Saturday, January 25, 2020

Area Based Regeneration Programmes | Evaluation

Area Based Regeneration Programmes | Evaluation Area based regeneration programmes contribute to managing social exclusion but they do not resolve the problem. Critically discuss this statement. The following is a critical discussion of the statement that area based regeneration programmes contribute to managing social exclusion yet fail to resolve the problem. Area based regeneration programmes were developed for various reasons, such as tackling poverty, economic regeneration, reducing unemployment, and managing social exclusion. That the latter was not the sole or exclusive objective of the area based regeneration programmes may explain whether these programmes have or have not resolved the problem of social exclusion. There are also arguments that social exclusion is not a problem that could be completely resolved by any single political, economic, and social policy operating by itself. Social exclusion could be understood in different ways so that some organisations or individuals may be believe that managing it or resolving it would be harder or easier than other people would expect. The management of social exclusion without resolving the problem as a whole may or may not be a commendable achievement within its own right, even if it still leaves the problem of social exclusion in existence, this to will be critically discussed. Area based regeneration programmes came into existence to counteract the damaging economic and social consequences of industrial decline in Britain’s inner cities like Liverpool, London, or Birmingham; and in some of the country’s most heavily industrialised areas such as North Eastern England, the Clyde, and South Wales from the1970s onwards. These industrial areas were locations were the Conservatives electoral support had often been weak although until the Thatcher government the party had been content to subsidise industries in these areas. Previously, government policies did not specifically attempt area based regeneration programmes to tackle social exclusion. Instead governments aimed to use Keynesian economic policies to maintain full employment, and when necessary would keep factories, coalmines, and shipyards open in run down areas with government subsidies. Where any regeneration had taken place it had usually been the replacement of slum housing with new hou sing estates and tower blocks (Fisher, Denver, Benyon, 2003 p. 12). Government policies were meant to reduce, manage, or resolve social exclusion by helping people upon an individual basis by targeting social security, health, education, and housing policies to those that needed that help the most. Individuals rather than geographical areas, or local communities were the focus of help from the government. To tackle social exclusion governments had also introduced legislation to reduce social and economic discrimination, such as race relations and equal pay legislation (Coxall, Robbins, Leach, 2003 p. 397). Ironically enough the impetus for the development of area based regeneration programmes would occur under the Conservative governments after 1979, which were not initially interested in managing social exclusion or implementing area based regeneration programmes. Running these regeneration programmes was contrary to the Thatcherite ethos of reducing state involvement in social and economic policies. Thatcherite economic policies ended subsidies to the nationalised industries leading to factories, coalmines, and shipyards closing down. Those closures and the collapse of uncompetitive private sector companies lead to high unemployment in former industrialised areas and the inner cities, that in turn increased levels of social exclusion (Moran, 2005 p. 14). The Thatcher government only began area based regeneration programmes as a response to the inner city riots of 1981, which, highlighted the problems that social exclusion and economic decay could cause (Taylor et al, 2000 p.331). At this point the social exclusion and economic deprivations in the former industrial areas and the inner cities reached levels that had not been witnessed since the hard hitting depression of the 1930s (Jones, 1999 p. 8). At first the Thatcher government seemed unable to slow down the increasing levels of social exclusion let alone manage or reduce that problem, which it considered less important than lowering inflation, weakening the trade unions, and rolling back the state. Of course increasing levels of unemployment actually meant that expenditure on social security benefits increased rather than decreased. No doubt the Thatcher government was helped in its decision to start area based regeneration programmes by the availability of European Union regional development funds, that were allocated to the most economically deprived and socially excluded regions within the member states. This meant that the government was able to receive extra funding to regenerate the areas most severel y affected by the recession of the early 1980s, and were by-passed any economic recovery or moves to manage social exclusion (Moran, 2005 p. 100). Area based regeneration programmes were primarily aimed at economic regeneration to reduce unemployment, and its linked social consequences such as rising crime levels and increased incidence of social exclusion. It was believed that reducing unemployment would manage and perhaps eventually remove social exclusion, whilst social security benefits were supposed to help those that did not or could not work. The Conservatives established regional development corporations to carry out regeneration programmes in the inner cities and former industrial areas, for instance regenerating parts of London, Birmingham, and Liverpool. However under the Conservatives the main efforts to manage social exclusion were confined to helping individuals through government training schemes such as