Forensic Accounting Investigation Research Paper

Forensic Accounting Investigation - Research Paper Example 1). 1.2 Why is this issue? The purpose of using business intelligence in the organization is to identify and collect business data and to make better decision on various aspects of business including proper accounting practices. Business intelligence system will also help the business to make effective business decisions and the resultant financial gains besides facilitating business growth. Accurate information is nessaccery for taking efficient decision in the business. Business intelligence system would also help the business to get accurate and reliable data in the organization. â€Å"Business Intelligence Solutions (BIS) lead to better business decision making through providing access to enterprise data for easy analysis against Key Performance Indicators† (Business Intel n.d., para. 2). Many organizations have become subjects of fraudent practices due to the lack of proper forensic accounting systems focusing on business intelligence. The research will help highlight thi s issue and evolve ways and means to counter the same. 1.3 What could this research shed light on? There have been a number of researches conducted on this topic. However there is still scope for conducting further research because it will identify the significance of business intelligence in order to take efficient decisions in the business. More over, with the passage of time and the advancement in technology, various aspects of business and accounting keep transforming. Therefore, fresh research will help in addressing the changes that occur due to the evolution. Prompt and accurate decisions are essential for meeting the competition efficiently and effectively. This research will high light the importance of business intelligence system in the organization and how it will help in locating frauds and misappropriations for safeguarding the interests of the shareholders involved. â€Å"Business intelligence helps to improve customer service by identifying the frequent problems wit h each product and identifying potential solutions† (Sabherwal & Fernandez 2009, p. 17). 1.4 Research Aims and Objectives: Depending on the purpose of this research the main aim will be: To identify areas where business intelligence can be deployed to co ordinate accounting activities effectively and efficiently. To take prompt and accurate decisions in the business. To make a co ordination among various departments in the organization. 1.5 Research questions’ (1) How to make effective decisions? (2) How can delegate information among various department in organization? 1.6 Literature Review: For the purpose of this literature review, the analysis of the literature will begin by investigating from books, journals and scholarly articles. â€Å"The literature broadly refers to information relevant to your topic of interest† (Literature Review: Academic Tip Sheet 2008, p. 2). Business intelligen

Stabilising factor in the cold war from 1949 to 1963 Essay Example for Free

Stabilising factor in the cold war from 1949 to 1963 Essay To what extent was the nuclear arms race a more stabilising factor in the cold war from 1949 to 1963? From the period of 1949 up until 1963 saw increasing developments in nuclear technology by both the two superpowers, the USA and USSR. The race meant that both superpowers aimed to match each other and even gain the upper hand in terms of nuclear missile technology. Nuclear arms were seen as a form of scare tactic against the other superpower as both felt threatened by each others ideological capability. It was also used as a form of defence mechanism in case of future attack however, the power and destruction of the weapons in which these countries created would have proved fatal not only for the opposing country but for the world. The nuclear arms race has been argued that it stabilised relations between the countries especially after the Cuban missile crisis although there is much evidence that proves otherwise, in which relations between the soviets and the United States were as tense as ever. On the 6th of August 1949, the USSR tested the first atomic bomb in the north of what would be now Russia. This was to start a fury of nuclear testing between the nations. However the first testing was actually in 1945 when the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, killing thousands of civilians. This immediately threatened not only Japan, the enemy of the United States during WW2 but also close neighbour, the USSR. Stalin saw the highly powerful bombs as force of power over the world. The United States showed the might and strength of their military weaponry but it made relations between the two superpowers very unsettling. It could be seen in this period, as a settling factor with the policy of Brinksmanship. The policy was formed by Eisenhower, the President from 1953 to 1961 and John Foster Dulles, the Secretary of State. It was a policy of intensely threatening the opposing side with action without delivering the action. In this case the United States were threatening the USSR with Nuclear action. It was a very dangerous policy as the name suggests it would go right to the brink of Nuclear War. This was very much true in the Cuban Missile crisis when the Soviets had nuclear weapons based in Cuba ready to target America, while the Americans had missiles based in Turkey, also ready to attack. Both superpowers were not only within each others sphere of influence, but they were also armed too. If the opposition was not backing down it would lead to two options, to either reveal the false threats or go to war. This policy however was used by both parties which in essence mad the whole of the period of time a very tense time. The false threats could be seen as a stabilising factor as both parties were not going to use the weapons, only as a scare tactic which would lead to an increase in communication between the countries. On the other side, threatening to destroy the opposing superpower could be seen as unsettling the relations even more than it already was. M.A.D. (Mutually Assured Destruction) could also be a Stabilising factor in this period as it caused both sides to rethink their strategies. Both sides had enough nuclear weaponry to annihilate the other and to even counter-strike when hit first. Both sides knew that using this strategy would prove too costly so for their own need they needed another approach. A more flexible approach in which the sides would use smaller, targeted missiles achieving to hit a specific area would be more worthwhile as it would limit the amount of action and devastation that the arms could bring. This agreement to use another approach to Brinksmanship in which it brought threatening words to the negotiations would be another step towards a more steady relationship between the soviets and the U.S. The Leaders of both sides also played a huge significance in terms of the nuclear arms race. The soviet leader Khrushchev who served from 1953 to 1964 was a very unpredictable character. This had made relations with the United States very unsettling especially when he possessed nuclear arms. America was desperate to initiate some kind of direct contact. This direct contact was made when the hot line telephone link was created. This could be seen as a sign of a more settled relationship during the nuclear arms race. It was a form of direct contact between the President, which at the time was Nixon and the Soviet Leader Brezhnev. Created in 1963, its aim was prevent a misunderstanding between the nations with the topic of nuclear arms. It was successful as it gave a quick response to any threats the Soviets made especially when the Soviets pulled out of Cuba, the United States were unsure of what the soviet would do next. The Nuclear Test Ban treaty of 1963 was another sign that the nuclear arms race was a stabilising factor as it banned testing of nuclear weapons above water. This was a huge significance as the previous decade consisted of both superpowers testing and improving nuclear weaponry. The main reason for this was the fact that they got too close in the Cuban missile crisis. They were literally hours from nuclear war. However there other factor that played into the formation of the treaty. The Soviet Union were in economic turmoil especially when they were paying almost a third of their GMP on arms. America was also in turmoil especially with the Vietnam War heating up and domestic issue of civil rights. In conclusion, after looking at the period of 1949-1963, the nuclear arms race was a stabilising factor in the cold war although things could have been the complete opposite. The risk of using Brinksmanship could have ended in war and eventual devastation of the world. Both countries, for their own sake needed to come to some agreement to limit the arms. By using the hot line telephone link both superpowers could prevent each other with great speed which helped misunderstanding especially when Khrushchev had a very unpredictable mind. The test ban treaty of 63 also helped limit the use of unsettling use of the weapons but it dragged other powerful nations such as China and France into the mix when they disagreed against the treaty.

2000 US Presidental Election :: essays research papers

The fourth principle of the rule of law state, "all persons must be given due process, that is, a fair chance to defend themselves against formal charges that they have violated the rules." The premise for this principle is the example that, the official body that hears and renders judgment on the charges may be biased against the defendant instead of impartial. The decision of the United States Supreme Court to discontinue the counting of "undervotes" in the state of Florida was not only a politically biased decision, it was also a decision that violated the rule of law. My argument is based on not so much the dissenting opinion of the minority, but of the concurring opinion of the majority of the Supreme Court. A political trial is one in which political considerations, not simply the law and the facts, affect the proceedings and verdict. Every human being has a certain set of morals and beliefs that they hold to be an important part of their character. This is no different for the judges of the Supreme Court. They too have a set of morals and beliefs that they live by. The difference is that their job description says that they have to make decisions not based on their morals and beliefs, but their decisions must be based on the rule of law. It is obvious to me that many of the judges on the Supreme Court, did not follow their job description and instead of basing their decision of Bush vs. Gore on the rule of law, they based it on who they voted for. Every conservative on that panel voted to stop the recount which in turn helped Bush win, and every liberal on the panel voted to continue the recount which would have given Gore a chance at winning. The concurring opinion of the majority seems to make it evident in some of the arguments they make that their opinion was based on politics and not on law. Much of the evidence they bring up only seems to contradict their decision more than support it. In Rehnquist's opinion, with whom Scalia and Thomas join, concurring, he brings up the case of Anderson v. Celebrezze, (1983), in which the court said ''In the context of a Presidential election, state-imposed restrictions implicate a uniquely important national interest. For the President and the Vice President of the United States are the only elected officials who represent all the voters in the Nation.

