The A-Team Essay Example

The A-Team Essay The science of categorising behavioural style started with the ancient Greek physician Hippocrates in 400 BC who recognised that we could be described as fitting into one of four temperament styles. This century, behavioural theory has been used to develop self-assessment tests that aim to provide an insight into our behavioural tendencies.Over the past twenty years organisations have espoused these self-assessment instruments into their human resources tool kit(De Dreu et al. 2001). Over the last two decades I have predominantly worked in a team oriented environment within the construction industry. I have had roles that required me to both lead and follow the lead of others. In my experience I have seen examples of teams working well together and teams not working well together. I feel as though good team dynamics at work are recognisable and intuitive beyond any theoretical explanation.This is the first time I have ever considered the behavioural aspects of team dynamics and how m y personality factors in. Personality cohesion is essential to the effectiveness and efficiency of a team. The purpose of this report is to better understand myself and others in a work team context, by exploring self-assessment tools and reflecting on the relevant literature I hope to discover more about my potential as a leader. 2. Self-Assessment using Self-Assessment Exercise The self-assessment tools I selected were: 1. DiSC Personal Profile SystemThe DiSC behaviour model is based on research by William Moulton Marston, in his book Emotions of Normal People. The word DiSC is an acronym of the four primary dimensions of behaviour as described by Marsden: * Dominance * Influence * Steadiness * Conscientiousness THE DiSC assessment tool is currently used in my workplace to assist management in developing effective work teams and also to help individuals improve their relationship and communication skills. I chose the DiSC test because I am interested in developing my own self-awar eness.It is important to note that I was asked to answer the question (Assessment input) within the context of my current role and to reflect on the results in terms of that role. I found the results of this test to be informative. There were three different stages to the results of the test. The first result identified that my own strength was in Steadiness, I was provided with descriptions based on how the behavioural dimension of Steadiness is characterised. The second stage to the DiSC test was the dimensional intensity index, indicating numerically the scale to which I was awarded within the context of each of the behavioural dimension.Thirdly, the last stage of the test was related to a classic profile pattern, integrating my results from the four different behavioural dimension intensity indices and placing me into one of eighteen different classic profile patterns. I think the classic profile pattern attributed to me (practitioner) is accurate for my current role as I am cur rently employed as a technical officer. For example, I value proficiency in a specialised area; I’m motivated by being good at something; I have unrealistic expectations of others at times.It came as a surprise that the test indicated my goals were personal growth and that I fear not being recognised as an expert. 2. Dutch Test for Conflict Handling I chose this test because I believe the way we handle conflict in the workplace has a significant impact on how effective we are in our role within the organisation. I was interested in finding out about how I handle conflict in the workplace so I could look to improving or better managing my weaknesses and leverage of my strengths.The Dutch Test for Conflict Handling is a self-estimate test which allows you to estimate the extent to which you prefer to use each of the five conflict handling styles: * yielding * compromising * forcing * problem solving * avoiding The evaluation scale for this test was developed from research done by CARSTEN K. W. DE DREU et al (De Dreu et al. 2001). The format for the assessment is comprised of twenty questions asking how one handles different aspects of conflict. The results are in the form of a scale for each of the five conflict handling styles.The scale estimates the extent to which you prefer each of the styles and compares you to a range of scores from a sample. The results of my test showed me that my most preferred conflict handling style is Problem Solving, as most of the conflicts in my current role are technical in nature I can see how preferring this approach would be the most beneficial. I also scored high in the yielding style which also fits the type of work I do, often after exploring the issues I can see if in this instance, another’s oint of view is a more appropriate technical solution and I will agree with them. Though these two approaches work well for technical issues I face in my current role, as I progress in my career, to higher management I n otice the nature of conflict becoming more complex. I will need to consider how I might develop skills that enhance my ability in the areas of compromising rather than yielding. 