Literature Review On Skills For Life Education Essay

Literature Review On Skills For Life Education Essay Introduction The importance of the education sector of any country lies in its ability to meet the production demands of its economy. The shaping of traditional education (where students are passive learners), for example, was mostly done at a time where the Government needed the mass to conform to the decisions of the elites (Botsford, 1993), who were the ones to be able to access the best form of learning, which the mass could not reach, irrespective of their abilities (Kelly, 2004). As the needs of the society changed, so did the educational system. From the DFEE report (Department for Education and Employment, 2001), a need for an improvement in basic skills has been identified, hence the document Skills for Life. The Leitch Review (2006) also reinforces the need of the UK society to meet the demand of higher level skills in the job market. This report analyses the impact of the Skills for Life (SFL) document on the curriculum that I am teaching (Postgraduate Diploma in the Lifelong Learning Sector- DTLLS). It is developed in the following manner: A literature review on SFL An evaluation of the curriculum design model being implemented and the impact of SFL on the curriculum The above mentioned impact is also evaluated via the analysis of interviews carried out with the Awarding Body and a College representative and a questionnaire filled by the students in the course of an activity conducted in a session on Skills for Life and the extent to which as a teacher I can influence the curriculum and hence the DTLLS programme itself. Literature Review on Skills for Life Policies are introduced to solve issues identified. The Skills for Life (Department for Education and Employment, DFEE, 2001) endeavour was an attempt by the Government of that time to maximise the earning capacity of citizens by increasing the levels of their essential skills including literacy, and numeracy. The then Secretary of State, Mr D. Blunkett (DFEE, 2001) stated that there were, shockingly, seven million Britons who did not know how to read and write and use numbers. These skills are important throughout an individuals life hence the name Skills for Life. The document discusses on how illiteracy can affect a person physically and emotionally in terms of not being able to do certain tasks by himself/herself, which, consequently, can affect his/her self confidence. The vision expressed in this document is the eradiation of illiteracy and low numeracy skills, (DFEE, 2001). The DFEE proposed to achieve such targets by introducing national standards for numeracy and literacy, assessment tools that will diagnose the exact areas to be improved, and resources to support this endeavour. The department also suggested the training of teachers as specialist in these domains (literacy and numeracy) and promoting and motivating the involvement of learners and those who can support their learning process. This will undoubtedly require quite an effort because it not only means improving the levels of those who have already passed through the formal education pe riod but also ensuring that those who are still in that period do not face the same problems in terms of their functional skills (literacy, numeracy and ICT). One of the major influences of this project is the Moser Report (DFEE, 1999) which is based on research such as It Doesnt Get Any Better. The impact of poor basic skills on the lives of 37 year olds by Parsons and Bynner (1997) and Skills for Life national needs and impact surveys (2003) carried out by the DFES (Department for Education and Skills). Literacy and numeracy levels can be classified from Pre Entry to Level 2 and above (Pre Entry, Entry level 1 to 3, Level 1 and Level 2 and above). Basic skills have sub elements, for example literacy has reading, writing, speaking and listening (The Sector Skills Council for Lifelong Learning, LLUK, 2007). The overall level of a learner will be determined by what they achieve in each of these sub areas. Parsons and Bynner (1997) found a relationship between low levels of literacy and numeracy and many social issues that the learners faced. Such a link is quite obvious because if a person is not able to read and count adequately, he/she wi ll not be confident in social interaction. A solution was put forward in the form of the Leitch Review (2006) where one of the main arguments was that Britain was losing ground in terms of the academic strength of its population compared to countries such as India and China. Another point that I quite agree with is that the educational system of the country should produce individuals with the qualifications which are being demanded by the job market. Therefore if there is a need for increased levels of functional skills, this is the area where the educational investment should be poured. These findings concurred with the survey, conducted by the DFES, which mentioned low levels of literacy and numeracy (2003). The reasons suggested for the lower levels were the social and economic background of the individuals, the extent to which they stayed in education and whether English is their first language or not. The last factor is obvious in my teaching practice. I teach international students for whom low literacy level (English) proves to be a barrier in the achievement of their course. These students are studying a Postgraduate Diploma in the Lifelong Learning Sector, after which they aspire to gain a Qualified Teacher Status in the Lifelong Learning Sector, teaching adult learners. Despite being highly literate in their native language, they find it difficult to critically analyse concepts (an essential skill at their level of studies) due to their low English level. This is where the importance, of the impact of the Skills or Life policy on the programme that I am currently teaching, is apparent. Because of the embedding of strategies to improve the student-teachers functional skills (which are the skills promoted by the policy) the language barrier that they face during this course is being addressed by the curriculum being taught. Over the years, the meaning of the term curriculum has evolved specially with the development of the perceived purpose of education. Thus, there are various types of curriculum identified, among which the learner focused curriculum (Brown, 2003) predominates learning in the institution where I teach. Right from the start of the learning journey of a student, we carry out an initial assessment to identify the needs of that learner and to formulate their individual goals with regards to the course. The delivery and assessment of the curriculum are then shaped bearing in mind the information obtained from these initial and any subsequent assessments done thereafter. Based on the course specifications which are provided by the Awarding Body, I have prepared the curriculum of the course that I teach: Postgraduate Diploma for Teaching in the Lifelong Learning Sector (DTLLS). During this process, I had to incorporate the requirements of Skills for Life through embedding literacy, numeracy and ICT. The Lifelong Learning UK (LLUK) an independent organisation providing guidance to educational stakeholders about the developments in this sector- elaborates on how the learners needs, with regards to their functional skills, can be addressed (Lawton and Turnbull for the Sector Skills Council for lifelong learning on behalf of LLUK,2007). Guidance is given with regards to every aspect of the teaching and learning process namely the resources used, the classroom environment, the teaching and learning approaches and communication strategies. The logic behind embedding these skills is that no matter what a student is learning, he/she will be developing his/he r skills for life, be it knowingly or unknowingly For example by using presentations, the learner will not only be demonstrating knowledge about the topic but also will be improving his/her speaking and listening skills. From the very start of the learning process, therefore, the principles of the Skills for Life project are embedded: the initial assessment process includes a skills test so that their learning plan can include improvement of such skills (for example combining their main courses with a skill course depending on where