The Rise And Fall Of College Tuition - 1575 Words

Adrianna Hodges Professor Robert Howell English 102 21 October 2015 The Rise and Fall of College Tuition in the United States In the recent debate regarding the implementation of free college tuition across the United States, Jon Wiener, a Los Angeles journalist for The Nation, and Kelly Field, chief Washington reporter for The Chronicle of Higher Education who covers different federal education policies, discuss why college tuition should be abolished in the United States of America and the role of both Democratic and Republican parties on the debate. In the article, â€Å"It’s Time to End Tuition at Public Universities - and Abolish Student Debt,† published by the Nation in March 2015, Jon Wiener annotates the crippling debt that college†¦show more content†¦Wiener and Field have left me inspired. It is time to end college tuition across the United States once and for all. Jon Wiener is a journalist and historian who bases his work in Los Angeles where he is contributing editor for The Nation. Wiener has a Ph. D from Harvard, where he began writing for a school newspaper in the late 1960s called The Old Mole, as well as a Bachelor of Arts degree from Princeton. Wiener currently works as an United States History professor at the University of California, Irvine. In the article, â€Å"It’s Time to End Tuition at Public Universities - and Abolish Student Debt†, published by the Nation in March 2015, Jon Wiener discusses reasonings behind the actions of implementing free college tuition across the entire United States. Wiener analyzes many different claims such as the surprising cost of college tuition and the alarming rate of which college tuition costs are rising. Wiener claims that nearly two-third of college graduates are dealing with roughly $29,000 in student-loan debt. He uses these statistics to scare the readers of his article with the underlying truth. Wiener wants to make sure that he gets the point across to his audience. Wiener also ties in the United State government’s effort into his work. He discusses the humongous amount of money that is put into college tuition already: â€Å"The US government already spends lots of money on student aid. Federal spending in 2014. the College Board reports, includes $47 bi llion

Organizational Structure And Functional Structure - 839 Words

How do you think your chosen company created their organizational structure? How is the organizational structure reflected in the company culture? The company I have chosen is the Department of Navy created their Functional Structure which was based of learned lessons from past military employment history. The Navy’s functional structure provides organization according to a jobs or an individual’s purpose within the organization. Departments that focus on a single function or goal most easily recognize functional organizations. For instance, an organization with a marketing department, a human resources department, a research and development department and so forth, operates according to functional organization. The functional structure provides employees, as well as their appropriate departments, with a clear objective and purpose for their work. As an example, employees within a marketing department know that their job is marketing and, as a result, those employees can focus on improving their marketing work and even specialize in a specific area of marketing. On the other hand, functional structure can create divisions between departments if a conflict develops between departments. How is the company able to keep all the employees up to date on company strategies and tactics within the current company dynamics? Is it effective? Management sets objectives and charts a course of action so as to be proactive rather than reactive to the dynamics of the businessShow MoreRelatedOrganizational Structure And Functional Structure999 Words   |  4 PagesFor traditional organization structures, departmentalization means that â€Å"how to group work positions into formal teams or departments that are linked together in a coordinated way† (Victoria management school, 2010, p. 272). These decisions have three types of organizational structure: functional, divisional, matrix and hybrid structures. The definition of functional structure is that making the groups which get the people who have the similar skills together for the similar tasks (Schermerhorn,Read MoreOrganizational Structure Of Functional Managers919 Words   |  4 PagesOrganization Structures relates to Project Management Functional managers have specialties such as engineering and manufacturing. They are usually selected for their technical expertise and ability to control the day to day operations. Functional Managers are considered cross-functional team and are self-directed to assign to a specific task. This type of management have different responsibilities, but all work to perform the same function of the department. Leadership within functional managersRead MoreChipotle s Organizational Structure Is Centered On The Functional Structure1350 Words   |  6 Pages Chipotle’s organizational structure is centered on the functional structure. The top levels of management include the co-CEOs, CFO, Head-Media Relations, and Chief Creative and Development Officer CCDO (Chipotle). Chipotle is a smaller corporation relative to its competitors, which allows it to focus on a vertical hierarchy based on functions. The fact that there are few departments demonstrates that Chipotle is still a growing corporation. Chipotle is a highly centralized corporation as allRead MoreChipotle s Organizational Structure Is Centered On The Functional Structure1097 Words   |  5 PagesChipotle’s organizational structure is centered on the functional structure. The top levels of management include the co-CEOs, CFO, Head-Media Relations, and Chief Creative and Development Officer CCDO (). Chipotle is a sm aller corporation relative to its competitors, which allows it to focus on a vertical hierarchy based on functions. The fact that there are few departments demonstrates that Chipotle is still a growing corporation. Chipotle is a highly centralized corporation as all of its storesRead MoreWhat Is the Relationship of Organizational Structure, Control and Culture? When Would a Company Decide to Change from a Functional to a Multidivisional Structure?593 Words   |  3 PagesAssignment 8 What is the relationship of organizational structure, control and culture? When would a company decide to change from a functional to a multidivisional structure? Between the structures, the controls and the culture is a relationship that works like a chain that is locked to itself. Organizational structure specifies procedures, controls, and decision-making authority. It is critical to match organizational structure to the company strategy. The structure have the purpose of manage the firm’sRead MoreHealthcare Organizational Structure And Implementing Strategy1121 Words   |  5 PagesHealthcare Organizational Structure Introduction Organizational structure is the framework around which the organization is organized, the underpinnings, which keep the coalition functioning. It s the operating manual that tells members how the organization is put together and how it works. More specifically, structure describes how members are accepted, how leadership is chosen, and how decisions are made (Nagy, 2014). With lives in their hands, hospitals have to function very precisely, executingRead MoreOrganizational Design and Organizational Structure Essay1427 Words   |  6 PagesORGANIZATIONAL DESIGN AND ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE An organization is a pattern of relationships-many interwoven, simultaneous relationships- through which people, under the direction of managers, pursue their common goals. These goals are the products of the decision - making processes. The goals that managers develop through planning are typically ambitious, far-reaching, and open-ended. Managers want to ensure that their organizations can endure for a long time. Members of an organizationRead MoreOrganizational Structure Of An Organization1085 Words   |  5 PagesAn organizational structure is a composition that specifies a company s hierarchical structure. There are various kinds of conformations that organizations can choose to build their business around. The organizational structure exemplifies the way in which control and business affairs have been appointed within the organization. Organizational structure encompasses the design of an organization though people positioning and responsibilities in order for organizatio nal goals can be reached. SomeRead MoreDisadvantages Of Organizational Structure811 Words   |  4 PagesOrganizational structure is a framework used to define the hierarchy of an organization. â€Å"An organization’s structure depends on a number of factors, including culture, top management’s preferences, the number of employees, geographic dispersion and the range of a company’s products and services† (Walston, 2014, p. 274). Also, it dictates individual job, its function, workflow and reporting system within the organization. This structure is developed to operate the organization efficiently and obtainRead More Organizational Structures Essay799 Words   |  4 Pagesis known as the organization structure formally defined by Wikipedia (2006) as, the way in which the interrelated groups of an organization are constructed. From a managerial point of view the main concerns are ensuring effective communication and coordination. In respects to project m anagement there are three primary organizational break downs they are functional structure, pure project structure, and matrix structure. We will take a look into each of these structures to better identify the similarities

Hosue On Mango Street Essay Example For Students

Hosue On Mango Street Essay 3Sandra Cisneros The House on Mango Street is an well-incorporated story told through vignettes shorts sections that piece by piece fit into a puzzle and reveal a theme. This unique story is about a disadvantaged young Chicana girl, named Esperanza, growing up in a poor neighborhood where she feels she does not belong. She does not like what she experiences, and constantly searches for a new future. As Esperanza grows and changes throughout the book, she realizes that women in her culture are treated unfairly, and makes a conscious choice not to fall into the same trap as the women around her. 4Women all around Esperanza, such as Minerva and Sally, are held hostage, within their own acceptance of an unjust cultural fate. For example, Minerva is a young girl who constantly prays for better luck, and a happier life, but enables her husband to take advantage of her, and therefore sets the path for her unsatisfactory life.One day she is through and lets him know enough is enough. Out the door he goes. Clothes, records, shoes. Out the window and the door locked. However, that night he comes back and sends a big rock through the window. Then he is sorry and she opens the door again. Minerva finds herself forgiving without truly seeing that her husband is sorry. She used marriage as a way out from her undesirable life, yet her married life still carries the same characteristics. And so, without fighting for a satisfactory life she settles with the hand she is dealt. 5Furthermore, Sally, an innocent friend of Esperanza, tries to escape her fathers cruel beatings through marriage, but her circumstances do not change, her husband still treats her as her father has in the past.He wont let her talk on the phone. In addition, he does not let her look out the window. In addition, he does not like her friends so nobody can visit her unless he is working. Sallys father controlled her and now it is her husband; she thinks that she is escaping when in reality she is just giving the leash to someone else. Sally chose the easiest way out of her life, marriage, she did not see the unfavorablelife of the women near her, she just chose a route to flee, without thinking of her future. 6All in all the women around Esperanza have all taken an easy escape from their surroundings leading them into another life of the same disappointment; and now accept their unhappy consequences, thinking that there is no way-out. Esperanza will not accept and is determined to overcome the unfair fate instructed on the women in her family, such as her great grand mother. For instance, Esperanza knows that she does not want to end up like her great Grand mother. She looked out the window her whole life like so many women sit their sadness on their elbow. I wonder if she made the best of what she got or was she sorry because she could not be all the things she wanted to be. Esperanza. I have inherited her name, but I dont want to inherit her place by the window (pg.11). 7Esperanza doe s not want to live a life of sadness. She searches for a path that would lead her out of the cycle that has captured her great grand mother and so many women around her. In addition, near the end of the book, Esperanza feels a need to come back and help those who are unable to leave, because she is positive that her fate will change.One day I will say goodbye to Mango. I am too strong for her to keep me here forever. One day I will go awayto come back. For the ones, I left behind. For the ones who cannot get out (pg. 110). 8Esperanza has a sensitive heart, one that is sympathetic; she does not want to see more people end up like Minerva, Sally, or her great grand mother. She knows that most women will not be able to see light leading out of the darkness, so she wants to be able to show them the way out. Esperanza knows .u05ff02e402a30836887f260b38ce1ed0 , .u05ff02e402a30836887f260b38ce1ed0 .postImageUrl , .u05ff02e402a30836887f260b38ce1ed0 .centered-text-area { min-height: 80px; position: relative; } .u05ff02e402a30836887f260b38ce1ed0 , .u05ff02e402a30836887f260b38ce1ed0:hover , .u05ff02e402a30836887f260b38ce1ed0:visited , .u05ff02e402a30836887f260b38ce1ed0:active { border:0!important; } .u05ff02e402a30836887f260b38ce1ed0 .clearfix:after { content: ""; display: table; clear: both; } .u05ff02e402a30836887f260b38ce1ed0 { display: block; transition: background-color 250ms; webkit-transition: background-color 250ms; width: 100%; opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #95A5A6; } .u05ff02e402a30836887f260b38ce1ed0:active , .u05ff02e402a30836887f260b38ce1ed0:hover { opacity: 1; transition: opacity 250ms; webkit-transition: opacity 250ms; background-color: #2C3E50; } .u05ff02e402a30836887f260b38ce1ed0 .centered-text-area { width: 100%; position: relative ; } .u05ff02e402a30836887f260b38ce1ed0 .ctaText { border-bottom: 0 solid #fff; color: #2980B9; font-size: 16px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0; padding: 0; text-decoration: underline; } .u05ff02e402a30836887f260b38ce1ed0 .postTitle { color: #FFFFFF; font-size: 16px; font-weight: 600; margin: 0; padding: 0; width: 100%; } .u05ff02e402a30836887f260b38ce1ed0 .ctaButton { background-color: #7F8C8D!important; color: #2980B9; border: none; border-radius: 3px; box-shadow: none; font-size: 14px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 26px; moz-border-radius: 3px; text-align: center; text-decoration: none; text-shadow: none; width: 80px; min-height: 80px; background: url(https://artscolumbia.org/wp-content/plugins/intelly-related-posts/assets/images/simple-arrow.png)no-repeat; position: absolute; right: 0; top: 0; } .u05ff02e402a30836887f260b38ce1ed0:hover .ctaButton { background-color: #34495E!important; } .u05ff02e402a30836887f260b38ce1ed0 .centered-text { display: table; height: 80px; padding-left : 18px; top: 0; } .u05ff02e402a30836887f260b38ce1ed0 .u05ff02e402a30836887f260b38ce1ed0-content { display: table-cell; margin: 0; padding: 0; padding-right: 108px; position: relative; vertical-align: middle; width: 100%; } .u05ff02e402a30836887f260b38ce1ed0:after { content: ""; display: block; clear: both; } READ: In Cold Blood: Death Penalty Essay

The Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance and Octopus Card System  Essay Example

The Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance and Octopus Card System  Ã‚   Essay The Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance and Octopus Card System  Ã‚   Lam Ka Chun 3035069794 The University of Hong Kong CCST9029 Cyberspace Crime: Technology and Ethics Dr. K. P. Chow Ms. Chan Vivien Pui Shan Abstract This article is about the leakage of data of the Octopus card company. In 2010 , Octopus sold the information of their clients to 6 companies for promotion and made a profit of 44 million Hong Kong dollars over 4. 5 years . In view of the case of Octopus case, this article will go through three part to study it : technical aspect, ethical aspect and legal aspect. It will also suggest feasible suggestions. The dis-honest company led a leakage of personal data: Octopus Card Company Introduction of Octopus card company According to the statistics, 95% of those between the ages of 16 and 65 have an Octopus and Octopus processes over 12 million transactions a day. The card is accepted by more than 100 transportation service providers and 160 retailers, including 7-Eleven, Starbucks, and Park Shop. It can also be used at pay phones, photo booths, and parking garages. This reveals that the octopus is commonly and widely used. Also implied that the leakage of personal data influences a lot of people. Technical Issue In terms of technical Issue, Octopus card is a rechargeable contactless stored value smart card used widely in transportation and retail business. How can it transfer the money without contact? It is because it used the technique of Radio  Frequency  Identification (RFID). We will go into deeper of the RFID. RFID is the use of a wireless non-contact system that uses radio-frequency electromagnetic fields to transfer data from a tag attached to an object, for the purposes of automatic identification and tracking. We will write a custom essay sample on The Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance and Octopus Card System  Ã‚   specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on The Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance and Octopus Card System  Ã‚   specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on The Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance and Octopus Card System  Ã‚   specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer The Octopus card requires no battery and are powered and read at short ranges via magnetic fields (electromagnetic induction). The tag contains electronically stored information which can be read from up to several meters (yards) away. Unlike a bar code, the tag does not need to be within line of sight of the reader and may be embedded in the tracked object. RFID tags are also used in many industries. An RFID tag attached to an automobile during production can be used to track its progress through the assembly line. Pharmaceuticals can be tracked through warehouses. Livestock and pets may have tags injected, allowing positive identification of the animal. Ethical Issue In terms of the ethical issue, there are a few points we would like to discuss. Firstly it is whether there is too much personal information required in the client agreement. The Octopus Company was questioned about if the personal information required on the client agreement was too much. The complainer claimed that the necessary information required by the scheme is actually just name and Octopus card number. Also, the client agreement was not user-friendly, because the text was too small, almost unreadable and the whole statement is too long and clumsy. But on the other hand, nowadays Hong Kong citizen are easily give out their information without knowing how the information will be used. The awareness of protection their personal data is too weak. Its always customers duty to read the whole statement no matter how not user-friendly it is because it should be themselves to protect their own privacy. Legal Issue The Octopus Card Company has actually sued the Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance. The company collected excessive personal data for the purpose of customer authentication and it failed to take all reasonably practicable steps to ensure that the applicants were explicitly informed of the classes of persons to whom the data may be transferred. Also, the company shared members personal data with third parties for monetary gains without their consent. The provision of data for monetary gain was not expressly stated in the Terms and Condition. This incident has actually highlighted the inadequacies of the present Ordinance as public expectation in data privacy raises, especially those in conjunction with business activities. Therefore, the government has amended the ordinance in 2012 to protect data users right. Six data protection principles: Principle 1 – purpose and manner of collection of personal data Principle 2 – accuracy and duration of retention of personal data Principle 3 – use of personal data Principle 4 – security of personal data Principle 5 – information to be generally available Principle 6 – access to personal data DPP1 and DPP3 are violated. Since the octopus company sold the data of their clients, the purpose of collection of personal data is different from what the pubic thought about. Also, there is no direct related to octopus system when the data is used. Therefore, use of personal data is also violated. Suggestion There are four suggestions which can help protecting personal data. First and foremost, due to the little attention to protect their own information of the citizen, the government should educate the citizen to build up the idea of protecting personal data. Second, improvements can be made in the security and privacy systems of companies to ensure low unintended data leakage. Third, government should make the rule stricter and clearer in order not to let the companies escape the law. Forth, set up a department to investigate among the all the companies to check whether there is similar issue happened. In conclusion, it is a fact that once our personal data has been leaked, it is not possible to stop the spreading of the data. It is both, companies, government and citizens’ responsibilities to protect our personal data. Reference Websites: http://healthymethod. blogspot. hk/2011/06/octopus-card-scandal. html http://www. cdeclips. com/en/hongkong/fullstory. html? id=49560 http://www. octopus. com. k/octopus-for-businesses/benefits-for-your-business/en/index. html A video of RFID http://www. explania. com/en/channels/technology/detail/what-is-rfid PDPOhttp://www. legislation. gov. hk/blis_pdf. nsf/6799165D2FEE3FA94825755E0033E532/B4DF8B4125C4214D482575EF000EC5FF/$FILE/CAP_486_e_b5. pdf Newspapers: The Standard, ‘Legco probe alert in Octopus data row’ 2/8/2010 The Standard, ‘Octopus chief tight-lipped as public says time to go’ 4/8/20 10 Articles: Richard MacManus (2 September 2009). Hong Kongs Octopus Card: Utility Outweighs Privacy Concerns.

Introduction BHP and Rio Tinto are the second and third largest iro Essays

Introduction BHP and Rio Tinto are the second and third largest iro Essays Introduction BHP and Rio Tinto are the second and third largest iro Essay Introduction BHP and Rio Tinto are the second and third largest iro Essay Contractual partnership can convey a batch of advantages, but besides brought along addition in complexness and loss flexibleness. Thereby, need to utilize the choice standards to take a spouse. Rio and BHP form joint venture aims to sharing each other benefits. For these two companies, the direction manner and construction and nature of merchandises were likewise. They are listed on the London stock exchange. Besides, BHP proposed acquisition of Rio in 2008 ( www.accc.gov.au ) that means before JV they have collaborate experience so they can cognize more about each other such as background of company, ways of communicating, capacity, fiscal state of affairs etcaˆÂ ¦ it can easy to formation of JV and minimise hazard of failure. China is the universe s largest importer of Fe ore and BHP-Rio together would account for 80 per centum of Australia s exports of the ore ( www.miningmx.com ) . Even is a major fabrication base for Fe and steel merchandise but they did non bring forth top-quality Fe ore, so they depend on two excavation giants to provide natural stuff ( www.news.bbc.co.uk ) . Therefore, if BHP and Rio JV successful it can keep the Fe ore supply to China stable and enjoy economic of graduated table. Why a joint venture was chosen as the vehicle of co-operation? FDI is the most advanced and complex for foreign market entry ( FME ) scheme, and involves set uping fabrication workss, selling subordinates, or other installations aboard ( Cavusgil, 2008 ) . Rio and BHP is a undertaking based, non-equity venture, which means undertaking with a narrow range and defined timetable, no new company formed ( Cavusgil, 2008 ) . This Domestic joint venture would hold led to Rio and BHP to sharing each other s mines and transit installations. For illustration, can cut downing costs through shorter rail draw and more efficient allotments of port capacity ( imperativeness release, 2009 ) . Besides, the president of Rio Tinto believed that: this joint venture will set up an matchless Fe ore concern with universe category assets and substructure ( imperativeness release, 2009 ) . Rio and BHP can unite the direction, procurance and general operating expense activities into a individual entity ( imperativeness release, 2009 ) . It can merely direction construction and can be adjusted easy. The companies had estimated cost nest eggs of around $ 10bn ( ?6.3bn ) a twelvemonth through the sharing of substructure and forces. ( www.news.bbc.co.uk ) . However, JV has some disadvantages to Rio and BHP. It is because JV did non hold equity committedness. Besides, two companies need to set greater accent on trust, communicating and developing relationship ( Cavusgil, 2008 ) . On the other manus, some of literature identifies many motives to formation JV such as minimise the hazards and costs with market entry, entree to assets and accomplishments, enjoy the economic systems of graduated table and portion the acquisition of cognition ( manner A ; Hersch, 2005 ) . c. What external events gave rise to the chance or force per unit area to work together? Use PESTEL and Porter s Five Force model to analysis the external events give rise BHP and Rio Tinto to the chance or force per unit area to work together. PESETL: Political- high spots the function of authoritiess Regulator opposition may hold played an of import function in the companies determination. In BHP proposed to acquisition Rio, the Australian Government have negative attitude, the authorities inquire this two companies meet the grant which are the authorities provided. Economics- macroeconomic factors such as exchange rates, concern rhythm and differential economic growing rates around the universe. ( Gerry, 2008 ) In 2008 the planetary fiscal crisis has impact the steel and excavation industry ( www.steelorbis.com ) . The economic system and weak demand, iron-ore monetary values should be half their 2008 degrees ( Robert Guy Matthews, 2009 ) . Even fiscal crisis consequence economic around the universe but some of the developed states such as: Brazil, Russia, India and China they are fiscal state of affairs can keep in the turning. Thereby, the demand of Fe ore will once more be taking the growing with an expected addition of 11.1 % for 2008 and 10.3 % for 2009 ( www.worldsteel.org ) . Besides, Fe ore monetary values were mounting rapidly, chiefly because China was devouring more steel and mineworkers had supply concatenation problem-not adequate ports, railwaies and ships-both of which kept supplies scarce ( www.online.wsj.com ) . Porter s Five Force devised by Michael Porter to depict forces that form competition within an industry and aid to place strategic chances and menaces. Vale of Brazil is the merely other chief rival with Rio and BHP ( SJ Berwin, 2010 ) . Dickering power of provider: Australian authorities is a major provider to the Fe ore industry, so the bargaining power is higher. Dickering power of rival: In the planetary market those three providers dominated the Fe ore market which is Vale, Rio and BHP. Vale is the largest provider in the universe. In 2008, Vale to keep 32.8 % portions in the Seaborne Fe ore market and Rio and BHP severally 18.6 % and 17.1 % ( www.worldsteel.org ) . Before JV Vale is the lone one rival for Rio and BHP. If JV successful, Rio and BHP will command about 36 % portions of the seaborne Fe ore market. Thurs, the bargaining power will higher than earlier. Dickering power of purchaser: Iron ore industry the purchaser major purchaser which is China, Japan and Korea, they are dickering power is lower. It is because this industry dominates by 3 major mineworkers. Those purchaser hard to happen others supplier in the market. Question 2 In a planetary market Fe ore dominated by an oligopoly with merely three providers, Vale, Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton ( Moffat,2009 ) . The trade good s monetary value is set in one-year dialogues dominated on the provider side by Rio, BHP and Vale of Brazil, the universe s largest manufacturer ( www.ft.com ) . If the joint venture successful may curtail competition in relation to the cardinal competitory parametric quantities in the seaborne Fe ore markets such as: monetary value, volume and quality ( Moffat, 2009 ) . The follow image can demo large three mineworkers dominate the seaborne Fe ore market: A Shares of Seaborne Iron Ore Market, % A 2006 2007 2008 Valley 36.1 A 36.1 32.8 Rio Tinto 19.0 19.3A 18.6 BHP Billiton 14.2 A 13.8 17.1 Entire 69.3 A 69.2 68.5 Beginning for market portions: Raw Materials Group quoted in UNCTAD Trust Fund on Iron Ore Information Iron Ore Market 2008-2010 , Geneva, June 2009 However, Iron ore is a globally traded commoidty it can linkage with different industry in the economic market such as automotive industry, steel industry etc..so it plays an improtant function in the universe. Rio and BHP signifier JV, many committees come from different state and play different function to against the JV. They aim to guarantee the concern can run reasonably and to undertake unjust competition. In this instance, three states such as China, Japan and Korea have largest respond. China is the largest steelworker in the universe, on this joint venture proposal it would refer about the monetary value of Fe ore control in custodies of the top three Fe ore mineworkers ( David Fickling, 2010 ) . Besides, the Japan Iron and Steel Federation estimates a combined BHP-Rio would command 60 % of the state s Fe ore imports ( www.lowyinterpreter.org ) .Thus, steelworkers in China, Japan and Europe have all opposed the affiliation between the excavation giants, stating the joint venture will lean the planetary Fe ore market further in favor of three manufacturers who already dominate the seaborne Fe ore trade ( www.ft.com ) . Otherwise, The South Korea s FTC said a joint venture would hold reduced competition in the Fe ore market, it is because Rio and BHP would portion the same cost construction, end product volume and quality ( www.bestshippingnews.com ) . Furthermore, Rio and BHP signifier JV this two companies will unite Fe ore production installations in the Pilbara, means that many workers will confront occupation losingss so Australian Government to against this JV ( www.wabusinessnews.com.au ) . Question 3 Definitions of corporate civilization: Meschi and Roger ( 1994 ) when an organisation develops into a MNC, the corporate civilization can hold it basic on the original organisational civilization, or the national civilization, or a combination of two. Two of Australian which is Rio and BHP signifier JV in Australian, in this subdivision usage determiners of organisational to analysis their corporate civilization. National civilization The follow image showed the feature of Australian had higher degree in individuality and lower degree in power distance state ( www.geert-hosfstede.com ) . That means Australians tend to work independently and the direction squad would wish to ask for they are employee to take part in determination devising. Beginning from: www.geert-hofstede.com History of organisation Rio and BHP they develop their concern in different state, so they did non hold pure state civilization. Industry civilization Rio and BHP those two iron ore companies they have similar concern country. Hence, they can portion same value and civilization. Management manner Jacques Nasser the manager of BHP has 33 twelvemonth calling experience in different state such as America. Jan du Plessis the Chairman of Rio besides have career experience in America and British company ( www.riotino.com A ; www.bhpbilliton.com ) . Those two determination shapers have international direction manner so they can utilize the experience to direction their company. Size of organisation Rio and BHP are the MNE, they are concern activities cover different state such as UK, Australian, Brazil etcaˆÂ ¦ Nature of employees Whether educated or accomplishments worker, Rio and BHP is mining industry so the construction did non hold more different, so they required their employee s background is similar. What is dialogue Brian J. Hurn ( 2007 ) acquiring people of different civilizations to see understanding by considered duologue on an in agreement docket. Usunier ( 2003 ) suggested threes aspects of civilization different impacting international dialogue: Negotiation procedure Australian prefers to negociate in a reasonably straightforward and honorable manner ( Katz, 2009 ) . Australian did like being pressured so do non do the concluding offer early in the negotiating procedure and avoid doing more than one time ( Katz, 2009 ) . In the communicating procedure, some of Australians will some they are emotions and positive and negative straight. Besides, they can esteem people who give any thought whether they agree or disagree with them ( Katz, 2009 ) . When Australians make determination they may use cosmopolitan rules instead than sing the specific state of affairs ( Katz, 2009 ) . In outcome orientations, Australians tend to written a item contracts. They can name out elaborate footings and conditions for the nucleus understanding. Behavioral sensitivity of parties Aussies appreciate who has a sense of wit, they prefer the meeting atmosphere is normally really informal ( Katz, 2009 ) . Aussies believe in the dialogue procedure can acquire the win-win state of affairs even in the dialogue procedure two party have struggles, they hope both parties should maintain a positive attitude and show willingness to work with other in an attempt to make understanding ( Katz,2009 ) . Underliing constructs of dialogue In the strategic time-frame, Australian expect they concern spouse to be one clip. They ca nt non accept they spouse tardily more than 10 to 15 proceedingss without holding a sensible alibi ( Katz, 2009 ) . Australian believe in dialogue sharing information is a manner to construct up trust with each other. Besides, in gait of dialogue information and bargaining move swimmingly but the determination devising can be instead slow. That means they prefer use more clip to dialogue with their concern spouse ( Katz, 2009 ) . Base on above analysis, Australian is refers to Universalism and they are emotionality is low context. Two Australian companies which are Rio and BHP when work together, they are facets individualists and the attitude can be overtly competitory. Besides, in the concern dialogue and determination doing procedure they can maintain it swimmingly and harmoniousness. Rio and BHP these two Australian companies did non entree to foreign market to organize JV so it can specify they are a domestic JV. They have same state civilization so their corporate civilization may simplify than other international corporation. In the cooperation phase, when two companies come together to organize JV, the major aim is to larning cognition from their spouse and acquire benefit from the JV. However, in determinates of organisational civilization this two companies the national civilization and industry civilization are similar hence in the execution phase did non play a important function. Rio and BHP signifier JV, senior direction of the entity will be determined jointly on the footing of the best individual for the occupation with loosely equal engagement from Rio Tinto and BHP Billiton. The initial Chairman of the non-executive proprietors council will be Sam Walsh, presently Rio Tinto Chief Executive Iron Ore, and the initial CEO of the production joint venture will be BHP Billiton Iron Ore President, Ian Ashby ( imperativeness release, 2009 ) . In decision, When Rio and BHP JV successful the cardinal forces of the JV will be alteration, the direction manner it may impact the corporation. Therefore, to grantee the good JV execution or operation, these two companies need the best direction accomplishment between two spouses within JV. Question 4 Finance strategic Financial director drama an of import function in the company, is involved in the acquisition and allotment of fiscal resources for the company s current and future activities and undertakings, with the primary aim of maximising the company value ( Cavusgil, 2008, p.581 ) . Besides, in the company the fiscal director demand to concern three major rules fiscal direction accomplishments such as cost of capital and capital construction, methods of funding, currency hazard and revenue enhancement direction. Cost of capital can specify The rates of return that a company has to offer finance suppliers to bring on them to purchase and keep a fiscal security From the company s position cost of capital equal to cost of investing, it is the rate ( % ) that the company needs to pay to the investors and moneymans in order to obtain financess. It is an index for the minimal rate of return ; the company needs to obtain from doing a determination on a new undertaking ( Elteman, 2004 ) . From the finance director s position demand to concern how to minimise the cost of capital, what is the optimum funding construction and which sorts of funding instruments are most effectual and efficient. Before the company makes an investing determination they need to compare the rates of return of investing with the cost of capital of company. If the expected return on the investings is low as compared with the WACC, the investing is obliging. Harmonizing to the survey by Arnold and Hatzopoulos ( 2000 ) , WACC is most normally used by different types of companies, runing from little to big sized, every bit good as those listed companies within the stock index. The construct of Leaden Average Cost of Capital ( WACC ) is used for ciphering the Cost of Investment ( Elteman, 2004, p.301-303 ) . WACC = Calciferol Ten ( r debt ) Ten ( 1- revenue enhancement ) + Tocopherol ten ( r equity ) E+D E+D Base on the hazard of JV different with parent s company so they need to utilize cost of capital to judge the investing. WACC of Rio and BHP did non stand for of cost of capital of the JV, it is because different undertaking will transport different cost of capital it will depend on the degree of hazard. As compare JV with Rio and BHP, the hazard of JV higher than Rio and BHP. It is because JV focuses on individual merchandise but Rio and BHP they focus on diverseness merchandises, so if the monetary value of one merchandise lessening, the others merchandise monetary value it may increase that can minimise the degree of hazard. Normally, have two methods to beginning of funding which are internal and external. The internal beginning of funding includes inter-company loan and transportation pricing. The external beginning of funding includes equity funding and debt funding. Equity funding is the issue of portion of stock to raise capital from investors and the usage of maintained net incomes . Debt funding is the adoption if money from Bankss or other fiscal mediators, or selling corporate bonds to persons or establishments bonds to raise capital ( Cavusgil, 2008 ) . Inter-company loan that means Rio Tinto borrow financess from exterior for JV intent. External financess means JV borrow financess from outside by them self. Use the equity or debt to beginning of funding can hold more advantages and disadvantages. The chief advantage of equity funding is that the house obtains needed capital without incurring debt ; that is, without holding to refund financess to the suppliers at any peculiar clip ( Cavusgil, 2008 ) . The chief disadvantage of equity funding is that the house s ownership is diluted whenever new equity is sold ( Cavusgil, 2008 ) . In the JV, Rio and BHP can utilize different ways to raise equity funding such as direct public portion issue, private arrangement and private equity fund. Rio and BHP they listed stock in Australia and New York market. When they use issue portion in the local market to lift of capital for the JV, they need to see market liquidness refers to the grade which a company issue new securities without take downing the bing market monetary value. If Rio and BHP listing in foreign stock exchange, they can better liquidness of its portions and therefore let bigger market for new portion issues but they need to concern the trading volume in the foreign market. On the other manus, they need to see the asymmetric information. It is because instability information available to different investors in the universe. In the metameric domestic market, usually foreign investor may hold limited information about the domestic companies that discourage the investors to put in those portions ( Elteman, 200 4 ) . In decision, the above determination is merely based on fiscal deductions. However, for a company to affect in long term investing, non merely make up ones mind from the fiscal facets, but besides to see the strategic facet such as growing potency and competition.

