Your Children International Development Topics Essay

Your Children International Development Topics EssayYour children international development topics essay may include subjects such as entrepreneurship, politics, philosophy, physical education, world heritage, and many more. However, when writing a Children International Development topics essay, it is important to remember that each subject should be analyzed in its own way.When you think about your children's international development topics essay, you should keep in mind that every topic should have a specific purpose. It should not be just chosen for the sake of it being written. Rather, it should be chosen because it has the best chance of benefiting your child. This is also why you need to pay attention to detail when you are writing your children international development topics essay.Remember that the International Development Association (IDA) has these International Principles of Teaching International (ITI) to guide students through their education. Although they may not s ound like much at first, they are very crucial when you are trying to teach your children international development. In order to meet the requirements of the IDA ITI, it is very important to read through the standards when you are preparing your children international development topics essay.The IDA has four common examples of International Standards of Teaching for your children. When you are thinking about your children's international development topics essay, you should consider these four examples when writing your essays. Keep in mind that the four ITI standards all focus on the same idea: the value of education to provide a good future for the children.One example of International Standard of Teaching for International Education is the requirement that students learn about the dignity of man. To learn about this concept, they need to learn about man's achievements and accomplishments in history. So what you need to do when you are preparing your children international develo pment topics essay is to take advantage of this idea.Another example ofInternational Standard of Teaching for International Education is the Global Economic Crisis that was the result of the greed and the failure of mankind to protect its environment. Now, all of humanity faces a great danger as we cannot handle the future properly. This is why your children's International Development topics essay needs to take advantage of this idea. To do this, you should learn about the economy of all countries in the world and understand the current economic situation in the United States.And last but not least, another example of International Standard of Teaching for International Education is the need to educate children of the importance of democracy. Therefore, when you are writing your children international development topics essay, you should be aware of the importance of democracy and the history of how we came to become a democracy. All of these ideas are important and can help to tea ch your children international development.

University of New Mexico (UNM) Admissions Data

The University of New Mexico has an acceptance rate of 58 percent. Those with good grades and test scores are likely to get into the school. To apply, interested students will need to visit the schools website for the application form and complete admissions guidelines/instructions. Required materials to apply include official high school transcripts and SAT or ACT scores. Be sure to contact the admissions office if you have any questions. Admissions Data (2016) University of New Mexico Acceptance Rate: 58 percentTest Scores: 25th / 75th PercentileSAT Critical Reading: 470 / 600SAT Math: 480 / 600What these SAT numbers meanSAT comparison for New Mexico collegesMountain West SAT comparisonACT Composite: 19 / 25ACT English: 18Â  / 25ACT Math: 18Â  / 25What these ACT numbers meanACT comparison for New Mexico collegesMountain West ACT comparison University of New Mexico Description The University of New Mexicos 600-acre campus sits in the heart of Albuquerque. Its distinctive buildings are designed with Pueblo-style architecture, and the park-like campus features a duck pond and an impressive arboretum. In academics, Business is the most popular major, but the University of New Mexicos strengths in the liberal arts and sciences earned the school a chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. Academics are supported by a good 19 to 1 student / faculty ratio. In athletics, the UNM Lobos compete in the NCAA Division I Mountain West Conference. Enrollment (2016) Total Enrollment: 26,999Â  (21,023 undergraduates)Gender Breakdown: 44Â  percent male / 56 percent female76 percent Full-time Costs (2016-17) Tuition and Fees: $7,340 (in-state); $21,929 (out-of-state)Books: $1,080 (why so much?)Room and Board: $9,472Other Expenses: $3,858Total Cost: $21,750 (in-state); $36,339 (out-of-state) University of New Mexico Financial Aid (2015-16) Percentage of Students Receiving Aid: 96 percentPercentage of Students Receiving Types of AidGrants: 95Â  percentLoans: 38 percentAverage Amount of AidGrants: $6,157Loans: $4,626 Academic Programs Most Popular Majors: Biology, Business Administration, Elementary Education, General Studies, Nursing, Psychology Graduation and Retention Rates First Year Student Retention (full-time students): 80 percent4-Year Graduation Rate: 16Â  percent6-Year Graduation Rate: 44Â  percent Intercollegiate Athletic Programs Mens Sports: Football, Skiing, Tennis, Track and Field, Golf, Basketball, BaseballWomens Sports: Skiing, Swimming, Volleyball, Tennis, Basketball, Soccer, Volleyball If You Like University of New Mexico, You May Also Like These Schools New Mexico State University: ProfileNorthern Arizona University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphFort Lewis College: ProfileTexas Tech University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphStanford University: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Oregon: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Utah: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphColorado State University - Fort Collins: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Arizona: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Colorado Boulder: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT GraphUniversity of Texas - Austin: Profile | GPA-SAT-ACT Graph Data Source: National Center for Educational Statistics

Canada Research Paper Rough Draft Essay - 1178 Words

