Political Factors Affecting Education

Political Factors Affecting Education Education is the most important shared experienced in our lives it is so important and so all-pervasive that it is almost impossible to define. Education will not supply all the answers to the problems that beset us, either as individuals or as a nation, but if we set about it the right way, it is the best single means of promoting intellectual, moral, physical and economic wellbeing (Aldrich 1996 ). Education teaches us the joy of learning and gives us the qualifications for employment, which builds confidence and self esteem and gives us the skills and values to meet the demands of a fast changing worlds and society. (Estelle 2001 quoted in Chitty, C 2009). As education meet the demands of society so society is itself is a product of that knowledge or education which informs societal attitudes towards life and its problems, the value it attaches to the things of the world in general, the place of man in the universe in particular and the norm sets to which our thoughts and behavior must conform. The two contrasting regions of Peshawar and Khyber Agency in Pakistan have been selected for critical analysis and evaluation of the impact of varying social and political forces on the provision and type of education available in each area. Peshawar is a large city having a population of 2.9 million in 2005. The population is growing by 3.2 % annually and this growth rate is higher than most other Pakistani cities (Hayat 2006). Peshawars residents consist mainly of Pashtoon people with Hindkowans as the minority group. Languages such as Pashto, Persian, Urdu, Khowar, Dari, Hindko, Saraiki and Punjabi are spoken in Peshawar. Peshawar can be sub-divided into two distinct regions, namely the urban region, which accounts for 51.32 % of the population, and the rural area with holds the remaining 48.68 % of the population. The population had increased two fold in the previous two decades. (Gaffar 2005) .The area of Peshawar district extends from Warsak north to south Matani, a distance of over 30 miles, and 18 miles from Hayatabad east to Taro Jaba in the west. It is located at an altitude of 1138ft above sea level. Most of the citys dwellers are Muslims with some Hindus, Sikhs and Christians minorities. Historically Peshawar was the centre of the Indus civilization and home to many other communities like Bukharan Jews and Zoroastrians (Arbab 2000). The second area to be evaluated is that of Khyber Agency. Khyber Agency is a Federally Administered Tribal area of Pakistan. It encompasses an area ranging from Tirah valley to the Peshawar district. It borders Afghanistan to the East, Orakzai Agency to the north and Peshawar to the west. There are four main tribes the Mullagori, Shalmani, Shinwari and Afridi in Khyber Agency. According to 2007 estimates, Khyber Agency had a literacy rate of 34.2%. In world literacy rankings, Pakistan is listed as 160th of 177 countries, with an overall literacy rate of 49.9 %( Noreen 2008). The reason for selecting these Peshawar and Khyber Agency is that, whilst they are geographically close, they demonstrate clear differences in the type and standard of education they provide. These differences can, therefore, be usefully evaluated in terms of the social and political forces acting upon them. One such significant factor, is that Khyber agency has become a focal point for the war against terrorism which, this paper will argue, has been a dominant cause in the deterioration of the education system in that region. Before analyzing and evaluating the provision of education by the state, it is a matter to be taken in notice that high regard is accorded to education in Pakistan is enshrined in the constitution with education on the agreed legislative list of the central and provincial government. The 1973 constitution of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan recognizes the importance of education and says that the state shall: Encourage unity and observance of the Islamic moral standards Endorse with special care the educational and economic interests of backward areas. Eradicate illiteracy and provide free and compulsory secondary education. Make technical and professional education generally available and higher education accessible to all on the basis of merit. Enable the people of different areas, through education, training, agriculture and industrial development and other methods, to participate fully in all forms of national activities including employment in the services of Pakistan. Ensure full participation of women in all the spheres of national life (National education policy 2010) In many developed countries of the world the school system has been divided into the state school and private school sectors. The commentators Adonis and Pollard have recently complained that the education system in England is based on a division between state and private (so called public ) schools with prestige and resources going mainly to the later rather then to the former (Adonis, A and Pollard S 1998). Like Great Britain, education system in Pakistan is also divided into state and private school. The existing state school systems in both Peshawar and Khyber agency are almost the same as that are provided in the rest of Pakistan. In Peshawar and Khyber agency, however, the school system has a further sub-division having state schools, private schools and madrassa schools. Private schools are considered schools for the upper classes, entry to which are generally limited to students from rich families, whilst state schools are generally for lower, middle class people. Madrassa, however, are for those children from lower class family backgrounds who do not have an access to any of the above mentioned schools for a variety of reasons; a key factor being accessibility. The