Audit Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Audit - Essay Example It has no intentions of growing thru expansion, enter into new contract (due to limitations of financial capability), or withdraw any line of business it is representing. All the lines it is representing are selling well and have contributed to the revenues earned by the company. Marketing activities of the company are direct and not very excessive. They do it on tradeshows, exhibits, and do lot of announcements thru social media and e-mails. Since company is limited to loyal customers, up-dating them on company products is easily done. Yes, cost-reduction steps can be taken. Cost reduction is implemented by monitoring of monthly operating costs and trying to figure out which expense could be limited. Company practices cost reduction on variable expenses such as travel, representation, energy consumption and miscellaneous expenses. Control procedures of the company are accounting controls, cash control, separation of duties, documentation of all transactions and regular audits. They are adequate controls to ensure that employees are performing their duties honestly and in accordance with company’s objectives. Yes, management performs periodic analysis of operation in all its angles thru the establishment of a performance goal. Here, management and employees sit down and talk how to accomplish the goals and objectives of the company by setting a specific target in a specified time. Each company assigned with different tasks, agree to set a specific goal of accomplishments. Management monitors accomplishments regularly, or as often as monthly. Yes, this also is monitored very closely on a weekly basis. Internal control is established as a process of monitoring marketing costs and its relative profitability. This process is the responsibility of the Accounting

Arctic Mining Consultants Essay Example for Free

Arctic Mining Consultants Essay This particular case looks into how Arctic Mining Consultants’ crew did not effectively do their job in Eagle Lake, Alaska. Tom Parker is a geological field technician and field coordinator for the company. He acted as the project manager on the job near Eagle Lake, Alaska. His crew of field assistants consisted of John Talbot, Greg Boyce, and Brian Millar. Tom had worked with all three field assistants before. Tom has specialized skills in claim staking, line cutting and grid installation, soil sampling, prospecting, and trenching. This particular job involved skating 15 claims, which consist of marking a line with flagging tape and blazes along the perimeter of the claim. A claim post is cut every 500 yards, meaning 60 miles in line total. Tom hoped to complete the job in a week, and offered the field assistants each a $300 bonus if it was completed in time. This would be added to their fairly low daily wages. As the job progressed, tension was thick because the deadline was approaching. The field assistants were working long days, and two of them were continually not meeting Tom’s expectations. Tom particularly took his frustrations out on Millar. Key Issues The field assistants are given little motivation to work hard. They are paid fairly low daily wages and are putting in long days. Tom Parker does not offer positive encouragement either, yelling and making the field assistants feel bad could make them care less about the job. The field assistants are provided meals and accommodations, but even Tom admitted that a lot was expected of them in a short amount of time. Tom Parker is not a good leader. He is the one who does the hiring, training and supervising for all of Arctic Mining Consultants programs. It could be possible he is not properly training field assistants to thoroughly meet his expectations. Tom Parker, on more then one occasion, exploded with anger. He did not coach his team, he just yelled at them. If he was supervising there work on Day 3, he should have communicated with the field assistants and told them how to improve their work then. On Day 6, when the field assistants did show improvement, Parker did not give them any positive reinforcements. Also, even after Paker picked on only Millar for bad performance, he asked him to work for him again. The field assistants seem to have very different capabilities and attitudes. Boyce did not get picked on by Parker, but admitted to Millar that he only worked as hard as he had to. Boyce had the worst results of everyone. Talbot met his quota and stayed to help Boyce meet his. He was a team player. Millar put in more time and effort, by being the first one dropped off Day 6 and 7, last one picked up Day 6 and 7, and not taking lunch Day 5. He worked himself so hard, that he collapsed at dinner, to tired to eat. Define the Problem The key problem in this case is that Tom Parker is not a good leader. He is in charge of hiring, training, and supervising field assistants. Couldn’t the field assistants’ work be reflected on Tom because he did not properly train them? Also, Tom selected the field assistants for this job. He should have known what they were capable of before selecting them. He had worked with al of them before, so he should have had reasonable expectations for each of them. Tom also made a hostile working environment with much stress and little positivity. Alternative Solutions Solution 1: Tom needs to be retained as a project manager. Being a project manager means being a leader. Tom is not a good leader. An effective leader is one who leads by encouraging the employees and making them want to succeed, thereby making the organization meet and exceed its goals over time. (Thakur, 2005). Tom did not handle conflict well; he took his frustrations out on one particular field assistant. Relational leadership is one form of effective leadership. Relational leadership centers around person-to-person relationships. One of the significant components of all relationships is how conflict is handled. (Ferch Mitchell, 2011). The advantage of retaining Tom to gain leadership skills would be that Tom potentially could more effectively train field assistants and make a better team dynamic. The disadvantage is that Arctic Mining Consultants would have to spend time and money to re train the trainer, Tom. It would be beneficial for him to develop new leadership skills, but it might be difficult not having a project manager. Solution 2: Tom and Arctic Mining Consultants should offer more incentives to his field assistants. It doesn’t even have to be monetary. Offering positive reinforcement for work well done would be beneficial to Tom and his team. While money is important to employees, what tends to motivate them to perform and to perform at higher levels is the thoughtful, personal kind of recognition that signifies true appreciation for a job well done. (Eastern, 2012). The advantage of this solution would be that employees would feel better about the work they are doing, and feel good hen they excel. Field assistants would be working in a positive environment. The disadvantage would be employees would start to expect positive reinforcements and bonuses, feeling they are entitled to it. Solution 2: Hire new field assistants. Tom could more carefully select his field assistants for a job. He should do more research on candidates’ capabilities and experience if he has high expectations. The advantage of having a different team of field assistants would be that he could filter out those who do not meet expectations before hand. The negative side of hiring new field assistants is the time it would take to evaluate new candidates as field assistants. Selected Solution I believe the first solution would bee best to solve this case. Tom needs to reevaluate his leadership tactics. He does not communicate effectively with his crew. He needs to think of the crew working together like a team, and he is coach. Tom is not being effective by focusing on the negatives; he needs to analyze what is being done wrong, and coach field assistants to correct their problem. Implementation/Recommendations First, Arctic Mining Consultant should have Tom trains another potential project manager that already works for the company. The candidate should undergo some type of leadership training. Then Tom will engage in a leadership-training program. The candidate will be the project manager while Tom is absent. Then, the two project managers, Tom and candidate, will work as a team to direct field assistants. Tom needs a new outlook on his management style. Implementing this plan will help achieve that. This will also help make more effective work teams.

