The Singapore Cultural Analysis Cultural Studies Essay

The Singapore Cultural Analysis Cultural Studies Essay Singapore is a small island in southeast Asia Known for its trade and tourism. It is a small island with not much history but has a strong economy, stable government and a vibrant culture. II. Brief discussion of the countrys relevant history Singapore was a British colony for nearly 150 years merged with the Malay territory. In 1965 it gained independence from the British and was separated from Malaysia to from a new country called Singapore the name derived from singa-pura which means city of the lion. . (everyculture.com, n.d) III. Geographical setting Situated in Southeast Asia, Singapore is a small island with a total area 647.5 square kilometers, with land being 637.5 and water 10 square kilometers including the main island and around 60 islets and the coastline extends to 193 kilometers. Malaysia, Indonesia and Brunei are the bordering countries to Singapore. It is the focal point in the Southeast Asian sea routes. A.Location Singapore is located at the tip of the Malay Peninsula in Southeast Asia in between Malaysia and Indonesia. 1 22 N, 103 48E is the geographical location of Singapore. B.Climate Singapore experiences tropical climate with high humidity and rainfall. There are no specific rainy and dry seasons but during the northeast monsoon (dec-mar) it receives abundant rainfall and during the southwestern monsoon (jun-sep) it is the driest comparatively. C.Topography Singapore Island is mostly low-lying, green, undulating country with a small range of hills at the center. The highest point is Bukit Timah which is 166 meters and the lowest point is the Singapore strait which is 0 meters. There are sections of  rainforest  in the center and large  mangrove  swamps along the coast, which has many inlets, particularly in the north and west. Singapores harbor is wide, deep, and well protected(Singapore overview , 2007). IV. Social institutions A.Family 1.The nuclear family The general family trend in Singapore is a nuclear family which is the parents and the unmarried children living under the same roof. About 85% of Singaporean families are nuclear families. . (everyculture.com, n.d) 2.The extended family Close links are maintained between the relatives from both the mothers and fathers side. There is a positive amount of interaction between the extended family with them getting together during festivals and celebrations. . (everyculture.com, n.d) 3.Dynamics of the family a.  Parental roles The parental roles that is the duties and responsibilities of a parent towards their children are shared equally by the mother and the father. b.  Marriage and courtship Monogamy or having only one wife is the general rule in Singapore but Polygamy or having more than one wife at the same time is allowed among Muslim Malay. The divorce rate in Singapore is seemingly increasing but Interethnic marriages still are had to come by. The average age at first marriage has increased, and it is customary for young people to live with their parents until they marry. . (everyculture.com, n.d) 4.Female/male roles (changing or static?) The male and female roles are changing with 80% male employment and 50% female employment. Women are being given more importance in society through the time but there still lacks female involvement in the managerial or high level roles. (everyculture.com, n.d) B.Education Singapore has a very high literacy rate with a strong education system. The education system is based on six years of primary school, four years of secondary school and later vocational school or university, depending on the grades and student prefferences. The best schools are very demanding with the competition being high and fierce. (everyculture.com, n.d).Singapore one of the most prominent education hubs in Asia with high levels of education standards attracting students from all over the world with some of the best universities and institutions in the world. 1.The role of education in society Education plays a very prominent role in society were children are thought to hold the key not only to their own future but also to the future of their families. The average age at which children start school is six. (everyculture.com, n.d). Due to the increasing competition for jobs and personal improvement in Singapore there is high emphasis given to good education and nurturing and promoting the various talents of the students. a. Primary education Primary education is a total of six years which consists of a four year foundation stage from Primary 1 to 4 and a two year orientation stage from Primary 5 to 6. The overall aim of primary education is to give students a good grasp of English language, Mother Tongue and Mathematics. There is no fee for primary school but there are some miscellaneous expenses which add up to SGD $11/ month. During primary school the students are encouraged to participate in Co-Curricular