The Appropriate Criteria Essay Example for Free

The Appropriate Criteria Essay The internal QA process largely takes place within the college programme/ department itself. Generally, this process collects continued information in a systematic way about the quality being achieved. The Self Assessment reports are the corner stone of the whole QA system and need to be prepared by the college under the guidance provided by the external agencies e.g. City and Guilds, EAL The Self Assessment report should be validated by peers and is the backbone of the whole exercise of Quality Assurance and Enhancement in Colleges. Therefore a standard Self Assessment report should motivate the internal QA by identifying its weaknesses and strengths, in practicing to be prepared for external assessment and informing the external evaluators about internal QA System. A self assessment report should provide comprehensive information regarding objectives, structure and content of the academic programmes, the learning and teaching environment and curriculum organization etc. The processes of conducting Self Assessment (SA) of college programmes are outlined by the scheme providers which provide guidance for practicing self assessment of college programmes of higher education institutions to maintain and improve the quality standards simultaneously. see more:explain why a workers personal views should not influence an individual\s choices Self Assessment is an effective tool for academic Quality Assurance and provides feed back to administration to initiate action plans for improvement. Quality in higher education is a dynamic entity and therefore various factors that determine quality of higher education must be set in equilibrium at a level that matches with national expectations and standards. These factors include, inter alia, leadership, quality of faculty, quality of students, curriculum, infrastructure facilities, research and learning environment, governance, strategic planning, assessment procedures, and their relevance to market forces. Combined with this the criteria for judging the quality of assessment process is usually laid down in organisation standards, such as health and safety, equality and diversity. Along with this we require an evidence trail to ensure relevance. Another method is the use of the criteria of meeting targets Use of questionnaires to assess learner satisfaction to awarding organisat ion standards. e.g. Performance./assessment criteria Levels :- NVQ etc Performance indicators Checklists Logging and tracking documents Portfolios Occupational/vocational standards National Occupational Standards (NOS) Government regulatory body standards e.g. Ofqual/Ofsted. When assessing , VASCAR can be referred to when judging the quality of the assessment process. V Is it valid; does the work presented meet the criteria and standards that are being worked towards? A Is the work authentic; is the work the learners/assessors own? S Is the evidence sufficient: is there enough to meet the requirements? C Is it current; is it linked to the current standards and are they up to date? A Is it accurate R Reliability; are the assessment decisions consistent and assessed to the appropriate levels for the qualification? Another acronym which is good to relate to during the process is ACR A Accuracy/audit trail ensuring all paperwork matches C Is there consistency over all the assessments, are all assessors working to the same standardized procedures R Record keeping, are all records accurate and thorough (ie are all dates and signatures correct and present). It is vitally important to ensure the above systems are maintained and followed correctly when judging the quality of assessment process. It is also important that they are adhered to in order to contribute to standardization throughout the college. Their use is also important to identify any discrepancies or support needed either for individuals or the team as a whole.

Empathy in Brechts The Good Person of Szechwan and Mother Courage and

Little Empathy in Brecht's The Good Person of Szechwan and Mother Courage and Her Children Brecht is very successful in creating a form of drama where empathy plays little part. In The Good Person of Szechwan it would seem that every action and word is an attempt to alienate us and halt any identification one may chance to make. The indiscernible use of names for characters exaggerating the oriental sound of them is immediately noticeable i.e. 'Wang', 'Shin' 'Sun', 'Shen Te', 'Shu Ta', etc. There is also the use of language and intonation in relation to others revealing personality and social position, which comes in the form of oriental 'bows'. Many of these gestures are already to be found in Asian theatre. Brecht calls it the 'social gestus.' Songs also interrupt the plot, but it is not the kind of 'bursting into song' which one finds in musicals. The music itself sounds sometimes out of tune and there is an offbeat that one would find difficult to tap one's foot to so one cannot become involved or relate to the music, although songs from The Threepenny Opera became very popular. The moon being likened to 'green cheese' as a slur on society's belief in 'a child of low birth will inherit the earth' and 'The Song of the Eighth Elephant' when there are really only seven anticipates the underhand actions of Sun who represents a number of people in society who destroy others welfare for their own individual interest. All these songs are successful in alienating the audience and have a similar message; the impossibility of a society being saved by an individual. Brecht strives to create a drama in which empathy plays little part by drawing one's attention away from any kind of identification one might make, particularly with... ... our own society and one wishes to challenge it. One is actually allowed to come to one's own conclusions freely and critically particularly through the eyes of the overwhelmed Shen Te who has to invent a ruthless cousin for herself who can save the business by applying the cruel laws of the market. But I find myself slightly swayed by sub-themes which do hint a little at identification and emotion. Works Cited Brecht, Bertolt. "Mother Courage and Her Children." Worthen 727-751. Brecht, Bertolt. Collected Plays. London: Methuen, 1970. Benjamin, Walter. "Conversations with Brecht." Understanding Brecht. Trans. Anna Bostock. London: New Left Books, 1973. 105-121. Brecht, Bertolt. Brecht on Theatre. Ed. and trans. John Willett. New York: Hill and Wang, 1992. Worthen, W.B. ed. The Harcourt Brace Anthology of Drama. 3rd ed. Toronto: Harcourt, 1993.

