Relationship between organizational leadership, culture and Dissertation

Relationship between organizational leadership, culture and performance in family businesses - Dissertation Example However, there is a dearth of research regarding the extent to which the founder is able to embed strategic behaviors into family firm management and culture or the degree to which these behaviors impact the financial performance of these firms (Sorenson, 2000). Some effort has been made to examine the leadership styles of family firm leaders and the relationship of these styles to family and non-family members (Kellerman, 2008). Aldrich and Cliff (2003) suggested that entrepreneurial leadership attributes likely influenced family firm strategies, processes, and structures. Sorenson (2000) found that participative leaders achieved high performance in both the family and the business dimensions of the firm. The findings of the test hypotheses regarding performance outcomes in these studies were not conclusive regarding the effects of leadership styles on performance. Research on the leadership styles of the founder and their effect on family and non-family members may provide insight into family firm performance (Sharma, 2004). Purpose/Research Questions The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between organizational leader’s thinking and behavioral styles, its culture, and financial performance. Three family firms will be selected for this study. Participants will include current owners, founders, and family member and non-family member managers and employees. ... Preliminary Literature Review The Family Firm Although family firms have played an integral role in world economies throughout history, research into family businesses did not begin to come into prominence until 1975 (Handler, 1989). Handler's attempt to integrate the field around a common purpose by defining a family firm as "an organization whose major operating decisions and plans for leadership succession are influenced by family members serving in management or on the board" (p. 262) is characteristic of such ventures in its difficulty to operationalize. Furthermore, Astrachan, Klein, and Smyrnios (2002) have defined family business along a continuum measuring the levels of family influence across the dimensions of power, experience, and culture. Their intent is to provide an objective and standardized measurement of family involvement allowing comparison along a broad spectrum of family businesses. Sharma (2002) developed a typology which creates 72 categories of family firms b ased on the possible levels of family and non-family involvement in seven areas as identified on a firm's stakeholder map. Her intent is to develop a mechanism for differentiating between family businesses along the continuum from the publicly traded international corporation to the mom and pop enterprise. Leadership Styles For this study leadership styles specifically refer to the thinking and behavioral styles of family firm leaders. Leadership styles are divided into three composite orientations with each orientation consisting of four styles each. The constructive orientation (achievement, self-actualizing, humanistic-encouraging, and affiliative) characterize thinking and behavior that

Activities and Documentation for Childcare Business

Activities and Documentation for Childcare Business Nabeelah Lallmamode Explain the documentation that is required to be kept when running a child care business from a home setting. Businesses are governed by legislations and requirements that help support it’s continuity. In this assignment we will be looking closely at the documentation and it’s importance to guaranteeing a successful and child friendly business. CRB check, Child Record form, Accident and Emergency forms to more legally abiding forms such as the contract between the caregiver and receiver, are all in place to ensure practices are followed correctly. Various regulatory bodies such as Ofted[1] are there to ensure that this type of business is coherent to the legislations and rules to ensure a healthy and safe environment for the recipient The Child Record, helps to provide us with basic but mandatory information on the child. It also provides us with next of kin details and any other contact information that is essential to the child wellbeing and safety. It is a good practice to keep all forms directly related to the child grouped together such as medical records, existing injuries and accident forms. Medical records are vital to maintaining a child’s wellbeing whilst in care. It details information on the existing medical condition and allergies as well as prescribed and non-prescribed medication. There should be a signed consent form for the worker to administer medication should the need arise. All medication should be stored safely and in it’s original packaging. Accident forms and Existing Injuries Forms are also required to protect the business legally. Upon enrolment a child must be examined for any existing injuries and detailed correctly on the forms again with a signature by both parties. Child care Agreement Form, like the child record form contains mandatory information, however this form is the contract between parent and child care provider. Standard agreements can be purchased online from National Association of Child-minders. They provide information to parents about what they are signing up