Equity & Expectancy Theory of Motivation Essay Example for Free

Equity Expectancy Theory of Motivation Essay Motivation Explain Adams equity theory Adams’ equity theory is a motivational model that attempts to explain the relationship between what an employee puts into their job (input), what they get out of it (output) and the fairness and justice exchanged between the two (Cosier Dalton, 1983). Inputs include all factors that are perceived as necessary to obtain a return, such as effort, loyalty, hard work, commitment, skill, ability, flexibility, tolerance, determination, heart and soul, enthusiasm, trust in the employer and personal sacrifice. Whilst outputs include all factors that are seen as a return of the job such as financial rewards, perks, benefits, pension arrangements, recognition, reputation, praise, interest, responsibility, travel, training, development, sense of achievement and promotion (Cosier Dalton, 1983). A fair and equitable balance of the two are based on the employees own perception, thoughts and beliefs and are formed through comparing the employees own situation with other employees in the market place along with opinions and comparisons from colleagues, friends and partners (Kreitner Kinicki, 2010). Ultimate Software has been able to provide an equitable balance between the inputs and outputs of their employees through implementing some of the key principles of equity theory. For example they are providing a strong leadership role model through Scott Scherr-the CEO, they are being attentive to their employees’ perception of fairness and more importantly they are involving their employees in the decision making and policy process. In return this has promoted cooperation and team work within the company (Kreitner Kinicki, 2010). More specifically Ultimate Software application of being attentive and involving their employees was demonstrated when their employee suggested that they offer paid adoption leave to their employee and they consequently implemented the benefit (Kreitner Kinicki, 2010). This particular employee was about to adopt herself so she perceived that the output of â€Å"adoption leave† was a fair and equitable reward for her inputs of effort, loyalty, commitment, skill, ability and work (Cosier Dalton, 1983). Thus by listening and implementing her suggestion Ultimate Software met her sense of fairness. In addition they also conveyed to her a sense of  involvement with the decision and policy making process. Consequently the employee regarded Ultimate Software as a fair, observant and appreciative  employer. So much so that she has remained with the company for four years and has since used the â€Å"adoption leave† again. Conversely the company could have chosen not to listen to this particular employee’s suggestion. As a result Ultimate Software would not have implemented adoption leave and the employee would have felt that her inputs of effort, loyalty, commitment, skill, ability and work were out-weighed by her received outputs. This would have been even more apparent if another company in the industry offered such a leave for adopting children. Consequently the employee would have felt underappreciated and would have become demotivated. This would have resulted in the employee reducing their effort and application, and even seeking an alternative job, perhaps one where adoption leave was available (Cosier Dalton, 1983). Another example of the principles of equity theory at work in Ultimate Software is the use of benefit schemes to motivate employees. These schemes endeavour to provide employees with working conditions and policies that give additional rewards above and beyond the basic requirements to meet the perceived outputs of different individuals (Katzell Thompson, 1990). For example an employee who perceived education as a fair and equitable output to their inputs is able to benefit from the company’s annual tuition reimbursement. Whilst an employee who perceives providing health cover for themselves and their family as an equitable output for their input will acquire a sense of fairness and organisational justice through the use of Ultimate Software’s fully paid health premium scheme. These, along with the other schemes mentioned, cater for the differing perceptions, values and sensitivities amongst the company employees. This variation exists because what one employee sees as an adequate reward for their input may not even register with another employee (Blakely et al, 2005). We all have differing sensitivity and to achieve organisational justice and fairness between the inputs and outputs of individual employees the company needs to comprehend what makes their employees tick to enable them to perform their role (Wilson, 2005). Basically Ultimate Software has applied the principles of equity theory to motivate their employees. The company has provided outputs which meets their employees perception of fairness against what they input into the company (Katzell Thompson, 1990). This balance between input and output has not  only been achieved