3. Overview of relevant literature According to the Wall Street Journal, the use of self-assessment tests are becoming more prevalent in today’s business world.Self- assessment tests measure intangible behavioural and emotional dimensions as leadership tools. Lopez says that emotional intelligence enables leaders to regulate their emotions so as to cope effectively with stress and adjust to organizational changes (N Lopes et al. 2006). The recognition for the future benefits of applying this theory of self-assessment is evident through the employment of these tests in business schools, now measuring and reviewing Emotional Intelligence Quotient as part of the application process for new enrolments, in an attempt to identify future stars (Korn 2013).Cangas establishes that members of organizations who participate in the process of self-assessment are likely to develop a deeper understanding of the fundamental principles of continual improvement and an increased motivation to participate in subsequent improvement activities (Cangas 1996). Continual improvement is defined as an ongoing effort to improve products, services, or processes. McKenna et al adds that there is a perception that significant benefits are achieved in organisations where managers understand the emotional intelligence of their employees.They write that the benefits are better hiring; career planning; job placement; as well as enhanced collaboration and teamwork; better communication; more effective conflict resolution; increased job satisfaction and morale; improved meeting effectiveness; and overall improvement in team and organizational performance. They do, however, go on to explain that very little empirical research has been conducted to support the link between understanding emotional intelligence and the outlined benefits. McKenna, Shelton, and Darling 2002). Other research indicates that there is an important link between effective team leadership and self-awareness. Sosik et al suggests that self-awareness supports a leader’s translation of purpose and meaning, turning obstacles into invigorating challenges for employers (Sosik and Megerian 1999). Following this Mayer et al claims self-awareness may help leaders to better â€Å"hear† the emotional implications of their own thoughts and the feelings on others (Mayer and Geher 1996).In the article a meta-analytical review of the relationship between emotional intelligence and leaders’ constructive conflict management by Schlaerth et al. It is proposed that, the ability to accurately perceive and manage our own emotions enables one to develop the capabilities required for understanding the perspectives of others. In the context of organisational behaviour, it is theoretically linked to positively impacting on th e rest of the team. (Schlaerth, Ensari, and Christian 2013).Technical knowledge is all too often the deciding factor when assessing the criteria of team members in the selection process. Hiring decisions are typically based on candidates’ work experiences, skills, and knowledge, termination decisions are more often a result of individuals’ behaviours (Wagner 2000). According to McKenna et al It is widely believed that teams whose members have diverse behavioural styles – for example introverts and extroverts, thinkers and feelers, people who are highly assertive and those who are less assertive – will be more effective than teams whose members lack such diversity of styles.It is also commonly believed that work groups whose individuals are aware of and respect one another’s diverse behavioural styles tend to experience improved communication and higher morale, and that individuals whose work environments most closely align with their behavioural st yles tend to be more satisfied. However they go on to say that little research has been done that demonstrates statistically significant differences between organisations that us self-assessment instruments compared with those that do not (McKenna, Shelton, and Darling 2002).Following this we could ask, is the self-assessment test the most appropriate way to achieve this self-awareness? According to Dunning et al one of the problems with using data provided from self-assessment tools is, in general, peoples self-views hold only a tenuous to modest relationship with their actual behaviour and performance. The correlation between self-ratings of skill and actual performance in many domains is moderate to meagre indeed, at times, other peoples predictions of a persons outcomes prove more accurate than that persons self -predictions.They go on to say that peoples general evaluations of their skills and character such as whether they are good leaders or verbally skilled tend not to be tethered very tightly to objective performances in tasks that should reflect those skills and character traits and, when people offer specific predictions about how they will behave in a particular future situation, they make predictions that differ systematically from their actual behaviour when that situation arrives. (Dunning, Heath, and Suls 2004).Rather than behavioural diversity and self-assessment Hackman proposes that the keys to developing effective teams, lies in five conditions that leaders of companies and other organizations must fulfil in order to create and maintain effective teams: 1. Teams must be real. People have to know who is on the team and who is not. It’s the leader’s job to make that clear. 2. Teams need a compelling direction. Members need to know, and agree on, what they’re supposed to be doing together. Unless a leader articulates a clear direction, there is a real risk that different members will pursue different agendas. 3.Teams ne ed enabling structures. Teams that have poorly designed tasks, the wrong number or mix of members or fuzzy and unenforced norms of conduct invariably get into trouble. 4. Teams need a supportive organization. The organizational context – including the reward system, the human resource system, and the information system – must facilitate teamwork. 