Airline Pilots Should not be Armed Essay -- essays research papers

After the events of September 11, nearly every American has thought about what it would be like to be on board an airline flight during a terrorist attack. We imagine ourselves on one of the hijacked planes and feel a surge of fear. The adrenaline rushes, the heart pounds, we go pale. If we allow the panic to escalate, we begin to feel desperate: Somebody do something! These understandable feelings of fear and desperation have moved people to argue that we should arm commercial airline pilots. Certainly it is reassuring to imagine pilots as our protectors, the last defense against crazed passengers bent on harm. Certainly we should take all reasonable measures to safeguard flights. However, is it really a good idea to let pilots act as gun-toting cowboys in the sky? When one considers the possible consequence of arming pilots, this policy does not seem at all prudent. Commercial airline pilots should concentrate on flying the plane rather than acting out a fantasy that may well turn into a nightmare. A well-trained extremist could conceivably disarm a pilot. A terrorist could als...

Compulsory education Essay

The K-12 education system is the public education system that most people are familiar with today. Comprised of 13 grades, kindergarten through 12th, it refers to the public school system in all of the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and parts of Europe as well. It is difficult to pinpoint the exact history of education, as it has been occurring in some form for centuries in all parts of the world. Today, K-12 education represents the compulsory education required of all children in the US. Though this type of education can be attained from either publicly or privately funded institutions, children who have reached compulsory school age (ranging from age six to eight, depending on the state) are required by law to attend school. Compulsory education in the United States began over 150 years ago when Horace Mann established a statewide system of education in Massachusetts, which became the first state to pass school attendance laws in 1852. By 1918, children were required by law to receive an education in all states. Kindergarten was actually developed prior to compulsory education. Though it is not compulsory in all states, children are required to start school in most states at the age of six. If the child is too young to start kindergarten the year he turns five, kindergarten may technically be required since he will be turning six that school year. The word kindergarten is of German origin and means â€Å"children’s garden.† The concept was the brainchild of Friedrich Froebel, a self-educated philosophical teacher, who sought to develop a place of guided play for children to â€Å"bloom.† The first kindergarten established in England was in 1852, and the United States followed by establishing its first in 1856. Though education was required of all children in Massachusetts by that time and many other states were following suit, not all schools provided, nor required, kindergarten. Similarly, not all schools required a student to stay in school beyond a certain grade, as compulsory education initially applied only to elementary aged children. Many children were also permitted to miss portions of the  school year, especially farmers’ children who were needed at home for harvesting crops and preparing for the winter. The Education Act of 1918, or the Fisher Act, was an act of British Parliament that implemented changes in progressive education and helped form many aspects of the K-12 education system used today. The Fisher Act raised the age at which children could leave school to 14 and addressed education needs, such as health inspections and accommodations for special needs children. This act also led to the development of a committee that reported to and made recommendations to policy makers regarding education. In the United States, unlike England, public education was governed by each individual state. As early as 1791, seven states had specific provisions for education in their own individual constitutions and were formed partly on the basis of education without religious bias. Prior to the passing of compulsory school attendance laws, education was primarily localized and available only to the wealthy, and it often included religious teachings. Following the compulsory attendance laws, Catholics banned together in opposition of states mandating common schooling and created private Catholic schools. In 1925, the Supreme Court ruled that children could attend public or private schools for education. Over time, each individual state developed its own department of education to oversee the public education system. Compulsory attendance grew to include kindergarten and mandate attendance through the age of 16. Funding sources for public education also grew to include federal, state and local sources. Federal funding was overseen by the United States Department of Health, Education, and Welfare from 1953 to 1979, until it was divided and the US Department of Education was formed as a stand-alone entity. By the 1950s, compulsory education had become well established, but the K-12 education system was really still in its infancy. Schools were still primarily localized, but education was no longer available only to the wealthy. Even in the 1950s, however, segregation by race was still common practice in public schools in the US. Then came another landmark decision by  the Supreme Court. In 1954, in the US Supreme Court case Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, the Supreme Court ruled unanimously that racial segregation in public schools was unconstitutional. Though this decision was met with resistance and it took many years before legalized segregation was completely eliminated, especially in southern states, the federal courts eventually achieved success. This achievement was not without its repercussions, and many urban and inner city schools saw an exodus of wealthy and middle-class white families, who moved to suburban districts. In time, many urban districts were left only with poor families and it became difficult to attract and pay for quality teachers and education. Since the formation of the US Department of Education in 1979, the education system has been similar to what is found today, but has undergone a series of developments and amendments to accommodate the changing needs of education. Funding has always been a source of concern for public schools, especially in poor, urban districts, where the quality of education also came into question. As a result, federal funding is now directly related to school performance as determined by standardized testing under the current No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). NCLB was signed into law by President George W. Bush 3 January 2002. Under this law, standards of accountability were increased in an effort to improve performance and to give parents flexibility in choosing schools. NCLB requires states to administer assessments of basic skills to all students at certain grade levels and achieve the standards set forth by each state in order to receive federal funding. Specific and more rigorous goals were placed on reading achievements under this law and states also had to develop high school exit or graduation exams with specific measures of assessment in place as well. The intention was to hold schools to a higher  level of accountability, but was debated from its inception. Currently, the K-12 public education system provides a 12th grade education to eligible students for free. Families have the option of sending their children to private schools, but are then responsible for tuition. The future of education will undoubtedly experience change and social and economical challenges, just as it has in the past. Programs may soon expand to include pre-K compulsory attendance and could even expand to include options beyond the 12th grade, as these are concepts, in their earliest stages, currently being explored.

