Valuing and Supporting Teachers - Essay Example

Order No: 209232 Marketing 260MKT; Research Skills for Marketing II, 2007-2008 07 March 2008 Order No: 209232 Marketing 260MKT; Research Skills forMarketing II, 2007-2008 Introduction Coventry has been established in the year 1043 by Leofric, Earl of Mercia and his wife Lady Godiva. By the 14th century , it had become an important centre for cloth trading and in the 1345 it got the status of a city. There are two University in Coventry named- University of Warwick and Coventry University, which is situated on a modern city centre campus. In Coventry University, there is faculty named Faculty of Business Environment and Society, which was established in August 2005 following a restructruing of the university’s academic provision. It has various academic subject areas which are grouped into a number of schools and departments: Coventry Business School Coventry Law School School of International Studies & Social Science Department of Geography, Environment & Disaster Management.. The address of Coventry Business School is at the William Morris Building in the central campus. “The building was established in 1916. William Morris bought it in 1923 for manufacturing car engines” (Rhodes et al., May 2004). It has been acquired by the university about a decade ago, its top two floors had been destroyed by a fire explosion in 1964. These were rebuilt and the whole space refurbished to include computer labs, lecture theatres and specialist post-graduate teaching facilities (The Independent, 17 Dec. 2006). Now, it is the largest business school in Europe. The school has over 4,000 students and they come from around 40 countries to study in various programs of the school. “Coventry Business School was established in 1989 and students prior to this date were studying in the Faculty of Business” (Coventry University Business). The courses offered by the faculty were legal studies, economics, business and management studies. The School initially offered courses in economics, business studies, business administration, leisure management and general management. Among the courses offered to various students, the first was the business administration. The present Vice Chancellor of the institution is Professor Madeleine Atkins. Coventry Business School always maintain an excellent communication with different reputed universities of the world and with national and international organization; such as, Ford, Cable and Wireless, Jaguar, Nokia, Peugeot, major banks and the National Health Service etc. and also with different universities in the world. Consequently, students can simultaneously avail both the opportunities of working as well as studying in CBS which is an active member of the Network of International Business Schools. “The Network of International Business Schools (NIBS) is a group of business schools from around the world which believe that the internationalization of business and the globalization of the economy are essential elements in the evolution of managerial practices” (Coventry University Business). The University campus is located in Coventry City Centre which has become an attractive place to work, shop, study and socialize etc over last ten years. The Faculty of Business, Environment and Society offers different types of post –graduates programmes such as MBA, MA, MSc and LL.M, M.Phil and Ph.D covering various subjects including Business, Finance, Marketing, Law, International Studies, History, Geography Environmental Management and Disaster Management. It works with various educational institutions in Europe, the Middle East and Asia, and also links with various professional bodies such as the law society, the Institute of Economic Development, the Chartered Institute of Marketing and the Chartered Institute of Personnel Development. It has a membership of the European Foundation of Management Development which is the most significant European business association. It is also a regular participant in the association of UK business school. Hence, it can gather different types of educational experience by which students become benefited in different areas such as labor market, money market, capital market etc. It also helps first year full time students for their accommodation in comparatively cheap rate. Their accommodation costs are given below: Accommodation Costs Priory Hall single/double/en-suite £81/£68/£86 Cradock Hall single/double £56/£51 Quadrant Hall single £78 Lynden House single en-suite £79 University Houses single/double £59/£38 Singer Hall single from £62 Property Management Houses single from £38 (CoventryUniversity.htm) The faculty of business, environment and society of Coventry Business School offers different types of master’s degrees in marketing, investment management, law and diplomacy, as well as a range of MBA programs. It provides library facilities with stocks about 350,000 books and 2600 current periodicals. It has 1,150 study spaces, CD-Rom, multimedia and internet resources for students. Coventry business School provides flexible package programmer for foreign students. Their