Boy in Striped Pyjamas: Otes and Analysis

Area of Study: Belonging Texts of your choosing: Film Title: â€Å"Boy in the striped pyjamas† Composer: Mark Herman A chilling portrayal of the power of society to define belonging, this film depicts the holocaust from the point of view of a young German boy who develops a friendship with a Jewish boy the other side of a barbed wire fence (Auschwitz). A chilling portrayal of the power of society to define belonging, this film depicts the holocaust from the point of view of a young German boy who develops a friendship with a Jewish boy the other side of a barbed wire fence (Auschwitz).Brief Outline to the text: This cautionary tale is about two boys, one the son of a commandant and the other a Jew, who come face-to-face at a barbed wire fence that separates, and eventually intertwines their lives. The novel is set during the Holocaust, Bruno is only nine-years-old when his father is transferred from Berlin to Auschwitz. The house at â€Å"Out-With,† as Bruno calls it, i s small, dark, and strange. He spends long days gazing out the window of his new bedroom, where he notices people dressed in striped pyjamas and rows of barracks surrounded by a barbed wire fence.Bored and lonely, and not really understanding the circumstance of his new existence, Bruno sets out to explore the area and discovers Shmuel, a very thin Jewish boy who lives on the other side of the fence. An unlikely friendship develops between the two boys, but when Bruno learns that his mother plans to take her children back to Berlin, he makes a last effort to explore the forbidden territory where the boy in the striped pyjamas lives.This cautionary tale is about two boys, one the son of a commandant and the other a Jew, who come face-to-face at a barbed wire fence that separates, and eventually intertwines their lives. The novel is set during the Holocaust, Bruno is only nine-years-old when his father is transferred from Berlin to Auschwitz. The house at â€Å"Out-With,† as Br uno calls it, is small, dark, and strange. He spends long days gazing out the window of his new bedroom, where he notices people dressed in striped pyjamas and rows of barracks surrounded by a barbed wire fence.Bored and lonely, and not really understanding the circumstance of his new existence, Bruno sets out to explore the area and discovers Shmuel, a very thin Jewish boy who lives on the other side of the fence. An unlikely friendship develops between the two boys, but when Bruno learns that his mother plans to take her children back to Berlin, he makes a last effort to explore the forbidden territory where the boy in the striped pyjamas lives. Explain the belonging that is represented in the text: Perceptions and ideas of belonging, or of not belonging, vary.These perceptions are shaped within personal, cultural, historical and social contexts. A sense of belonging can emerge from the connections made with people, places, groups, communities and the larger world. People may cons ider aspects of belonging in terms of experiences and notions of identity, relationships, acceptance and understanding. Through Boyne’s novel, the boy in the striped pyjamas it reveals how belonging can enrich our identity and relationships. This would subsequently portray how acceptance and understanding may be obtained through the enrichment of one’s identity.Key examples that develop belonging in the text: â€Å"A home is not a building or a street or a city or something so artificial as bricks and mortar. A home is where one’s family is†¦Ã¢â‚¬  â€Å"You're my best friend, Shmuel, My best friend for life. † â€Å"He looked the boy up and down as if he had never seen a child before and wasn’t quite sure what he was supposed to do with one: eat it, ignore it or kick it down the stairs. † â€Å"Are you allowed out? Why? What have you done†¦? â€Å"I’m a Jew† â€Å"We’re not supposed to be friends, you and me. We’re meant to be enemies. Did you know that? * clearly proves that there is a sense of the friends belonging to a relationship however there is always going to be the idea of not belonging to each other because of the cultural and moral situations they are put in, hence why they believe that they are meant to be â€Å"enemies† â€Å"He used to be a doctor once, but gave it all up to peel potatoes. † * The destruction that is caused upon a miserable man, because of the beliefs he has. There is a lack of integrity making him become their slave as he is a Jew   html http://www. enotes. om/the-boy-in-the-striped-pajamas http://www. bookrags. com/studyguide-the-boy-in-the-striped-pyjamas/ The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a poignant tale of events, Written by John Boyne and published in 2006 by David Fickling Books, the story was made into a major motion picture in 2008 based on the events occurred during WWII through the eyes of an eight-year-old boy. Bruno i s the bright-eyed son of a German soldier. When Bruno's father is relocated, the entire family has to move to the countryside. Although Bruno is proud that his father is a soldier, he lets his disappointment of leaving his friends show.There is a constant use of dramatic irony, through the idea that Bruno does not understand or know about the life they are entering however there is a common background understanding that all viewers will understand. This is evident when Bruno notices what he believes to be a farm with strange farmers who only wear striped pajamas. Whereas, we understand the reality of it, in which the farm is a concentration camp in which Bruno's father has been put in charge of. Fueled by curiosity, Bruno defies his mother and ends up at a corner of the fence that is not guarded.Once there, he meets Shmuel, a Jewish boy the same age as Bruno. The boys become friends quickly, even though Bruno has been told by his teacher and a frightening young Lieutenant Kotler tha t Jews are â€Å"evil. † Mark Herman, director of films such as Brassed Off and Hope Springs gives us a profound tale of innocence. The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas could be the most heartbreaking film about the holocaust since Schindler's List. Although there is no physical violence shown in the movie, outrage at the injustice of it all is still felt; the boys should be able to play with each other without fear of getting in trouble.Children should not have to go through what Shmuel does just because they are different. It is the idea that there is a visual confusion and the dramatic irony is so important in conveying the injustices. There are times when Bruno's courage fails him. When Lieutenant Kotler asks him if he gave Shmuel food, he denies the truth so he won't get in trouble. But the audience can forgive him for these mistakes just as quickly as Shmuel does. With the idea of dramatic irony again, it’s the concept in which the audience takes many journeys of the b oy’s sense of belonging to each other and to their friendship however not belonging as utcasts. Bruno's innocence is what makes The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas so Stirring. When he asks his father what is burned in the chimneys, the audience feels a sense of turmoil because they know the truth. Bruno just doesn't understand what he's seeing. It explores the beauty of a child's innocence in a time of war, the common desire we all have for friendship, and the fences—both literal and figurative—that we must all navigate and choose whether or not to break down.