5. Teams need expert coaching. Most executive coaches’ focus on individual performance, which does not signi? cantly improve teamwork. Teams need coaching as a group in team processes – especially at the beginning, midpoint, and end of a team project (Hackman 2002).In an article titled â€Å"Why Teams Dont Work†, J. Richard Hackman elaborates in an interview setting ‘that people generally think that teams that work together harmoniously are better and more productive than teams that don’t but in a study we conducted on symphonies, we actually found that grumpy orchestras played together slight ly better than orchestras in which all the musicians were really quite happy’. (Coutu and Beschloss 2009). This could possibly suggest that conflict mightn’t necessarily be a bad thing in teams. 4. Applications and limitationsAs the use of self-assessment tests increase. Managers need to be aware of the limitations associated with the tests. The lack of research that supports the benefits of self-assessment tests suggests there is a danger that poorly designed assessment programs could have a negative impact on the organisation. Self-assessment tests can give us an insight into how we might be behaving in the work place; how we are perceived by others, what our strengths and weakness might be and how we fit into the organisation and its objectives.They give us an insight (if we let them) into some of the less attractive of our behavioural styles that we might normally ignore. It is important to develop strategies to increase the objectiveness of the self-assessment res ults. These may include, understanding the limitations of our ability to accurately self-assess and including controls such as peer assessment comparison and the careful selection of well-designed self-assessment tests. Tests should be effective at getting to the objective truth about ones behavioural style.Once we have categorised our behavioural styles and understand the behavioural styles of our co-workers we can begin to develop strategies that maximise opportunities and strengths and mitigate weaknesses or threats, for example if my primary dimension of behaviour has been recognised as being â€Å"dominance† I might be well placed to deal quickly to critical incidents but may lack the tact to be able to negotiate with someone who likes to avoids conflict.This point leads to how self-assessment can be useful in the development and management of effective teams. If the results of team self-assessments are used to identify team constraints early on in a team’s develo pment, managers can proactively implement strategies to manage problems caused by clashing personality and make better use of the identified group strengths. When hiring new staff for existing or new team roles we traditionally base the selection criteria on the hard skills such as qualifications and work experience.It may be beneficial to create a behavioural profile that would best suit the role. In addition to creating a position description the behavioural profile for the job would highlight how a new team member might contribute to the behavioural diversity of a team. For example a software development project team that is made up of conscientious task oriented software engineers may benefit more by employing someone who is a goal orientated communicator. Understanding the context of peoples behavioural styles can help in developing work teams.A recent team assessment done in my work place, using the DiSC Personal Profile System found that a particular department who were under performing had an overwhelming number of team members that fitted into the â€Å"steadiness† behavioural dimension. The results of the assessment were interpreted not as evidence that the team lacked ability to demonstrate behavioural diversity, but the department’s policy and procedures prevented all but a few senior staff members from making decisions or taking risks.Subsequently an intuitive to redefine some of key positions in the team to include the delegated authority over decisions has improved the performance of this team. 5. Conclusion Self-assessment is an important step towards self-enhancement and self-improvement. Organisations can benefit from self-assessment programs especially in the areas of team development and recruitment. It is important that these programs are well designed so as to overcome our tendencies to distort their results. The results of these programs can transform work teams and individuals by identifying possible limitations and potenti al opportunities.

buy custom Captivating Nursing Essay Examples on Public Health Nursing

buy custom Captivating Nursing Essay Examples on Public Health Nursing Nursing Essay Example on Development in the Field of Nursing Development in the Field of Nursing Health care spending consumes a significant proportion of the national budget. As a result, good management practices should be part of providing cost-effective care to the community. The nursing profession is effective in providing primary care to the community. Even though the practice dates to the 19th century, its significance emerged in the previous decade as a result of changing demographics and global environment. It compliments health care policies through comprehensive nursing assessment, monitoring progress and early intervention. Additionally, it facilitates referrals and social support services such as education to promote self-reliance among people at risk. It combines biophysical, psychological, social knowledge and experience to develop capacity in health care provision. Therefore, the role of public health nursing is changing from contemporary generalist services to specialized and advanced roles in dealing with shifts in demographics, sociological and cultural factor s that affect the health of the community.