Kindergarten and Children Essay

The early year’s sector was not developed by government policy with specific aims but was created in response to the requirements of families to change economical and social factors. Therefore public expenditure focused on families with social needs and difficulties. Local authority day nurseries catered mainly for children who were at risk from harm mainly in deprived areas. The Private sector held childminders, nannies and private nurseries available. The playgroup movement developed during the 1960s where parents set up and ran provision for their own children to learn through play in village halls and other community facilities. Families requirements for their children vary some parents want care for their children so that they can return to work, some parents want to stay with their children while they socialise, some parents want their children in settings which offer services aimed at learning. Others may want their children to be in a home based environment but unfortunately not every family can afford to pay provision fees, therefore the early year’s sector has various forms of provision to meet the needs of all families. The childcare provision includes: Mother and toddler groups  A place were the toddler can socialise with other children their age, whilst the mother or father can stay and learn more ways to look after and help with the child’s development Pre-school A private nursery, one that is paid for by the parent do not hold compulsory hours, the child doesn’t have a primary school place already. This is for a younger child to gain confidence at an early age. Day care A day care is for children from the age of 3 months to 5 years, they have different classes for children of different ages and the parents can drop off the child and pick them up when they wish. Some parents only take the child in for one or two hours a day so that they have some interaction with other children and have new experiences. Creche A creche is a drop in centre childcare provision, the parents do not pay a monthly fee they only pay when they need such childcare, creche’s are in many different places such as gyms, shopping centres and churches, in these areas the children are looked after whilst the parents can work out, shop or pray. The childcare sector has changed vastly in the last 50 years along with society. Mothers have stopped staying at home and also passed on primary care to nannies or child minders. More childcare settings have been needed as a result of this. The government offer all 3-4 year old children free day care in nurseries such as my setting for up to 15 hours a week, this means mothers can go to work etc. leaving their child there in the care of nursery teachers, practitioners and nursery nurses. Identify current policies, frameworks and influences on the early years sector [pic] [pic] [pic] United nations convention on the rights of the child. Founded in 1989 by world leaders who decided that children needed a special convention for those under 18s because they often need special care and that the government has a responsibility to take measures to make sure children’s rights are protected, respected and fulfilled. All children have a right to adequate food, shelter, clean water, education, health care, leisure and recreation. The act also protects children’s rights by setting the standards in health care, education and legal, civil and social services. The four core principles are: Non-discrimination. Devotion to the best interests of the child The right to life Survival and development Respect the views of a child All children up to the age of 18 are protected regardless of race, religion, gender, culture, whether they are rich or poor have a disability, what they do and don’t say and what language they speak, no child should be treated unfairly. The best interests of the child must always come first when making decisions that can affect them. The EYFS works at setting the standards for learning ensuring that children make progress and no child gets left behind. The education Act Free childcare provisions were introduced for under five year old children as stated briefly previously. Since September 1st 2010 this rose from 12 and a half hours a week to 15 hours a week. The free entitlement provides access to education and care and the hours can be flexible over the week, all childcare provisions must use the EYFS and help young children achieve the five Every Child Matters outcomes. Describe what is meant by evidence-based practice and give examples of how this has influenced work with children in their early years. Evidence based practice is a framework of decisions made from effective information researched that influences practice and allows practitioners to apply their knowledge to a situation which allows them to make a well informed decisions on future actions. Professional practice requires these findings and research to be kept up-to-date and a consideration as to how these can be applied to settings. Sometimes, we need to be sure of what we find out before taking action as it might not be real or true. This is why it is so important for me to communicate and concerns or queries to my team. My everyday practice is influenced by what I have found out or learnt previously as a mother but also professionally through watching my nursery teacher and practitioners and learning as I go. It has been interesting to see that I am heading in the right track as a parent but excited to learn things I hadn’t even thought of previously for my own children that I can not only use in the setting but also bring home for my children to benefit from. An example of how research has influenced working with children is The Effective Provision of Pre-School Education (EPPE) which is the first main study in the UK that focuses on the effectiveness of early years education and studies young children’s intellectual, social and behavioural development at age 3 to 7, collecting a wide range of information on more than 3000 children, their parents, their home environment and the pre-school they attended. Its findings found that children who had attended early years provision were more likely to have better cognitive, social and behaviour skills when they started formal education than those who had no early years provision, also confirming the value of early learning through ‘play’ especially from low-income families. Key Elements of effective practice (KEEP) is another example. It stressed that effective learning in children is dependent on secure relationships. Learning through play and forming secure relationships are both key elements to the EYFS. With formal and non formal observation schedules and reflective practice, there is quality of care, learning and development and accountability as staff may require training and review of procedures and policies in order to keep up to date with new evidence in the provision of health and education. Explain what is meant by Diversity Diversity is the differences between individuals and groups of people in societies. These differences could be gender, ethnic origins, social cultural or religious background, family structure, disabilities, sexuality or appearance. Equality Equality means that individuals in society experience opportunities to achieve which are as good as the opportunities experienced by other people. Inclusion Inclusion is a process of identifying, understanding and breaking down barriers to participation and belonging. Explain the importance of anti-discriminatory/anti bias practice, giving examples of how it is applied in practice with children and carers The curriculum within settings should represent the different cultures of the children within it to promote anti-discriminatory and anti bias practice, as does my setting. We include positive images within the play areas for example in books and on posters which allows our children to view pictures of different races, disabilities, sex and age which promotes an anti-bias view of the world we live in. We also have children within the setting who have special educational needs which also brings it to life for all the children to encourage this acceptance into their lives. The setting creates an environment which is acceptable to all children regardless of their background, along with being able to make them feel welcomed. We ensure they are all valued and have access in every aspect of the provision. We also have had the pleasure of meeting practitioners who are from different countries which also helps the children relate to equality within their lives. Explain how the active participation of the children in decisions affecting their lives promotes the achievement of positive outcomes. Children need to actively participate in decisions that will affect their life. Children that are young need to make simple choices that enable them to find out their likes and dislikes not only for themselves but for us to then plan activities that meet their needs and challenge their abilities, it can be as simple as having a choice between an apple and a pear. This will enable them to express their needs and wishes. Letting the children make choices builds a child’s confidence, self esteem and their social skills. In our setting the children make choices all the time, this will be when a child makes a choice on what they want to do or who they want to do it with, these are simple choices that a child of pre-school and nursery age can make for themselves. This will enable the child to develop more and make choices later on in life that are more important such as, relationships, what course to take at college, whether to gain a qualification, what job they may undertake or even when to get married etc. These choices will all be big decisions that could affect the rest of their life. We as practitioners need to actively listen to the child’s choices and other ways that they may be able to communicate their wishes such as pointing, pictures, signing and any other non verbal means of communication to find out what the child or family actually want or need. We need to understand that children have voices and that they should be heard. Providing that they or others are not in any significant harm, their wishes should be listened to and followed. Examples of how children in our setting actively participate in their own choices include area of play, choice of activities during free flow time, choice of healthy food and drink available to them, choice of actions (good or bad, with intervention when necessary). Again, by giving them these choices it will help them to make small decisions in life and will enable them later in life to extend this to bigger decisions that affect their lives and will help future experiences. It also enables our children to learn to build up confidence, self-esteem and social skills by themselves and sometimes, with our guidance. Explain the importance of reviewing own practice as part of being an effective practitioner The quality of provision in any early years settings is dependent on the skills, attitudes, knowledge and experience of everyone who works there. Reflective practice is the key to quality improvement as it helps to identify the strengths and weaknesses of different aspects of a setting’s provision. Reflective practice is the term used to describe the way in which professionals evaluate their own work and consider ways of improving their work. It is important to do this, as each year a different set of children and parents join the setting. They may have different needs, expectations or interests. Activities, routines and polices may have to be changed or updated to accommodate the new families. Reflecting on practice will help to see where changes need to be made. Staff are developing all the time too. Their knowledge and skills may change due to extra training or new staff having new ideas. National standards and frameworks may also change so this may have an impact on how the setting is run. To reflect on my own practice I tend to critically question what I do and see whether it works or whether there is room for improvement by asking my team for feedback and advise. I am also new to childcare as a profession rather then parent so I am constantly taking things in and using support from my team as motivation to improve my own strengths and target my weaknesses. I tend to observe the reactions of children, parents and the team to help think about my effectiveness, but at the end of the day voicing any concerns is the best policy and my team will always come to me when needed. Especially in areas I may think are working well, I like to think about what skills and knowledge are helping me achieve this or whether I can become more efficient. In areas of weaknesses I always think of ways to improve and pick up hints and tips from my brilliant colleagues who are more then happy to advise. I may need more training in the future when I fell more experience is needed such as first aid etc. I find reflecting on my practise helpful as it gives me a clearer picture of what I actually do within my work role for my setting, and how I can make myself a valuable asset to my team. This itself gives me more confidence of my ability as practitioner and confidence to know that everybody can improve to provide the best care for all our children as I reach higher standards as I progress. Undertake a reflective analysis of own practice Being a reflective practitioner involves thinking about how you currently work and evaluating what you do in order to improve your practice. The reflective practitioner stands back, takes a balanced view and recognises what works well, but is also able to acknowledge what could be changed. To be a reflective practitioner you need to be self aware and able to look as objectively and honestly as possible at how you work with children, colleagues and parents. This is not easy, but taking a proactive role, reflecting on and analysing your own practice is far more rewarding than relying on someone in a more senior position to do this for you. Evaluating your own practice helps to put you in control of the changes that should be made, enables you to identify your professional development needs and will increase your confidence and feelings of job satisfaction. Reflective practice and self evaluation are fundamental to the Ofsted inspection process. By completing the Self Evaluation Form (SEF) managers and setting leaders are able to provide a snapshot of what happens in a setting. Through the SEF they can clearly identify the setting’s strengths and highlight what it does well. At the same time they can acknowledge any weaknesses in provision and plan the changes and improvements to be made. However, managers cannot achieve this alone. They are reliant on all practitioners in the setting taking responsibility for the quality of their individual practice and aiming for continuous improvement. As practitioner I want to be a good role model for the children in my setting by being enthusiastic to their efforts, positive and optimistic towards their abilities and good choices but also as I understand children are active learners I wish for them to be as enthusiastic as I am with their learning and development. I always aim to show a relaxed expression and warm tones in my voice that I can pitch higher as I express enthusiasm. I try to get the children eager to get involved especially in planned activities that are designed to assess the children individually as it is important for me to know each child’s specific needs etc. I am aware that my relationships with the children, parents and colleagues are not only important for the setting environment but also for our children to understand how to treat others and how peers and teamwork is important in life. I treat others how I wish to be treated and respect all my team as individuals professionally as well as getting to know them and enjoying their company during work hours. It is a pleasure to work with a great group of people who are passionate about giving our children a great start in life which, in turn also gives me the motivation to thrive and provide the best care I can for my colleagues and children. I actively listen and am taking in lots of information and advise given verbally or through watching others. This is active learning and it is a cycle within the work setting. When I talk to my colleagues it is in a professional manner with interest and respect. I am also willing to help in any way I can to maintain an efficient smooth running setting. When I talk to the children in the setting I try to relate to them, coming down to their level with interest and listening to anything they have to say. They will always ask questions that I will answer as honestly as I can. I am always intrigued to know their likes and dislikes and by getting to know each individual child helps in this area. It is always nice to following up on their ideas by discussing every thing with the nursery teacher who will then advise. I try my hardest to make every parent feel welcome and at value what they tell me especially when it is about the importance of their individual child. It is important to maintain relationships with everyone as not only does it help me provide the best care I can but it also makes the place a very strong place to be as we are helping these children thrive and flourish to take these abilities with them through life. I try to help the setting by being proactive in solving problems as they arise but I will come to my team in times of need. I definitely need to continue to actively learn through my team but also establish a personal style and accept we are all different and all give a different benefit to the team. I started off with little confidence as a parent you never quiet know what boundaries you can cross with other children such as how stern to be when they make bad choices etc. Now I am much more confident and relaxed in my approach but I am always learning, every day I learn something new. I need to communicate and not be afraid to ask my nursery teacher if I misunderstand a task given to me. I made the mistake of setting out an extra activity that didn’t help what the nursery teacher had planned as I assumed bowels were left out for it when in fact they were forgotten about and not put away. The nursery teacher was busy and so I tried to use my initiative but it was not a good decision. I should have waited to speak to my tutor and seek advice. This is what I shall do in the future. I tend to learn from my mistakes! Develop strategies to deal with areas of difficulty and challenges encountered in professional practice in early years settings Examples of areas of difficulty and challenges that may arise in the work setting between myself and parents of children include: Parents not collecting their child on time – getting later and later Parents with outstanding fees Parents with a complaint e. g. they claim a child has hit their child Speaking to a parent about a concern you have about their child (you feel that the child has specific needs, and you are worried how they may accept/not accept it). Parent has been discriminating against another parent (possibly verbally to the other parents). These issues are not only very sensitive to each individual family but they all require handling with professionalism and respect as a parent myself you need to feel valued and listened to and made aware that the dilema will be dealt with promptly and effectively and in confidence. This is why having full and comprehensive policies and procedures within my setting is important and relevant at these times to follow. When speaking to parents, if they came to me with a concern or complaint I would listen, really listen, even if they start to shout, often they just want to say their piece. Then if they have cause to complain or bring something up I may be able to deal with it there and then by speaking in a professional manner, without making it personal. If I am able to resolve it, I will try, if not I would this to the nursery teacher as she is a very good active listener and always wants the best for our children, parents and team. It is very important to maintain relationships as we would hate to tarnish the settings name we really do enjoy our involvement and helping our children the best way we can. To me it doesn’t matter how small the concern is – it’s important for that child and their parents, and I want to assure those parents I take things very seriously in order to resolve issues. When a parent needs addressing for issues such as a concern about their child or fees are owed then the nursery teacher will deal with this matter by forms of letters or arranging a meeting to speak in confidence regarding the above. If a parent has come to me or the nursery teacher with a complaint about another parent I would have to have a quiet word or arrange a meeting to say ‘It has been brought to my attention that you have been speaking about another parent unkindly/discriminatingly. ‘ They may interject here and say ‘who said, they are lying? But I would just have to remember to say something such as ‘†¦ I am not at liberty to say, but whether it is true or not I must remind you we are an equal opportunity setting who celebrates diversity and cultural beliefs. Remember to explain sensitively and nicely that you are duty bound to make sure all the children and families are treated equally, and you would do the same for their child, if you felt they needed your support. But currently it is the responsibility of the nursery teacher and so I would talk to her about any such issues.

