Agenda Setting Theory Of The United States Government And...

The United States government and its 300 million inhabitants participate in an on-going national discussion of important issues, occurrences, and values through many channels, including politics, interpersonal communication, and the mass media. How does a specific item gain or lose momentum in this discussion? Agenda Setting Theory attempts to describe the forces dictating the perceived importance (salience) of specific issues, occurrences, or values by individuals (McCombs Shaw, 1972, p. 177; Shaw, McCombs, Weaver, and Hamm, 1999, pp. 2-4). Agenda Setting Theory describes how the mass media affect the public salience of issues, especially those of political importance, through the prominence and style of reporting on those issues (McCombs Shaw, 1972, p. 177; Shaw et al., 1999, p. 14). The degree to which a person is vulnerable to the agenda-setting function of the mass media is related to need for orientation, or the degree to which one feels compelled to have an opinion on a subject. If one is uninformed on an issue of great interest, there is a greater vulnerability (Shaw et al., p. 10). An individual’s assessment of salience appears to be influenced by the degree of emotional reaction to a subject, with strong negative emotions indicating that an issue is of great importance (Miller, 2007, p. 712). Agenda Setting Theory maintains that the media provides an imperfect reflection of societal issues, often incorporating bias (McCombs Shaw, p. 184). For complexShow MoreRelatedRole of Media in Tourism9761 Wor ds   |  40 PagesPaper  Presented  at  the  4th  International  Institute  of  Peace  through   Tourism  (IIPT)  African  Conference  on  Peace  through  Tourism  at   Educators’  Forum,  Uganda  (Kampala).                        Organized  by  the  International  Institute  for  Peace  through  Tourism   (IIPT),  United  States  of  America  (USA),  Held  At  Serena  International   Hotel  and  Conference  Centre,  Kampala,  Uganda,  May  19†22,  2007            Abstract   The  objectives  are  :(1)  to  highlight  the  theoretical  or  conceptual  implications  of:  the  new   media   communication  Read MoreCultural Analysis of North Korea Essay12722 Words   |  51 PagesTable of Contents EXECUTIVE SUMMARY†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.4 INTRODUCTION†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...6 NORTH KOREA HISTORY†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...7 GEOGRAPHICAL SETTING†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦11 Figure 1 Geographic Map†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..11 ECONOMIC BACKGROUND†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦..14 Figure 2 United States GDP per Capita†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.16 Figure 3 North Korea GDP per Capita†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...17 POLITICAL AND LEGAL SYSTEMS†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦...21 EDUCATION AND LANGUAGE†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Read MoreOne Significant Change That Has Occurred in the World Between 1900 and 2005. Explain the Impact This Change Has Made on Our Lives and Why It Is an Important Change.163893 Words   |  656 PagesD421.E77 2010 909.82—dc22 2009052961 The paper used in this publication meets the requirements of the American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48-1992 Printed in the United States of America 2 4 6 8 9 7 5 3 1 C ONTENTS Introduction Michael Adas 1 1 World Migration in the Long Twentieth Century †¢ Jose C. Moya and Adam McKeown 9 †¢ 2 Twentieth-Century Urbanization: In Search of an Urban ParadigmRead MoreModern Banking19159 Words   |  77 Pagessituations, it is more proï ¬ table to use a ï ¬ rm structure than to rely on market forces. The existence of the ‘‘traditional’’ bank, which intermediates between borrower and lender, and offers a payments service to its customers, ï ¬ ts in well with the Coase theory. The core functions of a bank are more efï ¬ ciently carried out by a command organisational structure, because loans and deposits are internal to a bank. Such a structure is also efï ¬ cient if banks are participating in organised markets. These ideasRead MoreTransition from Socialism to Capitalism in Bosnia19426 Words   |  78 Pagesproved to be an obstacle to progress for the citizens of Bosnia. Although an independent country, Bosnia has been divided into two separate entities since the civil war in the nineties. Different feelings of nationality and different political agendas have raised many issues that the countr y is still struggling with. Bosnian diversity and certain individuals’ personal goals resulted in a very painful process of transition to democracy and free market economy. This transition is a processRead MoreAnnotated Bibliography: Plagiarism39529 Words   |  158 Pagesï » ¿Plagiarism Bibliography Buckwalter, J. A., Wright, T., Mogoanta, L. and Alman, B. (2012), Plagiarism: An assault on the integrity of scientific research. J. Orthop. Res., 30:  1867 1868. Granitz, N. and Loewy, D. (2007). Applying Ethical Theories: Interpreting and Responding to Student Plagiarism. Journal of Business Ethics, 72(3), 293-306. Luke, B. and Kearins, K. (2012), Attribution of words versus attribution of responsibilities: Academic plagiarism and university practice. Vaccine, 30(50):Read