Group Dynamics And Groupthink In A Management Environment

Groupthink is a prevalent process in many organizations and businesses. This paper will examine the definition of groupthink as it relates to management decisions compared with similar group performance factors and situations leading to the thoughts and processes of business decision making, group dynamics and interpersonal operations within the group from both a business standpoint and a psychological standpoint. These standpoints will evaluate the effects of dominance, cohesion, anxiety and group norms leading to either effective or defective group process and group decision making. As with all group dynamics there are many factors involved such as race, gender, religion, political and cultural views. The paper will examine the interactions involved within a group and examine how groupthink is often allowed to be the overall choice made by the group. The author will also examine the difference in definitions form the Janis (I. L. Janis, 1982) model and the Management text book definition (Bateman, Snell, 2011) to gather a sound definition for business purposes. GROUPTHINK IN ORGANIZATIONAL MANAGEMENT Organizations and managers must make critical decisions on a daily basis. As business is such a highly complex environment spanning both national and global markets decision making must be thought of in a larger field of view taking into account many factors such as bias, culture and customer attitude to name a few. No one person generally has all the knowledge or experience to tackle every conceivable issue that may arise or need to be considered. A good manager or leader knows that they alone are not the only one to solve the problem and thus look to others to help with the puzzle needing to be solved. There is a substantial need to gain broad spectrum opinion and ideas in business today which leads effective managers to seek and develop effective groups to provide that broad spectrum and increase idea flow from different perspectives. The â€Å"Brain-Storming† in business today is much more complicated and involves large numbers of variable factors that can best be resolved by the group process allowing for varied input and expertise information to be injected into the final decision making process. This does not always define an effective group or process as we will see throughout this paper. Decision Making Management must make decisions in different ways to handle different problems on a daily basis. Many of these decisions are programmed decisions based on past experience and working knowledge based on procedures already in place. These programmed decisions are normally simple in nature and are more of an automatic response versus having to think of or develop a new solution. As we know, things are not always as easy as we may wish and in business, with its ever changing nature, problems and issues arise that require the manager to be creative and adapt new thinking and new solutions to properly make an effective decision. This nonprogrammed decision making process involves the manager weighing the good with the bad and attempting to identify all the unknown variables. It is at this stage that an effective manager or leader knows to review his limitations and seek guidance from others with the knowledge to provide information needed to develop and informed and effective decision. The adage â€Å"knowledge is power† comes to mind and the manager, leader seeks out those who can assist in providing that knowledge to lower risks and gain a better reward. The effective manager, leader will practice stages of the decision making process, as they normally might, in identifying the problem and generating alternative solutions. In the process of attempting to generate solutions the manager would best be served by obtaining that knowledge of others to compensate their own. This is where they may decide to form a group and begin the group process to ultimately solve the problem and make the best decision possible. Forming, Storming, Norming and Performing In the decision to form a group to aid in difficult decision making there are several key items management must consider in selecting members of the group and being aware of possible negative effects of the group members involved. One of the first items to be considered is the size of the group needed and what skills or knowledge is required and what skills or knowledge each member may provide. The smaller group may require less group maintenance but provide less needed input. A larger group may provide more information but require a higher degree of group maintenance thus rendering them less effective. Management may choose to seek well known members or possibly new members. Newer members may provide new ideas and concepts while more well-known members could tend to adhere to the current policy and procedures and not be as creative and more satisficing. Group make-up must also avoid dominance type personalities to allow for a more free flow of ideas and creativity thus reducing group anxiety. Group management must be foremost in the mind of the manager to best achieve the goals and allowing for the best decision to be made. Knowing each person in the group individuals personality can be critical to proper selection but as with all people each are different and demonstrate different personalities in different situations. Group management must be maintained and observed to avoid conflicts based on personality and not creativity. Short of management being trained in psychology a group of members is selected based on management’s best knowledge and understanding of each individual member. Forming is the stage of group dynamics where the members first come together and normally demonstrate polite and positive attitudes to one another, as in any greeting situation, and is usually short in time. The next stage of development in the group is often difficult and delicate as members try to determine their role and place within the group. Storming identifies this stage by the way in which