A review of the key issues associated with an important practical and theoretical area related to consulting

Summary Management consulting is very important, especially in today’s business environment characterized by economic uncertainties. This report is based on transaction cost theory which provides a rationale for management consulting. This document discusses the demands made on people working in management consulting.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on A review of the key issues associated with an important practical and theoretical area related to consulting specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The demand for management consulting comes from the need to help organizations and businesses in strategic development and implementation. This includes providing financial and marketing advice, improve workforce efficiency, determining organizational risks and the project implications of the organizations activities, and improving the internal operations of organizations. Introduction Management consultancy is part of b usiness consultancy that has become very important for businesses and organizations today. Both start-up and established businesses and companies require expertise in setup and development, marketing, human resource planning and management, finance, operations, market analysis, economics, environmental management, manufacturing and other daily business activities (Drucker 1979, 22). The modern business climate has made it necessary to acquire reliable feasibility appraisal. Management consulting focuses on developing strategies together with fine-tuning them to meet the needs of the individual businesses. Management consultancy firms are in demand to help organizations and businesses to transform their information systems, as well assetting up in regulatory and risk management structures. Management consultants have to understand the various business environments and different cultures found as well as the factors which influence trends in the respective cultures (Canback 1998a, 8). They also have to understand organizational cultures and complex organizational technology so as to help solve the problems experienced in the company. It is therefore necessary that they first listen and understand systems and situations before they begin advising and implementing new programs, practices or policies to achieve performance improvement. Transaction Cost Theory One theory that explains management consulting is transaction cost theory. It explains why management consulting exists,and explores the real costs of distributing resources in an imperfect global business environment with misunderstanding, misaligned goals and uncertainty.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More According to transaction cost theory, an organization’s costs are categorized into production and transaction costs (Bower 1982, 4). Production costs are costs associated with production activ ities including manufacturing, logistics and product development. Transaction costs are those associated with organizing the economic activities of the company. Both production and transaction costs vary with the organizational form. Transactional costs vary depending on technology and tastes, while production costs are influenced by resource allocation. Transaction costs determine an organization’s operations in the market, which is regulated by prices, and its activities within the firm, also regulated by bureaucracy (Canback 1998b, 22). The optimum of an organization’s transaction costs is reached when its additional transactions in the firm exceeds the costs of conducting the same transactions across the market. The relative level of market and internal transaction costs determines what is to be done in each sector or department in organization. The main market transaction costs include the cost of information failure, the cost of determining an organisationâ€℠¢s products and services, and the cost of creating and negotiating contracts (Kipping 2002, 34). Prime internal costs include administrative costs of establishing the cost of motivating the workforce, the cost of resource allocation, as well as, the production cost (Canback 1998b, 23). Organizations acquire the services of management consultants to achieve this optimum. Management consultants are therefore important to help organization structure perfect contracts, and reducing the possibility of individuals within the company acting out of their self-interest (Williamson 1975, 73). According to Dawkins (1989, 72) organizations can only achieve credible and responsible behavior when their activities and operations are sustained by enforceable commitments since individuals can break agreements to serve their self-interest.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on A review of the key issues associated with an important practical and theoretical area related to consultin g specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Demand for management consulting services Management consulting involves the preparation as well as the delivery of business planning services. There is real demand on consultants to add value to businesses and companies (Frame 1994, 8). Management consulting firms must have across-the-board expertise in numerous areas into a singular solution for that particular business which requires market-focused, realistic plus impartial advice. Emotional intelligence is particularly essential in consultancy considering that the work done by consultants involves interacting with people. Management consultantsare involved in offering solutions to business-related problems and therefore must engage with people on a daily basis. Thus, they have to be outgoing and have the drive to help companies and businesses prosper. The expert or firm should be able to provide services to small business start-ups to enable them meet their needs, as well as to medium companies and global companies which are expanding into new markets. They should be able to provide business planning services such as feasibility studies, operational and financial planning, options appraisal, due diligence and market analysis (Block 2001, 147). Management consulting firms/experts are also expected to work closely with the businesses/organizations to which they provide services in putting plans into action to enable them meet their goals. This implies that they have to work alongside the management teams of these organizations while filling various roles, which may include being trainer, client liaison, writer, analyzer and speaker (Buono 2001, 27). Within