MoreManagement Course: Mba−10 General Management215330 Words   |  862 PagesEdition Reed−Lajoux and others . . . This book was printed on recycled paper. Management http://www.mhhe.com/primis/online/ Copyright  ©2005 by The McGraw−Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright Act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in a database or retrieval system, without prior written permission of the publisher. This McGraw−HillRead MoreOrganisational Theory230255 Words   |  922 Pages. Organization Theory Challenges and Perspectives John McAuley, Joanne Duberley and Phil Johnson . This book is, to my knowledge, the most comprehensive and reliable guide to organisational theory currently available. What is needed is a text that will give a good idea of the breadth and complexity of this important subject, and this is precisely what McAuley, Duberley and Johnson have provided. They have done some sterling service in bringing together the very diverse strands of workRead MoreProject Managment Case Studies214937 Words   |  860 Pagesof this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise, except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without either the prior written permission of the Publisher, or authorization through payment of the appropriate per-copy fee to the Copyright Clearance Center, Inc., 222 Rosewood Drive, Danvers, MA 01923, (978) 750-8400, fax (978)Read MoreExploring Corporate Strat egy - Case164366 Words   |  658 Pageswhich have been chosen to enlarge speciï ¬ c issues in the text and/or provide practical examples of how business and public sector organisations are managing strategic issues. The case studies which follow allow the reader to extend this linking of theory and practice further by analysing the strategic issues of speciï ¬ c organisations in much greater depth – and often providing ‘solutions’ to some of the problems or difï ¬ culties identiï ¬ ed in the case. There are also over 33 classic cases on the Companion

Essay English A Friend or Foe - 666 Words

Today English is the language of international law, international politics, business and diplomacy. Day by day more minor languages disappear, and English becomes more commonly used and global. Scholars argue about how globalization of English and bilingualism around the world would affect other languages and cultures. Most of my friends think that bilingualism and globalization of English will improve the lives of people around the world; however, the situation will only encourage competition and will lead to a survival of the fittest situation. Knowing English constitutes an advantage in the contemporary world. Modern Age made communities and nations come closer through advanced communication channels, and today world communities are†¦show more content†¦Expanding the use of English in other aspects of life will not be hard. People will not reject it since it is already in their lives. The globalization of English will continue, maybe at the same speed or maybe in an accelerating movement. Moreover, English is enhancing international communication in terms of channel usage. Globalization and the age of communication made it possible to reach farthest parts of the world. Internet, mobile phones and other means of mobile communication allow people to reach information whenever they want. However, one must know English to utilize these means of communications because English is the language of technology. 90 percent of the Internet is in English so if you do not know English you are missing 90 percent of the information. Moreover, most of the computer programs are developed for English speakers. An update for other languages takes long to be released. So if you do not know English, maybe you will fail to use a widely accepted computer program. Furthermore, means of mobile communication involves English, too. As a result, English had become the both the language of technology and communication, and made it possible for people from all around the world use channels of commu nication such as the Internet. English seems to be a friend of intercultural communication; however, it is a threat to non-English cultures. Globalization broughtShow MoreRelatedAnalysis Of The Poems My Heart 1400 Words   |  6 Pageslook up upon black, they exploit them, enslave them and oppress them. A black child tells us the story which his mother once told him that made him comes to know his own identity and to know God. Once he thought like this â€Å"White as an angel is the English child, But I am black, as if bereaved of light.† But he changes his idea after his mother told him the sense. I think his mother is a great mother that she gives William Black hope and gives him a lily-white childhood. And we are put on earth aRead MoreAnalysis of A Poison Tree Essay1370 Words   |  6 Pagesthe light to the darkness (from innocence to experience) by the repression of emotions. If one were to read the A Poison Tree on a strictly superficial level, it would be enough to understand the basic meaning: Speaker is mad at friend. Speaker talks to friend, is all better. Speaker is mad at enemy. Speaker says nothing, anger builds. Speakers anger blossoms. Enemy sees blossom (apple) and wants it for his own because it is the speakers. Apple is full of poison, enemy is dead. The endRead MoreAnimal Farm Character Analysis735 Words   |  3 Pageshis animals, just so long as he was on good terms