Why Students Drop Out Of College After Their Freshman Year

Ever wonder why students drop out of college after their freshman year? Have you ever found yourself sitting in class wondering why you had to be there? Well in Article 26 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that â€Å"everyone has the right to education†. The global movement Education For All, led by the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization describes education as not only a right, but a passport to human development; opening doors and expanding opportunities and freedoms. Education is considered a human right and the education we receive should in fact be an adequate one. However, this is not the case if public education is leaving our students unprepared for college. There is a lack of quality†¦show more content†¦Most schools in economically disadvantaged areas in the United States suffer from teachers who are underprepared and too often work in schools with poor working decisions, and low pay. The experienced teach ers that these schools have tend to leave and the good teachers will do their best to avoid them. Most educators in poor areas are not as likely to have the same qualifications and skills as the teachers that are in advantaged areas. Most of the time teachers at low income schools are there in order to gain some experience so they can later on become more desirable by high performing schools. There are many inequalities amongst students, there are students in advantaged areas having twice as much spent on them as disadvantaged students. If you take a look at some inner city schools such as the ones in Chicago or New York, you would see that most of those schools have teachers not suited for their position along with overcrowded classrooms, damaged buildings, torn up textbooks. The purpose of the federal program No child left behind was to make sure that poverty stricken areas are funded. New York City used to hire teachers that had failed their licensure exam multiple times. As a r esult of attending inadequate schools, many students do very poorly when compared to the more advantaged students. Much like banks schools are redlining. Redlining is where a red line is drawn along

Being a Good Leader Free Essays

Introduction In today’s organizations there is a greater focus on employees stepping up to be leaders rather just managing their respective responsibilities. It is not enough to simply manage tasks and perform your delegated responsibilities any more employees are expected to take initiative and motivate those around them to also be leaders even if you are not a manager by title. In order to be a leader, one must start by making a commitment and learn those skills needed to model the way and be examples to others. We will write a custom essay sample on Being a Good Leader or any similar topic only for you Order Now As our organizations become more diverse, being able to manage ethics and diversity is also important as we will encounter and work with others who have different perceptions, thoughts and experiences than what we may be accustomed or familiar with. We must be become change agents in our organizations, people who challenge the status quos and established processes in an ethical manner. If employees are motivated and engaged, organizations will be successful and be able to withstand adverse environments. Modeling the Way In all aspects of our lives we must be examples of how we want others around us to be whether in our own families, organizations or communities. How can we expect our employees to take initiative when they do not see their leaders taking initiative in their own roles? Even if you are not a manager or leader by title, people around you are still watching to see how you perform and behave. For example, I am an individual contributor in my organization but there are other employees around me who see what I do and how I behave in my role. I always have a positive attitude and a smile on my face which motivates them to also have a positive attitude. I have to be aware that I’m an informal leader in my organization even though I currently do not lead a team. On the other hand my direct manager is a great example on how a leader should behave and how to be an effective leader. She has the flexibility to work from home and she also gives me that option as a result that makes me work harder. Before introducing a new initiative, she always gets the buy-in of all our business partners so that when it is implemented, it is not a shock to anyone and everyone had an opportunity to share their thoughts. I never realized the importance of engaging everyone who will be affected by a new process or decision until now. Prior I was used to managers and senior leadership making decisions and the rest of the employees who were expected to follow them did not have any say or input. This is not an effective method of motivating employees. I have learned how important it is to seek feedback in order to continue doing the things that make you a good leader, change any actions that are not appropriate and start doing other things you would like your subordinates or those around you to do. â€Å"Setting the example is all about execution. It’s about putting your money where your mouth is†¦ It’s about keeping promises. It’s about walking the walk. † (Kouzes Posner, 2007) Managing Ethics When we are a part of an organization, we are all responsible for managing ethics not just managers. Ethical practices should be woven in the fabric of the organizational culture and the organization should have systems in place to enforce ethical behavior. â€Å"When developing the values statement during strategic planning, include ethical values preferred in the workplace. When developing personnel policies, reflect on what ethical values you’d like to be most prominent in the organization’s culture and then design policies to produce these behaviors. † (McNamara, 2008) First we must know what our own ethical values are, what are our belief systems? If we believe it is ok to steal from your organization because they owe you anyways, that person should take time to do some self-reflection and analyze their values. There