is wrong. Sometimes a wife just wants her husband to listen and not to try and fix her problems for her. This is where understanding comes into play. She desires to be at peace and she wants to hear her husband say that he’s sorry some times. Take initiative and pray with her after apologizing. She also needs to know that you aren’t going anywhere and that you are committed to her. Loyalty is very important in a marriage. If her friends are upset with her, be there. Even if she is wrong, a husband can still be loyal to his wife by being there for her in her time of need. She wants you esteem her as well. Read the Song of Solomon and pay special attention to the esteem and love that the man bestows on the Shulamite. For the women, the acronym for chairs is Conquest, Hierarchy, Authority, Insight, Relationship, and Sexuality. Respecting a husband is appreciating his desire to work and to achieve. This is not referring to the archaic definition. It merely refers to encouraging a husband in his achievements at work and in life and with the family. The hierarchy is to appreciate his desire to protect and provide. Eggerichs says that we need to keep in mind this is not a chauvinists’ construct but it is one thing that gives a man purpose. I kind of look at it in the way Christ defines hierarchy and that is that the least will be greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Men desire to be in authority and there are times that it is okay for a wife to appreciate that. Also, appreciate the wisdom and insight your husband has and his desire to analyze and counsel. Next comes relationship. I know that it’s hard to understand that sometimes husbands just want you in the same room with them, but it’s true. They don’t always want to talk about something. Sometimes, they just want their wives with them. Finally, the taboo of Christianity, sexuality! Appreciating his desire for sexual intimacy is also very important. Nothing seems to break a man down more than to remove physical intimacy from a relationship. Finally, the third cycle is fairly straightforward. It is a biblical concept through and through. There is no doubt as to whether or not Jesus practiced this concept in His life on this earth. The cycle is called the rewarded cycle. Notice it says rewarded. This is referring to the fact that it is done. No matter the husband or wife’s response, the reward for the obedient servant is eternal. It is stored in heaven. If a husband pours his love and gives all that he has for his wife, his reward is in heaven. There is no response necessary in order for the husband to be rewarded. If his wife is completely disrespectful then he will still receive his reward and vice-versa for a wife. This book has opened my eyes to a whole new reality concerning those who carry the opposite sex and myself. In the long run, there is no reason to give up on a marriage that is not working because of miscommunication and confusion. If we practice humility and recognize the need for biblical truth in married life then anything is possible. t Col. 3:19 u 1 Pet. 3:1, 6 [1]The New King James Version. 1996, c1982 . Thomas Nelson: Nashville

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Marketing - Essay Example The corporate strategy plays a significant role at building a bridge between the company’s inner policies and the undertakings it has with the various stakeholders, who could be from the external marketing settings. (Korzeniowski, 2001) In the world of today, external marketing environment has gained a lot of essence due to the fact that it brings into picture the real role of the channel members, middle line managers and wholesalers as well as other personnel who do their bit towards completing different activities and tasks, coming directly under the auspices of the organization’s hold. (Applbaum, 2004) What is therefore necessary in such a situation is to be open to all forms of criticisms which could be raised by the various stakeholders and parties hailing from the external marketing environment and the related regimes. This will present the said organization with a host of options when it devises a plan to counter the problems which it is facing at the hands of the external marketing environment and the different players present within the very same environmental settings. Problems stumbled upon by the business at one region or at a local franchise would mean that the company should be ready to bear losses of an unimaginable cost. More than that, the company will lose its self-won respect and dignity around which shareholders and owners, etc are revolving around. The big companies that are internationally marketed cannot compete with everyone. They have to set their own competitors in the particular field and then go about competing with each other. Negative diplomacy and marketing should in no way create upheaval and turbulence for the people to raise fingers upon. Rather the company should find out and select certain businesses, which will help it in its smooth running (of business). (Wells, 1998) There can be a number of factors, which can bring about

Environmental Nuisance Lawsuit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Environmental Nuisance Lawsuit - Essay Example We are told that judge has already denied an earlier motion by Chris Lively to dismiss the charges, and will now decide by Bench Trial without jury whether the Common Law offences of nuisance and trespass have been violated in the light of the facts presented. One issue is whether the aroma of the manure being created and processed by the farm is a public nuisance. The second issue is that when there is rainfall, manure being transported across the stonewall leaks out of the pipe and is deposited into a public waterway, the Nishna River, and that the health of the citizens may be jeopardized by this as many people use it as a source of drinking water. Moreover the spillover also renders a nearby park unusable (Elliott & Quinn, 2007). The judge has very carefully noted all the facts and made a judgment which I totally agree with. He has held the owner of Northfield Farm, Chris Lively liable for the runoff caused during the rainstorms and for causing a public nuisance because it goes i nto the public waterway and can very well pose a health risk; besides this the uncontrolled spill of the waste has rendered a public park unusable due to the manure deposits as well as the horrific smell. Chris is guilty of trespassing Sam Anxious’ property because part of the manure was deposited there too due to the leakage of the pipe during the rainfall and the judge directs him to repay Sam the $500 spent by him to clean up the mess caused by the rainfall. Meanwhile since Sam moved into the adjoining property after Northfield Farm was already in operation, he could have reasonably expected that living near such a large farm would require him to put up with the difficulties caused by the aroma. The judge had also decreed that though in his opinion Northfield Farm has made reasonable precautions for holding and transporting the liquid manure across the farm, the inadvertent deposits on Sam Anxious’ property and the nearby park made both these places less usable. He has recognized the distress caused to Sam Anxious and others living near the farm. He also threatens to levy a fine of $1,000 per day on Chris Lively if they do not take additional precautions to respect the rights of others and also directs that the manure and watering be stopped during rainfall as it could pose a health hazard and cause danger to the health and lives of citizens and neighbors (McAdams, 2008). Issues: The legal questions that need to be answered here are: 1. Is there an issue of trespassing caused by the actions of the automatic sprayers on Northfield Farm due to the inadvertent deposits made on Sam Anxious’ adjoining property? Is Chris Lively liable for this and the payment of cleanup costs? 2. Is there an issue of trespassing and public nuisance caused by the leakages observed during the rainstorms, and deposits in the Nishna River? Does it pose a health hazard to users of the water? 3. If the aroma and inadvertent deposits by the sprayers are also causing the public not to use the nearby park, does it constitute a public nuisance caused by Northfield Farm? 4. Is it reasonable to assume that taking up residence near a large farm such as Northfield would automatically entail putting up with the nuisance of the aroma and the inadvertent deposits that Sam Anxious and other residents have to face every day? 5. If there is an inadvertent leakage caused by a leaking pipe or a break in the stonewall or transportation mechanism for the liquid manure, should Chris Lively have to bear the cost every time