with the humans. By the novel’s end, Napolean is great friends with every human in town. However, his animal slaves are no longer happy as they once were. They still hate humans which means now, they hate Napolean. So due to Napolean’s pride, the story has changed its ways from start to finish. He has turned friends into foe and foe into friends, but at great cost. In the novel, Animal Farm, by George Orwell, Comrade Napolean is a character whoseRead MoreAnalysis Of The Poem Porphyria s Lover By Robert Browning1959 Words   |  8 Pageswith a friend but they told their friend about their anger and their anger dissipated. However, when they became angry with a foe they did not tell their foe about their anger. They go on to give metaphors on how their anger grew over time by hiding it from their enemy and adding to it by increasing their grudge. The narrator claims about their anger that they â€Å"sunned it with smiles† (Blake 7) suggesting that their enemy did not even know that they were foes and possibly thought they were friends. ThenRead MorePost Traumatic Stress Disorder in Literature754 Words   |  3 Pagesthe war are very similar, and he feels very bad about what he had done. Whenever he returns home, Paul suffers from PTSD and has nightmares about that experience. When his friend Kat dies, Paul becomes even more depressed b ecause Kat was his best friend in the Great War. At one point in the book, he says, â€Å"Parting from my friend Albert Kropp was very hard. But a man gets used to that sort of thing in the army.† This shows how cut off from feeling Paul becomes. 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In Foe, Friday had no language to speak to Crusoe. The question is what is worse? Having no way to communicate, or taking away someone’s identity and culture to make them learn new ways? He may be able to communicate with his slave owner, but he will loseRead MoreThe Origins Of The World1513 Words   |  7 Pagesorigins in an existing word as a shortening or pidgin form with a slightly or, occasionally, even wholly altered meaning. Some are ancient and can trace their roots back practically to the dawn of man. Many have their origins in a language other than English having originated, perhaps, in France, Germany, Egypt, Rome, or even in the Nordic tradition to name but a few possibilities. According to the writers of the Merriam-Webster d ictionary, over one hundred and twenty languages have been used to formRead MoreA Poison Tree Analysis Essay977 Words   |  4 Pagesimpacts a tree if it is not provided the essentials. 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In The Adventures of Beowulf, the main character, a Geat warrior named Beowulf, possesses such qualities: â€Å"He was the strongest of men alive in

Madina For Finance And Investment Company †Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Madina For Finance And Investment Company? Answer Introduction Strategic planning is an activity that involves the whole organizations management team to strengthen operations, set priorities, focus energy and resources and ensure that all stakeholders are working towards a common goal. Strategic plan ensures that an organizations goals are well documented and communicated throughout the organization (Grant Jordan, 2015). Strategies have to be well managed to systematically coordinate and align the organizations resources with its mission, vision, objectives and values. Al-Madina Company is one of the leading companies in the Middle East, it is specialized in the provision of finance and investment activities. To maintain its competitive niche in the market, it should have strategies that enables it stay on top of the changing environment. According to Marketing Theory: Foundations, Controversy, Strategy, and Resource-advantage Theory, 2010, Strategic planning involves four basic steps: analysis of the available resources, target market and cap ital availability. The second step is strategy formulation, after a successful analysis, a road map should be put in place to create a coordination among the available resources. The third step is, strategy execution, it involves bringing the strategic plan into life and making it work according to the set rules and regulations. The last step is strategy evaluation, it is a continuous process of improvement of existing strategies to make them align with the ever-changing technology and consumer needs and services. Strategic plan for Al-Madina Company Al-Madina is a very successful company that deals with asset management, portfolio management, private equity investments, fund management, corporate finance and stock brokerage. The company has a great strategy this can be seen from its vision, mission, goals and values. From its vision statement, it is clear that the company intends to be a market leader with continuous distinctive services, innovations and improvement. The mission emphasizes on the achievement of a sustainable development of its activities in the sultanate and other nations. The goal of the company is to encourage positive competition among its employees and also to provide a positive working environment for the shareholders while growing their shareholder equity. This goal is straight forward, simple and easy to work with, it is motivating and engaging. The companys business strategy involves adaptation of latest technologies and a well distributed investment portfolio to manage