Workplace Honesty: Learning and Unlearning

Honesty is a virtue that is of major importance especially in business, yet very much neglected in the context of today’s rat race. Employees play a big role in uplifting the culture of honesty in their workplaces, a culture that is nevertheless radiated to the clients or end-users of the company’s offerings. But what if the employees are having problems with their own attitudes toward honesty? What can a company do to help maintain a culture of trust and trust worthiness among the employees, the management, and the customers as a whole? Who wins when a company wins over the battle for an honest corporate culture?This was the problem of Gerald Sy. Managing a training institution, Sy discovered that his instructors were cheating him on their timekeeping, costing him big sums for a long time because he was paying the instructors in full despite rampant tardiness. Sy moved against the problem and devised a process of accounting the instructor’s timekeeping even if i t meant additional work for him and additional time needed on his timeframe to process the salaries.As if that was not enough, he also ruled an 11-tardiness per month standard wherein whoever fails to meet the regulation shall be dismissed. This showed that it was not the money that the company can save from deductions which was important. On the contrary, it was the standards of the company, and how the employees uphold it, and how the final service is perceived by the customers. Sy expects that the measure will work, and is ready to evaluate if it really did.Dishonesty in Many FormsThere are many forms of dishonesty in the workplace. Most are as petty as stealing a paper clip from one’s officemate (no one saw anyway) or breaking down the coffee machine and not admitting it (it could be broken before I used it, I would not really know). It was easy to be dishonest in the workplace because people often mind their own businesses while at the peak of work. No one will ever both er to watch after an officemate making coffee to see if he will break the machine at some chance.Steven Gaffney, the writer behind Honesty Works!, states that it is not only lies and dishonesty that costs companies most of its revenues. He insists that the mere fact that many employees cannot honestly communicate with each other has wasted time, money and effort of employees and businesses. (Newswise, 2005) When a worker avoids a confrontation about an operational flaw with a co-worker to avoid conflict, the flaw will stay unresolved and may even result in bigger loopholes.Small lies also often lead to bigger dishonesties that are harder to get away with. Personnel who steal equipment from their companies, or money, or even work hours are nothing new in many workplaces. They are so common, yet they still do not fail to surprise. Some get away, yet some are caught to pay the big price of cheating. The problem with honesty, or the lack thereof, is that it becomes vicious. The more a p erson commits a work of dishonesty and gets away with it, the harder it is to be honest. The bottom line is how to end the vicious cycle.Can Honesty be Taught?From a young age, almost every child is taught basic values that are essential for living. One of these values is honesty. It is easier for children to understand its value, and when they learn it they often grow with it. Michael Daigneault agrees. However, he states that factors affecting the workplace, such as workplace pressure and competition, will require a person to have bedrock values to maintain righteousness. Otherwise, he will be tempted to sway away from childhood-learned ethics. (HR Magazine, 1999)Rigterink and Louzecky (n.d.) also concludes that virtue can be taught but do not agree that it should be taught as other academic subjects are taught. Moderation, they said is an important key. Teaching honesty, the authors propose, should convert the subjects into thinkers, analyzing the absorption of the value and its advantages before really absorbing it.  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   They assert that doing so will instill the value into the subjects more than when it is taught outright.End of the GameIf honesty like other values can not be taught in its simplest sense, how then can companies promote honesty? First, we should consider how a virtue is instilled. Fact is, ethics is not automatically learned. You can tell a hardened criminal to change his ways and there are chances that he will, but given a chance to strike a crime again there is definitely a slim chance for him to decline the opportunity.Thus, virtues are imbibed through practice. As aforementioned, the more a person practices the act of honesty the stronger it stays within his values and the harder it is to break. On the same way, the more a person cheats the harder for that person to be honest and break from the bondage of lies.The management is the best venue for a company to start promoting honesty. A company needs to be led by honest b oard of directors, managers, supervisors, team leaders, however the heads are called. If the top of the pyramid is governed by upright people, it is easier for the leaders to impose rules on moral values to the base of the pyramid. Honesty in this level may be showed by transparent management of funds, upfront and realistic relations with the subordinates, and open communication lines.A boss of a company who is married and is caught by his employees cheating on his wife will definitely drive down the morale of his people. His employees will be tempted to resolve in idle talk about him and his affair and forget about work altogether since the boss is not acting very boss-like anyway. Given that that is in a personal level, consider a scenario were the act of a boss’s dishonesty is on a professional scale.For instance, a manager was audited and the auditors discover that he was paying ten people in the payroll whereas there are actually only five people in his department who is actually reporting for work. The event will definitely pull down the confidence and team spirit of the five people in his team. Moreover, the manager himself will lose the drive to work for shame and guilt. Ultimately, it is not the manager or the employees who are the only ones who will suffer. The company as a whole loses considerable work time and revenue, just because of a single act of dishonesty from just one person. It is therefore safe to conclude that honesty is an individual decision that has collective effects.It is also important that the company verbalize subscription to a value. If the management discovers major flaws on dishonesty, the management can choose to make honesty a core value in the company. They will then need to define honesty in the context of their workplace, and define it as specific as possible. Does it mean creatively communicating issues and problems? Does it include choosing not to engage in secrets that may hurt co-employees? How does it affect cl auses on confidentiality?When the management has defined the core value to subscribe to, it is important that they communicate this decision to every person in the company. A general assembly as well as departmental meetings will be a great help. In doing so, an open forum should be encouraged so that questions can be immediately answered and reactions can be resolved.For continuity, it is equally important that people are trained about—not taught on—moral values. From the moment that a person is oriented on the vision, mission, and goals of the company, to the time that he is undergoing annual trainings within the organization, the value system of the company should be stressed and internalized by them. First, it is a good way to make them feel that they belong to the organization. Secondly, it will help them find a basis for actions and decision making processes. Learning good values at work will also make them worthwhile people even if they are out of the workplace, which is important especially because employees represent their companies.The orientation is another good venue for value formation. Each newly hired employee should be made familiar with issues in the company and how the management is resolving them. Values should be highlighted. Thorough discussion on how the management is working against it shall be made and stress that honesty is a very important virtue for anyone wishing to join the company. This will imply the value of such virtue in the company without being popish.Annually, it will help if value system is integrated in annual improvement seminars for employees usually done after evaluation periods. The training should discuss the ethical standards that the company subscribes to, and how each employee is expected to follow through. Lapses shall also be discussed along with solutions that can be done to prevent the occurrence of such ethical issues from arising again.It is still easier said than done. However a company makes efforts on promoting honesty, it is still virtually impossible to create a cheat-free workplace. Even if a company is good, employees will have their own attitudes to live with—employees will always undergo circumstances where they will be pressed on engaging into an act of dishonesty. It is therefore important for a company to follow through and have an open eye to see to it that their core value is being followed and respected for its benefit and for the welfare of its employees and customers.Mission Accomplished?It is hard to be honest in the corporate environment. Oftentimes the ones who are honest are the ones who are left behind, or even smeared with nasty labels and judgments. However, it is important for companies to promote the value of honesty because it greatly affects the company, employees, as well as the customers.If a company succeeds in achieving an honest workplace, the employees can enjoy a harmonious working relationship with each other. This will make them more productive and beneficial for the company. The company, in return, will maximize its potentials and prevent loss of revenue. It may even gain more. An honest workplace also reflects honesty with its customers. As such, customers will feel comfortable in transacting with the company and can become long-term clients.The company should anticipate failure in promoting honesty, though, and should be prepared in making follow-up actions. When failure occurs, an evaluation should be done identifying the weak points of the plan. This will enable determination of follow-up plans and corrective actions to try. Research and study is essential, as well as patience and determination by the company and the proponents of the core value being promoted.ConclusionHonesty is a choice. If the company chooses to be honest, and it can convince its employees to choose to be honest, there is more chance for such culture to exist and benefit the people surrounding the business. While it can be taught, it is still up to every person in the company to use such knowledge. It is therefore important to make them think and realize the value of honesty to them, to their work, and to their clients. After all, it is the best policy.BibliographyHR Magazine. 1999. Teaching business character. Retrieved February 15, 2007Newswise. 2005. Honesty in the workplace sorely lacking. Retrieved February 14, 2007 from http://www.newswise.com/articles/view/516781/Roger, R. Louzecky, D. n.d. Can virtue be taught? If so, should it be thought? Retrieved February 13, 2007

