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Maintenance Aviation Safety Action Programs at Dubai World Central Airport

Maintenance Aviation Safety Action Programs
Maintenance Aviation Safety Action Programs

Maintenance Aviation Safety Action Programs at Dubai World Central Airport

  1. Proposal Summary

Maintenance as well as aviation safety programs are implemented for the purpose of encouraging maintenance station and air carrier employees to voluntarily forward reports on errors, a practice which is fundamental in making sure there is identification of potential causes of accidents and/or incidents.

Under aviation safety programs, proactive action is taken to resolve safety issues rather than by disciplining or punishment the concerned individuals. As a result, these programs are aimed at enhancing aviation safety mainly by preventing incidents and accidents both at the airport as well as air carriers by focusing on encouraging compliance to the safety issues’ reporting voluntarily.

For instance, the introduction of Aviation Safety Action Programs (ASAPs) in the flight domain within the aviation industry was encouraged by the hope of motivating pilots towards disclosing their errors, and also of significance reporting the factors that may have contributed to the errors.  

Thus, keeping a record of these reports may help in the implementation of systemic solutions in order to preclude recurrence. Generally, the air carriers can significantly benefit from their maintenance and/or safety programs, which can be essential in addressing the identified systemic discrepancies that could have otherwise resulted to detrimental effects if left unresolved.   

Maintenance and safety play a significant role in maintaining airline fleets throughout the world through appropriate ASAPs. ASAPs provide a blanket term for all the services that relate to assuring the safety and airworthy of aircraft. Ayeni, Baines, Lightfoot and Ball (2011) noted that the global market worth of the ASAPs market is $50 billion. ASAPs providers and implementers typically provide four main capabilities: Engine, Airframe, Airport, as well as Component Services. Dubai World Center (DWC) is located at Dubai City.

The airport opened first as a cargo operations center but later opened for passengers handling services and flights in 2013. The airport is touted as the next world’s largest global gateway due to its capacity of more than 160 million passengers every year. For this reason, many airlines will operate from the airport and this will necessitate the need for maintenance and repair organization, which must be accompanied by appropriate safety programs.

Air transport, cargo operators, and airlines operate schedules that require high utilization and serviceability levels and minimum cost. Since they have high capital and utilization costs, they require a large amount of support by the ASAPs. The airlines operate large fleets of aircraft, and since many of their aircraft are on the lease, they require that they have high maintenance so that they can maximize their value in agreement with the requirements of the lesser. This paper explores the feasibility of ASAPs in DWC.

The United Arab Emirates has four airlines operating from various countries such as the Emirates airline & Fly Dubai operating from Dubai International Airport, Etihad operating from Abu Dhabi International Airport as well as Air Arabia operating from Sharjah International Airport. All of these airlines operate fleets of varied aircrafts ranging from Airbus A330 to heavy duty and new generation Boeings B800; whereby the number of aircrafts owned by Emirates Airline, Fly Dubai, and Etihad are 260, 49 and 122 respectively.

The management of ASAPs by these airlines is either in-house or through outsourcing. For example, Emirates and Etihad accomplish maintenance of their fleet and management of ASAPs at their facility; whereas Air Arabia outsources this from Joramco in Jordan, Amman. In addition, Fly Dubai outsources aircraft maintenance and management of ASAPs from ADAT in Abu Dhabi.    

  1. Topic Literature Review    

According to Ait-Kadi, Duffuaa, Knezevic and Raouf (2009), ASAPs play a significant role in making sure that optimal safety levels are sustained including providing maintenance that is in relation to the process of promoting airworthiness of the airport as well as the air carriers’ condition. Also, Easterby-Smith, Thorpe and Jackson (2012) noted that ASAPs provide maintenance of damaged components of the airport or an aircraft as a strategy to ensure they operate properly in order to improve safety.

Choules (2013) evaluated the need for ASAPs for commercial aircraft as well as large airlines including Emirates, Fly Dubai, Etihad, and Air Arabia in order to provide them with support throughout their operational network and found that these programs were of vital significance. According to Jankowicz (2004), minor maintenance and safety actions may be needed at remote destinations, even though it is more significant if they are done at the operational bases of respective air carriers.

According to Jankowicz (2004), in his study to examine the need of ASAPs for military aircraft operators found that operators of military aircrafts required high maintenance and safety action service reliability and availability considering the complexity of their functions and they are more expensive compared to other aircrafts.

Furthermore, Ait-Kadi, Duffuaa, Knezevic and Raouf (2009) suggested that unlike the airlines, small aircrafts such as helicopters which operate in a an area that is relatively small, and cannot fly for long distances than typical airlines as well as other aircrafts with fixed wings require less aggressive ASAPs.    

  1. Objectives

The primary objectives of this study include:

  1. To investigate the impacts of establishing maintenance aviation safety action programs at Dubai World Central Airport.
  2. To explore the services and functions to be offered by the maintenance aviation safety action programs at Dubai World Central Airport.
  3. To recognize key factors that will encourage global airliners to embrace the appropriate fleet maintenance aviation safety action programs at Dubai World Central Airport.
  4. To establish the internal and external factors that impact maintenance Aviation Safety Action Programs (ASAPs) at Dubai World Central Airport.
  5. To establish appropriate recommendations and conclusions which identify approaches of solving the negative impacts of these factors on maintenance Aviation Safety Action Programs (ASAPs) at Dubai World Central Airport.  

It is essential to determine that the maintenance Aviation Safety Action Programs are an imperative approach in the process of making sure that there is seamless running of operations at an airport whether locally, regionally or internationally recognized, which can influence the goals stipulated by the respective airports negatively or positively.

In this case, the maintenance Aviation Safety Action Programs can be impacted by a number of components in a work environment due to the vital role they play in ensuring airport operations take place without incidences or accidents that can possibly translate to significant levels of losses.

The aim of this study therefore, is to draw a focus on some of the programs established by Dubai World Central Airport with regards to maintenance and aviation safety action. In particular, this study will make sure that some of the variables affecting the maintenance and aviation safety action both internally and externally are succinctly detailed.  

As a result, this paper proposes establishing maintenance aviation safety action programs at Dubai Central airport including safety equipment such as escape slide rafts and life jackets, among others. In addition, the study will also consider the safety maintenance operations at the aircraft structural repair workshop, brakes, and wheels overhaul workshop, engine module replacement facility as well as Non-Destructive Test facility.

Therefore, considering that Dubai World Central Airport present operations are within a limited number of airlines, the ongoing plans to ensure that it is converted to multi runways operation makes it essential to prioritize maintenance and safety programs. This is attributable to the fact that, the major infrastructural development plans envisaged to take place in the near future will require ambitious as well as comprehensive maintenance aviation safety action programs.

  1. Project Outcomes

Establishing maintenance aviation safety action programs at Dubai World Central Airport is a venture of fundamental importance not only to the airport facility, but also for the airlines expected to be using the airport since there will close monitoring and evaluation of airport as well as airlines activities’ safety while at the same time ensuring that maintenance of the airport and/or airplane is progressing.

This means that, maintenance and safety is an inevitable activity program to undertake as the airlines to be served by the airport of interest continue to grow bigger in terms of fleet strength and customer base. Thus, outsourcing maintenance activity as well as implementation of aviation safety action programs will be beneficial because they will play an imperative role in making sure that these airlines can invest their resources on their core business of airline’s operations.

Establishing these kind of programs can significantly help the airlines in reducing their operational costs by ensuring that, very minimal accidents or incidents are reported at the airports as well as the airplanes used by the airlines to transport passengers. In addition, capital investment will be freed up by these programs since they have a potential of reducing inventory control, upon obtaining approval from the UAE General Civil Aviation Authority.

Moreover, these maintenance aviation safety action programs ought to be implemented in collaboration with pilots, airline operators, airline attendants, airport employees as well as maintenance engineers.

Therefore, in order for the research aims and objectives to be achieved, the structure of the study and analysis will follow the format shown below:

  • Analysis of the currently available maintenance and safety programs at the airport.
  • Identification of factors necessary for the establishment of maintenance aviation safety action programs at DWC Airport.
  • Explore the sustainability of MRO market at DWC.
  • Analyze and understand key factors that forces airlines to choose this new MRO.
  • Investigate factors that have potential to encourage compliance to maintenance aviation safety action programs at DWC Airport.
  1. Why are you interested in the project?

The reason why am interested in this project is because, it has always been my dream to ensure that air transportation becomes safe by significantly reducing accidents and incidents both at the airports and airplanes through establishment of reliable and effective maintenance and aviation safety action programs. In addition, professional curiosity that is primarily business-oriented has also attracted by attention towards undertaking a study on this crucial topic.

For instance, an observation of the huge infrastructural investments made by airports as well as airlines managements, I found it worthy to embark on this study to establish if maintenance and safety action programs put in place are sufficiently enough to ensure safety of commuters, airport infrastructure and the airplanes.

The desire to evaluate if the current maintenance and safety programs are economically viable was also another factor that motivated my interest in this project, especially considering that airplanes which have been developed in the recent past are technologically advanced meaning investment in their maintenance and safety resources has also grown significantly higher. Furthermore, my thoughts and interest in this project were substantially influenced by the training from MBA studies, which has pushed my desire to carry out an in-depth analysis of this subject.

  1. What are the key questions the project attempts to answer?
  2. What are the internal factors that affect maintenance Aviation Safety Action Programs (ASAPs) at Dubai World Central Airport?
  3. What are the external factors that maintenance Aviation Safety Action Programs (ASAPs) at Dubai World Central Airport?
  4. What are the approaches that can be employed in solving the internal and external factors that affect the maintenance Aviation Safety Action Programs (ASAPs) at Dubai World Central Airport?        
  5. What Research Methods do you intend to use?

This project is going to be a quantitative research. According to Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill (2012), an appropriate research methodology is essential for any research process to be carried out effectively. The project will involve an exploratory case study to explore the operations of maintenance and safety programs at DWC Airport that are currently faced with high uncertainty levels.