the risks that might occur. This c ompany has a great value for its employees, it recognizes all the shareholders for their efforts to make the company grow. According, The strategies used by the company enables it to formulate policies that are effectively implemented within the company. Its respect for human values gives it a great ground to listen to its consumers and respond to them efficiently . Al-Madina has utilized SWOT analysis tool, this model enables the company come up with great strategies to help it gauge its ability to perform in Middle East. SWOT is a critical tool of analysis the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats that a company faces in the competitive market. Al-Madina is well aware of its market stronghold in the sultanate regions. It has opportunities of investing in other countries too which is done through effective strategic planning. This has helped the company know its customer base, critical long-range forecasts, its immediate competitors, industry performance, market consumption, product marketing, and the market environment. The company has been able to effectively implement its strategic investment plans throughout the sultanate regions because it has a great understanding of its SWOT model (Bryson, 2017). Strategic planning involves the utilization of key performance indicators, this tool has been utilized well by the Al-Madina company. The company has been to focus on its core competencies while flexibly implementing its strategies, determine its loopholes therefore improve performance output, and have a solid evidence of what goes wrong within its system. Key performance indicators enable the company to evaluate its competitive game plan in providing direct investments to various clients. This enables qualitative and quantitative medium-term targets and long-term targets to be strategically planned. Conclusion Strategic planning affects the overall performance of an organization. Strategic planning involves the analysis of goals and performance, competitive environment, and resources and capabilities in order to come up with the most relevant strategy to implement. Strategy should serve the interest of everyone involved in the organization, and that includes even the external stakeholders. Strategic planning offers analytical tools and techniques to help understand situations and the environment better, it offers a broader map for making clear decisions. Strategy creates value of the existing resources. References Bryson,J.M. (2017). Strategic planning for public and nonprofit organizations: A guide to strengthening and sustaining organizational achievement. Grant,R.M., Jordan,J.J. (2015). Foundations of Strategy, 2nd Edition. John Wiley Sons. Marketing Theory: Foundations, Controversy, Strategy, and Resource-advantage Theory. (2010). doi:10.4324/9781315702537 (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.almadinainvest.com

Affecting Consumer Behavior Toward China Children Toys

Question: Discuss about the Affecting Consumer Behavior Toward China Children Toys. Answer: Lego is one of the most reputed organizations known for having amused and nurtured the building as well as the motor skills of children all over the world. Legos reputation lies especially in the fact that it appeals to the children, and parents alike. While the children are attracted by the fact that the toys produced by Lego let them build their own creations, the parents are simply attracted by the educational purpose these toys serve (Moreau Engeset, 2016) .However, the growth of the organization has never been free from challenges, and in order to sustain itself in future, Lego must be able to evaluate the variety of strategic choices available to the company. Before developing the effective strategies necessary for Lego, a SWOT analysis will help in understanding the situation in a better way: SWOT Analysis of Lego: Strength It is not just a toy factory, but it serves to educate the children as well. Its educative value has a great appeal to the consumers. It has earned huge brand recognition across fifty five countries. The market is diversified, as it consists of video games, movies and merchandise. Good advertisement and promotional strategies. Weakness Huge competition from rival organizatons. The growing popularity of online games among the children. Opportunity Further product diversification for different age groups is beneficial. Lego can extend its production to other parts of the world, which are experienced in the manufacture of toys. Threat There is a huge lack of innovation. The organization can face huge competition from other low-cost toy products, as well as the new electronic products (Biancamaria et al., 2014). Issues: Although Lego has gained unprecedented popularity among the children, the organization has recently failed to retain its high position in the consumer market, and this would not have happened if the organization could keep on innovating itself with time. Definitely, the Lego brand has been introducing a variety of products, such as video games, jewelry sets as well as amusement parks, however, what went wrong was that it failed to keep its focus on the products, and needless to say it was taking haphazard business decisions. The discipline in the management system was totally missing. There are organizations such as Mega Blocs, which though are imitating the products of Lego, are