Hierarchy of Human Needs and Goal Setting Theory

Hierarchy of Human Needs and Goal Setting Theory Introduction As the increasing concern of how to achieve performance excellence through employees, most of the organizations now pay more attentions on the means of motivating employees, such as incentives, rewards. Kreitner (2004) quoted Mitchells definition of motivation which refers to those psychological processes that cause the arousal, direction, and persistence of voluntary actions that are goal directed. Different motivation theories guide the ways of encouraging people to make effort and exploit their ability for the organizations goal and meeting their own needs; also, they suggest the factors resulting in job satisfaction and their influence on employee performance (Armstrong, 2006). This essay attempts to explore the motivator and the process of motivation by a critical review of motivation theories; moreover, it examines the theories through a questionnaire research in terms of what people are motivated and how they are motivated. Thereby, it leads to a further discussion of the appl ication of motivation theory in practice. Literature Review As Armstrong (2006) states motivating people refers to encourage them to work toward the expected direction, motivation in organizations aims at creating a context and undertaking a motivation process in which individuals work and provide the performance according to the managerial expectations. The process of motivation is described as a needs-oriented model that goes through four stages: need, goal setting, action and achievement (Armstrong, 2006). It is suggested that people are aware of the unsatisfied needs consciously or unconsciously; and then the desire of satisfying the needs enables the establishment of goal (Latham, 2007). To achieve the goal by taking actions is believed will meet the needs. If the goal is obtained successfully, the same actions are likely to be repeated for satisfying the needs (Latham, 2007). In this way, the process of the motivation is completed. The theory of motivation is divided into two main categories C content theory and process theory. Content theory interprets the insights of peoples needs and explores the factors that motivate people (Foster, 2005). It emphasizes the intrinsic elements that energize, direct and endure behaviour; also, it explains how these elements are valued as internal motivators by individuals (Porter, Bigley Steers, 2003). There are four primary content theories of motivation at work, including Maslows hierarchy of need, Alderfers ERG (existence-relatedness-growth) theory, Herzbergs motivator-hygiene model and McClellands learned needs theory (Porter, Bigley Steers, 2003). Content theory C Maslows Hierarchy of Human Needs Among these theories, Maslows hierarchy of human needs is the most famous one connecting peoples needs to motivation. According to this theory, individuals needs are categorized as deficiency needs and growth needs. Deficiency needs are the basic needs that must be satisfied; it contains three levels C physiological, safety and security, belongingness. The physiological needs are at the bottom of Maslows hierarchy theory. That is to say, all other needs are out of peoples consideration until the physiological needs are satisfied (Latham, 2007). The implication of physiological needs at work may include lunch break, rest break, sufficient wage to support daily essentials (NetMBA, 2007). Safety and security needs arise for protecting oneself from threats and harm either physically or emotionally on condition that physiological needs are satisfied. In the context of work, safety and security needs can be reflected through a safe working environment, retirement benefit, job security, etc (NetMBA, 2007). Since the two lower needs are satisfied, people are continuously seeking higher needs; thus the desire of interaction and communication with other people emerges. Belongingness needs covers this extent of peoples needs that receiving and giving love, and belonging to a group. Growth needs refer to the advancement and achievement of individuals potential; it includes self-esteem and self-actualization (Foster, 2005). Growth needs are indeterminate but higher than deficiency needs. Maslows theory assumes that higher needs will be the focus of the individuals attention and become dominant when the lower needs are satisfied (Armstrong, 2006). Self-esteem needs classified as internal and external. The desires for achievement, confidence, freedom and independence come from oneself. The external esteem is about the desire of attention, importance, recognition and reputation (Armstrong, 2006). Self-actualization implies the needs to maximum ones potential and advance skills, and the needs to achieve higher goals that one considers one is capable for it (Armstrong, 2006). Self-esteem and self-actualization lie on the top two layers of the pyramid of Maslows theory. Although they may be difficult to accomplish, they are the greatest drive for individual behaviour. However, Maslows theory is also questioned by other scholars for two points. Firstly, as Armstrong (2006) points out, the priority of different needs is varied with individual. Maslows hierarchy of needs theory indicates that people follow this hierarchy of needs steadily. Nevertheless, different people may have different need to be satisfied as their priority. There are two researches conducted among a group of managers from different organizations for examining Maslows theory. Lawler and Suttles research found managers predominant needs at the higher level are varied with individual (Koontz and Weihrich, 2006). In another research, Hall and Nougaim found little evidence to support the theory of hierarchy as managers increasing attention on growth needs is mostly determined by the changes in upward careers instead of the satisfaction of lower-order needs (Koontz and Weihrich, 2006). Process theory C Goal Setting Theory As it has been mentioned, content theories are about what people are motivated. Simply, process theories suggest the means that people are motivated. They concentrate on the process of peoples decision-making and the actions they take in order to attain the expected goals (Huczynski and Buchanan, 2007). Process theory of work motivation has three major theories: equity theory, expectancy theory and goal-setting theory. Goal-setting theory states individual motivation and performance can be enhanced through setting a specific goal on condition that the goal is challenging but committed, and along with a feedback on performance (Griffin and Moorhead, 2009). From the management perspective, goal is used as an effective means to manage motivation and to control organization performing in relation to the expected result (Griffin and Moorhead, 2009). It also helps organizations to interpret and forecast employees work behaviour as the theory assumes behaviour is the outcome of sensible goals and purpose(Koontz and Weihrich, 2006). Goal-settig theory contains four major propositions: challenging goals, specific goals, participation and knowledge of results (Huczynski and Buchanan, 2007). The four major propositions are regarded as the fundamental elements of goal-setting theory that mostly contribute to higher level performance (Arnold and Silvester, 2005). Challenging goals are more likely to cause desirable performance. Once people commit the goal and believe it is achievable, they become goal-oriented; and they take actions for goal achievement (Arnold and Silvester, 2005). Difficult goals require more effective outcome of behaviour than easy ones. Further, specific goals administer to higher level performance than general ones; for reasons of providing precise plan that people work upon. Participation in goal-setting theory is an important part as it is a proper way to get agreement on setting higher goals (Arnold and Silvester, 2005). In this way, people are willing to make effort to accomplish the goals. Knowledge of results or feedback is playing the role of informing people of the results and maintaining motivation for higher goals (Armstrong, 2006). Theoretically, goal-setting is an effective method for organizations to managing work motivation and achieving high goals. However, it is doubted of its effectiveness out of laboratory setting (Arnold and Silvester, 2005). Austin and Bobko point out goal-setting is likely to focus on quantity of work rather than quality of it as quantity is more measurable and clearer than quality when setting goals (Arnold and Silvester, 2005). Moreover, there may be conflicts among different goals in the real work context. To decide which goal is prior means to ignore or reserve the other goals. Thereby, the application of goal-setting is weakened (Arnold and Silvester, 2005). Besides, goal-setting theory is limited to individual work and performance. In practice, group goals and performance, especially a companys goals and performance account for more importance (Arnold and Silvester, 2005). Crown and Rose found setting group goals can enhance the performance of the group; and the group goals are consisted of individual goals agreed by individuals (Arnold and Silvester, 2005). Therefore, goal-setting theory is suggested to be applied to group or organizations as whole rather than stick on individual levels. Research Data Analysis The research aims to find out what people are motivated in the workplace and in which way they are motivated on the basis of Maslows hierarchy of needs theory and goal-setting theory. The data is collected through questionnaire from ten respondents. The first part of questionnaire is developed for exploring the motivators according to Maslows theory. The core proposition of Maslows theory is that peoples needs have five stages from low to high forming the hierarchy. Five specific items indicate the five levels of needs: reasonable wage, job security, employee relationships, achievement and recognition, opportunity of upward career (see appendix 1, Question 2). The research data presents that respondents give priority on different items. Reasonable wage implies the physiological needs which are the basic needs that must be satisfied. There are sixty percent of respondents ranking it as their priority; twenty percent rank job security (which represents safe and security needs) as their primary needs. Interestingly, twenty percent of respondents rank the theoretically top needs opportunity of upward career (which represents self-actualization needs) as their prime needs. For a further investigation on this question, a cross-tabulation is used in order to find out the relationship between the priority of needs and the role in a group. The data shows who play the role of doer and shaper in a group consider physiological needs are primary; who take the leader positions in a group attach more importance on higher needs, e.g. self-esteem and self-actualization needs. Moreover, the responses on Question 4 (see appendix 1) show there are certain percentage of respondents are willing to work under unfavourable conditions when they believe there is something valuable to them. From this point, it can hardly support Maslows theory that people have higher needs when their lower needs are satisfied. Reviewing Armstrongs doubt on Maslows hierarchy of needs, he points out that the priority of different needs is varied with individual. Therefore, peoples needs do not follow Maslows hierarchy strictly. Also, the data reveals that physiological needs, safe and securit y needs, and self-actualization needs are the top motivators among the respondents. The second part of questionnaire attempts to understand how people are motivated to deliver high-level performance. The questions are designed base on the theory of goal-setting. Seventy percent of responses show goals are able to improve the performance (see Appendix 1, Question 5). The other responses upon the points that specific goals, participation and knowledge of results lead to enhancement of performance positively support the theory of goal-setting (see Appendix 1, Question 7, 89). That is to say, most of respondent believe challenging goals and specific goals helps them to deliver an enhanced performance, and participation in goal-setting endows them the willingness to work toward the goals; finally feedback is regarded as a vital means to know how well they have been, also a form of motivator. Question 6 (see appendix 1) exposes the potential issue of application of goal-setting theory. It cannot be denied the possibility that people would accept higher goals if their lowe r needs are at risk of satisfaction. When such situation occurs, people acceptance of higher goal is reluctant. This may fails to produce an expected performance as the goal probably is exorbitant or the person is less motivated. Austin and Bobko argue that goal-setting theory concentrate on quantity rather than quality (Armstrong, 2006). The responses collected from ten respondents also point to this limitation. This issue can be perceived in different contexts. For instance, quantity can be understood as the number of product produced by individual workers or groups. In this situation, the goals set for individual or group have limited effectiveness on product quality. Yet, when quantity stands for the amount of money, for example sales amount, goal-setting theory is still effective on work motivation relating to the organization performance. An Evaluation of Motivation Theory in Practice In the literature review part, the proposition of Maslows hierarchy of needs represented the content theory of motivation has been explained. Also the limitation of this theory is discussed. Through the research, the weaknesses of Maslows theory are further exposed; especially the concept of hierarchy of needs is strict. Nonetheless, Maslows theory of needs helps organizations to have the idea of the basic nature of human motives (Porter, Bigley and Steers, 2003). Knowing the needs theory, Managers are able to manage work motivation by creating a work environment that aims to satisfy employees needs (Clegg, Kornberger Pitsis, 2005). Goal-setting theory is introduced to organization management as known as Management by Objectives (Clegg, Kornberger Pitsis, 2005. It is broadly applied in the organizations for its strengths of guiding and directing individuals to work toward the goal; and of providing indicators for performance evaluation (Clegg, Kornberger Pitsis, 2005). Goal setting is a process of advancing, negotiating and set objectives that challenge the individuals as well as the organizations. Therefore, as Crown and Rose state, setting group goals is more important than individual goals (Arnold and Silvester, 2005). The group goals are consisted of several individual goals that are agreed by individuals (Arnold and Silvester, 2005). Therefore, the process of achieving group goals actually is the process of attaining group members individual goals. Thus, individual performance and group performance can be advanced through goal achievement. Conclusion Motivation is described as a process that needs-oriented pass through four stages: need, goal setting, action and achievement. Content theory helps to identify the elements that are able to motivate people. Maslows hierarchy of needs theory recognized five levels of peoples needs. By knowing the needs, organizations are able to motivate employee to deliver high level performance through satisfying their needs. Process theory is regarding to the methods of motivation. Goal-setting is an effective way in modern organization management. It identifies the relationship between goal and performance. It advocates that challenging and specific goal, participation and feedback can result in high level performance. Although goal-setting theory is argued that it focuses on individual goal and performance, it also can be employed in groups or organization. Further, setting group goals can improve the whole performance rather than individual. Therefore, it is sophisticate and effective way for wo rk motivation in modern organizations. REFERENCE Armstrong, M., (2006), A Handbook of Human Resource Management Practice, 10th ed, Kogan Page Limited Arnold, J. and Silvester, J., (2005), Work Psychology: Understanding Human Behaviour in the Workplace, 4th ed, Pearson Clegg, S., Kornberger, M., and Pitsis, T., (2005), Managing and Organizations: An Introduction to theory and Practice, SAGE Foster, N., (2005), Maximum Performance: A Practical Guide to Leading and Managing People at Work, Edward Elgar Publishing Griffin, R. W. and Moorhead, G., (2009), Organizational Behaviour: Managing People and Organizations, 9th ed, Cengage Learning Huczynski, A. and Buchanan, D. A., (2007), Organization Behaviour: An Introduction Text, 6th ed. Pearson Kreitner, R. and Kinicki, A., (2004), Organizational Behavior, 6th ed, McGraw-Hill Koontz, H. and Weihrich, H., (2006), Essentials of Management, 7th ed, Tata McGraw-Hill Latham, G. P., (2007), Work Motivation: History, Theory, Research and Practice, SAGE Publication, Inc. Porter, L. W., Bigley, G. A. and Steers, R. M., (2003) Motivation and Work Behaviour, 7th ed, McGraw-Hill NetMBA, (2007), Maslows Hierarchy of Needs, NetMBA.com, Last accessed on 1st November at URL: http://www.netmba.com/mgmt/ob/motivation/maslow/

Reading Poetry by the Morning Moon :: Personal Narrative Essays

Reading Poetry by the Morning Moon Wind sweeps a stray cloud across the sky, exposing half of a gray-mottled moon. It’s nine-thirty in the morning, and the moon looks like an island in a pellucid sea. Sitting in the mossy crook of a hickory tree, my legs dangle above the creek. A walnut leaf drifts past, on its way through the valley, destined for the river and finally the bay. For a moment, I think of taking off my sneakers and socks, rolling up my jeans, and dipping my toes into the soft silt lining the creek bed. The meandering stream is only shin-deep and with four strides I could sit on the other shore. In the October chill, however, I reconsider; instead, the smells - mud, fish, decaying leaves - intoxicate me. â€Å"My tongue, every atom of my blood, form’d from this soil, this air.† I know it’s a romantic idea, reading â€Å"Song of Myself† on a stream bank. In fact, if Walt Whitman’s spirit were to brush by me in the gusting wind, I’d probably hear him say: Close the book and watch. Listen. A shriek pierces through the orange and gold treetops like a blast of steam escaping a teakettle. Looking up, I see the silver belly of a red-tailed hawk as it glides in circles below the moon. â€Å"I fly those flights of a fluid and swallowing soul,† writes Whitman. He, too, must have witnessed the swooping undulations of a ruddy-winged bird. His heart, like mine, unburdened. From my rough but solid seat in the hickory tree, I hear, at first, the sounds of Annville’s busy thoroughfare - the drone of engines, squealing brakes, the chime of a church bell. Soon, however, other noises trickle into my consciousness. Water over fallen branches. Staccato crackles of a squirrel in the brush. My own breathing. The world has been reduced to a microcosm in which I am the center. In this cosmos there are no thoughts of the future, only a mingling of the present and past. Maybe it’s my solitude, or perhaps it’s the wind caressing my face with the smell of wet leaves, but I feel suddenly close to my home, a farm that is sixty miles west and a mountain away from this hickory tree on the Quittie. Closing my eyes, I see the familiar wisp of smoke curling from our brick chimney, the crooked lightning rod on the barn roof, and the mountains that surround the valley, Hidden Valley, like the walls of Jericho.