Memory in films Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Memory in films - Assignment Example Also, it is very possible that the amygdala had something to do with the isolated memories. It has been proven that certain memories can be erased in laboratory rodents. However, actually targeting memories to be erased by a company is still fictional in nature. There is a type of amnesia called lacunar amnesia in which there are gaps in memory. This is still a factual possibility. Obviously, both films deal with memory loss, although Memento deals somewhat more with a different type of amnesia. Also, there are more island memories in Memento (a bunch of island memories strung together), while there is more episodic memory present in Eternal Sunshine. Memory loss is characterized as being traumatic in both movies. Self-knowledge and understanding are considered to be key elements that memory provides, and that is why memory loss is so traumatic. Eternal Sunshine deals more with the act of remembering â€Å"island memories† in an episodic fashion, because it seems like an easier movie to which one can relate. Shelby in Memento, moving around and remembering snippets is not so easy to follow or understand. Random memories and little vignettes in Eternal Sunshine are more realistic representations of how most peoples’ memories work, and is a better movie as such. Eternal Sunshine’s storyline is not as hard to follow as Memento’s, in point of

Bombardier Inc. Railway System Project Report Essay

Bombardier Inc. Railway System Project Report - Essay Example The project is bound to increase economic growth by limiting the time a nation’s population spends on transit, the financial expenses incurred in fuel and provided its innovations of higher speeds and varieties of rail vehicle specialties. This project qualifies into the global category also owing to it necessitating inter-boundary mobility across countries, which is bound to improve international relations, while at the same time complementing other means of heavy load transportation at higher speeds with increased safety. It also meets increasing demand for decent travel, at the maximum securities through its signaling system. Resource savings will be experienced in automobile operating costs, relieved highway congestion, reduced exhaust emissions and energy consumption. More benefits include enhancement of the region’s current transportation system, its practicability as a private and public investment, job creation, community development as well as freight and commu ter rail improvements. The future of this project and many others will depend on the way its implementation will affect the business. If the business would be realized to have grown, then such projects will be given a go ahead without hesitation. However if that is not the case, then there will be no further projects after the end of this one. The project director will summarize the security products produced and installed against the initial objectives and aims of the company with regards to cost and time taken.

On Why George Bush Won the 2004 Presidential Elections Essay Example for Free

On Why George Bush Won the 2004 Presidential Elections Essay The â€Å"Economic and Demographic Determinants of Presidential Voting†, a journal published in 2005 and written by Robert McNown from the Department of Economics at the University of Colorado, examines on how George Bush won the 2004 US Presidential election. McNown claimed that the area of socio-economic uniqueness of the citizenry removes the implication of statistics of 2 macro-economic concepts, such as increase in real disposable income and unemployment rate, in which the increase of inflation and employment are significant factors in voting for a President (McNown 2). The claim of McNown was based on â€Å"seven economic models† which utilizes a prediction from a variety of experimental and chronological data, such as economic indicators, public opinion, and factors indicating the advantages of incumbency or Presidential term of office, predictive of probable winning of George Bush from 50–97 percent over Senator John Kerry. The seven economic models are basically â€Å"political perceptions or analysis† that forecasted George Bush ability to win, in which the American Political Science Association (APSA) based in Washington DC has compiled the predictions of seven political scholars that McNown refers as â€Å"seven economic models† (Rajaee 12). Party affiliations and strong economy According to McNown, voters are influenced by underlying economic factors relating to family values. McNown implied that Party â€Å"affiliation† is a determining factor in Presidential voting, which means â€Å"party loyalty† is perceived by electorates (McNown 78). To further explain, McNown exemplified the Democratic Party as reflecting only the awareness of economic destitute in a society but â€Å"partisanship† may favor or captivate impact to voters (McNown 8). What could be interpreted in McNown’s analysis on the â€Å"seven economic models† or political forecasts relating to the â€Å"pulse† of George Bush’ winning ability was the â€Å"voters perception† of party loyalty of Republicans, in which the party platform could be perceived as sensibly inculcated to the overall perceptions of general electorates, specifically the traditional American family values. Thus, the indicators of â€Å"economic values†, to which the Democrats were also bearing, could have been much attributed to the Republicans party loyalty as bearing the â€Å"family values† relating to a more advantageous approach to establishing a strong American economy. Findings McNown’s claim may be supported by the indicators and factors that made George W. Bush win the 2004 elections. First, partisanship has proven the support of American voters from the metropolitan areas, as the Electoral College may have intensified the issue on family values that bore more weight of perceptions in â€Å"party loyalty†, as mentioned on probable winning of George Bush from 50–97 percent over Senator John Kerry. Second, the Democrats bearing on issues of economic destitute being supported by the African-American electorates outside the metropolitan areas have been marginalized, in which the perception to â€Å"socio-economic variables† (like poverty) did not â€Å"pick up† or make a vital sense to the overall electorates. Third, integrating party affiliations, party loyalty and economic issues may still boil down to the â€Å"stance† of the conservative voters, ranging from middle-aged to elder electorates. We may synthesize McNown’s claim from his derivatives of â€Å"seven economic models† or perceptions that most of the old and young American voters were overly conscious in partisanship, party affiliations and loyalty, in which would mean being loyal to a party may extend the consistency and realization of the party platform in the public office. Conclusion We may conclude that partisanship creates and establishes a â€Å"domino effect† to voters. The magnitude of impact summons the loyalty to party affiliations regardless of the current socio-economic issues. Having a two-party system of partisanship in America could be largely â€Å"weight† by popular perceptions to which America shall vote. This popular perception may be also referred as pre-conditioning the outcome of election and the insights upon the shift of government. With the performance of the Republicans to the 2004 winning of President Bush, it may have once again proven the old American saying, â€Å"America belongs to loyal Americans†. Works Cited McNown, R. â€Å"Economic and Demographic Determinants of Presidential Voting†. Department of Economics and Institute of Behavioral Science. University of Colorado. 2005. 28 June 2008 http://spot. colorado. edu/~mcnownr/working_papers/presidential_voting. pdf Rajaee, B. â€Å"Political Scientists Forecast Bush Victory in 2004: Six Out of Seven Models Predict Bush Will Win†. American Political Science Association (APSA). 2004. 28 June 2008 http://www. apsanet. org/imgtest/campbell. pdf

