Ford Case Study Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Ford - Case Study Example ullaly, the CEO, implemented included; employee reduction and other cost of production reduction techniques, shrinking its production through asset divestitures, as well as noticeable strategic maneuvers all deemed at avoiding government bails and loans. Most importantly, Mullaly focused on building a higher customer base by converging nameplates. As a matter of fact, fords management saw product diversification as a barrier to success as it dilutes core brand names. Therefore, Mullaly enlarged on some brands whose c valuation by customers outdid the rest, such as the Taurus model. Noteworthy, the success of ford is more leaned on customer base expansion, through brand improvement than in any other strategy. For instance, having capture that demand for small cars was increasing, ford responded by majoring on small cars despite their low average returns. Veritably, fords prosperity would have been more if they had focused on marketing and promoting their nameplates but altering the branding a little bit to capture the whole market, placing small car market in their forefront. The marketing plan below is an alternative solution. Lamb et al (2014) asserts that marketing plan should include a mission statement that is not only effectively stating the company’s objectives n but also exclude marketing myopia. Therefore, the mission statement needs be based on customer satisfaction based on a SWOT analysis of the firm and industry at large. A high market share would be obtained by having several luxurious small cars but insist on lowering fuel consumption. In addition to brand reduction, Ford should have realized that the recession was worse in US than in other economies. Therefore, emphasize more developing the global market. A good target should be developing economies where vehicle market is characterized by middle class. With invention of small cars, the middle class can easily be captured by reduced fuel consumption. Technological advancement of fuel

International Fast Food Company Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

International Fast Food Company - Essay Example In 1953, McDonald’s Fast Foods’ most successful restaurant in Arizona was franchised. Similarly, the restaurant located at California was franchised. The outright success of the McDonald’s was with the entry of Ray Kroc who entered into partnership with Mac and Dick (Love, 2008). He was given the right to expand the franchise. Owing to this new partnership, McDonald’s opened its new branch outside America specifically Richmond Colombia. This was the first ever branch outside America. It is amazingly interesting to note that by 1963 the McDonald’s had more than 100 fast food restaurants worldwide. It was between 1960 through 1970 when significant growth was marked. This may have been due to the massive advertising strategies that were adopted by McDonald’s ads team. Kroc played a major role in advertising McDonald’s products making them the most admirable ads in the world. He also developed the Golden arches logo in 1962. In 1963, McDon ald’s introduced the red haired wit which attracted a massive appeal from children and the youth. Later on as the years progressed, Kroc opted to buy out McDonald’s brothers for a total cost of $2.7 million. 2. Rationale behind Internationalization McDonald’s  international strategy is based on the recognition of the available opportunities in overseas market and not because their home market is already saturated. In fact, McDonalds established franchised markets internationally because it needed to capitalize on available opportunities particularly among the rapidly growing populations in Asia. It is worth noting that while choosing markets McDonalds preferred whose prospects for expansion were optimal. For this reason, McDonalds entered into international markets. When Kroc solely began owning the company, he knew well that the success of McDonald’s fast food company was dependent on its ability to grow rapidly amid an ever widening competitive enviro nment. Therefore, he began to offer franchises. As a result, several franchised McDonald’s opened up in various parts of the world. For instance, one such franchised branch opened up in the U.K. in1986. To date, close to 70% of all McDonald’s outlets worldwide are franchised. Today, McDonald’s boasts of having more than 120 restaurants’ and a customer base of over 60,000 people there was a need to employ intensive franchising as a means of promoting products and building a brand name. 3. Market entry strategy McDonald’s Fast Foods Company envisions placing itself strategically with an aim of becoming a superior performer in the world market. McDonalds’ franchise market entry strategy has always been informed by the customer base and room for expansion. In fact, the company is guided by their interest on low production cost while at the same time guided by their choice to serve their customers at their convenience (Pride & Ferrell, 2012). It prefers the use of franchise because once the market is established, it will be easier to modify and adapt to customer’s local tastes and preferences. McDonalds has used this strategy in Saudi Arabia and Indonesia with success. As mentioned earlier in this discussion,

Incident A Matter of Priorities Essay Example for Free