Costco Wholesale Essay

1. Executive Summary Costco Wholesale Corporation founded in 1983 by Jim Sinegal in Seatle Washington with a vision & mission â€Å"to continually provide members with quality of goods and services at the lowest possible price control inventory.† Part of their strategy include direct buying relationship that ensures an efficient & strong SC management, high standard staffing plans, high quality products at lower prices and assessable to members who are considered more loyal. Efforts are made to develop strategic options in line with these strategies while focusing on the supply chain parameters that span from order placement to receipt of goods at the warehouse and made available to customers in the warehouse shop floor using the most cost effective processes in order to ensure they support the mission of the company. By assessing Costco’s external opportunities and threats as well as the internal strengths and weaknesses (using SWOT & Porter’s Five Forces analysis), one can infer they are doing well within their industry. More options were generated to increase sales and awareness of the retail warehouses. The report concludes with recommendations for Costco to sustain it’s market edge and advance by expanding into the European & Asian markets more as their presence is still very weak in these regions as well as add other services & goods to their already existing list. 2. Introduction Costco Wholesale Corporation founded in 1983 within the retail industry is the largest warehouse club in the world based on sales volume. A major wholesale business offering three levels of membership and the largest wholesale club operator in the US with membership/warehouse locations spread across Asia, Europe, North & South America with headquarters based in Washington, US. Their main competitors operating membership warehouses include Sam’s Club & BJ’s wholesale club. Jim Sinegal, the founder defines the company vision as â€Å"giving the best to the customer at the best value possible†. Here best value (in quality of goods & services offered) at low prices are the driving force. Costco backs up it’s products with a return policy within a time frame of average 90 days, a highly endearing attraction to it’s members. The business model focuses on low prices & volume purchase in order to achieve profit at low margin with stores offering discounts on an average of 4,000 products out of which roughly a thousand are ‘treasure hunt’ referring to goods that are scarcely available for purchase always. Volume purchase from few vendors yielding further reduction in price and lowers cost in marketing. With low prices, quality goods in limited selection based on forecast lead to quick turnover in inventory. The high volume purchase and efficient network distribution yield efficiency in operations for Costco. With a stipulated membership fee, Costco warehouses are designed to help small to medium size businesses reduce purchasing costs as well as serving large families with the goods packaged in bulk ranging from alcoholic beverages, electronics, fresh food/produce, household & office supplies, pharmaceuticals & tires. Also available are special memberships with services like car & home insuranc e, mortgage and real estate services, and packages for travels. 3.Purpose and Main Areas Of the Research (Concepts & Techniques) Analyzing the supply chain operations at Costco wholesales, in line with the business focus while limiting to it’s supply chain operations strategy for maintaining a competitive edge as it relates to SC operations (from sourcing to arrival on pallets and or display at their various warehouses racks), their challenges and options for improvement will be the focus of this report. The following issues will form questions that will give a frame for this report: †¢ What are the key issues facing Costco in line with (efficient) Supply Chain Operations? †¢ What would be options to compete with these issues?  Ã¢â‚¬ ¢ Which options best suits the business focus and would yield better growth financially? The sections thereafter will consider trying to answer the questions above by applying SWOT analysis (see appendix 1) and Porter’s five forces framework (see appendix 2). Areas needing improvement will be obvious from such, options that would generate better performance after localizing issues peculiar to Costco. These would ultimately lead to clear recommendations for Costco’s improvement. Due to inaccessibility of authentic and current data for successive years on sales, further analysis could not be carried out to compare Costco for accurate sales assessment in the last three years or compare with the other two leading club wholesalers (Sam’s & BJs). Identifying, analyzing key parameters with Supply chain operations processes at Costco and suggest areas of possible improvement. Inventory Management: Since good are moved straight to the selling floor and inventory is not held by Costco but managed by vendors, inventory & labor cost of handling is avoided. In their meat & grocery section for instance, they focus on low-price & high volume strategies hence, Costco carry very limited amounts of grocery & perishables whereas Wal-Mart is known to have weakness in the area of perishables (Petrak, 2006) Partnership/Collaboration with suppliers: Costco has buying relationships with many producers of national brands and are supplied directly from suppliers routing to the warehouses of docking points that serve as distribution points. Partnership market is an attribute of Costco, for instance by partnering with American Express to create a Costco-AMEX credit card, discounts & cash cards as offered to customers while Costco markets Amex cards, thereby helping them to acquire more customers. Distribution Strategies/Transportation: The redesign of product packages to fit into pallets and thereby maximize space has led to reduction of trucks used to transport goods. Cross-docking of goods by delivering directly to Costco stores while some are kept in the distribution centers saves a lot of time & cost along the SC. Utilization of buzzers for truck drives at delivery points to indicate when trucks have been unloaded can save time as against the truck driver’s physical movement within the warehouse is a time saver. Their warehouses are not situated on prime locations hence cost is saved from unnecessary high property cost; again, they own over 80% of the warehouses. Green Logistics: Costco Kirkland signature has launched eco friendly cleaning products. It maximizes the use of solar power in it’s warehouses, it’s delivery trucks are better packaged to allow maximization of space so as to reduce fleets of transportation and hence environmental pollution. Energy is better conserved with timed lighting and construction of warehouses that can maximize skylight during the day. Food products are packaged in recyclable and more environmentally friendly materials. Customers are paid to recycle their old electronics at the green sight. Information Technology: This retailer prides itself in it’s connection of all warehouses to the headquarters in Washington. By using the EFIM which provides real time information, manages control systems and inventory management system. The ECR is used to achieve profitability, improvement in efficiency, logistics, procurement and overall cost control. Kumar (2008) records that approximately $6 billion in a year is lost in the USA by supermarkets due to out of stock products among 25 top retailers as a result of inefficiency in their logistics. Vertical Integration: Costco practices a partial vertical integration with it’s cross-dock distribution. By gaining control of either its inputs or its outputs or both in sourcing directly from suppliers they have more control over innovation & delivery of those services. Cost is also reduced which is ultimately transferred to customers. Further optimization of operational performance through SC operations options that can sustain a competitive edge and improve customer satisfaction through service improvement and cost reduction. 4. Description Of The Separate Areas 4.1Description of The SC Operations Performance & Improvement. The measurement of SC performance can be based on profit, customer service or sales maximization (Chow, 1994). While the traditional method majorly measured product costs, identification of costs related to customer service is key. Elimination of various extraneous costs like plastic shopping bags, fewer shop floor staff, limited product variety & brands on shelf and also slowing down on capital expenditure like expansion, Costco has been able to focus on improving buying power for achieving greater output. Since inventory rates are quickly turned over, payments to suppliers is fast tracked hence they are able to benefit from discounted early payments. Cost is involved in sourcing products from suppliers, shipment to depots & warehouses, distribution to warehouses & storage in inventory. By considering the concept of avoidable cost (possibly considering packaging & storage), efforts can be made to improve on SC performance by implementing better SC integration program. Partnering with more suppliers and or service providers for better flow of operations as well as building keener competition can enhance better efficiency leading to more profit in the long run. More side business services can be added at Costco like money order and cash transfers to attract more customers and make Costco a one stop store. Aside from email messages being sent to existing members on promotions, greater awareness can create a more organized means to lure more customers on the expanding array of products & services such that new & more revenue streams are attained. 4.2 Issues Affecting Supply Chain and Possible Solutions Analysis of SC at Costco using SWOT analysis (appendix 1) reveals Costco is doing really well. Growth opportunities exist for business by entering the European & Asian markets as these have not been exploited. From present methods of operations, the high staff salary and low margins maintenance amongst other issues need to be looked into for future prospects. The aging and close exit of the CEO along with growing competition and other threats in intended foreign markets such as political and religious wars, foreign exchange & bank issues are threats to consider. In dealing with these issues, it will be important to assess briefly lead time management, product handling, transportation, quality, inventory as well as possible process solutions. Where possible, promotions should be done to enhance more sales though with the low prices and already highlighted low margin & high employee, this may eat into the profitability but if well planned can create more publicity for the company which can yield quick inventory turnover. Since low overhead & tight operation is the practice, better savings can be passed on to customers in form of promotion or otherwise. Exploration of overseas market is still a strong force and will yield greater profit considering the existing reputation Costco has and understudying how business is executed in such regions. Development of more private labels on wider product range and increased focus on customer loyalty programs are worth considering as well. It is advisable the board of management put in place a business plan before the exit/retirement of the CEO. Porter’s Five Forces analysis (see appendix 2) could identify an overall attractive industry, with the following power and threat situation: The buyer power was determined to have a positive potential impact on Costco business as it portray that buyers have the requisite level of expendable incomes to provide effective demand for goods & services. In a similar manner, low threat of new entrants and substitute products portray an attractive industry whereas moderate internal rivalry and supplier power have a positive impact on Costco operations as it kept the company alert and devoid of complacency. 4.3 Analyzing The Contribution Of SCOM to Competitive Business Performance To further highlight the role of SCOM in enhancing business performance and maintaining a competitive edge, a few activities like volume purchasing, efficient packaging & distribution, supplier integration & customer integration have contributed to give a close picture of Costco capabilities and business level performance with each activity having unique benefits and detriments. Again, constant review of SCM practices may further help management in Costco to further match demand with SC requirements like efficient, lean SC (Cook et al , 2011). Their Network design, JIT resource planning distribution, optimization of transport & replenishment policies have impacted positively and should be subject to constant review for sustaining a competitive edge. 5. Conclusion Finally, it is believed that some useful contributions are being developed to improve supply chain and it’s operation in line with the objective of Costco in delivering quality at lowest cost to customers on time with the aim of sustaining a more competitive advantage. Some useful SC options have been suggested above which support these objectives. While the ultimate goal remains to sustainably increase market share by achieving more qualitative growth and at the same time expand on the earning base through exploitation of the European market and already existing markets, Mascarehas et al (2004) adds that â€Å"competitive advantage must be won again and again† in other words, giving the current ever changing business world we live in, customer tastes and priorities are changing hence the need for Costco to be better positioned in order to respond always to it’s members needs while expanding on new fronts.