Life cycle marketing

The family life cycle represents a method via which the market for certain goods and services is segmented according to the stage in the family life that the particular consumer has reached. This marketing method takes into consideration the family configuration beginning with young, single persons with no children all the way up through marriage, child rearing, and retirement stages. The variables involved in each stage of the model include age, marital status, income, employment (career), and the existence of children (Fritzsche, 1981). One stage in this model is the bachelor stage, which describes persons who no longer live with parents but who have not married or become parents. They usually have a high level of discretionary income despite the fact that their incomes lower than average. Because of the fewer financial burdens (mortgages, children, etc.) and their commitment to recreation, such persons are usually interested in buying clothing, travel, and basic household furniture or equipment. One magazine that could be used as a marketing tool is People, and TLC’s What Not to Wear represents a television program that would be suitable to this group. Both would be effective as they cater to fashion and to the entertainment interests of that group. Another marketing group according to this model is the Full Nest One (Fritzsche, 1981). The Full Nest One stage finds new parents with their youngest child being under the age of six. The parents at this stage have low discretionary incomes because the demands of the children are placed at the highest priority (1981). These persons are therefore likely only to buy necessities, such as cereals, diapers, and children’s clothing. A television show and magazine that are likely marketing tools for this demographic are (respectively) FOX’s Are You Smarter Than a Fifth Grader   and Disney’s Family Fun magazine. Parents are likely to watch or read them with their children. The Full Nest Three stage describes older parents with high school or college age children. These persons have a better financial position, with wives likely to be at work and more discretionary income (Fritzsche, 1981). Such a household is likely to be interested in buying holidays, nice furniture, and sophisticated appliances. A good magazine for marketing to such a demographic is Travel and Leisure, as such persons are likely to have the money and time to take vacations. A good television channel for marketing to them is HGTV, as this features tastefully decorated homes that may give them ideas for buying furniture and appliances. Reference Fritzsche, D. J. (1981). â€Å"An analysis of energy consumption patterns by stage of family life   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   cycle.† Journal of Marketing Research, 18, pp.227-32.

Family Heritage

Family is defined by the dictionary as a â€Å"fundamental social group in society typically consisting of one or two parents and their children, sharing the same goals, common ancestry and living under the same roof. † In modern times a family might consist of one or two parents of the opposite sex or two of the same sex as a growing number of countries and jurisdictions including the United States have lifted bans or have established some legal recognition for this type of â€Å"modern families† (J. Burkholder, ,. , & Burbank, P. 012) Regardless of how society defines the family structure or how families are composed they all care for the well-being and health of its members, taken greater efforts to develop healthy family structures, investing time to ensure each family member is provided with the necessary tools to become a productive and healthy member of society. Families have many factors in common, those factors is what makes them unique also gives healthcare providers clues to treat medical conditions affecting a particular family. A family medical history is important it should include information transmitted from generation to generation primarily from close relatives such as grandparents, parents, individuals own children, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, nieces and nephews. Knowing one’s family medical history allows taking necessary steps to potentially reduce the risk of developing a disease later on in life, even if the medical condition runs in their family; also knowing about what specific disease affects the family and how to take preventive measures, contributes to the promotion of health among family members and its recovery. Respect for each other’s beliefs is an important part of my family. The family is composed of 16 members, we practice three different religions Christian, Catholic and Judaism; religious services, birthdays and other holidays are important events for the whole family to get together. Identified three wellness and family diagnosis that can relate to my family: 1. Effective Therapeutic Regimen Management, pain under control using meditation due to poor tolerance to pain killers. Applies to my mother’s method of pain control. 2. Ineffective Health Maintenance, surgical interventions and neuropathic pain related to diabetes and uncontrolled weight. Applies to my sister’s struggle with her weight and diabetes. 3. Risk for Situational Low Self-Esteem, not feeling or seen self as beautiful related to overweight issues. Applies to my older niece and her struggle with her image and her weight.