Activities and Community Involvement Programs to develop early skills. At the end of primary school the students have to take a national level examination called the Primary school leaving examination (Ministry of education, 2012). b. Secondary education Secondary education consists of four to five years of school in which the students are placed in Special, Express, Normal (Academic) or Normal (Technical) course according to how they perform at the  Primary school leaving examination. The different curricular emphases are designed to match their learning abilities and interests. The fees for secondary school varies from $5/ month for public schools, $3-$18 for autonomous schools and $200-$300 for independent schools. For graduating from secondary school the students have to attend a national examination called GCE O Levels(for Special/Express courses) or GCE N Levels (for Normal course).All students take part in at least one  Co-curricular activity;  CCA  performance is considered for admission to  JCs,  CI, polytechnics and  ITE(Ministry of education, 2012) c. Higher education Singapore has some of the best universities offering various programs. The National University of Singapore, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore Management University and Singapore University of Technology and Design are some of the most reputed universities in Singapore. These universities have a worldwide reach and attract thousands of students each year. There are universities from all over the world also who offer their programs in Singapore either by collaborating with Singaporean institutions like university of Whales and university of Bradford who offer their programs through Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS) or by setting up a sister campus in Singapore like INSED which is one of the worlds premier business school from France and James Cook university an Australian university have sister campuses in Singapore. 2. Literacy rates Singapore has a high literacy rate due to the emphasis given to education. The % of people above the age of 15 who can read and write is total population:  92.5%   male:  96.6%   female:  88.6% (2000 census) (Singapore-counrty profile ,2012) C. Political system Singapore is a republic with a parliamentary system. As a former British colony, Singapore since independence in 1965 has adopted the Westminster Module. The head of state is the president, who is elected for a fixed term of six years. The parliament is elected in a general compulsory election every five years. There are also six nominated members of the parliament. The cabinet is the executive organ of the state, and execution of government policies is carried out by ministries and statutory boards. . (everyculture.com, n.d) 1.Political structure: Singapores government is segrigated into three segments. -Executive- This includes the presedent who is the head-of-state abd the cabinet which is lead by the prime minister.(www.sg , 2011) -Legislative- The Legislative branch is the  Parliament, which is elected by  general election  every five years. The first sitting of Parliament was held on 8 December 1965. The first general election for Parliament was held on 13 April 1968. There are 22 registered political parties. .(www.sg , 2001) -Judiciary- The  Supreme Court  and its  Subordinate Courts make up the judiciary. The Judiciary administers the law independently of the Executive and this independence is safeguarded by the  Constitution.(www.sg , 2011) 2.Political parties- There are 22 political parties in singapore and are as follows: Singapore Chinese Party Persatuan Melayu Singapura Partai Rakyat, Singapore State Division Angkatan Islam The Workers Party Pertubohan Kebangsaan Melayu Singapura Peoples Action Party (PAP) United Peoples Party Barisan Socialis (BS), Socialist Front (SF) Parti Kesatuan Raayat (United Democratic Party) Singapore Indian Congress Alliance Party Singapura United National Front National Party of Singapore The Peoples Front Justice Party, Singapore Democratic Progressive Party Peoples Republican Party United Peoples Front Singapore Democratic Party (SDP) National Solidarity Party (NSP) Singapore National Front. (nationsencyclopedia.com , 2007) 3.Stability of government The Singapore government is very stable. There has never been a political imbalance and the government has never been dissolved. 