CANADA RESEARCH PAPER ROUGH DRAFT Canada is the country to the north of North America, surrounded by the United States in northwest of Alaska. and shares borders with the United States of America. Canada and the USA actually share the longest international border in the world. It is 8,891km/5,525miles long. The country expands from the Atlantic Ocean all the way to to the Pacific Ocean and right underneath the Arctic Ocean. Canada is the world s second-largest country in land mass, but has a small population of 31 million people. Canada was discovered and named by the French explorer Jacques Cartier in the year 1534. Kanata means village or settlement in the Saint-Lawrence Iroquoian language, the language spoken by the natives who gave Cartier directions. Canada is an contemporary and technology based advanced country populated by various First Nation tribes, French and British people. Canada is today a cultural mosaic made up of people who have come from all around the world. Canada is a very energy self-sufficient country that economy relies greatly on its great quantity of natural resources. The Canadian people are called Canadians. Most of the Canadian families have roots in England and France, as during the French and British colonized the country and thus many families from the old world immigrated into Canada. Canada has two official languages: English and French. Almost half of the population can speak both languages. The majority of Canadians speakShow MoreRelatedMy Star Predominant : Portrait Of John Keats1573 Words   |  7 Pagesexamined the critique gà ©nà ©tique (primary sources) of Canadian writer and poet Raymond Knister for my archives project. I focused on the manuscript and research material of Knister’s novel, My Star Predominant: Portrait of John Keats, as well as his correspondence and newspaper clippings about his death. In doing so, I was able to write the history of the research and writing process of My Star Predominant, as well as Knister’s relationship with Pelham Edgar, Frederick Phillip Grove, and his wife. FurthermoreRead MoreSummary : The Winter Olympics 1275 Words   |  6 PagesAshlee Cortez HCOM 211, Section 15 Research Paper Rough Draft 10 December 2014 Jamaican Bobsledding In 1988, the Winter Olympics were held in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.   One of the most remembered events within the Winter Olympics was the debut of the Jamaican National Bobsled team.   Bobsled is a winter sport in which teams of two or four sled down tight, winding ice tracks.   It is done in a cart that is called a bobsled; â€Å"a large usually metal sled used in racing and equipped with two pairs ofRead MoreAnalysis of We Were Soldiers Once and YOung: Ia Drang The Battle that Changed the War in Vietnam1968 Words   |  8 Pagesorder and gives us detailed back ground leading up to the battle and the sobering aftermath. We Were Soldiers Once and Young – Ia Drang- the Battle That Changed the War in Vietnam, was a result of several years of work that involved incredible research that involved first person accounts of those who fought in the battle, maps and official records, American military and ex-military members, family of the soldiers, former government officials, Vietnamese Military officials and numerous books, articlesRead MoreQuestions On Writing An Essay Essay9089 Words   |  37 Pagesessay. You are saying that your idea is in fact the better idea compared to the opposition. You can address the counter argument in a couple of different ways. You can either write the counter arguments all in one paragraph, or weave them into your paper. The most important thing to remember is to address the opposition for every assertion you make. Being consistent in this makes you seem like you have a though out position, and will be taken more seriously by the reader. 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Erikson free essay sample

The Importance of Identity in Adult Learners Melissa Nicole Salas East Carolina University Abstract The major issues to ponder here for adult educators revolve around our sense of how important it is to know our students as more than just students. How concerned should educators be with what life stages students are currently struggling with and the past success/failures they’ve had? The purpose of this research is to highlight the importance of instructors knowing learners well enough so that they can effectively teach them. The findings of the research are that it is important to know what stages of life learners are currently in, and to identify through conversations and interactions how best to assess learners, and that it is important to know these things because then educators will be more prepared for the responses and actions of students in their classrooms. Introduction It is important for adult learners and educators to know that certain life stages play a major part in our maturity as an individual, our self-esteem, values morals and responsibilities. As young adults, we must find who we are and where we are going. Intimacy with another person is possible; otherwise we may become isolated from others. In adulthood, we must continue our mental growth, health, creativity, and productivity or risk the chance of stagnation. As older adults nearing the end of our lives, we must choose between maintaining a feeling of worth and integrity or yield to feelings of despair where we sense that life was a waste of time and energy. Erik Erikson’s Stages of Development, known as the â€Å"Psychosocial Theory of Development†, suggests there are eight stages of development that begin with birth and end with death. The development of the individual depends mainly on the social/environmental influences that interact directly with the physical and psychological growth of the person. The first five stages occur between infancy and end during adolescence. The final three stages with which adult educators must pay particular attention occur during early adulthood and extend through old age (Erikson’s Theory of Personality, 2006). Erikson was a German-born American psychoanalyst who was heavily influenced by Sigmund Freud. Erikson asserted that each of the psychological developmental stages is characterized by a specific psychological conflict that seeks a resolution (Learning Theories, 2012). With two possible outcomes in each stage, either a positive completion of a stage (which results in a healthy personality and interaction with others), or a failure to successfully complete a stage (which can result in unhealthy personality traits and a warped sense of self), occurs. These important developments in personality and self-identity correlate directly with success in undergraduate and graduate studies. Erikson’s theory described the relationship between societal development, biological development, and psychological development, and the connections these have with a person’s relationship to society (B. Newman and P. Newman, 2011). Purpose Because Erikson’s theory attempts to explain changes that occur in our social lives and in self-understanding, it is important for adult educators to learn and study the different stages of development. Theories provide framework for understanding human behavior through development and learning. Educators can better understand themselves and others by learning and studying different theories. Erikson’s theory is especially helpful in diagnosing why certain adults