Training for Work and the Youth Training Scheme (Fisher, Denver, Benyon, 2003 p. 16). New Labour was keen to extend area based regeneration programmes to proactively manage, and perhaps eventually resolve social exclusion, and increase measures to reduce unemployment. New Labour extended its New Deal initiative to cover deprived areas within the New Deal for Communities programme (Seldon Kavanagh, 2005 p. 175). The New Deal for Communities programme was meant to be in a slightly different form to previous area based regeneration programmes as local community groups were supposed to have a greater influence over the projects selected to regenerate their local communities (Fisher, Denver, Benyon, 2003 p. 216). Generally community groups have welcomed being able to have an influence over the projects selected to regenerate their communities. Community groups before New Deal for Communities often felt excluded from the decision-making processes relating to the areas in which they lived in (Seldon Kavanagh, 2005 p. 175). Not every New Deal for Communities programme has gone well, most notably the Aston Pride Project which failed due to a poor relationship between the community groups, the local authority, and various government agencies. The project was closed down early amidst allegations of corruption within the community groups and counter allegations of racism within the local authority and government agencies (Dale, May 28 2004). Whilst area based regeneration programmes have been largely effective at managing social exclusion, there are limits to explain why these programmes are unlikely to resolve the problem of social exclusion altogether. When area based regeneration programmes have been completed there maybe new businesses that have moved to that location and sometimes the standard of housing has been improved, certainly positive achievements, yet not likely to resolve social exclusion by themselves (Seldon Kavanagh, 2005, p. 175). Both Conservative and New Labour governments have found through experience that area based regeneration programmes are more likely to succeed in managing and eventually resolving the problem of social exclusion when used in conjunction with other initiatives, such as tackling discrimination, poor housing, health and education services. Social exclusion will also need reduced crime levels to stand a chance of being managed (Jones et al, 2004, p. 619). Schemes such as Training for Work New Deal can lower unemployment, yet there are limits on what they can achieve. Completing those schemes has made people more employable, although they may gain employment outside of the deprived or regenerated areas that they live in. New Deal is probably here to stay as part of New Labour’s welfare to work strategy. New Deal itself targets extra help to those groups that have found it harder to find or keep jobs, such as lone parents and the disabled (Seldon Kavanagh, 2005 p. 316). These groups are more vulnerable to suffering from social exclusion without living in areas that are economically or socially deprived. These groups are not only helped by New Deal, they are also helped by tax credits and child tax credits. The government wished to improve the opportunity for all children with better education provision and the Sure-start programme for children from deprived areas or families with low incomes. New Labour has also attempted to tackle social exclusion am ongst pensioners with the introduction of pension credit (Seldon Kavanagh, 2005 p.315). Therefore it can be concluded that area based regeneration programmes have helped to manage social exclusion without being able to remove the problem itself. Area based regeneration programmes were primarily set up to lower unemployment and reduce social exclusion that was higher in the inner cities, and former industrial areas such as North East England, and South Wales. The Thatcher government in many respects made the problem of social exclusion worse rather than better as it pursued economic and social policies that increased unemployment, crime, and social deprivation. The inner city riots of 1981 got the Thatcher government to start area based regeneration programmes in order to maintain political stability, and economic growth. It however became harder to manage levels of social exclusion due to the sell off of council houses that made it harder for people on low incomes to afford their housing costs. The beginning of EU spending to boost and regenerate the most run down areas in the community provided extra funding for the British government to spend more on managing social exclusion. New Labour has been much more interested in managing and if possible resolving the problem of social exclusion by using area based regeneration programmes in combination with other measures such as Surestart, New Deal, and EU regional development funds. New Labour has tried to increase the amount of area based regeneration programmes in existence with its New Deal for Communities initiatives which have included local community groups in the decision-making process and have contributed to managing social exclusion effectively aside from the Aston Pride Project. Bibliography Coxall B, Robins L Leach R (2003) Contemporary British Politics 4th edition, Palgrave, Basingstoke Dale P – Aston Pride race bias allegation, Birmingham Post May 28 2004 Fisher J, Denver D, Benyon J, (2003) Central Debates in British Politics, Longman, London Jones B, (1999) issues in British Politics Today, Manchester University Press, Manchester Jones B, Kavanagh D, Moran M, Norton P, (2004) Politics UK, 5th edition, Pearson Longman, London Moran M, (2005) Politic and Governance in the UK, Palgrave, Basingstoke Seldon A Kavanagh D, (2005) The Blair Effect 2001 – 5, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge Taylor P, Richardson J, Yeo A, Marsh I, Trobe K Pilkington A (2000) Sociology in Focus, Causeway Press Limited, Ormskirk