individually but also with in the work place and the industry. Consequently Ultimate Software has raised the level of employee satisfaction and performance. Explain Vroom;s Expectancy Theory Vroom’s Expectancy Theory is another motivational model but slightly more complex in its application. The model uses the three variables expectancy, instrumentality and valance to explain how an employee is motivated to behave in ways that will produce a desired combination of expected outcomes (Kreitner Kinicki, 2010). The first variable, expectancy is the belief that an ones effort will result in the attainment of desired performance goals and is based upon the employees past experiences, self-confidence and the perceived difficulty of the goal. The second variable, instrumentality is the belief that one will receive a reward if the performance expectation is met and is connected to the employees’ levels of trust in leadership, control over rewards and the company’s formalised policy. The final variable, valence is the value that one places on the rewards and is based upon an employee’s needs, goals, values and sources of motivation (Lee, 2007). It is Vroom’s belief that these three variables interact psychologically to create a motivational force that will cause employee to acts in ways that will bring pleasure and avoid pain (Pearson Hui, 2001). An example of Ultimate Software using the principle of expectancy theory to motivate their employees is through the use of their education benefit. For this to be a motivational force the three variables of expectancy, instrumentality and valance must be perceived by the employee to be met (Pearson Hui, 2001). That is to fulfil expectancy an employee will need to believe that their extra effort and time put into studying a degree, or similar educational course, will result in them completing the program. To fulfil instrumentality the employee must believe that  once completed they will be rewarded with either a higher pay and or a promotion within the company. And finally to fulfil the third variable valance, the employee will need to value that the pay rise and/or prom otion are important enough to apply extra effort and time. Basically they will need to desire the outcome enough so that they will achieve it (Pearson   Hui, 2001). Jose Chinea of Ultimate Software was able fulfil the three variables of expectancy, instrumentality and valence. Firstly Jose believed that the masters’ degree in management and information systems was achievable. Secondly he believed that the extra effort put into studying a master’s degree would lead to the reward of obtaining a promotion with Ultimate Software. And finally because he personally understood and valued education as an opportunity to grow he therefore believed that the efforts he put in, along with the rewards obtained from Ultimate Software, would be worth it. Conversely, if Jose was not able to fulfil any one of the three variables then there would be no motivational force for him to study and therefore use the educational benefit. This would happen only if he believed that he was unable to complete the master’s degree, the company was not offering a suitable reward and he perceived education and the rewards of education to be of no value. Conse quently, the internal attributes of the employee which incorporate their attitude and value systems are an extensive determinate of motivational force in the expectancy theory model (Pearson Hui, 2001). Another example of Ultimate Software using the principles of expectancy theory is the CEO’s, Scott Scherr’s leadership role (Isaac et al, 2001). Scherr adopted the principles to equip himself with tools to influence the psychological process resident in his employees. He implemented rewards systems that are uncommon. These rewards include matching 30% of employee superannuation contributions and also stock options and both are applied in an appropriate fashion to pull or influence his employees. This strategy enhances the level of personal motivation of his employees as they wish to maximize their own self interests. For example an employee who wishes to boost their retirement savings would opt for the reward scheme of matching superannuation contributions. Whilst an employee who wishes to boost their immediate wealth, or even just considers investing to be of value, would opt for stock options. In applying a strong leadership style Scherr has created an environment within his company that inspires his employees to achieve a level of performance that meets the company expectations, and even perhaps exceed the employees own personal expectations. This has been achieved through Scherr consciously choosing a leadership strategy that pulls rather than pushes  (Isaac et al, 2001). The positive implications of using a motivational model such as expectancy theory include reduced employee turnover, improved morale and higher productivity (Pearson Hui, 2001). For Ultimate Software this has resulted in the company obtaining the title of best medium company to work for in America.