respond the way they do in the classroom. Each stage of Erikson’s development has two possible outcomes, therefore, if when the adult was in an early stage and did not reach the positive outcome, the negative outcome can and will often stand in the way of learning (in the beginning). Each stage will be discussed further in the Discussion section. Success in the classroom is the most important part of a student’s life; therefore, it is important that teachers give students plenty of chances and opportunities to succeed. This also means that teachers need to provide opportunities to succeed in challenging environments, because success with ease is never appreciated. Teachers can take and use Erikson’s theories to appropriate respond to students’ needs in the classroom and use the information to produce positive outcomes. The purpose of this research is to set the stage for myself and other adult educators in the arena of getting to know students for who they are as people rather than just who they are in the classroom. Learning about students’ pasts and their various stages of developmental failures and successes can help shape and mold our own vision of how each session will progress. Another purpose of research Erikson’s theory is to enlighten and teach myself the importance of psychology in the classroom. As an educator, I focus mostly on pedagogy and androgogy rather than psychology while studying. The value of understanding psychological changes and progression in students never occurred to me prior to this research experience, and therefore I believe I will be a better educator to all ages of students. Selected Literature Review My first interest in Erikson’s theory spawned from Silver’s Role Transitions, Objects, and Identity research. He focused primarily on one major role transition: going to college. This is particularly important to my research, as I’m dealing directly with college-aged students. In his research, Silver speaks volumes about Erikson’s ego identity, where new social identities â€Å"tend to emerge only when social roles change profoundly† (Silver, 2009, p. 3). He goes on to call attention to other theorists, such as Berger and McAdams who share Erikson’s ideas about ego identity and call their approach the life story perspective. More interestingly, Springett’s studies, which revolve around students’ satisfaction with college instruction/experience, speak volumes to Erikson’s stages. Springett’s research led him to Waterman and Waterman, and they found that students who â€Å"were in some crisis of Occupational Ego-Identity while at college would report relatively low course satisfaction because they would associate the college with the personal crisis† (Springett, 1986, p. 324). Unfortunately for Waterman and Waterman (1970), methodological weaknesses were present, such as small sample sizes and the absence of sex as an independent variable (Springett, 1986). Discussion According to Erikson, there are eight stages of development – each with Ego Developmental Outcomes that can potential help or hinder learning later in life. It is important to note that age listings for each stage are approximate, and that in teen to adult and on, the stages can be progressed through more quickly or more slowly, depending on the success of the previous or latter stages. In infancy (birth to eighteen months), infants struggle with trust vs. mistrust. In early childhood, children struggle with autonomy vs. shame. Between the ages of three and five, children struggle with initiative vs. guilt. Once children reach school age, the variables change because they’re met with a more diverse set of people – they go from just the immediate family and select others to a whole slew of children and teachers. They then start to deal with industry vs. inferiority. As the years progress, children who are now teens begin to struggle with bigger issues in addition to the success (or not) of the past struggles. During adolescence, twelve to eighteen years old, teens begin struggling between identity vs. ole confusion. Because identity is, for the most part, established during the stages surrounding adolescence, the success of each previous challenge contributes at least in part to the make-up of the student’s healthy identity. Infants succeeding at the early stages are forming trusting relationships in their minds. Other childhood psychosocial challenges establish autonomy, initiative, and industry. Achieving these previous psychosocial functions facilitates establishing identity in adolescence (Brogan, 2003). It is after the teen years that we are most concerned as adult educators. In early adulthood, ages eighteen to thirty-five, we struggle with intimacy and solidarity vs. isolation. In middle adulthood, students who have successfully passed through early adulthood are now facing struggles with work – they struggle between generativity vs. self-absorption or stagnation. Often we see students at this stage coming back to school to change careers or to enhance their established careers (Cherry, 2010). In late adulthood, students are nearing the end of their lives. They struggle mostly with the question, â€Å"Is what I’ve done meaningful? † The answer can hinder or help students move forward. It is essential that we recognize that students in this stage need reassurance that yes, they matter and what they’ve done matters, or they’ll quit classes and move on (or not) to other things. As educators, we obviously want students to stay with us, if not for furthering careers then for the love of learning (Erikson, 1993). A More Detailed Look at Erikson’s Stages of Development and the Implications of Each Stage on an Adult’s Life If an infant passes through the first stage of life successfully, he learns that life is basically good and learns to have confidence in himself in future settings. However, if an infant fails at this stage, learning is hindered greatly. Later in life, students who fail at this stage end up with feelings of worthlessness and a general mistrust of his surroundings. In early childhood (eighteen months to three years), children struggle with autonomy vs. shame. During this stage, children learn how to master skills such as tying shoelaces and self-feeding. Children learn fine motor development and are learning to talk and walk. It is during this time that children have the chance to build (or not) self-esteem. It is during this stage that children learn autonomy and shame. If a child is shamed during potty training, he or she may end up doubting his or her capabilities and suffer low self-esteem throughout life. Between years three to five, children struggle with initiative vs. guilt. It is during this time that children begin copying and imitating the adults immediately around them. Often children are caught assigning adult roles to their favorite toys. If children are left without initiative, they end up experiencing guilt. In the school age years, ages six to twelve, children/students begin