Friday, January 17, 2020

Future Direction in Organization Development Essay

The field of OD is evolving, but so too is the context within which OD is applied. As summarized in figure 25-2. Several interrelated trends are affecting the context within which OD will be applied in the near future. They concern various aspects of the economy, the workforce, technology, and organizations. In some cases, the trends will directly affert OD practice. Technology trends, such as Internet portals, voice over the internet, and wireless network, will no doubt influence how OD practitioners communicate with organization members, facilitate teams, and manage change. Other trends, such as the increasing concentration of wealth, represent important contextual forces that will indirectly affect OD through their interactions with other trends. The Economy Researchers and futurist have described a variety of economic scenarios, and there is subtantial agreement that the world’s economy is in the midst of a transition from the industrial age that characterized much of the twentieth century. Although these scenarios ditier in their particulars, they all fit under the rubric of globalization, and many of the same trends are identified as drivers, including technology, workforce, and organization, which will be discussed separately. The fall of the Berlin Wall, the and of apartheid, the breakup of the former Soviet Union, the creation of the European Union, terrorist attacks in many different countries, and the emergence of the chinese and indian economies are key events in the transition to a global economy. Organizations from arround the world are increasingly able to shift their manufacturing from high-to low- labor- cost countries. Execute international mergers and acquisitions, and build worldwide services businesses. The emergence of global economy is well under way, but the promise and rationalization of that process is far from complete. The initial steps toward globalization have fueled real price decrease in many consumers products, provided employment for people in less-developed nations, and driven revenue growth in a variety of industries. However , the transition to a global economy is for the most part un managed, and there is increasing concern over its social and ecological consequences. This raises trouble-some questions about three key issues: cultural diversity, income distribution, and ecological sustainability. First, transitioning to a global economy is a complex and daunting process that involves organizations, technology, people, and governments. Yhe role and function of national governments and the importance of cultural diversity in the process is not well understood. There are few generally accepted guidelines. On the one hand, some economists argue that globalization is good for countries and cultures. The cite numerous example of how music, art, political thought, technology, and other artifacts of culture have crossed boundaries and enriched people’s experiences. Other argue that governments must face the difficult choice of preserving or sacrificing their culture. Seconds, globalization of the economy is closely related to an increasing concentration of wealth in relatively few individuals, corporations, and nations. Third, there are increasingly clear warnings that the ecosystem can no longer be treated as a factor of production, and that success cannot be defined as the accumulations of wealth and material goods at the expense of the environment. The conclusions from the intergovernmental panel on climate change suggest that industrialization is not a controversial but a probable cause of global warming. Seceral traditional organizations are reserving long held opinions about their contribution to environmental decay by setting agressive goals to reduce greenhouse gases. The Workforce The workforce is becoming more diverse, educated, and contingent. Chapter 18 documented the diversity trend and suggested that organizations, whatever they operate primarily in their home country or abroad, will need to develop policies and operating styles that embrace the changing cultural, ethnic, gender, and age diversity of the workforce. Technology By almost any measure, information technology is a significant and increasingly common fact of life. An estimated 150. 9 million worldwide internet users in 1998 grew to 605. 6 million in 2002. In 2007, according to an internet world stats estimate, more than 1,24 billion people were on the internet, and of those, 37% were in asia. The internet is the backbone of a global economy, and although the technology sector of suffered financial setbacks, few people doubt its future importance. At the core of information technology is E-commerce, an economy that knows no boundaries. E-commerce involves using automated teller machines, buying games, on your cell phone, buying ang selling products and services over the internet, and selling advertising space. This range of activities makes estimating the size of the E-commerce market difficult. Two type of E-commerce seem particularly relevant to OD’s future: business-to-consumer and business-to-business. Business to consumer market garners much attention and awareness because it is how the public participates in E-commerce. This attention and awareness because it is how the public participates in E-commerce. This market, which includes E-tailers such us Amazon. com, eBay. com. in these businesses, OD must help to create and implement novel business models. The organizational issues in the business to business market are even more complex. A good example of the implications and potential of this market is the global automobile industry’s creation of an online store. In addition to providing the infrastructure for E-commerce, technology is also changing and enabling a variety of organizational processes. New technologies, such as SAP or PeopleSoft, drive changes in how information and work information and work processes are coordinated and managed: they also require modification in the way productivity is measured.