Optimal Economic Uncertainty Index Test

Optimal Economic Uncertainty Index Test CHAPTER 4 METHODOLOGY AND EMPERICAL RESULT OFÂ  OPTIMAL ECONOMIC UNCERTAINTY INDEX 4.0 Introduction This chapter discussed about the methodology, data analysis and the results obtained from different tests for Optimal Economic Uncertainty Index. The generalized method of moments (GMM) parameter is using to estimate the benchmark parameters for the small structural model following by the grid search method. Lastly this chapter will closing by a conclusion. 4.1 Model Specification of OEUI The optimal economic uncertainty index is using the small structural model which is described by Svensson (2000 as the basic idea of contemporaneous model of the economic uncertainty. The equations of small structural model is written in logarithmic form which are represent the inputs for the small structural model except the real interest rate gap, the inflation gap and the economic uncertainty index. All of the variables in this model are presenting in gap form by using potential value or equilibrium value as a benchmark to calculated the deviations of the actual value from the potential values. is the real output gap, is the inflation gap, is the real exchange rate gap, is the real interest rate gap. The equations can be written as below: (2) (3) (4) (5) (6) Equation 2 is an IS curve which is explain the relationship of aggregates output, real interest rate and real exchange rate and the Equation 3 is presenting an open economy Phillips curve which is explain the relation of unemployment and inflation to derive the aggregate supply curve. Following equation 4 is a reduced form of the exchange rate which is determines the real exchange rate gap and captures the concept that a higher real interest rate gap. And Equation 5 is a monetary policy reaction function. Equation 6 is a contemporaneous economic uncertainty function. This function assumes describes the relation of economic uncertainty with the shocks of macro variables and policy variables which is output gap, inflation gap, exchange rate gap and interest rate gap. The positive signs on and indicate that the output gap mitigation and the inflation reduction could reduce economic uncertainty. However the negative signs on and indicate that the central bank increasing the exchange rate and the interest rate to reduce economic uncertainty. The origin of the theoretic model of the optimal economic uncertainty index assumes that the central bank minimize the discounted expected loss subject to the small structural model by using a set of inflation, output gap and interest rate values. Below is the model of central bank’s period loss function which is assumed to be quadratic for the inflation gap, the output gap and the interest rate gap. (7) , and stand for the weights attached to the stabilization of the real output gap, the inflation gap and the real interest rate gap. In addition, as the discount factor ÃŽ ² of the loss function of structural Eq.1 approaches unity, it can be shown that the loss becomes proportional to the expected unconditional value of the period loss function as below where is and represent the unconditional variance of the real output gap and the inflation gap, respectively. (8) The variance in the monetary policy instrument is often put in the loss function of the central bank. The unconditional variance of the real interest rate gap ( ) is mainly to prevent an unrealistic situation of high interest rate volatility. , and are the weights attributed to the stabilization of the real output gap, the inflation gap and the real interest rate gap, respectively. 4.2 Data Description This study are using the quarterly from quarter one 1994 to quarter four 2012 taken from a variety of sources which is discusses in chapter 3. The gap form data series is generated by: The real output gap (): the difference between the logged time series of the current real output and the potential real outputs, which is then multiplied by 100. The real interest rate gap (): the difference between the current real interest rate and the potential real interest rates The real exchange rate gap ( ): the differences between the logged time series of the current REER and the potential REER The inflation gap (): the difference between the current inflation rate and the potential inflation rates. The potential real output, desired inflation, real interest rate at the potential output and real exchange rate at potential output is generated by using The Hodrick–Prescott (HP) filter with a smoothing parameter (ÃŽ ») 1600. 4.3 Empirical Result The grid search method calibrates the small structural model using the generalized method of moments (GMM) parameter estimation for the benchmark parameters. The GMM method has been commonly applied to estimate small-scale macroeconomic models (Clarida et al. 1988; Gali and Gertler1999; Smets 2003). The parameters estimated from the small structural model using the GMM method are reported in Table 1. Table 1 GMM estimation of the standard macroeconomic reaction function Dependent variable Independent variable(s) Parameter China Indonesia Selected Asian countries 0.908***(0.037) 0.504***(0.056) -0.219***(0.041) -0.640***(0.074) -0.084***(0.016) -0.106***(0.029) 0.074*(0.041) 0.313***(0.031) 0.403***(0.101) 0.285***(0.078) -0.047**(0.023) -0.098***(0.018) 1.223***(0.309) 1.370***(0.500) 0.575***(0.109) 0.144*(0.085) 0.373*(0.214) 1.188***(0.101) -0.141**(0.071) -0.081***(0.030) Table 2 continued Dependent variable Independent variable(s) Parameter Thailand Selected Asian countries 0.760***(0.047) -1.185***(0.231) -0.197***(0.069) 0.077***(0.015) 0.335***(0.113) -0.023***(0.007) 1.344***(0.410) 0.107***(0.037) 0.656***(0.103) -0.112**(0.050) Source Author’s calculations using EViews software Standard errors are in parentheses. *, **, and *** denote statistical significance at the 10%, 5%and 1%levels, respectively. The list of instrumental variables for the estimates above includes lagged values of the real output gap, the inflation gap, the real interest rate gap and the real exchange rate gap. Following Table 3 shows the estimated optimal coefficients of economic uncertainty in the benchmark setting. These coefficients are globally optimal because they depend on all of the state variables. Specifically, optimized economic uncertainties are optimal only in the sense that they represent solutions to the specified constrained optimization problem. Table 3 Optimal coefficients, unconditional variances of goal variables, losses (result depend on , and ) and optimized economic uncertainty index for selected Asian countries Preference Selected Asian countries , , China Indonesia Thailand 2.95 2.95 2.50 0.25 0.40 0.10 0.40 1.45 1.45 1.90 2.95 2.95 1.584 1.141 1.220 1.190 1.116 1.109 2.460 1.800 1.726 3.389 2.708 2.760 : selected Asian countries China Indonesia Thailand Source Author’s calculations using RATS econometrics software ais . b is the contemporaneous optimal economic uncertainty index; The estimated optimal coefficients of the optimal economic uncertainty index enable to derive the optimal economic uncertainty index over the sample period. This specification includes all related endogenous variables at the optimal level, specifically the real output gap, inflation gap, real exchange rate gap and real interest rate gap. These variables are then weighted using the estimated optimal coefficients and aggregated to find the optimal economic uncertainty index. To find out the validity of the derived indexes as measures of economic uncertainty, four significant economic upheavals that garnered global notoriety are selected as benchmarks for discussion: the Asian financial crisis (July, 1997), the dot-com bubble (March, 2000), the subprime crisis (Quarter 4, 2007) and the global financial crisis (September, 2008). The computed time series of the optimal economic uncertainty index for all of the selected countries are stationary. Figure 4.1 Optimal economic uncertainty index for China The notations (a, b, c and d) represent four economic upheavals that garnered global notoriety which is a stated for the Asian financial crisis (July, 1997), b stated for the dot-com bubble (March, 2000), c stated for the subprime crisis (Quarter 4, 2007), and d stated for the global financial crisis (September, 2008). The global recession periods (the shaded areas) described by the IMF are 1998, 2001–2003 and 2008–2009. (Source Author’s calculations) Optimal economic uncertainty index (OEUI) in China has been through different phases of development during the year 1994 to 2012. A higher positive value of OEUI was shown on the Asian crisis and the dot-com bubble. Afterward, a higher MCI higher positive value of OEUI also shown between the subprime crisis and the global financial crisis on year 2008. Figure 4.2 Optimal economic uncertainty index for Indonesia The notations (a, b, c and d) represent four economic upheavals that garnered global notoriety which is a stated for the Asian financial crisis (July, 1997), b stated for the dot-com bubble (March, 2000), c stated for the subprime crisis (Quarter 4, 2007), and d stated for the global financial crisis (September, 2008). The global recession periods (the shaded areas) described by the IMF are 1998, 2001–2003 and 2008–2009. (Source Author’s calculations) Figure 4.2 shows the optimal economic uncertainty index (OEUI) for Indonesia. According to figure 4.2, Optimal economic uncertainty index (OEUI) in Indonesia has been through different phases of development during the year 1994 to 2012. It was a sharply drop of MCI during the Asian crisis. Thereafter, a higher OEUI was shown on the dot-com bubble during the year 2000. Anyway, OEUI of Indonesia merely stable during the subprime crisis and the global financial crisis. Figure 4.3 Optimal economic uncertainty index for Thailand The notations (a, b, c and d) represent four economic upheavals that garnered global notoriety which is a stated for the Asian financial crisis (July, 1997), b stated for the dot-com bubble (March, 2000), c stated for the subprime crisis (Quarter 4, 2007), and d stated for the global financial crisis (September, 2008). The global recession periods (the shaded areas) described by the IMF are 1998, 2001–2003 and 2008–2009. (Source Author’s calculations) Figure 4.3 shows the optimal economic uncertainty index (OEUI) for Thailand. According to figure 4.3, Optimal economic uncertainty index (OEUI) in Thailand has been through different phases of development during the year 1994 to 2012. It was a rose of OEUI during the Asian crisis. Thereafter, a negatif value of OEUI was shown on the dot-com bubble during the year 2000, the subprime crisis and the global financial crisis.

