Impact of Organizational Culture in Decision Making Essay Example for Free

Impact of Organizational Culture in Decision Making Essay In any organization, decision making has traditionally been put in the hands of the management or superiors. An organization’s hierarchy emerges when an organization experiences problems in coordinating and motivating employees. As an organization grows, employees increase in number and begin to specialize, performing widely different kinds of tasks; the level of differentiation increases; and coordinating employees’ activities becomes more difficult (Jones, 2004). As globalization and information technology has changed every sector of the world, business organizations have attuned to demand their leaders to make decisions quickly, without needless ado, and move on to other pressing matters. This creates the temptation to make the decision unilaterally, for the sake of speed and efficiency, and be done with it. On the other hand, it is becoming increasingly clear that healthy organizations characteristically find strength in opening up participation in decision making and empowering relevant people at all levels of the organization to contribute to the quality of the decisions made. There are two reasons for making decision making in organizations more dynamic. First, empowering people to participate in important decisions is highly motivating to them and second, broad participation infuses the decision making process with the full spectrum of knowledge and good ideas that people throughout the organization have to contribute. On the other hand, the concept of organizational culture is at the core of understanding organizational behavior such as decision making. Organizational culture involves the norms that develop in a work group, the dominant values advocated by the organization, the philosophy that guides the organizations policies concerning employees and client groups, and the feeling that is evident in the ways in which people interact with one another. Thus, it clearly deals with basic assumptions and beliefs that are shared by members of the organization. Taken together, these define the organization itself in crucial ways: why it exists, how it has survived, what it is about. As an organization’s culture influences decisions made by its members it also influences its members’ acceptance or rejection of decisions made by its leaders. So when an organization changes its strategy, the primary interest involves assessment of the compatibility of a decision option with the organization’s culturewhere an option is defined as a possible course of action in the case of a member who is making a decision, or a proposed course of action in the case of a decision that has been made by leaders (Beach, 1996, p. 118). For example, CEOs in different industries vary considerably from one another in terms of their background characteristics and experience, an observation that has intrigued the business and academic press. For example, a widely scrutinized and publicized CEO selection decision was Apple Computers decision in 1985 to replace founder Steven Jobs with John Sculley, an industry outsider with virtually no experience in the technology-driven personal computer industry. The arguments in this controversial decision centered around the relative suitability of these individuals given the changing nature of the personal computer industry. As a result of changing industry conditions in which marketing and advertising were viewed as increasingly important strategic levers, Sculley’s marketing background and experience at Pepsis beverage operations were expected to make him a better â€Å"fit† as CEO than the technologically oriented Steve Jobs (Datta, Guthrie Rajagopalan, 2002). In this regard, the impact of organization culture in decision making is seen to be very vital. Organizational culture is a powerful environment that reflects past experiences, summarizes them, and distills them into simplifications that help to explain the enormously complex world of the organization. Efforts to reduce this complexity through simplification processes such as imposing decision-making models on it are not likely to be very workable. In this view, therefore, the culture of the organization represents significant thinking prior to action and is implicit in the decision making behavior of the organization’s leaders. So when two organizations merge, there will be an impact in it uniting the culture as to who will make the decision and the issue of empowerment and participation. Empowerment and participation would be viewed by some leaders as losing power by giving it away to others. However, modern empowering leaders understand that one gains power by sharing it with others because in collaborative effort the power available to the group multiplies. To make this effective, this effort should be accompanied by the support of ongoing technical training and consultation to help all participants to master the group process skills that are essential to making empowerment succeed. They must also be accompanied by the development of concrete and publicly known processes through which one participates in the collaborative process.