Wendell Phillips Biography

Wendell Phillips Biography Wendell Phillips was a Harvard educated lawyer and wealthy Bostonian who joined the abolitionist movement and became one of its most prominent advocates. Revered for his eloquence, Phillips spoke widely on the Lyceum circuit, and spread the abolitionist message in many communities during the 1840s and 1850s. Throughout the Civil War Phillips was often critical of the Lincoln administration, which he believed was moving too cautiously in ending slavery. In 1864, disappointed by Lincolns conciliatory and lenient plans for Reconstruction, Phillips campaigned against the Republican Party, which was nominating Lincoln to run for a second term. Following the Civil War, Phillips advocated for the program of Reconstruction championed by Radical Republicans such as Thaddeus Stevens. Phillips split with another leading abolitionist, William Lloyd Garrison, who believed the Anti-Slavery Society should be shut down at the end of the Civil War. Phillips believed that the 13th Amendment would not ensure true civil rights for African Americans, and he continued to crusade for full equality for blacks until the end of his life. Early Life of Wendell Phillips Wendell Phillips was born in Boston, Massachusetts, on November 29, 1811. His father had been a judge and the mayor of Boston. His familys roots in Massachusetts went back to the landing of Puritan minister George Phillips, who arrived aboard the Arbella with Gov. John Winthrop in 1630. Phillips received the education befitting a Boston patrician, and after graduation from Harvard he attended Harvards newly opened law school. Known for his intellectual skills and ease with public speaking, not to mention his familys wealth, he seemed destined for an impressive legal career. And it was generally supposed that Phillips would have a promising future in mainstream politics. In 1837, the 26-year-old Phillips took a profound career detour that began when he rose to speak at a meeting of the Massachusetts Anti-Slavery Society. He gave a brief address advocating for the abolition of slavery, at a time when the abolitionist cause was well outside the mainstream of American life. An influence on Phillips was the woman he was courting, Ann Terry Greene, whom he married in October 1837. She was the daughter of a wealthy Boston merchant, and she had already become involved with the New England abolitionists. The move away from mainstream law and politics became Phillips life calling. By the end of 1837 the newly married lawyer was essentially a professional abolitionist. His wife, who was chronically ill and lived as an invalid, remained a strong influence on his writings and public speeches. Phillips Rose to Prominence as an Abolitionist Leader In the 1840s Phillips became one of the most popular speakers of the American Lyceum Movement. He traveled giving lectures, which were not always on abolitionist subjects. Known for his scholarly pursuits, he also spoke about artistic and cultural subjects. He was also in demand to speak about pressing political topics. Phillips was often mentioned in newspaper reports, and his speeches were famous both for their eloquence and sarcastic wit. He was known to hurl insults at the supporters of slavery, and even castigated those whom he felt were not sufficiently opposed to it. Phillips rhetoric was often extreme, but he was following a deliberate strategy. He wanted to inflame the northern populace to stand up against the slave power of the South. When Phillips began his campaign of deliberate agitation, the anti-slavery movement was, to some extent stalled. It was too dangerous to send advocates against slavery into the South. And a pamphlet campaign, during which abolitionist pamphlets were mailed to southern cities, had been met with fierce opposition the early 1830s. In the House of Representatives, discussion of slavery was effectively silenced for years by what became notorious as the gag rule. Joining his colleague William Lloyd Garrison in the belief that the United States Constitution, by institutionalizing slavery, was an agreement with hell, Phillips withdrew from the practice of law. However, he used his legal training and skills to encourage abolitionist activity. Phillips, Lincoln, and the Civil War As the election of 1860 approached, Phillips opposed the nomination and election of Abraham Lincoln, as he did not consider him forceful enough in his opposition to slavery. However, once Lincoln was in office as president, Phillips tended to support him. When the Emancipation Proclamation was instituted at the beginning of 1863 Phillips supported it, even though he felt it should have gone further in liberating all the slaves in America. As the Civil War ended, some believed that the work of the abolitionists had been successfully finished. William Lloyd Garrison, the longtime colleague of Phillips, believed it was time to shut down the American Anti-Slavery Society. Phillips was thankful for the advances made with the passage of the 13th Amendment, which permanently prohibited slavery in America. Yet he instinctively felt that the battle was not truly over. He turned his attention to advocating for the rights of the freedmen, and for a program of Reconstruction that would respect the interests of former slaves. Post-Slavery Career of Phillips With the Constitution amended so that it no longer countenanced slavery, Phillips felt free to enter mainstream politics. He ran for governor of Massachusetts in 1870, but was not elected. Along with his work on behalf of the freedmen, Phillips became intensely interested in the emerging labor movement. He became an advocate for the eight-hour day, and by the end of his life he was known as a labor radical. He died in Boston on February 2, 1884. His death was reported in newspapers across America. The New York Times, in a front-page obituary the following day, called him A Representative Man of the Century. A Washington, D.C., newspaper, also featured a page one obituary of Phillips on February 4, 1884. One of the headlines read The Little Band of Original Abolitionists Loses Its Most Heroic Figure.

ARIMA modeling Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

ARIMA modeling - Assignment Example In other words, the data for modeling the revenues of Costco Company may probably need differentiation through it is not certain that there is need for differentiation. In addition, the fact that the first six lags fall outside the confidence area shows that the data is non-stationary, that is, there is trend in the revenue function of Costco Company. Even though there is a trend (non-stationary data) it does not necessarily mean that the data should be transformed or differentiated. This decision can only be reached if specific lags such as 12, 24, and 36 are verified in respect to their expected values. That is when the decision to differentiate the data to remove seasonality and trend will be arrived at. In as much as the aspects of being non-stationary and having a trend have been removed through AR(1) as depicted in the ACF graph, the data looks much better though with two positive spikes at lag 1 and lag 3,. The lags 1 and 3 shows that the data is still non-stationary and there is trend in the data. There is need to remove the non-stationary and trend aspects of the data for efficient and effective modeling of the problem. The indication is that the data does not have a mean or constant variance. In order to do this, there is need to further differentiate the data by taking the 3rd different of y since this will remove the seasonality in the data. The above graph shows that there are specific lags that lie outside the confidence area. This means that the data is not stationary. It is important to find the ACF for the other differences such as 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, and 7th for the purposes of removing aspects of seasonality in the data. These lags exist outsides the confidence level as depicted by the ACF graph. The coefficients are SAR and SMA due to the seasonality present in the data. The p values of both coefficients are below .05. The MS is 466718 for the model.

