Personal and Professional Development Essay

1-Abstract In essence, this report will comprise three parts: first we shall be making an evaluation of current approaches to self- managed learning, second we shall be detailing in which ways lifelong learning both personal and professional might be promoted and encouraged and finally we shall be making an evaluation of the potential benefits of self-managed learning to organisations and their members but for this case with specific reference to Teagasc. 2- Introduction Every single person had one day some experience about self-managed learning in their life, or many people are having this experience at the moment in somewhere learning something by themselves. Stop for a moment and back to the past and try to remember if you have learned something that you had initiative by yourself. Did you remember something? I am sure you did, do you know why? It`s because there`s so many reasons which push ourselves to learn something and that`s why the term self-managed learning is more popular when compared with the traditional way to learn, for example going to the school every day. 3-Approaches to self managed learning Individual could learn through the research which they will be doing that could be either been issued by the university or college even at work place, people could learn different techniques used in doing the research. Formal education and schooling remain highly valued in most societies, and many educators, employers, policy-makers, and average citizens find it difficult to place high value on what is learned on your own or outside the formal system. However, some adult educators have shown how non-traditional programs, distance education, and self-directed learning efforts can meet many challenges associated with keeping current on constantly changing knowledge. Several things are known about self-managed learning and also others terms as S-DL (Self-direct learning), S-PL, LS-D, S-RL, Autonomy, learning projects, open learning etc. However there are some differences between these terms: * Knowles, (1975) describe Self- directed learning- is a process in which individuals take the initiatives, with or without the help of others * Autonomous learning – autonomy often is associated with independence of thought, individualized decision-making, and critical intelligence. Gibbs (1979) * Self-planned learning and learning projects – Tough’s (1979) research on people engaged in learning projects involved obtaining information on â€Å"a series of related episodes, adding up to at least seven hours† where â€Å"more than half of the person’s total motivation is to gain and retain certain fairly clear knowledge and skill, or to produce some other lasting change† . * Open learning – individualized study often is associated with external degree, open learning, or non traditional programs where most learning takes place outside formal classrooms- Ruvinsky (1986) * Self-regulated learning is a process that assists students in manag ing their thoughts, behaviours, and emotions in order to successfully navigate their learning experiences (Pintrich & Zusho, 2002) * Learner self-direction- is taking primary responsibility for personal learning (Brockett & Hiemstra, 1991) . But in general all this terms are related to Self-managed learning what is a way which people or individual find different ways in learning things, which could be in the society where they are living or at work that is a diversified environment, Candy(1991). In other words is about individual managing their own learning. This included people taking responsibility for decisions about: * What they learn * How they learn * When they learn * Where they lean * Why they learn (the most fundamentally ) Self-managed learning also is about setting out the goals for the learning by evaluating the purpose for learning and ways to achieve such goals -Brookfield (1981).People learn new things for example the culture of different people, behaviour, personality, perceptions etc. 4-Advantages and disadvantages of Self- managed learning Some advantages and disadvantages of self-managed learning: 4.1-Advantages: * Improved the attitudes toward learning * The learners become more confident * Also they are taking greater responsibility for their own learning than during more traditional classroom activities * Create a repertoire of skills * Learn to tolerate ambiguity in expectation of themselves * Development of higher order thinking, problem solving, collaborating skills * Exploring a variety of learning styles or approaches to learning 4.2-Disadvantages: * The learner my find difficult to evaluate one`s own progress * The learner may not identify the learning needs according to his/her academic level * Some learners may not find appropriate resources for learning * Unable to get peer feedback 5-Ways in which lifelong learning in both personal and professional contexts could be encouraged The idea of lifelong education was first fully articulated in this century by Basil Yeaxlee (1929). He along with Eduard Lindeman (1926) provided an intellectual basis for a comprehensive understanding of education as a continuing aspect of everyday life. However to encourage lifelong learning is necessary Motivation, determination, managing time which is extremely important to self-managed learning. Lifelong learning is all about continuous learning personally that could contribute to the professional context. Individual could have personal assessment as means of lifelong learning by evaluating their strengths, weaknesses, opportunity and threats. For example, in the workplace employees with busy schedules can learn necessary skills at their own convenience through self-study. Some technical staff in organizations who must constantly upgrade their knowledge can access new information through an individualized resource centre. For example learning by Self-reflective learning could help employees learn new skills at work place also developing their personal skills through having work task and responsibility assigned to them. While self-reflective learning reviews things, continuing professional development, combines approaches, ideas and techniques that help to develop the personal learning. Self-reflective learning is about trying to review some opinions, judgements, personal understanding and actions that you are willing to take in a proper way and be honest about it. another example for a organization to encourage the employee taking initiative of learning something new could be giving to them a opportunity for a presentation skills where the individuals learn how to make a presentation which gives the chance to express the knowledge of what they have learnt from particular topic also give them confidence to talk in front of others, which become an advantage to the organisation when been given a task to do that need to be presented to the manager and other directors from the same company of different company. 6- Evaluation the benefits of self-managed learning to the organizations and their members In a world where there is growing pressure for increased results from fewer people, Organisations have no option but to invest heavily in learning and development. The problem is that there is not always a correlation between expenditure on training and development and pay-off for individuals and Organisations. Also individual learning may not integrate with organisational needs. Yet it is essential that individual should be helped to take on greater responsibility for their own development and growth. The key requirement, then, seems to be to create a situation where learning: * Is owned by the individual * Is properly supported And at the same time * Is closely integrated with organisations needs This what self- managed learning provides Knowles, (1975) Self-managed learning is about people taking their own initiatives in managing their learning, but the benefits of self-managing learning to the individual as well as the organisation are positive. For Teagasc and their members will be extremely important the benefits of self-managed learning. The employees will approach their learning in a way that is most compatible with their own learning style and strategy. In approaching pre-designed, structured training modules, employees can seek out those most congruent with their learning styles. Where the employee designs his/her own learning experience, they would opt for those with which they are most comfortable. There others several distinct benefits of SDL for the organization and their members: * SDL can help identify an â€Å"Organization`s â€Å"A† players- SDL requires initiative. Individuals who show initiative in undertaking their own SDL program are motivated, confident self-starters. Certainly they would evidence motivation, interest and behaviours in their jobs similar to â€Å"A† players. * SDL can be implemented with minimal expense – Many learning projects will cost nothing. Relatively speaking, project costs will be minimal. * SDL minimizes the issue of transfer of learning. 7- Conclusion After done this research in self-managed learning I could say that people are taking more responsibility when they are learning by their own initiative. Self-managed learning is not something easy, though some people tend to passive that managing their own learning through self-managing learning is an old fashion way of learning. The fact is that it’s not true, the basic requirement needed to set out the goals and meeting them is hard approach to learning. Individuals need to understand the stages for the professional development plan for the purpose of having a clear objective of what they would like to achieve from self-managing learning.