their need lies). Therefore, developing a curriculum with the principles of the SFL project concurs with the constructivist approach (Bruner, 1960)-which involves constructing learning adopted by my institution. Thus the impact of the SFL principles on the curriculum relevant to my practice has caused it to improve. But investing in skills is not always an applauded endeavour. Investing in human capital has been from long the priority of the Government. There has been a link pointed out between educational background of individuals and their social and economical success. Investment in learning in the 21st Centrury is the equivalent of investment in the machinery and technical innovation that was essential to the first great industrial revolution (DFEE, 1997a, pp.15, cited in Coffield, 1999) I would agree with Coffields (1999) argument that focussing on the Human Capital Theory (HCT) enables politicians to overlook other factors which could have contributed towards the economic status of individuals. Karabel and Harsley (1997) further criticised this theory saying that it puts the blame of being poor on the poor! Investing in human capital does seem to be profitable for the population. But as Levin and Kelley (1997) pointed out, this theory does not state where the individuals will go after being educated if there is no job market for them. Being given that the investment has already been done, the best we can hope for is that it has been profitable. When any policy is suggested and implemented by the Government, I feel the urgency of trying to find its political implications. In an article in the Guardian, Kingston (2006) quotes Mr. Wells (the then Director of the Basic Skills Agency) as criticising the Labour Government for exaggerating the number of adults in the UK who cannot read and write to make their task seem more successful. Vignoles (cited by the Press Association, 2009) further argued that trying to develop literacy skills at an adult age might not be effective because such skills are more easily developed at an early age. Personally, I do not believe that more difficulty teaching adults language is reason enough to completely eradicate the benefits that such a project brought to many individuals: improved chances in terms of job seeking, more confidence, a better social life, among others. Even if the Gover nment may have a hidden agenda for starting the Skills for Life project, the focus brought on these skills have enabled educationalists to give even more weight to their learner-centred approach in designing their respective curricula around very crucial needs of the learners- Basic Skills. This leads us to the analysis of the impact of the SFL policy on the curriculum I teach. Implications of the policy for curriculum change and pedagogy There is much debate about what is to be called a curriculum. With the shift of focus from the teacher to the learner, curriculum is moving away from being just content to be completed during a time period syllabus- and more of a learner centred approach (Dolence,2003; Coles, 2003). For the purpose of this report, Wojtczaks (2002) definition will be adopted. According to him, curriculum is An educational plan that spells out which goals and objectives should be achieved, which topics should be covered and which methods are to be used for learning, teaching and evaluation. (Wojtczak, 2002, pp 6) Therefore, the construction of a curriculum can start from its objectives, its content and the methods used to teach. If Tylers (1949) four questions with regards to curriculum design are considered, another approach of curriculum models can be added namely evaluation (Kelly, 2004). The curriculum I use is designed from the Lifelong Learning teacher training programme. The key driver of the curriculum set by the Awarding Body is the assessment criteria. As the teacher trainer I derive the outcomes to be achieved from the assessment criteria and the content set by the Awarding Body. This is done by discussing the assessment criteria and how to achieve them as a class exercise with the student-teachers at the start of a Unit. The rationale behind this is that if the students are shown what they need to achieve from the start, the learning journey becomes easier. The teaching and learning methods and formative (or ongoing) assessment tools are developed from the outcomes with close adaptation with regards to the learners targeted (in line with being learner focused) whereas the summative assessment is set by the Awarding Body. It is important to note that wherever the starting point of a curriculum design may be, it will have to use the four approaches identified by Tyler (1949). For example, although I designed the curriculum for Lifelong Learning for my College by forming objectives from the assessment criteria, I still need to adhere to the content expected and apply the appropriate teaching methods. At this point it is important that I differentiate between the Unit aims provided by the Awarding Body and the learning objectives that I derive with my learners which are based on the assessment criteria. The learning objectives formed with the learners are more detailed than the aims prescribed by the Awarding Body  [1]  . Since they are formed by the learners (guided by the teacher trainer), they understand better the reasons for these outcomes and thus are able to take control of their learning process (Knowles, 1984). It is also important to differentiate between the prescriptions provided by the Awarding Body and the curriculum that I design for my student-teachers. For the purpose of this part of the report, the curriculum to be analysed will be what I design in terms of a long term plan of how the assessment criteria set will be achieved (the teaching methods, activities, the assessment techniques and resources to be used). The manner in which I build up my sessions is thus objective based (firstly because the assessment criteria set by the Awarding Body act as general objectives and secondly because I derive specific objectives to be achieved with my students) which can be said to be very precise and scientific (Kelly, 2004). As Bobbitt (1918; cited by Kelly, 2004) stated, the learners are more focused in terms of what they need to complete to achieve the certificate. Building a curriculum from objectives has been criticised by Kelly (2004) as assuming passive learning. The learning goals seem to be more extrinsic. This is closer to the behaviourist approach to learning where the learners are moulded to achieve goals, which most of the time, are derived for them. Szasz (1991) strongly criticised such an approach to education stating that humans, unlike animals, need to have intrinsic motives to learn. If Kellys (2004) thinking is considered, one might have the impression that this curriculum is closer to training as opposed to education. According to him, training is very focused on what knowledge is to be gained and does not consider the students at all. But this is where the combination approach to curriculum design comes as a rectifying tool. Although the curriculum starts with objectives (based on assessment criteria), I can adapt the learning journey of my student-teachers through the teaching and learning methods that I use  [2]  which include embedding the requirements of SFL. The curriculum content for the DTLLS programme was introduced after the SFL project. When this project came to be put in place, it has, thus, affected the curriculum that I utilise in two ways. Firstly, SFL amplified the skills required as teachers to include minimum core areas. Secondly, the teachers had to learn skills to embed these minimum core subjects- literacy, language, numeracy and ICT- in their teaching strategies. These two aspects are linked because to be able to address the needs of learners, teachers must have an adequate level of these skills themselves  [3]  . Every Unit of the teacher training programme has opportunities for the student-teachers to improve their own functional skills. This will enable them to be in a better position to identify the SFL needs of their learners and adapt their teaching strategies accordingly. Therefore, each part of the curriculum has to reflect SFL in these two aspects: developing the student-teachers own minimum core skills and equipping them with the ability to develop those