the consultancy team, there needs to be experts in various forms industry and business fields. Today, many businesses and organizations retain the services of consultants to help them diagnose and analyse existing organizational problems in addition to developing plans for improvement. Consultants are aware of an industry’s best practices and can transfer such practices to organizations which need them to improve their performance. This is as a result of their exposure to as well as relationships with several organizations. During the consultancy, the consultants need to help the organization/business evolve its plans to adapt to unpredicted economic circumstances which may include changes in the market (Clark Fincham 2002, 55). Consultants have to focus on areas and ways which can enable the company reduce costs by making them more efficient and effective.Advertising Looking for report on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Thus, there is much demand from the management consultants to improve and re-engineer businesses so as to help them to overcome downturns and recessions successfully. Management consultants have broad knowledge and solid experience as regards planning the optimal marketing mix. They have to help their clients design marketing strategies that gives them a competitive edge over their competitors. Businesses need to have the right marketing mix to leverage their product success rates in the marketing, and achieve customer and brand equity, customer satisfaction and loyalty. Businesses also want to know how they can expand their markets, as well astheir chances of success should they decide to expand their markets (Davenport Prusak 2005, 309). Consultants have to do a lot more work to help companies expand markets overseas. They have to offer strategic advice to companies planning to enter or are entering new markets. The primary responsibility of consultants is to analyse and determine the level of risks of business ventures, as well as make educated projections regarding the long-term benefits of the organization’s practices and policies (Davenport Smith 2000, 291). Consultants must have the skills required to put into practice the necessary changes. This means that the consultants have to help the company/business develop written material which includes policies and plans, and give directions to the business by training and educating the organization/business employees on the new procedures and practices. Management consultants have to offer strategic advice to companies/businesses on project-by-project basis. This may include programs like reorganization of a firm’s structure or rationalization of products and services offered by the firm (Hilpern 2010). Management consultants have to offer advice to corporations which are integrating acquisitions and reduce costs along international supply chain. They offer solutions together with effective and practical implementation strategies of that solution. They have to help their clients prepare for change and managing change to attain sustainable success by developing strategies which improve operational efficiency and productivity, as well as, helping them strengthen their relationships with other businesses, partners, clients and suppliers (Turner 1982, 123). There is more demand on management consultants to project the implications of an organization’s operation within an industry or in competitive contexts (Bessant Rush 1995, 109). Consultants enable firms to continue with their normal business operations as they create links in the supply chain. For businesses to be successful, their managers have to recognize potential partners and key areas of expansion, and then implement strategic plans which focus on improving positioning, as well as increasing transparency throughout the relationship networks. This means that consultants should be able to analyze and have knowle dge of interrelationships which includes relationships between people, technology and processes so as to help organizations identify and attain operational, financial, competitive, as well as, relational goals. Management consultants also assist organizations to build new business capabilities in addition to integrating them so that the business can continue with minimal interference. Another demand made on management consultants is helping companies achieve more lenient and efficient use of human resources. They offer a range of advice to firms and businesses including job enrichment, personnel policy, human resource support programs such as training and development, recruitment, implementation of human resource planning systems like ERP among other operations and programs (Stryker 1954, 86). Management consultants have to make their services attractive to businesses and organizations. This implies that they have to adopt a Project Portfolio Management (PPM) strategy to human resou rce management so that they can better understand, as well as anticipate, the needs of organization that they are servicing, then identify the positions and skills which are required to meet the needs of the company. Organizations need management consultants who can place best personnel in the most strategic positions as well as excellent performers in support positions. This allows companies and businesses to align the skills of its employees with their needs (Den Hertog, 2000, 508). They also have to help their clients efficiently allocate their staff to various simultaneous projects while ensuring that the organizations meet their current client demands as they anticipate future demands. Management consultants also offer capacity/utilization analysis for organizations against their current and future personnel demand. They have to determine whether the organizations have the right number of executives or managers as well as supporting staff/positions and resources so as to allow them identify gaps and surpluses within their human resource. They have to advise their clients on emerging business patterns which could include shifting patterns, trends that require new practice to lead to higher profits, demand for new skills, values in forecasts, as well as, influx of business in a new sector (Fornbrun Nevins 2004, 86). This enables organizations understand when to rightsize,whom to layoff when that time comes and when to outsource a project or workforce. With increasing uncertainties in the business environment, there is more demand for management consultants to offer services to executives and managers in planning for hypothetical scenarios and determining the projected results. The projected