4.Special taxes 5.Role of local government Since singapore is such a small country it does not have divisions in local government and is ruled by divisions of the central government instead. In 1996 the then primeminister of singapore Goh introdused a system of community devolopment councils (CDCs). In november 2001 the number of CDCs redused from 9 to 5 consisting of South West, North West, Central Singapore, South East, and North East. They are managed by a council comprising a mayor and between 12 and 80 council members. (nationsencyclopedia.com , 2007) D. Legal system The legal system of Singapore is designed on the bases of British law. . (nationsencyclopedia.com , 2007) 1.Organization of the judiciary system. The judicial system consistes of the supreme court which is the higest level headed by the chief justice who is appointed by the president on the recommendation of the primeminister.It divided into the high court the Court of Appeal, and the Court of Criminal Appeal. This id followed by the subbordinate courts which are magistrates courts, trying civil and criminal offenses, the disrtict court, the juvenile courts, for offenders below the age of sixteen and the coroners courts; and the small claims courts, which hear civil and commercial claims for sums of less than S$10,000. . (nationsencyclopedia.com , 2007) 2.Code, common, socialist, or Islamic-law country? 3.Participation in patents, trademarks, and other conventions 4. Marketing Laws E. Social organizations 1.Group behavior 2.Social classes 3.Clubs, other organizations 4.Race, ethnicity, and subcultures Singapore is predominantly Chinese with 77% of the population being Chinese according to the 2002 census. It also mentioned that Malays consist of 14% of the population and Indians consist of 8% of the population. The rest 1.4% of the population consisted of various other ethnic groups.(nationsencyclopedia.com , 2007) F.Business customs and practices V. Religion and aesthetics A.Religion and other belief systems There is freedom of religion with some exceptions. Singapore has been described as one of the most religious countries in the world. The major religions are Islam (Malay), Hinduism (Indians), Buddhism, Taoism, and folk religion (Chinese), along with a substantial number of Christians of various denominations. 1. Orthodox doctrines and structures There are many Chinese and Indian temples, Malay mosques, and Christian churches in the main public arenas for religious activities. Much religious activity is also carried out in the home. There are different street festivals according to the ritual calendars of the different ethnic groups. . (everyculture.com, n.d) 2. Relationship with the people Even with the vast difference in religious beliefs the people of Singapore live in peace with each other maintaining good relationships with people from all religious backgrounds. 3. Which religions are prominent? The Chinese religions of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism are the most prominent with 51% 4. Membership of each religion The Chinese with Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism take up most of the population with 51%. About 15% of the population is Islamic About 15% of the population is Hindu And the rest of the population are from various other religions such as Christianity, Jewish, Jain and Sikh (nationsencyclopedia.com , 2007) B.Aesthetics 1.Visual arts (fine arts, plastics, graphics, public art, colors, etc.) 2.Drama, ballet, and other performing arts Today in Singapore people who go to theatres enjoy traditional ethnic theatre such as Chinese opera and Malay  bangsawan  (which took root in Singapore in the 19th and 20th century respectively), as well as contemporary theatre, which emerged in 1950s and 60s with the establishment of mainly amateur groups. English language theatre gained prominence from the 1980s with a change in educational policy which emphasised English to be the main language of instruction. Today with more than 130 theatre companies and societies in Singapore, practicing a range of contemporary and traditional ethnic theatrical forms Singapore has a vibrant performing arts developed through time..(National Arts Council, 2012) 3. Folklore and relevant symbols Singapore like most Asian countries hos a rich folklore and legends from which symbols are dericed. One such folklore about the symbol of Singapore which is the merlion explains that one day the villager in the southern cost were awakened by howling winds and crashing waves. It was covered with black clouds and was thought the whole island would be engulfed by the sea. The villagers went down on their knees in prayer and suddenly in the sea appeared a gigantic creature half lion and half fish and won the battle against nature and saved the villagers. (10 Legends and Myths of Singapore, 2012) VI. Living conditions Singapore has one of the best living conditions in the world attracting people from all over the world to live, work and study there. A.Diet and nutrition 1.Meat and vegetable consumption rates Singapore has high meat and vegitable consumption rates. With the variety if foods available in singapore the main components in every day meals are Rice, fish, chicken, and vegetables. 2.Typical meals There are 3 main meals breakfast lunch and dinner and Rice, fish, chicken, and vegetables are the staples. The main ingredients are mixed with spices, coconut, lime, chili etc create numerous varieties of dishes. Each ethnic culture has its own special dishes. (everyculture.com, n.d) 3.Malnutrition rates Singapore has a low malnutrition rate with childern below the age of 5 having only 2.2% malnutrition rate.