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde - Essay Example He lives life like a trapped bird, because society expects him to be good in actions and attitudes. Dr. Jekyll chooses to be a good person, the perfect Victorian model that Evangelicals are proud of. Inside, however, he battles his Id that he has contained too much. He does not give in to his selfish desires, such as by doing philanthropic work, and as a consequence, his subconscious learns to love selfish and lethal desires. Soon, his appearance gives way to the inner self. The inner self, when it breaks free, becomes wild and strong. Dr. Jekyll turns to Mr. Hyde, the full expression of his innermost desires. This paper shows that when the inner self is fully imprisoned though appearance, it will be repressed, but not forever; and when it is released, it will destroy the humanity of a person. Wendy Perkins, in â€Å"Critical Essay on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,† examines the role of the ideologies, utilitarianism and Evangelicalism, in shaping Victorian England during the ninete enth century. These ideologies opposed each other and affected the context of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Perkins stress that these ideologies forced people to choose between being hedonistic and being moral, which are both extremes that do not do the soul and identity any good at all. She argues that through this novel, Robert Louis Stevenson criticizes Victorian society. Dr. Jekyll would not have created an evil alter ego, Mr. Hyde, if he had enough channels to express his â€Å"desires.† Perkins uses the characters of Utterson and Enfield to describe what norms should be during Victorian times. Utterson represents the â€Å"human side that refuses to condemn others.† Perkins is saying that if people did not focus on being good alone, then freedom of expression has been more tolerated, if not widely promoted. Enfield has the â€Å"same temperament as Utterson.† He stands for moderation in attitudes and behaviors. Utterson and Enfield shame Evangelicals and utilit arians who focus on their own goals and values. These characters are examples of tolerance and moderation that utilitarianism and Evangelicalism lacked. Perkins argues that society has made it harder for people to balance their conflicting desires. Utilitarianism justifies the creation of Mr. Hyde, since he enables Dr. Jekyll to fully express his desires, even evil ones. Utilitarianism says that it is right to pursue pleasure and eliminate pain. Mr. Hyde provides pleasure, though not in the normal kind. He makes Dr. Jekyll feel free to be whoever he wants to be. Dr. Jekyll also uses the â€Å"duplicity† of his characters to balance his conflicting urges and norms. Evangelicalism, however, compels Dr. Jekyll to kill himself, since he can no longer control Mr. Hyde. As a result, the ending satisfies Victorian norms. In the end, Dr. purifies the world from the existence of a malignant tumor like Mr. Hyde. Perkins stresses that utilitarianism and Evangelicalism are two extreme id eologies that pushed Dr. Jekyll to create Mr. Hyde. These ideologies do not promote sobriety and do not help people balance their different needs and interests. Perkins emphasizes that it is important for people to have a sense of balance in their lives, or else, they will also produce their Mr. Hyde, who cannot be controlled anymore. In â€Å"The Prisonhouse of my Disposition,† Daniel Wright explores that duplicity is not the main goal of Dr. Jekyll. He contends that such analyses are superficial and incomplete. He presents a psychological view of the novel, where the double

MIles Davis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

MIles Davis - Essay Example Through his fight, he brought a wide range of stylistic innovations into jazz and becoming a very influential musician of the twentieth century and an iconic symbol in jazz music. Miles Davis was born in 1926 in Alton, Illinois, and from his very childhood he experienced prejudices and oppression, which then had a significant influence on both his personality and music. He got his first musical instrument from his uncle and received lessons from friends of his father. The latter was pro-African American activist, was actively involved in politics and, perhaps even unintentionally, instilled the sense of fight for equality into his children. When Davis’ family moved to a white community, the boy experienced hatred, violence and inequality not only in the streets but at school as well (Miles). In his autobiography, Miles, the musician mentions taking part in numerous musical competitions held at school and losing them to white peers. Such inequality had an important influence on Miles future career because, as he states in his book, â€Å"if I hadn’t met that prejudice I probably wouldn’t have has as much drive in my work† (12). 1944 was the year when Miles Davis emerged on the scene in New York for the first time. It was the time when revolution in jazz music was on its way. Davis participated in that revolution against racial injustice and commercialism in music; he was not a leader in it though. He spent that period of his career under the watchful eye of Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, and Charlie Parker, who influenced his bebop style as he learned it by playing alongside with them. Davis worked with the Parker quintet, and that very period in his life appeared to be remarkable for his style as he perfected his performance and worked up his personal approach to play difficult rhythms and melodic lines (Miles). This period of his career can be called the romantic

Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words - 4