Background And Education System Of Tanzania

Background And Education System Of Tanzania Since independence in 1961, the educational system has been passed over different transitions based on the political and economic changes happening over time. These changes can be categorized into three main phases; the first was from 1961 to 1967, which the emphasis of the government was to reform the education system so as to relieve inequalities among the people stipulated by colonial education system which was based upon racial segregation (Nguni, 2005). The second phase started from 1967 to 1990, where education policies were emphasis on the Education for Self-Reliance as one of the government efforts to build a socialist state. Within this period of time the priority was put on attainment of universal primary education (UPE) by engaging in massive enrolment, rapid expansion of schools and abolition of racial based education system (TEN/MET, 2007). In this period the government took several actions to improve education system including nationalized all private schools with excep tion of few schools owned by religious organization. To achieve UPE the government took the following measures as summarized from the handbook Transforming Policy and Practices: A Guide to Education Advocacy in Tanzania by TEN/MET: Universal primary education becomes compulsory and all school fees were abolished. Massive enrolment of children into the newly established and poorly resourced schools. Para-professional teachers were recruited to tackle the massive increase of pupils. (2007:9). In this period Tanzania recorded remarkable achievements in education after becoming one of the countries with high literacy rate of about 80 percent leading other countries in sub-Saharan Africa. The third phase covered the period from 1990s to present; it was within this period where the government made major changes on its economic policies from socialist-oriented to free-market economy known as structural adjustment programs (SAPs). These changes resulted into various reforms in educational system including cut-down of government expenditures on social services, allowing private schools and universities and re-introduce of school fees to the public schools. Therefore in order to reduce the impact of this transformation the government decided to start a holistic education sector development program (ESDP). These initiatives led to the introduction of twin education development programs PEDP and SEDP in 2001 and 2003 respectively. In 2002 the government re-introduced free and compu lsory primary education resulting in huge increases in enrolment (Nguni, 2005; Ten/Met, 2007). The impact of these efforts results on the large expansion in students enrolments with net enrolment ratio rose to 97.3 percent in 2007 from 58 percent in 2000 in the primary schools (BEST, 2010). However, there were concerns that the quality of primary school declined of overcrowded classes, high pupil-teacher ratio, para-professional teachers and insufficient school infrastructure and facilities (Komba and Nkumbi, 2008). In Tanzania the structure of the formal education and training system constitutes two years for pre-primary, seven years for primary education, four years for junior secondary education, two years for senior secondary education and at least three years of tertiary education. Specifically, the education system has three levels, Basic, Secondary and Tertiary levels. Alongside with formal education there is non-formal education for adult people who lost the opportunity to get a formal education. Kiswahili is the language of instruction in primary schools and English is taught as a compulsory subject in all classes. But, some of the private primary schools use English as medium of instruction famous known as English Academy. In Secondary Education, English is used as a language of instruction except for Swahili subject; at the end of each cycle the students write examinations which are national standardized examinations before jump to the next level. Similarly, English is the language of instruction at universities, higher learning and polytechnic institutions. The Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (METV) has the legal mandate for policy formulation, coordination, monitoring, setting standards, quality assurance and quality control of the whole education system. However, local government authorities (districts, town, municipal and city councils) are responsible for management and delivery of primary and secondary education services within their areas of jurisdiction. Also the ministry through its teachers training colleges is responsible for training, recruiting, deploying teachers in the public schools across the country. 3.2: Public School Teachers in Tanzania: Briefly Situational Analysis. The Tanzania agenda for development as it is stipulated in the Development Vision 2025 aims to build up a well educated nation and attain a high standard of living for all citizens (Malkeen and Chen, 2008). Yet now a great progress has been made to achieve Millennium Development Goal (MDGs) number two and three on primary education enrolments. This comes as a result of successful implementation of PEDP from 2001 2006 which enable to increase net enrolment ratio to 97.2 percent in 2009. However, as country still there are challenges facing education sector including the low quality education. Teachers are said to play a central role in the process of provision of quality education services. But still in Tanzania public teachers are encountering problems which affect teaching and learning process. 3.2.1: Administration and Management of the Education System in Tanzania. Several ministries, non-governmental organizations, and communities are involved in the management and administration of formal education system. The Ministry of Education and Vocational Training plays principal roles for policy formulation, coordination, monitoring, setting standards, quality assurance and quality control of the whole education system (UNESCO-WDE, 2011). It is also responsible for supervision of the higher education, teachers training and management of teaching workforce; curriculum development, examination management and school inspectorate (Woods, 2007). The management of pre-primary, primary, secondary and out-of school education is confer under the control of the Ministry of Prime Ministers Office Regional Administration and Local Government (PMO-RALG). It oversee the work of the local authorities which are responsible for day to day to the operations of primary and secondary schools such as resources mobilization, management of teachers, financing and payment of school supplies (Woods:2007:12). Teachers are employed as government staffs on the permanent pensionable basis; receiving monthly salary according to fixed scales basing upon specific qualification. Usually there is annual salary increment and three years promotion subjective to his/her job performance or/and career development. According to BEST 2010, there were 165,856 public teachers in primary schools and 30,252 in secondary schools (BEST, 2010). Teacher training is conducted in the teaching colleges, universities and high education institutions both state and private-owned. Basically, teachers training is divided into three main levels: (i) Grade A teachers are the ones who had completed 4 years of secondary education and undergone training for two years in a teachers education college (TTC). After successful completion of two-year course he/she awarded Grade IIIA Teaching Certificate and they qualified to teach primary schools. According to the education policy of 1995, Grade A is the lowest teaching qualification to primary schools in Tanzania. The minimum entrance qualification to Education College is division three in the ordinary