Social Research On Ethical And Political Context - 1556 Words

HSW322 Applied Social Research in ethical and political context Assessment one - Literature Review Student: Mineeka De Been FOCUS OF THE PROPOSAL The focus of this proposal is to undertake a comprehensive needs assessment of the current Barwon South West Region’s Youth Homelessness Services, with the aim of locating and bridging gaps that are presently in the services system, by collecting and analysing information such as assessment data, client interviews and so forth (Depoy Gilson, 2003, p75). This proposal will ascertain whether the Youth services in the Barwon South West region is fully addressing the barriers facing homelessness, exploring whether early intervention initiated outreach programs will engage or re-engage young people in seeking support through housing or relevant services such as mental health agencies etc. STAKEHOLDERS Key stakeholders in this needs assessment include: †¢ Homelessness Youth Services in Barwon Youth Southwest Region – specifically the Youth Entry Point workers and management, who are primarily involved in undertaking specialist assessments to gain a greater understanding of the young person’s current housing situation, who explore barriers such as Alcohol and Other Drugs (AOD), Mental Health or Family Violence concerns etc. †¢ The Minister of Housing - The Hon. Wendy Lovell, MLC †¢ The Minister for Social Services – The Hon Kevin Andrews †¢ Clients currently receiving housing support, as well as young people who are currently on theShow MoreRelatedObservation Research For Children And Young People Essay1671 Words   |  7 Pagesthat influence naturalistic observation research method with children and young people. It uncovers unknown phenomena and behaviors; it would be difficult to follow people without discovery, and it would also be unethical to observe without their consents. The collection of data is without manipulation of the environment, however, there are influencing factors like ethical, political and social-cultural issues that imposed challenges on observation research with children and young people that areRead MoreUse of Statistics in Our Life1087 Words   |  4 Pagesevaluation of athletic talent in amateur or professional sports and political polling. Within the context of my work, I have also noted the critical importance of statistical assessment in gauging such features as employee satisfact ion, in conducting resource planning and in projecting the companys future financial performance based on existing indicators and available data. Discuss the issue of ethics in Statistics Ethical control is a critical element of compiling trustworthy statistics. ParticularlyRead MoreA Critical Analysis Of Bourgois And Schonberg1720 Words   |  7 Pagestheir concept of â€Å"lumpen abuse,† which describes the violence imposed by political structures on the lumpenproletariat. They also urge the reader to consider the â€Å"Gray Zone† concept, in which an ethical wasteland, a morally ambiguous space blurring the distinction between victim and perpetrator, is generated by the â€Å"structurally imposed everyday suffering† of lumpen abuse. Through synthesizing ethnographic methodology and social theories, Bourgois and Schonberg form a strong critique of oppression integralRead MoreExploring 3d Printing1053 Words   |  5 Pages 2) GROUP A MEMBERS b) Colette Davis: Team Lead c) Ryan Cornell: Assistant Team Lead/ Research amp; Writing d) Tess Bayne: Research amp; Writing e) Kimberly Brooks: Research amp; Writing f) Lindsay Clark: Research amp; Writing 3) THESIS STATEMENT g) 3D printing could potentially change the world as we know it. Through further research and development, this technology has the potential to save lives through medical uses, equip military membersRead MoreThe Relationship between Poverty and Crime879 Words   |  3 Pagesa great deal of social commentary. In societies throughout the world and throughout history there has always been a traditional measure of deviance through relative income gaps. Both poverty and crime as well as their connections are heavily weighed topics of political and social discourse. Opinions in these areas contain a great deal of variance. The prejudices of the old guard from the professional police era still utilize association with poverty as a measuring stick for social deviance. MeanwhileRead MoreWorking Class And Poor Adolescents Of The Connection Between Income, Education, Families, And Political Action1155 Words   |  5 Pagesthe connection between income, education, families and political action. The study was expended and add ethnic groups like Latino, African American, and White in young adult between 23 to 35. Also, the study considers the practices of the participants not just the perspectives. The study was conducted in Buffalo and Jersey City. In this article the researchers goal was to allow discussion to some of methodological, theoretical and ethical issue in the fieldwork. However, Richardson 1995 as theRead MoreThe Principles Of Responsible Management Education Essay704 Words   |  3 PagesBook Scope This collaborative text profiles cutting-edge approaches to learning and teaching for the Principles of Responsible Management Education (PRME) that go beyond the current discussions of sustainability and corporate social responsibility content, to include a wider lens that highlights the processes of educating the next generation of responsible managers within and beyond the boundaries of higher education. A unique aspect of this book is that each chapter integrates original contentRead MoreDoes Research Design Affect Study Outcomes in Criminal Justice?1337 Words   |  5 PagesPart 1 Weisburd, D., Lum, C., Petrosino, A. (2001). Does Research Design Affect Study Outcomes in Criminal Justice? The Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. 578 (1): 50-70. Within social science, as well as pure research, there seems to be a continual and ongoing debate about qualitative and quantitative research. Some take the view that, All research ultimately has a qualitative grounding, while others believe Theres no such thing as qualitative data. Everything isRead MoreDistinguish between Qualitative and Quantitative Research794 Words   |  3 PagesExplore the scientific approach to the criminal justice research ________________________________________________________________________ Distinguish between qualitative and quantitative research Quantitative or experimental research is that which is done using scientific principles in order to ensure validity (accuracy of research) and reliability ( replicability to other cases) and in order to ensure that researchers bias as well as that of participants is excluded as much as possible fromRead MoreThe Most Powerful Learning Experiences For Me1624 Words   |  7 Pages(2008) who emphasized that â€Å"most social workers†¦hold the basic values of the dignity and worth of each person; respect for diversity; a commitment to social justice, equality, and nondiscrimination; and the importance of human relationships† (p. 74). I noticed that we as a class held those basic values, regardless of our differences in opinions. In addition, textbook readings not only expanded my knowledge of social work with groups but also provided knowledge context for our experiences with in-class

