Task 5a

I believe that ethics are the framework that bonds moral principles to optimise the working performance of yourself and your colleagues.  I think that it is essential to produce a good working atmosphere and by setting out a clear practice/regulation the workplace becomes more stable and productive.

·         Knowledge/Proficiency

·         Professionalism

·         Health and Safety

·         Appearance

·         Do not discriminate: gender/capability/race/religion...

·         CRB check

·         Communication is key to run an organisation-Organisational ethics/personal ethics

·         Punctuality

Task 4d

SGI...

I have joined the IFB blog, the web address is:
http://ifb-blog.blogspot.co.uk/
The IFB linked in web address is:
http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=4166520&trk=hb_side_g

The IFB is the Institue for Family Business

Inquiry research...

I have done research on family run businesses and stumbled upon this website which I have found really helpful:

http://www.businesslink.gov.uk/bdotg/action/layer?topicId=1074039321

I have put a demonstration of the information of what is given on the website below, happy reading!

Starting, leading and working in a family business can bring valuable benefits compared with other businesses - from greater trust between staff to increased flexibility. However, without careful management there can also be problems - from family members lacking critical skills, poor communication to clashes over pay.

Advantages:

• Common values - you and your family are likely to share the same ethos and beliefs on how things should be done. This will give you an extra sense of purpose and pride - and a competitive edge for your business.
• Strong commitment - building a lasting family enterprise means you're more likely to put in the extra hours and effort needed to make it a success. Your family is more likely to understand that you need to take a more flexible approach to your working hours.
• Loyalty - strong personal bonds mean you and family members are likely to stick together in hard times and show the determination needed for business success.
• Stability - knowing you're building for future generations encourages the long-term thinking needed for growth and success - though it can also produce a potentially damaging inability to react to change.
• Decreased costs - family members may be more willing to make financial sacrifices for the sake of the business. For example, accepting lower pay than they would get elsewhere to help the business in the longer term, or deferring wages during a cashflow crisis. You may also find you don't need employers' liability insurance if you only employ close family members.

Task 4c

Dance in primary school:

I have recently been involved in working with children at a local primary school.  The class were given a ‘Private Project’ where they studied a secret topic and after a hard few weeks presented their work to the school and family.  The topic area was Africa.  A large majority of the presentation was a production of two African themed dances and an African based play.  The children were aged 7/8 yrs old.  The children were eager to learn the dances and get involved with the play. We collectively chose to dance to the Lion King (Broadway recorded version) this music really captivated the attention of the children as they instantly were moving like their chosen animal.  When I spoke to Miss Evans (yr3/4 teacher) she really thought that dance in education was a necessary tool to teach a subject/theme and interpret it through body movement.  It was a great experience to be a part of. 

Family run business:

My grandfather opened a painting and decorating business.  He had 8 children, my father being one of them.  I asked my dad about how he felt about the family run business and the changes he saw in the family dynamics.  He found it hard to answer as he grew up in that situation so to him it was a normal circumstance; one thing that he was sure of was that a family run business was a 24/7 operation as the work was brought home and discussed in the evening.  It wasn’t a 9-5 job as such.

The above provoked the questions below:

Can dance at primary school level be an educational tool?

From my experience of working at a primary school my personal opinion is that dance was an educational asset.  Children had to use new skills and perform them in a way that communicated the story of the dance to the audience.  They had to understand the plot of the dance to therefore convey that.  Things such as rhythm, coordination and confidence were all part and parcel of their dancing experience thus far.  I was talking to the reception teachers who gave a really interesting take on dance in education...the children they work with are 4/5 yrs old, and the majority of learning is done through play- work based play- the children learn to share, to count and so on...dance is an extended version of this, the children enjoy the dancing and learn new skills subconsciously perhaps, but none the less still learning and being educated.

How can you run a company that you co-own with a family member and be able to cut off the business side of conversation?

I found this question challenging to answer...I’m sure as my inquiry progresses I will add more and more in terms of the answer to this, however from looking at this with fresh eyes my immediate reaction is does this question relate to you and the co-owner of your business?  My co-owner would be my sister...I think I’ll interview her and find out what her reaction to this question would be.

Making connections...

Hey bappers, please add me on facebook to talk and discuss our inquiry thoughts and make a group specific to this...
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=640537830&ref=tn_tnmn
Please add a msg saying you're from Bapp, sorry I can't remember everyone's names!

Task 4b

I have made my linked in account, it's opened my eyes the wide range of SIGs out there! I am really intrigued by education in dance and have joined a SIG that a few fellow bappers also use.  I am also really interested in finding out about how the relationship dynamics betweeen family changes when they run a family business, and so have connected with marks and spencers, and WHS and sons...

I look forward to joining in discussions and finding out more informtation!

S.I.G

I just joined LinkedIn and created my professional profile. Join my network. http://lnkd.in/mmrDK2

Thought provoking...

Extracts from the reader that I found really thought provoking:

Eraut describes these in his book, Developing Professional Knowledge and Competence:

I intend to use the term ‘knowledge’ to refer to the whole domain in which more specifically defined clusters of meaning reside. Thus all the different forms of knowledge... procedural knowledge, propositional knowledge, practical knowledge, tacit knowledge, skills and know-how... (1994, p. 16)

Disciplines provide particular lenses or frameworks through which to explore,

understand and act upon the world. They can be conceived of as “tools for learning…”(Sayers, 1948, in Burleigh, 1973), each characterized by certain ways of thinking, procedures and practices that are characteristic of its community, If in each of the courses students take as part of their studies the disciplinary lenses employed are made explicit to them, and they are afforded opportunities to practice these, they may come to appreciate more easily how different disciplines are distinct and similar in how they function. Knowledge of how different disciplines function, that is, how they articulate a problem, investigate it and report on the outcomes, and knowledge of the values that guide their thinking and practicing, provides students with a wider repertoire of learning tools, which so clearly an advantage in a complex world.

 Martyn Denscombe suggests that the purpose of your inquiry topic might act to:

Forecast some outcome?

Explain the causes or consequences of something?

Criticize or evaluate something?

Describe something?

Develop good practice?

Empower a particular group (2002, p. 41)