Compensation

Compensation is an important motivator when looking to achieve desired organizational results. Money is thought of s a powerful motivator, however that only holds for sometime until the next pay increase is due. Compensation strategies reinforce the organizational culture that you desire, this enables the culture where pay is linked to performance. To ensure this process works, it must be reflected in the strategic business objectives. The objectives must clearly be defined, must be communicated as soon as decision has been reached.By doing this proper, the organization can motivate employees and make them want to perform better. CONTENT An incentive plan is defined as a formal scheme used to promote or encourage specific actions or behavior by a specific group of people during a defined period of time. So what are the reasons so many companies would find a need to offer such incentive plans? Some of the top reasons are, for motivation, company morale, company loyalty, increased prod uctivity, increase achievement, reduced absenteeism, reduce company cost, decreased turnover and to create more team work.The organization I am employees with created for both union and non- urn employees an incentive compensation plan. When developing this plan it was to focus on two major points, safety and waste reduction. It was then also decided that a third element would also be counted, improved productivity. In order to receive the incentive there were requirements; you need to be a full time Compensation-Bemires 3 employee, employed for the last three (3) consecutive months and be actively employed at the time of payout, which was quarterly.There are also goals that need to be reached in order to collect the incentive for that portion of the goals. The safety component is that the TRIP (total recordable incident rate) needs to be low. Following the guidelines as noted: Greater than 1. 50 payout was O 01 -? 1. 50 payout is 1% of quarterly wages less than 1. 01 payout is 2% o f quarterly wages As a company this component is important because the safety of the employees is and will always be the most important thing to the company. Their safety should come first not only to Bemires but also to the employees.It was after looking at these aspects that a separate incentive plan needs to be created just for the non-union/salary employees. The SHIP (salaried performance incentive plan) needs to be created for salary personnel of the Bemires Company. It is intended to provide an incentive for employees to perform their jobs at the highest level possible to facilitate achievement of division and Compensation-Bemires 5 the plant goals, contributing to overall profitability.This plan was designed to reward individuals with additional annual cash compensation in recognition of their individual and collective efforts to meet or exceed annual goals. Unlike a merit increase which is an increase to your salary based on demonstrated ability to meet job responsibilities over an extended period Of time, incentive award is based on annual performance, targeting specific areas which may change from year to year. Employees must be regular full time employees, must be active employees t time of distribution.Eligibility does not necessarily entitle a participant to an award and does not constitute an agreement with the company. In making the requirements for this SHIP incentive it will depend on many factors which include, the individual base salary earnings for the eligibility period, normal reward percent, performance rating given by employees superiors, all targets/measurements are meet, and funding scale. The following are the factors to determine each of these. Base salary earnings: amount of pay a participant received throughout the plan year in eligible base earnings excluding all other forms of compensation.Normal award percent: each participant is assigned a normal award percent for his/her position; employees will be notified of this percentage . Normal award: is the base dollar amount of incentive eligible to the participant, it is then impacted up or down by individual performance rating and the results Of the profit and other targets set for the plan year. Individual performance rating (l PR): this will be given by the supervisor and can range from . 500 up to 1 250, the PR should correlate to the overall performance of the Compensation-Bemires 6 employee based on their yearly appraisal.

Young Generation in New Era

Old people are always saying that the young are not what they were. The same comment is made from generation to generation and it is always true. It has never been truer than it is today. The young are better educated. They have a lot more money to spend and enjoy more freedom. They grow up more quickly and are not so dependent on their parents. They think more for themselves and do not blindly accept the ideals of their elders. Events which the older generation remembers vividly are nothing more than past history. This is as it should be. Every new generation is different from the one that preceded it. Today the difference is very marked indeed.The old always assume that they know best far the simple reason that they have lieen around a bit longer. They don't like to feel that their values are being questioned or threatened. And this is precisely what the young are doing. They are questioning the assumptions of their elders and disturbing their complacency. They take leave to doubt that the older generation has created the best of all possible worlds. What they reject more than anything is conformity.Office hours, for instance, are nothing more than enforced slavery. Wouldn't people work best if they were given complete freedom and responsibility? And what about clothing? Who said that all the men in the world should wear drab grey suits and convict haircuts? If we turn our minds to more serious matters, who said that human differences can best be solved through conventional polities or by violent means? Why have the older generation so often used violence to solve their problems? Why are they so unhappy and guilt-ridden in their pexsonal lives, so obsessed with mean ambitions and the desire to amass more and more material possessions? Can anything be right with the ratrace? Haven't the old lost touch with all that is important in life?These are not questions the older generation can shrug off lightly. Their record over the past forty years or so hasn' t been exactly spotless. Traditionally, the young have turned to their elders for guidance. Today, the situation might be reversed. The old – if they are prepared to admit it-coutd learn a thing or two from their children. One of the biggest lessons they could learn is that enjoyment is not â€Å"sinful†.Enjoyment is a principle one could apply to all aspects of life. It is surely not wrong to enjoy your work and enjoy your leisure; to shed restricting inhibitions. It is surely not wrong to live in the present rather than in the past or future. This emphasis orr the present is only to be expected because the young have grown up under the shadow of the bomb: the constant threat of complete annihilation. This is their glorious heritage. Can we be surprised that they should so often question the sanity of t.he generaiion that bequeathed it?II. Read Read the following passages. Underline the important viewpoints while reading.1. Problems of the YoungMore than 20 Chinese and Ameri can experts discovered that young people of both countries are facing the same probiems of economic and social pressures and lack of confidence. Wayne Meisel, director of the Campus Outreach Opportunity League of Minnesota University, said that under economic pressure American young people have to work hard and most students have to take part-time work in order to support themselves.â€Å"Young people today, ?he said, â€Å"are stereotyped as apathetic, selfcentred, and concerned only with making money and getting ahead.† In these circumstances, he said, young people lack confidence,whicb was not the case in the 1960s when young Americans thought themselves capable of doing anything. In spite of the different conditions in China, Li Xuequan, director of the, higher education section of the All-China Youth Federation, said Chinese young people are alsc facing economic pressure and are worried about iriflation and corruption. Trading has appeared in many Chinese universities a s students with something to sell try to make money on campus.Moreover, Li said, college students have begun to doubt whether what they are learning in class will help them find work,as many businesses totally ignore students of pure theory. So people describe students as â€Å"a lost generation tired of study†, regardless of the causes in society that are shaking their confidence.

Online Learning: The APUS Way

Today’s generation is one where competition in the workforce is stiff and where academic degrees oftentimes put an individual a cut above the rest. The constantly changing employment opportunities and work requirements push people to use whatever available resources they have just to gain the upper hand from a flock of aspiring applicants for several job positions.Experience and education can come in handy during rare occasions when good employment opportunities come knocking at one’s door. That is especially true in today’s time where America is facing one of the most troubling economic crises in history, a crisis which is spreading in the different parts of the world and, thus, causing job losses on a massive scale (Landler, 2008).I am attending college so that I can be able to harvest the rewards of having an academic degree aside from experience that I already have. While APUS is something entirely new on my part, I think of my situation as a chance to broade n my horizons. I think of my future experiences in APUS as events in my life that can help enlighten my understanding of the world and the ways to handle ordinary to complex situations in this modern time.I think of myself as a child eager to learn and comprehend the things that are yet to be known. What greater source of delight, satisfaction and wonder can there be than a learning institution willing to teach individuals the things that matter to them in this highly competitive world?In the coming months, I hope to gain new insights with regard to my chosen field. This is a point in my life where I am more than willing and more open than ever before to new knowledge. Part of my hopes also include my desire to communicate with other people more effectively because I view human interaction through whatever means necessary as an indispensable tool in shaping the course of our lives.The person living in deep isolation and allergic towards new information can only go as far as the limi ts of his shallow understanding of the world. Like the prisoners in Plato’s cave allegory, people should step out of their comfort zones and explore the world filled with new knowledge that need to be learned (Kanazawa, 2003). Through APUS, I am anticipating personal discoveries that I never knew are parcels of who I am.Of course, the answer to the question of who I am roughly depends in context. Nevertheless, I know myself as a person who is computer literate and who is able to easily grasp the many different sides to modern technology.Studying in a technological age will require some of the interests which I hold—my interests in the usefulness of the internet, in the advantages made possible by online learning and in the benefits of acquiring a degree that other people can hardly attain. Gone are the days of typewriters and snail mail; this is the age of information technology, and what better thing to do than to seek the best information through the modern learning tools provided by APUS.In order to be successful in my academic endeavor in APUS, I have to maintain my high level of interest apart from the fact that I need to keep-up with the pace of online learning. Since distance is no longer a critical issue in online learning, all I need to do to further attain my personal success with my academic pursuit is to allocate time and resources to my new experiences in APUS.Like any other task, my studies in APUS will certainly involve several challenges along the way. One challenge is the idea that I may face certain learning modules that I barely know which I am prompted to familiarize myself with. Despite such challenge, I know that I can overcome that ordeal because I will not let my drive to learn to reach a low point. Unfamiliar lessons and modules may come in my way, but these things are just forks in the road which I need to accept as parts of the learning process.ReferencesKanazawa, S. (2003). Reading Shadows in Plato's Cave Wall. America n Sociological Review, 68(1), 160.Landler, M. (2008). The U.S. Financial Crisis Is Spreading to Europe.  Ã‚   Retrieved February 2, 2009, from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/01/business/worldbusiness/01global.html?_r=1&scp=8&sq=financial%20crisis&st=cse