of their students. Taking Wojtczaks (2002) definition of curriculum, SFL will have to be reflected in: the goals and objectives to be achieved the methods to be used in the teaching and learning process The above will again be in two folds: as a student-teacher and as a future educator, that is, the improvement of the student-teachers own SFL and his/her ability to embed the minimum core subjects in his/her teaching. To be able to start this teacher training, the student-teachers have to have a level 2 in Literacy and Numeracy. This is conducted, using the skills test, which was developed by the Secretary of State in 1999, following the Green Paper published by the Department for Education and Employment (DFEE) in 1998 on improving skills of teachers (Blunkett,1998). Thus, right from the start of their learning journey (Lawton and Turnbull for the Sector Skills Council for lifelong learning on behalf of LLUK,2007), the student-teachers feel the impact that these skills mentioned in the SFL policy will have on their teaching and also their learning processes. The Individual Learning Plan of the student-teachers then will contain individual objectives to be achieved in terms of their functional skills. The goals are negotiated in line with the principles of Androgogy (Knowles, 1984) as part of my motivation strategy. With regards to the teaching methods, with each Unit of the DTLLS programme, as the teacher educator, I had to make sure that the improvement of these skills was being encouraged. This was done by encouraging more group discussions and presentations and, more recently, by including a literature review hour where the student-teachers will be discussing on the articles and books that they have recently read. These will not only improve their communication and discussion skills and develop their research skills (which are crucial for the professional development of a teacher) but also will enable them to construct learning in line with the principles of social constructivism (Vygotsky, 1978; Bruner,1986, 1990, 1996). Although great emphasis is not made on Numeracy Skills in this teacher training programme (unless the specialist area of the student-teacher is related to numbers such as science and mathematics), there are aspects of these skills which, as a teacher educator, I can develop in my learners. Part of the continuous professional development of the student-teachers is being able to evaluate their own skills. In the second part of the training programme, the student-teachers learn to represent data in a simple graphical manner to be able to interpret the extent of success or a particular teaching method. If such exercises are carried our frequently, the student-teachers improved numeracy skills will enable them to better explain their continuous professional development. Another important aspect proposed by the SFL project is computer skills, which the majority of the student-teachers lack. In the current age, where learners are digital natives  [4]  (Garrison and Anderson, 2003), future teachers cannot afford to be below average in ICT  [5]  skills. Their responsibilities include not only to improve the ICT skills of learners who are not in tune with their peers but also to challenge the skills of the digital natives. The curriculum has thus to comprise of strategies such as use of computers for research and presentation purposes  [6]  . During the completion of the teacher training programme, the student- teachers have to build up their teaching (planning and delivery) and assessment strategies. For each of the strategy developed, they need to demonstrate how they will embed the principles suggested by the SFL project. When embedding these principles in teaching my student-teachers, I am also giving them ideas which they themselves can use in their own teaching practice. It is to be noted, however, that their embedding strategies have to be specific to their own specialist area. The SFL endeavour has thus influenced the teacher training programme to a very large extent. Not only do the student-teachers need to develop their own skills as part of their Continuous Professional Development, but they need to create and/or adapt ways to improve the skills of their learners. Thus the curriculum that they have to follow as learners (and I have to follow as their educator) has to promote the development of their functional skills, be it in terms of the goals to be achieved or the methods and resources to be used. As future teachers, they need to be well equipped with regards to their own SFL to be able to facilitate the learning process of their learners. The purpose of this research is to ascertain the impact of the Skills for Life policy on the curriculum that I teach. After reviewing the literature on the topic and an initial analysis of the SFL policy on the DTLLS programme (which affects the curriculum I build for my teaching), I wanted to analyse the views of three main stakeholders of the College- the department executive, the students and the External Verifier from the Awarding Body- on the matter. Evaluate curriculum changes resulting from the policy / research document. Because of the individualised nature of collecting opinions, a quantitative approach to data collection and analysis will be quite useless (Miles and Hubermans, 1994). Moreover it is the depth and meaning of the data which I am after and therefore a qualitative direction seems to be more appropriate (Bryman, 2001). The data collection tool chosen for this purpose is semi structured interview (Appendix A). Semi structured interviews combine the benefits of structured and unstructured ones. They not only provide the interviewee with the freedom of expressing his/her views in detail (which is required to obtain a deeper understanding of the opinion given), but also, with the questions set by the interviewer, the discussion is more focused on the relevant topic (Horton, Macve and Struyven, 2004). Instead of hindering my conclusion, the subjective nature of this tool (Bryman, 2001) will, hopefully, provide new ideas about the project. Because it is also very specific to the curriculum that I teach, the issue of inability to generalise the results (Bryman, 2001) will also not arise. The third stakeholder to be questioned will be the student-teachers. A session will be conducted on Skills for Life (Appendix F) after which the student-teachers will be asked to work in groups to fill the questionnaires (Appendix B). To ensure confidentiality (Bryman, 2001), the names of the stakeholders will not be disclosed. The results of these two approaches are analysed below. The student-teachers seem to grasp the impact of the SFL policy on the DTLLS programme and even identified the aspects of the programme which develop their own basic skills. As one of the groups mentioned the objectives that they have to achieve have been affected by the SFL policy in that they have to Embed minimum core subjects in the curriculum (Extracts from questionnaires, Appendix D). On the other hand, both the External Verifier and the Vice Principal of the College described the link between SFL and DTLLS programme quite similarly in terms of development of the student-teachers own skills and embedding strategies that he/she has to implement to develop that of his/her students (Appendix C). As the Vice Principal suggests: à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ DTLLS students have, to apart from a select group of specialists who do are not involved in SfL, consider SfL as a key focus for all their work. Approaches to delivering DTLLS therefore have to be adapted to achieve SfL requirements (Extract from transcript, Appendix C) I quite agree with both of them that the programme as it stands, although it does offer resources and teaching methods that reflect SFL principles, can still be improved. Offering an optional module which is specific to SFL instead of the fragmented state it is now (as the Vice Principal states) will provide the student-teachers with unique skills that are very much in demand in the education market. As mentioned before, the DTLLS programme came after the SFL policy. However, had there not been this policy, the programme would not have included the minimum core requirements as it does now. The impact that the SFL policy has on the DTLLS programme will inevitably affect the