offering the products at too cheap a price. Hence, these organizations, which are imitating the products of Lego, are using cheaper materials and yet attracting consumers (Koh et al., 2012). Besides, with the emergence of video games and the variety of free online games, children are losing interest in the t oys offered by Lego. Another emerging issue with Lego has been the organizations focus on a narrow target audience, as a result of which it is unable to gain the attention of a huge number of consumers. The organization has also been encountering a stiff competition from China, as the nation is much popular for its toy markets, which are also operating globally, and apart from the theme-based toys or traditional toys, educational toys are also popularly found in the market (Hawking, 2013). Analysis Robertson claimed that an organization, before introducing innovation must possess sufficient knowledge about what would be the direction of the innovation. Controlled innovation is highly important for an organization, and here in case of Lego, it can be seen that though it tried to introduce disruptive ideas in business, it failed to overlook the commercial gains for the sake of too much focus on creative ideas (Drucker, 2014). While the Lego group thought that it was enhancing its revenue through market diversification, the over diversification of the products made their business highly irrelevant and directionless (Power et al., 2016). Certain toy-manufacturing organizations are using the competitive pricing policy for selling their products, and hence the parents irrespective of the brand recognition, are getting attracted to their products, since they are reluctant to invest too much for a toy. The main target customers of Lego has been the children aged between 3 to 12 years, and though the organization has gradually diversified its products for manufacturing toys for toddlers and teens, it did not manufacture anything attractive that could gain the attention of the adults (McGraw et al., 2013). Decision: To make the business more sustainable in future, Lego must adopt innovative business ideas that will help in pushing the business forward. The organization must focus on a few products, very much relevant and meaningful in the toy- manufacturing business, instead of the theme parks and the apparels. The organization needs to shut down its theme parks, as it is very much capital intensive, and is hardly offering any lucrative returns to the owners. The organization has been tapping a huge number of franchises; however, before doing the same, the organization must have a strategic and well-integrated approach. Lego is losing market to the virtual games and other rival organizations and hence it is important to stick to the Lego movie concept. Further, the organization must adopt very effective promotional strategies, and the organization must keep on interacting with the consumers via social media platforms. Knowing the target market, broadening the market, and instead of diversifying too much, producing limited products for a wide range of consumers, is always a highly beneficial idea. The organization must come up with compelling online game ideas that can attract the consumers irrespective of age and sex. In addition, it should also introduce a few interesting, participatory games in the family fun category. The organization instead of setting up stores in China, should tie up with a popular Chinese toy-manufacturing organization. In order to bring consumer interest in the toys produced by Lego, it can not only take use of social media marketing strategy, but also can arrange competitions in schools, launching new or re-introducing existent products (Anh, 2014). Outcomes As and when the organization will stop its aggressive expansion, it will be able to focus much better on limited products, both in terms of production as well as promotion. Online gaming is achieving enormous popularity among the children of the present generation, and hence creating great graphics introducing fun and interesting games via online sites, can help in boosting the recognition of Lego. Strategic alliance with the famous Chinese companies can considerably help Lego in achieving greater recognition in the Chinese market, while also helping it acquire greater expertise necessary for serving the changing needs of the consumers. Reference list: Anh, V. N. (2014).Analysis factors affecting consumer behavior toward China children toys in Ho Chi Minh City(Doctoral dissertation, International University HCMC, Vietnam). Biancamaria, S., Lamy, A. and Mognard, N. (2014), May. Analysis of SWOT spatial and temporal samplings over continents. InEGU General Assembly Conference Abstracts(Vol. 16, p. 16904). Drucker, P. (2014).Innovation and entrepreneurship. Routledge. Hawking, S. (2013). Rebuild your childhood with ourLego brick competition.New Scientist,220(2948), 85. Koh, K.K., Choo, K.W.J. and Chong, K.C. (2012). Lego Challenge for competition project. McGraw, J. J., Wallot, S., Mitkidis, P., Roepstorff, A. (2014). Cultures building blocks: investigating cultural evolution in a LEGO construction task.Frontiers in psychology,5. Moreau, C. P., Engeset, M. G. (2016). The Downstream Consequences of Problem-Solving Mindsets: How Playing with LEGO Influences Creativity.Journal of Marketing Research,53(1), 18-30. Powers, C., Spear, R., Wood, D., Harish, A. (2016). The Re-designed Lego.