The Marketing Strategy Of Air Arabia Tourism Essay

The Marketing Strategy Of Air Arabia Tourism Essay The company Air Arabia which is chosen in this report is a public company. This report also gives information about how the company works internally and externally. The main hub of the Air Arabia Company is in Sharjah, U.A.E and Mohamed V Airport in Casablanca, Morocco. This report will also give you the financial Information of the company and also about its competitors financial status like its sales, profit, and market share. Air Arabia is worlds First and Largest Low Cost Carrier (LCC) to operate in Middle East and North Africa. It operates in more than 40 countries worldwide and has segmented its target market in Middle East, Indian Subcontinents, South and Central Asia, Africa and Europe. The report also gives complete information about the companys Strength, Weakness, Opportunities, and Threats and also about its Product (Services), Price, Place and Promotion. Last but not the least, the report has showed the position of the company in the current market, evidence of the compa nys success and prospects for future growth/success. Air Arabia Introduction Air Arabia is the first largest Low Cost Carrier (LCC) to operate in Middle East and North Africa. Air Arabia started its operation in October 2003 and holds a portfolio of successful business.The Main Hub of Air Arabia is Sharjah Airport, UAE and Mohamed V Airport in Casablanca, Morocco and later on announced its third hub in Egypt. The current CEO of Air Arabia is Adel Ali who was named as Airline CEO of the Year for 3 years. Air Arabia is named as Best Low Cost Carrier at many Airline Awards. Air Arabia is a listed company on the Dubai Financial Market. The current Air Arabia slogan is Air Arabia, Pay Less Fly More. The Market Environment: Air Arabia has spread it wings from its hubs; Sharjah Airport, UAE and Mohamed V Airport in Casablanca, Morocco and Egypt to over 65 destinations spreading across Middle East, Indian Subcontinents, South and Central Asia, Africa and Europe. Air Arabia is in Airline Industry and has maintained a portfolio of successful business till now. The Airline Industry provides with Air transport services to passengers who want to travel to different countries which are covered by Airplanes in much less time. It also provides with air cargo facilities. The Competition The Main Competitors Air Arabia has many competitors such as Emirates Airline, Etihad Airways, and Air India Express but out of all these the main competitor of Air Arabia is Jazeera Airways. Sales and Profit Trend Jazeera Airways faced a Net Loss of 8.2 million in the year 2009. In the year 2010 the company is still operating in loss of 4.4 million in the first quarter and a loss of 4.7 million in the second quarter. Market Share Jazeera Airways head office is in Kuwait. It also had its hub in UAE but because of it facing loss in the previous year it had decided to close down the UAE hub. So now it only controls from Kuwait. Target Market Jazeera Airways is a low cost airline that targets the people with low income. The Company Sales and Profit Trend Air Arabias company profits in the year 2009 were AED 452 million. In the year 2010 the profits of the company in the first quarter were AED 50 million and in the second quarter were also AED 50 million. The company is building up a strong network route which is helping in growing its sales. Market Share The following graph shows Air Arabia Profit generated worldwide. GCC AED 63.28 million Middle East AED 63.28 million North Africa AED 49.72 million Central Asia AED 22.6 million Europe AED 94.92 million Indian Subcontinents AED 158.2 million Business Sector Air Arabia is a public sector company with its share listed on the Dubai Financial Market (DFM: AIRARABIA). SWOT analysis Strengths Air Arabia is the first low cost carrier in the GCC region. Given the huge investment required in setting up an airline, competition will need time to be a significant threat. Sharjah Airport gives significant waivers to Air Arabia in the form of landing and parking fees. Despite a very young history, net profits have been increasing at a CAGR of over 200% since 2005. The company managed to generate its first net profit in 2005 after starting operations in late 2003. Weaknesses Less number of planes Hub location A deterrent for residents of other emirates in UAE other than Dubai. Fuel prices account for roughly 38% of total operating costs for Air Arabia. The price hike in crude oil is expected to continue affecting the airline. Opportunities With a firm order for 34 aircraft and an option for 15 more, Air Arabia is poised for growth. The airline is expected to add more destinations to its portfolio. Competition is still young when compared to Air Arabia which gives the company time to further solidify its positioning as a quality LCC. The UAE and the GCC as a whole is focused