The rise of the Indian and Chinese economies. prospects and potentials Essay

The rise of the Indian and Chinese economies. prospects and potentials - Essay Example In this paper prospects of these two future economic giants will be discussed along side with their potential to grow. The many factors that make these two countries future contenders for economic supremacy will also be elaborated. Immediately after the 1949 revolution the economic policies of China were set aiming at lowering consumption and increasing the process of industrialization. With lower expenditure the economy was able to make more and more factories. In 1978 agricultural sector was reformed and private sector was also allowed to function for the first time in China. These economic policies are said to be the major contributor towards the success of Chinese economy. The process of privatization in China has also increased the overall economic activity of the country. The story of India is not very different China. After independence Indian economy was characterized by extremely protectionist policy. But the policy of liberalization took effect in 1990’s and after that the economy has shown great prospect. Experts name India as the next big economic giant after China. The growth that India has taken in the last decade of 20th century and in the early 21st century is amazing. The rapid industrialization taking place in the two countries have made their economies so strong that there future is prosperous. The potential of the two countries is great. China is the world’s largest exporter. Its growth in the previous 30 years has been 9.5 percent. India is also known as the second largest growing economy of the world. So the prospects are great for the two economies. Chinese economy actually benefits from it exports. China imports great quantity of goods and after value addition exports at higher profits. It relies on small profit margins and for this reason it is able to export at low prices. This is something which distinguishes China from other economies. China is able to develop industries for which

Insurance Risk Securilization Thesis Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Insurance Risk Securilization - Thesis Example The insured part of the contract is to promise to pay an amount of money, known as the premium, either once or regular intervals." "Insurance is a device to share the financial losses which might befall on an individual or his family on the happening of special event" (Kaur n.d. p.4). The event can be death of a bread-winner to the family in the case of life insurance, marine-perils in marine insurance, fire in fire insurance and other certain events in general insurance, e.g, theft in burglary insurance, accident in motor insurance, etc. These events may occur any time within the insured period. The insurer has to provide a fixed amount or indemnify the amount of occurred due to the insured perils. Hence, insurers bear a great risk of paying huge amount of fund at any time if the insured peril is occurred. As large as the insured amount and the probability of happening insured peril, the Insurance Risk for insurers is large. Reinsurance is an arrangement whereby an original insurer who has insured a risk insures a part of that risk again with another insurer, that is to say, reinsures a part of the risk in order to diminish his own liability. ... The policyholder is usually not aware that reinsurance has been arranged as no mention is made of it on the policy." Advantages of Reinsurance 1. The original insurer can accept the risk to the extent of his limit. In absence of reinsurance, a person desiring a large amount of insurance will have to take a number of policies from several insurers. The reinsurance contract makes it possible to purchase only one policy from an insurer. 2. Reinsurance makes it possible to accept each risk for the very amount desired by the proposer and to transfer the excess above the 'retention limit' to another insurer. 3. The reinsurance gives the benefit of the greater stability resulting from a widespread of business. By accepting many risks and scaling down, by reinsurance, all those that are larger than the normal carrying capacity of the insurer justifies, certainly in business is substituted for uncertainty through the better application of the law of average. 4. The insurance makes stability in underwriting and consistency in underwriting results over a period. 5. It provides a safeguard against serious effects of conflagration. 6. The reinsurance has the effect of stabilizing income and losses over a period of years. Capital Market The capital markets consist of the markets in which the intermediate and long-term securities of individuals, business firms, and governmental units are issued and traded. Capital markets are frequently subdivided into three parts-the bond market, the mortgage market, and the stock market. On the other word, capital market is the market where "long-term capital is raised by industry and commerce, the government, and local authorities" (Barclays Capital-Campus Recruitment, n.d.). The Glossary of Capital Market states that

Online social enterprise Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Online social enterprise - Essay Example This study is totally based on secondary research. Marketing strategy is a common phenomenon adopted by organizations. The major objective of this strategy is to communicate brand message to target audience. Every firm encompasses a specific brand message to be conveyed so as to drag attention of target group. There are different approaches which are effectively utilized by organizations as their marketing tools and techniques. In earlier years, focus was on traditional marketing practices but in recent years new digital concepts have been included in the system. Digital marketing approaches are inclined towards adopting advanced technologies in order to transmit required message to audience. Social media is an innovative platform incorporated by many firms. There are different aspects of social media like spreading awareness, involving target group in campaigning activities, generating funds, highlighting special elements of the brand, etc. In this study, more emphasis shall be given on analyzing the concept of social media. It is observed that social media concept differs in commercial firms in comparison to social firms. Social enterprises utilizes social media concept to generate funds and spread awareness amongst public. It is essential that charities are able to communicate its noble cause or social message to target audience. Lack of awareness at times deprives social enterprises from collecting funds. On the other hand, social media have been portrayed as a platform for conducting branding activities of commercial firms. These kinds of firms require extensive promotional activities so as to remain competitive in the industry. In this particular study, differences and similarities of using social media by charities and commercial firms shall be further elaborated. Social media in current scenario is becoming an important constituent for all organizations. Internet technology development has contributed magnificently towards accessing

Explain The Term Structure Of Interest Rates Essay

Explain The Term Structure Of Interest Rates - Essay Example Interest date data for bonds with different maturities date is published frequently and investors can use it to determine the term structure of interest rates. Some of the most popular interest rate data sources are the Wall Street Journal, Federal Reserve Bulletin and websites like Bloomberg and CNN. The term structure can be verified at any point in time by using published data from renowned sources. Yield curves are drawn using this published data on interest rates. There are short term and long term interest rates. Since long term interest rates have an element of maturity risk premium (MRP), they are usually higher than short term rates. When researching on the term structure of interest rates, it is important to have knowledge of commonly used terms like the Yield to Maturity (YTM), which is defined as the expected rate of return on a bond held till maturity (Brigham and Ehrhardt, 2010). Another concept which is discussed with YTM is that of the zero coupon bonds (or discount b onds). A zero coupon bond is a financial asset which at the date of maturity T, pays its holder a lump sum amount, with no coupon payments before the date of maturity (hence the name zero-coupon). The YTM at time t of a discount bond with maturity T is the constant and continuously compounded rate of rate of return at which the price of the bond accrues from time t to time T and pays one currency unit to the holder at time T. The YTM is also referred to as the spot rate and the notation R (t, T) is used for it. Spot rates are short term interest rates and the term structure of interest rates depicts the relationship between spot rates and their dates of maturity (Gibson, Lhabitant and Talay, 2010). Interest rates are not only used in discounting and pricing for zero-coupon bonds but also other financial derivatives because their prices are sensitive to interest rates. If we go beyond the scope of an individual investor, we can see that interest rates are also important to corporatio ns. This is because when corporations are doing project appraisals, they use interest rate for computing the net present value and the discounted payback period for a project. The cost of capital which is of prime importance to corporations also depends upon interest rates (Benninga and Wiener, 1998). It will be useful to specify the type of interest rate before discussing investment decisions and discounting. There are two main types of interest rates: simple interest rate and compound interest rate. Simple rate of interest is interest on a lump sum principal amount and it does not itself earn interest. Quite contrary to this, is the compound rate of interest which itself earns interest. Investment decisions and discounting are all predominantly based on compound interest rates (Kelly and Tracy, 2010) Long term interest rates are an average of short term interest rates. The relationship between short and long term interest rates involves expectations. For example, if it is expected that short term interest rates will fall then the long term interest rates will fall below the current short term rate. The contrary situation is also valid: if it is expected that short term interest rates will increase then the long term interest rates will rise above the current short term rate. These two situations are possible only because long term rates are derived from short term rates. It is a general perception that long rates are greater than short rates and this is termed as the ‘

Doing business globally and internationally (ARR) Essay

Doing business globally and internationally (ARR) - Essay Example .. 14 Appendices †¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..†¦... 16 Part A 1. With reference to the academic literature and using your analysis of relevant environmental factors, speculate how and why BP identified AAR as a potential ‘partner’. In which areas are the expected benefits and synergies for both companies involved? BP and ARR met in March 2003 to establish a joint venture having the equal proportion i.e. 50-50% in the oil and gas sector of Russia (Sylvia, 2011). TNK and Sidanco were the target companies of this joint venture. BP i.e. British Petroleum is one of the most renowned oil and gas exploration based companies which is running many sub divisions under various different forms across the globe. The other party to the joint venture is ARR which is a consortium developed by some richest investor groups of Russia namely as Alfa Group, Acce ss Industries and Renova. This joint venture was quite important for both BP and AAR as both these firms had their own unique expertise due to which they could exploit the synergy effect if they could work together as a combined entity. There were numerous environmental factors associated with both the companies due to which both of these companies became indispensible for each other. Following are some of the factors due to which BP identified AAR as its partner under this joint venture: 1. ... In such case, BP preferred AAR, a private consortium but with billions of dollars in their pockets to safeguard the interest of TNK-BP. 2. Local knowledge and working relations with government Another important reason for the selection of ARR by BP is local knowledge, expertise, industry practices, and cultural awareness of ARR being a rich investor group of Russia, which could help TNK-BP easier than BP. In order to meet any confrontation with the Russian government, AAR can manage this situation in a better and efficient manner than that of BP because of maintaining appropriate level of working relations with their government, local community and other environmental stakeholders. Expected Benefits and Synergies TNK-BP is such a joint venture that could not only provide major benefits and synergies to both BP and AAR but also to Russian government. Being a multi-national company, BP has the ultimate expertise, knowledge and business skills in the massive field of oil and gas explora tion, refining, marketing, and retail business. The exposure, that BP carries with itself is unmatchable and allow other participants to use such expertise for their benefits. With the entry of BP into Russian oil and gas sector, Russia itself got an enormous opportunity to upgrade and develop its energy sector (Yenikeyeff, 2011). However, due to mismanagement and lack of government’s interest, BP could not avail those facilities, which it was realizing at initial projections. The joint venture TNK-BP benefitted from the synergy effect of the combination of BP and ARR. BP is world market leader in the field of oil and gas whereas AAR is consortium of the richest investors of Russia. The