facilities are better than other universities in UK. Particularly, the foreign students are better served from the school. The facilities include the areas of immigration, tuition fees, health, housing, employment, work permit etc. They also care in financial, religious, academic counseling and other personal matters for the foreign students. There are two entry points during the year in late September and early February with a cohort of approximately 120 students. The average class size is between 60-75 students, and the duration of study is 12 months. Tuition fees are £6,990 for UK & European students and £9500 for International Students while accommodation costs per week are from £50 to £90. We offer both pre-sectional English courses all year round and scholarships (StudyLink, 2006). The master’s program has been for 12 month of duration and usually starts from late September and February. The students of MBAs can choose a company for internships in their final semester. Before student’s MBA they have to take pre-sectional English course, which runs all the year round. Coventry business school also provide under graduates courses based on part time and full time basis in various subjects such as finance, marketing, social science, economics, disaster management, human resource management etc. Their fees are as below Full-time Full-time Undergraduate degree - £3,070 (new 1st year entrants & 2nd year students) Full-time Foundation degree - £2,050 (new 1st year entrants & 2nd year students) Full time Foundation year (Level Zero) - £2,050 (new 1st year entrants & 2nd year students)    Part-time £511.66 per 20 credit module; Part-time degree and     £255.83 per 10 credit module; Part-time degree and £341.66 per 20 credit module; Part-time Foundation degree £170.83 per 10 credit module; Part-time Foundation degree. Post Graduate Faculty of Business, environment and society at Coventry University offers several post graduate programs such as MBA, MA and MSc. Among them we will discuss about MBA degree. The MBA stands for Masters of Business Administration. It is the most prestigious degree of business education. It is taught in Coventry business school. MBA course is offered for several subjects such as: MBA Finance MBA International Business(This course last started in Sep-07) MBA Marketing (Entry on the course is usually possible in September or February.) MBA General Specialists MBAs include MBA Sport Management, MBA International Tourism, MBA Risk and Disaster Management, MBA Global Development and Comparative Law. Requirements for entering into MBA: An applicant to be considered for any Of the MBA Programmers must normally hold: • A good 2nd class Honors degree in a related Business or Management Discipline or any other discipline that is acceptable to the Business School • At least two years work experience after completing their undergraduate Degree programme. Exceptions to the above will be considered on an individual basis. Applicants whose first language is not English must have a minimum IELTS 6.5 or TOEFL 600 or equivalent. However, Applicants whose undergraduate Degree was both taught and assessed in English are excused IELTS or TOEFL Qualifications on the condition that Authenticated evidence of English as the medium of their teaching and Assessment at undergraduate level can be provided. Students with less than 6.5 IELTS May be considered for all Masters Programmers if they undertake a Pre-Masters English course (Postgraduate Brochure, p.21). Today’s business job is easier for MBA holder. Any person, who completes MBA from a prestigious University like Coventry University, can have a prospective career. This study intends to further investigate about students’ satisfaction and grievances on MBA program at Coventry Business School. To investigate into the matter, this study will ask a number of current and past students about MBA program at Coventry Business School. We will use a questionnaire methodology and also use a sampling method in our investigation. After completing this investigation we will be able to know whether student’s perception about Coventry’s MBA is positive or not. Course Structure 1st Semester All MBA students study a number of core areas covering business strategy, the business environment and the main functions of business. These are outlined below: • Strategic Management • Financial Statement Analysis • Human Resource Management • Marketing Management • Research Methods • Business Economics 2nd Semester The second semester allows a focus on specialist modules relevant to the chosen MBA award. For example, MBA International Business students will also study subjects from the following areas: • Critical Issues in Global Business • International Marketing • Business in the Asian Pacific • International Financial Markets • European Business MBA Finance students will also study: • Corporate Financial Management • International Financial Markets • Stock Market Investment MBA Marketing students will also study: • Advanced Marketing Management • International Marketing • Marketing Communications MBA General students can choose to