students of madrassa depend solely on charities provided by the general public. In Peshawar only 4.6 million students are enrolled in the Public Sector, Private Sector and Madrassa. The remaining 2.8 million children have no access to formal education (Hussein 2007). Average dropout rates up to Matriculation level are at 38% annually. There are many factors that impact on the drop out including access problems, social and cultural issues particularly among females, poverty, ignorance, lack of financial resources,(with government and families) corporal punishment and so on. More than half of the children in Peshawar drop out of school before completing the fifth grade. On average, females remain in school for 1.3 years and males for 3.8 years. (Sohrab 2007) The education system in both areas is broadly divided into three stages namely; Primary, Secondary and Higher education. The pre school stage is introduced for children less then 5 years old and is further divided into three stages, play group, Nursery and Kinder Garden. Students progress from Primary schools to Middle schools and then High school. After completing High school (SSC), successful students progress to college, and is called Higher Secondary State Education (HSSC). After Primary Education, unisex education is the communities preferred choice but co-education does exist in Private Institution in Peshawar although not in Khyber Agency. The curriculum is usually designed by the federal curriculum bureau in Islamabad with prominent educationalists setting the objectives of the curriculum. Every province has its own text book boards who implement the curriculum made by the federal curriculum bureau. The provincial text book board has limited authority but can make some change s to the curriculum, subject to the approval of federal curriculum bureau. The provincial text book board conducts and monitors exams through different exam boards. (Iqbal 2007)The curriculum designed by the federal bureau is implemented in both private and state schools in Peshawar and Khyber Agency. O level and A level education system is employed in private sector in Peshawar. In Both private and state institutions the common subjects are Urdu, English, Maths, Social Studies, Islamyat, Computer science, and other science subjects like Chemistry, Physics and Biology. In Private schools, the medium of instruction is English whilst state schools teach in Urdu. (Majeed 2007). Secondary education teaches the boy{sic} to apply the principle he is learning, and so to learn the principles by applying them, or so to use the instruments he is being made to know, as to perform or produce something, interpret literature or a science, make a picture or a book, practice a plastic or a manual a rt, convince a jury or persuade a senate, translate or annotate an author, dye wool, weave cloth, design or construct a machine, navigate a ship or command an army (Bryce 1895). Secondary education is viewed as preparing students for entry into a career and that is why, after gaining the higher secondary school certificate (HSSC), students in both areas can appear in the entry test for professional institutions like medical and engineering colleges. Those who are unsuccessful in the entry tests follow the arts path or other science subjects. Higher education takes students up to PhD level. Since 2002, the Higher Education Commission (HEC) has been empowered to carry out assessment, improvement and promotion of higher education, research and development, devise policies, guiding principles and priorities for higher education institutions and to set down conditions under which institutions, including those that are not part of the State educational system, may be opened and operated. The mandate of HEC encompasses all degree granting universities and institutions, both in public and private sectors and supports the attainment of quality education by facilitating and co-coordinating self-assessment of academic programs and their external review by national and international experts. HEC also supervises the planning, development and accreditation of public and private sector higher education institutions. Its goal is to facilitate the educational reform process (Ghani 2006). The main distinguishing features in the provision and type of education system in each area is due to differences in the implementation of educational strategies and the number and types of educational institutions available. There are plenty of schools, colleges and universities flourishing in Peshawar but not in Khyber Agency. Indeed, in Khyber Agency there are no universities or other professional colleges at all. After graduating from secondary school, the students of Khyber Agency must move to Peshawar or other parts of Pakistan, depending on their family circumstances, if they are to continue their education. Students from Khyber Agency face an additional problem when seeking admission to the institutions in Peshawar because of their tribal domicile, as the constitution of Pakistan limits, via a fixed quota, the number of Khyber Agency residents who can be admitted to State Professional colleges. Those students who do not come in the quota system have to pay for their education in private institutions. Those who can not afford these expenses are left/remain without further education. There are number of social factors that play into the poor public provision of education in Khyber Agency. These include low level of awareness among parents, low income status, lack of administration and control, less parental involvement, less opportunity to study, parents relationship with institutions and teachers, low literacy ratio, peer rejection, regarding its outcomes and impact on household well-being. The parents in Khyber Agency often lack the necessary vision to see the benefits that