Psycho – Shower scene study

This scene starts with Marion Crane, wearing a glossy robe. She is seated at the desk in her hotel room with pencil, paper and a bankbook. She is calculating the amount of stolen money she spent and must replace. She tears up the sheet of paper and is about to toss it into the wastebasket, but thinks better of it and takes it to the bathroom where she flushes it down the toilet. (I think this symbolises that she thinks she can just flush away her worries like she flushes away the piece of paper) She then closes the door, removes her robe, and steps into the bathtub. She draws the shower curtain closed and unwraps a bar of soap. She turns on the shower. You can see the joy in Crane's eyes as the water runs through her hair and down her body, this symbolises Crane is washing all her guilt away. The guilt is both from the money she stole and her affair with Sam, her lover. As she is showering, through the translucent shower curtain we see the door open. This starts the build up of suspense. A shadow slowly approaches, adding further to the suspense, Crane is facing away from the attacker. Crane is ironically ignorant of the imminent danger approaching her. The attacker pauses for 6 – 10 seconds before swiftly throwing open the shower curtain. At this moment high pitched music played by violins starts to play. The camera zooms to a close up shot of the attackers face, the attacker is in the shadow, only her (attacker) figure, hair and eyes can be seen. The eyes look vengeful. The camera then switches to a close up shot of Crane's screaming face, the camera then moves to an extreme close up of Crane's wide open screaming mouth. This shows the terror and fright installed on Crane by the attacker. The attacker then brings her knife backwards and lunges at Crane with the knife, the attacker only uses her arm, the rest of her body stays as solid as a rock. This shows the attacker is very calm. The attacker and Crane are contrapuntal. The attacker lunges with the knife once again, but Crane squirms attempting to dodge the knife. Crane flails her arms defencelessly; her face is contorted with fear as the attacker stabs faster. Whilst Crane is trying to push the knife away from her body, she is slipping on the wet floor of the bathtub. Crane tries to cover her breasts from the attacker with one arm whilst attempting to ward off the blows with the other, this is when the diegetic sound of the knife stabbing Crane starts. Marion loses her strength, the attackers blows strike unguarded. Crane continues to writhe in pain, as the knife starts to make contact with her skin. Crane face is knotted due to the pain. She grimaces as the knife stabs faster and harder. The knife is now seen being thrust at Crane's stomach. Her face crumples once again. The knife is now seen being lunged at Crane's ribs. Crane screams as the knife makes contact. Crane is then seen slipping in her own blood; I think this ands hysteria and irony to the scene. Her feet move rapidly and nervously, Crane subsequently turns away from the attacker this suggests Crane is desperate to get away from her. The attacker stabs crane in the back, bringing back the cruel reality, she cannot escape. The camera switches to Crane's feet where once again she is slipping in her blood. The camera then switches to a close up shot of Crane's hand grabbing at the wall. As the attacker leaves the room the audience notice she is wearing a dressing gown and slippers, she has her hair in a tight bun. The shrieking violin music stops, indicating the murder is over, the music changes to ominous bass representing Crane is dying. Crane's hand slowly slides down the wall as the fingertips struggle against the weight of Crane's own body. Crane is dying, she doesn't have the strength to use her hand anymore, it falls lifeless to the bottom of the bathtub. Crane then turns around and rests her body on the ceramic tiles. Crane's face is as solemn as a morgue; her body left with little life slowly slides down the wall. Crane's expression is constant. Every few seconds her flesh desperately clings to the wet tiles but once again the body weight pulls her down. This makes the audience feel pity for Crane. Nothing can support Crane's body, Crane gulps like a fish out of water, she knows the end is near. Crane gathers all her strength and reaches out to use the shower curtain to pull herself up. A close up of crane's hand clasping on to the shower curtain is shown. Her final attempt fails; the shower curtain is pops of the shower rail hooks. Crane's naked wounded body falls forward, sprawled half over the bathtub half over the bathroom floor. The ominous bass stops, all the audience can hear is the diegetic sound of the shower. The camera moves for a close up of the shower still flowing. I think this symbolises that life moves on, the world has not changed apart from her absence. The next shot is of blood from Crane's corpse running down the bathtub. The camera would follow the blood down the drain but an extreme close up of Crane's eye stops us. This reminds us of the murder which has taken place. The camera zooms out showing the whole of Crane's cold, shocked face pressed against the bathroom floor. Water runs from cranes hair past her eyes, it seems from the audiences' perspective that Crane is crying. Crane's face is as motionless as a photograph. A brief shot of the shower follows. The camera moves from the bathroom to Crane's bedroom at the Bates Motel the camera then zooms for a close up shot of the newspaper where Crane hid the money that she stole. Hitchcock is reminding us of the reason for Crane's death. If Crane hadn't stolen the money she would be at home probably in bed. If Crane had not been murdered she would have returned home the next day with the money she stole and a good excuse. Her life would have probably sorted itself out. This reflects on the whole shower scene as a whole. The trauma, hysteria and reality caused by the event. The shower scene gives psychological fear to the audience, they can relate to the shower scene because the audience have showers. Crane was an ordinary person with an ordinary job. This is why this scene is celebrated as a masterpiece in modern times. I was hesitant to pull the shower curtain shut after I watched the scene; I imagine the fear was even greater in the 1960 s because no film like this had ever been made. It was the first true horror movie.

Super Bowl Flyovers - Cost to Taxpayers

Super Bowl Flyovers - Cost to Taxpayers Its a longstanding tradition for the U.S. Air Force  or U.S. Navy to perform a flyover before every Super Bowl, but how much does such a thing cost American taxpayers? In 2015, the Super Bowl flyover will cost about $1.25 for every one of the 63,000 football fans in attendance at the University of Phoenix Stadium in Phoenix, Arizona, on Sunday, Feb. 1. Put another way: The Super Bowl flyover costs taxpayers about $80,000 in gas and other operational costs. There is a minimal expense involved with the flyover,  Rear Admiral John Kirby,  the Pentagon press secretary and spokesman for the  secretary  of Defense,  said days before the 2015 NFL championship game between  the New England Patriots and the  Seattle Seahawks. I think the whole thing, soup to nuts for the flyover, will cost something in the neighborhood of $80,000. Why the Military Performs Flyovers The Department of Defense says the Air Force flyovers are a form of public relations and are conducted at  Ã¢â‚¬Å"events of national prominence.† Its not an exorbitant cost, and I would, you know, obviously remind you that we stand to gain the benefit, Kirby said. And theres an exposure benefit from having the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds fly over, a well-known, famous team, and that certainly helps us in terms of keeping our exposure out there for the American people. Added Kirby: I think theyre very popular, these flyovers. The Defense department receives more than 1,000 requests for flyovers at sporting events every year. The Thunderbirds and other teams accept many of them, including for NASCAR races and important baseball games. The U.S. Navys Blue Angels have done some of the Super Bowl flyovers, as well, including one in 2008 over a domed stadium. No one inside saw the flyover, though television viewers did for about 4 seconds.   For the publicity aspect of it, Id say its definitely well worth it when you consider the cost to advertise during the Super Bowl. The more people see our blue jets and recognize the Navy, the better it is for us,  Blue Angels press officer Capt. Tyson Dunkelberger told The Lost  Angeles Times in 2008. Debate Over Super Bowl Flyovers Some critics call the Super Bowl flyover a waste of taxpayer money. Washington Post columnist Sally Jenkins, writing about the 2011 Super Bowl flyover at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas, said: For absurdity, how about those four Navy F-18s flying over the stadium - with its retractable roof closed? Everybody inside could only see the planes on the stadiums video screens. It was strictly a two-second beauty shot. Know what it cost taxpayers? Ill tell you: $450,000. (The Navy justifies the expense by saying its good for recruiting.) Others have questions why the government is spending  millions of dollars every year on  the flyovers at the same time sequestration has slashed its budgets. Related Story: What is Sequestration? If any portion of the defense department budget is going to be slashed, the act of flying planes over a crowded stadium would be the one to get rid of, wrote Mike Florio of NBC Sports. ... As a recruiting tool its value is questionable.