to learn and accomplish new skills and knowledge. This is called industry – and the negative outcome is called inferiority. It is now that children begin to truly compare themselves with other children and can either become confident or self-conscious. In adolescence, teens who are between twelve and eighteen are no longer children but are also not yet adults. They begin to question their own identities and roles – which can lead to many issues. Life becomes more complex and teens wrestle with moral issues, social interactions, and finding their identities. The major task of this age is for teens to figure out who they are as a separate entity from their families. It is at this age that the most significant relationship formed are those with other teens. Young adulthood is the age where we as adult educators are most concerned. We meet, often for the first time, young adults in the classroom. So many of the other struggles have been resolved (either positively or negatively), and now we watch as many of our students struggle with intimacy and solidarity (finding mutually satisfying elationships, starting a family, making lifelong friends) vs. isolation (distance from others). When we see students who are struggling through this stage of life, we as educators and as nurturers need to remember and understand that while students may or may not share the intimate details of their lives, they are struggling nonetheless. In the classroom, it is important to remember that at this age, many students are either establishing or leaving relationsh ips like revolving doors, but that those relationships are often heartbreaking and life changing. This affects students in the classroom in many ways, mostly in that they can lose focus on the task at hand because of a life-changing event at home. Students at this age are going through many changes, and all of them are huge. Starting a family is one change that students go through during this age, and this can hinder learning in many ways, regardless of the student’s abilities and will power. In middle adulthood, thirty-five to fifty-five/sixty-five, students are now most likely established and have succeeded (or not) in their personal lives. This is the point where we see students who are coming back to school for the first time, or changing careers and therefore coming back to college or university level learning. Middle adulthood is when students identify that they are in charge of their own lives – a life-changing event for many adults. Though many students and adults seem to think they’ve got their lives under control, in early adulthood, they are still dependent on others in many ways (Erikson, 1993). By the time a student has established him or herself in a career, they are completely autonomous. Middle adulthood is when students are occupied with creative and meaningful work, and when they are concerned more with issues about family. Students’ children are getting older and progressing through their own stages, furthering the development of the student him/herself. At this stage, we also see the mid-life crisis, and witness the struggle with finding new meanings and purposes in life (Cherry, 2010). Some students may just return to school for the fanciful idea of learning new things, while others have a more work-oriented mindset. In late adulthood, ages fifty-five or sixty-five to the end of life, we see struggles with integrity vs. despair. The biggest strength and outcome from this stage is wisdom – Erikson expressed in much of his work that the best part of life is recovering from middle adulthood. Most adults at this stage (who have successfully progressed through the previous seven stages) look back at their lives satisfied and content. Students who have failed at some stage will look back in despair and perceived failures; they fear death and struggle to find purpose (Cherry, 2010). Many students who are at this stage in life need reassurance that what they are doing now matters in the long run – and if they don’t feel it matters, they’ll quit. Assessment Erikson’s Stages of Development are particularly important to adult educators, as identifying different stages and their implications, either negative or positive, shapes how we motivate and encourage our students. Each year that we teach, we have different students with different needs and goals, and it is critical to pay close attention to the success or failure of students at previous stages. It is easy to identify many successes or failures based on what we witness in the classroom – and therefore we can adjust and modify our teaching style along with our people skills in order to make the most of everyone’s experience each class. Conclusions In conclusion, the most important thing to note is that we, as adult educators, must pay particular attention to how we handle different ages and stages of student development. If educators notice and can identify a student who has particular needs (has failed in certain stages, according to Erikson), they can adjust their teaching and mentoring styles to help those students succeed. For example, if a teacher notices a student who struggles with self-confidence, he knows that student needs extra support and reassurance to overcome this particular stage of life in order to succeed and move forward. Evaluations of Erikson’s stages of development have had positive reviews towards the validity of his formulations. He has stimulated a great deal of discussion and many attempts at application by professionals in a variety of fields, including social work, education, nursing and history. His theory has had a major impact in the field of mental health (Boyd amp; Koskela, 1970). Erikson placed a great deal of emphasis on the adolescent period and his work has impacted psychology of adolescence. On the other hand, Erikson has been criticized for watering down the Freudian theory and for creating an overly optimistic view of the concept of â€Å"ego† and of human beings. In Kauffman and Feldman’s (2004) research, they found that studying direct and â€Å"what might be called indirect interaction† among students and faculty was most beneficial. They found that by asking students themselves to inform them about social interactions in college, they were able to conclude that a â€Å"symbolic interactionist framework [allowed them to] consider not only face-to-face interaction between students and teachers, students and students, and other such encounters, but also the feelings, thoughts, and perhaps the [silent admiration of] the teacher (or not), as they compare themselves to their student peers, as they study alone in their dorm rooms, as they reflect on what it means to be a college student, and the like† (Kaufmman and Feldman, 2004, p 466). Recommendation It is easy to see that one would strongly recommend adult educators be familiar with Erikson’s Stages of Development. Though much of the successes and failures occur prior to our face-to-face meeting with students, they shape who students are from the time they walk through our doors and throughout each semester/quarter/year. We can shape and adjust our teaching styles and people skills in the classroom to help our students succeed best if we take notice of the different success/failure rates of each group of students who walk through our doors. It is only when teachers take the time to create nurturing, caring environments where each student feels valued that our students become motivated and learn at high rates (Stipek, 2002). References Boyd, R. D. amp; Koskela, R. N. (1970). A test of Erikson’s theory of ego-stage development by means of a self-report instrument. The journal of experimental education. 