Behavioural Finance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Behavioural Finance - Essay Example The researcher states that behavioral finance examines how the human animal reacts in a financial system theoretically devoid of any emotions. This has been referred to in the past as ‘open-minded finance’ which is a generous expression implying that many investors often behave in a quite contradictory manner to the advice given them by their financial advisors. ‘Proponents of behavioral finance contend that people may not always be â€Å"rational,† but they are always â€Å"human.† Thus, behavioral finance exposes the irrationality of investors in general and shows human fallibility in competitive markets.’ To many, the idea of market efficiency itself goes out the window when the concept of human behavioral finance comes in. The experience of the stock market bubble has given impetus to the theory of behavioral finance, which places greater emphasis on human motivation and market inefficiency. Yet investment bankers and business people appear to put ever greater faith in the verdict of the stock market when making judgments that can have a big impact on output and employment. One of the major contributors over the past several decades to the amount of influence individual investor behavior has on the marketplace is the plethora of information and investment resources that are now available to the individual through access to the internet as well as the constant barrage of financial pundits in the various media channels. Stocks can also be traded instantaneously (via e-trade and the like) by individuals who may have little or no real insight into what they are playing at and may send a knee-jerk reaction that if analyzed more circumspectly they may have avoided. The rise of the Internet dramatically changed the way people make investment decisions†¦ For example, the Internet fosters active involvement by providing the medium for investment chat rooms, message boards, and newsgroups. Millions of people started invest ing online over the past several years. In the late 1990s and early 2000, a tremendous surge occurred in investor trading†¦ If this online investing behavior magnifies the investor's biases, then trading patterns in those accounts that are consistent with the behavioral predictions †¦ should surface. For example, online traders should exhibit signs of overconfidence, such as more frequent trading.