education can bring to the future of their children. Further difficulties such as the non-availability of transportation, communication and health, social and family priorities, influence often negatively the educational opportunities of students. Clear differences exist in the administration of education within the two regions. The expenditure of funds and the nature and scope of educational planning has affected the education system in Khyber Agency. Poor Economic conditions is another factor that lower the literacy rate of Khyber agency to below that of Peshawar region. The persistent under-investment by successive governments in Khyber Agency has left many schools, poorly resourced and lacking in physical infrastructure. Academic institutions, with few exceptions face financial problems and constraints. Mostly Public sector schools face financial constraints due to the high burden of students in crowed institutions where facilities for students are minimal. If financially possible, parents utilize the services of private institutions to help their children get better education. Alternatively, parents may employ external/private tuition or coaching to enhance their childrens competence because, as mentioned, most state schools are overcrowded with high students numbers per class which prohibits adequate student teacher interaction. In Khyber Agency, the average income of parents prevents most families from seeking to enroll their children into the higher standard and more competitive institutions or opt for external tuition and coaching. It is generally acknowledged that the education department as a whole is the most badly administered governmental sector in Pakistan in spite of the fact that educat ion plays such a vital role in the development of any country. As mentioned earlier, the national government has never allotted the necessary resources to this department, resulting in a poor literacy rate country-wide. A structured system for funding education is necessary based on local community needs and subject to audit control at regional level. In both regions, especially in Khyber Agency, current provision is characterized by poor governance and management, a traditional way of teaching, an outdated and inflexible curriculum, lack of qualified educators, inappropriate utilization of existing infrastructure, political interference in teacher selection and infrastructure development, poor supervision and control by government, gender discrimination and a poor evaluation and assessment system, that has made the existing provision of the education system incompatible with modern education system and therefore changes must be made. Khyber Agency has been totally isolated from the main stream political system. Political activities were not allowed and people could not participate in politics till 1998.the people were given the right to vote in 1998 general elections. The political party system is still very fragile in the area and controlled by the Federal government through the governor of Khyber Pashtoon khawa. Commissioner and political agent are answerable to the governor in what is a very complicated political system. There still prevails the most hated laws called FCR (frontier crime regulation) imposed by the British in colonial times. These were the draconian rules that were imposed by British government to suppress the people of Khyber Agency. Political involvement plays a vital role in the administration and governance of education. Peshawars regional government has a long established record of political interference in the administration and control of education while Khyber Agency is being weakened daily due to the insurgency and acts of terrorism, lack of accountability and nepotism. Teachers in the areas have many serious concerns. They are generally low paid, given the prevailing economic depression, and have often been driven to desperate measures to gain a modicum of their urgent demands such as improved working conditions. It is necessary to meet these demands to ensure that teachers, as the makers of the nations, can contribute to the development of students which in turn will result in the development of nation. Education is a constitutional right of every male and female. The high level of social anxiety and low literacy rate clearly indicate the need for fundamental changes in education system; such improvements would include a single medium of instruction for text books, sufficient funding and proper implementation of strategies and plans. Due to social and political pressure the government announces special reforms for the development of education sector that also applies in these two areas. At the start of the 21st Century, the Government of Pakistan took several initiatives underlining the education sector reform. Some of these reforms are National Education Policy (1998-2010); Education Sector Reforms (ESR) (2001-06), Education for All (EFA) by 2015, Ten Years Perspective Development Plan (2001-2011), Ten Years Perspective Development Plan (2001-2011), National Commission for Human Development (NCHD), Poverty Reduction Strategy Papers (PRSP), Medium Term Development Framework (MTDF) 2 005-10, and Education Millennium Development Goals.