outcomes help managers save time and increase their visibility into their business ventures commitments, as well as, budget goals (Schon 1983, 133-134). More is demanded from management consultants who offer financial advice and guidance. They have to guide businesses/co mpanies on issues like putting in place of budgetary control systems and profit planning (Williamson 1975, 76). Management consultant have to support small business, start-ups, private corporate companies and publicly listed companies to achieve optimal financing structures by helping them make critical financial decisions concerning the right mixture of equity plus debt. Management consultancy firms are on demand to help firms and businesses improve their performance by transforming business intelligence, operations, and making financial transformations including cash management, cost optimization, working capital and revenue enhancement. Conclusion Transaction cost theory attempts to explain the issue of management. Not only does it offer an explanation as to why management, exists, but the theory also examines the real cost of distributing resources within an organisation in an efficient manner. This is especially important in an imperfect business environment where misaligned go als, misunderstandings and uncertainty prevail. The theory also categorises an organisation’s cots into transaction cost and production cost. The two types of costs differ from one organisation to another. Whereas production costs are associated with such production activities as logistics, manufacturing and product development, on the other hand, transaction costs are the costs associated with a company’s economic activities. In this case, transaction costs determine the operations of an organisation in the market. The main market transaction cost include the cost of determining an organisation’s products and services, administrative costs to motivate the workforce, and the cost of resource allocation. There is a real demand for management consulting services to add value to businesses. Management consulting firms ought to have enough experts across the board. This way, the consulting firm is able to provide services to start-ups, medium-level companies, and gl obal firms as well. There is a need therefore for management consulting firms to work closely with their clients in order to help them achieve their goals. Business consultants are charged with the responsibility of analysing and determining the level of risks of business ventures and making educated projections regarding the long-term benefits of the firm’s policies and practices. In addition, management consultants also provide strategic advice to businesses on a project-by-project basis. They help clients to prepare for change and manage change for sustainable development. There is a rising demand for management consulting firms to project the implications of an organisation’s operations within an industry or in the context of competition. Management consultants also provide their clients with capacity analysis against their current and future demands for human resources. There is a dire need for management consulting firms to guide businesses on such issues as prof it planning and implementing of budgetary control systems. Moreover, companies rely on management consulting firms to help them improve their business performance by transforming their operations, optimizing their financial costs, and embracing the concept of business intelligence. Reference List Bessant, J., Rush, H., 1995, Building bridges for innovation: the role of consultants in technology transfer. Research Policy, 24: 97-114. Block, P., 2001, Flawless consulting: a guide to getting your expertise used, 2nd Edition. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass/Pfeiffer. p., 147. Bower, M. 1982. The forces that launched management consulting are still at work. Journal of Management Consulting 1 (1): 4–6. Buono, A. F., 2001, Current trends in management consulting. Oxford: Information Age Publishing. p. 27. Canback, S., 1998a, The logic of management consulting, Part 1. Journal of Management Consulting 10 (2): 3–11. Canback, S., 1998b, Transaction cost theory and management consult ing: Why do management consultants exist?, Working Paper 9810002. Henley-on-Thames: Henley Management College. pp. 20-24. Clark, T., Fincham, E., (eds) 2002, Critical consulting: new perspectives on the management advice industry, Blackwell, Oxford. P. 55. Davenport, T. H., Prusak, L., 2005, Knowledge management in consulting. In Greiner, L., Poulfelt, F., (eds), The contemporary consultant: handbook of management consulting: insights from world experts. Mason, OH: Thomson-South Western. pp. 305–326. Davenport, T Smith, D 2000, Managing knowledge in professional service firms. In Cortada, J., Woods, J., (eds), The knowledge management yearbook 2000–2001. Butterworth, Woburn, MA, pp. 284–299. Dawkins, R. 1989. The selfish gene. 2nded. New York: Oxford University Press. p 73. Den Hertog, P., 2000, Knowledge-intensive business services as co-producers of innovation.International Journal of Innovation Management, 4 (4): 491–528. Drucker, P. F., 1979, Why Ma nagement Consultants? In Melvin, Z., Greenwood, R. G., The evolving science of management. New York: AMACOM. Fornbrun, C., Nevins, M., 2004, The advice business: Essential tools and models for management consulting. Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Pearson Prentice Hall. Frame, J. D., 1994, The new project management: The new business environment and the need for a new project management: San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. pp. 1–16. Hilpern, K., 2010, Management consultancy: Why talented people are back in demand. The Independent. Web. Kipping, M., 2002, Trapped in their wave: The evolution of management consultancies. In Clark, T., Fincham, R., (eds.). Critical Consulting: New Perspectives on the Management Advice Industry. Oxford: Blackwell, 28-49. Stryker, P., 1954, The ambitious consultants. Fortune, May, 82–88. Schon, D., 1983, The reflective practitioner: How professionals think in action. London: Temple Smith. pp. 133-134. Turner, A. N., 1982, Consulting is more than giving advice. Harvard Business Review 60(5): 120-129. Williamson, O. E., 1975, Markets and hierarchies: Analysis and antitrust implications. New York: Free Press. p. 73-76. This report on A review of the key issues associated with an important practical and theoretical area related to consulting was written and submitted by user Wolver-dok to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.

