A Guide to Understanding Homeschool Laws

A Guide to Understanding Homeschool Laws Homeschooling has been legal in all 50 U.S. states since 1993. According to the Homeschool Legal Defense Association, home education was illegal in most states as recently as the early 1980’s. By 1989, only three states, Michigan, North Dakota, and Iowa, still considered homeschooling a crime. Interestingly, of those three states, two of them, Michigan and Iowa, are today listed among the states with the least restrictive homeschooling laws. Although homeschooling is now legal across the United States, each state is responsible for drafting its own homeschool laws, which means that what must be done to legally homeschool varies depending on where a family lives. Some states are highly regulated, while others place few restrictions on homeschooling families. Homeschool Legal Defense Association maintains an up-to-date database on the homeschooling laws in all fifty states. Terms to Know When Considering Homeschool Laws To those who are new to homeschooling, the terminology used in homeschool  laws may be unfamiliar. Some of the basic terms you need to know include: Compulsory attendance: This refers to the ages children are required to be in some type of school setting. In most states that define a compulsory attendance age for homeschoolers, the minimum is usually between the ages of 5 and 7. The maximum is generally between the ages of 16 and 18. Declaration (or Notice) of Intent: Many states require that homeschooling families submit an annual notice of intent to homeschool to either the state or county school superintendent. The content of this notice can vary by state, but usually includes the names and ages of the homeschooled children, the home address, and the parent’s signature. Hours of instruction: Most states specify the number of hours and/or days per year during which children should be receiving instruction. Some, like Ohio, state 900 hours of instruction per year. Others, such as Georgia, specify four and one-half hours per day for 180 days each school year. Portfolio:  Some states offer a portfolio option in place of standardized testing or professional evaluation. A portfolio is a collection of documents outlining your student’s progress each school year. It may include records such as attendance, grades, courses completed, work samples, photos of projects, and test scores. Scope and sequence: A scope and sequence is a list of topics and concepts that a student will learn throughout the school year. These concepts are usually broken down by subject and grade level. Standardized test:  Many states require that homeschool students take nationally standardized tests at regular intervals. The tests that meet each state’s requirements may vary. Umbrella schools/cover schools: Some states give the option for homeschooled students to enroll in an umbrella or cover school. This may be an actual private school or simply an organization established to help homeschooling families comply with the laws  in their state. Students are taught at home by their parents, but the cover school maintains records for their enrolled students. The records required by cover schools vary based on the laws of the state in which they are located. These documents are submitted by parents and may include attendance, test scores, and grades. Some umbrella schools help parents choose curriculum and offer transcripts, diplomas, and graduation ceremonies. States with the Most Restrictive Homeschool Laws States that are generally considered to be highly regulated for homeschooling families include: MassachusettsNew YorkPennsylvaniaRhode IslandVermont Often regarded as one of the most regulated states,  New York’s homeschooling laws require that parents turn in an annual instruction plan for each student. This plan must include information such as the name, age, and grade level of the student; the curriculum or textbooks you intend to use; and the name of the teaching parent. The state requires annual standardized testing in which students should be at or above the 33rd percentile or show a full grade level improvement from the previous year.  New York also lists specific subjects that parents must teach their children at various grade levels. Pennsylvania, another highly-regulated state,  offers three options for homeschooling. Under the homeschool statute, all parents must submit a notarized affidavit to homeschool. This form includes information about immunizations and medical records, along with criminal background checks. Homeschooling parent Malena H., who lives in Pennsylvania, says that although the state is â€Å"†¦considered one of the states with the highest regulations†¦it really isnt that bad. It sounds overwhelming when you hear about all the requirements, but once you have done it once it is pretty easy.† She says, â€Å"In third, fifth and eighth grades the student has to take a standardized test. There is a variety to choose from, and they can even do some of them at home or online. You must keep a portfolio for each child that has a few samples for each subject taught and the results of the standardized test if the child is in one of the testing years. At the end of the year, you find an evaluator to review the portfolio and sign off on it. You then send the evaluator’s report to the school district.