The Essence of Attribution Theory

There are many reasons why an individual behaves in a particular way. Correspondingly, there are numerous guesses a person makes about the behaviors and characteristics of another. This is the essence of attribution theory. Since its development, attribution theory has been applied to an array of disciplines. This facet of cognition is not only of interest to social psychologists, but also to educators, sociologists, marketing professionals, management personnel, and those in the medical field. Attribution theory states that humans ‘tend to give a causal explanation for someone's behavior, often by crediting either the situation or the person's disposition' (Myers, 644). As such, it requires three components: an actor, behavior, and observer. For example, if a driver swerves in front of another's car, what is the explanation the latter will provide for the former's action? The observer may conclude that there was an obstacle in the road or that the actor has fallen ill. These two explanations credit situational causes to the behavior. What is more likely, however, is for the observer to attribute the actor's behavior to disposition, such as being a clumsy driver. The way in which an individual perceives another has important implications as it can alter subsequent attitudes and behaviors. Naturally, there are several possibilities why a person acts in a certain manner. Building on the example above, the actor's behavior may be due to drunkenness or automobile malfunctioning. There is a curious phenomenon in attribution theory. As alluded to above, research indicates a high occurence of undamental attribution error, which is ‘the tendency for observers, when analyzing another's behavior, to underestimate the impact of the situation and to overestimate the impact of personal disposition' (Myers, 644). An internal attribution claims that the actor was responsible for the event. Using the ongoing example then, the observer will attribute the actor's behavior to internal, stable characteristics, such as being an aggressive driver. This is true even when other variables are introduced that clearly indicate situational influences. If the observer spots a deer quickly running to the periphery of the road, he is still likely to attribute the actor's behavior as Attribution theory includes providing explanations for one's own behaviors. An individual who receives a failing grade on an examination may attribute this outcome to several reasons, most of which will be situational. He may believe the teacher is incompetent, the examination obscure, or the textbook poorly written. This is an illustration of self-serving attributional bias which indicates ‘a tendency to attribute successful outcomes to dispositional factors and unsuccessful outcomes o situational factors' (Cardwell, 221). Self-serving attributional bias often helps an individual to rationalize an otherwise threatening situation. For example, if the individual who did not pass the examination admitted that he does not understand the material, this will likely lead him to feel uncomfortable about his intelligence or capabilities. To avoid this, he attributes the failure to circumstances beyond his control, which relieves his ego of admitting a personal incompetency. It is nteresting to note that humans usually view another's behavior as stemming from dispositional attributes, regardless of outcome or observable environmental variables, but then conversely attribute their own behaviors to dispositional influences in times of success and situational influences when the outcome is negative. Attribution theory has its origins in the 1950's with the pioneering work of Fritz Heider; his book The Psychology of Interpersonal Relationships was instrumental in the development of this social psychology theory (Brown). He coined the term ‘naive psychology' which describes the way in which laypeople utilize pieces of information to construct explanations of others' behaviors. Edward Jones and Keith Davis' ‘systematic hypotheses about the perception of intention was published in 1965 in the essay ‘From Acts to Dipositions† (Brown, 1). Expanding on Heider's work, Harold Kelley stated that ‘people attempt to function as naive scientists' (Aronson, 118) and he added ‘hypotheses about the factors that affect the formation of attributions: consistency, distinctiveness, and consensus' Brown, 1). ‘Kelley published ‘Attribution in Social Psychology' in 1967†² (Brown, 1). During the 1970's ‘the field of social psychology was dominated by attribution theorists and researchers' (Brown, 1). In the 1980's Bernard Weiner added to the knowledge and scope of attribution theory with his focus on achievement. He identified ability, effort, task difficulty, and luck as the most important factors affecting attributions for achievement' (Attribution Theory, 1). Weiner added locus of control, stability, and controllability to the lexicon of attribution theory. Weiner's theory has been widely applied in education, law, clinical psychology, and the mental health domain' (Attribution Theory, 1). Schank's work on the structure of knowledge, particulary ‘in the the context of language understanding' (Script Theory, 1) is intimately tied to attribution theory. In the 1990's attribution theory was applied to the health care field with the works of Lewis and Daltroy (Attribution Theory). Additionally, ‘attribution theory applied to career development is provided by Daly (1996) who examined the attributions that employees held as to why they failed to receive romotions' (Attribution Theory, 1). Most recently, this influential theory has been utilized in studying phenomena such as consumer behavior and advertising Naturally the applications of attribution theory, due to its pervasive and pliability, are limitless. Understanding why people behave in one way over another and how an individual perceives others can lead to important developments in a variety of disciplines. Researchers have studied the different attribution attitudes of females and males. One's attribution style and his corresponding projection during counseling has been investigated. Seligman proposed an attribution model, which provides an explanation of learned helplessness (Schultz & Schultz). Even the children of holocaust survivors have not escaped the grasp of attribution Law is affected by attribution theory in that it comes into play when judges, lawyers, and jurors attempt to understand why a person committed a crime. Marketing and advertising specialists wish to know why consumers behave in a particular way and how their perceptions influence their consumption. Prudent managers seek insight into their employees' perspectives and consequent behaviors. Sociologists study how attributions affect the development of prejudices. The health care practices and attitudes of patients are of obvious importance to medical professionals. It appears the application of attribution theory to information technology is a newly developing area of interest. With a growing movement of educational reforms, it seems attribution theory will be increasingly directed toward this area of humanity. In fact, educational professionals are eager to examine and apply the principles of attribution theory to the learning process. Of particular interest to both educators and researchers are high- and low-achievers. ‘Since 1960, hundreds of studies have contributed to understanding why some are highly motivated to achieve and and others are not' (Tucker-Ladd, 1). Researchers have found that ‘high achievers will approach rather than avoid tasks related to succeeding because they believe success is due to high ability and effort which they are confident of' (Attribution Theory, 1). This means that failure is typically attributed to external variables, hich leaves their self-esteem intact. Low-achievers, on the other hand, ‘avoid success-related chores because they tend to (a) doubt their ability and/or (b) assume success is related to luck or to ‘who you know' or to other factors beyond their control' (Attribution Theory, 2). Therefore, when low-achievers experience success they tend to find it less rewarding than high-achievers because there exists no sense of personal influence over the outcome. Within the gifted and talented population of students, there is a segment of under-achievers. Under-achievers are those individuals in which a discrepancy between ability and performance exists. Educators are oftentimes unable to effectively manage such students who exhibit above average intelligence and capabilities but who are, for whatever reason, not performing at levels that correspond to such abilities. Research indicates that attributions which then affect motivation are a common cause of such under-achievement. It is an intuitive statement to say that modifying one's attributions will then create changes in one's motivation. It logically ollows that increased motivation will lead to increased efforts. These psychological phenomena are of particular interest to educators of gifted and talented under- achieving students as they can utilize such findings to increase performance. While some research has attempted to shed light on this particular educational occurrence, more investigation is necessary to obtain a fuller understanding. Furthermore, how such findings apply to the learning process is of utmost importance to educators that serve this subpopulation. Particular attention to the ttributional style differences between female and male gifted and talented students will enable educational personnel to more accurately attend to the needs of such learners. More specifically, the attributional style differences between middle school female and male gifted and talented under-achieving students and how this contributes to poor academic performance is valuable area of educational and psychological research. The findings of such research will undoubtedly enable school personnel to more effectively attend to the needs of this subpopulation with the ultimate end of aligning their performance with that of their ability.