38(3), 1-14. http://www. jstor. org/stable/20157104 Brogan , R. (2003). Identity-development. Classroom education. In education. com. Retrieved from http://www. education. com/reference/article/identity-development/ Cherry, K. (2010). Eriksons psychosocial stages summary chart. Retrieved from http://psychology. about. com/library/bl_psychosocial_summary. htm Erikson, E. H. (1993). Childhood and society. W. W. Norton amp; Company. Erikson’s Theory of Personality. (2006). In Elsevier’s dictionary of psychological theories. Retrieved from http://www. credoreference. com/entry/estpsyctheory/erikson_s_theory_of_personality Kauffman, P. , Feldman, K. (2004). Forming identities in college: A sociological approach. Research in higher education, 45(5). p. 466. Learning Theories Knowledgebase. (2012). Erikson’s stages of development. Retrieved from http://www. learningtheories. com/eriksons-stages-of-development. html? Newman, B. M. , amp; Newman, P. R. (2011). Development through life, a psychosocial approach. (11 ed. , Vol. 11). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Pub Co. Silver, I. (1996). Role transitions, objects, and identity. Symbolic Interaction, 19(1), 1-20. Springett, N. R. (1986). Course satisfaction and occupational ego-identity among undergraduates. Higher education, 15(3/4), 323-331. Stipek, D. (2002). Motivation to learn: Integrating theory and practice (4th ed. ). Boston: Allyn and Bacon. Waterman, A. , amp; Waterman, C. (1970). The relationship between ego identity status and satisfaction with college. The journal of educational research, 64(4),

Educational Assessments

Knowledge Management Strategy

Knowledge Management Strategy Free Online Research Papers Abstract: Companies’ management, organization and corporate strategy have changed considerably in recent years. These changes have manifested the transition from the industrial society to an era indicated by the concepts such as knowledge society. Hence, knowledge has become a critical resource of the economy. In order to transform an organization into a learning organization and ensure an effective knowledge management (KM) strategy, a knowledge audit should be conducted, which will provide a current state of knowledge capability of the organization and a direction of where and how to improve that capability in order to be competitive in this fast changing knowledge era. This paper assesses the adoption of the knowledge management concepts, using a systematic knowledge audit approach. A study on the Malaysian company Tekmark will contribute in conceptualizing the importance of KM audit. Meanwhile, serious consideration on the KM drivers, enablers and blockages is needed for an effective KM strategy. This paper extended the recommendation on the KM strategy in the organizations. 1. Introduction Many organizations are recognizing that to sustain in complex and dynamic environment, they should be efficient in managing knowledge. As far as knowledge society is concern, organizations nowadays engage in knowledge management in order to leverage knowledge both internally and externally to their stakeholders (Rubenstein-Montano et al., 2001). These stakeholders are not only the employees but also include the shareholders and customers. Organisational theorists such as Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) also highlighted the necessity to view knowledge as embedded in, and constructed from and through social relationships and interactions in a community or network of people. As a result of these exposure and perceived value-creating processes, there has been a popular development of the notion of knowledge management as a key to competitive advantage. Knowledge Management (KM) can be defined as the collection of processes that govern the creation, dissemination and leveraging of knowledge to achieve organizational objectives (Lee Yang, 2000). It includes the strategies and processes for identifying, capturing, sharing, and leveraging the knowledge required to sustain and compete effectively in the business environment (Gautschi, 1999). However, a majority of managers are facing several challenges in understanding the practical characteristic of knowledge management (Davenport et al., 1998). Christensen (2000) pointed out that KM might be considered a rational instrument implemented into the company and which has been institutionalized as a rational myth. Leveraging on organizational knowledge and learning to create new knowledge have become the critical strategic issue for organizations that capitalize on innovation. However, many KM programs failed because the organizations are lack of understanding of their knowledge needs (Guptara, 2000). A KM audit will provides sound investigation into an organization’s core information and knowledge needs and uses in an organization (Dalkir, 2005). The audit should also include an examination of organization’s strategy, leadership, collaborative, learning culture and technology infrastructure in its various knowledge processes. Hence, a knowledge audit should be conducted, which will provide a current state of knowledge capability of the organization and a direction of where and how to improve that capability in order to be competitive in this fast changing knowledge era. The aims of this paper are to assess the adoption of the knowledge management concepts, using a systematic knowledge audit approach. Firstly, a study on the Malaysian company Tekmark Sendirian (Sdn.) Berhad (Bhd.) will contribute in conceptualizing the importance of KM audit. The objectives are to study and develop a deeper understanding of organization existing knowledge communities and content. Second section explained the rational of the research process used. Subsequently, serious consideration on the KM drivers, enablers and blockages is needed for an effective KM strategy. This paper extended the recommendation on the KM strategy in the organizations and proposed the knowledge metric for effective KM. 2. Company Background Tekmark Sdn. Bhd. was formed as a trading company in Malaysia on the 22nd February 1994. Tekmark specializes in the test and measurement business. It provides measurement solution to the telecommunications, broadcast and semiconductor industries nationwide. Tekmark also provides comprehensive