Environmental analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Environmental analysis - Essay Example Taking into consideration the facts, stated above this article seeks to discuss the business environment and will focus more on environmental analysis and its importance to every business organization. Several experts and scholars have come up with various definitions of environmental analysis. Environmental analysis, according to Marketing Intelligence (nd), involves studying the organization’s environment with an aim of pinpointing the environmental factors that impact the operations of the organization significantly. While some scholars prefer to divide the business environment into three major categories (operating, internal, and general environment), most experts prefer to categorize the business environment into two; the internal and external environments. Environmental factors may work for or against the business and hence they must be accorded due consideration if the business must remain in business according to Armstrong (1996). There have been developed quite a number of business environmental analysis techniques by several different scholars and organizations. Some of these techniques include PESTLE, SWOT, MOST, CATWOE, Five Whys, De Bono 6Hat, MoSCoW, and VPEC-T among others. However, the most common techniques commonly used include SWOT analysis and PESTLE analysis. During a SWOT analysis, the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats of the organization are considered according to Hill and Westbrook (1997). The strengths of the organization include its competitive advantages, while its weaknesses are those aspects that it needs to improve on. Opportunities are those openings that the organization has for potential growth while the threats are those obstacles that it faces. A PESTLE analysis on the other hand involves the consideration of political, economic, sociological, technological, legal and environmental factors that impact the organization’s performance (Marketing Intelligence, nd). The

Financial Report Analysis Assignment Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Financial Report Analysis - Assignment Example The Group’s performance in 2012 is testament to the strength of their strategies, the quality of their technologies and the ability and determination of their employees and members. They made a final payment to shareholders of 11.9 pence per share bringing the full year payment to 19.5 pence per share, an increase of 11 per cent from the year 2011. Ratio analysis is very important to all companies as it gives an insight on the hidden features of the company performance. Rolls-Royce Company seems to be performing very well for the past five years and more so for the reports provided at the end of February 2013 (GROPPELLI, ANGELICO, EHSAN NIKBAKHT ,2000 pg. 43). All of the ratios calculated including profitability, liquidity, gearing and returns ratios exhibits the company as being on the right track in terms of growth. The returns on investment and returns on capital employed have more than doubled in a period of one year. This is a clear indication that the shareholdersâ€℠¢ funds are being employed in the right manner. On the profitability ratios, all of them have experienced growth and improvement in the last one year while maintaining a relatively constant growth in expenses which gives a good report on the company. the company is also very liquid as exhibited by the positivity and the growth of the liquidity ratios. GROUP TWO YEAR REVIEW FOR THE YEARS ENDED 31ST DECEMBER INCOME STATEMENT 2012 2011 Revenue 12,161 11,124 Profit before net research and development and share of results of joint ventures and associates 2,488 1,536 Research and development (net) (589) (463) Share of results of joint ventures and associates 173 116 Profit before financing 2072 1189 Net financing 633 (84) Profit/(loss) before taxation 2705 1105 TAXATION (410) (257) Profit/(loss) for the year 2295 848 Attributable to: Equity shareholders of the parent 2281 850 Non-controlling interests 14 (2) Profit/(loss) for the year 2295 848 Research and development (gross) (919) (908) Underlying profit before taxation 1429 1157 EARNINGS PER ORDINARY SHARE: underlying 59.27p 48.54p basic 123.23p 45.95p Payments to shareholders per ordinary share 19.50p 17.50p BALANCE SHEET assets 18115 16423 liabilities (12010) (11904) Net assests 6105 4519 Ratio calculations Type of ratio formula 2012 2011 Liquidity ratios Current ratio Current assets Current liabilities 9593= 1.33 7194 8315 = 1.202 6916 Acid test ratio Current assets- stock Current liabilities 0.95 0.83 Net working capital ratio Net working capital Net assets 2399 = 0.39 6,105 1399 = 0.31 4,519 Working capital Current assets – current liabilities 2399 1399 Cash ratio Cash + marketable securities Current liabilities 1317 = 0.183 7194 223 = 0.032 6916 Leverage ratios Debt ratio Total liabilities Total assets 12010 = 0.66 18115 11904 = 0.725 16423 Debt /equity ratio Total liabilities Net worth 12010 = 1.97 6105 11904 = 2.6 4519 Long-term debt ratio Long term liabilities Net assets 11405 = 1.87 6105 11723 = 2 .6 4519 Profitability ratios Gross margin ratio Gross profit sales 2745 = 0.2 12161 2448= 0.2 11124 Operating margin EBIT sales 2705 = 0.045 12161 1105 = 0.019 11124 Operating ratio operating expenses sales 1918 = 0.16 12161 1714 = 0.15 11124 Net profit margin Net profit sales 2295 = 0.19 12161 848 = 0.08 11124 return of investment (ROI) Net profit after taxes Total assets 2295 = 0.127 18115 848 = 0.052 16423 Return on capital employed ROCE Net

Is Police accountability a special case, or merely one example of the Essay

Is Police accountability a special case, or merely one example of the tension inherent in all accountability arrangements between allowing agents the exercise o - Essay Example The OSCE in its report on democracy in Serbia says that to establish democratic stability in a country "it is crucial that the policing is both democratic and free from political interference" (OSCE, 2002). For this purpose, accountability is essential both within and outside the organization. This is to ensure that the police do not function in an undemocratic manner and can be held to account by the citizens for its actions. The report says that the most important feature of democratic policing is that "policing must be with the general consent of the public" (OSCE, 1). This applies both to the actions of the police personnel and the manner in which the action occurs. There must be an ongoing dialogue between the public and the police regarding the style of policing and the limitations of police powers (OSCE, 1). It implies an agreed understanding between the two about when the police will intervene and the acceptable ways for them to do it. It is known as "moral consensus." In this system there is a balance between power and accountability. Power is granted to the police forces by the parliament on behalf of the citizens, who are granted the ability to hold the police accountable for their actions, policies, procedures, priorities, and expenditure (OSCE 2002). The police is also expected to have integrity, fairness, sensitivity, and these values are upheld through systems of accountability. In a democracy, policing needs to be based on consent across the community (Accountability I). "The community recognizes the legitimacy of the policing task, confers authority on police personnel in carrying out their role in policing and actively supports them" (Accountability I). Consent depends on proper accountability. The police needs to be accountable in two senses - the subordinate or obedient sense; and the explanatory and cooperative sense. In the former sense, the police are subordinate to the law and the community expects to get the service for which its money is spent. In the latter sense, the public and police need to communicate with each other and work in partnership to ensure effective policing. OSCE has recommended five levels of supervision to ensure accountability of the police forces to the public. These are: 1. Internal affairs: The first level of accountability insists on integrity. There is the need for an internal affairs department which overlooks the integrity of the individual police staff. Its responsibility will be to investigate allegations of crime, corruption and inappropriate behaviour on the part of the police personnel. They would also devise tactics to prevent corruption. 2. External oversight: To uphold the integrity of this internal affairs department there needs to be an organization, completely independent of the police, which will oversee the allegations of crime, corruption and malpractices against the police. This external organization would also have the right to see the documents of the internal affairs department. This organization would report back to the public after investigating allegations against the police department. It will also be able to influence police procedures and comment publicly on incidents (OSCE 2002).3. Parliamentary oversight: The external oversight organization also needs

Marketing Audits Coursework Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3500 words