Challenges of Teachers in Decision Making Essay

1.1 STATEMENT OF PURPOSE The purpose of this study is to investigate the extent to which teachers participate in Decision-making at Government Secondary school Omala, Omala L.G.A. argues that purposeful planning depends on effective decision-making. Teachers and educational managers make decisions on a daily basis. These decisions may influence pupils, teachers and the future of the school. Dawn of new Education system has seen a proliferation of Educational policy and legislation specifying and advocating full participation by stakeholders in the governance and management of schools. The education policy documents continuously refer to the democratisation of schools and the education system as a whole. The documents that have made this call, include the National Education Policy Investigation Report, A policy framework for education and training, the White Paper on Education and Training which all culminated in Kogi State Schools that is currently the driving force behind the operation of all schools in Kogi State. The report of task Team on Education Management Development suggested that, in line with similar trends in several other States, has placed Kogi State schools firmly on the road to a school based system of management where schools will increasingly come to manage themselves. The report suggests further that effective self-management must be accompanied by an internal devolution of power within the school and greater participation of all decision-making processes. The work on self-managing schools is strongly influencing later developments that devolution of power to school must be m atched by an empowerment of people within the school. In this research, it has been suggested that the notion of participative approaches, which has become enriched in the â€Å"folklore† of education management, is the most appropriate way to run schools, it has become closely associated with school effectiveness and improvement. 1.2 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM It is important to look closely at the Secondary school education system with the view of determining how decisions are taken at school. Prior to the introduction of Teachers participation in decision making, teachers did not have a say in decisions that affected them in their daily lives. The problem which is the main focus in this research is to determine to what extent the teachers participate in decision-making in secondary schools at Government Secondary School Omala, Omala Local government Area of Kogi State, in order to ensure their satisfaction as well as the achievement of the schools’ goals. 1.3 OBJECTIVES OF THE STUDY âž ¢ To determine what is the current situation regarding participative decision-making at Government Secondary School Omala, Omala Local government Area of Kogi State. âž ¢ To determine what effect the implementation of current participative decision-making has on secondary schools at Government Secondary School Omala,OmalaLocal government Area of Kogi State âž ¢ To determine how participative decision-making affects teachers’ morale. âž ¢ To determine what changes are desirable to teachers in the management approach. 1.4 LIMITATION OF THE STUDY This study is a focused case study of teacher participation in decision-making at Government Secondary School Omala, Omala Local government Area of Kogi State. 1.5 DEFINITION OF CONCEPTS 1.5.1 Decision – making: Decision-making can be seen as the process of consciously choosing the most suitable way of action to solve or handle a particular problem after various alternatives have been considered to achieve the set goals or objectives. 1.5.2 School Management Team: Is a group of teachers who are involved in the task of leading and managing schools Example; Head of Department (HOD), deputy principal and principal. CHAPTER 2: LITERATURE REVIEW 2.1 INTRODUCTION The Decision-making is a continual management function which plays an important part in the management process and which is vital to all the cyclical management functions. Some scholars like Kruger and Van (1996:19) argue that when the principal allows teachers to participate in certain aspects of the management of the school, she/he gives an opportunity to teachers to experience responsibility. By so doing, the principal does not relinquish his/her authority but his/her authority is enhanced. Pretorius (2010) believes that clinical leadership increases a position relationship between principals and teachers. Therefore, teachers become committed to teaching, because they are participating in decisions that affect them. According to Professor Aturata (2008), in the light of trend towards the decentralized school Management in Kogi State, research indicates that teachers need to be empowered to participate fully in decision-making. Also argues that the concept of educator empowerment in decision-making needs to be closely studied in terms of its effect on educator participation in decision-making at school.Professor Soyinka : states that an effective schooling can only occur when both the principal and teachers are involved in the decision-making process. Non-involvement of teachers in decision-making may result in conflict, as there is no consultation between principal and educators on policy matters and operational procedures at school. However probable only one way to democratize schools. To practice democracy means learning to be responsible for freedom, to make long term strategic decisions and most importantly, to accept the fact that democracy is possible when all participants in the educational process share it. Sule Maitama et al. (2009) cite the following from the educational system, â€Å"The government’s effective educational programmes depend on a process of consultation and negotiation among those vitally affected†. So the policies adopted will reflect their values and goals, thus increasing the prospect of wholehearted support. 2.2 DECISION-MAKING Decision-making has never been easy and it is especially challenging for the educational managers of today. The Decisions can be made by the Principal as an individual or in a group where the entire staff or a select group of staff members will be present. The two contexts of decision-making differ significantly. Educational managers should evaluate the nature of the problems and decisions to be made and then decide if participative or group decision-making is called for. Decision-making can be seen as a process of consciously. Choosing the most suitable way of action to solve or handle a particular problem after various alternatives have been considered to achieve the set goals and objectives. This implies that decision-making must be converted into action. The decision-making process involves a series of complex interactions of events. These interactions constitute the following stages, namely: (i) Study the existing situation carefully. (ii) Recognize and define the problem. (iii) Examine the detailed make-up of the problem in the existing situation. (iv) Decide on the criteria for resolving the problem. (v) Develop a plan for action. (vi) Initiate the plan of action. 2.3 MODELS FOR DECISION-MAKING 2.3.1 The classical model: The classical decision theory assumes that decisions should be completely rational. This model employs an optimsing strategy by seeking the best possible alternative to maximize the achievement of goals and objectives. According to the classical model, the decision-making process is a series of sequential steps as follows: (i) A problem is identified. (ii) Goals and objectives are established. (iii) All the possible alternatives are generated. (iv) The consequences of each alternative are considered. (v) All the alternatives are evaluated in terms of the goals and objectives. (vi) The best alternative is selected, that is, the one that maximizes the goals and Objectives. (vii) Finally, the decision is implemented and evaluated. 2.3.2 The administrative model Hoy and Miskel (2006:317) say that this is the strategy of satisficing in an attempt to provide a more accurate description of the way administrators both do and should make organisational decisions. This model rests upon the basic assumption that: The decision-making Process is a cycle of events that includes identification and diagnosis of a difficulty, the reflective development of a plan to alleviate the difficulty, the initiation of the plan, and the appraisal of its success.† This model relies on both experience and theory to guide decision-making. 2.4 PARTICIPATIVE APPROACH TO DECISION-MAKING AT SCHOOL Since participative management has become popular, an increasing number of decisions have been made by groups rather than individuals. In the group decision-making process, decisions are the product of interpersonal decision-making processes and group dynamics. According to Merry Parker people who have been allowed a voice in decisions that affect them are more likely to be accepted and adhere to the decisions and quality of a decision refers to the extent to which the decision is ultimately successful in meeting the goals and objectives of the decision makers. 2.4.1 Collegial model of management:The collegial model includes all those theories which emphasise that power and decision-making should be shared among some or all members of the organization. These approaches range from a restricted collegiality where the leader shares power with a limited number of senior colleagues to a pure collegiality where all members have an equal voice in determining policy. Collegial models assume that Organizations determine policy and make decisions through a process of discussion leading to consensus. Power is shared among some or all members of the organization who are thought to have a mutual understanding about the objectives of the schools. 2.4.2 Application of collegiality in a secondary school situation: The introduction of the collegial model in secondary schools has been slower than in higher education. The tradition of all powerful heads with authority over staff and accountable to external bodies has stifled several attempts to develop participative models on management. The formal position is that heads alone are responsible for the organization and management of schools. This consideration has acted as a brake on some heads that wish to share their power and as a convenient justification for those reluctant to share power. In large schools, there is a need for sub-units like committees in order for staff to have formal representation on decision-making bodies, and there is the assumption that staff has formal representation on such bodies. Research was conducted by different researchers at different schools in Kogi state, where the principal was committed in collegiality and introduced several participative elem ents, Several collegial features were found in the school. Staff had ample formal representation within the decision-making structure and decisions were usually reached by consensus. Despite his good intentions, the principal recognized that the school was not collegial. 