In addition, limited information exists concerning the specific maintenance aviation safety action programs adopted by various airlines as well as the additional programs that airlines ought to adopt, particularly at the DWC Airport (Ross, 2003). The significance of exploratory case study research in this project is that, it will play an essential role in the identification of the salient features and factors that can potentially affect an establishment of maintenance and aviation safety action programs at Dubai World Central Airport, as well as determining the boundaries limiting the implementation of maintenance and safety action programs in aviation.

Easterby-Smith, Thorpe & Jackson (2012) noted that, inductive research method is an approach that allows specific observations to be made subsequent to moving them towards wider views, assumptions as well as theories. As a result, inductive research is envisaged to result to the development of the research hypotheses. However, analytical research in the aviation industry can play a significant role towards helping in succinct understanding of present and future trend of maintenance and safety action programs in the aviation industry through the meaningful insights obtained.

Various strategic and analytical management tools to be used in this study to evaluate the phenomenon under investigation include: PESTEL, SWOT, Performance Driver analysis, and Porter’s Five Forces analysis to investigate the strategic imperativeness, the socio-economic conditions, restrains and drivers in the aviation industry as well as the effectiveness and efficiency while establishing a maintenance aviation safety action programs at DWC Airport.

However, the project will involve participation of a randomly picked sample size of 200 participants from who primary data will be collected. Therefore, the research sample will particularly consist of airlines executives based at the airport, aviation consultants and regulatory body executives, as well as representatives of aircraft manufacturers.

During this study, I plan to investigate the airlines and airport maintenance and safety action programs as well as current and future strategies among various airlines that are utilized by DWC Airport towards heightening safety levels through their respective implementation plans together with the necessary operational elements including the technical expertise, human resources, capacity and available resources. This will be achieved by conducting specific statistical analysis using the information gathered from research participants based on SPSS.            

The quantitative data to be gathered for this study will be primarily collected from secondary sources of data through a review of the available literature materials and other online databases. Moreover, structured interviews will also be used in gathering information from airlines and airport personnel based at Dubai World Central airport with regards to maintenance and safety action programs currently in use as well as those envisaged to be implemented in future.

The responses obtained from randomly selected research participants to the structured interviews and questionnaires will then be used as the primary data for this project. Alternatively, the secondary data will primarily be collected from online sources and databases (Ghauri and Grønhaug, 2005). For instance, data concerning the present maintenance and safety and the extent of action programs adopted by the airport as well as various airlines will be established by reviewing literature from secondary sources.    

  1. What primary and/or secondary data sources do you intend to use?

In order to ensure that the research is appropriately carried out and the findings or results are credible and reliable, it is important to make sure that valid and unbiased sources of data are used. As a result, in this project I am planning to use both primary and secondary sources of data.

Therefore, am planning to conduct structured interviews, as well as administration of questionnaires [directly as well as via e-mails] to current administrators of maintenance aviation safety action programs, airlines executives based at the airport, aviation consultants and regulatory body executives,  as well as representatives of aircraft manufacturers in order to collect qualitative and quantitative data for this study.

The questionnaires with a set of questions will be forwarded to the randomly selected participants followed by structured interviews and email follow-ups to allow collection of valid and reliable data.

In addition, I will also collect secondary data for this study by reviewing published data on articles written about the subject. Secondary data will also be collected by reviewing aviation magazines, journals (both print and online), aircraft manufacturer websites, newspaper articles, and regulatory authority websites. 

Furthermore, I plan to physically visit the case study airport in order to interact and interview maintenance and safety programs’ administrators or managers so that I can get first-hand view of the subject. This will be achieved by conducting informal interviews as well as holding discussions with relevant personnel concerning day-to-day maintenance and safety action programs during my visit.

List of References       

Ait-Kadi, D., Duffuaa, S.O., Knezevic, J., & Raouf, A. (2009). Handbook of maintenance management and engineering. London: Springer.

Ayeni, P., Baines, T.S., Lightfoot, H., & Ball, P. (2011). State-of-the-art of ‘Lean’ in the aviation maintenance, repairs, and overhaul industry. Proceedings of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, Part B: Journal of Engineering Manufacture, p.0954405411407122.

Cameron, S. (2008). The MBA Handbook: skills for mastering management. London: Pearson Education.

Choules, C. (2013). Maintenance and repair organization Exposition. Retrieved on 10th September 2016 from:  http://www.esterline.com/Portals/10/Weston/Documents/CE12%20Iss%2001%20MOE.pdf.  

Easterby-Smith, M., Thorpe, R., & Jackson, P.R. (2012). Management research. Thousand Oaks, NJ: Sage.

Endsley, M.R. & Robertson, M.M. (2000). Situation awareness in aircraft maintenance teams. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics, 26(2), 301-325.

Ghauri, P.N. & Grønhaug, K. (2005). Research methods in business studies: A practical guide. New York, NY: Pearson Education.

Goddard, W. & Melville, S. (2004). Research methodology: An introduction. London, UK: Juta and Company Ltd. 

Graham, S. & Thrift, N. (2007). Out of order understanding repair and maintenance. Theory, Culture & Society, 24(3), 1-25.

Jankowicz, A D. (2004). Business Research Projects, (4th ed.). New York, NY: Thomson Learning.

Saunders, M., Lewis, P., & Thornhill, A. (2012). Research Methods for Business Students, (6th ed.). New York, NY: FT Prentice.

Peters, M.J., Howard, K., & Sharp, M.J.A. (2012). The management of a student research project. London: Gower Publishing, Ltd.

Robson, C. (2011). Real World Research: A Resource for Social Scientists and Practitioner Researchers. New York, NY: Blackwell Publishing.  

Ross, W.A. (2003). September. The impact of next generation test technology on aviation maintenance. In AUTOTESTCON 2003. IEEE Systems Readiness Technology Conference. Proceedings. IEEE. 

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Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics

Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics

Descriptive statistics and inferential statistics

  1. Introduction

This report is an analysis of the data generated using SPSS and presented using charts and tables. The report firstly presents the results of selected descriptive statistical analyses. Subsequently, the report summarises the numerical results with descriptive statistics analysis tables or graphs, including the interpretation of these tables and graphs. The fourth section or the report is a presentation of the data regarding numerical results of the inferential statistics. This is followed by a discussion of the same, before a summative conclusion is presented in the last section.

  • Selected descriptive statistics

Descriptive statistics refers to the kinds of data that analysts and researchers use in presenting the characteristics of the sample used in a study. According to Kothari (2004), they are used in checking whether the variables that the researcher has chosen to use violate any assumptions that the researcher might have made, which might be consequential to the findings. Another important function of descriptive statistics used in this section is that they help to answer the core research questions.

In the present study, the descriptive statistics selected are for public use micro data area code (PUMA), house weight (WHTP), state code, (ST), numbering of persons (NP), rooms (RMS), bedrooms, (BDS), and household income (HINCP). The data retrieved was as presented in table 1 below

Table 1: PUMA, ST, BDS, RMS, mean, median, and standard deviation

 RMSBDSSTPUMA
NValid4911491149114911
Missing0000
Mean4.872.6115.00248.05
Median5.003.0015.00302.00
Std. Deviation1.9331.197.00081.573
Minimum1015100
Maximum9515307

Table 2: RMS, BDS, ST, and PUMA, frequency table

 PUMAFrequencyPercentValid PercentCumulative Percent
Valid10095119.419.419.4
 20078215.915.935.3
 3014078.38.343.6
 3024128.48.452.0
 3034258.78.760.6
 30453610.910.971.5
 3053657.47.479.0
 3064569.39.388.3
 30757711.711.7100.0
 Total4911100.0100.0 
NPFrequencyPercentValid PercentCumulative Percent
Valid04529.29.29.2
 197019.819.829.0
 2149130.430.459.3
 371114.514.573.8
 461912.612.686.4
 53186.56.592.9
 61613.33.396.2
 7941.91.998.1
 830.6.698.7
 920.4.499.1
 1018.4.499.5
 117.1.199.6
 127.1.199.7
 135.1.199.8
 151.0.099.9
 162.0.099.9
 171.0.099.9
 192.0.0100.0
 202.0.0100.0
 Total4911100.0100.0 
RMSFrequencyPercentValid PercentCumulative Percent
Valid11853.83.83.8
 23457.07.010.8
 367713.813.824.6
 489618.218.242.8
 5111022.622.665.4
 676815.615.681.1
 74388.98.990.0
 82344.84.894.7
 92585.35.3100.0
 Total4911100.0100.0 
BDSFrequencyPercentValid PercentCumulative Percent
Valid02114.34.34.3
 168313.913.918.2
 2120824.624.642.8
 3181036.936.979.7
 468814.014.093.7
 53116.36.3100.0
 Total4911100.0100.0 

From the data in table 1 above, a number of observations are blatant and clear. The first is that the means of RMS, BDS, ST and PUMA are 4.87, 2.61, 15, and 248.05 respectively. For rooms, the number of rooms, the median score was 5, where the scores varied from 1 to 9. This means that the majority of respondents have about 5 rooms.

When it comes to the number of bedrooms, the median score was 3, whereas the mean was 2.61, this shows that the majority of respondents have 3 rooms. The state code was 15 for all respondents whereas the mean for public use of micro data area code was 248.05. The mean was 302, whereas the minimum and maximum scores were 100 and 307 respectively.

From table 2, a number of assertions can also be made, and the first is about PUMA. From the table, the evidence shows that for public use of micro data area code, 19.4% of the respondents scored category 100, which made it the highest selected category, whereas 15.9% of the respondents checked 200, making it the second most selected category. Comparatively, 301 was the least selected category at 8.7%.

Additionally, for number of bedrooms, a majority of the respondents said that they had three bedrooms in their houses, and this represented 3.9% of all responses, closely followed by those with two bedrooms at 24.6%. At the same time, the number of people living in houses with no bedrooms or five bedrooms was the least with a score of 4.3% and 6.3% respectively.

This data is in line with the data about rooms, which shows that 22% of respondents stay in a five-roomed apartment, followed by 18% and 15%, who stay in four and five roomed houses respectively. Because of the number of rooms and bedrooms in their houses, it is plausible to conclude that a majority of the respondents stay with other people or expect other people to visit often, which are why they have extra rooms in the house, as well as extra bedrooms in the house.