Women s Rights Of Women - 2188 Words

Feminism has always, and continues to be a heavy topic in literature. The status of women in the world has continued to change due to the fight for the equal rights of women. Even today there are still some issues involving the rights of women, some places more so than others. Ama Ata Aidoo, an author in African literature, was born into royalty in Ghana which provided her with a clear significance of African customs (Horne 48). She illustrates in â€Å"Two Sisters† how the inequality of genders affected women in Ghana, from inequality in employment to inequality in gender roles. She uses the lives of two sisters, Mercy and Connie, to explain the inherent senselessness in the foolish choices that women make to prosper in a male privileged society that thrives on capitalism (Aidoo 994). Because women in Ghana did not have the equal rights that men did, they had to do what they felt would bring them happiness and security. Mercy leads the life of a free spirit and she uses herself to get the finer things in life. She does this by dating men with power, â€Å"big men† (Aidoo 1000). Although, she has a job she needs more than what her job pays her, she needs to be able to keep up with others around her. Mensar-Arthur provides that stability that Mercy is in search of. Aidoo uses a plethora of detail to express how powerful he is. When Mercy tells Connie that she is seeing Mensar-Arthur and Connie asks which one, Mercy says â€Å"how many do you know,† which implies that his name alone tellsShow MoreRelatedWomen s Rights Of Women Essay1455 Words   |  6 Pagesa myriad of women have expressed through outlets such as public assemblies, literature, and speeches. There have been three waves of the women’s movement, each targeting a variety of issues within each era. The third wave was in 1995, where Hillary Clinton spoke in Beijing, China, claiming that women’s rights were the sa me as human rights, that every aspiring girl deserved the civil liberties that every man was given around the world. Moreover, the movement had shifted towards women in developingRead MoreWomen s Rights Of Women1265 Words   |  6 Pagesstands in the way of women being equal to men? Journalist Carlin Flora suggests the following, â€Å"While not all claims to humanity are universal and no one context, culture or continent can truly represent all peoples, the following three examples from very different contexts, cultures and continents show that some violations of women’s human rights are universal. In particular, it is still the case the world over that a woman’s reproductive rights, which impact on her right to life, are still seenRead MoreWomen s Rights Of Women881 Words   |  4 PagesTwenty –first century ladies are discovering it a daunting task to keep up both sexual orientation parts as an aftereffect of the women s activist development. They are pre sently assuming liability for both the supplier and the nurturer, battling like never before to acquire and keep a superior personal satisfaction. Woman s rights has supported in equivalent vocation opportunity, battling to get ladies acknowledged into the employment advertise, and what initially began as ladies strengtheningRead MoreWomen s Rights Of Women Essay1647 Words   |  7 Pagesthe early 1920’s, women thought they had achieved the unachievable. They could finally work, keep their earned wages, marry whomever they please, and even vote. After reaching their goal and fighting vigorously, women could taste equality and the freedom they deserved. While women still have the right to work in today’s society, women are not exactly treated equal in the workplace. Regardless of the past and the extreme measures taken to ensure equal opportunities for both men and women, there are manyRead MoreWomen s Rights Of Women1590 Words   |  7 Pagesthe 1920s, women were ign ored in every aspect of their life. From politics, to social situations, women were constantly looked at as lesser. The 20s was a decade of women ready to fight for their rights. From gaining social freedoms, to getting political rights, the 20s was the first decade of feminism. Many women played key roles in the fight for women s rights through speeches, marches, and much more. The women that fought for their rights in the 1920s completely changed how women live their livesRead MoreWomen s Rights Of Women1230 Words   |  5 PagesWomen’s suffrage has stretched from the 1800’s to present day, as women have struggled to have the same civil and constitutional rights as men in politics and be appreciated as equals in the workforce. Groups of women known as suffragists questioned the customary views of women’s roles. Eventually our nation has evolved and realized that male-controlled societies suppress women’s rights. From the beginning steps taken in 185 0 to 2013 with women earning combat roles in the military, women’s rolesRead MoreWomen s Rights Of Women1206 Words   |  5 Pagesto speak of women and the role of women in this election, the subject of women is tiresome but necessary in a world where gender is still existent as an obstacle for most. I cannot identify what woman is. I am basing my definition from our modern understanding of woman, our general view, and the popular experience. People are using younger women voting for Bernie Sanders as proof of gender’s irrelevant in this election, that women have achieved their rights. Even if women ‘have rights now’ it doesRead MoreWomen s Rights Of Women1393 Words   |  6 Pages Women all over the world are being treated different than men. Iran is one of the places that women are being treated the worst. From restrictions to punishments, women in Iran are being treated with no respect, and that is not okay. Women’s rights activists have tried to get it to change, and have traveled to many places to try and get more people to join their movement. There are many issues with women not having the same rights as men. One of the main problems is that they are treated lessRead MoreWomen s Rights Of Women1272 Words   |  6 PagesThroughout history, women have fought a strenuous battle for equal rights. Many men, and even some women, all over the world believe that women do not share the same value and importance to society as men do. On September 5, 1995, Hillary Clinton spoke at the 4th World Conference on Women, on behalf of women all over the world. Clinton raised awareness on how women s rights are being violated and why it is important to recognize women s rights as equal to everyone else’s rights. Even today, in 2016Read MoreWomen s Rights Of Women1052 Words   |  5 PagesThe family has traditionally been the basic unit of Chinese society where women have long been charged with upholding society s values in their roles as wives and mothers. Especially in the Qing Dynasty, women were required to balance society s i deals with the reality of raising a family and maintaining a household. Throughout the imperial period and into the beginning of the twentieth century, the relationship among family members was prescribed by Confucian teachings. The revered philosopher