level certificate of secondary education examination CSEEÂ  [1]Â  (Komba and Nkumbi 2008; URT, 1995). (ii) Ordinary diploma teachers are those who required to have completed at least advanced level of secondary school (form six) and acquired two-year professional course of teaching training from teachers education colleges or universities. Diploma teachers are trained to teach secondary schools and teaching colleges (Nguni, 2005). (iii) The third level of teachers is university-graduated teachers who are studied education degree with either major in arts or science. The graduates teachers are usually recruited to teach in secondary schools and/or teaching colleges. According to Basic Education Statistics of Tanzania (BEST) report, there were total of 92 teaching colleges where by 34 were publicly owned and 58 privately-owned. For instance, in the 2010 enrolment in government teachers colleges increased by 18.8 percent as compared to previous year of 2009. Out of the total enrolment 63.3 percent are diploma students, 34.95 percent are Grade A and 1.7 percent are taking special education (BEST, 2010). Moreover, in Tanzania public school teachers represents approximately 95 percent of all teachers in primary schools and 75 percent in secondary schools. The government is the main employer of teachers, where teaching staffs constitutes approximately 60 percent of all public civil servants. Currently both primary and secondary school teachers are employed by the local government in respective district councils. 3.3: Challenges facing Public School Teachers in Tanzania. In the Education International Global Monitoring Report 2008 and other studies and papers has confirmed that the practice of teacher recruitment, their working conditions, their appropriate remuneration, as well as the quality of their initial and continuous education are crucial factors if the quality of learning is to become a reality for all (EI GMR:2008:2). However, the EI GMR 2009 asserts that many countries face a crisis of teacher morale that is mostly related to poor salaries, working conditions and limited opportunities for professional development. (2009:10) In Tanzania teachers in public schools are experience a number of challenges when exercising their duties. These includes poor working conditions, low payments and other fringes, limited opportunities for professional development, low motivation and work recognition from the community. 3.3.1: Working Conditions Teachers in public schools has been experiencing unfavorable working conditions hence negatively affecting their work performance in due course the quality of education. The 1990 World Bank study admit that, most teachers find poor working conditions more discouraging than their salary levels.(Bennell and Mwakyanuzi, 2005:20). Presence of overcrowded classes, high pupil-teacher ratios, improper housing; inadequate supplies of textbooks and workbooks is common to most of public schools. The situation is very pathetic in more remote rural areas, where almost 93 percent of schools are located. Teachers experience terrible moment due to the lack of clean water, poor housing and inadequate accommodation; and lack of social amenities like medical care, good roads and access to electricity. Furthermore, some of teachers reluctant to be posted or fail to report to their duty station located in rural areas with a number of reasons like suffering chronicle illness, marital reasons and lack of accommodations. For instance, in the 2008 World Bank report on Teachers for Rural School shows the critical shortage for teachers houses especially in rural areas. In 2005, Tanzania had a total of 32,064 schoolteachers houses; this is only 20 percent of requirements of 161,396 schoolteachers houses countrywide. In rural areas where is difficult to get even a room for rent the shortage is 75 percent (Malkeen and Chen, 2008). Similarly, the study done by SACMEQ II in 2007 indicated shocking results that, only 3 percent of standard (grade) six pupils in schools had use sole mathematics textbooks down from the 7 percent in 2000. This is very far from the country benchmark of 100 percent and SACMEQ countries average of 41 percent. In this situation teachers end up use much time copy the no tice on the board instead of concentrate to teach students especially those slow learners (SACMEQ, 2011). The empirical study affirms that access to books has shown to significantly improve learning. (p116) It is upon such context that the research conducted by SACMEQÂ  [2]Â  in 2007 sought to examine the quality of education provided in primary schools revealed unequal of PTRs between the urban and rural public schools. The study discovered that in the year 2000 the mean pupil-teacher ratio (PTR) in primary schools was 47:1 which was above the countrys benchmark of 40:1. However, in 2007 the country mean had risen to 63 pupils per teacher which is very far from the country benchmark. Nevertheless, the study disclosed the huge variation between the urban and rural schools, whereby the mean PTR for urban schools stood at 46:1 while in rural schools the situation was worse than in urban schools (71 pupils per teacher). The country mean pupil-teacher ratio of 63 was very far above the SACMEQ countries which was 43 pupils per teacher in public schools (SACMEQ, 2011). Likewise, the figure below shows the average number of pupil in standard 6 per class in different zones in Tanzania Mainlan d. Figure no 3.1: Average Number of Standard 6 Pupils per Class in Tanzania (Mainland) Source: SACMEQ (2011:4). From the above figure it obvious that there were huge variations of the number of pupils per class among regions and zones, whereby Southern Highland recorded highest average of 71 and the Central zones had lowest average number of 45. However, the overall mean number of Tanzania was 56 pupils per class which was higher than SACMEQ mean number of 46 pupils per class. Different studies and researches proved that small class size guarantee the maximum teacher-pupil interaction to enable the teacher to attend each individual learners needs (EI GMR, 2008). Poor working environment has also facilitating another problem of uneven distribution of teachers in public schools. Teachers usually tend to move from disadvantages and remote rural areas to more well-off urban areas; normally resulting into acute shortage of teachers that also affecting the learning outcomes. For instance, in the figure below illustrates the pupil-teacher ratio between the peripheral districts, the national average for rural district and national average for urban districts. Figure no 3.2: Pupil-Teacher Ratio (PTRs) in Primary School in Some Remote Rural District Name of the Districts Pupil/teacher ratio Ukerewe district 129 Chato district 95 Manyoni district 91 Uyui district 89 National average rural districts 60 National average urban districts 43 Source: Basic Education Statistics of Tanzania (BEST: 2010) Source: Basic Education Statistics of Tanzania (BEST: 2010). The situation is more critical still as far as qualified teachers are concerned especially in rural areas where there was acute shortage of qualified teachers. The pupil to qualified teacher ratio (PqTR) ranges from more than 100 pupils per teacher in the remote rural districts (Bahi, Ulanga, Nanyumbu, Ukerewe, Manyoni, Urambo, and Uyui districts) to less than 35 pupils per teachers in some of urban districts. For instance, in 2006 out of 10,510 qualified teachers posted to different district councils countrywide, only 7,271 (69 percent) were reported to their respective duty stations (Curlitz, 2009). This exacerbated the shortage of qualified teachers in rural schools reflected in higher pupil to qualified teacher ratio in rural schools. For instance, Dar es Salaam city (urban) it has 68 percent of qualified teachers as compared to 38 percent in Lindi region which is located in upcountry (rural). 