Additionally, from the data, it is obvious that a majority of the people are in the middle between the rich and the poor, as those who stay in studio apartments are as marginal as those who stay in luxury apartments that can contain at least five bedrooms. . 

  • Selected inferential statistical analyses

Inferential statistics refer to the data analysis methods where the researcher or analyst uses a given set of data to determine whether there is a link between given variables being studied. By using inferential statistics, the researcher can tell whether the relationship that seems to exist between variables is a fact, or whether it is not a fact. According to Kothari (2004), a number of measures and techniques can be used to accomplish inferential statistics. The two types of inferential statistics used in this report are correlation and regression analyses.  

Correlation was conducted using the Pearson correlation analysis. Pearson correlation analysis is employed to measure the linear relationship between two or more variables. The value of Pearson correlation ranges between -1 and +1, with -1 indicating negative correlation, 0 indicating no correlation and +1 indicating positive correlation between the variables.  Besides, the closer the value is to +1, the stronger the relationship between the variables (Saunders, Lewis & Thornhill, 2007). For this study, the data is as shown below.

According to table 4-20, Sig. (2-tailed) =0.000, and all the four variables have a significant correlation at the 0.01 significant level. Pearson correlation between PUMA and NP is .110, whereas the relation between PUMA and BDS and RMS is .042 and .067 respectively. This shows that there is a weak but positive relationship between PUMA and all the independent variables, although the weakest relationship is that between PUMA and BDS.

Table 3: Correlations

 PUMANPBDSRMS
PUMAPearson Correlation1.110(**).042(**).067(**)
Sig. (2-tailed) .000.003.000
N4911491149114911
NPPearson Correlation.110(**)1.447(**).396(**)
Sig. (2-tailed).000 .000.000
N4911491149114911
BDSPearson Correlation.042(**).447(**)1.878(**)
Sig. (2-tailed).003.000 .000
N4911491149114911
RMSPearson Correlation.067(**).396(**).878(**)1
Sig. (2-tailed).000.000.000 
N4911491149114911

**  Correlation is significant at the 0.01 level (2-tailed).

Regression analysis helps estimate and investigate the association between variables. R Square is used to show the degree of relationship between the dependent and independent variables. R Square value ranges between 0 and 1, and the closer the value is to 1, the stronger the relationship between the variables further indicating the greater degree to which variation in independent variable explains the variation in dependent variable (Seber and Lee, 2012).

Based on the model summary table 4-21, R stand for the correlation coefficient and it depicts the association between dependent variable and independent variables. It is evident that a positive relationship exists between the dependent variable and independent variables as shown by R value (0.126).

However, the relationship is a very weak one. Besides, it can be seen that the variation in the three independent variables (RMS, BDS and NP) explain 1.6% variation of PUMA as represented by the value of R Square. Therefore, it means that other factors that are not studied on in this study contribute 98.4% of the PUMA programs. This means that the other factors are very important and thus need to be put into account in any effort to enhance PUMA. Additionally, this research therefore identifies the three independent variable studied on in this research as the non-critical determinants of PUMA boundaries.

Table 4: regression analysis results

                                 Model Summary

ModelRR SquareAdjusted R SquareStd. Error of the Estimate
1.126(a).016.01580.945

a  Predictors: (Constant), RMS, NP, BDS

Further, this research established through the analysis f variance that the significant value is 0.00, which is less than 0.01, therefore the model is statistically significant in foretelling how NP, RMS, and BDS can influence PUMA groupings. The F critical value at the 0.01 level of significant was 26.501. Given that F calculated  is greater than the F critical value of 26.501, then it means that the overall model was significant (Seber and Lee, 2012).

                                                         ANOVA(b)

Model Sum of SquaresdfMean SquareFSig.
1Regression520911.1203173637.04026.501.000(a)
 Residual32151092.84549076552.087  
 Total32672003.9654910   

a  Predictors: (Constant), RMS, NP, BDS

b  Dependent Variable: PUMA

At the same time, the beta coefficients also gives significant inferential information. According to the regression coefficients presented in table 4-23, this research found that when all independent variables (the number of persons (NP), number of rooms (RMS), and the number of bedrooms (BDS)) are kept constant at zero, the level of public use micro data area code (PUMA)  will be at 231.13. A 1% change in number of persons will lead to an 11.4% increase in PUMA, whereas a one percent change in BDS will lead to a 12.1% changes in PUMA.

Comparatively, a one percent change in  RMS will lead to a 12.8 percent change in PUMA. This leads to the conclusion that of the three variavles, RMS leads to the largest impact in PUMA when the three independent variables are pitted together. Further the statistical significance of each independent variable was tested at the 0.01 level of significance of the p-values.

                                                      Coefficients(a)

Model Unstandardized CoefficientsStandardized CoefficientstSig.
BStd. ErrorBeta
1
(Constant)231.1303.161 73.128.000
NP4.700.654.1147.181.000
BDS-8.2222.068-.121-3.977.000
RMS5.3841.248.1284.315.000

a  Dependent Variable: PUMA

In general form, it can be said that the equation used to determine the link between  Public use microdata area code, numbering of persons, rooms and bedrooms is of the form:

Y = β0+ β1X1+ β2X2+ β3X3+ ε

From the equation, β0 is a constant, whereas β1 to β3 are coefficients of the independent variables. X1 X2 and X3 are the independent variables numbering of persons, rooms and bedrooms respectively, whereas epsilon ε is an error term. Additionally, the dependent variable Y in the equation represents public use microdata area code. Pegging the present discussion in the formula above, the model would be as follows.

Y = 231.130 + .114X1 – .121X2 +.128X3

This means that the public use micordata area code = 231.130 + (0.114 x numbering of persons) – (0.121 x rooms) +(0.128 x bedrooms).

References

Kothari, C. (2004). Research methodology, methods & techniques (2nd ed.).New Delhi: Wishwa Prakashan.

Saunders, M., Lewis, P. & Thornhill, A. (2007). Research Methods for Business Students. 4th edition. England: Prentice Hall.

Seber, A. F. G. and Lee, J. A. (2012) Linear Regression Analysis. 2nd Edition. Hoboken, New Jersey: John Wiley & Sons

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Comparative Advantage and Absolute Advantage

Comparative Advantage and Absolute Advantage
Comparative Advantage and Absolute Advantage

Comparative Advantage and Absolute Advantage

Measures of Economic Growth

            According to economists, there are different ways of measuring the growth of an economy. According to Baldwin and Borrelli (2008), Gross Domestic Product is the commonly used measurement tool used to measure the economic growth of a given country. Nevertheless, certain economists believe that GDP is not a fully reliable method of measuring the growth of an economy.

In certain countries and institutions, improvement of the living standards can also be used as a tool for measuring the economic growth (David, 2005). GDP and other metrics such as unemployment rates, living standards, and inflation rates can help in determining the actual economic growth. Additionally, factors such as spending versus productivity can also help in quantifying the level of economic growth.

Comparative advantage and Absolute Advantage

According to David (2005), absolute advantage is the difference in the productivity of various countries while the comparative advantage denotes the differences that are there in the opportunity cost. Ideally, using smaller inputs to produce a large quantity of produce is known as an absolute advantage while the ability to produce at lower opportunity cost is a comparative advantage.

Therefore, certain countries such as China and the US have the absolute and comparative advantage at some point (Baldwin & Borrelli, 2008). For instance, the US use fewer resources to produce a given product compared to other countries. However, countries like China have a comparative advantage when they produce specific products at relatively lower margins.

            Both absolute and comparative advantage are two main important factors for the international trade. These factors elaborate how different nations use the little resources that they have to produce given quantities of produce (Hansen, 2012). However, the advantage and the disadvantage of a country also depends on its choice of goods to produce.

For other countries, devoting resources and manpower to other countries limits competition. For example, the US would devote resources to the vehicle-producing Japan rather than compete with it. In which case, Japan would have the absolute advantage while the US has a comparative advantage.

China

            Studies have revealed that China is one of the countries that continue to enjoy the advantage of its resources and human resources (Seretis & Tsaliki, 2016). China has overtaken countries like Japan to become the second-largest manufacturer after the US. Ideally, the country enjoys low labor costs while producing most of its products (David, 2005).

For China, the human resource is still an absolute advantage over many nations. The vast labor supply attracts larger investments and companies in the region. Compared to places such as the US where the human resource is declining, China enjoys a bigger absolute advantage (McConnell, 1999).

GDP Growth Rate in China

            The Chinese economy has grown to 6.7% in 2016, which is by the expectations. The GDP growth in China has been successful hitting a high rate at 15.4% in 1993.

USA

            Unlike China whose production is labour-intensive, the US enjoys a comparative advantage by using its specialized labor resource. In as much as the labor resource in the US is abundant, the country’s main advantage is that its human resource is skilled. As such, the US can produce high-quality products using its rich and skilled human resource.

GDP Growth in the US

            The GDP in the US increased to 2.9% in the third quarter of 2016 1.4% higher than the last quarter. However, the increase is attributable to personal expenditure increases, the increase in exports, inventory investments as well as the increased federal government spending.

Saudi Arabia

            Unlike other countries such as China and the US, Saudi Arabia is a country that relies on a single vast natural resource. According to Hansen (2012), this country would be poor without the large oil reserve. However, the nation enjoys a natural comparative advantage over other countries. With its large oil reserve, the country can engage in a profitable international trade with other major countries. As such, Saudi Arabia continues to enjoy a wealth of natural resource that gives it the extreme comparative advantage.

GDP growth Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia GDP grows at a rate of 0.5%. The Trading Economics analysts, the rate will remain 0.5% at the end of this quarter. However, the long-term growth rate is projected to increase to 3.5%.

Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC)

            Likewise, DRC is another country that enjoys the vast amount of natural resources. This country has large scale diamonds and copper compared to other countries. With its large scale natural resources, this country enjoys an absolute advantage when it comes to trade. The GDP of DRC increased from $241.87 to $306.1 between 2009 and 2016. This, therefore, makes 2% of the global GDP.

