A Summary Of Women In Prison Criminology Essay

A Summary Of Women In Prison Criminology Essay Womens segment is one of the fastest growing segments of prison population all over the world, but especially in the United States. The increasing amounts of women are locked in prisons due to different reasons. A lot of women in prisons are drug addicts who originally took drugs to escape a life of difficulty and childhood trauma. A lot of were caught being as mules in drugs trades. Also the main part of women in prison has been victims of domestic violence some time in their lives. Nearly all of imprisoned women are from poor and working class families. Here are average demographics of women in prison, presented by Anti-racist group Committee to End the Marion Lockdown. During the years 1980 and 1993, the female population of prison increased nearly 313%, at the same time men increase 182% during the same period. In 1993 the number of women was 5.8% of the total prison population and 9.3% of the whole jail population. Women prisoners are divided like this: African American women 46%, White women 36%, and Hispanic Women 14%. The majority of incarcerated women are poor. So 53% of women in prisons and 74% of women in jails were unemployed before incarceration. The imprisoning of women has a bad influence on her family. 67% of women in prisons are mothers of children who are under 18. 70% of these women (and only 50% of men) had custody of their dependent children before imprisonment. Statistics shows that 6% of women are pregnant at the moment when they go to prison. A big amount of incarcerated women had domestic violence. 32% of imprisoned women (nearly 4,000 women) are in prisons because of murders of their husbands, ex-husbands or boyfriends. http://www-unix.oit.umass.edu/~kastor/walking-steel-95/ws-women-in-prison.html Women in prison suffer from violence, discrimination and other kind of injustices. It is known that 57% of imprisoned women have had severe and prolonged sexual and physical abuse. (3 Cristina Rathbone, A World Apart, Random House, May 2005, p. 22.). Being in prison, women are objects of sexual misconduct from correctional staff and other prisoners. (4 GAO report Women in Prison: Sexual Misconduct by Correctional Staff June 1999, p.9). Men and women are alike subjected to imprisonment but little attention has been given to the various needs and problems of imprisoned women as opposed to those of men. This omission may reflect the fact that women prisoners are a very small minority of the overall prison population: only four percent worldwide. Throughout the world, the regimes in prison are nearly always created for the majority male prison population and that is why they dont provide for the women needs. Female prisoners have different mental, physical, and emotional needs, not the same as men have. Prisons may be unable to offer adequate maternity and ante-natal care, or appropriate access to feminine hygiene products. Women can have different needs relating to problems such as substance addiction, mental health, and anger management, sexual or physical abuse. Women in prisons have a higher level of mental diseases and are more likely to have been victims of all kinds of abuse than the general population and are at higher risk of self-harm and suicide. They may respond differently to security regimes and require less harsh forms of physical restraint. In mixedsex prisons the security regime may be disproportionately harsher for women because it is designed for men. Most women in prison are mothers and/or the main carer for children, thus it is particularly important that ways be found of helping them to maintain family ties. Research shows that custodial sentences are not appropriate for many women and not effective in reducing offending or reoffending. The experience of imprisonment can have damaging effects for both mothers and their children and can exacerbate mental health issues or problematic drug or alcohol addiction among women in prison. So, here is a description of all levels of imprisonment, the description of womens life in prison and the destiny of children of women in prison. 1. Arrest of a woman. Police officers may not ask whether the woman they are arresting has children or allow her time to explain to the children what is happening or make arrangements for their care. This increases the anxiety of both children and mothers and makes the arrest more difficult for the officer. 2. Pre-trial detention. Women may be more likely to be placed in pre-trial detention than men. This is because on the indicators used to determine a persons likelihood of absconding before trial (such as secure employment and owning or renting property in ones own name) women tend to come out lower. Factors such as caring responsibilities are not taken into account. Even if a woman is acquitted at trial, she may have lost her job, her home or her place on mental health or drug rehabilitation programs in the meantime. For children, having a mother placed in pre-trial detention has many of the same effects as having a mother imprisoned following conviction. 3. Sentencing. Despite their statistically small proportion in the overall prison population, the rate of imprisonment of women is increasing rapidly. The reasons for this appear to be changes in sentencing policy and law enforcement priorities, rather than a change in the amount or severity of crime in which women are involved. Severity of sentence. Attitudes towards women criminals may lead to harsher sentences, including imprisonment for offences for which men would not be imprisoned. Some discrimination against women reflects the social culture rather than specifically the criminal justice system: thus contravening social mores may lead to women being criminalised. Type of crime. In most countries, women are in prison for non-violent, property or drug offences. Generally, women have a lower involvement in serious violence, criminal damage and professional crime. Length of sentence. In many countries, a relatively high proportion of female prisoners appear to serve fairly short prison sentences. It should be borne in mind that a short sentence, for example six months, may be just as disruptive as a longer sentence for a woman prisoner, who may lose her children, her job, and her home as a result of the sentence. 