Mayoral Elections 2001 essays

Mayoral Elections 2001 essays This years mayoral elections have become quite challenging due to the terrorist attacks on the U.S. the day of the primaries. Incredibly the candidates managed to pull through and prove us that they are eager and prepared to win the elections. Two of the candidates whom in my opinion made the best points on education were Michael Bloomberg, a republican and Mark Green, a democrat. Michael Bloomberg visualizes a major improvement in all aspects of education. First Bloomberg would like to put an end to the Board of Education. This means that the education system would be run by the Mayor, City Council, and a Commissioner of Education. Another proposition made was that all teachers be re-evaluated every two years in order to make sure all are well qualified to teach our children. To achieve better communication between parents and teachers a "Parent's Voicemail System" should be established in which a parent and teacher hold a meeting at the students home. This system will also improve communication between parents and their children, which might improve students attendance and performance in school. Bloomberg encourages after school programs to aid students in their academic performance as well as assures that the $12 million for education will be spent wisely to benefit our students. Mark Green has also set some important goals for the education system. As Bloomberg, Green would also like to replace the Board of Education with a more effective committee. Green's major concern is overcrowding in classrooms. Smaller classrooms provide a better learning environment, for more time is dedicated on each student by the teacher. Another issue of Green's concern is upgrading schools by supplying classrooms with computers. This will give our students more access to modern technology. Green stands up for teachers by promising better working ...

Homeopathy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Homeopathy - Essay Example Conventional medicine is the system being practiced by medical degree holders such as medical doctors and the medical practitioners who work with registered nurses, therapists, and psychologists. It is also referred to as mainstream medicine, or "regular" medicine. Complementary medicine, when practiced alone, is used along with conventional medicine to supplement the latter. An example of complementary medicine is the intake of plant extracts and juices believed to have extraordinary therapeutic effects to supplement conventional medicine. The use of alternative medicine, on the other hand, most of the time replaces conventional medicine. For example, a cancer patient may choose to engage in a series of practices including diets and supplements instead of going through the methods of conventional medicine which may include surgery and chemotherapy. Integrative medicine is defined as a practice that "combines mainstream medical therapies and CAM therapies for which there is some high -quality scientific evidence of safety and effectiveness" (NCCAM 2006). For some, the combination of mainstream medical therapies and CAM therapies is best than depending on a single ttype of therapy. Lastly, Complementary and alternative medicine, or CAM, is "a group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not presently considered to be part of conventional medicine" (NCCAM 2006). It is a movement that is seeking ways to treat illness with minimal disruption of the internal environment of the body. A more organized and established example of alternative medicine is the practice of homeopathy. This form of alternative healing, which dates back to 200 years ago, uses a different approach in diagnosing and treating medical conditions. It is primarily based on the Law of Similars which promotes curing "like with like" which means that "small, highly weak & diluted quantities of medicinal substances is given to treat symptoms, but when the same substances are given at higher or more concentrated doses would actually cause those symptoms in patient" (Weiner & Goss 6). Homeopathy is one among the many approaches to complementary and alternative healing. Its increasing popularity over time and its worldwide success indicate that like most approaches to health care, it should be chosen with considerable care, and considered only as an alternative should other approaches to healing such as "conventional medicine" have proven unsuccessful. There are however some doubts on the usefulness and affectivity of the practice of homeopathy. The modern medical practice as we know it is well founded on scientific studies and proofs. There is a growing trend in modern society to seek natural healing treatment for various illnesses that plague mankind. Homeopathy, despite considered to be unscientific by some, is one of those CAM that society is willing to try. The main reason is the that modern medicine, which is based on pharmaceutical products, do not address all the concerns of the ailing public. People want more preventive and natural remedies and don't want to become human experiments for pharmaceutical drugs. Most pharmaceutical products have harmful side effects, sad to say, some of these side effects

Journal learning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 3

Journal learning - Essay Example When the human resource manager reorganized the work teams, he realized that the workers now formed more harmonious teams and only one conflict was experienced within that month. Conflict resolution has become an important topic in a wide range of literature. Lipsky, Seeber and Fincher (2003) point out that work place conflict is inevitable due to the unique nature of human beings. Jordan and Troth (2004) states that effective team formation is one of the strategies that is important in solving problems arising within the work. Emotional intelligence is essential in constructing teams that pursue the same goals within an organization. Friedman et al. (2000) supports this idea and suggest that conflict results from work stress in malfunctioning groups within an organization. In this organization, conflicts resulted to work stress, which led to more conflict among the employees. Maravelas (2005) agrees that resolving work conflicts will result to increased productivity within