Annual GDP Growth Rate

Unlike the increased GDP growth rates in most countries with absolute and comparative advantages, DRC remains one of the countries whose GDP is sluggish. The outraging political conflicts in DRC makes it hard for them to enjoy a stable economy. The growth rate in 2016 remains at 4.6%, which is low by 0.2% from the last rate.

Variance in Economies

            The GDP growth varies across countries of various continents. However, Ural (2007) maintains that there are four main factors that determine the variations. The main factors that lead to variations in the GDP growth across countries include differences in the workforce, physical capital, human capital and technology differences (Shelburne, 2016).

Workforce Differences across Countries

            The differences in workforce across countries affects the rate of GDP growth and the growth of the entire economy. Ideally, the differences depict the amount of labor that a given country has towards its production (Rnskov & Foss 2016). Countries like China have vast workforce I term of human resource. This helps them during production because they can get abundant labor as compared to other countries such as Saudi Arabia.

On the other side, the level of the workforce can also help a country in ensuring a large scale production. The abundant labor force is advantageous in production. As such, nations such as the US, China and India tend to have higher economic growth than the other countries.

Difference in Physical Capital across Countries

            Physical capital is a determinant of economic growth. The larger the physical capital of a country, the stronger the economy of that country. For example, the US has a capital stock of $30 trillion compared to smaller countries such as DRC and Saudi Arabia. Although China’s physical capital is also high, analysts believe that the US enjoys more efficiency in production due to a larger physical capital that the nation has (Hansen, 2012). Physical capital helps a country to fund its production efficiently without outsourcing for credits. This makes various nations different from one another.

Human Capital Differences

            Human capital refers to the value of the human resource that a country has. In most cases, developed countries have more valuable human resource than less developed countries. Grandke et al. (2015) reiterated that the value of human capital is measured by determining the level of education and level of skills that individuals of a given country possess. According to McConnell (1999), the level of education is correlated to the GDP growth.

Therefore, the differences in literacy levels in various countries lead to variations in the economic growth of different countries. For example, the US has high literacy levels than DRC and Saudi Arabia. Conversely, this affects the levels of expertise and skills that the human resource has in such countries. This difference explains why China and the US produce larger amounts of products that DRC and Saudi Arabia (Ural, 2007).

Technology Differences

Technology is fundamental in the production and growth of an economy. Rnskov and Foss (2016) opine that despite capital, human resource and workforce levels, the availability of technology also helps in determining the rate of production and consequently the economy. Through Research and Development, large firms can acquire knowledge and skills of producing various products (Shelburne, 2016).

To produce efficiently, individual countries must use the right technology. Nonetheless, the cost of employing the right technology in production can only be met by specific countries that have stronger and stable economies. For example, countries such as China and the US have the capacity to acquire the right technology for production. On the other hand, countries such as DRC lack the adequate capital to acquire the right technologies in production (Seretis & Tsaliki, 2016).

In most cases, countries such as Saudi Arabia and DRC will import technology from other countries such as China and the US. Technology increases efficiency. Thus, it determines the levels of output. The nature of the technology used by a particular company helps in achieving a high level of production (Rnskov & Foss, 2016).

Trade and the Strength of Economy

            Trade is one of the drivers of economic growth. International trade is attributable to economic development by reducing the levels of poverty while increasing the commercial opportunities for countries. Through trade, countries like China and Saudi Arabia have expanded their production rates. Additionally, trade increases the value of investments in various countries as they go up into the global value chain.

The international trade facilitates diversification of exports thus, helping countries to access fresh markets internationally. On the other side, trade ignites innovation through the exchange of technologies and expertise (Grandke et al. 2015). It is through trade that countries such as China and the US have the ability to create employment opportunities to their populations. Moreover, trade helps in stabilizing the relationships between various nations thus, creating peace and harmonious environments that facilitate development (Shelburne, 2016).

Lifecycle of Trade

            Trade life cycle comprises of the stages that the trade goes through. With the predicted outcomes and objectives at hand, trade life cycle is supposed to represent the forecasted events. Grandke et al. (2015), acknowledge that stages of a trade determine the progression of the trade from its inception throughout its progression. Different countries go through different stages of trade life cycle.

            To execute a trade, various processes and procedures must be followed. Ideally, the stages determine the success or failure of the trade. In most cases, the processes start with the execution of trade after the agreements have been made. In cases of international trade, Rnskov and Foss (2016) note that the stages of trade are determined by the progress made in previous stages (Shelburne, 2016). For instance, countries such as China and the US have established trade lifecycles compared to developing countries such as DRC. Based on a country’s resources, trade lifecycle can be efficient.

References

Baldwin, N., & Borrelli, S. A. (2008). Education and economic growth in the United States: Cross-national applications for an intra-national path analysis.Policy Sciences, 41(3), 183-204. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s11077-008-9062-2

David, H. L. (2005). So many measures of trade openness and policy: Do any explain economic growth? (Order No. 3179497). Available from ABI/INFORM Collection. (305006923). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/305006923?accountid=45049

Grandke, F., Singh, P., Heuven, H. M., De Haan, J. R., & Metzler, D. (2016). Advantages of Continuous Genotype Values over Genotype Classes for Gwas in Higher Polyploids: A Comparative Study in Hexaploid Chrysanthemum. Bmc Genomics, 171-9.

Hansen, T. J. (2012). The use of business tax incentives: An analysis of the economic performance of minnesota’s JOBZ (job opportunity building zones) program (Order No. 3503148). Available from ABI/INFORM Collection. (1009056994). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1009056994?accountid=45049

Mazurek, J. (2015). A Comparison of GDP Growth of European Countries during 2008-2012 from the Regional and Other Perspectives. Comparative Economic Research, 18(3), 5-18.

McConnell, I. E. (1999). Trade and the environment: Defining a role for the world trade organization (Order No. NQ41085). Available from ABI/INFORM Collection. (304561048). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/304561048?accountid=45049

Ørnskov, C., & Foss, N. J. (2016). Institutions, Entrepreneurship, And Economic Growth: What Do We Know And What Do We Still Need To Know? Academy Of Management Perspectives, 30(3), 292-315.

Rnskov, C., & Foss, N. J. (2016). Institutions, Entrepreneurship, And Economic Growth: What Do We Know And What Do We Still Need To Know? Academy Of Management Perspectives, 30(3), 292-315. Doi:10.5465/Amp.2015.0135

Seretis, S. A., & Tsaliki, P. V. (2016). Absolute Advantage and International Trade. Review of Radical Political Economics, 48(3), 438-451

Shelburne, C. R. (2016). Long-Run Economic Growth: Stagnations, Explosions and the Middle Income Trap. Global Economy Journal, 16(3), 433-458.

Ural, B. P. (2007). Essays in international trade and development (Order No. 3281742). Available from ABI/INFORM Collection. (304767664). Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/304767664?accountid=45049

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Prevention and Management of Hypertension among Blacks

Hypertension among Blacks
Hypertension among Blacks

Prevention and Management of Hypertension among Blacks

Abstract

Research done over time has shown that hypertension among blacks is prevalent. It is evident from several types of research done that more African American men are exposed to hypertension compared to other races. Such health outcome is associated with several factors. They include socioeconomic factors, barriers to access to appropriate health care and mostly because of a genetic predisposition for high blood pressure.

A study done focusing on recognition of hypertension in older persons reveal that; hypertension is the most commonly diagnosed illness among persons over the age of 60. Hypertension is also associated with other several chronic diseases such as cardiovascular diseases. These diseases include heart failure, stroke and ischemic heart disease (Peters & Flack, 2016).

Studies have been done on prevention and management of hypertension, and some of them have proved to be valid to the rest of the populations, but unfortunately, more has to be done for the African American community. This study will focus on various strategies for early detection or recognition of hypertension among blacks as it also occurs in the first ages for them compared to other races (Huntley & Heady, 2013). Blood sugar level reduction has been an appropriate mechanism designed for the blacks to minimize the mortality rate and morbidity of cardiovascular disorders stemming from hypertension.

Most researchers have recommended the use of thiazide diuretics and calcium channel blockers after careful evaluation of the sick, for the initial drug therapy process. The study will focus on the management and prevention of hypertension among the elderly African American population. This is because the age, from 60 years and above, and mostly blacks are categorized as high-risk groups. The study will seek to understand the problems associated with previously advised recommendations and why they failed to achieve intended purpose.  

Theoretical Framework

Salt sensitivity

This theoretical framework indicates that there is a linear relationship between salt sensitivity and age. There are various categories, specifically five, associated with salt sensitivity and these include social and racial factors, demographic factors, dietary habit factors, hormonal factors and renal function factors. The study further concluded that a direct and positive relationship exists between salts sensitivity and age (Fox et al., 2011).

This means that salt sensitivity escalates as an individual continues aging or getting older. The increased salt sensitivity among African-Americans has been proven through using i.v. NaCl loading alongside using dietary sodium designs (Peters & Flack, 2016).

Cooper et al. attempted to disassociate the environmental, social, and genetic aspects of race through studying sodium intake and hypertension within populations of the Africans in Diaspora. Seven populations originating from West African revealed a regressive rise in prevalence of hypertension from 33% in U.S to 26% in the Caribbean and 16% in West Africa.

The study unveiled strong cross-cultural relations of high blood pressure risk based on social-environmental aspect and intake of sodium-potassium responsible for approximately 70% of the geographic variation in prevalence of hypertension. However, the report failed to discuss the psychosocial factors that dumbfound the hypertension risk among the subjects (Huntley & Heady, 2013).

It should also be noted that in this study, the prevalence rate of hypertension in West Africa is lower compared to that for Caucasians in the U.S. The findings show the profound essence of environmental exposure in salt sensitivity development among patients. Therefore, it is quite debatable the racial reason behind high prevalence of hypertension among blacks in the US environment, but the concept of high salt sensitivity among the older people remains unaltered (Sandra, 2016).