Assignment Example It also makes them aware of the expectations and challenges that they are likely to meet in a particular job environment and guide them how to tackle the difficult situations on their own. All this has made this field essential for the students and organizations. In this study, the researcher has observed that a positive application of career counseling is in the rehabilitation of the ex-felons. Ex-felons or ex-criminals are the people who are responsible for some murder, theft, fraud or such crimes in the past, and having completed their sentenced period they want to move in the right lawful directions. However, it is noted that, these ex-offenders face problems in re-entering the society, in finding jobs and even in getting settled somewhere easily. The society does not accept them, the employers do not trust them and people do not want to see them around (Patton, & McMahon, 2006). As a result they not only face psychological complications due to frustration and depression, but the y are also forced to cope with the financial problems by themselves. To help such people, halfway houses are established that not only provide them with monitored shelter and support, but also therapy and guidance, including career counseling. These residences act as 24 hours treatment lodgings that keep a complete record about the deeds of each individual, and keep an eye on each of them for further development. The researcher believes that the role of a career counselor in a halfway house is really challenging. He not only has to guide the persons for the right choice of the career, but he will have to assist them in achieving trust of their employers and in maintaining righteous behavior. Therefore the researcher is going to plan a counseling course for the ex-felons at a halfway house. OBJECTIVES The objective of this project is to map out such a course to career counsel the ex-felons at halfway houses that: 1. Is practical and applicable 2. Can ensure that the ex-law-breakers f eel obliged to continue on their righteous path after the sentence and get settled for a normal life 3. Provides the individuals in question with sense of security and satisfaction in their working environments For this purpose the researcher has selected a halfway house that is accommodating 23 ex-cons (all males) whose crimes range from illegal merchandise and fraudulent to murder in anger. LITERATURE REVIEW Career counseling revolves around three basic variables: Work, Worker and Working Environment (Chappell, Di, & Labour, 2000). The disturbance in any of these may cause imbalance in the whole work plan. Therefore the researcher has based his project around these three essential variables. The individual or worker is quite important as he proves to be an important factor in the failure of a particular working deal. According to Frank Parsons’ tripartite model (2008), the worker should know and understand his own self (his aptitude and potential), job requirement, and then he should select a particular career logically. Therefore, the researcher has made it his first priority to counsel the persons about their wants in accordance to their needs. These needs do not include only the basic needs of food, shelter and security, rather he has suggested his personal inclination too, so that to make work an attractive and interesting to do. The interaction between the worker and his working environment also triggers specific behaviors that lead to progress or destruction.

House prices in uk

House prices in uk Introduction According to a new study from Halifax one of the largest mortgage lenders. House prices in UK have beaten inflation over the past 50 years. It says that have risen 273% between 1959 and 2009 an average of 2.7% annually. But if measured by current prices, its uneven. The fastest growth was from 1999 to 2009 by 5% and in previous decade i.e. from 1989 and 1999, price fall by 24%. The rising price was on these years i.e. 1971-73, 1977-80, 1985-89 and the highest price was in 1998 and 2007. The study also noted that coincided with a very strong increase in owner occupation of homes. In 1961, only 43% of households owned the homes in which they lived by 2008 that had risen to 68%. The strongest rise in owner occupation rates occurred in the 1980s. The proportion that is privately rented also fell sharply over the past 50 years from 33% in 1961 to 14% in 2008. www.ft.com cited on 21/02/10. Demand And Supply Of Housing The comparison of prices in local and regional housing markets is an example of microeconomics. Lets see the interaction between buyer and seller with prices being offered and agreed before a final transaction is made. The transaction for house in UK depends upon a) The price that the seller is willing to agree for their property with prospective buyer. b) The actual price that the buyer is willing and able to pay. Buyers place offers for a property that the seller can either accept or reject. A Sellers Market When there is demand in a market for housing and short of good quality property i.e. means the supply is scarce. A Buyers Market When demand for good quality and bad quality property is weak than there should some offer or can negotiate the price than its published price. When the demand for houses in a particular area increases (perhaps because of an inflow of population into the area, or a rise in incomes following a fall in unemployment), there is upward pressure on market prices. Often the supply of available housing in the market is relatively inelastic. This is because there are time lags between a change in price and an increase in the supply of new properties becoming available, or other homeowners deciding to put their properties onto the market. When demand shifts outwards and supply is inelastic the result is a large rise in market price and a relatively small expansion of the quantity of houses traded. As supply becomes more elastic over time, assuming the conditions of demand remain unchanged, we expect to see downward pressure on prices and a further increase in the equilibrium quantity of houses bought and sold. Factors affecting housing price 1. Growth of real incomes Privately owned housing is a normal good for most people. As standard of living rise, the demand for house expands. 