Teenage pregnancy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Teenage pregnancy - Essay Example One the major problems is the guilt and embarrassment faced both by the mother and her family. In the teenage when a girl is not even independent and earning money to support herself, she’s forced to support another life which needs her constant attention and care as well. She’s forced to face the questions arised by the society and is not allowed to live or progress further without having them answered. In these situations, when things are already very much difficult for her, she’s afraid of the fact that her family might also quit her and leave her alone to face the cruel world. In a study conducted by Wilson and Huntington in 2006, the social and the guilt faced by teenagers mother mainly from United States, United Kingdom and Canada were discussed and analyzed. They came with the results that it is the guilt of getting pregnant at such a small age that usually makes them literally unstable and and unable to perform even the daily chores of life thus ruining their whole life. Secondly, psychological problems arose by teenage pregnancies have been supposed to push the teenage mother into many psychological disorders too. Starting from depresison as a result of social rejection to suicide could be caused be teenage pregnancies. Young girls getting affected by teenage pregnancies have been proposed to push theirselves into complete loneliness thus getting detached completely form the society will push a person into depression and makes her dependent on drugs. Thus social rejection, complete detachment from the environment around and complete loneliness push the mother into psychiatric problems and suicide ultimately. Lastly, the baby of a teenage mother is supposed to be affected by this morally and ethically wrong action. Mainly due to lack of experience of the teenage mother as she is not mature enough at such small age to take care of her child, the child is supposed to be affected as a result of this

Teenager problems Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Teenager problems - Research Paper Example Teenagers all over the world face many problems as they grow up. Many people have suffered teenage problems and, therefore, understand too well the magnitude of the devastation caused by such problems. In fact, there are few parents across the globe who admit that parenting teenagers is rosy and for most of these parents, the experience is not consistent and thus fluctuates between being downright possible and difficult. In the current world, so many parents acknowledge that they have problem teenagers. In so many ways, teenage years may be the greatest experience for many parents. This is because it is the time they witness the results of their efforts of parenting as their children grow up into adult and prepare to take on life’s challenges in the modern world. However, it is acknowledged by many parents that controlling the activities of teenagers is not an easy task as this is the time drug abuse, late night parties, drinking, and peer influence are most prevalent. Boyfrie nds, girlfriends, and some many confusing arenas of sex, love and sexuality begins, and the teenagers often find themselves under intense psychological pressure. This is also the time in a teenager’s lives when they find themselves distressed by the direction their lives are taking. This is, therefore, the point in their lives when they require a lot of advice and guidance to help them shape their lives in the right way. This calls for the government and adults to ensure t hat teenagers are nurtured well. This paper will discuss why the government needs to put money on teenagers’ problems and the need for adults to provide these teenagers with hope. World Youth Report (189) notes that these days teenagers, regardless of the country of residence, social origin or gender, are subject to individual risks and meet new individual opportunities with some beneficial while others are disastrous. It notes that in most cases, youths tend to engage in illegal behaviors as they en gage in drug abuse and addiction, and the infliction of violence against their peers. A survey by World Youth Report shows that apart from the US, rates of juvenile delinquency rose in 1990s (189). The report reveals that, in Western Europe, several arrests of juvenile delinquents and under-age criminals rose by an average of 50 percent between 1980s and 1990s. Juvenile crimes have also increased in Eastern Europe and other commonwealth countries. The report reveals that most of the juvenile delinquents are related to drug abuse and excessive consumption of alcohol (189). The report also suggests that, despite most programs and studies on juvenile delinquency, and focus on teenagers as offenders, the youths themselves fall victim to acts of delinquency. This, therefore, poses many threats in their lives. For instance, the report show that teenagers who are at risk of becoming delinquents in most cases lives in difficult situations (189). World Youth Report (200) argues that violence against youth violates their fundamental human rights. This calls for the government, individuals and institutions to commit their time, expertise, money and resources necessary to address this world problem. It is widely acknowledged that early intervention provides the best approach to juvenile delinquency prevention (Roucek 32). These measures prevent the youths from breaking the law. The government should, therefore, take up an initiative of providing money and setting up professional development programmes to provide legal alternatives to youth income generation. These include providing youths and adolescents with increased economic opportunities, education, professional training, new workplaces and some form of assistance in organizing business (world youth Report 201). This will help prevent the teenagers from getting involved in delinquent acts. The government should also provide money to be used in setting up educational centers focusing on youth educational programmes (He ilbrun, Goldstein, and Redding 124). This will help