Diagnostic Approach

A general evaluation of the population to be investigated is done. A thorough clinical assessment is conducted and includes initial and periodic orthostatic blood pressure measurement among older black adults. It involves closer investigation and analysis of historical data of the patient (Still, Ferdinand, Ogedegbe, & Wright, 2015). In the process, it is also essential to enquire about factors that may impact prognosis and therapy of the patient ranging from lifestyle behaviors to socioeconomic status, to psychosocial and also environmental factors.

Lifestyle Modifications

This includes dietary modification, weight reduction, and increased physical activity. They were particularly significant in the treatment of old African Americans as both primary and secondary level of interventions considering the high prevalence of obesity in this group (Still, Ferdinand, Ogedegbe, & Wright, 2015).

Research Questions
  1. How effective is the diagnostic approach of preventing hypertension among the older African American population?
  2. How can the prevalence be controlled among the aged and are the interventions appropriate?
Target population

The target population entails the hypertensive African-American over the age of 60, and the population will be selected through sampling method.

Research Design

The study design adopted by this study is descriptive and will focus on management and prevention of hypertension among the elderly blacks over age 60 years. The main aim of using a descriptive design is to carry out a survey of randomly selected individuals that fit the sample criteria identified for this study. In addition to this, research articles will be used to determine the methods prescribed and their effectiveness.

The data will be collected from 50 homes of African Americans from every region. However, the validity of data gathered from the survey may limit the scope of this research regarding full details. The other factor includes researcher biases that restrict objectivity in the study. This is because of the time limit factor that prevents considering the whole population.The threats identified above can be addressed through the use of more respondents in future studies and use of patient records in the hospital after seeking the patient’s consent. To minimize biases then proper and non-prejudgment approach will be employed.

Sample

The sample size is 50 hypertensive patients within the states. The selection method of participants is through convenience sampling. The representatives of this study involve willing and able participants in the study which improves the reliability of data provided by them for the study. The threats identified include; individuals selected may provide unreliable or tailored responses to the questionnaires used during the survey.

The sample size is reliable within the time framework provided and is a good representation of the whole population. However, for a more reliable data, a larger sample size is recommended for the research. The information or any data obtained from the patient will be treated with confidentiality, and patient anonymity will be maintained as per the regulations of the IRB. Written consent will be signed by the then patient without revealing any identity and filed before filling out the questionnaire.

Methods

Within this research, several variables underlying the prevention and management of hypertension can be seen. This includes the dependent variable as the prevalence of hypertension and the independent variables which include lifestyle modifications and proper interventions such as the primary, secondary and tertiary interventions as mentioned above. They are the strategies employed towards preventing and managing high blood pressure (Peters & Flack, 2016).

References

Fox, E., Young, J., Keating, B., Li, Y., Dreisbach, A., & Musani, S. et al. (2011). Association of genetic variation with systolic and diastolic blood pressure among African Americans: the Candidate Gene Association Resource study. Human Molecular Genetics, 20(11), 2273-2284. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/hmg/ddr092

Huntley, M., & Heady, C. (2013). BARRIERS TO HEALTH PROMOTION. A CASE OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MEN WITH HYPERTENSION. American Journal of Health Studies, 28(1).

Peters, R. and Flack, J. (2016). Salt Sensitivity and Hypertension in African Americans. [online] Medscape. Available at: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/407741_3  

Sandra, A.M., (2016). Hypertension in African Americans & its related chronic diseases.-PubMed – NCBI. Ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Retrieved 22 October 2016, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20069804

Still, C., Ferdinand, K., Ogedegbe, G., & Wright, J. (2015). Recognition & Management of Hypertension in Older Persons: African Americans. Journal of The American Geriatrics Society, 63(10), 2130-2138. http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jgs.13672

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The Role of Media in Influencing Decision-Making in P-20 Education

Role of Media in Influencing Decision-Making in P-20 Education
Role of Media in Influencing Decision-Making in P-20 Education

The Role of Media in Influencing Decision-Making in P-20 Education

Research Question

What is the role of media in influencing decision-Making in P-20 Education?

Rationale

The media, especially television, video, and social media, are often viewed negatively in the education sector. In early childhood and K-12 models of education and in more conservative environments, children are even discouraged from exposure to media such as video and social media, which are considered bad influence over learners. In such surroundings and circumstances, it is perceived that media can only affect education in a negative way.

However, this negative perception about the influence of media on education is fast changing in many settings, institutions, and jurisdictions as more studies unearth the real nature of the correlations between media and learning or education (Jabbar et al., 2014). In recent times, it has become more apparent that media not only affect learners but also decision makers and policymakers in educational institutions.

Decision-making is core to the success of all educational concepts, models, systems and institutions. Given the fundamental influence and role of media in modern educational systems, the media, most likely, influence the people and processes in learning institutions in several ways (Galway & Sheppard, 2015). Thus, the proposed study is justifiable in several ways. First, the study may enable P-20 education stakeholders to establish whether media is a core external force that affects their decision making, thus influencing P-20 education’s relevance and competitiveness in the education sector and in economic circles.

Second, from the study’s findings and recommendations, it may be possible for P-20 education leaders and learners to appreciate the potential role of media as an incentive to decision-making and education improvement. Third, the study may be of help to P-20 education’s stakeholders by highlighting how media can be used to influence federal, state, or local educational policy to favor the pursuit of skilled, knowledgeable, and productive learners and workforce.

Background Information

The P-20 is a model of education that builds on the principle that educational programs, financial and human resources, strategies, performances, expectations, and outcomes should be focused on the early years of learners’ growth and development. Unlike the early childhood and development concept, the P-20 model covers the kindergarten or early childhood years, the K-12 years, and the post-secondary school years.

The main purpose of P-20 education is to ensure that pre-school, K-12, and college years are formative years during which self-discovery ought to be emphasized. Instead of the public education system mandating everything that students learn, educators should be more concerned with preparing learners for their future life’s challenges. The years following the P-12 should be characterized by academic performances and outcomes that would imply quality adult life. 

P-20 education also covers learners’ lives during their workforce years. That is, an education should prepare an individual to survive and perform in the workforce long after graduation with post-secondary education. The skills acquired during learning must translate into expertise in the workforce.

Essentially, P-20 education is based on the realization that the knowledge and skills that learners acquire in their early childhood or K-12 education should prepare them for college education and their lives in the workforce. Thus, all the stages of academic development are weighted equally and allocated the deserved financial and human resources and effort.

Numerous studies have been conducted to establish the connection among communication, communication technology, communication media, the learning process, and education. While studies have been done on the influence of media on education in general, no studies have been done to link media and decision-making in the concept of P-20 education. Most studies have just plainly established the relationship between media and education.

In one such study, Cuc (2014) sought to establish the influence of media on both formal and informal education. In the study, Cuc (2014) not only studied the influence of media on learning but also rephrased the research question and hypothesis to help the research establish how media affects the process of learning and the actual and potential relationships between media and learning. The commonest media found to greatly influence education are books, television, radio, video, and social media (Cuc, 2014).

Malin and Lubienski (2014) established that the practical dimensions by which media influences education are the development or inculcation of new interests in learners, adoption of novel leisure-time skills, availability of fresh entertainment options and expanded areas of learner preoccupation.

Malin’s and Lubienski’s (2014) findings concurred with Lubienski, Scott and DeBray (2014) who established that while media has positive influences on education, most learners pick up media messages and turn them into behaviours and cultures, which interfere with learning processes, habits, and activities. Clearly, media influences education in various ways and may possibly greatly influence decision-making in emergent concepts such as P-20 education in the technologically advanced 21st century.

Data Sources and Collection Methods

The proposed study will combine qualitative and quantitative research approaches to collect and process exhaustive data on the variables and constructs of the study. The study will specifically target P-20 stakeholders as the source of its data and information, targeting a population of 1500 and a sample size of 300. The sample size will be representative of P-20 education officials, educational programme managers, school and college administrators, teachers, local education leaders, education system’s beneficiaries and the public. Selective methods of sampling such as purposive sampling, expert sampling, snowball sampling, modal instance sampling and diversity sampling will be used in the study.

The main reason purposive sampling techniques are preferred for this study is that these techniques enable the researcher to access the targeted sample rather fast (Shields & Rangarjan, 2013). Second, purposive sampling techniques make the identification of the potential respondents with the desired characteristics. Purposive sampling also enables the use of a variety of qualitative research approaches (Mannay, 2010).

Data will be collected using questionnaires, interviews, observations and focus group discussions while data analysis will be done using Statistical Packages for Social Science (SPSS) software and Microsoft Excel. The questionnaires will contain structured and unstructured items to capture qualitative and quantitative data. However, the study’s independent and the dependent variables will be identified prior to the development of the data collection tools.

The analysis and presentation of the findings will be done using inferential and descriptive statistics. The study will use Spearman’s Rho, regression and ANOVA to establish correlation between the dependent and independent variables of the study and establish the role or influence of media on decision making in P-20 education.

Possible Impact on the Field

The proposed study is likely to impact educational policy and advocacy once the role of media in decision-making in P-20 education is established. From the findings of the proposed study, P-20 educationists may be able to design and realign their advocacy efforts champion the preferred educational policies notwithstanding the findings of earlier studies on the role of the media on education. The study may also erase any doubts on the role of media on education that may have been reported without much evidence, particularly on the effects and effectiveness of media on education.

In particular, P-20 educationists and other stakeholders may be able to associate media with educational decision making for the first time. From the proposed study’s findings, educational policy advocates may read implications of media on education that have elided research experts in their interpretation of study findings. Hence, the study may be of great help to the policymaking processes in P-20 education.

The other likely impact of the study is the elimination of the disconnect that exists between high school and college on one hand and adult life on the other. From the study’s findings, educationists may be better placed to give the most appropriate and effective classroom support and guidance to learners that would prepare learners for the challenges of adult life. The study may also help in the better use of media to make educational decisions that would create a seamless kindergarten-to-college education system.

References

Cuc, M. C. (2014).The Influence of Media on Formal and Informal Education.Social and Behavioral Sciences, 143(1); 72.

Galway, G., and Sheppard, B. (2015). Research and Evidence in Education Decision-Making: A Comparison of Results from Two Pan-Canadian Studies. Education Policy Analysis Archives, 23(1); 10.