Case studies 1 & 2 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Case studies 1 & 2 - Essay Example However the company is faced with the ethical issue of being environment conscious and pro-green operations while having to dump the sewer waste in the Chavon River. This poses as a major issue for the company. Legally there exist no laws that the company would be breaking if it decides to continue on the suggestion provided by Teltec and dump its sewer waste in the Chavon River. However the increasing interest in environment protection including protecting Earth's water resources can lead to a law suit in the future by the Dominican Republic or the community living near the river against the company for dumping its waste in the Chavon River. Moreover consumer action groups can take action against the company for not upholding its social corporate responsibility by polluting its regions of operation in Dominican with the dumping of sewer waste in the Chavon River. In Economic terms the company would be better off dumping its waste in the river as the company would not have to deal with the extensive costs of setting up a treatment plant, and treating the waste before it gets dumped into the river. In the short term this is going to be economically feasible and profitable for the company. However with the passage of time the amount of pollution being driven into the river is going to increase while increasing the pollution levels and concentration as well. At this position it would not be economically suitable or viable for the company to continue dumping untreated sewage into the river as counter lawsuits and legal action can raise fines for the company that would have to be met and alternatives to dumping would have to be developed at additional costs. From the ethical perspective the issue that the Clean Power Company would be facing pertains to the ethical dilemma of not acting upon ones own vision and strategy for business. The company manufactures energy efficient products with the vision of increasing awareness amongst the consumers for environment sustainability while still earning profits form the sale of the energy regulators. However with the practice of dumping the sewerage and the waste directly into the river the company would be not acting on its own beliefs leading to tarnished image for the company. The company is also philanthropic in the manner it wants to develop the local region of operations in the Dominican Republic by building infrastructure to provide support to the local community while establishing programs for their education and development. However if the company takes to dumping sewerage and waste directly into the river, it would create a contradiction of ideology as the action would lead to the pollut ing of the regional environment that goes against the philanthropic viewpoint and perspective of the company. Question B: Stakeholder Management - Write a minimum of 2 pages in APA format addressing the questions below regarding the following stakeholders: the

Self Esteem Essay Example for Free

Self Esteem Essay You cant touch it, but it affects how you feel. You cant see it, but its there when you look at yourself in the mirror. You cant hear it, but its there every time you talk about yourself. What is this important but mysterious thing? Its your self-esteem! Self Esteem is defined as confidence in your own merit as an individual. Our self-esteem is instilled in us during our youth. There are two types of self-esteem. There is high self-esteem which is when you feel good about yourself, and then there is low self-esteem which is when you feel bad about yourself. see more:explain the link between identity self image and self esteem Being constantly criticized by family, friends, and society tends to slowly strip us of our feelings of self-worth. Your self-esteem, however, is something more fundamental than the normal ups and downs associated with situational changes. For people with good self-esteem, normal ups and downs may lead to temporary fluctuations in how they feel about themselves, but only to a limited extent. In contrast, for people with poor self-esteem, these ups and downs drastically impact the way they see themselves. A dynamic relationship exists between self-esteem and skill development. As a child improve in self-esteem, his academic competence increases. And as that competence increases, his self-esteem improves. One of the main factors differentiating humans from other animals is the awareness of self: the ability to form an identity and then attach a value to it. In other words, you have the capacity to define who you are and then decide if you like that identity or not. The problem of self-esteem is this human capacity for judgment. It’s one thing to dislike certain colors, noises, shapes, or sensations. But when you reject parts of yourself, you greatly damage the psycho logical structures that literally keep you alive. Judging and rejecting yourself causes enormous pain. Now-a-days many organizations and the international council on self-esteem serves to promote public and personal awareness of the benefits of a healthy sense of self-esteem and personal responsibility and to establish conditions within families, schools, businesses and governments that foster these qualities. Because self-esteem is a feeling not a skill it can only be measured by observing the way in which a person acts or behaves. However, what we feel about ourselves is not based solely on what we do. It usually involves our relationships with others and whether we feel worthwhile as people. We have a basic human need to be wanted, noticed, and included. Observing ourselves in relation to other people can be a helpful source of learning and feedback. Yet all too often comparison slips into competition. The reality is we are all different. Each of us has strengths and limitation which we need to learn about and learn to live with. Do not assume you are not important; other people have an effect on you and you affect them. It is no good waiting for others or circumstances to leave us feeling better about ourselves. So accept responsibility for your own actions: as we cannot make other people change, we need to make the changes ourselves.

Missing Children Essay -- Law, Adam Walsh

The case of six-year old Adam Walsh is perhaps one that will never leave the minds of anyone initially horrified by its details. In 1981 young Adam was kidnapped from a local mall and regardless of tireless efforts by his parents John and Reve Walsh, volunteers, and law enforcement; Adam fell victim to murder. Two weeks after the boy went missing, his decapitated head was located, but his body was never found. This prompted his father John Walsh to start a campaign and legislature policy submission toward more stringent accountability for child crime offenders. â€Å"The murder transformed John Walsh's life, turning him from a middle-class hotel marketing executive into one of country's best known advocates for missing children† (Thomas, 2008). In this paper, the initial legislative policy signed into law by President George W. Bush and the current policy addition initiative sought by Mr. Walsh is examined. The Scope of the Initiative With the signing of the initial policy by President Bush in 2006, the Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act became law. Aforementioned, the policy directive was to enact tougher laws on child predators however; the policy contains two additional provisions that would violate states rights and state policy’s currently in place for adoptive, foster, and relative caregivers. The two provisions contained in the Adam Walsh law are to follow. 1. Modified existing requirements for conducting criminal background checks 2. Created a new requirement to conduct child abuse registry checks of prospective foster and adoptive parents. (Miller, 2007). The policy provisions left the states the discretion of choosing placement however, if those in the household filing for adoption or fostering o... ...l, such as in Morse’s report cited, now have the opportunity to voice concerns and suggestions. Conclusion The Adam Walsh Act while regulatory and legislative, still requires changes before all parties affected stand united in approval. Whereas Congress could use its spending power to encourage state compliance, not all states would view this as constitutional. There is much to do concerning this act, but the outcome is unpredictable. Current filings to repeal or revise the entire Adam Walsh Act exist such as by Citizens for Change in America, represented by Michael R. Handler. The repeal document cites the AWA as being draconian and going against Due Process and the Bail Reform Act of 1984. Only time will prove the Adam Walsh Act is successful as currently written, but undoubtedly there are changes to come with such opposition and reasoning.

Dissolved Oxygen Lab #1 Assignment Essay

Determine which of the following observations are testable. For those that are testable: †¢ Write a hypothesis and null hypothesis †¢ What would be your experimental approach? †¢ What are the dependant and independent variables? †¢ What is your control? †¢ How will you collect data? †¢ How will you present your data (charts, graphs, types)? †¢ How will you analyze your data? 1. When a plant is placed on a window sill, it grows faster than when it is placed on a coffee table in the middle of the living room. . The teller at the bank with brown hair and brown eyes is taller than the other tellers. 3. I caught four fish at seven o’ clock in the morning but didn’t catch any at noon. 4. The salaries at Smith and Company are based on the number of sales and Billy makes 3,000 dollars more than Joe. 5. When Sally eats healthy foods and exercises regularly, her blood pressure is lower than when she does not exercise and eats fatty foods. 6. The Italian restaurant across the street closes at 9 pm but the one two blocks away closes at 10 pm. 7. Bob bought a new blue shirt with a golf club on the back for twenty dollars. 8. For the past two days the clouds have come out at 3 pm and it has started raining at 3:15 pm. 9. George did not sleep at all last night because he was up finishing his paper. 10. Ice cream melts faster on a warm summer day than on a cold winter day. 11. How can you apply scientific method to an everyday problem? Give one example.