† States with Moderately Restrictive Homeschool Laws While most states require that the teaching parent have at least a high school diploma or GED, some, such as North Dakota,  require that the teaching parent have a teaching degree or be monitored for at least two years by a certified teacher. That fact puts North Dakota  on the list of those  considered to be moderately restrictive with regards to their homeschool laws. Those states include: ColoradoFloridaHawaiiLouisianaMaineMarylandMinnesotaNew HampshireNorth CarolinaNorth DakotaOhioOregonSouth CarolinaSouth DakotaTennesseeVirginiaWashingtonWest Virginia North Carolina is often considered a difficult state in which to homeschool. It requires maintaining attendance and immunization records for each child. North Carolina also requires that children complete nationally standardized tests each year. Other moderately regulated states that require yearly standardized testing include  Maine, Florida, Minnesota, New Hampshire, Ohio, South Carolina, Virginia, Washington, and West Virginia. (Some of these states do offer alternative homeschooling options that may not require annual testing.) Many states offer more than one option to legally homeschool. Tennessee, for example, currently has five options, including three umbrella schools options and one for distance learning (online classes). Heather S., a homeschooling parent from Ohio, says that Ohio homeschoolers must  submit an annual letter of intent and a  summary of their intended curriculum, and  agree to complete 900 hours  of education each year. Then, at  the end of each year, families â€Å"†¦.can do state-approved testing or have a portfolio reviewed and submit the results... Children must test above the 25th percentile on standardized tests or show progression in their portfolio. Virginia homeschooling mom, Joesette, considers her state homeschooling laws reasonably easy to follow. She says parents must â€Å"†¦file a Notice of Intent each year by August 15, then supply something to show progress at the end of the year (by August 1). This can be a standardized test, scoring at least in the 4th stanine, a  [student] portfolio†¦.or an evaluation letter by an approved evaluator.† Alternately, Virginia parents can file a  Religious Exemption. States with Minimally Restrictive Homeschool Laws Sixteen U.S.  states are considered minimally restrictive. These include:   AlabamaArizonaArkansasCaliforniaDelawareGeorgiaKansasKentuckyMississippiMontanaNebraskaNevadaNew MexicoUtahWisconsinWyoming Georgia requires an annual Declaration of Intent to be filed by September 1, annually, or within 30 days of the date you initially begin homeschooling. Children must take a nationally standardized test every three years starting in 3rd grade. Parents are required to write an annual progress report for each student. Both the test  scores and progress reports  are to be kept on file but are not required to be submitted to anyone. Although Nevada is on the minimally restrictive list, Magdalena A., who homeschools her children in the state says that it is, â€Å"†¦homeschooling paradise. The law states only  one regulation: when a child turns seven...a notice of intent to homeschool should be filed. That is it, for the rest of that childs life. No portfolios. No check-ups. No testing.† California homeschooling mom, Amelia H. outlines her state’s homeschooling options. â€Å"(1) Home study option through the  school district. Material is provided and weekly or monthly check-ins are required. Some districts provide classes for home study kids and/or allow kids to take some classes on campus. (2) Charter schools. Each one is set up differently but they all cater to homeschoolers and provide funding for secular curriculum and extracurricular activities through vendor programs†¦Some require that kids meet state standards; others simply ask for signs of ‘value-added growth. Most require state testing but a handful will allow parents to generate a portfolio as a year-end assessment. (3) File as an independent school. [Parents must]  state the curriculum goals at the start of the school year†¦Getting a high school diploma through this route is tricky and many parents choose to pay someone to help with the paperwork. States with the Least Restrictive Homeschool Laws Finally,  eleven states are considered very homeschool-friendly with few restrictions on homeschooling families. These states are: AlaskaConnecticutIdahoIllinoisIndianaIowaMichiganMissouriNew JerseyOklahomaTexas Texas is notoriously homeschool-friendly with a strong homeschool voice at the legislative level. Iowa homeschooling parent, Nichole D. says that her home state is just as easy. â€Å"[In Iowa], we have no regulations. No state testing, no lesson plans submitted, no attendance records, nothing. We dont even have to inform the district that were homeschooling.† Parent Bethany W.  says, â€Å"Missouri is very homeschool-friendly. No notifying districts or anyone unless your child has previously been public schooled, no testing or evaluations ever. Parents keep a log of hours (1,000 hours, 180 days), a written report of progress, and a few samples of [their students’] work.† With a few exceptions, the difficulty or ease of complying with each state’s homeschooling laws is subjective. Even in states that are considered highly regulated, homeschooling parents often state that compliance isn’t as difficult as it may appear on paper. Whether you consider your state’s homeschooling laws restrictive or lenient, it is essential to make sure you understand what is required of you to remain compliant. This article should be considered a guideline only. For specific, detailed laws for your state, please check your statewide homeschool support group’s website or Homeschool Legal Defense Association.