Marketing Audits - Coursework Example Changing perspectives in marketing planning for Parcelforce The age of globalisation and competition has spurred up the need to ensure more planning and effective strategies in order to counter the threats of competition prevailing in the markets. Business environment in the present date is characterised by cut throat competition among the market players that are engaged in attaching strategies like predatory pricing and ambush marketing to attack competitors. The industry due to high competition is characterised by low margins that has severely changed the business dynamics and has also ensured change in marketing planning tactics so as to ensure sustainability in the market (Global Express Parcels, 2011, p.1). Parcelforce Appraisal for capability for planning its future marketing activity Parcelforce is one of the largest courier and parcel delivery companies operating out of UK and has operations in numerous nations with a cutting edge technology and an effective service delivery mechanism. The company should use its technological advancements and the good brand image of the company owning to its long association with the industry to derive competitive advantage. The company should try to use its massive global presence and couple it with innovation in service delivery mechanism so as to generate competitive advantage.... The company should use its technological advancements and the good brand image of the company owning to its long association with the industry to derive competitive advantage. The company should try to use its massive global presence and couple it with innovation in service delivery mechanism so as to generate competitive advantage. All its marketing efforts must not only be solely directed towards attracting new customers but focus should be made on CRM approaches that can help in not only attracting new customers but also in retention of the existing customers. The efficient technological base of the company along with a team of qualified and talented employees can help generate greater value for the customers. Spending must also be induced in the research and development aspect so as to generate innovation as it is the only way in which the company can distinguish itself from its competitors in the market and generate competitive advantage. SWOT Analysis SWOT stands for Strengths, Weakness, Opportunities and Threats and is used to analyse the internal environment of an organization. The SWOT analysis for Parcelforce is stated below: Strengths The main area of strength for the company includes its long association with the industry as well as a formidable presence across UK. The company also has an effective brand image and has been associated with the royal mail service. Strengths also emerge in the areas of efficient use of technology and effective logistics management and also a good reputation for quality service delivery among the customers (Parcelforce, 2012). Weakness Certain areas of weakness for the company include a limited offering to the customers that is matched

Audit and Assurance Case Study(SANCTUARY GROUP PLC) Essay

Audit and Assurance Case Study(SANCTUARY GROUP PLC) - Essay Example The Company's subsidiary, Bravado International Group Limited, operates as a merchandising company that specializes in exploiting intellectual property rights for more than 100 artists and brands. Live Agency even represents over two hundred twenty acts for live performance. Also, its business is carried out by the Company's subsidiary, Helter Skelter Agency Limited. This company operates as a booking agency. The following paragraphs will explain how audit strategy is related to the fairness of the financial statements of the. An audit(Pickett, 2006) is defined as the evaluation of an organization, process, system, project or product. In accounting, an audit is the independent assessment of the fairness where a company's financial statements are presented by its mangers or board of directors. It is done by competent, independent and objective person or persons, known as auditors or certified public accountants, who then issue a report on the results of the audit(Whittington, 1995). And, the audits are performed to determine the validity and reliability of financial information. Also, it provides an assessment of a company or a business' system of internal control. The accounting and related recording systems must adhere to generally accepted standards set by governing bodies that regulate how businesses should presented in terms of balance sheet, income statement and statement of cash flows. The audit should be based on random sampling and it should not be an assurance that financial statements are error free. Auditing also provides assurance for third parties or external financial statement users that such statements present 'fairly' a company's financial condition and results of operations.Further, effective risk management(Frame, 2003) will not happen overnight. Managers who want to enable their organizations to be better at managing risk must recognize that the road to effective risk management is definitely long, twisting, and occasionally hazardous. Beginning the journey is not as difficult. It may be even be triggered by a one-page directive issued by the chief operating officer of the organization following a small disaster, exhorting the organization to implement good risk management practices. But after the uninitiated, when the confetti has settled and the cheerers have been thrown away, the journey toward effective risk management is an uphill battle. In some way, what happens at this point is typical of many high-sounding corporate decisions. When light shines on the initiative, everyone scrambles to support it. When the senior managers turn their attention to other issues, the initiative begins to lose momentum, and without active support from top management, it falters. It may even hang on for a while until it dies and is buried. The risk related approach to external audit in the audit of Santuary Group Plc is based on control risk, audit risk and inherent risk. Audit risk is used to describe what is usually applied when in case of an audit of the financial statements of an entity. The first objective of the audit of the balance sheet, in

Discussion and self reflection assignment Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 1

Discussion and self reflection assignment - Essay Example Leaders constantly challenge the established process and improve on the areas in the process that needs it. The never cease in searching for challenging opportunities to change, grow, innovate, and improve. Hence, they are willing to experiment, take risks and learn from whatever mistakes they fall upon (Kouzes and Posner, 2007). They are not afraid of change and are willing to get out of their comfort zones to choose the best options. Leaders inspire a shared vision with their followers. They communicate their vision well enough for their followers to understand clearly, and together, they envision an uplifting and ennobling future (Kouzes and Posner, 2007) . Leaders enlist more people to share such a vision by appealing to their values, interests, hopes and dreams (Five Practices of the Exemplary Leader, n.d.) Leaders are also enablers. They are good at encouraging people to act on their own by providing them with the tools and methods to solve their problems. Leaders foster collaboration and among their members (Kouzes and Posner, 2007). When the followers are trusted to fulfill tasks delegated to them, they feel confident and capable to do more for the team. Leaders have to be good models, most especially when the going gets tough. They should exhibit an attitude and behavior of positivism that their followers can emulate. Leaders set examples consistent with their own values. They are not afraid to stand for their beliefs. To encourage their followers, they create opportunities for their followers to experience small wins with the hopes of eventually gaining bigger ones (Kouzes and Posner, 2007). Lastly, leaders should encourage their followers’ hearts by recognizing individual contributions and celebrating team accomplishments (Kouzes and Posner, 2007). Such positive response further motivates others to work even harder. I agree with Kouzes & Posner’s model

Questions for second reading Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Questions for second reading - Term Paper Example Despite the fact that they may be speaking English, these different races may not understand each other due to integration of English with their own culture leading to different forms of slang. It is, however, vital to note that the statement above makes â€Å"autoethnographic work appears anomalous and chaotic. Autoethnography simply means that the researcher views society through his own personal experiences. This, therefore, means that since culture is distinct and monolingual people of different races would, therefore, interpret culture differently. Every culture would, therefore, have their own definition and interpretation of culture. This leads to misunderstanding and miscommunication. On the other hand, Guaman Poma’s text may be considered heterogeneous due to the manner in which people live in current society. Improved transport and technology has narrowed the divide that was there between the different cultures. The development of cities and towns in which different cultures meet has led to the integration of culture. This transculturation does not occur over night and is normally occurs due to the nature of humans to resolve their conflicts over time. This bringing of societies together is mainly due to the fact that a compromise has been reached between the different cultures. This is mainly due to interracial marriage, ethnic conflict, war, and racism. A perfect example of a group in which the different cultures participate in as a community is school. Education has been a key factor in bridging the divide between the various cultures. This is because schools bring the different types of races in a single setup in which they learn the very same things. It has led to the development of friendships between the people of different races and this enhances transculturation. Schools can, therefore, be thought of as a contact zone. This is because schools allow for people of different culture to meet in a single setting without

The Salem Community Essay Example for Free

The Salem Community Essay Throughout The Crucible, conspiracy and lies lead to the corruption and downfall of the 17th century Salem community. From the title it is evident that this pious society is a crucible or a vessel filled with boiling, bubbling characters waiting to react at any moment. Arthur Millers own experiences of the 1950s McCarthy witch trials, where individuals were accused of being Communists, inspired him to write the play and he is able to provide a realistic insight into the pain and suffering certain characters faced as a result of the accusations. In the God-fearing community of Salem, hysteria runs out of control and the malicious lies of certain characters destroy lives. Characters become more suspicious of each other and anxiety is paramount for those characters that stand accused. Through the use of stage directions, Miller highlights the tension between the Proctors within their struggling marriage. The turmoil within the marriage may be viewed as a microcosm of the greater conflict that exists in Salem as a whole; they no longer feel comfortable with each other as they try in vain to rebuild their marriage. Physical distancing and formal language is used, to show the strain within their relationship. Miller introduces several court officials to escalate tension before the intense interrogations have even started. This clever use of symbolism reveals the importance of the poppet, as it may decide Elizabeths future at the hands of the malicious Abigail. Similarly, Mary Warrens vulnerability and isolation in the courtroom are enhanced as Miller positions her away from those who wish to see her suffer. Throughout the play, Miller escalates tension with the frequent references to Abigail Williams name both in the Proctors household and the courtroom, where court officials are fooled into taking the girls side, thereby encouraging an emotional reaction from the audience. Regular pauses and stilted dialogue builds the suspense to a crescendo as a very emotional within a setting the dramatic and tragic climax approaches. Elizabeth replies to John with one word answers as they struggle to communicate. Her short responses reveal an uneasy situation where both characters do not feel comfortable or relaxed with one another. The uncomfortable environment creates an image of depression which augments the relationships tension. Miller creates a depressing atmosphere in his description of the Proctors house being low, dark and rather long. It suggests that there is no warmth and this is echoed in the state of their marriage as there appears to be little affection between the two characters. Consequently the audience is encouraged to feel sympathetic towards the couple as the tension between them is obvious.