are many laws in place that outline what an organization can and cannot do to assist managers in deciding what constitutes ethical behavior. Most organizations also have guidelines in place that explain what is acceptable behavior and what is not as well as procedures to report unethical actions and behaviors. Again, managers must behave ethically to set examples for their employees and those around them. Unethical actions not only hurt the individual but the entire company and that is why managers must enforce the company’s stance on ethics, ensure all their employees receive all brochures and materials so there is no question on how to handle observed unethical behaviors. Ethical practices should be a topic of discussion in meetings and on one-on-one conversations. Managing Diversity Today more than ever our workforce are increasingly become more diverse and managers must be equipped to not just treat diverse employees fairly but know how to leverage the different perspective, experiences and points of iew to create innovative products and how to respond to a growing diverse customer base. It is important for managers to understand diversity does not just imply to ethic or cultural differences but to also people in different age groups, education level, physical ability, economic status and many more. A manager must be able to communicate and manage conflict that arises betwe en an older worker and a younger worker. Managers have to the open about learning about different people in their organization and as a result, the organization will benefit from all the great ideas. As an example, by the end of the month, our organization have scheduled a meeting with diverse managers for a round table discussion to get their ideas on how we can improve our recruitment of diverse leaders into our organizations. We are tapping into their experiences and possible networks to create a process in place instead of searching outside the organization. We also want to understand if they have had opportunities for advancement or professional development to see how we can improve that process. It is not enough to hire diverse leaders if we cannot engage them in the organization, develop them and retain them. We also try to enforce to the organization that it is not the job of just Human Resource’s to own diversity and creating a culture of inclusion, it is everyone’s job. Managing diversity is not just the right thing to do, it makes good business sense. For example, if we do not have a strategy in place to create products and services geared towards the Hispanic population, which is growing at a rapid pace, our competitors who do target this group will experience larger profits. â€Å"Just as the workforce is becoming increasingly diverse, so too are the customers who buy an organization’s goods and services. (Jones, George, 2009) You do not have to be a manager to promote and support diversity. You can do it by your actions and by challenging others and educating them on how diversity makes good business sense and supporting your organization’s diversity efforts. Challenging the Process Good leaders do not just follow procedures and conduct business as usua l. True leaders question why certain procedures are in place and suggest alternative solutions to improve the process. Leaders take the initiative to conduct any research needed to show the proof or the foundation on how to implement a new procedure, present the business case for the change. Leaders have to trust their gut instincts when introducing a new process or a different way of doing things that may not be received with open arms. As an example, when my manager introduced a new diversity scorecard to the senior leadership to hold managers accountable for including diversity efforts into their respective departments, it was not greeted with enthusiasm. It took a few years of her having to â€Å"prove† the business case and showing with data why they had to be consistent with their diversity efforts. As a result, the same leaders who were skeptical are now the ones refusing to interview any candidates for open positions unless they have a diverse candidate slate. Now, three years since injecting diversity into our culture, diversity is included in our bonus achievement plan. As a leader who wants to implement change, you must be persistent and believe that the change you want to make will benefit everyone in the organization and other leaders are also committed in making similar changes within their regions and divisions. â€Å"Leadership isn’t about challenge for the challenge’s sake. It’s not about shaking things up just to keep people on their toes. It’s about challenge for meaning’s sake. † (Kouzes Posner, 2007) Conclusion Being a leader is much more than holding a leadership title but we become leaders by the decisions we make. We must make a choice to have purpose and passion in our every day lives. We must care about ourselves, employees and the organizations we work for. When we have a purpose and passion about what we do it becomes infectious to others, we become examples and without realizing we are modeling the way for others to see how leaders behave through actions. Leaders must also do what they say they will do in order to be credible with their employees, colleagues and customers. If a leader looses his or her credibility, they will not receive the support he or she will need to implement any necessary changes. Leaders do not only manage ethics but have at the center of their belief system a high regard for human worth and dignity. (Huber, 1998) Their decisions are made based on these values and beliefs which tie in with managing diversity as our world becomes more global. Leaders are made by the decisions we make every day that help make our organizations as successful and competitive as possible. Resources Huber, N (1998). Leading from Within. New York, NY: Krieger. Jones, Gareth R. and George, Jennifer M. (2008) Contemporary Management 6th edition; McGraw-Hill Irwin, N. Y. , N. Y Kouzes, J. , Posner, B. (2007). The Leadership Challenge. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass. McNamara, C. (2008). Complete Guide to Ethics Management: An Ethics Toolkit for Managers. Retrieved March, 2009, from Free Management Library Web site: http://managementhelp. org/ethics/ethxgde. htm#anchor39675 How to cite Being a Good Leader, Papers

