Ralph Lauren Strategic and Operational Plans Analysis Essay Example for Free

Ralph Lauren Strategic and Operational Plans Analysis Essay Ralph Lauren Corporation Mission and Vision: â€Å"Mission- to ‘redefine American style, provide quality products, create worlds and invite people to take part in our dreams’. Vision- ‘to represent American style with a dash of British elegance and the comfort of natural fibers† (Ralph Lauren, 2013). The purpose of this analysis is to identify strategic and operational plans based upon current SWOT analysis, to include explanations and courses of action to achieve the related organization goals and the internal and external effects of our decisions to stakeholders. Ralph Lauren Corporation a Fortune 500 company headquartered in New York, NY is a leader in the design, marketing and distribution of premium lifestyle products in four categories: apparel, home, accessories and fragrances. For more than 45 years, Ralph Laurens reputation and distinctive image have been consistently developed across an expanding number of products, brands and international markets. (Enel SpA, 2013) Enel Group is responsible for the production and development of energy at a globally, with a vast majority of operations Europe and the Americas. The Enel Group produced over 29 billion kilowatts in 2013 from sun, the Earth’s heat and water enough to supply the energy needs of more than 10 million dwellings as well restrict the emission of over 20 million tons of CO2 in the environment. Enel Green Power is a world leader in the market thanks to its well-balanced product mix, providing volumes of energy well over the sector average. Enel Group has an installed capacity of 8,900 megawatts from a mix of sources including wind, solar, hydroelectric, geothermal, and biomass. (Alina-Florentina, C. 2011) Enel Group has 750 plants operating in 16 countries in Europe and the Americas. Strategic Plan: The strategic plan is geared toward generating cash flow in mature markets: In the current economic atmosphere, which is difficult, the strategic plan is designed to cut budget costs as well as increase efficiency. The Enel Group’s strategic plan, calls for a reduction in expenses of about 4 billion euros (based on 2013 controllable costs) for the 2013-2017 time frame. There mature markets are located primarily in Italy and Spain sectors. The strategic plan also provides for investment of 11 billion euros in other sectors of operation. Investments in assets will be reduced from 5.3 billion euros under the previous plan to 4.6 billion under the current strategic plan. Investment distribution assets will grow to 6.7 billion euros under the current strategic plan from around 6.2 billion euros under the previous plan. (Mills, Wiser, Porter 2009) The new strategic plan will see a 2.7 percent increase the cumulative capital expenditure compared to the previous 2013-2017 plan. Basically, the investment in research and development budget will increase to around 9.4 billion under the current strategic plan in comparison to 8.7 billion euros under the previous strategic plan. Installed capacity will rise from 38 gig watts in 2012 to 43 gig watts in the year 2017. (Alina-Florentina, C., 2011) During the implementation phase of the strategic plan period, the Enel Group expects to implement a structure simplification that will fuel minorities’ buy-out operations, when complete will increase the net income ownership at the Parent Company level from 65% in 2013 to 78% in 2017. Operational Plan: Ralph Lauren tries to uphold a very positive company culture and keep employees happy so they will stay long term. They like to promote from within and have many cases of employees starting at the bottom and working their way up to upper management. They not only offer pregnancy leave, but 3 months of parental leave as well for either parent whether having a child or adopting. They offer longer than average vacation time as well as many travel opportunities, and promotions to different locations within the company. It has been reported that although the salary is low with long hours and a highly stressful job, employees are given many rewards. Ralph Lauren offers its employees different rewards such as bonuses for attendance, employee discounts, and stock options. References Ralph Lauren Corporation SWOT Analysis. (2013). Polo Ralph Lauren Corporation SWOT Analysis, 1-8.

The Impact On Media In Britain Media Essay

The Impact On Media In Britain Media Essay This essay will focus on the impact mass media has had on British society and demonstrate a striking contrast between the previous and present roles of media in Britain society, meanwhile mass media as a propaganda tool , it brings many positive influence on British society. Currently, the people in Britain spend nearly thirty percent of their waking life in the media and communications activities (BBC,2010). The figures from Ofcom shows Britons expend seven hours per day on surfing the Internet, watching TV and using their mobile phones(BBC,2010). Media involve any communication institutions,and in Britain it generally include print media and broadcasting (Oakland,2006). Media have influenced British society in a variety of ways. Oakland claimed that nearly 70% percent of British people gain daily news from television,one fifth from newspapers and nearly 10% from radio. Kasier (2002) cited by Mackeogh (2004) that a investigation of fifteen to seventeen year olds showed that 72% teenagers felt young people can be influenced somewhat or a lot, though only one fourth thought it influenced young peoples behaviour. This paper will first analyze changing role of media in Britain, then illustrate how media influence British society. Finally, it will generate s everal recommendations for this situation. Outline the structure with key and supporting ideas (with referenced support): History: The British press began in the 1620s and development in the nineteenth century(Majesty,1976). Broadcasting began in the 1920s and became sturdy until mid-1980s.BBC was created in 1955 and ITA began in 1954 (Oakland,2006). Internet began in the 1990s ,and it developed rapidly since mid-1990s (BBC,2010). The current situation: Individual spent averagely 538 minutes per day on using all kinds of media(BBC,2010). The time Britons spend on print media are much less than past. Currently, people spend only 31 minutes per day on print media (BBC,2010). TV has become the most significant in the mass media, and the most convinent way for the public to get the news, as well as the information around the world,public spend almost 3.8 hours watching TV per day(BBC,2010). Internet play an important role in current life. Internet has been used by people for everyday,and people spend nearly one third of their waking time on Internet (BBC,2010). The influence of media on British society: Negative: Over-commercialization(Oakland,2006). Media involves some violence, it have some negative influences on young people(Sefton-Green,1993). Positive: Media play an important part of the British economy,people spent more than 10 billion pounds for media activities in 1988(Veljanovski, 1990 ). Media help people culative their citizenship. As a propaganda tool, media promotes citizenship and moral consciousness of the public by using public service advertisement ¼Ã‹â€ BBC,2010 ¼Ã¢â‚¬ °. The media press ahead with socialist democracy. Burton, G (2005, p.20) highlight that western government clearly know the value of media coverage in swaying public opinion. The broadcasting media play an role as an mirror to keep the diversity of opinion and act as a national communication platform. (Curran, J. and Seaton, J. 2003 p.234) Government control the individuals opinion by mass media(Curran,1938). Media involves the culture of different countries, promotes golblaziation (Hiebert,1987). Recommendation: Reduce the content of unhealth (sex and violence): Magazines for young girls and women should not include lots of information about sex(Stokes,1999). A example of boys own story(Sefton-Green,1993). report more positive aspects. Reduce business investment, re-define the direction of media guide. Media should be a transparent, open, democratic and should not be controlled by government. Conclusion: There has existed several negative affects of media on British society, however, media changed British life style and their thinking way in a variety of aspects. Chosen academic references BBC(2010) Ofcom report highlights multi-tasking media users. Accessed from : www.bbc.uk.com. Burton, G. (2005). Media and society: critical perspectives. Berkshire: Open University Press. Crisell,A.(1999) Broadcasting:Television and Radio. In Stokes, J. and Reading, A. The media in Britain current debates and developments. pp.61-74. Curran, J.(1987). Impact Influence. New York:Methuen co. Hiebert, R. (1988) Impact of mass media.New York: Longman. Majesty, H.(1976)The British press. England:Unwin Brothers Limited. Oakland, J.(2006) British Civilization New York: Routledge. Sefton-Green,J.(1993) Untidy, depressing and violent:a boys own story. In Buckingham, D. Reading audiences. pp.89-116. Stock ¼Ã…’J.(1999). Use it or lose it ¼Ã… ¡ sex,sexuality,and sexual health in magazines for girls. In Stokes, J. and Reading, A. The media in Britain current debates and developments. pp.209-217. Veljanovski,C.(1990). The media in Britain today. London: News International.