services such as pre-sale consultancy, full commissioning, testing, training and after-sales support. With the head office located in Kuala Lumpur, Tekmark has operations in Penang, Johor and Sarawak Internationally, Tekmark has been expanding to: Australia, Singapore, Brunei and Thailand. TekMark vision is to be a reputable global company in measurement business and its mission carries the tagline of â€Å"total customer satisfaction†. Tekmark are dedicated to increase and enhance its competitiveness by delivering excellent quality products and excellent services. Meanwhile, Tekmark is to strive for continuous improvement and differentiating itself with continuous value innovation in ensuring customer satisfaction and retention. The test and measurement business segment provides standard test and customized solutions that were used in the design, development, manufacture, installation, deployment and operation of electronic equipment, systems and communications networks and services. These solutions included test and measurement instruments and systems, automated test equipment; communications network monitoring, management and optimization tools, software design tools and associated services. Tekmark existing major clients are Panasonic, Radio and Television Malaysia (RTM), TM, and Astro. Few of the main suppliers are Tektronix and PCTEL, Inc., both from United States of America (USA), and Topward from Taiwan. As a global player, Tekmark’s business environment has also been transformed by contemporary shifts in the global economy. With the intensifying of competition and market becoming more uncertain and complex, Tekmark has attempted to evolve their business structure through the use of KM. 3. Research Process The research utilized an exploratory methodology, which is well suited to assess Tekmark current state of KM activities. Exploratory research is characterized by flexibility and versatility, with respect to the methods, because formal research protocols and procedures are not employed (Malhotra, 1999). Casual interviews were conducted with Group Managing Director, Mr. Ralph Khor, and staffs from different regional offices. Interviews with Mr. Ralph Khor are extremely important in order to understand the commitment of KM at top management level. Staffs and researcher have undergone a series of analytic and feedback loops prior to the interviews. Despite of internal staffs, the research also utilized the interviews with industry experts (Winett, 1995). This includes interview with individual knowledgeable about the KM practices in Malaysia. Chief Information Officer of Senstech Malaysia Sdn. Bhd., En. Shamsul Azmal was invited for the interview . The purpose of interviewing expert is to assist in assessing key KM activities. Therefore, expert information is obtained by unstructured personal interview, without administering a formal questionnaire. 4. Findings The KM audit of Tekmark was conducted basing on the Wiig KM Cycle (Wiig, 1998). Factors concerning the use of knowledge, such as the blockages, enablers and drivers for KM initiatives were analyzed . 4.1 Tekmark KM Initiatives Drivers Tekmark considers knowledge, especially KM, to be a core capability for achieving competitive. Tekmark have spent more than 0.5 million Ringgit Malaysia (RM) on Information Technology (IT) to facilitate the KM system. Knowledge and intelligence that is drawn from the experiences of particular client projects, is one of the most crucial forms of knowledge for the company. Whereas previously this kind of knowledge may simply have been collected and added to a relatively static database, Tekmark now concentrates on more highly skilled and operationally experienced KM professionals interpreting, assessing and classifying this kind of knowledge. During the early days, KM had been sponsored and managed by service lines or geographic regions that resulted in a somewhat segregated approach (Smith, 1998). This meant that project teams might be contacted by a number of different KM groups from different regions, often seeking similar or related information. After a number of years of growth, the company soon realized that it had a large but relatively unwieldy set of databases and the next phase involved a long process of editing, refining and reclassifying the knowledge onto the knowledge exchange, such as the Tekmark E-Portal. The E-Portal is the heart of Tekmark KM program, covering more than 5,000 individual databases that are subdivided into various topics. The objective of the E-Portal was to help managers reduce planning time, minimize risk, and improve the quality of the client deliverable products. Harnessing and adding value to knowledge is one of the key areas where Tekmark’s KM initiative has attempted to develop new capabilities. According to the managers surveyed from Tekmark, the key to understanding the contemporary role of knowledge in businesses is to understand that it is relevant information that can be used to quickly act upon, in contrast to the more traditional methods of handling business information as a guarded secret that is stored and protected by regional system administrators. This also implies that the key KM is the rapid accessibility and timely availability of knowledge. The current KM model relies on everybody within the company, especially key project management individuals and corporate support manager, being prepared to make time to discuss their findings, experiences and insights and commit to contributing to knowledge databases. In order for this to work successfully, Tekmark needed to create a ‘knowledge sharing culture’ within the organization. In order to achieve a more developed utilization of knowledge, Tekmark continues to spend over RM 250,000 on Customer Relationship Management (CRM) while employing experience professionals who increasingly come from a consulting and industry background. Tekmark has been able to use fewer staff in these roles partly because technological improvements have meant that there is less need for manual intervention. Nevertheless, it was conceded that staffing this analytical KM function with experienced and relatively senior staff represented a major resource commitment by the company to KM. 4.2 Tekmark KM Blockages Despite Tekmark’s significant efforts and vast resources, the company was unable to effectively harness and transfer knowledge across its global business units. From the KM audit, it can be concur that the heart of the organization’s problem had little to do with the technology being used or the professionals involved, but rather can be traced to a few very critical elements that appeared to have been overlooked in the company’s global KM strategy. The company’s â€Å"one global firm† vision did not adequately address the cultural and motivational complexities associated with KM in a global context and failed to create the ‘knowledge sharing culture’ that would gave insured global participation required for this initiative to be completely successful. The exploratory research identified that the major shortcomings in Tekmark’s global KM practices can be broken down into three areas: Lack of appreciation for regional knowledge; Inadequate support for challenges at the local office; Insufficient allowances for local control. The most critical shortcoming in Tekmark’s managing of intellectual capital and knowledge is that the regional subsidiaries were never successfully integrated into the KM application, thus not becoming a part of the larger whole. One of the managers in Malaysia expressed this view when he wrote â€Å"knowledge management is a symbol of being one global firm†¦If Tekmark is one global firm, it would be represented in how we share knowledge across offices and regions†¦Otherwise, we are not a global company†. Tekmark had failed to effectively transcend global boundaries and created a unilateral flow of information from Australia and Singapore into Malaysia and Thailand. Malaysian managers frequently used the E-Portal but were hesitant to post submission and those that did never receive any feedback that their knowledge information was being utilized. Organizational culture plays a critical role in creating a learning atmosphere, which eventually proves to be highly instrumental in creating and disseminating knowledge (Senge, 1990). Tekmark’s global culture appeared to represent an assumption that all good management knowledge is generated only in certain countries, thus effectively alienating the company’s Malaysian counterparts. The Malaysian offices and subsequently Malaysian personnel operating in the region felt isolated due to a limited interaction with the company’s headquarter in Kuala Lumpur. The company did not monitor employee’s perceptions of equity and make sure that the employees believed that fairness was being delivered by the management on a global level. While the exact means employees may have intentionally used to restore equity may be difficult to determine, assuredly almost all are harmful to organization. Tekmark failed to establish effective cross global communication and faced cultural challenges at various local offices that were not adequately addressed. For example, in Singapore submissions to the E-Portal were frowned upon by employees as some sort of self-promotion and went against their concept of a team effort. While in Thailand many engineers felt knowledge sharing did not serve to benefit them personally and wondered why Australians contributed so openly. â€Å"Perhaps engineers in the Australia are more interested in contributing†¦others are in general not so interested in doing something that does not have a direct benefit for themselves†. Another blockage that hindered effective cross global communication was the language barrier because all submissions by the engineers into the E-Portal had to be translated into English, the official language of the company. Although most Asian engineers could converse in English, they were not proficient at translating lengthy documents nor did they have sufficient time during or between projects to submit the standardized forms. When the company urged an Asian colleague to submit a KM report on a project, a common response was, â€Å"Sorry, but my English is not very good†. The lack of available translational resources, to include sufficient time, made available to the Asian subsidiaries greatly hampered their contribution into the E-Portal. Tekmark’s focus on using technology to provide opportunities for person-to-person knowledge transfer relies heavily on open dialogue between all employees. Despite corporate-wide communication that required post-project contribution of all projects, there was some ambiguity among East Malaysia and Thailand employees and staff member over which projects required mandatory KM contribution. Without clear guidance within various regional offices, cooperate KM purpose was never made clear, allowing for a breakdown in responsibilities and regional disagreements in how the organization would function in regards to use and input of the company’s KM program. 5. Recommendation on KM Strategy Tacit and explicit knowledge is a vital item in any company (Kidwell, Karen, Linde Johnson 2000), and more in the companies like Tekmark; they should not rely just in the capacity and ability of their people to spread knowledge within the organization. Tekmark should focus primarily on both the codification and personalization of KM strategies (Hansen et al., 1999). Tekmark needs to implement strategies, processes and systems to keep that knowledge in the organization, ready to be distributed to all the members of the company. The SECI process given by Nonaka and Takeuchi (1995) depicts four modes of knowledge conversion with the underlying understanding that Tekmark could creates knowledge through the interactions between explicit knowledge and tacit knowledge . 5.1 Processes The increasingly competitive environment and the imperative of many of the company’s clients and employees to be able to adapt and capitalize on ideas and innovations quickly, has made efficient and effective KM central to Tekmark continuing success as a knowledge organization. However, in the pursuit to create a â€Å"one global firm,† Tekmark must recognize the need to decentralize control as the KM program expands globally and by allowing for a natural development of workplace diversity. This would allow local managers leeway to address regional differences, such as motivational behavior and language, and build programs that provide incentives based on the cultural differences, thus adequately meeting the varying employee’s needs. 5.2 People The performance appraisal criteria for management should include ‘developing others’ and ‘knowledge contribution’ as key measures. These criteria’s can also used when assessing promotion candidates. For example, a Manager seeking promotion would have to demonstrate his or her own knowledge sharing behaviors as well as illustrating how he or she had encouraged or enabled others to develop knowledge sharing skills. Under these circumstances then, managers have a vested interest in contributing to knowledge sharing. Evidently this ensures significant support for the KM processes, knowledge sharing and associated training and development activities. Operational knowledge transfer between subsidiaries in international and intra-firm network is crucial (Ferdows, 1999). Tekmark should embark on the contingency relationship between the rate of change of operational knowledge, the extent to which it is codifiable, and the roles of facilities within Tekmark intra-firm network. 