on attracting tourists to the region. As the region grows with the rising price of oil, the accessible market for Air Arabia also expands in the long-term. Threats Being the most significant component of operating costs, energy prices can seriously hamper Air Arabias performance. Airlines around the world are struggling because of rising energy costs. Low LCC penetration in the region makes the pie very large however new LCCs are on their way to make the division more diluted in the future. New LCCs include Sama, Nas, RAK Airways and Fly Dubai. Due to limited choice in aircraft suppliers, airlines are sensitive to delivery schedules of aircraft. The delivery of the 34 ordered aircraft is originally meant to commence in 2013. The Companys Marketing Strategy Segmentation Air Arabia has been spread worldwide through three hubs namely Sharjah Airport, Mohamed V Airport in Casablanca and Egypt airport. Air Arabia is in Travel and Tourism industry which is further divided into Travel industry which provides with travel facilities to passengers who want to travel to other countries whereas Tourism industry which help with Hotel reservations. Targeting Air Arabia targets people with low income who would like to travel the world which could not be possible as the air freight is high. But nowadays people with good income have also started traveling in Air Arabia as it helps them to save for better future. Positioning Air Arabia has positioned itself in the market in such a way that has kept it far ahead of its competitors. Air Arabia and Jazeera airways are in competition but still demand for Air Arabia is high as it provides cheap ticket price. Growth Strategy Air Arabia has planned to expand its Sharjah hub by Investing 2.0 billion in new aircrafts which will increase the number of planes to 34 by 2015.this expansion will also increase the frequency of flights on certain routes, i.e. doubling the number of daily flights in most cases. The Marketing Mix Product (Service) Air Arabia offers many services to their customers according to the target segment they belong to. They provide with online booking which reduces the time of a customer to go to any agency and book a flight. Air Arabia also provides with hotel-reservation service and recommends the best options for customers according to their needs and budgets. Price Air Arabia is using a low cost strategy, which is to offer lower price than what other airlines in the market offer. It uses this strategy because it targets people from low to medium-income level who are willing to pay less in order to fly more. Place The main base of Air Arabia is in Sharjah, UAE. It has more three hubs which are in Morocco, Egypt and Jordon. Air Arabia also has an Online Website through which customers can book their flights, check the latest offers and book an accommodation in a hotel during his/her travel. Promotion Air Arabia always advertise in local and international, Arabic and English newspapers and magazines because their target audience are people from all nationalities. It advertises in business, family and social magazines worldwide to reach their target audience who have different interests. Air Arabia has created a website offers many services such as the online booking, which allow customers to select particular seats or service from their home. Furthermore, Air Arabia advertises in many websites from different fields such as the MSN messenger and the Gulf News. Evaluation of the Companys Strategies and Tactics Current Market Situation Air Arabia being the First and largest Low Cost Carrier in the Middle East and North Africa have put themselves ahead of their competitors. The companys services are being demanded by many customers due to whom in 2010 the Net Profit of the company in third quarter increased to AED 136 million. Evidence of Companys Success The Companys profit in the year 2009 was AED 452 million which had been decreased from the previous year. But the companys growth strategy shows that it will be successful in the coming years. Prospects for future growth/success Air Arabia have invested AED 1.7 2.0 billion on new aircrafts to increase the number of planes by 2015. This investment will increase the frequency of the flights on certain routes. Conclusion Air Arabia has been growing in Travel and Tourism industry with a vision to offer better services and to be the best airline on every route it flies by improving a strong network route. Thus, it has many target segments of people with low to medium- income levels that are looking for low air fares. The ambition of Air Arabia is a fleet expansion of 50 aircrafts by 2015 and also establishing more hubs to link the whole Arab world to Africa and Europe

History of DNA Sequencing and Research