Jabbar, H., Goldie, D., Linick, M., and Lubienski, C. (2014). Using Bibliometric and Social Media Analyses to Explore the “Echo Chamber” Hypothesis. Educational Policy, 28(2), 281-305. Retrieved on November 2, 2016 from http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0895904813515330

Lubienski, C., Scott, J., and DeBray, E.  (2014). The Politics of Research Use in Education Policymaking. Educational Policy, 28(2), 131-144. Retrieved on November 2, 2016 from http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0895904813515329

Malin, J. R., and Lubienski, C. (2014). Educational Expertise, Advocacy, and Media Influence. Retrieved on November 2, 2016 from http://epaa.asu.edu/ojs/article/view/1706

Mannay, D. (2010). Making the Familiar Strange: Can Visual Research Methods Render the Familiar Setting More Perceptible? Qualitative Research, 10(1): 91.

Shields, P., and Rangarjan, N. (2013). A playbook for research methods: integrating conceptual frameworks and project management. Stillwater, OK: New Forums Press.

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A personal Perspective on Leadership and Organization Justice

Leadership and Organization Justice
Leadership and Organization Justice

Leadership and Organizational Justice

Abstract

It is no longer news that diversity is an inherent part of modern societies. With the diversity, it means different needs and competing interests. Such diverse needs are more pronounced when it comes to the area of educational. To address the competing interests and diverse needs in education, organizational justice is paramount. In this regard, it is incumbent upon educational leadership to ensure that they adopt the best practices to promote organizational justice and fairness in matters of education.

A personal Perspective on Leadership and Organization Justice

Introduction

Considering the rise in globalization, diversity is an inherent part of virtually all organizations. The implication of such diversity is that the needs of all the stakeholders must be addressed. To address the issues generated by diversity, leadership and organization justice becomes at the core. This essay offers my personal perspective on leadership and organization justice based on the interview for a job advertised by the US department of Education.

How Will I Prepare For the Interview

In preparation for the interview, the first step will be to research the organization. Under research, I will establish the location, the mission and values, and the size of the organization. Understanding the organization is critical because a person cannot deliver effectively for organizations that they do not know about (Marilou, 2016). The second measure I will embrace while preparing for the interview will be making comparisons of my skills and qualifications to the requirements of the job.

This step is vital granted that it will ensure that I convince the interviewers with my skills, knowledge, and experience in relation to the position in question (Marilou, 2016). In the next step, I will create potential responses that I may use during the interviews. The process of generating responses is important because it puts the mind ready for the interview. Lastly, I will decide on what to wear and what documents to bring during the interview.

Developing a Set of Notes to Use in My Interview that Address the Following

What I would need to know about the job in order to prepare

Regarding the job, the first aspect I would need to know regards qualifications. About qualification, I would determine the level of certification, the years of experience needed for the job, and other added skills or advantages that may be preferred for the job. Secondly, I would also need to know about the responsibilities associated with the job.

Knowing responsibilities will help me determine my capability based on my experiences (Marilou, 2016). Another aspect I would know about the job in order to prepare is the objective of the position. Determining the objective of the position is critical to matching skills and qualifications to the vacancies offered.

My Qualifications as an Educational Leader from Ethical Perspective Based On the Courses I Have Taken In the PhD Program and Especially Leadership and Organizational Justice

Based on the courses I have taken in the Ph.D. program and especially the course in leadership and organizational justice, my qualifications as an educational leader from an ethical perspective emerges from two areas. The first area is that the courses in the Ph.D. program and leadership and organizational justice have provided me with insights on what ethical leadership in organization entails.

The second area that demonstrates my qualifications as an educational leader from an ethical perspective because of the Ph.D. program and the course of organizational justice concerns the view that passing the courses in the program is an indication that I have grasped the concepts of the ethics and leadership.

Capacity, capability and sustainability from an organizational justice perspective

For me, organizational justice is having the virtue of fairness in the organization conducts and operations. Capacity from an organizational justice perspective entails the development of mission-fuelled efforts geared towards ethical management and transparency in organizations (Jeffry & Elizabeth, 2016). For example, ensuring that the education departments and institutions have vision and mission statements that tie with the element of justice will show capacity to uphold organizational justice.

Capability from an organizational justice perspective implies the ability of the organization to have systems that facilitate justice and fairness in the affairs of the organization (Zhang et al.2013). For example, having a code of ethics and conducting evaluations to ensure that the employees in the education sector adhere to the code of ethics will be a demonstration of capability from an organizational justice perspective.

Lastly, sustainability from an organizational justice perspective means the ability of the organization to uphold fairness and justice not in an episodic manner but rather in a continuum way where justice is the norm in every aspect and operation (Ibrahim, 2016). For example, the application of code of ethics to all employees in the education sector regardless of the positions or stature will be an indication of sustainability from an organizational justice perspective.

How I as The Equal Opportunity Specialist in The Department Of Education, Office for Civil Rights will apply My Passion Toward Educational Reform, Organizational Justice And Social Change

As an equal opportunity specialist in the department of education, Office for Civil Rights, I will apply my passion towards educational reform, organizational justice, and social change in a variety of ways. Regarding education reforms, I will participate in education policymaking processes that are aimed at promoting equality and access in the area of education (Jacobs et al. 2014).

I will also participate in the formulation and implementation of the education programs directed towards minority in the societies. For example, I will formulate policies on programs targeting children with disability. Moreover, I will also embrace the advocacy role regarding the need for equality and fairness in the sector of education. When it comes to organizational justice, I will ensure that the codes of ethics become supreme when discharging duties.

In the same vein, I will also act as a whistleblower whenever I spot any injustice or activity that is contrary to the established and expected mores of the organization (Demirtas, 2013). Being a leader in the educational sector, I recognize that I assume a societal responsibility that comes with obligations. As an agent of social change, I will offer advices on different affairs of the society.

Through my department and collaboration with other organizations, I will formulate programs and policies that act as catalyst for change in the educational system. I will also be an advocate regarding different societal issues pertinent to the education. As an example, I will speak against child labor and respond appropriately whenever I will encounter such incidences. In this sense, I will be improving the society by speaking against injustices done to the children.

What It Means to Be a Leader for Sustaining Organizational justice and My Philosophy of Organizational Justice

To be a leader for sustaining organizational justice in an organization, it means that one has to be authentic and lead from the front. In this sense, the leader has to demonstrate that he or she professes fairness and justice through practice. My philosophy of organization justice is to be guided by the laid down regulations and embrace fairness while making all decisions related to the organization.

Examples and Support of Future Goals in Education Leadership

One example of future goal in education leadership is for the education leadership to have an understanding of the legal and moral consequences of decision making in education departments. The support for this goal stems from the observation that such an understanding will enable education leaders facilitate social justice in all aspects of education.

Another example of future goals in education leadership is that education leaders should develop professional and personal qualities and skills that are able to address diversity challenges. The rationale for this goal is that the educational needs have changed and continue to change and such skills are required to address the changes.

Conclusion

In essence, the world is changing at a rapid speed and one of the areas where such changes are reflected is the education sector. With increasing diversity in societies, the educational needs are also becoming more divergent. To address each of the unique and divergent needs, organizational justice at the education departments is a sine qua non. It is through ethical leadership and organizational justice that the various educational needs will be addressed.

References

Demirtas, O. (2013). Ethical Leadership Influence at Organizations: Evidence from the Field. Journal of Business Ethics, 126(2), 273-284. doi:10.1007/s10551-013-1950-5.Retrieved 2016 from Ebscohost.com.

Jacobs, J., Beck, B., & Crowell, L. (2014). Teacher leaders as equity-centered change agents: Exploring the conditions that influence navigating change to promote educational equity. Professional Development in Education, 40(4), 576-596. doi:10.1080/19415257.2014.896272. Retrieved 2016 from Ebscohost.com.

Ibrahim, M. (2016). Professional leadership practices and diversity issues in the US. Higher education system: a research synthesis. Education, 136(4), 405-412. Retrieved 2016, from Ebscohost.com.

Jeffry, B., & Elizabeth, M. (2016). Heroic Leadership Redefined in the United States Border Context: Cases Studies of Successful Principals in Arizona and Texas. . International Studies in Educational Administration (Commonwealth Council for Educational Administration & Management (CCEAM)), 44(1), 5-23. Retrieved 2016, from Ebscohost.com.

Marilou, R. (2016). Preparing for your Next Leadership Position. Leadership, 45(4), 30-35. Retrieved 2016, from Ebscohost.com.

Zhang, Y., Lepine, J. A., Buckman, B. R., & Wei, F. (2013). It’s Not Fair … Or Is It? The Role of Justice and Leadership in Explaining Work Stressor-Job Performance Relationships. Academy of Management Journal, 57(3), 675-697. doi:10.5465/amj.2011.1110. Retrieved 2016 from Ebscohost.com

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Education Reforms for Sustained Change

Education Reforms for Sustained Change
Education Reforms for Sustained Change

Education Reforms for Sustained Change

In the first section of this paper, an analysis of three education reforms in the international, national, and state levels will be provided. The second section will assess the reforms with respect to unanticipated results related to sustaining change. Every Student Succeeds Act, Common Core States Standards, and Interim List of Eligible Programs are the three reforms that will form the basis of discussion.

Reforms are enacted to change public education by making it more accessible, of high quality, and that meets job market standards. Though agencies involved in instituting reforms vary in agenda and motivation, in the last decades, USA and other countries emphasize on reforms that improve student achievements rather than the traditional basis of inputs.

Section 1: Education Reforms

  1. National reforms

Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) is one of the nationally oriented education reforms that were enacted into public law in 2015 (NCES 2015). As a replacement of No Child Left Behind Act, the reform intends to make the national government get deeply involved in education. ESSA reduced the Department of Education’s mandate over state education programs such that states and districts can set their testing standards, assessments, and involvement procedures.

Though testing standards are not to change, states were given the authority of determining them. Moreover, students are to be examined in math and languages on a yearly basis from grade three to eight, but for grades nine to twelve they are tested only once. The Act mandates schools to assess students at least once in grades three to five, six to 10, and 10 to 12. 