Unreachable Dreams in The Catcher in The Rye :: Catcher Rye Essays

Unreachable Dreams in The Catcher in The Rye      Ã‚   Many people find that their dreams are unreachable.   Holden Caulfield realizes this in J.D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye.   As Holden tells his story, he recounts the events since leaving the Pencey School to his psychiatrist.   At first, Holden sounds like a typical, misguided teenager, rebellious towards his parents, angry with his teachers, and flunking out of school.   However, as his story progresses, it becomes clear that Holden is indeed motivated, just not academically.   He has a purpose: to protect the young and innocent minds of young children from the "horrors" of adult society.   He hopes to freeze the children in time, as wax figures are frozen in a museum.   After interacting with Phoebe, his younger sister, Holden realizes that this goal is quite unachievable. Holden wants to be the Catcher in the Rye, then realizes it is an unreachable ideal.      Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Holden begins his story misguided and without direction.   After flunking out of the Pencey School, Holden decides to leave early.   Before he leaves, though, he visits his teacher, Mr. Spencer.   Mr. Spencer and Holden talk about his direction in life: "'Do you feel absolutely no concern for your future, boy?' 'Oh, I feel some concern for my future, all right. Sure. Sure, I do.' I thought about it for a minute. 'But not too much, I guess,'" (14).   After leaving Pencey, he checks into a hotel where he invites a prostitute up to his room.   He gets cold feet and decides not to have intercourse with her, though.   Later, Holden decides to take his old girlfriend, Sally Hayes, to the theater.   After taking her to the theater, Holden formulates a crazy plan which entails running away with Sally, getting married, and growing old together.   Sally thinks that he is crazy, and she decides to go home.   During his stay away from home, Holden drinks and smokes, showing even more misdirection.   However, when Holden returns home and talks to his sister, Phoebe, his direction becomes clear.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   Holden wants to be the Catcher in the Rye to protect children from the world in which he is forced to live.   While talking with Phoebe, she asks Holden what he would like to be.   He responds saying:

Did Anyone Benefit from the Cultural Revolution? Essay

Few people would deny that the Cultural Revolution is one of the most significant events in China’s history, with its extraordinary effects on many groups of the population. The main aim of the revolution was simple: having risen to power, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) wanted to reform the Chinese population so that they followed the communist ideology – the favour of absolute social equality. While the initial impression of this aim seems positive, many people nowadays consider that there were few benefits of the Cultural Revolution, due to the turbulence that it caused between 1966 and 1976. Whilst it could be considered that there was initially some reform of the Chinese people, it is now widely considered that these reforms did not bring about benefits. The group that the CCP wanted to help most was the lower class, especially the peasants in the countryside. Meisner (1986, p.373) points out that initially, the Cultural Revolution hardly affected the countryside , with the Red Guards banned from entering the peasant villages, presumably because virtually all peasants were already loyal followers of Mao. Mao tried to restore peasant associations in an attempt to bring more political power to rural areas. Nevertheless, in general, if these peasant associations tried to participate in their villages, higher powers intervened. Therefore, all in all, peasants did not really gain power from the Cultural Revolution (Meisner 1986 p.375). Some argue that there were benefits of the Cultural Revolution for rural areas. Meisner (1986 pp.376-378) states that a main aim of the revolution was to promote rural industrialisation to narrow the gap between urban and rural living and to make use of the local labour forces. Thanks to this project, almost 20 million peasants became industrial workers. However, one aspect that certainly did improve in rural areas was the availability of health care. According to Byong-joon Ahn (1976 p. 155), in the early 1960s, more than 200,000 health clinics were closed in rural areas of China. However, as Meisner (1986 p.379) mentions, Mao changed this by reducing the program of study of doctors from six years to three in order to encourage more rural students to join the health care. In spite of the decrease in the number of study years, the knowledge and ability of the doctors was generally sufficient, as they were only trained to deal with the most common problems. It is worth considering the changes in the education system in rural areas. According to Meisner (1986 p. 380), Mao’s attitude was that the book-learning technique that had been used before the Cultural Revolution should be replaced by a system which combined education with productive labour. Additionally, monetary aid given by the state to richer areas was cut and more support was given to rural areas, thus increasing the number of primary school students from 116 million to 150 million and secondary school students from 15 million to 58 million (Pepper 1986 pp. 6-7). â€Å"Tuition fees, entrance examinations and age limits on student attendance were abolished† (Meisner 1986 p.381), thus making education more accessible for those of lower social classes. However, in spite of these changes, Meisner (1986, p.382) also points out that the living conditions and incomes of the peasants in rural areas showed little improvement. Therefore, it is questionable whether the improvements made brought true benefits to society. The Cultural Revolution was frustrating for many as China underwent turmoil and disruption to industry and education, yet without much positive change. As Meisner (1986 pp.382-385) states, during the Cultural Revolution, many demands were made by the wor king class which were not responded to. For example, producers, who were frustrated by the dominance of the state which prevented