A Critical Reflection of a Six Week Placement within the Rugby Football League The WritePass Journal

A Critical Reflection of a Six Week Placement within the Rugby Football League A Critical Reflection of a Six Week Placement within the Rugby Football League Chapter I1.1 Goals for Placement1.2 Goal Setting1.3 Curriculum Vitae and Covering Letter1.4 Potential EmployersChapter II2.0 Coaching Literature2.1 Sports Policy and ParticipationChapter III3.0 Reflective TheoryChapter IV4.0 Description4.1 Thoughts and Feelings4.2 Evaluation4.3 Analysis4.4 Action PlanChapter V5.0 Description5.1 Thoughts and Feelings5.2 Evaluation5.3 Analysis5.4 Action PlanChapter VI6.0 Evaluation7.0 ConclusionBibliographyRelated Chapter I 1.0 Introduction Vocational practice is becoming a fundamental educational experience for students (May and Veitch, 1998). Colley, Hodkinson and Malcom, (2002) claim that vocational practice and training aids the development of technical skills and knowledge thus increasing behavioural competence within the workplace. Lyle and Cushion (2010) states there is no substitution for experience when it comes to hands on coaching, this belief is supported by Ericsson, (1998) whos research shows that a minimum of ten years experience is needed within the field to excel to an expert level of coaching. Vickers and Bavister (2005) go on to claim that coaches who regularly achieve success while coaching are often those who can reflect on their experiences from other events. This claim is supported by Schempp et al (2007) who believe that coaches who can thoughtfully analyse and critique the parts of their sessions which were successful and those which were not and then make adjustments where necessary are the â⠂¬Å"outstanding† coaches. Before beginning any form of vocational placement it is crucial to set out key aims and objectives as this will allow you to asses just how successful the placement experience was and how much you gained from it. For my placement I set out three key aims. These aims are clearly laid out in section 1.1 as seen below. 1.1 Goals for Placement To gain hand on experience while developing my practical skills and tacit knowledge. To obtain at least two contacts which I could use after university. To increase my own self confidence when in front of others. 1.2 Goal Setting Correct goal setting can improve focus, persistence, confidence and performance but poor goal setting can create anxiety and sometimes hinder performance (Lynn, 2010). All three of my placement goals stick to the idea of SMARTER goal setting, these are defined by Finn, (2008) as â€Å"specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, time phased and re evaluated†. Lewis and Smith (1994) explains that a good tip for coaches and athletes is to keep your goals SMARTER as it is easy to remember and makes your goals more achievable. This claim is supported by Lynn (2010) who claims that is vast amounts of literature that supports SMARTER goal setting. Weinberg and Gould (2003) claim that as a coach it is important to make your goals specific as without an aim you can lose interest and may not fully strive for the goal. It is also crucial for the goal to be measurable as without this there is no real drive for the coach. Coaches must also believe their goals are achievable and realistic as this will help keep them motivated to perform. Harter’s competency motivational theory agrees with this statement, explaining that more mastery attempts will take place if there is early success within the athlete’s goals (Harter, 1981). It is also essential that coaches make sure goals are realistic, if an athlete believes the goal is unrealistic they are almost guaranteed to fail (Martens, 2004). This belief is supported by Kidman and Hanrahan (2011) who state goals must have a balance between being challenging but also realistic. Time must also be taken into consideration as without this the coach will not drive themselves to achieve it in the required time frame. Finally the targets a coach aims for should be reviewed and evaluated as this shall help them make changes during their goals. During my placement I reviewed my goals through reflection. Cox, R, (2001) states goals can be viewed as being focused on outcome, performance, or process. Outcome goals are def ined as goals which mainly focus on an overall result. An example of this would be winning a rugby game, or placing first in a competition. Therefore to successfully achieve an outcome goal one must not only perform to their best but also hope they out perform their opponent. An example of this would be when a football team plays ninety minutes of football to their best possible standard but still comes out on the losing team because the other team out performed them. Performance goals however look at the standard of ones performance. An example of this would be a golfer who does not win a tournament but has their lowest round on that course. Research suggests that goal setting is one of the most influential methods of increasing motivation and achieving goals (Locke and Latham, 1985). In 1981 Locke complied a comprehensive review of over a hundred studies which found over 90% of cases resulted in positive effects due to goal setting. 1.3 Curriculum Vitae and Covering Letter Before actively searching for a vocational placement, it was my job to firstly construct a curriculum vitae (CV) and a covering letter. A CV is crucial when applying for any form of job or vocational practice as this is the first time a prospective employer will make an opinion of you. Houston (2004) supports this claim, stating that â€Å"a CV is not the whole you but just a taste of you and it is the first opportunity for you to make a good impression†. Provenzano, (2004) argues that a covering letter is in fact more important to a CV as the covering letter allows the applicant to personalise their application unlike a CV. When both the CV and covering letter were complete and spell checked for any errors it was then up to me to get in contact with prospective employers. As I have always had a keen interest in physical fitness and well being my first option was to work in the military either with the royal navy or the army as a personal trainer. 1.4 Potential Employers Due to working within schools previously I had decided that I wanted to gain some experience elsewhere so I decided to take a sports coaching and development route which led me to another very strong passion, rugby. After I had made this decision it was easy for me to pick the types of institute I would like to work in. Firstly I sent my CV and covering letter to both the Rugby Football League (RFL) and the Rugby Football Union (RFU) as I have experience within both codes. Fortunately I quickly received word from the Cumbria Rugby Football League development team which stated that they would love to have a work experience student within their ranks. From this it was easy to make my decision and I began by replying to the RFL. Planning early and realising which employers were available to me allowed me plenty of time to enforce my contingency plan of working within sports development. Ntoumanis and Biddle (1997) explain that contingency planning is pre planning for problems within pra ctice or competition and creating a solution for these possibilities if any troubles arise. As in many schools, a major section of the work carried out by the RFL involves making people aware of the health benefits of physical activity and making sure the public can see there are possibilities for them to utilise such activities. By gaining a work placement within Cumbria Rugby League development I felt I would receive far greater hands on experience which would allow me to gain a much more rewarding vocational practice, as appose to working within the military where I feel I would have taken a much more back seat approach to the world of work. This level of first hand experience is essential for me due to the nature of my three smarter goals, as it would allow me to increase my own self confidence but also allow me to develop connections within the world of rugby league which I could potentially use after university. Colley et al, (2002) would argue that as well as these goals it would also allow me to craft my own practical and technical skills which I have acquired withi n the class room. Also by coaching children in this sports development scenario it will allow me to work with children of all ages with a range of backgrounds and upbringings thus creating the challenge of utilising skills in all kinds of situations this would allow me to develop my tacit knowledge. Knowles, Borrie and Telfer, (2005) would support this style of learning, suggesting that effective coach learning is based on appropriate use of tacit experiential knowledge and not just formal theoretical knowledge about coaching pedagogy, physiology or other bodies of knowledge. Chapter II 2.0 Coaching Literature Bompa, (1994) states that â€Å"coaching is a process†, Cross and Lyle (1999) support this claim stating that coaching in an â€Å"ongoing process†. Coaching is not something that can be achieved through a couple of qualifications, the overall process of coaching takes years to develop and it is argued that coaches can always improve in someway or another (Kidman and Lambardo, 2010). Even if a coach believes they have fully achieved their goals they must always be aware of the coaching process and continually strive to develop (Kidman and Hanrahan, 2011). Self reflection is a vital tool which coaches can use to further develop their own abilities (Kidman and Hanrahan, 2011). Cassidy et al., (2009) supports this statement and claims there is â€Å"more than one technique which can be used†. During my placement I decided to use a reflective log while using the Gibbs cycle as a model of reflection as this method allowed me to self reflect on my own coaching practice on a daily basis. While working within sports development it was vital that as a coach I was able to not only coach athletes with a lack of experience but also cater for the small number of athletes with more advanced levels of performance, so the participants I was coaching could achieve their peak performance. Cote and Gilbert, (2009) define these different groups as coaching domains. Coaching domains can be split into four different categories, child