The Strategic Management Process Essay Example for Free

The Strategic Management Process Essay Introduction Strategic management process can be defined as â€Å"a managerial process that involves matching organizational capabilities to market opportunities† (Stevens, Sherwood, Dunn, Loudon, 2006, p. 15). The process can be either done on a corporate level involving whole companies or divisions or at an individual level involving a single product or service. First, the company’s strategic division analyzes the opportunities in the market and then matches the company’s resources to these opportunities. The major decisions taken by the strategic managers are whether a company is ready to take advantage of the opportunities in the market place, and set a broad plan to achieve it. To ensure that the strategic planning in a company is successful, the top management and line managers need to be closely involved in the process, and not just the strategic planners who facilitate the process. This paper discusses the strategic planning process in general as it applies to a company. The various elements of the process are analyzed first, in addition to the roles of the various managers in the process in the literature review section. The practical aspect of planning, the issues that can arise in various situations are covered next in the analysis. The problems arising from incorrect or incomplete planning process are also discussed in this section. The explosive rate of globalization has affected the strategic management process in a big way, and so has the computerization of business due to the advent of Internet. The affects of these changes on the strategic management process are discussed in the subsequent section. Finally a summary of the paper is given which highlights the main points of the discussion in the previous sections. Strategic Management Process Strategy defined by Armstrong (cited in McCourt, Eldridge, 2003, p. 25), is â€Å"a statement of what the organization wants to become, where it wants to go and, broadly how it means to get there†. Mc Court and Eldridge have also described strategic management as a simple process, and have given the following figure to mention the various components associated with it. Fig: 1 Strategist Management Process (McCourt, Eldridge, 2003, p. 25) According to the figure given above, the strategic management process begins with a mission, which is essentially the intention of a company’s existence and its purpose in general. Companies usually have a well-defined mission statement towards this purpose. The next element i.e. objectives define a company’s specific targets under the scope of the mission. The objectives are usually a set of statements that define the targets of the company. While mission is generic, objectives are specific and in many cases even quantified. The next element of the strategic management process is strategy, which is the broad plan or approach followed to achieve the objectives. The strategy merely defines the role of various departments or level of managers; it is not specific and acts merely as a guideline. Finally the implementation can be a tactical plan or exact roles and responsibilities along with set target dates for achieving a particular objective. Strategic management process hence adds strategic planning and implementation by adding ongoing attention to budgeting, to performance measurement, management and evaluation, and to feedback relationships among these elements (Hutzschenreuter, Kleindienst, 2006, p. 678). Poster and Streib (cited in Peters, Pierre, 2003, p. 40) present a framework for thinking about strategic management as a process. Their framework incorporates seven elements: values, mission and vision; strategic planning; results-oriented budgeting; performance management; strategic measurement; assessment of the internal and external environment; and feedbacks relationships among these elements. The first element in their framework comprises of values, mission and vision which are seen as a central organizing force for the strategic management process. The next stage i.e. strategic planning can be used to help the organizations get their values, mission and vision and to develop strategic initiatives to realize in practice. Result-oriented budgeting helps to organize the resources needed to fulfill the initiatives. Performance management involves strategies and mechanisms for assigning the responsibility for strategic initiatives to specific units and individuals and holding them accountable for results. Strategic measurement involves identification and tracking of valid measures of the organization’s attempts as it to achieve its strategic objectives. The next element as the name suggests analyzes the various pertinent factors in the internal and external environment of the organization, and their corresponding effects on the environment. Finally the element of feedback from the client helps in assessing the process of effective learning, adaptation and leadership (Peters, Pierre, 2003, p. 40). The strategic management process is a complex one and as suggested by Hutzschenreuter, Kleindienst, (2006, p. 677), it is also shaped by the environmental and organizational context. Business strategy development was due to a purely practical requirement’s perspective Post the world war in 1950s, the world for the first time became aware of the business opportunities that existed by considering rest of the world as markets, rather than production places. This brought about a very complex business structure, which became even more complex to manage financially. Thus formal business strategies were first built in 1970s to focus on planned diversification of companies. Hence, corporate planning, which was the norm of the business units till then, shifted to business strategy (Farjoun, 2001, p. 580). Strategy is essentially a deliberate search for a plan of action which will bring competitive advantage and compound it. Any company begins making its strategy by making an analysis of where it is presently, and what resources it has. The next is an analysis of the competition of the company in present market as well as the market where it wishes to expand. The competition in the new market gives an idea about the present competitive advantages of the company. The new markets are as a result of careful analysis of the places where the company would most increase the scope of its advantage.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   The theories of building strategy started to emerge soon. However, even in the present day there is no clear cut path for the formulation of strategy especially concerning long-term business development, new products, technologies or investments, because of the ever changing business environment at an ever increasing pace. Theorists have divided strategy itself into three: corporate business and functional strategies. Corporate strategy gives the macro level decisions which companies need to take such as investment in diversification, vertical integration, acquisitions, and new ventures. The allocation of resources to different business units of the organization and divestments are also covered by this strategy. Business strategy is concerned with how the firm competes within a particular industry or market. That is to say the decision of how a company should compete in the market is answered by this strategy. Functional strategies are the elaboration and implementation of business strategies through individual functions such as production, RD, marketing, human resources, and finance. When the concept of strategy emerged, it was an implicit understanding that the senior managers of an organization are able to objectively appraise the enterprise and its environment and formulate a strategy that maximizes the company’s chances of success in an uncertain future. However, all the theories of strategic management agree on one thing that the formulation and implementation of strategy cannot be separated. A well-formulated strategy must take into account the way it would be implemented and through this implementation the strategy is continuously refined and formulated. Types of planning involved in a Strategic Management Process – The strategic management process is an amalgamation of different elements. Planning in any form is one of the most important process elements. Planning involves an assessment of an organizations mission and goals in relation to its external environment and internal capabilities, projected into the future by several years.   Organizations go in for strategic planning when they perceive that they are sensitive to external environment, which by nature is volatile (Alkhafaji, 2003, p. 5). Planning focuses on understanding changing stakeholder needs, technological developments, competitive position, and competitor initiatives. Any decisions taken after considering the long term strategic plan are more realistic and goal-oriented. There are different types of planning involved in a strategic management process which will be discussed in this section: Strategic Planning Strategic planning is the process of developing and analyzing the organizations mission, overall goals, general strategies, and allocating resources. It usually has long-term goal, vision and mission. These are usually prepared by top level management of the company. These strategies are usually prepared for a period of 5 or more years. This time frame, however, is arbitrary and is dependent on the long-range planning capabilities of the company’s executives, based on its resources. It lays a lot of emphasis on the future implications of a present decision, and hence aids in the organization’s adaptation in an ever-changing environment. The factors which influence the strategic planning are external environment, market dynamics over a period of time, financial, operational and process stability of the company. The SWOT (Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats) analysis of the company is critically important in the formulation of its strategic plan. After this strategic goals are made to show a path of reaching the vision of the company with its present capabilities (ORegan, Ghobadian, . 2007, p. 12). Tactical Planning Tactical planning is the continuous process of translation of broad and many a times ambiguous strategic plans, into specific goals and plans that are aimed at a specific division of the organization. Hence, it can be said that tactical planning deals with the implementation part of the planning process. It has a shorter time frame than a strategic plane, usually 1-2 years, and is also narrower in scope. The factors influencing tactical planning are the annual budget, project reviews, quality evaluation processes, target turnovers, market dynamics, government policies, consumer needs, available expertise and finally an evaluation of possible alternative solutions Operational Planning Operational planning is the planning done at the lower levels of the organization. It is used to detail specific processes and procedures used in a department. It primarily focuses on the daily routine tasks and is usually made for a short period of time. Operational plan is generally derived from a tactical plan to achieve one or more operational goals. The factors influencing an operational plan hence are the intra-departmental structure of an organization and efficiency of the manager. Another factor is the time-period for which an operational plan is made. Since the operational goal is either a single-time or a repeatable goal, some factors which effect the planning are the policies, reward system, and even the goal itself or the lack of a specific goal. To take care of such factors, the goal setting and planning should be collaborative (ORegan, Ghobadian, . 2007, p. 15).. Contingency Planning – According to Macneil (cited in Mayer and Berkowitz, 2008, p. 151) contingency relationships ensure some within relationship flexibility thus facilitating adjustments when conditions change Regardless of how carefully strategies are formulated, implemented and evaluated, unforeseen events always can make a strategy obsolete. To counter this, organizations should develop contingency plans, as a part of their strategic planning process, in the evaluation stage. Only high-priority planning areas require contingency planning, which should be as simple as possible. The prime factor influencing contingency planning is the degree of volatility of the present environment. That is to say, the frequency and magnitude of occurrence of unforeseen events like strikes, boycotts natural disasters, government instability and even at times arrival of foreign competitors etc. In case if company’s strategic plan is to expand, the above factors apply to the newer environment in question. Also, the possible affect of the present market environmental fluctuations should be taken into consideration while making the contingency plan for newer markets (Sadgrove, 2005, p. 258).                            