the work place. Organizations that successfully resolve conflicts as soon as they arise are more likely to perform optimally. From a critical perspective, conflict resolution is an engaging task that demands a lot of attention from the managers. Since harmony is fundamental in increasing productivity, the organization must prioritize it to prevent losses within their organization. Besides the efforts of the managers, the workers must be willing to co-work with the same objective as the management. Harmony between the management and the workers is crucial for resolving stress within the work place. Evidently, the following skills are crucial in resolving conflicts within the organization. Mastering conflict resolution skills is an important perspective for me an intern who intends to become an effective manager during my career. While I have developed my creativity, communication and team work skills during my academic life, there is evidence that I still have to

Government Response to Hurricane Katrina

Government Response to Hurricane Katrina National strategy for homeland security requires collaborative efforts by both the National Incident Management Systems (NIMS) and National Response Framework (NRF) to prepare for and provide a unified national response to disasters. Effective incident management of catastrophic events requires coordination of relevant stakeholders. Both the NIMS and NRP, the Federal and State agencies have responsibility for addressing any disaster and emergencies through pooling resources together. However, the framework faces myriad of challenges including meagre resources and malfunctioning local governments. These challenges effective response to disasters such as Katrina (Walsh, Christen Jr, Lord, Miller, 2011). Impacts of the changes on the programs in response to Katrina. The changes are necessary in providing guidelines on the response by the both the State and Federal governments in the event on major disasters such as Katrina. NIMS provides proactive approach for the response team in preparation, prevention and mitigation of the effects of Katrina. On the other hand, NRF details national disaster response principle, responsibilities and structures which lead to a coordinated response to disaster. Therefore, these changes make response to disasters more efficient and effective (Walsh, Christen Jr, Lord, Miller, 2011). Necessities of changing in the existing National Response Plan (NRP) to the current National Response Framework(NRF). Unlike NRP, the NRF puts in place a single, robust approach to domestic disaster management. NRF outlines effective ways of preventing, preparing for, response to Hurricane Katrina when it occurs in any state especially in the vulnerable areas. Moreover, NRF is an all-hazards plan within the framework of National Incident Management System (NIMS). Nevertheless, establishment of NRF was mandated by the Homeland Security Act of 2002 to integrates the National Contingency Plan (NCP) and other national-level contingency plans in responding to Hurricane Katrina. Therefore, it establishes the structure and mechanisms for national-level policy and operational direction for domestic disaster management (Wise, 2006). Response to hurricane Katrina dictated by the todays NRF and NIMS. The all-hazards approach is cost effective due coordination among organizations involved in the four parts of emergency management: mitigation, preparedness, response, and recovery in achieving common goal, that is, Hurricane Katrina. The response allows sharing of costs by the organizations involved thus reducing the cost borne by each state in mounting response to Hurricane Katrina (Walsh, Christen Jr, Lord, Miller, 2011). Emergency management at the local level and implementation of the NRF in response to Katrina. Local jurisdictions are responsible for ensuring the public safety and welfare of their residents during emergencies by mobilizing resources for the same. The NRF implementation does not therefore, usurps state responsibility and jurisdiction when responding to a disaster but provide framework for such response (Walsh, Christen Jr, Lord, Miller, 2011). It is therefore, imperative to note that National strategy for homeland security requires collaborative efforts by both the National Management Systems and National Response Framework (NRF) to prepare for and provide a unified national response to disasters. The all-hazards approach is cost effective and efficient in emergency response during Hurricane Katrina (Wise, 2006). References Walsh, D., Christen Jr, T. H., Lord, G., Miller, G. (2011). National incident management system: Principles and practice. . New York: Jones Bartlett Publishers. Wise, R. C. (2006). Organizing for homeland security after Katrina: Is adaptive management whats missing? Public Administration Review, 66(3), 302-318.

Public Policing vs Private Security Comparison

What are differences and similarities between the two roles? In the field of policing there are a couple different paths for an individual to choose from and they include private security and public policing. State government, city government, and towns normally provide the community with a public police force to enforce the laws and protect the citizens. Police officers are very important within a community but sometimes a private security can come in and help out and this frees up time for the public policing. Private security personnel generally work for a private company that handles their own dispatching, training and recruiting. Private security functions include loss-prevention duties or protective services that would not be handled by public policing. Private security also specializes in closed circuit monitoring services, secret level clearance, drive by patrol. Private security does not have the authority to arrest anyone either; however they can detain until law enforcement get there. Public policing officers are a function of the executive branch of government. Public officers are paid entirely from public funds that generate from grants, public sources, and revenues from taxes. Most private security organizations are paid from collecting a fee from their client. It is not uncommon for private security to go undercover like public police also, so that they can blend in the environment