The Importance Of A School Average Scores - 1201 Words

Helen Keller once said â€Å",character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired, and success achieved.† This quote indicates how a school average scores can be below average, but if the student s and teacher’s work together they will succeed. The problem could be students might not make effort, teachers might not have the right resources to teach students, personal problems might stop students from succeeding, or the school in general might need guidance academically. Additionally, students might not be fantastic test takers in general. Though test scores show schools’ improvement, students can’t be forced to increase scores. However, to close school some think consistently low scores mean it s time. For example, school boards, state officials, the State Department of Education might take scores under consideration. There is no guarantee that score averages wil l increase as a whole. There are several types of students and some just are careless, don’t take school serious, or don’t bother to attend school to receive the knowledge that s needed. Students might be careless by not studying, not being prepared, or not paying attention period. Nevertheless, students might not take school serious because his or her family members might no push education. This would give the student a reason not to come to school to receive the lesson to succeed. Some schools’ suffer lack of funds, orShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of Addison s Essay775 Words   |  4 PagesBackground Information Family History Addison is a third grade student at Westside Elementary School in the West Fargo Pubic School District. Addison is nine years old. Addison’s is the oldest child in her family. She has a five year old brother and an eighth month old brother. Addison’s mother feels that Addison is not a proficient reader. She feels that Addison is a slower reader. Addison’s mother stated Addison sometimes struggles with longer word and can’t keep the flow of the sentenceRead MoreThe Center For Disease Control ( Cdc ) And The World Health Organization1287 Words   |  6 Pagesbridging the achievement gap between students and less emphasis has been placed on non-academic curriculum such as, physical education. Research has shown that approximately 3.8% of elementary schools provide formal physical education with this percentage steadily declining as children continue onto middle and high school. This decrease in physical activity is in line with reports from the CDC which estimate that one third of children in the United States are overweight and, within those cases, the CDCRead MoreShould Kids Be Kids?992 Words   |  4 Pagesstandardize test given to all students. The No Child left behind act has set yearly stand ards for the competence of the schools through an adequate yearly progress score. If schools and students fail to meet these standards they are deemed failing. Many factors can contribute to a failing score in standardize testing and shouldn’t be used solely on determining the academics of a school. These test now dictate what we teach our children, because it isn’t about what they know, it’s how well they test.Read MoreThe Center For Disease Control ( Cdc ) And The World Health Organization Essay1264 Words   |  6 Pagesbridging the achievement gap among students and less emphasis has been placed on non-academic curriculum such as physical education. Research has shown that approximately 3.8% of elementary schools provide formal physical education with this percentage steadily declining as children continue onto middle and high school. This decrease in physical activity is in line with reports from the CDC which estimate that one third of children in the Uni ted States are overweight and, within those cases, the CDCRead MoreAddison s Attitude Towards Reading816 Words   |  4 PagesFamily History Addison is a third grade student at Westside Elementary School in the West Fargo Pubic School District. Addison is nine years old. Addison lives with her parents and two younger brothers. Addison’s mother stated Addison is not a proficient reader. She feels that Addison reads slowly. Addison’s mother stated Addison struggles with longer words and struggles to keep the flow of the sentence, but acknowledges Addison’s comprehension is a strength when mom reads with her. Addison becomesRead MoreWhy Americas Educational System is Failing1123 Words   |  5 PagesStandardized Exam Cheating in 37 States And D.C., New Report Shows Widespread Test Score Corruption†). If teachers can view a test before it is administered, they can teach to the test so that their students’ scores are higher. Teachers who have viewed the test can then â€Å"drill students on actual upcoming test items† (â€Å"FairTest Press Release: Standardized Exam Cheating in 37 States And D.C., New Report Shows Widespread Test Score Corruption†). This is morally wrong since teachers who do not have the accessRead More Homework: The Key To Student Success Essay711 Words   |  3 Pageswith high school students is the fact that they do not have enough time to do their homework. In the year 2000 American students are holding down more jobs, taking on more household responsibilities, and participating in a greater amount of extracurricular activities than any other generation of American students. (Homework: Time To Turn It In?). As more and more distractions are made available to the American teenager, it is imperative that today’s students are aware of the importance of doing theirRead MorePrivate Or Public School?1321 Words   |  6 Pages Private or Public School? Adrianna N. Pillow Professor SooHoo-Hui February 15, 2015 California Baptist University â€Æ' Abstract In today’s society, receiving a good education has become of the utter most importance. The real choice that is being faced now is what type of schooling program kids should be sent to. Should it be private school, with smaller class sizes or public school, where the massive attendance count tends to make kids learning last on the lists of priorities? The obvious choiceRead MoreThe University School Of Medicine868 Words   |  4 PagesTulane University School of Medicine is located in New Orleans, Louisiana and was founded in 1834. The medical school is the second oldest medical school in the Deep South and is the fifteenth oldest medical school in the country. Tulane only selects the most well qualified students into their medical program. Each year, approximately ten thousand prospective students submit applications to the university with only about 500 receiving an invitation for an interview. form those 500, 212 will beRead MoreAre Standardized Tests a Good Measure of Ones Ability? Essay1146 Words   |  5 Pagesphase of having to take a standardized test to apply for a college, a scholarship program or better still to complete the high school program. Normally good scores in these tests guarantees good scholarships or admission into an institution because the scores from standardize tests are used as a conclusive measure of one’s abilities. But due to the fact that these scores ignores years of hard work and commitment and focuses on just a test, it’s about time we acknowledge standardized tests are not

A Critique of Confucian Morality - 1601 Words