History of DNA Sequencing and Research DNA sequencing technology has evolved very rapidly since its inception in the 1970s, and continues to evolve and grow today. This paper will review the major innovations and developments in sequencing technology and briefly summarize their methodologies. The first group that was able to sequence DNA was the team of Allan Maxam and Walter Gilbert (Maxam and Gilbert). This was a first generation sequencing reaction, and was developed in 1976-1977. This method uses purified DNA and relies on chemical modification of DNA bases (like depurination of adenine and guanine using formic acid and methylation using hydrazine or dimethyl sulfate). The 5 end is radioactively labeled so that it can be visualized in a gel, and then fragments of modified DNA are electrophoresed. Autoradiography can then be used to visualize the sizes of each DNA fragment. The maximum read length for this technique was approximately 100 bases long. The next major innovation in DNA sequencing was the Sanger dideoxy chain termination method. This was developed in 1977 by Frederick Sanger (Sanger, Nicklen, and Coulson), and became much more popular than Maxam and Gilberts method. Sanger sequencing is a synthesis reaction and uses dideoxy nucleotides to randomly terminate synthesized strands of DNA. The DNA strands that had been terminated with ddNTPs originally were run in 4 different lanes (one for each ddNTP) and were radiolabeled so that they could be visualized with autoradiography. Later innovations made Sanger sequencing even easier when each dideoxynucleotide was labeled with different fluorescent dyes. As such, sequences could be run on a single gel in a single lane. This method was the most popular way of sequencing DNA for many years, and was prevalent until about 2004. While read length was initially about 100 base pairs long, Sanger sequencing now has a read length of about 800 to 1000 base pairs long when run in capil lary gels. With the start of the human genome project, it was necessary to find ways to sequence DNA much more quickly and more cost-effectively than had been done previously. This led to the development of so-called à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã…“second generationà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒâ€šÃ‚  DNA sequencers. It also allowed for the use of smaller samples for sequencing. One of the first major automated platforms was the Roche 454 (Margulies et al.). This utilizes pyrosequencing, which is a synthesis type sequencing reaction. This also uses emulsion PCR on beads. When a dNTP is incorporated, it releases a pyrophosphate (PPi). ATP sulfurylase is present in the reaction mix, and when PPi is released, converts it to ATP, which can activate luciferase and the emission of light. The Roche 454 can measure the amount of light given off and relate it to the number of nucleotides that have been incorporated. One problem with this type of sequencing is that it can be difficult to accurately characterize sequences of the same nucleotide in a row as the intensity of the pyrophosphate peak given off does not have a linear relationship with the number of homopolymers present. The read length for 454 is approximately 250 base pairs long, and the error mode tends to have indels. The next major second gen sequencer is the Illumina Solexa platform (Bennett). The chemistry of this platform is that it utilizes reversible terminators and sequences by synthesis. A flow cell is covered with DNA oligonucleotides that are complementary to adaptor sequences that have been ligated to the ends of fragmented genome pieces. As the genome fragments are streamed across the surface of the flow cell, they will randomly bind and go through multiple cycles of denaturation and extension, which creates clusters of clones. After these clusters have been generated, they are loaded into a sequencer which measures fluorescent signals as single nucleotides are incorporated by taking a picture and noting the location of fluorescence. Read lengths are about 26-50 bases on average, and the types of errors that are typically present tend to be SNP errors. Another important second generation sequencer is the ABI-SOLiD (Sequencing by Oligonucleotide Ligation and Detection) sequencing platform (Valouev et al.). This is another sequencing by synthesis reaction, but unlike Illumina and 454, which use polymerases, this uses ligases. After using emulsion PCR on beads to create clonal clusters, primers base pair to a known adapter sequence that has been ligated to the genomic DNA. Differently labeled probes competitively base pair to the sequencing primer, and sequencing goes through several cycles in which different primers are used each time to bind to positions offset by a single nucleotide each time. DNA bases are added in groups of two in this method. Average read lengths for this technique are on average about 35 base pairs long. The next second generation sequencing technique is Ion Torrent, which is a sequencing by synthesis technique (http://www.iontorrent.com). When nucleotides