them from making their own decisions, demanded more control over the means of production. However, there was little change, even with the new factory revolutionary committees. What happened was that factory revolutionary committees were given less importance than the factory party committees, meaning that the state continued to make the decisions in these industries. Prior to the Cultural Revolution, there was a â€Å"highly exploitive system of temporary and contract workers† (Meisner 1986 p.383). This system was denounced for being capitalist and for not promoting the egalitarian state that the CCP desired. Thus, both the workers (who would have been better off with permanent jobs to guarantee a constant income) and the CCP suffered because of the fact that this system remained (Meisner 1986 p.383). It is also worth considering the state and government workers. Initially, these had more privileges than the average Chinese person, with much higher salaries and meals provided and some even had houses, servants and personal drivers (Meisner 1986 p.391). However, Mao wanted change this as it was preventing the country from achieving egalitarianism. He therefore ordered government officials to engage in productive labour in order to narrow the gap between classes. Whilst this did happen, all in all, the officials were still treated as officials, having higher salaries and official titles (Meisner 1986 p. 391). Therefore, these officials did not benefit from the Cultural Revolution, as their status and standard of living remained the same. Few would disagree that the most harmed individuals during the Cultural Revolution were the intellectuals. Meisner (1986 p. 386) points out that Maoism was particularly anti-intellectual, as it was these intelligent people that were considered the most â€Å"bourgeois† in society, with their superior knowledge and possessions. Meisner (1986 p.387) describes the suppression that these intellectuals underwent: â€Å"their homes (were) frequently ransacked, their books burned and manuscripts destroyed†¦they themselves were often subjected to physically as well as psychologically agonizing â€Å"study and criticism† sessions†. Like the state workers, many were sent to the countryside to carry out menial work or were arrested. Due to this maltreatment, many feared to continue with their studies and research, which led to a dampening in the Chinese intellectual level. Whilst it could be argued that rural students benefited from the Cultural Revolution, few would deny that urban students suffered. In fact, Mao sent them off to the countryside to be educated by the peasa nts, whose knowledge was inferior to the intellectuals in the cities. Again, the aim was to narrow the gap between the city and the countryside by putting all members of society on a similar level. But by doing so Mao harmed the future of these youngsters by refusing them a good education (Meisner 1986 p.388). Meisner (1986 p.389) states that this generation of urban youngsters regarded themselves as â€Å"the lost generation†. Likewise, those that worked for the arts, such as writers, painters and playwrights, suffered in the Cultural Revolution. Very few writings were accepted, except those of Mao, and there were declines in the number of paintings produced and in the number of actors and musicians performing. The only accepted art forms were those that were considered â€Å"revolutionary†, such as Chiang Ch’ing’s ballets and operas (Meisner 1986 p.388). However, one person who did benefit from the Cultural Revolution was Mao himself. Previously, Mao’s reputation was weak due to the failure of the Great Leap Forward, when he â€Å"moved too fast†, for example, with his optimism in the peasants to produce high-quality steel without good-quality resources (Spence 1990 pp.550-1). Many people disapproved of his lifestyle, as he seemed to be living like an emperor. His doctor Li Zhisui (1994) provides details, describing Mao to have a personal swimming pool (p.132) and to indulge in sexual pleasures with multiple women (p.358). However, the views of Mao significantly changed in the years ahead. Timothy Cheek (2002 p.229) describes how Mao was viewed like a god during the Cultural Revolution, saying that people â€Å"paid homage to his image, sang Mao quotation songs, chanted his sayings, performed the Loyalty Dance†. Additionally, the Cultural Revolution solidified Mao’s power. During the Great Leap Forward, Mao was marginalised by the CCP while Liu Shaoqi and Deng Xiaoping rose to power. Another key figure was Lin Biao, who Mao originally trusted with the role of Minister of National Defence, but who became an enemy. However, his death in a plane crash helped Mao to eliminate this enemy. As for Liu and Deng, Mao removed their threat to his power by removing them from the communist party. Therefore, the Cultural Revolution allowed Mao to grasp more power. In conclusion, few would deny that the Chinese Cultural Revolution was a period of turmoil in so many ways. For many, the standard of living remained unchanged, even if certain aspects, such as the availability of education and health care in rural areas, were improved. For some, such as intellectuals, urban students and those who worked for the arts, the situation was dampened, with their activity disrupted and many were subjected to violent torture or imprisonment. The only person who definitely benefited was Mao himself, as he gained power and popularity. All in all, it is no wonder that Chinese people regard the Cultural Revolution as a period of disaster. Reference list Books: Byong, J.A. 1976. Chinese Politics and the Cultural Revolution. Seattle: University of Washington Press. Cheek, T. 2002. Mao Zedong and China’s Revolutions. New York: The Bedford Series in History and Culture. Li, Z. 1994. The Private Life of Chairman Mao. New York: Random House. Meisner, M. 1986. Mao’s China and after: A History of the People’s Republic, 1st Edition. London : Collier Macmillan. Spence, J. 1999. The Search for Modern China, 2nd Edition. London: W.W. Norton & Company Ltd. Journals: Pepper, S. 1980. Chinese Education After Mao: Two Steps Forwards, Two Steps Back and Begin Again. The China Quarterly. 81 (March 1980) Word count: 1484 words (excluding reference list)

Comparisons Between Cystology, Histology, and Pathology.