A Critique of Confucian Morality For many centuries, Confucianism has been widely revered by the Chinese for its emphasis on morality. Confucius, who lived from 551 to 479 BCE, is different to most philosophers in that he showed no interest questioning his existence, the possibility of a God, or the reality that he seemed to live in; instead he focused on the human relations side of philosophy as it was his belief that people should â€Å"give (themselves) earnestly to the duties due to men †¦ (and) keep aloof from (spiritual beings)† (Confucius 195). By negating the metaphysical side of philosophy, he was able to devote himself to mold his disciples into ideal gentleman who were morally righteous, and were able to benefit society. He†¦show more content†¦Confucius defined filial piety as â€Å"not being disobedient†. One of his disciples said that those who were filial were afraid of â€Å"offending †¦ their superiors† (Confucius 124). Rebelliousness against what is expe cted leads to breakthroughs and if one is forced to listen to his parents and carry out their wishes, they will not be able to do so. There have been many instances of those who have spoken out against authoritative figures for their own rights, and because of this, their lives were able to change for the better. Parents should be a guide, but the deference that the youth is expected to have will make them into a mere extension of their parents, with no independent thought for themselves, knowledge of how to think for their own or speak up against what is wrong. Therefore, one should be wary of absolute filial piety as seen in countries that adopt Confucian philosophies; freedom is not as attainable as in the West. In addition, Confucianism does not place importance on the role of the female in society. Modern Western philosophy is very egocentric and the rights of each individual matters. However, in traditional Confucian philosophy, these rights are less significant; the importanc e of the individual comes from the role he plays in society. In the five hierarchal relationships, four out of the five are superior-inferior relationships; only one is reciprocal. OneShow MoreRelatedChinese Philosophy Encompasses A Myriad Of Philosophies1441 Words   |  6 Pagesphilosophies that speak on religion, human nature, tradition, how to govern and essentially how to live. Among these collections of schools of thought are Confucianism and Toaism. While there exists both similarities and differences between the Confucian sage and the Taoist sage their political beliefs communicate different methods of achieving a prosperous and ethical state. However, based on the apparent adaptability and separation from potentially inadequate socially imposed structures, the philosophicalRead MoreWhat The Confucian Ideas And Practices Are Essay1916 Words   |  8 Pagesto address the main problem presented by the question I will first give a brief outline of what the Confucian ideas and practices are. I will then do as the question asks and evaluate the critique, I will do this by going on to decide how valid I believe the critique to be and proposing some responses to it to see how the critique really holds up, before going on to discuss some alternative critiques and whether I see them to be more valid. So to begin some context, Confucius was born in 551Read MoreMichelle Hudson. Hist 3338: Psa 1. Dr. Fan. 02/18/2017.1219 Words   |  5 Pagestypically the emperor, has the right to rule the divine power. However, â€Å"Medicine† dichotomizes traditional Chinese culture by ridiculing that their really isn’t an essential culture. Lu Hsun critiques Confusion principle by comparing it through â€Å"cannibalistic† attributes. â€Å"Medicine† warns readers that the Confucian tradition will consume the future and does this through three important key factors: bringing opposite concepts to reveal the author s autobiographical background, cluing in a serious eventsRead MoreThe Differences Between Legalism And Confucianism2116 Words   |  9 Pagesintense political and intellectual turmoil. Unlike other schools of thought, legalism defined the strength of the state, through a system of punishments and rewards, propagated by common laws. Neither concerning its elf with Confucian idealization of the past, or the morality of man, legalisms pragmatic system of governance, as best defined by Han Fei Zi, ended the hundreds of years of warfare and unified China. As aforementioned, Legalism was at the forefront of philosophical discourse during theRead MoreChina s Nationalism And Isolation From Western Society2751 Words   |  12 Pagescountry. Students and intellectuals with Westernized educations saw that the political and social turmoil was attributed to a long history of rejection of anything Western. On May 4, 1919, students led a revolt, called the May Fourth Movement, against Confucian culture promoting science, democracy, and anti-imperialism. The May Fourth Movement was a period of total iconoclasm, of complete rejection of past tradition, and of absolute ratification of western ideals resulting in a literary revolution. By exploringRead MoreEssay on Confucianism1052 Words   |  5 Pagesimportant thing in Chinese life. It affected everything in China; education, government, and attitudes toward behavior in public and private life. Confucianism is not a religion, but it is more a philosophy and a guide to morality and good govern ment. The Laozian and Mohist critiques of the Confucianism are both in an accurate fashion. Most significant value from Lazi is The Tao Te Jing. It is true that, while Confucianism emphasizes social order and an active life, Taoism concentrates on individualRead MoreEssay on may 4th movement2171 Words   |  9 Pagesquickly modernizing world. They believed that China had allowed Japan and the West to take advantage of it during the World War. There were mass criticisms of Chinas stubborn pride and inability to accept the advice of the west. Chinas traditional Confucian government was labeled as the cause of much weakness and should be removed from within. nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;Perhaps the most famous spokesman of the New Culture Movement was the Beijing writer Lu Xun. While in Japan studying medicine LuRead More Critique of Kohlberg’s Claim of Cultural Moral Universality Essay3481 Words   |  14 PagesCritique of Kohlberg’s Claim of Cultural Moral Universality    Introduction As the American Heritage Dictionary plainly states, morality is a system of ideas of right and wrong conduct (American Heritage Dictionary 2000). People have been researching the development of this sense of morality for centuries. There is great debate over how a person’s morality is formed and then how to categorize one person’s level of morality compared to others. Most researchers believe that people reach differentRead MoreSocrates And Confucius As Teachers3484 Words   |  14 Pageseducate them. This idea of Socrates as the horse fly that stings Athens into awareness, is the most wide spread understanding of his character and his mission as a philosopher. For Socrates, the most dangerous thing to the soul, the state, and human morality was ignorance. As such, the activity of Socrates life was turned toward combatting the ignorance of Athenians and critiquing their knowledge or lack there of. This mission is clearly the mission of an educator, and, ultimately, Soc rates’ life, activitiesRead MoreThe Question of Socrates Obedience3243 Words   |  13 Pagesthe major Dialogues from Euthyphro to Crito. The meaning of goodness is indeed discussed by Socrates quite often. In the Gorgias, Socrates counsels that rhetoric is empty and useless by itself and is only really useful if it is coupled with morality. Morality governs and directs words and men to pursue a good and noble life. In the Symposium, Socrates states that life must be lived according to the will of God, which is essentially a loving will, like what the medieval world called Providence, or

Internal Environment Analysis Of The Company British AirwaysÂÂ