Role of Information Application in Business

Question: Discuss about the Role of Information Application in Business. Answer: Introduction: Information Technology (IT) is the application of computer systems (hardware, software, networking, telecommunications) (information technology, 2000) to store, manipulate and transfer data (Daintith, 2009) often in the context of enterprise operations (Bigelow, 2015). Effective deployment of IT is essential for sustaining competitive advantage in the marketplace (Shin, 2003). IT has accelerated the productivity and growth of businesses worldwide and combined with the Internet is enabling international commerce which otherwise would have been prohibitively expensive or just impossible. This paper is an analysis of the role of IT for the point-of-sale for McDonald's (Mcdonalds.com, n.d.) i.e. where the customer and the service provider interact. The paper will explore IT from the business's point of view as to the requirement, importance, methods of uses, pros and cons, and monitoring and maintenance of IT required in the storefront. Does the Business Need IT? The alternative of running a McDonald's point-of-sale without IT is possible but it would he highly inefficient and slow than with IT. In the present times, there are more than one points-of-sale like ordering over the counter, driving in a car via drive-through or mobile applications. Running a storefront without IT to handle customer orders would be slow as orders will have to manually calculated. It would be inefficient, as the alternative of using IT provides for saving time and any reasonable manager would want to save the time of customers and the employees. Without IT, the chances of fraud would be more as the current systems are connected to databases of the head offices, and a current tally of sales is available to head offices. Thus, without IT, the business is expected to be slow, inefficient and more prone to employee fraud. Also, without IT infrastructure, some types of point-of-sales are impossible e.g. mobile apps to browse, order, find nearby stores makes uses of sophisticated technology. Mobile apps are contributing a significant share of sales in the fast-food industry. Pizza Hut's only 54% of sales is through physical stores, with similar figures for Domino's Pizza and Papa John's (Taylor, 2016). Also, given that the competitors of McDonald's are committed to technology shying away from it would be a strategically missed opportunity as well as show negatively on the public image. Thus, the business requires IT for point-of-sale because the alternative of not using IT would deal a severe blow to the profitability and customer satisfaction. Why Is IT Important for the Business Survival? IT holds fundamental importance for the survival of the empire of McDonald's even when only the point-of-sale is concerned. McDonald's is among the biggest private employers of people, directly and indirectly. In the USA, it is the single largest purchaser of potatoes, apple and meat of pig and cattle (Schlosser, 2001). However, for what is all this big machinery running? It is running and is sustained by the customers who pay their money for the products of McDonald's. If IT is removed from the last and the most important link in this chain, then gradually the links attached to the chain will drop off. If customers stop buying from McDonald's for any reason, this loss will dry the empire, and the direct and indirect employment will taper off. From, the business point-of-view, anything and everything that can be done to sustain and increase sales must be done, and IT is an essential part of this growth. Not utilising IT in the point-of-sale whether real or virtual will end up making the enterprise less profitable and unpopular in the public eyes. Thus, IT is essential to the survival of the business and also to keep on providing employment to people associated with the firm. What Are the Requirements for Applying IT in the Business? Requirements for using IT in the point-of-sale in McDonald's are typical of any point-of-sale implementation. Also, the mobile app will have its prerequisites, as discussed later. The point-of-sale software system requires inventory system, catalogue system, credit/debit card system, printer, user roles (cashier, administrator) (Requirement engineering Exercise the POS System solution, 2014). Relevant hardware components will integrate with the chosen software is required. Because McDonald's is keen on using custom point-of-sale equipment in storefronts (Expert Market US, n.d.), thus generic off-the-shelf software are out of the question for the given scenario. Next, trainers and staff for handling the counter are required and so is a handful of managers for managing the equipment and employees. For the mobile app, two different apps are needed for the current most popular operating systems - Android and iOS (Miller, 2016). These two separate operating systems require different coding and maintenance of the app (e.g. separate developer fees for Google and Apple). The development of apps requires coding in the programming language used by the operating systems, designing, integration with the backend database of McDonald's using networking. Finally, the apps need to be published and maintained on the app stores (Google Play store for Android, and iTunes for iOS i.e. Apple devices). It must be noted that user expectations from the experience of apps are high and their criticism can be harsh and public (Loera, 2016). How Does the Business Use IT? The scenario being considered is the point-of-sale of McDonald's, whether physical storefront or the virtual storefront in the form of mobile apps. For this scenario, the role of IT includes enabling the cashier to take order from the customer, calculating the bill after tax and discounts, informing the kitchen of the order received, updating the inventory on the stocks just consumed. For the mobile app, the cashier's role is done by the customer himself, and the other activities