(National education policy 2010) Despite the above mentioned reforms which has been introduced by the government at various times, their positive impact has yet to reach many rural areas like that of Khyber Agency. As a consequence these areas have become breeding grounds for terrorism which will not only endanger Pakistan but will export terrorism to other countries of the world and thus endangering the whole world. The following recommendations, if properly implemented could improve the currant education system in both regions but particularly in Khyber agency. The existing system of education needs to be thoroughly scrutinized and audited to ensure transparency in order to address poor governance and management issues. A specialized Management Centre in Elementary and Secondary Education Department to provide accountability and proper training without nepotism and bias should be introduced. There is a need to empowering school heads to ensure they are free from political interference and control. A separate commission in the style of the public service commission could make appointments and standardize all grades. Maximum administrative and financial autonomy needs to be devolved down to school level with accountability of the school heads to community level. This make the monitoring and evaluation process more efficient and effective and new technology could be devised for the process. A revolutionary emphasis on education, social and economic development is critical in order to lay the foundations for educational development and poverty reduction in both of these areas. Without social and economic development, change cannot occur, as change never occurs in a vacuum. Private partnerships are critical for capitalizing upon social and other stakeholder such as NGOs, voluntary organizations, general public and private sectors. All stakeholders could be subject to regulatory mechanisms to ensure effective education development in both Peshawar and Khyber Agency. In both the regions rigid and hard line behavior has breed a biased and inflexible system allowing no space for students analytical thinking. This also prevents the development of life long skills that prepare students to face challenges in their daily life by exercising problem solving skills. In order to address these drawbacks the design of the curriculum should be based upon native, behavioral, unbiased and scientific research so that concepts taught should be made vertically and horizontally clear and should incorporate local, regional and global values of democracy, secularism, federalism, broadmindedness and non-violence. Finally to improve the education system in these areas education could be alignment with market demands, a uniform medium of instruction, the strengthening of the science facilities, Knowledge Park, Science and Technology Park should be established in both regions to impart standards through robust control and administrative techniques. All these efforts will help to improve the standard of education by replacing traditional modes of instruction with the use of technologies and productive work and problem solving skills will take the place of routine types of activities which will in turn help develop a knowledge based economy that responds to the needs of the people in a sustainable manner.

Keynes Theory of Income and Employment Essay

The term ‘classical economists’ was firstly used by Karl Marx to describe economic thought of Ricardo and his predecessors including Adam Smith. However, by ‘classical economists’, Keynes meant the followers of David Ricardo including John Stuart Mill, Alfred Marshal and Pigou. According to Keynes, the term ‘classical economics’ refers to the traditional or orthodox principles of economics, which had come to be accepted, by and large, by the well known economists by then. Being the follower of Marshal, Keynes had himself accepted and taught these classical principles. But he repudiated the doctrine of laissez-faire. The two broad features of classical theory of employment were: (a) The assumption of full employment of labour and other productive resources, and (b) The flexibility of prices and wages to bring about the full employment (a) Full employment:- According to classical economists, the labour and the other resources are always fully employed. Moreover, the general over-production and general unemployment are assumed to be impossible. If there is any unemployment in the country, it is assumed to be temporary or abnormal. According to classical views of employment, the unemployment cannot be persisted for a long time, and there is always a tendency of full employment in the country. (b) Flexibility of prices and wages:- The second assumption of full employment theory is the flexibility of prices and wages. It is the flexibility of prices and wages which automatically brings about full employment. If there is general over-production resulting in depression and unemployment, prices would fall as a result of which demand would increase, prices would rise and productive activity will be stimulated and unemployment would tend to disappear. Similarly, the unemployment could be cured by cutting down wages which would increase the demand for labour and would stimulate activity. Thus, if the prices and wages are allowed to move freely, unemployment would disappear and full employment level would be restored. Say’s Law:- 1. Say’s Law is the foundation of classical economics. Assumption of full employment as a normal condition of a free market economy is justified by classical economists by a law known as ‘Say’s Law of Markets’. 2. It was the theory on the basis of which classical economists thought that general over-production and general unemployment are not possible. . According to the French economist J. B. Say, supply creates its own demand. According to him, it is production which creates market for goods. More of production, more of creating demand for other goods. There can be no problem of over-production. 4. Say denies the possibility of the deficiency of aggregate demand. 5. The c onceived Say’s Law describes an important fact about the working of free-exchange of economy that the main source of demand is the sum of incomes earned by the various productive factors from the process of production itself. A new productive process, by paying out income to its employed factors, generates demand at the same time that it adds to supply. It is thus production which creates market for goods, or supply creates its own demand not only at the same time but also to an equal extent. 