Question: Describe about the Case Study for Internal Environment Analysis of the Company of British Airways. Answer: Introduction British Airways Plc. is one of the largest airlines of United Kingdom, which is also internationally scheduled. The company was privatized in 1987. However, International Airline Group Plc (IAG) that was formed in 2011 owned British Airways Plc. Along with the transportation of the passengers, it also operates domestic and international freight and mail and other additional services. The company has grown along with the mounting competition over the years. It has presently pioneered in green technology adaption and eco-friendly strategy, which helped it to reduce greenhouse gas emission. The paper will focus on discussing the external environment and the internal strategic position. Moreover, the paper will identify the major factors behind the change of British Airways and its implications. While explaining the external environment discussion will be made on market segmentation of the company; PESTLE analysis and Porters 5-forces. It will also review some critical success factors. I n order to discuss the internal strategic position, the paper will focus upon the basis of competition; activities and resources of the company; culture of the company; stakeholders of the company. It will also make a comparison with the competitors in the airline industry. External Environment Analysis Market Segmentation:The process of dividing the total market into different sub-market for a particular product is known as market segmentation. A company segments its market according to the specific characteristics of its consumers (Malaval, Benaroya and Aflalo 2014). The customers differ in many ways; in terms of their resources; choice; location; buying practices etc. Through segmentation of the market, the British Airways divide its large heterogeneous market into smaller sub-markets. They disaggregate the market according to the age; occupation; income and nationality. British Airways groups the customers according to their needs and wants. Some of the common market segmentation practices by British Airways are as follows: It provides additional benefit for the high class. For example, benefits like Club Card. People from business class prefer to travel in British Airways as the airfare is too costly. This airline company provides private jets for wealthy people for national and international level. This satisfies the well-being of the niche market. They offer services to cluster of individuals according to their common needs. For example, it provides four different services to different customers, such as, economy; premium economy; executive and first class. Limited discount is provided to the children between the age group of 2 to 12 years. There are many more bases of segmentations made by this airline. British Airways also segments it market in terms of geographical; demographical; psychological and behavioral variety. PESTLE Analysis To understand the external environment, it is required to do a PESTLE Analysis of British Airways Plc. Political: Political condition affects the airline companies. For example, a war with Iraq led to decline and cancellation of flights to Iraq. The air control and security has increased over the past few years due to terrorism; bombing and hijacking of flights. Government has imposed heavy regulation and limitation on airline schedule for security measure, which made operation of the airlines difficult (Walters 2016). This results into heavier costs of the British Airways. The engagement with trade union also affected the British Airways. However, in spite of the limitations the security measures are helpful to increase the confidence of the consumers in the airline company that assures a safe journey. Economic: The economic factors also affect the British airline company. For example, due to global economic crisis, the business of the British Airways was badly affected. The global growth was only 2% annually. The British pound declined against Euro during this period, which badly affected the company. Along with this the consumer spending has declined that led to fall in number of passengers. However, landing charge has also increased that is beneficial for the existing companies like British airways, as it creates barrier to entry of new firms. Hence, this condition is favorable for British Airways. Social: The population of United Kingdom is aging. This can be beneficial to the British Airways, as the retired people are more willing for a vacation and travel frequently (Tribe 2015). However, the countrys unemployment level is quite high, which prevents the company to increase its fare. The airline companies are also affected by the social and cultural influences. When the airplane reaches to a different country, it has to follow etiquette of that particular country. For example, a flight to Pakistan should not include pork in the in-flight meal. Technological: The online booking services and check-ins have become the industry standard, which has reduced the cost and increased the competition. All other competitors are using this technology. Hence, the British Airways is not alone. This industry is constantly innovating new technology not only to improve the service and to improve the security measure. However, the company cannot ignore the offline procedures due to the older generation and other customers who are not technology-savvy. British Airways have invested in Lotus technology than includes the use of UNIX and other database application. Legal: Legal dispute due to the strike of the Cabin Crew cause to be an unstable legal platform to the company. British Airways has affected by many strikes and the engagement with the trade union causes many problems to the company. The legal regulations on customer rights and employment rights also affected the company adversely. Merging with American Airlines causes a number of legal proceeding that were costly and also caused distraction from the main business f the company. Ceiling has been imposed on the flying hours of the pilots; hence this airline cannot force the pilot to fly more than the particular hours. Environment: The consumers are conscious regarding the environment and they ethically they choose services or products that are more environment friendly. Moreover, the environment policies like energy consumption and noise control has been debated for a long time. Moreover, the land expansion for Heathrow airport has causes land acquisition issues. Hence, to become more competitive it is important to develop a more pollution free business (Chang, Park, Jeong and Lee 2014). The new flights emit less pollutes gases, so the British Airways is enjoying an added advantage. Porters 5-Forces Five Forces model developed by Michael Porter helps to analyze the situation of the company in the competitive market. The five forces are: Threat of new entrants; Bargaining power of buyers; Competitive rivalry; Bargaining power of suppliers; Threat of Substitutes. Figure 1: Porters Five Forces Source: Mindtools.com 2016 Threat of New Entrants: There are significant barriers to the new entrants, as the cost of setting up this business is too expensive (Alderighi, Cento, Nijkamp and Rietveld 2012). It requires too high capital involvement. Moreover, this industry has barriers to exit hence new firm cannot enter. The failure of XI and Zoom discourages the new entrants. LOW Bargaining Power of Buyers: There is lack of communication between buyers and sellers, which mean consumers have less bargaining power. However, due to increase in the use of internet, the scope of interaction has evolved and customers of airlines try to find better offers. They are highly price sensitive. MEDIUM Competitive Rivalry: The differences with competitors in terms of price of long haul flight are insignificant, which implies a high competition in fare of the flight. In short distance travels also, there are many low cost airlines that are increasing the completion in this industry. Moreover, it faces tough competition from the US airlines and European airlines (Hannigan, Hamilton and Mudambi 2015). HIGH Bargaining Power of Suppliers: The suppliers of aircraft have high bargaining power. Costs of switching on supplier to another are very high. Hence, aero-plane manufacturers like Boeing and Airbus are quite powerful. Moreover, the British Airways is restricted to a supplier of fuel to its airport. HIGH Threat of Substitute: There is no direct replacement of air flight travel. However, Eurostar or