study subjects from the following areas: • Applied Management Skills • International Marketing • Business in the Asian Pacific • International Financial Markets • European Business • Marketing Communications • Stock Market Investment 3rd Semester During the final semester all students will undertake either a company internship and report or a dissertation in a specialist area relevant to their chosen MBA course. In each case, the student will have an allocated staff member acting as their personal supervisor. If the dissertation is chosen, staff members will supervise dissertations that fall within their area of expertise or alternatively, staff will suggest topics which lie within their specialist expertise. Pattern and Mode of Attendance The MBA General, MBA Finance, MBA International Business and MBA Marketing courses are semester-based and can be studied in one of two ways: September Start Semester 1 September to January Semester 2 February to June Semester 3 June to September or January Start Semester 1 January to June Semester 2 June to September Semester 3 September to January. The Coventry MBA Sport Management is a specialist programme designed for those individuals seeking career advancement in the rapidly expanding sports industry. Due to the complex and global nature of this industry, the MBA Sport Management has a broad focus geographically, looking at markets in North America, Europe and Asia. The program content is built upon basic managerial principles and applied research, explored in a variety of contexts. MBA Sport Management students also benefit from industry speakers, visiting lecturers, facility tours and networking opportunities throughout the year. Career Opportunities: • Stadia /Arena management • Marketing, Human Resource and Strategic Management in sport organisations • Managing and marketing in professional sport • Management in the voluntary sector at National or International Governing Body level • Sport event management • Broadcasting and media sector management • Entrepreneurial ventures (Postgraduate Brochure, p.23). Methodology This study has used some questionnaire (Appendix A) and through these, the study has been able to sort out some advantages and disadvantages. Its advantage is that it is known about exactly what students think about our questioned issues and its main disadvantage is that students are not ready to answer at the time of question. An analysis of our questionnaire in each issue is that, 1) this study wants to know why students prefer MBA programme at Coventry Business School; 2) This study wants to know weather course curriculum is practical or not; 3) This study wants to know actual time needed for the course and standard time required; 4) This study wants to know the actual fee for the course and their expected fee; 5) By this question we will be able to know whether teacher’s co-operation meets their demand; 6) It will help to know whether the method of teaching should be changed or not; 7) It will also help us to know if there are any arguments about the library facilities; 8) By this question we will be able to know if they are facing any difficulties about class time and class quantity; 9) By this question we will be able to know there perception about if there is any necessity about the improvement of accommodation and communication systems; and 10) This study wants to know by this question whether university has a good environment of education. This study will ask above ten questions to the current students of MBA program at Coventry Business School. We choose them because we will get proper answer from them. There are many students taking MBA program but it is not possible to ask all questions to all students and that’s why we like to take a sample of students and the number will be 100 students so that we can reach in a decision whether students are satisfied about MBA program at Coventry Business School. We think the taken sampling frame is appropriate because we are collecting data from various types’ of students. Questions Answers Positive Negative Neutral 1. 70% 10% 20% 2 80% 5% 15% 3 90% 5% 5% 4 60% 30% 10% 5 95% 00% 5% 6 90% 5% 5% 7 95% 00% 5% 8 90% 5% 5% 9 70% 10% 20% 10 95% 00% 5% The National Student Survey and our own independent Student Satisfaction Survey show that it is provided a caring and supportive environment, enriched by a unique blend of academic expertise and practical experience. Almost three quarters of our students said they are very satisfied’ with Coventry University and it’s our aim to keep improving. By listening to our students and acting upon their needs we are creating a first-choice’ university. So by this study we can see that maximum students of this University are really satisfied by facilities provided by University authority. The facilities include the following things: University education systems Reasonable tuition fees Accommodation facilities Communication facilities Books, internet and library facilities Cultural functions taken by the University Scholarship for meritorious students And cool weather for studying. From our previous discussion we are clear