Strategic Planning Organizations involve in the process of strategic planning in order to respond to the challenges and opportunities presented by marketplace. Strategic planning can be defined as â€Å"a process that describes the direction an organization will pursue within its chosen environment and guides the allocation of resources and efforts† (Peter, Donnelly, 2002, pp. 5). Strategic planning includes all the activities that lead to the development of a clear organizational mission, organizational objectives and appropriate strategies to achieve the objectives of the entire organization. In the strategic planning process the organization gathers information about the changing elements of its environment. The output of the strategic planning process is the development of a strategic plan. In the discussion that follows, a case study is used as a means for understanding the elements mentioned above (Short, Ketchen, Palmer, Hult, 2007, p. 150)). This would give a practical demonstration of how a company translates these theoretical principles for use in their case. Strategic Planning Process – Strategic planning process is concerned with long term broad marketing mix decisions and the implications of these decisions. It is designed to ensure a systematic approach to planning. Hence, the strategic marketing planning process must be consistent with circumstances. The strategic marketing planning process occurs at multiple levels of the organizations and hence the plan represents the implementation of the organizational strategy. This follows the guidelines of the overall strategic planning process. The strategic planning process is considered essential when the increasingly hostile and complex environment where companies operate is considered. It is basically a series of logical steps that have to be worked in order to arrive at a marketing plan (Gilligan, Wilson, 2003, pp. 44). An extension of strategic planning process is the Strategic marketing planning process, which is concerned with the development of strategies that are based on the planning team’s assessment of the market and perceptions of managerial expectations and organizational capability. This process is used by the organization to formulate its strategy provided that it is adapted to the organization and its environment. Strategic marketing planning consists of ten steps: Mission, Corporate Objectives, Marketing audit, SWOT analysis, Assumptions, marketing objectives and Strategy, Estimate expected results, Identify alternative plans, Budget and First year detailed implementation program (Baker, 2003, pp. 91).                                           Management’s function in Strategic Planning Strategic planning involves an assessment of an organizations mission and goals in relation to its external environment and internal capabilities, projected into the future by several years.   Organizations go in for strategic planning when they perceive that they are sensitive to external environment, which by nature is volatile (Alkhafaji, 2003, p. 11). Strategic planning focuses on understanding changing stakeholder needs, technological developments, competitive position, and competitor initiatives. Any decisions taken after considering the long term strategic plan are more realistic and goal-oriented. Organizations should consider strategic planning as an essential management function. Any organization wishing to have long-term growth should infuse a culture of competitive focus throughout all the hierarchical levels.   Hence, every employee in the company, especially the managers compete, with their company’s competitors in their work (ORegan, Ghobadian, . 2007, p. 17).. Roles of various managers in the Strategic Management Process – Planning is a basic function of management which determines the objectives and the course of action required to attain them. Planning is done at every level of management, hence is done by all managers from the highest to lowest in the management hierarchy. Managers in an organization have a primary role in strategy-implementation. Managers use strategic planning as a management function to allocate resources to programmed activities, which is calculated to achieve a set of goals in a dynamic and competitive environment.   Management changes are even more extensive when the strategies to be implemented move a firm into a major new direction. Hence, their inputs while the formulation of a strategic plan becomes extremely important (ORegan, Ghobadian, . 2007, p. 18).. Equally important is the involvement of strategists in the strategy-implementation activities. There are four main types of planning – corporate, strategic, management and operations, each of which is carried out at different management levels, covers a different time-span and has varying levels of short and long-term impact on the working of the organization (Boone, Kurtz, P. 271). Needless to say, the planning activities of various managers at different levels are different. Senior management usually does the corporate and strategic planning activities. Strategic planning details the goals and objectives of the company while corporate planning decides how the organization would operate to achieve these objectives and goals. The resource allocation for achieving the goals is also done during the corporate and strategic planning stage. Strategic planning is usually long term covering about three to five years (Dixon, 2003, p. 29, 30). The plan charts out the path of the organization during the period and the various activities which need to be done for achieving the objectives set. An example of strategic planning is of General Motors and Dell’s business strategy related to their spare parts given in the book by Muckstadt (2005, p. 2) . In Dell’s case, there is no need to maintain an exhaustive inventory regarding its old products sales parts, while this is an important element of General Motor’s strategy. Hence, GM as a part of its business strategy maintains a huge storage space where hundreds of thousands of storage parts are stocked. The location of the storage space must also take into consideration its supply chain partners like either individual car dealers as well as its suppliers, when designing such a strategy. Change is the most certain part in any environment, and business and markets are guided by various factors, which might necessitate a change in strategy. It is the job to the senior managers to ensure that a new strategy ensures sufficient plans for the acceptance of the strategy by people working in the various levels of the organizations. An example is given in the book by Murray and Richardson (2002, p.5) about the Canadian industrial supply company Acklands-Grainger which in less than a span of twelve months moved from a 4% growth rate to a 20% growth rate and higher profitability. The authors mention in their book (p. 24), that within 100 days of launch of a new strategic plan for the company several major steps like a new communications initiative to involve more people in the decision making process, were successfully implemented. This ensured that the employees of the company were by and large impressed by the strategy and were enthusiastic to take part in the strategy. Many people working in the frontline were however skeptical about the strategic change within the company, as they could see little change in their own work areas. To ensure the front-line people, the Strategy team committed to five deliverables at the end of 200 days of the launch of the new strategy to assure its front-line employees that things were really changing. These included specific changes to branch operations, improvements in logistics and improvement in training. Although the delivery of the five tasks was not perfect the outcomes ensured that the employees felt that there was a definite change and had specific development points which they could identify with and discuss. The example above, details how a change in strategy was successfully implemented within a company. It highlights an important point that while a strategy change is being developed by a company, the strategy must be flexible and should include detailed plan for implementation to being about the change from the point of view of the line-employees (Parnell, Lester, 2003, p. 295). Management planning is done by middle level management who divide the task into different smaller units and ensure that proper execution of the task would take place by making a effective integration plan. This planning is of a comparatively shorter time span than the strategic planning and usually lasts for a single project or a set of similar projects. They also cover only a partial division of the organization. Operational planning is done by the line managers and is of a shorter time span than the management planning. It usually refers to the day-to-day planning addressing the specific time-tables, task and measurable targets that managers in each different unit of the project make and maintain to ensure that the task get done in-time. Hence, operational planning deals with developing and implementing tactics in specific functional areas. The managers allocate time and teams consisting of a specific number of employees to perform a particular task (Dixon, 2003, p. 31). Strategic goals are achieved by setting and achieving tactical objectives. Hence, it is very important that the plans at different levels complement each other. Managers at different levels must have proper and effective communications, such that goals at every level are understood as well as the objectives behind these goals. Senior and higher-levels of management must ensure that there information flow s efficient and the line-managers are aware and clear about their roles and responsibilities. The job of the middle managers is to ensure that the objectives are understood by the line managers and proper goals are set to achieve these objectives (Nadkarni, Narayanan, 2007, p. 263). It is often seen that many times the organizations fail to achieve their objectives, despite the fact that the senior management is clear about their vision and strategies and line-management is skilled at their work. The problem in this case lies with the middle management who fail to translate the objectives into tactical goals for the various functional groups (Boone, Kurtz, P. 271). Following figure shows a sample organization chart which gives the level of managers and the strategic business decisions they can take. Fig: 2 Strategic Decisions taken by various Managers (Grant, 2002, p. 24)                      Strategic Leadership and Decision Making As an organization prepares itself for future success, by using its strategic planning, no other internal factor is more critical than the strategy formulation and leadership. For a successful strategy formulation and implementation leadership is a necessary factor. The term leadership encompasses visioning, developing, motivating communicating and involving. The book by Scott (2005) defines the terms as explained by Peter Drucker, who gives three essentials of leadership as â€Å"Defining, communicating, and establishing a sense of mission in a way that is understandable to others; Treating leadership as a responsibility rather than a rank and; Earning and maintaining the trust of others† (p. 108, 109). The book further gives that opinion of Drucker on leadership, who says that it should be based on being ethical and consistent in word and deed rather than being clever and deceiving. Strategic leadership is a newly developed type of leadership and is needed to initiate and direct the strategic management process. Strategic leadership covers five aspects of leadership: technical leadership, human leadership, political leadership, cultural leadership and educational leadership. These aspects contribute directly to environmental analysis, planning and structuring, staffing and directing, implementing, monitoring and evaluating the strategic management process. Strategic leadership can be defined as encapsulating entrepreneurial processes (Slater, Olson, Hult, 2006, p. 1225) Strategic leadership is also seen as a concerned with strategy development and change. Essentially strategic leadership refers to the top management team, and strategic theory has evolved from upper echelons theory. Strategic leadership concerns developing the organization’s vision, mission, strategies, and culture and monitoring progress and changes in the business environment to ensure that strategies are focused. Strategic leadership concerns monitoring how well organizational culture, including values is supporting the organization’s vision and mission (Brower, Fioi, Emrich, 2007, p. 70). It also concerns with the monitoring of human capital and organizational structure and systems. Strategic leaders posses the following capabilities which is the actual difference between managers and leaders also. These are given as below: Visionary/ Strategic – An abstract vision of where the firm might want to be in the future is of limited use without its translation into an executable competitive strategy. Hence, strategic leaders must have both the vision and the means to achieve the vision. Systems Thinker – Strategic leaders create organizational and operating practices that carefully coordinate the interactions and dependencies between different operating areas. Hence, a characteristic of strategic leader is that they can see the connections between individual parts of the firm and its competitive strategy, but do not concern themselves with individual practices or procedures. Effective Motivator/Communicator/Teacher – Strategic leaders can see the firm’s strategy and can see the requisites to deliver the strategy, in addition to being equipped to build the hiring, compensation, and coaching systems in accord with the firm’s competitive strategy. Obsessive – Strategic leadership is not a part-time activity and hence strategic leaders need to be obsessed with the execution of the strategy in each act within the firm. Strategic leaders are driven to align all the activities in the firm with the delivery of the value proposition. (Brower, Fioi, Emrich, 2007, p. 69, 70) It is clear from the above discourse that strategic leaders, more than anything else, need to believe in their strategy. For the success of a strategy, strategic leaders should be prepared to endure short-terms costs and dips in performance, to facilitate making investments for future. These tradeoffs are managed with a commitment to the strategy and there is no major change between different high and low periods, since