Using Writing Bursts to Generate Ideas and Enthusiasm

Using Writing Bursts to Generate Ideas and Enthusiasm Using Writing Bursts to Generate Ideas and Enthusiasm Using Writing Bursts to Generate Ideas and Enthusiasm By Ali Hale Many of us want to write fiction but rarely manage to get round to it. We struggle to find a free hour to write in – or the energy to write. Doing writing bursts is a great way to get going when time is short and motivation flagging. What is a writing burst? I came across the concept in Robert Graham’s How to Write Fiction (And Think About It). Mini-exercises are scattered throughout the book, and Graham explains: Every class I teach begins with a 10 minute writing exercise which I call a writing burst. I give a stimulus and ask the class to start writing, keep writing for 10 minutes and not to worry for one second about the quality of the work appearing on the paper. When the thought of sitting down and writing a whole short story is daunting, it’s much easier to find 10 minutes. Open your notebook or word-processing program of choice, write the burst at the top, then set a timer – and write without stopping or looking back. How do writing bursts help? I use writing bursts when I have very little time in the day to write, but wanted to feel I’ve achieved something. They’re also great for establishing a creative mood at the beginning of a longer writing session. You can use the material you produce as a starting point for longer pieces. One of mine became a thousand-word â€Å"twist in the tale† short story that I’ve submitted to a woman’s fiction magazine. The bursts help you to generate new or unusual ideas – I come up with more creative and interesting concepts than usual, because I don’t stop to self-edit. Where do you find them? There are plenty of sources for writing burst prompts. The Writers’ Book of Matches, by Writers’ Digest Books, is a collection of â€Å"1,001 prompts to ignite your fiction†. The Pocket Muse: Ideas and Inspirations for Writing has some similar exercises, as well as photo prompts to help spark your writing. Competitions which give a first line can be used as writing bursts. Famous quotes can work well, so long as they’re short. Phrases or lines from a story you’ve read that inspire you are also good starting points. What variations are there? If you’ve tried a few writing bursts and you’re starting to get bored, the concept is open to any number of tweaks. When ten minutes starts to seem too rushed, you could lengthen the burst to fifteen or twenty minutes. If your ideas seem stale or trite, try writing with a friend: use the same prompt and swap the pieces that emerge. Alternatively, use multiple prompts – pick two prompts at random and figure out how to use them both. If you’re writing a novel or extended piece of fiction and have ground to a halt, use a prompt to get going again. You can always cut the scene out later – but it just may give your story the new life it needs. Some writing prompts After completing a solo camping trip, a woman gets her film developed and discovers that several photos are of her †¦ sleeping. (From 1,001 Prompts) â€Å"That was the moment I wished I could remember what we’d been taught.† (from How to Write Fiction) â€Å"She’s been told.† (from How to Write Fiction) â€Å"When a man knows he is to be hanged in a fortnight, it concentrates his mind wonderfully.† (Samuel Johnson) A man sneezes painfully. He looks into his handkerchief and finds something that looks like a microchip. (From 1,001 Prompts) â€Å"The place is very well and quiet and the children scream only in a low voice.† (Byron) Pick one of the prompts now – you can afford ten minutes – grab that blank page, and go! Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:20 Great Similes from Literature to Inspire YouComma Before ButList of 50 Compliments and Nice Things to Say!