Saint Clare Essay Example for Free

Saint Clare Essay St. Clare was born on July 16, 1194 and died on August 11, 1253. She was the daughter of a count and countess. She heard St. Francis preach in the streets of Assisi and told him of her desire to give herself to God. They grew to be close friends. On Palm Sunday in the year 1212 the bishop of Assisi presented a palm to this noble maid of eighteen who was beautifully garbed. That same night she left her castle with one acquaintance and went to the church of Our Lady of the Angels, where she met Francis and his Brothers. At the altar of Our Lady, Francis cut off her hair and Clare gave her life to Christ. In an old house outside Assisi she began her Order of the Poor Clares. Later, her sister and mother and other noble ladies joined her. They lived a life of prayer, silence and fasting. One day, enemies of the Church were about to attack the convent. The saint had the Blessed Sacrament placed in a monstrance above the gate of the convent and, kneeling before it, she prayed for help. Abruptly the enemy fled. During her illness of 28 years the Holy Eucharist was her strength. She died in 1253. She is the patroness of, eye disease, goldsmiths, laundry, embroiderers, gilders, good weather, needle workers, Santa Clara Pueblo, telephones, telegraphs, and television. Pope Pius XII selected her as the patron saint of television in 1958, on the basis that when she was too ill to be present at Mass, she had reportedly been able to see and hear it on the wall of her room. Her remains were entombed at the chapel of San Giorgio while a church to hold her remains was being built. On August 15, 1255, Pope Alexander IV canonized Clare as Saint Clare of Assisi. Construction of the Basilica of Saint Clare was completed in 1260, and on October 3 of that year Clares remains were moved to the recently completed basilica where they were buried under the high altar. In further acknowledgment of the saint, Pope Urban IV officially altered the name of the Order of Poor Ladies to the Order of Saint Clare in 1263. About 600 years later in 1872, Saint Clares remains were transferred to a newly constructed memorial in the crypt of the Basilica of Saint Clare where they can still be seen now.

The Life of Ethan and Zeena Today

The Life of Ethan and Zeena Today If Ethan and Zeena lived in todays modern world their lives would be different because gender roles, social customs, and divorce customs are different from the nineteenth century. Reasons for Isolation during the nineteenth century Environmental factors Technology Life in the nineteenth century Womens roles Marriage responsibilities Education Work Mens roles Marriage responsibilities Education Work Divorce Social customs rates Life in Todays World Womens Roles Mens Roles Divorce Social customs Zeenas nineteenth century life vs. her modern life Married life Financial situation Education Social life Ethans nineteenth century life vs. his modern life Married life Financial situation Education Social life Zeenas and Ethans Lives compared to Todays Modern Age In Edith Whartons Ethan Frome, Ethan and Zeena suffer because of the social expectancy during the nineteenth century. People who lived in rural areas during the nineteenth century were very isolated and had little interaction with neighbors. Life during the nineteenth century was based on social status and customs. Marriage was believed to be a womens main purpose in life. Women had no choice, but to seek marriage because women had little opportunities to work and were expected to live from a husbands income. If Ethan and Zeena lived in todays modern world their lives would be different because gender roles, social customs, and divorce customs are different from the nineteenth century. Isolation played a major factor in the characters lives during the nineteenth century. Isolation was very frequent in rural areas. People who lived in rural areas had little knowledge of social interaction. One reason for isolation in rural communities was population decline (Frome 126). Population had decreased because people moved to larger cities were more jobs and better technology was offered. Farmers who decided to stay in their farms with their families, lived in smaller, emptier communities (Frome 126). People ended up very isolated because the environment was lonely with very few residents. People were not able to interact because the isolation in the environment was very depressing. Married couples spent most of the time with each other in isolated farms. Life was very depressing for people who lived in rural communities. Secondly, technology was one of the causes for isolation in rural New England. Ethan Frome states: Both the telephone and automobile would greatly reduce feelings of isolation once they came to rural areas; people would be able to converse with neighbors much more easily and travel to nearby towns. However, it took a long time for these inventions to reach even middle-class homes in isolated areas such as the one in Ethan Frome. In fact, phone and automobiles would not come to many farm families until the mid-1910s, after the time of the novel.(128) People were very isolated in rural New England because they did not have many luxuries we have today like the telephone, cars, and computers. Life during the nineteenth century was very oppressing for men and women. Gender roles were very precise during that era. According to Elizabeth Ammons, women were not allowed to vote during the Ethan Frome era (n.pag.). Women faced discrimination during the nineteenth century because men were considered the authority of the household. Women depended on men for income, food, and shelter (Frome126).Women roles during the nineteenth century were very different from todays modern world. Women had to deal with many hard situations. For example, A wifes responsibilities included a comfortable home, performing household chores, and bearing and caring for children. She was expected to remain chaste, modest and frugal in household expenses and to abstain from conduct that reflected badly on her home or her husbands good name (Frome 126). Women were treated like animals because they were not allowed to have a decent human life. Women did not have the opportunity in making decisions. Life for women was very sad because women had no rights on their persona. Women had a very hard role in life because they were expected to follow the gender roles that society imposed. Education is another factor that affected womens lives during the nineteenth century. Women rarely had an education and if they did they were not allowed to work (Frome126). If women did not have an education there was no way they could make a living without a man. Women felt obligated to their husbands because they had no way of earning an income. Womens only education included housewife duties, which were the only things they knew how to do. Mens roles were very significant in rural New England. Men had big responsibilities because It was the duty of husbands like Ethan Frome to provide their families with the necessities of life, to treat their wives with courtesy, and to behave responsibly in financial affairs (Frome126). The mans main purpose was to take care of his wife economically. Men knew that a woman could not live by herself during that era; there was no way she could survive by herself. Men felt obligated to his wife because society imposed it. Many men feared of violating social norms because they treated social norms as laws. Men thought if they violated societal rules they were breaking the law. It is known that men were the ones who usually had an education and if they did not, they usually worked outside of the home like in Ethans case. Men had more opportunities of receiving an education than women. Many critics say that during the Ethan Frome era, divorce was rare and socially criticized. Many couples who did not love each other felt forced to live with one another because of societal rules. Many couples during the Ethan Frome era did not divorce because divorces became permissible after that era. Life in todays world is very different from the nineteenth century. Today womens roles are not like back then. In todays world women have the same rights as men. There are many women that decide living in singlehood. Many women live better lives in singlehood because some women are not wife like. Women do not depend on men for a living. Womens roles in todays era do include housewife duties but not all women work as housewives. Many women today are the ones who provide the family financially and some men do the duty of a housewife. There are also women who are single mothers that provide for their children by themselves. Many women in todays world decide to receive an education and end up receiving high salaried jobs. Today, there are laws that prohibit job discrimination because of gender, race, or color. Many women today have better work positions than males. In todays modern world women are admired for working outside of home because they also perform the duty of a housewife. Mens roles are similar and different from the early nineteenth century. Some still feel obligated to provide for their families financially, and others do not. In todays modern world men do not feel obligated to stay with a person they do not love. Men do not have the same responsibilities like in Ethans case. Men know that a woman can sustain herself without him. Mens marriage responsibilities include working and providing family with love and necessities. Education for men is still viewed the same like in the nineteenth century. Many men attend school to pursuit a degree. Men in todays world are offered different types of jobs. People without an education can also have a decent living. Divorce is not seen rare in todays world. Divorces occur almost every day. Women do not feel obligated to stay married because they do not depend on a mans income for a living. Many couples divorce after a couple of months or even days. Divorce is not socially criticized like in the early nineteenth century. People think of divorce as something natural that occurs every day. Divorce rates keep on rising because some people marry too early, without having nurtured their relationship. Some people today do not take a marriage as something serious that lasts for life. Zeenas life would be different if she lived in todays modern world. Zeenas life would be different because she seems to be the type of woman that lives in singlehood. Zeena does not seem to be a good marriage partner. Zeena did not comply with a womens responsibility during the nineteenth century. According to Helen Killoran, Zeena only causes Ethan problems by complaining about her health and spending money on medicines (n.pag.). A woman was not supposed to cause her husband any financial problems like Zeena did to Ethan. Zeena believes she does not have to do house hold chores because it is Ethans duty to pay her back for all the caring she did for his parents (Travis n. pag.). Zeena would be better off alone in todays world because she only ruins her partners life by having a negative attitude. Kathy A. Fedorko describes Zeena as an adult incapable of showing or receiving love (57). In todays modern world divorced women can survive without a male partner, Zeena does not need to be stuck with Ethan. Most likely Zeena would be in better health and financially stable. Zeena has good nursing skills which would give her good income in todays world. Zeena would not have economic, social, or matriarchal problems. People today interact with one another all the time. Zeenas social isolation would not be a problem because technology in todays world has been modernized. Ethans life during the nineteenth century is very terrifying. R.B. Hovey states that, Sex among the Ethan Frome people was hardly casual; divorce if not unthinkable, was most unlikely proceeding (n. pag.). It is evident that Ethan did not have sex with his wife because she was always in bed complaining about her health. Ethan suffered in his marriage because Zeena gave him no love or intimacy. Ethan has many matriarchal responsibilities that prevent him from finding happiness with the woman he loves. Ethan feels financially obligated to Zeena because of gender differences and social norms. Ethan knows Zeena depends on him financially, therefore he cannot abandon her. Another obstacle for Ethan is his inability to break social customs. Ethan would not care of breaking social customs in todays world. Lionel Trilling believes Ethan is trapped when he must choose between his habituated duty to his wife and his duty and inclination to the girl he loves (45). Ethans life would have more me aning if he lived in todays modern world. Ethan would not feel forced to live with a woman he does not love. Ethan would have the opportunity of meeting someone who gives him passion and tranquility. Ethan never has tranquility with Zeena because she always finds a way to make his life miserable. Ethan feels socially obligated toward Zeena. Another reason for Ethans miserable marriage is his silence. Ethan is always silent and never expresses his feeling to Zeena. Ethans financial status would also be different in todays world because Ethan would have a degree in engineering, which was one of his dreams. Ethans social life would be better because, life is not isolated like in the nineteenth century. It seems clear that the cause of Ethans isolation is the environment. Ethans house is described as being one of those lonely New England farmhouses that make the landscape seem even lonelier (Wharton 8). The houses in rural New England describe the lives of the citizens. People today interact with one another every day. Ethan always dreamed of living in a big city with big libraries, he could have fulfilled his dreams in todays world. Life during the nineteenth century was very hard because of isolation, gender roles, and responsibilities. Ethan and Zeena would be stable financially and socially because life today is extremely different from the nineteenth century. Ethan and Zeenas marriage was deteriorated because of the environment and social customs during their lifetime. People today must feel lucky to have all the luxuries such as cars and telephones that did not exist during Ethans life.