Michelle Hatton-Cowan Professor Micah Parker BHSR-115-01 16 March 2013 Putting the Pieces Together While recently putting a puzzle together with my family I realized that we had a very certain way of putting it together. We had the person who laid out all the pieces and was constantly looking for the ones that went together. Another person would carefully put pieces together that the first person had laid out and make sure there were no discrepancies. The last person would oversee everyone else.They would make sure pieces were going where they should be, and everyone would report back to the main person who was overseeing everything. If one was to look at any career or field they have trained in or worked in they would see that there is a hierarchy to each position. It is one person helping the next person to figure out one main objective or goal. The Careers of a Cytologist, Histologist, and Pathologist work very closely together; so closely it’s almost like they are putting a puzzle together, in such a way one can’t just do all of the jobs but there must be someone in each area of the field to complete the main objective. Read Chapter 8 Microbial GeneticsCytologists are the people working on the puzzle that lay the pieces out for the person in charge to oversee and direct them at what they should be looking for. They are â€Å"biologists who specialize in the study of formation, structure, and function of cells† (â€Å"cytology†). I like that fact that they have independent work with very little supervision. There is room for rapid job growth. A reported â€Å"14% job growth through 2018† (Tolia). I do not like that cytologist’s have major exposure to specimens and chemical fumes that can be very hazardous.There may be a rapid job growth projected for cytologists but only â€Å"thirty-one accredited cytotechnologist programs are available in the United States† (Tolia). Cytologists can work in many different health care facilities. They have the option of working in â€Å"hospitals, diagnostic laboratories, physicians’ offices, outpatient care centers and home health care† (Tolia). To become a cytologist, one will need to complete a bachelor’s degree program and finish a one to two year program accredited by the Commission of Allied Health Education Programs in Cytotechnology. Most Employers prefer that the cytologist pass the ASCP’s ational Technologist in Cytoechnology certification exam. A cytologist must complete this program every three years to remain certified (Tolia). â€Å"Cytologists are either paid by the hour or through an annual salary. According to Salary. com, the median annual income for a cytologist is $62,401, with the least well compensated quarter of practitioners making less than $56,810 and the highest paid quarter making over $$67,386. According to Payscale, cytologists command an average salary of between $24. 47 and $31. 20 per hour, with standard time-and-a-half rates for overtime† (Wolfe).Cytologist’s play a large role in medical decisions and work closely with pathologists. â €Å"Cytologists can also gain industry recognition by submitting their written articles for publication and applying for front-cover exposure in the ASCT's publication† (Tolia). Cytologists must know how to read the doctor’s orders by using their knowledge of Medical terminology. Cytologists must use and communicate with their knowledge of Medical Terminology because all the work they do ultimately goes back to the doctor and goes along in response to the original order.When a cytologist is reporting they will also report to the histologist who â€Å"plays an important role in the detection, diagnosis, and treatment of disease† (Torres). The next step in putting more pieces of the puzzle together is the histologist. The histologist â€Å"examines and analyzes cells and body fluids. They search for parasites, bacteria and other microorganisms† (Torres). I like that histologists â€Å"work in medical laboratories with pathologists and other laboratory expe rts† (Torres). Histology is a very important tool of medicine and biology.I like that they serve as a detective trying to figure out different diseases and cell structures. Histology would not be a job for me because I do not like the many hours spent on my feet observing tiny little particles though a microscope. I do not have the time, patience, or eye sight for this job. Histologists must have very good eyesight to be able to point out the discrepancies in cells, which good eyesight is something I don’t have. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the demand for histologists will grow about 14 percent between 2006 and 2016. The median hourly wage for histologists in the United States is $22. 