360 Degree Feedback

Abstract As today’s businesses continue to expand, workers are expected to perform well on their jobs. This is what truly happened to management who has a tendency to measure how well they are doing on their job. The job done in a certain period of time is frequently evaluated by performance appraisal. Performance appraisals lead to enhancing employee’s performance, internal communication (relationship), and quality improvements as well. Some experts argue that formal performance appraisal is somewhat useless and many of them contemplate performance appraisals can be detrimental to quality improvement and convey some negative perceptions to the management (David Law, 2007). Albeit many professionals pointed out disadvantages associated with using performance appraisal, I contemplate that its benefits outweigh drawbacks. As such, a 360-degree feedback is one of the numerous examples of performance evaluation methods. Performance appraisals can be used to measure one’s job performance with feedback from subordinates, peers, and managers in the organization, so that everyone in the particular organization knows what and where he or she needs to improve. In addition, well-scheduled 360-degree feedbacks lead to positive changes in worker’s job satisfaction and enhance the company’s effort to attain its own interest. The stable encouragement of the effects of performance appraisal has a variety of short-term and long-term consequences including improved job performance, harmonious interpersonal relationships (superiors and subordinates), and as well as advanced quality management (continuous improvement) within organizations. History The 360-degree feedback was initially used by the U. S. Armed Forces to support development of its staff in the 1940’s. Later on Clark Wilson from the University of Bridgeport (Connecticut) developed the first 360-degree feedback survey instruments for management development and it has been used and studied since 1973 (www. erformanceprograms. com). Valuable factors A 360-degree feedback offers a variety of remarkably potential benefits. According to Stephane Brutus et al. (2006), all of the following benefits have been applied to six different countries in distinct functions, such as: accounting, finance, manufacturing, and many other primary departments. â⠂¬ ¢Individuals get a broader perspective of how they are perceived by others than previously possible. It indicates that awareness of and relevance of competencies in workers’ psyche will continue to increase over time. At this point, management should be aware that they too have development needs that are crucial for the whole organization. Once this step has been applied, employees would next give more reliable feedback to managers about their performance. I believe this method could be seen as a win-win situation which is beneficial for both workers and management. †¢Encouraging more open feedback — new insights. It indicates that reinforcing the desired competencies of the business requires a clearer picture to senior management of individual’s real worth. A 360-degree feedback clarifies the employee’s critical performance aspects because open feedback gives people a more rounded view of performance than they had previously. †¢Identifying key development areas for the individual, a department and the organization as a whole. Individuals’ strengths can be used to the best advantage of the business. A rounded view of the individual’s/ team’s/ organization’s performance determines appropriately strengths and weaknesses in business environment. Therefore, the self-awareness of managers will have personally impact upon subordinates. †¢Supporting a climate of continuous improvement. Starting to improve the climate/ morale will be measured through the survey. Management should focus on agenda and discuss for development based upon the collected 360-degree feedback. Goals and objectives of 360-degree feedback Applying 360-feedback requires that both recipients and reviewers are involved in confidential feedback. The negative effect of transparent feedback can negatively affected by emotions and peer conflicts. This issue can lead to impaired job performance and adverse interpersonal relationship among the employees. Patricia Angelucci (2000) states the desired objectives of a 360-degree feedback are increasing professional accountability, motivating staff, and increasing employee morale and satisfaction (Angelucci, 2000). Importantly, she claims that 360-degree appraisal given to employees provides for constructive feedback and employee recognition by objectively measuring performance, and gives the employee the responsibility to contribute information (Patricia Angelucci, 2000). It is clear that using 360-degree feedback can necessarily improve labors’ job performance as long the evaluations are delivered honestly, openly, and objectively to the targets in every aspect of management including superiors and subordinates. Process of 360-feedback Robert Garbett et al. (2007) suggest several recommendations to optimize the usefulness of the process in preparing 360-degree feedback: 1. Thorough preparation. It is remarkably crucial to all members involved about the purpose and criteria used to identify role set members. Preparation indicates key to achieve successfulness in implementing 360-degree appraisal. 2. Suitability. Methods used in gathering information need to reflect what is convenient and appropriate to the colleagues one is working with. 3. Anonymity. Anonymity and openness were found to be useful. Open approaches offer more detailed information for the development of expertise and workforce effectiveness. Further, Garbett et al. (2007) add that the characteristic useful to ensure quality on 360-degree feedbacks is self-assessment based on critical reflection using an evidence-based framework of field expertise (Garbett, 2007). This method will prevent employees from mistakenly giving feedback to coworkers, and it should be based on observation of practice and experience in the past. The implementation of 360-degree feedback has been widely used across the globe since its benefits to the every sector of management. Metcalfe (1998) and Swain et al (2004) says, â€Å"The concept of 360-degree feedback has been extensively used, examined, and adapted in business and increasingly in healthcare as a developmental tool† (As cited in Garbett et al. , 2007, p. 343). Ten steps to conducting 360-degree feedback Chris Pearce (2007) suggests there are ten steps to help companies conduct 360-degree appraisal: ? Preparing for appraisal interviews. This step includes agreed performance objectives and reviews that have been applied at any given times. ?Planning appraisals Imperative interviews held by the management have to be relaxed and solemn will be covered on this step. ?Conducting appraisals The third step involves placing situation of the prolific substitutes thoughts, demonstrating the ability of comfort and prevention due to interruptions during the interview, and pioneering the basic regulation for appraisals and the concerns by appraisees. Reviewing achievements Next, this step explains about assessing appraisees’ accomplishment and detecting where the appraisees’ position. ?Sharing views on progress Offering responses on appraisees’ accomplishment, ensuring appraisees’ aggrement on the responses, and creating the improvement if needed are covered on this st ep. ?Considering ratings This step is concerned with contributing the appraisees’ beliefs by rating the conclusions before the last result comes up. ?Plans for improvement Expanding and accentuating the further progression of the failings must be applied in the conformity and conversation should be involved in this step. ?Dealing with development plans This step deals with sincerity and factuality that must be concerned with the appraisees’ objectives and profession ambition. ?Agreeing new objectives With regards to SMART which stands for specific, measurable, appropriate, realistic, and timed, appraisses’ goals and time spent should be involved in this step. Asking for feedback In the last step, questioning about appraisees’ responses to them, abridging the essential points of evaluation, and ending with conclusion should be applied for the last action. Discussion Every country has been fascinated with Japanese industry for decades and it became recognized as the world’s most competitive nation in the 1970s and 1980s. Nowadays, many small and big companies all over the world attempt to apply the Japanese system to their sys tem in every aspect of management. Several experts explain why Japan can compete well to attract its target market albeit the rivalry among the competing sellers is high in the country. It is simply a distinctive approach to Japanese management has brought remarkable impact in today’s practices such as total quality and continuous improvement (Porter, Takeuchi, & Sakakibara, 2000). With regards to improvement initiatives, Pryor, White, and Toombs (1998) point out that performance appraisal is one of the strategic quality management tools which use continuous improvement as a strategic weapon (http://www. 12manage. com). In addition, Bracken and Timmreck (1999) also agree that performance evaluations are essential for developing managerial behaviors in every level that provide data in its strategic efforts when they say, â€Å"As results of 360-degree feedback are used in conjunction with HR systems, such as staffing, succession planning, compensation, performance management and even, in some cases, downsizing† (As cited in Treena L. Gillespie, 2005, p. 363). In establishing 360-degree feedback, I contemplate there is another aspect affects people’s judgment relating to leaving feedbacks to coworkers. Coaching is one of the critical components of stimulating interpersonal relationship in conjunction with feedback results. Wright states, â€Å"The coaching component in management is a two way street. There needs to be open communication in order for successful coaching to take place† (Robert F. Wright, 2000). As such, I would like to emphasize that two-way interaction between subordinates and superiors is required in order to affect feedbacks and indeed, better feedbacks will generate better relationship. This component could cover poor communication problem which can lead to unpleasant feedbacks to employees within an organization. Nowadays, big companies such as British Airways, AT&T, Alberto Culver North America, and General Electric are increasingly using 360-degree feedback (Huet-Cox, Nielsen, & Sundstrom, 1999). According to Evans (2001), using 360-degree feedback can potentially provide a fuller, more realistic picture of the employee’s overall performance since every employee receives performance feedback from four sources: the supervisors, subordinates, peers and coworkers, and self-ratings (Evans, 2001). Effective appraisals usually lead to better performances from appraisees, and feedabcks should be jointly solving problems as long appraisees always focus on the future not the past. Several characteristics of 360-degree feedback at firms may have considerable advantages of implementing TQM, and â€Å"One survey showed that more than 20 percent of firms are tying 360-degree appraisal directly to their Total Quality Management efforts† (Laabs, 1994, p. 17). Applying the 360-degree feedback compliments the implementation of TQM in businesses since it has faster communication line (superiors to subordinates) and uncomplicated system that meets customer needs and expectations. Glover (1993) argues that there is a five-stage implementation framework that could be applied in enterprises: awareness, education, structural change, necessary activities, and outcomes or expected improvements (as cited in Yusof & Aspinwall, 2000, p. 281). Appropriate design of the 360-degree feedback will absolutely provide a strong basis for the path to successful TQM implementation. A systematic procedure such as ISO 9000 is the first-most effective way that can solve the quality problems in many businesses. Take for instance, the 360-degree feedback is used to measure the effectiveness of Just In Time (JIT) inventory system in plant department within company. Consequently, an integrated JIT inventory model generated through 360-degree system can minimize the sum of the ordering/ setup cost, holding cost, quality improvement, and crashing costs (Yang & Pan, 2004). Once those procedures have been established, the next step is to plan for improvement. If the need for change is highly needed, some methods suggested by Asher (1992) could encourage the renovation process of the implementation: investigating cost of quality, conducting customer perception surveys, collecting data on employees’ perceptions, and establishing system and procedure (as cited in Yusof & Aspinwall, 2000, p. 289). This type of approach in context of management will escalate the job performance as it will result in improved productivity in workers. I agree with Wright’s (2000) standpoint saying that 360-degree feedback can be seen as result-oriented concerned with focusing on the goals rather than the process (Robert F. Wright, 2000). More importantly, such a evaluation should lead the employees to work together attaining the company’s goals, as Wright (2000) says, â€Å"It is critical for a good manager to be more concerned with the results and less with the process of how those are achieved† (Robert F. Wright, 2000, p. 363). As long as the process is performed well, managers should be more concerned about the results not necessarily the technique. With regards to labors’ skills, through evaluations management should encourage its workers give feedback about what needs to change and where to change, as Loup and Koller says,† Listening and speaking from the heart about what people think, feel, and believe about the change will keep the change process moving forward† (Loup & Koller, 2005, p. 77). As we can conclude, utilizing well-scheduled 360-degree feedbacks as a performance appraisal is the management’s responsibilities for introducing, applying, and maintaining the practice punctually once it has started. Some companies consider a 360-degree feedback and other appraisals are attributable to adverse quality, and ironically the process in implementing those techniques seem to be time-consuming and convey some negative perceptions to the management. Management should contemplate that the company’s goals will not be successfully attained if employees do not notice whether or not they are performing well on their job as Senge (1990) concludes that yet the primary threats to our survival today come not from events but from slow gradual processes to which we are 90 percent blind (Peter M. Senge, 1990). In conclusion, all the suggestions by experts above regarding quality improvements mostly explain the importance of the 360-degree feedback within companies. Therefore, 360-degree assessment can assist the management on track and measure employee’s performance and leadership which could contribute to overall organization performance (Marcie Levine, 2003). Finally, if the 360-degree appraisal is not applied soon, I believe companies will experience a problem which can be looming ahead for the company itself in the years to come. References Angelucci, Patricia. 2000). Cultural diversity: health belief systems. Nursing Management Journal, 7-8. Brutus, Stephane et al. (2006). Internationalization of multi-source feedback systems: a six-country exploratory analysis of 360- degree feedback. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 1888-1906. Evans, A. (2001). From every angle. Training, 38 (9), 22. Garbett, Robert. (2007). Developing a qualitative approach t o 360-degree feedback to aid understanding and development of clinical expertise. Journal of Nursing Management, 342-347. Gillespie, Treena L. (2005). Internationalizing 360-degree feedback: are subordinate ratings comparable? Journal of Business and Psychology, 361-382. hands of people to effect change. Organizational Development Journal, 23(3), 73-81. Huet-Cox, G. D. , Nielsen T. M. , & Sundstrom, E. (1999, May). Get the most from 360-degree feedback: put it on the internet. HR Magazine, 92-103. Laabs, J. J. (1994). TQM Efforts to Rewards. Personnel Journal, 17. Law, David R. (2007). Appraising performance appraisals: a critical look at an external control management technique. International Journal of Reality Therapy, 35-47. Levine, Marcie. (2003). 