Personal Leadership And Management Development Nursing Essay

Personal Leadership And Management Development Nursing Essay This unit is interesting in the sense that it will help develop personal leadership and management skills to support the achievement of personal career goals and organisational objectives. There are three learning outcomes that are expected to achieve upon completing this assignment. First is the analysis of personal leadership and management skills to encourage achievement of organisational objectives. This would include an assessment criterion and analysis of the impact of organisational objectives, values and culture on the leadership and management role. It would entail assessing personal leadership and management skills and identifying personal development. Second is to manage development of personal leadership and management skills to be able to meet organisational objectives. This would mean assessing of opportunities for development of leadership and management skills, constructing and managing personal development of leadership and management skills. And the last is to evaluate the effectiveness of personal development plans to develop management and leadership skills. It is my hope that by being able to discuss task 1 and 2, I would be to learn some aspects of personal leadership and management development that would be helpful in the way I serve the organization I am affiliated. Task 1 To begin with, defining the meaning organization is necessary. Organisation means a social unit of people having a systematic structure. Such organization is managed so as to pursue collective goals or to respond to a need. This is on a continuing basis. For each organisation, there is a set of its own objectives, values and culture on the leadership and management role. An example would be the mission and vision of Lynde House Care Home. It aims at putting quality first in everything they do for the residents and its relatives. The staff members aspire to be the most and successful care providers. Such objective has a big impact on the leadership and management role. The achievement of the said objective in ones own capacity as a leader/ manager is important. Then, what is the role of the leader in attaining these objectives. First and foremost, the leader must raise the awareness of every member of the staff as regards the organisational objectives. There is a need for the leader to understand what and how each individual can contribute to achieving such objectives. Leadership logically needs authority. But it is not an authority which becomes a weapon to control people. As an objective factor, to be a leader, one must have the managerial ability and skill. It is said that the most common skills are technical skills and conceptual skills. Meaning one must have the sufficient knowledge of the organizational objectives and appropriate strategies to implement them. One must be able to understand organizational concepts and to make them comprehensible to the members of the organization. Subjectively, one must have personal qualities as leader like being person-oriented, good motivator, confident in their decisions, etc. One must have the competency for communication being able to respond and to negotiate. Leadership has a major influence in the success of the organization. Leaders bring about the values and culture necessary for changes and innovation within the institution. Thus, they can adapt effective strategies and together with well-motivated employees such strategies will be carried out. Leaders are not only limited to management, that is focusing only execution and control but they can be any level of the organization. If leaders have the ability to motivate positively those around them, especially the vital resource of the organization, the members of the workforce, then the organization will certainly benefit from them. In fact, through this influence of leaders and effectively encouraging the people to a shared vision, the organization can move towards developing its people, its resources and evaluate the clients use their services or interact with them. Leaders can also determine whether or not that experience is beneficial. With leadership playing an important role in the favorable outcome of information centers and clients experiences, it would be helpful to discuss the different types of leaders and their potential impact, for example, on nursing home as an organization. The current leadership theories classify leaders based upon traits or how influence and power are used to attain organizational objectives. For trait-based descriptions, leaders may be autocratic, democratic, bureaucratic or charismatic. If it is to understand leadership from the perspective of the exchange of power and its utilization to secure outcomes, leaders may be situational, transactional or transformational. Grasping the meaning of these different terminologies can help provide a more meaningful discussion on leadership. It is worth mentioning that not all leaders are created equal and leadership quality greatly vary from one organization to another or even just within organization. It is an important aspect in leadership quality evaluation, to be able to identify the leader style of the individual. The leadership style will also gauge how effective the person is in leading the organization realize its goals. At this point, it is necessary to look into some common leadership styles. To understand how leaders style affect the organization and to look for positive benefits as regards some leadership style are also important. Below is a brief description of the different leadership styles. In autocratic type of leadership, the leader dictates everything to be done. Commitment, creativity and innovation are not valued for members are controlled in the sense that they have to do as commanded. It is a do as I say type of leaders who forces the members to perform processes in the organization even services as dictated. The leader of this type generally makes the decision without consulting from the members. Working together for a shared vision or motivating the members do not become part of the style of this leadership. This type of leadership can at times be beneficial for example in crucial military conflicts or in poor organization resulting to an inability to meet deadlines for projects. However, this type of leadership can pose problems to the organization. Since the members are controlled and are not able to contribute their ideas, they become dissatisfied and can even harbor resentment against the leader. When this happens, leadership will fail and the overall perfo rmance of the members will suffer. In order to attain the set goals of the organization, bureaucratic leadership will make clear and intelligible policies. For bureaucratic leaders policies will urge forward execution, strategy, objectives and outcomes. When policies are stated, bureaucratic leaders feel so secure that they can persuade the members to move on through policies. It is the policy that counts instead of the people. Policies directing the procedures and processes to be performed are more important for a bureaucratic leader than motivating and developing people in the workforce. This type of leadership can lead to antagonistic behavior or reserved and remote attitude from the members. But problems having to do with policies may not always be evident until the harm is done. Policies alone are not sufficient to motivate and develop people to commit themselves to achieve organizational goals. Bureaucratic leaders hold policies as primarily decisive that they become indifferent even tend to oppose any complaint s regarding the said policies. Policies are needed for any good organizational management but they must be carefully considered. For lack of due though and care and blindly implemented policy will not give incentive for employees to perform well thus, resulting to frustrated desired outcomes. Both the autocratic and bureaucratic leadership styles lack the capacity to peoples development. It can be noted that there are more negative consequences in these leadership styles rather than something that promotes the well-being of the members or the organization in itself. Democratic leadership is another leadership style in which the members thoughts, ideas or opinions are solicited in the decision-making process. In this style of leadership, the members are more participative, thus, creativity and increase of group morale can be evident. Since members could feel more involved, they can also be more committed to the projects. This may result in higher positive outcomes. However, this leadership style can have setbacks, too. For example, when the members cannot give quality contributions necessary for decision-making, certain projects can fail to move on. It is also hard to build a consensus when democratic leaders expect that everyone share the same level of expertise as regards decisions. For this style of leadership, a great amount of effort is needed thus, decision-making can be a very slow process. Charismatic leadership can be an effective trait-driven leadership style. Charismatic leaders inspires, motivates the members. Not only do they have the clarity of the vision but they have the creativity to encourage the members to execute the said vision. Charismatic leaders have the personality, the capacity and the skill to translate an idea to something new, fresh and different for the good of the organization and can arouse the members to be part of the innovation. This style of leadership may sound the most successful yet, it has some drawbacks. Since the charismatic leader holds the group even attaining a status of a hero, the members can follow blindly and can become passive followers. With this kind of submission, they may allow the leader to manipulate them. If the charismatic leader departs, it can leave a big vacuum in the organization resulting to a confused and rudderless management. The organization can struggle for years for it is hard to replace a charismatic leader. Charismatic leaders can create happy and well-motivated members but rarely gives way for developing future