Marketing Major Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Marketing Major - Essay Example The market gap represents signs of potential success. The product is mainly targeted to three segments, namely the youth, professionals who have a tendency to eat convenient food and health-conscious people who survive on a healthy diet. The product is being positioned in the market as a healthy one which is supreme to its competitors on account of taste and quality. The target consumers lie in the age group of 16-24 and 26-45 mainly so a wide range of media support has been devised. For instance, radio and television has been mainly used to target all the age group on account of their popularity. On the other hand social media like facebook and LinkedIn has been used for promoting the product launch among the youth and young professionals. Magazines like The Economist have been used to communicate with the young professionals. Fast moving consumer goods (FMCG) include a variety of products which are sold at low prices and their sale occurs relatively faster. The target market for FMCG is quite vast but proper segmentation of the market and adding value to the customers are formidable challenges for any FMCG company. According to the traditional definition FMCG goods can be described as goods which are purchased very frequently. These goods are generally sold in large volume in order to generate profits for the companies which produce them. These goods are priced relatively lower compared to consumer durable goods and are perishable generally. These goods can include a wide range of items like soft drinks, toiletries, packed food items and chocolate bars to name a few. The shelf-life of the products is relatively lower for which they are manufactured in large quantities to compensate for the small price. The FMCG sector is a key component of the U.K. economy and accounts for 10% of the GDP of the country a nd 20% of the entire market (The Statistics Portal, 2014). The food and beverages sector is one of

The Concept of Death Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

The Concept of Death - Essay Example Death relates to the end of an individual’s life. It defines a permanent and irreversible end of all fundamental functions like breathing. Death leads to a condition of being dead. Ideally, various definitions of death depend on distinct factors like religion, culture, age, and academic field. The paper addresses various definitions of the concept of death. It also defines the different perspectives adopted by children and adults about the concept of death. The paper equally defines the concept of death with respect to culture especially the Chinese culture. Ultimately, the paper draws my opinion on the definitions of the concept of death.  Legally, we can define death as a legal declaration by a person in authority that there is no need to continue offering medical assistance to a patient and that the patient is dead under the law. Furthermore, under medical terms we can define the concept of death as the end and cessation of all important body functions like breathing, thi nking, and thumping. We also have a Biblical meaning of the concept of death. Indeed, the Bible refers to the concept of death as a separation of two things (Elliott 1). The Bible refers to the concept of physical death as a separation between the body and the soul (Elliott 1). On the other hand, it refers to the concept of spiritual death as human separation from God (Elliott 1). Regardless of these definitions, it is clear that humans do not adore death and barely want to think about it. However, it is true that the concept of death is universal since everybody must experience at some point in life. As such, there is need to seek more understanding on the concept of death.  The understanding and perspective of the concept of death differ between children and adults. Indeed, the understanding of death changes as children grows and approach maturity. Adults always struggle to explain the concept of death to children (Speece 57-60). As such, adults should beware of how a child unde rstands death at different stages of child development.

The Ways I Learn English

The Ways I Learn English I was born in a small village outside Kodiang Town. It was a Malay village and most of the villager work as farmer. I was raised up in Malay family and my native language was Malay. My parent work as educator until today, but they had basic knowledge about English because their studies not an English Education. It was a long journey for me to learn English and until this moment I still continue to master this language. Beside English, I also got opportunities to learn Arabic language in a formal education. I also try to learn other foreign language by my own such as Japanese. Even my parents do not talk English at home, but they always encourage and support me to learn English. At the age of four years old my mother always bought many flash card, book with picture, puzzle and colouring book for me. After she getting back from school she will take one of the books and pronounced the word and ask me to repeat it. My mother also uses some English word to teach me about common object that we could found in my house. She will said that is cat, cat, a cat and I will repeated slowly cat. At the age of five years old, my mother had sent me to kindergarten. At there, I started my first formal lesson with English. The teacher teaches us about the letter A to Z, number 1 to 10, spelling and also pronunciations. When I enter primary school by the age of seven years old, I already used few English words in my daily conversation. The common words that I always used with my family and friends is baby, colour, bag, toilet and others. I got very motivated teacher at that time; he always inspired me to talk fluently in English. His name is Mr Zamarul Hisham Bin Kamaruddin. One of his teaching technique is he wanted us to have our own personal dictionaries and each student must bring that dictionaries every day to school. The use of that dictionary is for student to record every single new word that we learn in his classes or from other teacher. I think he did help student a lot in learning this language. During this time my mother also encourages me to read lots. My passion is always on science and technologies and mother know I love science very much. So, she bought me hundreds of English science book during my childhood. Book about fact on animals, plants, car, building and astronomy is among my favorite book at that time. Sometime I does not read at all because science term are difficult to understand for me at that age, but I really love to looking at those picture. Another effort of my mother to make me understand English