The tests may be done to assess thinking skill and understanding through portfolios and projects, by using a single exam, or through numerous assessments. On accountability, states are to provide ESSA plans to U.S.A Department of Education after thorough consultations with various stakeholders. States have the powers to offer input on expected ratings for exam standardization and graduation fees (Ballotedia 2014). Lastly, states are to determine schools that require government interventions to attain the required measurable progress.

  • State reforms

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) was instituted in 2010, and it’s supposed to feature the required knowledge that K-12 students should acquire in Mathematics and English Language Arts through the 12 grades (DFA 2015). The standards are supposed to establish common education standards in all the states and ensure that the students are adequately prepared for future jobs.

Since it’s difficult to achieve consistent standards in all the states, the government tends to deny funding under Top Program and Federal Race for states that didn’t adopt the common standard. Through the standards, students are to delve into in-depth analysis and understanding with fewer topics being covered.

  • International education reforms

Interim List of Eligible Programs (ILEP) was established in 2014 under Regulatory Reform of the International Education Sector and the Student Immigration Regime policy. The rules intend to eliminate abuse on student immigration, offer protection to international students, and support education providers that maintain high-quality standards. After the closure of more than ten low-quality providers, the reforms were initiated so that only colleges and universities that offered quality education attracted global students.

The number of courses that were visa eligible significantly reduced and education programs was scrapped from the system (Times 2013). Moreover, schools offering English language courses are supposed to meet certain quality and immigration criteria if they were to be listed on ILEP second edition, GNIB cards including renewals are to be offered for 8 months; learner protection initiated for all programs, advance fees to be secured by schools so as to achieve comprehensive escrow processing, and complete time tables offered to English language students for sessions that the colleges will be on holidays.

Section 2: Unanticipated Results Related to Sustaining Change

  1. National reforms    

Unanticipated result: By giving states the authority to determine their testing standards, assessments, and engagement processes, there is a high probability of getting variations of standards across the states to the extent that graduates will possess distinct levels of knowledge and skills.

Analysis: Even though the standards remain the same in all the states, it is not possible for the states to set consistent measures since teachers and education officers are different, funding is different, and school attendance and performance rates differ. Instead of the government getting more involved in establishing standard evaluation and testing measures, the result may be variations education quality and accountability across the states.

Causes of the unanticipated result: The unanticipated variation in knowledge and education development is caused by micro issues including differences in performance and attendance rates, differences in motivation rate, and power control issues. Moreover, the results may be politically influenced plus government funding may differ across the states.

Impact on the sustainability of education reform: The results are negative with respect to the sustainability of education reforms since they lead to variations in the quality of education offered across states and it becomes difficult to rate effectively rate the performance of schools when measurements standards centralized. On the other hand, centralization of measurement standards may lead to sustainability of education reforms since they give the government more mandate over education and through its intensive involvement, implementation of reforms for positive change is highly likely.

  • State reforms

Unanticipated result: Implementation may only happen in a few states, and it will not be done over the same period.

Analysis: Implementation of the common standards may not materialize over the same period owing to the fact that the process is slow and politicized, costly, requires extensive teacher training and new textbooks. The government did not stipulate how it would offer complete funding of the project and being that states are many, the standards may not be implemented in all the schools.

Causes of the unanticipated result: Micro issues leading to the unintended result are the lack of adequate teacher training and resources including textbooks and computers needed to take the new tests, and exams are to be conducted based on the different standard measures applied in schools. Moreover, the process is politically impacted since legislators are involved, and also state funding is not assured since the government hasn’t identified the sourcing platforms.

Impact on the sustainability of education reforms: The result does not lead to sustained reforms since the implementation is the main aspect of reforms. If the reforms are not implemented at all, or not implemented over the same period, coming up with new reforms would be futile thus it does not lead to sustainability of the reforms.

  • Global reforms

Unanticipated result: The stringent measures may lead to fewer colleges admitting students with the result being a decrease in education opportunities for international students.

Analysis: When schools are many, majority of students from different backgrounds can access the visa eligible courses but barring some courses, and restricting admissions in the few schools would lead to a reduction in the number of applicants. The majority of people avoid studying abroad due to bureaucracies and a lot of requirements, and since the new reforms intend to raise the admission standards, students will lose opportunities to study their preferred courses.

Causes of the result:  Reduction in opportunity levels for international students is macro influenced since standards for determining the quality effectiveness of education providers is done on an international level. The standards determine the type and number of causes that a school can offer, plus requirements for students which are macro managed.

Impact on the sustainability of education reforms: The reform is essential in sustaining education reforms which intend to support the quality provision of education. When admission and education provision measures are stringent, the certified providers compete on the basis of quality leading to improvement of education. Improved education quality is elemental in sustaining education reforms.

Analysis of the unanticipated results

Reforms are mostly instituted to improve education quality by stipulating the core education aspects necessary to equip learners with skills and knowledge relevant to the job market. Moreover, the reforms are also formulated to increase education opportunities for students from different sectors and income backgrounds. However, if the reforms are not followed up with the resources necessary for effective implementation, the expected results may not be forthcoming.

Additionally, unanticipated results happen when all factors necessitating the reforms are not considered. Since it’s not possible to satisfy all stakeholders involved in the process, the government puts in place measures that must be followed by all states and education providers so that the degree of variance is not high.

Education reforms are instituted to improve the quality of education and making it more accessible to students from poor backgrounds. Moreover, international bodies are involved in ensuring that international students are protected and that they get high returns from pursuing the education in foreign nations. Comprehensive analysis of the reforms that ensures all stakeholders are satisfied and efficient implementation are essential in sustaining education reforms.

References

America-Next (2012). K-12 Education Reforms: A Roadmap. America-Next Journal, 3-12. Retrieved from http://americanext.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/02/America-Next-K-12-Education-Reform.pdf

Ballotpedia (2014). Every Student Succeeds Act. Encyclopedia of American Politics, 1-5. Retrieved from https://ballotpedia.org/Every_Student_Succeeds_Act

Department of Foreign Affairs (2015). Reform of the International Education Sector and Student Immigration System. DFA, 1-23. Retrieved from https://www.dfa.ie/media/embassybrazil/newsevents/Reform-of-the-International-Education-Sector-eng.pdf

Freddy, A. (2013). A Curriculum Crunch for California. Los Angeles Times, 1-4. Retrieved from http://articles.latimes.com/2013/apr/22/opinion/la-ed-common-core-20130422

National Center for Education Statistics (2015). State Education Reforms. NCES. Retrieved from https://nces.ed.gov/programs/statereform/aas.asp

Social Attraction: Social Psychology

Social Attraction
Social Attraction

Social Attraction

Social attraction between people is very important. Aspects of social attraction such as love, understanding and care are difficult to explicate because they often go against many norms in life. It is crucial to ensure that these aspects are maintained along a certain line and many people keep it that way. For instance, love is governed by respect, trust and mutual understanding. Care is a precept of responsibility and authority while understanding stems from knowledge and wisdom (Anders, et.al, 2016).

Attraction between people has one key aspect to it; beauty. What anyone would find attractive is often the aspect of life that they feel is appealing to them. Beauty and attraction may have a lot in common but they are not common to all (Anders, de Jong, Beck, Haynes& Ethofer, 2016). This is why it is important to analyze social factors that generate stereotypes about beauty and attraction.  

Beauty is defined as the experience of pleasure or satisfaction based on perception. That is why beauty can only be seen and not felt (Anders, et.al, 2016). What people see as beautiful is often a creation of their social setting. For instance, people who hardly encounter persons of a different race may deem them to be more beautiful or less beautiful depending on their socialization (Weidenfeld& Leask, 2013). In many social setups, beauty is displayed by models on newspapers, article magazines and websites.

It is a form of influence that ends up making the person to feel that what they see as beautiful is not as beautiful or appealing as they suppose. Beauty is thus a form of influence that is borne out of what the society considers to be appealing or not. Beauty is however the greatest contributor to perceptions about attraction (Launay& Dunbar, 2015). Where there is attraction, beauty is often a factor that is critical and central to the theme.

Beauty is a concept that makes up most of the arguments and concepts about attraction. Attraction is vital to any relationship between people because it obscures the feeling of human weakness and inequity. Man is known to be imperfect and very unsymmetrical in many ways. Beauty however is the concept of perfection without prejudice and need to approve other concepts within the person observed.

Beauty makes it possible for people to overlook human inequities that are ever existent and often profoundly the cause for the use of derogative words on people (Sprecher, Treger, Fisher, Hilaire & Grzybowski, 2015). What is not attractive is often despised and chastised. It is vital to remember that perception is simply an illusion that may not be similarly felt by another person (Anders, et.al, 2016). More often than not, the feeling that one is able to achieve a particular attraction or not is all about what they perceive to appeal to them. This is what beauty is all about.

The concept of beauty or appeal in attraction is very complicated because attraction between people can be out of many reasons as well. However, the urge to go beyond the necessary to please the other person is borne out of a need for appreciation or the desire to do right. This can be considered as beauty of purpose or the innocence of decision and motivation. Beauty is about purity and sanctity. There is often a significant appeal from society to get things done but hardly a similar motivation in attraction.

As explained by Talamas, Mavor& Perrett (2016) Attraction is about the traits that make one seem to have a beautiful character and to some extent, beautiful build and look. It applies to both persons of the male and those of the female gender (Talamas, Mavor& Perrett, 2016). Other traits that accompany beauty include; hard work, diligence and determination. They often seem to be of an enlightenment that sparks influence among people. Although affluence is more influential than these traits, it follows that one would find another person with such traits likely to be attractive.

However much there may be aspects that one looks for in an attractive partner beside their physical appeal, the appeal of the self is the most important (McGinley, et.al, 2015). Attraction is about having a similar feeling towards a person at all times without altering the feel of the person based on the circumstance. Beauty is thus best explained by the features one possesses. These features make it possible for the person to ultimately influence a feeling of desire in another person.