are added to a growing DNA chain, pyrophosphate and a hydrogen ion are released. Ion Torrent takes advantage of this by measuring the pH of the reaction mix after flooding a DNA strand with the four bases (one at a time) to determine sequences. One major advantage of this technique is that it doesnt require a high-cost camera set-up to measure incorporation events. However, because it indirectly measures nucleotide addition through changes in pH, it has difficulty with accuracy in calling sequences of homopolymers, resulting in indel errors (like pyrosequencing). Average read lengths using this technique are about 200 base pairs long. A more recent innovation is the Helicos-True Single Molecule Sequencing (tSMS) technique (Thompson and Steinmann). It is somewhat similar to Illumina sequencing in that it also uses fragmented DNA, adaptors, and fluorescently labeled dNTPs, but there is no amplification step. This helps eliminate issues with GC bias, which tend to affect amplification steps and can cause errors in base calling. Average read length is greater than 25 base pairs. Pacific Biosciences SMRT technology (Single Molecule Real Time sequencing) immobilizes a DNA polymerase at the bottom of a well and is a sequencing by synthesis technique (Eid et al.). Fluorescently labeled phosphate groups in dNTPs are added to the reaction mix and as the base is added to the growing DNA strand, the machine can measure the light that is given off (each base is labeled with a different fluorescent molecule). The major advantage of this technique is that it can sequence very long reads (more than 1000 bp!) which is very important in de novo sequence assembly. In addition, PacBio can also measure methylation of DNA sequences based on the kinetics of addition of base pairs (using the observation that modified base pairs tend to take longer to incorporate into a DNA strand). Furthermore, this technique can also potentially use a single molecule of DNA, which reduces any GC bias that occurs due to amplification. The final technique that will be discussed here is nanopore sequencing (Stoddart et al.). The idea behind this is that DNA may be threaded through a nanopore one base at a time. As its fed through, the sequencer can measure the change in current as it passes through (which will vary based on what base is moving through the pore). Thus, the sequence can be determined straight from the DNA without the need for modifications or reagents. In addition, because this can be done on a single molecule, there is again no need for amplification and thus no possibility of any GC bias in base calls.

I like It like That :: essays research papers

I Like it Like That is a commentary on the struggles of a Latino family trying to survive in a Bronx community in New York City. It tells the story of Lisette Linares, a young black Latina who lives with her bicycle-messenger husband Chino and their three children Li'l C, Minnie, and Pee Wee in a perpetually cramped walkup on Findlay and 167th in the Bronx. The story begins with a bleak existence for our main character Lisette. Although the streets of the inner city constantly boil with activity and her husband leaves her wanting for nothing in the bedroom she is stifled and bored. Chino is the sole provider for the family and insists that his wife stay in her proper place at home with the children. The children are terrors and the oldest is experimenting with drug trafficking. Lisette feels helpless to change or rectify the situation. The struggles of this family are a direct response to the gender roles seen in Lisette and Chino. There are two questions in this film concerning gender roles, what is a man and what is a woman. In the Latino community the definitions of man and woman are clearly defined. The man is the provider and leader of his family. The man works and makes sure that the family has enough of the material things they need. The man clearly defines the rules of the household including the way the woman and children should behave. The woman is responsible for the home and the children’s emotional needs. The woman organizes the household responsibilities such as cooking, cleaning, budgeting where the money is absolutely necessary and making sure the house runs in the regulations laid out by the man. This may include things like dinner on the table when he gets home from work or pleasing the man’s sexual desire on his time schedule. The woman is also responsible for the emotional well being of the children. It is the woman’s duty to make sure that her children are happy, health y and not leading morally reprehensible lifestyles. The first question, what is a man, can be clearly seen in the character of Chino. Chino begins the film as a true â€Å"machismo.† He is arrogant, demanding and obsessive. He expects his wife to fulfill his very need. Chino treats Lisette like she is a possession demanding she be subservient to him.