3600 assessments-where do I start? Survey Connect Inc, 1-4. Loup, R. , & Koller, R. (2005). The road to commitment: Capturing the head, hearts and Pearce, Chris. (2007). Ten steps to conducting appraisals. Nursing Management Journal, 21. Porter, Michael E. , Takeuchi, Hirotaka & Sakakibara, Mariko. (2000). Can Japan compete? Cambridge: Perseus Publishing. Pryor, Mildred G. , White, J. Chris & Toombs, Leslie A. (1998). Strategic Quality Management. Thomson Learning. Senge, Peter M. (1990). The fifth discipline: The art & practice of the learning organization (1st ed. . New York: Doubleday. Wright, Robert F. (2000). Strategies for avoiding the micro management trap. Journal of Management Decision, 362-364. Yang, Jin-Shan, & Pan, Jason Chao-Hsien. (2004). Just-in-time purchasing: an integrated inventory model involving deterministic variable lead time and quality improvement investment. International Journal of Production Research, 853-863. Yusof, Sha’ri M ohd & Aspinwall, Elaine. (2000). Total quality management implementation frameworks: comparison and review. Journal of Total Quality Management, 281-294. www. 12manage. com www. performanceprograms. com 360 Degree Feedback Abstract As today’s businesses continue to expand, workers are expected to perform well on their jobs. This is what truly happened to management who has a tendency to measure how well they are doing on their job. The job done in a certain period of time is frequently evaluated by performance appraisal. Performance appraisals lead to enhancing employee’s performance, internal communication (relationship), and quality improvements as well. Some experts argue that formal performance appraisal is somewhat useless and many of them contemplate performance appraisals can be detrimental to quality improvement and convey some negative perceptions to the management (David Law, 2007). Albeit many professionals pointed out disadvantages associated with using performance appraisal, I contemplate that its benefits outweigh drawbacks. As such, a 360-degree feedback is one of the numerous examples of performance evaluation methods. Performance appraisals can be used to measure one’s job performance with feedback from subordinates, peers, and managers in the organization, so that everyone in the particular organization knows what and where he or she needs to improve. In addition, well-scheduled 360-degree feedbacks lead to positive changes in worker’s job satisfaction and enhance the company’s effort to attain its own interest. The stable encouragement of the effects of performance appraisal has a variety of short-term and long-term consequences including improved job performance, harmonious interpersonal relationships (superiors and subordinates), and as well as advanced quality management (continuous improvement) within organizations. History The 360-degree feedback was initially used by the U. S. Armed Forces to support development of its staff in the 1940’s. Later on Clark Wilson from the University of Bridgeport (Connecticut) developed the first 360-degree feedback survey instruments for management development and it has been used and studied since 1973 (www. erformanceprograms. com). Valuable factors A 360-degree feedback offers a variety of remarkably potential benefits. According to Stephane Brutus et al. (2006), all of the following benefits have been applied to six different countries in distinct functions, such as: accounting, finance, manufacturing, and many other primary departments. â⠂¬ ¢Individuals get a broader perspective of how they are perceived by others than previously possible. It indicates that awareness of and relevance of competencies in workers’ psyche will continue to increase over time. At this point, management should be aware that they too have development needs that are crucial for the whole organization. Once this step has been applied, employees would next give more reliable feedback to managers about their performance. I believe this method could be seen as a win-win situation which is beneficial for both workers and management. †¢Encouraging more open feedback — new insights. It indicates that reinforcing the desired competencies of the business requires a clearer picture to senior management of individual’s real worth. A 360-degree feedback clarifies the employee’s critical performance aspects because open feedback gives people a more rounded view of performance than they had previously. †¢Identifying key development areas for the individual, a department and the organization as a whole. Individuals’ strengths can be used to the best advantage of the business. A rounded view of the individual’s/ team’s/ organization’s performance determines appropriately strengths and weaknesses in business environment. Therefore, the self-awareness of managers will have personally impact upon subordinates. †¢Supporting a climate of continuous improvement. Starting to improve the climate/ morale will be measured through the survey. Management should focus on agenda and discuss for development based upon the collected 360-degree feedback. Goals and objectives of 360-degree feedback Applying 360-feedback requires that both recipients and reviewers are involved in confidential feedback. The negative effect of transparent feedback can negatively affected by emotions and peer conflicts. This issue can lead to impaired job performance and adverse interpersonal relationship among the employees. Patricia Angelucci (2000) states the desired objectives of a 360-degree feedback are increasing professional accountability, motivating staff, and increasing employee morale and satisfaction (Angelucci, 2000). Importantly, she claims that 360-degree appraisal given to employees provides for constructive feedback and employee recognition by objectively measuring performance, and gives the employee the responsibility to contribute information (Patricia Angelucci, 2000). It is clear that using 360-degree feedback can necessarily improve labors’ job performance as long the evaluations are delivered honestly, openly, and objectively to the targets in every aspect of management including superiors and subordinates. Process of 360-feedback Robert Garbett et al. (2007) suggest several recommendations to optimize the usefulness of the process in preparing 360-degree feedback: 1. Thorough preparation. It is remarkably crucial to all members involved about the purpose and criteria used to identify role set members. Preparation indicates key to achieve successfulness in implementing 360-degree appraisal. 2. Suitability. Methods used in gathering information need to reflect what is convenient and appropriate to the colleagues one is working with. 3. Anonymity. Anonymity and openness were found to be useful. Open approaches offer more detailed information for the development of expertise and workforce effectiveness. Further, Garbett et al. (2007) add that the characteristic useful to ensure quality on 360-degree feedbacks is self-assessment based on critical reflection using an evidence-based framework of field expertise (Garbett, 2007). This method will prevent employees from mistakenly giving feedback to coworkers, and it should be based on observation of practice and experience in the past. The implementation of 360-degree feedback has been widely used across the globe since its benefits to the every sector of management. Metcalfe (1998) and Swain et al (2004) says, â€Å"The concept of 360-degree feedback has been extensively used, examined, and adapted in business and increasingly in healthcare as a developmental tool† (As cited in Garbett et al. , 2007, p. 343). Ten steps to conducting 360-degree feedback Chris Pearce (2007) suggests there are ten steps to help companies conduct 360-degree appraisal: ? Preparing for appraisal interviews. This step includes agreed performance objectives and reviews that have been applied at any given times. ?Planning appraisals Imperative interviews held by the management have to be relaxed and solemn will be covered on this step. ?Conducting appraisals The third step involves placing situation of the prolific substitutes thoughts, demonstrating the ability of comfort and prevention due to interruptions during the interview, and pioneering the basic regulation for appraisals and the concerns by appraisees. Reviewing achievements Next, this step explains about assessing appraisees’ accomplishment and detecting where the appraisees’ position. ?Sharing views on progress Offering responses on appraisees’ accomplishment, ensuring appraisees’ aggrement on the responses, and creating the improvement if needed are covered on this st ep. ?Considering ratings This step is concerned with contributing the appraisees’ beliefs by rating the conclusions before the last result comes up. ?Plans for improvement Expanding and accentuating the further progression of the failings must be applied in the conformity and conversation should be involved in this step. ?Dealing with development plans This step deals with sincerity and factuality that must be concerned with the appraisees’ objectives and profession ambition. ?Agreeing new objectives With regards to SMART which stands for specific, measurable, appropriate, realistic, and timed, appraisses’ goals and time spent should be involved in this step. Asking for feedback In the last step, questioning about appraisees’ responses to them, abridging the essential points of evaluation, and ending with conclusion should be applied for the last action. Discussion Every country has been fascinated with Japanese industry for decades and it became recognized as the world’s most competitive nation in the 1970s and 1980s. Nowadays, many small and big companies all over the world attempt to apply the Japanese system to their sys tem in every aspect of management. Several experts explain why Japan can compete well to attract its target market albeit the rivalry among the competing sellers is high in the country. It is simply a distinctive approach to Japanese management has brought remarkable impact in today’s practices such as total quality and continuous improvement (Porter, Takeuchi, & Sakakibara, 2000). With regards to improvement initiatives, Pryor, White, and Toombs (1998) point out that performance appraisal is one of the strategic quality management tools which use continuous improvement as a strategic weapon (http://www. 12manage. com). In addition, Bracken and Timmreck (1999) also agree that performance evaluations are essential for developing managerial behaviors in every level that provide data in its strategic efforts when they say, â€Å"As results of 360-degree feedback are used in conjunction with HR systems, such as staffing, succession planning, compensation, performance management and even, in some cases, downsizing† (As cited in Treena L. Gillespie, 2005, p. 363). In establishing 360-degree feedback, I contemplate there is another aspect affects people’s judgment relating to leaving feedbacks to coworkers. Coaching is one of the critical components of stimulating interpersonal relationship in conjunction with feedback results. Wright states, â€Å"The coaching component in management is a two way street. There needs to be open communication in order for successful coaching to take place† (Robert F. Wright, 2000). As such, I would like to emphasize that two-way interaction between subordinates and superiors is required in order to affect feedbacks and indeed, better feedbacks will generate better relationship. This component could cover poor communication problem which can lead to unpleasant feedbacks to employees within an organization. Nowadays, big companies such as British Airways, AT&T, Alberto Culver North America, and General Electric are increasingly using 360-degree feedback (Huet-Cox, Nielsen, & Sundstrom, 1999). According to Evans (2001), using 360-degree feedback can potentially provide a fuller, more realistic picture of the employee’s overall performance since every employee receives performance feedback from four sources: the supervisors, subordinates, peers and coworkers, and self-ratings (Evans, 2001). Effective appraisals usually lead to better performances from appraisees, and feedabcks should be jointly solving problems as long appraisees always focus on the future not the past. Several characteristics of 360-degree feedback at firms may have considerable advantages of implementing TQM, and â€Å"One survey showed that more than 20 percent of firms are tying 360-degree appraisal directly to their Total Quality Management efforts† (Laabs, 1994, p. 17). Applying the 360-degree feedback compliments the implementation of TQM in businesses since it has faster communication line (superiors to subordinates) and uncomplicated system that meets customer needs and expectations. Glover (1993) argues that there is a five-stage implementation framework that could be applied in enterprises: awareness, education, structural change, necessary activities, and outcomes or expected improvements (as cited in Yusof & Aspinwall, 2000, p. 281). Appropriate design of the 360-degree feedback will absolutely provide a strong basis for the path to successful TQM implementation. A systematic procedure such as ISO 9000 is the first-most effective way that can solve the quality problems in many businesses. Take for instance, the 360-degree feedback is used to measure the effectiveness of Just In Time (JIT) inventory system in plant department within company. Consequently, an integrated JIT inventory model generated through 360-degree system can minimize the sum of the ordering/ setup cost, holding cost, quality improvement, and crashing costs (Yang & Pan, 2004). Once those procedures have been established, the next step is to plan for improvement. If the need for change is highly needed, some methods suggested by Asher (1992) could encourage the renovation process of the implementation: investigating cost of quality, conducting customer perception surveys, collecting data on employees’ perceptions, and establishing system and procedure (as cited in Yusof & Aspinwall, 2000, p. 289). This type of approach in context of management will escalate the job performance as it will result in improved productivity in workers. I agree with Wright’s (2000) standpoint saying that 360-degree feedback can be seen as result-oriented concerned with focusing on the goals rather than the process (Robert F. Wright, 2000). More importantly, such a evaluation should lead the employees to work together attaining the company’s goals, as Wright (2000) says, â€Å"It is critical for a good manager to be more concerned with the results and less with the process of how those are achieved† (Robert F. Wright, 2000, p. 363). As long as the process is performed well, managers should be more concerned about the results not necessarily the technique. With regards to labors’ skills, through evaluations management should encourage its workers give feedback about what needs to change and where to change, as Loup and Koller says,† Listening and speaking from the heart about what people think, feel, and believe about the change will keep the change process moving forward† (Loup & Koller, 2005, p. 77). As we can conclude, utilizing well-scheduled 360-degree feedbacks as a performance appraisal is the management’s responsibilities for introducing, applying, and maintaining the practice punctually once it has started. Some companies consider a 360-degree feedback and other appraisals are attributable to adverse quality, and ironically the process in implementing those techniques seem to be time-consuming and convey some negative perceptions to the management. Management should contemplate that the company’s goals will not be successfully attained if employees do not notice whether or not they are performing well on their job as Senge (1990) concludes that yet the primary threats to our survival today come not from events but from slow gradual processes to which we are 90 percent blind (Peter M. Senge, 1990). In conclusion, all the suggestions by experts above regarding quality improvements mostly explain the importance of the 360-degree feedback within companies. Therefore, 360-degree assessment can assist the management on track and measure employee’s performance and leadership which could contribute to overall organization performance (Marcie Levine, 2003). Finally, if the 360-degree appraisal is not applied soon, I believe companies will experience a problem which can be looming ahead for the company itself in the years to come. References Angelucci, Patricia. 2000). Cultural diversity: health belief systems. Nursing Management Journal, 7-8. Brutus, Stephane et al. (2006). Internationalization of multi-source feedback systems: a six-country exploratory analysis of 360- degree feedback. International Journal of Human Resource Management, 1888-1906. Evans, A. (2001). From every angle. Training, 38 (9), 22. Garbett, Robert. (2007). Developing a qualitative approach t o 360-degree feedback to aid understanding and development of clinical expertise. Journal of Nursing Management, 342-347. Gillespie, Treena L. (2005). Internationalizing 360-degree feedback: are subordinate ratings comparable? Journal of Business and Psychology, 361-382. hands of people to effect change. Organizational Development Journal, 23(3), 73-81. Huet-Cox, G. D. , Nielsen T. M. , & Sundstrom, E. (1999, May). Get the most from 360-degree feedback: put it on the internet. HR Magazine, 92-103. Laabs, J. J. (1994). TQM Efforts to Rewards. Personnel Journal, 17. Law, David R. (2007). Appraising performance appraisals: a critical look at an external control management technique. International Journal of Reality Therapy, 35-47. Levine, Marcie. (2003). 3600 assessments-where do I start? Survey Connect Inc, 1-4. Loup, R. , & Koller, R. (2005). The road to commitment: Capturing the head, hearts and Pearce, Chris. (2007). Ten steps to conducting appraisals. Nursing Management Journal, 21. Porter, Michael E. , Takeuchi, Hirotaka & Sakakibara, Mariko. (2000). Can Japan compete? Cambridge: Perseus Publishing. Pryor, Mildred G. , White, J. Chris & Toombs, Leslie A. (1998). Strategic Quality Management. Thomson Learning. Senge, Peter M. (1990). The fifth discipline: The art & practice of the learning organization (1st ed. . New York: Doubleday. Wright, Robert F. (2000). Strategies for avoiding the micro management trap. Journal of Management Decision, 362-364. Yang, Jin-Shan, & Pan, Jason Chao-Hsien. (2004). Just-in-time purchasing: an integrated inventory model involving deterministic variable lead time and quality improvement investment. International Journal of Production Research, 853-863. Yusof, Sha’ri M ohd & Aspinwall, Elaine. (2000). Total quality management implementation frameworks: comparison and review. Journal of Total Quality Management, 281-294. www. 12manage. com www. performanceprograms. com