( Health Statistics  > Malnutrition prevalence, height for age > % of children under 5 (most recent) by country, n.d) 4.Foods available Due to the vast culture and ethnicity Singapore has a variety of dishes from Chinese cuisines, Indian cuisines, Malay cuisines and with the influence of western culture have a large variety of wesrten cuisines available. Singapore is the food hub of Asia and because of the availability of such vast cuisines is an attraction to people from all over the world. B.Housing A vast majority of population live in public housing which is publicly developed managed by the Housing and Development Board. About 80% of the population live in public housing which are like small town ship with schools, markets and health centers. The rest of the population live in privately developed houses and appartments which are slightly more expensive than public housing. (Housing in Singapore, n.d) 1.Types of housing available There is public housing which includes three-room, four-room, five-room and executive flats. A three-room flat has two bedrooms , which is about 1,000 sq ft. A four-room flat has three bedrooms which is about 1,200 sq ft of space. A five-room flat is about 1,400 sq ft. An Executive mansionette has three and they are relatively larger than any other public housing units- some even have double storey, with the rooms on the second level. The rest of the population live in private housing which include privately maintained apartments, condominiums and landed properties.(Housing in Singapore, n.d) 2.Do most people own or rent? 80% of the population live in public housing the most part of this own their own houses. 3.Do most people live in one-family dwellings or with other families? Most people do live in one- family dwellings and not with other families as 85% of the population believe in nuclear families. C.Clothing Singapore is the fasion capital of Asia and one of the mian attraction to sinsapore is the variety of clothing availablt there. It has clothing from the best designers from all over the world and orchad street in singapore is a 5 kilimeter streach of shopping on both sides. Singapore without saying goes hand in hand with fasion and shopping. 1.National dress Singapore because of its vast culture and ethnicity does not have a natioal dress but each culture has its own traditional dresses wich are- The Peranakan- who are the mixed race of chinese and malay- The Nyonya Kebaya  is the traditional dress The chinese- Cheongsam is the traditional dress for the women. The Indians- Sari is the traditional dress for women and Dothi Kurtha is the traditional dress for men. The Malay- The Baju Kurungis the traditional dress for women and The Baju Melayu is the traditional dress for men. (Deliatoh, 2011) 2. Types of clothing worn at work The normal clothing worn to work consists of trousers, long-sleeved shirts and ties for men and blouses, skirts or trousers for women. Because of the weather being hot and humid jackets are usually not required. Although Singapore is a liberal country, women should make sure they do not wear clothes that are too revealing. (Communicaid, 2009) D.Recreation, sports, and other leisure activities Recreation and leasiure activities play an important role in the busy lives of Singaporeans. Different groups are interested in different activities such as sports, adventure and water sports as Singapore has beautiful beaches or even shopping, parties and gambling. 1.Types available and in demand There are various ways singaporieans spend their time away from busy sceduels. The most popular are Motor racing, football, swimming, paragliding, scoobadiving, boatimg, gambling, sailing, surfing, camping, trecking, cycling and horse racing. (Adventure and Rcreation in Singapore, n.d) 2.Percentage of income spent on such activities E. Social security In Singapore instead of of a national social security there is Central Provident Fund. The Central provident fund is a compulsory savings scheme that was introduced in 1955 to help cover the cost of living for Singapore residents upon retirement / termination of employment. ( ExpatFocus.com, n.d) Money that is saved in the Ordinary Account of the CPF can be used to help pay for home ownership, education and investment. The Special Account is meant for old age and contingency purposes and to purchase retirement-related financial products. A portion of the CPF known as Medisave can also be used to help pay for hospital treatment and for medical insurance (known as MediShield). ( ExpatFocus.com, n.d) Every Singaporean and Singaporean Permanent resident should contribute to the CPF. Foreigners who are on a Work Pass are not required to contribute to CPF. However, when a foreigner takes up permanent residency in Singapore, the foreigner will be expected to contribute to the CPF scheme. Both the employer and the employee contribute to this fund in varying proportions. ( ExpatFocus.com, n.d) F.Health care The Singapore healthcare system comprises public and private healthcare, complemented by rising standards of living, housing, education, medical services, safe water supply and sanitation, and preventive medicine.Over the years, Ministry Of Health has followed the principle of ensuring that good and affordable basic medical services are available to all Singaporeans. MOH has been continuously fine-tuning the health care system to ensure that Singapore has developed its healthcare system into one that has received praise and recognition both locally and internationally.