The Expansion Of Islamic Rule - 2184 Words

In Europe during 1250-1350, the major technological advancement, firearms, was significant in influencing Europe’s rulers. Although created between the mid 13th and 14th century, firearms, such as cannons and muskets, weren’t fully developed to be efficient and reliable in warfare until the mid 1400’s. Due to an increase in firearms, rulers began to create centralized, fiscal-military states to finance their strategic shift to firearm bearing infantries (542,). Rulers also began to implement imperialism, extending a country’s power and influence through military force, which had been a dormant policy for decades. The reason for reverting was a result of developing commonwealths between the competing realms, consisting of the religious civilizations of Islam and Christianity. The people who led the expansion of Islamic rule, first over the Eastern Orthodox Christians and eventually over the Western, the Ottomans, frequently attempted to raise immense amoun ts of currency in silver and gold purely for the sake of obtains firepower in the hopes of world ruling. But as Abu- Lughod would reason, that was a long shot to begin with. Low on money, the Ottoman Sultans compensated their military commanders with parcels of conquered land, also known as land grants. Property used in land grants, typically farmed by local villagers, generated rental income for officers of their regimes. However, once the Ottoman rulers had gained control over more cities and progressed over longShow MoreRelatedIslam s Influence On The Middle East And Beyond1711 Words   |  7 PagesBefore it completed 100 years of its origin, Islam had expanded across the Middle East and beyond. The rate and success of Islam s expansion were nothing short of breathtaking. Due to Muhammad’s alluring message, personal charisma, political ingenuity, and his ability to appeal to his followers; their loyalty and devotion laid the foundation to Islam’s great conquest. Wh en the Muslim armies swarmed through the Arab frontier, their experience with the terrain and their self-determination allowedRead MoreThe Ottoman And The Aztec Empire976 Words   |  4 Pagesgreat empires. In the early part of the era, the Islamic Caliphates acted as a core region in the Middle East, heavily influencing the region around them. On the other side of the world, the Aztec Empire rose to power in the later part of the era with minimal trans-regional influence. Although on different sides of the world, both empires found similar ways to adapt to their diverse environments. In the post-classical era, the rise of the Islamic Caliphates and the Aztec Empire were similar in thatRead MoreA Discussion Of Faith Rose Surrounding The World Trade Center1630 Words   |  7 Pagesthe Brussels massacre that took place on March 22nd, a question of faith rose surrounding the sanctity of the Islamic faith. In an article meant to expose answers to this very question John Kasich brin gs up a point that when people claim France is at war with Islam, they actually should be referring to radical Islam. This point pulled further controversy as those who were not Islamic began to wonder if the faith condoned suicide bombings in the name of expelling infidels and bringing the comingRead MoreThe Umayyad Dynasty in the Period of Islamic History717 Words   |  3 PagesUmayyad dynasty in the period of Islamic history has been regarded with great reverence due to the fact that the boundaries of Islamic empire reached as far as river Indus to the Pyrenees Mountains. An era of great expansion, Umayyad dynasty’s reign didn’t hold much except for consistent warfare. Around 750 AD when Abdullah