performance, child participation, adult performance and adult participation (Cà ´te, Gilbert and Mallet, 2006). Jones (2006) explains that each coaching domain creates its own difficulties thus creating a variety of behaviours that must be used in order to overcome these difficulties. This claim is supported by Cushion and Lyle (2010) who state that coaching domains all require different â€Å"environmental demands†. While working within the RFL my regular role was coaching in the participation domain, however I occasionally had to work with one or two athletes within the performance domain. Abraham and Collins, (1998) explains that to achieve peak performance the coach must demonstrate a range of different skills to aid the performers learning. To some extent Woodman (1993) would agree with this statement, however Woodman (1993) claims that â€Å"regardless of a coaches level of skill and their own abilities it is the application of their knowledge which would separate a great practitioner from an average one†. De Marco, Mancini and Wuest (1996) extend this further stating that in order to enhance performance a coach must facilitate for the athletes learning by adapting   their instructional behaviour. Therefore whilst on my vocational placement it was essential that I constantly changed not only my behaviours while coaching but also the styles which I used when coaching depending on the athletes needs and desires. Northouse, (2001) would claim this is good coaching practice as he explains th at leadership styles must aim to match learner needs. Weinberg and Gould (1999) states that if a coach successfully meets the needs of the athlete, they are far more likely to take more mastery attempts at their desired goals. For this I used the Chelladurai model of leadership due to its use of situational, member and leader characteristics observation when looking at a coach’s performance. While looking at coaching behaviours it is always important to think about leadership theory, and which theories are relevant to that particular coach. Since the development of the Multi-Dimensional Model of Leadership (MDML) (Chelladuria and Carron, 1978), the ability to study leadership has increased significantly. This model proposes that three key leadership behaviours must be congruent in order to achieve an effective group performance as well as athlete satisfaction. The three leadership behaviours include required behaviour, preferred behaviour and finally actual behaviour. Shields , Gardner, Bredemeier and Bostro (1997) explain that required behaviour is prescribed for a particular situation, preferred behaviour is the desired behaviour of the coach by the athlete and finally actual behaviour is the behaviour perceived by the athlete. Chelladurai (2006) claims that â€Å"required leader behaviour is influenced by situational characteristics such as organizational goals, formal structure, group task, social norms, government regulations, technology, and member characteristics†. This method was used constantly as other models only focus on certain aspects of coaching, such as the personality of the coach (Sage, 1975) or the different coaching styles such as democratic and autocratic (Lenk, 1977) and my aim was to develop as a whole coach. 2.1 Sports Policy and Participation In 2000 DCMS set out the â€Å"Sporting Futures for All† policy which showed Labours clear interest in school sport and sport for young people in general (Houlihan and White, 2002). To achieve â€Å"Sporting Futures for All† the government created a five point plan to allow children to get the most out of sport within school. Since the government have recognised that children are not taking part in enough compulsory sport at school they have put over half a billion pounds into getting a minimum of two hours of practical sports a week in every school and also have worked to create an additional three hours available outside of school hours by 2010. This target is an improvement on the previous objective of having just three hours of physical activity per week within schools (DCMS 2004). From this initiative the government has introduced the seven core sporting activities which schools should include in their timetable these were: Gymnastics, Dance, Outdoor activities, Ne t/wall games, invasion games, striking/fielding games and athletics. Schools now base their minimum of two hours of lessons around these core sporting activities (PE and School Sport CPD report 2006). In terms of the Rugby Football League it could be argued that the government’s plans and the RFLs plans are on somewhat on a different wave length. The government seem to be focused predominantly on increasing participation where as the RFL seem to have a keen interest in improving the professional and semi professional game. Out of the four key mission statements on the RFL website only one of the aims is to maximise numbers within the participation level of the game (Rugby Football League, 2011). This would suggest that the RFL has placed priority on developing the professional game ahead of developing the grass roots level. Chapter III 3.0 Reflective Theory Over the past two decades the focus on reflective practice has grown significantly in a wide range of contexts these include education, medicine and now coaching. This is mainly down to the work of Schon (1983), who by using and applying a basic principle of reflecting on experience to improve action and professional practice, helped to develop the importance of reflective practice (Cassidy, Jones and Potrac, 2004). Schon (1987) also explains that â€Å"wisdom can be learnt by reflection on dilemmas that occur within practice†. Reid (1993) supports this study explaining that reflective practice is not only a way of learning but also a way to develop your own practice once formal education ceases. More recently Knowles, Gilbourne, Borrie and Nevill, (2001) explain that by encouraging practitioners to reflect on practice is an excellent way to create better practice thus identifying areas for improvement and potential changes that should be made. There are many different interpr etations of what reflective practice is, however most studies would argue that reflection is an active, conscious process (Dewey, 1933, Boud, 1985, Schon, 1987, and Reid, 1993). Moon (2004) supports this by defining reflective practice as â€Å"a set of abilities and skills that indicate the taking of a critical stance, a course to problem solving or state of mind†. However Ghaye and Lillyman (2000) argue that reflection is not an intellectual endeavour but an intricate procedure involving the person as a whole, therefore making one simple definition impossible. Essentially reflective practice means taking our experiences as a starting point for learning. By thinking about them in a purposeful way, using the reflective process we can come to understand them differently and take action as a result (Jasper, 2003). Reflective practice is particularly relevant to sports practitioners where learning requires a degree of self examination. The reason for this is because it allows tacit knowledge, cognitive professional shortcuts and non deliberative and contingent decision making to be made, which are necessary for the sports practitioners to generate an understanding and appreciation for practice (Lyle, 2002). Anderson, Knowles, and Gilbourne (2004) recently argued that reflective practice offers a practical structure for the training and development of sport practitioners. The reason for this is because reflective practice is an approach to practice that creates opportunities for access. It has been suggested that putting tacit knowledge into act ion, which includes values, experiences, knowledge, and social norms, is vital to practice. Being able to access and understand this tacit knowledge will make a significant contribution to a practitioner’s professional and personal development, which can be achieved through reflective practice (Knowles, Gilbourne, Tomlinson and Anderson, 2007). Pollard et al (2005) states that the importance of reflective practice towards the sports practitioners is that â€Å"the process of reflective practice must support the development and preservation of professional practitioners†. If the coach cannot find an area of weakness to work on then it is time for them to pass that athlete on. This is where reflective practice is introduced as it allows the coach to see if any further improvements can be made to the athlete, if they can not they then must pass the athlete onto a coach who can further enhance there development. This links to the humanistic approach of coaching which is a person centred ideology, emphasising the empowerment of the individual, towards achieving personal goals within an interpersonal relationship. A major thrust of humanistic ideology is the interpersonal relationship between the coach and athlete. This emphasises that the athlete should not lose control of the coaching process (Lyle, 2002). Research carri ed out by Tinnings (1995) suggests that if becoming reflective was simply a rational process it would be easy to train sport practitioners to be reflective. He argues that it is not easy to train someone to become a reflective practitioner because the issues that the practitioner is required to reflect on, are not simply a matter of rational argument, but have a large level of emotion and subjectivity embedded within them (Tinning, 1995). There are however many benefits of using reflective practice to a sports practitioner. Reflective practice allows the practitioner to become more aware of values and beliefs that shape their practices, resulting in enhanced athlete learning and performance. It also allows the practitioner to become more sensitive to the needs and interest of the athlete, leading to coaching sessions being developed that are more meaningful for all concerned (Tinning, 1991). Reflective practice is essential for increasing coaching success. Clifford and Feezell (1997) consider coaching success to be determined by factors such as knowledge, skills and experience. Schon (1983) identified two main types of reflection these are, reflection-in-action and reflection-on-action. These were identified as the principle ways professionals use to articulate there knowledge. Reflection-in-action is the way that people think about practice while they are