well is by reading bedtime story books. Each month she will take me to Popular Bookstore to bought one bedtime story book. I always choose story book that have been write by Grid Blyton. The story that he write always have moral value and lesson for children to learn. Every night I spend some time with my mother to read those stories book. I always ask a lot to my mother about each story which such a great curiosity. Beside from reading books and formal lesson in school, another environment which also gives big influence for me to learn English is the exposure to technologies. In early ages, English cartoon program such as Sesame Street, Barney and Friends, Blues Clues and Mickey Mouse and Friends help me to communicate and understand English. Sesame Street encourages me to learn by demonstrating how people use various strategies, such as observing and predicting, to explore the world around me. Watching cartoon in English helps to hone my listening skills and learn how English is actually spoken. In addition through watching television, we learn with our desire and not by force like in classroom. So, I can learn a lot through watching television. I also can learn about general knowledge, science fact and recent news when I watch documentary on National Geographic and Discovery Channel. Another advantage to watching television is the learning of playing with words. English taught in schools can b e very rigid and sometimes the words are straight out of the book. Learning through television though is very good for pronunciation because the learner can actually hear the words spoken as they should be. Another innovation of technologies which help to develop my English skill was computer and mobile phone. As those gadget was invented and it become a trend for everybody to use it, I realized that it also help me to improve my vocabulary in English. All the term used in technologies was an English word and the term like make a call, sending massage, printout, copy and paste and others was widely use after the technologies was invented. I also learn a lot of new vocabulary through playing game on computer. Strategic game such as Red Alert 2, Call of Duty and Modern War used high vocabulary of word to explain the goal of each game. Sometimes I had to open up my dictionaries or seek the certain meaning of words from the internet to understand the task given in the game. If I cannot understand the task or the mission, I cannot compete and win the game. I like to write a narrative essay. This is because narrative or stories is an open essay which I can use my own imagination to write those essays. In public examination such as PMR and SPM, I always choose the narrative essay to answer. My Secondary School teacher, Madam Asliza Binti Zubir always encourages me to develop my fiction writing skill. She gives me a lot of fiction stories for me to get idea and inspiration to write a better first individual essay using my own imagination. My lifes principle for learning language also helps me to improve my English skill. I believe that to master the certain language desire is important for a person to explore and discover the language by himself. It does not need a formal education to learn other language. As long as there are desire and effort, we can learn what ever language we want through any medium of learning. I prove myself by learning Arabic language in school and learning Japanese through anime. I notice that, I easily memorize J apanese words when watching Japanese anime more than all the memorizing activities of Arabic class in school.

Managemen: a case study of wb engineering limited

The flexible nature of management of small and medium scale firm has made the management style in this structure of organization to be difficult. The structure and the size of resources available to small and medium scale organizations these have jointly constituted a factor that makes the management styles in small firms to be at variance with what is obtainable in large-scale organizations. In the view of Slatter (1992:159) cited Collins & Ram, 2003, â€Å"managing fast growth in entrepreneurial firms is one of the most difficult challenges that exists†. Owners often struggle to balance the flexibility required to keep pace with customers demands, with the stability needed to provide employees with a sense of continuity and security. Hence management essentially comprises a careful balancing act between strong leadership and decentralized task-oriented management; and processes involving organizational cohesion and those promoting individual responsibility (Collins & Ram, 2003). As a small and medium scaled firm expands and begin to transform into a large sized organization there is the need for such transformation to be commensurate to changes in management style that hitherto had being practiced; this need be done so that a lacuna would not be created and a lost of touch and proper control of the expanding resources. There is also the need to be awoken to current trend in our everyday dynamic business environment. The non-adherence to these little but significant facts has rendered many well to do but poorly managed organizations to die a premature death. This write up would be looking at those factors that had imposed the difficulty our case study (WB Engineering Limited) is passing through. WB Engineering Limited is a small firm having the aim to develop into a medium scale firm. The coordination of the firm’s human resource portends an impending difficulty to the moving forward of the firm to its next developmental level. Adrian and Grey are both managers of the small firm. Adrian’s relocation to Spain from US where the business located, kept Grey in a tight corner on how to effectively manage the firm’s resources. The immediate cause of the firm’s problem and recommended solutions on how to curtail this problem would be proffered. CONCEPTUALIZATION AND CHARACTERISTICS OF SMALL AND MEDIUM ORGANIZATION The term ‘small’ is a relative one it is not absolute. The line separating small from large is in a continuum and an issue that is inevitably arbitrary. According to Odaka & Sawai (1999), â€Å"small business is a generic concept. Being the antonym of big business, its social significance becomes clearer when placed in the historical context where the latter first appeared in the world economy†. Bolton 1971, cited in Bannock (2005), he identified three characteristics in its economic definitions of a small firm: A small market share, that is not large enough to influence national price or qualities (even though a village shop may be the only one, its prices cannot get too far out of line from those of major national retailers in the nearest town, even though people will pay something for local convenience) Managed in a personalized way: the owner actively participates in all aspects of the business unlike in a large firm where the shareholders and management are usually almost entirely separate. Independence or the exercise of ultimate management responsibility. A small subsidiary of a large firm, which has a head office to report to, does not share these characteristics. The above characteristics are usually identified with vast majority of business, which are inherently small in size. The study of small firms revolves around it five major features which include {1} Existence {2} Survival. {3} Success {4} Take-off {5} Resource maturity.   