curriculum used to deliver it. This leads us to the evaluation of the curriculum built on the basis of the assessment criteria and general objectives prescribed by the Awarding Body. The first aspect to be analysed is the purpose of the evaluation. Most evaluations done are to determine the extent to which set objectives are being met (Tyler, 1949; Kelly, 2004), that is summative evaluation. However, a more meaningful evaluation would be one which assesses the objectives themselves. As Kelly (2004) states, curriculum should be subject to continuous evaluation as an essential element of continuous change and development (pp 36). This leads to the next issue which is choosing a model of curriculum evaluation. According to Kelly (2004), this should match the curriculum model adopted, otherwise the criteria of evaluation will not reflect the purposes of the planners or the teachers (pp 139). The DTLLS curriculum that I developed is based on a combination of the four perspectives proposed by Tyler (1949) with objectives as starting point  [7]  . But if I use an objective model of curriculum evaluation, it will not serve my purpose as it will only identify success or failure of achieving the objectives set (Kelly, 2004). According to MacDonald, a more holistic approach would be assessing the projects impact on the educational system and the types of evaluation problems which the impact would throw up (1973, pp 83 cited by Kelly, 2004, pp 142). As mentioned before, the curriculum is designed on the basis of the outcomes derived from the assessment criteria set by the Awarding Body. This enables the student-teachers to be focused on what is to be completed to achieve the Units. But one of the consequences of such an approach is a decreased possibility of achieving unintended (but potentially beneficial) outcomes. Although the student-teachers do have to attain a certain level in the minimum core subjects (similar to SFL), if they are already at that level there is no incentive to improve them further (since there are no specified needs to do so in the curriculum). Developing SFL is often drowned in the achievement of the multitude of other objectives to be achieved. Having said that, with the embedding strategies -where the student-teachers learn to develop the minimum core subjects of their own students- the picture is more promising. This is because the focus is then on developing these skills. But the extent to which my curriculum evaluation will be considered by the Awarding Body is questionable. If we take the interview carried out with the EV (Appendix C), when I was discussing about agreeing a date for the interview, she initially did not see a link between SFL and DTLLS, To be quite honest with you Shaivi, at first I thought that there was no direct link. Basic Skills is what it saysà ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦..basic. à ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦Ãƒ ¢Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚ ¦ But if we analyse it deeper, we can see that one of the requirements for teachers on the programme is to have a level 2 in literacy, numeracy and ICT. (Extract from transcript, Appendix C) After I explained my project and my point of view, she agreed with me and hence the interview was much more useful. The Vice Principals suggestion that SFL delivery techniques should be added as an optional module to the curriculum as the next cycle of improvement is valid because this will increase the marketability of the award. But, although the External Verifier shared his views, from our experience in terms of suggestions we made, it is doubtful that she will take it on board and suggest it to her institution. Thus as a curriculum developer, although I can certainly build up outcomes which will further improve the minimum core levels of my student-teachers, the extent to which I can influence the curriculum development is restricted. This brings us to the argument that the External Awarding Body still has a very strong hold on what is important in terms of delivery and assessment. The extent to which they will consult the Delivery Centres (such as my College) to determine or assess what is to be delivered is quasi nil, that is their own evaluation of the DTLLS programme and resulting curriculum seem to be more autocratic (Mac Donald, 1975, pp 133, cited by Kelly, 2004). A more democratic approach to curriculum evaluation (where the teachers are involved) would have served the purpose of meaningful continuous curriculum development (Kelly, 2004). If we were to measure how stringent the Awarding Body is with regards to the four perspectives of curriculum identified by Tyler (1949)-Appendix E- we can see that assessment has a medium level of stringency since we can choose the evidence linked to practice to be included in the portfolio from a set list. The same is with the specific objectives which we can form on the basis of the assessment criteria set by the Body, which is thus the key driver of the curriculum. The only way that the curricula will differentiate in different centres is through the delivery methods being used and the objectives to be set (which is however based on the assessment criteria set by the Awarding Body). Centralised control (Kelly, 2004) is apparent over the content of the curriculum. This also demonstrates how the programme is driven by its assessment process (Kelly, 2004). Any method or activity used is geared towards the final portfolio of evidence of achievement of learning (based on the assessment criteria set by the Awarding Body). The DTLLS programme, although very specific to the age group the student-teachers are being trained to teach, have similar outcomes to the other programmes on the market (Postgraduate Certificate in Education for Post Compulsary Education) with regards to strategies of embedding basic skills. Because the student-teachers are mostly international, they have specific timeframes within which they have to complete the programme. Therefore, they do not have time to explore the topics in dept

Business Strategy BMW

Bayberries Motormen Worker GAG (English: Bavarian Motor Works) with headquarter in Munich is one of them. Founded 1916 as a producer of aircraft engines BMW is one of the ten largest car manufacturers in the world today. The company operates in three business segments: automobiles, motorcycles and financial services. However the core business Is still the production is one of the leading car manufacturers with the aim to achieve profitable growth and become the number one in next few years. The global acting company had a business volume of 53,7 billion Euro in the year 2009.Currently 96. 000 employers work at 17 different production places all over the world for BMW. In last year the BMW Group sold 1. 3 million cars of its three non-overlapping premium car brands Mini, Rolls-Royce and BMW. The brand recognition and high investments in research and development seems to be the trumps of BMW (BMW, n. D. : BMW Education Programmer n. D. ). This report will give a more detailed view at t he current situation of the BMW Group with an analysis of the company's strategies but also with a look at the issues and a final evaluation of the authors of this report. . Strategic Analysis Integral to the understanding of the organization BMW Group is a detailed strategic analysis of the company. Appendixes 1 and 2 both contain various tools for analysis, namely a SOOT and a PESTLE analysis. One can draw upon these when analyzing all the forces and factors affecting a company as an aggregate. It is also important to place the findings of these analyses in a context. In this case, a strategic analysis of BMW Group should not only consider the information contained in both these analyses, but also the context in which the firm operates.As mentioned, in Appendix 1, a SOOT analysis considers the current position of a company. In the case of BMW Group, the position is currently enjoys is a very strong one. When critically analysis the mentioned weaknesses and threats it becomes appar ent that each of these are common to most companies and car manufacturers in the market segments chosen by BMW Group and its subsidiaries. In a sense this leads to a canceling out effect, which will be discusses below.For example, in terms of threats to automotive manufacturers, existing