Creative Innovation in an Organisation Coursework

Creative Innovation in an Organisation - Coursework Example As aptly put by Robbins (1993, p. 679), â€Å"in the dynamic world of global competition, the innovative organisation is more adaptive and more likely to thrive.† Against this background, this report seeks to evaluate the extent to which organisations that have fostered an innovative culture have revitalised their operations by paying particular attention to Sony Corporation. Thus, the relevant question is: How can an organisation become more innovative? As such, this report is divided into different categories that deal with different aspects of the concept of innovation and how they are being applied in the operations of Sony Corporation. The report starts by describing the organisation and what it does and this will be followed by a clear explanation of the mission and vision of the organisation and the importance of innovative management in their strategic plan. Then after this, the report is divided into four tasks which focus on different aspects of innovative management . The first task seeks to evaluate the current creative and innovative process used by Sony Corporation in comparison to other organisations. The second task focuses on ways that can be implemented to positively embrace innovation and change. The third task looks at factors that influence as well as drive the organisation to develop creative and innovative management process. The last task looks at the rationale of persuading others to effect change in an organisation. ... The last task looks at the rationale of persuading others to effect change in an organisation. 1.1 Description of the organisation Sony Corporation was founded in 1946 and it specialises in manufacturing home appliances like audio and video gadgets or entertainment such as motion pictures and musicas well as DVDs, LCD televisions, information and communications or electronics such as AV/IT products & components like printers and monitors according to its official website. The Sony Group also deals with game such a s PlayStation and Financial Services which include insurance and banking sectors. Sony Corporation is headquartered in Tokyo Japan. The company seeks to entrench its position through representing a wide range of business in electronics while retaining its uniqueness globally. According to information obtained from its official website, Sony's R&D mission is as follows: "Technology for Inspiration and Shared Experience." Until recently, the framework for consumer experience has been described as "Take/Capture, View, Store, Listen, Create." This motto encompassed the basic services and products offered by this organisation. The vision of the organisation is â€Å"to fully leverage on this uniqueness in aggressively carrying out our convergence strategy so that we can continue to emotionally touch and excite our customers.† The company is specifically concerned with establishing itself a force to reckon with in the electronics industry globally. However, information obtained fro m its official website posits to the effect that different forms of enjoyment are also emerging.

Does popular culture (e.g. comics, films, and music) help us to Essay

Does popular culture (e.g. comics, films, and music) help us to understand world politics better Discuss by using relevant examples - Essay Example It is not an issue of popular culture causing political ideologies and actions. Therefore popular culture is not something that someone can say explains the state of a person nor does it make persons think in specific ways. It neither manipulates nor mirrors what individuals do rather people live through it hence no one will be compelled to imitate actions of popular culture. Popular culture in essence refers to artistic, cultural expressions of different genres such as theater, music, dance visual art, the film industry, and literature. In the present age, these cultural activities have been found to play a significant role in shaping the political reasoning in various parts of the world. Popular culture does not have a distinct definition of what it entails and different people have their understanding of the exact meaning of popular culture. John Street refers to it as a product of mass production arising from production companies to achieve high mass sales (1997). The primary focus of popular culture is the means of production distribution and consumption. Thus, popular culture is said to be a form of entertainment that is available to large numbers of people, or that is mass produced. Music production is the most common genre of mass production in popular culture; hence the mass aspect becomes the defining characteristic of popular culture. It is about euphoria of the masses and so is politics explaining the base where both hold joint feature. It is the very reason popular culture is impacting on politics in the world today. The agents that play a role in spreading the music that is television and radio reach far more masses, and their liberalization has helped facilitate emergence of new popular cultures that did not have space in state-controlled media. For instance, the rise of hip-hop music in the 1990s in African states was down to liberalization of media. These celebrities command large following among the youths who are the