Lil Wayne vs Drake Essay

Music is something that everyone loves and some people go to music to calm themselves down when their stressed, angry, sad, or happy just in general. Personally, I listen to a lot of music, so I’m choosing Lil Wayne vs. Drake. Lil Wayne thinks of himself as the â€Å"Best rapper alive†; & yet he is known to be one of the best rappers according to magazines, record sales, and etc. Lil Wayne is also in charge of Young Money Entertainment which is an American record label founded by rapper Lil Wayne. Drake is also rising to the top very quickly, but Drake is a part of Young Money Entertainment also. They both are featured in each other’s song and a lot of people love them rapping together. They both rap about similar things such as, fame, drugs, money, cars, and women; however even though they rap about similar things. They have completely different ways of saying it. Wayne is more outspoken I’d say and he is more straight forward with whatever message he’s trying to prove to you. Drake makes you think a little more about whatever message he’s trying to deliver. I actually like how drake phrases some of the things he says. Wayne focuses on his analogies more I believe when he raps, verses drake focuses on more just getting the message out. Wayne uses his imagination when he raps, but drake actually paints the picture. I’d say that Drake has 2 sides to him; he has the rap side and he has the singing side. Drake is known for connecting with women through his songs, words, his real life problems, and his voice that almost every girl loves. Drake is more open when he raps and he explains to you how girls have broke his heart, how he’s had people doubt him in life and his music career, and he isn’t afraid to admit that sometimes life hurts. He makes you feel like he too has been in the same situation like he’s actually felt pain like normal people without millions of dollars do. Lil Wayne will talk about something seriously hearting him in maybe about 3 or 4 songs, but other than that Wayne gives you the image that everything in his world is perfect. He makes you want to feel what it’s like to have millions of dollars, and cars, clothes, women and etc. , but in reality it’s not really like that for the average person. That’s why more people feel like they can relate more to Drake, because he talks about real life situations and pain in a lot of his songs. Both, Drake and Wayne have been nominated for plenty of different awards on the different shows, and they have also won quite a few of those nominations, especially Lil Wayne. Wayne helped Drake get to the where he was at, he showed him a way and now Drake is so popular he probably would be okay on his own; but they all work together as a team, that’s why they’re all apart of Young Money Entertainment. In conclusion, we could keep comparing and contrasting both Drake and Lil Wayne all day, but in the end all that matters is that they both make great music, and they are both listened to and enjoyed by millions and millions of people. There so much alike in the end to where it would balance out anyways. They are a great team together and they are both very successful. However if I had to chose which one I preferred to listen to more, I think I’d have to chose Lil Wayne, â€Å"The best rapper alive†.

Free Essays on Pascal

Blaise Pascal believes God as an infinite, something that we do not know. He says, â€Å"We know that there is an infinite, and are ignorant of its nature. As we know it to be false that numbers are finite, it is therefore true that there is an infinity in number. But we do not know what it is. It is false that it is even, it is false that it is odd†¦so we may well know that there is a God without knowing what He is.† In this, he means that even though we cannot see God and cannot physically interact with him, it is true to say that we have faith in Him and believe in Him regardless of these obstacles. Pascal thought we know the existence of the infinite, but are ignorant of its nature, because it has extensions like us but not limits like us. He explains that we as humans do not know neither the existence nor the nature of god, because of the fact the God has neither extension nor limits. Pascal thought that if there was indeed a God, he must be infinitely incomp rehensible, since having neither parts nor limits; He has no affinity to us. With this Pascal summarizes that because God has no affinity to us, we are incapable of knowing either what He is or if He is. According to Pascal’s Wager, the existence of God cannot be known one way or the other, because of the fact the God is unknowable. Pascal thought that it made more sense to believe in the existence of God, than to not believe. He felt that he had nothing to give up if he believed in God, only virtue and an eternal blessed life to gain. He though that disbelief in God led to eternal damnation and a life of poisonous pleasures.... Free Essays on Pascal Free Essays on Pascal Blaise Pascal believes God as an infinite, something that we do not know. He says, â€Å"We know that there is an infinite, and are ignorant of its nature. As we know it to be false that numbers are finite, it is therefore true that there is an infinity in number. But we do not know what it is. It is false that it is even, it is false that it is odd†¦so we may well know that there is a God without knowing what He is.† In this, he means that even though we cannot see God and cannot physically interact with him, it is true to say that we have faith in Him and believe in Him regardless of these obstacles. Pascal thought we know the existence of the infinite, but are ignorant of its nature, because it has extensions like us but not limits like us. He explains that we as humans do not know neither the existence nor the nature of god, because of the fact the God has neither extension nor limits. Pascal thought that if there was indeed a God, he must be infinitely incomp rehensible, since having neither parts nor limits; He has no affinity to us. With this Pascal summarizes that because God has no affinity to us, we are incapable of knowing either what He is or if He is. According to Pascal’s Wager, the existence of God cannot be known one way or the other, because of the fact the God is unknowable. Pascal thought that it made more sense to believe in the existence of God, than to not believe. He felt that he had nothing to give up if he believed in God, only virtue and an eternal blessed life to gain. He though that disbelief in God led to eternal damnation and a life of poisonous pleasures....

How to Pitch an Essay

How to Pitch an Essay How to Pitch an Essay How to Pitch an Essay By Mark Nichol Do you have something in writing you’d like to share with the world? Not a complete book manuscript, perhaps, but musings of a concise nature? Perhaps you like to explain things, or share your opinion, or tell a story or write humorous pieces. There’s plenty of advice online about pitching, or seeking an invitation, to submit articles and interviews I wrote a post about the topic a couple of years ago but getting essays published requires a slightly different approach. Most important is the form of the submission. Generally, writers pitch articles and interviews as pieces they are prepared to write; you summarize a story and your approach, name sources and resources you plan to consult, and await a go-ahead to write. But submitting essays is more akin to sending an entire fiction manuscript, rather than an outline and a sample chapter or two of a nonfiction work, to a literary agent: Write first, then query. (Articles and interviews are sometimes written like this on spec but in this case it’s best to have a buyer before you build your product.) We all have favorite print or online publications we’d love to see our byline in, but adopt a realistic approach or a combination of approaches to get started: Self-Publish Launch your own blog, and build a portfolio of posts on a single theme or topic. (If you have more than one interest, separate your blog into distinct areas by subject matter, or even create a different website for each category.) Use social networking and link sharing to build an audience. Once you’ve amassed a body of writing, even if you have no paid publishing credits, you’ll be able to point editors to an impressive collection of your writings. Enter Contests Innumerable organizations sponsor writing contests, many of them with more scintillating topics than the â€Å"What freedom means to me†Ã¢â‚¬â€œtype scholarship-essay contests you may remember from high school. Search online, targeting a few that cater to your writing niche, because the accumulated entry fees of multiple submissions can be hazardous to your financial health. Some contests offer publication as a prize; though the magazine or journal is likely to be obscure, you will be able to call yourself a published writer. Go Specific Just as when you enter contests, invest your time and energy wisely when seeking to have your work published. Print and online journals and magazines, and anthologies, exist for just about any topic you can imagine. Consult the latest edition of Writer’s Market, certainly, but conduct online research to find niche publications that seek writers just like you. How to Pitch an Essay Once you’ve identified one or more ideal print or online publications, sell your initial essay. Obviously, the recipients of your pitch will read your overture before perusing the essay itself, so catch their attention with a brief introduction that will impress them. Not only must your grammar, usage, and punctuation be impeccable, but your pitch must demonstrate that anything else you include is worth reading. If you’re a storyteller, tell a story. If you’re submitting an opinion piece, dazzle the editor with your observations. If you’re a humor writer, make ’em laugh. Be confident but not arrogant, and be authentic: Sell who you are and what you have to offer, not what you would like to be or wish you could do. The pitch itself should be concise: Greet the recipient, briefly describe the essay you’ve attached to your message, explain (with some heartfelt flattery) why it’s appropriate for the publication, inform the recipient that you will provide other material on request and that you’re happy to revise the submission based on feedback, thank the recipient, and get out of the way. If you do have a blog, provide the link so that the person can look at other writing samples. Send your sample to as many publications as you can identify don’t wait for responses. If you don’t hear back, follow up every week or two with a simple reminder until you get a definitive response. Once someone has published your work, or after a few months, select your new favorite piece and submit again to publications that rejected you. And, as much at it may seem difficult, shrug off the rejections. There are millions of writers out there, and at least a few of them are going to be better than you (or their material is better suited for particular publications). As I alluded in this post, focus on getting yeses, not dwelling on nos. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Freelance Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Compared "to" or Compared "with"?50 Idioms About Fruits and VegetablesHow to Style Legislative Terms

Barrick Gold and the Mine at the Top of the World

Main Body Barrick Gold’s main communication problem has been formed by Barrick saying one thing, then doing something else; this inevitably caused a lack of trust between its stakeholders and the company. The problem has created hidden agendas and guarded communication, thereby slowing decision making and productivity. For example, Argentina passed a law that protected their glaciers and permafrost, â€Å"which looked as if it might prevent the Argentinian part of the project from going forward. † (Barrick Gold case, pp. 11). The cause of the problem stems from Barrick Gold not keeping their promise. They proposed to transport the most affected glaciers farther away from the mining site, but did not live up to that promise. The symptoms of the problem include the farmer’s unhappiness with the company and the mayor for supporting the mining project. Another symptom is the fact that the Argentinian national legislatures passed the law protecting the glaciers. This desperate move shows that Argentina has a lack of trust that the company will follow through on their promise to deal with the melting glaciers. The 5 main stakeholders include the Chile and Argentina governments, the local farmers, residents of the valley, and the shareholders of Barrick Gold. Each of these stakeholders have separate issues they are concerned with. The Chile government is concerned with waste the mine is dumping into the river that runs through the Huasco Valley of Chile, specifically cyanide. The Argentina governments concern is based on the fact that the royalties they receive from the mine are ? of the total GDP of their poor San Juan province; once the mining is finished this will regress back to zero and devastate the economy. The local farmers are concerned with the explosions that cause dust to settle on the glaciers and accelerate its melting; the effects are devastating to the whole surrounding ecosystem. The resident’s of the valley share the same concern as the Argentinian government, that once the mining ceases their income will revert to zero. Finally, the shareholders of Barrick Gold are concerned with the idea of huge opposition and lack of productivity that ensued because of it. In dealing with the afore mentioned stakeholder groups, Barrick Gold can use all the steps of the communication model, including: sender, encode, channel, receiver, and feedback. First off, the Chilean government: Barrick Gold (sender) needs to think of a method that allows cyanide to be removed from the river (encode), and this idea needs to be presented face-to-face (channel) to the Chilean government (receiver); once the idea is received, Barrick Gold needs to allow for feedback (positive or negative) from this stakeholder. Secondly, the local farmers: Barrick Gold (sender) is responsible for devising a plan for decelerating the melting of the glaciers (encode) and portraying this plan, either in a proposal or in a meeting (channel), to the local farmers (receiver); the farmers need to provide their response of how the government is doing (feedback). Conclusion In conclusion, Barrick Gold has a communication problem that could potentially destroy its whole project. How the company deals with its stakeholders is very important to its future success in Chile and Argentina. To mend the problem it is of the company’s best interest to follow the communication model and make all attempts to repair the damage already done by not keeping their promise. Barrick Gold and the Mine at the Top of the World Main Body Barrick Gold’s main communication problem has been formed by Barrick saying one thing, then doing something else; this inevitably caused a lack of trust between its stakeholders and the company. The problem has created hidden agendas and guarded communication, thereby slowing decision making and productivity. For example, Argentina passed a law that protected their glaciers and permafrost, â€Å"which looked as if it might prevent the Argentinian part of the project from going forward. † (Barrick Gold case, pp. 11). The cause of the problem stems from Barrick Gold not keeping their promise. They proposed to transport the most affected glaciers farther away from the mining site, but did not live up to that promise. The symptoms of the problem include the farmer’s unhappiness with the company and the mayor for supporting the mining project. Another symptom is the fact that the Argentinian national legislatures passed the law protecting the glaciers. This desperate move shows that Argentina has a lack of trust that the company will follow through on their promise to deal with the melting glaciers. The 5 main stakeholders include the Chile and Argentina governments, the local farmers, residents of the valley, and the shareholders of Barrick Gold. Each of these stakeholders have separate issues they are concerned with. The Chile government is concerned with waste the mine is dumping into the river that runs through the Huasco Valley of Chile, specifically cyanide. The Argentina governments concern is based on the fact that the royalties they receive from the mine are ? of the total GDP of their poor San Juan province; once the mining is finished this will regress back to zero and devastate the economy. The local farmers are concerned with the explosions that cause dust to settle on the glaciers and accelerate its melting; the effects are devastating to the whole surrounding ecosystem. The resident’s of the valley share the same concern as the Argentinian government, that once the mining ceases their income will revert to zero. Finally, the shareholders of Barrick Gold are concerned with the idea of huge opposition and lack of productivity that ensued because of it. In dealing with the afore mentioned stakeholder groups, Barrick Gold can use all the steps of the communication model, including: sender, encode, channel, receiver, and feedback. First off, the Chilean government: Barrick Gold (sender) needs to think of a method that allows cyanide to be removed from the river (encode), and this idea needs to be presented face-to-face (channel) to the Chilean government (receiver); once the idea is received, Barrick Gold needs to allow for feedback (positive or negative) from this stakeholder. Secondly, the local farmers: Barrick Gold (sender) is responsible for devising a plan for decelerating the melting of the glaciers (encode) and portraying this plan, either in a proposal or in a meeting (channel), to the local farmers (receiver); the farmers need to provide their response of how the government is doing (feedback). Conclusion In conclusion, Barrick Gold has a communication problem that could potentially destroy its whole project. How the company deals with its stakeholders is very important to its future success in Chile and Argentina. To mend the problem it is of the company’s best interest to follow the communication model and make all attempts to repair the damage already done by not keeping their promise.