and fierce competition applies to the vast majority, as does being affected by the volatility of fuel prices. To a large extent the price of raw materials also poses a threat to all manufacturers, however this varies by small degrees when one considers that in a anthropometry environment many cars do not share similar materials. This is due to manufacturers seeking competitive advantage through vehicle parts and structures being made of differing alloys, in attempts for qualities such as greater strength and lighter weight.In spite of this, steel remains a predominant material in the automobiles of BMW Group. Having similar â€Å"threats† appropriate to most manufacturers means they are all c ompeting amidst similar circumstances, so no firm is solely disadvantaged as a result. It is a similar case when one considers the weaknesses of BMW Group. Despite minor differences, most manufacturers in the market segments operated in by BMW Group share most weaknesses. All premium carmakers are faced with stiff competition, as it is the nature of the industry. All suffer from a perception of high prices.Again, there may be slight variations within this surmise such as slight variations in perceived value but as an aggregate, the premium car sector is partly characterized by high prices. Associated with keeping design and construction of the automobiles of BMW Group within Germany, and various other Western countries. This is due to higher labor sots, and greater levels of taxation. Keeping the majority of production and all of the design and engineering in Germany has both advantages and disadvantages. It has been listed in the SOOT analysis as a weakness, purely due to the impac t on the bottom line of the firm.It is a similar story for the other major German competitors BMW Group. Certain American (Lexus) or Swedish (Volvo) rivals face a similar problem in terms of higher cost. -Chinese competitors do not. Being engineered and assembled in Germany has to also be mentioned as a strength. This is as a result of German engineering having an international petition for being of some of the highest quality engineering in the world. This creates a perception of quality, which is common to most manufacturers in the premium car segment, but more so to the vehicles created by BMW Group.There is perception that BMW, along with Mercedes Benz are of a higher standard of quality than their third major German rival, Audio. As well as a SOOT analysis, a PESTLE analysis is important for furthering knowledge of the environment in which BMW Group operates. As Appendix 2 outlines, a PESTLE considers the external forces which impact upon the strategic implementation and runnin g of a firm. Political forces are present, however they have an effect on the industry as an aggregate. Within Germany, the country in which a lot of the cars of BMW Group are manufactured, laws dictate maximum emissions vehicles are allowed to produce.They also affect BMW Group in that they dictate minimum wages and minimum level of corporate responsibility. For most other countries, taxation laws and customs laws determine prices at which BMW Group products are sold at. Different countries have different levels of tax and import duties, however generally most countries will charge some form of import duty on valuable goods, which in turn increases the price at which local retailers sell the vehicles. In some cases there are certain charges on top of this – of example in Australia there is a Luxury Car Tax imposed on vehicles worth more that ****.But as aforementioned, this type of political influence affects all manufacturer in the premium car market segment. Ecologically t here are a lot of influences shaping the direction of BMW Group automobiles. The main one being the increased societal awareness of the popular concept that is Global Warming. As a result of this many nations and manufacturers re imposing, whether voluntarily or as a legal requirement, goals of reducing emissions. This is done through setting targets and can be quite costly – in most cases being where the majority of research and development funds are spent.In the case of BMW Group, this is certainly so. The quest for more efficient engines is ongoing, and can also be attributed to the other major ecological factor – the growing scarcity of natural resources. The natural resource whose scarcity affects motorists globally is crude oil. There are socio-cultural factors at work, also. BMW uses positioning to reach certain target markets. As such, a lot of their vehicles are financially out of reach for demographics. Due to this, things such as median incomes and average p roperty prices dictate where BMW outlets will be placed geographically.Also in the case of BMW Group, an image of exclusivity primarily exists, though more recently there has been an effort to make their products within reach of more people. This is being conducted by making smaller, more affordable cars whilst retaining an image of prestige. In an industry such as the car industry, technology is the most influential force toward a company such as BMW Group. Technology is where a lot of manufacturers obtain their competitive advantage, and for BMW Group this is certainly the case.They invest vast sums of money into research and development in a bid to create more efficient engines with which they can compete with other manufacturers and obtain a competitive advantage. This also applies on fronts such as safety of cars, durability of cars, and power of cars. With current market trends drifting towards efficiency being a high priority for most customers, this is something that plays a n integral role in the strategic goals, plans, and implementation of plans of BMW Group. Economically, there are many forces that exert influence over BMW Group.Varying exchange rates are a primary factor, and have a direct impact upon sales within a given country, as they play a large role in determining whether or not a customer will buy a substitute good. BMW Group have a strategy in place to manage this known as â€Å"hedging†. High prices for raw materials such as steel and various alloy metals also play a part in determining corporate strategies, as does the volatility in the price of petrol in various countries in which BMW Group sells their goods. The legal factors are very similar to the aforementioned political factors, as they mostly include legislations to do with emissions and safety.There are other laws which vary by degrees between countries in which BMW Group goods are produced. This mainly involves certain labor laws, such as minimum wage laws and occupationa l health and safety laws. BMW Group consider these forces and the elements of a SOOT when developing corporate strategies and implementing them. The firm devises ways in which they can manage this uncertainty, and minimize the amount of turbulence they encounter spite being part of such a competitive and volatile industry. These will be covered in a later section of this report. 3.Strategic directions Especially in the high competitive market of the automobile industry a clear vision and mission statement is important to hold the internal and external stakeholder support on a high level (Hill, Jones, Galvan & Haddam 2007). As one of the worlds leading car manufacturer BUM'S vision statement is nothing less than â€Å"To be the leading supplier of premium products and premium services for individual mobility. † (BMW AAA, p. 180) To do that BMW sets its main focus traditionally on sights quality standards and best possible service for its customers.BMW mission statement is embo ssed by sustainability and responsibility. In the centre stand the three â€Å"Or's†: resources efficiency, risk minimization and reputation. With resource addition the company tries to save energy by optimizing their current engines and providing new drive systems like hydrogen engines. The aim of the company is â€Å"to use resources sparingly and efficiently' (BMW 2005, p. L). To lead the company in successful future for BMW it is important to recognize risk in an early stadium and try to avoid them (BMW 2005).Reputation is especially for BMW as a company with a very high brand value important. So BMW wants to â€Å"enhance the Company's reputation by acting responsibly towards employees and society'(BMW 2005, p. L). Every individual of the BMW group is