the focus is on the long-term direction. Despite the fact that strategic leadership is generally concerned with the upper echelons of management, the qualities themselves are not limited to the top management group. This fact must be understood by the senior managers of the firm so as to create an environment, to make sure that these qualities are recognized, expressed and nurtured within all the levels of the organization (Hitt, Ireland, Camp, Sexton, 2001, p. 482) Strategic leadership and decision making – Management is usually concerned with the following functions in some or the other way: Planning, organizing, staffing, and decision making (Parnell, Lester, 2003, p. 298). Decision making is the heart of management. Any function performed by managers at any level of management involves decision making. Managers at all times are faced with a various alternate solutions of a problem, and their task is to choose the most optimum solution from amongst these and implement it. Decision making process consist of: identifying the problem, analyzing the problem, developing alternate solutions, comparing alternate solutions, choosing the best solution and implementing and finally verifying the solution. During the decision making process is where a manager continuously tries to achieve a state of stability by implementing a course of action, while all the time dealing with the possible consequences of his actions. A key competency in strategic leadership is decision making about whether and when to act (Elbanna, Child, 2007, p. 435) Consistency of decision making in accord with the firm’s value proposition is important for a strategic leader. It allows the members of the organization to see the connection between their daily responsibility and the delivery of the firm’s strategy. Strategic leadership hence involves building a coherent set of original beliefs and practices that are aligned with the requirements of the seller’s value proposition. All have responsibilities for their own beliefs and for the performance of their coworkers, and hence strategic leadership is needed for all the levels of the firm. Effects of business environmental changes on strategy   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Theorists and business strategists consider the most important recent trends in the macro environment as the forces the new economy. The new economic era started at the advent of the 21st century, but the factors which led to the change had already been felt and observed at least two decades back. The new information and communication technologies restructured the global markets, and whole industry sectors, by challenging the conventional economic thinking and hence redefining how business is done. The New Economy is almost a revolution in the way business works, economic wealth is generated, so cities are organized and individual exist within them (Grant ¸2003, p. 504). The figure below shows the key features of new economic environment that impact on business strategy, as compared to the key features of old economic environment. Old Economy New Economy Key industries Oil, Mining, Steel, Vehicles, Railways, Shipping Computers and Software, biotechnology, personal and financial services, Entertainment Key Resources Energy, Labor Information Knowledge and Talent Technology Power Trains, Machine Tools Information Technology Product Life Cycles Measured in decades Measured in Years or months Trade Patterns International Global Working Day 8 hours 24 Hours Communication Media Letters, Telephone, Fax Mobile devices, E-mail, Internet and Intranet Organization Structures Centralized Hierarchical, Functional Devolved, Flat, Functional Workforce Characteristics Mainly male semi-skilled or skilled No gender bias, high proportion of graduates    Fig -3 Key features of old and new business environments (Sadler, Ryall, Craig, 2003, p. 29) Key elements that have effected the environment to bring these changes are: Globalization: The globalization as we know it has happened in two stages. The first stage was post world war, when other countries came to be seen as new markets rather than colonial acquisitions. This brought about a change in the business organization. The second phase was in the late 1980s, when the internet emerged to be a n option where people could display their wares or even sell them, for instance in case of paid music downloads. Presently globalization is not only an advantage; it has become a must for any company wishing to enter the business domain (Pitt, 2005, p. 316). Small-World with reduced distances – The world as we know it is getting smaller everyday with the emergence of new technologies in wireless communication. People can now communicate visually and effectively with anyone across anywhere in the world at the same time. This has brought about a lot of new requirements which were heretofore quite unknown Knowledge Economy – A bye-product of the shrinking world is the awareness people have about other cultures and economic conditions in various parts of the world. The awareness of the new technologies is also increasing among people at a rapid pace, and is no longer confined within a select few number of people. Impact of new technology – People in the present day world are so used to rapid changes in technology that they almost expect smarter, cheaper and better performance devices almost every day. Hence, the importance of RD among the various industries has increased and is no longer an option but a necessity. (Pitt, McAulay, Sims, 2002, p. 159, 160) In the light of these discontinuous, large-scale changes facing the world, organizations might be required to undergo major, strategic reorientations.   These reorientations may involve changes in products, services, markets, organizational structure and human resources. A change can be viewed either a technical problem, political problem, or a cultural problem. However, strategic change views the problem as a varied amalgamation of all the three problems. Strategic change refers to the non-routine, non-incremental, and discontinuous change that alters the overall orientation of the organization, and/or the components of the organization. (Hà ¥konsson, Obei, Burton, 2008, p. 65)   However, the exact boundary between a strategic and a non-strategic change is blurred. Sometimes it depends on the magnitude of change and at other times the time frame of the impact of the change is in question. Conclusion The paper gave a general discourse on strategic management processes. The process consists of various elements, and each of which is equally important to the process. The planning stage is the most critical out of these processes, which was described in the next section along with different types of planning. The nature of strategic planning was discussed in detail which also covered the strategic planning process. The subsequent section discoursed upon the role of various strategic managers on strategy building. After this the discussion shifted to strategic leadership and the power of decision making. Finally the effects of business environmental changes on strategy making was discussed, which gave the critical factors involved in strategic decision making in the present day world. A comparison of this was done with the economy just a decade or two past, and can be seen that there are few if any common factors between the two economies. Hence, the strategy making process has undergone a massive change in the recent times. Till then the strategy formulation process was an evolutionary one, with one element being added over another. But the present day world calls for revolutionary strategies since the success factors too have undergone changes. The paper hence gives an idea about the direction companies of the present day world need to take in order to be successful. While the topics covered are generic, and do not give a situation-level analysis for the choice of a strategy, there is enough information here to help strategic theorists understand the dynamics of the business environment and act accordingly.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   References Journal Articles Brower HH, Fioi CM, Emrich CC, (2007), â€Å"The language of Leaders†, Journal of Leadership Studies, Pages 67-80, Wiley Periodicals Inc, 20th November 2007, Volume 1, Issue 3, DOI 10.1002/jls.20026 Elbanna S, Child J, (2007), â€Å"Influence of Strategic Decision Effectiveness: Development and Test of an Integrative Model†, Strategic Management Journal, Strat. Mgmt. J. 28:431-453 (2007), DOI10.1002/smj.597 Farjoun M, (2001), â€Å"Towards an organic perspective on strategy†, Strategic Management Journal, Volume 23, Issue 7, John Wiley Sons, Ltd., Pages 561-594, 28th March 2002, DOI 10.1002/smj.239 Grant RM, (2003), â€Å"Strategic planning in a turbulent environment: evidence from the oil majors†, Strategic Management Journal, Volume 24, Issue 9, John Wiley Sons, Ltd., Pages 491-517, 14th April 2003, DOI 10.1002/smj.314 Hà ¥konsson DD, Obei B, Burton RM, (2008), â€Å"Can Organization Climate be managed? Making Emotions Rational†, Journal of Leadership Studies, Pages 62-73, Wiley Periodicals Inc, 28th February 2008, Volume1 Issue 4, DOI 10.1002/jls.20033 Hitt MA, Ireland RD, Camp SM, Sexton DL, (2001), â€Å"Strategic entrepreneurship: entrepreneurial strategies for wealth creation†, Strategic Management Journal, Volume 22, Issue 6-7, John Wiley Sons, Ltd., Pages, 479-491, 6th June 2001, DOI 10.1002/smj.196 Hutzschenreuter T, Kleindienst I, (2006), â€Å"Strategy-Process Research: What Have We Learned and What is Still to be Explored†, Journal of Management 2006; 32; 673, DOI: 10.1177/0149206306291485, SAGE Publishing Mayer KJ, Berkowitz J, (2008), â€Å"The Influence of Inertia on Contract Design:   Ã‚   Contingency Planning in Information Technology Service Contracts†, Managerial   Ã‚   Decision and Economics, Wiley InterScience, DO: 10/1002/m.d.e. 1390 Nadkarni S, Narayanan V K, (2007), â€Å"Strategic schemas, strategic flexibility, and firm performance: the moderating role of industry clockspeed†, Strategic Management Journal, Volume 28, Issue 2, John Wiley Sons, Ltd., Pages 240-270, 30th January 2007, DOI 10.1002/smj.576 ORegan N, Ghobadian A, (2007), â€Å"Formal strategic planning: annual raindance or wheel of success?†, Strategic Change, Volume 16, Issue 1-2, John Wiley Sons, Ltd., Pages 11-22, 2nd April 2007, DOI 10.1002/jsc.777 Parnell JA, Lester DL, (2003), â€Å"Towards a philosophy of strategy: reassessing five   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   critical dilemmas in strategy formulation and change†, Strategic Change, Volume 12, Issue 4, John Wiley Sons, Ltd., Pages 291-303, 8th October 2003, DOI 10.1002/jsc.639 Pitt M, (2005), â€Å"A dynamic model of strategic change in growth-oriented firms â€Å",   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Strategic Change†, Volume 14, Issue 6, John Wiley Sons, Ltd., Pages 307-326, 31st October 2005, DOI 10.1002/jsc.721 Pitt M, McAulay L, Sims D, (2002), â€Å"Promoting strategic change: playmaker roles in Organizational agenda formation†, John Wiley Sons, Ltd., 7th May 2002, Pages 155-172, Volume 11 Issue 3, DOI 10.1002/jsc.586 Short JC, Ketchen DJ, Palmer TB, Hult GTM, (2007), â€Å"Firm, strategic group, and   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   industry influences on performance†, Strategic Management Journal, Volume 28, Issue 2, John Wiley Sons, Ltd., Pages 147-167, 20th December 2006, DOI: 10.1002/smj.574 Slater SF, Olson EM, Hult GTM, (2006), â€Å"The moderating influence of strategic orientation on the strategy formation capability-performance relationship†, Strategic Management Journal, Volume 27, Issue 12, John Wiley Sons, Ltd., Pages 1221-1231, 30th October 2006, DOI 10.1002/smj.569 Reference Books Alkhafaji AF, (2003), â€Å"Strategic Management: Formulation, Implementation and Control in a Dynamic Environment†, Published: Haworth Press, New York Baker, MJ, (2003), â€Å"The Marketing Book†, Published: Butterworth Heinemann,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Massachusetts Boone LE, Kurtz DL, (2006), â€Å"Contemporary Business 2006†, Published: Thomson   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Southwestern, Ohio Dixon R, (2003), â€Å"The Management Task†, 3rd Edition, Published, Butterworth- Hienemann, Massachussetts Gilligan C, Wilson RMS, (2003), â€Å"Strategic Marketing Planning†, Published:   Ã‚  Ã‚   Butterworth Heinemann, Massachusetts Grant RM, (2002), â€Å"Contemporary Strategy Analysis: Concepts, Techniques,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Applications’, Published: Blackwell Publishing, Massachusetts Muckstadt JA, (2005), â€Å"Analysis and Algorithms for Service Parts Supply Chain†, Published: Springer, New York McCourt W, Eldridge D, (2003), â€Å"Global Human Resource Management: Managing   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   People in Developing and Transitional Countries†, Published: Edward Elgar Publishing, Massachusetts Murray EJ, Richardson PR, (2002), â€Å"Fast Forward Organizational Change in 100 Days†, Published: Oxford University Press, New York Peters BG, Pierre J, (2003), Handbook of Public Administration, Published: SAGE Peter JP, Donnelly JH, (2002), â€Å"A Preface to Marketing Management†, 9th Edition,   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Published: McGraw-Hill Professional, New York Sadler P, Ryall MJ, raig JC, (2003), †Strategic Management†, 2nd Edition, Published:   Ã‚  Ã‚   Kogan Page, London Sadgrove K, (2005), â€Å"The Complete Guide to Business Risk Management†, 2nd Edition, Publishing: Gower Publishing Ltd., Burlington Stevens RE, Sherwood PK, Dunn JP, Loudon DL, (2006), â€Å"Market Opportunity Analysis:   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Text and Cases†, Published: Haworth Press, New York