Managing Organisation Change Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Managing Organisation Change - Essay Example In an organization equipped for complete learning, communication and structures within the company should be flexible and open - and in a way, Sanyo with Nonaka, could be said to be equipped in these aspects. The process for innovation through the changes that had been introduced, at least was steered towards a cyclical process where learning is continuous as opposed to being linear and discontinuous. 2. How did Nonaka try to revolutionize learning and change and how did this relate to incomplete learning Identify the levels of learning if any. Which typology/s of learning best describes the events in Sanyo While Nonaka introduced process and systems-related innovation to Sanyo, the changes that she tried to accomplish was only done on a horizontal plane, and did not account the vertical integration of the new vision for the company. The levels of learning were limited to environmental and behavioral directions or cues for the company. However, the leaning was in a way incomplete because the changes did not seep down to the very purpose of the company, that is specifically charting the unique role of Sanyo which has to do with the identity or mission of the company. A company needs to be rooted to its values and belief systems that it has developed over time - for example Sanyo is proud of its heritage as a maker of refrigerators and batteries as well being known in its markets for this. The learning was incomplete also by which Nonaka's team failed sufficiently to take into account the capabilities of the company or the question of how its core competencies will be aligned with the e nvironmental cues for change. Thus, some stakeholders did not fall into line in supporting Nonaka's vision for Sanyo. The typology of learning that fits within the case of Sanyo may that of the model of organizational change, by which changes are done in the structural level, but not with the culture and the strategy of the company. Learning through organizational change is quite focused through changing from without, and not from within which takes intro consideration the cultural aspects and belief system of an organization. This kind of learning by organizational change, as opposed to deeper levels of learning that comes with organizational development or transformation. 3.What has this case got to do with exploration and exploitation Explain. The case of Sanyo with Nonaka at the helm when she tried to make changes can be called to have made too much of a call for exploration and failing at decisive exploitation. Nonaka was on the right frame of mind when she took into consideration at the way the world has increasingly looked at environmentally conscious products and businesses as the wave of the future, not only because of the projected demise of oil-based fuel systems but because a value-based respect for the environment has been gaining ground with consumers. By aligning Sanyo with the new paradigm, potentially Sanyo was at the leading edge in terms of technology and with its new products. However, exploration needs to be balanced with exploitation or that which has to do with what the company's ability to improve and refine