supposed to maintain the sustainability of that three parts and everyone in the company should implement these objectives in the every days work life. Simultaneous BMW sees its staff as an important part on the way to rea ch its mission and provide its employees with best conditions and supports the professional and personal development (BMW 2005). Key strategies BMW has several strategies to survive in the strong competitive automobile market. One is the strategy of differentiation (Hill, Jones, Galvan & Haddam 2007). Cars of BMW stand for quality and exclusivity. Customers are willing to pay more money for a BMW than for an equal car of another brand. BMW is able to create the awareness of differences in its consumers mind and satisfies its customers wants and needs at a very high level. The cars of BMW have an attractive and sportive design. In connection with the high price BMW underlines its status as a premium brand.Furthermore BMW attracts through its sportive aspect and focus on innovation especially younger people. Expensive marketing campaigns force that in an impressive way. The result is an extremely high brand recognition and binding of a large number of loyal customers all over the worl d. That unique position of BMW makes it difficult for competitors to take advantage of the market in the short and medium term. BMW follows a diversification strategy, too. It has three non- overlapping car brands and a motorcycle brand.They are able to use their high knowledge and engineering experiences for all three different car brands and rover there are several synergies between the car and the motorcycle production. Especially in the expensive development of engines both segments profit similarly and the total risk for the company is lowered down because the company is less vulnerable for unexpected economic or competitive changes (Hill, Jones, Galvan & Haddam 2007). As a third the mastication of profit is one of the major strategies of the company for the next years.BMW has to fight against decreasing sale numbers caused by the economic crisis. Therefore the firm has to find new ways to generate more earning to satisfy its shareholders. A logical consequence is to reduce cos ts and increase efficiency. BMW tries to do that by different methods and techniques (Hill, Jones, Galvan & Haddam 2007). 5. Strategic implementation In the centre of Bum's strategic implementation stand the realization of strategic plan called â€Å"Number ONE†. BMW propose two sets of goals and strategies – one to lead BMW into 2012, one to lead BMW into 2020 (BMW 2007).At present, for the short worldwide. This is inclusive of all of their car brands, Mini and Rolls Royce. To do this they are increasing the variety in their model line-up. Also, for this short term, they re among the industry-leaders in adapting to new and different target markets, by producing cheaper, better quality cars which are accessible to a greater array of potential buyers. The other major short-term strategy to achieve this is to greater â€Å"recession-proof† their interests by engaging in hedging in the $ASS (BMW 2007: Horntail 2009).The goals and strategies which BMW hopes to achie ve by 2020 are much more ambitious, but no less achievable. They have adopted a â€Å"less input, more output† ethos, and as such are aiming to cut cost-centers and save the targeted figure of 6 billion Euros. As part of this plan, that 6 billion Euros is earmarked to then be invested into research and development in order to gain a competitive advantage through greater efficiency of their products. Instruments like flexible work and shifts models make it possible to adjust the product capacity of each plant contemporary.The number of employees will be reduced naturally – without dismissals (BMW 2007: Horntail 2009: Hill, Jones, Galvan & Haddam 2007, p. 102). Because of the strong position of the Euro against the US Dollar in the last years BMW will increase the utilization of the placement in United States. Also the company want to profit of the well qualified but cheaper labor of China through extensions of productions placements in China. The movement to China means also shorter ways to the new growing market and using of cheaper local suppliers, which moreover reduces the costs further (BMW 2009).High investments in marketing are an important element in the strategic implementation of the BMW Group as well (BMW 2009). The high marketing budget attends to save its main competitive advantage: the high brand recognition. The concept of the â€Å"ultimate driving machine† creates an emotional connection to customers world wide. Thereby BMW goes within its marketing strategy not the easiest way and make the same advertisements and marketing campaigns all over the world. The BMW Group analyses the specific customer groups of each region and try to listen and respond to the customers.Whereas people in America still want big engines in their cars, the environmental aspects in Europe getting more important. So BMW not only offers the same cars with different engines, also its marketing strategies for America, Europe and Asia are different. BMW controlled its distribution network more than most of its competitors. The results are again benefits for brand management. The company has the reputation to be near its customers. The brand BMW stand not only for quality, also service is linked with BMW. So the after sales service is another important part of the strategic implementation.The people should see that the company cares about them also after the buying which is in important fact in binding the customers as well (BMW 2009). Finally BMW will fulfill the new carbon dioxide regularities of the different governments. That means also a reaction of a changing of the customer wishes and a conformance to the companies mission BMW2009). 6. Key strategic implementation issues 0 Raising competition Environmental issues Global recession Changes in demand The external environment is a major contributor to this in the form of cut-throat competition, which is rife throughout the automotive industry.BMW don't have brand cannibalism to w orry about, but the existence of suitable alternative goods which may also appeal to potential buyers' (Hill, Jones, Galvan & Haddam 2007). Another key issue is those faced by the research and development department. Competitors wish to achieve the same outcome, for the same reasons, therefore BMW eave to remain competitive on a number of fronts (Hill, Jones, Galvan & Haddam 2007). This is also in keeping with having to work within the confines of various regulations.As they are the manufacturer of automobiles they must adhere to environmental and safety regulations in all the countries in which their goods are sold, and, due to globalization, this counts for the vast majority of nation states (Hill, 7. Evaluation of strategy The strategy of differentiation is important for a brand like BMW which do not serve the whole market. There are a few competitors in the premium segment of the automobile market and BMW has to do a high effort to keep its position and reputation in the long ru n. But BMW has to be careful.The company invests a lot of money in research and development. That could keep the danger that competitors imitate Bum's new products and inventions faster than the company can take real advantages of its investments. The high brand recognition is surely safe for the short and middle distance but in the long run BMW has to maintain its competitive advantage. Because of its relative small size in comparison with its main competitors tragic alliances will probably become a key position in BMW future strategic direction to achieve economies of scale and finally high profit margins.This is also a good possibility to reduce the costs of research and development and to realize especially cost intensive big innovations like the development of new engines for example the electric or hydrogen technologies. 8. Conclusions BMW seems to be good prepared for the future. The strong brand image gives the company a unique position in the marketplace, which is quite ess ential in such a high competitive business environment like the automobile industry. The key strategy Differentiation† works and the strategy plan for the next years â€Å"Number ONE† shows a sustainable and moreover feasible concept which should be successful.