Social Issues Essay -- Definition of a Social Problem

Poverty, violence, crime and racism are major social problems. If we look at the definition of what a social problem is, according to James M. Henslin,"A social problem isan aspect of society that people are concerned about and would like changed. Social problems begin with an objective condition, some aspect of society that can be measured or experienced...The second key element of a social problem is subjective concern, the concern that a significant number of people (or a number of significant people) have about the condition"(Social Problems,2003,p.3). Steinberg believes that disengagement has what it takes to not only be a general social problem but says it is as major as the issues I stated in the beginning. Steinberg (1996) states,"Although it is less visible, less dramatic, and less commented upon than other social problems involving youth...student disengagement is more pervasive and in some ways potentially more harmful to the future well being of American society"(p. 28). Steinberg explains how this problem is not just concentrated in one place, his research s...

Inclusive education Essay

The concept of inclusion has been adopted as a response to the mandate of Public Law 94-142 or the Education of the Handicapped Act of 1975 which aims to place disabled and mentally-challenged students in non-restricted environments where they have access to equal opportunities in education. Inclusive education is an academic program where children of varying abilities are placed in one class or group and allowed to interact together to facilitate learning. It aims to provide all types of students with equality and exposure to the same learning stimulus that is bound to create various learning experiences to different types of children. And although many educators recognize that this is a breakthrough scheme for integration and intellectual freedom (Porter, 2001), in some cultures, this is the traditional way of teaching preschool children since special classes for attending to disabled children have not yet been developed at that time (Duncan, 2001). The scheme may involve only partial inclusion where special or disabled students can be pulled out anytime from class as the need for it arises. Oftentimes, for this category, another teacher who caters to the specific needs of the disabled students is also present. Full inclusion, on the other hand, is usually applied for disabled or special cases of students with high levels of learning capacities. Similarly, George and Alexander (2003) noted that in cases where tracking or ability grouping could not be totally excluded, partial de-tracking is also a good alternative. Inclusive education is a form of recognition (Friendly and Lero, 2002) and value that goes beyond human rights and equality and is a contributing step to eliminating social exclusion in the community. It promotes active and meaningful participation to all members of a group or class and offer different prospects for the students who experience the different class activities in their own light. They are able to socially interact, treated equally despite cognitive, physical or financial levels and, most importantly, achieve happiness and security. These are the essential elements and goals of inclusive education (Sen, 1999). As the Laidlaw Foundation puts its, it requires an active change in current policies and programs and build community-based foundations that will benefit and develop equal opportunities for both children and families (Friendly and Lero, 2002). On the other hand, early descriptions of inclusive education provide less drastic measures for improvement. Kamps et al.(1994) note that the strategies employed in inclusive learning are cheap measures designed to center on techniques that are less invasive but improves both the academic and social learning of the children (Kamps et al. , 1994). They also add that despite an inclusive program, change will not be truly instituted if the techniques cannot be adapted to current educational classroom systems that are at in place (Kamps & Carta, 1989). The members of the Inclusion InterAmericana (2000) also agree that Inclusive education is a cheaper alternative to provide disabled students access to education as evidence by their limited resources and provision. Cooperative learning is one aspect of inclusive education, where students are classified into smaller learning groups created for the purpose of maximizing learning and development (Johnson et al. , 1990). This type of grouping, also referred to as a heterogeneous classification has aimed to ensure that each student receives the same high class standards of instruction and education. The access of all types of students to these educational practices will allow them to benefit in the same way that others students do (Daniel, 2007). This type of scheme not only follows a mandate to provide children with the equal opportunities in education but also aims to improve the skills of the students relative to the learning levels each child possesses (Yonezawa and Jones, 2006). The children in an inclusive class who, in an ideal situation, are helping each other learn also do not need to be in the same age levels as other students as in the case of a learning strategy in an inclusive set up called cross age tutoring (Barbetta et al., 1991). In contrast to inclusive education, a scheme called homogeneous grouping, or ability grouping or tracking, is a case where students are grouped according to similar cognitive levels. The grouping is done by determining abilities of students through studies on their previous test and activity scores and those with similar abilities are group accordingly (Daniel, 2007). Gamoran and Weinstein (1998), George (1988) and Slavin (1993) all note a lack of evidence that ability grouping is effective. In addition, Vang (2005) discusses the disadvantages of this scheme to students with poor learning abilities, those from the minority and even financially challenged children. As Friendly and Lero (2002) note, exclusion in any form results in not only vulnerability and inability to voice out to the proper forum but also reduces quality and limited capabilities of life experiences. They also stress that a changed path from exclusion will enable social cohesion and improve life prospects. This also applies not only to communities but also to students in classrooms as well.