Analysing the Plot and Sub Plot of A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen Essay

Analysing the Plot and Sub Plot of A Dolls House by Henrik Ibsen As another year goes by I am now writing a piece of coursework for AS drama, this particular piece will be about a not so well known play called ‘A dolls house, written by Henrik Ibsen. In particular I will by studying carefully and analysing the plot and subplot of the play. The play was wrote in the 1800’s and was first performed in Copenhagen during the winter of 1879. Most of Ibsens plays were based around the issues during that era, as was a dolls house covering forgery, feminism, freedom, independence, love?, stereotypes, and duty all in the main plot. The subplot covered issues like; loneliness, widowed, manipulation, deception/secrets and the new woman. To convey the issues there where two characters in the main plot, these were Nora and Torvald (the husband and wife living in the â€Å"dolls house†. As the story unravels we discover many different things but we also find out that Nora is in every scene to show how she has adapted to living her lifestyle and how she is slowly moving out of it and into another. Torvald is also in most scenes but always seems to be in his office hard at work trying to earn money for Nora and the family, as most families would be in this century. Then there are two other characters running the subplot these are Mrs Linde and Krogstad both of these convey how Nora’s life could be if she were to separate from he husband, Torvald, showing how hard it is to be a part of society. Mrs Linde feels that Nora leads the perfect lifestyle with a happy family where as Nora feels that Mrs Linde has the better lifestyle, being free. The features of the subplot are shown via the main plot, this is to show a variety o... ...bsen had to re-write the play with an alternate ending, as they did not want to show that women can be more powerful than men. The ending was that Nora broke down in tears and stayed after Torvald forcing her to see her children. The normal ending was described as an act of barbarous violence. Through researching and thoroughly studying the play act by act I have learnt that not only was the subplot just as important as the main plot but how they were run through each other and the impact it had. I also gathered more information on what life was like during the 1800’s and how controlling the male was over the female during them times. The play also gave a great insight to how widowed and/or single adults were treated back in them days. So if you ever read the play I hope you enjoy it as much as I did and get a good understanding of all the key issues.

Flood in Epic of Gilgamish and Book of Genesis of the Holy Bible Essay

The Flood in The Epic of Gilgamish and The Bible The story of the great flood is probably the most popular story that has survived for thousands of years and is still being retold today.   It is most commonly related within the context of Judeo-Christian tradition.   In the Holy Bible, the book of Genesis uses the flood as a symbol of God's wrath as well as His hope that the human race can maintain peace and achieve everlasting salvation.   The tale of Noah's Ark begins with God's expression of dismay as to the degenerate state of the human race at the time.   People were behaving wickedly and sinfully and God decided that a genetic cleansing was necessary.   He spared only Noah and his family, along with two of every type of animal; one male and one female.   The other most popular flood story is found in the Epic of Gilgamish.   In this text, the gods have decided to destroy everything on earth by creating a great flood.   The only survivor is a man named Utnapishtim, spared because he is the god Ea's favorite hum an.   The Babylonian God Ea had decided to eliminate humans and other land animals with a great flood, which was to become "the end of all flesh".   He selected Utnapishtim, to build an ark to save a few humans, and some of other animals, much like Noah.   In comparing and contrasting the Babylonian text and the biblical story of Noah's Ark, there are many similarities between the two stories and one would conclude that they are essentially identical.   The Genesis story describes how mankind had become corrupt and how the earth was filled with violence.   In the ... ...in it, leaving only a chosen few to remain on earth to start all over again. Works Cited and Consulted: Budge, E. A. Babylonian Story of the Deluge and the Epic of Gilgamesh. Montana, USA: Kessinger Publishing Co., n.d. Gardner, John and John Maier. Gilgamesh: Translated from the Sin-leqi-unninni version. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984. Heidel, Alexander. The Gilgamesh Epic and Old Testament Parallels. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1949. Ignatius Holy Bible. Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1996. Web Sites Consulted: The "Epic of Gilgamesh": An Outline. Online. 15 Feb. 2002. http://www.hist.unt.edu/ane-09.htm Sumerian Mythology FAQ. Online. 15 Feb. 2002. http://webster.unh.edu/%7Ecbsiren/sumer-faq.html Flood in Epic of Gilgamish and Book of Genesis of the Holy Bible Essay The Flood in The Epic of Gilgamish and The Bible The story of the great flood is probably the most popular story that has survived for thousands of years and is still being retold today.   It is most commonly related within the context of Judeo-Christian tradition.   In the Holy Bible, the book of Genesis uses the flood as a symbol of God's wrath as well as His hope that the human race can maintain peace and achieve everlasting salvation.   The tale of Noah's Ark begins with God's expression of dismay as to the degenerate state of the human race at the time.   People were behaving wickedly and sinfully and God decided that a genetic cleansing was necessary.   He spared only Noah and his family, along with two of every type of animal; one male and one female.   The other most popular flood story is found in the Epic of Gilgamish.   In this text, the gods have decided to destroy everything on earth by creating a great flood.   The only survivor is a man named Utnapishtim, spared because he is the god Ea's favorite hum an.   The Babylonian God Ea had decided to eliminate humans and other land animals with a great flood, which was to become "the end of all flesh".   He selected Utnapishtim, to build an ark to save a few humans, and some of other animals, much like Noah.   In comparing and contrasting the Babylonian text and the biblical story of Noah's Ark, there are many similarities between the two stories and one would conclude that they are essentially identical.   The Genesis story describes how mankind had become corrupt and how the earth was filled with violence.   In the ... ...in it, leaving only a chosen few to remain on earth to start all over again. Works Cited and Consulted: Budge, E. A. Babylonian Story of the Deluge and the Epic of Gilgamesh. Montana, USA: Kessinger Publishing Co., n.d. Gardner, John and John Maier. Gilgamesh: Translated from the Sin-leqi-unninni version. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1984. Heidel, Alexander. The Gilgamesh Epic and Old Testament Parallels. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1949. Ignatius Holy Bible. Revised Standard Version, Catholic Edition. San Francisco: Ignatius Press, 1996. Web Sites Consulted: The "Epic of Gilgamesh": An Outline. Online. 15 Feb. 2002. http://www.hist.unt.edu/ane-09.htm Sumerian Mythology FAQ. Online. 15 Feb. 2002. http://webster.unh.edu/%7Ecbsiren/sumer-faq.html