2. Consumer confidence Consumer has a vital role in the housing sector. When the economy is sustaining growth and rising property than its but natural that the number of house buyers and shifts the balance of power in the market. 3. Jobs The other factor is job. if it involves making a long-term commitment through a mortgage lender, changes in unemployment. If theres unemployment and average incomes are likely to be lower than confidence among buyers would affect. 4. Housing taxes and subsidies. Government policies, taxes and subsidies also affect the housing prices. Demand factors affecting house price FUTURE EXPECTATIONS 1. 2012 London Olympics May Help UK Economy Britains recovery can be done because of the infrastructure projects for 2012 London Olympics. Total spending is estimated for 2012  £9.3 (US$13.8) billion. There will be two major beneficiaries of the 2012 games: Londons crumbling mass transport system; East London, where the Olympic Stadium, the Olympic Village and other major facilities will be located. To accommodate the number of people in a city, the improvement is going on for transport of London upgrading to the London over ground. The Olympic delivery authority has given  £3.1bn for the construction of the Olympic park. The budget for this is  £1 billion for the Olympic village, and  £400 million for the media centre. This will benefit to the housing sector in UK. The more people going to accommodate in this country the space to live .That would benefit the housing sector of UK. http://www.financemarkets.co.uk/ cited on 15/02/10 2. UK Mortgage Supply Crash A loan to finance the purchase of real estates, usually with specified payment and interest rates. The borrower (mortgagor) gives the lender (mortgagee) a lien on the property as collateral for the loan. www.investorwords.com The data collected by British Bankers of Association is that the no of mortgages approved for purchase of house was 17,773 against 64,014 in July, 2007 a fall of 72%. The mortgage market clearly remains as extreme preventive measures are taken due to the collapse of Britains mortgage banks. The supply has fallen so the average value of loan offered for house purchases which peaked at  £159,600 in June 2007, and now averages at just  £116,700. Home owners imagining that equity of 25% despite the fall in house prices to date may in fact on attempting to remortgage find that remortgage purposes and hence not offered any loan at favorable interest rates. The interest rate cut from 5% straight to 2% in 2 months and  £600billion bank bailout package. The net effect to this area was total amount of mortgage loans were outstanding the amount was  £35billion, against to a stable market. And in 2009 the house price rose by 2.9% says government. But the data of nationwide and Halifax says that UK house price rose by 6%nearly. The fastest growth was in 2009 went up by 4.9%. http://www.independent.co.uk/ cited on 16/02/10 Repossessions Extreme Government Pressure In an attempt to limit the number of repossessions during 2009, the government is putting extreme pressure on the mortgage banks to ensure repossessions are a last resort. Up until September 2008 this amounted mostly to hot air from the politicians, however after having taken major stakes in most of Britains biggest banks there are strong signs that the banks are starting to comply with their new majority shareholders wishes (the government), that look set to increasingly introduce initiatives to reduce the number of repossessions. The most recent action on this front was by RBS which stated that it would give a 6 month reprieve to its mortgage customers that are in arrears before initiating court repossession orders. Whilst the measures will undoubtedly mean that less homes will now be repossessed than would have otherwise been the case, however it does act as a two edged sword in that whilst supply of repossessed homes onto the market will be less, at the same time the mortgage banks are being forced to carry loss making loans that prove costly to administer and without bringing in much needed revenue i.e. tieing up resources that could have gone to more profitable mortgage customers. The Governments initiatives to reduce repossessions will have no discernable impact on the housing market price trends either positive or negative due to the points about tieing up capital in loss making costly to administer loan accounts. The number of homes expected to be repossessed during 2008 is now revised lower to 55,000 with the expectations of 65,000 homes for 2009 in advance of further government interventions in the housing market to prevent repossessions on an larger scale. The government is engaged on a programme of forcing down mortgage interest rates by a series of deep unprecedented cuts in UK interest rates towards the target of 1% , and possibly even lower to make up the shortfall in the lack of responsiveness by mortgage lenders in cutting their rates, who at the same time have tightened lending criteria due to the increased risk of defaults. The mortgage interest rates have fallen significantly from the credit crisis extremes and are heading to below 4% which implies a strong pointer for support for house