Al-Saffah rooted the foundations of the Abbasid dynasty on the blood and bones of Umayyad, the Islamic empire was vast rich and more powerful than any empire on the planet whichRead MoreThe Spread Of The Islamic World997 Words   |  4 PagesSofia Kone 3/6/15 WH7/P4 The Spread of the Islamic World Long ago in 610, a man named Muhammad meditated in a cave near Mecca Arabia , and received a religious vision. This vision laid the foundations and a new belief system for an unknown religion, Islam. United by their faith in Allah, Muslims of Arabia succeeded in consolidating their beliefs throughout the Arabian peninsula into the Middle East. After the death of Muhammad, the Islamic state expanded rapidly through a remarkable success ofRead MoreThe Islamic Civilization And Islam1658 Words   |  7 PagesOne cannot have an adequate and well-versed discussion about Islamic civilization without first defining two key terms: Civilization and Islam. Associate Professor at Washington University in St. Louis, Ahmet Karamustafa, defines civilizations as, â€Å"nothing more than a particular, even unique combination of ideas and practice that groups of human actors – who are the real agents of human history – affirm as their own and use to define and develop their ow n sense of presence and agency inRead More Taizong versus Al Mawardi in Politics and Religion Essay856 Words   |  4 Pagesshould rule their government or empire, the use of the military, and the similarity between who will succeed and or shall be chosen for a right task in government. It seems as if the Islamic structure for government is much more strict than the Tang Dynasty, based on the fact that the Islamic government must follow the Koran and Hadith. One difference between the Taizong handout and the Al Mawardi source is the way an emperor or caliphate shall rule their government or empire. The Islamic rulerRead MoreChapter 28: the Islamic Empires1054 Words   |  5 PagesChapter 28: The Islamic Empires Osman Bey: The founder of the dynasty that continued in unbroken succession until the dissolution of the empire. He was chief of a band of semi-nomadic Turks who migrated to northwestern Anatolia. Ghazi: What all Osman followers wanted to become, otherwise known as Muslim religious warriors. Ottomans: Those who were located on the borders of the Byzantine empire and followed Osman Bey. They captured the Anatolian city of Bursa and made it their capital. TheirRead MoreHow Did Islam Spread Following the Death of Muhammad? What Were Some of the Challenges That the Muslims Faced and How Did They Deal with Them?915 Words   |  4 PagesThe creation of Islam came about from the prophet Muhammad. Islam means submission to G-d, otherwise known as Allah to the Islamic people. Muhammad was someone who knew how to capture the attention of the people and did so very successfully. He spoke with passion and brought together the Arabian tribes who had been fighting for many years. Once united, Muhammad influenced these tribes to convert to Islam. Immediately following his death, the tribes who were once united broke apart and began fightingRead MoreThe Rise Of The Islamic Empire843 Words   |  4 Pagesof power, the Islamic Empire was extremely proficient at expanding their influence . Islam reached from Spain to India and had a huge impact on people all across the known world. Their success in expansion was due their use of tactics and methods to assist them in spreading their control. The spread of Islam was so successful because their faith made them vicious warriors, and their ideas were attractive to other peoples, making it easy for them to assimilate to the Umma. The Islamic faith was successful