Self-Defeating Ideals in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman and The Pr

Self-Defeating Ideals in Arthur Miller’s Death of a Salesman and The Price When people accept an ideal to live by it can be a glorious and noble thing unless they become so obsessed with the ideal that it becomes a yolk and they are unable to realize their dream. This is especially true for two characters in Arthur Miller's plays Death of a Salesman and The Price. In these two plays Miller portrays two lower-middle class men, Willie Loman and Victor Franz, respectively, who each live by an ideal that ultimately is self-defeating. Willie lived to pursue the American dream rather than living the American dream and Victor lived to serve and be decent rather than living a noble and decent life. They pursed their ideal rather than living it and thus they are unable to succeed. Willie Loman, in Death of a Salesman,, has lived his life in pursuit of the American dream. Traditionally the American dream meant opportunity and freedom for all, and Willie believed that. However, hard work could not earn him everything that he wanted or thought he deserved. Willy judged himself and those around him by their material accumulation, as is demanded by capitalism and the protestant work ethic. The ethic demands accumulation and work as signs of favor in the eyes of God. Thus in order to please God and himself he had to accumulate wealth and objects. The consumer oriented society in which Willy lives will not allow him to live the American Dream. Willy is fascinated by accumulating things. His desire for goods makes him want objects that he neither needed nor could afford. Willy thinks that he needs to buy his wife a new refrigerator and new stockings even though she is content with what they have. As he tries to live the America... ...- middle working class. Just as Willy does, Victor too, adopts a quest for himself however, he pursues that quest to the point that he loses sight of his original goal - to please others, and ends up hurting them. Both men have decent and noble intentions however, they both live to fulfill those intentions rather than living and fulfilling the intentions. As a result they both fail to accomplish what they had intended, hurt the ones they love, and themselves. Willy's obsession with acquiring wealth and being a salesman made it impossible for him to do so. Victor's insistence on helping others made it impossible for him to provide the life his wife wanted and deserved. Both men failed because they lived by impossible standards that they were never able to meet. Â  It was to late before they realized the harsh penalties for failure to meet impossible standards.

Human Population Growth as an Environmental Problem

The essay to be assessed in this paper discusses the relationship between the human population growth to environmental problems. The essay argues that human population growth leads to the increase of environmental problems due to the human population’s inability to recognize the importance of the environment. It argues that ‘individual behavior’ is the ‘main cause’ of environmental problems.In order to prove the claim that human population growth and the continuous practice of actions that lead to environmental problems is the main cause of environmental problems; the author of the essay provides examples in which environmental problems are enabled by human actions. For instance, the author points out that human population growth leads to the increased use of air polluting chemicals that further lead to the increase in air pollution.Another instance specified by the author is how environmental degradation [in the form of the degradation of grasslands] is a result of human beings’ desire for profit. The author ends his paper by claiming that in order for environmental problems to be solved, it is necessary that human beings become more aware of how their actions affect the environment.Given the main argument as well as the main points presented in the said essay, it is important to note that although the author is correct in arguing that there is a relationship between human practices as well as human population growth to the environmental problems; the author was unable to specify how population growth affects environmental problems.In order to solve this, the author may have argued that increase in human population leads to the increase in the demand for food, space, water, energy, and other resources (Diamond 494). Such an increase will lead to environmental problems given the scarcity of the current food, space, water, energy etc. resources combined with the current wasteful practices of human beings.Work CitedDiamond, Jared. Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed. New York: Penguin, 2006.

Developing Yourself as an Effective Human Resources Practitioner Essay

Introduction This report will be divided in 2 activities, first, a brief description of the CIPD Professional Map, which will help us have a better understanding of the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to be an effective practitioner. The second activity will specify how an HR practitioner can ensure the services they provide are timely and effective. Activity 1 – Brief summary of CIPD Human Resources Professional Map The CPID Professional Map it’s a tool developed to help HR professionals understand what they need to know and do in each level of their careers. The Map is presented to us divided in 4 main sections: It begins with the Core professional Areas – These 2 areas are the center of the map and relevant for all no matter what level or position you work in HR, and they are: Insights, Strategy and Solutions – This professional area underpins the direction of the profession as an applied business discipline. This area also allows HR Professionals, to develop actionable insights and deliver situational HR solutions. Leading HR – This professional area focuses on HR Professionals that are active and insight-led and are actively leading others who own, shape and driving the organization. They develop the organization across 3 main areas of leadership: Personal leadership, leading others and leading issues. Then it describes the Specialist Professional Areas – the 8 specialist professional areas identify what you need to Know and to do, in each of the 4 bands. These are Organisational design, Organisational development, Resourcing and talent planning, Learning and development, Performance and reward, Employee engagement, Employee relations and finally Service delivery and Information, one of the areas I’m most interested, here we have to ensure that Hr services and information are delivered effectively, efficiently and timely and data is manage in a professional manner. To become effective there are 8 behaviours, these behaviours describe how an HR professional should carry out for their successful accomplishment and they are: 1. Curious – interested, willingness to learn and to develop, growing within an organization 2. Decisive thinker – uses information to make defendable decisions 3. Skilled influencer – ability to persuade in order to gain the necessary support 4. Personally credible – builds a reputation of professionalism at all times adding value to the organisation 5. Collaborative – team work, able to work with people of all levels 6. Driven to deliver – determination to get the job done using all resources to deliver the best result 7. Courage to challenge – confident to speak up, challenging others even in unfamiliar circumstances 8. Role model – impartial, straightforward, leads by example. There are also 4 bands that defines what professionals need to do to progress through the bands in order to develop their careers. Going from band 1 which reflect the people carrying out administrative and support activities up to the requirements needed in people in leading roles who make decisions and are responsible for the development of HR strategy. My role in HR Unfortunately for the time being I’m not working in HR but having a background of HR Administrator I would have to chose Service delivery and information as the professional area that best reflects my experience. I have placed myself at Band 1(or even before that), despite my short experience working in HR I developed interest in that particular area and would like to proceed my career in that direction. Considering Band 1 the activities and knowledge specified within this role would be: Activities Provide the relevant information and advice to managers and employees Keep accurate records of case history Delivery service excellence, customer care even through times of change Knowledge Be able to handle, escalate and resolve problems and complaints Manage employees lifecycle and other needs Know how to use HRIS and produce data reports Activity 2 – With reference to your own (or other identified) HR role, outline how an HR practitioner should ensure the services they provide are timely and effective Customer needs and their requirements of HR Understanding customers needs is essential for an HR professional if we what to deliver an effective service. Some of HR customers can be Managers requiring absence reports, company policies or support with employee relations. Employees who might request information regarding their holidays, salary or the terms of their contracts. Even Job candidates are HR customers, needing assistance with an application for an open vacancy. Not always is easy for HR practitioners to ensure that the services they provide will be timely and effective. Different customers can have different needs at the same time and if it conflicts with our workload we need to prioritize the tasks that have to be dealt with. Payroll normally is something that comes as a priority for customers. This kind of issues will be prioritized and handled in a timely manner in order to guarantee an efficient service and customer satisfaction. Who requested? When was requested? Are questions that need to be taken into account when you are planning your daily schedule. Communication methods When we talk about communication one of the most important things we always want to insure is that the message that is being sent is received and understood. Here are 3 examples of communications methods: Email – with email we can communicate with everyone in the company. It’s an easy tool to use, quickly and you can reach a lot of people at the same time, and you can always keep evidence of what was discussed. However it has some disadvantages can be sent by mistake to the wrong person (breaching dpa) and the receiver might understand something that was not supposed to be  the message sent. Telephone – It’s the most direct and quick method from where we can get immediate answers. The disadvantage is that if the conversations are not recorded there will be no evidence of the communication. Intranet – The intranet is increasingly becoming a privileged method of communication. It contains important information available to all staff. Normally is updated on a regular basis with the latest news, relevant information, organizational changes etc. The advantage is that not all employees reed what is posted. Effective service delivery To deliver effective service it’s crucial that you build and maintain relationships with all of your customers (managers, employees, finance). Keep your promises, expectations have to be met, if you compromise yourself with something your customers will be expecting that from you. This will build a trusty relationship and will build up their confidence in your service. When handling problems, complaints or difficulties make sure the issue is addressed to the right person or that it is your place to solve it. I believe the best way to approach these situations, is to first of all, identify the problem and the point of view of all parties, be sympathetic and come up with options to solve these problems. If it can’t be solved immediately give them a time frame and keep them updated of further developments. Customers need to know that something is being done with the complaint they presented. One of the factors in providing effective service that needs to be taken into account is company budget, every outlay has to be considered in your budget since stationary, Hr systems, training etc. If the company is thinking of acquire a new HR system the budget will be taken into consideration. As HR practitioners we need to provide the best on budget option. Where can money be saved? Can we economize time with this new tool? We have to try to find a new system that could allows us to incorporate multiple tools in one, for instance a new HR System that also enables us to have payroll and appraisal system. This could help the  company save resources such as time and money, making easier for HR to deliver an Effective service. To conclude we can say that throughout this report we were able to identify the 8 specialist professional areas in which we can develop our HR career and the necessary behaviours to be successful in it. Reflecting on my own experience or what I believe it’s effective we went through the different methods of communication available to you as an HR practitioner and how to handle your customer’s complaints and difficulties, always guarantying an effective service delivery. References: www.cipd.com.uk http://www.cipd.co.uk/cipd-hr-profession/profession-map/ http://www.cipd.co.uk/cipd-hr-profession/profession-map/professional-areas/service-delivery-information.aspx http://www.cipd.co.uk/community/freesummaries/whatismeantbycustomerservice.htm http://www.cipd.co.uk/hr-resources/factsheets/employee-communication.aspx