Ferries can replace short haul flights, but they are time consuming and costly sometime. But for long journey there is no such alternatives. Hence, British Airways faces no threat of substitutes. LOW Critical Success Factors The Critical Success Factor of British Airways has been identified that is, timely arrival and departure of the airplanes. Moreover, having committed sponsors an active champions are important criteria for success. Moreover, their attention towards the employees has developed the employees loyalty. Some other critical success factors of this company are consumer loyalty; strong brand image; sensitivity to changing market needs etc. Internal Strategic Position Porters Generic Strategies With the help of three approaches, a company can attain competitive advantage. The strategies are: Cost leadership; Differentiation and Focus. Cost Leadership: To compete in the market, it is necessary for the company to produce at lower cost. The loss of 401 million, forced the British Airways to cut down its cost of production. After the loss has made, the company reduced its allowances for three years. In order to cut down its cost as much as possible this company has closed some routes that were not beneficial. Differentiation: British Airways has emphasized on differentiating its product and services. By setting up a high price and providing a high quality of services, it tries to mark the differentiation. They provide drink to phone free to the premium passengers and sleeper service to its first-class travelers. To improve their services, this company provides training to its employees. British Airways emphasises on this strategy to create significant brand value. Focus: By adopting this strategy, the company would like to focus on a particular market segment, in which the degree of competition is less. In British Airways, the focus market is the niche market. These segments of people are less affected by the price but prefer to have high-class quality of services. Therefore, by focusing on this segment the company is able to gain a lump sum profit by boosting up the sale and raising customers satisfaction. Figure 2: Porter Generic Strategies Value Chain and Resource Based view: In order to be efficient in the market, the British Airways tries to reach maximum level in the value chain. By forming ongoing association with the suppliers; sophisticated methods of stock control the British Airways has attained competitive advantage in inbound logistic. Moreover, by preparing new services for customers like, security for luggage; quick check-ins etc. this company has competitive advantage in the operations. Through excellent customer services, it has gained competitive advantage in outbound logistics. British Airways includes not only the customers in their marketing activities, but also the stakeholders of the firm (Hill, Jones and Schilling 2014). Moreover, in order to achieve competitive advantage British Airways has recognized post-sale services as an important tool. It enjoys economics of scale and technological development by the company has placed it in a better position in the value-chain system. Moreover, providing job satisfaction to the employees and w ith a good infrastructure of the firm, the company gained competitive advantage in the industry. British Airways has tangible resources like, 260 aircrafts over 550 different places and intangible resources like worldwide database of the customer. The company provides security training and ground level training (Britishairways.com 2016). Its capability to fly passengers securely has increased its competencies. It also has tangible resources, like monopoly over Heathrow Airport. Its recognition as premium and reputable brand in the world is another unique resource (Grundy and Moxon 2013). It also have core competencies in its services, as its subsidiary Open Skies does not allow 64 passengers per flight with 1 assistant per 12 travellers. However, to achieve competitive advantage the resources should be Valuable; Rare; Inimitable and Non-substitutable (VRIN). The British Airways has used this VRIN model to gain above average profitability and outsourced routine activities (Daft and Albers 2015). This helped the company to reduce costs with high service quality and a better focus on core business. Culture of the Company Cultural Web is useful for identifying the features of organizational culture and the values that support the culture (Geisler and Wickramasinghe 2015). Figure 3: Cultural Web Source: Mindtools.com 2016 British Airways had an apathetic culture. However, its extensive customer support programmes revamped the old image and the consumers welcomed this cultural shift positively (Coller, Helms Mills and Mills 2015). It has restructured the company by adopting livery and logos; staff training etc. the company got involved in the advertisement. It is believed that the cultural symbol changes the inherited perceptions. The new cultural shift was introduced by the then CEO Colin Marshall. Various training events; following up his promises; his presence in the events with staffs signaled how involved he was and how serious he was about the change (Shukla 2013). The culture of the organization towards providing excellent services has become the practice of the British Airways. Stakeholders of the Company The stakeholders of British Airways can be assessed using Power and Interest Matrix (Davis 2016). The combinations of stakeholders of British Airways are as follows: High interest High power: Employees; Competitors; suppliers etc. High Interest Low Power: Creditors; on-air internet service providers Low interest- High power: Government; Customers Low interest- Low power: Charities Comparison with Competitors Virgin Atlantic; Jet Airways etc. are major competitors of British Airways. BA charge a high rate for its business class passengers, whereas, the competitors charge moderate price for the travelers. The high price charged by BA has no hidden cost unlike the competitors. However, BA used to maintain its enigma by setting high price for trip, until present as it offers cheaper fares on some selected routes for the passengers who travel without checked luggage. More choice is now given in order to compete with Ryanair and Easyjet. Moreover, the British Airway faces competition from several European airlines; hence, it has reduced its cost of fares. Conclusion The internal environment analysis of the company sheds light on the fact that British Airways is in an advantageous position. The resources of the company are VRIN. By analyzing the value chain of the company, it has been identified that company has achieved competitive advantages in many aspect. Its strategies of differentiating its product from its competitors; focusing on the target market; changing in the culture helped the company to grow and compete with the low-cost competitors. Key Drivers for Change for BA and its Implications The key drivers for the change in British Airways were technology; education; world trade and world finance. The changes in information technology have fundamentally affected the British airways. BA has competitive advantages over other companied of this industry. Moreover, the customers needs and preferences have been changing due to globalization. The customer satisfaction is the key factor behind the British Airways success. The commitment of this company has led to achieve long-term growth in the revenue. The progressive, high-performing employees are committed to this organization and they are willing to embrace change and improve in the performance of British Airways. The company focused on the technology innovation to make its service more efficient and innovative to the customers. The caring attitude of the company and its efficient trained employees are major factors behind the change in the British Airways. The creative innovation, increasing competition has driven the chan ge in the organization. The changes