4. Prisons. The number, type, geographical location and distribution of national prisons will affect the quality of womens imprisonment. The provision in a country is usually a practical matter of the resources available, and also reflects the penal philosophy of that country. Some factors are outlined below. Location. Because there are fewer female prisoners there are fewer single-sex prisons for women. Women who are held in single-sex prisons are therefore more likely to be held long distances from their families and communities than men, making visiting and the maintenance of family ties more difficult. This is especially problematic for women who were the sole carers of dependent children before their imprisonment. It also affects other specific categories of female prisoners, such as juveniles, whose numbers are even smaller. Level of security. Levels of security in prison are generally put in place to stop men escaping, which may mean that prisons are disproportionately harsher for women. In addition, the smaller number of womens prisons compared to mens means that there is less opportunity to provide institutions of different security classifications. The prisons regimes will be determined by the maximum security requirement, meaning that many women will be held according to a security classification that is stricter than could be justified by any assessment of the risk that they pose. Shared facilities. Women with diverse needs and a history of offending may be inappropriately held together under the same security regime. Sometimes women awaiting trial are held with women who have been sentenced, which is contrary to best practice. Women who are detained in prisons which also hold men may be required to share facilities and attend classes with male prisoners. This is not a suitable environment for women who have experienced abuse or require strict separation from men. Overcrowding. Prisons are often overcrowded and offer reduced exercise facilities, and time spent out of cells. This pressure may also reduce the numbers of available rehabilitative programmes educational, vocational, counselling as well as of drug and alcohol dependency programmes. Education, training and work. Prisons may offer a range of educational and work opportunities compulsory work or voluntary work (either paid or unpaid). In single-sex prisons where there are few women, access to education, training and work opportunities may be severely limited. In mixed-sex prisons women may be required to attend classes or work with male prisoners. This may be unsuitable and even threatening for some women. In some countries, women prisoners are given traditionally feminine jobs, such as catering or sewing. This is not a problem if there is a market for such skills outside the prison but jobs should not be allocated simply because of the gender of the prisoner. Women whose children live with them in prison may not be able to work or take education courses if there are no childcare facilities. Opportunities for prisoners awaiting trial and sentenced prisoners may also differ significantly. 5. Physical health health care General health and health care. Women prisoners suffer poor physical and mental health at rates and with a severity far exceeding those of male prisoners or of women in the general population. Some of this may be related to the reasons why they have been imprisoned, for example drug use and hence drug dependency and associated health problems. Sexual abuse and exploitation of women before and during imprisonment can lead to gynaecological problems, HIV and other sexuallytransmitted diseases, pregnancy, child-birth or abortion. Disease in prisons. Diseases and infections associated with overcrowding and poor health and hygiene conditions such as tuberculosis, hepatitis and HIV/AIDS, are additional risks for women in prisons. Drug alcohol addiction. Prisoners are more likely to suffer from drug/alcohol addiction than in the community at large. Existing research indicates that 75% of women who go to European prisons are already drug and alcohol users and that female prisoners are more likely to be addicted to harder drugs than male prisoners. Health care provision. Standards of medical care within prisons vary greatly both from country to country and from prison to prison. When health care facilities are outside the prison they may offer better standards of provision, but they may create other problems such as: â‚ ¬Ã‚ ­Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  The shame and discomfort for women of being taken there in prison clothing or in handcuffs, particularly if they have to wait in public areas within the hospital. â‚ ¬Ã‚ ­Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Shortages of prison staff reducing the availability of escorts for women to attend hospital. â‚ ¬Ã‚ ­Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Male prison staff accompanying female prisoners and being present during medical consultations and examinations. â‚ ¬Ã‚ ­Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Perceived lack of security in civilian institutions leading to women being shackled to beds, even during child-birth. Sexual health. Universally HIV among women prisoners is higher than in the general population. HIV positive women risk passing the disease onto their babies and unborn children. Womens high rates of drug addiction expose them to the risk of catching HIV through sharing needles. Female health hygiene. The prison may not provide for the sanitary needs of women or women may have to pay for their own sanitary provision. Women who are menstruating or going through the menopause need regular daily showers. It is humiliating for women to have to use washing and toilet facilities in the presence of others, most particularly during menstruation. They should also be able to change their bed linen frequently. Older women may go through the menopause while imprisoned, and their medical and/or psychological needs need to be identified and met at this time. They may also have particular health care needs such as hormone replacement therapy or food supplements. Pregnancy and childbirth. Pregnant women in prisons need special resources and attention to diet, exercise, clothing, medication and medical care. Prison is not an easy place to be pregnant and the inflexibility of a prison regime is incompatible with the needs and care of a pregnant body. â‚ ¬Ã‚ ­Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  It is more difficult to catch up on missed sleep and missed meals and hard to take baths or showers as often as needed. â‚ ¬Ã‚ ­Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  It may be difficult for the prison to transport prisoners to health care checks and scans, ante-natal classes and post-natal care. â‚ ¬Ã‚ ­Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ante-natal and post-natal care may not be seen as medical priorities by prison staff. â‚ ¬Ã‚ ­Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  It may be difficult for a prisoner to see a midwife. â‚ ¬Ã‚ ­Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Alerting staff to a medical problem, even the onset of labour, may be difficult, particularly at night. â‚ ¬Ã‚ ­Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  The stress of imprisonment can have a deleterious impact on the development of a pregnancy. â‚ ¬Ã‚ ­Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Restraining pregnant women in the same way as other women prisoners may endanger both the woman and the fetus. 6. Mental health. Mental health problems are more spread among women prisoners than in the prison for men or in the general prison. A lot of women have problems with lower-level of mental health, such as personality disorder, which do not qualify them for a psychiatric bed. Such women may need access to treatments and therapy designed specifically for them, and even in women-only prisons conditions may not be ideal. Women can be extremely worried about what will happen to their children, especially in the early stages of detention. Research has suggested that this can exacerbate or bring on mental health problems. Depression, self-harm and suicide. Doctors are more likely to diagnose depression in women than in men (even when they have similar scores on standardized measures of depression) and more likely to prescribe mood altering psychotropic drugs to women than to men. Outside prison men are more likely to commit suicide than women but the position is reversed inside prison, and self-harm in prison is a huge problem and more prevalent among women in prison. 