2.4.3 Advantages of collegiality There are three main advantages of collegiality: †¢ The evidence that teachers wish to participate more fully in the management of their schools. T †¢ The quality of decision-making is likely to be better when staff participates in the process as it increases the experience and expertise brought in to solve the problem. †¢ Staff participation is important as it usually has the responsibility of implementing any changes. Collegiality does not require confrontation or conforming behaviours, but allows for open discussion and consensus. It employs personal power, not positional power. Positional power is temporally set aside, since the group member communicates and co-operates in the spirit of caring for one another and the vision of the organization. It changes interaction from those that arouse distrust and disrespect to those that are based on mutual trust, support and feeling of personal worth. With collaboration, people do not try to defeat one another and the organisation, but work with colleagues towards success. 2.4.4 Limitations of collegiality: The main limitations of collegiality are: †¢ It is so normative, it hides reality. †¢ Decision-making is slow and cumbersome. Meetings are often lengthy with issues often ending unresolved. Time and patience needs to be invested, and this is usually after hours when staff is tired as noted †¢ There is no guarantee of unanimity of outcomes after participation and debate. It is unrealistic to assume that consensus can be reached as the model undermines the significance of conflict. †¢ Tension that exists between different styles of management, as positional authority often surpasses the authority of expertise in reality. †¢ The accountability of leaders to external bodies or councils often leads to conflict as it is difficult to defend policies that have emerged but do not enjoy the support of the leader, and difficult to establish who is responsible for policy. There is also the possibility of conflict between internal and external bodies. †¢ Staff participation needs to be an adequate level for collegiality to be effective. When staff attitudes are not supportive, it will fail. .†¢ The heads play a vital role and collegiality depends ultimately on them. If they so choose, they can limit the scope of collegiality as diminishing their power, and perhaps ultimately their identity). The quality of management depends on personal and professional qualities of those that lead and manage . 2.4.5 Collegial relationship The building of effective teams is a major responsibility of the other senior staff. Effective teams are necessary for the continued growth, development and day-to-day management of an organization. The School Management Team (SMT) should create the environment where people feel they want to give extra discretionary effort. The school needs to develop a sense of identity. The sense of direction, belonging and identity are central to every team and participants enter a group with many highly developed perspectives and talents. Through collegiality, the team learns how to respect, appreciate and foster the individual identities of group members. Building a collegial group composed of diverse talents and perspectives which require a special sensitivity to each person feel like a value and appreciated contributor. The group should develop a sense of mutual and share responsibility. Team members cannot work towards a desired outcome until they have formed a sense of team spirit and learne d to trust and support one another .The trust is the foundation upon which school effectiveness is built. An effective work culture cannot develop unless trust exists within the organization. Trust allows a rich culture to develop, and allows individuals to achieve their full potential. Trust develops as people expose themselves, share and take risks together. Trust tends to reduce fear of dependency on others and eliminates the potentially negative effects of conflicts. The trust is also fundamental cement that bonds an organization together, facilitating good communication rectifying badly timed actions, making goal attainment possible and creating the conditions for organizational success. Effective collegial relations develop within the organization only when all levels within an organization have opportunities to come together at the beginning of the project. The principal is expected to ensure that a collegial relation prevails within the school. 2.4.6 Collaboration power sharing: According to Dludla (2001: 27), collaborative power arises as staff members learn to make most of their collective capacity to run the day-to-day affairs of their school and solve problems. If teachers are involved in the running of the school, they are challenged in a number of ways, such as learning new ways of doing things and even values and attitudes. Lack of involvement results in fear and uncertainty which induce reluctance to change even if the fruits of change may be somehow desired. Collaborative power is of utmost significance if the school must succeed. He further comments that this form of power is unlimited because it enhances the productivity of the school on behalf of the students. His other view is that whereas top-down leadership may have a role in managing a school, a principal as collaborative leader has to find the right balance between the top-down and bottom-up so that the school meets it challenges. But participation and power sharing does not mean that a scho ol needs to get together every time a decision is made. The main objective in participative decision-making is to reach consensus. Staff needs to be educated in the consensus-based management process. This education will corporate an understanding that each individual cannot unilaterally determine the solution to decisions but can contribute to consensus being reached. It would also need to develop an understanding that shared participation leads to shared responsibility. Principals need to know that the principal who shares power with teachers is still a leader. This principal is a more effective instructional leader because empowered teachers are more likely to maximize their potential. 2.4.7 Teacher empowerment: Good relations are essential for effective change and it is important that relations with teachers, who have the responsibility to implement these changes, Teachers need to have a sense of empowerment and need to be encouraged to participate in the changes. Empowering involves releasing the potential of individuals, allowing them to flourish and grow, to release their capacity for infinite improvement and teacher as a critical factor in student education. The conviction is that developing teachers as classroom instructors and giving them a greater voice in the decisions that affect the school will make teaching more effective. Teachers are empowered in a number of ways, one of which is staff development. Needless to say, for teachers to be successful educators during transformation, they need to undergo some kind of development and training. 2.4.8 Open information system The effectiveness of communication between group and individuals is crucial in this regard and claims that under present day conditions, information has to be shared much more widely. In the context of the school, changes with regard to National and State policy documents, the school procedures, role and resource allocation are all aspects of change that need to be communicated to the necessary constituencies. This may be done through regular meetings, workshops, and rotation of policy documents to members of staff. These are important procedures to enhance open communication system where people can express their feelings freely. By working together in this way, the principles of transparency, accountability and trust are promoted. In collegial group, flexible patterns of communication are used so that all members feel free to participate equally and at will. Minority opinions are encouraged and understood. Individuals know and understand one another, and are sensitive to each other’s ideas and reactions. There is a level of trust and mutual respect that results in members dealing candidly with one another without fear of harmful effects. Resistance to change flourishes where there is poor communication, little or no active participation and involvement in decisions and where tensions are allowed to simmer unchecked. To overcome such resistance, it is necessary that there be open lines of communication participation and involvement of all stakeholders, an atmosphere of facilitation, support, negotiation and agreement. 2.5 WHO SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN DECISION-MAKING AT SCHOOL? According to Van der Bank (2007:150), participative decision-making does not mean that all staff members must participate in all decisions. There are two criteria, which could be used to determine which staff members should participate in which decisions. The first of these criteria is ‘relevancy’ and the second has to do with ‘expertise’. ‘Relevancy’-refers to the interest a specific person has concerning the problem and the subsequent decision. ‘Expertise’-refers to the extent to which participants to decision-making are qualified by means of training and experience. 2.6 STEPS FOR EFFECTIVE PARTICIPATIVE DECISION-MAKING There are nine steps in an effective participative decision-making process which comprised the following: (i) Identify the problem (ii) Clarify the problem (iii) Analyze the cause (iv) Search for alternative solutions (v) Select alternatives (vi) Plan for implementation (vii) Clarify the contract (viii) Develop an action plan (ix) Provide evaluation and accountability 2.7 THEORY ON PARTICIPATIVE DECISION-MAKING According to Nzimande (2001:06), the assumption that individuals have expectations about outcomes that may manifest as a result of what they do, underlies the expectancy theory. This means that individuals are regarded as thinking and reasoning beings that are to participate in future events, so as the teachers at school. This is the anticipation of the greater performance and the greater outcome. This is the strength of an individual’s preference for an outcome. If teachers are motivated through rewards, they may be good participators in decision-making at school. The guidelines on participative decision-making at schools are: †¢ .Participation is more appropriate when the principal does not possess enough information to solve a problem. †¢ Participation of teachers is more appropriate when the nature and dimensions of the problems are not clear. †¢ Participation is more appropriate when decisions are important and relevant to teacher. 2.8 ADVANTAGES OF PARTICIPATIVE DECISION-MAKING AT SCHOOL †¢ Groups provide a larger sum of knowledge than would be accessible to individual members, thus leading to informed decisions. †¢ Participation in decision-making increases the acceptance of decisions, which improves the motivation to implement the decision. †¢ Groups are willing to take greater risks than individuals, which leads to aggressive solutions to problems. 