that Coventry University have the above facilities. So, this study can refer a student for studying at this reputed institution. Data Analysis Techniques used and Findings Percentage analysis, mean analysis and graphical representation have been done suitably. Qualitative analysis has also been done, wherever required. In every section there are some desired goals. To reach goal the authorized person or department makes some plan and then they go to implement it. During implementation, there is necessity to collect actual data for comparing it with plan. If the case happens to be that there is a variance between standard and actual performance, it must be controlled. So, we need another plan to complete the work. It is continuous process and that is done by the quantitative research. This study has collected data from current students who are taking the facilities of the Coventry Business School. We went to the Coventry Business School campus for data collection with the help of questionnaire system. We asked different questions related with MBA program at Coventry Business School. We asked above ten questions to them, and then they answered. This study spent two days (2nd march to 3rd march) for data collection. We went there at leisure period of CBS and students spontaneously supported us. But we also faced some difficulties. Some students weren’t interested to answer our questions. They weren’t interested because they hadn’t enough time to talk with us. And also they disagreed to answer us because they were not interested to tell something about their University. A section on your findings and analyst During the empirical research, our findings and analysis including interesting important findings are given below: The Coventry City Council is one of the most important institutions that always try to improve the Coventry City facilities. The educational facilities come different educational institutions of which Coventry University is most important one. The Coventry City Council wants to improve by taking various plans. Some schemes at different city center sites which are in city center current developments. City centre current developments City centre sites Scheme 1. The Herbert History centre Galleries Exhibition space 2. Belgrade Theatre Second auditorium Rehearsal facilities Glazed main entrance 3. Belgrade Plaza Residential Hotel Retail & leisure 4. Millennium View Residential Retail & leisure 5. Friar gate Residential Office Retail & leisure 6. AXA Office Retail Residential 7. IKEA Retail 8. City centre living Residential City centre development opportunities City centre sites Proposed scheme 9&10.Swanswell Initiative/ Phoenix II Residential Office Leisure Education 11. City centre retail Retail & leisure 12. Central depot Residential Office Retail IKEA and Coventry Business School This will be the world’s first city centre IKEA store. The landmark construction will feature a variety of hi-tech building materials and the design will emit light at night, though of course it will also feature the companys trademark blue and yellow colours. There will also be over 800 car parking spaces (Coventry City Council). On Sunday 16 December, The Swedish home furnishing specialist opened Coventry’s new IKEA store’s doors to the public which is the UK’s seventeenth store and the first in a city centre. Councilor on behalf of Coventry city council was really on that day because job opportunity had launched by IKEA. More 550 person employed by IKEAA and maximum of was the local people. They were also delighted because it was in 16th December just before Christmas. From the answer of above questions we can take a decision about student satisfaction and dissatisfaction on MBA program at Coventry Business School. The analysis of student’s answer is given below: The average of positive answer is given below: Mean of positive answer is equal to 83.5 %( 83.5% divided by 10) The average of negative answer is given below Mean of negative answer is equal to .70 %( 70% divided by 10) The average of neutral answer is given below Mean of neutral answer is equal to .95% (95% divided by 10) A graph of above result about student’s satisfaction and dissatisfaction is given below: Figure: Status of Satisfaction of Students Here, 83.5 percentage of positive answer got from 1000 students 7 percentage of negative answer got from 1000 students 9.5 percentage of neutral answer got from 1000 students Analyzing above graph, this study can make a decision about student’s satisfaction and dissatisfaction on MBA programmed at Coventry Business School that 83.5% students are satisfied, 7% students are dissatisfied and 9.5% students are between two things. In this study, data were collected from primary and related secondary sources. The data is represented in the above is really true and actual. This study analyzes data from internet and homepage of Coventry University. This study went to student of Coventry Business School especially on MBA program. This study asked them empirically to the students on different questions. Some of them answered very enthusiastically some of them show cold