the members may question the validity or purpose of the group, including those within, and challenge or attempt to assert authority within the group. They may also feel overwhelmed by the task at hand and not yet understand their purpose of being there. It is not uncommon for groups at this stage to fail or cause some members to feel undervalued. When all, or most, of the difficulties are settled to member’s satisfaction the group moves forward with an understanding of their place within the group. Norming is the stage where the group comes together to identify the common goal and progress with the understanding and social acceptance of the group members as a whole. Forward progress and the ability to share in the group vision or goal being established, next stage, performing, is achieved. The group now functions well together and their work begins to bare the fruit of their labor. Process and structure have been established and work continues to achieve the main objective as group members satisfaction has increased. Managing Group Dynamics in Decision Making As we now have a better understanding of group dynamics in their basic form we realize that management must remain vigilant in all of the stages but certainly the performing stage the most. It is at the performing stage where most can go wrong and where complacency is most likely to occur. Group members are now comfortable in their role, leaders in the group have been well established and the work of the group may continue as if on autopilot. This may lead the group to fall into the trap of familiarity and allow the status-quo. Other factors may emerge from leaders or members within the group such as dominance and familiar cohesion where members chose to avoid disagreement and merely agree to consensus. Groupthink Phenomenon Should the group be allowed to fall into this trap it would be clear that management has failed to recognize the problem thereby allowing the creativity and effectiveness of the group to become ineffective. This phenomenon was described by Irving Janis (1972, 1982) as faulty decision making in a group when members do not consider all alternatives and desire unanimity at the expense of quality. There are several variations to the groupthink model such as â€Å"The term groupthink is appropriate only when the concurrence seeking emerges prematurely, thus curtailing thinking and discussion, and increasing the likelihood of poor decision outcomes (Longley and Pruitt, 1980). This variation does not always hold true in all cases. Based on groupthink in juries it is also evident that the information has been discussed and thought of critically but the jury member (group member) gave in more to peer (group) pressure from either the authoritative jury foreman, jury members or merely the desire to agree for their own personal benefit, such as the desire to end their sequestration if involved in a lengthy case. Groupthink Variations Janis (1972, 1982, 1989) defined groupthink as the extreme concu rrence sought by decision-making groups. Groupthink is most likely to occur when a group experiences antecedent conditions such as high cohesion, insulation from experts, limited methodological search and appraisal procedures, directive leadership, and high stress combined with low self-esteem and little hope of finding a better solution than that favored by the leader or influential group members. Such conditions lead to symptoms of groupthink such as illusions of invulnerability, collective rationalization, belief in the inherent morality of the group, stereotypes of outgroups, pressure on dissenters, self-censor-ship, illusions of unanimity, and self-appointed mindguards† (Turner, Pratkanis, Probasco, Leve,1992). Causal factors in groupthink seem to not fit only one model such as Janis describe. There are varied reasons group members seek concurrence unanimity in decision making, emotion, anxiety and coercion are some of only many reminding us that in managerial decisions we must remain mindful of the group members involved and maintain an active role in managing both the group and the decisions that come from within the group. If a manager is effective at management they will be better able to recognize the possible factors within the group before a faulty or ineffective decision can be made. Conclusion In examination of the decision making method we can see that there is a much larger degree to utilizing the group method requiring the manager to not only manage the personnel but also manage the group. A thorough knowledge of group dynamics is most important when selecting group members which can be difficult at times when expecting group performance based solely on an individual’s subject knowledge with little to no understanding of their interpersonal skills. The manager must be willing to accept risks certainly, if they expect to gain the best possible solution with the most creativity available. But the effective manager must also invest time and observe the group at different stages and evaluate member selection within each stage to ensure the proper choice made is still the best fit. The effective manager must be alert for telltale signs of conflict within the group and be prepared at all stages to make replacements available to include the group leader or dominant members within the group. Managing personnel on a factory floor and managing decision making groups are two very different levels which require a far greater knowledge and understanding on the manager’s part. If a manager is not able to recognize interpersonal skills and weaknesses then there is little chance they can effectively manage a group and expect positive results from that group nor would they recognize the proper decision to be valid or invalid. In the business world of today that could make the difference between being successful or going out of business. As was stated early on, managers are not expected to be psychologists but a truly effective manager will have and know the basics to understanding human behavior to remain an effective manager.