68 per hour and their median annual salary is $47,174, according to the Mayo Clinic† (Gray). Histologists have the opportunity to work in many different career settings including; the hospital, diagnostic laboratories, and many different outpatient settings. â€Å"Fo r an entry-level position as a histologist, an applicant will need to have a bachelor's degree with a major in medical technology or one of the life sciences.Bachelor's degrees in this field will usually include courses in chemistry, microbiology, statistics and biological sciences, as well as specialized courses devoted to skills used in the clinical laboratory. However, it is possible to fill some positions while having a combination of on-the-job training and formal education. Generally, one will usually have at least an associate's degree. Many employers require applicants to have certification from recognized professional associations, such as the American Society for Clinical Pathology, the American Medical Technologist or the National Credentialing Agency for Laboratory Personnel† (Torres).Histologists are important to our United States Health Care System because they are like the detectives of disease, and play an important role in the detection, diagnosis and treatmen t of disease. Histologists use their knowledge of Medical Terminology to read what orders the doctors have given to them. They are able to follow the guidance of the pathologist, who histologists work very closely with, to determine probable diseases and to diagnose a patient. The last person to put pieces of our puzzle together is the pathologist. A  pathologist  is a physician who examines tissues, checks the accuracy of lab tests, and interprets the results in order to facilitate the patient’s diagnosis and treatment† (â€Å"Pathologist†). They oversee the cytologist and the histologist. I love that pathologists work very closely with the doctor and the patient on a daily basis. Pathology has many different career opportunities including a clinical pathologist, anatomic pathologist and a forensic pathologist. I do not like the scrutiny that is placed on their job.If they mess up one little thing or read a smear of cells the wrong way and give the wrong dia gnose it could be fatal for the patient. â€Å"There are approximately  13,000 to 14,000 board certified pathologists in the United States who practice their specialty. Starting salaries  for newly-certified pathologists can range from about $126,000 to $150,000 per year† (â€Å"Pathologist†). Pathologists have the opportunity to work in the community, in universities, in government hospitals and clinics, independent laboratories, or in private offices, clinics, and other health care acilities (Pathologist). â€Å"In order to work as a pathologist, you must have a successful undergraduate career; score well on your Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) and secure a place at a medical school to earn your medical degree (Torres). Medical school is not easy to get into, but after the student secures a place in medical school and finishes with Doctor of Medicine, they must secure a position in a three to four year residency program (Torres). After the residency progra m the student will take a national licensing exam to become certified in their state.Pathologists are extremely important to our United States healthcare system. They are the problem solvers to today’s medical mysteries. Pathologists us their knowledge of medical terminology every day by interpreting laboratory tests that are done by a cytologist and histologist and then they relay that information back to the doctor or patient. The puzzle is now complete with the help of the pathologist. Every person plays an important part of putting the puzzle together. Cytologists help us to identify the different cells and tissues. Histologists help us identify different disease found within the cells and tissues.Lastly, pathologists help us confer all of our results and relay them to the doctor and the patient. All three careers must be able to properly use their knowledge of medical terminology in an effort to communicate efficiently to the doctor. All information communicated to the d octor is in an effort to help save a patient’s life. Works Cited â€Å"cytology. †Ã‚  The American Heritage ® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. 2003. Houghton Mifflin Company 18 Mar. 2013  http://www. thefreedictionary. com/cytology â€Å"Cytologist. †Ã‚  MedFriendly. N. p.. Web. 18 Mar 2013. . Gray, Carolyn. â€Å"Salary. †Ã‚  Histologist Salary. N. p.. Web. 18 Mar 2013.