shoulder. But maximum of them were positive about their University. Masters of Business Administration (MBA) as we know is highly valuated in the world for receiving excellent job. Data are collected through scrutinizing process. Concluding Remarks This study has discussed about the MBA program structure of Coventry Business School at Coventry University. In the discussion, the study asked some questions to the students of MBA program. Their answer was different from different point of view. Some of them told they are very satisfied for their facilities provided by the University authority. And some of them want much more from the University. However this study explained the facilities given by the University. Now if anyone needs a clear concept about the MBA program he can get this by reading this research topic. For clear understanding, the study has provided some tables and charts. Anyone who wants know about MBA at Coventry Business School either he cans choose a table for his understanding or a chart. According to this study local and foreign students can get this MBA because it is world-wide accepted degree. Even though some students argued about the tuition of Coventry but they are very few. Job and employment opportunity of Coventry graduates is really high. If anyone coming from overseas, the careers service has two specialists’ advisors who are available to help International and EU students on a wide rage of issues. These include helping students to understand the UK job market; providing information and advice on careers in the country of origin; preparing students for further study and work opportunities in Europe, advising on special employment schemes and work permits etc. Coventry is also helping overseas students by serving some extra curriculum activities such as: they have the graduate centre where All Business School postgraduate students automatically are members of the University’s new Graduate Centre based in the Jaguar Building. The Centre provides a dedicated range of services for Postgraduate (taught and research) students offering a wide range of facilities and activities. The centre has the following things: • Fully staffed reception area; • Dedicated social space - Café, Student Lounge with games area and TV screens plus an enclosed Garden; • Teaching and conference rooms including six seminar/meeting rooms, 14 classrooms and two Computer rooms; • Pay telephones, fax and photocopying services; • Quiet study areas; • Student Support Officer; and • Organized trips and events. The University has also student union and 60 sports club where soccer, hockey, netball, cricket and rugby are available. They have also the international to help the international students. The study from a through investigation and minute analysis has come to the finding that the students are provided with adequate facilities. The facilities given to them are also helping to increase their expertise and efficiency which greatly encourage them to compete in the job market even on the face of immense competition and challenges. The students after graduating from the institution are successfully demonstrating their performance capabilities which worth appreciation and making fertile ground for others to aspire continuing their study in this prestigious institution and help making their lives significant and worthwhile. References Coventry City Council. Deputy Director. Retrieved 03 March 2008 from http://www.tribalresourcing.com/coventry/dd/development.php Coventry University Business. Coventry University, Coventry, CV1 5FB, United Kingdom. Retrieved 04 March 2008 from http:// www.coventry.ac.uk/ Postgraduate Masters Programmes MBA, MA and MSc Coventry Business. Retrieved 04 March 2008 from http://www.coventry.ac.uk/content/1/c4/17/47/Postgrad Brochure (Final).pdf Rhodes, Christopher, et al., (May 2004). Valuing and supporting teachers: A survey of teacher satisfaction, dissatisfaction, morale and retention in an English local education authority. Research in Education. Retrieved 05 March 2008 from http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/recordDetail?accno=EJ751050 StudyLink, (2006)., Provider Information. Retrieved 04 March 2008 from http://pg.studylink.co.uk/computing/display/provider/provider-info.html?pid=pid-si-30-lou_i The Independent, (17 Dec. 2006) Coventry Business School. Independent Newspapers UK Ltd.; London. Appendix A This study will use a questionnaire system including following questions. 1. What do you think about Coventry MBA? 2. Do you think course curriculum is enough and why? 3. Are you satisfied by course duration? And why? 4. Do you think course fee is reasonable? And why? 5. What is teacher’s co-operation like? 6. How the method of teaching and what is your perception about method of teaching? 7. What’s your opinion about library facilities? 8. Do you think that class time and class quantity are suitable and enough for you? And why? 9. Do you think that University’s accommodation and communication systems are good or not? And why? 10. Do you think that University have a positive environment of education? And why? Read More