It is about the makeup women put on or the expensive suits men wear. It is about making the other person like what one already likes (Ioerger, Henry, Chen, Cigularov& Tomazic, 2015). Attraction can thus be predetermined and premeditated. It is a factor that can easily be manipulated in people’s minds and an issue that is hardly the cause for divisive argument.

According to Englis, Solomon, & Ashmore, (2014), various cultures perceive beauty differently. This is because beauty often defines how attractive one is and since there is a difference between values from one culture to another, there is also a difference in factors making up beauty. However, as per Vacker & Key (2013), despite the variations in perception across various cultures, beauty remains to be one of the most influential factors in establishing attraction between people.

The current generation of the 21st century regards beauty as an outward appearance of an individual that is desired. Therefore, they support the definition that beauty refers to what can be seen by the eye to be appealing. However, before the current perception and definition of beauty, various cultures had unique features which if present in an individual, he or she is regarded as being attractive (Englis, Solomon & Ashmore, 2014.

The character of a person was a big determinant in whether the person is seen as beautiful or not. This is because there were people who could be attractive, win other people’s hearts, and influence others by just interacting with them. In such a case, beauty becomes defined by the intrinsic features that a person possess and not their outward appearances. Societies which belief in both intrinsic and extrinsic beauty believe that the existing inequality in appearance between people should not be a major cause for regarding someone as not being beautiful.

There are various stereotypes that are related to attraction. As explained by Vacker & Key (2013), most people tend to think that people naturally get attracted to those individuals whom they have certain common features with. This stereotyping concept involves both men and female, and in this example, the proponents of this belief argue that the existing high number of integration, interaction, marriage, and business establishments between people of the same ethnicity proves that people get attracted to others whom they share certain common features. Perceptions that people with same characteristics or origin easily see each other as beautiful is also based on culture.

In this regard, it is easier for a person to recognize\e another person as being beautiful if both of them share a common culture or origin.  Another stereotyping about beauty is that it is more pronounced in women as compared to men (Englis, Solomon & Ashmore, 2014). Therefore, it is easier for men to regard women as being beautiful as compared to seeing other men as a beautiful. As a result, it is expected that attraction will flourish easily between men and women as compared to between men and men. (Vacker and Key, 2013). 

There has been a misconception about love and beauty especially when it comes to how these two feelings ate expressed by people. As explained by Diessner, et.al (2012), most people find it difficult to distinguish love from beauty. This is because both of the two feelings give one the desire to be or like another person so much.  However, it should be noted that love and beauty are different in the sense that love develops between individuals irrespective of whether they are beautiful or not.

In other words, one does not need to be beautiful or to possess certain features for them to be loved by another individual. Moreover, love takes a long time to appear, and in most cases, it comes involuntarily and gives little consideration to both outward and inward appearance of a person. On the other hand, attraction is mostly felt as a result of existing beauty between the attracting individuals. Moreover, it considers features that are present in an individual and may end if a person changes in certain ways. Also, attraction can be felt only after a short time whereas love mostly lasts forever (Vacker & Key, 2013).

There are various theories of beauty. However, Denis Dutton’s and Andrew Park provocative theory offers the best insight into the current beauty trends surrounding attraction (Diessner, et.al, 2012). They do believe that beauty is specific to an individual. However, it is also a part of human nature that has very deep evolutionary origins. 

Other existing theories such as the typical beauty theory of Ruskin and the vital beauty theory try to explain the essential characteristics of an individual that constitute their beauty status. Therefore, they help propagate the notion that a person can improve his or her beauty through effort

There are two major forms of beauty that are inexistent at the moment. These are; augmented beauty and natural beauty. Whereas naturally beauty is acquired naturally and one may possess it from the time they are born, augmented beauty is acquired artificially (Diessner, et.al, 2012). To acquire augmented beauty, a person uses various artificial beauty products and solutions to enhance their appearance by becoming more beautiful than they were previously.

Even though both these two types of beauty makes one attractive, there are various concerns about the longevity of augmented beauty. It is argued that it may cause attraction just for a short period and in the long term, the attraction may cease to exist as some of the beauty features will fail to reciprocate themselves positively. On the other hand, natural beauty is always desired as it creates the true picture of an individual on others thereby aiding in establishing trust.

The importance of being beautiful has caused some individuals to become beautiful. This is because, without beauty, a person may not be attractive to others. As a result, they may end up feeling dejected and living a lonely life. Since human beings are social species, it is wise to put in effort to enhance beauty so as to live a comfortable and soothing life with many admirers as compared to living unfulfilling life as a result of low beauty levels.

Therefore, as Englis, Solomon and Ashmore (2014) argues, it is more sensible to put in effort so as to improve a person’s beauty as compared to leaving it the way it is and undergoing a tough social life (as Englis, Solomon and Ashmore, 2014).

Many people consider the feeling of attraction to be related to the symmetrical shape of the person, shape or thing. Many people are attracted to beauty and not value. There is thus the general feeling that most human beings will often proverbially ‘read a book by its cover.’ This is a concern among persons who mask their attractive qualities by not being very outgoing and expressive about their characters.

It is thus important to ensure that one is always able to express their ‘inner beauty’ where the outer beauty does not appeal to many people in order for the rest of society to find them attractive (McGinley, Zhang,Mattila& O’Neill, 2015). This is critical in the world where perception is often the main reason for attention on certain details. This means that beauty is a form of influence that is borne out of what the society considers to be appealing or no.

Even though this is contextual, it has led to development of various techniques of acquiring beauty through artificial techniques. These means have often been sought by individuals who feel that they are not appealing in terms of beauty.

References

Anders, S., de Jong, R., Beck, C., Haynes, J., & Ethofer, T. (2016). A neural link between affective understanding and interpersonal attraction. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 113(16), E2248-E2257. doi:10.1073/pnas.1516191113

Diessner, R., Solom, R. C., Frost, N. K., Parsons, L., & Davidson, J. (2012). Engagement with beauty: Appreciating natural, artistic, and moral beauty. The Journal of Psychology, 142(3), 303-29. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/213828232?accountid=45049.

Englis, B. G., Solomon, M. R., & Ashmore, R. D. (2014). Beauty before the eyes of beholders: The cultural encoding of beauty types in magazine advertising and music television. Journal of Advertising, 23(2), 49. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/236550542?accountid=45049

Ioerger, M., Henry, K. L., Chen, P. Y., Cigularov, K. P., & Tomazic, R. G. (2015). Beyond Same-Sex Attraction: Gender-Variant-Based Victimization Is Associated with Suicidal Behavior and Substance Use for Other-Sex Attracted Adolescents. Plos ONE, 10(6), 1-16. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0129976

Launay, J., & Dunbar, R. M. (2015). Playing with Strangers: Which Shared Traits Attract Us Most to New People? Plos ONE, 10(6), 1-17. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0129688

McGinley, S., Zhang, L., Mattila, A., & O’Neill, J. (2015). Attraction to Hospitality Companies: How Processing Fluency Moderates Value Fit. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism, 14(1), 25-44. doi:10.1080/15332845.2014.904171

Mitteness, C. R., DeJordy, R., Ahuja, M. K., & Sudek, R. (2016). Extending the Role of Similarity Attraction in Friendship and Advice Networks in Angel Groups. Entrepreneurship: Theory & Practice, 40(3), 627-655. doi:10.1111/etap.12135

Sprecher, S., Treger, S., Fisher, A., Hilaire, N., & Grzybowski, M. (2015). Associations Between Self-Expansion and Actual and Perceived (Dis) Similarity and Their Joint Effects on Attraction in Initial Interactions. Self & Identity, 14(4), 369-389. doi:10.1080/15298868.2014.1003592

Talamas, S. N., Mavor, K. I., & Perrett, D. I. (2016). Blinded by Beauty: Attractiveness Bias and Accurate Perceptions of Academic Performance. Plos ONE, 11(2), 1-18. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0148284

Vacker, B., & Key, W. R. (2013). Beauty and the beholder: The pursuit of beauty through commodities. Psychology & Marketing (1986-1998), 10(6), 471. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/230393591?accountid=45049

Weidenfeld, A., & Leask, A. (2013). Exploring the relationship between visitor attractions and events: definitions and management factors. Current Issues In Tourism, 16(6), 552-569. doi:10.1080/13683500.2012.702736

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Motivation Mystery: How to Keep Employees Productive Article Critique

Motivation Mystery: How to Keep Employees Productive
Motivation Mystery: How to Keep Employees Productive

Motivation Mystery: How to Keep Employees Productive

The article “Motivation Mystery: How to Keep Employees Productive” by Patrick Hull is not only an interesting but also an enlightening resource. Inferring from the article, it is apparent that motivating employees in the workplace to ensure that they remain productive is a current pertinent event, which researchers have to address.

Managers have always focused on providing incentives to the employees to keep them motivated, and hence productivity. Among those that have produced the expected outcomes include bonuses, perks, amenities, education, and positive recognition. While these benefits might be optimal, it is of central importance to go well beyond the practice of providing incentives (Hull, 2013). This is especially due to the notion that incentives may not be sustainable. As such, they may change, and this might correspond with a shift in the motivation depicted by the employees.

For example, if the incentives are scaled down, it means that the worker motivation will also decline. In the light of this, while still providing the incentives, it is important to devise another strategy to maintain the employees’ morale. The course that Zappos, which is an online clothing and shoe company based in Las Vegas, is a benchmark model (Hull, 2013). The firm does not provide extraordinary perks for the employees. Instead, the Chief Executive Officer has created a corporate culture that elicits and maintains happiness, and which builds loyalty among the employees.

To conclude, it is perceptible that organizations have to be highly innovative in their employee motivation practices. Not all methods, such as the provision of integrated incentives, can ensure long-term motivation and productivity subsequently. It is suggested that managers should focus on creating a culture that creates happiness and loyalty among the workers.

Reference

Hull, P. (2013). Motivation Mystery: How to Keep Employees Productive. Forbes. Retrieved from www.forbes.com/sites/patrickhull/2013/05/23/motivation-mystery-how-to-keep-employees-productive/#24106dd2f525

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