6. According to Say, the aggregate supply of commodities in the economy would be exactly equal to aggregate demand. If there is any deficiency in the demand, it would be temporary and it would be ultimately equal to aggregate supply. Therefore, the employment of more resources will always be profitable and will take to the point of full employment. 7. According to Say’s Law, there will always be a sufficient rate of total spending so as to keep all resources fully employed. Most of the income is spent on consumer goods and a par of it is saved. 8. The classical economists are of the view that all the savings are spent automatically on investment goods. Savings and investments are interchangeable words and are equal to each other. 9. Since saving is another form of spending, according to classical theory, all income is spent partly for consumption and partly for investment. 10. If there is any gap between saving and investment, the rate of interest brings about equality between the two. Basic Assumptions of Say’s Law:- (a) Perfectly competitive market and free exchange economy. (b) Free flow of money incomes. All the savings must be immediately invested and all the income must be immediately spent. (c) Savings are equal to investment and equality must bring about by flexible interest rate. (d) No intervention of government in market operations, i. e. , a laissez faire economy, and there is no government expenditure, taxation and subsidies. (e) Market size is limited by the volume of production and aggregate demand is equal to aggregate supply. (f) It is a closed economy. The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s. It was the longest, most widespread, and deepest depression of the 20th century. In the 21st century, the Great Depression is commonly used as an example of how far the world’s economy can decline. The depression originated in the U. S. , starting with the fall in stock prices that began around September 4, 1929 and became worldwide news with the stock market crash of October 29, 1929. From there, it quickly spread to almost every country in the world. The Great Depression had devastating effects in virtually every country, rich and poor. Personal income, tax revenue, profits and prices dropped. Unemployment in the U. S. rose to 25%, and in some countries rose as high as 33%. British economist John Maynard Keynes argued in General Theory of Employment Interest and Money that lower aggregate expenditures in the economy contributed to a massive decline in income and to employment that was well below the average. In such a situation, the economy reached equilibrium at low levels of economic activity and high unemployment. Keynes’ basic idea was simple: to keep people fully employed, governments have to run deficits when the economy is slowing, as the private sector would not invest enough to keep production at the normal level and bring the economy out of recession. Keynesian economists called on governments during times of economic crisis to pick up the slack by increasing government spending and/or cutting taxes. Criticism of Keynes on Classical Theory:- The law of J.B Say was finally falsified and laid to rest with the writings of Lord J.M. Keynes. He in his book, General Theory, has severally citicized the Say’s La on the following grounds. †¢ Posibility of defficiency of affective demand:- He says that in a compatative market it is not necessory that all income earned is automatically spend on cosumption and investment. A part of Income may be saved and may go to increase individual holdings. There may, thus appear a deficiency in aggregate demand causing overproduction and unemployment in the country. †¢ Pigou’s view on wage cuts:- Keynes criticized the view that a general cut in real wages in times of depression is a cure for unemployment. Keynes is of the view that a general cut in real wages may reduce the aggrigate demand for goods and deepen depression. †¢ Saving investment equality:- The Say’s Law assumes that micro economic analysis can profitably by by applied to the economy as a whole. Keynes rejects this view and says that for the explanation of the general theory of income and employment, the macro economic analysis is required. †¢ Saving investment equality:- Keynes was never convinced of the classical version that interest elasticity can equate savings ad investment. According to him, It is the income not the rate of interest which is the equilibrium force between saving and investment. †¢ Monopoly element:- Say’s Law assumes perfect competition in the economy. Keynes says It is the imperfect completion which in practice prevails in the product and factor market. †¢ Role of Trade unions:- In the contemporary capitalistic world, The trade unions bargain with the employers for the fixation of wages. The state also fixes minimum wages in certain industries. †¢ Short run economics:- Keynes says that, the lenth of long run is not clear in Say’s law. Keynes Theory Of Income And Employment John Maynard Keynes wrote his esteemed book â€Å"General Theory of Employment† in 1936. Keynes has strongly criticised the classical theory in his book. His theory of employment is widely accepted by modern economists. Keynesian economics is also known as ‘new economics’ and ‘economic revolution’. Definition:- â€Å"In short period, level of national income and so of employment is determined by aggregate demand and aggregate supply in the country.† â€Å"Volume of employment depends on the level of national income and output. Increase in national income means increase in employment† The equilibrium of national income occurs where aggregate demand is equal to aggregate supply. This equilibrium is also called effective demand point.

Employee Relations HND 2013 Assignment 2 Essay

It is a very common thing in the workplace for people to not be satisfied, being it either the employer or the employee; this could be in regard to the needs, values and interests in general. It takes many forms in organizations and there is always an unavoidable clash between formal authority and the groups affected. The list of reasons are limitless but some are disputes over how revenue is divided, how work must be performed, how much time one is allocated to work, etc. A lot of disagreements among individuals, departments and between unions and managements result to jurisdictional matters. Why Does Conflict Occur? There are many reasons and some can be; Expectations, Different Knowledge, Fear, Poor Communication, Attachment, Incompatible Values, Stress, Past Trauma, Scarce Resources, Different Paradigms, Misunderstanding, Perceived Oppression and many more reasons. The types of conflicts are Substantive Conflicts (Technical Conflicts) and Emotional Conflicts (Interpersonal Conflicts) that can occur being it within two or more individuals, two or more groups or between individuals and groups as well. Conflicts between Individuals; Interpersonal Conflicts take place due to several factors, most commonly they are due to personal dislikes or personality differences. Taking into consideration differences of opinion between individuals regarding task related issues, it can be labeled as technical conflict rather than interpersonal conflict. However technical and interpersonal conflicts can influence each other due to role-related stress. Conflicts between Individuals and Groups; These sorts of intra-group conflicts mainly arise due to an individual’s incapability to follow group rules and regulations. An example would be when groups have an idea of a ‘Fair day’s work’ and may pressurize an individual or punish him/her in regard to the rules of the groups productivity he/she could result with conflict towards the group and other individuals. There are various levels of conflicts that are classified like this: Intrapersonal Conflicts that involve: Pressures from incompatible goals Approach-Approach Conflict Avoidance –Avoidance Conflict Approach – Avoidance Conflict Interpersonal Conflicts: Occurs between two or more individuals who are against each other. Intergroup Conflicts: Occurs amongst members of different groups or teams. Interorganizational Conflicts: Occurs due to competition and rivalry of firms operating in the same markets. Occurs between Organizations and Unions employing their members. Occurs between government monitoring organizations and organizations regarding their scrutiny. Occurs between Organizations and Companies who supply raw materials. Functional/Constructive Conflicts: This results in positive attributes to an individual, a company or groups. The likely effects are: Important problems are revealed so they can be discussed. Causes an important discussion and evaluation of decisions. Causes re-considerable decisions. Increases the amount of information available for making decisions. Permits room for creativity Dysfunctional/Destructive Conflicts: These result in negative attributes and are a downside to individuals, a company or groups. The likely effects are: It diverts energy into negative things. Destroys the unity of groups. Encourages interpersonal conflicts. Overall it destroys the environment for employees. Culture and Conflict: There is usually a chance for conflict to be high when: People from short-term cultures are working with people from long-term cultures. People from individualistic cultures work with people from collectivist cultures. People from high-power distance cultures work with people from low-power distance cultures. Resolving Conflict: Some people believe the best way to resolve conflict is to ignore it or to vote which only suppresses the true problem without confronting and resolving it. These are some of the ways to resolve conflict effectively; Discuss or Debate, open communication, learn to compromise or reach an agreement, However the way organizations manage conflicts as of today are quite different and yet effective. They use conflict resolution, this is used: In a situation that the original reasons for a given destructive conflict are eradicated. Effective conflict resolution begins with an analysis of the stage where the conflict has reached and understanding the reason behind the conflict. Stages Of Conflict: Conflict History, Prioritize the circumstances for conflict. Conflict Precursors, Note down the circumstances for conflict. Perceived Conflict, Functional or emotional variations are identified. Felt Conflict, Stress generates incentive to act. Manifest Conflict, Resolving the Conflict. Conflict Outcome. Question 2: I will be using a conflict issue that was found at Radiant Montessori Nursery, Abu Dhabi during the year 2011. (http://www.rmn4me.com/) During the time since the nursery had been set up there were a lot of disputes over finding drivers who would be safe, efficient and loyal, The owners had various disputes regarding finding suitable drivers and from where they would find them. One owner suggested a driver who apparently was a relation of his friend. This conflict of interest led to many problems and disputes within the company and was eventually solved but even doing so it tarnished the owner’s reputation and business. The driver appeared to be a very trustworthy and loyal person and was always on his best behavior whenever the owners were around, later on they started receiving various speeding tickets on the Montessori van, it was found to be at 3-4a.m, no nursery is open at these times and it was later proven that the driver had been running his own routes along the city after office hours, when confronted he started absconding and was not being reasonable or trying to negotiate with the owners, he was in direct violation of his job permit and as well as his visa, Even then he was given chances because of the conflict of interest in him by the owner , therefore later on he was jailed by the police for misusing school property and the owner was charged a heavy fine. The manner in which the conflict was resolved was not a good manner and if the owners had sought to other measures and planned everything properly it wouldn’t have reached this stage. Question 3: Judging by the case study shown, the stage of which the case is by the time it reaches negotiation stage it is less likely to be solved, the positions are most likely fixed as to who is what and the relationship is not redeemable after all the disciplinary action and demands from each other. Petunia might think that she is the successor over the issue but judging from the company’s point of view it was a loss, not just by losing Lerato, by the costs put in for the hearings, the time allocated for the case and the witnesses brought forward, the influence of productivity and morale and the further cost of getting a new employee. If only there was someone who was able to explain to lerato regarding the situation when she refused to take the job or before that it would have been a positive conflict. The arbitrator would have provided Lerato with a confidential means and method by which Lerato and Petunia could have both discussed their interpersonal conflict and come out with a negotiation regarding the outcome. These are the stages: Petunia is a senior manager and Lerato a manager reporting indirectly to her which is a reason for Petunia to feel superior t Lerato. The initial case of conflict was when Lerato perceived that Petunia was the one responsible behind her moving to a different office. (Perceived Conflict) This caused her to rethink and analyze that it was because Petunia had accused her of insubordination. (Conflict Antecedents) Lerato starts lobbying against Petunia.(Felt Conflict) Lerato subject to disciplinary measures and dismissed.(Manifest Conflict) The believed reason behind the conflict from Lerato’s side was Power or value asymmetries. Procedures that went by: It started out by perceived pressures then moved on to an approach-approach conflict and then to an approach-avoidance conflict the avoidance did not allow for negotiation or understanding which resulted in the firing of lerato. The dysfunctionality of this conflict is seen by the way it was resolved, My view of the case study is that the way it went along was not right and this is not the way to solve a conflict, In my opinion lerato should not have perceived and acted stubborn she should have asked for guidance or confronted Petunia directly and found out if it was her who had gotten her changed from department to department. Secondly even if this was the case she should have come to an understanding with Petunia regarding the situation and tried to resolve it in a more diplomatic way, not by being stubborn and accusing blindly as Petunia is her senior. Thirdly, the department should have been involved about the case and should have taken immediate action and seen to it that both of them came to an understanding regarding what had happened and not let it escalate to such a high level. Lerato should have addressed the board and seen to it that a proper evaluation of her work and skills be made in regard to her transfer and whether or not it was truly needed. The way things were going impacted the company and the work environment of other employees as well. The way in which Petunia did it was right where she addressed the Human Resources Department and asked them to take action against lerato. All of this could have been prevented if there was proper conflict recognition and conflict resolving matters that could have been done. References: http://smallbusiness.chron.com/four-types-conflict-organizations-174.html http://www.uni-muenster.de/Politikwissenschaft/Doppeldiplom/docs/Organizational.pdf http://smallbusiness.chron.com/ways-managing-conflict-organizations-2655.html

Lean The Lean Supply Chain Management - 1552 Words

Lean Management Approach In modern day world, organizations are facing a myriad of challenges. They are facing increasing and continually changing demands by customers, keen and knowledgeable competitors who seize every opportunity that comes their way, and a reduction of the resource base owing to increase spending. Most organizations, therefore, are seeking to increase customer satisfaction, reduce operational costs of doing business, and change their research strategy to improve their know-how on new trends in the market as a way of grasping a competitive edge among their competitors. Companies are engaging the lean supply chain management as a way of achieving their goals. As such, through the approach they can provide the right†¦show more content†¦Lean management eliminates instances where an organization requires pressuring suppliers to reduce prices, it eliminates the use of batch and queue method in managing inventory, and instances where an organization is forced to hold inventory in the semi-finished product status all of which cause missed opportunities for identifying wastes and adding value (Maleki Machado, 2013). The Lean Supply Chain Management (LSCM) approach leads to several effects in the firm. To begin with, due to the planning process involved, a company will reduce the number of suppliers that they have for each commodity that they regularly purchase. The approach will bring about the concept of vetting and which will lead to one or a few suppliers (Slack, Chamber, Johnston, 2007). Additionally, a company will look into the finer details of the company that they intend to keep as their supplier. They (the company) will look for details about corporate culture, growth plans, and technology and check if they tally with its own. A supplier whose detail will be similar with that of the company will then be taken up and upheld as the supplier. The aim of this will be to maintain a cordial relationship that will be defined by similar principles. Further, a company will identify and keep supplier partners because of the future growth of the company. Undoubtedly, after