(Ministry of Health, 2012) VII. Language Singapore with its variety of cultures is a multilingual country. Its national language is Malay. English is the administrative language and the medium of instructions in school and the students choose one of their mother tongues either Malay Tamil or Chinese. (everyculture.com, n.d) A.Official language(s) The official languages of Singapore are Malay, english, Tami and chinese(Manadarin) (everyculture.com, n.d) B.Spoken versus written languages C. Dialects [insert text here] IX. Sources of information -photius.com (1999) Singapore geography, retrieved from http://www.photius.com/wfb1999/singapore/singapore_geography.html -Ministry of education(2012) Singapore: education system. Retrieved from http://www.moe.gov.sg/education/ -everyculture.com(.n.d) Culture of Singapore-Countries and Their Cultures retrieved from http://www.everyculture.com/Sa-Th/Singapore.html#b nationsencyclopedia.com (2007) Singapore overview, retrieved fromhttp://www.nationsencyclopedia.com/Asia-and-Oceania/Singapore.html#b Singapore- Country Profine (2012) retrieved from http://www.indexmundi.com/singapore/ www.sg(2011) Who We Are , retrieved from http://app.www.sg/who/18/Government.aspx#ixzz28HNqHH4U National arts council (2012) arts forms, retrieved from http://www.nac.gov.sg/art-forms -10 Legends and Myths of Singapore (2012) retrieved from http://remembersingapore.wordpress.com/2012/06/29/singapore-legends-and-myths/ Health Statistics  > Malnutrition prevalence, height for age > % of children under 5 (most recent) by country (n.d) retrived from http://www.nationmaster.com/graph/hea_mal_pre_hei_for_age_of_chi_und_5-height-age-children-under-5 -Housing in Singapore (n.d) retrieved from http://www.singaporeexpats.com/housing-in-singapore/housing-in-singapore.htm -Deliatoh (2011) The Traditional costumes of Singapore retrieved from http://comesingapore.com/travel-guide/article/546/traditional-costumes-of-singapore -Communicaid (2009) Doing business in Singapore retrieved from http://www.communicaid.com/access/pdf/library/culture/doing-business-in/Doing%20Business%20in%20Singapore.pdf -Asiaroom.com (n.d) Adventure and Recreation in Singapore retrieved from http://www.asiarooms.com/en/travel-guide/singapore/adventure-and-recreation-in-singapore/index.html -ExpatFocus.com(n.d) Singapore-Social Security Retrieved from http://www.expatfocus.com/expatriate-singapore-social-security -Ministry of Health (2012) our health care system retrieved from http://www.moh.gov.sg/content/moh_web/home/our_healthcare_system.html

Article Review of Leaderships Is a Conversation Essay

Boris Groysberg is a Professor of Business Administration in the Organizational Behavior unit at the Harvard Business School. He currently teaches Managing Human Capital course in the second year elective course of the MBA program and in several Executive Education programs. Michael Slind is a writer, editor, and communication consultant of talk, inc: How Trusted Leaders Use Conversation to Power Their Organization (Harvard Business Review Press, 2012). As the phrase â€Å"Leadership is a Conversation† implies, this article focuses on how leaders should communicate with their employees. In the new business world, smart leader engage with employees in a way that is similar to an ordinary person-to-person conversation. These can be easily achievable by using the model of leadership that the authors developed called â€Å"organizational conversation†. There are four essential elements to this model; they are intimacy, interactivity, inclusion and intentionality. SUMMARY The author’s premise in this article is that one-way directive communication is no more effective in today’s business world and that it should be replaced by two – way conversation. They then propose a new model of leadership that they developed which they call â€Å"organizational conversation†. The benefits of using â€Å"organizational conversation† are that it allows leaders to â€Å"retain or recapture some of the qualities – operational Flexibility, high levels of employee engagement, tight strategic alignment – that enable start-ups to out-perform better established rivals. †(pg. 78). The authors then go on to explain the four interrelated elements of â€Å"organizational conversation†. The first element is intimacy. In