7. Violence and vulnerability. In those countries where all prisoners are vulnerable to torture and inhuman and degrading treatment, women (and juvenile female) prisoners are particularly at risk, both from male prisoners and from male prison guards. The power imbalance between prisoners and guards together with the closed nature of prisons provide opportunities for harassment, exploitation, abuse, prostitution, rape and indecent assault of female prisoners by staff, both male and female. They may also be subjected to abuse and exploitation from other prisoners, both male and female. Even in countries where this is not the case, such as in the UK, women prisoners are vulnerable to other prisoners. A high proportion of UK women prisoners tell that they feel unsafe. The issues about safety and security of female prisoners include: â‚ ¬Ã‚  Location of female cells in mixed prisons. â‚ ¬Ã‚ ­Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Location and use of shared facilities, in particular showers and toilets. â‚ ¬Ã‚ ­Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Whether male prison guards hold contact positions over female prisoners (posts which permit or require them to be in physical proximity to the prisoners, sometimes unsupervised by other, female, staff). â‚ ¬Ã‚ ­Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Strip searches: women prisoners as a group are more likely than other women generally and/or male prisoners to have experienced sexual assault: this makes strip-searching especially traumatic for them. â‚ ¬Ã‚ ­Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  The existence or lack of effective supervision and complaints mechanisms which enable prisoners to complain without exposing them to intimidation or further abuse for example, seeing a doctor in the presence of guards means that violence towards and abuse of prisoners by guards is less likely to be reported by the prisoner. â‚ ¬Ã‚ ­Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Women who are subject to sexual abuse or exploitation face the added problems relating to the risk of HIV and other sexually transmitted diseases, the questions of pregnancy and child-birth or abortion, and all the associated physical, mental and emotional health issues. 8. Mothers in prison. Most women in prison around the world are mothers. Women are more likely to be the sole or primary carer for children and this factor makes the prison experience significantly different for women. The effects of maternal imprisonment on their families are generally more disruptive than the effects of paternal imprisonment. This is not adequately recognized by the criminal justice system. Since the numbers of women who are sent to a prison are rather low and the tendency to send women to prison for lesser nonviolent offences is increasing, so the woman herself can not understand the possibility of imprisonment as the outcome of her deeds. That is why the woman doesnt have the opportunity to make any preparations or provision for her kids before being taken into custody. Such fact can be a cause of additional stress for her and her kids. Prison visits from children. Visiting prisons can be a difficult and frustrating experience for children. So, traveling for a long distance, entering a grim building, being searched, spending time in a harsh adult environment with a mother that one might not even be able to touch may be extremely distressing to a child. This in turn may make the childs carer less inclined to undertake this arduous task, as well as leaving the mother distraught and reluctant to have further visits from the child. Furthermore, the new carers may have their own family responsibilities, as well as financial constraints, which put strains on taking in additional children (leading to children moving from one carer to another) and in particular adding to the financial, time and emotional burdens of taking children to visit their imprisoned mother. Evidence suggests that the children of imprisoned mothers, and particularly those who are taken into state care during the mothers imprisonment, are at significantly greater risk of developing criminal behavior in adulthood than other children. 9. Children of imprisoned mothers. The rights and best interests of the children of women prisoners are rarely considered during criminal justice processes, even though parental imprisonment has a major impact on their lives. There are three options: â‚ ¬Ã‚ ­Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  The child has to go to prison with the mother, and the consequence of that. â‚ ¬Ã‚ ­Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  The child is separated from the mother, and the consequence of that. â‚ ¬Ã‚ ­Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Where there is more than one child and they are treated differently; i.e. one goes to prison with the mother, the other is separated, and the consequences of that. Within each of these, there are then a number of matters to be considered which are encapsulated in the table overleaf. Children separated from their mother. Children left in the community may be looked after by their father, grandparents, other relatives or friends of the family, taken into state care or left without carers. Siblings may be separated from each other in order to make the situation not to difficult, or they may be taken into State institutions. A prisoner living in insecure or rented accommodation will usually lose this when s/he enters prison and getting accommodation when released is often difficult. A mother whose children have been placed in the care of the state or another person usually cannot reclaim custody without appropriate accommodation, so even a short prison term may lead to permanent separation of families. Registering details of prisoners children is not part of the reception procedure in many countries. Some prisoners may not disclose this information voluntarily for fear that their children will be permanently taken away from them. As a result, governments do not make social provision or policies which address the problem of children with incarcerated parents. The imprisonment of the mother has a great impact on the children; it affects every aspect of their lives and not just the relationships with their mother. It feels the same as while the bereavement, but with less support, from the new carer, teachers, and other people. Children of imprisoned parents have an increased tendency to exhibit aggressive and anti-social behaviour compared to the general population. Researchers have found that the effects of parental imprisonment can be serious. Studies of prisoners children consistently report that children experience a range of psychosocial problems during the imprisonment of a parent, including: depression, hyperactivity, aggressive behaviour, withdrawal, regression, clinging behaviour, problems with sleeping