2.9 BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATIVE DECISION-MAKING AT SCHOOL This research has indicated that participative decision-making results in a number of benefits for example: †¢ Increased decision quality †¢ Decision creativity †¢ Decision acceptance †¢ Decision understanding †¢ Decision judgment †¢ Participation results in teacher satisfaction with the profession of teaching. †¢ Teachers prefer principals who involve them in decisions-making. †¢ Teachers neither nor want to be involved in every decision-making; in fact too much involvement can be as detrimental as too little . 2.10 POSSIBLE CONSEQUENCES IF TEACHERS DO NOT PARTICIPATE IN DECISION-MAKING AT SCHOOL There are some problems that teachers face when they not involved in decision-making at school, namely: †¢ Behavior changes †¢ Psychological withdrawal †¢ Influence on mental health for example stress, burnout, etc. CHAPTER THREE: 3.0 EARLIER METHOD OF DECISION MAKING IN SECONDARY SCHOOLS In the olden days, it was deemed necessary to instruct the conquered people in the doctrines of the Homes, and transform them into loyal subjects. They began re-educating the native adults and providing instruction to the children and youth, indoctrinating and educating them in the rudiments of social life to use them to benefit the School. One piece of information that is never controversial in educational discourse is the pattern of initial recruitment into schools in Nigeria. Several studies: Wise (1956); Ikejiani, Hansen, Okeke & Anowi (196†²;), Fafunwa (1979) and Taiwo (1981), for instance, show that in southern Nigerian, often the first pupils in the secondary schools were drawn from groups who were to some extent marginal or subordinate within the traditional status hierarchies. In Northern Nigeria, however there were numerous cases according to Hisket (1975) and Ibrahim (1979) where member of the traditional elite’s were the first to be recruited. The initial scho ols in northern Nigeria for instance were â€Å"Native administration† in the sense that they were supported from local kinds and were very much the concern of the ‘Native Authority’ â€Å"Indeed in northern Nigeria the emirs being the heads of the Native Authori ty bui l t these schools† (Wise 1956, p. 43) Ibrahim (1979) asser ts that in Kano State, the f ragmentary data that exist suggest that the students in governments schools at the initial period of western education in 1903 were disproportionately drawn from high socio-political elite’s of Kano citizens. Even within the immerse growth in educational opportunities that has occurred, it can be observed that the low socio-economic status people in northern Nigeria are still largely under represented within the upper reaches of northern educational system and attempts to increase proportional representation of lower status grouping conceived in terms of traditional criteria of status have been only moderately successful. In gross terms, it is possible to point to variant patterns of response to the introduction of secondary education in the country. Unlike in southern Nigeria, where the most usual result of the introduction of secondary education is a process of status reserved, in northern Nigeria, the process of status reinforcement is assumed to ensure a guaranteed degree of continuity in the recruitment of dominant groups. Of course, concepts derived in terms of this may do injustice to empirical realities since in practice the emergent pattern of social differentiation in the less developed world represents a complex inter-weaving between traditional and emergent concepts of status. This theory may seven further be argued to be largely an academic exercise as the emergence of a modern type of urban centre has largely eroded the traditional criteria of status and authority in Africa. Influence of Commissions and Educational Laws on Secondar y Education The early, schools functioned with scarcely any involvement by the colonial government and as such there were no reasonable attempts to co-ordinate education system organized by the various missions. In this regard, there was no novelty as such in educational practice, all missions owned common allegiance to Christianity and they operated curriculum centered on English, Religion, and Arithmetic commonly called 3Rs. This system however changed in early 1880s particularly by the Education Ordinance of 1882 when colonial government assumed a measure of control of mission education. Significant improvement was made when the Ordinance No. 3 of 1887 was enacted to consolidate and amend the laws relating to the promotion of education in the colony of Lagos. Concerning secondary education, in 1879 there were three secondary schools namely the CMS Grammar school, built in 1859. Wesleyan Boys High School built in 1976 and St. Gregory’s School 1879. The trend of the secondar y school from 1897 to 1992 was a gradual increase in enrolment from 172 to 206. With the amalgamation of Southern and Northern Protectorates. Lord Lugard proposed three types of secondary education with the aim of adapting the needs of education of the children in both protectorates to the man-power needs. The schools are the provincial schools, the rural and the non-government schools. The provinces, and located three to four kilometers away from the residential areas under a British Headmaster. The Resident and the paramount chiefs in the areas where these schools were located were to assist in the supervision of the schools. The entrants were between 12-14 years of age. The rural school were meant for rural children who ultimately would remain in rural environments The rural school policy was not accepted particularly by people in the Southern provinces and a grammar school â€Å"policy was not accepted particularly by people in the Southern provinces and a grammar school policy was favored initially in the main urban areas. CHAPTER FOUR: 4.0 DATA ANALYSIS INTRODUCTION The purpose of this study is to investigate through the perceptions of staff, the extent to which teachers participate in decision-making at Government secondary schools Omala, and as necessary, to make practical recommendations as to whom in the management arrangements of the secondary schools may be modified or enhanced to promote teacher participation in decision-making more effectively. 4.1 Data analysis entails bringing order, structure and meaning to the mass of time consuming, creative and fascinating process. Analysis of data about individual interviews was done through identifying common themes from the respondents’ description of their experiences. Irrelevant information was separated from the relevant information in the interviews. The relevant information was broken into phrases or sentences, which reflect a single, specific thought. The phrases or sentences were further be grouped into categories that reflect various aspects of meanings. The various meanings identified will be used to develop description as seen by the respondents. 4.2 Analysis of quantitative information: The researcher used descriptive statistics to analyse quantitative data. Descriptive statistics is a mathematical technique for organizing, summarising and displaying a set of numerical data. 5.0 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSIONS. This Research serves as a mechanism to identify and evaluate management practices that are consistent with the current call for a participative mode of education management and governance. The research questions form the essentials and the value of this study. The structure of the research provides the reader with what to expect in the ensuing assignment. This research has reviewed about participative management and the transformation role of the principal. The approach described requires an involvement and commitment from staff in order to bring about effective change. Also suggests that a collegial model is difficult to implement even when staff is committed to it. The school management functions remain dominantly in the hands of the principals and School Management Team (SMT). The extent of teacher involvement in management of the school is limited to the classroom. Principals do not motivate staff to be united. Team -work in schools is regarded as poor. Involving teachers in decision- making allows staff and management to work as a team. When teachers are involved in decision-making, they tend to own decisions, by ensuring the implementation of those decisions. A staff perception to the way in which participative management operates currently at Government secondary schools Omola is that teachers are not adequately involved in decision-making in schools. Teachers in this study accept the responsibility of becoming the role players in managerial decision-making. CONCLUSIVELY, The principal should promote an atmosphere of trust by displaying fair treatment and proper management skills to the teachers. It is important for the principal to model attitude behaviour on the principles of democracy. Fair treatment of teachers is a prerequisite for building an atmosphere of trust and accountability. In the climate of transformation, it becomes imperative for a principal to display proper management skills so that his/her credibility as a leader is not brought into disrepute. Recommendations to teachers: †¢ Teachers should take positive steps to become partners in managing their schools Teachers must not be complacent, but be active participants in terms of self – education and managing school affairs beyond the boundaries of the classroom. However, it becomes necessary for teachers to respect the positional power of the principal, which grants him / her authority to make certain decisions unilaterally. This requires involvement and commitment from staff in order to bring about effective change. Assess the principals’ understanding of their role REFERENCES âž ¢ Kogi Education Congress 1994. A Policy Framework for Education and Training Education desk.Omala Town:Omala L.G.A. in promoting teacher participation in decision-making within these schools. âž ¢ Adeyinka, A.A. (1971): The development of grammar school education in the Westernstates of Nigeria 1908 – 1968. Unpublished M.Ed. Dissertation Submitted toUniversity of Ibadan. Ibadan âž ¢ Fafunwa, A. B. (1974): History of education in Nigeria. London. George Allen And Unwin Ltd. Federal Republic of Nigeria (1981). National Policy on Education. Lagos: NERC. âž ¢ Ibrahim, Y.Y. (1979): Oral and socialization process: A socio-folkloric Perspective of initiation from childhood to adulthood Hausa Community. Unpublished Ph. D. Thesis submitted to Bayero University Kano. âž ¢ Ikojani, O. (Ed ): Nigerian education. Bristol; Western Printing Ltd. Taiwo. C.O. (1981): The Nigerian education system. Past Present and Future: France and London: Buller tanner Ltd. âž ¢ Wise, C.W (1956): History of education in British West Africa. Toronto: Longman Green & Co.