in the British Airways were highly accepted by the customers as well as the employees hype (Lange, Geppert Saka-Helmhout and Becker-Ritterspach 2015). The change in organizational culture created. However, in reality it has been argued that there are discrepancies between the promises of the company and the actual practice. However, the changes in the customer service affected the sales of this company. The BA has generated huge brand value and customers loyalty. References Alderighi, M., Cento, A., Nijkamp, P. and Rietveld, P., 2012. Competition in the European aviation market: the entry of low-cost airlines.Journal of Transport Geography,24, pp.223-233. Bertillo, D., Julius, B., Salando, D. and Bertillo, J., 2013. Human Resource Management Practices in an Airline Industry: The British Airways Global Perspective.Human Resource Management Practices in an Airline Industry: The British Airways Global Perspective (July 12, 2013). Britishairways.com. 2016. BA Careers - Learning and Development. [online] Available at: https://www.britishairways.com/careers/learninganddevelopment.shtml [Accessed 28 Mar. 2016]. Chang, Y.T., Park, H.S., Jeong, J.B. and Lee, J.W., 2014. Evaluating economic and environmental efficiency of global airlines: A SBM-DEA approach.Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment,27, pp.46-50. Coller, K.E., Helms Mills, J. and Mills, A.J., 2015. The British Airways Heritage Collection: an ethnographic history.Business History, pp.1-24. Daft, J. and Albers, S., 2015. An empirical analysis of airline business model convergence.Journal of Air Transport Management,46, pp.3-11. Davis, K., 2016. A method to measure success dimensions relating to individual stakeholder groups.International Journal of Project Management,34(3), pp.480-493. Geisler, E. and Wickramasinghe, N., 2015.Principles of knowledge management: Theory, practice, and cases. Routledge. Grundy, M. and Moxon, R., 2013. The effectiveness of airline crisis management on brand protection: A case study of British Airways.Journal of Air Transport Management,28, pp.55-61. Hannigan, T.J., Hamilton III, R.D. and Mudambi, R., 2015. Competition and competitiveness in the US airline industry.Competitiveness Review,25(2), pp.134-155. Hill, C., Jones, G. and Schilling, M., 2014.Strategic management: theory: an integrated approach. Cengage Learning. Lange, K., Geppert, M., Saka Helmhout, A. and Becker Ritterspach, F., 2015. Changing Business Models and Employee Representation in the Airline Industry: A Comparison of British Airways and Deutsche Lufthansa.British Journal of Management,26(3), pp.388-407. Malaval, P., Bnaroya, C. and Aflalo, J., 2014. Market Segmentation and Positioning. InAerospace Marketing Management(pp. 123-156). Springer International Publishing. Mindtools.com. (2016). Porter's Five Forces: Assessing the Balance of Power in a Business Situation. [online] Available at: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newTMC_08.htm [Accessed 28 Mar. 2016]. Mindtools.com. (2016). The Cultural Web: Aligning Your Organization's Culture With Strategy. [online] Available at: https://www.mindtools.com/pages/article/newSTR_90.htm [Accessed 27 Mar. 2016]. Shukla, L., 2013. An Examination Of The Impact Of Leadership Style On Employee Satisfaction In British Airways.International Journal of Innovative Research and Development,2(5). Tribe, J., 2015.The economics of recreation, leisure and tourism. Routledge. Walters, W., 2016. The flight of the deported: aircraft, deportation, and politics.Geopolitics, pp.1-24.

Small businesses failure in the UK

Introduction According to the Federation of Small Businesses (2012), â€Å"there are 4.5 million small businesses in the UK†. Their significance in the country’s economy is confirmed by statistics from the same organization, revealing that small business account for 99% of all the businesses in the United Kingdom.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Small businesses failure in the UK specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More They account for more than 48% of the private sector turnover and employ 58.8% of the people working in the private sector. London is leading with the highest number of small businesses approximated at 748,000. The South East is second with 745,000 registered small businesses. The number has been on the rise in the recent past with over 87,000 small business registered in2010 alone. Even as this number goes up, the rate of failure is still alarming, and a cause for concern. In 200 4 alone, small businesses in the UK registered a 43% failure rate (Small Business UK, 2012). According to Federation of Small Businesses (2012), â€Å"the government recognizes that small businesses are the backbone of the United Kingdom’s economy†. Combining the public and private sectors together, each year, the small businesses represent over 90% of the employer firms. In the last 15 years, 64% of all the news jobs created in the UK have come from the small businesses. Furthermore, â€Å"small businesses produce 13 times more patents per employee than large patenting firms; these patents are twice as likely as large firm patents to be among the one percent most cited† (Federation of Small Businesses, 2012). The sectors significance in the country is further proven by the fact that they create more than half the country’s non-farm gross domestic product comes from it. Half the country’s high-tech workers are employed in the small businesses. Thes e include the computer programmers, chemical analysts, engineers and scientists. Small businesses in the UK offer income and convenience to a big percentage of the investors.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More More than half are home-based, while 2% are franchises (Small Business UK, 2012). According to the same statistics, small businesses made up more than 97% percent of all registered and identified exporters in the country in 2007. In the same year, 30.2% of the known export value in the United Kingdom was from them. Other than the financial benefits that they offer the country, small business have a political and social importance both domestically and internationally. They have been found to make significant contributions to the economical and foreign relationships between the UK and other nations, especially with most of the industrially advanced and developin g nations including the United States. Small businesses are considered as one of the major driving forces of socio-economic development in the country. Because small businesses stimulate private ownership and entrepreneurship skills they generate more innovative opportunities (Repa, 2010) They offer stability since they are flexible and adapt themselves to changing market demand and supply situations easily. Review of relevant literature indicates that many international agencies and governments have identified the importance of maintaining healthy and supportive growth standards in small businesses (Kakkar, 2009). However, there exist very few details of the strategies recommended by prior research. Provision of services, information and support for small businesses is not well defined in most of the past studies. Nature of small business, changing patterns of employment and changes in economic environment are found to be some of the reasons for lack of focus in the research (Trevi no and Katherine, 2011). Nature of small businesses The contribution to modern economic life by the small enterprises is significant and cannot be ignored. In many of the advanced industrialized nations, the enhanced share of contribution to the economic growth is the strong evidence for their prominent place in changing the economic profile of these nations. Available information from government statistics has shown that failures are more common in small businesses than in larger companies, perhaps from the fact that big businesses have the capacity to handle risks and potentially dangerous uncertainties. â€Å"It is acknowledged that such high incidence of failure is not mainly because the small enterprises undertake more dangerous business tasks; but because of unsatisfactory management and implementation arrangements in small businesses† (Koeng and Root, 2006).Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on Small businesses failure in the UK specificall y for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Effective management of strategy in small businesses faces considerable challenges from the fact they are more vulnerable and exposed to uncertainties and changes in the markets. As far as management is concerned, the owner is regarded as the central and dominant actor in relation to any proposal for changes in the structure or operations of small businesses. Many researches point out the personal values and priorities of the owners as the determinants of culture, social relations and attitude of the small enterprises. Based on such characteristics, small businesses could be described as organizations that have to fight for survival. These organizations have the owners as the responsible persons to handle several issues affecting the business at the same time (Tsai and Wen, 2009). The owner-manager gets significant part of his identity from the enterprise. The personal values and beliefs of the owners form the gu idelines for the development of small businesses. The management style of owners of small businesses is often a patriarchal one, and hence it is ego-centric and action-oriented (Longenecker, 2010). Causes of failure among small business Cash flow problems The most significant challenge among small entrepreneurs is having a healthy and managing cash flow. Daily (2011) points out that â€Å"many businesses struggle through poor cash flow management†. Even where good skills are available, less than enough financial resources make it hard for them to bear any fruits. A common mistake among small business people is going into business with the exact amount needed to start up, and sometimes even less. When the business is not profitable immediately, there is no money to cater for expenses and cater for the day-to-day expenses of the business. The results are either accumulated debts at an early age of the business, or failure at an early stage. Poor business planning Daniels (2010) advices that â€Å"a business plan should cover aspects such as marketing, finance, sales and promotion plans, as well as detailed breakdowns of costs and profit predictions†. Unfortunately, small businesses lack a comprehensive plan and more often leave out the important aspects of a business.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More For example, a plan that lacks direction on costs and expenses may not be able to sustain itself regardless of how well marketing and sales were planned. In the UK, a considerable number of small business owners are young and may lack the much needed level of experience to address some of the challenges that arise from poor planning. The result is the inability for small businesses to go through any challenges that arise. Poor marketing Understanding a market is paramount for businesses that intend to establish a long-lasting presence in any market. For a business to be successful, they have to understand and meet the needs of their clientele. When this is lacking, resources spent to introduce products and market will not bear any positive results for the business. Furthermore, small businesses in the UK suffer from stiff competition since most industries are quite competitive. Lack of sufficient funds makes it even more difficult for them to invest in understanding markets and even compete effectively. Most of them also lack proper distribution channels and are unable to create a consistent flow of goods or services to the targeted clientele. Lack of finances According to Barreto (2007), â€Å"insufficient finance often means that businesses are unable to take opportunities available to them, or have to compromise-going for high cost solutions to problems, rather than lower cost ones that would yield greater competitive advantage†. In the UK, the government recognizes the significance of the small businesses by offering different kinds of support. This is through grants, financial advice and information, as well as making loans more available to small entrepreneurs. Grants are today more available through the government and other non-governmental organizations. Information and advice are essential since most small businesses suffer from poor financial management, bad credit and inability to sustain the high costs in the early days of business. Failure to embrace new technologies Inability to embrace new developments and technologies arises from a lack of financial resources. At an age when technology is evolving so fast, dragging behind may cause more harm than a business could anticipate. In a fast changing world, leading investors are those that access to modern solutions and know how to use them to their advantage. Young business may suffer weak and inexperienced capacity to manage changes that occur too fast as far as their technological needs are concerned. Issues of safety â€Å"The issues that surround running a business are more pronounced in small enterprises by virtue of their sizes act to restrict the initiatives for meeting the health and safety standards for their workers† (Armstrong, 2009). The issue of safety is especially important for those businesses in high risk industries such as production. Issues of safety can further be categorized into management, finance, compliance and environmental practices. All these issues are inter-linked, are dependent on each other, and operate as a total force. Based on this premise, the key factors that affect the occupational health and safety in small businesses can be grouped under these heads. They are (a) low or lack of management and training skills; (b) lack of financial and human resources; (c) burden of statutory and regulatory compliance; (d) relationship with regulatory agencies and the use of consultants; (e) dependent relationship with large businesses; and (f) employment and occupational health and safety practices. Poor management Management in small businesses differs largely from that of a large undertaking with formal structures. As against large businesses, in small business enterprises, the lines of communication are shorter with simple organizational structure (Bohlander, 2010). The small enterprises feel the commercial pressures almost instantaneously and severely. In the small businesses, management practices are intertwined w ith other aspects of running the business and it is not possible to separate them for higher focus. According to (Bohlander, 2010) â€Å"a shift in one area of functioning will have immediate consequences on another because of the inter-relationship between the functions of operating a small business is tightly knit†. In most cases the employer has to consider the provision of even basic management measures based on the cash flow. Human resource management Most of the small enterprises face the challenge of training and skill development. This is especially so in the area of business communication and management. Small businesses mostly lack both the management attainment and adequate resources to meet their commitments on human resource requirements of the industry (Clutterbuck, 2007). The small business owners generally do not understand their obligations and responsibilities as far as their workers are concerned. Small business employers are often specialized in their part icular trade rather than on the business management practices. They can frequently be characterized by a norm of independence and a shared belief in their personal values. The small business owners are keen in their individual autonomy and hence do not take much care of what the rest of the team thins or requires. The tension between the role of management and the rest of