3.3.2: Low salary payments and other fringe benefits In most of developing countries including Tanzania, teachers salary is considerably below the level to ensure their motivation to work hard. Generally speaking as compared with other professions (doctors, nurses, lawyers, accountants) the teachers salaries in Tanzania is relative low and, unfortunately they also lack other fringe benefits that other civil servants enjoys such as adequate housing allowances, transfer allowances, lunch allowances, leave allowances, and hardship allowances. The situation seems to be more terrible in rural schools where teachers they have to travel quite long distance to the district centers where most of banks are located to collect their monthly salary, which is costly in terms of money and time but nobody refunds all these additional costs. This is one of the factor demoralized teachers in public schools and some of them decide to move to private schools which are better off in term of salaries plu s other benefits. In the figure below illustrates the sharp increase of teachers (particularly qualified teachers) in private schools due to attractive remunerations and good working conditions. Figure number no 3.3: Number of Teachers in Primary Schools in Tanzania 2008 2010. Source: Basic Education Statistics of Tanzania (BEST: 2010). This figure shows, from 2008 to 2010 the rate of increase of teachers in private schools is more than threefold (24%) of the rate of increase in public schools (6.5%). Likewise, this may also expected to affect the education system since some of qualified teachers are likely to find another occupation, be absent, or late to work, or not do expected work in the classroom to meet the learning needs of the students hence adversely affecting the quality of education (Bennell Mwakyanuzi, 2005). Empirical studies suggest that, the teachers salaries can influence who enters the field and how long they will remains in the teaching (Vegas, 2008). Though the ratio of salary for primary teacher pay to GDP per capita is 6.1, which is higher almost twice the as compared to the Sub-Saharan average (4.2) and the Field Track Initiative (FTI) benchmark indicator of 3.5 units (UNESCO/URT, 2012). But when comparing with other countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, it is evident that public schools teachers in Tanzania are getting minimal salary and other remunerations. Only with the little information, the figures below show the average salaries for teachers in different levels (primary, lower and upper secondary schools) in Tanzania and other neighboring countries in sub-Saharan African. Despite the fact that the cost of living varying from one country to another but the data in the figures below gives overview of teachers salaries in Tanzania as compared to other countries in different categories in public schools (primary, lower and upper secondary). Figure Number 3.4: Teachers Gross Salaries per Month in US$ in Some of African Countries (2005-2006). Source: Sonyolo, D. (2007:56) From the table above, out of the six surveyed countries, Tanzania has recorded the lowest monthly gross salary rate of US dollar 20, 95, and 125 for primary, lower secondary and upper secondary teachers respectively. Figure Number 3.5: Average Monthly Income of Qualified Primary School Teachers in Selected African Countries 2004 2006, (US$ per month) Source: Bennell and Ntagaramba (2008:25). As shown from the figures above it is apparent that, teachers salaries in Tanzania are lowest as compared to other countries with exception of Sierra Leone and Rwanda. Conversely, in neighboring countries like Kenya, Uganda and Zambia teachers salaries are relatively higher than in Tanzania. Additional to this, in Uganda teachers get 20 percent and 30 percent of their salaries as s housing and hardship allowances respectively (Sonyolo, 2007). As a result of low pay, some of teachers are not teaching well, and even cases of absenteeism arise. For instance, in Tanzania the government pays salaries through electronic transfer via banks. Therefore, teachers from rural areas need to travel long distance to collect their salaries from district centers in each month. Sometimes they have to spend three or more days waiting for the salary when it is delayed. In this regards teachers forced to miss a number of classes in every month. In the meantime, students would losing a lot of valuable learning time which eventually affecting their performance. This is said to be one of the major causes of teachers absenteeism in rural schools (Sonyolo, 2007). But on the other hand, this becomes a burden to teachers since they have to incur additional costs which they have to deduct from their little salary. These contribute to disgruntle qualified teachers to join teaching profession or posted in remote schools. According to the study conducted on effects of increase of salary and incentives of the teachers on learning outcomes, the research findings revealed as follows: In Chile, a salary increase of 156 percent associated with 39 percent increase in number of teacher-education applicants and 16 percent increase in average test scores applicants. Similar test-score increase not observed among applicants to other university programs. (Vagas and Petrow: 2008:128). 3.3.3:Limited opportunities for professional development Teacher professional development can be defined as the process of improving both the teachers academic standing, competence and efficiency so as to allow him/her to discharge professional obligations in and outside the classroom.(Komba and Nkumbi, 2008:70). Professional development gives opportunities to explore new roles, increase new teaching skills, improve their practice, and broaden their mindsets both as professionals and individuals (Komba and Mwakyanuzi). In education system teachers education plays a prime role to ensure quality education for all. Nevertheless, in the most of the developing countries education programs usually used to neglect the teacher education and professional advancement. The experience has shown that even in the World Declaration on Education for All in 1990 the continuous preparation of teachers received little attention (Kruijer, 2010). Besides, Vagas and Petrow argue that, the initial educat ion of teachers is only first steps in a series of important steps allow teachers to grow and develop professionally over time.(2008:117). Then the need for teachers professional development is inevitable since it gives teachers competence, confidence and make them improving the standards of the job performance. In this regard Tanzania during the implementation of the Primary Education Development Program (PEDP) from 2001 to 2006 focused on universalization of primary education; the program did not put much attention on development of teacher professional (Komba and Nkumbi, 2008). The government just put more concentration on enrolment expansion, recruitment of teachers, construction of classrooms, and provision of teaching and learning materials. Nothing has been done about provision of in-service training to the existing teachers to equip them with new changes happen within and out of the teaching professional. It is common to hear that a teacher work for twenty or thirty years without get chance to attend even three days workshop to improve his/her teaching skills. In this regard, if as a country in order to improve its education quality should put more emphasis on teaching workforce since teacher is the heart of the classroom instruction. (Komba and Nkumbi, 2008). The effectiveness of the teacher depends on the competence to cope with the changes and challenges happen in the class not even the pre-service training. Therefore, for the short while the best way of improving the existing school performance is to improve the current teaching workforce rather than recruit new teachers. This is due to the fact that, the teacher who is well trained and professionally updated can easily handle class of pupil above the recommended ratio. Consequently, in-service professional development is essential because it gives opportunities for the teachers: to update teachers knowledge of subject matter periodically, in light of new development in the field; to update teachers skills in light of new teaching techniques and educational research; to help teachers apply changes made to curricula; to enable schools to develop innovations in teaching practices; and to help weaker teachers become more effective. (Asia Society Partnership for Global Learning 2011:12). According to Malkeen and Chen (2008), teachers from the rural schools they have less advantage as compared to their fellow from the urban schools though urban schools represent less than ten percent of total schools in the country. It is easier for the urban teacher have to access to further education and training opportunities than their rural counterparts. 