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From the first novel Sister Carrie on, Dreiser set himself to project the American values for what he had found them to be: ______ to the core. A. altruistic B. political C. religious D. materialistic 34. The 20th -century stream- of- consciousness technique was frequently and skillfully used by ______ to emphasize the reactions and inner musings of the narrator. A. Hemingway B. Frost C. Faulkner D. Whitman 35. With the help of his friends Phil Stone and Sherwood Anderson, ______ published a volume of poetry The Marble Faun and his first novel Soldiers’ Pay. A. Faulkner B. Hemingway C. Ezra Pound D. Fitzgerald 36. The Sun Also Rises casts light on a whole generation after WWI and the effects of the war by way of a vivid portrait of â€Å"______. † A. the Beat Generation B. the Lost Generation C. the Babybooming Age D. the Jazz Age 37. Within her little lyrics Dickinson addresses those issues that concern ______, which include religion, death, immorality, love and nature. A. the whole human beings B. the frontiers C. the African Americans D. her relatives 38. H. L. Mencken, a famous American critic, considered ______ â€Å"the true father of our national literature. † A. Hamlin Garland B. Joseph Kirkland C. Mark Twain D. Henry James 39. In his poetry, Whitman shows concern for ______ and the burgeoning life of cities. A. the colonists B. the capitalists C. the whole hard -working people D. the intellectuals 40. In 1837, ______ published Twice Told Tales, a collection of short stories which attracted critical attention. A. Emerson B. Melville C. Whitman D. Hawthorne 21. The work ________ by William Blake is a lovely volume of poems, presenting a happy world, though not without its evils and sufferings. A. Songs of Innocence B. Songs of Experience C. Poetical Sketches D. Lyrical Ballads 22. The plays known as â€Å"the Lawrence trilogy† are all the following EXCEPT ________. A. A Collier’ s Friday Night B. Lady Chatterley’ s Lover C. The Daughter in Law D. The Widowing of Mrs. Holroyed 23. Greatly and permanently affected by the ________ experiences, Hemingway formed his own writing style, together with his theme and hero. A. mining B. farming C. war D. sailing 24. â€Å"The dignity of movement of an iceberg is due to only one -eighth of it being above water. † This â€Å"iceberg† analogy about prose style was put forward by ________. A. William Faulkner B. Henry James C. Ernest Hemingway D. F ·Scott Fitzgerald. 25. In Go Down, Moses, ________ illuminates the problem of black and white in Southern society as a close- knit destiny of blood brotherhood. A. William Faulkner B. Jack London C. Herman Melville D. Nathaniel Hawthorne 26. In Death in the Afternoon ________ presents his philosophy about life and death through the depiction of the bullfight as a kind of microcosmic tragedy. A. William Faulkner B. Jack London C. Ernest Hemingway D. Mark Twain 27. William Faulkner once said that ________ is a story of â€Å"lost innocence,† which proves itself to be an intensification of the theme of imprisonment in the past. A. The Great Gatsby B. The Sound and the Fury C. Absalom, Absalom! D. Go Down, Moses 28. Walt Whitman believed, by means of â€Å"________,† he has turned poetry into an open field, an area of vital possibility where the reader can allow his own imagination to play. A. free verse B. strict verse C. regular rhyming D. standardized rhyming 29. Herman Melville’s second famous work, ________, was not published until 1924, 33 years after his death. A. Pierre B. Redburn C. Moby-Dick D. Billy Budd 30. In 1920, ________ published his first novel This Side of Paradise which was, to some extent, his own story. A. F ·Scott Fitzgerald B. Ernest Hemingway C. William Faulkner D. Emily Dickinson 31. Unlike his contemporaries in the early 20th century, ________ did not break up with the poetic tradition nor made any experiment on form. A. Walt Whitman B. Robert Frost C. Ezra Pound D. T. S. Eliot 32. While Mark Twain seemed to have paid more attention to the â€Å"life† of the Americans, ________ had apparently laid a greater emphasis on the â€Å"inner world† of man. A. William Howells B. Henry James C. Bret Harte D. Hamlin Garland 33. At the age of eighty -seven, ________ read his poetry at the inauguration of President John F. Kennedy in 1961. A. Robert Frost B. Walt Whitman C. Ezra Pound D. T. S. Eliot 34. Of all Herman Melville’s sea adventure stories, ________ proves to be the best. A. Typee B. Redburn C. Moby – DickD. Omoo 35. Man is a â€Å"victim of forces over which he has no control. † This is a notion held strongly by ________. A. Robert Frost B. Theodore Dreiser C. Henry James D. Hamlin Garland 36. With the publication of ________, Theodore Dreiser was launching himself upon a long career that would ultimately make him one of the most significant American writers of the school later known as literary naturalism. A. Sister Carrie B. The Titan C. An American Tragedy D. The Stoic 37. Nathaniel Hawthorne was affected by ________’s transcendentalist theory and struck up a very intimate relationship with him. A. H. W. Longfellow B. Walt Whitman C. R. W. Emerson D. Washington Irving 38. Among the following writers ________ is generally regarded as the forerunner of the 20th -century â€Å"stream of consciousness† novels and the founder of psychological realism. A. T. S. Eliot B. James Joyce C. William Faulkner D. Henry James 39. Walt Whitman wrote down a great many poems to air his sorrow for the death of President ______, and one of the famous is â€Å"When Lilacs Last in the Dooryard Bloom’ d. † A. Washington B. Lincoln C. Franklin D. Kennedy 40. The Marble Faun by Nathaniel Hawthorne, a romance set in______, is concerned about the dark aberrations of the human spirit. A. France B. Spain C. England D. Italy [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic] [pic]

How Effective Korean Air Hr Strategy Is Management Essay

How Effective Korean Air Hr Strategy Is Management Essay This report discusses the details of suggested HR scorecard for Korean Air that shows how effective HR strategy is crucial for the successful achievement of its own strategic goals with appropriate measurement system HR Scorecard. Development process began with a clear statement of the companys strategy and operational goals with a strategy map showing the causal linkages in the value creation process. As next steps of process, workforce competencies and behaviors and strategically relevant HR system policies and activities are identified to create HR scorecard and the process concludes with presenting suggested HR scorecard with measurement. >During analyzing HR system and the organization, some points to be improved were emerged and these are mentioned with recommendation. If the HR concerns are solved, the company will be more resilient to face external environment with competitive workforce. HR Scorecard helps employees know and understand the organization strategic goals, encour age them to have skills and responsibilities in accordance with the goals, and guide them to achieve goals with measures. To make measurement system, the cooperation of HR managers and line managers for choosing proper metrics is very important. As strategies and goals are changed, the metrics and measurement system of HR Scorecard should be updated to be an effective and influential tool for strategic success. ii I. INTRODUCTION Many CEOs agree with the concept People are the most important assets and the fact that the companies with more effective HR management systems outperform their competitors, however, HR function and influence on companys performance are difficult to measure. Besides professionalism in Human resources are challenged to take a more strategic perspective and HR professionals are requested to prove Human resources are competitive advantages with measuring HRs performance corresponded with corporate strategy and its contribution to the company. Effective HR measurement system shows a clear and consistent view of how the company can implement its strategy in the organization and how HR can contribute to companys success with discovering and solving current HR problems. To start with defining corporate strategy of Korean Air, it will be evaluated how HRM play a strategic role, produce core values and interrelated with every level in the organization for achieving companys strategic goals using creating its own HR scorecard. II. BACKGROUND OF KOREAN AIR 1. Company overview Korean Air is an international airline headquartered in Seoul, Korea. As Koreas first private airline in 1962, it has grown into the worlds largest air cargo carrier and the thirteenth largest airline in the world. According to World Air Transport Statistics, Korean Air is the worlds largest commercial airline cargo operator since 20041. and was rated as the best airline in Asia for the third straight year, having the best business class on routes to Asia in 2009. 1 2. Corporate Vision and Mission Keeping with its vision To Be a Respected Leader in the World Airline Community, Korean Air is committed to provide best service that customers can value and trust and make a corporate culture that encourages innovation upon their mission Excellence in Flight 2). 3. Major Business Processes Passenger service takes the biggest part, however, cargo service gives the company considerable profits with a reputation as the largest international air cargo carrier. Korean Air has developed catering, maintenance, and unusually for an airline, an aerospace manufacturing business with researches and development programs for general aviation craft, military trainer and satellite since 1976 3). The aerospace division generated revenues of $470 million in 2008 and employs a little over 2,500 staff.4) 1) Business Review 2) (As of 2008) [Unit: Hundred Million Won, 1 US Dollar à ¢Ã¢â‚¬ °Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ 1,150 Won] 2) Operating Results 2) (based on 2008 IATA standards) 4. Structure Korean Air reorganized a corporate structure with new promotions for divisional responsibility management in 2003. It offers flexible management for planning, budget, recruiting and other key functions to all divisions. Every head of divisions would take a firm responsibility for outcomes and be appraised based on achievement.5) 2 a) Employees 2) (Total: 18,600, As of January 2009) b) Organization chart 2) 5. Business strategy Korean Air takes improved business strategies to implement corporate missions as below. 