And these are regarded as the five stages in small business growth (Churchill & Lewis, 1983). These five stages go a long way to influence and determine the success that trails the small business historical growth. ADDUCED REASONS LEADING TO THE FALL OF WB ENGINNEERING LIMITED Transition from a small or medium size of business organization to a large entity, it requires the need to restructure the organizational structure and also the organizational strategy should be enhanced to be in tune with the new status the organization is attaining. Managing a fast growing entrepreneurial firm as that of WB Engineering is a onerous task that requires adequate managerial dexterity in balancing the flexibility required to keep pace with customer demands, alongside with the stability needed to provide employees with a sense of continuity and security in the transitional organization. One way of doing this is through a strong leadership in the organization that provides a key role in overcoming the confusion that usually accompanies growth and is necessary to build and maintain the cohesiveness of the organization. According to Collins & Ram (2003), â€Å"management essentially comprises a careful balancing act between strong leadership and decentralized task- oriented management; and processes involving organizational cohesion and those promoting individual responsibility†. Looking at the case study, WB Engineering Limited had missed the mark in a cohesive management of its expanding business and the leadership style adopted had being one of a centralized and undemocratic. The WB Engineering organization started well as a small entrepreneurial firm that adequately managed its resources and put in that individual- centralized managerial skill required at this stage of the business. But as the organization expands and transforms into a conglomerate status; integrating on a vertical level and diversification of resources and operations level, it then requires that at this developmental and transitional level in the organization that a cohesive maintenance of the organization is adopted through a strong leadership that exhibit a decentralized and democratic leadership style. The focus here is that WB Engineering Limited failed to give room for experts trained in specific managerial skills to assist in managing the growth of the organization. This became visible when Adrian moved to Spain, Gary felt totally abandoned and helpless. Assuming there is a decentralized structure in place, the absence of Adrain would not have constituted a big effect. His absence would have being adequately covered. It thus invariably signifies that the management has being one that is centralized even in this assuming state of the expansion of the organization. This had helped in the collapse of the organization. The no cohesive management of the organization again is reflected in the disconnected and autonomous management of the specialised units within the company as a group of satellites. The uncoordinated nature of the management of the organization shows the lapses in management style; which is another factor that has contributed to the fall in WB Engineering Limited. The lapses in managerial style adopted by Gary and Adrain is the lack of consultation with specialist before embarking on projects and also the lack of proper forecasting and research before venturing into a new business environment. Though, the WB Engineering Limited spent a whooping sum (2million pounds) in consulting professional and legal fees, this was done after the deal has being signed and as a way of restructuring the organization, after the acquisition of ESR, to be floated as a public organization. Assuming a little part of the sum had being spent in managerial consultancy and proper forecasting and research work, prior to the time the deal of acquiring ESR, this would have enable WB Engineering Limited to foresee the possibility of the acquisition as a dead trap, and an alternative measure would have being taking to avert the impending consequences. It is seen that the management style of the WB Engineering Limited had failed to grow out of its old shell and imbibe current management techniques and adopting strategic planning for the transitional organization. As it is a noticeable fact, management style in small firms have been more on operational plan than strategic plan. While strategic plan is conceived as â€Å"a written long-range plan, which includes both a corporate mission statement and a statement of organizational objectives operating planning on the other hand is defined as the setting of short-term objectives for specific functional areas such as finance, marketing, and personnel† (Shrader, et al 1989). A strategic planning needs adequate forecasting and researching. The embarking on projects without proper forecasting and re searching on consequences and building alternatives plan had being the waterloo of WB Engineering Limited when it acquired ESR. According to Orpen, â€Å"strategic planning benefits small firms by causing them to explore new alternatives for increasing sales and improving their competitive advantages (ibid). The management of WB Engineering Limited failed to recognize the significance of business environment in influencing the outcome of business operation. The preference for racing car in the UK market is different from what is obtainable in the US market. First impression matters a lot. The first introduced model of racing car in ESR by WB Engineering Limited, with a lesser quality in comparison with its other produce had beclouded the mind of prospecting customer, even when a winning model was reengineered by the company best engineering hands; little was done to safeguard the already battered image of the immerging firm (WBE-ESR organization) in US. Another factor that had contributed to the fall of WB Engineering Limited is the lack of concentrating all its resources directly at the operation it is having an upper hand. The organization had no specialized operation area; it is thus becoming Jack of all trade and master of none. Since the