and be used as asset protection. The goals and training of private security and public policing are similar to each other. Private security and public policing are unique and successful in their own ways. The way that the private security and public policing organizations function and interact within each other is different; however they both function with leadership. The differences in public policing and private security would include the duties of the job. Police officers duties include responding to emergency calls, patrol public streets and monitor the traffic; private security may have the duty to be on duty at a supermarket or retail store, a bank or even drive an armored car. Some of the similarities of private security and public policing would be that they both hire men and women and both organizations are required to wear uniforms. The use of uniforms lets citizens know who security is and who the officers are. Both organizations offer in-house training. Some private security officers are permitted to carry guns just like public policing. How does leadership differ between the two roles? Public policing and private security both have a positive relationship with the criminal justice system but they are held to different standards. They use their resources to help work together when needed by sharing information, joint operations, networking, training and the development and promotion of state and federal legislation of mutual interest (Ortmeier, 2009). What is the relationship of each role with the criminal justice system? The relationship of each public policing and private security is that they both have the goal to deter crime. The public policing works to keep and prevent crime, maintains order, and responds to dispatched calls and reported crimes on public and private property. The relationship for private security is they can help out with terrorist threats, and other crimes that may affect the world, and in return that helps out the public policing in the fact that if they work together they can defend our homeland. What are the essential policies for each role? For private security the essential policies that would be needed would include to have a qualified staff, insurance, and have a license with that state, most are given after a background is checked at both federal and state levels. Some of the other policies that private security organizations should have would be the following : Acceptable Use Policy that defines what employees are allowed to do on company property, while using company resources and equipment, this should be made know to all staff so that there are no excuses or exceptions. There should be a privacy policy in effect; this is important because there are many laws and regulations that address privacy. Included in the privacy policy notification should be made that about the logging user activity, monitoring internet usage; including recording keystrokes. Password policy is another good policy to have in effect so that certain protocol is used when creating and issuing password within the company and included could be the account lockout protocol that will be used within the company. Destruction and Disposal policy which will define how and when to get rid of stuff. Storage and Retention policy will explain what items need to be kept for a number of years, things such as auditing date, financial history and customer information. The next policy would be an incident response policy and this policy would be to handle security breaches. Classification policy that way workers understand to use the information properly rather it is private or sensitive. Human resource policy and this should be covered in the way that employees are supervised, code of ethics, sort of like a company handbook one that will explain repercussions for certain behaviors and tardiness. Change management policy since one of the biggest threats to security is when things are unmanaged and unknown or even changed. The last policy for private security would be firewall policy and this would cover the essential components of the entire security structure, these are important to protect against cybercrimes. Public policing essential policies would include: use of force policy that explains how to not abuse the power of their authority, another police policy to have would be a policy on the code of ethics and this would define what ethical and non-ethical behavior is and what is expected of them as an officer of the law. Describe and discuss the importance of a comprehensive security plan, and its key components. The importance of a comprehensive security plan is in case something happens to the organization, it can somewhat be repairable to getting back on track. If an organization is aware of what the threats may be then they would know what they need to do to avoid these and prevent incidents from happening, instead of waiting for an incident to happen first. Developing a comprehensive security plan requires deliberate and methodical analysis. The purpose of the security analysis is to expose any security breaches so they can be addressed in a controlled manner and the comprehensive security plan can be created from a broad analysis. The analysis will keep resources in mind and will be directed based on the individual needs of the client and while protecting the assets of the company. The components of the comprehensive security plan include asset definition, vulnerability analysis, and threat assessment, selection of countermeasures and implementation of the plan. It is important to make policies for the client to follow along with their workers and these policies must be made know if they are expected to be followed. Incompetence and carelessness equals ncreased legal liability and financial loss. The key components consist of overlapping the features that provide mutual support and direction of the program: personnel, devices, procedures and policies. References Comprehensive Security Services, Inc. (2012). Retrieved from http://www. comprehensivesecurity. net Global Knowledge Training LLC. (2010). 10 Essential Security Policies. Retrieved from http://isaca. org Ortmeier, P. (2009). Introduction to security: O perations and management (3rd ed. ). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Pearson/Prentice Hall.