and eating, running away, truancy, low school grades and delinquency. The impact on the children will, of course, vary according to their age, surrounding family and community response, environment and individual character. Babies and children in prison. Some women may spend part or all of a pregnancy in prison and give birth while still serving their sentence. The bonding of an infant with her/his primary carer is essential for her/his long term emotional development and should be given high priority. If mothers give birth while serving their sentence, or are imprisoned when they have a baby or young child, that baby or young child may come into the prison to live with them. Special resources and facilities available to mother and babies in prison varies, but usually consist of accommodation within a specialized Mother and Baby Unit (MBU). Toys are sometimes provided for the children and the mother may have more freedom in terms of staying in an unlocked room, having access to a kitchen in which she can prepare food for the child etc. Because of the small number of women in prison who have children living with them, the number of MBUs is low, meaning that a mother may be imprisoned a long way from the rest of her family. This creates problems regarding prison visits and maintaining contact with any older children in the family. Additional concerns about babies and children living in prison are the effect this has on their development physical, mental and emotional. How long babies or young children can reside in prison with their mothers or even whether they can do so at all varies considerably across countries. The separation of mother and child can be a very traumatic experience for them both. Some countries try and make the separation process as gradual as possible, in order to ease the pain and trauma of separation. Babies and young children who are living in prison with their mother also require specialized health care. Women who know that their children will be removed from them shortly after birth may exhibit mental health problems and/or reject the baby or fail to bond with it. 10. Maintaining links with family. When imprisoned mothers are the primary carer of children, separation from their mothers is usually more traumatic than if the father is incarcerated; this is of course much worse where the mother is the sole carer. Research has shown that if family ties are maintained, the chances of prisoners re-offending upon release are lowered, so it is important to take measures to try to preserve these ties. Problems in maintaining these links include: â‚ ¬Ã‚ ­Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Doing so through letters is hard for those with low literacy skills, and self vidently problematic in relation to young children. â‚ ¬Ã‚ ­Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Ã¢â€š ¬Ã‚  Overcoming what is often a greater distance between the woman and her family. 11. Specific groups of prisoners. Foreign nationals. Foreign national women prisoners may be either resident or non-resident in the country where they are imprisoned. Common difficulties may be faced by both male and female foreign national prisoners, such as problems relating to language and misunderstandings surrounding the customs and cultures of the host country, which may lead to isolation. In prisons where the prisoners are dependent on external assistance, whether for basics such as food, hygiene products and clothing, or for small luxuries, women without family at hand to visit not only face the direct problems of not having such items, but are vulnerable to exploitation by other prisoners or prison guards in order to receive the necessities for living. Foreign national women who are not resident in the country of imprisonment may often be very far away from their children and families, causing them anguish and anxiety. Their children may not have the financial means to come and visit them. Telephone calls may be prohibitively expensive for both the mother and her children and difficult to arrange because of time differences. If the children are too young to read and write, then communication via letters is not an option. Many women foreign nationals in prison are there for drug smuggling and may have left their children in the temporary care of friends or family, expecting to return in a few days. Imprisonment may put a womans family (children and others) in significant danger from the people who employed her to smuggle drugs. Resident foreign national women can face deportation when they have completed their sentence, which means further separation from their families, or their having to relocate as well. Transgender prisoners. Transgender prisoners face particular difficulties and pose special challenges to the prison system precisely because of the question as to their classification as male or female prisoners. Racial minorities/ indigenous prisoners. In many countries with indigenous populations, indigenous women represent the fastest growing segment of the prison population. Their double minority status within the prison system, being both indigenous and women, means that where training and other programmes exist they may have to choose between those intended for indigenous men or for non-indigenous women. They may also have different needs from other women prisoners. 12. Post-release issues. Women leaving prison receive varying degrees of support from the prison and social services. They may face many problems in addition to the pressures which may have caused them to commit their initial crime, such as: getting a job, finding accommodation, staying drug or alcohol free and regaining custody of children who have been in state care during their imprisonment. Even a short prison term may lead to the mother losing the rented accommodation in which she had been living, and it is common for a mother to be unable to regain custody of her children if she does not have anywhere to live. This makes it very difficult for women to resume normal lives outside of prison, and may be a factor which contributes to re-offending. Although all released prisoners face issues surrounding their efforts to reintegrate into society, for parents these may be compounded by the need to reconcile with children who may have changed (as well as grown up) during their absence. These children may have taken on new roles in the family and developed close relation-ships with alternative carers, both of which can cause tension if the returning parent tries to go back to the way things were. Reoffending by parents can also have a devastating impact on their children, as they lose their parent for a second time. As it was written above, the female population in the U.S. prison is escalating faster than the male population. According to statistics, the U.S. has 10 times more women in prison than the combined nations of Western Europe. (http://www-personal.umich.edu/~lormand/agenda/0107/womenprison.htm. Phillis Engelbert, Women in Prison, Agenda, July/August 2001). Women are sent to prison for different crimes, but there they need a specialized care and treatment. A lot of women have drug and alcohol problems and need to be treated accordingly. A lot of women in prison have children and this is one more reason for special treatment.