Customer Service Management of Rogers Cable Inc of Canada Essay

Customer Service Management of Rogers Cable Inc of Canada - Essay Example The deregulation of the media and communication industry brought the major challenge before the monopolistic RCI. The Canadian Telecommunication Act of 1993 was governed by three principles; the universal service, fair treatment of the customers and interconnectivity of networks. This marked the arrival of a competitive market in the industry. There was a need for RCI to survive among the potential competitors like Bell Canada. As the customers of RCI will be thrown open to various options, there was an urgent need to retain them. Consequently the customer service of RCI was facing a severe test. Hence the company conducted a refined analysis in regard to its customer service. The analysis revealed the critical condition about RCI’s service issue. The analysis produced that there was a significant number of repeat service calls after the installation. An in-depth analysis conducted on a sample of 100 customers confirmed that 20% of them had a repeat work. After considering the historical data it was observed that 16% of the repeat works were done in the houses which had a new (within the previous 30 days) installation. This called for the need to revise the prevailing customer service system which threw light on the cause of such considerable repeat work. The prevailing system, which was followed by RCI in fixing the technical problems in households, involved outsourcing of service technicians. Since the demand for service technicians is seasonal, RCI opted for outsourcing.... The analysis revealed the critical condition about RCI's service issue. Cause of Poor Customer Service The analysis produced that there was a significant number of repeat service calls after the installation. An in-depth analysis conducted on a sample of 100 customers confirmed that 20% of them had a repeat work. After considering the historical data it was observed that 16% of the repeat works were done in the houses which had a new (within the previous 30 days) installation. This called for the need to revise the prevailing customer service system which threw light on the cause of such considerable repeat work. The prevailing system, which was followed by RCI in fixing the technical problems in households, involved outsourcing of service technicians. Since the demand for service technicians is seasonal, RCI opted for outsourcing. Among all the technicians only 18 % constituted RCI's cable employees. This caused a communication gap between the Cable technical Support area of RCI and the outsourced technicians. Due to this communication gap the technicians were unaware of the urgency of fixing the problem in the customer's house. The company lacked a central system that will connect the outsourced companies for technicians with RCI. While focusing on the outsourced technicians a major fault was noticed in their skill set and tools for problem fixing. The technicians were not educated about the new Roger products and didn't have sufficient technical tools to carry out a successful problem fixing. Solution to the Problem The company after analyzing the problem initiated a program across the organization named FTR (First Time Right). The objective of the program was to spread quality awareness about RCI. Trial The program was experimented over a team

Norse vs. Greek Mythology Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Norse vs. Greek Mythology - Essay Example A comparison of creation myths can be very enlightening regarding the values and needs of the people who hold it. Two major cultures that had a great deal in common regarding their creation myths despite great differences in climate were the Greeks and the Norse. Overall, the creation myths and deity structure of the Greeks and the Norse served to place importance on the same basic elements of life. Both societies held a strong belief in the idea of fate. This concept was represented in both cultures by three female deities. In Norse mythology, these women were called the Norns and were considered demi-goddesses. They also had individual names including Urd (fate), Verdandi (necessity) and Skuld (being) (Lindemans, 1998). Together, they had the primary duty of caring for Yggdrasil, the world tree, which connected all the worlds together, but they also assisted with childbirth and helped determine the course of a person’s life path. The Greeks called their corresponding demi-goddesses the Fates and these women were more directly linked with the lives of men. Their individual names were Clotho, Lachesis, and Atropos (Saunders, 2009). Clotho spun the thread of life, so she was associated with birth and beginnings. The length of the yarn C lotho spun was decided by Lachesis and thus measured the path of a man’s life. However, it was up to Atropos to make the final cut that ended that life. Although the Norns and the Fates are considered lesser goddesses in both cultures, they are each given power over everything that exists and thus are considered a part of the grand scheme of creation. This importance can be seen in the myths of these cultures such as in the Voluspa in which the Norns come to Earth for the betterment of mankind and in the plays produced in Greece as characters.

Business Decision Making Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Business Decision Making - Coursework Example Decisions range from smaller and simple ones to complex ones which require great effort to facilitate the arrival to a reliable conclusion. The overall process of decision making needs to be executed in a logical and systematic manner that will allow the evaluation of all relevant elements before adopting one of the available alternative courses of actions. Therefore, decision making has to be carried out with an organized approach that will facilitate the consideration of all factors. This is according to Baker (2010). Williams (2007) agrees that academic experts in the business sector have devised models that can be employed when developing a decision. These models advocates for the adoption of various requisite steps in building the decision. The essential steps applied in making decisions at all contexts starts from then definition of a problem, identification of the alternative, evaluation of the available options, selecting the best alternative, appraising the feasibility of th e decision and presenting the proposed decision for approval by the relevant authorities. All major decisions are carried out systematically using these steps without omitting even one. In the business context, once the underlying problem has been defined rationally, the next step will entail the identification of the available solutions. The first two steps of decision making require the application of information concerning the problem situation. The third step on evaluation of the options also needs the appraisal of the situation’s information. At this juncture, one should be in a position to interpret the collected information appropriately using a suitable interpretation technique. Upon interpreting, the decision maker will pick the best alternative course of action, based on the validity of the findings depicted by the interpretation. This is according to Williams (2007). Baker (2010) asserts that information on a situation needs to be acquired before initiating a decis ion making process. The data collected from the sources will supplement the values needed to develop a body of information concerning a situation. At this juncture, it is logical to state that the practical part of a decision making process begins from the collection data on the concept under consideration. Data collection can be carried out using the suitable methods. The data can be obtained from either the primary or the secondary sources. Primary sources data collection entails the process of obtaining information from first hand respondents especially in the field by exercises like surveys and administration of questioners. In our discussion, the decision making process concerning Exchange Partnership Team (EPT) will start from the development of an outline illustrating the data collection exercise. Question 1 In the context of the West London Exchange company, the Exchange Partnership Team (EPT), data can be obtained with respect to the outline below; 1) Primary Data sources a ) Administering Questionnaires b) Observations c) Case studies d) Portfolios e) Interviews f) Evaluation of critical incidences 2) Secondary Sources a) Internet Databases b) Internal business records c) Government agencies records d) Business directories Question 2 Questionnaire According to Baker (2010), the most appropriate research methodology