Movie Review Coco Essay Example

Movie Review: Coco Essay Few film production companies could imagine that an animated film with death as its center would appeal to a wide audience. The question posed at the heart of Coco, the latest Pixars film is if a person can honor his family along with pursuing his dreams. The film whirls around an aspiring 12-year-old Mexican boy Miguel Rivera (voiced by Anthony Gonzalez) who dreams of becoming a musician, against the fact that his family proscribed music after his great-great-grandfather left his family for music. Despite the familys hatred for music, Miguel covertly plays guitar and covets to become a popular musician like Ernesto De La Cruz. On Dia de Muertos(Day of the Dead), Miguel fights with his family about performing in a local music talent show, which doesnt go well with music-loathing Riveras and especially his abuelita (voiced by Renee Victor), who gets agitated and smashes Miguels guitar like a pinata. After fighting with his family, Miguel finds himself a guitar in the tomb of his idol, Ernesto De La Cruz(voiced by Benjamin Bratt), a well-known musician. Without realizing a thing, Miguel robs a guitar from the crypt and plays it, which gets him transported to the Land of the Dead. The films about how he returns back to the world of the living and his adventures in the land of the dead. Stunning visuals with sophisticatedly ordered and intensely striking storytelling being the trademarks of the best movies of Pixar Animation Studios, Coco will also thrill the audience with Pixars usual verve and style. The land of the dead with skeletons walking and talking with a glaze of fluorescent flower petals paved upon the streets is visually appealing. This whole imaginative journey in the land of the dead is full of mindblowing sights and creatures which is worth getting lost in. The brilliant, colorful visuals and a mysterious chain of adventures that happen throughout the film is what makes Coco interesting like other Disney-Pixar films. We will write a custom essay sample on Movie Review: Coco specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Movie Review: Coco specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Movie Review: Coco specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

Is the College Board Mismanaging the AP Program

Is the College Board Mismanaging the AP Program SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips The College Board AP program is commonly viewed as the gold standard of curriculum for high school students. An AP class is meant to replicate the experience of an introductory college course, and high scores on AP exams can potentially lead to college credit. Students often take AP classes to impress colleges with their academic prowess in high school. But how is the program doing overall? Are students really benefiting that much? In this article, I'll discuss the College Board's management of the AP program over time and how its positive and negative aspects affect students nationwide. History of the AP Program The College Board AP program is now comprised of 38 courses that span a variety of different subject areas including the arts, sciences, math, world language and culture, English, and the humanities.The popularity of AP classes and exams has grown rapidly over time.Nearly 4.5 million AP tests were administered in 2015to 2.5 million students at 21,594 schools across the country.The program began in the 1950s following concerns about the transition between high school and college-level work. Several studies were conducted through the Fund for the Advancement of Education, which recommended that high schools and colleges work together to avoid repeating coursework and allow high school students to advance more quickly when appropriate.It was suggested that exams be administered that would give students the ability to earn college credit while still in high school. A study by a group called the Committee on Admission with Advanced Standing devised a plan for high schools to implement college-level curriculum in certain classes.Educators and administrators from colleges were recruited to help with the formulation of appropriate standards that colleges would deem acceptable as a basis for granting credit to high school students. The first AP pilot program began in 1952 with courses in 11 different subjects.In the school year of 1955-56, the College Board took over the administration of the program, and it was officially named the College Board Advanced Placement Program.In the 1960s, the College Board expanded the mission of the program to include teacher training for AP classes; many teachers responded well to this and felt it was a step forward for their careers. In the next couple of decades, more and more high schools began adding AP classes to their curriculum (over 5,000 schools by 1980).The College Board also added other parts to the AP program to help teachers standardize curriculum across grade levels and prepare younger students to take on high school and college, including Pre-AP and AP Vertical Teams. Now, AP courses and exams are considered to be the highest standard of secondary school education by most colleges. Students can generally earn college credit by scoring 3s, 4s, or5s on the exams, though the exact requirements vary byschool. I can't wait to go to the Sock Hop after my AP Test! The College Board's Management of the AP Program The goal of the AP program has always been to challenge advanced high school students and prepare them for college academics.This is a great idea, but the program is not without its flaws.I’ll go over a few of the issues with AP and its management by the College Board along with some positive steps the College Board has taken to improve the program. Positive Aspects of the College Board AP Program Over the years, the College Board has promoted favorable research studies on the AP program that show its effectiveness in helping students prepare for and succeed in college. In expanding the program to more and more schools, the College Boardaims to give all students who are academically prepared the ability to take college-level classes in high school, no matter their socioeconomic status. The College Board works to identify students who have the potential to succeed in AP courses and makes an effort to bring the program to their high schools to give them more opportunities. In its 10th Annual Report to the Nation on the AP program, the College Board cites research that has shown high