buy custom World of Contracts essay

buy custom World of Contracts essay A contract is a lawfully binding bargain that exists between two or more persons, institutions, parties or organizations (Blum, 2011). This may involve an agreement for employment, order of goods, buying a house among others. The promises reached by the parties involved outline the rights and commitments of the contractual parties. Contracts are enforceable in law by the courts, and in case either of the parties breaches part of, or all contractual obligations, the non-breaching party is entitled to receive remedies through the courts (Blum, 2011). The Essential Elements of a Contract Offer; this is a statement of willingness or any other indication that the individual or party is ready to enter into a contract with another party on particular terms. The offer must be conveyed in a way that promotes acceptance, without any other conditions required of the person other than to show acceptance (Chadman, 2009). The accepting person must understand that his assent of the offer completes the contract and there is no contract without offer. Acceptance; acceptance of an offer is the indication by the party receiving the offer that the offer is welcomed. It is the show of assent to the bargain under the terms thereof made by the person offering as they are, without altering any of the terms. Any change of the proposed terms leads to a rejection of the whole offer and amounts into a counteroffer, which must be acknowledged by the other party. Equally, the acceptance must be done before it expires, unless the offer is renewed (Emanuel, 2006). Legal purpose; this is very essential element that requires that a contract can only exist if its objective is for a legal purpose or activity. Any contract must not involve an activity that contravenes the laws of the land. For example, a contract that involves illegal distribution of narcotic drugs is considered not binding, because its tenacity and intention is illegal. Mutuality of obligation; this element refers to the mutual understanding of the parties and their assent to the expression of their agreement. The contract parties must approve to the same course, in the same mind and time. The understanding of the agreement is based on the objective standards set by the parties, but not on the unexpressed subjective intention (Blum, 2011). Determination of the presence of the mutual assent can be proved by the court, through analysis of the communications exchanged between the parties and further the actions and situatons surrounding these communications. Any inconsistency of thoughts concerning the contract by either party necessitates no contract. This is because, for contract to be enforceable in future without challenge, the parties must fully agree on the vital terms of the contract and the mutual understanding between the parties must not diverge materially from the original offer, a fact that is open to legal challenge (Chadman, 2009). Certainty of subject matter; this element stipulates that a contract is legally binding only if its terms are adequately defined to facilitate clear understanding of the obligation by the court in case of a dispute , and for the court to enforce the contract. The agreement must be in simple and easy language that is easy to interpret with very certain intentions. The regulations concerning uncertainty of material terms of a contract are dependent on the idea that a party cannot enter into an agreement unless the terms of that contract are substantially certain. In case some terms that are relevant in such a contract are omitted, the courts usually have implied terms that are employed to maintain enforceability of the contract and sustain the agreement by providing the missing terms, should there be a legal challenge. Consideration; thisis also an essential element of a valid contract where only the parties needs to review whether or not it is a good bargain to their satisfaction. The law necessitates that there be adequate consideration by giving something of value to the promisor, to prove the commitment, and should not be anything promised or given in the past. This may be in form of a right, interest, or benefit that one party is entitled to, or instead; forbearance, or obligation that is assumed by the other party. Competent Parties; a contract must be between parties who are competent and authorized by law for it to be legally binding. For example, an agreement between a child and an adult on purchase of land may not be binding but considered exploitative. Remedies In Case of a Breach Whenever a contract is breached by either of the contractual parties, the non-breaching person has a legal right to claim for the damages incurred as a result of the breach. This can also be an award of money, envisioned to compensate the party for the forfeiture of the bargain (Blum, 2011). The remedies include; Compensatory damages; these are remediess that restore the value of the bargain to the non-breaching party and ensures that the person remains in the same position as if the contract had been fully executed. The amount to be awarded for breach depends on the type of contract involved and which party broke the contract. The non-breaching party has a legal right to demand for compensation of the damages from the breaching party Liquidated damages; these are damages agreed on by the parties in advance, to be paid in case the contract is breached by either party. This is lawful, only if the