Cognitive Ability Essay

Any company needs a system of control and measurement. This is all the more true in the food industry, wherein the expected output is not only about taste or profitability, but also on several factors that could cause a multitude of praise or problems such as quality of service, effective controls, innovative product mix, brand image, etc (Profitable Tips For All Restaurant Owner, by Kevin Moll). Although the restaurant operations group, central office, administrative support, and upper management are all expected to be calibrated and to work in harmony, this type of business requires a funnel point, or local management whose role to act remotely on behalf of, but in full calibration with, upper management in terms of policy implementation, achieving store targets, local marketing, and other operational tasks. This funnel point is the Restaurant Manager (Ninemeier, Jack D. ; Hayes, David K. (2006). Restaurant Operations Management: Principles and Practices. Upper Saddle River, N. J: Pearson Prentice Hal). In recent years, it has been a recurring problem of the Shakey’s Philippines operations team that some of the Restaurants have not been meeting its target Quality, Service, Cleanliness, and Hospitality (QSCH) Score and Profitability Goals (Based on the 2012 Audit Scores). Although several initiatives have been rolled out to coach each employee’s performance, the consistency of the store’s QSCH scores and the achievement of target profitability have been directly linked with the performance of the respective Restaurant Manager (Store QSCH Score is included in Restaurant Manager’s total Performance Appraisal rate). Although coaching initiatives and continuous improvement programs have been launched and maintained, the problem resurfaces when attrition happens. Whether the attrition is expected or unexpected, the fact is that new talent coming in, either from the outside or from within, will always face the same pitfalls and challenges, plus problems that have been newly developed or caused by the failure of the previous local management handling the store; this causes the aforementioned coaching and continuous improvement initiatives to be re-implemented and relearned, ending and beginning this loop again with attrition, even slowing down the effectiveness of improvement initiatives. The process of learning and relearning, which is highly dependent on the Restaurant Managers’ cognitive ability, makes the difference when dealing with this loop(Schmidt, Hunter, and Outerbridge’s (l986)  causal model of job performance); it defines how much the Restaurant and, consequentially, the store itself can progress from the loop and continuously improve on its operational performance. This study aims to understand the significance and relation of the Restaurant Managers’ cognitive ability on the achievement of store objectives, and to address such problems. Background of the study Schmidt, Hunter, and Outerbridge’s causal model of job performance suggests that cognitive ability is the most important cause of job performance and that the relationship between ability and performance is stable over time (Development of a Causal Model of Processes Determining Job Performance, Frank L Schmidt and John E. Hunter). Though there is a lack of studies that specifically discusses the impact or effect of Restaurant Managers’ cognitive ability on the store performance, the scope of the universal model developed by Schmidt, Hunter, and Outerbridge could be used for restaurant industry. There are three factors to consider, before discussing the relationship between the Restaurant Managers’ cognitive ability and the performance of the stores the Managers respectively handle: 1. The Restaurant Manager’s Duties and Responsibilities needed to be accomplished, as well as targets to be achieved; 2. The Restaurant Manager’s Personal and Technical Competencies needed prior to placing any candidate, external or internal, into this position; 3. The current average and modal store performance in a given sample population versus the scores of the Intelligence Quotient (IQ) tests taken by the Restaurant Managers who run the stores in the sample population. The first two factors are found in the Restaurant Manager’s Job Description, which differs from company to company, while the third factor will be based on actual data from the sample population within a prescribed performance appraisal period alongside the last known IQ test scores of the respective Restaurant Managers. The first two factors are what will be used to describe, respectively, the current deliverables expected from all Restaurant Managers, and who the ideal Restaurant Manager should be as well as the capabilities in running store operations effectively. From the analysis of this information we can further elaborate the significance of measuring cognitive ability for prospective Restaurant Managers for screening purposes, as well as current Restaurant Managers for continuous improvement and internal screening purposes. The third factor shall be used to analyze the current relationship between the Restaurant Managers’ cognitive ability and their respective store’s performance. The analysis will include possible trends to further reinforce or debunk any possible relationships. Objectives of the study †¢ To identify the relationship of Restaurant Managers’ cognitive ability and achievement of store objectives †¢ To determine the acceptable level of applicant’s IQ in hiring or promoting Restaurant Managers †¢ To recommend either changes or retention in assessment tools to accurately determine the cognitive ability of prospective Restaurant Managers Significance of the study This study, if used in similar contexts, may be used as follows: †¢ To improve company selection processes, either to reinforce or debunk current practices of measuring job applicants’ Intelligence Quotients; †¢ To create more focused people development strategies, either more or less focus on increasing employees’ cognitive abilities; †¢ To reinforce or debunk the relevance of cognitive abilities on employees’ job performance, to gauge employees’ and applicants’ capabilities to take on certain responsibilities; and †¢ To properly plan and create succession plans and manpower requests within organizations. Scope and limitations For the purpose of this study, the Job Description, performance data, and IQ test scores to be studied will be those of the Restaurant Managers of company-owned Shakey’s branches, covering Manila areas only. It shall not include data from Franchisee-owned branches and the Restaurant Managers running these branches. This study shall also cover data from Restaurant Managers who have run their respective, company-owned stores for at least one year. This is to ensure the integrity of the data, and factor out possible cultural and functional adjustment periods brought about by new-hire status, lack of experience of newly-promoted Managers, newly-built store locations, and other similar scenarios. As such, data from Restaurant Managers of company-owned stores within the sample population whose tenure is less than the period prescribed in this study shall not be included. The IQ test results to be considered shall be those taken using the proprietary internally-developed IQ test only, and will not include results from any previous IQ tests. It must be noted that this test is used on all Restaurant Managers screened either for hiring or for promotion within all locations