the team in the small business also act to distance the owner-managers from meeting the requirements of the employees. Statutory and regulatory requirements The burden of compliance with statutory and regulatory requirements is a challenge that the small businesses have to face continuously. While medium and large sized firms are able to keep their knowledge up to date on the changes in business laws and regulations, small businesses have not. Unlike large businesses, meeting the regulatory requirements may often place considerable financial burden on small businesses. This is because the smaller businesses are una ble to spread the cost of compliance over large number of products as it is the case with larger firms. This inability may put the small businesses at a significant disadvantage. Studies also indicate that small business owners consider that government regulations may affect their profitability and ultimately lead to the closure of the business (Vance and Yongsun, 2011). This presumption that the cost of compliance will negatively affect the profitability of small businesses has led a large number of small businesses to find ways in which they could opt out of their legal obligations in the country. Viable solutions to reduce failure rates In consistent with the previous researches, Longenecker (2010) suggested that the small and medium enterprises in the UK have slowly evolved their management systems to make them better. Steingold (2009) found that with the increase in the organizational size the quality of business issues management increased. Lack of resources has been identifie d to be one of the major reasons small businesses are failing in the UK. Schneider and Pietra (2010) found more evidences to prove that small business organizations had resorted to more preventive activities such as insurance and compensation when challenges occur. Putting this into consideration, it is notable that availability of resources will be very helpful to the small entrepreneurs. The first resource that small businesses need is education and training. This is in areas of cash flow management, health and safety, marketing, and compliance with laws and regulations, among other areas. Santos, Fatima and Joaquim (2011) studied health and safety systems in small construction companies in the Asian region. The authors reported that newly hired construction workers in the small organizations are particularly at risk of occupational injuries because of insufficient safety education and training. This is important for small businesses in such industries where safety issues could co llapse a business. It is also important for small businesses to learn how to receive and send important information on issues that affect them. For example, full compliance to the law would require being fully updated on any new changes and new requirements. Another area in which small businesses need help is managing human resources. Many times small businesses employ less qualified personnel in an attempt to cut cost. Low level of literacy among the workers then makes it hard for them to be trained or adapt to new and challenging business environments in the UK. Because of their lack of knowledge, the workers are unaware of how different factors affect the business. In small enterprises, controls are normally decided by custom and practice and not by an exact risk assessment of the work practices. Reason (2008) found that the owners cited number of barriers including limited resources, lack of in-house expertise and competition as to why they were failing in human resource managem ent. It is therefore important that small business use everything they have to improve their human resource, as well as seek help on those issues that they cannot address. Another significant area of concern for small business is attitude towards their relationship with the government and law enforcement bodies. Small businesses are characterized by their indifferent attitude towards and their unwillingness to cooperate with regulatory agencies, as well as a common tendency to use consultants who may not be qualified for regulatory advice (Delgado, 2011). The same author observed three major reasons for the small business owners resorting to external consultants to assist them in compliance issues rather than dealing with the government agencies directly. First reason is that many small business owners feel alienated from the state. As a result, small business owners choose not to approach government agencies and relevant authorities directly for advice or guidance on matters that a ffect occupational, safety and health at work. Secondly the small business enterprise owners always presume that they might be prosecuted by the government for not meeting the regulatory requirements. The result is that small business owners are not in direct contact with the government, and will instead be more comfortable to use the services of small business advisors. The intermediaries may not relay all the information to both stakeholders, creating a communication breakdown. Thirdly when the small business owners do not have the competence to understand their obligation and do not seek advice from small business advisor. It is important that all relevant stakeholders put effort to fill the gap in their management knowledge. It is important for businesses and the government to note that by relying on the advisors to guide them on managing regulatory requirements, small businesses may not have access to all the relevant information. Important subjects such as financial, tax and l egal issues may not be fully addressed. For this reason, the government must ensure easy access of such information by reaching the small business instead of waiting for them to reach them. Compliance can also be improved by making it affordable for the small businesses. Financial challenges are obviously challenges that stakeholders cannot afford to ignore. Small businesses are at a higher risk of closing down due to lack of sufficient funds to run their day to day expenses. Financial related challenges can be solved through education, training and making funds available for small businesses. The UK government can get involved by having subsidized interest rates for small business loans, making the process of accessing funds easier, and encouraging non-governmental organizations to get involved through grants and training. The UK government in the recent past has put in place measures to encourage small entrepreneurs through government funded grants. Budgetary allocations for small businesses further need to be increased to help more start-up access financial support. Even though the government plays a major role in the problem, every stakeholder needs to be involved aggressively for failure rates to be reduced. â€Å"Businesses need to put a plan ahead to know what the most likely risks are in a given workplace environment and prepare for them to avoid them altogether† (Shane, 2008). To avoid stagnation and the consequences that arise when they happen, it is important for businesses to have a specific plan and regularly train employees on how to avoid being in such situations. It is also paramount for businesses to train employees on how to react when hardships occur so that they do not panic and aggravate the problem further. The size of the small business may not really be an important factor in the provision of workplace support. The assumption of high risks, poor assessment and high incidence of failure in small businesses compared to larger once has not been supported by empirical evidences. The right information is paramount in ensuring that the right policies and measures are installed correctly and that irrelevant assumptions are not made. Information at the employees’ level is also crucial in helping employees avoid any areas where they may easily expose themselves the business to risks that hurt the business. Employee and public education can be carried