this element the authors explained that leaders need to gain the trust of their employees. They then continue to say that mental and emotional closeness is all that is needed and one what to achieve it is to â€Å"step down from their corporate perches and then step up to the challenge of communicating personally and transparently with people. †(pg. 78). Then they explain the three ways to manifest intimacy, gain trust, listen well and get personal. The second element is interactivity. The authors begin by defining a conversation and by stating that in order to apply this element, leaders should communicate with employees in a more open and accepting way to promote a more â€Å"open and fluid† dialogue between the two people. They also state that interacting with employees will strengthen the intimacy between employer and employees and one way to do so is by changing the channel of communication within an organization from a one sided channel like a broadcast to a two-way channel like a blog or â€Å"TelePresence†. The third element is inclusion. Here the authors explain that a conversation is an â€Å"equal opportunity endeavor† because it allows employees to share ownership of the substance of the discussion. This gives employees the chance to put their hearts and souls into contributing their own ideas instead of just agreeing with others. They then explain the 3 new roles that committed employees can adopt once the spirit of inclusion is added into the company, which are brand ambassadors, thought leaders and story tellers. The final element is intentionality. While the first three elements concentrates on opening the flow of ideas, intentionality is focused on bringing the discussion to a single vision of what the discussion is for. The authors believe that this will help employees from all levels of the company hierarchy to gain a general understanding on where the company stands in its competitive environment. The authors then conclude the article by stating that the flow of conversation is out of control and that smart leaders learn how to use conversation to their benefit by managing the flow of information in an honest fashion. One-way communication has become an antique but people will listen to conversation that is intimate, interactive, inclusive and intentional. CRITUQUE In the article, Groysberg and Slind give several examples of how business communications are dealt with in our current world. However, some of the points raised are questionable. Such as that of Athenahealth where the company entrusts secret documents to all their workers and hence makes them all â€Å"insiders†. This is worrying, as to deem all employees as responsible is a clear generalisation. They are sure to be several bad apples in any company, waiting to spill their company secrets to a competitor. Athenahealth’s idea requires a high level of trust which is not possibly attainable in a world where white collar crime is rampant. Practices like these might lead to companies losing revenue as ideas are stolen by other companies. Therefore, communications between the top brass and the employees should be amiable and open, but not to the extent where company secrets are divulged easily. In addition to that, the authors also cite examples of ways to broaden communications with employees such as the case of Cisco using its Tele-Presence product which enables people to have video conferences which are close to real conversations. The users are able to see eye to eye and are able to have almost life-like conversations through their computer. Another is the Kingfisher plc. , which held a â€Å"bazaar of ideas† with the idea to link up several previously separate divisions. These ideas may be all well and good for industry giants such as Cisco and Kingfisher. But for smaller companies, which make up most of the bulk of business, these ideas are not feasible as they are too expensive. Cisco’s Tele-Presence for instance, is US$21,600, which is a large amount of money, especially for a head of a small business or a upstart company. Kingfisher’s â€Å"bazaar of ideas† meanwhile, involved them renting a building in Barcelona, and one can only imagine how much that would cost , considering that Kingfisher made it a compulsory event for all their retail managers. Groysberg and Slind give good examples, but unfortunately , they are not suitable for all except those at the very crux of the business world However, the article also gives some positive points. Groysberg and Slind persuade managers to have personal conversations with their employees and not just bark instructions to them. This is a style of communication where managers not only give information to their workers but also they gather new knowledge and the views of their employees. This two-way communication style is a far cry from the older style of business communications where communications were only one-way, from top to bottom. When an employee’s opinion on company policy is sought