Pros and cons of the different learning methods Essay

Pros and cons of the different learning methods - Essay Example Commercially purchased social studies learning – commercially purchased social studies learning such as technology assisted teaching medium (DVD tutorials, online learning) became more versatile today than they were first introduced, it still cannot facilitate critical reflection and decision making due to the limitation of the medium (Rose and Fernlund, 1997).  Ã‚   Unlike the integrative method of social studies learning where a student can infer to various discipline in synthesizing his or her interpretation of the universe, commercially purchased social studies learning are only limited to the pre-set curriculum of the program purchased.   Online learning may provide interaction but the coverage of discussion is not as comprehensive compared to integrative mode of learning. Commercially purchased social studies learning can also be costly because the mode of instruction is highly commercialized.d) Teacher-prepared social studies learning – perhaps the most commo n teaching method is the teacher prepared social studies learning.   Teachers even predate the books as learning was already facilitated through oral transfer when the printed text was not yet around.   Transfer of knowledge is typically done on a lecture where a student can ask a question and the teacher answering the same.   The method of learning through a teacher prepared curriculum or lesson plan is no longer responsive to the need of the present environment where students has to interpret and synthesize information and making meaning out of them.   Lectures delivered by teacher prepared syllabus are limited to the range of knowledge of the teacher thus making synthesis limited due to the limitation of the input. This type of learning however is also cost effective because the cost associated to the transfer of knowledge and skill is only limited to covering the salary of the teacher and his or her instruction materials. III. Supplementary Materials The usage of chart to compare and contrast the pros and cons of integrated social studies learning,

Should the State Try to Make You a Better Person Essay Example for Free

Should the State Try to Make You a Better Person Essay The importance of becoming a better individual relies on a personal desire of satisfying the necessity of being accepted in a society. Most individuals want to be better people in order to be happier and be able to enjoy life, but is it government responsible to make better people? The answer to this question is not easy, â€Å"being better† is a biased topic in which each person has a different perception about â€Å"being better. â€Å"Better people† is not easy to delineate, people live under different standards founded on their own values or morals that are often compare with others views. However, government should not be responsible to make people better. Government must support individuality and autonomy, equally protecting all citizens human and civil rights; respecting individual decisions about personal matters taken according to own values. Government must support individuality and autonomy as an effort to make people responsible for their own actions. Personal autonomy refers to the ability to objectively self-enforce regulations. This concept is grounded on different perceptions involving moral obligation and responsibility. Citizens have a moral and ethical obligation when making personal decisions related to the type of people they want to be. The personal desire of becoming a better individual is a personal choice based on personal beliefs related to the integrity, honesty, kindness and morals; these standards are not created or regulated by the government. These philosophies are based on factors involving economic, social and emotional aspects that influence individual perception of the reality. It is government’s obligation to protect individuals but not to dictate them; as said it by former president Thomas Jefferson, â€Å"Man is not made for the State, but the State for man, and it derives its powers from the consent of the governed. † Government’s responsibility is not to make better people but to protect people’s human and civil rights letting them to decide what kind of people want to be. The equally protection of human and civil rights should be a priority for the government. Defending people’s rights implies the creation and enforcement of laws and regulation that should be followed by the citizens in order to keep the balance and peace of the society. These regulations should guarantee all citizens an equal opportunity to make ethical and responsible decisions regarding their personal objectives without affecting others rights. The government was reated by people to the people to work as a mediator reconciling and providing to the population with conventional solutions to the possible disagreements among the citizens of the society avoiding injustices and ruling with fairness; taking under consideration free will, the right to make personal decisions based on reason rather than instinct. Making a government responsible for personal choices promotes dependence; mutilating individuality and autonomy. It must be people’s responsibility to make the decision of being a better person and it is government obligation to respect personal desires and individual goals of the citizens. It is the people’s right to take the necessary actions to achieve a higher level in life. The right to be a better person is not a guarantee, it is a right and it must be protected by the law. The founding fathers considered the right to become a better individual to be important, living life as people choose, having the liberty to become the person that each individual wants to be based on their own values and morals. People must be free to choose their values and their means as well the actions needed to become the person they want. Although prohibitions and regulations can constrain people to please their desires if those wishes lack or moral obligation; government can interfere with individual goals if those goals somehow affect others people’s rights. Every human being has certain standards that are often compared with others in order to give a personal meaning to the word â€Å"better. The meaning of being a better person is predisposed; it can be based on different factors such as economic, emotional or social among others. In order to know if people is becoming better it is necessary to compare two different situations related to a specific matter. This comparison is influenced by personal preferences, conditions and desires clouded by assumptions created on experiences or previous knowledge. Therefore, government should not be responsible for making better people. The State is obligated to guarantee the individuality, autonomy and the safe to all citizens of its society as a whole; providing infrastructure and a nonviolent place that promotes an environment dedicated to maximize independence and autonomy; making its citizens to grow as human beings while equally protecting their individuals’ human and civil rights. It is people’s responsibility to become better individuals by making responsible choices based on own morals and principles without affecting others’ lives and understanding that personal beliefs ends where other individuals beliefs begins.

The User Experience in Mobile Computing

The User Experience in Mobile Computing ABSTRACT Mobile phones have become a necessity for almost every person throughout the world. Cell phones have become almost a status symbol in addition to the convenience and security that comes from owning them. In this article, We would like to discuss the importance of the user experience and the user interface in Mobiles/Soft Wearables. 1INTRODUCTION In this paper, We would discuss the user experience/ user interface with mobiles/soft wearables in the past, current and future. We would also look at design approach to soft wearables, material explorations. At the end we would see the challenges or difficulties in mobile user experience. 2DISCUSSION Scientists have researched a lot regarding the user experience in Mobiles/Wearables. Early research in this field frequently encouraged people to share their devices to create a collective experience or reach a common goal. Most of this first-wave  research initially looked at the use of smartphones (and tablets) to study mobile collocated interactions. As a result, early mobile collocated interactions research tended to be device-centric. Nowadays, Computers have transitioned from being in a large room (e.g., ENIAC), to our desks (e.g., PCs), to a bag (e.g., laptops), and to our pockets (e.g., mobile phones). Wearable computers (e.g., the WIMM watch) have continued the trend towards ever-smaller computers, ones that can be worn on our wrists (e.g., Apple Watch) or other parts of the body (e.g., Google Glass, Microsoft HoloLens). While the first-wave of mobile collocated interactions seemed device-centric, this current second wave is user experience-centric. Such novel mobile collocated interactions may include clothing, accessories, prosthetics, and jewelry. One s uch example is Its About Time which explores extending smartwatch interactions to turn personal wearables into public displays. Adopting ideas of proxemics could allow for designers to better shape each individuals personal motivations and perceptions of their interactions with both devices and others, to better support their experiences. Soft wearables include clothing and textile-based When designed well, they leverage the cultural, sociological and material qualities of textiles, fashion and dress; diverse capabilities and meanings of the body; as well as the qualities and capabilities afforded by smart and programmable elements. When designing soft wearables a designer must consider a range of requirements that do not typically demand focus when designing products that are not worn, including: sensitivity to material detail; an eye for fit and comfort on bodies with diverse shapes and movement capabilities openness to a diversity of meanings that may be generated; as well as consideration of wearers intimate relations with technology. Soft wearables allow for greater scope within these requirements. Using smart textiles and soft electronic interfaces in wearables opens up the opportunity to engage with wearers senses in diverse and subtle ways. A knitted garment for example can deform and reform as the body moves and pushes against the fabric. When augmented with smart capabilities, such deformations may be used to sense engagement and trigger events. But, There are a number of technological challenges for designing user experience such as binding, security, spatial registration, heterogeneous platforms and sensors, non-touch interaction as well as development and runtime environments. In addition to these, there are social challenges such as privacy, social acceptability, social participation, social exclusion and social engagement. There are a number of Perceptual and Physiological challenges such as varying display resolutions, luminance, effective visual fidelities, visual interference, color or contrast in display overlap which can be experienced with body proximate ecosystems. 4 CONCLUSION Today, mobile application development technology is evolving at a very shocking pace. User experience is becoming an increasingly crucial feature when it comes to the digital landscape. It defines how the user feels and thinks about your product from his or her own perspective. It is about making something valuable, easy to use and effective for your target market. However, in a market where quality and performance always come before brand loyalty, creating a fluid user experience (UX) is key to the success of any mobile app development project. REFERENCES [1] Andrà ©s LuceroEmail author, James Clawson, Joel Fischer and SimonRobinson Mobile collocated interactions with wearables: past, present, and future Nov 2016 [2] Oscar TomicoEmail author and Danielle Wilde Soft, embodied, situated connected: enriching interactions with soft wearables June 2016 [3] Jens GrubertEmail author, Matthias Kranz and Aaron Quigley Challenges in mobile multi-device ecosystems Aug 2016