1) Globalization: To be ranked as global leading carrier with globalized manpower, service, and brand image. 2) Knowledge management : Encouraging learning and continuous improvement. 3)E-Business: Introducing more e-Commerce solutions and constructing upgraded Intranet for training and fast communication. 6. Relationship with external entities 1) International competitors : Business travelers who still consider Singapore Airlines with its young fleets and strong branding and Cathay Pacific which has a superior hub location due to its geographical proximity to China as superior in service and quality to Korean air.6) 2) Global airline alliance SkyTeam: Korean Air is a founding partner in SkyTeam, the worlds second largest airline alliance of eleven members and three associate carriers and expands its operations by code sharing and seat trading.7) Recently, Korean Air helped Uzbekistan airway and Garuda Indonesia to be joined.8) 3 III. HR SYSTEM AND THE STRATEGIC ROLE OF HR IN KOREAN AIR 1. HR system of Korean Air 1) Job Grade system Job Units are divided largely as Administration, Engineering, Cockpit crew and Cain crew. 9) Administration and engineering units operate a Course system for training and application purposes. Each unit has job grade scheme organized differently for every job unit and course to fortify expertise competencies. 2) Development training system à ¢-   Training organization Korean Air has developed and operated various training programs.10) Human resources development department and center take a charge of establishing training plans and integrated education. Professional training organization offer enriched education. As an implementation of Ubiquitous learning, Cyber campus is used. à ¢-   Training programs The training programs are prepared for each job grade and divided as Management development training, global competency training, job skills improvement training, and organization revitalization training. 4 3) Appraisal system 11) The appraisal system is based on measuring a contribution to company and individual work competency including performance, job aptitude and leadership. As Total analysis with giving feedback, they use appraised data for granting differential rewards or training and development. 4) Compensation and welfare system 12) Korean Air provide incentives, benefits (housing, medical and education support and culture leisure benefits) and favors such as discounted tickets and easier ticket purchase as a privilege of being with airline. 2. The Strategic Role of HR in Korean Air The long term strategies of Korean Air can be defined as follows; à ¢- ² To be ranked among top 10 international passenger airlines Developing new routes and reinforcing SkyTeam network Heighten global image awareness with excellent quality service and culture sponsorship 1) Korean Air will reopen the route to Saint Petersburg and launch Irkutsk, Russia this year. When Tunxi international airport in China opens this March, a route will be put on Huang Shan line. It is planned to expand a route network to Central Asia, Europe and Africa and extend the number of destination cities to 140 cities by 2019 through SkyTeam. To attract more customers, more investment for ordering A380 Airbus fleets and changing new luxury and upgraded seats for all classes is drawn from revenue. 13) 2) As global cultural sponsorship, Korean Air tries to cultivate different type of brand image. Korean Air sponsored the multimedia guide at the Louvre Museum in Paris and Russias State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg in 2008. It is spread out to the British Museums new set of handheld Multimedia Guides.14) 5 à ¢- ² To make China its biggest Market Korean air has strategic relationships with China Airlines and China Southern Airlines and makes an effort to expand it more with other Chinese airlines. Routes to Guangzhou, Dalian, Weihai, Yantai, Changsha and Shenzhen were added and its route network has covered 19 Chinese cities with more than 150 flights. It is one of the most expansive networks in the China among non-Chinese carriers and chosen as The best foreign airline in China. 15) Korean Air established a Chinese-only counter China Express in Incheon International Airport and began its operation to enhance convenience for a growing number of Chinese tourists.16) For brand awareness, outdoor billboards in Kunming, Wuhan, and Zhengzhou were built. Book donations to poverty schools and inviting children in earthquake damaged cities to Jeju island are one of its social responsibility activities in China.17) à ¢- ² To be a leading air cargo carrier Korean air made a contract to create Central Asian logistics hub with Uzbekistan government and Navoi airport in 2008 with cooperation from Hanjin Transportation Co., Ltd. (ground transport) and Korea Airport Service (airport ground handling). 18) By 2013, constructing an airport infrastructure and attracting investments from global logistics companies will be kept up. Whole project is planned to be finished by 2018. In China, cargo terminal in Tianjin will be completed until the end of 2010 for activating the market.19) HR Strategic roles for these major strategies All strategies are global related and to achieve these goals, it is necessary to recruit manpower with international competency and train its employees with various and differential programs per position as long term system. 1. Recruiting As the demand of international professional staffs for conferences with SkyTeam and developing Chinese market is increased, fluent English speakers, China regional experts and MBAs with proper educational backgrounds are highly needed to improve business competiveness. Common recruitment is by internet, headhunters, employment agencies, internal sources and college recruiting. 2. Training : Korean air operates Global online education system around 50 branches in the world. The systems handle the hands-on skills of reservation, ticketing, customer service, transportation, maintenance, and language study. Yet, it is needed to be more practical and wide ranged for employees to solve their problems encountered at work. 1) Foreign languages: New flight attendants take 4-week training included correcting pronunciation and aviation English and Japanese at cabin crew training center. Every employee depends on online education system afterwards. 6 2) Management knowledge: Customized MBA courses developed with Seoul National University for executives are offered. Manager level complete AMS courses which cover specialized knowledge of air transportation industry and management theories.20) 3) Overseas regional specialists: To enlarge global network, area specialists are indispensable. 1 year of Overseas services- short term international assignment for senior managers and managers is executed to send them to foreign branches for experiencing local languages, cultures and operating systems. New employees go to Mongolia as volunteering activities to plant trees for desertification for brand image and giving opportunities to look around the Mongolia as a next market. 3. Corporate culture: Korean air has reformed hierarchical culture which caused serious accidents as creating a central clearinghouse for monitoring and investigating safety reports and audit findings so that all divisions are ordered to share and coordinate data. In 2009, Koreas Ministry of Gender Equality signed an agreement with Korean Air to promote a women-friendly corporate culture and support career possibilities for women. 21) 7 IV. HR SCORECARD OF KOREAN AIR Step 1: Define Business strategy 21C leading global airline with globalized human resources, services, and brand image To be ranked among top 10 international passenger airlines To make China its biggest Market Leading air cargo carrier Step 2: Value chains of each division Step 3: Outline a strategy map and identify the strategically required organizational Outcomes Strategy map 8 Outcomes 1) More customers choose Korean air because of excellent service and flight convenience. 2) Korean air will leap to global brand not restricted to an airline in Korea. 3) Empowerment and teamwork will help to be a Learning organization. 4) Improved revenue is expected owing to transport increase of passengers and cargos Step 4: Identify the Required Workforce Competencies and Behaviors Speaking good level of English, Chinese or other languages to deal with foreign customers and doing business with international companies Fast operation based on participation and empowerment immediate feedback, open communication Service-oriented and committed employees for attracting and retaining customers Top management who educated with efficient and practical management knowledge Continuous trained maintenance and engineering manpower for safety Creating a powerful corporate brand with full understanding competitors and the future direction of company.22) Deepened knowledge about other countries to start or have projects with. Professional service training force for satisfying every needs of passenger service Step 5: Identify the Strategically Relevant HR system Policies and Activities 1. Inspiring allegiance to the company and raising morale 1) Setting up firm policies of compensation and benefits for motivation Specify pay per performance, rewards, recognition, retirement, family friendly benefits, time off with pay, maternity leave and safety health protection programs. 