remain the same. Thus, by these tasks, IT helps in an efficient and error-free operation that helps in customer satisfaction. What Advantages and Benefits Does IT Bring to the Business? As discussed in the paper, the alternative of not using the IT in the point-of-sale of McDonald's offline and online storefronts would result in a severe blow to the characteristics that make the business success. Needless to say, the entire juggernaut of McDonald's machinery is there for the single purpose of selling the food to the customer, and thus this is the most important component of the chain from the first transaction of buying the produce. Without IT, there will be a severe reduction from the current efficiency, easier fraud by employees, slower communication with the head offices and in general unhappy customers, especially in today's world when everyone is crunched for time. The advantages of IT in the last chain of the process are efficiency with the benefit of a faster checkout experience for the customer. Another benefit of a computerised system means that the accounts are tallied up-to-minute at multiple locations, and this makes committing fraud difficult. A benefit of mobile apps is that it allows customers to order conveniently without having to interact with a human. There is a reason why non-physical storefronts account for about half of the total sales (Taylor, 2016). This new avenue of sale brings the benefit of additional sales which may have been lost in the absence of IT. What Risks Does IT Bring to the Business? Whatever is important is worth stealing and going computerised does not change this fact, whether the threats are from outside or inside. The use of IT as considered in this paper open up new surfaces for risks. One risk is the single-point-of-failure in which an error in the software of the point-of-sale can bring the whole system to stall and prevent the further sale. Another risk is bugs in the mobile app e.g. an offer may display correctly, but the barcode required for may not generate. Data may be stolen while the data is in motion from the local branch to the head office especially if the data in unencrypted and uses an insecure channel like the public Internet. Hacking is a risk present, more with the mobile app. If a hacker can fool the system into believing that a payment has been made successfully or using stolen credit/debit cards, then the solution to the chargeback and the order already processed will be difficult to resolve. Another risk is the eavesdropping of data fro m the local WiFi connection at the McDonald's. IT systems require careful entry of supplies, and any incorrect entry can lead to piling up of orders which the McDonald's branch in question may be unable to complete. How Can the Business Monitor and Maintain IT? IT systems like any other software system require monitoring and maintenance. These systems must be tested in a production-like environment before being deployed to live machines. Staff must be encouraged to report any anomalies on the point-of-sale system for prompt correction by the development team. Also, the reviews of the apps in the app stores and mentions in social media (like Twitter, Facebook, etc.), support forums must be tracked to sense user discontent at the earliest and take actions to correct them. Besides this staff and user report, regular audits of the accounts prepared by the IT must be done. Maintenance of the software must be done by regularly updating the underlying operating system, the point-of-sale software. The hardware must be used correctly by the staff, daily cleaning must be done, and the ventilation around the device must be taken care of (Martin, 2016). References Bigelow, S. (2015). What is Information Technology (IT)? - Definition from WhatIs.com. [online] TechTarget. Available at: https://searchdatacenter.techtarget.com/definition/IT [Accessed 18 Jan. 2017]. Daintith, J. (2009). information technology. In: A Dictionary of Physics, 6th ed. [online] Oxford University Press. Available at: https://www.oxfordreference.com/view/10.1093/acref/9780199233991.001.0001/acref-9780199233991 [Accessed 18 Jan. 2017]. information technology. (2000). In: FOLDOC - Computing Dictionary, 1st ed. [online] Denis Howe. Available at: https://foldoc.org/information%20technology [Accessed 18 Jan. 2017]. Loera, R. (2016). Won't let you in. [online] Play.google.com. Available at: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.mcdonalds.appreviewId=Z3A6QU9xcFRPRjQ3UlBIQzdCMW8yRm9jUGxSdlJfdkNGX2hPZmFMaExSVUUtc3U4a1NFZUNPNUgxVWdFSzlJenRZUHQyMHAwSTdWenFsT2sxd25YLVBZRXchl=en [Accessed 18 Jan. 2017]. Martin, B. (2016). 4 Tips for POS System Maintenance. [online] GREAT LAKES Computer Corporation. Available at: https://www.greatlakescomputer.com/blog/4-tips-for-pos-system-maintenance [Accessed 18 Jan. 2017]. Mcdonalds.com. (n.d.). McDonald's Menu: Our Full McDonald's Food Menu | McDonald's. [online] Available at: https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/full-menu.html [Accessed 18 Jan. 2017]. Miller, C. (2016). Latest Gartner data shows iOS vs Android battle shaping up much like Mac vs Windows. [online] 9to5Mac. Available at: https://9to5mac.com/2016/08/18/android-ios-smartphone-market-share/ [Accessed 18 Jan. 2017]. Requirement engineering Exercise the POS System solution. (2014). 1st ed. [ebook] SoftEng. Available at: https://softeng.polito.it/tongji/SE/ex/The-POS-system.pdf [Accessed 18 Jan. 2017]. Schlosser, E. (2001). Fast food nation. 1st ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin. Shin, N. (2003). Creating business value with information technology. 1st ed. Hershey, Pa.: Idea Group Pub., p.24. Taylor, K. (2016). The biggest change in fast food isn't about food - and it should terrify chains that can't keep up. [online] Business Insider. Available at: https://www.businessinsider.in/The-biggest-change-in-fast-food-isnt-about-food-and-it-should-terrify-chains-that-cant-keep-up/articleshow/52069320.cms [Accessed 18 Jan. 2017]. Expert Market US. (n.d.). What Point Of Sale System Does McDonald's Use?. [online] Available at: https://www.expertmarket.com/What-Point-Of-Sale-System-Does-McDonalds-Use [Accessed 18 Jan. 2017].