Prison life and strategies to decrease recidivism upon an inmates Essay

Prison life and strategies to decrease recidivism upon an inmates release from prison - Essay Example In the US, the rate of recidivism is estimated to be approximately two-thirds of all released inmates (Andrews & Bonta, 1994). This means that at least two-thirds of prisoners released will ultimately be re-imprisoned within a period of three years. High recidivism rates impose immense costs with regard to public safety, as well as tax dollars utilized in arresting, prosecuting and imprisoning re-offenders. Due to these high costs, programs for inmates, as well as released prisoners, which reduce recidivism, can prove cost effective, even in the event of modest success (Perkinson, 2010). This paper will consider the US prison system, describing its aspects such as prison life, the existence and effectiveness of programs that reduce recidivism and programs aimed at reintroducing released prisoners into society. Purpose for Prisons in the US As an institution, the prison plays a critical role in the society. The US justice system bestows on prisons various roles. The first essential ro le is rehabilitation; prisons provide convicts with second chances to appreciate and learn from their misconducts and change. In essence, prisons help inmates reflect on their lives and search for ways through which they can coexist peacefully within the society. In addition, prisons offer inmates with learning environments in which they acquire new skills essential in enabling them earn decent livelihoods after their release (Armitage, 2002). Another critical role of prisons is deterrence and punishment aimed at discouraging inmates and others within the society from committing similar crimes. Forms of punishment vary contingent on the crimes committed, ranging from hard labor to the death penalty. Such punishment deters others in the society from committing crimes, thus ensuring peace and harmony within the society (Andrews & Bonta, 1994). Moreover, prisons provide justice to victims of crimes. Because law centers on justice and equity, victims of crimes receive justice through th e incarceration of those that harmed them. The incarceration of a wrongdoer provides closure to the victim of the crime. Lastly, prisons in the US protect the public from threats to security and safety as incarceration deters criminals such as serial killers and rapists from committing crimes within the society. Current conditions in US prisons The present condition of US prisons is less than ideal. Prisoners presently live in deplorable conditions characterized by extreme overcrowding. The situation in US prisons provides a viable environment for crime to thrive within prison boundaries. Perkinson (2010) poises that the California and Texas prisons, which are the biggest in the US, have, in the last thirty years, experienced an eight fold increase in the number of prisoners incarcerated. Despite the growing number of inmates, funding for prisons has barely increased, making it difficult to meet the needs of prisoners (Armitage, 2002). Inadequate funding makes it difficult for priso ns to teach prisoners effective skills to enhance their re-introduction into society. Although the US encompasses 5% of the global population, its prisons encompass 25% of the global prisoner population; this indicates the enormity of the issue. Increased congestion in US prisons is also attributable to increased levels of crime and recidivism in the US. This congestion diminishes the rehabilitative role of prisons as congestion makes it difficult

Popular Culture Media Representation and the Construction of Social Essay

Popular Culture Media Representation and the Construction of Social Reality ( See questionsessay thesis below) - Essay Example Under this, again, we have sub-categories as well. Therefore, media diverges into various streams that operate under different conditions and specifications. And very evidently, each of them has a varied mode of consensus containment. The print media, which comes in the form of magazines, newspapers, journals and the like, operates on a more manual mode of obtaining consensus. They attempt to perhaps, try and attach importance to each individual's opinion, by resolving differences that might arise. For instance, they rely on public polls and even letters to the editor. The public can w rite in opinions and the media does try to present a consensus of the majority opinion, if not that of the entire masses. However, one major disadvantage of this media is the fact that in achieving consensus, it does omit those who have no access to reading material and the illiterate or uneducated. The broadcast media, consisting of television and radio, is more open to anyone who can voice their opinions. It need not have to be restricted to only the educated.

Prison life and strategies to decrease recidivism upon an inmates Essay

Prison life and strategies to decrease recidivism upon an inmates release from prison - Essay Example In the US, the rate of recidivism is estimated to be approximately two-thirds of all released inmates (Andrews & Bonta, 1994). This means that at least two-thirds of prisoners released will ultimately be re-imprisoned within a period of three years. High recidivism rates impose immense costs with regard to public safety, as well as tax dollars utilized in arresting, prosecuting and imprisoning re-offenders. Due to these high costs, programs for inmates, as well as released prisoners, which reduce recidivism, can prove cost effective, even in the event of modest success (Perkinson, 2010). This paper will consider the US prison system, describing its aspects such as prison life, the existence and effectiveness of programs that reduce recidivism and programs aimed at reintroducing released prisoners into society. Purpose for Prisons in the US As an institution, the prison plays a critical role in the society. The US justice system bestows on prisons various roles. The first essential ro le is rehabilitation; prisons provide convicts with second chances to appreciate and learn from their misconducts and change. In essence, prisons help inmates reflect on their lives and search for ways through which they can coexist peacefully within the society. In addition, prisons offer inmates with learning environments in which they acquire new skills essential in enabling them earn decent livelihoods after their release (Armitage, 2002). Another critical role of prisons is deterrence and punishment aimed at discouraging inmates and others within the society from committing similar crimes. Forms of punishment vary contingent on the crimes committed, ranging from hard labor to the death penalty. Such punishment deters others in the society from committing crimes, thus ensuring peace and harmony within the society (Andrews & Bonta, 1994). Moreover, prisons provide justice to victims of crimes. Because law centers on justice and equity, victims of crimes receive justice through th e incarceration of those that harmed them. The incarceration of a wrongdoer provides closure to the victim of the crime. Lastly, prisons in the US protect the public from threats to security and safety as incarceration deters criminals such as serial killers and rapists from committing crimes within the society. Current conditions in US prisons The present condition of US prisons is less than ideal. Prisoners presently live in deplorable conditions characterized by extreme overcrowding. The situation in US prisons provides a viable environment for crime to thrive within prison boundaries. Perkinson (2010) poises that the California and Texas prisons, which are the biggest in the US, have, in the last thirty years, experienced an eight fold increase in the number of prisoners incarcerated. Despite the growing number of inmates, funding for prisons has barely increased, making it difficult to meet the needs of prisoners (Armitage, 2002). Inadequate funding makes it difficult for priso ns to teach prisoners effective skills to enhance their re-introduction into society. Although the US encompasses 5% of the global population, its prisons encompass 25% of the global prisoner population; this indicates the enormity of the issue. Increased congestion in US prisons is also attributable to increased levels of crime and recidivism in the US. This congestion diminishes the rehabilitative role of prisons as congestion makes it difficult