Dracula- Bram Stoker :: English Literature

Dracula- Bram Stoker In my opinion, this is one of the greatest horror books that have ever been written. It is excellent. The book begins with Jonathon Harker- one of the main characters, writing in his journal. From this we see that he is on his way to Transylvania, 'one of the wildest and least known portions of Europe' where he is visiting one of the clients of the accountants firm that he works for in his castle, Castle Dracula. From Budapest, he travels to Bistritz where he stays in the Golden Krone Hotel. The next day he is to travel to the Borgo pass by coach where Draculas carriage will meet him. There are early signs that all is not right: He has queer dreams whilst staying in Budapest, people are very wary of telling him anything of the count or his castle, when he asked the hotel owners what they knew of the Count 'both he and his wife crossed themselves and, saying that they knew nothing at all, refused to speak any further', people try to warn him off going to the castle, the landlady wouldn't let him leave the hotel until she had placed a cross around his neck, even the people on the coach he is taking to meet the counts carriage begin talking of evil things; Satan, vampires, hell. But this is soon forgotten as he journeys, he is absorbed in the beautiful landscape, oblivious to everything else. As they near the Borgo pass he finds that the other people on the coach's behaviour becomes more and more erratic as if they are nervous and frightened, for him as well as themselves. When they arrive to the pass, there is no-one there and they try to persuade him to leave with them but the Counts horseman arrives with the carriage . His appearance is very disturbing. He has eyes 'which seemed red in the lamplight' and red lips with 'sharp looking teeth. He interrogates the coach driver who seems to be very scared of him. There is also something very strange in his behaviour but we cant put our finger on it. Jonathan boards the carriage and begins the final lap of his journey towards the castle. The way in which the journey is described builds up a sense of apprehension, as if this is the beginning of an undescribable horror. The closer to the castle Jonathan gets, the worse it is. He sees a blue flame which the driver runs off into the darkness to inspect. While he is away the wolves of the forest form a ring around him but when the driver comes back, he

Cell Phone Use While Driving Essay

Cell phone use while driving has caused unnecessary injuries and deaths throughout history. Those injuries and deaths prove the ignorance of the victims and set an example for others. Many people have lost their loved ones in cell phone related accidents but with every experience comes a lesson, which in this case is that cell phone use while driving should not be allowed. The road would be a safer place to drive if the use of cell phone while driving is prohibited. The risk of accidents increases significantly when a cell phone is being used while driving. A study by the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis estimated that six percent of vehicle crashes causes about 2,600 deaths and 330,000 injuries a year, which can be linked to one or more of the drivers involved using a cell phone (â€Å"Cell Phone Use While Driving a Big Cause of Accidents†). According to this study, the use of cell phones while driving is causing many unnecessary deaths and injuries. To treat those irresponsible drivers, all the citizens of the United States pay in the form of taxes. The forbiddance of cell phone use while driving will not only make the United States to be a safer nation, but it will also make it a happier nation. Many people are unaware of the dangers and effects of cell phone use while driving. To most people, drunk driving is a very serious crime, but using a cell phone while driving is a trivial matter. However, a research by the University of Utah proves that drivers drunk at the .08 percent blood-alcohol level drive slower than drivers using a cell phone. Driving with a cell phone is more distracting because drivers tend to concentrate less on the road, and more on the conversation, which leads to many accidents. If one is caught driving drunk in Michigan, his or her license is suspended for several months and an additional fine ranging from $250-$10,000 has to be paid. If the crime of drunk driving has such punishments, then the use of cell phone while driving should also have severe punishments. To many people, it may seem that cell phone use while driving should not be outlawed because emergency calls need to be attended or made any time. However, people can pull over to the side and make or receive emergency calls. According to the Human Factors and Ergonomics society, cell phone distraction puts the driver at a four time great risk of a crash. It may take more effort to pull over, stop, and call, but doing so would decrease the number of accidents by a massive number. . Even using cell phones during school times can be a big problem. It can  distract a students studies, since he/she will be too busy texting and calling people; he/she wont be able to concentrate and will keep thinking about those text messages. If there is something bad then they will be depressed all day long. If parents need to talk to their children urgently they will be able to talk to them during school. Some students during classes are always tense because of someone/something so by calling or texting they can clear their tension and focus on studies. Cell phones will help them solve the problems outside the school so they can peacefully study. Schools should understand how important it is for students to study and this is only possible if they are not thinking about anything else. The rate of accidents for drivers using cell phones has increased alarmingly. The convenience that cell phones offer must be judged against the hazards that they pose. Therefore, the government should ban the use of cell phones while driving, which would not only decrease the number of traffic injuries and deaths, but will also make the road a safer place to drive. The use of cell phone while driving is a crime that should be outlawed and punished for severely. There are two dangers linked with driving and cell phone use, including text messaging. First, drivers should not take their eyes off the road while dialing. Secondly if the drivers start talking on the phone then they get so lost in others conversations that they have no clue what is going on in front of them which causes them to get in an accident. That is one reason why so many states and countries banned the use of cell phones while driving and even in schools so young teenage people know when they have to use the phone and when not to.

Hector vs Achilles

Achilles Motivation Fighting for personal honor Knows that his fate leads him to death so he is willing to sacrifice his life so his name will be remembered Cared little about anything except for his own desire†Ã¢â‚¬ ¦but this man’s ambition, remember, is to lead, to lord it over everyone, give orders to the rest of us!† (lines 337-340) †Well, this time I make sail for home. Better to take now to my ships.Why linger, cheated of winnings, to make wealth for you?† (lines 197-199). †And let them both bear witness before the gods who living bliss, as before men who die, including this harsh king, if ever hereafter a need for me arises to keep the rest from black defeat and ruin† (lines 394-398). †Thetis left her son still burning for the softly belted girl whom they had wrestled from him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (lines 494-496) Loss of girl=loss of honor†He tells the delegates that he has decided to return to his kingdom and live out his life i n comfort, forgoing the honor of dying a hero’s death in battle† (246).Vengeance Hector killed his best friend †On hearing of Patroclus’s death, Achilles is overcome with grief and rage. Vowing to avenge his friend, he finally returns to the battle† (246) †Hector, had you thought that you could kill Patroclus and be safe? Nothing to dread from me; I was not there. All childishness†¦The dogs and kites will rip your body. Hiss will lie in honor when the Achaeans give him funeral† (lines 392-400) †Down by the ships Patroclus’s body lies unwept, unburied. I shall not forget him while I keep my feet among the living† (lines 458-460).Actions TakenStrong temper/rage â€Å"A pain like grief weighed on the son of Peleus, and in his shaggy chest this way and that the passion of his heart ran; should he draw longsword from hip, stand off the rest, and kill in single combat the great son of Atreus, or hold his rage in check an d give it time?† (lines 220-225) â€Å"But now the son of Peleus turned on Agamemnon and lashed out at him, letting his anger  ride in execration†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (lines 263-265) â€Å"On hearing of Patroclus’s death, Achilles is overcome with grief and rage. Vowing to avenge his friend, he finally returns to the battle, mercilessly slaying the Trojan forces†Accuses Agamemnon of being a glory hound and trying to take more than his fair share â€Å"I have seen more action hand to hand in those assaults than you have, but when the time for sharing comes, the greater share is always yours† (lines 192-195).Sensitive when his pride is in jeopardyâ€Å"Eyes wet with tears, he spoke† (lines 412-414) â€Å"Thetis left her son still burning for the softly belted girl whom they had wrestled from him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Lines 494-496)Selfish/pridefulputs his own needs above his army’s lives. â€Å"Without Achilles’ help, the Greeks are at a serious disadvantage against the Trojans† (246) â€Å"Achilles’ immense pride is revealed as he stubbornly refuses to accept Agamemnon’s gifts† (246). â€Å"†¦he has decided to return to his kingdom and live out his life in comfort, forgoing the honor of dying a hero’s death in battle† (246) Torture’s Hector’s dead bodydisrespect/dishonor Role/ Reaction of others Only his mom grieves for him â€Å"Her eyes filled, an a tear fell as she answered† (line 476) His army respected him when he was in battle but he did not seem to have a close relationship to anyone but his mother and possibly his bet friend Patroclus Role of godsHera favored the Greeks in general Athena was constantly by his side â€Å"Then Athena, gray-eyed, to the son of Peleus, falling in with him, and near him, saying swiftly:‘Now at last I think the two of us, Achilles loved by Zeus, shall bring Achaeans triumph at the ships by killing Hector†¦Ã¢â‚ ¬  (lines 253-259) â€Å"As his tumult swayed him, as he slid the big blade slowly from the sheath, Athena came to him from the sky† (Lines 226-228) Apollo did not favor himâ€Å"Archer of heaven, deadliest of immortal gods, you put me off the track, turning me from the wall this way†¦you saved my enemies with ease and stole my glory, having no punishment to fear† (lines 18-24) Obeys the godsâ€Å"Die, make an end. I shall accept my own whenever Zeus and the other gods desire† (lines 435-436) â€Å"Nothing for it, goddess, but when you two immortals speak, a man complies†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (lines 253-255).Hector Motivation Duty and honor Protector of the people â€Å"Hector returns to battle, fighting fiercely for the Trojans† (246) â€Å"†¦here you may fight on to save our Trojan men and women† (lines 66-67) Not motivated by what was best for him, but what was best for his country and his people Actions TakenSelfless Would die for his peopl e â€Å"Now my soul would have me stand and fight, whether I kill you or am killed† (lines 298-299) Tried to make a pact of honor with Achilles â€Å"So come, we’ll summon gods here as our witnesses, none higher, arbiters of a pact: I swear that, terrible you are, I’ll not insult your corpse should Zeus allow me victory in the end, your life as a prize . Once I have your gear, I’ll give your body back to Achaeans. Grant me,too, this grace† (lines 300-306). Examines ways to get out of conflict  fear? â€Å"Suppose, though, that I lay my shield and helm aside†¦and go to meet the noble Prince Achilles, promising Helen, promising with her all the treasures that Alexandros brought home by ship to Troy†¦ Then I might add, apart from these, a portion of all the secret wealth the city owns† (lines 134-142) â€Å" â€Å"These were his shifts of mood† (line 157)Runs away â€Å"†¦and Hector, as he watched, began to tremble. Th en he could hold his ground no more. He ran, leaving the gate behind him†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (Lines 164-165) cowardly not to fight Role of Others/ Reaction of Others Everyone loves and cares for him â€Å"If he brings you down, I shall no longer be allowed to mourn you laid out on your bed, dear branch in flower, born of me† (lines 103-106) â€Å"With tears and cries the two implored their son, and made their prayers again† (lines 109-110) â€Å"Child, I am lost now. can I bear my life after the death of suffering your death? You were my pride in all my nights and days, pride of the city, pillar to the Trojans and Trojan women† (lines 507-511). Role of the godsApollo was on his side â€Å"How could he run so long from death, had not Apollo for the last time, the very last, come near to give him stamina and speed† (lines 239-242) Zeus felt sympathetic towards him â€Å"How sad that this beloved man is hunted around the wall before my eyes! My heart is touched f or Hector;† (lines 200-203) Athena was against him â€Å"Now at last I think the two of us, Achilles loved by Zeus, shall bring Achaeans triumph at the ships by killing Hector†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (lines 256-259) The gods choose his death â€Å"This the end. The gods are calling deathward†¦ Long ago this hour must have been to Zeus’s liking and to the liking of his archer son† (lines 351-358)Similarities Both are driven by stubbornness â€Å"Achilles’ immense pride is revealed as he stubbornly refuses to accept Agamemnon’s gifts† (246) â€Å"With tears and cries the two implored their son, and made their prayers again, but could not shake him. Hector stood firm†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (lines 109-111) Neither listen when a wise figure tells them who they are up against is more powerful â€Å" †¦don’t try to hold your ground against this man, or soon you will meet the shock of doom, borne down by the son of Peleus.He is more powerful by far than you, and pitiless† (lines 45-48) â€Å"Achilles, for your part, do not defy your King and Captain. No ones vies in honor with him who holds authority from Zeus. You have more prowess, for a  goddess bore you; his power over men surpasses yours† (lines 327-332) Both are heroes in the eyes of their peers at one pointBoth have some pride in them â€Å"Book 6 reveals to us Hector’s pride, for we learn that although he believes Troy is doomed, honor will not allow him to surrender† (246) â€Å"Now troops have perished for my foolish pride†¦ He kept his pride and ost his men, this Hector† (lines 126-129† â€Å"Agamemnon, humiliated me! he has my prize by his own whim, for himself† (lines 411-413) Both are ruled by fate through the gods

Free Essays on Recruitment Practice At Hoke County Schools

Hoke County School District is located in a rural area in North Carolina. The district consists in 11 schools. The relatively small district has problems recruiting teachers since other neighbor districts have better location and offer good benefits. The recruitment practice of this district is very successful. The Human Resources Department is working closely with the local administrators to recruit and retain teachers in the area. On this paper, I will discus the recruitment practice of the district, which consists in a combination of incentives for the newly hired professionals. Some of the incentives are signing bonus, reduce mortgage rates and daycare facilities. Moreover, the district holds a job fair once a year to recruit teachers. The job fair is held in April. The participants are very competitive and many principals take advantage of the job fair to sign contracts and fill as many positions as they can for the new school year. Job fair The principals and assistant principals gather a group of teachers from each school to work with them at the annual job fair. Veteran teachers serve as advisors for the administrators while evaluating applications. The principals interview prospective applicants at the site in the event that a highly qualified professional is looking for a position. This is done to avoid that any neighbor district hire the applicant. The goal of the Human Resources Department is to hire certified teachers. The NCLB policy enforces this practice. In previous years, the goal was to have teachers in the classrooms, and they employed Lateral Entry teachers to fill those positions. Today, they are putting effort to recruit fully certified teachers to meet the federal requirements. Incentives Hoke County has in place different incentives to attract teachers and to retain those that are already employed. The first one is signing bonuses, offered to highly qualified and fully certified teachers only. The ... Free Essays on Recruitment Practice At Hoke County Schools Free Essays on Recruitment Practice At Hoke County Schools Hoke County School District is located in a rural area in North Carolina. The district consists in 11 schools. The relatively small district has problems recruiting teachers since other neighbor districts have better location and offer good benefits. The recruitment practice of this district is very successful. The Human Resources Department is working closely with the local administrators to recruit and retain teachers in the area. On this paper, I will discus the recruitment practice of the district, which consists in a combination of incentives for the newly hired professionals. Some of the incentives are signing bonus, reduce mortgage rates and daycare facilities. Moreover, the district holds a job fair once a year to recruit teachers. The job fair is held in April. The participants are very competitive and many principals take advantage of the job fair to sign contracts and fill as many positions as they can for the new school year. Job fair The principals and assistant principals gather a group of teachers from each school to work with them at the annual job fair. Veteran teachers serve as advisors for the administrators while evaluating applications. The principals interview prospective applicants at the site in the event that a highly qualified professional is looking for a position. This is done to avoid that any neighbor district hire the applicant. The goal of the Human Resources Department is to hire certified teachers. The NCLB policy enforces this practice. In previous years, the goal was to have teachers in the classrooms, and they employed Lateral Entry teachers to fill those positions. Today, they are putting effort to recruit fully certified teachers to meet the federal requirements. Incentives Hoke County has in place different incentives to attract teachers and to retain those that are already employed. The first one is signing bonuses, offered to highly qualified and fully certified teachers only. The ...

HRM Research Paper

HRM Research Paper Describe and critically evaluate the key factors that shape the role and practices of the HR/Personnel function within an organisation with which you are familiar. On the basis of your analysis identify the main HRM challenges currently facing this organisation. Relate your analysis to appropriate literature. Introduction People are an important and expensive resource to a business. This asset has the capacity to be highly productive and generate revenue for the firm, but it also requires much attention and maintenance. When the direct costs of employment are added to the indirect costs of recruitment and selection, training and development, the organisations investment in an average full-time employee can exceed ?00,000 in a short space of time. Therefore one of the fundamental factors is how to attract the right employee and retain their services, gaining efficiency throughout. Before answering the first part of the question Describe and critically evaluate the key factors that shape the role and practices of the HR/Personnel function within an organisation with which you are familiar, the differences between HRM and the older style Personnel Management requires defining. Human Resource Management HRM can be defined as any part of the management structure that relates to people at work. It involves everything from recruitment to training to performance appraisal and overall employee welfare. HRM is originally an American management term that has taken over from the more restrictive Personnel Management, and denotes a more proactive and business-focused role, with an emphasis on good communication and staff commitment, more flexible work practices, and performance-related reward systems. Once considered a more peripheral activity, HRM has now moved to the core of the business. The authorÐ ±Ã ¿s own perspective of this assignment is delivered from within the steel industry. An employee in middle management with a history of working from grass roots to Manufacturing Manager over a 10 year period within the Basic Oxygen Steel making plant (BOS). A plant where the iron from the Blast furnace iron is refined and then re-alloyed to be supplied at the correct time temperature and specification to the Continuously Cast plant (CONCAST) where semi-finished products are supplied to the mills for rolling. Current Economic Climate Due to the current economic climate that is affecting the trading situation, both within the home and world export market there has been immense pressure on the business to reduce operating costs to achieve business objectives. Many areas of the business especially within the carbon steels section are, and have been making a loss for an extended period. Not just since the tragic events of 11th September 2001, the events of which that have been blamed for losses in many other businesses. This event has merely compounded an underlying trend of difficult trading conditions in steel. We have as a business been implementing strategies to cut costs and increase efficiency, not just in operational performance terms but also changes in managements structures, team working implementation and further changes in manning levels (based on under utilisation of plant due to the low output). HR Role Many of the recent objectives set by the business at Ð ±Ã ¾Board LevelÐ ±Ã ¿ to reduce costs have required the need for the HRM function to take a role in the business, to be able to achieve the required levels. Some specific areas that the HR Department manage include Policies; such as Drugs and Alcohol and Equal Opportunities, as well as implementation of Company policy and Strategy, both long-term and medium-term. But these are day to say issues; the following headings are other fundamental areas that the HR function has played a part in during the recent cost cutting exercise. Manpower Planning This topic involves charting the future needs of the organisation with regard to numbers, skills profile, age and experience. This enables the firm to have the right people in the right numbers at the right time. There have been some major changes within the organisation over recent years; the implementation of Team Working has been key to reducing costs. It brings about some m ajor benefits, not least a reduction in employee numbers through more efficient use of the resource. Through this implementation at Scunthorpe, a 15% reduction of manpower has been achieved. The challenge that the HR function was faced with was how to achieve this kind of figure? In reality the HRM department had a minor role to play. From Board level through to Senior Management came the directive that a percentage manning reduction was required across the board, and that it would be fulfilled. Each individual department had to carry out Key Task Analysis (KTA) to determine what sort of levels of manning could be utilised based on Ð ±Ã ¾time and taskÐ ±Ã ¿ process. From this analysis came a set of numbers that indicated how many persons could manage an area. The dwindling numbers within the HR function meant that they hade no alternative but to take an lesser role and stand back to allow the production departments themselves to manage certain tasks. Many of the manning reductio ns have been found through voluntary redundancy and early retirement. Having had the departmental managers find the numbers the HR function has now stepped in to undertake the interviewing process that details the package available for early departure. Recruitment and Selection This process is by which the organisation gets the best people to do the jobs necessary to achieve its goals. Preparation is the key to effectiveness in this area, by clearly establishing the jobs to be done and the type of people needed to do them, the construction of an accurate Job Description and Person Specification will save time and money. Recruitment within corus has been very low for many years, 1988 was the last time anyone was taken from the outside environment; the only current source of new employees into the business is through Graduate recruitment. Since privatisation in 1988, apart from graduates, nearly all (blue collar) vacancies have been fulfilled though internal cross matching, and recruitment from the in-house Ð ±Ã ¾cleaning contractorsÐ ±Ã ¿. This source of employee recruitment is seriously flawed with many disadvantages, not least that the type of person employed for cleaning is not necessarily the right person for operation of technically based operating systems, education levels required for cleaning are significantly lower, and the nature of the work is totally different. The reason that this source has been used is due to the ease of the selection process, the lack of cost involved and the minimal time required to interview etc. Most are employed on the basis that their Contract Manager says Ð ±Ã ¾they are good eggs! The other benefit is that they are hired on a 6-month trial, if they do not size up then they are easily transferred back into the contract gang. An easy recruitment process but by far the right person for the job. Graduates are the main source of external recruitment. The HR Function carries out visits to colleges and universities to entice budding youngsters into the industry with the knowledge that they are joining a company that is renowned for being the most efficient steel producer in the world, and that they will gains skills to promote themselves within the industry. The corus website is seriously directed towards graduate recruitment and is a main source of applicants. Unfortunately at present there are not many wanting to join what is seen as an ailing industry, a challenge for the HR Department to continue to recruit from a reducing market. Training and Development This in most organisations is a major growth area, with firms realising that skill s development and flexibility are now key to business success. Unfortunately within corus over the last few years the amount spent on Ð ±Ã ¾externalÐ ±Ã ¿ training has been kept to an absolute minimum and has had an effect on plant operating performance, initiatives such as I.I.P, T.Q.P. and the likes have been dropped by the wayside due to the cost and lack of resources to implement and apply. The significant changes in manning have affected this. The main source of training at present is Ð ±Ã ¾sitting with Nellie, the disadvantages of this being that the trainee is getting a level of training that the trainer has been trained to give. Unfortunately Plant Trainers are non-existent and therefore the training given is from someone who has little experience of training people and very often not a lot of knowledge of plant and the process. The latter is inherent of the loss of knowledge due to the departure of experienced individuals. This has now been identified and new measures have been put in place that will be discussed under Ð ±Ã ¾ChallengesÐ ±Ã ¿. Performance Appraisal This involves a formal system of regularly collecting, recording, and sharing information between the employee and the appraiser about the employees work performance and potential. Conducted in the correct manner, it can enhance motivation, contribute to achieving organisational goals, and assist the process of rewarding good performance. One would like to think that this is carried out, in reality there again is insufficient time for the line manager to implement as the role of Ð ±Ã ¾fire fightingÐ ±Ã ¿ other issues on a daily basis is consuming time, and the fundamentals of managing people are not being addressed. Reward Management This involves designing the most appropriate methods of remuneration and increasingly incorporates broader, performance-related items such as bonuses and employee share option schemes. These have been implemented alongside the new Team Working and Management structures and are based on Payment for Performance (PFP) on an individual basis, and Bonus related schemes for achieving operational performance. Pay bands and application of the same is an element of the reward scheme that the HR function carries out. This is a broad based application, easy to maintain and implement, but unfortunately as experienced from a personal viewpoint it has been implemented poorly with little or no communication between Pay Departments, the HR function and the employee. Industrial Relations The process of collective bargaining based on employees terms conditions, resolving disputes that may arise, and adhering to the whole range of laws governing the relationship between employers and employees in the workplace. In reality the first line manager deals with any grievance or dispute that may occur locally and the HR department is only called upon for advice or when the dispute escalates. The Collective Agreements are through multi-union negotiations and may include Pay, Hours of work, Bonus payments, Sick Pay scheme and Holidays. There is also the Works Rules, application of, updating of and any changes of legislation affecting works rules to consider. Much of this is on an annual basis with most carried out at national level with minimal amounts at local level. CHALLENGES Skills and Knowledge The increase in voluntary and early retirements has had an effect on the organisation that relates to age, experience and knowledge. The reduction of people has mainly been achieve d from those that can afford to take early retirement, those with minimal or no mortgages, have a level of savings and a lifestyle that could be led with minimal supplementation. Thus the late 40Ð ±Ã ¿s and early 50Ð ±Ã ¿s are the target group. These are the people who have vast experience and knowledge in the steel making industry, gained over many years and they have now been removed. The challenge is to replace this knowledge in a short space of time. The average age has been lowered by 10-12 years since the implementation of team working, this reduction in age has highlighted the reduction in knowledge and experience of the remainder posing a further and future problem that the age range of those employed is such that they will all leave the industry at or around the same time. The cycle will start again unless there is intervention to bring about change. Training Training of the individuals that are left needs to be urgently considered. As stated previously the lack of trai ning over the last few years and the changes that have taken place have led to a deterioration in plant operational performance. This poor performance is unsatisfactory and is incurring costs to the process. The cost of training is not quantifiable, is seen by other organisations as a benefit but at present to corus it is a burden to costs and as such has not been pursued. This benefit has now been realised by senior management and the re-instatement of a Training Owner for plant and the re-launch of the InvestorÐ ±Ã ¿s In People initiative should be the start of an increase in performance. The HR function for their part are required to implement and continuously apply the new recording system required to follow this scheme up. This is not just for plant requirements but also for legislation such as COMAH, (Control of Management and Change) where there is a requirement to be able to identify an individualÐ ±Ã ¿s competency in the job that he is doing. Critically, we as an organi sation should be looking at the theoretical side of how to implement training programmes, studying the likes of Ð ±Ã ¾KolbÐ ±Ã ¿s learning cycleÐ ±Ã ¿ to ensure thorough understanding of the subject and correct implementation of the training received. But this is theory and unfortunately the current culture is that we are Ð ±Ã ¾fire fightingÐ ±Ã ¿, living for the present and just attempting to survive the current climate. Thus there is no commitment to provide resource that has no quantifiable financial gain. Graduate Retention This is an issue whereby in the current climate a high number of graduates are leaving the industry due to its poor outlook; safety and security are important factors to achieve motivation but unfortunately valued employees are leaving in droves. Employment packages are poor in relation to other organisations similar in size, graduates are drawn by the better working environment and benefits provided to organisations that practice. HRM rather than Personnel Management As a business we are very much in the old style of PM whereby we utilise the resource for the benefit of the organisation rather than nurture the person to provide a service that benefits the company for the good! The HR personnel can do little for the graduate financially to be an incentive for them to stay within the industry where environmental conditions are poor and achievement of goals is stifled. Manpower Reductions/Plant Closures Continuing with the theme of efficiency and cost reduction there have, and there will be more manpower reductions caused by plant closures and contracting out of services. Since the age profile is reducing there will be less chance of finding early and voluntary retirement from the younger average age of the existing employees, therefore individuals are not as willing to leave due to economic reasons. The decisions will be more difficult to make about who stays and who goes. Improve Morale One of the HR objectives is to improve morale. This at present is at a low, it is a difficult one for the HR function to achieve because the lack of numbers does not allow them sufficient time to address individual issues and as stated, first level management now carries out most of this. Their presence is rarely seen on plant and as such they cannot use the personal affect to improving moral. There is a need for them to relate the likes of HerzbergÐ ±Ã ¿s two-factor theory of motivation (Figure 1) and MaslowÐ ±Ã ¿s hierarchy of needs (Figure 2) through Team Working initiatives, personal objectives and manipulation of the reward scheme and use this to drive moral. With most though, this is an individual element and certain factors will affect certain individuals differently, thus the need for a one to one basis to find out what drives or motivates each person. Most motivation is driven through line managers and thus the HR objective is somewhat misplaced for the current situation . Business Service One of the challenges facing the HRM function itself is the move towards being a Business Service, not supplying just to corus but also supplying a service outside of the industry. This has already been achieved with part of the Engineering function that supplies its services to outside organisations and has thus made an extra ?.3M this year alone. This has been an initiative throughout the firm to generate more income and reduce the burden of a department on the business. Compilation of services business wide has been managed partly by the HR function, it is part of their objectives to identify further areas for this type of development and quantify the benefits of disadvantages of such a move. For those within the HR Department the move towards a Business Service has seen a step backwards away from generalisation and towards specialisation, a return in some ways to old style management. HR Managers were given skills for them to cope with general issues, but the move back towards sp ecialisation sees them dealing with specifics and having a better working knowledge of one particular area rather than being a Jack of all trades. Trade Union An interesting point made by the local HR Manager Ð ¸C Not enough is done to train the TU representative to be made aware of the Business needs, the reasons for why such actions are needed and the manner in which they should be carried out. There is nothing sinister in supplying such a service to what has inherently been seen as an aggressor to the management. The wider the perspective that the trade union official has, the better he will be equipped to make more appropriate decisions on behalf of the employees that he represents, and the better his understanding of why it is being implemented. The role of Trade Unionism within Human Resource Management poses somewhat of a threat, Legge, p.273, states that Trade Unionism in HRM organisations was being bypassed through the development of Human Resource Management initiatives. Organisations are Ð ±Ã ¾softÐ ±Ã ¿ models of HRM; and can pose a threat to the TU. Another consideration may be, that if the employee is happy and committed in their job, that the need for union representation may not be required. To the organisation there is the need for the T.U. for multi-union bargaining purposes, therefore the HRM department must balance the need of HRM against the need of the Trade Union. Conclusion The increasing competitive pressures, expanding globalisation and a generally harder business environment has brought about a move to a more enhanced view of HRM as opposed to Personnel Management. Unfortunately as a business, corus are very much in the old style of Personnel Management whereby we utilise the resource for the benefit of the organisation rather than nurture the person to provide a service that benefits the company for the good. Numbers have reduced significantly since the implementation of Team Working; the structure has been cut to bare bones. The reduced operating cost set out at board level has been achieved, but at a cost to the business through a reduction in operational performance. Unfortunately the current culture is that we are Ð ±Ã ¾fire fightingÐ ±Ã ¿, living for the present and just attempting to survive the economic climate to make it through, there is no commitment to provide any resource that has no quantifiable financial gain. The HR Department has a role to play in modelling the objectives set by the Board, but their problems are much the same as that of plant management in that the resources are not available to support the fundamental ideas. There are many issues facing the company, short, medium and long term that require addressing, unfortunately it is a service and any gains made through expenditure are not readily quantifiable, therefore no capital is guaranteed whereby there is no return seen. Without an injection of cash or commitment to provide extra services for HRM then there will be no advancement towards achieving better results from the employee through HRM philosophies. HRM, as previously stated denotes a more proactive and business-focused role, with an emphasis on good communication and staff commitment, more flexible work practices, and performance-related reward systems as opposed to Personnel Management These philosophies are carried out by the first line management, which begs the question, Have the less er experienced plant personnel carried out a process that has inherently been carried out by trained professional HR managers and got the numbers wrong, furthermore, was it implemented correctly? Overall because of the reduction in numbers within the HR department, Plant managers and Line managers are now carrying out many tasks and the HR department have a significantly lesser role in the organisation. With no forecast of any change in philosophy and increase in expenditure then the situation is unlikely to change. The input of an active Trade Union and informed official needs to be considered, there is a definite need for both and the HRM department must ensure that a relationship continues.

Derivatives Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Derivatives - Essay Example Therefore, I would be able to enable the loss in one market to be compensated, either completely or partially, by the gains received in the other (TMXGroup, 2012). In hedging there are a number of risks but the main risk involved is the basis risk. This comes about as a result of futures contract not being perfectly tracked by the bond that is being hedged. In most cases, it is usually greater for bond as the actual price is usually lower than the theoretical value. However, the loss due to the basis risk is the same as the profit gained from arbitrage transactions thus recoverable (TMXGroup, 2012). Explain how you could use options contract to hedge your $10m portfolio of 5-year US BBB-corporate bonds over the next year. State what different types of option you might use to implement this strategy I could use the open swap position to hedge the $10m by following the strategy of hedging a fixed-rate portion of the swap against a rise in interest rates by selling a specific number of contracts. In most cases, receiving a fixed rate on a swap is the same as buying a bond with the corresponding hedge consisting of selling bond futures contracts. The method is slightly different from the one described in question one above as in question one I would concentrate on buy positions and sell position and hedge when the correlation is greater to make the process more efficient (TMXGroup, 2012). You are an investor and hold $10m portfolio of US, BBB-corporate bonds and  £20m in UK, AA-rated corporate bonds. The current spot rate is 1.5$/ £. Over the next year you want to reduce your exposure to UK bonds by  £10m and gain  £10m exposure to UK economy by taking a position such that you earn the return on the FTSE in terms of US dollars. Actually, it is possible to achieve this cost efficiently using interest rate futures instead of cash bonds. Furthermore, it is also possible using Rho as this is the change in the price of an option

Examine the use of animal imagery in modern short stories and their Essay

Examine the use of animal imagery in modern short stories and their symbolic significance - Essay Example In addition, the degree to which a character is related to the animal in question may have some impact on the characteristics that are brought out in each. A nanny closely related to a busy parakeet might cause both woman and animal to take on stronger characteristics of nagging and cleanliness, for instance. A man closely related with his bulldog might also seem to be watchful, noisy and largely for show. What is interesting about this use of animal imagery in stories is the way in which this relationship develops to bring out specific characteristics in both animal and character. Two stories that provide a great deal of insight into this relationship are Franz Kafka’s Metamorphosis and Larissa Lai’s Salt Fish Girl. Although the story takes up less than 100 pages, Franz Kafka’s story Metamorphosis lends itself to a wide variety of interpretations as it uses the image of the cockroach to emphasize attributes of its main character. From its small size to a brief summary of its events, there doesn’t seem to be all that much to the story itself upon first glance. The story follows the experiences of Gregor Samsa after he wakes up one morning to find himself turned into a giant bug in his own bed. As he reveals himself to his family and his employer, it becomes obvious that this change is not meant to be a figurative change on the part of the author, but is also a physical change. Although the family continues to care for him, providing him with food and water and cleaning his room once a day, Gregor becomes more and more detached from them, eventually finding it difficult to keep track of what has been happening around him. His room becomes dirtier, his family becomes less attentive a nd he becomes less concerned with their welfare in connection with his own. As his sister and mother move his personal furniture out of his

Retail Employee Management-Assignment 5_05 Assignment

Retail Employee Management- 5_05 - Assignment Example Compensation package is always the main attraction for the company. Any employee will remain attached to the company, which is offering a competitive and hansom salary package. In addition to basic salary packages, some extra or additional facilities also motivate employees to be loyal to the company. Employees themselves want to get opportunities of growth and development. Therefore, employees will stay at any company where they can avail many opportunities for personality or we can say skill development. Every time a strict boss behavior is not a good tool for management. Sometimes employees feel privileged when they get any opportunity to be a part of decision making authority. Therefore we can say that employees may be motivated to remain attach to the company where there is participative decision making. A good team is always the true support for any individual for gaining more success towards the goal. A company where there is a very friendly environment and usually people work in teams and groups then this may also be one of the reasons for employee attachment to the

Business Proposal for Proposed a New Product in the Market Named as Term Paper

Business Proposal for Proposed a New Product in the Market Named as TECTEL - Term Paper Example I-sensor (intruder sensor device) will run on a broad level of production. This will enable the creation of more industries to increase the knowledgeability of the product among its consumers in the market (Holtz, 1990, 57). The number of workers ought to be standardized in order to allow the creation of more products for sales. This will ensure that the I-sensor machine dominates the market for a long time, thus; more sales for the product. The market size should be able to participate rapidly with the existing market as well as large enough with an opportunity to establish them. Most markets investors, shareholders and senior managers are often skeptical to invest resources because, since the markets do not yet exist, the markets may be too small, or not exist at all. The team requirements for I-sensor will be should aim at working achieving the main objectives of the TECTEL Company. Therefore, there should be the inspiration team carries out activities that create an effective atm osphere amongst workforces. The group’s tasks can incorporate actions such as hosting servant lunches, planning association picnics, fundraising for poor workers, and fundraising for philanthropic causes. The safety and ecological group ensure the security of workforces in the workplace. The team takes the lead in security teaching and how to use the I-sensor, scheduled safety conferences, and the reviewing of maintenance, safety, and office union. The employee wellness team emphasizes on health and suitability for all employees (Holtz, 1990, 77). Culture and Communication Team works to describe and generate the defined company culture required for the accomplishment of your organization. According to Holtz, (1990, 102), the team also nurtures dual communication in your business to guarantee employee participation up to the chain of command. The team may champion the monthly bulletin, a weekly company appraise, quarterly employee gratification surveys, and an employee proposi tion process. Start several company teams, such as these, and support their triumph.     

Cinema & City Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2500 words

Cinema & City - Essay Example Thus the first cinematic clip was that of a city. Cinematic images of cities shed light on the past and future of urban spaces the crises and sensations of the inhabitants of the city are projected through cinema's endless capacity to contrast the urban and corporal (Barber, 2002) Wim Wenders' 'Der Himmel 'ber Berlin /Wings of Desire' (1987) and Tom Tykwer's 'Lola rennt/Run Lola Run' (1998) are two films which showcase the city of Berlin. The former portrays the divided Berlin of the cold-war era and the latter the modern city after the reunification of Germany and its capital. The city of Berlin possesses a unique history which has always been entwined with European history. At the start of the twentieth century Berlin desired to replace Paris and London as the leading European metropolis and become the cultural capital of Europe. After Hitler's coming to power, it became the place where the destiny of millions of people was decided. This era of Berlin's history is its most shameful and old Berliner's have tried to erase this period from their city and memory both. After the Second World War the devastated city was separated into East and West Berlin and thus became a unique place where communism and capitalism were confronting each other. The icon of the division, the Berlin Wall, was erected in 1961, and was dismantled in 1989, which smoothed the way for reuniting Germany in 1990. In 1991 Berlin was named the capital of the new unified state of Germany. Nowadays Berlin has changed drastically and claims to be the city of the future and is known all over the world for its ambitious architectural projects and bold decisions in urban planning. It has re-invented itself a dozen times and continues to do. The new city of Berlin is a symbol of defeat of both communism and its Nazi past and hope and development for the future. Berlin and cinema Berlin is also famous as a city from the point of view of its various world famous portrayals in text and film, starting with 'Berlin: Symphony of a Great City'(1927) by Walter Ruttmann and 'Alexanderplatz' by Alfred D'blin (1929) to the modern 'Wings of Desire' (1987) by Wim Wenders' and 'Run Lola Run' (1998) by Tom Tykwer's. Since the 1960's artists have arranged artworks and shows in the public areas of the city which criticized the cold war order and institutions, and later on the frantic attempt by the German regime to erase the past after fall of the Berlin Wall. Portraying Berlin means looking at a city that has undergone remarkable changes over the last century in which an emperor was banished and a new republic was created then failed, being followed by a Nazi dictatorship ending up in Germany's division which has now been overcome, but, naturally left its scars. Additionally, capitals and their self-perception are of enormous importance to a nation's identity, which is especially true for Berlin, a city owning the status of a 'full-blown metropolis, unlike any other German city' (Clarke, 2006:151) Since 1945 the film industry has put singular emphasis on screening a city's development, in chronological as well as in visual terms. Inversely a city itself can project a definite cinematic class which can be experienced in daily life. James Donald, in his sociology of the city imaginary, says that cinema has educated 'audiences across

Undertake project work Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Undertake project work - Assignment Example This will exhibit whether the product is a success or a failure within the market. The period for the project will be three months. a period in which the project will research on the market viability, strengths as well as weakness of the product, inclusive of the consumer reception of the new brand within the Indian market. The project follows the right standards of ethics in research. This means that it will consider all the required steps in conducting a research project, such as freedom of choice by participants, respecting the privacy and choice of participants, as well as giving accurate data for use in the analysis phase of the project. The project requires both financial and intellectual assets in order to undertake appropriately. this includes an experienced team of researchers, project managers, marketing professionals, market analysts, as well as adequate financial resources to undertake the entire project work appropriately. This includes money for the research, money for transport, and money to carry out the various analyses necessary to complete the research. Please identify the clients, employees or team responsible for the projects. Here students should outline each person or team’s responsibilities in order to complete the project. The team’s responsibilities should be aligned with the desired outcomes in the project. You may use the table below: The young ones are equally an important market segment of the company. As such, this market segment needs particular attention in order identify its tastes and preferences, trends, as well as other likes that contribute largely to market viability and growth. The teenagers are the most users of soft drinks, especially owing to their fast transformation from children to adulthood. This is the point when many young ones transform in all ways, especially

Business Proposal for Proposed a New Product in the Market Named as Term Paper

Business Proposal for Proposed a New Product in the Market Named as TECTEL - Term Paper Example I-sensor (intruder sensor device) will run on a broad level of production. This will enable the creation of more industries to increase the knowledgeability of the product among its consumers in the market (Holtz, 1990, 57). The number of workers ought to be standardized in order to allow the creation of more products for sales. This will ensure that the I-sensor machine dominates the market for a long time, thus; more sales for the product. The market size should be able to participate rapidly with the existing market as well as large enough with an opportunity to establish them. Most markets investors, shareholders and senior managers are often skeptical to invest resources because, since the markets do not yet exist, the markets may be too small, or not exist at all. The team requirements for I-sensor will be should aim at working achieving the main objectives of the TECTEL Company. Therefore, there should be the inspiration team carries out activities that create an effective atm osphere amongst workforces. The group’s tasks can incorporate actions such as hosting servant lunches, planning association picnics, fundraising for poor workers, and fundraising for philanthropic causes. The safety and ecological group ensure the security of workforces in the workplace. The team takes the lead in security teaching and how to use the I-sensor, scheduled safety conferences, and the reviewing of maintenance, safety, and office union. The employee wellness team emphasizes on health and suitability for all employees (Holtz, 1990, 77). Culture and Communication Team works to describe and generate the defined company culture required for the accomplishment of your organization. According to Holtz, (1990, 102), the team also nurtures dual communication in your business to guarantee employee participation up to the chain of command. The team may champion the monthly bulletin, a weekly company appraise, quarterly employee gratification surveys, and an employee proposi tion process. Start several company teams, such as these, and support their triumph.     

Undertake project work Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Undertake project work - Assignment Example This will exhibit whether the product is a success or a failure within the market. The period for the project will be three months. a period in which the project will research on the market viability, strengths as well as weakness of the product, inclusive of the consumer reception of the new brand within the Indian market. The project follows the right standards of ethics in research. This means that it will consider all the required steps in conducting a research project, such as freedom of choice by participants, respecting the privacy and choice of participants, as well as giving accurate data for use in the analysis phase of the project. The project requires both financial and intellectual assets in order to undertake appropriately. this includes an experienced team of researchers, project managers, marketing professionals, market analysts, as well as adequate financial resources to undertake the entire project work appropriately. This includes money for the research, money for transport, and money to carry out the various analyses necessary to complete the research. Please identify the clients, employees or team responsible for the projects. Here students should outline each person or team’s responsibilities in order to complete the project. The team’s responsibilities should be aligned with the desired outcomes in the project. You may use the table below: The young ones are equally an important market segment of the company. As such, this market segment needs particular attention in order identify its tastes and preferences, trends, as well as other likes that contribute largely to market viability and growth. The teenagers are the most users of soft drinks, especially owing to their fast transformation from children to adulthood. This is the point when many young ones transform in all ways, especially

Rules for You Put All of Your Company’s Products Essay Example for Free

Rules for You Put All of Your Company’s Products Essay Once you put all of your company’s products into their respective categories, you then consider these rules: 1. Stars:  invest your marketing dollars in these since they could become dominant market leaders 2. Cash Cows:  milk these to provide the cash to invest in your stars and a few question marks 3. Question Marks:  invest in the most promising of these as well — but only a few 4. Dogs:  cut the leash and let these go to the highest bidder for some much needed cash To illustrate, imagine that you’re Coca-Cola. Your portfolio might look something like this: Question Mark:  your energy drink brand (Full Throttle) ? Star:  your bottled water (Dasani) ? Cash Cow:  your namesake soft drink (Coca-Cola) ? Dog:  your sweetened juice drink (Hi-C) As Coca-Cola’s CMO, you would use income from Coke to invest primarily in Dasani and Full Throttle, while looking to sell off Hi-C to some private equity fund with too much cash on its hands. But before you rush off and start reallocating your dinero, consider these caveats†¦ Caveat #1: Markets change with the economy and other conditions — sometimes very quickly. What if consumers make a massive shift from bottled water to tap water, as many municipal governments are doing? Dasani is doomed. Or what if  Tiki Bar TV  uses Hi-C as a drink mixer, making it a hip and trendy drink amongst geeks overnight? Your dog is now a star†¦ Caveat #2: One company’s dog is another company’s cash cow (or better). Some investors have struck gold by buying another company’s dogs. In 2003, Nike bought troubled Converse for only $305 million (less than what the movie â€Å"Iron Man† earned in two months). Tips: Invest for sales growth and market share. Use cash from Cash Cows to support required investments. Star examples: Apple = iPhone Coca-Cola = Vitamin Water Cash Cows Low Growth, High Market Share [pic] †¢ Foundation of the company and Stars of yesterday †¢ Generate more cash than required †¢ Extract profits by investing as little cash as possible †¢ located in an industry that is mature and not growing or declining Tips: Maintain the strong market position and defend your market share. Take advantage of sales volume and leverage the size of operations. Support other businesses. Cash Cow examples: Apple = iPods Coca-Cola = Coca-Cola Classic Dogs Low Growth, Low Market Share [pic] †¢ Cash traps †¢ Do not have potential to bring in much cash †¢ Number of dogs in country should be minimalized †¢ Business is situated at a declining stage Tips: Optimize your current operations. Get rid of all non value added activities and features. Reposition your offering to generate positive cash flow or sell this business. Dog examples: Apple = Since good company should not have any dogs Coca-Cola = New Coke

Leadership Public Health

Leadership Public Health QUALITIES OF A GOOD PUBLIC HEALTH LEADER Definition of leadership What is leadership in public health Difference between Management and leadership Discuss issues/trends related to Healthcare that make Leadership in public health significant (to address and keep up with the trends in healthcare) Governments role Digital divide in the system (ex. Electronic health records) Political social functions Budget (optional)- but since we covered this topic this past week- discretionary budget process covers the public health costs, which is very minimal Qualities of what makes a leader Conclusion PUBLIC HEALTH LEADER QUALITIES OF A GOOD PUBLIC HEALTH LEADER Abstract Leadership skills are different from management skills. While the two are equally important for the success of public health organization, they are different in terms of roles and abilities. Managers are placed in power, whereas leaders are given power by their followers. Leaders also inspire their followers as well the local and national community he/she serves. Recent events have caused public health leaders to take on new roles. CONTINUE†¦ The topic of leadership is one that has been studied and researched for years. Professionals and managers desire it and companies and organizations seek it from their employees. The coveted skill is wanted by all, but possessed by few. What is considered a good leader, or a great leader, is even harder to come by. And the field of public health—a field that changes constantly and evolves quicker than health officials can keep up with—demands great leadership. A good public health leader is defined in many ways and by many skills. It can be argued that any manager can be leader, but the literature and research prove otherwise. There are certain skill-sets that set a good leader apart from the manager. Being knowledgeable in several areas relating public health and management is integral for the success of the public health leader and the organization he/she serves. Equally important are having the personal qualities expected of a leader and being perceived as a leader by the supporting staff. Combining these attributes along with management skills ensures that a leader is prepared for and ahead of the public health curve. Management versus Leadership Being a great leader is demanding, but even more so, is being a good public health leader. Public health is different from other fields because the work itself is always evolving. The target audience, the methods, and the promotional plans are always changing. Managing these tasks is not enough, especially when dealing with an audience that often does not want the information. Work can become redundant and employees and quickly lose interest, stamina, and sense of purpose. This is where a great leader can emerge. One of the key differences in leadership and management is the ability to inspire. Almost anyone can manage or run a task if proper instruction is received. Everything from distributing the work, creating work plans, and managing the budget can be done by a manager. But leaders can inspire people and create a single vision. When staff is truly motivated, the end result is a much better product that involved a united team (Cooper, 1990). In fact, if given a choice, people â€Å"would rather follow a leader than a manager† (McLean, 2005). This notes a clear distinction in favor of the leader, as noted by staff. Ideally, a manager can be a great leader, and some may argue that leadership is one of the roles played by a manager. However, McLean makes another distinction in the leader, suggesting that the leader â€Å"is conferred power from followers that allow him/her to influence their actions† (2005). This means that the leader is given power by those following him, versus the manager who is appointed to the manager role. This power comes with the ability to influence followers and have an effect on their outcome(Peter, 2001). While there are clear differences between management and leadership, it is impossible to say that a successful organization could still exist without the two of them working simultaneously. After all, the above assumes that a great leader can be a great manager. However, great leadership does not come automatically with great management skills. Each role requires a different skill set. Managers are essential to a public health organization for their attention to detail and ability to follow orders and complete tasks in a timely and efficient manner. Leaders are then essential for the motivation and inspiration of supporting staff. As McLeans wraps it up, â€Å"both are essential and both have their place they just have different emphases† (2005). Definition of a Public Health Leader Other than the ability to inspire, the leader is defined by several other abilities. The leader is also influential, and has the ability to attract followers and have them transmit their goal and vision to new potential followers. This is especially important when working with large public health firms and organizations. It is nearly impossible for the leader to individually reach every single person and inspire them directly. Leaders thus depend on followers to inspire others as well. This is where the next definition of a leader is introduced; the ability to be a great mentor as well. Mentoring is a great way to mold someone and teach them the importance of leadership in public health. Novick et al. describe leadership mentoring as â€Å"experience, by the work of insight, by personal growth, and by learning from mentors† (2008, pg. 292). While some may argue that great leaders are born, many great leaders can emerge from the situation they are presented. Gaining experience and learning by following a leaders example are a great way in which new leaders can emerge and benefit by seeing a good leader act before it is their turn to. Thus leadership also involves the skill of making leaders out of others. The public health field also demands that its leaders be influential outside of the organization it immediately serves. One of the most important tasks in public health is the ability to influence your local community and national niche organizations that share similar goals and objectives. This means that a leader in public health must possess the competency of building and keeping ongoing relationships with community organizations (Saleh et al. 2004, pg. 1247). Forming successful partnerships helps an organization reach its goal faster and more efficiently. For this reason, it is imperative that the public health leader be in tune with the goals of its organization in order to partner with the right organizations. At the same time, public health leaders need to be aware of the larger picture. Public health is so grand and it becomes impossible for a leader to be great in every aspect of the field. According to the American Public Health Association, being aware of the larger picture is recognizing ones role in public health, or rather taking â€Å"ownership of ones particular job and having the creativity to do it (2000, pg. 11). This also involves setting appropriate priorities based on the current needs of the organizations. This involves looking at the larger picture, assessing which goals are most important to the future of the organization, and setting priorities to accomplish these goals. Leadership also requires the ability to react to new sudden needs of the public health organization. Clear examples of these are the events of September 11, 2001. These events left public health officials dumbfounded. Almost immediately, officials became aware of how little they were prepared for such a disaster. Leaders were forced to think and react quickly, and soon after there was a surge of new educational opportunities related to emergency preparedness. The same leaders learned to be â€Å"more effective in responding to ever-changing public health challenges† (Saleh et al. 2004, pg. 1246). The role of an effective leader is clearly not easy. While a leader mains role is to inspire a vision and work in others, leaders must also possess a variety or related skills. Therefore, the definition of a public health leader includes the ability to mentor and produce new effective leaders and serve as a leader in both the local and national communities with a same vision. Leaders must also be able to see the grand picture and set timely and relevant priorities, as well as think and react to sudden public health needs( Donald, 1991). Current Trends in Public Health Leadership Using the example of September 11, 2001, it became obvious to officials that there were clear gaps in the system and that current leaders did not all possess the adequate skills for such a disaster. Programs emerged to educate public health leaders about bioterrorism, crises response, and disaster management (Burrell, 2007, pg. 62). These subjects fall outside of the comfort zone for many public health leaders, since much of public health falls within the field of heath, nutrition, environmental health, physical and emotional well-being, and disease prevention. The goal of these programs is to provide formal training in areas that are critical. In fact, several accredited universities have made this effort easier by providing programs relating to homeland security, terrorism, emergency preparedness and related disciplines. Burrell states that such programs help address the â€Å"threats [that] have created a need for all public managers to expand their knowledge and develop new skills† (2007, pg. 63). Several universities, particularly those in the DC area, are now making it easier for public health leaders to receive training in these areas. Qualities of what makes a leader Competence By carrying out preventive medicine and communicable disease control, occupational health, food safety, and disaster response programs a good public health leader exercises a sense of responsibility. This is a good attribute of a public health leader who is able to relate well to the ground in respect to the above issues. By carrying out all the assigned duties and disseminating to the relevant staff within a public officer fulfill all the doubtful acts that responsibility is not being undertaken. The work of a public health leader ranges from various areas and in order to fulfill the required fields he or she had to assign various duties to his colleges. Without a good sense of responsibility, effective work performance will not be put in place which might end up putting the public at risk since poor service deliver y will be delivered .therefore a good public health leader should be one who is able to exercise effective responsibility in a senses that they are able to be judged acc ording to how dissemination of what has been assigned to the m has occurred. A well established focused and self defined health leader should be able to establishes and maintain contact with medical treatment facility and local public health agencies to ensure an integrated public health program flows between all the sectors. The medical sector .without a continuous flow of events service delivery will be impossible which requires that a public health officer should resolve to having good communication skill that enable effective passage of information from one section to another. Courageous As a public health leader, one must emulate courage in order to be decisive person. A good public health leader ought not to be afraid of failure since without this, he or she will not be able to function as a leader. One should have the courage to maintain their convictions or go with a gut instinct. A good public health leader should always admit that a mistake has been committed without hesitation showing how brave one is in the tackling of the environment. Skillful This attribute will be able to ensure that a public health leader lays down corrective mechanism that are able to ascertain aspect which show that he or she is capable of undertaken the task in hand. This will involve showing of skill knowledge and the aptitude by the leader. A well focused skilled leader in the public health sector carries out all the necessary task making his or her colleges follow due to extra ordinary character that he or she will display in managing a given scenario. The matters that concern health are the most complex tasks that a leader might handle since this are real life situation that unless taken seriously into consideration, loss of life might occur. Therefore the leader should be able to tackle the hardest thing that surrounds the immediate environment since he or she has the necessary skill available. The skills can range from practical, mental and technical skills. A good public health leader should emulate good advisory skill which bears in mind on h ow advises will be given out on military public health issues, manning, and training. This is a fundamental aspect that requires great attention. Advising on critical issues requires that one has good counseling skill that enable him or her put into practice what is needed. Influential In the sense that even when carrying out various developments he or she will be able to initiates, nonstop and conduct preventive medicine and communicable disease control programs .being influential requires that one will be able to disseminate all that is required to all the colleges therefore boosting the morale of what is being done. Patience gives clear characteristics of a public health officer who will, be able to clarify all that is needed before acting upon them. For example when the employees are unable to clearly clarify or understand what is being talked about, the public health leader ought to verify it in details and make sure that all the tasks assigned to the are done according to the intended purposes. A good public health leader should embrace loyalty in that he or she should be able to perform mutually to the colleges what seems desirable by all since unless this is emulated ,the same will be fall him making progression in this sector top reduce by a large margin ( Swayne E. 2001). Flexible Having such attributes a public health leader will be able to change from one aspect to the other successfully ensuring that effective measures are put in place to minimize lost efforts. With these qualities a public health leader will be able to adapt to the immediate environment when fluctuations arise .this in reality entails a leader who has the intellectual capabilities of focusing on the prediction of what is to occur. Take an example where an outbreak of a specific epidemic occurs, flexibility of this situation will be determined by the leader. Being resilient will enable the leader to ensure that failure is an opportunity to expand to the real life scenario without fearing what might succumb to them but tackling it with ease with resilience, public health leaders should consider every failure as a step closer to the realization of their dreams. A leader has to lay down good examples to others, taking a role model position .All the people working around and staff members would like to emulate what they see that is positive and that doing this is the person in charge of their affairs. Public health officers should bear this quality such that what is perceived by them to be a right perspective still remains to be so by the other team players. By being a role model the public health officer embraces a sense of confidence which also is gained by the other team players and with this service delivery in highly enhanced. Tackling some issue in the public health sector requires great confidence in the interest of the public sefty.Take a case where gaseous poisonous substances have spilled in the air, the public health sector will have to make appropriate action in the determination of the root cause of this phenomena. To an ordinary person without skills, training and confidence, doing this task will be a great risk to life, however if one is trained, the confidence usually inspired by the trainer who in this case is the leader of the public health sector keeps them going. Conclusion A good public health leader should instigate buoyancy in others and be persistent in a crisis. Though this sector is a tough one to tackle leaders her should embrace one another and come together to solve the relevant problems that exist within the locality. Good listening skill should be developed since communication is a two way traffic, therefore leaders should try as much as possible to be good listeners. In the course of coming up with new ways and means of communicating a smooth flow of events will prevail therefore saving on other irrelevant costs that might occur. Management and leadership should go hand in hand in that though leaders are people are followed by other people through their own choice and managers have to be obeyed; these two disparities have to be merged in order to come up with a formidable action plane that will be able to facilitate smooth flow of events The public health leader has to have the capacity of embracing new talent and nature it. Sincerity and re liability are particularly significant for any good leader embracing realistic goals. By setting goals a good public health leader will be setting avenues that lead to the attainment of the goals. This targets when attained should be credible to the participants who took part in the achieving of results unlike praising the leader. The public health sector being the toughest areas to tackle should be reformed such that there is always the division of labor. This will enhance inventions and innovations which will give out the definition of development through the total commitment and support from the whole team. References Cooper, T. (1990). The Responsible Administrator. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Donald, S (1991). â€Å"Innovative Organizations Require Innovative Managers.† Public Administration Review. 41:5, 507-513. Peter, N. (2001). Leadership: Theory and Practice. Thousands Oaks, CA: Sage. Swayne E. (2001). Leadership and Management, Public Health: Cases and Context, by Sage Publications

Critical Thinking in Kansas Schools Essay -- Critical Thinking Essays

Critical Thinking in Kansas Schools Tracy and John were casually chatting shortly after their annual meeting about the high school curriculum had drawn to a close. Both were intrigued by some of the proposed changes they had discussed with their fellow school administrators. They were especially interested in a notion that was sweeping the university scene – critical thinking. While both agreed that orienting the class structure to include a greater focus on thinking skills would enhance education as a whole, John questioned the reality of the situation. Could a critical thinking curriculum be a viable option for their small Kansas school district? Tracy: Regardless of the school district’s size, the students will undoubtedly benefit from having to think critically about almost everything they do. Currently the classrooms rely almost entirely on textbooks to provide all of the necessary answers that are written into the test. This blatant reliance on rote memorization, in my opinion, has crippled our curriculum and testing system and has deprived students of the intellectual growth they need to succeed in life after high school. Should we not educate students of the skills they will surely require in their college courses? If these students choose not to obtain a post-secondary education but instead decide to enter the independent world of work and family, do they not need these skills in thought and reason? I have yet to discover a manual containing answers to all of life’s questions in the back of the text. The National Assessment of Educational Progress â€Å"shows consistently that high school students fall s hort† in the areas of critical thinking and problem solving (Jasparro 86). We as educators should work to help t... ...ded counterpoints to Tracy’s arguments by stating that Kansas already has elements of critical thinking woven into high school education, such a reform could prove costly to the district and the state, and that the amount of information taught in schools could suffer as a direct result of Tracy’s idea. This may be a future issue not only discussed by educators in Kansas, but also on a national scale. Works Cited â€Å"Critical Thinking Skills Key to Raising SAT Scores.† Business Wire. Lexis-Nexis Online. 30 August 1991. Keywords: Critical Thinking. Eichhorn, Roy. â€Å"Developing Thinking Skills: Critical Thinking at the Army Management Staff College.† Critical Thinking. 13 June 2001. Army Management Staff College . Jasparro, Ralph. â€Å"Applying Systems Thinking to Curriculum Evaluation.† NASSP Bulletin 82.598 (1998): 86. Critical Thinking in Kansas Schools Essay -- Critical Thinking Essays Critical Thinking in Kansas Schools Tracy and John were casually chatting shortly after their annual meeting about the high school curriculum had drawn to a close. Both were intrigued by some of the proposed changes they had discussed with their fellow school administrators. They were especially interested in a notion that was sweeping the university scene – critical thinking. While both agreed that orienting the class structure to include a greater focus on thinking skills would enhance education as a whole, John questioned the reality of the situation. Could a critical thinking curriculum be a viable option for their small Kansas school district? Tracy: Regardless of the school district’s size, the students will undoubtedly benefit from having to think critically about almost everything they do. Currently the classrooms rely almost entirely on textbooks to provide all of the necessary answers that are written into the test. This blatant reliance on rote memorization, in my opinion, has crippled our curriculum and testing system and has deprived students of the intellectual growth they need to succeed in life after high school. Should we not educate students of the skills they will surely require in their college courses? If these students choose not to obtain a post-secondary education but instead decide to enter the independent world of work and family, do they not need these skills in thought and reason? I have yet to discover a manual containing answers to all of life’s questions in the back of the text. The National Assessment of Educational Progress â€Å"shows consistently that high school students fall s hort† in the areas of critical thinking and problem solving (Jasparro 86). We as educators should work to help t... ...ded counterpoints to Tracy’s arguments by stating that Kansas already has elements of critical thinking woven into high school education, such a reform could prove costly to the district and the state, and that the amount of information taught in schools could suffer as a direct result of Tracy’s idea. This may be a future issue not only discussed by educators in Kansas, but also on a national scale. Works Cited â€Å"Critical Thinking Skills Key to Raising SAT Scores.† Business Wire. Lexis-Nexis Online. 30 August 1991. Keywords: Critical Thinking. Eichhorn, Roy. â€Å"Developing Thinking Skills: Critical Thinking at the Army Management Staff College.† Critical Thinking. 13 June 2001. Army Management Staff College . Jasparro, Ralph. â€Å"Applying Systems Thinking to Curriculum Evaluation.† NASSP Bulletin 82.598 (1998): 86.

Background Info on My Forbidden Face :: essays research papers

  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Have you ever wondered what it would be like to live as an Afghan girl under the rule of the Taliban? This question is answered in the book My Forbidden Face. Latifa, a young Afghan girl, discusses her struggles throughout the book. Latifa faces several different problems while being under the rule of the Taliban. She handles these problems with the best of her ability.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  First of all, Latifa had to deal with the struggles her mom was facing. Latifa’s mother was very ill so she dealt with the situation by trying to help her mother out in every way possible. Latifa was always there to comfort her mom. Latifa’s mother was also struggling with not being able to work. Because women weren’t allowed to do anything in the Afghan society, Latifa opened a school for the apartment children. Latifa’s mother managed to help out by cooking, which she considered a form of work. She watched her children be mistreated throughout the Taliban rule. Latifa had all intentions of receiving an education but she couldn’t go to school due to the laws of the Taliban. Latifa’s mother saw strong ambitions in her daughter so she encouraged her to believe in herself and always do her best. Latifa managed to deal with her mom’s struggles very well.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Secondly, Latifa had to deal with the way women were treated in the Afghan society. Women weren’t allowed to go outside of their homes without the company of their father or brother. Latifa managed to deal with this by staying inside. She knew she wouldn’t have to deal with the Taliban if she avoided them. Latifa also couldn’t stand the fact that women couldn’t hold jobs. She opened up a school for the children of her apartment complex knowing there would be harsh consequences if caught. She also had to deal with knowing her mother and sister had to give their jobs up. Women were also required to dress in certain clothing. Latifa claimed   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚   she couldn’t walk in the long skirts and couldn’t breathe under the facial clothing. Latifa liked to wear nail polish and earrings but this privilege was taken away when the Taliban came into power. Women were treated very badly under the Taliban rule, but Latifa found ways to deal with it.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Thirdly, Latifa had to deal with her own illness of depression and learned to deal with this by reading.