actual damages are difficult or impracticable to define, and the liquidated amount must be realistic and reasonable in such situations. This is commonly preferred by businesses in their commercial contracts, since it helps to provide certainty, evade lawsuits, and gives an incentive to people to sign contracts (Chadman, 2009). Consequential damages; these are damages that are foreseeable by the breaching party arising from circumstances outside the bargain. This type of damage can be executed if the breaching party is aware or is perceived to be aware that the breach will inflict distinct damages to the other party. Nominal damage; this occurs when the non-breaching party sues the other party even though no financial loss has been incurred and is normally awarded in a small amount. The non-breaching party can also rescind the contract and recover restitution. Rescission is a move to undo, or cancel a bargain, to return the non-breaching parties to the state they were in before the transaction. This is an option pursued in case of duress, fraud, mistake, or failure of consideration in the subsequent levels (Emanuel, 2006). The rescinding party must issue immediate notice to the breaching party and return to each other all the items such as goods, property and money previously issued. Conclusion Contracts exist all over the world and are lawfully binding agreements between two or more parties, which are enforceable by law through the courts. Agreements must comprise all the essential elements to make up a contract. These elements include; presence of an offer, acceptance of an offer, legal purpose of the agreement, mutual obligation, and certainty of the subject matter. It also involves consideration whether the deal is a good bargain and competence of the party involved (Chadman, 2009). Non-breaching parties have legal rights to claim damages from the breaching party for the injuries caused. Buy custom World of Contracts essay

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:

Anastasio Somoza García, President of Nicaragua

Anastasio Somoza Garcà ­a, President of Nicaragua Anastasio Somoza Garcà ­a (Feb. 1, 1896–Sept. 29, 1956) was a Nicaraguan general, president, and dictator from 1936 to 1956. His administration, while being one of the most corrupt in history and brutal to dissidents, was nevertheless supported by the United States because it was viewed as anti-communist. Fast Facts: Anastasio Somoza Garcà ­a Known For: Nicaraguan general, president, dictator, and founder of the Somoza Dynasty of NicaraguaBorn: Feb. 1, 1896 in San Marcos, NicaraguaParents: Anastasio Somoza Reyes and Julia Garcà ­aDied: Sept. 29, 1956 in Ancà ³n, Panama Canal ZoneEducation: Peirce School of Business Administration, Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaSpouse(s): Salvadora Debayle SacasaChildren: Luis Somoza Debayle, Anastasio Somoza Debayle, Julio Somoza Debayle, Lilliam Somoza de Sevilla-Secasa Early Years and Family Anastasio Somoza Garcà ­a was born on Feb. 1, 1986, in San Marcos, Nicaragua, as a member of the Nicaraguan upper-middle class. His father Anastasio Somoza Reyes served as a Conservative Party senator from the department of Carazo for eight years. In 1914, he was elected vice-secretary of the Senate. He was also a signer of the Bryan-Chamorro Treaty in 1916. His mother Julia Garcà ­a was from a wealthy family of coffee planters. At the age of 19, after a family scandal, Somoza Garcia was sent to live with relatives in Philadelphia, where he attended Peirce School of Business Administration (now Peirce College). In Philadelphia, Somoza met and courted Salvadora Debayle Sacas, who had a politically well-connected family that objected to the marriage. Nevertheless, in 1919 they married in Philadelphia in a civil ceremony. They had a Catholic ceremony in Leon Cathedral when they returned to Nicaragua. They returned to Nicaragua and had a formal Catholic wedding in Leà ³n Cathedral. While in Leà ³n, Anastasio tried and failed at running several businesses: automobile sales, boxing promoter, meter reader for an electric company, and inspector of latrines at the Rockefeller Foundations Sanitary Mission to Nicaragua. He even tried counterfeiting Nicaraguan currency and only avoided prison because of his family connections. U.S. Intervention in Nicaragua The United States became directly involved in Nicaraguan politics in 1909 when it supported a rebellion against President Jose Santos Zelaya, who had long been an opponent of U.S. policies in the area. In 1912, the United States sent Marines to Nicaragua to bolster the conservative government. The Marines remained until 1925 and as soon as they left, liberal factions went to war against the conservatives. The Marines returned after only nine months away and stayed until 1933. Beginning in 1927, renegade general Augusto Cà ©sar Sandino led a revolt against the government, which lasted until 1933. Somoza and the Americans Somoza had gotten involved in the presidential campaign of Juan Batista Sacasa, his wife’s uncle. Sacasa had been vice president under a previous administration, which had been overthrown in 1925, but in 1926 he returned to press his claim as the  legitimate president. As the different factions fought, the U.S. was forced to step in and negotiate a settlement. Somoza, with his perfect English and insider’s position in the fracas, proved invaluable to the Americans. When Sacasa finally reached the presidency in 1933, the American ambassador persuaded him