3.3.4: Low motivation and job recognition from the community Learning is the process involving interaction between the teacher, students and sometimes parents or community in general. The teacher is the central point required to engineer the teaching and learning process in the classroom. Therefore, learning achievements can be determined in the classroom by motivated teacher who plan for teaching by put in to practice what they have learned in the teaching college. But the teachers motivation remains as ignored factor in all level of policy intervention (Oluech, 2006). Consequently, becomes responsible factor for the rapidly declining of the status of teaching profession among young generation. For instance, in Tanzania nowadays most of bright students do not prefer to join teaching and yet becomes the last resort among applicants. Teacher motivation and job recognition helps to retain teacher in their work places through provision of the material and psychological needs does not necessarily being payments. Such kind of things like bonuses, gifts, and study opportunities can be use as a means to attract bright students to join teaching and even to work in remote rural areas. However, in less developed countries public school teachers motivation is said to be low and it is been detrimental of the quality of education (Oluech, 2006). The situation is more serious in the developing countries Tanzania in particular, where high-quality applicants refuse to join or retain in teaching profession. Many who join profession use it as a stepping stone or stepladder to join other lucrative jobs such as lawyers, accountants. According to the 1990 World report on Teachers Conditions of Service asserted that, in absence of motivation to teachers which can be used to induce them to perform better; the quality of education will deteriorate since de-motivated teachers is the major contributing factor to the poor learning performance of students in primary and secondary schools (Bennell and Mwakyanuzi, 2005). Unlike other neighboring countries, in Tanzania there is no any allowance or bonus is paid to public school teachers as a means to motivate and encourage qualified teachers to work in remote rural areas. In other countries the government attempted to use some incentives to make rural areas attractive to live and work for qualified teachers. They have different forms of incentive such as financial or material incentives (hardship allowance, travel allowances, housing subsidies) and non-material incentives (special study leave, training opportunities). In the figure below shows the different forms of incent ives allocated to the rural schools in the some of the East and Southern Africa countries. Figure number 3.6: Incentives to Encourage Teachers to Work in Rural Location. Source: ADEA Biennale (2006:15). As shown from the above table is only Tanzania where teachers working in rural areas paid nothing as motivation to work in remote rural areas. In Malawi, though no financial incentive offered, but the government provides housing where help to attract teachers to work in rural areas. The EMIS data reveal that there is strong correlation between availability of good-quality housing and presence of female teachers in rural school in Malawi (ADEA, 2006). 4.0: Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations. 4.1: Summary of Findings from the Study. The paper has been sets forward to describe the challenges facing teachers in public schools in developing countries and its implications to the quality of education. Specifically, the focus was on the challenges facing the public school teachers and the way it affects the quality of education in Tanzania. The study focused on the four issues: teacher salary payments and other fringe benefits; working conditions; opportunities for professional development and motivation and recognition among the public school teachers and how is affecting their job performance hence the quality of education. In addressing these issues the research study seek to answer the following research questions: (i) what are the problems with low salary payments to public school teachers? (ii) how do teachers poor working conditions affect their teaching performance? (iii) how does the limited opportunities for professional development affecting teachers performance hence poor quality public education? And finally, (iv) what kind of motivations can be provided to teachers so as to improve service delivery in public schools? This research paper is mainly use of the secondary data surveyed from the books, academic journals, articles, working papers, reports, and website. The paper is made to document what have learned after thoroughly surveyed of different literatures aimed at public school teachers in developing countries. The results from the literatures review highlight the following findings: Generally, as other developing countries, Tanzania is experiencing the huge of shortage of qualified teachers in public schools both for primary and secondary levels. This come after implementation of PEDP and SEDP led to rapidly expansion of enrolment in primary and secondary schools in 2000s. The expansion of enrolment does not consider the supply of qualified teachers hence the government end up recruited para-teachers or crash program teachers. Teachers salaries are generally low and unattractive as compared with other profession hence teaching becomes the last resort for many young applicants. In comparison with other neighboring countries, Tanzania teachers in public schools are paid lowest salaries and other fringe benefits. For instance, according to 2005 2006 statistics, the average salaries for public teachers was US dollar 20, 95, and 125 for the primary, lower secondary and upper secondary teachers respectively. In this regard Tanzania recorded the lowest salary rate among East and Southern African countries. Unlike other countries teachers does not get even hardship allowance to enable them to cope with pathetic working environment especially in rural schools. This demoralized teachers working morale and discourage the competent candidates to join teaching profession. Working conditions remain the major constraint for the teachers to exercise their duties efficiently so as to improve learning outcomes. Challenges such as overcrowded classes, inadequate housing, dilapidated buildings with few desks, and lack of relevant textbooks and workbooks are common in public schools in most of developing countries. Findings indicate the terrible situation in rural areas where due to poor water supply, poor roads, electricity supply, inadequate accommodation, and poor health services. Al

Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Essay: Time -- Love Song J. Alfred Pr

Time and The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock  Ã‚      Pericles once said "Be ruled by time, the wisest counselor of all." This ruler of the past might not have had the technology of today, but he did not need it to recognize time’s domineering nature over all mankind. No matter what advances man makes, he will never be able to slow down time nor stop it completely; nor it appears will he be able to leap into the past or the future. Time is one thing that man cannot manipulate, instead it manipulates man. No poem better illustrates this point than T.S. Eliot’s "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." Prufrock is trapped by the conundrum of time in that no matter what he does, he always regresses to his starting point. His life has been reduced to a diurnal cycle of monotonous chores that seem dictated by time. Prufrock’s " decisions and revisions" are tedious and monotonous; in a sense, he has no free will. His lack of self-control can be clearly seen in his circular voyage throughout the poem: he begins his journey by conforming to time, makes a meager attempt to disrupt the invariability of everyday life, and finds himself again hopelessly bound by time to his habitual tendencies. In this poem, time takes on a distinct meaning. Rather than simply being an external object that lacks control over man, Eliot raises the meaning of this foreign object to a new level. The time provided to the speaker can be equated with his actions. Everyday he is provided a certain amount of time, and day after day he is prepared to "spit out the butt-ends of [his] ways"(Eliot 2461) at the end of the his bland day. The frustration Prufrock builds up is caused by the tiresome repetition of his actions. Furthermore, he feels as though he can not esc... ...gle daily: we can not control time. No matter how much technology mankind obtains, it is unlikely that we will ever arrive at a point in history where time does not limit us in some way. The importance of this fact lies in its acceptance by man. Once we are able to comprehend our domination by time, we will be able to live in harmony with it, using all of this precious quantity which we are granted.    Works Cited Eliot, T.S.. "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M.H. Abrams. New York: Norton, 1996. 2459-2463. Pinion, F. B. A T.S. Eliot Companion. Totowa: Barnes & Noble Books, 1986. Sharma, Jitendra Kumar. Time & T.S. Eliot: His Poetry, Plays, and Philosophy. New York: Apt Books, INC. 1985. Spurr, David. Conflicts in Consciousness: T.S. Eliot’s Poetry & Criticism. Urbana: U of Illinois P. 1984. Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock Essay: Time -- Love Song J. Alfred Pr Time and The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock  Ã‚      Pericles once said "Be ruled by time, the wisest counselor of all." This ruler of the past might not have had the technology of today, but he did not need it to recognize time’s domineering nature over all mankind. No matter what advances man makes, he will never be able to slow down time nor stop it completely; nor it appears will he be able to leap into the past or the future. Time is one thing that man cannot manipulate, instead it manipulates man. No poem better illustrates this point than T.S. Eliot’s "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." Prufrock is trapped by the conundrum of time in that no matter what he does, he always regresses to his starting point. His life has been reduced to a diurnal cycle of monotonous chores that seem dictated by time. Prufrock’s " decisions and revisions" are tedious and monotonous; in a sense, he has no free will. His lack of self-control can be clearly seen in his circular voyage throughout the poem: he begins his journey by conforming to time, makes a meager attempt to disrupt the invariability of everyday life, and finds himself again hopelessly bound by time to his habitual tendencies. In this poem, time takes on a distinct meaning. Rather than simply being an external object that lacks control over man, Eliot raises the meaning of this foreign object to a new level. The time provided to the speaker can be equated with his actions. Everyday he is provided a certain amount of time, and day after day he is prepared to "spit out the butt-ends of [his] ways"(Eliot 2461) at the end of the his bland day. The frustration Prufrock builds up is caused by the tiresome repetition of his actions. Furthermore, he feels as though he can not esc... ...gle daily: we can not control time. No matter how much technology mankind obtains, it is unlikely that we will ever arrive at a point in history where time does not limit us in some way. The importance of this fact lies in its acceptance by man. Once we are able to comprehend our domination by time, we will be able to live in harmony with it, using all of this precious quantity which we are granted.    Works Cited Eliot, T.S.. "The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock." The Norton Anthology of English Literature. Ed. M.H. Abrams. New York: Norton, 1996. 2459-2463. Pinion, F. B. A T.S. Eliot Companion. Totowa: Barnes & Noble Books, 1986. Sharma, Jitendra Kumar. Time & T.S. Eliot: His Poetry, Plays, and Philosophy. New York: Apt Books, INC. 1985. Spurr, David. Conflicts in Consciousness: T.S. Eliot’s Poetry & Criticism. Urbana: U of Illinois P. 1984.

Hughesville :: Personal Narrative New York Papers

Hughesville While growing up in Ithaca, New York, visits to my father’s boyhood home, Hughesville, a town set in a valley among the Appalachian Mountains in northern Pennsylvania, were common. My aunt continues to live in the 1948 home her grandfather built. Pleasant memories take me back to this borough of about 2000 people, 60 miles south of the New York border. Small settlements in Pennsylvania are politically classified as boroughs or townships. Although a borough generally looks more urban than a township, it is difficult for someone passing through and unfamiliar with an area to tell the difference. From Ithaca, this is a two hour drive on US 220, a two lane highway that starts at the New York border. Long after I knew the names of all the places we passed on the way, I continued to play â€Å"What Place Is This?† with my father. Some towns we passed were a spattering of twenty buildings, while others had two block shopping districts. We passed through Milan, pronounced Meyelin, New Albany, where signs proclaim it the â€Å"Christmas Wreath Capital of the World,† and Dogtown, identified by Rand McNally as Tivola. Route 220 winds through high, tree greened hills. It is cut over and along the sides of these hills exposing gentle valleys with flat, cow-dotted pastures and a spectacular view of the narrow, meandering, mighty Susquehanna River carving its path through the fertile farmland it floods, sometimes violently in spring. Anytime you drive through the area, vistas are a visual delight. The high, winding roads can ice over in winter but in summer inspire free spirited motorcycle rides. The well shaded two lane roads over the hills and through the dales bring relief from the black pavement’s heat rising to meet the hot sun baking your bare arms. Before the Eisenhower Interstate System was built in the 1950s, a main travel route through the eastern part of the country was US 220. Even now you quickly and consistently find yourself behind slow-moving tractor trailers crawling steadily up and rolling down these rollercoaster hills. In response to this, recently built passing lanes were carved deeper into the hillsides at the steepest climbs. Few take this route to its end in Tennessee. While most use it to make their way to the interstate connecter, four miles from Hughesville, some use it to deliver goods to the Lycoming Mall. The mall’s entrance is a football field away from the Interstate 80 connecter.