My Most Precious Possession free essay sample

My Most Precious Possession beginners Imagine for one moment that you are standing on your neighbors front lawn in your pajamas, watching your house burn to the ground. All of your family and pets are safe. If at this moment, you have a chance to safely dash back into the burning building and retrieve one precious belonging, what would if be? I personally already have Issues like this thought out ahead of time. In case of emergencies, I will be ready to act. The item I would rush to grasp would be my CD collection, because ofIts monetary and sentimental value. I have a very large and diverse compact disk collection. I estimate that I currently own close to three hundred. When you take In to account that I paid between ten and fifteen dollars for each one, you might begin to understand how precious they are to me. My estimate comes to thirty-five hundred dollars. If hear the ending of a song that have in my collection I can start singing you the beginning of the song directly after it. E music to compliment my mood or to put me in a better one. Each song I own says a different thing to me or reminds me off a different memory of my past. Some of these discs are practically irreplaceable. As any music lover can tell you no one music store carries every CD. I buy them at concerts from little known artists, at obscure music shops, from internet sites, or just about anywhere I see them. Some were extremely hard for me to track down; others are autographed.A few from my collection made from songs on my imputer; consequently, they are one of a kind. One in particular has recordings of songs friend of mine wrote. Its not the discs am so attached to but the songs on them and the way the make me feel. If I were to lose this collection would be losing not only a large sum of money and a lot of precious time spent collecting them, but every individual song that means so much to me.