AP scores to be reliable predictors of success in college. Students who score 3s or higher on AP exams tend to earn higher college GPAs, perform better in follow-up college courses in the same disciplines, and are more likely to graduate college within five years than students who don't take APs. The College Board has also taken positive steps to respond to feedback and improve courses that may need revamping. It continually collects data from universities to ensure that all courses include information that's in step with the latest research and reflects introductory college material. The design of the courses and exams is a collaboration between college faculty members and AP teachers. In the next couple of years, the College Board will implement changes to a number of AP subject areas including AP Calculus and AP World History. It also plans to add more courses to the AP program to expand its reach and give students more opportunities. The College Board is conscious of other issues with the program, including racial and socioeconomic achievement gaps. It has extensively documented states' progress in closing these gaps and has advised school districts on strategies to combat these issues, including reducing the financial burden of AP classes by lowering or eliminating fees for students who qualify, providing more support to AP teachers, establishing strong fundamentals in younger grades, and encouraging students who show potential to take AP classes. This is important to keep in mind while reading the next sections; though I will list some negatives of the program, the College Board is taking steps towards fixing many of its issues. The College Board is open to changes to the AP program to make it more effective. You'll get your way this time, sentient clouds. NegativeAspects of the College Board AP Program In recent years, somestudies have emerged that dispute the value of the AP program.Though the tests are consistent and do provide some value (especially in math and science subjects), the AP courses themselves lack consistency.Teacher training resources are loosely provided, but the methods and quality of teaching in AP classes are not standardized across the board. Most criticism of the AP program is aimed at itsrapid expansion into unprepared schools.The College Board’s goal is to get as many students to take AP classes and tests as possible, but the College Board's measures of student readiness are not always accurate, so this often leads to students taking classes that they can't handle. Pushing the AP program into more and more schools also costs millions in federal and state money, which goes towards subsidizing exam fees for low-income students and promoting the classes.With a large percentage of students failing the exams, thisinvestment of money and time is potentially very wasteful. The overall pass rate for AP exams in 2012 was only 57 percent, with 22 percent of exams earning 1s (the lowest possible score). The pressure to incorporate AP programs at low-income schools may cause these schools to make ill-advised decisions to bring in the programs at the expense of more basic student needs.A small subset of students may get a better educational experience, but it can lead to worse outcomes for other students not participating in the program. There is also little evidence to suggest that taking AP classes helps students to save money on college or graduate early.Few students will earn enough AP credits to cover a full semester of college, and many colleges only use AP scores to place students out of introductory courses without giving them actual credits.Evidence does point to greater success in college by students who take AP classes, but these students are also self-selected as the most driven and tend to attend wealthier high schools. It’s debatable the role that the AP program itself plays in student success when it’s combined with so many other factors.In certain studies, when these factors have been controlled for, the advantages supposedly conferred by AP classes completely disappear.The College Board's efforts to expand the AP program to disadvantaged students might be beneficial in theory, but in reality many schools could use help on improving their current curriculum before adding AP.Even at high-performing schools, the rush to take as many AP classes as possible for students’ transcripts has made these classes more of a symbolic marker of achievement than an important educational milestone. I’ll give more details on main criticisms of the program in the next section. If there's a shaky foundation, it's hard to succeed at a higher level. The AP Cairns curriculum has a lot of flaws. Biggest Criticisms of the AP Program Some criticisms of the AP program emerged in tandem with the immense growth in participating schools.With increased competition in college admissions, the merits of AP classes are a point of contention for educators at both the high school and college levels.I’ll give a basic rundown of the most common criticisms here. You can read more about these issues by consulting this article, which goes into greater detail on major problems with the AP Program. Criticism #1: Reinforcement of Education Inequality Students from wealthier school districts get better scores on AP tests because they are better prepared and have a better support system.Well-funded schools have more success at implementing AP programs overall.Since colleges often consider AP scores and students’ record of taking AP classes in the admission process, lower income students are put at even more of a disadvantage as the AP program continues to perpetuate existing inequalities. Althoughthe College Board is proud of its initiatives to bring AP classes to low-income schools, these schools have a hard time implementing AP programs effectively.Fewer students pass AP tests at low-income schools.All of this simply reinforces the current state of affairs in education; poor students fall farther behind, and wealthy students get farther ahead. If the AP Program really wants to help prepare all students for college academics, it may have to provide extra support to teachers and students in low-income schools.Some colleges have already stopped considering APs as a significant factor in admissions decisions partially because of these issues with unfairness and inconsistency in course quality. The AP program might make existing inequalities even more significant. Criticism #2: Superficial Learning Experiences AP classes cover a lotof