for and they have access to professional that can help with legal issues relating to contracts. The consent given by parents plays a big role in the daily activities of the child in day care. The Outgoing and Consent Forms as well as Vehicle record and Parent permission form is required in order for the child to participate in recreational activities. It provides the business with authority to take the child out of day care. The business should have the correct insurance in place if the child is being taken out of the care setting during contracted hours. Appropriate vehicle insurance is also essential if the child is being driven by a member of staff. Additional forms are also required to be kept by a childcare business. Finance records detailing transactions between two parties, Fire Safety detailing correct evacuation details and Complaints Records helping to deal with concerns are also required to be kept. All Records can be shared with Ofsted and other independent bodies. Staff are subjected to a CRB check before commencing employment, this will give the employer an insight into the background of the employee as well as any criminal history. All forms mentioned above can be found on Pacey[2] website to help facilitate the admin process. In order to maintain the strict operation of a child care business from a home setting, we need to understand the importance of housing information that is directly linked to the child. There are several forms that are in place in order to help the business understand the child and their needs more closely. We can conclude by looking at the nature of the forms required, that the main purpose of the information, is provided without any flaws a safe and secure environment for any child attending. Keeping documents updated can mean the difference between a good and an outstanding Ofsted rating. Nabeelah Lallmamode   Describe the range of activities that can be used to stimulate a child’s development. Reference must be made to physical, intellectual and social development for both babies (0-12 months) and children (1-5 years). In order for a child’s brain to develop, they must have experienced a range of activities, which help them to differentiate between gross motor skills and fine motor skills. We will look closely at activities that fall inline with the skills mentioned above and how this can help a child’s development intellectually, socially and physically. Regardless of age group, a child needs to be exposed to certain experiences and environment in order to build on their mental and physical health. Gross motor skills, is developed through physical play. This can be expressed through crawling, rolling around and supervised free movement from babies ranging from 0-12 months. This can be backed up by ‘Motor development occurs in an orderly sequence, starting with lifting the head, then rolling over, sitting up, crawling, standing, and walking’[3] Developing gross motor skills in children aged 1-5 can be argued to be easier as they are more able to participate in physical activity without the help of their parents. Activities such as, skipping and running help to encourage strength and coordination. Other activities help to enhance physical development of gross motor skills such as throwing and catching a ball helping to develop coordination skills, riding a bike helps to teach balance, hopscotch which can be regarded as an intellectual game; strengthens numeracy skills as well as developing physical movements. These gross motor skills are developed into Fine Motor Ski lls in later years. Fine Motor skills, develops skills and control of muscle movements. Examples of this would be fastening clothing, writing, drawing and using a knife and fork during meal times. These activities require coordinated and precise movements, which help to build a child’s development. Babies ranging from 0-12 months require a lot of care and attention in order to stimulate a child’s development you must hold your baby as much as possible so they feel warm personal interactions like hugging, eye contact and smiling. Playing and reading to your baby as well as using Multi sensory books are excellent in aiding you child to listen and hear music see the colours and feel different textures of materials. This greatly helps stimulate a baby’s intellectual development, which can again be improved upon during later years. ‘Provide your child with social experiences with other children by age 2 years. If he or she is not in day care, consider starting or joining a play group. Young children can learn important lessons from each other, especially how to get along with other people.’[4] Toddlers require different activities to help developed their physical, intellectual and social development, which begins from 12 months. An excellent activity to carry out with them would be board games as it helps to develop strategic thinking and coordination. It is also recommended that asking them questions will help develop their intellect and also prepare them for social conversations in the future. Teaching sign language at the age of 7-8 months will enable them to sign by themselves in the future. Providing your child with recreational experiences will enrich their social development. A good type of role-play to use would be a pseudo hospital environment whether your child uses empathy as well as soc ial skills to determine what is wrong with the patient. Helping your child to develop physically, intellectually and socially can begin at a young age. It is important that we express the need to teach our child even as studies have indicated they pick up on audio and visual and sensory communication even from birth. We can conclude even though that a child can not communicate with us, by us communicating with them we are helping to stimulate their development that will help to provide them with the foundation of physical, social and intellectual development later in life. Nabeelah Lallmamode Write a draft food health and safety policy that can be used in the home childcare setting. Reference should be made to the EYFS statutory framework standards. Policy Statement To provide food that is deemed fit for consumption with compromising on dietary/religious needs. To ensure cleanliness and hygiene when dealing with and preparing food for consumption. To maintain without fail a clean, tidy and hygienic area where food is being stored, prepared and consumed in a childcare setting. Code of Conduct: Where meals are to be provided, they should be healthy, balanced and nutritious. Due to religious beliefs and dietary needs, the ingredients used and method of preparation should be individual to the worker/child’s needs if required. All food is to be checked before consumption by the workers within the childcare setting to minimise the risk of poisoning. Requirements: It is a must that the correct training is given to each member responsible for handling food. Fresh drinking water should be provided during every mealtime. Providers must record and act on information provided by parents of the children attending the childcare setting. There must be a well-maintained, hygienic area where food is being prepared and consumed. Where deemed necessary baby equipment used when aiding consumption should be sterilized before and after it’s use. If for any reason the member dealing with food is unwell or unable to handle food they should notify a superior. Any food incidents resulting in a two or more children becoming unwell will need to be reported to Ofsted or Child minder agency of which they are registered. Notification must be made within 14 days unless stated otherwise. Daily Practices: Food is fit for consumption. Make sure food is handled in the correct manner. Make sure the food is of the highest quality as expected by health officials. Food is not to be mislabeled or stored in a way that could make it harmful for consumption. Records of where the food is brought from will need to be detailed. If food additives are to be used make sure they are safe and will not compromise a child’s dietary needs or religious beliefs. A registered provider who fails to comply with all of the above, without reasonable excuse/circumstances, will be committing an offence. Nabeelah Lallmamode Construct a travel plan, which discusses the various factors that need to be taken into consideration when carrying out a visit from the childcare setting. Travel plans can be defined as being a package of actions designed by a workplace, school or other organisation to encourage safe, healthy and sustainable travel options.[5] In this assignment we will be looking at the effectiveness of these plans and implement different situation’s and it’s outcome. In order to make a journey safe we must evaluate different factors that can influence and alter the pattern of travelling. When carrying out a travel plan from a childcare setting we can look to various means of transportation such as walking, public transport and personal transport. If travel is being planned under the basis of walking various factors will need to be focused on. Depending on the age of the child in the childcare setting we have to establish whether he or she is physically able to walk the distance. The childcare setting will need to establish if there is sufficient pushchairs/wheelchairs, reigns and reflective tabards for the children, any equipment used will need to be tested beforehand. Not only is it essential to plan before setting out, it is also essential to teach the children about different signs and situations that can occur whilst on path to the destination. Children need to be taught about road safety and the best way to do this is through theory and practice. By teaching children about road safety (do’s and don’ts) pelican crossing, green man signals and Zebra crossing we are expanding their road safety knowledge. Embedding safety practices such as stop, look and listen will help build awareness of the traffic on road. It is often expected that public transport will be used during travel and making the children aware of the correct procedures when using these services will also provide them with the safety knowledge required. We have to establish the children’s independence of using public transport. Will they be able to stand and wait for the transport? Will transportation be used during rush hour? If so how can we decrease risk and increase awareness. Children will also need to be made aware of the risks present when using trains such as minding gaps and standing behind the yellow line. There are many activities, highlighted on government website[6] that can be practiced before setting out. Issuing correct paper work and obtaining consent also helps build a secure travel plan. When carrying out visitation from a childcare setting, the persons responsible (a CRB checked employee) will need to have all correct documentation in place such as consent forms. A first aid kit must be carried at all times by the worker along with a means of communication. Workers required, is dependent on group size. . If visitation is carried out through means of personal transport such as car or company van the correct, ‘vehicle record and permission to travel in a vehicle’ consent form is required. We are made aware on a daily basis through the means of advertisement, the safety and cautiousness that is required when travelling ourselves. It is even more essential to implement these procedures when carrying out visitation from a childcare setting. As can be seen above various methods and practices can be explored before a child is exposed to such activities and all this plays a part in constructing an effective travel plan. Safety awareness is all too important and helping to embed these into a child from an early age we positively increase awareness when they are travelling by themselves in later years. [1] How ofsted inspects 08/07/2014: http://www.ofsted.gov.uk/early-years-and-childcare/our-early-years-childcare-work/how-we-inspect-providers-early-years-register. [2]http://www.pacey.org.uk/childminders/sample_childminder_policies.aspx#StepOne (8-07-2014) [3]1 http://www.brookshealth.org/motor-skills.pdf [4]2http://www.childrenshealthnetwork.org/CRS/CRS/pa_bstimula_hhg.htm (8-07-2014) [5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Travel_plan [6] http://think.direct.gov.uk/education/early-years-and-primary/pupils/under-5s/see/

A separate piece :: essays research papers

A. Title and Author - A Separate Peace by John Knowles B. Story Setting - The story starts off at the Devon school, which is a prep school in New England at 1958. But the rest of the story takes place through a flashback of his days when he was a student at Devon during 1943. C. Main Characters - Gene Forrester - Gene is the narrator of the novel and appears at two different time periods: as a middle-aged man re-visiting Devon fifteen years after being a student there, and, for the majority of the novel, as a sixteen and seventeen-year-old student during World War II. The novel is written in the past tense, and we assume that Gene's narration is triggered by his re-visitation of his old school when he is thirty-two. And although the older narrator seems long past the emotional turmoil that marked his schoolboy days, the events of his years at Devon are told as if they were occurring in the present, as if our narrator were still sixteen years old. The Gene that we encounter for the bulk of the novel is, like many of his classmates, at a liminal stage in his life-the adolescence between boyhood and manhood. This transition is further emphasized by the war, Gene being in the final years of freedom before the ravages of a world war can legally claim him. Outwardly Gene is one of the top students in his class and a talented athlete. These traits earn him respect on campus and, most importantly, the friendship of Phineas, whom Gene respects more than any of his fellow classmates. But inwardly, Gene is plagued by the darker forces of human nature, forces that prey upon the turbulence of adolescence. Gene's admiration and love for Finny is balanced and marred by his fierce jealousy of him, by a deep insecurity in himself, and, because of his insecurity, a need to compete with and "defeat" his friend at all costs. Gene's internal emotional battles are the major source of conflict and tension in the novel. Phineas - Called Finny by his classmates, Phineas is Gene's closest companion at Devon and, for our narrator, the central focus of the novel. Finny is five feet eight and a half inches tall and weighs one hundred fifty pounds. Indeed, Finny is the superhuman wonder of athletics and physical harmony at Devon, far surpassing any competition from his classmates, Gene included. What is more, Finny's physical prowess matches that of his personality-he is a charismatic, good-natured, and persuasive young man.

Identification of chosen population Essay

Mexico has replaced United States as the most obese country in the Western Hemisphere. The problem of obesity in Mexico has become a global public health challenge and was accepted by the World Health Organization as such in 1997. 70% of Mexicans are overweight while 32.8% of them are obese. 1 out of every 6 Mexicans adults suffer from weight related chronic diseases such as diabetis, heart disease and certain cancers. 70,000 Mexicans die each year from weight related diabetis. 400, 000 new cases of diabetis arise each year. FACTORS THAT INFLUENCE OBESITY IN THE MEXICAN POPULATION The problem of obesity in Mexico is very complex and it is due to many factors including social, cultural, epidemiological and environmental factors. SOCIAL FACTORS AFFECTING OBESITY IN MEXICANS 1. LOW EDUCATION STATUS There is much lack of knowledge of what nutritious foods are and what the long term effects from eating unhealthy foods are. There is also lack of knowledge about the impact physical exercise can have on health as well as what kind of exercise and how often it should be done. 2. EMPLOYMENT STATUS People who work long hours have no time for shopping for nutritious food and also for cooking at home. Therefore they rely on processed, fried, high fat, high sugar, high calorie foods and high sugary beverages that are easily accessible. 3. POVERTY One of the major social factors influencing obesity in Mexico is poverty. Poverty predicts the place of residence which is usually in unsafe communities. Living in unsafe neighborhoods means children stay indoors not being able to go outside and play. They resort to watching TV and playing computer games. Poverty makes it difficult to buy foods that are healthier, low calorie and more nutritious because it is more expensive. Long hours of work means less time for food preparation at home, shopping for groceries and physical activity. Lack of money and transportation lead to children being unable to participate in sports, recreational activities and youth programs. Poverty also leads to stress which compels people to focus on the immediate concerns rather than risk of long term chronic disease. EPIDEMIOLOGICAL FACTORS AFFECTING OBESITY IN MEXICANS 1. AGE Mexico ranks first in childhood obesity; there are 4.5 million children who are obese. 28% of children between the ages of 5 and 9 are overweight. 38% of teens and preteens between the ages of 10 and 19 are obese or overweight. 2. GENDER Mexican females have a higher obesity rate than males (one third females versus one fourth of males). 3. PHYSICAL ACTIVITY Poor physical activity and an increase in sedentary life-style. 4. LOW SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUS Mexicans with low socioeconomic status are unable to afford nutritious food, they rely on low cost, processed high-calorie foods and high sugary drinks. LOW EDUCATION LEVEL They lack knowledge about what foods are nutritious and what the long term effects are of consuming high fat, high sugar, highly processed foods and beverages. MIGRATION More Mexicans have moved from rural to urban communities where nutritious food is more expensive, there is less walking or biking due to increased number of cars, there is an increased consumption of coca-cola mainly due to unsafe drinking water. Traditional diets that are healthier are abandoned. Traditional continuous physical labor such as farming, factories, mining were abandoned for desk jobs. CULTURAL FACTORS AFFECTING OBESITY IN MEXICANS Overeating now is conditioned by recurrent or past economic deprivation. Avoiding hunger is part of the culture. Traditional nutritious foods like corn, grains, beans have been abandoned. Foods that could not be afforded in the past and associated with survival are those that now are highly valued like meats, fats, sugars. These foods are also desired because they are associated with a high social status; it is a symbol of integration into society. Acculturation is also a factor; Latinos who take on the values of the white population especially those closer to the United States border, end up eating less fruit, more fried foods. There is also the belief that whatever happens, happens. They believe that if they are going to get diabetis, they get diabetis. It is meant to happen. Also, the parents expect their kids to clean their plate in order to not waste food which ends up in overeating. ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS AFFECTING OBESITY IN MEXICANS They reside in low income communities where unhealthy food choices are made due to lots of fast food stores. These areas are not safe so they tend to stay indoors and have minimal physical activity. There is limited amount of fresh produce and lots of sweets and snack items. Since these areas are not safe, there are few safe areas where children can play therefore they end up watching a lot of TV with no physical activity. The schools they attend have poor PE facilities so there is not much physical activity in school. There is also a high exposure to commercials of high sugar, high fat snacks. PAST CONSIDERATIONS Obesity rate was much lower in the past as people were doing more manual labor, they were eating more nutritious, home grown grains, beans, corn, fresh vegetables and fruits. The existence of cars was very minimal in the past so people used to bike and walk much more than now. PRESENT CONSIDERATIONS More and more people have moved from rural areas to urban areas. There is an increase in the number of fast food restaurants and a great increase in the daily caloric intake. Due to unsafe drinking water, there is an increase in high calorie sugary drinks. Mothers fill up baby bottles with coca-cola. The life in urban communities is more sedentary. There is a reliance on less nutritious dies that consist of processed foods that are high in saturated fats, sugar and salt content. â€Å"†¦Mexicans spent 29.3% less on fruits and vegetables in 1998 than in 1984, while during the same period, purchases of soft drinks increased by 37.2%† (2006). FUTURE CONSIDERATIONS Obesity leads to increased mortality rates due to diabeits, hypertension, myocardial infarction. Diabetis is the primary killer of Mexicans. The prevalence of diabetis and the cost it incurs has skyrocketed. It is predicted to overwhelm the Mexican health system in the future. By year 2030, the health system is predicted to collapse; 3.24 billion dollars are spent to treat these chronic illnesses associated with obesity. GROUPS IN MEXICO MOSTLY AFFECTED BY OBESITY THE POOR Poor Mexicans are unable to afford nutritious food as it is more expensive. More energy-intense foods such as foods high in sugar and fat are cheap and sought after due to lack of money. Coca-cola is consumed instead of water due to unsafe drinking water. THE YOUNG In the last decade, children obesity rate has tripled. Within the poor classes, the children of the obese parents are malnourished while being programmed to become obese. There is no control in school as to what children eat. Schools are filled with vending machines full of soft drinks and fast food. Their intake of processed, salty, high fat snacks, refined carbohydrates foods is very high while their intake of vegetables and fruits is very low. Their intake of sugary, high calorie beverages such as coca-cola is very high due to its low price, increased availability and lack of safe drinking water. They live in unsafe communities and are unable to play outside and be active. They spend excess time watching TV, play station time and computer. A lot of parents rely on TV for their children due to lack of childcare; this leads to sedentary lifestyle and exposure to unhealthy food commercials. Most public schools lack playgrounds or grounds for exercise. Most public schools, (80%), lack water fountains so they drink sugary drinks. There are few public most parks, swimming pools, play grounds and sidewalks. RECOMMENDATIONS TO IMPROVE 1. FOOD LABELING There is an urgent need for food labeling that is not confusing and misleading. There is a lack of accurate labeling standards and regulations. Portions sizes and contents are unclear and confusing. The labeling has to be formatted in an easy-to-understand by all consumers even by the less well-educated ones. This will address the social factors; the plan will not improve their education level but it will make it easy for them to see if they are purchasing healthy or unhealthy food. This has to be applied to all supermarket shelves, food packaging, restaurants and canteen menus. My recommendation is for the Mexican government to start monitoring these food labeling as it is not reinforced by the government today. 2. MARKETING The heavy consumption of junk foods and sugary drinks can be greatly influenced by the media due to their food related advertisements. 73% of the food commercials are for junk food. There is a need to protect the children from the pervasive effects of the food marketing. This has a powerful effect on their food preference, knowledge on the purchasing habits of children as well as their parents. My recommendation for the Mexican government would be to put in place to mobile phones, Internet, television and in-school promotions. The government should simply ban the advertising of unhealthy food to children and establish a system of monetary fines if certain companies deviate from this. This will address the environmental factors; if children don’t see it they will not buy it. 3. AVAILABILITY Junk food and soft drinks surround children at every step. Vending machines full of high saturated fats, high sugary drinks are all over the school premises and right outside the schools. No nutritious foods are offered to children in schools. My recommendation is that the central and local Mexican Government should place restrictions on the availability of soft drinks and fast food outlets just like alcohol and smoking restrictions. These restrictions should especially apply to outlets near schools. The increased availability of vegetables and fruits should be highly encouraged especially in schools at an affordable price. Elementary and pre-kindergarten schools should ban junk food from being even allowed to be sold in schools. Low calorie snacks and sugar free drinks should be sold only. This plan will take into considerations environmental, social and epidemiological factors. It will not improve their socio- economic status, but at least nutritious food will be more affordable and available even for the poor. If children will not be surrounded by junk food and soft drinks they will not buy it. 4. EDUCATION DUE TO LACK OF KNOWLEDGE The key to this problem in Mexico is to improve their knowledge about nutrition. This can be done through media since the Mexicans including the children spend hours in front of the TV and through schools. The government should direct media into advocating weight loss programs, healthy eating, the importance of physical exercise, and the long term effects of consuming junk food and soft drinks. The schools need to educate and give tools especially to high school students who have more access to fast foods to make better and healthy choices in school as well as after school. They can then bring the message home to the parents who can then make better choices as well. They need to teach the importance of physical activity. Local school districts need to make physical activity and physical education a higher priority or even mandatory. The children need to be taught the importance of drinking water not sugary high-calorie beverages and that they should eat only when they are hungry and not as their culture says avoid hunger. Local grocery stores need to be worked with and asked to move soda, chips, beer and candy away from the entrance to the store and also increase the availability of fresh fruits and vegetables. These recommendations will address the social and cultural factors associated with obesity. This will improve their education level about nutrition therefore helping them make better choices and help them change their belief system that they have to avoid hunger. References Obesity in the Latino Communities, 2006. Retrieved from www/chc.org/research/ Documents/Obesity_in_Latino_Communities.pdf

Establishing Ground Rules and Promoting Appropriate Behaviour

Establishing Ground Rules and Promoting Appropriate Behaviour When it comes to dealing with a new group of students, the first thing that one needs to keep in mind is that every student, as an independent individual, is unique and prone to acting upon and analysing certain situations in diverse ways. In order to come to a mutual understanding, certain arrangements on anticipated conduct within the classroom have to be made and maintained. According to Atherton (2011), these arrangements or ground rules are â€Å"the minimum necessary conditions for getting learning work done in the class†.So essentially, the ground rules are a pact concluded between the learners and the teacher; a pact that provides a greater understanding of the expectations as well as the needs of both the teacher and the learners relating to positive learning environment. There are various ways or approaches in which ground rules can be constructed. The concept of setting out rules is closely connected to t he idea of leadership – â€Å"a process of influencing the activities of†¦ a group of individuals in an effort towards goal achievement in given situations† (Bhatti et al, 2012).Consequently the approaches of ground rule establishment can be compared to three leadership styles, determined by Lewin, Lippit and White in their article Patterns of Aggressive Behaviour in Experimentally Created Social Climates (1939): a) authoritarian type, when the leader is making decisions independently with almost no contribution from the rest of the group, b) delegative or Laissez-Faire type, when the decision making is in the hands of group members, and c) democratic type, when the leader is allowing and encouraging the contribution from the members of the group.Every leadership style mentioned above could be implemented in the formation of ground rules in the classroom, the question is, however, which one of these would prove to be the most effective? On one hand, it can be deba ted that authoritarian approach could be beneficial – a set of clear, predetermined rules, provided by the teacher could give a good insight into the outcomes and certain regulations, that the learners would be expected to comply with. On the other hand though, this approach by its nature is not earner inclusive, which could result in the learners' reluctance to engage because of the dictatorial essence of the authoritarian approach. One can argue, that the delegative approach could be impactful, when working out ground rules, because the learners would be free to make independent decisions and set out their own standards. However, every educational establishment has a scheme of set policies and requirements that one has to hold by, which would mean that these policies would have to be included in the making of ground rules.Yet the learners might not be aware of these and therefore won't necessarily include those in their rule structure. Consequently, the Laissez-Faire approa ch might not be the right option. Common sense dictates that the democratic approach could be the best path to take. That way the formation of ground rules can be seen as a collaborative decision between the teacher and the learners. The teacher will be in a position to identify and establish particular rules that need to be in place, such as certain regulations, i. e.Health & Safety issues, or their expectations towards the learners, whereas the learners, in turn, will be able to address their preferences and requirements. This combined decision making can be achieved through group discussion or ice breaker activities, where different ideas can be proposed and afterwards either accepted or discarded. It can be reasoned that the advantage of this approach is the fact that the learners will be given a voice in decision making, therefore they will be more likely to respect and adhere to the set out rules.With an eye on creating a healthy learning environment, the established ground ru les need to promote and encourage appropriate and positive behaviour from both the learners and the teacher, both in and out of the classroom. In order to preserve this positive setting the teacher should place the emphasis on attaining an organic and well-handled atmosphere within the classroom, by encouraging creativity and enthusiasm in learners, recognising and praising success, flexibility in learning styles and approaches, as well as modelling of good and respectful behaviour, preventing any sorts of inappropriate conduct.In return, the learners should respect and appreciate the ground rules, be aware of their fellow learners and be able to consider and accept their needs, as well as to develop the sense of self discipline and responsibility. REFERENCES †¢ Atherton, J. S. (2011) Learning and Teaching; Ground Rules for the class [Online] Available from: http://www. learningandteaching. info/teaching/ground_rules. htm †¢ Bhatti, N. , Maitlo, G. M. Shaikh, N. , Hashmi, M. A. , Shaikh, F. M. (2012) The Impact of Autocratic and Democratic Leadership Style on Job Satisfaction, International Business Research [e-journal], 5(2). Available from: http://ccsenet. org/journal/index. php/ibr/article/view/14599 †¢ Lewin, K. , Lippitt, R. , White, R. K. (1939) Patterns of Aggressive Behaviour in Experimentally Created Social Climates, The Journal of Social Psychology, 10(2), p. 269-299