of Shakey’s Philippines, and its norms have been based on the current manpower of the company, across all levels and departments. Therefore, this IQ test is, for the purpose of this study, valid. Convenient Sampling Method shall be used for this study, both due to logistical limitations, as well as evening-out the sample population. It should also be noted that this study shall also take into context several factors that could have an effect on the success or failure of any given establishment aside from the Restaurant Manager’s cognitive ability, such as personal competencies, values, and the working experience of the Restaurant Manager. Whichever outcome and results may arise, this study does not denote that the store’s performance is solely or definitively dependent on the Restaurant Manager’s cognitive ability. The definition of Cognitive Ability is taken from Dr. Pascale Michelon, (Author of Max Your Memory and the Founder of Memory Practice). Cognition is how a person understands the world; it is a set of abilities, skills, or processes that are part of nearly human action. Cognitive abilities are the brain-based skills we need to carry out any task, from the simplest to the most complex. Dr. Michelon states that cognitive ability has more to do with the mechanisms of how we learn, remember, solve problems, and pay attention rather than with any actual knowledge. It refers to the individual’s capacity to comprehend, think, reason and solve problems (What is a Cognitive Ability/What are Cognitive Abilities and Skill, 2006). The hospitality sector is known to have the highest employee turnover rate among all other industries (The Economic Times, Highest Attrition in Hospitality and Aviation Sectors Survey, April 2012). The Human Resources (HR) departments of companies in this sector are required to hire talents who can adjust immediately to their new working environment and possess the ability to learn, continue, and finish the tasks left by the person previously holding the vacated post in the soonest possible time, with minimal training and supervision provided (Copyright 2003-2006  www. iBizResources. com). This also holds true in Shakey’s Philippines where Restaurant Managers leave the company either for opportunities outside the country or because of better offers from competitors. Shakey’s Philippines has an estimated 8% turnover rate for the Restaurant Manager employees in 2012 (Data Collected from Shakey’s HROD). Given this situation, it is important for Shakey’s Philippines, as with any other company facing similar dilemmas, to implement programs and initiatives that will counter the negative effects of this attrition. To better understand the impact of a Restaurant Manager on an organization in the Food industry, analysis of the Restaurant Manager’s job scope is needed. The main duties and responsibilities of a Restaurant Manager of Shakey’s Philippines are as follows: 1. Oversee overall operations of the restaurant including personnel management, stocks and inventory management, maintenance management and other administrative function 2. Develop and implement Local Store Marketing strategies, and ensure proper implementation of company wide marketing promotions 3. Ensure proper implementation and compliance to company controls and standards 4. Solve problems and decide on critical issues concerning but not limited to customer complaints, employee related conflicts, administrative cases, store accidents, decreasing sales due to strong competition, equipment breakage, delayed delivery of raw materials, etc. 5. People Development For Restaurant Managers to effectively carry out these responsibilities, certain abilities are required to be identified in prospective internal and external candidates. The Qualifications and Skills of a Restaurant Manager of Shakey’s Philippines are as follows: 1. Ability to set goals and implement sales building initiatives to ensure achievement of the target sales 2. Ability to use benchmarking and trade area awareness as analysis tools. Can analyze sales trends and performance. a. Has the ability to identify business opportunities within his trade areas b. Has the ability to study competitors within his areas and implement improvements to ensure his store is at par with his competitors, c. Is constantly calibrated with the best practices of the industry, which are to be implemented and practiced in the respective store 3. Ability to plan, direct, monitor, organize, control the restaurant financial resources. a. Has the ability to conduct profit and loss analysis and easily spot discrepancies in financial reports. b. Can determine factors affecting contributing to high cost efficiently. c. Can implement action plans and preventive measures to ensure a sound operational cost d. Can manage restaurant cost to acceptable level, and can create ways and means in managing cost. 4. Can implement and monitor quality standards in the store. Has the ability to consistently achieve an excellent QSCH Audit Result. 5. Ability to develop team capabilities. a. Has the ability to energize and inspire his team, and work towards the common goals. b. Has the ability to train his management team on various restaurant system (inventory, cash control, workforce planning, etc) 6. Ability to develop and implement effective local store marketing that boost sales and build brand 7. Has the ability to develop and implement effective merchandising techniques All these qualifications and skills are most likely to be present in people with higher cognitive abilities, based on Dr. Michelon’s abovementioned definition of cognitive ability. Cognitive ability plays a major role in learning new systems and operations, as well as making correct actions in each problematic situation that people encounter at their respective workplace. This particular ability helps newly hired employees perform well in their recently acquired roles, enabling them to hit the ground running (Development of Causal Model of Processed Determining Job Performance, Frank L Schmidt, John E. Hunter). Schmidt, Hunter, and Outerbridge’s Causal Model of job performance suggests that cognitive ability is the most important cause of job performance; that it is the primary determinant of job performance, and that the influence of this ability either remains stable or increases over time. Further analysis has suggested that cognitive ability retains its influence on the employee well-past the initial stage of employment, when incumbents are learning how o do their jobs, and is still a major contributing factor for job performance measurement among more senior job incumbents. Cognitive ability enables incumbents to acquire and apply job knowledge, and is also related to the employee’s ability to solve novel problems and to make appropriate judgement in situations where routine procedures do not apply; this will be most important in situations where the employee must learn new procedures or techniques, or where novel problems or job demands require sound judgement c alls from the employee. It is necessary, then, to hire Restaurant Manager replacements with high levels of intelligence; without the ability to adapt quickly towards their new working environment, new-hires’ and employers alike will be facing problems such as losing profitability to lost opportunity cost. This is especially true in Shakey’s Philippines, as it is so for all restaurant companies, whose profitability is dependent on their Restaurant Managers’ performance.