Classroom Scenarios Essay

Mrs. Ross has her fourth grade students move their desks together into groups of 2 to do a group activity. She instructs them to pair with anyone they choose. Teresa raises her hand, â€Å"I don’t want to pair with Megan again because she doesn’t do any of the work. Can I have someone else? † Megan who is soft-spoken just looks down at the floor as the class waits for the teacher’s response. Mrs. Ross asks Teresa and Megan to come with her outside and instructs the class to carry on with the activity. 1. What level of mutual respect exists between students and the teacher in this scenario? How did mutual respect affect the classroom dynamics? How would you improve mutual respect in this classroom? A high level a mutual respect exists between students and the teacher in this scenario. Mrs. Ross had to trust the students at least a little bit in order for her to believe they could handle moving their desks around to do group work. Teresa showed respect for Mrs. Ross by raising her hand to properly voice her concern about her partner. Not only did she raise her hand, but she respected and trusted the teacher enough to feel safe expressing her feelings. Although soft-spoken, Megan could have found some way to negatively reply to what Teresa said. However, I believe she respected Mrs. Ross enough to know she could trust her to act in a fair and kind manner, so Megan waited quietly for her response. Mrs. Ross showed respect for the two girls when she asked them to come with her outside. She didn’t just ignore the issue or thoughtlessly assign another partner for Teresa. Mrs. Ross took the time to acknowledge their thoughts and feelings in private where she could assess the situation better without putting either of the girls on the spot. Finally, Mrs. Ross showed respect for the class when she trusted them to carry on with the activity while she stepped out of the class with Megan and Teresa. The class showed respect for Mrs. Ross by continuing to work while she steps outside the classroom for a moment. Mutual respect affected the whole classroom dynamic in a positive way. There was a feeling of cooperative learning. I am pleased with the high level of mutual respect shown in the classroom and find no need for improvement. 2. How well did the teacher handle herself in the scenario? What student-teacher interactions worked well and what did not work? How would you handle the situation? The teacher handled herself very well in this scenario. She could have chosen to react immediately to Teresa’s comment with disappointment and frustration, but instead she calmly asked the two girls to come with her outside. She even thought of the rest of the class and took the time to instruct them so they weren’t left hanging while she went out with Teresa and Megan. Teresa raised her hand, but did not wait to be called on before calling out to the teacher. It was good that she felt safe enough to express her concerns, but not good that she made Megan feel badly in front of the class. I hope, if I was a teacher given the same situation, that I would be able to handle myself in a similar manner. I would want Teresa to know in front of the class that she is to wait until she’s called on to speak, but discussing the rest of the details in front of the class would only put Megan even more in the spotlight and add to her discomfort. 3. What, if any, communication roadblocks are evident in this classroom? How could you remove the communication roadblocks? How would you communicate with the students to resolve this situation? I could not see any communication roadblocks in this classroom. It appears to me that the teacher communicated well with the students, and the students felt comfortable communicating with the teacher. To resolve this situation, I would remind Teresa specifically, as well as the class in general, to raise their hands and then wait to be called on before speaking. I would also ask my class to pay attention to all the instructions. The instructions Mrs. Ross gave told students they could choose their own partner. There was never a need for Teresa to comment on not wanting to be Megan’s partner as Mrs. Ross had already told students to pick their own partner. 4. What conflicts did you observe in this classroom? What conflict resolution methods could you use to resolve the conflicts in this classroom? Are there any peer mediation methods that you could use in this scenario? The conflict in the classroom was between Teresa and Megan. To resolve the conflict I would bring the two students together and have them work cooperatively on the issue with my guidance. I would want both students to feel free to speak their mind, feel listened to, and feel that they are an important part of the solution. I would want them to understand that they both need to be respectful, listen to each other, and try to understand the others’ point of view. As part of the process I would also expect them to work together to come to an agreement they both feel good about. I would not use peer mediation methods in a fourth grade class. 5. What changes would you make to help this classroom become more of a community? Why would developing this classroom into a community be important? I don’t see any changes I would make, but something I would talk to the class about to make the classroom become more of a community would be respect. I would plan a mini lesson on respect and how we treat others for another day. It would be important to help the class develop into a community because community members care about each other, look out for each other, and help each other when needed. I would want my class to work together cooperatively and build a positive learning environment where everyone would feel valued. Tenth Grade Classroom Scenario The bell has rung and Mr. Dunn’s tenth grade math class has settled into their seats. â€Å"Good morning! Let’s begin by having everyone pass their homework to the front of the class. † Tom walks into class 5 minutes late. Mr. Dunn asks, â€Å"Tom, do you have your homework? † Tom looks down at the floor when he answers, â€Å"No, I didn’t finish it. † Mr. Dunn asks, â€Å"Why not? You knew it was due today, right? † Tom just shrugs. Mr. Dunn asks the rest of the class, â€Å"Who else did not turn in their homework today? † Pamela did not do her homework, but is afraid to raise her hand. Mr. Dunn says, â€Å"Good job, class! I appreciate everyone who worked hard to get their work turned in on time. † Daniel chimes in, â€Å"Which is everyone except Tom! † The class laughs. Tom angrily gets out of his chair and storms out of the room as he says, â€Å"I’m sick of this stupid class. † 1.What level of mutual respect exists between students and the teacher in this scenario? How did mutual respect affect the classroom dynamics? How would you improve mutual respect in this classroom? There exists no mutual respect between the students and the teacher. Mr. Dunn’s only attempt at positive enforcement was telling the class â€Å"good job to those who did turn in their homework†. While this seems like praise to those who complied, those who didn’t are left feeling like failures. By Mr. Dunn singling Tom out and embarrassing