Women’s liberation movement of the 1960’s Essay Example for Free

Women’s liberation movement of the 1960’s Essay Imagine what the life of a woman was before the 1960’s. The life that she had called her own was beyond far from perfect, and this was just behind closed doors. These ladies were denied of what basic rights they had, they were then trapped in a home that they created not just for themselves, but also for their family, and not to even mention the discrimination that they faced in the workplace. Then, here come the 1960’s in full swing, these women could then have a say in their government, and with all these new changes for the women of this time, they could now receive equal employment opportunities as men, meaning the same wages. This then created brand new routines and they would not have to feel guilty about leaving their children at home. The women’s liberation movement of the 1960’s helped all of these changes to come about through its phases of policies and radical ways of thinking. In fact, just to show some of these radical ways of thinking, there were some extremist women who made a â€Å"Freedom Trash Can† and filled it with representations of the woman who was trapped in the home life. They would throw objects such as these; heels, bras, a girdle, hair curlers, and even magazines such as Cosmo, Playboy, and Ladies’ Home Journal in it. The women who put the Trash Can together planned to set it on fire, but decided not to do so because burning of the contents prohibited by a city law (Echols 150)1. Needless to say, given the numerous obstacles that were put in place to stop the women from changing their status in society, the women’s movement of the 1960’s made significant changes for women in regards to their basic rights, in the home, and in the workplace for the better. †¨ Denied their basic rights in most aspects of society, all the way from political rights to reproductive rights, women in the U.S. have fought vigorously for equality. For example, women fought for their rights not to symbolize â€Å"beauty objects† or â€Å"sex objects.† In 1968, 100 women protested the Miss America Beauty Pageant because it promoted †Å"physical attractiveness and charm as the primary measures of a woman’s worth,† especially the swimsuit portion of the contest (Echols 149)2. Since the presence of the  media displayed beauty as the only way for happiness, the idea that women’s only importance was for their bodies became more widespread. Later, once women recognized that they were worth more than just looks, they took the measures to overcome the media’s hype about women’s bodies. The largest protests staged, the Miss America protest and the Freedom Trash Can protest, helped women claim national attention towards their struggles. Because of the 1960’s Civil Rights Movement that was also going on at the time, the climate seemed just right for women to speak out as well, therefore they received attention too (Echols 153)3. Women also fought for the right to abortion or reproductive rights, as most people called it. In response to the 1960’s abortion effort, women established an underground hospital that was just for abortions, called Jane in Chicago. Following this example, other secret clinics launched up everywhere. In big cities, women’s health clinics, rape-crisis centers and women’s bookstores developed. As a result of the New York Radical Women, a group founded in 1967, a â€Å"women’s community† developed throughout cities and neighborhoods around the nation (Echols 160)4. In these communities women got together to talk about their problems, usually dealing with male chauvinism, and they discussed how to overcome their problems. Probably the largest achievement for women regarding abortion rights came in 1960 when the Food and Drug Administration approved birth control pills and approved them for marketing a year later (National Women’s History Project)5. This proved to be a major step for women in regards to their reproductive rights. Now that women had an abortion option, they were not as tied to the home as they had been. They had the ability to work and go out without having to always feel the burden childbearing or childcare until they were ready. If perhaps a woman made a mistake and became pregnant before she was ready, the opportunity of abortion was always available to her. To conclude, women during the 1960’s fought hard to earn rights that society denied them. Many noteworthy domestic changes for women were accomplished during the 1960’s. For example, childcare became a 1960’s issue. Gwen Diab, an activist and supporter of the women’s struggle during the 1960’s declares, â€Å"Women were hesitant to leave the home before the 1960’s because they felt guilty leaving their children all alone. By the 1960’s, women started to get over the feeling of guilt and left their house more frequently heading off to women’s clubs or meetings†.  Society believed that â€Å"a woman could either be a career woman or she could stay at home and have children. There was no way she could do both† (Sanger 517)6. Society also believed that if a woman were to become pregnant , she would stay in the home, caring for her children, because that is where she belonged. Margaret Sanger, a traditionalist, also concluded that if a woman took the risk of getting pregnant and if she was â€Å"a working woman, should not have more than two children† (Sanger 519)7. â€Å"Childcare was the first step towards breaking down society’s view that the sole responsibility rested with the woman† (The Women’s Movement 419)8. Since the number of workingwomen increased in the 1960’s, men felt reluctant to share housework, but however this did improve and the men have been taking more responsibility for childcare as well. However, domestic issues went far beyond childcare in the ‘60s. For instance, an anonymous woman in Iowa wrote many letters to her sister relating her dealings with her feelings on the issue of domesticity. Many times, she wrote about how she felt as though she was the only woman that said anything in the homeowner’s meetings. Because of her openness, the other women became scared of her and her seeming ly radical ways. â€Å"Therefore, she felt as though she didn’t quite fit in with the other women in her community. One man even felt scared of her because he thought that she was too smart to be a woman. She stated, ‘Nobody expects a woman to talk. It bothers them all, especially the men.† (Gornick, 150)9. This shows how America still belonged to a traditional time where women were expected to stay at home and take care of the home and children. These feelings soon changed with the growing participation of women in their communities. It took time for men to start to think of women as equals, and not just â€Å"the second sex.† Unfortunately, these changes took a long time in coming because women were thought to be feminist militants if they wanted any type of change in society and called communists and man haters if they had anything to do with the liberation movements. Because of these accusations, many housewives were scared to get involved in this movement, but the career women tried to gain their support. Because the career women didn’t really have backing or support for the movement, there were few gains in the early years. It was only when women such as Gloria Steinem, Simone de Beauvoir and Angela Davis got involved, that normal housewives felt that they could make a difference and that their rights were worth fighting for.  As one can see, the 1960s made many advances for women in the area of domestic issues. The last and major area, in which the 1960’s made significant changes for women, was in the workplace. Later, as the economy of America began to expand, women started working for a second family income, although they only made 60% of what men were earning (Echols 152)10. Denied credit by banks before the ‘60’s, women could not receive capital to start their own small businesses because a man always received first priority when it came to funds for starting up a business. Fortunately, after a long struggle, the National Credit Union Administration accepted feminism as a field and let them draw credit. Women even began to have their own professional and labor organizations to keep themselves progressing. During the early stages of the 1960’s, many changes were put in place to help women get to the top. For instance, in 1961 President Kennedy created the President’s Commission on the Status of Women, chaired by Eleanor Roosevelt. Eleanor had played a key role in establishing the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948 and shed defended both womens economic opportunity and womens traditional role in the family, so she could be expected to have the respect of those on both sides of the protective legislation issue. Eleanor chaired the commission from its beginning through her death in 1962. The twenty members of the Presidents Commission on the Status of Women included both male and female Congressional representatives and Senators; Senator Maurine B. Neuberger of Oregon and Representative Jessica M. Weis of New York, several cabinet-level officers which included the Attorney General, the Presidents brother Robert F. Kennedy, and other women and men who were respected civic, labor, educational, and religious leaders. There was some ethnic diversity; among the members were Dorothy Height of the National Council of Negro Women and the Young Womens Christian Association, Viola H. Hymes of the National Counci l of Jewish Women. Fifty other parallel state commissions were eventually established. Also, the Equal Pay Act, which was planned in the ‘40’s, was finally acknowledged that men and women who worked the same job should have equal pay. Another major achievement for women in regards to the work place was in 1964, when the â€Å"Title VII of the Civil Rights Act† barred employment discrimination by private employers, employment agencies and  unions based on race, sex and other grounds. To investigate complaints and enforce penalties, it established the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, which received 50,000 complaints of gender discrimination in its first five years† (National Women’s History Project)11. By 1965, President Johnson’s Executive Order 11246 ordered â€Å"federal agencies and federal contractors to take ‘affirmative action’ in overcoming employment discrimination† (National Women’s History Project)12. A major setback that women faced in the 1960’s was that as men realized what women were trying to do, some did as much as they could to keep fully qualified women out of their workplaces. In 1969, a Supreme Court Ruling changed all this. In the case of Bowe vs. Colgate-Palmolive, the Supreme Court ruled â€Å"women meeting the physical requirements could work in many jobs that had been for men only† (National Women’s History Project)13. As one can see, the 1960’s made many positive changes for women in regards to the workplace. To conclude the women’s liberation movement, the ‘60’s made many significant changes for women in regards to their basic rights, domestic issues, and their abilities to get fair job opportunities in the workplace. Although a woman still makes only about .70 cents for every dollar a man makes, they are still today the main caretakers at home, and they are still struggling for abortion rights. Women have come a lon g way from the traditional attitudes of the old, â€Å"modern† America, the radical 1960’s provided enough background and support for everything that the women had accomplished. Bibliography: Echols, Alice. Nothing Distant About It. New York: Harper Row, 1994. Gornick, Vivian. Essays In Feminism. New York: Harper Row, 1977 â€Å"National Women’s History Project.† [Online] Available http://www.legacy98.com, Oct. 11th, 2014. Sanger, Margret. Women’s activist on birth control, a sex edu., and a nurse