Do EU trade policies help or hurt developing countries Essay

Do EU trade policies help or hurt developing countries - Essay Example By 2002, EC was already in more than 50 out of about 172 such arrangements around the globe thus maintain economic and trade relations with a myriad of economies in the developed, developing and even less developed economies. The EU has been keen as a positive force to generate economic prosperity for its member states. To the developing economies, EC has maintained preferential trade arrangements under the Generalized System of Preferences (GSP) while to most less developed countries, trade arrangements have largely been guided by the Cotonou Agreement, which succeeded the Lome’ Convention (Bhagwati, Greenaway, & Panagariya, 1998, p.1128-1148). EU’s trade arrangement within the Euro zone encompasses a common currency, common external tariff, common agricultural and competition policies as well as common rules on freedom of goods and services, capital and people. EU has entered into other trade agreements with countries and regions in other continents of the world. Among these is the European Economic Area (EEA) that extends the EU market to three countries, which are members of the EFTA . Another arrangement is the Customs Unions with countries such as Malta, Cyprus and Turkey. EU has also got several Free Trade Area (FTA) arrangements with a number of countries and regions around the world, but these are at different implementation levels. These include countries such as Tunisia, Egypt, Israel, and Morocco under the Euro-Mediterranean Association, while Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland, Mexico and Chile are under the FTA arrangement among others. There is also the Mediterranean partnership where EU relates with several associates in the southern and Eastern Mediterranean. This particular trade arrangement aims to achieve FTA in line with provisions of the WTO through entering into various bilateral agreements starting with a series of association agreements. It also aimed at the expansion of the EU financial assistance to USD 4.7 billion over a period of 5 years from 1995 within EU-Mediterranean partnership. The ACP (Africa, Caribbean and Pacific) preference is another set of trade arrangements by the EU where it provides one way trade preferences for more than seventy countries in Africa, Caribbean and Pacific. These preferences are, however, not available to all developed countries in these regions and do not also apply to only least developed economies, for example. Thus, contravene the provision of the WTO regarding discriminatory practices, equity and fairness (Devisscher, 2011, p. 60). As per the United Nations rankings, 39 of the ACP economies are under the least developed category. Finally, GSP preferences by EU to a number of least developed countries exist as stipulated under the GSP provisions of the WTO. The EU’s GSP arrangement contains the ‘Everything but Arms’ (EBA) initiative for the least developed economies as well as general arrangements that are available to all developing countries and apply to non-sensitive products that come duty free. There are also the special arrangements under the Environmental and Social clauses, which apply to sensitive products only. Special incentives under the environmental clause apply to developing countr

Creation stories Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 2

Creation stories - Essay Example He, therefore, separated light from the darkness naming the former day and the latter night. On the second day, God established the firmament through command and it became. He made it separate the waters from the waters and called the firmament Heaven (Giberson, 2012). On the same day, he collected the waters under the heaven into one place thereby creating the dry land and calling it earth, and the gathered waters as the sea. Moreover, God brought into existence the grass, trees, and other plant forms. In the third day, God created the sun, the moon, and stars to bring light on earth in the day and at night respectively. On the fourth day, God created water creatures such as whales, fish, and air creatures such as fowls. On the fifth day, God established every living creature on earth except human beings. These included cattle, creeping creatures, and beasts of the earth among others. Being pleased with his work, he blessed the creatures and made them multiply to fill the earth (Giberson, 2012). God completed his creation work on the sixth day by creating man in his own image. Therefore, God created man both male and female and thereafter blessed them and told them to multiply and feel the earth. Moreover, man was given power to rule and manage all creatures and use some of them as food (Giberson, 2012). On the seventh day, God rested on completing his creation work. Therefore, he blessed and sanctified the day since it was his day of rest from all the activities of creation. In the second part of creation, Genesis 2:4- 24, God who is referred by personal name as Yahweh, creates the first man in his image by using dust, breathes life into him thereafter becoming a living being (Giberson, 2012). God names his Adam and places him in the Garden of Eden to manage it. Thus, it is the man that God performs the life-giving act and not his earlier creations. Moreover, the man gives name to animals and even to Eve, whom he calls a woman since she comes from one

Application of State and Federal Law within the Reservation Research Paper

Application of State and Federal Law within the Reservation - Research Paper Example These constitutions at one time gave the tribes quite a bit of power in making decisions and enforcing legal contracts with the people. However, over the last few years tribal power has been diminished with the most dramatic decrease happening with the Indian Civil Rights Act in 1968. Under this act, tribal courts are denied the power to impose sentences in criminal cases in excess of $5,000. and/or one year in jail (Robertson, 2001, pg 9). This has become a very big issue in taking care of criminal problems on the reservations. To add to the problem, if a tribal member feels their rights have been violated, they cannot take that to Federal Court, it has to go to Tribal Court. Congress has also made the tribes responsible for Environmental Laws as determined by the Federal Government as well as Federal Tax laws. The United States government maintains that it is the guardian for the tribes or trustee. This role came from the Cherokee Nation v Georgia ( Robertson, 2001, pg 3) This allows the Federal Government to hold the underlying fee title for reservation lands. That is why they are called trust lands. This guardianship capacity like all guardianship laws allows the Federal government to impose legislation affecting Indians that are the best for them. They are supposedly held to a very high standard for this. Tribal status under all of these laws is considered a political classification. Prohibitory State law applies to reservation land, regulatory does not always. This allows the State and Federal justice system to enforce environmental laws. The reason they can do this is because most environmental laws are prohibitory in nature. On the one hand the Federal government sees that they probably do not have the right to enforce such laws on Indian land but they are also responsible for the welfare of the people under their guardianship clause. It appears from many reviewed cases that the Federal government chooses to enforce when it is convenient to them (www.senat.leg). It is not done the same way every time. This is one of those places where the Reservation Court would not have jurisdiction to enforce because it is Federal law and because the charge is greater than $5,000. It places the tribal enforcement in a poor place because they cannot enforce but are obliged to report. In this case, the advantage seems to be on the side of the State and Federal governments. Another legal situation that has recently come to light based on the reservations and Federal law is the case the IRS and the auction of Indian lands to pay Internal Revenue taxes. This is one of the poorest Indian Reservations in the nation. The lands belong to the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe. The Federal government says they own Federal income taxes. The tribe has been trying to develop wind energy and this is the land that is set for that development. The land to be auctioned is 7100 acres (Martin, 2009). The law says that Indian tribes are not usually susceptible to tax laws. They are when there is business entities associated with the tribe. The IRS says the

Summary Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 18

Summary - Essay Example consider different stakeholders involved in tourism industry; government and tourism industry have a strong influence of content of education in tourism. Tourism higher education is strongly connected to tourism industry, which consists of small private business units. Currently, most of them employ unskilled or low-skilled workers because of the lack of educated staff initialling the need in tourism higher education. At the same time, reviewing different studies, Ayikoru, Tribe & Airey (2009) that as a young field of research and educational program, tourism higher education faces several issues. In many cases a degree in tourism is not required by most employers because they do not think it is necessary. Finally, employers do not rush to hire graduates who have those degrees. All these issues in tourism higher education undergo changes under ideological influences which come from their environment. Previously researchers focused on the development of tourism higher education by their trials to integrate different approaches to content of education and curriculum design. They applied marketing approach to tourism curricula and designed appropriate four year program. They advocated that it was necessary to engage tourism professionals to education in order to tie those curricula to life. Overall, all precious studies in tourism education manifested this sphere as a branch of business. At the same time, ideology in context of tourism higher education was not studies in detail. Ayikoru, Tribe & Airey (2009) fill this gap by their extensive research explaining what influences the aims and their representation in this sphere of education. Government, which is the main representative of ideology in any country, has a direct influence on education. Government creates norms which are applied to different institution including tourism education. These norms render particular values which redefine important elements of education. These ideological implications influence

The Relative Roles of the Individuals Freewill Essay

The Relative Roles of the Individuals Freewill - Essay Example These texts highlight different societies, all of which have come under control of the government, whether by peaceful or violent means. They also shed light on what happens to the freewill of individuals within each scenario. The relative roles of the individual's freewill within society begins with making it appear as if the individual is acting of their own freewill, while displaying socially appropriate and societal programmed responses. An individual's freewill could not exist without society's carefully orchestrated ministrations in allowing it to seem as if the individual is indeed making their own choices. Choices and actions made by said individual have to be engineered to look as if they were made by the individual. Through careful programming, society and government can achieve a desired result from the individuals. There are numerous ways of programming an individual within the society. These include but are not limited to: happiness, hate, brutality, genetics, drugs, love, fear, careful monitoring of said individuals to disallow privacy of any kind, and sex/eroticism. Through use of the aforementioned subjects, society and governments can exert control over the freewill of the individual, while maintaining the premise that they are not using these to manipulate individual actions and thought. Instead, those in control must convince the populace that what they do is for the good of all.All authors appear to agree that there are basic tenets for societal control. The individual must understand his/her status within the community. The underlying motif corresponds in all texts: an individual should be able to make their own choices without society or governmental intervention. If said person poses a danger or threat to others, then an authority must step in. If an individual is unable to make cor rect choices, i.e. the very young or aged, then it is also expected that someone will intervene on their behalf. Mills makes a point in stating that actions, though, should not be as free as opinions. He sets forth guidelines in lengthy detail discussing how each part of society is to function in harmony. All authors agree that the government is to become involved only when necessary, and to leave individuals alone to self-govern.If government decided to tamper with society and the individuals within it, a likely start would be where society and individuals begin: DNA and genetics. This is a horror that Mills in 1859 could hardly conceive of ever becoming a reality, due to minor knowledge of these subjects during his life. Huxley, however, provides in inside look at universal happiness via genetic engineering of society, at the moment of artificial conception. Through use of genetic methods, a form of super humans could evolve, eradicate disease, and achieve universal happiness thro ugh a caste system. Through happiness, a government could achieve control in influencing an individual's freewill through pleasantry. Physical pleasure via games or sexual gratification, the idea that "every