prices as the cost of servicing mortgages falls and therefore should support a recovery in housing prices. However the housing market has always been that of being driven by sentiment, in that it is the trend in house prices that is most significant and NOT the cost of servicing the mortgages, it is this which pushed house prices to above X7 earnings, where people were prepared to take on large mortgages at high interest rates for the prime reason that house price gains in the order of 15% per annum or more were far above that of the mortgage interest payments of typically 6%. However now that the housing bubble has burst has resulted in the trend and sentiment reversing as house prices have already fallen by nearly 20%, which equates to a loss of  £40,000 on an average  £200,000 house that is now worth  £160,000, which averages to a fall in value of  £2500 per month. Against which a typical mortgage of say  £160k on a  £200k property at 6% would result in monthly interest charge of  £800 per month. Now with mortgage rates having typically fallen to 4% which is resulting in an reduced interest payment of  £533 per month or a significant fall of  £277 per month that many commentators are taking as a cue for imminent price stability. Unfortunately the  £277 saving is just above 10% of the amount that home owners are typically losing in value per month! Therefore the interest rate cuts are having little if no effect on the housing market, I first warned of this likely outcome back in February 2008 that interest rate cuts will not stop hous e prices from falling. This therefore implies that low interest rates are not an important factor at this point in determining house price trend during 2009, as housing market sentiment is decidedly bearish and will take time to first stabilise and then start to recover. UK Economic Recession Unemployment UK unemployment has probably already risen above 2 million by the time Decembers data is released in March, with the original UK unemployment forecast for a rise to 2.6 million by April 2010 now destined to be breached as the UK economy targets a severe recession on par with that of the early 1980s rather than the more milder one of the 1990s. Increasing expectations are that the UK economy will contract by 3% GDP during 2009 which implies that the UK is heading for an unemployment rate that could pass above 3,000,000 by early 2010. Therefore this confirms that the UK housing market is at least 15 months away from a period of stabilising in nominal terms i.e. where house prices stop falling. The actual trigger for a resumption of the housing bull market would be a sustained period of falling unemployment with the trigger level of 2,000,000 expected to act as a strong marker for year on year housing market recovery as occurred following the last housing bear market. This suggests that the housing market may not embark on an sustainable up trend for as longs as another 4 years and thus points to a period of house price stagnation that will following the current crash in UK house prices. http://www.marketoracle.co.uk Credit Crunch a credit crunch is a period in the economy, distinct from a recession or depression, but potentially heralding one or the other. Credit crunch including mortgage loans, personal loans, car finance, credit cards and other type o f lending become much harder to obtain in a credit crunch. Credit crunch has completely changed the face of the global economy with hundreds of business. From banks and capital markets at given interest rates. The reduced availability of credit can result from many factors, including an increased perception of risk on the part of lenders, ann imposition of credit controls, or a sharp restriction of the money supply. www.teachmefinance.com A sudden reduction in the availability of loans and other types of credit Eg: Lehman brothers. Supply Factor Affecting House Price Immigration There had been a large influx of over 800,000 migrants from the Accession states who contributed towards the buy to let market bubble Strong UK Economy The UK economy at the centre of the worlds credit bubble continued to outperform mainland Europe, which looked on with envy from the less flexible and more regulated European countries of France and Germany, though as we find out during 2009, not participating in the credit boom did not help them as many of the European banks become belatedly suckered into buying U.S. subprime mortgage backed toxic securitized debt as one the last to fling themselves onto the debt derivatives pyramid.

American Schools Need Essentialism Essay -- Education Teaching Essays

American Schools Need Essentialism There are five main philosophies that describe education: Essentialism (the back-to-basics approach which strives to teach students the essentials), Progressivism (which stresses individuality), Perennialism (which is the teaching of philosophies that have been around for hundreds of years), Existentialism (which give the students the choice of when to study and when not to), and Behaviorism (which lets teachers use reinforcement to achieve the desired behaviors which need to be used in the class room). Essentialism was the main philosophy used in earlier classrooms, and should be adopted back into the classrooms of today. If essentialism is going to be brought back into the classroom many changes are needed. The students’ curricula of today’s schools have too many classes that stray students away from the basic subjects. Another point of today’s schools is that there is too much acceptance for absences, tardiness, and misbehavior. Students feel like the school is their personal playground and there is nothing the teachers can do about it...