The relationships between billionaire agribusinessmen in the US and Essay

The relationships between billionaire agribusinessmen in the US and new immigrant farmworkers from Mexico - Essay Example Knowing the present economic structure and the availability of these workers, this created a rift between the owners of the industries who is literally addicted to using â€Å"cheap† and illegal (undocumented) workforce and to the requirement of the American commoners to security. In this article, we will deal into the major issues strongly intertwined with illegal undocumented migration such as labor and unemployment issues (i.e. workforce rights’ violations) and illegal drug trade both in the United States and Mexico; furthermore we will also look into the government interventions and the changes it has extended to the labor sector not only to resolve the pressing conflicts between American and Mexican (as well as other minorities) workers but to entirely â€Å"improve† and restructure the present labor condition of the United States. During the post-World War II period, the United States government invested millions of dollars in agriculture reform and sponsored many farms to improve their technologies such as irrigation system and development of farm machineries. It was also during this period from 1942 to early 1960s that the United States encouraged these workers from Mexico, China, Japan and other parts of Asia to migrate in the U.S and work in their farms for cheap labor. Along with these workers are their families therefore starting up a steady enormous volume of migrants to reside along the agricultural lines of California and Washington. With the increasing number of migrants, the competition for labor between them and the native Americans became steeper to the point where unjust labor practices were implemented to curb, streamline and permanently impede the surge of migrants into key agricultural cities in America. These practices involved massive lynching of migrant workers from their job with barely j ustifiable reasons, deportation due to lack of appropriate documents and permits, lack of work benefits – all conditions are almost similar