Melvilles Character Analysis - 1205 Words

Beyond the Middle Ages, several influential Renaissance authors find their way into Melville’s body of works. William Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet plays a strong role in the character development seen in Pierre: Pierre, like Romeo, acts rather zealously. The circumstances surrounding the killing of Glen Stanly strongly resemble Romeo’s murder of Tybalt. Melville foreshadows these parallels early in the book when Pierre’s mother calls him â€Å"a Romeo,† which he finds preposterous (Bell 744). In addition to Shakespeare, Herman Melville imbeds many references to the works of John Milton. Similar to Milton’s characters in Paradise Lost, Melville incorporates the motif of angels and devils in two of his early novels, Mardi and Pierre.†¦show more content†¦However, most of which allude to certain people and events rather than directly quoted chapters and verses (Wright 185-6). One concern that Melville emphasizes through Biblica l references is the eternal struggle between good and evil. Similar to the New Testament, one theme of his novella Billy Budd is crucifixion. The conflict of good versus evil, where the Cross triumphs over sin, is seen here through Claggart and Budd. Claggart symbolizes evil, while Budd exhibits a god-like innocence. Like Jesus’ time in the desert, Budd faces a harsh temptation from Claggart when asked to join a mutiny (Wright 193). Melville carefully selects a few distinct portions of his predecessor’s writing to incorporate into his stories because of their figurative meaning beyond the literal text. A style that critics have noticed in Melville’s publications is his chaotic wording and sentence structure: with phrases such as â€Å"Ourselves is Fate,† (Melville qtd. in Kearns 50) the reader begins to clearly see Melville’s chaotic style of writing. This is his use of strings of words as complete sentences that often have errors in semantics and syntax. These mistakes are deliberate, usually for rhetorical value (Kearns 50). An example of which can be seen in the following quote: â€Å"Though in many of its aspects this visible world seems formed in love, the invisible spheres were formed in fright.† (Melville qtd. in Kearns 51). A contrast isShow MoreRelatedCharacter Analysis Of Fedallah In Melvilles Moby Dick1315 Words   |  6 PagesFedallah is one of the most important characters in Melville’s Moby-Dick. Ahab’s characteristics that create his moral tragedy are represented by different characters in the novel. In Fedallahâ€℠¢s case, he represents the pure, demonic evil that exists in Ahab. At times he seems to be supernatural and a literal extension of Ahab’s innermost being. In Chapter 73, while observing the right whales head, Fedallah’s shadow seems to blend in with Ahab’s, as if they are a single being (Melville 261). Read MoreAnalysis of Critical Essays on Benito Cereno1280 Words   |  6 Pages Analysis of Critical Essays on Benito Cereno nbsp; It is possible to divide the critics into two camps regarding Herman Melvilles purpose in writing Benito Cereno. Joseph Schiffman, Joyce Adler, and Sidney Kaplan all argue that Melville wrote the story to make a comment on slavery. On the other hand, Sandra Zagarell and Allan Emery contend that Melville goes beyond slavery and is pointing out other flaws in mid Nineteenth century American notion. nbsp; Benito Cereno tellsRead MoreHerman Melville s Moby Dick 1471 Words   |  6 PagesHerman Melville has become a well-known classic novelist in today’s society, most popularly known for his novel Moby Dick. This book, taught in many high school classrooms, has been critiqued and analyzed in several ways, the characters and story line becoming familiar throughout academia. However, what many high school classrooms do not address is the sub-textual homosexual references made throughout the book. In fact, several books authored by Melville, once viewed upon closer inspection, can beRead More Themes of Hopelessness in Herman