organization had cut an ace for itself in technical expertise and project engineering skill to mainstream automotive market, it ought   to have concentrated its resources in consolidating its operation around this   area, rather than dabbling into other areas like   owning a car racing team, and other project that is unrelated to it core area of operation. Concentrating and being specialized in a function makes the organization the master in such operation, hence competitive advantage over its rivals, even in this modern dynamic business world. From the given extract of WB Engineering Limited historical antecedents, it is observed that the organization ha a poor human relationship with its workers. They are not adequately informed and carried along in the organization scheme of operation. This is reflected where senior employees of the organization began to question the strategic direction of the organization. This shows that initially the senior employees were not partakers to the strategic planning. This also goes back to support the centralized and non consultative pattern which the management of the organization operates. The non involvement of workers especially the senior workers in the organization strategy planning, this had given them no sense of belonging in the organization, hence the lack of zeal to pursue the organizations objectives and goals. According to Marlow & Patton (1993), â€Å"the effective management of employees is also emerging as a key variable in the survival of mall firms†. The management of workers and non-consultation attitude of the management had contributed to the poor relationship of human resource in the organization with the management. CHANGES TO BE DONE IN ORDER TO IMPROVE THE ORGANIZATION EFFECTIVENESS The WB Engineering Limited need to adopt changes in ways it operates and the organizational structure for it to improve on its effectiveness. The under listed are ways the organization can achieve its effectiveness. First, there is a need that the organization restructures its management structure, which hitherto had been a centralized and undemocratic one. A decentralized organizational structure permits room for participation and workers contributing their innovative ideas in ways that would spur the organization ahead and make it compete vigorously with its rivals and attaining greater customer satisfaction. Thus, there is the need that the management of WB Engineering is decentralized, the strategic planning of the organization should not be left to only Adrain and Gary; workers involvement would go a long way to effect a positive change in the organization. Also, the need to adopt a formal structure in the organization would also aid in bringing an effective management structure where each worker knows who to report to and the responsibility expected of him. There is also the need for the organization to build a more beneficial relationship between the organization’s human resource and the management. Since the WB Engineering Limited is becoming vast in its operations, it should imbibe those strategic operations adopted by large organization; thus there is the need to carry out a strategic human resource management. According to Bacon et al (1996), cited in Wagar (1998), â€Å"small business managers are increasingly aware of new management ideas, and a number of organizations have implemented initiatives traditionally identified with large firm†. Thus the strategic human resource management has to do with the organization using its human resource in jointly drawing out strategies on which the organization would operate on. In modern times† firms were most likely to report sharing business information with employees and rapid change, keeping employees informed is important† (Wagar, 1998). The WB Engineering Limited should do more to incorporate more effective forecasting and consultative research prior to embarking on projects. This would not only   safe the organization from engaging in wrong business and project deals, but also enable it know how to manage its resources in the most rewarding   way. There is also the need for a well coordinated chain of the organization’s satellites businesses. This should be synchronized toward achieving same goal. The different group of satellites and other operational areas of the WB Engineering conglomerate should be coordinated in a fashion to jointly work towards achieving the goal of the organization. As earlier stated, the organization should concentrate its resources in the area of technical expertise and project engineering which over the years had being its major profit maximizing venture. It is also suggested that the acquired ESR in U.S. since this has being the waterloo and the immediate cause of the impediment to the growth of WE Engineering Limited; this should be made to enter into a strategic alliance with other thriving organization in the United States. Instead of a full merger, the organization resources and managerial know-how can form an alliance with other effective organization in strategizing a way of moving the organization through a symbiotic relationship. This will give the organization the ability to take advantage of the environment in which it operates. Lastly, it is suggested that in this ever dynamic contemporary business world, the organization should follow the trend of the time and adapt to modern management techniques; such as strategic human resource management, Total Quality management (TQM), having competitive advantage through product differentiation. When these are adopted it would give the organization an edge over its rival and make the WB Engineering Limited regain its lost glory in the race car construction industry. REFRENCES Bannock, Graham (2005), The Economic and Management of Small Business: An International Perspective. New York: Routledge Publisher. Collins, L. & Ram, M. (2003), â€Å"Managing the Entrepreneurial Firm† Stream 9: Critical realist in Perspectives on Entrepreneurial Organization and Discourses. June http://www.mngt.waikato.ac.nz/ejrot/cmsconfrence/2003/proceedings/criticalrealist/collins.pdf (06/03/06) Neil C Churchhill and Lewis, V. L. (1983), the Five Stages of Small business Growth. Harvard Business Review, 61, 2-11 Shrader, C.B. et al (1989), â€Å"Strategic and Operational Planning, Uncertainty and Performance in Small Firms† in Journal of Small Business Management Vol. 27, No. 4 Odaka, K. & Sawai, M. (1999), Small Firms, Large Concerns, The development of Small Business in Comparative Perspective. Oxford: Oxford University Press. P1. Wagar, Terry H. 91998), â€Å"Determinants of Human Resource management Practices in Small Firms: Some evidences from Atlantic Canada† in Journal of Small Business Management Vol.36, No.2.            