Thursday, January 9, 2020

History of England in the 19th and Early 20th Century Free Essay Example, 1000 words

Just as phase one of industrialization stumbled into self-made depression and crisis, so phase two bred its own difficulties. The years between 1873 and 1896 are known to economic historians, who have discussed them more eagerly than any other phase of nineteenth-century business conjecture, as the Great Depression. (Hobsbawm 1999). Just as phase one of industrialization stumbled into self-made depression and crisis, so phase two bred its own difficulties. The years between 1873 and 1896 are known to economic historians, who have discussed them more eagerly than any other phase of nineteenth-century business conjecture, as the Great Depression. (Hobsbawm 1999). This deceleration of the economy could be attributed to the early pioneering of new and untried technology (Hudson 2001). As according to Hudson, Britain had become the workshop of the world from which its competitors had learned through its various mistakes. As competitors grew stronger and they enter the markets of the empires and caused destabilization through price wars, the British economy had slipped into Weakening of the UK due to wars. The success of the UK in the 19th century was followed by the weakening of the empire s force due to the two World Wards that it was involved. We will write a custom essay sample on History of England in the 19th and Early 20th Century or any topic specifically for you Only $17.96 $11.86/page They, as well as people with special skills that were greatly rewarded such as engineering, comprised the growing middle class in the UK during the 19th and early 20th century. Increased demand resulted from rising incomes particularly for the middle classes and for workers with particular skills such as engineering (Hudson 2001).