doing it. This is seen as an automatic activity that occurs subconsciously everyday. It is seen as a way that advanced practitioners develop as a result of a combination of their skill, knowledge and practice. An example of this could be adapting a coaching session in order to cater for the unforeseen needs and ability of the group. Reflection-on-action involves us consciously exploring experience and thinking about practice after they have happened. This usually happens away from the scene of practice, because of this it is assumed that practice is underpinned by knowledge making it a cognitive process. An example of this could be a practitioner discussing positive and negative aspects of the session wit h another coach who has witnessed the activities (Jasper, 2003) When using reflective practice, practitioners often use models to help structure their reflection. There are a number of different models that have been constructed over the years. According to Ghaye and Lillyman, (2000) all the models share some of the same qualities. The one quality all models share is that they require us to engage in the process of knowledge creation by helping us to move from tacit knowledge into conscious and explicit knowing (Ghaye and Lillyman, 2000). Each model however is also in some way different. For example, some models place a big emphasis on explicating a process of reflection while others believe that the process is more of a â€Å"means to an ends†. The model I have most consistently used is one of the most well known models, the Gibbs cycle. I decided to use the Gibbs (1988) framework as research explains that it is a basic frame work which endeavours to incorporate knowledge, feelings and actions within one cycle, therefore making it more suitable for the novice practitioner (Ghaye and Lillyman, 2000). The Gibbs approach features all the strategies or frameworks for reflection that have been developed over the years by various academics (Ghaye and Lillyman, 2000). However a major criticism of the Gibbs cycle is the unlikelihood of the exact same incident arising again thus making it difficult to create a fully effective action plan, this can also be linked to role frames. Gilbert and Trudel (2004) explain that as coaches develop through their experiences they also develop their own role frames. The problem with role frames is that every coaches role frame is different, an example of this can be linked to my first critical incident. What I perceive as an expectable form of punishment may not be the same as another coachà ¢â‚¬â„¢s perception of acceptable punishment, thus creating the issue of double standards. Chapter IV 4.0 Description The first of my critical incidents occurred on the 25th June, 2010 which was the 8th working day of my vocational practice. In the previous days leading up to the incident I had been working alongside Mr. Smith and was informed at 9 a.m that I would be working with Mr. Todd at a local primary school after my recent request to partake in more hands on coaching. I was briefly informed of what I would be assisting with, which involved general setting up and leading the warm ups which did not leave me feeling too worried as I had covered these within my applied sports coaching module. Upon arrival at the school I was greeted by Mr. Todd who was introduced to me by Mr. Smith. After a brief discussion Mr. Smith left to go back to the office and Mr. Todd and I begun to talk about his role within rugby and what we would be doing today. I was informed that we would be working with three different classes of year six children aged ten to eleven. As the first class walked out Mr. Todd began to take charge of the session and instructed the children to get into neat line using an extremely autocratic approach to coaching, while I started to set up my warm up. When I had finished placing the cones where I wanted them for the warm up Mr. Todd introduced me to the class and informed them all that I would be working with him for the rest of the afternoon. The session then began and the first class went well with only a few disruptions through out. When I had finished my warm up Mr. Todd then took charge and led the remainder of the session. At the end of the lesson the same pr ocess was applied with me setting up the warm up for the next class and Mr. Todd introducing me. During the second session there was a lot more disruptions and the children seemed to be getting restless. This began to aggravate Mr. Todd and he then began to distribute punishments for bad behaviour such as talking when someone else was or bouncing the balls when not instructed to do so. This led to my first critical incident of my placement. During the main section of the session one girl aged ten was throwing the ball in the air while Mr. Todd was speaking this then caused Mr. Todd to verbally abuse the child and then demand the child perform a task called â€Å"belly-back-bellies†. This involves the child first going down on their stomach, then standing up, then down onto their back, then standing up again, then back down onto their stomachs which seemed to be extremely distressing for the children as some had begun to cry, we then finished the second session. Finally we mov ed onto the third class which once again followed the same warm up and skills drills as the previous two sessions. 4.1 Thoughts and Feelings As the session started I began to feel slightly anxious and could feel myself becoming increasingly nervous as I had never worked with this coach before and had no idea what his perceptions of my coaching abilities would be. This was also heightened by a slight sense of inexperience which brought me to question my own coaching ability as I had limited experience working in this coaching domain. During the critical incident itself I felt extremely uneasy as I had never been in a situation were a child was crying because of the punishment they had been given. Another issue that worried me was the fact the teacher of the class was only on the other side of the playground and seemed to want nothing to do with the children that were crying or shouting and just seemed to be ignoring the whole situation. This made me question whether or not anything was going unacceptable or whether this was just standard practice within schools, it also made me question what type of example this was suppos ed to be setting for both me as an observing coach as well as the children who had not been punished. 4.2 Evaluation Reflecting on the session now I feel I did not question either the coach or the teacher to see if this was just standard practice in schools, and whether or not it happened a lot of the time. Also I did not try to comfort the children which looking back now seems like the wrong thing to do as the children were clearly distressed. Due to not working with I this coach or teacher before I did not wish to seem like I was stepping on anyone’s toes as I had wanted to get more hands on coaching. In hindsight I feel I exhibited poor coaching practice as I knew there was something wrong, however I failed to react in what I believed to be the most appropriate manor. This is supported by my reflective log as it clearly shows that I knew at the time what I should have done but failed to do so when I felt it was most appropriate. 4.3 Analysis During the session I felt the coach’s behaviours were extremely demoralising of the child and that some of his coaching methods could have been seen as over the top. Research carried out by Raakman, Dorsch and Rhind (2010) found that indirect psychological abuse was the most commonly used type of abuse when coaching children with 52.8% of all abuse being in this category, however from the criteria used within this study the type of abuse used by this coach would be defined as direct physical abuse which occurred only 5.5% of the time. All coaches have a personal style and approach when it comes to working with any athlete.   However Pyke (1991) claims that you can not   successfully coach every type of athlete using the same style and states that better coaches must use a variety of styles in order to aid learners needs. In relation to this critical incident I feel the coach did not allow enough freedom for the children, who quickly lost interest in the session as Mr Todd was using a very autocratic coaching style. A possible way of overcoming this would have been to step into the session and lead with a most democratic style. Tenenbaum and Eklund (2007) would support this claim stating there are a range of coaching behaviours which are split into different dimensions, two of which include democratic and autocratic coaching styles which is a refection of the coach’s decision making (Mosston Ashworth, 1990). Gill and Williams (1986) would argue that autocratic coaching is extremely â€Å"coach led and directive† in its approach. This claim is supported by Lyle, (1999) who claims that autocratic coaching is a direct approach in which a coach will give a set of rules and orders which must be followed by the athletes. Autocratic coaching has been heavily criticised as it restricts the freedom of the athletes, as they must follow what the coach is instructing them to do (Cross, 1995). However Andrews (2009) states that, â€Å"in situations where members lack the intelligence, ability, experience, and/or personality dispositions to make judgments about situational requirements, the leader must make an appropriate decision for the members†. Martens (2000) also supports Andrews (2009) statement by explaining when teaching beginners an autocratic approach should be taken as the athletes need to be instructed as they do not have the knowledge base to interact via a reciprocal style. Had I have stepped in when I felt I should have this incident could have been avoided by allowing the children more freedom with a democratic approach. 