Demographics and Audience Analysis

Chapter 12 Activity #5 Page 382 Abstract Here is my response to the activity #12 question. ACTIVITY #5 5. Why is audience analysis important? How can it help the speaker in a business presentation? What are its limitations? Audience analysis is important because it is part of your preparation process in order to ensure that you have completed the appropriate research and homework on who you will be presenting to. The research can include anything from age, gender, audience’s size, social class, educational level, cultural background, and occupational status. When preparing a business presentation it is important to know your audience in order to help send a specific message to sell a specific product, or gain a certain business clientele to expand a merger or can range from just about anything. The most important thing is knowing who you are talking to, because in most cases the audience has already done their research on the speaker and are already prepared with questions and assumptions before the presentation starts. The limitation is only based upon how much you are prepared and have a specific presentation tailored to your specific audience. For example it wouldn’t make sense to prepare a speech for a group of electrical engineers and then present it to a group of third graders and expect them to understand the material. Here is the text from the ebook over audience analysis. O'Hair, Dan (2012). In presentational speaking, the process of finding out about those to whom you will be speaking is termed audience analysis, and it corresponds to the second component of strategic communication: gathering situational knowledge. When preparing for a presentation, you can research individual members of the audience, organizational factors that affect the audience, and even location, time, or other physical influences. Audience analysis helps you to understand the speaking situation as it unfolds as well as how best to prepare for the audience’s needs and likely responses to your message. In other words, effective speakers continue to gather information and monitor the situation throughout the presentation Demographic information—the audience’s size, age, social class, educational level, gender, cultural background, and occupational status—is fundamental to any audience analysis. Demography (the collection and study of such information) is a necessary first step toward establishing more specific and complex analyses of a target audience. The target audience—the key decision makers who are members of the general audience—is an important focus for your analysis. You are more likely to succeed by tailoring your ideas, information, and appeals to these audience members. 5 Audience attitudes toward many social and economic issues can be predicted through careful demographic analysis. For example, if you learn that your audience will be composed of employees in the manufacturing division of your company—mostly blue-collar males ages 40 to 60 who are union members—you can conclude that a presentation on why the company should deunionize to encourage new hiring policies will have to be approached with careful preparation and an understanding of possible negative audience response. This is not to say that audience analysis encourages stereotyping or can be ignored if you think you already know, for example, what a typical clerical worker is like. It is vital to approach audience analysis with an open mind because you are likely to discover unexpected characteristics of audience members that may provide the key to connecting with them. By analyzing and understanding the implications of the audience analysis, you will have a good sense of how to aim your presentation and what language and imagery to employ. Remember also that it is important to know whether you are speaking to accountants, engineers, marketers, janitors, or a combination of various employee groups. They may all work for your company, but each group has a different perspective on the organization, and it is also likely to differ from your own. Be sure to modify your presentation to accommodate each group because the most successful presentations are those that address every member of the audience and make each person feel involved and important. Three categories of audience analysis can be considered when doing a profile. Each of the three categories provides a different starting point for thinking about your audience’s needs. †¢ Audience type—Why have these people decided to attend your presentation? Audience characteristics—What are the religions, education levels, ages, ethnicities, and genders of typical audience members? Environmental characteristics—How will the setting and surroundings affect the speaking situation? † Bibliography O'Hair, Dan (2012). Strategic Communication in the Business and Professions [7] (VitalSource Bookshelf), Retrieved from http://online. vitalsource. com/books/9781256085492/id/pg359