ACT FAQ Expert Answers to Frequently Asked Questions

ACT FAQ Expert Answers to Frequently Asked Questions SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Here at PrepScholar, we get a lot of questions about every aspect of the ACT. To help, we've compiled this ACT FAQ to addressall of your questions about the test– whether you haven’t even cracked open a prep book to study for it yet or if you’ve taken it four times and are wondering which scores to send to colleges. Read on to get the answers to all of your burning ACT-related questions and links to the best articles on our site to help you prepare for the ACT. ACT FAQ Table of Contents Preparing for the ACT Evaluating Your ACT Score The ACT Essay Scholarships and College Sending Scores Preparing for the ACT Should I even be taking the ACT? Don’t colleges really prefer the SAT? Colleges do not have a preference between the SAT and the ACT. They are seen as completely equal options to fulfill the standardized testing requirement. You can choose which test to take based completely on your personal preference. So why does everyone still seem to think that the SAT is seen as more prestigious? Since the SAT has been around for longer, it used to the only standardized test accepted for college applications at many institutions. But since its creation in the late 1950s, the ACT began to be widely accepted as an equally acceptable alternative to the SAT. It was adopted first in Midwestern and Western states, but eventually became common on the East Coast as well. Back in 2007, the last SAT-only holdout, Harvey Mudd, began accepting the ACT. True, if you look at the admissions data from many east-coast schools, the majority of applicants still send the SAT as opposed to the ACT. But that isn’t because those colleges prefer the SAT. It’s because students in East Coast states take the SAT more commonly than the ACT, and the majority of applicants to those schools come from the east coast. So when deciding between the ACT and the SAT, the choice comes down to your ability and your personal preferences. Choose the test that's best for you! Further Reading: What Do Ivy League Schools Think of the ACT, Do You Need to Take Both the SAT and the ACT, New SAT vs ACT: Comparison Charts When should I take the ACT for the first time? PrepScholar recommends you take the ACT for the first time junior fall. This way, you can retake the test if needed junior spring, and then be ready to focus exclusively on college applications your senior fall. This timing is also optimal given where you are in your high school career – you should have learned all the content tested on the ACT by the beginning of junior year, and you won’t be so far away from your first algebra class that you’re hazy on concepts like solving a system of equations. If you try and take the ACT earlier, as a sophomore or freshman, you may struggle with it because you lack certain content knowledge, especially in math. Of course, if you’re reading this as a junior or even a senior, don’t panic. As long as you take the test by senior fall, you’ll be able to apply to colleges. But earlier is better to avoid a last-minute time crunch or taking the last test before apps are due. Even if you have to use an accelerated study timeline, we strongly recommend working to have the ACT over and done with before senior year starts. It will save you lots of stress, we promise! Further Reading: When Should I Take the ACT for the First Time? I took the ACT at school for free, but it didn’t include the essay (also known as the ACT Plus Writing). Do I have to retake the ACT? There are two cases in which you would want to retake the ACT if you have already taken it as part of state testing, but without the optional Writing/Essay section. Case 1: You are applying to schools that require the ACT Plus Writing. Unfortunately, even if you have an ACT score from state testing, you need to take the entire ACT Plus Writing to be able to apply to certain colleges. The plus side to this is that you’ve already had a (free!) practice run at the ACT, so if you study before your first official ACT Plus Writing, you’ll be very well-prepared for the test and will likely beat your first score. Case 2: You didn’t score as high as you wanted on the ACT and/or you’re applying to schools with higher ACT score averages than you earned. The ACT is an important part of your college application, so you want to give yourself the best shot possible at your dream schools by earning a high enough score. (You can read more about finding your target ACT score below!) If you’re not applying to any schools that require ACT Plus Writing and your score is high enough for all of the schools you want to apply to, you do not have to retake the ACT. Lucky you! Further Reading: Should You Take the ACT With or Without Writing?, Which States Require the ACT? Full List and Advice, Which Colleges Require ACT Writing? 633 schools How long should I study for the ACT? There is no "one size fits all" answer to how long you should study for the ACT. How much time you spend on ACT prep varies based on the score you want and how much time you have to study. To get started, these are PrepScholar's estimates for how long you should study for the ACT, based on how many points you need to improve by. Of course, these are just estimates, and will vary based on your personal strengths and weaknesses. Don't stop studying until you're sure you can achieve your target score on the real test! 0-1 ACT Composite Point Improvement: 10 hours1-2 ACT Point Improvement: 20 hours2-4 ACT Point Improvement: 40 hours4-6 ACT Point Improvement: 80 hours6-9 ACT Point Improvement: 150 hours+ You can calculate your weekly ACT prep time by following these three steps: Find your starting score (which you can learn by taking a practice test) Find your score goal (see "How do I come up with a target ACT score" below) Decide much time you can spend on ACT studying each week Let’s take an example. Say Student A’s ACT score goal is a 28, but they scored a 24 on an ACT practice test. That means Student A has to improve by 4 points. Based on our estimates of point increases to study hours, Student A needs to put in around 40 hours of study time. Here are three potential study plans for Student A: Light: 4 hours a week for 10 weeks Moderate: 8 hours a week for 5 weeks Heavy: 20 hours a week for 2 weeks Each of these plans comes out to the required 40 hours. Student A can choose the right plan for them based on their schedule. If Student A has a lot of extracurricular commitments but does have plenty of time before they take their first ACT, Study Plan 1 may be best, since they can squeeze in a couple of 2-hour study sessions each week in between homework and club meetings. If Student A is taking the ACT in 3 weeks and needs to improve, fast, than they might take on the more cram-like schedule of Study Plan 3. Obviously, this plan would involve toning down other commitments, and perhaps would be most feasible over a school break or summer vacation. So your next steps are as follows: Find your target score Find your starting score (take a practice exam) Using our hours-to-points estimate, figure out how long you need to study, and then create your own schedule Further Reading: Exactly How Long Should I Study for the ACT, How to Beat Procrastination in Your ACT Prep How do I come up with a target ACT score? Your target ACT score is a score above the 75th percentile for admitted students at all of the schools you hope to apply to. Above the 75th percentile? What we mean is, you want a score above a school's "middle 50 percent range," which is the range of admitted student ACT scores between the 25th and 75th percentile. In other words, you want a score that is higher than 75% of last year's admitted applicants. Why? Because having such a high score gives you an excellent chance of admission. As an example, here are some examples of ACT middle 50 ranges at a few Massachusetts colleges: Harvard College: 32-35 Tufts University: 30-33 University of Massachusetts Amherst: 24-29 You need to look up the score ranges for all colleges you are seriously interested in applying to, and then set your target score based on the most competitive school you’re applying to. For example, a student whose most competitive school is Harvard should set their ACT target score at 36. A student whose most competitive school is University of Massachuetts Amherst should set their target score at 30. This way, even if you miss your score goal by a point or two, you will likely have a really strong ACT score for the other schools on your list! Further Reading: What's a Good ACT Score for Your College, What's a Good ACT Score? A Bad Score? An Excellent Score?, Average ACT Scores: What They Mean for You, ACT Score Percentiles How should I study for the ACT? If you haven’t already, start your ACT studying by taking a complete practice exam, timing yourself strictly. This will give you the best information about your strengths and weaknesses on the test and be the baseline for your study plan. For example, even if you're great at math, you might realize that ACT Math is really hard for you because you ran out of time while taking your first practice test. This is crucial information to know as you begin studying! Once you've taken that first practice test, grade, score, and evaluate it carefully. Calculate your starting composite score. Then, note your strengths and your weaknesses. (We recommend using a notebook to start logging and tracking your weaknesses.) Look for patterns in wrong answers. This could be in terms of content or test strategy. For example, when you evaluate the Math section, you might notice that missed most of the trigonometry questions. That's a big clue that you need to review some key trigonometry concepts and spent plenty of time practicing math questions. Or, you might notice that you tend to get most questions right at the beginning of a test section, but rush towards the end and get a lot of wrong answers. That's a clue that you need to work on timing. Next, research your target ACT score, using the method in the above question ("How do I come up with a target ACT score?"). Find the difference between your starting score and your target score.Based on the difference between your starting score and target score, estimate the amount of hours you'll need to study and how long you'll study each week. (See "How long should I study for the ACT?" above for more on this process.) Here are two quick examples: Starting Score: 24 Target Score: 28 Points to Improve: 4 Approximate Hours Needed: 40 Study Plan: 8 hours per week for 5 weeks Starting Score: 29 Target Score: 35 Points to Improve: 6 Approximate Hours Needed: 80 Study Plan: 10 hours a week for 8 weeks Now you're finally ready to hit the books! Focus your studying around your weak areas – whether that’s a particular subject area or a problem you keep hitting (like running out of time on the ACT Math or Reading sections). Some students might spend the majority of their study time on one subject area that they struggle with. Others might need to study for all four sections equally. Check out the links before for resources to get started. Further Reading: Free ACT Practice Tests, How to Get the Most Out of ACT Practice Tests, How to Get the Most Realistic ACT Practice Test Experience The Ultimate Study Guides to ACT English, ACT Math, ACT Reading, and ACT Science The Best ACT Prep Books, The Best ACT Prep Websites, 15 Tips and Tricks to Improve Your ACT Score, 26 Great Alternatives to ACT Practice Tests What should I know about the ACT before I take it? Studying for the content on the ACT is important, but it’s also helpful to be familiar with the logistics of the ACT before test day: how long the test is, what the exact rules are, and what to do to be prepared on test day. Check out the links below to get a full briefing on ACT logistics so that when you sit down at your desk on test day, you're ready to focus 100% on the test itself. Further Reading: How Long is the ACT, ACT Instructions: Complete Guide, Rules and Regulations on the ACT, What to Do the Night Before the ACT, Where Should You Take the ACT Evaluating YourACT Score Is my ACT score bad/good/amazing? In terms of the national ACT percentile rankings, these are the important score benchmarks: 20: 50th percentile (average!) 24: 75th percentile 28: 90th percentile 33+: 99th percentile So in terms of the national rankings, anything above a 20 is above average, any score above 24 is really good, and anything above a 28 is amazing! But don't let that score go to your head just yet. The real measure of your ACT score's quality is how it stacks up to the score averages at colleges you want to apply to. (See "How do I come up with my target ACT score?" for more on finding a college's ACT score ranges.) One thing that's interesting about this is that an ACT score that's amazing for one student could actually be low for another. Let's take an example. Student A got a 30 on the ACT. This is an amazing score for them since they are applying to a few colleges and universities in state. Not only is this score more than enough to get them admitted, it even is high enough to qualify for many scholarships! Student B also got a 30. This is a low score for them since they are set on getting into either Stanford or MIT, and need at least a 33, but ideally higher, to be a competitive applicant. The bottom line? You'll have to research the ACT score ranges at your dream schools to decide once and for all if your ACT score is bad, great, or amazing. Further Reading: What's a Good ACT Score for Your College, ACT Percentiles, Average ACT Scores: What They Mean for You, What's a Bad ACT Score, Scholarships for ACT Scores, ACT Scores for the Ivy League My ACT score is low. Am I doomed? Many students get really stressed after they get their ACT scores back, especially if they did worse than they wanted to. But, first of all, remember that your ACT score is not a measure of your intelligence! Just because you got a score that's low (either in terms of national rankings or the college you want to go to) does not mean that you, as a student and a person, do not have promise. The ACT, at the end of the day, is just a multiple-choice test. So if you didn't do as well as you wanted, you can study more and retake it. (This is why we recommend taking the test for the first time junior fall, so you have plenty of time for retakes!) If you didn't do as well as you wanted the first time, you likely had some test-taking strategy issues or maybe there was content you simply didn't understand. Either way, those are both things that can be fixed with hard work, study, and practice. (Check out our links to study and practice resources below to get started!) And if you're ashamed or embarrassed about your first score, don't stress. If you score higher on a retake, you can actually delete your first ACT score! It never has to see the light of day. Finally, if you get a low ACT score and you don't have time to retake it before a college's deadline, you can still apply to other schools that aren't as hard to get into. Even if you don't get into your dream school, as long as you get into college and get great grades an an undergraduate, you will be able to meet your graduate school and career goals. Don't let this one little test slow you down! Further Reading: Easiest Colleges to Get Into, Schools with Guaranteed Admission, What is a Safety School? How To Find Yours,Did You Know You Can Delete ACT Scores Free ACT Practice Tests, How to Get the Most Out of ACT Practice Tests, How to Get the Most Realistic ACT Practice Test Experience The Ultimate Study Guides to ACT English, ACT Math, ACT Reading, and ACT Science The Best ACT Prep Books, The Best ACT Prep Websites, 15 Tips and Tricks to Improve Your ACT Score, 26 Great Alternatives to ACT Practice Tests I got [x] score on my first ACT. Should I retake the test? This answer to this question depends completely on what your goals for colleges and scholarships are! So the first thing to figure out if you haven’t already is this: what is your ACT target score? (See "How do I come up with a target score?" above.) Obviously, if you scored lower than your target score, you should probably consider retaking the exam. However, you also need to consider how many points you need to improve by to hit your target, and whether you have the time to devote to making that happen. Improving 2 or 3 composite points is very doable, but trying to improve by 10 points is a very difficult task. (We will explore just how possible it is to make big point increases in the next question!) If you scored lower than your target score and you have sufficient time to restudy, then you should retake the ACT. But if you do not have sufficient time to study, do not just wing an ACT retake and hope for the best! If you retake the ACT without addressing your test-taking weaknesses or content struggles, it's likely you will either get the same composite score, or even a slightly lower score. Further Reading: What's a Good ACT Score for Your College, Should You Retake the ACT, Already Have a High ACT Score? How to Improve Even More, How to Get a Perfect 36 on the ACT, by a Perfect Scorer, ACT Score Decrease? How Much it Can Drop and Why Is it possible to go from [x] ACT score to [y] ACT score in [z] amount of time? First, in terms of ACT composite score increases, these are the basic possibilities, which of course will vary based on personal factors: 1-2 points: Very doable. Your main obstacle is likely test-taking strategy and a few small content issues. 3-5 points: Doable, but you will have to devote more study hours to accomplish this increase. 6-8 points: Possible, but it will take some very serious studying and commitment. You likely will have to address some content deficits in addition to practicing. 