Application of State and Federal Law within the Reservation Research Paper

Application of State and Federal Law within the Reservation - Research Paper Example These constitutions at one time gave the tribes quite a bit of power in making decisions and enforcing legal contracts with the people. However, over the last few years tribal power has been diminished with the most dramatic decrease happening with the Indian Civil Rights Act in 1968. Under this act, tribal courts are denied the power to impose sentences in criminal cases in excess of $5,000. and/or one year in jail (Robertson, 2001, pg 9). This has become a very big issue in taking care of criminal problems on the reservations. To add to the problem, if a tribal member feels their rights have been violated, they cannot take that to Federal Court, it has to go to Tribal Court. Congress has also made the tribes responsible for Environmental Laws as determined by the Federal Government as well as Federal Tax laws. The United States government maintains that it is the guardian for the tribes or trustee. This role came from the Cherokee Nation v Georgia ( Robertson, 2001, pg 3) This allows the Federal Government to hold the underlying fee title for reservation lands. That is why they are called trust lands. This guardianship capacity like all guardianship laws allows the Federal government to impose legislation affecting Indians that are the best for them. They are supposedly held to a very high standard for this. Tribal status under all of these laws is considered a political classification. Prohibitory State law applies to reservation land, regulatory does not always. This allows the State and Federal justice system to enforce environmental laws. The reason they can do this is because most environmental laws are prohibitory in nature. On the one hand the Federal government sees that they probably do not have the right to enforce such laws on Indian land but they are also responsible for the welfare of the people under their guardianship clause. It appears from many reviewed cases that the Federal government chooses to enforce when it is convenient to them (www.senat.leg). It is not done the same way every time. This is one of those places where the Reservation Court would not have jurisdiction to enforce because it is Federal law and because the charge is greater than $5,000. It places the tribal enforcement in a poor place because they cannot enforce but are obliged to report. In this case, the advantage seems to be on the side of the State and Federal governments. Another legal situation that has recently come to light based on the reservations and Federal law is the case the IRS and the auction of Indian lands to pay Internal Revenue taxes. This is one of the poorest Indian Reservations in the nation. The lands belong to the Crow Creek Sioux Tribe. The Federal government says they own Federal income taxes. The tribe has been trying to develop wind energy and this is the land that is set for that development. The land to be auctioned is 7100 acres (Martin, 2009). The law says that Indian tribes are not usually susceptible to tax laws. They are when there is business entities associated with the tribe. The IRS says the

The Relative Roles of the Individuals Freewill Essay

The Relative Roles of the Individuals Freewill - Essay Example These texts highlight different societies, all of which have come under control of the government, whether by peaceful or violent means. They also shed light on what happens to the freewill of individuals within each scenario. The relative roles of the individual's freewill within society begins with making it appear as if the individual is acting of their own freewill, while displaying socially appropriate and societal programmed responses. An individual's freewill could not exist without society's carefully orchestrated ministrations in allowing it to seem as if the individual is indeed making their own choices. Choices and actions made by said individual have to be engineered to look as if they were made by the individual. Through careful programming, society and government can achieve a desired result from the individuals. There are numerous ways of programming an individual within the society. These include but are not limited to: happiness, hate, brutality, genetics, drugs, love, fear, careful monitoring of said individuals to disallow privacy of any kind, and sex/eroticism. Through use of the aforementioned subjects, society and governments can exert control over the freewill of the individual, while maintaining the premise that they are not using these to manipulate individual actions and thought. Instead, those in control must convince the populace that what they do is for the good of all.All authors appear to agree that there are basic tenets for societal control. The individual must understand his/her status within the community. The underlying motif corresponds in all texts: an individual should be able to make their own choices without society or governmental intervention. If said person poses a danger or threat to others, then an authority must step in. If an individual is unable to make cor rect choices, i.e. the very young or aged, then it is also expected that someone will intervene on their behalf. Mills makes a point in stating that actions, though, should not be as free as opinions. He sets forth guidelines in lengthy detail discussing how each part of society is to function in harmony. All authors agree that the government is to become involved only when necessary, and to leave individuals alone to self-govern.If government decided to tamper with society and the individuals within it, a likely start would be where society and individuals begin: DNA and genetics. This is a horror that Mills in 1859 could hardly conceive of ever becoming a reality, due to minor knowledge of these subjects during his life. Huxley, however, provides in inside look at universal happiness via genetic engineering of society, at the moment of artificial conception. Through use of genetic methods, a form of super humans could evolve, eradicate disease, and achieve universal happiness thro ugh a caste system. Through happiness, a government could achieve control in influencing an individual's freewill through pleasantry. Physical pleasure via games or sexual gratification, the idea that "every

Julius Caesar Essay Example for Free

Julius Caesar Essay Each unlawful overthrow ends in disastrous consequences because no one knows whether the next leader will achieve greatness or insignificance. The country wouldn’t be prepared for such an event such as an assassination. It also causes chaos among the people because many individuals will be furious because they may have loved the original leader. There will be more riots and a less civilized society. Brutus and Cassius had a plan which they would assassinate Julius Caesar. They both agreed they wanted to, but for different reasons. Brutus says that it would ruin the republic because the people would want someone like Caesar as king. Cassius is irritated because he believes that Julius Caesar is just as normal as Brutus and himself. He thinks that Caesar is going to be treated as a god rather than a king and Caesar didn’t do anything to deserve to be king. Cassius brings in cases where Caesar is a mortal man such as Caesar not being able to swim and Caesar having a seizure in Spain. The consequence that â€Å"conspirators† were facing was that if they assassinated Caesar, they knew they were going to be killed. Mark Antony wanted revenge on the conspirators. He was the last one to speak at Caesars funeral which was very favorable to him because no one can oppose. Now, people will remember his speech the most out of anyone’s and more people will follow him. Antony also paused a lot in his speech so people had time to actually think about what he was saying. This led to a civil war where many of the conspirators were murdered. â€Å"Julius Caesar† is connected to â€Å"The Lord of the Flies† because in both books, a group of people wanted to overthrow their leader or just disagreed with their leader. Ralph and Piggy discover a conch and they used it to call over the other boys. When everyone was together, they elected Ralph as their leader. Ralph appoints Jack in charge of hunting for food for the entire group. Ralph sets up a system where the hunters set a fire so when someone passes by, they’ll see someone’s on the island. When someone passed by, the fire was out and Ralph and Piggy were furious. The conch symbolized order and normal civilization. When in a meeting, they would blow the conch to give people the right to speak. While searching for the monster, the kids see a silhouette of a parachute. Jack and Ralph hold a meeting telling the group of what they have just seen. During the meeting, Jack calls Ralph cowardly and proposes Ralph being removed from office. Jack walks away with the hunters. Meanwhile Ralph and the remaining children build a new fire. Before finishing the fire, most of the kids have moved to Jacks side. Jack declares himself the new leader. Life under Jacks dictatorship was quite violent. He organized a hunt with the new tribe members. During the hunt, they had a ritual where they slaughtered a sow to solemnize the event. After, the members cut off the sows head and they placed it on a sharpened stake. They put it in the jungle as an offering to the beast. When they were under Ralphs rule, they were never this uncivilized and unorganized. The Lord of the Flies is a voice that Simon keeps hearing. The Lord of the Flies tells Simon that Simon will never escape him. It says it exists within all men. It represents the madness that the children under Jack believe in. When Simon waked up, he goes to tell everyone that he saw a dead parachutist. The other see a shadowy figure from the jungle which they don’t know is Simon and they kill him. It just shows the chaos that’s happening on the island that they would kill their own friend. The final struggle of Mark Antony was what he should do regarding the conspirators. The conspirators had just killed King Julius Caesar. Once Mark Antony took over, he had to make a decision whether to he should or shouldn’t take revenge on the assassinators. The final struggle between Jack and Ralph was if Jack should call truce with Ralph or not. The children needed to find a plan to get off the island and Jacks clan chasing Ralph to kill him wasn’t the solution. A comparison with â€Å"Julius Caesar† and â€Å"Lord of the Flies† is that a normal person tries to corrupt the leader in one way or another. The difference is that in â€Å"Julius Caesar†, Brutus and Cassius try to assassinate Caesar, but they don’t necessarily want to take over. They just truly believe that Caesar does not deserve to be king because they think he’s a normal person. In â€Å"Lord of the Flies†, Jack tries to overtake Ralph, but not assassinate like Brutus and Cassius. The similarity is that they both succeed in what they want to accomplish. Brutus and Cassius kill Caesar and Jack overtakes Ralph as leader. The Tusnian Revolution was a revolt against President Zine El Abidine Ben Alio who was president from 1987 to 2011. They revolted because there was a high unemployment rate, food inflation, and corruption. Also, the living conditions were very poor and there was barely any freedom of speech. President Ben Alio resigned in January 2011. You can learn from â€Å"Julius Caesar† and â€Å"Lord of the Flies† that one shouldn’t think that you’re above all and on a higher power than everyone else.

KTSP: Teaching English As A Foreign Language

KTSP: Teaching English As A Foreign Language In the course of history since 1945 (Independence Year), the national curriculum of Indonesia had undergone changed into several times, namely in 1947, 1952, 1964, 1968, 1975, 1984, 1994, 2004 and the latest curriculum of KTSP 2006 (best understood as School Based Currriculum), those amendments are logically consequences of political issue, government system, social cultural, economic, science and technology changes in the living of state community (Soekisno, 2007, para. 1). Therefore, the curriculum as a set of educational plans should be developed dynamically in accordance with the demands and changes that occur in society. All Indonesias national curriculums were designed based on the same foundation, namely Pancasila (Philosophical foundation of the Indonesian Republic) and the 1945 constitution, the principal differences among those curriculums were only on emphasizing of educational goals and approaches to realize it. Continuing to improve the quality of education in order commensurate with others development countries, Indonesian government has made various changes, and continues to review the implementation of education in Indonesia. As known, the National Education Standards of Indonesia (BSNP) had regulated through Government Regulation (PP) No. 19 Year 2005 set eight contents of the Standards of Education, specifically Content Standard, Standard Process, Graduates Competency Standards, Educators Standards and Education Workforce, Infrastructure Standards , Management Standards, Financial Standards and Evaluation Standards. Simultaneously through that Government Regulation No.19 year 2005 affected to the direction of Indonesian curriculum development policies to implement its Content Standard (SK) and Graduate Competency Standard (SKL) where then being established through the Regulation of The Minister of National Education: Number 22, 23, 24 year 2006. These three regulations then further elaborated to be KTSP (School Based Curriculum) which is built and developed by each educational unit or school in Indonesia. According to Azumardi Azra (2006) explained that the changes in education in Indonesia means that there are two new paradigms emerged in education, shifting the orientation of the policy where previously being centralized to decentralized, then national education is more oriented to the learning process rather than results. Decentralized system means to implement the new breakthrough of School-Based Curriculum where much known as KTSP in Indonesia. KTSP which is then translated to be School-Based Curriculum (SBC), this kind of curriculum replaced its predecessor of Competence Based Curriculum (KBK) 2004. Mulyasa (2008) viewed nearly in every turn of the Ministry of Education will probably changes the curriculum. Its change of curriculum had implicated and affected the national education system of Indonesia; it had not only affected the learning climate in the classroom, as well as the readiness of the principal and subject teachers in effort to understand and apply the practice. In addition, Sutrisno Nuryanto (2008) viewed that the implementation has not optimally practice as a sequence of educational perpetrators who think KTSP differ with KBK. Meanwhile Suhadi (2006) argued in such of that assumption due to a priory attitudes and psychological resistance against the changes. Whereas the changes enhancing the operational practice of curriculum which are developed and implemented by each schools consisting of their own respective goals, local content perspectives, educational calendar and syllabus. KTSP which was being mandated by Ministry of National Education Indonesia (MoNE) through The National Education Standard Institution (BSNP) means to reinforce the implementation of its predecessor (read: KBK), it implies that KTSP still put pressure on developing students competencies, according to Fasli Bachruddin (2007) said that KTSP implementation will not be undergoing through a public test, because this curriculum has been tested through KBK which was being applied by several schools in a pilot project before the born of KTSP. This is then a following-up toward curriculum change in the context of regional autonomy and decentralization of education programmed by the government of Indonesia. The implementation of this curriculum is focused on three dimensions of students enrichment of knowledge (cognitive), attitude formation (affective) and behavior (psychomotor). On KTSP the school and teacher have an authority to decide the educational goals based on their own schools perspective, in other words, teacher have duties on: (1) construct and formulate the proper goal, (2) choose and construct the right lesson material according to the needs, interest and children development phase, (3) using various methods and teaching media, (4) and construct the program and the right evaluation. A curriculum should be made systematically and detail, which will ease the teacher on its implementation. However, KTSP faces major challenges related to integrate of local information, national, and international. Combining these integrations may only be solved by having resources which are prepared ahead of time, not by the teachers who prepared instantly through a variety of curriculum development assistance programs. More dangerous if the schools eventually just offered cheat or trace the guidelines were offered by National Education Standard (BSNP). If so, SBC will create the instant schools, stunted creativity while its very contrary to the mandate of the KTSP. Some of the reasons behind the needs for this research include (1) KTSP implementation needs to be evaluated simultaneously through qualitatively and quantitatively, and (2) the results of that evaluation can be made as the basic information for all policy decisions relate to educational elements in Riau Province especially at Indragiri Hilir Regency. Research Problem However, having launched on 2006, there were many issues discussed by experts and parties whose responsible for education, particularly in the implementation of School Based Curriculum (KTSP) which has inadequate human resources whose capable to interpret even elaborate it into the practice of educational unit , incompleteness of the supporting facilities of its implementation, the teachers do not understand KTSP as a whole, both in terms of concept and its implementation in schools and even still busy using the previous theory in the process of teaching and learning in classroom. In accordance with the principal of KTSP, all levels and types of education in Indonesia must develop their own curriculum based on their potential areas and students. This is supported by Minister of National Education Regulation No. 22 of 2006 on the Content Standards, as well as Minister of National Education Regulation No. 23 of 2006 on Graduates Competency Standards (SKL), these regulations mandate to the schools in order being required to prepare their own curriculum. However, this policy is not accompanied by teachers readiness even understanding, these generate the confusion among them while applying the KTSP. As informed by Curriculum Center 2010, the monitoring noticed about the implementation of KTSP has been conducted mostly in large areas, although majority of them still adopting from existing model of curriculum. Hopefully, with technical assistances that undertaken by various parties affect to the success of its development and helping their understanding on the concept and philosophy, and then encourage them to develop based on their respective conditions. There are always the various obstacles occurred during realizing the empowerment of schools and its KTSP, at the first, lack of ability is the main construct, by creating the development of staffs capabilities while providing technical assistance to particular regions could lead them to learn by doing. The instability of funding for the dissemination and socialization of KTSP causes Curriculum Center also experienced substantial cost-cutting measures, it impacts the perfect planning that has been initially organized became severely hampered in its implementation and also make the distrusting between local to Curriculum Center. But the best spirit of area in welcoming this new curriculum to be highly efficacious drug for the Curriculum Center to do the best in accordance with the appropriate quality needs, potentials and regional particularities. The Implementation of a new curriculum would potentially fail if it was be imprudent to consider the strength of human resources. As stated by Francis Hunkins (2004) argued that one reason may miscarry a new curriculum is that implementation has not been considered critical in curriculum development, further asserted that frequently new and innovative programs are blunted at classroom doors (p. 298). So, a new curriculum that is scientifically well may not necessarily be implemented or will be blunt its scientific in the classroom practice. Therefore, any problems arise due to the implementation of KTSP supposed to comprise more serious concern of Indonesian Government, especially Indonesian Ministry of National Education. Things that must be considered such as the following: Improving teachers quality and understanding toward relevant concepts of KTSP implementation. Providing such of facilities and infrastructure that can support the successful of KTSP implementation. Simultaneously help every educational unit in developing KTSP. Evaluating its process at provincial level to local district and regions. Whatever the responses from the concerning person/social in regard to the implementation of KTSP, school and teacher are the central to implement this school based curriculum, they themselves are potentially to overcome any weaknesses occur, if not it will be in vain. As suggested by Nana (2001) no matter on how good the curriculum is, but the results are highly dependent on what is being done by teachers and pupils in the classroom. It means the success of education through curriculum reformation will ultimately be determined by teacher as an executor of the curriculum, and school as a learning provider. Research Objectives This study aims to see how the implementation of School-Based Curriculum (Initialized as KTSP) in Junior High Schools and Senior High Schools as well as Madrasah at Riau province Indonesia, specifically it will be conducted in one part of Riau Province namely Indragiri Hilir Regency. Particularly the objective of this study is to assess the status of KTSP implementation in dimensions of context, input, process and product. To figure out the extent to which KTSP has been being implementing in High Schools and Madrasah To investigate the complexities of its implementation during 4 years running To find out the supporting facilities served by national and local government in its implementation Overall purpose of this study is to see the implementation of the KTSP in terms of context, input, process and product. Significance of the Study The result of this study will obtain some of the practical benefits as follows: The policy recommendations to Indonesian Ministry of Education (especially for Indragiri Hilir Ministry of Education) based on the objectives data that will be resulted at the end of the study. Information to the public (stakeholder and parents) For basic development of relevant curriculum materials accordance with local potentials and teacher competency standard. As reference to the theoretical basis for the development of KTSP paradigm based on schools potential needs on respect to its planning, implementation, and evaluation. Research Questions In overall objectives, this study will formulate the research questions based on the evaluation model of curriculum developed by Stufflebeam (1972); those are Context, Input, Process and Product. Thus the research questions are formulated as the following: Dimension of Context How do the English teachers at Indragiri Hilir Regency develop their own curriculum based on schools desires, students needs and local needs? How do they implement and integrate all aspects of KTSP to their lesson plan and teaching? Dimension of Input How the entire of KTSP documentation (Lesson Plan, teachers, curriculum development material, supporting facilities, infrastructure and media) have been held completely in every Junior High School, Senior High Schools and Madrasah at Indragiri Hilir Regency Riau? How does the Indragiri Hilir Education Ministry assists the schools to develop their teachers capability in developing and implementing KTSP? Dimension of Process How is the implementation of KTSP in Junior High School, Senior High Schools and Madrasah at Indragiri Hilir Regency Riau? How do they (Schools and teachers) evaluate its implementation? Dimension of Product How are the results of KTSP implementation? How the effect of KTSP implementation to students competence in English (Impact of teachers creativities in designing their own curriculum development) CHAPTER II THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK Literature Review As the latest curriculum on 2006 which is derived from KBK (CBC-Competence-Based Curriculum 2004), KTSP becomes a new breakthrough in the history of Indonesian education curriculum, which to progress its development to down-top approach. Contextually, KTSP develop by any groups or committees of the education unit or school/madrasah those under coordination and supervision of the National Indonesian Education Ministry and Local Indonesian Education Ministry. It emphasizes on developing the ability to perform competences and tasks with specific standards, so the results affect the students on mastery of a set of specific knowledge competencies, and values used in many fields of life. Indeed, KTSP is the curriculum that reflects the knowledge, skills and attitudes and also refers to the concept of education in turning to improve students potentiality optimally. Moreover, according to historical records, following the independence of the Republic of Indonesia, the Dutch language was replaced by English as the first foreign language, and has been recognized as such in Indonesia since 1955 (Alisjabana, 1976; de Han, 2003 as cited in Mochtar Marhum, n.d.). Since the 1980s, English has been considered to be the most important foreign language in Indonesia. The governments and communitys interest in English has been growing since the early 1990s (Alwasilah, 1997). This position of English can be traced from government documents on the results of Parliaments meetings. In the GBHN (The Guidelines of the State Policy) 1983 and 1988, foreign language policy was not incorporated. However, in the GBHN 1993, the policy on foreign languages, particularly English, was clearly stipulated. The policy related to the use and mastery of English. In 1988, Government Regulation No. 55, 56 and 57/1988 changing Government Regulation No. 28, 29/990 was introduced. It confirmed the use of English in schools. Moreover, Government Regulation of No 57/1957/1988 confirmed the use of English as a foreign language and as a means of communication in the university. Subsequently, it was incorporated into Government Regulation No 60/1999 on the use of English in all higher education. Alwasilah (1997) suggested that the need for mastery of English in the globalization era was absolutely necessary. In addition, it would be ideal if the mastery of English became the mastery of second language (p. 89). Yet, the unique of this KTSP hopefully bring the new education model to the success of Indonesian education. The development of a KTSP is a new phenomenon for the school community in Indonesia, consequently, in the early stage of its implementation some obstacles were found in a number of schools. The freedom of schools to create their own curriculum which is relevant with the needs of students cannot be fully implemented (Harry Burhanudin, 2008). The general model of it which is being developed as a model and fully adopted by a number of schools has tended to cause a similar curriculum among schools as to what was being implemented in the centralistic era. The change in the role of schools from curriculum implementer to curriculum developer has made the school community confused. The capacity of school community to analyze the conditions and needs of the students and implement them in school curriculum needs to be further improved. Therefore, school assistance through professional development programs provided for the head teachers and teachers in the context of this kind of school based curriculum is still considered important for several years to come. In line with the school assistance, capacity building of the educational management in autonomous regions (regency/municipality) managing the curriculum development still remains to be completed A number of studies have been carried out to investigate its implementation, in a previous study conducted on 2008 where located in Jambi province of Indonesia revealed (Sutrisno Nuryanto, 2008) that KTSP to all levels (Elementary Schools, Junior and Senior High Schools) having less applicable in term of (a) KTSP developmental preparation, (b) syllabus development, (c) teachers self development, (d) integrated learning, (e) local content development, (f) outcomes assessment, and (g) report process (p. 27). As such the issue above, implementation in this context leads to the true readiness of Jambi province in anticipating of changes toward educational paradigm from a previously centralized to decentralized. For example, KTSP which was launched on the late 2006 more emphasis on school autonomy through developing their own curriculum according to local needs and wisdoms, means Indonesian curricula is no longer centralized nationally and it is mandated on Indonesian Regulation No. 22 legislated in 1999 by the republic of Indonesia (R.I). Regarding local government, decentralization implies that the authority to implement and manage education shall be transferred from the national government to local districts or municipal government levels. At this point Sutrisno Nuryanto (1998) also asserted that the teachers rules as facilitator in KTSP elements have not been working as the schools and committees expectations. Furthermore, on different angle reported as the following: The real condition shows that the paradigm shift is not necessarily accompanied by better result. A number of problems still advance in Jambi while on level of provinces, cities and countries. First, not all sectors which are directed to educational policy have human resources competent to formulate the technical policy and its implementation. Second, the increasingly of dominant political intervention in determining of policy and implementation, contextually in line with the trend of autonomy, bureaucratic chain is very closely possible to having dominantly power to education. (Sutrisno Nuryanto, 1998 p. 24). In a sense, it is important to consider the argument rose on where the KTSP developed, Endo viewed from this perspective that KTSP is similar to the concept of School-Based Curriculum Development (SBCD) in Australia which had begun to set on the mid-1970s, the discourse was in essence of giving more freedom in determining the curricula by the schools members (Endo, 1997). SBCD has several characteristics that are generally similar to SBC development in Indonesia, proved on through the participation of teachers, participation of the whole or part of school staffs; range of activities including selection (choice of a number of alternative curriculum), adaptation (modification of existing curriculum), and creation (designing a new curriculum); responsibilities transformation from centralist to decentralist (not terminating of responsibilities) and a continuation process among the community and stake-holders (to assist teachers and schools). Other studies have indicated, however, Indonesian KTSP is not derived from SBCD in Australia, such on this argument Wachyu (2009) argued KTSP is having the differentials factors from SBCD in Australia, KTSP is an integrated curriculum combining between the Top-Down and Bottom-Up approach that was being confirmed in USPN (Legislation of Indonesian National Education Standard) on chapter X, article 36 and 37, USPN revealed that Indonesian curriculum development is based on National Education Standard (SNP) and considerately pay attention on learners potential diversities, schools diversities and local needs. In Chapter 38 also states that the structure and framework of the curriculum of primary and secondary schools are determined by the government. Therefore, KTSP divided into core (subjects are tested nationally) and local subjects that are developed by each educational unit based on the assessment of its potential, including the content to develop learners personality and potential based on his interest in the form of extra-curricular activities. While SBCD in Australia tend to apply bottom-up approach, the entire process and the stages of curriculum based on the potential school. As confirmed by Skillbeck (1991) that School based curriculum is a process when some or all members of a school take part on planning, implementation, and evaluation on the aspects or elements of the curriculum (Sklill beck, 1991, as cited in Wachyu, 2009, p. 2). Decentralized curriculum; such of designing, implementing and controlling (evaluation and improvement) carried out through locally by each educational unit, teachers who design its curriculum working together with experts, schools committee/madrasah and others part of society. KTSP development could include all components of the curriculum or some only, instead of compilation can be done by a group or all teachers with regard to the needs of each school in accordance with the conditions in each educational unit or its surrounding communities. KTSP will be more meaningful because of the different situations in a certain local condition that lead to the fulfillment of needs, demands and local development. It will produce a variety of design but more easily to understand, mastered and implemented by teachers due to their involvement in expanding KTSP. Particularly the center of curriculum by Indonesian Education Ministry (2007) has pointed out also the advantages and its shortcomings, the advantages are taking on (1) KTSP is accordance with the needs, conditions, and on diversities which every local communities have, auto assist in developing society, (2) more easily to carry out due to the designs that have been prepared by teachers considering the local factors that really support to develop. Instead, it has also several shortcomings, (1) not all teachers have the expertise or skills in curriculum development then, not every local schools have the teachers or an expert that proficiently in developing such of it, (2) contently localized, the graduate can be lack of ability to participate the national competitiveness, (3) various designs that lead to the complexity of monitoring and evaluating in term of national learning outcomes, (4) transferring students from certain schools to another schools can cause difficulties (Center for the Development of Curriculum, 2007). Recent reports have noted, researched by Wachyu Sundayana (2009), a number of 60 English teachers from junior and senior high schools spread of 24 regencies and cities in West Java Indonesia were being selected, most teachers who participated in this study had trained and socialized about KTSP. He organized the research questions on (1) How are English teachers understanding about KTSP, (2) How are their perceptions on the development of KTSP, (3) What complexities were raising during implementing and developing its curriculum. This study showed the development of KTSP in every unit of educations especially junior high schools and MTs (Madrasah) in West Java are still not in line with the stages of development as suggested in the guidelines of BSNP (Institution of National Education Standard). Data collection showed most teachers (74%) know what KTSP was, but they were not clear to what function they have in practice, implement and develop KTSP, for the same reason Faizah and Ismono studied for investigating the readiness of chemistry teachers (Bangkalan district of Madura), according to their finding that Chemistry teachers from five schools were not ready to apply, the percentage just reached on 60% (Faizah Ismono, 2008, as cited in Yuli Eko Siswono, n.d). Simultaneously with the finding of Wachyu Sundayana study, the complexities on its implementation concluded as follows: (1) lack of supporting facilities of the schools, (2) incompleteness of KTSP guidance that received by teachers, (3) KTSP guideline was not detailed and clear, (4) teachers understanding on KTSP documents. These data are consistent with the finding of research conducted by Miftahul Jannah (2008) showing about teachers abilities are low in developing syllabus and lesson plan, most of respondents (75%) stated about their inabilities in developing syllabus but just copying and duplicating the examples from BSNP without having a preliminary investigation throughout students potentials and schools needs. Most of interviewing respondents admit to their complexities in making a good syllabus and lesson plan lines with the students and schools needs. This fact showed that teachers having a great plague to develop among the stage on SBC (Miftahul Jannah, 2008, as cited in Wa chyu Sundayana, 2009. p. 7). Regarding Riau province, whole schools on current educational year 2009/2010 are progressing to adapt KTSP, such socialization have always done, it felt as complexity because the entire process of being centralize to decentralize doesnt much understand by some teachers, referring to the function of teachers on KTSP, teachers are together with schools members to develop KTSP based on students potential and local needs (UUD No. 20 year 2003/article 37). In fact, it is of utmost importance to examine what we could learn from prior and present efforts to bring about the strategies that are currently progressed by BSNP to help every educational unit in developing its curriculum. Harianti (2008) explained although the authority of national curriculum development has changed. It is not making a sense for curriculum center to lose their jobs, the task change progressively to assist schools to prepare their own respective curricula. Furthermore, she points out the job responsibility is not seem to be easy, nowadays, there are a large number of schools in Indonesia contains 43.461 (elementary schools), 12.731 (junior high schools), 4.499 (senior high school) and 2.655 (vocational high schools), yet, not including Early Childhood education, Extraordinary Schools and Madrasah. It does not allow for curriculum center helps one by one, there should be a strategy then schools can develop their own curricula (para. 2). The expectation is that they can develop a curriculum, becoming true backbone in improving local human resources through education in national or even in international competitiveness. Empowerment the schools and community in developing KTSP done through a technical assistance, both at the provincial level as well as at the level of district/city, at the provincial level expected to present a TPK (Curriculum Development Team) whose responsibility to provide the information and give assistances on the development of KTSP to TPK at the level district. Empowerment at the provincial level such as Riau is concentrated in the area of curriculum development till the teams performing evaluation and monitoring its implementation based on their own respective regions, beside at the district level is concentrated on the ability of the team to perform in school curriculum development assistance. KTSP where commonly known as school based curriculum gone to be discussed for a long, the broad study of Marsh Collin et.al (1990) on their final finding of School based curriculum development had suggested through sub of specifics SBCD issues: The key actors involved in political decisions about schooling in their respective countries tend to use several terms to describe or promote their efforts. Such term include quality of schooling, school-improvement, school-focused improvement, self-managing school, and many others. Be that as it may, there are a number of interesting issues about SBCD and (its synonyms) which are currently of considerable interest and are likely to remain so in the immediate future. They include: The role of parents and students in decision making Financial management by schools Professional development for teachers Teacher appraisal School evaluation Pressure of tightening central control (As cited in Marsh Colin, et.al, 1990, pp. 206-207) There are always the various obstacles occurred in realizing the empowerment of schools and its KTSP, at the first, lack of ability is the main construct, by creating the development of staffs capabilities while providing technical assistance to particular regions could lead them to learn by doing. The instability of funding for the dissemination and socialization of KTSP causes Curriculum Center also experienced substantial cost-cutting measures, it impacts the perfect planning that has been initially organized became severely hampered in its implementation and also make the distrusting between local to Curriculum Center. But the best spirit of area in welcoming this new curriculum to be highly efficacious drug for the Curriculum Center to do the best in accordance with the appropriate quality needs, potentials and regional particularities. As informed by Curriculum Center (2010), the monitoring noticed about the implementation of KTSP has been conducted mostly in large areas, although majority of them still adopting from existing model of curriculum. Hopefully, with technical assistances that undertaken by various parties affect to the success of its development and helping their understanding on the concept and philosophy, and then encourage them to develop based on their respective conditions. Furthermore, the Curriculum center toward its official website released about the uniqueness of KTSP implementation in term of schools needs diversities, Although the two junior high schools are located in the adjacent neighborhood but it was very much different pupils conditions. The A school whose current learners come from upper and middle class of socio-economic with having high academic achievement, all of them want to continue on to university. On the other hand, the B school whose majorities of learners come from disadvantaged of socio-economic, plan to graduate soon and earning money is a primary goal of schooling. Both of these two schools will develop a very different curriculum. School A will focus on studies with higher order thinking that enables learners to have high academic thinking in leading them to continue university. While school B will enrich the subjects with several activities that cultivate the skills to work so that learners feel a sense of great beneficial skills after graduating from school B. There a lot of researchers have investigated about KTSP. Specifically on its implementation, based on the reviewing above some researchers had focused on the effectiveness on its evaluation based on the real phenomenon which occurred in the real situation of the schools, the writer although cannot find the way of th