Short Guide to Answering Exam Questions Essay Example for Free

Short Guide to Answering Exam Questions Essay Such questions are usually very straightforward. You would usually be asked to â€Å"discuss†, â€Å"explain† or â€Å"write short notes†. However, the examiner may sometimes ask you to â€Å"compare†, â€Å"identify the difference: or â€Å"explain the difference†. This type of question would expect you to list out what the respective characteristics of the terms are and then identify the differences. Just be careful of overconfidence. Hypothetical questions Look first at the question the examiner wants you to answer. It is usually found in the last sentence(s) of the question. This will influence the way you look at the hypothetical facts given. If you look at the facts before you look at the question, you may form your own question and this may result in the inappropriate answer. 1. 1. 2. Identifying applicable law (applicable to all questions) Once you have identified the question, this also narrows down the principles you have to use to answer. The applicable principles can be very wide or very narrow. A contract question is obviously about the law of contract. But the law of contract covers many different sub-topics. Even these can be very general. For example, you have misrepresentation, mistake, lack of capacity etc. Under mistake, you have unilateral or bilateral mistakes. And the list goes on. Once you identify the appropriate legal principle, you should quickly write down the key points. Being able to narrow down the specific law being asked also means that you can elaborate more on the specific point. This will mean less time wasted on unnecessary points. 1. 1. 3. Identifying the key factors for liability (applicable to all questions) As you study, you would realize that the law is very much like a mathematical formula. To establish liability under a principle, you would usually have to establish certain factors exist. The hypothetical usually requires you to discuss one or more of these factors. Before you are able to proceed further, you should therefore identify the key factors. Example is that for a contract to be formed, you must have the factors of offer, acceptance of the offer, an intention to create legal relationship and consideration. Once you identify the appropriate key principle, you should quickly jot down the key words as well as the key case to be used. Identifying the key facts (not applicable to pure theoretical questions) Once the key points have been identified, you are now ready to look at the facts of the case. As you read the facts, you will be now looking to see how many of the factors actually exist in the problem. You have to carefully identify the â€Å"missing† or â€Å"contentious† facts. For other questions, you have to identify what the examiner wants from you. If it is similarity or difference, then you look for the similarities or differences in the principles you are expected to compare. For one thing, a lot of students think they if they cover everything, they are bound to hit something. The problem often is that you do not discuss enough about the relevant issues and much about the irrelevant ones. The student also runs out of time and this is often the reason why students find that they have not enough time. †¢ Criticizing the law. Students sometimes feel it necessary to criticize a legal principle. The mistake is that you spend all the time criticizing the principle without solving the problem. Focus on solving the problem first before criticizing the law. Ignoring the law. Sometimes the legal answer seems wrong from a practice point of view. The student then decides to give â€Å"practical† advice instead of focusing on the legal aspects of the case. Again, give your legal solution first before embarking on the â€Å"practical† solution. †¢ Confusing the solution. Students try very hard to solve the entire problem at the same time. This o ften leads to convoluted and incomprehensible answers. In short, no one (including the student) understands the answer. Solve one problem at a time and then give the overall view at the end.