out through training at the workplace, government forums and annual awareness week, usually addressing different types of challenges. As discussed earlier, issues of safety are a significant problem for small businesses which may not have the resources to manage damages that arise when incidents occur. For manufacturing businesses, and those that use hazardous substances, health and safety should be addressed comprehensively. It is important to ensure that chemicals do not mix or come into contact with each other accidentally. The cleaning of production and stora ge facilities must be done in accordance with procedures that ensure safety and protection. Many industries in the region adopt mechanisms such as continuous process cleaning (CPC), to avoid any contact with the contaminated water during cleaning. Other mechanisms adopted from other regions such as Japan allow employees to arrange offices, stores and other facilitates in a way that allows easy exit in case of emergencies. Another important step for proper management and protection management of small businesses is compiling a highly skilled team in the businesses. A proper team is important for preparation, prevention and response when problems and risks that could lead to closure occur. The team must have access to every part of the business, meaning that a business must have the right teams in all its departments from the executive to the ground level. Since it is very easy to make the wrong decisions in panic, procedural manuals for incidents such as cash shortages, damaged goods and low sales must be in place to prevent such happenings. It is important for the new businesses in the United Kingdom to seek external help from bigger and more mature businesses who may have been exposed to significant crises and business threatening incidents in the past, and were able to manage it effectively. To fully benefit from new technological innovations, companies must also consult to benefit from each other’s new ideas. Consultations are made possible by fine tuning a company’s communication style and establishing good relationships with fellow investors. Such initiatives prove very helpful when a company needs help in times of trouble. Setting timeline for important projects will help the small businesses improve their preparedness. It also helps manage its workers in a timelier manner. â€Å"Each process scenario must be highlighted in the timeline to ensure that teams don’t spend unnecessarily long times on one aspect of a crisis† (Reuvi d, 2010). Timeliness allows order and organization during an incident management mission, an initiative that could go a long way in saving lives and minimizing damage. Waste management and environmental challenges should be accorded the right attention in a business right from its inception. For those who make products from raw materials, reactivity and toxicity tests can be used to further determine whether waste should be considered hazardous or not. All wastes must go through these tests to determine how hazardous they are to the environment and human health before disposal. When collecting waste, it should be segregated and collected according to different waste categories depending with how they test for different parameters. Waste should be not be mixed and should be collected in containers with secure lids securely sealed thereafter to avoid spillage. When these measures are not addressed, small businesses find themselves in trouble with environmental organizations and may en d up paying hefty fines that will eat into its capital base. Small business should have the capability to test the level of risk and exposure in the markets they venture into. The level of interaction with risks allows the analysts to determine the amount of damage that may have occurred in a business (Haddow, Jane and Damon, 2011). In case of Therefore, it is important for small businesses to be equipped with the necessary tools and kits to perform these assessments and minimize negative effects on its operations. The other important step is identifying the most fundamental success factors for safety in their business strategy. These are factors that must be available if sustainability initiatives have to work out and give results. They include things such as technology requirements, availability of resources, tools for measuring performance and the how the process will be aligned. Conclusion In conclusion, a proper workplace management plan can help small businesses in the United Kingdom preserve their reputation as the backbone of the country’s economy. The first step towards a proper management planning is having the right information (U.S Small Business Administration, 2011). Any company intending to perfect their art of survival must have the right data and information about their population, level of threat, climatic trends, and rates at which risks occur in the industry region and causes. False facts can lead to wrong decisions in the face of a crisis and could cost more losses than should have happened. In the country, small businesses have done much to ensure their survival rates increase. There needs to be more awareness and training for small entrepreneurs, especially those in high risk industries. The general view of planning is to create a specific response to economical, physical, social, psychological and environmental challenges. The effectiveness of the plan is influenced by both local and external factors. Particular circumstances suc h as the economic environment, human resources conditions, accessibility of business papers, number of people involved and many other parameters may also influence the outcomes of a new business. When all these factors are put into consideration, all small businesses in the United Kingdom will be in a position to develop a more effective strategy. Reference List Armstrong, M., 2009. Armstrong’s handbook of management and leadership: A  guide to managing for results. London; Kogan page. Barreto, H.V., 2007. The engine of America: The secrets to small business  success from entrepreneurs who have made it. Hoboken, N.J.: John Wiley Sons. Bohlander, G.W., 2010. Managing human resources. Mason: South-Western. Clutterbuck, D., 2007. 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Australia; Mason, OH: South-Western Cengage Learning. Reason, 2008. The human contribution: Unsafe acts, accidents and heroic  recoveries. Farnham: Ashgate, cop. Repa, B.K., 2010. Your rights in the work place. Berkeley, Calif.: Nolo. Reuvid, J., 201 0. Managing business risk: A practical guide to protecting your  business. London; Kogan page. Santos, G., Fatima, M. and Joaquim, B., 2011. Certification and integration of management systems: the experience of Portuguese small and medium enterprises. Journal of Cleaner Production, 19(17): pp. 1965-1974. Schneider, S. and Pietra, C., 2010. Read about it: The role of the media in improving construction safety and health. Journal of Safety Research, 41(3): pp. 283-287. Shane, S., 2008. Startup failure rates. Web. Small Business UK, 2012. What is the percentage of success of small businesses in UK? Web. Steingold, F., 2009. Legal guide for starting and running a small business. Berkeley, CA.: Nolo. Trevino, L.K. and Katherine, A.N., 2011. Managing business ethics; Straight talk  about how to do it right. New York: John Wiley. Tsai, W.H. and Wen, C.C., 2009. Selecting management systems for sustainable development in SMEs: A novel hybrid model based on DEMATEL, ANP, and ZOGP. Exper t Systems with Applications, 36(2): pp. 1444-1458. U.S Small Business Administration, 2011. Advocacy for small business  statistics and research. Web. Vance, C.M. and Yongsun, P., 2011. Managing a global workforce: Challenges  and opportunities in international human resource management. Armonk: Sharpe. This critical writing on Small businesses failure in the UK was written and submitted by user Juliet E. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.