Assignment International Business Management Essay

Instruction * Complete with your team (ca. 3 students) the assignments and case. Please use the answer form in doing so. * Please hand in your final version before the tutorial of 110 minutes (T3) by uploading it to the sharepoint site of the course Marketing. * Dont forget to bring a hardcopy version of your answer to class and prepare as a team how you will be presenting your answers. * N.B. This is a team exercise. Every group member is responsible for the work which is handed in at the deadline. Hence every group member may be asked by the instructor to clarify your team’s answers. Assignment & Case overview: Assignment # 1 (60 points: 10 per question, 20 points for questions 1 and 2) 1) Select an industry: IT and computers Examples of industries are: transport, energy, IT and computers, supermarkets, publishers, garden centres, travel agencies, employment agencies, etc. 1a) Please mention for your industry of choice at least 6 relevant developments in its macro-environment. (20 points) 2) Please select a company or brand which operates in your industry of choice. The company or brand of choice must have both consumer – and business clients. 2a) Please mention for your company or brand of choice at least 6 relevant developments in its micro-environment. (20 points) 3) From this company’s or brand’s perspective, do the developments you identified in the macro- and micro-environment, have a positive or negative impact for the particular company or brand? 4) Draw an organisational chart of your company of choice. Include all sister companies and SBU’s (Strategic Business Units). Case Week 1: Pegasus Airlines (40 points) Please read the case on page 36-37 and answer the following questions: Question 1:Give examples of the needs, wants and demands that Pegasus customers demonstrate, differentiating these 3 concepts. What are the implications of each for Pegasus’ practices? (10 points) Question 2: Describe in detail all the facets of Pegasus’ product. What is being exchanged in a Pegasus transaction? (10 points) Question 3: Which of the 5 marketing management concepts best applies to Pegasus? (5 points) Question 4: What value does Pegasus create for its customers? (10 points) Question 5: Is Pegasus likely to continue being successful in building customer relationships? Why or why not? (5 points) Answer FormMarketing Week 1(Total points to be earned: 100) Team #†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦.. Class IBM12 Names:Jasper Henken Lam Le Danny Dikker Assignment # 1 (60 points: 10 per question, 20 points for questions 1 and 2) 1) Select an industry: (20 points) ————————————————- Industry: IT and computers ————————————————- 1a) Please mention for your industry of choice at least 6 relevant developments in its macro-environment. | 1a) Developments in the macro environment| (3) + or – impact| 1| Technological| +| 2| Economic| +| 3| Cultural| +| 4| Political| -| 5| Natural| +| 6| Demographic| +| ————————————————- Explanations: ————————————————- 1. There’s obviously been quite some innovations regarding the technology of computers, which also has a great impact on sales of computers and therefore is a positive impact on the macro environment. ————————————————- 2. The economy is more about communicating and working together. Every company nowadays runs on computer software and relies on computers to process the data. This obviously has a positive influence for IT. ————————————————- 3. There’s been developments cultural wise, people are more connect to each other by using a computer and therefore the cultural development has a positive influence on the macro environment ————————————————- 4. Governments are trying to spy on each other and their civilians by using IT technology. This basically scares away from IT in general. ————————————————- 5.The industry nowadays minimises its effect to the environment by limiting chemicals in its processes and minimising the electrical usage of their products and programmes. ————————————————- 6. Population is increasing and therefore the demand of computers will increase over time. ————————————————- 2) Please select a company or brand which operates in your industry of choice. The company or brand of choice must have both consumer – and business clients. (20 points) ————————————————- Company or brand: Microsoft ————————————————- ————————————————- 2a) Please mention for your company of choice at least 6 relevant developments in its micro-environment. | 2a) Developments in the micro environment| (3) + or – impact| 1| The Company| +| 2| Suppliers| +| 3| Marketing intermediaries| +| 4| Competitors| -| 5| Publics| +| 6| Customers| +| ————————————————- Explanations: ————————————————- 1. Microsoft is a big company therefore it should be logical that Microsoft has his own marketing department etc. ————————————————- 2. Suppliers have a positive impact because they deliver the goods that Microsoft needs to produce their product. ————————————————- 3. Microsoft has a lot of good relationships with other firms which allows them to expend in their production and possibilities. ————————————————- 4. Apple, linux are big competitors so Microsoft can struggle which means it has a negative impact. ————————————————- 5. Microsoft is well-known around the world, everyone that thinks about computers think about Microsoft. ————————————————- 6. Everyone uses a computer and since windows is one of the biggest in the market at the moment, Customers obviously have a positive impact. ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- 3) From this company’s or brand’s perspective, do the developments you identified in the macro- and micro-environment have a positive or negative impact for the particular company or brand? (See tables abover for questions 1a and 2a for indicating positive (+) or negative (-) impact and/or type an explanation here)(2 x 5 = 10 points) ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- 4) Draw an organisational chart of your company of choice. Include all sister companies and SBU’s (Strategic Business Units).(10 points) ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- ————————————————- Case Week 1: Pegasus Airlines (40 points) Please read the case on page 36-37 and answer the following questions: Question 1:Give examples of the needs, wants and demands that Pegasus customers demonstrate, differentiating these 3 concepts. What are the implications of each for Pegasus’ practices? (10 points) ————————————————- Needs: Low prices ————————————————- Wants: If a delay of more than 3 hours occur, they get a full refund. ————————————————- Demands: Innovative destination in offers. ————————————————- ————————————————- Question 2: Describe in detail all the facets of Pegasus’ product. What is being exchanged in a Pegasus transaction? (10 points) ————————————————- On-time departure, Information support by e-mail and SMS, Credit & Loyalty card, Refund in case of a 3+ hour delay, Fly Cafà ©, Opportunity to choose a seat, Discounts for early booking, Various destinations, customer service strategy lies regularly scheduled. ————————————————- ————————————————- Question 3: Which of the 5 marketing management concepts best applies to Pegasus? (5 points) ————————————————- The marketing concept. ————————————————- ————————————————- Question 4: What value does Pegasus create for its customers? (10 points) ————————————————- A flight experience with high quality and low cost. ————————————————- ————————————————- Question 5: Is Pegasus likely to continue being successful in building customer relationships? Why or why not? (5 points) ————————————————- Yes, if you deliver the customers’ needs and wants, they’ll pick you over competitors and you’ll be successful. ————————————————- ————————————————-

Math Lab Evaluation Paper

The Math lab evaluation Have you ever been to a place that is depressing, gloomy, and absolutely apathetic? If not then by all means make a point to go by and visit the math lab. As a student of the University of South Alabama I have been asked to evaluate the math lab by my supervisor. My supervisor had received various complaints by students, for that reason I have been asked to observe the math lab record what I saw and write down any suggestions for change. During this evaluation I will discuss the pros and cons of the environment in the math lab. This evaluation will serve a purpose for both present and future math students.As you enter the fifteen hundred square foot room the first thing you will see is approximately fifty computers on your right against the wall and in the center of the room there are ten round tables with six computers on each one, some of which are designated for testing only as for the others they are used for classes. There are a total of one hundred and f ifty computers. The room has several spaces separated by temporary partition walls that do very little to block sounds and serve very little purpose. There are student workers walking around that tutor the students as needed.There are also many students throughout the room at their individual computer station. At the time of my observation there were no classes in progress and all the professors were in their office, which are located at the far end of the lab. The math labs hours of operation are Monday through Thursday from nine am to nine pm and nine am to five pm on Friday they are closed on Saturday but open again on Sunday from three pm to nine pm. Although there is not a class in session you will still see students working to fulfill their required minutes in the math lab that has been assigned every week by their professor.Tutors and instructors are available during all operating hours to assist students. Students appear to be unable to focus due to various distractions like the constant noise of some of the math tutors joking with one another and the lights flickering throughout the room is also very distracting. The computers are located only a foot or so apart so if anyone were to sit next to you and make any type of movement like simply erase something or write, shakes the whole table.The sound of students that are coming and going throughout my observation because it is a work at your pace type of curriculum. The temperature in the lab was sixty five degrees which for a cold nature person would be uncomfortable making it difficult to study comfortably for a long period of time. Some of the rules that are enforced within the math lab are as follows no cell phones, no eating, no drinking, and no music. I would make the following changes in the math lab to make it a more productive and studious environment.Starting with the noise level of the room I would make the tutors aware of the complaints because of their actions and the effect on students they have caused. Secondly I would space the computers further apart that are against the walls. I would also add individual partition walls between each computer therefor blocking routine noises made by working students. This also provides privacy when trying to concentrate and study making the students more comfortable and able to work quietly. I would raise the temperature in the room to seventy two degrees which is an ideal temperature.Although rules are very necessary It is a fact that music can help students retain and comprehend knowledge for that reason I would change the rule and allow students to listen to music but only with individual ear buds. The suggestions were implemented and students agreed that the privacy of the individual spaces made it a much more enjoyable learning environment; they were able to get more accomplished in a shorter amount of time. The tutors were more respectful and worked hard to be very helpful to the best of their ability. Allowing the students t o listen to music helped them to focus and not to feel so stressed when working.The temperature was set at seventy two degrees. Students and faculty both agree that it was an ideal temperature. The lights were fixed and no longer flicker furthermore they do not cause any more distractions. The room is no longer a gloomy dreadful place nor is it apathetic but now the atmosphere is enjoyable. Students no longer dread going to the math lab and their grade averages have continued to go up. So overall I would have given it a C minus before any changes were implemented but after I would give it an A after seeing the positive results.

Aging Theory- Gerontology

Activity Theory means remaining occupied and involved on activities that are necessary to a satisfying late life. The meaning of this principle was that human mind comes to exist, develop and can only be understood within the context of meaningful, goal oriented and socially determined interaction between humans and the material environment.The basic concept of this theory is that all human activities are mediated by culturally created signs or tools. Through external interactions with these signs the internal mental state of the individual is transformed (Aboulafia, Gould, and Spyrou 1995).Activity Theory is not a theory in the strict interpretation of the term, it is consist of basic principles which constitutes a conceptual system in general that can be used as a foundation of more specific theories.These principles of Activity Theory includes object-orientedness, dual concept of internalizing and externalizing, meditations and continuous development.Whereas the object orientednes s states that as human beings, we should,live in a reality that is objective in a broad sense and the things that constitutes reality have not only the properties which are considered objective according to national science but socially/culturally defined properties as well.In this theory the high level motivating concept is activity. It is the general term that describes what the individual or group is trying to accomplish and typically indicates what outcome are they working out. A good case on this is activity like fishing.A fishing activity has actions that are performed on order to accomplish a specific goals and when that action is performed, the situation is assessed and later on determines if the goal is achieved. Actions also inludes operations and rules that requires the individual to act and think more in relation to the activity and the goalActivity Theory 2that they want. It includes figuring out where to fish, loading the fish to the car, baiting your hook, catching,cl eaning and driving home with the catch.The Activity Theory emphasizes on social factors and on interaction between agents and environment and the necessary tools in doing those actions.Tools shapes the way human being's interaction with reality. Tools are created and transformed during the activity development and this tools are used as a means of accumulation and transmission of social knowledge. It influences not only the environment but enhances the mental functioning of every individualWhat we can further analyze regarding this theory are the activities that will make adult busy and make them get into the process of maintaining an active lifestyle that will benefit them in attaining a satisfying late life. Continuity   of doing this activities makes adult develop their mind and body that will later on satisfy their life.I is important for older adults to be active in order to attain a satisfying late life because during these stages they need to be expose to activities that wi ll make them feel young and make their minds working so as to forget the illnesses that may occur due to the fact that they are getting old.Maintaining a healthy lifestyle and being engage in activities like fishing, mind sports and physical exercises makes an older adult feel young and the continuous mental function provides them more knowledge and more enjoyable time spent with love ones.ReferencesAboulafia, A., Gould, E., & Spyrou, T. (1995). Activity theory vs. cognitive science in the study of human-computer interaction . Proceedings of IRIS

Review paper Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Review paper - Essay Example However, poverty has driven these people towards survival of the fittest. Mothers become increasingly detached with infants who are perceived to be weak to survive the extremely poor conditions and a presumed to be a burden on the family. This aspect has been discussed in the paper. The researcher analyzed the reproductive backgrounds of seventy two women of the small town and tried to discover linkages between the economic and maternal disparity with material and emotional scarcity. The purpose behind this study is to find out the effect of materialism and economic disparity on the social and cultural norms of motherhood, attachment, parting and eventual loss by death. The researcher wants to prove that these sentiments are a production of the environment or the society a person belongs to rather than an innate psychological feeling of attachment that comes natural to a mother. His curiosity for this study developed because if two incidents in his life one of a girl from a rural area who murdered her infant son and one year old daughter. When he asked her for the reason behind her action she replied, ‘They wouldn’t stop asking for milk and that little ones had no feelings.’ And the second incident which formed the basis of his studies was in a town where there were was shortage of food, no access to clean drinking water, lack of sanitation and infectious diseases. The writer was involved with helping a woman give birth to her second child. However, her first child was not cared for, thrown in the dumps, living in very worse conditions, taken by compassion the writer took the child to the care center and with a lot of effort nurtured him back to health. The women there however paid no heed to weak children as mentioned above and shunned the writer for making an effort on the girls first born. The second born however was fair and healthy and was the center of attention. The culture there conformed to the natural term of

Financial Management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words - 8

Financial Management - Essay Example real side of facts, however, the corporate goal of shareholder’s wealth maximization does not cause any negative or positive effect to the weight given to the ethical consideration given by market participants (Donald & Nelson, 2000). This paper is therefore meant to research whether the two goals of business ethics and value maximization are conflicting or not. It remains a traditional ideology where it was argued that wealth maximization is inconsistent with ethical behavior in a business. It has often been suggested that the people’s desire for value maximization in general and shareholders’ wealth maximization directly oppose the ethical concepts such as honesty, fairness and corporate social responsibility, or the good of the society. In maximizing the firm’s corporate value, an ethical firm may do this by maximizing the stock prices. In this way, the firm makes the stock as desirable as possible to investors. As we know, market prices can reflect ethics just as they can reflect other valuable items in the market such as cash flows. Investors who care about ethical issues therefore will the stock of unethical firm undesirable. This will make its stock price become lower than that of an ethical firm (Smith, 1992). In our day to day life, if a manager would like to hire someone to perform unethical work for certain ill-gain in the business, they will have to part with much more pay than if they hired someone to do some ethical duty for them which will gain the business positively. From this, it is evident that one cannot get into any unethical behavior with an aim of maximizing the corporate value of the firm. One of the ethical behaviors of managers in a business is that of corporate social responsibility. However, a firm that involves in corporate social responsibility lowers its ability to maximize its corporate value. For instance, a firm would like to donate some amount of money to a non-profit making organization to support a certain cause. By

Proposal Design Research Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3250 words

Design - Research Proposal Example This could be related to any processes or concepts that are developing in any field. Now it is important to look for the reasons for the differences in the sales which might include many factors the taste, cost, availability, brand loyalty etc. and then reaching a conclusion which identifies one factor as the major reason behind the results and builds a hypothesis. To build up a strong hypothesis is important in conducting researches. All the proceedings that take place are according to the hypothesis that has been built and the independent and dependent variables suggested. Most research articles are based on the work done and research carried to enhance the existing technologies and put them to more use, others might just give a hypothesis on the basis of the surveys carried out, while some put forward a totally new theory. Taking a closer look at the various ways of report writing, the one thing that each article shares is that along with the research they all come up with a reasoning which is actually the beauty of the human mind, since it cannot rely just on the facts without going into depths to know the factors which make a certain thing happen. The topic selected for this proposal observes reflective teaching that is usually practiced at the higher education level. Reflective teaching can be defined as the process of improving the teaching methods by carrying out an investigation of one’s own teaching. In college and university levels, the method of reflective teaching is highly observed. This paper tends to review the empirical research articles of what has been said about reflective teaching by other researchers and then analyze the gaps that exist in the articles of reflective teaching. The integrated review of the articles that have been selected for this paper is being presented below. The concept of reflective teaching is gaining more popularity with time and it is becoming an important issue to