leaders. The trait-based leadership styles such as autocratic leadership, democratic leadership, bureaucratic leadership and charismatic leadership have been discussed. At this point, other types of leadership from the perspective of the exchange of power and its utilization to secure outcomes will be discussed. These are situational leadership, transactional leadership and transformational leadership. Situational leadership refers to a kind of leadership where the leader continuously makes suitable adjustments and adopts various styles for different situations or outcomes. In practice, this kind of leadership is helpful especially for leaders who are experienced for they are highly sensitive to the needs of the organization and its members. This style may work well when members are inexperienced and need some kind of coaching. The leader tells them exactly what to do and how to do it. Leaders responding to situational factors can choose freely from ones experiences of the different processes with the aim of approaching a desired result. But if the leader has applied the inappropriate style, problems can arise. Leadership of this style can be confusing especially when processes and decisions are not consistent. It can be said also that this type of leadership is management rather than leadership per se. Transactional leaders provide clear structure of what is expected of the member of the organization and if one is able to perform it accordingly, a reward is given. Such reward can be in the form of good performance review, a raise, a promotion, new responsibilities or a desired change in duties. Transactional leadership can be effective when working on clear goals and objectives of the organization. The members are also clear of what is expected of them to accomplish such goals. However, if reward becomes the only motivating factor for the followers, creativity among them are less encouraged and it is likely that human development even professionally at a higher level will not be ensured. In transformational leadership, leaders are able to provide opportunities for members of the organization to change and to transform them. Transformational leaders become role models for their knowledge, expertise and vision to change those around them. They have the commitment to the organizations vision and inspire those they lead to work in the same spirit. Since innovation and creativity are valuable factors for transformational leaders, they develop each individual as quality contributors. It is considered as the best leadership for it considers each individuals own evolving thought process and changing responses. They empower the members to give their best, thus, creating a people-based vision within the organization. Even if the leader is no longer present, leaders can come out from the transformed members and are able to continue to help the organization move on to productive outcomes. For environments that are fast-changing and that creative problem solving and customer comm itment become a priority, transformational leadership can be effective. In any leadership, the personality and the behavior of leader are important; any limitation can pose a problem. Each organisation has a culture; meaning the beliefs and values that have existed in an organisation for a period of time. Any organizational culture determines the beliefs and values of the members, thus, such culture has an impact on the attitudes and behaviour of the people in the workforce even to their commitment to customers service. Since the priority concern of administrators is the accomplishment of the organizational mission, there is usually an adjustment as regards leadership behaviour. And depending on the leadership style employed would also determine the job satisfaction of employees. Therefore, the relationship between organisational cultures, leadership behaviour and job satisfaction of employees must be grasped well. The culture within an organisation is very vital. It has an essential role in determining whether there is a happy and healthy environment where the members can perform their work. There is a need to motivate the members to acknowledge and accept the fundamental organizational values, thus, communication and creativity of how to promote those values must be considered. Good relationship between the leadership and followers will create greater contribution to team communication and collaboration. It will also inspire them to accomplish the mission and objectives assigned by the organization. This will certainly enhance job satisfaction among the members. Management in business terms can often mean just doing whatever to keep the organization moving on. If one desires to make ones business to grow, to become more productive and to be more customer-based service, fundamental skills in leadership and management must be well assimilated. Such skills can help to prevent crisis situations. These basic skills include problem solving and decision making, planning, meeting management, delegation, communication and managing oneself. Certainly, they will support the attainment of the organisational objectives. As a leader, one is required to know how to respond to any circumstances that may arise in the organisation. Leadership must understand well the organisational objectives, values and culture. A clear comprehension of the organizational objectives and its culture will help the leader determine the style of leadership to employ. This may need a bureaucratic type of leadership to be able to follow the organisational objectives accordingly. Members of the organization may find such leadership difficult but if the leader can acknowledge the contribution of each individual then the organization will be able to operate well. TASK 2 What is the so-called personal leadership? Personal leadership is not a mere intellectual exercise but rather it is a way of being and interacting with the world from the inside out. It is where the mind, the heart and the body become integrated so that one is fully present in ones life as well as to the things outside himself. One is aware to his habitual behavior and shows willingness to encounter every situation with fresh eyes, with beginners mind. It is this kind of personal and professional commitment that help to become effective in an environment of cultural differences. In personal leadership, one does not merely react from external circumstance but rather one tries to move to an inner experience where discernment of the best possible response can take place. For example when feelings like being frustrated or confused by a situation, the principles of personal leadership will lead one to pause to be able to create the so-called critical space between ones automatic reaction and ones righteous sense of being frustrated or confused. The critical space of being able to pause, no matter even for a moment will lead one to think a better way of saying or doing. This way of reacting shows, indeed, an intercultural competence. Personal leadership is actually leadership of oneself. It takes into account ones own personal experiences, ones own cultural programming and way of acting as one relates with others whether in ones personal or professional life. This way of being brings about quality levels of learning and insight, mutual collaboration and creativity in situations of cultural difference. Leadership and management skills must include an ability to solve problems and make decision; to do planning according to the organizational goals; to know how to delegate responsibilities to people and work load; to be able to communicate; to have meeting management skills; and most importantly to be able to know how to manage oneself. Thus, one must learn the behaviors and attitudes of an effective leader. To be a good leader, one must be able to know ones personal skills. Knowing what one is capable of will help the leader assess in what areas one can better contribute and to work more to improve weak areas. This can be done by having personal skills audit. A skills audit would mean the process which is employed to identify the skill gaps in an organisation. It has to be remembered that the objective of doing a skills audit is to improve ones ability as a leader. To raise the leaders capacity to a more excellent quality, the training needs analysis is vital for this will identify where training is needed. SKILLS AUDIT Skills and work competency areas Self assessment à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬ 1 2 3 4 Using and developing my knowledge Researching, investigating and problem-solving Communicating outwardly Listening and interpretation, establishing rapport, understanding needs Developing solutions and agreeing things with people Speaking and presenting to groups Using information and communications technology Decision Making Visioning, creating, and inspiring others with my ideas Managing time, planning, and being effective, efficient, productive, and reliable Behaviours, attitudes and personal style Self assessment à £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬Ãƒ £Ã¢â€š ¬Ã¢â€š ¬ 1 2 3 4 Striving for personal development Taking personal responsibility to resolve problems, even those not of my own making Understanding the way people really feel Developing positive relationships Keeping focused and productive, reliable and dependable Self confidence Managing stress and conflict Team-working Having compassion and care for others Managing upwards and sideways (my managerial superiors and my peers). Using integrity and ethics in my judgement about work and organisational issues Rating 4 Very well I feel confident in my ability to use this skill. 3 Satisfactory I am able to use this skill well, but my ability could be improved. 2 Needs attention My ability to use this skill needs to improve. 