Wednesday, January 1, 2020

UC San Diego Acceptance Rate, SAT/ACT Scores, GPA

Located in La Jolla, California, UC San Diego is a public university with an acceptance rate of 30%. Students will generally need a strong application and good test scores to be admitted. As part of the application, students will need to write four short  personal insight essays. Since UC San Diego is a part of the  University of California system, students can easily apply to multiple schools in that system with one application. One of the Public Ivies, UCSD consistently ranks in top ten lists of  best public universities. The school is particularly strong in the sciences, social sciences and engineering. UC San Diegos Scripps Institute of Oceanography gets top marks for oceanography and the biological sciences. The school has a system of six undergraduate residential colleges modeled after Oxford and Cambridge, and each college has its own curricular focus. On the athletic front, the UCSD Tritons compete in the NCAA Division II  California Collegiate Athletic Association. Considering applying to UC San Diego? Here are the admissions statistics you should know, including SAT/ACT scores and GPAs of admitted students. Acceptance Rate During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, UC San Diego had an acceptance rate of 30%. This means that for every 100 students who applied, 30 students were admitted, making UC San Diegos admissions process competitive. Admissions Statistics (2017-18) Number of Applicants 97,899 Percent Admitted 30% Percent Admitted Who Enrolled (Yield) 23% SAT Scores and Requirements University of California, San Diego requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 82% of admitted students submitted SAT scores. SAT Range Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile ERW 640 730 Math 660 790 ERW=Evidence-Based Reading and Writing This admissions data tells us that most of UCSDs admitted students fall within the top 20% nationally on the SAT. For the evidence-based reading and writing section, 50% of students admitted to UC San Diego scored between 640 and 730, while 25% scored below 640 and 25% scored above 730. On the math section, 50% of admitted students scored between 660 and 790, while 25% scored below 660 and 25% scored above 790. Applicants with a composite SAT score of 1520 or higher will have particularly competitive chances at UC San Diego. Requirements UC San Diego requires the SAT writing section. Note that UC San Diego considers the highest SAT with essay score from a single test date. Subject tests are not required for admission to UCSD. ACT Scores and Requirements University of California, San Diego requires that all applicants submit either SAT or ACT scores. During the 2017-18 admissions cycle, 48% of admitted students submitted ACT scores. ACT Range (Admitted Students) Section 25th Percentile 75th Percentile English 27 31 Composite 28 34 This admissions data tells us that most of UC San Diegos admitted students fall within the  top 11% nationally  on the ACT. The middle 50% of students admitted to UC San Diego received a composite ACT score between 28 and 34, while 25% scored above 34 and 25% scored below 28. Requirements UC San Diego requires the ACT writing section. Note that UC San Diego does not superscore ACT results; your highest combined score from a single test administration will be considered. GPA In 2018, the middle 50% of University of California, San Diegos incoming class had high school GPAs between 4.02 and 4.28. 25% had a GPA above 4.28 and 25% had a GPA below 4.02. These results suggest that most successful applicants to UC San Diego have primarily A grades. Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph University of California, San Diego Applicants Self-Reported GPA/SAT/ACT Graph. Data courtesy of Cappex. The admissions data in the graph is self-reported by applicants to UC San Diego. GPAs are unweighted. Find out how you compare to accepted students, see the real-time graph, and  calculate your chances of getting in  with a free Cappex account. Admissions Chances University of California, San Diego, which accepts fewer than a third of applicants, has a highly selective admissions process. If your SAT/ACT scores and GPA fall within the schools average ranges, you have a strong chance of being accepted. Keep in mind that California residents who apply must have a GPA of 3.0 or better with no grade lower than a C in 15 college preparatory  a-g courses. For non-residents, your GPA must be 3.4 or better. Local students from participating high schools may also qualify if they are in the top 9 percent of their class. See how to calculate your  UC Admissions Index. UCSD, like all of the University of California schools, has  holistic admissions, so the admissions officers are evaluating students based on more than numerical data. Students who show special talent or have a compelling story to tell will often get a close look even if their grades and test scores are a bit below the norm. Impressive  extracurricular activities  and  strong essays  are all important parts of a successful application to UCSD. In the graph above, the blue and green dots represent accepted students. As the data shows, the majority of students who got into UCSD had at least a B average, an SAT score (ERWM) above 1100, and an ACT composite score of 22 or higher. Chances of admission improve as those numbers go up. Realize that behind all that green and blue on the graph is a lot of red. Having grades and test scores that are on target for UCSD is not a guarantee of admission, especially if some application components dont compare favorably to the rest of the applicant pool. All admissions data has been sourced form the National Center for Education Statistics and University of California, San Diegos Undergraduate Admissions Office.