4.4 Action Plan From this critical incident it is clear to see that this specific situation caught me off guard as I had never seen this style of coaching before, and due to it being a coaching style I would not use, took me by surprise. After reviewing the literature I feel there are a varietyof coaching methods which I could have used to aid Mr Todd within this situation which would not have involved a physical punishment such as â€Å"belly-back-bellies†.Since the incident I have had time to reflect on my own personal practice and have been able to identify weaknesses within my coaching, such as not stepping in when I feel it is necessary or discussing my opinions on coaching styles with colleagues when I feel it is appropriate. However I now have experience within this situation and feel if this problem ever arose again I would be better equipped to deal with it in a more suitable manner. One such way in which I could initiate this would be to sit down with the coach prior to any session and discuss what we would class as appropriate discipline for the athletes. Chapter V 5.0 Description The second of my critical incidents occurred on the 3rd August, 2010 which was my 20th day of working within the RFL. In the days leading up to this incident Mr Smith had informed me that he would be going away for two weeks for his brother’s wedding and that during this time I would be working from home on a database task which had been set by Mr Black but also that I would be running two one and a half hour tag rugby sessions with members of the BAE systems work force to promote rugby within the local community. Before departing for his holiday Mr Smith had informed me that he would be leaving all the required equipment for the sessions with Mr Todd and that I should go and collect them on the day of the event in the morning. When I arrived at Mr Todd’s office I was informed that Mr Smith had not left any equipment and Mr Todd had not even heard about the session which was due to be running later that day. This then left me to find balls, cones, bibs etc as independen tly without this equipment the session would not have been able to run. Fortunately the session was running at my own local rugby club and seen as I was captain of the 1st team this allowed me access to all their own equipment. The day then went from bad to worse as the participants began to arrive there was almost double the number of competitors Mr Smith had informed me there would be, however this was easily dealt with as I was able to think on my feet and create another couple of teams to add to the competition. When all the competitors had arrived it was just a matter of getting them into games and to get the referees to run the matches, however Mr Smith had also forgotten to book any referees for this event which caused even more confusion as there was not any qualified referees. Miss Proctor (the leader of the BAE development programme) then   started to become increasingly angered by the lack of organisation on the part of the RFL, some of which was directed at me. I then had to explain the situation to Miss Proctor and let her know that the games would have to be refereed between the teams and fair play would have to be enforced by the players themselves, which help calm the situation. When the session was finished Miss Proctor apologised for over reacting and stated that she could see that I had been left without the equipment and was just as upset as she was about the lack of organisation. 5.1 Thoughts and Feelings When I had found out that no equipment had been left by Mr Smith I was immediately shocked and extremely worried as I did not know how I would be able to run the session and whether I would be able to call it off if I was unable to get hold of anything. When I went up to Hawcoat Sports Club and was able to get into the equipment stores I felt a huge relief as I knew even if it was not the RFLs equipment that the participants would not know any difference and the session could go on as planned. When Miss Proctor became distressed at the lack of organisation on the part of the RFL I felt extremely worried that this would come back against me and my boss (Mr Black) would find out and say he did not want me to complete my work placement due to my apparent incompetence, however this was quickly over come when I explained the situation to Miss Proctor. Finally I felt very angered and let down by the lack of organisation on the part of Mr Smith for being irresponsible enough not to leave me any equipment or any referees. I was also angry at my own inability to contingency plan ahead as we had learnt a lot about this in class but I had not thought I would have needed to in this specific situation. 5.2 Evaluation Looking back and reflecting on the session now I feel that I should have done a lot more in terms of preparation for the session and did not need to leave it until the last minute to get the equipment. I also feel I should have got in contact with the referees to make sure they remembered the session as Mr Smith booked them over three weeks prior to the event and they may have not remembered. I strongly believe that I had the relevant knowledge prior to this incident happening however I feel it was my lack of experience and naivety within the situation which aided my failure. This was definitely poor coaching practice on my part as it was my failure to prepare which caused the initial incident to occur. 5.3 Analysis After reviewing the literature it is clear to see that planning is one of the most central features of the coaching process (Lyle and Cushion, 2010). This claim is supported by research from Gould (1990) and Lyle (1992) who have looked at elements of coaching which coaches would class as significant, and in both studies planning is seen as a central role of the coach. Lyle and Cushion (2010) also explain that the planning process for coaches must include some â€Å"pre determination† and â€Å"accounting for consequences†. Lynn (2010) also suggests that within planning there are seven key part of the session which should be accounted for, these include: Session structure Specific activities Range of activities Time allocated to each activity Feedback to athletes Equipment Athlete safety This would suggest that during my coaching I failed to successfully account for the planning process thus performing poor coaching practice. An ongoing debate with planning is that coaches only plan for problematic environments (Jones and Wallace, 2005). This argument is supported by Cushion et al (2006) who asks the question what can coaches truly plan for? More recently Cushion (2007) has claimed that coaches have â€Å"limited roots† when planning, thus limiting what coaches can fully plan for. However Lyle (2007) would argue that planning is the role of the coach and must be managed on a daily basis, taking into account all possibilities. Plan-do-review is commonly seen as the most suitable method of planning to use when coaching (Lyle and Cushion, 2010). I feel that it was my inability to plan for problematic situations which caused me to execute poor coaching practice when running my session. 5.4 Action Plan From this critical incident it is easy to see that I failed to fully prepare myself for the session and in doing so left myself open to fail. After reviewing the literature it is clear to see that in order to fully prepare yourself for any event it is important to cover every possible scenario with contingency planning and risk assessments as this is allow for the best possible outcome on the day. Since the incident I have had time to look at my reflective log and analyse my own personal practice and have been able to notice that on the day of the session I had planned the session but had failed to make a contingency plan, thus causing me to have to think on my feet and look at other ways to make sure the even still went ahead. This has allowed me to see that in future session I must always create a contingency plan in order for it to run smoothly. Chapter VI 6.0 Evaluation The overall aim of the placement was to further increase my tacit knowledge, gain valuable experience and improve my confidence within the coaching world. I feel was able to achieve these aims through working alongside Cumbria Rugby League Development team, as these provided me with a extremely good platform for learning and allowed me to get a very hands on experience. Prior to starting the placement I believed my weaknesses were that I lacked craft knowledge and experience of coaching new people, especially young children as I had limited experience working within this coaching domain (Cote and Gilbert, 2009). However the basic knowledge I had gained through completing my level 1 rugby union course and other experiences at university helped me to start off. My perceived weaknesses seen above became evident in the early stages of my placement, when my lack of knowledge and experience led me into situations which I struggled to handle, this resulted in poor and in some cases unethical practice on my part. These incidents in some cases affected the group as they sometimes had to sit around while the incidents were being dealt with. On top of having to wait around, the summer heat and times of lessons e.g. after school caused children to become restless, bored and inevitably hard to coach. However through reflection and the recording of day to day eve nts and outcomes I was able to use knowledge and experience of successful practice to ensure I repeated this, the next time the scenario arose. Also if the practice was not successful I was able to use relevant literature, to provide me with the knowledge required to deal with the same situation effectively if it were to occur again. It is when these similar situations occur, that the improved coaching knowledge gained through successful past experience is applied, this practice is known as evidence based practice (Chapman and Hough, 1998) and has been described as the conscientious, explicit and judicious use of best evidence in making decisions about the care of students (Sackett, Richardson, Rosenberg, Haynes, 1997). This style of practice was used in the latter weeks of coaching. As well as increasing my tacit coaching knowledge and hands on experience it was also my aim to gain two useful contacts within the RFL which I could use when leaving university. In terms of contacts there was a long list of different coaches I feel I could now contact if I wanted some more coaching experience, however the two most influential contacts I made while working at the RFL were Mr Black and Mr Smith as these coaches can both provide useful references for me in any line of work as well as within rugby league. I would describe the acquisition of these contacts as successful to my aims as I now have two reliable points of contact within the RFL which have both stated