1 Needs considerable attention I struggle with this skill and need to put in considerable work to develop this skill. After doing the skills audit, the next step would be to plan on how to improve the areas that need most attention. There is always the possibility to develop more my leadership and management skills. This can be done, for example by asking some ideas from ones mentor, by assisting training programs aimed at attaining certain levels of skills and attending some classes offered by the organisation. Personal development planning is a vital process of shaping an action plan based on awareness, values, reflection, goal-setting and planning for personal development within the context of a career, education, relationship or for self-improvement. To construct a personal development plan, one needs to have a clear objective to develop leadership and management skills. Based on my personal skill audit, one objective that I can make is to improve my ability to talk before any type of audience and to act confidently regardless of what the situation may be. I need the courage to voice out my ideas and opinions and to be willing to try new things even to take some risks. I must be always open to look for new opportunities rather than walk the common path. I need to possess the confidence to be able to influence others in my decision-making; to be assertive and to be able to take control of situations. Feeling something is really good, I must be able encourage others to accept my recommendations, ideas and decisions. This would mean to proactively take the lead in as many situations as possible. When there is a group decision to be made, I must be able to be the first to give recommendations. At the same time, I need not agree with everything others say but be able to say no firmly. I need to stand firm on my own decisions without being influenced or co ntrolled by others. And lastly, in terms of dealing with stress and conflict, I must be able to assess calmly any situation before reacting to it. Furthermore, I must look for positives in any circumstance and make the best of any un-favourable situations. I must work more to focus my energy on finding a solution to certain problems rather than losing my temper. These are some concrete areas I need to develop as regards my leadership and management skills. Task 3 In this task, I was asked to implement my plans and to show how I am going to manage my personal development of leadership and management skills. In task 2, I cited my plans and objectives based on my skills audit. An example cited was in terms of confidence. If I can have confidence, I can open new opportunities for myself. I will able to command more respect and to challenge others for more collaborative efforts to work for the organizational goals. I can dare to try new things and to do what others are not doing which can give me more opportunities for success and can make my life more interesting as well. Though it will take a lot of courage and patient practice, with confidence I will be able to allow radiating my authentic self Through positive assertiveness, I can no longer follow other peoples will and decisions. I can choose for myself opportunities which can help me improve my personal leadership and management skills. By being assertive, I can be more participative and can make more quality contribution. It can further build my confidence and boost my self-esteem. Learning self-control especially in terms of outburst of anger is important. It is maintaining a calm disposition and discerning a better way of responding. This would mean learning to choose ones words and to refrain from saying things that I will be disappointed or distressed later on. In difficult situations, I will learn not to give vent to anger but rather I will think of ways of using my energy in a positive way. I can try practicing compassion in recognizing the struggle of others instead of pointless confrontations. Being able to attain positive feed back can only happen in a calm atmosphere where there is no blaming. At times it can be difficult in the sense that others may feel that I am too bossy and arrogant. If this perception occurs, they would not want to follow and even listen to your suggestions. Proper communication with them can help in making them understand the organisational objectives and my plans for the organisation based on its mission and vision. Communicat ion can allow them to understand my attitudes and behaviour. It is a fact that it is difficult to keep everyone in the organization become involved but creating an atmosphere of trust where a good flow of communication is important. Task 4 In this task, I have reviewed my personal development plan in accordance to the original objectives at task 1. The aim is to render quality service in all aspects for our residents, relatives and staff. It is a vital to become the most successful care provider. Through my personal development of leadership, I have received a positive feedback from my colleagues and managers as regards the way I handled the new carer and some complaints of the service users. The managers are happy in my way of responding to such situations. The relatives and the service users are satisfied with the care that we are providing them in line with the healthcare and organisational standards. I think in order for me to maintain my leadership skills better, I would need to have good timing management, discipline and to stay focused on the task at hand. Further more, I think it is necessary to develop more my skills on decision-making by attending training programs and even attend some classes regarding good decision-making. Through these training, I can update as well my personal development plan. It is my desire to become a better and respectable leader in the future. Conclusion There are many leadership styles and certainly one can learn good aspects from them, yet, it is more essential to know the quality of ones personal leadership style. Knowing this through skill audit is a tool to discover more the positive and apparently negative aspects in the way one leads. Self-awareness is the key to effective personal leadership and management development. Each organization has its own particular environmental context of purpose, culture and needs. Before engaging in any personal leadership or management development, it will be helpful to spend time to get a clear grasp of the organizations priorities, strengths and weaknesses, challenges and competency gaps. There must be a balance between skills development and behaviour, attitudes and personality development. The latter would require more sincere commitment and would be more on a long-term basis for each individual is different and unique. Any program for personal leadership and management development must support both the growth process of each individual and the growth process of the organization as well.

Crime Problems Essay -- essays research papers

Crime is a serious issue that affects everyone in society. It affects the victims, perpetrators and their families. Crime has increased drastically within the last decade. More prisons are being built around the world because there is not enough room to hold inmates. The government has made an attempt to reduce crime by funding programs such as prevention and intervention for youth at risk , as well as rehabilitation for prisoners that will be released. Some argue that criminal behavior is due to environment, others believe that it is genetic, and yet others think that it has to do with personality. If there were certain personality traits that could be identified with potential criminal behavior, steps could be taken to try to reduce or diminish the â€Å"criminal personality†. Although personality is not the only factor in criminal behavior, there does seem to be a strong association between the both. Alfred Adler believed that children who failed to solve the vital problem of social interest-who lack cooperation and a desire for contributing to the well-being of others-will always meet significant problems later, during their adult years (Adler, 1998). This could include personality problems or criminal behavior. Personality develops early in life. That is why early childhood aggression and antisocial behavior should be taken seriously. Being able to identify potential criminal behavior is vital for prevention and intervention. Childhood factors shown to relate to the development of antisocial behaviors include a difficult early temperament, low IQ, academic deficiencies and learning problems, lack of empathy, underdeveloped social skills, and negative peer relations. (Sutton,Cowen, Crean, & Wyman, 1999). Environmental factors such as family structure and poverty are also associated with potential criminal behavior. The Federal Bureau of Investigation Report (1993) noted that one violent crime (e.g. aggravated assault, murder) was committed every 22 seconds in 1992, and 15% of those arrested for such crimes were under the age of 18 (Sutton, ete.al. 1999). Juvenile delinquency is becoming more common. The age at which these young kids are committing crimes is getting younger. The crimes they a re committing are getting more serious. They are not only involved in vandalism and shop lifting like many people might assume, but they are involved in life threat... .... Each child is unique and learns in different ways. Therefore, parents, teachers, and mentors must learn to reach children and youth. As members of society we must be aware of negative behavior and/or personality that could possibly lead to criminal behavior in the future. If we take responsibility for the youth of society as a whole, we will not only improve the life of that child, but we will improve the world we live in. The lack of connectedness that is portrayed by the delinquent youth can also be seen by the members of society. The attitude of, â€Å" That is not my kid, therefore that is not my problem† contributes to the criminal society that we live in. I believe that the prevention, intervention and rehabilitation programs are helpful, but I also think that parents have the power to prevent their child from engaging in such acts of crime. After all, a parent should know their child more than any other person in this world. Although, having an antisocial/aggressi ve personality does not necessarily guarantee that a child will become a criminal, I believe that taking the proper steps to insure the positive future for children is the best prevention method that a parent can use.