Music Observation Classroom Essay

Before entering this classroom my purpose was to see the difference from a music class compared to a regular kindergarten class. I wanted to observer her lesson plan and see how she handles the kids with a different activity. This observation was very different compared to the other ones I have done. I usually sit down in a classroom and just take notes on what’s happening but this teacher, Mrs. Wineski, had me involved the second I walked in. I could have observed a 3rd grade music class but I picked kindergarten instead because I was more curious on how the younger kids reacted when there is music involved. I feel like the younger they are the more excited they get for things. The kids in this specific class have music once a week on Wednesday mornings. This classroom had 16 children in it, which I think is a good amount so everyone gets enough equal attention. The larger the class the less they get noticed and have one on one time with the teacher. Music in this school has changed drastically since I went there. Starting with the fact there is no actual classroom for music anymore it is now â€Å"traveling music. † They said there weren’t enough classrooms for music to have its own, so now the teacher has her cart she wheels around all day. On the cart she has her keyboard, computer, work sheets, posters she temporarily hangs up with magnets and instruments the kids use like; tambourines, drum sticks, and triangles. On the computer she had music videos the kids get to watch if they had time at the end of class and if they were well behaved. To be honest I don’t think I am a fan of this concept. The kids don’t get a change of scenery and they’re stuck in the same classroom all day, especially since they’re so young. The room they are in now though, is very colorful and alive. It is separated into sections and in each one they do different activities through out their day. As soon as she arrives in the classroom each time she told me that she starts the morning by singing each of their names and have them sing back to her. She does this as an exercise to get them worked up and catches all their attention. The lesson I was able to witness was adorable. She had a very high pitch voice, very hyper, and had the personality of a kid. The theme for this entire month is Halloween and she says each time they meet they do something different related to the season/holiday coming up. When I was there they played dress up in a box of costumes she brought in. They were set up in groups of 4 but they had the opportunity to pick which they wanted to be. She had witches and warlocks, Disney princesses, animals, and super heroes. After they got dressed they sang songs and danced in a circle as a whole group, then they separated into what costumes they were in and made up a little skit using drum sticks. All the kids participated and once the skit was made up they had to put on a little show. By the time each group presented all the kids basically forgot what they made up and just banged the sticks on the ground and giggled at each other. Mrs. Wineski never put them down for forgetting, she clapped and enjoyed each one equally with a warm smile. The goal of this activity was to use their imaginations and to have an open mind. Also, they used group work so working with one another is a big step in developmental learning. The students loved every second of music class. Of course because they are so young at times they got side tracked but over the entire lesson Mrs. Wineski did with them she captured all of their attention. I lucked out with observing a tame group of kids. No one had to be put in â€Å"time out† or talked to. The younger the kids I always thought it was easier to get them interested and into the lesson but Mrs. Wineski showed that it was harder than that. She had the entire class time scheduled out and planned far in advance. She has only been a teacher for 4 years so, she said everything she does she is still an experiment; how confortable she feels doing it and how the kids enjoy it. When I said that as soon as I met Mrs. Wineski she had me participating I wasn’t kidding. We both wore witches hats and she had me playing with them. I gained some useful knowledge that will come with me when I pursue becoming a teacher. First would be patience, and a whole lot of it. She was cool, calm, and collect. Many teachers I’ve come across aren’t like that. They seem almost uncaring and just there for a paycheck. Those are the teachers who should not have a job like this because teaching is much more than that. You impact the children’s lives and help shape who they grow up to be. I also learned that the crazier the lesson is the more fun they will have. Don’t stick to basic and boring and don’t be afraid to try something different. So, I went in looking to just compare and contrast music vs. a regular kindergarten day and I ended up completely doing something different. I saw how music is really important for all kids. They need it in their life for many reasons. I observed how the teacher interacts with the students and how much fun teaching could be if you love your job.