they would have no problem granting me reference to potential employers. Chapter VII 7.0 Conclusion For my placement I went to Cumbria Rugby Football League Development, this was undertaken for a period of one hundred and fifty hours over the space of six weeks. During this time I was mentored by Mr Black who is the Head of Cumbria Rugby League Development. In terms of rugby league, Cumbria is one of the most highly thought of counties in the country. With an extremely proud rugby league heritage, Cumbria along with Yorkshire and Lancashire is what the RFL describe as the birth place of rugby league. With such a prestigious heritage it was an honour to work in one of the countries most influential rugby league development teams. This sense of honour made me want to truly excel in my work and put 100% in when ever I was asked to perform a task. Over the course of my placement I used the Gibbs Cycle as a method of reflecting on my sessions, this allowed me to not only analyse my performance whilst working but also to go away and gain valuable information about what I could do differently in future sessions. However a major criticism of this method is the likelihood of being placed with a specific situation more than once thus making it highly unlikely to fully benefit a coach. Reviewing the placement experience as a whole I would have to say that this placement was a success as it has allowed me to meet all three of my goals within the allotted time frame with very little in terms of problematic experiences. Bibliography Abraham, A. and Collins, D. (1998). ‘Examining and extending research in coach development’, Quest, 50, pp. 59 – 79. Anderson, A., Knowles, Z. and Gilbourne, D. (2004). ‘Reflective practice for applied sport psychologists: A review of concepts, models, practical implications and thoughts on dissemination’, The Sport Psychologist, 18. pp. 188-201. Andrew, D.P.S. (2009). ‘The impact of leadership behaviour on satisfaction of college tennis players: A test of the leadership behaviour congruency hypothesis of the multidimensional model of leadership’. Journal of Sport Behaviour, 32, pp. 261-277. Bompa, T.O. (1994) Theory and Methodology of Training. 3rd edition. Iowa: Kendall Hunt. Boud, D., Keough, R. and Walker D. (ed.) (1985) Reflection: Turning Experience into Learning. New York, Kogan Page. Cassidy, T., Jones, R. and Potrac, P. (2004). Understanding Sports Coaching: The Social, Cultural and Pedagogical Foundations of Coaching Practice. Routledge, London. Cassidy, T., Jones, R. and Potrac, P. (2009) Understanding Sports Coaching: the social, cultural and pedagogical foundations of coaching practice 2nd edition. Routledge, Abingdon. Chapman, T. and Hough, M. (1998). Evidence-Based Practice: A Guide to Effective Practice. justice.gov.uk/inspectorates/hmi-probation/docs/hmiprobebp_1_-rps.pdf (Assessed on the 16th March, 2011) Chelladurai, P. (2006). Human Resource Management in Sport and Recreation 2nd edition. Champaign, Illinois: Human Kinetics. Chelladurai, P. and Carron, A.V. (1978). Leadership. Ottawa: Sociology of Sport Monograph Series, Canadian Association for Health, Physical Education, and Recreation. Clifford, C. and Feezell, R.M. (1997). Coaching for Character. Windsor, ON: Human Kinetics. Colley, H., Hodkinson, P. and Malcom, J. (2002). Non-Formal Learning: Mapping the Conceptual Terrain. A Consultation Report, Lifelong Learning Institute. University of Leeds, November 2002. Cote, J. and Gilbert, W. (2009). ‘An Integrative Definition of Coaching Expertise’. International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching. 4, pp. 307-323. Cà ´te, J., Gilbert, W. and Mallet, C. (2006). ‘Developmental paths and activities of successful sports coaches’. International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching. 1, pp. 1 Cox, R. (2001). Sport Psychology. 5th edition. McGraw- Hill. Cushion, C.J., Armour, K.M. and Jones, R.L. (2006). ‘Location the coaching process in practice models: models â€Å"for† and â€Å"of† coaching’. Physical Education and Sports Pedagogy. 11, pp. 83-99. Cross, N. (1995). ‘Coaching effectiveness and the coaching process’. Swimming Times, LXXII. 2, pp. 23-25. Cross. N. and Lyle, J. (1999). The Coaching Process: Principles and Practices for Sport. London: Butterworth Heinemann. DCMS (2004) available at: culture.gov.uk/reference_library/publications/4566.aspx (accessed on 12th February, 2011) DeMarco, G., Mancini, V. and Wuest, D. (1996). ‘Reflections on change: A qualitative and quantitative analysis of a baseball coachs behaviour’. Journal of Sport Behaviour. 20 (2), pp. 135-163. Dewey, J. (1933). How We Think: a restatement of the relation of reflective thinking to the education process. Heath Co. New York. Ericsson, K.A. (1998). ‘The scientific study of expert levels of performance: General implications for optimal learning and creativity’. High Ability Studies. 9 (1), pp. 75-100. Finn, J. (2008). ‘An introduction to using mental skills to enhance performance in golf: beyond the bounds of positive and negative thinking’. International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching. 3, pp.255-256 Ghaye, T. and Lillyman, S. (2000). Caring Moments: The discourse of reflective practice Dinton, Quay Books: Gibbs (1988) available at: brookes.ac.uk/services/upgrade/a-z/reflective_gibbs.html   (accessed on the 11th March, 2011) Gilbert, W. and Trudel, P. (2004). ‘The role of the coach: how model youth team sport coaches frame their roles’. The Sport Psychologist 18, pp. 21-43. Gill, D.I. and Williams, L. (1986). Psychological Dynamics of Sport and Exercise. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Gould, D., Giannini, J. and Krane, K. (1990). ‘Educational needs of elite US national team, pan America and Olympic coaches’. Journal of Teaching Physical Education. 9, pp. 332-334. Harter, S. (1981). A model of intrinsic mastery motivation in children: individual differences and developmental change. Hillsdale, New York. Houlihan, B. and White, A. (2002). The Politics of Sport Development: development of sport or development through sport?   Routledge, London. Houston, K. (2004). Winning CV’s for First Time Job Hunters. Surrey: Trotman and Company Limited. Jasper, M. (2003). Beginning Reflective Practice. Cheltenham: Nelson Thomes Limited. Jones, R, L. (2006). The Sports Coach as Educator: re-conceptualising sports coaching. Routledge, London. Jones, R.L. and Wallace, M. (2005). ‘Another bad day at the training ground: coping with ambiguity in the coaching context’. Sport, Education and Society 10, pp. 119-134. Kidman, L. and Hanrahan S,J. (2011). The Coaching Process: A Practical Guide to Becoming an Effective Sports Coach. 3rd Edition. Routledge, London. Kidman, L. and Lombardo, B,J. (2010). Athlete-Centred Coaching: Developing Decisions Makers. 2nd Edition. Worcester: IPC Resources. Knowles, Z., Borrie, A. and Telfer, H. (2005). ‘Towards the reflective sports coach: Issues of context’, Education and Application. 48 , pp. 1711-1720. Knowles, Z., Gilbourne, D., Borrie, A and Nevill, A. (2001). ‘Developing the reflective sports coach: a study exploring the processes of reflective practice within a higher education coaching programme’, Journal of Reflective Practice. 46 (3), pp. 34-57 Knowles, Z., Gilbourne, D., Tomlinson, V and Anderson, A. (2007). ‘Reflections on the application of reflective practice for supervision in applied sport psychology’. Sport Psychologist. 21(1), pp. 109-122. Martens, R. (2000). Successful Coaching. 2nd Edition. Champaign: Human Kinetics. Martens, R. (2004). Successful Coaching. 3rd Edition. Champaign: Human Kinetics. May, N. and Veitch, L. (1998).’Working to learn and learning to work: Placement experience of project 2000 nursing students in Scotland’. Nurse Education Today 18, pp. 630-636. Moon, J.  (2004).  Reflection in Learning and Professional Development.  Theory and Practice. Abingdon: Routledge and Palmer Mosston, M. and Ashworth, S. (1990). The Spectrum of Teaching Styles: From Command to Discovery. New York: Longman. Northouse, P.G. (2001) Leadership Theory Practice. 2nd Edition. Sage: London. Ntoumanis, N. and Biddle, S.J.H. (1997). Emotions and Achievement Goals in Physical Activity: A meta-analysis. Manuscript submitted for publication. PE and School Sport CPD report (2006) available at: http://66.102.9.132/search?q=cache:AvCrKkK82IIJ:www.cyngor-chwaraeon-cymru.org.uk/12770.file.dld+PE+and+School+Sport+CPD+report+2006cd=3hl=enct=clnkgl=uk (Accessed on 15th February, 2011) Pollard, A., Collins, J., Simco, N., Swaffield, S., Warin, J. and Warwick, P. (2005). Reflective Teaching. 2nd Edition. London: Continuum. Provenzano, S. (2004). The Guide to Basic Cover Letter Writing. USA: Mcgraw Hill. Pyke, F.S. (Ed.). (1991). Better Coaching: Advanced Coachs Manual. Belconnen, ACT: Australian Coaching Council Inc. Lenk, H. (1977). Team Dynamics. Champaign, IL: Human Kinetics. Lewis,   R.   and   Smith,   D.   (1994). 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Sports Coaching Profressionalisation and Practice. Churchill Livingstone. Lynn, A. (2010). Effective Sports Coaching: A Practical Guide. Crowood, Wiltshire. Raakman, E., Dorsch, K. and Rhind. D. (2010). ‘The development of a typology of abusive coaching behaviours within youth sport’. International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching.   5 (4), pp. 503-515 Reid, B. (1993). ‘But were doing it already! exploring a response to the concept of reflective practice in order to improve its facilitation’. Nurse Education Today 13 (4), pp. 305-309. Rugby Football League (2011) avalible at: therfl.co.uk/about_the_rfl/rfl_dna__values (Accessed on the 12th March, 2011) Sackett, L. Richardson, S. Rosenberg, W. and Haynes, B. (1997). ‘Evidence-based medicine: how to practice and teach EBM. Churchill Livingstone. New York. USA Sage, G, H. (1975). Occupational analysis of the college coach. In Ball, D.W. and Loy, J.W. (eds). Sport and social order contributions to the sociology of sport. 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Chinese Emperors - Shang Dynasty

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Walmart case Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

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Network Security Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

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