Contagious Caprine Pleuropneumonia in Beetal Goats Essay -- Health, Ou

Abstract Seroprevalence, clinical findings and lesions of contagious caprine pleuropneumonia (CCPP) in Beetal goats were recorded during an outbreak. The overall seroprevalence of CCPP was 32.50%. Confirmation of Mycoplasma mycoides in serum was carried out using counter immunoelectrophoresis (CIE) technique. The highest CIE positive cases were recorded in the older goats (51.72%) as compared to young ones. Nasal swabs were collected from 39 goats showing respiratory signs were found positive for Mycoplasma. The most and consistent clinical findings were mild to severe cough, purulent nasal secretion, emaciation, dysponea, increased respiration rate and pyrexia. Mortality due to CCPP was 9.17%. Consolidation of lungs exhibited the highest frequency (100%) followed by alveolar exudation (90.90%) and pleural adhesion (72.72%). Among the microscopic lesions, septal peribronchiolar fibrosis exhibited the highest frequency (81.81%) followed by fibrious pleuritis (63.63%) and peribronchio lar cuffing of mononuclear cells (54.54%) in lungs. From these results, it can be concluded that contagious caprine pleuropneumonia under subtropical conditions has great prevalence in Beetal goats and leads to significant mortality. Keywords: Beetal goat . Pakistan. CCPP . Seroprevalence . Pathology Introduction At present, there are 58.3 million goats in Pakistan and their population is increasing at the rate of more than 3% per annum (Afzal, 2010). Pakistan is the third largest goat producing country in the world after China and India. The goat farming in Pakistan is threatened by the prevalence of many infectious and non infectious diseases. Among the infectious disease, contagious caprine pleuropneumonia is a major threat to goat population... ...us pleuropneumonia in the acute stage were also observed in sheep (Momani et al. 2006). Similar lesion were also reported in animal suffering with CCPP from a longer duration exhibited chronic pleuropneumonia or chronic pleuritis (Gelagay et al. 2007). Histopathologically lungs tissue showed mucopurulent to fibrinopurulent exudates accumulation in the aveoli, septal peribronchiolar fibrosis, dilated hyperplastic bronchi, alveolar exudates was dominated by macrophages and with a variable component of neutrophils, and pulmonary fibrosis peribronchiolar mononuclear cuffing were also observed in present study. Similar histopathological changes with lesser intensity were also reported in sheep and goats (Goncalves et al. 2010). Clinico-pathological findings and seroprevalence of disease provided evidence and the presence of CCPP in beetle goats in district Faisalabad.

Art as Nazi Propaganda

Abby Hutt HUM 324 1 December 2008 Art as Propaganda in Nazi Germany Having been an artist himself, Hitler understood the potential power of imagery in moving the masses. â€Å"We shall discover and encourage the artists who are able to impress upon the State of the German people the cultural stamp of the Germanic race . . . in their origin and in the picture which they present, they are the expressions of the soul and the ideals of the community† (Hitler, Party Day speech, 1935, qtd. Nazi Approved Art).It is true that, with every culture throughout history, art represents â€Å"the ideals of the community,† but it is clear that during the Third Reich, these â€Å"ideals† were controlled by the Nazi Party. Hitler transformed the role of the artist to promote Germany and glorify the nation and his own ideals. Artists who did not comply with Hitler’s ideals risked their life, and therefore, there is an absence of social realism in German art during this time. The artists of Nazi Germany commonly depicted beautiful pastoral scenes, the heroism of German soldiers, the â€Å"volk† (common folk) as Aryans in peaceful settings, and the evils of the Jewish people.These kinds of stereotypes were useful in art, in that they were extremely simplistic, and therefore easily interpreted by the masses. Even the uneducated, the people who couldn’t read, could view these kinds of paintings and sculptures and understand them, but more importantly, could be moved by them. In the early twentieth century, there were radical changes being made in the art world. Modern movements such as Cubism, Dadaism, Surrealism, and Expressionism were not easily understood by the masses. They were not universally appreciated, and in fact, seen as â€Å"elitist† by many, or even â€Å"degenerate† by others.Max Nordau, a physician and social critic, wrote Degeneration, in which he attacks â€Å"degenerate† modern art. â€Å"Such a style of painting may be compared to the disconnected speech of a weak mind, who chatters according to the current of the association of ideas, wanders in his talk, and neither knows himself, what he wishes to arrive at, nor is able to make it clear to us† (Nordau 84). Nordau presents several case studies of artists and writers, his main point being that society is degenerating and that it is both partially caused by and reflected in modern art.Despite being Jewish, and using anti-semitism as an example of degeneration, Nordau’s â€Å"scientific† attack against modern art, and the phrase â€Å"degenerate† was recycled by the German Nationalist Socialists in order to promote their own style of art as propaganda. It is clear that the artists of the Third Reich did not â€Å"wander† in their message, and knew precisely what they wanted to make clear to the public. Hitler expressed his disgust with modern â€Å"degenerate† art, â€Å"As for the degene rate artists, I forbid them to force their so-called experiences upon the public.If they do see fields blue, they are deranged, and should go to an asylum. If they only pretend to see them blue, they are criminals, and should go to prison. I will purge the nation of them† (Hitler, qtd. Gardner 110). This is a perfect example of the way in which Hitler adjusted the intellectual level of his message in order to appeal to the masses. Yourman identifies one of the major propaganda techniques of the Nazi party as â€Å"name-calling. † â€Å"’Name calling’ is a device to make us form a judgement without examining the evidence on which it should be based. Here, the propagandist appeals to our hate and fear† (Yourman 149).Hitler calls modern artists deranged, degenerate, criminals. It seems that, during this time, modern art was not widely understood by the public, and it is for this reason that Hitler was easily able to persuade the masses into both fearin g and hating this type of art, as well as accepting the more realistic and simplistic Nazi propaganda. In September of 1933, Reichskulturkammer (Reich Culture Chamber) was established. Within the chamber, subgroups were established for music, film, literature, and visual arts, consisting of racially pure artists who would promote the Third Reich.In 1937, the Haus der Kunst (â€Å"House of Art†) was erected by the Third Reich, in order to showcase the finest German art approved by the Third Reich. It was to hold two annual juried art shows, called â€Å"The Great German Art Exhibition† and â€Å"The German Architecture and Crafts Exhibiton. † July 16th was declared the â€Å"Day of German Art,† an annual holiday to coincide with the exhibitions (Kasher 53). At the opening of the Huas der Kunst, Hitler gave a speech in which he declared, â€Å"†¦the artist does not produce for the artist, he produces for the people, just as everybody else does! And we are going to take care that it will be the people who from ow on will again be called upon as judges over its art†¦. For an art that cannot count on the most joyful and most heartfelt assent of the healthy, broad masses of the people, but relies on small, partly interested, partly disingenuous cliques, is intolerable† (Hitler, qtd. Werckmeister 337) Again, Hitler was appealing to the masses by portraying Nazi propaganda as the art of the people. He convinces them that they are the true judges of art, instead of the â€Å"elitist† modern artists. The Reich Culture Chamber held a Degenerate Art exhibition in Munich at the same time as The Great German Art Exhibition.After seizing about 17,000 works of art from German museums, they displayed about 600 of them in their famous in the exhibition. â€Å"Exhibition organizers surrounded the paintings and sculpture with mocking graffiti and quotations from Hitler's speeches, designed to inflame public opinion against this â€Å"decadent† avant-garde art. Ironically, the exhibition attracted five times as many visitors (36,000 on one Sunday alone) as the equally large â€Å"Great German Art Exhibition† of Nazi-approved art that opened in Munich at the same time† (Philadelphia Museum of Art).Arno Breker was â€Å"the official state sculptor† of the Third Reich. He had studied sculpture in Paris and Berlin, and he was discovered by the Nazi Party, when his sculpture Decathlete came in second in the sculpture competition for the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. After being appointed by Hitler as official state sculptor, he was given a studio and assistants. The majority of Breker’s works consist of muscular male nudes that were meant to symbolize a nation young, natural, healthy, and moral†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Kasher 10). One of Breker’s most famous works is Die Partei, a statue meant to represent the spirit of the Nazi party.Heinrich Hoffman was considered the leading Nazi ph otographer. He was a friend of Hitler’s and he documented the rise of the Nazi party. He was eventually appointed by Hitler as a national photojournalist, with the â€Å"exclusive right to issue photographs of Hitler† (Kasher 17). He ran his own business, hired other photographers, published several photobooks glorifying the Nazi party, and distributed photographs to the press, which did the same. One of the most successful forms of Nazi propaganda, however, seemed to be the Nazi Party posers, which exhibited â€Å"volkisch† thought, appealing to the â€Å"common people. Hitler was shown in posters, as somewhat of a mystical figure, guiding the destiny of the people of Germany. â€Å"The essentially negative anti-parliamentarianism of Nazi propaganda led to the projection of the ‘Fuhrer-myth', which depicted Hitler as both charismatic superman and man of the people† (Welch). Many paintings and posters portrayed Hitler in the ‘renaissance pose ', with one knee up, with the slogan â€Å"Ein Volk, ein Reich, ein Fuhrer† (â€Å"One People, One Nation, One Leader†).Beginning in the late 1930s, the tone of Nazi propaganda reflected the increasingly radical view of anti-semitism. â€Å"The Jewish stereotypes shown in such propaganda served to reinforce anxieties about modern developments in political and economic life, without bothering to question the reality of the Jewish role in German society† (Welch). The transition from the popularity of avant-garde visual arts in Germany to the art of the Third Reich, is somewhat symbolic of the entire manner in which Hitler gained control over Germany.His words from Mein Kampf foreshadow this, â€Å"The greater the mass it is intended to reach, the lower its purely intellectual level will have to be† (Hitler, qtd. Asheville 464). Hitler understood the power of imagery in persuading the German people, especially the uneducated. The uneducated could understand the simplistic style and subject matter of the art of the Third Reich. The Nazi Party played off of the fears of the German people, which was why the demoralization of modern art and the glorification of the Nazi Party was so successful in Nazi Germany.Works Cited â€Å"Degenerate Art. † Philadelphia Museum of Art. 2008. . Forster, E. M. Commonplace Book. Standford: Stanford University Press, 1985. Heskett, John. â€Å"Art and Design in Nazi Germany. † History Workshop, No. 6 (1978), pp. 139-153. Oxford University Press Stable. Ramsey Library University of North Carolina. (Nov. 26, 2008) . Kasher, Steven. â€Å"The Art of Hitler. † October, Vol. 59, (Winter, 1992), pp. 48-85. The MIT Press. Ramsey Library University of North Carolina. (Nov. 26 2008) . Nordau, Max. Degeneration. New York City: D.Appleton and Company, 1895. Welch, David. â€Å"Nazi Propaganda. † World War II. BBC. . Werckmeister, O. K. â€Å"‘Degenerate Art': The Fate of the Avant-Ga rde in Nazi Germany. † The Art Bulletin 79. n2 (June 1997): 337(5). Academic OneFile. Gale. Univ of North Carolina Asheville. 26 Nov. 2008. . Yourman, Julius. â€Å"Propaganda Techniques Within Nazi Germany. † Journal of Educational Sociology. Vol. 13, No. 3, Education Under Nazism (Nov. , 1939), pp. 148-163. American Sociological Association. Ramsey Library University of North Carolina. (Nov. 26 2008) .

English Proficiency and Academic Achievement Essay

Introduction For many years now, linguists and researchers have examined the impact of English language proficiency on various fields like academic success and employability. While early researches suggested that English proficiency does not dictate high academic rating and employment aptitude, evidences are now showing that proficiency of the English language is a cutting-edge asset in areas of academic success and employment in a highly-competitive and demanding industries in Medicine and Fitness, Information Technology, and the Business Process Outsourcing. In the Philippines, for example, where there is an increasing demand of call center workers year after year, fluency of the English language should be a topmost priority among schools. It is on this ground that the issue of how English language proficiency relates to academic achievement and employability is clearly relevant to the educational development of bilingual and trilingual students. This issue has been a widely debated topics not only in the Philippines, but also around some parts of the United States and Europe. Underlying these issues, the question of what English proficiency means and how it relates to academic achievement and employability should be addressed. Central to the understanding of English language proficiency is J. Cummins’s Theory of Language Proficiency. To be proficient in a second language (English, for Filipinos), both basic interpersonal communication skills (BICS) and cognitive academic language proficiency (CALP) need to be developed. The latter is the basis for students’ academic success but may take from 5-7 years or longer to master. The former, in contrast, is usually attained within the first two years of exposure to the second language and is characterized by superficial oral language skills. Language proficiency, furthermore, develops along these two continuums: from context-embedded to context-reduced communication, and from cognitively less-demanding to cognitively-demanding tasks. Then how do we measure English language proficiency? Canale provided a set of criteria he termed communicative competence to assess proficiency in the language as follows: grammatical  competence which encompasses knowledge in lexical items and rules of morphology, syntax, sentence, grammar, semantics, and phonology; discourse competence which is the ability to connect sentences in stretches of discourse and form a meaningful whole out of a series of utterances; sociolinguistic competence which involves knowledge of socio-cultural rules of language; and strategic competence which is the verbal and nonverbal communication strategies that may be called into action to compensate for breakdowns in communication due to performance variables or due to insufficient competence. Summing it up, English language proficiency is competence in basic mechanics, manipulation and ability to use words, phrases, and sentences, distinction of appropriate function of the language, and compensation or remediation for a lack in some language areas. These have been the basis for myriad of researches on the relationship of English language proficiency to academic achievement and employability. At present, researches have turned their attention to the broad cognitive development of language among students. These researches have found an increasing evidence for positive relation between English language proficiency and reasoning abilities including â€Å"nonverbal problem-solving skills, divergent thinking skills, and field dependence†. Research has also indicated that additive-bilingual students who have high proficiency in English outperform their monolingual counterparts who have low proficiency in English on tasks requiring high levels of cognitive control. The positive relation between proficiency in English among students and exceptional nonverbal ability in with-in group analyses has also been observed. Results of these studies revealed that students who are proficient in English are superior to their counterparts in the area of â€Å"general cognition development†, â€Å"academic achievement†, â€Å"and â€Å"linguistic competence†. The series of studies by J. Cummins in 1979, 1981, 1989, and 1992, respectively, have shown that proficiency in the acquired language must be obtained in order for the students’ cognitive abilities to be properly incited. In short, academic achievement is only attained through literacy and proficiency of English. Additionally, the more proficient one is in English, the quicker one is to amass knowledge. For a student to be academically competent in areas like Mathematics, Science, Humanities, Arts, and even Character Education, focus on â€Å"linguistic structures, functions ,  and mechanics†14, should be considered first. Thus, culturally diverse students must make the transition from using only concrete language style to a more contextualized language. Systematically selecting language activities along the oral-proficiency continuum and facilitating the development of the students’ narrative abilities prove to be effective in promoting academic achievement as well. Furthermore, Wallach and Miller noted that â€Å"the shift from utterance-based communication to text-based communication means that students engage in the manipulation of language topics, forms, and functions†, which is very crucial in attaining academic success. According to the researches of Wallach and Butler, and of Simon, there is an existing relationship between English language proficiency and academic achievement, and becoming academically good involves proficiency in English. Thomas and Collier suggested that sustained instruction in English enhances students’ academic success in later years, as shown in thei r research study on high school students. And with the booming call center industry in the Philippines, the need for English fluency and academic mastery should be addressed through effective academic instructions in schools. Every quarter, the industry opens more than 1000 seats to college and high school graduates alike, provided that they have the acceptable and standard language competence to deliver their highly demanding functions in a highly competitive environment. The quality of our graduates in terms of academic and English competence is determined by the passing rate of call center applicants. For the record, the IT and Business Process Association of the Philippines admitted that only 9 out of the 100 entry-level applicants are deemed-fit for the call center job, while 20 to 40 applicants would need to undergo skills-based training in language and technology, and the rest failed to get the cut. The Call Center Association of the Philippines pointed out several reasons for the low passing rate. Aside from the lack of call center experience, the applicants do not have the entry-level skills to be considered for the job. Such entry-level skills include verbal conversations, technology know-how, and decision-making, which can be addressed through effective academic preparation in schools. While most vocational schools offer short-term call  center courses, nothing beats a well-grounded academic training in schools. As the call center business continue to offer an attractive working climate, some sectors express concerns about the overall English and academic competence level of the potential new hires. Due to the high-level language proficiency and socio-linguistic skills requirement of the job, certain call center companies may have not filled in the expected seats from the foreign clients, especially for high-end accounts like banking and finance and telecommunications which demand a higher-order thinking and analytical skills. In a study conducted by the John F. Kennedy Center Foundation – Philippines in 2006, it was revealed that the declining supply of qualified call center workers could arrest the projected growth of the industry. The JFKCF-P mentioned that one solution is to â€Å"adequately prepare graduates by providing them quality training in English proficiency.† The general perception of a â€Å"declining English competence† of our students and graduates has been constantly talked about by industry insiders, media practitioners, and educators. Has there been a decline of English competence that we have a relatively low passing rate in the call center job? If there is, what measures are currently in place to ensure academic and language success in schools? Does proficiency in the English language ensure good academic standing? What other factors contribute to language proficiency and academic performance in relation to employability? Background of the Study The academic achievement of bilingual and/or trilingual students has long been a major educational concern. It has been said that before these students are confronted with academically challenging tasks in any discipline, they should be masters of the English language first. But the question here is: how do these learners acquire the standard of English proficiency? There are several factors that affect or inhibit learners in attaining mastery of English; thus, attaining academic success is near to impossible. Such factors include age and/or level of maturity, first language proficiency, and attitude and individual differences. Age and/or level of maturity here refer to the preparedness or readiness of the learners to acquire competence in the language. Collier said that â€Å"for  academic achievement, it does not matter when second language begins, as long as cognitive development continues at least through age 12.† First language proficiency is also a major factor, as what was noted by researchers that it may inhibit the development of the second language. Attitude and individual differences refer to language learning styles and behavior of the learners towards the language. It is on this premise that this research study is geared to prove or disprove the validity of the said effects of English language proficiency on academic achievement and employability. Sufficient data are then gathered to supplement the research study and to aid the researcher with the proper procedures in conducting the study. These data are grouped according to relevance and importance and on the degree of reference. The interest of the research study started as a practical observation in the call center setting. It has been observed that those who have the ability, in whatever level of proficiency, in the English language have the competitive advantage over those who are less or no ability to use English in terms of aca demic performance, employability, and even job promotion. The interest was then broadened into a real research work. Theoretical Framework | Conceptual Framework This study is anchored on Jim Cummins’s Theory on Second Language Acquisition, where five stages of acquisition are discussed in relation to students’ capacity or readiness to achieve academic proficiency. The five stages are as follows: Stage 1: The Silent/Receptive or Preproduction Stage, which can last from ten hours to six months. Here, the students often have up to 500 hundred words that they can understand, but they may not be comfortable using; Stage 2: The Early Production Stage, which can last additional six months after the initial stage. At this stage, students have usually developed close to 1,000 receptive or active words; Stage 3: The Speech Emergence Stage, which can last up to another year. Students in this stage have usually developed approximately 3,000 words and can use short phrases and simple sentences to communicate; Stage 4: The Intermediate Language Proficiency Stage, which may take up to another year after speech emergence. Students have typically developed close to 6,000 words and are beginning to make complex statements, state opinions, ask for clarification, share their thoughts, and speak at greater length; Stage 5: The Advanced  Language Proficiency Stage, which typically takes from five to seven years. By this stage, students have already developed some specialized content-area vocabulary and can participate fully in conversations that require great fluency similar to that of native speakers. In relation to these stages, the achievement level of the students in their academics depends on what stage their proficiency of English is into. Another theory of Jim Cummins is that of Basic Interpersonal Communication Skills (BICS) and that of Cognitive Academic Language Proficiency (CALP). This theory states that the â€Å"average student can develop conversational fluency within two to five years, but that developing fluency is more technical, academic language can take from four to seven years depending on many variables such as language proficiency level, and the degree of support for achieving academic proficiency.† The paradigm shown on the next page features the concept of this study. The continuous cycle begins with English language proficiency first, and after achieving proficiency in the language, students will be able to correctly manipulate language forms and patterns for easy understanding of academic lessons presented in English. This results to high academic performance, which will also augment students’ proficiency in the language. The more proficient one is in English, the more academically go od one becomes and the more one achieves academically, the more one becomes proficient in English. Paradigm: The continuous flow of English language proficiency to manipulation of language forms and patterns to academic achievement and then back to English language proficiency. Statement of the Problem This study determines and proves the significant correlation of English language proficiency to academic achievement of Grade 9 students of Calumpang High School for the school year 2014 – 2015. Specifically, it seeks to answer the following questions: 1. What is the profile of the respondents according to: 1.1. Age; 1.2. Sex; 1.3. Birth Order; 1.4. Parents’ Educational Background; and 1.5. Socio-Economic Status? 2. What is the respondents’ level of English proficiency as a result of the English Proficiency Test? 3. What is the academic achievement of the respondents as reflected by their average grade in all subjects from their previous year? 4. What is the degree of the variability of the respondents’ grades and scores on the English Language Proficiency Test? 5. What is the correlation of English language proficiency to academic achievement? 6. Does a positive correlation between English language proficiency and academic performance dictate high level of passing rate in the call center industry? Hypothesis of the Study For statistical testing and data interpretation, this hypothesis is considered: English language proficiency has no significant effect on academic achievement of the students; thus, no correlation can be made between the level of proficiency in English language and academic achievement. Scope and Delimitation of the Study While there is a strong presence of the issue of bilingualism and trilingualism and second language acquisition, this study covers only the inherent and potential relationship of English language proficiency and academic achievement. The above two issues are excluded here although some aspects have been tackled because of some relevance and association with the main focus of this study. This study also adheres to its main objective, which is to determine whether or not the ability to correctly use the English language has an effect on the students’ academic achievement, and in turn get a very high employability rate in the Business Outsource Processing industry. Although results vary due to factors like age, gender, birth order, socio-economic status, and the like, any conclusions made in this study are solely based on one variable, English language proficiency. The term English language proficiency covers not only mastery of grammar and mechanics or sentence patterns, but mor e so on the mastery of the four macro skills: reading, writing, speaking, and listening. Proficiency in this study refers to the ability of the students to read, write, speak, and listen in English. Any of these macro skills does not determine proficiency  because proficiency means more that just the ability to read, write, speak, and listen. Rather, proficiency means the ability to correctly use these four macro skills in a given situation. In this study, the proficiency of the students in the English language is measured under these conditions. Academic achievement covers the school performance of the students through their grades from the previous academic year only. It includes academic subjects like Mathematics, Sciences, Language, Social Studies, Arts, and Livelihood Education. Academic achievement is measured here through the students’ grade from their previous year. The respondents of this study are enrolled Grade 9 students Calumpang High School of school year 2014–2015. Those who indicates in the survey questionnaire that they are foreigners and /or native speakers of English are excluded in the study. It is on these conditions where the results of this study can be concluded valid and reliable. Significance of the Study The study on the relationship of English language proficiency and academic achievement has been the subject of many researches for decades now. Educators and school administrators promote the idea that language proficiency affects academic performance and language proficiency and academic performance affect employability. Although there are some who contradicted such idea, the impact of the results of these researches and studies proved to be interest-provoking and had alarmed those in the authority. That is why considerable number of similar researches is still conducted. The study on the significant effects of English language proficiency on academic achievement is the key factor in understanding learners’ diverse ways on acquiring mastery of the subject matters specially those that use English as medium of instruction. The study alone may eliminate subjectivity on the part of the teachers in terms of assessing the academic performance of the students. In such ways, the teachers are given prior knowledge about the capacity of their students to use the English language and eventually make the necessary adjustments so that all students, in whatever level of English proficiency they have, shall learn effectively whatever the academic subject is. Additionally, understanding that the students are going through a predictable and sequential series of developmental stages in English language proficiency helps teachers predict  and accept students’ current stage, while modifying their instruction to encourage progression to the next stage. This study can also help teachers develop appropriate instructional strategies and assessments that guide students along a continuum of language development. This study will also benefit the students themselves. Having this background, they can already adjust to different academic tasks in the classroom. Also, this shall provide them with the necessary information on assessing their own competence in English and suit it to appropriate level of academic struggle. They will be given substantial help for them to understand their level of competencies in the language. In the case of those who are in the authority, they will be given enough background on the level of English proficiency and its effect to academic achievement of the students. With this, they shall have basis in future program implementation in relation to educational development. Furthermore, this research study is an important area in English language education, perhaps an area that can be significantly studied more. This study will generate new ideas that can be used for future researches related to the topic. As a mere research study, this may not be the be-all and end-all in describing students’ academic learning styles, but this will be a starting point in analyzing the important role of English not only as an international language, but also as a language of academics. Finally, understanding the concept of English language instruction and its impact to the overall academic performance of the students is a good bird’s eye view to course developers and educators of Call Center Programs in the K-12 curriculum. Identifying the areas of English our students are challenged with versus the English proficiency requirements of the call center job enables our school administrators to create skills-related teaching methodology to equip our students in their job application in the future. Moreover, it is imperative for the whole academe to understand the demands of the global market and the relevance of language proficiency and academic performance to marketability and self-worth. This research ultimately seeks answers to the unidentified reasons of the â€Å"declining English proficiency† and what effective programs and solutions can we implement to address such issues. Definition of Terms Throughout the study, there are words and terms that are contextually and operationally used. This section includes clearly and concisely defined coined words and technical terms as follows: Academic Achievement. This refers to the school performance of the students through grades. Bilingualism. This term refers to the use of two languages, the first language and English, as a medium in communication. Call Center Industry. Also known as Business Process Outsourcing, this term refers to the large operations of foreign companies in the Philippines. Communicative Competence. This refers to the ability to communicate effectively in whatever forms of speaking and writing as well as the ability to get messages through listening and reading. English Language Proficiency. This term refers to the competence in using English in forms of written discourse and oral communication.