to name Somoza head of the National Guard. The National Guard and Sandino The National Guard had been established as a militia, trained and equipped by the U.S. Marines. It was meant to keep in check the armies raised by the liberals and conservatives in their endless skirmishing over control of the country. In 1933 when Somoza took over as head of the National Guard, only one rogue army remained: that of Augusto Cà ©sar Sandino, a liberal who had been fighting since 1927. Sandino’s biggest issue was the presence of American marines in Nicaragua, and when they left in 1933, he finally agreed to negotiate a truce. He agreed to lay down his arms, provided that his men be given land and amnesty. Somoza still saw Sandino as a threat, so in early 1934 he arranged to have Sandino captured. On February 21, 1934, Sandino was executed by the National Guard. Shortly thereafter, Somoza’s men raided the lands that had been given to Sandino’s men after the peace settlement, slaughtering the former guerillas. In 1961, leftist rebels in Nicaragua established the National Liberation Front: in 1963 they added â€Å"Sandinista† to the name, assuming his name in their struggle against the Somoza regime, by then being led by Luà ­s Somoza Debayle and his brother Anastasio Somoza Debayle, Anastasio Somoza Garcà ­a’s two sons. Somoza Seizes Power President Sacasa’s administration was severely weakened in 1934–1935. The Great Depression had spread to Nicaragua and the people were unhappy. In addition, there were many allegations of corruption against him and his government. In 1936, Somoza, whose power had been growing, took advantage of Sacasa’s vulnerability and forced him to resign, replacing him with Carlos Alberto Brenes, a Liberal Party politician who mostly answered to Somoza. Somoza himself was elected in a crooked election, assuming the presidency on January 1, 1937. This began the period of Somoza rule in the country that would not end until 1979. Somoza quickly acted to set himself up as dictator. He took away any sort of real power of the opposition parties, leaving them only for show. He cracked down on the press. He moved to improve ties to the United States, and after the attack on Pearl Harbor in 1941 he declared war on the Axis powers even before the United States did. Somoza also filled every important office in the nation with his family and cronies. Before long, he was in absolute control of Nicaragua. Height of Power Somoza remained in power until 1956. He stepped down briefly from the presidency from 1947–1950, bowing to pressure from the United States, but continued to rule through a series of puppet presidents, usually family. During this time, he had the complete support of the United States government. In the early 1950s, once again president, Somoza continued to build his empire, adding an airline, a shipping company, and several factories to his holdings. In 1954, he survived a coup attempt and also sent forces to Guatemala to help the CIA overthrow the government there. Death and Legacy On September 21, 1956, Anastasio Somoza Garcà ­a was shot in the chest by young poet and musician Rigoberto Là ³pez Pà ©rez at a party in the city of Leà ³n. Là ³pez was instantly brought down by Somoza bodyguards, but the president’s wounds would prove fatal on September 29. Là ³pez would eventually be named a national hero by the Sandinista government. Upon his death, Somoza’s eldest son Luà ­s Somoza Debayle took over, continuing the dynasty his father had established. The Somoza regime would continue through Luà ­s Somoza Debayle (1956–1967) and his brother Anastasio Somoza Debayle (1967–1979) before being overthrown by the Sandinista rebels. Part of the reason that the Somozas were able to retain power for so long was the support of the U.S. government, which saw them as anti-communist. Franklin Roosevelt allegedly once said of him: â€Å"Somoza may be a son-of-a-bitch, but he’s our son-of-a-bitch.† There is little direct proof of this quote. The Somoza regime was extremely crooked. With his friends and family in every important office, Somozas greed ran unchecked. The government seized profitable farms and industries and then sold them to family members at absurdly low rates. Somoza named himself director of the railway system  and then used it to move his goods and crops at no charge to himself. Those industries that they could not personally exploit, such as mining and timber, they leased to foreign (mostly U.S.) companies for a healthy share of the profits. He and his family made untold millions of dollars. His two sons continued this level of corruption, making Somoza Nicaragua one of the most crooked countries in the history of Latin America. This sort of corruption had a lasting effect on the economy, stifling it and contributing to Nicaragua as a somewhat backward country for a long time. Sources Editors of the Encyclopedia Britannica. Anastasio Somoza: President of Nicaragua. Encyclopedia Britannica, January 28, 2019.Editors of the Encyclopedia Britannica. Somoza Family. Encyclopedia Britannica, August 24, 2012.La Botz, Dan. The Somoza Dynastic Dictatorship (1936–75). What Went Wrong? The Nicaraguan Revolution, A Marxist Analysis, p. 74–75. Brill, 2016.  Merrill, Tim L. (ed.) Nicaragua: A Country Study. Federal Research Division, U.S. Library of Congress, 1994.Otis, John. Dictators daughter wants UPI, April 2, 1992.Walter, Knut. The Regime of Anastasio Somoza, 1936–1956. Chapel Hill: The University of North Carolina Press, 1993.