by their superiors, he is sure to feel wanted by the company. Concurrently, his job enthusiasm will also increase. As the saying goes, a happy employee is a productive employee. Gryosberg and Slind also talk about mental and emotional proximity being of vital importance in business conversation. The point conveyed is that as physical communication is not always feasible, with both employees and managers having too much to do in their hand, mental and emotional proximity, the key to build a bond between the two parties. These two elements are components of conversational intimacy. Conversational intimacy is the building of a relationship through conversation. It requires good body language and listening skills for a manager to achieve an intimate relationship with his underlings. The example in the article of the president and CEO of Duke Energy, James E. Rodgers, is a classic case in point. Rodgers created a grading system for employees to grade him. When he found out that employees commented negatively on his internal communications skills, Rodgers set out doing the exercise more often while improving himself at the same time. The number of those who still thought he did not improve gradually decreased. When employees saw him make an effort, they saw that Rodgers was trying to approach them, and his listening to their comments showed them that their opinion mattered. This created an intimate bond between them. Hence, other employers can use this method to help foster good relations between themselves and their employees CONCLUSION Generally, this article gives a good insight towards the how modern business communications should be conducted.

Optimizing Pilot Planning and Training for Continental Airlines

Optimizing Pilot Planning and Training for Continental Airlines Summary Continental Airlines is the fifth largest airline based on passenger volume in United States. It provides over 1,100 daily flight services to five continents. Effective manpower planning is a key component for the success of Continental Airlines. It is essential for Airline Company to adjust its need for pilots constantly in different position in response to new market opportunities, changing passenger demand, acquisition and retirement of aircraft and training resources and evolving economic conditions.Therefore, the company collected information from several separate database systems and built the training plans by using spreadsheet. However, this development method was time consuming and complicated and the database used was not capable for training plan as it was used for more 10 years. In order for solving the complicated, large-scale pilot planning and training program and increasing the competitive advanta ge in air transportation market, Continental Airlines replaced the old database system and spreadsheets by the Crew Resource-Solver integrated decision-support system.It includes four main modules to handle staffing, vacation, planning and training. The staff-administration module and vacation-administration module maintain crew records including all current and past assignments, absences and training while the planning-optimization module and training optimization module provides information of pilot-planning and training functions (Yu, Pachon, Thengvall, Chandler and Wilson 2004). Generally, Continental Airlines uses system bid award to determine the needs of staff changing to different positions and handle the pilots’ requests to change positions.It mainly uses seniority-based rules for decision making. In an average system bid award, 15 to 20 percent of the airline’s pilots receive new positions. As long with system bid award, the Crew Resource-Solver system can bu ild the training program that establishes the timing of training, advancements, releases, and new pilot hires. The Crew Resource-Solver system includes two phase to solve the pilot training problem. The pilot-transitioning phase determines the timing of pilot transitions by using limited information about training capacities to restrict the number of pilots assigned to training.The training-class-scheduling phase produces the detailed training schedule taking as input the solution from the pilot transitioning phase. As a result, the training program contains a set of detailed training schedules including all training events for each student and each training resource. The training program must satisfy all the constraints set by Continental Airlines such as pilots training will not be assigned during their vacations and other scheduled absences. Planners are able to use system to customize the training plans by changing the objectives and options (Verbeek 1991).Analysis The main obje ctives of the Crew Resource-Solver system are: 1. The improvement of the efficiency of the training programs 2. The forecast of future airline pilots’ needs 3. The maximization of the cost savings There are a number of advantages in using the Crew-Resource Solver system. First, the