5.3 Culture In order for KM to successfully work, Tekmark has to develop a knowledge sharing culture within their organization. Davenport et al. (1998) hypothesized that one of the most important factors influencing KM were culture. The organizations that will truly excel in the future will be the organizations that discover how to tap people’s commitment and capacity to learn at all levels in an organization (Senge, 1990). One of the ways in which the company can build and reinforce this culture is to create a capability development plan. Capability development would include identifying the skills required in KM, what training is needed, how the knowledge base and expertise of staff should be built, how to provide feedback to employee’s that submit, and which subject matter experts can be brought in to advise on methods and tools to meet these goals. According to one Tekmark Australian engineer: â€Å"It is human nature to want to share what we know with those around us, howev er, it is important that the knowledge be applied with context and understanding†. 5.4 Technology The need to share information must be expanded throughout the company with full global participation in knowledge based vision. One way of encouraging participation would be through the advent of a positive feedback mechanism to track how submitted knowledge is being used by members within the organization, thus allowing submitters to observe how their knowledge input is being utilized. Staffs can embark on the existing E-Portal as the centralized KM system. By citing and promoting work from all regions with the organization, Tekmark will help influence a wider participation from engineers throughout the company. â€Å"If organizations are to be viewed from a holistic perspective, all their parts have to be considered as part of a system, rather than separate entities and factions† (Smith, 1998). In order to successfully implement these KM strategy, Tekmark should embark on a holistic framework such as the KM gap (Lin et al., 2005) to fully illustrate the management gaps that might occur during the implementation of KM activities. The KM gap would analyze the corporate knowledge needs, evaluate the implementation activities of KM and identify any inhibitors to success. 6. KM Metric Tekmark should embark on a clear action for where and how knowledge will be employed to generate business value. What is needed is a KM strategy and execution review that will reenergize the knowledge sharing process and use the right balanced scorecard metric. A balanced scorecard is generally used to clarify and update the business strategy, link the objectives of the organization to the annual budgets, allow organizational change, and increase the understanding of the company vision and mission statements across the organization. It is a methodology that translates the objectives of the organizations into measures, goals and initiatives in four different perspectives, namely financial, customer, internal business process and learning and growth (Kaplan and Norton, 1996). A balanced scorecard can be used to translate an organizations mission and vision statements into a broad set of objectives and performance measures that can be quantified and appraised, and measures whether management is achieving desired results. The model can contribute to the dynamic alignment issue. The scorecard can also aid the effective deployment of KM strategy and aligned performance measures through teams at lower levels developing scorecards consistent with the strategic scorecard. Thus, consistency of deployment, identified by Neely et al. (1994) as a key issue in alignment, can be preserved. 7. Conclusion As companies continue to transition from managing data to managing knowledge, it is important to keep abreast of the level of implementation. This study sought to discover what level of knowledge growth a selection of typical Tekmark managers believe their organization has and can attain. Many managers were very positive in their responses about the status and probably future of improving organizational knowledge processes that in turn will impact company performance. If the results of this study are a true indicator of understanding about the importance of knowledge management today, then there is hope that companies will continue to leverage their true assets. Knowledge is indeed power, and companies are now leveraging the power of what they know. It is no longer just the physical assets, financial accounts, and other traditional assets that organizations depend on. The knowledge in the minds of employees, knowledge system, and organizational culture are the most valuable assets. F uture studies should track the level of knowledge growth over time, to better measure the true level of KM awareness and usage. Therefore, this study is hopefully only a first step in an ongoing evaluation of the stages of knowledge growth in organizations today. 8. REFERENCES Christensen, K.S., Bang, H.K., (2003). â€Å"Knowledge management in a project-oriented organization: three perspectives†. Journal of Knowledge Management, 7 (3), pp. 116-128. Coleman, D. (1999), ‘‘Groupware: collaboration and knowledge sharing’’, in Liebowitz, J. (Ed.), Knowledge Management Handbook, CRC Press, Boca Raton, FL. Dalkir, K. 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Intervie Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Intervie - Essay Example The main misconception about the Arabic culture is concerned with the Arabic women, and I sought to understand their behaviors both in their homes and in public life. From the interview, I understood that the ideas that I had about Arabic women are mostly wrong, for example, the idea that all Arabic women are always veiled, or that all women are oppressed by their male counterparts are false, in fact, the women are accorded all they respect that they deserve. My interview with Amina revealed that not all Arabic women have to wear veils, for example, in Syria, Lebanon and Egypt, the habit of wearing veils is not imposed on the women, on the contrary, it is a choice that is taken out of respect for the culture. However, in some countries, it is a law that all women are supposed to cover their hair and faces from the prying eyes of men. This is done so that the woman remains mysterious and has no chance of infidelity. The Arabic woman is also surprisingly industrious, contrary from the misconception that they are always lazy and uneducated. From my interview, I learnt that the average Arabic woman would always take care of her family, ensuring that the family is well fed and taken care of. I understood this after asking Amina whether all women are stay-at-home moms who wait for their husbands to provide for their families. Amina informed me that, even though some women are in big families, where the husband has up to four wives, all women strive to ensure that their families are well taken care of. The average woman will always be found in the market place looking for fresh food products for their families, and in the case of peasants, they look for food for their children in the best ways possible. The women will usually spend their days chatting with their neighbors, cleaning up, looking for food, and ensuring that their children get the education that they deserve. However, Amina also