ground in a short period of time, and some educators argue that this creates a surface-level exploration of each subject that doesn’t always teach students vital critical thinking skills.Many AP classes force students to do a lot of memorization, and they can't compete with the depth of real college courses. It's impossible for teachers to delve into a subject extensively when they have to cover so much material, so classes can end up just skimming over the tops of important concepts. This is partially an issue with the fundamental structure of classes, but it can sometimes be overcome through the influence of a great teacher at a well-funded school. Unfortunately, teaching quality and availability of resources is inconsistent. Even though the College Board has worked to emphasize hands-on learning and inquiry over drilling of facts, variableteacher capabilities and limited school resources can make thisswitch difficult.Underfunded schools may not have lab facilities that will accommodate new requirements in AP science classes.Teachers also may not be able to adapt easily to new methods of instruction if they don’t receive extensive training. While AP classes teach students many of the same facts that they would learn in an introductory college course, they have a ways to go in teaching analytical skills at the college level.As I mentioned above, there is now a rush amonghigh-achieving students to take as many AP classes as possible, which leads to further degradation of the learning experience. Students are stretching themselves too thin just to look good for elite colleges. Too much AP toast for a limited supply of brain peanut butter. Criticism #3: Program Growth and Achievement Growth Mismatch The AP program takes pride in its growth over the years, but the vast increase in the number of schools offering the program has come with a corresponding increase in failing test scores. Some critics arguethat the AP program has reached a point of â€Å"diminishing returns.† As AP programs expand rapidly, schools that don’t have as many resources struggle to keep pace. Many new AP programs at low-income schools lack the proper support and guidance, and this has led to more failing test scores.There are some schools where no student earns even a 3 on an AP test, the minimum qualifying score. This was the case at four high-poverty high schools in Washington, D.C. in 2013.Teachers are pushed into the program without proper training and resources, and, again, federal money is spent on introducing AP while neglecting more basic issues of educational inequality. The AP program has taken some wrong turns. Conclusion The AP program has been around since the 1950s, and in recent years it has expanded rapidly to administer millions of tests to students in high schools across the country.As the program has gained popularity, however, its effectiveness has been called into question.The College Board stands by the AP program, maintaining that it is the best way for advanced students to get a head start on college course material and bridge the academic gap between high school and college. While students who do well in AP classes also tend to perform well in college, this is could be the result of other corresponding factors.Students who take many APs are usually more driven overall, and they often attend well-funded high schools.Criticisms of the AP program include its reinforcement of the divide between rich and poor students in the college admissions process, the superficiality of its curriculum, and the increased test failure rates with the expansion of the program into more and more schools.It remains unclear how the AP program will change in the future, but if it continues to expand, hopefully the College Board will revise its curriculum and policies to help all students get more out of their AP experiences. What's Next? You've probably heard about both AP exams and SAT Subject Tests, but you might not know the exact differences between the two. Read this article to find out which type of test is more important for your college applications. Are you still planning out your schedule for upcoming school years? Learn how to register for AP tests and classes at your high school. If you're unsure whether the AP program is a worthwhile use of your time, check out this guide to learn if you should really take AP classes. Want to improve your SAT score by 240 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Reflection Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words - 2

Reflection - Essay Example The accent has to be on what one has learnt measured against the outcomes for that particular course. This forms the basis for the paper and what I have learnt as far as the requirements for the degree are concerned. As I reflect on the learning’s and the way in which the course has been taught, I feel that the course has equipped me with several skills that can be used in any real world setting. Apart from the theoretical foundations of what I have learnt, the practical skills that I have picked up would stand me in good stead. The course outcomes are geared towards preparing us for positions of leadership in educational and non-profit sectors with the expectation that we would be able to fulfill the roles in these sectors to the satisfaction of the stakeholders. As with any program that prepares students for managerial roles, the learning outcomes for this degree are tailored in such a way so as to equip us with analytical and problem solving skills. That is the bottom line requirement for this course and one that I hope I have mastered to a certain extent. This particular outcome relates to the analysis and use of data about the student community in decision making and its subsequent use by the teachers in forming opinions and perceptions of the students that they teach. The outcomes from this course for me have been training in researching data about students and applying them to aid in decision making. I have benefited enormously from this particular outcome as the course taught me to bridge the gap between theory and practical application. The gap between theory and practice has to be bridged and one can aspire to be a leader in any field only when they have successfully mastered the art of applying theory to real world scenarios. I have learnt to use several models of decision making and the inputs that go into each of them along with the necessary tools that aid them. As I have mentioned before, applying research data to real world models