The Improvement of Operational Activity

Introduction It is evident that the efforts to improve the performance of companies have been important ever since the commencement of the industrial era only because of the known well-documented practitioners in the area of performance improvement who were Adam, Baggage, Frank, Lillian Gilbreth, Taylor, Henry Ford Johansson and Olhager.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on The Improvement of Operational Activity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More But ever since the 1950s, we are told that the competition between companies have over time increased as markets have also become increasingly global and there are however no signs that this competition will ever come to ease up. This increase in competition creates an even much greater need for first rate improvement methods that could sustain competitiveness through the origins of a number of the methods of operations that are in use today which lie in the strong development period during and immediately after the Second World War, principally in the United States of America. It is however these kinds of methods that were imported to improve Japan, whilst the original United States methods were however successfully imported and put to work in a Japanese way of working. Body It is however evident here that from just simple, basic concepts and approaches, the Toyota production system was therefore synthesized and as a result, it resulted in various additions and derivative methods like benchmarking. We are told that some of these methods resulted in the lean manufacturing concept, such that when the methods were introduced into the West, the implementation was often not that fully successful. Womack, Jones and Ross also asserted that most of the Western companies could still or are still referred to as â€Å"traditional† mass production companies (79). They however try to compare this with General Motors Company, which has several plant s in various parts of the world, several managers and sufficient workers. Therefore, the developments of such methods in Japan however, did spark a new round of thinking in the West and the development of a number of new improvement methods as a competitive counteraction against the Japanese movements like theory of constraints, business process re-engineering and kaizen which was called business process improvement.Advertising Looking for critical writing on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More All these methods could therefore have similar fundamental aims that could be used to improve the operations. There are different means by which they could set out to accomplish this, and also in their scope. But, a common failing system is that these methods do not offer decision support as to which performance factors are there to improve. However, when it comes to measuring the literature, it often lists specific mea surements to be made but this approach could also suggest that improvement methods are static. But since the operational activity could be referred to as dynamic, so must the improvement methods be. But we are also told in the paper that the methods chosen are from the most well known areas such as OD and TQM of which are not an attempt to covering up the complete set of the methods. Also, by identifying the steps used in the methods found in the papers, the similarities and the differences between the methods can however be identified easily. There is also a need to extensively range the changes and improvement methods described within the literature of which many of them are mainly because they are focused in presuming that some work has already taken place to identify the problematic area and thus selecting the tool (Stevenson 56). These ideas have do have practical implications in my professional life in a major way since the operations improvement mainly involves measuring, bot h as a diagnostic tool and also as a monitoring tool used to measure progress and results. It is however not that possible to be prescriptive as to what to measure, but since that depends on the nature of any problem and the area under the review. There are many methods available to use in the improvement of operational activity, some of which are relatively generic whilst others are specific to a given area of work. Most of them may or could have some fundamental similarities. But what could be the key to any given investigation is to mainly select the most appropriate method for the study. This therefore involves first selecting the key factors that need to be improved and then selecting a method or the methods that can focus on such factors. Therefore, when it comes to carrying out investigations, using selected techniques, it then becomes important to measure the progress and even the outcomes. This helps when it comes to the selection of an appropriate measurement technique or even a regime. Conclusion There are however, some methodologies and techniques that are therefore put across so as to aim at improving the effectiveness and the efficiency of operational activity. We have some examples such business process reengineering, such as total quality management and organizational development.Advertising We will write a custom critical writing sample on The Improvement of Operational Activity specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Some of these methods will differ from each other in how the so called improvement could be achieved and implemented and even what is there to be improved. It is evident that from a review of these methods that are based on the literature that is available, none of the above methods are particularly strongly believed to identify on what to improve or even how to find potential improvement on the areas. Works Cited Stevenson W. Operations Management. 8th ed. McGraw-Hill, 2006. Print W omack, J., Jones, D. and Ross, D. Lean Thinking Banish Waste and Create Wealth in Your Corporation. London: Simon Schuster, 1996. Print. This critical writing on The Improvement of Operational Activity was written and submitted by user Wayne L. to help you with your own studies. You are free to use it for research and reference purposes in order to write your own paper; however, you must cite it accordingly. You can donate your paper here.