8+: This will really depend on your situation and time available for studying. You will likely have to address some serious content deficits before you focus on improving your test-taking strategy. Those possibilities aside, whether you can actually achieve your desired increase depends simply on this: how many hours can you devote to studying? Even if you're just aiming for a small 2-point increase, you have to devote time to studying to actually meet your goal. There are no shortcuts! With that in mind, this is an estimate of the amount of hours you will need to accomplish ACT composite point increases: 0-1 ACT Composite Point Improvement: 10 hours1-2 ACT Point Improvement: 20 hours2-4 ACT Point Improvement: 40 hours4-6 ACT Point Improvement: 80 hours6-9 ACT Point Improvement: 150 hours+ Again, these are just estimates, and the time you need will vary based on your own personal strengths and weaknesses. To get an idea of what these points-to-hours estimates look like in action, and how feasible it is to make certain point increases, let's look at two students who each have 2 months before their next ACT. Student A First ACT Score: 26 ACT Score Goal: 28 Points to Increase: 2 Based on our estimates, Student A has to devote about 20 hours to ACT prep to meet their goal of going from a 26 to a 28. Since they have two months to study, they can easily fit this study time into their schedule. Two months is about 8 weeks. If Student A devotes 3 hours each week to ACT prep, they will log 24 study hours, more than their total goal, by the time they sit down for their ACT retake. Student A can fit those 3 hours into their schedule however they need to: with a single 3-hour study session one day a week, or 1 hour for three days a week, or with 30 minutes six days a week. All of those study plans could fit into even a very busy student's schedule. So you can see why a 2-point ACT composite increase is very doable! Student B First ACT Score: 26 ACT Score Goal: 34 Points to Increase: 8 Student B has their work cut out for them! To go from a 26 to a 34 will require some serious study time: at least 150 hours, so let's go with 160 as our estimate. To fit 160 study hours into 8 weeks, Student B has to study, on average, for 20 hours each week: basically, the ACT will become Student B's part-time job! They could study 4 hours on each school night to fit in 20 hours, or maybe 6 hours on each weekend day, plus 2 hours a night Monday through Thursday. Either way, ACT prep will become a big part of their life, and Student B will likely have to cut back on extracurricular commitments. So while going from a 26 to a 34 in 8 weeks is certainly possible, you can see why it would take a huge time commitment and likely be quite stressful. If possible, Student B should aim for a later ACT retake date. For example, if they wait 4 months to retake the ACT, they could reduce their needed study time to much-more-manageable 10 hours per week. Further reading: How Long Should I Study for the ACT, 25 to 32: 10-Day Fast ACT Study Plan, How to Cram for the ACT The ACT Essay Can you tell me about the new ACT essay? The old ACT Writing sectionwas fairly straightforward – it gave you a prompt that you basically had to take a â€Å"yes† or â€Å"no† opinion on. You could use evidence from your own life, from any books you had read, or recent articles. It was shorter, as well: just 30 minutes. Those were the days! The new essay, which was first offered in September 2015, is a bit more complicated. It’s 40 minutes long, and instead of just having you offer your opinion on a topic, you have to read through two to three opinions other people have already written on the topic. Then, your essay has to evaluate those different opinions and weave them into your own opinion about the topic. You can check out our guide with example prompts and analysis. When you take the writing test, you'll receive a writing test scoreon a scale of 1-36, and four writing domain scores (Ideas and Analysis, Development and Support, Organization, and Language Use and Conventions), each scored on a scale of 2-12. (Those domain scores do not add up to your final writing score. Confusing, we know!)Your writing test score will not affect your overall ACT composite score. A picture of your essay will be available to the colleges you send ACT Plus Writing scores to. So it's important to give it your strongest effort, even though the essay score willnot affect your ACT Composite score. Check out the links below for more in-depth guides to the new ACT Writing test, including tips for how to approach the essay. Further Reading: Complete Guide to the New ACT Writing Test, ACT Essay Scoring: Completely Explained I got [a lowish score] on the new ACT essay even though my composite is [high]. Does this look bad to schools? When colleges evaluate the ACT, by far the most important factor is your overall composite score. Your subject area scores (English, Math, Reading, and Science) are also looked at for more context. Your essay score will be noticed, but colleges understand it’s a first draft written under timed conditions – they don’t expect it to be your best writing! They also realize the essay changed in 2015 and will expect some score fluctuations as students get used to the new essay. Part of the reason some colleges require the ACT Plus Writing is because it means they will have a sample of your actual writing – so if your personal statement sounds like it was produced by a completely different writer (say, a paid professional), they’ll know. But your ACT Essay is not meant to be the most important evaluator of your writing skills. Read more: All Colleges That Require the ACT Plus Writing So unless your score is terrible compared to your composite (say you have a 33 composite but only got 12/36 on your essay), it’s not worth retaking the ACT just to improve your essay. Especially if you have a high composite and then it drops on your essay-improving retake, that could actually hurt your chances at some selective schools. That said, if your essay score is way lower than you think it should be, be sure to read up on the recent controversy over ACT essay scoring! Scholarships and College What scholarships can I get withmy ACT score? Many students wonder if their ACT score is high enough to get them a scholarship. Before we explain how likely your score is to earn you some serious scholarship cash, it’s important to understand the two broad types of scholarships available. Merit-Based Scholarships: these are awards based on student achievement. Need-Based Scholarships/Financial Aid: these are awards based on student need. As a rough rule of thumb, the more selective the college, the less likely it is to have merit-based scholarships. Why? Well, let’s take a school like Stanford. Stanford’s admit rate last year was just about 5% so only one in twenty applicants got in. Since that means everyone who gets into Stanford is pretty exceptional, it would be hard for Stanford to pick and choose among their admits to decide who gets merit-based funding. So instead, Stanford, along with many of the Ivy Leagues and other top schools, only has need-based scholarships available, to make sure money goes to students with greater financial need. That said, plenty of selective colleges also have merit-based scholarships. I will be focusing on merit-based scholarships in this answer, since your ACT score could help you get one. But check out the links below to learn more about need-based financial aid and how to apply for it. Many colleges and universities have merit scholarships, but how they choose the winners varies widely – some scholarships are a simple combination of GPA and ACT score, while others, especially many full-rides, are a mini-application in themselves (you may have to submit your transcript, ACT score, essay or essays, a list of your extracurriculars, and letters of recommendation for some of the most prestigious scholarships!). In addition to scholarships offered by colleges, there are private scholarships (funded by companies, individuals, and foundations) that, again, have their own selection criteria (but generally, the higher the scholarship, the longer the application). You can search for these scholarships on websites like FastWeb and College Board’s Big Future. The bottom line: you have to do research. Keep in mind the higher your ACT score, the more likely it is it will earn (or help you earn) a scholarship. Based on ACT percentiles and information from college websites, these are our rough guidelines for how likely an ACT composite is to net you a scholarship (assuming you also have a strong GPA). 33-36: Very high likelihood 30-32: High likelihood 27-30: Decent likelihood 24-26 Possible Any ACT score lower than a 24 is not likely to be as competitive for scholarships on its own. Merit scholarships are given for exceptional performance, which is why a 24 and up (the 75th percentile and up) could earn a scholarship. A lower score is less likely to help you earn a merit scholarship since you don't stand out as much among other high school students. Further Reading: Guaranteed Scholarships for ACT Scores, How to Do College Research Right, 79 Colleges with Full-Ride Scholarships, What Is Financial Aid?, How to Apply for Financial Aid, 27 Colleges With the Best Financial Aid, Every College That Offers 100% Financial Aid My ACT score is [x]. Where should I apply to college? â€Å"Where should I apply to college?† is an incredibly broad question, but one that we get a lot here at PrepScholar! Since there are literally hundreds of colleges and universities in the US alone, if we drew up a list of all of the colleges and universities that your ACT score could feasibly make you competitive for, it would be way too long a list to be useful! Instead, work backwards a bit. Start researching colleges based on factors that are important to you: location, size, cost, what you want to study, special programs, athletic programs, fine arts, etc. Once you have a list of between 15 to 20 colleges, then you can learn more about their admissions data and whether your ACT score would make you competitive there or not. As you refine your list, aim to include some schools that are reaches for you (your ACT score is at or below their score averages), targets (your ACT score is at or just above their averages) and safeties (your ACT score is way above). If you apply to only reach schools, you risk being rejected everywhere (it’s not like the lottery – the more tickets you buy doesn’t increase your chance of â€Å"winning!†). But if you apply to only safety schools, you could miss out on a really great college opportunity. Check out the articles below to learn more about college research and drawing up an application list. Further Reading: How to Do College Research Right, What is a Safety School?, What is a Target School?, What is a Reach School?, How to Get Merit Scholarships and Honors at State Schools, Colleges with Guaranteed Admission for ACT Scores My ACT score is [x], my GPA is [y]. Will I get into [z] college? PrepScholar has put together pages for hundreds of colleges and universities that allow you to plug in your GPA and SAT/ACT score and get an estimate of your admissions chances based on the most current admissions data. These pages are where to go if you just want to know your odds of admission given your ACT score and current GPA. Here are the pages for some of the most asked-about colleges and universities: Top Schools: Stanford, MIT, UChicago, Duke, Vanderbilt, Northwestern, Caltech, Johns Hopkins The Ivy League: Harvard, Princeton, Yale, Columbia, Brown, Dartmouth, Penn, Cornell To look up this page for any college or university, just search "[Name of College/University] ACT GPA Prepscholar" in any search engine. But moving beyond the numbers, you need to put together the strongest application possible for your chances to pan out, especially if your odds of admission are low and/or you're applying to a highly selective school. Learn more about writing the personal statement, getting stellar letters of recommendation, and which extracurriculars you should do. We also highly recommend reading our guide to getting into Harvard by PrepScholar founder Allen Cheng. Even if you're not aiming for Harvard, this post breaks down a lot of the common misconceptions about college admissions and can help you leverage your personal strengths to become the best possible applicant. Finally, it's important to make sure to apply to a mix of schools, including reaches, targets, and safeties. Read more about what a reach school is, what a target school is, and what a safety school is. When you're putting together your application list, try to include reaches, targets, and safeties to maximize your choices come senior spring. Sending Scores I have multiple ACT scores. Which ones should I send to schools? If you're applying to any schools that require all of your ACT scores, send all of your ACT scores. End of story! Read more: Colleges that Require All ACT Scores If you're applying to schools that do not require all ACT scores, you only have to send your highest composite score – after all, you need just one ACT score to apply to college. However, if the school â€Å"superscores† – combines different subject areas from different tests for a final higher composite score – consider sending the scores that would create the highest superscore. If a school does not superscore but does consider all scores they receive, it’s up to you if you want to send multiple sets of scores. In general, it’s worth sending along a test with a much higher score on a certain section, but also keep in mind the ACT charges per test date to send scores, so it is expensive to send multiple scores to multiple schools. The most important single number on your score report is your composite score, so keep that in mind as you make your decision. Further Reading: ACT Superscore Calculator, Do Colleges Average Your ACT Score?, Read This Before Sending ACT Scores to Colleges, Should You Send the Four Free ACT Score Reports?, Colleges that Superscore the ACT: Complete List I took the SAT and the ACT. I also took SAT Subject tests. Do I have to send all of these scores to colleges? First, let’s talk about the SAT and ACT (and ignore the SAT Subject Tests for now). For the vast majority of colleges, you have to send either the SAT or the ACT. You do not have to send both. Note that there are two exceptions to the SAT or ACT rule: 1. Schools like Stanford that require your entire testing history across both tests. These are rare cases – even schools that require all scores from one exam usually do not require you to send all ACT and all SAT scores, you just pick one exam and send all of the scores you have for that exam. Read more: Colleges that Require All SAT Scores, Colleges that Require All ACT Scores 2. Schools with test-flexible policies that will allow you to send AP Test Scores, IB Test Scores, SAT Subject Tests, and others in lieu of the SAT or ACT. Read more: Schools with Test-Flexible Policies But for the vast majority of American colleges, you will have to send either the SAT or the ACT. So between your SAT and the ACT scores, choose the test with the highest score (or scores!) to send. Read more: How to Convert and Compare SAT and ACT Scores You may want to consider sending both scores only if, according to the SAT/ACT conversion tables, they are in very similar ranges. For example, perhaps your composite scores on each test are about equal, but you have a higher Math score on the ACT and a higher Reading score on the SAT. In that case, it could be worth sending both scores for colleges to see your different strengths. Note that it is more expensive to send scores from both tests, and again, you are only required to send one set of scores to apply. Next, let’s talk about SAT Subject Tests. These are a separate category of tests, and treated differently by many schools. Some schools require (or â€Å"strongly encourage†) two SAT Subject tests to apply (especially many of the Ivy Leagues). Some schools only require them if you choose to take the SAT rather than the ACT. But at most schools, they are optional. Read More: Colleges that Require SAT Subject Tests: Complete List So unless you’re applying to a school that absolutely requires SAT Subject Tests to apply (in which case, send them, end of discussion!), it’s up to you whether to send those scores. You have to ask yourself if your subject scores make your application look better or worse. Often, Subject Tests can show strong ability in specific subjects, like Chemistry or United States History, which is good. But do not go out of your way to send a mediocre SAT Subject Test score! Further Reading: Complete Comparison Charts: ACT versus SAT, Are You Better at the SAT or ACT? Find Out For Sure, What is a Good SAT Subject Test Score, SAT Subject Test Scores for the Ivy League I’m a senior and have one ACT score but it’s not great. I’m taking the ACT again in December but I won’t know the score until after I’ve submitted my applications. Should I submit my not-so-great score or wait for my December score before I decide? To send your December ACT score so it’s received on time to be considered for most schools, your score needs to be sent to your schools as soon as it’s available. That means when you register to take the December ACT, you have to put down those schools on your registration, well before you’ve taken the exam and seen your score. This also means that you are sending your December ACT score blind: you will not have the chance to see your score before you send it. (In the vast majority of cases, you will not have enough time to take the December test, view your score three weeks later, and then send your score to colleges – the score will arrive too far after the deadline to be considered.) Because of this, I highly recommend sending the ACT score you do have, and then also sending along your December ACT as soon as it’s available. Since you need an ACT score in your file for it to be considered at all, it’s not worth risking the December score arriving too late to be considered and your whole file being thrown out. Plus, there is no way to know your December ACT score will be higher than your current one. If your December ACT ended up being lower, not only will your application look worse, you were risking not completing it on time for nothing. If your December ACT score ends up being higher, it will help out your application, since colleges will receive and note the higher score. But in the meantime, it’s safest to make sure there is a score in your file by the time the application is due. If you’re reading this as a younger student, this is why we highly recommend taking the ACT the first time in your junior fall, so you have plenty of time to retake the exam if needed and so you won’t run into stressful application deadlines. Further Reading: The Last ACT Dates for Early Decision Deadlines, The Last ACT Dates for Regular Decision Deadlines, Did You Know You Can Delete ACT Scores? Have a Question That Isn't Answered Here? Post it in the comments or check out ExpertHub, where experienced tutors and counselors answer student questions. Want to improve your ACT score by 4 points? Check out our best-in-class online ACT prep classes. We guarantee your money back if you don't improve your ACT score by 4 points or more. Our classes are entirely online, and they're taught by ACT experts. If you liked this article, you'll love our classes. Along with expert-led classes, you'll get personalized homework with thousands of practice problems organized by individual skills so you learn most effectively. We'll also give you a step-by-step, custom program to follow so you'll never be confused about what to study next. Try it risk-free today: