Thursday, December 26, 2019

The Soviet Declaration Of War - 1352 Words

The Soviet declaration of war on Japan exerted even more pressure on Japan, triggering even the emperor to urge the government to just accept the Potsdam Declaration and surrender. Its involvement meant that Japan might be fighting a two-front war as the Soviets had already settled in Japanese-held Manchuria, and had orders to attack Japan s northern and southern isles. This influenced Japan s unconditional surrender as no strategy remained and it may not hope for the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics to mediate for an appropriate peace. On August 15, Japan surrendered unconditionally based on all the Potsdam terms. C. Evaluation of source: Source A - Five Days in August: How World War II Became a Nuclear War by Michael Gordin.†¦show more content†¦Furthermore, the source mentions plans for further nuclear weapons, indicating that the Nagasaki attack was not carried out with the intention of decisively ending the war and therefore not necessary. However, it may be limited by the fact that it does not reference enough primary sources that originate from Japanese officials; or directly provide evidence of Japans impending surrender from credible Japanese sources, only using statistics to claim Japan was ready to surrender – but doesn’t take into account the Japanese spirit or determination to continue the war; which suggests there may be an element of bias against the American perspective. (Historynewsnetwork.org, 2015) Source B: The Decision to Use the Atomic Bomb by Henry Lewis Stimson Written by Stimson, who was secretary of war in 1947, an article was released in response to the being questioned to comment on the use atomic weapons and whether their use was justified. As a source released only two years after the end of the war, it is valuable because it is indicative of the mind frame of the U.S. government during the time: Stimson s account is vital when considering the nuclear attacks because of his direct involvement; he led the project and his analysis details why the atomic bombs were used and how the project developed, providing insightful information on how the U.S. government wanted the bombing to be perceived as well as the psychological impact of the bomb on surrender. However, the

Tuesday, December 17, 2019

1984 Telescreens Used to Instill Fear Into the Citizens

Scott Summey Kasell 1st Terrifying Telescreens War is Peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. 1984 is a novel used as a warning to show what would happen to citizens if governments gained too much power. The Party uses different techniques to control every facet of life of the its citizens, or slaves. The citizens are much too afraid to revolt against the tyrannical government, because of the constant eye of the Party. The telescreens are used by the Party to instill fear into the citizens of Oceania. First, while Winston is doing his jerks one morning, he is confronted about not doing them correctly. He is directly spoken to through the telescreen and told that any man his age should be able to stretch†¦show more content†¦He trusts Mr. Charrington who he barely knew enough to rent a room from him, without worrying about the fact that he may be in fact a member of the Thought Police. The fact that the room did not have a screen clouds his judgement, allowing him to make such a fatal mistake. The Party not only uses these telescreens to instill fear into their citizens, but also to make them feel completely safe when one does not appear to be present. This immediate comfort shows the extent that the Party uses these telescreens to frighten their citizens. Julia is a very active party member in the sense that she is a member of the anti-sex league and participates in many extracurricular Party activities. They are required to go to work and to participate in Party oriented gatherings, but she goes the extra mile so that no attention is brought to her devious actions. She is afraid that she is not doing enough for the Party, and that she will be taken into custody for her actions. This fear of the telescreens leads her to devote every second of her day to Party oriented actions. Although she has exterior motives such as drawing attention away from her and Winston, her main thought is the fact that if she helps the Party and they see that through the telescreens, she will not be scrutinized or taken into custody by the Party. This fear that is so deep inside of her, is directly brought on by the telescreens.Show MoreRelated1984 Telescreens Used To Instill Fear Into The Citizens Essays1538 Words   |  7 PagesTerrifying Telescreens War is Peace. Freedom is slavery. Ignorance is strength. 1984 is a novel used as a warning to show what would happen to citizens if governments gained too much power. The Party uses different techniques to control every facet of life of the its citizens, or slaves. The citizens are much too afraid to revolt against the tyrannical government, because of the constant eye of the Party. The telescreens are used by the Party to instill fear into the citizens of OceaniaRead MoreEssay Compare and Contrast Themes of Brave New World and 19841174 Words   |  5 PagesFiction Essay Two classic novels, 1984 written by George Orwell and Brave New World penned by Aldous Huxley both possess similar topics and themes. In both novels societies are striving for a utopia, or a perfect society. These novels also take place in societies with versions of totalitarian governments, which is a government that rules by coercion. Not only are the topics similar, but in both novels a rebellious character is the protagonist; Winston Smith from 1984 and John the Savage in Brave NewRead MoreEssay on Using Fear to Control the Masses1099 Words   |  5 PagesFear is an emotion brought on by danger, evil, or pain. Sometimes the threat is real and sometimes it can be imagined. A person who is walking through a dark alley in the middle of the night may experience fear because they do not know whether or not it is safe to continue on. The fear of the unknown is also expressed in 1984, The Lottery, and Harrison Bergeron. The government in 1984 uses fear to control the masses. They set strict rules but leave a level of life completely unknown. The Party usesRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s 19841423 Words   |  6 Pagesnovel 1984 by George Orwell, the Party has many strategies and tactics that help them have complete control of the people of Oceania. The control the Party has maintained gives them the ability to manipulate people as a result. The Party takes away the people’s freedom to have a say in their government and become their own person. They use their power to an extreme against the people rather than to help the people. The Party takes advantage of every opportunity to instill fear in the citizens, useRead MoreControlling The People Of Oceania1505 Words   |  7 PagesIn the novel 1984 by George Orwell, the Party develops multiple strategies and tactics that allow them to gain complete control over the people of Oceania. As a result, the Party has the ability to manipulate people. Through the use of this power, the Party eradicates any and all individuality including the freedom to intervene in governmental development. Instead of using surveillance methods to help the people, they use them to gain control. The Party instills fear in the citizens of Oceania throughRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s Nineteen Eighty Four1879 Words   |  8 Pages â€Å"1984† and Technological Surveillance Technology is one of the most essential and impactful parts of human life, it makes life much easier and faster. However, if technology is misused it could endanger human life. In the book â€Å"Nineteen Eighty-Four† by George Orwell, he describes a society under constant surveillance and control by their government. The government in â€Å"Nineteen Eighty-Four† uses technology as a tool of surveillance to control and maintain itsRead MoreAbsolute Control in the Novel 1984 by George Orwell Essay797 Words   |  4 Pages In the novel 1984 ever since the beginning of the book propaganda has been used by The Party to have absolute control over its people. The Party used a varieties of techniques to maintain their power. The telescreens, child spies, and the thought police. It is made important that the first job of the Party is to break down self confidence in the people. They focus on destroying peoples confidence in their common sense, ability to make their own decision and intelligence. How they party does thisRead MoreAnalysis Of George Orwell s The Great Gatsby 1531 Words   |  7 Pagesoverall idea of acceptance would become a reoccurring theme in his literary work 1984. In 1984, Winston Smith, the protagonist, would team up with Julia, a fellow nonconformist, to fight the Party, and more specifically, Big Brother, all taking place in the continent of Oceania. Overall, the main concept of 1984 is the Party’s need to control every aspect of life, completed through the use of constant surveillance, fear, language and more specifically through the use of these techniques, controllingRead MoreLEGO movie analysis883 Words   |  4 Pagesï » ¿1984/LEGO Movie Analysis Themes are the fundamental and often universal ideas explored in literary work. It has been discovered that there is indeed a common theme surrounding both George Orwell’s novel 1984 and the LEGO movie. These pieces of literature serve to warn its readers/audience of the dangers of totalitarianism. Both the movie and the novel portray a â€Å"perfect† totalitarian society, where the government has complete and total power and control. When one looks beneath the surface ofRead MoreGeorge Orwell And The Movie Divergent1189 Words   |  5 Pagesobservable in the novel 1984 by George Orwell, and the movie Divergent by Veronica Roth. The novel and the movie compare as well as differ regarding the aspects of their dystopian characteristics, controls, protagonists and figurative elements. Additionally, they both provide insight into our world today. The novel 1984 and movie Divergent share the dystopian characteristics of an oppressive government, prevailing conformity and strict divisions. The oppressive government in 1984 is known as the Party

Monday, December 9, 2019

Should You Agitate Innovate Or Orchestrate -Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Should You Agitate Innovate Or Orchestrate? Answer: Introduction There are millions of social issues dug deep in our society, few of them surface every now and then. However, only a few manage to erupt out loud and spread their lava across an entire geography. What is central to note is that this eruption does not happen overnight solely on the basis of passion, rather it requires strong determination, consistent efforts, effective leadership, efficient management transparent communication. This report throws light on the leadership that makes way for a social revolution. The leadership of a social movement is unique from the leadership that we see in organizations today. There can rarely be a single leader to bring about a change alone. Such movements often require an agitator, an innovator and an orchestrator. An agitator notices a problem in the society and communicates it to the public at large. Innovators strategize and devise unique ways and an action plan to bring that change. Lastly, orchestrators carry out that action plan through effici ent coordination among various stakeholders of the movement (HBX, 2017). Every successful societal change movement starts with an agitation, followed up effective innovation, leading up to planned orchestration and finally resulting in the adoption of desired change. This report has established various characteristics of these three leadership styles, the importance of communication in each leadership style as well as the challenges face by them all. Styles of leadership There have been many great leaders across the globe who are renowned for their actions but either of these leaders have hardly stirred things solely by their might. Hence, after detailed research and analysis, it has been established that any societal change that takes place at a grand scale, requires three kinds of leaders whose characteristics and roles are explained as below (Stanford social Innovation Review, 2017). Agitator Agitator is the person who identifies a problem and spreads awareness about the existence of the problem to a wider audience. The agitator is the beginning of every societal revolution because it is the agitator who has first set eyes on the problem (Rucht, 2012). As a leader, agitators have an inquisitive mind and are highly optimistic. They believe in breaking the barriers of status quo and bringing about change in the society. Agitators have a sense of initiation and excellent leadership qualities. They believe strongly in making the first move towards any change and being the trailblazer for the change. Agitators are ideally orators and possess excellent communication skills. It is inherent in them to be able to persuade and convince people with their words and actions (Stewart Smith, 2012). Their communication in terms of their speech as well as their body language is largely flamboyant. They easily become the center of attention and when they speak people tend to listen carefully. It is highly significant for an agitator of any social movement to have immense knowledge about the issue (Toch, 2013). They must also work upon building deep relationships and take leverage of their strong network as and when required. Agitators are known for bringing diverse people together against a common problem. Their skills are able to convince people that the problem in reference requires attention, modification as well as mutual action. Agitators marketing sure that they communicate in a manner that demonstrates that the problem faced in genuine and affects everyone equally. They ensure that people feel that the problem affects everyone and hence everyone must work towards changing it. Agitators stir the movement in the very initial stage. Another characteristic of agitators is their consistent ability to raise their voice in case of a problem rather than adjusting to it. Hence they are crucial to initiate and bring about any social change in the society since they take the first step in making that change. Innovator Once the problem has been identified and communicated to the public at large by the agitators, the innovators come into the picture and work upon taking the first step to solving the problem. As the name indicates, innovators gauge the current situation, identify the best way ahead to deal with the situation and innovate a unique strategy to accomplish it. The solution of the problems identified by agitators is devised by the innovators. As leaders, innovators are highly motivated and tremendously creative. They have a tendency to forecast the upcoming situations and work towards changing them to the best of their ability (Dhomne Hall, 2012). In the process of selecting the best alternative to any given problem, it is imperative that the innovators possess the necessary convincing skills and abilities of persuasion in order to attract a wider audience and instil their belief in the movement. Innovators are largely creative and have tendency as well as the ability to think out of the box (Chatterjee, 2014). They believe in finding the solution to every problem. They are often deep thinkers and efficient decision makers. They have a vibrant personality and hence they are able to create a trail of believers who execute their ideas. Innovators are visionaries and hence they see a clear picture about the future. They are well aware of their consequences and take calculated decisions. They are crucial to any movement because absence of innovation forms the backbone of any societal change. It is important that the innovators can anticipate roadblocks in their movement well in advance and can hence prepare for them. There are many decisions that must be taken by the innovators at the drop of a hat and hence they must be calculated, informed, prepared as well as possess a can-do attitude. The innovators are passionate about the cause and therefore they work towards bringing the desired change at any cost. In order to ensure that the ideas they formulate are executable, the innovators are practical in their thoughts and well aware and informed of their surroundings. This makes it easier for people to trust them and follow them in their movement. Orchestrator Orchestrators are executers and hence are largely responsible for the completion of the movement that has been started by agitators and designed by innovators. The responsibility of the orchestrator is to be able to spread as well as execute the idea laid out by the innovator. Orchestrators lead the change and hence have a major role to play in the success of the movement. Orchestrators are active and highly charged up individuals who believe in taking actions (Friedrich, Griffith Mumford, 2016). They have a can-do attitude towards every problem and hence they are the ones leading. For the success of any movement, communication plays a vital role. The orchestrators must make sure that they possess excellent communication skills that can hold the people together and convince them to work towards a shared goal. Orchestrators are leaders who must lead by example and hence they are extremely passionate towards the cause of the movement. This passion comes from having the right knowledge as well as the right attitude towards the issue. These effective communication skills of the orchestrator also includes the ability to ensure that the message of the movement as well as the agenda remains the same throughout the journey of the movement. Orchestrators must work on cultivating their social ties and building deep relationships with all the stakeholders of the movement. Orchestrators possess the ability to coordinate different parties and ensure they work together in a conflict free manner (Forbes, 2017). For any social movement to succeed, it is largely valuable that the ones creating this change are united among each other and believe in the same end goal. It is hence the responsibility of the orchestrator to bring about this unity. Therefore, an orchestrator is often characterized as being a peoples person. Importance of communication in leadership Communication forms the backbone of any movement and hence is crucial to all leaderships. A transparent and honest communication system is focal for the success of a movement. It enables leaders to take the movement forward and achieve the desired results (Men, 2014). Agitators need excellent communication because they form the first step. They need to communicate the necessity of a social change. They need to mold as well as motivate people to bring about a change in status quo. Innovators on the other hand, need to formulate unique ideas and then management these ideas further so that they can be implemented. They require communication to ensure that people understand their idea and are convinced about its efficiency. Lastly, Orchestrators are the executers. They lead by example and ensure that the ideas generated have desired impacts. Orchestrators need communication to ensure that the starting message is not lost during the entire movement. They need communication to create trans parency which can instil trust and honesty in the entire course of the movement. The importance of communication to these three leaders is as given below: Flow of information For any societal movement to take place, a large number of people must unite and work towards bringing the desired change. Hence, it is also imperative that these people must have a transparent flow of information amongst each other. This ensures that all those who are a part of the movement are on the same page. Any discrepancy may lead to miscommunication and conflicts which may lead to failure of the movement and wasted efforts (Ulmer, 2012). Trust A clear flow of communication instils trust in people. Trust is crucial for the success of any movement. It is often a difficult task to challenge the status quo and such actions are faced by immense criticism. Confidential information is shared between the groups and decisions are made, often against societal norms. While undergoing such circumstances, trust in the group plays a vital role and this is only possible when honest communication is propagated within the group (Hackman Johnson, 2013). Consistency The course of any social movement can take up to several years. This is a long time and hence it is crucial that throughout the course of the movement, the main agenda as well as the process to accomplish that agenda remains the same. Long movements often witness emergence and exits of various people. Different people have a different thought process. Therefore it becomes the responsibilities of the leaders of the movement to ensure that people do not lose sight of the original idea. The movement must not water down to such an extent that it fails to address the issues that originally existed. To ensure the same, consistent, coherent and cautious communication is vital. Challenges faced by different leadership roles Agitators face many challenges in playing their role. Often, agitators find it difficult to find the right audience who believe in the issue propagated by them. They may end up triggering multiple issues that cannot come together as a cohesive cause and hence making it arduous to arrive at any conclusion. Agitators need to bring together a group of people who believe in their issue, this is not always possible. The fear of authority as well as reluctance to change are both challenges faced by agitators while addressing any societal problem. Agitators also face immense opposition and criticism from different part of the society since they become the trailblazers for change (Johnson, 2017). Being the stepping stones, they are often targeted and disparaged for creating a disruption in the status quo. Another challenge faced by agitators could be a lack of clarity of the issue. This may lead to reaching a stalled solution which affects no one. Agitators may find it difficult to gather complete knowledge of the issue at hand. They are given the responsibility to ensuring that every person involved works together towards a shared issue. However, the inability of agitators to communicate the issue effectively to the public at large will hamper the end goal and lead to the failure of the movement. Innovators Innovators lead by the responsibility of creating a plan and devising unique ideas to address the issues raised by the agitators. The innovators as well face various challenges which may cause disruption in the movement. These challenges vary from the inability to devise an executable plan to a lack of understanding of the issue raised by agitators (Smith, Fressoli Thomas, 2014). In the process of making an innovative plan, it is largely plausible that the innovators are unable to foresee the negative implications of the plan. They might also be unable to forecast the impact of their plan if implemented. The innovators may make a brilliant plan but if that plan is not executable or looks good only on the computer, then it is of no use whatsoever (Latham, 2014). There are various assumptions that need to be made while devising a plan for a social change. Also there is immense knowledge that the innovators need to possess in order to ensure that the approach devised by them is effective. Lack of that knowledge of the ability to assume is also a challenge faced by innovators. There can often be a difficulty in communication and innovators may not fully gauge the expectations of the agitators of the movement. This will make it difficult for the two to coordinate together and the strategy devised by innovators will be redundant. While proposing any solution to a problem, it is also important to understand the level of competency and ability of the orchestrators. This is often difficult and may lead to their plan not being effectively executed. Orchestrators Orchestrators are people who widespread the solution proposed by the innovators. They are consistently strategizing about how to coordinate with various stakeholders of the movement which exist both within as well as outside the movement. As the movement at hand grows, in terms of people and cost involved, as well as when the movement becomes largely complex, challenges faced by orchestrators increase drastically. Orchestrators need to bring about a massive level of coordination among various people in order to make sure that the movement is on track throughout its course and the unity among the people is maintained. Orchestrators also face the challenge of the movement drifting away from its original agenda. Most social movements often take a long time until the end goal is effectively achieved. In the meanwhile, it is plausible that the agenda of the movement shifts and the focus on shorter term objectives enhances. Sometimes, it may also happen that the passion and the aggression among people may water down with time and it then becomes the responsibility of the orchestrator to keep the bunch motivated. There are a large number of people who would be joining the movement and different times and hence it would be difficult for the orchestrator to ensure that all of them have the same vision for the movement. Orchestrators need the required patience and persistence to face the challenges and oppositions thrown at the movement by authorities in charge. They also need to resolve conflicts created within and outside the movement which leads to further challenges. Moreover, they need to take the mov ement till the end and ensure bear the brunt of the negative impact caused by the movement, which is rarely in an easy task to accomplish. Conclusion Our society has seen innumerous changes since the beginning of time. Some of these changes were mutually agreed upon by people. Some of the decisions were made by those in charge. However, majority of the changes were a result of societal revolutions which were brought about by revolutionary leaders that noticed a problem in the society and put efforts to change it. This report throws light on the three kinds of leaders that are required by every social movement. These leaders are agitators, innovators and orchestrators. Agitators articulate and identify social issues that impact people at large. They, then, put efforts into spreading awareness about the issue and motivating people to work towards bringing the change in the system. They act like disruptors who shake the status quo. Innovators device practical plans and strategies to ensure that the issues are addressed in a manner that leads to greatest impact and most efficient solutions. Orchestrators finally lead the movement and work towards bringing the desired change. They bring the plan to life and ensure its effective execution. Communication plays a key role in the successful civil-engineering of the movement. This communication involves both the communication within the movement as well as that necessary to be done outside. A transparent and honest flow of communication between various stakeholders of the movement helps in building trust and leads to a rapid as well as amicable growth of the movement (Groysberg Slind, 2012). The leaders of the movement must make sure that they the communication style, structure and message remains consistent throughout the movement. Lastly, there are various challenges faced by leaders of social revolution. Agitators may raise various issues and find it difficult to address them together. Innovators may make a beautiful but largely impractical plan of action. Orchestrators may be incompetent to follow the action plan created by the innovators. Along with these, there are various other challenges including the risk of dilution of the movement and a lack of visible result for a long time. These challenges are often demotivating for the leaders as well as other participants of the movement. Needless to say, bringing about a social change requires a large amount of persistence, patience and perseverance. Yet, they form an important aspect leading to the growth of our society. References Chatterjee, D. (2014). Leadership in innovators and defenders: the role of cognitive personality styles.Industry and Innovation,21(5), 430-453. Dhomne, S., Hall, S. P. (2012). The impact of teambuilding and leadership styles on successful project management.Journal of Computing Sciences in Colleges,28(2), 65-72. Forbes, 2017, Conflict Resolution Requires Innovators and Orchestrators As Well as Agitators, https://www.forbes.com/sites/rogertrapp/2017/10/01/conflict-resolution-requires-innovators-and-orchestrators-as-well-as-agitators/#56328acb438a, retrieved on 22 January, 2018. Fowler, A. Section 3.1: Change actors and civic innovators: who triggers change? Systematizing the role of interlocutors in civic innovation processes. Friedrich, T. L., Griffith, J. A., Mumford, M. D. (2016). Collective leadership behaviors: Evaluating the leader, team network, and problem situation characteristics that influence their use.The Leadership Quarterly,27(2), 312-333. Groysberg, B., Slind, M. (2012). Leadership is a conversation.Harvard business review,90(6), 76-84. Hackman, M. Z., Johnson, C. E. (2013).Leadership: A communication perspective. Waveland Press. HBX, 2017, THE THREE TYPES OF LEADERS WHO CREATE RADICAL CHANGE, https://hbx.hbs.edu/blog/post/the-three-types-of-leaders-who-create-radical-change, retrieved on 22 January, 2018. Johnson, C. E. (2017).Meeting the ethical challenges of leadership: Casting light or shadow. Sage Publications. Latham, J. R. (2014). Leadership for quality and innovation: Challenges, theories, and a framework for future research.Quality Management Journal, 21 (1),5. Men, L. R. (2014). Strategic internal communication: Transformational leadership, communication channels, and employee satisfaction.Management Communication Quarterly,28(2), 264-284. Rucht, D. (2012). Leadership in social and political movements: a comparative exploration. InComparative Political Leadership(pp. 99-118). Palgrave Macmillan UK. Smith, A., Fressoli, M., Thomas, H. (2014). Grassroots innovation movements: challenges and contributions.Journal of Cleaner Production,63, 114-124. Stanford Social Innovation Review, 2017, Should You Agitate, Innovate, or Orchestrate? https://ssir.org/articles/entry/should_you_agitate_innovate_or_orchestrate, retrieved on 22 January, 2018. Stewart, C. J., Smith, C. A., Denton Jr, R. E. (2012).Persuasion and social movements. Waveland Press. Toch, H. (2013).The Social Psychology of Social Movements (Psychology Revivals). Routledge. Ulmer, R. R. (2012). Increasing the impact of thought leadership in crisis communication.Management Communication Quarterly,26(4), 523-542.

Monday, December 2, 2019

University of Zambia Factors free essay sample

Where the Trichina Theory focuses on the ability itself, the theory of Mental Self- Government refers to different thinking styles which constitutes preference in the use of abilities (Sternberg 1990:366-371). As articulated in the above theories, this study adopt the theory of mental self-Government as the most appropriate one in enhancing students academic performance at The university of Zambia main campus. The reason is that, the learning and thinking styles of students at campus can either be reinforced leading to excellent academic performance or hindered leading to poor academic performance.This is heavily contingent upon the availability and provision of a number of essential facilities such as good study materials, accommodation, conducive learning environment (lecture theatres), good water and sanitation facilities among others. These being available and in provision, students potential abilities of being analytical, creative and practical as described in trichina theory will also become reinforced. 2. Empirical Review A lot of studies have been engaged in to identified, and analyze the numerous factors affecting academic performance Of students in various centers Of learning. We will write a custom essay sample on University of Zambia: Factors or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Their findings identify students efforts, previous schooling (Siegfried and Feels, 1979; Anderson and Benjamin, 1 994), parents education, family income (Develops and Folio 1 996), self-motivation, age of student, learning preferences (Riparian, Manhood, Archaize, Yep and Near, 2008), class attendance (Roomer, 1 993), and entry qualification as factors that have a significant effect on the students academic performance in various settings. However, the utility of these studies lies on the need to undertake corrective measures that improve the academic performance of students, especially in public funded institutions.Despite the considerable debate about the determinants of academic performance among educators, policymakers, academics, and other stakeholders, it is generally agreed that the impact of these determinants vary (in terms of extent and direction) with context, for example, culture, institution, course of study among others. Therefore, since not all factors are relevant for a particular context, it is imperative that formal tidies be carried out to identify the context-specific determinants for sound decision making.Another study that reviewed some of the factors that influence students academic performance stressed out that, students learning preferences has a deeper influence on their academic performance. Hard and El-Sharing (2006) further stated that, a good match between students learning preferences an d instructors teaching style has been demonstrated to have positive effect on students performance. Reid (1995) defines learning preference as a persons natural, habitual and preferred way of assimilating new information.This implies that individuals differ in regard to what mode of instruction or study is most effective for them. Scholars, who promote the learning preferences approach to learning, agree that effective instruction can only be undertaken if the learners learning preferences are diagnosed and the instruction is tailored accordingly (Paschal, McDaniel, Rorer and Book, 2008). L hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and understand, (Confucius 551-479 BC) a quote that provides evidence that, even in early times, there was a recognition of the existence of different learning preferences among people.Indeed, Nimrod (2008) reports that some students seem to learn better when information is presented through words (verbal learners), whereas others seem to learn better when it is presented in the form of pictures (visual learners). However, it is obvious that in a class where only one instructional method is employed, there is a strong possibility that a number of students will find the learning environment less optimal and this could affect their academic performance.Feller (1993) established that alignment between students learning preferences and an instructors teaching style leads to better recall and understanding. The learning preferences approach has gained significant mileage despite the lack of experimental evidence to support the utility of this approach. To support the above statement, other studies have established a number Of methods used to assess the learning preference or styles Of students but they all typically ask students to evaluate the kind of information presentation they are most at ease with.One of these approaches being used widely is the Visual/Aural/Read and Write/Kinesthesia (PARK) questionnaire, pioneered by Neil Fleming in 1987, which categorizes learners not at least four major learning preference classes. Neil Fleming (2001- 2011 ) described these four major learning preferences as follows: To start with is a class of visual learners: This consists of students who prefer information to be presented on the whiteboard, flip charts, walls, graphics, pictures, color.Probably creative and may use different colors and diagrams in their notebooks. Failure to do this, their academic performance would be poorly affected. A class of Aural (or oral) or auditory learners comes as a second one: these students prefer to sit back and listen. They do not make a lot of totes. More often than not, they find it useful to record lectures for later playbacks and reference. This helps them improve their academic performance.The third preference is a class of Read/write learners: these students prefer to read the information for them and take a lot of notes. However, these learners benefit from given access to additional relevant information through handouts and guided readings from their teachers or lecturers. Failure to avail to them such facilities may retrograde their school performance. Lastly, but not the least is the class of Kinesthesia (or tactile) earners: these learners cannot sit still for long and like to fiddle with things. Prefer to be actively involved in their learning and thus would benefit from active learning strategies in class. Therefore, we can see that, all the different preferences may not be fully met by students and as such they may have a profound influence on their academic performance. Undeniably, Roomer (1993) is one of the first few authors to explore the relationship between student attendance and examination performance. In his widely cited paper, a number of factors have contributed to declining class attendances around he world in the last 15 years.The major reasons given by students for non- attendance include assessment pressures, poor delivery of lectures by lecturers, timing of lectures, and work commitments (Newman-Ford, Lloyd and Thomas, 2009). Moreover, in recent times, students have found a need to seek employment while studying on a part-time basis due to financial constraints. The numbers of part-time and mature students has also risen sharply. The use of information technology also means that information that used to be obtained from sitting through lectures can be obtained from the internet.However, given all these developments that either makes it impossible or unnecessary for students to attend classes, the question that needs to be asked is whether absenteeism affects students academic performance or not. Interestingly, a number of previous researches on this subject matter seem to provide a consensus that students who miss classes perform poorly compared to those who attend classes (Develops and Folio 1996, Turned and Ellis 1 995, Roomer 1993, park and Kerr 1990, Schmidt 1993).Based on these findings a number of stakeholders have called for mandatory class attendance. Although the existing evidence points to a strong correlation between attendance and academic performance, none of the studies cited attendance from a myriad of confounding students characteristics, (for instance, levels of motivation, intelligence, pri or learning, and time-management skill) is a major limiting factor to the utility of these findings and this has been proven also by Rodgers and Rodgers (2003) hence showing a weakness in these studies which this study will take into account.Turned and Ellis (1995) further controlled for student differences in background, ability and motivation and reported a nonlinear effect of attendance on learning, that is, a few absences do not lead to poor grades but excessive absenteeism does. Further, other studies conducted by Paschal and Book (2008) have shown that, prior knowledge, course prerequisites and course combinations determine students academic performance in Universities and Colleges. Studies conducted from a number of institutions indicate that, students prior knowledge, course prerequisites and course combinations had a profound influence on their academic performance.For instance, 70% of those with suitable pre-requisite courses performed better Han those with courses that Were not matching. This was justified by the fact that, learning is a cumulative process, thus a student admitted with matching courses to the career of their choice will be well prepared for the course material compared to a student with a mismatch of course combinations. It is important for career educators to have an idea of how well the courses correspond to each student in order to complement learning. Therefore, this study seeks to explore whether the program of study has possible adverse effects on students academic performance.Such an analysis would be lawful in the counseling and guidance process of students. Henceforth, the influence of age and gender on academic performance has be en investigated in a number of studies with widely differing conclusions. Most of the differences in reported findings are due to varying contexts such as subject Of study, age and gender interactions. Previous research has shown that men perform better than women in certain setting while women outperform men in other settings (Waist, Wilson, Elan, Blue and Foss, 2000).According to Border (1998) there is no evidence of academic performance being influenced y gender. However, based on an analysis of close to two million graduating students, Woodwind and Earl-Novel (2006) found that female students outperformed male students and attributed this partly to female students being more conscientious and thus less likely to miss lectures. With regard to the issue of students age, studies have shown that, recent changes in educational policies around the world have led to an increase in the number of mature-age admissions in educational institutions.But a large proportion of undergraduate students were still 19-year olds, the ages of students in lasses were then m ore variable than 10 to 15 years ago. Therefore, the definition of a mature student varies by country with 21 , 22 and 25 year old students being classified as mature students in the United Kingdom, Ignited States of America and Australia, respectively (Truman; Hartley, 1996). In this study review, mature students are defined as those students whose age was greater than 21 years on their first day at the University.Students who are 21 years of age and younger are classified as young students. Mature students thought to lack basic skills required for effective study or to e impaired by age-related intellectual deficits. Mature students tend to be admitted into their programmer with distinctly lower educational attainment than the young students (Newman-Ford, Lloyd Thomas, 2009). However, when compared to the young students, the academic performance of mature students was as good, if not better (Richardson, 1994).It should, however be pointed out that this comparison depends on the subject matter and types of assessment used. Richardson (1994:5) concludes his study by making the observation that Mature students are rather more likely than monger students to adopt a deep approach or a meaning orientation towards their academic work, and were conversely less likely than younger students to adopt a surface approach or a reproducing orientation. Furthermore, other studies found that self-motivation, family income, and parents level of education contribute to poor performance of some students.While a positive relationship between self-motivation and academic performance has been established (Zimmerman, Bandeau, and Martinez- Ponds, 1992), the effect of family income and parents level of education on academic performance is far from being unraveled without equivocation. Socioeconomic status of students and their families show moderate to strong relationship with academic performance but these relationships are contingent upon a number of factors such that it is nearly impossible to predict academic performance using socioeconomic status (Siring, 2005).The study conducted by Wooden, (1998) whose major objective was to find out the main factors that affect students academic performance discovered two key factors that had a profound influence on students performance namely; (I) the students aptitude and (ii) The amount of effor t the student put forth in he course. He further discovered that, the amount of effort put by a student depends on the students grade history, motivation, extracurricular activities, work responsibilities and family responsibilities.In his findings, aptitude and effort were both significant variables in influencing performance of the traditional students. For the traditional students, grade history, motivation and family responsibilities all influenced the amount of efforts the students put forth. However, neither extracurricular activities nor work responsibilities influenced students efforts. Moreover, motivation was significantly influenced by the students self-expectations and their perceptions of the learning environment. Hence, motivation was the only variable that significantly influenced effects.He further discovered that for both traditional and non-traditional students, it was difficult to explain why extra-curricular activities and the work activities variables did not have a significant effect on the effort. Therefore, this study has a weakness in that, it does not reflect the sample size used in the study for traditional and non- traditional students and there is no proof whether or not other essential rabbles were controlled in the study. Hence, this study took into account such weaknesses so that accurate results could be obtained.Conversely, a study conducted by Mohammedanism (2008) at the University of Nairobi, the main Commencement memorial library, whose ma in objective was to find out the impact of over enrolments of students on academic performance discovered that, the large number of students than the University could accommodate had a profound influence on students academic performance. The capacity for the University library could not sustain the large student population such that, the University which was designed to accommodate 1,500 students had to cope with 8,000 students a day.A similar study conducted by Bloom (2005) at the University of Eduardo Mondale showed that, due to over enrolment of students, their academic performance was heavily affected such that, the dropout rate of student in 2006 for the whole University Was estimated to be within the range of 15-28%, the larger percentage being for the earlier years. In 2006, only about 6% of the students completed their degrees in the normal course duration compared to 17% in 2001. Also, in 2006, 41% of the student took one or more additional years to complete their programmer, whereas the corresponding figure in 2001 was 28%.However, from this, there has been deterioration in the students academic performance over the past five years at the university of Tremendousness. However, although the studies needed m odification in the sample frame and study design used to gather such findings, they were very helpful in providing us with a podium in which the problem of over enrolment of students at The University of Zambia and the effects it has on their academic performance can be clearly understood.The study conducted by Principle (2005) at the Puerco Rice University was to find out the factors affecting students academic performance in the first accounting course between public and private universities in Puerco Rice and also to analyze the students perceptions on internal and external classroom factors that might influence their academic performance in their first accounting course. A descriptive co-relational research design was used in this investigation. The population was the students in the first accounting course at public and private Universities in Puerco Rica.The sample size used was 1 , 721 subjects which included 13 campuses from 3 different Universities out of a total of 65 campuses in Puerco Rice. The campuses were not randomly selected. The researcher selected campuses representing different demographer ICC areas in Puerco Rice. A Chi-square analysis reflected that, public Universities had a higher number Of student failures compared to private Universities. In this case, the grade distribution reports from private Universities demonstrated that, 40-50% of students did not complete or failed in the first accounting course. The findings of the study also demonstrated that, internal classroom actors positively influenced students academic performance in the first accounting course in Puerco Rican public and private Universities. However, the effects of combined external classroom factors were not statistically significant for Puerco Rican Universities. Thus, although other important variables in the study have not been highlighted, this study is quite clear and is assumed to have achieved its purpose.Hence, this study sought to build on such already existing discoveries to relate to the University of Zambia, but at the same time taking into account the correction of mistakes made by revises researchers in the same area of study. Hence, this study been conducted at ANZA main campus such weaknesses will be taken into consideration to enhance accuracy of results. On the other hand, the School of Humanities Booklet (2008) states that, the University of Zambia has a long term statutory mandate of it being the highest learning institution in Zambia.For this reason, this study seeks to investigate how well the institution has been fairing in meeting its long term objectives as follows: Promoting Excellence in Teaching Research and Community Service. Our Vision: TO be a Provider of World Class Services in Higher Education and Knowledge Generation. Our Mission: To Provide Relevant Higher Education through Teaching, Research and Community Service. Our Core Values: Academic freedom, Green Environment, Equity, Integrity, Accountability, Innovativeness and Excellency.Our Management Philosophy: The University will embrace a participatory Management Style that will motivate employees, provide a work environment that is conducive to high productivity, teamwork in which leadership is by example, Provide effective communication and guidance, which will be accessible to all, and promote individual growth. All these objectives will be closely looked at in order to ensure that the aim of this study is achieved which is to investigate why there has been poor academic performance at the University of Zambia among students despite its core objectives as stated above. . 0 STATEMENT OF THE PROBLEM A number of excludes and high failure rates at th e university of Zambia main campus year in year out has been so rampant. The academic performance of a number of students has not been to their expectations. They have been poorly performing. What else has not yet been done to solve the problem? Emphasis on tutorial participation, clinics, and study groups has been stressed by some lecturers to improve the performance of students but to no avail.Furthermore, others have conducted lecture attendance roll calls as an alternative for combating the alarming poor academic performance of students but less positive returns have been achieved. Nevertheless, the PAP systems like in the case of the school of education and humanities have been introduced together with the use of projectors in the delivery Of lectures to help the intolerant and slow learning students catch up easily but the expected returns have not helped much to improve the general academic performance of students.Moreover, an internet cafe © in the University main Library has being in operation to help students do their research effectively but as if their efforts were in vain, the performance keeps deteriorating. Further, new departments (department of population studies among others) have been created where possible. More extraordinary, extra-curricular activities have been encouraged and the door to the counseling Centre has been wide open but still the problem of poor academic performance at the University of Zambia still persists.It is for these reasons henceforth that this study seeks to investigate the main factors that affect students academic performance at the University of Zambia so that a lasting solution can be provided to improve the quality of education in our country Zambia as a whole. CHAPTER MO 4. RESEARCH OBJECTIVES General Objectives To investigate the factors that affect academic performance of students at The University of Zambia. Specific Objectives TO find Out the main factors that affects the academic performance Of students at The university Zambia.To find out which sex is highly vulnerable to the factors that affect academic performance of student at the Universe ¶y Zambia. To find out what the Leistering management has done to address the factors that affect the acade mic performance of students at the University Zambia. RESEARCH RATIONALE A lot of countries that have developed today placed more emphasis on the importance of the educational system in spearheading technological innovation that resulted in productivity.A good example in question is the united States of America, Japan and China who formulated sound trajectory leslies that increased enrolments rates in Universities and Colleges with an understanding that, advancement in technology is dependent on having well trained students in Universities and Colleges. Equivalently, Singapore which also took the step to invest in science and technology in colleges and universities has become one of the industrialized economies in the world. Therefore, advancement in science and technology is dependent on how well a particular country trains its students.However, to have well nurtured students that can think and invent new things to develop the country, there as to be well informed policies at institutional level that creates a good conducive environme nt for learning. Apparently, such sound policies cannot be created if students challenges that may hinder good performance have not been identified and addressed. Therefore, in order for Zambia to develop, it has to emulate countries like Singapore which paid attention to the educational system by creating a good learning atmosphere for University students. However, the study investigated the factors that affect students academic performance at the university of Zambia and it sought to contribute o the body of knowledge on the factors that affect students academic Excellency at ZINNIA in particular and other such government institutions in general. It has been observed that, literature on the factors that influence academic performance of students is quite scarce and when it is available, people have to seek it through the internet.Thus the findings of this study would be put at the disposal of every student in the library so that information is readily accessed. It is also hoped that the results of this research would contribute to the formulation of sound administrative policies hat would curb the factors that contribute to the poor academic performance of students at the University of Zambia so that failure and dropouts rates can be minimized to maintain the motto of the University Service and Excellency.As articulated above however, the rationale behind the carrying out of this study was premised on four basic principles namely; the study aimed to contribute to knowledge, policy, theory, practice and as a partial fulfillment for the award of a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Development Studies. Therefore, regarding its contribution to knowledge, the findings of his study will bring to the general awareness of the factors that affect students academic performance.Secondly, it will further communicate the efforts by the university management to address factors affecting students academic performance and what management has done to enhance existentialistic, creative and practical abilities according to the Trichina Theory of Intellectual Abilities (Sternberg 1 985; 1986:23). Likewise, higher learning institutions are also beneficiaries of the knowledge this study will generate in that the findings will help them to design strategies to increase dents academic performance and alleviate attrition rates.At policy level however, this study will firstly identify the main causes of the factors that affect students academic performance ranging from parents- family causal factors; teachers- academic causal factors and students -personal causal factors, (Ditz, 2003). After identifying these, it will help the government policy makers to redesign their strategic management for the institution towards formulating policies that address factors affecting students and in turn reduce their attrition rates. This will also set a platform for the attainment of he University of Sambas long term strategic goals, (School of Humanities Handbook, 2008).