2) Rewarding individuals and teams, team development 3) Encouraging organizational commitment, job satisfaction and job security 2. Professional training schemes for cabin and customer services Reinforcing on-line and OJT programs, participation in related seminars of experts, comparison with those of competitors, refined grooming and etiquettes. 3. Provide segmented and enriched education for required job skills and the knowledge improvement of all level from in or outside. University-industry collaboration for academic programs Arrangement of related reputable institutes to short term education Job rotation for internal training by superiors Increasing overseas dispatch for studying languages and cultures Support to study abroad for highly performed employees. 4. Recruit right employees Select candidates with language proficiency, proper educational backgrounds and global experiences under conditions of detailed job description and specification for reduction training costs and fast adaptation to the organization. 9 Step 6: Design the HR Scorecard Measurement System Applied assessing measures for HR activities about workforce competencies and HR systems for HR scorecard are as follows; Assessing HR system 24) 10 Step 7: Periodically Evaluate the Measurement System It is hard to manage all of HR systems with interrelated metrics as the organization is bigger and its business is diversified. Currently Balanced scorecard, a computerized model, help top management track and monitor HR data with marketing and finance metrics for companys strategic success. With establishing customized software system (refer to http://www.activestrategy.com or http://senalosa.com), it is expected to have improved effectiveness for updating and evaluating HR information periodically. Yet, it should be implemented on the premise that creating Scorecard team to select and validate measures and collecting data with cooperation of all departments. 11 V. Conclusions and Recommendations 1. Conclusions Below suggested HR scorecard process of Korean Air shows how the scorecard measures the organizational outcomes, workforce competencies and behaviors and HR system policies and activities aimed at implementing the corporate strategy 21C leading global airline with globalized human resources, services, and brand image. Basic themes are 1. Create service-oriented workforce, 2. Provide enriched training for global competency, and 3.Raise morale and create positive corporate culture. For example, the theme Create service-oriented workforce is implemented from Recruiting and selection. The metrics for recruiting can be chosen among No. of applicants per sources; No. qualified applicant/position, proportion of employees selected based on validated selection methods. After selecting, the step would be moved to Training and appraisal with related metrics. Outcomes also can be measured upon 3 major tiers of customer responses, international corporate image, and inner communication derived from the strategy. 12 With metrics for each process combined with strategic goals, HR performances can be objectively and quantitatively. It is easier to see and check from the start to the final purpose of company increased revenue from the point of view of HR. The scorecards will be a more efficient tool to evaluate HR system when proper measures are added, refined and connected as the organizations strategic goals are achieved and developed. Besides, periodically revising the HR Scorecard help HR managers assess how well it supports the organizations strategy implement efforts. 2. Recommendations Despite aggressive strategies to grow, Korean air hasnt been identified as distinctive global airline. Among business travelers who still consider Singapore Airlines and Cathay Pacific China as superior in service and quality to Korean air. HR should play a pivotal role for reinforcing employee development one of an organizations competitive advantages more than ever because the competencies will be determined as Human resources with definite strategic goals ultimately. 1) Training Foreign languages and academic learning Company puts a huge energy to China market so speaking Chinese is another challenge. Furthermore their English proficiency is still rather below compared with Singapore airline, Cathay Pacific and Thai Airways as Asian airlines. It is important to create competitive environment with rewards or punishments through taking a test regularly and prepare for efficient language learning system with qualified teachers and teaching methods. Speaking languages with proper level is not accomplished within short period so it should be planned as long term schedule or to save relative costs, hiring international manpower at the first step should be considered. 2) Corporate culture: Chronic top down and secretive management style due to primogeniture and reluctance to outsiders is one of organizational factors in Korean Air to be improved. The solution of safety concerns and increasing customer expectation of broad and excellent services is satisfying employees as internal customers. Research has long shown that accidents and poor service quality are rooted primarily in social aspects not technology such as inferior management, decision making, teamwork, employee motivation or communication, can translate into loss of customers, market share, organization assets and, above of all, life. 26) High quality service is principal for differentiating among airlines and influential in customer choice. HR need to check whether the company has positive corporate culture encourages innovation, improvement and responsibility of each employee. Supervisors open door policy for communication, treating employees with respect and dignity can be a start. 3) Appraisal and compensation Fair compensation with appraisal will strengthen the organization. Regular in-house training for the system by HR department will be helpful for understanding and participation. Compensation should have its own schemes to prevent further grievances. Fairness of salaries and promotions should be kept because pay equity is connected to job satisfaction. 13 These three HR factors should be complemented with validated measures and implemented into HR scorecard soon for achieving strategies efficiently. HR managers need to cooperate with line managers to select effective measures for evaluating required HR activities and revise HR scorecard as the strategies are changed. It is important to have a comprehensive human resources measurement policy which enables to collect consistent information relevant with overall business strategy. With a solid HR metrics program, HR management can make business decisions that are based on facts and use the exact figures to support company performance. *Word count: 2,933. 14 Notes 1) International Air Transport Association (2008), World Air Transport Statistics. 52nd ed. Canada: IATA. Section 4: Airline ranking 2007. p.95-96. 2) http://www.koreanair.com/local/sg/gd/eng/au/ci/eng_au_ci_ov.jsp, accessed Feb 15, 2010. 3) http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/rok/kal.htm, accessed Feb 15, 2010. 4) http://www.flightglobal.com/articles/2009/06/18/328529/interview-korean-air-chief-executive-cho- yang-ho.html, accessed Feb 16, 2010. 5) http://www.airportal.co.kr/life/history/lee/LfLeeGu010.html, accessed Feb 16, 2010. 6)http://www.usatoday.com/money/companies/management/profile/2009-08-23-travel-airlines-korea_N.htm, accessed Feb 16, 2010. 7) http://www.skyunionvirtual.co.cc/about/carriers/koreanair.html, accessed Feb 16, 2010. 8) http://www.thefreelibrary.com/Indonesia%3a+Korean+Air+expands+codeshare+with+Garuda.- a0218567145, accessed Feb 16, 2010 9) http://recruit.koreanair.co.kr/personal/personal_b.asp, accessed Feb 15, 2010. 10) http://recruit.koreanair.co.kr/personal/personal_d.asp, accessed Feb 15, 2010. 11) http://recruit.koreanair.co.kr/personal/personal_e.asp, accessed Feb 15, 2010. 12) http://recruit.koreanair.co.kr/personal/personal_f.asp, accessed Feb 15, 2010. 13)http://www.etimes.net/service/etimes_2007/ShellView.asp?LinkID=6001ArticleID=201002041 8164103144, accessed Feb 17, 2010, The replacements will be in 32 B777s and A330s, which have recently been furnished with Kosmo Suites (First Class), Prestige Sleeper (Prestige Class) and New Economy (Economy Class) seats. 14) http://www.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2009/02/17/2009021700672.html, accessed Feb 17, 2010. 15) http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1P1-136897605.html, accessed Feb 18, 2010. 16)http://news.mk.co.kr/english/newsRead.php?rss=Ysc=30800011year=2009no=461130, Korean Air Puts Effort to Attract 1.3 billion Chinese Tourists, accessed Feb 18, 2010. 17) http://www.newswire.co.kr/newsRead.php?no=452353lmv=A02 , Korean air is the best foreign airline in China, accessed Feb 19, 2010. 18) http://www.airliners.net/aviation-forums/general_aviation/read.main/4128479/, Korean Air Builds A Logistics Hub In Central Asia, accessed Feb 19, 2010. 19) http://www.sgtusa.com/detail.php?number=7280thread=22r07, Interview with COO Lee Jong hee, accessed Feb 19, 2010. 20) http://www.hankyung.com/news/app/newsview.php?type=2aid=2009110446921nid=910sid =0001, accessed Feb 19, 2010. 21) http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2900768 On board, gender equality still up in the air, accessed Feb 19, 2010 22) Steven Howard, Corporate Image Management: A Marketing Discipline for the 21st Century 23) Gary Dessler (2008), Human Resource Management: 11th ed. Singapore: Prentice Hall. Chapter 2: Strategic HRM and the HR scorecard. p.62 24) Gary Dessler (2008), Human Resource Management: 11th ed. Singapore: Prentice Hall. Chapter 2: Strategic HRM and the HR scorecard. p.67 25) Brian E. Becker, Mark A. Huselid, Dave Ulrich (2001). The scorecard: Linking people, strategy, and performance. Boston: Harvard Business School Press. p.66. 26) Steven H. Appelbaum, Brenda M. Fewster (2003). Human resource management strategy in the global airline industry A focus on Organizational development. Equal opportunities International. Vol. 21. No.7. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). p.70.