Economics Terms and Health Care History Essay

Introduction The healthcare economics have changed so much over the years. The changed was because of the evolutionary changes that happened in the United States which cause the dramatic change in the economics medical technology. One of the main reasons that moves all things are by health care economics is the money and the money help keeps an organization to established and be stable and it is the key to success. One way that the organization is using to help run the business is the cash flow system. It run the business and somehow help in making a decision in the future and also learning the healthcare economics. â€Å"Economics is the science that deals with the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services or the material welfare of human kind.† (Getzen & Moore, 2007). There are some factors that contributed to the evolution of healthcare and these are technology and medical advancement. If somebody understand the flow of funds and the health care economics started, it will be easier task of planning for the future. Like what I mentioned earlier it’s the money is the driving force at health care economics. In the past most people paid privately for health care. The funding began over the years that come more from the health care insurance. That way the individuals are only paying a portion of the cost of the health care insurance the private insurance will pay the rest. (Getzen & Moore, 2007) The United States technology change because of the supply and demand and new technology system are continuously upgrading and updating to help the  increasing population in United States. Before our time people who needs to be treated by a doctor will trade things that they own in exchange for the payment of the health service, they did not have any money or they couldn’t afford the cost of the health care services. There are times the doctors would trade treatment for some things such as cotton, livestock, grain and jewelry as the patient form of Economic Terms and Health Care History3 payment. These doctors were tradesmen, the patient was paying one hundred percent cost for health care services rendered. As the United Stated progress with the technology and other historical factors, such as The Great Depression, a new health care system was made to aid the American population in purchasing medical services. Microeconomics and Macroeconomics Microeconomics is how the individuals and organizations make a decision on how to allocate the resources that are available so by allocating the resources they can meet their own or the consumer demands. Macroeconomics is the general population or the health care system as a whole, rather than the individual consumers or organizations. Both Microeconomics and Macroeconomics explained that the supply and demand of the population. Microeconomics concentrate on the product costs in any given market. Macroeconomics explain the price of the product that are sold. Macroeconomics are influenced by inflation, consumer consumption and employment rates. In Microeconomics, the individual that need medical are but do not have health care insurance may continue the treatment until it finish. The health care system that can assist this individual are through Medicaid or Medicare. However Microeconomics affects Macroeconomics. For the patient or the organization with the demands that are not met, the whole system becomes stained. Economic Terms and Health Care History4 Gross Domestic Product Gross Domestic Product are consists of total market value of all services  and goods that produced during the specific period of time. (Apollo Group, 2010). This comprises the services and goods that are produce with the market values over a year. The three ways gross market value determined are expenditures, product approach and income approach. Despite with all approaches the outcomes are identical. Elasticity and Inelasticity The consumers determined the elasticity same as the cost of the products by supply and demand. If the consumer agreed that the product is important or essential, then the cost of the product may be higher, most of the time consumer will continue to purchase the product out of necessity and still willing to play a higher price. So if the product or service is in such a great demand and consumer still willing to purchase regardless of its costs, then it is considered inelastic. Supply and Demand The Supply and Demand played an important role in the society. It has influenced the prices and the quantities of the product available. This is where microeconomics and macroeconomics get affected. If there are no demand of the products then the supply of the product gets affected. The supply of the product will be limited if there are no demands. If the demands is a lot, then the supply would be limited as well, it is because of how much the product is sold and the quantity of the supplier can sell the product. The consumer always consider the cost of the products, by this it determine the supply and demand of the product. Economic Terms and Health Care History5 Conclusion Economics is part of our health care industry, it can be used to predict the costs in the health care world by supply and demand, microeconomics and macroeconomics, service elasticity and inelasticity. Economics Terms and Health Care History6 References: Getzen and Allen 2007, Healthcare Economics http://www.investopedia.com/ask/answers/110.asp