him, he created a classroom of disrespect and the other students felt free to tease and laugh at Tom. Tom will now view Mr. Dunn as being indifferent if not an enemy and other students may fear if they do anything wrong they will be chastised and humiliated as well. We can see this playing out in the case of Pamela feeling afraid to admit she didn’t do her homework either. Students will not thrive in an environment where they do not feel comfortable and safe and where they risk public ridicule by their peers for not doing their work. To encourage mutual respect teachers should never single out a student in front of the class, but rather talk with him privately at a later time such as after class or when students are busy working. Before making any decisions about consequences for late work seek to understand the reason the student failed to follow through. Show concern and understanding when they are facing difficulties at home or otherwise. Use encouragement rather than negative words and discuss ways you can help them, such as creating a study plan. Make mutual respect a classroom rule that is enforced by consequences for violation. Never allow students to laugh at or embarrass another classmate or group of classmates. 2. How well did the teacher handle himself or herself in the scenario? What student–teacher interactions worked well and what did not work? How would you handle the situation? The teacher did not handle himself well in this situation. The student-teacher interactions were negative and the students were not willing to admit difficulties or problems to the teacher. None of the interactions described worked well. Tom left class because it was so negative. The teacher should handle this situation by having in place a policy for tardiness. The teacher should not waste time bringing attention to tardy students. Students should know what to do when they enter a classroom even if they are tardy. One way to handle tardiness – especially for older students like these ones is to have a required slip students must fill out when they are tardy explaining the reason. They should then have a place they put slips for the teacher to look at later. There should also be a policy for not having homework completed. If the teacher setup these policies at the beginning of the year he would not need to say anything when a student walks in late, the student would know what to do. The teacher put Tom on the spot by singling him out in front of his classmates, and then showed further disrespect by asking him why he didn’t do his homework. It is unnecessary to ask â€Å"you knew it was due today, right? † This statement doesn’t help the situation and is only demeaning to Tom. Most likely he knew the assignment was due and if he had forgotten he would have remembered as soon as Mr. Dunn asked for them. He should not dwell on something Tom cannot go back and remedy. The appropriate thing would be to talk to Tom privately and ask if he is having trouble remembering his assignments. He should show care and concern by offering to help Tom get organized and devise a way to remind himself to do the work. This teacher did not even take the time to find out why Tom had forgotten his homework. He may have had a very good reason in which case Mr. Dunn should consider allowing Tom to make it up. If Mr. Dunn had handled himself appropriately, Tom would not have been so upset as to get up and leave the classroom. Students should not be left feeling worthless and disrespected. 3. What, if any, communication roadblocks are evident in this classroom? How could you remove the communication roadblocks? How would you communicate with the students to resolve this situation? There were several communications roadblocks in place in this classroom. The biggest problem is that the teacher and students had no respect for each other. As stated before, if a teacher models respect for his students and sets in place policies for behavior and academics, his students have clear expectations and are more likely to respect one another. This saves teachers time having to deal with problems as they arise. After the rest of the class has received necessary instruction and direction, the teacher should talk privately with Tom about tardiness and missing homework. The teacher should take time to listen and allow Tom to maintain his dignity. 4. What conflicts did you observe in this classroom? What conflict resolution methods could you use to resolve the conflicts in this classroom? Are there any peer mediation methods that you could use in this scenario? The main conflicts in this classroom are created by the teacher. The teacher publicly humiliated a student in front of the class because he was late and did not turn in his homework. The teacher also created an environment where it is ok to belittle your classmates. To resolve the conflict the teacher should talk to Tom individually and apologize for the way he handled the situation. Mr. Dunn should let Tom see that teachers make mistakes too and that they should not be exempt from apologizing. He should address Tom’s homework including why Tom didn’t finish it and what plan they can come up with that would help Tom remember in the future. He should then talk with the entire class and admit his mistake, emphasizing the rules of mutual respect. He should remind the class it is inappropriate to make fun of or embarrass a fellow student. There is not any real need for peer mediation with the students if the teacher is more respectful the students will be also. 5. What changes would you make to help this classroom become more of a community? Why would developing this classroom into a community be important? The most effective way to create a community in the classroom is to set the tone the first day of class. Allow the students to get to know each other, have group activities and team work projects. Allow and teach students to respect individual differences and celebrate the multitude of talents and cultural practices among classmates. When students feel like they are part of a group they perform better in school, are supported by their peers to do well and do not miss as much school; learning in this environment can be enjoyable and fulfilling. Students should learn to help and encourage one another. Set specific rules that the whole class can decide on together. Ask students what they think a caring, respectful classroom looks like. Brainstorm class rules with them and have them vote on which ones they feel are the most important. Have the students sign their names to a pledge that they will abide by the rules and work together to make the class a nice place to be. Enforce consequences of violation of these rules with consistency. Never put students down or make them feel incompetent – especially in front of others. Listen to students’ needs and treat them with respect if that is what you expect from them. Emphasize promoting positive behaviors rather than fixing negative ones. Help students learn moral values and develop a good work ethic rather than doing things simply because they are told. Rather than punishing for poor behavior, look for ways to correct problems by discussing consequences and choices.