Melville’s Bartleby the Scrivener1233 Words   |  5 Pagesvalidity of our literary analyses. This is especially the case with Herman Melville’s â€Å"Bartleby the Scrivener†. Critics have been trying for decades to make sense of the text and most will describe it as â€Å"inscrutable†. I don’t claim to know better than the critics, but instead offer my own interpretation of the work. Based on my observations and analysis, Melville’s use of many elements in his story—first and foremost the character of Bartleby, but also the dead letters, the many walls of Wall StreetRead MoreAnalysis Of Herman Melvilles Billy Budd736 Words   |  3 Pageswriting and editing process. As a result of this, no one is completely sure of Melville’s intentions with the novel, but after analysis and researching his writing styles and history, one can infer his intentions. Melville was an American romanticist, and this category of writers was influenced by religion. This influence is apparent in the selected passage. This passage is evidence for the argument that Billy Budd is a character symbolic of Jesus Christ, drawing allusions to the Biblical story of theRead MoreAnalysis Of The Book The Good And Evil 1565 Words   |  7 PagesYajaira Andraschko Professor Murray ENC 1102- 07 03 November 2014 The Good and Evil in â€Å"Benito Cereno† Benito Cereno is certainly one of the most mysterious and notorious novellas of Melville. Full in symbolism and somewhat gothic in its analysis, that it has caused a great partition among the literary critics of Melville. Various critics have argued that the text defenses the association of slavery while others have argued that it sentences it. There are those who have not taken into considerationRead More Comparing Loss of Self in Soldiers Home, Pauls Case, and Bartleby1442 Words   |  6 Pagesof Self in Hemingways Soldiers Home, Cathers Pauls Case, and Melvilles Bartleby the Scrivener  Ã‚     Ã‚  Ã‚   Hemingways Soldiers Home, Cathers Pauls Case, and Melvilles Bartleby the Scrivener all present a loss of self. These stories prove that there is a fine line between finding ones self and losing ones self. I believe this loss can occur at any age or station of life. This idea is seen in each storys main character. Hemingways Soldiers Home depicts a young man in his earlyRead MoreThe Death Of Jean Pierre Grumbach2751 Words   |  12 PagesFrench New Wave, and Melville was the Godfather. Part of Melville’s motivation for this new style was his intense dissatisfaction with the imperious demands of the Director’s Guild as he personally defined the French New Wave as â€Å"an artisanal system, shot on location, without stars, without a standard crew, with a very fast film stock and with no distributor, without authorization or servitude to anyone† (Neupert 71). Fortunately, Melville’s films were so loved by both the critics and the film-goingRead MoreHybridizing the Social Wrongs and Destruction of Nature562 Words   |  2 PagesPauline Melville to support this reoccurring theme. An analysis of Pauline Melville’s Erzulie reveals a significant challenge that indigenous people faced, social righteousness. Melville’s story helps establish a new connection by exploring the social wrongs of the time and beauty of the Guyana country destroyed by colonialism. After researching Melville’s work in scholarly databases only a few articles on the topic were found. Other analysis of the story discussed that there is an â€Å"emotional connectionRead MoreReview Of Moby Dick 1071 Words   |  5 Pagesshabby part of a whaling voyage...yet, now that I recall all of the circumstances, I think I can see a little into the springs and motives which...induced me to set about performing the part I did† (Melville 7). Analysis (steps two and three): The author introduces the fates as characters here. By indicating that the fates have arranged this play, Melville suggests that Ishmael may have little control or influence over how events in the novel will unfold. He alludes to the idea of fate to show his