Empirical Study of Inclusion Essay Example for Free

Empirical Study of Inclusion Essay The question of what to do with special needs students has been in issue for a long time. Many different perspectives have been brought into this argument. Some believe that since the child’s needs are so much different than â€Å"normal† students the child must be placed in special classes so their can be educated properly. However, many question whether this avenue of thought is best for the student or the student’s best learning environment (Weitzel, 2004). Another perspective is to put special needs children in with the same program he or she would normally be in had they not been labeled as special needs. When coupled with additional support services, many believe this model is a better way to education these children (Smietana, 2001). This perspective is commonly called Inclusion (Schwartz, Odom, Sandall, 2008). There is also the concept of Full Inclusion which is the same as inclusion except a special needs child will join the regular classroom no matter how much support that child needs (Weitzel, 2004). Inclusion has come about as a result of several federal laws. The first, in 1958, provided funds for training educators to work with mentally disabled children. More funding was added in 1965 with the passing of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (United Partners, 2008). However, anti-discrimination legislation that passed in 1973 that would not allow federal funding to go into any program against disabled people. As a result the Education for All Handicapped Children Act was passed two years later (United Partners, 2008). That law was later renamed Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1990 (Smietana, 2001). IDEA brought forth the concept of teaching special needs children in their least restrictive environment (LRE). The idea is some students need more help than others in overcoming their individual special needs. Consequently, grouping all special needs children into one program may help some students, but hurt others who do not need as much support. As a result the concept of LRE inclusion was born. If a student is to be taught under an LRE model, then in some instances a special needs child would be better suited to attend a regular class, with some special support, than to be placed in an entirely special needs curriculum (United Partners, 2008). Nevertheless, the concept and application on inclusion is constantly evolving. The debate of how to best educate special needs children still rages on 50 years after the first law was passed and it will continue (AAP et al, 2002). The current debate is around inclusion itself and its effectiveness. Some believe it benefits the special needs student while others say it hurts the other students who do not need the extra support. This study will look into this debate and determine the impact of inclusion. Formal Statement of the Problem How much impact do the policies of inclusion have on the education goals of special needs students? Furthermore do the inclusion policies benefit the special needs students or ultimately hurt them in achieving educational goals? Definition of Terms Admissions and Release Committee (ARC) – A meeting that determines the special needs a student will receive. This meeting is the result of the parents, guardians, or school making a recommendation for an initial evaluation for special education. The result of this meeting is an education plan called an IEP (United Partners, 2008). Full Inclusion – Similar concept as inclusion except it disregards the special need status of the student and places him or her in the class he or she would normally attend as a regular student. The student’s remove would only occur when â€Å"appropriate services cannot be provided in the regular classroom† (Weitzel, 2004). Free and Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) – This right guarantees under IDEA that children between 3 and 21 public education at no cost to the family (United Partners, 2008). Inclusion – Commitment to educate a child in the classroom that he or she would normally attend if the child was not considered special needs. Supportive services for the student would be given at the school (Weitzel, 2004). Individual Education Program or Plan (IEP) – An education plan for special needs children. It is designed around the LRE principle and it lists â€Å"the things the student is to work on, how they will do this, where they will work, and goals to determine the effects of the work (United Partners, 2008). Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1990 (IDEA) – Originally called the Education of All Handicapped Children Act of 1975, it was reauthorized in 1990 under IDEA and amended in 2000. It was again reauthorized in 2004 (United Partners, 2008). The purpose of the law is to â€Å"provide free appropriate public education regardless of disability or chronic illness to all eligible children, ages birth through 21 years, in a natural and/or least restrictive environment† (AAP et al, 2002). Least Restrictive Environment (LRE) – This right is guaranteed under IDEA. It means children with disabilities â€Å"should be in classrooms with and studying the same materials as the children without disabilities as much as possible (United Partners, 2008). Mainstreaming – Placement of special education students in one or more regular education classes selectively (Weitzel, 2004). Significance of the Study This study will evaluate the effectiveness of the inclusion policy of special needs students. It is important to review this topic is it relates to the education needs of those who can struggle with learning. Despite the struggle to learn, these students cannot be abandoned and under federal law those students cannot be neglected. The question remains as to how effective are those federal laws and policies that are related to inclusion. This study will address this question by evaluating the current data available presented by many different sources. Each of these sources can have their own bias towards or against inclusion, but an overall picture of how well inclusion works will be painted through the many sources. This issue can be sensitive in nature because it involves the future learning of children who many believe cannot be taught alongside â€Å"normal† students. Parents of these students are often very passionate one way or another based on their own individual case. Educators can also be equally adamant towards this topic. Teachers and administrators must adapt to the ever changing policies aimed at helping special needs students. However, many educators see themselves as the experts in field since they ultimately must find ways and methods to teach special needs students on a daily basis. Since this study is a neutral evaluation of the available data, conclusions as to the effectiveness of the inclusion can be made. Through these conclusions, policies regarding inclusion can be altered, enhanced, or eliminated. It is the goal of this study to bring information regarding inclusion so others may see whether this policy is truly beneficial to the students, both special needs and those who are not. Assumptions It must be assumed that any child labeled special needs is indeed a special needs student. Experts who have come to this conclusion regarding a particular student must be trusted and their evaluations deemed valid. A failure to assume this would break down the entire system from the root. For a child to qualify for special needs programs, they must first be referred for an initial evaluation. From there an ARC meeting or IEP meeting will