Incident A Matter of Priorities Essay Thompson, production manager of Thompson Manufacturing, has the final authority when hiring any new supervisors. Sheila is currently looking to fill a position and having her Human Resources manager, Pete Peterson, do preliminary interviews to do the initial screening of applicants before being sent to her for final approval. Preliminary interviews are being conducted at the same time Sheila is having a very busy day. Pete Peterson has found a possible suitable young applicant by the name of Allen Guthrie that he would like Sheila to immediately see since Mr Guthrie is already on the premises. Current Situation Sheila Thompson is already having a hectic day at her office. While a search for a suitable candidate out of the applicant pool to fill a supervising position is being conducted by the Human Resources manager, Pete Peterson, Ms. Thompson is busy at work taking multiple phone calls and handling business affairs for Thompson Manufacturing. Pete Peterson has contacted Sheila about a possible candidate he finds will make an excellent supervisor that she has been looking for. Although Sheila is too busy to have in interview she agrees to see Mr. Guthrie immediately. During their interview Ms. Thompson has to take multiple phone calls and halt their interview progress. The duties she must attend to have come before the interview and Mr Guthrie, her applicant, many times. After another interruption Mr Guthrie has to leave in order to pick up his wife from work. The interview has not been completely, but Sheila has instructed Allen Guthrie to call her at another time. Answering the Questions Sheila Thompson has been tasked with having the final approval of hired applicants when looking to fill a supervisor position. The applicants go through the normal procedure in order to make it through into a structured interview. A structured interview has the ability to â€Å" increase reliability and accuracy by reducing the subjectivity and inconsistency of unstructured interviews†(Mondy 153). Her applicant who made it through the screening, Allen Guthrie, was advised he would be able to have an interview with Ms.Thompson immediately after his screening. Sheila notably has been far too busy already to take on this take, being impromptu, but decided she would see the applicant in leu of her busy schedule. Sheila, being the production manager that she is should have realized it was not the time to conduct a structured interview with any applicant at that time. She simply could have instructed her Human Resources manager, Pete Peterson, that it would have been improper for the applicant and her current work situations. Sheila should have made the executive decision to either commit herself to the interview, or schedule it for another day where she can put the invested time needed when conducting an interview for a possible supervisor. There were too many interruptions understand the applicant fully and give the interview the time it deserved to make an executive decision. Also, when a her attention, when able to be given, was on her applicant there were more pressing work concerns at hand at that time. Interviews should happen on a time when there would be a low impact on office hours and business. For the future, a scheduled interview will cause a less of an business impact and she would be able to focus her attention on her applicant in order to make an executive decision if he is the right fit for the position. Sheila Thompson, being the production manager, makes the final approval for all her intended supervisors. Her Human Resources manager, Pete, makes the selection process and forwards them to Sheila for final approval. Pete may have an idea of what Sheila is looking for, but he can only try to find a right fit based on experience and record. Since Sheila has the final approval she may be looking for something that Pete does not look for or screen for. Having Pete screen possible applicants will cut down on time spent for the production manager, who is obviously busy, but should be handled for employees not in the pool for a supervising position. If Sheila is the only manager able to make the final approval for supervisors, she should be the one running the selection process as well. If what Sheila is searching for, does not match what Pete screens for there it can waste precious company time and resources. The selection process of choosing from a group of applicants the individual best suited for a particular position and the organization†(Mondy 138). Pete may very well reject an employee he may not find suitable for the position, while Sheila may have found the applicant perfect. In order for time and company efficiency it is in Sheila’s, and Thompson Manufacturing, that she do the selection process if she wishes to have the final approval as well. Conclusion Sheila Thompson never should agreed to conduct an impromptu interview in the manner that she had. An interview is meant to find the perfect candidate suitable for the position in question and the company as a whole. With the interview performed how it was she was not able to perform her duties as a production manager or hiring manager for supervisors. If she had been in charge of the selection process for supervisor positions she could have allocated proper time to find the pool of candidates that fit her needs for the position as well as set up a proper time where she could conduct the interview without office distractions.

Orthopaedic Management Of Cerebral Palsy Health And Social Care Essay

Orthopaedic Management Of Cerebral Palsy Health And Social Care Essay The condition of cerebral palsy refers to a varied group of permanent disorders of movement and posture caused by injury to the immature brain in utero, at birth or in the first years of life. These lesions are static not progressive and can be caused by a wide variety of factors such as intrauterine infections, trauma, neonatal stroke and genes, often in combination. Reflecting the varied aetiology and sites of injury cerebral palsy is often accompanied by neurological disturbances in cognition, behaviour, sensation and epilepsy. Most significantly from the orthopaedic perspective is that it leads to a progressive musculoskeletal pathology and abnormalities of muscle strength, tone and joint movement. These tend to be hidden at birth and are only revealed during the rapid growth of childhood as spasticity leads to abnormal posturing and thus secondary contractures and impaired torsional bone remodelling. Eventually this process leads to problems such as scoliosis, hip dislocation an d the development of fixed contractures.1 It is here that orthopaedic surgery can intervene by correcting fixed deformities leading to improved function and appearance. Cerebral palsy is the most common cause of referral to elective paediatric orthopaedic units.2 This essay will discuss the various surgical techniques that can be employed to tackle the musculoskeletal problems caused by cerebral palsy. Classification Cerebral palsy is classified based on the type of movement disorder present. The spastic form is the predominant type and can be divided into the subcategories of hemiplegic, diplegic or quadriplegic depending on topography. Appropriate management varies between these forms based on the level of functional outcome that can be expected; the most significant factor being whether the child is ambulant or not. It was the advent of gait analysis in the 1990s that revolutionised treatment of ambulatory cerebral palsy. Prior to this surgical intervention to improve gait was a matter of opinion, and often led to unexpected new problems which were even more intractable. The systematic empirical approach of gait analysis, however, enabled both more targeted and precise interventions and also critical evaluation of the outcomes of surgery.3 http://www.cpl.org.au/images/default-source/research/cp-body-map-graphics.jpg?sfvrsn=2 [Image 1: Distribution of symptoms in subtypes of cerebral palsy. Source: Cerebral Palsy League4] Modern gait analysis takes place in a specialised laboratory and includes a standardised physical exam, video recording, kinematic and kinetic measurements, electromyography, pedobarography and estimation of the energy consumption of walking.5 Age Generally speaking surgery for ambulant CP is not attempted until after the age of 7 by which time a mature gait pattern has developed. Between this age and the onset of the growth spurt in adolescence bone surgery is sometimes required in order to stabilise the bony levers of progression in the leg. These include femoral or tibial derotation osteotomies, intertrochanteric derotation of the femur and stabilisation of the subtalar complex.6 It is between the ages of 8 and the main adolescent growth spurt (12-13 in girls, 13-14 in boys) that soft tissue surgery is undertaken, the ideal timing remaining contentious.7 Increasing maturity and awareness allow for more complex surgeries that require strict compliance with rehabilitation programmes to succeed. Yet this must be balanced against the effects of the rapid growth of bone and muscle that may exacerbate and complicate deformity. Surgery for spastic diplegia Despite advances in the usage of botulinum toxin A, intrathecal baclofen and selective dorsal rhizotomy to reduce spasticity most children with cerebral palsy still develop progressive musculoskeletal deformities as they grow. These include fixed joint contractures and bony deformities collectively referred to as lever arm disease and which can only be treated effectively surgically.8 In the past a child with spastic CP typically presented with toe-walking and was managed by lengthening of the tendo Achillis. Although this procedure successfully levelled the foot it often led to a crouch gait as contractures of the knee and hip developed progressively in late childhood. Nowadays there is a strong consensus that the best approach is to gait correction is to address all deformities simultaneously in what is known as single-event multi-level surgery.9 Correcting fixed contractures is achieved by either fractional lengthening or muscle-tendon recession. Established procedures include tenotomy (lengthening) of the psoas muscle at the pelvic brim, rectus femoris transfer to semitendinosus or sartorius and fractional lengthening of the medial hamstrings. To correct bony torsional abnormalities necessitates rotational osteotomies. For femoral anteversion and concomitant hip internal rotation, femoral derotation osteotomy has proven to produce very effective and durable results.10 In order to correct a valgus foot deformity there are two options; a lengthening osteotomy of the os calcis or more commonly an extra-articular subtalar joint fusion utilizing an autogenous graft of bone from the iliac crest combined with a screw fixation .11 Spastic hemiplegia The most common joint deformities in the upper limb include internal rotation of the shoulder, elbow flexion, forearm pronation, wrist flexion and ulnar deviation, and swan-neck and thumb-in-palm deformities in the digits .12 Muscular injection with BTX-A can be useful in managing stiffness and increasing range of movement but is not effective at improving function.13 As with gait correction deformities in the upper limb are treated in a one-stage multilevel operation combining muscle releases and tendon transfers. The most common procedures are biceps aponeurosis and pronator teres release for pronation of the forearm, tendon transfers to extensor carpi radialis longus or brevis for ulnar deviation/wrist flexion (with first web z-plasty) and first dorsal interosseous and adductor muscle release with tendon transfer for thumb-in-palm.12 Patterns of gait in spastic hemiplegia have been classified comprehensively by Winters et al. and can be used to plan surgical management. In groups I and II the primary abnormality is drop foot due to equinus contracture which can be treated by lengthening of the gastrocsoleus muscle and appropriate orthosis. The situation is more complex, however in groups III and IV which require multilevel surgical intervention and gait analysis due to the involvement of proximal muscles leading to jump knee gait and in the case of group IV fixed hip flexion on top of equinovarus. These can be managed in the same way as soft tissue deformities in spastic diplegia by fractional lengthening or muscle-tendon recession.14 [Image 2: Saggital gait patterns in hemiplegia: classification and management. For each group: contractures shown in orange text, orthoses in green, surgical correction in red. Adapted from Winter et al.14] Tendon transfers to correct muscle imbalances are also employed in hemiplegia. This is most useful for equinovarus deformity, which is treated with split tendon transfer of the tibialis posterior (useful in the younger patient with more flexible deformity) or anterior combined with lengthening of the gastrocsoleus and tibialis posterior (better for older children with stiffer deformity).15, 16 Another possible problem in hemiplegia is limb shortening, presenting most commonly in the tibia and ranging from 1-3 cm. If necessary operative correction can be achieved by epiphysiodesis at the end of growth plates proximal to the knee at the appropriate age.7 Spastic Quadriplegia Surgical management of a child with spastic quadriplegia is particularly challenging owing to the presence of multiple co-morbidities such as epilepsy, osteopenia, respiratory disease and nutritional deficiencies. As such it requires the close co-operation of a multi-disciplinary team to manage possible complications as well as follow-up in terms of pain and intensive care. A variety of tests are important to help assess suitability for surgery. Lung function tests are used to evaluate the likely necessity of protracted assisted ventilation after the operation. Testing serum total protein and albumin levels is used to spot malnutrition associated with poor wound healing and infection. Detection of osteomalcia due to anti-epileptic medication is important and must be treated, and improving general nutritional state through supplementation is often desirable. Finally, identification of the degree of osteoporosis due to disuse is relevant in assessing the stability of any surgical fixat ion desired.7 Hip Management Hip displacement is rarest in spastic hemiplegia at 1%, uncommon in spastic hemiplegia at 5%, but much more common in spastic quadriplegia with an estimated incidence of 35-55%.17 If left untreated it may lead kyphotic sitting posture and pelvic obliquity increasing the risk of spinal deformity as well as chronic hip pain and increased difficulties in activities of daily living. In hemiplegia and diplegia the gait is so severely impacted that subluxation is identified early due to rapid orthopaedic referral. In quadriplegia, however, due to the higher visibility of issues such as seizures and feeding difficulties and the fact hip displacement is hidden in the early stages, it often can go undetected. Thus systematic radiographic screening is vital to detect it early with one study recommending commencing at 30 months and following up every 6 months thereafter.18 When abnormality is detected it is best to intervene early to try to prevent dislocation. The favoured soft tissue surgical approach is adductor and psoas tenotomies.19 If dislocation has already been established more drastic intervention is required with a single-stage open reduction of the hip, combined with a varus shortening derotation osteotomy of the proximal femur, which relieves pressure from the rim of the acetabulum stimulating growth and balancing the soft tissues by re-tensioning the hip abductors and relaxing the adductors, and a pelvic osteotomy to improve the shape and coverage of the acetabulum.20 Although this procedure offers the best long-term prognosis in terms of stability, further dislocations are not infrequent.21 Scoliosis Scoliosis in cerebral palsy can be non-structural secondary to femoral and pelvic muscular spasticity or structural secondary to contractures of the intrinsic spinal muscles. In non-ambulant patients it often extends to the sacrum and is associated with poor sitting posture, pelvic obliquity and hip dislocation. Prevention of these is thus vital to reducing the risk of distortion of the spine. Surgically the established management of severe scoliosis is instrumented posterior fusion along the length of the spine to the pelvis.6 Conclusion As surgical techniques for correcting deformities have proliferated and been refined in recent decades so the orthopaedic management of cerebral palsy has progressed from art to science. We are now in the pleasing position of having a tried and tested toolbox of procedures to deploy in the common musculoskeletal pathologies induced by diplegia, hemiplegia or quadriplegia. Yet a tool is only useful if it is used in the right place and so it is arguably the standardised assessment provided by gait analysis as well as improved understanding of the development of gait that has made the most difference by allowing clinicians to target interventions precisely temporally and anatomically to ensure the best outcomes. Although validated evaluations exist for the upper arm they have yet to reach the same level of reliability and universality as gait analysis, a desirable goal for future research. It is also important to remember that orthopaedic interventions can only ever ameliorate rather than solve the lifelong disabilities caused by cerebral palsy. For this reason it is vital that management first and foremost takes into account the desired outcomes of patients and carers including concerns such as cosmesis and independence. Likewise it is important to emphasise functional outcomes rather than abstract measures of deformity as these are in the end more important to patients.

Romeo is More to Blame in Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet Essay

Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet is about two star-crossed lovers, Romeo and Juliet, forbidden to be together because of feuding families. Countless people contribute to Romeo and Juliet’s predestined fate and misadventures. This ultimately leads to Romeo and Juliet’s suicide. Who is more to blame for Romeo and Juliet’s death? Although Juliet acts rashly, Romeo is more to blame. Furthermore, Romeo starts the whole tragedy. True, Juliet acts naà ¯ve, nonetheless Romeo acts hastily by encouraging the relationship. Prior to Romeo and Juliet’s encounter, Romeo is in an infatuation with Rosaline. In Act 1.1, Romeo depicts Rosaline's beauty and says, "She is too fair, too wise, wisely too fair." Romeo’s love for Rosaline is only skin deep and faces heart break when she chooses to be celibate. Yet when Romeo sees Juliet for the first time, he forgets all about Rosaline and instantly falls for Juliet. In Act 1.5, Romeo is the first to spot Juliet and immediately feels an attraction to her. In addition, Romeo thinks Juliet is very beautiful and convinces her to kiss him without knowing each other. Then in Act 2.1, Romeo pursues Juliet and goes to her balcony and begins to profess his love for her. When Romeo is swearing that he is in love with Juliet, she stops him and says everything is happening so quickly. However, Romeo reassures Juliet and they pl an for their marriage. Moreover after knowing Juliet for less than twenty-four hours, Romeo goes to his companion Friar Lawrence and asks him to marry them. True, Juliet is the one who sets up the marriage. However, Romeo is the one who pushed the relationship too far and too soon. In Act 2.3, Friar Lawrence is in shock with the sudden change from Rosaline to Juliet and comments on the ind... ...nd grieving for Juliet. Thinking Romeo’s is defiling Juliet’s grave, Paris and Romeo begin sword fighting. Romeo is extreme with anguish and kills Paris. Consequently, Romeo poisons himself and Juliet wakes up in confusion and heartbreak. Juliet alone and in shock feels her only alternative left is to kill herself and commits suicide. In the end Romeo is responsible for five deaths, Mercutio, Tybalt, Paris, Juliet and himself. Juliet kills herself because she is under different circumstances and does what she feels is the only option left. Juliet is courageous and strong for seeking advice and not being overly sensitive. Romeo is not only weak and foolish but is responsible for the tragic death of his own and Juliet’s. Work Cited Shakespeare, William. â€Å"Romeo and Juliet.† Literature and Language. Illinois: McDougal, Littell and Company, 1992. 722-842

The Theme of Marriage in Jane Austens Pride And Prejudice Essays

The Theme of Marriage in Jane Austen's Pride And Prejudice One of the main themes in Pride And Prejudice is marriage. Throughout the novel, the author describes the various types of marriages and reasons behind them. "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife. The novel demonstrates how many women need to marry men they are not in love with simply in order to gain financial security. The first instance of marriage seen in the novel is that between Mr and Mrs Bennet. However it is far from perfect, with the couple barely speaking to each other. Mr Bennet's extreme sarcasm that is seen throughout the book makes Mrs Bennet seem incompetent to hold a conversation and indeed at times a relationship. "They are silly and ignorant, like other girls". Austen uses the Bennet's relationship to illustrate at the beginning of the book that clearly many did not marry because of love or connection but merely for social and financial acceptance. The Longbourn estate is an extreme hardship on the Bennet family; it produces a hurdle in Mrs Bennet's goal to get all of her children married. The entailment of Mr Bennet's estate leaves his daughters in a poor financial situation, which both requires them to marry and makes it more difficult for them to marry. It might be correct in assuming that Mrs Bennet felt social and financial pressure to get all of her children married. Her husband's estate was entailed to his nephew, Mr. Collins. Therefore, Mrs. Bennet wanted her daughters to have financial stability elsewhere in case of their father's death. "If you go on refusing eve... .... Austen creates a character that is not special in any particular way but is yet so perfect to fulfil the role of a wife. We see that she is well dressed, educated, and creative. It is these qualities that attract Darcy as well as Elizabeth's apparent unwillingness to actually marry. Ultimately Elizabeth wants to marry for love. She turns down Mr Collins, even though he could have offered her a comfortable position in life and Mr Darcy, even with his fortune of  £10 000 a year. Austen uses different characters and their relationships to represent to the reader different aspects of marriage. Austen wants to create the perfect marriage but in doing this shows the reader that no marriage is perfect. She highlights how money and social status was far more desirable in the 19th century then true love and appreciation.

Good Behaviour Game Essay

Managing the classroom is an important part of efficient teaching. This research study aims to introduce the Good Behavior Game in the classroom to assess its effectiveness in the promotion of positive behavior and curtailing disruptive behavior among students. The strategy is an empirically-based group behavior management technique. Many studies have shown the usefulness of the Good Behavior Game in discouraging disturbing and disruptive behavior in students in a variety of school settings. The objective of this study is not solely to reinforce ‘good behavior’, instead it aims to reinforce voluntary control over attention and reduce the susceptibility to accidental negative reinforcement from peers in the classroom. Implementation of Good Behavior Game on the Students of First Standard Introduction Class room management is one of the most important aspects of Educational psychology and is closely related to motivation, respect and discipline. This term is used by teachers and psychologists to describe the process of running a classroom without disruption despite of disruptive behavior by the students. It also implies the prevention of behaviors that are disruptive in nature. Disruptive behavior is linked with subordinate or lesser scores on high stakes tests and low academic success overall (Wentzel, 1993). Brophy elucidates the term classroom management as a teacher’s efforts to create and uphold the classroom environment as an efficient place for teaching and learning (Brophy, 1986). Maintaining the classroom environment involves teacher’s efforts to provide activities for students that are both inside and outside of the classroom setting. This might include academic instruction, management of student interactions and supervision of student behavior (Wright, 2008). A study conducted by Merret and Wheldall advocated the point that for some teachers controlling behaviors of multiple students at the same time proves to be a difficult task. The study showed that teachers were unhappy and concerned about the level of disruptive behavior in their classrooms, because they were unaware of the knowledge of behavioral classroom management theories and strategies to address behavior in order to put into practice specific behavior modification strategies (Merrett & Wheldall, 1978). The research conducted by Wesley and Vocke showed that less than half of teacher pre-professional education programs (37%) necessitate students to complete a course designed to formally address classroom management approaches, techniques, and assessment of the methods (Jones, 1996), (Wright, 2008). Disruptive behavior projected by students is seen as a major concern while providing optimal learning and teaching environment. Many strategies and interventions have been used in order to tackle this issue and provide better class environment that is well managed. Effectiveness of behavior modification has been proven through research and behavior analytic approaches have been employed in many settings (Bellack & Hersen, 1990). These approaches address various target behaviors that include verbal, motor and combination of both motor and verbal behaviors. These approaches have been implemented in classrooms by teachers as they are the ones maintaining the environment of the class. Our research study focuses on how effective such strategies can be, when used by the teachers, to manage disruptive behaviors and maintain the protocol of the class. The stress is on the teacher as he or she is the constant variable in the classroom (teachers do not change or alter their behavior everyday) and can act as an effective behavior change agent. There is a growing need for efficient interventions that effectively deal with the behaviors of multiple students at the same time. Doing so is necessary because it ensures optimal learning and teaching environment that ultimately results in a more developed and aware students with better capability to make sense of the world around them. The Good Behavior Game The Good Behavior Game is a strategy used to manage behaviors in the classrooms that employs giving rewards to children for avoiding disruptive behaviors during instructional times. The class is divided into two teams and a point is given to a team for any inappropriate behavior shown by one of its members. The team with the lowest number of points at the Game’s end each day wins a group reward. If both teams keep their points below a predetermined level, then both teams share in the reward. The program was first used by Barrish, Saunders, and Wolf in 1969. Since then several research articles have confirmed that the Good Behavior Game is an efficient means of increasing the rate of desired behaviors while decreasing disruptive behaviors in the classroom. The Good Behavior Game sees the classroom as a community. The teacher is essential to the Good Behavior Game, because he or she determines the rules for becoming a successful student and member of the community and also sets whether each child succeeds or fails. The Good Behavior Game improves the accuracy with which the teacher delivers and the student receives these rules, and by doing so improves the teacher-student interaction and the child’s chances for success. Initiation of Good Behavior Game in classroom settings shows that the better behaved children were observed to influence and socially integrate the children who behaved less appropriately thus promoting healthy competition inside the class among students. Rationale This research aims to introduce the Good Behavior Game in the classroom to assess its effectiveness in the promotion of positive behavior and curtailing disruptive behavior among students. The strategy is an empirically-based group behavior management technique. Many studies have shown the usefulness of the Good Behavior Game in discouraging disturbing and disruptive behavior in students in a variety of school settings. The objective of initiating the Good Behavior Game is not solely to reinforce ‘good behavior’, instead it aims to reinforce voluntary control over attention and reduce the susceptibility to accidental negative reinforcement from peers in the classroom in order to develop an atmosphere of positive peer pressure, reduced inattentiveness and prevention of disruptive, disturbing and destructive behaviors in the class. Type of Experiment The study conducted includes elements of an observational study and a quasi experiment. Initially the students were observed and the frequency of desirable and undesirable behaviors occurring in the class was noted down. After the initial assessment, once the rules of the game were employed in the classrooms, the study was continued as a quasi experiment where we gauged whether the implementation of the game has any effects on the students’ behavior. Work Plan The experiment was conducted over a one month time period. The breakdown and time schedule is given below: For the first three days the classrooms were visited and the children and the teachers were observed; how the teacher deals with disruptive behavior in general, how often the students indulge in undesirable behavior, how other students react to the misbehaving students etc. For the next three weeks, the Good Behavior Game was employed in class after initial assessment with the help of the teacher. It was essential for the success of our study that the game continued at all times. Although we were not present in the school the whole time during the three week period, we visited the classes thrice a week to check up on the implementation and to observe if the game was having the hypothesized effects. We allocated two days at the end of the study to meet with the teachers and head of the school to debrief them about the study and get feedback as to how they received it and whether they, as professionals, saw any merit to implementing the game full time in their school. Good Behavior Game: Our use of the technique on First graders The school chosen to implement the study on was The City School, Kindergarten III, Gulshan Branch. The school comprised of students of the first standard. The technique was implemented in five steps. We modified the certain aspects of the Good Behavior Game: we had four groups in a class instead of two groups, the reward was given after every two weeks instead of every day and the game was played continuously through the school time instead of certain specific periods. There were two major reasons to implement the study on the first grade: First being that the first grade is a major transition for both the students and their families, that is, the first grade is generally the first place where all the children interact and that at this level behavior problem can be easily identified. Secondly, the first-grade classroom is well-suited for interventions, like the Good Behavior Game, that focuses on inculcating the role of students in classrooms. First grade is the first setting outside the home where many children learn the social and behavioral skills they will need to succeed in school. The first grade is also a good setting in which teachers can be provided with certain techniques to manage the class efficiently. Before the steps were employed in the classes a detailed observation of three days was carried out inside the classes in order to gauge the following aspects: The level and the amount of disruptive behavior; What is considered as bad or disruptive behavior; General time duration of the class; The time wasted in dealing with the disruptive behavior; Total time spent teaching every day; Attitude of the teachers and the level of student-teacher interaction. After the observation was made, the steps to incorporate the Good Behavior Game were put into action. The steps are as follow: Step One We discussed with the class teachers of the five sections if they were comfortable with employing Good Behavior Game inside their classes. The whole purpose of the study was explained to them and they were asked to decide whether the game should be played in certain periods or at all times. We explained to them that to see the hypothesized effects it should continue at all times so they agreed to implement the game full-time in their classes. The teachers were also asked how they defined disruptive behavior and what behaviors they would want to decrease in their students. Then the views of teachers and our observation were incorporated together in order to decide what behaviors are to be labeled as bad or disruptive. The list of behavior that we decided upon is: Leaving one’s seat without permission; Talking out loud during study time; Name calling; Fits of uncontrolled laughter; Speaking without raising one’s hand; Step Two The other step was to decide upon proper rewards that would be given to the winning teams. This was time consuming because the rewards should effectively motivate students to take part in the game. Thus six students from every class were interviewed about what would motivate them or push them to study harder and to avoid bad behaviors. This was an interesting part of the study as we got to know the perception of children about what they considered a gift or a reward and that how very important is it for them to win it. There were two rewards that were finally decided with the help of the teachers, students and our observation. The rewards that were decided are: Movie day Longer recess Step Three The third step was to introduce the Good Behavior Game to the class. A day before the game was to start it was announced in the assembly that a game would be starting in every section of the school. The students were told that they would be judged on the basis of their behaviors. The rules of the game were explained to the students which was and the identified bad behaviors were asked to be curtailed in order to win the rewards. The teachers were then asked to divide the class into four groups. For the sake of building camaraderie among students they were allowed to name their groups. The students were told the rules of the Good Behavior Game which were: The teams that would engage in bad or disruptive behaviors would earn a black star; In order to win the teams had to earn as few black stars as possible; If the number of stars for all the teams stays below six then they would all share the reward with the winning team. Step Four The fourth step was to put the game into effect. During those times that the game was in effect in the classroom, the teachers were asked to continue their usual instructional practices. The only change in the routine for them was to note and publicly record any black star earned by either of the teams. Teachers were given a chart to put stars on. The teachers were also asked to praise the students when they tried to avoid bad behaviors and tried to exhibit appropriate behaviors. Step Five The final step of our study was to observe the classrooms during the course of the game. Detailed observations were again made. We visited the school five times during the two weeks in which the Good Behavior Game was in action. Observations about the following were made: The level and the amount of disruptive behavior; General time duration of the class; The time wasted in dealing with the disruptive behavior; Total time spent teaching every day; Attitude of the teachers and the level of student-teacher interaction; Level of students’ interest in the game. Observations and Findings There was a noticeable drop in the level of disruptive behavior in the classroom as many students associated bad behavior with a black star, which was undesirable. While on the other hand, many students started behaving nicely to earn a golden star. Both positive and negative reinforcement was in action. The students learnt how to function as a member of a team. Level of cooperation was observed to rise within the students. It was observed that the teachers were less stressed and their moods were more pleasant when compared to before. Few children were scolded on the basis of disruptive behavior. Better academic attainment was seen, especially because teachers used the time made available for instruction and learning. Female students had much lower rates of disturbing and disruptive behaviors when compared to male students. The reward at the end of the game was seen as a major factor motivating the students to avoid engaging in disruptive behavior. The total teaching time per day in the classes increased around a good 20-30 minutes when compared to before. This happened because the time wasted in dealing with various disruptive behaviors decreased, resulting in more time available for the teacher to teach. It was observed that the age of the teacher also played a key role in the level of disruptive behavior in the classroom. The younger the teacher, the more the level of bad or undesired behavior in the class. The protocol for the discipline set by the school management was enhanced as more students tried to avoid those behaviors that were not allowed in the school rules. It was observed that after the initiation of the Good Behavior Game the environment of the class became more cheerful and students were more excited to learn. This meant that Good Behavior Game enhances the learning environment. It ensures maximum student-teacher interaction to provide better opportunities for the students to learn more openly. Good Behavior Game is more effective when compared to punishment in order to reduce undesirable or disruptive behavior in the class. Promoted healthy competition inside the classroom. Better behaved children were seen to influence and integrate the children who engaged in disruptive or inappropriate behavior. It was noticed that such classroom management technique enhances the teacher-child relationship. A student more easily identifies with his or her teacher and is less afraid to express what they think. The level of class participation increased. Students were actively engaged in learning and receptive to what their teachers taught them. Benefits of Good Behavior Game The Good Behavior Game is easy to implement and can benefit every student in the classroom. It cuts down on classroom distraction and benefits everyone and can help to create a positive and comfortable learning environment. To base the behavioral expectations for the Good Behavior Game on the school-wide expectations may facilitate students to generalize their appropriate behaviors across other settings. The Good Behavior Game is affordable and easy to put into practice. It does not involve extra class time to play. It is ideal for use in individual classrooms, throughout the school, or even throughout entire school districts. Its implementation is so easy that it can be brought into play effectively in almost every setting in the school, and even on the bus. The Good Behavior Game engages parents and caregivers in classroom activities too, so as to make sure that the effect of the game is not limited to the classroom but also other places where the children go. The Good Behavior Game works well with children whose first language is not English, which means that it can be implemented almost everywhere and that the scope of Good Behavior Game is not limited to only those children who are fluent in English. Also, the behavioral strategies in the Good Behavior Game support group based reinforcement for self-consciousness of disruption and aggression. Not only is the scope of this game limited to troublesome children but the game also extends as an effective resource for youth with special needs. Limitations Current developments in educational and psychological fields encourage positive approaches to improve children’s behavior. The Good Behavior Game remains an important tool for teachers struggling to manage classroom behavior yet the limitations remain. The study that was carried out had several limitations. The results that came out from our current observation showed that the students could have been at a good behavior because of the presence of outside observers in the classroom instead of the Good Behavior Game. Examination of the data suggested that this effect, if present, remained at a consistent level whenever observers were present in the classroom during the examination periods. However, this effect might not be present when observers were not present in the classroom, hence this effect might not be consistent throughout the study. To rectify this, future research should be implemented in a way that observations could be conducted in a less obvious method so as to give a natural and consistent result throughout the examination period. The teacher of the class thought that the preparation and involvement in the Good Behavior Game would require extra time and ingenuity and that extra burden would be placed on her, since she had also to prepare regular lessons. Due to this, the teacher was quite reluctant in helping and assisting us in the observation. Another problem, that was perhaps not as serious, concerned teacher observation of behaviors. No signaling system was used. The teacher had to become alert and talk about the behaviors in addition to continuing to conduct regular classroom activities. Spotting the target behaviors did not appear to be difficult for the teacher except when she faced the blackboard or talked to individual students. However, it should also be noted that since the teacher knew the students for a couple of months, for her, some behaviors would be quite normal and she might not have been able to identify them in an unbiased manner. Another problem that was faced was the time constraint. The observations were only carried out for six days which are inadequate to reach proper results in Good Behavior Game. Because the Good Behavior Game is typically played during instructional time, there is a decrease in disruptive behavior during this time, that is, the class is quieter so the teacher can be heard so the results might not be the ones if the game is played in another setting. Also it can be argued that classroom environment focuses on appropriate skill development rather than reductions of troublesome behavioral excesses. Conclusion Over all the Good Behavior Game is an excellent approach towards classroom management. It enables the teacher to control the level of disruptions inside the class and to engage the students in a healthy activity. During the course of our research we analyzed that the early years in childhood education matter a lot and if proper attention at this stage is not given then these behavioral problems might become ingrained in the children and result in pathology as they grow up. GBG uses the concept of reward instead of punishment which is a more efficient approach to reinforce behavior. Through this the students not only learn to avoid disruptive behavior but in the mean time also learn appropriate manners and the art of functioning in a group. References