system improves the airline’s processes by enhancing information sharing within the organization and by simplifying system maintenance. Second, the system enhances data integrity by eliminating duplicate data storage and automating processes.Third, the system saves time compared to the old manual approach as it can produce a complete, optimized training plan that includes both the pilot transitions and the training class schedules within an hour (Yu et al 2004). Moreover, the system increases the flexibility of the training program as it is able to customize by adjusting objectives and setting options. The Crew-Resource Solver system provides an optimal set of components that can satisfy all training program requirements. However, there are several limitations to the Crew-Resource Solver system.First, the training program constraint is based on the traditional training plan which highlights the inherent weakness of any optimization model as it relies upon sound data for accurate outputs (Sarker 2008, p. 5). Second, the potential sources of savings vary depending on different system bids. It is the fact that a bid will have no cost components associated with those activities when it is no required on new hires and pilot releases. Third, even using the system, there is a trade-off between block-hour shortages and other costs on the training plans.Therefore, when block-hour shortages cost increases, the training cost will decrease, vice versa. It is unable to decrease both block-hour shortages cost and training costs together. Finally, the final decision of the training program is not automated and requires management to select the best option for each training program. R esult The Crew Resource-Solver system is an important investment of Continental Airlines to upgrade the management of manpower-planning needs by resource optimization and operation and financial performance improvement.Based on the evidence given in the article, the Crew-Resource Solver integrated decision-support system is a successful program for Continental Airlines to achieve its above objectives. First, there are three ways for the cost savings. Training classes’ schedules become more efficiently and the number of pilots sending to training decrease. Second, there is reduction in pay-protection costs as promoting pilots in new positions in seniority order.Third, it reduces payroll costs because the system can provide the optimized training plans which can use exiting pilots more efficiently and reduce the chances to hire new pilots. In fact, many recommendations derived from the Crew Resource-Solver integrated decision-support system have already been applied and have he lped Continental Airlines to save approximately $10 million each year. Second, the integrated system have focused process improvement and improved data integrity, and it is easier to maintain than the numerous legacy systems and spreadsheet application it replaced (Yu et al 2004).References Sarker, R & Newton, C 2008, Optimization Modelling: A Practical Approach, CRC Press, Florida. Verbeek, P. (1991) Decision support systems – An Application in strategic manpower planning of airline pilots. Eur. J. Oper. Res. (55)3, 368-381 Yu, G. , Pachon, J. , Thengvall, B. , Chandler, D. & Wilson, A. (2004) Optimizing Pilot Planning and Training for Continental Airlines. Interfaces, Vol. 34, No. 4, July-August, p. 253-264

Perspectives on Assessment of Pedagogical Practices Free Essay Example, 3750 words

Keeping swiftness with the progress of the age, computers and additional tools of communication have progressively established their place within the walls of enlightening institutions. The manifestation of technological speculates and their exercise in the field of education, though, can not mechanically be looked upon as pedagogical innovation. Is it at all probable to describe the expression, and if so, how? Education researchers are inquisitive about the response to this question when they evaluated the function of Information Technology in the ground-breaking pedagogical practice of different countries. Previous to assessing knowledge and opinions in association with ground-breaking pedagogical practice, it is worth investigative how the educational system of the culture is making the changeover to single based information. The altering roles of schools, students and parents in the course of education are vibrantly demonstrated by researchers in the following chart. One of the main outstanding alterations in the life of schools is the break to unreservedly contact information. The first-class paradigm of such proposal taking place is the occurrence of incessantly modernized homepages in schools that have internet connections. We will write a custom essay sample on Perspectives on Assessment of Pedagogical Practices or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page Making contact with between parents and public education has to undergo a noteworthy revolution.