determine where the student goes from there (United Partners, 2008). However, if the expertise of the evaluator is questioned everything from the point of the initial evaluation and beyond cannot be trusted. Since this study is determining how students labeled by these evaluators work under the inclusion policy the opinion of these evaluators must be trusted. Another assumption is that the parents or guardians of the student are following the recommendations of the IEP meetings. This assumption is necessary for accuracy of the data. The data given is under the premise that the student is following along with his or her educational plan. If a student were deviating from his or her plan the data may be skewed because of this. Therefore the assumption must be made that the student is following along the guidelines of the IEP recommendations. In conjunction with the prior assumption, it must also be assumed educators are following the guidelines of a student’s IEP and the laws of the IDEA. This assumption more so than the former is important since the success or failure of inclusion can be based upon how well the educators can teach the special needs students. Furthermore, if an educator deviates from the inclusion model the data of policy’s effectiveness is completely lost. For the sake of this study, the effectiveness of IEP plans must be considered good. Since the inclusion policy is dependent on the students IEP, this aspect cannot be questioned for decent data to appear. Limitations Mentioned as an assumption, the effectiveness of IEP plans for special needs students is a limitation to this study. In IEP meetings the parents, therapists, educators and other professional experts design an education plan for the special needs student. These frequent meetings are also used to evaluate the child’s progress and modify the plan as needed (United Partners, 2008). The problem is the plan and its results can be subjective. Any time a group of people get together to find a common solution there will be differences of opinion. In this difference a consensus may be reached to the child’s education path, but the compromise may hinder the child’s development. Since every child’s educational needs are different, an issue only exemplified with special needs children, no one single path can be set out for every different label on a child (ADD, autism, etc). Consequently, the child’s educational plan is left to the best educational guess of the professionals and parents. A similar study on how effective IEP plans are for special needs students should be conducted. However, for this study on inclusion, the IEP meetings are assumed accurate but also considered a limitation since these plans directly affect any results for inclusion. Another potential limitation is the data itself. It has to be assumed that all the research conduction is done from a neutral perspective. Unfortunately, this is an unrealistic assumption especially given the sensitivity of the topic. Statements such as â€Å"special education has become a drain on human and financial resources in districts across our country† are very bias and indefinable (Weitzel, 2004). Although Weitzel could qualify the financial argument with data the human aspect is very subjective especially when joined with the â€Å"across our country† statement. From Weitzel’s perspective, inclusion is not necessarily a good policy. His data will most likely be skewed to make his argument more solid. However, his information is needed for this study since it is a research article on the impact of inclusion. With this in mind, the bias arguments must either be put in perspective and recognized as bias or countered as to not show favoritism towards one perspective or another. To complete this study with solid conclusion information such as Weitzel’s is included but noted as a limitation since it is very discriminatory. Although most of the information on this subject matter, aside from raw data, can be considered bias, it needs to be used to create a idea of the effectiveness of inclusion. Organization of the Study This study will be attempt to answer the question of how the inclusion policies impact special needs children. To accomplish this, the study is organized into four major sections: definition and application of inclusion, proponents of the policy, opponents of the policy, and its impact. Review of the Literature A review of the existing literature is necessary to form a foundation for this study on inclusion. By reviewing other writings, it builds a context for which the inclusion policies can be evaluated for its impact on special needs children. Without the literature review, any conclusions in this report can be made out of context of the actual situation. Also, the literature review provides the framework for which further research can be made both for this study and beyond this study. In reviewing the literature, several aspects of inclusion are reviewed. First, the history and definition of inclusion is examined. Second a look at the arguments made by inclusion proponents are evaluated. Their arguments will also include some impact analysis as it is available by the proponents. Lastly, in this review, the opponent’s argument and data is examined. A summary of each of these sections is made in one summary section. This will briefly review the data presented. With that summary, a hypothesis and research questions arise. These are made based on the summarized and are designed to focus the research of this study. It this through this last section that the entire framework of this study is made. Inclusion For the past 50 years the federal government has tried to find a good solution for educating children who require special needs. There are a variety of conditions that can be considered special needs. This list can include but is not limited to autism and its derivatives such as asperger syndrome, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), down syndrome, and mental retardation (SpecialChildren, 2008). This attempt was made to address the problem of how to properly educate children who are challenged in their learning abilities. This has not been an easy road as â€Å"parents of children with disabilities have had to fight for the right to have their children educated in public schools for many years† (Smietana, 2001). Prior to any established special education program, asylums, also called residential institutions, emerged to accommodate those with any impairments. Access to these facilities was difficult, but this was the method of education for special needs children up until the early 1900s (SEDL, 2007). The first such law to be designed as an aid in educating special needs children came in 1958. Its purpose was to provide funding for training teachers to work with mentally retarded children (Smietana, 2001). Parents followed the coat tails of the Civil Rights movement and approached getting legislation passed under the guise that this was a civil rights matter (SEDL, 2007). Later the Elementary and Secondart Education Act which provided more funding for disadvantaged children (Smietana, 2001). In 1973 the Rehabilitation Act passed which â€Å"prohibited discrimination against and demanded accommodation of people with disabilities in federally funded programs† (LRE Coalition, 2001). In combination with Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA) which passed in 1975, funds were set up for the â€Å"entitlement of children with disabilities to a free, appropriate public education† (LRE Coalition, 2001). EAHCA was later renamed Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) in 1990 (Smietana, 2001).