Essay about Violent Media Is Good for Kids - 1069 Words

VIOLENT MEDIA IS GOOD FOR KIDS By Gerard Jones In our class book Practical Argument, I chose â€Å"Violent Media is Good for Kids† by Gerard Joneson page 36. In this article Jones states and tries to prove that violent media is undeniably good for children. He challenges this by saying what he believes also how he grew up too passive because he was sheltered from the media. Upon hearing that the media has lofty messages of pacifism and tolerance (par.2), his mother had borrowed some comics for him to read. After reading the comics, he said that he followed Hulk for a while then switched to more sophisticated heroes, in (par. 3) and finally found my own lead along a twisting path to a career and an identity. (par. 3) Later on, his son†¦show more content†¦Jones admits that violent media is not harmless and that it does inspire some children into doing real life violence, but goes on to say that it has helped more than it has harmed. Like Jones mentions before, When we try to protect our children from their own feel ings and fantasies, we shelter them not against violence but against power and selfhood. I know, from personal understanding, that when you grow up fearing to express your feelings because you are afraid that you are going to get in trouble either at home or at school, you bottle everything up inside you and do not let go of it easily. Its common knowledge that if you bottle something up for too long it is either going to come out somehow, whether you want it to or not. So with this said, we all care for the children and how they behave. We all want the children to do well, and if teaching them to value and appropriately use violent media to help build up confidence then so be it. While it gives the impression that Gerald Jones could be wrong in his arguments, there is an aspect of truth at least from his case studies he took in his research. In addition, while no one would support exposure of the young children to violence and violent scenes, not at least in a stable civilization like America, it is quite evident that violent media provides the children and the young people in the society with certain message in life. It becomes clear that theShow MoreRelatedViolent Media Is Good For Kids1193 Words   |  5 Pagesâ€Å"Violent Media is Good for Kids† is an article which makes many claims to support the argument that a controlled amount of violence could be good for a developing child. Even though this article is controversial the claims serve to support the argument. Throughout the analyzing process logos, ethos, and pathos are searched for and scrutinized. The rhetorical strategies are what makes a paper effective or not. In this case the author uses , what I believe, is just the correct amount of each and fulfillsRead MoreViolent Media Is Good for Kids964 Words   |  4 PagesViolence in media is healthy and beneficial for children—or so claims Gerard Jones, author of â€Å"Violent Media is Good for Kids†. It is undeniable that the title of Jones’s essay is straightforward and aptly named, if not confidently bold. But while his claim may boast confidence, it lacks credibility. Jones does do a great job introducing his controversial claim by using passion, persuasion, and personal experience. However, his insufficient evidence and fallacious reasoning fail to supportRead MoreViolent Media Is Good For Kids962 Words   |  4 PagesGerard Jones’s â€Å" Violent Media Is Good For Kids,† violent media indeed has a remarkable influence upon the minds and general growth patterns of children. Jones argues that violent media can actually have positive effects on young people. Violent media can help people conquer their fear and make them courageous. Jones argument is very effective and convincing because he gives good examples of the positives that violent media has done notRead MoreViolent Media Is Good For Kids1324 Words   |  6 Pagesthe topic of violent media, some of us would readily agree it’s a controversial subject as to whether kids should or shouldn’t be exposed to it. This is because many children who view violent media react negatively rather than not being affected at all. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of what effects does it have on children. Whereas some are convinced that it is a healthy alternative for kids to express themselves, others maintain that it causes kids to become moreRead MoreViolent Media Is Good For Kids909 Words   |  4 PagesBarbarically inspiring Violent media; a strikingly relevant phenomenon millions are becoming captivated by. It’s everywhere you go, on your phone, the TV or on the computer. As much as people try to avoid it, they soon realize it’s ineluctable. Gerard Jones, a comic-book author, released a brief report, â€Å"Violent Media Is Good for Kids† that argued violent media is not only beneficial to children but also inspiring. He goes on to support his claim by sampling his own personal experiences. HoweverRead MoreViolent Media Is Good for Kids Essay942 Words   |  4 PagesViolent Media is Good for Kids Analysis From infancy onward, parents and teachers have drilled into the young generation that violence should be avoided at all costs. They have preached cooperation, tolerance, and â€Å"using one’s words† as tactics to combat difficult situations. Although those lessons are valid, Gerald Jones claims there is an alternative way. In his essay, â€Å"Violent Media is Good for Kids,† Jones argues that â€Å"creative violence- bonking cartoons, bloody videogames, toy guns-givesRead MoreViolent Media Is Good For Kids Essay1083 Words   |  5 PagesViolent Comics Are the New Superheroes In the writing of Gerard Jones â€Å"Violent Media is Good for Kids† is very interesting essay in which he describes how violent media can help kids to overcome obstacles, but whether it is convincing or not, I am not truly sure because the way the essay is written is biased. Jones as writer is making this controversial topic to gain more audience to read his writings, in addition, this essay fails in detail, it needs more statistics to support the examples thatRead MoreEssay on Violent Media...Good for Kids? 970 Words   |  4 PagesIn â€Å"Violent Media is Good for Kids† Gerard Jones introduces us to his fearful and lonesome childhood. He lived in a world where he was taught to be the violence fearing, and passive boy his parents wanted him to be. But, when one of his mother’s students gave him a Marvel comic book, his fearfulness was transformed into inspiration. He found a way to escape these discouraging feelings through the â€Å"stifled rage and desir e for power† (Jones 285) that he had newly found. The popular comic book heroRead MoreViolent Media Is Good For Kids By Gerard Jones864 Words   |  4 PagesIn the article, â€Å"Violent Media Is Good for Kids†, the author, Gerard Jones, begins by providing background information about himself. As a child, Jones was taught that violence was wrong, and as he grew up, he learned that violent comics and stories aided him to become an action movies and comic book writer. In his article, the author addresses why violent media are good for children. He points out that it helps them transform better socially, explore and conquer their feelings, and improves self-knowledgeRead MoreViolent Media Is Good For Kids By Gerard Jones972 Words   |  4 PagesMother Jones, an American independent news organization, published the essay, â€Å"Violent Media is Good for Kids† by Gerard Jones on June 28, 2000. In this article, Jones, a comic book writer, argues that violent medi a can have positive effects on children’s behavior. In fact, he asserts that â€Å"superhero stories helps kids negotiate the conflicts between the inner self and the public self† (60). Even though Jones’s thesis, refutation, and the conclusion are strong to support his argument, his evidence