Segregation Seperate but Equal - 967 Words

Linda Brown v. the Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas advocated the need for change in America in the mid 20th century. America was a country in turmoil, after many futile efforts to make social change had failed but Linda Brown’s groundbreaking case pushed America in the right direction. At the heart of the problem was segregation. Segregation is the act of separating a certain person or faction from the main group. In America’s case segregation was practiced on minorities such as African-Americans, Hispanics, and Asians. The full force of segregation was brought down on African-Americans. Segregation was based on shear hatred of blacks by white Americans. The majority of them derived their hatred for African-Americans from their†¦show more content†¦The main topic of discussion in the re-argument was whether or not segregation in schools violates the fourteenth amendment. Consequently the court did not base there final decision on how the Fourteenth Amendment should be interpreted but solely on how segregation effected colored students and if colored students were treated equally. On May 17, 1954 the Supreme Court’s unanimous decision was read: â€Å"We come then to the question presented: Does segregation of children in public schools solely on the basis of race, even though the physical facilities and other â€Å"tangible† factors may be equal, deprive the children of the minority group of equal educational opportunities? We believe that it does.† The Supreme Court diminished the idea of ‘separate but equal’ and showed it had no place public education. This ruling required the integration of schools all across America. It declared the segregation in public schools that existed in 21 states at the time unconstitutional. This court case was a enormous step in desegregating public schools but it would be awhile before all public schools were completely desegregated. In fact, the ruling called for desegregation of schools but it did not require desegregation by a specific date or time. In 1955 another re-argument was held t o discuss the terms of desegregation of the public schools. Ultimately the Supreme Court ordered that school boards make a â€Å"prompt and reasonable start towards fullShow MoreRelatedBrown vs. The Board of Education Essay508 Words   |  3 PagesTopeka, Kansas, placed a damaging blow to the hearts of many White segregationists. A Black family challenged the segregation policies of the Topeka school district. While living just two blocks from a local area school, Linda Brown had to travel twenty-one blocks to attend an all Black school. The NAACP saw this as excellent opportunity to challenge the Separate but Equal segregationist policies and filed the brief on behalf of the Brown family. They would argue that the Fourteenth AmendmentRead MoreThe Civil Rights Movement911 Words   |  4 Pagesone statement kicked of the entire civil right movement. Segregation and unfair treatment to colored people was normal to Americans. Whites felt that picking on colored was best because â€Å"they aren’t like whites.† When looking back at the American history, we shouldn’t be proud of the way things were. When the case of brown v. board of education went to the supreme court, things began to escalate. Brown v. Board agreed that segregation in public schools is unconstitutional. This case was knownRead MoreBrown vs. The Board of Education Essay2362 Words   |  10 Pagesdenied to a specific group, measures must be taken to protect its educational right. In the 1950s, a courageous group of activists launched a legal attack on segregation in schools. At the head of this attack was NAACP attorney Thurgood Marshall; his legal strategies would contribute greatly to the dissolution of educational segregation. According to U.S. Court Cases the segregaition among whites and blacks was a legal law established for almost sixty years in the United States. However, BrownRead MoreJim Crow Laws On The South Of The United States1557 Words   |  7 Pages Jim Crow Laws were state and local laws which enforced de jure racial segregation in the South of the United States. They represented the legitimization of anti-black racism. And it was not only a series of anti-black laws, but also a way of blacks’ miserable life. They mandated racial segregation in all public facilities of former Confederate State of America with a â€Å"separate but equal† status for African Americans. For this research paper, I want to focus on the origins and the content of JimRead MoreSexism : Female And Female Gender1203 Words   |  5 Pagescause is that males and females are segregated in school. Males and females have separate Physical Education classes and they also have separate certain sciences se perate, which leads to an understanding that the two genders are different. This segregation causes unnecessary friction between the male and female genders. After the segregation between young boys and girls, they then come to the realization that the male and female gender are different. This makes them competitive to prove that theirRead MoreElizabeth Eckford - Diary Entries Essay1106 Words   |  5 Pagesin favour of the Brown case!! It is so terrific for 2 reasons: 1, because it is the end of school segregation, and 2, because the Chief Justice people have finally gotten their heads screwed on and opened their eyes. They finally saw that the Board of Education and â€Å"seperate but equal† was a lie. Because seriously, even the my next door neighbor s dog knew that not even the school books were equal to the white schools books. Most of them were hand me downs from the white schools, and were out ofRead MoreMalcolm X Essay1719 Words   |  7 PagesMalcolm X made it obvious that he believed White people and African Americans should remain divided (separate), but should be equal to each other. He told white people â€Å"wo rk in conjunction with us-each of us working among our own kind† (Document C). This shows us how Malcolm X had the idea of being separate but equal, which meant black and whites should be given equal rights and opportunities, but shouldn’t interact with each other. Martin Luther King, on the other hand, supported desegregationRead MoreStill Separate, Still Unequal1648 Words   |  7 PagesStill Separate, Still Unequal Segregation is a topic that has been discussed for decades. Segregation in schools wasnt really dealt with. The government basically disguised it and kept it away from the public. Brown V. Board of Education, Plessy V. Ferguson, and Jim Crow Laws was the cover, but it didnt solve anything. Segregation isnt just about race, its also financially. When money is involved in the situation theres a major advantage. Johnathan Kozol talks about how were still separateRead MorePlessy v. Ferguson Essay1235 Words   |  5 PagesCar Act that said that all railroad companies that carried passengers must provide separate but equal services for both white and non-white passengers. (â€Å"Landmark Cases†) The penalty for sitting in a white-designated railroad car when you were not of that ethnicity was a fine of twenty-five dollars or twenty days in jail. (â€Å"Landmark Cases†) There was a doctrine passed that everything was â€Å"separate but equal.† This doctrine was false however because in almost all situations the facilities were not asRead MoreComing Of Age Throughout Mississippi By Anne Moody1214 Words   |  5 Pageshabitable to begin with. With no electricity or indoor plumbing, they had to make do with what they had through the changing seasons of the year. Carter s house was the only one with electricity or plumbing and this is where Anne begins to see the segregation take place although she still does not quite understand it. While the Carter s, who are white, had electricity, the black slaves had to endure torturous nights without proper lighting. Much of what she is able to remember from the shack would be

A Good Man is Hard to Find by Flannery O´Connor - 766 Words

Flannery O’Connor: â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† Flannery o Connor. Known as the southern United States, the second after Faulkner writer. A good man is hard to find the religious fable story, the story is very simple, an elderly woman with her son a family trip to Florida, due to the old woman wanted to see a supposed to be on the way but somehow thought in Tennessee plantation in Georgia, and the way for the old woman with a bad idea to turn over a car, then the escaped from prison that inappropriate happens by men, finally killed all of them a six people, including the baby. The old lady with inappropriate dialogue between became the highlight of the novel, is also an important basis, understand the novels theme and characters†¦show more content†¦When the old lady out of his hands, and touched him on the shoulder, saying, well, you are also one of my children, one of my own son! Sometimes, inappropriate at her chest open three times. The old ladys words and tone as he was more passionate Jesus says that! Inappropriate people feel also said evil against the Lord, so he killed her. Therefore, inappropriate people was a religious fanatic, he possessed his dry out all sorts of magical things, at the same time, the more such people fanatical pursuit, the farther from god also, be abandoned by god. Look at the old lady this image. Novel begins by describing her son lobbied hard to give up to Florida and travel to Tennessee, love her nagging alive and responsive image performance, from her when you travel very exaggerated dress that she is still time to usurp the role of lady, also a age still indulge in the past day, although these days are far away from her. From her son and two grandsons attitude to her, shes at home and do not get the respect they deserve. She is wonderfully clever and quick in lure her sons andShow MoreRelatedA Good Man Is Hard And Find By Flannery O Connor824 Words   |  4 PagesInstead, you should focus on the moral dilemma the character experiences and analyze how he/she wrestles with this dilemma beyond what is obvious in the plot. What literary elements draw out this conflict? When reading, A good man is hard to find by Flannery O Connor, the question intrigues the reader to read further, about the infamous Villian, The Misfit. The grandmother is the other key character in this short story. The older woman is overpowered by temptation, regardless of what her familyRead MoreA Good Man Is Hard And Find By Flannery O Connor1190 Words   |  5 PagesIn Flannery O’Connor’s short story â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find†, O’Connor tells the story mainly on the emphasis of the grandmothers prospective. The grandmother was never named in the short story, only leaving the reader to guess if this story was how O’Connor portrayed a feeling toward society and religion. In order for the reader to understand the point of view of the story, the reader must look at the back ground of the author. Born in Georgia, where the story takes place, O’Connor was raisedRead MoreA Good Man Is Hard For Find By Flannery O Connor972 Words   |  4 Pagesâ€Å"A Good Man Is Hard to Find,† by Flannery O’ Connor, is about a family going on a trip from Georgia to Florida. The grandmother, who is old-fashion in her beliefs, tells her grandchildren stories on the road trip; one story leads them down a dirt road to find a house on an old plantation, which produces an unpleasant outcome. The author uses the grandmother’s voice and language to give an old southern appeal to the story, which causes the impression that those who live like her are considered moreRead MoreA Good Man Is Hard For Find By Flannery O Connor898 Words   |  4 PagesOne can imagine an old lady with a cat, who appreciates respect towards herself, is stylish and likes to take care of herself. She s elegant, yet a bit talkative and dramatic at the same time. In the story A Good Man Is Hard to Find Flannery O Connor introduces to a similar character, The grandmother who is sophisticated and conservative in some ways. The short story begins with how the grandmother wants to take a road trip to Tennessee while the rest of the family wants to visit FloridaRead MoreA Good Man Is Hard For Find By Flannery O Connor1356 Words   |  6 Pagesâ€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† was written by Flannery O Connor in the early 1950’s. The abnormal story of sudden viciousness in the provincial South opens discreetly, with a family arranging a get-away. The spouse, Bailey, his significant other, and their kids, John Wesley and June Star, all need to go to Florida. The grandma, Bailey s mom, in any case, needs to go to east Tennessee, where she has relatives, and she strongly endeavors to convince them to go there. Unfit to persuade them that theRead MoreA Good Man Is Hard For Find By Flannery O Connor1837 Words   |  8 Pages In the short story â€Å"A Good Man Is Hard To Find† Flannery O Connor uses the grandmother as a main character. Baileys mother in this story views herself as a truthful, wise and righteous lady throughout. She uses her manipulation, lies, and persuasiveness to her advantage but soon the reader learns how honest those views are. She quickly reveals herself as a different person when those traits she usually uses to get what she wants fails her. She can easily persuade someone to get her way, but howRead MoreSummary Of A Good Man Is Hard And Find By Flannery O Connor1114 Words   |  5 Pages Man is Hard to Find Theme Essay: Religion ENG1300/ Literature Anthony Copeland December 16, 2014 In the short story, â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† by Flannery O’ Connor, the major theme in this story to me is how religion plays such a larger role in some lives more than others. The grandmother, a prime example for this, shows throughout the story that having â€Å"faith† isn’t a saving grace and misplaced faith could possibly get you killed. The major confrontationRead MoreA Good Man Is Hard to Find by Flannery O ´Connor698 Words   |  3 Pagesdown the embankment. The misfit says it would have been better for the family if the grandmother hadn’t â€Å"recognized† him. It seems like the misfit was pleased to be recognized by the grandma. The misfit recognizes himself not as a good man. He says he would be a different man if he were there to see whether if Jesus resurrects the dead or not. It seems as if even though the misfit says his father’s heart was made of gold, he did not like his father due to his father’s kna ck of handling authorities orRead MoreA Good Man Is Hard For Find By Flannery O Connor1230 Words   |  5 PagesHour:1 A Good Man is Hard to Find â€Å"Do you ever pray,† (9) In Flannery O’Connor’s short story, â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find,† two unlikely characters find themselves on an unexpected journey to find God. Christianity, the grace of God, and redemption are all used throughout the story. Religion is the underlying theme of the story through the title, the characters, and the details. The main purpose of â€Å"A Good Man is Hard to Find† is to convert others to Christianity. The title, â€Å"A Good Man is HardRead MoreA Good Man Is Hard For Find By Flannery O Connor1655 Words   |  7 Pages In the short story A Good Man Is Hard to Find, written by Flannery O’Connor, the theme that the definition of a ‘good man’ is mysterious and flawed is apparent. The reader must realize that it is difficult to universalize the definition of a good man because every person goes through different experiences. Thus, these experiences affect his or her viewpoint and in turn flaw ones view on a good man. O’Connor conveys this theme through her excellent use of diction, imagery, foreshadowing, and symbolism